Vistani
Known throughout the Land of @The Mists, Vistani (singular: Vistana) are a people with a unique understanding of the Domains of Dread and the hidden paths between them. Following itinerant traditions, many Vistani travel between domains, learning much of hidden lands, the many faces of evil, and the strange wonders of @The Mists. A people unto themselves, Vistani refuse to be captives of a single domain, @The Mists, or any terror.
Vistani Culture
Unlike the denizens of individual domains, Vistani are inhabitants of the Land of @The Mists as a whole. Although they trace their origins to the same world as @Barovia, many Vistani look toward the future, learning from their traditions and from one another to better face whatever lies ahead.
Vistani bands consist primarily of one or more extended @Human families who can trace their heritage back to age-old Vistani clans. Over generations of exploring @The Mists, though, individuals of other ancestries have been accepted into some clans and now are full-fledged members of Vistani culture (see "Vistani Characters" below for details).
As they travel, members of a Vistani band walk, ride on horseback, and drive ledge wagons, stopping at night to set up camp. Vistani bands occasionally camp near welcoming communities to trade and resupply, but rarely stay more than a weekâthough this can be complicated if a Darklord closes a domain's borders. Most bands make their living primarily through craftwork (especially delicate silversmithing), horse rearing, and trading wares carried between domains.
Meetings between Vistani bands are opportunities to trade, catch up with friends, and share both news and warnings of dangers ahead or behind.
Vistani Magic and @The Mists
Vistani pass their varied teachings through their families as stories and songs, detailing lessons learned from generations of travelers, warnings specific to visited domains, and traditional magic. Spellcasters aren't uncommon among Vistani bands, with many favoring divination magic for the practical help it provides in avoiding danger. Spellcasters often incorporate their people's traditional divination tools into their spellcasting, including the fortune-telling cards called @Tarokka Decks (see also the Tarokka Decks and Tarokka Readings Lore articles).
With their experience navigating @The Mists, many Vistani understand how to employ Mist Talismans to reach specific domains, or possess the Mist Walker Dark Gift, allowing them to make their way between domains. Vistani don't enter @The Mists lightly, though, knowing that each such passage holds inherent danger. Caravan leaders ensure that every family member is accounted for before moving on, ensuring no one gets lost in @The Mists.
Vistani Knowledge
Vistani travelers have a holistic perspective on the Domains of Dread and know the following secrets:
@The Mists are more than weather and are manipulated by forces that seem fickle and often cruel.
@The Mists can carry travelers between lands and can be coerced but never controlled.
Evil is real and embodied by individuals of terrible power.
Time, reality, and memory don't always move in reliable ways, particularly between domains.
One might glimpse their fortune, but such things endlessly shift. Every soul makes their own fate.
Views of Vistani
Their travels across domains bring many Vistani into contact with a wide range of people. As the only outsiders that some remote communities see in the course of a year, the news and goods Vistani bring ensures a genuine welcome and renewal of longstanding trade relationships. Some more dismal communities view Vistani with suspicion, though, being wary of anyone who emerges from @The Mists. But even these communities often find the lure of news and trade too tempting to forgo entirely.
Most people who live among the Domains of Dread know the following things about Vistani:
They don't fear @The Mists and can travel safely through @The Mists to other lands.
They carry goods and stories from far-off lands.
They're protective of their families, which includes members of other caravans.
Most don't discuss their culture or beliefs with outsiders.
Their travel routes are unpredictable, and a community might go years without seeing a Vistani caravan.
Traveling with Vistani
Members of Vistani bands understand the disorienting, dangerous nature of @The Mists better than anyone. Vistani caravans sometimes take pity on those who ask them for help, especially strangers from unfamiliar lands hopelessly searching for home, allowing such wayfarers to travel with them as far as the next settlement. In rare cases, a clan might even adopt a gracious, helpful traveler.
Characters who befriend or do right by members of a Vistani band might be allowed to take shelter or travel with a caravan for a time. But Vistani travelers quickly share tales of danger and of those who've wronged them with other caravans, and those who slight one Vistana often meet others who share a grudge against them.
Vistani Characters
Being a Vistana makes a character part of a larger family and cultural tradition. Most Vistani are @Human, but many bands incorporate other peoples, particularly @Halflings, wood @Elfs, @Orcs, and @Tieflings. Vistani have a range of skin, eye, and hair colors. When creating Vistani characters, consider the following questions.
Did they leave their clan's caravan? If so, are they seeking to right a wrong done to them, or to spare them from harm? If not, how do they balance their adventures with their family's travels? Are there ways they and their family keep tabs on one another?
How much do they know about navigating @The Mists? Do they know how to travel between domains? Do they use divination magic to guide their fate? Or do they know little about it, having left navigation to others?
How do they feel about being away from their people? Do they enjoy socializing with a variety of people? Did they seek a settled life? Do they want to finish their tasks quickly and return to their family?
Famed Vistani
Some Vistani are legends among their people, and their bands might be encountered anywhere. The individuals noted here number among the most famous Vistani band leaders:
Hyskosa. A renowned poet and storyteller, Hyskosa leads a caravan that embraces @The Mists and goes where they lead it. As a result, his clan is unmoored from time and reality, appearing in different ages, in strange versions and configurations of domains, and even on worlds beyond the Domains of Dread. His lyrical accounts of his travels are often viewed as prophecies.
@Madam Eva. A controversial figure among Vistani, @Madam Eva made a bargain with the @Vampire, Vampire Form Count @Strahd von Zarovich. As a result, the evils that lurk in @Barovia avoid Vistani. However, @Madam Eva and her followers occasionally ally with the infamous count, giving them a sinister reputation. @Madam Eva and her unique band of Vistani are often encountered at the @Tser Pool Encampment.
Mother Luba. The @Halfling Mother Luba is known for putting unquiet spirits to rest and transporting wayward souls through @The Mists to their rightful homes. Those wicked spirits beyond her aid she trapped within her @Tarokka Deck, which became known as @Luba's Tarokka of Souls.