Session 41 - FIGHT!

We begin the fight poorly...with Ryden getting locked in place by his armor and then everyone getting hit by a fire ball! Strahd disappears and Ryden gets cut free from his armor as a bunch of vampire spawns pop up over the sides of the tower. As the party shoves them off Strahd reappears and tries to push Ryden off the edge, who barely manages to hold on. With most of the spawn dealt with, we turn our attention to Strahd. After a round of attacks from most of the party he disappears again and is replaced by Ludmilla and another batch of vampire spawns. As we lock horns with the newcomers, Rahadiin and Anstragia pop out of the trap door and join the fray. In the heat of battle Bull lands several significant blows on Rahadiin and Ismark attempts to follow his lead. Rahadiin, unhappy about this, strikes back at Ismark. As he does so, Gorgo's motherly protective instincts kick in and he buries his axe into Rahadiin for the last time. Shortly thereafter, Ryden uses the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind to hold all the vampires in place. He then manages to dispatch Ludmilla with his spiritual weapon as Bull rushes forward and decapitates Anastragia. Strahd pops back in to shoot a fireball at us then starts to fly away again as Emrys peppers him with arrows. Similar events occur for a few rounds that see Esmerelda and Ryden both flying off the edge of the tower to their deaths. The battle looks bleak as the party gets surrounded by vampire spawns and gets blasted by fireballs and wind from Strahd, but Gorgo opens a can of whoop-ass and takes out the last 3 spawns in a frenzied rage. This opens a lane for Emrys to hammer Strahd with a critical lightning arrow and turn the tables slightly. The moment of optimism doesn't last long, as Strahd hits them with yet another fireball and a fresh round of vampire spawns come over the sides. All hell breaks loose as Gorgo eventually falls unconscious, Emrys Lailoken hits everyone with lightning, and Bull murders Gorgo and drinks his blood. As Emrys and Bull finish the last of the spawns, Strahd reappears looking healthier than the last time they saw him. They manage to hurt him a bit more before slithers away again, only to reappear and whomp them with a few more fireballs. This brings Emrys to his eventual death. Bull, having hid like a coward, pops back out and gets charmed by Strahd immediately. Bull gives him the amulet for the guardian, the sunsword, and allows Strahd to drink his blood several times.....in the end Strahd kills him by draining him of blood.

And so ends our adventure...