*An adventure for five 10th-level characters.* In this arc, after reconsecrating the Fanes, the players are invited to a Vallakian war council with a simple goal: overthrow Strahd, and return freedom to Barovia. That night, however, as the players sleep, the Dark Powers spirit them away into a dream of Barovia’s future and offer them a terrible choice: sacrifice Ireena’s soul, and secure peace for the valley once more. If the players reject the Dark Powers’ choice, they awaken to find that Strahd has used the power of the Heart of Sorrow to plunge Barovia into eternal night—and Vallaki is under siege. The Whispering Wall has devoured Vallaki’s western half, while a horde of undead fast approaches from the east. To defend the town—and themselves—the players must halt the Whispering Wall’s inexorable advance and defend Vallaki’s walls from the oncoming dead. With Vallaki saved, however, the players soon learn a grimmer truth: hordes of the dead have risen all across the valley, and an army of thousands more undead is headed toward Vallaki. To stop them, the players must journey to Castle Ravenloft and defeat Strahd—once and for all. # U1. The War Council ## U1a. The Invitation Shortly after the players reconsecrate the final Fane in [[Arc T - The Three Fanes]], they receive an urgent invitation from Lady Wachter asking them to meet with her at Wachterhaus: * If the players are in Vallaki, they receive a personal invitation from Stella Wachter, who informs them that her mother has summoned them to Wachterhaus for an urgent meeting. (Stella doesn’t know what the meeting is about.) * If the players are in Krezk, they receive a parchment scroll sent via raven, which reads: “I must speak with you tonight. I await you at Wachterhaus. —Burgomistress Fiona Wachter." ## U1b. Wachterhaus When the players arrive at Wachterhaus, they are shown to <span class="citation">N3c. Dining Room (p. 106)</span> and <span class="citation">N3b Parlor (p. 106)</span>. There, they are met by Lady Fiona Wachter, Father Lucian Petrovich, Victor Vallakovich, and Urwin Martikov. Lady Wachter welcomes the players to Wachterhaus and thanks them for arriving on short notice. She then informs them of the purpose of the meeting: to determine whether and when Vallaki shall march on Castle Ravenloft and defeat Strahd von Zarovich—once and for all. Lady Wachter can share the following information: * After aiding the players in defying Strahd’s will (and killing his servants) in [[Arc T - The Three Fanes]], she is now a traitor to Castle Ravenloft. * She is unsure what consequences the Fanes’ reconsecration will bring—and how and when Strahd will strike back. “However," she says grimly, “I don’t intend to wait to find out." The meeting’s attendees have thus far taken the following positions regarding Lady Wachter’s proposal: * **Lady Wachter.** Lady Wachter believes that Strahd’s counterattack will come swiftly, and that all of Vallaki is likely to suffer for her defiance. She believes that her people are ready to rise up against Castle Ravenloft, and that they must strike first, before Strahd rains destruction upon them. * **Father Lucian.** Father Lucian is disturbed by the prospect of Strahd’s wrath, but believes that Vallaki must not move hastily, lest they fall into one of Strahd’s traps. Although he fears the blood and death that may occur from a march on Castle Ravenloft, he reluctantly believes that a confrontation is now inevitable. As such, he believes that a march on Castle Ravenloft may be necessary, but that Vallaki must be given a week to prepare before doing so. * **Victor Vallakovich.** Victor believes that Strahd won’t attack Vallaki, and believes that—even if he does—he may be content to simply take Lady Wachter and be done with it. Should Vallaki strike first, he believes, they will seal their own fate and ensure a punishment that rivals the village of Barovia’s. (Though he hasn’t mentioned it, Victor is still angry at Lady Wachter for failing to protect Stella from Strahd’s emissary in [[Arc T - The Three Fanes]].) * **Urwin Martikov.** Urwin isn’t certain that Strahd might attack, but believes it to be a viable possibility. Accordingly, he’s thus far advocated a preparation of Vallaki to defend itself—and to march to Castle Ravenloft, if necessary—but making no overt moves unless Urwin’s spies reveal evidence that Strahd is planning to strike back against them. (“The Keepers of the Feather—too terrified of moving into the open—failed to warn the village of Barovia of what they faced," he says, his voice colored with guilt. “We will not make that mistake again.") Although any individual attendee may require convincing or argument, the attendees of the war council welcome any insight, guidance, and leadership the players are able to provide. # U2. The Dream ## U2a. The Dream Begins The first time the players take a long rest in Vallaki after [[#U1. The War Council]], if Ireena Kolyana is still alive and a member of their party, the players and Ireena are drawn into a dream created by the Dark Powers. Read: <div class="description"> <p>You feel yourselves sinking into a warm, soft darkness as sleep draws its arms around you. There’s a sensation of falling, of the tide of unconsciousness washing over you. You don’t notice the moment you fall asleep, but you notice when, a heartbeat later, your eyes snap open again—only to find yourselves somewhere else.</p> </div> > [!abstract]+ **Elven Trances** > If any player is an elf or otherwise incapable of sleep, read the following as they begin their watch or long rest: > > --- > > *The air suddenly grows frigid. You can faintly hear the sound of nearby whispers, though you can’t make out the words.* > > --- > > If the players opens their eyes or otherwise investigates the sleeping characters, read or paraphrase: > > --- > > *A thick fog bank crawls across the ground, its depths swirling lazily in the chill air. Long, elegant tendrils of mist reach from its depths, their ends touching your friends’ foreheads as they sleep peacefully. The whispers seem to emanate from the mist.* > > --- > > A player who approaches the sleeping characters and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check can make out a few words and phrases from the cacophony of whispers: > > * “It doesn’t have to end this way." > * “Your friends need you." > * “Peace is within your grasp." > > A player who touches the sleeping characters is instantly transported into the dream alongside them. ## U2b. Vallaki Town Square ### Entering the Dream When the players first enter the dream, read the following, adjusting the text to remove any deceased characters: <div class="description"> <p>Shops and homes enclose a familiar town square, decorated with muted, tasteful garlands and painted wooden boxes filled with small flowers. At the north end of the square stands an empty wooden platform, bearing a simple wreath of periwinkle-blue flowers resting on a stand.</p> <p>The town square is filled with people. You can make out several familiar faces within it: an older, silver-bearded man and a tall, dark-haired young man wearing priests’ robes; a raven-haired man well into middle age, standing beside a matronly-looking woman with silver streaks and black feathers running through her hair; a portly man wearing a jester’s cap; and a golden-haired youth with white wings tucked against his back.</p> </div> If any player has a passive (Wisdom) Perception score of 15 or greater, add: <div class="description"> <p>In an alley between two storefronts, a familiar-looking man with dark, greasy hair and a black robe watches silently from the shadows.</p> </div> Continue: <div class="description"> <p>Most people speak quietly amongst themselves, but some gaze instead toward a stone fountain at the center of the square. Standing tall at the center of the fountain is a gray statue of a familiar-looking woman facing west.</p> <p>You stand side-by-side along the eastern edge of the square, away from the crowd. You find that your clothes have changed, resembling a familiar uniform above a simple chain shirt. Each of you carries a spear in one hand and a shield in the other, with spears’ ends planted firmly upon the ground.</p> </div> The players immediately recognize the square as <span class="citation">N8. Town Square (p. 119)</span>. In addition, players who approach the figures on the platform or the statue on the fountain, who successfully guess their identifies, or who succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check can confirm the following: * The men wearing priests’ robes are an older Father Lucian Petrovich and Yeska * The older man and matronly woman are an older Urwin Martikov and Danika Dorakova. * The portly man with the jester’s cap is an older Gadof Blinsky. * The golden-haired youth is Ithuriel. * The greasy-haired man is an older Victor Vallakovich. * The woman’s statue resembles Ireena Kolyana. Shortly after the players first arrive, a nondescript Vallakian hand-delivers them a note that they received from a “hooded figure." (The Vallakian doesn’t know who the figure is, or remember any other details about them, and is confused as to why the figure asked them to deliver the message, instead of doing so themselves.) The note, which bears a silver-gray seal shaped like a sprig of belladonna upon a silver shield, reads: “The masks we wear open many doors. To find mine, follow yours." > [!lore]+ **The Message** > The message was sent by Ezra, the goddess of the Mists and the mask of the Dark Powers. She awaits the players at [[#U2c. Lake Zarovich]]. > [!lore]+ **The Future World** > The Dark Powers have crafted this dream from a vision of Barovia’s future—ten years in the future—which unfolded as follows. > > Within the dream, Ireena sacrificed her soul to the Dark Powers, ensuring her cycle of reincarnation would continue and protecting Strahd from claiming her this life. Her death caused Strahd’s soul jar, which he had crafted with Ireena’s blood to catch her soul upon death, to shatter. Strahd immediately departed Castle Ravenloft and confronted the players to learn of her fate, but was grievously wounded by the *Sunsword* and fled to Castle Ravenloft. Soon thereafter, Strahd sent the players a message: he would cease tormenting their friends and permit the players to depart Barovia freely if they did so together—and took the *Sunsword* with them. > > Strahd further shared that, with Ireena’s disappearance, he no longer intended to use the Grand Conjunction to escape this cycle, preferring to linger within the Mists until he could find a way to recapture her soul from the Dark Powers. Strahd made good on his promises, and the players departed Barovia—but not before sharing the tale of Ireena’s sacrifice, and the peace her life had bought for the valley. Lady Wachter declared the day of Ireena’s death to be a Vallakian holiday: a day of mourning and celebration, in Ireena’s memory. > > With the players departed, Strahd reconquered the power of the Fanes, desecrating them once more. Within a year, however, Strahd’s machinations and research reached a dead end. Frustrated, he returned to hibernation within his tomb, awaiting the day when Tatyana’s soul would be born anew. As Strahd slumbered, his wolves, bats, and undead retreated from civilization, kept at bay by the power of the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind*. > > As the years passed, Lady Wachter abdicated her position as Burgomistress in favor of her son, Nikolai, finding comfort in retirement as old age sapped her strength. Yeska became a deacon at St. Andral’s Church. Victor Vallakovich, feeling betrayed by the players’ departure, had a bitter argument with Stella Wachter, who ended their friendship and married Ilya Krezkov several years later. Dmitri Krezkov died when his *wolfsbane potion* unexpectedly failed, forcing his wife, Anna, to strike him down to protect the townsfolk. Haunted by the experience, Anna passed the role of Burgomaster to their son, Ilya, who did his best to grow into his father’s shoes. > > Although peace has returned to the valley, some whisper of the Priests of Osybus, a secretive cult that, according to urban legend, intends to raise Strahd from his slumber and bring about an Age of Blood. To root out the cult, the three burgomasters have agreed to found the Ulmist Inquisition: a joint task force inspired by the original Ulmist Inquisition centuries prior, which once fought to destroy fiend-worshipping cults across distant lands. Still, most believe the Priests to be a myth; if they exist, most believe that their numbers are few, and their strength weak. > [!info]+ **The Players’ Role** > To all characters except themselves, the players and Ireena appear as ordinary Vallakian guards and are expected to behave as such. Lady Wachter, Nikolai Wachter, Stella Wachter, and Urwin Martikov may know one or more of them by any of the following names: Velimir, Blazh, Rostislav, Borislav, Chedomir, Dobroslav, Nikola, Zoria, Zaria, Miroslava, Yelena, Darya, Rada, Boleslava, or Slavitsa. ### Interacting with the Townsfolk The people in the town square are waiting for Burgomaster Nikolai Wachter, Burgomaster Ismark Kolyanovich, and Burgomaster Ilya Krezkov to begin the Festival of Peace—an annual celebration honoring the sacrifice of Ireena Kolyana and commemorating Strahd’s withdrawal following the Grand Conjunction. Although the players might recognize them, the characters in the dream don’t recognize them, and instead see them as ordinary Vallakian guards. Accordingly, dream characters might rebuff or rebuke players who act overly familiar with them, and express surprise if an “ordinary guard" (whom they may or may not recognize) acts with such familiarity. Dream characters may also be confused by, amused by, suspicious of, and/or uncomfortable with players who show or profess ignorance of Barovia’s “future history." > [!profile]+ **The People in the Square** > In general, the characters in the square act as follows if spoken with before or after the Festival of Peace begins: > > ***Father Lucian Petrovich & Deacon Yeska Petrovich.*** The eighteen-year-old Yeska, now formally adopted as Lucian’s son, has trained studiously to become the new priest of St. Andral’s Church. A zealous follower of the Morninglord, it was Yeska who first suggested that the Burgomasters re-found the Ulmist Inquisition in order to root out the rumored Priests of Osybus that lurked in the Barovia’s midst. Lucian is proud of Yeska’s growth and wisdom, but occasionally fears that the young man’s zeal and pride will one day be his downfall. > > ***Urwin Martikov & Danika Dorakova.*** When the players departed Barovia, Urwin moved quickly to reclaim and protect the enchanted gems from the Fanes. Although Urwin hid them from Strahd, Strahd’s spies uncovered his connection to the Fanes, and Strahd took Urwin as a prisoner of Castle Ravenloft for several months. Eventually, though Urwin never broke beneath Strahd’s questioning, Strahd found the gems without Urwin’s help. He then released Urwin back to Vallaki alive and unharmed, keeping his promise to the players that no friend of theirs would come to harm by his hand. > > Shaken by the experience, Urwin was grateful to reunite with his family. Nevertheless, something broke within him when he accepted that the players would not—indeed, could not—rescue him from the depths of Castle Ravenloft. He left his position as the Keepers’ spymaster shortly after his return, allowing Muriel Vinshaw to assume the role instead, and refocused his attentions on raising his sons and maintaining the Blue Water Inn. Urwin no longer dreams of a future of sunlight for his children, and no longer dares hope that Strahd’s reign may eventually come to an end—though he hopes bitterly that Strahd will one day suffer for his crimes. > > ***Gadof Blinsky.*** If he befriended the players, Blinsky has never fully accepted or understood the reasons why they departed Barovia. Nevertheless, he continues to craft small toys in their likeness from time to time, and is currently working to develop a scale model diorama of the entirety of Barovia, including notable characters and monsters. > > ***Ithuriel.*** Ithuriel has been cautious to avoid rousing Strahd’s anger, well-aware of the fact that, in his current youthful state, he is far weaker than Strahd—and will likely remain so for the next several centuries or millenia. Nevertheless, Ithuriel has done his best to care for the Belviews, and to offer healing to the people of Krezk, who have cautiously accepted him as their neighbor. Ithuriel regrets the players’ decision to leave Barovia with the *Sunsword*, but does not condemn them for it. He has faith that, one day, the Morninglord will help set Barovia free—but he knows not when or how that day will come. > > ***Victor Vallakovich.*** After he and Stella ended their friendship—and burgeoning relationship—Victor briefly lost himself to isolation and drink. Eventually, after a magical accident that nearly killed him, he forswore alcohol and returned to sobriety. However, Victor hasn’t returned to Vallakian society since, too wounded from Stella and the players’ “abandonment" of him to consider departing his family’s mansion once more. He has come to the Festival of Peace to pay his respects to Ireena, but has no intention of speaking with (or being noticed by) any member of the Wachter family today. > > ***Millivoj.*** Milivoj has intentionally skipped the Festival of Peace. Embittered by the players’ “betrayal" of Barovia, he has largely withdrawn from Vallakian society, preferring instead to dedicate all of his waking hours toward caring and providing for his siblings and his own young children. ### The Festival of Peace Shortly after the players arrive in the dream—preferably after they have had an opportunity to interact with their friends, realize that their friends don’t recognize them, and gain basic information about this “future"—the three Burgomasters ascend the wooden platform and begin the festival’s remembrance ceremony. Read the following, pausing occasionally to allow the players an opportunity to interject or speak amongst themselves: <div class="description"> <p>The crowd’s attention turns to the wooden platform that overlooks the square. Four figures climb its wooden steps: a bearded man wearing a silver medallion around his neck, an elderly woman wearing a gray dress, a golden-haired man approaching middle age, and a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties with an axe strapped across his back. All seem familiar to you.</p> </div> Players who approach the figures on the platform, who successfully guess their identifies, or who succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check can confirm the following: * The bearded man is an older Nikolai Wachter, Jr. * The elderly woman is an older Fiona Wachter. * The golden-haired man is an older Ismark Kolyanovich. * The young man with the axe is an older Ilya Krezkov. Continue, pausing occasionally to allow the players an opportunity to interject or speak amongst themselves: <div class="description"> <p>"Welcome," the bearded man says, his arms spread wide, “to the Festival of Peace. I am honored to welcome our dignified guests from our neighbors: Burgomaster Ismark Kolyanovich and Burgomaster Ilya Krezkov." The golden-haired man steps bows stiffly, while the younger man raises a hand in greeting.</p> <p>"This year, we celebrate ten years of peace," the bearded man continues. “Ten years since the shadow of Castle Ravenloft retreated from our homes, allowing us to continue our lives with those we cherish and love—our neighbors, our friends, and our families."</p> <p>"But this peace came at a cost," he continues. “Accordingly, in this ceremony of remembrance, we honor the memory of the one who gave up her life, so that ours might be saved." He takes the wreath of flowers from its stand. “With this wreath, we honor the Lady Ireena Kolyana, daughter of Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich and Korina Targolova. With it, we honor her sacrifice, and the peace her selflessness her life brought us." <p>He turns and offers it to Ismark, who accepts the wreath, his face solemn. With a nod, Ismark steps down from the platform. The crowd parts around him as he moves toward the fountain, the wreath clutched reverently in his hands.</p> <p>Ismark kneels before the fountain, placing the wreath upon a small, smooth slab that stands at the fountain’s northern end. “May you find rest in the rest you have brought us," he says—gently, but loud enough to be heard.</p> <p>"And may you find peace in the peace you have won," the crowd intones in a murmured reply.</p> <p>Ismark stands, then returns to the platform. The bearded man clasps him on the shoulder, then turns to the crowd.</p> <p>"Let us never forget where we came from," he says. “But as we honor her sacrifice through memory, so too do we honor her by living the lives she won for us—with joy, camaraderie, and good humor. So that we may celebrate those lives, I am glad to declare this tenth annual Festival of Peace begun!"</p> <p>A chorus of cheers echoes from the crowd, who begin to mill about and speak with themselves once more.</p> </div> ### The Burgomasters’ Request Shortly after the ceremony concludes—preferably after the players have had an opportunity to react to and discuss it—they are approached by Burgomaster Nikolai Wachter, Burgomaster Ismark Kolyanovich, and Burgomaster Ilya Krezkov, flanked by six **guards**—two Vallakian guards bearing chain shirts and spears, two Barovian guards wearing leather armor and longswords, and two Krezkian guards wearing leather armor, shortbows, and shortswords. Nikolai greets the players with a salute, and informs them that Burgomaster Krezkov has been unable to find his wife, Lady Stella Wachter, whom they missed at the ceremony. He notes, in a low voice, that he and the other Burgomasters must return to Wachterhaus to discuss “the Ulmist project," but asks the players to find Stella and bring her to Wachterhaus. (Nikolai is referring to the Ulmist Inquisition, which Vallaki’s guards have been briefed on, but which has not yet been formally announced. Nikolai is reluctant to announce the Inquisition before its framework has been agreed upon, both to avoid alerting the Priests of Osybus and to avoid frightening the townsfolk.) Neither Ilya nor Nikolai is certain where Stella has gone, but Nikolai suggests the players ask around the town square to find her. “It’s rare that my sister has an opportunity to catch up with old friends," he says. “Doubtlessly, she merely lost track of time while socializing or visiting old haunts." If the players accept their mission, the burgomasters and their guards depart from the town square. > [!profile]+ **The Burgomasters** > ***Burgomaster Nikolai Wachter.*** Nikolai assumed the responsibilities—then, within months, the role—of Vallaki’s Burgomaster two years ago, shortly after Lady Wachter—overworked, aging, and fighting off a minor illness—fell down the stairs of Wachterhaus and broke her wrist. Now thirty years old, he’s done his best to fill his mother’s shoes. However, Nikolai’s newfound maturity and responsibilities have set him at odds with his younger brother, Karl, who Nikolai and Stella routinely scold for his immature escapades. Nikolai has largely settled into his position, but occasionally questions his fitness for the role compared to his mother, who continues to manage the family’s day-to-day affairs. > > ***Lady Fiona Wachter.*** The sixty-year-old Lady Wachter once regretted the necessity of abdicating her position as Burgomistress, but retirement has brought a sense of comfort that she welcomes in her senior years. She is proud of Nikolai’s performance in her stead, and for Stella’s work in bringing Krezk and Vallaki closer together via her marriage to Ilya Krezkov. Nevertheless, Lady Wachter, who had grown fond of Victor following his assistance in [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]], is occasionally wistful for the union that he may have shared with Stella. > > Lady Wachter also harbors a quiet regret that, although the Sun briefly returned to Barovia in the form of the *Sunsword*, she was never able to see it again after the players departed through the Mists. Although she does not begrudge the players their decision, she wonders whether victory over Strahd—and true freedom from his reign—may have been within their grasp. > > ***Burgomaster Ismark Kolyanovich.*** The thirty-five-year-old Ismark has never finished mourning Ireena’s loss, but he has made his peace with it, grown past it, and set his sights on the future, rather than the past. While his efforts to rebuild the village of Barovia following [[Arc B - Welcome to Barovia]] and the Grand Conjunction have won him the loyalty and respect of his people, he often wonders whether he is suited for his role—and whether Ireena would approve of his leadership if she still lived. > > ***Burgomaster Ilya Krezkov.*** The twenty-three-year-old Ilya ascended to his position just six months ago, after his mother, Anna, killed his father, Dmitri, when Dmitri’s wolfsbane potion failed and he broke free of his restraints. Although he puts on a brave face in public, Ilya has struggled to overcome his grief, and to embrace his new responsibilities as Burgomaster. Ilya has come to rely deeply on his wife, the twenty-six-year-old Stella Wachter, who he fell in love with two years ago during a diplomatic visit to Vallaki, and whom he married last year. The players can uncover the following information by asking around the town square: * **Father Lucian Petrovich & Brother Yeska Petrovich.** Stella visited St. Andral’s Church earlier that morning, and mentioned that she might stop by Blinsky Toys immediately afterward. * **Gadof Blinsky.** Stella stopped by Blinsky Toys late that morning and purchased one of his toys, then mentioned she intended to catch up with “an old friend" before departing. (If asked, Blinsky recalls that Stella purchased an old toy, one which—curiously, he notes, chuckling awkwardly—he had made shortly after the Grand Conjunction ten years ago: a spinning wheel depicting the phases of the moon.) * **Urwin Martikov & Danika Dorakova.** Danika saw Stella speaking with Victor Vallakovich shortly before the ceremony, at the west end of the square. * **Ithuriel.** Ithuriel hasn’t seen Stella, but observed an unfamiliar cloaked man standing in an alley on the west side of the square during the ceremony; unlike the rest of the crowd, he didn’t seem to be paying attention to the ceremony. (Ithuriel can point the players toward Victor’s alley.) * **Victor Vallakovich.** Although initially irate and reluctant to speak with “Lord Wachter’s" guards, Victor can be easily convinced to share that, in their brief conversation shortly before the ceremony, Stella suggested that she intended to visit Lake Zarovich while the festival unfolded. > [!abstract]+ **Words Unsaid** > A player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) check of 13 or greater notices that Victor struggles to meet the players’ eyes as he mentions their conversation, and that his speech grows stilted as he mentions her destination. > > If a player assures Victor that his words won’t be shared further and succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, Victor reluctantly—and bitterly—shares that Stella invited him to join her on Lake Zarovich’s shore, as they had once often done together. “That was a long time ago," he says, quietly, “but she said that she would wait for me there." Victor refuses to elaborate further, and declines to accompany the players, preferring to return to his manor as swiftly as possible. ## U2c. Lake Zarovich Lake Zarovich is largely as described in <span class="citation">L. Lake Zarovich (p. 38)</span>. However, revise the second paragraph of this area’s description as follows: <div class="description"> <p>Pulled up along the south shore are four small rowboats. A gray-cloaked woman sits beside them, her long, brown tresses falling across her shoulders.</p> </div> The woman resembles Stella from behind. If the players approach or interact with her, however, read: <div class="description"> <p>The woman’s head turns; although her body resembles Stella Wachter’s in form, the woman’s face is older—almost ageless—and strange and unfamiliar to you.</p> <p>She has thin eyebrows and high cheekbones, and an expression that at once looks stern, solemn, and comforting. Her eyes are a pale, light gray, and she wears a brooch upon her neck shaped like a sprig of belladona upon a silver shield.</p> <p>"At long last," she says, smiling warmly. “I’ve truly looked forward to meeting you."</p> </div> The woman is Ezra, the goddess of the Mists, and the mask of the Dark Powers. After the players have had an opportunity to react, she asks whether the players know who she is; if they fail to guess either identity, she taps her brooch and asks, with a knowing smile, whether they’ve seen “dear Fiona" wearing anything like it. (Players who have previously seen Lady Wachter’s holy symbol, either in [[Arc T - The Three Fanes]] or otherwise, immediately recognize it as bearing the same iconography.) Ezra notes that she is “sure the players have so many questions," and that she is glad to answer them. Before she does, however, she asks only that they “listen to a story"—a tale of how this time came to be. If the players agree, Ezra shares the following information: * Ten years ago, a great darkness fell upon the land. At Strahd’s command, the dead rose from their graves, and night extinguished day. All seemed lost—until a lone Barovian sacrificed her life to stop Strahd’s madness. * When she did, Strahd’s “greatest desire" again slipped through his fingers. Upon learning this, he departed Castle Ravenloft and confronted the players to learn what had occurred. When he did, Strahd gave them an offer: he would bring no harm to their friends, and allow them to depart Barovia freely, if they did so together. * Strahd did this because, with this loss, he no longer intended to use the Grand Conjunction to escape this cycle, preferring to linger within the Mists until he could find a way to recapture the object of his desire. * The players accepted Strahd’s armistice, and departed the valley—though not before sharing the tale of their friend’s heroic sacrifice, and the peace her life had bought for the valley. Lady Wachter declared that day a Vallakian holiday, an occasion for remembrance and celebration. * Strahd made good on his promises, and brought no harm to the people of the valley, even in the players’ absence. He soon returned to hibernation within his crypt, awaiting the day when his desire would again return to his grasp. As he slumbered, his creatures—wolves, bats, and undead—retreated from civilization once more. * The Barovians rejoiced in their peace; for the past ten years, the valley has once again flourished, free of Strahd’s tyranny and the darkness he once brought upon them. Ezra asks the players whether they know what “desire" escaped Strahd’s clutches, on that night ten years ago. If the players suggest that this desire was Ireena, Ezra knowingly smiles. If the players ask to know what this “desire" is, Ezra glances furtively toward Ireena and notes, smiling, “Surely you have not forgotten the one who first spurred his fall." At a suitable time in their conversation, Ezra shares the following additional information: * She has brought the players to this dream to show them a vision of peace: a possibility of the future they can create. * As goddess of the Mists, she knows the desires that lie in the pit of Strahd’s soul. Although he craves freedom, he craves conquest even more—and he dares not flee the Mists if he knows that, in doing so, he would relinquish the one conquest he has always failed to make: Tatyana’s soul. * Ezra can prevent Strahd from conquering Ireena, as well as the “soul that she carries," by taking her soul from this dream and hiding it away in the Mists, until the cycle of reincarnation comes for her again. “If I do," she says reassuringly, “this future may yet come to pass—life rather than death, light rather than shadow, and peace rather than war." To accept Ezra’s offer, she shares gently, Ireena need only wade into the waters of Lake Zarovich and submerge herself completely; once she does, the Mists shall take her to a place where Strahd cannot find her—until her soul is spun out once again in the cycle of reincarnation. > [!info]+ **Ireena’s Choice** > Ireena, paralyzed by the possibility of sacrificing other Barovians’ lives to save her own, or offering her life to save theirs, is unable to choose whether to accept Ezra’s offer or deny it. While she is willing to make a decision on her own if forced, she is desperate for the players’ counsel and guidance. > > If the players decline to provide any guidance and emphasize that the decision lies in Ireena’s hands alone, she acts in accordance with the players’ ideals as they have shown her so far: > > * If the players have inspired Ireena to dream of a brighter future, she rejects Ezra’s offer, stands by the players’ side, and declares calmly, then fiercely and tearfully, that she will never give up hope that her people will one day see the Sun again. > * If the players have planted great doubts in Ireena’s mind and expressed their fears that Strahd may not be defeated, Ireena tiredly agrees to enter Lake Zarovich, and so give up her soul to Ezra, so that her people may be saved. If Ireena refuses Ezra’s offer, the Dark Powers’ mask falls away. Read: <div class="description"> <p>Ezra frowns, and her eyes flash a dark, swirling gray. “Unfortunate," she says, but this time, a chorus of echoing whispers speaks with her—no, <em>through</em> her.</p> <p>The skies melt away into mist, the grey, overcast light vanishing into a black, infinite void. The mountains fall away behind them, then the forests, like paper cutouts—and as they do, you see the <em>strings</em> holding them up—strings of mist.</p> <p>Identical strings rise from Ezra’s shoulders, rising high into the sky above until they reach a swirling mass of mists, and an array of countless cloaked, faceless figures that look down upon you like giants. When they speak, they speak with one voice and thousands, a chorus and cacophony that echoes through your ears and minds alike.</p> <p>YOU CANNOT DEFEAT HIM, the figures say, their voices both a whisper and a shout. GIVE UP YOUR FOOLISH ENDEAVOR.</p> </div> The figures are the Dark Powers. If challenged, the Dark Powers retort that, if the players attempt to fight Strahd, many—if not all—of their friends shall die in the process. If the players defy them again, the mists swirl angrily, and the Dark Powers’ voices ring out like thunder: THEN TO YOUR DEATHS, WE RELINQUISH YOU—BUT OUR OFFER REMAINS. The dream then ends, and the players awaken at the end of their long rest. When they do, Ireena awakens with a sprig of belladonna on her chest. > [!abstract]+ **The Belladonna** > The sprig of belladonna—nightshare—is a deadly poison, enhanced by the Dark Powers’ magic. If Ireena ingests it, she dies one minute later, her soul collected by the Dark Powers. > [!abstract]+ **Ireena’s Death** > If Ireena accepts the Dark Powers’ gift in the dream or ingests the sprig of belladonna, her body dissipates into mist immediately after her death. # U3. The Whispering Wall ## U3a. The Long Night > [!lore]+ **The Long Night** > By reconsecrating the third Fane, the players prevent Strahd from using its power to escape during the Grand Conjunction. Yet Strahd has plans within plans, and the players’ success only pushes him to his backup plan: the Long Night. > > Strahd can sense that the players have received the blessing of the Fanes in his place. Should the players visit Castle Ravenloft and fall before him, he will steal those connections to restore his bond to the Fanes, and so channel their energies to escape the Mists once and for all. > > Using the power stored in the Heart of Sorrow over his century of hibernation, channelled through the vestige of the Devourer entrapped within the Heart, Strahd plunges Barovia into an eternal night and raises every corpse from its slumber, forming an army of the endless dead. He then sends his ranks against the players and their friends, intending to force the players into a final confrontation: meet and fight him at Castle Ravenloft, or see all they love come to ruin. > > Now, the dead have risen from every grave in Barovia—marked and unmarked alike—and march to destroy the living. Strahd’s torments of the Devourer’s vestige, as well as the corrupted energies of the Heart of Sorrows, have awoken the Whispering Wall—the Devourer’s divine corpse—and sent it crawling across Barovia toward Castle Ravenloft, mindlessly seeking to shelter and save its tortured spirit. As it does, however, its misted depths swallow up all in its path, imprisoning them in an endless loop of nightmares to fuel its eastward march. ### Into Darkness When the players awaken at the end of their first long rest after reconsecrating the Fanes in [[Arc T - The Three Fanes]], read: <div class="description"> <p>Your limbs and mind tell you that morning has come—but no light illuminates your resting place. Instead, the skies beyond are as dark as the blackest night, tinged with an eerie, crimson glow.</p> <p>Not far away, the sound of screams tears through the darkness.</p> </div> If a player looks at the sky, read: <div class="description"> <p>Alien constellations glitter in the night sky, joined by the shadows of great, distant planets. Amongst them, thirteen stars stand in perfect alignment, forming a line that cuts across the night sky like a bloody wound.</p> <p>Across the valley, amongst the eastern mountains where Castle Ravenloft stands, a distant pillar of crimson light thrusts toward the heavens, crackling with terrible power. Where it touches the skies, a tide of darkness flows forth, sustaining the night with waves of roiling shadow.</p> </div> If a player looks to the west, read: <div class="description"> <p>A shadowed wall of impenetrable fog towers above the town, each building little more than an ant before it. Strange shapes and silhouettes seem to drift through its depths, which stretch forth to meet the heavens far above. The wall seems to extend across the entire western valley, its ends running from Mount Baratok to the north to Mount Ghakis to the south.</p> <p>At the wall’s center, a great winged shadow looms over the tiny rooftops below.</p> </div> Players who have previously seen the Whispering Wall in [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem]] can immediately recognize the wall as the Whispering Wall. A player who inspects the shadow and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check observes that it resembles an enormous moth or butterfly. Shortly after the players awaken, one of the following occurs, depending on where the players have rested: * **Blue Water Inn.** A horde of six **zombies** from the cemetery of St. Andral’s Church breaks down the inn’s doors, with three entering <span class="citation">N2c. Taproom (p. 100)</span> and three crashing through the door atop <span class="citation">N2b. Outside Staircase (p. 98)</span>. * **Wachterhaus.** A horde of six **zombies** from the cemetery of St. Andral’s Church breaks down the manor’s doors, with three entering <span class="citation">N4a. Front Door and Vestibule (p. 110)</span> and three entering <span class="citation">N4e. Back Vestibule (p. 112)</span>. * **St. Andral’s Church.** A horde of six **zombies** from the cemetery of St. Andral’s Church breaks down the doors of a house across the street, spurring cries of terror and pleas for help from the family inside (two Vallakian **commoners** and two noncombatant children with 1 hit point each). Each zombie bears a glowing crimson symbol on its forehead: the raven-and-keep shield crest of Castle Ravenloft. Each zombie’s symbol and eyes glow with the same color as the pillar of bloody light that rises in the eastern mountains. ### Vallaki’s Dilemma The following events may occur in any order and at any time shortly after the players defeat the zombies, either separately or concurrently: * ***The Wall’s Pain.*** To the east, in the mountains where Castle Ravenloft lies, a pulse of crimson light briefly fills the skies—and the winged shadow within the Whispering Wall writhes, a deep, angry rumble echoing through the earth. The wall then moves several dozen feet forward. * ***The Dreamer’s Remannts.*** As the players exit onto the streets or look toward the Whispering Wall, if they are in possession of the butterfly statuette from [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem#J4a. Kavan’s Cairn|J4a. Kavan’s Cairn]], or the twilight crest from [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem#J6b. The Whispering Wall|J6b. The Whispering Wall]], the item glows a brilliant purple and emits a high-pitched, keening hum. The light and hum increase in intensity if brought closer to the Whispering Wall. * ***Urwin’s Warning.*** After conferring with his raven spies, a pale-faced Urwin Martikov confirms to the players that the Whispering Wall fills the entire sky, from Mount Baratok to Mount Ghakis, appears to have swallowed up the entire western half of the valley, including Krezk, the Wizard of Wines, and the western edge of Vallaki. He also shares that the wall is expanding eastward rapidly, and that the entirety of Vallaki may be swallowed up in less than an hour. He further shares that strange winged apparitions have been seen emerging from the wall and dragging Vallakians into it. (If asked, Urwin confirms that the winged apparitions resemble butterflies or moths, though he’s startled at how the players made such a guess.) * ***Fiona’s Plea.*** Lady Fiona Wachter, flanked by two **cult fanatics** and four **guards** covered in blood and gore, approaches the players with a bloodstained *mace* in hand. She informs the players that the dead have risen from the cemetery of St. Andral’s Church; while they have been largely cleared from the eastern half of the town, many more may still linger to the west. She also shares that a vast host of undead has been spotted approaching the town from the east, led by a pale, white-fleshed undead that emits great clouds of reddish smoke, and will arrive within a quarter-hour. Lady Wachter then kneels before the players, begs them to help defend her town, and informs them that all of Vallaki’s resources are at their disposal. If any of the players accept, Lady Wachter accompanies them to [[#U2i. The Mourning Gate]]. * ***Night Everlasting.*** Any Vallakian can inform the players that, although morning should have come by now, the Moon remains high in the sky, and no daylight has appeared over the horizon. > [!info]+ **Running This Sequence** > Most groups of players will split the party to address the simultaneous threats of the Whispering Wall and undead horde. If they do, run these sequences in the following order: > > * First, run both fights in [[#U2b. Vallaki Streets]] simultaneously. > * Second, run [[#Arrival at the Gate]], followed by [[#U2c. The Wall]] > * Third, run [[#Organizing the Defense]], followed by [[U2d. The Nightmares]] > * Fourth, run [[#The Zarovich Gate]], followed by [[#U2e. Descent of the Devourer]] and [[#U2f. Fall of the Devourer]]. Allow the players in the Whispering Wall to control any NPCs in [[#The Zarovich Gate]], but require them to obey the commands of any player characters present. > * Fifth, run [[#The Southern Wall]], followed by [[#U2g. Attack on the Swamp Fane]]. Allow the players in the Whispering Wall to control any NPCs at the Southern Wall, and vice-versa, but require them to obey the commands of any player characters present. > * Sixth, run [[#The Morning Gate]], followed by [[#U2h. The Lonely Maid]] and [[#U2i. Lake Zarovich]]. Allow the players in the Whispering Wall to control any NPCs at the Morning Gate, but require them to obey the commands of any player characters present. > > If the players fail to send a player character to defend the Zarovich Gate, Morning Gate, or Southern Wall, a party NPC companion (such as Ezmerelda or Ireena) or friendly NPC (such as Lady Wachter) leads that location’s defense instead. If this occurs, you can have one of the players control that location’s commander, or use challengerated.com to estimate that location’s losses. (In the latter case, cut the Vallakians’ losses by half to account for the protections offered by the town walls.) ## U3b. Vallaki Streets As they travel to [[#U2c. The Wall]] or [[#U2i. The Mourning Gate]], the players face the following encounters: * **The Wall.** While traveling to the Whispering Wall, the players are attacked by three **winged harbingers** (use the statistics below) and six **zombies**. In battle, one **winged harbinger** and two **zombies** prefer to fight one another, rather than the players. * **The Gate.** While travelling to the Morning Gate, the players are attacked by six **zombies**. > [!info]+ **Winged Harbinger** > A **winged harbinger**, which appears as a six-foot-tall butterfly made of frigid fog and mist, uses the statistics of a **specter**, with the following changes: > * It’s a fey instead of an undead. > * It lacks the *incorporeal movement* and *sunlight sensitivity* features. > * It isn’t immune to necrotic damage, is immune to cold damage, and is vulnerable to fire damage. > * Its Life Drain attack deals cold damage instead of necrotic damage. ### U3c. The Wall When the players arrive at the base of the Whispering Wall, read: <div class="description"> <p>As you approach the wall of fog, the wind rises to a screaming howl. The temperature plummets, too, forming a frigid gale that whips with shards of frozen ice. Your breath fogs on the air, and the warmth saps from your extremities into the wintry air beyond.</p> <p>Soon, you stand before it: a towering plume of impenetrable white that reaches far into the skies. Each second, it crawls forward once more—a few inches, then a foot—inexorably reaching eastward as it swallows up Vallaki within its opaque depths.</p> </div> If a player enters the wall, proceed to [[#U3d. The Nightmares]]. ## U3d. The Nightmares A player who enters the Whispering Wall finds themselves within a new location, indistinguishable from reality. The location is a reflection of that player character's deepest desire, sculpted to be as real and alluring as possible. The location is populated by any inhabitants necessary for that character's desire. Both the location and any inhabitants are illusory, but appear solid and real to those who enter. After a period of time—which may be subjective minutes, hours, or even years after they entered—the “dream" becomes nightmarish, using the player’s greatest fears to terrorize and threaten them. (For example, a deceased spouse may become a monstrous version of themselves, and accuse the player of killing them or allowing them to die while attempting to kill the player themselves.) Should a player successfully survive their nightmare, a crack of rumbling thunder announces the appearance of a tall arch formed of fog and swirling mist, which appears ten feet before them—opposite the direction from whence they came. A player who enters the arch proceeds to [[#U3e. Descent of the Mists]]. ## U3e. Descent of the Mists When the players emerge from [[#U3d. The Nightmares]], read: <div class="description"> <p>You pass through the arch—and emerge atop the terraced peak of Yester Hill. Below it, the valley of Barovia stretches out before you—but, no Mists encircle it, the valley <em>continues</em>, extending into unfamiliar mountain ranges, boundless woods, and glittering rivers that snake miles into the distance.</p> <p>One object dominates the horizon: a shadowed wall of impenetrable fog that stretches forth to meet the heavens far above. Above it, the skies are stained blood-red, a wounded crimson that stretches across the valley.</p> <p>The sky itself seems to boil, occasionally taking the form of countless cloaked and hooded figures. Their fingers seem to reach down to the wall of fog below, tearing strips away from it, like vultures ripping at a corpse’s flesh. Each time they do, the wall of fog writhes, the earth rumbling as it seems to cry out in pain.</p> <p>The sky-figures pay no heed to the wall’s agony, weaving the torn strips to form a tall ring that encircles the land below. Slowly, a curtain of Mist descends from the fog-like ring, encircling the valley—and entrapping it.</p> <p>A lone arch of swirling mist stands ten feet before you, leading west—toward the writhing wall.</p> </div> A player who saw the blood-red skies in [[Arc O - Dinner with the Devil#O8f. The Bloody Keep|O8. Varushka’s Nightmare]] recognizes them as the same color of sky that appeared on the day that Strahd died and became a vampire. If the players proceed through the arch, they emerge into [[#U3f. Fall of the Devourer]]. ## U3f. Fall of the Devourer When the players emerge from [[#U3e. Descent of the Mists]], read: <div class="description"> <p>You pass through the arch—and emerge onto a snowy mountain cliff top beneath a familiar white-capped peak. The winds whip and howl about you, shards of frozen ice whirling through the gale. Above you, a great black stormcloud covers the entirety of the valley. Within its roiling depths, you see a pair of great and terrible wings, its wingspan stretching from the northern mountains to the south. Trembles quake the earth, and lightning thunders across the sky.</p> <p>To the south, a small group of huddled figures trudges through the snow behind you. They wear animal hides and carry simple spears. They seem to be headed toward a sheer cliff face from which two frozen waterfalls plummet.</p> <p>One of them—a woman—breaks from the group, only to be caught by an older man beside her. “No!" she screams. “Zia is still out there! My Zia, my girl—" She collapses to her knees, sobbing.</p> </div> Any player who has previously visited Soldav recognizes the cliff as [[Arc R - Trials of the Mountain#R5a. The Twin Falls|R5a. The Twin Falls]], and the figures as a group of Mountain Folk. The Mountain Folk, who call themselves the Tauta and don’t recognize the term “Mountain Folk," can share the following information: * The woman’s name is Sargetia. The man is Tarbus, her father. * The Tauta are retreating to Soldav to take shelter from the Devourer—a great beast of cold and darkness that arose from the Balinok Mountains three days ago and swallowed the valley in shadow. * In their haste to escape, Sargetia lost her daughter, Zia, in the blizzard. Sargetia last saw Zia with her on the mountain path to Soldav, only a few minutes prior. * The blizzard is growing fiercer, the lightning strikes are growing more frequent, and great boulders and snowdrifts are beginning to plummet from the mountain peaks. Tarbus, though grieving for his granddaughter, believes that Zia is lost to them, and wants to ensure Sargetia and the rest of the group make it safely to the shelter of Soldav. Sargetia and Tarbus are deeply grateful if the players offer to search for Zia and return her to Soldav. Tarbus promises to wait for the players “beneath the eastern waterfall, until the tenth lightning strike," but no longer. As the players move to depart, Tarbus performs a quick, reverent gesture—touching his right hand to his eye, his mouth, and his heart—and tells them: “May the Seeker guide your step, the Huntress guide your hand, and the Weaver bring you home." (The gesture, called the Sign of the Rozana, is a sign of supplication and prayer to the Ladies Three.) As she travelled with her mother, Zia lost her grip on Sargetia’s hand and wandered through the blizzard alone, soon falling off the cliff and catching herself on a root that protruded from the icy bluff. As they explore the trail, the players might find Zia using any of the following methods, or in any other reasonable way: * Hearing Zia’s weak cries for help with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. * Following the Mountain Folks’ tracks back through the snow, which soon split from a smaller, single child-sized set of footprints that lead off the edge of the cliff. * Looking over the cliff’s edge, either of their own initiative or by succeeding on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check. When the players find Zia, read: <div class="description"> <p>A small child—a girl, no older than five or six years old—dangles precariously from a thick root that protrudes from the cliffside.</p> <p>"Help," she whimpers, her voice nearly lost amidst the screaming winds.</p> </div> Zia is too scared, cold, and weak to climb a rope or otherwise ascend the cliff under her own power. The players might rescue her by descending the cliff and carrying her up on their backs, or by any other reasonable means. Zia is deeply grateful to the players for rescuing her, though her hands are near-frostbitten from exposure to the cold. As she huddles to them for warmth, she suddenly looks toward the valley’s basin below and raises a shivering hand to point. If the players follow her gaze, read: <div class="description"> <p>At the center of the valley, at a place where the trees, mountains, and rivers come together, three glowing figures rise into the air. Their distant forms shine with bright, verdant light, and a trio of voices emanate from them in fierce, yet mournful song.</p> <p>The storm cloud above roils, lightning crackling across its terrible mass. A great funnel of smoke-black fog whirls down toward them—but the figures’ song mounts in strength and defiance. Their light grows brighter, then brighter again—and send three radiant arrows soaring through the air.</p> <p>With a sound like thunder, the arrows pierce the storm cloud’s heart. It <em>screams</em>. The darkness seeps from its depths until only a mass of gray-white fog remains, and it plummets westward, until it vanishes beyond a mountain peak and vanishes at the edge of the valley below.</p> </div> When the Devourer is defeated, an archway of swirling mist appears before the players, pointing west—toward the place where the storm cloud fell. If the players pass through it, they emerge into [[#U3g. Attack on the Swamp Fane]]. ## U3g. Attack on the Swamp Fane When the players emerge from [[#U3e. Descent of the Devourer]], read: <div class="description"> <p>You pass through the arch—and emerge onto the edge of a quiet swamp. Nearby, a sluggish river drifts lazily through the earth, with small, verdant islands blooming with life thrusting forth from the mire.</p> <p>You stand at the center of a familiar circle of standing stones—but they are newly carved, clear of lichen, moss, or dirt. Beside you, a circle of three individuals wearing animal hides and deer’s antlers stand with their hands held together. Their eyes are closed, and they sway as they chant in reverent song—but fall silent as a distant howl cuts through the air, thick clouds of shadowed fog descending to cover the terrain around you.</p> <p>"Ready your arms," one says to you, fearfully. “The beasts of Lady Winter approach."</p> </div> The three individuals are Tauta **druids** of the Weaver named Calabaeus, Acmonia, and Drasdea. They can share the following information: * They are faithful servants of the Weaver, one of the Ladies Three who brought their people to the valley of Girvisa a generation ago. * In the Weaver’s honor, they have erected a fane—a shrine of standing stones—in her place of power, at the center of the swamps of Girvisa. * Lady Winter is a rival of the Ladies Three. Her domain is the chill of winter and the terror of nightmares. * The howling beasts are not true wolves, but wolves of winter—servants of the Huntress that Lady Winter has twisted, corrupted, and enslaved as her own. (The druids believe that Lady Winter, envious of the Weaver’s power and devotion, has sent these beasts to destroy her holy place before it may be consecrated.) Shortly after the players hear the howls, four **winter wolves** leap forth from the clouds of mist and attack. When the wolves are defeated, an archway of swirling mist appears before the players, pointing west. If the players pass through it, they emerge into [[#U3g. The Lonely Maid]]. ## U3h. The Lonely Maid When the players emerge from [[#U2g. Attack on the Swamp Fane]], read: <div class="description"> <p>You pass through the arch—and emerge into a woodland clearing beneath a starry, night-time sky. In the distance, tents of wood and animal hide encircle a roaring bonfire. The bonfire’s light illuminates dozens of men, women, and children who sing, dance, and laugh beneath it.</p> <p>Not far away, a young woman sits atop a boulder half-tucked into the woods. She hugs her legs to her chest, her chin resting upon her knees. Her gaze seems fixed on the fire in the distance.</p> </div> The woman is the Dreamer, the younger sister of the Ladies of the Fanes, and the goddess of winter, rest, hope, and the chill of the grave. If the players approach her, read: <div class="description"> <p>Your feet crunch through the grass, which has grown frigid and icy. As you draw closer, you can see that a thin layer of frost covers the woman’s boulder, and your breath mists in the chill air. A small patch of wildflowers surrounds her, each one frozen and glittering with ice.</p> </div> The Dreamer, though melancholy and wistful, doesn’t object to the players’ presence. If spoken to, she can share the following information: * She has had many names, but most call her “Dreamer." (If asked, the Dreamer can also bitterly confirm that she is also sometimes called “Lady Winter," though she winces at the name.) * She is the youngest of her sisters. “They"—she nods toward the dancers by the fire—have always loved her three elder sisters for the growth, life, and harvest they provide. “I am not welcome at their fires," she says bitterly. “Not like my sisters are." * If the players ask, she confirms that her sisters’ names are Weaver, Huntress, and Seeker, though her eyes grow stony at the mention of their names. At a suitable point in the conversation, read: <div class="description"> <p>A small butterfly, with pale violet wings, flutters down from the trees above. The young woman holds out a finger, and the butterfly clings to it, perched delicately on her knuckle.</p> <p>Her eyes linger on the butterfly, then flicker wistfully to the fire in the distance. “Why do they hate me so?" she asks. Her voice is ragged—as if choking back a sob—and small, frozen tears gather at the corners of her eyes.</p> </div> If the players provide the Dreamer comfort and reassurance, an archway of swirling mist appears nearby, pointing north. If the players pass through it, they emerge into [[#U3i. Lake Zarovich]]. ## U3i. Lake Zarovich When the players emerge from [[#U3g. The Lonely Maid]], read: <div class="description"> <p>You pass through the arch—and emerge at the mouth of a familiar river, where the waters of a dark mountain lake flow southward into dark woods. A small, crudely built shack stands tucked away near the water’s edge, its timbers worn and weathered with age. Not far away lies an old stone slab, resting on a cracked, mossy stone circle beneath a light dusting of snow. The area lies encircled by a cylinder of shadowed fog, which stretches a quarter-mile in width. In the skies overhead, thirteen stars stand in perfect alignment amidst an array of impossible heavens.</p> <p>The river and lake have both frozen over, and a thick layer of ice covers both. In the distance, past the fog’s edge, you can hear a howling gale—but the winds are quiet here, like the eye of a storm.</p> <p>An enormous butterfly, made of fog and swirling mist, hovers above the frozen lake to the north. The butterfly faces east—and as a pulse of crimson light flares through the eastern fog, the air seems to <em>tremble</em> around it, a deep, resonant hum echoing from the butterfly’s wings as it flares a deep, angry violet.</p> </div> Players who have previously visited this location in [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana#E4. Lake Zarovich|Arc E - The Missing Vistana]] recognize it as the mouth of the Luna River, which flows from Lake Zarovich beside Szoldar and Yevgeni’s shack. The players can also recognize the stars and skies as the sight of the Grand Conjunction in the present day. If the players investigate the slab, they find that it bears a carving of a butterfly, its grooves lined with lichen and moss. If the players investigate the shack, they find that it contains hunter’s gear and assorted animal pelts, but is otherwise empty. The butterfly is the heart of the Dreamer. Although the Dreamer’s vestige was taken from her corpse and sealed in the Amber Temple millenia ago, the butterfly still retains some of the Dreamer’s power, especially now that Strahd is using the Dreamer’s vestige to channel the power stores within the Heart of Sorrow. The Dreamer’s heart has the statistics of an **aboleth**, with the following changes: * It has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons, and immunity to cold damage. * It has a fly speed of 40 ft., and no swim speed. * It understands Sylvan, but can’t speak it, and doesn’t speak Deep Speech. * It can understand the spoken language of any creature it communicates with telepathically, but can communicate telepathically only by sending images, emotions, and sensations. * It lacks the aboleth’s **amphibious**, **mucus cloud**, and **eldritch restoration** features. * It can make three Tentacle attacks on its turn, rather than two. * It can’t use its legendary actions. Instead, it can use each legendary reaction only as a reaction, with the following trigger: A hostile creature ends its turn. * It can take up to three reactions per round, but only one per turn. If the Dreamer’s heart would lose its reactions and isn’t unconscious, it loses one reaction instead. * It gains the following reaction: ***Indomitable.*** **Trigger:** A hostile creature ends its turn. **Effect:** The Dreamer’s heart can repeat the saving throw against one effect or condition currently affecting it. (This reaction has no effect if the effect or condition didn’t originally require it to fail a saving throw.) * A target that loses its memories to the heart’s ***consume memories*** action regains its memories when the heart dies. If the players address the Dreamer’s heart by the Dreamer’s name and show it compassion, the Dreamer sends them the following telepathic vision: <div class="description"> <p><em>Flicker.</em> You see in your mind’s eye a dark tower’s landing. A crimson, crystalline heart the size of a man floats beyond it, generating a pillar of crimson light that floods through the windows and thrusts toward the skies. Within the heart, the light refracts through a wisp of fragile darkness. It writhes in agony and despair, its suffering watched intently by a tall, gaunt shadow cloaked in darkness.</p> </div> The wisp of darkness is the vestige of the Dreamer. The gaunt shadow is Strahd. ### Persuading the Dreamer’s Heart If the players successfully communicate with the Dreamer’s heart and promise to free the Dreamer’s vestige from its torment, read: <div class="description"> <p>The great butterfly lets forth a low, keening hum. Slowly, the fog of its form begins to dissipate, even as the fog that surrounds you swirls, then slowly retreats. As you watch, the walls of fog melt away, falling west, as the dark waters of Lake Zarovich and the distant lights of Vallaki return once more. Nothing remains but the silence of the darkened night, the lapping of the waves against the shore, and a faint glimmer of violet light.</p> <p>The glimmer of light descends through the air before you, its form resolving into a swarm of tiny, ethereal butterflies. They hang patiently in the air before you—as if waiting to be claimed.</p> </div> Each butterfly is a *boon of the Dreamer.* There are enough boons for each character that helped calm the Dreamer. A player can claim their *boon of the Dreamer* by grasping or touching it, or inviting it to enter them. If they do, read: <div class="description"> <p>A small, black tattoo in the shape of a butterfly appears in the palm of your hand.</p> </div> > [!item]+ **Boon of the Dreamer** > A character who claims the *boon of the Dreamer* immediately regains all of their hit points and maximum hit points. In addition, while in Barovia, each time a character who possesses the *boon of the Dreamer* would be reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, they can drop to 1 hit point instead. They can’t use this feature again until they finish a long rest. When the wall of fog recedes, all Barovians consumed by it are returned to their original locations, awake and unharmed. ### Fighting the Dreamer’s Heart If the players attack the Dreamer’s Heart or otherwise anger it, it attacks them and fights to the death. If the players defeat the Dreamer’s Heart, read: <div class="description"> <p>The great butterfly lets forth a high, pained cry. Slowly, the fog of its form begins to dissipate, even as the fog that surrounds you swirls, then slowly retreats. As you watch, the walls of fog melt away, falling west, as the dark waters of Lake Zarovich and the distant lights of Vallaki return once more. Nothing remains but the silence of the darkened night and the lapping of the waves against the shore.</p> </div> When the wall of fog recedes, all Barovians consumed by it are returned to their original locations, awake and unharmed. ## U3j. The Morning Gate ### Arrival at the Gate If any players join Lady Wachter to aid in Vallaki’s defense against the undead horde, read the following when they arrive at the eastern Morning Gate: <div class="description"> <p>A small sea of grim- and anxious-looking Vallakians stands by the eastern gate. Some are familiar. All are armed.</p> </div> Shortly after the players’ arrival, Lady Wachter announces their presence. Read: <div class="description"> <p>Lady Wachter clears her throat, then steps atop a wooden crate. “Your attention, please!" As heads turn toward her, she holds out a hand toward you. “These warriors—no, <em>heroes</em>—will be leading our defense. We have little time before the undead arrive, so I expect you to obey them without question. Am I understood?"</p> <p>A sea of nods and a chorus of affirmative grunts answer him. She nods in satisfaction, then turns toward you, hefting her mace, then bowing. “I leave them in your capable hands. They—and I—are at your disposal."</p> </div> Shortly after Lady Wachter’s announcement, she and the players are approached by the **cult fanatic** Andrej, accompanied by Szoldar Szoldarovich and Yevgeni Krushkin. They can share the following information: * According to Andrej, the town guard has struck down roughly a dozen zombies so far, but shadows in the woods suggest that more are approaching. * According to Szoldar and Yevgeni, who have just returned from scouting the eastern woods, several dozen more undead are fast approaching, but have split into three groups. One group appears to be headed for the eastern Morning Gate, another is headed for the northern Zarovich Gate, and another is headed for the southeastern wall of Vallaki, by Arasek Stockyard. All undead bear the same crimson red eyes, and the same glowing insignia on their foreheads. * According to Szoldar and Yevgeni, the horde as a whole is led by a pale-fleshed zombie breathing red smoke (a **zombie plague spreader**). This zombie appears to be headed for the Morning Gate. * According to Szoldar and Yevgeni, several of the zombies appear to be mutated in strange ways, with hulking, bloated frames or long, spindly limbs. * According to Andrej, he’s gathered the following force to aid in the town’s defense: six **guards**, six **cultists** (whom Andrej calls “members of Lady Wachter’s militia"), two other **cult fanatics** (Boris and Miruna, whom Andrej calls “Lady Wachter’s associates"), twelve **commoners** (whom Andrej calls “citizens"), and assorted others, including Nikolai and Karl Wachter (**nobles**), Victor Vallakovich, Father Lucian Petrovich, Urwin Martikov, Danika Dorakova, Gadof Blinsky, and (if they’re still alive and in Vallaki) Milivoj and Henrik van der Voort. ### Organizing the Defense After Andrej, Szoldar, and Yevgeni have delivered their reports, Lady Wachter invites the players to divide the Vallakians in any way they choose. Once they’ve done so, Lady Wachter invites the players to lead or direct the groups they’ve made to the three points where the undead are expected to attack: the Morning Gate, the Zarovich Gate, and the southeastern wall. Before the players depart, Lady Wachter warns them that, while Vallaki’s immediate defense is of the utmost importance, they may wish to preserve the bulk of their strength for any battles that may follow. “I may be wrong," she says softly. “But this fights feels like a harbinger of horrors to come." > [!info]+ **Vallakians at War** > Use the following names and descriptions for the unnamed members of Vallaki’s defense force: > > * Yelena and Vesna, twin **guard** sisters in their early twenties > * Dunja, a middle-aged baker **commoner** and widow > * Faina & Bronislav, young **commoner** parents of a pair of toddlers, currently watched by Bronislav’s parents > * Milosh, Dobroslav & Radovan, three **cultist** young men who crave adventure and glory > * Volodimeru, a quiet and somewhat awkward middle-aged tailor and bachelor **commoner** > * Dmitrei & Chestirad, married adoptive **commoner** parents of a pair of Barovian orphans > * Aleksandru & Darya, a **guard** and his **commoner** fiance > * Yaromir, Svetlana, Vlastimir & Darya, two middle-aged **commoner** parents and their two **guard** adult children > * Koladin, an ornery and gruff **guard** captain in his early twenties > * Adomir and Shalana, a sociable pair of engaged **cultists** > * Sadek, a middle-aged, sharp-tongued **cultist** tanner > * Raisa & Radomi & Iskra, three **commoner** siblings in their late teens with sickly parents > [!info]+ **Gates and Walls** > Vallaki’s town walls are as described in <span class="citation">Approaching the Town (p. 95)</span>. Each gate is as described in <span class="citation">Town Gates (p. 95)</span>, and has AC 19 and 20 hit points. > [!info]+ **The Zombies’ Approach** > In combat, a thick shroud of mist surrounds the walls of eastern Vallaki at a distance of thirty feet. Creatures within this mist are heavily obscured, and can’t be seen until they emerge. ### The Zarovich Gate The Zarovich Gate is attacked by the following undead: * Twenty **zombies** * Two **zombie hulks** (use the statistics of an **ogre zombie**) * Two **swarms of bats** In combat, the hulks attempt to batter down the gate, while the ordinary zombies attempt to pile atop one another in order to breach the nearby walls. (To do so, three zombies must stand atop one another’s shoulders.) ### The Southern Wall Vallaki’s southeastern wall is attacked by the following undead: * Twenty **zombies** * Three **zombie leapers** (use the statistics of **chokers** (<span class="citation">Monsters of the Multiverse, p. 76)</span> * Two **swarms of bats** In combat, the three leapers attempt to climb the wall directly, while the ordinary zombies attempt to pile atop one another in order to reach the top. (To do so, three zombies must stand atop one another’s shoulders.) ### The Morning Gate The Morning Gate is attacked by the following undead: * Sixteen **zombies** * One **zombie plague spreader** In combat, the zombies attempt to mass around the gates and walls, drawing fire until the plague spreader can reach the defenders with its ***virulent miasma***. ## U3k. Aftermath Shortly after the players reunite following [[#U3i. Lake Zarovich]] and [[#U3j. The Morning Gate]], after they and their companions have had an opportunity to celebrate, a grim Urwin Martikov—or Danika Dorakova, if Urwin is dead—visits the players and shares the following information, as relayed by his raven scouts: * An undead army one hundred times the size of the last one—or larger—is approaching Vallaki from the east, traveling along the Old Svalich Road. * Other hordes of undead have arisen across Barovia, from the terraces of Yester Hill to the cliffs of Mount Ghakis, the depths of Lake Zarovich, and the base of Tser Falls. Several of the other hordes appear to be shambling toward the villages of Krezk and Barovia. * Each army is led by at least one **zombie plague spreader**—a pale-fleshed undead exhaling crimson mist—and all of the undead bear red eyes and the same glowing crimson symbol on their foreheads: the crest of Castle Ravenloft. * By Urwin’s estimates, the slow-moving eastern army will arrive in approximately five hours, though its forerunners will arrive earlier and its reserves will arrive last. (The journey to Castle Ravenloft is just under four hours on foot, giving the players just over an hour to rest before the bulk of the army arrives.) > [!abstract]+ **The Walking Dead** > The armies of undead are animated by the power Strahd is channeling from the Heart of Sorrow, as indicated by their red eyes and the symbols upon their foreheads. To stop them, the players must kill Strahd before Barovia’s settlements are destroyed. If the players fail to reach this conclusion themselves, Lady Wachter, Father Lucian, Victor Vallakovich, Ezmerelda d’Avenir, or a similar character can suggest it instead. > [!info]+ **Free Stuff** > Should the players require any equipment before departing Vallaki, Lady Wachter and the other Vallakians are glad to obtain it for them swiftly, free of charge, in gratitude for their heroism and in support of their efforts to defeat Strahd. > [!abstract]+ **Recruiting Allies** > The players can recruit no allies other than Ireena Kolyana and Ezmerelda d’Avenir for their journey to Castle Ravenloft. All other characters, though grateful and honored for the invitation, insist on remaining behind to defend their homes, families, friends, and neighbors from the undead incursion. (As Victor Vallakovich says if asked—pale, but determined—“If we all went with you to Castle Ravenloft, who would be left to protect everyone else while you fight? Go—we’ll stay here to make sure everyone is still alive when you get back.") # U4. The Old Svalich Road ## U4a. Old Bonegrinder At the time Urwin first notifies the players of its existence, the eastern undead army is located at <span class="citation">I. Black Carriage (p. 37)</span>. If the players take a short rest before departing Vallaki, they and the undead army cross paths at or near <span class="citation">Chapter 6: Old Bonegrinder (p. 125)</span>. The eastern army contains the following creatures: * Three thousand **zombies** * Twenty-five **zombie clots** (<span class="citation">Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (p. 255)</span> * Four **zombie plague spreaders** The undead are under strict orders to ignore the players unless attacked. If the players attack them, the zombies fight to knock them unconscious, then bring their unconscious bodies to Castle Ravenloft. (The zombies cease their attack if the players retreat.) ## U4b. The Svalich Wood If the players attempt to circumvent the army by cutting through the Svalich Wood instead, they encounter a pack of thirteen **dire wolves**. If they do, read: <div class="description"> <p>A rustling draws your attention to an underbrush—and, several dozen yards beyond it, a pack of thirteen wolves the size of grizzly bears.</p> </div> The players can attempt to sneak past the dire wolves by succeeding on a DC 16 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If dire wolves detect them, read: <div class="description"> <p>The wolf at the head of the pack—a hulking brute a head taller than a warhorse—glances in your direction. For a moment, its eyes narrow—and then a glimmer of recognition alights in its eyes. It tilts its head, regarding you briefly with mild fascination—and then turns and continues on its path, leading its companions away into the shadows of the wood.</p> </div> The wolves, like the zombies, attack only in self-defense, and cease their attacks if the players retreat. In combat, the wolves fight to knock the players unconscious, then bring their unconscious bodies to Castle Ravenloft. ## U4c. The Black Carriage As the players pass through the crossroads to Castle Ravenloft, the area is as described in <span class="citation">I. Black Carriage (p. 37)</span>, including Strahd’s black carriage. Shortly after the players depart the crossroads, whether the players take the carriage or not, they are passed overhead by a small army of several dozen **swarms of ravens** sent by Muriel Vinshaw to reinforce Vallaki. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The Moon’s silvery light is briefly blotted from view as a cloud of small, feathered black forms fills the sky above. Hundreds, if not thousands of ravens cross overhead toward the west, their whooping cries echoing through the chill air like the sound of an army gathering for war.</p> </div> The ravens don’t stop to interact with the players, and won’t be diverted from their course. However, if a player calls out to the flock through the use of *speak with animals* or similar magic, a solitary raven descends to share the following information: * The flock has been sent by “the blue-winged raven" (Muriel) to “the two-legged home surrounded by dead, sharpened trees" (Vallaki, surrounded by its palisade wall). * There, they will join “the keepers of wisdom and courage" (the Keepers of the Feather) to “defend the two-leggeds from the dead who walk." “The Shadow’s Reckoning comes," the raven squawks, “as the Storm Mother foresaw, long ago. The Shadow’s Reckoning comes, and we fly to delay it, so that the reckoning shall come for the Shadow, and the Light shall come again." Before it departs, the raven bows clumsily, nodding its head and neck with one wing tucked against its chest. “Fate guide you, Lightseekers," it prays, then departs into the air. # U5. Castle Ravenloft ## U5a. The Castle Gates The journey from the crossroads to the castle gates is two and one-half miles long and takes fifty minutes. The gates of Ravenloft are as described in <span class="citation">J. Gates of Ravenloft (p. 38)</span>, with the castle’s drawbridge down. The players’ approach is largely as described in [[Arc O - Dinner with the Devil#O4. Arrival at Castle Ravenloft|O4. Arrival at Castle Ravenloft]], except Rahadin and Anastrasya are not waiting in the courtyard to greet them. In addition, thirteen **swarms of bats** fill the skies around Castle Ravenloft, with a trio of **bats** reporting to Strahd each time a swarm observes the players’ location. Whether the players arrive via Strahd’s black carriage or on foot, the main doors to the castle are guarded by four **wights**, while two **vampire spawn** cling to the inner walls of the keep. If Volenta Popfsky, Anastraya Karelova, or Ludmilla Vilisevic still live, they are also present, leading and commanding the wights and other spawn. The wights and vampires attack any players who enter the courtyard. In combat, the undead aim to knock all of the players unconscious, then bring their unconscious bodies to Strahd. ## U5b. Ascending the Keep If Strahd’s bats detect the players’ approach, he sends the **vampire spawn** Sasha Ivliskova to greet them. After the players dispatch or avoid the vampire spawn and wights, read: <div class="description"> <p>A pale-skinned woman in an old wedding gown steps forward from the shadows, her black hair rustling softly across her shoulders. Though two fine-pointed fangs poke past her lips, her eyes are bloodshot and swollen, with blotchy, tear-stained cheeks beneath them.</p> <p>"The Master is expecting you," Sasha Ivliskova whispers, choking back a sob. “Please, will you follow me?</p> </div> Strahd has given Sasha the following strict orders, which she is powerless to disobey while Strahd lives: * She is to meet the players and lead them safely to the top landing of <span class="ciation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span>. * She is forbidden to speak of Strahd’s plans, although she may share that his “Great Work" is nearly complete. * She is forbidden to share anything that she knows about Strahd’s history, abilities, knowledge, or weaknesses. (Sasha also believes that Strahd is impossible to defeat. If asked, she merely replies, tiredly, “The Master is all-powerful. He cannot be defeated.") * She is forbidden from aiding the players in any way. * She is forbidden from harming herself. (Because Sasha can’t step into the radius of the *Sunsword*’s sunlight without harming herself, she softly asks the players to deactivate its light while travelling with her.) If permitted, Sasha guides the players to Strahd by the following routes: * If she meets the players at or near <span class="citation">K7. Entry (p. 54)</span>, Sasha leads them into <span class="citation">K8. Great Entry (p. 55)</span>, up <span class="citation">K19. Grand Landing (p. 58)</span> to <span class="citation">K25. Audience Hall (p. 61)</span>, through the secret door of <span class="citation">K26. Guards’ Post (p. 61)</span>, through the northern secret door at the foot of <span class="citation">K33. King’s Apartment Stair (p. 64)</span>, and onto the landing of <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span>. * If she meets the players at or near <span class="citation">K23. Servants’ Entrance (p. 59)</span>, Sasha leads them into <span class="citation">K24. Servants’ Quarters (p. 61)</span>, up the stairs to <span class="citation">K34. Servants’ Upper Floor (p. 64)</span>, and through the secret door into <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span>. * If she meets the players on <span class="citation">K46. Parapets (p. 68)</span>, Sasha leads them directly to <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span> > [!abstract]+ **Sasha and the *Sunsword*** > If the players attempt to reassure Sasha with the *Sunsword*, she shudders, her gaze lingering on it longingly before she squeezes her eyes shut. “It’s beautiful," she says dully, “but like all beautiful things in my Master’s domain, it will not survive this night. The true dawn will not come, and its like shall never be seen again." ## U5c. The Heart of Sorrow ### Approaching the Heart The Heart of Sorrow is largely as described in <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span>. However, the spiral staircase doesn’t shake as the players ascend the tower, the halberds don't animate if the players attack the Heart of Sorrow, and no **vampire spawn** arrive if the players attack the Heart. In addition, revise this area’s description as follows: <div class="description"> <p>This tall, cold tower is bathed in a pulsing crimson light. Glowing red runes have been carved into every inch of the tower’s inner walls, which bear a faint crimson sheen.</p> <p>One hundred feet off the ground, the corpse of a night-black horse hovers in the air at the tower’s center. Its leathery hide is carved with hundreds of small, bloody runes, which glimmer with a faint crimson light. Its belly has been cut open from neck to groin, its stomach, heart, and other organs removed from the bloody cavity and placed into the air around it, still connected to the beast by arteries, veins, and bloated tubes of flesh. The entire gruesome display swirls slowly in the air, occasionally crackling with red sparks.</p> <p>Far overhead, at the pinnacle of the hollow tower, an enormous crystal heart pulsates with red light.</p> </div> Players who inspect the dead horse can immediately recognize it as the remains of Strahd’s **nightmare**, Beucephalus. Beucephalus’s remains are protected by a spherical *wall of force*, augmented with a *private sanctum* spell limited to the area protected by the wall. The wall briefly crackles with harmless red sparks if damaged or touched. > [!warning]+ **No Dispelling** > As described in the description of *wall of force*, nothing can physically pass through the wall, it is immune to all damage, can’t be dispelled by *dispel magic*, and extends into the Ethereal Plane. As described in the description of *private sanctum*, nothing can teleport into or out of the warded area. When the players first enter this area, Strahd is in <span class="citation">K60. North Tower Peak (p. 74)</span>. If Sasha didn’t go to greet the players in [[#U5b. Ascending the Keep]], she is standing on the Heart of Sorrow’s fourth-floor landing, just below the stairs leading to the North Tower Peak, waiting for Strahd to return. When the players arrive at the fourth-floor landing, read: <div class="description"> <p>The crystal heart looms above you. It pulses with the regularity of a heartbeat, its depths thrumming with a brilliant scarlet light. The light seems to refract through a sliver of utter darkness, no more than a few inches long, which writhes and twists at the heart’s core, as though in agony.</p> <p>A shroud of shrieking, ethereal souls surrounds the heart, their screams muted to a dull, distant hum. Beneath them, flashes of images dance across the crystalline surface: treetops; snow-capped mountains; a dark-watered lake; rooftops silvered by the Moon’s light far above.</p> </div> Any player who has previously observed an amber sarcophagus in [[Arc S - A Sword of Sunlight]] recognizes the sliver of darkness as an amber vestige. ### Strahd’s Descent Almost immediately after the players arrive at the landing, Strahd descends from the North Tower Peak to meet them. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The sound of footsteps draws your eye to the top of the stairs above. Slowly, moving with a near-inhuman grace, Strahd von Zarovich descends from the chamber beyond.</p> <p>A crimson ruby hangs at his throat, and a gleaming steel sword is sheathed at his side. His long, sharp nails seem bloodstained in the Heart’s scarlet light, and his fangs glint like daggers. Above them, not a shred of life lingers in his eyes—no drop of pride, nor excitement, nor rage. Only death, and quiet darkness, lurk within them.</p> </div> If the players have not previously removed it, and if Sasha is present, Strahd carries with him his father’s crown. Add: <div class="description"> <p>In his hands, Strahd cradles a red silk pillow, which bears a gold crown adorned with diamonds and rubies. It shines in the crimson illumination, seeming to emit a shadowed, malevolent light of its own.</p> </div> Upon descending the stairs fully, Strahd presents Sasha the pillow to hold, which she accepts with trembling hands. Strahd greets the players with a small, hollow smile, with no emotion coloring his voice. If the players do not immediately attack him, their conversation may proceed as follows: * Strahd welcomes the players back to Castle Ravenloft, and congratulates them on their “exploits" across the valley. “You’ve certainly been busy," he notes, raising an eyebrow slightly. * If the players bear the *Sunsword*, Strahd bares his teeth in a cold, mirthless smile. “I see you’ve found half of my brother’s old sword," he says. “I had thought it destroyed long ago, but no matter. Do you mean to enchant me with nostalgia for the past, or do you truly believe that this trinket poses some threat to me?" If the players ask about Beucephalus’s corpse, inquire into Strahd’s plans, or inquire about the crown, he can share any or all of the following information, pausing occasionally to invite the players to “fill in the gaps" and amuse him with their deductions: * Once, Strahd was a conqueror—a man who razed kingdoms and forged an empire of blood and steel. So long as the Mists surround him, however, he can conquer no new lands, nor can he restore the empire he once lost. To escape the Mists, he needed three things: a pacified kingdom, a host of loyal servants, and—most importantly—an escape plan. * When Strahd awoke from his century-long slumber, he found that much had changed. The people of Barovia had forgotten why they feared him, and their burgomasters no longer served him faithfully. His servants and consorts had dispersed across the valley in pursuit of their own schemes and whims, and the Fane of Yester Hill had been stolen by “a mewling witch that believed herself the harbinger of a god." “These things, I knew," he said, “must be addressed." * He moved quickly to reclaim the Forest Fane as his own, restoring its bond to the Heart of Sorrow once more. He bade Rahadin to find staff and attendants for Castle Ravenloft, and to ensure that each of the keep’s occupants served their master’s will. And he summoned his brides and spawn to Castle Ravenloft, commanding them to spread his shadow across the valley once more. He broke the village of Barovia, brought the werewolf pack to heel, and brought his forces to bear against the settlements of Barovia. * Before his slumber, through the reluctant aid of the Vistani seer Madam Eva, Strahd learned of the Grand Conjunction—a time when the barriers between worlds would be thinned, and the energies of the stars aligned. “She is bound to read the fortunes of all who seek them," Strahd says amusedly. “When I awoke, I returned to her to find what Fate required of me to fulfill her ancient foretelling. It must have been Fate, however, that brought me there that day—for it was then that I first encountered a group of strange outsiders to my lands—newcomers whom the old woman had said foretold “the dusk of an era": the end of my imprisonment." * To this end, Strahd crafted an ambitious and dangerous ritual to escape the Mists, using the Heart of Sorrow as its conduit and anchor. (“A curious relic," Strahd observes, eyeing the floating Heart. “It appeared on the day of my resurrection, seemingly forged from the blood I had spilled. I do not doubt it was placed here by my would-be jailers, but it is most ironic that it should become my greatest weapon against them.") Strahd’s ritual has four necessary components: a power source, a control mechanism, a catalyst, and a sacrifice. * Regarding the power source: Strahd’s plan requires a substantial amount of power—far more than he can supply himself. So long as he remains bonded to the Fanes of Barovia, however, he can channel their power directly into the Heart of Sorrow for use in the ritual. Using the Fanes in the ritual will also allow Strahd to bring the valley itself—and all of its inhabitants—along with him to the Material Plane. Given that Barovia was his final conquest and the centerpiece of his power, Strahd will not relinquish it so easily. * Regarding the control mechanism: The raw power of the leylines beneath the Fanes is wild and near-impossible to control. Even as their master, only a token of the Ladies’ divinity can allow Strahd to direct them. Although he initially learned that a child with the blood of the Seeker resided somewhere within the valley, his spies proved unable to locate them in [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana]]—and thus, he was forced to obtain a token of divinity from the Whispering Wall instead in [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem]], sacrificing his **animated armor**—his royal armor, the symbol of his early conquests and might, which he had once enchanted with the aid of the archmage Khazan himself—exchanging a piece of his past for a promise of his future. * Regarding the catalyst: While power and control are all well and good, in order to break through a wall, all good conquerors need a point of attack. To this end, Strahd plans to forge a battering ram capable of piercing through the Mists—a siege weapon forged from the souls of the Barovians themselves. The Mists, as creations of the Dark Powers, are born of apathy, fear, and despair. To escape the Mists without drawing their ire, therefore, Strahd intends to surround the Heart of Sorrow with a shell of wailing, hopeless souls. He believes that, by brutally reasserting his dominion over Barovia, his subjects will lose themselves to fear and despair, darkening their souls to meet his needs. (By consuming the Barovians’ souls, Strahd can also use the energies of his escape to repurpose their soulless husks as undead soldiers, forging a new army for his conquests to come.) * To manipulate the Barovians’ souls, Strahd needed a master in the ways of soul magic—and found one in an innocuous sarcophagus tucked away in the Amber Temple. He extracted the vestige from its prison, containing it in the Heart’s crystalline depths, and extracted the knowledge of soul bondage from its mind. (“It resisted," Strahd remarks, “though not for long.") * Regarding the sacrifice: The energies of the Mists are attuned to darkness. To escape their clutches, Strahd needed to find a suitable replacement—an accursed creature, whose soul is stained with evil—and sacrifice them as his scapegoat, their soul offered to the Dark Powers as bait as Strahd makes his escape. Although Strahd had intended to use Dr. Rudolph van Richten as a sacrifice, he proved similarly unable to locate the vampire hunter, and so sacrificed Beuceaphalus, his **nightmare**, instead. (“Ah, Beucephalus," Strahd croons softly, without a touch of regret to his voice. “The ever-loyal steed. Even into death, he serves me.") Strahd can further share that he did not expect the players to discover the secret of the Fanes, let alone reclaim them from him. “Nevertheless," he says, smiling, “it is fortunate that—how does the saying go? Ah: Each cloud has its silver lining." By becoming the champions of the Fanes, Strahd shares, the players made themselves into conduits for the Fanes’ power—thereby allowing Strahd to access their energies once more. To lure them to him, he needed only bait. He drew upon the power he had stored in the Heart of Sorrow for over a century, then channelled it through the nameless vestige he had plundered from the Amber Temple—which, to his delight, proved “remarkably resonant to the energies of the valley’s leylines." He used this power to plunge Barovia into eternal night, raise the deceased from their graves, and send a plague of undead against Barovia’s settlements—a siege that would end only if Strahd himself were defeated. “It is said that the gods praise the selfless and heroic," Strahd says, flashing his teeth. “I praise them, too—for they are nothing if not predictable, and wonderfully easy to direct." ### Strahd Attacks Combat with Strahd might begin in any one of the following ways: * If the players activate the Sunsword’s radiant blade and refuse to deactivate it so that he and the players can “speak, like civilized individuals," Strahd bares his teeth in a snarl. “A quaint, if futile gesture. Perhaps it is time I taught you a lesson I should have long ago." * If the players attack or invite him to do so, Strahd curls his left hand around the ruby at his neck. “Eager," he hisses, his eyes flashing. “Very well. Let us begin." * If Strahd tires of their conversation or finishes sharing his plan, his eyes flicker toward the unseen sky above, then back to the players. “I have waited nearly four hundred years for this moment," he says. “At last, I shall wait no longer." Before or as combat begins, Strahd commands Sasha to return with his crown to <span class="citation">K60. North Tower Peak (p. 74)</span> to await his summons. If given sufficient time, Strahd strokes her cheek gently, and says: “First of my wives—long have you waited for the day of my triumph. When you return, I shall have dispatched the ones you once thought saviors, and you shall look upon the first night of my everlasting reign." ## U5d. The Final Battle ### The Battle Begins When the final battle begins, read: <div class="description"> <p>A great shudder runs through the keep. The crystal heart pulses with a brilliant, blinding light—and from the mountain below comes a great and terrible rumble, echoing with the groans of crumbling stone. The floor abruptly <em>lurches</em>, then lurches the other way. An awful roar of air batters the tower’s walls, a gale ripping through the skies as lightning splits the clouds. For a moment, you feel as though your weight has doubled—until, in the distance, past the outer walls of the keep, you see it:</p> <p>The mountains are falling—even drifting away.</p> <p>But no—the castle is <em>rising</em>.</p> <p>In the distance, thirteen stars shine across a bloodstained sky.</p> <p>"The time has come," Strahd intones solemnly. “The hour of my deliverance is finally at hand—and this keep shall be the weapon that shatters the chains that bind me."</p> </div> A player who inspects the castle’s surroundings from outside the tower can confirm that the castle has split from the Pillarstone of Ravenloft and is rising into the air. > [!info]+ **Strahd’s Statistics** > See [[Strahd von Zarovich#Strahd’s Tactics|Strahd’s Tactics]] for more information about Strad’s statistics and tactic in battle. > [!info]+ **The Heart of Sorrow** > The Heart of Sorrow can’t be moved and is immune to all damage while Strahd lives. It’s held aloft by the will of Strahd, and isn’t affected by *dispel magic* or similar magic. In addition, it has the following properties while channeling its stores of power: > > ***Sanguine Bond.*** When combat begins, Strahd can cause a spectral network of crimson veins to emanate from the Heart, connecting it to each creature within 100 feet. If a connected creature would deal damage to the Heart, that creature takes that much damage instead. Additionally, on initiative count 20 of each round of combat, Strahd can force any number of connected creatures to succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or have their maximum hit points each reduced by 2 (1d4), or 5 (2d4) if it’s raining blood. If this effect reduces a creature's maximum hit points to 0, the creature dies. > > ***Evil's Heart.*** While he’s connected to the Heart, being in sunlight doesn't cause Strahd to have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. (Strahd still takes radiant damage when he starts his turn in sunlight.) > > In addition, while connected to the Heart, Strahd can use the Heart to take one of the following lair actions on initiative count 20 of each round of combat, depending on his phase: > > ***Baneful Curse (Mage Phase Only)***. Up to three creatures connected to the Heart must make a DC 19 Charisma saving throw. Whenever a target that fails this saving throw makes an attack roll or a saving throw before the start of the Heart's next turn, the target must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from the attack roll or saving throw. > > ***Baleful Command (Soldier Phase Only).*** The Heart telepathically speaks a one-word command to a creature connected to it. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by Strahd until the end of its next turn. While charmed in this way, the target must use its action to follow the command. The target automatically succeeds on the saving throw if the Heart's command is directly harmful to it. > > Arterial Binding (Vampire Phase Only). Up to two creatures connected to the Heart must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be grappled by the Heart (escape DC 19) until initiative count 20 of the next round of combat. > > ***Tower's Fury.*** The tower around the Heart shakes and pitches violently. Any creature on the stairs or hanging on a tower wall must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall to the base of the tower. Creatures with the Spider Climb feature, as well as creatures crawling on the staircase or lying prone on the stairs, succeed automatically. > > Each time Strahd uses one of these lair actions, read: > > --- > > *The Heart’s beat skips, and a small crack appears across its surface. A line of blood weeps from the wound, the light surrounding it flickering, then briefly dimming.* > > --- > > Each crack has AC 15 and 10 hit points, and is immune to psychic and poison damage. If the players reduce a crack to 0 hit points, Strahd takes 20 psychic damage and can’t use the Heart’s lair actions for one round. > > Otherwise, on initiative counts 15, 10, and 5 of each round that Strahd uses one of these lair actions, read or paraphrase: > > --- > > *The Heart’s crack grows smaller, its cascade of blood growing thinner.* > > --- > > The crack vanishes entirely on initiative count 0. > [!info]+ **Unnatural Weather** > When the battle begins, Castle Ravenloft is pelted by light precipitation. When Strahd’s first phase is defeated, this increases to <span class="citation">heavy precipitation (Dungeon Master’s Guide, p. 110)</span>. When Strahd’s second phase is defeated, the precipitation continues, but rains blood instead of water. Strahd begins the battle in his Mage form. While in this phase, Strahd prefers to fight within <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span>, using his *misty step* spell to avoid the reach of melee combatants. ### Visions of Death When Strahd’s Mage phase is reduced to 0 hit points, read the following, modifying the text as necessary to reflect each non-player character’s current status: <div class="description"> <p>Ruby shards scatter across the ancient stones of Castle Ravenloft, catching the faint light of flickering torches. With a wave of his hand, Strahd rips the broken focus from his throat and casts it to the ground. His voice, a low, cold, echo, fills the silence.</p> <p>“Well played—but you’re too late," he says, tone dripping with amusement and scorn. His lips curl into the faintest of smiles. “The end has finally begun."</p> <p>A sickening throb pulses from the Heart of Sorrow through the tendrils that bind you, and your vision swims. For a moment, the castle walls dissolve—and in their place comes a flood of harrowing images intertwining with reality.</p> <p>The visions flicker—and you recognize the village of Barovia, its slouching buildings shrouded in gloom. A chaotic melee fills its streets: villagers wielding axes, swords, and even torches pitchforks as they fight back against the oncoming tide. A flood of undead pushes back from every direction, dozens of the shambling dead throwing themselves forward against the few pockets of resistance. “Fall back!" comes a voice, desperate and hoarse as it cuts through the din of steel and screams. “Fall back!"</p> <p>The vision flickers again, and you see the town of Vallaki, its palisade walls groaning beneath the weight of the oncoming siege. The dead climb atop one another in mounds ten feet high, decaying hands grasping for purchase as the town’s guards try to frantically fight back. The undead lay siege in every direction, from every angle; for every guard that defends the walls, two hordes go ignored, hollow eyes peering down at the bleeding town below. From within the walls, a chorus of screams rings out through the air.</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>. The defenders of Krezk bellow in fury and fear as the undead tide threatens to drown their stone walls. The village’s mighty wooden gates splinter and quake as a pack of decaying direwolves slam against them with all their might. Black arrows fly down through the air, but the beasts press forward, unharmed. Somewhere in the distance, a bell is ringing.</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>. The inside of the Wizard of Wines. Adrian Martikov clutches a sword to his chest—and roars as a pale-skinned ghoul barrels against the door, its poisonous claws reaching for his throat. Ten feet away, Stefania and Dag, their flesh covered in black raven’s feathers, do battle with two others—but each blow brings them one step back. Not far behind them, Claudiu pulls his young siblings close and loads a bolt into his crossbow, his face ashen and hands trembling with fear.</p> <p>Flicker. The towering crater of Soldav—but with no mountain-mist to protect it. Undead spill from the cliff’s walls like a waterfall, pouring forth and tearing through the encampment. Chief Diegia fights at the vanguard, but is soon surrounded by a half-dozen of the dead. With horror, she watches as her people are separated, exhausted, and overwhelmed. “To me!" she howls. “Warriors, to me!"</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>.</p> <p>The stone of Castle Ravenloft returns. Strahd smiles, but there is no joy in it—only quiet satisfaction. His ruby clasp removed, the cape falls from his back and collapses onto the ground. With a practiced ease, he draws his longsword from its sheath, its cruel edge glinting with anticipation.</p> <p>“You wish to dance?" he says. “Then let us dance."</p> </div> In his Soldier phase, Strahd moves freely between <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span> and <span class="citation">K57. Tower Roof (p. 72)</span>, though he prefers to linger upon <span class="citation">K58. Bridge (p. 73)</span> and use his ***longsword*** and ***thunderous wave*** features to push players off of the bridge onto <span class="citation">K53. Rooftop (p. 71)</span>. > [!info]+ **Ascending the Walls** > A character attempting to ascend or descend the exterior walls of <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span> or <span class="citation">K57. Tower Roof (p. 72)</span> must make a DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check. If the check succeeds, the character moves at half speed up or down the wall, as desired. On a check result of 8-16, the character neither gains nor loses ground; on a result of 5 or less, the character falls and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen, landing prone on the rooftop below. ### Visions of Life When Strahd’s Soldier phase is reduced to 0 hit points, read the following, modifying the text as necessary to reflect each non-player character’s current status: <div class="description"> <p>With a thunderous shriek, Strahd’s sword shatters into pieces, sending echoes that reverberate off the castle walls. Strahd eyes the broken hilt with disgust, and lets it slip from his grasp. He turns to you and sneers.</p> <p>“You fight well," he says, his voice hollow and cold. His nostrils pull back, becoming batlike slits; his claws grow longer, and his fangs even sharper. His eyes glint with crimson light. “But your doom is nigh, and your friends have surely fallen."</p> <p>He raises a hand—and snaps his fingers.</p> <p>The world flickers once more.</p> <p>You’re back in Soldav. The icy mists roil, and blood stains the snow. There’s no sign of Diegia—and the Mountain Folk have fallen back. Corpses litter the crater in every direction. In the distance, you can see the battle raging on.</p> <p>And then—the frontline opens, and a new band of warriors marches forth.</p> <p>Diona, mounted upon a mighty elk, raises her stone spear in the air and bellows defiance. Beside and towering above them, the ethereal form of Chief Kavan, mounted upon a ghostly giant elk of his own, leads a train of whooping spirits marching forward. Bestial spirits—a giant bear, an enormous eagle, and ravenous wolf—raze the undead before them as Chief Diegia raises a rallying cry. Overhead, a sky-splitting shriek pierces the air—and the great shadow of the roc of Mount Ghakis plunges through the clouds.</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>. The Wizard of Wines returns—and the Martikovs are no longer alone. Gleaming shades, clad in shining mail, step forth from the shadows to rend the grotesque horde. The wereravens crow with gleeful defiance as two radiant spirits—the familiar forms of Vladimir Horngaard and Sir Godfrey Gwilym—fight side-by-side, leading the Order of the Silver Dragon to battle once more.</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>. The stone walls of Kezk—and a lone figure soaring high above the fray. With a note of purity and grace, the Abbot plunges from the sky, his wings shining with divine light. His radiant mace cleaves through the undead masses as, below, the Belviews rip and tear with ferocious tenacity. An undead direwolf roars and stumbles back as two massive wolves, their eyes alight with human intelligence, tackle it to the ground.</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>. Grim-faced figures, their blades burning with baneful fire, begin to turn back the lurching tide. Fiona Wachter stands above them, commanding their fury with deadly precision. Father Lucian stands beside her, a storm of swirling suns filling the air around them as the arrows of the dusk elves fall like a black cloud to meet their victims far below.</p> <p>You hear a child’s voice cut through the chaos—“The northern gate! It’s about to fall!"—and see Arabelle not far away, Luvash and Arrigal destroying any shadow that dares step too close. As her warning rings through the air, a pair of cloaked figures take to the skies—and Victor Vallakovich and Kasimir Velikov begin to rain fire down upon the monsters below.</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>. The villagers of Barovia fight fiercely from their barricades—and Dr. Rudolph van Richten shouts orders from the vanguard. As his blade cleaves an elegant dance, rusted nails and broken boards whirl through the air in an unseen wind, the spirit of Erasmus van Richten flickering through the streets. At the backlines, Father Donavich kneels before the wounded, his hands alight with golden life as Doru, fangs bared and claws outstretched, cuts down undead with fierce abandon.</p> <p>And then, as Ismark fights his way forward beside them, a shimmering, spectral figure joins the fray: the spirit of Sergei von Zarovich, his armor and sword shining like the sun. “To arms!" Ismark shouts, his deep voice ringing across the din. “For light! For freedom! For Barovia!"</p> <p><em>Flicker</em>. <em>Flicker</em>. <em>Flicker</em>. The visions blur together, forming a seamless whole. A radiant beacon that shines with glorious hope. Three shrines that shake with vengeful joy. A land that has heard your call, again and again—and listened.</p> <p>The visions melt away—and the castle returns once more.</p> <p>Strahd’s sneer has given way to a snarl, his face stony and cold. “This changes nothing," he whispers—and throws himself forward like a beast.</p> </div> In his Vampire phase, Strahd prefers to fight on and around <span class="citation">K57. Tower Roof (p. 72)</span>, using his ***night’s retreat*** to cling to its exterior walls before returning to the fray. ## U5e. The Collapsing Castle When Strahd dies, read: <div class="description"> <p>Strahd stiffens, then staggers back. A shudder seems to go through him, followed by a flash of surprise. Surprise turns to rage, and the keep trembles with fury, shaking dust from the ceiling until—finally—Strahd’s burning hatred melts away, replaced at last with relief.</p> <p>"It is strange," he whispers, “how the nothingness seems to go on forever."</p> <p>The dark orbs of his eyes wither and sink into his skull as his corpse deteriorates before you, his limbs, then his torso, crumbling to ash. In a matter of moments, only bones, dust, and noble garb remain.</p> <p>Strahd von Zarovich, the dark lord of Barovia, is dead and gone.</p> </div> One round after Strahd dies, read: <div class="description"> <p>The shroud of souls around the crystalline heart dissipates. Blood pours from the heart’s surface, its light flickering, then extinguishing as its crystalline mass melts away. The crimson light that illuminated the keep dims, then vanishes, leaving the tower a hollow, empty husk.</p> <p>The floor of the keep trembles—then lurches. For a moment, you feel near-weightless—then the sensation comes again as a terrible, deep <em>groan</em> echoes through the tower.</p> <p>Beyond the walls of the keep, you see it: the peaks of the mountains are rising once more.</p> <p>And the castle is falling.</p> </div> If any players remain on <span class="citation">K57. Tower Roof (p. 72)</span> or <span class="citation">K58. Bridge (p. 73)</span>, add: <div class="description"> <p>The sound of wings draws your eye to the east, where, in the distance, a black cloud steadily grows on the horizon. It’s only as it approaches that you realize that it’s a flock of hundreds of ravens—led by a single, blue-winged raven at their head.</p> </div> The blue-winged raven is Muriel Vinshaw, joined by twenty **swarms of ravens**. In the rounds after the castle begins to fall, the following events occur: * On initiative count 20 of the first round, the castle lurches again, forcing each creature standing upon it that isn’t anchored to a surface to succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall prone and slide 10 feet to the south. If a creature would fall off the edge of the keep in this way, it can catch itself by succeeding on a DC 10 Strength or Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature is caught instead by Sasha Ivliskova, who sensed Strahd’s death and emerged to aid them. * On initiative count 20 of the second round, the castle plummets 10 feet, forcing each creature standing upon it that isn’t anchored to a surface to fall 10 feet, take 1d6 bludgeoning damage, and fall prone. If she hasn’t already emerged from <span class="citation">K60. North Tower Peak (p. 74)</span>, Sasha Ivliskova descends the wall into <span class="citation">K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59)</span> using her ***spider climb***, but cries out when she’s hit by and pinned to the fourth-floor landing beneath a large chunk of rubble. (The rubble has AC 17, 10 hit points, immunity to poison, psychic, necrotic, and piercing damage, and resistance to fire damage. A player can also lift the rubble by succeeding on a DC 18 Strength check.) * On initiative count 20 of the third round, the castle, as well as any creatures standing upon it, fall 500 feet toward the Svalich Wood below. * On initiative count 20 of the fourth round, the castle, as well as any creatures standing upon it, fall 500 feet and crash in the Svalich Wood below. When this occurs, each creature still in or on the castle takes 242 (44d10) bludgeoning damage. If the players beckon to Muriel or otherwise catch the flock’s attention, the ravens arrive on initiative count 0 of the second round of combat, descending to carry the players—and any other characters they designate—away. (Although initially reluctant to take Sasha, Muriel is easily convinced to do so.) # U6. The Sun Rises The players and Muriel’s ravens can most safely land on the cliff that once held the western edge of Castle Ravenloft’s drawbridge, which has now fallen into the chasm between the cliff and the Pillarstone of Ravenloft. After returning to her human form, Muriel can share the following information: * Urwin sent her to gather raven allies in the eastern Svalich Woods, anticipating that “something bad" might happen soon. * After sending her first wave of ravens to Vallaki, Muriel received a report of undead massing on the western road, and immediately led the second wave westward herself, hoping to arrive before any fighting occurred. * Upon seeing the castle floating in the sky, she guided the flock toward it, concerned about what it might mean. (“I may not know much," she says, chuckling tiredly. “But I *do* know that castles aren’t supposed to fly.") If rescued, Sasha is deeply grateful to the players for doing so. Shortly after the players land, read: <div class="description"> <p>Thick clouds fill the sky. Through the chilly mists, the land of Barovia is visible far below. There is peacefulness here. Rest has come to the valley for the first time you can remember.</p> <p>In the distance, the clouds begin to thin—and then, a single shaft of molten gold breaks the shadowed grey. It is followed by a second, then a third—and the clouds suddenly break open, letting shafts of perfect sunlight flood through.</p> <p>In the valley below, now bathed in the light of a glorious sunrise, the mists dissolve, the ashen husks of the Svalich Wood and the pale grey of the River Ivlis turning to greens, blues, reds, and yellows so deep and filled with life that they seem to burn, an inferno of vivid and beautiful color that takes your breath away.</p> <p>You can barely remember how long you’ve been in Barovia. Only now do you realize that you’d nearly forgotten what beauty looked like.</p> <p>You feel the wind sweep through your hair—no longer stagnant and cold, but warm, as for a moment, autumn’s icy chill recedes.</p> <p>Far below, in the tiny village of Barovia, you think you can see tiny figures stirring—moving through the streets, congregating, looking like so many ants from this far above.</p> <p>In the distance, you think you can hear music—at first of mortal instruments, then joined by a trio of ethereal female voices, ancient and serene and proud, intertwining with a fierceness and joy that you can scarcely comprehend.</p> <p>And then—all is quiet. All is whole. All is peace.</p> </div> If Sasha is present, shortly after the sun rises, read: <div class="description"> <p>As the sun crests the eastern mountains, its rays pierce like golden arrows through the sky. The warm breeze sweeps across the clifftop, casting Sasha’s tattered veil aside and dancing through her hair.</p> <p>"It’s magnificent," she whispers—and, as flames wreathe her dress and her form dissolves into ash, smiles in long-awaited relief. With a contented sigh, she slowly exhales—and then she’s gone, dust carried away on the wind.</p> </div> ***Milestone.*** Defeating Strahd completes the final campaign milestone. When the sun rises, award each player 25,000 XP. > [!tip] You've Reached the End of the Mists > You’ve reached the end of the current public release of the *Curse of Strahd: Reloaded* guide. > > To get a sneak peek at drafts for the guide's Epilogue, revisions of published arcs, and the optional downtime arc ***Arc N - Tales of Vallaki***, support the guide by joining the author’s [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/DragnaCarta)!