A Strahd Tail

Our near-death in Vallaki, the citizens ruthlessly butchered, the brutal murder of  Father Lucian Petrovich in his own church, in front of his own terrified congregation... The ambush as we left the Wizard's of Wine, the abduction of Ireena... Strahd's vampire spawn had been untouchable. But now there was one less. Fate brought her to us, crossing paths alone in the woods as she rode as a messenger for Strahd. Her own arrogance blinded her to the danger and our unstoppable will to revenge! Knocked from her horse, she thought she could outrun us. Now she lies dismembered, burnt and buried deep in the dark woods with a stake through her blackened heart. No grave marker for Alesia, all signs of our unplanned reunion swept away, even Destiny's carving declaring victory for the Heroes of Barovia was scratched away. Victory against the Hags, one less vampire; perhaps we really could be heroes.

“So what do you think you’ll do when you are free from this place?” “I’ll find those Hags who made pies and…” “And what?” “And I’ll steal all the pies and eat them! Oh those lovely pies!” Watch’s mouth watered at the thought. “But those pies are made of children!” “You are starting to sound like Destiny.” “You know you’re just talking to yourself, right?” Did I just get into an argument with myself? I guess insanity has finally set in. It’s been two days since the attack at the winery and Watch, upon “dying”, found himself trapped in this place. A place of nothingness. Just himself and… himself. Suddenly, a tunnel of light appears… he can see Destiny on the other side. Watch feels… glad… to see her. Yes, he had definitely gone insane. “Watch! My precious Watch! Oh I missed you so so much! I will never put you in harms way ever again!” Destiny squealed.

Serenity sits away from the others, alone in a dry patch of dirt, her tail flicking the dust back and forth behind her. The reflection of the glowing fire flickering in her eyes, she seems to gaze through the fire to another unknown place. The land of Barovia, where pain and misery are intertwined with existence, is slightly less evil today. They have vanquished the foe that has plagued them almost from the start of their travels through this land. Three wretched hags in the coven, butcherers of children, tormenters of the helpless, now dead; three bodies burning to ash, along with their decrepit windmill of unthinkable horrors. The fire splutters and crackles wildly, the flames flickering higher still; Serenity is unsure whether it is the layer of fat in the cursed pies or the putrid flesh of the foul hag fuelling the flames, but it does not matter. As the flames rise higher you might almost think she is smiling.

Some say Night hags are creatures of pure evil. Some say they are hard to kill and failure will mean they’ll haunt you forever. Some say it is insane to take on three night hags just because they took your windmill. Destiny says, “Let’s get back our windmill!” “It’s not even our windmill.” Says Serenity “But we’ve got the deed, so that makes it ours, doesn’t it?” “Who cares about the windmill, let’s just burn the windmill down and the hags along with it!” Ireena said with a hint of impatience. “Oh, that’s a nice idea. Let’s do that… we burn the windmill and kill the hags inside!” Destiny said, clapping her hands in joy. “Errr… that doesn’t sound like a good plan” Watch warned, “you do know that Night hags carries with them a heartstone and just by touching it they become ethereal, right?” Destiny looks blankly at Watch. “Mistress, it means you can set all the fire you want, but they can just vanish and appear somewhere else. Probably behind you with a knife through your heart.” “Oh tha...

H ow could one person be so misunderstood? The hospitality, the kindness, the music, the dancing. If only the people of the land would realise that he is bringing joy to this land, to embrace him is to embrace happiness. Serenity scowled as they approached the home of the foul beast, The Devil, the creature called Strahd. She looked again at the “invitation” and almost snarled. She knew they faced great danger ahead and that the lives of all those who have helped them might be forfeit if they were unable to keep their secrets. This was partly why she had refused to share the secrets she had learned from the Martikovs with her companions, it was not that she did not trust them, but that she did not trust they could resist the Devil. I will make it my mission to tell all we come across of his generosity and kindness. Surely no one has had such a fine friend as him. I must show him that I am as much a friend to him as he is to me. The stench of evil permeated every nook and cranny o...