Domain of the First Vampire
Darklord. @Strahd von Zarovich
Genre. Gothic Horror
Hallmarks. Undead despot, notorious haunted stronghold, tragic resurrection
Mist Talismans. @Barovian Wine Bottle, @von Zarovich Family Crest, Mark of the Raven talisman
In Barovia, the night is a curse. With the dying of the light, wicked souls slip from the darkened spires of @Castle Ravenloft to work the will of an immortal overlord. This is the realm of the vampire Count @Strahd von Zarovich, whose depravities have doomed him and countless generations to endlessly repeating cycles of obsession and despair.
The howls of wolves and shrieks of raven swarms echo through the dismal valleys and oppressive forests of @Barovia. In isolated communities, superstitious villagers find the brightness in their lives smothered by dread of their aloof overlord, his baleful servants, and ancient evils that fester unopposed. All the domain's residents know to fear @The Mists and the long Barovian nights, as through them the Devil Strahd watches and reaches to claim whatever he desires. Yet none realize their torments have played out over and over again, all part of Strahd's plot to claim one victim who has eluded him for generations.
Those familiar with @Barovia know the following facts:
@Barovia is a gloomy realm of valleys isolated by wolf-prowled forests and treacherous mountains. Dense clouds cast the land in perpetual gloom.
The land's somber, superstitious people live in small, scattered villages. These communities are each led by a burgomaster who seeks to avoid the ire of the land's aloof lord, Count @Strahd von Zarovich. Strangers are widely viewed with suspicion.
Many locals believe Count von Zarovich is a @Vampire, Vampire Form. He dwells in @Castle Ravenloft, a citadel from which few return.
Vistani bands passing through Barovia are under the protection of the count. This protection stems from a past kindness the Vistani showed the count and from his long association with the fortune-teller @Madam Eva.
The stories of @Barovia's people are full of hidden evils: treacherous witches, secretive cults, portentous ravens, vicious werewolves, and worse.
A diverse populace dwells in @Barovia, their ancestors drawn from lands long ago conquered by Count von Zarovich. The people favor dressing in muted but functional clothes, have a wide range of skin and hair colors, and often have names inspired by Slavic peoples. When creating characters from @Barovia, consider the following questions.
What was their life like in @Barovia? Were they the child of a shepherd, vintner, or burgomaster? Was their life humble, or were they spared scarcity of coin and food? Did someone in their life vanish, or did they suffer some brush with the creatures of the night?
What superstitions do they cleave to? Is there something they do or say every morning or at night? Do animals—particularly @Bats, @Ravens, or @Wolfs—feature in their superstitions? What superstitions do they have regarding coins, doorways, meals, or wounds?
Do they have recurring dreams or visions of unfamiliar experiences or past lives? Who were they in these dreams? What do they tell them about @Barovia? Do they believe they hold any truth? Does Count @Strahd von Zarovich feature in any of these visions?
@Barovia's people are slow to trust strangers, but they eagerly share tales of the past tragedies and grim rumors that haunt every corner of their land. Ancient mysteries pervade the domain, and those who leave the relative safety of Barovia's settlements enter perilous lands where mortals aren't welcome.
@Castle Ravenloft is Count @Strahd von Zarovich's accursed sanctuary. Here Strahd committed his bloodiest crimes and began the cycle of despair in which all @Barovia remains locked. Lurking @Undead, tormented spirits, and Strahd's other servants haunt the vast castle, each serving the count's schemes; reflecting some aspect of his depraved past; or protecting his coffin, which lies hidden within the castle's vast catacombs. Mementos of lost times and fallen heroes lie scattered throughout the count's home. Strahd keeps these relics close, but that might hold the key to his undoing.
Nestled on the edge of Barovia, Krezk is a hardy and self-sustaining village. Burgomaster @Dmitri Krezkov scours the land for wine and other small luxuries, hoping to infuse some happiness into the villagers' lives. Krezk's most prominent landmark, the @Abbey of Saint Markovia, looms high on a nearby cliff. This abbey is the home of a group of strange, afflicted creatures who work for a young and striking abbot. Some believe @The Abbot to be Strahd in disguise, although in truth he is a @Celestial being who has been corrupted by the Dark Powers.
In addition to the information known to all Barovians, the villagers of Krezk (called Krezkites) know the following bits of local lore:
Residents never leave the village for fear of being attacked by wolves, dire wolves, and werewolves.
About once a month, a wagonload of wine arrives from the @Wizard of Wines Winery, the winery and vineyard to the south. The business is owned and operated by the Martikov family.
Burgomaster @Dmitri Krezkov recently lost his fourteen-year-old son, @Ilya Krezkov, to illness. Ilya was the last of the four Krezkov children.
A pool at the north end of the village provides fresh water throughout the year. Next to the pool, the village's ancestors built a shrine to the Morninglord in a gazebo. It's known as the Shrine of the White Sun.
The @Abbey of Saint Markovia is named after a priest of the Morninglord who took a stand against the devil Strahd. After a fierce uprising, Markovia and her most loyal followers stormed @Castle Ravenloft, only to be destroyed.
The abbey was once a hospital and a convent, but it fell on hard times after the land was swallowed up by @The Mists. Some of the clergy fell prey to Strahd, while others went mad and either starved themselves to death or turned to cannibalism.
The head of the abbey, called simply @The Abbot, arrived over a century ago and hasn't aged a day since. He occasionally visits the Shrine of the White Sun but doesn't talk much, and he demands tribute in the form of wine. No one knows his true name or where he came from, and many believe he's Strahd's servant or the vampire himself in disguise.
No one from the village visits the abbey anymore. The abbey's bell rings at odd times, day and night, and the place is filled with baleful screams and horrible, inhuman laughter that can be heard throughout the village.
Isolated from the rest of Barovia, Vallaki appears at first as an oddly mirthful place, but this seeming joy is an illusion. The burgomaster, Baron @Vargas Vallakovich, is convinced happiness holds the key to Vallaki's salvation, and so he convenes festival after bizarre festival with titles such as the Festival of the Blazing Sun, the Promenade of Coffins, and the Wolf's Head Jamboree. Additionally, numerous factions are active within the town, including the Keepers of the Feather and the priests of Osybus.
In addition to the information known to all Barovians, Vallakians know the following bits of local lore:
The @Blue Water Inn offers food, wine, and shelter to visitors. A stranger with pointed ears is staying there. He came to @Barovia from a distant land, riding into town on a carnival wagon.
The burgomaster, Baron @Vargas Vallakovich, has decreed that the Festival of the Blazing Sun will be held in the town square in three days. The previous festival, which he called the Wolf's Head Jamboree, was less than a week ago.
Vallaki has endured at least one festival every week for the past several years. Some Vallakians believe that the festivals keep the devil Strahd at bay. Others think they provide no protection or benefit whatsoever. Most consider them dismal affairs.
Those who speak ill of the festivals are declared by the burgomaster to be in league with the devil Strahd and arrested. Some are thrown in the stocks, while others are taken to the burgomaster's mansion so that the baron can purge them of their evil.
The burgomaster's henchman, @Izek Strazni, has a history of violence as well as a fiendish deformity: a monstrous arm with which he can conjure fire. Fear of Izek keeps the baron's enemies at bay.
No one hates the burgomaster more than Lady @Fiona Wachter, who is often quoted as saying, "I'd rather serve the devil than a madman." She owns an old house in town but rarely leaves her estate. Her two adult sons, @Nikolai Wachter Junior and @Karl Wachter, are local troublemakers. Lady Wachter also has a mad daughter whom she keeps locked away. The burgomaster doesn't confront Fiona or her offspring because he is afraid of Lady Wachter, whose family has old ties to Strahd.
Purple flashes of light have been seen emanating from the attic of the burgomaster's mansion.
There's a Vistani camp in the woods southwest of town. The Vistani there aren't very friendly. Vistani aren't welcome in Vallaki.
West of town is a haunted mansion. Legend has it that a dragon died there long, long ago.
South of town is a village that has been abandoned for decades. Its burgomaster committed some terrible offense and incurred the wrath of Strahd.
Lying in the shadow of @Castle Ravenloft, the village of Barovia is oppressed by fear. The villagers rarely venture from their homes, suspecting their neighbors of wickedness and fearing evils are taking root in the shadows. Their fears are largely justified, as ghosts and vampire spawn haunt the town, and many locals have been consumed by their own callousness or wicked temptations. A rare exception to the village's cold desperation can be found at the local tavern called the @Blood of the Vine Tavern. Those few who would oppose Strahd's evil congregate here—and are in turn spied upon by the count's agents.
Once a haven of virtuous wizards, the Amber Temple was long ago corrupted by evil. It was here that Strahd made his pact with the Dark Powers to become a vampire, with the blessing of the @Lich @Exethanter. While the lich remains, albeit as a mere shadow of its former self, the true evil within the Amber Temple lies within its collection of amber sarcophagi. These monoliths hold vestiges of dead, hateful gods—beings that aspire to re-create past depravities and manipulate mortals to fulfill unspeakable agendas. Various evil forces set their intentions upon the Amber Temple, viewing it as a nexus of secrets underpinning the nature of the Domains of Dread. The Priests of Osybus have particular interest in this site.