Inertia, procrastination, entropy: The party of adventurers have fought more than one Zombie, sensed victory, teetered on the edge of despair and now they have been gripped by the icy immovable fingers of indecision. Up or down? Backwards or forwards? Every option available to them now appears to be a veiled trap or another step in the wrong direction. Even the normally decisive Dwarf Maiden Thora appears to doubt her own choices and wisdom. On one thing only can the adventurers agree, and Sigune puts their thoughts into words.
Sigune: “Zere iz no time to waste! Vee must rescue Sir Ly! Every second counts!”
Sigune Feldschlachter, Devout Vessel of Holy Retribution and Paladin of Saint Cuthbert.
The decision is taken that Mirafir should wait before casting ‘Locate Object’ as the Wizard version of the spell has a very short duration.
Galan’s Constitution was drained by the Shadow Demon in Rahadin’s room – he appears to be greatly weakened.
Sigune slaps Ismark, hard across the face several times. His eyes appear to be moving beneath the eyelids – paralyzed?
Frimly, Mirafir watch Galan and Father Tobias enter Rahadin’s room. The decision has been taken to risk the Shadow Demon because of the chance of finding some important books on the shelves.
Galan and Father Tobias search through the books but they are all related to weapons. All the books that they find, with their quick search, are related to Non-Magical Weapons, Heraldry and Military History.
Galan finds a large Tome of Family History in which he finds the name of Baron Eisglaze Drûf. However, there is no mention of his ‘Magical Short Sword’.
Father Tobias finds a book on Heraldic Coats of Arms in which he find the Symbol of the ‘Order of The Silver Dragon‘. This Coat of Arms has been encountered by the adventurers many times in Barovia.
Unfortunately no one was LUCKY enough to find anything of real importance.
Meanwhile Sigune rubs ‘Keoghtom’s Ointment’ onto Ismark to draw out the poison. About 4-5 minutes spent looking through the books without anything regarding the Magic Items found so far. Ismark could be mistaken for a Zombie the way he was looking.
The 2 Darts that missed the adventurers, thrown by the Invisible Rahadin as spotted by Sigune, where overlooked and left on the ground.
The party then decides to go back down to the Brazier Room and go up the spiral stairs.
Before leaving, Frimly and Mirafir quickly check the other room adjoined to Rahadin’s room after noting that Mirafir’s ‘Continual Light’ spell is hugely effective compared to the same Cleric spell (something to do with the weird effects of Barovia on the effects of St Cuthbert’s power in this Realm?).
Ismark regains consciousness – he’s groggy but picks up Sigune’s previous ‘Sentient +1 Long Sword’. He looks at Sigune with a frown.
Ismark: “I no longer feel, or I hope look, like a Zombie.”
KINGSMEN QUARTERS:
This dark passage runs for 20’ feet, connecting an archway to the WEST with an ascending stone staircase to the EAST. To the NORTH and south are four ten-foot-square alcoves cluttered with rotting cots and dirty rags. The ceilings here are covered with yellow lichen.
The corridor leads to a room with 4 alcoves, old broken beds and rags. There is a fear that more than one Zombie may be near.
Mirafir and Frimly see another set of stairs beyond four alcoves going only up to the ground floor. Nevertheless, they decide not to risk attempting a short cut to intercept Sir Ly and head back down to the brassiere room.
Mirafir & Frimly return to the party.
The party decide to go back to the Brazier Room and attempt to track Rahadin and Sir Ly.
The adventurers enter the Brazier Room and Frimly climbs up to retrieve the Coloured Green Stone for the spiral staircase. Mirafir and Galan go through the door and check for Rahadin’s tracks… Both agree there are definitely no tracks.
However, through the door leading to the Torture Gallery there are definite tracks to be seen, and not of a Zombie. Rahadin‘s tracks deep set into the dust as if he was carrying a heavy weight.
Galan: “This way!”
Galan calls out.
The adventurers go through the door.
The water is moving which would indicate that someone has been through it very recently.
Galan and Frimly move to the balustrade and look down. They see 4 Zombies (normal and not Strahd Zombies) standing guard by the watery corridor to their EAST. Father Tobias attempts to turn the Zombies and turns two of them!
Now at the edge of the balustrade, the ‘Sunsword’ in Sigune hand glows with a bright Pale Blue Light, UNDEAD.
Sigune: “Die you abominations!”
Sigune screams as she leaps from the balcony onto a table in the water below. Galan fires his normal arrows. Thora begins to climb down.
Ismark stand above them all providing light to Sigune from his ‘Glowing Long Sword’.
Sigune successfully lands on the table, her huge weight causing a mighty splash in the water. Meanwhile Galan fires two arrows striking a Zombie. Sigune lashes out at a Zombie with the ‘Sunsword’ and cuts it down instantly with a slashing blow.
Thora strikes out at the Zombie in front of her and hits it inflicting some serious damage but it is still up. Another of the Zombies surprises Sigune and hits her! Immediately after it is dropped by two arrows from Galan’s bow. Father Tobias ‘Levitates’ towards the two in the doorway and they charge out to meet him. Sigune chops down another Zombie that suddenly appears up out of the black water, but Father Tobias misses his opponent. Thora hits one directly in front of her and annihilates the Zombie before Galan shoots the one next to it with an arrow.
The Zombies miss in their attacks on the adventurers before Galan takes out another next to Father Tobias. Sigune then hits another Zombie with Father Tobias’ blow with the ‘Black Mace’ landing on another, crushing its Undead skull.
The door to the brassiere room suddenly shuts!
Frimly: “There’s someone in the room!”
We know that that can be the only explanation. All adventurers still on the balustrade, Frimly, Mirafir and Ismark, turn to face the door.
Sigune slices down another Zombie while Thora and Father Tobias finish off the other one. Thora and Father Tobias advance to the passage way retracing their steps as not to set off any unsprang Magic Traps.
There has been movement in the cells on the NORTH side and the door is now open. What to do? Only Frimly can move freely in the water but he already fled the monster that was within. Meanwhile Galan, Mirafir and Thora go and check for tracks on the stairs.
Galan instantly finds fresh tracks of someone or something exiting the water. It could be Rahadin or Emil, Galan can’t tell.
Galan and Thora can both near the melancholy music from the organ off in the distance.
Mirafir casts ‘Locate Object’ and detects Sir Ly’s ‘Holy Symbol’ nearby! Father Tobias is ready to go in with his water breathing ability.
Frimly is reluctant to re-enter the cells first to draw out the monster:
Frimly: “My job is to pick locks and stuff, not that! That’s more than my job’s worth!
Together with Mirafir, Frimly agrees to wait by the door and cast ‘Magic Missile’ if the creature appears while Father Tobias enters the cellblock. Father Tobias heads down to the cell. Sir Ly is in there!
Father Tobias: “Sir Ly! It is I, Father Tobias! I am here to rescue you! Can you hear me?”
No response, Sir Ly has been imprisoned but he is unconscious. To his horror, Father Tobias can see that Sir Ly has had a noose placed around his neck and is raised up out of the water. any false move and Sir Ly’s heavy body would sink, strangling the poor Paladin.
Father Tobias suddenly sees something leap out of the black water and wrap around his wrist and ‘Black Mace’ and is melting his Mace! He raises his arm from the water and Mirafir and Frimly fire off their ‘Magic Missiles’ inflicting damage! Father Tobias tries to hit it but fails and Frimley moves effortlessly in to try and help. Mirafir casts another ‘Magic Missiles’ while Frimly strikes it and kills it! The creature sinks beneath the water.
Frimly tries to pick the lock after getting the ‘Gem of Continual Light’. It is a tricky operation and will take too long.
Father Tobias examines his ‘Black Mace’ and can see it is pitted, by what must have been some kind of acid, and it has taken significant damage from the Grey Ooze. The power of the ‘Black Mace’ may have diminished as a result.
Several of the party attempt to Bend the Bars of the cell with no success. Father Tobias’ them tries to help his friend and the weakest member of the party somehow finds the strength to pry the bars apart enough for someone wearing light or no armour to squeeze through.
Frimly volunteers to enter and begins to check the cell for traps. As with attempting to pick the lock of the cell, the operation will take too long and is hindered by the black impenetrable water. Frimly decides to cut the rope and keeps Sir Ly above the water.
Galan then uses another charge of the ‘Chime of Opening’ to open the cell, as the armoured body of Sir Ly will not fit through the bent bars.
Frimly: “I’m going to check the cell. You take him back.”
Father Tobias: “I will help you look.”
Frimly: “No thanks I’m fine to look through the cell myself. It is what I’m here for, and the other things you ask of me.”
Father Tobias: “You did not wish to help Sir Ly and would have left him to rot in that cell. You are keeping things from us”
Frimly: “I just saved Sir Ly’s life, he was for the noose and I killed the Grey Ooze.”
Father Tobias: “You are only looking out for yourself.”
Frimly: “Open the door Frimly, check for Traps Frimly, Climb up there Frimly.”
Father Tobias: “You’re lucky I don’t have Spells left otherwise I would show you.”
Frimly: “Really, let’s see who would win that fight then, I’ll take that bet. Sleep with one eye open Priest.”
Sir Ly is dragged out of the cell and into the flooded corridor. The Adventurers will need to apply ‘Keoghtom’s Ointment’ to Sir Ly’s wound if they want to remove the paralysis or wait for him to recover naturally. Either way this corridor is not the best place to wait.