The party continued their journey toward Mount Baratok, their spirits still tense from the encounter on the lake. They came to a fork in the road. One path was clear and inviting, while the other was overgrown, bushy, and foreboding. “So, which way?” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] asked, hands on his hips. [[Ellette|Ellette]] surveyed both paths. “The clear one feels like a trap. Let’s take the bushy path.” The group agreed, making their way through the overgrown trail. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth, and the underbrush clawed at their boots as they progressed. Without warning, a pack of werewolves burst from the bushes, their glowing eyes and snapping jaws bearing down on the party. “Incoming!” [[Ellette|Ellette]] shouted, drawing her moonblade. The battle was fierce. [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]]’s vines lashed out, ensnaring the snarling creatures, while [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] played a battle hymn that bolstered the party’s resolve. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] stayed back, hurling firebolts that scorched the wolves. [[Qwimby|Qwimby]]’s revolver cracked through the chaos, each shot finding its mark. During the fight, a werewolf lunged at [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]], sinking its teeth into his arm. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] let out a pained yell, slamming the wolf with an _Fireball_ and throwing it off. The pack was eventually defeated, their blood staining the undergrowth. “Everyone alright?” [[Ellette|Ellette]] asked, her chest heaving. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] looked down at his arm, his face pale. “No. I was bitten.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] stepped forward, his expression serious. “Hold still.” Using his druidic magic, he performed a healing ritual, curing [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] of the lycanthropic curse before it could take hold. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] flexed his hand, the bite marks gone. “Thanks,” he muttered. The group rested briefly to regain their strength before continuing down the path. After some time, the path ended at a towering stone wall. The wall was solid and featureless except for faint protrusions that hinted at a secret entrance. “It’s a door, but how do we open it?” [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] asked, running her fingers along the stone. The party debated and tried a series of spells and solutions. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] sent an _Fireball_ at the wall, [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] attempted to coax it open with vines, and [[Ellette|Ellette]] tested the stone with her moonblade. All attempts failed. “Alright, enough of this,” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] said, pulling out a crowbar. With teamwork and brute force, they pried the door open, revealing a hidden passageway. Standing just beyond the entrance was an undead soldier clad in silver armor adorned with a dragon inlay. Its hollow eyes locked onto the party. “Who is your enemy?” it demanded, its voice like grinding stones. Before anyone could answer, [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] panicked and darted past the undead. The soldier moved with unnatural speed, striking her to the ground. It raised its sword, ready to deliver a fatal blow. “Strahd!” [[Ellette|Ellette]] shouted, stepping between [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] and the undead. The undead soldier froze, lowering its sword. It gestured silently for the party to proceed. The party entered the long stone hallway, the air thick with the stench of mildew. As they moved cautiously forward, [[Qwimby|Qwimby]]’s boot pressed a pressure plate. _Click._ “Shit,” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] muttered, freezing in place. [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]], without hesitation, shoved [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] off the plate and stood on it herself. “Go! Now!” she commanded. Before anyone could respond, glowing footprints appeared, tracing a path down the hallway. The floor began collapsing behind them, revealing spikes and gelatinous cubes writhing below. “Run!” [[Ellette|Ellette]] shouted, leading the way. The party sprinted along the glowing path, their steps frantic as the collapsing floor nipped at their heels. The cubes below churned and stretched, eager to consume anything that fell. They reached the end of the path, only to find a sealed door blocking their way. “It’s locked!” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] shouted, turning to see the cubes merging and growing closer. [[Ellette|Ellette]] and [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] combined their magical attacks, blasting the door repeatedly. The stone cracked and crumbled under their assault. “It’s giving way!” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] yelled. With one final blast, the door broke apart. The party dove through, the cubes just inches from consuming them. The party emerged onto a snowy mountaintop, the frigid air biting at their skin. Before them was a series of steep stone steps leading up to a run-down castle, its spires barely visible through the swirling snow. “Well,” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] said, brushing snow off his hat, “guess we know where we’re headed.” [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]], still catching his breath, looked back at the collapsed hallway. “I’m never trusting a glowing hallway again.” [[Ellette|Ellette]] tightened her grip on her blade. “Let’s keep moving. We don’t want to linger here.” The party began their ascent, their eyes fixed on the ominous castle ahead, each step carrying them closer to whatever dark truths awaited at the summit. [[Chapter 81. Lich and Dragon]]