05/03/2024 & 12/03/2024 & 19/03/2024
1st Day of Palesun1492 (Night of the full moon)
Mission: Kill Strahd von Zarovich. (After dinner of course, one must observe etiquette).
Campaign: Tales from the Bard
Location(s): Barovia, van Richten's Tower, Castle Ravenloft.
Present: Bernadette Greycastle, Dramos Ethrane, Niall Tharivol, Ragul-Nur, Roscoe Tosscoble, Moonwhisper, Bomber Longbeard. Ezmerelda, Rictovio, Father Danovich & Kasimir Velikov)
Taking stock the group formed a loose defensive posture and exited the dining room into the corridor outside. There they found the body of Father Danovich's son. The crash they had heard was the tray, plates and other things that he had left the room with. His body had been torn to shreds by the combined attack of the werewolf Lord and his pack.
They decided not to go up the stairs but opened the double doors to their right. A long , dusty corridor lay before them. Amongst the vaulted ceiling were spiders webs and dust lay on the floor. At regular intervals down each side stood rows of Statues. The statues depicted knights in full armour. As they progressed it seemed as though the eyes of the statues followed them.
They exited the far end into a voluminous room. A chapel. Across from them on a raised dais stood an alter. Kneeling at the alter with both arms outstretched was a cloaked figure. Moonwhisper moved to the left with Ragul as Bernadette examined the figure closely. The cloak was ornate and expensive. She touched the shoulder of the figure, prepared to leap back in an instant. Gentle though the touch was it was enough to make the figure collapse backward. The cloak and armour of the figure were all that held the skeletal remains together.
Dim coloured light filtered through tall windows some were boarded. The domed ceiling was some 90ft above them. Immediately above the double doors they could make out a balcony of sorts some 50ft above them overlooking the alter.
Bernadette: "Hey, this body has a wicked looking mace and a richly woven cloak. Anyone want it?"
The opinion was to leave it where it lay and Moonwhisper and Ragul offered prayers for the fallen warrior, whomever is was.
The main floor of the chapel was strewn with broken, wooden pews. They group then cautiously climbed up the stairs that led them to the balcony. In the centre of the balcony were two ornate chairs. Kasimir moved to the left as the others spread out along the balcony.
There was a sickening sound, like a cabbage being twisted in two, then a bumping noise and as they looked Kasimir's head rolled along the floor and stopped at Ragul's feet. There at the north end of the balcony Kasimir's headless corpse stood, blood spurting out of his neck. Hanging down from above they could make out a female, humanoid figure busy licking her fingers of blood and slurping at the fountain of blood spewing out of Kasimir's neck. The body simply toppled sideways and fell to the chapel floor below.
There was nothing they could do as the female laughed, winked and was gone before they could react.
Niall: "We push on and kill the bitch when we find her!"
Ragul pushed the double doors open slightly.
Ragul: "It looks like a long corridor like the one below but no statues. I'm assuming there are doors at then end but I can't see".
Bernadette pushed forward down the left wall but stopped after 10ft. A low ululating moan could be heard along the length of the corridor rising and falling in strength.
Bernadette: "There's a secret door to my left, right here".
Bernadette pointed out where it was. Ragul stood beside her as Moonwhisper and Niall proceeded down the corridor and Moonwhisper confirmed there where indeed double doors at the far end. Bomber and Roscoe covered back the way they had come as Dramos, Danovich (now with a lighted torch) stood just passed Bernadette and Ragul.
Bernadette carefully opened the secret door.
Bernadette: "Looks like some kind of mechanism, pulleys and stuff, smells of oil and grease".
Ragul moved into the room on the other side.
Ragul: "There's a drop on the far side, looks like a shaft that goes up and down. I'm going to use a couple of arrow heads to disable the mechanism, could be a lift of some sort. Don't want anything nasty using it."
Moonwhisper had pushed on to the far doors and was preparing to open them as Bernadette and Niall closed in to support. Bomber and Roscoe kept to the rear. However they were both distracted by what was going on to their front.
From the direction of the balcony a wave of foul smelling creatures with decaying flesh and glazed over eyes were moving towards them in silence. Danovich's torch gave out a dim light past the brilliant light closer to himself.
No sooner had the group started to realign to this threat from their rear when unseen, vampire spawn dropped from the ceiling amongst them. They had used their ability to scuttle along walls and ceilings to great effect. The surprise was complete.
Ragul: "The Sun Sword, use the Sun Sword". He shouted out.
Danovich dropped his torch as he was felled to the floor. Moonwhisper rushed in brandishing the sun sword aloft as Ragul used the amulet of Ravenkind to paralyze some of the creatures. The zombies were dangerous foes although they succumbed to blows easily they were able to attack multiple times, causing injury and distress amongst the group. The vampire spawn were more deadly. Ragul managed to successfully paralyze some of them, twice by using the Holy symbol of Ravenkind to great effect as Moonwhisper's sun sword wracked havoc and damage on all it's circle of light came into contact with.
Danovich had crawled off to a side wall hoping to keep out of danger when he suddenly realised a creature of deadly evil was beside him. The very same creature that had killed Kasimir. He was petrified as it plunged its fingers into his chest and feasted on his blood. Danovich fell dead to the floor. The vampire now turned its attention to Bernadette.
Moonwhisper advanced up the corridor as Roscoe went down mortally wounded. Ragul cast healing prayers and Moonwhisper lay on hands taking damage as he did so to save his friend. Roscoe managed to grab some of his healing potions and poured them down his throat averting certain death. The vampire and 2 spawn moved out of the effect of Moonwhisper's sword as Roscoe grabbed 5 vials of holy water and smashed them into the face of the vampire spawn that stood over him.
Dramos cast a fire spell catching the vampire spawn and the vampire,
Moonwhisper moved closer to the action, Dramos, Roscoe and Bernadette formed a line but Bomber was unaware that he was just outside the daylight part of Moonwhisper's protective circle of light. Bomber launched his hand axe at the vampire spawn. A good hit only enraged the spawn.
The Vampire spawn hurled herself down the corridor at Bomber. Ragul cast spiritual weapon and was rewarded by a Dwarven hammer appearing. Niall, Moonwhisper and the spiritual hammer, along with the effects of the Sun Swords protective daylight magic was too much for the vampire who dissolved into dust at their feet. The vampire spawn that had taken the opportunity to attack both Niall and Moonwhisper succumbed soon after. Bomber took some severe blows before the combined attacks of Bomber, Bernadette, Roscoe and Dramos finished the last vampire spawn.
Bomber went to retrieve his hand axe as the others looked around and back towards the second set of double doors. Bomber heard a click, a whirring sound and looked up to see Strahd flying over his head arms outstretched towards the group.
Bomber: "It's Strahd.......he's here....look out!"
Strahd swooped lower just over the heads of the group. Bernadette was the first to react charging towards Strahd she lashed with her rapier from his chin to his groin, her rapier bit deep. Niall felled Strahd with two blows of his sort sword and Moonwhisper pummelled the prone body of Strahd with his sword causing immense damage to...........a...mannikin!
Moonwhisper: "Bloody hell, thought we had the B'strd. Now it's only an effing dummy!"
Bernadette with Moonwhisper and Niall in support approached the double doors. She opened them. The light from Moonwhispers' sword gave off a dim light that extended beyond the bright sunlight and she was able to make out what appeared to be two hovering skeletal figures in rusty armour and tattered clothes. Taking a defensive stance she relaxed when they didn't attack.
Bernadette: "More bloody mannikins! Is that all you've got left Strahd, tricks and dummy's?"
Bernadette opened another set of double doors.
She stepped into a huge room. two sets of stairs led downward in the north wall. A large arched widow with cast iron frame stood high in the west wall. The glass smashed and shards lay on the floor. At the southern end of this large room was a throne like chair. It stood on a raised dais but it didn't face into the room it faced the southern wall.
Bernadette checked the single door on the east wall and heard a rhythmic scratching noise that stopped and started. She tentatively opened the door. Inside was a dusty room. Along the north wall bookcases overladed with scrolls and tomes. A desk stood in front of the bookcase and sat at the desk a human figure, completely ignoring them, scratching away at a parchment with a quill. More surprising Bernadette could see the figure was chained to the desk. Dramos and Roscoe checked the bookcase, Bernadette checked the door in the east wall, Bomber watched the large room they had just vacated. He was aware that they had been attacked from behind once before and was making sure it didn't happen a second time. He was taking no chances. Niall stood watch over the proceedings. Roscoe and Moonwhisper tried to converse with the 'man'. He grunted, he didn't look up. When asked if he would like the chains removed the man became more receptive.
Man: "What good will that do, my master will only punish me".
Moonwhisper: "He can't do that when he's dead, we are here to kill him".
Man: "Pah. Empty words. Plenty more have stood there and like you made that promise and paid the price, pah."
The man bent his head and continued scratching with his quill.
Moonwhisper: "Well this time we shall, but we tire looking in every room for your master, so tell me, where is he hiding?"
The man did not look up as he answered.
Man: "He isn't hiding. He knows where you are, he plays with you as a cat does with a mouse. When he is ready he will pounce. Now go I have work to do."
Moonwhisper: "Perhaps you are right, speed us on our way, tell us where we can find your...Master. Or better still draw us a map so we can find him all the quicker."
The man laughed but he drew a map with his finger in the dust on the desk top..
Man: "Go through that door the woman is listening at, up the stairs, he will either be in his bed chamber, his dinning room or the treasury. Now take this and go, but if you do manage to......kill......my master, remember to come back and free poor old Lief Lipseige....wont you."
He turned back to his scratching as Ragul copied the map drawn in the dust on the desk top by Lief.
Bernadette had heard nothing on the other side of the door.
Bernadette: "He's right, there are steps leading up and down".
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