Gail's eyes keep on flitting towards the wolves. "Hey Malthorn, remember the last time we saw a pack like that..." she whispers, shivering. Strahd was taking interest in their passage. When they finally get to Argynvostholt she asks Ozgo, "Impressive statue. What do you know of this place?"
Yep, we filled it full of fire and bolts. Perhaps things will meet that way once more but for the moment I'm thinking they're our escorts. Time will tell."
Continuing to the mansion he stops to admire the dragon from a distance a bit before moving closer..."I see a fallen house guarded by a great stone dragon. Look to the highest peak." what were you talking about Madame????"
Malthorn circles the dragon before looking once more to the house, "Perhaps, the peak is not a mountain but the top of the house itself. That looming tower would be my guess."
Seeming to talk to himself a moment he continues "The symbol of hope was led to by the servant from the wizards tower, perhaps the weapon of vengeance the sun sword shall be found here."
A dragon, very interesting!
Kassimir knows from looking at the statue, the way it stands and the way the carving is presented that this Dragon is a metallic dragon. Probably a Silver Dragon.
Ozgo would know this place has been abandoned for years.
There are several obvious entries, including a front door.
Ozgo mentions that the place has been abandoned for years.
"No one has been here for quite some time. Maybe we should search the exterior before we walk in? Those ruins over there (pointing to area Q5) look interesting."
The entire time he is speaking, his hand repeatedly goes to the new holy symbol hanging on his breastplate.
Gail nods, "Lets do that then."
She cautiously approaches the area Ozgo mentioned, looking for any sign of danger...
I´m right behind you. Maybe it´s worth noting that this statue resembles a silver dragon probably.
"That's a good thing right? Aren't we searching for a magical silver sword?"
Malthorn moves with the others towards the indicated entrance, ranging a bit to the right so that he has a clear LOS to anything attacking from the front or rear
Talus takes in the ruined manor and dragon statue, commenting, "How quaint."
He nods at Ozgo's suggestion, "Indeed, while it does appear none have lived here for quite some time, we've learned that appearances can be deceiving in this land..."
He moves with the others, mirroring Malthorn, taking a position on the left of the group.
Mh i didn´t draw a connection between a silver dragon and a silver sword yet, but who knows. Silver dragons are good dragons after all.
Ozgo looks back at the dragon statue and smiles.
"Their order was after the Raven, but alas it fell just like my own. Perhaps this is a chance for both of our orders to come together and redeem ourselves..."
"Nor do I know for sure either, just a bit of hopeful conjecture. Granted I'm also hoping a real dragon does not stand guard either." Malthorn replies with a lopsided smirk, once more looking ahead and behind
Malthorn circles around the outer edges of the small building beside the main building, trying to discern the buildings original use.
The heroes move towards the southern end of the mansion.
Here lie the blackened beams of a wooden stable, burned to its stone foundation. Looming above the wreckage is the partially collapsed south end of the mansion, all three of its floors exposed to the elements.
Rubble is strewn throughout much of this vast chamber, caused by the partial collapse of the rooms above it. On the pink marble floor, fallen chandeliers lie amid broken chairs and other furnishings. Thick webs stretch from wall to wall.
Gail marvels at the destruction wrought on the southern end of the keep. To the others she whispers, "Did time do this or did something dramatic happened here?"
Suddenly her eyes spot motion and she shivers involuntarily, hissing, "Spiders! Big as a large dog in yonder webs!"
"Perhaps the dragon took offense and decide to make a snack of the previous inhabitants of the stable, the mansion was just collateral damage" Malthorn opines as he distractedly looks around.
yet Gail's words draw his attention to the surrounding shadows above. "Where?" Staff aimed towards those shadows Malthorn readies a blast at anything moving towards them
Perception:
Drawn to the creatures as Gail calls out, Ozgo moves to the forefront with his greatsword at the ready.
Kassimiar moves along, watching for the unusual as usual.
As Gail shouts out, he winces.
I see 9 of them! They probably think they can eat us, but let´s reverse that!
Kassimir hisses words that sound hot as a flame leaves his hands, blossoming into a flower or pure fire, engulfing as many spiders as possible.
"Careful Ozgo, I can summon lightning if needed..." called Gail in a hush, she absolutely hated the idea of giant spiders!
Kassimir can certainly lob a fireball into the mansion if he'd like. However, a look at the map would tell you that the party is about 40-50' from the mansion...walking around it and scouting as it were. The spiders in area Q4 aren't attacking, because you aren't close enough for them to mess with.
However, if you want to enter the mansion via area Q4, you'd definitely have to content with the spiders there.
Otherwise you can enter through the front door...or continue circling the mansion.
Hands on her hips, Gail asks the others quietly, "So then what are we doing? I'm guessing we're going to have to deal with those awful spiders sooner or later, maybe we should get it out of the way..."
"If you want their attention I can gladly get it from here. Better to deal with them in the open instead of within their own webs; unless we can burn them out" Malthorn states looking towards Kassimir.
"Can you burn them, without burning down the house?"
That´s a good question. Some of the house will be caught in the flames. I can try though.
Talus' head snaps around at Gail warning, but then he relaxes as he sees that the spiders weren't a threat....yet.
"I suggest we leave them be for now...unless you can succeed with your magic, Kassimir." he suggests.
Seeing that nobody was keen to engage the spiders just yet, "Gail tells them. Follow me, lets do a full circuit of this place and then decide what we do."
She starts walking counterclockwise around the building, looking carefully as she does so...
"Sounds good lead the way, I'll keep an eye on our arachnid friends as we leave this area."
Malthorn follows Gail as she starts off to the left, trusting to is vision to keep the spiders in view.
Ozgo eyes where the spiders lair cautiously. He is not sure if they should have dealt with them now or not, but is glad to be continuing the examination of this old place.
"Right behind you Gail", he says as he moves into position behind the cleric.
The spiders never notice the heroes as they continue their circuit around the mansion.
Gail leads the heroes around and they notice
Tucked behind the mansion is a fog-shrouded cemetery enclosed by a seven-foot-tall fence of wrought iron. In the northeast corner stands what looks like a mausoleum.
There's no entrance to the graveyard from this side of the mansion. The heroes continue around the mansion, completing the encirclement of Argynvostholt. On the north side of the mansion, they find an iron gate set into a stone wall. The gate looks ancient, as does the rusted lock that holds the chains that bind the gate closed.
Malthorn follows the others around the mansion, eyeballing the cemetery warily but making no attempt to enter. "Looks like the perfect place to find trouble, .... then again so this whole land."
As they make their way to the last gate he wonders aloud "Ozgo, that magical axe might make quick work of that rusted chain, then again we could just go in through the front."
Ozgo nods but then stops and thinks.
"Might be unnecessarily loud. Can anyone...you know...unlock this without a key??"
If not, and everyone agrees, he takes up the ax and swings it down on the chain holding the gate closed.
"Pretty sure brute force is the answer to this Ozgo." replies Gail.
Swinging the ax, he slams the blade against the rusted iron of the chain.
Attack:
Damage:
Kassimir watches the efforts with interest, thinking to himself wether he should learn the knoch spell or not...
Ozgo slams the axe down on the chain, severing it. The gate opens to reveal a passageway leading east and west with stone steps leading up in either direction to closed doors.
As the gate opens, Malthorn moves into the passageway looking both directions, his unnatural sight giving him a view both directions much as if well lit. "Lets go to the right." Unless stopped he'll move up the steps towards the turret on the front of the mansion.
Gail nods and mace in hand walks towards the front of the mansion, watching carefully as she goes.
Kassimir just follows Malthorne, whispering:
Why are you sneaking after that noise? I doubt someone would not have heard it. You think it´s a good idea to be on a cemetary here?
Noehteless he tries to be as silent as possible himself, several times looking over his shoulder.
Ozgo follows the others as they move towards the turret. He too keeps his eyes on the cemetery...just in case!
Why are you sneaking after that noise?
"In the futile hope that I might hear them getting ready."
Talus winces at the noise the breaking lock makes , but accepts that if anyone...or anything within,now knew they were coming.
Warily, he follows the others inside...
Malthorn leads the heroes into the mansion, opening the door creakily and entering the room beyond.
Tattered brown drapes cover the windows of this circular room, and a heavy curtain hangs across an archway to the south. Strewn about the floor is the wreckage of half a dozen beds and other pieces of furniture.
Kassimir looks at Malthorm, whom he followed closely.
Hear them getting ready? Since when do monsters need to get ready?
"Monsters perhaps not so much, bandits more often than you thi..."
Cocking his head to the side , Malthorn holds up a hand to stop any response coming "What was that, almost as is someone was cleaning....perhaps the wind, I'm thinking too hard to hear something clearly"
"Lets open the door and see." says Gail as she walks up the entrance and attempts to open the door.
Gail pushes aside the flimsy sheet separating this area from what looks to be a disused kitchen.
This kitchen has been plundered, its tables overturned. The floor is littered with rusted utensils and smashed crockery. Narrow windows flanking a hearth look out over a cemetery. An open iron po_t hangs from a hook inside the blackened fireplace. It rattles on its hook and bobs up and down, as though something is inside it.
Malthorn follows Gail into the kitchen the scorched smell of flesh reaching his nose, noticing the commotion around the pot
"Beginning to wonder about wandering around old houses in this land, they all seem to be haunted. Lets move on before that thing blows."