ravenloft

CoS 12 - The Wizard's Tower

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Date: 2022-09-30 Location:

PCs

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  • Kas'asar Xar'Cha - Rees, Jeffrey
  • Carric - Daymude, Mark
  • Nyx - Ippolito, Paul
  • Zedifur - Bryan
  • Bloodstone, Jasper - Lonnie

Events

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Montage to discover the wizard's tower. Its to the west. As one nears it, it cuts of magic and patrons.
Tower door. Van Richten's Tower

Entrance

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The tower door is made of iron, with no visible handles or hinges. In the middle of the door is a large, embossed symbol - a connected series of lines with eight stick figures set around it. Carved into the lintel above the door is a word: KHAZAN.
We sing and dance the YMCA song. It opens.
Also, Rotting wooden beams support the scaffolding, which groans and creaks with the slightest breeze. A series of ladders and platforms lead to a hole in the northwest wall on the third floor.
Inside, there are statues and chains. Figure out its a lift. Second floor is rotted, probably the third as well. Since Kas does not know numbers above 3, going to 4 a magical experience.

That Floor Above Three

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Unlike the levels below, this room shows signs of recent habitation, and although the place reeks of mold and mildew, it has plenty of creature comforts, including a cozy bed, a desk with matching chair, bright tapestries, and a large iron stove with plenty of wood to feed it. Light enters through arrow slits as well as through dirt-caked windows with broken shutters. Other features of the room include a standing suit of armor and a wooden chest. Old wooden rafters bend under the weight of the tower roof, which has somehow remained intact. Mounted to the rafters are pulleys around which hang iron chains that support the tower's elevator platform.
Carric things someone took meaningful items from here. The chest appears be an under mimic. Carric opens - a wax severed head of a Vistani (real but waxy). A book is underneath.

The Tome of Strahd

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Crest of the Zarovich family (Strahd von Zarovich)
Note - that armor is freestanding.

The Wagon

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Since the Vistani is dead, we examine the wagon. Carric picks the lock on the wagon but misses the trap. There is an explosion. We all get blown back, Nyx is charred. Zedifur saves him. Its a painful lesson. We take a short rest to shore ourselves back up.

On the Road

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Take the book to open back in Vallaki. But on the way, we are attacked by Wolves wolves and Werewolves.
The group take a round to get in each other's range, and call upon various magics to be ready. The werewolves may be a problem - not much magic weapons or silver in the group. Focus on the wolves first. There is a terrible crash as all come together. Wolves start to go down, but a couple of werewolves are breaking through to the back line. The wolves are thinned, now the real fight starts.
Kas does call upon Vulkoor to root one of the werewolves to the spot as a sub-prime hunter (Channel Divinity). The casters are damaging the other werewolf. Jasper switches to his magic mace to attack one of the werewolves and gathers up for a second wind. Carric is a dodging fool. Zed and Nyx take on werewolf down. Kas turns and smites one werewolf (crit), and finished it. The battle turns, victory.
Do not recognize the dead werewolves.

Tome of Strahd Key Passages

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I am the ancient. I am the land. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past. I was the warrior, I was good and just. I thundered across the land like the wrath of a just god, but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand.
ll goodness slipped from my life. I found my youth and strength gone, and all I had left was death. My army settled in the valley of Barovia and took power over the people in the name of a just god, but with none of the god’s grace or justice.
I called for my family, long unseated from their ancient thrones, and brought them here to settle in the Castle Ravenloft. They came with a younger brother of mine, Sergei. He was handsome and youthful. I hated him for both.
From the families of the valley, one spirit shone above all others. A rare beauty who was called “perfection”, “joy”, and “treasure”. Her name was Tatyana, and I longed for her to be mine.
I loved her with all my heart. I loved her for her youth. I loved her for her joy. But she spurned me!
“Old One” was my name to her – “elder” and “brother” also. Her heart went to Sergei. They were betrothed. The date was set.
With words she called me “brother”, but when I looked into her eyes they reflected another name: “death”. It was the death of the aged that she saw in me. She loved her youth and enjoyed it. But I had squandered mine.
The death she saw in me turned her from me. And so I came to hate death – My death. My hate is very strong. I would not be called “death” so soon. I made a pact with Death, a pact of blood. On the day of the wedding, I killed Sergei, my brother. My pact was sealed with his blood.
I found Tatyana weeping in the garden east of the chapel. She fled from me. She would not let me explain, and a great anger swelled within me. She had to understand the pact I made for her. I pursued her. Finally, in despair, she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft, and I watched everything I ever wanted fall from my grasp forever. It was a thousand feet through the mists. No trace of her was ever found. Not even I know her final fate.
Arrows from the castle guards pierced me to my soul, but I did not die. Nor did I lev. I became undead, forever.
I have studied much since then. “Vampyr” is my new name. I still lust for life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even the Sun is against me. It is the Sun and it’s light that I fear the most, but little else can harm me now. Even a stake through my heart does not kill me, though it holds me from movement. But the Sword, that cursed sword that Sergei brought! I must dispose of that awful tool! I fear and hate it as much as the Sun.
I have often hunted for Tatyana. I have even felt her within my grasp, but she escapes. She taunts me!
She taunts me! What will it take to bend her love to me?
I now reside far below Ravenloft. I live among the dead and sleep beneath the very stones of this hollow castle of despair. I shad seal shut the walls of the stairs that none my disturb me.
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CoS 11 - Castle Ravenloft | Curse of Strahd | CoS 13 - Ruins of Berez