05 Ravenloft's Crossroads

Here is the summary of the session structured and written in Spanish from Spain, extracting only the information provided in the transcript:

Session Summary: Ravenloft’s Crossroads: Invitations and Bats

PCs present: Broseph (Juan Maldonado), Ceres (Paloma), Pulgar (Juan Casanova), Ladril Gabriel (Álvaro), Erdan (Marcos), Feyre (Rocío - mentioned/in horse form). (Note: Hulio was not present).

NPCs present: The Priest (Donavich), Ismark (also referred to as “Nacho”), Irena, Gypsies/Vistani, Madlock (driver), Strahd von Zarovich.

Main events and loose ends:

• Main events: The group attends the funeral of the former burgomaster and discovers that the population seems to suffer from a soul sickness or chronic depression, and that the souls of dead adventurers march towards Ravenloft every night. They prepare a decoy: Irena and Feyre (transformed into a horse) leave on their own. The main group travels in a luxurious carriage, ignoring some gypsies on the road. At a crossroads, they receive an invitation to dinner from Strahd. The group splits: Broseph and Erdan accept and go to the castle, while Ceres, Pulgar, and Ladril continue. Strahd intercepts the latter’s carriage, discovers Irena’s deception, laughs at the situation, and unleashes a swarm of bats from which they barely manage to escape.
• Loose ends:
  • What will happen to Broseph and Erdan now that they have entered Castle Ravenloft as guests?
  • Where exactly are Irena and Feyre, and will they manage to reach their destination (Vallaki) safely?
  • What were the gypsies really carrying under the canvas of their wagon?
  • Will the curse/evil eye cast by the gypsies when they passed have any effect?

Session Joke: “The Hitchhiker”. When the dark lord of Barovia himself, Strahd von Zarovich, makes a dramatic entrance in the middle of a storm, leaping from a cliff to block the road and cast a spell, the tension was through the roof. However, Paloma (Ceres) decides to treat him as a mere traffic obstacle, attempting to swerve around him with the carriage. After braking sharply mere inches from him, they joke about calling the terrifying vampire a “hitchhiker,” breaking the epic tension with a laugh from the Master himself. Honorable mention to Pulgar (Juan Casanova) “building a rectangular brick” in the bathroom while leafing through a book of demonology.

Scene 1: The Funeral of Empty Souls

• PCs present: Broseph, Erdan, Ceres, Pulgar.
• NPCs present: The Priest (deranged, jealous of his prominence, with dark circles under his eyes), Ismark, Irena (dressed in mourning), Villagers (lost gaze, apathetic, “walking dead” - archetype of hopeless victims).
• Location: Barovia Village Cemetery.
• Loot obtained: None (Pulgar inspects the graves but deduces they are of poor adventurers).
• Summary: The funeral of the burgomaster takes place all morning. Broseph, Erdan, and Ceres notice that the villagers are not crying; they seem empty, victims of a kind of trauma or “soul sickness” generated by Barovia’s environment. Ceres offers a bright prayer for the corpse, which provokes the jealousy of the local priest, who is deranged by having his son locked up. When questioned by Pulgar, the priest reveals that every night the ghosts of dead adventurers march in procession from the cemetery to Castle Ravenloft and never return, which terrifies Ceres regarding the fate of their own souls.

Scene 2: Preparations and an Ungrateful Burgomaster

• PCs present: Broseph, Erdan, Ceres, Pulgar, Ladril Gabriel.
• NPCs present: Ismark (“Nacho”, defensive, offended - archetype of proud local noble), Irena (disguised as an adventurer).
• Location: Burgomaster’s House (Barovia Village).
• Loot obtained: A silver rapier (appropriated from Ismark under the guise of the disguise). A book on demonology and logic (read by Erdan).
• Summary: The group finalizes the plan to get Irena out of the village. They disguise her as an adventurer (referred to as “Nacho’s” disguise) and have her ride Feyre, who has transformed into a horse, with them leaving first. While they wait, Broseph tries to talk to Ismark about the village’s mental illness, but Ismark takes offense as the new burgomaster. The PCs (especially Ceres and Broseph) deem him ungrateful and proud, considering they are risking their lives for his sister. Pulgar calms things down to avoid a fight, but the group leaves with a bad taste in their mouths, stealing the family’s silver rapier and taking their luxurious carriage and the remaining horses.

Scene 3: The Gibbet and the Gypsy Wagon

• PCs present: Ceres (driving the carriage), Ladril, Broseph, Pulgar, Erdan.
• NPCs present: Group of Gypsies/Vistani (with a woodcutter’s axe, seemingly friendly but suspicious - archetype of hustlers/mysterious merchants).
• Location: Roads outside Barovia, Ivlis River, Gibbet Crossroads.
• Loot obtained: None.
• Summary: The group departs in the luxurious carriage driven by Ceres. They reach a crossroads with a gibbet where Ceres has a hallucination and sees her own corpse hanging from the rope. Continuing on the road, they run head-on into a gypsy wagon. Although they try to stop them to talk or trade, Ceres refuses to stop due to haste. Pulgar closes the curtains assuming they want to rob them, and Ladril prepares to kick them if they approach. The gypsies are left with words in their mouths, throw a stone at them, and cast an evil eye upon the departing carriage.

Scene 4: The Dark Lord’s Invitation

• PCs present: Ceres, Ladril, Pulgar, Broseph, Erdan.
• NPCs present: Madlock/Igor (Strahd’s driver, gnome-sized, wears a plague mask and patched clothes - archetype of repulsive and loyal servant).
• Location: Crossroads (Towards Vallaki and towards Ravenloft).
• Loot obtained: Invitation letter sealed by Strahd von Zarovich.
• Summary: The group encounters an imposing black carriage pulled by black horses. The doors open by themselves, and a strange servant named Madlock hands them a letter. It is a formal invitation from Strahd to dine at the castle, guaranteeing their safety on the journey. The group debates heatedly: Ladril, Ceres, and Pulgar refuse to go, prioritizing their mission to protect Irena. However, Broseph (driven by curiosity) and Erdan decide to accept the invitation to get answers. Both get out of the carriage and board the black carriage, thus dividing the group.

Scene 5: Welcome to Ravenloft

• PCs present: Broseph, Erdan.
• NPCs present: Strahd von Zarovich (noble and distant figure, drinking a glass of blood).
• Location: Precipice and drawbridge of Castle Ravenloft.
• Loot obtained: None.
• Summary: The black carriage takes Broseph and Erdan through a rugged landscape to the terrifying Castle Ravenloft. Upon arriving at the torch-lit courtyard, Broseph’s keen perception allows him to see Strahd on a very high balcony drinking blood wine. Broseph gives him a polite salute; in response, Strahd transforms into a bat and flies west, leaving the two mages at the castle gates.

Scene 6: The Hitchhiker and the Swarm

• PCs present: Ceres, Ladril, Pulgar.
• NPCs present: Strahd von Zarovich (noble, pale, red eyes, arrogant and amused attitude - archetype of untouchable villain).
• Location: Muddy and rainy road in the forest.
• Loot obtained: None.
• Summary: As Ceres, Ladril, and Pulgar advance under a storm, lightning illuminates Strahd leaping from a cliff into the middle of the road. Ceres masterfully slams on the brakes just in front of him. Strahd approaches, pets the horse, and demands to see inside the carriage looking for Irena. Pulgar and Ladril try to lie to him, saying they were ambassadors, but Strahd pulls out a crystal ball and realizes the decoy. Far from being enraged, he finds the trick hilarious. He laughs heartily under the thunder, congratulates Ceres (knowing her friend is the horse), and raises his arms, summoning hundreds of bats. Strahd disappears, transformed within the swarm, which begins to attack ferociously. Ladril expends divine magic (“Intervention”) and his own sword to protect the horses from bites; Pulgar locks himself in the carriage, securing all latches so that not a single bat can enter; and Ceres, with an incredible Animal Handling roll, manages to calm the horses’ blind stampede, heal one of them, and guide the carriage at full speed to leave the cloud of bats behind.