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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dr Midnight" data-source="post: 3643458" data-attributes="member: 69">Epilogue DISPLEASED Sometime after dawn, Strahd stood in the study. He was staying well clear of the hated sunlight that streamed in through the window. He was studying a painting that hung on the wall. The portrait was of a woman- young, beautiful, wearing an evening gown with her hair tied back in an elegant fashion. Her eyes were dark, heavy-lidded… haunted. Strahd thought he saw something there and leaned in to look more deeply. “Do not look on her.” Strahd started at the sudden voice and looked around. A short, shadowy figure stood in the doorway. It stepped forward to reveal the dwarf, Crickbourn. “You haven’t the right.”“I meant nothing,” Strahd said. “Only a curiosity in art.”“You failed me last night. You should never have mentioned her,” the dwarf said, moving closer. Strahd shook his head. “No, I… I was in character! It was in keeping with…”Crickbourn kept walking forward. “You told them your beloved would be grateful of your coming. What, now, will they think as they reach Barovia and find only people that hate and fear you? They’re sure to find a girl whose father has died recently, and to whom your attentions have been devoted. She will claim to despise Strahd, as the rest… but you told them that she would be happy to see you. Does this not strike you as a contradiction?”“Yes, I see your point. I…”“I have no use for a Strahd that cannot keep his tale straight. You had one job, and it was simple: provide the details that I wanted them to know. You improvised and now this little added piece of information might cause them to wonder.”Strahd backed up slowly, spreading his hands as he tried to reason. He stopped at the edge of the window’s sunbeam. “I have erred. I apologize. I only meant that as we know, Ireena will…”Crickbourn’s eyes flew wide in fury and the whites filled with blood. He lunged forward. “Do not speak her name! Not in this room!” His form melted and elongated, and his hand shot out and grabbed Strahd by the throat, holding him up. Strahd was bodily smashed out of the window and held aloft over the heights of the cliffs. The sun opened small ember-lit sores on Strahd’s face and he grabbed meagerly at the iron arm that held him. Smoke began to rise from his fine clothes.He tried to choke out a plea for clemency, but the sun’s rays pierced him to his heart and the form of the vampire was turned to ash. The cloud of white flakes swirled lazily in the air, and Strahd Von Zarovich lowered his arm and let them drift over his face. He wore the clothes that the polite elderly imposter at dinner had worn, but his face was harder, younger, pale and dead. His black hair was slicked back and his eyelids, cheeks and temples were a bruised purplish color. His eyes were shut as he felt the sunlight kiss his ash-dusted face. “…For that is not her name at all.” It was spoken softly, almost a whisper. The eyes opened, and they were without pupils or irises, entirely red, like large drops of blood. Strahd backed from the window, disappearing into the shadows of the room. The red eyes were all that could be seen there and they glowed fiercely in the darkness.Next session BAROVIA .</blockquote>

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