Dealing with the Devil
Eleventh day of the seventh moon
Your best weapon against Strahd is not the stake or the silver blade, but your powers of objective perception—your internal awareness of what is fact and what is false. Like any master predator, a vampire of the age and power of Strahd will attack that which is weakest in its prey. For creatures of any of the sentient races, our weakest points are our minds, which are easily clouded by manipulating our emotions and pandering to our darkest desires.
Strahd has lived for countless centuries, and he has tired of the kill. That is not what is most important to him now. He is interested solely in the corruption of souls. He envies purity, hating its innocence and freedom. No matter how sullied you believe yourself to be, your soul is a shining diamond of hope and clarity compared to his irredeemable darkness.
Strahd’s power lies in finding your weaknesses, then twisting them into warped realities. If you succumb to his power, he can make you see your friends as enemies, or turn a simple desire into hateful greed or murderous envy. He will seek out all your buried hatreds and fears, then gather them up to become the strings with which he directs you as his unwitting puppet.
How can you avoid this threat? How can you tell if Strahd’s charm has wormed its way into your mind? All I can say is, “Be vigilant.” Strahd will try to get your allegiance and turn you to his side. Your anger and pain are his tools. Your pride and arrogance are his weapons. It takes only a moment for Strahd to reweave the fabric of your mind with his threads of whispers and illusions.
Should you feel yourself being taken over by his power, isolate yourself. Chain yourself in a cellar if needs be, and do not act upon the thoughts within your mind. For those thoughts will be the machinations of Strahd, and can cause only pain and interminable sorrow for you and those you love.
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