Setting: Raisel

Born to Vincent Corvus & Mae Lorin.

He knows the birth of him & his sister is probably an issue of consent and an area of debate on whether or not he is truly Raisellean in origin or not. None of it matters, in the long run, since he was never happy about his country or his family anyway.

So long as Mae was around; things were alright. Whether or not she had feelings for Vincent, she raised her two children as a dutiful mother would. For a few years, she protected the twins from him, and from others. And then... She vanished. Plucked from their lives like she never existed in the first place. Those who knew her assumed her dead and gone, tossed away like all of Vincent's other toys, some assumed she escaped finally, but the truth is known only to Vincent and whoever he had do the deed.

And then... Things got worse.

Vincent trained Angelo and Annabeth with the sword vigorously- and if his training was not cruel enough, he passed it off to his Vampire spawn who were worse. They enjoyed drawing blood from the twins and calling it a day. The two were quick learners, and soon became adept in protecting themselves and each other from those who roamed the Corvus Manor. As they grew, their paths split; Annabeth to learn magic from the tomes of ancient and dark knowledge in their family library, Angelo... To a fate of less free will.

His half human blood made him and Annabeth less fragile in the sun than Vincent's own body, and thus perfect for traveling into the sunny parts of Raisel in which lay the capital city of Fiora. For five years Angelo was under an almost complete state of compulsion by his father; forced, by magic, to do his bidding- anything from vetoing bills Vincent didn't like, to taking out nobility who threatened his all dominating hand. Many were confused and outraged to why a young teen spoke about things he didn't understand, and only a few saw what was happening deeper down.

Enter, Prince Marx; the first Prince of Raisel who swept up everyone in his charismatic wake, but was left in confusion when the young Duke Angelo seemed to pay him no mind. The mounting tensions of threatening war from nobility disappearing in their homes gave him no time to investigate, but it also never left his mind. When war broke out, Angelo was sent again in his father's stead; a tired teen with little life in him; but this didn't stop Marx from trying to get to the bottom of the big mystery surrounding him. He'd studied Vampiric magic in Angelo's absence, and found him suffering from compulsion... So he fixed it. Very bluntly. With a solid punch to the face- and suddenly the life was back. One confused, daze Angelo Corvus was finally broken of his spell, though he still was bound to carry out his father's deeds.

Marx went out of his way to help the teen further; trying to befriend him at every turn and found he was a master tactician even when quiet during war meetings.

Towards the tail end of the war, things had changed drastically for Angelo. He had his sense of self back; he was allowed to fight. He found a... Friend in the Prince who had freed him of his spell. But more problems rose; he scared troops with his ferociousness in battle, unafraid of hurting his own soldiers. Marx took it upon himself to introduce some humanity back into Angelo, and the long road to recovery began.

It was somewhere between that and the time Marx saved his life from a mortal wound using his own blood that Angelo discovered feelings that lay long dormant. For a while, he misinterpreted them as loyalty, but really it was a crush blooming in his heart for the man who saved his life even when they should have been enemies.

So when Marx offered him a position as his official tactician, Angelo didn't hesitate in saying yes. He was then able to move into Castle Fiora, far from his father's reach, and though he still has to serve his father's orders he was in a position to bend and twist them for the benefit of the people.

After years of working together, Marx pledged himself to the church and was bestowed the title 'Crown Prince', news which he told Angelo before anyone else.

Thinking of a brighter future for his Prince, he found a goal to pledge himself to; freeing the country, himself, and his siblings from the Archduke Vincent Corvus by any means necessary.

Setting: Curse of Strahd

Continued from Tactician of Vengeance

MAJOR CURSE OF STRAHD CAMPAIGN SPOILERS.

A chance reunion with one of his many elder brothers, one Professor Ettore Oliver of the Raisel Magic College, brought to light the information he needed to seek out his goal; to slay the Duke Corvus. Ettore told him of a land in the mists, somewhere that no one returned from; the land of Barovia. It fell to the dominion of Strahd Von Zarovich centuries ago, but legends existing from the region spoke of tools made to kill a Vampire. A holy symbol of old, and a blade made of sunlight.

He left Raisel under guide of escorting the Second Princess to an arranged marriage in the southern part of Raisel, and while he did travel with their entourage for a time; he left the country, quietly, without fanfare. The no man's land between Raisel and the misted borders of Barovia was a long and arduous journey, one that came to an end as he and a few companions (all of who took him for an elven or half-elven individual) walked into the mists and woke up at the eastern gate to Barovia proper.

Thus started their long adventure. The mists guided them to a small settlement- one which was falling apart at the seams, named Barovia Minor. By a trick of magic they were forced into a building known popularly by the few locals as the Death House, but by a stroke of luck they met a peculiar fighter with a lance known as Marie. Delving deeper into the basement, Angelo became quickly enamored with her abilities- impressed by her prowess in battle, and willing to use her as a pawn to get through this terrible realm. Together, the party uncovered the secrets of the Death House- of the cult that practiced there, and of the mound of vengeful spirits that still lusted to kill. Marie and Angelo destroyed their sacrificial altar together, and while on death's door made their escape from the monstrous house and into Barovia Minor, where the mists had disappeared. Left in their wake, a gift basket from Strahd, welcoming them properly into his domain.

The group met Ismark Kolyana, dubbed Ismark the Lesser for his inability to lead Barovia Minor, and became quick friends with him and his sister, Ireena. They told stories of the Count Strahd, and entreated the party help them bury their death father. Willing to help, the group carried the casket to the church where they met Father Donovich and his Vampire spawn son, Doru. Having had experiences with spawn before, Angelo offered to investigate the spawn and see if there was anything he could do to help, but to no avail. Donovich sought to keep praying instead of leaving his son to save himself, and after harsh words from Angelo; took his own life.

That night in the Kolyana manor, they were visited by the Vampire himself. Angelo stayed up for a midnight watch when a knock at the door alerted him someone wanted in. He greeted the stranger, exchanged a few words, and exposed Strahd as a Vampire- before allowing him to compulse him as his father had done before. Running through the house, he woke up everyone and told them- the count was here. At risk of exposing himself as a Dhampir, he shared what knowledge he knew of dealing with their kind to the party. The fight lasted through the night, with Strahd employing underhanded tactics to bait someone to come outside, and at one point- to let him in. Marie fell to Strahd's compulsing gaze, and before she could make her way to the door to let him in, Angelo landed a killing blow on her, knocking her unconscious. As the fight ended and the group fended off Strahd, he revived her and expressed remorse for having cut her down in fear. Marie harbored no ill will, and was understanding even that he should stop her to keep the Count out and away from the item of his fixation- Ireena. Even so... Angelo sought to repay a debt to her, and played the role of her guardian from there on out.

The party made their way out of Barovia Minor on Ismark's behalf, taking with them Ireena to find her a safe place to lodge at the church in Vallaki, one of the last remaining cities of Barovia.

Upon arriving at the city, they were let in without trouble and made their way to the church, where they learned of a plot which had undermined the holy grounds. Entrusting Angelo as a good Paladin, the priest told the party that the Saint's bones which hollowed the grounds had been taken from their resting place. They investigated, finding that one of the grave diggers had taken them on behalf of someone else in exchange for money, and so they sought out the coffin maker, Henrick. They persuaded the man to repent for his digression, and retrieved the bones from his attic where a nest of Vampire spawn lay in wait for the time to strike the church. With Henrick in tow, they returned to the church and rehollowed the grounds; giving Ireena a safe place to stay.

While in Vallaki, they stayed in the Blue Water Inn, run by the Martikov family, and were asked as hardened adventurers to go check their family's winery, as a shipment of wine had failed to come in and they were running low. The party agreed and made their way west to the winery. Upon arrival, they were descended upon by ravens, who led them off the trail and into the forest to see the Martikov's extended family had been forced from their home by a group of evil aligned druids from the south. Willing to help, the party entered the winery and slew the druids with the help of a misunderstood new companion.

With the winery safe, the party escorted a shipment of wine back to Vallaki and claimed their reward from the Blue Water Inn- the Holy Symbol of ravenkind, a tool which could stun Vampires for short periods of time. With that on Angelo's belt, they said good bye to Vallaki and returned to Barovia Minor to tell Ismark that his sister was safe for now.

Upon arrival, the party caught Ismark on his way out to help the townspeople with their day to day chores and decided to follow him and assist, separating only when Ismark was giving a dinner meal to an elderly woman of the town. He behaved strangely upon returning- asking strange questions about Ireena and where she was located again, the party shrugged it off and returned to the manor. Just before the door, Ismark asked Angelo for a word in private, something that Marie hooted about since Angelo had shown some fondness for the man, but the celebration was ironic indeed. As the party left and Ismark and Angelo were left outside alone, Ismark spoke with the voice of Strahd- compulsing Angelo with ease due to his past trauma, and bid he left the Count inside- and bite one of his companions. Angelo, with no other choice, obliged, and let Strahd into the home; lunging shortly for Marie's neck and biting her.

Angelo's secret was revealed for the party to see- he was Vampiric, much like Strahd, and they threatened him just the same as Strahd as he revealed himself. Another fight ensued- and after toying with the party for a while, Strahd decided he'd had his fill and sowed enough. Marie chased him down, locked toe to toe with her lance and his fangs before Angelo plead she give it up, and he would take her aside and explain to her just what had happened. Once Strahd was gone, they searched frantically for Ismark- and found him withered and near death's door in the elderly woman's home. They healed him, explained what happened, and set out the next day back to Vallaki.

Upon returning to the church to check on Ireena, they found she had disappeared- and had been captured by the deranged town guard who thought she was his sister. The party snuck into the Baron's home, fought the captain, and got Ireena back- for better or worse, and sought to move her to another part of Barovia since while she was safe from Strahd here, she would not be safe from the guard.

Thus... They journeyed to the final town of Barovia, Krezek. The walled city sought payment to get in, which was paid in the form of wine from the wizard's of the winery. They investigated the abbey, headed by a deranged Celestial Deva who wanted to make a bride for Strahd. It was deemed unsafe for Ireena to stay, so they left- but not before visiting the sacred pond near by, where Ireena saw a vision of Strahd's brother and tried to reunite herself with him.

The last safe place in Barovia was decided on- an abandoned tower, said to have once been lived in by a wizard, so the party went to investigate. While there they met a Vampire hunter by the name Rictavio, who had been masquerading as a bard to avoid Strahd's eyes. He decided to join the party in their quest to destroy the Count, but in the process they lost two other party members, leaving Marie and Angelo alone with the Vampire hunter. They set off from the tower to Argynvosholt- a stronghold which once boasted an order of knights who sought to protect Barovia.

Marie and Angelo looked there for the final key to defeat Strahd- a bladeless sword made of sunlight, which was in the hands of the undead general who wanted eternal suffering for Strahd. Unwilling to give up his blade, he clashed with the party and when his back was to the wall he pulled a hiltless sword from his belt... The sword flared to life, real sunlight burning Angelo's vision. Upon slaying the general, his weapons became their's and they left to return to the wizard's tower to heal up. Along the way they met a new party member, a wizard named Andoras. While reluctant, he joined their party and followed them off to a place known as the amber temple.

The temple proved to be an arduous journey- with Marie's mental state crumbling due to a curse on her family line. Her fears to travel to the temple, where she was told salvation lay, were aided by Angelo's harsh words. If this were to be her end of the line, he would let it come by his hands; not by the hands of the thing that cursed her.

Deep within the amber temple she was offered the gift of purity- and in taking it, a fight against the being that cursed her ensued. A fight against nightmares- her own, and the nightmares of the party. Prevailing over a being of shadows, Angelo pulled Marie into an embrace, celebrating the new life she could live without her curse whispering to her sweet nothings of death.

And finally... They were ready to defeat Strahd.

Ismark joined them as they made their preparations to siege his castle- and upon entering, they met another familiar face; a spy they had met in Vallaki, once an unremarkable individual, now boasted ties to Angelo. He spoke of Raisel, and of Vincent, and of ending Angelo to take the holy symbol and sword for himself, to slay Vincent with his own hands. He revealed himself as Luca- a Dhampir of Raisel, and one of Angelo's siblings.

A fight ensued, in which Angelo sought to fight his brother one on one- fighting him handedly even at the disadvantage of a sunlight spell. The death of Luca by his hands, while satisfying, was not soothing- he was only to assume that Vincent now knew of his trip to Barovia somehow, whether Luca had sent word by Vistani out of Barovia or had sent word before leaving for the mists beforehand.

The party pressed on, deep into the catacombs of Ravenloft, where they met Strahd face to face...

The battle that ensued was one worth the bard's songs- Each party member fighting to their fullest, for their lives; for the people of Barovia. Angelo was able to unload divine radiance onto Strahd, melting his physical form and returning to his coffin. The three party members made a run for the coffin- each seeking to stake him through the heart, and with a final plea of power... Count Strahd was defeated.

In the silence that ensued, while his party members celebrated, Angelo found no solace in having killed the Vampire, as now there was no chance for him to perish in Barovia and be freed of the burden he carried. Now, he had no excuse not to return to Raisel and face his father. With eyes red and bleeding from the exposure to the radiance that killed Strahd, he wept- and the party split ways, with Angelo and Marie returning to Raisel for their next adventure.