Session 2 - Purging the Durst House

General Summary

(There will be few notes this time, as I'm not at home)

• Gob is leading the walk downwards
• The chanting is coming from the south
• The first room we enter is filled with hay
• The second has a well, richard makes a lot of sound by accidentally snapping the bucket rope
• From the sound, something starts knocking on a nearby door
• Undead ghouls rise from the ground beneath us
• The person behind the door tries to break free, and seems to be able to talk
• The dwarf eventually breaks free. (it is the new PC bard named Jonathan Barker)
Jonathan immediately almost dies, but is healed by Ariah who also Turns Undead
• None of the party heeds Ariah's warning, and breaks turned on opportunity attack (Damia did it to deal 1 with unarmed attack....)
• Richard chases the one remaining turned, instead of attacking the one Damia made hostile again
• Damia Lightning Lures a ghoul into the well

After the battle

• We get to know Jonathan Barker
• He has an american accent
• Lancelot the Dog was what lured Jonathan into this house
• He was drunk and thought the dog looked sad
• Richard is being mean to Jonathan because he is a dwarf, Ariah defends Jonathan and argues that he might be a good ally
• Richard goes off to loot
• Jonathan says he was with some friends, until he suddenly wasn't. He woke by the forest's edge with a lot of fog, and followed the dog to the house
• He is wearing fancy clothes, but they don't look like they're fitting that well
• He knows he is in Barovia
• We introduce him to the ghost children, and let him know we're looking for Walter
• Jonathan agrees to join us, as it's nice to see some familiar faces
• Richard is looting with Gob, and throws a small black book to Damia, a sword to Jonathan
• The book contains tables of different races and their appearances (pretty, ugly, tall, lanky etc. ), and further details (no sedative given, struggled profusely etc.)
• There are no notes on Jonathan yet
• Gob gets an eyepach with a jewel on it
• We decide to press on, to prevent the ritual, even though Damia is out of spells

Pressing on

• Richard leads the way, and falls when the floor gives way
• Jonathan and Damia manage to pull him up
• Ariah starts going first, with better perception
• We reach a metal prison door, which seems locked. None of us are able to get it open
• The room we go to instead looks like a rather nice room with good furniture and rotten food

Ms. Durst

• Not learning, Richard triggers another trap (?) by opening a chest.
• A cabinet door flies open and an undead in a red dress comes out, who looks somewhat familiar (probably Ms. Durst). She does not look aggressive but asks Richard "Who disturbs my beauty rest?", when he doesn't answer she says that she needs his life force
• Damia immediately recognizes Ms. Durst, and attacks with Ray of Frost
• Ms. Durst says that she is not a ghoul, but has achieved immortality. She attacks
• Jonathan frightens her with Dissonant Whispers, and she runs back into the closet for a bit
• Richard smites her without hesitation (20 dmg)
• Ariah finishes her off with Toll the Dead
• We find loot, and a small iron key
  • 
  • Damia takes the Cloak of Protection, the spellbook, the mess kit and the alchemist fire without asking the others
  • Ariah offers the Chain shirt and a healing potion to Gob (Richard wanted everyone but Gob to get one)
  • Jonathan politely asks to take the thief's tools
  • Richard got a lantern and the key
  • I got no loot :(

Further exploration

• Damia finds a room with a fine statue, holding a nice sword and a dark orb. There are skeletons handing by their hands (?)
• Jonathan investigates the statue with his Stone Cunning. It seems to be formed out of magic, instead of with tools
• Richard leads the way back to the iron door, and opens it with the key. We head further down to a lower floor
• The room we enter has relics standing in alcoves
• The chanting is stronger and we understand the words repeated over and over: "He is the ancient, he is the land"
• Richard investigates the relics
  • A bloodstained wooden sun
  • An aged Tarroka deck, in such foul conditon some cards are unreadable, rendering the deck useless
  • A hag’s severed finger
  • A dagger carved from human bone
  • A broken silvered bolt
  • A jar of severed raven talons soaking
  • A crown made of black vines
  • A desiccated frog lashed to a stick
  • A cracked egg containing the skeletal remains of a deformed, infant dragon
  • A large, pure white feather
  • A small wooden coffer containing a withered tongue
  • A chunk of amber resin
  • A dagger with a bat’s skull set into the pommel
• Damia suggest not to touch the items in case of traps
• We follow the chanting, and see a room though a portcullis
• Another hallway is filled with open cells containing skeletons
• One of the skeletons does not look as old as the rest. It is still wearing clothes, and a gold ring on it's right hand engraved in elvish "To my beloved"
• Richard finds a less stable wall, which might be broken down to enter the bigger room
• Jonathan investigates, and thinks the skeletons have been here 30-50 years, while the newest has been here for 5-10 years
• Richard breaks down the door

In the big room

• Ghostly figures stand with their arms raised, chanting and looking down on the altar in the middle of the room
• Damia walks onto the pedestal to the altar, while walking
• She hears a child crying, and sees a toddler (Walter), and the chanting changes and grows more intense: "One must die"
• Richard wants to sacrifice the dog
• Ariah and Damia doesn't want to sacrifice anyone
• Damia: "You know what? Noone needs to die today", as she picks up the toddler
• Walter turns into a giant flesh mound, and the chanting continues "One must die"
• 
• We try to decide to flee and regroup, but Richard refuses
• As Gob burns the mound, we see Walter within before the flesh closes around him again
• We fight the flesh mound, and Richard tries to drag Walter out, but fails
• Gob tries to help as well
• Ariah heals Jonathan to full (13 hp, more than Damia has ^^)
• Some more dmg
• Ariah Inflicts Wounds and deals much dmg, but doesn't manage to pull out Walter
• In revenge the mound KOs her (two-shotting her)
• Jonathan gets her back in the fight by giving her back in the fight
• Ariah manages to pull Walter out
  • The chanting stops, returning to the first version
  • The house starst shaking
  • Richard grabs the dagger while running past
  • Ariah notices that Walter, which she's carrying, is cold and lifeless
  • Jonathan's rings lights up
  • Rose tells Damia to take them with us, Damia asks Gob to help her carry their skeletons
  • We run out of the house as it collapses behind us

Outside the house

• Rose asks Damia to bury them behind(?) the house
• Jonathan says he has been a mortician for many years, he offers to hold a funeral service for the children
• Ariah offers to give then the funeral blessing of Ilmater, to let them rest in peace and not turn undead
• We make them graves, and everyone helps how they can
• Gob puts a bit of his cheese in the ground, Damia gives him her cheese as payment for helping
• Damia holds a speech
• When we fill the graves with dirt, the ghosts are dispelled (And Lancelot returns to his normal self)
• There is a new item that wasn't there when we entered: A picnic basket with a bow, sitting on the doorstep with a letter on it
  • 
  • Ariah gets a ring of protection
  • Damia takes the letter and the wine
  • Gob gets the cheese
  • Everyone except Gob gets rations
  • 
• We take a long rest and level up to lvl 3
• We see a village in the distance

Report Date

30 Jun 2022