In the shadowed halls of Castle Ravenloft, a tale of mystery and danger unfolds as our intrepid adventurers navigate the labyrinthine corridors of Strahd von Zarovich’s domain. The party, having weathered many a storm together, now faced the ultimate test in their quest to rid Barovia of its vampiric overlord.

Their journey had brought them to a room unlike any other within the castle’s oppressive walls. Here, under a dome ceiling painted to resemble a starry night sky, they discovered a square tower, incongruously placed as if it belonged outside amidst the elements rather than within the stone confines of Ravenloft. The tower, standing about 30 feet high with arrow slits and a magically resistant door, beckoned them with the promise of hidden secrets and forgotten treasures.

The party’s attempts to breach the tower’s defenses proved futile until one among them, showing both courage and ingenuity, scaled the structure to find a trap door at its summit. With a crowbar’s leverage, the lock yielded, revealing a room adorned with mysterious artifacts: a table holding a red velvet sack and a clay jug, another bearing a helmet, a metal rod, and a small treasure chest containing four vials of glowing red liquid, presumed to be healing potions. The helmet, embellished with jewels, and the metal rod, its purpose yet unclear, hinted at magic both potent and arcane. The sack revealed ten large, perfectly cut diamonds, and the jug, an alchemy jug capable of producing various liquids.

Exploring further, the adventurer discovered a shield emblazoned with a silver dragon emblem. This shield, capable of psychic communication, assured the adventurer of the safety in opening the chests scattered throughout the lower level. Within these chests lay a fortune in gold, platinum, and gems, a hoard estimated to be worth around 20,000 gold pieces.

As the party deliberated on the fate of this treasure, they pondered the ethics of depriving Strahd of these resources. Was it not possible that this gold was taken from the oppressed people of the land? History and arcana checks confirmed their suspicions, and they resolved to redistribute the wealth to the townsfolk, once Strahd was defeated.

Their exploration led them to discover a secret room with a ceiling painted like the night sky, perhaps a second layer of protection for the vampire’s treasures. Among the findings was a large dining room, the scene of an interrupted celebration, with a moldy wedding cake and a doll resembling a groom hinting at a tragic love story entwined with the castle’s history.

The mystery of the enchanted harp and lute, untouched by time, suggested enchantments at work, adding layers to the enigma of Castle Ravenloft. As they pondered their next move, the discordant notes of the harp, played by Elora, marked a pause in their adventure, a moment of contemplation amidst the dangers that lurked within the castle’s walls.

Notes
  • The group discusses a recent outing to Topgolf, including confusion over payment and billing details.
  • The session transitions back to the game, recapping the party’s recent adventures in Castle Ravenloft.
    • The party found a secret passage behind a fireplace, leading to a room with gold, a chest, and a trap that released gas, putting everyone except Tempest to sleep.
    • Tempest, acting alone, explored further, finding an elevator shaft and a hall full of webs, which led to a fight with spiders after burning the webs.
    • The party, still mostly asleep, is now in a belfry with Tempest, who decides to ring a bell, causing a loud gong to sound. The action prompts speculation about whether it would have attracted spiders if the webs hadn’t been burned.
  • The adventurers are exploring Castle Ravenloft, specifically a room with a large, octagonal shape, clean of dust and cobwebs, featuring a dome ceiling painted to resemble a starry night sky.
  • The ceiling’s “stars” are actually twinkling, suggesting they are light sources, possibly gems, embedded in the ceiling.
  • Inside the room, there is a square tower, about 30 feet high, with arrow slits and a closed, locked door at its base. The tower appears out of place, as if it should be outside rather than inside a building.
  • An attempt to open the tower’s door with a firebolt spell fails, indicating the door is made of a magically resistant material.
  • One adventurer climbs the tower, finding a trap door at the top, which is also locked but is opened with the use of a crowbar.
  • Inside the tower, the adventurer discovers a room with a table holding a red velvet sack and a clay jug, another table with a helmet, a metal rod, and a small treasure chest containing four vials of glowing red liquid, presumed to be healing potions.
  • The helmet is adorned with jewels and requires attunement to use its magical properties. The metal rod’s purpose is unclear, but it is suspected to have magical properties.
  • The red velvet sack contains ten large, perfectly cut diamonds, and the clay jug is identified as an alchemy jug capable of producing various liquids.
  • The adventurer then explores the lower level of the tower, finding multiple large chests and a shield with a silver dragon emblem. The shield communicates psychically, indicating it can sense danger but is not currently sensing any.
  • The shield assures the adventurer that opening the chests is not dangerous, leading to the decision to explore them further.
  • The adventurer finds a way to exit the tower from the inside, noting a bolt and bar that can be used to open the door.
  • Concern for the other adventurers arises, as they have been asleep for about an hour due to an earlier encounter. The adventurer decides to check on them, finding them still asleep at the base of the tower, transported there by a weasel.
  • The group discusses the possibility that smelling the red elixir might wake up the unconscious members, similar to smelling salts.
  • It’s confirmed that the four potions found in a small treasure chest are all red, suspected to be healing potions, but it’s uncertain if they will wake someone from unconsciousness.
  • A decision is made to test the healing potion on Elora, who appears to be the most injured, by pouring it into her mouth using a funnel.
  • Elora regains 10 hit points from the potion but remains asleep, though her wounds visibly heal.
  • The group then considers using a magic jug, which contains random elixirs, to try and wake the unconscious members. The jug is known not to contain healing potions but could have other effects.
  • Tempest attempts to use the jug, hoping for a liquid that could wake Elora, such as a strong espresso or a “magical, wacky, happy potion.”
  • After several attempts with different liquids from the jug, including one that causes Elora to lose hit points but eventually wakes her up with a burning sensation in her mouth and throat, the group realizes the liquid was poison.
  • The group debates whether to continue using the jug to wake the others, eventually succeeding with a liquid that smells strongly of vinegar.
  • Once awake, the group discusses their next steps, deciding to investigate their surroundings, which include a room with a dome ceiling painted like a starry sky with unfamiliar constellations, and a glowing tower.
  • They find four treasure chests inside the tower, filled with gold and platinum coins and gems, estimated to be worth around 20,000 gold in total.
  • The group debates whether to take the treasure, considering the logistics of transporting it and the moral implications of depriving the vampire lord of these resources.
  • It’s suggested that the gold might have been taken from the people of the land by the vampire, and taking it could be seen as a noble act.
  • Elora and Thorne make history checks, leading to the realization that the gold likely came from the oppressed people of the land.
  • Elora makes an arcana check and deduces that the tower was created by a spell, suggesting that the treasure won’t disappear if the spell is dispelled, likening the tower to a magically created fortress rather than a dimensional storage space.
  • The group discovers a secret room with a ceiling painted like the night sky, speculated to be a second level of protection for a vampire’s treasure.
  • Tempest is commended for finding a way into the secret room.
  • The party considers moving the treasure to a safer location and returning for it after dealing with the vampire lord, to later distribute it to the townsfolk.
  • A strategy is discussed to potentially irritate the vampire by moving his treasure, leveraging the idea that criminals make more mistakes when angry.
  • The group debates whether to explore further or to investigate potential exits, including a secret door leading to an elevator shaft discovered by Tempest, and other doors in a study room (K-37).
  • The decision is made to explore the ceiling of the secret room further, upon which it’s discovered that the gems embedded in the ceiling are enchanted to mimic a night sky, possibly holding a deeper significance related to the dimension or reality of the setting.
  • A large dining room is discovered with a table set for a celebration, covered in dust. A wedding cake, now moldy and ancient, sits at the center, suggesting an interrupted celebration.
  • A doll resembling a groom is found on the floor near the table, hinting at a wedding that never occurred.
  • The group speculates about the history of the castle, the vampire lord, and a possible tragic story involving a wedding.
  • The room also contains a perfectly tuned harp, despite its dusty appearance, and a lute that seems untouched for centuries. The harp’s condition suggests enchantment.
  • The session ends with the group pondering their next move, amidst the discordant notes of the harp played by Elora, indicating a pause in their exploration and decision-making.