Full write-up
To prepare for their encounter with Strahd, Eiric sits down and reads the Tome of Strahd. These appear to be notes written by Strahd in the distant past that detail his unrequited love with Tatiana. Yet, Tatiana was in love with Sergei, Strahd’s brother. Jealously filled Strahd’s “Heart of Darkness” and he slayed his own brother. Tatiana, in despair, flung herself from the parapets. With his “Paradise Lost,” Strahd became the first vampire of Barovia. He fears the sun, but is stronger than other vampires. A stake through the heart cannot kill him, but merely immobilize him.
A mysterious elf appears and informs that party that Count Strahd wishes to speak with the party on the second floor. The party goes up the stairs to the second floor. Instead of meeting Strahd, they decide to explore his “Bleak House”. As they approach a balcony, shambling zombies rise to meet them. Eiric casts a *shatter* spell. Maulduk charges in like a whirlwind of steel. His blade cuts down the zombies and Maulduk kicks their remains off the balcony.
In the next hallway, Hadrioul becomes suspicious and finds a pulley system and a hidden room with wheels, chains and cogs. Eiric investigates and determines that it is part of a trap mechanism. Using his “Sense and Sensibility,” finds a way to disarm the trap.
As they proceed into the next area, they discover another hidden room. The party passes through an alcove of statues and move up another set of stairs. As they ascend the tower, Maulduk pauses in “A Room with a View.” It eerily reminds him of Tatiana’s fate, and of Irene who resembles Tatiana. While he is lost in contemplation, Strahd’s animated armor attacks him.
Like “The Good Soldier” he is, Maulduk confronts the animated armor. Revali strums up a stirring song as the party engages the animated armor. Esmeralda, Revali, Hadrioul and Eiric bombard their enemies with magical attacks while Maulduk uses cold steel. Maulduk takes down one of the animated armors. Hadrioul’s spiritual armor lands a crushing blow on another one. Eiric follows up with a thorn whip to yank the animated armor. The whip’s thorns and leaves penetrate the crushed armor and he vanquishes the animated armor. After another moment, the last animated armor falls under concentrated attack from the party.
As the party moves upward, they ascend to “Wuthering Heights”. They gaze upwards to see a reddish flight flaring high overhead and it settles into a dull pulsing red glow. The spiral staircase circles up the tower’s full height. The tower, sixty feet wide at its base, becomes narrower as it climbs. At the pinnacle of the hollow tower, a large crystal heart pulsates with red light. Above the heart, the stairs continue upward…
