“Oh I’m so old and wise and have seen so much and you are all children and look at my beautiful hair and crown while I float around the room and act like I’m better than you.”
—Sylvain Vanborin, paraphrasing Calorfin's whole deal
Calorfin is one of three Reformers who guide the Reformation Centre in
Vallaki. A high elf, she wears the symbol of
Vandria Gilmadrith, a minor elven goddess of war, justice, and grief.
Calorfin was instrumental in creating the Reformation Centre following the return of
Strahd after
her party was the first to successfully kill him, only to have him return to life some months later, the mists shrouding
Barovia once again. Since then, she has guided the Reformation Centre through many generations of Vallakovich burgomasters, tailoring its residents to suit each burgomaster's inclination, but always prioritizing one goal: ensuring the population of Vallaki was appropriately afraid of Strahd von Zarovich, and would not rebel against him, inciting his wrath.
Bodaway described Calorfin to
Frederich after their initial meeting as the only person in Barovia even more pessimistic than Bodaway; she has long since resigned herself to the fact that Strahd cannot be defeated, and that trying to fight him only leads to innocent deaths.
Calorfin was killed in the assault on tuama beannaithe just before the Trial of the Mountain Fane, in early 736.
Previous Adventuring Parties
Calorfin described various adventuring parties that had come since hers. Since Ri-An has the Keen Mind feat, I'm just going to give the details here.
Party 1
The first party to fight Strahd.
Party 2
The second party to fight Strahd.
Party 3: The Shameful Fellowship
The third party to fight Strahd, and the first to defeat him. Formerly known as The Glorious Fellowship, renamed The Shameful Fellowship following Strahd's return. Included a human druid named
Gavin, who she thinks escaped back to Faerûn; a gnome barbarian named Ella, who died before Strahd; a high elf ranger, Vadania, who was turned into a vampire spawn and who served Strahd for many years but who Calorfin now believes to be dead; Catrain, a human rogue, who died early in their fight against Strahd. Defeated Strahd 324 years ago (~411).
Party 4
A
half-elf and
a halfling. Not long after they came through Vallaki and rejected Calorfin's perspective, she saw the half-elf sucking the blood out of some local townsfolk, in service to Strahd. She doesn't know what became of the halfling. Came through six years after The Shameful Fellowship (~417).
Party 5: The Forward Prestige
A big party that nearly won from what Calorfin heard. Three half-orcs, a human, a half-elf, a gnome, and a goliath. Most of them turned on each other in Castle Ravenloft, and Strahd picked off the rest, turning the goliath into one of his servants — the goliath who died the night of the Feast of St. Andral's at
Dr. Rudolph van Richten's hands. Came 25 years after The Shameful Fellowship (~436).
Party 6: The Ambitious Circle
Well over 50 years passed before the next party of note came through Vallaki. The Ambitious Circle was comprised of two humans, a high elf, and a half-elf.
A father,
a mother,
their daughter, and their dearest, oldest friend. That friend turned on them, and it wasn't long before it was just the father — the elf — left. He was turned and enslaved by Strahd as well, though it's been some time since he's been seen in Vallaki. (~500)
Party 7: The Tranquil Society
The second party to defeat Strahd. Led by two humans — Carac Laughingsteel, a ranger, and Francis Ashglade, a cleric. This was the party of
Funda, Calorfin's dwarven companion. They also had a drow rogue, a half-orc cleric, a human barbarian, a wood elf ranger, a gnome wizard, and a halfling bard. The drow turned on them, naturally. The
wood elf was turned and now serves Strahd. Carac and Francis were killed, as was the gnome. As she hears it, three of them escaped:
the bard, the barbarian, and the half-orc cleric. It wasn't long after Strahd and the mists returned that Funda came to Calorfin, despite having scorned her when they first met. Came nearly 150 years after Calorfin and her party defeated Strahd (~566?).
Party 8: The Furious Crew
The next group of note — and the most recent, prior to our heroes' arrival — was the Furious Crew, only 34 years ago (~701). They nearly won. That's how
Krea, their human companion, came to be with them. Alongside him fought a dragonborn bard, a half-elf bard, and a dwarf fighter. The bards are both long dead. The
dwarf now fights for Strahd, one of his spawn, bound to his will. And Krea, after he'd been disgraced, heartbroken, and disfigured by Strahd, came crawling back here.
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