Session 37 - Dinner and a show....

 The carriage is dark and ominous, drawn by a horse as black as the deepest night, with flaming red eyes, it pulls up near the group and they jump on in.

Mulberry helps herself to a bottle of champagne that is in the carriage, and before long is looking for a second bottle.

They arrive at the castle, seeing looming guard towers and a large portcullis which opens as they get closer to it. The horse stops and standing in the rain is a dusk elf 

"I am Rahadan, my master awaits your arrival"

The party follow Rahadan noticing as they get close to him they hear the screams of lost souls which seem to emanate from him, as they enter the entry way they hear distant pipe organ music, and Rahadan leads them inside.

Entering the Foyer they ask Rahadan if there are any monsters here, He laughs (somewhat disturbingly) and says "There are nothing but monsters here"

The Foyer is a large well lit area with huge stone Gargoyles around the room peering down at the party as they head down a hallway, the organ music getting louder.

They enter the dining hall, and see a blazing fire in a huge fireplace, beautiful chandeliers and a giant dining table set with fine looking silverware. At the end of the room there is a huge pipe organ which is currently being played by a figure in  a dark cloak, and as Rahadan gets closer to him, the playing stops and he faces them.

"Welcome my friends"

 "I am Count Strahd, welcome to my home"

Also in the room are three women who look like they might have a touch of vampire in them, Strahd introduces them as his wives, Ludmilla, Volenta and Anastrasa. They are sent to the designated spaces at the table and Strahd invites the party to take a seat. 

Mulberry asks if Little Fang can join them, and Strahd sends out Rahadan to bring Little Fang out of the rain and into the foyer.

Baromar hands Strahd a gift, one of the taxidermied goblin heads, Strahd accepts this with great fascination "This is a prize worth of display, I will add it to my collection and it will have a premium place." He hands the head to Rahadan who takes it out of the room. 

They ask many details of the castle, the history of the wives and Strahd indulges their curiosity. The fact that the castle was designed by a genius architect named Artemus and he now holds a place of honor in the crypt below. How it was named after his mother Ravenovia and she is also in the Crypts.

Strahd also talks about the night of Sergeis wedding and how the festivities were attacked and that night Sergei and Tatyana lost their lives, and he was transformed into his current state, in which he believes is due to him not being united with his true love. 

As the appetizer is served by Rahadan Strahd keeps the conversation going, by asking Snowball what his favorite part of Barovia is, which Snowball confirms he does not have a favorite part. 

He then asks Gnarvick for a Rouges view on Barovia and Gnarvick shares that he is hesitant to steal from the Barovians as they have so little to call their own.

Next is Denzel who is asked about his time training with Van Helsing, and Strahd inquires as to the current whereabouts of his foe, Denzel who is charmed gives away that Van Helsing is in hiding and he is not sure where. 

Mulberry asks to use the restroom, and Anastrasa escorts her thorough the castle, while she takes care of things  she asks Anastrasa many questions about life with Strahd, was she there by choice is she happy etc. 

The history of Strahds wives becomes apparent through conversation in the dining room and ladies room, in that Anastrasa was the first wife and came into Strahds servitude around 200 years ago, Ludmilla the second, she was a prostitute who came into Strahds service after she was chased out of town after she tortured and killed many of her clients, and Volenta who was a Socialite in Barovia, and after being invited to dinner with Strahd by Lidmilla immediately accepted the offer and never left the castle after that night. 

Strahd challenges the fighters to a duel, Grimdur, Denzel and Baromar agree to a fight after the meal is done. 

The main course comes out and as its being served Rahadan spills his pitcher of wine, he asks if one of the party could accompany him to the wine cellar as he may need some assistance tapping another wine keg. Snowball in a moment of rarely seen bravery offers to help. The head down a spiral staircase and into a room with kegs along one wall, and three stone troughs along the other, two of the troughs have bodies in them slowly bleeding out, collecting the masters wine. Rahadan taps a keg with Snowballs help and fills the pitcher with wine. 

They return and start to eat, the food is amazing. Baked root vegetables, fresh greens and roast veal cooked to perfection, Mulberry asks if Strahd helped prepare the meal, and he says "No I am no servant"

After they eat the party ask if they can see any other parts of the Castle, Strahd takes them to the chapel which has a few corpses rotting in there, he apologizes for not having those cleaned up before the party arrived. They ask if they can see the crypts as they would very much like too. As a gracious host Strahd takes them to the crypts and shows them the room, explaining how its not safe for them in other parts of the castle he quickly ushers them back into the dining hall.

Once they arrive Strahd announces that its time to fight, he first duels with Baromar, the Grimdur and Denzel who all fight with their usual enthusiasm but are all quickly defeated.

While they fight to inspire them Gnarvick and Snowball peform the following songs as a duet on the Pipe Organ and Lute 

• Screamin’ Jay Hawkins - “I Put a Spell on You”
• Concrete Blonde - “Bloodletting”
• Roky Erikson - “Night of the Vampires”
• Slayer - “At Dawn They Sleep”

After the fighting and music is done, Rahadan serves the party a dessert wine, and some deep fried custard filled pastries, with a light dusting of sugar. 

As the night wraps up the party are escorted from the castle to the carriage which has been instructed to take them wherever in Barovia they please.