Curse of Strahd by hiiamtom (Inactive)

Game Master hiiamtom

You guys just going to make promises or go in? :p

Emron goes in.
Onwards!

Balandusk follows the wreckless dwarf, though a little more wary, since he knows nothing of what they face. "Something worse than a werewolf..." he mumbles to himself.

Sorry about my absence, guys. I've had some internet issues the past couple of days. Comcast is the devil.

Gods, Mythandir muses. Werewolves and now children. What have I gotten myself into.

"Stay here," the tiefling tells Rose and Thorn, gesturing to the portico. "We will fetch you after we have dealt with this monster."

Mythandir follows the others.

"Stay safe and stay strong. We will return." Geth softly squeezes the children's shoulders as he enters the house carefully behind the others.

Emron is the first to brave the daunting presence of the home, the rusted gate of the home shrieks when moved as he pushes it past years of neglect. He takes the worn, white stone steps stained a dark Earthen color to a door that has peeling red paint hinting at a former glory. Swinging the doors open, wolves howl in the distance and the wind picks up once more.

The mist has gown into a sheet of white past anything more than a few feet past the house. When the last member of the party sets foot on the stone steps the old gate slams shut. A wall of rolling mists crawls to the house. Instead of wispy hands you can see skeletal figures gnashing their teeth and silently trying to escape the mist - but something is holding them in.

Rose and Thorn stand and smile at you before winking out of existence as the mists and the figures within are held by the rusted gate. Arms clawing for anything can't seem to reach you, and the figures cannot seem to pass the gate outside the home.

You all feel suddenly dizzy as the world around you changes. The ground underneath the home seems to drop away and be replaced with cobblestone, the untreated and cracking brick turns a brilliant red with pearly white masonry, the window shutters once hanging jump into position and the flecks of paint spread to show a vibrant pattern. The stone beneath your feet is washed clean, and the rusty metals of the oil lamps and gate become pitch black and well oiled. The lamps even light with a welcoming fire illuminated a vermilion door swung wide open with narrow stained glass windows showing art of wolves running through mists.

The change spreads inward, the foyer lamps light brightly with the pop of fire igniting. You now see the inside has wooden floors made from impossibly straight cut planks, there is seem less wooden paneling on the walls that is about 4ft tall in a rich mahogany, and the upper portion of the wall is covered in a finely decorated green paper that has a deeper green pattern in swirls across it. Just inside the front door is a black iron rack with several boots made from a strange material (rubber) in a variety of sizes and there is an umbrella crafted from fine metal wire with a handle carved from some kind of wood.

On your left, the northern wall is coated with portraits, each in a fine wooden frame with a small placard under the portrait. They all seem to bear a golden shield with the same decoration Rose wore. On the right, the southern wall has that same shield full sized as a finely carved and painted coat of arms. It bears a intricately carved windmill that is gilded in gold leaf sitting on a field of red. The windmill extends below the outer limits of the shield. A wooden banner is carved and painted across the bottom of the shield that bears writing in a language none of you understand. On either side of the shield are wolves on their hind paws with their fore paws resting on the top of the shield. There is a knight's helmet on top of the shield with a raven carved standing above it's head.

You can hear the sound of music beyond the double doors before you.

Moving forward, Bazim throws open the door.

For a brief second the piano music misplays with a clunk as Bazim walks through the threshold.

There are 5 doors around the hall, 2 directly across from the double doors (A & B), two in a small alcove extending from the stairs (C & D), and one directly to Bazim's right on the western wall (E).

The doors are all labeled on this map.

Tha wee ones tricked us!
Emron stomps his foot
He looks to the sword.
Tho' it may be worth it..

Balandusk enters the room after the others and takes in the sights of the room. He heads up to one of the doors across from the entrance (door A).

Scowling, Bazim walks into the room, rubbing his beard as he glances about.

"What devilry is this? First ghost children, now this strange house. We must be wary of all we encounter!" the paladin warns.

Emron plucks the sword from the hearth. It's clearly constructed with magical aide - the sword is ornate but feels like it is made from a single piece of metal; there feels like there is always a cool draft around the hilt even when he is holding it still.

The sword is magical, but you are unaware of what if any additional properties it has.

Balandusk stands ready near door A, just looking between the cracks between door and frame he can see the room behind is well lit. Out of the corner of his eye he spots a mouse... Oh wait, that's just a spot in his vision. Balandusk doesn't see anything strange.

I don't have my book right now, so I'll update later if you head in.

Bazim's focus fades in the mix of stimuli, but the building remains steeped in some unhallowed presence. He is right to question the exorbitant decor and grand (if small) home.

Emron tests the sword, feeling the weight in its hands, and flipping it.
Seems like a good sword...
He mutters.
It could kill me friends tho', if it's cursed
Arcana: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Can't seem to remember anything...
Hey! ye kno' a thing or two 'bout magic, right?
Emron says to Mythandir.
He walks over to him and says:
See if ye remember anythin' ta see if this sword be cursed or somethin'

Geth sighs slowly "They seemed so scared, but I suppose I was a fool." He casts a weary eye around the room, "This house is worrisome...we should do well to figure out how to get out and quick. I feel the way back might be blocked - what with the Damnable Ghost Children and suffocating mists." He gives a small shudder. "Do you think their story had any merit? Should we investigate the basement?"

"I think we need to spend as little time in this place as possible. Do any of you see a way down to the basement? Check those doors."

Bazim moves towards Door "E" and opens it.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything strange about the room behind this door, that I can see, anyway," Balandusk says to his companions. "I do think we should check this basement out, though. Whether those children were speaking truthfully or not, there's one way to find out."

[ooc]Balandusk follows Bazim{/ooc]

Bazim opens the sturdy door that has a thick bolt lock on the inside left unused. Inside the rich mahogany has been exchanged for the much lighter oak wood surrounding the room, used in the floors, and even used on the ceiling. The light colored room's walls are stark compared to the foyer and hall, but a grand fireplace build from natural stone and masonry gives a rustic charm the opulence of the former rooms lacked.

Mounted above the fireplace is a massive stag's head, and three large wolves have been stuffed and left in a pose suggesting they are circling prey from their positions around the edges of the floor. Two plushly padded chairs draped in animal furs face the hearth, with an oak table between them supporting a pipe rack, a candelabrum, a cask of wine, a finely cut glass decanter, and two carved goblets made of... wood? A chandelier or animal horns hangs above a cloth-covered table surrounded by four chairs. Two cabinets stand against the walls: one on the eastern wall and one on the northern wall.

A woman dressed in the fatigues of a foreign army sits slumped in on of the plush seats. She is breathing, but does not stir as Bazim and Balandusk enter the room. Her armor and clothing are finely made and the style is foreign to all of you.

Bazim carefully goes over and examines the woman for any wounds.

She is completely unharmed, and all of her adornments appear to be brand new and unblemished by any wear or damage. It's as if it is the first time she has even worn it.

As Bazim checks his room Geth moves quickly over to the small alcove and opens a door there. "You find anything Bazim?"

Geth moves to and opens Door D

Calling back, Bazim tells the of the woman in the room.

"There is a woman in here! She does not seem injured, but is not moving. She might be sleeping."

Updated Map!

Geth enters a dimly lit kitchen, there is only a single simple lamp on the wall and only it and the stone, dome-shaped oven provide light in the room. It's incredibly tidy and ready for use; dishware, cookware, and utensils are all neatly tucking on shelves or hung on hooks for easy use. A worktable has a cutting board and rolling pin atop it, and there is a crate filled with black stones next to the oven which has a bent metal pipe extending up into the ceiling. Behind the oven and to the left is a thin door with a plain handle (door D), and there is a 2ft by 3ft door in the wall to the southwest corner (door E).

Shouting back to Bazim, Bazim answers with a loud call back. The sudden burst of sound rouses the woman gently from her slumber.

Despite being awake, Urrnir gives serious consideration that she may still be trapped in some manner of dream. How else could she explain waking in an unknown world surrounded by fairy tail creatures?

Slowly she reaches towards her gear besides her and once it is in hand rises from her seat with her weapon drawn: "Who are you?" she demands of the nearest party member.

Bazim takes a step back and raises his shield and hammer.

"Easy now lass. I mean you no harm. My name is Bazim Brightblade, holy siegemaster to Anathar's Dell and paladin of Moradin. You have nothing to fear from me"

Urnnir takes another step back for distance.

"...Where am I?" she asks, now scanning the room and inspecting each person present.

"As to that, well you got me. We were out in a forest when a thick fog over took us, and then this house appeared...including 2 ghostly children. We are just as lost as you, it would seem."

"Hrmmmm..."

After a minute Urrnir stows her weapon. "Very well, I am Urrnir of Barovia."

Arcana: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

What do I know, if anything, about the blade?

Mythandir walks over to the wine and picks up one of the wooden goblets. "Do you live here, Urrnir of Barovia?" the tiefling asks.

"No, obviously not." snaps Urrnir in reply "Otherwise I wouldn't have asked where I was."

The wine tastes slightly sweet, but is largely indistinguishable from water. It does quench any thirst you might have, and you are not even sure if it is alcoholic. When you smell the wine in the glass it smells like a fine after-supper red, but even this aroma is lost once it enters your mouth.

We be in the same situation as you lass, no need to get feisty.
Enron says as he walks to her.
Them wee ones 'ere probably ghosts, ya know. Thay dissapeared!

Balandusk looks at the now conscious woman as she exchanges words with the others. He switches his gaze to the room, taking in the visuals. "This wolf theme the decorations in this house follow gives me an uneasy feeling. I'm Balandusk," he says, directed at Urnir, but keeping his attention on the surroundings.

Mythandir takes Urrnir's tone in stride. "Fair enough," he murmurs, taking a sip of the wine. "That's a poor vintage," he remarks, setting the goblet back down.

The tiefling regards the strange woman with his black-green eyes. "Do you at least know how you came to be here? Were you swept up in the mists as we were?"

"No, I'm...not sure. Barovia is a land of men and given what I have already seen I have somehow been transposed into a fable."

Wolf motifs.... So theys be were wolf ghosts!
Emron slams his fist in his hand, having solved the case.
He then takes the blade.
So there be no curse on this fine blade?

Mythandir hands Emron the blade. "It's not cursed as I can tell, but I would still be careful with it. It seems attuned to the power of elemental air. Doesn't it seem a bit... small for you, Emron?"

He turns back to Urrnir, thinking on what she said. "A land of men, you say? Do we seem strange to you?"

Geth hears the faint sound of his companions talking to a new voice floating in from the hall as takes a look around the room and moves towards the door in the Southeast corner (Door E). With a slight hesitation he opens the door. He'd hate to go back empty handed and still needed to find that door to the cellar.

"Well, Urnir, you are free to join us. Not sure if what those spirit children said was true or not, but there is apparently some kind of monster in this house, located in the cellar. We came in here looking for it, but haven't found anything aside from you." He looks back out of the door to see what the others were up to. He grows a little concerned at the disappearance of Geth, and makes to go search for him.

Bah! He says to Mythandir. Size matters not.
Hmmmm... Where's Geth?

Geth opens the small door to reveal a wooden box suspended in a stone shaft with a rope leading up into the darkness. A small crank attached to a pulley has another set of ropes leading up into the darkness as well. The opening and box are too small for a human to crawl into, it is obviously designed for the food or other items from the kitchen. A child might be able to squeeze into the space.

Map

Emron walks to the room with the staircase.
Where are you?
Emron spots the open door.
Aha!
He follows the path Geth took.
What be that?..
Emron points to the box.

"It looks like it delivers food to the second floor. Unfortunately I have not found the way down yet." He wanders carefully over to the other door in the room. "I heard a new voice, but no commotion, so I would assume it is friendly, I just hope it's not yet another trick of this dreadful place." He gives a short, weary sigh as he throws open another door. They had only been in this house for moments but the tension felt like hours.

Walking away from Urrnir, Mythandir joins Emron and Geth. "Can we not find the cellar?" he asks.

Bazim stays with the strange woman as she gets her bearings. He keeps an ear cocked in the direction of the others in case they find something.

Geth opens the final door in the kitchen revealing a well-stocked pantry. There is a barrel of grain or cereal, a bag of flour, various containers of other powders labeled as different ingredients. Onions and potatoes hang from the ceiling in copper mesh, and there are several salted meats, beans, lards, and various vegetables lining the shelves. You see a variety of half-used breads and pastries along with honey and fruit.

The piano music echoing from up the stairs changes to a new song as a few minutes have passed downstairs. As the music changes the embers of the stove sputter causing it to cough a small flame and a puff of acrid, pitch black smoke that slowly rolls through the air to the ceiling where it clings for a moment before dissipating.

Updated Map.

Balandusk looks out the door and sees two of the others head over to what he doesn't know is the kitchen, and follows. When he sees Geth is alive in that room, he heads back over to Door A, turns the handle, and gives it a push.
"Is there someone else in this house making that music?" he asks aloud when passing by the stairs.

Urrnir follows the others as the piano tune changes.

"Ill omens abound...If this place is truly cursed would it not be best to leave the haunts to their business?"

Balandusk walks into a richly decorated dining room. The centerpiece of this wood-paneled dining room is a carved mahogany table with an inlay of the swirling design repeated in other areas. It is surrounded by eight matching high-backed chairs with sculpted armrests and red cushioned seats. A crystal chandelier hangs above the table, which is covered with resplendent silverware and crystal-ware polished to a perfect shine. Mounted above the marble fireplace is a mahogany-framed painting of an alpine vale.

The wall paneling is carved with elegant images of deer among the trees. Red silk drapes covers the windows at the far wall, and a tapestry depicting hunting dogs and horse-mounted aristocrats chasing after a wolf hangs from an iron rod bolted to the south wall to your right.

Updated Map.

Bazim give a small jump as the music once again plays. His hand go to his beard where last time something cut the hairs there. He turns to speak with Urrnir.

"Blasted house is evil, of that I am sure. I would leave, but what if other innocents are within...sleeping like you were. We must search and make sure we leave no one here."

"I am starting to think those ghost children were lying to us. I don't see any way of going downstairs within this house. Only up." He walks out of the room and glances at the stairs. "This ominous music doesn't bode well to me."