RECAP: Curse of Strahd Session 4

Summary

The group explores a haunted mansion with dark secrets involving the Durst family and their servants. They find ghostly apparitions, including a malevolent nanny spirit and the ghost of Mrs. Durst, intertwined with tragic events such as an illegitimate pregnancy, a stillborn baby wrapped in a mysterious black bundle, and a cursed mirror fueling the haunting. The party carefully uncovers clues about the family’s dark history, including a secret stairway, strange magical phenomena, and cryptic notes referencing a “beast” and an amber shard to control it. After confronting an aggressive undead baby spirit and breaking the mirror, the team investigates further rooms and discovers ominous signs, including a vision of a dead servant in a blood-filled tub and a hollow wall concealing stone behind wooden paneling. The session ends with hints of more mysteries on other floors and plans to continue the investigation.

The video begins with the group examining a note written by Strahd, addressing someone he refers to as “my most pathetic servant.” The note reveals a dark and tragic backstory about a cursed woman, her lost love, and her descent into madness. It references:

• Hidden altar and dungeon torture inflicted by the addressee.
• The servant’s cursed fate due to a husband who took solace with another woman, siring a bastard son.
• The writer denies being a messiah or sent by dark powers but hints at larger, unknown forces at work.

The dialogue suggests that the servant may have been locked away, possibly in a dungeon or hidden room, and that the household is steeped in darkness and cruelty.

Discussion continues about the Durst family dynamics:

• Mr. Durst’s infidelity with the nanny, who became pregnant.
• The servant (likely Mrs. Durst or a related figure) was driven to madness and possibly imprisoned.
• References to an altar and a dungeon reinforce the sinister nature of the household.
• The note implies the servant is trapped and tortured, abandoned by love.

The group explores the locked room, believed to be the servant’s quarters:

• The nursery is dusty and long unused, with baby items scattered on the floor.
• The ghost of the nanny appears, described as thin, bony, undead, and malevolent.
• The ghost watches the party but does not speak or attack immediately.
• The changing table has a black curtain partially hanging off, suggesting neglect.

A player attempts a gentle approach using chalk to communicate with the ghost:

• The ghost points to the bed and to the chalk message, indicating something important there.
• The temperature in the room drops drastically (about 20-25 degrees), and the ghost’s demeanor shifts from angry to deeply sad.
• The party finds a tightly wrapped bundle of black cloth on the changing table, resembling a swaddled baby.

The party carefully carries the bundle (presumably the baby) to the bed:

• The ghost’s expression changes back to anger as the bundle is placed on the bed.
• The ghost’s reaction suggests unresolved trauma connected to the baby and the bed.
• Suddenly, another ghostly figure resembling Mrs. Durst appears, described as tall, transparent, with a tortured, distorted face.
• This figure mimics the act of laying the baby on the bed, overlapping spatially with the player carrying it.

Conflict erupts between the two ghosts:

• The nanny ghost aggressively attacks the Mrs. Durst ghost.
• The Mrs. Durst ghost seems passive and in slow motion, like a recorded haunting or replay of a past event.
• The nanny ghost is smaller, emaciated, with sunken eyes, conveying starvation and torment.
• Initiative is rolled for combat as the nanny ghost lunges toward the party.

Investigation of the bundle reveals:

• The bundle is intricately wrapped; opening it releases a horrible smell akin to decay or “dead baby smell.”
• The wrappings are not bones; the inside feels soft and gooey, indicating something unnatural.
• Removing the head covering reveals a ghastly, undead baby that emits gobbling noises and aggressively attacks a player.
• The baby’s attacks cause physical damage and leave a repugnant goo residue on the victim.

Combat with the undead baby continues:

• Despite being stabbed with a sword, the baby shows no signs of pain or injury.
• The baby is fast, agile, and relentless.
• Attempts to use Disrupt Undead on the baby fail due to a successful fortitude save.
• The baby’s nature is uncertain but clearly undead or animated by necromantic forces.

The party battles continue with the baby and ghosts:

• The nanny ghost fights the Mrs. Durst ghost, pushing it toward the nursery.
• The party members struggle to manage the chaotic scene.
• The baby is finally cut in half by a player, but then dissolves into the bed.
• Investigation of the bed reveals two dark, irregular stains on the sheets, emitting a yeasty, starvation-like smell.
• The mattress is old, stuffed with greyed straw, and stained similarly, but no bones or physical remains are found.

Exploration of the nursery and surrounding rooms reveals:

• The mirror behind the ghost radiates necromantic magic and may be the source or focus of the haunting.
• The party debates whether to destroy or cover the mirror to end the haunting.
• The mirror is shattered by a player’s attack, breaking the frame and glass, but residual necromantic magic persists in the shards.
• The shards are collected with plans to melt or dispose of them to disperse the magic safely.

Further exploration uncovers:

• A secret stairway hidden behind a crudely cut door near the nursery, leading upwards to the fourth floor.
• The fourth floor contains a room with a portrait of a different man, possibly “Alco,” who might have owned the house after the Dursts.
• Documents reveal expensive renovation plans and construction estimates for the mansion, indicating recent or intended modifications.
• The furnishings on the fourth floor are dusty but show signs of more recent use compared to lower floors.

A disturbing vision is witnessed in a well-preserved bathroom:

• The party sees the image of a woman in servant’s clothing lying in a blood-tinted bathtub, either unconscious or dead.
• The vision fades, leaving only the empty tub and a cold atmosphere.
• This is possibly the nanny’s death scene, suggesting suicide or tragic demise.
• The bathroom contains expensive but corroded items such as a razor and soap, emphasizing former wealth and neglect.

Additional investigation reveals:

• A hollow section within the wall behind the sink, likely a secret or structural space lined with stone.
• No secret doors or access panels are found despite the hollow sound.
• The party considers using weapons or tools to break through the wooden paneling but debates exploring other floors first.
• Outside, two hooded figures are observed quietly watching the house from a distance, adding an element of external mystery or surveillance.

Closing remarks and session wrap-up:

• The party discusses plans to continue exploration, possibly breaking into the stone-lined void behind the walls.
• The session ends with scheduling notes for the next game meeting.
• The overall atmosphere remains tense and mysterious, with many unanswered questions about the Durst family, the servant’s fate, and the paranormal activity in the house.

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Important Locations

Location	Description
Servant/Nanny Room	Locked room with ghostly nanny, nursery items, and the baby bundle wrapped in black cloth.
Nursery	Dusty room with baby items, rocking chair, changing table with black curtain, site of hauntings.
Mirror	Full-length, swivel mirror with necromantic magic, focal point of ghost activity.
Secret Stairway	Hidden crude door behind cabinet leading to fourth floor, possible secret passage.
Fourth Floor Room	Contains portrait, construction documents, dusty furniture, indicating recent use.
Bathroom	Well-preserved with clawfoot tub, site of servant’s death vision.
Balcony	Overlooks street, where hooded figures are spotted observing the house.

Summary of Supernatural Phenomena

• The haunting is centered around the nanny ghost, Mrs. Durst’s ghost, and the undead baby.
• The mirror acts as a focal point for the haunting, possibly “playing” a repeated tragic event.
• The temperature fluctuates sharply with ghostly appearances, accompanied by cold breath visible.
• The undead baby attacks physically and persistently, immune to standard harm and resistant to magic.
• The ghosts replay a tragic scene, including the laying of the baby on the bed, possibly representing trauma.
• The bathroom vision suggests the nanny’s death, possibly by suicide, but the ghost remains restless.
• The presence of two hooded figures outside suggests external watchers or other unknown entities.

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Conclusions and Key Insights

• The Durst household conceals a dark, tragic history of betrayal, imprisonment, and supernatural unrest.
• The nanny and Mrs. Durst ghosts are locked in a spectral conflict, possibly representing past abuses and unresolved vengeance.
• The undead baby is a manifestation of the tragic consequences of the family’s cruelty and secrets.
• The mirror’s necromantic magic is central to the haunting and its destruction is necessary but incomplete in freeing the spirits.
• The hidden stairway and secret doors suggest the mansion holds more mysteries and possibly concealed truths.
• The amber shard and note hint at a “beast” within the house, controlled or calmed by a custodian named Dasha, adding layers to the haunting’s lore.
• Investigations into personal effects like the bluish cloth with dried petals provide clues to the emotional and symbolic weight of the tragedy.

The party’s experience blends investigation, combat, and role-play to unravel the layered narrative of the Durst family’s haunted mansion, uncovering physical and metaphysical secrets while contending with aggressive supernatural forces.

Key Insights

• Haunting rooted in unresolved trauma: The spirits are stuck in a loop of past suffering—Mrs. Durst’s cruelty, the servant’s tragic fate, and the stillborn baby create a tragic narrative that fuels the haunting. This reflects classic gothic horror themes where emotional pain anchors supernatural phenomena.
• Necromantic mirror as spectral anchor: The mirror’s necromantic magic sustains the ghostly manifestations, acting like a “recording” device for the hauntings. Destroying or dispersing the mirror’s shards is crucial to weakening the spirits, highlighting the importance of magical focal points in ghost lore.
• Undead baby as a symbol of innocence corrupted: The baby’s transformation into a hostile undead entity symbolizes the corruption of innocence and the consequences of hidden sins within the family. Its aggressive nature disrupts the party’s attempts to peacefully resolve the haunting.
• Hidden architecture reveals secrets: The secret stairway and hollow wall hint at concealed parts of the mansion, emphasizing that physical spaces often mirror hidden family secrets and unresolved histories in horror settings.
• The shard and “beast” motif introduce a larger threat: The note naming “Dasha” and referencing an amber shard to control a “beast” suggests the mansion’s curse or haunting may be linked to a powerful entity, potentially escalating the stakes beyond typical ghost hauntings.