Vistani

Vistani (singular: Vistana) bands consist primarily of one or more extended human families who can trace their heritage back to age-old Vistani clans. Over generations of exploring the Mists and world, though, individuals of other ancestries have been accepted into some clans and now are full-fledged members of Vistani culture.
As they travel, members of a Vistani band walk, ride on horseback, and drive ledge wagons, stopping at night to set up camp. Vistani bands occasionally camp near welcoming communities to trade and resupply, but rarely stay more than a week—though this can be complicated if a Darklord closes a domain’s borders. Most bands make their living primarily through craftwork (especially delicate silversmithing), horse rearing, and trading wares carried between domains.
Meetings between Vistani bands are opportunities to trade, catch up with friends, and share both news and warnings of dangers ahead or behind.
Vistani pass their varied teachings through their families as stories and songs, detailing lessons learned from generations of travelers, warnings specific to visited domains, and traditional magic. Spellcasters aren’t uncommon among Vistani bands, with many favoring divination magic for the practical help it provides in avoiding danger. Spellcasters often incorporate their people’s traditional divination tools into their spellcasting, including the fortune-telling cards called tarokka decks.
Their travels across domains bring many Vistani into contact with a wide range of people. As the only outsiders that some remote communities see in the course of a year, the news and goods Vistani bring ensures a genuine welcome and renewal of longstanding trade relationships. Some more dismal communities view Vistani with suspicion, though, being wary of anyone who emerges from the Mists. But even these communities often find the lure of news and trade too tempting to forgo entirely.
Members of Vistani bands understand the disorienting, dangerous nature of the Mists better than anyone. Vistani caravans sometimes take pity on those who ask them for help, especially strangers from unfamiliar lands hopelessly searching for home, allowing such wayfarers to travel with them as far as the next settlement. In rare cases, a clan might even adopt a gracious, helpful traveler.
People who befriend or do right by members of a Vistani band might be allowed to take shelter or travel with a caravan for a time. But Vistani travelers quickly share tales of danger and of those who’ve wronged them with other caravans, and those who slight one Vistana often meet others who share a grudge against them.

Culture

Historical figures

Hyskosa. A renowned poet and storyteller, Hyskosa leads a caravan that embraces the Mists and goes where they lead it. As a result, his clan is unmoored from time and reality, appearing in different ages, in strange versions and configurations of domains, and even on worlds beyond the Domains of Dread. His lyrical accounts of his travels are often viewed as prophecies.
Madame Eva. A controversial figure among Vistani, Madame Eva made a bargain with the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich. As a result, the evils that lurk in Barovia avoid Vistani. However, Madame Eva and her followers occasionally ally with the infamous count, giving them a sinister reputation.
Mother Luba. The halfling Mother Luba is known for putting unquiet spirits to rest and transporting wayward souls through the Mists to their rightful homes. Those wicked spirits beyond her aid she trapped within her tarokka deck, which became known as Luba’s Tarokka of Souls