Zevrin's Research

In his time walking the weave, Zevrin put together many pieces to discover the truth of Barovia, the Vestiges, the Rozana, and Strahd's descent to the role of Dread Lord.

Zevrin's Notes
Fragments of Zevrin's journal could be found across Barovia, but most are in the Amber Temple, in locked boxes along with his emergency supplies.

Echoes
Zevrin created echoes, old fragments of Barovian souls that linger until activated, as a means to communicate with any heroes who reach that point (though he hopes that the heroes are his old gang, he cannot be certain).

Tome Echo
When Quiet Dusk equipped the tome, Zevrin appeared—or rather, an image of Zevrin. He informed the gang that he had hidden a lot of information in Strahd's Tome, which he had significantly expanded.

He created an interactive history that allowed the gang to travel to the past and face challenges to gain spells and insight into Strahd's resources and weaknesses.

The gang didn't end up completing the tasks, but they explored the Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3. When the Rozana unlocked the last two sections, the challenges transformed to a quick, Zevrin-style summary of events.

The Echo of Marina (Stained Glass Window)
''Zevrin placed an Echo of Marina in her window to hold a copy of the Ritual of Amber, and to show the party Strahd's fall. This echo was discovered and freed by the party after they reconsecrated the Weaver's Fane.''

--

Marina leads you out in the garden, which has utterly transformed. No longer a wild pit of plants and snakes, it’s a well-kept garden that seems to be flourishing, despite the murky sunlight. Around you, you can see Berez as it once was, quaint stone houses, set around a central square.

Marina idly passes a ruckus further in. In that spot, it is night. You can see a pile of stones, a priest wildly chanting, and the figure you recognize as Lazlo Ulrich weeping into his hands, by the light of a torch. Behind the priest, you can see a hooded figure quietly watching, his blue hands folded.

You pass this moment, and Marina leads you past more glimpses of the past.


 * Strahd, in Vasili’s clothes, offering a hand up onto a shining horse
 * A festival in the Berez square, where Marina appears to be dancing with Strahd
 * Young Marina, listening at the door as hushed conversations occur within.
 * Then you pass out from Berez, and find yourselves in a different, but familiar garden. Sun shines down, in a way you’ve only seen when you cleansed the standing stones of Berez.

Marina pauses. This is where he told me to start.

Across the garden from you, you can see a figure you recognize as Vasili, sitting with a woman who is the spit and image of Ireena. They sit on a picnic blanket, talking and laughing cheerfully.

Behind you, gravel crunches, and you turn to see Strahd. His skin is warmer, and his eyes a cold grey, and he looks much older than the last time you saw him. He is at least twenty years older than the young couple in the garden. His eyes are fixed on Tatyana and Sergei. As he watches, Sergei produces a ring, and kneels before Tatyana, who begins crying. Strahd’s face fills with rage, and he leaves.

Time freezes. And Marina beckons you again.

You walk past more glimpses.


 * Strahd and Sergei arguing. Sergei throws aside a stole that you, Eorlin, would recognize as the vestments of a priest of Lathander. Sergei throws up his hands and leaves as Strahd broods by a window.
 * In another glimpse, Tatyana is getting fitted for a wedding dress.
 * Strahd pores through books and papers. On a desk near you are sheafs of tightly written, aged pages with titles like: Attaining Eternal Youth, Patrons of Conquest, Mysteries of the Eastern Gods, Unraveling the Long Life of the Elves, Youth and Love: Getting What you Want By Magical Means, and The Promise of Osybus.
 * Strahd setting out on horseback.

Marina pauses again. ''You know, he was charming enough when I met him. I didn’t have adventurers like you, to come help me.''

She continues on, leading you past more moments.


 * Strahd entering the Amber Temple
 * Arguing with Exethanter, the old lich
 * In the temple library, poring through books.
 * Then arguing with Neferon before the staircase that you know leads to the lower sarcophagus room. He leaves the temple, but a dark shadow follows him, attaching to his back.
 * More glimpses of Ravenloft as the dark shadow appears to feed on his rage and grow as he watches preparations for the wedding begin.

Then, Strahd in his study again. He hurls a wedding invitation into the fire, then pauses, muttering to himself. The dark shadow attached to his back grows taller, and the fire goes out.

Marina leads you through mist to a familiar chamber.

You are in the Sarcophagus Room below the Amber Temple, the chamber where Strahd had imprisoned Maggie, the human version of the Seeker. As before, there are three niches, each holding an amber sarcophagus. The Amber Sarcophagus in the southern wall is whole, and gleaming. Strahd has his hand pressed to it. Blood drips from his hand, running down the amber.

Then, with a deafening crack, the sarcophagus breaks open, and a black, loathsome, viscous shadow floods out, whirling around Strahd.

Mist swirls up and you see him, first at the Gulthias Tree. Dead druids wearing antler headpieces like the huntress’s lie scattered around him. He raises a hand, and they rise as zombies. He directs them under the root, into that secret entrance that led way down to the Huntress’s trial. As you watch, the white flowers on the tree begin to wither and drop off the branches one by one.

You see him next at Berez. With Baba Lysaga at his side, he appears to be torturing a number of druids. These druids are long-haired, with many braids, and robes of brightly woven cloth. They are bound to the standing stones. As their blood sinks into the rocky ground below, the runes that you traced appear, turning a dark crimson. The plant life on the stones begins to wither and shrivel. Baba seizes the shuttle and spindle from the box beneath the earth and gives them to Strahd.

Last, you see him standing alone in between the three standing stones at Bonegrinder. A cage full of cawing ravens is on the altar in the center. He raises his hands and a fire bursts within the cage. The squawking and smell of burnt feathers becomes nearly unbearable. You see, for just a moment a human face, as one of the panicked ravens attempts to transform, only to be crushed and burnt by the hot cage. When only ash and melted metal remain, Strahd produces a small chunk of amber. He raises it and begins to chant.

A swirling green light warbles above the dead ravens. For a moment, you see an image, a woman with three faces and six arms. She seems to struggle, but, as you watch, a red glowing vein arcs up to the sky in the west by Yesterhill. Another shoots up in the south by Berez. Then a crackling line of red arcs up from the center altar. With a faint, shrill scream, the green light is drawn into the amber in Strahd’s hand.

Dark clouds roll in, closing over the land as Strahd returns to Ravenloft. Flower garlands are raised, and guests begin to arrive, but they all look uneasily at the storm brewing above. In the empty throne room, you see Strahd sitting, waiting on the throne. He seems genuinely happy. Then Sergei arrives. They speak for a moment, and Strahd pats him on the back, talking in a brotherly way. He reaches into his cloak as if to produce a gift.

Instead, he produces a knife, and buries it deep into Sergei’s gut. Sergei lets out a cry and falls, and Strahd crouches over him, slitting his throat and drinking the blood.

The doors burst open and guards rush in, weapons raised. They let out screams of horror as Strahd looks up, blood running down his chin. A faint light starts to rise from Sergei, but Strahd snatches it. In his grasp, it hardens into a blood-hued crystal that he tucks into his shirt.

The guards empty crossbow bolts into him, and he falls to the ground. Tatyana appears, already in her wedding dress and lets out a scream. The guards drag her away. She breaks free of them, running for the chapel in tears.

The guards speak quietly among themselves.

Then Strahd stirs.

His face is chalk-white, and his eyes are now scarlet. In moments, he slaughters the guards then stalks out to the chapel. He sees Tatyana weeping by the altar and approaches her.

He starts to talk, and she looks up. For a moment, you feel the effects of a vampiric charm start to fill the room, then Tatyana screams with terror and flees.

Several guests burst in at the sound, and Strahd ends them without a thought as he pursues Tatyana.

Anyone who gets in his way is instantly cut down. He follows her into the garden, and she flees again, slipping through the iron bars of the gate to the overlook. With a wave, he opens them, following her, sheathing his sword.

Tatyana tries to force open doors to the small buildings on either side of the path, but with a hand motion, Strahd locks them. She pauses, trapped between Strahd, and the edge of the overlook, a small balcony that stretches over the abyss below. Just on the other side, you can see the lights of the village of Barovia, and beyond them the faint shape of cities, civilization, even a forest far to the southeast.

Strahd pauses, raising his hands as if to placate Tatyana, but she backs up, tears streaming down her face.

Strahd moves to grab her, but before he can, Tatyana races for low stone wall of the overlook. Strahd snatches for her, and grabs ahold of her veil, but with a scream, Tatyana throws herself from the balcony, hurtling down into the rapidly rising mist.

For a moment, Strahd just stands there, dumbly, holding the veil, as she vanishes from view and her scream trails into silence.

Then, with a great crack, and a shuddering of the earth, he falls to his knees.

You see a great chasm break, encircling the entire valley. Thick mist pours out and up, obscuring the distant cities, lights, and landmarks. Rain begins to fall as the valley of Barovia sinks into the mist.

Rituals
Zevrin's research led him to two key rituals: the Amber Ritual and the Ritual of the Blood of the Earth.

Amber Ritual
To entrap a god.

Ritual of the Blood of the Earth
To destroy a trapped vestige. "'Inscribe the following markings on the floor. A large circle, fifteen feet in diameter, painted in blood. At each marking, place a wooden bowl onto the circumference of the circle. Place the trapped god in the center of the circle.""When it is time, each ritualist must take up a position on a rune around the circle and extend a hand, palm down above the bowl.""All together, speak the words “Blood of the earth returns to its earth” and cut your palm, allowing blood to drain into the bowl. This blood represents one year of your life, which you must sacrifice.""When the bowls are filled to the brim, kick them into the circle. The moment all of the blood is inside the circle, the ritual proper begins.""You will need to hold your strength through the ritual. You will see things. You will feel as though they are real. They are not, they are the death throes of a dying god. Do not give in. Hold fast. You must all stay strong. If someone fails to hold, you may redouble your efforts to hold the ritual, but the cost will be harsher on those who fill the gap.""When you’re done… I don’t know what will happen. But I wish you all good luck.'"Zevrin's research is the product of decades of traveling the weave. He used the Amber Ritual to entomb himself, but the Ritual of the Blood of the Earth has yet to be tested.