curse of strahd

7/25/2019 Curse of Strahd

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/curse-of-strahd 1/258



CHAPTER 2: H LANDS OF BAROVIA

HE IDYLLC VALLEY NESTED IN TE

Balinok Mountains was a slice of heaven

to those who knew of its existence before

Strahd's arrival The serenity of the place

was rever shattered when Strahd ed a

bloody crusade against the enemies of is

amily that ended here with the slaughter

of hundreds. Struck by the scenic beauty of his mostrecent conquest and eager to escape the shadow of his

fathers legacy, Strahd made the vaey his home and

named it Barovia after the late King Barov, his f ther.

The land now caled Barovia is no longer part of the

world that Strahd once tried to conquer. It now exists

within a demipane formed by Strahds consciousness

and surrounded by a deadly g No creature can leave

without Strahds permission and those that try become

lost in the mist

Strahd aows the Vistani to come and go as they

please because he admires their lust for life and their

willingness to serve him when he needs them He also

owes an ancient debt to the Vistani people. As a soldier

centuries ago he suered a grievous injury in battle,and the Vistani tended his wounds and returned him

safely to his f mily without making any demand fr pay

ment The Vistani claim to possess potons that alow

them to leave Strahds domain, but the potions are false

concoctions with no magical power. Nevertheless the

Vistani are wiling to sell them fr a hefty price.

Native Barovians have been terrorized r centuries

by the one they call "the devil Strahd. Only a handfulof them have the will to oppose him Barovians congre

gate in the valleys three main settlements-the villages

of Barovia and Krezk and the town of Vallaki-fr fear

of lling prey to wolves and other beasts that prowl

the woods. Among these people are the Keepers of the

Feather a secret society of wereravens Not powerful

enough to defeat Strahd on their own the Keepers read

iy assist adventurers who nd themselves drawn into

Strahds domain

M R D

of Barovia and took power over the

people in the name of a just god, butwith none of a god's grace or ustie.

- Tome of Strahd

LAY OF THE LANDRolling thunderclouds cast a gray pall over the land of

Barovia A deathly stillness hangs over the dark woods,

which are patroed constantly by Strahds wolves and

other servitors.

The evergreen trees of the Svalich Woods climb the

sides of the mountains that enclose the valley. The largest of these peaks is Mount Baratok, with its snowcov

ered cap and rugged slopes Baratoks sigtly smaler

twin, Mount Ghakis, is mostly bald with tufts of trees

here and there. Between these two mountains stands

Lake Zarovich, which is fed y streams of icecod water

pouring down the face of Mount Baratok. On the south

side of the lake rests the town of Vallaki enclosed by a

palisade. West of the two mountains atop a hill stands

the Abbey of Saint Markovia around which the Barovi

ans buit a walled village named Krezk. Between Valaki

and Krezk lie the ruins of Argynvostholt the fallen

bastion of a knightly order called the Order of the Siver

Dragon wiped ou by Strahd and his army East of the

mountains lies the village of Barovia, shrouded in mistand bereft of walls and defenses. The dark silhouette

of Caste Raven loft looks down on this village rom its

perch atop a 1,000foothigh column of rock known as

the Pillarstone of Ravenlot

MISTS OF RAVENLOFT

A deadly g surrounds the land of Barovia and engulfs

any creature that tries to leave Even ying creatures are

subject to the gs eects which are as llows:

A creature that starts its turn in the fog must succeed

on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or gain one

level of exhaustion (see appendix A in thePlayer's

Handbook). This exhaustion can't be removed whilethe creature is in the fog.

•

•

23

curse of strahd

Documents