Ravenloft: Mecha Games Edition — Session 2: Clean the Murder House

Campaign Status

Campaign: Ravenloft: Mecha Games Edition
Session: 2
Party Level: 4
Current Location: Terror in Tepest (Oatmarsh)
Status: The party investigated the disappearance of villagers at a harvest ritual site and defeated the corrupted druid Burla and her predatory Death’s Head Tree.
Next Session: Sunday September 13 and/or 27 2026.

1. Session Summary

The session began with the party gathering around a campfire as Inza provided a recap of their initial meeting in the ruined city of Haralen. After receiving Inza’s Blessing and a Pearl of Power, the party was transported via the mists to the idyllic domain of Tepest. They arrived in the village of Oatmarsh during the High Harvest festival and were invited to feast by a villager named Viviana. She tasked the group with finding a missing ritual team that had failed to return from the nearby ritual site.

Upon reaching a dilapidated farmhouse, the party encountered Greeve, a hobgoblin captain, and a group of bugbears. Negotiations failed when the party discovered a Death’s Head Tree – a horrifying sentient plant adorned with human heads – and realized the farmhouse was a bloody slaughterhouse. Combat ensued; John Deadward successfully used magic to compel the druid Burla to leave the battle and clean the “murder house” while the party dismantled the bugbears and the tree. After the tree and its guards were destroyed, a furious Burla returned, only to be blasted into a shadow outline on the wall by Lucien Morvath. The party recovered a cache of treasure and prepared to return to the village with the grim news of the missing villagers.

2. Key Events

• Discovery of the Slaughterhouse: The party confirmed that the missing villagers were murdered when they found a “slaughter” of body parts in the farmhouse.
• The Nature of the Tree: The group realized the ritual effigy was actually a Death’s Head Tree that grew human heads instead of fruit.
• The “Clean the House” Ruse: John Deadward removed the boss from the fight for several minutes by suggesting she go clean the bloody farmhouse.
• Destruction of the First Raven: Upon the druid’s death, a massive shadow raven rose from the remains and dissolved, marking the first of four major threats neutralized.
• Treasure Recovery: The party found 200 gold, a Quiver of Ehlonna, and a Cloak of Elvenkind.

3. NPCs Encountered

• Inza: A tall woman with raven hair and green eyes. She acts as a protector and guide through the mists. While helpful, Lucien Morvath remains suspicious of her true motives.
• Viviana (Viv): A hospitable villager in Oatmarsh. She is deeply concerned about the village’s rituals and the missing workers.
• Greeve: A territorial Hobgoblin Captain guarding the site for Burla. He was killed by the party.
• Burla: A druid corrupted by a shadow raven. She was obsessed with her tree and hostile toward anyone she considered “common folk.”

4. Locations Visited

• Oatmarsh: A self-sufficient farming village in Tepest. It is currently celebrating the High Harvest, a week-long festival intended to ward off famine.
• The Dilapidated Farmhouse: Located an hour from the village, this site serves as the ritual grounds. It was converted into a slaughterhouse by the bugbears and housed the Death’s Head Tree.

5. Combat Summary

• Enemies Fought: Greeve (Hobgoblin Captain), 5 Bugbears, Burla (Druid), and the Death’s Head Tree (with exploding head projectiles).
• Tactics Used: Lucien used Telekinetic Shove to manipulate positioning; Crem used Rotney as a frontline shield and tactical explosive; John Deadward utilized Cloud of Daggers and Suggestion to control the battlefield.
• Memorable Moments: Rotney exploded in a bugbear’s face, killing it instantly. Burla used Thunderwave to blast through the farmhouse wall when she broke free of her enchantment.
• Close Calls: Both John Deadward and Lucien were nearly killed by the tree’s necrotic “exploding head” bombs.
• Loot Recovered: 200 Gold Pieces, Quiver of Ehlonna (containing +1 bolts), and a Cloak of Elvenkind.

6. Player Character Highlights

• Lucien Morvath: Successfully intimidated the hobgoblins with a Booming Voice and delivered the final Eldritch Blast that incinerated Burla against the farmhouse wall.
• Crem: Expertly managed his creation, Rotney, and used a “Jolt Life” feature to bring John Deadward back from the brink of death mid-battle.
• Weasley: Roleplayed a dark devotion to Lolth by offering severed bugbear heads to the druid as a “tribute” to try and make “friends.”
• Christophus Lee: Provided heavy ranged support with a crossbow and set a magical Snare trap that nearly caught the druid as she emerged from the farmhouse.
• John Deadward (JD): Executed the most creative maneuver of the session by magically suggesting the boss druid ignore the fight to go “clean the murder house,” buying the party precious time.

7. Plot Threads / Quest Hooks

• Resolved: The immediate threat to Oatmarsh is gone; the corrupted druid and the sentient tree have been destroyed.
• Active: The party must return to the village to deliver the gold and the news of the villagers’ deaths.
• Unanswered Mysteries: The origin of the shadow ravens; Enza’s potential goal to fill a “power vacuum”; the secret behind Lucien Morvath’s gold and blue eyes.

8. Lore Revealed

• High Harvest Feast: A week-long ritual in Tepest where a wheat effigy is burned to keep famine at bay.
• Death’s Head Trees: These are corrupted plants that grow human heads. If a creature is killed by one, their head may eventually become part of the tree.
• The Mother: The deity or nature figure revered by the people of Oatmarsh.

9. Funny or Memorable Quotes

• “Meat’s back on the menu!”
• “I’m an old man. I do not appreciate the front.”
• “Stop fighting and clean the murder house.”
• “I drop the bug bear heads at her feet… ‘Then we can be friends. Get more heads.’”

10. Rules or Table Issues

• Spiritual Weapon (2024 Rules): Clarified that the spell now requires Concentration.
• Pearl of Power: Noted it can restore a spell slot of level 3 or lower once per dawn.
• Suggestion Spell: Discussed the duration (8 hours) and the conditions under which the charm might break.

11. DM Notes / Future Foreshadowing

• Rotney’s Soul: Creme has expressed interest in finding a way to restore Rotney’s humanity or allow him to communicate, providing a personal quest hook.
• The Shadow Ravens: One of the four ravens seen by Inza has been destroyed; three remain in other realms.
• Inza’s True Nature: The party’s suspicion of Inza’s motives creates a sense of lingering tension that can be explored in future domains.

12. Next Session Setup

The party stands amidst the cooling ashes of the Death’s Head Tree and the shadow-stained remains of the druid. They have secured the treasure and must now decide how to present the grim news of the villagers’ fate to Viviana and the people of Oat Marsh. The DM should prepare for the village’s reaction and the eventual return of the mists to guide the party toward the second shadow raven.