As the two children run off, Rose turns back, saying softly, so that you can barely hear it... "Thank you." She then turns and follows after her brother, quickly lost in the mist that seems to be moving in around the house. As you turn back towards the house you would notice that the mist seems to be moving in all about you, and it does not take long for the neighboring homes to be lost in that morass of swirling grayness.
A wrought-iron gate with hinges on one side and a lock on the other fills the archway of a stone portico. The gate is unlocked, and its rusty hinges shriek when the gate is opened. Oil lamps hang from the portico ceiling by chains, flanking a set of oaken doors. As you step up onto the portico, and face the set of oaken doors, the wood under your feet creaks under your weight.
Bernard watches the children disappear into the mist, before turning to the house. It's large size is imposing, and the old priest takes a deep breath before taking the citrine amulet into his palm.
"Whatever evil awaits me inside this abode, it will not catch me unaware. The light dispels all shadows."
With that, the amulet begins to emit a bright sunlight. At the same time, Bernard's senses become more acute, attuned to the presence of the wicked.
Then, he enters through the oaken doors, searching for signs of the children's lost parents.
Perception: 17
(Passive Perception 22)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
As you open your senses to the divine, you realize the entire house you are stepping inside of has been desecrated. It reeks of evil to your enhanced senses.
The double doors open soundlessly, at odds with the scream of protesting metal the outer gate had given off when that had opened under your firm hand. Before you lay a large foyer. Hanging on the south wall is a shield emblazoned with a coat-of-arms (a stylized golden windmill on a red field), flanked by framed portraits of stony-faced aristocrats. Mahogany-framed double doors leading into the main house are set with panes of stained glass.
Bernard gasps and steps back, astonished and disgusted. It's been years since he's faced such a large area reeking with malevolence. He gulps and thinks of the children, wondering how they've lived so long in such a place.
Entering the foyer, he glances at the shield and portraits, looking for anything abnormal before walking up to the stained glass doors. He peers through, before opening them and continuing.
Perception: 26
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
The shield and portraits do not seem remarkable as you glance them over. As you glance at the stain glass doors, you can't see anything through them, the coloring making any details too hard to make out. Opening it you find...
A wide hall runs the width of the house, with a black marble fireplace at one end and a sweeping, red marble staircase at the other. Mounted on the wall above the fireplace is a longsword (nonmagical) with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt. The wood-paneled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. You can see serpents and skulls inconspicuously woven into the wall designs. It is clear some attempt was made to conceal these more gruesome designs, but your observant nature makes them quite obvious. The decorative paneling follows the staircase as it circles upward to the second floor.
Four doors lead off of the hallway. One is a second double-door, one a smallish, closet-style, door, and the third and forth appear more standard-sized.
Behind one of the more standard-sized doors you hear the sound of clinking glass, laughter, and muffled conversation.
Bernard is confused by the sounds that seemingly indicate a party is happening behind one of the doors. He narrows his eyes, not believing in what he's hearing but willing to figure out what is truly going on in this house.
As he passes by the fireplace, he takes a cursory glance at it, looking to see if he could tell the last time it's been lit.
He stops in front of the door with the sounds behind it. For a second, he focuses his senses and tries to figure out if there's anything unnatural behind the door. In either case, he opens it and looks inside.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
As you look at the fireplace you see it is dark and looks to have not been used recently. It seems likely it was more for decoration in this hall than for warmth. As you move to the door the sounds come through you sense something, not quite undead, in the next chamber. when you open the door though the room is completely empty.
The centerpiece of this wood-paneled dining room is a carved mahogany table surrounded by eight high-backed chairs with sculpted armrests and cushioned seats. A crystal chandelier hangs above the table, which is covered with resplendent silverware and crystalware polished to a dazzling shine. Mounted above the marble fireplace is a mahogany-framed painting of an alpine vale.
The wall paneling is carved with elegant images of deer among the trees. You also are able to see twisted faces carved into the tree trunks and wolves lurking amid the carved foliage.
Red silk drapes cover the windows, and a tapestry depicting hunting dogs and horse-mounted aristocrats chasing after a wolf hangs from an iron rod bolted to the south wall.
Bernard frowns at seeing the empty dining room, lowering his shield and amulet. He traces his fingers across the macabre carvings and tapestry. It was slowly dawning on him on what he was dealing with here.
"It's a bloody haunted house, ain't it?" he grumbles. He's been in many of those in the past. In his early days of being an exorcist, a spooked farmer might call him over to their house, claiming to have heard strange sounds or seen lanterns flicker out by themselves. It was usually nothing, just a combination of the wind and a bored person with an overactive imagination. But sometimes, Bernard found something...insidious.
The old priest repeats the routine of searching for the unholy before entering the closet, the double doors, and the other standard sized door. He gives each room a brief sweep for anything that may clue him in on the nature of this house.
Behind the closet-style door... A cloakroom has several black cloaks hanging from hooks on the walls. A top hat sits on a high shelf.
Through the double-door you find... Den of Wolves This oak-paneled room looks like a hunter’s den. Mounted above the fireplace is a stag’s head, and positioned around the outskirts of the room are three stuffed wolves.
Two padded chairs draped in animal furs face the hearth, with an oak table between them supporting a cask of wine, two carved wooden goblets, a pipe rack, and a candelabrum. A chandelier hangs above a cloth-covered table surrounded by four chairs.
Two cabinets stand against the walls. The east cabinet is locked. The north cabinet is unlocked and holds a small box containing a deck of playing cards and an assortment of wine glasses.
When in this chamber you see movement whenever you turn away from the wolves, the forms seeming to move and shift stances as you are turning to look at something else. When you turn back they are as they were previously though.
Through the other normal door... Kitchen and Pantry The kitchen is tidy, with dishware, cookware, and utensils neatly placed on shelves. A worktable has a cutting board and rolling pin atop it. A stone, dome-shaped oven stands near the east wall, its bent iron stovepipe connecting to a hole in the ceiling. Behind the stove and to the left is a thin door leading to a well-stocked pantry. All the food in the pantry appears fresh but tastes bland.
Dumbwaiter Behind a small door in the southwest corner of the kitchen is a dumbwaiter—a 2-foot-wide stone shaft containing a wooden elevator box attached to a simple rope-and-pulley mechanism that must be operated manually. Hanging on the wall next to the dumbwaiter is a tiny brass bell.
At this point the only path you have not checked out is up the stairs...
At the closet, Bernard takes one of the black cloaks and drapes it over his armor, reducing the reflection of light off his scale mail.
In the wolf den, he finds himself unsettled by the realistic-looking wolves which he almost been attacked by yesterday. He notes the locked cabinet and tells himself that he'll come back for it later.
In the kitchen, Bernard glances up at the dumbwaiter shaft and wonders where it leads. He decides against trying to fit himself in and concludes his investigation of the first floor.
His steel boots rest at the base of the red marble staircase for a moment, as he mentally steels himself before ascending the stairs to the next floor.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Upper Hall Unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls of this elegant hall. Hanging above the mantelpiece is a wood-framed portrait of the Durst family: Gustav and Elisabeth Durst with their two smiling children, Rose and Thorn. Cradled in the father’s arms is a swaddled baby, which the mother regards with a hint of scorn. You recognize the smiling children as the very ones you saw outside of the house.
Standing suits of armor flank wooden double doors in the east and west walls. Each suit of armor clutches a spear and has a visored helm shaped like a wolf’s head. The doors are carved with dancing youths, As you look closer though, you notice that the youths aren’t really dancing but fighting off swarms of bats.
Another, less ornate door is in the northern wall. as you stand in the hall you can hear the sobs and muffled gasps of a woman in pain, coming from that door. The scent of blood comes to your nose as you glance towards the door.
The red marble staircase that started on the first floor continues its upward spiral. You feel a cool breeze coming down those stairs, and your senses tell you that the breeze is not natural.
Instead of feeling any natural human emotion, Bernard's mind instead goes into overtime as he hears the sobs of a woman behind one of the doors. Cursing his scale mail, he slowly creeps up to the door, waiting for a second to sense inside it, before bursting in with his holy amulet drawn.
Rushing to the door you call upon your divine senses again and feel the same sort of weak undead you sensed through the dining room's door previously. Upon opening the door you find...
An undecorated bedroom contains a pair of beds with straw-stuffed mattresses. At the foot of each bed is an empty footlocker. Tidy servants’ uniforms hang from hooks in the adjoining closet.
Dumbwaiter A dumbwaiter in the corner of the west wall has a button on the wall next to it.
Bernard's eyes dart across the room, and he lets out another grunt of frustration. The house had tricked him again, and he takes a deep breath and lets the adrenaline flow out of him.
He gives the servant's bedroom a cursory search, under the beds and mattresses, before exiting and returning back into the hallway. He enters both of the double doors in the western and eastern walls, always pausing to see what his senses tell him.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Library Red velvet drapes cover the windows of this room. An exquisite mahogany desk and a matching high-back chair face the entrance and the fireplace, above which hangs a framed picture of a windmill perched atop a rocky crag. Situated in corners of the room are two overstuffed chairs. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the south wall. A rolling wooden ladder allows one to more easily reach the high shelves. The desk has several items resting atop it: an oil lamp, a jar of ink, a quill pen, a tinderbox, and a letter kit containing a red wax candle, four blank sheets of parchment, and a wooden seal bearing the Durst family’s insignia (a windmill).
A tattered piece of sheet music lies on the desk. It is titled “Song for Elizabeth.” A handwritten, partially burnt note sits beside it; it reads “Bulwarton’s words can open the way.”
The desk drawer contains a number of receipts for candles, daggers, and incense. There is also an iron key.
The bookshelves hold hundreds of tomes covering a range of topics including history, warfare, and alchemy. There are also several shelves containing first-edition collected works of poetry and fiction.
A small rock collection sits upon one of the shelves; each of the stones are labelled with its scientific name.
As you look over the bookshelf you notice two things of interest. First is your own name upon the spine of one of the books... One of the books on the shelves is titled “The History of Bernard Apond” If read, it provides a narration of the PC’s entire life. The final page reads: “He pulled the book down off the shelf and began to read, unaware of the creature that watched him from the shadows. Slowly, the beast began to creep forward.” The next page is blank, save for a bloodstain two-thirds down. A search of the room evidences no indication of any other creature.
The second item of intrest is a strange red book, made interesting by the fact the same author was on its spine as on the burned paper you found on the desk... It is titled “An Architect’s Art,” and is written by Archibald Bulwarton. As you pull it down there is a click from behind the bookshelf, which springs slightly out from the wall. As it does so you notice flickering candlelight beneath the secret door.
(OOC: I wouldn't normally just give this all to you, but your passive scores beat the DCs involved. If you want me to make things more active, vs use of passive scores, then let me know.)
(I agree with what you're doing. Bernard's passive score would be a lot lower if he didn't cast the light spell, and if he was focused on something else. Many DMs use passive perception kinda like "Take 10," which describes a character's results over a long period of time. Since Bernard is indeed giving each room a thorough sweep, then I think passive perception works.)
Bernard enters the luxurious library and shudders to see his own name on one of the books. He skims through and groans with sorrow. It seems that the book had not censored the numerous crimes he's committed while on his crusade, unlike the books at the church. He disregards the final page as a mere gimmick and tucks away the book in his pack.
The old priest also takes the iron key and letter-writing supplies. Those may be useful in the future.
He smirks when the secret door revealed itself upon pulling the book. In fact, that would be the oldest trick in the book.
Bernard sweeps the bookshelf for anything that might help him understand what's going on in this house. Then, he enters the secret door with his amulet drawn.
Secret Room This secret room contains bookshelves packed with tomes describing fiend-summoning rituals and the necromantic rituals of a cult called the Priests of Osybus.
A heavy wooden chest with clawed iron feet stands against the south wall, its lid half-closed. Sticking out of the chest is a skeleton in leather armor. Close inspection reveals that the skeleton belongs to a human who triggered a poisoned dart trap. Three darts are stuck in the dead adventurer’s armor and ribcage. The dart-firing mechanism inside the chest no longer functions.
Clutched in the skeleton’s left hand is a letter bearing the seal of Strahd von Zarovich. Written in flowing script, the letter reads as follows: My most pathetic servant, I am not a messiah sent to you by the Dark Powers of this land. I have not come to lead you on a path to immortality. However many souls you have bled on your hidden altar, however many visitors you have tortured in your dungeon, know that you are not the ones who brought me to this beautiful land. You are but worms writhing in my earth. You say that you are cursed, your fortunes spent. You abandoned love for madness, took solace in the bosom of another woman, and sired a bastard son. Cursed by darkness? Of that I have no doubt. Save you from your wretchedness? I think not. I much prefer you as you are. Your dread lord and master, Strahd von Zarovich
Treasure The chest contains three blank books with black leather covers (worth 25 gp each), three spell scrolls (bless, protection from poison, and spiritual weapon), the deed to the house, the deed to a windmill, a signed will, and a letter to Gustav's brother, Dimov,.
The will is signed by Gustav and Elisabeth Durst and bequeathes the house, the windmill, and all other family property to Rosavalda and Thornboldt Durst in the event of their parents’ deaths.
The letter to the brother reads... My dear Dimov, I must confess, my nights as of late have been sleepless. The child’s wails these past several evenings have kept me awake , haunting these halls like a ghost. Margaret does her best, but other clouds yet trouble my dreams. My beloved Elisabeth, I am sure, feels it too, for she tosses and turns in our bed and awakes with her forehead slick with sweat. O’er the past several congregations, I have become suspicious of the ambitions of the others. Their dark murmurs worry me, and though I know that a shadow ought not fear a blacker night, I cannot but fear for the extent of their plotting. If anything happens, you are to be steward of our parents’ house, and caretaker of my children. Keep Rose and Thorn safe, and dear Walter close to your breast. Should the worst come to pass, you shall be all they have left. Your loving brother, Gustav
Bernard goes stony-faced, yet there's a wave of indescribable anger in his eyes as he sees the tomes containing dark and forbidden rituals.
Reading the letter from Strahd, he says to himself, "Torture and sacrifices...love and madness...by Lathander what is this place?"
The old priest is overwhelmed with disgust and rage, yet he calms somewhat when he finds the spell scrolls. "I will put these to better use."
Lastly, he recovers the will and the deeds and reads through the letter to Dimov.
"Congregations? Was there a cult operating out of this house?"
He remembers how in the portrait of the Durst family, the mother was scowling at the sight of the baby, who he guessed is Walter. Perhaps that was the bastard son. And the web of secrets thickens once more.
Bernard shakes his head, and taking the blank books as well, exits the secret room and library.
There was yet one more room he hadn't explored yet in this hallway. He enters the second double door, his mind a little jumbled and disturbed.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Conservatory Gossamer drapes cover the windows of this elegantly appointed hall, which has a brass-plated chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Upholstered chairs line the walls, and stained-glass wall hangings depict beautiful men, women, and children singing and playing instruments.
A harpsichord with a bench rests in the northwest corner. Near the fireplace is a large standing harp. Alabaster figurines of well-dressed dancers adorn the mantelpiece. Close inspection of them reveals that several are carvings of well-dressed skeletons.
As you stand in the chamber a soft scuttling sound comes to your ears. Looking to the sound you find a small dog hiding under an armchair. A tag on his leash identifies him as Lancelot, owned by Gertruda. He is rail-thin and starving, and terrified of any character that approaches him. Give me an animal handling check if you wish to coax him out from under the chair. If offered food you have advantage on this check.
As the two children run off, Rose turns back, saying softly, so that you can barely hear it... "Thank you." She then turns and follows after her brother, quickly lost in the mist that seems to be moving in around the house. As you turn back towards the house you would notice that the mist seems to be moving in all about you, and it does not take long for the neighboring homes to be lost in that morass of swirling grayness.
A wrought-iron gate with hinges on one side and a lock on the other fills the archway of a stone portico. The gate is unlocked, and its rusty hinges shriek when the gate is opened. Oil lamps hang from the portico ceiling by chains, flanking a set of oaken doors. As you step up onto the portico, and face the set of oaken doors, the wood under your feet creaks under your weight.
Bernard watches the children disappear into the mist, before turning to the house. It's large size is imposing, and the old priest takes a deep breath before taking the citrine amulet into his palm.
"Whatever evil awaits me inside this abode, it will not catch me unaware. The light dispels all shadows."
With that, the amulet begins to emit a bright sunlight. At the same time, Bernard's senses become more acute, attuned to the presence of the wicked.
Then, he enters through the oaken doors, searching for signs of the children's lost parents.
Perception: 17
(Passive Perception 22)
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
As you open your senses to the divine, you realize the entire house you are stepping inside of has been desecrated. It reeks of evil to your enhanced senses.
The double doors open soundlessly, at odds with the scream of protesting metal the outer gate had given off when that had opened under your firm hand. Before you lay a large foyer. Hanging on the south wall is a shield emblazoned with a coat-of-arms (a stylized golden windmill on a red field), flanked by framed portraits of stony-faced aristocrats. Mahogany-framed double doors leading into the main house are set with panes of stained glass.
Bernard gasps and steps back, astonished and disgusted. It's been years since he's faced such a large area reeking with malevolence. He gulps and thinks of the children, wondering how they've lived so long in such a place.
Entering the foyer, he glances at the shield and portraits, looking for anything abnormal before walking up to the stained glass doors. He peers through, before opening them and continuing.
Perception: 26
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
The shield and portraits do not seem remarkable as you glance them over. As you glance at the stain glass doors, you can't see anything through them, the coloring making any details too hard to make out. Opening it you find...
A wide hall runs the width of the house, with a black marble fireplace at one end and a sweeping, red marble staircase at the other. Mounted on the wall above the fireplace is a longsword (nonmagical) with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt. The wood-paneled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. You can see serpents and skulls inconspicuously woven into the wall designs. It is clear some attempt was made to conceal these more gruesome designs, but your observant nature makes them quite obvious. The decorative paneling follows the staircase as it circles upward to the second floor.
Four doors lead off of the hallway. One is a second double-door, one a smallish, closet-style, door, and the third and forth appear more standard-sized.
Behind one of the more standard-sized doors you hear the sound of clinking glass, laughter, and muffled conversation.
Bernard is confused by the sounds that seemingly indicate a party is happening behind one of the doors. He narrows his eyes, not believing in what he's hearing but willing to figure out what is truly going on in this house.
As he passes by the fireplace, he takes a cursory glance at it, looking to see if he could tell the last time it's been lit.
He stops in front of the door with the sounds behind it. For a second, he focuses his senses and tries to figure out if there's anything unnatural behind the door. In either case, he opens it and looks inside.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
As you look at the fireplace you see it is dark and looks to have not been used recently. It seems likely it was more for decoration in this hall than for warmth. As you move to the door the sounds come through you sense something, not quite undead, in the next chamber. when you open the door though the room is completely empty.
The centerpiece of this wood-paneled dining room is a carved mahogany table surrounded by eight high-backed chairs with sculpted armrests and cushioned seats. A crystal chandelier hangs above the table, which is covered with resplendent silverware and crystalware polished to a dazzling shine. Mounted above the marble fireplace is a mahogany-framed painting of an alpine vale.
The wall paneling is carved with elegant images of deer among the trees. You also are able to see twisted faces carved into the tree trunks and wolves lurking amid the carved foliage.
Red silk drapes cover the windows, and a tapestry depicting hunting dogs and horse-mounted aristocrats chasing after a wolf hangs from an iron rod bolted to the south wall.
There are no other doors in this chamber.
Bernard frowns at seeing the empty dining room, lowering his shield and amulet. He traces his fingers across the macabre carvings and tapestry. It was slowly dawning on him on what he was dealing with here.
"It's a bloody haunted house, ain't it?" he grumbles. He's been in many of those in the past. In his early days of being an exorcist, a spooked farmer might call him over to their house, claiming to have heard strange sounds or seen lanterns flicker out by themselves. It was usually nothing, just a combination of the wind and a bored person with an overactive imagination. But sometimes, Bernard found something...insidious.
The old priest repeats the routine of searching for the unholy before entering the closet, the double doors, and the other standard sized door. He gives each room a brief sweep for anything that may clue him in on the nature of this house.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Behind the closet-style door...
A cloakroom has several black cloaks hanging from hooks on the walls. A top hat sits on a high shelf.
Through the double-door you find...
Den of Wolves
This oak-paneled room looks like a hunter’s den. Mounted above the fireplace is a stag’s head, and positioned around the outskirts of the room are three stuffed wolves.
Two padded chairs draped in animal furs face the hearth, with an oak table between them supporting a cask of wine, two carved wooden goblets, a pipe rack, and a candelabrum. A chandelier hangs above a cloth-covered table surrounded by four chairs.
Two cabinets stand against the walls. The east cabinet is locked. The north cabinet is unlocked and holds a small box containing a deck of playing cards and an assortment of wine glasses.
When in this chamber you see movement whenever you turn away from the wolves, the forms seeming to move and shift stances as you are turning to look at something else. When you turn back they are as they were previously though.
Through the other normal door...
Kitchen and Pantry
The kitchen is tidy, with dishware, cookware, and utensils neatly placed on shelves. A worktable has a cutting board and rolling pin atop it. A stone, dome-shaped oven stands near the east wall, its bent iron stovepipe connecting to a hole in the ceiling. Behind the stove and to the left is a thin door leading to a well-stocked pantry. All the food in the pantry appears fresh but tastes bland.
Dumbwaiter
Behind a small door in the southwest corner of the kitchen is a dumbwaiter—a 2-foot-wide stone shaft containing a wooden elevator box attached to a simple rope-and-pulley mechanism that must be operated manually. Hanging on the wall next to the dumbwaiter is a tiny brass bell.
At this point the only path you have not checked out is up the stairs...
At the closet, Bernard takes one of the black cloaks and drapes it over his armor, reducing the reflection of light off his scale mail.
In the wolf den, he finds himself unsettled by the realistic-looking wolves which he almost been attacked by yesterday. He notes the locked cabinet and tells himself that he'll come back for it later.
In the kitchen, Bernard glances up at the dumbwaiter shaft and wonders where it leads. He decides against trying to fit himself in and concludes his investigation of the first floor.
His steel boots rest at the base of the red marble staircase for a moment, as he mentally steels himself before ascending the stairs to the next floor.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Upper Hall
Unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls of this elegant hall. Hanging above the mantelpiece is a wood-framed portrait of the Durst family: Gustav and Elisabeth Durst with their two smiling children, Rose and Thorn. Cradled in the father’s arms is a swaddled baby, which the mother regards with a hint of scorn. You recognize the smiling children as the very ones you saw outside of the house.
Standing suits of armor flank wooden double doors in the east and west walls. Each suit of armor clutches a spear and has a visored helm shaped like a wolf’s head. The doors are carved with dancing youths, As you look closer though, you notice that the youths aren’t really dancing but fighting off swarms of bats.
Another, less ornate door is in the northern wall. as you stand in the hall you can hear the sobs and muffled gasps of a woman in pain, coming from that door. The scent of blood comes to your nose as you glance towards the door.
The red marble staircase that started on the first floor continues its upward spiral. You feel a cool breeze coming down those stairs, and your senses tell you that the breeze is not natural.
Instead of feeling any natural human emotion, Bernard's mind instead goes into overtime as he hears the sobs of a woman behind one of the doors. Cursing his scale mail, he slowly creeps up to the door, waiting for a second to sense inside it, before bursting in with his holy amulet drawn.
Stealth
4
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Rushing to the door you call upon your divine senses again and feel the same sort of weak undead you sensed through the dining room's door previously. Upon opening the door you find...
An undecorated bedroom contains a pair of beds with straw-stuffed mattresses. At the foot of each bed is an empty footlocker. Tidy servants’ uniforms hang from hooks in the adjoining closet.
Dumbwaiter
A dumbwaiter in the corner of the west wall has a button on the wall next to it.
The room is otherwise empty.
Bernard's eyes dart across the room, and he lets out another grunt of frustration. The house had tricked him again, and he takes a deep breath and lets the adrenaline flow out of him.
He gives the servant's bedroom a cursory search, under the beds and mattresses, before exiting and returning back into the hallway. He enters both of the double doors in the western and eastern walls, always pausing to see what his senses tell him.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Library
Red velvet drapes cover the windows of this room. An exquisite mahogany desk and a matching high-back chair face the entrance and the fireplace, above which hangs a framed picture of a windmill perched atop a rocky crag. Situated in corners of the room are two overstuffed chairs. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the south wall. A rolling wooden ladder allows one to more easily reach the high shelves.
The desk has several items resting atop it: an oil lamp, a jar of ink, a quill pen, a tinderbox, and a letter kit containing a red wax candle, four blank sheets of parchment, and a wooden seal bearing the Durst family’s insignia (a windmill).
A tattered piece of sheet music lies on the desk. It is titled “Song for Elizabeth.” A handwritten, partially burnt note sits beside it; it reads “Bulwarton’s words can open the way.”
The desk drawer contains a number of receipts for candles, daggers, and incense. There is also an iron key.
The bookshelves hold hundreds of tomes covering a range of topics including history, warfare, and alchemy. There are also several shelves containing first-edition collected works of poetry and fiction.
A small rock collection sits upon one of the shelves; each of the stones are labelled with its scientific name.
As you look over the bookshelf you notice two things of interest. First is your own name upon the spine of one of the books...
One of the books on the shelves is titled “The History of Bernard Apond” If read, it provides a narration of the PC’s entire life. The final page reads: “He pulled the book down off the shelf and began to read, unaware of the creature that watched him from the shadows. Slowly, the beast began to creep forward.” The next page is blank, save for a bloodstain two-thirds down. A search of the room evidences no indication of any other creature.
The second item of intrest is a strange red book, made interesting by the fact the same author was on its spine as on the burned paper you found on the desk...
It is titled “An Architect’s Art,” and is written by Archibald Bulwarton. As you pull it down there is a click from behind the bookshelf, which springs slightly out from the wall. As it does so you notice flickering candlelight beneath the secret door.
(OOC: I wouldn't normally just give this all to you, but your passive scores beat the DCs involved. If you want me to make things more active, vs use of passive scores, then let me know.)
(I agree with what you're doing. Bernard's passive score would be a lot lower if he didn't cast the light spell, and if he was focused on something else. Many DMs use passive perception kinda like "Take 10," which describes a character's results over a long period of time. Since Bernard is indeed giving each room a thorough sweep, then I think passive perception works.)
Bernard enters the luxurious library and shudders to see his own name on one of the books. He skims through and groans with sorrow. It seems that the book had not censored the numerous crimes he's committed while on his crusade, unlike the books at the church. He disregards the final page as a mere gimmick and tucks away the book in his pack.
The old priest also takes the iron key and letter-writing supplies. Those may be useful in the future.
He smirks when the secret door revealed itself upon pulling the book. In fact, that would be the oldest trick in the book.
Bernard sweeps the bookshelf for anything that might help him understand what's going on in this house. Then, he enters the secret door with his amulet drawn.
Investigation: 4
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Secret Room
This secret room contains bookshelves packed with tomes describing fiend-summoning rituals and the necromantic rituals of a cult called the Priests of Osybus.
A heavy wooden chest with clawed iron feet stands against the south wall, its lid half-closed. Sticking out of the chest is a skeleton in leather armor. Close inspection reveals that the skeleton belongs to a human who triggered a poisoned dart trap. Three darts are stuck in the dead adventurer’s armor and ribcage. The dart-firing mechanism inside the chest no longer functions.
Clutched in the skeleton’s left hand is a letter bearing the seal of Strahd von Zarovich. Written in flowing script, the letter reads as follows:
My most pathetic servant,
I am not a messiah sent to you by the Dark Powers of this land. I have not come to lead you on a path to immortality. However many souls you have bled on your hidden altar, however many visitors you have tortured in your dungeon, know that you are not the ones who brought me to this beautiful land. You are but worms writhing in my earth.
You say that you are cursed, your fortunes spent. You abandoned love for madness, took solace in the bosom of another woman, and sired a bastard son. Cursed by darkness? Of that I have no doubt. Save you from your wretchedness? I think not. I much prefer you as you are.
Your dread lord and master,
Strahd von Zarovich
Treasure
The chest contains three blank books with black leather covers (worth 25 gp each), three spell scrolls (bless, protection from poison, and spiritual weapon), the deed to the house, the deed to a windmill, a signed will, and a letter to Gustav's brother, Dimov,.
The will is signed by Gustav and Elisabeth Durst and bequeathes the house, the windmill, and all other family property to Rosavalda and Thornboldt Durst in the event of their parents’ deaths.
The letter to the brother reads...
My dear Dimov,
I must confess, my nights as of late have been sleepless. The child’s wails these past several evenings have kept me awake , haunting these halls like a ghost. Margaret does her best, but other clouds yet trouble my dreams.
My beloved Elisabeth, I am sure, feels it too, for she tosses and turns in our bed and awakes with her forehead slick with sweat. O’er the past several congregations, I have become suspicious of the ambitions of the others. Their dark murmurs worry me, and though I know that a shadow ought not fear a blacker night, I cannot but fear for the extent of their plotting.
If anything happens, you are to be steward of our parents’ house, and caretaker of my children. Keep Rose and Thorn safe, and dear Walter close to your breast. Should the worst come to pass, you shall be all they have left.
Your loving brother,
Gustav
Bernard goes stony-faced, yet there's a wave of indescribable anger in his eyes as he sees the tomes containing dark and forbidden rituals.
Reading the letter from Strahd, he says to himself, "Torture and sacrifices...love and madness...by Lathander what is this place?"
The old priest is overwhelmed with disgust and rage, yet he calms somewhat when he finds the spell scrolls. "I will put these to better use."
Lastly, he recovers the will and the deeds and reads through the letter to Dimov.
"Congregations? Was there a cult operating out of this house?"
He remembers how in the portrait of the Durst family, the mother was scowling at the sight of the baby, who he guessed is Walter. Perhaps that was the bastard son. And the web of secrets thickens once more.
Bernard shakes his head, and taking the blank books as well, exits the secret room and library.
There was yet one more room he hadn't explored yet in this hallway. He enters the second double door, his mind a little jumbled and disturbed.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Conservatory
Gossamer drapes cover the windows of this elegantly appointed hall, which has a brass-plated chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Upholstered chairs line the walls, and stained-glass wall hangings depict beautiful men, women, and children singing and playing instruments.
A harpsichord with a bench rests in the northwest corner. Near the fireplace is a large standing harp. Alabaster figurines of well-dressed dancers adorn the mantelpiece. Close inspection of them reveals that several are carvings of well-dressed skeletons.
As you stand in the chamber a soft scuttling sound comes to your ears. Looking to the sound you find a small dog hiding under an armchair. A tag on his leash identifies him as Lancelot, owned by Gertruda. He is rail-thin and starving, and terrified of any character that approaches him. Give me an animal handling check if you wish to coax him out from under the chair. If offered food you have advantage on this check.
Bernard kneels down next to the armchair and retrieves some dry meat from his rations. He offers it to the dog with a smile.
"Lancelot, come here little boy. You must be hungry. Here, try this out."
He tears off a few chunks and places them in a line next to the dog, leading to Bernard.
19
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd