"Tatyana lived in the valley when I conquered it 400 years ago."

Throughout the conversation, Amelia remains silent. She doesn’t speak, eat, or drink—her gaze fixed on the door of the dining room like some elven gargoyle, unmoving and watchful.

Then, without warning, she breaks her silence.

“Why?”

She turns her eyes to Strahd.

“Why must it be Ireena… or Tatyana? Your vault overflows with treasures.”

She gestures with her chin toward his consorts.

“Why seek more, Prince of Barovia? You don’t strike me as one who believes in the magic of a ‘true kiss’ to break curses. Even we, children of the fey, know such things are nothing but myth.”

Amelia leans forward slightly, her gaze narrowing.

“So tell me—what will you gain if you and your long-lost love are finally reunited?”

The silence starts to stretch as Kessintra finishes her salad while waiting for Strahd to elaborate. She'd expected he'd be eager to talk all about this woman he'd loved enough to keep trying to recreate her for centuries. She...lived here when he conquered the land. It is a relief when Amelia speaks up.

Strahd sits in thought, as if he'd never been asked this before. If he had been, he probably gave a lie. This time, he decided to put some thought into his answer.

"I want Tatyana... because she's the last thing I desire. You're right, I do have everything, everything but her. The gods draw the line here." A cruel, sadistic smile rises from him. "But I'm above the gods. They didn't get to decide if she's mine. Not even the grave can keep her from me, hers or mine."

Garrick listens attentively to all said and smirks at Zan’s bluntness. Surprised when Zan seems to quiet of his own accord. The salad was unexpectedly delicious but the conversation increased the tension tenfold. Hearing about a previous adventuring group failing and souls becoming trapped Garrick couldn’t help but ask, “So what is to become of our group? Are we forever trapped here as well? Is there any way to escape the pact?”

Esther responds, "Yes, you are trapped. Everyone is. The mists won't let you out. You are likely to all become vampires and serve Strahd for eternity. As for the pact... the master doesn't believe so, and neither do I."

"To spite the gods, eh? Hm...Understandable." Kessintra observes, recalling her experience among Lolth's faithful with distain.

looking at Strahd, “Who made this pact with you?”

"I call them death, but I'm afraid I can't tell you its more common name."

"'Give death to death'." Kessintra mutters, remembering a song from her spirits. The outlook is certainly not bright for them or Ireena...or anyone but Strahd really. It seems they will end up as vampires or disembodied souls eventually if they don't break Strahd's pact or kill him. Being an elf, she has a longer life span to work with, but she'd rather the others get to escape with their lives.

"Strahd, how long do you plan to keep Ireena human?"

"Until the wedding, so a few weeks."

(So, we have a few weeks to prepare,) Amelia thinks.

A wild idea sparks in the back of her mind. It isn’t rooted in arcane theory—just a fleeting, dangerous assumption. But in the presence of the vampire prince, she can’t resist voicing it.

“In a few weeks, you and Ireena will marry. Good.” 

Amelia’s tone is calm, but there’s a weight behind her words. 

“And then what? She becomes a vampire… trapped in this grim, lifeless land alongside you. Or…”

She dips a finger into her wine cup, tracing a slow, deliberate circle on the table.

“The dark one—the being you bargained with—drew a line around what you can possess.”

Amelia’s finger traces a second circle around the first.

“And they carved another border, limiting where you can go. But if one line can be broken…”

With a single fluid motion, she drags her finger through both circles, cutting them apart.

“Perhaps the other can shatter as well. Don’t you think so?”

"And you think I haven't tried? I've spent too much time trying to escape. Tatyana is and always has been in my domain, my grasp. The mists are theirs. All that's out there are taunts."

Weeks? Kessintra tries to mask her relief as excitement for the wedding. With that time, they can surely make progress on the leads Madame Eva gave them and...do something. Amelia seems to have some sort of plan, or at least she wants Strahd to think so.

"True freedom would certainly make a fine wedding gift. I assume we'll be invited?" she comments, "Perhaps only outsiders can break it. That sounds like the type of trick a higher power would use."

Persuasion: 16

"Of course you will be invited. You did help bring us together, in a way. As for the mists, I have no leads whatsoever. Feel free to investigate on your own. If you need help, I'm willing to dedicate some of my forces once you have an idea."

So you would be willing to work with us? Are you able to provide us with money, gear, or other aid in order to assist our efforts further?

"Not immediately. I don't want to waste resources on a lost cause. Maybe run some tests, venture into the mists yourselves, etcetera, then I'll provide aid."

[[ Hehe. We're just a bunch of little gremlins aren't we? Zan getting Strahd angry. Sowing discord. Teehee! ]]

Chipper is displeased upon learning of Esther's prior bardhood. Though it did offer further motivation if Strahd wasn't inclined to let even their souls leave. Best destroy the vamp at some point. He had a wife and daughter to get back to.

Quote from CameronTheMistical >>

"I want Tatyana... because she's the last thing I desire. You're right, I do have everything, everything but her. The gods draw the line here." A cruel, sadistic smile rises from him. "But I'm above the gods. They didn't get to decide if she's mine. Not even the grave can keep her from me, hers or mine."

"Those that deem themselves above gods often find the world doesn't agree." muses Chipper, "Mystra's limit on spells is one example of that." he says. "Although there are certainly things that can be done within such a limit. Great wizards that have achieved the talent needed for wish for example. Alas, it seems, none seem to be present."

Deception: 19+3 = 22
//trying to feign ignorance of the wizard from before, wondering if Strahd might talk of him

[[
So looks like we've got some threads with Strahd.

Wedding.
Kess' suggestion of breaking the mist.
Strahd's pact with death.
]]

Strahd's spirits seem to lift. "Unfortunately not. I would be one, I have the spell in my library, but I haven't developed my wizardry enough yet. Perhaps when I'm more settled, after the wedding, I can focus on magic a bit more."

While Chipper and Strahd discuss wizardry, Kessintra's attention wanders to the human girl among the vampires. She seems excited, but considering she came to the castle of her own accord the rogue isn't sure why.

"Gertruda, how are you doing here at the castle? Your mother was quite worried about you."