Post by godwin on Mar 15, 2014 14:33:21 GMT -5
Kythorn 23rd, 882 DR, The Year of the Curse
The Realm of Barovia in the eastern Galena Mountains
Castle Ravenloft
As the sun sets behind the Galena Mountains, the Lord of the land, Count Strahd Von Zarovich, greets his brother Sergei in the Lord’s Study. “Congratulations, my brother. The wedding ceremony went without incident. I’m sure you wish to spend some quality time with your young blushing bride this night and I thank you for indulging your elder brother this time.” From the table next one of the lounge chairs by the fire place, Strahd grabs a bottle of chilled wine. He unstops the cork and pours two glasses. Unbeknownst to Sergei, Strahd places a fine powder into Sergei’s glass which quickly dilutes into the liquid. Strahd hands his brother a glass and holds his glass up in the traditional toasting fashion.
“A toast to young love,” says the Lord of the castle. Sergei raises his glass to clink against his brother’s glass and takes a drink of the fine wine. As Strahd lowers his glass he has a most sinister smile upon his face. “Do not worry, Sergei. I shall take care of Tatyana.”
The words register in Sergei’s mind just as the deadly poison begins to take effect. His vision blurs, breathing becomes shallow, and his legs suddenly can’t support him. Sergei collapses on the fine rug, dead before his head hits the floor. Smirking at his younger brother’s corpse, Strahd dumps the remainder of his drink upon the body. “Time to console my brother’s widow and make her mine.” Count Strahd calls for his guards to find help for his brother knowing it’s much too late for that.
*****************
An hour later, Count Strahd finds his brother’s widow in the garden weeping from the news of her husband’s death. “Tatyana, I’m sorry for your loss. Allow me to help console your heart.”
The beautiful young woman in the flower of youth regains her composure, stands to face the Count, and glares at him with tear filled eyes. “You were always jealous of Sergei. He had the one thing you couldn’t get as Lord of the Barovia, me. Admit it. You killed him!”
Beautiful, observant, and intelligent, Sergei had found a good woman but now she will be mine and if she has deduced the truth, then the truth she shall have, ponders the Count to himself. “Yes. I did it. I did it for you.”
Before he can continue, Tatyana turns and flees from the man that murdered her husband. The Count not as young as he once was pursues the woman he loves. Strahd grows angrier with each passing moment as he chases Tatyana throughout the castle. She wouldn’t even listen to his reason for doing it or the price he has paid. Tatyana takes an evasive path through the castle until she is trapped on top of the outer wall of the castle.
“Tatyana, listen to me please,” pleads the Count.
“You’ve taken everything from me. Now I will take that which you covet so much.” Before Strahd can reach her, Tatyana flings herself from the wall with a scream. Strahd comes racing to the edge and peers over to see at the gate are his guards with a man he recognizes. No sign of Tatyana can be seen as the mist consumes all not around the gate. The man is Tatyana’s older brother Gabriel Belmont. The guards react to the scream by drawing their bows and firing upon the one that must have pushed the woman over the edge.
The arrows pieced Strahd’s body and one sticking squarely from his heart leaves little doubt that he is to meet Death this night. Instead of death, an unlife found him. The pact he made with his brother’s blood has transformed him into a creature of the night. Instead of death, the Count transformed into a mist and fled.
Gabriel had come upon hearing the news that his brother-in-law had been killed and wanted to help console his little sister. Gabriel is a renowned warrior in Barovia as he has slain all sorts of foul creatures with his enchanted mithral chain whip. The guards were about to allow him entrance into the castle when a feminine scream draws his attention. A scream he knows all too well. He looks up and sees his little sister falling from the castle walls into the mist. With his keen eyes, he knows the one that stands upon the wall where Tatyana fell from and it’s Count Strahd. The guards fire at the Count but instead of him falling over dead, he changes into a fog and flies off. The guards call for help while Gabriel rushes into the mist and finds his sister lying broken upon the ground. He rushes to her side and finds her alive but barely.
Tatyana knows she is doomed but when she opens her eyes after the fall she sees her brother Gabriel next to her. Knowing her time is short she manages to speak a single sentence to her brother. “Strahd murdered Sergei.” With her dead husband’s name upon her lips, Tatyana passes into the Fugue.
Gabriel devastated from his sister dying in his arms, manages to hold back tears, but is unable to hold in his anger. He shouts as loud as if his one voice is all the voices of the Belmont family. “Strahd you Devil! I saw what you became, you monster! I swear on my sister’s soul that the Belmont’s shall have our revenge for the taking Tatyana and her husband Sergei lives! In Sune’s name their love shall be avenged!” Feeling the weight of the loss of his precious little sister, Gabriel gather’s up her body and takes it to a place that the Devil Strahd will never find her.
The Realm of Barovia in the eastern Galena Mountains
Castle Ravenloft
As the sun sets behind the Galena Mountains, the Lord of the land, Count Strahd Von Zarovich, greets his brother Sergei in the Lord’s Study. “Congratulations, my brother. The wedding ceremony went without incident. I’m sure you wish to spend some quality time with your young blushing bride this night and I thank you for indulging your elder brother this time.” From the table next one of the lounge chairs by the fire place, Strahd grabs a bottle of chilled wine. He unstops the cork and pours two glasses. Unbeknownst to Sergei, Strahd places a fine powder into Sergei’s glass which quickly dilutes into the liquid. Strahd hands his brother a glass and holds his glass up in the traditional toasting fashion.
“A toast to young love,” says the Lord of the castle. Sergei raises his glass to clink against his brother’s glass and takes a drink of the fine wine. As Strahd lowers his glass he has a most sinister smile upon his face. “Do not worry, Sergei. I shall take care of Tatyana.”
The words register in Sergei’s mind just as the deadly poison begins to take effect. His vision blurs, breathing becomes shallow, and his legs suddenly can’t support him. Sergei collapses on the fine rug, dead before his head hits the floor. Smirking at his younger brother’s corpse, Strahd dumps the remainder of his drink upon the body. “Time to console my brother’s widow and make her mine.” Count Strahd calls for his guards to find help for his brother knowing it’s much too late for that.
*****************
An hour later, Count Strahd finds his brother’s widow in the garden weeping from the news of her husband’s death. “Tatyana, I’m sorry for your loss. Allow me to help console your heart.”
The beautiful young woman in the flower of youth regains her composure, stands to face the Count, and glares at him with tear filled eyes. “You were always jealous of Sergei. He had the one thing you couldn’t get as Lord of the Barovia, me. Admit it. You killed him!”
Beautiful, observant, and intelligent, Sergei had found a good woman but now she will be mine and if she has deduced the truth, then the truth she shall have, ponders the Count to himself. “Yes. I did it. I did it for you.”
Before he can continue, Tatyana turns and flees from the man that murdered her husband. The Count not as young as he once was pursues the woman he loves. Strahd grows angrier with each passing moment as he chases Tatyana throughout the castle. She wouldn’t even listen to his reason for doing it or the price he has paid. Tatyana takes an evasive path through the castle until she is trapped on top of the outer wall of the castle.
“Tatyana, listen to me please,” pleads the Count.
“You’ve taken everything from me. Now I will take that which you covet so much.” Before Strahd can reach her, Tatyana flings herself from the wall with a scream. Strahd comes racing to the edge and peers over to see at the gate are his guards with a man he recognizes. No sign of Tatyana can be seen as the mist consumes all not around the gate. The man is Tatyana’s older brother Gabriel Belmont. The guards react to the scream by drawing their bows and firing upon the one that must have pushed the woman over the edge.
The arrows pieced Strahd’s body and one sticking squarely from his heart leaves little doubt that he is to meet Death this night. Instead of death, an unlife found him. The pact he made with his brother’s blood has transformed him into a creature of the night. Instead of death, the Count transformed into a mist and fled.
Gabriel had come upon hearing the news that his brother-in-law had been killed and wanted to help console his little sister. Gabriel is a renowned warrior in Barovia as he has slain all sorts of foul creatures with his enchanted mithral chain whip. The guards were about to allow him entrance into the castle when a feminine scream draws his attention. A scream he knows all too well. He looks up and sees his little sister falling from the castle walls into the mist. With his keen eyes, he knows the one that stands upon the wall where Tatyana fell from and it’s Count Strahd. The guards fire at the Count but instead of him falling over dead, he changes into a fog and flies off. The guards call for help while Gabriel rushes into the mist and finds his sister lying broken upon the ground. He rushes to her side and finds her alive but barely.
Tatyana knows she is doomed but when she opens her eyes after the fall she sees her brother Gabriel next to her. Knowing her time is short she manages to speak a single sentence to her brother. “Strahd murdered Sergei.” With her dead husband’s name upon her lips, Tatyana passes into the Fugue.
Gabriel devastated from his sister dying in his arms, manages to hold back tears, but is unable to hold in his anger. He shouts as loud as if his one voice is all the voices of the Belmont family. “Strahd you Devil! I saw what you became, you monster! I swear on my sister’s soul that the Belmont’s shall have our revenge for the taking Tatyana and her husband Sergei lives! In Sune’s name their love shall be avenged!” Feeling the weight of the loss of his precious little sister, Gabriel gather’s up her body and takes it to a place that the Devil Strahd will never find her.