Karazhan
Karazhan
The castle of Karazhan has laid silent and untouched for many years. It has recently found itself ruled by a new unlikely creature the locals call Koridian. With myths of the days of Medivh's time within the tower many have tried to climb to the tower in search of treasure inside, it is time to venture within its depths and lay the rumors to rest.The path starts to curve downwards as the slate stone mountains that surround the Deadwind Pass are dwarfed by a massive grey tower that pierces into the sky. The remains of a town surround the base as a thick mist covers the floor, on perception 14 they can hear moans of zombies roaming the outside. A group stealth check of 60 is needed to sneak through the mist unnoticed.
At the base of the tower a large archway that leads into the tower. Inside a semi-circle foyer opens from the hole in the ground where you emerge from. A ledge several feet higher than the cobblestone floor runs along one side. You see two exits: One on the ledge through three mighty arches leading up wide stairs to the sound of a harpsichord, and an opening on the left where there is a smell of stables.
A male ghost stands smartly dressed patiently on the ledge in front of the arch doorway staring at you with a proud look.
"I am the simple doorman, Berthold. Welcome to Karazhan, travellers! We invite all guests to explore the castle at leisure. Behind you lies our Livery Stables where exotic mares await their masters, which we are sure you'll find unamusing. Be sure to journey up the staircase behind me to the grand ballroom and banquet hall where most of the guests are currently enjoying dining and dancing."
If they do not head up the stairs first, Berthold speaks in a less cheerful manner.
"We know your reasoning entering our domain. You won’t find him… he’s no longer here anymore. I’ll tell you this much if you are after the treasure is at the top of the tower. But good luck making it far enough, I’ll tell you what If you can take on The Huntsmen, Captain Moroes, the Maiden of Virtue & take part in the theatre I’ll unlock the next floor for you and you can begin your true climb to the new lord of Karazhan.”
Livery Stables
Ornate lanterns have been wall mounted and illuminate themselves when you enter the stables. Three odd, black mares stand in their open stalls in this cobblestone stable. Several spectral hands go about their business. Through a large arch is a solitary black mare, fully geared and standing at attention like a statue though clearly a mist rhythmically escape its nostrils. There is a plaque mounted on the support of the arch with "Attuman's Midnight. At the back is a staircase leading up that hugs the curve of the wall."
The nightmare lowers her head threatening when they get close, scraping its hoof against the cobblestone like nails on a chalkboard. It will charge when it can. After two rounds, Attuman the Huntsman appears in the stables and joins his companion in the fight. After two rounds, Attumen leaps on Midnight and the two fight to the death.
The Grand Ballroom
The sound of the harpsichord that has been resonating throughout the lower floor is more prominent now as you reach the crest of the staircase leading into a grand ballroom. This colossal, impressive room is decorated in elaborate molding on the ceiling, brightly painted by only a master. Most of the floor is covered by a finely woven, highly decorative rug with two chandeliers the size of wagons illuminating the craftsmanship from above. Twirling around the room in wonderful happiness to the music are ghosts dancing at various heights off the ground. None of them seem to care about your presence here.
There are two ways out of the ballroom, a small staircase leads up to the upper levels that circles the ball room you can see ghosts floating around the upper levels in elegant ball gowns chatting away again unconcerned with the party moving around. Off to the left of the entrance a large arch way leads into the dining hall, with food laid out on massive tables.
On a perception check 15 they will overhear some of the ghosts talking “If the Captain gives the signal I’d love to sink my teeth into their flesh”.
After the party walks into the dining hall the room is filled with multiple tables that are fully laid out with freshly cooked food, a ghost lightly plays the harp, massive chandeliers hang from the ceiling with hundreds of candles lighting the room, there is an undead male sitting at a table that over looks the room while eating a freshly cooked boar. He looks up spotting the party. “it looks like we have some guests. I assume you are here for our treasures. Well I won’t allow it...”
As he throws a knife at one of the chandeliers the party has to make a dex 14 save or take 2d8 damage.
Upper Grand Ballroom
Looking over the dance floor, there are groups of ghosts in fine clothes, off to the left there is an undead usher checking tickets of guests to pass through into the theatre hall, straight ahead of them is a doorway that leads into a corridor. Leading down the long corridor they have this constant giggling sound in their ears, eventually leading to an archway through which there is an entire room constructed of varying colors and veins of marble, the smooth polished surfaces reflect the brilliance of the stone statue that stands 15 feet tall in the center of the room. It is surrounded by six pillars of shining gold, but they are not symmetrically positioned. At the base of the statue is a plaque.
When the players enter the room, they must make a DC 15 Perception check to notice the sound of the fading giggles from behind them suddenly being cut off to silence. An Arcane or Detect Magic can (DC 14) can identify a silence spell cast in the room. The plaque reads "The Maiden of Virtue, savior and protector of womankind." If any PCs have threatened the ladies of the evening in the hall, the statue will suddenly animate when approached and try to grapple the easiest target. If no ladies have been harassed, the statue will animate only when the six pillars have been pushed into position. After closely inspecting them, the PCs will realize they are built on sliding tracks that allow them to be pushed around the room. Aligning them symmetrically triggers the statue. As the last pillar locks into place, a bright beam of golden light shines suddenly from the statue's eyes as it animates and steps off the base and looks at you.
The Kitchen
If the party makes their way through the stables first, they pass through the kitchen on their way towards the Theatre. On the far side of the stables there is a wooden staircase that leads up to a wooden door, inside the kitchen there are ghostly chefs cooking food. Upon walking into the room they will be attacked by 1d4 ghosts (that cannot possess). Moving through the kitchen they will eventually make their way towards the back of the stage where there are ghostly actors running through lines.The Opera House
You enter the main floor of the opera house. Surrounding you are empty seats facing the stage with its curtain drawn. Above you is a mezzanine and balcony both of which are empty. At the front of the seating area, the orchestra pit is lowered presenting a 20 foot drop off and spanning 20 feet to the stage. There are two doors on either side of the seating area near the walls that look to head backstage. A familiar face shows up it’s Berthold smuggly smiling. “Well I guess you've done well so far I'll give you a helping hand.” Berthold leads a party around the side of the stage to a door, "Well, I'll be waiting".
As the party make their way through the door as they step out the door slams hard behind them, as they find themselves on the stage a thick red stage curtain is drawn behind them, the empty seats and balconies of this multilayer theatre hall have now become filled with spectral beings quietly watching. As a spotlight clicks on and focuses the ghost of a human male standing in front of the party.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for joining us for tonight's festivities, we have been lucky enough to be joined by outsiders from beyond our humble tower. As they take part in our very own performance of The Wizard of Oz.”
Thunderous applause starts to fill the room, as the curtain fastly pulls open from both sides, a painted backdrop of a yellow brick road, with wooden painted bushes, the setting for scene one of the play… however there are four figures standing in a line one looks like a suit of armor holding an axe, the other a humanoid creature that looks like a human that has been experimented on and fused with some kind of cat like creature, the other a woman in a white and blue dress, she’s started the rot and the smell immediately hits your nose, part of her cheek as rotted away on the right hand side exposing her jaw underneath, the last figure stands dead still a straw man staring dead into the eyes of one of the players.
From underneath the helmet the muffled voice pipes up “Well we can’t just stand here all day we have a crowd to entertain.” As the woman’s face grows a wicked grin "I can smell their flesh”.
Karazhan Private Quarters
Berthold appears with a more serious face the smugness has worn off… “Well you have most certainly proven yourselves and I'm a man of my word, come with me.” as he takes the party down a small hall, stopping suddenly in a serious tone.
“Ok we are safe here, i’m sorry for my attitude earlier unfortunately Lord Kordian who is the new ruler of Karazhan has spies everywhere, and I must put on a face so they don’t see my deception, I ran you through those trials to first of all prove strength and also we’ve been able to thin the numbers of some of the spymasters freeing me up a little more to get you higher in the tower. I can get you past the broken staircase just outside the library, on the other side of the library there is a set of stairs that lead up to the old masters games room, after that you should be able to get to the top of the tower, If you can kill Lord Kordian you will free all of the trapped souls, including myself.”
As the party reaches a door at the end of the corridor, he opens it and there is a swirling mess of arcane energy making a purple tunnel of pure magic. As the party pass through their senses are overwhelmed, as they ascend up through the tunnel they have the feeling of falling down will moving upwards after about 20 seconds of falling they look down a see a floor, the shift from falling up to falling down is noticeable, a stone floor starts moving closer and closer to them at high speed, as the anxiety of fall starts to build in a shift of reality they are standing in a small room, instinctively they bend their knees to cushion the fall but there's no impact. The party looks around as they are in a small room with a bed, and some basic furniture. Berthold steps forward this is the last safe haven you will find in the tower friends, no one comes through here as this was in life my residence. Take this chance to rest up beyond this door is the corridor leading to the library. As his form starts to fade, once you’ve killed Kordian I will teleport you down to the bottom of the tower.
The Library
Outside the room the party turns a corner, you make your way up to a magnificent hallway decorated with large raven statues flanking either side. Each contains emerald gemstones in their eyes. Red marble colors the hall with mixtures of solid stone throughout and a beautiful ornate red carpet guiding travelers into the next room. Several circular chandeliers illuminate the entire causeway that sends reflections off the raven's eyes. The party hears a thudding sound as patrolling the hallway a large arcane construct is patrolling the hallway, it's regularly stopping and checking the area. At the end of the hall there is a massive set of double doors.
Six stealth checks will be needed to be made of increasing difficulty 3 fails and they will be discovered. The checklist bellow, these are group checks
1. 35
2. 40
3. 45
4. 50
5. 55
6. 65
On the fair end of the room a set of stairs lead up into a smaller room on one end, in one end there are 4 pillars with ravens pointing inwards to a raised platform each having a circular hole in them, on the far end there is a throne with torches either side. Investigation 15 on the throne will discover that near the throne there are scratch marks, the torch to the right can be pulled down and the one to the left is stiff (the left one can be used after the puzzle is complete). After the right torch has been used out of bone piles in the wall start to pour out zombies the first zombie apon dying will drop a black heart, that is made out of some sort of a crystal, roll 1d6 on a six a black heart that fits in the pillar drops, once all 4 pillars are filled zombies all turn the dust and the torch can be used.
The Games Room
After passing through the door A grand hall opens up to a life size chess board made of white and black marble. A platform overlooks each side from just above the tops of the playing pieces, each one lifelike. One side is complete with all the pieces made out of large black marble, on the white side there are missing pieces enough for the party to fill. The party has to beat the other side at chess, all pieces have their own stat blocks. After they pass the trial the floor starts to break up as individual tiles start ripping up and floating the wall tears down and a ruined stone staircase is revealed.
Kordain’s Overlook
Atop the stairs an arch way leads out into the top of the tower, the interior of Karazhan has remained in a pretty good state especially in the higher up levels but this is the first part since the entrance that reflects the towers true appearance, the ruined overlook has the far side wall crumbled and the party can see this ledge sits hundreds of feet in the sky looking over the dreary mountain range of slate mountains, as a heavy rain falls. In one of the corners of the room a chest stands alone, inside is 5000 gold, a large silver bar with a damascus steel like effect however the waves within the pattern have a light blue/ purple tint, and there is a glitter like effect almost like a stars within the bar.
The party are interrupted by the thundering claps of wings as a large skeletal dragon shoots up, you can see a few bits of muscle and organs remain on the inside of it’s ribcage, “WHO DARES ENTER MY HOME, MURDER MY GUESTS AND PILLAGE MY GOLD!” as it inhales the chest glows green and it opens its mouth as the green glow rushes up the exposed flesh on its neck exhaling green flame.
Appendix
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