Krezk
The fortified village of Krezk lies near the edge of Strahd's domain, and the wall of mist that marks the border of Barovia is clearly visible above the treeline. Yet even here, there is no escaping the vampire. In fact, the villagers are so terrified of Strahd and his wolves that they never venture away from the village walls. Instead, they have created a self-sufficient community "safe" from him. They grew trees that provide ample wood to keep them warm, and they draw water from a blessed pool. More than half of the village is halflings, and their underground homes allow for them to keep a large amount of chickens, hares, and small pigs in addition to gardens of beets and turnip. The only thing they rely on the outside world for is wine.
The village of Krezk operates as a commune, with no exports or money-making businesses. There are no horses, no inns, taverns, or shops. Rather than money, offering labor or being otherwise helpful is accepted as payment in Krezk.
The burgomaster, Dmitri Krezkov, comes from a noble family that moved to Barovia shortly after Strahd came here. He arranges for regular wine deliveries from The Wizard of the Wines to keep the villagers' bellies warm and their spirits up.
Looming high above Krezk is The Sunrise Temple, once a holy place and now a hospital. For years, the villagers have avoided it, believing it cursed and haunted. Several decades ago, however, a group of outsiders set it up as their base of operations in a campaign against Strahd. They failed utterly, but the one of them who survived has taken up residence there, using his holy powers to heal any who come to him.
The village of Krezk differs from the book in the following ways:
S3. The Village
The mist-shrouded village beyond the wall is nothing more than a scattering of humble wooden cottages along dirt roads, and oval wooden doors built into the sides of the tree-covered hills. There are so many snow-dusted pines here that they could constitute a foreest all their own. To the northeast, sharp gray cliffs rise against the sky, and the road winding up is easy to follow. At the top of the cliffs is a huge building.There are no empty caskets in the village, or caskets period: they cremate their dead in Krezk. There are still family graveyards, however, which are essentially gardens used as shrines for the dead.
S4. Shrine and Pool
Even under gray skies, this pool at the north end of the village shimmers and sparkles as if lit by the sun. Near its shore sits an old gazebo on the verge of collapse. A stone statue of a bald man in monk's robes sits cross-legged in the center with one hand raised, palm up, as though waiting for someone to take his hand.The pool is fed by an underground spring, and was blessed long ago by followers of Felis. Its waters defy corruption, and anyone who drinks from it for the first time gains the benefits of a lesser restoration spell. The water once had stronger magic, but has weakened over the years. The water tastes sweet and fresh. The gazebo is so frail that it wouldn't take more than a strong wind to knock it over. It only remains standing because it is protected by the trees, walls, and cliffs. The state is a depiction of The Hunger in his human state, positioned so that he is reaching towards the morning sun (to the east.) Locals refer to the statue and gazebo as the Shrine of the White Sun, though they have no idea why their ancestors called it that. If the Fortunes of Ravenloft reveals there is a treasure here, it is buried beneath the statue in the gazebo. The gazebo must be torn down to reach it, and doing so will anger the villagers.
Special Events
The Something Old event does not happen under any circumstances. The Something New event is the same, except the midwife is Zora Novak, a halfling woman. The Something Blue event does not happen under any circumstances.
Type
Village
Location under
Included Locations
Characters in Location