<< March 28, 2022 | Notes | February 25, 2022 >>

Bell flies around to do recon and then pick up a sporebie but seems unable to leave the bounds of the castle. It seems like the same kind of boundary as the one around Barovia. Dren asks Gale if he believes in destiny; he says yes and plays his lute. Dren summons Brand and feels a buzzing in it. Bell returns in eagle form and reports to Percy; P translates for the group. Dren surveys the area and says the chapel is probably in the back.

Gale and Nellshan go up with Bell first. Dren tells Percy that Nellshan is hot, lol. Bell picks up P and D and takes them to the top of tower 3, approx 260-70 feet high. Stone battlements. The clouds coalesce into Strahd's face and thousands of bats fly out of his mouth.

Gale opens the hatch in the floor of the tower and calls to us to follow. Inside, a bed fitted with restraints. At its foot, an iron chest bearing an emblem. The rest of the party continues to fight instead of following. We kill some bats but more appear so we escape downstairs. Percy recognizes the emblem as Strahd's family crest. Gale picks the locks and inside is an ornate golden crown with gems sitting on a silk pillow. Gale picks it up with a bag. Percy uses his familiar to Identify it -- it seems to be Strahd's crown and he detects no curse.

Gale scouts ahead and we go downstairs as P and N eat a few Goodberries. The hue of the room begins to turn deeper and deeper red as we descend. As we turn the corner, the light flares beneath and settles into a dull pulsing glow. A large crystal heart pulsates with the light, approximately 10 feet across and 20 feet high, suspended in the air. Bell detects the seed inside. P thinks it may be something to hold damage for Strahd. Dren tries to enter the Ethereal Plane but finds that he cannot. We all wait to see what it does. The tower begins to lurch from side to side.

Gale moves down the stairs and notices halberds mounted along the wall, sticking outwards. He casts Shatter on the heart and the red light begins to seep out. We see the halberds on the wall awakening. Percy's Fireball cracks the side of the heart off and we can see the seed inside. Dren Misty Steps to try to get it but fails and falls 190 feet. Gale casts another Shatter and the heart turns to blood and drenches Dren. It drops the seed and we defeat the rest of the halberds. Bell drops Percy off and he and Nellshan go to pick up and heal Dren. Percy casts Comprehend Languages again. We go up the stairs to take a short rest and Percy casts Alarm on the stairwell while Gale and Bell watch the hatch in the ceiling. Percy and Gale Prestidigitate the blood off of Dren and he is thankful.