Cozy Glow and the Domains of Dread

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.