Lore

Open threads

Keep Ireena Safe Open

Strahd's bargain: as long as the party keeps Ireena safe, he spares the Village of Barovia and Baba Lysaga leaves them and their friends alone. Hours later, vampire spawn were waiting on the road. The village of Barovia hasn't been attacked since.

Find Helliax's Family Open

Elara and Turuck were taken by the mists years ago. Madam Eva says they went into Castle Ravenloft. Strahd says Elara is alive, and Turuck is closer to him than to Helliax.

Find the Rest of the Journal Open

The bullywugs' ritual scroll turned into a page torn from someone's journal about Strahd: his habits, and what it will take to cleanse this land. The rest of the book is out there somewhere. So is the question of why a page of it was in the witch's hut.

Who Signed Ghast's Contract? Open

Someone paid Clan Bone-Ward to send Ghast to this party. Madam Eva's card for him was the Shepherd, and her advice was to look to the mother.

Madam Eva's Great Reading Open

Eva promised a full tarokka reading: five things the party will need if they ever mean to face Strahd. The personal readings are done. The big one still hasn't happened,.

What Happened to Eliza? Open

The Vistani fiddler vanished from Tser Pool overnight. One wolf's tracks became human footprints and disappeared, and mixed tracks climb into the mountains west of the lake.

Fiadh's Father Open

The old woman of the northern caravan knows where Fiadh's father went, and has never said. Fiadh left with the caravan to find him.

Hunt Down Morgantha Open

The pie-wagon hag sank into the earth mid-fight. Gesch swore he'll find her.

Who Buys the Ireena Dolls? Open

Blinsky makes dolls with Ireena's face for a man who comes for them every week and punishes him if they are late. An old woman at the Blue Water Inn says Izek has been looking for one woman for ten years.

Stella Won't Wake Up Open

Karl Wachter's little sister Stella lies in her room, breathing, eyes open, and won't wake. Their brother Nikolai says he'll find a cure in days. Jordana offered the party's help.

A Safe Place for Arabelle Open

The Vistani girl from the lake has nowhere safe to go. Madam Eva, who she says is her great-grandmother, sometimes comes to Vallaki for the festivals.

Things of note

The Jade Crystal

Fiadh pried it out from under the floorboards of Baba Lysaga's hut. Ghast found it held ancient fey nature magic that the witch had been running backwards, draining the land into herself. Returned to the bullywugs' stone circle, it lifted off the stone, the stones sang, and the river began to run clear. It stays there now.

The Torn Journal Page

When Ghast read the bullywugs' ritual scroll, the words burned off the page, and new golden writing formed in their place: a page torn from a journal kept by someone studying Strahd, his habits, and what it will take to cleanse this land. It's one page. There's a bigger book somewhere.

Leona's Greatsword

Gesch gave this blade to Leona after years of training her. It was too heavy for her to lift at the end, when the shadows had drained her. Gesch carries it now.

Helliax's Symbol of Selûne

Helliax wears Selûne's symbol openly and keeps it polished enough to catch what little moonlight gets through Barovia's fog. Standing in front of Strahd, he gripped it until it cut his palm: "You may rule Barovia, but you do not own its darkness. Night belongs to her."

Donavich's Holy Symbol

Father Donavich claimed he'd given it away. Doru had it the whole time, chained in the cellar, and holding it was proof he wasn't fully a vampire yet. When his father died for him it flared warm in his hands, and by village custom the priesthood passed with it.

The Amber Shard

A letter said the shard and the beast's name would calm the beast for a while. The party found it in a smashed lockbox and used it to open the ram's-head door to the crypts. Elizabeth Durst wore its twin at her throat. When the house collapsed, it crumbled to dust.

Strahd's Letter to the Dursts

Found on a corpse jammed halfway into a chest in Death House: a letter to the master of the house accusing him of sacrifice, torture, and an affair, and mentioning a stillborn son. It was the first time the party saw Strahd's name.

The Durst Invitation

Found in a cloak pocket in Death House, dated more than three centuries ago, inviting guests to Gustav and Elizabeth Durst's anniversary. It gave an address in the Village of Barovia, not Daggerford. Arlek collapsed trying to read it.

Corso's Cloak and Finger

Found on the nursery floor in Death House: Corso's cloak, which Helliax folded like a flag, and one of his fingers, still ink-stained, marked with small white bites. Fiadh wrapped it in a handkerchief. Both were buried with Leona at the ruined tower.

Morgantha's Pies

Barovia's villagers beg for them, and some stuff mud in their mouths when there are none. Helliax ate one and fell asleep in Morgantha's wagon. When he worked out what was in them, he threw up.

Stanimir's Potion

The old Vistana gave it to Helliax quietly after Strahd's visit, because he thought Helliax had the best chance. Helliax passed it straight to Fiadh, since she's always the one next to the big shields.

The Rose-Thorn Daggers

Taken from the ambushers on the road to Barovia. Instead of leather or polished wood, the handles are wrapped in spikes like rose thorns.

The Buried Silver Locket

Dug up on the road home from the swamp, after who knows how long in the ground. It holds two small portraits. One of them came off on Ghast's thumb.

Lord Ambercrest

Jordana made it, said it was very similar to him, and gave it to him free of charge. He accepted it through gritted teeth and then used it for a tea party with Arabelle.

Arabelle's Doll

Eighteen gold from Blinsky's Toys. Blinsky bought the hair from the coffin maker and carved the eye from a piece of bone. Cassius's Detect Evil says both came from something undead. Arabelle loves it.

Powers and factions

The Vistani

Close-knit caravans of music, fire, and fortune-telling. Madam Eva's people found Strahd dying in the mud long ago and have served him since, and in return the mists let them pass. They welcomed the party, kept the rescued children, and would not let the Bone-Ward exorcist near their fire. Not every tribe is the same. The caravan north of the Vallaki road follows the master, spits at Madam Eva's name, and says its people saved Strahd from near death centuries ago.

Clan Bone-Ward

They ward and destroy the undead for a living, moving by caravan from one dreadful town to the next. The Vistani say they meddle with death magic, and the feud between the two peoples goes back generations. Madam Eva says both sides learned the wrong half of the story.

The Bullywugs

They rise out of the water demanding you say the words. They asked the party to recover a scroll the witch stole, sheltered them, treated their wounded, and carried them downriver. Since the ritual cleansed their river, the bullywugs owe the party, and their stone circle is a safe place to rest.

The Myconids of Berez

A ceremony of about fifteen, led by a huge sovereign, blocked the river route through Berez. The peace talk failed on one bad roll. They fed on Cassius, and one called out for Baba Lysaga as it burned. The party destroyed them.

The Defenders of Barovia

Crossbows on the rooftops, Ismark at the west gate, Bildrath and Parriwimple at the east. They'd lost two people at the east gate the day before the party arrived, and more every night after.

The Nightly Dead

It started after Doru disappeared, ending thirty years of peace: a few zombies at first, then thinking ghouls, an archer riding a cloud, and a smoky, plague-ridden thing that killed the grass where it drifted.

The Durst Family

Gustav and Elizabeth, their children Rose and Thorn, a hidden third child, a nursemaid named Klara, and a cult in the basement. Their portrait hangs in the foyer, and nobody in it is smiling.

The Thorned Ambushers

They stepped out of the rocks and trees on the road to Barovia and just stood there. The cloaked ones blink next to you, drink through their blades, and carry daggers with rose-thorn handles. They dropped half the party. Nobody knows for certain who sent them, hours after Strahd swore to keep Ireena safe.

Closed threads

Tell Ismark His Sister Is Alive Done

Ismark knows his sister is alive and safe under Strahd's bargain. Helliax healed him, and Ireena chose to keep traveling with the party.

Find Fiadh's Mother's Caravan Done

The caravan was right where Madam Eva said, north of the road to Vallaki. They knew her mother's name, Zorica. Fiadh left the party to travel with them.

Lift Gesch's Curse Done

In the village of Barovia, Ghast cast remove curse and lifted Baba Lysaga's hold on Gesch.

Collect the Armor from Bildrath Done

Bildrath finally finished it. Cassius wears the plate now, and Ireena wears his old chain mail.

Return the Bullywugs' Scroll Done

The bullywugs asked the party to recover a ritual scroll stolen by the old woman of the moving tree. Fiadh stole it back from Baba Lysaga's hut along with the jade crystal, and at the stone circle the ritual cleansed the river.

Rescue the Children from Morgantha Done

Anya, Luka and Petru were pulled from Morgantha's wagon and left under Madam Eva's protection at Tser Pool. The three dead children were given a pyre.

Rahadin's Ultimatum Done

Hand over Ireena and the attacks on Barovia stop. The party refused and took her with them. Strahd has since offered a different bargain.

Save Doru Done

Father Donavich's son came back from the castle half-turned. He passed the blood test, and his father's sacrifice made him human again.

Escape Death House Done

They destroyed the beast in the crypts, got out as the house collapsed, and buried Rose and Thorn in the open air like they asked.

Bring Leona Home Failed

Leona's family sent Gesch to bring her back. He found her a few days too late. She's buried beside the ruined tower in Svalich Woods, and he carries her sword.