Adventure 12 - In Which our heroes make their escape…


Gertruda’s advice was true but the halls of the Castle carry many more mysteries our heroes do not want to test. Down 2 floors and across from the Library our heroes are relieved to find Ireena.

They open the door to the dinning room they see Ireena in a wedding gown sitting beside a 4 layer cake. The very same Sergei & Tatyana shared 500 years ago. Ireena rushes forth to embrace her adoptive brother. Everyone is relieved to have found each other again, but they are shy about explaining to the young woman her true history and why she attracted Strahd’s attention. How could they even begin to describe this awful truth?

Confusing to be sure, but Izmark & Sergei share the same eternal love. From one soul to the next. He and his allies took the mission to divide their powers and to rescue Ireena. There is even less time now to waste. He can only hope Van Richten and the others are succeeding in the crypts below. They all need to prevent the Devil from imprisoning his bride.

They backtrack upwards out of the Keep leaving Castle Ravenloft to reenter the rain. From the shadows of the Castle walls, Garrick sees the same red eyes watching them. He warns the others and they dare not tempt fate any longer. They race across the Keep towards the doors of a new tower. Zeff predicts this one has stairs that will lead back to the ground floor. Opening the heavy doors they do find stairs, and something fouler. Above their heads, weaved into the brickwork of the structure itself is a massive Ruby Red Heart. It shines like a crimson gem, and slowly beats with artificial life.

Neither, Esmerelda, Garrick, Sergei, Ireena, or Zeff have any clues as to what this is. But all assume it has some evil magic that connects to Strahd. Taking a blind guess Zeff summons a powerful spell to sever the aortic vein that fuses the Heart with Ravenloft.

After the crystalline Heart breaks loose it falls straight down past the open walkways of the tower. Down & down one hundred, two hundred feet until it shatters on the floor below. After its final heartbeat a terrible scream rushes through the tower. The horrible cry like a gale force wind shaking the stone foundations of Castle Ravenloft. Our heroes hunker down and hold on for dear life - wishing someone would have installed a handrail. Tragically, Sergei / Izmark falls off the ledge and down into the belly of the tower below.

Zeff worries that all is lost now. He and Garrick are at the limit of their strength. The wizard losing hope that they have any chance, or that the others below have any possibility of defeating Strahd. Esmerelda reminds them of how imperative it is to defeat the Vampire. She insists they go into the Crypt

Garrick disagrees, he listens to Ireena. She is obviously afraid of whatever horrors may lie below. She was so suddenly reunited with eternal love only to have him be snatched away in an accident.

Garrick and Zeff agree to take Ireena as far away from here as possible. Knowing the course of history she may well be doomed to fall herself from the castle, or perhaps Strahd will finally succeed in corrupting her. Neither of these possibilities they will allow.

They part ways, Esmerelda continues down the tower towards Castle Ravenloft’s dungeons. She passes by the broken Heart of Sorrow. The other three head to the Wall. Zeff aides them again allowing them to safely leap off the edge. He calculates that the magic will have the intended effect allowing a safe landing off the walls and the cliff face to the woods below. Zeff assembles the correct gestures and words of power; Ireena & Garrick take a leap of faith. They land safely into the muddy forest floor hundreds of feet down. They stop for a minute but don’t see Zeff follow behind. While they would never know, Zeff decided to return to the crypt. Before he made it he was torn apart by red-eyed gargoyles trained to chase anyone who dares to leave Strahd’s home.

Ireena & Garrick race through the woods wet & tired. Ireena’s white dress snagging on roots and rocks. Garrick can only offer her some of the warm furs he had from the mountain. Though they too are uncomfortably heavy with rainwater. Our last hero also tries his best not to allow his fear to show on his face.

Garrick is horribly lost and can think of no clues of where he is or what direction they need to go. With no other hopes Garrick silently prays to the Morninglord, his intent as ever, to protect the innocent. Holding still in the dark forest he sees a pale green image appear from behind the trees. Startled yes, but Garrick feels no ill intent and he approaches the distant light.

He and Ireena meet the Ghost of Magnolia. She, like so many of the other fallen adventurers was awoken at the midnight hour. Miraculously she was here to meet her living friend. She gestures east and bids the knight goodbye.

Garrick can no longer remember the last time he slept. Weary and wet he leads Ireena through the Svalich woods. His only guide is the heading Magnolia provided. Ireena follows close to him holding his arm. Mercifully they spot the Gates of Barovia in the distance. The massive walls cutting from the north edge of the valley’s to the south. The Fog seems to be lighter now, & Garrick wonders is dawn is approaching.

Not a sound comes from the forest as they travel in darkness. No bats or wolves chase them towards the exit. At the iron gate Garrick lifts high the Magic sword of Vladimir Horngaard and he slices the iron lock like it was firewood. Ireena waits for him to hold back the bars before she walks through. She had never been to the other side, but Garrick believes it will work. “I have faith in my mission,” he says. “I do not believe we could have come this far it the curse of Strahd was not broken.”

Ireena takes his hand, and the pair exit Barovia to feel sunshine on the east greet them.

Garrick pauses for a blessed moment, a lifetime’s worth of worry and stress lifting from his face. He closes his eyes in solemnity. He then opens them as he feels a tug on his arm.

High in the sky Garrick sees beyond the physical. Sergei, features identical to young Izmark calls out to Tatyana from heaven. Garrick feels the pull on his hand and the innocent girl is lifted up and away. Garrick lets go and watches as she flies into a gap in the clouds and into the arms of Sergei. The gap remains and widens spilling more and more gold around our last Hero.

Behind him Garrick knows that these clear skies will soon reach the villages, Castle, and Abbey behind him. Garrick flees the Valley forever.