OVERVIEW OF THE VILLAGE
Of all the settlements in
COUNT STRAHD VON ZAROVICH's domain, the village of Barovia is the saddest and the most oppressed. Many of its shops are closed and its inhabitants have accepted despair as their only way of life.
Buried in the relentless fog, the village is unable to hide from the shadow of
CASTLE RAVENLOFT, Strahd's home and fortress, a towering presence that looms over his lands.
Until recently, Strahd had been making nightly visits to the village in order to meet
IREENA KOLYANA, who carries the soul of his beloved
TATYANA and looks exactly like her. Ireena is the adopted daughter of
KOLYAN INDIROVICH, the Burgomaster of the village.
FIRST APPROACH TO THE VILLAGE
- When the PCs first approach the village (from any direction) read the following:
"Tall shapes loom out of the dense fog that surrounds everything. The muddy ground underfoot gives way to slick, wet cobblestones. The tall shapes become recognisable as village dwellings. The windows of each house stare out from pools of blackness. No sound cuts the silence except for mournful sobbing that echoes through the streets from a distance."
- The sobbing comes from MAD MARY'S TOWNHOUSE (E3).
- All shops (except for E1 and E2) are shut down or abandoned, claw marks scraping across many of the shopfronts, their contents long-since looted.
- CASTLE RAVENLOFT looms over the village, piercing the fog like a lance.
HOUSE OCCUPANTS
Use the table (on the right) when PCs explore houses (other than Mad Mary's or the
BURGOMASTER OF BAROVIA'S MANSION).
- SWARM OF RATS - these swarms are servants of Strahd and will attack his enemies on sight
- VILLAGERS - 1d4 adults and 1d8-1 children, these BAROVIANS huddle and whisper, avoid speaking to strangers or attacking, preferring to flee if physically threatened
- STRAHD ZOMBIES - assailed by the stench of death, PCs are converged upon by the zombies
KEY LOCATIONS
Whilst much of the village is abandoned and downtrodden, there are some locations with signs of life:
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