It was time to obtain Yersinia's report for the day. I composed myself in the chair, focused my attention in the crystal, and shut my eyes the better to visualize her face and form. After a few moments it seemed she stood before me, a startled look upon her features as far away in Mordent she became aware of my presence.

"Lord Strahd?" she asked looking about her with a hint of uncertainty, though I had contacted her this way many times before. By speaking my name I knew that she was alone.

"What progress have you made?" I snapped.

She knew we did not have much time. This sort of communication was exhausting for me, and I was wary of Azalin eavesdropping should he find a way around my obscuring spells.

"I've spoken at length with Voan Darl. He's interested, especially after hearing what you are willing to pay."

"Azalin can pay him more."

"Yes, but Azalin also ordered the execution of some woman Darl was close to; he bears no love toward Darkon's ruler."

Within days of Yersinia's arrival she had met and talked with a fellow calling himself Voan Darl. He had the silken manners of an in-bred noble, combined with the skills of a professional assassin, and was very much for hire. He had been a guest of the Weathermays until a disagreement with another guest from Darkon ended in a duel of honor, resulting in one less place setting for the evening meal. Aware of his hosts' acute embarrassment, Darl departed their house, taking rooms at a small Mordentshire inn. His present source of income was gambling at cards with the locals at a public house. His earnings, due to the modest means of his fellow players, were marginal at best. This made him very ambitious to better himself.

"Can he bring others like him into Barovia?" I asked.

"Yes, providing the pay is the same. I've spoken to them. They're hard people, but capable, I trust them."

"Trust is an illusion."

"Indeed, my lord, especially in war, but I think you may rely upon them, particularly after you've seen them yourself."

That was quite true-once my hypnotic influence was upon them. "What else have you to report?"

"The Weathermays are interested in the trade agreement for their own holdings, but they can't speak for the rest of the land. Barovia may have to make such pacts on an individual basis rather than as a whole, the same as I established in Lamordia. They're a powerful family, though. Others will likely follow their lead."

"See to it. We need the supplies. Hire Darl and his people and send them in right away. Make sure to issue them neck chains. I don't want them ambushed by Dark-on agents on the road."

"Yes, my lord."

Yersinia understood the magical protection of the chains, always wearing one herself. It also possessed a small but important refining spell that allowed me to speak with her through the crystal with much less effort than would otherwise be required on my part. Few others I had made possessed that quality since it was an extremely difficult casting to achieve.

"I shall contact you at the same time tomorrow," I said, breaking off before she could reply, for my head was beginning to buzz at the effort of seeing, hearing, and speaking from afar. The magical drain on me was enormous at such distance even with the added help of the amulet, but I endured it. Not to do so was to surrender to Azalin.

And so it went, as I prepared for a war I was certain that I could not win.

580 Barovian Calendar, Barovia

As the months passed, my troops trained and fought, and I sent other agents out of Barovia to seek help. Most unexpectedly Azalin himself provided valuable assistance to my side by utterly alienating Darkon's Mercenary Guild.

Rather than pay for their professional skills, he conscripted them involuntarily into his army. Theirs was a reputable guild with a long tradition of pride and independence, so this did not sit at all well with them, and a revolt took place within the Il Aluk barracks. The body count was high, and the majority of the dead were not the mercenaries, but Azalin's regulars, including some of his precious Kargat. Those rebels unaccounted for were presumed to have escaped and gone underground. Word was swiftly passed to all branches of the guild in Darkon's other population centers, and the rest of the members followed suit and vanished. Incensed, Azalin set his Kargat to locating and killing those whom he'd decided were traitors.

When this bit of news came to the ears of the Vistani tribes in Darkon, they made it known in certain discreet quarters they could not only help the survivors escape certain death but find work at a fair wage with the enemy of their enemy.

So it was that a large number of expert killers began to steadily stream into Barovia and this time didn't end up in my dungeons.

Azalin had not used the fair weather of the summer to begin his assault, though his army was massed near our border, just out of sight on his side. For over a year he'd held back, much to the chagrin of General Vychen, who was impatient to start. It was the only disagreement I could discern between them, if one could call it that. Vychen was Azalin's willing puppet, but also a military man. When the sky is clean of clouds and the ground firm underfoot, the opportunity for an easy assault should not be wasted, and he wanted to take it. Azalin insisted on more numbers in the ranks, though his army, including the living, dead, and undead, was easily three times the size of mine. He seemed less interested in victory than annihilation.

When one is outnumbered, then one must become inventive, so I put the time he gave me to good use.

581 Barovian Calendar, Barovia

"Forgive me, my lord, but I still think it is too much of a risk for you to be present at this meeting."

I tried to keep the amusement from showing in my expression as I looked at Aldrick Wachter across my study table. As ever, he held up well under my gaze, and though he did not at all resemble his ancestor Victor, he strongly reminded me of him all the same. The last year and a half had truly helped Aldrick develop into a n effective commander, but sometimes he could be overly protective toward his liege.

"If you are lost, then all Barovia is lost," he continued, the chronically mournful lines of his face deepening.

Now I allowed myself a single laugh. "You may well speak a profound truth, but I can take care of myself and have thus far done rather a good job of doing so."

"But this wizard we fight may have snares so well hidden even you could miss them. Don't forget that business in Krezk."

Last month one of Azalin's Kargat agents had managed to infiltrate the barracks in Krezk by posing as a common soldier. When the moon turned full he burst forth in his lupine form and slaughtered dozens in their sleep before the alarm went out and he was finally killed. Though the remains of his wolfish head were still on a pike in the center of the camp, the occurrence had been a severe blow to the confidence of the troops. I thought it was for that result alone that Azalin had sacrificed his hirsute pawn.

"I have not forgotten, and it is for that reason I'm seeing to this myself. I must inspect each individual in the company to make sure there are no similar surprises for them once they set out."

"But one cannot be too careful, my lord-"

"Indeed," I said, pushing back from the table and "Your concern for my safety has been noted, Commander, now let us go see to my night's business."

He caught the edge in my tone and wisely subsided. He need not have worried about me, for though I was protected by my unnatural condition (which he knew nothing about), I was at present a walking storehouse of magical defenses. Add to that the fact that I was in full battle dress with an enspelled sword riding easily on my left hip, and even Azalin himself would have been hard pressed to do me injury.