Situated in a small valley, the land of Barovia was once home to verdant, fertile fields and a peaceful and happy populace. Rivers flowed clear, crops grew under bright sunlight, and nefarious monsters were things of legend. These days, life in the land of Barovia is harsh, and all-too-often short. The days are dark, travel is dangerous, and food is scarce. Fields that once grew wheat and corn now only grow kale and other cold weather plants. Groves that yielded bountiful fruit now serve only to fill the slop buckets of pigs.