Frimly searches the Crypt belonging to Patrina Velikovna the Banshee. Thora Grid El Stands watch by the entrance to the Crypt and has been joined by Mirafir, the ‘Mirror Image’, the ‘Unseen Servant’ and Sigune. This group stand at the WESTERN end of the central EAST-WEST passage, by CRYPT 21.
The ‘Sunsword’ held by Galan glows pale blue. Galan, Sir Ly, Father Tobias and Ireena stand at the EASTERN end of the central EAST-WEST passage, by CRYPT 20.
Count Strahd: “Now I have them in the killing jar!”
The count is unable to resist a gleeful wringing of his hands, the anticipation of having manipulated the Adventurers into the catacombs, to the heart of his carefully laid deadly trap.
Count Strahd: “Yes, those fools may have killed the ‘Bride’, but now they are almost exactly where I want them. There will be no escape this time!”
His laughter briefly echoes upon the cold stone walls before darkness and silence once more consumes all.
A piercing scream that would have broken the minds and stopped the hearts of mortals, remains unuttered in this once happy house. As if spellbound by a kaleidoscope of swimming horses, the adventurers cannot quite believe that, thanks to Thora’s final blow (which luckily didn’t miss the girl), amongst a cascade of attacks, the accursed mad-eyed screaming Banshee, formerly an Elven maiden, is now freed from her ancient curse long before all of the Forgotten Realm’s cities turn to dust.
Frimly finds something in the Banshee’s Crypt, a Magical Spell Book. Mirafir casts ‘Detect Magic’. The book doesn’t radiate any magical traps. It’s a spell book containing ALL spells all the way up to 6th level!
Frimly: “You owe me again, Wizard.”
Mirafir: “We’ll call it a down payment on me saving your life from the bees, honey.”
Sigune reads the inscription on CRYPT 18. Her face contorts in concentration as she attempts to read the short clearly legible text:
Sigune:“Kirie yadhtrib yppah? Vot could zat possibly mean? Bah, such nonsense! I cannot make out anything in hier! But zere appears to be a coffin and altar!”
Frimly takes a look at CRYPT 19 and it says:
“Artimus (Builder of the Keep): Thou standest amidst the monument to his life”
Frimly also looks at Crypt 26
“Intree sik-valoo: He spurned wealth for the knowledge he could take to heaven.”
Meanwhile Sir Ly, Father Tobias and Galan are busy fighting an ancient Vampire they found in the CRYPT 20. It turned into gaseous form and now Father Tobias hears the sound of metal, wood and bone on stone in the distance, coming from the SOUTH-EAST corner of the Catacombs.
Sir Ly puts the door back on Crypt 20 as best he could. He struggled with the weight and size of the door and was not able to completely seal the entrance to the Crypt, (“Sasha: Wife”) – the banshee was the “bride”. They rejoin the rest of the party outside Crypt 18.
Mirafir presumes that all items will drop and appear in front of or within the Crypt when teleported. Sir Ly joins Sigune and tries to ‘Detect Evil’.
Frimly explains that he found the book for Mirafir to Thora Grid El and the others.
Thora Grid El hears the sound of metal, wood and bone on stone in the distance, coming from the SOUTH-WEST corner of the Catacombs.
Father Tobias realises that Vampires regenerate 3 Hit Points per round, as does the Brown Mold.
After some whispered discussions out of earshot of Sigune, the decision is taken not to cast ‘Non-Detection’ and to keep feeding Count Strahd with misinformation.
Mirafir, together with his ‘Mirror Image’ and ‘Unseen Servant’ head down the ladder into the Crypt of the Wights. Mirafir sees a Wight at the bottom of the stairs and flies past it, attracting the attention of the others as he does so. He manages to draw them into a group as they throw stones at him and cast ‘Fireball’, obliterating all of them but for two (and 1-3 who are in the coffins, he assumes). Of the two that are remaining, one he kills with a sling shot.
Mirafir flies back and relays his story to the others. They head back down together to finish them off. Sir Ly and Sigune stand guard against the greater evil, while Frimly and Galan head to the top of the ladder to begin the mopping up operation.
They quickly kill the Wight with arrows. Now there are probably three left. Sir Ly, Galan, Frimly, Mirafir and Father Tobias descend again. Sigune and Thora Grid El guard upstairs by the Crypt entrance.
Galan ties a rope to the top rung of the ladder for a quick escape while Thora Grid El and Sigune keep a look out.
Ireena: “Father Tobias should not go first!”
Frimly: “Well, would you like to go down the shaft first Ireena?”
Father Tobias, Mirafir and the unseen servant go around the corner and then wait for the others to catch up.
Meanwhile upstairs, Sigune and Thora Grid El hear noises nearby. The Bats have retreated… Why?
The ‘Sunsword’ held by Galan glows pale blue as it detects the undead, and with a process of elimination they are able to identify the most likely coffins containing Wights.
Frimly flips open the coffin successfully, and the Wight inside attempts to maul the nearest adventurer, but not before Ireena, Sir Ly, Frimley and Galan can strike. It sits up, and Galan whacks it for a large amount of damage. It is down and out!
The ‘Sunsword’ is still glowing. Something can be heard from the other coffins and they are trying to get out.
The next coffin is attacked and the occupant is surprised – Galan attacks and does an inordinate amount of damage, Sir Ly also hits but Frimly is unable to finish the job. In the next round, the adventurers attack again, and their combined efforts bring it down, with Mirafir delivering the coup de gras via his sling.
After the Wights are defeated, Galan moves up out of the Wight’s Crypt followed by Father Tobias and Ireena. Frimly and Mirafir, using his ‘Detect Magic’ Spell, check the remaining sarcophagi and surrounding area.
In a combined effort they find 2 vial containing liquids. A dull pewter vessel, the potions is familiar, lilac? ‘A Potion of Extra healing’! The other is a thick glass bottle painted black and smells familiar and it is a ‘Potion of flying’!
Frimly: “I will go through the teleport.”
The plan is decided. There is no time to lose.
Galan, upon reading what it says in the tomb about Ireena:
Galan: “He is a profligate and a bigamist!”
Mirafir and Frimly emerge from the tomb.
Sir Ly: “We think there is a spell user over the other side.”
Thora: “Basically Frimly will go through the teleport trap.”
Mirafir sends the ‘Unseen Servant’ into Crypt 7 to examine a leather pouch:
CRYPT 7:
“Endorovich (Endorovich the Terrible): What the blood of a hundred wars did not do, the spurn of a woman accomplished.”
There is a plinth with a coffin on top. There is armour with motifs etc. on the tomb. The unseen servant takes the leather bag out of the tomb and opens the bag, which contains a pair of unusually ‘Mechanical looking Glasses’.
TO BE CONTINUED…..