"I was the warrior, I was good and just. I thundered across the land like the wrath of a just god..."
When Strahd's armies marched on the cold, forested lands nestled between Mount Ghakis and the Baratok Mountain range that would go on to become the kingdom of Barovia, they had little knowledge of the valiant Order of the Silver Dragon. As the von Zarovich forces closed in on the final holdout of the previous kingdom, they climbed the steep mountain roads into the center of the countryside. It is here they planned their final approach to claim the land once and for all and where Strahd incurred an unpayable debt to the mysterious Vistani.
The mist coalesces into the dusk elf you saw in the previous chapter, not aged a day. The chatter of voices and the clanking of metal sing from outside the walls of an enormous tent. Its primary occupant is a colossal, rectangular table atop which is carved an intricate, scale map of the lands of Barovia. The model mountains climb nearly five feet high, and valleys sink deep into the tabletop. You see a man to your right, who
does not appear dissimilar to a young boy you met at his home one summer afternoon. He now stands clad in scarlet armor adorned with angelic feathers etched in gold leaf. He gestures across the table. 'Commander Gwilym, the table is yours.'
Lord Strahd, Commander Gwilym, and Commander Rahadin shared the following information:
- The Order of the Silver Dragon is proud and plans to fight rather than be starved out of their castle.
- The castle itself sits high on a cliff overlooking a valley, and the knights will have nowhere to go but down toward the village.
- The people of Zmei are commoners who will not stand in the way, and we will do what we can to protect them.
- The Lord General Strahd will hold the rear of the forces from the village of Zmei.
- Commander Rahadin will hold the base of the hill and monitor the treeline to ensure we are not routed.
- Commander Gwilym will ride up the hill to the castle to challenge the remaining forces directly
The conversational chatter of the camp builds to a roar. You blink and are now standing amid a quaint farming village, many of its buildings wreathed in flame. Dozens of soldiers adorned with ravens are locked in combat against knights in silver and blue armor. Strahd sits atop a stocky, black mare, points his blade forward, and shouts 'Advance!' As he does so, a javelin strikes his side and he is knocked to the ground. Ahead of you, you see Rahadin and Alek galloping off toward their posts, unaware that their lord has fallen.
While holding off and ultimately slaying the ambush party of knights who attacked Strahd, the party noticed a Vistani woman pull Strahd from danger, give him a healing potion and ferret him away from the battle field. The scene devolves into a misty liminal space...
You now find yourselves charging through the frontline with Aleksandra Gwilym as you are met with some resistance from the Order's defensive forces. The battle rages around you; Strahd's soldiers are locked blade to blade with knights in silver and blue, and the terrain disadvantage quickly becomes evident. Argynvost's forces begin to roll large boulders downhill toward you as climb. If not for the herculean strength of an abnormally large lieutenant, the army may have never reached the palisade wall at the top.
"I was looking at dead men. Before another hour passed, I'd send them wailing on their way to rotting hell. All of them."
It is there they encounter a powerful general, Commander Alek Gwilym's brother, Sir Godfrey Gwilym wielding a silver shortsword. The hilt is sculpted to resemble silver dragon wings and a pommel shaped like a silver dragon’s head clutching a black opal between its teeth. Three guards responsible for leveraging the boulders down the hill accompanied him into battle.
Sir Godfrey shoved his sister Alek backwards after parrying some heavy blows from her. Amidst her shouts of "Traitor!" Sir Godfrey saw the size of the approaching army and realized doom was approaching. He quickly disengaged, turned heel and booked for the fortress uttering a single whispered word, "Vladimir..."
A river of blood flows down the enemy's battlements. A divine cacophony of thunderous booms beats on your eardrums. The swell of sound is followed by a cold shiver that runs the length of your spine. The cold seems to emanate from the mansion high on the hill.
A blood-curdling roar rips through the air, silencing the battlefield, and your attention is drawn southward. The sun above reflects harshly off of a pair of glinting silver wings and claws that crest the turrets of the castle, and you gaze, in full view of Argynvost. The Silver Dragon.
"...but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand."
Tome of Strahd
Wondrous item, legendary
(requires attunement by a spellcaster)
While attuned to the Tome you gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on any skill checks made to recall information about Barovian history or lore.
- You gain a +1 to your AC and to any saving throws when defending against Strahd von Zarovich’s magic.
While attuned to the Tome you may spend 4 hours attempting to decipher new sections of the Tome in order to
gain further insight into the life of Strahd and the land of Barovia.
Deciphering a chapter requires an Intelligence (Investigation) or Intelligence (Arcana) check and at least 4 hours of dedicated research time. Another creature may assist you in the attempt and grant advantage on the check if they help. Attempting to decipher the book or offering your help in deciphering it reduces your passive perception by 5 for the duration of the 4 hours.
The Tome also appears to contain esoteric, magical knowledge akin to spells inscribed within a wizard's spellbook. As the secrets and magic contained within are revealed to you, you may cast any spells recorded in the Tome as a ritual. If a spell found in the Tome does not have the ritual tag, it is nonetheless a ritual spell for you when cast from the Tome. Once a spell is cast in this way, it cannot be cast from the Tome again until the following dusk. If the spell is of a higher level than you are able to cast, you must succeed on a
DC10 + the spell's level Intelligence(Arcana) check. If you fail, the spell's use for the day is still expended.
Spells Learned
Prologue - Illusory Script (1st Level Illusion)
Chapter One - Unseen Servant (1st Level Conjuration)
Comd. Aleksandra Gwilym
Sir Godfrey Gwilym
Argynvost
