Session 4

## Session 4 - Down We Go

After having successfully laid Thorn and Rose to rest, the party continue south. Venturing southward, they enter a dining area, which Reffins notices a coiled up serpent creature in a defensive like position in a small alcove opposite the party. As he peers at it, Brig decides to eldritch blast it, engaging the serpent. In retaliation he springs forward and grabs on to Brig with its tentacles, and takes a huge chunk of flesh out with its beak.

Equuleus attacks managing to lob off a tentacle while Reffins punctures through the soft flesh near its beak. Brig levitates the Grick and it has a hard time finding purchase in which to push off and attack while suspended. Equuleus and Reffins take this opportunity to make decisive strikes against it, with Reffins managing to shoot an arrow and pin it against the wall. Equuleus feels sorry for having slain the creature and goes to make a prayer for it, meanwhile Brig remembers slaying these before and pouching their beaks for components to sell, and does so.

When the party finish up here, they head back to the living quarters take time to investigate the living quarters as well as open all the foot lockers and chests within those alcoves. Within these chests they find:

* 17 gold pieces in a pouch made of human skin
* 3 moss agates (worth 10g each)
* 1 eyepatch with a carnelian (worth 50g)
* 1 silvered shortsword (worth 110g)
* 1 ivory hairbrush with silver bristles (worth 25 gp)

They perceive that they are done collecting all that can be scrounged up here, and find individual alcoves to sleep within. Going to sleep, they all take a short rest.

In his sleep, Brig is visited by a familiar voice, it’s the voice of his entity. It’s strange because the entity and Brig only communicate when it is summoned via book ritual reading. It goes to say that Brig might need some more incentivizing, and introduces himself as Dagoth. He then shows his face and produces a small flame, from which he pushes towards Brig and leaves a small trail of flame until it hits Brig. When it reaches Brig, he awakes, feeling empowered with Eldritch energy.

Equuleus dreams take her back to distant memories of her time in Ado Vandor. It is warm here, the first feeling of sun since she’s entered Barovia. She hears a voice scolding her, it’s the familiar voice of her master and adoptive father, Grandmaster Kane. He scolds her for not focusing but lifts her up with some wise words and motions for her to try again wanting to teach her how to channel her inner Ki. Eagerly she does, and as she does she wakes up in the Crips of the Durst manner. She thinks back and remembers her training with her master and how to properly channel KI.

Reffins goes into a trance like state, which is common for elves as they do not sleep. During his chance, he thinks back to all the recent events, and gathering his thoughts, he is inspired and gains proficiency in many skills, absorbing all the experiences and making them his own unique talent.

The party then decides to trudge back and explore the crypts opposite Thorn and Rose and after much struggle, they find empty coffins behind the slabs of stone with nameplates belonging to Gustav and Elizabeth Durst.

Meanwhile Brig ventures south and hears increasing volume in the ghostly chanting. Distracted by the change in volume, he springs a pitfall trap, but manages to move in time to avoid falling within. Deciding it’s better to regroup than to continue alone, he leaps across the pitfall and goes to regroup at the dining hall.

Leading the party south, they realize the earth is moving, as two ghouls claw their way out of some mounds in the dirt and attack. Brig casts protection against good and evil on Equuleus. Attacking Equuleus, they manage to swing and miss and are dispatched with fairly easily. Brig decapitating one and Equuleus decapitating another, as their heads roll and bodies pile in a corner. As they’re fighting, they hear the shambling and shuffling and soft groaning coming from the west.

Preparing themselves, they get in position to deal with more undead approaching from the west. Rounding the corner are 4 zombies. Unleashing their readied attacks, Reffins and Equuleus land some clean strikes and arrows, managing to separate some limbs from the zombies.

Brig taking inspiration from the others casts Fiendish Vigor, creating a light visage of blue around himself. Brig and Equuleus manage to dispatch one each, Brig blasting one’s head clean off, and Equuleus backflip kicking another head off. The zombies approach and find it hard to land strikes against anyone, as Brig steps forward and cautions the others to step back and casts Thunderclap, blasting apart appendages.

Having forfeited their bottleneck choke point, the zombies stride forward and attack Reffins as he’s the closest thing to them. Striking and biting down, they manage to take quite a few chunks and pile on top of Reffins, taking him down with them, injuring him and making him unconscious. Seeing their comrade fall, they make haste to kill the remaining, Brig blasting one down and Equuleus home run batting the last ones head clean off.

Brig goes to stabilize Reffins by feeding him a potion of healing off his body. Coming back to consciousness, Reffins sits up.