Session 1: Into the Death House

Into the Death House

General Summary

Introduction

The party had previously fully explored the main house, and discovered a secret stairway to the attic. This session begins with the party ascending to the attic.

Death House Attic - Locked Bedroom

The attic contains four rooms; two spare bedrooms, one storage room and another room padlocked from the outside. The party discover the iron key found in the masters study unlocks the padlock and enter the room.

This room contains a bricked-up window flanked by two dusty, wood-framed beds sized for children. Closer to the door is a toy chest with windmills painted on its sides and a dollhouse that's a perfect replica of the dreary edifice in which you stand. These furnishings are draped in cobwebs. Lying in the middle of the floor are two small skeletons wearing tattered but familiar clothing. The smaller of the two cradles a stuffed doll that you also recognize.

The Durst children, Rose & Thorn, were neglected by their parents and locked in this room until they starved to death. Their small skeletons lie in the middle of the floor, plain as day, wearing tattered clothing that the party recognize as belonging to the children. Thorn's skeleton cradles the boy's stuffed doll. The toy chest contains an assortment of stuffed animals and toys. The children don't like it when the party disturb their toys. When asked how they died, Rose and Thorn explain that their parents locked them in the attic to protect them from "the monster in the basement," and that they died from hunger. When asked how one gets to the basement, Rose points to the doll house and says, "There's a secret door in the attic." Characters who then searched the dollhouse for secret doors found a secret staircase in the attic to the basement. The children fear abandonment. When one or more of the group try to leave, the ghost-children attempt to possess them. When one of the ghosts possesses a character, assign them one of the following flaws:

While possessed by Rose, Heimanandanal gains the following flaw: "I like being in charge and get angry when other people tell me what to do."
While possessed by Thorn, Sloot gains the following flaw: "I'm scared of everything, including my own shadow, and weep with despair when things don't go my way."

The only way to put the children's spirits to rest is to put their skeletal remains in their tombs.

Death House Attic - Storage Room

This dusty chamber is packed with old furniture (chairs, coat racks, standing mirrors, dress mannequins, and the like), all draped in dusty white sheets. Near an iron stove, underneath one of the sheets, is an unlocked wooden trunk containing the skeletal remains of the family's nursemaid, wrapped in a tattered bedsheet stained with dry blood. While inspecting the remains, Damakos can tell that the woman was stabbed to death by multiple knife wounds. Under the corpse Heimanandanal discovers a bloodstained journal describing how the nursemaid had an affair with, and fell pregnant to, the master of the house. It also states this led to the birth of a stillborn baby named Walter. She was murdered by the cult operating from the basement shortly thereafter.

Death House Dungeon

Dungeon Features

The dungeon level underneath Death House is carved out of earth, clay, and rock. The tunnels are 4 feet wide by 7 feet high with timber braces at 5-foot intervals. Rooms are 8 feet tall and supported by thick wooden posts with crossbeams. Characters without darkvision must provide their own light sources, as the dungeon is unlit. As the party explore the dungeon, they see centuries-old human footprints in the earthen floor leading every which way.

GHOSTLY CHANTING

From the moment they arrive in the dungeon, the party can hear an eerie, incessant chant echoing throughout. It's impossible to gauge where the sound is coming from until they delve deeper into the dungeon

Encounters

While exploring the dungeon level the party were attacked by a great many creatures:

A swarm of insects boiled through the walls when Elizabeth Durst's coffin was disturbed
A grick hiding among ruble
Four ghouls rose from the ground and attacked at a crossroads
Two ghasts burst through the walls in the cult leaders' den
A mimic disguised as a door enveloped Maevith as he attempted to pass through
Five shadows appeared as the party disturbed an eerie statue

The Shadows

The session ends with the party in the Darklord's Shrine, surrounded and surprised by the five shadows appearing. The rooms description is as follows:

This room is festooned with moldy skeletons that hang from rusty shackles against the walls. A wide alcove in the south wall contains 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. The room has exits in the west and north walls. Chanting can be heard coming from the west.

The shadows surprised the group and quickly rendered Maevith and Sloot unconscious. During a perilous battle of might and magic the party were pressed heavily by the shadows who animated the skeletons on the wall during the fray. Chi, Heiman and Yenavor valiantly fought over the unconscious bodies of their fallen comrades; reviving them with the healing potions they'd just received. Once revived, the two paladins smote several of the shadows with radiant flames, followed quickly by Damakos, Heiman and Yenavor teaming up to dispatch a third. A war of attrition ensued; the shadows and skeletons on one side, the party on the other. Seemingly the paladins had earned the ire of the undead force as all attacks were thrown against their holy armor. Through stalwart defence, back-to-back fighting and the blessings of their deity the two paladins managed to hold the remaining shadows and skeletons at bay while the group picked apart the remainder. This effort left its toll on the two paladins however, their strength leaving their body, they end the fight with little more strength than an aged human. The melee concludes with the party the victors, severely injured. The final healing potion is handed to Maevith who sits in a critical situation. Sloot prays to his deity asking for his strength to return; he learns from his God that resting, meditating over his holy symbol will return the strength stolen from him. As the party gather in the shrine room they discuss their next move, Sloot and Maevith currently unable to stand efficiently, their armor too heavy. They discuss the following options

Flee the godforsaken house
Rest in the undercroft in the safest place they can find
Return to the house and attempt to rest
Plunge ever deeper into the dungeon following the chanting

Inspiration

The following characters receive notable commendation for their battles in the undercroft

For cataloging the unknown fiends and aberrations Damakos receives inspiration
For fearlessly holding the front-line Maveith receives inspiration

The entire party receive inspiration for their battle against the shadows, displaying great fortitude even against a seemingly insurmountable foe.

Rewards Granted

The party found the following treasure during their exploration:

11 gp and 60 sp in a pouch made of human skin
Three moss agates in a folded piece of black cloth
A black leather eyepatch with a carnelian sewn into it
An ivory hairbrush with silver bristles
A silvered shortsword
A folded cloak radiating magical energy
Four potions of healing
A chain shirt
A mess kit
A flask of alchemist's fire
A bullseye lantern
A set of thieves' tools
A spellbook with a yellow leather cover (detailed below)
A crystal ob which can be used as an arcane focus

Spellbook

The party found a wizard's spellbook in the Death House containing the following spells:
1st level: disguise self, identify, mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil and good
2nd level: darkvision, hold person, invisibility, magic weapon

DAMAKOS FIENDLINE

2 gp and 12 sp
Spellbook
Mess kit
One potion of healing (consumed)
Ivory hairbrush
Bullseye lantern

MAVEITH DAWNCALLER

3 gp and 12 sp
Chain shirt
Three moss agates

SLOOT

2 gp and 12 sp
Flask labelled 'alchemists fire'
One potion of healing (consumed)

HEISANDORAL ERENAETH

2 gp and 12 sp
Silvered shortsword
Mysterious cloak
Set of thieves' tools
One potion of healing (consumed)

YENAVOR

2 gp and 12 sp
Black leather eyepatch with carnelian
One potion of healing (consumed)

Missions/Quests Completed

With the help of their scholar Chi, the party successfully identified a means to lay Rose and Thorn to rest, releasing them from the continual torment of the haunted house. Every character received inspiration for this virtuous act.

Character(s) interacted with

The party met Rose & Thorn and successfully laid their spirits to rest

Notes

Character Experience

The characters ascended to level 2 during the course of the session

Campaign

Curse of Strahd

Protagonists

Damakos Fiendline

Maveith Dawncaller

Sloot

Heiman Erenaeth

Yenavor

Report Date

15 Oct 2018

Primary Location

Village of Barovia

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