The mists parted, revealing the vibrant, sun-drenched streets of Port Nyanzaru, a jarring contrast to the gloom-shrouded realm of Barovia. Elora, Maledurk, Thorn, and Tempest found themselves once again astride their racing dinosaurs, the cheers of the crowd filling their ears, the thrill of competition coursing through their veins. It was as if no time had passed, as if their harrowing journey through Strahd’s domain had been nothing more than a fleeting nightmare.

Thorn, overwhelmed by the sudden shift, brought Mountain Thunder to a halt, dismounting to kiss the cobblestones beneath his feet, a gesture of gratitude for their return. Tempest, ever the competitor, seized the moment, urging Banana Candy onward, determined to claim victory in the race that had been so abruptly interrupted.

Elora, not to be outdone, spurred Big Honker forward with a deft hand, the massive tyrannosaurus responding with a surge of speed. Maledurk, atop the ill-tempered allosaurus Bone Cruncher, hung on tight as he whispered encouragement into the beast’s ear, his words nearly drowned out by the thundering footsteps and the roar of the crowd.

As the racers jockeyed for position, Tempest’s mischievous nature came to the fore. With a grin, she reached out with her telekinesis, attempting to hurl Elora and Big Honker off the track. But the spell backfired, and Tempest found herself yanked from Banana Candy’s back, dragged along the ground by an invisible force of her own making.

Elora, seizing the opportunity, conjured an entangle spell, thick vines bursting from the cobblestones to ensnare her competitors. Maledurk, his reflexes honed by battle, managed to spur Bone Cruncher to leap over the grasping plants, while Tempest found herself hopelessly tangled, her own dinosaur stopping beside her to enjoy the unexpected magical buffet.

Thorn, having regained his composure, took to the sky, soaring casually above the fray on Mountain Thunder’s back. With a calculated move, he conjured a wall of force across the finish line, an invisible barrier to halt his rivals’ progress.

Tempest, having freed herself from the vines, leapt on Banana Candy and spurred her on, only to suddenly find herself back on the ground standing over a snail. Looking up, she saw Elora looking back and smiling and knew the elf had once again interfered. Picking up the snail, she raced forward on foot, deciding what to do next.

Thorn, now back on the ground, his confidence high knowing that the invisible barrier would prevent his competitors from winning, continued up the street. As the chaotic spells flew around him, he encouraged Mountain Thunder into a dino-dressage, the dimetrodon dancing around the dangers as they made steady progress toward their assured victory.

Elora, now in the lead, barreled towards the finish, unaware of the magical obstacle in her path. At the last moment, Big Honker slammed into the unseen wall, sending Elora flying into it as well, tumbling to the ground, the breath knocked from her lungs.

Tempest, seeing Elora’s fall, summoned a peculiar steed from her bag of tricks - an axe beak, its form both majestic and absurd. Mounting the flightless bird, she raced forward, snail in hand, her eyes fixed on the finish line. A few firebolts launched at the barrier showed her it was real and impenetrable, causing a moment of panic until her unpredictable wild magic kicked in, teleporting her and her snail to the other side of the invisible wall.

Maledurk, seeing the chaos unfolding ahead, made a daring leap from Bone Cruncher’s back, sailing over the invisible wall and landing with a triumphant roar on the other side. At nearly the same time, Thorn arrived at the race’s end, dropping his wall of force as he sauntered across the finish line. Elora, dusting herself off, led Big Honker across the finish, ending the race.

In the end, it was Tempest who emerged victorious, her unorthodox tactics and wild magic proving the perfect combination for the unpredictable nature of dinosaur racing. Maledurk, Thorn, and Elora crossed the finish line in quick succession after her, their friendly rivalry reignited by the thrill of the race.

As the excitement died down and the heroes made their way to the nearest tavern, the questions of Barovia still haunted them. They spoke of Strahd, of Ireena, of the mists that had transported them to that realm of darkness. They pondered the fate of the land they had fought to save, wondering if their actions had truly made a difference.

With heavy hearts and unanswered questions, the Nefarious Do-Gooders began their journey back to Waterdeep. The road was long, but with each mile, the weight of their experiences began to lift. Upon reaching the city they called home, they went their separate ways, each changed by their shared ordeal but forever bonded by the memories of their adventures.

Though they had returned to their lives, the shadow of Barovia would forever linger in their hearts. They had faced the mists and the horrors within, and though the tale of their deeds might never be fully known, they could take solace in the knowledge that they had stood together against the darkness, a beacon of hope in a world too often shrouded in shadow.

Notes
  • The party had previously killed Strahd in his castle, driving a large stake through his heart in his coffin. The castle started collapsing around them as they debated their escape route.
  • They exited through a stained glass window, with Thorn flying out, Maledurk dropping a rope, Elora carefully climbing down before remembering she could turn into a bird, and Tempest doing a trust fall that Elora saved her from with Feather Fall.
  • They rode away on mysterious fiery horses as a fog with Strahd’s face consumed the countryside behind them. They broke through a locked gate and rode into the mists ahead to escape.
  • As they rode through the thick mist, it started to get warmer. Thorn heard a growing rumbling that sounded like a crowd as the mist began to lift.
  • The party emerged from the mist to find themselves back in the dinosaur race in Port Nyanzaru, each riding their respective dinosaur mounts (Mountain Thunder, Banana Candy, Big Honker, and Bone Cruncher).
  • Thorn, overcome with relief and happiness to be out of Barovia, stopped her dinosaur and kissed the ground, no longer caring about the race.
  • Tempest persuaded her dinosaur Banana Candy to go faster, while Elora used animal handling to spur Big Honker on. Maledurk tried to encourage Bone Cruncher by whispering in its ear while pushing his weight forward.
  • Thorn took back to the sky, doing joyful loops in the air while generally heading towards the finish line.
  • Tempest attempted to use telekinesis to throw Elora and her dinosaur behind her, but failed her roll and ended up being dragged along the ground behind her own dinosaur.
  • Elora noticed Tempest being dragged behind her by an invisible force. She dropped an Entangle spell behind her to try to grab both Tempest and Maledurk to slow them down.
  • Maladurk and Tempest are slowed down by magical vines that grew out of the road and grabbed them. Maladurk encourages his dinosaur Bone Cruncher to break through the vines.
  • Thorn flies around the arena laughing maniacally. He lands and casts Wall of Force invisibly in front of the finish line, hoping the others will crash into it.
  • Elora casts Ice Storm on the ground to make it slippery and slow the others down.
  • The vines disappear from around Tempest. She jumps back on her dinosaur. She tries to cast Stoneskin on Maladurk’s dinosaur but fails.
  • Maladurk navigates around the ice patch but Bone Cruncher slips and falls. They end up a short distance from the ice.
  • Thorn does an impressive dance routine with his dinosaur Mountain Thunder, sliding gracefully past the ice patch.
  • Elora, not knowing about the Wall of Force, turns and casts Polymorph on Tempest’s dinosaur, turning it into a snail. Elora then crashes into the invisible Wall of Force, taking 10 damage.
  • Tempest grabs her polymorphed snail and runs forward. She shoots Fire Bolts at the Wall of Force trying to break it but they are absorbed. She is confused about the force field.
  • Maladurk climbs back on Bone Cruncher and cautiously moves forward after seeing Elora crash.
  • Thorn realizes he could cross the finish line this turn if he drops the Wall of Force when he reaches it.
  • Elora considers using Jump on her dinosaur to leap over the wall of force, but decides to wait until next turn when she would be closer and able to make it without difficulty. She then plans to saunter towards the finish line.
  • Elora makes an Arcana check and realizes the invisible barrier is likely a Wall of Force spell. She knows Thorne can cast it, but it could also be someone in the crowd.
  • To break Thorne’s concentration on the spell, Elora would need to damage him enough to force a concentration check or knock him unconscious. Polymorphing him wouldn’t break concentration.
  • Thorne claims he is not the one concentrating on the Wall of Force.
  • Elora considers the Wall of Force may not span the entire width of the road. She decides to move along the wall to find the end and go around it.
  • Tempest uses a Tan Bag of Tricks to summon an Axe Beak mount, which is like a rideable ostrich. She rushes forward on it.
  • Tempest remembers a spell cast on her 25 minutes ago that allows her to teleport as a bonus action. She uses it to teleport to the other side of the Wall of Force while holding her snail, winning the race.
  • Maladurk decides to abandon the race and “go back to Barovia”.
  • Thorne leaps off his dinosaur mount, clears the Wall of Force, and lands on the other side as his dinosaur crashes into the wall. He then dismisses the wall and saunters through.
  • Thorne congratulates Tempest on her clever teleport, and suggests they meet at a pub to figure out what just happened, wondering if they made a difference or if it was a mass hallucination.
  • The group ponders if they actually stopped Strahd or saved the town that was crumbling and disappearing as they fled. They have many unanswered questions about Strahd’s past, transformation into a vampire, his brides, etc.
  • As the race ends, the crowd cheers and a prince gives a speech. The group realizes no one else seemed to notice they were gone. They head to their inn to discuss theories on what transpired.