The Evil Eye - River Cruise

"Milady wears a leather dress,
She's always by my side,
I see myself reflected
In the mirror of her eyes.
For me alone milady's pure.
And I know that's not for long:
Oh, I know that's not for long.

- Termagant's Ballad

The Virago cast off at dawn while a cool autumn mist still hung over the river. Captain Nathan Timothy stood by the stern, hand on the tiller, smiling contentedly into the ruddy morning light.

Only a day to Karina. He was already looking forward to the dog fights in the Falkovnian quarter, the pretty girls of the Bustarde, the fresh food from the Veinskeller. Not that he lacked ample food or drink aboard the Virago. He was already beginning to feel the warm effects of his brandy breakfast. As dawn advanced into early morning, Timothy tried to recall the opening stanza to Termagant's Ballad, one of his favorite Karinan songs. Reveling in his brandy wine haze, the captain merely bellowed the first few verses and the refrain repeatedly in his deep, rumbling bass. The Virago was headed back to Karina, after all. He would soon relearn the song, and perhaps even practice some of its more interesting verses.

"River Cruise" can be used by Dungeon Masters who wish to quickly take the heroes from their arrival in Invidia to the town of Karina, where they become embroiled in the plot involving Gabrielle and Malocchio. Captain Timothy, the principal character encountered in this scenario, can be an important source of information about the lands of Ravenloft and the Vistani.

Alternatively, the DM can use the "Further Adventures in Indivia" chapter to develop side adventures, allowing the heroes to travel the domain, eventually reaching Karina on their own.

As the rising sun burns away the cool morning fog, it becomes clear that you are no longer where you once were. You are on a small island, in the middle of a wide river. All around you, forested hills painted spectacularly in the bright yellow, red, and orange colors of autumn, stretch westward to meet a crisp blue sky and eastward to distant mountains. Wild birds fly overhead - small flocks of swallows and crows, mostly, interspersed with a few noisy bluejays.

The heroes find themselves on Dead Man's Perch, a small island in the middle of the Musarde River, about sixty miles from the town of Karina. If the party helped Raul in the previous chapter, the Vistani smith will have been transported to Ravenloft with them, along with his vardo and the vehicle's contents (but not with his horses). Otherwise the heroes will be completely alone.

Dead Man's Perch is a narrow strip of land perhaps a hundred yards long by at most twenty yards long. Its surface is covered by low brush, some evergreens, and a few tall sugar maples now in the height of their fall transformation. This mundane foliage is inhabited by a few small, uninteresting animals and birds. The nearest riverbank lies over a hundred yards from the island.

Despite its mundane appearance, Dead Man's Perch has a bad reputation among boat captains and travelers alike. The waters around the isle are murky and deceptively shallow. Large vessels can easily run aground as they come around a swift bend in the river. Unless a quick-thinking captain can warp himself off his perch before nightfall, it is said that at least one member of the crew will die before daybreak. Travelers who camp near the island are also rumored to suffer from the island's deadly curse.

The specifics of the island, and whether or not the beliefs of the locals have any truth to them, are left to the Dungeon Master's imagination. Regardless of the island's danger, there should be few - if any - clues noticeable by day. At first, allow the party to explore the small island at their leisure and question Raul about their new predicament.

Even if Raul accompanies the party, he quickly becomes paralyzed by grief over the apparent final loss of his wife, and possibly his child, depending on the actions of the heroes in the last chapter. He will follow the party, provide some background information, fight in combat, or play the violin, but he plays mostly a passive role.

Should the heroes be new to Ravenloft, then the DM must decide how much information (if any) to reveal about the Demiplane. Raul always refers to Ravenloft as the "Homeland" and the Vistani as his "People." As suggested by the RAVENLOFT box and Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani, the Dungeon Master should not give away too much information about the Vistani. They are a very mysterious and secretive people. Raul will not discuss Vistani secrets with a group a giorgio (as he calls the heroes), even if they to all appearances have helped lay his wife's ghost to rest. (While Leyla's ghost may not yet be destroyed - especially if Raul's violin remains intact - she does not haunt the party until they arrive in Karina during the following chapter.)

Unless the party has not yet figured it out by now, Raul explains that they have all been cursed by Leyla's ghost. He suggests that the matriarch or wise woman from a Vistani caravan may be able to provide clues about how to lift the curse. If the party asks him for advice about how to find the Vistani, Raul suggests that they look to the nearest town. "Where there are giorgio," Raul explains, "you will sometimes find the Vistani."

For information on the towns of Invidia and its settlements, the Dungeon Master can refer to Chapter Seven, "Further Adventures in Invidia."

Before the heroes can reach any town or settlement, they must overcome the obstacle of the Musarde River, which surrounds the small island of Dead Man's Perch. The nearest (southern) shore of the river lies over a hundred yards from the island. To even experienced heroes, the Musarde River presents a potential challenge.

The Musarde is the primary setting for this chapter. The Dungeon Master should slowly describe the river using mysterious, ambiguous language. On the surface, the river appears to be normal, but the hints of dark, slimy inhabitants, and a cold numbing death by drowning should all help reinforce an atmosphere of dread and danger, even for experienced adventurers.

Plumbing the Depths. The dark, cold waters of the Musarde carry broken twigs and clumps of wet leaves are swept inexorably downriver. Tiny sepia salamanders and long, black eels lurk in the dim shallows. These creatures are harmless, but heroes wading along the shore may feel the flicker of something slimy about their submerged legs, invisible in the muddy water.

Hypothermia. During late autumn, swimming in the Musarde is a chilling experience. Unless heroes have some magical protection against cold, they will temporarily lose 1 point of Strength and Constitution for every turn they spend in its clammy waters unless they make a successful saving throw vs. death magic. Those who are reduced to zero Strength or Constitution by prolonged exposure to the frigid waters will lose consciousness and drown within 1-3 rounds unless rescued by comrades.

While the party is attempting to leave Dead Man's Perch, they hear the sound of barking dogs. The sounds are coming closer on the eastern shore of the river.

There is a sound of breaking branches and a young deer comes leaping from the shadows of the forest. It stares wide-eyed at the river, its nostrils flared, sweat shining on its hide. Then in wheel about, the sound of the barking dogs drawing closer. The deer flees northward along the river.

Moments later, a man astride a black destrier emerges from the woods. Although clearly in pursuit of the deer, clad as he is in the greens and leathers of a huntsman, he reins in the horse and shields his eyes with a hand as he looks across the river at you. He cocks an eyebrow, a smile appearing on his face. "My," he says, "what have we here?'"

The horseman is Matton Blanchard, an estranged lover of Gabrielle Aderre. He is described in Chapter Eight, "Dramatis Personae." Only recently emerging from nearly a year-long stupor of lovesick depression, Matton has been hunting in the Breadth Forest for weeks, mulling over his shattered love life. Since fleeing Loupet, he has heard no recent news regarding Gabrielle, nor of the birth of her son.

Matton greets the heroes warmly, and is very curious to hear how they were stranded on Dead Man's Perch with a horseless vardo. He offers no assistance, and if one of the heroes asks for it (or when the Dungeon Master wishes to bring the encounter to a close), Matton's retainers emerge from the woods, and he loses interest in the heroes.

Matton is accompanied by six young men, whom he bullies and abuses with ruthless ferocity. Only Matton rides a horse: his exhausted retainers must carry the supplies and run with the hounds, keeping pace with the hunt. They wear dirt-smeared shirts, brown trousers and vests; they are armed only with daggers. The retainers have no idea that their master is a wolfwere. Matton's dozen hounds look scarcely better than his retainers. Each emaciated hunting dog is covered with cuts and welts from constant lashings.

Matton launches into a tirade against the men, berating the "sluggards for their usual ineptitude and sends them along the riverbank after the deer. He cordially wishes the heroes a good day, as help offering only that the nearest town (Karina) is located about forty miles downriver.

While this encounter may seem brief, it introduces a recurring character in the adventure. From the onset, portray Matton with greasy cordiality and snobbish superiority. This "obvious" enemy will make the heroes more easily confide in much more dangerous characters in the future.

Some time after Matton's hunting party merges back into the forest, whether the heroes are still on the island or traveling along the shore, they see a riverboat with a tall white sail as it rounds the bend about a mile upriver. As the Virago approaches, the lone pilot at the stern can be heard singing a bawdy sailor's song.

As the boat draws nearer, the man at the rudder stops belting out his tune. Even before the last note has stopped echoing off the hillsides, the bright sail of the boat is being lowered, and it slows at it reaches you.

As the boat drifts closer, its only apparent crewmember, a man of average size with a wild curly mane of black hair and a full beard, waves to you. He is dressed in a dark sweater and trousers. "Ahoy there! Cap'n Timothy's the name, and this is milady, the Virago. Would you folks be needing assistance?"

The sailor is Captain Nathan Timothy, a recurring character in this adventure who is described fully in Chapter Eight. If the party doesn't think to ask, he offers them passage on the Virago, providing that they don't mind sleeping on deck or ashore at nights. His hold is too full for passengers.

Despite a congenial facade, Captain Timothy is a powerful werewolf and a former dark lord. Although he fosters the image of a rough and bawdy captain, he is shrewd, devious, and heartless. He invites the party on board, observe them for a day, and (providing they seem sufficiently weak) he will attack and devour them at night.

Captain Timothy's first action is to separate the heroes from their most powerful ally: Raul. Timothy recognizes Raul as a Vistana and has no desire to harm or offend him (even former dark lords fear the evil eye). He will not tolerate Raul aboard his ship, since he fears that the Vistana may be able to pierce his disguise. Captain Timothy is adamant about not letting "that damn gypsy" aboard the Virago, claiming that the Vistani are extremely bad luck for ships.

If the heroes insist, Timothy says that they are welcome aboard, but the Vistana must ride behind in a rowboat and be towed. Since the heroes probably have their own misgivings regarding Raul over their arrival to Invidia, they will probably agree to this request. Without a word, Raul gathers as many tools and sample wares as he can fit with him (and Nikko, should be baby still be alive) into the rowboat. Raul contents himself during the voyage by playing the violin as the Virago tows his rowboat downriver.

Since the heroes may be spending some time on board the Virago, deck plans and an illustration have been provided on the color mapsheet. The Virago is a 50' single-masted river schooner; if Cap'n Timothy were not an expert sailor, the ship would be too large to handle single-handedly. A hero with the seamanship proficiency will identify the Virago as a cargo vessel designed primarily for river travel. Timothy has tailored the rigging of the mainsail so that it can be handled from the stern, near the tiller.

Timothy is very secretive about the contents of the cabin and the hold (containing his "precious cargo"). Before he allows the party on board, he secures the forehatch to the hold from below, and locks the hatch to his cabin. He will not let the party into these areas. The cargo only contains numerous casks of brandy from Tuefeldorf (hardly warranting such secrecy) and the usual ship's stores. Timothy's cabin, however, contains several sensitive mementos.

The main cabin is a cramped space and reeks of stale sweat and brandy. Barely tall enough for a man to stand upright, it measures roughly fifteen feet long by nine feet wide. The cabin contains a sleeping berth, table, bench, shaving mirror, and a stout locked chest, with an assortment of clothes (some are smeared with blood), a brown pipe, and a tobacco pouch. A cocked heavy crossbow rests beneath the sleeping berth next to a stoppered jug of brandy.

The captain keeps a book in his desk, locked in a waterproofed box. The tome - a character with seamanship proficiency will recognize it to be a rutter - is written in an encrypted shorthand, known only to Captain Timothy. Unless magic of some sort is employed (or a rogue uses his Read Languages ability), the book will be completely indecipherable. Should it be partially decoded, the heroes will discover a complete description of the Musarde and Arden, including the location and travel times between villages.

The book also contains an abbreviated log, starting in the year 740. Characters familiar with the history of Ravenloft might note this to be the date of the Grand Conjunction, which freed Timothy from his domain and allowed him to sail where he pleases. The log ends with the following entries (either read or photocopy and distribute to players):

4 Oct - Moored in Zeidenburg. Offloaded the wine. Took on four crates of muslin and two passengers, M. and R. from the factory.

9 Oct - Reached Tuefeldorf before nightfall. Off loaded the muslin; M. and R. paid handsomely for the speedy passage. Took on all the brandy she would carry.

16 Oct - Zeidenburg again. Took on three passengers, D. and her sons. They are desperate to reach Karina for the festival!

These last entries reveal two facts: the Virago's current cargo is brandy, and more importantly, the log mentions taking on passengers in Zeidenburg bound for Karina, but no one besides Captain Timothy was aboard the ship when he encountered the heroes.

Finally, there is a secret compartment hidden behind the gangway leading up to the deck. It contains a number of small objects, including an assortment of lady's jewelry (1-4 pieces, to be randomly determined by the Dungeon Master), a velvet pouch containing six tiny emeralds (500 gp each), a silver whistle (25 gp), a small box filled with 485 gold coins of Falkovnian mintage, and a woman's lace handkerchief, embroidered with small pearls, bearing the initials DLB (100 gp). Astute heroes may suspect (correctly) that handkerchief belonged to one of the Captain's passengers (referred to in the 16 Oct entry of the log as "D.").

Beyond Timothy's cabin is the galley, which contains a small cooking stove and several different kinds of breads, cheeses, and other dried foodstuffs and spices.

As the bleak waters swirl along the ship, Captain Timothy is more than happy to chat about his travels up and down the Musarde. He knows the river, its towns, and villages intimately. (Some details can be found in Chapter Seven, while the various Ravenloft adventures and accessories can provide others; this is an opportunity for the Dungeon Master to allude to interesting events elsewhere in the core domains and perhaps sew the seeds for future adventures.) He describes Karina as "a wild, lively town, especially around Festival season" and promises to give the party a tour of the highlights once they arrive.

Meanwhile, Captain Timothy is mentally planning an ambush for the party. While he chats about the river and its sights, he pumps the heroes for their background and skills. He is especially interested in the party wizards; in the past, they have caused him the greatest pain. Timothy works these queries into the flow of conversation.

Timothy disappears downstairs around lunch time, allowing the hero with the most nautical experience to steer, shutting and locking the hatch behind him. He will not allow any heroes to join him. While Timothy is below decks, the party can hear him bumping around the cabin and the hold as well (he is dipping into his brandy). When he returns above decks with coffee, bread, and cheese, the Captain's breath stinks of drink.

The rest of the day passes quickly, marked by the spectacular array of fall foliage along the shores and Timothy's apparent drinking binge in his cabin while he prepares lunch. Late in the afternoon, the Virago sails past Matton Blanchard's hunting party, traveling in the direction of Karina along the south shore of the river. Timothy gives Matton scarcely a second glance, although the wolfwere gives the heroes a mocking salute as the boat sails past him. If the party asks Timothy about Blanchard, the captain's voice takes on a tinge of disgust. According to the captain, Matton is "a foppish dandy and a real snob. I'd steer clear of him, if I were you." Timothy and Blanchard are both fully aware of each other's true natures; the werewolf and wolfwere regard each other as a contemptible nemesis, though they would never reveal the real reason for their enmity to mere humans.

Most importantly, Captain Timothy is also severely prejudiced against gypsies. Timothy's poor treatment of Raul was spurred partially by his desire to split the party and partially by his fear and bigotry. He is especially fearful of the evil eye, and continually makes small hand gestures covertly behind his back when he thinks Raul is looking at him.

Among the superstitious, special hand gestures are thought to ward off the evil eye. Timothy will explain the concept of the evil eye to the heroes, if they haven't heard of it already, although like most giorgio, his knowledge of the subject is imperfect and stilted at best. To gain the heroes' confidence, he will teach them a few hand signs. Most hand gestures will likely make a Vistana laugh than provide any form of protection, but if the heroes truly believe they are effective, the Dungeon Master may permit the character a +1 bonus to the Evil Eye check.

Captain Timothy's ill feelings toward gypsies are conveyed in the "Tale of the Captain and the Vistana." He tells the story to the heroes in a low voice as they sail downriver, so Raul in the trailing rowboat cannot overhear.

"The Vistani turn up where you least expect them and always want what you can least afford. They're never to be trusted, always spouting lies and stealing your gold. There's a good reason why I won't let any gypsy on my ship, and if you listen, I'll tell you why.

I once heard of a sea captain named Bartley from Port-a-Lucine, a rather pitiable sort, who went into a Vistana's tarokka booth for a reading. Down on his luck for the past year, he wanted to know what cargo he should take on his next trip to Leudendorf, so that he would make his fortune and retire.

Now the old woman looked at him and said, "Life has not treated you well, I can see, but your luck is about to change for the best. I will tell you what cargo to carry, but you must do what 1 ask when you arrive at your destination." Captain Bartley was so desperate that he agreed to her strange request, so long as the Vistana would prophesy for him. And the old woman took out her cards, and laid them on the table. She told him to fill his ship with timber.

So Bartley did what he was told, and sailed up to Leudendorf with a hold full of seasoned pine. When he arrived, he learned that there has been a terrible fire in the city. Many houses had burned to the ground, and there was not enough wood to rebuild. Bartley's ship was the first to bring in a full supply of timber, so he made an incredible fortune. One foggy night, just after he sold the last of his timber, Bartley heard a knock at his cabin door while the ship lay in port. When he opened it, there he saw the same grim-faced Vistana from Port-a-Lucine.

She fixed him with her evil eye, and said, "You have made your fortune, now you must do as I say. Give up the sea forever, and never set another foot aboard this or any other ship. If you agree, you may keep what you have earned, but if not, you will lose everything."

Captain Bartley was not at all pleased by the Vistana's curse, but before he could argue with her, she stepped back into the foggy night and was swallowed by the mists. Bartley searched the entire ship, but found no one besides his startled crew.

I'll be the first to admit that sailors can be very superstitious. Some of the crew heard the curse of the Vistana. Bartley was already known as an unlucky captain and many of his crew left him. A few figured that Bartley's luck had changed for good and decided to sail again. For you see, to ground a true sailor is to kill him, regardless of his wealth or luck.

So, despite the curse, unlucky Bartley decided to sail back to Port-a-Lucine, though most of his sailors had deserted him. As he approached Lucine Bay, a terrible storm descended on his ship. The rain fell in blinding sheets and the swells were higher than the tallest mast. Bartley lashed himself to the tiller and screamed out his defiance against the Vistani into the dark howling winds.

It was then that the ship started coming apart. All over the decks, the tiny nails started squirming out of the wood, like squeaking little iron worms, and once a plank was free, it went hurling up into the night and the screeching gale. Frantic men ran about, tying themselves down to anything that would float, but Bartley stood fast by the helm, still screaming into the wind, oblivious to his approaching doom.

In the morning, pieces of the wreckage washed up on shore with the lucky crew, who all somehow survived the black maelstrom. But poor Bartley, he was never seen again. In the storms that wrack the Sea of Sorrows, sailors sometimes hear demented screams above the howling winds, and they say it's the Cursed Captain, still raging against the Vistani. Now that I can't attest, for I am only a river boat master, but I will still never let a gypsy board my beloved ship."

As the shadows lengthen. Captain Timothy pulls the Virago close to shore in a wide bowl-shaped spot known as the Purse, claiming that it is bad luck to sail on the Musarde after nightfall, when river trolls and other deep dwellers go hunting. In reality, however, Timothy wants to get the heroes off his ship, so he can set up a covert night attack without implicating himself directly, in case his plan goes awry.

The shore along the Purse is steep enough for the Virago to moor along side the shore, like a port, without becoming grounded. Timothy pulls out some supplies for dinner from the pantry and dismantles the tiller, locking it safely in his cabin, in case the heroes think of stealing his ship during the night. After securing the Virago, Timothy makes a campfire and cooks everyone spiced sausages from Zeidenburg, along with more tough bread and cheese. Timothy even brings out a cask of brandy, hoping to put the heroes even further at ease. Although Raul is obviously glad to be out of his rowboat, he does little besides drink Timothy's brandy. The gypsy keeps his weapons and violin by his side all evening, but he refuses to play the instrument after sunset. Nikko, if still alive, has gotten worse during the day, and will require treatment if he is to live through the night.

Night passes slowly in Invidia. During the fall, the sun sets around 5 p.m and does not rise again until 8 a.m. The majestic beauty of the chromatic forest has a more sinister atmosphere once darkness falls. In the night, the heroes can only hear the rustle of branches overhead, punctuated by the screeches of night owls and other nocturnal predators. The forest is redolent with the pungent aroma of fallen leaves and rotting vegetation. A waxing moon rises in the east, casting a pale ghostly light through the canopy of leaves overhead.

Once dinner has been cleaned up, Timothy gathers his bedroll and leaves the party to sleep on his own because of his terrible snoring. Soon the heroes hear the captain's distant snorts and snores. Of course, the werewolf is merely biding his time. He hopes a pack of wolves will stray close by, so that he can call them to provide a diversion.

Meanwhile, allow the party to set up watches and sleep where they see fit (either in the woods near the ship or on deck). Hopefully, they have not been lulled into a false sense of security by Raul's inebriation and Timothy's nonchalance and retain their vigilance.

In the dead of night, a chorus of howls shatters the silence: a pack of wolves has wandered into the area. As soon as the captain hears their approach, he changes into his wolf form and approaches the pack. After a brief scuffle, during which he establishes his dominance, he leads the wolves back to the campsite. Meanwhile, the heroes will probably be rousing their sleeping comrades and readying for combat.

The wolves charge into camp with a piercing howl of such chilling intensity that all members of the party must make Fear Checks. The Dungeon Master should modify the number and strength wolves to properly challenge the party, based on their levels of experience. A low-level party should encounter at least one wolf per hero, whereas powerful characters may face 2-3 wolves each.

The wolves all appear diseased, with two exceptions: the pack leader and Timothy. The pack's usual leader is a huge and healthy dire wolf, measuring about 10' long. The beast has extensive scars on the left side of its muzzle, including a few fresh cuts from its recent scrape with Timothy.

In his wolf form, Timothy is even larger: 12' long - more like a bear than a wolf. His combat abilities are summarized in Chapter Eight.

Timothy has a simple but effective strategy to decimate the party: force the heroes to retreat to his ship, where he and the wolves can corner and destroy them. The wolves rush at the party from the front, forcing them back to the water. Timothy and the dire wolf charge the most powerful warriors.

Raul, meanwhile, distinguishes himself valiantly in battle. Swinging his blade with deadly accuracy, assume that he kills one wolf every two rounds, before being knocked unconscious six rounds after the battle begins.

If the party does not manage to defeat the wolves, they will all be slaughtered and devoured by morning, like most of Timothy's previous passengers. However, given the poor health of most of the pack, the wolves will flee after half their number have been slain. The pack leader will also retreat after being wounded for more than 15 hit points of damage. Once his primary allies have fled, Timothy will make an assessment of the heroes' current ability to withstand his attacks. If the party spellcasters are still active, he will flee with the rest of the pack - not because he fears for his life (because of his regeneration) - but because he does not want to endanger his disguise. He will return to where he was supposedly sleeping, assume human form, and will, still naked, climb the nearest tree, and quickly heal any battle wounds using his regeneration.

After the sounds of battle have died down, he will call out for aide. He thanks the heroes for "saving" him, and apologizes for the danger - in all his years, he claims he has never been attacked by a pack of wolves. Of course, he adds conspiratorially, this is the first time he has traveled with a Vistana. Timothy will insist on sleeping in his cabin for the rest of the night, which passes uneventfully. In the morning, the Virago will pull away from the Purse and sail to Karina before noon.

The Dungeon Master should keep careful note of any heroes who were bitten by Timothy during the battle. For each point of damage Timothy inflicts on a hero, there is a 2% chance the character will contract lycanthropy.