The "Victorious" Party
About 35 years ago, a group of adventurers entered Barovia: Eramus van Richten, Andre, Johann, Aga'fel, Wenzor, Marigolds Finesilver, and Sahak Panosyan. Sahak was their leader, a holy man who had been entreated by his god to free Barovia from its miserable existence. The party traveled through the valley, aided by the Vistana Ezmeralda Ozols.
When the party made their way to Krezk, they were allowed to use the Sunrise Temple as their base of operations. They made several expeditions around the valley, uncovering many truths about Strahd and revealing some of them to the public. Their final expedition was to Castle Ravenloft itself in a final assault. Though they killed Strahd, not a single one of the combatants survived the night. Only the Abbot, who remained in Krezk during the battle, and Ezmeralda, who had been running an errand for them elsewhere, survived. The night they defeated him, the mists around Barovia lifted and the sun shone again.
The party died believing they were successful, but their victory was not to last. A year to the day after Strahd was slain by the party, he rose from his coffin, whole and as powerful as before. The mists again descended down upon the valley, and the people knew then that their fate was inescapable.