Argynvostholt Castle
QJ. DRAGON STATUE
Perched atop a ten-foot-wide, ten-foot-high cube of granite is a moss-covered statue of a dragon, its wings tucked close to its body. The statue looks east, toward the mansion.
Close inspection: It is a silver dragon of noble bearing, its spiny frill cracked and broken in may places. The statue is 10 feet tall but looks more imposing perched on the granite block.
Q2. MAIN ENTRANCE
Flagstone steps flanked by stone railings climb to a landing in front of a pair of tall, wooden doors with rusted iron bands and knockers shaped like small dragons. Carved into the lintel above the entrance is the word ARGYNVOSTHOLT.
TRAP: If a creature steps foot on the landing, the dragon statue opens its mouth and exhales a 60'-0" cone of harmless cold air, then closes its mouth and doesn't activate again until the next dawn.
The doors are unlocked.
Q3. DRAGON'S FOYER
This room feels like a king's tomb. A grand staircase leads up to stone balconies held aloft by stone pillars and arches. A tall, faded tapestry depicting a nobleman in silver armor hangs from an iron rod above the staircase landing. Six sets of double doors lead from this foyer. Along the walls, displayed on marble pedestals, are three alabaster busts of handsome men. A fourth bust and its pedestal have been knocked over, and their shattered remains lie strewn across the mosaic floor. Two chandeliers of wrought iron hang from the ceiling like monstrous black spiders.
A dead Vistani has collapse just inside the doors. It seems like it was killed by the trap in the entrance.
Shadow of Argynvost: A great shadow with wings moves across the Northern walls before disappearing through the first door on the left. You hear the soft bestial hiss in the darkness.
Q4. SPIDERS' BALLROOM
The door is hard to open, DC 14 str check and tick strands of white string restricts its movement. Rubble is strewn throughout much of this vast chamber, caused by the partial collapse of the rooms above it. On the pink marble floor, fallen chandeliers lie amid broken chairs and other furnishings. Thick webs stretch from wall to wall, and moving among them are too many giant spiders to count!
- TRAP: Nine giant spiders nest here. They attack anyone who gets too close.
LOOT: Half-elf ranger, tiefling wizard, elven rogue. Wand of Magic Detection, a Silver Dagger, Ever burning Torch.
Q5. RUINED STABLE
Here lie the blackened beams of a wooden stable, burned to its stone foundation. Looming above the wreckage is the partially collapsed south end of the mansion, all three of its floors exposed to the elements.
Q6. DRAGON'S DEN
This wood-paneled den has been ransacked, its furnishings tossed about. A cold, dark hearth dominates the west wall between two narrow windows. Standing upright against the north wall is a sarcophagus made of black wood with a queen's effigy carved into its lid.
LIVING FIRE: If the beacon of Argynvostholt (area Q53) has not been
lit, read the following text when the characters approach
the fireplace for the first time:
" The fireplace (or oven or whatever) is completely soot choked and clogged with piles of ash. However, though the fireplace is obviously long abandoned and shows no recent signs of use, there's a single ember struggling for life among the ash. Upon closer inspection, players can see that the ember sluggishly pulls bits of ash towards itself, as if it knows it won't survive much longer but is unwilling to give up."
"Once given some fuel, the ember busts to life, growing furiously and assumes the shape of a small dragon with wings made of smoke. The flaming figure also glows a peculiar white-blue and feels cool instead of hot. The dragon suddenly takes off, soaring past the players in a flurry of cold air and choking smoke all the while growing larger and larger. It disappears up the stairs"
Q7. PARLOR (nothing valuable)
Tattered velvet drapes cover the tall, slender windows
that encircle this parlor. The furnishings are covered with
dust and cobwebs, and lie in disarray. A damaged brass
chandelier hangs from the ceiling, which is covered with
a faded mural that depicts metallic dragons and colorful
birds flying beneath white clouds.
Q8. IRON GATE
An iron gate, chained shut, closes off a 10-foot-tall archway on the north wall of the mansion. The key to the
chain's padlock was lost long ago, but the lock can be
picked by someone who uses thieves' tools and makes
a successful DC 20 Dexterity check. The old lock can
be smashed by a character who uses a bludgeoning or
slashing weapon on it and makes a successful DC 15
Strength check.
Ten-foot-high flights of stone steps to the west and
east of the archway lead up to landings and doors that
provide access to areas Q7 and Q9.
Q9. SERVANTS' QUARTERS
Tattered brown drapes cover the windows of this circular
room, and a heavy curtain hangs across an archway to
the south. Strewn about the floor is the wreckage of half
a dozen beds and other pieces of furniture.
Ql0. KITCHEN
This kitchen has been plundered, its tables overturned.
The floor is littered with rusted utensils and smashed
crockery. Narrow windows flanking a hearth look out over
a cemetery. An open iron pot hangs from a hook inside
the blackened fireplace. It rattles on its hook and bobs up
and down, as though something is inside it.
Qll. WINE STORAGE
Five barrels lie in wooden braces along the walls of this
dark, moldy storage room.
Behind the barrels is a dead dusk elf. He has a missing person add for an Arabelle and appears to be dead from a stab wound.
Ql2. DINING HALL
A twenty-foot-long table with sculpted dragons for legs
stands in the center of this hall. The chairs that surround
the table have backs carved to resemble folded dragon
wings, and several of the chairs have been overturned or
smashed to pieces. Suspended above the table is a crystal chandelier that glows with a soft white light. Standing
in windowed alcoves are two life-sized statues depicting
knights with dragon-winged helms and shields.
Rainwater trickles through cracks in the ceiling, flowing down the west wall and adding to a large puddle on
the floor.
Five sets of wooden doors lead to this hall. The doors
in the northeast corner hang open. A pair of leaded
glass doors, their panes cracked and broken, stand open
between panels of stained glass set into the east wall.
These panels depict silver dragons in flight. Beyond the
glass doors lies a dark, misty room that appears to be
a chapel.
Q13. CHAPEL OF MORNING
Cracked wooden pillars support a wooden, U-shaped
balcony that overhangs this stone-walled chapel. Narrow
archways lead to spiral staircases that curl up to the
balcony, and a door set into the north wall has a wooden
beam barring it. At the east end of the chapel rests a
stone altar flanked by iron candelabras. The altar is
carved with a rising sun bas-relief. Tall, arching windows
set with panels of stained glass decorate the walls behind
the altar. One of the windows has been shattered, covering the chapel floor with shards of colored glass and
allowing thick fog to enter and fill the room.
"Through the fog, you see three armored figures kneeling before the altar."
ENCOUNTER: Three Revenants in chain mail holding long swords.
Q14. CHAPEL STAIRCASES
Narrow windows allow dim light to enter this five-footwide spiral staircase.
Ql5. CEMETERY
Tucked behind the mansion is a fog-shrouded cemetery
enclosed by a seven-foot-tall fence of wrought iron. In the
northeast corner stands a mausoleum.
You suddenly feel like someone or something is watching you. Looking up, you spot a well-dressed man with
a thick mane of thistledown hair observing you from a
high tower window. He draws the curtain and disappears
from view.
PERCEPTION CHECK DC 12: Reveals that 5 graves are missing bodies. The corpses buried there crawled out of the earth. Of the missing corpses there is no sign, but the surrounding fence is intact, which suggests that no one got into the cemetery from outside.
Ql6. DRAGON'S MAUSOLEUM
Tarnished, silver-plated gargoyles shaped like dragon
wyrmlings cling to the stone-tiled roof of this mausoleum. An eight-foot-tall, four-foot-wide white marble door
set into the southwest wall is engraved with a name:
ARGYNVOST.
DC 15 STR. CHECK TO OPEN THE DOOR
- The dusty interior interior is filled with the skeleton of an adult dragon with its head missing. Etched into the far
wall is a verse written in Draconic: "Here lie the bones and treasures of Argynvost, lord of Argynvostholt and founder of the Order of the Silver Dragon."
Q17. WEST STAIRCASES
Narrow windows illuminate this dusty, five-foot-wide
spiral staircase.
Q18. BALCONIES
Two stone balconies flank the main foyer. Balusters
carved to resemble knights in shining armor support
their elegantly carved stone railings. Weapons and
shields festoon the walls along each of these walkways,
while alabaster busts of handsome men flank hallways
that lead north and south away from the foyer. At the
west end of each balcony is an archway that leads to a
spiral staircase going up.
The balcony is 20'-0" above the foyer.
Q19. Ruined Bedchambers
A small unlocked chest sits on the wooden floor toward the edge. The chest is empty, save for a rusted breastplate, a rotted pair of common clothes, and a moth-eaten child’s stuffed silver dragon.
TRAP: Any PC that steps onto the floor of these rooms must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or fall into Q4 (Spiders’ Ballroom) below.
Q20. SOUTH ALCOVE
A red velvet curtain hangs in front of an alcove in the
southeast corner of this hall. It ripples ever so slightly.
Behind the curtain, A black cloth covers something atop a white marble pedestal. Beneath the black cloth is the severed head of a random character. It is a powerful illusion that can't be disbelieved without dispel magic or if the head is broken. The head is actually an exquisite alabaster bust of a handsome, middle-aged human with neatly trimmed mustache and beard (Lord Argynvost).
Q21. NORTH ALCOVE
A red velvet curtain hangs in front of an alcove in the
northeast corner of this hall.
Q22. BATHROOM
This room contains a snuffling undead silver guard drake. The drake attempts to take shiny valuables from the PCs for use in a nest it’s built in the bathtub from torn curtains, rusted swords, and furniture debris. This guard drake belonged to Sir Godfrey in life, though neither now recognizes the other.
Q23. STORAGE ROOM
Rainwater seeps through cracks in the ceiling and flows
into a pool on the sagging wooden floor. The pool fills
about half the room. Bare stone shelves line the walls.
TRAP: The floors are weak. If 100 lbs or more weight is applied, the floor gives way and you fall 20'-0" to room Q12.
Q24. Chapel Balcony
A solitary revenant can be found here, inwardly searching for a prayer it no longer remembers. If you you have already used the wandering revenant random encounter on the roads of Barovia, this is the same revenant, awaiting the PCs’ approach.
Q25. TRAPPED HALLWAY
This T-shaped hallway has branches to the west, east,
and south. Three arched windows in the north wall look
out over the foggy grounds. The ceiling in the hall is 20 feet high. The wooden doors
to areas Q27 and Q28 are locked, requiring a successful DC 20 Strength check to break down. The 10-foot
squares in front of the doors are trapped. If a player activates it by stepping on it, a floor-to-ceiling wall of stone magically appears across the opening on the south wall. At the same time, phantom warriors in rooms Q27 & Q28 move to attack.
ENCOUNTER: 7 phantom warriors attack.
Q.26. NORTHEAST GUEST ROOM
The door to this room hangs open. Two beds with torn canopies stand against opposite walls with a tattered rug lying on the floor between them. Set into the far wall is a fireplace black with soot. A soft hiss issues from the hearth.
Q27. KNIGHTS' QUARTERS
This room is littered with the wreckage of ancient bunk beds. Five dirt-caked windows allow precious little light to enter, and between them are four empty armor stands. Empty torch sconces line the walls.
28. KNIGHTS' UARTERS
Tattered and faded drapes cover the windows of this circular room, and empty torch sconces line the walls. Broken bunk beds and armor stands are strewn on the floor.
Three phantom warriors (see appendix D) haunt this room. They manifest only when the characters enter the room or trigger the magic trap in area Q25. They fight until destroyed.
- TREASURE: Buried under the wreckage is a small wooden coffer containing four potions of invulnerability. A search of the room yields this lost cache.
Parent Location
Owner
Owning Organization
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