Chapter Twelve – The Chapel Of Doom:
The Adventurers were looking for the Chapel but were waylaid. The battle in the great entry continues with seven Gargoyles continuing their attack. They appear to be focusing on Ismark, and he lashes out at one of them but misses. The Gargoyles strike back inflicting a vicious wound on him. Father Tobias strikes his unearthly opponent, inflicting a serious injury!
More swoop down and Sigune swings her sword cutting deeply into its otherworldly stony flesh. Frimly throws a spear and hits! The Gargoyles flailing attacks fail to hit their targets. The dance of death continues with the Gargoyles rising and descending in a mad frenzy of claws. The Gargoyle on Sigune strikes simultaneously, but the Paladin Maiden’s long sword has the edge and cuts the evil entity in two.
Sigune: “For zee Cudgel!”
Some of the Gargoyles are already showing signs of severe injury and the battle appears to be tipping in favour of the adventurers. Galan fires an arrow at a Gargoyle and hits – another one crumbles to the floor of the hall!
Sigune rushes to Ismark’s side, as their attacks seem to be focused on him. As the round of combat unfolds the adventurers gain the initiative over their foes – and they use it with the number of Gargoyles still up and fighting reduced to just two! Almost out of spite, one of the Gargoyles still manages to strike Ismark, even as he attempts to parry its attacks. Ismark is badly injured! Sigune swipes at the fiend and inflicts an injury. As it sweeps by again she swings her longsword which sings through the air landing a deadly final blow on the Gargoyle. And then there was one.
The last one attempted to flee up the broad staircase, Galan fires a ‘+2 Magic Arrow’ at the final fleeing Gargoyle but misses, It is out of sight before anyone can do anything else.
Thora heals Ismark’s injuries with her ‘Potion of Healing’ and the next move is for Galan to open the locked doors leading into the chapel using his magical ‘Chime of Opening’.
To retrieve one of Galan’s arrows fired at the fleeing Gargoyle, Sigune, Galan, Frimly and Sir Ly go up the wide staircase which reached a large landing with frescoes featuring knights and two suits of armour. Galan suspects this is Leif the accountant’s level 2.
GRAND LANDING:
Massive stairs rise to a landing twenty feet wide by forty feet long. Stone arches support a ceiling covered with frescoes twenty feet overhead. The frescoes depict armoured knights on horseback, their finer features faded beyond recognition. Dust floats in the air here. At each end of the SOUTH wall, a staircase rises into darkness.
Between the staircases are twin alcoves, each one containing a standing suit of armour covered with dark stains. Each suit of armour clutches a mace, the “business end” of which is shaped like a dragon’s head. Words engraved on the arches above the suits of armour have been scratched out.
The adventurers retrieve the arrow and go cautiously back down the stairs. Galan manages to retrieve 2 of his 3 arrows and then uses his magical ‘Chime of Opening’ to open the door leading to the Chapel. He strikes it and the musical chime rings throughout the hall followed by a click as the lock magically opens.
HALL OF FAITH:
This grand hall is choked with dust and stretches into darkness ahead. Webs hang from the arched ceiling like drapes, and life-sized statues of Knights line the hallway on both sides, their eyes seeming to watch you.
A long hall is on the other side of the double doors and each side of the hall is lined with armoured figures. Webs hang from the ceilings. Frimly suspects the eyes of the armoured figure were looking at him. Sir Ly does not detect any evil intent coming from them… Sir Ly then steps into the room with his sword drawn. All of the statues look at him:
Sir Ly: “Cover me!”
Sigune enters the room with him. At the other end of the hall another set of double doors. Since the statues don’t move, Frimly checks for traps, and Thora checks for stone sliding doors, traps and moving blocks. Galan closes the doors behind the party. The doors do not lock. No traps are found initially, but the adventurers are paranoid and take their time to cautiously check everything before arriving at the other set of double doors, identical to the first set and also locked. The ‘Chime of Opening’ must be used again.
CHAPEL OF RAVENLOFT :
Dim, coloured light filters through tall, broken, and boarded-up windows of stained glass, illuminating the ancient Chapel of Ravenloft. A few bats flutter about near the top of the ninety-foot-high domed ceiling. A balcony runs the length of the WEST wall, fifty feet above the floor. In the centre of the balcony, two dark shapes are slumped in tall chairs. Benches coated with centuries of dust lie about the floor in jumbled disarray.
Beyond this debris, lit by a piercing shaft of light, an altar stands upon a stone platform. The sides of the altar are carved with bas-reliefs of angelic figures entwined with grape vines. A shaft of light from above falls directly on a silver statuette. A cloaked figure is draped over the altar, and a black mace lies on the floor near its feet.
The door is opened and reveals a huge Chapel. The ceiling is beyond the edge of sight and shrouded in darkness. Broken pews lie scattered around. Shards of light pierce the darkness from the stain glass windows. The Adventurers are disoriented. Is it daylight or moonlight?
Galan: “How long have we been here?”
Bats flatter around in the higher echelons of the Chapel.
Beyond the debris a silver statuette stands on a platform, an altar. The altar is embroidered with holy figures entwined with grape vines. A cloaked figure is draped over the stone alter and a ‘Black Mace’ lies at his feet. There are many dead bodies scattered across the floor.
Sir Ly and Sigune ‘Detect for Evil’ within the Chapel. They detect nothing.
The party advances into the chapel. Galan closes the doors behind them. Bats fly up into the roof of the chapel.
Sigune: “Father, look vere zey are flying!”
Father Tobias’ Elven gaze follows them as the bats disappear into the darkness 60’ feet to the end of his vision. He also sees that there is a balcony about 50’ feet above the doors that lead into the Chapel.
Thora: “Galan, keep an eye on that balcony up there, Frimly cover him.”
Meanwhile Sir Ly and Sigune examine the altar and the slumped figure with the mace. Father Tobias pulls him off the altar. It is the body of a man long-dead. The dead body bears no markings with which he can be identified. He then grabs the statue, which seems to resist at first, as he lifts it up. He then takes ten rounds to attune with the sacred item.
The item is very powerful and is called ‘The Icon of Ravenloft’!
THE ICON OF RAVENLOFT:
This is a 12’’ inch tall statuette made of the purest silver, weighing 10lbs pounds. It depicts a Cleric kneeling in supplication. Only a creature attuned to the icon can use its other properties.
Protection: While the attuned creature is within 30’ feet of the icon it is under the effect of a ‘Protection from Evil, or Good’, spell against any fiends or undead.
Augury: You can take a to cast an augury spell from the icon, with no material components required. Once used, this property can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Bane of the Undead: You can use the icon as a holy symbol while using the Turn Undead. If you do so, increase your “Turn Undead” roll by +2.
Cure Wounds: While holding the icon, you can take a round to heal one creature that you can see within 30′ feet of you. The target regains 3d8 + 3 hit points, unless it is an undead, a construct, or a fiend. Once used, this property can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Thora picks up the ‘Black Mace’:
Thora: “Aaaaargh by my beard that burns!”
She drops it immediately and is in considerable pain.
The double doors suddenly swing open and in the same instant all of the skeletal corpses in the room spring to life. They descend on the party, who try to form a perimeter around the altar. There is a Skeleton Warrior in the Southern end of the chapel wearing full chainmail, a mighty sword and a circlet around its head.
Edged weapons are ineffective against them and even Father Tobias’ attempt to turn them fails with the ‘Icon of Ravenloft’. Skeletal Archers in the distance fire and miss. Sigune hit one but is herself injured. Galan vanquishes a Skeleton; Sigune hits her same opponent but still does not kill it. Father Tobias hits one for a large amount of damage but it is still up.
Suddenly, and completely without warning, Count Strahd suddenly appears on the edge of the fray and casts a spell of many colourful rays of light. Frimly is the only one facing in his direction and can see Strahd is aiming the spell at Thora and Frimly.
Four Skeletons suddenly appear magically around the altar, unarmed. These have animated from the missed arrows fired by the Skeletal Archers. Sigune finally kills one of her opponents as the battle continues, relentlessly. Father Tobias hits his opponent again and kills it too.
Frimly shouts out a warning:
Frimly: “Thora is out cold!”
Count Strahd, strolls nonchalantly past the battle, before leaving the room through the double doors. They slam shut behind him and suddenly all of the Skeletal Warriors collapse! His laughter echoes and the word resonate in the dark.
Count Strahd: “Retribution”
Frimly checks the double doors and they are locked again. The portcullis to the north leads to stairs going down while the Southern portcullis leads to a corridor.
Thora regains consciousness. A brief check and she realises something is missing. Her Battle Axe is gone! But how can this be?
Mirafir Rovan is gone. Ireena Kolyana is gone. But the rest of the adventurers are still alive, just.
A growing sense of futility permeates the party’s mood. Count Strahd mocks them and walks away as if this is all just some kind of twisted game, a game in which he controls all of the pieces on the board.
