Black Carriage (I)

Even here, in the mountains, the forest and the fog are inescapable. Ahead, the dirt road splits in two, widening toward the east. There you see patches of cobblestone, suggesting that the eastern branch was once an important thoroughfare.

If Strahd has invited the characters to Castle Ravenloft or otherwise wants to steer them in his direction, add:

Parked at the fork in the road, pointed east, is a large black carriage drawn by two black horses. The horses snort puffs of steamy breath into the chill mountain air. The side door of the carriage swings open silently.

The two black draft horses are under Strahd's control. The horses wait for the characters to pile into the carriage if they so desire. There is room inside for eight of them. If they get into the carriage, the horses draw it down the road to area J. The horses can't be discouraged from their course, not even by a skilled teamster.

Characters who don't want to travel east in the carriage can follow the road northwest through a set of iron gates (area B) that open as they approach and close behind them, or the characters can travel south along the winding road to the bridge at Tser Falls (area H).