Session 37: The Final Battle Report

General Summary

The party, having fought off the count once again, decide to expore the Court of Count Strahd. They find a room just off the side from the main throne room where they find an oldman, Lief Lipsiege, who appears to be some sort of accountant or book keeper. The party is able to succesfully charm him and learn a number of secrets about the room and castle, the least of which is there is a Manual of Bodily Health hidden in a chest that they are able to retrieve and give to Olaf. They also discover a set of magical doors that will lead them up to the chamber where they believe the Heart of Sorrows is.
The party makes their way back to the secret doors and after going through discover another chamber where they encounter a chambair maid tending to a bedroom. They maid, who is a vampire spawn, tells the party she has been trapped there for years by lord Strahd. She bids they kill him and set her free. The party agrees to do so and asks for her beautiful ruby pendant in exchange. Whe she expresses her sentimental value towards it they leave it and her to her tasks.
The party continues on through another secret passage where they find the entrance to a large tower that climbs up several levels. As the party ascends they see what appears to be the Heart of Sorrows. The party approaches carefully, going all the way to the top of the tower and investigating, it is not until River shoots the heart with an arrow that they realize the danger. An enourmous fireball erupts as the arrow hits it shaking the tower to its core. The party eventually discovers that this is not the real Heart of Sorrows and that thinking back to the reading Madam Eva gave them, they should be looking to the tomb of Strahds mother, where they will find what they truely seek.
The party wastes no time in making their way back down to the crypt. As they approach, they find a strange field seperating them from the tomb and as they start to enter Strahd and his minnons appear and attack. This time....to the death. After a harrowing encounter that included undead mind flayers, shadows, vampires, death knights and Strahd himself, the party are eventually able to strike a critical blow to Strahd......
But what is his fate? Is he truely dead?