---

---

Muriel Vinshaw arrived shortly after the battle, and expressed her wonder at your work. “Baba Lysaga was an ancient of this land, a timeless and fearsome presence. And you have vanquished her. I must tell the Martikov’s - they will celebrate this day for many a year.”

Bannor asked her to request a wagon from Davian at the Wizard of Wines, and Zane said pass on the good news that they had something special to deliver to them. Muriel was curious but didn’t press, and flew off into the heavy fog.

The next challenge was how to move Argynvhost’s skull to the firmer road North of Berez. You estimated it was at least 250 pounds, and it was half submerged in the swamp. Rigging some kind of rudimentary palanquin seemed the best solution, and after some hours of work you had a jury-rigged carrier ready to go.

You schlepped it through the swamp and through the ruins of Berez, eschewing the rowboat for fear of losing the skull in the river’s flow. Eventually though you had to employ it to cross the flooded road section, but Zane made it easy by deploying his hitherto hidden mastery of physics to devise a rope pulley system that safely escorted the precious cargo over the breach.

Night was falling, so you settled down to a well deserved rest, keeping guard through an uneventful night.

---

The wagon arrived the following morning, driven by an excited and enthused Elvir - your young guide from the Wizard of Wines. His eyes goggled when he saw the dragon skull, and he was thrilled to ‘help’ you load it into the wagon. Garn’s appearance and Zandeyr’s hounds took him slightly aback, but it wasn’t until Bannor removed his glasses that he let out a yelp of true fear. Viktor reassured the young man that despite appearances, they were still the good men who helped retake the winery.

After a day’s travel you arrived at the Winery, and Davian welcomed you warmly - after the regular ‘we look slightly different’ explanations were given. Zane produced the Champagne de la Stomp gem to great celebration - and a rueful realisation of a deep apology owed to Urwin by his father. Davian told you that the Martikov’s were once again in your debt, and said the Ravenkind were at your service for whatever you may need. Bannor immediately suggested that having a Raven escort of some kind would be immensely useful, and Davian agreed. He summoned a Raven to his arm, and Zane was quick to spot a major fashion opportunity - asking if it would perch on his shoulder. Davian walked over and the jet black bird stepped onto Zane’s waiting arm. Zane beamed, pulled out an eyepatch, and the look was complete.

Before long Davian noticed the Ravenkind Symbol hanging on Viktor’s neck. He stopped speaking and stood open mouthed, his eyes focused on the brilliant gem. He stuttered out his shock, telling you the Symbol had been long lost and assumed destroyed. He filled you in on its history, turning it over in his hands with wonder and reverence.

---

The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind was a unique holy symbol sacred to the good-hearted faithful of Barovia, and predated the establishment of any church in Barovia. According to legend, it was delivered to a paladin named Lugdana by a giant raven-or an angel in the form of a giant raven. Lugdana used the holy symbol to root out and destroy nests of vampires until her death. The high priests of the Raven kept and wore the holy symbol after Lugdana’s passing, until it was lost during the rise of Count Strahd von Zarovich.

Davian tells you that the Symbol will be a powerful weapon in your fight with Strahd, but asks if it can be returned to his care once you are successfull in your quest. You of course agree, and a small surge of excitement rises in your blood when you contemplate the advantage this artefact may give you in your fight.

---

Despite a long night of drinking and talking, during which Davian you rose early the next morning to start the journey to Argynvostholt. After half a day of travel, the ancient fortress lay ahead.

You briefly considered carting the skull through the manison, but Xarann recalled the warning that the Revenants you had killed inside were likely to have risen again to continue their eternal watch. Instead, he used a spell to levitate skull over the graveyard fence and to the mausoleum’s entrance. He also floated everyone into the yard, a most perculiar experience.

As you moved the skull inside, an growing sense that something important was happening overtook you. The skull started to glow with a low light and the chamber itself seemed filled with anticipation. The world seemed to become still and silent as you shivered as you gently lowered the skull into one of the alcoves.

The mausoleum exploded with light, enveloping every surface with brilliance. The light started to surge outside the chamber, and you moved outside to watch it climb toward the high tower looming over the castle.

It poured into the beacon and the world was suddenly lit with a stunning light, beams of pure white shooting upward into the sky and reaching out from each of the stained-glass windows. The light could be seen in every corner of the land, from Krezk to Berez to Vallaki, announcing to all who could see it that hope was not yet dead.

It was like the sun had finally arrived in Barovia, and you had created it.

---

---

Entering the mansion, you found three Revenants slumped on the the chapel pews. Bannor carefully prodded one, and it fell softly to the side - there was no life in it now. The chapel and indeed the entire building seemed to resonate with peace and goodness, and a calmness washed over you as you moved through the rooms.

Upstairs you first visited the chamber where Godwin and his men had sat. They too were slumped in their chairs, heads resting at peace on their chests. The Dragon shield drew your attention, but you decided to let it be for the moment.

Finally you entered Vladimir Horngaard’s throne room. The massive form sat with it’s back to you, and you moved cautiously around to face him. But instead of the steely gaze, you were met with silence: Argynvost’s greatest champion was finally released from his vigil, his soul at rest at last.

Garn stepped forward, his attention firmly on the hilt of the mysterious blade hanging at Horngaard’s waist. Saying a prayer under his breath, he reached gingerly for the hilt. As soon as he touched it he felt something surge into his mind, and as he lifted the silvered handle a soft but insistent voice spoke to him: “Finally”

---

Viktor started to prepare Hordgaard’s body for blessing and ceremony, as the rest of you did the same with Godfrey’s troop and the remains downstairs. Garn announced he was going to take the shield, saying it was the right thing to do. Viktor questioned why exactly it was ‘right’ that Garn should have it. Garn’s response was definitive and swift: “Unlike the Amber Temple, where I acted for the good of the land, ever since first visiting Argynvostholt I have known that this is where my destiny lay. This place calls to me, and I shall answer that call.”

Viktor raised en eyebrow at this, before continuing with his task. Garn retrieved the shield, appreciating the perfect weight and balance as he strapped it to his arm.

You moved the Revenant remains to the graveyard and Viktor performed burial rights, and Vladimir Horngaard was layed to rest inside the mausoleum alongside his master.

You decided that Argynvostholt deserved to be cleansed to the best of your ability, and the following day was spent doing just that. Zandeyr somehow managed to persuade the still lurking giant spiders that staying here was not in their best interest, and you all recreated some order in the Chapel and surrounding rooms.

Midway through the day, Garn gathered you all to tell you he had discovered the secret to the sword. He drew it from his waist and held it high, and suddenly a golden blade leapt into existence. It shone with a light like that of Argynvost’s beacon, and warmth emenated from it’s core. Garn swung the blade a few times, and declared it an elegant weapon from a more civilised age. He said it was called The Sunsword, and it had a storied past in Barovia - a past that the sword itself had told to him.

---

The Sunsword is a unique blade once possessed by Strahd’s brother, Sergei von Zarovich. In its original form, it had a platinum hilt and guard, and a thin crystal blade as strong as steel. Strahd employed a powerful wizard named Khazan to destroy the weapon after Sergei’s death. You remembered that name was carved over the entrance to Van Richten’s Tower. The first part of the process required the hilt and the blade to be separated, which Khazan accomplished. While Khazan was busying himself destroying the blade, his apprentice stole the hilt and fled. Khazan later located his apprentice’s mutilated corpse in the Svalich Woods, but the hilt was nowhere to be found. To avoid the vampire’s wrath, Khazan told Strahd that the entire weapon had been destroyed.

Garn said he took the sword’s communication with him as a divine message - what is faith, after all, but belief in that which you cannot prove. Garn demonstrated the sword’s ability to cast a circle of pure sunlight - and as he did something seemed to speak through him, saying “We will burn Strahd, he will die in my light, and he will suffer greatly”.

You nodded, slightly wary of Garn’s enthusiasm. Viktor, not to be outdone, used the Holy Symbol to cast a similar light, with an even greater range. Touche.

---

And all the while the light from Argynvost’s beacon lit the land around you, filling the sky with a soft glow that almost resembled the sun.

And each of you, for fleeting moments, allowed hope to enter your hearts.

(All except Bannor, for whom hope was more dangerous than pessimism: he drunk himself into a stupor instead. But even he could feel it.)

---

Artefacts

The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind

The Holy Symbol of Raven kind is a unique holy symbol sacred to the good-hearted faithful of Barovia. It predates the establishment of any church in Barovia. According to legend, it was delivered to a paladin named Lugdana by a giant raven-or an angel in the form of a giant raven. Lugdana used the holy symbol to root out and destroy nests of vampires until her death. The high priests of the Raven kept and wore the holy symbol after Lugdana’s passing, until it was lost during the rise of Count Strahd von Zarovich.

The holy symbol has 10 charges for the following properties. It regains 1d6 + 4 charges daily at dawn.

• Hold Vampires. As an action, you can expend 2 charges and present the holy symbol to make it flare with holy power. Vampires and vampire spawn within 30 feet of the holy symbol when it flares must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a target is paralysed for 1 minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect on itself.
• Turn Undead. If you have the Turn Undead or the Turn the Unholy feature, you can expend 3 charges when you present the holy symbol while using that feature. When you do so, undead have disadvantage on their saving throws against the effect.
• Sunlight. As an action, you can expend 5 charges while presenting the holy symbol to make it shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. The light is sunlight and lasts for 10 minutes or until you end the effect (no action required).

The Sunsword

The Sunsword is a unique blade once possessed by Strahd’s brother, Sergei von Zarovich. In its original form, it had a platinum hilt and guard, and a thin crystal blade as strong as steel. Strahd employed a powerful wizard named Khazan to destroy the weapon after Sergei’s death. The first part of the process required the hilt and the blade to be separated, which Khazan accomplished. While Khazan was busying himself destroying the blade, his apprentice stole the hilt and fled. Khazan later located his apprentice’s mutilated corpse in the Svalich Woods, but the hilt was nowhere to be fou.nd. To avoid the vampire’s wrath, Khazan told Strahd that the entire weapon had been destroyed.

• Radiant Blade. While grasping the hilt, you can use a Bonus Action to cause a blade of pure radiance to spring into existence, or make the blade disappear. While the blade exists, this magic Longsword has the Finesse property. If you are proficient with shortswords or longswords, you are proficient with The Sunsword.
• Radint Damage. You gain a +2 bonus to Attack and Damage Rolls made with this weapon, which deals radiant damage instead of slashing damage. When you hit an Undead with it, that target takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage.
• Light. The sword’s luminous blade emits bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. The light is sunlight. While the blade persists, you can use an action to expand or reduce its radius of bright and dim light by 5 feet each, to a maximum of 30 feet each or a minimum of 10 feet each.

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Session played: 11 May, 2020