= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Session Summary

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Session Details

Session 24 – 2021-05-15

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Session Summary

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Session Details

Argynvosthold, we are still here and we have opened the door to a chamber with, what appears to be, a Silver Dragon, standing on a pedestal, but not a dragon. He was obviously ancient but he was also small for his great age. He was silver but also not fully opaque. There was a kind of transparency to him.

He greeted us by name and the location of origin. He seems mostly focused on Misty as she is the one that poked him with a stick when he was but an ember. This set him to flight and us on a slow search of the mansion for not only a relic we need for the upcoming battles with Strahd but also him. But he was there, and we were struck by his beauty and his obvious power.

Haldar entered the room but appraised the creature as not being undead. Though he does sense undead to the West of us. If he is undead, it is but a fragment of his being and is overpowered by the others that are nearby. Haldar asked it’s name. He welcomes us to his home and announces that he is Argynvost, or the memory of Argynvost. Dain cast Divine Sense. He doesn’t sense anything particularly bad, and even senses good but it feels almost ethereal, like he is not all here. Misty asks if he is the ember that she stirred. He says, “I am! I am fading and my soul withers in the corruption of my home and this land that I once defended!”. It comes out that he was slain by the armies of Strahd von Zarovich, yes, the bastard on the hill.

Snoggly picks at the scabs of Argynvost’s life by commenting on how the place is run down and how the brotherhood of the valorous tried to kill us. Argynvost told us how he and the brotherhood used to battle such corruption. He said, “Now, we are dead, but live, a profanity of nature. Only slightly better than Strahd himself! My knights no longer hear me, but I hear them, their hatred, and it burns me like a branding iron!”. Misty tells him that we seek to end Strahd, but that we need things to help us out. As of now, we are not strong enough to take him on. To which, Argynvost replies, “Despite what I once was, you are much stronger than me now.”.

He is not sure how he could help us. Snoggly mentions a holy symbol we have been told of. Misty recites what Madam Eva told us about the card she drew. About the Avenger, a symbol of great hope that lies in a dragon’s house, in hands that once were clean but now are corrupt. Rinn asks if that means anything to him. Argynvost suggest that it could be anyone here. Rinn also asks if there is a means by which he could be restored? He said, ”Not that I know of! Argynvost used to be a beacon and where the beacon once was, is now darkness! If the beacon can be restored, perhaps light would, once again, shine upon this land!”.

Misty tells him that Kyana is also a Cleric of the Light. Argynvost looks at Kyana and says, “Step forward Kyana of the High Forest!”. She does so. He closes his eyes and begins to concentrate, and he begins to make this little static electricity like ball in his hands. It starts off blue but then turns silvery. It grows and he looks at her and says, “You are unclean!”. She says, “I am unclean?”, to which he replies, “You know this!”. He holds out the ball and says, “Take it and be restored!”.

When she touches it, she is blown back across the room. Haldar catches her! She feels this sensation of warmth throughout her body. Rinn and Dain, instinctively reach for their weapons, Rinn actually pulls out his Rapier, Dain simply places his hands on the hilt of his Axe but remembers that he is dealing with a Silver Dragon or some portion of it. He remembers that he felt no evil in him. Kyana was briefly stunned by came out of it quickly. Argynvost says, “My gift to you, friend of Misty! What the power of the ember temple have done to you, I have removed!”. Rinn calms down seeing that Kyana is apparently okay with what happened. He puts his Rapier back in it’s sheath.

He says, “In this world, it may be that last thing that I do!”. He is notably smaller! It’s as if he is shrinking down in size. Kyana thanks him for restoring her. He tells us that part of their sacred duty here was to protect this land from the evil power contained in the Ember Temple! He tells us that, “Strahd overthrew my home, which was bad enough, but when it came to the pass that we guarded, it was our last stand! There, his army threw me down along with the remnants of my army. I don’t know happened at that point, except that Strahd progressed to the temple and had dealings with the powers within! That is the source of his power and who he is!

Misty tells him about the cards from Madam Eva’s reading. She tells him that one is about a Sword of Sunlight. The card stated that what we seek lies in a pile of treasure beyond a set of amber doors! She asks if he knows where the amber doors are. He tells us that we should not go there unless you be like Strahd himself, or worse. He said, “Nothing good is at the Amber Temple, only death!”.

Misty returns to asking about the holy symbol that the cards spoke of. A symbol of great hope, a treasure that lies in a dragon’s house in hands that were once clean but are now, corrupt. Is this the dragons house or is there another? He reminds her that all of the hands, here, were once valorous, and good, and now they are corrupted. She asks if he knows about the holy symbol talked about and he says, “No!”.

Rinn asks if Commander Hornguard is here? He believes he is as well as many of the soldiers that served him. Snoggly asks, “So why are they attacking us?”. Argynvost tells us that in his mind, he hears them raging in hatred for their failure. Zanfyr asks about the knight we found near the tower that was seeking out the werewolves. Argynvost tells him the hatred varies. He thinks the most powerful, the leaders, took the defeat the hardest and therefore bear the burden of the most concentrated hatred. He feels it is that hatred, that anger, that has given rise to this undead, corrupted, army because, traditionally a creature of that nature has to be brought to life by an outside force. He doesn’t believe that was the case here. Their severe hatred and the power of the land caused that to happen.

Dain asks, “What is the core of the power of this land?”. “Strahd von Zarovich!”, was Argynvost reply. Dain then asks, what is the core of Strahd’s power. We’re getting hints that there is something beyond Strahd, that gives him power and preserves the status! Could this have anything to do with the Liche in the Amber Vault. Argynvost tells us that there is evil within the Amber Vault far beyond a liches imagining. He tells us that in the days they protected its location, he was not aware of any liche. He clarifies this with a, “but, it’s been 400 years!”. It was then that Boots gave us the real answer to the meaning of life. Due to our inability to understand him, we are forced to remain ignorant.

Throughout this conversation, Argynvost continues to get smaller. He is now, not much larger than we are. Snoggly asked if there was any useful advice he could give us before he is gone. He replies, “In your reckoning, I suppose not!”. Kyana asks, “What about mine?”. Argynvost replies, “That is for you to decide.”. Kyana asks, “Where do you advise us to go next or what do you advise us to do in our quest to destroy Strahd?”. He asks, “The Vistani told us of a treasure in this house?”. To which Kyana replied, “Yes!”. He tells us that the Vistani are in league with Strahd and that we should take anything they tell us with a grain of salt!

He tells us that we are in the right place, a dragon’s house, but when pressed, he doesn’t know what Madam Eva was speaking of. He reiterates that he’s been gone for the last 400 years and that there may be something here that he doesn’t know about. She asked if there was something we could say, from him, to convince the revenants within his house to stop attacking us. He tells us that their hatred is too strong and it is likely they would not hear anything we had to say. Dain suggests that the only answer for them is to put them down. Argynvost tells us that we can’t put them down. Dain says, we’ve put down a few already! Argynvost tells us that they will return. Dain replies, “That is truly sad!”.

Argynvost says, “Perhaps you can find a way to put them all to rest, that would be my wish!”. He reiterates that the corruption has turned off the beacon that was the symbol of Argynvost! He tells us that in the top room of the eastern tower, in the room with all the windows, there was a bright holy light that shown for this whole region. With that light restored, perhaps him knights could be at rest. Apparently, that light is the holy symbol. Realizing that Dain and Zanfyr had been in that room, the others asked if they had seen anything in that room that might be the beacon. Neither remember any sort of mounting brackets or lights or levers for lights. Kyana suggest that it was a magical, holy light, not necessarily a physical one.

Kyana and Snoggly asked, what made the light in that room. Argynvost replied, “I did!”. Kyana suggests that to bring the beacon back would mean restoring Argynvost. Argynvost said that he could not be restored. He didn’t know how we could restore the light. A Frustrated Misty stated, “Well, you’re a lot of help!”. Snoggly suggested that if he were the ember that we first saw him as, could we take him to the vault then and let him fly around of there. He tells us that he has already done that. We determine that we must finish searching this place.

Snoggly asked, “Before you are gone, where are your bones at!”. Rinn, resisted pointing out that Snoggly had finished that sentence with a preposition! Argynvost ponders that for a moment and says, “I don’t know!”. Snoggly followed up with a proper sentence, “Where did you die at lad?”. Rinn feels better about not pointing out Snoggly’s earlier grammatic failure. He said that he died at Tsolenka Pass. Snoggly asked if his bones were still there. Argynvost didn’t know. Snoggly ask if Argynvost thought that if we brought his bones back, if that he thought that might help? Argynvost said, “Possibly, but that would be a major undertaken as when I died, I was a full-grown dragon. Dain said, ‘Aye, the skull alone would be massive!”.

Dain says to Argynvost, “Your goodness will be missed in this world. We will do what we can to restore the beacon!”. Argynvost says he is ashamed that he cannot help us more or that he cannot lead the charge himself. Snoggly asked if he would become the ember again and return to the fireplace. Argynvost said “No, I will continue to diminish and be forever gone from this land!”. As we continue to talk, he slowly reduces in size and becomes more translucent, until he vanished.

We searched the room and like all the other rooms, it had been thoroughly ransacked, but we did find a book, partially burned, titled “The Oath Celestial”. Zanfyr looked at a painting on the wall depicting the mansion with snowcapped mountains in the background and at the top of the tower, a bright silvery/white light. We decided to remain in the room, talked a while longer and then Snoggly casts Leomunds Tiny Hut! We rested in reasonable safety within.

Misty is uneasy about trying to sleep due to the dreams she has been having. This night, she dreams of Argynvost, and piles of treasure being protected by wolves. She is in front of the treasure and the wolves are coming toward her to attack her. She sees Argynvost swoop in and with a cone of frost, he obliterates the wolves, but at the same time, obliterates all the treasure. She bolts awake but though she feels at piece, she feels as if something has ben taken from her. She searches through her belongings and finally notices that the gold and gems she took from the werewolve lair, under the statue, we gone. It had been replaced by a single platinum piece with the likeness of Argynvost on it. With that, she feels a sense of peace and finally completes a long rest.

Rinn recasts the Mage Armor back on Misty. Misty tells everyone about the dream she had and also about the coin. Haldar asks about the coin and if she would show it to him. She did! He passed it on to Snoggly who examined it. The picture on it is of a Silver Dragon swooping in. It doesn’t radiate magic. Snoggly still feels this if of significant importance. Perhaps it is what we need to activate the beacon. We found a shorter route to the room in the tower. We decided we needed to try the coin up there so we make our way to the tower room.

As we come to the towers peak, it has a stone floor, a 30 foot high roof, some ravens in there criss-crossing rafters and coming and going through small holes in the roof. There are 10 foot high and 5 foot wide windows evenly spaced around the walls. Each window consist of lead lattice work fitted with small panes of transparent glass. There are no images in the windows. We all make it into the room and Misty takes out the coin and holds it out in front of her. Nothing seems to happen. She tries about every way to get something to trigger but nothing does. Even Kyana gets into the act by trying to bless the coin and the actions being taken but to no good end. We thought back to the search Rinn performed on the alter downstairs but can’t remember anything that it might be used for down there.

We gave up on this and returned to the room across from Argynvost’s room. Rinn check’s the door for traps, finding none, he uses mage hand to open the door. The walls are dark wood [aneling that rise to about 3 feet. Above that are murals of different figures. In the center of the west wall, is a tattered curtain covering an open doorway. Directly across from that are three tall stain glassed windows depicting unusual figures. The first one is a slender robed figure, with no arms or legs apparent. The head portion is crimson and has eyes that pierce through it with fangs. In the middle windows, we see a skull, with an intricate pentagram imprinted on its forehead. In the last window we see a dark star with tendrils of blackness extending from it. There are no creatures in the room.

As Rinn enters the room, the windows fade into three different figures. The middle one is Lathander. The other two are of holy figures with their holy symbols. Rinn backs out of the room and peers at the windows again. He still sees the holy figures. Rinn tells everyone what he saw before he walked in. Kyana takes a look and see the morning lord and the holy figures. Dain uses divine sense and senses nothing with the windows. Rinn notices writing on the windows. He can’t read it but cast comprehend languages as a ritual and reads the names as Saint Andral, Saint Markovia, and Lathander. Rinn tells everyone else the names. The room appears to be a gallery.

They find another door on the far wall and upon checking it and opening it, find a hallway with staircases on either end. Rinn goes back into the gallery and uses his mage hand to pull back the curtain and walks through. It’s just a lot of debris and a bathtub. A search reveal’s nothing but a lot of soft wood floor from the weather pouring through from above. We move back through the gallery to the hallway and move to the opposite end to a set of double doors. Rinn checks the staircase just beyond to make sure nothing is coming up.

Seeing nothing, Rinn checks the double doors for traps. He doesn’t hear anything. He uses his mage hand to open the doors. Through the dust and cobwebs, he sees faded war banners adorning the walls of this spacious chamber in the center of which stands a heavy wooden table with an iron chandelier hanging above the table which is surrounds by six highbacked chairs with wood carved dragons perched atop them. Slumped in five of the chairs are skeletal human remains in tattered chainmail.

A few of us make our way around to the other door, in the other hallway, that leads to the same room. Dain casts divine sense and all of the corpses tilt their heads in his direction. One of the figures asks, “Why have you disturbed the dead?”. Dain replies that we came here after being directed by another of the order, to find Commander Hornguard, in hopes of assisting in the destruction of Strahd von Zarovich. The figure says that destroying Strahd is an ambitious goal. Dain asks, “Is this not the goal that this group seeks to accomplish?”. The figure asks who we are. Dain tells him his name and that we came through the mist weeks ago and have been learning a lot about Strahd and the battle that has happened here. We also recently spoke with Argynvost.

Snoggly spoke up and told them that we are trying to turn the light back on in the tower. The figure asked, “Who do you serve Dain Fireforge?”. Dain replied, “My diety is Clangeddin and I server good, and the forces aligned against Strahd von Zarovich.”. He asked Dain about the conversation we had with Argynvost. We explained that we spoke to him in the chamber next to this one. He explained to us about the beacon, and that if it was restored, that he felt it would go a long way to restoring this land to it’s pre-cursed state. He also felt it would finally allow those that participated in the great battle to be released and find rest.

The figure tells us that the power of the beacon was stolen by the witches, they and their plant creatures. They attacked and destroyed the castle and before they could be driving back, the stole part of the remains of Argynvost. Dain asked, “That means that part of his remains are here then!”. The skeleton answered that, “His remains are here, except for the skull. That is what they stole!”. Snoggly asked how many witches it was, they wee ten or twenty, not all witches, some were creatures made of stick and brambles. Are these the witches the druids the ones that server the gulthias tree? He didn’t know anything about a gulthias tree.

Dain asked if they were still seeking a chance to destroy Strahd von Zarovich? He indicated that they would like nothing more than to destroy him. Dain asked if they could leave the fortress. He replied that they will go and server their commander. Dain told him that Strahd is supposed to be coming to the Abby of Stand Andral in Kresk to be given the gift of a bride by The Abbott. He stands up and putting his sword to his chest, says, I serve the order of the silver dragon and I take my commands from Vladimir Hornguard. If so ordered, I will attack, if not ordered, then I shall remain here. Snoggly asked where the commander is. He tells us that he doesn’t know where he is. Dain asked this person’s name, He said he is Sir Godfrey Gwilym. We thanked him and closed the door.

We moved to the next room. It’s a 50 foot long audience hall, has crumbled, leaving a gapping hole and a pile a of rubble, weapons and shields that once hung from the walls now lay on the floor. A large wooden throne faces three tall windows to the west. Rinn and Dain move into the room. Dain circles around the outer wall of the room and says, “Commander Hornguard, are you here?”. We see, slumped in the throne, a gaunt armored figure, with one gauntlet wrapped around the hilt of a great sword. As he comes into view, we here him say, “Go away!”.

Dain proceeds to tell him that we are here to ally ourselves with him in the battle to destroy Strahd von Zarovich. We let him know that we spoke to Commander Gwillym and gave him the information we had that might help them to destroy Strahd. He doesn’t wish to hear the information, he doesn’t wish to destroy Strahd. He wishes to leave him as he is, in his torment, forever. Strahd will never have rest and he will never have that which he desires. Dain tries to convence him that to free this cursed land and the people trapped here, we must end Starhd, and as Argynvoist told us, return the beacon to it’s rightful place, in the tower.

All attempts to convence him to move on Strahd was met with stubborn hatred of Strahd. He is unphased by the damage that leaving Strahd here, is doing to the land and its people. Snoggly attempts to get the Commander to get involved as well. Snoggly said, this was a waste of time, apparently they are all a bunch of pansies, to which Dain replied, “And apparently this one is a coward! Too bad Gwillym isn’t in charge!”. The Commander stood and pulled his sword and challenged Dain for calling him a coward. Through some more coarse words, he finally had enough of Dain and hit him twice. Initialtive was rolled and then he hit him twice again before Dain was able to respond. Dain went Down.