Durst Manor (Pt 2)
We start today with the team standing in the attic, Rose and Thorn gone, staring down at the skeletal remains on the floor. They decide to begin searching the remaining rooms of the attic before heading down to the basement.
As they begin their search, they hear a bone chilling scream coming from the third floor. Rushing down the stairs, they find a male elf in what appears to be a storage closet, being attacked by an animated broom that swings wildly, delivering blows to his head. The heroes jump into the fray and battle with the broom. Thixian delivers the final blow, shouting out an insult with Vicious Mockery, the broom exploding in a fury of straw and wooden splinters that rain down upon the elf.
The elf now finds himself surrounded by a motley crew of individuals as he catches his breath. He introduces himself as Kodiac the Killer who found himself in this strange land after being surrounded by a strange mist. Upon waking up and traveling down the trail, he caught sight of the other four as they traveled some distance ahead of him. Hoping to catch up with them, he followed them into the death house, leading up to the encounter with the broom. The four invite him to adventure with them and he agrees. Thixian helps to catch Kodiac up on what they have learned about the Durst house thus far.
The new party of 5 returns to the attic. Seeing the remains on the floor, Kodiac decides to search them to see if there's anything of value. As he does, Rose and Thorn once again appear before them, telling Kodiac not to touch their stuff. While the rest of the party are by this point very familiar with Rose and Thorn, Kodiac is unfamiliar with them as they were not outside when he entered the manor. The children are unsure about the newcomer to the party, stating they do not know him but ask if he will be helping the others to put them at rest and deal with the monster in the basement. Kodiac asks in regards to the doll that Thorn holds. Thorn approaches him, allowing him to look more closely at the doll. Thorn then reaches for Kodiac's hand. When Kodiac pulls his hand away, much like when Velcar pulled away, Thorn tries to posses Kodiac. Barely missing possession, Kodiac feels the feeling of cold pass thru him and Thorn appears on the opposite side of him. Thorn stomps his foot, obviously upset about the failure of this second attempt, and both Rose and Thorn again disappear, leaving the party alone in the room.
Moving on to the next room of the attic, the party finds a storage room filled with sheet covered furniture. They find a large trunk in the room. Hoping to find treasure, they instead find more skeletal remains, this time of an adult female dressed in the garb of a nursemaid, evidence of markings on the bone indicate that the woman was stabbed multiple times. The specter of the nursemaid that the party encountered on the third floor reappears before the party. She speaks with the party, asking them to find her son, Walter, and release his soul. When asked if Walter was alive, she answers cryptically that Walter is most certainly dead, but he's alive in a way. Thixian makes a vow on his noble blood that they will do everything they can to save Walter. She sadly nods at the party and disappears.
Finding nothing more of interest in the attic, they begin to head down to the basement. Using the secret passage found thru the doll house, they begin down a narrow spiral staircase choked with cobwebs. The wooden steps creak under their weight. No light can be seen as they proceed lower into it's depths. HALO lights a torch and they find themselves into an area carved out of earth and rock with timber braces on the ceilings. The sounds of chanting can be heard, echoing from the distance but sounds only as gibberish.
Cautiously making their way thru the sublevel, they enter the family crypt consisting of six chambers. Two of the sealed chambers have slabs that read "Rosavalda Durst Durst" and "Thornboldt Durst". The party opts to unseal these crypts to see what is behind the slab, using HALO's strength to do so. They find only empty coffins atop stone biers in both. Velcar and Kodiac decide to return to the attic to retrieve the remains of both children to lay to rest. Kodiac tells Velcar that he will collect Rose's remains as he has taken offense to Thorn trying to possess him. With the bones laid in the coffins, Rose and Thorn appear before the party and the party is given inspiration as a reward for their deed before the children disappear for good.
Inspection of the other chambers of the crypt shows slabs that read Elizabeth Durst, Gustav Durst, and Walter Durst. Elizabeth and Gustav's crypts are sealed while Walter's slab does not cover the door to the chamber. The sixth crypt, unsealed, has a slab without a name. The party decides to leave these crypts alone, finding no reason to unseal them, and continue down their way.
They come to a room with a 4 foot wide well that descends down about 30 feet, ending in a water filled cistern, a bucket hanging from crossbeams above. Five side rooms containing wood-framed beds and wooden chests secured with rusty padlocks branch off from the well room. The party spends a good amount of time breaking into the chests, finding a pouch made of human skin containing gold and silver, a folded piece of black cloth containing three moss agates, a black leather eyepatch with a carnelian sewn onto it, an ivory hairbrush with silver bristles, and the fifth chest contains a silvered longsword. This sword is given to HALO.
Entering a shrine, the group finds moldy skeletons that hang from rusty shackles against the walls and a painted wooden statue carved in the likeness of a gaunt, pale-faced man wearing a voluminous black cloak, his pale left hand resting on the head of a wolf that stands next to him. In his right hand, he holds a smoky-gray crystal orb.
Kodiac gets the idea to swap out the moss agates for the orb, but as his hand touches the crystal, five shadows form around the statue and attack them. A long battle ensues, with Velcar, Anet, Thixian, Kodiac and Ava the owlbear who destroyed two shadows, each delivering final blows. As each one is defeated, they dissipate and disappear in a cloud of black smoke. Kodiac and Thixian both suffer wounds from the battle. HALO also takes a hit, but suffers only a minor injury. Kodiac retrieves his moss agates and as well as takes the crystal orb. They also find a few healing potions hidden in a recess behind the statue as well as a secret door. Thixian cautiously opens the door and finds a trap door in the ceiling. Poking her head thru the trap door, she finds three stuffed wolves looking back at her, as the door opens to the hunter's den on the first floor.
Back in action and all together, the party finds a set of stairs leading down to a lower level of the basement. The chanting they have heard throughout the basement becomes louder, filling the room. The find themselves in a reliquary used by the cult leaders in the past. Several useless "relics" line niches in the wall. The heroes inspect these items, finding useless junk including a small, mummified, yellow hand with sharp claws on a loop of rope, a dagger with a rat’s skull set into the pommel, an aspergillum carved from bone, a bag of bat guano, and a ghoul skin cloak. They decide none of these items are worth keeping, with Thixian declaring it's a "whole lot of nastiness".
They head down the tunnel to the north, coming to a rusty portcullis blocking their way. HALO manages to lift the metal gate, allowing the party to enter a ritual chamber. The chanting stops as they enter forty-foot-square room, wading thru 2 foot of green, murky water. Featureless stone pillars support the ceiling, and a breach in the west wall leads to a dark cave heaped with refuse. Stairs lead up to dry stone ledges that hug the walls. In the middle of the room, more stairs rise to form an octagonal dais that also rises above the water. Rusty chains with shackles dangle from the ceiling directly above a stone altar mounted on the dais. The altar is carved with hideous depictions of grasping ghouls and is stained with dry blood.
Thixian approaches the alter, finding a bundle of white cloth that appears to be large enough to hold a swaddled infant. Holding his breath, he unwraps the swaddling, only to find a rusty dagger stained with blood. However, chanting rises once more as thirteen dark apparitions appear on the ledges overlooking the room. Each one resembles a black-robed figure holding a torch, but the torch’s fire is black and seems to draw light into it. Their faces are only dark voids. Over and over, they chant "One must die!"
Thixian begins to deduce that in order to leave the chamber, a sacrifice must be made upon the alter.
Kodiac recommends sacrificing one of the animal companions, either Wraith, Grimm, or Ava . The rest of the party disagrees, decrying that they will not kill any of the pets and that there must be a way to escape without having to kill anything. Velcar inspects the room in hopes of finding a rat or bug to kill on the alter, but nothing can be found. Kodiac again suggests killing one of the pets as their lives aren't as valuable as the heroes, which again, the party disagrees with. Thixian mentions they could sacrifice Lancelot, the dog found in the music room, but Velcar vetoes the idea, saying they could fight their way out without sacrificing anything. Kodiac says "But they are saying we must make a sacrifice" which Velcar retorts "We don't have to do anything they say, let's just fight". Thixian makes the observation that there's nothing in the room that will stop them from just leaving the way they came" but Kodiac points out the 13 hooded spectors surrounding the room. Velcar again states they will not sacrifice anything, which Anet seconds.
Thixian takes aim with his crossbow and sends a bolt thru one of the figures but it only passes thru the figure, the bolt clattering against the wall. The chanting changes - instead of "One must die!", the hooded figures begin to chant “The end comes! Death, be praised!” The pile of refuse in the darkened cave in the back of the chamber begins to rise and inside what appears to be a bone protected heart, is the crying form of an animated infant corpse, assumed to be Walter.
The party, trapped in the room with the newly formed flesh mound, goes on attack. Velcar, Kodiac, Halo and Thixian begin to attack the fleshy body but the mound slams into Thixian, knocking him down, reducing his health to below half. Thixian performs Vicious Mockery on the mound, whittling away some of it's health. He also gives Kodiac Bard's Inspiration.
Anet pulls out his long bow and takes aim at the core of the mound, breaking the bone shell around the infant and it shatters. The corpse of Walter falls upon the dais while the mound itself dissolves into a pool of liquid gore.
Thixian suggests to the group that the curse upon the house is directly related to the murder/sacrifice of Walter. He feels if they collect Walter's remains and bury them beneath the threshold of the house at sunrise, they may remove the curse from the house. They collect the remains and begin the ascent from the basement, using the trap door that Thixian found to the hunter's den.
Entering the hunter's den, they find that the fireplace that Velcar lit earlier is now billowing out a poisonous, choking smoke into the room and the windows are bricked up. As they rush from the room, Thixian begins to choke on the noxious fumes, taking damage. They make their way into the hall and close the door behind them, blocking the smoke. The run to the front door of the manor, and they pile out onto the front porch, taking gulping gasps of the fresh night air.
After a few minutes pass and the heroes regroup, they notice a basket upon the porch, containing a bottle of wine, the label identifying it as "Red Dragon Crush" from Wizards of Wine Winery, six healing potions, and five rations. Nestled in the basket among the various goods is a letter. Velcar plucks the letter from the basket, noting that the handwriting is atrocious.
To My Newest Visitors,
I’ve seen that you have tended to the refuse on my lands that was the Durst family home. This was a chore that I have left unfinished for some time now, if for a lack of desire to end the oh-so-satisfying torment that they brought upon themselves.
Nevertheless, you have done the land a kindness by removing those foul creatures from Barovia, and in doing so you have earned my... Acknowledgment. Make no mistake, I will continue to be observing you from this moment on.
Please enjoy this bottle of wine from Barovia's finest wine selection as well as the other assortment of gifts.
Welcome to Barovia.
Your Lord,Strahd von Zarovich
After discussing the letter, Thixian reminds the others that they must dig a hole before sunrise so that they might bury Walter. Searching their packs, they realize that nobody in the party is carrying a shovel or anything that might be useful for digging in the dirt. They do note, however, that the items they have taken from the house have changed.. The will and property deeds as well as the letter from Strahd found in the secret room have markedly aged significantly, as if becoming brittle from the passage of time. The deck of cards that Thixian found in the cabinet of the Hunter's Den has completely disintegrated to dust in her pack. Only Lancelot, the dog found in the music room, is in the same condition as when he was found.
With no digging tools in their possession, Anet recommends that Ava can use her claws to dig. With the hole finally dug. As the sun rises upon a raining morning, the body of Walter is put to rest. While no change in the house is apparent, the party is not about to enter the house a second time in order to see if things have changed.
Trodding thru the rain, the party follows the path to a small village. Tall shapes loom out of the dense fog that surrounds everything. The muddy ground underfoot gives way to slick, wet cobblestones. The tall shapes become recognizable as village dwellings. The windows of each house stare out from pools of blackness. No sound cuts the silence except for mournful sobbing that echoes through the streets from a distance.
No citizens are to be seen on the street, with the exception of an elderly woman, her clothes resembling that of a beggar, pushing a cart. She knocks on doors of each of the homes, selling pies to the residents who open their doors to her. As she makes her way towards the party, the aroma of the pies and the thought of food has their mouths watering. They approach the woman, hoping to gather information as to where they are, as well as to purchase a meal to fill their empty stomachs. However, Kodiac feels that something is off and approaches with his sword drawn.
She looks upon Kodiac without fear. "Oh sir, you need not have weapons in your hand. I mean you no harm. I'm just trying to make coin the best I can".
The woman is kind enough to the party, even with Kodiac's approach, willingly to exchange conversation as well as coin for the pies, which she prices at 1 gold coin each, but is willing to forgo the asking price since the party is new to the area and she is sure that they would quickly become returning customers. She informs them that she has fruit, meat and vegetable pies. When asked about chicken, she tells them that chicken is scarce and the mean tends to be what they find - direwolf, stag, ect. She tells them that her family makes the pies, using a family secret ingredient that has been proven to make the pies very popular with the people of Barovia. Five pies are purchased but Thixian, worried about this "secret ingredient" suspects poison and sees how his cat, Wraith, who can detect poison, reacts. The cat sniffs the pie and begins trying to lick at it, and indication that no poison is present and that the meal meets her approval. The woman informs them that she sells her pies in the Village twice a week, if the party wishes to purchase in the future. She also tells them that they can also to go the mountains close to Vallaki, they can find a windmill where her daughters bake the pies and they can purchase there. The party quickly infers that the windmill she is referring to is the same windmill mentioned in the deed found in the house.
As for information exchange, Velcar asks the woman about Strahd. She states she does indeed know Strahd, that everyone here knows Strahd as he is the ruler of the lands of Barovia and refers to him as "the dark prince". When asked where he lives, her response is "Right up there.", pointing her shriveled, knotty finger to a castle upon a cliff overlooking the village.
Kodiac says they should go up to the castle and find Strahd - "We will just offer him some pies".. The woman informs them that she does not believe that Strahd would eat the pies, but that they shouldn't worry about finding Strahd, he will find them. Velcar asks what type of ruler would she classify Strahd as being. "Strahd is Strahd, he is the ruler, and rules with an iron fist, so to say. He doesn't take kind to not getting his way. He likes to get what he wants".. Thixian asks what city they are located. He is informed they are in the Village of Barovia, but not to expect to find much in the village. He is told there is a merchant but that he tends to overcharge for his wares and there is also a tavern where they might find more information. Thixian then asks if the woman knows of the Vestani and Madame Eva, who they were told to find. The woman tells him to travel to Tser Pool - "and once you find Tser Pool, the Vestani will find you". Velcar questions who the Vestani are, which Thixian tells them that they are the gypsy people who brought her and Anet to Barovia.
Velcar asks how long the lady has lived in the lands. She informs him that she has lived there all her life. He asks if she has ever visited the Sword Coast. This confuses the older woman, who replies "Have I been to the where?", a puzzled look upon her face. He asks if she has ever visited Neverwinter. Again, she seems confused and says "I am unfamiliar with these places." Kodiac asks if she has ever met Strahd - "Yes. Everyone here knows Strahd." Thixian asks if Strahd is well liked or if he is despised. "It depends on who you ask".. Growing uncomfortable with the line of questioning, the elderly woman lowers her voice and says she does not wish to speak ill of the ruler as his spies are everywhere. The conversation comes to a close and she begins to again hobble down the road, knocking on doors and resuming the selling of her pies.
To Be Continued........
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