Session 192 – The Wedding Ceremony Part 10 – The Press of Shadows

 12/16/25

Day 43 

In the southern hall, the fighting collapsed into something closer to a riot than a battle. Escher seized Dacso in a brutal grip and dragged him eastward, hauling him deeper into the darkness beyond the throne room. Vasilka struck at the vampire as he passed, her blow landing solidly, but the crush of bodies made pursuit impossible. Adam lashed out with clawed hands, somehow missing entirely, while Frederico snarled in frustration, unable to force his way close enough through the knot of undead limbs and fleeing figures.

Dacso fought like a cornered animal. With a sudden twist and a desperate burst of strength, he tore free of Escher’s grasp, ducked beneath grasping arms and snapping jaws, and burst back through the doorway into the throne room proper—bloody, gasping, but alive.

At the northern end of the chamber, the Vistani leader gathered what remained of his people. They moved with discipline even now, forming up along the wall, hand crossbows drawn but held low, watching the chaos without adding to it. Nearby, Lydia Petrovna still knelt over Victor Vallakovich’s body, her wails rising and falling like a funeral chant, untouched by the battle raging around her.

Ismark retrieved Lady Ireena’s shield from her pack and hurried back to her side, his jaw set with grim resolve.

Among the shattered pews on the western side, the Angel still fought on. Infernal ichor seeped from the wound left by a devil’s blade, yet he did not slow. His greatsword swept out in a single, luminous arc, cleaving a bearded devil in half. Without breaking stride, he carried the stroke through into a second fiend, carving it open and leaving it staggering, nearly undone. A sharp warning from Laz cut through the din, and the Angel stepped back, reinscribing his defense rather than pressing too far.

Laz raised the Staff of Frost, cold light crawling along its length as he prepared to unleash devastation. Lady Ireena’s voice cut through his focus. “Not the Vistani!”

He muttered under his breath, moved around to position himself beside the Angel, and released the spell.

A cone of killing cold exploded outward.

Frost roared across the throne room, engulfing Strahd, two bearded devils, a female vampire spawn, the vampire Eloise, and one of Davrus’s spectral followers. Ice crystallized in the air, flash-freezing blood and breath alike. One of the devils locked in place instantly, transformed into a frozen statue that shattered moments later. Eloise fared no better—her beauty preserved in ice. The ghostly follower screamed once and simply ceased to be, torn apart into drifting motes that vanished into nothing.

As the frost settled, Laz turned his gaze briefly to Lady Wachter.

“Remember,” he said coldly, “I spared you—and your son.”

Lady Ireena’s spectral blade lashed out at Strahd and missed, sparks of radiant force skittering across the stone. Ismark pressed her shield into her hands, and she accepted it with a nod. 

“Laz!” she shouted. “Thank you,” she said referencing his sparing of the Vistani.

Elsewhere, a male vampire spawn smoldered under the Sunsword’s radiance but still managed to rake Oloch with its claws before retreating. One bearded devil, overcome by the terror radiating from Oloch’s mace, scrambled wildly over the pews and fled. Another closed on Laz, striking with both glaive and the venomous, serpentine tendrils of its beard, drawing blood and leaving poison burning in his veins. However, A whispered prayer from Lady Ireena followed, and healing warmth flowed into Laz, burning away the infernal corruption clinging to him.

Nicholai Wachter, pale and shaking, turned and fled through the eastern doors toward the chapel, unable to withstand the terror any longer.

Darius—eyes glassy, movements stiff with domination—reentered the throne room and drifted toward Lady Ireena like a marionette tugged by invisible strings. Vasilka followed him in, seeking the shelter of Ireena’s circling spirits.

More vampires broke and ran. One female spawn dove behind a pew, shielding herself from the sunlight. Others fled outright, vanishing through doors and stairwells. Karl Wachter dragged his terrified mother toward Wolfram, scolding her even as chaos reigned.

“Stealing is wrong,” he insisted, tugging at her arm. “You must give that back!”

He reached for the amulet she held, but she clutched it desperately.

Davrus, the Black Regent, struck Lady Ireena with chilling force, drawing a sharp cry of pain. Two of his followers quailed before the lingering terror and fled upward, while another descended on Laz, its attack slicing only empty air.

Dacso, catching his breath, noticed strange flashes of light in the southern hallway—brief, bright pulses beyond the door. He couldn’t tell whether they were spells, steel, or something worse.

Strahd himself was beginning to burn. Sunlight crawled across his flesh, smoke curling from his cloak as he seized Oloch and tried to drag him away from the light. Claws scraped uselessly against armor; his fangs found no purchase.

Wolfram tensed, ready to pursue—but Carl’s voice cut in, dry even now.

“He baited you once,” the wizard said. “Don’t make it twice. He is, after all, a master baiter.”

Wolfram turned instead, striking Baroness Wachter with righteous fury. 

“Drop it!” he ordered.

Terror seized her. The amulet slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.

Another bearded devil forced its way in from the northwest as Alan reappeared briefly at the chapel doors, surveyed the devastation, muttered, “Well, this appears to be going awfully,” loosed three wild eldritch blasts at Wolfram—missing all of them—and wisely withdrew again.

Carl found himself next to Davrus.  He reached out, and delivered a crackling Shocking Grasp to the Specter before retreating out of reach. He inclined his head to Lady Ireena and Vasilka.

“Ladies,” he said, “I believe you are more capable than I with this creature.”

At Strahd’s unspoken call, another vampire spawn clambered back through a shattered window. Yet another emerged from the treasury, lunged at Carl, and was rebuffed by a sudden shimmering shield before retreating again.

From the southern hall, a spawn forced its way through the press and plunged into Lady Ireena’s spirit guardians, shrieking as radiant blades tore into it—yet still it managed to seize Dacso once more, dragging him down with a snarl.

Oloch, still grappled by Strahd, let the Mace of Terror fall and drew his greatsword in both hands. He did not waste effort breaking free. Instead, he swung.

The first blow missed.

The second struck true.

Steel bit into Strahd von Zarovich, and the count reeled as fresh blood joined the smoke rising from his burning flesh.

End of Session

*************

Round by Round

In the hall to the south, Escher grappled Dacso, and drug him east, deeper into the darkness of the southern chamber

Vasilka hits him as he moves past her.

Adam tries to swipe Dacso with a claw attack but somehow misses both attacks.

Frederico tries to attack Dacso, but the area is so packed with bodies he can’t get close enough.

Dacso managed to break Escher’s grasp, dodges through and around the clutch of vampires and manages to get out of the hallway and back to the rest of the group.

The Vistani Leader and the remaining Vistani move to the north end of the hall.  They ready hand crossbow to attack but keep them at ‘low-ready’ watching the fight.

Lydia Petrovna - wailing over the body of her slain son, Victor Vallakovich

Ismark retrieves Lady’ Ireena’s shield from her pack.

The Angel is still among the pews on the west side of the throne room. Though suffering an Infernal Wound, strikes a nearby Bearded Devil, killing it instantly.  He takes one step and continuing the sword stroke strikes another devil, bringing it to the point of death.

A shouted warning from Laz causes the Angel to take a step back after that.

Laz unlimbers the Staff of Frost, preparing to unleash a Cone of Cold.  Lady Ireena warns him not to target any of the Vistani.  Laz grumbles to himself, then moves around to stand next to the Angel.  This allows him to hit the following targets without risking any of the Vistani:

• Strahd

• 2 Bearded Devils

• A Female Vampires Spawn

• The vampire Eloise

• One of the ghost followers of Davrus.

• They all take damage, but one of the Bearded Devils, and the vampire Eloise are frozen to death into a statue.

• The ghost follower of Davrus evaporates into the ether, destroyed.

Laz then tells Lady Wachter: “Remember, I spared you, and your son” - referring to Karl

Lady Ireena misses Strahd with her Spiritual Weapon then gets her shield from Ismark. She casts a Healing Word on Laz, which cures his infernal would.  She thanks Laz for not attacking the Vistani.

Male Vampire Spawn #3 is burning from the light of Wolfram’s sunsword, but manages to claw Oloch.

Bearded Devil #1 is frightened by Mace of Terror and scrambles over the back of the pews away from Oloch.

Bearded Devil #4 moves in on Laz, hits with Glaive as well as his beard.

Nicholai Wachter flees from Oloch’s Mace of Terror out the Easter doors toward the chapel.

Darius, still dominated by Strahd, moves back into the thrown room up to Lady Ireena.

Vasilka comes back into the throne room and the relative protection of Lady Ireena’s Spirit Guardians.

Female Vampire Spawn #4 also flees the effect of Oloch’s Mace of Terror.  She can’t make it all the way out of the throne room, so she dives behind a pew to hide from the sunlight.

Female Vampire Spawn #2 - #3 flee from the throne room.

Karl Wachter drags his mother (Baroness Wachter) back towards Wolfram, telling her that “Stealing is Wrong! You must give that back!”  He tries to take the amulet from her but fails.

Davrus, the Black Regent lands a hit on Lady Ireena, causing significant injury.

Two of Davrus' Followers are afraid of Mace of Terror and flee straight up.

However, another of his followers descends towards Laz.  It attacks but misses.

Dacso notices a couple bright flashes in the southern hallway beyond the door.  Not sure what they are.

Count Strahd is now starting to burn in the sunlight.  He starts to drag Oloch away, however, his attempts to claw and bite Oloch are blocked by his armor.

Wolfram looks as if he may chase after Strahd.  Carl tells him, “He baited you once, don’t make it twice.  He is, after all, a master baiter.”

Wolfram turns and strikes Baroness Wachter then tells her to drop the amulet.  She is terrified and drops the amulet.

Another Bearded Devil enters the room from the Northwest.

Alan - Lady Karelova's Secretary re-enters the room from the Eastern double doors to the chapel.  He says to himself, “Well, things appear to be going awfully.” He considers casting a spell but decides against it.  Instead, he shoots three eldritch blasts at Wolfram.  All three miss so he retreats back through the doors.

Carl delivers a Shocking Grasp to Davrus, then moves around out of his reach.  He nods to Lady Ireena and Vasilka and says, “Ladies, I believe you are more capable than I with this creature.”

A male vampire spawn that had escaped out a window, returns as per Strahd’s command.

Male Vampire Spawn #5 who had fled the sunlight into the Treasury now returns.  He attempts to attack Carl, who casts a Shield spell, rebuffing the attack.  The spawn returns to the Treasury.

Male Vampire Spawn #7 emerges from the Southern Hallway moves through the press of Vampire Spawn and enters Lady Ireena’s Spiritual Guardians. He takes damage from them but manages to grapple Dacso (again!)

Oloch, grappled by Strahd, drops the Mace of Terror and wields his great sword with two hands.  Rather than try and break Strahd’s grasp on him, he attacks instead.  His first strike misses, but his second strike hits true, damaging Strahd further.

End of session