Day Five: Returning to the Hunting-Den
The session began with the adventurers retreating to the hunting-den on the first floor of Durst Manor after their harrowing descent into its depths. They barricaded the trapdoor leading to the dungeon and tried to reclaim a semblance of normalcy, playing cards with a deck they found in a cabinet alongside several crossbows. They feasted on provisions from the manor’s larder, but even the unspoiled food tasted bland and unappealing. Afterward, they settled in for nearly a full day of rest to recover their strength.
Day Six: The Reliquary of Whispers
Rested but uneasy, the party descended once more into the lower levels of the manor, finding a reliquary chamber with high ceilings and walls lined with disturbing relics: a mummified hand, a dagger with a rat’s skull pommel, a cloak of stitched skin, a shrunken halfling head, and other eldritch artifacts. Murmuring voices echoed in the room, endlessly chanting, “He is the ancient, he is the land.”
Two paths led from the reliquary. One ended in prison cells, where Traxidor recalled being held captive centuries ago by the Durst family cultists. Within one cell, they found a skeletal corpse chained to the wall, wearing a plain gold ring. They took the ring, but unease lingered. A secret door between two cells led to a flooded chamber beyond a rusted portcullis.
The Flooded Chamber and the Altar of Blood
The flooded chamber was vast, with walkways skirting its edges three feet above the water. At its center rose an octagonal dais bearing a grotesque altar, stained with blood and adorned with grotesque carvings. Chains dangled ominously above the altar. In the far corner of the chamber, debris and detritus formed an imposing mound.
Valen’eir and Radley approached the altar cautiously, but their movements triggered the appearance of 13 shadowy apparitions, each cloaked and faceless, holding torches that drew light into themselves rather than casting illumination. Their chanting shifted to a chilling refrain: “One must die.”
The party fled, but the chanting changed again: “Lorgoth the Decayer, we summon thee!” From the debris pile rose a monstrous, formless entity—a shuddering heap of decay and malevolence.
A Desperate Battle
The adventurers engaged Lorgoth in a brutal melee. Valen’eir unleashed spells with precision, Radley swung his blade with tenacity, and Traxidor’s divine magic provided vital support. The monster proved nearly unstoppable, absorbing their attacks and lashing out with devastating strikes. Valen’eir was nearly killed twice, but the group’s combined efforts eventually brought the beast down. As Lorgoth dissolved, a thunderous tremor shook the manor.
Escape from Durst Manor
As the house began to collapse, the party scrambled to escape. They encountered bricked-up windows, noxious fumes from the fireplaces, and scythe-blades swinging across the doorways. Timing their leaps, they navigated the deadly obstacles but suffered injuries in the process. Finally, they emerged into the streets of Barovia, free of the house’s curse. However, the mundane items they had looted disintegrated into dust upon exiting.
The Village of Barovia
Freed from Durst Manor, the adventurers surveyed the village. The dense fog had dissipated, revealing dilapidated streets and ramshackle houses. Looming to the west, atop a high escarpment, stood the ominous Castle Ravenloft, the lair of Count Strahd von Zarovich.
Seeking respite, the party visited Bildrath’s Mercantile, where they sold surviving relics from the manor. Bildrath’s wares were sparse, overpriced, and poorly organized, but his hulking assistant Parriwimple located items with surprising efficiency.
Later, they entered The Blood of the Vine Tavern, where Vistani women sang and danced, adding a rare touch of gaiety to the grim village. Valen’eir charmed them with his own dance, while the bartender silently poured wine branded Red Dragon Crush from the Wizards of Wine vineyard.
A well-dressed man introduced himself as Ismark the Lesser, the new Burgermeister of Barovia. He revealed that his sister, Ireena Kolyana, had attracted Strahd’s attention and been bitten by him. He begged the adventurers to escort her to the town of Vallaki for safety. After negotiating shelter at Ismark’s house, the party agreed to his plea.
Ismark’s Manor and the Burial of the Burgermeister
Ismark led the adventurers to his home, a once-beautiful manor now battered by nightly assaults from Strahd’s minions. Inside, they met Ireena, a striking woman with a regal demeanor. She insisted on burying their father, the late Burgermeister Kolyan Indirovich, at the village church before leaving. The party agreed to help carry the coffin.
At the church, they encountered Father Donavich, a broken man praying desperately for his son Doru, who had been transformed into a vampire spawn. From below the altar, Doru’s pitiful cries echoed, pleading for blood. The session ended with the party confronting the priest’s tragic dilemma.
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Transcript of DM’s Notes
Session Five – January 18, 2025
Players:
- Sean D. (Valen’eir - Elf/Wizard)
- Chris (Radley - Human/Fighter)
- Carey (Traxidor - Half-Elf/Cleric)
Return to the Hunting-Den
The party returns to the hunting-den on the first floor of Durst Manor and barricades the trapdoor. They discover a deck of cards among several crossbows in a cabinet and spend time playing cards to unwind. They also eat provisions from the manor’s larder, but while unspoiled, the food tastes bland and unappealing. Afterward, they rest for nearly a full day.
Day Six: The Reliquary and the Flooded Chamber
After almost a full day of rest, the adventurers descend into the lower dungeon levels and find a reliquary chamber with high ceilings. The walls are lined with niches holding strange and macabre relics, including:
- A mummified hand on a rope loop
- A knife carved from bone
- A dagger with a rat skull pommel
- An 8-inch varnished orb
- A cloak stitched from unknown skin
- A shrunken halfling’s head
- An iron pendant adorned with a devil’s face
Soft murmuring fills the chamber, repeating: “He is the ancient, he is the land.”
From the reliquary, two exits lead onward: one to a series of prison cells, the other to a portcullis blocking a flooded chamber.
The Prison Cells
In the cells, Traxidor recalls his own imprisonment by the cultists long ago. One cell contains a skeletal corpse chained to the wall, wearing a nondescript gold ring, which the party loots. Between two cells, a secret door leads to the flooded chamber.
The Flooded Chamber
The chamber is 40 feet square, with a central octagonal dais rising from 2 feet of water. An altar sits atop the dais, adorned with grotesque figures and stained with dried blood. Chains hang above the altar.
As Valen’eir and Radley ascend the dais to investigate, 13 cloaked apparitions appear along the walkway. Their hoods contain only inky darkness, and their torches seem to absorb light rather than emit it. They chant: “One must die.”
The adventurers flee, triggering the chant to change: “Lorgoth the Decayer, we summon thee!” The pile of debris in the chamber rises, forming a massive, formless monstrosity.
The Battle with Lorgoth
The party fights desperately against Lorgoth, whose amorphous form absorbs and repels their attacks. The monster lashes out with rope-like appendages, delivering devastating blows. Valen’eir is nearly killed twice, but the group’s combined strength finally destroys the creature.
As Lorgoth dies, the house trembles as though struck by an earthquake. Grit falls from the ceilings, and a distant mechanical noise echoes through the manor.
Escape from Durst Manor
Returning to the hunting-den, the adventurers find the windows bricked up and fumes spewing from the fireplace. Scythe-blades swing across the doorframes. Timing their movements carefully, the party leaps through the blades, sustaining injuries but escaping to the house’s foyer.
Outside, they find the fog enshrouding the manor has dissipated. The mundane items looted from the house crumble to dust upon exiting.
Arrival in the Village of Barovia
The adventurers survey the village, now visible with the fog gone. To the west, Castle Ravenloft looms ominously on a high escarpment.
Bildrath’s Mercantile
At Bildrath’s Mercantile, the party sells surviving relics for standard prices but finds all items for sale are overpriced. Bildrath explains that all goods in Barovia come from the Vistani, who demand a premium. His assistant, Parriwimple, efficiently locates items in the chaotic shop.
The Blood of the Vine Tavern
The adventurers enter the Blood of the Vine Tavern, where Vistani women sing and dance. Valen’eir briefly joins their performance, earning admiring glances.
A well-dressed man introduces himself as Ismark the Lesser, the new Burgermeister of Barovia. He warns the adventurers about the Vistani, calling them spies for Strahd.
Ismark reveals that his sister, Ireena Kolyana, has been bitten by Strahd and is in grave danger. He pleads with the adventurers to escort her to Vallaki for safety.
Ismark’s Manor and the Burial Request
The party follows Ismark to his manor, a once-beautiful house now damaged by nightly attacks from Strahd’s minions. Inside, they meet Ireena, who insists on burying their father, Kolyan Indirovich, at the village church before leaving.
At the Church
At the church, they find Father Donavich praying desperately for his son, Doru, who has been turned into a vampire spawn. Doru’s anguished cries echo from beneath the altar, begging for blood.
The adventurers agree to help bury Kolyan but are left uneasy by the priest’s tragic plight.
