Galan, Father Tobias, Sir Ly and Sigune are next to Crypt of Tasha Petrovna (Crypt 11).
Ireena, Mirafir, The Unseen Servant, Frimly and Thora are next to the place (Crypt 14) that leads down to where the Wights are.
Galan, Father Tobias, Sir Ly and Sigune are next to Crypt of Tasha Petrovna (Crypt 11).
The Adventurers re-group back where they destroyed the Ghost of Prince Aerial.
Thora: “We need to get those Vampire Spawns thrown into the Crypt of the Priestess.”
Thora and Galan perform the grizzly tasks and the bodies of the Vampire Spawn burst into flames as the lay on the floor of the Crypt.
Frimly keeps an eye on the hollow tower stairs and hears the sound of hairy pads scurrying about.
Frimly: ”Everyone, I can hear the Spiders and their coming this way.”
Frimly move away from the area and discreetly hides himself in the shadows maintaining close surveillance on the North-East area of the Crypt.
The remaining adventurers brace to the oncoming assault.
Sigune, hold up her Sword, which has her Holy Symbol on, and searches for any Evil that may lurk to the North of the Party. She feels nothing more the cold air which moves around the Catacombs. Then she feels as someone has walked over her grave and she looks around but can see no one or nothing.
The Giant Spiders scurry out from the base of the tower stairs at great speed, and like their smaller cousins, with all their legs seemly moving at once. These Giant Spider appear to be driven by a purpose or directed as they move out alone the central East-West corridor, linking the Towers Stairs to the Tome of the King and Queen, and then turning North, with each of the 6 Giant Spiders taking a corridor.
The first and second Giant Spiders moves in front of Sir Ly and Thora.
The third attacks the ‘Continual Light Gem’ held by the ‘Unseen Servant’, who is standing by Thora.
The forth moves in front of Galan
The Fifth and Sixth make their way past Frimly, who is hiding in the shadows of one of the Crypts.
Sigune, Mirafir, Father Tobias and Ireena stand ready for other possible attacks.
Thora and Sir Ly battle their opponent and then Thora fights the one that had attacked the ‘Continual Light Gem’ held by the ‘Unseen Servant’ and knocked it to the ground.
Galan Fights his opponent and another that appeared behind it.
After several minutes all of the Giant Spiders are dispatched.
Thora spots the Huge Spider Queen that tried to eat Father Tobias in the Throne Room.
Thora: “come on out ya beasty, I have something you can bite down on.”
Mirafir: “Stand back oh Mistress of the Axe; I have a little surprise that will leave that Queen no longer a threat.”
Mirafir (In Elvish): “I will unleash a Fireball to kill the Queen and clear a path through any Webs that block the stairs and shaft.”
The party regroup apart from Thora who moves to have a clear view of the Crypt containing the Banshee and Frimly who was still hidden from site.
Mirafir casts ‘Fireball’ at the base of the Hollow Tower Stairs, as far above the ground as his line of sight would allow. The Tower and Catacombs are temporarily bathed in orange light and furious heat, the Queen Spider letting out a beastly screech and falling down to the base of the Tower. Still up, yet smouldering and maybe even damage from the fall. Bats fall to the ground, burnt to a crisp while the other fly off to find better shelter.
It sees Sir Ly and Mirafir and it is clear there is only one thing on her mind, the Death of those who dared attack her.
She moved towards Sir Ly, who was now flanked by Galan. Sir Ly attacks and dispatches the Spider Queen quicker than they would have expected.
Another few minutes of reprieve allows Frimly to listen for out danger. He hears the scrapping of a Crypt door being moved, then the quite moans and shuffling of feet. They must be Zombies, but which kind? I need to find out.
Frimly moves North, as silent and a Thief possibly can, to get a better look at what is coming, know the Zombies are slow creature. They are normal Zombies, and not those Strahd kinds, but to Frimly’s horror the one at the front is what is left of ‘Ismark the lesser’. Frimly has to steal himself as where is was fate or not, he is the only one who has seen himself dead hanging on a gibbet and his very name on of these very Crypts. Death stalks Frimly, but this may be better than the fate which has now befallen Ismark.
Frimly: ”You lot, there’s some Zombies coming from one of the North-East Crypts. I’ll go and herd them this way.”
Frimly: “Oi, you smelly rotten lot, I’m over here.”
Sigune ponders using the Web from her ‘Cloak of Arachnid’ but something isn’t quite right with that idea.
Sigune: “Wait, No, It’s gone.”
Mirafir becomes uneasy as to the coordinated attacks. There appears to be a brief few minutes before another group is dispatched.
By this time Father Tobias and Ireena were standing by the Crypt containing the shaft and ladder down to the Wights. Father Tobias was too preoccupied with his task in hand to hear, but the ever alert Ireena did.
Ireena: “Good Father, I hear movement coming from the Crypt below.”
Father Tobias: “Everyone, the Wights are stirring.”
Now another front is opened on our brave heroes as the crash of a Crypt door hitting the ground can be heard and seen, some 20’ feet from the Adventures. Out from the Crypt 2 Gargoyles fly out, sculpted to be donned in Armour.
The Gargoyles fly effortlessly toward Sir Ly and Galan, with no mercy in their stone cold eyes.
Galan and Sir Ly engage in combat while Thora trots around one of the Crypt to come upon one of the creatures for the side, as her path to the Gargoyles was blocked by the other 2 warriors.
Galan an enormous amount of damage on the first Gargoyle misses, who in turn misses completely. Sir Ly is not so lucky as he fails to hit the second Gargoyle, the Gargoyle however, is brutally clinical in his attack and strikes with both claws, a bite and a swipe of its tail.
The melee continues.
Mirafir, who had stopped concentrating on the ‘Unseen Servant’, fired off a barrage of ‘Magic Missiles’ at the Gargoyle fighting Sir Ly. Flaming Daggers appeared this time from his fingers.
Thora was now in range of the second Gargoyle, which had turned to face her and Sir Ly, and attacked, with the full fury of her mighty thews and the power of the ‘Potion of Heroism’. Sir Ly was praying, while Thora attacked. All attacks on Sir Ly were expertly blocked by the Paladin, while Thora was hit by the agile tale of the Gargoyle. That was however, the final act of the creature as it was sent to its hell. Galan also suffered one final blow before he too dispatched his foe.
Frimly had now moved slowly back as the Zombies approached him. Sigune had run around intent on surprising the Zombies from behind one of the Crypts.
Sir Ly, having been viciously mauled by the Gargoyle, humbly takes the ‘Potion of Extra-Healing’ that was given to him by Frimly.
The trails are not over, but Sir Ly is eager to prove his worth to St Cuthbert.
Thora and Galan had made their way to Frimly, stand in front of the Thief and brace for the exchange. As these Zombies were not power Strahd Zombies they were slow and cumbersome. They pose little threat and poor Ismark is the first to fall. Once the Zombies had been slain,
Frimly and Galan decide to investigate go and reconnoitre the area they came from by themselves. They both move quietly to the Crypt in the far North East corner of the Catacombs and find that the Crypt door had been opened and left leaning against the wall. Separated from their comrades they peer into the Crypt.
Crypt 6:
“Marya Markovia: Great was her beauty, undone by a jealous hand.”
This crypt smells of roses. The remains atop its marble slab have disintegrated, except for one solitary Blue Gem.
Thora and Galan then experience the following:
A ghostly form appears above the dust, so faint that you can barely discern more than part of a face. From this apparition comes the faintest of whispers:
Ghostly Voice: “The Vampire and his spawn must be destroyed. Use what I have left to aid you.”
With that, it fades away.
After some hesitation Thora steps into the Crypt and takes the ‘Blue Gem’. Nothing immediately happens but this could be because of Thora’s natural resistance to Magic. Thora then gives the ‘Blue Gem’ to Galan.
Thora: “Here wee lad, you may have more luck than I with this wee bauble.”
There is another break in the relentless strikes from Count Strahd’s minions. This allowed Thora and Galan to return from their solo mission unscathed. At the same time Frimly, who had re-joined the main group and was nervously scanning his surroundings for the next confrontation, can see movement in the North-West corner of the Catacombs; the entrance way. Not enemies, but Gertruda and Helga. How the hell did they get out of the Guest Bedroom below Strahd’s Study? I made sure the door was locked.
Father Tobias and Ireena were still standing guard by the Wight’s Crypt, also expecting an attack. Ireena, not having the night vision of the Priest, takes one of the touches from its sconce and drops it down the 30’ foot shaft to land by the solitary Wight that was staring up at them both. No other Wight’s could be seen, but the Wight that was in sight was holding an old rusted Long Sword.
Frimly: “that’s all we need, look over their Sir Ly it’s your girlfriend.”
The Adventures tell the pair to stay where they are and not to come any closer.
Gertruda: “Sir Ly My mighty Knight, I now know that I am safe. Hold me.”
Gertruda and Helga both move quickly towards the Adventurers. Thora and Galan had returned from the Crypt and the Adventurers questioned the two as to how they got out and made their way here?
Gertruda: “The door was unlocked and behind it was only a torch, floating in the air. I thought it must have been my brave Sir Ly who had insisted that the reached Wizards create a sprite that would lead me back to him.”
Frimly, being naturally suspicious of mostly everything and everyone, feels that there is something off about the pair and move out of site of the pair in order to down his ‘Potion of ESP’. Once taken, Frimly concentrates on Gertruda and can pick up her surface thoughts.
Gertruda: “Look how tall Sir Ly is, how mighty our children will be.”
Frimly then turns his attention to Helga.
Helga: “……………………”
Frimly can sense nothing, no thoughts or planed action coming from Helga.
Frimly then quietly moves into the shadows of the Crypts, around and to the rear of the two maidens.
The other Adventurers engage the maidens in conversation, with Gertruda doing most of the talking. Sigune, again, puts away her Shield and hold up her Sword with her Holy Symbol. Sigune concentrates on the two women but can detect no Evil emanating from either of them. Galan holds up the Sunsword which does not glow with the tell-tale blue glow that warns of Undead.
Frimly, now in a position to backstab Helga, is hidden from sight and silent as a thought. He steps forward and thrusts his Short Sword toward Helga. Where it was fear or just Lady Luck abandoning Frimly at that moment, his attack failed to connect with Helga.
Helga then turned towards, and her true nature was unveiled. No longer was she an attractive lost soul trapped in a Castle, the face of vile and twisted Vampire now faced young Frimly. Gertruda was frightened by both the sudden attack by Frimly and the transformation of Helga and rushed towards Sir Ly aiming to find protection in his mighty thews.
Helga, seeing Sir Ly and Sigune’s intent to reach her, ran off Northwards towards Count Strahd’s Crypt. Frimly’s life is spared.
Father Tobias and Ireena were still by the Wight’s Crypt and there was no movement from below.
Thora, who was by the two Adventurers, then heard a noise coming from the South-East area of the Catacombs. Thora moves out by herself leaving Father Tobias and Ireena standing by the entrance to the Wight’s Crypt. Galan, Mirafir, Frimly and the ‘Unseen Servant’ are near to the pair, while Sir Ly and Sigune take up the chase after Helga, following her to the North of the Catacombs and away from the main party.
Again Sigune feels like someone has walked over her grave again.
Mirafir again notices the gap between attacks and how easy it is to separate the Adventurers from each other.
Thora holds her ground waiting for the Brown Mold to approach her.
Father Tobias: “Use a flask of oil on the creature, burn it.”
Thora: “I’m not too sure that is what’s needed, do these creature not react differently to fire.”
Thora then attacks the Brown Mold by herself, behind her Father Tobias, Ireena and Mirafir look on, and does indeed strike the monster. However, the Brown Mold’s attack ability was overlooked and Thora suffered great damage from the cold based attack. Feeling as if all the warmth from her soul was being drain out of her.
Mirafir had been waiting for an opportunity and when he saw that Thora was struck, even knowing that the ‘Potion of Heroin’ provided extra fortitude, and attempted to aid his associate by casting ‘Magic Missile’ at the creature. This did not have the desired effect intended by the Wizard as at each point of enter by the ‘Magic Missiles’ caused the mold to budge and swell.
Mirafir: “By Zagyg, Thora was correct. The monster has increased in size as a result of the Magic Missiles, fascinating.”
Sigune then remembers what was bothering her about using her Web Spell from her ‘Cloak of Arachnid’. As she and Sir Ly were running after Helga, she could see the touches on the walls pass by her and then it hit her.
Sigune: “There’s no torch-free area to cast it in, the whole area is full of lit torches.”
Sir Ly and Sigune had by now reached the Northern area of the Catacombs and isolated from the main party. By the Portcullis in front of Count Strahd’s Tomb they found Helga. She was not looking at the two mighty Paladins’, she was calling into the Tomb and then turned to face the two heroes.
This is what the Paladins’ were trained for and they both raised their Swords and Shields, revelling in the battle to come. Then up, out from the mists that lay concealing the floor, the shape of a woman formed and transformed into Ludmilla Vilisevic. Sigune was braced and ready to attack the brides of the Count but Sir Ly was a different matter.
Ludmilla Vilisevic: “Dear Knight, listen to what I have to say as it may save your life.”
Sigune: “Oh Shit.”
TO BE CONTINUED….