Lore of Barovia - Curse of Strahd: Reloaded

# Metaphysics & Magic The land of Barovia is a "demiplane"—a small, self-contained plane of existence. It is one of many Domains of Dread, which together occupy a small corner of the Shadowfell. Like all of the Domains of Dread, Barovia is entrapped by the mists of Ravenloft, as described in Mists of Ravenloft (p. 23), and ruled by the mysterious Dark Powers. The Dark Powers are nameless, shapeless entities that serve as the jailers of the "Darklords" of the Domains: evil individuals who have committed unspeakable crimes. Strahd von Zarovich is one such Darklord. Precious few—including only archmages, scholars, and (at times) the Darklords themselves—know that the Dark Powers exist. Fewer still know of their true nature and origins. While the Dark Powers were born from the miasma of evil that dwells within the Amber Temple of Barovia, they are not themselves the vestiges—the non-sapient fragments of dead, malevolent gods—that are sealed within the sarcophagi of the temple. (For more information about the vestiges of the Amber Temple, see The Amber Temple (p. 181).) The Dark Powers do not necessarily seek to corrupt those they encounter. Instead, for certain individuals, they seek to offer a choice between darkness and light—and to punish and ensnare those who fall to their temptations. In this adventure, two such individuals are Strahd von Zarovich and Ireena Kolyana. As described in Mists of Ravenloft and Sunlight in Barovia (p. 23-24), the land of Barovia is surrounded by a deadly fog that engulfs any creature that tries to leave, and has not known the light of the sun in centuries. Spells cast in Barovia function as described in Alterations to Magic, and may be cosmetically modified in gruesome ways as described in Cosmetic Spell Modifications (p. 24). While deities and patrons can still empower clerics and warlocks who make their way to Barovia, their ability to intervene directly—given the limited omnipotence of the Dark Powers within the Domains of Dread—is sorely limited. # Geography The geography of Barovia is largely as described in Lay of the Land (p. 23) and Areas of Barovia (p. 33). However, the winding slopes of Tsolenka Pass now house the hidden village of **Soldav**, an isolated settlement of Mountain Folk who reject the druids' decision to worship Strahd as a deity. # Weather Sunrise in Barovia is at 7:00 a.m. and sunset is at 5:00 p.m. each day. Additionally, while the mists remain, the lunar cycle is accelerated in Barovia: the full moon arrives once every two weeks, instead of once every four. # Calendar The current Barovian year is 735 B.C. (Barovian Calendar). The Barovian calendar has twelve 28-day months, which are named as follows: 1 | Month | Barovian Name | Gregorian Name | | :---: | :------------ | :------------- | | 1 | Yinvar | January | | 2 | Fivral | February | | 3 | Mart | March | | 4 | Apryl | April | | 5 | Mai | May | | 6 | Eyune | June | | 7 | Eyule | July | | 8 | Avgust | August | | 9 | Sintyavr | September | | 10 | Octyavr | October | | 11 | Neyavr | November | | 12 | Dekavr | December | # Cultures ## Barovians The denizens of the Village of Barovia are a broken, haunted people, largely as described in Chapter 3: The Village of Barovia (p. 41) and Barovian Villagers (p. 41). Until recently, however, the village of Barovia faced few overt troubles. While not thriving, its residents eked out a meager existence and lived as well as they could. That changed when the priest’s son, Doru—emboldened by the arrival of the vampire hunter Dr. Rudolph van Richten—incited a Barovian mob to march against Castle Ravenloft. Awoken from his long slumber, Strahd laid waste to the members of the mob, killing many of the village’s beloved sons and daughters. Strahd then roused an undead army and sent it against the village as punishment for their insolence. The siege of Barovia decimated the village, killing dozens and wounding many more. Only when Barovia’s burgomaster, a man named Kolyan Indirovich, was slain in battle, did Strahd’s forces ultimately withdraw, judging the slaughter to be sufficient discipline. The burgomaster’s children, Ismark and Ireena, took charge of the rebuilding effort. Even so, many Barovians, fearful of Strahd’s emergence and the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, left their ruined homes and broken families and fled for Vallaki to the west, hoping that its high walls could bring security. Many of those who remained in the village turned on Ismark, blaming him and his father for allowing Strahd to awaken, and for failing to do more to prevent Strahd’s counter strike. Ismark—named for “Ismark the Great,” an ancestral hero who rooted out nests of vampires across the valley—is now scorned as “Ismark the Lesser.” The village has fallen into a state of paranoia, hopelessness, and despair. Neighbors mistrust neighbors, fearful that any person could be charmed by a vampire—or, worse, a vampire in disguise. Few go out of doors, whether day or night. All avoid the church, a scarred and haunted building rumored to be cursed by the Devil Strahd himself. ## Vallakians The people of Vallaki are largely as described in Chapter 5: The Town of Vallaki (p. 95) and Townsfolk (p. 96). Though the town is ruled by Baron Vargas Vallakovich, the local burgomaster, few townsfolk view him with much love or respect. However, Baron Vallakovich commands the loyalty of Izek Strazni, a cruel and capricious brute who enforces the Baron’s will with an iron fist. Izek, as Captain of the Guard, commands the loyalty—and, more importantly, the salaries—of the town’s twenty-four guards, as described in Town Gates (p. 95). Though Vallaki is far from a police state, Izek has spies throughout the town—individuals that he has threatened or intimidated into keeping him abreast of news and information. Those who speak ill of the Baron or his “festivals” (described in Chapter 5: The Town of Vallaki (p. 95)) are thrown in the stocks as described in Donkey-Headed Criminals (p. 119). Those who go further may find themselves forcibly summoned to the Baron’s manor for “corrective rehabilitation,” or even left to the tender mercies of Izek himself, whose diabolic mastery of fire allows him to burn his victims’ flesh or set their homes aflame. As a result, the vast majority of Vallakians have surrendered themselves to Baron Vallakovich’s rule, too terrified of Izek to dare speak out. The sole exceptions are Lady Fiona Wachter, as described in Vallaki Lore (p. 96), and her followers, described further in [[#The Cult of Ezra]]. ## Krezkians The people of Krezk are largely as described in Chapter 8: The Village of Krezk (p. 143), S3. Village of Krezk (p. 145), and Krezk Lore (p. 146). The villagers are largely unaware that their burgomaster, Dmitri Krezkov, is secretly a werewolf. ## Vistani The Vistani are largely as described in Vistani (p. 26), with two major semi-permanent settlements: the encampment at Tser Pool (as described in G. Tser Pool Encampment (p. 36)), and the encampment near Vallaki (as described in N9. Vistani Camp (p. 119)). However, most Barovian Vistani view the valley as a temporary shelter from the evils of the world beyond, or as a brief stopover on their journeys through the mists. Only a few Vistani within Barovia reside there permanently and regard Strahd as their "king"; among those that do, even fewer serve Strahd faithfully as his eyes, ears, and hands amidst the valley. Most Barovian Vistani simply want to live their lives, to partake in life's wonders, and to raise their families in peace. ## Dusk Elves The dusk elves are as described in Roleplaying the Vistani and the Elves (p. 119). ## First Folk The First Folk are a loose society of druidic hunter-gatherers descended from the nomads who first settled in the valley millenia ago. Since Strahd’s arrival in the valley, they have split into two factions: the Forest Folk, who worship Strahd as a deity and do his bidding across the Svalich Woods; and the Mountain Folk, a reclusive people who keep to the old religion of the Ladies Three and who largely remain within the sheltered settlement of Soldav, tucked away on the slopes of Mount Ghakis. # Factions ## Dark Powers Both everywhere and nowhere, the Dark Powers are not quite a proper faction—their goals are inscrutable, their true agenda concealed. As the nameless jailers of Strahd von Zarovich, they seek only to ensure that his prison remains in place, and his suffering continues. As part of Strahd’s punishment, however, the Dark Powers quietly work to keep the soul of Tatyana Federovna—now reincarnated as Ireena Kolyana—out of the vampire’s reach. For all their might, it is against the nature of the Dark Powers to act directly upon the souls within their domains: they can neither destroy her, nor command her spirit. However, as they once did with Strahd, the Dark Powers can always offer a choice—in Ireena’s case, a choice to end her existence, to flee from Strahd’s pursuit, and to find the safety of temporary oblivion. Nearly five hundred years ago, Tatyana Federovna accepted this offer, and leapt from the Pillarstone of Ravenloft to her doom. Forty years later, Marina Ulrich did the same, and let slip to her father the secret of Strahd’s pursuit. Time and time again, the women bearing Tatyana’s soul have been offered this choice and, bereft of other options, made the decision to accept it. It is not yet Ireena’s time—but the Dark Powers are patient, and they know that, alone, she will inevitably fall once more into their grasp. ## Keepers of the Feather The Keepers of the Feather are largely as described in Keepers of the Feather (p. 98), The Martikov Family (p. 174), and U6. Standing Stones (p. 165). The high-ranking membership is dominated by the Martikov family, with patriarch Davian Martikov directing the order’s activities. However, more than a dozen other members are also scattered incognito throughout Barovia, with most stationed in and around the town of Vallaki. The Keepers, despite their lycanthropic nature, are spies—not warriors. With the sole exception of Muriel Vinshaw, a young **wereraven** with a fiery temper and a streak of defiance, the Keepers are reluctant to take up arms in battle. Few are trained in martial combat, and fewer still have the stomach for violence or blood. More importantly, one of the Keepers—a young **wereraven** named Elric, Muriel’s former romantic partner—recently accompanied Doru’s mob of Barovians to Castle Ravenloft, and was killed in the slaughter. Fearing Strahd’s attention, the rest of the Keepers are now laying low, hoping to keep their members safe and their secrets out of the vampire’s hands. That doesn’t mean, though, that the Keepers are staying idle. Their spy network—led by Urwin Martikov and his wereraven associates—has tendrils that reach throughout the valley and mountains, gathering constant intelligence from the flocks of ravens that soar through the skies. Some among the Keepers joke that not a twig could be snapped in the Svalich Woods without Urwin knowing of it—and, sometimes, they wouldn’t be far wrong. ## Barovian Refugees Those Barovians who fled their village in the aftermath of Strahd’s siege faced a long and difficult path on the road to Vallaki. Several lost their lives, whether to wolf attacks or malicious undead, leaving the survivors to bury them along the way—if, of course, there was anything left to bury. When they arrived outside Vallaki’s walls and asked for sanctuary, however, they were met with disturbing news: the gates of the town were closed to them. News of Barovia’s siege had traveled to Vallaki’s streets, and Baron Vallakovich had evidently become convinced that the Barovians themselves were an accursed, unsavory people—and that permitting them to enter his “perfect” town would only empower the Devil to destroy it. Most of the refugees despaired, but only a few struck out on the path back to Barovia; those that did were never seen again. The rest linger on the outskirts of Vallaki, huddling in threadbare tents and bedrolls. Their encampment hugs close to Vallaki’s palisade walls, praying that the silvered spears and crossbows of the town’s guards will keep the beasts of the woods at bay—and that, sooner or later, the people of Vallaki will change their minds and allow them entry. So far, the wolves have kept their distance, but so have the Vallakians. With resources running low, and morale even lower, the refugees are slowly running out of time—even as the shadows of the woods creep ever-closer to their campfires. ## Forest Folk The Forest Folk are one of two groups descended from the hunter-gatherer nomads who first settled the valley. Nearly five centuries ago, when Strahd first invaded Barovia, a group of druidic elders approached him in secret with an offer. Fearful of repeating the oppression their people had once suffered under King Dostron, the elders told Strahd that they would guide him to the sacred places of the valley—the Fanes of the Ladies Three—and teach him the secrets of unlocking their power. In exchange, the elders asked for Strahd’s protection, and his promise that he would leave them in peace in a valley now flooded with blood and ghosts. Strahd agreed, and, with the aid of the druidic elders, the archmage Khazan, and arcane research taken from the Amber Temple, fashioned a profane ritual with which to claim the Fanes for his own. In desecrating these holy sites, Strahd forged an unholy connection with the leylines that lay beneath them—and so became, in a way, the land of Barovia itself. The elders’ betrayal split the First People, causing a schism that sent dark tremors through their weakened society. Some among them—in particular, the other druids, and the caste of primal berserkers who served them—grimly agreed with the elders’ choice. The Ladies of the Fanes, they reasoned, had long since abandoned the People. The days of tooth and claw had ended; the age of steel had begun. Seeking Strahd’s protection, they believed, was the only choice left to them. The passage of time, however, has not been kind to the elders' legacy. Set adrift from their traditions and corrupted by darkness, the modern Forest Folk are a maddened, obsessed people, wholly dedicated to Strahd as their "god." Their leader is Svarog, a mad druid who has bonded his flesh to the Gulthias Tree that grows atop Yester Hill. The Forest Folk are now otherwise largely as described in Chapter 14: Yester Hill (p. 197) and Hidden Graves (p. 198). Recently, the Forest Folk were approached by Ludmilla Vilisevic, one of Strahd’s brides and an envoy from Baba Lysaga, the Witch of Berez. Ludmilla carried information indicating that the Keepers of the Feather, a secret society of wereravens that opposed Strahd’s rule, used the nearby Wizard of Wines Winery as one of their hideouts. With Ludmilla’s aid, the druids of the Forest Folk fashioned a way to create and command blights—the children of the Gulthias Tree—and declared war upon the winery and all its inhabitants. ## Mountain Folk When the schism of the First People began, many were horrified at Strahd’s desecration of their holy places. In seeking protection from the evils of the world, they believed, the druidic elders had destroyed the very things that their society held dear. “Faithless,” they called the Forest Folk, and named Strahd “Shadowsworn” for the darkness he wielded. Unable to resist the druids’ power, or the might of Strahd’s armies, however, these rebels found themselves outmatched: powerless and alone in a world that no longer had a place for them. Those who denied Strahd’s rule—largely hunters, artisans, and warriors—were cast out from the druids’ circles and fled for the slopes of the Balinok Mountains. There, they founded the hidden settlement of Soldav among the crags of Mount Ghakis. Banished from the woodlands of Barovia, they became the Mountain Folk, and set out to carve a new existence among the peaks. Their spiritual leader, an elder **storm giant** named Burebis, is the sole mortal being that still remembers the old days: when the First People ruled the valley, and the Ladies of the Fanes showed them peace and prosperity. In his old age, however, Burebis’ weakened body has been swallowed up by the roots of Mount Ghakis, the embers of his spirit slowly dwindling as he awaits a sign of the *Rozana*’s return. For now, it is all he can do to keep Soldav hidden from Strahd and his spies, encircling the settlement with a constant cover of clouds and snow. ## Beasts of Barovia While not members of any civilized society, the wolves, rats, and bats of Barovia are Strahd’s loyal servants and spies. Each day, at sunrise and sunset, each beast with news to report—of outsiders, of turmoil, or simply of interesting trinkets or treasures—returns to Castle Ravenloft to share what it's learned and to receive new orders to disseminate through the valley. Strahd’s vampiric brides gather and organize their intelligence: the wolves to Volenta Popofsky, the rats to Ludmilla Vilisevic, and the bats to Anastrasya Karelova. ## Brides of Strahd Three of Strahd’s eldest vampiric consorts—Ludmilla, Anastrasya, and Volenta—serve their master loyally, but compete bitterly for his favor. As the eldest and most adept at the arcane arts, Ludmilla is Strahd’s favored research partner, developing new spells for his use while investigating the secrets of the Mists. Meanwhile, Anastrasya is a master of the arts of espionage and diplomacy, managing Strahd’s political relationships while retaining key spies in each of Barovia’s settlements. Finally, Volenta is a skilled artificer and torturer, innovating new traps to guard Ravenloft’s halls while wringing information from those who fall into them. Over the past hundred years, with Strahd asleep in Castle Ravenloft, each of his brides dispersed through the valley to pursue their own agendas. Now, with Strahd awoken, and his moment of reckoning at hand, each bride is desperate to prove their loyalty and worth to Strahd once more—and to win their place at his side when his grand plan comes to fruition. ## Witches of Mother Night While the good-hearted worshippers of Barovia keep the faith of the Morninglord alive, other, darker individuals seek the power and favor of Mother Night instead. Chief among them is Baba Lysaga, the Witch of Berez, who has fostered a coven of fellow devotees by recruiting outcasts and exiles from the settlements of Barovia. The maddened Lysaga views these practitioners as her children, and teaches them to secretly consider themselves the younger siblings of Strahd—sworn to protect and obey him for eternity. These witches are largely as described in Barovian Witch (p. 229), though their pacts are forged with Mother Night instead of Strahd and the Dark Powers. Those sent to Ravenloft serve at the pleasure of Ludmilla Vilisevic, Strahd’s magic-minded consort, though none forget that their true loyalty is owed to Baba Lysaga of the swamp—and, above her, to Strahd himself. ## Wachtercult Unlike in the official *Curse of Strahd* module, Lady Fiona Wachter does not worship devils. Instead, although she retains an **imp** familiar as a memento of her time studying with the witch Baba Lysaga, she has taught the members of her Vallakian cult to worship the goddess Ezra, who is described in [[#The Cult of Ezra]] below. Currently, Lady Wachter’s “book club” boasts six **cult fanatics**, with each fanatic leading a smaller cell of six **cultists** as described in Cultists (p. 96). ## Werewolf Pack The werewolf pack—the members of which call themselves the Children of Mother Night—are largely as described in Chapter 15: Werewolf Den (p. 201). Until Strahd’s awakening, the pack largely used Barovia as a place to rest between hunts, occasionally prowling the roads between settlements, but preferring the tastier meat of the lands beyond the mists. However, when Strahd awoke, he demanded the loyalty of the werewolves whose forebears had once served him faithfully. He threatened to seal the pack within the mists for all eternity if they defied him—but promised them wealth, power, and plentiful prey if they returned to his service. Emil, the leader of the pack, resisted Strahd’s efforts to strip the pack of its agency. He quietly argued that the Children of Mother Night had always been free—free to hunt and kill and live as they chose—and suggested that the pack pretend to accept Strahd’s terms, but abandon Barovia as soon as the mists reopened to them. But Emil was betrayed. Kiril, a young and haughty werewolf who felt his strength had gone unrecognized, was lured by Strahd’s promises of riches and might. Kiril reported Emil’s plot to Strahd’s own ear—and, when the vampire’s dire wolves dragged Emil to the dungeons of Castle Ravenloft, was rewarded with the leadership of the werewolf pack. Now, as the pack’s new alpha and Strahd’s faithful servant, Kiril leads his werewolves on a savage and bloody crusade to dominate the wild places of Barovia, though he dreams of one day surmounting the settlements’ walls and devouring their people like sheep. Meanwhile, Emil’s mate Zuleika, the pack’s holy woman and soothsayer, sits alone in Mother Night’s shrine, silently praying for deliverance—or vengeance. > [!info]+ **Lycanthropy in Barovia** > > In Barovia, the curse of lycanthropy spreads as described in **Player Characters as Lycanthropes** (Monster Manual, p. 207). However, an infected player or other creature does not automatically receive any changes to their ability scores or Armor Class, nor do they automatically receive the benefits of the lycanthrope's stat block (e.g., immunities or regeneration). > > Instead, an infected creature only receives the benefits of lycanthropy upon transforming into their hybrid form on the night of the full moon. During this time, the creature becomes an NPC under the DM's control until dawn, at which point the creature loses the benefits of lycanthropy. > > An infected creature can embrace the curse of lycanthropy—and so gain its full benefits—by completing a certain task, depending on the nature of their curse: > > - An infected **werewolf** must voluntarily kill another humanoid and devour their flesh. > - An infected **wereraven** must be knocked unconscious while voluntarily attempting to protect another humanoid from (what they believe to be) near-certain death. > > An infected lycanthrope can be recognized by the scar of the wound that originally transmitted the curse. The wound will never entirely heal, and remains raw and bloody until the curse is lifted. > > The child of two lycanthropes possesses the full benefits of lycanthropy from birth, and may learn to control their curse as they age. A child born with lycanthropy in this way cannot be cured except by means of a *wish* spell. > > Finally, while the mists remain, the lunar cycle is accelerated in Barovia: the full moon arrives once every two weeks, instead of once every four. **The first full moon that the players experience takes place on Neyavr 8th—the sixth night after they first arrive in Vallaki.** ## Amber Vestiges The vestiges of the Amber Temple are not sentient as most would imagine it; as the decaying remnants of dead gods, they are mere scraps of malevolent power, described further in Chapter 13: The Amber Temple (p. 181), Amber Sarcophagi (p. 191), and X33. Amber Vaults (p. 191). Even so, that is not dead which can eternal lie. From the chill of their amber tombs, these vestiges dream of the power they once wielded—and of a path to renewed apotheosis. Shards of their amber sarcophagi are scattered across the land of Barovia, with each shard bearing a psychic connection to the vestige it once imprisoned. Through these shards, the vestiges can whisper words of corruption, promising power without price. This is a lie: no power is without cost, and the shreds of darkness the vestiges offer warp and transform their recipients—in subtle ways at first, but swelling grotesquely over time. Elisabeth Durst of Death House once bore one of these amber shards; Izek Strazni of Vallaki holds one today. These shards are merely a gateway, however—through small tastes of power, the vestiges hope to lure their victims to the Amber Temple itself. There, the vestiges can offer their greatest dark gifts—and, in doing so, claim their true price and prize: a sliver of the victim’s soul. With each scrap of spirit a vestige claims, it grows in power, inching closer to the day that it will have the strength to break free of its amber prison. Several are now on the precipice. And for those that remain—eternity is full of possibilities, and the dead have nothing but time. ## The Ladies of the Fanes With their holy places desecrated and their worshippers weakened and divided, two of the three Ladies of the Fanes—the Weaver and the Huntress—have been reduced to little more than spirit, unable to take action or exercise the power they once wielded. Only the Seeker, who forged a pact with Katarina, the bastard sister of Strahd von Zarovich, to free the valley from Strahd’s evil, survives. Through their pact, the Seeker subsumed Katarina’s soul to manifest an avatar of her divine power: the Vistana seer Madam Eva. As an aspect of the Seeker, Madam Eva is bound to follow the rules of her divinity. She cannot refuse to read another’s fortune, nor can she share her foretellings with any but those who hear them. Many individuals, both savory and not, have therefore called upon her to see their futures—including, at times, Strahd von Zarovich himself. Given Madam Eva’s exceptionally long lifespan—far longer than any ordinary human—Strahd strongly suspects that she is more than she appears. However, thus far, Madam Eva has been content to give him the foretellings he seeks—and he, in response, has been content to accept her sly smiles and denials. However, Madam Eva foresees that Strahd will soon return to her for a final, terrible time—and that the reading she will deliver shall define the fate of all Barovia. # Religions ## The Church of the Morninglord The dominant faith in Barovia worships the deity known as the Morninglord, a god of dawn and renewal. In centuries past, with the sun always hidden behind overcast skies, the people’s faith had slowly slipped into empty ritual. With Strahd newly awoken, however, a wave of despair has swept across the valley—and, with it, a streak of religious revivalism. Vallaki in particular has seen a dramatic expansion in worshippers seeking hope, comfort, and a sense of security from the faith of their forefathers. Father Lucian Petrovich, the priest of St. Andral’s Church in Vallaki, does what he can to preach the Morninglord’s grace, as described in N1. St. Andral’s Church (p. 97) but even he has his quiet doubts about how far that protection can go. > [!lore]+ **The Names of the Gods** > > In *Forgotten Realms* lore, "Morninglord" is the epithet of Lathander, the greater god of dawn and renewal. However, no canonical deity has the epithet "Mother Night," leaving her true name a mystery. > > Mother Night's identity is, admittedly, irrelevant to the narrative of this campaign. However, her divine portfolio—including witches, foresight, nocturnal beasts, and lycanthropes—most closely matches that of Shar, the *Forgotten Realms*' greater god of trickery and death. Known also as the "Mistress of the Night," Shar was the creator of the Shadowfell, the realm in which Barovia—and all the Demiplanes of Dread—now reside. ## The Coven of Mother Night Though most Barovians worship the Morninglord in public, a precious few scorn his faith and instead turn their worship to Mother Night, seeking safety, power, or simple vengeance. Witches and werewolves comprise the bulk of Mother Night’s followers, though some ordinary Barovians build secret shrines to her, joining in profane fellowship with the creatures of night. ## The Cult of Ezra Some Barovians are neither wholly satisfied with the faith of the Morninglord nor depraved enough to seek the blessings of Mother Night. In their eyes, the Morninglord is a powerless or craven deity, unable to save his own worshippers or even raise a single sunrise, while Mother Night is a cruel and savage being, too dangerous to acknowledge or worship. These Barovians walk a middle path, and instead worship Ezra, the Mistwalker: the god of the Mists, or—as some suggest—the embodiment of the Mists themselves. (See Ezra, God of the Mists, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft at p. 64, for more information.) In Barovia, the followers of Ezra preach that power is an illusion, and suffering life’s only constant. Many believe that tales of the sun are myths, and that Barovia has neither past nor future: only an unceasing present that must be forever endured. Lady Fiona Wachter of Vallaki is a quiet worshipper of Ezra, as are her followers. Many turn to Ezra for comfort in times of tragedy, finding it easier to believe that hope is an illusion than to believe that it may be attained and then lost. Few, however, suspect the horrible truth: that “Ezra” does not, and has never existed—and that her soothing voice is merely a simulacrum conjured by the twisted whispers of the Dark Powers themselves. ## The Faith of the Ladies Three In Soldav, the hidden bastion of the Mountain Folk, the people still keep to the old faith of the Ladies of the Fanes: the Weaver, the Seeker, and the Huntress. They do their best to honor their goddesses with offerings of food, flowers, and song, but mourn the loss of knowledge and tradition that came when the druids betrayed their faith for Strahd’s protection. They no longer remember the sacred rites that once bound their ancestors to the Ladies’ fellowship, nor do they remember the secrets of the Ladies’ blessings. The Mountain Folk still remember, though, that the Weaver’s holy place was the Swamp Fane, near the ruined town on the shores of the Luna River; the Huntress's, the Forest Fane, atop Yester Hill; and the Seeker’s, the Mountain Fane, in a western clearing in the valley's woodland basin. They remember that the Seeker was a goddess of foresight, prophecy, and storms, her sigil a raven’s eye, ever-searching. They remember that the Weaver was a goddess of resilience, craftsmanship, and care, her sigil a spider’s delicate web. They remember, too, that the Huntress was a goddess of beasts, wild places, and war, her sigil a sharpened wolf’s tooth. Together, this trinity oversaw each life that was born in the valley: the Seeker, forging the threads of fate that would bind them together; the Weaver, spinning those threads into a lush and vibrant tapestry; and the Huntress, cutting each thread at its appointed time, and ushering its soul into death. # Design Notes: Lore of Barovia ***Metaphysics & Magic.*** The original Curse of Strahd module makes clear that the Dark Powers and the vestiges of the Amber Temple are separate entities, and that the evil of the latter gave birth to the former. This guide has intentionally preserved this distinction, aiming to retain the Gothic mystery of Barovia's existence without explaining it to the players outright. In doing so, this guide rejects a popular community idea that the Vampyr, one of the vestiges of the Amber Temple, is a "Dark Power" that has locked Barovia away in the mists—and that binding or otherwise defeating Vampyr is necessary to truly lift the "curse of Strahd." While this idea of a hidden "final boss" may be attractive on its face, the addition of a "Bigger Bad" diminishes Strahd by comparison, leaving him a puppet on the strings of a far more powerful villain. Strahd is not the villain of *Curse of Strahd* because he is powerful; he is the villain because he is a cruel, prideful, and deeply personal antagonist. To remove him as the final boss of his own campaign would both weaken the tragic themes that underly it and, more importantly, cheapen the relationship that the players have developed with him throughout the course of the adventure. ***Geography.*** This guide has intentionally preserved the scale of Barovia as described in the original module, rejecting popular community changes that double (or even triple) the distances between settlements. Barovia is intentionally a claustrophobic space; one in which the specter of Strahd and his minions is everpresent. More practically, the module's fast-paced narrative requires short travel times between points of interest to ensure that the players are never far from their next destination. While some may be tempted to increase travel times nonetheless in order to force the players to camp on the road, it's worth noting that nocturnal random encounters are rarely valuable in advancing the story. *Curse of Strahd: Reloaded* is intentionally a Gothic action-adventure campaign, rather than a survival-horror one, because the *Dungeons & Dragons* system is a poor home for scarcity mechanics—and because most players would rather feel like heroes than survivalists. ***Cultures.*** The changes to Barovian history are discussed in further detail in **History of Barovia** below. In Vallaki, Izek Strazni now has a small number of local spies to explain why—in a town where all guards have been assigned to patrol the walls—the Baron is so easily able to find and prosecute individuals for "malicious unhappiness." Secondly, the First Folk have been included to provide a shared backstory for the mad druids of Yester Hill and the berserkers of the Balinok Mountains. ***Factions.*** More information about the Dark Powers' relationship with Strahd von Zarovich and Ireena Kolyana is discussed in **Chapter 3: Running the Game.** The deceased wereraven, Elric, has been added to the Keepers of the Feather to explain why Baba Lysaga and the druids of Yester Hill have suddenly discovered the society's existence. Meanwhile, the Barovian refugees have been added outside of Vallaki's walls to give Ireena a non-selfish reason to travel to Vallaki (i.e., to aid the refugees in relocating from Barovia); to explain why the village of Barovia is a hollow, empty town; and to provide Fiona Wachter with victims to offer Strahd on the night of the Vallakian "Blood Tax," which provides the players a critical opportunity to infiltrate Castle Ravenloft while Strahd is not present. The "good" Mountain Folk of Soldav have been added to provide the players with a meaningful opportunity to learn the history of the mad druids of Yester Hill and to hook the players into the Ladies of the Fanes questline—a narrative arc that now plays a key role in Strahd's final plan. Finally, the recent history of the werewolf pack has been updated to tie more strongly into the narrative of Strahd's recent reawakening, while the amber vestiges have been given "amber shards" to introduce players to their corruption on a much earlier timescale than the original module. ***Religions.*** The cult of Ezra has been added to the campaign to provide additional depth to Fiona Wachter’s characterization and to foreshadow the true nature of the Dark Powers before Ireena meets and defies them at the climax of her character arc. 1 Barovian Calendar, *The Travelogue Wiki*, https://travelogue.fandom.com/wiki/Barovian_Calendar (last visited Mar. 29, 2024).