Chapter 0: Into the Mists

[Mamori23]

  Altaïr Abd al-Aziz | HP: 12/12 | AC: 18 | Initiative: -1 | Passive Perception: 11

IC

Altaïr twirled the drink in his hand, tossing it on either side with a lazy smile hearing Vittoria provide a piece of his home. He knew in his heart how sick it came to missing his land, but at the mention of beans and cumin spices Altaïr swore his mouth suddenly became filled with its taste. 

It only turned to ash when the converstion turned over to that goddess. "A gift all gods share my dear. The illusion of grander." He drained the cup, plunging his thoughts down a fog of liquided comforts. "The prophetess grow fatter by the day on their sermons alone about the goddess. Eck, I can assume they filled you nonesense, but nothing is more nonsensical then trying to wrap your mind on the nature of fate." Altaïr said bitterly, even his eyes grew cold and harden,"Tis but an elaborate play set out by an author who divines onto which they desire fortune and misery. It is joke to choice, and I assure you...when fate takes a step in it is wiser to run from it as fast as you can before it ripes away your chances to escape." 

On that final note, Altaïr tore his eyes away. He spare only passing glance to Shazzar on his request to entertain the old man's request for a tale, sighing at the thought. "As long as it short and we be off quickly."

 

[Gregorotto]

Kezia laughs at Shazzar's comment, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Old bones have in them the wisdom of ages, dear one: our lifestyle is not for everyone, as you say. Whether jealousy, disdain, bigotry... I cannot say. We are simple people, our ways simple and consistent across the road: no one falls behind, no one goes off the road. If they do... well, we remember them as they were, not as they become." There is a darker implication to that, but she does not go into it. "Suffice it to say, what you do here... it is not a bad thing. But going along with orders, simply because they are orders? What end do you serve, then?" Kezia winks, and moves on.

 

Elsewhere, Altaïr has plenty to say about his homeland's religion, which surprises Vittoria. "Your heart is troubled, I see. I found her an endearing prophetess, in my time, but I was but a child: you have a lifetime under her yoke! I defer to your wisdom." There is something to how she says "wisdom," that perhaps is closer to "angst," but soon Stanimir has everyone's attention. The Vistani circle in, ready to listen, expectant.

 

Before the tale can begin, Samuel leans into Joliet. "Gonna go back to the Duchess, let her know we were successful. Our payment'll be ready for us, I reckon. Don't linger too long, now." And with that, Samuel heads down the hill and into the mists, and beyond towards Daggerford.

The card game over, the sausage is served, Stanimir begins.

 

"We came to your land... under an ulterior motive, I admit. We were permitted in a land recently, and its master bade us find... a group of extraordinary souls. Your souls, to be exact. I do not know all things, I cannot claim to. But I do know this: fate has brought us here. Let me tell you a tale, of our past; of our future. Of curses and tyranny." He takes a bottle of wine, sighs, and begins.

 

Stanimir fills his mouth with wine, then spits into the fire. The flames turn from orange to green. As they dance and sway, a dark shape appears in the bonfire’s core.

 

 

“We come from an ancient land whose name is long forgotten—a land of kings. Our enemies forced us from our homes, and now we wander the lost roads. Do not pity us: we like it this way. Our kindred, the other Vistani, have their own tales, and we have our own origins. What we agree on is that we were cursed, and we wander. Our people are in three nations, but serve the same purpose in the Mist-rendered roadways of the worlds.”

 

The fire grows, showing carts on a road before they disappear. New shapes appear, and somewhere in the distance, a sound of battle begins. A dark shape takes centerstage in the fire. The dark shape in the fire takes the form of a man being knocked from his horse, a spear piercing his side.

 

Stanimir continues. “One night, a wounded soldier staggered into our camp and collapsed. We nursed his terrible injury and quenched his thirst with wine. He survived. When we asked him who he was, he wouldn’t say. All he wanted was to return home, but we were deep in the land of his enemies. We took him as one of our own and followed him back toward his homeland. His enemies hunted him. They said he was a prince, yet we didn’t give him up, even when their assassins fell upon us like wolves.”

 

Deep in the bonfire, you see the dark figure standing with sword drawn, fighting off a host of shadowy shapes.

 

“This man of royal blood fought to protect us, as we protected him. We bore him safely to his home, and he thanked us. He said, ‘I owe you my life. Stay as long as you wish, leave when you choose, and know that you will always be safe here.’”

 

The figure in the dancing fire vanquishes its final foe, then disperses in a cloud of smoke and embers.

 

Stanimir’s face becomes a somber mask. “A curse has befallen our noble prince, turning him into a tyrant. We alone have the power to leave his domain. We’ve traveled far and wide to find heroes such as yourselves to end our dread lord’s curse and put his troubled soul to rest. The leader of the Vistani in the prince's land, Madam Eva, knows all. Will you return to Barovia with us and speak with her?”

 

The offer stands in the air, all of the Vistani here expectant for an answer.

Out of Character

Joliet makes about 15 gp total, including Samuel's. Bleed the bugger dry!

Will you accept their offer?

Edited November 3, 2022 by Gregorotto (see edit history)

[Kavonde]

DYNAHEIR | HP 15/15 | AC 15 | Initiative +2 | Passive Perception 12

 

Dyna's eyes widen as she takes in the story and watches the images in the flames. The display isn't a new experience for her--Rashemen has both magic and a long tradition of storytelling--but something about this story, this performance pulls at her. Cursed wanderers! A noble hero, brought low by foul magics! And a call a call for heroes! This all could have come directly from the stories Dynaheir had grown up hearing about her noble ancestor. (Well, the later ones. The early tales were entertaining, but generally less epic and exciting. Lots of bandits and hobgoblins just wandering around forests in those.)

 

Stanimir doesn't have to ask his question twice. Dyna stands and draws her two-handed blade from its scabbard on her back, and dramatically points it towards the sky above the campfire with one hand. "Adventure beckons, and the blood of Minsc the Brave answers! You have my sword!"

Edited November 3, 2022 by Kavonde (see edit history)

[GreysonWulffe]

Shazzar | The Wizard   Having certain goals of his own - in particular, the mastery of time itself - Shazzar carefully weighs the old Vistana's offer. 'If I leave with them now, I will not be able to claim the Duchess' reward,' he thinks. 'Aside from the monetary gain, I will be having the Duchess' good word, which might allow me access to libraries that might contain knowledge beyond that held in Candlekeep. What might these colorful travelers and their cursed lord have to offer?'   The middle-aged wizard coughs, mostly to gain the old Vistana's attention. "You must pardon my inquisitiveness, Stanimir, for your request comes with so much distant history but very little in terms of actionable information," he begins.   "Tell us: What is the nature of this curse that befalls your prince? What does it mean for us to end the curse on him? I think these we must know if we are to prepare accordingly to lift the curse.   "This power to leave your prince's domain - what is the nature of that power? Is there a supernatural barrier around his domain that lets you pass by virtue of your ancestry? Or is it just a rule of law that exempts your people?"   Finally, he asks of the topic that actually interests him. "You say that your Madam Eva knows all. What does that mean? Does she know everything about the curse specifically? Or does she know all?" Then, silently to himself, he adds, 'Does she know ancient magic that might reverse time?'

Stat Block Belshazzar "Shazzar" Zidon Male Human Cloistered-Scholar Wizard 1 hp 8/8 ▪ AC 12 (Unarmored) ▪ Speed 30 ft HD 1d6 ▪ Proficiency +2 ▪ Initiative +2 ▪ Senses Passive Perception 11 STR 10 (+0) ▪ DEX 14 (+2) ▪ CON 14 (+2) ▪ INT 16 (+3) ▪ WIS 12 (+1) ▪ CHA 8 (-1) Saves Intelligence +5, Wisdom +3 Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Insight +3, Investigation +5 Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal Features Arcane Recovery♦ Arcane Recovery ♦ You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. Once per day, when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your wizard level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher. (1/1 use), Library Access♦ Library Access ♦ Though others must often endure extensive interviews and significant fees to gain access to even the most common archives in your library, you have free and easy access to the majority of the library, though it might also have repositories of lore that are too valuable, magical, or secret to permit anyone immediate access. You have a working knowledge of your cloister's personnel and bureaucracy, and you know how to navigate those connections with some ease. Additionally, you are likely to gain preferential treatment at other libraries across the Realms, as professional courtesy shown to a fellow scholar., Magic Initiate (Druid)♦ Magic Initiate (Druid) ♦ Choose a class: Druid. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class's spell list: Guidance, Produce Flame In addition, choose one 1st-level spell to learn from that same list: Goodberry. Using this feat, you can cast the spell once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again. Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Wisdom for Druid., Ritual Casting♦ Ritual Casting ♦ You can cast a Wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don’t need to have the spell prepared., Spellbook♦ Spellbook ♦ At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the wizard spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind. The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard’s chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library. ♦ Copying a Spell into the Book ♦ When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it. Copying that spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation. For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells. ♦ Replacing the Book ♦ You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell. If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup spellbooks in a safe place. ♦ The Book’s Appearance ♦ Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap. Attacks  ▬ Dagger: Melee | +4 to hit | 1d4+2 piercing damage | finesse, light, thrown 20/40  ▬ Produce Flame: Ranged 30 | +3 to hit | 1d8 fire damage Spellcasting: Wizard | Spell Save DC 13, Spell Attack +5  ▬ Cantrips: Mage HandConjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Target: A point you choose within range Components: V S Duration: 1 minute A spectral, floating hand appears at a point you choose within range. The hand lasts for the duration or until you dismiss it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this spell again. You can use your action to control the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it. The hand can’t attack, activate magic items, or carry more than 10 pounds. Flavor: "Apókryfo chéri" The spectral hand seems to be made of bluish, wispy smoke. It is in the shape of Shazzar's wife's hand, as he remembers it, complete with the wedding band., Mind SliverEnchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V Duration: 1 round You drive a disorienting spike of psychic energy into the mind of one creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 1d6 psychic damage and subtract 1d4 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn. At Higher Levels: This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach certain levels: 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). Flavor: "Spáse to myaló sou", PrestidigitationTransmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 10 feet Target: See text Components: V S Duration: Up to 1 hour This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. You create one of the following magical effects within range: ♦ You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor. ♦ You instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire. ♦ You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot. ♦ You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour. ♦ You make a color, a small mark, or a symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour. ♦ You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn. If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action. Flavor: "Mageía"  ▬ 1st (2/2 slots): Comprehend LanguagesDivination (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self Components: V S M (A pinch of soot and salt) Duration: 1 hour For the duration, you understand the literal meaning of any spoken language that you hear. You also understand any written language that you see, but you must be touching the surface on which the words are written. It takes about 1 minute to read one page of text. This spell doesn’t decode secret messages in a text or a glyph, such as an arcane sigil, that isn’t part of a written language. Flavor: "Gnorízei óles tis glósses"®, *Detect MagicDivination (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self Components: V S Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes For the duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any. The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. Flavor: "Epitrépste mou na do apókryfes ávres" For the duration of the spell, Shazzar's eyes turn into black, obsidian-like orbs that glow faintly with a pale-blue light.©®, Find FamiliarConjuration (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 hour Range: 10 feet Target: An unoccupied space within range Components: V S M (10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier) Duration: Instantaneous You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider, or weasel. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast. Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal. When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. You can’t have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new form. Choose one of the forms from the above list. Your familiar transforms into the chosen creature. Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll. Flavor: "Akoúste to kálesmá mou, kollitós mou fíle" At the final stage of the spell, the fire turns a brilliant blue, and it is from this blue fire that the familiar explodes out of, extinguishing the fire at the same time.®, *Feather FallTransmutation Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you or a creature within 60 feet of you falls Range: 60 feet Target: Up to five falling creatures within range Components: V M (A small feather or piece of down) Duration: 1 minute Choose up to five falling creatures within range. A falling creature’s rate of descent slows to 60 feet per round until the spell ends. If the creature lands before the spell ends, it takes no falling damage and can land on its feet, and the spell ends for that creature. Flavor: "Sýllipsi" A magic circle that is about 1 foot across appears in the air, over the target's head. It would seem that an invisible energy is emanating from this circle to pull the target up, slowing their descent., *Mage ArmorAbjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: A willing creature who isn't wearing armor Components: V S M (A piece of cured leather) Duration: 8 hours You touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target’s base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell as an action. Flavor: "Panoplía tou apókryfou" Faintly-glowing pale-blue lines that form a continuous, geometric pattern appear on Shazzar's clothing. Whenever objects impact against him with considerable force, those lines flash mildly., *Magic MissileEvocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Target: A creature of your choice that you can see within range Components: V S Duration: Instantaneous You create three glowing darts of magical force. Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 1d4 + 1 force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the spell creates one more dart for each slot above 1st. Flavor: "Apókryfa véli" Several fist-sized magic circles appear in the air around Shazzar, and darts of bluish energy shoot out of each one toward his targets.   Spellcasting: Magic Initiate (Druid) | Spell Save DC 11, Spell Attack +3  ▬ Cantrips: GuidanceDivination Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: One willing creature Components: V S Duration: Up to 1 minute You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one ability check of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the ability check. The spell then ends. Flavor: "Eíthe to Oghma na sas kathodigísei" The target feels a comforting warmth spread throughout their body, radiating Shazzar's hand., Produce FlameConjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self or a creature within 30 feet of you Components: V S Duration: 10 minutes A flickering flame appears in your hand. The flame remains there for the duration and harms neither you nor your equipment. The flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The spell ends if you dismiss it as an action or if you cast it again. You can also attack with the flame, although doing so ends the spell. When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can hurl the flame at a creature within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire damage. At Higher Levels: This spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8). Flavor: "Apó to típota, fotiá" The flickering flame is a pale blue in color and takes on a teardrop shape.  ▬ 1st (1/1 use): GoodberryTransmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: See text Components: V S M (A sprig of mistletoe) Duration: Instantaneous Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell. Flavor: "Threptiká moúra" The berries are perfect orbs in shape and have a perfect sheen to them. Equipment Spellbook, staff (arcane focus), scholar's robes, dagger, writing kit, borrowed book (Elminster's Treatise On The Arcane), belt pouch, backpack, bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, 5 torches, 5 rations, waterskin, 50 ft of hemp rope, 12 gp, 5 sp, 5 cp Narra | The Familiar Owl (Tiny Fey) hp 1/1 ▪ AC 11 (Unarmored) ▪ Speed 5 ft, fly 60 ft. HD 1d4 ▪ Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13 STR 3 (-4) ▪ DEX 13 (+1) ▪ CON 8 (-1) ▪ INT 2 (-4) ▪ WIS 12 (+1) ▪ CHA 7 (-2) Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3 Features FlybyThe owl doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach., Keen Hearing & SightThe owl has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing and sight.; Deliver Touch SpellsWhen you Cast a Spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its Reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an Attack roll, you use your Attack modifier for the roll., Link With MasterWhile your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an Action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses., Pocket DimensionAs an Action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an Action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.

 

֎ ֎ ֎

 

[emotionaut]

Joliet

---

HP:   12/12

AC:   14

Init:  +3

PP:   13

FeaturesSecond Wind: 1/1
Languages: Common, Paridon Creole

ConditionNormal

Ammo⁍⁍⁍⁍⁍⁍

IC

Joliet pulls her boots clear of the fire as the story begins, but then leans forward as the shapes and images begin to take form inside the flames. Magic of this showy sort is still something she's unaccustomed to. Back home, she seldom saw such wonders. Most magic people spoke of was of the dark variety, being curses and blood sacrifices whispered as warnings to those who didn't take the mundane dangers of the city seriously enough. Like scaring a child into better behavior with a boogieman at bedtime. But this world, this place, this magic is the real deal.

 

She listens intently as Stanimir spins his tale, and she raises an eyebrow at the end when he makes his offer. Suddenly this simple job has a whole new meaning. Joliet wonders if the Duchess had some hand in planning this. Or are these Vistani just clever enough to use their vagrancy a means to achieve this end? Did they make a nuisance of themselves just to attract the right kind of attention, to then bring back and deal with this cursed lord of theirs? She smirks at the thought. If true, it's a move worthy of any hunter. And for once, it makes her the prey. She chuckles at the thought.

 

Dynaheir seems only too eager to be swept up into the trap. Talk of heroes no doubt enticed her noble lineage and her wish to honor her ancestors. No such motivation for Joliet. But Shazzar touches on something more in line with her own thinking. This Madam Eva could be just the ticket.

 

After Shazzar finishes, she adds, "I'd also be curious to meet this Madam Eva. Could be she can connect me with those headin' Paridon way, yeah? And if the price of passage home is dealin' with some cursed bloke, supposin' there's no harm in tryin'." She then looks to Shazzar and gives him a nod. "This fella here poses a fine question, by the by. What gives you cause to think this ragtag collection of souls has any hope of breakin' a curse of this manner. 'Less we've got expertise lurkin' among us I don't know about, we're just hired guns. Sure you wouldn't rather an army of holy men?" she asks, before then realizing that maybe they do have a couple of priestly types among their number. The big guy, Sulimann, while not the picture of priesthood, carried himself in such a way. Maybe the girl, Giselle, with the wet look about her? Joliet reasons they can all speak for themselves, should they believe they're up to the task.

OOC

Actions go here.

[Lukenary]

Giselle the Drowned

---

HP:   11/11  |   AC:   17  |   Init:  +3  |  PP:   11

 

Features

Divine Sense PHB, pg. 84
As an action, you can detect good and evil. Until the end of your next turn, you can sense anything affected by the hallow spell or know the location of any celestial, fiend, undead within 60 ft. that is not behind total cover. You can use this feature 4 times per long rest. 3/4

 

Lay on Hands PHB, pg. 84
You have a pool of healing power that can restore 5 HP per long rest. As an action, you can touch a creature to restore any number of HP remaining in the pool, or 5 HP to either cure a disease or neutralize a poison affecting the creature. 5/5

 

 

Traits

 

Darkvision BR, pg. 39
You can see in darkness (shades of gray) up to 60 ft.

 

Fey Ancestry BR, pg. 39
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Spells

None

 

IC

Shapes dancing in the fire.  Wild tales of princes, and curses, and prisons, and planes.

 

Giselle's blood sang at the very mention of these things.

 

An unholy light came into her eyes as she was underlit by the flames.  Indeed, this seemed the very reason she'd washed up on this shore.  She was a misfit in the Duchess' service, she knew that now... had known it for some time on a subconscious level.  Her subconscious had a lot to say to her, she thought.  Sometimes, it was probably worth listening to.

 

Stanimir's face becomes a somber mask. "Will you return to Barovia with us and speak with her?"

 

She smiles, knowing how the others around her will answer, almost before they do.  "I will, indeed.  And the rose-gold of the morning will shine on your lord, and give him a chance to step anew into the light."  She lays a hand on the amulet hanging from her neck.  "I swear it will be so."

OOC

None.

 

[Gregorotto]

The Vistani wait for their answers, and in time, they come.

 

Dynaheir and Giselle offer their support unwaveringly, and indeed, Joliet seems to offer her support, but with some caveats. Shazzar, meanwhile, has plenty of questions that need to be specified. For his part, Stanimir has plenty of ways to answer them. But will he answer them at all?

 

Grinning toothily, he begins to try. "Your skepticism is admirable, good sir mage. The curse... Madam Eva can answer that. I cannot. We do not speak his name, we do not speak his curse. Dark Powers are afoot. To speak of them summons their attention, even here. But you can lift it: only you." It seems oddly specific, and certain, despite evidence, which Shazzar fishes for. "Our ability to pass through the Mists is our curse: we alone can do it, but we must keep moving. Vistani cannot stay in one place for too long: if they have the ability to go, they must. And so we do. The Prince controls his domain's borders. He is the Land, they say." To this he laughs. "Truer words. But the Prince gives us special dispensation... and if he did not, we would be able to pass anyhow, unless he so willed it and made the borders poisonous."

 

The final question comes as to the nature of what Madam Eva knows. "She knows many things. Perhaps you can ask her, when you meet her? Your companions are decided, it seems. And you, fair gamblers: Madam Eva will know how you can get to Paridon. She can find you an anchor to pass through the Mists with, surely. She is wise and knowing."

 

Stanimir whistles. "We begin packing! Will you assist us? And then, we must go. I do not think there is time to return to your Daggerford, friends. Unless you wish to try?" His fellow Vistani begin packing, talking to one another in their language: the ritual still holding over Shazzar, he hears they are talking about how quickly the universe created an answer for them: as if a higher force were pulling the strings.

[GreysonWulffe]

Shazzar | The Wizard   Shazzar crosses his arms over his chest, a thoughtful look on his face. 'Interesting,' he thinks. 'A land that sounds to be encased in supernatural mist that the lord of the domain controls. "I am the Land" is a common expression for conquerors - I guess that reinforces the idea that he controls that domain. Must be of great power, indeed.'   Next, his thoughts go to the Madam Eva that the Vistana speaks about. 'This Madam Eva sounds to be a mystic of some sort. At the very least, she might set me on the path to that which I seek.'   Finally, the wizard turns to Stanimir. "Well, if it is as you say and there is no longer any time to return to Daggerford, then off to your misty land we shall go," he replies with a smile. "After all, the task is done, and I am sure that the Duchess will be true to her word. We can always collect our reward at a later time."

Stat Block Belshazzar "Shazzar" Zidon Male Human Cloistered-Scholar Wizard 1 hp 8/8 ▪ AC 12 (Unarmored) ▪ Speed 30 ft HD 1d6 ▪ Proficiency +2 ▪ Initiative +2 ▪ Senses Passive Perception 11 STR 10 (+0) ▪ DEX 14 (+2) ▪ CON 14 (+2) ▪ INT 16 (+3) ▪ WIS 12 (+1) ▪ CHA 8 (-1) Saves Intelligence +5, Wisdom +3 Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Insight +3, Investigation +5 Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal Features Arcane Recovery♦ Arcane Recovery ♦ You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. Once per day, when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your wizard level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher. (1/1 use), Library Access♦ Library Access ♦ Though others must often endure extensive interviews and significant fees to gain access to even the most common archives in your library, you have free and easy access to the majority of the library, though it might also have repositories of lore that are too valuable, magical, or secret to permit anyone immediate access. You have a working knowledge of your cloister's personnel and bureaucracy, and you know how to navigate those connections with some ease. Additionally, you are likely to gain preferential treatment at other libraries across the Realms, as professional courtesy shown to a fellow scholar., Magic Initiate (Druid)♦ Magic Initiate (Druid) ♦ Choose a class: Druid. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class's spell list: Guidance, Produce Flame In addition, choose one 1st-level spell to learn from that same list: Goodberry. Using this feat, you can cast the spell once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again. Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Wisdom for Druid., Ritual Casting♦ Ritual Casting ♦ You can cast a Wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don’t need to have the spell prepared., Spellbook♦ Spellbook ♦ At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the wizard spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind. The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard’s chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library. ♦ Copying a Spell into the Book ♦ When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it. Copying that spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation. For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells. ♦ Replacing the Book ♦ You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell. If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup spellbooks in a safe place. ♦ The Book’s Appearance ♦ Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap. Attacks  ▬ Dagger: Melee | +4 to hit | 1d4+2 piercing damage | finesse, light, thrown 20/40  ▬ Produce Flame: Ranged 30 | +3 to hit | 1d8 fire damage Spellcasting: Wizard | Spell Save DC 13, Spell Attack +5  ▬ Cantrips: Mage HandConjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Target: A point you choose within range Components: V S Duration: 1 minute A spectral, floating hand appears at a point you choose within range. The hand lasts for the duration or until you dismiss it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this spell again. You can use your action to control the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it. The hand can’t attack, activate magic items, or carry more than 10 pounds. Flavor: "Apókryfo chéri" The spectral hand seems to be made of bluish, wispy smoke. It is in the shape of Shazzar's wife's hand, as he remembers it, complete with the wedding band., Mind SliverEnchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V Duration: 1 round You drive a disorienting spike of psychic energy into the mind of one creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 1d6 psychic damage and subtract 1d4 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn. At Higher Levels: This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach certain levels: 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). Flavor: "Spáse to myaló sou", PrestidigitationTransmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 10 feet Target: See text Components: V S Duration: Up to 1 hour This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. You create one of the following magical effects within range: ♦ You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor. ♦ You instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire. ♦ You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot. ♦ You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour. ♦ You make a color, a small mark, or a symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour. ♦ You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn. If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action. Flavor: "Mageía"  ▬ 1st (2/2 slots): Comprehend LanguagesDivination (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self Components: V S M (A pinch of soot and salt) Duration: 1 hour For the duration, you understand the literal meaning of any spoken language that you hear. You also understand any written language that you see, but you must be touching the surface on which the words are written. It takes about 1 minute to read one page of text. This spell doesn’t decode secret messages in a text or a glyph, such as an arcane sigil, that isn’t part of a written language. Flavor: "Gnorízei óles tis glósses"®, *Detect MagicDivination (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self Components: V S Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes For the duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any. The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. Flavor: "Epitrépste mou na do apókryfes ávres" For the duration of the spell, Shazzar's eyes turn into black, obsidian-like orbs that glow faintly with a pale-blue light.©®, Find FamiliarConjuration (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 hour Range: 10 feet Target: An unoccupied space within range Components: V S M (10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier) Duration: Instantaneous You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider, or weasel. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast. Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal. When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. You can’t have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new form. Choose one of the forms from the above list. Your familiar transforms into the chosen creature. Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll. Flavor: "Akoúste to kálesmá mou, kollitós mou fíle" At the final stage of the spell, the fire turns a brilliant blue, and it is from this blue fire that the familiar explodes out of, extinguishing the fire at the same time.®, *Feather FallTransmutation Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you or a creature within 60 feet of you falls Range: 60 feet Target: Up to five falling creatures within range Components: V M (A small feather or piece of down) Duration: 1 minute Choose up to five falling creatures within range. A falling creature’s rate of descent slows to 60 feet per round until the spell ends. If the creature lands before the spell ends, it takes no falling damage and can land on its feet, and the spell ends for that creature. Flavor: "Sýllipsi" A magic circle that is about 1 foot across appears in the air, over the target's head. It would seem that an invisible energy is emanating from this circle to pull the target up, slowing their descent., *Mage ArmorAbjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: A willing creature who isn't wearing armor Components: V S M (A piece of cured leather) Duration: 8 hours You touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target’s base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell as an action. Flavor: "Panoplía tou apókryfou" Faintly-glowing pale-blue lines that form a continuous, geometric pattern appear on Shazzar's clothing. Whenever objects impact against him with considerable force, those lines flash mildly., *Magic MissileEvocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Target: A creature of your choice that you can see within range Components: V S Duration: Instantaneous You create three glowing darts of magical force. Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 1d4 + 1 force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the spell creates one more dart for each slot above 1st. Flavor: "Apókryfa véli" Several fist-sized magic circles appear in the air around Shazzar, and darts of bluish energy shoot out of each one toward his targets.   Spellcasting: Magic Initiate (Druid) | Spell Save DC 11, Spell Attack +3  ▬ Cantrips: GuidanceDivination Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: One willing creature Components: V S Duration: Up to 1 minute You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one ability check of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the ability check. The spell then ends. Flavor: "Eíthe to Oghma na sas kathodigísei" The target feels a comforting warmth spread throughout their body, radiating Shazzar's hand., Produce FlameConjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self or a creature within 30 feet of you Components: V S Duration: 10 minutes A flickering flame appears in your hand. The flame remains there for the duration and harms neither you nor your equipment. The flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The spell ends if you dismiss it as an action or if you cast it again. You can also attack with the flame, although doing so ends the spell. When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can hurl the flame at a creature within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire damage. At Higher Levels: This spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8). Flavor: "Apó to típota, fotiá" The flickering flame is a pale blue in color and takes on a teardrop shape.  ▬ 1st (1/1 use): GoodberryTransmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: See text Components: V S M (A sprig of mistletoe) Duration: Instantaneous Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell. Flavor: "Threptiká moúra" The berries are perfect orbs in shape and have a perfect sheen to them. Equipment Spellbook, staff (arcane focus), scholar's robes, dagger, writing kit, borrowed book (Elminster's Treatise On The Arcane), belt pouch, backpack, bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, 5 torches, 5 rations, waterskin, 50 ft of hemp rope, 12 gp, 5 sp, 5 cp Narra | The Familiar Owl (Tiny Fey) hp 1/1 ▪ AC 11 (Unarmored) ▪ Speed 5 ft, fly 60 ft. HD 1d4 ▪ Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13 STR 3 (-4) ▪ DEX 13 (+1) ▪ CON 8 (-1) ▪ INT 2 (-4) ▪ WIS 12 (+1) ▪ CHA 7 (-2) Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3 Features FlybyThe owl doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach., Keen Hearing & SightThe owl has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing and sight.; Deliver Touch SpellsWhen you Cast a Spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its Reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an Attack roll, you use your Attack modifier for the roll., Link With MasterWhile your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an Action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses., Pocket DimensionAs an Action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an Action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.

 

֎ ֎ ֎

 

[Kavonde]

DYNAHEIR | HP 15/15 | AC 15 | Initiative +2 | Passive Perception 12

 

Dynaheir beams at Giselle, the only one of the group whose enthusiasm seems to match her own. Between this and the prior discussion of malevolence and laundry, she is very quickly becoming fond of the other woman.

 

At Stanimir's request for help packing, Dyna nods and looks about for something heavy that might need lifting. She's happy to follow any instructions as to what goes where. I hope Samuel makes it back before we leave, she thinks. He has a very interesting way of speaking. I do not understand most of it, but it sounds very poetic.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Kavonde (see edit history)

[Mamori23]

  Altaïr Abd al-Aziz | HP: 12/12 | AC: 18 | Initiative: -1 | Passive Perception: 11

IC

All throughtout this talk, one thing rang through and shown heavily on Altaïr's face: Suspision.

He doubted every word dropped from Stanimir's lips. This legend, these tales, how could the others eat this up? It sat horribly on the mind of a man who wanted to complete one matter and call the night out after. Altaïr turned a head towards he last saw Samuel, one half step made to follow the man's path out from this foolish quest to end a curse on a tyrant. He was no hero, but a cast away child turned knight for a god given up to him. If that is what made enough to end their plight, surely they took any fool able to swing a sword. 

Yet...Altaïr's thoughts stirred again. That wretched soul within him taken away to the spur of...purpose. Is this what called to him? The promise of some sort of glory? If he were to join this group here and now, to see this task through till its end. Would it be enough to atone for the mistakes he made in his youth? 

The promise striken over Altaïr, oddly more silent than times before molding himself away from the group took a step forward and aided Dynaheir in picking up a heavy box for the carriage. "I state this now. I will make no enjoyment of the task ahead and if by any instant you lot leave us without any sort of direction to where this tryant resides - I will be more than miffed."

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by Mamori23 (see edit history)

[Gregorotto]

The camp is quickly disassembled: with the help of those gathered, it makes for lighter work, with light-hearted song in languages Shazzar is beginning to lose the ability to understand. At Altaïr's comment, a nearby Kezia laughs, holding her belly as she does so. "You think we take pleasure in this? Larger forces than we can comprehend at this, and we their heralds? Surely you jest, Fate-born." The Mists pull in tighter as the night carries on, the moon above a pale blue barely visible beyond heavy clouds. Within the hour, they finish. Stanimir sits at the back of his wagon, his son, the caravan driver for the Vistani tribe, ready to egg his horses onward, the family vardo a bright orange with yellow and green flourishes, fresh in paint with cast-iron tools hanging from it ranging from wrenches to skillets.

 

"Let us be on our way, and Mist-walkers we become. Find yourselves in the middle of our caravan, will you? For your own safety, do not stray from the path: whatever you see, do not venture forth."

 

With a cry, the Vistani head onward, the group in their heart.

 

Heading south into the Mists, it engulfs them entirely, making it difficult to see beyond thirty feet in any direction. The moonlight allows everything to be visible, at least, which is odd: after the moon dances behind a cloud, the Mist begins to obscure it, prevent any of them from seeing it yet the illumination remains clear. Stanimir was certainly not joking: within the Mists are faces, are voices, that call, beckon, that speak to each of them. Everyone seems to hear something, but from the reactions, how can they be the same thing? Whatever the case, the Mists beckon, but holding fast is not difficult. That, at least is true: it is very obvious not the same as the real thing, very much an illusion.

 

What is this game the Vistani are playing?

 

Stanimir hangs out the back of his family vardo, smelling of fresh sandalwood. "Friends, friends: I must say something. At the Gates of Barovia we must leave you: we go no further. It is the command of the Lord of the Land, the Master, and one I do not like: I am loyal to my frends, to the last.... and yet, I must leave you there. That you accepted at all is nothing short of a miracle, but I do not suspect you were an accidental choice. A shame about your friends, Samuel. He was good with the cards, but... Alas. Ah! And here we are!"

 

The Mist ahead clears up a bit, revealing a thicker wood: when the road arrive at their sides? Surround them on both sides, the heavy trees are cloaked in a fog that runs up their length for a ways, as the unkept road leads onward, to a closed iron gate; stonework cloaked in mist shows a massive set of legs, but their top halves hidden. At their feet sit heads, two men: one with a chin-chasing beard and hair behind him that looks like a cowl, giving an awful scowl, the other a handsome figure with sharp figures, a grin on his face. Between the feet of the two statues are the tips of blades: these sentinels, headless as they are and their upper proportions unseen, stand guard at the closed gates of Barovia. The gates extend into walls, which stretch into the Mists.

 

Stanimir looks up at the figures' visible portions, and says something low to himself.

 

"I wish you the best of luck." The front-facing vardo circle around them on the narrow road, and head away from the gates, against protest or desire that they stay. As they go, the Mists pull back, revealing the armored figures' bodies and headless state, as well as the top of the gates, which are not manned. Yet the gates are shut.

 

Behind them on the road where Stanimir left, the vardo is nowhere to beseen as the Mists pull back. It is as if they never were. After thirty feet, the Mists remain on the road, a kind of barrier that remains in the trees that surround the road.

 

They stand at the Gates of Barovia.

Out of Character

You are invited to create what your character hears in the Mists. It can be benign voices, it can be something from their backstory, it can be something mysterious; or it can be nothing at all. Feel free to ask the Vistani any questions or protest their leaving accordingly. Also approach the gates as you will: let's tango, shall we?

 

[Lukenary]

  

Giselle the Drowned

---

HP:   11/11  |   AC:   17  |   Init:  +3  |  PP:   11

 

Features

Divine Sense PHB, pg. 84
As an action, you can detect good and evil. Until the end of your next turn, you can sense anything affected by the hallow spell or know the location of any celestial, fiend, undead within 60 ft. that is not behind total cover. You can use this feature 4 times per long rest. 3/4

 

Lay on Hands PHB, pg. 84
You have a pool of healing power that can restore 5 HP per long rest. As an action, you can touch a creature to restore any number of HP remaining in the pool, or 5 HP to either cure a disease or neutralize a poison affecting the creature. 5/5

 

 

Traits

 

Darkvision BR, pg. 39
You can see in darkness (shades of gray) up to 60 ft.

 

Fey Ancestry BR, pg. 39
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Spells

None

 

IC

Giselle walked among the Vistani, offering her help where she could.  But the closer she moved to them, the farther they withdrew, almost as if there was an unspoken no man's land around her.  When she talked to them, their eyes darted and they found excuses to cut the conversation short.  As she walked between the fires, the shadows danced around her gaily.  Menacingly.  Weirdly, as if they were cast by different light.

 

Still, it seemed the paladin did not notice how the others reacted to her.  She loaded wagons.  She bundled belongings, tied them securely where they needed to go.  She offered advice as to how to organize wagons and traveling formation;  an outsider might question such a tactic, giving tips to those who clearly had done this a thousand times or more.  But the small tweaks, the small changes she suggested were actually good.  They allowed the wagons to travel more securely, more defensibly, and allowed fewer vulnerabilities.  The logistics were better and while none of the individual suggestions were drastic, as a whole where her advice was taken everything worked more smoothly.

 

If she realized she was having this effect, no one could tell.

 

She sought out Stanimir, asking if there was aught else she could do.  As she did so, she noticed Dynaheir and the big woman's efforts.  With a smile and a wink, the two worked together seamlessly; they had an instinctive understanding... a martial outlook on how to travel safely.  Giselle knew the barbarian projected a clumsy air to the rest of the world, but she suspected that if anyone looked closer that Dynaheir's practical wisdom might well be worth following.

 

There were more similarities between the two than this, though she didn't consciously acknowledge them.

Giselle became slightly agitated as the moon was covered by the mists.  For when the mists closed in, the light grew diffuse and obscure.  It seemed wrong to her somehow, that there should be light and yet the light be ill-defined.  Sourceless, directionless.  How should one orient themselves in such a situation?  Proper light, proper darkness... these she knew.  It unnerved her, more deeply than she wanted to admit. There should always be light, a dawn, a sun.  And it should cast shadows.  And perhaps that last thought was what unnerved her the most.

 

"Giselle, Giselle, what are you doing darling? You know she wouldn't like you going somewhere she couldn't find you, yes?"  The voice mocked her, and yet it was familiar.  It evoked feelings of dread and torment, images of long fingernails painted black as pitch.  Furrows scratched in flesh, down the back of one's neck, pleasure and pain mixed together. 

 

With a start, Giselle realized she knew who was speaking to her.  Odharnait the Dew-Glistener was an old rival, and she knew the name was right.  A rival?  But from where?  It felt cold, and she had half-remembered images of torment and anguish; both impersonal and extremely personal.  Small things, that were not much more than a nuisance.  And great, earth-shaking, rending things that spoke of loss over decades.

 

Why would Odharnait be here?  She wiped her eyes free of the moisture from the mists gathering on her lashes.  If there were tears mixed in, no one else could tell.

 

She was consumed with introspection as they approached the gates; focused inward and trying to remember something.  Anything.

 

Too late, she realized the Vistani were leaving them here.  "But wait!  What can we...?" They were gone by the time she found her voice.  She finished her thought at a normal volume, "... expect to find on the other side?"

 

Her shoulders slumped, but she looked around at the rest of her small party.  "Aye, well.  We're here now.  Shall we walk through?  I doubt we can achieve much otherwise."

OOC

None.

 

[GreysonWulffe]

Shazzar | The Wizard   Having heard the voices of his daughters and his deceased wife, all of them casting him away with much hatred, as they passed through the mysterious mists, Shazzar is so very keen to step off of the Vistani wagon. While he acknowledges that the voices were not truly those of her family and were part of the magic of the mists, he also cannot deny that it had struck a nerve in him, tugging at his old heartstrings.   Choosing to focus on their current circumstances - more to distract himself from longing for his family than anything - the wizard steps toward the two statue heads that lie on the ground, by the sides of the dirt road. "Interesting," he remarks aloud as he visually takes in as much details as he can and tries to find any information that they might use. "Sentinels standing guard over the gates of the domain. Surely meant to display power and prestige. Why are they decapitated, though? A deliberate act by the prince, or an attack against him?"

Stat Block Belshazzar "Shazzar" Zidon Male Human Cloistered-Scholar Wizard 1 hp 8/8 ▪ AC 12 (Unarmored) ▪ Speed 30 ft HD 1d6 ▪ Proficiency +2 ▪ Initiative +2 ▪ Senses Passive Perception 11 STR 10 (+0) ▪ DEX 14 (+2) ▪ CON 14 (+2) ▪ INT 16 (+3) ▪ WIS 12 (+1) ▪ CHA 8 (-1) Saves Intelligence +5, Wisdom +3 Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Insight +3, Investigation +5 Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal Features Arcane Recovery♦ Arcane Recovery ♦ You have learned to regain some of your magical energy by studying your spellbook. Once per day, when you finish a short rest, you can choose expended spell slots to recover. The spell slots can have a combined level that is equal to or less than half your wizard level (rounded up), and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher. (1/1 use), Library Access♦ Library Access ♦ Though others must often endure extensive interviews and significant fees to gain access to even the most common archives in your library, you have free and easy access to the majority of the library, though it might also have repositories of lore that are too valuable, magical, or secret to permit anyone immediate access. You have a working knowledge of your cloister's personnel and bureaucracy, and you know how to navigate those connections with some ease. Additionally, you are likely to gain preferential treatment at other libraries across the Realms, as professional courtesy shown to a fellow scholar., Magic Initiate (Druid)♦ Magic Initiate (Druid) ♦ Choose a class: Druid. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class's spell list: Guidance, Produce Flame In addition, choose one 1st-level spell to learn from that same list: Goodberry. Using this feat, you can cast the spell once at its lowest level, and you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again. Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Wisdom for Druid., Ritual Casting♦ Ritual Casting ♦ You can cast a Wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don’t need to have the spell prepared., Spellbook♦ Spellbook ♦ At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the wizard spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind. The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard’s chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library. ♦ Copying a Spell into the Book ♦ When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it. Copying that spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation. For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells. ♦ Replacing the Book ♦ You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell. If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup spellbooks in a safe place. ♦ The Book’s Appearance ♦ Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap. Attacks  ▬ Dagger: Melee | +4 to hit | 1d4+2 piercing damage | finesse, light, thrown 20/40  ▬ Produce Flame: Ranged 30 | +3 to hit | 1d8 fire damage Spellcasting: Wizard | Spell Save DC 13, Spell Attack +5  ▬ Cantrips: Mage HandConjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Target: A point you choose within range Components: V S Duration: 1 minute A spectral, floating hand appears at a point you choose within range. The hand lasts for the duration or until you dismiss it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this spell again. You can use your action to control the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it. The hand can’t attack, activate magic items, or carry more than 10 pounds. Flavor: "Apókryfo chéri" The spectral hand seems to be made of bluish, wispy smoke. It is in the shape of Shazzar's wife's hand, as he remembers it, complete with the wedding band., Mind SliverEnchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V Duration: 1 round You drive a disorienting spike of psychic energy into the mind of one creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 1d6 psychic damage and subtract 1d4 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn. At Higher Levels: This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach certain levels: 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). Flavor: "Spáse to myaló sou", PrestidigitationTransmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 10 feet Target: See text Components: V S Duration: Up to 1 hour This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. You create one of the following magical effects within range: ♦ You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor. ♦ You instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire. ♦ You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot. ♦ You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour. ♦ You make a color, a small mark, or a symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour. ♦ You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn. If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action. Flavor: "Mageía"  ▬ 1st (2/2 slots): Comprehend LanguagesDivination (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self Components: V S M (A pinch of soot and salt) Duration: 1 hour For the duration, you understand the literal meaning of any spoken language that you hear. You also understand any written language that you see, but you must be touching the surface on which the words are written. It takes about 1 minute to read one page of text. This spell doesn’t decode secret messages in a text or a glyph, such as an arcane sigil, that isn’t part of a written language. Flavor: "Gnorízei óles tis glósses"®, *Detect MagicDivination (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self Components: V S Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes For the duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any. The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. Flavor: "Epitrépste mou na do apókryfes ávres" For the duration of the spell, Shazzar's eyes turn into black, obsidian-like orbs that glow faintly with a pale-blue light.©®, Find FamiliarConjuration (Ritual) Casting Time: 1 hour Range: 10 feet Target: An unoccupied space within range Components: V S M (10 gp worth of charcoal, incense, and herbs that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier) Duration: Instantaneous You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: bat, cat, crab, frog (toad), hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider, or weasel. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast. Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can’t attack, but it can take other actions as normal. When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. You can’t have more than one familiar at a time. If you cast this spell while you already have a familiar, you instead cause it to adopt a new form. Choose one of the forms from the above list. Your familiar transforms into the chosen creature. Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll. Flavor: "Akoúste to kálesmá mou, kollitós mou fíle" At the final stage of the spell, the fire turns a brilliant blue, and it is from this blue fire that the familiar explodes out of, extinguishing the fire at the same time.®, *Feather FallTransmutation Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you or a creature within 60 feet of you falls Range: 60 feet Target: Up to five falling creatures within range Components: V M (A small feather or piece of down) Duration: 1 minute Choose up to five falling creatures within range. A falling creature’s rate of descent slows to 60 feet per round until the spell ends. If the creature lands before the spell ends, it takes no falling damage and can land on its feet, and the spell ends for that creature. Flavor: "Sýllipsi" A magic circle that is about 1 foot across appears in the air, over the target's head. It would seem that an invisible energy is emanating from this circle to pull the target up, slowing their descent., *Mage ArmorAbjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: A willing creature who isn't wearing armor Components: V S M (A piece of cured leather) Duration: 8 hours You touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target’s base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell as an action. Flavor: "Panoplía tou apókryfou" Faintly-glowing pale-blue lines that form a continuous, geometric pattern appear on Shazzar's clothing. Whenever objects impact against him with considerable force, those lines flash mildly., *Magic MissileEvocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Target: A creature of your choice that you can see within range Components: V S Duration: Instantaneous You create three glowing darts of magical force. Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 1d4 + 1 force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several. At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the spell creates one more dart for each slot above 1st. Flavor: "Apókryfa véli" Several fist-sized magic circles appear in the air around Shazzar, and darts of bluish energy shoot out of each one toward his targets.   Spellcasting: Magic Initiate (Druid) | Spell Save DC 11, Spell Attack +3  ▬ Cantrips: GuidanceDivination Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: One willing creature Components: V S Duration: Up to 1 minute You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one ability check of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the ability check. The spell then ends. Flavor: "Eíthe to Oghma na sas kathodigísei" The target feels a comforting warmth spread throughout their body, radiating Shazzar's hand., Produce FlameConjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Target: Self or a creature within 30 feet of you Components: V S Duration: 10 minutes A flickering flame appears in your hand. The flame remains there for the duration and harms neither you nor your equipment. The flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The spell ends if you dismiss it as an action or if you cast it again. You can also attack with the flame, although doing so ends the spell. When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can hurl the flame at a creature within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire damage. At Higher Levels: This spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8). Flavor: "Apó to típota, fotiá" The flickering flame is a pale blue in color and takes on a teardrop shape.  ▬ 1st (1/1 use): GoodberryTransmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: See text Components: V S M (A sprig of mistletoe) Duration: Instantaneous Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell. Flavor: "Threptiká moúra" The berries are perfect orbs in shape and have a perfect sheen to them. Equipment Spellbook, staff (arcane focus), scholar's robes, dagger, writing kit, borrowed book (Elminster's Treatise On The Arcane), belt pouch, backpack, bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, 5 torches, 5 rations, waterskin, 50 ft of hemp rope, 12 gp, 5 sp, 5 cp Narra | The Familiar Owl (Tiny Fey) hp 1/1 ▪ AC 11 (Unarmored) ▪ Speed 5 ft, fly 60 ft. HD 1d4 ▪ Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13 STR 3 (-4) ▪ DEX 13 (+1) ▪ CON 8 (-1) ▪ INT 2 (-4) ▪ WIS 12 (+1) ▪ CHA 7 (-2) Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3 Features FlybyThe owl doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach., Keen Hearing & SightThe owl has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing and sight.; Deliver Touch SpellsWhen you Cast a Spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your familiar must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its Reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an Attack roll, you use your Attack modifier for the roll., Link With MasterWhile your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an Action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses., Pocket DimensionAs an Action, you can temporarily dismiss your familiar. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an Action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.

 

֎ ֎ ֎

[Kavonde]

DYNAHEIR | HP 15/15 | AC 15 | Initiative +2 | Passive Perception 12

 

"Stupid girl."

 

Dyna's head snaps up. She looks around for the source of the insult. The dense mists swirling around her make it impossible to see more than a few feet away.

 

"Contemptible fool," the voice hisses again. "Utter halfwit."

 

"Who speaks?" Dyna demands. She reaches over her shoulder, her hand curling around the hilt of her greatsword. But something about the voice stays her; there's something familiar about it.

 

She sees something in the mists, then. A figure. Shorter than her and wrapped in black robes, hood drawn around its face. It is motionless, yet seems to slowly draw closer.

 

"She marches to her death, an empty-headed lamb to slaughter," the figure rasps. "She has always been a disappointment. How could my blood be so wasted?"

 

The figure is close now, barely an arm's length away. It lifts his head slightly, revealing the face of a beautiful woman, her skin pale as chalk, her eyes a deep and unsettling violet. Multicolored beads strung together on delicate golden chains run from piercings in her nose and eyebrows into the depths of her hood. Dark purple tattoos swirl under each of her eyes, running back across her cheeks to her ears in intricate, arcane patterns. Her lip, studded with silver, curls in a sneer of contempt.

 

"Mother?" Dynaheir asks, shocked.

 

"She recognizes me." The woman regards her without warmth. "Even an ox recognizes its birthgiver, I suppose."

 

Dyna looks around. The rest of the caravan seems to have vanished. She and her mother stand alone in an endless field of cold, damp fog, dancing in swirls and eddies on a gentle but persistent breeze. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

 

"I observe my wayward oaf of a daughter," her mother replies, her eyes never meeting Dyna's but instead looking past her, through her. "Her father filled her head with stories of her idiotic ancestor, with the idea that she could be worth something, worth anything. And now she marches into a nightmare and she will die, forgotten and unknown, a waste of the very air she breathed."

 

Dyna grits her teeth. "And what would you have me do?"

 

The woman shrugs. "I care not if she dies. But if she lives, she may prove useful, even despite her lack of true power. So I will watch from afar. I will not anger the master of this realm, oh no. I am no fool, not like her. But I will observe. And if she returns from this place alive... perhaps we will meet. Perhaps I will explain to her why I do as I do." Her lip curls even further, exposing teeth as black as obsidian. "But I will not count on it. Farewell, fool."

 

The mists gather around the woman like the center of a vortex, concealing her from sight. Dynaheir steps towards her, reaching with her hand outstretched, but she touches empty air. And then the fog clears, mostly, and Dyna is standing with her companions before an impressive iron gate flanked by two decapitated statues. She blinks in confusion, looking around for her interlocuter. "Mother? Where did she go?"

Edited November 15, 2022 by Kavonde (see edit history)

[emotionaut]

Joliet

---

HP:   12/12

AC:   14

Init:  +3

PP:   13

FeaturesSecond Wind: 1/1
Languages: Common, Paridon Creole

ConditionNormal

Ammo⁍⁍⁍⁍⁍⁍

IC

While the others jump to helping the Vistani pack, Joliet reclines back against a sack and just watches. Supervising is what her pop would call it. Just a fancy way of saying someone's gotta be the rooster, with an eye out for trouble, while the hens and chicks cluck about. For all their success tonight, Joliet isn't about to let her guard down.

 

When the last of the things are packed, Joliet stands and casually hands off the sack. She then hops up into one of the vardos, grateful to be sitting rather than stowing herself this time around. Her first outing with Vistani got her into this mess, in no small part because she was figuratively and literally in the dark. She won't make the same mistake again.

 

As the mists thicken, Joliet draws her revolver and keeps it ready in her lap. Her dark brown eyes squint into the grayness for any sign of trouble. But the trip mostly passes without incident. Mostly.

 

At one point, Joliet spots a cluster of three lights in the distance. They move together in a triangular formation, slowly growing brighter. The mists make it impossible to gauge distance, but something tells her these lights are quite far away, meaning that they must also be quite bright for her to see them. Joliet nudges the vardo's driver and asks, "You seein' that?" But the man just grunts in a noncommittal fashion without even bothering to turn his head.

 

Joliet raises her gun and sights down the barrel, hoping the familiar perspective might give her some insight. It's in that moment that the lights quickly dim and change shape. Joliet sees enough to suggest the three are affixed to the front of something, which has now altered its heading away. She gets the briefest glimpse of some long segmented thing, illuminated by flashes of lightning from beneath, and then it's gone.

 

After they reach their destination and Stanimir informs them that their paths must now part, Joliet only asks, "Might ya point us in the direction of this Madame Eva before you duck out?"

 

Once they're gone, Joliet regards the massive gates alongside the others. She shrugs and says, "Figure we knock?"

OOC

Actions go here.