Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

Campaign Characters

Characters exploring the Mists are the protagonists of horror stories. Chapter 1 provides advice for players creating such characters, but you should also consider the following questions:

• Character Origins. Do the characters originate from the Domains of Dread, or were they abducted from somewhere else?
• Context for Surreality. Do the characters realize something is strange about the Domains of Dread, or is the Land of the Mists all they've ever known?
• Scale of Experience. Do the characters know about a single domain—perhaps one they all call home—or do they have firsthand experience with multiple domains or other settings?
• Characters' Significance. Why are the characters special? Why did the Dark Powers, a Darklord, or something else take note of them?
• Consistency of Experience. Do the answers to these questions apply to all of the characters?

Campaign Themes

Explore the types of horror adventures you're interested in by considering the following questions:

• Horror Inspirations. What horror stories or media inspire your campaign?
• Horror Icons. Is there a classic monster or villain that inspires the foes in your campaign?
• Horror Genres. What genres of horror—detailed in x or elsewhere—does your campaign focus on?
• Domains of Dread. Which Domains of Dread or Darklords do you want to focus on? Or do you want to create a new x and x following the methods in chapter 4?

Setting Mysteries

The Domains of Dread function in unique ways, but if and how that matters is up to you. "x" later in this chapter details ways to shape the setting to suit your adventures. Review that section and the following questions as you consider how the nature of the Domains of Dread might shape your adventures:

• Escape. Do you want characters to pursue escape from the Domains of Dread? Do they want to leave even if a domain has been their home?
• Islands or Regions. Does your campaign focus on a single domain, or are there multiple domains you want to explore?
• Metaphysical Scale. Do you want your campaign to explore the unusual nature of the Domains of Dread, or is that nature broadly accepted reality?
• Stories and Secrets. Are tales of other domains or settings treated as facts, lore known only to a few, legends, or nonsense? Is that true for all places beyond a domain's borders?
• Traveling the Mists. Do people travel between domains? Is travel limited to wanderers such as Vistani, or are tools such as Mist talismans (see the x) common enough to allow for broader travel and trade?
• Witnesses to the Surreal. How do domain residents react to supernatural events? Are they shocked, do they treat them as commonplace, or do they rationalize (or deny) abject horrors?

The answers to these questions are the ones that inspire you and your players.

Darklord Conflicts

Each Domain of Dread is a reflection of and a prison for a Darklord. The tales and torments of those Darklords are fundamental to adventures within their borders. Consider the following questions when developing your campaign:

• Darklord Plots. Will your campaign involve the history, torment, and potential defeat of a Darklord? Or would you rather keep a Darklord in the background and focus on other stories?
• Darklord Downfalls. Can a Darklord be defeated, or are they an enduring and recurring threat? What happens when a Darklord dies?
• Darklord Defiance. What does it mean to best a Darklord? Does it mean slaying them, forcing them to open their domain's borders, undermining their plans, or something else?
• Darklord Relationships. Does the Darklord want to destroy, conscript, or use the characters? Does the Darklord appear in person or communicate via proxies?
• Darklord Rivalries. Does your campaign feature interaction between multiple Darklords? If so, how do they know about each other? What do they have to gain from their conflicts?

The "x" section later in this chapter further explores ways to implement Darklords in your campaign.

Starting Your Campaign

Start your campaign in a way that establishes an ominous tone or highlights the nature of the Domains of Dread. Consider the following questions:

• Collective Misfortune. Do the characters gather to mourn the death of a loved one? Does fate bring them together as the survivors of a disaster, such as a shipwreck or massacre?
• Darklord's Summons. When a Darklord calls, the beckoned answer. Do the characters meet after being hired by a Darklord to perform some task or by attending a social event that turns ominous?
• Present Terror. Do the characters meet amid terrifying circumstances, such as being prisoners or experiment subjects?
• Shared Mystery. Do the characters gather due to a shared mystery? Are they led to the same place by an enigmatic message, or do they start cooperating as they flee being accused of murder?
• Strangers in the Mists. Are the characters united by the Mists? Might they be traveling to other destinations when the Mists unite them?

During character creation, you can work with players to come up with reasons why the characters might be in a grim or unusual situation.

A horrific origin might also unite the party. Players might be interested in their characters sharing a species or a Dark Gift from chapter 1. A group composed entirely of Reborn or of characters who have the Aberrant Anatomy feat can provide ample inspiration for frightful adventures.

Campaign Considerations

Think about how you might reinforce a frightful mood over the course of your campaign. Consider the following questions about topics likely to occur during a series of adventures:

• Allies and Sanctuaries. Is it ever appropriate to harm characters' allies or destroy places they consider safe? Is doing so worth making players feel like they've lost something they've invested in? See "Tragic Limits" in the Dungeon Master's Guide for advice on handling these topics.
• Altered States. How might characters change during a campaign? Do you want to encourage players to develop character changes resulting from their experiences—such as scars, phobias, or x?
• Character Secrets. What sorts of secrets might a character have, and are those boons to the game or potential disruptions? You can use the advice in the Dungeon Master's Guide on evil characters to incorporate characters with secrets into your game.
• Death. What happens when a character dies? How might a character brought back from death be changed?
• Fear. How do you expect characters to respond to frightful situations? Is fear reflected only by the Frightened condition, or would you like players to roleplay shock and revulsion?
• Hope. How will you give characters hope and ensure they don't feel like the campaign is pointless? What rays of light perforate the darkness?
• New Characters. If a character dies and isn't raised, how will you add a player's new character to the game? Do the Mists reveal a new hero, or might someone in a domain be inspired to act by another's sacrifice?

When thinking about the answers to these questions, avoid changing the rules of the game—these should remain the stable, agreed-on underpinnings of the game.

Ending Your Campaign

Horror stories often don't end well, but yours might be an exception. Have an idea of what makes a satisfying end for your horror campaign. Frame your thoughts on this by considering these questions:

• Escape. Is the goal of your campaign for the characters to escape a domain or all of the Domains of Dread? Can they achieve this through the defeat of a Darklord, the will of the Dark Powers, or some other magical method?
• Memorial. If a character dies, can they still contribute to a campaign's culmination? Can an accidental death become a meaningful sacrifice? Is there important work only a spirit can do?
• Survival. Do you expect any or all of the characters to survive the campaign? Will the players be satisfied if their characters' stories end in defeat, transformation, or willing sacrifice?
• Worthy Cause. What's the goal the characters might risk everything to achieve? Is this protecting a person or place, or is it keeping something out of a Darklord's hands? Is there a status quo that's vital to restore or a wrong that needs to be undone?

Ensure you and the players agree on what makes a fulfilling end to a campaign. Don't work toward a climax demanding a dramatic sacrifice that no one's interested in making.

Further Development

Review your answers to the questions from this section to see what patterns emerge and what answers surprised or excited you. Let those answers develop into ideas for unique horror adventures and arcs for your own campaigns. Next, review the following sections in this chapter. These explore ways to employ elements of the Domains of Dread in your horror adventures and outline whole frightful campaign arcs.

Haunted House Domain

In this model, a single domain functions like a haunted house. Characters enter, terrifying forces trap them, and the party struggles to escape. This model features in the adventures I6: Ravenloft (1983) and its descendant Curse of Strahd (2016). This setting model excels if you want to...

• Explore the tale of a single domain or Darklord.
• Highlight a narrow band of horror genres.
• Avoid interacting with multiple domains or traveling the Mists.
• Make a Darklord your adventures' focal villain.

Islands of Terror

In this model, the Domains of Dread are isolated realms that characters might reach by braving the Mists. Domains' inhabitants might be aware of each other, but travel is uncommon and dangerous. Characters might be inhabitants of a domain or wayward souls from other realms, and events might lead them through the Mists to other nightmarish lands. This model is broadly used in this book. This setting model excels if you want to...

• Highlight the mystery and surreal nature of the Domains of Dread.
• Feature tours of multiple domains while controlling where the Mists lead.
• Explore stories focused on the nature of the Mists and escaping the Domains of Dread.
• Make Darklords part of a cast of villains.

Clusters and Cores

In this model, the Domains of Dread are similar to countries on globe. The Mists mark the edges of the world, rise when Darklords close their domains' borders, and appear as they please, but otherwise domains are separated by geographical and political borders. Domain inhabitants know about one another, travel, and trade, while Darklords are powerful figures that might have political or warlike aspirations. Whether you create a cluster out of a small group of your favorite domains or meld many (or all) the domains into a continent-sized core is up to you. This is the model largely used in earlier explorations of the setting, including Ravenloft: Realm of Terror (1990) and Domains of Dread (1997). This setting model excels if you want to...

• Encourage characters to roam between domains.
• Highlight villains who are infamous in multiple domains or who must be pursued (or evaded).
• Explore large-scale plots, such as wars between or the destruction of the Domains of Dread.
• Obscure Darklords, making them figures that might not be widely known.

Gothic Earth

The similarities between x and Dracula, between x and Victor Frankenstein, and between other Ravenloft villains and icons of horror fiction and film are intentional. Because many of Ravenloft's villains and domains have real-world roots, elements from Ravenloft are readily portable into frightful adventures set on a version of Earth steeped in magic and gothic horror. While the details of such historic horror are beyond the scope of this book, consider using the tools herein to pit characters against menaces from your favorite horror tales. This model is explored in Ravenloft: Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales (1994).

Darklord Reflections

Every domain can be viewed through the lens of its Darklord, with every part of the domain reflecting some facet of the Darklord's personality, ambition, or torment. You might think about adventures in a domain as explorations of a Darklord's identity.

For example, Barovia's gothic horror themes include deception, oppression, and predation, all of which are aspects of the domain's Darklord, Strahd von Zarovich. While the village of Vallaki leans toward themes of deception, the village of Barovia, in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, is steeped in oppression. The domain's deadly wildernesses and beasts reinforce themes of predation. When a domain's terrifying forces reflect aspects of its Darklord, that villain becomes a terrifying culmination of the evil in the land and the personification of the domain's terrors.

Familiar Ground

Every Domain of Dread takes inspiration from stories within its related genres. Embrace this. Including tropes from your favorite horror stories reinforces expectations about the domain and provides a shorthand to help players understand a location. The Domains of Dread are intentionally filled with gothic castles, haunted manors, and beleaguered villages to hint at the types of characters and adventures you'll find within. Don't worry about recreating familiar stories, as the unpredictable actions of the players' characters will create a unique adventure.

Isolation

Isolation can take multiple forms in a domain.

The Locals

The inhabitants of domains endure or ignore the horrors around them. Whether these individuals are oppressed people or soulless pawns of the Dark Powers is up to you, but regardless, they don't effectively resist the horror within their homes. Characters should feel like they're among the only ones who recognize a domain's evil.

Nightmare Nature

To any question regarding the natural world within a domain, the scariest answer is likely true. Use details of a domain to create a beat of small, unsettling moments to support the percussion of unignorable terrors in your adventures. If you highlight the strange nature of a domain often, the land feels surreal and haunted. If you do so more rarely, the domain feels more realistic. You might even change the pace of how often you reinforce the strange nature of a domain, perhaps doing so more the farther characters are from civilization or safety.

For examples of frightful details you might highlight in a domain, roll on or choose a result from the Dread Details table.

You can customize these suggestions to reinforce the themes of a domain or its Darklord. For example, in Falkovnia, a statue might momentarily resemble a rotting zombie, while in Har'Akir, Darklord Ankhtepot's visage might appear in a sandstorm. Strive to make such elements feel like moments of strangeness—harmless oddities that a character can dismiss as their eyes deceiving them, rather than suggestions of an immediate threat.

Roleplaying a Darklord

Most Darklords are irredeemably evil villains, obsessed with their own drives and desires. Many delude themselves into believing they're heroes or beings beyond morality. When preparing to roleplay a Darklord, review the Darklord's origin story and consider what traits are core to the Darklord. Aim to roleplay the Darklord in a way that makes sense with the villain's origins and that makes you excited to play them as a recurring character.

Then consider the following questions:

• What do you like most about the Darklord and want to highlight?
• What are the Darklord's three most positive traits?
• What are the Darklord's three most negative traits?
• Why do others fear the Darklord?
• What makes the Darklord effective in their role?
• Does the Darklord think they're a hero or better than others? Why?
• Does the Darklord always lie or never lie?
• How is the Darklord a reflection of one or more of the adventurers?
• What does the Darklord want more than anything?
• When would the Darklord be gracious or heroic?

Record your answers to these questions, then create a short list of characteristics you want to convey to the players over encounters with the Darklord.

Darklord Goals

In the adventure Curse of Strahd, the Darklord's goals are stated as follows:

• Transform and possess a victim
• Torment and slay a rival
• Test or toy with the characters

These goals guide Strahd's interactions with the characters through an entire campaign, allowing for the villain's consistent representation.

Recurring Darklords (or other prominent villains) should have similar, simple-to-understand goals. While you might know the finer details of a Darklord's motivations, players engage with villains only a limited number of times—likely with significant amounts of time between interactions. Choose one to three objectives for a Darklord that you can reinforce during character interactions or that you can hint at with other evidence. This helps the players understand what the Darklord wants and how to act against them.

Use the goals presented above and on the list below to inspire your Darklord's objectives:

• Change society
• Claim a new role
• Continue a tradition
• Correct a tragic event
• Defend the status quo
• Enforce order
• Escape their prison
• Find a missing person
• Maintain a lie
• Prevent the inevitable
• Recover a lost treasure
• Relieve their boredom
• Seek a revelation
• Suppress a secret

Darklord's Tale

A Darklord's villainy informs their goals and the torments they suffer. As characters adventure in a Darklord's domain, they learn about the Darklord, hear reports of the Darklord's infamy, and eventually discover secrets to frustrate or undermine the villain. Consider these ways of revealing details about a Darklord:

• Rumors and Legends. Domain inhabitants typically know of a Darklord or the results of the villain's evil. They can provide consistent reports of the Darklord's depredations, what little they know of the villain's origins, and examples of how their lives are affected by the Darklord's evil.
• Evidence. Show the characters examples of the Darklord's evil, the suffering of the villain's victims, the crimes of the Darklord's servants, and how the domain is scarred by the Darklord's wickedness.
• Lies. The Darklord or their servants provide flattering but false details of the villain's origins, personality, or objectives. Within such lies are truths commoners don't know.
• Primary Sources. The truth of a Darklord's past might come from the villain's family, longtime servants or rivals, or historic records—such as journals, correspondence, or neglected artwork. Magical sources, such as mirrors that reflect the past or methods to enter the Darklord's memories, might also reveal secrets. Such truths might be hidden, but the Dark Powers ensure they survive to torment the Darklord.

[image: The Tome of Strahd recounts the tale of Strahd von Zarovich. Other Darklords might keep similar records]

Darklord's Menace

Not every Darklord is a threat in combat to every party, but a Darklord's menace isn't rooted in their stat block. Rather, it's built over adventures where evidence of the Darklord's wickedness is established and reinforced. Consider the following questions to develop a Darklord's reputation, adding them as features of adventures:

• Demonstrations. When the characters offend the Darklord, how does the villain express displeasure? Do they take it out on the domain's inhabitants? Do they dub the characters criminals or heretics and execute innocent people who helped the characters?
• Law and Superstition. What do the domain's inhabitants do or refuse to do out of fear of the Darklord or the situation the Darklord has created? Have these habits become local traditions?
• Servants. What serves the Darklord? Are they soldiers and servants? Are they monsters or strangely behaving animals? Is it the weather or environment itself? How do such servants make it clear they're extensions of the Darklord's will?
• Signature Evidence. How does the Darklord prey or experiment on the domain's inhabitants and what evidence does that leave? If the Darklord executes or sacrifices foes, what is their signature form of slaughter?
• Strangers. Do domain inhabitants believe strangers are agents of the Darklord or likely to attract the Darklord's attention? Do they avoid strangers or spy on them for the Darklord?
• Titles. What is the Darklord's title? Is it a royal or religious title, or is it an epithet the domain's inhabitants call them?

Meeting a Darklord

Your players' first encounter with a Darklord should be memorable. Prior to this encounter, the characters might have heard rumors of the Darklord and witnessed their depravity. Reinforce this by planning how the characters will meet the Darklord and what the villain will be doing. Consider whether the Darklord is...

• Attempting to hire the characters.
• Commanding the Darklord's servants.
• Committing a signature crime.
• Engaged in an experiment.
• Having a decadent or horrible meal.
• Impatient with the characters' interruption.
• Pretending to be heroic.
• Trying to lure a victim.

Pay attention to the Darklord's first words to the characters. Chapter 2 presents greetings along with many Darklords' portraits. Take inspiration from these greetings, and have the Darklord's first words reflect their self-obsessed personalities and how they perceive strangers.

In future meetings, the Darklord should behave consistently. You might develop a signature way of speaking, turns of phrase, or an in-character voice for a Darklord, but keep these simple so the villain doesn't feel like a caricature or comedic figure.

Darklord Allies

Determine who serves the Darklord. A Darklord's servants should feel like facets of the Darklord's nature or goals. Characters should overcome these foes during adventures wherein they learn more about the Darklord. Defeating lesser villains gives characters a sense of progress while maintaining a Darklord's menace. Make a Darklord's allies exciting, but don't lose sight of the Darklord as the most important villain.

When developing allies for a Darklord, consider the following types of allies:

• Advisers. Advisers grant the villain insights or control they wouldn't otherwise possess.
• Copies. Some servants are lesser versions of the Darklord. They do the same things as the Darklord to a lesser extent, or they're a weaker version of the same creature as the Darklord.
• Creations. A Darklord might be served by their creations, such as Construct or Undead servants. A relic or ritual might maintain the Darklord's control of such creatures.
• Devotees. Devotees of a Darklord follow them without question. They might be whole organizations of soldiers or worshippers.
• Grudging Allies. Some servants obey because they must. They might serve the Darklord to keep loved ones safe or out of a sense of duty.
• Incidental Allies. Some allies don't directly serve the Darklord, but they and the Darklord both gain benefits from their partnership. A monster the Darklord keeps fed with sacrifices would be such an ally.
• Majordomo. A majordomo is likely the Darklord's most powerful servant—the one who knows the most about them and, potentially, the one most likely to betray the Darklord.
• Mini Darklords. Some servants control their own portions of a domain and embody the Darklord's will in that region.

Individual allies can occupy multiple roles.

[image: The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind is one example of a relic used to defeat a Darklord]

Defeating a Darklord

Slaying a villain isn't in itself a heroic goal, but the death of a villain generally means an end to its evil and its ability to affect others. Such isn't true of Darklords.

Typically, when a Darklord is defeated in combat, their domain doesn't change, and fear of the Darklord doesn't fade. Moreover, the Darklord returns after a short time. While a Darklord is sidelined, their domain-affecting powers end, their servants go without orders, and the domains' borders open. Characters might enter the Mists and find their threats reduced, but this doesn't mean the Mists allow travel to other lands.

Thwarting a Darklord and escaping their clutches ultimately means delivering the villain a dramatic defeat—one that sends them into such a state of rage, desolation, or uncertainty that their grip on their domain is undermined. Such a defeat might involve a climactic battle following a series of heroic accomplishments. If you plan a climactic confrontation with a Darklord—after which the characters escape the Darklord's domain—determine how the characters must subvert the villain. These requirements should develop from the Darklord's origins and as counters to the goals you've developed for the villain (see "x" earlier in this chapter). Take inspiration for additional goals for the characters from the suggestions here:

• Destruction. Destroy what the Darklord draws their power from, what they've been working to create, or their sanctuary.
• Escape. Help a victim or captive of the Darklord escape the domain, or ensure they can't be part of the Darklord's plans.
• Isolation. Disrupt those who empower the Darklord—like their soldiers, cultists, creations, or other allies—forcing the Darklord to spend years to make more.
• Relic. Recover a symbol, icon, or weapon that is anathema to the Darklord.
• Rivals. Empower foes of the Darklord, resurrect storied heroes, restore bastions of opposition, or reawaken sites of good magic within the domain.
• Truth. Reveal the Darklord as a fraud or pretender to their position.

Characters should achieve these goals over the course of multiple adventures, culminating in a climactic encounter where the Darklord discovers the full extent of the characters' successes.

Unexpected Ends

It's fine if characters defeat a Darklord in combat before you intend. A Darklord loses control only after extraordinary events during an adventure's climax. Until then, any defeat is an inconvenience or was part of a Darklord's plans—in any case, it's an opportunity for adventures. Don't rob characters of the accomplishment of a victory, but don't let them think they've won for long. Use the suggestions below to reinforce a Darklord's threat even after an unexpected defeat.

Darklord Gifts

Darklords might bestow a supernatural gift on characters they've allied with (see "Supernatural Gifts" in the Dungeon Master's Guide for details). These sinister Blessings might be a symbol of a promise made between the Darklord and the recipient, or they might be a reward for the characters' service. A character must accept a Darklord's Blessing to receive it. The Blessing can be removed by the Remove Curse spell, or the Darklord might revoke it anytime.

The following Blessings are examples of those a Darklord might bestow upon a character. Customize them to create gifts appropriate to specific Darklords.

Mark of Beasts

Supernatural Gift (Blessing)

On granting this Blessing, the Darklord chooses a Beast associated with themself. While you are in the same domain as the Darklord, Beasts of that kind are Friendly toward you. Additionally, you can use this Blessing to cast Speak with Animals to communicate with this kind of Beast only. Once you cast this spell in this way, you can't cast it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Mark of the Dread Lord

Supernatural Gift (Blessing)

While in the same domain as the Darklord who gave you this Blessing, you can cast Fear. Once you cast this spell in this way, you can't cast it again until you finish a Long Rest.

So long as you possess this Blessing, your face is veiled by shadows.

Mark of Obsession

Supernatural Gift (Blessing)

Immediately after you take damage from a creature you can see within 10 feet of yourself, you can take a Reaction to force the creature to make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature has the Frightened condition until the end of your next turn. Once you use this Blessing, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

While you have this Blessing, the Darklord who gave it to you can contact you once every 24 hours. This might take the form of a magical message, such as a Sending spell, or a short letter delivered by mysterious means.

Mark of Sacrifice

Supernatural Gift (Blessing)

You can use this Blessing to cast Protection from Evil and Good. Once you cast this spell in this way, you can't cast it again until you finish a Long Rest.

If this Blessing is removed, the Darklord who gave it to you knows your whereabouts, and you have Disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws for 24 hours.

Alanik Ray

The Great Detective

Alanik Ray is a peerless, elf investigator renowned in multiple domains as a master sleuth and solver of confounding mysteries. Alanik resides in Port-a-Lucine in Dementlieu with his husband, Arthur Sedgwick, but he investigates mysteries and aids sleuths across the Domains of Dread.

Arthur Sedgwick

Pragmatic Investigator

Together with his husband, Alanik Ray, the physician Arthur Sedgwick investigates criminal cases and paranormal mysteries. The practical half of the detective duo, Arthur chronicles their adventures, having published two volumes: The Life of Alanik Ray and The Casebook of Alanik Ray.

Ez d'Avenir

Fearless Adventurer

As a former pupil of x, Ez d'Avenir (detailed in x) is no stranger to the dangers haunting the Mists. Since venturing out on her own, Ez has gained a reputation as a skilled monster hunter and foe of evil. She often allies herself with other adventurers to put an end to evils.

Firan Zal'honan

Scholar of Sinister Secrets

The arrogant scholar Firan Zal'honan seeks the secrets underpinning the Domains of Dread. He plots to use his discoveries to escape the Mists into the "true realities" beyond. Firan hires agents to aid in his expeditions or to ferry him through the Mists—which he claims want to disrupt his efforts. Secretly Firan has ties to x, the missing Darklord of Darkon, or might be the Darklord in disguise (see chapter 2 for details).

Larissa Snowmane

Domain-Traveling Riverboat Captain

Larissa Snowmane ferries travelers between the Domains of Dread aboard her riverboat, River Dancer. Larissa protects those traveling with her. In the most dire circumstance, she uses her mysterious magic, the Dance of the Dead, which can control the dead at the risk of slaying the living. Larissa learned her magic in part from Anton Misroi, Darklord of x. She avoids that swampy domain at all costs.

[image: Larissa Snowmane's ship, River Dancer, navigates the waterways of the Domains of Dread]

Savra Sunstar

Dhampir Vampire Hunter

Savra Sunstar is a monster hunter and the dhampir daughter of Jander Sunstar, a vampire hero who saved Savra's mother from an early demise. For her part, Savra despises her father and seeks to slay him. She has devoted her life to hunting vampires and allies herself with like-minded adventurers.

Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins

Paranormal Investigators

The twins Gennifer and Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove (detailed in x) are tenacious adventurers who follow their family's tradition of slaying monsters and defending the innocent. They reside in Mordent and have learned much from their surrogate uncle, x.

Church of Ezra

• Goal:. Seek mercy from an ambivalent god
• Adventure Themes:. Apathetic congregations, superstitions, witch hunting

Pious souls in multiple domains pray to Ezra, an aloof god who personifies the Mists. Ezra's worshippers appear in congregations with varied (and sometimes conflicting) practices. The church serves largely as a formalization of local superstitions, whether in modest rural temples or urban cathedrals. When common folk give voice to their hopes or seek to ward off evil, they often pray to Ezra.

The Circle

• Goal:. Vanquish evil through acts of self-sacrifice
• Adventure Themes:. Bravery, hubris, proof of heroism, quests against evil, tragedy

Bold knights of the Circle quest from the Shadowlands in search of evil. More often than not, though, they find tragic fates. Even successful knights often venture back to the Shadowlands with evidence of their victories, potentially carrying evil back to their homeland. The knights of the Circle provide bold but reckless assistance to other would-be heroes, endlessly seeking to prove their valor.

Keepers of the Feather

• Goal:. Discover the paranormal and dispel evil
• Adventure Themes:. Paranormal investigations, occult mysteries, mysticism

The founding members of the Keepers of the Feather are wereravens (see x) in Barovia who oppose Strahd and whose reach extends to other domains. These Keepers are cautious, hiding their nature and guiding others so as not to jeopardize themselves or the mystical secrets they've gathered over generations. Many aided by these wereravens aren't ever aware of their assistance.

In other realms, mysteries and talismans of the Keepers of the Feather have fallen into the hands of socialites and spiritualists. In social clubs, curious occultists pursue the mysteries of séances, fortune telling, metaphysical theories, and tales of the macabre. Such dabbling is as likely to cause catastrophes as it is to help those in need. These Keepers identify themselves with amulets that mimic the shape of a Barovian relic known as the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.

Both factions maintain a network of trained ravens that send messages between group members in different domains.

Order of the Guardians

• Goal:. Destroy or contain cursed items and phenomena
• Adventure Themes:. Ending curses, exorcisms, supernatural investigations, vault defense

A network of monastic occultists, the Order of the Guardians hunts and destroys dangerous supernatural objects, cursed items, and stranger anomalies. If the Guardians can't destroy dangerous relics, they contain them within hidden, heavily warded vault-monasteries. The Guardians might share goals with characters trying to prevent supernatural dangers, but they might also consider characters who employ dangerous magic to be threats.

Priests of Osybus

• Goal:. Release x
• Adventure Themes:. Cult rituals, necromancy, secrets of the Domains of Dread

The Priests of Osybus follow the teachings of a depraved lich and steal souls to transcend death. With their foul immortality, they seek to free Strahd von Zarovich from the Mists, an act they believe will cause the dissolution of the Domains of Dread. This inspires the priests to learn all they can about the deepest mysteries of the Mists. In shadowy cults, they conduct rituals aimed at escaping the Mists. These priests are detailed further in x.

Ulmist Inquisition

• Goal:. Destroy the evil that dwells in wicked hearts
• Adventure Themes:. Ends justifying the means, hunting evil, psionic interrogation

The three branches of the Ulmist Inquisition employ psionic powers to stamp out evil, but their zeal and willingness to peer into others' minds cause people to fear the inquisitors as much as the villains they oppose. Cells of the Ulmist Inquisition often ally with the Church of Ezra and oppose the priests of Osybus. Ulmist inquisitors might side with adventurers against evil, but they often test the virtue of their allies' souls. These inquisitors are detailed further in x.

Vistani

• Goal:. Find a way home, preserve age-old traditions, predict and avoid dangers in the Mists
• Adventure Themes:. Reliable guides, stories from various lands, travel between domains

Known throughout the Land of the Mists, Vistani (singular: Vistana) have a unique understanding of the Domains of Dread and the hidden paths between them. Following itinerant traditions, many Vistani and their adopted family members travel between domains, learning of distant lands, the many faces of evil, and strange wonders. Vistani never linger in one domain for long, as they endlessly seek a path to their legendary homeland.

Bastion Hauntings

Haunting Descriptions

The hauntings from the Bastion Hauntings table are detailed here in alphabetical order.

Special Facilities