Musings from beyond the amber walls
More fools have come to wander the halls of the temple to the god of secrets. Alina, Meihra, Veryn, Cruz, Kasimir. As soon as they entered here nothing of these intruders had ever been unknown to us. All sought answers, but only the newcomer to this convocation of lost and searching souls meant to end up here.
They happened upon their boon quite quickly: detailed floor plans for Castle Ravenloft, the stronghold they must infiltrate. The seek to destroy the master of that place, the master of Barovia. The covetous dark lord has taken something from them all.
We remember when he stole freedom and hope from the people of this land. We remember the stolen son that drove Rictavio into the darkness, the foolish heart that told him to try and fight the inevitable battle alone. We see the sister of Kasimir cold in the Ravenloft catacombs.
We know the sorrows, dreams, fears of the four travellers trapped in this conflict. That they would still choose to move forward is a triumph in itself. But this is the temple of secrets, not triumphs, and secrets mean nothing if they are not kept.
The temple fights back. The strongest of them, Alina, has borne the brunt of it. She always gets back up, surges forward, but we taste her fear. She does not know if she will leave here alive.
She was offered the power to infect the world with her will, and she ignored it, kept it secret. This place has a complicated relationship with secrets.
We are not cruel, of course. We have sent Veryn and Meihra warnings through their reflections in the amber. All they suffer here now will be the fault of none but themselves. A chance to turn back was given and ignored.
Alina has forced her way through yet another door we did not want opened. Something waits for her there. She sees and is seen.
