Beren stares at the distant structure for a moment, his eyes searching the land for any sign of recent disturbance. Though he doesn't show it, he is a little annoyed that they haven't yet found a town--not that it matters. It seems they are stuck here until they can figure out how to dethrone Strahd. Perhaps if they turn back they will eventually reach that...Vallaki which was mentioned on the last legible sign they'd passed.
When Noel mentions thinking the structure is Strahd's castle...Beren speaks up for the first time since his fight (if it could be called that) with the devil. "I do not think this is his dwelling. I doubt that arrogant bastard would live in such a disheveled structure." He pauses, the light behind the mask flickering a little. Even after what rest he'd managed to get, the light still had not regained its former brilliance. "Perhaps I am wrong, but it does not matter. If you wish to turn back then so be it. I do not care."
His words held little emotion, and he falls silent again as if he had not meant to speak in the first place. If Jack does not object, Beren follows Noel back down the path.
"I have to agree with Beren on this one. At least as far as even I can see from here. And I wanna say since its-" Jack squints up at the sky for a bit. "Noon-ish, that could be we won't reach the town or any real shelter 'fore nightfall again... Buuuut if you really wanna go back, Noel, then... so be it, I guess! But! I would like to check out this castle at some point." Although he's frank in his admission, unless prodded by the others, the eladrin won't bother for once to elaborate further, but instead casually turned about to follow after Noel.
Noel stops for a moment as his two companions talk, the fear fading from his eyes a bit as his companions perhaps more rationally interact with what they've just seen. He takes a breath and turns around, saying:
"If you two beleive this is our best shot at getting somewhere before nightfall, then let's go there. A lone castle though.. I do not know. It still seems rather intimidating. I just your judgement though friends. If you wish to investigate, then let's do so and see what this place holds"
With that, he waits for one of the others to take the lead, steeling himself for whatever lies ahead
Beren gives a stiff nod when Jack mentions the possibility that if they turn back they might not reach a town before nightfall. The same thing had occurred to him, but he'd chosen to let his companions decide for themselves that they would like to do.
Seeing that Noel has changed his mind, Beren turns to take the lead. In spite of his doubts that this is Strahd's castle, his is very aware that there could be other things living in it. Whatever abides in that place, whether it be creatures of evil, fellow travelers, or simply emptiness, he'd rather be the first to enter in case they are met with hostility.
(I'm trying to see if i prefer sleepign right after work and then posting -so i have one 6 hour period- instead of what I've been doing where i have 2, 3 hour periods so I'll be updating in the morning once i've woken up, and i'm going to try that for a few days. So my next few posts during the week will likely take place 8-10 hours from the time of this post.)
Ultimately deciding that finding shelter a higher priority than backtracking - you all head towards the structure ahead. From a distance it looks like a castle but as you all get closer over the next two hours it begins to come into clearer focus, and reveals itself to be a manse. And over the last two hours the sky has darkened more, though not enough to impair Noels visibility, and slowly but surely it began to drizzle, ever so slightly.
High above the river valley juts a quiet promontory upon which looms the sepulchral mansion, its turrets capped with fairytale cones, its towers lined with sculpted battlements. A third of the structure has collapsed, as has part of the roof, but the rest appears intact. A dark, octagonal tower rises above the surrounding architecture.
A distant peal of thunder, quickly accompanied by the howling of wolves in the woods below, but the house stands silent, seeming like the fossilized remains of some long-dead thing smote upon the mountainside.
----
As you follow the road through what little remains of the outer gates, you see perched atop a ten-foot-wide, ten-foot-high cube of granite is a moss-covered statue of a dragon, its wings tucked close to its body. The statue looks east, toward the mansion.
As you near it, close inspection reveals that it’s a silver dragon of noble bearing, its spiny frill cracked and broken in many places. The statue is 10 feet tall but looks much more imposing perched on the granite block. (You all may make a single history check.)
Ahead.. Flagstone steps flanked by stone railings climb to a landing in front of a pair of tall, wooden doors with rusted iron bands and knockers shaped like small dragons. Carved into the lintel above the entrance is the word Argynvostholt.
It's roughly 2pm in the afternoon, with a storm beginning.
(An aside, Apparently this land is supposed to perpetually have fog at all times, I didn't know that, so going forward, since all the descriptions read 'through the fog' there will be varying degrees of it. Apologies for this change, it was my mistake. Below is an image with what i believe reasonable to allow the players to see without exploring so you can make a few decisions more than just 'we enter' lol)
Noel walks up to the statue and runs his hand along the part of the dragon's tail that runs lowest on the massive block of granite this statue rests on. Seeing a statue of a dragon here and the name above the entrance calms him down significantly. Whatever this place is, clearly his companions were right: This does not seem like a place Strahd would reside. He marves at the craftmanship that so clearly went into this statue. He'll have to get the story of this place at a later date - it seems like it would be a great addition to his tales. In fact, might he have heard of this place before? He's heard many tales of dragons from those he's met on his travels, and as he looks at this statue, he takes a moment to reflect on if anything about this place seems familiar to him
History: 9 (using luck point to re-roll), 22 (crit)
As he ponders this, he turns to his companions and says"Thank you, friends. Perhaps I was too frightened of this place. We may still want to proceed with caution though".As he says this he looks to the ruined part of this castle to his right and says "Do you think we should use the main door? Those ruins might provide a less obvious way in if we feel it is needed"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
History check: 18
Beren takes in the sight without comment. The building reminds him to much of his...no...their church. He shakes his head, pushing aside those thoughts. With a storm coming, they would all do well to get inside those doors...assuming they are met with emptiness or welcome...if they could trust any welcome from someone in this place. Either way, it it would be better to try entering before the storm hit them then it would be to wait.
"We should take shelter," he says bluntly, then walks past the dragon statue and up to the doors and pushes them open.
After looking at the statue, and seeing the name, an old story comes back to mind. It was one of those told about an event that happened some thousand or more years ago. A typical one of some great order seeking to fight some force or another.
In this case, it was about one called "The Order of the Silver Dragon" who had set up a forward base deep within the lands to repel someone who had been invading the lands, and that they had, for far longer than one would expect fought against overwhelming odds. There are rumors that they were led by a strong willed leader who sought to bring justice to the lands.
However, one day, the order, along with an entire region simply vanished, as if it had never been there to begin with. No one knows how or why. It's been propped up as a tale to inspire children, but that it is nothing more than myth.
As you continue to think on it, you remember the founders name as Argynvost.
For Beren:
One story you remembered during what some might consider 'teaching,' and others indoctrination you heard of a fighter who led a group of men into a battlefield, over lands that had been disputed. He had formed The Order of the Silver Dragon to combat an invader, and despite many victories, he was unable to push beyond a deadlock. The man he fought against was long forgotten in modern times, but it was instilled in you like a mantra, that this man sought to destroy the evil man who attacked this distant land whos name had also been forgotten.
But they made sure it was clear, that the great leader fought to crush evil. And that it was something you had to become. Just like him. he was only one of many people they tried to model you after, to instil their own brand of 'justice' within you.
As one accustom to embracing the elements, Jack couldn't help at one point slowing down and sticking a tongue out to try and catch a few drops of rain. And with that simple, carefree act, the eladrin would pick up the pace in far more brighter a mood than he had been for the majority of the day's travel. Although the howling of wolves threatened to undermine that surge renewed spirits, it proves to be but a fleeting concern before the group closed in enough to truly gaze upon the majesty of their soon to be shelter for the oncoming eve.
Unfortunately, any significance beyond the statue they found being simply a great marvel is lost to the eladrin; whose mind instead veered more towards personal fancies and wild imaginings provoked by the sight. But with the storm building ever so noticeable, Jack is soon picking up the pace for the front doors, only to slow with Noel's questioning. "Oh I'm sure it'll be fine, my friend! And besides, if someone or someones are yet taken up residence in this place, it would be awfully rude of us not to go through their front door. And we, eh... don't quite want another situation as last night to occur even if that someone is not you know who.... Besides, I believe Beren has quite made that choice for us." He said, thumbing Beren's general direction with a grin, before then moving to pick up the pace and follow the man inside if the doors can yet be opened at all.
Noel turns around quickly as Beren barges in the front gate of this place, running along as best as he can to keep up. As he does, he turns to his companions, recounting the story of this place as he rememebers it. As he does, he wonders how a tale of this distant, haunted land would have ever reached his ears in the first place. Still, he tries not to dwell on it too much. There's much he's learned on his travels, maybe perhaps he's run into people who have met the Vistani? Those servants of Strahd certainly would have known this story. As they walk, he tells the story as follows
"I've heard of this pace before, though I always though it was a legend. I've traveled the Forgotten Realms and I never encounter any sign of the dragon that story told of, so I just assumed it was another tall tale. There was a silver dragon who led an order against some powerful foe, some sort of invader, keeping it at bay for far longer than he ever was expected to. They say his name was Argynvost... this place must have been his! Now that I think about it, I'm guessing we've met the powerful foe he faced as well. Strahd certainly fits the bill."
The two of you trail in after Beren, at varying paces, with Noel in the tail as he tells his tale. As Beren first steps foot on the staircase leading up, the dragons jaw opens, and frigid air beats the area... but the spell has long lost its potency. Beren feels little more than a cool breeze, Jack feeling like someone poured ice-water over him at worst, while Noel feels like he jumped into a lake at the frozen spine of the world - though none of it deals damage. Perhaps if they had came a few hundred years earlier, the trap may have been deadly, but the dragons jaws close once more.
Ultimately, after feeling the literal chill in the air, and the storm picking up slowly outside to a heavy patter, you all make your way into the foyer.
This room feels like a king’s tomb. A grand staircase leads up to stone balconies held aloft by stone pillars and arches. A tall, faded tapestry depicting a nobleman in silver armor hangs from an iron rod above the staircase landing.
Six sets of double doors lead from this foyer. Along the walls, displayed on marble pedestals, are three alabaster busts of handsome men. A fourth bust and its pedestal have been knocked over, and their shattered remains lie strewn across the mosaic floor. Two chandeliers of wrought iron hang from the ceiling like monstrous black spiders.
As you enter the foyer more deeply, a great shadow with wings moves across the walls and disappears. You hear the soft bestial hiss in the darkness. After several moments, the noise fades, and you are once more left alone in the grand room.
Ahead of you all is the staircase leading to the upper floors, Noel is able to see them in the flashes of lightning outside but only when it strikes, he is, otherwise blind within the building as the sky has once more darkened to the point of imperceptibility for the poor human. Everything looking like shadows against shadows.
Also directly in front of you lie two sets of doors on the opposite sides of the staircase, one of them partially open, the other closed firmly.
To the north of you are two closed doors, far from each-other on the same wall, and mirrored to the south are doors in similar state.
So, where do you as a group or individually go? Up the stairs? Through one of the 6 doors? or, have you decided that the foyer is good enough for the night?
Beren doesn't look over his shoulder as Noel speaks of the Order, and he takes little notice of the cold air.
"I have heard the story," he says--a sort of bitterness lacing his tone as he moves into the foyer. Noel's assumption that Strahd was the evil that the stories spoke of was likely true--at least, that Beren had assumed the same upon recognizing the story. That meant that in order to break free of this twisted game, they would have to defeat that great evil. "So I must succeed where he failed," the last words are spoken more to himself then to anyone else, and his fist tightens on the hilt of his sword. Perhaps the church will get what they wanted after all.
Scanning the area, his gaze comes to rest on the tapestry. He stands quietly for a moment, then half draws his sword as the shadow passes across the room. The light behind the mask flairs, and he stops himself from reaching out with his divine sense. He can only do that once more before he needs a long rest. Perhaps he'd been to hasty with its use up to this point. Still, that shadow did not seem friendly. Even if it disappeared from sight, that didn't mean it was gone.
Taking in the shadows, Beren turns to Noel and holds out a hand, "I will relight the ring if you wish. I assume you can see little here." Assuming Noel lets him recast the spell, the ring lights up as it had the first time.
Once that is done Beren turns his attention back to the room around him. He does not like the idea of spending the night here in the foyer, where anything could come in without warning through the front door. If they wish to rest they will need to find somewhere away from any obvious entrances, that way if something does come in they will have time to react. This put the upper level off limits as well, as there seems to be only one way up and down. It would not do to let themselves be trapped up there with no way to escape save from leaping to their deaths. So the only options would be these six rooms on the lower level.
"We should shelter in one of the rooms down here," he says after a moment. "I will survey them to ensure that we are alone here... Then I will inspect the upper floors as well." As he speaks he shuts the doors leading to the outside and checks to see if there is a way to bar them from within. Even if there is, he does not do so just yet. The last thing he wants is to bar their exit only to find out that he's shut them inside with some creature of darkness. No, he will conduct his search and then bar the door once their safety is ensured.
He will then move to open the first door to the left of the entrance of the building.
(OOC: Mm~ Me suspects breath was a alignment detector maybe. lol)
Jack shudders and flinches and just stands there for a bit, trying to shake off the uncanny feeling. The fact that he felt as cold despite bearing clothing equipped -- in general at least -- help deal with minor weather extremes left him looking back with some concern at the statue. But there was no time for dallying in hearing the rain pick up, so he hurried along and soon found himself lost in seeing the majesty of the room.
"Well I say this for this dragon's order--" Jack starts to say, but stops short seeing the shadow than hearing the hiss. This time he's less hesitant in putting a hand on the hilt of a weapon and raising his shield more defensively. Yet when after several moments nothing came charging out of some nearby shadows he began to breath a little easier and even chuckled a bit to boot. "Probably just a tressym." He said, more to settle the others nerves than his own. Yep. Totally. "But just in case, a survey is certainly in order... >Together<, that is." Jack looks pointedly at Beren with a bright smile, if though with some difficulty, what with his teeth still chattering a little. "After all, though this order might have probably extolled some virtue about keeping honest or some such, wisdom may yet have guided them to at least booby trap their main base of operation. You know, on the off chance those pesky 'invaders' showed up on their doorsteps. And it'll do us little good if you fall in one out of sight and out of mind. Isn't that right, Noel my friend?" He looks to the hopefully by then light equipped entertainer. So short of Beren doubling down on doing the survey alone, he'd be right behind by ten or so feet as the man started off their investigation with the first door.
Whether lighting the ring or not... as he looks over the Tapestry, it is torn in places, but reveals a noble looking man, odds are it's the person this place is named after, Agynvost.. but it could just as well be someone high in the rankings, or perhaps even some benefactor. As no portraits of the man exist in Faerun so far as is known, the best that can be done is guess.
Whether jack follows or not, Beren, on guard, moves towards the first room clockwise, carefully opening its doors. The doors groan their agony, echoing in the foyer, as lightning strikes outside, the storm is in full force, and parts of the ceiling have begun to drip in places. The world outside is a black shadow, accented with flashes of white light. It's only a little past two in the afternoon and between the fog, and the heavily clouded sky it may as well be night time.
Inside - This wood-paneled den has been ransacked, its furnishings tossed about. A cold, dark hearth dominates the west wall between two narrow windows. Standing upright against the north wall is a sarcophagus made of black wood with a queen’s effigy carved into its lid. All the furnishings and dishes whether glass or wood are in varying degree's of rot. Thunder rumbles overhead, shaking the stones of the place for several moments before quieting down once more.
Aside from the door you came through, there appear to be no other exits.
You all take a moment to notice that what you assume had been Strahd's eyes when you first came, haven't been on you since your encounter with him.
(Also I forgot to mention aftr the rest, but for differing reasons, you all had gotten a point of inspiration.)
(OOC: My thoughts as well...which now that I think about it, when Beren was using his divine sense did he detect any good or evil from his companions? :'D I hadn't even considered that when using it the last few times, but I suppose he would have been able to detect their alignments too with that spell. Not that he (or I really lol) was intentionally prying, but I thought I'd ask in case it could lead to some interesting RP. ;D)
Beren eyes Jack for a moment, noticing his shivering. ...it wasn't that cold was it? Or perhaps the chill had been different for each of them. Either way, he couldn't say he hadn't expected the elf to insist on staying as a group. Beren had assumed they would take to setting up a place to rest while he surveyed alone--such was the way with most other people he'd traveled with... most of the time at least. As for the 'out of sight and out of mind' bit, well he had assumed that if he was gone for to long then someone would take notice of his absence....and hopefully leave....but on the other hand they might come looking for him. In which case perhaps it was better if they came anyways.
"Fine," he says, turning his attention back to the task at hand. "I will take point."
Upon entering the room, Beren scans it critically. His main focus is the sarcophagus--the memory of the undead fresh in his mind, he does not want to take any chances that it could potentially hold a body that could crawl out and attack as they rested. So, he moves towards it, eying it to see if there is any way something inside could get out and listening for any sounds of movement inside.
Perception: 14
History check to see if he happens to recognize the effigy: 10 (he's not particularly interested, but I thought I'd roll just in case.)
If he sees and hears nothing of concern, he sweeps his gaze across the rest of the room just to ensure that there is nothing that could be of concern later.
Another perception for the room as a whole if needed: 11
Once satisfied that there is no sign of danger in the room, he takes no time to inspect the decaying furnishing in the room. Right now his only concern is making sure that the area is clear so that he can clear the areas ahead. Whether or not Jack and Noel decide to linger and further investigate the room, Beren moves onto the next one. He decides that as long as they are all on the same floor and within hearing distance of each other they should be alright. If they wish to investigate whatever they find in each room, so be it, as long as he clears the area first.
Beren enters the room, Looking about for any signs of enemies, or even potential enemies after their most recent encounters. As the sarcophagi catches his attention, he approaches, trying to identify whom it may be but not even the faintest hint comes to his mind. Whether due to the storm outside, or the oddly shifting light casting shifting shadows from his own body from a distance, Beren can't tell whether it would be easy to open or not. Thus, approaching for the sake of confirmation, he touches the lid with a hand, and suddenly, the door springs open on rusted hinges, as shattered wine bottles reveal themselves.
Apparently the sarcophagus was meant to house someone but never did. And likely, the order began using it as a wine storage, unfortunately all the contents were dried out after centuries - an unfortunate circumstance considering they would have aged well by now. With nothing else of interest in the area aside from rotting debris, Beren turns around, exiting the room none the worse for wear.
(Ugh, I had to type this twice.. pc didnt send it 2 hours ago, and i wasn't aware till now)
Noel walks in and is immediately blasted with the cold of the place, and utter chill rushing over him, causing him to audibly yelp, before eventually devolving into a hearty chuckle as he realizes whatever it is had done him no real injury, saying "Well, that was certainly a surprise! Felt as if I'd been suddenly thrown into a river full of ice flows!". As they walk in, he ponders the story more: though he assumes the dragon himself is long dead, and the story alludes to the dragon's order eventually falling, still, if this place was once a bastion of resistence, then perhaps there is still something here that could be of use to them
With that, he waders almost aimlessly around following the others as they begin to clear the rooms of this place. The shadow the saw upon entering unsettles him for a moment, but with the story fresh in his mind, he feels perhaps a bit naivly confident that this place will be safer for him than he first though. When Beren suggests to him to light his ring up again, he remarks "Ah! Yes! Thank you friend, that would be quite helpful". When the ring lights, he takes a more solid look at the rooms around him, following Beren into the first room
As Beren explores it, Noel absentmindedly searches through the rubble, checking to see if there is anything here that may be of use to them. He takes a short glance at the effigy, but nothing comes to mind when he sees it, so he goes back to his search
Investigation: 16
Noel doesn't follow Beren into the second room, simply looking for a moment and seeing the shattered wine bottles before saying "Jack, my friend, you might not want to look in here. Someone's clearly wasted some wine! What a real shame. It would have aged so finely by this point." He chuckles to himself as he says that, though he quickly refocuses on the task at hand, walking towards the next closest door to the one Beren has just opened, saying "Let's see what this one holds!"and opening it
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Beren stares at the distant structure for a moment, his eyes searching the land for any sign of recent disturbance. Though he doesn't show it, he is a little annoyed that they haven't yet found a town--not that it matters. It seems they are stuck here until they can figure out how to dethrone Strahd. Perhaps if they turn back they will eventually reach that...Vallaki which was mentioned on the last legible sign they'd passed.
When Noel mentions thinking the structure is Strahd's castle...Beren speaks up for the first time since his fight (if it could be called that) with the devil. "I do not think this is his dwelling. I doubt that arrogant bastard would live in such a disheveled structure." He pauses, the light behind the mask flickering a little. Even after what rest he'd managed to get, the light still had not regained its former brilliance. "Perhaps I am wrong, but it does not matter. If you wish to turn back then so be it. I do not care."
His words held little emotion, and he falls silent again as if he had not meant to speak in the first place. If Jack does not object, Beren follows Noel back down the path.
"I have to agree with Beren on this one. At least as far as even I can see from here. And I wanna say since its-" Jack squints up at the sky for a bit. "Noon-ish, that could be we won't reach the town or any real shelter 'fore nightfall again... Buuuut if you really wanna go back, Noel, then... so be it, I guess! But! I would like to check out this castle at some point." Although he's frank in his admission, unless prodded by the others, the eladrin won't bother for once to elaborate further, but instead casually turned about to follow after Noel.
Goyo - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Sea/Celestial (Libretalia)
Vogan - [Goliath-Hill]Bard - ???(A Dungeon-Delving Campaign Group C)
Jack Vicvan - [Eladrin]Warlock - Archfey
Noel stops for a moment as his two companions talk, the fear fading from his eyes a bit as his companions perhaps more rationally interact with what they've just seen. He takes a breath and turns around, saying:
"If you two beleive this is our best shot at getting somewhere before nightfall, then let's go there. A lone castle though.. I do not know. It still seems rather intimidating. I just your judgement though friends. If you wish to investigate, then let's do so and see what this place holds"
With that, he waits for one of the others to take the lead, steeling himself for whatever lies ahead
(just waiting on a confirmation)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Beren gives a stiff nod when Jack mentions the possibility that if they turn back they might not reach a town before nightfall. The same thing had occurred to him, but he'd chosen to let his companions decide for themselves that they would like to do.
Seeing that Noel has changed his mind, Beren turns to take the lead. In spite of his doubts that this is Strahd's castle, his is very aware that there could be other things living in it. Whatever abides in that place, whether it be creatures of evil, fellow travelers, or simply emptiness, he'd rather be the first to enter in case they are met with hostility.
(I'm trying to see if i prefer sleepign right after work and then posting -so i have one 6 hour period- instead of what I've been doing where i have 2, 3 hour periods so I'll be updating in the morning once i've woken up, and i'm going to try that for a few days. So my next few posts during the week will likely take place 8-10 hours from the time of this post.)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Ultimately deciding that finding shelter a higher priority than backtracking - you all head towards the structure ahead. From a distance it looks like a castle but as you all get closer over the next two hours it begins to come into clearer focus, and reveals itself to be a manse. And over the last two hours the sky has darkened more, though not enough to impair Noels visibility, and slowly but surely it began to drizzle, ever so slightly.
High above the river valley juts a quiet promontory upon which looms the sepulchral mansion, its turrets capped with fairytale cones, its towers lined with sculpted battlements. A third of the structure has collapsed, as has part of the roof, but the rest appears intact. A dark, octagonal tower rises above the surrounding architecture.
A distant peal of thunder, quickly accompanied by the howling of wolves in the woods below, but the house stands silent, seeming like the fossilized remains of some long-dead thing smote upon the mountainside.
----
As you follow the road through what little remains of the outer gates, you see perched atop a ten-foot-wide, ten-foot-high cube of granite is a moss-covered statue of a dragon, its wings tucked close to its body. The statue looks east, toward the mansion.
As you near it, close inspection reveals that it’s a silver dragon of noble bearing, its spiny frill cracked and broken in many places. The statue is 10 feet tall but looks much more imposing perched on the granite block. (You all may make a single history check.)
Ahead.. Flagstone steps flanked by stone railings climb to a landing in front of a pair of tall, wooden doors with rusted iron bands and knockers shaped like small dragons. Carved into the lintel above the entrance is the word Argynvostholt.
It's roughly 2pm in the afternoon, with a storm beginning.
(An aside, Apparently this land is supposed to perpetually have fog at all times, I didn't know that, so going forward, since all the descriptions read 'through the fog' there will be varying degrees of it. Apologies for this change, it was my mistake. Below is an image with what i believe reasonable to allow the players to see without exploring so you can make a few decisions more than just 'we enter' lol)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Noel walks up to the statue and runs his hand along the part of the dragon's tail that runs lowest on the massive block of granite this statue rests on. Seeing a statue of a dragon here and the name above the entrance calms him down significantly. Whatever this place is, clearly his companions were right: This does not seem like a place Strahd would reside. He marves at the craftmanship that so clearly went into this statue. He'll have to get the story of this place at a later date - it seems like it would be a great addition to his tales. In fact, might he have heard of this place before? He's heard many tales of dragons from those he's met on his travels, and as he looks at this statue, he takes a moment to reflect on if anything about this place seems familiar to him
History: 9 (using luck point to re-roll), 22 (crit)
As he ponders this, he turns to his companions and says "Thank you, friends. Perhaps I was too frightened of this place. We may still want to proceed with caution though". As he says this he looks to the ruined part of this castle to his right and says "Do you think we should use the main door? Those ruins might provide a less obvious way in if we feel it is needed"
History check: 18
Beren takes in the sight without comment. The building reminds him to much of his...no...their church. He shakes his head, pushing aside those thoughts. With a storm coming, they would all do well to get inside those doors...assuming they are met with emptiness or welcome...if they could trust any welcome from someone in this place. Either way, it it would be better to try entering before the storm hit them then it would be to wait.
"We should take shelter," he says bluntly, then walks past the dragon statue and up to the doors and pushes them open.
For Noel:
After looking at the statue, and seeing the name, an old story comes back to mind. It was one of those told about an event that happened some thousand or more years ago. A typical one of some great order seeking to fight some force or another.
In this case, it was about one called "The Order of the Silver Dragon" who had set up a forward base deep within the lands to repel someone who had been invading the lands, and that they had, for far longer than one would expect fought against overwhelming odds. There are rumors that they were led by a strong willed leader who sought to bring justice to the lands.
However, one day, the order, along with an entire region simply vanished, as if it had never been there to begin with. No one knows how or why. It's been propped up as a tale to inspire children, but that it is nothing more than myth.
As you continue to think on it, you remember the founders name as Argynvost.
For Beren:
One story you remembered during what some might consider 'teaching,' and others indoctrination you heard of a fighter who led a group of men into a battlefield, over lands that had been disputed. He had formed The Order of the Silver Dragon to combat an invader, and despite many victories, he was unable to push beyond a deadlock. The man he fought against was long forgotten in modern times, but it was instilled in you like a mantra, that this man sought to destroy the evil man who attacked this distant land whos name had also been forgotten.
But they made sure it was clear, that the great leader fought to crush evil. And that it was something you had to become. Just like him. he was only one of many people they tried to model you after, to instil their own brand of 'justice' within you.
Occassional Dungeon Master.
As one accustom to embracing the elements, Jack couldn't help at one point slowing down and sticking a tongue out to try and catch a few drops of rain. And with that simple, carefree act, the eladrin would pick up the pace in far more brighter a mood than he had been for the majority of the day's travel. Although the howling of wolves threatened to undermine that surge renewed spirits, it proves to be but a fleeting concern before the group closed in enough to truly gaze upon the majesty of their soon to be shelter for the oncoming eve.
Unfortunately, any significance beyond the statue they found being simply a great marvel is lost to the eladrin; whose mind instead veered more towards personal fancies and wild imaginings provoked by the sight. But with the storm building ever so noticeable, Jack is soon picking up the pace for the front doors, only to slow with Noel's questioning. "Oh I'm sure it'll be fine, my friend! And besides, if someone or someones are yet taken up residence in this place, it would be awfully rude of us not to go through their front door. And we, eh... don't quite want another situation as last night to occur even if that someone is not you know who.... Besides, I believe Beren has quite made that choice for us." He said, thumbing Beren's general direction with a grin, before then moving to pick up the pace and follow the man inside if the doors can yet be opened at all.
Goyo - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Sea/Celestial (Libretalia)
Vogan - [Goliath-Hill]Bard - ???(A Dungeon-Delving Campaign Group C)
Jack Vicvan - [Eladrin]Warlock - Archfey
Noel turns around quickly as Beren barges in the front gate of this place, running along as best as he can to keep up. As he does, he turns to his companions, recounting the story of this place as he rememebers it. As he does, he wonders how a tale of this distant, haunted land would have ever reached his ears in the first place. Still, he tries not to dwell on it too much. There's much he's learned on his travels, maybe perhaps he's run into people who have met the Vistani? Those servants of Strahd certainly would have known this story. As they walk, he tells the story as follows
"I've heard of this pace before, though I always though it was a legend. I've traveled the Forgotten Realms and I never encounter any sign of the dragon that story told of, so I just assumed it was another tall tale. There was a silver dragon who led an order against some powerful foe, some sort of invader, keeping it at bay for far longer than he ever was expected to. They say his name was Argynvost... this place must have been his! Now that I think about it, I'm guessing we've met the powerful foe he faced as well. Strahd certainly fits the bill."
The two of you trail in after Beren, at varying paces, with Noel in the tail as he tells his tale. As Beren first steps foot on the staircase leading up, the dragons jaw opens, and frigid air beats the area... but the spell has long lost its potency. Beren feels little more than a cool breeze, Jack feeling like someone poured ice-water over him at worst, while Noel feels like he jumped into a lake at the frozen spine of the world - though none of it deals damage. Perhaps if they had came a few hundred years earlier, the trap may have been deadly, but the dragons jaws close once more.
Ultimately, after feeling the literal chill in the air, and the storm picking up slowly outside to a heavy patter, you all make your way into the foyer.
This room feels like a king’s tomb. A grand staircase leads up to stone balconies held aloft by stone pillars and arches. A tall, faded tapestry depicting a nobleman in silver armor hangs from an iron rod above the staircase landing.
Six sets of double doors lead from this foyer. Along the walls, displayed on marble pedestals, are three alabaster busts of handsome men. A fourth bust and its pedestal have been knocked over, and their shattered remains lie strewn across the mosaic floor. Two chandeliers of wrought iron hang from the ceiling like monstrous black spiders.
As you enter the foyer more deeply, a great shadow with wings moves across the walls and disappears. You hear the soft bestial hiss in the darkness. After several moments, the noise fades, and you are once more left alone in the grand room.
Ahead of you all is the staircase leading to the upper floors, Noel is able to see them in the flashes of lightning outside but only when it strikes, he is, otherwise blind within the building as the sky has once more darkened to the point of imperceptibility for the poor human. Everything looking like shadows against shadows.
Also directly in front of you lie two sets of doors on the opposite sides of the staircase, one of them partially open, the other closed firmly.
To the north of you are two closed doors, far from each-other on the same wall, and mirrored to the south are doors in similar state.
So, where do you as a group or individually go? Up the stairs? Through one of the 6 doors? or, have you decided that the foyer is good enough for the night?
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Beren doesn't look over his shoulder as Noel speaks of the Order, and he takes little notice of the cold air.
"I have heard the story," he says--a sort of bitterness lacing his tone as he moves into the foyer. Noel's assumption that Strahd was the evil that the stories spoke of was likely true--at least, that Beren had assumed the same upon recognizing the story. That meant that in order to break free of this twisted game, they would have to defeat that great evil. "So I must succeed where he failed," the last words are spoken more to himself then to anyone else, and his fist tightens on the hilt of his sword. Perhaps the church will get what they wanted after all.
Scanning the area, his gaze comes to rest on the tapestry. He stands quietly for a moment, then half draws his sword as the shadow passes across the room. The light behind the mask flairs, and he stops himself from reaching out with his divine sense. He can only do that once more before he needs a long rest. Perhaps he'd been to hasty with its use up to this point. Still, that shadow did not seem friendly. Even if it disappeared from sight, that didn't mean it was gone.
Taking in the shadows, Beren turns to Noel and holds out a hand, "I will relight the ring if you wish. I assume you can see little here." Assuming Noel lets him recast the spell, the ring lights up as it had the first time.
Once that is done Beren turns his attention back to the room around him. He does not like the idea of spending the night here in the foyer, where anything could come in without warning through the front door. If they wish to rest they will need to find somewhere away from any obvious entrances, that way if something does come in they will have time to react. This put the upper level off limits as well, as there seems to be only one way up and down. It would not do to let themselves be trapped up there with no way to escape save from leaping to their deaths. So the only options would be these six rooms on the lower level.
"We should shelter in one of the rooms down here," he says after a moment. "I will survey them to ensure that we are alone here... Then I will inspect the upper floors as well." As he speaks he shuts the doors leading to the outside and checks to see if there is a way to bar them from within. Even if there is, he does not do so just yet. The last thing he wants is to bar their exit only to find out that he's shut them inside with some creature of darkness. No, he will conduct his search and then bar the door once their safety is ensured.
He will then move to open the first door to the left of the entrance of the building.
(OOC: Mm~ Me suspects breath was a alignment detector maybe. lol)
Jack shudders and flinches and just stands there for a bit, trying to shake off the uncanny feeling. The fact that he felt as cold despite bearing clothing equipped -- in general at least -- help deal with minor weather extremes left him looking back with some concern at the statue. But there was no time for dallying in hearing the rain pick up, so he hurried along and soon found himself lost in seeing the majesty of the room.
"Well I say this for this dragon's order--" Jack starts to say, but stops short seeing the shadow than hearing the hiss. This time he's less hesitant in putting a hand on the hilt of a weapon and raising his shield more defensively. Yet when after several moments nothing came charging out of some nearby shadows he began to breath a little easier and even chuckled a bit to boot. "Probably just a tressym." He said, more to settle the others nerves than his own. Yep. Totally. "But just in case, a survey is certainly in order... >Together<, that is." Jack looks pointedly at Beren with a bright smile, if though with some difficulty, what with his teeth still chattering a little. "After all, though this order might have probably extolled some virtue about keeping honest or some such, wisdom may yet have guided them to at least booby trap their main base of operation. You know, on the off chance those pesky 'invaders' showed up on their doorsteps. And it'll do us little good if you fall in one out of sight and out of mind. Isn't that right, Noel my friend?" He looks to the hopefully by then light equipped entertainer. So short of Beren doubling down on doing the survey alone, he'd be right behind by ten or so feet as the man started off their investigation with the first door.
Goyo - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Sea/Celestial (Libretalia)
Vogan - [Goliath-Hill]Bard - ???(A Dungeon-Delving Campaign Group C)
Jack Vicvan - [Eladrin]Warlock - Archfey
Whether lighting the ring or not... as he looks over the Tapestry, it is torn in places, but reveals a noble looking man, odds are it's the person this place is named after, Agynvost.. but it could just as well be someone high in the rankings, or perhaps even some benefactor. As no portraits of the man exist in Faerun so far as is known, the best that can be done is guess.
Whether jack follows or not, Beren, on guard, moves towards the first room clockwise, carefully opening its doors. The doors groan their agony, echoing in the foyer, as lightning strikes outside, the storm is in full force, and parts of the ceiling have begun to drip in places. The world outside is a black shadow, accented with flashes of white light. It's only a little past two in the afternoon and between the fog, and the heavily clouded sky it may as well be night time.
Inside - This wood-paneled den has been ransacked, its furnishings tossed about. A cold, dark hearth dominates the west wall between two narrow windows. Standing upright against the north wall is a sarcophagus made of black wood with a queen’s effigy carved into its lid. All the furnishings and dishes whether glass or wood are in varying degree's of rot. Thunder rumbles overhead, shaking the stones of the place for several moments before quieting down once more.
Aside from the door you came through, there appear to be no other exits.
You all take a moment to notice that what you assume had been Strahd's eyes when you first came, haven't been on you since your encounter with him.
(Also I forgot to mention aftr the rest, but for differing reasons, you all had gotten a point of inspiration.)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
(OOC: My thoughts as well...which now that I think about it, when Beren was using his divine sense did he detect any good or evil from his companions? :'D I hadn't even considered that when using it the last few times, but I suppose he would have been able to detect their alignments too with that spell. Not that he (or I really lol) was intentionally prying, but I thought I'd ask in case it could lead to some interesting RP. ;D)
Beren eyes Jack for a moment, noticing his shivering. ...it wasn't that cold was it? Or perhaps the chill had been different for each of them. Either way, he couldn't say he hadn't expected the elf to insist on staying as a group. Beren had assumed they would take to setting up a place to rest while he surveyed alone--such was the way with most other people he'd traveled with... most of the time at least. As for the 'out of sight and out of mind' bit, well he had assumed that if he was gone for to long then someone would take notice of his absence....and hopefully leave....but on the other hand they might come looking for him. In which case perhaps it was better if they came anyways.
"Fine," he says, turning his attention back to the task at hand. "I will take point."
Upon entering the room, Beren scans it critically. His main focus is the sarcophagus--the memory of the undead fresh in his mind, he does not want to take any chances that it could potentially hold a body that could crawl out and attack as they rested. So, he moves towards it, eying it to see if there is any way something inside could get out and listening for any sounds of movement inside.
Perception: 14
History check to see if he happens to recognize the effigy: 10 (he's not particularly interested, but I thought I'd roll just in case.)
If he sees and hears nothing of concern, he sweeps his gaze across the rest of the room just to ensure that there is nothing that could be of concern later.
Another perception for the room as a whole if needed: 11
Once satisfied that there is no sign of danger in the room, he takes no time to inspect the decaying furnishing in the room. Right now his only concern is making sure that the area is clear so that he can clear the areas ahead. Whether or not Jack and Noel decide to linger and further investigate the room, Beren moves onto the next one. He decides that as long as they are all on the same floor and within hearing distance of each other they should be alright. If they wish to investigate whatever they find in each room, so be it, as long as he clears the area first.
(OOC: wow, he's not doing a very good job is he :'D. My perception checks are always cursed lol.)
Beren enters the room, Looking about for any signs of enemies, or even potential enemies after their most recent encounters. As the sarcophagi catches his attention, he approaches, trying to identify whom it may be but not even the faintest hint comes to his mind. Whether due to the storm outside, or the oddly shifting light casting shifting shadows from his own body from a distance, Beren can't tell whether it would be easy to open or not. Thus, approaching for the sake of confirmation, he touches the lid with a hand, and suddenly, the door springs open on rusted hinges, as shattered wine bottles reveal themselves.
Apparently the sarcophagus was meant to house someone but never did. And likely, the order began using it as a wine storage, unfortunately all the contents were dried out after centuries - an unfortunate circumstance considering they would have aged well by now. With nothing else of interest in the area aside from rotting debris, Beren turns around, exiting the room none the worse for wear.
(Ugh, I had to type this twice.. pc didnt send it 2 hours ago, and i wasn't aware till now)
Occassional Dungeon Master.
Noel walks in and is immediately blasted with the cold of the place, and utter chill rushing over him, causing him to audibly yelp, before eventually devolving into a hearty chuckle as he realizes whatever it is had done him no real injury, saying "Well, that was certainly a surprise! Felt as if I'd been suddenly thrown into a river full of ice flows!". As they walk in, he ponders the story more: though he assumes the dragon himself is long dead, and the story alludes to the dragon's order eventually falling, still, if this place was once a bastion of resistence, then perhaps there is still something here that could be of use to them
With that, he waders almost aimlessly around following the others as they begin to clear the rooms of this place. The shadow the saw upon entering unsettles him for a moment, but with the story fresh in his mind, he feels perhaps a bit naivly confident that this place will be safer for him than he first though. When Beren suggests to him to light his ring up again, he remarks "Ah! Yes! Thank you friend, that would be quite helpful". When the ring lights, he takes a more solid look at the rooms around him, following Beren into the first room
As Beren explores it, Noel absentmindedly searches through the rubble, checking to see if there is anything here that may be of use to them. He takes a short glance at the effigy, but nothing comes to mind when he sees it, so he goes back to his search
Investigation: 16
Noel doesn't follow Beren into the second room, simply looking for a moment and seeing the shattered wine bottles before saying "Jack, my friend, you might not want to look in here. Someone's clearly wasted some wine! What a real shame. It would have aged so finely by this point." He chuckles to himself as he says that, though he quickly refocuses on the task at hand, walking towards the next closest door to the one Beren has just opened, saying "Let's see what this one holds!" and opening it