In the lore, we have no proof of the death of Anastasia, let alone Svetlana. So, it's about her. I thought that if such a powerful necromancer is still somewhere out there, either on her own or in the spirit world, then Aranthir, as Ascha's chosen one, could try to bring her to his side.
Giovanni is an important character in the next map. His plans are quite grand and extend beyond Erathia and the Duchy of the Bull. Even after being defeated by Aranthir and forced to flee, our brave vampire doesn't lose his grip.
The closed mini-zones are Easter eggs, yes.
Thank you for the walkthrough.