Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit --->Dragon --->Snake Campaign Session #190

 

South Archers’ Post

 

Session 190- A Return to Barovia Part 40

8/23/2025

• Zuleika and Emil wake up before Team Rams and leave Castle 

  Ravenloft to pursue their own business.

• Team Rams go down to the Dining Hall (K10) for coffee and 

  “porridge”.  The Abbot casts Purify Food and Water on the meal.

• The Abbot tells Team Rams that Vasilka is concerned about the 

  safety of the Castle Ravenloft for the children and the wedding 

  guests.  He suggests clearing and cleaning the Castle from top 

  to bottom.  Tira is enthusiastic about leading a cleaning crew.  

  Tim and Fecus agree to clear the Castle of monsters and hazards.

• Hall of Faith (K14), Chapel (K15), North Chapel Access (K16), 

  Creaky Landing (K29), and King’s Balcony (K28) are explored.  

  Rolling for random encounters, none showed up.

• King’s Hall (K27) is carefully explored by Tim and Fecus flying on 

  Fecus’ Magic Carpet.  They inspect the apparatus of the Vampire 

  Mannequin Trap and disarm it.  As they finish that up, 9 Crawling 

  Claws come through the western door and Rams quickly kill them, 

  with only Fritigern taking damage.

• Guard’s Post (K26) leads to the Audience Hall (K25).  They find a 

  Trinket (42) a Lepidopterist’s Box Filled with Dead Moths with 

  Skull-like Patterns on Their Wings.  Fecus sits on the throne and 

  clowns for a bit saying “I’m Strahd, I’m Strahd, I’m Strahd.”  Tim 

  laughs, Gugula looks nervous, and Shelby looks disapproving.

• They take the stairs down to the Grand Landing (K19) where Fritigern 

  triggers the Suit of Armor trap and takes damage.  The Team take 

  the time afterwards to disable the traps of both Suits of Armor.

• They go back through the Audience Hall (K25) to the King’s 

  Accountant’s Office (K30) Tim finds the key to the chests in a hollowed 

  out book on the desk.  Opening the chests they find copper pieces, 

  gold pieces, and a Manual of Bodily Health.

• Back in the Audience Hall (K25) they find the secret door to the Turret 

  Post Access Hall (K13).  From there they discover the Guards’ Stair 

  (K64) and take them down to another Turret Post Access Hall on the 

  Main Floor.

• They discover a cache of mirrors in the South Archers’ Post (K11) and 

  pop into the Turret Post in (K12).

• Back up the Guards’ Stair (K64) through the Turret Post Access Hall 

  (K13), Audience Hall (K25), and the Guards’ Post (K26) they poke 

  around and find the secret door to the King’s Apartment Stair (K33).

• I’ll note that I rolled for random encounters every time they entered a 

  new room.  The dice were kind to the PCs during this particular 

  session;-)

• Their last encounter of the evening is in the Servants’ Bedroom area

   where they meet the high strung maid, Helga Ruvak.  Helga claims to 

  be a kidnapped daughter of Barovia’s bootmaker, but Tim and Fecus 

  recognise the signs of Vampirism and move to confront her.  The 

  session ended here before initiative is rolled.

• 9 Crawling Claws killed = 90 XP

• 20,000 CP = 200 XP

• 1000 GP = 1000 XP

• 500 PP = 5000 XP

• A Lepidopterest’s Box filled with Dead Moths with Skull-like Patterns 

  on their Wings

• Manual of Bodily Health

• Total XP = 6290 XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive 2096 XP

• Gugula and Shelby each receive 1048 XP

   

   

  Perchance Prompt 8/29/25 Armored dark fantasy adventurers 

  discover a cache of mirrors in the South Archers’ Post of a 

  gothic castle, horror concept art 

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit --->Dragon --->Snake Campaign Session #189

Soups On!

 

Session 189- A Return to Barovia Part 39

8/16/2025

• Rams release Emil from his cell.  Emil informs Team Rams of a little 

  guy who brought him food while he was imprisoned who came from 

  a different direction then they had come.  His description of the little 

  fellow indicates he might be a Mongrelfolk like Clovin.

• Team Rams go east from the prison cells and find a spiral staircase 

  that goes up.  They follow it to the level above the dungeons, the 

  Larders of Ill Omen.

• Semyon notices the trap in K61 and Team Ram avoids triggering it.

• Entering the Servant’s Hall, K62, Tim and Fecus realize that they 

  were in this room at the eastern end the very first time they were 

  exploring Castle Ravenloft.

• They decide to explore this level, searching for the mysterious 

  mongrelfolk fellow.

• They move through the Ossuary (K67), Guard’s Run (K68), Guards’ 

  Quarters (K69), Kingsmen Hall (K70), Kingsmen Quarters (K71), and 

  Butler’s Quarters (K66) without encountering anyone.  They did find 

  some coins (150 EP) in K71.

• In the Kitchen (K65) they encounter soup pot Zombies that they fight 

  and kill.  After defeating the Zombies, Cyrus Belview arrives and acts 

  like everything is completely normal and asks Team Rams to help 

  him bring soup to the guests upstairs.  Since he isn’t acting in an 

  aggressive manner, they let him dish up soup for them and the 

  additional bowls seem to indicate he is serving the Abbot’s group.

• Team Rams follow him up the K21 staircase to the Guest Quarters in 

  K49 and K50.  They learn that Cyrus and Clovin are cousins.

• When Team Rams reunite with the Abbot’s group, the Abbot casts 

  Purify Food and Drink on the soup.

• Cyrus says breakfast will be served in the Dining Hall (K10) at 8am 

  and leaves the Guest Quarters.

• The Abbot tells Team Rams he can sit up and watch with Clovin 

  while the exhausted team gets some rest.

• 150 EP = 75 XP

• 3 Soup Pot Zombies killed = 150 XP

• Total XP = 225 XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive 75 XP

• Gugula and Shelby each receive 37 XP

   

   

  Perchance Prompt 8/29/25 Armored dark fantasy adventurers 

  fighting zombies that are emerging from a soup pot, horror concept art
  
   

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit --->Dragon --->Snake Campaign Session #188

Team Rams Vs. Strahd Zombies

 

 

 

Session 188- A Return to Barovia Part 38

8/9/2025

• The Abbot heals Vasilka, Fecus, and Victor.

• The Abbot, Vasilka, Clovin, Freek, and Myrtle retire to the guest 

  quarters.

• Team Rams wearily agree to help Zuleika find her husband 

  even though they are exhausted.

• They take the staircase off of the Chapel down to the Catacombs.

• Arriving in the Crypt, they rely on Zuleika’s enhanced sense of 

  smell to navigate them towards the dungeon cells.

• Finding the foggy tunnel behind Crypt Door #1, they navigate with 

  Yuri using a 10’ long hooked pole to detect the obscured floor tiles.  

  He finds the trap.

• Rams tie off to each other and Zuleika, then they lower her down 

  to a flooded dungeon cell.  She smells her husband from past the 

  bars.

• They use an old dagger to secure the mechanism of the trap door, 

  then they move past that towards a staircase down to room #K78.

• Taking a moment to marvel over the brazier, colored stone spheres, 

  and the iron golems, they follow the impatient Zuleika through a door 

  to the south that opens behind a curtain of a balcony that overlooks 

  a larger sunken chamber that is flooded.

• Zuleika jumps off of the balcony and Rams follow her into combat 

  against Strahd Zombies that are bobbing around in the flooded 

  torture chamber, #K76.

• After a slog against the Strahd Zombies, Rams and Zuleika 

  navigate to the South Dungeon, #K75.

• The session ends with Zuleika finding Emil’s cell.

• 6 Strahd Zombies killed = 1200 XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive 400 XP

• Gugula and Shelby each receive 200 XP

   

   

  Perchance Prompt 8/13/25 Armored dark fantasy adventurers 

  fighting zombies in a partially flooded torture chamber in a dungeon 

  of a gothic castle, horror concept art 

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit --->Dragon --->Snake Campaign Session #187

Crystal Dinner Bell in the Great Entry

 

 

 

Session 187- A Return to Barovia Part 37

8/2/2025

• Zuleika Polymorphs back to her human shape and tells Rams she 

  has no quarrel with them.

• Kiril decides to flee.  Rams harry him on his way out of the courtyard, 

  with Fecus dealing the only damage with a silver shot from his musket.

• Zuleika asks Rams for help in releasing her husband from the 

  dungeon of Castle Ravenloft.  They agree to help.

• The Abbot casts Remove Curse upon Bianca and Wensencia and 

  they are cured of Lycanthropy.

• Rams take pity on the women who were once werewolves and Tim 

  writes a letter of introduction to Ismark for Davanka, Bianca, and 

  Wensencia.  Female members of Team Rams give them clothes.  

  The women leave.

• Rams walk into the entry (K7) then move into the great entry (K8) 

  where an Unseen Servant rings a Crystal Dinner Bell.  The noise 

  summons 2 Vampire Spawn.  A difficult struggle with the monsters 

  ensues as they target Victor repeatedly.  The Abbot moves Clovin 

  and the children back to the entry (K7).  Rams prevail, remembering 

  the importance of Holy Water and silver weapons.

• Session #186 XP = 1150 XP

• 2 Werewolves cured of Lycanthropy = 1400 XP

• 2 Vampire Spawn killed = 3600 XP

• 9000 SP = 900 XP

• 6000 GP = 6000 XP

• Ring of Protection +1

• Sword 1d6+1

• Scarab of Protection

• Potions

• Heroism

• Plant Control

• Rod of Cancelation

• Scroll with 2 spells

• Message

• Meteor Swarm

• Total XP = 13,050 XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive 4350 XP

• Gugula and Shelby each receive 2175 XP

   

  Perchance Prompt 8/8/25 A great entry of a 

  gothic castle is unoccupied except for a small floating crystal 

  dinner bell, horror concept art 

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit --->Dragon --->Snake Campaign Session #186

Zuleika Vs. Kiril and the Pack

 

 

 

Session 186- A Return to Barovia Part 36

7/26/2025

• Yevgeni and Szoldar temporarily leave Team Rams to accompany 

  the commoners safely back to Vallaki.

• Werewolf Interlude where the players take on the roles of a 

  Werewolf Pack in the Castle Ravenloft courtyard.  They are in 

  contention with one of their own pack members who has escaped 

  the den to liberate her mate who is imprisoned in Castle Ravenloft’s 

  dungeon.  The pack has Zuleika cornered in the courtyard.  She is in 

  hybrid form while the pack are starting in wolf form.  They attack her 

  for 2 rounds then Team Rams arrive at the bridge to Castle Ravenloft’s 

  courtyard to witness this battle between Zuleika and her former pack, 

  led by Kiril.

• Team Rams are blocked by 9 regular wolves that are followers of the 

  Werewolf pack leader.  Team Rams cross the bridge to fight their way 

  into the courtyard with the exception of Clovin.  He takes the children 

  Freek and Myrtle to hide in the woods.

• Team Rams kill the regular wolves.

• Kiril commands his pack members Aziana, Davanka, Bianca, and 

  Wensencia to retreat.

• Only the Werewolf Aziana makes a clean escape.  Bianca and 

  Wensencia are paralyzed by Ezmerelda’s Hold Monster spell.  

  Davanka is cured of lycanthropy by Shelby.

• The Abbot transforms into his true form and flies back to Clovin to 

  protect the children from the escaping Werewolves.

• Vasilka’s attack is thwarted by rolling a 1.  She crashes headfirst into 

  the cobbles of the courtyard.

• 9 Wolves killed = 450 XP

• 1 Werewolf cured of Lycanthropy = 700 XP

• Total XP = 1150

• The XP will be awarded with Session #187’s XP, due to ending the 

  Session #186 in initiative/combat.

   

  Perchance Prompt 8/8/25 A werewolf fights against her pack in a 

  castle courtyard