The Stone Tower (Lake Baratok)

An ancient stone tower on a marshy island in the center of Lake Baratok, connected to the shore by a grass-covered causeway approximately a hundred yards long. Built by the arch-wizard Kazan after he retired from assisting Strahd von Zarovich with the construction of Castle Ravenloft.

The tower is several stories tall. A large gash has split one wall, with collapsing scaffolding clinging to the exterior. Griffin statues, their wings and flanks covered in moss, perch on the buttresses. A large iron door faces the causeway entrance.

Anti-Magic Field

A permanent anti-magic field surrounds the tower, extending approximately ten feet from the structure. Within this field, magic is suppressed — spells cannot be cast, magical items function as non-magical equivalents, and summoned or conjured creatures temporarily wink out of existence until they exit the area. The field is Kazan's work. Only he or constructs he built can use magic within it. The clay golems and standing armor are examples of the latter.

The Iron Door

Iron construction. No handles or hinges visible from outside. Carved into the lintel: Kazan. A large embossed symbol on the door's face — a connected series of lines with eight stick figures arrayed around it — is a puzzle. The correct solution is a specific traversal of the lines (starting with both arms down, following the connected path). Incorrect attempts trigger a lightning strike: DC 15 Dexterity save, 11 lightning damage on a failed save, half on success.

Knocking also triggers the lightning. The party verified this empirically twice before solving the puzzle. Brother Moro figured out the correct sequence.

Interior — Floor by Floor

First Floor: Flagstone floor strewn with debris. Old crates near the east wall. A five-foot-square indentation in the center holds four pulleys attached to iron chains. Four clay statues stand beside the chains, serving as the elevator mechanism. Respond to voice commands ("up" / "down"); raise or lower the platform five feet per command. No windows.

Second Floor: Dense cobwebs. Empty room. Badly rotted wooden floor, partially collapsed. Arrow slit windows (dim light only).

Third Floor: Time and elements have all but destroyed this chamber. A gash in the northwest wall. Slimy black mildew on the walls. Wooden floor almost completely rotted. Light comes through the gash and the windows, though the windows are dirt-caked.

Fourth Floor (Top): Signs of recent habitation. Cozy bed, desk, matching chair, bright tapestries, iron stove (with plenty of wood). Arrow slit windows with broken shutters plus dirt-caked larger windows. A standing suit of armor and a wooden chest. The elevator pulleys are attached to rafters here. The suit of armor responds to the spoken word "Kazan" by animating and coming to attention; it can be put back to sleep by telling it to sleep.

The wooden chest contained a severed Vistani head (Jan, Esmeralda's mentor's former companion) — embalmed with magic oils. The desk was empty. Esmeralda lives here.

Current Occupant

Esmeralda — Vistani monster hunter. Uses the tower as her base of operations. She arrived during Session 15 to find the party already in her bedroom.

First Seen

Session 14 — exterior only