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| The Map of Meredoth's Chambers |
With the corridor now clear of bone dust, the group advanced, checking the first available door. It opened into a cavern (6) shimmering with formations of solid ice, a dense forest of menacing stalagmites and stalactites.
Bessok, testing the room's treacherous nature, tempted fate by tossing a few heavy coins at the ceiling. The impact was enough to trigger a chain reaction: the ice formations fractured, resulting in a cascading wave of falling ice that swept across the ceiling. Protected by his shield and plate steel, Bessok shrugged off the debris and pushed forward. At the far end, he found a secret door that, upon opening, collapsed inward, revealing a slick, curving ice slide. They decided to save that dubious passage for later.
Continuing their exploration, they moved north from the main corridor into another dark chamber (5). As they entered, the darkness sprang to life: a hundred different varieties of skeletal beasts attacked.
The horde was absurd yet unnerving, ranging from tiny, chittering skeletal squirrels to a terrifying, full-sized skeletal elephant. The menagerie included creatures clearly not native to the area, suggesting the Grabens’ reach was far and wide. Though the small creatures lacked lethal force, the sheer volume of snapping jaws and tiny claws inflicted numerous wounds and scratches before the heroes could vanquish the last of the unnatural bone pile.
After downing a few healing potions, the group investigated the room opposite. What they found was truly sickening: six humanoid skeletons hung on hooks from the ceiling, their bones bearing enough damage to confirm they had been hung up and deliberately left to die.
The rest of the room was a chilling display of morbid organization. Barrels and crates lined the walls, each one dedicated to storing specific types of remains: there were barrels filled exclusively with skulls, crates dedicated solely to finger bones, and others housing pelvic or rib cages.
A look of sheer disgust passed between the heroes. They left the gruesome collection behind, pressing on to find the heart of the dark operation.
The group returned to the corridor, trying the last remaining door next to the ice cave. It proved to be magically locked, requiring a few focused attempts to bypass the wards, but eventually, the tumblers clicked, and the door opened. It revealed yet another passage leading downward, this time with a treacherous, icy floor (8).
They could have taken that route, but the sheer, bizarre fun of the previous discovery was too tempting for the warrior. Morthwyl, in a rare moment of enthusiasm, insisted on trying the ice slide.
One by one, they braved the curving, slick tunnel, slipping and sliding down the cold passage until they were ejected onto the floor of a colossal, breathtaking cavern. The chamber soared one hundred and fifty feet high, its dark ceiling swallowed by shadow. The only visible feature was a single, massive stone balcony jutting out one hundred feet above them.
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| Meredoth the Necromancer |
The moment they emerged onto the cavern floor, Meredoth the Necromancer greeted them not with words, but with dark blasts of energy hurled down from his hundred-foot-high balcony.
Vinthanamel reacted instantly. He threw a handful of dust into the air, casting a potent spell that rendered everyone nearby invisible. Uncertain of their positions, the Necromancer retaliated by raising a massive wall of ice across the cavern floor, catching several members of the group as it violently ascended.
Morthwyl, however, was already moving, clear of both the invisibility spell and the rising ice wall, determined to climb the sheer stone face to reach the Darklord. Bessok, realizing the climb would take too long, gave chase, but instead of following her upward, he grabbed her and unleashed a burst of divine power: the climbing attempt turned into an instantaneous teleportation. In a flash of light, they reappeared on the balcony, right alongside Meredoth.
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| Zombie |
When the flow of time snapped back to normal, Meredoth was on the far side of the balcony, immediately unleashing a punishing volley of dark energy blasts and bolts of fire at the regrouping heroes.
Bessok, always charging, ignored the summoned undead and teleported again, closing the distance to the Necromancer. He lunged, successfully tackling and grappling the Darklord. But Meredoth had one last trick. He shouted a powerful, debilitating word that stunned the Cleric, causing Bessok to lose his hold on the squirming foe.
With a final, wicked cackle that echoed through the massive cavern, Meredoth slipped free and darted through a previously unseen secret door, vanishing deeper into the dark complex.
Once the summoned zombies were reduced to inert bone dust, the group quickly healed their wounds and agreed upon a path of pursuit. They found Meredoth toward the end of a long, dimly lit corridor, partially concealed within a dark alcove.
Morthwyl was the first to charge, immediately receiving several painful blasts of dark energy. Bessok rushed past her to the next alcove, establishing a flanking position where his summoned dwarven spirits could launch an attack. Vinthanamel followed closely, while Joe positioned himself strategically at the far end of the corridor, waiting for his chance to strike.
Feeling the pressure of their converging assault, the Necromancer performed a desperate maneuver: he opened a shimmering portal in the wall beside him, with a second opening appearing at the opposite end of the corridor. He quickly stepped through, but not before Morthwyl landed a swift, parting swipe on his back.
Now at a safer distance, Meredoth renewed his attack. This time, he was ready. He unleashed a punishing barrage of dark bolts and fire that struck with unnerving accuracy, even managing to hit the invisible Vinthanamel.
As Morthwyl resumed the chase, the Necromancer intensified his assault, unleashing a precise flurry of firebolts followed by a devastating volley of dark energy that dropped the dwarf unconscious. It was the second time the island’s horrors had brought her low.
But the Necromancer’s focus on Morthwyl left him vulnerable. Vinthanamel, closing the distance, cast a powerful dispel magic, tearing down Meredoth’s remaining active magical protections. This was the opening they needed. Bessok quickly produced a Wand of Magic Missiles and unleashed a barrage, showering the Darklord with as many impacts as possible.
The tiny, unstoppable missiles slammed into the Necromancer, knocking him back hard against the wall. With a final, choked gasp, Meredoth slid down and collapsed, face-first to the ground.
The victory was instantaneous, yet incomplete. Before any of the heroes could reach his fallen form, Meredoth’s body was suddenly engulfed in a dense, swirling mist. A moment later, the mist dissipated, and the body was gone. The Darklord had been defeated, but the Mists had claimed him, whisking him away to plot his inevitable return.
With Meredoth banished, the heroes finally gained free rein of the complex. They discovered Meredoth's hidden laboratory—a truly sickening chamber filled with disgusting body parts and organs, all sorted and stored according to the Necromancer's bizarre system. The stench was so foul that the heroes almost lost their breakfast.
The final room was Meredoth’s private quarters: a simple, messy room holding a bed, foodstuffs, and clothes.
Between these two rooms, Joe discovered a cleverly concealed area holding two chests bursting with magical items and jewels—the veritable hoard stolen from generations of adventurers foolish enough to challenge the island. Among the treasures was a tremendously powerful new weapon: a Vorpal Longsword for Morthwyl.
Returning to the ship to rest and heal, they found an immediate change in the atmosphere. The seas were calmer, the air was warmer, and the intense, supernatural cold had visibly lessened.
To confirm their success, Bessok flew a willing sailor to the island. When the sailor was able to move further from the ship than ever before, the group declared the curse broken.
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| Captain Garvyn |
Unsure where the Mists had deposited them, Captain Garvyn set a course for Baldur's Gate, the last known location before the cursed fog took them.
Barely an hour of travel had passed, however, when the Mists rolled in once more—thick, opaque, and smothering, reducing visibility to less than their hands in front of their faces. The rocking of the ship slowly subsided until it felt as if they were standing on solid ground.
As quickly as they arrived, the Mists retreated, and the heroes realized they were standing on solid ground!
The ship was gone. They stood at the far end of a road leading through a strange, rustic village. The sky was dark and perpetually cloudy, casting a gloom over the land. The atmosphere was immediately disturbing, enhanced by the odd, unsettling faces of the villagers peering silently from their windows. Despite the abrupt shock, the group felt strangely refreshed, as if they had slept a full night in the swirling Mists, their wounds closed.
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| The Village of Barovia |
In the distance, to the northwest, atop a high hill, stood a dark, gloomy castle, its towers crowned by circling bats and ravens. Ahead, the village looked foreboding, a gateway into a new, terrifying Domain of Dread.
As the heroes surveyed the gloomy village, they became instantly aware of a growing hostility. Villagers poured from their homes, forming a rapidly expanding crowd that began to curse the newcomers, shouting at them to "go back from whence you came!"
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| The Strange Villagers |
Stones followed the curses. Most clinked harmlessly off the heavy armor of Bessok and Morthwyl, but Vinthanamel and Joe winced in pain as the sharp projectiles found their marks.
Amidst the chaos, Joe spotted someone detached from the mob—a woman with striking pure blue eyes, dressed in a long coat and round hat, observing the scene.
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| Alenka |
Left behind was the woman with the blue eyes. She approached them and suggested they talk in the nearby establishment: the Blood of the Vine Inn.
Inside the dim tavern, they found the owners to be Vistani, including a familiar face: Alenka, the same woman who had originally encouraged them to join the Endurance. She raised her drink in silent welcome but kept her distance.
The new woman introduced herself as Sarusanda and explained she was a member of the Ulmist Inquisition, a group dedicated to seeking out evil across the multiverse and destroying that evil, as well as the seeds of corruption that would lead to it. They once counted the Darklord of Barovia, Strahd von Zarovich, as an ally, before the Priests of Osybus corrupted him in an attempt to gain the immortality they craved.
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| Sarusanda |
Osybus, originally a lich, had given himself over to the Dark Powers and become one of them, when his own Priests turned against him. Using his new found powers, he dragged Strahd and Barovia into the Domain of Dread, keeping Strahd away from the Priests so the pact could never be completed. Sarusanda was here to stop them, they were aware of the piece of the Rod and were on its trail, a trail that led them to the Cultists in a home the locals call Death House. The Cultists swore allegiance to Strahd and would do anything to gain his favour, and so they were using the Rod piece in a ritual to try and draw him to them.
Before the group left the Inn, Sarusanda imparted vital intelligence on how to combat the Priests of Osybus, that to truly defeat a Priest, they must focus their attacks on unmaking the tattooed souls, not just striking the Priest's physical body. She advised them to use radiant energy or spells that specifically target the spirit, as conventional weapons would only delay their inevitable reanimation as long as the stolen souls remained intact.
With their mission clear, Sarusanda and the heroes headed straight for the source of the danger: Death House. As they approached the decaying structure, they heard the undeniable sound of children crying.
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| Rose & Thorn |
Asking the children some questions, they found that they had asked a group of strange robed adults if they could help, but they were ignored and the adults went inside the house. When asked how long ago, however, they had no idea. They revealed where the trapdoor to the basement was, but told them that 'Mommy locks it when she has visitors.'. The children thought there might be a party happening in the basement, because mother and father went down there with their friends, and they heard lots of shouting and strange chanting, like they were singing, but that was before the monster howls.
The pieces fell into place: The Cultists were inside, the children's parents were likely the original owners who performed the ritual, and something monstrous was now loose in the basement. The Rod of Seven Parts was deep within the terrifying Death House.
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| The Death House |
Heeding the group's instructions to seek refuge at the Inn, Rose and Thorn retreated. The heroes approached the house, and as they passed through the entry gate, the Mists instantly closed in behind them, curling around the house and completely isolating them from the rest of the village.
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| Death House Ground Floor |
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| A Whirling Chandelier |
Before the group could react, the danger escalated: the chandelier was also a construct! It came whirling down, chains and candle flames whipping dangerously through the air. The invisible attackers rushed forward to join the melee, but Morthwyl, seeing them perfectly, brought her bright new Vorpal Longsword to bear. Utilizing their shared connection to Vecna, which granted them the ability to perceive the unseen, the group quickly dealt with the twin threats, overcoming the attack without serious injury.
During the frantic combat, Sarusanda had rushed upstairs, likely sensing the presence of the Priests she sought. A brief discussion ensued, but the mission remained paramount: Sarusanda could hunt her quarry, but the group needed the piece of the Rod of Seven Parts before anyone else could claim it.
They turned to the room adjoining the entrance hall, the Trophy Room, which the children had mentioned. The walls were covered with the mounted heads of various animals.
Joe’s sharp eyes quickly spotted the hidden trapdoor. With a faint chime from his magical item, he bypassed the bolt locking the door from below and pulled it open. He jumped down, Vinthanamel close behind, immediately met by the sound of rhythmic chanting echoing loudly from the subterranean halls.
After a short flight of stairs, a fake wall blocked their way. It was clearly designed to fool those on the other side, as the hinges were visible from the heroes' position. With a shove, the door swung open, revealing a larger room filled with moldy skeletons hanging from rusty shackles along the walls.
In a wide alcove stood a macabre focal point: a painted wooden statue carved in the likeness of a gaunt, pale-faced man wearing a black cloak—an unnerving effigy standing guard over the crypt.
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| Vampire Spawn |
Joe moved before the vampire spawn could fully react, smashing his mace into the first, then the second. The weapon struck with unusual force, dealing much more damage than expected. But before Vinthanamel could even cast, the vampire spawn's severe wounds were already beginning to regenerate.
The wizard was next, blinking across the room with a simple spell to gain distance, and instantly releasing a powerful firebolt that scorched the nearest creature.
Morthwyl and Bessok charged down the steps to join the fray. Morthwyl, wielding her new Vorpal Longsword, rushed forward and brought the mighty blade down in a swift, devastating arc. It struck the neck of one of the vampires and took its head clean off. The headless body slumped to the floor as the head clunked and rolled behind the statue. She wasn't done, following up with powerful strikes that tore into a second vampire spawn, knocking the creature to its knees.
Bessok, his ghostly dwarven spirits summoned, charged in, his presence radiating a powerful light. The radiant damage he caused instantly halted the vampires' regeneration, causing them to turn their attention away from the attackers and focus their combined fury on the cleric. It was a risky but effective tactic; while Bessok held the line, the others smashed their way through the remaining three vampire spawn.
The immediate threat dealt with, the heroes quickly began investigating the source of the persistent, rhythmic chanting.
Bessok, moving with an almost instinctual direction, led the way through the catacombs. Down a set of steps, and then down again, they emerged in front of a final chamber: a high-ceilinged room lined with columns.
As they came into view, the sight that greeted them was horrifying: two large mounds of sentient vegetation were shambling steadily toward them from the other side of the room, guarding the final path to the ritual.
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| The Shambling Mounds Advance |
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