Escher Von Preshlow

Deal at the Amber Temple

"Don't- touch it!" Rumble yelled at the goliath as his fingers were mere inches away from a pile of treasure.

"But shiny!" Enzo groaned. "There's so much, I doubt he'd miss it if we take just a little bit..." He pointed one of his huge fingers up at the Amber statue of a bird-like humanoid that towered above them.

"Don't even try!" the dragonborn stuck his own finger up. Enzo sighed and stepped away from the pile of gold. He looked further ahead into the room, at Escher, who'd walked past, barely glancing at the riches that surrounded them.

The bard headed straight towards the statue, a voice calling to him from this direction, his own voice. He placed a hand on the leg of the effigy, discovering a hole in the wall of the cave behind him.

"This way... I can hear it!"

"Hear what?" Finn called after him, keeping a hand by the daggers at his belt. He had a terrible feeling about all this. They were here to help Escher solve his problem. His 'marriage to a vampire lord' problem. He rolled his bulbous fish-like eyes, of course it was Escher and only he could have possibly gotten himself into this mess. So now, here they all were, in a freezing cold and creepy temple, following a voice only the bard could hear in an effort to help their friend.

Escher replied, excitedly, "The answer to all my problems! Right here!" he disappeared into a tunnel, Togg was hot on his heels, following behind him. The old Orc was fascinated by the place.

The tunnel led into another large room, this one, decorated far more intricately than the others, with hideous depictions carved into the amber walls depicting scenes of angels burning, their faces contorted into immortal screams. How they may find any good here, was beyond Finn. He didn't like it one bit.

He watched Escher, as if hypnotized like a moth to a flame, make his way over to one of the Amber crystals that were set into recessed walls. He held his palm out, as if to touch the thing.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he said.

Escher paused his pilgrimage to the stone, and turned to look at Finn. He shrugged, a confident smile across his face.

"Always."

Finn nodded and Escher turned back to the rock. It seemed to glow before him, as if something was alive in there. Like a fire had begun to slowly burn within, one that blossomed intensely as the man slowly, gently placed his hand upon its exterior.

I am Vampir, the Vampire Lord... I may give you the gift of immortality in undeath.

Images, a vision, started to appear to him in the amber.

He saw himself, standing in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft. He looked upon this vision, his appearance somehow more striking, his expression more cold and determined. This version of him raised a hand and parted the grand castle doors. Alone, he began to venture into the castle, storming past gargoyles and dragon wyrmlings, into the den of the vampire himself and there... There he watched this vision of himself unleash hell upon Strahd. He had not only his magic at his disposal but, somehow more strength, more swiftness, more power. He watched himself tear at Strahd's pale flesh with his own hands, bite into his form with his own... sharpened teeth.

That would be the catch then... to defeat Strahd, Escher would need to match him. To be his equal. Was that a sacrifice he could make?

He continued watching the images, watched himself finish the vampire lord, brutalize him. Watching himself stand victorious over the corpse as it turned to dust on the floor at his feet. He watched the sun return to the land. He watched Barovia return itself to the material plane, all of the people and himself along with it. And the sun didn't hurt. Immortality without any of the downsides.