Curse of Strahd

Chapter 3: The Village of Barovia

The village of Barovia is the saddest place in the land, its residents so terrified of Strahd that they rarely venture from their homes. The village lies in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, buried under fog but still unable to hide from the vampire's sight.

Until recently, Strahd had been paying nightly visits to Ireena Kolyana, the adopted daughter of the village burgomaster. Ireena carries the soul of Strahd's beloved Tatyana and looks exactly like her. Strahd intends to make Ireena his bride, turn her into a vampire, and lock her away in the castle crypts for all time.

Same voice, same face, same graceful body, she was Tatyana come back to life again. I was absolutely witless from astonishment.
— Strahd von Zarovich in I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire

Approaching the Village

When the characters first approach the village, read:

The sobbing comes from Mad Mary's townhouse (x). With the exception of areas x and x, all the shops in the village are permanently closed, and the unoccupied shops have been looted of anything valuable. Claw marks cover most of the walls.

When the fog eventually burns off, Castle Ravenloft looms over the village, like a lance piercing the sky.

House Occupants

If the characters explore a residence other than Mad Mary's townhouse (area E3) or the burgomaster's mansion (x), roll a d20 and consult the following table to determine the house's occupants.

Occupants of Houses in Barovia

d20	Occupants
1–3	None
4–8	2d4 swarms of rats
9–16	Barovian villagers
17–20	2d4 Strahd zombies (see x)

Rats

A house infested with rats looks abandoned. The rats are servants of Strahd and attack if the characters explore the interior of the house.

Barovian Villagers

A house of Barovian villagers is home to 1d4 adults (male and female human commoners) and 1d8−1 children (male and female noncombatants). Characters who listen at the door hear low, muffled whispers from within. These villagers aren't interested in speaking with strangers and never attack first, always fleeing from danger if possible. At night they cower by candlelight and keep makeshift holy symbols close at hand.

Strahd Zombies

When the characters open a door or a shuttered window of a house infested with Strahd zombies, they are assailed by the stench of death. If the characters dare to enter, the zombies converge on their location.

Areas of the Village

The following areas correspond to labels on the map of the village of Barovia below.

E1. Bildrath's Mercantile

The establishment is 70 feet long by 40 feet wide. The owner, Bildrath Cantemir (LN male human commoner), sells items from the Adventuring Gear table in the Player's Handbook, but only items with a price lower than 25 gp in the table, and he sells them for ten times the price.

Bildrath trades with the Vistani when they pass through. He is also happy to make a profit from any strangers unlucky enough to find themselves here. He serves his own interests and offers no sanctuary. He never bargains since, as he says, "If you want it badly enough, you'll pay for it." He has no competition in the village.

If the characters give Bildrath a hard time, he calls Parriwimple (LG male human), his nephew and stock-boy, to help him out. Parriwimple has the statistics of a gladiator, except that he has an Intelligence of 6 and doesn't carry a shield (AC 14). Parriwimple's real name is Parpol Cantemir, but no one in the village calls him that. His muscles rippling beneath his leather tunic should give ample notice of his strength. At the same time, Parriwimple is simple-minded. He is devoted to his uncle and will not follow the characters as long as Bildrath has something to say about it.

E2. Blood of the Vine Tavern

The tavern building is about 60 feet square. Close inspection of the sign reveals that it originally read "Blood of the Vine." (An "n" has been scratched over with the "f.") This once finely appointed tavern has grown shoddy over the years. A blazing fire in the hearth gives scant warmth to the few huddled souls within. They include the barkeep, three Vistani sitting together, and a man named Ismark Kolyanovich—who happens to be the son of the village burgomaster, Kolyan Indirovich.

Roleplaying Ismark

[image: Ismark the Lesser]

Ismark (LG male human veteran) is a young man who sits by himself at a corner table, sipping his wine. Other villagers call him "Ismark the Lesser" because he has lived in the shadow of his father for most of his life.

Ismark isn't a typically dour Barovian. He invites the characters to join him, offers to pay for their wine, and asks for their aid in protecting his adopted sister, Ireena Kolyana. If they agree to help, he takes them to the burgomaster's residence (x). He wants the characters to help him escort Ireena to Vallaki, a settlement in the heart of the valley, beyond the view of Castle Ravenloft and (he hopes) beyond the reach of Strahd. Ismark knows that moving Ireena is a gamble, since she's vulnerable to Strahd when she is outside their home, but he has heard assertions that Vallaki is well-defended.

Ismark is as tight-lipped as any of the other Barovian villagers, unless the talk deals with Ireena or Strahd. Ismark knows everything the other villagers know. He also knows that, for some unknown reason, Strahd is attracted to Ireena and desires her above all others.

If you used the "Plea for Help" adventure hook and the characters show Ismark the letter they received, he knows the burgomaster's handwriting well enough to confirm that the letter was not written by his father.

Ismark has spent most of his adult life training with weapons in the hope of one day confronting and killing the Strahd. If the characters suggest that he accompany them, Ismark agrees provided that Ireena is first taken to a place of safety. As long as Ismark accompanies the characters, he acts as a party member for the purpose of determining each character's share of experience points (though he gains no experience points himself).

Roleplaying the Other NPCs

Use the following information to roleplay the other NPCs in the tavern.

Arik the Barkeep

A pudgy little man named Arik Lorensk (CN male human commoner) tends bar. Mindlessly, he cleans glasses, one after another. When they're all clean, he starts over. If he is spoken to, he takes orders for drinks in a dull, hollow voice. A small glass of wine costs 1 cp. A pitcher of wine costs 1 sp. After serving drinks, Arik returns to cleaning glasses. He ignores all attempts to question him.

Vistani Owners

Three Vistani spies (N female humans) named Alenka, Mirabel, and Sorvia sit at a table near the front door. They own the tavern and see to it that all customers pay their tabs. They otherwise show little interest in the characters.

If the characters arrive in the company of other Vistani, the owners are much more likely to engage them in conversation and provide useful information. They suggest that the characters visit Madam Eva (see chapter 2, x) to have their fortunes read.

E3. Mad Mary's Townhouse

[image: Mad Mary]

The house, which is about 40 feet square, is boarded up and barricaded from the inside. Mad Mary (CN female human commoner) sits in the center of the floor in an upstairs bedroom, clutching a malformed doll. She is lost in her sorrow and despondency. She barely recognizes the presence of anyone in the room. She says nothing in the presence of anger, but she will talk, albeit haltingly, to someone who talks with her gently.

Mary hid her beloved daughter, Gertruda, in this house for the girl's entire life. Gertruda, now a teenager, broke out of the house a week ago and has not been seen since. Her mother fears the worst—and is justified in doing so. See x in chapter 4 for more information on Gertruda's fate.

The malformed doll has a strange leer and wears a sackcloth dress. It belonged to Mary in her youth and was passed down to Gertruda. Gadof Blinsky, the toymaker of Vallaki (see chapter 5, x), made the doll. Stitched into the hem of its dress is a frayed tag bearing the words "Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!"

E4. Burgomaster's Mansion

Characters who survey the grounds can, with a successful DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check, discern trampled weeds all around the mansion as well as scores of wolf paw prints and human footprints. The footprints were made by zombies and ghouls under Strahd's control.

Ireena Kolyana (LG female human noble with 14 hit points), the adopted daughter of the burgomaster, is inside the mansion and won't open the heavily barred door to anyone unless she is convinced that those outside her door have no allegiance to Strahd. If the characters convince her, either with good roleplaying or a successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check, or if Ismark is with them, she opens the door and invites them in.

If the characters enter the mansion, read:

Ismark and Ireena made the coffin themselves.

Roleplaying Ireena

[image: Ireena Kolyana]

Ireena, a striking young woman with auburn hair, has been bitten twice by Strahd. The villagers are afraid of her and avoid her. The characters are Ireena's best hope for protection, so she is willing to accompany them under certain conditions. Although she appears mild, she has a strong will, and she aids the party as best she can in saving herself. She doesn't remember her early past. She doesn't know how she came to Barovia or where she came from. Moreover, her encounters with Strahd are fuzzy memories, thanks to his vampiric charm, but she can recall clearly the blazing hunger in his eyes.

She tells the characters that wolves and other terrible creatures attacked the house night after night for weeks. The burgomaster's heart couldn't stand the constant assault, and he died three days ago. Strangely, since his death, the house has not come under attack.

She says that no one from the village has been brave enough to help Ismark take Kolyan Indirovich to the cemetery for proper burial. Ireena asks the characters if they would be so kind as to help Ismark deliver her father's body safely to Donavich, the local priest (x). She refuses to be taken to Vallaki or anywhere else while the burgomaster lies dead on the mansion floor.

E5. Church

If the characters approach the church doors, add:

The village priest, Donavich, lives here. Other Barovians shun the church for reasons that will quickly become obvious.

The following areas correspond to labels on the map of the church below.

E5a. Hall

The scream comes from the church's undercroft (x). The soft voice uttering the prayer belongs to Donavich, the priest (see x).

E5b. Doru's Bedroom

This room once belonged to Doru, Donavich's son, who is trapped in the undercroft (x). It hasn't been used in more than a year and contains nothing of value.

E5c. Donavich's Bedroom

This is Donavich's room and contains nothing of value.

E5d. Trapdoor

Donavich lost the key to the iron padlock. If the chain is removed and the trapdoor is opened, the screaming in the undercroft stops. The trapdoor is swollen and stuck in its frame, so that a successful DC 12 Strength check is required to pull it open. Below it is a wooden staircase that descends 15 feet into the undercroft (x).

E5e. Office

An empty wooden poor box rests on the seat of the chair. The desk drawers contain a few sheets of blank parchment, along with a couple of quill pens and dried-up jars of ink.

For its size, the wooden cabinet contains very little. Inside are a tinderbox, a few wooden boxes full of candles, and two well-used books: Hymns to the Dawn, a volume of chants to the Morninglord, and The Blade of Truth: The Uses of Logic in the War Against Diabolist Heresies, as Fought by the Ulmist Inquisition, a strange book that mixes logic exercises with lurid descriptions of fiend-worshiping cults.

E5f. Chapel

If the characters have not already entered the undercroft, add:

[image: Donavich]

Donavich (LG male human acolyte) has been praying throughout the night. His voice is hoarse and weak. He is, in a word, insane. A little more than a year ago, his twenty-year-old son Doru and several other villagers stormed Castle Ravenloft in revolt, having been lured there by a wizard in black robes who came to Barovia from a faraway land (see chapter 2, x, for more information on the wizard). By all accounts, the wizard died by Strahd's hand, and so too did Doru, who returned to his father as a vampire spawn. Donavich was able to trap his son in the church's undercroft, where he remains to this day.

Doru hasn't fed since he was imprisoned, and he cries out to his father at all hours. Meanwhile, Donavich prays day and night, hoping that the gods will tell him how to save Doru without destroying him. If the characters seem intent on slaying Doru, Donavich does his best to stop them. If Doru dies, Donavich falls to the floor and weeps inconsolably, overcome with despair.

In addition to the lore known to all Barovians (see "x" in chapter 2), Donavich knows the following useful information:

Ireena Kolyana isn't the natural daughter of Kolyan Indirovich. Although Ireena never knew, Kolyan found her at the edge of the Svalich Woods near the Pillarstone of Ravenloft. She was but a girl then and seemed to have no memory of her past. Kolyan adopted her and loved her dearly.
Every night at midnight, the spirits of dead adventurers rise up out of the church graveyard, forming a silent procession as they walk the road toward Castle Ravenloft. (See "x" in the "Special Events" section at the chapter's end.)

Funeral for the Burgomaster

If the characters bring Kolyan Indirovich's body to the church, Donavich presses the characters into helping him bury the burgomaster in the cemetery (x) at dawn. During the burial, Donavich offers prayers to the Morninglord in exchange for Kolyan Indirovich's deliverance from Barovia.

Once Kolyan is put in the ground, Donavich suggests that Ireena be taken as far from Castle Ravenloft as possible. He proposes that the characters take her to the Abbey of Saint Markovia in Krezk (chapter 8) or, failing that, the fortified town of Vallaki (chapter 5). Donavich is unaware that the abbey, once a bastion of good, has become a den of evil.

E5g. Undercroft

[image: Doru]

The shape is Doru, a vampire spawn sent by Strahd to torment Donavich and cast down the church. Doru is starved for blood and brave enough to attack a lone character. If the characters approach as a group, he does his best to avoid them while hissing, "I can smell your blood!" If they cut off his escape, he lunges forth and attacks.

If the characters restrain Doru and either promise him blood or threaten to destroy him, or if they kill him and then raise him from the dead, he recounts the events that led to his downfall (see x).

Fortunes of Ravenloft

If your card reading reveals that a treasure is in the undercroft, it's contained in a moldy, old chest in the southwest corner of the room. The chest is unlocked and not trapped.

E6. Cemetery

During daytime, the cemetery is a still and peaceful place. Every night at midnight, however, a ghostly procession takes place (see "March of the Dead" below).

E7. Haunted House

This haunted house is described in appendix B, "Death House."

Special Events

You can use one or both of the following special events while the characters explore the village.

March of the Dead

Every night at midnight, one hundred spirits rise from the cemetery (x) and march up the Old Svalich Road to Castle Ravenloft.

These aren't the spirits of the people buried here, but of previous adventurers who died trying to destroy Strahd. Every night, the ghostly adventurers attempt to complete their quest, and each night they fail. They have no interest in the living and can't be hit, damaged, or turned. They will not communicate with the characters.

Once they reach the castle, the spirits march straight to the chapel (x) and up the high tower stair (x) to the top of the tower (x). There, they throw themselves down the shaft toward the crypts (x), where they disappear.

Dream Pastries

This event occurs as the characters make their way through the village.

Morgantha, a night hag in the guise of an old woman, has come to the village from Old Bonegrinder to sell her dream pastries for 1 gp apiece (see x for a description of the pastries). She goes from house to house, knocking on doors. Most of the time, no one answers. When someone does, Morgantha tries to peddle her wares, offering customers an escape from the misery and despair of everyday Barovian life. If the characters shadow her for a while, she collects payment from one household in the form of a seven-year-old boy named Lucian Jarov (LG male human noncombatant). Lucian's parents plead with Morgantha not to take their boy, but she snatches the crying child from their grasp, stuffs him in a sack, straps him down to her peddler's cart, and casually makes her way back to Old Bonegrinder.

Morgantha recognizes that the characters are strangers and does her best to avoid them. If the characters demand the release of the child, she grudgingly complies, knowing that she can always come back for the boy later. She fights only in self-defense and offers the following information in exchange for her life:

Strahd has mastery over the land and the weather, and his spies include the Vistani.
There's a Vistani camp to the west, on the shores of Tser Pool (chapter 2, x), and another on the outskirts of Vallaki (chapter 5, x).
Strahd has undead enemies in Barovia, namely the fallen knights of the Order of the Silver Dragon. These revenants can be found in a ruined mansion west of Vallaki (see chapter 7, "Argynvostholt").
Strahd's most carefully guarded secret is a temple of forbidden lore hidden in the mountains (see chapter 13, "The Amber Temple"). The temple can be reached by following the long and winding Tsolenka Pass (see chapter 9).