Diving into Darkness: A Recap of “Not Curse of Strahd” Episode 1!
Welcome, fellow adventurers, to a spoiler-filled recap of the inaugural episode of “Not Curse of Strahd” [Title], brought to you by the wonderful folks at GMWintermute! If you missed the premiere, or just want to relive the chaotic goodness, you’ve come to the right place. Buckle up, because this session was a wild ride from start to finish!
The episode kicked off with the much-anticipated introductions of our intrepid (and slightly unhinged) party of adventurers. Let’s meet the heroes (and anti-heroes) who bravely (or perhaps foolishly) ventured into the unknown:
- First up was Redone, a traveling monster hunter. This enigmatic figure sports a fluffy cloak as a helmet and a full face mask, and their class is described as a “paladin warlock source or abomination mix”. Quite the blend!
- We then met Rob, a quiet orc boy hailing from the hinterlands. Sadly, Rob experienced technical difficulties and had to depart the session early. We learned that a past trauma involving a priest has left him largely silent. We’ll miss ya, Rob!
- Next in line was Atiya, a character clad in full plate armor. Despite her martial prowess, Atiya constantly wears a fearful expression, seemingly wishing she were anywhere else.
- Steph graced us with the presence of a furbolg cleric with a charming light Scottish accent. This towering, bearded individual stands at nearly seven and a half feet tall and wields a great big mace, worshipping a neutral concept rather than a specific deity.
- Last but certainly not least, we have Grandma, a human woman appearing to be over 150 years old. Hunched over and using a four-legged walker equipped with a miniature cookie-baking stove, Grandma is also a cleric known for her inappropriate (yet hilarious) comments.
With the introductions out of the way and Grandma offering freshly baked (and potentially questionable) cookies, the adventure truly began. Our heroes found themselves in the once-powerful city of Hein. However, Hein is now plagued by undead soldiers, animated by a young and ambitious necromancer in the rediscovered necropolis. This necropolis, named Sardonyx for its red and white marble and gemstones, was originally built to commemorate the city’s war dead and a fallen general. Unfortunately, the necromancer’s power proved insufficient to control his creations, and now the undead attack the city nightly.
Tasked by the city’s leadership to descend into the necropolis, destroy the undead, and stop the source of the problem, the party was led to a storefront with a hole knocked through the cellar floor. This grim entryway led to tunnels and eventually a 20-foot wide cobblestone road, culminating in an enormous stone structure adorned with gemstones and depictions of soldiers.
Inside the necropolis, the adventurers quickly encountered the first of many foes: corpse walkers, a particularly unpleasant type of zombie with greenish-white skin and bizarre mold. Several combat encounters ensued. Grandma’s spells seemed a bit temperamental, while Redone utilized spells like Protection from Evil and Good and Word of Radiance. Atiya showed her fighting prowess with booming blade and sacred flame, and Steph, the furbolg cleric, also employed sacred flame and word of radiance, later gaining the powerful Holy Weapon spell.
Exploring a mausoleum, they discovered a perplexing sight: a man in modern but torn clothes standing unmoving over a barred coffin. A pin identified him as a low-level bureaucrat. Through Atiya’s arcana check, it was revealed that this seemingly ordinary man was in fact the necromancer who had lost control of the undead and was likely killed by them. The party puzzled over his caged state but decided to leave him for the time being.
Continuing their exploration, they encountered more crypt niches and examined a mural of an angel. Entering another section, they were met with more formidable undead, including a very large corpse walker, a high-ranking commander from the civil war (likely a skeleton), and a skeleton rifler. A significant and challenging combat broke out, featuring an ancient corpse walker that terrifyingly transformed into a cloud of spores. Grandma’s spiritual weapon proved surprisingly effective, Atiya unleashed lightning bolt spells, and Steph’s mace glowed with radiant energy thanks to the Holy Weapon spell.
Just as the last of these tougher undead fell, a fog began to fill the necropolis, severely reducing visibility. Strange lights flickered within the mist and began to circle the party. Suddenly, a surge of magic coursed through them, and the necropolis began to fade. The adventurers experienced a disorienting sensation of traveling through time and space, hopping between different planes. A mysterious voice echoed, “Come to me, I have chosen you”. The episode dramatically concluded with the party being pulled through the planes.
In a post-session reveal, the game master mentioned that the party had missed some valuable loot in the unexplored dark areas of the map: gauntlets of ogre power and a cloak of elvenkind. Generously, these items were awarded to the party, with the gauntlets going to Redone and the cloak to Atiya. The GM also clarified that an unmarked mausoleum was the tomb of a humble warrior and gifted Atiya a Ring of Protection. Finally, the next game session was announced for the following Saturday, with the GM teasing that it would be “unlike anything you’ve ever done”, leaving us all in suspense!
What a start to “Not Curse of Strahd”! With intriguing characters, challenging encounters, and a cliffhanger that has us all on the edge of our seats, we can’t wait to see where this mysterious journey takes our adventurers next. Be sure to tune in for Episode 2 – it sounds like it’s going to be epic!