Sessions - Curse of Strahd
A chronological record of our journey through the cursed land of Barovia.
Session 22: The Gauth’s Bargain
The Alliance
Gluttony abandons the cooking contest and instead proposes a challenge: retrieve a special ingredient from the creature living in the caverns beneath his ballroom. The party descends into vast natural caves where they encounter a Gauth—a spectator-type beholder with a massive central eye and multiple tentacled eyes. Combat erupts with eye rays, lightning, and axes until Andy positions himself perfectly and shoots the creature twice in its central eye with back-to-back critical hits. Instead of finishing the fight, they negotiate an alliance. The starved Gauth wants magic to feed on and resents Gluttony’s presence in its lair. They give it a sin stone, which it consumes to heal and grow stronger. During their short rest, Brannor attunes to the mysterious amulet, revealing it as the legendary Holy Symbol of Ravenkind—an anti-vampire artifact that can create sunlight. With their new ally, they prepare to face Gluttony.
Key Events: Cooking contest abandoned • Descended into deep caverns • Encountered the Gauth • Andy’s double critical hits • Negotiated alliance instead of fighting • Gave Gauth a sin stone • Gauth evolved and grew stronger • Holy Symbol of Ravenkind identified • Legendary platinum sun amulet with vampire-fighting powers • Can create true sunlight • Attuned to Brannor • Preparing to fight Gluttony with Gauth’s help
Session 21: The Feast of Gluttony
The Cooking Contest
Escaping the bone crypt with their lives, the party ventures deeper into the mountain tunnel where they discover Gluttony’s domain — a massive ballroom filled with enslaved kobolds playing miserable music. The grotesque sin challenges Brannor to a cooking contest: win and go free, lose and become dinner. While Brannor prepares to cook, Grusnarv sneaks away to rally the kobolds for revolution, accidentally becoming their prophesied savior. Meanwhile, their fallen companion Caston stirs in the realm between life and death, returning as a spectral form bound by mist.
Key Events: Zoran’s transformation fully visible • Amulet identified as unholy magic • Descended into Gluttony’s domain • Encountered Gluttony (sin #2 in person) • Learned Envy killed Caston • Cooking contest challenge accepted • Grusnarv rallies enslaved kobolds • Became “prophet of tiki-taki” • Caston returns as a ghost • Kobold revolution planned • Session ends on the brink of chaos
Session 20: The Wizard’s Crypt
The Bargain
The party departs the Vistani camp seeking the mountain tunnel. After bonding with Gary (a playful water elemental), they discover an ancient crypt built entirely of bones. A blood altar trap nearly kills multiple party members, forcing Zoran to make a bargain with Greed: accepting the sin’s power in exchange for sharing his light. Transformed and enhanced, Zoran retrieves a mysterious amulet as skeletons begin to animate throughout the chamber. The party flees deeper into the tunnels.
Key Events: Conversations about the voices/sins • Silver ammunition crafted • Mountain entrance puzzle solved • Gary bonded with Luan • Wizard’s crypt discovered • Blood altar trap • Zoran’s bargain with Greed • Physical transformation • Amulet retrieved • Skeleton encounter • Brannor’s giant form revealed
Session 19: Into the Mists
The Beginning
The party gathers in Vallaki where Andy’s crossbow purchase goes awry, then travels to the Vistani camp seeking answers. Along the way they battle teleporting scarecrows and discover a cursed ring. At the camp, they strike a dangerous bargain with Madame Eve: a resurrection diamond in exchange for gold and future favors. Andy and Zoran share a heartfelt conversation.
Key Events: Recruited Brannor (half-giant paladin) • Andy’s crossbow incident • Scarecrow combat • Ring of the Champion discovered • Grusnarv’s disturbing painting • Madame Eve’s prophecies • Binding agreement made
More sessions to be added as the campaign continues…