_An adventure for five 8th-level characters._ In this arc, after learning that the dusk elf Kasimir Velikov knows the location of the Amber Temple after lighting Argynvost's beacon in [[Arc Q - A Shining Beacon]], the players must recruit Kasimir to their cause and traverse the treacherous Tsolenka Pass as they ascend toward the snowy peak of Mt. Ghakis. As their journey unfolds, however, a wrathful Strahd—now determined to turn the players into vampire spawn—calls down blizzards, avalanches, and monsters to test their resolve and exhaust their strength. The players’ sole respite arrives in the form of Soldav, the hidden refuge of the Mountain Folk. There, the players learn that Strahd has desecrated the three Fanes of the valley—the Forest Fane of Yester Hill, the Swamp Fane in Berez, and the Mountain Fane near Old Bonegrinder—and, in doing so, claimed their power as his own. Should the players survive the final leg of their journey, they emerge before the great facade of the Amber Temple. Each night as they rest, however, Strahd pays them a personal visit, hoping to drain a victim’s blood and bring them closer to the abyss of vampirism. Can the players stop Strahd’s dark plans—or will one of them find themselves eternally chained to the grave? # R1. Recruiting Kasimir Upon learning from the spirit of Sir Godfrey in [[Arc Q - A Shining Beacon#Q6c. Argynvost’s Return|Arc Q - A Shining Beacon]] that the dusk elf Kasimir knows the location of the Amber Temple, the players can find Kasimir in his hovel at the Vallakian Vistani encampment, which is as described in [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana|#E2. The Vistani Camp|Arc E - The Missing Vistana]]. > [!info]+ **Kasimir’s Spellbook** > Kasimir’s spellbook largely contains the spells described in <span class="citation">N9a. Kasimir’s Hovel (p. 121)</span>. However, remove *polymorph*, *counterspell*, *suggestion*, *nondetection*, and *fly* from the spells in his spellbook. When the players first arrive, Kasimir is drinking tea and reading a book titled *The Crags of Mount Ghakis* by Finderway Ulbrek. If the players knock on the door, Kasimir marks his page, places it on his meditation map by the fireplace, and goes to greet them. When he answers the door, the players can observe that Kasimir’s [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana#E2c. Kasimir’s Hovel|black eye and cuts]] appear to have healed, though a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 15 or greater notices that Kasimir seems to be in a gloomy, melancholic mood. His prior mood notwithstanding, however, Kasimir brightens at the players’ appearance and warmly invites them inside, promising to brew a fresh batch of tea as they talk. > [!abstract]+ **Kasimir’s Mood** > If asked about his mood, Kasimir claims that he has merely suffered poor visions during his meditations as of late. "Old memories," he adds, wincing slightly. This is a lie; a player who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check observes that Kasimir appeared to hesitate for a moment before answering. In truth, Kasimir is depressed because he fears that he will never conquer Mt. Ghakis’s slopes and reach the Amber Temple. > [!lore]+ **Kasimir, Patrina, and the Amber Temple** > More than four hundred years ago, before King Barov von Zarovich II—Strahd’s father—and Rahadin invaded and crushed the dusk elf principality of Othrondil, Kasimir was a scribe in the court of the dusk elf prince Erevan Löwenhart, his uncle. Kasimir’s elder sister, Patrina, was Erevan’s court **mage** and Kasimir’s arcane tutor. > > When King Barov’s armies swept into the Forest of Twilight and subjugated the dusk elf people, Kasimir and Patrina lost their homes, positions, and many members of their family, including their uncle. Though Kasimir urged his sister to make peace with their fate, Patrina’s rage simmered. When Barov died and was succeeded by his son, Strahd, Patrina joined the rebellion against him, determined to drive the invaders out of her homeland. > > Strahd, however, crushed the dusk elf rebellion brutally and swiftly, leaving the survivors to the Vistani as described in <span class="citation">Kasimir Velikov (p. 232)</span>. Kasimir again attempted to comfort a despondent Patrina, but to no avail. > > After the siblings arrived in the valley, it wasn’t long before Patrina caught whisperings of the Amber Temple—a place of ancient magic and great, but terrible power. Unable to reach the Temple due to the protection of the Order of the Silver Dragon, however, she bided her time and kept the Temple’s existence a secret from Kasimir, her rage smoldering but never going out. > > It was, ironically, Strahd’s conquest of Barovia and slaughter of the Order of the Silver Dragon that freed Patrina to investigate the Amber Temple at last, several months after the dusk elves had first arrived in the valley. After slipping away from the dusk elf encampment in secret, she braved the slopes of Mt. Ghakis and fought her way to the Temple’s great facade. There, she became the apprentice of Exethanter, the spirit of an **archmage** that once led the secret order of wizards that first raised the Temple. > > Patrina spent two years in Exethanter’s tutelage, devouring every ounce of knowledge and power he could bequeath to her. The speed of her education, however, proved insufficient; determined to obtain enough power to lay waste to Strahd’s kingdom, Patrina turned to the dark arts, studying forbidden tomes sealed away in Exethanter’s library against his express commands. It wasn’t long before she began to commune with the vestige of Tenebrous that dwelled in the Temple’s amber vault, seeking the secrets of lichdom. > > When Exethanter discovered Patrina’s treachery, he attempted to banish her from the Temple—but she had grown far more powerful than he. Patrina bound his spirit in amber, sealing it away for as long as she lived. With her mentor now imprisoned, Patrina set about remaking the Amber Temple in her own image, raising the skulls of long-dead wizards as **flameskulls** bound to her service and binding the **amber golems** that dwelled in its halls to her will. > > As the construction of Castle Ravenloft concluded to the east, Patrina found herself drawn to a new vision: one in which she, not Strahd, ruled the empire he had claimed, with the dusk elves exalted above all others in repayment of the suffering they had endured. She devised a cunning scheme: She would lure Strahd himself to the Temple, filling his aging human mind with promises of immortality, and offer him an opportunity to pursue the dark gift of lichdom alongside her. In exchange, Strahd would make her his queen, sharing with her the power he had claimed in his father’s name. > > Though Patrina would promise to train him in the ways of magic, honing his skills until the necessary rituals lay within his reach, she—as Exethanter had once done to her—would never truly conclude his education. Instead, in a scant thirty years—or even fewer, with a little "help"—Strahd von Zarovich would die in his bed, a withered and old human man. Patrina, an ageless dusk elf still in the prime of her life, would claim his throne as her own—and so a new dynasty would begin. > > To Patrina’s delight, Strahd appeared intrigued by her offer and, following a series of lessons in the magical arts, at last accompanied her to the Amber Temple. As he marveled at the power it contained, she grew confident that her plan was within reach. Under her watchful eye, Strahd communed with the vestige of Tenebrous, there beholding the dark gift of lichdom for the first time. As Patrina and Strad departed the Temple, Patrina assured him that, beneath her tutelage, he would one day grow powerful enough to claim Tenebrous’s dark gift as his own. > > Their lessons continued until the day of Sergei’s wedding, when Strahd bathed Castle Ravenloft in blood and ascended from death as a vampire. Struggling to plot a path forward, Patrina returned at last to the dusk elf encampment by Vallaki. There, she reunited with Kasimir, though she stubbornly refused to discuss her whereabouts across the past several years. > > Realizing that her plot to entrap Strahd with promises of immortality was no longer within reach, Patrina devised a final, desperate plan: she would return to Strahd’s court and seek to woo him outright. As she did, she would pursue the path of lichdom in secret, relying upon her magical might to defend herself from Strahd’s predations until she could craft a phylactery and potion of transformation. Once she had gained his trust and won the keys to his defenses, she would reveal her true, undead form—and destroy him. > > Gritting her teeth at the need for obeisance in the face of Strahd’s dark ascension, Patrina returned to Castle Ravenloft, gradually winning her way back into his good graces. Meanwhile, she continued her research in secret in a subterranean laboratory beneath her cottage in the dusk elf encampment. When Strahd sent Sergei’s *Brightblade* to the archmage Khazan to be destroyed, Patrina charmed Khazan’s apprentice and bade him to steal the weapon for her own purposes. Though the apprentice succeeded in stealing only the hilt, Patrina turned it into a lich’s phylactery, then sealed it away in a demiplane conjured within the amber sarcophagus of the vestige of the Vampyr. (The apprentice, Patrina disposed of swiftly, leaving his corpse for the wolves to ensure that word of her treachery never reached Strahd’s ears.) > > Yet Patrina’s final scheme never came to fruition. When Kasimir learned from a Vistani acquaintance that Patrina had not only become a consort of Strahd’s, but had in fact served as his arcane tutor for nearly a year before, he grew enraged at her evident betrayal. He stormed into her cottage, determined to confront her—and found, by Patrina’s arrogant negligence, the hidden entrance to her arcane laboratory below. Though Patrina had never dreamed that her fellow dusk elves might investigate her household, Kasimir now wandered amidst her trappings of black magic with a dawning horror. > > It was on the deepest floor of Patrina’s lair that Kasimir found the remnants of her most vile act: the corpses of seven kidnapped and tortured Vallakians, their disemboweled entrails used to craft the potion of transformation. It was there that Kasimir found Patrina’s notes, written in a royal cipher that only the two of them still remembered, that spoke of the potion’s true nature. And it was there that Kasimir found Patrina herself, mere minutes away from imbibing the potion and ascending to lichdom. > > Horrified by what he had found, Kasimir demanded Patrina surrender herself and face justice. Patrina feigned contrition—but when she attacked Kasimir with dark magic, Kasimir struck back, weaving the same spells she had taught him long ago. > > Patrina was by far the more powerful mage—but with much of her magic bound up in the potion of transformation, it was Kasimir who had the advantage. When the battle was done, Patrina’s laboratory lay in ruins—and Patrina herself lay dead on the floor. > > Patrina’s soul, however, lived on. Instead of falling to the Barovian cycle of reincarnation, her spirit was drawn to the phylactery she had crafted mere weeks ago, sealed within the broken hilt of Sergei’s *brightblade*. Without the potion of transformation, however, she was unable to manifest a body, remaining trapped within the demiplane she had forged. > > Kasimir collapsed Patrina’s laboratory and buried the Vallakians she had murdered. Determined to protect his sister’s once-sterling legacy, Kasimir told his people a half-truth: that she had become a consort of Strahd’s, and he had slain her to prevent her from becoming a vampire. When Kasimir’s tale reached Strahd’s ears, however, Strahd had no choice but to punish this dusk elf who claimed to have defied him—and sent Rahadin to execute the slaughter of every dusk elf woman and child amidst the encampment that had defied him. > > Centuries passed. Strahd, craving release from the Mists, returned time after time to the Amber Temple—and soon discovered Exethanter’s lingering presence within its ancient library. Though he did not free Exethanter from Patrina’s bindings, Strahd summoned his spirit many times to discuss the nature of Barovia’s imprisonment and the means by which the land might be freed. Though he initially proved reluctant to assist a bearer of the Vampyr’s dark gift, Exethanter soon agreed to assist Strahd’s "theoretical" research—both because he found the work fascinating, and because he was desperate to escape the stasis that Patrina had left him in, if only for a few days at a time. > > More than four hundred years after her death, Patrina felt the Grand Conjunction approaching from her place in the Amber Temple. Having eavesdropped on Strahd’s conversations with Exethanter, she strongly suspected that her best chance to escape her prison was approaching—as well as a golden opportunity to claim Strahd’s power over the Fanes while his attention lay elsewhere. > > Patrina sent Kasimir a dream: a vision of the Amber Temple, a promise of vengeance against Strahd, and a path to the amber sarcophagus where salvation purportedly lay. She sent him whispers of contrition and shame, as described in <span class="citation">Kasimir Velikov (p. 232)</span>, and vowed that she merely wished to avenge the deaths of her sisters that had perished at Rahadin’s treacherous hands. As proof of her goodwill, Patrina told him of a map case, hidden away in the ruins of Argynvostholt, whose contents would lead him to the Temple’s long-lost location. > > Though Kasimir remained suspicious of Patrina’s motives, Strahd’s vengeance against the village of Barovia disturbed and alarmed him. With his sister’s dream weighing heavily on his mind, Kasimir journeyed to Argynvostholt, where he found Sir Godfrey Gwilym chained amidst the manor’s ruined chapel. > > Sir Godfrey warned Kasimir against meddling with the Temple’s evil—but his words fell on deaf ears. Leaving Sir Godfrey behind, Kasimir soon located the map Patrina had told him of. With Strahd’s darkness rapidly spreading once more across the valley, Kasimir set off for the slopes of Mt. Ghakis to reach Patrina’s promised vengeance. > > The journey, however, proved to be more than Kasimir could take. The first time, a wayward blizzard turned him back; the second, the **vrocks** of the Tsolenka Pass gatehouse drove him to crash amidst a snow bluff in an icy chasm. As described in [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana#E2c. Kasimir’s Hovel|Arc E - The Missing Vistana]], Kasimir returned to his home in pain and shame, desperate to find a way to reach a goal that lay tantalizingly out of reach. Kasimir is glad to make small talk with the players while he prepares their tea. In particular, Kasimir was astounded by the lighting of the beacon of Argynvostholt in [[Arc Q - A Shining Beacon]], and is fascinated to learn that the players were responsible for its appearance. (A lump rising in his throat, Kasimir glances in the beacon’s direction and says softly: "Looking at it, I felt something that I hadn’t in a long, long time, though I couldn’t say quite what." If a player suggests "hope" or any similar emotion as what Kasimir felt, he pauses for a moment, then chuckles, replying, "I suppose it was. Strange, perhaps, that it should be such an unfamiliar feeling.") > [!abstract]+ **Kasimir’s Gratitude** > If he hasn’t encountered the players since meeting them [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana]] and is aware that Arabelle has been reunited with Luvash, Kasimir thanks them for their efforts in doing so. "I regret that I was unable to investigate the ring’s history myself," he adds. "Did it ultimately prove useful in finding her?" If Kasimir isn’t aware of Arabelle’s fate, he asks the players what became of their efforts to find her. (Kasimir asks these questions not out of a desire to pry, but out of a sense of kinship to the Vistani and a genuine interest in Arabelle’s safety.) > > If Lady Fiona Wachter has become the burgomaster of Vallaki following [[Arc F - Lady Wachter's Wish]] or [[Arc G - The Strazni Siblings]], Kasimir notes, as the conversation unfolds, that he is grateful that the town’s new leadership has opened its gates to the Vistani and dusk elves once again. "Even so," he muses mournfully, "it has been many years since I last visited Vallaki. I imagine none of the friends I once had there still live today. Perhaps even their children and grandchildren have passed as well." If any player asks him about the Amber Temple or his visit to Argynvostholt, however, a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 10 or greater notices Kasimir immediately stiffens. He is willing to share the following information: * ***If asked about Argynvostholt.*** Kasimir claims he recently found himself in the vicinity of Argynvostholt while assisting in the search for Arabelle. However, he took refuge in the manor for the reasons described in <span class="citation">Q11. Wine Storage (p. 133)</span>. "I do recall speaking with one of the knights there to ask whether he had seen her," he says, his brow furrowing. "It had been some time since I had last encountered the Order of the Silver Dragon, so our conversation may have wandered down other paths. I can’t recall which other specific topics we discussed, however." (This is a lie. A player who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check discerns that Kasimir is sweating slightly, his eyes occasionally darting to the side as he speaks.) * ***If asked about the existence of the Amber Temple.*** Kasimir pauses in mock-thought, then shares that the Amber Temple was once rumored, according to legend, to guard "secrets hidden in amber." "No one has ever seen it, however," he adds with a wry laugh. "Some legends are just legends, I suppose." (This is a lie. A player who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check discerns that Kasimir’s voice trembles slightly as he speaks, and that he seems to be avoiding making eye contact.) * ***If asked about his interest in the Amber Temple.*** Kasimir chuckles, then asks whether the players have acquired an interest in "dusty old legends." "I’m afraid I have no knowledge of what you’re talking about," he insists. "I don’t think I’ve heard anyone mention that particular myth in centuries." (This is a lie. A player who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check discerns that Kasimir’s chuckle is more nervous than mirthful, and that his hands are trembling as he speaks.) > [!lore]+ **Kasimir’s Reluctance** > Kasimir is reluctant to share his knowledge of or interest in the Amber Temple for the following reasons: > > * ***Fear of Judgment.*** The Amber Temple, to those who are aware of the legend of its existence, is often associated with dark magic and evil powers. Kasimir prefers to keep his interest in the Temple secret to avoid being labeled a dark wizard—or, worse, attracting the attention of unsavory individuals who might crave its power for their own dark designs. > * ***Fear of Tarnishing Patrina’s Legacy.*** When Kasimir killed Patrina four centuries ago, he intentionally concealed the truth of her fall from grace in order to preserve her legacy as an intellectual leader of the dusk elves and an indomitable fighter for their freedom. Now, Kasimir dares not reveal the truth of her descent into dark magic, or her associations with the Amber Temple, for fear of tarnishing her legacy forever. > * ***Fear of Shame.*** Kasimir believes that his lie led to the death of "every wife, mother, sister, and daughter" among the dusk elves’ people. Though he would take back his lie in a heartbeat if doing so would bring back those they lost, he knows that doing so is impossible—and, unconsciously, believes that exposing the lie now would render Rahadin’s genocide of his people "all for nothing." Such a revelation, he believes unconsciously, would make their deaths meaningless—and confirm him as the true cause of his people’s slaughter. > * ***Fear of Guilt.*** Though his first three fears are predominantly responsible for his reluctance to speak truthfully, Kasimir also believes that the task Patrina has given him is his weight alone to bear. Though he knows the slopes of Mt. Ghakis are dangerous—and the Temple itself even moreso—Kasimir is unwilling to place more deaths on his conscience by permitting or inviting the players to accompany him. As the players work to convince Kasimir to reveal the truth, secretly place a six-sided die (persuasion die) on the table out of the players’ view. Set the die’s starting value as follows: * If the players have already told Kasimir that Sir Godfrey told them of his interest in the Amber Temple, start the die at three. * Otherwise, start the die at one. Increment the die as follows: * Increase the die’s value by three if the players point out Kasimir’s injuries and frostbite from [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana#E2c. Kasimir’s Hovel|Arc E - The Missing Vistana]] and note that the Amber Temple is located on Mt. Ghakis. (If this doesn’t cause the persuasion die to reach six, Kasimir stammers that he was merely investigating the mountain for magical components, but was caught in a sudden blizzard and "foolishly fell from a cliff while attempting to make his way through the storm." This is an obvious lie. If the players subsequently recall that Kasimir’s story contradicts his previous story from [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana#E2c. Kasimir’s Hovel|Arc E - The Missing Vistana]] (i.e., that he had been hiking across Mount Ghakis in search of something of personal significance, but fell when the frozen bluff he’d been walking on crumbled beneath his weight), increase the persuasion die to six). * Increase the die’s value by two if the players share that Madam Eva foretold that the Amber Temple holds a weapon necessary to defeat Strahd. If the players mention that the weapon is a "sword of sunlight," increase the die’s value by three instead, and allow the players to make all subsequent Charisma (Persuasion) checks to convince Kasimir with advantage. (If this doesn’t cause the persuasion die to reach six, Kasimir stutters that such a weapon would be "an incredible boon" if found, but that Strahd is far too powerful for a single weapon to defeat him, and that even Madam Eva’s vision can sometimes be clouded. This is an obvious deflection. If the players subsequently mention their heist of Castle Ravenloft and their multiple defeats of Strahd’s brides and/or chamberlain, increase the persuasion die to six.) * Increase the die’s value by two if the players mention (for the first time) that Sir Godfrey told them of Kasimir’s interest in the Amber Temple. * Increase the die’s value by two if the players mention the lighting of Argynvostholt’s beacon, beseech Kasimir to follow that feeling of hope, and succeed on a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. * Increase the die’s value by one if the players insist that they must find the Amber Temple for an important purpose and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, made with advantage if Kasimir is aware that the players reunited Arabelle with her family. * Otherwise, increase the die’s value by three if the players make any other strong argument, by two if the players make any other decent argument and succeed on a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion, Deception, or Intimidation) check, or make a fair argument and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion, Deception, or Intimidation) check. Each time the persuasion die’s value increases, a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 10 or more notices that Kasimir hesitates longer each time he replies, his protests growing weaker as he appears to more seriously debate how to respond. (The players can readily surmise that their efforts are wearing Kasimir’s will down, and that he might break if pushed further.) Kasimir is willing to share his true interest in the Amber Temple once the persuasion die reaches six. When it does, he can share the following information at the players’ request: * He has been searching for the Amber Temple for the past several weeks, in the hopes of finding therein a weapon capable of defeating Strahd. (He doesn’t know what the weapon is, but he knows that it was hidden in the Amber Temple.) * He recently visited Argynvostholt in the hopes of obtaining a map to the Amber Temple’s location, which he successfully recovered from an old map case long-since forgotten amidst the ruins. (He has since committed the map to memory and destroyed it, for fear of allowing any others to find the Temple.) * Since obtaining the map, he has attempted the trek up Mt. Ghakis twice. The first time, a wayward blizzard forced him to turn back. The second time, a pair of demonic gargoyles at the Tsolenka Pass gatehouse drove him to crash amidst a snow bluff in an icy chasm. (This crash occurred two days before the players encountered Kasimir in [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana]].) "The weapon I search for was hidden away within a sarcophagus of amber," Kasimir says, "in an amber vault concealed deep within the heart of the temple. Until now, however, I have despaired at even reaching the temple’s gates—let alone piercing whatever horrors might dwell within." (Kasimir doesn’t know what the weapon is or looks like; only that it is deadly to Strahd.) If the players ask Kasimir how he learned of the weapon or who hid it, Kasimir can share the following information: * The weapon was hidden four centuries ago by his sister, Patrina Velikovna, who concealed it in a place where "Strahd would fear to tread." (Kasimir doesn’t know what this means, but doesn’t believe that it refers to the Amber Temple itself—rather, he feels it refers to some location *within* or *accessible from* the Temple. "According to Patrina," Kasimir notes, "the Amber Temple itself was a place that Strahd knew well.") * In the wake of Strahd’s punishment of the rebellious village of Barovia, Patrina’s spirit reached out to Kasimir in his dreams and told him of the weapon, warning him that, without it, all of Barovia might perish beneath Strahd’s shadow. > [!abstract]+ **What Patrina Knew** > If the players ask Kasimir how Patrina learned of the weapon, how she knew of the Amber Temple, or why she hid the weapon there, or ask Kasimir why he lied about his interest in the Amber Temple, Kasimir hesitates, then tells the players that he will answer their questions once they set off on their journey. It is, he adds, a "*very* long story." With his secret revealed, Kasimir is glad to guide the players to the Amber Temple if asked. (If the players don’t ask him to do so, he asks whether they might be willing to accompany him there, given that they seem to share a mutual interest in investigating it.) If Kasimir and the players agree to travel to the Amber Temple together, Kasimir advises them to obtain cold-weather clothing from Vallaki and stock up on any supplies they might need for the journey ahead. "We may well be gone for multiple days," he says, "and I cannot speak to what darkness we may find within the Temple itself. I would advise you to be prepared for anything." He instructs the players to inform him once they are ready to leave, noting that their party will set out at first light on the morning after they do. # R2. The Tyrant’s Descent As the players make their way from the Vistani encampment to Vallaki or the Old Svalich Road, they pass through a wooded crossroad. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The grassy hill that houses the dusk-elf hamlet and Vistani encampment recedes into the distance as the gnarled canopy of the Svalich Wood swallows it up once again. The muddy, faded hunter’s trail continues north, pushing through the dense foliage.</p> <p>As the northern treeline comes into view, the hunter’s trail splits, the eastern branch meandering further into the woods while the northern branch curves toward the pale thread of the Old Svalich Road in the distance. The air here is cool and quiet, with nothing but the rustling of leaves to fill the silence.</p> </div> ## R2a. The Baron’s Revenge If Baron Vargas Vallakovich is alive, Lady Fiona Wachter is the current burgomaster of Vallaki, and the players made no efforts to conceal their travel to the Vistani encampment, a drunken Vargas and six **guards** attempt to corner the players on the road. Add: <div class="description"> <p>The stillness is broken by the crunching of wet mulch beneath boots. Seven mud-stained figures emerge from the eastern trail, their faces dark and stony. Six bear spears and crossbows, their chests decorated with the familiar rusted mail of the Vallakian guard. The seventh, you recognize instantly: Baron Vargas Vallakovich.</p> <p>The Baron does not seem to have endured his retirement well. His greasy hair is unkempt, and his clothes are unwashed and haggard. His jowls have grown only looser, and deep, puffy circles mark the flesh beneath his eyes, just above the coarse, messy stubble that lines his jaws and chin. He wears an ill-fitting breastplate, with an unpolished scabbard tied to his hip. Even from a distance, he reeks of sweat and stale wine.</p> <p>"There they are," Vargas rasps, his bloodshot eyes twitching. "The treacherous <em>vermin</em>."</p> </div> > [!lore]+ **Vargas’s Revenge** > In the wake of Lady Wachter’s rise to power, Vargas Vallakovich has simmered with quiet rage toward those responsible for his ouster. Though he has not thought to blame the players for Lady Wachter’s ascent, that recently changed when two of his still-loyal **guards** learned, from a drunk Nikolai and Karl Wachter, that the players met with Lady Wachter shortly before Izek’s death. > > To satisfy his need for vengeance, Vargas directed one of his loyal guards to report back to him when the players were sighted approaching the town. Upon receiving the guard’s report, Vargas gathered a half-dozen loyal guards and set off for the Vistani encampment to "punish" the players for their treachery. (The guards, who previously received preferences and favors during Vargas’s rule, have soured at Vallaki’s new burgomaster, who has integrated her own loyalists into the town guard and done away with much of Vargas’s corruption.) > > Unfortunately, none of Vargas’s guards knew quite how to find the Vistani encampment. As a result, his group lost its way rather quickly, circling the muddy hunting trails of the Svalich Woods several times before finally encountering the party. > > Vargas, who is heavily drunk, believes that the players could not have killed Izek without foul play and trickery. As a result, he is convinced that they are a group of cowardly frauds, and that any tales of their heroism or deeds are overblown at best—and flat-out lies at worst. Vargas is determined to punish and shame the players for their treachery, as well as their "murder" of Izek Strazni. As the conversation unfolds, he rants that the players have "allied themselves with the Devil" and "brought ruin to the good people of Vallaki." He freely accuses the players of being cowards, poisoners, and usurpers, as well as dabblers in the dark arts. ("The Wachters have always been known to consort with vampires and devils," he sneers. "I suppose it’s no surprise that they would lower themselves to filth such as you.") As the conversation continues, Vargas delivers the players an ultimatum: "Lay down your weapons and witches’ tools," he spits, drunkenly slurring his words, "and face the Baron’s justice." The players can convince Vargas and his guards to stand down by making a convincing threat and succeeding on a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check, or by making a good argument and succeeding on a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Vargas (use the statistics of a poisoned **noble**) and the guards attack on a failure, or if provoked or attacked. ## R2b. The Lord of Barovia > [!info]+ **The Tyrant** > At the beginning of this arc, Strahd’s persona changes from the Gentleman to the Tyrant. See [[Strahd von Zarovich]] for more information about roleplaying the Tyrant. ### Strahd’s Descent On initiative count 10 of the first round of combat, or shortly after the players convince Vargas and his guards to stand down, Strahd von Zarovich descends upon the crossroads. (If the players don’t encounter Vargas in [[#R2a. The Baron’s Revenge]], Strahd arrives immediately when the players reach the crossroads.) Read: <div class="description"> <p>Thunder rumbles in the distance, and the sky above begins to churn. Gray clouds darken to an oily black, and a shrill wind howls through the trees.</p> </div> Give the players a moment to respond. Then continue: <div class="description"> <p>With a swift, curving motion, one of the lowest, blackest clouds begins to descend toward the ground. As it plummets toward the earth, however, it becomes clear that it’s no cloud at all, but a swarm of thousands of chittering, shrieking bats.</p> </div> Give the players another moment to respond. Then, if the players were fighting Vargas and his guards, add: <div class="description"> <p>The swarm descends upon the Baron and his remaining guards, the bats’ tiny claws and teeth biting, ripping, tearing. Terrified, agonized screams ring out through the air as the black cloud turns partially red, the dying Vallakians staining the swarm’s fangs a bloody scarlet. Within seconds, nothing but bones and a few shreds of fabric lie upon the bloodstained earth</p> </div> Alternatively, if the players successfully convinced Vargas and his guards to stand down, read: <div class="description"> <p>The Baron shrieks in fear, stumbling back and falling onto his rear as the swarms descend to the muddy earth below. With heavy, labored breaths, he and his guards turn tail and run, scrambling for the treeline as fast as their legs can take them.</p> </div> Whether Vargas is present or not, and whether he dies or flees, continue:^[Dialogue and scene inspired by *Shadows of the Vampire #4* by Jim Zub, Nelson Daniel, Glauber Matos, Joana Lafuente, and Neil Uyetake (IDW Publishing, Aug. 2016).] <div class="description"> <p>The black cloud churns and swirls, the swarm slowly coalescing until a single silhouette takes shape in its depths. Red eyes glint from the darkness, even as the shadows gather to form two gleaming pauldrons across the silhouette’s shoulders, clad with a thick fur mantle, a rich crimson tunic, and a midnight-blue cloak that whips wildly in the frenzied wind.</p> <p>"Clearly, Rahadin’s prowess was less than sufficient to deal with your insolence," the silhouette growls. "Thus, I shall no longer underestimate you."</p> <p>He is tall and gaunt, with pale skin and a tall widow’s peak. A polished longsword rests ensheathed at his side, his long, elegant claws draped carefully across its hilt. His dark expression seems carved from stone itself, and as his crimson gaze falls across you, the temperature of the clearing seems to plummet to an icy chill.</p> <p>"When last we met, I informed you that I could be a gracious host—but a far less gracious enemy." His frown cuts the corners of his mouth like a knife, his dark brows furrowing his forehead into a deep, cold scowl. "It appears, however, that my words failed to take root. Allow me, then, to reintroduce myself.</p> <p>"I am Strahd—lord of Barovia, and master of Ravenloft." His claws tighten around the hilt of his sword, and his eyes burn like fiery coals. "You have stolen items that are <em>not</em> yours to possess. Though you shall wish otherwise, you now have my <em>full and complete attention.</em>"</p> </div> ### Strahd’s Challenge As the conversation unfolds, Strahd warns the players that they have "invaded his home, attacked his servants, and stolen his possessions," noting with a growl, that they "have spilled blood on the stones of Castle Ravenloft itself." "Tell me," he adds, his fist tightening around his longsword’s hilt, "whether I would not be justified in spilling blood today to right this wrong." Ultimately, Strahd offers the players an ultimatum: "I invite you to name a single reason why I should not end your lives today." As his lip curls, he adds, "And for your sakes, I hope it’s a good one." As the players work to convince Strahd to spare their lives, secretly place a twelve-sided die (the **persuasion die**) on the table out of the players’ view. Set the die’s starting value to six. Increment the die as follows: * Increase the die’s value by six if the players offer to perform some task or service of Strahd’s choice. (If the players do so, but the die’s value remains below twelve, Strahd notes his interest in the players’ offer, but confesses his reluctance to "let them off quite so easily," and asks whether, in addition to their vow, they have "any other reasons worth his time." If the persuasion die then subsequently reaches twelve, Strahd provides his terms as described in ***Success*** below.) * Increase the die’s value by five if the players appeal to Strahd’s need for amusement (e.g., by arguing that their suffering is worth more to him than their swift deaths) and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by three if the check fails. * Increase the die’s value by five if the players point out that Strahd intentionally lured the players to the castle to rescue Gertruda and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by three if the check fails. * Increase the die’s value by three if the players offer to return what was stolen and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by one if the check fails. * Increase the die’s value by three if the players argue that they have "culled the weak" within his ranks by killing servants who were too weak to serve him well (e.g., the Brides) and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by one if the check fails. * Increase the die’s value by three if the players appeal to Strahd’s need for challenge (e.g., by arguing that they may one day become worthy adversaries to him) and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by one if the check fails. * Increase the die’s value by six if the players make any other excellent argument and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by three if the check fails. * Increase the die’s value by three if the players make any other good argument and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by one if the check fails. * Keep the die’s current value if the players offer to surrender Ireena to Strahd. ("You cannot trade what is already mine," Strahd notes. "I may take her as and when I choose. She shall walk free while it pleases me, and I shall take her when it pleases me—with or without your consent.") * Keep the die’s current value if the players make any other argument that is unlikely to convince or anger Strahd. * Decrease the die’s value by six if the players humble themselves before Strahd and, at his invitation, succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check. ("If you wish to grovel like another worm in my dirt," Strahd intones coldly, "then *grovel*.") (The die’s value decreases because Strahd is disgusted by displays of weakness.) Whether the check succeeds or fails, Strahd responds, with disgust, that "the line between naivete and hopefulness is very nearly invisible."^[Inspired by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, *Ruthlessness*, EPIC: The Ocean Saga.] * Decrease the die’s value by four if the players argue that their invasion of Castle Ravenloft was for the good of Barovia, or otherwise attempt to appeal to Strahd’s better nature. ("You forget yourselves," Strahd says softly. "Am I not lord of Barovia, master of Castle Ravenloft, and protector of the Balinok Mountains? Yet you claim that you invaded *my* home for the betterment of *my* subjects—a presumption I neither requested nor tolerate." Strahd’s eyes narrow as he adds, "Barovia’s fate is mine to decide, not yours." * Decrease the die’s value by four if the players insult Strahd or otherwise threaten him. ("Careful," Strahd says softly. "When you lie in the shadow of the wolf, you do not ask him to show his teeth—unless you wish to feel his bite.") * Decrease the die’s value by four if the players make any other poor argument, or otherwise act in any other way that is likely to anger or disgust Strahd. > [!warning]+ **Use the Majority Opinion** > To avoid allowing individual players to succeed or fail in convincing Strahd by making arguments that the other players don’t support, only increment or decrement the persuasion die for an argument or behavior endorsed by a majority of the players (rounded up). (If a player is silent, assume they endorse the acting player’s argument or conduct.) Each time the persuasion die’s value increases, a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 10 or more notices that Strahd appears to be more seriously entertaining the players’ arguments. Each time the persuasion die’s value decreases, a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 10 or more notices Strahd’s expression hardening, his replies growing increasingly terse and impatient. Each time the players make a good argument, but fail to bring the persuasion die to twelve, Strahd concedes the point, but makes some comment indicating that the players’ debt to him is still unfulfilled, or that the severity of the punishment does not yet fit their crime. ***Success.*** If the persuasion die reaches twelve, the players successfully convince Strahd to spare them—for now. In addition to any other accommodations reached during the conversation, Strahd informs the players that he will need new servants to replenish those he lost in the players’ raid. "Yet I do not accept weakness among my ranks," he says. "To discern which among you are worthy to join my court, you must be tested—for only amidst blood and fire will the wheat be separated from the chaff." If the players offered to carry out a task of Strahd’s choice, Strahd produces an ornate black ceremonial dagger from his vest, its hilt inset with a pair of rubies, and directs each player to slice their flesh with it. "A token of our arrangement," he says softly, "so that I might . . . keep track of such interesting subjects." If the players refuse to do so, proceed to ***Failure*** below. Otherwise, once all players have bled onto the dagger, Strahd replaces it delicately within his vest and thanks them for their "consideration." (He then uses the dagger as a focus for his *scrying* spell, as described in [[#R3b. The Tyrant’s First Trial]] below. Before departing, Strahd informs the players that he "shall see them come nightfall—and each night thereafter." His form then bursts into a swarm of thousands of bats, which ascend into the sky and fly for Castle Ravenloft to the east. ***Failure.*** If the persuasion die reaches one, the players fail to convince Strahd to spare them. Strahd demands that the players pay for their crimes against Castle Ravenloft by suffering the same wounds they have inflicted upon his throne. "I am the Land," he intones, "and it is my solemn duty to mete out justice. For the blood you have spilled, blood shall be spilled from you. For the gold you have taken, gold shall be taken from you. And for the fire you have brought to my home, fire shall be brought to yours." (If the players ask, Strahd explains that "blood" must be paid in the form of a life, "gold" must be paid in the form of riches or power, and "fire" must be paid in the form of destruction.) Strahd invites the players to name the "blood," "wealth," and "fire" that shall form their punishment. (If the players protest Strahd’s penalties of blood and fire, he responds coolly: "Someone must die today. In my mercy, I have given you the final decision. Choose—or I shall choose for you.")^[Inspired by Jorge Rivera-Herrans, *Thunder Bringer (feat. Luke Holt and Armando Julián)*, EPIC: The Thunder Saga.] Strahd is willing to accept any of the following penalties, as well as any other of similar severity: * **Blood.** Using his longsword, Strahd executes a member of the party (excepting Ireena), an NPC who helped the players invade Ravenloft, or an NPC who directly benefited from the players’ invasion of Ravenloft. (Strahd won’t accept the sacrifice of any other character, or use any other means to carry out a chosen victim’s execution.) If the chosen sacrifice isn’t present at the crossroads, Strahd finds and executes them after departing. * **Gold.** Strahd takes a non-consumable magic item of Rare or greater value from the party, such as the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* or Vladimir Horngaard’s *+2 greatsword*. (If no member of the party is currently using or attuned to the item, they must succeed on a DC 19 Charisma (Deception) check to convince Strahd of its worth.) * **Fire.** Strahd destroys the Blue Water Inn, the Barovian burgomaster’s mansion, or any other place in Barovia the players call "home." (Strahd destroys the chosen location after departing the crossroads. Players who subsequently visit the chosen location find the aftermath of Strahd’s attack, which has destroyed any structures and wounded any inhabitants.) If the players refuse to name a penalty, or if they fail to name penalties of sufficient severity, Strahd names his own penalties from the list above. If the players agree for Strahd to kill a member of the party under the assumption that they will use the Abbot’s feathers or other means to resurrect the victim, Strahd notes that the party agreed to a sacrifice "intriguingly swiftly" and invites them to justify the severity of their choice, "lest he decide this punishment insufficient." To convince Strahd to accept their choice, the players must justify its sufficiency and succeed on a DC 19 Charisma (Deception) check. On a failure, Strahd kills the chosen victim and an additional target of his choice, preferring an NPC who helped the players invade Ravenloft or who directly benefited from the raid. If any of the players attack him or attempt to stop him from enacting his penalties, Strahd attacks those players, continuing until defiant players have all died or escaped. (Strahd doesn’t accept those players’ surrender.) In combat, Strahd begins in his Soldier phase, rather than his Mage phase, and assumes his Vampire phase only once both his Soldier and Mage phases have been reduced to 0 hit points. > [!info] **Lair Actions of the Fanes** > While outdoors, if the players have not yet deconsecrated the Fanes, Strahd can take lair actions as long as he isn't incapacitated. > > On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Strahd can take one of the following lair action options, or forgo using any of them in that round: > > ***Plant Growth (requires Forest Fane, Soldier phase only).*** Strahd casts *plant growth* without components or concentration. > > ***Wrath of Nature (requires Forest Fane, Soldier phase only).*** Strahd casts *wrath of nature* without components or concentration. When he casts it in this way, Strahd can’t use the spell’s ***rocks*** effect. > > ***Control Water (requires Swamp Fane, Mage phase only).*** Strahd casts or uses *control water* without components or concentration. > > ***Fog Cloud (requires Swamp Fane, Mage phase only).*** Strahd casts *fog cloud* at 5th level without components or concentration. While the fog remains, Strahd has blindsight out to its edges. > > ***Change Weather (requires Mountain Fane, Vampire phase only).*** Strahd casts *control weather* as an action without concentration or components. When he does, he can change any number of weather conditions to any of the stages given. > > ***Call Lightning (requires Mountain Fane, Vampire phase only).*** Strahd casts or uses *call lightning* without components or concentration. Whenever he rolls lightning damage with this spell while outdoors in a storm, he deals maximum damage, instead of rolling. Before departing, whether the players name sufficient penalties or not, Strahd informs them that they have "worn his patience thin." "I once found your boldness amusing," he adds, "but the thread of your lives grows thin." He informs the players that he will need new servants to replenish those he lost in the players’ raid; to this end, he shall visit them nightly to see which among them are worthy of a place in his court and which "are worthy only of a place among my legions—or the worms that writhe in the earth." His form then bursts into a swarm of thousands of bats, which ascend into the sky and fly for Castle Ravenloft to the east. > [!info]+ **The Tyrant’s Trials** > From this point on, until the end of [[Arc T - A Sword of Sunlight]], Strahd visits the players nightly to torment them, as described in [[#R3b. The Tyrant’s First Trial]] and beyond. While most players will struggle to resist Strahd’s machinations—and will prove unable to prevent them until they have obtained the *Sunsword* at the end of [[Arc T - A Sword of Sunlight]]—clever, resourceful, and (occasionally) ruthless players may be able to prevent Strahd from entering their place of rest—or, better yet, from tracking them at all. (See [[#R3b. The Tyrant’s First Trial]] for more information on how Strahd attempts to do so.) # R3. Town of Vallaki ## R3a. Purchasing Cold-Weather Clothing The players can purchase cold-weather clothing from <span class="citation">N5. Arasek Stockyard (p. 115)</span> at a price of 10gp per set. If they do, Gunther Arasek asks curiously if the players are "planning a trip to Krezk," adding offhandedly that winter is "a month off yet." (Gunther is just curious, and is trying to make smalltalk. If told that the players expect to journey to Mt. Ghakis, he scoffs and warns them that "there’s nothing on those mountain slopes but barbarians, ice, and death.") > [!abstract]+ **Clothing From Krezk** > If the players have befriended the Krezkov family, they can also obtain sets of cold-weather clothing from the people of Krezk at no cost. ("You have done a great service to us," Dmitri assures them. "Our family is forever in your debt, and I do not doubt that our neighbors will gladly share what they have to help us repay it.") ## R3b. The Tyrant’s First Trial > [!info]+ **Strahd’s Scrying** > Each night at nightfall following [[#R2. The Tyrant’s Descent]], Strahd casts _scrying_ (DC 19) in an effort to ascertain the players’ location. When he does, if he believes that Ireena is with the party, he targets her with the spell. When Strahd is scrying her, Ireena has a cumulative -17 to the save (-5 from Strahd’s knowledge of her; -2 from Strahd’s use of Tatyana’s portrait in <span class="citation">K37. Study (p. 66)</span>; and -10 from Strahd’s use of a lock of her hair he took in [[Arc B - Welcome to Barovia]]). > > If Strahd believes that Ireena is not with the party, he instead scries the character with the greatest priority, as given below: > > * ***Ability Scores.*** Increase a character’s priority by 3 if they appear to have a low Wisdom score (i.e., poor perception or insight). > * ***Class.*** Decrease a character’s priority by 3 if they are a paladin, wizard, druid, bard, cleric, or other class with a bonus to Wisdom saving throws. > * ***Race.*** Decrease a character’s priority by 4 if they are a satyr, gnome, yuan-ti, or other race with advantage on saving throws against magical effects. > * ***Knowledge.*** Increase a character’s priority by 5 if they have shared substantial information about their history, goals, personality, or interests with Strahd at a prior meeting (i.e., providing Strahd with extensive knowledge about them for the purposes of *scrying*). > * ***Likeness.*** Increase a character’s priority by 2 if they have previously met Escher. (During [[Arc O - Dinner with the Devil]], Strahd asked Escher to sketch a likeness of each character attending, thereby providing him with a picture of them for the purposes of *scrying*). > * ***Body Part.*** Increase a character’s priority by 10 if Strahd or one of his spies has previously obtained a body part, lock of hair, or bit of nail from that player (for the purposes of *scrying*). > > (For example, a barbarian with a low Wisdom score who both met Escher and shared significant personal information about themselves in [[Arc O - Dinner with the Devil]] would have a priority of 13 and a cumulative _scrying_ penalty of 7. By contrast, a cleric with a high Wisdom score who met Escher but shared little about themselves with Strahd would have a priority of 2 and a cumulative _scrying_ penalty of 2.) > > If the scrying is successful, Strahd can immediately identify the following locations: > * ***Vallaki.*** The Blue Water Inn, St. Andral’s church, Wachterhaus, the Baron’s manor, and the Vistani and dusk elf encampment. > * ***Krezk.*** The Baron’s cottage, the Shrine of the White Sun, and the Abbey of St. Markovia > * ***Barovia.*** The church and the Burgomaster’s manor > * ***Svalich Woods.*** Tser Falls, Old Bonegrinder, Lake Zarovich, Lake Baratok, Argynvostholt, the werewolf den, the Wizard of Wines, Yester Hill > > Even if Strahd can’t immediately identify the specific location where the players are staying, he can immediately identify the region where they can be found (e.g., the town of Vallaki) by inspecting their surroundings. If the scrying spell fails (e.g., because the players are concealed by <span class="citation">Khazan’s Spell Drain (p. 167)</span> at Van Richten’s Tower, Strahd assumes they are residing at Van Richten’s Tower. > > Whether he knows the players’ specific location or not, Strahd then uses the teleportation brazier in [[Arc P - Ravenloft Heist#P11e. Brazier Room|P11e. Brazier Room]] to teleport to the area nearest the players’ current location. Upon arriving, if he doesn’t know the players’ specific location, he summons twenty **wolves**, twenty **swarms of bats**, and/or twenty **swarms of rats** and instructs them to explore the area (in pairs) to discern the players’ specific location. Strahd learns the players’ location if at least one spy is able to report it back to him. > > If the players are in a permanent artificial structure (e.g., the tower at Lake Barok) or a place where someone lives (e.g., the werewolf den), continue to [[#Strahd’s Greeting]] below. Otherwise, continue directly to [[Strahd’s Game]]. > [!warning]+ **Strahd’s Backup** > If Strahd is unable to scry a member of the party (e.g., due to a *nondetection* or *private sanctum* spell), he dispatches his spies to search for them. He then makes his way to the skies above Berez atop his **nightmare** Beucephalus, where he waits for any of his spies to return. > > At Strahd’s command, twelve thousand **bats** disperse across Barovia, with four bats searching each quarter-mile hex shown on the <span class="citation">Map of Barovia (p. 33)</span>. The bats assigned to the players’ hex arrive between 1 and 2 hours after the players’ long rest begins, depending on the players’ proximity to Castle Ravenloft. If the bats can observe evidence of the players’ presence from a distance (e.g., artificial lighting in Van Richten’s Tower, or a player outside on guard), they immediately report their findings to Strahd in Berez. > > Otherwise, every 15 minutes after the bats arrive, one of the four bats approaches the players’ resting place to investigate it. If any players are on watch, the bat must make a Dexterity (Stealth) check contested by the watching players’ passive Wisdom (Perception) scores, made with advantage if the bat is concealed by darkness. On a failure, the watching players notice the bat once it comes within 60 feet of their position. > > If a bat detects evidence of the players’ presence or realizes that it has been noticed, it attempts to flee to Berez to report its findings to Strahd. If the players attempt to stop it, run the chase as described in <span class="citation">Chases (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, p. 252)</span>, but without any chase complications. (Players who use loud or flashy means to stop one of the bats—such as a spell that deals fire, radiant, or thunder damage—may alert the other bats in the same hex. If they do, those bats immediately report to Berez, rather than continuing their investigation.) > > Strahd rides Beucephalus to the players’ location immediately upon learning from his **bat** spies that evidence of their presence has been sighted there, arriving at the players’ resting place approximately 1 hour after the bat departed there. ### Strahd’s Greeting Depending on the players’ resting place, Strahd uses a different strategy or series of strategies to reach them: | Player Location | Strahd's Strategy | |-----------------|-------------------| | <span class="citation">E4. Burgomaster's Mansion (p. 44)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Bat]], followed by [[#The Visitor]] and [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">E5. Church (p. 45)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Bat]], followed by [[#The Swarm]], [[#The Visitor]], [[#The Command]], and [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">N1. St. Andral's Church (p. 97)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">N2. Blue Water Inn (p. 98)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Bat]]. If he succeeds, Strahd then uses [[#The Visitor]]. Otherwise, Strahd then uses [[#The Swarm]], followed by [[#The Visitor]] and [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">N3. Burgomaster's Mansion (p. 103)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Bat]]. If he succeeds, Strahd then uses [[#The Visitor]]. Otherwise, Strahd then uses [[#The Swarm]], followed by [[#The Visitor]] and [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">N4. Wachterhaus (p. 110)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Bat]]. If he succeeds, Strahd then uses [[#The Visitor]]. Otherwise, Strahd then uses [[#The Swarm]], followed by [[#The Visitor]] and [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">N9. Vistani Camp (p. 119)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Visitor]], followed by [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">Chapter 6: Old Bonegrinder (p. 125)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Bat]], followed by [[#The Visitor]] and [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">Chapter 7: Argynvostholt (p. 129)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Hostage]]. | | <span class="citation">S3. Village of Krezk (p. 145)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Bat]]. If he succeeds, Strahd then uses [[#The Visitor]]. Otherwise, Strahd then uses [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">S19. Barracks (p. 154)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Visitor]], followed by [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">T4-5. Guard Tower, Ground/Upper Floor (pp. 157-59)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Hostage]]. | | <span class="citation">Chapter 11: Van Richten's Tower (p. 167)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Visitor]], followed by [[#The Horde]]. | | <span class="citation">Chapter 12: The Wizard of Wines (p. 173)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Swarm]], followed by [[#The Visitor]] and [[#The Storm]]. | | <span class="citation">Chapter 15: Werewolf Den (p. 201)</span> | Strahd uses [[#The Hostage]]. | #### The Hostage In this strategy, Strahd seeks to leverage the lives of NPCs the players have grown attached to in order to force the players to invite him inside. To do so, he uses his network of spies and his ***charm*** ability to learn which nearby NPCs the players have developed a relationship with. He then kidnaps and charms those NPCs and brings them to a location near the players’ resting place atop Beucephalus. (Strahd doesn’t ride Beucephalus himself if he kidnaps more than three NPCs in this way.) Strahd might kidnap the following groups of NPCs, or others that the players have grown attached to: * Milivoj and his two eldest younger siblings: Bogan (twelve years old) and Zondra (ten years old) * Anna, Ilya, and Kala Krezkova * Nikolai, Karl & Stella Wachter However, Strahd doesn’t kidnap wereravens, occupants of St. Andral’s Church, or any NPC of Challenge Rating 1 or greater. Upon arriving at the players’ resting place, Strahd dispatches the weakest and/or most sympathetic kidnapped NPC to greet the players (e.g., by knocking on the door or calling out for them). While the kidnapped NPC does so, Strahd and the remaining kidnapped NPCs linger at a location just out of sight of the players’ resting place (e.g., the <span class="citation">Z8. Ring of Stone (p. 205)</span> if the players are resting inside the werewolf den). Strahd also dispatches a **bat** to quietly accompany the dispatched NPC to the players’ resting place and report back should any issues arise. (A player notices the bat, which may be hanging from a nearby building’s eaves or tree branch, if they have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 12 or greater.) Upon greeting the players, the dispatched NPC attempts to relay that "the others" are waiting outside and hoping to meet the players. If asked, the NPC is glad to confirm that "the others" include the other kidnapped NPCs and "Lord von Zarovich." (Because the kidnapped NPCs have been charmed by Strahd, the dispatched NPC doesn’t fear Strahd or believed that they’ve been kidnapped, and views him as a friend and protector. The dispatched NPC isn’t sure why Strahd wants to meet with the players, but is confident that he only desires good things for them.) > [!abstract]+ **Refusing the Call** > If the players decline to travel to Strahd’s location, the dispatched NPC warns them, with concern, that "Lord von Zarovich" said the other kidnapped NPCs may be in danger unless the players come. (The dispatched NPC isn’t sure why, but is convinced that Strahd’s words are true.) > > If the players again refuse to travel to Strahd’s location, the lurking bat attempts to report back to Strahd. If it does so successfully, or if the bat fails to report back for twenty minutes or more, Strahd uses his ***bite*** to kill the two remaining kidnapped NPCs and leaves a parchment note, written in his recognizably elegant handwriting, in a suitably obvious place across the bodies. The note reads: "They cried out for you before they died—yet you were not there." When the players arrive at Strahd’s location, they find him lounging upon a suitable seat with the other kidnapped NPCs sitting or kneeling upon the ground beside him. (Strahd has dismissed Beucephalus back into the Ethereal Plane pending his departure from the players.) Strahd welcomes the players cordially. Should the players show concern for the kidnapped NPCs, Strahd assures them coolly that their friends "shall suffer no untoward harm—at least, should our meeting tonight resolve amicably." Strahd is willing to guarantee the kidnapped NPCs’ freedom and safety if the players agree to "play a game" before he departs. If the players agree to do so, proceed to [[#Strahd’s Game]]. #### The Horde In this strategy, Strahd seeks to force the players to exit the tower at Lake Baratok by threatening to collapse it. To do so, he summons a horde of thirteen **zombies** from the Svalich Woods nearby and directs them, one by one, to attempt to break down the door. (Because the DC to break down the door is 25, and each zombie has a Strength modifier of +1, the zombies can’t break down the door.) As the zombies attempt to break down the door, Strahd informs the players that they need only exit the tower and meet with him "like civilized individuals" if they wish for his creatures to stop. Each time a zombie attempts and fails to break down the door, a bolt of lightning blasts out from the door as described in [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana#1. The Tower Door|Arc E - The Missing Vistana]]. Each time this occurs, the tower responds as follows: * **First Time**. The tower trembles slightly, causing bits of dust to fall from the ceiling. * **Second Time**. The tower groans and shakes, forcing each creature inside to succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw or fall prone. A creature that fails the saving throw also takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage from falling debris. * **Third Time**. The tower pitches and shakes, forcing each creature inside to succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or fall prone and take 2d6 bludgeoning damage from falling debris. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw takes half damage. * **Fourth Time**. The tower collapses as described in <span class="citation">V2. Tower Door (p. 169)</span>. If the players exit the tower to speak with Strahd, proceed to [[#Strahd’s Game]]. If the tower collapses, Strahd locates any party member not knocked unconscious by the tower’s collapse and kills them with his ***unarmed strike***, noting his disappointment with their "arrogance and cowardice." He and the zombie horde then depart. #### The Storm In this strategy, Strahd uses his *control weather* lair action to summon a thunderstorm covering the five-mile-radius area surrounding the players’ location. He then uses his *call lightning* lair action to strike the roof of the players’ resting place three times with lightning, setting the structure aflame. When the players emerge from their resting place, they find Strahd standing a short distance away admiring the burning structure. Strahd greets them cordially, noting that he has "always been fascinated by the wildness of the lightning—and the hunger of the flames it leaves behind." Strahd then asks the players whether they will be "consumed by the flames they have called upon themselves." Regardless of the players’ answer, Strahd informs them that "they have called the lightning—but it remains to be seen whether they yet may survive it." Proceed to [[#Strahd’s Game]]. #### The Swarm In this strategy, Strahd seeks to terrorize the civilian inhabitants of the players’ current resting place in order to force the players to invite him inside. To do so, he sends a platoon of eleven **wights**, led by one **wight commander** and joined by two **plagues of rats**, to attack their resting place. When doing so, the wights and rats behave as follows: * Eight of the **wights** attempt to enter the resting place simultaneously from alternate entrances (e.g., window and/or rear doors), aiming to engage any non-party NPCs with their ***life drain*** attacks. A wight can climb the outside of a building at half speed without making a Strength (Athletics) check, but must succeed on a DC 15 Strength check to break down a wooden door. * The **wight commander** and remaining three **wights** attempt to storm the resting place from the main entrance, aiming to engage and surround the players. * The **plagues of rats** enter the resting place by means of any holes or other entry points that can admit one or more rats, aiming to use their ***tide of vermin*** feature to prevent the players from protecting any noncombatants.. At initiative count 0, if one or more non-party NPCs are at risk of imminent death from the **wights**, Strahd knocks three times on the door of the players’ resting place. When he does, all wights and rats immediately halt their attacks and turn toward Strahd’s location. If the players open the door, combat ends. Proceed to [[#The Visitor]] below. If the players ignore the door, continue attacking the wights and rats, or refuse Strahd entry, combat resumes, ending only when all wights and rats have been slain. <div class="statblock"> <h2>Wight Commander</h2> <em>Medium undead, neutral evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 14 (studded leather) <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 142 (19d8 + 57) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>18 (+4)</td> <td>14 (+2)</td> <td>16 (+3)</td> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>13 (+1)</td> <td>15 (+2)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Saving Throws</strong> Con +6, Cha +5<br> <strong>Skills</strong> Athletics +7, Perception +4, Stealth +5<br> <strong>Damage Resistances</strong> Necrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered<br> <strong>Damage Immunities</strong> Poison<br> <strong>Condition Immunities</strong> Exhaustion, Poisoned<br> <strong>Senses</strong> Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14<br> <strong>Languages</strong> The languages it knew in life<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 10, or 6 if the players have magical or silvered weapons<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +3<br> <hr> <p><strong><em>Sunlight Sensitivity.</em></strong> While in sunlight, the wight has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.</p> <p><strong><em>Chill of the Grave.</em></strong> Any non-undead creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the wight commander must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 7 (2d6) cold damage.</p> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> The wight commander makes two attacks.</p> <p><strong><em>Life Drain.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. <em>Hit:</em> 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 15). The wight commander and all non-hostile undead within 10 feet of it regain hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt. In addition, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or have its hit point maximum be reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. </p> <p><strong><em>Longsword.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage if used with two hands.</p> <p><strong><em>Longbow.</em></strong> <em>Ranged Weapon Attack:</em> +5 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage.</p> </div> <div class="statblock"> <h2>Plague of Rats</h2> <em>Large swarm of Tiny beasts, chaotic evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 10 <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 49 (14d8 - 14) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>16 (+3)</td> <td>11 (+0)</td> <td>14 (+2)</td> <td>2 (-4)</td> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>3 (-4)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Damage Resistances</strong> Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing<br> <strong>Condition Immunities</strong> Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, Stunned<br> <strong>Senses</strong> Darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10<br> <strong>Languages</strong> —<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 2<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2<br> <hr> <p><strong><em>Swarm.</em></strong> The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny rat. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.</p> <p><strong><em>Keen Smell.</em></strong> The swarm has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.</p> <p><strong><em>Tide of Vermin.</em></strong> An enemy that starts its turn in the swarm’s space must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 13). While grappled in this way, a creature is prone, blinded, and restrained, and can’t breathe. (A creature that can’t breathe in this way can hold its breath as described in the <span class="citation">Player’s Handbook</span>.)</p> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> The swarm makes two attacks.</p> <p><strong><em>Bites.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., each creature in the swarm's space. <em>Hit:</em> 14 (4d6) piercing damage, or 7 (2d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.</p> </div> #### The Bat In this strategy, Strahd seeks to charm one of the players in order to gain entry to their resting location. To do so, he uses his ***shapechange*** to assume the form of a **bat**, then hangs from a suitable location (e.g., a building’s eaves or tree branch) clearly visible from the vantage point of the player(s) currently on watch. Each round that one or more players can see him, Strahd uses his ***charm*** ability to attempt to charm one of those players. If successful, Strahd immediately flies from his current position to the door of the players’ resting place, assumes his ordinary form, and knocks three times on the door. If the door is opened, Strahd greets the players cordially and asks the charmed player if he may enter. If the door isn’t opened within one round, Strahd calls out to the charmed player by name and says, "It is considered rude to leave a guest waiting on one’s front doorstep. Won’t you invite me in?" > [!info]+ **Charmed by the Bat** > Upon encountering Strahd (by sight or by voice), a player charmed by Strahd’s **bat** form immediately recognizes Strahd as the same creature as the bat. If Strahd is invited to enter the players’ resting place, he does so. Proceed to [[#Strahd’s Game]]. > [!info]+ **Blocking the Door** > If a player attempts to block Strahd from entering the players’ resting place after he is invited inside, he places a hand on the hilt of his longsword and asks the player quietly if they are interested in "testing their fortune" against him. (If the players didn’t fight him in [[#R2. The Tyrant’s First Trial]], he adds: "It has been some time since I last dueled—but I do not believe it shall take long to refamiliarize myself.") > > If the player continues to block Strahd from entering the resting place, he smiles coldly, says, "As you wish," and attacks, continuing until all defiant players have either died or escaped. (Strahd doesn’t accept those players’ surrender.) In combat, Strahd begins in his Soldier phase, rather than his Mage phase, and assumes his Vampire phase only once both his Soldier and Mage phases have been reduced to 0 hit points. > > Once no defiant players remain, proceed to [[#Strahd’s Game]]. #### The Command In this strategy, Strahd attempts to leverage his control over the **vampire spawn** Doru to force the players to invite him to enter their resting place. (If Doru isn’t alive, or isn’t present within the players’ current resting place, Strahd instead proceeds to the next available strategy.) To do so, Strahd uses one of the following methods, in order of descending preference: * ***The Lure.*** Strahd lures Doru to a door or window (e.g., by quietly tapping on it) and asks to be invited inside. * ***The Request.*** Strahd knocks on the door and calls out to Doru, informing him that his "master has come to call." * ***The Command.*** Strahd calls out to Doru and orders him to bring him "the head of your betrothed" or "the head of your father"—"until your friends see fit to practice proper hospitality." (If Gertruda or Father Donavich is elsewhere, but nearby, Doru first attempts to escape the players’ current location, then attempts to track down his given target before carrying out Strahd’s command.) > [!info]+ **Strahd’s Commands** > As one of Strahd’s vampire spawn, Doru must obey all orders Strahd expressly gives him. In addition, while Strahd is within one thousand feet of him, Doru is charmed by Strahd and carries out all of his orders faithfully, without question or hesitation. If the players invite Strahd to enter their resting place, continue to [[#Strahd’s Game]]. #### The Visitor In this strategy, Strahd seeks to gain an invitation to enter the players’ current resting place. To do so, he first knocks on the door (or equivalent) three times. If the door isn’t answered, Strahd calls out to the players and asks whether they would "be so rude as to leave a guest waiting upon your doorstep." If the door is answered, Strahd cordially requests permission to enter. If the players agree to do so, proceed to [[#Strahd’s Game]]. Otherwise, proceed to Strahd’s next available strategy. ### Strahd’s Game Once he has successfully gained entry to the players’ resting place or lured the players outside, Strahd informs the players—if he hasn’t already—that he has visited them "for a simple reason: to play a game." Should the players appear reluctant to play his game, Strahd informs them that, if they do not play, they shall automatically forfeit—and at least one of them "shall not see the Moon set this night" (i.e., die). Strahd explains the rules of the game as follows: * From now until the game concludes, the players are forbidden from communicating or coordinating in any way. If Strahd believes that the players have broken this rule, they shall immediately forfeit. > [!warning]+ **No Talking!** > When Strahd informs the players of this rule, note out-of-character that the rule applies to *all* inter-player conversation, and that all out-of-character communications (e.g., players talking across the table or exchanging text messages) will be treated as in-character communications while Strahd’s game is ongoing. (This rule is necessary because the gameplay of Strahd’s games—in both [[#R3b. The Tyrant’s First Trial]] and [[#R4e. The Tyrant’s Second Trial]]—rely heavily on the players’ inability to communicate or coordinate their efforts.) * Tonight, Strahd will drink the blood of one of their party. He will return each night to drink that player’s blood again, until that player dies and rises as a vampire spawn. "Unless you are far weaker than I anticipate, he notes, "the process will take several nights. Such an opportunity to savor one’s meals is disappointingly rare; I hope you shall not think poorly of me for taking advantage." * Each time a player is turned, Strahd will choose a new victim. However, it is for the players to decide which of them shall be the next to receive his "gift." * To vote for a victim, each player must hold the name of their chosen victim within their heads. Using his magic, Strahd will look into the players’ minds to discern who they have voted for. * The victim will be whichever player receives a plurality of the votes. If no player receives a plurality, the players shall immediately forfeit. * If the players forfeit, Strahd shall choose the victim himself. * If the players refuse to allow Strahd to drink from the chosen victim, he shall claim the victim’s life, instead of their blood. "I shall return the following night," he adds coldly, "whereupon we shall play this game again." If the players protest the rules of the game, Strahd reminds them that refusal to play will mean an immediate forfeit. > [!info]+ **Deceiving Strahd** > Any players who attempt to covertly communicate or coordinate their vote must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity (Deception or Sleight of Hand) check, or a DC 18 Charisma (Deception) check if they have previously done so before Strahd’s arrival. > > If Strahd is aware that any players possess telepathy—or if any player begins to attempt to communicate telepathically while his *detect thoughts* spell is active—he warns them aloud that his magic allows him to look directly into their minds, and that being caught will result in an immediate forfeit. > [!abstract]+ **Forfeiting the Game** > If the players break any of Strahd’s rules or otherwise forfeit, Strahd chooses the victim with the greatest priority, as given below: > > * ***Ability Scores.*** Increase a character’s priority by 4 if they have a low Constitution score, and by 4 if they have a low Strength or Dexterity score. > * ***Skills.*** Decrease a character’s priority by 4 if they have proficiency in Athletics or Acrobatics. > * ***Armor Class.*** Increase a character’s priority by 3 if they have a low Armor Class (i.e., 15 or below). > * ***Hit Points.*** Increase a character’s priority by 3 if they have sixty hit points or fewer. > * ***Class.*** Decrease a character’s priority by 10 if they are a barbarian. > * ***Spellcasting.*** Decrease a character’s priority by 10 if Strahd or his spies or servants have previously seen them use teleportation magic (e.g., by casting *misty step* or *dimension door*) or the *shield* spell. To play Strahd’s game, each player must privately communicate their vote to the Dungeon Master (e.g., by a folded note or private message). Warn the players that any who attempt to communicate or coordinate *outside* of the game will be construed to have done so *inside* the game, and will therefore forfeit. Once Strahd or the players have chosen a victim, Strahd then attempts to drink that player’s blood, repeating his ***bite*** attack each round until they are reduced to 0 hit points. If successful, he retrieves a white silk handkerchief from his pocket, wipes his mouth and chin clean of any blood, and bids the players farewell. He then departs. > [!warning]+ **Strahd’s Bite** > Strahd’s ***bite*** attack does two things at once: (1) it deals piercing and necrotic damage, and (2) it decreases your maximum hit points by the amount of necrotic damage dealt. For example: > * Imagine a player starts with 50 hit points > * The player takes 8 piercing + 10 necrotic damage, for a total of 18 damage. The player now has 32 hit points left out of 50. > * The player’s 50 maximum hit points are decreased by 10 (the amount of necrotic damage taken), and now equal 30. The player now has 32 hit points out of 40. > * If Strahd bites the player again and deals the same amount of damage—18 total damage, including 10 necrotic damage—the player now has 14 hit points out of 30. > * If Strahd bites the player again and deals the same amount of damage, the player now has 0 hit points out of 20. The player falls unconscious and starts making death saving throws. > * At this point, if Strahd keeps using his ***bite***, he risks killing the player with failed death saving throws before the player’s maximum hit points reach 0. > > Once Strahd has drained a player, remember that the target’s maximum hit points recover at a rate of one hit die per night. (See Strahd’s [Vampire statblock](https://www.strahdreloaded.com/Chapter+2+-+The+Land+of+Barovia/Strahd+von+Zarovich#The+Vampire) for more information.) > > Note that, under the 2014 rules, the players’ long rest cannot be interrupted by Strahd’s visit. *See* <span class="citation">Long Rest (<em>Player’s Handbook 2014</em>, p. 186)</span>. However, under the 2024 rules, a player’s long rest can be interrupted by (1) rolling initiative, (2) casting a non-cantrip spell, or (3) taking any damage (e.g., from Strahd’s ***bite***), and requires 1 additional hour per interruption to finish. *See* <span class="citation">Long Rest (<em>Player’s Handbook 2024</em>, p. 370)</span>. ### Strahd’s Penalty If Strahd is unable to drink the chosen victim’s blood (e.g., because the victim or the party are attempting to prevent him from doing so), he uses his ***unarmed strike*** to grapple them, then uses his movement speed and ***night’s retreat*** reaction to pull them away from the party. (In combat, Strahd begins in his Vampire phase, rather than his Mage phase, and assumes his Mage phase only once both his Vampire and Soldier phases have been reduced to 0 hit points.) Each round that the victim remains grappled, Strahd uses his ***unarmed strike*** multiattack and ***bats’ frenzy*** bonus action to attack them, continuing until the victim is dead. If any other players attempt to stop Strahd from killing the victim, Strahd uses his first lair action to cast *change weather*, then uses his lair action to cast *call lightning* on each subsequent round that his Vampire phase survives. Strahd departs only when the chosen victim is dead. When he does, he warns the players that he shall return again the following night—and that he hopes they shall be better-prepared to play his game when he does. > [!warning]+ **Long Rest Rules** > Remember that, as per the <span class="citation">Player’s Handbook</span>, a player can benefit from a long rest once per twenty-four hours, and that taking damage during a long rest may prolong that long rest’s duration. # R4. Tsolenka Pass > [!warning]+ **Kasimir’s Spellbook** > Kasimir’s spellbook largely contains the spells described in <span class="citation">N9a. Kasimir’s Hovel (p. 121)</span>. However, remove *polymorph*, *counterspell*, *suggestion*, *nondetection*, and *fly* from the spells in his spellbook. ## R4a. Setting Off At dawn on the first day after the players inform Kasimir that they are ready to begin the journey up Mt. Ghakis, Kasimir meets them outside the front of his cottage bearing a backpack and simple traveler’s clothes to travel to the Amber Temple. If asked, Kasimir can share that the journey to the Temple is as follows: * First, the party must travel west, toward Krezk. At the Raven River Crossroads, they will take the southern trail, which leads into the mountains. * The trail will lead them through Tsolenka Pass, whose frequent and heavy snows often obscure the path ahead. * Past Tsolenka Pass lies a gatehouse once guarded by the Order of the Silver Dragon, and an old stone bridge that crosses the Luna River far below. (Kasimir has gone no further than the gatehouse on his previous visits to the mountain.) * Past the bridge, they must ascend the switchback cliffs of Mt. Ghakis, first ascending the mountain’s western edge, then hugging the mountain’s northern cliffs until they approach the mountain’s second-largest peak. * There, they will find a hidden trail. Upon following it, they will find the Temple concealed between a pair of frozen cliffs beneath the highest peak. > [!abstract]+ **Why Not Fly?** > If the players suggest flying directly to the Amber Temple, Kasimir informs them that frequent blizzards and storms would make flight in the mountain’s vicinity impossible—and that the roc of Mt. Ghakis guards the surrounding skies jealously. > [!abstract]+ **Kasimir’s Cold-Weather Clothing** > If any player asks Kasimir why he is not wearing cold-weather clothing, he smiles wryly and shows them the *ring of warmth* he wears on his left hand. "There are other ways of securing protection from the elements," he says. (He concedes, however, that it protects him only from the cold, and not from the wind or snow themselves.) Once he and the players have reached the Old Svalich Road, in addition to the information in [[#R1. Recruiting Kasimir]], Kasimir is willing to share the following information if the players swear themselves to secrecy and succeed on a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check, succeeding automatically if the players have given him good reason to trust them (e.g., reuniting Arabelle with her family in [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana]]): * Four centuries ago, before King Barov II invaded the dusk elf principality of Othrondil, Kasimir was the scribe of Prince Erevan Löwenhart, their uncle, and Patrina his court mage. (Kasimir and Patrina were not direct blood relations of Erevan, who married their aunt, Lorelei.) * When King Barov II, aided by the treacherous Rahadin, Prince Erevan’s son,conquered Othrondil, killed Prince Erevan, and subjugated the dusk elf people, Kasimir and Patrina lost their homes, positions, and many members of their family. Though Kasimir urged his sister to make peace with their fate, Patrina’s rage continued to simmer for decades. * When Barov died and was succeeded by his son, Strahd, Patrina joined the rebellion against him, determined to drive the invaders out of her homeland. Strahd, however, crushed the dusk elf rebellion brutally and swiftly, leaving the survivors to the Vistani as described in <span class="citation">Kasimir Velikov (p. 232)</span>. Kasimir again attempted to comfort a despondent Patrina, but to no avail. * For a time after they arrived in Barovia, Kasimir dared to believe Patrina may have made peace with their fate—but it wasn’t long before she began slipping away on odd, secretive errands, often for days at a time. Patrina refused to speak of where she went on these occasions, no matter how hard Kasimir pushed. * One night, less than a week after Strahd conquered Barovia, Patrina vanished from the dusk elf encampment. For the next year, Kasimir often sought to find her amidst the settlements and wild places of Barovia—but to no avail. He eventually came to accept that she had died, and joined his people in mourning her. * Shortly after the Mists descended upon Barovia, and four years after Strahd’s conquest of Barovia, Patrina abruptly returned to the dusk elves’ encampment. Though she begged Kasimir’s forgiveness for her long absence, she refused to disclose where she had been, or why she had not returned. A suspicious, but altogether grateful Kasimir welcomed her back into the fold, and aided her in building a new home for herself in the woods not far from the encampment. * Two months after Patrina’s return, Kasimir learned from a Vistani acquaintance that Patrina had not only become a consort of Strahd’s, but had in fact served as his arcane tutor for nearly a year before. Enraged, he stormed into her cottage, determined to confront her—and found instead the hidden entrance to an arcane laboratory she had built below it. * As he wandered amidst the trappings of black magic Patrina had left there, Kasimir began to suspect, with a dawning horror, just what had drawn her attention for the years she had been absent. But it was on the deepest floor of Patrina’s lair that Kasimir found the remnants of her most vile act: the corpses of seven kidnapped and tortured Vallakians, their disemboweled entrails stewing within a cauldron—and Patrina’s notes, written in a royal cipher that only the two of them remembered, that spoke of a potion that would allow its drinker to ascend to lichdom. * It was there that Kasimir found Patrina herself—evidently mere minutes away from imbibing the potion that would transform her. Horrified by what he had found, Kasimir demanded Patrina surrender herself and face justice. Patrina feigned contrition—but when she attacked Kasimir with dark magic, Kasimir struck back, weaving the same spells she had taught him long ago. * Patrina was by far the more powerful mage—but with much of her magic bound up in the potion of transformation, it was Kasimir who had the advantage. When the battle was done, Patrina’s laboratory lay in ruins—and Patrina herself lay dead on the floor. * Kasimir collapsed Patrina’s laboratory and buried the Vallakians she had murdered. Determined to protect his sister’s once-sterling legacy, Kasimir told his people a half-truth: that she had become a consort of Strahd’s, and he had slain her to prevent her from becoming a vampire. When word of his lie reached Castle Ravenloft, however, Strahd dispatched Rahadin to punish him by killing every woman and girl that remained among the dusk elves. Upon concluding his tale, Kasimir, his hands trembling, gently lowers his hood to reveal his mutilated ears. "He took everything from our people," he says, his voice cracking, "and left me these to remember them by. Now, I shall never forget the blood my lie cost my people—or the pain my pride brought to them." If the players have sworn themselves to secrecy, Kasimir can also share the following information: * Two months ago, shortly after Strahd awoke from his hibernation, Patrina sent Kasimir a cryptic dream: a vision of the Amber Temple, a promise of vengeance against Strahd, and a path to the amber sarcophagus where salvation purportedly lay. She whispered that she felt shame for her crimes, and that she wished merely to avenge the deaths of her sisters that had perished at Rahadin’s treacherous hands. * As proof of her goodwill, Patrina told Kasimir of a map case, hidden away in the ruins of Argynvostholt, whose contents would lead him to the Temple’s long-lost location. Though Kasimir remained suspicious of Patrina’s motives, Strahd’s vengeance against the village of Barovia disturbed and alarmed him. With his sister’s dream weighing heavily on his mind, Kasimir journeyed to Argynvostholt, where he found the map Patrina had told him of. * With Strahd’s darkness rapidly spreading once more across the valley, Kasimir set off for the slopes of Mt. Ghakis to reach Patrina’s promised vengeance. The journey, however, proved to be more than Kasimir could take. The first time, a wayward blizzard turned him back; the second, the demonic gargoyles that guarded the Tsolenka Pass gatehouse drove him to crash amidst a snow bluff in an icy chasm. Kasimir returned to his home in pain and shame, desperate to find a way to reach a goal that lay tantalizingly out of reach—and met the players soon thereafter. If, after he has finished his story, the players ask Kasimir why he lied about his interest in the Amber Temple, he can share one or more of the following reasons: * The Temple is often associated with dark magic and evil powers, and he preferred to keep his interest in the Temple secret to avoid being labeled a dark wizard—or, worse, attracting the attention of unsavory individuals who might crave its power for their own dark designs. * When Kasimir killed Patrina four centuries ago, he intentionally concealed the truth of her fall from grace in order to preserve her legacy as an intellectual leader of the dusk elves and an indomitable fighter for their freedom. Now, Kasimir dares not reveal the truth of her descent into dark magic, or her associations with the Amber Temple, for fear of tarnishing her legacy forever. * Kasimir believes that the task Patrina has given him is his weight alone to bear. Though he knows the slopes of Mt. Ghakis are dangerous—and the Temple itself even moreso—Kasimir is unwilling to place more deaths on his conscience by permitting or inviting the players to accompany him. ## R4b. The Druids’ Vengeance The journey from the dusk elf encampment to the Raven River Crossroads is four and one-quarter miles and takes one hour and twenty-five minutes. This area is largely as described in <span class="citation">R. Raven River Crossroads (p. 40)</span>. However, the crossroads now hides three poisoned spiked pit traps (<span class="citation">Dungeon Master’s Guide, p. 122</span>), concealed as described in <span class="citation">False Trail (p. 30)</span>. Together, the pit traps form a diagonal across the road that runs from the start of the path to Lake Baratok (lake path) to the start of the trail to Mt. Ghakis (mountain trail). A 2-foot-wide catwalk between each pit trap provides safe passage between them. Three **druid assailants**, three **berserkers**, and two **rootspike triads** lurk amidst the Svalich Woods nearby, distributed as follows: * Two druid assailants and one berserker east of the mountain trail * One druid assailant and two berserkers east of the lake path * One rootspike triad west of the lake path * One rootspike triad west of the mountain trail > [!lore]+ **Rootspike Triad** > Following the players’ victory over the Forest Folk in [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem]], several **druid naturalists** journeyed to the ruins of Berez, seeking the aid of the swamp witch Baba Lysaga in empowering their magic. The **rootspike triads** were the end result: trios of druid naturalists with wooden spikes driven into their eyes, bloody runes carved into their flesh, and a bark-like covering across their skin. The druid assailants have prepared *pass without trace* instead of *darkvision*. When the players arrive, one druid assailant in each group and the two rootspike triads are concentrating on the spell *pass without trace*, concealing each druid and berserker within range. The druids attack when any players fall into, discover, or bypass the pits. When they do, each player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 19 or less is surprised. In combat, the druids and berserkers act as follows: * The rootspike triad by the lake path casts *wrath of nature* on its first turn, then uses its action on subsequent turns to cast *blight* or its multiattack to cast *thorn whip*. * The rootspike triad by the mountain trail casts *wall of fire* on its first turn—hoping to split the party in two—then uses its action on subsequent turns to cast *thunderwave* or its multiattack to cast *produce flame*. * The druid assailants and berserkers attack and corner any vulnerable players, preferring to attack targets with low hit points and/or low Armor Classes. <div class="statblock"> <h2>Rootspike Triad</h2> <em>Large trio of Medium creatures, neutral evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 16 (natural armor)<br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 120 (16d10 + 32)<br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft.<br> <strong>Senses</strong> blindsight 300 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 5<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +3 <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>13 (+1)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>20 (+5)</td> <td>15 (+2)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Saving Throws</strong> Wis +8, Cha +4<br> <strong>Skills</strong> Perception +8, Nature +4<br> <strong>Senses</strong> blindsight 300 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13<br> <strong>Languages</strong> understands Common but can't speak, telepathic within 60 ft.<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +3 <hr> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> The triad casts <em>thorn whip</em> or <em>produce flame</em> twice.</p> <p><strong><em>Thorn Whip.</em></strong> The triad casts <em>thorn whip</em>, dealing 10 (3d6) piercing damage on a hit.</p> <p><strong><em>Produce Flame.</em></strong> The triad casts <em>produce flame</em>, dealing 13 (3d8) fire damage on a hit.</p> <p><strong><em>Thunderwave.</em></strong> The triad casts <em>thunderwave</em> (DC 16) in a 20-foot cube. A creature that fails its saving throw takes 18 (4d8) thunder damage instead.</p> <p><strong><em>Blight (3/day).</em></strong> The triad casts <em>blight</em> (DC 16).</p> <p><strong><em>Wall of Fire (1/day, requires concentration).</em></strong> The triad casts <em>wall of fire</em> (DC 16).</p> <p><strong><em>Wrath of Nature (1/day, requires concentration).</em></strong> The triad casts <em>wrath of nature</em> (DC 16).</p> <hr> </div> <div class="statblock"> <h2>Druid Assailant</h2> <em>Medium human, neutral evil</em> <hr> <strong>Armor Class</strong> 11 (16 with <em>barkskin</em>) <br> <strong>Hit Points</strong> 55 (10d8 + 10) <br> <strong>Speed</strong> 30 ft. <hr> <table class="ability-table"> <thead> <tr> <th>STR</th> <th>DEX</th> <th>CON</th> <th>INT</th> <th>WIS</th> <th>CHA</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>10 (+0)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>13 (+1)</td> <td>12 (+1)</td> <td>15 (+2)</td> <td>11 (+0)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr> <strong>Skills</strong> Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4<br> <strong>Senses</strong> passive Perception 14<br> <strong>Languages</strong> Druidic and Common<br> <strong>Challenge</strong> 2<br> <strong>Proficiency Bonus</strong> +2 <hr> <p><strong><em>Spellcasting.</em></strong> The druid is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following druid spells prepared:</p> <ul> <li>Cantrips (at will): produce flame, shillelagh, thorn whip</li> <li>1st level (4 slots): faerie fire, longstrider, speak with animals, thunderwave</li> <li>2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, darkvision</li> </ul> <h3>Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Multiattack.</em></strong> The druid makes two attacks with its <em>quarterstaff.</em></p> <p><strong><em>Quarterstaff.</em></strong> <em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +2 to hit (+4 to hit with <em>shillelagh</em>), reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit:</em> 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands, or 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage with <em>shillelagh</em>.</p> <h3>Bonus Actions</h3> <p><strong><em>Speed of the Adder.</em></strong> The druid casts a spell it knows with a casting time of 1 action. (The druid can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.)</p> <h3>Reactions</h3> <p><strong><em>Gift of the Gulthias.</em></strong> In response to being attacked by a creature it can see, the druid casts <em>barkskin</em>, provided it has a 2nd-level spell slot available. (The spell doesn't require concentration when cast in this way.)</p> </div> The druids attack when any players fall into, discover, or bypass the pits. When they do, each player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 19 or less is surprised. In combat, the druids and berserkers act as follows: * The two lake naturalists act on the same initiative. On their turn, they can each use a 2nd-level spell slot and two 1st-level spell slots to cast *wall of fire* together, placing the wall so as to separate the party into two separate groups. Each naturalist must use their action each turn to maintain concentration on the spell. The spell ends when either naturalist loses their concentration or the naturalists move 5 feet or more away from each other. * The three mountain naturalists act on the same initiative. On their turn, they can each use a 2nd-level spell slot and two 1st-level spell slots to cast *wrath of nature* together. Each naturalist must use their action each turn to maintain concentration on the spell. The spell ends when either naturalist loses their concentration or any one of the naturalists moves 5 feet or more away from the others. * The druid assailants and berserkers attack and corner any vulnerable players, preferring to attack targets with low hit points and/or low Armor Classes. As the fight unfolds, the druids condemn the players for their "treason" against "the Shadowed Lord"—Strahd—and the "crimes" they committed at Yester Hill in [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem]]. They further warn the players that Strahd, He Who Calls the Lightning, will "bring the wrath of the storm down upon their heads for their transgressions," and that his servants will find and eradicate "those who stand against him, root and branch." When the last druid dies, they spit that "Ravensbane" will soon punish the players’ arrogance and treachery. (Unbeknownst to the players, "Ravensbane" is one of the druids’ monikers for Baba Lysaga, the witch of Berez. The druid is referring to Baba Lysaga’s plot to kidnap the wereravens of the Wizard of Wines Winery, which the players will uncover in [[Arc U - Dreams of Dawn]].) ## R4c. The Monument The journey from the Raven River Crossroads to the Tsolenka Pass gatehouse is nine miles long and takes three hours under normal conditions. When the players first set off from the crossroads read: <div class="description"> <p>Here, the muddy earth of the Old Svalich Road turns into a crumbling gravel trail, which winds gently through the Svalich Woods as it slowly ascends up the slopes of Mt. Ghakis. Soon, the trees thin out and the elevation becomes steeper, the air growing colder with each step you take.</p> <p>As the evergreen woods fall away, the mountain’s smallest snow-capped peak rises before you, its steep cliffs shrouded in gray, creeping fog. The road switches back here, curving around the mountain as it steadily ascends above the valley below. The path grows narrower and more treacherous, and patches of frost and ice cling to the jagged rocks that line its eastern edge.</p> <p>An hour past the crossroads, snow begins to fall—at first, in small flurries, then, not thirty minutes later, in a steady, powdery veil that blankets the landscape and trail before you. Frozen gravel and packed snow crunch beneath your boots, and bitter gusts bite at your face and hands, swirling the snow into eddies that dance across the icy cliffs. To the east, a large, flat hill rises in the distance, its peak cloaked by storm clouds.</p> <p>Through the snow, you catch a glimpse of a silent shadow standing beside the trail ahead.</p> </div> The large hill is Yester Hill, and is recognizable to any player who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If any player has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 26 or higher, add: <div class="description"> <p>You briefly see a flickering silhouette in the snow a hundred feet behind you—but a blink later, it’s gone.</p> </div> The silhouette behind the players is Rahadin, who hopes to follow the players to the Amber Temple in order to claim the power he needs to defeat them. If approached, Rahadin swiftly conceals himself amidst the cliffs overlooking the trail. (Due to the heavy snow, Rahadin can’t be found unless the players follow him off the road.) The shadow ahead of the players is a broken monument to the roc of Mt. Ghakis, built by the First Folk long ago. If a player approaches the shadow or succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, read: <div class="description"> <p>The shadow belongs to an ancient, six-foot-tall stone monument. Though time and the elements have eroded its form into little more than a vague silhouette, its avian beak and talons remain unmistakable. Where wings might once have risen, however, there now lie only jagged remnants—stone wounds from which its upper limbs have long since crumbled away.</p> </div> A player who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check, or who searches the area for a full minute, spots two small snowy mounds within a few yards of the monument. The mounds conceal the monument’s two broken wings, each of which remains largely in one piece. Shortly after the players repair or move to depart the monument, they’re attacked by twelve **snow maidens**. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The wind howls, its mournful cry cutting through the icy crags. A flurry of snow twirls across the cliffs—then seems to <em>literally</em> dance, a fleeting figure emerging from the white haze before dissolving into the air. The temperature plummets even further as several other indistinct figures, also forged of swirling powder, slowly flicker through the storm toward you.</p> </div> > [!lore]+ **The Snow Maidens** > The snow maidens that dwell amidst the peaks of Mt. Ghakis were once the handmaidens of the Seeker. However, they have fallen under Strahd’s influence and control following his desecration and conquest of the Mountain Fane—the circle of standing stones dedicated to the Seeker that lies near Old Bonegrinder. The players have one round to prepare themselves before the snow maidens attack. When the snow maidens attack, read: <div class="description"> <p>The howling wind splits into a chorus of many voices, the swirling snow assuming the forms of cruel-faced, skeletally thin young women. Three of the maidens wield spears that radiate a bone-chilling cold, and sit mounted upon shimmering snow-flurries shaped like enormous falcons with the heads of fanged stags.</p> <p>With a shriek, they descend upon you.</p> </div> The snow maidens are largely as described in <span class="citation">T6. Guard Tower Rooftop (p. 159)</span>, but with the following changes: * The maidens are elementals instead of undead * The maidens have 76 (17d8) hit points each * The maidens lack the *incorporeal movement* and *sunlight sensitivity* features * The maidens aren’t immune to necrotic damage, and are vulnerable to fire damage * The three maidens with spears deal an additional 1d6 cold damage when they hit with their ***life drain*** attacks. The three spear-wielding maidens are mounted upon **snow perytons**, which have the statistics of **perytons** with the following changes: * The perytons are elementals instead of monstrosities * The perytons’ attacks deal cold damage instead of piercing damage * The perytons are immune to the following conditions: charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious * A peryton mount acts on the same initiative as its rider In combat, the spear-wielding maidens and their mounts target the toughest or healthiest-looking party members, while the unmounted maidens target the weakest. > [!abstract]+ **The Roc’s Blessing** > On initiative count 20 of the second round of combat, if the players repaired the monument’s wings (e.g., through the use of a *mending* spell) or otherwise paid homage to it, a player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or greater notices the statue’s eyes glimmer a cold, cerulean blue. The players then gain the benefits of a *wind wall* spell, placed in such a way as to obstruct or injure the greatest number of snow maidens possible. > > When cast in this way, the *wind wall* spell is 50 feet tall and prevents Medium or smaller flying creatures from passing through it. Snow maidens obstructed in this way shriek at the wall in frustration, then flee from battle. ## R4d. The Blizzard As the players proceed past the monument, the road takes them into Tsolenka Pass proper. Read: <div class="description"> <p>Leaving the ancient monument behind, the road passes between two towering mountain peaks—one to the north that thrusts into the air like a thimble, and one to the south that sprawls lazily above the valley far below. It’s not long before the winding road weaves its way out of sight of the Svalich Woods entirely, the distant trees vanishing behind the edge of a low mountain spur.</p> <p>The wind picks up, shrieking through the mountain crags as the snowfall doubles in intensity. The thick, swirling squall makes it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead, and the fallen snow has already risen past your shins, concealing the road and forcing you to fight for every inch traveled. After another hour or more since departing the monument, you doubt you’ve traveled much more than a mile.</p> <p>Kasimir turns to you and pulls his flapping cloak tightly about him, shouting to be heard above the howling winds. "I don’t know how much further we can travel under these conditions!" he hollers hoarsely. "The gatehouse is only a few miles away, but it’s under guard—and if we stay out in this weather much longer, we might risk exhaustion, or worse." </div> If asked, Kasimir can share that the gatehouse is guarded by a quartet of petrified flying demons, which animated and attacked him on his most recent visit when he tried to bypass the gatehouse by means of a rope. > [!info]+ **What Time Is It?** > At the time of Kasimir’s warning, the players have traveled for ten miles and four hours (not including short rests or other detours), leaving approximately six hours until nightfall and two and three-quarter miles until they reach [[#R3e. The Gatehouse]]. ### Seeking Shelter Players who choose to seek shelter from the storm can make a Wisdom (Survival) check to do so. The difficulty of finding shelter is as follows: * **DC 5:** The players find a slight rocky overhang above a small depression in the snow, offering minimal protection from the elements. Players who shelter here can rest normally, but must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour the blizzard lasts, gaining a level of exhaustion on a failure. * **DC 10:** The players find a rocky alcove partially shielded by a stony outcrop, offering decent protection from the wind and snow. Players who shelter here can rest normally, but must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw with advantage at the end of each hour the blizzard lasts, gaining a level of exhaustion on a failure. * **DC 15:** The players find a bulky rock formation that covers a large, dry space protected from most of the elements. Players who shelter here can rest normally, and don’t need to make saving throws against exhaustion from the blizzard. * **DC 20:** The players find a well-hidden, spacious cave. Players who shelter here can rest normally, and don’t need to make saving throws against exhaustion from the blizzard. Within the cave, the players find the remnants of an old camp, including decaying remnants of firewood and a small stash of old supplies, including dried rations and a crude grappling hook tied to an old, fifty-foot hemp rope. (If present, Kasimir recognizes the grappling hook as Mountain Folk make.) In addition, a player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or greater, or who explores the cave in greater depth, finds the three-pointed star of the Ladies Three carved into the wall near the entrance—a Mountain Folk marker designating the cave as a safe haven from the weather and monsters of Mt. Ghakis. The players can repeat the check as many times as they choose, taking an additional fifteen minutes to search each time. Each time that they do, each player must succeed on a DC 5 Constitution saving throw, gaining one level of exhaustion on a failure. While waiting for nightfall, Ireena asks the players what they plan to do once Strahd is dead. If involved in the conversation, she, Ezmerelda, and Kasimir answer the question as follows: * Ireena shares that she hopes to travel the world. If she is asked where she might go or who she might travel with, or at any other appropriate time, a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 15 or greater notices her cast a brief, blushing glance toward Ezmerelda. (If Ireena has developed romantic feelings for another character, she glances toward that character instead.) * Ezmerelda shares that she hopes to follow in Dr. Van Richten’s path and train other monster hunters to carry on the fight against the creatures of darkness. "I don’t think we’ll ever truly win," she says, somewhat morosely. "Even once Zarovich is dead, there will always be another. But the people we save are victory enough." * Kasimir chuckles weakly, and shares that he’s never truly entertained the concept of a "life after Strahd." "You must understand," he says. "Strahd von Zarovich and his family have defined my life since I was barely a few decades old. He took my parents from me, my uncle, my sister, and my friends." He sighs and stares into the distance, then adds: "Maybe one day, I’ll be able to trance in peace, and let the spirits of the dead finally rest. But until then, all I see is mist." Not long after the conversation winds down, each player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 or greater notices Ireena shivering from the cold. If Ireena hasn’t developed romantic feelings for another character, and if not prevented by the players from doing so, Ezmerelda approaches her and offers to share her blanket. Ireena gratefully accepts the offer, though a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 15 or greater notices her face flushing faintly as Ezmerelda sweeps the blanket around her shoulders. > [!warning]+ **Long Rest Limitations** > Note that players can’t begin their long rest early (e.g., as soon as they find shelter), and must wait until their normal long rest time to do so. See <span class="citation">Long Rest (<em>Player’s Handbook 2014</em>, p. 186)</span> or <span class="citation">Long Rest (<em>Player’s Handbook 2024</em>, p. 370)</span> for more information. ### Proceeding Through the Blizzard If the players choose to proceed through the blizzard to the gatehouse, they must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour they travel, gaining a level of exhaustion on a failure. With the road buried beneath tall snowdrifts, one of the players must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom (Survival) check to help the party navigate the pass safely. On a failure, have each player roll a d20 at the end of the first hour after proceeding into the storm. The player who rolls the lowest accidentally steps across a snow bridge and plummets into a crevasse. (If two or more players roll the lowest value, all of them fall into the crevasse.) Read: <div class="description"> <p>As you trudge through the swirling storm, you feel the snow beneath your foot abruptly give way with a loud <em>crack</em>. Before you can react, the ground collapses beneath you. You plunge downward, the wind rushing past as the icy walls close in around you.</p> </div> Each falling player must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, a falling player catches themselves on a narrow handhold five feet down. On a failure, a player falls thirty feet to the bottom of the crevasse, taking 3d6 bludgeoning damage and landing prone. If a player falls to the bottom, read: <div class="description"> <p>You land hard on a surface of packed, half-frozen snow, the cold air knocked from your lungs. The sheer, icy walls of the crevasse tower above you, the chill wind shrieking across the sky far above.</p> </div> > [!info]+ **Escaping the Crevasse** > A character attempting to ascend or descend the icy walls of the crevasse without the aid of magic or suitable equipment must make a DC 20 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 10-19, the character neither gains nor loses ground; on a result of 9 or less, the character falls and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen, landing prone at the base of the crevasse. Whether a player falls or not, add: <div class="description"> <p>A distant howl cuts through the storm—far lower and more resonant than the wind itself.</p> </div> The howl belongs to the leader of a pack of eight **winter wolves**, one of which is a packleader with AC 14 and 136 (20d8 + 40) hit points. The players have two rounds to prepare before the pack arrives. In combat, the wolves fight in pairs, hoping to use their ***pack tactics*** in order to gain advantage on their attacks and using their ***cold breath*** whenever they can catch at least two victims in its range. (As servants of Strahd, however, the wolves ensure their cold breath never harms Ireena.) The wolves fight to the death. > [!info]+ **Short Rests in the Blizzard** > Players seeking to take a short rest after the wolf attack can still seek out cover from the storm for the duration, as described in [[#Seeking Shelter]] above. However, players who roll a result of 20 or higher on the Wisdom (Survival) check to find shelter don’t find the Mountain Folk cave. ## R4d. The Gatehouse The journey from the crevasse to the gatehouse is one and three-quarter miles long. It takes one hour and ten minutes if the players are traveling the day after the blizzard (due to the high snow banks), and two hours if the players are traveling during the blizzard. The players’ arrival at the gatehouse is largely as described in <span class="citation">T1. Gatehouse Portcullis (p. 157)</span>, <span class="citation">T2. Demon Statues (p. 157)</span>, and <span class="citation">T3. Curtain of Green Flame (p. 157)</span>. However, add the following sentence to the end of the description of <span class="citation">T1. Gatehouse Portcullis (p. 157)</span>: <div class="description"> <p>The tower perches upon the lip of an overhanging cliff, which juts out across the churning fog far below.</p> </div> In addition, increase the number of petrified vrocks to four. (If present, Kasimir can identify the demon statues as guardians that attacked him the last time he came here, animating and pursuing him when he tried to bypas the gatehouse by means of a *fly* spell.) A player who thinks to present the *amulet of knight’s passage* while within 30 feet of the portcullis can suppress the curtain of flame for 1 minute, as described in [[Arc M - The Dragon's Manor#Argynvost’s Study|Arc M - The Dragon's Manor]]. The guard tower of the gatehouse is as described in <span class="citation">T4. Guard Tower, Ground Floor (p. 157)</span>, <span class="citation">T4. Guard Tower, Upper Floor (p. 159)</span>, and <span class="citation">T6. Guard Tower Rooftop (p. 159)</span>. ## R4e. The Tyrant’s Second Trial No matter where the players choose to rest, the blizzard comes to an end shortly after they begin their long rest. Read: <div class="description"> <p>Gradually, the howling wind fades. The torrent of snow, too, diminishes to mere flurries, then even those settle softly upon the landscape, forming a pristine, untouched expanse beneath the darkened sky above.</p> <p>Snow-covered trees stand still, their pale, white-laden boughs almost ethereal as they reflect a faint glimmer of moonlight. In the distance, the mountain’s slopes loom far above them, its tallest peaks vanishing into the low-lying clouds overhead. Though the bitter cold continues to gnaw through the layers of your clothing, a deep, unbroken silence hangs over the world, as though the mountain itself is holding its breath.</p> </div> ### Strahd’s Arrival One hour after the players have begun their long rest, Strahd again scries and visits them as described in [[#R3b. The Tyrant’s First Trial]]. ***The Gatehouse.*** If the players are resting in the tower of the Tsolenka Pass gatehouse, Strahd knocks on the front door three times. If the door isn’t answered, Strahd calls out to the players and asks whether they would "be so rude as to leave a guest waiting upon your doorstep." (If the players previously refused to permit Strahd entry in [[#R3b. The Tyrant’s First Trial]], Strahd instead asks, exasperated, if they "insist upon continuing these petulant games.") If the door is answered, Strahd cordially requests permission to enter. If the players agree to do so, Strahd enters the tower, makes a critical comment regarding its interior and/or the players’ campsite, and instructs the players to meet him on the roof. He then assumes his mist form, flies to the tower roof, and resumes his original form. When the players join him, proceed to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. Otherwise, Strahd smiles coldly and asks if the players are familiar with the topography upon which their ill-chosen resting place lies. "This mountain," he adds, his voice touched with a sharp amusement, "is ancient, its crags shaped by millennia of erosion. The tower in which you currently stand is perched upon a cliffside—one that, in turn, rests upon a natural arch of stone. Nature’s formations are long-lived indeed, but to an immortal’s eyes, even they can grow withered with age." Strahd pauses and allows his words to linger before continuing: "This particular formation, I regret to inform you, has worn thinner with each passing century. Should it collide with a force of suitable strength, I fear this lofty perch may not fly quite so high as it does now. Yet I am the Land—and for as long as I wish it, no harm shall come to its foundations." Strahd’s eyebrows lift slightly, and he asks: "Do we have an understanding?" If the players subsequently invite Strahd inside, he offers them a cold, mocking thanks as he steps across the threshold. ("I had not thought you capable of such foresight," he adds. "Perhaps I was mistaken.") He then enters the tower, makes a critical comment regarding its interior and/or the players’ campsite, and instructs the players to meet him on the roof. He then assumes his mist form, flies to the tower roof, and resumes his original form. When the players join him, proceed to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. > [!abstract]+ **The Collapsing Tower** > If the players decline to invite Strahd inside, read: > > <hr> > > *Strahd shakes his head. "It is truly a shame," he says. "I had hoped to avoid the loss of such a fine piece of historic architecture. But we all must live with the consequences of our decisions."* > > *Slowly, Strahd’s figure begins to blur at its edges, his outlines wisping into the air like curls of silver mist. With a sound like a sigh, his form collapses, blowing away like a cloud in the wind.* > > <hr> > > Strahd then descends the cliff, recalls Beucephalus from the Ethereal Plane, mounts Beucephalus, and approaches the foundation of the tower’s cliff. Though the players can’t see his position from the tower or cliffside, they can hear and feel his preparations to destroy them. Read: > > <hr> > > *The sound of distant crackling reaches your ears, even as the air turns sharp with the metallic scent of burning ozone. A tingling sensation creeps along your skin, the hairs rising on the back of your neck as the atmosphere grows heavy upon your shoulders.* > > <hr> > > The characters have one round to vacate the tower. When the round ends, Strahd casts _lightning bolt_ to destroy the arch supporting the cliff’s weight. Read: > > <hr> > > *The sky beneath the cliff sears with a bright, jagged light, splitting the night with a thunderous roar. You hear the sound of stone shattering—feel the ground beneath your feet tremble.* > > *For a brief, hopeful moment, the night falls calm once again—until the earth itself seems to groan beneath you. The tower shudders—and then the floor tilts sharply. Dust and debris fall from the ceiling as the very walls begin to buckle.* > > <hr> > > Each character remaining in the tower must immediately make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, a character falls against the eastern wall of the tower and falls prone. > > Roll initiative. To escape the collapsing tower, a character within 10 feet of the door or a western-facing window must use their action and succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. On a failure, the player slides 10 feet east. > > At initiative count 20 of the second round of combat, read: > > <hr> > > *The sound of cracking stone grows louder, more insistent, as the tower lurches heavily to the east, the structure listing at a forty-five-degree angle to the cliff. Outside, the cliffside has begun to crumble, with huge chunks of earth plunging into the void below.* > > <hr> > > When this occurs: > > * The interior of the tower becomes difficult terrain due to its steep slope > * Any Strength (Athletics) checks made to escape the collapsing tower are made with advantage > > At initiative count 0 of the second round of combat, read: > > <hr> > > *With a deafening roar, the ground beneath the tower gives way entirely. For a split second, everything seems to hang in the air—before the entire structure begins to plummet down the cliffside, its walls cracking and buckling as stone and debris hurtle through the air.* > > <hr> > > Once this occurs, a flying character with a sufficient carrying capacity can rescue any characters caught in the collapsing tower by succeeding on a DC 20 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, made with disadvantage if the flying character is attempting to rescue two or more other characters. (The DC decreases to 10 if the flying character is able to magically teleport themselves and any rescued characters out of the tower.) If the check fails by 10 or more, the flying character is caught in the collapsing tower as well. > > The tower’s remains collide with the ground at initiative count 0 of the third round of combat. When this occurs, each creature still within the tower takes 242 (44d10) bludgeoning damage. > > The collapse destroys the tower and all of its contents. Any items or remains within the tower require 2d8 + 4 hours of digging through rubble to find. > > When the tower has finished collapsing, Strahd again dismisses Beucephalus to the Ethereal Plane and returns to the cliff to greet any survivors. Proceed to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. ***The Mountain Folk Cave.*** If the players are resting in the Mountain Folk cave described in [[#Seeking Shelter]], Strahd approaches the entrance to the cavern and greets them cordially. Continue: <div class="description"> <p>Strahd regards the cramped cavern with evident disdain. "Charming," he remarks, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I had not been aware of your initiation among the ranks of the vermin of the highlands." His gaze turns, lingering on the long shadows that stretch across the snow outside. "You shall depart this burrow, so that we may speak in more civilized surroundings."</p> </div> If the players do so, continue to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. Otherwise, Strahd smiles coldly and asks if the players are familiar with the topography of Mt. Ghakis. "The savages of the Balinok Mountains know this peak as a man knows his wife—yet even their havens may become traps for the unwary." His gaze flickers briefly to the cliffs above the cavern, and he adds: "Ghakis especially is a treacherous, ancient thing, her slopes carved from crumbling rock and blanketed by layers of weighty ice. The snow itself is constantly shifting—and the cliffs that support it can be surprisingly brittle." Strahd pauses and allows his words to linger before continuing: "It would take but a slight disturbance, I fear—perhaps the shift of a single stone, or the wrong vibration—for the mountain to turn the safest shelter into a silent tomb. Yet I am the Land, and no harm shall come to those who seek safety in Ghakis’s embrace while I will it." Strahd’s eyebrows lift slightly, and he asks: "Do we have an understanding?" If the players subsequently exit the cave, he notes his "delight" that they have "seen sense." Proceed to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. > [!abstract]+ **The Collapsing Ice** > If the plates decline to invite Strahd inside, read: > > <hr> > > *Strahd shakes his head. "It is a shame," he says. "I shall have to extend my regrets to the creatures that carved this hole. But we all must live with the consequences of our decisions."* > > <hr> > > Strahd’s eyes then flash a deep, stormy grey. Read: > > <hr> > > *The sound of distant crackling reaches your ears, even as the air turns sharp with the metallic scent of burning ozone. A tingling sensation creeps along your skin, the hairs rising on the back of your neck as the atmosphere grows heavy upon your shoulders.* > > <hr> > > The characters have one round to vacate the cave. At initiative count 20 of the following round, if the players have failed to do so, Strahd uses his lair action to cast _call lightning_, targeting a point approximately 100 feet above the top of the cave. Read: > > <hr> > > *A deafening crack splits the sky as the snow outside the cave flashes a bright, blinding white. As the light fades, the ground begins to tremble, dust and debris filtering down from the cavern’s ceiling as the mountain rumbles in protest beneath you.* > > <hr> > > The characters have one additional round to vacate the cave. At the end of that round, a cascade of earth and ice crashes down from the cliffs above, burying the cave beneath a fifteen-foot-thick seal of ice, rock, and snow. Any creature within 5 feet of the entrance must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage from falling debris. > > The sealed cave contains enough air for the players to breathe for the following ten minutes. When five minutes have passed, a player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 or higher notices that any non-magical flames have begun to burn lower, while a player with a Constitution score of 11 or less notices that the air has grown thinner, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. > > A character can try to clear away a two-and-a-half-foot-square section of icy debris, which requires 1 minute and a successful DC 15 Strength check. If the character has a pickaxe, shovel, or other relevant tool, the attempt requires only thirty seconds and a successful DC 10 Strength check. > > One round after the players successfully dig a hole through the collapsed debris, the cave begins to collapse. Read: > > <hr> > > *The wall of icy rock shudders, sending flurries of muddy snow spinning through the air. Behind you, the roof of the cavern begins to rumble and groan.* > > <hr> > > Unless stabilized, the cave collapses one round later. Each creature inside the cave when it collapses takes 132 (24d10) bludgeoning damage. The collapse destroys the cave and all of its contents. Any items or remains within the cave require 2d8 + 4 hours of digging through rubble to find. > > When the cave has finished collapsing, Strahd greets any survivors. Proceed to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. ***Arcane Sanctuary.*** If the players are resting in a magically-created haven, Strahd approaches them as follows: * **Leomund’s Tiny Hut.** Strahd casts _dispel magic_ from atop Beucephalus, 120 feet above the top of the *tiny hut*. He then dismisses Beucephalus into the Ethereal Plane, descends in mist form, and resumes his original form. * **Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum.** Strahd steps through the barrier of the warded area. In either case, proceed to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. ***In the Open.*** If the players are resting in the open, Strahd approaches them directly. Proceed to [[#Strahd’s Questions]]. ### Strahd’s Questions When the players first join Strahd in his chosen meeting place, read: <div class="description"> <p>Strahd’s eyes flicker up, toward the shadowed peak of Mt. Ghakis. "Before we begin," he says, "I cannot help but wonder what might possibly bring a group of outlanders to the slopes of the Balinok Mountains." His steady, crimson gaze slowly returns to you. "Perhaps you would care to enlighten me?"</p> </div> Depending on the players’ response, Strahd responds as follows: * If the players tell Strahd they’ve journeyed to Mt. Ghakis to find a weapon capable of destroying him, Strahd raises an eyebrow and says: "I regret to inform you that but one weapon was capable of such a thing—and it was destroyed long ago." * If the players tell Strahd they’ve journeyed to Mt. Ghakis to find a "sword of sunlight," Strahd chuckles coldly and informs them that "the weapon they seek was destroyed long ago." * If the players falsley tell Strahd they’ve journeyed to Mt. Ghakis to seek power or knowledge from the Amber Temple, have the responding players roll a DC 19 group Charisma (Deception) check. Regardless of the result, Strahd curiously asks who told them of the Temple’s existence. Regardless of the players’ response, Strahd notes that "few have the strength or will to claim the power that lies dormant within its vaults," adding: "Forgive me, but I hold my doubts as to your capabilities in this regard." * If the players provide Strahd with any other false reason, have the responding players roll a DC 19 group Charisma (Deception) check, made with disadvantage if the reason is particularly poor. On a success, Strahd makes any appropriate response. On a failure, Strahd’s gaze grows icy. He informs the players that "he has refrained from speaking any falsehood before them," and shares his regrets that they "have not seen fit to return the courtesy." ### Strahd’s Challenge Regardless of the players’ response, Strahd then turns to the player he bit the previous night. "Many in this valley name me ‘tyrant,’" he says, "but I have always respected the choices of my subjects." He then retrieves a small item from an inner pocket of his cloak and holds his hand forward, the item clenched in his fist. "When last we met, Fate chose your blood to be the first I tasted," Strahd says. "Yet it is mortalkind’s lot to rage against the whims of Fate. Tonight, I shall give you an opportunity to do so." Strahd turns to the rest of the group and reiterates that, as with the previous night’s "game," the players are forbidden from communicating or coordinating in any way, and that if he believes they have done so, they shall immediately forfeit. Continue: <div class="description"> <p>Strahd’s fist unfurls, revealing a small leather pouch.</p> <p>"This bag," Strahd says, "contains a number of red and black stones in equal amounts."</p> <p>He loosens the pouch’s drawstring, then retrieves two small, polished stones: one red, one black. "Each of you shall receive one of each color."</p> <p>Strahd continues: "When I instruct you to do so, each will secretly place one of your stones in the bag—black or red. The stones shall then be counted."</p> <p>Strahd holds the black stone into the air. "If at least half are black, I shall drink from none of you tonight."</p> <p>Strahd then tucks the black stone into his fist and holds the red stone into the air. "Otherwise, I shall spare each of you who chose a red stone, and drink my fill from each who chose black."</p> </div> > [!info]+ **How Strahd’s Game Works** > Strahd’s game, [inspired by the linked dilemma](https://x.com/lisatomic5/status/1690904441967575040), takes advantage of two key facets of human reasoning and psychology: > * There is no downside to choosing a red stone, while a player who chooses a black stone is voluntarily placing themselves at risk and thereby forcing their companions to "save" them. As such, because all players will avoid being bitten if all of them choose red, the **rational** response is for each player to choose red. > * Strahd’s phrasing of the rules suggests that a black stone represents "saving" the other players, and that choosing a red stone represents betrayal. As such, the **emotional** response is for each player to choose black. > > Each of these responses will appear "obvious" to the players who pick them. Accordingly, the goal of this game is to ensure that at least some players choose differently from others, thereby maximizing the probability of a worst-case split (i.e., a majority of players choose red, while a sizable minority of players choose black.). If the players protest the rules of the game, Strahd reminds them that refusal to play will mean an immediate forfeit. (If the players break any of Strahd’s rules or otherwise forfeit, proceed to ***Strahd’s Penalty*** below.) Strahd is glad to allow the players to inspect the bag and its contents, both of which are nonmagical. The stones, which a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies as basalt (black) and jasper (red), respectively, have been carefully carved and filed into small, rounded pebbles, each slightly wider than a gold piece. > [!info]+ **Deceiving Strahd** > Any players who attempt to covertly communicate or coordinate their vote must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity (Deception or Sleight of Hand) check, or a DC 18 Charisma (Deception) check if they have previously done so before Strahd’s arrival. ### Playing the Game When the players are ready to begin the game, Strahd places a pair of stones in each player’s hands—one red and one black. Once each player has received and privately inspected their stones, they must secretly place their chosen stone(s) in Strahd’s bag. To do so, each player must privately communicate their vote to the Dungeon Master (e.g., by a folded note or private message). Warn the players that any who attempt to communicate or coordinate *outside* of the game will be construed to have done so *inside* the game, and will therefore forfeit. Once all players have placed their stones inside of the bag, Strahd offers it to Ireena and invites "Lady Kolyana" to "tally the votes." (If Ireena is not present, Strahd offers it to Ezmerelda instead.) Ireena then spills the bag’s contents into her hand, silently counts them, and announces the results. As she does, she reacts as follows: * If at least half of the stones are black, Ireena exhales with clear relief. * If all of the stones are black, Ireena beams with pride. * If at least half of the stones are red, Ireena pales, a look of horror dawning upon her face. * If all of the stones are red, Ireena exhales with clear relief. Once she has announced the results, Ireena displays the chosen stones for all the players to see. ***The Players Win.*** If half or more of the stones are black, or if all of the stones are red, Strahd congratulates the players on their foresight. As per his promise, he declines to drink from any of them that night. He then wishes them "pleasant dreams," and departs into the night, vanishing into mist. ***The Players Lose.*** Otherwise, Strahd shakes his head solemnly and quietly condemns the "folly of the martyr"—those who, in their zeal, "allow compassion to blind and entrap them," thereby endangering not only themselves, but all those who might follow them into delusion. "Yet the stones have been cast," he says grimly, "and it is time for me to take what is due." To identify how each player voted, Strahd directs the players to reveal the stones remaining in their possession. As given in the rules of the game, Strahd then attempts to drink the blood of each player who chose a black stone, repeating his ***bite*** attack each round until they are reduced to 0 hit points. If successful, he retrieves a white silk handkerchief from his pocket, wipes his mouth and chin clean of any blood, and bids the players farewell. He then departs. > [!abstract]+ **The Wounded Victim** > If Strahd’s first victim chose a black stone and is bloodied (i.e., has half of their current maximum hit points or fewer), Strahd turns to the party’s cleric, paladin, or other healer, if one is present, and instructs them to heal that victim fully before he drinks of them. "It would not do for your friend to die so soon," Strahd notes, a cold smile upon his lips. (If the first victim is themselves capable of healing magic, Strahd instructs them to "heal thyself" before proceeding.) > > A player who falsely claims that the players are incapable of healing the victim (e.g., because they do not know or have not prepared healing magic, they have no more spell slots to cast, and/or they have no healing potions) must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma (Deception) check to convince Strahd that they are telling the truth. > > If Strahd sees through the players’ lies, he shakes his head and warns them that he shall take the blood that is owed, one way or another—and that defiance shall likely end with the victim’s immediate death. If the players again refuse to heal the victim, Strahd uses his ***bite*** attack against the victim to reduce them to 0 hit points, then continues biting them until they have failed three death saving throws. > > If the players are truly incapable of healing the first victim, Strahd chides them for their lack of foresight. "You have chosen a dangerous path," he warns them, "yet you waste your strength on pittances and trifles, rather than nursing it for the challenges that lie ahead." Strahd promises that, out of "pity" for the players’ foolishness, he shall endeavor to drink only enough to slake his thirst—though the victim’s life will thereafter be in the players’ hands. He then uses his ***bite*** attack against the victim to reduce them to 0 hit points, bites the victim an additional time to force them to automatically fail two death saving throws, and drops the victim’s unconscious body before the players to stabilize (e.g., with a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check or healer’s kit) before they die. Strahd departs when he has taken all blood owed to him, vanishing into mist. ***Strahd’s Penalty.*** If any player resists Strahd’s attacks, Strahd warns them that betrayal of the terms of their game will result in a forfeit—and the death of one of their number. If any players continue to resist Strahd’s attacks, he uses his ***unarmed strike*** to grapple them, then uses his movement speed and ***night’s retreat*** reaction to pull them away from the party. (In combat, Strahd begins in his Vampire phase, rather than his Mage phase, and assumes his Mage phase only once both his Vampire and Soldier phases have been reduced to 0 hit points.) Each round that the victim remains grappled, Strahd uses his ***unarmed strike*** multiattack and ***bats’ frenzy*** bonus action to attack them, continuing until the victim is dead. If any other players attempt to stop Strahd from killing the victim, Strahd uses his first lair action to cast *change weather*, then uses his lair action to cast *call lightning* on each subsequent round that his Vampire phase survives. Strahd departs only when the chosen victim is dead. When he does, he warns the players that he shall return again the following night—and that he hopes they shall be better prepared to play his game when he does. He then vanishes into mist. ## R4f. The Rider on the Bridge When the players awaken the following morning, the weather is crisp and cold, with a heavy layer of snow covering the road from the previous night. > [!info]+ **Heavy Snow** > Following the blizzard, the road and surrounding areas are covered with heavy snow, which is difficult terrain. While traveling through heavy snow, the players move at half the speed described in <span class="citation">Travel Pace (Player’s Handbook, p. 181)</span>. > [!info]+ **Traveling to the Gatehouse** > If the players chose to find shelter instead of proceeding toward the gatehouse the previous night, the journey from their place of shelter to the gatehouse is two-and-three-quarter miles long and takes one hour and fifty minutes. > > The players’ arrival at the gatehouse is largely as described in <span class="citation">T1. Gatehouse Portcullis (p. 157)</span>, <span class="citation">T2. Demon Statues (p. 157)</span>, and <span class="citation">T3. Curtain of Green Flame (p. 157)</span>. However, add the following sentence to the end of the description of <span class="citation">T1. Gatehouse Portcullis (p. 157)</span>: > > <hr> > > *The tower perches upon the lip of an overhanging cliff, which juts out across the churning fog far below.* > > <hr> > > In addition, increase the number of petrified vrocks to four. (If present, Kasimir can identify the demon statues as guardians that attacked him the last time he came here, animating and pursuing him when he tried to bypass the gatehouse by means of a rope.) > > A player who thinks to present the *amulet of knight’s passage* while within 30 feet of the portcullis can suppress the curtain of flame for 1 minute, as described in [[Arc M - The Dragon's Manor#Argynvost’s Study|Arc M - The Dragon's Manor]]. > > The guard tower of the gatehouse is as described in <span class="citation">T4. Guard Tower, Ground Floor (p. 157)</span>, <span class="citation">T4. Guard Tower, Upper Floor (p. 159)</span>, and <span class="citation">T6. Guard Tower Rooftop (p. 159)</span>. The bridge beyond the gatehouse is largely as described in <span class="citation">T7. Western Arch (p. 159)</span>, <span class="citation">T8. Stone Bridge (p. 159)</span>, and <span class="citation">T9. Eastern Arch (p. 159)</span>. However, remove the description of the black-cloaked rider from the text of <span class="citation">T8. Stone Bridge (p. 159)</span>. As the players depart the bridge, read: <div class="description"> <p>The narrow, snow-covered road hugs the mountainside as it climbs, its slope growing steeper as it approaches a small crest.</p> <p>To the left, the stark, gray stone of Mt. Ghakis rises far above you; to the right, the earth itself falls away, revealing a several-hundred-foot sheer drop into the misty woodlands below. In the distance to the west, you can see a river feeding into a large lake, its surface glinting a cold, steely gray.</p> </div> The river is the Luna River, while the lake is Lake Luna. Fifty minutes after the players first departed the bridge, if any player has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or greater, read: <div class="description"> <p>Far in the distance behind and below you, the gatehouse’s bridge seems to lie like a crude matchstick across the gaping chasm below. A shape seems to be moving across it from the north.</p> </div> A player can make a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to identify the shape. On a success, read: <div class="description"> <p>The shape is a black-cloaked rider on a charcoal-colored horse. As you watch, it crosses the halfway point of the bridge—then lifts its head slightly in your direction, as though it has noticed your gaze.</p> </div> The rider is Rahadin, though the cloak he wears hides his features from view. Regardless of the players’ response, the rider then returns its attention to the bridge before it, vanishing from sight behind a mountain cliff upon reaching <span class="citation">T9. Eastern Arch (p. 159)</span>. > [!abstract]+ **Ambushing Rahadin** > If the players indicate an interest in lying in wait and ambushing the rider, Kasimir points out that the road here is far too narrow and bare to easily serve as a hiding place. "More significantly," he adds, "we appear to be on a timeline—should we fail to reach our destination, we may lose one of our number when Zarovich returns tonight." Although he notes his willingness to defer to the players’ decision, Kasimir warns them that further delays may jeopardize their mission. > > If the players nonetheless attempt to find a place to ambush the rider, all members of the ambush party must make a DC 24 group Dexterity (Stealth) check. On a failure, when he arrives fifty minutes later, Rahadin detects their presence and flees in the direction from whence he came before approaching within two hundred feet. Rahadin also flees if the players attack, fighting only if cornered. ## R4g. The Mountain Crossroad As the players continue up the road, read: <div class="description"> <p>The road continues to climb, the air growing colder and the wind growing harsher with each step you take. To the right, the mountain cliffs fall away into a sea of drifting mist, its gray surface broken only by the very tops of tall, ancient pines that rise from hundreds of feet below you.</p> <p>As you continue, the road curves with the mountainside, eventually rising to reach a narrow crossroads that stands precipitously against a sheer five-hundred-foot cliff. Here, the road splits in two; the southern branch soars along a high, craggy path that soon vanishes into a wall of mist that rises as far as the eye can see, while the northern branch switches back before curving behind a tall, icy plateau.</p> </div> If a player has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 16 or greater, add: <div class="description"> <p>You catch a flicker of movement among the cliffs, approximately one hundred feet overhead: a gray-clothed figure camouflaged against the dark stone of the mountain.</p> </div> The figure is a male Mountain Folk scout named Kalaris (use the statistics of a **scout**, but replace the ***longbow*** with a pair of ***spears***). Kalaris has been sent from Soldav to search for Thiadicem, a Mountain Folk scout who failed to return the previous day. A player who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check can identify that the figure, which is wearing a dark gray cloak and a dark headscarf wrapped around its face, appears to have a short blade hanging from its waist and a pair of spears strapped to its back. If a player notices Kalaris, he swiftly retreats from sight and vanishes behind the cliffs. > [!abstract]+ **Chasing Kalaris** > Players with means of flight or teleportation can easily find and catch Kalaris before he can lose them among the mountain ridges. If they approach within thirty feet of him and don’t try to conceal themselves, he draws one of his spears and commands them, in gruff, accented Common, to identify themselves and state their intentions. > > The players can win Kalaris’s trust by mentioning their interest in Soldav, sharing their goal of defeating Strahd (who Kalaris calls "the Great Shadow"), and succeeding on a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check. The check is made with advantage if the players mention their interest in restoring the Fanes of the Ladies Three, and succeeds automatically if the players show Kalaris the *Spear of the Huntress* after obtaining it from King Dostron’s tomb in [[Arc P - Ravenloft Heist]]. > > If the players win Kalaris’s trust, he agrees to descend the cliffs and lead them to Soldav, following the same path as Kasimir. Otherwise, if the players fail to win his trust, Kalaris brandishes his spear, insists that Soldav "has left the valley in peace since the Horned King first conquered it," and demands that the players allow him to depart in peace. > > If the players refuse to allow Kalaris to depart in peace, he turns and attempts to flee up the mountain. If Kalaris isn’t outnumbered, he hurls his spear at the player who followed him before doing so, hoping to distract or wound them. > > If the players give chase, run their pursuit as described in <span class="citation">Chases (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, (p. 252)</span>, using the **Alpine Chase Complications** table below. Due to his familiarity with the terrain, Kalaris has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide while fleeing. > [!info]+ **Alpine Chase Complications** > | d20 | Complication | > | :---: | :-----| > |1|Your foot cracks through a layer of thin ice and is caught beneath a heavy rock. Make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, your speed is reduced to 0. As an action, you or another creature can make a DC 14 Strength check, freeing you on a success.| > |2-3| A patch of loose gravel under the snow causes you to lose your footing. Make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.| > |4-5|Loose rocks from the cliffs above crash onto the path. Make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.| > |6-7|A hidden ice patch has made the ground beneath you slick. Make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. If the save fails by 5 or more, you slide across the edge of the cliff and must make an additional DC 5 Dexterity saving throw, catching yourself on the edge of the cliff on a success. On a failure, you fall from the cliff and land prone on a precarious icy ledge ten feet below. (Due to its location, the ledge is buffeted by <span class="citation">strong winds (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, p. 110)</span>.| > |8-10| A powerful gust of wind and snow momentarily blinds you. Make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be blinded and slowed until the end of your next turn. (While slowed, a creature must spend 1 extra foot of movement for every foot it moves using its speed, attack rolls against it have advantage, and it has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.)| > |11-20|No complication.| When the players are ready to proceed, Kasimir informs them that, according to his dreams, the northern branch leads toward their destination. If any player asks or wonders aloud about the wall of mist to the south, Kasimir replies that it is the southern border of Barovia—the Mists that keep the land entrapped in Strahd’s domain. ## R4h. The Avalanche When the players continue down the north branch of the mountain crossroad, read: <div class="description"> <p>The road doubles back over itself as it climbs; far beneath your feet, you can see the road before the crossroad clinging tightly to the mountainside, the sea of fog curling lazily a thousand feet below.</p> <p>It’s not long, however, before the lower road vanishes from sight once again, the high road mounting a flat, snow-covered plain. The path here is far less steep, descending into a shallow valley before rising again to cross a long, white plateau that curls around the mountain’s northwestern flank like a skirt.</p> <p>Five miles and more than three hours since crossing it, the tiny shape of the gatehouse bridge emerges through the fog more than one thousand feet below you, the long, gray ribbon of the Luna River twisting beneath it even further below. The road, however, continues around the base of the mountain’s northwest peak, the icy plain narrowing once again to a thin, treacherous path that snakes beneath Ghakis’s northern cliffs.</p> <p>One hundred feet ahead, the road curves with the mountainside, curling right toward the mountain peak before swerving left again and vanishing around a bend another hundred feet away. Where the road swerves, you can just faintly see a dark void in the rocky cliffs—a cave.</p> </div> Pause and allow the players a moment to respond. After they have done so, or if no players respond, continue: <div class="description"> <p>The wind suddenly shifts, changing direction from north to south. Far below, a flock of small birds takes off from a lower mountain cliff, their cries echoing across the cliffs as they fly north—away from the mountain.</p> </div> A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or greater hears a deep, muted thud reverberate from the mountainside above them—as if the mountain itself is exhaling and shifting beneath the weight of the snow upon it. (If Kalaris is accompanying the players, he hears the thud and warns them that the "mountain is shifting" above them. He advises the players to move quickly to safety—either into the cave or, if the players feel confident in their swiftness, past the avalanche zone entirely.) One round later, each player hears a distant, sharp crack pierce the air. Continue: <div class="description"> <p>For a moment, the world seems to hold its breath. Then, far above, a low rumbling fills the air, like a thousand stones shifting all at once. The sound swells to a distant growl, deep and resonant, as though something massive has awoken from deep within the mountain.</p> </div> The players each have one round to react. When the round ends, the avalanche begins. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The growl bursts into a thunderous roar, the slope above giving way with a deafening crash. Snow and ice break free in waves, toppling trees and stone formations alike, as a section of the mountain thunders down toward you.</p> </div> Have the players roll initiative. Set the players’ starting location as follows: * If the players haven’t moved from their initial position, they begin one hundred feet from the cave. * For each round that the players have walked toward the cave, they begin fifteen feet closer to the cave. (For example, if the players began walking upon hearing the crack, they begin eighty-five feet from the cave.) * For each round that the players have run toward the cave, they begin thirty feet closer to the cave. (For example, if the players began running upon hearing the crack, they begin seventy feet from the cave.) A player who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Perception) check predicts that the avalanche will likely impact a section of the road from three hundred feet behind them to two hundred feet ahead of them. A player who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Survival) check predicts that, due to the angle of the mountain above them, the cave is likely to provide a safe refuge from the avalanche’s path—though it’s likely that the avalanche will block off this entrance to the cave once it’s impacted. > [!info]+ **Escaping the Avalanche** > Due to the width and placement of the avalanche, it can’t be escaped by fleeing in the direction the players came. To avoid it, the players must either seek refuge in the cave, outrun the avalanche, or escape the avalanche by magical means (e.g., flight). > [!warning]+ **Heavy Snow** > Remember that, due to the heavy snow that covers it, the road is difficult terrain. > [!lore]+ **The Will of Strahd** > Strahd has sent the avalanche to test the players’ speed and ingenuity, weaken them in advance of his visit the next night, and drive them into the cave, where he has hidden the *shard of the Vampyr* for them to find. The avalanche begins eight hundred feet above the players. At initiative count 0 of each round, the avalanche advances as follows: * **Round One.** The avalanche descends one hundred feet, ending seven hundred feet above the players. A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 or greater notices that the avalanche appears to be accelerating in speed. * **Round Two.** The avalanche descends two hundred feet, ending five hundred feet above the players. A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 10 or greater notices that the avalanche appears to be accelerating in speed. * **Round Three.** The avalanche descends three hundred feet, ending two hundred feet above the players. * **Round Four.** The avalanche impacts the road. Each creature on the road must make a DC 25 Strength saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. On a failure, a creature is swept off of the cliff by the avalanche and immediately falls fifty feet. While caught in the avalanche, a creature is blinded and restrained. * **Round Five.** The avalanche, and each creature caught in it, plummets through the air and lands on a snowy mountain precipice one thousand feet below. Each creature caught in the avalanche takes 70 (20d6) bludgeoning damage and is buried beneath the snow. (See **Caught in the Avalanche** below.) If the players flee the avalanche on foot, run their escape from the avalanche as described in <span class="citation">Chases (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, (p. 252)</span>, using the following **Alpine Chase Complications** table: | d20 | Complication | | :---: | :-----| |1|Your foot cracks through a layer of thin ice and is caught beneath a heavy rock. Make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, your speed is reduced to 0. As an action, you or another creature can make a DC 14 Strength check, freeing you on a success.| |2-3| A patch of loose gravel under the snow causes you to lose your footing. Make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.| |4-5|Loose rocks from the cliffs above crash onto the path. Make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.| |6-7|A hidden ice patch has made the ground beneath you slick. Make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. If the save fails by 5 or more, you slide across the edge of the cliff and must make an additional DC 5 Dexterity saving throw, catching yourself on the edge of the cliff on a success. On a failure, you fall from the cliff and land prone on a precarious icy ledge ten feet below. (Due to its location, the ledge is buffeted by <span class="citation">strong winds (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, p. 110)</span>.| |8-10| A powerful gust of wind and snow momentarily blinds you. Make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be blinded and slowed until the end of your next turn. (While slowed, a creature must spend 1 extra foot of movement for every foot it moves using its speed, attack rolls against it have advantage, and it has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.)| |11-20|No complication.| > [!warning]+ **Rolling Complications** > Remember that players roll complications at the end of their turns, and that a rolled complication affects the next player in initiative order—not the player who rolled it. During the chase, the players’ NPC companions act as follows, modifying their behavior as-needed should a player require assistance: * **Ireena.** Each turn, Ireena uses her ***cunning action*** to take the Dash action as a bonus action, then uses her action to Dash an additional time. * **Ezmerelda.** Ezmerelda takes the Dash action each turn. If she runs out of Dashes, she casts *zephyr strike* as a bonus action, then uses her action to attack the "air" in front of her in order to increase her movement speed. * **Kasimir.** Kasimir casts _misty step_ as a bonus action each turn. If the players outrun the avalanche or escape it by magical means (e.g., flight), continue to [[#R5. Soldav]]. If the players sought refuge in the cave, continue to [[#R4i. The Ice Cave]]. > [!abstract]+ **Caught in the Avalanche** > If any players were caught in the avalanche and fell from the cliff to the precipice below, their bodies lie buried beneath 14 (4d6) feet of snow and debris. While buried in this way, a creature is blinded, restrained, deafened, and can’t breathe. (See <span class="citation">Suffocating (<em>Player’s Handbook</em>, p. 183)</span>. > > If a player survived the impact, they can attempt a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to attempt to dig their way out of the avalanche. On a success, they successfully dig 3 (1d6) feet upward through the compacted snow. If the check fails by 10 or more, the player destabilizes the snow above them, burying them beneath an additional 2 (1d4) feet of snow. > > Three rounds after the players first fall from the cliff, two Mountain Folk **berserkers** named Zia and Corylla approach the fallen snow and begin to dig them out using the flat sides of their stone greataxes. (Zia and Corylla hope to rescue the players if they’re still alive, and loot their bodies if not.) Each round Zia and Corylla dig through the snow, they each remove 3 (1d6) feet of snow above a player’s fallen form, removing 5 (1d10) feet instead if working together. > > If they find the players alive, Zia and Corylla haul them roughly onto the snow. Zia then gruffly thrusts the point of her greataxe toward them and demands to know "what could bring Barovians to the shoulders of Sarmizegetusa." (If asked, Zia can explain that "Sarmizegetusa" is her people’s ancient name for the mountain—what the Barovians call "Mount Ghakis"). > > Once they’ve rescued any players (or looted the bodies), Zia and Corylla prefer to direct the players toward a ridge that will lead them down to the swamp below, then depart quietly back into the mountains. The players can win their trust by mentioning their interest in Soldav, sharing their goal of defeating Strahd (who Zia and Corylla call "the Great Shadow"), and succeeding on a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check. The check is made with advantage if the players mention their interest in restoring the Fanes of the Ladies Three, and succeeds automatically if the players show Zia and Corylla the Spear of the Huntress after obtaining it from King Dostron’s tomb in [[Arc P - Ravenloft Heist]]. > > If the players win Zia and Corylla’s trust, they agree to lead them up the cliffs to Soldav, following a secret path along the ridges known only to the Mountain Folk. Otherwise, if the players fail to win their trust, the two women brandish their greataxes and warn the players to "leave them alone, unless they want to be thrown back in the snow." > > If the players attempt to pursue them despite their warnings, Zia and Corylla attack them with ***unarmed strikes***, attempting to knock them out before departing. If their efforts are unsuccessful, or if they’re outnumbered, the two women instead turn and flee toward the mountain. > > If the players give chase, run their pursuit as described in <span class="citation">Chases (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, (p. 252)</span>, using the Alpine Chase Complications table below. Due to their familiarity with the terrain, Zia and Corylla have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide while fleeing. ## R4i. The Bodaks’ Lair If the players enter the cave, read: <div class="description"> <p>The cave entrance leads to a small, rocky chamber no more than twenty feet across. A narrow natural corridor splits from the chamber’s right side, bending further into the depths of the mountain before winding out of sight.</p> </div> > [!lore]+ **The Bodaks** > Several decades ago, two siblings bearing amber shards named Cassius and Deirdre found their way through the Mists into Barovia. Their shards led them to the Amber Temple, where they accepted the dark gift of the vestige Sykane, the Soul Hungerer in order to resurrect their mother. Both succumbed to Sykane’s corruption, however, transforming into dark, twisted husks with the statistics of **bodaks** before they could escape the mountain or Mists. > > Cassius and Deirdre still linger in this cave today, each having claimed a separate chamber as their "nest." Though the natural chimney in [[#The Trash Heap]] connects their cavern to [[#The Ice Cave]], the **shoosuva** that dwells there is too large to descend the chimney to the bodaks’ cave, while the bodaks have no interest in contesting the shoosuva’s territory. > > The first time the players observe a bodak’s full form, read: > > <hr> > > *Ragged, filthy robes cloak this creature’s hunched, skeletal frame. Its arms and legs are long, thin, and bony, ending in elongated, claw-like fingers and twisted, knobbly feet. Its head is a hollow, mask-like visage, its mouth a gaping black maw and its eyes a pair of voidlike sockets.* > [!info]+ **Disturbing the Bodaks** > If the players declare an intention to move quietly down the corridor and succeed on a DC 15 group Dexterity (Stealth) check, the two **bodaks** in [[#The Black Maze]] are dormant when the players first enter. If the players don’t declare such an intention, or if the players fail the check, the bodaks are active when the players first enter. > [!info]+ **The Stalking Bodaks** > When dormant, the bodak that was once Cassius dwells in [[#The Western Nest]], while the bodak that was once Deirdre dwells in [[#The Room of Regret]]. > > If the siblings are active, their location constantly shifts as they attempt to corner the players. For example, their locations might change as follows as the players progress through the cavern: > * When the players first enter[[#The Junction]], Cassius peers into [[#The Trash Heap]], while Deirdre enters [[#The Amber Shrine]]. > * If the players proceed to [[#The Room of Regret]] or [[#The Trash Heap]], Cassius returns to [[#The Western Nest]] and Deirdre enters [[#The Junction]], cutting off the players’ exit. If the players then attempt to ascend [[#The Trash Heap]], the bodaks attack. Otherwise, if the players subsequently proceed to [[#The Western Nest]], Cassius retreats to [[#The Room of Regret]], while Deirdre advances to [[#The Trash Heap]]. > * If the players proceed to [[#The Amber Shrine]], Deirdre returns to [[#The Eastern Nest]] and Cassius enters [[#The Junction]], cutting off the players’ exit. If the players subsequently proceed to [[#The Eastern Nest]], Deirdre retreats to [[#The Room of Regret]], while Cassius advances to [[#The Amber Shrine]]. > > No matter what, the bodaks activate their ***auras of annihilation*** if the players (1) enter [[#The Western Nest]], (2) enter [[#The Eastern Nest]], or (3) attempt to ascend [[#The Trash Heap]]. (See **Fighting the Bodaks** below for more information.) > > Each time a bodak enters or exits a chamber adjacent to the players, a player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 16 or greater hears a quiet shuffling noise echo from that chamber’s direction. > [!info]+ **Fighting the Bodaks** > Cassius and Deirdre have the statistics of **bodaks** (<span class="citation">Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, p. 64</span>), but with the following changes: > * Increase each bodak’s hit points to 136 (21d8 + 42). > * Give each bodak the following action: "***Multiattack.*** The bodak attacks twice with its fist." > * A creature that fails its saving throw against a bodak's ***death gaze*** by 5 or more is reduced to half its current hit points (rounded up), rather than 0. > > If the bodaks encounter the players while dormant, each bodak uses its first bonus action to activate its ***aura of annihilation***. It then uses its ***multiattack*** if any player is within melee range, and its ***withering gaze*** otherwise. > > If the bodaks corner the players while active (i.e., after the players have entered [[#The Eastern Nest]] or [[#The Western Nest]], or as the players first attempt to ascend the chimney in [[#The Trash Heap]]), each bodak quietly activates its ***aura of annihilation*** from a separate adjacent room and waits for the players to die. (Because a bodak’s ***aura of annihilation*** is an aura, rather than a spell or attack, the damage dealt by the aura spreads around corners.) > > If the players subsequently pursue and attack either bodak, the bodak uses its ***withering gaze*** and retreats to a new room on its turn, hoping to avoid the players’ attacks until they succumb to its ***aura of annihilation***. > > The first time a bodak activates its ***aura of annihilation***, read: > > <hr> > > *The room darkens, the temperature plummeting as a dull, low hum resonates through the air. An unnatural, bone-chilling cold suddenly gnaws against your flesh, even as the bitter scents of ash and decay claw at your throats and lungs.* > > *Shadows gather, slithering across the ground and creeping up the walls as colors fade to shades of pale, lifeless gray. All around you, the warmth and light of the world seem to seep away—as though drawn into a cold and distant void.* ### The Junction If a player follows the corridor, read: <div class="description"> <p>The corridor curves through the dark, gray stone before opening into a shadowed junction. A pale, gray-green lichen crawls across the frozen earth of the floor, while ice-sheathed stalactites dangle like knives from the ceiling above.</p> <p>Three natural tunnels cut through the earth here: one to the west, one to the east, and one to the south. A low, haunting moan emanates intermittently from the western tunnel, while a smeared trail of dark crimson leads deeper into the southern tunnel. The eastern tunnel stands quietly amidst the shadows.</p> </div> The western path leads to [[#The Trash Heap]], the eastern path leads to [[#The Amber Shrine]], and the southern path leads to [[#The Room of Regret]]. Each tunnel curves out of sight, obscuring whatever lies beyond. ![[The Bodak Cave.png]] If the bodaks are active when the players enter this area, a player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 16 or greater notices a silhouette briefly flicker across the wall of the eastern tunnel (leading to [[#The Amber Shrine]]). (The silhouette belongs to Deirdre, who has vacated [[#The Eastern Nest]] to investigate the newcomers. If the players approach the eastern tunnel, Deirdre exits [[#The Amber Shrine]] and returns to [[#The Eastern Nest]].) A player who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check identifies the "moan" as the distant sound of the outside wind, while a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check confirms the "smear" to be dried blood. On a result of 15 or more, a player who made a Wisdom (Medicine) check to investigate the blood learns that the trail is little more than a day old. ### The Trash Heap When the players enter this room, read: <div class="description"> <p>Large, pale stalagmites rise in clusters across the floor of this small, cramped room, the earth around them blanketed with a carpet of bleached-white bones.</p> <p>To the left, a narrow tunnel leads deeper into the cavern. On the far side of the room, the distant wind moans softly down a natural chimney, whose rugged, jagged walls ascend out of sight.</p> </div> The bones on the floor are the remnants of Cassius’s meals. They crunch loudly underfoot, and creatures have disadvantage on Dexerity (Stealth) checks made to move silently through this area. A player who inspects the bones and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine or Nature) check discerns sharp teeth marks along their lengths, as well as places where the marrow has been sucked clean. The tunnel to the left leads to [[#The Western Nest]]. The chimney, which is two-and-a-half feet in diameter, begins ten feet above the floor before rising sixty feet through the stone to [[#R4j. The Ice Caves]]. > [!info]+ **Ascending the Chimney** The walls beside the chimney, smoothed from years of erosion, are bereft of natural handholds. To climb the walls to the chimney’s entrance, a character must succeed on a DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. > > Once within the chimney, a character attempting to ascend or descend the chimney shaft without the aid of magic or equipment must make a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. If the check succeeds, the character moves at half speed up or down the shaft, as desired. On a check result of 6-9, 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 at the base of the shaft. > [!info]+ **Where Are the Bodaks?** > If the full party enters this room while the bodaks are active, Cassius is lurking in [[#The Western Nest]], while Deirdre attempts to sneak behind the players via [[#The Junction]]. Otherwise, if the players alert the bodaks while in this room (e.g., by stepping on the bones), Cassius moves to [[#The Western Nest]] while Deirdre moves to [[#The Amber Shrine]], followed by [[#The Junction]]. > > If the players attempt to ascend the chimney while the bodaks are active, Cassius and Deirdre immediately activate their ***auras of annihilation***, then enter the room the following round to attack. ### The Room of Regret When the players enter this room, read: <div class="description"> <p>Two tunnels split off from this small room: one to the left, and one to the right. The far wall is covered with a large number of carvings, which appear to depict words.</p> <p>A man’s corpse lies across the center of the chamber, its naked flesh tinged a strange, sickly gray. Its eye sockets are gaping, bloody holes, and its intestines have been carved open and strewn across the floor around it.</p> </div> If the bodaks are inactive when the players first enter this chamber, add: <div class="description"> <p>A hunched, skeletal creature crouches low over the corpse, the creature’s ragged cloak draped unevenly across a twisted, protruding spine. A guttural slurping noise emanates from its front, even as its long, bony arms stretch out across the flesh before it.</p> </div> The creature is Cassius, and is in the process of devouring a section of the corpse’s entrails. If the players attack it or otherwise reveal their presence, Cassius wails in rage and attacks. > [!abstract]+ **The Corpse** > A player who inspects the corpse learns that its flesh has begun to slough from its bones, its skin and muscles rotting and its organs scorched a dark, sickly gray. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that the corpse’s torso was torn by long, sharp claws no more than twenty-four hours prior—and that its innards appear far more decayed than the freshness of the corpse would indicate. > > If the Mountain Folk Kalaris is present, he grimly identifies the corpse as Thiadicem—the Mountain Folk scout he had been dispatched to find. Upon inspecting Thiadicem’s wounds, if the players haven't yet encountered either of the bodaks, Kalaris pales and warns them that this necrosis is "the mark of the Gray Twins"—monsters that haunt the crags of Mount Ghakis and savor human flesh. (If asked, Kalaris can inform the players that the very air around the Gray Twins consumes the life of those that linger nearby, devouring victims’ vitality with each passing second.) The carvings on the far wall form a number of rough inscriptions. The largest inscription, which is written in Common, reads: "THE SHADOWS LIE." Below, around, and above it are carved several dozen repetitions of a single phrase, written in Abyssal: "Do not accept their gifts." > [!lore]+ **The Carvings** > Cassius and Deirdre carved these words, which refer to the vestiges of the Amber Temple, onto the cavern walls while some aspect of their humanity still lingered in the days following their transformation. However, any shred of conscience has long since dissolved in the years they have spent in these cold, darkened caves. > [!info]+ **Where Are the Bodaks?** > If the full party enters this room while the bodaks are active, Cassius is lurking in [[#The Western Nest]], while Deirdre attempts to sneak behind the players via [[#The Junction]]. Otherwise, if the players alert the bodaks while within this room (i.e., by disturbing or attacking Cassius), Deirdre enters combat the following round from [[#The Eastern Nest]]. ### The Amber Shrine When the players enter this room, read: <div class="description"> <p>This small room is cramped and shrouded in darkness, with a chill that clings to the air. Small pools of ice lie scattered across the uneven floor, with trails of icy meltwater frozen to the walls above them.</p> <p>To the right, a narrow tunnel leads deeper into the cave. A large carving stands upon the far wall, flanked by a pair of small objects that dangle from natural rocky protrusions.</p> </div> The tunnel leads to [[#The Eastern Nest]]. The carving depicts a thick-bordered equilateral triangle containing an inverted equilateral triangle, which in turn contains a vertical wavy line. A player who has previously read the *Tome of Strahd* recognizes it as the same symbol depicted therein. If Kasimir is present, he can share that the carving is the symbol of the Amber Temple, which Patrina first showed to him in his dreams. Each dangling object is an *amber shard of Sykane* (see the [[Amber Shards#Sykane, the Soul Hungerer|Amber Shards]] appendix). > [!info]+ **Where Are the Bodaks?** > If the full party enters this room while the bodaks are active, Deirdre is lurking in [[#The Eastern Nest]], while Cassius attempts to sneak behind the players via [[#The Junction]]. ### The Western Nest When the players enter this chamber, read: <div class="description"> <p>This room contains a large, strange nest made of rotted fabric, gnawed bones, and a circle of dark, lumpy stones.</p> </div> If the players entered this chamber via [[#The Trash Heap]], add: <div class="description"> <p>A dark, narrow tunnel branches off from the left side of this chamber.</p> </div> This tunnel leads to [[#The Room of Regret]]. Otherwise, if the players entered it via [[#The Room of Regret]], add: <div class="description"> <p>A dark, narrow tunnel branches off from the right side of this chamber.</p> </div> This tunnel leads to [[#The Trash Heap]]. ***Treasure.*** A player who investigates the nest finds an old *adventurer’s pack* containing, in addition to its ordinary contents, 12 bloodstained platinum pieces and 56 gold pieces. The pack also contains an old, torn parchment letter. It reads: <div class="description"> <p>Cassius,</p> <p>I know I’m breaking my promise, but I can’t ignore these visions any longer. If there is a way to bring Mother back, I must take it—no matter the risk.</p> <p>Deirdre</p> </div> ### The Eastern Nest When the players enter this chamber, read: <div class="description"> <p>This room contains a large, strange nest made of rotted fabric, gnawed bones, and a circle of dark, lumpy stones.</p> </div> If the players entered this chamber via [[#The Amber Shrine]], add: <div class="description"> <p>A dark, narrow tunnel branches off from the right side of the chamber.</p> </div> Otherwise, if the players entered it via [[#The Room of Regret]], add: <div class="description"> <p>A dark, narrow tunnel branches off from the left side of the chamber.</p> </div> In either case, if the bodaks aren’t yet active, Deirdre can be found resting in her "nest," playing with a set of humanoid bones. Read: <div class="description"> <p>A hunched, skeletal creature sits at the center of the "nest," its ragged cloak draped unevenly across a twisted, protruding spine. Its long, bony arms stretch out into the air above it, hefting a bleached-white skull as low, alien coos emanate from its chest.</p> </div> If the players attack it or otherwise reveal their presence, Deirdre wails in rage and attacks. ***Treasure.*** A player who investigates the nest finds a set of shredded common clothes, a crumpled map of Mount Ghakis (including a point marking the approximate location of the Amber Temple, which Kasimir can confirm), and a worn cloth purse containing 6 silver pieces. ## R4j. The Ice Caves A player who fully ascends the natural chimney in [[#The Trash Heap]] emerges into a system of ice caves. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The rough-hewn rock of the chimney gives way to a large, icy cavern approximately eighty feet across. Ice-sheathed stalactites dangle from the frost-covered ceiling, the wind howling across a jagged gap in the stone fifty feet above.</p> <p>To the west, a narrow gap splits the cavern wall, forming a tight passageway that disappears into the mountain. To the north, a low, rounded opening leads into an adjoining space, its edges illuminated by a dim, flickering red glow.</p> </div> The western gap leads to [[#The Cave of Daggers]]. A player who inspects the gap notices a shaft of pale, cold light illuminating one of the walls inside. The northern opening, which is tall enough to admit a Small or smaller creature, or a Medium creature crawling, leads to [[#The Frozen Vault]]. > [!abstract]+ **The Gap Above** > The gap in the ceiling is three feet across—wide enough to allow Medium-sized creatures or smaller to slip through it. However, due to the architecture of the cavern, it’s inaccessible without the aid of magic or a climber’s kit. > > If the players escape through the gap in the ceiling, they can easily find and descend to their original path, bypassing the segments that the avalanche blocked off. ### The Frozen Vault If a player enters this chamber, read: <div class="description"> <p>The opening leads to a small stone cavern no more than twelve feet across and approximately ten feet high. Its walls, sheathed in ice, form a natural mirror, reflecting your blurry, fractured silhouette across every angle as you pass inside. Every sound here seems amplified, bouncing off the frozen surfaces with an eerie, echoing clarity.</p> <p>An enormous, lone icicle hangs from the center of the ceiling, easily three feet tall and ten inches wide at the base. A deep, pulsating red light flickers from something frozen inside of it.</p> </div> The icicle, which ends seven feet above the ground and falls easily if melted or broken, contains a frozen *ironblood pendant* (see below), whose iron chain dangles from a natural stone hook on the ceiling. The pendant falls if the icicle falls, or becomes exposed if the icicle is melted. When the pendant first becomes visible, read: <div class="description"> <p>The interior of the icicle conceals a triangular iron pendant attached to an iron chain. The center of the pendant bears a chunk of jagged, crimson resin that pulses with a low, steady light.</p> </div> > [!item]+ **Ironblood Pendant** > This nonmagical iron pendant is shaped like a triangle and attached to an iron chain. The chunk of resin mounted at its center is, secretly, an *amber shard of the Vampyr*. > > The first time a player possessing the pendant would be knocked unconscious or die, or if a player attempts to commune with the shard, read: > > <hr> > > *You find yourself standing amidst a dark, endless void, illuminated by no light but a flickering, crimson glow. The light exudes from a chunk of blood-red resin—no longer mounted upon the iron pendant you wear, but hovering in the air before you, unmoored from matter or the pull of gravity. A shadow stirs in the resin’s heart, and you feel the weight of an ancient, interested gaze fall upon you.* > > *"You are fragile, little mortal," the shadow whispers. "I taste the fear of death upon you. Yet I smell, too, a desire for strength—a will that would bend Death to its service. Accept this small fragment of my gift, and you may yet survive what is to come."* > > *A small, blood-red spark floats forth from the resin’s depths, hovering patiently in the air before you.* > > <hr> > > If the player asks the shadow to identify itself, read: > > <hr> > > *A cold, distant laugh echoes from the blood-red depths. "I am the Ancient—the Undying One. Through my gift, the first Immortals were born from mortalkind, defying the cold and hollow destiny the gods have ordained. Through my gift, so too may you splinter the shackles that bind you to the grave—should you have the courage and strength to seek it."* > > <hr> > > If the player notes the shadow’s resemblance to the vestiges of the amber shards, it scoffs, noting its disdain for "lesser shades that skulk amidst amber shadows." "They have lost themselves in their imprisonment," the shadow scorns, "rendering their gifts a poison to those who would accept them. Mine is pure—untainted by time’s corruption or the weakness of petty fiends." > > If the player refuses to accept the spark, they return to ordinary unconsciousness. > > If the player grasps or otherwise accepts the spark, or if they ask the shadow about its "gift," it laughs softly and invites them to seek it out "beyond the faceless god, in the amber vault where ancient power dwells." If the player accepted the spark, they then awaken with the benefits of a long rest, as well as the ***darkvision***, ***deathless nature***, ***spider climb***, and ***vampiric bite*** traits of a <span class="citation">dhampir (<em>Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft</em>, p. 16).</span> The player also gains the following traits: > > * ***Hidden Fangs.*** Your vampiric fangs are naturally concealed. You can extend or retract your fangs as a bonus action on your turn. > * ***Curse.*** The amber shard is cursed. A character that accepts the shadow’s gift is secretly cursed until targeted by a *greater restoration* spell or similar magic. As long as the character remains cursed, the character cannot discard the pendant or shard, which immediately teleports back around their neck. > > If a character accepts the dark gift of the Vampyr in <span class="citation">X42. Amber Vault (p. 195)</span> and fulfills the conditions to become a **vampire** while cursed in this way, the character falls under Strahd’s permanent control, as if he turned them into a **vampire spawn**. > [!lore]+ **The Cursed Pendant** > Strahd intentionally placed this pendant here the night of [[#R4e. The Tyrant’s Second Trial]], hoping that one of the players might take it with them to the Amber Temple and accept the Vampyr’s dark gift—thereby giving him a full-blooded vampire under his control. (The vestige of the Vampyr doesn’t know that the pendant is cursed.) > > The amber shard embedded in the pendant is the same one the Dark Powers bestowed upon Strahd on the day of Sergei’s wedding, thereby allowing him to accept the dark gift of the Vampyr before his brother could be wed. (Due to his prior encounter with the Vampyr’s sarcophagus under Patrina Velikov’s guidance, Strahd didn’t need to return to the Amber Temple in person in order to accept the Vampyr’s dark gift by means of the amber shard.) ### The Cave of Daggers The gap in [[#R4j. The Ice Caves]] bends around the western wall of the entry cavern, then bends west again, soon widening into a tunnel. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The rocky, frost-coated crack broadens into a long, rounded tunnel. Rippled, wave-like ice sheets cover the walls, forming a near-perfect circular passage through the mountain. The ice glimmers faintly, shimmering as if filled with thousands of distant stars.</p> <p>The tunnel continues long into the distance ahead, soon vanishing into darkness.</p> </div> If the players follow the tunnel, read: <div class="description"> <p>The tunnel winds nearly a mile east through the mountain, curving faintly through the ice sheet as you tread through the darkness.</p> <p>Eventually, the tunnel widens further, its walls flanked by tall, hourglass-like ice structures with bulbous bases, where frozen meltwater has formed elongated ice "stalactites" and "stalagmites" that meet and meld in-between. Not far away, frozen cascades have formed eerie, ghostlike silhouettes, with long, crystalline tendrils hanging from rounded, overhanging "caps."</p> <p>Ahead, a ring of swollen icicles mark your entrance to a much larger space. As you pass beneath them, you find the tunnel ends upon a narrow, icy shelf overlooking a vast, cathedral-like ice cavern below.</p> <p>Beams of soft, pale light filter in from far above, illuminating hundreds of jagged, tapering ice formations that glisten with radiant, ethereal beauty. An endless array of enormous icicles, ranging from a foot in length to the height of a man, dangle delicately from the ceiling overhead, their darkened reflections shimmering in a thin layer of frigid water that covers the cavern’s floor.</p> <p>Ten feet to the left, at the edge of your current perch, a five-foot fallen icicle stands amidst a large patch of hoarfrost—a carpet of lacelike, feathery ice crystals—its sharpened end splitting the frozen earth like a lance through flesh. Forty feet ahead and to the right, an opening to an adjoining chamber stands atop another icy shelf that looms fifteen feet above the floor below.</p> <p>One hundred feet ahead, the light illuminates the glittering surface of a fifty-foot frozen lake. Beyond the lake, the pale, gray glow of daylight flickers through a yawning cavern mouth.</p> </div> A player who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check recognizes the cave as an icefall cave: a cavern where meltwater refreezes into large, fragile icicles and ice formations that can collapse suddenly, forming a deadly chain-reaction cascade and cave-in if triggered with loud sounds, vibrations, or changes in temperature. (If Kalaris is present, he immediately and breathlessly relays this information to the players in a whisper, warning them to remain quiet in order to avoid setting off the icicles.) > [!info]+ **Icicle Cascade** > Each time the players perform one of the following acts, roll a d100. If the result falls within the "Warning" range for that act, the icicles overhead tremble faintly, clinking together and causing bits of frost to filter down from above, but otherwise remain undisturbed. However, if the result falls within the "Cascade" range for that act, an icicle cascade begins. > > | Action | | Cascade Range | Warning Range | > |:---|:---:|:--:| > | Ordinary Noises | 00-09 | 10-49 | > | Weak Heat | 00-09 | 10-49 | > | Loud Noises | 00-49 | 50-99 | > | Strong Heat | 00-49 | 50-99 | > | Explosive Noises | 00-99 | - | > | Searing Heat | 00-99 | - | > > Examples of each action include: > * **Ordinary Noises.** Talking at a normal volume; slipping and falling > * **Weak Heat.** Casting a cantrip that deals fire damage > * **Loud Noises.** Shouting; clashing swords; crashing through ice > * **Strong Heat.** Casting a 1st- or 2nd-level fire spell, or a 3rd-level or higher fire spell that targets a single creature > * **Explosive Noises.** Casting a spell that deals thunder damage > * **Searing Heat.** Casting a 3rd-level or higher fire spell that targets an area of effect > > If an icicle cascade is triggered, it acts as follows: > * All icicles immediately above the triggering action enter the cascade range. > * At the start of each creature’s turn, if that creature is beneath the cascade range, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d10 piercing damage. > * At initiative count 0 of each round, the cascade range grows by thirty feet in every direction. > * The cascade ends at the end of the sixth round after triggering. > > A creature takes half damage from an icicle cascade if it’s completely submerged in water, and no damage if it’s at least ten feet from the water’s surface. The players’ current ledge stands twenty feet above the cavern floor. A player without the aid of equipment or magic can descend the ledge with a successful DC 10 Strength Athletics) check; if the check fails by 5 or more, the player plummets to the ground, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage, landing prone, and causing a loud noise (see **Icicle Cascade** above). When a player first descends to the cavern floor, read: <div class="description"> <p>An inch of frigid water splashes beneath your boots, its dark, rippling surface reflecting the distorted, sharpened points of the weighty icicles overhead.</p> <p>Forty feet to the right, a frost-covered cliff ascends to the icy shelf and the cavern entrance atop it. One hundred feet ahead, the floor slopes up gently to meet the frozen lake’s banks, the gray Barovian sky waiting beyond.</p> </div> ***The Ice Shelf.*** A player without the aid of equipment or magic can climb the cliff at the base of the ice shelf with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. When a player reaches the top of the shelf, read: <div class="description"> <p>The ledge forms a jagged strip of ice and rock, shadowed overhead by massive, glistening icicles that hang from the ceiling like serrated fangs. Ahead, a wide crack in the ice shelf forms the entrance to a larger stone chamber.</p> </div> If a player peers into or enters the chamber, read: <div class="description"> <p>Your nostrils are immediately met with the stench of cold blood, mingling with the cold, biting chill of the ice. A faint mist curls across a shallow, twenty-foot depression in the frozen earth, which stands at the center of this forty-foot cavern. The crater’s edges are lined with an assortment of grisly remains—shredded hides, cracked bones, and brittle, matted tufts of fur. Deep scratches gouge the walls and floor, leaving a lattice of marks across the stone and ice alike.</p> <p>Scattered objects dot the chamber: the twisted remnants of armor, shattered weapons, and broken baubles, many half-encased in icy shells. Gold, silver, and other coins lie strewn across the floor, interspersed with glittering precious stones and heaps of white bones. No trophies or trinkets decorate the crater, however—save for a small, amber object that lies at its center.</p> </div> The den contains 3 pp, 107 gp, 389 sp, 780 cp, seven 10-gp azurites, three 50-gp bloodstones, and two 100-gp diamonds. The amber object at the center of the crater is an *amber shard of Yog the Invincible* mounted on a stiff hemp cord. > [!lore]+ **The Shoosuva’s Den** > This cave is the den of one of the **elder shoosuva** that the players encounter in [[#R5a. The Twin Falls]]. > [!abstract]+ **Journey to the Lake** > If a player travels from the shoosuva’s den to the frozen lake, they encounter a **forsaken soldier** (see below) half-buried in a pile of snow along the way, its body frozen in the icy floor beneath the waist. > > If a player approaches within 10 feet of it, read: > > <hr> > > *Ahead, you see a pile of black rags strewn admist a snow bank.* > > <hr> > > If that player has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or greater, add: > > <hr> > > *Pale, frozen fingertips and the barest hint of a gray, desiccated face poke through the snow’s surface.* > > <hr> > > The soldier, which bears an old, blackened shortsword, animates and attacks the first creature that approaches within 5 feet of it. While its legs are frozen in the ice, its movement speed is 0. ***The Frozen Lake.*** When the players first arrive at the lake’s banks, read: <div class="description"> <p>The frost-veined ice of the frozen lake spreads out before you, its surface dotted with several small, rocky, snow-dusted, rocky isles that rise several feet above the ice below. Past the lake, and beyond the cavern mouth’s toothy threshold, the steely cliffs of Mount Ghakis rise sharply against the gray Barovian sky.</p> </div> The lake, which fills the entire width of this section of the cave, is covered with <span class="citation">thin ice (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, p. 111)</span>, except for the near and far banks, which are bordered by 5 feet of <span class="citation">slippery ice (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, p. 110)</span>. All thin ice along the lake’s surface has a weight tolerance of 165 pounds. If a player has a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or greater, add: <div class="description"> <p>You catch a glimpse of several still, dark shadows beneath the ice of the frozen lake’s surface.</p> </div> The shadows are thirteen **forsaken warriors** (see below), and are placed as depicted in the map below, with orange representing solid earth, blue representing slippery ice, white representing thin ice, and green stars representing **forsaken warriors** beneath the ice: ![[The Frozen Lake.png]] > [!info]+ **Slippery Ice** > A creature that crawls across slippery ice automatically succeeds on its saving throw against falling prone. > > To jump from a square covered in slippery ice, a creature must make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a failure, the creature jumps only half the distance and lands prone. (A creature or object that lands on thin ice in this way is treated as though its weight is five times as heavy. A creature or object that breaks through thin ice generates a loud noise, as described in **icicle cascade** above.) > [!info]+ **Thin Ice** > A player who succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Nature) check can identify where the slippery ice turns into thin ice. In addition, a player who succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Nature) check accurately estimates the thin ice’s weight tolerance. > [!info]+ **Frigid Water** > A creature that falls through the ice suffers the effects of <span class="citation">frigid water (<em>Dungeon Master’s Guide</em>, p. 110)</span>. However, a creature can only be immersed in frigid water for a number of minutes equal to its Constitution modifier, rather than its Constitution score, before suffering any ill effects. (Creatures immune to exhaustion, such as a **forsaken soldier**, suffer no such effects from doing so.) > [!abstract]+ **The Shoosuva’s Prints** > A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 10 or more who stands upon one of the two northernmost isles notices that the powdered snow atop their surfaces bears a number of enormous paw prints, each one larger than a dinner plate. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Nature) check identifies the prints as bearing superficial similarities to both canine and feline prints, with deep claw marks, rounded toes, and an elongated, triangular central pad. On a result of a 20 or more, the player recognizes that the prints resemble those of a hyena—but with a far greater size. > > The prints belong to an **elder shoosuva** (see [[#R5a. The Twin Falls]]), which uses these isles to cross the lake when it departs or returns to its den. The forsaken soldiers attack any creature that falls through the ice. If a forsaken soldier successfully grapples a player, it attempts to pull them underwater before attacking them with its ***shortsword*** or ***spear***. (See **frigid water** above for more information on the effects of frigid water, as well as <span class="citation">Underwater Combat (<em>Player’s Handbook</em>, p. 198)</span> and <span class="citation">Suffocating (<em>Player’s Handbook</em>, p. 183)</span> for more information about underwater combat.) > [!info]+ **Forsaken Soldiers** > A **forsaken soldier** has the statistics of a **wight**, but with the following changes: > * It has no damage resistances. > * It has no ***sunlight sensitivity*** feature. > * It has no ***life drain*** attack. > * Replace its ***longsword*** attack with a ***shortsword*** attack (+4 to hit, 1d6 + 2 piercing damage) or ***spear*** attack (+4 to hit, 1d6 + 2 piercing damage, or 1d8 + 2 piercing damage if used with two hands). > * Replace its ***longbow*** attack with the following: ***Fist.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. *Hit:* 3 bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 12). > > The first time a player sees a **forsaken soldier** directly, read: > > <hr> > > *A dark shadow drifts beneath the water’s surface: a skeletal figure with desiccated, sunken flesh. Its pale gray skin clings to its bones like a thin sheet, with frost forming jagged, crystalline patterns around the exposed cavities of its torso. Its partially-exposed rib cage is visible through gaps in its corroded armor, the thin, splintered ribs coated in a delicate rime of frost.* > > *Its bony, claw-like hands are clasped tightly around the hilt of an old, chipped iron blade, ice crystals creeping through its frayed leather gloves and nesting beneath its pitch-black fingernails. Straps of leather, cracked and blackened with age, crisscross its torso, and a few remnants of cloth cling to its collar, their colors long since faded with age.* > > *A bronze, devil-horned helm sits atop its head, its leather interior seemingly fused to the corpse’s head from cold and time. For a moment, the figure seems to drift peacefully below the frigid waters—until its eyes snap open, revealing bright, startlingly blue irises that stare blankly into yours. With the faint, creaking sound of cracking ice, it begins to stir, its bony arms reaching toward you.* # R5. Soldav ## R5a. The Twin Falls If the players exit [[#R4j. The Ice Caves]] via [[#The Cave of Daggers]], read: <div class="description"> <p>You emerge from the cave mouth onto a narrow, snow-dusted ledge. It winds around the cliffs toward the south, soon vanishing around a bend. In the distance, you can see it join a cliffside trail that hugs the mountain’s southern edge.</p> </div> A player with a passive Wisdom (Survival) score of 12 or greater recognizes that the trail appears to travel in the same direction, and at approximately the same altitude, as the trail where they encountered the avalanche. If the players follow the ledge down to the trail, read: <div class="description"> <p>You descend the winding ledge, the frozen snow crunching once more beneath your boots. As your path joins with the trail below, you can see, a mile behind you, a place where the path has been covered by fallen snow and debris, approximately where you recall the avalanche occurring.</p> </div> If the players continue down the trail, or if the players escaped the avalanche without seeking refuge in [[#R4i. The Bodaks’ Lair]], read: <div class="description"> <p>The cliffside trail continues eastward, rising and circling the base of a cloud-shrouded peak before emerging onto a flat, snowy plateau. Here, where no fog chokes the air, and where the air is crisp and clear, the entirety of the valley opens up before you.</p> <p>To the northeast, you see twin spurs of Mount Ghakis snaking down into the valley, each winding ridge reaching toward the mountains that surround Castle Ravenloft far away. Between the two spurs, a cascading river feeds a storm-gray mountain lake nestled within the mountain’s arms, which, in turn, feeds a long, scraggly river that winds around a thin, narrow ridge before vanishing out of sight.</p> <p>To the north, the mist-shrouded swamps of Berez cling to the Luna River like a tick. Through the distant fog, the proud manor of Argynvostholt looms above the flooded plains far below, its beacon shining with a fierce, defiant light. Far beyond both, the great expanse of Lake Zarovich extends beneath the base of Mount Baratok, its dark, mirrorlike waters fed by a quartet of mountain streams that flow forth from the titan’s wooded foothills.</p> <p>To the northwest, past the gleaming beacon, you can see the distant waters of Lake Baratok. Further westward, past the snow-cloaked plateaus of Tsolenka Pass, you think you can just barely see a rolling vineyard at the edge of a dark, shrouded forest.</p> <p>From here, you can truly see them for the first time: the walls of mist that rise thousands of feet above the land below. They hem the valley in on every side, extending to the overcast skies that drift far, far overhead. Even the mountains seem small to them—and, from this angle, it seems almost that these walls of mist are leaning *forward*, as if to catch a better glimpse of the ants that dart across the earth far below.</p> </div> Pause for a moment to allow the players an opportunity to interject. If no player does, or if the players indicate an interest in exploring the plateau, continue: <div class="description"> <p>To the south, hundreds of feet below the cloud-shrouded peak above, and far below the stark, white slopes of the mountain’s highest point, a flat, snow-covered plateau approximately a quarter-mile across extends before you.</p> <p>A thin, frozen stream cuts the plateau in half, beginning from the southern edge and cascading over the northeastern cliffs, where it runs down to join the mountain lake that awaits there. Old ruins flank the stream on either side: to the east, a crumbling, six-foot wall marks a rectangular stone foundation, while, to the west, a low row of stonework stands beside a small depression in the earth marked by lonely stone footings.</p> <p>South of the ruins, the frozen stream splits, fed by two frozen waterfalls that plummet from the cliffs far above. Between them, past the rotted, wooden foundations of two ancient footbridges, stand the steps to an old stone shrine carved into the base of the cliff face.</p> </div> > [!lore]+ **The Ruins** > These ruins mark the point where the Order of the Silver Dragon once established a trading post with the First Folk and an outpost from which to guard the Amber Temple. > > The rectangular foundation to the east marks the main hall, which once provided sleeping quarters and a hearth for knights and squires. The stone foundation to the west marks the knights’ stable, while the depression near it once marked a storage shed used to store equipment and supplies. > > The shrine, which was carved by the Order and First Folk together, was dedicated to both the Morninglord and the Ladies Three: the Morninglord’s sigil facing east, toward the rising sun, and the Ladies’ sigil facing west, toward the mythical land from which the Ladies first came. > [!abstract]+ **The Path to the Amber Temple** > Exploration of the plateau’s eastern perimeter reveals a hidden, narrow, switchback path that leads toward the mountain’s southern peak. If the players find this path, proceed to [[#The Amber-Touched]]. A player who investigates the rectangular foundation of the main hall finds a crumbling hearth set into the sole remaining wall, as well as an assortment of collapsed timber beams rotted into long mounds, a number of rusted iron fittings and hinges, and an assortment of stones that have fallen from the wall where the snow and wind eroded the mortar connecting them. Investigation of the row of stonework reveals a few post holes where the stable’s main supports once stood. Nothing further remains of the storage shed. ### The Shrine When a player approaches the shrine, read: <div class="description"> <p>Across the frozen stream, between and beneath the sources of the frozen waterfalls far above, this small, stone shrine appears to have been carved from the edge of the mountain face itself. Twin sets of stairs ascend to either side of a pentagonal platform, which bears a triangular altar that points southward, into the heart of the mountain itself.</p> <p>Along the top left and top right faces of the platform, a pair of smooth, seven-foot stone panels rises above the altar below. On the left panel, facing northeast, the proud sigil of the Morninglord’s sunburst stands carved into the stonework. On the right panel, facing northwest, is engraved a three-pointed star encircled by a series of nine smaller carvings.</p> <p>A set of footprints crosses the stream here, climbs the platform’s right stairs, then descends its left stairs, continuing through the snow beneath the left-side waterfall.</p> </div> ***The Altar.*** The triangular stone altar is bare. However, close inspection of the stonework reveals motifs of ravens and vines worked into the molding. Furthermore, the altar’s three sides feature a trio of scenes depicting a grove of trees in three different seasons: budding, with flowers blooming amidst their bases (spring); in thick, verdant growth (summer); and bare, with fallen leaves covering the roots below (fall). A player who inspects the scenes closely and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check identifies a spider amidst the flowers in the scene of spring, a wolf behind the tree in the scene of summer, and a raven perched atop the branches in the scene of fall. ***The Footprints.*** The footprints lead up the right-side stairs, pause by the carving of the three-pointed star, then descend the left-side stairs. They continue beneath the shadow of the left-side waterfall, then turn and end at the bare stone of the cliff’s base. A player who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check discerns that the footprints are fresh—no more than six hours old—while a player who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check can identify that the cliff face conceals a secret stone door—and that there appears to have no means of opening it from this side. > [!info]+ **The Secret Door** > The secret door is the main entrance into the Mountain Folk settlement of Soldav. Without the aid of powerful magic, however, such as a *telekinesis* spell, it can only be opened from the inside. ***The Sigil of the Morninglord.*** A thin layer of white lichen covers much of the wall around the sigil of the Morninglord. ***The Three-Pointed Star.*** A player that has previously seen the monuments to the Ladies three in [[Arc C - Into the Valley]] (near Old Bonegrinder), [[Arc I - The Walls of Krezk]] or [[Arc M - The Dragon's Manor]] (near Berez), or [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem]] (near the Wizard of Wines) recognizes the three-pointed star as the same symbol engraved into each monument. (A player also recognizes the symbol if they possess the [[Character Creation#Harmony—The Stone Crest|the stone crest]] Barovian relic, which bears the same mark.) Unlike the sigil of the Morninglord, no lichen covers the star or the carvings around it. The nine carvings that encircle the star of the Ladies Three include the following stylized animal features: an eight-pointed web (spider), a curved fang (wolf), a feather (raven), a thick, rounded paw (bear), an antler (elk), a spiral horn (goat), an eye with a slitted, elliptical pupil (mountain lion), an avian foot with a hooked claw and talons (hawk), and two peaked tufts (owl). A player who succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) check can correctly match a feature to its corresponding animal or type (e.g., the slitted pupil belongs to a feline, while the hooked claw belongs to a bird of prey). A player who inspects the carvings closely and succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check identifies that the stone of the web, fang, and feather carvings seems far cleaner—almost polished—compared to the others. On a result of a 15 or greater, the player also observes that those three carvings also bear numerous small indentations, as though impacted by heavy weights countless times over many years. > [!info]+ **The Carvings** > The nine animal carvings surrounding the three-pointed star of the Ladies Three are a coded "doorbell" system. Each carving, if struck by a blunt object (e.g., the blunt side of an axe), creates a low, distinct, resonant tone that echoes through the cliff, which the Mountain Folk can hear from beyond the secret door. > > A character can use their action to tap out a sequence of notes using the carvings on the wall. The correct sequence is: web (representing the spider of the Weaver), fang (representing the wolf of the Huntress), then feather (representing the raven of the Seeker). > > If the Mountain Folk Kalaris, Zia, or Corylla are present, they swiftly tap the correct sequence using the blunt edges of their spears or greataxes, respectively. They then beckon the players toward the secret door beneath the waterfall. > [!abstract]+ **The Stone Crest** > If a player is carrying the [[Character Creation#Harmony—The Stone Crest|the stone crest]] Barovian relic, it emits a low hum, releasing a scent of pine needles and earthy soil. As it does, a faint viridian light emits from the carving upon its surface. If the player shines the light onto the animal carvings, the web, fang, and feather seem to shimmer beneath its glow. ### The Amber-Touched When the players have begun making progress in solving the puzzle of the shrine, but before they’ve come to a solution, read: <div class="description"> <p>A deep roar rings out from around the eastern cliffs. A heartbeat later, it’s answered by a chorus of four echoing bellows.</p> </div> The players have one round to prepare before they’re attacked by six **barlgura**. When the barlgura attack, read: <div class="description"> <p>Six hulking, ape-like figures burst into view around the eastern cliffs, their red-orange fur matted with filth and their eyes flashing with primal fury. They alight onto the ground before you, their eight-foot frames trembling with rage as their massive arms pound the earth before them. Each fiend’s lower jaw juts forward at a sharp angle, with top and bottom rows of filed teeth framed by a pair of long, upward-facing tusks. </p> <p>With a shrieking howl, they charge toward you!</p> </div> Have the players roll initiative. In combat, each barlgura gains the additional action option: * ***Rock.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. *Hit:* 7 (1d10 + 2) bludgeoning damage. In addition, when using its ***multiattack***, a barlgura can make two ***rock*** attacks instead of attacking with its bite and its fists. > [!info]+ **Running Leap** > If a player is flying above the battlefield, a barlgura prefers to attack them by using its **climb** speed to ascend the rock face, then use its ***running leap*** feature to leap toward and grapple them. (A barlgura only uses its ***rock*** attack if it needs to hit a distant combatant and can’t reach it with its ***running leap*** feature.) At the start of the first round of combat, if the players triggered the icicle cascade in [[#R4j. The Ice Caves]], they’re also attacked by two **elder shoosuva**. Read: <div class="description"> <p>A piercing, keening howl cuts through the air—joined a moment later by a matching twin. From the western cliffs, a massive, monstrous beast leaps forth, landing on the plateau below with an earthshaking crack. It’s followed soon after by its companion—another beast of similar appearance and size—whose enormous, dinner-plate-sized paws splinter the ice beneath its tremendous weight.</p> <p>Each beast resembles a gaunt, twisted hyena, but far larger, rising nearly twelve feet at the shoulder. Thick, purplish-red spikes run along their spines, each of which terminates in a long, smooth, insectile tail dotted with spikes and tipped with a long, wicked-looking stinger.</p> <p>Tufts of fur have fallen away in great patches across their hides, and a sickly yellow light emanates from the space between their ribs. As each fiend opens its muzzle in a growl, long strands of whitish saliva run down its black gums, the same yellow light shining across rows of jagged, yellow teeth. Above each beast’s muzzle, two hateful, crimson eyes glint with hunger and unrelenting rage.</p> </div> An elder shoosuva has the same statistics as an ordinary **shoosuva** (<span class="citation">Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, p. 216</span>), but with the following changes: * It has a size of Huge. * It has an Armor Class of 16 and 241 (23d12 + 92) hit points. * It has a speed of 50 feet. * It has a Strength score of 20 and a Constitution score of 19. * Its has +10 to hit, and the DC of its tail stinger is 17. * The damage of its ***bite*** increases to 31 (4d12 + 4) and the damage of its tail stinger increases to 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage. * The reach of its ***bite*** increases to 10 feet, and the reach of its ***tail stinger*** increases to 20 feet. * It gains the following additional action: ***Claws.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. *Hit:* 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked 5 feet away and fall prone. * It gains the following additional action: ***Fetid Cloud (1/day).*** The shoosuva exhales a cloud of foul-smelling yellow smoke in a twenty-foot cone. Each creature within that cone must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of the shoosuva’s next turn. While poisoned in this way, a creature is also blinded. * It gains the additional reaction: ***Swipe.*** *Trigger:* A hostile creature hits or misses the shoosuva with a melee attack. *Effect*: The shoosuva makes a ***Claws*** attack against that creature. In combat, the territorial barlgura and shoosuva split their attacks between each other and the players, each side competing to claim the players as prey and to claim the plateau as their territory. > [!info]+ **Adjustments On the Fly** > You can adjust the demons’ targets depending on how well the players are doing at any given time: if the players are struggling, you can have the demons prioritize attacking each other that round; if the players are doing too well, you can have the demons prioritze attacking them instead. As you do so, work to flavor the combat as a tug-of-war between three factions: two competing predator factions and a third prey faction that the predators don’t want to gain the upper hand. ### Como’s Rally As the fight unfolds, the Mountain Folk open the secret door to Soldav on initiative count 0 of the first round any of the following conditions are met: * The players tap the sequence of shrine carvings in the correct order (spider, wolf, raven) * The Mountain Folk see or hear that the players are joined by Kalaris, Zia, or Corylla * The Mountain Folk see that the players possess the *spear of the Huntress* * At least half of the party is unconscious Otherwise, the Mountain Folk intervene at initiative count 0 of the third round of combat. > [!lore]+ **The Guardians of Soldav** > Today, the door to Soldav is guarded by the Mountain Folk Scorilo (use the statistics of a **gladiator** with 120 (16d8 + 48) hit points and an Intelligence of 14 (+2)), one of the three adult children of the Mountain Folk chieftess Diegia. He’s joined in his guard by two Mountain Folk **scouts**. > > Following reports of outsiders’ arrival outside Soldav from lookouts’ outposts using peepholes on the cliff above, Scorilo’s contingent is joined by his twin brother Como (use the statistics of a **gladiator** with a Dexterity of 10 (+0), a Wisdom of 15 (+2) and a Charisma of 16 (+3) ) and three of Como’s **berserker** friends. Despite Scorilo’s suspicion and paranoia that the players might be Strahd’s spies or otherwise endanger Soldav, the friendlier Como urges him to admit the players inside to grant them shelter from the balrgura and shoosuva. > > The players’ companions (i.e., Kalaris, Zia, or Corylla), possessions (i.e., the legendary *spear of the Huntress*), or familiarity with the Mountain Folks’ faith (i.e., their skill in solving the puzzle of the carvings) dictate the ease with which Como can convince Scorilo’s guards to open the door. Como also successfully convinces the guards to rally out if the players appear to be at a clear risk of dying to the barlgura and shoosuva. > [!profile]+ **Scorilo & Como** > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Scorilo should inspire anger and irritation with his condescension and suspicion, and endearment for his stubborn, near-zealous devotion to his people. Como should inspire amusement with his jolly, literal-minded personality, endearment for his drive to prove himself as worthy a fighter as his siblings, and gratitude for his warmth and thoughtful selflessness. > > ***Emotions.*** Scorilo most often feels paranoid, suspicious, irritated, proud, angry, melancholy, impatient, resigned, or thoughtful. Como most often feels jolly, curious, excited, thoughtful, or amused. > > ***Motivations.*** Both Scorilo and Como want to protect Soldav and prove themselves worthy of their family’s leadership of the Mountain Folk. Scorilo wants to prove his strength in order to take his place at the right-hand side of his elder sister, Diona, while Como wants to prove to his mother that he’s equally as capable as the smarter, tougher Scorilo. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Scorilo, channel Geralt of Rivia (*The Witcher*), Seto Kaiba (*Yu-Gi-Oh!*), and Vegeta (*Dragon Ball Z*). When playing Como, channel Bolin (*The Legend of Korra*), Steven Universe (*Steven Universe*), and Peter Parker (*Spider-Man*). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Scorilo is a gruff, no-nonsense warrior, while Como is a friendly, jolly fighter. To those they trust, Scorilo is a zealot desperate to protect his people, while Como is a thoughtful, creative friend. Only Scorilo knows the depth of his need to avoid succumbing to weakness, while only Como knows the depth of his need to prove himself and emerge from his sister and twin brother’s shadows. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Scorilo and Como would gladly team up to defend themselves or their home—though Como would attempt to first negotiate a peace if doing so was at all possible. > > ***Relationships.*** Scorilo and Como are twin brothers, and the youngest children of the Mountain Folk cheiftess Diegia. Their elder sister, Diona, is currently away at the Amber Temple with a contingent of trusted friends, where she is proving her worthiness for the position of chieftess by enduring the Temple’s darkness and corruption. When the Mountain Folk first emerge, read: <div class="description"> <p>The deep sound of grating stone fills the air, and the base of the cliff behind the eastern waterfall begins to shift—revealing a narrow tunnel ten feet across that delves into the stone of the mountain.</p> <p>Three muscled figures, clad in cloaks of dark fur and weathered leather and wielding stone greataxes, emerge from the tunnel, their blades glinting faintly in the gray light. They’re followed by a pair of fur-clad figures bearing nocked bows, their faces shrouded by dark headscarfs.</p> <p>At the contingent’s head strides a pair of tall, broad-shouldered men, each one’s frame thick with muscle. The man to the left bears a long, jagged scar across his scowling chin, his shoulders draped in the pelt of a great beast and the skull of a massive hound strapped to his shoulder as a pauldron. The man to the right bears a softer, rounder face, his hair woven into two long, thick braids woven with raven’s feathers. Despite their slight differences, their features are otherwise near-identical, with each one also bearing a massive spear and a round wooden shield.</p> <p>"To us!" the braided man calls out, brandishing his spear. "Into the tunnel! We’ll hold the line."</p> </div> The scarred man is Scorilo, while the braided man is Como. The figures wielding greataxes are Como’s three **berserker** friends, while the two figures wielding bows are the **scouts** assigned to guard the tunnel door. In combat, Scorilo and Como lead the charge to aid the players, with the berserkers offering melee support and the scouts offering covering fire from behind. If any berserker is bloodied, they swiftly retreat behind friendly lines, then fling spears at the demons to aid the players’ fight. (Use the following attack for the berserkers’ spears: ***Spear.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. and range 20/60 ft., one target. *Hit:* 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage or 7 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.) Scorilo and Como don’t prioritize attacking the demons unless (1) a demon nearby is close to death, or (2) the players are clearly winning the fight. Instead, they work to draw the demons’ attention, then take the Dodge action while urging the players to retreat into the tunnel. (Scorilo and Como are unwilling to risk their companions’ lives, and would prefer to flee the fight without any loss of life or permanent injuries.) When the Mountain Folk arrive, any surviving barlgura and shoosuva put aside their differences and focus their efforts on attacking the players and any Mountain Folk within reach. The barlgura flee if all shoosuva and at least half of their own number have been killed, and vice-versa. When all Mountain Folk and players have entered the tunnel, Scorilo or Como rolls the secret door back into place. ## R5b. The Tunnel When the players enter the secret tunnel behind the frozen waterfall, read: <div class="description"> <p>This ten-foot-wide, seven-foot-tall tunnel seems to be carved from the stone of the mountain itself. Its length stretches for more than a hundred feet, with a patch of pale, gray light emanating from an exit at the far end.</p> </div> As soon as Scorilo is able to, he attempts to pin the most threatening-looking player against one of the walls using the shaft of his spear. Have Scorilo attempt to grapple that player. Whether the grapple succeeds or fails, Scorilo snarls: "Why have you come here? Speak!" > [!abstract]+ **Como the Peacemaker** > if the players show any interest in attacking, the **berserkers** and **scouts** brandish and ready their weapons. Before any hostilities can break out, however, Como steps between any hostile parties and insists that he’s sure that they can "work out an understanding," adding that "any enemy of the Amber-Cursed is a friend of ours." Whether the players answer Scorilo’s question or not, Scorilo growls: "The skies whisper ill omens, and you come waltzing in like lambs to slaughter—lambs with daggers, perhaps. Perhaps we should interrogate you properly, seize your weapons, and toss you back out for the mountain to deal with." If asked, Como can share the following information: * This is the tunnel to Soldav, the last bastion of the Tauta—who the Barovians call the "Mountain Folk," and who were the first residents of the valley, which they call Girvisa (meaning "fertile valley"). * Though he doesn’t know what they’re supposed to be called, the Tauta call the demons the players fought "amber-cursed"—remnants of pilgrims who sought power from the "mountain’s amber wound," and lost themselves in it. * The amber-cursed have grown more active lately, acting in strange, reckless ways. "Strange signs have been seen in the skies, as well," Scorilo growls, chiming in. "The Great Shadow’s steed has been seen in the skies overhead. The castle’s eye lingers on Mount Ghakis. Who are we to say that these ones are not more of the same?" > [!abstract]+ **The Spear of the Huntress** > If any of the players bear *the Spear of the Huntress*, both Como and Scorilo immediately recognize it as the spear of legend. Either brother can share that the weapon was stolen from their people by the Horned Scourge, King Dostron, many centuries ago—though Como is awed that the players have found and returned it, while Scorilo is suspicious that the players have stolen or somehow tainted it. > > If the players ask about Kavan, King Dostron, the Forest Folk, or Strahd, Scorilo demands that they explain themselves fully before his people reveal any further information. Any answer the players might provide, however, is interrupted by the arrival of Chief Diegia (see below), though Como and any other friendly Mountain Folk are glad to answer the players’ questions later on. At any suitable point when Scorilo has just threatened, questioned, or otherwise shown hostility to the players, Chief Diegia (use the statistics of a **champion**) enters the tunnel and reprimands him. Read: <div class="description"> <p>A deep woman’s voice rings out from the far end of the tunnel. "That’s enough, Scorilo."</p> <p>A tall, muscled woman strides down the tunnel, her fur-lined cloak clasped with a brooch of polished bronze set with flashing amethyst. Her dark, silver-streaked hair hangs down in a long, tightly-coiled braid, the hilt of a heavy greatsword visible beyond her thick, corded shoulders. She moves with the grace of a seasoned predator, her steely eyes sharp, but unyielding. Two fur-clad warriors bearing greataxes flank her on either side, their steps echoing in time with hers.</p> </div> Pause for a moment to allow the players to interject. If none do, or Chief Diegia is allowed to approach, continue: <div class="description"> <p>The woman stops just short of your group, her gaze locking onto Scorilo’s like a hawk’s. "Is this how we greet those who find their way to Soldav? With threats and axes drawn?"</p> </div> Unless the players interrupt or intervene, the conversation unfolds as follows: * Scorilo tightens his grip on his spear, his jaw clenched. "The skies have shown us ill omens, Mother," he replies. "Shadows move where they shouldn’t, and strangers wander where they’ve no right. Caution isn’t a crime." * Diegia’s brow furrows, but her voice remains calm. "And paranoia isn’t strength. Your fears do not excuse you from our laws. Como made his choice to bring them here, and if that choice was a mistake, the mountain will make it clear soon enough." * Scorilo exhales sharply, stepping back reluctantly and lowering his eyes. "Very well," he mutters, his gaze flickering to the players. "But if their deeds don’t match their words, I’ll be there." * Diegia nods, then turns to the players, her expression softening while her eyes remain watchful. "You must forgive my son’s . . . enthusiasm," she begins. "His eye for danger makes him a fine warrior—but Soldav is not without its hospitality." Chief Diegia is glad to admit the players to Soldav, and to grant them hospitality at her home, so long as they agree to the following conditions: * They keep their weapons and arcane focii sheathed, and offer no violence to anyone within Soldav’s walls. * They comport themselves with honor, and offend none who greet them with grace and hospitality. > [!lore]+ **The Secret of Soldav** > Chief Diegia isn’t fearful that the players might reveal Soldav’s location to its enemies. She knows that Elder Burebis’s protective enchantments—which act as a *private sanctum* spell across the settlement and as a *modify memory* spell to any who depart Soldav with ill intent—ensure that the players could not betray Soldav even if they wished to. If the players agree to Diegia’s conditions, she beckons for them to follow, guiding them into Soldav. > [!abstract]+ **Secrets of the Fanes** > If the players express an interest in learning about the Fanes of Barovia, Diegia informs them that "Elder Burebis" is the keeper of the Fanes' memory. "He is old in years, however," she adds, "and will not see visitors unless he wishes to. If you would like me to, I shall send a messenger to his sanctum to inform him of your interest." > > If the players accept Diegia's offer, she promises to send such a messenger to Elder Burebis once she has brought them to her longhouse. ## R5c. Into Soldav As the players enter Soldav, read: <div class="description"> <p>The tunnel opens into a mountain crater perhaps a thousand feet across, its walls rising steeply around you like a giant bowl. Snow blankets the ground here in soft layers, broken by a rocky central avenue that splits off into dozens of smaller paths and trails crisscrossed by footprints and animal tracks.</p> <p>Nearly two-dozen wooden huts rise from the snow along the crater's edges, their pitched roofs heavy with frost. Elevated stone and wooden terraces, accessible by narrow ledges or wooden ladders, provide access to additional structures hewn from the stone of the crater itself. Other terraces, sown with soil and carefully cleared of any snow, host hardy crops and herbs that sprout defiantly from the frozen earth.</p> <p>Across the crater, wooden palisades encircle small pens where handfuls of goats bleat softly. The rocky, muddy central "road" winds between them, ending at a larger longhouse built against the far side of the crater. Smoke curls lazily from its chimney, vanishing amidst a thick layer of white fog that covers the crater's top like a lid.</p> <p>The village hums with quiet activity—but at your approach, the rhythm of daily life slows, then falters. A young girl leading a pair of goats toward one of the pens freezes, clutching the animals' ropes with wide eyes, while a trio of men splitting logs lower their axes, murmuring to one another in hushed tones. A group of playing children atop a wooden terrace pause, then stare at you with rapt fascination, while an elderly man sharpening an iron blade stop his hut's wooden step spares only a quiet, wary scowl. Above you, a pair of adolescent sentries peer down curiously from a set of ramshackle wooden scaffolding, a shortbow slung loosely over each teen's shoulder.</p> </div> Pause to allow the players a moment to respond. If none do, or at an appropriate time, Chief Diegia spares a nod or reassuring smile for each Soldavian onlooker, each of whom then returns to their tasks. If asked, Diegia or Como are glad to provide the following information about Soldav: * Centuries ago, while the Tauta were still a half-dozen tribes scattered across the Balinok Mountains and the woodlands below, Soldav was the center of their faith—the place where the spirits of the Ladies Three were said to dwell. * Over five hundred winters ago, however, Kavan the Merciless stole the *Spear of the Huntress* from her Fane, conquered the Balinok Mountains, and ruthlessly united the tribes beneath his own banner. He took Soldav as his seat of power, and exiled the druids that protested his desecration of the Ladies' sacred places. * When Kavan reached his twilight years, the valley was invaded by outsiders—men who bore steel blades and devil-horned helmets, led by one they called King Dostron the Hellborn. Kavan died in battle alongside his children, and was buried in a place of dishonor far from the cairns of Yester Hill, where all Tauta chieftains had once been buried. * When Dostron died, his forces withdrew from the valley, leaving beyond an abandoned fortress atop a pillarstone mountain amidst the eastern peaks. By now, however, the warriors of the Tauta had made Soldav their home, while the druidic circles once exiled by Kavan had made their homes amidst the trees and earth of the forests below. * When the Great Shadow—the one known as Strahd von Zarovich—arrived and built his keep atop the ruins of Dostron's fortress, the Tauta expected him to bring blood and fire upon them, just as he had done to the enemies he had tracked to the valley. Fearful of reprisal, the woodland druids approached von Zarovich in secret with an offer of trade: his promise of protection in exchange for the secrets of the Ladies' places of power—the three Fanes. Strahd accepted—and soon claimed the Fanes for his own with profane rituals of blood and shadow. * The druids' betrayal rocked the Tauta to their core; for this, they were forever exiled from Soldav. Those that remained in Soldav became known to the Barovian people as the Mountain Folk; those that joined the druids became known as the Forest Folk. * Since then, the Mountain Folk—who consider themselves the true Tauta, and the Forest Folk to be sniveling servants of the Great Shadow—have remained largely within Soldav's walls, venturing forth into the Balinok Mountains to gather food and supplies, but remaining careful to avoid the Great Shadow's notice. "The Castle and its servants are ignorant of Soldav's existence," Diegia adds, sniffing. "So long as the Great Shadow believes us to be disparate bands of savages scratching through the snow for morsels, we remain safe from his attentions." > [!abstract]+ **Soldav's Protections** > If asked why the Forest Folk haven't led Strahd to Soldav, Diegia smiles. "Exile from Soldav is more than merely a word. Ancient enchantments protect us from those who would wish us harm, cleansing their memories of Soldav's location and obstructing their gazes from perceiving it." (Though she won't say so here, Diegia is referring to the enchantments sustained by Elder Burebis, the ancient **storm giant** dwelling in [[#R5c. The Shrine of the Rozana]].) As they proceed through Soldav, Diegia guides the players toward the longhouse at the far end of the crater—"my home, and our meeting place," she explains. When the players arrive outside of the longhouse, read: <div class="description"> <p>The longhouse rises before you, its sturdy timbers dark with age and weathered by countless winters. Thick beams frame its entrance, their surfaces etched with intricate carvings of wolves, ravens, and spiders. Smoke curls from a stone chimney at the rear of the building, carrying with it the rich scent of burning pine.</p> <p>Two tall wooden poles stand flanking the entrance, each carved with a watchful wolf's visage at its base, a spider's web at its center, and a perched raven at its peak. The faint glow of warm firelight escapes through the seams of the heavy wooden door beyond.</p> <p>Chief Diegia pauses at the threshold, turning to you with a slight nod. "Welcome," she says, "to my family's home." She pushes open the door, allowing the warm firelight to spill out into the cold air beyond.</p> </div> ## R5d. Chief's Longhouse When the players enter the longhouse, continue: <div class="description"> <p>You step past the heavy wooden door, and the warmth of the longhouse envelops you like a blanket, chasing the mountain chill from your bones. Here, the faint scent of pine smoke mingles with the aroma of roasted meat and dried herbs, while a fire at the center of the room crackles in a wide stone hearth, its embers leaping and popping in a merry, spiraling dance amidst the smoke that rises through a central chimney.</p> <p>Rows of thick wooden beams support the roof above, their surfaces carved with intricate patterns and designs, while bundles of dried herbs and strings of garlic dangle from the rafters above. Upon a raised platform at the far end of the chamber, and overlooking a cluster of wooden benches that ring the central hearth, is a large, elaborately carved wooden chair draped in thick animal pelts and flanked by stone braziers that burn with golden flames. Beyond it, a tapestry depicting a lush mountain valley hangs against the old stone wall.</p> <p>To the left, a heavy curtain made of thick wool hangs across an arched doorway, its edge swaying slightly in the draft. To the right, a reinforced wooden door stands beside a smaller opening framed with carved wooden panels.</p> </div> The carved chair is Chief Diegia's throne, from which she settles disputes and issues instructions. The curtain to the left leads to the private living quarters of Diegia's family, which include a small common area furnished with a low table surrounded by woolen cushions for meals; smaller sleeping quarters furnished with low wooden frames piled with furs; and a small, well-worn shrine adorned with carvings of wolves, spiders, and ravens. The reinforced door leads to a storage room containing preserved food, equipment, and supplies, while the carved wooden door leads to a smaller room used by Diegia to meet with the village's elders. ### Kaldur Attacks! As or shortly after the players enter the longhouse, Diegia's eight-year-old nephew, Kaldur, attempts to drop from the rafters onto the largest player's shoulders. Read: <div class="description"> <p>A giggle echoes from overhead. A heartbeat later, a small, furry shadow plummets from the rafters above—aimed directly for your shoulders!</p> </div> A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 13 or greater notices that the shadow is actually a small child bundled in furs, and can choose to avoid Kaldur's "piggyback attack" by succeeding on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. If a player fails to notice or avoid Kaldur's "attack," or declines to do so, read: <div class="description"> <p>A heavy weight drops squarely onto your shoulders with a <em>thump!</em>, followed immediately by a gleeful cackle. The shadow—a young boy no more than eight years old, bundled in furs and sporting a wide, determined grin—hugs your head to his chest, his wild hair bouncing as he clutches tightly to his perch.</p> <p>"You're the prisoner of the Wolf of Soldav!" he hollers. He hefts a whittled, blunted wooden dagger in his hand and whoops gleefully. "Surrender, stranger!" </p> </div> If a player noticed and successfully avoids Kaldur's "attack," however, read: <div class="description"> <p>The shadow drops to the ground like a stone, thumping against the hard wooden floor with a yelp.</p> <p>"Ow!" the shadow—a young boy no more than eight years old and bundled in furs—cries, hugging a knee to his chest as his wild hair falls over his face. "You're not supposed to do that!" </div> Kaldur, who calls himself the "Wolf of Soldav," becomes endeared to any players willing to play along with his mock-capture (if he successfully lands on a player), and is sullenly grateful to any players who compassionately tend to the bruise on his knee (if he lands on the floor instead). > [!lore]+ **Kaldur's Parents** > Seven years ago, Kaldur's parents—Diegia's younger sister, Zia, and her husband, Tarbus—were killed by an amber-touched **armanite** while hunting wild game along the mountain. A sixteen-year-old Scorilo was the sole survivor, pushed by Zia into a deep, snow-packed ravine beyond the armanite's reach after he initially refused to flee. > > Since then, Diegia has raised her nephew Kaldur as her own. Although Kaldur doesn't remember his parents well, he occasionally visits their graves along the western edge of the village. As the players' encounter with Kaldur unfolds, Diegia sighs in mock exasperation, rubbing her temples as she scolds him for "ambushing our guests." ("A wise hunter always attacks from ambush!" Kaldur retorts, puffing out his chest and brandishing his wooden dagger.) A player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 13 or greater notices Diegia smiling fondly in spite of herself, despite her scolding. ### Oroles' Inquiry As the players' encounter with Kaldur draws to a close, Chief Diegia's husband, Oroles, enters the room from their family's private quarters. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The wool curtain beside the left curtain stirs, and a mountain of a man steps through. He is broad-shouldered and muscular, with a height noticeably above six feet and a shaggy, black, grey-striped beard that extends to his chest. His ruddy cheeks, however, are crinkled with the lines of old smiles, and his blue eyes are bright and warm.</p> <p>"Is that Diona?" he asks, ducking through the threshold. His gaze falls on you, and the hopeful grin on his face fades to a quieter, more subdued smile. "Ah. I see we have guests."</p> </div> Diegia is glad to introduce the players to her husband, Oroles (use the statistics of a **gladiator**), whose features are visibly similar to Como and Scorilo's. A player who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check discerns that Oroles, though doing his best to appear friendly, seems to be disappointed by the players' identities. Diegia, Oroles, or either of their sons can share the following information at the players' request: * Diona is Oroles and Diegia's eldest daughter, and the heir to inherent Diegia's chiefdom. * To prove her strength, wisdom, and will, Diona has undertaken a journey to the Halls of Amber Shadow—the Mountain Folks' name for the Amber Temple—where, accompanied by three trusted companions, she must meditate upon the nature of leadership without succumbing to the darkness that dwells there. * Diona departed for the Halls three days ago, and is due to return in three days' time, as per the requirements of the rite. ("Three days for the past, and three days for the future," Diegia muses before chiding Oroles for forgetting how long his daughter would be away. "Surely," she notes dryly, "you haven't forgotten my own rite of passage in the Amber Halls." "How could I forget?" Oroles replies with a chipped smile, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "You only nearly killed me twice.") * The Tauta have dwelled in the shadow of the Amber Temple for as long as their people can remember. "Our spoken histories go back over a thousand years," Diegia muses, "but for as long as we can recall, the Halls of Amber Shadow have stood atop Soldav's sister peak, long since abandoned by whichever people once raised them." If the players indicate an interest in journeying to the Amber Temple, Diegia warns them that the Halls of Amber Shadow harbor deep and terrible dangers, of which the amber-touched—such as the fiends the players faced outside of Soldav's walls—are the least. "The lure of amber has long lingered across these mountains," she says, "its song a honeyed whisper that draws fools and madmen from all corners of the valley—and even beyond the Mists themselves." If the players ask Diegia for information about the Amber Temple, she refuses to share what she knows unless they first share their reasons for traveling there and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion or Deception) check. (The DC decreases to 5 if the players honestly share that they're traveling to the Temple in search of a weapon capable of defeating Strahd.) On a success, Diegia promises to share what she knows before the players depart Soldav. ### Diegia’s Invitation At a suitable point after welcoming the players to the longhouse, Diegia expressly invites them to stay the night as guests at her hearth, adding: "You may lay your bedrolls beside our fire, share in our meat and mead, and trust that no harm shall come to you within our walls." If the players accept, she turns to Como and Scorilo (if present) or Oroles and asks them to prepare places for the players near the hearth after the evening meal. If the players asked Diegia for information about the Fanes, or if they do so now, she asks Kaldur (if he didn't bruise his leg, or if his leg has been healed) or Como to inform Elder Burebis that outsiders wish to see him. After briefly complaining, Kaldur spares a final, shy glance toward the players before scampering out the front door. (After departing, Diegia’s messenger makes their way to [[#R5c. The Shrine of the Rozana]], where they inform Elder Burebis of the players’ arrival. The messenger returns to Diegia’s longhouse shortly before [[#The Hearth]].) Diegia further informs the players that they have arrived "on a fortuitous occasion"—on the annual celebration of the Night of Clear Skies. Diegia declines to share further information about the holiday, but promises the players with a smile that they’ll receive a thorough education during the evening’s festivities. > [!lore]+ **The Night of Clear Skies** > The Night of Clear Skies is an annual feast-day celebrating the ancient victory of the Ladies Three over the Devourer—a living tide of shadowed, swirling fog that sought to swallow up the valley thousands of years ago, and of which the Whispering Wall by Yester Hill is the only remnant. > > None of the Mountain Folk know that the Devourer was, in truth, the Dreamer—the fourth sister of the Ladies of the Fanes, whose envy for her elder sisters’ worship drove her to seek power from Mother Night and transformed her into the Devourer—or that the vestige of the Devourer was subsequently sealed in an amber sarcophagus in the Amber Temple and, more recently, transplanted into the Heart of Sorrow at Castle Ravenloft by Strahd. ## R5e. The Night of Clear Skies At nightfall, the Mountain Folk gather in Chief Diegia’s longhouse to celebrate the Night of Clear Skies. Read: <div class="description"> <p>As dusk descends, the longhouse begins to fill with the people of Soldav. Beneath Chief Diegia’s supervision, long wooden tables are carried in and set up near the central hearth, where the golden flames cast dancing shadows across the carved beams overhead. Villagers of all ages pour in, bringing baskets of preserved fruits, freshly smoked meats, and steaming loaves of dark bread.</p> <p>It’s not long before laughter and conversation fills the longhouse’s central hall, with well over a hundred Mountain Folk filling the tables around the hearth’s warm glow. The savory aroma of roasted meat mingles with the sweet scene of honeyed mead as villagers pass wooden platters piled high with food. Children dart between tables, their shrill laughter mingling with the melodies of panpipes, flutes, and pounding drums.</p> <p>Chief Diegia’s wooden throne is moved aside, making room for a long, low wooden table surrounded by a dozen woolen cushions. You find yourselves beckoned toward it, joining Diegia’s family as they take their places atop the dais overlooking the hall.</p> </div> ### The Keeper of Voices As the feast unfolds, Oroles stands from his seat at Diegia’s side, excuses himself, and vanishes past the heavy woolen curtain into the family’s private quarters. (If asked, Diegia or her family share only that Oroles—the tribe’s Keeper of Voices—is "preparing" for his part in the festivities.) A few minutes later, Oroles returns to the main hall. Read: <div class="description"> <p>The curtain parts—and, as Oroles’ hulking figure steps forth once more into the room, a hush falls over the din of the feast.</p> <p>A long, rune-carved staff is clutched in his left hand, its polished wood etched with symbols that seem to shimmer faintly in the firelight. With each step forward, it strikes the floor with a deep, resonant <em>thunk</em>, sending echoes through the ancient hall.</p> <p>His broad shoulders are draped in a heavy mantle of black wolf fur, its glossy pelt draping heavily down his back as the wolf’s head rests upon his shoulder like a sentinel, its lifeless eyes seeming to glare protectively across the room. His face is painted with streaks of white and crimson, the white tracing lines across his brow and cheekbones, and the crimson running from the bridge of his nose down his jaw in jagged, vein-like patterns.</p> <p>Perched atop his head is a headdress fashioned from the bleached skull of a mighty elk, its jagged, sprawling antlers stretching high above him and casting long, jagged shadows across the walls of the longhouse. Strings of beads, feathers, and glinting obsidian adorn them, swaying gently as he comes to a stop beside the fire.</p> </div> Pause briefly to give the players a moment to speak amongst themselves or otherwise react to Oroles’ entrance. Once they’ve had an opportunity to do so, continue: <div class="description"> <p>For a moment, Oroles stands silently before the hearth, his massive form silhouetted against the flickering flames. He raises the staff high—then drives its end against the floor with a resonant thud, the sound reverberating through the structure like the echo of a distant drum. When Oroles next speaks, his deep, rich voice rings through the hall, piercing through the silence like an arrow.</p> <p>"Long ago, before the lord of Ravenloft cast his shadow over the land; before the sword of Dostron cleaved across the valley; before Kavan’s folly turned brother against brother, the Tauta wandered the world alone—lost, yet seeking. Our voices rose to the heavens in desperate prayer, scattered and weak like leaves blown by the wind."</p> <p>"One night, as the sun slumbered and the moon hid her face, three voices answered us from the wilds. Soft and strong, like the murmur of wind through the pines and the roar of the river’s depths, they called to us. They led us, unseen, but ever-present, through barren wastes and treacherous peaks, to a place of bounty and beauty: Girvisa, our wooded valley, where the rivers sang and the trees danced with the wind."</p> <p>Oroles pauses, his voice lowering with reverence. "It was here that we first came to know the Rozana—the Ladies Three who had led us here. They were not as we were, yet they walked among us: the Huntress, who taught us the ways of the spear and bow; the Weaver, who taught us to weave the loom and basket; and the Seeker, who taught us to divine the secrets of the wind and stars."</p> <p>He lifts his head, the painted antlers of his headdress catching the flickering firelight. "But the valley, we found, held more than beauty. From the farthest peaks, unseen even by the Rozana, a shadow began to stir—a darkness that crept from the heart of the mountains, rising like smoke but carrying a cold that chilled the bone and stilled the blood."</p> <p>Murmurs ripple through the crowd, children clinging to their parents’ sleeves. The fire itself seems to dim, its light shrinking as the shadows around the edges of the hall grow stronger. Oroles’ voice rasps through the air, his knuckles growing white as he clutches the staff to his chest. "And so the Devourer fell upon the valley: a great and terrible void that knew no hunger but to consume. Its darkness boiled the skies, veiling the sun and moon, as the trees withered, the beasts fell silent, and the land itself seemed to despair."</p> <p>He leans forward, and a new note of strength grips his voice. "But the Rozana, the Ladies Three, would not bow to the shadow. Their voices rang out across the valley, singing with defiance and memories of light. As three radiant stars, they soared to the heavens and met the Devourer in battle."</p> <p>His voice grows fierce, and he strikes the staff against the ground, a sharp <em>crack!</em> that resounds through the hall. "For three days and three nights, their battle shook the earth, the skies raging with lightning and fire. But the Ladies’ will did not falter—and with a final note, they pierced the Devourer’s heart, tearing the darkness asunder and revealing the clear skies beyond. The Devourer fell, its broken form cast down to the west, and light returned to the valley."</p> <p>Oroles lifts the staff, holding it high. "In thanks, the Tauta raised three fanes to honor the Rozana—holy places where their guidance might never fade. To the Huntress, the Fane of the Forest, where the wind sings her fury. To the Weaver, the Fane of the Swamp, where the waters whisper her name. And to the Seeker, the Fane of the Mountain, where wisdom awaits those bold enough to seek it."</p> <p>As he lowers the staff, Oroles’ voice softens, though it loses none of its power. "And so, every year, we gather on this night—the Night of Clear Skies. We honor their triumph. We honor their gift of light and life. And we remember that even in the darkest times, the voices of the Rozana guide us still."</p> <p>For a moment, the hall is silent, save for the crackle of the fire and this hissing and popping of its cherry-red embers. Then, Chief Diegia stands, hefts her mug high in a toast, and shouts, "Clear skies! Bright stars!" The hall answers in an echoing cry, mugs lifted toward the air: "<em>Clear skies! Bright stars!"</em></p> </div> Following the story, Oroles returns to Chief Diegia’s table, removing his headdress and pelt and setting his staff aside. As he returns, he shares his hope that the players enjoyed his story, adding: "I hope I did it justice, just as the Keepers of Voices have done so since the Night was first celebrated." Oroles and Diegia can share the following information about Oroles’ story if asked: * Millenia ago, the Tauta were a group of nomadic tribes seeking sanctuary amidst a world torn by war and conflict. According to legend, the Ladies Three guided them to the valley—Girvisa, now called Barovia—where the Tauta found a home of peace and plenty. * According to the story, the valley held a hidden darkness: the Devourer , an entity of dark fog and endless hunger. Enraged by the arrival of the Tauta, the Devourer rose up and blotted out the skies, threatening to extinguish all light in the valley. Only the Ladies * None among the Tauta fully know the Ladies’ true nature, be it fey, divine, primordial, or something else altogether. However, for as long as the Tauta have dwelled in the valley or amidst the surrounding mountains, they have placed their faith in the Ladies to guide them—"even now," Diegia says solemnly, "centuries after we have last heard their voices." * No one knows what the Devourer was, where it came from, or where its endless hunger came from. However, according to the legend, the Whispering Wall that has long towered above the west side of Yester Hill rose from—or is all that remains of—the Devourer’s corpse. (Oroles proceeds to ask, offhandedly, whether the players have seen Yester Hill and the Whispering Wall.) As the conversation continues, and especially if the players mention their experiences at Yester Hill in [[Arc J - The Stolen Gem]], Diegia, Oroles, Como, and Kaldur take an active interest in the players’ prior encounters with the Forest Folk (who they regard with distaste and pity for their corruption at Strahd’s hands), Strahd (who they regard with muted loathing), and Strahd’s other servants (who they regard with disgust). In particular, Kaldur is fascinated by any tales the players might share regarding their battles with and victories over Strahd and his servants. Diegia is similarly interested in the players’ reasons for journeying up Mount Ghakis, and their intentions regarding Strahd. ### The Boasting Match At a suitable point during the conversation, immediately after the players state or reiterate their intent to kill Strahd or free Barovia from his rule, read: <div class="description"> <p>Scorilo stands from his place beside the table. He takes a deep swig of his mead, then spits into the crimson flames of the stone brazier beside him, causing them to hiss and dance with sputtering pops.</p> <p>A murmur ripples through the nearby crowd, and Scorilo glowers darkly toward you. "The wind tells me your words are hollow," he booms, his voice dripping with distaste. Chief Diegia’s eyebrows crawl upward into her forehead, and looks of anticipation rise across the faces of the Mountain Folk watching.</p> </div> Provide the players a brief opportunity to respond. When they’ve had an opportunity to do so, Oroles leans toward them and murmurs: "The traditional response to a boasting challenge is: *The earth tells me your deeds are dust*—although a challenged warrior is always welcome to offer their own retort instead." Should the players accept Scorilo’s boasting challenge, continue: <div class="description"> <p>Scorilo bares his teeth in a feral grin, his sharp eyes narrowing as he steps toward you. "Come then, strangers," he sneers, "and let the Tauta see your boasts for the ash they are."</p> </div> After the players have had an opportunity to banter with Scorilo, Diegia stands and announces the rules. Continue: <div class="description"> <p>Chief Diegia stands, retrieves her greataxe from its place against her throne, and pounds its haft against the wooden floor. "Tonight, we shall let the fire judge whose voice rings truest," she intones. "Three boasts: one for the deeds of yesterday, one for the strength of today, and one for the future yet to come. Prove yourselves with courage and wit—or falter, and bow to your better. The hearth is watching."</p> <p>She turns to Scorilo. "Scorilo, do you challenge these outsiders together?" At Scorilo’s answering nod, she turns to you. "Because you have all been challenged, you may choose one among you to answer each boast—but no more. Do you accept?"</p> </div> If the players accept, continue: <div class="description"> <p>Diegia nods. "Then I call upon each side to place their wager upon the floor of this hall, so that all can see what the victor may win."</p> </div> If asked, Como or Oroles can quietly explain that each side in a boasting match is expected to wager something of material or martial value, which shall be collected by the victor. Scorilo’s wager is a *horn of silent alarm*, crafted from the curved, polished horn of a mountain ram, its surface a deep, rich brown carved with intricate runes and bound in blackened steel engraved with the head of a howling wolf. At its widest curve, the horn reads, in Druidic runes: *May the winds heed my cry.* > [!info] **The Boasting Match** > The rules of the boasting match are as follows: > * The match consists of three rounds: (1) a boast about something the boaster has accomplished; (2) a boast about the boaster’s current skills, talents, or strength; and (3) a boast about what the boaster will achieve. > * Each time a boast is made, the boaster must make a Charisma (Deception) check if their boast is a lie, a Charisma (Persuasion) check if their boast appeals to their audience in some way, a Charisma (Intimidation) check if their boast directly challenges their opponent, and a Charisma (Performance) check otherwise. A check is made with advantage if the boaster produces proof of their boast (e.g., a trophy or scar), and with disadvantage if the boast is too small or outlandish. > * Each time a boast is made, depending on the result of the boaster’s roll, the Mountain Folk cheer or jeer and the bonfire in the hearth crackles higher, with greater results causing the crowd to bellow louder and the bonfire to rise higher. A result of 10 or less barely stirs the fire, while a result of 20 or more causes the bonfire to swell so high its flames nearly touch the rafters. > * A boaster wins a round if the result of their check exceeds their opponent’s check for that round. (However, if a player makes a false boast and the result of their Charisma (Deception) check is 11 or below, Scorilo calls out their lie, and the players automatically lose that round.) Whichever side wins two out of three rounds wins the boasting match. Scorilo’s boasts are, in order: * **First Round.** Scorilo brandishes the jagged, blackened, canine skull mounted on his shoulder. "This," he declares, "was a great hound of sulfur and brimstone. It came to the mountain’s slopes, bringing fire and ruin. Alone, I drove my axe through its maw and claimed its skull as my prize." (Because he bears proof of his boast, Scorilo makes his check this round with advantage.) * **Second Round.** Scorilo takes his spear from where it leans against the wall and slams its shaft into the floorboards. "No Tauta can rival my aim with the spear—when my hand guides it, its point strikes true." (A player who succeeds on a Charisma (Persuasion) check can convince Scorilo to prove his boast, such as by throwing the spear at a particular carving on the far wall. The DC of the Charisma (Persuasion) check and the AC of Scorilo’s target are, respectively: 5 (DC) and 10 (AC) for a Medium target; 10 (DC) and 15 (AC) for a Small target; and 15 (DC) and 20 (AC) for a Tiny target. If Scorilo successfully hits his target, he makes his check this round with advantage; if he misses, he makes his check with disadvantage.) * **Third Round.** Scorilo steps toward the hearth, plunges his right fist into it, and withdraws it bearing a burning, fiery coal, which he thrusts into the air above his head. "When my sister returns and ascends to the chiefdom," he snarls across the crowd, "I will be her strongest weapon—defending her, our people, and our home from all who would harm it." (Scorilo must then make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a player with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 14 or greater notices him flinch from the heat, imposing disadvantage on his check this round if his pain is pointed out to the crowd. Otherwise, because he bears proof of his boast, Scorilo makes his check this round with advantage.) > [!info]+ **Breaking a Tie** > In the event of a tie, Diegia invites each side to "back their words with deeds" through a wrestling match, allowing the players to choose a champion from amongst them who will represent them in single unarmed combat with Scorilo. (The players are allowed to empower their champion by magic and other means, such as with a mastermind rogue’s ***master of tactics*** feature, but may not attack or otherwise directly hinder Scorilo.) > > During the wrestling match, harming one’s opponent is strictly forbidden. Instead, to win, a combatant must keep their opponent grappled and prone for a full round (i.e., until the start of the grappler’s next turn). Each time a combatant attempts to grapple their opponent and misses, their opponent may immediately use their reaction to make a Shove attack with disadvantage. > > While wrestling Scorilo, a player who makes a suitable taunt and succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check can impose disadvantage on all ability checks Scorilo makes during his next turn. When the match has concluded, Chief Diegia announces the victor. If the players lose, Scorilo smugly accepts their wager. If Scorilo loses, his hands curl into fists and he storms out of the longhouse into the cold night alone. > [!abstract]+ **Following Scorilo** > If undisturbed after losing the boasting match, Scorilo exits the longhouse, then stomps through the snow behind a group of huddled huts. He emerges amidst a small copse of pine trees, where he proceeds to punch a tall, thick tree’s rough, ragged trunk, snarling, until his knuckles split and blood runs down his arms. He then lets out a guttural bellow of frustration and collapses against the tree trunk. > > After a few moments, he glances carefully at his surroundings, retrieves an *amber shard of Zrin-Hala* (see [[Amber Shards]]) from a small hole ten feet up the tree’s trunk, and considers it silently for several minutes. He then stows the shard back into its hiding place, uses the snow to wipe the blood from his knuckles, and returns to the longhouse, entering his family’s living quarters via a wooden side door. > > Players who follow Scorilo out of the longhouse can avoid his notice by succeeding on a DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If, at any point before he reveals the *amber shard*, the players interrupt Scorilo and attempt to converse with him, Scorilo halts and bitterly asks them what they want. Players who give him good reason to do so and succeed on a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check can convince Scorilo to make peace with them. > > If the players convince Scorilo to allow them to stay, he is willing to share the following information with them: > * As a child, he was weaned on stories of strength and glory—of warriors who fought to defend their families and homes from those who sought to crush them. > * He and Como may be twins, but Scorilo was born moments earlier—twins or no, he has always viewed himself as the elder of the two of them, rendering it his responsibility to protect Como. > * When an amber-touched killed Scorilo’s aunt and uncle seven years ago—"right in front of me"—Scorilo realized that this responsibility included his neighbors and family, and decided that, had he simply been strong enough, Kaldur would still have a family today. > > If the players fail to convince Scorilo to let them stay or speak, Scorilo demands that they leave him in peace; if the players belligerently refuse to do so, Scorilo attacks. (Because he lacks his spear or shield, Scorilo attacks with grapples, shoves, parries, and ***unarmed strikes*** (1d20 + 7 to hit, 5 bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone) only, and leaves unconscious any players he successfully reduces to 0 hit points.) > > If a player notices Scorilo’s amber shard and confronts him about it, he angrily denies possessing it. If the players press the issue, they can convince him to talk openly by treating him kindly and succeeding on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check; on a failure, Scorilo attempts to storm away, returning to his family’s living quarters in the longhouse. If the players attempt to restrain him, Scorilo attacks them, as described above. > > If reassured about the amber shard, Scorilo shares honestly that he obtained the shard from the corpse of an amber-touched, but that he has no intention of using it. "I’m not a fool," he snarls—then adds, more quietly, as if reminding himself: "I’m not." ### Burebis’s Summons At a suitable point, when the festivities of the Night of Clear Skies are winding down, the players receive a summons from Elder Burebis. Read: <div class="description"> <p>As the bonfire in the hearth settles into glowing embers, and the villagers’ laughter fades to quiet conversation, a sudden chill sweeps through the longhouse. The flames flicker and dim as a figure takes form amidst the smoke: a raven, its feathers shimmering beneath the firelight.</p> <p>The smoky raven flutters silently through the air, alighting upon the table beside Chief Diegia. Its head tilts, its eyes glinting like drops of obsidian as it regards her room—then, with a voice like the rumbling of distant thunder, speaks: "The hour is at hand. Bring them to me."</p> <p>Its message delivered, the raven dissolves into swirling embers.</p> </div> Chief Diegia informs the players that the raven is a message from Elder Burebis—the keeper of the Shrine of the Rozana. She solemnly informs the players that Elder Burebis has summoned them, and instructs Como to escort them to [[#R5f. The Shrine of the Rozana]]. ## R5f. The Shrine of the Rozana ### Entering the Shrine The Shrine of the Rozana is located at the western edge of the crater, in a large cavern accessible via a small entrance beyond a copse of pine trees. As Como leads the players there, read: <div class="description"> <p>Como guides you down the village’s central rocky boulevard, then takes a small, winding trail that travels toward the western edge of the crater. The path leads beneath a trio of tall, snow-dusted pine trees, then to a set of narrow, rugged stone steps cut directly into the mountain cliff. Twenty feet up, the steps turn and vanish into a small, dark cavern entrance.</p> </div> Upon reaching the steps, Como turns to the players and informs them that he can go no further. "The elder asked to speak with you, not me," he says, sheepishly. (He is glad, however, to wish the players luck, and to reassure them that Elder Burebis intends them no harm.) As the players climb the steps, continue: <div class="description"> <p>You ascend the steps into the darkness—and enter an enormous, cavernous space more than two hundred feet across.</p> <p>In contrast to the sharp chill of the mountain air, the atmosphere here is pleasantly warm—almost humid. A thick, dark-brown loam covers the floor, and thick vines climb the walls, which shimmer with countless deposits of glowing cerulean crystals.</p> <p>Honeybees flit from tall, sweet-smelling hives to dart across a field of verdant, flowering bushes, mosses, and small trees, itself crossed by a bubbling brook that echoes with the occasional croaking of frogs and the chirping of unseen crickets. Clumps of soft, white mist drift lazily through the air like small, puffy clouds, clustering most thickly near the base of a small, crystal-clear pool fed by a narrow waterfall.</p> <p>At the center of the pool rises a three-sided stone pillar, its front marked simply with a three-pointed star. Beyond and above it, a tangle of thick, grey-brown roots carpets the wall, which rises from the floor to the stalactite-dotted ceiling more than fifty feet overhead.</p> <p>Fifteen feet up the wall, the mass of roots seems to form an enormous face: bearded and wrinkled, with an ancient, wizened visage. It’s only when you see the roots just beneath it—rising and falling like a mighty chest—that you realize the face isn’t made of roots at all, but framed by them, its dark, gray-blue skin blending with the stone of the wall behind it.</p> <p>The face’s eyes open, revealing glittering emerald eyes, and an ancient, resonant voice spills forth from its bearded lips. "The Seeker spoke true, then," it rasps. "You have come at last."</p> </div> The face belongs to Elder Burebis, a **storm giant**. Players who inspect Elder Burebis’s form more closely observe that the roots extruding from the wall have, in many places, bound and pierced his flesh, preventing him from moving. > [!lore]+ **Elder Burebis** > One thousand years ago, the young and arrogant storm giant Burebis came to the valley of Barovia—then called Girvisa by the Tauta—seeking to prove his abilities in foresight against the being called "the Seeker." Although Burebis lost their competition—a series of predictions regarding an impending storm—the Seeker was impressed by his audacity and skill, and invited him to become her student in the ways of omen-finding and foresight. > > For centuries, Burebis dwelled in comfortable solitude amongst the peaks of Mt. Ghakis, away and apart from the squabbles of the Tauta. While Kavan conquered his neighboring tribes, Burebis enjoyed a decade-long dalliance with a nomadic storm giant, Preida, and fathered a daughter, Gira, named for the valley above which he had made his home. > > Burebis was disturbed when Kavan’s conquest and King Dostron’s subsequent invasion laid waste to many of the Ladies’ holy places, greatly diminishing the Seeker’s power and presence. A prophetic vision, however, reassured him that, one day, his patron and mentor would return to her rightful power—when a group of mortals bearing the secrets of blood and the sun’s sigil would come to him seeking to restore the Ladies’ glory. (Although Burebis saw visions of the items these mortals would bear, he knows not their true natures: the *Tome of Strahd* and the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind*). > > Disquieted, but trusting in the vision he had seen, Burebis observed from afar as the Order of the Silver Dragon settled in Barovia, soon thereafter joined by the residents of the Abbey of St. Markovia. He saw the armies of Strahd von Zarovich sweep through the valley, and watched with horrified fascination as the Mists spirited the land beyond the Material Plane. > > By the time Strahd first met Marina Ulrich, Tatyana’s first reincarnation, Burebis’s daughter, Gira, was nearly two centuries old. Far more temperamental than her father, Gira grew enraged when Strahd drowned the village of Berez beneath the banks of the Luna River—and even moreso when the witch Baba Lysaga began to befoul the new swamp with black magic. After observing an omen that foretold Strahd’s death would swiftly follow Lysaga’s, Gira descended the slopes of Mt. Ghakis to the valley below to assault Lysaga’s cottage. Lysaga, however, easily emerged the victor—and enchanted Gira’s skull to create the giant flying skull described in <span class="citation">Giant Skull (p. 163)</span>. > > Enraged by his daughter’s death and the desecration of her remains, Burebis descended to Berez with all the fury of a maelstrom. Old age, however, had robbed him of his strength, and he barely escaped the encounter with his life. Dying of his wounds, but guided by the Roc of Mt. Ghakis—the Seeker’s familiar—Burebis found his way to Soldav, and the Shrine of the Rozana, where the primal roots therein pierced his flesh and sustained him with lifegiving sap. There he has remained ever since, a spiritual center of the Mountain Folks’ village and a living reminder of the world that their ancestors lost. Before proceeding, Burebis asks the players if they have brought the "signs": the "secrets of blood" and the "sun’s sigil." (Burebis is referring to, and can roughly describe, the *Tome of Strahd* and the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind*. If asked, he insists that he is sworn never to share the omens he has seen until those signs are revealed to him.) ### What Burebis Knows If the *Tome of Strahd* and *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* are presented to him, Burebis breathes a sigh of reverence and relief, and is willing to share the following information: * He is a **storm giant**—one of a race dedicated to the seeking and interpretation of omens—who first came to Barovia nearly a thousand years ago. "Young and arrogant," Burebis hoped to prove his skills against the being called "the Seeker"—one of the Ladies Three, "beings of fey divinity" who dwelled amidst the valley. * He challenged the Seeker to a competition of foresight—and, when he lost, was surprised when the Seeker offered to teach him to see the threads of Fate as she did. ("Although I never approached her mastery," Burebis muses, "her tutelage unlocked an awareness that I and my people had never thought possible.") * Burebis settled in the Balinok Mountains, upon Mt. Ghakis. Although he was disturbed when Kavan’s conquest and King Dostron’s subsequent invasion laid waste to many of the Ladies’ holy places, a prophetic vision reassured him that, one day, his patron and mentor would return to her rightful power—when a group of mortals bearing the secrets of blood and the sun’s sigil would come to him seeking to restore the Ladies’ glory. If asked regarding his place in the Shrine of the Rozana, Burebis can further add: * For centuries after arriving in the valley, Burebis dwelled in comfortable solitude amongst the peaks of Mt. Ghakis, away and apart from the squabbles of the Tauta. While Kavan conquered his neighboring tribes, Burebis enjoyed a decade-long dalliance with a nomadic storm giant, Preida, and fathered a daughter, Gira, named for the valley above which he had made his home. * Less than a century after the Mists fell, when Gira was nearly two hundred years old, Strahd used the power of the Fanes to cause the Luna River to swell above its banks, drowning the village of Berez and turning the surrounding area to a marsh. Far more temperamental than her father, Gira grew enraged at Strahd’s wanton cruelty—and even moreso when the witch Baba Lysaga began to befoul the new swamp with black magic. * Gira soon became convinced that the omens foretold that Strahd’s death would swiftly follow Lysaga’s. Against Burebis’s warnings, Gira descended the slopes of Mt. Ghakis to the valley below to assault Lysaga’s cottage—and died at Lysaga’s hand. "Rather than bury her remains," Burebis whispers, his body trembling with old sorrow and rage, "the witch called upon fell magic to slough the flesh from my daughter’s bones, then placed an enchantment of flight upon Gira’s skull, so that she might ride through the skies upon it." * Enraged by Gira’s death and the desecration of her remains, Burebis descended to Berez with all the fury of a maelstrom. Old age, however, had robbed him of his strength, and he barely escaped the encounter with his life. Dying of his wounds, but guided by the the Seeker’s familiar—an ancient raven named Turul—Burebis found his way to Soldav and the Shrine of the Rozana, where the primal roots therein pierced his flesh and sustained him with lifegiving sap. "I have remained here ever since," he concludes somberly. Burebis can also share the following information regarding the Ladies of the Fanes: * With their holy places desecrated by Kavan, King Dostron, and Strahd, and their worshippers weakened and divided, the Ladies of the Fanes have been reduced to little more than spirit, unable to take action or exercise the power they once wielded. * The Weaver’s holy place was the Swamp Fane, which stands near the ruined town on the shores of the Luna River; the Huntress's, the Forest Fane, atop Yester Hill; and the Seeker’s, the Mountain Fane, in a western clearing in the valley's woodland basin. Today, all three are desecrated—corrupted by Strahd’s profane magic, their power perverted and channeled toward the vampire’s use. "Through them," Burebis says, an undercurrent of anger to his voice, "the vampire commands the beasts, earth, and sky of the valley—and through them, he has tethered his soul to the land itself." (Though Burebis isn’t certain of this, he can confirm, if asked, his suspicions that, while Strahd remains bonded to the Fanes, his soul remains anchored to the valley, and he therefore cannot be truly killed.) * Burebis regretfully doesn’t know how the Fanes can be reconsecrated and Strahd’s power over them severed. "Only the Ladies themselves may bear such knowledge," he rumbles, "and though their spirits still dwell in Barovia, they are not as they once were"; having been reduced to bare vestiges of divinity, Burebis fears that the Ladies lack the means to communicate with mortals any further. "I myself have not heard the Seeker’s whisper on the wind since the Mists fell," he shares, mournfully. * Although he is loath to seek knowledge from such a profane and darkened place, Burebis believes the long-dead mages of the Amber Temple may have crafted or documented rituals capable of contacting the Ladies’ remnants. "The vestiges of ancient beings dwell within the temple’s walls," he notes, "and countless secrets lay buried within the temple’s depths. Should you delve its hidden tomes, you may well find the means to gather the Ladies’ spirits and commune with them, as I once did long ago." ### Burebis’s Request Should the players accept his mission to seek knowledge from the Amber Temple, Burebis asks them to return to him should they do so successfully. "I have lingered long past my time," he rasps, "but I believe these roots have sustained my existence for a reason. I am old and bound, but I possess knowledge and strength that may well be of use to you." If the players agree to return to him after exploring the Amber Temple, Burebis sags in gratitude and relief. As thanks, he offers the players a boon to aid them in their travels to and from the Temple. Read the following test, replacing the blank with the name of the character who bears the *whistle of the Keepers*: <div class="description"> <p>Burebis’s old eyes trace across your forms, eventually coming to rest upon &#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;&#x5f;. "I sense the feel of the Seeker’s magic upon you," he says. "You carry a boon of the ravens, do you not?"</p> </div> If the *whistle* is revealed, Burebis asks that it be placed upon the stone pillar at the center of the pool, so that he may inspect it. If the players do so, continue: <div class="description"> <p>Burebis’s eyes close, and the white clouds of mist that rise from the pool begin to swirl through the air toward the pillar’s surface. A pale, cerulean glow surrounds the whistle and, for a moment, a great and terrible winged shadow crosses the clouds’ depths, its fierce cry seeming to echo from a far distance. Then—the shadow is gone, the glow fades, and the mists drift lazily down toward the earth once more.</p> </div> The *whistle* then gains the *Charm of the Seeker’s Familiar* (see below). "Should you find yourselves in harm’s way upon this mountain," Burebis shares, "blow this whistle. If you do so beneath the open skies, my teacher’s familiar shall come to defend you—though this magic shall only work once." (If asked, Burebis shares only that this "familiar" is an ancient raven named Turul, which the Seeker invested with great magic and power—potentially sufficient magic to rival Strahd himself while within Turul’s domain of Mt. Ghakis. "He never quite enjoyed my presence," Burebis muses nostalgically, "but I do not doubt that he would come if I called to him.") > [!item]+ **Charm of the Seeker’s Familiar** > While the *whistle of the Keepers* bears this charm, a player standing on Mt. Ghakis can blow it to summon the **Roc of Mt. Ghakis** to come to their aid, which arrives in 1d4 minutes. This charm can’t be used if the player is within a structure, below ground, or otherwise lacks a view of the sky. Once used, this charm vanishes. > [!warning]+ **Keep a Secret** > To ensure Turul’s true nature as the Roc of Mt. Ghakis remains unconfirmed until the whistle is used, avoid showing the players the true text of the *Charm of the Seeker’s Familiar*, replacing the reference to the roc with a reference to "the Seeker’s familiar." When he has finished empowering the *whistle of the Keepers*, Burebis’s eyes sag, and his voice lowers to a croak. "I fear our conversation, and this investiture, have exhausted me," he says apologetically. "I must rest, and reserve my strength for my role yet to come." Before the players depart, or at another suitable point in the conversation, Burebis warns the players that the evil within the Amber Temple "is not to be trifled with." "Many mortals have believed they could control the power it hides," he croaks, "and have lost themselves amidst the darkness. An abyss lurks within the temple’s heart—but peer into it no longer than you must, lest it find a foothold in your soul and drag you down into amber shadows." (Burebis doesn’t know the true nature or history of the Amber Temple, or any other information than that he shares with the players.) If asked, Burebis has sufficient energy to answer one final question; otherwise, or once he has done so, Burebis dismisses them, adding: "Go well, and may the Ladies guide you through the trials that await." He then falls asleep, and cannot be woken until the players return. ***Milestone.*** Receiving Burebis’s mission achieves a story milestone. When the players depart the Shrine of the Rozana, award each player 5,000 XP. ## R5g. Morning in Soldav Upon their return to Chief Diegia's longhouse, the players find that Como, Kaldur, and (if the players have made peace with him) have cleared away the tables, benches, and refuse left by the holiday feast, allowing the players to place their bedrolls around the hearth. (Due to Burebis’s protective clouds, which shroud Soldav’s crater from view and protect it from divination, Strahd and his spies can’t find the players while they remain in Soldav, and their long rest is uninterrupted.) When the players awaken the next morning, Oroles greets them with a breakfast of warm flatbreads with honey, dried berries, and soft cheese. If the players previously asked Diegia about the Amber Temple, or if they request such information now, she joins Oroles and can share the following information: * The temple is an ancient, cursed place, and has stood upon Mt. Ghakis almost as long as the Tauta have dwelled in the valley. It was built by strange mages long ago, who sought to contain dark, twisted things in amber crypts. * Many have sought to obtain power or knowledge from the temple; most all have fallen prey to the temple’s corruption, or else fallen victim to the danger that lies within. Though its builders died long ago, the temple remains well-defended by unnatural forces, with strange constructs and undead patrolling its darkened corridors. In addition, an evil miasma fills the temple’s chambers, consuming the vitality of any who seek to rest there. * The temple is well-hidden, mounted high in the frozen reaches of Mt. Ghakis and surrounded by deadly cliffs. Although an ancient road once led directly to its front facade, it collapsed long ago, leaving only treacherous paths and narrow ledges to approach it. "The easiest path begins on the southwestern edge of the plateau outside Soldav," Diegia says. "If you follow it, it will guide you to the temple’s doors." * The **giant goat** Sangzor guards the only pass that now leads toward the temple. Rumored to have dwelled upon Mt. Ghakis for centuries, if not millenia, Sangzor has sent many pilgrims to the Temple plummeting to their deaths down the mountainside. "It is said that Sangzor senses the evil that lurks in men’s hearts," Diegia says solemnly. "Only if it judges you worthy will it allow you to pass." * Heirs to the chiefdom of Soldav, each joined by two trusted companions, have traveled to the Amber Temple for centuries, seeking to test their resilience and will against the corruption it contains. "From time immemorial, it has dwelled upon our sister peak," Diegia says grimly, "its whispers gently caressing the dreams of those it seeks to tempt. Each time a chief has accepted its invitations, calamity has befallen the tribe not long after. Now, we test our chiefs before they take the wooden chair—so that if weakness lurks in their heart, it shall be drawn out and be destroyed with its bearer." * Currently, Diegia’s eldest child and only daughter, Diona, is undergoing such a trial, meditating in the temple with her two chosen companions for six days and six nights before she may return to Soldav. Should the players encounter her, Diegia asks them to convey her regards, and her hope that Diona may complete her rite of passage successfully and return home to her family. When the players are ready to depart, Diegia and her family wish them farewell. Como then guides them to the exit tunnel and bids them luck in their journey. (If asked, Como declines to join the players on their journey. "My place is here, with my family and people," he says, apologetically.) # R6. Mt. Ghakis ## R6a. Sangzor's Test Upon departing Soldav, Kasimir can guide the players to the hidden trail that leads from the plateau to the Amber Temple. This hidden path is largely as described in <span class="citation">Bloodhorn's Charge (p. 160)</span>. However, a half-miled down the path, they automatically notice Sangzor on a crag above them. Modify Sangzor's stats as follows: * It has an Intelligence of 10 (+0) modifier, a Wisdom of 18 (+4), and is true neutral. * It has an AC of 13 (natural armor). * It has 136 hit points. * Its ***ram*** attack has +6 to hit and deals 19 (3d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage on a hit. If Sangzor moved at least 20 feet straight toward the target immediately before the attack, the attack is made with advantage and deals an extra 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage on a hit, rather than 5 (2d4). Remove the second sentence from Sangzor's description. After the players have had an opportunity to react to it, read: <div class="description"> <p>The goat regards you with dark, piercing eyes. One by one, it turns its gaze to each of you, carefully evaluating each subject in turn.</p> </div> As it gazes upon each member of the party, Sangzor attempts to probe deeply into that character's mind and heart, as if using the *detect thoughts* spell (DC 15). If a player fails their saving throw against this magic, Sangzor discerns whether the target intends to seek the power of the vestiges of the Amber Temple. If Sangzor determines that a player intends to seek the power of the vestiges of the Amber Temple, or if the players attack it, Sangzor charges at that player as described in <span class="citation">Bloodhorn's Charge (p. 160)</span>. Sangzor flees if bloodied. If Sangzor does not detect any intent to seek the vestiges' power in the players' hearts, it bows its head as a show of respect, then turns to depart, soon vanishing into the snow and mist. ## R6b. The Amber Temple Past Sangzor's crag, the narrow road continues another half-mile before passing between two tall, looming cliffs. As the players pass between the cliffs, they arrive at the Amber Temple, whose exterior is as described in <span class="citation">X1. Temple Facade (p. 183)</span>. The players then begin [[Arc S - A Sword of Sunlight]]. ***Milestone.*** Reaching the Amber Temple achieves a story milestone. When the players arrive outside the Amber Temple, award each player 5,000 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 [[Arc S - A Sword of Sunlight]], as well as additional outlines and notes for _**Act IV: Secrets of the Ancient**_ and the remainder of the adventure, support the guide by joining the author’s [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/DragnaCarta).