Entering Durst Manor

The party spoke with the two children outside the Manor and learned that they were Rose and Thorn Durst and that they lived in this Manor with their parents. They haven’t seen their nurse maid in a while and they are afraid to enter the Manor. When asked about their parents they indicated they are in the manor and reside on the third floor. The children don’t want to leave the Manor grounds as they are tied to it in some way, and they are afraid of the monster(s) they believe to be present in the Manor so they don’t want to enter. The boy, named Thorn, thinks he hears noises coming from below, though the children don’t think there is a basement or cellar. When asked, Rose mentioned that her parents names are Gustav and Elisabeth.

The party braved entering the Durst Manor, and shortly after everyone had entered, the main doors slammed shut and all the lights went out and six loud chimes were heard. Once torches were lit it was discovered that blood had appeared on a wall of the first floor. There wasn’t just blood on the wall, but a message written out in blood:

Beneath this dwelling lurks a beast
Who hungers for a bloody feast.
He sleeps until the midnight chime
Then wakes to feed his dark design.
If morsels seek to flee their doom,
Then bring toward his secret room
A gift to soothe his savage mood
But mind the servants of his brood.

Based on the chimes heard earlier the party assumed it was 6 pm and they may only have six hours until midnight, at which point something terrible might happen. If you believe in such things.

The party tried to open the entrance door but found them locked shut and then went to explore the south west room, which they at first believed to contain a live wolf; upon further inspection discovered that there were three stuffed wolves contained within, one dark or gray, and two brown, one brown wolf snarling at another in some way. Two smaller wolves, like toys built by children, were also found on the floor, one with Rose and one with Thorn stitched on them.

The party explored the room further and found searched a cabinet. The cabinet also contained a mounted piece of child’s needlework that depicts a boy and girl holding the hands of a young woman, alongside clumsily stitched words that read “FOR MISS KLARA”. The young woman’s face has been slashed and cut out. Someone in the party pointed out that the wolves had moved around while the party was distracted by the cabinet, and that the one snarling had changed, as before it was a brown wolf, and now it was the dark gray one. No one claimed to have moved any of the wolves. The party wondered if the wolves could represent Gustav, Elisabeth, and Klara.

Schlopkht decided to move the snarling gray wolf out of the room and into a hallway near the entrance.

Aera shan Ravanór investigated the kitchen which had a dumbwaiter, and a pantry. Olfin Darning found a teapot in the pantry which contained a bottle of wine from the “Wizard of Wines Winery”, along with some lace with the initial “K” sewn into a corner, and a powder which Olfin identified as being a contraceptive. Lastly, a parchment scroll was found which read “For the light of my life. —G.”

Schlopkht investigated a coat closet containing three adult coats and three kids coats. As he moved the coats around an invitation fell out of one of them. The invitation was for Lady Lovina Wachter

You are cordially invited to join

MR. GUSTAV & ELISABETH DURST

for a celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Durst Mill.

The Durst Residence, Barovia Village

6 o’clock p.m.

13 Neyavr, 348

Dinner and refreshments to be served.

The last room of the first floor to be explored was a banquet hall which had eight meals freshly set out. The food smelled delicious, but only a few dared taste it.

The party then carefully proceeded up to the second floor.

They found four suits of armor and a long sword with a windmill on it.

The first room to be checked turned out to be servants’ quarters with a dumbwaiter and a laundry basket of what appeared to be Mr. Dursts clothes and a ladies slip.

An office with bookshelves was explored next. A note was discovered on the Desk

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Durst,

In light of my current condition, I respectfully ask your leave for a brief time away from my responsibilities.

While my devotion to your dear children makes this decision difficult, I have taken it upon myself to find a solution that, I hope, will serve your household well. A good acquaintance of mine is experienced in the care of children, and I believe that she could assume my role during my temporary leave without difficulty.

I realize that my request is not without its complications. However, my years serving your family have shown me the depth of your understanding and compassion. I truly feel that I have become a part of this family, and I look forward to bringing another member of that family into this world.

Yours sincerely,

Klara

The bookshelf contained a rock collection and many books. Malron Lichtstrahl found a book titled “Tale of Malron” which had the story of his life as best as he can remember it, so he skipped to the end and saw a passage about him picking up the book while being watched by an evil presence. Malron lost his composure and cast Light on the book and held it around like it was a holy symbol to ward off the evil presence. Nothing came of it, other than some snide marks from members of the party about how courageous the Cleric was.

Aera shan Ravanór inspected the bookshelf further and found a Red book, which acted as a lever to reveal a hidden door behind the bookshelf. The door was locked by some magical mechanism which required a gem or key in a geometric shape. Schlopkht made an impression of the gem slot to help the party identify a match during their travels.

The last room to be investigated was a ballroom and upon entering it the party realized a Harp and Harpsicord were present and had been playing some music, which stopped shortly after everyone had entered. Investigating the Harpsicord revealed a key was stuck in the down position. Opening the harpsichord showed that the cause was a parchment hidden within. It turned out to be sheet music titled “Waltz for Kara”. A member of the party played the waltz, and the ballroom was suddenly filled with apparitions of gentlemen and ladies dancing. A pair of dancers looked to be Gustav Durst and Klara. In the distance what must have been Elisabeth Durst was staring at the dancing couple. Her fury was so strong that an amber shard around her neck started glowing and flashed, then every apparition disappeared. At that moment the party heard what sounded like some scraping wood coming from the office or beyond.