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It's a relatively short walk to Ismark's manor, but a chill runs down your back, and you feel as though you are being watched from the moment you step outside. The adventurer hero facade is beginning to crack, far too early. The new information you have about the Lord of Barovia has you unsettled, and you hate to admit to yourself that you may be in over your head. You simply have to try.
You tame your nerves as Ismark leads you through a set of twisted iron gates. Weeds choke the grounds and press with menace upon the house itself: his home is a weary-looking mansion, straining by its own weight. Yet, against the walls, the growth has been tramped down to create a path all about the domain. Heavy claw markings have stripped the once-beautiful finish of the walls. Great black marks tell of the fires that have assailed the mansion. Not a pane nor a shard of glass stands in any window. All the windows are barred with planks, each one marked with similar stains of evil assault.
There are weeds trampled all around the mansion, and in the dirt, you spot scores of wolf paw prints and human footprints.
Ismark takes you around the mansion to a side enterance. He knocks on the door 4 times in a practiced rhythm. A few moments later, a voice appears from the other side - that of a young woman. "Who goes there?"
"It's me," he says through the door. "I've brought with me a new friend. An adventurer from out of town. She needs a place to stay. She might be able to help. I've already filled her in on some of the details."
There is a long pause, then the voice speaks again. "Say the password."
Ismark clears his throat, then speaks clearly: "I swear on our father’s soul that I hate the devil Strahd von Zarovich and I will gut him when I am given the chance."
(cont.)
