Death House Session(s)
Things are getting spooky...
General Summary
Previously On...
After waking up in the mist-covered land of Barovia, our heroes were guided by all-consuming fog to the front of a dilapidated house. There, they met two children, Rosalind and Thorn, who said that their baby brother was inside and that there was a monster in the basement where they weren't allowed to go.The children stayed outside while the adventurers headed inside. The house was Spooky and had many Spooky things inside, including some things that would attack. In almost every room, they found dolls, marionettes, puppets, toys, mannequins and other figures and spooky scene carved into the woodwork of the house. Some notable enemies include a very mean broom that they encountered as they collect more and more raw materials.
They found several letters and clues throughout the house and the dungeon below. They found one in a secret room off of the library, held by a long dead adventurer. They found additional creepy paraphernalia on the top floor in the main bedroom and the children's bedroom, which was locked from the outside. When they tried to enter the nursery to save Walter, the children's baby brother, they encountered a spirit of a dead elven maid. Through clues and context, they pieced together that Gustav Durst had an affair with the elven maid which resulted in Walter, who Elizabeth Durst was none too fond of. When they unraveled the bundle, there was nothing inside and they no longer heard the crying. They found the nursery maid's bone in the attic.
After making their way up a secret staircase, they were surprised to encounter a dismal room with two small skeletons inside. Floating just above, they saw the children, fully aware now of their death. They were able to protect the heroes so they could take the equivalent of a long rest. The children also showed them the scale toy model of the house, which also had secret doors shown. Kovu found a picture of Thorn's imaginary friend, Ireena, which Kovu also had as an imaginary friend as a child. (kitten?)
Blanche placed the children's skeletons in their toy box and tied it to her back and carried it, Because. They adventured down into the sub-dungeon and dungeon to find the "monsters" in the basement. They fought various undead, creepy crawlies, and shadows. They moved fast through the dungeon, stopping briefly to investigate an ornate 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 held a smoky-gray crystal orb- which Blanche promptly touched, provoking a shadow ambush.
They found more treasure (and building supplies) in the cultist's quarters and they fought off ghoulish versions of Elizabeth and Gustav Hurst, the former of which was a TERF. After looting the treasure in the chest, they followed the creepy chanting to the final level below them. In the dungeon, the chanting was louder and more clear. There is a portcullis that blocks the way into a main, watery chamber. Through exploring the crypts further down, they found a secret door into the chamber and a cool ring Arfas can give to Dory.
In the ritual chamber, they witness the true horror of the dark entity know as The Hand. They did not appease the spectral figures around them at the open-palm alter in the center of the room, so they got front-row seats to their dastardly dance macabre. After their opening number, the heroes fought the three aspects of The Hand: Dark Kermit, Dark Miss Piggy, and Dark Fozzy Bear. All of the voices were extremely accurate.
After a bloody and prolonged battle, our heroes finished killing the very mean muppets. Scooping up their treasure, they all tried to flee the house, but alas-- the Death House was fighting back! Dodging various challenges, creatures, and other spectral obstacles the house could unleash, the party made their way back up to the very top floor. Looking for a quick escape, they used a grappling hook to scale down the house and get to safety. As they landed on the ground, the house-- foundation and all-- collapsed around them. Taking a moment to breathe, they noticed a bottle of wine with a card attached, welcoming them to Barovia. The spirits of Rosalind and Thorn appeared before them, thanking them for defeating the evil that was in their home. Suddenly, their spirits were whisked away, back to the pile of debris that is the rest of the Death House. Their bones disintegrated and were blown away. Their astral fates remain unknown.
Damaged and disheartened, our heroes turned their back on the Death House and headed further into the Village of Barovia.
What will happen next?
Session Roundup
Rewards Granted
RELEVANT TRAYSURE:
- Windmill Deed
- Deed for the Durst House
- Gustav Durst's Will
- Spell Scrolls: Bless (Lvl 1 Protection from Poison (Lvl 2 Spiritual Weapon (Lvl 2)
- Cloak of Protection
- Four potions of healing
- Flask of Alchemist's Fire
- Old spellbook
- Human-skin cloak
- Glove of Muppetkind
Missions/Quests Completed
| Quest | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Release the Hurst Children's Spirits | Put the bones of the ghost children to rest. | Incomplete; Failed |
| Survive and Escape the Death House | Survive the danger lurking within the Death House. | Success! |
| Get to Level 3 | Advance to Level 3 through combat and finding clues. | Success! |
Character(s) interacted with
- Rosalind and Thorn Durst (spirits, children)
- Dark Kermit (Aspect of the Hand)
- Dark Miss Piggy (Aspect of the Hand)
- Dark Fozzy Bear (Aspect of the Hand)
Created Content
Report Date
30 Jul 2020
