Curse of Strahd Reloaded Update: Soldav

I. Reloaded Update

Since mid-November's update, I've added an additional 11.4k words to Arc R: Trials of the Mountain, bringing the arc's running total to 44.8k words and (!) 106 Google Doc pages. (For reference, the longest published arc thus far is Arc P: Ravenloft Heist, clocking in at 38.2k words and 91 Google Doc pages—and Trials of the Mountain is still "only" around 93% done.)

Specifically, I've completed the following work regarding the players' progress past the frozen caves of Mount Ghakis:

• drafted the players' arrival at the twin falls plateau marking the entrance to the Mountain Folk settlement of Soldav

• designed a combat encounter with two groups of "amber-touched" demons outside of Soldav, as well as a puzzle to escape the demons into Soldav

• created a series of social encounters with the Mountain Folk of Soldav, including with the family of Chief Diegia, the leader of the Mountain Folk

• drafted the players' arrival at Soldav, as well as Chief Diegia's home

• drafted the festivities for the Mountain Folks' celebration of the "Night of Clear Skies," including a story of the Fanes and a boasting match with Chief Diegia's son

• drafted the players' invitation to speak with Elder Burebis, the sole surviving priest of the Ladies Three

You can read some excerpts from these scenes below:

The Twin Falls

If the players continue down the trail, or if the players escaped the avalanche without seeking refuge in R4i. The Bodaks’ Lair, read:

The cliffside trail continues eastward, rising and circling the base of a cloud-shrouded peak before emerging onto a flat, snowy plateau. Here, where no fog chokes the air, and where the air is crisp and clear, the entirety of the valley opens up before you.

To the northeast, you see twin spurs of Mount Ghakis snaking down into the valley, each winding ridge reaching toward the mountains that surround Castle Ravenloft far away. Between the two spurs, a cascading river feeds a storm-gray mountain lake nestled within the mountain’s arms, which, in turn, feeds a long, scraggly river that winds around a thin, narrow ridge before vanishing out of sight.

To the north, the mist-shrouded swamps of Berez cling to the Luna River like a tick. Through the distant fog, the proud manor of Argynvostholt looms above the flooded plains far below, its beacon shining with a fierce, defiant light. Far beyond both, the great expanse of Lake Zarovich extends beneath the base of Mount Baratok, its dark, mirrorlike waters fed by a quartet of mountain streams that flow forth from the titan’s wooded foothills.

To the northwest, past the gleaming beacon, you can see the distant waters of Lake Baratok. Further westward, past the snow-cloaked plateaus of Tsolenka Pass, you think you can just barely see a rolling vineyard at the edge of a dark, shrouded forest.

From here, you can truly see them for the first time: the walls of mist that rise thousands of feet above the land below. They hem the valley in on every side, extending to the overcast skies that drift far, far overhead. Even the mountains seem small to them—and, from this angle, it seems almost that these walls of mist are leaning forward, as if to catch a better glimpse of the ants that dart across the earth far below.

Pause for a moment to allow the players an opportunity to interject. If no player does, or if the players indicate an interest in exploring the plateau, continue:

To the south, hundreds of feet below the cloud-shrouded peak above, and far below the stark, white slopes of the mountain’s highest point, a flat, snow-covered plateau approximately a quarter-mile across extends before you.

A thin, frozen stream cuts the plateau in half, beginning from the southern edge and cascading over the northeastern cliffs, where it runs down to join the mountain lake that awaits there. Old ruins flank the stream on either side: to the east, a crumbling, six-foot wall marks a rectangular stone foundation, while, to the west, a low row of stonework stands beside a small depression in the earth marked by lonely stone footings.

South of the ruins, the frozen stream splits, fed by two frozen waterfalls that plummet from the cliffs far above. Between them, past the rotted, wooden foundations of two ancient footbridges, stand the steps to an old stone shrine carved into the base of the cliff face.

Scorilo

When the players enter the secret tunnel behind the frozen waterfall, read:

This ten-foot-wide, seven-foot-tall tunnel seems to be carved from the stone of the mountain itself. Its length stretches for more than a hundred feet, with a patch of pale, gray light emanating from an exit at the far end.

As soon as Scorilo is able to, he attempts to pin the most threatening-looking player against one of the walls using the shaft of his spear. Have Scorilo attempt to grapple that player. Whether the grapple succeeds or fails, Scorilo snarls: “Why have you come here? Speak!”

Whether the players answer Scorilo’s question or not, Scorilo growls: “The skies whisper ill omens, and you come waltzing in like lambs to slaughter—lambs with daggers, perhaps. Perhaps we should interrogate you properly, seize your weapons, and toss you back out for the mountain to deal with.”

If asked, Como can share the following information:

* This is the tunnel to Soldav, the last bastion of the Tauta—who the Barovians call the “Mountain Folk,” and who were the first residents of the valley, which they call Girvisa (meaning “fertile valley”).

* Though he doesn’t know what they’re supposed to be called, the Tauta call the demons the players fought “amber-cursed”—remnants of pilgrims who sought power from the “mountain’s amber wound,” and lost themselves in it.

* The amber-cursed have grown more active lately, acting in strange, reckless ways. “Strange signs have been seen in the skies, as well,” Scorilo growls, chiming in. “The Great Shadow’s steed has been seen in the skies overhead. The castle’s eye lingers on Mount Ghakis. Who are we to say that these ones are not more of the same?”

The Boasting Match

At a suitable point during the conversation, immediately after the players state or reiterate their intent to kill Strahd or free Barovia from his rule, read:

Scorilo stands from his place beside the table. He takes a deep swig of his mead, then spits into the crimson flames of the stone brazier beside him, causing them to hiss and dance with sputtering pops.

A murmur ripples through the nearby crowd, and Scorilo glowers darkly toward you. ”The wind tells me your words are hollow,” he booms, his voice dripping with distaste. Chief Diegia’s eyebrows crawl upward into her forehead, and looks of anticipation rise across the faces of the Mountain Folk watching.

Provide the players a brief opportunity to respond. When they’ve had an opportunity to do so, Oroles leans toward them and murmurs: “The traditional response to a boasting challenge is: The earth tells me your deeds are dust—although a challenged warrior is always welcome to offer their own retort instead.”

Should the players accept Scorilo’s boasting challenge, continue:

Scorilo bares his teeth in a feral grin, his sharp eyes narrowing as he steps toward you. “Come then, strangers,” he sneers, “and let the Tauta see your boasts for the ash they are.”

As always, you can get full access to my in-progress drafts by joining the Patreon as a paid member. All working drafts and outlines for future arcs, as well as a changelog and Trello board of upcoming edits, can be found on the Patreon Bronze Masterpost.

II. Other News

Recent Patch. As of November 19, Patch 2.0.9.7 is up on the site. Thanks to my editor, Maxim, for working to get this one out!

Fanes Blog. The third installment of my multi-part blog series regarding the development of the Fanes, Reinventing the Fanes, is now available. Silver-tier members of the Patreon can read it here.

DM Skills Mentoring. I've received multiple inquiries over the past few weeks about purchasing DM skills mentoring sessions from my Patreon Shop as gifts for friends or family. To share my responses here: Yes, I'm more than glad to arrange gift sessions, though do feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about logistics (especially if you're planning on purchasing multiples of the same session, which get a little tricky with Patreon's shop interface.)

That's all I've got for this update! Hope you've been enjoying the previews of what's to come (and I promise Arc R is steadily approaching completion!), and I'll see you next time.

Cheers,
Dragna