Post by gavmeister on Jun 7, 2019 11:31:46 GMT
Behind a masked door the adventurers find a dusty, web-choked staircase of ancient worn stone that descends into darkness.
They descend, with Ricken bringing up the rear of the party. Pidlewick II dashes out of the shadows and trips the cleric up, and true to form pushes him down the stairs.
At the foot of the long staircase they emerge into a room with a magically flaming brazier at its centre, flanked by two imposing iron horsemen. Above the brazier is suspended an hourglass. They find five gemstones on the rim of the brazier, violet, orange, red, green, indigo and blue. A yellow stone is missing. An inscription reveals that a gem cast into the flame will open a portal to a tied location. The missing yellow gem would have taken them to Strahd’s tomb. They try the red gem (“if lore is what you seek”), which teleports Pankas, Ricken and Giselle back to the study on the castle’s upper floor.
While they wait for the others to return, Bran and Theo explore. They find a flooded torture chamber infested with zombies. Theo passes time by blasting a few of them with leisurely Eldritch Bolts.
The bold three return through the castle and end up back at the brazier room. They decide not to risk any more gem portals.
A shorter staircase leads up and out of the brazier room. Giselle scouts ahead into a foggy tunnel. Just in time, she spots a hidden trapdoor opening into a marble-clad slide. The others lower her down by rope and she emerges into a dark, partially-flooded dungeon. One cell is occupied by the missing werewolf rebel, Emil Toranescu. They rescue him and are reminded of their pact with his wife, Zuleika. They let him go, with Bran’s lawful regret.
At the end of the rock tunnel they emerge into the castle’s catacombs. The floor is thick with bat guano and they are frequently dive-bombed by the annoying creatures.
First they visit Sergei von Zarovich’s tomb. Bran loots Sergei’s shining armour and feels ever so slightly unlawful afterwards. There’s also a toy stick horse which looks a lot like Binky.
They venture out into the crypts:
• Ricken takes St Markovia’s thigh-bone from her tomb, sincerely intending to use it to kill Strahd
• Giselle finds Pidlwick’s tomb and is rewarded with a Deck of Illusions. Pankas finds a toy werewolf stuffed with little plush children in its buttoned belly.
• Theo finds the tomb of Khazan, the Castle’s architect-wizard, and is rewarded with a toy pinwheel in the shape of Old Bonegrinder
• They find an empty tomb set aside by Strahd for Ireena Kolyana
• Giselle finds a miniature portrait of her father in Sasha Ivliskova’s tomb
• A Phantom Warrior appears and offers to guard Giselle from her foes
• Theo enters the tomb of the banshee, Patrina Velikovna. She urges him to accompany her brother Kasimir to the Amber Temple in order to restore her
They explore the tomb of Strahd’s parents, King Barov von Zarovich and Queen Ravenovia van Roeyen.
They approach Strahd’s tomb but are intercepted by the wraith of General Krovak ‘Mad Dog’ Grislek and his three hell hounds. Bran makes short work of the wraith, but the hounds breathe torrents of fire over the rest of the party before being despatched. A wight creeps out of the shadows to join the battle but is confronted by Giselle’s Phantom Warrior. Three other wights slip back into the shadows.
The adventurers rest for an hour, keeping an eye out for the wights. Ricken neutralises a teleport trap with Dispel Magic and they enter Strahd’s tomb.
Before they can examine Strahd’s coffin they are attacked by Strahd’s vampire brides: Anastrasya Karelova, Ludmilla Vilisevic and Volenta Popofsky.
Bran’s Sunblade and Ricken’s Holy Symbol of Ravenkind do their stuff and Giselle remembers to use her magic arrows. Pankas keeps spearing things. Theo takes a last opportunity to turn into a Giant Ape and attack ineffectually.
Strahd emerges from his coffin and moves to attack Ricken. The vampire is silent and charmless, seemingly now a vessel for higher, darker powers.
Ricken summons his Spirit Guardians but Strahd ignores them and focuses all his attacks on the Morninglord’s champion. The others are distracted by the Brides, and realise the mortal threat to Ricken almost too late. The cleric falls unconscious and Strahd begins to throttle him. He readies one last blow but just as his arm is raised, Giselle slips her rapier between his ribs.
Strahd turns to mist and slips back into his coffin. To no avail, as the adventurers immediately stake him.
The Pillarstone of Ravenloft trembles with fury, shaking dust from the ceiling of the tomb. The shudders abate; the vampire’s face shows only relief. The dark orbs of his eyes wither and sink into his skull as his corpse deteriorates. In a matter of moments only bones, dust and noble garb remain.
Strahd von Zarovich, the dark lord of Barovia, is dead and gone.
