Expedition to Castle Ravenloft IC 2

[stack]

Brom shrugs, touches the holy symbol around his neck, then follows.

[Ionbound]

Elena grins and says, "I think this might be it. Gallard, would you like to do the honors?"

[Kish]

Spoiler: Ivyn

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You notice that while the traps around the stairs seemed to transport only living matter and interchange it with wights, whatever your companions just walked into seems to simply take everything that goes into it away, living or dead. If it truly goes to Strahd's tomb, perhaps Strahd uses if it he needs someone who isn't undead to go there.

While you're thinking about it, Ireena goes into the alcove after the others. She disappears, leaving you alone in the crypt.

Spoiler: Everyone but Ivyn

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"Whether Strahd's in the coffin or not, we aren't alone," Gallard says, raising his glowing sword as he steps out toward the coffin. The statue in the middle alcove starts to move as well, and at the limit of the range of your light, a pale humanoid figure starts lurching toward you.

(1d20+3)[15]
(1d20-1)[16]

Spoiler: OOC

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Elena's character sheet appears to have gotten wiped blank.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Everyone but Ivyn

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The statue swings both its stone fists at Gallard, striking him soundly and leaving him badly wounded. The pale figure resolves itself into the form of Ismark, unarmed, visible wounds showing on his neck. He comes toward you slowly.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attack: (1d20+18)[25] Critical threat check: (1d20+18)[38] Damage: (2d10+9)[23] Critical damage: (2d10+9)[23]
Attack: (1d20+18)[32] Critical threat check: (1d20+18)[36] Damage: (2d10+9)[16] Critical damage: (2d10+9)[24]

Map is updated and the PCs are up.

[Ionbound]

Elena blanks for a moment as she recognizes the visage of Ismark, but when her presence returns, it is fiery, her face contorting into a visage of pure fury as she says, "Brom, Gallard, end this. I'll deal with Ismark." She raises her shield and charges wordlessly, twirling her mace in the general direction of Ismark's skull.

Spoiler: OOC

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Charge Attack: (1d20+13)[18]
(1d8+5)[8]+(1d6)[1] (take away the 1d6 if this isn't an undead Ismark).

Also, here's my sheet link. It's working for me. http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=150326

[stack]

Brom expends a spell to heal the paladin.

Spoiler

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burning death ward for cure crit, cast defensively since he appears to be in what I assume is a large biped's reach
concentration (1d20+14)[24]
heal (4d8+9)[25]

[Kish]

Ivyn tumbles into the room behind you as Gallard slashes at the statue. "Thank you, Brom. We need to end this quickly, I can't withstand this thing's assault!"

"Don't kill my--" Ireena shouts, then passes a hand over her face and finishes, "Ismark!" as Elena smashes her mace into Ismark. Ismark makes a pained grunt; he is breathing, though his reactions seem muted. He moves around Elena, simply ignoring her as he heads toward Ireena. "If you don't have a spell that will protect him from this evil, try to knock him out," Gallard says, striking at Ismark with the flat of the Sunsword as Ismark passes him. Jonnel complies, striking at Ismark with the flat of his blade as well and knocking him to the floor. Ireena fires a volley of arrows at the statue and dodges as Ismark grabs her wrists. The statue looks badly damaged from Gallard's slashes and Ireena's arrows; Jonnel's nonmagical sword simply bounces off it. Gallard looks worse off; even with Brom's healing you would say the statue is nearly certain to smash him with its next pair of blows, if it remains intact long enough to strike again.

Spoiler

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Elena can't charge Ismark; the coffin was in the way. She does, however, hit him. His further movement provokes attacks of opportunity from her, Gallard, and Jonnel. The statue cannot reach Brom or new arrival Ivyn around the wall of the alcove.
Gallard's attacks on the statue: (1d20+19)[20] (1d20+12)[21]
Damage: (1d10+16)[20] (1d10+7)[17]
Gallard's attack on Ismark: (1d20+13)[24] Nonlethal damage: (1d10+3)[13]
Jonnel's attack on the statue: (1d20+9)[23] Damage: (1d10+2)[6]
Jonnel's attack on Ismark: (1d20+5)[12] Nonlethal damage: (1d10+2)[7]
Ireena's attacks on the statue: (1d20+14)[19] (1d20+14)[21] (1d20+9)[18]
Damage: (1d8+4)[11] (1d8+4)[11] (1d8+4)[8]
The statue swings its fists at Gallard again: (1d20+18)[37] Critical threat check: (1d20+18)[36] Damage: (2d10+9)[23] Critical damage: (2d10+9)[22]
Attack: (1d20+18)[32] Critical threat check: (1d20+18)[37] Damage: (2d10+9)[17] Critical damage: (2d10+9)[17]
Ismark tries to grab Ireena: (1d20+3)[22]

PCs' turn.

Brom, don't take the description of Gallard's wounds as meaning healing him wasn't useful; he'd be down to 1 hit point if you hadn't.

[stack]

"I could try to ward Ismark, but I must keep Gallard on his feet first." Brom calls as he heals the paladin again.

Spoiler

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dumping light of wisdom for cure serious (3d8+9)[17]

[Kish]

"I think he's too unconscious for it to matter for now," Gallard says. "Thank you."

[Ionbound]

Elena nods and says, "We can deal with Ismark when we get out of here. Right now, we have bigger trees to fell." She steps around the coffin, positioning herself on the other side of the stone giant as she swings her mace at it.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move to AS-52, attack.

(1d20+11)[28]
(1d8+5)[10]

Also, I was totally confused last round. I thought Ismark was pretending to be a statue, or had been petrified or something. At least it all worked out for the best.

[neoseph7]

Ivyn pulls out his recovered wand and aims it at their chiseled foe.

Spoiler

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Attack: (1d20+7)[21] Damage: (7d6+7)[32]

[Kish]

The statue falls to the floor in pieces. Jonnel pulls out a flask and hands it to Gallard. Ireena looks feverishly through her pack, pulling out a wooden stake. She hurries over to the coffin.

The Sunsword continues to glow.

[stack]

Brom stows his weapon and makes ready to open the coffin. "In position and ready, everyone."

Spoiler

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waiting for everyone to get into position and to ready whatever actions needed. Brom will toss out a greater turning if there is a moving vampire inside

[neoseph7]

Ivyn stands back and readies his wand for whatever may come.

[Ionbound]

Elena takes a deep breath and readies herself, saying to Ireena, "No, stand back. If Strahd comes out, I don't him getting anywhere near you." Assuming Ireena steps back, Elena then positions herself between the coffin and the other woman. Otherwise, she simply gets as close to Ireena as she can, ready to protect her if something untoward happens.

[Kish]

Ireena lets Elena move in front of her, though she raises an eyebrow. Brom opens the coffin. Inside it, Strahd's face bears an expression of unaccustomed terror. He turns to look at Ireena. "Tatyana, no! All I ever wanted was to give you everything!"

"I remember, elder," Ireena says coldly. "This time, you die, and I live." She offers the stake she's holding to Elena.

[stack]

Brom puts a hand to the icon of Ravenloft, ready to call forth the sun should Elena's stake fail.

[Ionbound]

Elena grins and says, "No longer shall we suffer under you, Strahd. Enjoy your eternal reward," as she lifts the stake and plunges it down at Strahd's chest, hammering it in with her mace if it connects.

[Kish]

Elena pounds the stake through Strahd's heart. Gallard chops his head off with the Sunsword. "I believe it's customary to fill his mouth with holy wafers or water or garlic." As he speaks, Strahd's flesh decays until only a skeleton remains, the stake lodged in the skeleton's chest.

"It's over, finally," Ireena says. "I remember everything. Barovia is free. After a dozen lifetimes, I'm finally free."

[neoseph7]

Ivyn looks at "Ireena" with great suspicion, his wand still clutched in his hand. And how, exactly, are you remembering a dozen lifetimes?

[stack]

"I don't know that I have that much garlic with me. I could bless water after resting, or use a scroll to temporarily consecrate the area. At the end though, it seems too easy..."

[Kish]

"Gallard can detect evil on me, if you're concerned," Ireena says. "I was Tatyana Federovna. On my wedding day Strahd murdered his brother, my husband-to-be, Sergei, and chased me until I jumped off the roof of this castle. But I never hit the ground. Then I lost my memory and I was someone else..." she shakes her head. "And Strahd tried to make me his vampire bride, and I died again, and again, and again. But I'm alive now. I am...Ireena Kolyana, who was once Tatyana."

After a minute, she holds out her hand. "Let me see the Medallion of Ravenkind. As I told you a long time ago, Strahd couldn't touch it, and if I was possessed by him or replaced by him or whatever you're thinking, I wouldn't be able to."

[stack]

Brom holds the medallion out, keeping the chain holding it in his hand.

[Kish]

Ireena wraps her hand around it. "See? I'm still me."

"I detect no evil around her. I think this is--was--the real Strahd," Gallard says.

Spoiler

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Incidentally, you level to 10, for whatever it matters now.

[Ionbound]

Elena nods and sighs, saying, "Well...Strahd's dead, but there's still a lot of cleaning up to do. There's still his spawn, including the woman we promised to help. And gods know what other surprises in the castle." She then shrugs and says, "At least we're not in any imminent threat now. We can deal with it in our own time."

[Kish]

"Yes. Can you help me bring Ismark back to the burgomaster's mansion, first?" Ireena asks.

************************************************** *****************

Outside, it seems oddly bright for late afternoon, and then you realize: the sun is shining, for the first time in days. The fog that wrapped the land when you last entered the castle is gone entirely. Although you know, objectively, that Castle Ravenloft is likely still stuffed from top to bottom with undead, fiends, mentally warped humans, and horrifying constructs, somehow it looks much less terrifying and more like simply an old, mostly-ruined castle.

"The marks Strahd left on the land will still take decades to fade," Ireena says, "but we'll all recover, without him."

[Ionbound]

Elena nods as she helps Ireena life Ismark and carries him outside. She smiles as she sees the sun and replies to Ireena, "Yeah. We will. And I'm glad to be back for it."

[stack]

"I shall stay as well, at least until the remaining abominations are no longer a threat to the people."

[neoseph7]

Ivyn's tension visibly dissipates as Ireena explains. I am sorry for mistrusting you then. For a minute I thought... Well, wrong I suppose..

In the bright daylight the gnome takes a long moment of discomfort in adjusting to the light. As he shakes it off he again address Ireena. I too would like to stay. Your situation with Strahd, his emotional connection towards Tatianna, in spite of being undead. It offers more questions than answers and I woud like to spend some time studying them. And assisting with the recovery of the area, of course.