5/18/21 Session 16 - "Dinner Redo"

Our party arrives at Castle Ravenloft and is ushered into the foyer by Rahadin. He grimly asks our adventurers to change for dinner and leave their weapons with him. The party tepidly agrees and makes their way to the dining roomwhere they are greated by Strahd, his 3 wives; Ludmilla, Volenta and Anastrasya. A servant playing grim music on a large pipe organ at the end of the room. On the wall hands a picture of a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Ireena.
Strahd stops the music and has the party sit at a table set for them with amazing looking food. The seat next to him at the head of the table seems to be specifically reserved for Irenna, the party does not argue. As they eat Strahd nor his brides partake of the feast, instead focusing their attention on watching the party and Ireeena, but as everyone else eats, Strahd can seem to do nothing but stare at her. This seems to draw the ire of his wives, they do not seem to like Ireena at all. Strahd explains that Ireena is the reincarnation of his lost love Tatyana, whos life was taken when the castle was sotmred and she fell from a great height to her death.
After conversing about several topics, Strahd asks that his wives leave the dining room and to be able to speak to the party alone. They leave after giving him some affection and glaring at Ireena. After they leave, Strahd confides in the party that he believes that somone in the castle is leaking senitive information about him and wants the party to investigate on his behalf. It may be one of his wives, however he trusts Rahadin beyond a shaddow of a doubt, we remove him from our suspects list. Strahd offers lodging, food and access to a majority of the castle, as well as safe passage around everything that he controls, which seems odd to our heroes, because he should control everything. Seeing no way to refuse, the party agrees and is given their belongings. Strahd brings them to the tower where Tatyana lost her life, recounting much of the tale and then shows them about some of the castle. Rahadin escorts them to a makeshift guest quarters containing a few beds and leaves them for the evening.
Dumbfounded by the situation the party speaks about what's going on and decides to investigate the room. Grinfiddeus Nobbles finds a secret door and the party begins to venture around a hidden passage in the walls of Castle Ravenloft.