The Wedding at Ravenloft

Triumphant in his centuries-long pursuit of his beloved Tatyana, Strahd von Zarovich cannot help but gloat. Wedding invitations have been sent out across Barovia, and all are expected to witness this unholy union.
Might the gods watch over these wayward souls. Might the strength of their sword-arms and the courage of their hearts be enough to stand boldly against the devil's shadow—for here, in Barovia, all is not well. It can never be well so long as this valley and its people live under the curse of Strahd.

Plot points/Scenes

The Wedding at Ravenloft is a module balanced for a party of four 9th-level adventurers and is intended as the opening salvo to the titanic conclusion of Curse of Strahd. True to Ravenloft's nature, the deck is stacked heavily against the adventurers—either they triumph and live forevermore as heroes or join the legion fools that fell before the devil's claws. They are joined, however, by several allies, as described below, to almost even the scales. The adventure spans four acts, but can be interrupted at any time, advancing straight to the fourth and final act: The Devil's Wedding Night. All told, the entire wedding will last up five to seven hours depending on how quickly your players can act and whether they keep the peace until Act IV.

Wedding Overview

The Wedding at Ravenloft spans four acts:
I. Greeting the Guests sees the adventurers arriving to Castle Ravenloft, swearing an oath to hospitality, and mingling with the guests. They also have the opportunity to sneak about the castle.
II. The Ceremony is the shortest act, featuring the wedding ceremony between the devil and his bride. If he yet lives, the Abbot crashes the wedding to object, offering his flesh golem, Vasilka, instead.
III. The Reception is the calm before the storm. Strahd enjoys his victory lap and, after leaving for his marital bed, has his minions betray the adventurers.
IV. The Devil's Wedding Night is a modular act offering several side quests for the adventurers to complete, up until they face Strahd at the balcony.

Characters

Several characters from throughout the campaign attend the wedding. Given the authority Strahd wields over teh valley, no guest would iwllingly rebuke his invitation. Unless slain or otherwise preoccupied, they will attend, bearing gifts and smiling politely. Below a list of all attending NPC's and important information regarding their participation in the event.

Structure

Exposition

Greeting the Guests

Dismal rain wails against the castle's windows and walls while inside guests whisper amongst themselves. Corpses in armor stand guard against spies and dissenters, and all in the air is the worry that tonight will be red—but by Strahd's hand or the adventurers,' they do not know.

Arrival to Ravenloft

The road that has been so fraught with peril is eerily quiet on this last journey. Ruts of previous wagons mark the Svalich Road like fossils as you venture closer to Castle Ravenloft. Through those silent hills and watchful forests your carriage continues on with no music but the sound of hooves and nervous silence. Farther east you go as the day darkens into dusk and the wind begins to howl like a neglected child. The rain swells from mere tears to a storm that shakes the very valley. But the roads, you notice, do not turn to mud. They do not worsen.
Curiously enough, the closer you draw to Ravenloft, the quicker the wheels turn. The faster your mounts move. As you near the belly of the beast, it seems to welcome you. Just as you crest that last hill, the tallest of Ravenloft's spires hails you, its awesome presence both startling and ominous. A drawbridge spans a gorge that plummets into unseen depths, and its chains moan with the wind. And so, it has come to this, heroes: the darkest hour of your quest. You stand in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, in the shadow of the devil himself. The road has been paved with blood and broken hopes. Will you triumph against Strahd? Or will you join the legion of fools buried beneath his iron heel?

Along the road the carriage rides past Zachriel, making his way through the Svalich Woods and eventually Bunny as well.

Our Most Anticipated Guests

The courtyard teems with thick, cold fog. Lightning lances the weeping clouds while thunder shakes the very stones of this place. A hunched figure shelters from the dismal rain nearby, nursing his lantern. As your carriage pulls up, his monstrous face comes into view: scales line his left cheek; panther's ears protrude from his hood, and one foot is that of a duck's. When his yellowed gob opens, you find that his voice is as grating and hideous as his face.
"Ah, it's you! Yes, yes! Welcome to Ravenloft! Your arrival is most anticipated, most anticipated indeed! I am the master's servant, Cyrus of Belview. Welcome!" The beast of a man chuckles, rubbing his hands together. "Your horses, oh your horses! I will take your horses! You, yes, into the keep with you! Most anticipated, oh yes!"
That hideous mongrel reaches out for your horses' reins Even they seem repulsed. Cyrus points you toward the keep: the main doors are ajar. Warm light spills out into the courtyard only to be devoured by the fog and a slight sound of whispers fill the air.

The Oath of Hospitality

Once inside the Entry (K7), the adventurers face Rahadin and six wights. The chamberlain has come to ensure that the master's most dangerous guests understand the rules of the evening. If the adventurers offer violence, Rahadin can call for reinforcements. The Vistani, werewolves, and other allies of the devil in nearby areas can arrive in 2 rounds. Additionally, Rahadin can shut the door and wake the four red dragon wyrmlings in K7. When the characters enter the Entry (K7) read:

The light is almost blinding as you step from that dismal rain and into the entry, but it's hardly inviting. Cold and distant music floats from the innards of the keep. Overhead, in the vaulted foyer, dragon statues glare down, their glossy eyes flickering in the torchlight. Corpses clad in armor stand in the corners of the room and an elf motions you forward: Rahadin, chamberlain of Castle Ravenloft and honorary brother to Strahd himself. The countless souls of those this fanatic has slain howl in the silence of the hall, only drowned out in the outside crash of thunder.

Rahadin's grim voice intones, "Our most anticipated guests. Please step forward and be recognized in the House of von Zarovich."

Swearing of Guest Right

Rahadin expects the adventurers to swear to the oath of hospitality: a mutual assurance of protection between guest and host. So long as the adventurers obey guest right—spill no blood, unsheathe no sword, respect thine host, and obey Strahd's laws— they need not worry about being attacked first. Of course, this is all a ruse. After the reception, Strahd intends to make these most-anticipated guests Ireena Kolyana's first tasting when she awakens as a vampire spawn at tomorrow's dusk. Rahadin, however, is inscrutable.
Read the following:

Rahadin's lips are pressed into a flat line. "As honored guests of Count Strahd, there are expectations to be had. Guest right will not be ignored, and you must swear to the oath of hospitality. Tonight, we celebrate this union. No harm shall come to you in these halls unless you provoke it—and so the lord of this house expects the same.
"Swear to me, here and now, at this hour. Swear to me, as brother and servant of Strahd of House von Zarovich, lord of this house, lord of Barovia. Swear to spill no blood, unsheathe no sword, respect thine host, and obey his laws. Swear to this, all of it, or begone."

A character that succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check, or has the Noble background, is quite familiar with guest right and the oath of hospitality and can find no tricks in the language offered by Rahadin.

Disarming our Honoured Guests

Before the adventurers may continue, Rahadin demands they relinquish their arms and armor. Given that they've acquired guest right, their worries should be soothed by this new development. Read:

The wights loiter silent about, their eyes far too intelligent for your liking. They seem to regard your mortal frames with more hunger than intrigue. With the oath sworn, you move towards the Grand Entry—but Rahadin blocks your way. His eyes narrow. "This is not yet done, guests." He throws this last word as if it were an insult. "Given your history," the elf says, "I must insist that you disarm yourselves. It is, after all, a wedding. Your belongings will be returned to you at evening's end, and our lord has promised that no harm will come to you and yours tonight should you... behave."

If the adventurers protest, they find that this is nonnegotiable. Rahadin will not allow even the smallest chance that the adventurers can disrupt his brother's wedding. To refuse now would be to break guest right—Rahadin, as a servant of Strahd, could expel them for such a refusal.
The wights frisk and collect the adventurers one by one. Characters can attempt to hide small objects, such as daggers or the hilt of the sunsword, with a DC 18 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.
Once the wights have the adventurers' belongings, they leave for the dungeons by way of the South Tower Stair (K21) and scatter the objects throughout the zombie-infested waters of the Torture Chamber (K76). All guests on the main floor see this black parade and can inform the adventurers.

Gifts for Our Lord

"If you've brought gifts, like any sensible guest would," Rahadin says in his stony voice, "I shall see that they're delivered with the others. I do hope you've brought something worthwhile for the gracious host of this house."

Rahadin collects any gifts brought by the adventurers, turning to the unseen servants that roam the Grand Entry (K8), or the wights for heavier gifts.

The Best Man's Omen

Before the adventurers part, Rahadin has one last warning for Ravenloft's most-anticipated guests.

Rahadin straightens. His hands curl into fists. The countless souls slain by the elf howl like abandoned children in an otherwise silent hall. "No doubt, you have some plans," the elf says. "Some delusions of grandeur. A scheme up your sleeve, and doomed hope in your hearts. "Listen to me, and listen to me well," he says. "This is the day of my brother's wedding. A wedding he has waited four hundred years for. For Strahd, I slaughtered my own people—cut down to the very last mother holding her very last child. Should you endanger this wedding, ask yourselves what I will do to you. Have we reached an understanding?"

Once done, Rahadin excuses himself to oversee wedding preparations, heading towards the Audience Hall (K25) via the Grand Landing (K19).

Mingling with the Guests

The halls are occupied with the various guests and served by several unseen servants carrying platters of wine and other refreshments. There's just short of an hour until the ceremony begins, but with so many eyes watching them, how can adventurers sneak off?
Announcing. As the characters cross the threshold from area K7 to K8, the enchantment wakes a disembodied voice that announces Strahd's most-anticipated guests. The voice isn't omniscient; it only recognizes those that Strahd has designated. If a character that Strahd did not anticipate arrives with the party, the voice remains silent. The enchantment lavishes titles and pomp on the guests. An example would be, "Announcing Stella of House Wachter, heir to the Wachterhaus and an everlonging alliance. It will also mock some guests.
Zachriel: ''Announcing Zachriel von Holtz, my most trustful ally and confidant.''
Nemeia: ''Announcing Nemeia Pesphian, the pride of The Village of Krezk.''
Bunny: ''Announcing Max Sam McCracken, one of our most respected senior members.''
Fenler & Emelia: ''Announcing Fenler and Emelia Karalius, Barovia's true soulmate.''
Kasimir Velikov: ''Announcing Kasimir Velikov, Doom of the Dusk Elves.''

Guests. The guests are clumped in various groups across areas K8, K9, K14 and K19. The adventurers would be shocked to see that only they have been disarmed: all the devil's minions and the Barovian nobility have retained their weapons, if any.
Relevant Areas. This chapter includes areas K8- 10, K14, and K19.

K8. Grand Entry

Cobwebs stretch between the columns that support the vaulted ceiling of a great, dusty hall dimly lit by sputtering torches in iron sconces. The torches cast odd shadows across the faces of eight stone gargoyles squatting motionlessly on the rim of the domed ceiling. Cracked and faded ceiling frescoes are covered by decay. Double doors of bronze stand closed to the east. To the north, a wide staircase climbs into darkness. A lit hallway to the south contains another set of bronze doors, through which you hear sad and majestic organ tones.
After being announced, the characters cross into the Grand Entry. Read:

The hall vaults into a grand entry supported by cobwebbed columns. Under decaying frescoes guests huddle in disparate clusters, trading hushed whispers while the storm rages outside. Platters of wine and other refreshments are held aloft by unseen hands that roam throughout the hall until someone, anyone, takes a chalice or appetizer. Organ music floats throughout the halls, haunting and surreal. All eyes, you notice, are on you, Strahd von Zarovich's most anticipated guests.

Ismark & Izek
Ismark and Izek lean against the wall in brooding silence. They watch the adventurers with stony faces. When they approach read:

Ismark Kolyanovich cradles a glass of wine in one hand, the other on the hilt of his longsword. "My father is rolling in his grave as we speak. I ask you only once Nemeia: Do you have a plan?"

Ismark's sword-arm is strong and his heart is true. He will not accompany the adventurers around the castle in Act I, for he must give Ireena away at the start of the ceremony, but he promises his strength later on. Izek will be okay as long as Ismark is by his side, when Ismark leaves Izek is clearly trying to keep everything together and not charge Strahd.
Elrein & The Krezkite Party
The remainder of the Krezk Party, Elrein along with eight Krezkite petty nobles, flock together in the Guest Hall. They're visibly jumpy and do their best to stay away from Strahd's guests. Elrein however, clearly lights up when he sees Nemeia. When approached read:

''I knew you wouldn't be able to leave us to our own devices, you're too stubborn for that. I'm mainly here to protect the innocents among the crowd, but give the sign and I will be on your side. ''

The Dusk Elves

Much to your surprise, a small party of dusk elves led by a man called Kasimir Velikov are in attendance. The earless elf glances at you with a tangle of interest and hope.

As one last affront to the dusk elves, Strahd has demanded their presence at the wedding—repayment for the bride previously lost to Kasimir's stoning. The dusk elf mage and his three guards wallow about before the wedding begins. One thing you clearly notice is that there are no women included in the group of Dusk Elves.
Kasimir has only met Nemeia before and also recognized Bunny, but Bunny does not recognize him. When approached read the following:

Kasimir wrings his hands together. His eyes are bright— desperation or hope, who knows? ''We're prepared to move into action whenever you are.''

K9. Guest Hall

Torchlight flutters against the walls of this vaulted hall. To the east, an arched hallway stretches for twenty feet, ending at a spiral staircase that goes up and down. Next to the hallway, a suit of armor, oiled and glistening, stands at attention in a shallow alcove. To the west, large double doors hang slightly open, and a steady bright light escapes through the opening. The Martikovs are clumped together and a sign is posted before the South Tower Stair.

''All Guests

Are Asked to Remain on the Main Floor

Trespassers will be Punished Accordingly

and Guest Right Revoked''

Stella Wachter, Father Petrovich, Cultists
With a DC15 Perception (Wisdom) check, Stella Wachter can be spotted in a light blue dress in the corner, hiding away from the crowd. She came here with Father Petrovich who is currently preparing the ceremony. Four Cult Fanatics and 3 Cultists are clearly eyeing her.
The Martikovs

The Martikovs, dressed in blue attire, share whispers. The six of them seem to twitch at the slightest sound, no matter the distance. Urwin seems to already be looking at the entrance, his interest peaking whenever someone enters, but remaining disappointed every time.

Davian and Adrian have attended as part of the envoys from Krezk, while Urwin and Danika and their two sons, Brom and Bray, have come with the Vallaki party. Much to their "great honor" the boys are acting as the ring bearers for the ceremony. Assuming the adventurers have become privy to the Martikovs' secret, and are allied with the Keepers of the Feather, Davian informs them that he has their back. Read:

Davian Martikov leans in for a handshake, and whispers, "I have six of my finest birds out along the parapet. Say the word, and they're yours. So... What, I must wonder, is the plan?"

The Keepers of the Feather have been staking out the castle since the wedding was announced and can offer simple information on the castle—including the insidious Heart of Sorrow. Alas, none of the agents dared to flutter into Strahd's halls, and their information is limited. The Martikovs themselves have only visited Castle Ravenloft a handful of times in their lives and rarely did they roam. Before the adventurers part ways, the Martikovs warn them of the Heart of Sorrow. Read:

"Our birds..." Davian Martikov begins, swallowing loudly. "They saw something in the center tower. Some... crystal thing. Utterly massive. And on the wind, they heard it: a heartbeat."
"The hag of Berez—Baba Lysaga—had many agents here in the castle to watch over Strahd. Her minions spoke of this crystal thing—the 'Heart of Sorrow,' they call it. So long as it beats, the devil Strahd cannot be harmed."

K14. Hall of Faith

Knights of carved stone line this grand hall, armed with marble spear and shield. Their eyes seem to regard you. Cobwebs hang from the arched ceiling like drapes while dust chokes the torchlit air. At the far end, a symbol of beaten bronze shaped into a setting sun hangs above double doors. Whispers bounce off the stones of this place as nobles speak amongst themselves.

The Vallakian Party

Baron Vallakovich and wife Lydia Petrovna trade pleasantries with well-attired peers. The baroness giggles like a shrieking hawk, interrupting the quiet of the hall, and eliciting an eyeroll from the other guests nearby. The Baron has brought as his entourage a tangle of Vallakian petty nobles and well-to-do merchants, one of which being Henrik van der Voort.

The Baron has brought as his entourage a tangle of Vallakian petty nobles and well-to-do merchants. Henrik van der Voort. For playing his part in stealing the bones of St. Andral, Heinrik has been invited (dragged) to the ceremony. He wants only to be free from this madness and return to his quiet life as the town pariah. This attention leaves him sweaty and manic.

K19. Grand Landing

Massive stairs rise to a landing twenty feet wide by forty feet long. Stone arches support a ceiling covered with frescoes twenty feet overhead. The frescoes depict armored knights on horseback, their finer features faded beyond recognition.
Dust floats in the air here. At each end of the south wall, a staircase rises into darkness. Between the staircases are twin alcoves, each one containing a standing suit of armor covered with dark stains. Each suit of armor clutches a mace, the “business end” of which is shaped like a dragon’s head. Words engraved on the arches above the suits of armor have been scratched out. A group of Vistani are drinking on the steps and a posted sign reads:

''All Guests

Are Asked to Remain on the Main Floor

Trespassers will be Punished Accordingly

and Guest Right Revoked''

The Vistani

Six brightly-dressed men and women—Vistani, all—sit about the steps sharing skins of wine. They regard you with grins and great interest.

Arrigal, a Vistani assassin and his brother Luvash, a bandit captain, mill about with their brethren: four Vistani thugs. All the Vistani here are loyal to Strahd. These six have been invited to the wedding, while their fellows roam the castle (see the "Vistani Thugs" Random Event, Ch. 4) and will report the adventurers' actions to Strahd or Rahadin.
The Vistani know the suits of armor (see K19) are trapped and cackle madly at any character that triggers them.
Rudolph

Rudolph van Richten in quite the formal attire is keeping a close eye on the Vistani lounching on the stairs. When approached he says: ''Tension is high this evening. I feel like not a single person in this castle can be trusted. Even Urwin and Danika have decided to flock together with the other Martikovs and honestly it somewhat worries me. Ever single person in this god forsaken place is acting like a dog before a natural disaster; nervous and unpredictable. In case you weren't paying attention, your weapons have been brought downstairs.''

The Bride and Groom

Rahadin approaches the adventurers before they can run off, stark and brooding. Strahd has requested a word with the men, and the bride has a favor to ask one of the adventurers. Read:

A storm approaches—some unsettling storm that rages just beyond your hearing. Rahadin. The elf stalks up to you, as stony-faced as ever while the souls of his countless victims wail from beyond the grave. "Gentlemen. Count Strahd would like a word over wine. A last toast before the ceremony. He's expecting you in the Dining Hall. He then faces Nemeia: ''The bride has a favor to ask as well; she's preparing up in the Guest Room of the South Tower."

Rahadin will direct the characters to the Dining Hall (K10), and personally escort the chosen adventurer up to Ireena in the Guest Room (K50) via the South Tower Stair (K21).

A Drink with the Groom

While preparations are under way, Strahd invites the adventurers to a glass of wine in the Dining Hall (K10). This event runs concurrently with "The Bride Asks a Favor" if the adventurers do not protest to being split up. Unlike the default encounter, the illusion here lasts here until Strahd wills otherwise. At the end of the conversation, the hall is not plunged into darkness. The illusion here is an avatar of Strahd; he speaks and acts through it, but it is incorporeal and cannot attack and is immune to damage. A dispel magic spell (DC 16) destroys the avatar.

Three enormous crystal chandeliers brilliantly illuminate this magnificent chamber. Pillars of stone stand against dull white marble walls, supporting the ceiling. In the center of the room, a long, heavy table is covered with a fine white satin cloth. The table is laden with crystal goblets filled with an amber liquid with a delicate tantalizing fragance.
At the center of the far west wall, between floor-to-ceiling mirrors, stands a massive organ before which Strahds stands and looks at you with a welcoming expression on his face.

''Please do take a seat my well-honoured guests. We have had quite the journey together. Zachriel, my dear, even though our paths may have gone into different directions, my house will always have a place for you, and your attendance indicates that you in your heart still have a place for our house as well. I didn't lie when I said the death of your Xavier hurt me deeply. If you are interested, I shall command Rahadin to show you to the personally orcistrated tomb in the dungeons to properly morn your beloved.''
''Fenler and Emelia, two who have shown such compassion for this land incomparable to any other person to have ever roamed this land. I have grave respect for you. And finally, Max. Non have shown such strength and smarts over the years, and finally it is time for someone to acknowledge this achievement of yours.''
''Nevertheless, you have continued to wreck havoc and carnage through my homeland, diminishing my honour. You have threatened me and my allies. Killed my godmother. Threatened my bride-to-be. Literally tore a hole in the breach of my domain, and so on and so forth.''
The devil Strahd offers a fanged smile. "You truly are the greatest foes I have ever faced—and that is why at dawn tomorrow, you may leave Barovia forever. Whatever blood there is between, consider it washed away. So long as I have Tatyana, I need nothing more in this life. We met as enemies so let us part, perhaps not as friends, but as equals."

Whatever the devil promises, it's a lie. This is Strahd's ultimate hour: the feast for his arrogance. To have Tatyana and humiliate his greatest foes is far too great to pass up. All this serves is to distract the adventurers while the true Devil moves in on their fated ally (see "The Devil's Enemy: Charmed" below).

The Bride Asks a Favour

Ireena Kolyana has a favor to ask one lucky adventurer. This event runs concurrently with "A Drink with the Groom." Relevant Areas. This section includes areas K21, K47, K49, and K50 (pgs. 59 & 69-70). If the adventurer is female, Ireena asks her to be her maid of honor.
Rahadin leads the adventurer up the South Tower Stair. The chamberlain will answer questions if asked—he's in a good mood, after all. It's his brother's wedding, and should the happy couple tie the knot, Rahadin knows Strahd will never be happier.

Rahadin leads you up the staircase. The silence is tense, broken only by the long-lost wails of the countless men and women the elf has slain. If he notices, he does not show it. You find yourself holding back, just to escape the periphery of that deathly choir. Outside thunder cracks, and the cold rains patter upon the windows, but here in the staircase the air is stale, stifling. Finally, after minutes of climbing, you reach a darkened landing. A cold wind sweeps down from a nearby offstair, rattling the iron ring of a trapdoor set into the floor. An immaculate rug stretches before a framed portrait of a young, handsome man with a serene yet penetrating gaze that seems to look beyond time and into the space of the soul itself.

The characters arrive to the Portrait of Strahd (K47) on Map 6, (pg. 69). The rug of smothering and guardian portrait remain dormant so long as the adventurer remains in the presence of Rahadin, though the portrait is alive and knows whether things have gone awry. If the adventurer attempts to steal Ireena Kolyana away from this place, the portrait and rug both attack.

Rahadin clears his throat and leads you past the portrait into a nearby room. Thunder shakes the tower, answered by groaning beams that one day won't be able to take the ceiling's weight. Bookcases line the wall, peering off through the steel latticework windows. On an old and faded couch lounges a handsome young man dressed in elegant but faded fabrics. Rahadin gives the young man a dismissive glance. "Escher," he says. "How is our bride?" The man sneers, "Heart's still beating." Rahadin rolls his eyes and knocks at the door. "Ms. Kolyana? You have a guest." Escher looks to you with a wolfish grin, "Enjoy this last word with her; eternity's as Strahd's plaything awaits… If only some of us could be so lucky, no?"

Rahadin checks on Ireena before letting the adventurer enter, leaving him or her with Escher for a brief moment. Escher is afraid and has been taking it out on Ireena. He believes that his freedom is about to come to a close—what use will Strahd have for Escher when at long last he's been reunited with his beloved "Tatyana"? Escher fears that the vampire will discard him and confine him to the crypts like so many of Strahd's past brides and lovers. He would like nothing more than to rip out Ireena's throat, ending this threat to his freedom, but knows he'd provoke doom if he even tried.

No expense has been spared on this guest room. A fourcorner bed canopied with a black curtain and gold trimmed sits at the center of the room. Ireena Kolyana sits on a divan as Danika Dorakova fusses with the bride's hair—this woman from that dismal village below the mists is simply breathtaking. The devil has clearly lavished his fiancé in gems and gold since seizing her. A golden locket sporting a ruby the size of a pinecone drapes Ireena's neck. Her smile is as bright as the sun of the distant world you dimly remember. "You've come," Ireena says. "You've actually come." Her eyes glance beyond you; you turn and see a once beautiful woman in a scarlet bridesmaid's dress staring at you with a fanged smile.

Ireena is terrified but puts on a brave face. She clings to a desperate hope that all will be well—and failing that, Strahd has promised that during their marriage, the vampire will see that her people will clothed and fed, and her brother equipped with the tools and funds to improve the village. Ireena doesn't believe a word, but it's the only consolation she can find.
The woman beside the door is Sasha Ivliskova, one of Strahd's older vampire spawn brides. She's been freed from her crypt (see Crypt 20, K84) and freshened up to serve as a bridesmaid—another layer of security to ensure no one steals away Strahd's beloved. Sasha is jealous of Ireena's freedom and the attention Strahd defers to her. More so, in her time as Strahd's plaything, Sasha had to listen to Strahd prattle on about "Tatyana." Years of being confined to her crypt has festered this resentment, but, alas, she obeys Strahd's command.
Danika Dorakova, a wereraven agent of the Keepers of the Feather, is Ireena's only sympathetic bridesmaid and her sole means of remaining sane with imminent death and damnation staring the poor girl in the face.
After Ireena has asked an adventurer to partake in the wedding as either a maid of honor or a groomsman, Rahadin clears his throat and insists they part. Ireena embraces the adventurer and asks her favor:

As she embraces you, Ireena Kolyana whispers in your ear, "Do not let me marry that monster. I would rather die a thousand deaths than be his. He calls me… Tatyana."

Rahadin then escorts the adventurer from the room, and back down the South Tower Stair, passing Strahd himself ascending to go speak with Ireena Kolyana—to vampirically charm her before the wedding. Read:

As you and Rahadin descend the cold steps, you hear footfalls nearby. Thunder beckons outside. The spiral twists—and out from the dark walks Strahd von Zarovich himself, grinning ear to ear. "Good evening, my most-anticipated guest. Your stay, I hope, has been pleasant. I'd stay, but there are... other matters to attend. If you'll excuse me."

To the adventurer this hints that the encounter with Strahd in the Dining Hall is a farce—and all but confirming it for any players that are watching the scene unfold. What, they might wonder, was Strahd up to while they were speaking with an illusion?

The Devil's Enemy: Charmed

While the adventurers sit with the illusory Strahd, the devil himself intends to isolate the destined ally of the party and attempts to charm them. Later, should battle erupt, Strahd intends to "activate" the ally, turning him or her against the adventurers. Amidst the crowd, Strahd will approach his fated enemy, and attempt to charm them (DC 17 Wisdom saving throw; see Strahd's statblock in Appendix D). If successful, he will command them to betray the adventurers at the most opportune moment.

The adventurers, once reunited with their ally, can notice something's off with a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check; the character seems dazed.

Last Stop Before Oblivion

The adventurers have one last opportunity to explore the castle, complete objectives, and recover their confiscated gear before the ceremony begins—time is short, and their absence would be glaring. From the time of their arrival, it was less than an hour until the ceremony. Chapters 3 and 4 of Act I amounted to at most a half hour. Once the adventurers find their armor, they still must don it (see Ch 5. of the Player's Handbook), and thunder back up the stairs.
The wights took the adventurers' gear from the Entry (K7) to the Torture Chamber (K76) South Tower Stair (K21). They were not subtle, and several guests saw the undead descend the stairs into blackness. Many, like the Martikovs, will tell them. When the adventurers approach the stairwell, read:

The spiral staircase leads only to darkness—and your last, doomed hope. What chance do you have against the devil Strahd without your arms? Where in those black depths have they stored your weapons?

The posted sign reads:

''All Guests

Are Asked to Remain on the Main Floor

Trespassers will be Punished Accordingly

and Guest Right Revoked''

The message is merely meant to scare the adventurers; Strahd will revoke guest right when the moment suits him. It would please him to see the adventurers tip-toeing around on eggshells. The South Tower Stair leads to areas K61 and K73, the Elevator Trap and the Dungeon Hall, respectively. The wights have taken the adventurers' belongings and scattered them across the zombieinfested waters of the Torture Chamber—Strahd has no intention of returning his foes' weapons.
Finding items in K76. A character that spends 10 minutes searching the brackish waters of the Torture Chamber can succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check to find 1d4 + 1 pieces of their equipment. The wights did not care about emptying bags or similar containers, so items like quivers and packs still contain all their contents—though likely waterlogged, perhaps even ruined.

Lief Lipsiege

Stella Wachter

Adrian Martikov

Kasimir Velikov

Ismark Kolyanovich

Rudolph van Richten

Elrein