In Barovia, every escape leads to another trial. Salvation, when it comes, is never free. The night after the gallows of Vallaki, the survivors of the party—Radley, Daermon, and Urihorn—refused to abandon the body of their fallen cleric, Traxidor. His corpse hung publicly as a warning, a final cruelty from Lady Fiona Wachter. When the adventurers slipped through alleys to steal it back, they walked straight into her trap. The air split with screams and sulfur as a Barbed Devil burst from the mist, followed by smaller winged Spined Devils , summoned by the Burgomistress’s infernal pact. Radley heaved Traxidor’s wrapped body over his shoulder, Daermon darted through backstreets, and Urihorn charged atop his panther, loosing arrows that hissed through the fog. Hellfire arced after them, burning cobblestones and shattering shutters. They considered turning to fight—Barovian pride dies slowly—but Radley’s strength faltered under the weight of the corpse. The devil closed in. Then, through the smoke, came a tapping cane. A tall figure in a wide-brimmed hat stepped into the street. Rudolf van Richten , monster hunter and scientist of the supernatural, faced the infernal beast without hesitation. He raised his cane, whispered a prayer, and unleashed a shimmering wave of light— Dispel Evil and Good . The devil recoiled mid-charge, roaring, then vanished into nothing. Van Richten, unfazed, sheathed his blade and remarked dryly, “I wasn’t sure that would work.” With Van Richten’s aid, the adventurers fled Vallaki in his disguised carnival wagon, Rictavio’s Carnival of Wonders . Urihorn’s panther growled at the sound of another large cat caged inside—one of Van Richten’s experiments, no doubt. Guards tried to halt them at the southern gate, but the old hunter cracked his reins. The beam splintered, gates flew open, and the vardo smashed through, losing a wheel. Under crossbow fire, Daermon and Radley lifted the axle while Van Richten calmly cast Mending , fusing the broken iron. The wagon lurched forward, clattering into the night toward Krezk. At dawn, the Abbey of Saint Markovia loomed above the frozen cliffs. The party ascended, body in tow, through drifting snow. The Abbot , a serene and unsettling celestial, welcomed them with open arms—then smiled when Daermon presented the tattered wedding dress for his golem-bride Vasilka. When asked to resurrect Traxidor, he first raged at their audacity, warning that life and death have purpose. Then, abruptly, he agreed. “For your service,” he said, “and for the redemption of Strahd, I shall restore your companion.” By morning, Traxidor lived again. His breath trembled, his eyes dimmed by whatever he had seen beyond. The Abbot clothed him in a monk’s robe, an amulet of the Morninglord hanging over his chest. But miracles invite jealousy. When Burgomaster Dmitri Kreskov saw Traxidor alive, he fell to his knees, screaming why the Abbot had not returned his own dead son. His wife Anna silenced him, providing armor and weapons for Traxidor so they could leave before Kresk tore itself apart. The group then followed the Svalich Road east toward Argynvostholt , an ancient manor marked by a towering silver dragon statue . The structure breathed cold air as they entered, shadows shifting like wings. Within, they discovered a chapel of kneeling knights in rusted mail. When Daermon disturbed them with Mage Hand , they rose—revenants, still bound to vengeance long after death. Radley’s Shield spell deflected a strike; Traxidor’s Turn Undead forced one back; Urihorn fired from a balcony, his panther pacing below. But the fight was hopeless. They retreated, blades clashing, until they reached the cold air outside. There, Urihorn realized what they faced: “Revenants,” he said. “They can’t be killed. They rise again, wherever vengeance calls.” From devils to angels to undead knights—Barovia offered them every face of damnation, all wearing its familiar smile.
