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--- curse_of_strahd:sessions:session_17_03_27_2021 [2021/04/03 15:28] – davidm
+++ curse_of_strahd:sessions:session_17_03_27_2021 [2021/04/03 15:36] (current) – davidm
@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 We went back over Madam Eva’s card reading, Session 6.
-She then pulls over the first card and places it on the table. “The two of coins, The Philanthropist! This cards tells of history, knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy. For this, look to a place where sickness and madness are bred. Where children once cried the treasure still lies.”.
+**She then pulls over the first card and places it on the table. “The two of coins, The Philanthropist! This cards tells of history, knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy. For this, look to a place where sickness and madness are bred. Where children once cried the treasure still lies.”.**
-She flips over another card! “The one of blades! The Avenger! This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection. A holy symbol of great hope! This treasure lies in a dragon's house. In hands once clean but now corrupted.”.
+**She flips over another card! “The one of blades! The Avenger! This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection. A holy symbol of great hope! This treasure lies in a dragon's house. In hands once clean but now corrupted.”.**
-She flips over the third card! “The card of power and strength that tells of a weapon of vengeance, a sword of sunlight. The eight of glyphs! What you seek lies on a pile of treasure, beyond a set of amber doors.”
+**She flips over the third card! “The card of power and strength that tells of a weapon of vengeance, a sword of sunlight. The eight of glyphs! What you seek lies on a pile of treasure, beyond a set of amber doors.”**
-From the high deck she draws a card saying, “A card that will shed light on one who could help you greatly in the battle against darkness. The Marionette! What horror is this? I see a man, made by a man, ageless and alone!”
+**From the high deck she draws a card saying, “A card that will shed light on one who could help you greatly in the battle against darkness. The Marionette! What horror is this? I see a man, made by a man, ageless and alone!”**
-“And your last card, your enemy, is a creature of darkness whose powers are beyond mortality. This card will lead you to him. The Darklord! He lurks in depths of darkness in the one place to which he must return!”.
+**“And your last card, your enemy, is a creature of darkness whose powers are beyond mortality. This card will lead you to him. The Darklord! He lurks in depths of darkness in the one place to which he must return!”.**
 The second card, Ezmerelda suggests might have something to do with Argynvost. Argynvost was a silver dragon, killed by Strahd’s army when he first came to this land. The ruins of Argynvost’s home may be where a “holy symbol of great hope” lies.
@@ Line 65: / Line 64: @@
 The Tome of Strahd is played here. In summary, it spoke of his love for Tatyana, who was in love with Sergei, his younger brother. Though Strahd loved her, she only saw him as old, the older brother. Strahd made a pact with death. On the day of the wedding, he killed Sergei. On that day, the pact was sealed in blood. Tatyana fled from him when she saw him next. She didn’t understand, the must understand the pact I made for her. I pursued her. Then I watched as she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft. She fell a thousand feet through the mists. No trace of her was ever found. Not even I, know her fate. The guards attacked him but he didn’t die. He didn’t live either. I am now undead. I am now Vampire. I still lust for life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even the sun is against me now and it is the sun’s light I fear most. But, little else can harm me now. Even a stake in the heart can’t kill me though it holds me from movement. Sergei’s sword, that cursed sword, I must dispose of that tool. I fear it and hate it almost as much as the sun. I have often hunted for Tatyana, and have even felt her al most within my grasp, but she escapes. I know reside far below Ravenloft. I live among the dead and sleep beneath the very stones of this castle.
-**= = = = = = = = = = = =
+**= = = = = = = = = = = =**
-The Tome of Strahd
-= = = = = = = = = = = =
-I am the Ancient.
+**The Tome of Strahd**
+**= = = = = = = = = = = =**
+**I am the Ancient.**
-I am the Land.
+**I am the Land.**
+**My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past.**
+**I was the Warrior. I was good. And just.**
+**I thundered across the land like the wrath of a Just god, but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand.**
-My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past.
+**All goodness slipped from my life. I found my youth and strength gone, and all I had left after the glory of conquest... was death. My army settled in the valley of Barovia and took power over the people. In the name of a Just god. But with none of a god’s grace or justice.**
-I was the Warrior. I was good. And just.
+**I called for my family, long unseated from their ancient thrones, and brought them here to settle in the castle Ravenloft, which was my creation. With them came a younger brother of mine, Sergei. He was handsome and youthful and I hated him for both.**
-I thundered across the land like the wrath of a Just god, but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand.
+**More a Jester...**
-All goodness slipped from my life. I found my youth and strength gone, and all I had left after the glory of conquest... was death. My army settled in the valley of Barovia and took power over the people. In the name of a Just god. But with none of a god’s grace or justice.
+**Ψ 18 24 9 26 6 1 4 20**
-I called for my family, long unseated from their ancient thrones, and brought them here to settle in the castle Ravenloft, which was my creation. With them came a younger brother of mine, Sergei. He was handsome and youthful and I hated him for both.
+**11 22 2 15 21 7 14 23 12**
-More a Jester...
+**25 18 10 5 13 16 19 3 8**
-Ψ 18 24 9 26 6 1 4 20
+**From the families of the valley, one spirit shone about all others. A rare beauty, who was called Perfection, Joy, and Treasure. Her name - I scarce can put ink to parchment to blaspheme it - her name was Tatyana. And I longed for her.**
-22 2 15 21 7 14 23 12
-18 10 5 13 16 19 3 8
-From the families of the valley, one spirit shone about all others. A rare beauty, who was called Perfection, Joy, and Treasure. Her name - I scarce can put ink to parchment to blaspheme it - her name was Tatyana. And I longed for her.
+**I loved her with all my heart. I was infatuated with her for her youth. I craved her for her joy. But she spurned me! ME! “Old One” was my name to her.**
-I loved her with all my heart. I was infatuated with her for her youth. I craved her for her joy. But she spurned me! ME! “Old One” was my name to her.
+**But her name to Sergei was “betrothed” and “beloved” - Her heart went to Sergei. And here, I, in my waning glory am called “elder” and “brother” by them.**
-But her name to Sergei was “betrothed” and “beloved” - Her heart went to Sergei. And here, I, in my waning glory am called “elder” and “brother” by them.
+**The date was set. The world crumbled before me.**
-The date was set. The world crumbled before me.
+**With words she called me Old One but when I looked into her eyes they reflected another name. Death. It was the death of the aged that she saw in me. She loved her youth and enjoyed it. But I had squandered mine; drowned my years with blood and conquest. Provided a magnificent castle and life for them, yet I held an empty heart.**
-With words she called me Old One but when I looked into her eyes they reflected another name. Death. It was the death of the aged that she saw in me. She loved her youth and enjoyed it. But I had squandered mine; drowned my years with blood and conquest. Provided a magnificent castle and life for them, yet I held an empty heart.
+**The death she saw in me turned her from me. And so I came to hate death, the very idea. My hate is very strong. I would not be called that so soon. I made a pact with Death; Powers of the Dark. A pact of blood. On the day of their wedding, I slaughtered Sergei, my brother. My own flesh and blood. This sealed my pact with that blood, spilled across the stone of Ravenloft.**
-The death she saw in me turned her from me. And so I came to hate death, the very idea. My hate is very strong. I would not be called that so soon. I made a pact with Death; Powers of the Dark. A pact of blood. On the day of their wedding, I slaughtered Sergei, my brother. My own flesh and blood. This sealed my pact with that blood, spilled across the stone of Ravenloft.
+**I found Tatyana weeping. She hid in the garden east of the Chapel. She fled from me. She would not let me explain, and a great anger swelled within me. She had to understand. The pact – it was made for her! I pursued her. Finally, with despair etched on her face, she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft. I watched. I saw as everything...I even watched her fell from my grasp forever. Forever? I do not accept that.**
-I found Tatyana weeping. She hid in the garden east of the Chapel. She fled from me. She would not let me explain, and a great anger swelled within me. She had to understand. The pact – it was made for her! I pursued her. Finally, with despair etched on her face, she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft. I watched. I saw as everything...I even watched her fell from my grasp forever. Forever? I do not accept that.
+**It was a thousand feet through the mists. No trace of her was ever found.**
-It was a thousand feet through the mists. No trace of her was ever found.
+**But of the murder I brought on my own brother I would soon be brought to pay the price. Not so easily would I give recompense. My own guards pierced me through with dozens of arrows to my soul. Through and through I was pinioned but I did not die. Nor, however, did I live. I became undead. I became Forever.**
-But of the murder I brought on my own brother I would soon be brought to pay the price. Not so easily would I give recompense. My own guards pierced me through with dozens of arrows to my soul. Through and through I was pinioned but I did not die. Nor, however, did I live. I became undead. I became Forever.
+**I have studied much since then. Vampyr is my new name. Title. I still lust for life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even the sun is against me. It is the sun and its light I fear, for little else harms me now. Even a plank of wood through my heart would not kill me. Though those archers are long dead now their weapons are but playthings to me. A sturdy stake would hold me from movement but that is nothing.**
-I have studied much since then. Vampyr is my new name. Title. I still lust for life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even the sun is against me. It is the sun and its light I fear, for little else harms me now. Even a plank of wood through my heart would not kill me. Though those archers are long dead now their weapons are but playthings to me. A sturdy stake would hold me from movement but that is nothing.
+**The accursed sword brought by my brother, however, the treacherous Sergei - how I hated that blade that shimmered like the sun. Little buoys me as much as having had it destroyed.**
-The accursed sword brought by my brother, however, the treacherous Sergei - how I hated that blade that shimmered like the sun. Little buoys me as much as having had it destroyed.
+**I have often hunted for you, Tatyana. I have even felt you within my grasp, but you escape. You taunt me! Teases me! What will it take to bend your love to me? I wish not to subject you to the force I have with so many others. Yet... if I must...**
-I have often hunted for you, Tatyana. I have even felt you within my grasp, but you escape. You taunt me! Teases me! What will it take to bend your love to me? I wish not to subject you to the force I have with so many others. Yet... if I must...
+**I now reside in Ravenloft. I live among the dead and sleep beneath the very stones of this hollow castle of despair. I shall seal shut the walls of the stairs, that none may disturb me. The way the walls of Barovia are sealed by the mists.**
-I now reside in Ravenloft. I live among the dead and sleep beneath the very stones of this hollow castle of despair. I shall seal shut the walls of the stairs, that none may disturb me. The way the walls of Barovia are sealed by the mists.
+**My castle. My valley. My kingdom. My land.**
-My castle. My valley. My kingdom. My land.
+**I am Strahd.**
-I am Strahd.
+**= = = = = = = = = = = =**
-= = = = = = = = = = = =
-**
 Interesting, he can’t be killed by a stake in the heart, only held in place. Only the Sun can kill him now. It’s unclear if the Sword of Sergei will kill him, but for now, it scares him, so it is still something we seek.