"Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child is full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child
Is loving and giving,
Saturday's child
Works hard for a living,
And the child that is born on the sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe,
And good and gay"

It is the 19th century and Scandinavia is changing. In the cities machines churn, technology rushes, a world of new ideas and endless revolutions.
But on the outskirts, in the country and the forests, the dirt roads and the shadows, the old ways remain. And they will not let themselves fade silently into the night.

So if your down to run around in a mystery sandbox that's a bit Robert Eggers, a bit Wicker Man, a bit Call of Cthulhu and a bit Brothers Grimm, then this is the game for you!

Content warning notes: violence, horror, and themes of domestic abuse. Safety tools will be in play.

Aaaawwooooooooo

Was that..? Shit, a wolf’s howl. You hear another, and another joins them. You shiver, drawing your cloak tight. Wolves don’t come this far down the mountain, especially not where there are campfires burning. You hope.

Thick fog rolls over your campsite. Thick enough to obscure your fire. You can’t even see your hand in front of your face!

Aaaaaawwwooooooooo

Closer this time. You stand, hand on your weapon, ready.

This is a modified version of Death House, the introductory adventure published alongside Curse of Strahd, a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons adventure modified for 5e 2024 rules.

This adventure is ideal for beginners! No Dungeons & Dragons knowledge required.

• Cooperative fantasy gothic-horror game, in the classic D&D Ravenloft setting
• No previous D&D knowledge required
• Balance between role-play and combat
• Pre-generated characters provided, and we’ll spend a little time personalising them
• Some dark themes: 16+ only, and using red/yellow card system for limits, triggers and no-go areas.

Welfare notes:
Death House is a Gothic Horror (fantasy) story and as such has many dark themes. Themes in this game include: violence (non-sexual), neglect, death, madness, the occult.
There will be no ‘on-screen’ or explicit sexual violence, racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia and the same will not be tolerated from players.
Please let me know any limits, triggers or no-go areas beforehand or as we play.

We will employ a Red Card/Yellow Card system *during* gameplay. To use a yellow or red card, just say “yellow/red card”. You do not need to explain why (though you can if you want).

• “Yellow Card” this is when the roleplay is approaching your limit. This could mean “I’m fine with what we’re talking about right now, but I don’t want it to go further”. It could mean “I’m only happy to proceed if we first discuss how far this scene is going to go”
• “Red Card” means “stop immediately” or “I am not comfortable” and the scene will be stopped of changed immediately. No explanation is required.

The ruins of a Mageintist factory.
The wounds from a theocratic war, ended fifty years ago.
A vale of safety surrounded by a forested mountain full of unknowable predators.
A group of six navigate the gap between nightmare and reality.

Loch Varn is from the Shadows of Esteren prologue manual, using the pre-generated characters.