Insomniac Games, the game studio that made Marvel’s Spider-Man, finally announced on Twitter the release date for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The game is set to release on Friday, October 20th. I first played Marvel’s Spider-Man back in 2018. I recently visited New York City for the first time that summer, so playing through Marvel’s Spider-Man felt like I was reliving my trip. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is exclusively being released on the PS5, which I don’t have yet. I’m holding out for a Spider-Man PS5 bundle to be announced sometime soon. This is a game I have been looking forward to, so I wanted to share a little bit of what I’m most excited about.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is going to introduce Venom to the franchise. At the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man, Norman Osborn enters a laboratory where, in a test vial, Harry is wrapped in a black webbed substance, which is obviously the Symbiote. When I watched the end credits scene, I was pumped. How cool would it be to swing around New York City as a Symbiote?? Insomniacreleased gameplay of Venom, and it looks really cool.
If that wasn’t worth the hype, there are also going to be new villains for Spider-Man to go up against. There are some hints that Kraven the Hunter will make an appearance. Besides Kraven, I’d like to see Black Cat appear in the main story, as she was mostly seen through the DLC released after the first game. There is a part of me that wants to use some PTO during this time, so I can sit and play this game undisturbed.
I cannot wait for October. My goal is to play Marvel’s Spider-Man right before the sequel releases, so I will be fresh on all the Spider-Man lore.
I was strategic in picking out the books I planned on reading throughout the summer. I wanted something light-hearted, set in summer, and something that I could see myself reading outside in the backyard. One book I knew I wanted to read was Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Emily Henry’s books are immensely popular, and it seems like everyone raves about them. I recently finished Book Lovers a few days ago, and now I get the hype. Book Lovers is one of the best romance books I’ve read this year.
Nora Stephens has dedicated her life to her career as a literary agent. Nora has an awkward run-in with Charlie Lastra, an editor who trashed the book Nora was currently working on. Nora pushes Charlie aside and follows her sister Libby to Sunshine Falls, a small town that’s the setting of a book from one of Nora’s clients. Much to Nora’s surprise, she runs into Charlie, as he’s from Sunshine Falls originally. Nora and Charlie are forced to work together to edit a book, much to Nora’s chagrin. Nora starts to see Charlie in a new light, and Charlie realizes how much he has in common with Nora. Can they move past their preconceived notions of themselves and each other?
While Book Lovers is a book centered on Nora and Charlie’s relationship, this book is so much more than that. This book beautifully shows grief and the consequences of being swallowed up in it. It’s a book that shows the relationship between two sisters and how they each have their own struggles. I enjoy reading romance, not necessarily for the romance itself, but about the lives the characters have built for themselves and how those lives become intertwined.
Throughout the book, Nora is shown as a motherly figure toward Libby. Their mother died while they were young adults, and Nora steps in to guide Libby to ensure that she’s okay. By doing this, Nora pushes her own emotions down to the point that she becomes numb to them. I thought this was a realistic way to show grief because Nora finds herself drawn to her career to put aside her emotions. I liked how Nora grew throughout the book and did so without Charlie’s help.
I loved reading about Nora and Libby’s adventures throughout Sunshine Falls. They give each other makeovers, they try to save the local bookstore, and Libby sets Nora up on some pretty bad first dates. This book reads like a Hallmark romantic comedy, which is normally not for me, but Book Lovers was an exception.
Onto the romance, I loved Nora and Charlie together. They had this flirtatious banter that was so fun to read. This is one of those romances that’s a slow burn, but once they finally get together, it feels right. For me, I was rooting for Nora this whole time to have her happy ending, and I was so happy for her by the end of the book.
Book Lovers is an ode to the joys of a small town. Sunshine Falls serves as the best backdrop for the story. I kept picturing the mountains, a small downtown with a gazebo, and some land outside of the downtown area. The local bar, along with cracked sidewalks, leads to homes up the hill. The setting makes you want to go explore a small town for a weekend.
Book Lovers was the perfect book to start summer off with. I rated Book Lovers five stars on Goodreads.
Last month, I finally finished Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I started watching in 2021 and kept watching on & off throughout 2022 and 2023. No matter what your opinion is, I think it’s worth noting that Star Wars: The Clone Wars has shaped Star Wars lore since its release. Part of the reason it took me so long to finish the show is that certain arcs didn’t excite me all that much, so I felt it was difficult to keep myself on track. However, once I got through season #3, I felt the show took a turn in a direction that I was more interested in. I wanted to focus on some of my favorite story arcs within Clone Wars.
Obi-Wan aka “Ben” going undercover with Cad Bane – Season #4
In season #4, Obi-Wan fakes his death to go undercover to find out more about a plot to kidnap the Chancellor. As part of his undercover work, he’s forced to try out to make the team of assassins who go after Palpatine. Dooku puts the assassins through several challenges. I thought this was entertaining to watch since it was more action-based. Plus, I think it gives Obi-Wan a little grit since this isn’t something you would think Obi-Wan would do.
Mandalore – Rise & Fall – Seasons #2 – #7
For those who are fans of The Mandalorian, there is a lot of story that comes from The Clone Wars. This includes Bo-Katan’s character arc, why Bo-Katan wants the Darksaber, and Obi-Wan’s connection to Mandalore. I loved watching all of the episodes featuring Mandalore as I thought they were really interesting.
I thought seeing Maul coming into it and taking Mandalore was not what I expected. It was one of the few things within The Clone Wars that weren’t spoiled to me before watching. I have always been a Darth Maul fan, so the fact that he was brought back and served such a big role in the later seasons was so satisfying to watch.
Taking Back Onderon – Season #5
Onderon is the planet Saw Guerra is from, and this whole arc helps shape his character. Saw helps lead a resistance troop to take back the planet, as the Jedi have agreed not to help. Ahsoka is also key in this arc as well. The first time I saw Saw Guerra was in Rogue One, so it was cool to see Saw appear in other Star Wars content.
Ahsoka’s Whole Arc – Season #5 – #7
I will be honest, Ahsoka had to grow on me. I wasn’t originally a big fan of hers when I was watching the earlier seasons. With that being said, Ahsoka is now one of my favorite Star Wars characters. Ahsoka picks up a lot of Anakin’s discontent with the order. In season #5, Ahsoka is framed for a terrorist attack. The Jedi (except for Anakin) are so quick to believe Ahsoka is guilty, which is rather odd to me, considering all that she has done for them. She’s even been kicked out of the order while she is on trial. Anakin quickly figures out who is responsible and invites Ahsoka back, only for her to leave the order for good.
I was so happy that Ahsoka left the order. Why would she return when they clearly abandoned her when she needed them the most? I think this arc helps shape the flaws of the Jedi Order and demonstrates how the Jedi aren’t always the “good guys”.
Ahsoka meets Anakin again when Ahsoka and Bo-Katan return to Mandalore to dethrone Maul. Anakin is quick to greet Ahsoka, while Obi-Wan is a little cold towards her. It was disappointing to see that interaction, but if anything, it helps to confirm that Ahsoka made the right choice in leaving. Ahsoka and Maul have a lot of interesting dialogue because they both have one thing in common: they were both abandoned and treated disrespectfully.
Finally, the last few episodes show where Ahsoka was during Order 66. I love the way this was done. Ahsoka feels the change in The Force when Windu is killed by Sidious. She goes to Rex, and that’s when the clones turn on her. The whole scene when Ahsoka takes out her lightsabers, which were gifted to her by Anakin, and defends herself against all the blaster bolts, was awesome. Ahsoka ends up freeing Rex from the brainwashing, and they escape together. I found myself getting a little teary-eyed towards the end, seeing Ahsoka having to survive on her own. Ahsoka arguably has the best character arc in the whole show.
If you have ever struggled to watch Clone Wars like I have, there are several guides online that show the pivotal episodes to watch. I’m so glad that I watched the show, and now I feel like I need some Ahsoka merchandise in my life.
The running joke of my trip to Winnipeg was “What’s in Winnipeg?” My husband was kind of along for the ride. He has been to Canada before, specifically Toronto, but didn’t have an idea as to what could be in Winnipeg. Since Winnipeg is within driving distance of the Twin Cities, I figured it would be fun to go and check it out. As someone who has never been to Canada before, I wanted to be able to use my passport. For what it’s worth, I think Winnipeg was fun to visit, and I’d be open to going back again.
To get to Winnipeg from the Twin Cities, we had to drive to Fargo, go straight north through Grand Forks, and finally cross the border into Canada. Winnipeg is in Manitoba, which is the province directly above North Dakota. This was one of the most boring drives I have ever been on. I think I have burned my husband out from road trips. Oops. As we entered Canada, we were greeted with the Manitoba welcome sign, and I politely asked my husband to take a picture of me in front of the sign. I can now officially say that I have been to Canada.
One of the first things we did in Winnipeg was to check out The Forks. The Forks is an indoor market with several local shops and businesses. We found several coffee shops along with a breakfast cafe inside. While The Forks advertises itself as an indoor market, it’s so much bigger than that. There’s a riverfront and a small stage for live music. It was cool to walk around and see everything. Inside The Forks, there was a bookstore which made me happy. Of course, I bought a few books.
Another notable thing to do in Winnipeg is the Canadian Human Rights Museum. The Canadian Human Rights Museum is the blue building off to the left and a core staple of downtown Winnipeg. There are seven floors to the museum, including the tower that you can walk up to. This museum was gorgeous! There are glowing yellow stone ramps that lead to each section of the museum. Several sections included the Holocaust, missing Indigenous women, and a section on LGBTQIA+ rights. There were sections of the museum that were difficult to process. There was one story I read in the Holocaust section about a boxer named Johann Trollmann. He was forced to fight in a “German” style of boxing. In protest, he put flour on his skin and dyed his hair blonde. He was taken to a Concentration Camp where he was killed. Reading stories like this makes you realize how one small act of defiance can be so powerful. Several stories stuck with me, and I still think about them even weeks after visiting this museum.
In between various activities, my husband and I visited a few breweries, including Brazen Hall Kitchen & Brewery, Lake of the Woods, and Barn Hammer Brewery. Barn Hammer had live music when we were there, which was great to listen to. Lake of the Woods was right in the heart of downtown. Brazen Hall was a little more out of the way but had great food. I had a Juicy IPA that I liked.
The one other thing I wanted to mention was that we went to several board game stores and a board game cafe while we were there. Across the street from Barn Hammer Brewery was A Muse N Games. My husband commented that A Muse N Games was one of the nicest board game stores that he has ever been in. There were several shelves with board games, and all of the Dungeons & Dragons merchandise was located in the back. There were two people who came up to us asking if we were looking for anything specific. I ended up buying a new set of dice with seals in them, along with a card game. I would go back to Winnipeg solely to visit A Muse N Games again.
The board game cafe we went to was Across The Board. Across the Board was huge! There were a lot of tables and close to 100+ different games to play. There were a lot of menu options too, which I wasn’t expecting. It was the perfect place to have lunch and unwind while on vacation.
Once my husband and I drove home, I asked him what he thought about Winnipeg, and he said he had a lot of fun. I think Winnipeg is not the first choice when thinking about visiting Canada, but I do think there’s a lot worth seeing.
I’m excited to write this post. I was pretty ambitious with my Star Wars plan last month, and I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do. This includes having two weekends last month when I was out of town. I wanted to share what my goals were and where I ended up.
Books and Comics
I originally wanted to read three books: Master & Apprentice by Claudia Gray, Star Wars: Leia, the Princess of Alderaan, also by Claudia Gray, and Star Wars: Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson. I ended up only finishing Master & Apprentice. Master & Apprentice was really good! I liked how it added depth to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s working partnership. I liked the story, and there was a twist that felt fitting to some of the tonality of the book. I rated Master & Apprentice five stars on Goodreads.
For the other two books, I’m going to try to work them into my TBR throughout the year, which I think I will start doing from here on out. Normally, if I don’t finish a Star Wars book in May, I save it for next year, but instead, I think I want to still aim to read them by the end of the year.
Movies & TV
This is perhaps the most exciting part of this post, but I finally finished watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars!!!!! It has taken me two years to watch all seven seasons, which feels like a long time. I’m glad I took the time because seasons #4 – #7 are worth watching. They include finding Maul alive, Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order, and how the show builds into Order 66.
It’s fitting to watch Clone Wars now since Ahsoka is set to release on Disney+ in August. I’m still not over how Ahsoka saves Rex in the last few episodes of season #7. I’d love to see Rex appear in Ahsoka.
Since I spent my time watching Clone Wars, I didn’t rewatch the movies.
Gaming
Okay, so I didn’t finish Jedi: Fallen Order; however, I’m much farther in the game than I was when I played in 2020. I am enjoying Jedi: Fallen Order a lot more than when I played it the first time. I think part of it is mindset since 2020 was a whole thing. Another thought was that I had more of an expectation this time around. I wasn’t prepared for the difficulty when I played the first time, and now, I am prepared.
I’m planning on finishing Jedi: Fallen Order before the end of the year, and I do plan on moving on to Jedi: Survivor right away.
I’m thrilled with how everything turned out! As far as what’s next, I have my books lined up for this month that I want to read. I want to continue playing Jedi: Fallen Order, and finally, I think I want to watch Star Wars Rebels along with The Legend of Vox Machina.
When I was at Planet Comicon this year, I saw a Chainsaw cosplay, which was really cool looking. I had no idea where this was from. A friend pointed it out to me and said it was from a manga and anime series called Chainsaw Man. My interest was piqued, and I was able to find a copy of the first volume of Chainsaw Man. I’m not sure what I was expecting. Chainsaw Man is a gore-filled revenge story featuring the cutest chainsaw dog I have ever seen.
Chainsaw Man centers around Denji, who is trying to pay off his father’s debt. He partners with the Yakuza by working as a devil hunter. Denji finds friendship in Pochita, a devil dog with a chainsaw on the top of its head. Eventually, Denji is betrayed by the Yakuza and is saved by Pochita. Pochita lives within Denji, and when Denji becomes threatened, he can become the Chainsaw Man. Denji can’t keep his newly acquired abilities secret, which leads him to be recruited as a devil hunter for the government. As Denji gets more involved in professional devil hunting, he realizes that the people he’s working for may also have their own agenda in Denji’s life.
Let’s be real, Pochita is the cutest demon dog I have ever seen! I would continue reading this series for Pochita, and that’s it. Pochita is the demon that Denji befriends early on and becomes a major reason why Denji can turn into Chainsaw Man. Besides Pochita, I felt that the first volume was a lot of build-up. There isn’t a whole lot revealed about the other characters and their backstories. I’d be curious to read more about Makima, the woman who is leading Denji’s team. It seems like she’s up to something, and it’s difficult to interpret whether it’s good or bad. I will say that even though there’s a lot of story-building in the first volume, I read through it pretty quickly. Each chapter had its own adventure, which I found interesting.
I think the only thing that bothered me or got old fast was Denji’s obsession with boobs. This feels stereotypical of a manga series or character where there’s a male protagonist who is obsessed with women and their bodies. I don’t think this ruined the experience of reading Chainsaw Man, but it was constantly mentioned that Denji wanted to be with a woman. I’m curious if that will exist in future volumes or if Denji will mature and grow up.
With all of that being said, I liked Chainsaw Man a lot, and I would continue on in the series. I rated Chainsaw Man Vol #1 four stars on Goodreads.
I have been looking forward to Gotham Knights since the game was originally announced. I loved the idea of being able to play as members of the Bat Family, especially Batgirl. I was hoping for Gotham Knights to be Batman: Arkham Knight 2.0. I think many other gamers were thinking the same thing based on the comments I had been reading online. As of right now, Gotham Knights is rated 6/10 on Steam, and 73% of gamers liked the game. I can only speak for myself in saying that I enjoyed playing through Gotham Knights, but I don’t think the game is as good as I wanted it to be.
Gotham Knights has an incredible opening sequence featuring Batman fighting against Ra’s al Ghul. During the fight, Batman is mortally wounded. With no way out, he sets off the Batcave’s self-destruction sequence, trapping himself and Ra’s in the rubble. The Bat Family (Red Hood, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Robin) comes together to become the Gotham Knights with the intent of continuing what Batman started. While following up on one of Batman’s leads, they discover a scientist, Kirk Langstrom, has been murdered. This sets the Knights on a path of lies and treachery in uncovering the Court of Owls, an elite group operating in Gotham. If that wasn’t enough, Talia al Ghul and the League have also been making an appearance. Can the Knights prevent an all-out war that could leave Gotham in ruins?
I already know that this review is going to be biased. I loved playing as Batgirl. She was easily my favorite. If I weren’t playing as Batgirl, I would alternate between her and Nightwing. I did try to give the other heroes a chance, but Batgirl always remained supreme. I think being able to interchange between each of the Bat Family members helped, as each of their powers was better equipped for certain combat scenarios. I think one of my favorite powers to unlock later was Batgirl being able to pull up her own drones that would fire on enemies. It was very powerful, and I activated that ability a lot.
The combat in Gotham Knights didn’t feel as smooth as it was in Batman: Arkham Knight. There were times when the game would glitch during an intense fight scene, which was annoying. I would have to grapple away until the game would be better, and then try to start over in the fight. I feel that the characters in Gotham Knights could handle firepower better than Batman: Arkham Knight. There was more stealth in the Batman games, whereas in Gotham Knights, I could enter a combat scenario even if the enemies were carrying assault weapons. As someone who isn’t a stealthy type of gamer, this worked well for me.
I think the biggest gripe I would have about Gotham Knights is the leveling system. Forthe Bat Family to gain more equipment or powers, there was a need to level up in the game. This got old really quickly. There were times when certain missions, the Bat Family would have to be at a certain level. I would try to play through the level even if I was a little bit below the suggested level, and it made a difference. It was much more difficult and intense. I was playing through the game on medium, as I like the challenge without it being too much. The leveling system was grueling in my opinion, and I felt I had to do side quests to level up quicker when really I would have preferred to finish the main story first without interruption. I wish Gotham Knights weren’t made as an RPG and instead, a story that gets increasingly more difficult as the levels progress.
At this point, I haven’t actually finished the full campaign. I have the last bit with the Man-Bats attacking Gotham. I tried to get past them, and it was brutal. The Man-Bats are difficult, and there are three of them. Additionally, if the Bat Family uses all their health packs, they don’t get any more unless they go back to their hideout, which may reset the progress made, but I’m not 100% sure on that. It was enough that I needed to take a break from the game. I honestly may drop the difficulty mode to get past this section.
I had a fun time playing through Gotham Knights. It wasn’t the Batman: Arkham Knight sequel I was looking forward to, but I’m still glad it exists, and I enjoyed playing through the game.
Last Sunday was the Gen ConEvents schedule sign-up. Gen Con has hundreds of gaming and non-gaming events to choose from. To ensure that there aren’t too many players at one table, events need to be pre-registered in advance by acquiring event tickets. The Event sign-up process can be a little stressful as the sign-up opens at a particular time, and everyone is trying to acquire their tickets at once. While I thought I clicked the button fast enough, I was still the 1100th person in the queue. It took about an hour, but I was finally able to sign up for events. I wanted to share a preview of my schedule for Gen Conthis year.
Before I go into this further, I wanted to share what I’m doing differently for Gen Conthis year versus the first year I went. The first year I went to Gen Con, I signed up for so many things! While that seems fun, it was overwhelming. Instead, I only have two events per day, with Thursday being the day when I signed up for three. There will be plenty of time to roam around the convention, take pictures, and take breaks to eat. I’m feeling good about my event schedule.
Non-Gaming Events
While Gen Conis a gaming convention, there are events that aren’t gaming-related. On Thursday, I signed up for the “Decoding Downtown Indy Walking Tour”. Walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise, and while I have been to Indianapolis twice, I don’t know the city that well. I’m looking forward to the activity and getting to know Indianapolis more. The tour is an hour and a half, which I think will be a perfect way to start the convention.
Another event that I’m considering, but didn’t sign up for, is the 5k. On Friday morning, Gen Con hosts a 5k. One of the main reasons that’s holding me back is that I’m not a runner. I remember the feeling of being forced to run a mile in P.E. class and feeling humiliated that I couldn’t run the full mile. Running carries a lot of shame for me. If that’s the case, why am I considering the 5k? I think the 5k would feel like I’m reclaiming running and doing it because I enjoy it, not because I’m forced to. I’m still mulling this around, so I may sign up for it or I may not.
Gaming Events
I have five gaming-themed events on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In chronological order, I will start with Thursday. I have two demos for Thursday. The first game is called Beer and Bread. Beer and Bread is a two-player game with each player trying to compete to brew the best beer and the best bread. I thought this game sounded so wholesome. Besides Beer and Bread, I am signed up for a demo of Distilled. Distilled is a one-to-five-player game about creating a distillery, upgrading it, and making craft cocktails. I’m not sure why I chose alcohol-themed board games to demo on Thursday; the theme was not intentional.
On Friday, I only signed up for one event called “The Beach Dolls Affair – Trail of Cthulhu 1st Edition.” When I first started playing role-playing games, I was introduced to Call of Cthulhu and loved it. I have no idea what I’m in for, but I’m looking forward to it.
Saturday will easily be my longest day. I am going to be in straight role-playing games from 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM. The first three hours will be “Rise of the Separatists: Darkness Rising on Naboo!” which is using the Star Wars: Force and Destiny rules. It should be no surprise that I signed up for this. I’m a Star Wars prequel fan, as I grew up with the movies when they came out. I haven’t played Force and Destiny yet, so I’m curious how this will be. After Star Wars, I signed up for “Survive – Vampire the Masquerade, 5th Edition,” which is a story built around Vampire: The Masquerade. It’s fitting because the first time I played Vampire: The Masquerade was at Gen Con, so it will feel a little nostalgic to play a five-hour session on Saturday night.
On Sunday, I’m signed up for one event, and that’s “Unlife as an Anarch – Vampire the Masquerade, 5th Edition” at 10:00 AM.
Now that the event registration has happened, it’s becoming more real that I’m going to Gen Con. I can’t wait for August!
I picked up Suicide Squad Bad Blood at Free Comic Book Daythis year.I think I may have mentioned this before, but I tend to pick up more DC Comics as trade paperbacks, and I read Marvelsingle issues. I have a soft spot for the Suicide Squadas I find their missions to be over the top and chaotic. I found Suicide Squad: Bad Blood on a shelf and purchased it without knowing much about the story. I’m so glad that I did; Suicide Squad: Bad Blood was such a fun read.
The Suicide Squad is sent on a seemingly ordinary mission. They’re tasked with stopping a group of super-powered individuals from destroying warships. This group is revealed to be The Revolutionaries, a group of people who feel that their actions are in good faith in saving the world. The Revolutionaries are much more potent than The Suicide Squad predicted. The Revolutionaries and The Suicide Squad become one team after Amanda Waller steps down as their leader. Instead, The Suicide Squad is introduced to Lok, who is much more sadistic. Will The Suicide Squad and The Revolutionaries learn to work together?
I loved the story. I think it’s easy to introduce all of these characters and have them fade away into the background. Instead, I felt that the members of The Revolutionaries each got their own back story as to how they got their powers and how they joined the group. Osita was one of my favorite characters to follow along with. Besides The Revolutionaries, Harley Quinn and Deadshot have their moments to shine. Deadshot, in particular, has a really strong character arc, especially with the relationship he has with his daughter.
The art coincided with the story. The alternative covers throughout each issue were cool to look at. There was a realistic cover image featuring Osita, along with a creepy, smiley Harley Quinn, towards the end of the book. There’s a particularly violent encounter that is depicted towards the beginning of the story, and I feel the art helps to illustrate that scene.
I was pleasantly surprised by Suicide Squad: Bad Blood. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, as there were certain Suicide Squad comic series that I read a few years ago that I wasn’t a fan of. Suicide Squad: Bad Blood was entertaining, and I’m curious to read more of Tom Taylor’s work in comics.
My Dungeons & Dragons character art. Art belongs to me, but was commissioned by Badwolf Adventure Studios
I have talked about the Curse of Strahd campaign on my blog before. I have been playing in this campaign since January 2022, so for almost a year and a half. Our group changed from meeting every other Thursday to every Thursday to help speed up progress through Curse of Strahd. While this campaign has been ongoing for a while, I still enjoy playing as my character, especially since she’s been unlocking blood curses. The pinnacle of Curse of Strahd is when the players finally accept Strahd’s dinner invitation. Our group has been avoiding Strahd for a while, but after finding out some lore for another side quest we were working on, we realized we had no choice but to accept Strahd’s invitation to dinner at Castle Ravenloft.
**Slight Spoilers for Curse of Strahd**
Our group accepted Strahd’s invitation to dinner and was greeted by Strahd’s guard or assistant, Rahadin. As a side note, Rahadin is a pretty evil character, and I’m hoping our group has a chance to encounter him and bring him to his demise. Anyway, Rahadin led us to dinner, where Strahd gave his imposing villain speech. Suddenly, our group was locked in, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Of course, Strahd locks us in his castle, so we can fight for our lives and entertain him. The only good thing about this was that the artifact we were looking for was in Castle Ravenloft. Before entering the castle, our group kept throwing out ideas on how to steal this artifact, and now that Strahd is locking us away allows us to do that.
Castle Ravenloft is essentially an adult version of a Scooby-Doo mystery. I faintly remember several Scooby Doo old cartoon episodes where the gang would discover hidden pathways in the mansions they were exploring. One of the first traps was when we went to the prison cells, and this pressure plate was activated. Our group was then thrown up toward the upper floors of the castle. I tried to climb out of the box we were in and saw concrete. Thankfully, I was able to head back down; otherwise, I would have taken eight d10 of bludgeoning damage. Major yikes.
Will our group make it out of Castle Ravenloft? I genuinely don’t know. The fight against Strahd could get ugly, and while I already mentioned fighting Rahadin, he will probably be an intense fight. The one thing I will say is that I’m grateful that my character has made it this far because, honestly, there were several close calls. No matter what happens, I will be happy with the outcome.
Bizarre Brunette 