Forum > Fantasy > Curse of Strahd

Ithrandi - Apr 10th 2022 21:43

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Stanimir fills his mouth with wine, then spits it 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."

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 couldn'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 a 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. Our leader, Madam Eva, knows all. Will you return to Barovia with us and speak with her?"

-From "The Dancing Fire" hook

Hello! I've taken the well-known campaign from DnD and modified it so it can be played in the freeform format most commonly used here. If anybody would be interested, I'd like to take you along a perilous journey through the misty lands of Barovia. This story will see your muses face situations that will either make them or break them. There will be many instances in which triggering topics will be touched, but rest assured, all of them can be avoided if you are not comfortable with them. If you're interested, please add me so we can begin discussing how to start your journey. I can promise you it might not end well at all, but you might find some kind of vindication along the way.

Cheers!

Edited Apr 10th 2022 21:43