Page 135 - Curse of Strahd_Neat

13. CHAPEL OF MORNING The staircase leads from the chapel (area Q13) to the
chapel's balcony (area Q24) and climbs another 20 feet
to a small, empty room with a window that looks down
Cracked wooden pillars support a wooden, U-shaped on the chapel.
balcony that overhangs this stone-walled chapel. Narrow Ql5. CEMETERY
archways lead to spiral staircases that curl up to the
balcony, and a door set into the north wall has a wooden
beam barring it. At the east end of the chapel rests a Tucked behind the mansion is a fog-shrouded cemetery
stone altar flanked by iron candelabras. The altar is enclosed by a seven-foot-tall fence of wrought iron. In the
carved with a rising sun bas-relief. Tall, arching windows northeast corner stands a mausoleum.
set with panels of stained glass decorate the walls behind
the altar. One of the windows has been shattered, cov­ If the beacon has not been lit (see areas Q16 and Q53),
ering the chapel floor with shards of colored glass and read the following text when the characters cross the
allowing thick fog to enter and fill the room. cemetery for the first time:

If the beacon has not been lit (see areas Q16 and You suddenly feel like someone or something is watch­
I a thick mane of thistledown hair observing you from a
Q53), add: ing you. Looking up, you spot a well-dressed man with

high tower window. He draws the curtain and disappears
I Through the fog, you see three armored figures kneeling
before the altar. from view.

The figures are three revenants clad in tattered chain The strange man watches the characters through the
mail that affords the same protection as leather armor. southeast window of area Q42. He is merely an appari­
Each revenant wields a longsword. If the beacon is lit, tion intended to lure the characters to that room.
the revenants are cleansed of their hatred and laid to The mausoleum is described in area Ql6.
rest, and the characters find three armored corpses with The thick fog obscures the fact that five of the graves
longswords lying on the floor in front of the altar. have been dug up. Closer inspection and a successful
The revenants, if still active, are blinded by their hate DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that the
and attack the characters on sight, seeking to drive corpses buried there crawled out of the earth. Of the
them out of Argynvostholt. As an action, a revenant missing corpses there is no sign, but the surrounding
attacks twice with its longsword, wielding the weapon fence is intact, which suggests that no one got into the
with both hands and dealing 15 (2dl0 + 4) slashing cemetery from outside. (These corpses were animated
damage on a hit. by the spirits of revenants and clawed their way out.)
Characters who study the room's iconography and A stone staircase curls up the outside of a turret to a
orientation (the fact that it draws light from the east) flagstone landing in front of a sturdy wooden door. The
can determine, with a successful DC 10 Intelligence door is barred from the inside and opens into the chapel
(Religion) check, that the chapel is dedicated to a god of (area Q13).
the dawn. Anyone familiar with Barovian religion can
conclude that the god in question is the Morninglord. _Ql6. DRAGON'S MAUSOLEUM
The balcony (area Q24) is 20 feet high and can be
reached by climbing either spiral staircase (area Ql4).
Characters who stand near the altar and look up can Tarnished, silver-plated gargoyles shaped like dragon
see the hollow interior of the beacon tower. The tower's wyrmlings cling to the stone-tiled roof of this mauso­
lower landing (area Q50) is 60 feet above the chapel leum. An eight-foot-tall, four-foot-wide white marble door
floor, and the upper landing (area Q51) is another 20 feet set into the southwest wall is engraved with a name:
above that.
The bar across the n9rth door is easily lifted flbm this ARGYNVOST.
side. Once the bar is remo:ved;·t:l1e poor c�ii be pulled
·
open to reveal a stone sta.ircase ie1ding down to a ceme- The dragon-shaped gaq;(�yles ate ha�mle.ss statuary.
· ·
· •
tery (area Q15). The stone door can be pulled open with a Succ�ssful DC
·
15 Strength check. ·· ·.: ·
14. CHAPEL STAIRCASES
I The interior of the mausoleum is dark and dusty. You see
I Narrow windows allow dim light to enter this five-foot­ four empty alcoves with raised floors. Etched into the far
wide spiral staircase. wall is a verse written in Draconic.

j CHAPTER 7 I ARGYNVOSTHOLT
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