Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 32 | Creatures of the Night: Part 1

Episode Date: November 17, 2025

The expedition finally heads to Ravenloft to end things for good.   Gain access to an exclusive campaign, Shroud Over Saltmarsh, over on Patreon: https://legendsofavantris.com/patreon The Crooked Moon, a folk horror supplement for 5e, is available for preorder! Get the Crooked Moon at: https://thecrookedmoon.com/ Watch more D&D adventures in the world of Avantris live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/legendsofavantris Check out our merch store: https://shop.legendsofavantris.com  Join our community on Discord: https://legendsofavantris.com/discord Watch our many campaigns on YouTube: https://legendsofavantris.com/youtube  All other links: https://linktr.ee/legendsofavantris   Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/kcrMwkI2Or8?si=3LfB92M-F7iqZfJY

You're back at the Vestani camp and listening to Kursa Stradanya, a Legends of Adventress podcast. Last time, the Azaran expedition licked their wounds following the deadly battle of Volaki with Lady Vakhter and her undead horde. With my allies and minions making their moves with increasing death tolls, they knew there was not much time left to plan their final strike against me. And worse still, the children they hold dear are at ever-growing risk. The Vistani girl of mysterious divination power was an especially vulnerable asset, so they absconded with her to bring her to Madame Eva, the girl's grandmother. When meeting with the ancient woman, they received one final taroka reading.

By all accounts, it should have remained exactly the same, but it did not. No longer was their fated ally Rudolf van Richten. It was Sergei. By returning my brother to life, they have changed all our fates. I have no way to know what will happen now. This should be interesting. This episode is brought to you by our generous supporters on Patreon. You can become a patron yourself by following the link in the show notes.

We are eternally grateful for your support. With that out of the way, let us proceed with part one of chapter 16, creatures of the night. As her eyes go dark, a screech billows from her throat as she warns you. that one of your party, Clayton Azran, will doom them all. And is in this moment that you watch as her eyes begin to shift again, the milky whites and black swirling around until you blink, and it almost seems as if it's intriguing the incense, filling the room, the smoke, causing you to feel light-headed.

And for a moment you wonder, did that really just happen as all of your eyes move towards Clayton? as you look at him. No. Did you say Doom? The cards tell you what the cards tell you, Professor. What, what do you mean by Doom? Do you mean that we will fail in our mission?

No, the card does not speak of Barovia. It speaks of all the world. There is a cloud over you. The darkness But what it is I cannot see yet Is there a way to stop it? One task at a time

The Countess waits For you She knows you are coming I don't want to Presume anything here Professor but You look a little worried And I know that we're dealing with a lot

We gotta keep a clear head And keep our eyes on the problem eyes, all right? She's right. One thing at a time. And we know what we got to do today. You're right. You're right. It doesn't matter at this point, but as cursed hag. Duming myself is one thing, but doing the world? Either way. Do you consider, Professor, the possibility that you could present a liability for us in Castle Ravenloft? Precisely my hesitation, sonnets. That hesitation being well-founded, but do you also not agree that there is no possibility, no future in which we enter that castle and return live if you are not with us?

I don't know. I don't know if I should be there or not. I believe my fate is entwined with all of yours, unfortunately. We're not going in there without you. We need every single one of us. My point precisely. And I don't care what anybody says, we're going to be fine. Think about what we've done. We're going to be okay. I believe that.

I mean it. You're right. You're right. And whatever happens, the cards seem to still say that we defeat her, regardless of what happens next. Damn right. Well, is there anything else you can tell us? What would you like to know?

Any... I would warn you. To keep that case close to your chest, my granddaughter is very powerful. And if Stradania were to get a whiff of the blood that flows through her veins, the target on your back would be ever growing. Or she has Tradania's blood running through. We should bring her inside the castle.

She will stay with you. and she would help us? In your case, that is up to her. You mentioned Arbaal has Sredania's blood clersing to her veins. She does, but Sredonia does not yet quite know this. She suspects, but she does not know. I don't want to argue, but don't you think it's a little dangerous for us to be taking her in there? We don't want her anything to happen to her and have her fall in the wrong hands.

again, I don't presume to know, but I'm just a little concerned about it. She is likely safer with us, Shepard, than here. No offense to you at all, but with us keeping a close eye on her. I will not look on her. I will die soon, I think. She's lost much in her few short years. If she knows me and she loses me, so soon, it would break her.

She's happy in the case. We will let her stay there. We will let her grow. And Clayton, you will care for her, yes. You know what I ask of you. As in, yes, I promise she'll stay safe. I promise that no matter what,

she's taken care of. And if Miss Isaacs will forgive me for saying the only person to have put her in harm's way with the countess no longer lives. I believe she will be fine. All of her kin seem to be dead. And so we are all she has. And if she plays a role in all of this, then who am I to deny fate? As much as I value my own family back home, dearly miss my master.

We don't always choose our family. And I think Arabele has chosen us, her friends, as her new family. I will do everything in my power to protect her. I will spare no one but my own life if I have to, to ensure no harm comes to her, though. You have my word. Oftentimes it is the family that is chosen, that is the strongest, the tightest, the bond.

Agreed. How does Shradanya's blood flow through hers? Through me. What she mean? Stradanya loves her father, but she does not know his deepest secrets. A bistone mistress, my mother. I am the half-sister to Trudanao Bonzovic. And it's in that moment she turns and she meets eyes with Sergei,

and you see his eyes alight with recognition. I was at your wedding, Serbe. I saw you full. He looks at her. His face completely pale is the color drains from it. Katarina, the housemaid. He reaches out and he clasps her hands. You have aged.

She holds on to his very tightly. Yes. It would seem so Upon your death I made the pact with Mother Knight I gave her my youth In the hope that I would be able to help To cleanse this land

Of the evil that is wrought by her And if you accomplish this My pact will come to an end And with it my life She holds on to his hand a little bit longer What you seek is in your tomb I placed it there

400 years ago and he looks at her and you see a slight smile on his face he nods but doesn't say anything does that answer the questions that still linger so if we kill her

we kill you it is worth it I promise is there no other way that we can spare you. You've been beyond helpful. No, the entity, the dark power. It beats and breathes within the castle. It sees me as a worthy replacement should Stradania fall.

I must die lest it attach itself to me. Did Stradania also make a pact with Mother Knight? No. The dark power. There have been many lives. that have been sacrificed for this cause and more to come yet, all will be necessary and worthwhile sacrifices to bring an end to this curse.

I thank you for yours. And I am happy to give it. I would like only to live long enough to see the sun fully shine over the lance of the roof. Just once more. But he gets laid. Yes. He does.

Out of character, from last session, do we know if she knows about the wedding invitations that we got? I would say you could assume she probably knows everything. Got it. She knows everything that we know as plays. Yeah, maybe some. She most likely won't be expecting her brother to be with us unless she truly has eyes everywhere.

No, I do not think she knows of Cirque. I have been keeping my eyes open for any whispers that she has become enraged. I would fear the moment she finds out, or who knows what she will do. How do we keep him a secret until we're inside the castle? He doesn't have a wedding invitation. Well, we got our back door entrance. I mean, obviously she doesn't know the first time we've done. went in there. She may have some idea that

someone was in there, but clearly she didn't know about the secret entrance. It's one way in if we don't want to just use the front door. I'd say we bring him with us in the front door. And if she finds out, I think she may, it may put her

off guard. It may give us an opportunity to plan and to spring our track precisely when we need to. Now, you know, that I feel the same. about just kicking in the front doors, guns of blazing, so to speak. Madam Ava did just say,

Sergay needs something from the crypt. That's true. I think you will find that you will all need something from the crypt. We need to learn the secrets of Ravenloft. Before we encounter her, other groups just like us have gone in and killed her over and over again and the cycle repeats itself. If we do the same, and we do not learn the secrets,

we do not know how to truly end this, then the taint that lingers in Castle Ravenloft is beyond Stradanya. That was confirmed with what we found in the remains of the Hags hut. So we go back through the crypt. We don't go through the front door. I propose we do go through the front door.

I believe that Professor Azran has a point. Humans, although Stradania has not been won for some time, are emotional creatures, easily manipulated. Their weakness is exploited, and if there is one weakness we have found as tragic as it is, it is her fondness and sorrow she felt for Sergei. I believe walking through with him on our side after all she did all of the weeping, all of the

visiting of his grave for hundreds of years with us will put her on her back foot for the grave. We don't lay along. What at the wedding? That's what we play along too. We arrive under false pretences.

It's tough to hope for an opening that we can take advantage are you suggesting a charade professor precisely what's to say she doesn't see through that she will know if your intentions are true Victoria whether you do have any feelings for her she didn't save you for any other reason

but to one day be the truth to you I think you're right in my heart I suppose is in different places perhaps that will be enough to get us in you feel Sergei's hand on your back. My sister has always wanted what she could not have. That is what Lord draws her to you.

There is a lot about you that I saw on Tatiana. Unwillingness or uncertainty to be her bride. It drives her mad. Continue along that path. If you give in to it, you will. bore her and then it will be far more dangerous. Play the game. I know it is a lot to ask of you. Be hot and cold and you will drive her crazy. It will allow us what we need to make our way through the castle. All right. Thank you. Well, I will pull out the invitation and I look at it.

There's no date, is there? Nope. When we're ready, I believe we should just walk up to the front door and present our invitation and say, Victoria is considering your proposition. We have your brother. He would love to attend. And if we play along, perhaps you will stop the wanton murders and give us access to the castle. The look on her face is going to be D laughful. Exactly right.

And then, once inside, we'll learn what we can. We learn about the taint, Sunax referenced. We'll learn about the evils. Perhaps we find some clues about mad Mary's daughter or the clockwork man or anything else. Either way, we need to learn before we fight. agreed and perhaps we strike

in the moment she's most vulnerable all you gotta do is say the word all right well we should get some rest thank you I want to linger back if people leave to see if I can catch one last word

with Madameva if no one else I will linger as well with Connard You notice that Sergei also lingers. And I would kind of awkward to look around like,

Good night, I'll just place the case by the fire. I'm going to go with you. See you in a minute. And I'll walk out, I'll put the case down. You walk out, and you are fiddling with your case. Shepherd, you immediately notice that as you step out, you look forward

in the pyre, the bonfires, gone, all of the Vistani tents. are completely gone. As you turn around to address this with Clayton, you realize Madam Avis Tent is also gone. You were standing and clearing. You can still see the holes in which the posts

are drilled into the, had been drilled into the ground. And you, with your monster hunter abilities, you look, and there has not been anything here for at least a few weeks, if not even a month. What in the nine hells is this? Are we... Are we... There's no sign of anything.

I, like, bend down and I'm touching the soil, and I'm, like, looking around, and then... Something's not right. Uh, uh, do we have any... I think it's still... Is that... Was that a trick, or is that... Have we been transported in time? I hope we haven't...

Gone with them? I probably would have hung for a minute, curtsied, and then walked out after them. You watch... As you're looking at... around, all of a sudden you see as Victoria materializes out of absolutely nowhere. She begins to walk towards you and you see Shepherd on the ground smelling the dirt. Clayton is wiping the sweat off his brow. He looks concerned and you begin to see around you that the camp is not there. Oh, thank God. We'll have the same timeline at least. It's got to be some sort of protective magic. Has to be, right? What has happened? Where's

everyone gone? I think it's just an illusion or protective. bubble. Some sort, right? Gotta be. I'll try to walk back to where I think that the tent was and like walk through see if there's some kind of veil. You walk back towards where you think the tent was where Victoria's stand in and you walk straight through

down the slight hill and closer towards the pathway that leaves towards the village of Borobia. There's nothing physical here. No, there's nothing here. Damn. I hope you didn't have anything left to say to her. Well, well, If I did, I missed my chance.

Let's wait here for the others. Agreed. Those of you, still in the top. So I will pick up my lantern, and as I look, I'll look at Conan, I'll look at Sergei, and I'll look back at the entrance to the tent, and I will clear my throat. I suppose, madam, if I do not need this to be in confidence, I just wanted to ensure that Shepard was not here. I have one final question

and I'm fine with Sergei and Karma being an audience if you have time I do have time How do you feel about knowing that your time is short And that you are no longer You have not much time left in this life How do you make peace

I cannot make the peace that you seek I've lived a life day life, centuries, a long life. But there's always more that can be done. There will always be more that can be done. But my sister on this land is the darkest thing I've ever encountered. And if my death ensures that that is cleansed, it is that I hope on to. The growth that will be born from the ashes.

good death for a good purpose. One life for thousands. I thank you. Medvedo. And I'll pick up my lantern. I'll just kind of cast a look at both Sergei and Kana, and then I'll leave. Sergei just staring at me and like waiting for me to go. Yeah, he's staring at him.

Okay. My question is incredibly selfish, and I apologize in advance, but it has been eating away at me ever since I stepped foot, before I even stepped foot in Borolia. But I must ask you, have you heard any name Jentechi on the Wins? He is my master and I believe he is here. I've had dreams. I think I've had dreams. I don't know if I can trust them.

But I believe Sjadha may have imprisoned him. perhaps my answer lies in the crypts but I've been afraid to ask and speak his name in fear that he might be gone she straightens herself up a little bit you can see that she definitely seems more visibly weak than she was the last time you saw her that the age has taken its toll

her eyes are milky and her you can hear the way her bones crack as she moves and she slowly reaches out and grabs your hands you will have something to find in Castle Primal. Thank you. And I'll give her hand one last squeeze and kind of look sadly in her eyes knowing the end is near.

I will tell stories of you, Madame Eva. If I make it out of here alive, you will be revered. It's one of the greatest people I've ever met. She smiles and she holds onto your hand and she leans in and she kisses one cheek and then the other. Be strong. Not just for your friends, but for that which you seek.

I will. Thank you. And I'll get up and do like a 90-degree bow to her, and I'll nod to Sergei and I will leave the room. You stumble out of, or not stumble, you walk straight out and you see as the rest of your party members, Sarnax, you would walk out just a mere, few moments before to see everybody looking around and trying to figure out where this camp had gone.

I presume that they have left us. For good, we are on our own. The path is before us. There's no turning back. But it seems like we've been missing for four weeks or a month. This isn't. We saw them when we walked into the tent, right? Didn't we see? You saw, yeah, you saw that there were tons of Vistani around you, that there were, wagons and tents and the bonfire. You only spoke to one, a female Vestani who led you directly towards the tent. This doesn't seem right.

Professor, you are perhaps more familiar than all of us with the magics of the Vistani. Is this not their hallmark? To leave with no trace as if they haven't been here for months, I know that they are supernatural, but I've never heard of hiding their tracks to make them seem older than they are. But again, I... A fair point. I don't know if we've been transported forward in time, or if it was all an illusion. I certainly hope we haven't lost any time.

I agree. I'm sure we haven't. I don't think this is as sinister as it may seem outwardly. I just assumed it was protective of some kind. That's right. Perhaps. She knows her end is here. She may be protecting her kin.

It's true. I could perhaps attempt to confirm by sending a message to Irina. We can simply ask her when we left. Please do. Wouldn't hurt to check in anyway. We got time. I'll pull up my lantern. I'll stare and I'll kind of put my two fingers to my temple, to my forehead.

I hate you, right? For a straight reason. I... Do you remember when we left this morning to head to the Vestanian encampment? I hope you had a excellent breakfast. You can reply to this message. P.S. How do you feel about legumes?

It only takes a moment before you receive a message back. Sondix, of course, I remember that you left this morning. Do you think there's an illness about? Is there something I should be concerned with? And you asked if she enjoyed your breakfast. Yeah. And I had a very sparse breakfast this morning. I've been quite worried about all of you.

Is something amiss? Can you respond to this message as well? I don't. And that's what I guess about. Fear not, Irene. We are well. We are simply dealing with these strange, magic, of this land wanted to confirm you

were well as well. Farewell. Do not reply to this message. You wait, and you listen just in case, but she takes the advice and does not reply to the message. Okay. I'm blowing three, two spells,

that's fine. We're going to see this blood, yeah. Incoming ballot. Do la, la, la, right, right. Excellent. Thank you. Well, regardless, we should get some rest. I'll slap my case.

It's like early evening. Oh, it is? I'm going to... Probably not even early evening. It took you, like, what, six hours and you left in the morning? It's probably like two in the afternoon. Yeah. I probably head down into the case and, like, pour myself a nice glass of something and, like, you know, start to chat, I suppose.

We've seen the castle. We haven't been up close to it, but we've seen... From here. From here, if you look up, you can see the spires of the castle on the mountain. What does it appear to be made of stone? Mm-hmm. Okay. And it is right about this moment that Sergei appears out of nothingness.

He looks around, confused, and you see a slight smile on his face as he moves towards you. Well, what is it that we plan to do? That's what we have a discussion. No better time than now than to hunt. Werewolves. Am I right, Professor? Oh, for only we have the time. Don't you dare suggest that in front of them.

What did we discuss? I guess. But I'm going to look at these. Wait, stop. Professor, there is no time to hunt werewolves. If we have the evening, could you track down a werewolf? You're going to go out.

Oh, preparing them for a werewolf. Play, blame, blame, blame, blame, blame. He's very stern conversing. What have I done? Um, uh, I mean, it's the middle of the day. And I don't know what to do now besides wait or go. We could certainly make some headway on our journey. If we're comfortable camping out, in the case, in the woods, so be it.

It'd be better to be there as close. as possible come daybreak that we can just walk right on up. But we've got time. What is the, do we know roughly how long we think it'll take us to get there from here? Probably on foot, probably about four and a half hours. Oh. With that knowledge, I don't mind just getting an early start. Start off fresh.

That way we're not traveling dangerous wood-wooded territory in the middle of the night. We can go as far as you want this evening, but I also don't necessarily want to camp outside the front doors overnight either. We don't want her to spot, Sergei. No, I'd rather get there when we're ready in the morning and ask to be let in. But that's just my two cents. Sorry, two copper pieces. This is a tough decision. Alternatively, if we need to go to the Crips, perhaps we should get that done tonight and then make as if we've just arrived in the morning. Well, that is an interesting point.

I did want to ask the professor, you want to go in through the front and then sneak down into the crypts? Yes. Are you worried we won't get the chance? We won't get an opportunity, not at least unknown. She'll know one of us is missing. We won't get through the back door without her knowing either.

She knows we've been there. She knows that entrance exists now. It's got to be guarded at least some way. And so either way, I believe that she'll know we're there. The best we can do is hope that she accepts us as guests of her

new bride. I trusted. I just figured it was worth asking. And then we take that time to, hopefully the wedding is immediately we take that time to learn and explore. If she offers to give us quarters,

what do we do? I mean, we all need to stay together, at least close. I'm not against going along with this whole facade and taking up a night or two in a room, but we're vulnerable. Well, we have Sergei with us. We know the castle, I presume. I knew it once.

What it has become now? Who's to say she hasn't filled it with illusions to trick us so that we easily get lost and separated? She'll want to pick us off. one by one and leave you alone, I imagine. We must use this time to come up with a plan B, C, D. What if the worst happens? Connor, I believe that Professor Azran is under the presumption that we have an element of protection

as long as Miss Isaacs is willing to entertain the Countess's advances lest she become distraught at our disappearance and spurn her proposal. Am I understanding that correctly? You are, sonics. Very wise. That's a great point. Very wise.

I do not believe my sister would harm any of you knowing it could evoke the air of the one she plans to wed. Exactly right. Do we plan for worst-case scenario? If she does anything that, you will not accept and angers her and she lashes out at you

we kill her as all we can do don't know if it is safe here and as he looks around you look around as well and you see that this had been a clearing to fit

at least 40 maybe even 50 Bassani and it has been a homestead for years and years and it is a very wide open clearing that anything in the fringes of the forest would be able to spot all of you

standing directly in the middle of it. Perhaps then, let us make our way towards the castle and we will make a decision on where to camp or to place the case. So we will not have to spend as much time tomorrow morning unless we need to seek refuge tonight in Castle Ravenloft. Is that amenable? Yes. I will let everyone know that I did expend some resources in messaging Irina,

perhaps more than I needed to or should have, if we are going to encounter horrors within this castle, that perhaps was ill-advised. Well, I believe, now looking at it, I believe I teleported us here. Oh. So I'm a bit tapped. for quite a powerful spell. Let us make a determination on how safe the road or the outskirts of the forests will be near the castle.

Based on Sergei's recommendation, why don't you lead us to the tree line and we'll travel through the woods and we'll go in the direction of the castle, but we'll hopefully stay out of view of those spies. Yeah, all right, I got it. Everybody just, you know, stay close, but not too close and I'll see what I can do.

I will light your path, Shepard. We should move cautiously as things have been lurking in the woods. Preferably, Shepard, as far away from were wolves as you can guide us. So if you can all roll a stealth check and a perception check. And then for the next hour and a half, you will travel. And so you can discuss and make plans during an hour and a half. And then I will let you know. Did you want to scream it out of time?

I just want everyone to know that I rolled in natural. That I rolled in natural 20. I got double 18s, baby. And I didn't blow anyone's eardrums out. So Maya, I want to show it to me. It's very, very on brand for you and very off brand for me. Are you sick? I got one in four hundred eighteen.

You won well. You what? One in four hundred eighteen's. Wow. That's a 22 for stelf. 28 for stealth. Okay. Oh, boy.

I only got a 13 for stelf. Eight for stealth. You said perception was the other one? Perception. 28 and 18 for me. 18% or 18%? 18%? 28 stealth, 27 perception.

Okay. 8 stealth, 12 perception. 13 stealth, 7 perception. 22, stealth, 25 perception. Oh, I'm sorry. 12, 13 and 12. As a group, you travel for about an hour and a half. You are able to,

you do find yourselves in combat. Dyer wolves and wolves, creatures of the forest. The occasional shambling skeleton or zombie makes its way towards you, but you're always perceptive enough, even though Clayton is louder than he should be. You're perceptive enough to cut them off before they're able to get a surprise round. I think they might be a were able to. You come out for the most part unscathed. If there's anything you'd like to talk about, do it now. You know, Madameva was not kidding. she said that Professor would be providing us with much doom on this trip. We already nearly lost our necks with these werewolves.

I believe that it is in his nature to get us all into trouble. For the Amber Temple should have taught us a very valuable lesson about the lengths of which you, Professor Azraham, will go due to your curiosity and grave robbing. Well, once you've, once a horrific blood curse has been placed on your family line, your perspective changes a little bit. I can imagine you might do things a little differently than you may have done before, but my point is that we're nearing the end. Yes. And we're very close.

We've all made it out alive so well, most of us are mostly alive. We're all. in one piece so far. You watch as Sergei peeks through the tree line a little bit. This is where we will have to cross the main pathway, the crossroads. Should we do so now? Quickly. All right.

Lead the way. You all begin to mobilize as almost immediately. It comes cold. The air around you, frosty. You look around, you can feel it, a sense of doom and gloom. But Stradania is nowhere to be seen. Your attention is drawn towards the road that leads directly up towards Castle Ravenloft, which you know to be about a three-hour track by foot,

is a pristine black carriage drawn by two massive black stallions makes its way towards you. It almost feels as if it's floating. The sounds of the hooves echoing throughout the valley. And as you watch, you're almost stunned as the carriage pulls up beside you. There's no driver, no passengers. Both doors on either side slowly creak open. The plush, tufted velvet seats beckoning you inside. One of the horses nays and digs,

its hooves into the ground, makes eye contact with you. You see its bright red eyes. It's staring at you, waiting for you. I'm going to take my hat off and run my hand through my hair and say, well, God's damn it. Doc's right again.

Never pass up an opportunity to eat or sleep. We don't fucked up. How do you do? Fellow horses. Do they have a thonger? No, there are horses. We're all in animals yet. Are you?

The horses in Mr. Anne? Okay? Natural 20. Got you. Got you. Yeah. So also you say this and both of the horses snort and you expect warmth. But it's a chill, a frosty blast of air as it whips, as one of it whips its head to the side.

And you see it angles its head towards the open doorway to the right, the one closest to you. Yes. I've determined that these are just horses. May, nay. Watch me with. Very. Watch me nay. There's no driver, but they must be intelligent.

I can love it. Victoria. Perhaps you should enter the carriage first. And then when the door shuts behind her and whists her away, we're left standing here with the... I don't know about that. Excellent point, Shepard. Be my guest. I've been listening to Sir again.

Done. And I put one hand on my pistol, and I begin to enter the... You move towards the carriage. And as you step to it, you notice as there's no one there, but the steps slowly fold down. And you're able to place your foot on one. And you place your foot down a little hard just to see how sturdy it is. It seems okay. You put your hand on the top of the carriage.

It seems okay. And you whip yourself in. I take my hat off first. You take your hat off first. You're a gentleman. And then I get you. You whip yourself in and you sit down and both of your hands still on one of your hands on judgment, the other one on your hat. It's soft.

It's warm in here. There's a faint smell of herbs, a scent. It's sweet. But oaky. It's nice. Seems all right. As all right as anything like this can be. As I step up, I'll look at Shepard and say,

is it polite to remove your headware when entering a carriage? Yeah. I'll pull down my hood and I'll step. Oh, be sure that we're ready. to do this. Perhaps we should just take our time. We don't have to go at her beck and call. I was going to suggest that, but I'm not

sure we get a choice here. I look at Sergei. What do you think? Well, that's the wrong accent. Well, I think that we have to get there one way or the other.

And I think that I'm not sure I'm willing to pass up a free ride when we have so much that please and hit the bus. Let's all just do our best to take this time to rest up if we can.

If we decline now, I feel like we may not get an opportunity like this. Agreed. I would suggest that everyone besides perhaps Sergei should come next and then

Clayton and then Victoria and then Kana last. Agreed. Why? Because if anyone gets left behind, Kana could probably catch up the quickest. Indeed. I thought for sure you were going to say you weren't going to care if she got eaten about wounds. I know.

It had crossed my mind for only a briefest moment. This is nonsense. Sometimes a carriage is just a carriage. We also want to make sure Sergei is permitted to enter the carriage. True. But have you not seen the way that Kana moves when she throws her arms behind her back and leans forward and runs the very... quickly. I'm very flattered. It's at this moment that you see as Sergei steps into the carriage and takes a seat next to you, Shepherd. Is this going to be a thing that happens often?

Unfortunately, yes. Just a dark carriage. Thank you. I'll gather the fronts of my skirts and extend my hand up to Sergei. He stands up, writes himself, apologies, and he takes your hand and lifts you into the carriage. Well, I'm a lady. Then I'll pet one of the horses on the side. Roll an animal handling check. Oh, please. No. Haven't you lost criminal? We instantly lose the professor.

That's what it's not. You do. He's just out cold for the next 30 hours. Not good. Nine. Oh, hold on, hold, hold, oh. Nine. You go to pet the horse and it whips around. It chomps at you.

It doesn't actually find purchase on your hand. Your quick reaction allowed you to pull your hand away. but just a near fraction of an inch closer, and you could have lost a finger. All right, Tim. I'll get it. I'll take one last look around just to make sure there's no incoming danger,

peer off in the distance where we just came from the clearing. Roll a perception check. 17 for perception. You look around and it is the sky is darkening. It is getting late. You don't hear any unusual sounds, except for the point. peal of thunder. And as you look, you see that storm clouds, heavy, thick, dark storm clouds are beginning to gather over Castle Raymond Lough.

Oh, my. And this fits all of us. This carriage fits all of us. Easley. All right. Is anybody an out still outside? Kana was. I close the door behind it.

All right. Are we all ready? I close the door. As you say this, you immediately feel the carriage begin to rock. under you as the horses begin to move. You expect the jostling to be significant, but just as you would watch them come down, it almost feels as if they are gliding in the air. It is smoother than you expect it. And you, at first, are nervous, uncomfortable as you watch out of the windows of the carriage and you see the trees fly past you as the carriage itself rockets towards Castle Ravenloft. So we're going fast.

They're going fast. Darkness is slowly beginning to descend. The storm clouds are gathering and billowing as it gets darker and darker and darker. And by the time you finally make it to Castle Ravenloft, it is near pitch black outside. You hear the hobs of the horses

slowly come to a stop. Both of the doors creak open and they just wait. I'm going to poke my head out and look up at the castle and then kind of turn back into the carriage and say, I just want to go on record and have it be known. This was the exact opposite of what I suggested our plan be. And I put my hat on us. I exit the carriage.

You exit the carriage and you look up and you realize that you're further from Castle Ravenloff than you had expected. There are two corticalis. either side of a wide open chasm, a long, thin bridge that leads directly to the courtyard of Castle Ravenloft. And as you look across the chasm, the bridge that separates you from this place, you look up hundreds upon hundreds of feet into the air, the towering, looming silhouette of Castle Ravenloft on the dark horizon is a split of lightning strikes through the sky and it illuminates

everything is it pulses and shakes and light. For a second, you feel like you see movement in some of the windows, but it's all dark. It's quiet. It's an hour. I suppose we walk in. I'll put my foot up. I'll step out of the curate. And I'll just kind of take a moment and just like observe and take in the looming presence of this tower. This place has an evil to take to it. it. I can feel it even far darker than any time we've met Radana herself. Even more vile than the feeling I got in the Amber Temple.

Far as I'm concerned, once we step foot on that bridge, there's no going back. Understood? This is how it's supposed to be. I can feel it. This is how it ends. Then I got one last request, and I'm going to, like, reach into my back pocket and pull out an envelope that's kind of, like, crumpled up a little bit. You can tell that it's been, like, carried on my person for a while, a few weeks, and

I'm going to hand it to the professor. If anything happens to me, I already told you, all of you, first and foremost, you put me down. I ain't coming back, like one of those fucking monsters. Two, if you make it out of here alive and I don't, you remember where you pick me up. You go back there and you ask for a man named Dr. Thomas Cogberg, and you give him that God's damn weather. Understood?

Yes, I promise. Thank you. I'll put in my coat pocket. Dr. Thomas Cogman. They'll point you in the right direction. All right. Well, I don't believe I'll have to deliver it. this. But

either way, this will be the most dangerous situation we've ever been in. We've been in many very dangerous and deadly situations. I want you all to know that it is my number one priority to make sure that this expedition

goes home. Without me or with me, it doesn't matter. We will complete our goal. And I will promise, you that I will do everything in my power to get the four of you home safely. And I know you're all here because of me, because of my ambition, because of the expedition, wanting to discover this vile place. And here we are. Thank you, all of you, for everything. Professor Azaran,

I would like to thank you. It seemed like mere chance that all of us had been brought together on this expedition. But I now believe and know that that is not the case. This was the fate, the will of the gods, the will of the fire lord, that brought us together, that brought the shepherd, of Garrick's to Borovia and I appreciate your priority to get us all back home but I will let you know

and all of you know that I have one priority it is to turn that and I'll point to Kassarayvindoft to ash and if that conflicts professor I do not wish you or anyone else to perish due conflicting priorities. Well, let's kill her first, and then we'll worry about the stone. Consider it done.

Absolutely. Shall we? Leave the way, Professor. This is your expedition. Can I, when he says that, can I, like, look at Sergei and just kind of see what his facial expression is like? When he says what specifically? Let's just kill her. Let's kill her first. Let's kill it first.

You, yeah, I would say roll an insight check. Oh, not bad. It's really nice. You look at him and his face seems almost completely stone-faced. But you see his eyes flash with a sense of purpose and then sadness for just a second before you see that he is resolved in this with you. I will pick up my case, and just my glasses, and I will walk towards the door. Towards the door or towards the bridge? So I'll read the thing that I forgot to read.

After winding through the forest and craggy mountain peaks, the road takes a sudden turn to the east in the startling, awesome presence of Castle Ravenloft towers before you. The carriage comes to a dead stop before twin turrets of snow, broken from years of experience. Exposure. Beyond these guard towers is the precipice of a 50-foot-wide fog-filled chasm that disappears into unknown depths. A lowered drawbridge of old, short-up wooden beams stretches across the chasm between you and the archway to the courtyard. The chains of the drawbridge creak in the wind, their rusty-ton iron straining under the weight. From atop the high wall, stone gargoyles stare at you out of their hollow eye sockets and grin hideously. A rotting wooden fir colloics green with growth hangs above the entry tunnel. Beyond this location, the main doors of Ravenloft stand open. A rich, warm light spills from within, flooding the courtyard. Torches flutter sadly and sconces on both sides of the open doors. So you essentially have two guard towers, a rickety drawbridge, a stone archway, a small courtyard, or it's quite a large courtyard, and the open doors to the front. That is what

you're looking at. So there are guard towers on either side of us. So there are two guard towers on either side of you. I would, and we don't get, we are not getting any kind of resistance from those guard towers, right? They're broken and worn they're not, like you can look inside them and see, like from here, the walls

are torn down, etc. Then yeah, I would just begin crossing the lower drawbridge. I'll follow the professor. I'm keeping an eye out for movement. I need all of you to roll a percentile die for me. Oh, shit. Mother fucking fuck. So just remind me, just fuck my stuff.

works is double and single, and the double number is up to 100. So double number is the first digit. So what is zero? What is 100? So zero is a hundred? Everything else is read normally. Okay. Nine. I got 14. So that's 78? I got an 87. I got an 87. Oh, 11. You all begin to make your way across the drawbridge. The wind is whipping at you as the storm is coalescing overhead, raindrops begin to splatter down on you. And the footing is precarious here. Sarnax, you stare up at the castle. You envision it in flames burning to the ground.

And it's in this moment that you feel as your foot slips. You stumble forward as one of your feet goes through one of the wooden planks. I need you to roll a dexterity saving throw for me. Am I close enough to try and help him at all? Okay. Dexterity. You say. Dexterity.

If you're going to help him, you can roll with Advantage. Oh, cool. I'll reach out and try to grab him by the back of his cloak. So even with advantage, that'd be a 13. Ooh. The DC was 13. You got it. I'm going to tell you what would have happened if you have to get that.

The board breaks, and you begin. to stumble. Kana reaches out swiftly and grabs your cloak and pulls you back. You feel the breath coming in in strong gulps as you look down, no longer seeing Ravenloft and flames

in your mind, but the mist-filled chasm below you, thousands of feet deep. If you had failed, you fall to the bottom of the cliffs a thousand feet below. And die. Yes. I mean, that's it. Holy shit. But the DC is a 13. We're just immediately

done a party member out the gate. You could have, you could have like fly on him or something like that, right? What have we got? How will we even retrieve his arms? Garrick's would not have wanted you to perish so soon, Sornich. Hey, hey, everybody, fine. All right, focus.

I thank Garrick's for your quick mind and your quick hand. Thank you, God. Holy fuck, oh. This shit's old. We need to watch our step, all right? You okay? You okay? I was distracted with visions of flame and action. Damn, forgive me. Let's slow down and let me go first, please.

And you said you were looking out for enemies. I need your roll a perception check for me, please. I'm looking down at my feet. I'm doing that. 21. I'm doing this drug. And as I walk forward, I want to just kind of cast mending at like in different intervals. Just kind of trying to kind of repair the bridge. So it's a little dirty. I will say your ability to do that negates you having to roll again. Okay. Seeing how rickety the rest this drawbridge is. And fearing for your friends, you begin to use your magic to repair the broken boards.

And you are able to make your way across the drawbridge, just as you're about to go to walk beneath the archway, kind of holds out both of her arms. You noticed it just barely. There is a patch of green slime mixed in with the, moss and muck that's attached to this archway if you had walked

under that archway you know that it would not have been good for you. You must avoid this archway. I don't know what that is, but it doesn't look like good hoose. Well, hold on. Just give me one minute. I narrow my eyes and I use

Hunter's fucking thing. Sense. Hunter's sense on it. So basically, as an action, it will tell me exactly what it is. Resistance, immunity. It's a patch of green slime. It devours flesh and other organic materials.

It clings to the porticoleus, which you can see. The, let's see, it's bright green, wet and sticky. You know that if you come into contact with it, it'll do acid damage. Wow. And it is... And it's an ooze. Huh? It's a green slime.

I relay all this information to the green. Does it look as though that if you... we're careful, we can move around it and not walk directly under it? It looks like you would need to find some way to deal with it. Okay. There's no, there's no like it's on half of it. We have to go under it. It looks like looking, if you were to walk under it, it would fall onto you and cause things.

Good fucking eye, Connor. That's not hospitality. Sonax? Shall I? Please. Watch your footing first. Jinks, you owe me a half potion. I'm going to take a step back.

I'm going to What should I use? Slame. I don't know if I want to be hugged in flames. I'm going to try to burn it with sacred flame. Okay. So should I roll damage or?

No, with any effect that cures disease deals cold fire, radiant damage destroys the patch of green slime. There you go. So you watch as Sarnax channels his, the holy flames and he shoots them directly at the green slime. You watch as it burns and incinerates

and pops and crackles, and eventually completely fades away, leaving the path to the courtyard completely open for you. Look at that. I'm going to be honest. In the, God knows how much time we spent here in Borovia. It's the best we worked as a team all day. Well done, everyone. It's a good on me.

I think we're going to do this. Sunny skies ahead, I always say. All right. Keep an eye out for more green slime. I will continue to keep an eye out for more shenanigans. The weather begins to worsen. Dismal rain starts to fall, slowly becoming a torrent. Lightning routinely strikes the sky, or lights up the sky, followed by peels of thunder that make the castle shudder, as you make your way into the front courtyard. Thick, cold fog swirls in the courtyard around you. Spiratic flashes of lightning lance the weeping clouds overhead as thunder shakes the ground beneath your feet. The doors on the gate towers that you just passed through as you entered in the courtyard are closed, causing the wind to howl and rush the tunnel and into the courtyard with a force that makes you feel and steady on your feet. Through the drizzle, you can make out the dark silhouette of the castle

looming over you. The walls that enclose the courtyard are at least 90 feet high and tower over you, threatening to keep you locked inside. And yet, the castle itself rises even higher into the sky, like a dark and foreboding god staring down at its worshippers. Taring your eyes away from the massive form of the castle, you see torch flames fluttering on each side of the keep. open main doors. High above the entrance is a round window with shards of broken glass lodged in its iron frame. The shattered

window overlooking the main entrance is silent and dark. No light escaping its jagged mom. However, warm light spills out of the entrance itself flooding the courtyard. It almost feels as if the castle is welcoming you home.

Because I'm a monk, I run at the wall. I run up 90 feet, that I run down because you're a monk? Yeah, I've been a monk the whole time. I know. I know.

It's funny, funny enough, surprise. That was the main surprise. That is where we're going to end this. That's the twist. That's a trickle of a lot. You got to get it all. And that's actually

that's where we're going to end the campaign, I think. Yeah, that's a great fun. Because if you were a monk, you could solo stradania. Yep. Totally. Totally. Totally.

I could have run on. We're done. matters. Well, we learned our storytelling from the best, and it's that nothing matters in the last season. Endings are hard. We will roll credits, and it'll be a cinematic Chevron Kana with their arms behind them, running across the lake, like this, and then the credits will roll into some lo-fi hip-hop, a Japanese hip-hop will put in the background. Got it. Got it. But a serious question. Yes. So this is an absolutely colossal castle, where the walls alone are nine stories tall.

So this is, just for the sake, I didn't print this out, but I should have. So it's hard for you. You're walking, you're essentially right here. So you're seeing this area over here. This is how big the castle is. So what you can see standing in this area, which is right here, is you can see the courtyard extends here. There are these walls here with port cullises, and then obviously you can't see what's

behind it. but you're standing right here at the very entrance of the castle. Does it feel as though this castle was built to like withstand, you know, like assaults and armies? You know that Stradonia was a fighter. She was a warrior. Right. A warlord, right? A warlord.

And she, Barovia was built on all the nations she'd conquered. She brought them. She essentially found Barovia as a valley. And she took all of the lands, the people from the lands that both. her and her father had conquered, and she had put them into Barovia and built Barovia as a tribute to her father, King Barrow. Okay. And so this castle is a replica of her father's castle.

It is a fortress. So I do have one more question, and this is a call back to like episode fucking two. The wizard who had tried to fight Stradan-Kazan cast into the ocean. Yes. Does that imply that this castle is on the coast? Was that it was cast into a river? He had cast into a river. Okay.

Okay, so it wasn't like a seaside castle. So the castle is surrounded by land. So you know from that story it was this castle. It was Castle Raven. Right, but it wasn't an ocean. It was just a river, a body of water of some sort. So it's surrounded by land, but it's basically like on top of like a peak. Yes.

And there's a huge like basically like a moat of thousands of feet below us. Okay. Can we get in the sense that the castle's like roughly 200 feet tall, at least based on that picture? I actually think the map tells me how it's all this. I bet you it does. But I don't know off the top of my head. It's gigantic. So we're getting this head.

It's like 20, 25 stories tall. Yeah, it's like Hogwarts. Holy shit. Wow. I'll step up to, as you look at it, I'm going to look at Clayton and say, what a horrible night to have a curse. Sarnex, are you implying that there.

might be an okay time to have a curse? Right to you all, Sonax. This is counter-blessings, I suppose. No, that wasn't rhetoric. I'm interested. Did you honestly believe that there might be an okay time to have a curse? Any other night than tonight

might be a better night to have a curse. I love you, Sarnex, but I'm never going to understand you. Well, I will try harder. In the brief time we have left, Sheppling. It's very touching both of you, but should we proceed? Yes. All right.

Straight on in? Straight on in. The ornate outer doors of the castle hang open, flanged by fluttering torches and iron sconces. Twenty feet inside the castle is a second set of doors. As you approach, the doors in front of you suddenly swing open, revealing a grand hall filled with the sound of organ and violin music. Overhead in the vaulted entry foyer, four statues of dragons glare down, their eyes flickering in the torchlight.

Oh, they're dragons. Yeah, Professor, I'm getting non-flashbacks to Death House. Should we approach carefully? Well, being welcomed inside. But remember, this castle is beyond the wheel of Tridonia. even if she welcomes us who's to say that the castle would not attack us otherwise

she wouldn't have it shall we announce you at this point is anyone sorry you're standing in the entry one I'll walk forward through the open doors and step into the big area where the lights cobwebs stretch between the columns so I moved towards the dragons

Yes, ma'am. Cobwebs stretch between the columns that support the vaulted ceiling of a great dusty hull dimly lit by sputtering torches and iron sconces. The torches cast odd shadows across the faces of eight stone gargoyles, squatting motionlessly on the rim of the domed ceiling. Cracked and faded ceiling frescoes are covered by decay. Double doors of bronze stand closed to the east, which is where you know, in front of you, to the north, a wide staircase climbs into darkness.

A lit hallway to the south contains another set of bronze doors, through which you hear the sad and majestic wail of the violin. An elf with round skin and long black hair descends the wide staircase, quiet as a cat. He wears a gray cloak over black studded leather armor and has a polished scimitar hanging from his belt. My mistress is expecting you, he says. He slowly descends the last few steps of the grand stairwell, He places himself directly in your path.

He bows towards you, but he never lowers his head, ever keeping his eyes on all of you. As, still in a deep bow, he swiftly motions his arm to the side, indicating the path opposite the stairwell. Without another word, he straightens his form and begins to lead you in that direction. Ah, thank you, my good man. This way, this way. I'm Professor Clayton, Azran. Do you have a name? This way.

my mistress waits. All right, yes, please, please do lead the way. I'll usher everyone fast, and I'll just take one last look up the staircase opposite of where we're going, just to make sure nothing is charging out of us. You look, and it's dark, but there is nothing there. Victoria, are elves normally like this? Well, I'm better half elf, but no, I've not seen someone quite like that. Well, perhaps he is not leading us towards our doom.

You make your way deeper in. As the strange elderly earth leads you deeper into the castle, torchlight begins to flutter against the walls of a vaulted hall. To the east, an arched hallway stretches for 20 feet, ending in a spiral staircase that goes both up and down. Next to the hallway, a suit of armor, oiled and glistening, stands at attention in a shallow alcove. To the west, large double doors hangs slightly open,

and a steady bright light escapes through the opening. The swelling of music comes from behind the doors, spilling its melody into the hallway at your feet, the song of power, love, pain, and defeat. You watch as he motions his hand towards the open door. Can I... No, I was just clarifying. Is it these double doors, not the spiral staircase?

Yes. Has the little elf made any sort of... I want to see if his expression has changed. changed locking eyes on Sergei if he has noticed him at all. He's been looking between you. He looks

disgusted by all of you equally. Okay. Hey, hey, before we go in anywhere, I think we make a group decision right here and now. We let the professor, we let Victoria handle things.

Three of us and Sergei, let us just younger, all right? Agreed? Agreed. Segay, you stay here and you wait for your cue. None will wait. I'll go in.

The point is I'm trusting you. You understand that? What if I say the wrong thing? You're not going to say the wrong thing. He yelled at me before when we didn't give you respect, an agency. And I'm making it know now that I'm giving it to you, all right? trust you. Right.

But you will give the word when the time comes, and I'll be prepared to burn it all down. Well, that's on the professor. You will not burn the castle down. Maybe not in front of the gentleman here.

You will go in the mistress waits. Oh, right. Damn it. I'll take my hat off, actually, and I'll follow the professor. I'll have that moment. I'll... It's good. I'll...

look at Shepherd politeness. Three, enormous crystal chandeliers brilliantly illuminate this magnificent chamber. Pellers of stone stand against dull white marble walls supporting the ceiling. In the center of the room, a long,

heavy table is covered with a fine white satin cloth. The table is laden with many delectable foods. Roasted beasts basted in a savory sauce, roots and herbs of every taste, and sweet fruits and vegetables. Places are set for each you with fine, delicate china and silver. At each place is a crystal goblet filled with an

amber liquid with a delicate tantalizing fragrance. At the center of the far west wall, between floor to ceiling mirrors, stands a massive organ. Its pipes blare out a thunderous melody that speaks in its tone of greatness and despair. Seated near the organ, facing away from you, a single caped figure slides a bow along the strings of a dark wooded violin. She sways in time with the music, lost in raptured ecstasy. The figure suddenly stops, and as a deep silence falls over the dining hall, she drops the bow to her side as she slowly rises from her plush velvet tucked in seat. She slowly turns towards you. For a second, you see shock ripple across her stone-like visage as her eyes meet those of her brother Sergei. It's hard to tell if the smile that slowly overtakes

her face is truly genuine. Can I see it this? Can you win? No, D.C. is too high for that. Got it. Got it. Okay. Welcome to my home. Hello. Watch as she saunteres over. She drops the bow and the violin to her side,

slowly resting them on the sete that she has risen from. As she slowly guides over, you notice that she has no armor on. Her dress at first looked nearly black, but you see that it is the deepest of reds. as the satin of the trail glides behind her. You notice the plunging the neckline on the front that goes nearly down to her belly button, faintly gilded in a crisp black lace that travels all the way up and around her neck.

The red golden brooch around her neck shimmers in the candlelight. And she turns towards you. Her hair is up and tussled and curls as it trails down her back. And you watch as she glides towards Victoria, you're almost shocked to see that the plunging neckline is not nearly as plunging as that of the neckline in the back. It barely graces over her lower back. She moves towards you. She holds out her hand.

I've set a place for you next to me. Let us dine together, friends. For the first time ever, I am not, like, going for my weapons. I'm going to be very much, like, arms crossed, kind of like try to be relaxed, but I'm not doing anything threatening, very intentionally. Okay. Shall we sit? She takes your hand, and she slowly raises it to her lips,

and she does not break eye contact as she places her lips across your knuckles. You can feel the warmth of her breath across your skin as she kisses. Your flesh. She flips your hand over to the palm, and she lays a kiss there. Let us dine. Well, thank you for your hospitality. This looks lovely. Brother, it is good to see you this evening.

My sister, it has been a long time. You look beautiful. And you are ever handsome. Please take a seat. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventrous and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas, shroud over salt marsh. You can also go to the crooked moon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement, The Crooked Moon, a folk horror toome for Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, minatures,

plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. I'll sit next to Sargay, but I'll lean my nagging out against the wall, like, away from the dining table as to not disrespect. I'm going to take a seat next to the professor. All her like loudly like,

eh. It's kind of like very slowly, sit down. I'll sit as far away from Shredania as I can, and I'm going to sit down and I'll try to like, see if like the chair will accommodate my tail. It does. There's an opening at the back.

You're easily able to place your tail through. And rather than place, I'm going to place my lantern down, but I'm going to hook my tail around the back of it, so it's on my person and just kind of keep it beneath the chair. I hope that you had a lovely trip. The carriage picked you up on time. Yes, it was made me. You got your quite short, actually.

The precipy short. And who is excited for a wedding? Lovely. I, for one, am very excited. I'm very much looking forward to it. The castle has been in quite a bit easy, trying to get ready. It looks very nice indeed, and I'm sure the ceremony will be very impressive. I'm sure with my lovely brother back in our midst, he would facilitate the wedding for us.

and you see as they make eye contact Sergei doesn't say a word but he nods almost as if in agreement it's hard to tell whether he's nodding that he'll do it or that he hears what she's saying but she seems to accept the gesture well um is this uh what do we have in front of us here

is a rose twist oh well I guess we'll just dig in everyone helps themselves without even like You know, after he says that, I basically just grab my plate and, like, start to, whether I have to cut it myself or whatever, I go for it. I'm not hesitating. Are there any eggs anywhere?

Taking a lead, so to speak. And I start to help myself to a plate of food. It's going to be the rescuers down under. It's very Hogwarts-esque. You notice that as you consume more and more things seem to appear on the plates. I'm just going for eggs. I'm definitely inspecting it. Like, I'm not just eating.

it, but I'm making it look like I'm just taking the lead to help myself to food. Does it seem like if we envision it, it'll appear? No. I scour the table for an edamomabe appetizer. No. You do notice that there are some stringed beans, which are the closest thing that you could imagine. He seemed to be in a nice vinaigrette.

I look at the string beans. I look at stratagasya shalee. I see if there's like any sort of. of like chef or handmade around. It's you and Shemotna? Sergey, if you may, pass the green beans, please. I love, love beans. Sure, they're right in front of you, but here.

I want to just, as I've made myself a plate and begin to cut this roast beef, I want to, like, smell it before I eat it. Does it, does it anything smell off, or is it just? What was the role? would be the role for this, for poison. Oh, survival. Survival.

Survival. Yeah, we're all survival. That's how I would rule it. This is why you have another DM at your table. So when you don't know what the rolls are, he can tell you. 18. You smell it. There are no, you're looking for the faint sour or pungent odors of anything that might be rancid or poisons or anything that might seem off and you don't get a sense.

of anything. It seems to be perfect. As I see, I'm following kind of Shepherds' leading as kind of eating. I see like kind of looking around. I'm like thinking of stuff and I'm just going to glare at her. You're meal, Connor. Are you eating it with the shell on?

What? Are you eating it with the shell on? Oh yeah, 100%. I like my tongue. Oh my gosh. I like gingerly scraping if you beat green beans onto my plate. Family style, two hands pass it

with a half bow to Sergey would you like some beans Sergei? Or is an appetizer? Yes, con the police. And so I'll like use my fork to push some beans onto his plate and then I'll

um, um, um, so next would you like some beans? And I just put the plate down and they like clatters for a second over and I just go back to eating the beans. I'm very intentionally sticking to mostly meat and staying away from anything baked, wheat-based. Fuck all that shit.

Good bread this. As I'm done, like, I'm done, Larry. I love her at YouTube, and I'm just like... It's very good beans. I'm trying to taste something. The garlic in these green beans really pairs so well. You're watching as Kana is taking her fork, and she's trying to stab the bean, but every time she touches it, it rolls to the other side of the plate. near the clatter of the fork hitting the plate

and she tries again and one of them pops up and hits Sergei and his collar and he looks over at her. So sorry. Kana. He, without saying a word, reaches his side and hands her a spoon. Kana, garlic, don't be insensitive.

Clearly. Well, thank you. Professor, I believe you were saying something about castles or weddings or something that isn't that, anything Kana has to say. I'm just being beat red, like my hair's around. I'm just staring at my food.

Conal was got eaten by wolves once. Have you had Dyer Wolf? We've eaten it on the road as you do. No. No, I've never had Dyerwood. A good proverb of a Greek accent, yes. All right, time out. Time out.

Good meat this as well. Would you make dinner with you? Mr. Donya any more awkward. Same thing. One more down. In all seriousness, I have said, end character,

I've said nothing. Yes. Very, very, to keep the record, should have said nothing. I just remember about my edamone.

Do you know where we are? Anyway. I do not find myself often eating Dyer Wolf. This meal is very delicious. I'm very glad it's not Dyer Wolf, though.

What they mean to say is so kind of you to greet us with such a lovely meal after our journey. Of course. I would not allow for you to go hungry. Of course. So what do you think about your senior brother? I thought that his presence would be a lovely wedding gift. Yes, I'm sure you did. Does it please you?

As I'm like using my cutler, I'm making too much noise. It's weird. Like, I'm like aggressively cutting the meat. And like, I'm not exactly, for as like refined as a gentleman I might be as a cowboy, my eating manners aren't as nice

as you would think. And I'm like aggressively cut. Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink, click. A fluk of egg shell flies up and hits you in the head. My goodness. I am not sure that pleased is the word I would use. Because I am still in shock, it has been too long.

Yes, several hundred years, I would think. Victoria, Dawa, you are not eating. I suppose it's a bit of nerves, you see. Let me help you. You see, as she reaches over, her bosom's heaving, as she begins to cut a slice of roast beast in front of you. She places it onto a fork. It's a dainty.

bite as she leans forward and she tilts your chin up and she feeds it to you. I'll take the bite and just kind of, you know, wipe my face a bit and look away. Well, you will need to rest, I believe, after dinner, there is so much to do with a wedding on the way. So I will be indisposed for a night or do, but I will make sure to come and find you when this time to make the final preparations. Great. Do you have a specific... So, will it be in two days' time, three days' time? I can rush these things, Professor.

Well, in case we want to invite guests, we don't want to necessarily give them a vague time of come in a few days. You might miss it. If you would like to invite a guest, you may let me know their name. and I'll send an invitation. Oh, no, I'm all right. I was going to say, Professor,

I didn't realize you had friends and family here in Borovia. Well, I'm just wondering, in case like we, maybe Blinsky would have some tools. Would you like me to send for your family outside of the world? No, no, I'm quite all right. A wife and daughter may like to be here? I didn't have to worry about that. I was thinking maybe Blinsky could be here

or maybe, you know, some of, of the other colorful characters we've met along the way. Out of character, do we know that he is a wife and daughter? In character. He's never talked about it. You talked about it to... Well, Arabel says something else. Oh.

That's what I'm saying. Oh, yeah, we did. Yeah, Arabel, because she's a six-year-old. That's right. She didn't cheat to tell us, and we had a conversation. Okay. But I told, you asked me, and I told you no. Remember?

But then, was it to reveal that, like, oh, it was all, like, a ruse? Because of your family hurts. I would say you don't actually. actually know, and he has never told you anything. It was like cryptic. What she said was sort of cryptic. I'm making skeptic face. None of that will be necessary.

Of course not. I was just wondering in case, you know, Brovi is such a lovely place. Well, it would be rude of me. You brought my family to me. I should bring your family to you. Well, this isn't my day. This is Victoria's day.

Yes, that's right. and so it should be about her, not my family, but Blinsky or someone else, I don't know. Damn, you're right. I'm sorry. Fuck, you're making it really hard. You're making this really long. What are we doing?

I have nerves. What else are I supposed to? Your delivery is too good. It's two guys. I don't know. Apologues. Went down the wrong pipe. Anyway.

I'm very excited and I'm happy for everyone involved and I'm sure it will be a lovely, lovely time. It will. I think we're all quite excited for the event.

Yes, is that excitement I sense in your face, Shepard? Oh, what? Excitement, darling. Is that what I sense in your face? Yeah, I'm thrilled.

And yes, this is just us my face. Tell me, what do you look forward to most with the wedding between myself and your dear friend, Victoria Isles? I look forward to the limitless amount of joy that weddings bring.

That is a lovely answer. Yes, well said, Chepper. Have it on us in joy in wonderful times. Should we invite the church? children from the Abbey of St. Markovia. I don't think that would be necessary. Well, I feel that we will need a... We will need someone to bear the flowers, and they ring down the aisle.

There is a small girl and a little boy, Thomas, I believe, yes. Someone is well off... They would be perfect, I think. Someone as well off as yourself has plenty of people to help with those things. We certainly don't need to bring the children into this. Well, as it stands, children do bring a sense of joy and childlike freedom to an event. I think it might be necessary. If I may, I believe Thomas...

If you may what? Thomas may have consumed all of his snow days for the year the weather has been quite gruesome where he is. And he may not be able to... Do you mean in the abbey where this... sun shines currently? No, I meant the village. Of Christ, where the sun is

hard at his studies. He needs to learn, and he's being well taken care of, and he is quite busy. On hallowed ground. Yes, and countess, perhaps a more intimate. Or for you, Anya, if you

prefer. My love. A more intimate. ceremony, perhaps. As you wish. Now, I think you can tell that my comrades are quite tired.

Yes. Exhausted. You will find your... Delirious, it seems. You will find your... This is getting real hard. With all of the English accents over on the side.

I'm sorry. You will find your room at the top of the tower. Oh. It's like a princess. Of course. We will all stay, same room? If you wish.

I'm going to take my leave now. I'm feeling exhausted from all of the conversation and the emotions that having seen my brother here tonight, so happy to see you. Good night then, and you watch as she slowly rises. shall cut in your throat yes actually

thank you and are we free to move about the castle or are your you have not harmed us but are your creatures of the knight of the same

disposition the denizens of the castle will do as they will but they will not displease their lady while you are in residence with my future wife you may you may find yourselves indulging in the foray around the castle

if you so choose I cannot promise safety but I will not hinder your progress when you see as she a faint smile appears on her face I am feeling starved so I will take my leave

good night sweet three you watch as she slowly turns and begins to walk from the room the door shuts behind her music still playing throughout the room she's not going to get those kids she's taunting us she can't step

fucking foot she can't talk she is powerless she would have done it if she could It was a pathetic threat. Don't worry about it, Shepherd. You can't let her get to you. You make it too easy for it. She physically can't reach those children. Nothing she can do can bring them here.

I like to see her fucking try. She's trying to mess with our heads. She would burn alive. It would be quite a pleasing display. Damn right. If she did try. She's done it before with Valaki. The Abbot is in the Abbey, so they're only as protected

as long as he makes it out of ground. End the sunlight. Eternally sunlight. She is powerless at the abbey. The children are safe so long as they don't wander off. Due to their childhood wins, I presume that children have childhood wins. They won't.

They won't. That involve wandering. We taught them. Often otherwise. They taught them well. They know. I hope so. Perhaps I could send a message to Irene or the other children individually.

perhaps put to fear into them so you don't save your strength all right I trust him very well and they best not wander

we know that there are weevils and we never took care of them I was going to save the same myself very dangerous outside dress they're rebels there don't you understand

they can't leave they won't leave Sergei is there any reason for us to be worrying about the children Yep, this is going to be a two session. I believe the werewolves are perhaps the least of their worries. If I had to make a guess, I'd say they're narratively unimportant at this point.

So you best be shut the fuck up about it. If I had to hazard a guess, I believe that the Ravens perhaps dealt with them off screen. Well, I don't know what you mean by screen or narrative, but all I've heard is I've read a lot about werewolves in my research. and I haven't seen a single one since I've been in Borovia. I was hoping to do quite a bit of research, encountering one. Once we burn this place to the ground, you will have your feel of werewolf study. Keep your voice down when you're talking about burning it. My understanding is that the Countess is very well aware of my desires to burn this place to the ground, turn it to ash.

She may be, but the other things in this castle are not. vile wicked creatures of the night not worthy of any of our respect it's not about respect it's self-preservation until we have a plan in place we've stumbled our way in here she's right we're not picking any fights into it already

I'm keeping my trap shut is there any reason why we should be worried for the children turn to Sergei I just kind of want to study his face for a second is there any reason for us to be worried about the children Are they in danger in the abbey? As long as they stay in the abbey, they are not at a danger. But if their child like whim gets the better of them

and they do find themselves wondering or playing, her threats are not without truth. That's not going to happen. All right, we trust Irene, we trust the abbot. Everything is going to be fine. But perhaps Mr. Salonach should send a message. just reiterate how crucial it is that they remain at the abbey. If you feel that's necessary, Sarang's than do it.

I will do so before bed, lest we encounter vile creatures of darkness. That's wise. We can do it sooner than that. We don't know where she's gone off to. Perhaps. To feed, clearly, but on whom? I think it can wait until the evening. Well, it is getting late.

and children are probably already in bed and we discussed all staying in the same room yes I'm surprised she was gonna allow that she snuck up on Victoria when I laid immediately next to her on the ground she could very well do it again in her own home so be it not if we are in

the magnificent townhome professor Clayton Azraam actually raises a good point We're stopping anybody from opening up the lid and just sauntering on in. They would need to use some powerful matter to open it, but it's not technically impossible, and it isn't visible once we go inside. I appreciate your honesty. Perhaps it's worthwhile keeping watch.

One of us outside the cases at all times, or at least by the stairway leading down into the case. I don't know how the fuck I'm going to sleep in here anyway. You're right. it almost seems strange sleeping in a lavish townhome when in such mortal danger. But I do think that Shadanya knows our motives and we know hers. And I think she thinks that no matter what we do,

she'll get what she wants. So I'm feeling a bit confident in our ability to traverse unstarved. Can we at least get the fuck out of it? this dining hall and maybe go see what we're dealing with in these sleeping quarters and then formally the plan from there under the assumption that she's listening at all fucking towns a fierce bone-chilling wind rises up and roars through the halls you can see through the partially open doorways the lit torches in the hallway beyond are extinguished you cover your ears

the sound of hundreds of screaming ancient rusty door hinges sing in unison as they slammed shut around the entirety of the castle. Their pleas echo through the endless halls, and then, even louder still, the sound of the portcullis clangs shut outside. As if following suit, the tired groans of the aged drawbridge can be heard pulling itself

closed. Finally, silence descends upon you. Only for a second, as the door in the dining room slams shut, the entire room shakes with the force. The ringing of the wine glasses and the chandeliers cause you to feel lightheaded as they reach a near fever pitch before

falling silent once more. What in the ever-living fuck was that? Well, they're taking the door up, the draw bridge up for the night. It seems like standard practice for a castle. I'm going to scoge back

from the table. That's for good. Sancher over to the wall and grab my nagging out and stand back by my chair. I believe if that is it then, there is No leaving this place until our task is complete. Did you say the door to the dining room closed?

Yeah, slammed shut. You watched us, you would hear the doors all over kind of Ravenloft slamming shut. And all of the light sconces outside of the dining room went complete pitch black and then the door slammed. Well, fuck. Is the organ still playing? It is not. Could someone check the door? Certainly.

I'll walk over and try the door handle. You try the door handle, and it moves easily as you look out into the hallway that you'd entered from. It is pitch black. And it was lit before? I close it shut. I can't see anything out there. I guess the sconces have been extinguished. Any chance we see that gentleman from earlier who might be able to take us to our fucking quarters?

Hopefully not. I think we should find our way. You want to stumble around here blindly. If I had the two guests. Yes. I believe that now that the Countess has left, the castle, its darkness, its own mind has reverted to a ruined, abandoned place of death and evil. No longer welcoming, we're going to have to make this journey alone. I have to agree with Mr. Sarlax. They are linked to she in this castle. I want to walk over to the organ

and just like investigate it. Take a look at it. Roll an investigation check. It comes alive and eats you. Damn, I am rolling like gabbage. Hot gabbage. That's a five plus five, plus five is 15 still. Looks like an organ.

I'm going to just press a note. You press a note? Is it play? Yeah. That's a different note. Is it into a play? Professor, I didn't know you played. I'll sit down and I'll throw my jacket out for me.

I'll sit down. I'll just play like a C chord, a C minor. You do that. I don't have more music on this playlist, because that's Alfonza's thing. I just want to sort of being proficient in piano. I want to see if I can somewhat play. Do I get a sense of how to play it? You do.

I want to... It's not perfect, but it's good enough. In an attempt to seem hospitable and, you know, keeping up with the charade, I want to sort of like, try to remember what she was playing to and just kind of like stumble around it

and see if I can like kind of play that out. Like just sort of a rough approximation of what I think she was playing earlier. Okay. Roll a performance check. Can I add my proficiency since I'm fishing in that's how it works. So it's still

20. Just waiting for the Davy Jones tune to come on. 22. You are able to find the notes as you begin to play Shredonia's theme on the organ. Roll perception check for me at advantage.

Fuck yeah. I'll get kind of a shiver up in the expone. She starts on button. Perception? That is a 21. As you're playing, you're able to hear the notes before you play them and you know exactly where to move your fingers to. And though you've never played an organ before, it comes naturally to you. And as you hit the note and you move your foot onto the pedal, there's resistance.

You look down and you see scrapes, marks along the floor that suggests that the organ can be slid. Shut the fuck up. Outward. I'll kind of let the song resolve of like where I think it naturally feels good and I'll kind of end on a chord like you do for you know, in a big organ song. Quite impressive, Professor. Well done. It was beautiful. It plays beautifully, despite how old it is.

Let that be the funeral dirge of the countess. Should I call for the elf? well, wait, this organ can be slid forward. What? I notice it while playing. There are scratch marks here on the ground, and there must be some way to move it. Perhaps they move it for some other reason,

but I believe it may be hiding some kind of entrance. I mean, do you think we get... How massive is this thing? It's really huge. but Clayton, you playing it, you realize which pedal it was. You believe that there's a pedal that you could push that may activate the organ. I think that this pedal here, if I press it hard enough, could open it. Just like that.

Well, I bring it up because I want to ask you, should I try? Yes. We should be prepared to be met with darkness. If we do this, as with all things moving forward, there's no going back. As long as we all understand that, We make decisions now. Those decisions are permanent. And at any given moment, we're looking for a fight.

We have a secret weapon. We have wickedness to seduce the wickedness, exploit her emotions. Sergei, do you trust us? Yeah, totes, bro. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'm convinced. I don't want to ask you to do anything you don't want to do. Saga, that was pretty radical.

I'm glad you have your buy him I extend my hand and go hookty wookoo you're almost as cool as this litch we met was Oh that cool litch Yeah I'm expected a demi litch or a draco litch But a cool litch I hadn't read up on Yes

Anyway I'm sorry Sergey is going to answer his question Oh sorry Clayton Azran Seems like an answer to me I do I do trust you I have mixed emotions that I need to find a way to reconcile. Looking at Stradania, I see my sister in her.

We were best friends when we were young. She was my best friend. And I see her there somewhere, but it is clouded, it is dark, and for a moment tonight she looked at me, and I knew her. and then she was gone. I can't begin to imagine how difficult that is, and I'm not going to try, because it's not my place.

But I put my trust in the professor, and we're going to be making some difficult decisions in the next couple of days, and I just got to know you're with us. There is no other choice for me. She sealed her fate when she took Tatiana from me. I will not give you. her the chance to take Irina from me.

I will follow you. If you want to travel behind the organ, I will go. But I will let you know now, there is something I need from my crypt. And I will go alone or I will go with you. But one way or another, I will go. I cannot make that choice for you. I will go with you. We are not letting you go alone.

Absolutely not. We will get what you need. We all allegedly have some. to find down there. That's right. All right. Then we're on the same page. Professor, let it rip.

Wait. Should we lock the door? With what? I don't know. The fan of the Yamaha. The same is a Yeah. Like a Yamaha like a sound good.

Do you do do do do da. And so while that's happening, I'm playing that song and I press the pedal and like the stage kind of starts to turn around. The web start to loosen. You watch as the, as Clayton plays the chord and presses firmly down in the pedal, it gives you resistance at first, but you feel as it clicks and it slides in, you are able to move out of the way as the, as the organ itself moves forward out of the wall, sliding against the stone.

The grinding sound is so loud. It echoes through the room shaking the chandelier. all three of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and showing to you a small, open passageway leading into darkness. Which I will remedy. I'll whip my hand around and will bullseye it and just kind of cast my light down the hallway. I'm going to stand right next to or behind Sarnax if it's only one person with and withdraw judgment from its holster.

Thank you. Making your way into the dark space behind the, behind the organ. The bullseye lantern of Sarnax's vestige is easily able to illuminate the area. You find yourself in what appears to be the southernmost archers post. The castle courtyard is clearly visible through arrowslits in the north and west walls. Leaning against the walls are mirrors of various sizes. Some as tall as a human and others small enough to fit in a backpack. Seems strange that there's mirrors lying here. Does it look like Sarnax's light is like bouncing off in a particular way?

Off of the mirrors, yeah, it's being reflected all over the hallway. And you said that these are like framed mirrors. There are mirrors of various sizes. Just all kinds. Just hundreds of mirrors. Are they hung or are they sitting on the ground? Some of them are sitting on the ground. None of them seem to be hung.

It looks like they've been taken and placed here. Okay. Havazardly. I'll look behind one. If I can take one off the wall. General investigation. 25. you take one of the mirrors off the wall.

You move a few of them here about here and there in the corners. And the only thing that seems to be in this room is mirrors and a thick layer of dust. Are there any that you said there's some that were smaller than others. Is there, are there any that are so small that I could just like almost like a pocket size mirror? Yeah, they're handheld mirrors. I want to pick one up and take it. Add it to your inventory. And I'm just going to like slide it in my.

You do that. Because I'm amused. I'm just amused by it. any mirrors as we walked through to the dining room? No. Can I do I, I know that vampires don't have a reflection, right? I would say you would know that, yes, with your research. I deduce that basically she took all of the mirrors in the house and threw them here

because it made her mad that she didn't have a reflection, yes. Oh. For the record, I'm not, I didn't, I'm not metagaming it. I just think the mirrors are amusing. Um, seriously. She, these were probably all the mirrors throughout the castle. Why? Vampires do not have a reflection.

Bullshit! If you were to hold up a mirror, that mirror you just pocketed. If you were to hold it up to Shadanya, she would not appear. You would see the room behind her. Well, I'll be damned. Why is that the case? It's the nature of their undeath, the vile unholyness. It's almost like reality itself doesn't accept their existence, as it shouldn't.

Professor, does that extend to the spawn as well, not a full empire? Do you know? I believe it does. I believe it does. And that's the case. I'm going to kind of go over to Shepard say, may I see that very quickly, Shepard? Of course. I'm going to hand it to the start next.

I'll take a look and I'll kind of look to see if I can see Victoria. You can see her reflection clearly. You missed Asanax. I was just observing mirror. I see. Excuse me Do any of the mirrors appear destroyed? I would say there are probably a couple that are broken.

Do they look like they were intentionally broken? No, they probably just fell in their place. Got shattered. Mr. Shepard, perhaps we all should take a small mirror. I mean, I'm not really sure how that would help. I just was kind of amused by all of the glass. I mean, do what you want. I mean, is there any kind of property that would help us?

Fighting something like that, look. No, it's just an important clue. I've been doing this a long time, and it doesn't sound like that would be helpful in any way. I'll put the mirror back if it makes you uncomfortable. I took it because I thought it was interesting. No, it's up to you. Feel free to take it. What I believe this clue is telling us is that she indeed resents her curse.

And I think, as we've been saying, there's more at play than Diana herself. And why? It should be a good idea to take the mirrors. we don't know who we will meet, who will try to pass themselves off as regular people. And if we can check to see whether they have a reflection, that is something my sister may not expect. Well, shit. My thought precisely. Thanks for doing my job better than me.

You were the one who thought to pocket it, whether it was for purely... Now, I wasn't stealing. I know you're not insinuating that. I know, not at all, actually. Thank you. I just meant you put it in your pocket. Smart thinking, Shepherd. Thank you. I always carry a lady's compact, so I'm set,

but if any of you are so inclined, perhaps that is a good idea. I'll grab a small mirror. Okay. And perhaps, like I had been saying, this is another point that we can utilize to manipulate the Countess's emotions. Trigger her rage, make her make a mistake. I'll grab one of the larger shards of like the broken glass rather than the entire mirror

and pocket that. You're easily able to all collect the mirror pieces or mirrors they want. So is it just like a kind of hidden room or is there any like extending hallway that there is it? So you'll, you should be able to see it on the map. Yeah. But you can see how the hallway leads down. I know it's a large map, so it's kind of hard to see. Oh, I see.

Sorry, guys. I'm very, you know, Italian. Let's keep looking down this hallway. You know, Italian. And I'll lead the group down to sort of this fork on the road here and then peek my head at both ways. You make your way towards the end of the hallway. You look to your right,

where it looks to be a turret post, a high dome ceiling, caps the 30-foot-wide octagonal room before you. Frescoes, faded with age, adorn the ceiling, but their images are impossible. to make out. Tall, thin, arrow slits look out over the courtyard. To your left, the turret post-access hallway. This long, narrow corridor runs east to west. Cobwebs fill the hall, obstructing sight

beyond a few feet. Let's just take a quick look. And let's just, I'll do a quick kind of check around this room here to see if there's anything of note of worth. It's pretty much bare. You said There's fresco. They're frescoes, but they're so faded with age that you can't make out what was. Fresca. Yeah, you can't make out what the depiction would have been. Okay, I'm sweet. The hallway that leads down is, it's very dark, and even with the lantern, it's hard to see

more than maybe 20 feet in front of you because of the massive amount of cobwebs that are lining the areas. Yakes. I'm going to take my knocking on where I can see. I'll try to like scrape down the cobwebs and just wipe them on my pants and clear it up a little bit. What do you want to through? Where do you think we should go next? Do we go down this dog hallway?

We didn't walk behind the Oregon to just stand here. Let's continue. We're able to, once the cobwebets, does it look like there are things behind the cobweets potentially? The cobblers are down this hallway here. Oh, got it, got it. So I'm just going to take the time as there are, Do we think that fire will harm anything we don't unharmed?

Granted, I want to harm everything here, except for us. For what purpose? To burn away anything that the ancient decay and remnants of time's past would be hiding. Yes, perhaps more of that slime we saw outside. Be dreadful to stumble into something unknowing. Well, before you do that, let me just try something, and I want to try to repartum, I think, was the word, I don't want to try to cast mending.

I'm one of the frescoes to see if it doesn't either. You're able to mend a little bit of it, but it's still not enough to depict the paint itself is chipped away and fallen away. There isn't enough of it to piece back together in a way that you'd be able to get the full image. Do you feel like we need to destroy property up until when we need to?

But that jeopardize opposition. I am fine holding back. I wish... All I wish to do here is destroy property. And life. I'm with the professor on this one. Just wait till we got the right moment. All right?

Very well. We're still inside. I defer to the expedition. Please. Bonwood. And we'll head down this hallway here. You make your way through the cobwebs. And it takes longer than you'd expect

with the amount of cobwebs that you have to clear away. But you are able to do it. constantly keeping, staying vigilant for any sound of movement, any strange noises. You don't see anything. You make your way to the very end, and you see a staircase that descends down. This long, hollow sigh of the wind breathes a semblance of life into this otherwise featureless staircase. There's a simple stone and darkness. Just down, not up.

Just down. I kind of just, like, look over my shoulder at Sergei. might be where we wanted to go anyway. Down could be towards the crypt. Would you like me to go first? Please. With judgment at hand, I proceed down the staircase. I'll be right behind them.

Okay. You make you begin to start making a way down the staircase. Let me see which map I need to, have you change. Yikes, ooh. You make your way down the stone stairwell. There's nothing of note here. It's old, filled with cobwebs. It's dusty.

Your footsteps echo with every step that you take. You eventually find yourself spilling out into another hallway that leads to yet another. It's damp here. You can tell that you're making your way further into the earth. This 10-foot-wide arched corridor is cold and moist. The cold seems to emanate from an open archway to the west along the west wall. Let's continue onward. so we'll go down

if Andy or Maya could move the piece, sorry. Yeah. That's not me farting. I'm sorry. It's my butt on the chair. It's okay. You're a liar. Sorry. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. I'm just saying.

We'll look in there. Like a sweet summer breeze. And which direction are going? We'll look into this room here that has the this room here. sickly yellow lichen covers the ceiling of this cold and damp 10 foot wide passage running east and west opening off both sides of this passage are 10 foot square alcoves that contain

rotting cots, rags, and the skeletal remains of castle guards a deathly silence fills the hall some sort of cordes let's split up and investigate right counter argument perhaps we stay together a investigator well it's a small enough room I mean You mean you just split up amongst the room?

Yeah, just among his... Say no more, and I proceed all the way to the back. Professor and Victoria should lead. I'll go... I'll take the... I need you all to roll for initiative. Really? Yeah. Oh, dang it.

Holy shit. I done goof. I was almost in 90-20. As a couple of you reached the center of the room, you begin to see as all of the beds begin to shake and rumble, the skeletons on top of them, of the deceased guards begin to move. and animate as they all pull themselves together. They reach under the beds and pull out weapons,

halberds, swords, daggers, and they all charge it you. As you make it towards the middle of the room, these skeletons begin to pile out around you as they all arm themselves looking for battle Victoria. I am going to, I guess, turn to the one that's directly like behind me to that back corner. And I am going to just very quickly firebolt, like right in its face.

Okay. Okay. Which one? Number seven. That's disadvantaged, right? I was gonna say. That's literally getting ready. 17. That hits.

Nice. Let's switch over. 28. 3D 10. Oh yeah. Wow, yeah, 28. Almost back damage. Wow.

You let loose a small bolt of fire and send it directly towards one of these skeletal guards. You watch as the fire, you watch as the fire, as the fire enters in through its chest cavity between its ribs and completely brings this entity to embers and it is dead. Does Opportunity Attack specifically mention melee attack? Yes. Fuck. But for you crossbowl is not a melee attack.

They are. I'm gonna push through Kana, take you get on the other side of her. Everyone is within 30 feet of me. I'm gonna raise my lantern and say, creatures of the night, you have no. No power in the daylight. I'll put my dice in a bit. And they all need to make a wisdom saving throw. I'm just going to make one roll for a roll.

15. 15. They fail. And they're going to take 8 plus 16, 24 points of radiant damage. All right. You incinerate every single one of them. That's why I set off with my dice away. And as I raised up judgment, they've been sent out.

Oh. Well, damn. Proceed, quick, quick. Let's just relax. Quick, quick. Oh, wow. Shit. I've seen you do that like a half a dozen times.

I'm still not used to it. That's going to come in handy. Just keep that at the ready. I just like put my hand on Sarnax's shoulder and give him a hearty shake. We are fortunate that I am a wielder of the light and these are creatures of darkness. Yeah. Monsters, the monsters fear, right? Exactly right.

Take a look around all of us quickly before anything else stumbles upon us. We'll each split up and dig amongst the beds. What is that going to get? finding it. Well, probably all assist Professor Clayton Azran in his investigation roll, if that is acceptable, but from the DM. I will say you can do that going forward. 20.

Looking around the room, you find bits of things here and there. Altogether, you collect about 200 gold pieces worth of coins. Oh, I will. Which you imagine will be very helpful in the coming fight if you need gold to fuel your spells. No, that's very helpful.

I'm trying to keep an eye out for anything that resonates with me for my dream with my master and the screaming and the chains against the wall. So as I'm looking around, I'm just trying to see if anything is familiar. I will say we can, we'll keep that as a running theme. I'll let you know if you see anything. Thank you.

Let's continue. No role needed. We'll continue down to this doorway here. You make your way towards the doorway. The door opens with ease. I'll peek my head inside and... As you enter in, dark stains cover the floor. of this area. Large oak tables

scard and beaten lay scattered like toys about the room. Their wood crushed and splintered, replacing them. Our furnishing is made entirely of human bones. The walls and the 20-foot-high-vaulted ceiling are a sickly yellow color, not because they're faded or time-word, not because

of the faded or time-word plaster, but because they are adorned with bones and skulls arranged in a morbidly decorative fashion, giving the room a cathedral-like quality. Four enormous mounds of bones occupy the corner of this ossuary and garlands of skulls extend from these mounds to a chandelier of bones that hang from the ceiling above a long table construction of bones in the center of the room. Ten chairs made of bones are festooned with decorative skulls.

It's around the table, resting atop which is an ornate bow-shaped vessel made of yet more bones. The door to the north and south are sheathed in bone, but the steel-banded double door in the center of the east wall is not. above the eastern door is mounted the skull of a dragon. I immediately take note of the skull of the dragon. Roll a perception check. This is a lot of bone walking towards that. It's disgusting. Perception?

25. You immediately look at the skull and you recognize this as the skull of Argonthost. But as you look at it even more, you're able to see splinters and cracks. It is a replica, still unfinished, that is made from human bones. Sorax, what the fuck is that? Who would have done it for this? This is a ghoulish display, perhaps of mockery of her slain victims. Why the fuck would anyone do this?

Wickedness. Hundreds of years of murder and boredom and evil. an entire room covered in bone furnish a made of bone I want to look under the table is anything like I'll invest in the room I guess One moment

Seems like she resents her curse And the next moment She's relishing in it Yes She might not have any She might not have any control over when she does and doesn't publish it How large is the deal?

door, like how high up is this mockery of Argonboss skull? It would take probably about 15 minutes to get down with how much it would weigh. You would need... It's like enormous? Yes. The door is way taller than you. You need to find some way to climb the wall. Say no more, fam. You could potentially shoot at it and destroy it, but...

I thought it was like a small... No, it's a giant... Pretty much the same size as the one you took. Not messing with it. Can I walk over to the smears of... red on the ground and just kneel down and touch it and smell it and see if it seems fresh or if anyone's been through here

recently? A roll investigation check or a survival check. 11. The blood itself is definitely old. It doesn't look like any of the blood has been spilt recently as for whether anyone's been through here. It's so haphazard in here. It would be difficult to tell.

We should not linger here unless professor, you want to take a quick look around. I already investigated. Oh, right, right. Yeah, so I believe we continue through these doors that aren't covered in bone. Yeah, but I want to know what's on the other side of that fucking doorframe. We can come back. Yeah, so be it.

I'm going to, I guess, I'll open these doors here and see a slightly go out down. There's a huge, fucking door that's a little bit of a little bit. It is. You open up the doorway. It, just like the other, just opens easily. Jew, look down. This hall stands in deadly silence. Heavy beams support a sagging 10-foot-high ceiling. Fog clings to the floor, obscuring everything that lies less than three feet above it.

And then you see it. A giant shadow lurches across the ceiling as a dark figure shuffles purposely down the corridor towards you. Stop! I'll cast my lantern at it. You watch as it is also carrying a lantern. shrouded behind the shadows of the lantern. Your bullseye shoots directly towards it. You see a figure you haven't seen before, but similar to one you had seen,

a Mongol folk. A man shambling towards you. He is shorter than the ones that you've seen before, barely over four feet tall. He's hunched over. One side of his face is covered, one side of his face is covered with lizard scales. He has the ears of a panther.

His left foot looks like a duck's webbed foot and his arms or patches of black dog fur. As he seems to adjust to the light, he holds his lantern up a little more and looks out at all of you. Well, wandering around, I see. Yes. You should get to your rooms. It's late.

Who are you? Why are you here? You watch as he continues to shamble down the hallway. Why are you? not at the abbey. I don't live at the abbey. I live here with my mistress. How did you come to be?

Lots of questions. It's late. I'm a faithful servant to the lady. And you, you're out wandering around. You should get back. The mistress will not be pleased. Well, I don't believe the mistress needs to hear about this.

No, if you've been around the castle. Let me take you to the room. Let me take you to the tower. Let's go. Well, I mean, soon I will also be your mistress. Oh, Lady Victoria, and you watch as he starts to bow before you. Lady Victoria, I didn't see you in the shadows. That's right, so perhaps you should just retire to your room and let us move about.

Yeah, but getting directions might be nice. I can show you I will take you there. Maybe just let us know which way to go. Perhaps we can call on you. In a bit when we've done. My room is there. And you see as he points to the first door. Yes.

And what do we call you? May call me Cyrus. Cyrus. Wonderful. Well, I look forward to getting to know you. And I will take you to your room. And if you want to get there, you will go this way. And he hunches over and he points the exact opposite direction.

This way here. Yes. But I will take you. You let Cyrus know. when you want to go, and Cyrus will take you. Only when the lady Victoria is ready. Mistress Victoria is ready. Yes.

Well, thank you very much, Cyrus, and we'll be on our way now. If you collect bones, bring them to Cyrus, Mistress. There's a room full of bone right behind us. I know it's my creation. Oh, you did all of that. Yes, the dead ones. I collect them, and I make pretty things from the dead ones. So ones who have already died.

Yes, ones like you die. May we see your room? Yes, come in. Come in. And you see as he moves aside part of his cloak, you see a large chain around his neck, a golden filigreed key hanging around his neck. And as he moves further to the side, you see he holds an iron key ring that's jostling with keys. Which says the room, the room, the bone.

And he takes a bone key, enters it into the door, unlocks it, and pushes it in. Come in, come in to Cyrus' room. Did we notice how many keys that you're on that thing on his neck? The one around his neck, there's only one key. On the key ring, yes, the key ring, there are many keys. But the one around his neck is a gold key. Gold fillet green.

We all notice this. Oh, yeah. Oh, well, thank you for your hospitality. Nothing. We'll come right there. This 20-foot square room is filled wall-to-wall with clutter. A long, sagging bed sits to one side under a huge faded tapestry that depicts Castle Ravenloft. Dusty lanterns sit in various places, and bright curtains are draped haphazardly around the room. Thousands of pieces of junk cover the floor. Broken swords, crumpled shields,

and helmets lie in piles all about. I just cleaned. I'm going to take one step towards him and, like, squat down on my haunches to, like, be like level with him and say, uh, you got a lot of keys there. Yes. And as you do this, he reaches out and he begins to caress the barrel of one of your guns. Okay. Don't do that. The mistress here.

I like this pack. And you see as he kind of reaches behind you and he like fills, like feels along one of the sides of your pack. I'm going to like swat and be like, all right, all right, all right. This is a good one. Yeah, yes, yes. You have a dagger in there. Stop, stop. Listen.

And I'm going to motion to Victoria and say, the mistress is going to be moving in soon and doesn't seem to have any of the keys that you have. They unlock doors that aren't even locked. Don't you think maybe she should have her own copies? Oh, we will make you keys. But in the meantime, maybe you can lend her yours. All of my keys. if you see fit for the mistress All of my key

and keys for thousands of years We'll be sure We'll be sure to return them to Absolutely You'd have the mistress's work Perhaps only the gold key is relevant Not my gold key That is the one we are most interested in

It's beautiful Well what does that unlock I'm private Professor I don't want to have to kick his ass Roll an intimidation check for me, please. Unfortunately, strength is not included in intimidation. It's charisma, which is arguably my dump stat. But because I rolled a 19, and I know that I have plus zero to charisma, it's going to be a 19.

Oh, intimidation? Probably also just a zero. Yep, 19. You don't happen to have any more of those bones. No, no. I can soon know. No, no. We don't need to.

We don't need to be fighting, Cyrus. No, no, no. The key, it opens a special box. It opens a box with Stradanya Sid, signet on it. Oh, yes, it opens the box, and there's special things in the box, and it opens the box. But Cyrus hid the box. Would you be willing to tell us where the box is? Because I agree.

Up, up, up, up. Oh, you want to hear a joke. Why did the monkey fall out of the tree? It was dead. Very good joke. Why is that humorous? No. Don't know what the box is.

Sometimes death can be humorous. So I'm confused. Humorous. While this is happening, can I just sort of like kind of shuffle through his death and like see if I can put any record of like the Abbey giving him to Shredania? Did you're all in investigation?

Just her bill of sale. No, no. Natural one plus ten. 11 is 12. The mistress would be so angry. you can't find anything. Everything that's in here seems to be more

things that he's collected and put here. Cyrus, are you saying that you took the box from the mistress? No, I would never know the mistress would be angry of Cyrus. No, I hid the box

so that people wouldn't find it and use what was within, and I keep the key on me, so they cannot get to it if they find it. That's very smart. I'm just going to look at a repress and say, I don't want to do do what? We don't have to do anything.

That's right. He's being fine. What is a bee's favorite color? Yellow? Why would a bee have a favorite color? It does not to hive what colors there are. Perhaps can they even perceive color. We'll let you be, and we may be back if we find that...

I will lead you to the room. Not yet. perhaps you know when you come back yes when we are ready yes you will lead Lady Victoria to our rooms when we are ready to return Cyrus does the mistress know where the box is

or only do we know The mistress knows all All right Well good day It was a pleasure to meet you Cyrus We'll be on our way and we'll be back When we're ready to go to sleep Yes

Does he also, in checking out his face, make any motion when he sees, Sergei? He's currently asked Sergey. He's picking and prodding at his things. Okay. When you die, I will take these pets. I will usher Sergei out of the room, see what he stays on the mongrel and I'll lead them back into the hallway. At what point are you going to ask me to just take the key? We don't know what it goes to yet.

Oh, come on, Professor. So there's no reason if you playing coy here, we all know what this is coming to. He might be mad. The key might not be for anything. If we find the box, we'll come back and we'll take the key from him. We're going to wait that long. If we find the box, there's no reason to beat to harm or murder this. Why can't you suggest that I'll just give it to us?

I wasn't going to beat him into a pulp. I was just going to take the key. I don't think there's any reason to antagonize him just yet. He seems to be pliable. I believe that if you just simply asked him, Hello, small creature. I would like the key. He would probably produce it for you. Well, at least maybe for Victoria.

That is what I am saying. Sergei, is there any... I try to, like, lower my voice so that the Mongol can hear us. Oh, he's like screaming and wailing in his room. Okay. Is there any... Is there anything of importance in Sredaigne's signet box? Anything you can think of?

It is not a box. I am familiar with. It could be one she's acquired. over the past four centuries. You have been dead for 400 years. I have been dead for a long time. Thank you, Zach. You were dead for 400 years. Yes, that is true.

Thank you. Are any of these hallways familiar to you? Do you know the way to the crypt from here? I imagine it would be down. I'm not going to be much help in guiding it through this place. That is what I was getting at when I said he was dead for 400 years. I didn't gather that for me. Yes, I'm saying it's laced so heavily in sarcasm.

It is probably ill-suited for us to be asking Sergei, where to go. He is in the same boat as all of us. But for roleplay reasons, I did it anyway. But he's long dead. I'll open the door. The door opens. How do you make a purple slime? Do I know anything about purple slime?

I don't know, do you? Probably not. I mean, I don't know. Just tell him, do you? Sure. I don't. You've done tomb diving, so you know about slimes. I'm saying you probably have never heard of a purple slime.

Well, they're brewing some kind of creature. And let's just take a quick look. You literally just said in one sentence that the box may not even exist. And now you're taking this group of words or something before. How do you make a purple slime? Dear God. How do you make a purple slime? You mix a yellow and a pink one.

He slowly closes the door. It's not. I don't know. No color theory, but... Oh, gosh. I love him. Perhaps I should try to just get some more information and perhaps the key, borrowing from him.

Please go ahead. I'll take a look around this from him. That's what he was going to do. I never mind him to do it. I'll open the door and just kind of slip in and close up behind me. He's sitting there, and you see that he is holding the keenness. hand. The mistress is key.

And in the other hand, he's holding what appears to be an eyeball on a string. Like an actual goopy eyeball. Oh, fuck. It's old enough now. It looks almost petrified. But as you look at it, you see that the iris is moving from left to right

as it's looking around the room. The mistress is king. Oh, yes. Lady Victoria, hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. I was thinking perhaps we could talk a bit more. Ah, yes, Sarah's like stalking. Perhaps another joke you could tell me.

Yes, I will think of... I fucking blow that eyeball. I am going to... Think of a joke, Saris. You put him on the spot and it's hard to do. That wouldn't work. I'm gonna try... What I think of this eyeball, does a part of a creature count as a creature?

No. Damn it. Okay. Never one. In that case, I want to cast shatter on the eyeball. Okay. Cast shatter on the eyeball. What's the range?

What the fuck was it? He's going to literally destroy. Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I forgot that that's like an amazing. Never right, I don't want to catch that hour on the eyeball. To be a million pieces. To be fair, it doesn't...

No. I've just walked myself into a peckle here. I hope Victoria just asks him for the key very easily when he walks out. I don't want to leave it, Professor. I guess that doesn't matter. Perhaps she'll ask for an eyeball. What do you call a party of books? A library.

That's very good, Cyrus. Now that those other people are gone, it's just the two of us, I think it might be a good idea for you to enlighten your new mistress on what is in that box. Ah, Cyrus doesn't know. You don't know? No, but it's precious. Hmm. Well, I think that I would like to see for myself what's in the box.

So perhaps you would be willing to just let me borrow you key. Borrow key. Oh, return it to you, of course. No. No. Mistress would be mad at Cyrus. Well, if you don't let me borrow the key, I fear that I might become angry with you. Oh, big mistress, angry mistress one or mistress two?

Well, it seems to reason that if you anger me, the other mistress will be... Anger mistress two and anger mistress one. Anger mistress one and anger mistress two! That's right. And he starts banging his head on the table. Oh, now, sighs this. He starts banging. It actually says it near me anger the mistress.

I'm not even making that up. I love that. I'll kind of, I'll grab him. I just look, outside the door, I just read an eyebrow a sarnax like, holy. What's going on? I'll kind of kneel down and grab, and kind of grab him and by his shoulders

and sort of whisper to him. Now, Cyrus, it's very simple, dear. All you have to do is... No, no, no. I think that the missing. would want you to please me. That's all she wants. And what would please me greatly is to

simply borrow this key. Roll a persuasion check. That advantage because you're a mistress. Yes, certainly. There you certainly are. How are? Well, fuck me.

What did you say? Let's twist it. We should twist it. I said it. What was the use of persuasion? That's not really not barren. Let's twist it one more. Yeah, yeah.

We got twists. Thank you, Chad, for twists. Give one more roll. Same thing. Okay. Well, it's fate. It's 15. The DC was 15.

All right. Oh, boy. Well, make this mistress too mad. Make Mistress one. Make Mistress one happy. Make mistress. Make mistress too happy.

make mistress one happy. Yes, dear. You give back to Cyrus when done? Very good, yes, I will. Can Cyrus wear suit at wedding? Absolutely. Can Cyrus eat bones at wedding? Certainly.

Just bring some up from your collection. Kiss Cyrus right here on scaly side of cheek. I'll pinch his cheek and give him a little pack. Oh, Sarah's last. Like, goodbye. Your room when ready, yes. Yes. Yes.

Come, I'm sure everything is going very well over there. Oh, absolutely. What do we all see in this room? Me more, I'm like looking in the culture. Me on, like, oh, purple, ooh. Back to us like, like, I get slammed against the wall and shit. The four of you walk into the very next room, amid the sounds of Cyrus screaming and berating himself,

everything's five. You are met with a horrible odor of decay. It is billowing from the steaming hot room. The huge pot bubbles over a blazing fire pit in the center of the room. It's green muddy contents turning. The far wall is lined with pegs, hanging from which are numerous large cooking implements, some of which could easily double as implements of torture. You begin to make your way towards the cauldron, looking down into it.

And as you do this, three human zombies, begin to pull themselves up out of the boiling cauldron. Ah, yes. And in this moment, you hear, No! And running from the other room directly through your legs, you see Cyrus slide. He rushes over to the wall,

and he grabs a large, slotted spoon, and he begins to beat the living shit out of the zombies coming out of the cold. Well, fuck! You were not, you are dinner, dick! And he beats them back into submission. Apologies. Don't get too close to the gildron.

He walks out and heads back to his room. That's actually in the book, too. Thank you, Cyrus. Oh, finally... Anything else we should be made aware of? Dinner or not. He's proving to be quite helpful, and I'll dangle the key. I was going to say the same thing.

This perhaps may be the most useful ally we've encountered in Barovia. I find him strangely charming. I find him absolutely repulsive, but useful. And I prepare to exploit that. We'll just take a look around the rest of the room, see if there's anything of note. I keep my eye on the fucking cauldron. You look around, and it seems that it's just, it seems to be the kitchen space where he cooks is on me. All right, let's continue.

Let's run away down. I guess we'll leave and just go out this way. Frames of stone form a low, wet ceiling over the wine cellar. Great cats line the wall. their bands rusted and their contents long since spilled onto the floor. A few hungry rats make their homes here, but upon your sudden arrival, they retreat to the shadows. Just wine?

Does it look like it's from wizarding words? You're going to investigate them? I'll walk up and try and open up one of the spouts if there is one. See if anything comes out of it. 26. You know, I hear that there have been whine. Oh, no, there she goes. Wine element.

You make your way, Kana, towards the um, towards the, the wine barrels along the sides. And you lean down to open one of them. And Clayton stops you. No,

you shouldn't do that. No, you shouldn't do that. Yellow mold appears to be growing on the underside of the cats. Ooh. Does it look anything like the ooze I saw earlier? It looks like mold. We saw mold in the Wizarding of Wine cellars. But they used for chilling.

But they used that for chilling. Was it yellow or brown? That was brown. That was brown. That was brown. This is yellow mold. No, this stop. This yellow mold in these casks.

Oh. I guess not dupable. Perhaps sentient and ready to devour us. It seems as if there is nothing of use down here. Just the sad life of this putrid crud. creature that I pity, somehow pity, and although he's repulsive, he's too pitiable to hate. Well, did we say, we could see the other door in here, right? Yeah, but there was only the Argonne Boss' mimic skull above it.

So is it clear that this stairway goes up? Yes. So I believe we just go back to the other door that we haven't investigated. I think we should. If we want to go down. I'm extremely interested as to why this creature, to his own admittance, has created everything in that room, including the skull. Where do you think he's getting the bones from?

I said he found them. We know that there are plenty of people who have willingly entered this place, allegedly slain Stradonia and then presumably perished. Not to mention the people that she's brought here? Correct. Yes. Well, let's go take a look. through the other door,

try to find a way down, and if not, perhaps we just call it a night. Ritori, did he mention to you where the box was hidden? He didn't, no. He said it was up high, probably in the spires of the castle

that we saw from the outside. Do you think it is a cruel joke that Stradanya would entrust something as important as a key to allegedly critical boxing possessions to this maddened beast He shouldn't seem to know what was in the box

I think that's a possibility that we should definitely entertain as the professor's previously stayed It's why I'm also not convinced that it's of anything of importance It might just be the ramblings of manned Understood Join me at this door as I open it

This 30 foot square room is in chambers scattered furniture lies in heaps near the walls. Broken bones lie scattered amid crumpled and crushed plate armor. Shields and swords jut from the walls as have driven into them by some tremendous force. Two doors stand opposite one another in the center of the north wall and the south wall. A dark archway leads out through the east wall.

I'm going to walk up around the archway on the right and peer around the corner and just see if there's any more skelly boys looming about in the beds. Beware the skelly. Scali Bowles. This dark passage runs for 20 feet, connecting an archway to the west with an ascending stone staircase to the east. To north and south are four 10-foot square alcoves, cluttered with rotting cots and dirty rags. The ceilands here are covered with yellow lichen.

Or yellow mold. And then if you want to roll an investigation check. Skyly boys. 26. Looking through, you don't find it. any full skeletons. You find bits of bones here and there. You can see where Cyrus has scavenged a lot from this room. You are able to see that three of these alcoves contain nothing of value. You do find a loose flagstone in the southeast alcove that's covered almost hidden by a cubbyhole

or that's covering a hidden cubbyhole in the floor, in which is hidden a moldy sack containing 150 electrum pieces. Oh, 75 gold pieces. You're so well-known. This is useless. This has no magical component to it.

This might come in handy. I'm gone. What is it with Brovian Electrum, though? Very strange. Equipment. It's in this moment that your attention is brought to

Sergei, who's standing at the door, staring at the walls, the weapons embedded in them. I This is the Kingsman's quarters, the rooms of the most honored guards. These are those. Those that lived here are those that fought for me. When my sister killed me, they are the ones that turned their blades on her. Sarinux.

Sergei. You are a godly man. I do not have it in me to say the words I need to say. Will you say something for my friends, for those I have lost? They were loyal knights that served you. Yes. And the morning Lord, they were. Godly men and women themselves. Yes.

All was nod at them and step forward. Quarters were inhabited by godly men and women that served the light. Not my God, but a good God, good God. God of order and might, and although unsuccessful, they did what was right, avenged their leader, and killed the woman that brought darkness to this land, and although that their wishes lay unfulfilled now, I swear now on everything I hold dear that we will avenge them,

And we will fulfill their mission. In the name of the light. In the name of the light. In the name of the light. Yes. In the name of the light. He walks up behind you and clasps his hand onto your back. You can feel his presence next to you, though he doesn't say the word.

He's radiating with the things, a sense of things. Do you know what became of them? I imagine when he looks towards the other room. that she allowed their bones to be used for furniture, but I could not tell you. This room was theirs. That is what I know. We'll end them.

Yes, we will. This stairway leads up. Let's check this door here. This shadowy room is in perfect order. A great table stands here with its chair, inkwell and quill set carefully in place. Lances, swords, and shields that bear the Barobian crusts are how. hung neatly on dark oak paneled walls. I'll go through the desk, and I guess we'll just split up and investigate the room.

A roll advantage. Strange that this is so intact. 30. You make your way throughout the room, and you don't find anything of interest in the desk or in the seed or any of the furnishings. It's the north wall that holds the secret. A door. Oh, shit. Hold up

There seems to be some kind of hidden door here Damn it another one You seem to find all the secrets But it's quite a talent This place is a fucking maze It's dangerous But so far it's been Uneventful to a degree

I'm gonna I guess try to open this hidden door It's once you've realized it's there You see that you should be able to push it open So you begin to push it open You're met with a waft of drafty air. It's a staircase, disguises. Staircase down. Well, I said this before, but maybe this time it's actually the crypts.

We don't know how many floors there are between where we ended up and where we are now. That's right. But we need to go down. That's all we know. Sure. This will get us there. Are we able to tell us? hell, like, because the castle's so high up, are we underground?

Yes. Okay. Or you realize that you're at least about to be underground. Okay. Did we get any sense of what the table and the quill and all that and the papers or whatever? Just. It's a desk. Yeah, it looks to be, I would say what you're able to discover is that this is the Chamberlain's office.

It seems to be in use, so there is some sort of Chamberlain that seems to work here, but there is no one present in the room at this room. I'll go up to the door that we just came through, close it firmly and just hang out of the room. Thank you, Mrs. G. Silver. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you for the follow. We'll descend. The staircase of ancient stone is worn smooth.

Thick dust covers its steps and cobwebs choke the passage. You make your way to. down, come to a small landing, curves, heads even further down. You continue to descend. Until you find yourselves looking into a room, a faint glow, this room is 30 feet square, rising to a 20-foot-tall flat ceiling. A stone brazier burns fiercely in the center of the room, but its tall white flame produces no heat. The rim of the brazier is carved with seven-cup-shaped, indentations spaced evenly around the circumference. Within each indentation is a spherical stone, twice the diameter of a human eyeball and made of colored crystal. No two stones are the same

color. Overhead, a wood-framed hourglass as tall and wide as a dwarf hangs 10 feet above the brazier, suspended by the ceiling by thick iron chains. All the sand is stuck in the upper portion of the hourglass, seemingly unable to run down into the bottom. Written in glowing script on the the base of the hourglass is a verse in common. Two nine-foot-tall iron statues of knights on horseback, poised to charge with swords drawn, stand in deep alcoes facing each other. The brazier sits between them.

These plates the catacombs. Oh, shit. You make your way. It's a common. You make your way towards it. And you read, cast a stone into the fire. Violet leads to the mountain spire.

Orange to the castle's peak, Red if lore is what you seek. Green to wear the coffins hide, indigo to the master's bride. Glue to ancient magic's womb, yellow to the master's tomb. Holy f***. What the f-

Welcome to Castle Ravenloft, my honored guests. I was expecting our first dinner to be awkward, but that was even more painful than even I anticipated. Perhaps once they settle into their quarters, their mood will improve and they will be more respectful guests

to such a gracious host. However, they will learn that there are far more residence in this ancient place than myself. When they encounter the evil that makes its home here, will they still cling to hope and courage? Find out in the conclusion of Chapter 16 of Curse of Stredania, Creatures of the Night. In the meantime, if you wish to watch Legends of Adventress tell similar stories of Dungeons and Dragons every week, you can follow us on Twitch. You can also enjoy our many campaigns on YouTube, support us on Patreon, and join our community on Discord. All links are initial notes.

We welcome you to our Ventrus family.