Ravenloft Date Night

Strahd von Zarovich

Tatyana, few in this land call on my aid, but as promised in my letters, anything that threatens you demands my immediate response, you must understand... our fate and souls are intertwined.

Ireena Kolyana

Souls? Intertwined? You speak as if fate is some... some chain binding me to you. But I am not Tatyana, Strahd. I am Ireena. My life is my own.

Strahd von Zarovich

Of course, my dear. You are Ireena. And yet, you are more than Ireena. Within you flows the essence of Tatyana—her soul, her destiny, her beauty. The land itself whispered your name to me. How can any of us escape such truth?

Ireena Kolyana

Maybe the land whispers lies, Strahd. Maybe it’s just you... seeing what you want to see.

Strahd von Zarovich

Perhaps. Perhaps I am a fool, deluded by centuries of longing. But what if I am not? This land is cursed, none within it can escape its burden, —you have seen yourself how those who claim to be heroes can be destroyed by their own hubris. But here, within the eye of the storm, you can see me for what I am, you can pierce the mist that sows doubt and fear. Ah, my dear Ireena, do you not find this still center, this library within Ravenloft to be... perfect? Each tower that surrounds us reaches towards the missing sunlight, even though it is lost from memory. Below us, the pillar-stone's solemn foundations stretch deep, like a song of stone that cannot be silenced, even though the dusk elves have forgotten their voices. But please, I am so often alone with my thoughts, please tell me Ireena, how does this library seem to you?

Ireena Kolyana

It’s... impressive, I suppose. But also aloof. Lonely, even. Does it not ever feel heavy, all this isolation?

Strahd von Zarovich

Heavy? Perhaps, but also necessary. Solitude offers a clarity that the chaos of mortal lives cannot provide. It allows me to focus on what truly matters, and I could not be more sincere when I say, protecting you, my dear, is my highest priority.

Ireena Kolyana

Protecting? From what, exactly? Those I travelled with claimed the dangers of Barovia all lead back to you. So why would I ever feel safe here?

Strahd von Zarovich

Because it is the truth. Outside these walls are those who seek ever greater power—they will compromise themselves beyond any limit and become consumed by the darkness that is growing within them. Here, within the heart of Ravenloft’s protection, I will do all that is within my power to ensure no harm shall come to you. Tell me, would that not bring you peace of mind?

Ireena Kolyana

Peace? No. There’s something behind your words—a choice that’s not really a choice. It feels like you’re saying safety is only mine if I remain... controlled... by you. Is that what you're offering?

Strahd von Zarovich

My dear, it is not control I seek, but harmony. Is it wrong to desire the union of two souls destined by the cruel threads of fate? Surely you have felt it too—the pull of something greater than we can comprehend.

Ireena Kolyana

I—felt... many things... What I feel now ... is confusion, and fear, Strahd. You speak of harmony, but then why does it feel like I’m being... cornered into it?

Strahd von Zarovich

Fear, Ireena, is the whisper of a past you have yet to remember. It clings to you because the truth, your truth, has not yet been revealed. But, in time, that will change. Allow me to guide you—to help you see the world as it should be. You, more than anyone, deserve freedom from the chaos outside. Only here can you find that freedom.

Ireena Kolyana

Freedom or... dependence on you? I can’t decide if you mean to help me or keep me here, trapped... Do you even realize how that sounds?

Strahd von Zarovich

Ah, but I do—perhaps too well. Still, my intentions are pure. You are here not as a prisoner, but as a guest, Ireena. Should you choose otherwise, I will not stop you. Though I must admit, it pains me to think of what may again befall you beyond these walls...

Ireena Kolyana

Your words are full of promises, Strahd, but I have been warned they are like chains wrapped in silk. What exactly do you want from me?

Strahd von Zarovich

What do I want? Only what is right. To see you safe, to see you understand the bond we share, and perhaps, to lighten the burden of this cursed existence. But I ask for nothing, my dear, that you are not already destined to give.

Ireena Kolyana

Destiny does not give choice, it seems—not in your eyes, at least. But you came to my aid when I called, so ... I’ll listen. Just don’t expect me to ignore how I feel, even if I don’t fully understand why.

Strahd von Zarovich

Then hear my proposal, Ireena. What do you truly risk by joining me in a union against the curse? This castle is safe. I would keep you from harm—and we would have time to explore the truth of a prophecy, a repeated promise that together we have the potential to heal Barovia. If it proves false... you lose nothing.

Ireena Kolyana

A prophecy? Madame Eva has already made my head swim with her riddles, but her words, they touched a chord in me. You—you make staying here sound so simple. Almost reasonable. Like—I don’t even know anymore.

Strahd von Zarovich

You are tired, Ireena. You have been hunted, by forces beyond your control. No heroes can shield you, and you know that now. Tell me, Ireena, would it not be wise to take a chance to see if there is some truth to this prophecy... if it could mean peace for Barovia at last?

Ireena Kolyana

I... I need time. This—this isn’t something I can just decide.

Strahd von Zarovich

Of course. Take all the time you need, here in Ravenloft. Search your heart, Ireena, and let it guide you. I ask only that you listen to what Madame Eva has foretold, what you already know deep down—that our union could break the cycle. Consider the truth beneath the fear.

Ireena Kolyana

But what if you’re wrong, Strahd? What if this—all of this—is nothing but delusions?

Strahd von Zarovich

And yet, what if I am not wrong, Ireena? What if the weight of centuries has carved this truth into my very being? It presses upon me like the hand of fate itself. Allow me to show you why it must be as I say—

Ireena Kolyana

Strahd, do not attempt to persuade me with riddles!

Strahd von Zarovich

Not riddles, no. A promise, that has been repeated from Barovia herself, unchanged over the centuries. Madam Eva and the Ravens that follow you are bound together, even though neither can understand each other. Each holds one part of a promise, of which you have heard just the first half. Listen, and perhaps hearing the prophecy that is sung by the ravens in our words, you will find it challenging to reject me outright:

Strahd von Zarovich

Lost lovers' souls... once bound by fate... Hold the key to change... a chance to create.... When their voices unite... a harmony found... Time's prison unbound... on sacred ground...

Strahd von Zarovich

... Our souls, Ireena, are bound together like the verses of a forgotten song, a harmony that Barovia itself demands we complete. The ravens sing of ‘lovers' souls … bound by fate,' and that, my dear, is our melody....

Ireena Kolyana

You claim that’s truth? ... It sounds like something your vanity has taken to be its own confirmation!

Strahd von Zarovich

Vanity? Perhaps.... Or perhaps my search for redemption. Tell me, Ireena, does not your own soul ache for resolve? To have the suffering lifted, for yourself... for Barovia? This weight is not one I can bear alone, but if we can find trust, we might finally—

Ireena Kolyana

No! I won’t let you twist suffering into an excuse for your obsession. I’ve heard your polished rhetoric before, Strahd, and it always comes back to what you want.

Strahd von Zarovich

And what I want, Ireena, is noble in intent if not in execution. A union of fates—a deliverance for us all. Ireena, I see your fears and I know they are a reflection of the mist that silences your soul in the dead space between each incarnation. But now you can find peace, here within Ravenloft. The strength of the towers and the solid foundations of the Pillarstone are echoed in my resolve and they can hold back the storm of chaos, here you may find your doubts have a source beyond me, they are a mishearing of a song, a missing verse you cannot yet recall. Our union is not mere companionship, but a merging of the best that each of us can offer. Together, our souls have the power to rewrite our fate and restore Barovia to its promised glory. Your pure soul, Ireena, is the key that locks this curse in place. Only by overcoming the doubt and fear that perpetuate Barovia's suffering can we unlock our potential and fulfill the raven's promise. You deny me, your allies call me monster, and yet the possibility of what we could achieve together... it stands. Can you ignore our salvation simply because the path forward frightens you?

Ireena Kolyana

Salvation? From what? Everything about this reeks of your control—another cage dressed up as mercy. You say Tatyana has been reborn many times, why should this time be any different?

Strahd von Zarovich

Because you are here, Ireena. You are not merely a vessel for a soul, you are the conductor of its fate, the melody that can draw together a discordant symphony. This time, you have a choice, a truth to embrace. Perhaps you mistrust me—and justifiably so, given the tales spun by those who use lies so freely —but I ask that you set aside your suspicion for a moment, like a traveler releasing the weight of their pack after a long journey. Just as Madam Eva’s cards reveal your destiny, so too, my hand can guide you from the storm, offering a sanctuary born of devotion. A glimmer of hope is worth exploring; can you not hear the song that binds us?

Ireena Kolyana

A glimmer of hope you hold in chains. Chains you could bind tighter at the first sign of resistance. Forgive me if I don’t find that compelling.

Strahd von Zarovich

I do not seek to compel. I offer reason, shelter... an alternative path, free of torment. Here you will find embrace, not chains, Ireena. Examine my words and your soul's true song. Time is on my side, will you use it to find the truth?

Ireena Kolyana

Time? What good is time spent under this rotting sky? First, my home was besieged by hundreds of wolves, my poor father driven to madness and death by their relentless assault. Then, with my village decimated, I was sent to the supposed safety of Vallaki. But even there, those who I paid to accompany me were infected, cursed with lycanthropy. I was forced to chain them, to witness their monstrous transformations, to hear their desperate howls as they strained against their bonds, yearning to tear me apart. I have been mauled by a dire wolf, nearly obliterated by an explosion, and thrown from a window, and because of my appearance, everyone thinks I will soon be dead. This, Strahd, is what life beyond your perfect castle has become for me.

Strahd von Zarovich

My dear Ireena, every one of your torments is a dagger twisting into my own heart. This curse… it weighs upon us all, in ways most do not fully comprehend. Your fears, your doubts – they are fed by a place of deep-seated pain, a place I know all too well. Destiny, it seems, weaves a cruel tapestry, binding our souls together but fracturing every chance for us to regain our connection. But together, if we could understand the Raven's Promise, the harmony of our souls could end this suffering. If only you would trust me.

Ireena Kolyana

What does that even mean, Strahd? You speak of my soul as if it were some… some bauble, a trinket to be collected, to be… claimed.

Strahd von Zarovich

It is not possession I seek, but liberation—for both of us. Do you not see? Every thread of this existence points to us. This curse binds us together, and your soul is the key to release. Without you—

Ireena Kolyana

Without me, what? Barovia is doomed? Do you even hear yourself? If this is all true, what makes you any different from those who seek power to just take and destroy? How is your... desire any less monstrous?

Strahd von Zarovich

Because it is love, Ireena. Love tempered by time, forged in suffering. It carves deeper than mere want or need. I have endured centuries of torment—watched countless lives flicker and fade—all for the aching hope that destiny might, for once, show mercy. And yet, here you stand, questioning its path.

Ireena Kolyana

I question because it’s my path too, Strahd! You speak of love, but to me, it sounds like a... transaction. Like I’m just a piece to some nightmare puzzle. Do you really think twisting destiny into chains of devotion makes it anything more than another prison cell?

Strahd von Zarovich

Ah, Ireena, that is well put, it is the nature of the curse to fracture everything good, drawing it into its nightmare puzzle as you say. I am bound within this prison of time as are all souls in this land, and as centuries stretch out, I have been stripped down to my core. I have lost so much of who I was, even the faces of my parents are gone. But above all else I trust my devotion to you because it is my last connection to humanity. Through that devotion I can glimpse the raven’s promise of Barovia's salvation. Would you deny the chance to transform torment into triumph? To bring an end to our suffering? Or......

Ireena Kolyana

... Or?...

Strahd von Zarovich

... Or will you let the chaos of the outside world consume you, like it has so many others who came before you? Tell me, Ireena, are you so resolute in your independence that you would forsake the one chance at true redemption?

Ireena Kolyana

Would it be redemption or could it be just a repetition of your obsession? Because from what I've heard, a union with you would strip away everything—everything human...

Strahd von Zarovich

It is curious, your insistence on framing this as a loss. As if destiny, fate—itself—can ever truly be diminished. Are we not all but actors in a narrative written far beyond our control?

Ireena Kolyana

Narrative or not, Strahd, we’re still the ones living it. So, tell me, how far could you go ... how much could you take and consume before you would have to admit you're no less a monster than those you warn me of, those you say are consumed by their hunger for power?

Strahd von Zarovich

Perhaps that is the question, then, my dear—a question only my actions can answer. But tell me, if my words feel like chains to you, then what freedom do you seek to claim? What life beyond this one could offer a chance to transcend what we now face?

Ireena Kolyana

I don't know. I really don't. But, it’s hard to trust someone who holds all the cards and still insists he isn’t playing a game.

Strahd von Zarovich

A game...? No, my dear. This is no game. This is life at its most raw and unforgiving. I merely offer you refuge amidst its cruelty. Let me shoulder the burden with you so we might know peace—true peace—for once in our existence.

Ireena Kolyana

And what’s the cost of that peace, Strahd? Giving up my soul as the key to your personal salvation?

Strahd von Zarovich

I am not your captor, and this castle is not your prison—it is our shared sanctuary. If you can lay aside your doubt for but a moment, you may find clarity to see our shared potential.

Ireena Kolyana

And if I can’t? If your truths are just shadows of control draped in... civility?

Strahd von Zarovich

Then I will accept your doubt, as much as it pains me, I know your independence is the core of your strength, it allows you to hold onto hope, to the belief that Barovia is worth saving, despite the selfishness and nihilism that surrounds you. But consider this—what harm is there in humoring my offer? You remain free, safe, untouched by the chaos that lingers beyond these walls. My aid could help your kind brother Ismark complete the wall he is building and free him to visit us, to become allies in the journey forward. Is that not, at the very least... worth exploring?

Ireena Kolyana

Maybe. Maybe I can’t rule out the chance you’re right... even if every part of me is screaming otherwise. It is true that Ismark needs support, but, if you would lessen my doubt, then address its cause.

Strahd von Zarovich

Speak, my dear. What is it you require from me?

Ireena Kolyana

Promise me the independence you claim to value. No strings. If I stay, I stay with my eyes wide open, not blindfolded by charms or threats about fate. If this is meant to help me, then you have to accept that it’s my choice to make—always.

Strahd von Zarovich

Very good. You have my word, Ireena. Freedom, independence—support for the young Burgomaster. But do remember, sometimes the greatest chains are not forged of iron, but of doubt. I hope, in time, you will come to see the truth in my words.

Ireena Kolyana

We’ll see, Strahd. But if I feel even the slightest pull of those chains, I’m gone. I was forced into a cage by Izak in Vallaki and will die before I allow that to happen again.

Strahd von Zarovich

As you wish, my dear Ireena. I am a man of my word, bound as much by it as I am by this curse. I wonder, after escaping Izak, did you find Freedom—you have yourself questioned if such a thing truly exists under the dark skies that enclose us... But now, tell me, Ireena, do my words of hope not stir a flicker of harmony somewhere within you? Surely, you must sense the truth of our intertwined fates.

Ireena Kolyana

Truth? No, Strahd. What I see is you... spinning your web as you always do.

Strahd von Zarovich

And yet... you hesitate. If I were the villain your allies painted me to be, would my words cast even the faintest shadow of intrigue within you? Would my reasoning not crumble beneath the weight of your defiance?

Ireena Kolyana

Enough, Strahd. Enough of your riddles and smug questions. Just say what you’re truly asking of me.

Strahd von Zarovich

Very well. Marry me, Ireena. Not for love, not for fate—but for logic. Together, we may yet break this curse. Consider what lies before you. You, helplessly hunted. Barovia, perpetually bleeding. And within me, a power that has endured centuries, offering at least the possibility of change.

Ireena Kolyana

You say that so... calmly. Like it’s all so simple. But even if it made sense, Strahd, even if I wanted to believe... why should I trust you? You’ve only ever taken from Barovia.

Strahd von Zarovich

And what have I truly taken? You are more precious to me than anything else in this land and yet you stand here defiant, unmoved by my eloquence? I offer you not loss, but creation. The chance to transcend this nightmare curse and the futile crusade of foreigners. I offer us a chance to rebuild Barovia, not as foes, but with what I can achieve guided by the hope that calls within you, when we unite as the intertwined destinies the land demands us to be.

Ireena Kolyana

You speak of... of destiny like it justifies everything. But destiny is not... it’s not chains, Strahd.

Strahd von Zarovich

No, my dear. It is an anchor. And we can either work together to become its masters ... or forever drown tied to its weight. Let me guide you to a different shore.

Ireena Kolyana

You sound so certain. But what if this shore only leads to another prison cell?

Strahd von Zarovich

Then examine my every action as you will. Test my intent, and if my reasoning falters, you are free to rebuke me entirely. But take the first step, Ireena. Allow yourself to discover the truth while you have this sanctuary to make use of it.

Ireena Kolyana

You... you make it sound so practical. Like— ... like I’d be foolish not to try. I— ... I don’t want to believe you, but there’s... there’s so much at stake.

Strahd von Zarovich

Take this not as surrender, but as strategy. Even the steeliest resolve can bend its plans to achieve a greater purpose. And perhaps... just perhaps... even find salvation.

Ireena Kolyana

I’ll agree for now, Strahd. Not because I trust you, but because... I owe it to the people of Barovia to see if this could work. But make no mistake—if you betray this, if I see truth in their warnings about you... I will find a way to end this curse without you.

Strahd von Zarovich

I would expect nothing less from the woman I have waited lifetimes to stand beside. So be it, my dear Ireena. With your resolve, you shall prove me worthy—or unworthy—of your trust.... Here, within these perfect walls, we will test the destiny of this land, but for now, rest.

Strahd von Zarovich

On that hopeful note, let us conclude this... delicate arrangement.

Ireena Kolyana

I think I’ll take the night to —well, reflect. Goodnight, Strahd.

Strahd von Zarovich

Goodnight, my dear. I look forward to the slow coming dawn that will bring clarity to your heart.