Barovia Proper
The sorrow is overwhelming. Despair is absolute, freedom was never an option.
- The village is supposed to be overwhelmingly deplorable. Because of this, I have added in random encounters and re-flavored the village.
- The villagers are frightened vermin and act savagely if backed into a corner. This should be a place the PC's want to get out of... fast!
- Make then feel uneasy, like they are being watched the whole time by either Castle Ravenloft or something/someone else. No one should really be trusted here.
Running This Location:
- There are more people here than written RAW. Strahd has been acquiring people from the sword coast to rebuild the Town. To no avail, they do not know how to correctly restore the buildings because the techniques have been lost in time.
- Huntsmen (see dndbeyond statblock Huntsman - B.B.) have been contracted here by Ismark Kolyanovich to track down and kill a Werewolf in the area. They patrol the streets with their dogs and are going to hunt down the monster the next day. They will all die unless the party helps.
- Marks of Horror: Express to the players that something seems to be watching their every move. It seems to be when they have their backs turned to Castle Ravenloft. At times, it is right behind them. Have them turn around to find that nothing is there except for the Castle, a raven, or some figure walking off in the distance (Random NPC's hurriedly escaping into their homes). Try to put them on edge for when they hear Mary 'Mad' crying or Olaf the Sausage Maker singing.
Approaching the Village:
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 recognizable as village dwellings.
Passing the Gates
This village is practically rotting to its guts as its rusted iron fences glisten a sickly green and many building seem abandoned to decompose and die alone. Yet not without a hint of resistance. Although the rain has halted some work, it appears a select few buildings are roped off and are under maintenance. The laborer's work seems to be a spotty attempt at best, for they seem to not possess the skills necessary to repair the architecture here. It is strange and you haven't seen anything like it before. As you walk past the front gates, you notice countless ravens are perched atop a few houses. One raven in particular is staring right at you from an adjacent rooftop with colored dark blue tips on its feathers. It caws and flies to the west before perching on a sign outside of a building.
- This is Muriel Vinshaw (page 161), the wereraven ("wereraven" page 32, wereraven stats page 242). She flies down the street and perches on the sign of the Blood on the Vine tavern. The group doesn't know it yet, but she's watching out for their interests.
Buildings and Attractions
Passing Bildrath's Mercantile
The sparse light from this building spills out from behind drawn heavy curtains. A sign over the door, creaking on its hinges, reads “Bildrath’s Mercantile". Across the street, Two guys are attempting to carry a couch into towards the store. They are dressed in filthy rags. One of them says: "Not too much longer now eh Merek?". "I can almost taste them in my mouth Jirco!" the other one says as they poorly transport the couch across the street. From underneath the cloths of the one in front, a decadent pastry falls to the muddy ground. "You slimy rat fucker!!! You had one this whole time didn't ye??!!!!" Jirko yells as he draws a knife and viciously stabs Merek to death. Blood flows through the street as Jirico picks up the pastry and scurries down a side street.
- Jirco can be found in a trance like state covered in blood down a side street.
Passing Blood On The Vine Tavern
"A single shaft of light thrusts illumination into the main square, its brightness looking like a solid pillar in the heavy fog. Above the gaping doorway, a sign hangs precariously askew, proclaiming this to be the Blood on the Vine tavern." Close inspection of the sign reveals that it originally read “Blood of the Vine.” (An “n” has been scratched over with the “f.”)
Passing Mad Mary's Townhouse
A moaning sob floats through the still, gray streets, coloring your thoughts with sadness. The sobbing you hear appears to come from a side street just behind “BILDRATH'S MERCANTILE”. The sounds flow from a dark, two-story townhouse, about 40’ square. The exterior of the house is boarded up like most of the houses in this village. Old, moldy wooden planks cover the windows and doors. The crying comes from the upper floor.
Passing Yesper Balasco's Spell Emporium
A soft glow coming from a building that is slouching over to its side, resting against the adjacent, abandoned looking, building. The sign above it reads: "Yesper's Spell Emporium"
Passing
Dragomir's Curio & Relic Emporium
Opposite from "Yesper's Spell Emporium" a few houses down, an even more decrepit looking shop is slouching towards the street. Only a few candles illuminate the Facade's windows. The sign above it reads: "Dragomir's Curio & Relic Emporium". As you get closer, the scent of decay fills your nostrils.
Random Events While Exploring
Walking Around
The silence of the village is severed by a sorrow filled sobbing. Subtle at first, it slowly hastens and deepens with passion.
- Mary 'Mad' can be found sobbing in her house.
Huntsmen
As you walk through the streets, you see hooded figures guided by grotesque looking dogs patrolling the streets. As they walk by, the houses with inhabitants are peering at you all through boarded windows.
- If the Huntsmen are approached and asked questions, they simply groan and point to a bulletin board down the street in the square.
The Pursuit of Happiness
A man can be heard talking to himself inside his house. Man: "I can't seem to get happy." He proceeds to pull out a rope and throw it up over the beam of the house. Man: "Maybe this will help." He slowly pulls on the rope to show a bird cage and a little bird in it.
- Later: The man is hanging dead.
- Make him sound like Eeyore from Winnie The Poo.
If you have a healer in your group:
A young girl runs up to you holding the corpse of a kitten. With tears in her eyes, she begs you: "please mi..mi..mister, please heal Mr. Felix".
- The cat is extremely dead with claw marks over its body.
A Man And His Daughter:
As you are walking past a side street, a hand reaches out and grabs you by the collar. "Give me all of your money!" he demands.
- The man is trying to steal valuables so his daughter can eat. If a fight breaks out and the man is killed, his daughter is there to see it.
"Father, NOOOO!" A young, thin girl screams out behind you. She rushes over to her father and holds his head in her hands. She begins to cry uncontrollably before looking up at you. (Whoever killed her father) "I'll never forgive you, never!"
Zombie Attack
A violent ruckus fills the silent air. You hear what sounds like a savage exchange of cloths and flesh tearing and a ghastly, guttural groan. Just then, two figures burst through the second story window of a building right in front of you. A zombie is on top of one of the Huntsmen and begins biting down into the man. He howls in pain. What do you do?
Olaf the Sausage Maker
A deep voice sings in the distance: "The mist comes for all so, get em' while they're hot. A sleeve filled with meat, you can share em with the lot. The kids wail with joy when they see me there's no doubt. For it tastes like is smells, quite delicious hear me shout!"
- Sign to the tune of 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider'
The Town Square
The town square is completely desolate aside from a shambly built bulletin board. It looks like it should have fallen down years ago. It is completely littered with missing people adds, most of them children. Further inspection yields:
- "Help: A request to help transport some goods from Barovia to Villaki." It was written up 3 days ago.
- "STOP THAT SOBBING!" Reports of people crying themselves to death have been racking up in town. The seem to be inconsolable and die within a matter of days. Last week it was Eugen Dulgheru and his wife. Now it seems Mary Serbu has lost her mind. Can anyone send for a doctor?
- "Watch out! A werewolf has been hunting people that are out past curfew. It has been seen traveling with a pack of wolves!" Dated 1 week ago. UPDATE: "The Bourgomaster has summoned outside help to track down and kill this monster. Do not approach the Hooded Hunters and their Dogs while they are patrolling the streets, let them do their job!" Dated 2 days ago.
- "If anyone knows about Gertruda or any of the other missing children, please see Ismark Kolyanovich at the Bourgomaster's Mansion."
- SIDE QUEST - Bring Out Your Dead!
- One of the missing children is Gertruda. She is currently at the Old Windmill being turned into a hag.
Special Events
The Death Of Mary 'Mad': If the PC's don't visit Mary before taking a rest, she will stumble her way to wherever the players are taking a long rest. She will bang on the door, beg someone to help her find her daughter and die in the player's hands from malnourishment. The Remnant has been draining her life force and will move on to the next person in town that has a missing child and begin draining them.
RUMORS & LORE:
Inhabitants of Barovian Basin have heard the following rumors:- Terrible screaming can be heard from the Barovia Church at all hours. It sounds like someone is held captive there.
- The Creatures of the night... the devil can see through their eyes. No one is safe from his gaze.
- Barovia's Burgomaster died from a heart attack. Their house has been under siege by the forces of the night because he upset the Dread Lord.
- The Ruins of Berez are now home to crazy witches who practices evil blood magic. If a child goes missing, they are either dead or have been captured by those women. I suppose they could have been saved by the Vallaki Orphanage but, not all is well there. They just recently got a new Director after the last one had an... accident.
- Vistani are not afraid to speak the Dread Lord's name openly. They must be spies for him.
- The Abbot in the Village of Krezk has mysterious powers. He even brought a child back to life!
- The Old Windmill is where you can go if you need more Pies. The ladies there are super sweet and make many charitable donations to the Vallaki Orphanage.
- The Dilisnya Family left their home about a month ago. They have become traveling merchants that frequent the Old Svalich Road. Bats and Wolves work for Strahd.
Architecture
The architecture of this town is strange and not commonly known. Steep slopes with span over multi story households held up by bricks, stones, and plaster walls. Wrought iron enhances the aesthetic by emphasizing the porches, gables and windows in decorative patterns. Out of all the buildings here, a handful of them seem more or less, well kept. The others range from poor to straight crack shacks with gaping holes in the walls and collapsing roofs. What once use to be a beautiful aesthetic is now a steeple of gloom, as rusted iron spikes adorn atop those steep gables and cylindrical towers that seam to puncture right through the roofs and into human skulls. Many of them are flesh-less, bones picked clean by the Ravens and apparently rats (a rather large rat is eating a head on top of a building). Still, fresh ones are littered throughout several dilapidated residences. Tall, rusted iron gates glimmer a chilling deep green as they barricade the alleyways between these houses (some slightly ajar and creek eerily loud with the wind).
DC-13 INT Check reveals: This is an old style of building, one that has been lost in time. Its a highly skilled form of design, akin to mid 19th century Victorian style with; Predominant overhanging gable roofs, wood slatted sides of varying patterns/colors, and round/curved towers). Nothing like this has been seen in several hundred years, definitely not near the sword coast.
QUESTS/PLOT HOOKS:
Type
Town
Population
500
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Characters in Location
