Widower Once Again
In the lengthening shadows of dusk outside his vardo, Raul Salazar poked at the dying embers with a charred stick. New wisps of flame stirred in the outdoor hearth, revitalized by his attention, like the thoughts at the fringes of his memory.
Why did you leave me, Leyla? What am I going to do?
A baby cried, snapping Raul out of his reverie.
He stormed over to the vardo, overhung with his metalwork, where Nikko fretted in a crib of wrought iron, a pale pink mouth of
wails and screams. Nikko only quieted by nightfall, tranquilized by the forest's predatory silence.
Later, as the crescent moon climbed though the night sky, filtered by the autumn leaves overhead, Raul returned to his outdoor forge-hearth, strangely comforted by the scattered tools and his lonely violin. Every night was the same. He pounded at the iron, working pain into art and sorrow into numbness, until he gazed through an exhausted haze at the violin, wanting to hurl it in the flames. He played it instead, consoling himself with her favorite melody, and some nights, Leyla came back, to look after her husband and child.
"Widower Once Again" provides the DM with a convenient way of transporting the heroes to the Ravenloft domain of Invidia, where the principal action of this module occurs. Alternatively, it can also be played as an independent mini-adventure. The scenario begins in any campaign setting. By meeting Raul and becoming involved in his dilemma, the party gains a powerful Vistani curse that attracts the attention of Ravenloft's powers.
The DM should feel free to adapt this introductory episode for the particulars of his or her campaign. If the party starts outside Ravenloft, the DM should try to make the events and descriptions outlined in this chapter fit into the regular campaign as much as possible. For instance, if the party is engaged in a desert campaign, they might encounter Raul as a lone nomadic tribesman with camels and tents instead of a horse-drawn vardo. As the encounter unfolds, be careful to describe Raul and his belongings as characteristic of a gypsy, a wanderer, drifter, or rover; do not mention that he is a Vistana. Such a characterization may reveal to players that a RAVENLOFT adventure is soon to follow. As the Dungeon Master, you will maximize the drama of this scenario if the players have no idea that their characters will soon be in Ravenloft.
There are two reasons why Raul, a Vistana, may not be in Ravenloft at the start of the adventure. Raul may be a member of the fabled "Lost Tribe," who purportedly escaped Ravenloft, as mentioned in Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani. Alternatively, Raul may simply have fled Ravenloft using the force of his grief-bolstered will, combined with his natural Vistani talents for traversing the Mists. Raul's background depends on whether or not the DM wants the Vistani to play a permanent role in his regular campaign.
Should the DM wish to keep the Vistani strictly in Ravenloft, or if the heroes are already within the misty confines when the adventure begins, then Raul is a member of the Kamii tribe, renowned throughout the demiplane for their smithing skills. Regardless of this tribal affiliation, however, he has left his extended family and friends to travel on his own, with only his infant child, Nikko, for company.
The Vistana's Background
Raul now grieves for his beloved wife, Leyla, who died while giving birth to Nikko. Raul, who loved his wife with incredible passion, was devastated. Following her death, he burned her possessions, as required by Vistani custom. Her clothes, jewelry, veils, amulets, and cards were all consigned to the flames of his forge-hearth, but Raul could not bring himself to burn his violin, which he claims to have made for her out of his passion and strung with her auburn hair. Raul felt that the violin was his possession - not hers - and should not be destroyed.
But Vistani customs have their reasons, and the burning ceremony is an important key to releasing the past, not only for the living, but more importantly for the deceased. Three nights after the funeral, after Raul had left his tribe to wander on his own, Leyla came back to visit him. On the first night, Raul could only watch in shock and horror as Leyla nursed Nikko, cradling the infant in her ghostly arms. After Nikko's appetite was sated, Leyla approached her husband, growing more solid in his presence. Her auburn hair shone in the firelight, her perfume filled his senses like a seduction.
"Play for me, Raul," she said, "Play me a happy song."
So Raul played the violin, and the ghost of Leyla danced with her usual sinuous grace. In the morning, when Raul woke exhausted to the sound of Nikko crying, the gypsy smith found himself a widower once again.
A Violin of Passion
Paul's violin of passion is a potent magical item, created by the matriarch of the Kamii tribe. When Raul first began courting Leyla, the Vistana dancer initially treated him with aloof disdain, since he was not a member of her Naiat tribe. Undaunted, Raul went to the matriarch of the Kamii, hoping to learn the secret to Leyla's heart. After gazing at her tarokka, the wise woman told Raul to find a violin and a hairbrush from Leyla's vardo. After Raul's procured these items, the matriarch took the violin and hair from the brush to restring the instrument. The wise woman then told Raul to play the violin every night for a year and a day, thinking only of his love for Leyla. After the appointed time, he found that Leyla had indeed fallen in love with him, exactly as the wise woman had predicted.
In game terms, the violin enables a Vistana to influence the emotions of his audience by duplicating the effects of the 4th-level wizard spell, emotion. The enchantment lasts so long as the Vistana plays, and it affects all within earshot - friend and foe alike - unless they make a successful saving throw vs. spells. When played by a virtuoso, like Raul, the violin can move even the undead to tears.
Like all powerful magic items, the violin of passion cannot be easily destroyed or discarded. As the symbolic embodiment of Raul's relationship with Leyta, the violin can only be broken when Raul decides - of his own free will - to give up his most cherished possession. Until then, it cannot be destroyed. If left behind, it will mysteriously reappear among Raul's possessions. As detailed later, the violin still has influence over Ley la's ghost.
Setting Up the Encounter
The introductory scenario begins when the party arrives at any small town during their travels.
Gossip about the gypsy smith on the edge of town is rampant among the locals. At night, the vagabond plays his violin with such intensity that it can easily be heard in town, and those who have gone to spy on the gypsy have sometimes glimpsed strange lights; some report seeing a lovely woman, dancing seductively in the firelight of his forge until dawn despite the knowledge that he lives alone with a small child. The nosy villagers delight in gossiping about Raul, and they whisper conspiratorially about his mysterious mistress. They are both titillated and frightened by the gypsy, but his work is better and cheaper than the smith in town, so they let him to stay.
Drop only as many hints as are necessary to get the heroes interested in visiting Raul. Spread out the snippets of information among different townspeople, each one having a varying opinion (either good or bad) about Raul's presence. The town smith, Conrad, has naturally the worst opinion of Raul, and suggests the vagabond may be harboring a vampire in his wagon! Obviously, there is no real evidence to substantiate such allegations, but Conrad will offer the heroes a reward (no more than 50 gp) to drive the gypsy away.
Finally, the DM may arrange for the heroes to need Raul's services. Perhaps they antagonize the town smith by refusing to help bully Raul, so when one of their horses later drops a shoe, they will need to visit the gypsy. One way or another, the party should seek out Raul, if only to sate their own curiosity about the itinerant smith.
Raul's camp is located a short distance from town. Since Raul is a smith, the outside of his vardo, or wagon-home, is covered with examples of his iron work: maces, railings, nails, spear-heads, spikes, knives, horseshoes. He has set up a temporary camp and forge around the vardo, with a hearth area where he can work. Raul is a squat, heavily muscled man with massive arms and broad shoulders. He is physically in the prime of his life, but his face is heavily lined with creases and his eyes are bloodshot. His hair and drooping mustache have turned almost entirely white. Raul usually dresses in dark black clothing with tall boots, covered with a sooty brown leather apron (the equivalent of leather armor - AC 8).
Raul is aware that he and Nikko have become something of a curiosity to the local townspeople, so he treats newcomers with a brusque facade. Striking up a conversation with the surly smith should not be easy, especially since the gypsy does not trust anyone that comes from town. At first, he prefers to speak about any metal work the heroes may need performed. If desired, he gives the party a brief tour of his forge and the goods displayed on the outside of his vardo.
When describing Raul's wares, include something of interest for every member of the party. A warrior may note an excellent helmet, shield, or sword; a priest notices the sturdy mace or elegant holy symbol on display; a rogue will admire Raul's fine collection of knives, caltrops, and padlocks; a wizard may be interested in an iron-shod staff or bookstand. If any heroes have a background in blacksmithing, they recognize Raul's work to be of superior caliber.
Raul stores his personal weapons and violin inside the vardo, within easy reach of the entrance should they be needed. The vardo's door remains securely closed during a tour (Raul prefers to keep some privacy), but the wagon-home's messy and cluttered contents are not noteworthy. The smith uses all excess gold or treasure to purchase unworked iron and steel, which he stores in a large compartment in the vardo's underside.
Beside the vardo stands an ornate white iron tripod, from which a small crib hangs suspended, rocked by the fitful breeze. Nikko sleeps here. Initially, Raul steers the party away from the crib, and he refuses to talk about Nikko with complete strangers.
Once the party makes it clear that they are not local residents, Raul becomes less short-spoken and more friendly, especially if a hero compliments his work. Eventually, Raul begins to glance worriedly over at the white iron crib, where Nikko lies. One does not need to be a healer to recognize that something is dreadfully wrong with Nikko. The baby is deathly pale and lies listlessly in his crib. The infant is too weak even to cry.
In the past, Raul has been too paralyzed by his grief to admit that Nikko is dying. Now, as the heroes look down on the sick infant, Raul sees Nikko and his predicament in a different light. He confides in the heroes about the nocturnal visitations from his deceased wife and asks their help in laying her to rest.
Crass inducements are probably not necessary to motivate a noble band of heroes, but Raul offers a reward should they appear unwilling to help. He promises them a pick from his wares should they succeed in dispelling Leyla's ghost. The DM should feel free to relate as much information as desired from the chapter introduction and the section entitled "Raul's Background" to pique their interest, omitting only the significance of the violin. This magical instrument is the key to Leyla's undead existence, and its mystery should be maintained as long as possible.
Meanwhile darkness falls, and a cold chill descends on the gypsy's camp. Slowly, a light fog forms and a drizzle blankets the gathering night. Raul hurries about, placing Nikko inside the vardo and packing up his tools. The party must decide whether or not to help him, even as the Mists begin to gather around them.
Raul Salazar (Kamii smith, 4th-level warrior): AC 8 (6 with buckler +7); MV 12; hp 26; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon (scimitar +7, d8+5); Str 18/82 (+2 to hit, +4 damage), Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha 11; SA Evil Eye, Vistani Curse; AL N; THACO 17 (14 with scimitar +7).Against the Vistana
There are several reasons why the party may not want to help Raul. If they listened to the rumors in town, they may believe that the gypsy is evil. The heroes may also already have a negative impression of Vistani or they may have accepted money from Conrad to drive him away. In addition, greedy party members may have viewed Raul's inventory of excellent metal crafts and considered stealing them. Indeed, what resistance might a single gypsy offer to an entire band of adventurers?
Of course, Raul has some of the mysterious powers of the Vistani. If the party seriously considers driving the gypsy out of town, or (worse) attempts to steal from him, Raul will be forewarned in a dream by his ghost-wife Leyla, and take the precaution of keeping his weapons, violin, and buckler by the forge during the day. Also, when threatened, his first action will be to glare menacingly at the party with the evil eye.
Describe the weight of malice in Raul's gaze as hostilities begin, and have each party member roll a d20 (an evil eye check, but don't tell them that!). If a character fails the check, his or her metal possessions are effectively cursed, behaving as if they were -1 items (regardless of their original enchantment) until the effect has been lifted. This curse is not apparent immediately, so keep the effects of Raul's evil eye as mysterious as possible.
Sooner or later the scene will turn ugly, especially if the party refuses to allow Raul to leave with his possessions. Without his wares as a smith, Raul and Nikko will be reduced to begging. After blasting the party with his evil eye, Raul fights to the death (if he doesn't win, he reasons, he and Nikko will die of starvation).
Even a large, well-armed party should have some difficulty in slaying the desperate gypsy. During the fight, the effects of Raul's evil eye become quickly apparent: formerly trusty blades break when they miss their mark, and armor buckles now snap open in the heat of battle. Nevertheless, play up the conflict with as much drama as possible, describing the darkening shadows of night, the thickening fog and drizzle. When you think its time for the killing blow, read the following out loud:
The gypsy stumbles away from your last blow, his arms going limp, his weapon slipping from his hand, as he falls to his knees and blood gushes from a fatal wound. He gazes at you, his dark eyes now ill-focused, but manages to rasp through clenched teeth: "I curse you, thieves, I curse you! May you never delight in what you steal - may it betray you in your darkest hour!"
He falls forward, face down on the muddy ground, as thunder roars overhead. Torrential rain washes over you, and the infant begins to shriek in its crib. The mist has thickened to a heavy fog that encircles the camp and drifts over the gypsy's lifeless body.
Several bad things happen to the party when Raul dies. First, the hands and fingers (even the nails) of every party member turn coal black, marking them permanently as enemies of the Vistani. Unless these marks are somehow concealed, the heroes will have a +4 penalty to reaction rolls with the Vistani.
In addition, all of Raul's metal wares show signs of irreversible rusting and decay by morning. Raul's personal magic items gain more powerful curses: in battle, Raul's scimitar will always miss its mark (except on a natural roll of 20), and whomever carries the buckler will always be hit by an enemy (an opponent misses only on a natural roll of 1). Raul's violin will perform with effects identical to a harp of discord (described in the DMG).
Finally, at the Dungeon Master's discretion, the party may now become the new focus of Ley la's nocturnal hauntings. The ghost's motive will now be to obtain revenge for her husband's death, and can be expanded in to an interesting side-adventure as the following chapters unfold. Since the party will most likely never have had taken the time to learn of Raul's background, the sudden haunting by the beautiful ghost should be quite a mystery.
Of course, the final, and perhaps most severe circumstance is the fact that the party is now in the Ravenloft domain of Invidia. If the party fought Raul, the adventure continues in Chapter Two, "Virago Cruise."
Assisting Raul
If the heroes decide to help Raul, thorough questioning will reveal a number of important clues about the spirit's behavior.
Leyla's ghost only appears in the middle of night (so Raul gets at least a few hours of sleep). She always proceeds directly to Nikko's crib and nurses the infant for several minutes. While Nikko initially seemed to benefit from Leyla's nursing, over time the child has grown increasingly sick, even though Raul feeds the child regularly with goat's milk. However, when the ghost first appears, Raul says he can do nothing but sit and watch her, regardless of his resolve to prevent the nursing. Leyla then approaches Raul and dances until dawn while he plays the violin.
Unless the party takes steps to care for Nikko before the ghost's arrival, the infant will not survive the night. Any hero with the healing non-weapon proficiency, or a priest with access to healing spells, can stabilize the baby's condition, but even after their ministrations, Nikko still looks deathly ill. Nevertheless, award a story bonus of 250 XP to each hero who actively seeks to cure the child.
Despite the gathering dusk, the party still has up to six hours to make preparations for Leyla's arrival. The DM should allow the heroes to make any preparations that seems reasonable, including arming themselves with any weapons from among his wares. While these items are not magical, they can harm Lyala as though they were weapons of +1 enchantment (Raul is unaware of this).
Should the heroes return to the town for any supplies (such as holy water), the fog begins to thicken around them, making it difficult to find their way in the misty darkness. Returning Raul's camp proves difficult, and a successful intelligence check is required, or the heroes wander for an extra 1d6 turns before finding their destination.
Eventually, the light rain turns into a cold, steady downpour, and occasionally the sound of distant thunder rolls across the fogbound landscape. Raul's cramped vardo is the only dry spot in the entire campsite. Only four people will fit comfortably in the vardo at once (not including baby Nikko) and there is no room to wield any weapon larger than a short sword. Outside, the rain is sufficient to extinguish all but magical light or fire sources. Even with illumination, the heavy fog and rain reduces the range of sight to less than 20 feet.
Finally, if the heroes attempt any magical investigations, detect magic reveals a subtle necromantic aura lingering around Nikko, and a powerful aura of enchantment/charm on the violin. Other magical divinations may provide cryptic advice, such as "The gypsy dances to the sound of her own hair," alluding to the manufacture of Raul's violin, or that ghost is not susceptible to turning attempts: Raul's violin is the only symbol that has any authority over her.
The Haunting
Once the heroes have completed their preparations, they must wait several hours in the rainy gloom for Leyla's arrival. Well after midnight, the phantasm slowly takes form in misty darkness outside the vardo. If the heroes have posted a watch outside, read the following out loud:
You see her approaching through the rain, captivating beauty with a dancer's tall, supple curves at the height of youth and beauty. She wears multi-tiered skirts,anklets, and an embroidered halter, revealing a finely muscled midriff. Her delicalely featured face is framed by a splendid cascade of auburn hair, and her almond-shaped eyes sparkle captivatingly. She appears unconcerned by the driving rain, but then you notice the rain is passing right through her...
Since her entrance launches the climactic moments of this scenario, take your time describing the ghost's manifestation. However, once a hero decides to take action, either against the ghost or to warn those inside the vardo, have him make a saving throw vs. paralysis. Heroes who fail the roll can do nothing but stand in awe of Leyla's beauty.
As a former Naiat entertainer, Leyla's charming influence has become a much more powerful aura of fascination with her undeath. She now has the ability to enthrall mortals who look at her. A successful saving throw when she appears indicates that heroes resist the ghost's magic and can continue to act as normal. Those who fail their save, however, are unable to undertake any action, no matter how simple, for they are completely fascinated by her spectral beauty. After two rounds, and during every round that follows, victims are entitled to another save to break the fascination.
Heroes who make their saves have one round of actions before Leyla enters the vardo. While outside, Leyla remains an ethereal spirit (AC -1) that can only be harmed by holy water (1d8 points of damage per vial) or enchanted weapons.
As Leyla approaches the vardo, she completely ignores the heroes unless they pose direct threat by successfully attacking her. The spirit enters the vardo through a wall and coalesces in the presence of her husband and child. Upon seeing his wife, Raul becomes completely fascinated, and remains hypnotized while in her presence.
When she was alive, Leyla was a nurturing wife, but death robbed her of a chance to be a mother. The karmic resonance of her dying, augmented by Raul's violin of passion, brought some part of her back as a ghost. The ghost is more a twisted embodiment of Raul's grief, memory, and passion than an accurate representation of Leyla when she was alive. She is a pale echo of her former self.
Leyla's first goal, predictably, will be to nurse Nikko; she proceeds directly to her child's crib, ignoring any spectators unless they prevent her from discharging her maternal duties. Her objective can be thwarted in several ways by a creative party; the most effective deterrent would be to suspend the infant in a bath of holy water! The DM should role-play Leyla as a confused, distracted, and somewhat demented maternal figure. If prevented from nursing Nikko, she will demand that the players allow her access to her son, her flesh and blood! She does not understand that she is undead, and will not accept that her presence is harming both her husband and child. If confronted repeatedly with this accusation, she attacks the liar who has tried to dishonor her in the presence of her family.
In corporeal form, Leyla is Armor Class 6, and her touch drains 1d6 points of damage from a victim, who must save vs. paralysis or be completely paralyzed with numbing cold for 2d4 rounds. She can now be harmed by holy water, magic or silver weapons, and any items forged by Raul. As noted previously, she can also be influenced by Raul's violin, although the hypnotized gypsy will clutch the instrument protectively and attack any who attempt to wrench it from his grasp. According to Van Richten's classification scheme, Leyla is a 2nd-Magnitude ghost.
Leyla (2nd-Magnitude Ghost):Once reduced to zero hit points, Leyla's ghost begins to dissolve into ethereal mist. She manages to pronounce a final curse:
INT Avg (11); AL CN; AC -1 or 6; MV 9; HD 6; hp 32; THACO 15; #AT 1; Dmg: 1-6; SA: Paralyzing touch (2d4 rounds), fascination aura; SD: harmed only by silver, magic, or Vistani-forged weapons; standard undead immunities; SZ M; ML Special; XP 3,000.
As the woman's body begins to waver and fade, she gazes at you menacingly, her beautuful face contorted in fury and rage as she screams: "1 curse you, murderers, from the depths of my heart! From this night forward, may you know how it feels to be separated from your love. May you never know the healing of compassion!"
Then, she disintegrates as if torn apart by an undetectable wind.
Leyla's curse is relatively straightforward: until its effects have been lifted, a hero cannot benefit substantially from clerical healing: every healing spell or potion always cures the minimum amount of damage. Thus, the first-level clerical spell, cure light wounds, only restores 1 hit point of damage. The curse has no effect on normal means of healing: the heroes will continue to regain 1 hit point per day of complete rest.
Widower Once and For All
With the pronouncement of the Vistana's curse, the cold, rainy fog swirling around the camp transforms into the Mists of Ravenloft, transporting the entire party to the domain of Invidia. Assuming the heroes helped Raul, the Kamii smith is transported along with them, and can serve as an invaluable guide and ally for the remainder of the adventure.
Unless the heroes took steps to save Nikko, the frail baby perished when Leyla's spirit was destroyed in its presence. In such a case, the heroes' first task upon their arrival will be to bury the infant. Numb with grief, Raul plays a tragic dirge at the funeral and accompanies the party for the remainder of the adventure in silent sadness.
If the heroes managed to save Nikko, Raul will do his best to care for the infant, but it continues to be sick and must be treated with healing spells once a day or its condition worsens and it dies.
The Dungeon Master should award the party a total story award of 6,000 XP if they succeed in dispelling Leyla's ghost. You may wish to assign additional 100 - 1,000 XP bonuses to individual player characters, based on their heroism, creativity, and role-playing while facing the ghost. No story award should be given if the heroes slew or robbed the gypsy.
Whether the heroes assisted or wronged Raul, they have been thrust into a foreign land under the effects of a curse. Learning how to remove this curse will help motivate the heroes for the remainder of the adventure.
The Dungeon Master can easily interweave the repercussions from scenario into the remainder of the adventure, if desired. Leyla's ghost was not destroyed back in Raul's vardo, but will rejuvenate after 1-3 days and return to her maternal duties. Only after Raul's violin has been destroyed and - more importantly - the violin strings woven from her hair have been burned, will Leyla's ghost be laid to rest.
