Another great night of D&D at Game Chest in Irvine! We are still running the Ravenloft: The Horrors Within with DM Louis behind the screen!

The Forget-Me-Knots left Kartakass behind in a whirlwind of blood, song, and silvered steel. What began as another night in a crowded tavern erupted into chaos when hidden tensions boiled over and a pack of werewolves revealed their true natures beneath the rising moon. Tables splintered, mugs shattered, and patrons fled as claws and fangs flashed in the lantern light. The heroes fought desperately through the melee, cutting down lycanthropes and surviving by equal measures of courage and luck. As the moon climbed higher and more predators emerged from the darkness, the party realized victory would not come from standing their ground. Leaving the nightmare behind, they escaped Kartakass at a dead run, carrying with them the scars of a domain where every smile concealed ambition and every shadow hid a beast.

Their path forward was revealed by fate itself. Seeking guidance amid the uncertainty that followed their escape, the Forget-Me-Knots submitted themselves to a mysterious tarot reading. One by one, cryptic cards were turned over, each hinting at danger, pursuit, and a hunt yet to come. The final card spoke of a wild land beyond the mists, a place where predator and prey changed places with every sunrise. Following the omen, the companions stepped through the Mists and emerged in Valachan, a realm of towering trees, choking vines, and endless rainforest. Here, the songs of Kartakass gave way to the cries of unseen creatures and the constant feeling that watchful eyes followed their every move.

Valachan wasted no time testing the newcomers. Deep in the jungle, the party found themselves stalked by a terrifying displacer beast whose shifting form made every strike seem to miss its mark. The battle raged through tangled undergrowth as the creature appeared and vanished in flashes of movement, forcing the heroes to rely on instinct rather than sight. Though victorious, they soon discovered they had attracted the attention of a far deadlier hunter: Chakuna, the legendary ruler of the domain. Graceful, confident, and utterly terrifying, Chakuna confronted the Forget-Me-Knots not as enemies but as potential participants in her deadly games. With a predator’s smile, she welcomed them to Valachan, making it clear that survival in her realm was not a destination, but the beginning of the hunt.

The Forget-Me-Nots

Brian – Calvert the Crusader – Dwarf – Bard – Not dance.
Bryan – Ghor – goliath – ranger
David – Dhor – Goliath – Barbarian.
Glen – Carl Ferdinand – Gnome – Artificer. Son of Franz. Homeless.
Henry – Brother Noctus – Human – Cleric. Woke on coffin. Amnesia
Ivan – John Doe – dhampir – rouge

Domains we have defeated

Dementlieu – Saidra d’Honaire – masquerade
Kartakass – Harkon Lukas – werewolf tavern
Mordent – Wilfred Godefroy – haunted house
Tepist – Mother Lorinda – festival
Valachan – Chakuna – jungle adventure

Session notes

Bryan – Roffio
Henry Brother Noctus
Brian
Lythancropy
Remove Curse
Greater Restoration
Harkin Reese is not bad. Meet my brethren. Take him and leave or Candide
Preserve the door
Between life and death
Take him to his mom
Will Domain of Valachan
Chakuna is the Dark Lord
Winston
Brass dragon gave us the water
No problems get behind the cloak
Lodge
Discuss leaving the domos
Tree house in the trees

1. Lizard Folk
2. Human Pirates
3. Were-tiger Thieves
   

All groups through the trail of hearts
to leave the domain get there before she gets there
Curry Island (Shrine)
Scare of Ardue (The plateaus)
Shrine
Kill each other
Village of Sharon and eat

Kartakass

we finished this by defeating werewolves and running

Life in Kartakass feels staged and surreal, as every plant, beast, and person strives to prove their greatness. Trees and flowers erupt into bloom; songbirds sing themselves hoarse; and every local knows that dreams, fame, and immortal adulation are theirs should they prove worthy. And where talent and expertise fail, obsession and duplicity reign, leading to cycles of triumph, betrayal, and despair. Predators flourish in this land of unrealistic hopes, consuming passions, and vicious secrets.

With each full moon, the truth of Kartakass is exposed, as the domain’s many werewolves and other lycanthropes indulge their hunger for dominance and blood. After the full moon passes, the idyllic facade returns. Locals don’t speak of why most bar their doors and shutter their windows on the nights of the full moon, but they acknowledge that the path to greatness is messy.

Valachan

Valachan is lush and wild. Rare creatures and plants reign here, as do villages of people who understand and thrive in the rainforest. No roads pass through the land, but ships from other domains sometimes wreck on these shores. The settlement of Oselo and the Pantara Lodge are described below, and other notable locations are summarized on the Valachan Locations table.

The former home of Darklord Chakuna, Oselo is a prosperous village that welcomes visitors. When night falls, the residents change, shifting from people into panthers, ocelots, tigers, and other hunting cats. These shape-shifters hunt animals for food and do battle with other peoples only to defend their home. Most fear Chakuna and want no involvement with the Trial of Hearts, fearing the Darklord’s wrath. However, in rare instances, Oselo’s shape-shifters might be convinced to guide, hide, or otherwise aid participants in the Trial. This displeases Chakuna, but she respects the decisions of her people’s elders. The villagers might adopt strangers deemed worthy, but outsiders first must prove themselves in an initiation ceremony focused on surviving unarmed in the forest for a week.