A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. The wind’s howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Unlike crows, ravens are seen as noble and wise tricksters.Unravel the mysteries of Ravenloft in this dread adventure for the world’s greatest roleplaying game These phantoms are all that remain of Strahd’s enemies, and this damnable fate awaits anyone who opposes him.
Spirits drift along the Old Svalich Road toward Castle Ravenloft in the dead of night. It is widely believed that she has forsaken the Barovian people and sent the devil Strahd to punish them for their ancestors’ offenses. The presence of Mother Night is felt most strongly between dusk and dawn, although nighttime prayers to her go unanswered. Now, the sun has not shone unobscured for centuries, and the Morninglord no longer answers their prayers. Two divine forces watch over the Barovian people: the Morninglord and Mother Night.īefore the curse of Strahd befell the land, the Morninglord watched over the Barovian people from sunrise until sundown. Wine or a dessert known as dream pies can mitigate these terrible visions. Many people in town suffer from horrible nightmares. Residents have begun boarding up the homes of people suspected of illness. Some strange illness has been infecting residents, and the effects have been deadly. The night of his death, they howled long and loud, terrifying the village. Wolves loped through the streets for the past week, ever since the Burgomaster took ill. He is an outsider and no friend of the vampire’s.
Barovian taverns get their wine from the Wizard of Wines winery near Krezk.Ī mad wizard of great power haunts the foothills of Mount Baratok. Wine is the lifeblood of Barovia-for some, it is the only reason to keep living. The village.burgomaster is named Dmitri Krezkov. The fortified village of Krezk lies at the west end of the valley and is built around an old abbey. Its burgomaster is named Baron Vargas Vallakovich. The town of Vallaki lies in the heart of the valley. Its burgomaster is named Kolyan Indirovich. The village of Barovia sits at the east end of the valley. Wolves, dire wolves, and werewolves prowl the Svalich Woods, hovering patches of crimson mist drain people into husks, and hungry bats fill the skies at night. Some are said to linger in the deep forest and far shores of the lake.Ī hideous giant seen near the waterfall (troll living under Tser falls) Many monsters have entered the realm through the mist. over the years, but they all die or disappear before long.Ī party of adventurers from 2 years ago, 5 years ago, 20 years ago.Ī slender, pointed-eared foreigner with strange animals in a caravan arrived last year.Many strangers have been drawn to Barovia His vampiric wives are particularly feared.Īnyone who attempts to leave the land of Barovia begins to choke on the fog. Running water burns a vampire like acid, and sunlight causes a vampire to burst into flame.
In its humanoid form, it can control you with its powerful gaze.Ī vampire can’t enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants. At night, it can summon wolves and vermin to do its bidding.Ī vampire can transform into a bat, a wolf, or a cloud of mist. (This is untrue, but Barovians believe it nonetheless.)Ī vampire must rest in its coffin during the day. The devil Strahd is a curse placed on the land because of a forgotten sin of the Barovians’ ancestors against Mother Night. Mercilessly crushed his adversaries after their surrender, in a clearing south of the Ivlis River It plummeted to the earth after passing over Castle Ravenloft-must be in the woods somethere Strahd is a mighty warrior who has bested hundreds on the field of battle and slew a dragon in the final days of the war. Strahd von Zarovich is a vampire, and he dwells in Castle Ravenloft.