Kasimir Velikov

Vistani in the Vistani Camp (N9)
Kasimir Velikov (see appendix D) is the leader of the dusk elves. His hovel has a decorated vestibule and a comfortable room beyond with a fireplace. Wooden statuettes of elven deities stand in cubbyholes along one wall. A tapestry of a forest hangs on the opposite wall.
Kasimir, a mutiliated and grief-stricken dusk elf, has been trapped in Barovia for centuries. His people were on the verge of being annihilated by Strahd’s armies when they surrendered. Strahd left the few survivors to the mercy of the Vistani, who bore them to the valley of Barovia, where they have lived ever since.
Old Friends. Kasimir’s allegiance to the Vistani is so strong that he adopted the name of the Vistana who welcomed him into his clan, a man named Velikov. Although Velikov passed away more than a century ago, Kasimir continues to live among Velikov’s descendants. Unfortunately, in his view, these modern Vistani are neither as noble nor as enlightened as their forebears. Not one to press the issue, Kasimir hopes to outlive the present leadership and see a return to the old ways.
Dreams of the Damned. Kasimir’s sister, Patrina Velikovna, is sealed in the catacombs below Castle Ravenloft. Convinced that she was the concubine of the devil Strahd, Kasimir and his fellow dusk elves stoned Patrina to death. As punishment for depriving him of his bride, Strahd butchered all the women in the dusk elf tribe, and Kasimir’s ears were cut off to punish him for instigating the stoning. He wears a cowl to conceal his mutilation.
Kasimir’s feeling of loss is tinged with simmering rage. Patrina now speaks to her brother in dreams, telling him how years of guilt and regret have dispelled all evil thoughts from her mind and cleansed her tortured soul. But Kasimir remains unconvinced by her assertions, because he knows that Strahd has corrupted Patrina and led her down a path of evil and deceit. For that reason, Kasimir wants to see the vampire destroyed so that his sister can be rescued from her eternal damnation.
Secrets of the Amber Temple. Patrina has told Kasimir that the Amber Temple, an ancient vault hidden in the Barovian mountains, is where Strahd forged his pact with evil powers and discovered how to become a vampire. Kasimir has been spying on the temple for years, but he needs adventurers to help him survive its perils. He thinks that the secret to breaking Strahd’s pact and freeing Barovia from its curse might be hidden there, but more important, he believes that the Amber Temple holds the secret to bringing the ancient dead back to life.
With the characters’ help, Kasimir thinks he might be able to find out how to restore Patrina to flesh and blood, whereupon he can travel to Castle Ravenloft and end his sister’s torment. Kasimir has no inkling that Patrina is using him for exactly that purpose, and that her ultimate goal is to become as powerful a vampire as Strahd.
Statistics. Use the mage stat block in the Monster Manual, with the following adjustments:

• Kasimir’s alignment is neutral.
• Kasimir has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
• Kasimir has the Fey Ancestry feature, which means he has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put him to sleep.
• Kasimir wears a ring of warmth and carries a spellbook (see chapter 5, area N9a, for a list of the spells it holds in addition to his prepared spells).

Kasimir Velikov’s Traits Ideal. “I failed my people and my sister, and now I must atone or be damned.” Bond. “I seek to return my long-dead sister, Patrina, to life—even at the cost of my own life.” Flaw. “I believe my sister can be redeemed.”
Amber Temple Special Event If Kasimir Velikov (see appendix D and chapter 5, area N9a) finds his way to area X42 and accepts the dark gift of Zhudun, he then asks the characters to accompany him to the catacombs of Castle Ravenloft so that he can restore the life of his centuries-dead sister, Patrina Velikovna (see chapter 4, area K84, crypt 21).
Development If Kasimir succeeds in his quest, the newly resurrected Patrina (NE female dusk elf archmage) feigns repentance until she regains her strength and her spells, whereupon she travels to Castle Ravenloft and attempts to return to Strahd, seeking to become his vampire bride at last. The mutilation of her brother at the hands of Rahadin, Strahd’s chamberlain, doesn’t sit well with her. She hopes to avenge her brother and distract the characters by setting them on a path to killing Rahadin, who has long opposed her marriage to Strahd.
Strahd has lost interest in Patrina as a consort. Given the chance, he turns her into a vampire spawn and puts her back in her crypt—a fate she would do everything in her power to prevent. Her attraction to Strahd is outmatched by a desire to increase her own power. She is no one’s plaything.