Iron & Gold, Curse of Strahd
Previous Chapter 42 Final Showdown
Being an actual play of Curse of Strahd, using Precis Intermedia Games’ Iron & Gold, with Mythic as the GM.
43 - Epilogue[1]
Ismark lifted his goblet. “To Ireena!” He nodded to the huge portrait of Tatyana and Ireena, now over his fireplace.
“To Ireena!” Felewin drank the entire goblet, as was the custom in his people. Ismark watched with some amusement.
“I was going to make a second toast, but I do not have enough wine,” he said.
“I did wonder when you offered a toast. I forget that not everyone toasts as my people do,” said Felewin.
“The wagon from the winery should be here soon,” Ninefingers said.
“I am sorry,” said Felewin to Ismark.
“She liked you,” said Ismark.
“I liked her.” How much hung unspoken.
Uthrilir said, “She was a pawn, poor girl. Between Strahd, the Abbot, and the dark powers, we were all pawns.”
Ismark said, “Can I not encourage you to stay? There are still monsters about — werewolves, witches, wights, and vampires that Strahd created. Plus half the people seem to have disappeared with Strahd’s true death.”
“I will stay,” said Ezmerelda. “I am not safe while the one who bit me exists. I have sworn to hunt monsters, and there are monsters here. Plus I still have not found my mentor, Van Richten.”
Hrelgi said, “The only place we didn’t really look was Vallaki. You might start there.”
“Although he could be anywhere,” Ninefingers added, glaring at Hrelgi.
Hrelgi said, “But—”
“By now, he could be anywhere.”
“You have knowledge of his whereabouts?” Ezmerelda asked.
“No,” said Ninefingers.
“And if we did, we would have promised not to tell, so no,” said Hrelgi.
Ninefingers rolled his eyes.
“I have a surprise for you,” said Ismark. “Because you are bent on leaving, I thought I should make your journey easier.” He led them out to the back of the house. The morning was clear and sunny. “Two horses,” Ismark said: one pied, the other a roan, both saddled. Ismark caressed the head of the pied horse. “Be kind to Viscount Kicker and Sunblossom.”
Felewin looked at Ismark. “Your horses?”
Ismark nodded. “I am too busy to ride now, and Ireena….does not need one.”
Felewin raised his hand as if in toast. “To Ireena.”
“To Ireena,” Ismark replied.
Ismark gave him two carrots to feed to the horses while Felewin made gentle sounds to their acquaintance.[2]
“Horses! Yay!” exclaimed Hrelgi. She tentatively touched the flank of the roan.
“Horses. Ugh,” said Uthrilir.
Ninefingers said cautiously, “Only one of us knows how to ride.”
“Hrelgi and Uthrilir are learning,” said Felewin. “And you sit well. You’d learn to ride, if we got you a properly-sized mount.”
“Do I get to steer?” asked Hrelgi.
Felewin touched the Viscount’s mane. Both horses had plaited manes and tails. He said to Ismark, “Again, I….I thank you.”
Ismark smiled. “I thank you.” He handed a metal implement to Felewin. “You’ll need this. The Viscount needs his frogs cleaned far too often.”
“And thank you again.” Felewin started distributing things among the saddlebags.
“Hey! I get to steer?” Hrelgi asked again.
Felewin laughed. “You’ll take turns, but yes, you can guide first.” He chucked. “Unless Uthrilir really wants to.”
“No. Ugh again,” said the dwarf. “Horses.”
Ismark scratched the Viscount between the eyes. “The Viscount likes this.” He frowned. “Perhaps it is Strahd’s absence, but there is something in the air…”
“A new season is coming,” said Exmerelda.
Felewin clapped Ismark on the shoulder. “Store food. In one of the seasons, nothing grows. It passes, and then everything grows.”
“We do have stories,” said Ismark. “Perhaps they will make sense now.”
They bade goodbye to Ismark and Ezmerelda, and Felewin said, “We came from the east. Let us return that way.”
“Toward the Morninglord,” said Ismark.
“Aye,” said Uthrilir. “Toward the light.”
Previous Chapter 42 Final Showdown
Game Mechanics
It’s the end of a campaign, so everybody gets 10 points of experience.
[*] Mythic theme suggestion: Praise Nature (Close a Thread)
[2] Felewin also rolls a 4 on his Animal Handling roll (margin 4).
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