The Master of Runes and the Hellborn’s Spear

Characters:

• Shabasta: Porcupine Bard. A prickly performer with a flair for satirical melodies and dramatic wit.
• Aera shan Ravanór: Wood-elf Rogue. The party’s lead scout and a deadly archer, expert in trap detection.
• Olfin Darning: Hexblood Paladin. A resilient protector walking the line between divine light and fey shadow.
• Malron Lichtstrahl: Reborn Cleric. A servant of Lathander who cohabitates his body with an ancient elven spirit.
• Crusty: High Elf Sage Wizard. A scholarly beacon of intellect wielding arcane power and a gnarled crystal staff.

Summary:

The session began with the party investigating a balcony featuring two large wooden thrones and a 30-foot long red velvet curtain. Beyond the curtain, they discovered a room dominated by a stone brazier burning with a heatless white flame. Above it hung a massive hourglass, its sand mysteriously frozen in the upper bulb. The rim of the brazier was set with seven colored crystal stones, and an inscription on the base of the hourglass provided a cryptic guide to their use as a teleportation system. Note: [The players discussed the potential locations mentioned in the verse, identifying the green stone as leading to a coffin maker in Vallaki and the yellow stone to a mountain keep near the Amber Temple. They also joked about the hourglass being a “timer” for Strahd’s travels.]

After deciding to leave the brazier for now, the party explored three nearby doors. The first led to a steep staircase where Aera spotted a humanoid silhouette that quickly ducked away. The third door revealed a spiral staircase and a discarded woman’s slipper, which Malron identified as belonging to Gertruda. Choosing the middle path, the party proceeded down a slick, foggy corridor. Note: [Before moving, the party discussed their “healing philosophy,” with Malron noting that being unconscious isn’t being dead. Crusty reminded the group he had “13 important dice” (Portent) available.]

The exploration took a sudden turn when Aera triggered a hidden marble trapdoor. She and Olfin both failed to leap clear and were sent sliding down a slimy chute, eventually dumping into three feet of water in a cell below. Malron, using his keen perception, identified the trap before he fell. He used climbing spikes from his kit to jam the trapdoor shut, securing the path for the rest of the group. Aera successfully picked the lock on the cell door, allowing the scouts to reunite with the party. Note: [The group shared several “Above the Table” stories during this exploration, including experiences at busy Easter church services.]

Finally reaching the ancient catacombs of Ravenloft, the party began a systematic search for legendary relics. At Crypt 15, belonging to the archmage Kazan, Olfin used his strength to hoist a heavy portcullis. Inside, they found a skeleton with black opal eyes and amber teeth. By solving a rune puzzle based on the eight schools of magic—a sequence they had encountered before at Kazan’s Tower—they caused the legendary platinum Staff of Kazan to materialize. Crusty successfully attuned to the staff, despite the arcane lightning that surged through his veins. Note: [The party engaged in a long “Above the Table” debate about whether a hot dog is a sandwich, a calzone is a dumpling, or everything is just “soup or sandwich.”]

Continuing south, the party located Crypt 34: the tomb of King Dostran the Hellborn. Ignoring a spectral voice that warned them to cease, Olfin and Malron pried open the gold-encased lead sarcophagus. Inside, they recovered the Spear of the Huntress, a powerful artifact known as a blood spear. As the session concluded, the party prepared to locate the Icon of Dawn’s Grace in the final crypts nearby. Note: [Shabasta noted they would “draw their own version” of the new staff to add lightning effects for the group’s records.]

Key Locations:

The Brazier Room: A square chamber with a magical hourglass and a seven-stone teleportation brazier.
The Slide Trap: A slick marble hallway that drops unsuspecting travelers into the dungeon cells below.
The Catacombs: A vast network of columns and crypts beneath the castle, filled with fog and putrid waste.
Crypt 15 (Kazan’s Tomb): The resting place of a powerful wizard, protected by a portcullis and a rune-based logic puzzle.
Crypt 34 (King Dostran’s Tomb): A chamber containing a gilded sarcophagus and a harmless but intimidating stuffed owlbear.

Encounters:

The Runes of Kazan (Puzzle): The party had to trace the eight schools of magic in the correct order to reveal the staff. Result: Success.
The Trapdoor Chute (Hazard): Aera and Olfin fell into the dungeon after a failed dexterity save. Result: Reunited after lockpicking.
The Sarcophagus Warning (Social/Psychological): A ghostly voice warned the party not to open the tomb of King Dostran. Result: Ignored; the party looted the spear.

Loot:

• Kazan’s Staff: A legendary platinum staff (+2 bonus to attacks/damage, grants Robe of the Archmagi benefits, increases spell DC/attack bonus by 2). Taken by Crusty.
• Spear of the Huntress: A +1 blood spear that grants 2d6 temporary HP on a kill. Recovered by the party.
• Two Black Opals: Worth 1,000 gold pieces each. Looted by Aera.
• Eight Amber Teeth: Worth 100 gold pieces each. Looted by Aera.

Notable NPCs:

King Dostran the Hellborn: An ancient ruler whose ghostly voice warned the party against prying into his sarcophagus.
Kazan (Deceased): An archmage whose legacy of magic remains in his trapped and puzzled tomb.
Gertruda (Mentioned): Her slipper was found on the spiral stairs, suggesting she was taken further up into the castle.

Plot Points:

• Strahd’s Transport: The brazier room confirms how Strahd and his brides move instantly across Barovia.
• The Spear Restored: The party learned the Spear of the Huntress can be fully restored by communing with the Spirit of the Huntress or reconsecrating the Forest Fand later.
• The Empty Crypt: Crypt 18, intended for Ireena Kolyana, was found empty and swept clean, awaiting its “resident.”

Session Highlights:

• Crusty: “I feel like Thor right now.” (Upon attuning to the lightning-filled Staff of Kazan).
• Malron: “I’ll go third to heal them when they fall in.” (Predicting the traps in the hallway).
• Shabasta: “He saved a swap for me.” (On finding a crypt with their own name on it).
• Aera: “Rob them blind, Ryan.” (To the DM, while looting Kazan’s expensive eye-gems).