After triumphing over the Eternal Lord and Chev and recovering the stolen tome, the party sets sail back to Candlekeep to rest and regroup. Once their brief respite is over, they embark on a journey northward to the monastery in Vaasa. With the aid of Pelk, a powerful ally, the party is teleported directly to the monastery—but they arrive to find it under siege by the forces of the Order of Lotus, led by the malevolent Vespasian.
The monastery’s defenders, including the valiant Anaphiel, quickly rally to resist the attack. The party joins the fray, battling the Lotus forces with all their might. Amid the chaos, Vespasian succeeds in opening a portal to an otherworldly plane, where the dark lich Acererak has been hiding. In the midst of the fight, Anaphiel is struck down by a devastating blow, but her allies manage to restore her to life before she succumbs to the darkness.
With Vespasian and his knights finally defeated, Anaphiel takes command of the situation. Knowing the true threat lies with Acererak, she urges the party to journey to his domain and eliminate him once and for all. Meanwhile, she must regain control of the Lotus and restore the Rubicon Order.
Heeding Anaphiel’s instructions, the party steps through the portal and finds themselves transported to the Land of Barovia, a shadowy, cursed realm within the dreaded Plane of Dread. The ominous mists close in around them as they prepare to confront the dark forces at work, knowing their journey will test them in ways they cannot yet imagine.