Curse of Strahd Session 3: The Devil Comes At Night

The party seeks refuge at the Burgomaster's mansion in Barovia, attempting to rest after their harrowing arrival. While Chaya chooses a modest servant's room to remain grounded, Riordan and Steinman briefly depart to Steinman's local residence. In the mansion, Gretch attempts to bond with the stoic and blind Stoick using a mysterious black-and-gold spirit board. The board accurately identifies Stoick's last name as 'White Fang,' confirming Gretch's claims of communing with spirits, though the session is cut short by an unsettling atmosphere as a thick fog rolls into the village. Chaya visits Ireena Kolyana to offer comfort, discovering a suspicious bruise on her neck that Ireena cannot explain. Chaya uses Lesser Restoration to heal the mark, but the peace is shattered when a swarm of bats begins assaulting the mansion's boarded windows. Lucian, falling under a powerful supernatural charm, believes a 'hurt bird' is outside and prys open the fortifications. This allows a dark mist to enter, which coalesces into a handsome but predatory man who effortlessly paralyzes Stoick with magic before heading toward Ireena's chambers. The party rallies and bursts into the room to find the intruder, revealed to be the vampire Strahd von Zarovich, feeding on Ireena. A frantic skirmish ensues in the cramped bedroom. Riordan manages to land a significant blow, leaving a permanent scar on the vampire's face, while Gretch uses Heat Metal on the creature's belt to cause agonizing burns. Despite the party's resistance, Strahd remains composed, mocking their efforts before transforming into mist and escaping through the cracks in the window boards. In the aftermath, the party is left in a state of high alert and paranoia. They realize Lucian was mentally compromised and decide to tie him to a chair for the remainder of the night to prevent further sabotage. Chaya and Stoick focus on stabilizing Ireena, who has suffered massive blood loss. Recognizing that the mansion is no longer a sanctuary, the group makes the desperate decision to depart for the fortified town of Vallaki at the first sign of dawn, knowing the road ahead is infested with the vampire's minions.

Artist Credit: Edvard Munch. The Vampire II, 1895-1902. The Art Institute of Chicago.