RECAP: Curse of Strahd Session 3

Recap and Setting Introduction

The session begins with a recap of the prior events centered around the exploration of the Durst Mansion, also known locally as Death House. Key points include:

• The players previously received tarot card readings for players Dan and Eric.
• The group encountered Iggy, a visitor from their plane sent by a mysterious figure referred to as his master or patron, who offers assistance.
• The players noticed a suspicious individual watching them who fled after they spotted him.
• The village of Barovia is heavily controlled by Count Strad’s secret police, now called the Renfields, identifiable by raven medallions. These agents are pervasive and feared, resembling Pinkerton-style detectives. There are rumors that the Renfields use Death House for secret interrogations or detentions, but no solid evidence was found.
• Durst Mansion appears largely abandoned for about 15 years. The Durst family disappeared mysteriously, consistent with the region’s dark reputation.
• The players discovered skeletons in the attic, a peculiar painting showing family members but oddly excluding the baby from the nameplate, and found fresh-looking food in the kitchen despite the house’s long abandonment.
• They acquired several black hooded cloaks found in a closet, considering their potential utility.
• The group explored the first and second floors, noting murals depicting people fleeing stylized bats, and found a large painting of a windmill with a plaque identifying it as The Old Bone Grinder, Durst Mill, Barovia, which relates to the family crest and legal property.
• Multiple locked and unlocked doors on the second floor were investigated, including entry into a ballroom filled with dusty but intact instruments and furniture.

Exploration of the Durst Mansion – Ballroom and Encounter with Figurine

• The group enters a large ballroom with dusty but elegant furnishings including a harpsichord and a harp.
• On the harpsichord sits a small glass or crystal figurine of a seated adolescent girl with embedded blue gems for eyes.
• Iggy, skilled in glass crafting, examines the figurine and detects minor transmutative magic, indicating the object may have undergone magical alteration or enchantment. The figurine’s craftsmanship is notably alien and sophisticated.
• The figurine is hollow and fragile; the party decides to carefully protect it using available materials such as silk and padding from chairs or curtains.
• The harpsichord’s internal components are mostly intact but corroded and dusty; music sheets found are in traditional notations.
• Observations show the fireplace nearby is cleaned but empty, with dust voids suggesting previously displayed statuary or small paintings.
• The harp in the room is in worse condition than the harpsichord, with broken and loose strings.
• The party notices a cloaked figure watching the house from about 80 feet away but the figure remains unmoving and disappears when noticed. The group debates whether to engage but decides to continue exploring instead.

Library Discovery, Secret Door, and Animated Skeleton Combat

• The group explores a large library or private office, containing approximately 2,000 books, mostly legal texts related to Barovian law and property, many annotated, suggesting active use by Gustav Durst, the family patriarch and apparent lawyer.
• The language is an archaic form of common, similar to Old English, making reading challenging.
• A peculiar red leather-bound book in the bookshelf is found to be part of a secret door mechanism. Upon moving the book, a hidden closet is revealed, containing a skeleton in leather armor seated before a large black wood chest.
• The skeleton bears multiple darts embedded in its body, presumably from a triggered trap, which Akutagawa confirms is deactivated but likely dangerous.
• When dragged out, the skeleton animates and attacks the party, leading to combat where it is quickly dispatched through coordinated attacks and divine magic.
• The chest contains several books, papers, and a bag with 30 gold coins (Barovian mint). The books appear blank initially but contain scrolls with useful spells: remove curse, protection from poison, lesser restoration, and detect illusion.
• Among the papers is a chilling letter from Count Strahd condemning the Durst family, revealing family secrets: the stillborn son held by Gustaf in the portrait was not loved, and Strahd claims dominance over the land and family legacy.
• Another deed grants the Durst Mill to Gustav’s children, Rose and Thornbolt, but a second deed from Strahd grants the house itself to a mysterious figure named Aleko Dobromir, with no known connection to the Dursts. Both deeds are of similar age, suggesting political or supernatural manipulation.

Servants’ Quarters, Upper Floors, and Animated Armor Combat

• The party explores servants’ quarters above the kitchen, finding sparse furnishings, old clothing, personal items, and a torn letter from a frightened family member intending to flee.
• A closet contains drab servants’ uniforms and a small mirror, suggesting a formerly functioning household.
• On the third floor, a balcony hall contains a suit of family armor bearing the windmill sigil, holding a glaive.
• Upon approaching the armor, it animates and attacks, initiating combat with the party.
• The party fights the animated armor, with the goblin thief attempting sneak attacks and the witch casting spells such as lesson of glass (a hex that dazzles and deals fire damage).
• After the animated armor is defeated, the party examines it, noting it is a well-crafted but old plate armor for a very large figure (approximately six and a half feet tall), indicating it belonged to a prominent warrior or family member.
• Nearby a storage closet contains cleaning supplies and linens, confirming the mansion’s past as a lived-in estate.

Master Bedroom, Ghostly Encounter, and Emotional Haunt

• The party enters a large, sparsely furnished master bedroom with droopy furnishings and cold atmosphere, including a large bed, wardrobe, and mirror.
• A ghostly apparition of a young woman appears in front of the mirror, translucent and beautiful but with glowing red eyes and accusatory demeanor.
• The ghost does not attack but emanates waves of cold and emotional pain, seemingly trapped in anguish.
• Perception and occultism checks suggest the ghost is a haunt tied to this place, likely a victim of great suffering or betrayal related to the Durst family.
• The ghost wears a dress stained with a dark, wet substance (not blood) on the chest area
• Attempts to communicate find the ghost mouthing words without sound; her presence evokes feelings of betrayal and sorrow rather than overt hostility.
• Party members consider ways to assuage the ghost’s pain, possibly requiring symbolic items or rituals to cleanse the haunting.
• The session ends with the group contemplating how to proceed, with plans to resume exploration and interaction next time.

Summary of Loot and Magical Items

Item	Description & Notes
Black Hooded Cloaks	Found in a closet in good condition; potential utility for stealth or disguise.
Glass Figurine	Hollow, fragile crystal/glass statuette of a young girl with blue gem eyes; minor transmutative magic detected.
Spell Scrolls	Remove Curse, Protection from Poison, Lesser Restoration, Detect Illusion; found inside magical black leather-bound books.
Gold Coins	30 gold coins in six stacks of five, Barovian mint, featuring raven and count’s images; valuable currency for the party.
Letter Opener	Silver-colored, possibly silver alloy with minor enchantment; could be used as a weapon.
Family Armor	Well-crafted, old plate armor sized for a large man (~7 feet), bearing family windmill sigil; heavy armor, usable after repair.
Glaive	Large, two-handed polearm weapon found with animated armor; battle-worn but functional.
Various Legal Deeds	Official documents granting property rights to Durst family members and Aleko Dobromir, signed respectively by Gustav Durst and Count Strahd.

Potential Questions for Future Sessions

• What is the full story behind the Durst family’s disappearance and curse?
• Who exactly is Alco Doir, and what is his role or allegiance?
• What is the significance of the magical glass figurine and the fresh food and items found in an otherwise abandoned mansion?
• How can the party safely explore deeper into the mansion and uncover its secrets without falling victim to traps or servants of Count Strad?
• Can the ghostly apparition be aided or appeased, and what might that reveal about the mansion’s history and the Durst family?