Post by gavmeister on Feb 17, 2019 17:28:19 GMT
Pankas flops onto the bed, realising he has delivered the pretty bunch of pink roses to the wrong girl. He takes a long rest in the maid’s room before dragging himself out of bed to look for the others.
Meanwhile Bran races after Helga. Turning the corner of the corridor he meets Rahadin coming down the stairs, angry that one of the domestic staff has been attacked. Bran hears the tortured sound of thousands of Rahadin’s victims as the chamberlain cuts at him with his scimitar. Bran lashes out with a Blinding Smite; Giselle catches up and stabs Rahadin; the elf escapes with a Misty Step, and the others catch up.
They head upstairs into the Hall of Heroes. They begin to question the ten statues of ancient Zarovich family members, but learn little except that they are on the ‘right track’. Half way down the row of statues, the castle’s Sword Wraith Commander materialises to interrogate the intruders. The conversation quickly becomes confrontational and a fight breaks out. The Commander summons four of his Sword Wraith guard, but Ricken brandishes the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and disperses most of them with Turn Undead. Two of the wraiths continue the fight but are disposed of easily.
Theo feels an invisible tap on the shoulder; Ezmeralda has followed them into the castle to help out while Pankas is sulking. She leads them down the corridor to the North Tower. They step out onto an open spiral staircase hugging the tower’s inner wall. Far above they see a reddish light flaring overhead, illuminating the tower interior with a dull, pulsing red glow. Climbing up the stairs they see it is a large crystal heart pulsating with red light: the Heart of Sorrow.
They race up the staircase but are assailed by magically animated halberds which fly off the tower wall and attack them. Then the tower itself awakens and the staircase begins to shake and pitch. Inevitably, Ricken loses his balance and falls from the staircase to the tower floor fifty foot below. Theo casts Fly on Bran, Ezmerelda and himself, whilst Giselle nimbly tumbles up the stairs.
Four vampire spawn enter the tower, clinging to the walls like spiders. Bran draws the Sunblade and counterattacks, burning the spawn with radiant sunlight until they retreat, cowering. Ezmerelda and Theo fly down down to ground level to rescue Ricken. Ezmerelda confuses the remaining animated halberds with multiple Mirror Images of herself; Theo grabs Ricken and flies back up to the upper staircase.
Strahd appears in person, transforming from bat form to his usual charming self. He corners Giselle, charms her and sinks his fangs into her neck, draining her blood.
Ricken incinerates the Heart of Sorrow with a pair of Fireballs, and Theo finishes it off with an Eldritch Blast. The Heart shatters, and a shower of crystal shards and drops of blood rains down on Ezmerelda, far below.
Bran flies over to help Giselle, who is close to unconsciousness. Strahd lashes out but Bran ripostes with a mighty Divine Smite. Strahd turns to mist and flees the scene. The tower stops shuddering and falls dark.
The adventurers climb to the top of the tower and into a dark and dreary room. Rusted manacles hang from the walls; a rotting bed lies in the centre of the room with worn leather restraints tied to the posts. An old chest bearing the Zarovich crest has been left here for safekeeping, protected by the guards around the Heart of Sorrow. Giselle breaks into it easily enough and retrieves a crystal studded gold crown from the chest, resting on a silk cushion.
They take a short rest, then climb up through a trapdoor onto the North Tower Rooftop. The thunderclouds above suddenly coalesce into Strahd’s terrible visage. The face utters a ghastly moan as hundreds of bats fly out of its maw to attack the party. Bran fights off the creatures while the others drop back down the trapdoor. When three giant vampire bats swoop down he decides to join the others, slamming the trapdoor shut behind him.
Halfway down the North Tower staircase they find a narrow open bridge leading to the South Tower. They nervously cross over, scanning the skies for bats. Unfortunately there is no entrance to the High Tower so they descent the South Tower Offstair. They miss out one floor, with Giselle sent off to scout ahead. She steps onto a landing and is immediately attacked by an animated Rug of Smothering. Ezmerelda tries to torch the carpet with Firebolts but is mysteriously Counterspelled each time she tries to cast. The Guardian Portrait of Strahd is to blame. It then casts Hypnotic Pattern to mesmerise Theo. Ricken shakes him back to his senses. The adventurers strike back; Theo Shatters the Portrait whilst Bran carves away at the Rug. Eventually the annoying furnishings are shredded and blasted into submission.
In front of the Portrait they find a trapdoor over a deep shaft, whose bottom lies far below. The nervous Ricken urges Bran to close it immediately.
Theo hears the sound of a glass breaking in the adjacent room. He cautiously opens the door and creeps inside with Giselle. The find a pale young man, Escher, who has just hurled a glass of red wine at a smaller, unenchanted, portrait of Strahd. The melancholy Escher fears that Strahd no longer has time for him and fears being discarded by the Count. He warns Theo that there are other guests in the floor above who he has heard discussing the warlock and his patron, Tenebrous. The wisps of smoke coming from Escher warn Bran of the young man’s nature and the paladin gate-crashes the conversation brandishing his sword. Escher leaps out of the window to land like a cat on the rooftops below and scuttles off. They search the lounge and guest bedroom but find little of interest.
Meanwhile Bran races after Helga. Turning the corner of the corridor he meets Rahadin coming down the stairs, angry that one of the domestic staff has been attacked. Bran hears the tortured sound of thousands of Rahadin’s victims as the chamberlain cuts at him with his scimitar. Bran lashes out with a Blinding Smite; Giselle catches up and stabs Rahadin; the elf escapes with a Misty Step, and the others catch up.
They head upstairs into the Hall of Heroes. They begin to question the ten statues of ancient Zarovich family members, but learn little except that they are on the ‘right track’. Half way down the row of statues, the castle’s Sword Wraith Commander materialises to interrogate the intruders. The conversation quickly becomes confrontational and a fight breaks out. The Commander summons four of his Sword Wraith guard, but Ricken brandishes the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and disperses most of them with Turn Undead. Two of the wraiths continue the fight but are disposed of easily.
Theo feels an invisible tap on the shoulder; Ezmeralda has followed them into the castle to help out while Pankas is sulking. She leads them down the corridor to the North Tower. They step out onto an open spiral staircase hugging the tower’s inner wall. Far above they see a reddish light flaring overhead, illuminating the tower interior with a dull, pulsing red glow. Climbing up the stairs they see it is a large crystal heart pulsating with red light: the Heart of Sorrow.
They race up the staircase but are assailed by magically animated halberds which fly off the tower wall and attack them. Then the tower itself awakens and the staircase begins to shake and pitch. Inevitably, Ricken loses his balance and falls from the staircase to the tower floor fifty foot below. Theo casts Fly on Bran, Ezmerelda and himself, whilst Giselle nimbly tumbles up the stairs.
Four vampire spawn enter the tower, clinging to the walls like spiders. Bran draws the Sunblade and counterattacks, burning the spawn with radiant sunlight until they retreat, cowering. Ezmerelda and Theo fly down down to ground level to rescue Ricken. Ezmerelda confuses the remaining animated halberds with multiple Mirror Images of herself; Theo grabs Ricken and flies back up to the upper staircase.
Strahd appears in person, transforming from bat form to his usual charming self. He corners Giselle, charms her and sinks his fangs into her neck, draining her blood.
Ricken incinerates the Heart of Sorrow with a pair of Fireballs, and Theo finishes it off with an Eldritch Blast. The Heart shatters, and a shower of crystal shards and drops of blood rains down on Ezmerelda, far below.
Bran flies over to help Giselle, who is close to unconsciousness. Strahd lashes out but Bran ripostes with a mighty Divine Smite. Strahd turns to mist and flees the scene. The tower stops shuddering and falls dark.
The adventurers climb to the top of the tower and into a dark and dreary room. Rusted manacles hang from the walls; a rotting bed lies in the centre of the room with worn leather restraints tied to the posts. An old chest bearing the Zarovich crest has been left here for safekeeping, protected by the guards around the Heart of Sorrow. Giselle breaks into it easily enough and retrieves a crystal studded gold crown from the chest, resting on a silk cushion.
They take a short rest, then climb up through a trapdoor onto the North Tower Rooftop. The thunderclouds above suddenly coalesce into Strahd’s terrible visage. The face utters a ghastly moan as hundreds of bats fly out of its maw to attack the party. Bran fights off the creatures while the others drop back down the trapdoor. When three giant vampire bats swoop down he decides to join the others, slamming the trapdoor shut behind him.
Halfway down the North Tower staircase they find a narrow open bridge leading to the South Tower. They nervously cross over, scanning the skies for bats. Unfortunately there is no entrance to the High Tower so they descent the South Tower Offstair. They miss out one floor, with Giselle sent off to scout ahead. She steps onto a landing and is immediately attacked by an animated Rug of Smothering. Ezmerelda tries to torch the carpet with Firebolts but is mysteriously Counterspelled each time she tries to cast. The Guardian Portrait of Strahd is to blame. It then casts Hypnotic Pattern to mesmerise Theo. Ricken shakes him back to his senses. The adventurers strike back; Theo Shatters the Portrait whilst Bran carves away at the Rug. Eventually the annoying furnishings are shredded and blasted into submission.
In front of the Portrait they find a trapdoor over a deep shaft, whose bottom lies far below. The nervous Ricken urges Bran to close it immediately.
Theo hears the sound of a glass breaking in the adjacent room. He cautiously opens the door and creeps inside with Giselle. The find a pale young man, Escher, who has just hurled a glass of red wine at a smaller, unenchanted, portrait of Strahd. The melancholy Escher fears that Strahd no longer has time for him and fears being discarded by the Count. He warns Theo that there are other guests in the floor above who he has heard discussing the warlock and his patron, Tenebrous. The wisps of smoke coming from Escher warn Bran of the young man’s nature and the paladin gate-crashes the conversation brandishing his sword. Escher leaps out of the window to land like a cat on the rooftops below and scuttles off. They search the lounge and guest bedroom but find little of interest.