During the first two months after Strahd’s assault on Argynvostholt, the number of living members of the Order grew to nine. Before the Lord Argynvost’s death, six of them had achieved the rank of Knight, the remaining three ranked as Champions. However, upon their return to the manor, each Champion swore the Knight’s Oath and received the promotion in rank. The nine living members referred to the revenant knights as their Eternal Brethren.

Investigative Pathology

The Order of the Silver Dragon did their best to thwart Strahd’s occupation of the valley. Initial ambushes and encounters with Strahd’s forces were successful. The Eternal Brethren could remain motionless for hours, waiting for a patrol to passby. Without the need to breathe, they could lie in wait, submerged in the rivers near a crossing, only to spring up for an attack. It did not matter if the knights were outnumbered and lost some of their own during the melee, within a day they would return again and be ready for the next encounter.

Initially, Strahd believes these attacks are the machinations of the few surviving Knights. Believing their Order in its last throes of life, he dismisses them as unimportant. However, the reports become more insistent that the knights responsible for the attacks are the same that were killed in the previous attack, and the one from a week prior and so on.

Curious, Strahd tells his men to bring him the bodies of any knights they kill.

Shortly thereafter, a body is delivered. Strahd’s physician examines the corpse without any intrusive procedures. The doctor fails to come to any solid conclusions beyond that the body appears to have been killed at least a few days ago, but some elements suggest a few weeks. The uncertainty of the corpse’s nature vanishes when the body convulses the following day before struggling against its restraints to sit up.

Priests from the abbey are fetched and asked to examine the undead knight. The holy woman determines that the knight has become a revenant. She explains to Strahd that such an event is rare but it is known to happen. Often fueled by a thirst for revenge or duty, a soul refuses to leave the body upon death. ‘Killing’ the body again will only temporarily subdue the individual. The destruction of the body does not resolve the situation either. Instead, the soul finds another adequate corpse to occupy. At most, the condition normally lasts about a year, maybe a little longer, before the soul loses the strength to possess a vessel.

The Priestess continues with a caution to Strahd. The strength of duty or revenge that a soul must possess in order to remain with its body is enormous. In all her study, she has never heard of an instance where more than an individual revenant is formed. However, if the tales of his men are true, this condition has affected a dozen or so men. She suggests the knights, or the slain dragon might have had access to source of power that gave their souls the resolve to reanimate their bodies. Regardless, if the scale of revenants created is so large, do not be surprised if other aspects of their condition are inflated as well.

After hearing the priestess’ remarks, Strahd fears that the knights have discovered the Amber Temple and are using its power to deny death. Interrogations on the matter with the captive revenant prove unhelpful and ultimately results in the knight’s soul finding a new vessel.

The End of the War

The Order of the Silver Dragon’s luck had turned against them. During encounters with passing patrols, Strahd’s men had begun to carry off any corpses of fallen knights. Instead of awakening from death and returning to the manor, the knights found themselves bound and imprisoned in Strahd’s camp.

As their numbers began to dwindle, news of the Holy Empire of Valentia’s King’s assassination reached the manor. His first action once crowned, the King’s successor withdrew the Empire’s claim to the valley and recognized Strahd as it’s true ruler. All members of the Holy Empire of Valentia’s military were to return to the capital within the month. Anyone found in the valley after that time would not be protected by the King’s authority. Upon hearing this, Sir Horngaard gave each living Knight the choice to stay or to be released of their oath and return to their homeland. All but one knight chose to stay.

In honor of his victory, Strahd announced plans to build a great castle and move his country’s capital to the valley.

The Second Assault

A man of his word, Strahd waited for the thirty days to pass before attacking Argynvostholt for the second time. The knights discovered a plan for a small unit of Strahd's army to transport valuable goods back to their homeland. Undeterred by the peace treaty, the knights saw this as another opportunity to strike at Strahd. This discovery was a manipulation by Strahd designed to lure knights away from Argynvostholt, and it worked.

After several members of the Order headed to the valley’s eastern border, a skilled contingent of Strahd's men encircled the manor like hungry wolves. A trio of large stones, hurled by trebuchets, bombarded the manor’s northern tower as the opening strike.

All eight of the living members of the Order were killed in the battle. Many of the undead knights’ corpses were collected and imprisoned. The manor itself was thoroughly ransacked for any clues about the location of the Amber Temple or the source of the knight’s immortality. When nothing of much interest was found, Strahd commanded the building be burnt to the ground.

Note: if inclined, you could decide that after ordering the manor torched, Strahd and his bodyguards leave. On the way back, they run into Knights returning from decoy. Small battle. Everyone is killed but Strahd and Vladimir who got separated. Vladimir super injures Strahd and then dies. Strahd is almost dead but then rescued by Vistani.

A Fate Worse Than Death

A year passed since the first assault on Argynvost and Horngaard’s undead knights continued to disrupt and impeded Strahd’ plans for the valley. As time went on, it became clear that the one year time-limit normally associated with revenants could not be relied upon. Over the next four years, Strahd continued to capture and detain any Knights his men encountered, but the Eternal Brethren would either escape, or die trying - eventually giving them a new vessel to inhabit. The vengeful revenants killed many of Strahd's soldiers, and whenever the undead knights were cut down, their spirits found new corpses to inhabit. Though the knights were grossly outnumbered, they waged war for months and slew hundreds of foes.

The Knights of the Order of the Silver Dragon knew something was amiss on the night of Lord Sergei’s wedding. For a brief moment, that unexplainable knowledge of Strahd’s location was quiet. The desire for vengeance and violence faded and the knights knew that they would finally have their rest. But, just as quickly, that pulsing beacon in their minds returned. Strahd had died, but was not dead.

Angry and confused, the knights marched to Castle Ravenloft seeking answers or vengeance. Along the way, they were confronted by a Vistani seer who offered insight into the recent events. Strahd was being punished, severely. At first the knights didn’t understand. They were still intent to storm the castle. The Vistana took Horngaard’s hand, looked into his eyes and suddenly he understood. He commanded the knights to return to the manor.

History of the Order of the Silver Dragon - Part 1

GUIDE

History of the Order

The Valley, The Dragon and the Temple

Early in recorded history, many people called the valley that would be Barovia their home, but few of them were ‘civilized’. For centuries, mystical druids lived within its forests. The druids worshiped nature and they arranged enormous standing stones in a circle as places of worship. War-bands, comprised of brutes and savages, also lived in the valley. Led by territorial and vicious warlords, the warring tribes battled each other over resources, territory and pride.

Mankind was not the only danger in the valley. Beasts and animals hunted in the valley’s forests, meadows and mountains. Thunderous storms frequented the region and the untamed rivers raced through the landscape. While at times calm and idyllic, the valley has always been a place of danger.

Before Strahd was born, Strahd’s homeland considered the valley as under its control. At the same time, another nation, the Holy Empire of Valentia, believed the valley to fall within their borders. Throughout their history, both nations had tried to establish a larger presence in the valley and faced heavy losses for their efforts. The harsh weather, wild beasts and violent war-bands denied the invaders access to the valley. Since neither nation had much of a foothold in the valley, the disagreement over who controlled it failed to escalate to violence. Instead, the valley served as a neutral zone between the two nations.

Over time, civilization began to settle in the valley. A small fishing village along the shores of the valley’s lake was the first. Others sprung up around other parts of the valley. Most were overrun by the barbarian tribes, but a few managed to get by.

The increase of the valley’s population worried a silver dragon named Argynvost. Argynvost knew that the valley hid a dangerous secret. A vault, built over a century before, lay hidden somewhere among the peaks that flanked the valley. Called the Amber Temple, the vault was filled with powerful artifacts capable of great violence and suffering as well as imprisoned dark entities that whispered promises of power in exchange for servitude. The evil within the temple yearned for freedom. It thrashed about inside its prison and called out for help, hoping that somebody could hear its pleads. With the population of the valley growing, Argynvost feared it was only a matter of time before somebody answered the call.

Conquest

Argynvost realized the best way to protect the valley from the evil inside the temple was to stand guard over the region. Ever vigilant as he was, the silver dragon knew the task would be easier if backed by a nation. Using the form of a wealthy noble of the Holy Empire of Valentia, Argynvost persuaded the king that the empire should properly bring the valley under its protection.

The forces of the Holy Empire of Valentia marched westward into the valley. With Lord Argynvost’s leadership and wealth, the conquest was quick. Several of the valley’s war-bands fled westward and those that did not were easily dealt with.

The king of the Holy Empire of Valentia granted Lord Argynvost the control of a large portion of the valley as an estate to protect and oversee. Lord Argnvost surveyed the estate and chose a small hill that overlooked fertile fields to construct his manor. The manor was named Argynvost and the village that worked the farmlands to the south was called Berez.

Establishing the Order

As the region stabilized, more people moved into the valley. The population of the small fishing village along the valley’s lake doubled. A winery was established on the western side of the valley and travelling nomads began to appear in the clearing in the east. Knights and brave warriors accompanied the new settlers, tasked with their protection and maintaining order for the king.

Lord Argynvost began to gather followers to his side as well. He recruited warriors, champions of good, and knights of valor. He rallied them all under his banner and called them The Order of the Silver Dragon. Tasked with the preservation of good and the downfall of evil, members of the Order took up residence throughout the valley. To the early settlers, the presence of the Order brought safety, reassurance and aid to those in need. Word of the Order’s deeds began to reach beyond the valley and the Order’s ranks swelled.

Argynvost hid the truth about his dragon form from his followers. Like others of his kind, he enjoyed living among humanoids and enjoyed his role as Lord Argynvost. He was pleased with his men and ultimately decided that they deserved to know the the truth. He gathered his most trusted and asked them to swear an oath of loyalty to him, to fellow members of the Order, and most importantly, to uphold the values and morals Argynvost bestowed upon them. Those that swore the oath were granted the rank of Knight within the Order and learned about the Temple and Argynvost’s true nature.

Encounters With Evil

As the Order of the Silver Dragon grew, so did their influence. With the valley already well protected, members of the Order sought out evil beyond the valley’s boundaries. Most traveled east, deeper into the Holy Empire of Valentia. Others traveled west, into lands governed by Prince Strahd von Zarovich.

Lord Strahd despised the Order and the Holy Empire of Valentia. For years, the eastern borders of his family’s land were constantly and violently harassed by barbarians displaced by the Empire's occupation of the valley. King Barov, Strahd’s father, had sent forces to retake the region, but the war-bands and the territorial dusk elves made it difficult to establish supply lines or proper communication. Strahd bore witness as these savages slaughtered his people and caused chaos in the land. Upon his father’s deathbed, Strahd promised the dying king he would conquer the valley and retake the land that the Silver Empire had stolen.

Members of the Order had taken up residence in small towns and villages near the eastern borders of Strahd’s empire. They worked to help ease the suffering caused by the savages that still brought havoc to the region. When they heard about Strahd’s call to arms and his plan to invade the valley, they sent word back to Argynvostholt.

Argynvost tasked Vladimir Horngaard, a promising young knight, to learn more about Lord Strahd and his army. Horngaard led a dozen men west, out of the valley and into the late King Barov’s domain. As they traveled, Horngaard and his men listened to all manner of rumor and gossip about Lord Strahd. Some supported Strahd and his family’s rule. Like Strahd, they blamed their current hardships on the Holy Empire of Valentia. Others, in quiet whispers when no one is listening, spoke of harsh rulership, a lack of concern for the peasant class and that the Order has done more for the region in the past year than the royal family has done in decades.

The most concerning rumor came from a spy within Strahd’s retinue. The spy overheard Strahd speak of the Amber Temple. Somehow, Strahd had learned of its existence and intended to use its promised power to retake the valley and destroy anyone standing in the way.

Horngaard and his fellow knights, along with other nearby members of the Order, were forced to intercede. If Strahd found the Amber Temple, he could release unknown horrors onto the world. The Knight’s initial encounters against Strahd’s forces were victorious. Strahd’s main army was still days away and the Order excelled in the skirmishes against their out-skilled opponents. As Strahd’s army began their advanced, they punished anyone suspected of aiding the Order. Many fled to the Order, pleading for sanctuary.

Skirmishes quickly escalated to a war between the Order of the Silver Dragon and the armies of Lord Strahd. Despite early victories using hit and run tactics, the Order was outmatched by Strahd’s armies and were forced to retreat time and again. When it became clear that Strahd couldn't be stopped, the Order led hundreds of refugees to Argynvost's valley. Most of the refugees settled in Berez or what is now known as Vallaki.

For his valor and leadership in the battles against Strahd, Argynvost made Horngaard a Field Commander.

EDIT: Replaced Silver Empire with Holy Empire of Valentia.

Pursuit

After the Holy Empire of Valentia had taken the valley, the king divided the territory into a number of estates. The king granted control of the central estate to Lord Argynvost. The westernmost estate was given to the church of the Morninglord. As with Lord Argynvost, control of the estate allowed the church to build on the land. The church begun constructing a great abbey atop a large hill. It was there, outside the Abbey, where Strahd's army made camp upon entering the valley.

Strahd and his army followed Horngaard and his fellow knights as they led the refugees in a retreat into the valley. The army's approach was slower than the Order’s retreat, with time spent establishing supply lines and organizing the large force. Strahd knew about the abbey from previous recognizance and deemed that it would serve as an excellent foothold in the region.

The holy men and women living in the abbey did not resist Strahd’s occupation as long as no harm was done to them or the people who lived in the immediate area. Strahd’s only addition to this treaty was that all members of the Holy Empire of Valentia military currently present at the abbey had to surrender themselves to Strahd. With little choice, all agreed. A man of his word, Strahd kept that promise.

The Assault of Argynvostholt

When his troops rested and a strategy in hand, Strahd's army marched on Argynvostholt. Lord Argynvost had hoped that Strahd's stay at the western Abbey would be enough time for reinforcements to arrive from the Holy Empire of Valentia. Little did he know that reinforcements were sent but intercepted by a deployment of Strahd's forces.

Not the type to cower, the Order met Strahd’s warriors on the field. The Knights of the Order were more experienced and better fighters. But where Strahd’s men lacked in skill, they made up in discipline and numbers.

Strahd himself led his men into the fray. Horngaard watched as Strahd cut down knight after knight, including Horngaard’s beloved, Sir Godfrey Gwilym. Enraged, Horngaard charged at the invading lord, but ultimately was dealt a fatal blow.

Argynvost also joined the battle. In his true form of a silver dragon, Argynvost soared across the battlefield, breathing plumes of freezing cold atop his enemies. The dragon fought with skill and valor until the very end.

After claiming victory, Strahd ordered his men to hack the dragon’s corpse to pieces and strip the flesh from the bone. Others were ordered to ransack Argynvostholt, stronghold of the Order. There were a few members of the Order still scattered across the valley, but Strahd believed his enemy was defeated.

A Second Chance

Argynvost believed that living a moral life involved doing good deeds and ensuring that one’s actions caused no underserved harm to others. Horngaard viewed Strahd as the antithesis of this belief. In the eyes of Horngaard, Strahd deserved any imaginable harm and then some. Still, it wasn’t until he witnessed Strahd killing the man Horngaard loved that his feelings about Strahd turned into hate.

Once birthed, this hatred clutched Horngaard’s heart. It consumed his soul. Along with Horngaard’s refusal to accept defeat against such an evil man, this hatred denied his spirit it’s eternal rest. Less than a day after his death, his soul returned to his body. He became a revenant.

Slowly, Horngaard stood from where he had fallen. As he looked across the quiet battlefield, he saw his brethren return from the grave as well. Horngaard’s spirit, angry, hateful and determined to defeat Strahd drew the souls of his companions back to their bodies as well.

Their first task was to retake Argynvostholt. The men that Strahd ordered to search the manor were caught by surprise and easily defeated. Only upon interrogating one of the soldiers did the Knights learn of the Silver dragon's fate.

If there was any doubt about their renewed existence, it did not last long. The undead knights no longer felt hunger or thirst. Pain was more bearable and each Knight had an instinctual knowledge of where Strahd was at all times.

Their desire for immediate retaliation was intense, but even in death they were members of the Order of the Silver Dragon. Each knight had sworn an oath to protect and honor their brethren. After retaking the manor the risen knights waited for any more of them to find new life. When they felt certain that the dead would stay still, they buried their fallen and performed last rights.

A mass grave was dug for the bodies of their enemies and no ceremony accompanied their burial.

The Living Join the Dead

During the assault on the manor, Sir Jarin and Sir Ellyn, Knights in the Order, were searching for the Amber Temple in the mountains to the north. On their return, the two knights encountered a squad of Strahd's men and were captured. While transporting the captive knights to the camp at the Abbey, Strahd's men taunted their captives with tales Argynvost’s death and the collapse of the Order.

On the second day of their captive transport to the Abbey, the calm morning suddenly erupted into chaos. Sir Jarin and Sir Ellyn witnessed their brethren of the Order ambush Strahd's men with skill and precision. Relief and hope quickly replaced the despair that the captive knights felt after hearing the tales of the Order’s defeat and their Lord’s demise. From the dents and the punctures in his fellow's armor, Sir Jarin could tell the assault must have been harsh, but Strahd's men must have been lying when they spoke of Strahd's victory.

But then, approaching the captives to cut their binds, Sir Godfrey removed his helm.

From a distance, you probably wouldn’t notice a difference in Sir Godfrey’s appearance. His blonde hair fell across his shoulders, his confident gait and a welcoming smile as he untied his friends. But his skin was pale and taught, as if dehydrated. Sir Jarin noticed that Godfrey wasn’t panting or even breathing unless he spoke. But most unnerving were his eyes. No longer bright blue, his eyes had become a pool of darkness, an infinite void but still possessing that spark of life and intelligence.

When Sir Ellyn noticed, she clutched the emblem around her neck and began to pray. Sir Godfrey turned as if expecting a new threat until realizing her prayer was meant for him. Sir Ellyn’s prayer had no effect on the undead knights. Trusting that her rescuers were her allies, Sir Ellyn joined Sir Jarin and the rest and headed for Argynvostholt.

Note: hey, i discovered that CoS actually names the other nation - Holy Empire of Valentia. So I will be using that instead of the Silver Empire.

Also, I added a paragraph to the end of Part 2 which I also included here:

Investigative Pathology

Curious, Strahd tells his men to bring him the bodies of any knights they kill.

The End of the War

In honor of his victory, Strahd announced plans to build a great castle and move his country’s capital to the valley.