Session 18

In the thick webbing covering the room, Shalooti is able to make out figures moving about. There are nine pony-sized Giant Spiders in the room. Pelanil opens another door to the same room to help in the fight. In an attempt to protect Shalooti, Bardolf rushes in, but is glued to the wall with a web shot by one of the spiders. Once he's stuck, each of the nine spiders take turns biting him. Anakir takes out half of the spiders with another well-placed fireball, lighting the webbing on fire. Pelanil slams the door, and everyone escapes the room as the spiders burn alive.

After encountering the spiders, the party is hesitant to check any more rooms on the ground floor.

• Pelanil proceeds up the stairs to inspect a tapestry depicting a nobleman
• Anakir finds a bathroom and a storage closet
  • He's just able to jump back to safety just as the floor gives in
• Bardolf pulls down a velvet curtain to reveal something covered on a marble pedestal
  • Pulling off the cover reveals Elora's severed head
  • When shown to Elora, she only sees a marble bust of a nobleman
• Shalooti opens another curtain to reveal an empty alcove
• Pelanil finds a guest room
• Later, Bardolf destroys a stained glass portrait of a religious figure as he continues growing his drapery collection

Inside the guest room, Pelanil inspects a portrait above the mantle. It depicts the same person in the tapestry. As he studies the image, he suddenly remembers what he's heard about Argynvostholt, how Argynvost was supposedly a silver dragon, and how, oftentimes, dragons will take on a human form when interacting with others. The person in the image must be Argynvost's human form.

Just as Pelanil makes this realization, something stirs in the fireplace. Upon closer inspection, he sees a single ember struggling for life as it sluggishly pulls bits of ash towards itself. Intrigued, Pelanil moves the rotting mattress into the fireplace. With fuel to burn, the ember bursts into life, growing furiously until it assumes the shape of a small dragon with wings made of smoke. Pelanil plays with the small dragon a little bit, and he realizes it is blowing cool air onto his hands.

Anakir makes his way into the room to check out the commotion. He speaks to the to the blue-fire dragon in draconic, and upon hearing the words, it takes off, soaring past the players in a flurry of cold air and choking smoke.

The other characters see the dragon burst from the room, and they all follow its smoke trail up the stairs. On the third floor of the building, the group finds that there is a huge hole in the ceiling of the building through which they can see the dark storm clouds outside. Sitting atop the rubble, a huge ethereal dragon dusts the debris beneath him with frost as he stares at the back of a throne through a destroyed wall.

As the group approaches, Argynvost asks for quiet and invites the party to join him in his study. There, he relates to them the story of this castle: Argynvostholt's History. He also tells them:

• His knights are acting wonky
  • they just don't seem to be able to die
  • they can't see or hear him, but he can see them
  • they harbor deep hatred
    • he thinks that may be related to their predicament
• The Amber Temple is south of here in the foothills of Mount Ghakis
  • He doesn't think they're strong enough to face the evils there yet
• Strahd got his powers and immortality at The Amber Temple from a Dark Power named Vampyr
  • Vampyr is a dark god who lives in the mists
• His commander, Vladimir Horngaard, found a relic many years ago that was able to repel evil
• He wants the beacon in the castle re-lit
  • he thinks that will fix his friends
• His hoard is not small, he swears

The party leave the study and continue to move around the castle. Pelanil passes by the room that Argynvost was staring into earlier, and notices something different this time. He sees a hand resting on the arm of the throne. The group goes around the other side to find that there is a corpse slumped over in the chair. He's holding what the party surmises to be a powerful magic greatsword, and wearing a sun-shaped platinum amulet.

Bardolf smacks the corpse in the head with his hammer, and reaches for the sword. The undead Vladimir stirs and says "A corpse should be left well alone."