Dragon Heist • Session 4 Recap • Durst Manor: Shadows & Sacrifice
a Lullaby for the Dead
The party climbs deeper into the Durst Manor and confronts illusions, animated armor, and a tragic Nursemaid whose lullaby lingers long after the battle.
Death House doesn’t change when you rest; it only waits
Morning found the adventurers stirring in the entrance hall, the torches still burning and the hearth still crackling as if no time had passed. But our young players? They woke up hungry and full of chaotic energy.
Breakfast in a Haunted Kitchen
Before anyone could suggest a strategy, someone shouted: “I WANT BACON AND EGGS!” And suddenly we were in the kitchen—Investigation checks, Survival checks, Constitution checks to taste-test flavorless eggs, and debates about whether the dumbwaiter was rideable.
Kitchen Chaos
The kitchen was far too normal. Warm bread, tidy shelves, fresh ingredients—everything a haunted house shouldn’t have. The kids treated it like summer camp.
The bland food became an early clue: Death House feeds comfort, but never fulfillment.
The Wolves’ Den
The next room was a hunter’s den filled with mounted stag heads, stuffed wolves, and cabinets of crossbows. Doc tried to steal one of the wolves. Someone yelled “BABY MIMIC!” when a decorated deck of cards appeared. Raven performed a ten-minute ritual to detect magic—only to find nothing magical at all.
“They weren’t scared of the ghosts — they were scared there wasn’t any bacon.”
Then a player swore one of the wolves moved. It didn’t—but it was enough to crank up the tension.
Portraits and Armor
Climbing the red marble stairs, the group encountered a family portrait: Rose and Thorn, their cold mother, and the father holding a swaddled baby. “That kid’s a bastard,” someone declared.
Moments later, Doc punched a suit of armor in the “fun spot.” The armor did not react—but the players were officially on edge.
The Library of Almost-Secrets
The party tore the library apart. They searched desks, bookshelves, paintings, rugs—yet rolled so low that everyone eventually agreed:
“It’s a desk. Yep. Desk.”
Finally, Doc found an iron key in a drawer, and the mystery continued.
The Conservatory
Kiril, Raven, and Maple found a lovely conservatory filled with sunlight, harpsichords, alabaster dancers, and stained glass. Beautiful… until Raven leaned in close to a figurine and realized the dancers were actually skeletons in disguise.
The Wolf That Maybe Moved
Was it stuffed? Yes. Did Doc STILL swear it moved? Also yes.
The Third Floor: Into the Cold
Kiril and Raven stealthily ascended the stairway, only to walk face-first into cobwebs and cold stagnant air. The rest of the group thundered up the stairs behind them—stealth is not this party’s specialty.
Raven inspected the tall black suit of armor. It lurched forward. Initiative.
The animated armor fell quickly (note to self: scale encounters for five players), but the house was done pretending.
The Master Bedroom & Gustav’s Secret
Inside the master bedroom, they found the dried corpse of Gustav Durst beneath the bed, clutching a letter from Strahd. The players immediately spun new theories: Walter was a vampire. The monster below was waiting. The Dursts were part of something horrific.
“Nothing in this house is what it pretends to be. Not even the dancers.”
The Nursemaid
Moving into the nursemaid’s suite, the players spotted a secret door—but were drawn back by movement in the nursery. There, the specter of the Nursemaid floated above the bassinet, softly singing.
Doc stepped inside. The singing stopped. She turned.
“He said our baby would bring life to the house…” she whispered. “BUT HE LIED!”
Initiative again. This one hit harder—mechanically and emotionally. One player startled at my volume, so we paused, checked in, and continued once they felt safe.
Ace Ventura Broom Entrance (Almost)
The animated broom was supposed to be Raven’s entrance in Session 1. Instead, it attacked her—and they adopted it. Now the broom is a pet.
After defeating the Nursemaid, they discovered the swaddled skeleton of Walter. Raven asked if it could be used as spell components. Of course she did.
DM Sidebar: Running Horror for Younger Players
Use humor as a pressure valve. Kids need laughter to break tension. Let them cook breakfast and adopt brooms.
Check for sensory sensitivities. A simple heads-up before a loud moment keeps the table safe.
Scale for party size. The animated armor was too easy. Next time: minions or higher HP.
Embrace the chaos. Broom pets, wolf thefts, bland eggs — these will become campaign legends.
The Attic
Finally, the attic: dust, cold, silence. Spare rooms. The children’s bedrooms. And in a storage chest, the torn body of the Nursemaid.
The truth is no longer hiding. The house awaits below.
“The singing stopped. The whispering began. And the house held its breath.”
Cliffhanger
The party took a long rest as the attic pressed in around them. Next week: the descent into the heart of Death House.
