Cozy Glow and the Domains of Dread

Chapters

Chapter 1: Into the Mists
Chapter 2: The Village
Chapter 3: The Seer
Chapter 4: Dinner with the Devil

Chapter 1: Into the Mists

Diary of Cozy Glow

To some, my name needs no introduction, I was once a pretty infamous villain back in my home realm of Equestria, and that was while I was still a child. My reasons for villainy are my own, but part of these reasons was that I felt an inherent sense of emptiness in my life, perhaps brought on by the loss of a close friend and I once believed that power and fame was the only way to fill that void in my heart. Anyone who is familiar with my story knows how it ends, the Monarchs of Equestria turning me and my co-conspirators to stone, and I feared I would remain there forever, trapped as a sentient statue, painfully aware of my own mind and my surroundings until the end of all life in Equestria, rendering me, Tirek and Chrysalis the only living inhabitants in a barren wasteland, cursed to be immobile and trapped in our own minds until the end of time. Though others say the Princesses always intended to release me when they felt that the time was right and that I was not meant to be trapped forever. Nevertheless, I would eventually be freed from my stone prison by Sunset Shimmer, an interdimensional traveler who was an old friend of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and as I would later find out, a former villain herself. Sunset took me to another world and we have been travelers through the multiverse ever since. Twilight Sparkle decided to chase after us, worried by what damage I could do to other world, rendering herself unable to get back to Equestria for a very long time, a decision she later regretted, as a tyrant named Midnight took the opportunity to take over Equestria in her absence.

I have to admit that at first, I only intended to use my chance at a new start to win power and glory for myself in the other realm, but with time I would realize that the glory that came with being a hero more than satisfied my hunger. My transformation from villain to hero is detailed in my journal entry from my time in the realm of Everglow. What’s important for this story is that not only did I become friends with Sunset, but me and Twilight went from bitter enemies to close friends as well. I was also reunited with a friend I thought I once lost, the same one who’s supposed death triggered my descent into villainy, Aurora. After dethroning the tyrant Midnight from the throne of Equestria, the four of us decided to leave, perhaps forever and have adventures in the multiverse. Twilight was at first hesitant, but after realizing that the realm she knew was gone and her legacy eternally tainted by Midnight, she decided that it was up to the next generation to fix her mistakes, and so she accompanied us on our adventures.

Most of my companions need no introduction, the former Princess Twilight Sparkle was known far and wide a prodigy of magic, nowadays in more than one realm, her strengths lied in academic knowledge and her knowledge of the magic of friendship. I must admit her bookish and adorkable personality had grown on me. Sunset Shimmer, once having been an ambitious noble with desires to rule Equestria, like I had once desired, she had been with time transformed into a champion of redemption, wielding both flaming sorceries and the light of her own soul as a weapon, her influence had more than once led to an evildoer changing their ways, like she had done with me, and she was not likely to give up on even the most hopeless of cases. I don’t quite know how I would describe my old friend Aurora, she had once been a shy and bookish earthpony when I knew her as a filly, not unlike Twilight. During our travels I had seen what she could really do, Aurora possessed an intense knowledge of alchemy, enabling her to create potions, bombs and enchanted artifacts, while she had grown braver with time, she still preferred to let others deal with social situations, not unlike Twilight’s old friend Fluttershy. Myself I had come along way since my villain days, a filly no more, I had long since proven my worth as a leader and a strategist. I had learned to wield a blade from my former lover, Night’s Blessing back in Everglow and I had a rudimentary knowledge of magic, though nothing that could match the might of Twilight or Sunset.

This tale was one of the more interesting adventures we had come across during our travels, a tale of horror, of love, loss, and obsession. It all began when Sunset opened portal to an unknown land we intended to explore, the portal closing behind her, something that hadn’t happened since we first entered the realm of Everglow all those years ago. I immediately knew what that meant, whatever realm we found ourselves in had weakened her magic enough so that creating a portal was no longer possible. I decided to look around and found that we seemed to be in some kind of dreary wood. Most of the trees were long dead, only dead leaves on their branches, the trees were unusually close together and the canopies unusually thick. The sky above us, the little of it we could see appeared to be overcast, clouds and dead leaves blocking out most of the light of the sun, leaving only a dim light to illuminate the woods, A mist enveloped our environment, making it hard to see where we were going. I could swear that sometimes I could see shapes in the mists, it gave me shudders.

Aurora, seemed quite uneasy in this environment, which made sense, she had been trapped in a cursed forest similar to this one for many years. Aurora now appeared in a humanoid form, humans were a species we had encountered before, and it wasn’t unusual that Sunset’s portal spell would grant us such a disguise in order to blend in. The human form I would appear in was usually that of a short young woman with a doll-like face and curly artic blue hair, Aurora said that I would look like a porcelain doll if it wasn’t for the confidence I carried myself with and the rapier by my belt. Often, I would wear chainmail armor, preferable elven made, but for this trip I decided to travel light, using only a simple set of leather armor for extra mobility. Aurora, as she appeared before me was also in the form of a young woman with scarlet eyes matching my own, but she had braided blonde hair, a pair a glasses resting on her face, and she was clad in the simple working clothes of an alchemist, numerous vials and canisters hanging from her belt. Aurora, frightened by these seemingly haunted woods decided to rest her head on my shoulders as we walked, following the light that Sunset and Twilight had conjured in front of us, their usual radiant light spell now giving off only a ghostly dim glow, something about this place both weakened and corrupted our magic.

Sunset was currently in the form of a humanoid woman, note how I didn’t say human, for her ears were pointy, a mark of the long-lived species called elves. She still had her usual flowing red hair with yellow stripes but with the ageless facial features common with elves, with an olive skin tone that contrasted with my pale freckled-covered face. Sunset was clad in white robes that were unusually clean despite traveling through mud and dirt, as magic was used to keep them looking immaculate. Twilight appeared to take the form of an elf, just like Sunset, with an equally ageless face, her long straight dark blue hair with pink stripes could be seen spilling out from her old pointy wizard’s hat, which was in the style of her idol, Starswirl the bearded. Twilight’s robes were purple, just like her coat as a pony, with stripes of pink on the rims of her long sleeves, matching her hair. She always carried her spell book attached to the side of her robes and she brandished a magical staff, which she sometimes used to focus her magic, but now was using it to aid her with walking.

I conferred with Twilight about my suspicions of how this land affected our magic, she concurred that she was feeling a lot weaker since we entered this realm and that indeed, there was something wrong with her light spell. Twilight conducted a quick ritual that would detect the presence of magic, which involved drawing several magical circles and symbols into the ground below, and she concluded that the land itself was permeated with dark magic, magic that was even denser in the mists surrounding us. Whatever they were, she told us that these mists weren’t natural, and clearly was the work of some great evil. I could sense a deep sense of fear in my very spine, but I was also excited, for I felt this was the start of a very thrilling adventure. After all, experiences such as these were the reason I decided to leave Equestria and accompany Sunset in the first place.

It was at that moment I caught the scent of death on the air, I decided to follow my nose to its source with my companions in tow. The foul stench led me to a human corpse buried in the underbrush. He was a young man, seemingly a peasant, his muddy clothes were torn and raked with claw marks. Crows had already pecked the body apart. The body was surrounded by paw prints, seemingly from larger than average wolves. Upon closer inspection, the man had obviously been dead for several days already. He held the crumbled envelope in one of his hands. The letter in his hands had a large “B” set into its wax seal, the parchment was worn and flimsy. It read:

Hail to thee of might and valor. I, a lowly servant of Barovia, send honor to thee. We plead for thy so desperately needed assistance. The love of my life, Ireena Kolyana, has been afflicted by an evil so deadly that even the good people of our village cannot protect her. She languishes from her wound, and I would have her saved from this menace. There is much wealth in this community. I offer all that might be had to thee and thy fellows if thou shalt but answer my desperate plea. Come quickly, for her time is at hand! All that I have shall be thine!

Kolyan Indirovich Burgomaster

I read the contents of the letter to Sunset, Twilight and Aurora. We came to a consensus that the dead man was probably a messenger, trying to get this message to someone, who we didn’t know, it was clearly a request for help, but he had been intercepted and killed by wolves on his way, perhaps just bad luck, perhaps by the designs of whatever unknown evil were behind the mists. We decided that we should seek out Kolyan Indirovich, who had to be from a village not too far from here. Sunset thought that perhaps helping in this matter was the reason fate had brought us to these lands. I had to agree that helping out whoever this Ireena was could be very exciting, and the Burgomaster’s offer of wealth to whoever helped Ireena out was quite tempting as well. More than anything I saw an opportunity to make a name for myself in these lands, which I guessed was called Barovia. Soon, the legend of Cozy Glow and her brave companions were to echo in the minds of the people here, as it did in so many other places in the multiverse. We found a road not too far away from the corpse, and I surmised that the road had to lead to whatever village he was from. The sound the howls of wolves could be heard in the distance…

Chapter 2: The Village

Diary of Sunset Shimmer

As we got onto the main road, the wolves were hot on our heels, forcing us to keep moving as fast as we could towards the settlement we surmised wasn’t far away. Soon, the muddy ground underfoot gave way to cobblestones and the tall shapes in the distance became recognizable as the outlines of village dwellings, barely visible through the thick mist. As we got closer, the wolves seemed to give up their pursuit and we entered into a seemingly abandoned village. There were no guards at the entrance and most of the houses were boarded up, the very wood these houses were made of seemed rotten and decrepit. The village existed in the shadow of a forboding castle, towering over the village in the distance, only its silhouette visible through the fog. No sound cut through the silence except for a mournful sobbing that echoed through the village. The voice seemed to come from a woman. Being the only sign of life, we decided to follow the sound of the crying woman.

The moaning led us to a dark two-story townhouse, boarded and barricaded from inside. Cozy knocked on the door, to no avail, no one opened the door, and the sobbing suddenly stopped, like if they were pretending not to be home, if we were to get inside, we had to force our way, and that just seemed rude. It was better to leave the poor woman be. Fortunately, on our way to the townhouse, we had passed what appeared to be a tavern, if there was anywhere we would find people, it was there. The tavern was the only building in town that was illuminated, above the doorway hung a sign, slightly askew, proclaiming itself as the Blood of the Wine tavern. We stepped inside, the blazing fire in the hearth barely gave off enough heat to warm the few scattered souls inside, all keeping to themselves, without any merriment. This was truly a depressing place. The depressing atmosphere especially seems to bother Cozy, who strode up to be barkeep with bravado, eager to solve whatever problem was plaguing these poor villagers. Even if it was probably rooted in her need to be the center of attention, I had to admire that about Cozy, that girl was truly fearless, at the very least unless statues were involved. While I traveled through the multi-verse in order to help people, Cozy had always been motivated by the excitement and challenge this lifestyle provided, as well as the fame that accompanied it.

Cozy decided to gain the attention of the taverns guests, which other than the dour and pudgy barkeep consisted of a group of three women clad in bright and colorful clothing and a young man with long blonde hair and simple brown clothing sitting by himself at the corner of a table, by climbing up on bardesk, facing the guests and announcing her presence:

“Greetings folk of this fine establishment, I am Cozy Glow, hero for hire and these fine young ladies are my companions. We have come to answer the summons of your Burgomaster, Kolyan Indirovich, tell me, what troubles this village? We have barely seen anyone since we got here, are you hiding? And in that case, from who or what?”

The three women in bright clothes and the barkeep just ignored her, but the man with blonde hair in the corner of the room’s interest seemed to peak as the name of Kolyan Indirovich was mentioned. He gestured to Cozy and the rest of us and invited us to take a seat with him. The man ordered a glass of wine for all of us, telling us that he would pay for the bill. He introduced himself as Ismark Indirovich, explaining that Kolyan was his father, but that he didn’t know his father had sent for outside help. Ismark explained that his father had passed away recently, dying of a heart attack after wolves and other terrible creatures attacked his manor night after night. Cozy decided to show Ismark the letter and he examined it for a moment before concluding that it wasn’t the handwriting of his father, but rather a forgery, but why someone would make this forgery he wasn’t certain. Nevertheless, Ismark told us that it was true that his family needed help, as his adoptive sister, Ireena, was in danger.

When I asked him what that danger could possibly be, Ismark decided to tell the full story. This land, called Barovia, same name as this village had been plagued by a terrible creature for centuries, this land was the domain of a powerful vampire called Strahd von Zarovich who ruled from his lair in the nearby Castle Ravenloft. The lands of Barovia were cut off from the outside world and had been so for as long as anyone could remember, not a single soul being able to pierce through the thick mists that surrounded these lands. Most messengers falling prey to the wolves that prowled the woods, wolves who served as the agents of Strahd. For one reason or another, Strahd has taken an interest in Ireena and she had been attacked by the vampire in the night on three separate occasions. Ismark wanted us to take Ireena to the nearby town of Vallaki where he believed she would be safe from Strahd. Why Strahd was interested in Ireena he didn’t know, but what he did know was that Strahd would occasionally pursue mortal women romantically, only for him to turn them into vampire spawns under his control.

Ismark feared the same would happen to Ireena. Cozy seemed rather eager to accept Ismark’s request, probably sensing an opportunity for excitement, even when Ismark told her his family couldn’t provide us with the wealth promised in the letter as the family had fallen on hard times, but fortunately, wealth wasn’t what Cozy was truly after, or the rest of us fo that matter. Twilight told me that she couldn’t sit idly by while this young woman was targeted by a vampire, and Aurora was willing to go along with whatever Cozy wanted, even if she seemed the most scared out of any of us. I had to agree with Twilight, reward or no reward, it was our moral duty to assist Ireena against Strahd. Before leaving for his family’s manor, I asked Ismark about the sobbing woman that could be heard all throughout town, he told me that her name was Mary and that her teenage daughter, Gertruda had recently run away, and she feared the worst. That she was either dead or made a vampire by Strahd. Gertruda had been sheltered by her mother most of her life, but not without good reason, as Strahd had a habit of going after young women, but this had resulted in Gertruda desiring to break free from her home and her mother’s control.

The Indirovich manor was located in the south end of the village, sitting behind a rusted iron fence. The right gate lay cast aside, as if it was ripped open by force. Weeds could be found everywhere in the grounds as the garden obviously hadn’t had any upkeep for quite some time, but the path leading toward the entrance of the manor had been trampled down so it could be navigated without having to go through the overgrowth of weeds. Heavy claw marks had stripped the once beautiful finish of the walls of the manor and black marks seemed to tell that a fire had recently befell the building. Not a single window in the entire building was whole, the windows barred with wooden planks. As we navigated the path towards the manner, I could see both the paw prints of wolves and the footprints of humanoids all around the grounds, seemingly barefoot, curiously enough. Once we reached the entrance, Ismark knocked on the door, a feminine voice on the other side asked:

“Who is it?”

“Your brother and some people who can help.” Ismark responded.

Then the door opened. The interior of the mansion was well furnished, yet the furnishings showed signs of great wear. Various holy symbols could be seen adorning the very walls, most likely an attempt to keep out the monsters from outside. The woman who had opened appeared to be in her early twenties, with long auburn hair and striking features, her eyes were emerald, like mine. She was already clad in an ornate breastplate, brandishing a sword in her hands, like she was prepared to fight the horrors we had seen signs of outside by herself. Around her neck was a red scarf, as if to cover up some wound, or perhaps a bitemark. I understood immediately that this was Ireena. Cozy introduced herself and the rest of us to her, telling her that we were here to escort her safely to Vallaki. A notion that Ireena scoffed at:

“It’s about time, brother, I refuse to be a victim to the devil Strahd any longer. I will not lay down helplessly and become his plaything. I just hope that you people are qualified to survive the dangerous road ahead.”

I told her we were all magic users, even the seemingly timid Aurora and that I believed we were more than qualified to protect her from whatever Strahd could throw at us. But this was partially false bravado, the fact that our magic had weakened since we came to Barovia was something that worried me, but I still commanded holy magic that should be more than effective against vampires and other creatures of the night. Yet my answer seems to satisfy Ireena.

But before we left the village, Ireena insisted that her adoptive father should have a proper burial, his coffin was kept in one of the side rooms of the mansion. I agreed that it would be proper if we helped lay him to rest. So, we helped Ismark and Ireena carry the wooden coffin of their father to the cemetery on the other side of the village. In the cemetery was a church, but the stone edifice appeared worn and weathered, a bell tower was at the back of the church and flickering light shone through the holes in the roof, there was clearly someone in the church. The heavy wooden doors of the church were covered by claw marks and scarred by fire. Ireena opened the door while the rest of us put down her father’s coffin on the ground. Ireena told us we could proceed with the burial after we got a hold of the village priest. The doors opened to reveal an unlit hallway leading to a brightly lit chapel. I could see debris scattered everywhere, perhaps partially collapsed roof. A soft voice could be here from within, reciting a prayer, and then the prayer was interrupted by the sound of an inhuman scream seemingly coming from beneath the wooden floor.

Once we approached the chapel, I could see that it was in shambles, debris littering the dusty floor, with dozens upon dozens of candles mounted in candlesticks and candelabras illuminating every dusty corner, seemingly in an attempt to get rid of any and all shadows. At the end of the church sat a single altar, scarred by claw marks, behind the altar I could see a man in a priest’s garments, on his knees, praying. He appeared to be an older man, in between 50 and 60 years old, partially balding, grey hair, and an enormous nose. Before priest noticed us, a scream could be heard from beneath the floorboards, this time I could make out what it said.

“Father, let me out, I am starving.”

Before the priest could rise to his feet, I conjured flames in my hands and aimed it at the priest, who appeared both shocked and scared. I had no intentions of harming the man, but I couldn’t ignore what I heard.

“You better have a good explanation, who is it that is trapped beneath the chapel?” I told the priest. The priest begged me not to hurt him, introducing himself as Father Donavich. Donavich told us that his twenty-year-old son Doru and several other villagers stormed Castle Ravenloft about a year back, hoping to put an end to the Devil Strahd. This uprising was led by a wizard in black robes, who had come to Barovia from a faraway land. The uprising failed and according to what he heard; the wizard died by Strahd’s hands. Doru returned to the village, but as a vampire spawn under Strahd’s control. This was why Donavich kept his son locked in the basement under the chapel, to prevent Doru from hurting anyone, as he is now mad from his hunger for blood. Donavich had been praying to the Morninglord ever since, hoping he would provide an answer of how to cure Doru without destroying him.

This was indeed dire news, for only the highest level of magic could cure the curse of vampirism. In fact, I knew of only one method that worked, Doru would need to be killed and resurrected by holy magic, the kind of magic that Twilight, otherwise my better when it came to magic, was incapable of. While I normally would be capable of a lesser resurrection spell, I had been severely weakened since coming to Barovia, in order to help Doru, I would need to reclaim my former power. But there was also another alternative, Doru could learn to live with being a vampire and manage his hunger, there was only one problem, he was still a vampire spawn, under the control of the vampire that turned him, and therefore he could not refuse an order from the vampire that turned him. To become a full-blown vampire, he would need to drink the blood of his master, which was probably Strahd. I told Donavich the truth, that I wished to help, but was currently incapable of the level of magic necessary to bring his son back to the way he was. But I did explain that if he could be fed safely, and if he wasn’t anywhere near Strahd, Doru could live with his vampirism and Donavich could still have a relationship with his son. This was until I could devise a way to either free him from Strahd’s control or free him from his curse altogether. Aurora told me that if she could get a sample of vampire blood, she could study the curse and perhaps find a cure using alchemy. Donavich thanked us for our offer. He wasn’t happy with leaving Doru a vampire but recognized that perhaps simply feeding his son enough to keep the hunger under control might work as a temporary solution until our combined efforts could device a cure.

But of course, getting a sample of Doru’s blood would be difficult, a vampire spawn, while weaker than a full vampire, was a creature of terrifying strength and speed far beyond any regular mortal, restraining him for long enough to take a sample might not be possible without using lethal force. If we wanted a sample, it was best to feed him first. And in order to get enough blood satiate the vampire spawn without killing him, we needed contributions from all of us, except Ireena, she had been bitten by Strahd, so her blood might be tainted, and I didn’t know what the effects a vampire spawn drinking blood tainted by another vampire would have. Also, Ireena was probably suffering from a deficiency in blood anyway because of Strahd and it would not be safe for her to lose more blood. Donavich got the collection plate, and each in turn cut our wrists to let a small stream of blood fall into the plate, before either I or Cozy used holy magic to mend the wounds.

When we had gathered enough blood, Donavich led us to one of the side rooms of the church where a trap door into the areas below the chapel could be found, locked by a heavy padlock and a chain. Doru’s screams of anguish could be heard through the trapdoor. Fortunately, Donavich had the key, and he unlocked the padlock. He handed me the collection plate full of blood and said:

“From this point you are on your own, I dare not approach my son while he is in this state, his hunger has driven him into a frenzy.”

I nodded and gestured to Cozy and Twilight to open the trap door. The church’s undercroft had rough-hewn walls of stone, as if formed by a pickaxe and a floor made of damp clay. We went down a rickety wooden staircase down into the basement. Rotting wooden pillars could barely support the weight of the wooden ceiling. The only light being the light from the candles that shone through the cracks in the floor, barely allowing me to glimpse a gaunt shape in the farthest edge of the corner. I cast a light spell to better illuminate the basement and the shape became clear, it was that of a young man clad in simple beige clothes, with long unkempt brown hair and visible fangs. But the most striking feature was his eyes, scarlet red and burning with hunger.

“I can smell your blood!” Doru hissed, while retreating further into the corner, as if he had an aversion to my light spell. I put down the collection plate on the floor and told him:

“You have nothing to fear, here, we brought food.”

Doru, upon seeing the plate, threw himself upon it like a hungry animal, pouring the contents down his throat. When he was finished, he had blood all around his mouth and several large stains on his shirt. After that, Doru seemed to collect himself, wiping the blood from his mouth.

“Thank you, I haven’t been able to think clearly since…that day.”

“What exactly happened that day?” I asked him, since we fed him, Doru was willing to answer, if reluctantly.

“A mighty wizard came to this land over a year ago. I remember it as if it was yesterday, a very charismatic man he was, I think his name was…Mordenkainen. He rallied the people of Barovia against the devil Strahd. The people gathered under his banner and marched on Castle Ravenloft en masse. I was one of them, foolishly believing that the wizard had the power to vanquish the vampire. But when we came face to face with the devil, most of us fled in fear, but I stood my ground. I witnessed the battle between Mordenkainen and Strahd, both flinging spells at each other, from lightning bolts to great balls of fire. The battle raged from the courtyards of Ravenloft to a precipice overlooking the falls. The Devil threw the wizard of the mountainside to the river below, no man could survive such a fall. At that point, Strahd fell upon us, one of the few people that remained, he drained me dry, and I woke up…like this. I tried to seek out my father, but the hunger was overwhelming. I…attacked him, but we were able to lock me into the basement. I am scared, have I truly become a monster?”

I tried to comfort him, telling him that the word monster is subjective, after all, such a thing is determined more by our actions than our nature. As long as he could keep his hunger under control and maintain his morals, he was still the same person he was previously. Yet, Doru insisted he shouldn’t be let out of the basement. I promised him his current state was only temporary and that we would work on a cure, but for that to work, we needed a sample of his blood. Doru agreed, Aurora cutting his wrist and poured a tiny stream of blood into a small vial, the wound healed within second, vampiric regeneration was truly amazing. After that point we let Doru be, and by his own insistence locked the trapdoor behind us. Once we got back up, I encouraged Donavich to feed his son at least some blood every week to stave off the hunger, but Doru insisted of being kept in the basement for his own safety. I suggested that maybe we should at least move down his bed so he could be more comfortable. Donavich seemed rather proud that his boy volunteered to stay in the basement, realizing the danger he posed to others in his current state. After everything was said and done, Donavich agreed to perform the burial of the Burgomaster. The funeral was short and to the point and after all was said and done, the sun was starting to go down. Donavich offered to let us stay in the church over the night, after all, Strahd would be expecting Ireena at her own home, and he was often unwilling to enter holy ground.

Me, Cozy, Twilight, Aurora, Ireena and Ismark decided to unfurl our bedrolls on the floor of the chapel, while Donawich slept in his own bed. Most of us fell asleep rather quickly, with me volunteering to take the first watch. At first the night was pretty uneventful. But during the middle of the night, at what could have been the stroke of midnight on Green Erie glow could be seen outside in the graveyard. I decided to look out one of the chapels many windows to see what was going on. Among the graves emerged a ghostly procession, countless spirits of men and women wielding various weapons and armour, some wielding magical staves and wearing the robes of a spellcaster, some of them not even human, or even elves or dwarves, but other strange species which I seldom seen before. The horde of ghosts marching forth from the graveyard, their numbers growing by the minute. The horde giving off a loudable moan as they marched. The spirits seem to have no interest in us, but marched towards the road that led up the cliff towards castle Ravenloft, until all was calm and silent once again, and nothing more of note happened during my watch, and to my knowledge, nothing happened during the watch of my companions either.

When morning came, if you could call the dim sunlight of Barovia morning, I had to approach Donavich to ask about the ghostly procession. According to him, the ghosts would march through the graveyard and towards the castle every night by the stroke of midnight. They were spirits of adventurers that in the past had tried to slay Strahd and failed. I hoped we wouldn’t meet the same fate, on the other hand, I had a habit of approaching villains like Strahd differently than most would-be heroes. In order to triumph, I realized that it was in our best interest to learn as much about Strahd as we possibly could, and why he wanted Ireena so badly. Slaying Strahd might not be the only way to acheive victory.

Chapter 3: The Seer

We set off from the village of Barovia early next morning with Ireena in tow, some part of me was glad to leave that gloomy village behind, even if it meant facing the dangers of the wilderness. Ismark decided to stay behind and do his duty as the new burgomaster of the village, now that his father was dead. I did not expect the journey to Vallaki to be an easy one, Strahd would for sure know where we were, and I was surprised we didn't get ambushed by wolves as soon as we left.

We soon would come across a crossroads, an old gallow was present, a frayed rope dancing in the wind, hanging from its beam. A rotting corpse hung from the rope, for a split second I thought the corpse looked like me, probably either my own mind playing tricks on me or whatever dark powers infusing these land deliberately messing with me. A signpost on the opposite side of the road from the gallows points in three directions, the sign towards the way we came reads "Village of Barovia". The one to the left reads "Ravenloft/Valakki and the sign pointing towards the path on the right reads "Tsar Pool".

Despite what the signs said, Ireena insisted the path towards the Tsar Pool was a shortcut, though it would take us away from the main road, this path was less likely to be watched. I was inclined to agree, we should stay away from the main road for now. The road gradually disappeared and was replaced by a muddy path, twisting through the trees. By that point we heard the howls of wolves from the woods surrounding us, three wolves the size of a griffin appeared before us, and two behind, cutting off our retreat, as if they were driven by a sinister Intelligence. I was starting to regret not sticking to the road. These were Dire Wolves, the larger cousins of regular wolves, and in all likelihood controlled by Strahd.

I shouted at Sunset to take care of the wolves behind us while I lunged at one of the wolves with my rapier, managing to pierce the beast's hide, wounding it, but it was not enough to incapacitate such a large creature. The wolf lunched at me, its bite piercing my flesh and throwing me to the ground. Seeing me in need of aid, Aurora uttered the magical incantation for a healing spell while she threw a vial of poison at the wolf ahead of me. Closing most of my wounds and injuring the wolf.
One of the wolves behind us lunged at Aurora, who barely was able to dodge it’s jaws. Seeing I was in trouble, Sunset disobeyed my earlier orders and fired three rays of fire at the wolves ahead of us, two of them directed at the wolf standing over me and trying to get its jaws around my neck, incinerating it.

One of the other wolves tried to attack me before I even had the chance to get up, I managed to fend of its jaws with my rapier, but its claws still managed to scratch me. Twilight decided to aid me, reaching out her hand towards the other wolf that were just going to lunge at me from behind, stopping it in its tracks with an invisible force. The wolf tried its best to break free but was unable. Taking advantage of the situation, Ireena uttered a battle cry as she rushed the wolf that Twilight held in place and struck it with her rapier, enveloping it in a holy light before it pierced the beast, turning it to ash in a single strike. I didn't realize Ireena was so powerful, nor that she commanded magic of her own. One of the wolves behind us went for Sunset, but fortunately she was able to dodge the attack. I quickly got back on my feet and struck a blow at the wolf ahead of me, wounding it, telling Ireena to flank it. But before she got the chance, the wolf lunged at Ireena, perhaps seeing an opportunity to claim the girl for Strahd. But fortunately, Ireena sidestepped its attack. I took the opportunity to strike the wolf in the back. Aurora tried her best to get away from the wolves, leaving the two behind us to Sunset and Twilight. One of them attacked Twilight, piercing her magical shielding, knocking her down and mauling her terribly. I was not even certain she was still alive. Enraged Sunset stepped away from the wolf and fired an array of flaming rays at it, as she used a healing spell to heal Twilight's wounds, her consciousness stirred, she was alive, for now. The flames scorched it, but the wolf was still alive. The second wolf attacked Twilight while she was on the ground, Twilight deflecting the blow with a magical shield.

Twilight teleported away and fired an array of bolts at the wolf in front of her. Killing it. Now only two wolves remained, one that me and Ireena was fighting and one attacking Sunset. Ireena striked with her sword at the wolf but missed. But I took the opportunity to move to the other side of the wolf and stabbed it in the back. The wolf attacked Ireena, knocking her down and mauling her badly. But it simultaneously seemed to take great care not to inflict a lethal blow. Sunset turned around and blasted the wolf attacking Ireena with holy light, killing it. The remaining wolf attacked Sunset, which she nimbly dodged. Aurora threw another poisonous concoction at the remaining wolf. But unfortunately, the vial missed.

Ireena came to Sunset's aid and landed another blow on the wolf, enhanced with holy energy, wounding it. The last wolf soon falling to a combination of mine, Sunset's, Twilight's and Ireena's attacks. While it looked dark when the wolves appeared, we did as a group once again overcome seemingly impossible odds. I hoped Strahd would take note.

While getting off the road might have been a mistake, Strahd seemed to know our location either way, it was too late to turn back, if we continued forward, we would be back on the road in no time. Soon, we would see evidence of the wheels of wagons in the mud, both coming and going. Ireena knew what that meant, Vistani, according to her a travelling folk that were the only person Strahd allowed to leave Barovia, why, she wasn't certain, but consequently the Vistani were often merchants, selling goods from other parts of the world to the other residents of Barovia. Some of the Vistani were rumoured to be in league with Strahd, and had a reputation for thievery and dishonesty, but nevertheless, they often weren't hostile. Wounded from our encounter with the wolves, maybe we could rest for a while among the Vistani, assuming they wouldn't attack us in order to deliver Ireena to Strahd.

The Vistani had made their encampment in a small clearing, next to a river that widened into a small lake. Several colorful tents good be seen throughout the clearing, and people dressed in equally colorful clothing gathered around a bonfire to sing and make merry. I realized now that the group of women we had seen in the Tavern of the village of Barovia were also Vistani, they had clothing very much like the people of this encampment.
As we approached the encampment, we were met by a Vistani women who told us that someone named Madame Eva foresaw our arrival and that she wanted to meet with us immediately. I had to agree, it was probably a good idea to talk to whoever was in charge around here. We were brought to one of the tents. Magic flames cast a reddish glow over the interior of this tent, revealing a low table covered in a black velvet cloth. A crystal ball could be seen on the table, and an old woman sat on the other side of the table.

"At last, you have arrived." The woman said with a dry voice. She then asked if we wanted our fortunes read, while I wasn't really a believer in fortune telling, this was different. After all, Madame Eva seemed to have known we would visit her encampment. Or maybe this was something they told all visitors.
Madame Eva took out a deck of cards, shuffled them and laid 6 cards on the table in front of us. She pointed to the first card and spoke:
"This card tells of history, knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy."

She flipped over the first card, a card labeled the Illusionist, had the icon of a star and had the number 7, the art of the card depicted a man with a mirror next to him, showing his true monstrous form. Then Madame Eva spoke her prediction:

"A man is not what he seems, he comes here in a carnival wagon, therein is what you seek."

Sunset seemed to particularly perk up at that prediction, as ever since she came to these lands she had desired to know more about our enemy. She would definitely have her eyes open for a carnival wagon from now on, which was different from the Vistani wagons we were now surrounded with. Madame Eva moved on to the second card:

"This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope."

Eva flipped the card over, a card with the icon of a glyph, with the number 7, labeled Charlatan, the art of the card depicting a man with a moustache, holding a mask, spoke her prediction:

"What you seek lies in a pile of treasure, beyond a set of amber doors."

Where that would be, or what this holy symbol was for that matter, I didn't have the foggiest. But I thought, with time, that I could figure it out. Madame Eva moved on to the third card:

"This is a card of power and strength, it tells of a weapon of vengeance, a sword of sunlight."

Ireena in particular seemed very interested in that, stating that such a sword would surely be able to put an end to the vampire Strahd, once and for all. Eva flipped the card over, showing the icon of a glyph and the number 4. It was labelled Shepherd, and the art depicted a sheepherder herding their sheep. Then Madame Eva Spoke:

"Find the mother, she who gave birth to evil."

Based on that I would surmise the sword was with Strahd's mother, but she had been long dead. I guess in order to find the Sword, I must find the grave. I already had a good guess where that might be. But I needed more information on Strahd’s mother.

Madame Eva moved on to the next card and said:

"This card sheds light on one who will help you greatly in the battle against the darkness."

She flipped the card over, it was a card labeled innocent, the card art depicting a young woman.

"Evils bride is the one you seek."

This could possibly refer to any of Strahd's potential lovers, including Ireena, which was likely, given our current circumstances. But this was quite vague. Now, Eva pointed to the last card and spoke:

"Your enemy is a creature of darkness, his power beyond mortality. This card will lead you to him."

She flipped the card over, revealing a card labeled Darklord, depicting a horned man atop a sinister throne:

"He lurks in the depths of darkness, in the one place to which he must return. Waiting for the one destined to succeed him on his dark throne."

Now that was a worrying prediction. Twilight gave me the side eye when the prediction was made, for what reason, I could pretend I didn’t know, truth be told, I knew exactly what reason.

After Madame Eva was done with her reading, I asked her if we were allowed to stay in the Vistani camp for the night to recuperate, the encounter with the Dire Wolves had depleted most of our magic. Eva agreed, telling us that any travelers were welcome among the Vistani. After we left Eva's tent, we spent most of the night among the Vistani telling tales at the bonfire. One of the stories were rather familiar, as we heard it from Doru earlier, recounting a failed rebellion against Strahd perpetuated by a wizard. The lesson of this story was that rising up against Strahd never ended well. I asked why Vistani was so fond of Strahd. The Vistani storyteller, a middle aged woman with long black hair and multicolored dress consisting of pieces of fabric of red, green and blue sown together, answered my question:

"Because Strahd keeps his word, unlike most human nobles who see my people as little more than untrustworthy thieves. Long ago, when Strahd was still a human noble, he was wounded in battle, my ancestors found him and brought him to our encampment and nursed him back to health, even though we could have turned him in for a big ransom. In return, Strahd told our ancestors that the Vistani were always to be welcome to come and go as we pleased from his lands. A treaty he honors to this day, even after he became a vampire. The mists surrounding Barovia prevent most people from leaving, but not the Vistani. Even though they hate us, the Barovians rely on us for trade."

Sunset asked the Storyteller if she knew how Strahd became a vampire. The Storyteller decided to tell the story about wht she knew.

"Strahd was once a human prince, charged with leading the armies of his father King Barov against his enemies. It was during one of these campaigns he was wounded by his enemies and found by the Vistani, but that part of the story you already know. He conquered this very valley and invited his family to settle down with him. He built a mighty castle and named it after his mother, Queen Ravenovia. This castle would become Castle Ravenloft, the very same castle overlooking our encampment from on high, it is said it was in this very body of water that the wizard plunged when Strahd threw him of the spires of Ravenloft. In any case, things were peaceful for a while in this valley after Strahd conquered it. Strahd even took fancy of a girl from among the peasantry, named Tatyana. What happened to her I am not sure, but some say Strahd lost her and that is why he has been obsessed with finding a replacement ever since. As for why he became a vampire, I do not know, but it is said that for one reason or another, Strahd's soul cannot pass on to the afterlife. Some say he will only be able to pass on once he is reunited with his lost love, Tatyana. Whatever the case, Strahd is not the only soul unable to leave this place, as the souls of the Barovian people are unable to pass on to the afterlife, either lingering as ghosts or reborn as another Barovian. As such maybe the soul of Tatyana is likewise trapped and waiting to be reunited with her beloved Strahd."

Sunset seemed particularly interested in this story. Though, how reliable the narrator was I didn't know, considering the Vistani had a quite favorable opinion of Strahd. After that, the storyteller invited us to tell a story around the bonfire. I jumped at that opportunity, for my story was quite an exciting one, even if it was unlikely to be believed. I told the Vistani how we all used to be magical horses from another reality, and how I used to be one of the most notorious villains in the land. For my crimes I was to be turned to stone for all eternity, until Sunset Shimmer freed me from my stone prison, and helped me use my abilities for good rather than evil. Ever since we had traveled through many planes and had many adventures, stopping more than one apocalyptic threat. I recounted some of these stories to the Vistani, but the stories are too numerous to account for here. After I was done, the Vistani applauded, if they believed the story was true was another matter altogether. After all, it did sound rather fanciful, and I probably wouldn’t have believed my own story if I hadn’t experienced it in person. No matter if they believed the story or not, the Storyteller praised my oratory skills.

After the Vistani had gone back to their tents, we slept on our bedrolls outside around the embers of the bonfire. After a relatively uneventful night, except for a few wolf howls in the distance, we got up early the next morning to continue our journey. Like I suspected Strahd wouldn’t dare violate his ancient promise by attacking a Vistani encampment. On the way to Vallaki, we passed a huge waterfall, which Ireena referred to as Tser falls. Our journey this day had been rather peaceful compared to the night before, the wolves and the other servants of Strahd seemed to leave us alone, why wasn’t sure. The muddy road ahead of us seemed to slither up the mountainside, until we reached another crossroads. Even appear in the mountains, the fog was inescapable, ahead dirt path split into two directions, the eastern path being cobbled, suggesting it to be of great import to the master of these lands. Parked at the fork in the road, pointed eastward, could be seen a large black carriage drawn by two black horses. The coachman was an elf, judging by his pointed ears, and as with most of his kin, his true age was hard to determine, but appeared to be at least middle age, with a mane of long black hair, but with a receding hairline. He was clad in dark green finery, a scimitar hanging from his belt.

The elf, upon seeing us jump down from the coach and approached our group with a letter in hand, as the elf got closer, I could hear horrifying ghostly screams in the air around him, like from the tortured souls of the damned:

“Welcome travelers, I am Rahadin, a servant to the great Lord Strahd von Zarovich. My master asked to give you this letter, he is eagerly awaiting your answer.”

The elf’s voice sounded arrogant and snooty. I opened the letter to read whatever Strahd wanted with us.

My friends,

Know that it is I who have brought you to this land, my home, and know that I alone can release you from it. I bid you dine at my castle so that we can meet in civilized surroundings. Your passage here will be a safe one. I await your arrival.

Your host, Strahd von Zarovich.

Sensing an opportunity to get into the castle and perhaps find the tomb of Strahd’s mother, I decided to accept the invitation, telling Sunset and Twilight to continue with Ireena to Vallaki. Sunset told me to try to find out what I could about Strahd and Tatyana from the mouth of the vampire himself. I promised her that I would. I decided to board the black coach, the doors opened by themselves as if by magic, the seats inside were of red velvet. Aurora decided to move up to the door, hesitant on whenever or not she should follow me, I reached out my hand to Aurora, and she took it and boarded the carriage.
I couldn’t say I wasn’t scared, but Aurora was seemingly really agitated. I tried to calm her down, telling her that whatever awaited us at Castle Ravenloft, I could handle it, Strahd might be an immortal vampire, but I was one of the most formidable manipulators in the multi-verse. If someone could make Strahd von Zarovich dance to their tune, it would be me. Yet I suspected that he wasn’t a slouch in that department either, so I should be on my guard around him. This seemed to calm Aurora down, her telling me that as long as we were together, we would probably be okay. And so it came to pass that me and Aurora were on a carriage bound for Castle Ravenloft, me eagerly awaiting what was in store for us once we arrived at the destination.

Chapter 4: Dinner with the Devil

Diary of Cozy Glow

Castlevania Ravenloft, the Vistani claimed Strahd named his castle after his mother, who likely were entombed somewhere within its walls, and within this Tomb, according to the Seer Madame Eva, a weapon of great power, and I wanted that power. As the carriage drew closer to the castle, Aurora held my hand, she was shaking. The carriage soon crossed a rickety drawbridge into the castle courtyard, which was enveloped in a heavy fog.

It was at this point Rahadin, Strahd's elf servant opened the door to the carriage, taking my hand to help me and Aurora out of the carriage like we were noble ladies. I was grateful to be treated with such courtesy, yet Rahadin's very presence disturbed me, for while in his presence the screams that sounded like they were from victims of torture echoed in my head. Rahadin escorted us towards the entrance, a heavy set of wooden doors, above which was a broken stained glass window. From within the keep came a warm light, flooding the courtyard.

Rahadin opened the door for us, gesturing towards us to go first, such manners. We entered a grand hall filled with organ music. Rahadin led us through the castle, following the sound of music until we reached a dining hall. Three crystal chandlers illuminated this magnificent chamber, in the center of the room a long table covered by a fine satin cloth. The table was filled with many delectable foods, set for us with fine china and silver, each crystal goblet filled a red liquid that I hoped was wine.

At the table sat many finely dressed noblewomen and noblemen, that with the exception of a single individual, a woman with long black hair with a hint of purple, with orange skin unlike anything I had previously seen on a human. She was clad in a skin-tight body suit made of black fabric and interlocking metal plates that seemed incredibly technologically advanced, but her most striking feature was her glowing purple eyes that betrayed great cunning. Whoever this woman was, she was gorgeous.

Along the western wall stood a massive pipe organ, its pipes blaring a melody that seemed both epic and tragic. Seated by the organ, playing it with great skill was a single caped figure. The figure was a handsome, yet gaunt middle-aged man, with a mane of long black hair, but his hairline was receding, he was clad in fine clothes of red and black, with a dark blue cape flowing in the wind behind him in this drafty castle. He had an unearthly aura about him, his scarlet eyes having an hypnotic quality to them. I was not usually attracted to older men, but there was something about this man I found irresistible. I immediately knew him for who he was, Strahd Von Zarovich.

Strahd stopped playing the organ and immediately turned towards us as we entered the room, Strahd welcomed us to his castle, introducing himself before gently kissing both my hand and that of Aurora, who turned red at Strahd's display of affection, the visible fear she experienced until a moment ago gone. But I knew better, as I immediately knew Strahd as a figure more dangerous than any wolf. I introduced myself and my companion to Strahd before he told us to take our seats at the dinnertable.

I decided to eagerly participate of the food, as it was some time ago I had eaten anything, there was a small risk the food was spiked with something, but I also knew that if Strahd wanted me dead, he didn't need to resort to such indirect methods.

One by one, the dinnerguests introduced themselves to us, first was a woman named Zerine, who Strahd introduced as his daughter. Zerine was seemingly a young woman with long white hair and pale white skin, almost alabaster, her features ageless and her pointy ears identified her as having elven heritage. She was dressed in what seemed to be a mix of a noblewoman's dress and a mage's robes, arcane runes decorating the the long sleeves of her clothing, a red collar around her neck, the colors were black and red. Zerine seemed quite withdrawn in her demeanour, only speaking when spoken to.

The second guest introduced herself as Volenta, she was quite short in stature, even shorter than myself, she had medium long brown hair and a skull-like mask that covered the upper half of her face. She was dressed in a beautiful yellow dress. Volenta seemed childlike in her demeanor, though I was uncertain if she was truly a child, I got a deep sense of sadism emanating from her glowing red eyes visible from behind the mask. If she was a child she was the type to torture insects for fun, but I suspected she was responsible for much darker acts than that. Strahd told me she had come to him seeking asylum from an angry mob and that he viewed her as a daughter. Though Volenta gave Strahd an irradiated look when he used the word "daughter" to describe her. Perhaps she desires to.be something more.

The striking woman with glowing purple eyes I had noticed earlier introduced herself as Komand'r, a strange name, and combined with her strange appearance it made me conclude that Komand'r was neither human, nor an elf or a vampire, but something altogether different. Strahd told me she had recently come to Ravenloft from another world, seeking asylum against some people that was hunting her. But Strahd didn't know any further details and Komand'r didn't want to disclose any. She was clearly very secretive.

The other guests Strahd introduced as his "consorts", for these was a man among the 3 women, Strahd seemingly had an interest in both sexes. The man, who introduced himself as Escher had fair features, long blonde hair and the scarlet eyes that was common to vampires, he carried himself with nobility and grace. Another bride with dark skin and black braided hair decorated with gold ornaments introduced themselves as Ludmilla. She wore and elegant white dress. She was absolutely the oldest-looking of the brides, but she had a fierce intellect visible behind the vampiric red eyes of hers.

Next was Anastrasya, who was truly a sight to behold with her immaculate facial features, curvy figure and long red hair, she was clad in elegant red dress. She seemed quite charming and was a joy to talk to, but it soon became obvious she wasn't too bright. The final bride appeared to be an older teenager, she wore a purple dress and had her brown hair in a bun on the back of her head, her blue eyes revealed she had not yet been turned into a vampire. She introduced herself as Getruda, I guess I now knew where Mary's daughter went. She seemed quite naive, calling Strahd her "Prince", like if she was in a fairy tale. I didn't know if it would be possible to convince her to return to her mother, even if it was obvious to me that Strahd was taking advantage of her naivety.

During dinner, I engaged Strahd in idle conversation, hoping to eventually get him to spill the beans on more important topics. Strahd was quite curious about myself and Aurora, he asked what I was, for artic blue hair like mine was uncommon among both elves and humans, and my scarlet eyes suggested I was a vampire, yet he said he couldn't detect a hint of the curse in my veins. I told him we were travellers from distant lands and that we had recently appeared in Strahd's domain for unknown reasons. I tried to be as vague as possible, in order to not give Strahd any information he could use against me. But his hypnotic eyes got the better of me and I ended up telling Strahd most of my life story, barely being able to conceal the real purpose behind my visit from him. Strahd seemed very interested in my villainous past and the realm I originally came from. It was clear he had never encountered ponies before and therefore our kind held great interest to him. I eventually managed to ask him the question that I had been the most curious about:

"What is your deal with Ireena, why do you want her?"

Strahd's answer was somewhat expected, but it was good to have confirmation:

"Long ago, before I was condemned to this cursed existence, I loved a woman named Tatyana. She was still in her youth with auburn hair and a smile to die for. I knew from the moment I saw her that she was destined to be my bride. But she was cruelely taken from me before she could be mine. After that, from time to time, she has been reborn in this realm, she may not remember me, but I recognise her soul. She does not yet realize she is meant to be mine, but I swore long ago that one day we will be reunited and rule together from the spires of Ravenloft"

While Strahd's answer was informative, I had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't telling me the whole truth. The way he put it, it sounded almost romantic. But I noticed how he referred to Tatyana more as an object to own rather than a person. Like a dragon lusting after a new possession.

With time I managed to get Strahd to talk about his family. He told me he was once a Prince, son of King Barov and Queen Ravenovia, who dedicated his life to saying his father's enemies, conquering this very valley in his fathers name. I asked him where his family were now and he confirmed they were all dead, his father, his mother and even his brother Sergei, they were buried in the catacombs of this very castle. Strahd could not help but to fill his voice with contempt when mentioning his brother's name, why I wasn't sure. Strahd had swallowed the bait, I now knew where to look for the tomb of Queen Ravenovia.

After dinner, I expressed to Strahd my interest of joining his court as one of his consorts, putting my moves on him as hard as I could. Leaning against him, my lips an inch from his and my small breasts gently touching his chest as I popped the question. Strahd seemed very vulnerable to this type of manipulation, but I had to admit, it was only partially a lie, for a part of me found it difficult to resist his hypnotic charm. Maybe he was manipulating me, only letting me think I was still in control. Strahd turned to Aurora and asked if she likewise sought to join his consorts, she reluctantly agreed, both terrified and obviously hot and bothered by the suggestion.

We were granted our own personal chambers in the upper parts of the castle. But it was obvious Strahd didn't yet trust us completely. For he sent Volenta to watch over us. I had to admit the girl intrigued me, on closer inspection, her body appeared quite underdeveloped, physically a child, or maybe a teenager, of an age of 12-14 if I were to guess. I couldn't see her face from behind the mask, giving her the appearance of a demon. Her red eyes observed me with contempt, maybe even a hint of jelousy. I had a feeling she wanted nothing more than to tear me apart, piece by piece, laughing maniacly as she bathed in my blood. Only her loyalty to Strahd, or perhaps her fear of incurring his wrath held her back. Yet I couldn't help to be reminded of my younger self as I looked at her, there was a hint of kinship. I wondered what her history was to have made her this way.

If I wanted to explore the castle, I had to shake her somehow. But in the meantime, I did my best to get to know the girl. Volenta wasn't very forthcoming, but she told me she was from Vallaki, she spoke the name of that town with hatred and contempt. She said few words, but pressed me for information about my past, especially my time as a villain, on that topic she seemed genuinely interested. I told her of my original scheme to take over Equestria, my eventual defeat, my release from Tartarus and how I led a quest for revenge against those that imprisoned me under the encouragement of Grogar, and the eventual reveal of his identity as Discord, as well as my imprisonment in stone. Throughout all of this, Volenta appeared to be studying me, asking if I ever fantasized about ripping Discord apart, slowly and painfully for his manipulations and his betrayal, especially his audacity of deciding my punishment when he was just as guilty of the same crime. I had to admit to her that I had, my mind went to dark places during my petrification, but I was over that now, my mind had been in a better place ever since Sunset freed me, I had even made peace with my old enemy Twilight Sparkle. While I still wouldn't spend any time with Discord unless I could avoid it, I had learned to let go of my grudge and find meaning in the company of friends. Volenta expressed that I was lucky, she never had any friends, even towards the other members of the court she felt resentment, and Strahd was always emotionally distant, he protected her, but he was not willing to sit down and listen to the troubles of another.

When I told Volenta that I was willing to listen, that I was willing to be her friend, she finally opened up. Volenta took off her mask, revealing a fair but round face, the murderous glint in her eyes disappearing when she looked at me. She looked way less fearsome with the mask than without, now I only saw a young girl bearing heavy emotional scars. While she still seemed reluctant to talk about her past, she pressed through the pain with a bit of coaxing:

"I was born on the streets of Vallaki, I never knew my father or mother, I was raised by a monster that forced me to sell myself to older clients to earn even basic food and shelter, yet I was treated worse than a farmer would treat their livestock, I was fed scraps and slept on the floor. One day I had enough, I plunged a knife into the monster. I enjoyed every second of his last gasps for breath after I punctured his lungs. The feeling was ecstasy, and I knew as I bathed in his blood that this was my calling. My clients, those who would prey upon a young girl such as myself also met their end, I made sure their deaths were painful. But as the authorities discovered my activities, murderer they called me, standing up for those monsters. I fled, Strahd took me into his flock, I was always told Strahd and his ilk were monsters, but I found that humans were the real monsters, so I asked Strahd to make me like him, a monster, for if humans would only see me as a monster, a monster I would become. I swore to one day return and make the humans pay, now that time is close at hand, do you want to support me when the time comes, friend?"

I nodded, telling her that I would stand by her even if it meant burning Vallaki to the ground. I knew this was wrong, not all citizens in Vallaki were guilty, but if it would help my new friend find closure, then so be it. But deep down I felt like I had crossed a terrible threshold. Sunset always said that revenge was pointless, that even if acheived it was a hollow victory, for no amount of vengeance could ever dull your pain. Sunset would always forgive, but I had a feeling Volenta wouldn't be very receptive to that message, at least not yet.

At dawn, Volenta had to leave to go to rest in her coffin in the catacombs, sensing an opportunity, I offered to accompany her to her resting place. One of the only ways to reach the Ravenloft catacombs were by a massive spiral staircase, the only light during this journey into the darkness were the torches placed on each side of the staircase. Eventually we reached a room with a massive stone brazier in its center, a white flame burning in the brazier gave of no heat, on the sides of the brazier were indentations with many colored stones inserted into each slot. Above the brazier were an hourglass, suspended from the cealing. On each side of the brazier were two lifelike statues of iron on horseback, they gave me the creeps, I hated statues. Volenta told me the brazier allowed Strahd to travel instantly to the most remote corners of his realm by throwing one of the colored stones into the fire and stepping into it. I would keep this in mind, could be useful later. There was an inscription on the back of the hourglass which read:

"Cast a stone into the fire:

Violet leads to the mountain spire

Orange to the castle’s peak

Red if lore is what you seek

Green to where the coffins hide

Indigo to the master’s bride

Blue to ancient magic’s womb

Yellow to the master’s tomb"

I made sure to memorise this inscription as well, while cryptic it could allow me to travel to where I needed to be in the future, though the only way to know for sure where each of these stones led were to try them out.

After the portal room, a long corridor led to an enormous chamber with countless stone coffins. Volenta told me to be careful, as Strahd had established several teleportation traps to dispose of intruders who approached his tomb. Fortunately I had no intention of approaching Strahd's tomb, though I hoped the tomb of Queen Ravenovia wasn't held in the same chamber. I escorted Volenta to her crypt, in which her stone coffin resided, she seemed to already trust me enough to not stake her heart while she was asleep, I tended to have that effect on people, even if many did wish they didn't trust me in hindsight.

After that point, I was free to roam the catacombs by myself, but as I already guessed, the tomb of Queen Ravenovia wasn't in the main section, though I did find the likes of the grave of Sir Klutz a knight who according to his epitaph died when he fell on his own sword. I also saw Zerine weep at the gates to the crypt of someone called Patrina Velikovna, who according to her epitaph was a bride of Strahd, Aurora standing by her side, Zerine was probably sent to keep an eye on Aurora, just as Volenta was sent to keep an eye on me. From beyond the other side of the door to the crypt a bone-chilling howl could be heard, I wouldn't open that door for all the power in the world. By the door to the tomb was dozens of wizened red roses, with a single fresh rose on the top of the pile. When Zerine saw me, she excused herself, seemingly embarrassed that I had witnessed her emotional outburst, telling me that she needed to go back to her room to rest. Unlike the rest, she didn't seem to be a full vampire, and therefore didn't need to rest surrounded by her native soil.

After that, Aurora was free to join me in my search. She told me she spent most of the night talking to Zerine about her theories in the field of science and alchemy, which Zerine had seemed quite interested in. I was glad she had made a new friend, as I found a friend in Volenta. It turned out to be true that the tomb of Strahd's parents was in its own section, a grand crypt grander and more impressive than any other, safe perhaps Strahd's own and of his brother Sergei. A barrier of blue light blocked passage into the crypt, the barrier flanked by two bronze statues of a soldier holding a spear. I hoped the statues wouldn't come to life if I penetrated the barrier. Beside the barrier an inscription could be seen on the wall:

"Only the pure of heart may enter."

This had me worried, after all, I was Cozy Glow, the very same who tried to take over Equestria twice, no way this barrier would deem me a good person. I was almost going to send Aurora through, but she put a hand on my shoulder and said:

"Cozy, I know you weren't the best person in the past and I know you wonder if you have even changed all that much since those times. But the Cozy Glow I know has not only saved me from a fate worse than death, she has saved the world more times than she has ever endangered it. You got this, friend. "

With Aurora's emboldening words echoing in my head, I stretched out my hand and penetrated the barrier with just a finger, it went through. Aurora did the same, but the barrier wouldn't let her through. I stepped through the barrier without issue. That was odd, the barrier considered me pure of heart, while Aurora was not. Surely there was some mistake. But I decided to take the opportunity to enter the tomb.

The crypt was silent, tall glass windows dominating the eastern wall. Two stone coffins on marble slabs leaned against the north and south walls respectively. The one to the north labeled King Barov, and the one to the south labeled Queen Ravenovia. The vaulted roof above me was inlaid with a beautiful gold mosaic. I immediately went to Queen Ravenovia's coffin and with great effort I was able to remove the lid. In the coffin was a skeleton with a white shroud covering them, but also something quite curious. An elaborate hilt that looked like it belonged to a longsword, but the blade was nowhere to be found. Was this truly the mighty weapon Madame Eva had spoken off?

I grabbed the hilt of the blade, on closer inspection it looked like it was made out of platinum, the previous owner must have been quite wealthy. As soon as I did, a presence entered my mind and the voice of a young man spoke to me:

"You have been proven worthy, champion, I have read your mind and seen your past, and while your past is tainted, I also see a girl who have been able to rise above their evil origin and become something extraordinary. "

I wondered if the sword if it was responsible for putting up the barrier at the tomb's entrance, my thoughts seemed to be automatically known by the sword, for it answered, I was not sure I liked that:

"I had to keep the unworthy from grasping my hilt, if I wanted to fulfill my purpose. "

I wondered what that purpose was, but before the sword could answer, a foul mist filled the room, and out of that mist emerged none other than Strahd, he was furious.

"I welcomed you into my home Cozy Glow, and this is how you repay me?"

A blade of radiant light extended from the hilt of the sword, as if acting on its own accord, bathing the tomb in sunlight. While this would incinerate a regular vampire, the light didn't seem to affect Strahd at all. I could feel the voice of the swird echoing in my mind, but it was more like screaming:

"KILL STRAHD!"

My mind was immediately overwhelmed by visions, visions of two men by a banquet table, both men were clad in the elaborate clothes of nobility, both with long black hair and similar-looking facial features. But while one of the men was in his 20's, with a thin moustache and perfect hair, the other was at least 40, perhaps older, with a receding hairline and a few grey hairs upon his scalp. I recognized the older man as Strahd, even if he looked older, and without the hypnotic allure I knew him to have as a vampire, the younger man had to be his younger brother Sergei. Sergei seemed to be in a more jovial mood than his brother, laughing at some immature joke he himself had told, while Strahd had a grim humorless expression.

The scene faded away, being replaced by another vision of Sergei dancing with a beautiful woman with auburn air in the castle ballroom while Strahd watched with a hateful look from the shadows. The woman looked identical to Ireena, I assumed she had to be Tatyana. She was in actuality with Sergei?

The vision faded away again, to be replaced by the vision of a wedding being planned between Sergei and Tatyana. Sergei and Tatyana seemed happy, while Strahd was in a foul mood. Yet Sergei continued to try go get his brother to cheer up, even deciding to honor Strahd making him the best man at his wedding.

That is how it came to pass that Strahd summoned Sergei to his side before the wedding. Sergei, wanting nothing more than to mend the rift between him and his brother spoke to Strahd:

"Brother, im glad to see you, I know we had our differences l, especially over Tatyana. But I am happy to have my kin at my wedding nontheless. Why drag us here to such a gloomy corner of the castle? Let us go back to the party, I can't keep my bride waiting."

At that Strahd drove a dagger through Sergei's heart, Sergei's last words were simply:

"Brother, why?"

At that moment, Strahd uttered an incantation in an ancient language, a pact with death, a blood sacrifice to gain eternal youth and immortality, before he drank of Sergei's blood.

Unable to leave the now cursed realm of Barovia, Sergei showed me how his spirit became trapped in the sword he wielded in life, a sword he was buried with. At that point the blade was intact, a blade made of pure crystal to focus the divine light through. This was where it remained for decades before Strahd extracted the sword from Sergei's tomb, commissioning a magician to destroy it. First, the blade was separated into two pieces and the crystal blade destroyed, but the hilt was stolen by the wizard's apprentice and hidden in the tomb of Queen Ravenovia. Sergei's spirit within the hilt erecting a barrier around the tomb that Strahd could not hope to penetrate, waiting for the day a worthy champion would come along and use the sword to kill Strahd.

My arm moved as by itself, pointing the blade made of light towards Strahd, but I realized that even with this artifact I had no chance against the vampire. Sergei's desire for vengeance was understandable, even though Strahd was his brother, he had slain him in order to claim his bride for himself. Strahd looked at both me and the sword with a confident expression, as if he was daring my to strike him. The sword summoned all its power to wrest control of my body to get it's revenge, but I denied it. It was true that Strahd had done many awful things, probably many more than those I knew of, but so did I and Sunset gave me another chance when no one else would. I remember what Sunset told me about revenge, that for a time it could give you purpose, and in the moment of fullfillment it could even give you some satisfaction, but that satisfaction would always give way to emptiness and regret. I tried to convey these thoughts to Sergei and they seemed to momentarily soothe his rage.

"Very well champion, I am looking forward to meeting this Sunset character. You have reminded me of who I used to be before my own brother plunged a dagger into my heart. I was once a paladin of the Morninglord, and his gospel do state that we should work to save sinners, those who can be saved anyway. I am not sure you can save my brother, but I will allow you to try. But tell me, what has become with my beloved Tatyana? "

I conveyed thoughts of Ireena, the young woman who sought to escape Strahd, who I learned might be Tatyana's reincarnation. This seemed to please Sergei, who expressed he would love to meet this Ireena. Finally, Sergei allowed me to lower the sword and turn off the blade of light. Strahd, who had now brandished his claws, gave me a puzzled expression, I turned to face Strahd:

"I don't seek to quarrel with you for the moment, I have already geown quite attached to some members of your court. I came for the sword, the prediction of a seer revealed it could be found in the tomb of your mother. I was thinking, now that I have officially aligned myself with your court, me possessing the sword does prevent an enemy of yours from using it against you, doesn't it?"

I wasn't quite sure if this was truly my own will or just the effects of Strahd's hypnotic charm, but I truly had no desire to fight him. Strahd seemed quite amused by my earlier proposition:

"Very well, Cozy Glow was it? I am impressed that you managed to subdue the murderous spirit of my brother. From this moment forward you are to serve as my enforcer, my champion. To prove your loyalty, I task you with subduing the rebellious town of Vallaki. You will be working together with Volenta, I have promised her revenge against those that hunted her like a rabid dog."

Sergei didn't know what to think of this and neither did I, but I proposed we lay low for now, surely I would think of some clever way to minimise innocent lives lost while technically fullfilling Strahd's request. With that in mind, I agreed to Strahd's proposition. At the time I could never even imagine the road this decision would set me on.