Desperate to remove Ajuni's sunlight, Strahd attempted to polymorph her into a wriggling Earthworm. Once again, the sorceress counterspelled his efforts, and once again, the vampire slipped away. Mormeros pursued Ghalwin on foot, chugging a healing potion while shouting for him to retreat, only for the paladin to summon his steed and ride off into the woods. Strahd met him and struck down Verity in a single slash, leaving Ghalwin isolated, and he finally succumbed to vampiric charm.
The Count requested Ghalwin to defend him from the party and permit him to feed, as he needed to heal from sunlight's wounds. As fangs closed in on Ghalwin's neck, however, Ajuni tapped further into Delban and conjured a dome of ice that separated the two. While Strahd shattered the icy barrier with little effort, she bought enough time for Geronimo to intervene, grappling the charmed Ghalwin and dragging him away from danger. Left alone with Strahd, Ajuni barely managed to fend off the vampire with a Shield spell before teleporting to safety. The party regrouped and dragged Ghalwin to retreat, but one of their members had other plans.
As his friends ran past, Mormeros stayed behind with a grim expression. He had been advocating for the party to flee for the whole battle, but at this point they were exhausted, and would just be hunted down individually. With a "fly, you idiots", he dropped his bag and surrendered himself fully to Ten-Zras. Wind and rain halted as the tiefling’s body twisted unnaturally, his neck fully snapping while limbed shadows lifted him above the earth. He was transformed into a monstrous avatar carried by lifeless servants, and he broke Strahd’s hold over Ghalwin with sheer force of will. The vampire lord was taken aback by this unexpected opponent and summoned Beucephalus from the Ethereal, retreating on his flaming horse as Ten-Zras’s new avatar pursued him.
The party was left reeling by the sudden loss of Mormeros as they ran back to Argynvostholt. They mourned his fate and the darkness that now stalked Barovia in his wake, but took some solace in a certain truth: his sacrifice had bought them precious time. With Strahd likely distracted by a new force in Barovia, they could use the opportunity to act. Momo was finally able to protect those he cared about, and had done so through a deal of his own making.
That evening, Ezmerelda returned to the mansion, her eyes damaged from a previous fight. She recounted her own harrowing journey from Castle Ravenloft, having stopped in Vallaki get a sense of the political climate. Townsfolk had divided into various factions after the appearance of the beacon, but a large search party had been forming under Fiona Wachter's orders. Ez followed this group and tried to dissuade them from investigating, ultimately threatening them with Vistani curses, but was overwhelmed by the mob and then pursued. However, the group fled in terror when they saw Ten-Zras' form parting the mists.
The party bathed and rested, and Ez met with Ghalwin alone; her time traveling had given her an opportunity to reconcile with van Richten. In a moment of sincere gratitude, she promised him that she would return the favor, vowing that she would find a way for him to speak with Shakti again. After debating on their next move, the party decided that they would recover the Tome of Strahd before returning to Vallaki. The next morning, they rigged Argynvostholt’s entrances with ominous warnings and alchemist's fire, then on-foot, took the shortcut toward Berez.
Montane forest became dense swampland as they headed to the muddy path alongside the River Luna. The party hiked while fending off ambushes from dire wolves, constrictor snakes, blights, and Baba Lysaga's scarecrows; Barovia's horrible threats were no longer strong enough to stop them. As they neared Berez in the late evening, they diverted off the main path at Ghalwin's request. He wanted to check in on the friendly witches' coven house, but as they approached, a sudden noise broke the quiet.
BARK BARK!