Post by gavmeister on Oct 29, 2018 16:31:30 GMT
“Look for a den of wolves in the hills overlooking a mountain lake. The treasure belongs to Mother Night.” - Madam Eva
Ricken casts Remove Curse on Ezmerelda. She retreats to van Richten’s tower to heal.
Inside the cave, the adventurers find the den where Skennis and his wolfpack were disturbed by Theo’s Crawling Claw. Giselle explores a cavern holding a fresh underground spring, where she finds seven sets of neatly packed male clothing. They head deeper into the cave complex, crunching bone underfoot.
Giselle sneaks down to a large cave area. Nine children are being held prisoner in wooden cages, with rock-laden lids. Two maggot-ridden adult corpses are shackled to the walls. Zuleika Toranescu is praying to a wolf-headed wooden statue of Mother Night for the return of her husband, Emil. By the statue is a pile of coins, gemstones and jewellery, including:
• A platinum amulet shaped like a sun with a large crystal embedded in its centre – the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind!
• A gold cloak-pin inlaid with shards of jet, which Ricken recognises as his mother’s.
• An ivory drinking horn engraved with dancing dryads and satyr pipe players.
Zuleika tells Pankas that Emil and Kiril have fallen out. Kiril has been making captured children fight to the death, with the last child standing then being turned into a werewolf. The Toranescus were angry at the pointless killing of healthy children, who could all have increased the werewolf pack’s size and power. Emil saw this as proof that Kiril was too weak to lead a large pack. Arguments raged for months. Unfortunately, Stoyanovich enjoys Strahd’s favour and he handed Emil over to the Count with the aid of dozens of the vampire’s dire wolves.
Zuleika senses the adventurers are the answer to her prayers. She warns them that Strahd is invincible but asks them to at least free Emil from Castle Ravenloft. They agree, as long as she in turn agrees to protect the children and then free them after Kiril is defeated.
Zuleika also warns them that everything in the treasure pile belongs to Mother Night, and that anyone who takes even one copper piece will be cursed.
Ricken silences the children’s crying with Calm Emotions. Young Kellen shows Theo his wooden Blinsky doll, a zombie which looks remarkably like Ricken.
Theo filches the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, and trades it to Ricken in return for the cleric removing Mother Night’s curse.
Ricken takes his mother’s cloak-pin, and is cursed by Mother Night. Not to be outdone, Pankas agonises. In the end decides to take the drinking horn, and is cursed. Bran and Giselle decide the risk of incurring Mother Night’s wrath just isn’t worth it.
Ricken Calms the children down again before they leave.
Giselle heads through the curtain of tanned human skin which masks Kiril Stoyanovich’s cave. She finds a stepped tunnel leading up to the surface. The party step outside and find an ancient stone circle on the hillside. The ground is littered with spattered blood and children’s bones. Nearby are a set of child-size spears stained with dried blood.
At this point, Kiril Stoyanovich returns with the fugitive Wensencia, three other werewolves and nine wolves. Theo wears the pack down with a well-placed Shatter, taking out several wolves. He then retreats to the cavern entrance to Hex and Eldritch Blast the rest.
Ricken channels Radiance of Dawn, killing more wolves. He then casts Spirit Guardians to wear down the lycanthropes.
Bran leaps into action swinging his mighty sword. Unfortunately he stops guarding the door; three more werewolves emerge and attack Theo. Bran makes his sword Magic but is bitten and loses the spell. He falls back on Divine Smite.
Giselle and Pankas lay waste to Kiril and the remaining werewolves, aided by Ricken’s Burning Hands. Only Franz Grosa is able to escape.
Apart from Giselle, the adventurers have been bitten repeatedly. Theo shrugs off the curse of lycanthropy but Ricken, Bran and Pankas (again) are not so fortunate.
Having run out of divine grace following the casting of Spirit Guardians, Ricken can only spare one Remove Curse. Forced to choose between his bête noir, Pankas, and his theological rival, Bran, he eventually decides to save the paladin.
Muriel Vinshaw flies in and suggests they take the children to Krezk and safety. Zuleika has been true to her word and all nine children are released safely.
Ricken and Pankas find themselves unable to rest at night. They realise that Ricken’s curse has the effect of preventing the curse from being lifted. Eventually they realise that the curse is only effective at night. They sleep through the day, and Ricken gets his powers back at dusk.
Muriel would like a private word with Bran. Ricken discovers the mighty powers of the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.
A month later, little Kellen looks up at the full moon …and howls.