Drovic and Arvien headed for the side door near the cliff edge while Varrid followed Seglun through the newly opened window. Ralom moved under the eaves to lessen the crossbow fire. Seglun attacked while Baru opened the door and entered was beset by the other bowman. Meanwhile Drovic and Arvien entered the kitchen, which held some foodstuffs and preparation utensils. Drovic moved to the westward door and Arvien to the northern door out of the kitchen. Grunyar held back waiting for the "boy in black" to make his appearance.
In the foyer a quick battle ensued with Baru, Raul, Seglun and Varrid gaining the upper hand. Soon the two bowmen were dispatched. The foyer was dusty with a couple of piles of broken furniture and rags on the floor. A stairway headed up to an open balcony on the second floor. Two archways headed south. Ralom move through one arch into a dining room, devoid of dust with a fancy table and buffet with chairs for 8. Suddenly Drovic entered the dining room from the kitchen but neither fired on the other. Arvien found herself in a panty area, cobwebs in the corners and empty shelves. Another door led south while a door in the north probably led to a cellar. She headed south finding herself with Drovic and Ralom. Seglun headed up the stairs, followed by Baru and Raul. Ralom headed west from the dining room into a small hallway where another door led to a Solarium type room, filled with cobwebs and dust. Two crossbowmen were there and they attacked Ralom and Varrid. Grunyar still sneaked around, not wanting to break his invisibility.
On the second floor Seglun flung open a door from the balcony and confronted a bowman. Baru took up most of the stairs with Raul behind him. Varrid fled up the stairs leaving Arvien, Ralom and Drovic to face the bowmen on the first floor. Raul moved into a hallway on the second floor and found another bowman, while Baru opened a door to a fancy bedroom, rugs on the floor, wardrobe, tables and chairs around a four poster bed.
Within a short interval the party finished off the remaining bowmen and started a quick search of the premises. At the far end of the second story hall another bedroom was found with furnishings and little or no cobwebs and dust. All of the other rooms of the manor were full of dust, cobwebs, broken furnishings and piles of rags. Some rooms, where the bowmen had been stationed had footprints int he dust.
Now what stated Ralom as Grunyar appeared before him and Baru reduced to normal size. "I guess we will just have to wait for him to come back," said Ralom, "I don't think he is anywhere here just now." "There may be a cellar," exclaimed Arvien recalling the door in the pantry. Off the group marched to the pantry with Varrid headed toward the door first. She pulled up short as there was a note tacked to the door.
You cannot hide from the shadows.
You cannot run from your fate.
You cannot escape my justice.
Was written on the note in fresh red blood. She and Seglun had a quick flash of memory from the Dog Fights were they had found a note from the Midnight Slasher. Regardless on the group marched down the stairs behind the door. The cellar was dank and dark, Arvien cast Dancing Lights to brighten the way. The floor was covered in footprints, rooms filled with detritus and two crossbowmen at the end of a short hallway was all they found. Baru, Ralom, Raul and Seglun attacked the bowmen while Drovic, Varrid and Arvien made sure nothing was lurking in the other rooms. Grunyar fired arrows into the fray. The guards were quickly dispatched, and the door behind them opened. Inside was a low vaulted chamber, down a few steps. It appeared to be a wine cellar but its bottles lay shattered on the hard stone floor. Spatters of blood red wine covered the walls and pooled on the floor. In the far corner, a woman in a wine smeared dress screamed, her eyes wide with startled fear. The hysterical madness faded quickly from her intense dark eyes.
"You are not mother," she said accusingly. "Who are you?" Baru, Raul, Ralom and Varrid entered the chamber looking around for anyone hiding in the shadows. Seeing nothing they advanced. The woman rose and fled toward the stairs, "You are here with my son. You have come to kill me," shouted the woman as Ralom blocked her exit. Spotting Raul she bellowed "So the Vistani have sent you to kill me. I always knew they would." Ralom tried to query her about her son, where he was, when was he returning? This send her into a rage and all in the room felt a queasy unease as her jarring head movements sent her gaze randomly around the chamber. "Malocchio will return, save me from his wrath," she whimpered, "Kill him for me. He was to be my revenge against you all, but he's just like you!"
Seeing Baru she suddenly stood straight upright, and said "I killed you once Bakholis, I can kill you again!" By this time the party determined that she was clearly out of her mind. The discussion centered about how to wait for the "boy in black's" return. Upstairs, down in the cellar, what to do with this crazy woman. Baru said we have to take her with us, she can't be left here with anyone, so let's bind and blindfold her as we take her upstairs. This was done apace and the party headed up with Varrid and Drovic escorting Gabrielle. Ralom wanted to wait in the room of Malocchio and headed for the stairs followed closely by Seglun. As the moved into the foyer they saw a copper-skinned young man with dark hair, his eyes like two midnight seas. Dressed entirely in black, with a broad white collar, he looked like a aged version of the boy in black from the Carnival. He was surrounded by a pack of huge black wolves that growled menacingly. "Mother, I see you have made a mess of things again!" His cold voice echoes in the foyer.
As their eyes adjusted from the flash of light, the group saw a shadowed figure charge at Gabrielle. The cloaked figure of the Midnight Slasher, tears streaming from wild eyes. "For Mother and Father!" he shrieks. Gabrielle merely raised her arms feebly in a futile effort to protect herself. The foyer battle still raged with the wolves, Seglun and Drovic were at each others throats and Varrid was shocked by the sudden attack of the Slasher, who's mask and hat fell off, revealing her to be a young woman. Aha, thought Varrid, a daughter of the Haptmeyers, just as Matton Blanchard, in hybrid form, burst from the kitchen to protect Gabrielle.
Catching their breath the party searched for Malocchio but found no evidence of him. Varrid looked out the broken window, saw no bodies at the bottom of the cliff only the river flowing past. Ralom performed rebuke death on Gabrielle, stabilizing and reviving her. Ralom applied some healing of the minor sort to the group while Raul explained that the Dukkar was now limited to teleportation within Individa, saving the homeland from his wrath. Gabrielle sat huddled in a corner, staring blankly into space, her lips moving soundlessly. Varrid adjusted her blindfold to cover the workings off the evil eyes. After a rest the party started to search the manor. There were no secret doors, compartment or any hidden or magical items. However in Gabrielle's room the found seven gems worth 2000 gp, a Tarokka deck and a spell book.
Finding Matton's horse and the draft horses in the stables, they party headed for the Vulpwood and the Vistani camp. Asked regarding the mission the party responded with their news, none to proud of the accomplishments. The Vistani were grim, but nonetheless pleased at the outcome. Eva took Gabrielle to her vardo, not sure how they could or would handle the "former" lord of Invidia. As they sat around the fire, Raul stood and placed his violin in the flames. "I saw in Gabrielle's mad eyes the dangers of letting the past rule the present." As the violin begins to burn, Marcella announces, "It is finished. The curse is broken. Leyla's spirit will now rest in peace."
As midnight approached the prastonata is again celebrated and each of the heroes dances with Marcella around the fire. During the doroq, Marcella states that the Dukkar is no longer a threat to the Vistani.
Varrid and Ralom are anxious to exit Invidia, as they fear Malocchio's power. The Vistani presented the party with maps of the homeland and the islands, which differ from the maps from Markovia. Gitana warns the party of heading for Verbrek, which is filled with werewolves, Lord Soth rules Sithicus and Lord von Zarovich rules Barovia, the two other neighboring realms. The group fell into a slumber around the fire as they were spent from the adventure. During the night they again dreamed of a charred field, peasants, a dwarven knight, a sailor and a wild eyed man carrying barbed wire. "Help us, Help us!" was imprinted on the heroes minds.
DM's Notes: The heroes earned 1714 XP for the nights work and now have 14214 XP and are now 4th level. They need 8786 addtional XP to reach 5th level.
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