An adventure for five 1st-level heroes.

In this arc, the heroes travel to the gloomy village of Barovia, which has been ravaged by death and despair in the wake of Strahd’s revival. When the heroes arrive at the barricades, they meet Ismark, the eldest child of the village’s recently wounded burgomaster.

At the Blood of the Vine Tavern, the heroes learn that the village has been under attack by Strahd’s undead horde each night for the past six nights—and that the horde is expected to return at dusk. In exchange for food, shelter, and information, Ismark asks the heroes to take up arms alongside the Barovians and prepare to defend the village’s fortifications against the onslaught of the dead.

After successfully defending the barricades, the heroes learn that Strahd has personally invaded the burgomaster’s mansion, killing Ismark’s father and biting his sister, Ireena. With the village’s burgomaster dead, Strahd formally withdraws the horde from the village, allowing Ismark, Ireena, and the heroes to pick up the pieces.

The following morning, Ireena and Ismark ask the heroes to help bring their father’s remains to the local church for burial, escort Ireena to Vallaki, and ask the seer Fravartiš how Strahd can be defeated. Upon delivering the Burgomaster's coffin to the church the following dawn, the heroes can meet Doru, Father Donavich's son, who Strahd transformed into a vampire spawn as punishment for his rebellion. The heroes then face a choice: Will they destroy Doru, as Father Donavich requests—or spare him?

B1. Old Svalich Road

This scene takes place in Chapter 2: Area A.

The journey from the tower to #B2. Gates of Barovia is two miles long and takes forty minutes.

This scene unfolds as described in Old Svalich Road (p. 33).

B2. Gates of Barovia

This scene takes place in Chapter 2: Area B.

This scene unfolds mostly as described in Gates of Barovia (p. 34). However, the eastern gates don't open for people trying to leave Strahd's domain.

The journey from the Gates of Barovia to #B3. Svalich Woods is one-quarter mile long and takes five minutes.

B3. Svalich Woods

This scene takes place in Chapter 2: Area C.

This scene begins as described in Svalich Woods (p. 34). However, when the players find the corpse of Dalvan Olensky, read:

The dead man doesn't appear to have any visible wounds, but a character with the Heal skill, or who makes a successful medium Reason test, learns that he died of exhaustion; on a failure, the hero learns only that the young man has been dead for several days.

While Dalvan's compass remains close to the edge of the Barovian valley, its needle trembles strangely even when held still.

Dalvan's hand holding the compass is splayed out in the direction of a nearby tree, which bears thirteen tally marks and an arrow that points deeper into the woods, along what seems to be a well-traveled footpath.

If the heroes follow the footpath in the direction of the arrow, they soon come to a second tree, which bears another thirteen tally marks and an arrow that points further along the direction of the footpath. The edge of the footpath here bears the corpse of a horse, which is in a similar state of decay to Dalvan's.

If the heroes continue to follow the footpath in the direction of the arrows, they come to a third tree, which bears another thirteen tally marks and an arrow that points further along the direction of the footpath, which visibly vanishes into a wall of impenetrable fog.

The fog is part of the Mists that surround and entrap Barovia. If the heroes brought Dalvan's compass with them, the needle is now spinning wildly in circles.

If the heroes follow the footpath through the fog, they emerge after a few minutes in an unfamiliar portion of the Svalich Woods. Each time the heroes emerge from the wall of fog around Barovia, they must make a Might test as the fog saps their energy and drains their life force.

If a hero attempts this test again before they finish a respite, they take a bane. If a hero attempts this test for a third time before they finish a respite, they take a double bane. A hero already weakened by the mists who obtains a tier 1 result becomes slowed until they finish a respite. A hero already slowed and weakened in this way who obtains a tier 1 result becomes dazed until they finish a respite.

Upon emerging from the fog, the heroes can see a fourth tree, which bears another thirteen tally marks and an arrow that points further along the direction of the footpath. In addition, the fourth tree appears to bear a carving and has an object protruding from its trunk. If the heroes inspect it, read:

If the heroes follow the footpath in the direction of the arrow, they find that it crosses the Svalich Road before returning to the location of Dalvan's corpse.

If the heroes then leave Dalvan's corpse and return, they find that both his and the horse's remains have vanished.

B4. Barovian Overlook

This scene takes place in Chapter 2: Area D.

The heroes emerge from the Svalich Woods one mile and twenty minutes after departing Dalvan's corpse. When they do, read:

The journey from here to the outskirts of the village is two miles long and takes forty minutes.

B5. The Village of Barovia

B5a. The Barricade

This scene largely unfolds as described in Approaching the Village (p. 41). However, modify the description as follows:

The man is Ismark Kolyanovich, a human knave who is largely as described in E2. Blood of the Vine Tavern (p. 43). The raven is Muriel, a disguised wereraven and member of the Keepers of the Feather. Two villagers bearing light crossbows and named Kereza and Korga stand watch on the rooftops nearby, while six more villagers make repairs to the barricade.

As the heroes approach, Kereza challenges them. Read:

Kereza is suspicious of the heroes, believing them to be vampires, zombies, or ghouls in disguise. Regardless of the heroes’ response, Ismark intervenes, gently chiding Kereza for her paranoia and reassuring the other Barovians with good humor that the heroes are clearly alive, “just like us."

Ismark then kindly invites the heroes beyond the barricade through a removable section and welcomes them. He confesses, however, that he’s afraid they’ve come at a poor time, sharing that the village has been under siege by an undead horde the past several nights.

After confirming that the barricade is nearly repaired, Ismark invites the heroes to join him at the Blood of the Vine Tavern at the center of town, where they can speak further and share drinks. (“We have at least three hours before dusk falls," he says, squinting at the gray sky overhead. “Should give us enough time before the dead return.")

If the heroes agree, Muriel follows them to the town square, staying aloft in the air overhead and watching with keen interest.

B5b. The Town Square

As the heroes and Ismark pass through the village streets, read:

Add the description of the exterior of the Blood of the Vine Tavern, given in E2. Blood of the Vine Tavern (p. 43).

The tents host the village’s elderly, sick, and children, who have been gathered here as a fortification of last resort. The statue bears a weather-worn plaque at its base, which reads: “ISMARK ANTONOVICH THE GREAT. Burgomaster of Barovia. Bane of Vampires. 618—662 B.C." (“B.C." stands for “Barovian Calendar.")

If the heroes ask about the statue, Ismark can share the following information:

• In life, Ismark Antonovich, also known as Ismark the Great, was a mighty warrior and the burgomaster of the village of Barovia. In his prime, he fought scores of vampires and other undead left behind when Strahd vanished from public view. He eventually died defending a group of trappers from a dire wolf attack at the age of 44, and the statue outside was erected in his honor.
• Ismark Antonovich was Ismark Kolyanovich's great-grandfather. Ismark's father, Kolyan, gave him that name in the hopes that he would one day become a great warrior.

B5c. The Blood of the Vine Tavern

This area is largely as described in E2. Blood of the Vine Tavern (p. 43). However, instead of Alenka, Mirabel, and Sorvia—the three Vistani found here in the original module—Arik is the sole owner and proprietor of the tavern. (Mirabel and Sorvia aren’t present in the tavern, having fled the village for Tser Pool the day before the siege began. The players will encounter Alenka later, leading a mob at the burgomaster's mansion.)

After entering the tavern, Ismark pays Arik to fetch them drinks. As the heroes sit down with him, Ismark apologizes for the state of the village and asks how they’ve come to arrive in the valley. "You must have a thousand questions," he says sympathetically. "I'd be glad to answer as many as I can."

Ismark can share the following information:

• The heroes have entered the land of Barovia, a realm surrounded by deadly fog and ruled by Strahd von Zarovich, a powerful vampire who slumbered in Castle Ravenloft until recently.
• Outsiders are occasionally spirited into Barovia by the mists. (Ismark has no knowledge of Death House, but vaguely remembers tales of unorthodox ways by which travelers have come to the valley.) There is no escaping Barovia once an outsider has entered it.
• Just over three months ago, a man named Doru, the son of the village priest, raised a rebellion against the castle, hoping to free the valley from its prison in the mists. Their revolt failed, awakening Strahd from his dormancy and spurring the vampire to vow vengeance upon the village below.
• Several dozen Barovians fled to the town of Vallaki, almost a day’s travel to the west. The remainder stayed in the village, determined to defend their homes and those who were unable to make the journey.
• Six nights ago, Strahd’s undead forces began attacking the town. Each night, the Barovians beat back multiple waves of the dead—and each night, the horde comes ever-closer to breaching the village’s defenses.
• Many Barovians fear that the village is doomed. The undead have infested the woods to the north, west, and south, blocking the Old Svalich Road just past the Ivlis River. With the Mists blocking passage to the east, the village has been effectively cut off from the world, left to survive on its own—or perish.

Ismark can also share the village’s recent history, as well as most of the information in Roleplaying Ismark (p. 43) and Barovian Lore (p. 26). However, Ismark doesn't mention a "mad wizard" or Vistani. (Note that Ismark’s father, Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich, is still alive—albeit wounded—in the burgomaster’s mansion, and Ismark’s sister, Ireena Kolyanovna, hasn’t yet been bitten by Strahd.)

Bildrath's Fury

Shortly after Ismark begins answering the heroes' questions, read:

The man is Bildrath Cantemir, the owner of Bildrath's Mercantile (p. 43). If any of the heroes appear interested in speaking with him further, he invites them to sit at his table instead to "hear the real story of this bloody land." "The wine's shit," he grunts, shoving a pitcher of wine across the table, "but so's everything else."

If asked about Bildrath's statement about "the last fools that trusted him," Ismark winces. "He's right to hate me," he says quietly. "I asked the other villagers to stay and defend our homes. I was arrogant and foolish—I didn't appreciate just how powerful the Devil and his creatures were." He closes his eyes. "Now dozens of my friends and neighbors are gone—and I'm still here."

Should one or more of the heroes join him, Bildrath can share the following information:

• Just over three months ago, a pack of would-be "revolutionaries" marched off to Castle Ravenloft to "slay the vampire." Doru, the son of Father Donavich, the village priest, "filled their heads with fairy tales" of banishing the Mists and bringing the Sun back to Barovia.
• None of the revolutionaries ever came back. A few days later, a half-shadowed elf came to the village and announced that the village had ninety days to make peace with the gods before the lord of Castle Ravenloft—now awoken after a hundred years of slumber—exacted penance for their disobedience.
• Some villagers left. Many others wanted to leave. However, Ismark delivered a resounding speech in the village square before the statue of Ismark the Great, promising the villagers that those who remained would stand and defend their homes. "The audacity of the bastard," Bildrath sneers. "Standing in front of his great-grandfather's statue like he was worth a tenth of him."
• Bildrath wanted to leave—but his sister, Marta, and her husband, Dragomir, chose to stay with their son, Parriwimple, inspired by Ismark's words. Unwilling to leave his family, Bildrath stayed as well. "They figured they'd fight to defend what's theirs," he chokes out, blinking back tears. "Bloody idiots should've run, and never looked back."
• Ninety days after the elf delivered his proclamation, the undead came, swarming in hordes dozens strong from the Svalich Wood. The villagers fought back, defending the streets with barricades, swords, and arrows. "But the dead kept coming," Bildrath croaks. "And Marta—" He falls silent. (Bildrath lost Marta and Dragomir in the attacks, and blames Ismark for his failure to protect them, which left Parriwimple—Bildrath's nephew—an orphan.)

When he's regained his composure, Bildrath warns the heroes that the village is doomed, and likely all of Barovia with it. "There's no sun to bring back," he spits. "No escape from the mists. This is Hell, now and for all eternity. The sooner you lot accept that, the better off you'll be."

Unless the heroes intervene, the following sequence then unfolds:

• Ismark stands up, pushing his seat away from the table. "That's enough, Master Cantemir," he growls.
• "You going to put me in my place, Master Kolyanovich?" Bildrath sneers. "Stop lying to these people. They're as good as dead, just like we'll all be, soon enough."
• "There's always a chance," Ismark says heatedly. He swallows, and glances back at the heroes. "You might have given up on our people, Bildrath, but I haven't."
• Bildrath eyes Ismark, his hands curling into fists. After a long, lingering moment, he spits on the floor and exits the tavern without addressing Ismark or the heroes. The taproom remains deathly quiet.

Ismark’s Request

After Mary departs, Ismark asks them to aid in defending the village’s eastern barricade that night. “Like it or not, we’re all in this together," he says somberly. “The more hands, the better. I don’t know if I can promise coin, but I can promise it’ll help all of us survive the night—yourselves included." In exchange for the heroes’ aid, Ismark is glad to offer them room and board at his family’s home. (The Blood of the Vine Tavern doesn't have rooms for rent.)

If the heroes agree to aid in the town’s defense, Ismark is deeply grateful. He asks them to first retrieve a crate of “fire bottles" from his sister, Ireena, who is overseeing the defense of the village’s southern perimeter from their home, E4. Burgomaster’s Mansion. (Ismark, who has to return to the western barricades to prepare for the return of the dead, can’t take the time to do so himself.) If asked, Ismark can explain that a “fire bottle" is a bottle of distilled wine topped with a rag wick, meant to be lit and hurled at approaching undead.

Once the heroes have retrieved the crate of fire bottles and had an opportunity to rest at the manor, Ismark tells them, they should take the fire bottles to the eastern barricade—the place where they first entered the village—where they’ll be stationed throughout the night.

B5d. The Burgomaster’s Mansion

This area is largely as described in Burgomaster’s Mansion (p. 44). However, Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich has not yet been killed, and Ireena hasn’t yet been bitten.

A hero with the Nature skill, or who succeeds on a medium Reason test, sees scores of wolf paw prints and human footprints around the mansion.

The Angry Mob

When the heroes arrive, they find a mob of ten Barovian villagers has formed outside of the mansion. Read:

The brown-haired woman is Alenka Konstantinovna, a middle-aged Barovian noncombatant. The older man is Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich, who is weakened due to his injuries. The red-haired young woman is Ireena Kolyanovna.

Driven to desperation by Strahd’s attacks on the village, Alenka and the mob believe that a sacrifice or offering is needed to appease the vampire and soothe his rage. The following conversation unfolds if the heroes don’t intervene:

• Alenka stonily informs Kolyan that a sacrifice to the vampire isn’t madness, but “common sense." “Legends say the Devil Strahd enjoys preying upon red-haired women," she tells him. “If her blood might win his favor, how can we do otherwise?"
• Kolyan replies that Alenka is a “fool" if she believes surrendering Ireena—or anyone else—will appease the Devil of Castle Ravenloft. “You are grasping for answers in a world that has none to offer," he thunders. “And we are Barovians. We do not turn on our own."
• Alenka retorts that Ireena isn’t a true Barovian—after all, Kolyan found her wandering the woods near the Pillarstone of Ravenloft as a child. (Ireena and Kolyan are already aware of this, and show no surprise at this statement.) “She’s not one of us," Alenka says sharply, “and if you’re going to choose her over us, neither are you."
• Two of Alenka’s compatriots step closer to the mansion, brandishing their weapons. Kolyan gasps, “How dare you," steps forward, and nearly crumples from his wounds. Ireena catches him before he falls and commands the mob not to “lay a finger on her father."

If the heroes are still present and haven’t yet intervened, Ireena pleads for their help as Alenka’s mob advances.

If the heroes intervene, Alenka, Kolyan, and Ireena receive them with unfamiliarity and surprise, though Alenka is suspicious that they may be spies for “the Devil Strahd." (If Ismark’s name is mentioned, Ireena and Kolyan are reassured, though Alenka spits on the ground and quietly cursed “Ismark the Lesser" under her breath.)

The heroes can disperse the mob by negotiating with Alenka.

The negotiation with Alenka can have the following outcomes:

• Interest 5: Alenka agrees to leave Ireena alone. The mob disperses. Alenka apologizes for letting her grief get the better of her, and offers to stand guard outside the mansion while the heroes confer and rest. The heroes earn 1 Victory each.
• Interest 4: Alenka agrees to leave Ireena alone. The mob disperses. The heroes earn 1 Victory each.
• Interest 3: Alenka agrees to leave Ireena alone if the heroes join the village's defense against the undead siege that night. The mob disperses. The heroes earn 1 Victory each.
• Interest 2: Alenka agrees to wait one day before delivering Ireena to Strahd, but no longer than that.
• Interest 1: Alenka commands the heroes to stand down and allow Ireena to be taken. If they refuse, she directs the mob to knock them unconscious before taking Ireena.
• Interest 0: Alenka immediately directs the mob to knock the heroes unconscious and take Ireena.

If the heroes appear ready to attack the mob unprovoked, Kolyan pleads for them to avoid violence. “They’re confused," he says hoarsely, “but they’re Barovians, all the same."

If combat breaks out, Ireena joins the heroes in defending the mansion while Kolyan pleads for the combatants to avoid killing anyone. The heroes can easily defeat the mob; no need to play out the combat, but you should ask the players if the heroes are striking to kill or just to incapacitate. If two of the Barovians are knocked unconscious, or if one is killed, the remainder flee.

If the heroes successfully disperse the mob, Kolyan and Ireena invite them into the manor with gratitude.

Within the Mansion

This area is largely as described in E4. Burgomaster’s Mansion (p. 44). However, remove the last sentence in this area’s description (referring to Kolyan’s corpse).

If the heroes assisted in dispersing the mob, Kolyan and Ireena welcome them warmly, especially if the heroes mention Ismark’s name. Whether or not the heroes mention that Ismark granted them room and board at the manor, Kolyan invites them to stay for lunch in gratitude for their aid in dealing with Alenka.

Lunch with the Burgomaster

Lunch, which is already stewing in a pot over the kitchen hearth, is a stew of turnips and rabbit meat. Ireena apologizes for the sparse meal, but the heroes can clearly see that the family’s pantry is nearly bare.

During the meal, Kolyan and Ireena ask the heroes about their interests and lives outside of Barovia. Ireena especially is fascinated by tales of the world beyond the mists.

If the heroes are looking to purchase additional supplies, Ireena offers them directions to Bildrath’s Mercantile (just up the street, and one of the only two businesses open in the village), but warns them not to mention Ismark's name. If the heroes ask her why Ismark is called "the Lesser," Ireena and Kolyan wince, and can share the following information:

• When Strahd's shadow elf servant—a cruel-looking man named Rahadin—delivered his warning three months ago, many Barovians were prepared to flee the village for Vallaki.
• Ismark, however, delivered a thundering and inspiring speech, invoking the memory of Lugdana and Ismark the Great to encourage them to stay and fight for their homes. Most did so.
• When Strahd's siege began, many who lost homes or loved ones blamed Ismark, who they felt had led them astray with his foolish fantasies of heroism and valor. They now call him "Ismark the Lesser" in mockery of his ancestry.
• No one feels more guilty or ashamed than Ismark himself, who has taken the weight of every death incurred in the siege on his own shoulders.

If the heroes ask about Doru's rebellion, Ireena can share the following information:

• Doru was a friend of theirs, and the son of the village priest Father Donavich. He was a bright and cheery young man, with a sunny disposition and a zeal for everything he did.
• Just over three months ago, without warning, Doru announced a crusade against Castle Ravenloft, which he proclaimed would free Barovia from the mists and return sunlight to the valley. Over two dozen young Barovians accompanied him, as well as a scholar from distant lands named Alanik Ray, who had been staying as a guest at Ismark and Ireena's home for the previous several weeks while studying Barovian history and ecology.
• Ireena doesn't recall much about Alanik, other than that he was a curious, somewhat intense man who kept to himself, took long walks into the Svalich Woods, and owned a pet monkey. She does remember, however, that he had a furious argument with Doru at one point, which confused her when he accompanied Doru to Castle Ravenloft shortly thereafter.

Kolyan’s Dilemma

During lunch, Kolyan invites the heroes to help him deliberate on a dilemma he’s been trying to solve, noting that he would find it useful to have “an outside perspective" on the matter. If the heroes agree to do so, read:

After the heroes have discussed and answered Kolyan’s question, read:

If the heroes provide a suitably impressive or insightful answer, Kolyan asks if they intend to travel to the other settlements beyond Barovia if they survive the night—namely, Vallaki and Krezk to the west. If the heroes express an interest in doing so, Kolyan fetches a quill and ink from his writing desk and offers to draft them a signed letter of introduction. When completed, the letter reads as follows:

The letter is sealed with the wax sigil of the burgomaster of Barovia: a longsword before a rising sun. Kolyan concedes that he cannot promise the letter will be obeyed, noting it has been “years" since he traveled to any of the other settlements in the valley. He vows, however, that it should at least “open the ears" of those they may wish to approach, such as Baron Vargas Vallakovich and Lady Fiona Wachter of Vallaki, or Burgomaster Dmitri Krezkov of Krezk.

Rooms at the Mansion

If the heroes mention Ismark's offer to provide them with rooms, Ireena shows them to the mansion’s two guest bedrooms and provides them with basic supplies. "I can't say how much sleep you'll be able to get, or when," she says apologetically, her own eyes bearing dark circles beneath them. "But if nothing else, they should provide a quiet place to rest."

If the heroes ask about her parents, Ireena freely shares the following information while asking after the heroes' own families:

• Ismark and Ireena's mother was Korina Targolova. Korina died of a sickness fourteen years ago, but Kolyan has done his best since then to continue raising both children alone. (The scarf Ireena wears is her last memory of her mother.)
• Kolyan, their father, was the one who found Ireena when she was a young girl, by the edge of the Svalich Woods near the Pillarstone of Ravenloft. Ireena doesn't remember anything of her past before then, but is grateful to her parents for taking her in and loving her dearly.

As the heroes explore their rooms, one of them finds a torn excerpt of Van Richten's Guide to Vampires by Dr. Rudolph van Richten sitting on a night table by the bed. This excerpt of the preface, which Van Richten tore from Doru's book in the midst of a furious argument, reads as follows:

Kolyan and Ireena don't recognize the excerpt, but Ireena recalls that Doru owned a copy of Van Richten's Guide to Vampires, which he loved. Neither is sure how this excerpt came to be in their guest room.

When the heroes are ready to depart, Ireena retrieves a wooden crate containing twelve fire bottles (see below) from a closet, with each bottle packed securely between wads of straw.

B5e. Bildrath’s Mercantile

This scene takes place in Chapter 3: Area E1.

Should the heroes choose to visit it before proceeding to #B5f. The Eastern Barricade, this area is largely as described in Bildrath’s Mercantile (p. 43). Prices in Bildrath's Mercantile are about twice what the heroes are accustomed to, though even Wealth 1 is still enough to buy basic supplies. If asked about his inflated prices, Bildrath cites the recent economic upheaval.

If any heroes were kind to him in the tavern, Bildrath offers the heroes a special discount, for them only. If any heroes defended Ismark in the tavern, Bildrath glowers at them and instead sells those heroes items at a markup so high that purchasing basic supplies will reduce a hero's Wealth by 1, spitefully claiming these prices to be a “special deal" for friends of the town’s “great hero."

During the heroes’ conversation with Bildrath, Parriwimple enters the room carrying a box of wares that Bildrath asked him to fetch. He is excitedly curious about the heroes’ presence, but Bildrath orders him to return to his bedroom in order to avoid “disturbing the customers."

If Bildrath orders Parriwimple to remove the heroes from the store, Parriwimple attempts to grapple them and pull them out the door, preferring to avoid violence if at all possible.

B5f. The Eastern Barricade

Preparing the Barricade

Shortly after returning to the barricade at the eastern entrance to the village, the heroes are met by Bildrath and Parriwimple. Parriwimple is carrying a spear, and Bildrath carries a light crossbow.

When the heroes first encounter Parriwimple, read:

Bildrath greets the heroes warmly or coldly, depending on their interaction at the Blood of the Vine Tavern and (if they visited him there) Bildrath's Mercantile. Regardless of Bildrath’s disposition, Parriwimple is glad to meet new friends.

Bildrath is pleased to see the heroes’ delivery of fire bottles. He can inform the heroes that they have been assigned to defend the eastern barricade from any smaller bands of undead that might drift around the edges of the village rather than attacking from the north, south, or west.

If any of the heroes treated him kindly at the Blood of the Vine Tavern or Bildrath's Mercantile, Bildrath instructs Parriwimple to present them with a crate containing ball bearings, caltrops, iron spikes, and flasks of oil from his shop, to be used in preparing the barricade for the siege. Bildrath also directs the heroes to a pair of ten-foot ladders nailed to one of the houses nearby, which can allow any ranged combatants to ascend to the house’s roof. Finally, Bildrath instructs Parriwimple to obey those heroes’ instructions as though they were his own.

Bildrath then invites the heroes to join in the village's preparations for the siege. The heroes can engage in a montage test.

Montage Challenges

The following challenges can be part of the montage test.

Arms and Armor: Crafting or repairing weapons and armor of all kinds can help rebuild the defenders’ stores. Suggested Characteristics: Might, Reason. Suggested Skills: Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Fletching.

Evacuation: Heroes can help noncombatants get out of the open and find defensible positions before the horde arrives. Suggested Characteristics: Intuition, Presence. Suggested Skills: Handle Animals, Lead, Persuade.

Fortification: Characters can help build or repair barricades. Suggested Characteristics: Might, Reason. Suggested Skills: Architecture, Endurance, Lift. Can be attempted twice. If the heroes succeed at this challenge, the heroes' barricade is sturdily reinforced and has 6 Stamina per square; otherwise, it has 3 Stamina per square.

Inspiration: Improving morale with rousing speeches or performances can help prepare the Barovians for the fight to come. Suggested Characteristics: Intuition, Presence. Suggested Skills: Brag, Lead, Perform. If the heroes succeed at this challenge, their NPC allies' characteristics are treated as 1 higher for the purpose of resisting potencies on effects that would impose the frightened condition.

Training: Heroes can help train the village’s defenders. Suggested Characteristics: Might, Presence. Suggested Skills: Endurance, Intimidation, Lead. Can be attempted twice: once for Parriwimple and the other villagers, and once for Bildrath, who hates group activities. If the heroes succeed at this challenge, the NPC they trained has an edge on their Weapon abilities during the siege.

Trapmaking: Digging concealed pits and placing hindrances will make it harder for the attackers to approach the village. Suggested Characteristics: Might, Reason. Suggested Skills: Conceal Object, Strategy, Mechanics. On a Tier 2 result for this test, the heroes may place a spike trap on the encounter map. On a Tier 3 result, they may place two spike traps and four squares of flammable oil on the encounter map.

Montage Outcomes

One of the following outcomes ends the montage test.

Total Success: The heroes show impressive leadership and competence in preparing for the siege; the villagers are inspired to great feats in battle. In #Ismark’s Last Stand, Ismark starts the encounter with 30 Stamina. Each hero earns 1 Victory.

Partial Success: The village is somewhat better fortified, but the heroes can't be everywhere at once, and some villagers are caught unprepared when the undead hordes arrive. A minor NPC the heroes have met, like Arik the bartender, dies in the siege. Ismark begins his last stand with 25 Stamina. Each hero earns 1 Victory.

Total Failure: The heroes' efforts aren't enough to overcome the villagers' despair and exhaustion. Several minor NPCs (I suggest Bildrath, Mary, and Alenka) die in the siege. Ismark begins his last stand with 20 Stamina.

The Siege

Dusk falls soon after the heroes complete their preparations. Read:

A battle map for the eastern barricades by DM Andy Maps is available here.

The First Wave. Not long after darkness falls, two zombies, sixteen rotting zombies, and two ghouls emerge from the darkness and approach the barricade. Read:

In combat, the zombies focus their attacks on the barricade, attempting to batter it down. Once the zombies have broken a hole in the barricade, they attempt to flood through it, attacking any defenders who stand in their way. The ghouls attempt to leap or climb over the barricade.

The Second Wave. At the beginning of the second round of combat, eight additional rotting zombies emerge from the darkness, joined by two ghouls and two soulwights. Read:

The zombies again attempt to batter down the barricade, the ghouls attempt to climb over it, and the soulwights attempt to drain the life from the weaker defenders—that is, Bildrath and Parriwimple, if present.

The Third Wave. At the beginning of the third round of combat, a plagued zombie approaches the barricade. Read:

The plagued zombie uses their Plague Spreader ability, attempting to hit as many creatures as possible. (Neither Bildrath nor Parriwimple have seen or heard of a plagued zombie before, and both are ignorant of the virus it carries.)

Meanwhile, the zombies and soulwights attempt to batter through the barricade if necessary and engage the defenders at melee range.

B5g. The Western Barricade

The Raven’s Guidance

Shortly after the heroes dispatch the final wave, the wereraven Muriel appears to them in raven form. Read:

Although she can’t speak in raven form, Muriel attempts to nonverbally alert the heroes that the western barricade has fallen, pulling their hair and clothes toward the town square. If the heroes don’t immediately follow, read:

Ismark’s Last Stand

If the heroes follow her, Muriel guides them west toward the town square, then leads them through a series of alleyways behind and around the Blood of the Vine tavern, finally emerging on the north side of the street just west of the town square. When the heroes arrive, read:

Ismark, who has been winded or almost winded (determined by the outcome of the montage above), welcomes any help the heroes can provide against the plagued zombies. Ismark obstructs the plagued zombies directly while taking the Defend action on each of his turns, hoping to delay them while providing the heroes sufficient time to defeat them.

The plagued zombies, which begin 24 squares from the center of the town square, attempt to move as far as possible in a straight line toward the town square on each turn. If they can’t, they attack any creatures within range. (The plagued zombies don't attempt to move around creatures obstructing them, even if doing so could allow them to reach their destination.) If they reach the center of the town square, they use their Plague Spreader ability to target as many villagers as possible. If any are present, the non-plagued zombies attack the nearest available living targets.

A battle map for the town square by DM Andy Maps is available here.

Rahadin’s Proclamation

Shortly after the heroes defeat the plagued zombies, a lone horseman flanked by twelve zombies approaches the town square from the west. Read:

This is Rahadin, riding a phantom steed. As he comes to a halt at the edge of the town square, he pulls a scroll from his cloak and unfurls. If not interrupted, he begins to read from it, his resonant voice carrying across the square:

If not prevented, Rahadin searches the crowd, his gaze finally settling on Ismark. Leaving the undead behind, he approaches Ismark on horseback.

As Rahadin approaches the heroes (or vice versa), the heroes can hear the sounds of his screams of the dead. Read:

The heroes can notice that any other Barovians within three squares of Rahadin appear to be similarly disturbed. (Any Barovians beyond the three-square radius can’t hear the screams.) When Rahadin speaks, the screams somewhat recede—enough to allow him and others to be heard—but gain a notable accent of fear.

Note that the heroes and Barovians do not take psychic damage from Rahadin's screams of the dead, since they are not (currently) Rahadin's enemies.

Upon approaching Ismark, Rahadin inspects him briefly, then states coldly: “Please accept my congratulations on your new position—and my condolences on your loss." Unless obstructed, he then turns his horse around and departs the village, once more trailed by the twelve zombies.

Rahadin’s initial proclamation leaves Ismark stiff and stone-faced, but his subsequent greeting leaves Ismark shell-shocked and frozen. Shortly after Rahadin departs, Ismark appears to process the weight of Rahadin’s words, releases a bellowing, wordless cry, and runs for the burgomaster’s mansion. (If Parriwimple is present, he urges the heroes to follow Ismark.)

B5h. Return to the Mansion

Strahd’s Aftermath

If the heroes follow Ismark to the burgomaster’s mansion, they find its grounds abandoned and the front door ajar. Upon arriving, Ismark rushes inside, shouting for his father and Ireena.

Ismark and the heroes can find Kolyan and Ireena in the first-floor parlor. Read:

Upon arriving, Ismark lets out a strangled cry of anguish, and immediately descends to cradle his father’s head in his hands.

Kolyan is obviously dead. A hero who inspects Ireena and checks her breath or pulse finds that she is alive, but pale and weak, with two bloody puncture wounds piercing the flesh of her neck.

Shortly after the heroes arrive, Ireena stirs awake, shrieking in despair when she sees her father’s corpse. If asked, she can share the following information, though she readily admits that her memory is hazy:

• As the siege progressed, she returned to the manor to retrieve a fresh quiver of crossbow bolts. As she returned to the door, she heard her father inviting someone to enter their home. (“Father’s voice sounded strange," she whispers, holding her arms to her chest. “He was calm—too calm—like someone else was speaking for him.")
• Though she doesn’t remember who the visitor was, she remembers a tall, gaunt silhouette; a deep, resonant voice; and a set of burning, hypnotic red eyes.
• The voice—a man’s—spoke to her, and her memory went blank. She remembers feeling a sudden, sharp pain on her neck, followed by the sound of her father shouting. As she fell into unconsciousness, she recalls hearing the voice murmur, “We shall meet again."

Ireena is horrified by her father’s death and the prospect that their home was visited by the Devil, Strahd von Zarovich. She is bewildered as to why Strahd might kill her father but spare her, and is deeply disturbed by the prospect that she is somehow responsible for Kolyan’s fate.

Once the heroes have sufficiently comforted the siblings, Ismark exhaustedly asks the heroes to remain at the mansion with Ireena while he returns to the town square to ensure that any wounded Barovians are cared for. “We will see to our father’s burial tomorrow," he adds, quietly. "And if you can—try to get some sleep. You've more than earned it."

The Argument

Ismark returns to the manor shortly before midnight. Shortly thereafter, any heroes who remain awake, or who have the Alertness skill, overhear a muffled argument from the kitchen below.

The heroes can eavesdrop on this conversation with a successful medium Agility or Intuition test. Read:

Ismark and Ireena ascend the stairs a few moments later. A hero with the Read Person skill, or who suceeds on a medium Intuition test, notices that both have blotchy, red eyes, as if from crying.

If confronted, Ireena shares that she intends to travel to Vallaki, a fortified town to the west. St. Andral’s Church in Vallaki is said to be hallowed ground, protecting its congregants from vampires and other undead. If questioned, Ismark reluctantly agrees that Barovia, surrounded by suspicious neighbors and in the shadow of the Devil’s keep, is no longer safe for Ireena.

If the heroes ask about Gertruda, Ireena can share the following information:

• Gertruda is a twenty-one-year-old villager. Ever since Doru, her betrothed, marched on Castle Ravenloft and failed to return, Gertruda has become fixated on the town of Vallaki, believing that if she could only journey to Vallaki and speak with the Burgomaster, she could convince him to bring aid.
• Gertruda's mother, Mary, has repeatedly forbidden Gertruda from traveling away from the village. With the advent of the siege, however, Gertruda has become stubbornly convinced that help from Vallaki is the only way to end the village's suffering.
• Last night, Mary and Gertruda had a tumultuous argument that ended with both on poor terms. This morning, Mary woke to find their old horse, Nori, missing from her stall—and Gertruda nowhere to be found. Mary believes Gertruda took Nori in an effort to outrun the zombie horde.

Ireena learned of Gertruda's disappearance during the preparations for tonight's siege, when Mary came to the mansion to ask for help. Ireena promised that she and Ismark will organize a search party to look for Gertruda, and to find her and bring her home safely if she didn't make it to Vallaki.

When the heroes return to their room, they can see two swarms of bats—Strahd's spies—gathered on the eaves of a nearby house, watching silently from the darkness.

If the heroes successfully defended the Village of Barovia against the undead siege, they all gain the Hero of the Village title.

Morning at the Mansion

The heroes' rest at the mansion passes without incident. When they awaken the following morning shortly before dawn, they can find the burgomaster's corpse lying in a simple wooden coffin in the living room surrounded by wilting flowers and a faint odor of decay. Ismark and Ireena are in the dining room, quietly drinking tea.

When the heroes descend to the main floor, Ismark greets them and insists on fixing them bowls of goat's milk porridge and cups of chamomile tea for breakfast. While Ismark busies himself in the kitchen, Ireena solemnly and apologetically asks the heroes for a favor.

Escorting Ireena. Ireena first quietly notes that she appears to have become a target for both the Devil and her fellow villagers, and that she believes her presence in the village, which lies directly beneath the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, endangers everyone she knows and loves. She shares that she had hoped Ismark could escort her to Vallaki, a settlement in the heart of the valley, beyond the view of Castle Ravenloft and (she hopes) beyond the reach of Strahd. Ireena notes that St. Andral’s Church in Vallaki is said to be hallowed ground, protecting its congregants from vampires and other undead. Since Ismark can't leave Barovia due to his duties as his father's successor, Ireena asks the heroes if they would be willing to bring her to St. Andral's Church in his stead.

Seeking Fravartiš. After Ismark emerges from the kitchen, he shares that Strahd's attack on the village has only strengthened his belief that the Barovians must find some way of escaping the vampire's tyranny. "We can't go on living like this," he croaks, his knuckles whitening as he stares into his mug. "I've heard how terrible things were a hundred years ago, before he went to sleep. Vampires lurking in every shadow. Parents and their children disappearing in the night. Rats and wolves and bats reporting our every move to the castle. Even if the Devil goes dormant again in fifty or sixty years' time, who would we be if we condemned our children and grandchildren to that same fate?"

Although he asks them to be discreet in doing so, so as to avoid drawing Strahd's wrath back down upon the village, Ismark asks the heroes to seek the wisdom of Fravartiš, a hakaan seer and sage who dwells at Tser Pool. "If anyone might know how the Devil can be destroyed and our people freed," he murmurs, "it's her."

If the heroes agree to do so, a hero with the Alertness skill, or else the hero with the highest Intuition score, notices a rat—one of Strahd's spies—watching them with rapt, malevolent, and intelligent interest from beneath a nearby piece of furniture. Once noticed, the rat immediately dashes toward the kitchen in a clear attempt to escape.

The heroes have one round to kill the rat as it scurries toward a large hole in the kitchen wall. The rat has 1 Stamina. If they fail to kill the rat, Ireena skewers it with her rapier before it can escape, recognizing it as one of Strahd's spies.

Delivering the Coffin. After asking their first two favors, Ismark and Ireena ask the heroes to assist in carrying Kolyan's coffin to the church. If they do, the two siblings accompany the heroes to the church.

B5i. The Barovian Church

This scene takes place in Chapter 3: Area E5.

When the heroes arrive at the church with the burgomaster’s body, Ismark is disturbed by the damage wrought to its walls and roof. As he knocks on the front door and calls for Father Donavich, if Parriwimple is still alive, read the following:

If Bildrath died in the siege, add:

Parriwimple, who is out for a walk ("It helps me think," he mumbles, if asked), can share the following information if asked:

• Father Donavich used to be a kind and friendly man, always ready to share a word of wisdom or a warm crabapple pie with visitors.
• Ever since the siege started, however, Donavich shut himself inside the church and turned away visitors more often than not. When Parriwimple last saw him two days ago, Donavich looked like he hadn’t slept or bathed in almost a week.
• Father Donavich hasn’t worn his holy symbol (a bronze sunburst) since the rebellion, which Parriwimple considers odd. (Parriwimple always loved how the light would glint off of its surface, and adored hearing Donavich’s son, Doru, tell stories of how the sun once shone in Barovia.)
• Parriwimple misses Doru, who left to lead the rebellion against Strahd three months ago alongside the stranger, Alanik. (Parriwimple also misses Alanik’s pet monkey, which he loved to play with.) Despite his uncle telling him that Doru died at Castle Ravenloft, Parriwimple hopes that he somehow survived.

Parriwimple won’t accompany the heroes inside of the church, but wishes them well and invites them to visit him at Bildrath’s Mercantile before departing.

Inside the Church

This area is largely as described in Church (p. 45). However, modify the descriptive text for E5a. Hall (p. 45) to remove Doru’s scream:

Doru does not cry out to his father when the heroes enter the chapel. Instead, when the heroes first approach the chapel, Donavich’s prayers halt.

If he learns that Ismark and Ireena are with the heroes, Donavich acts more warmly toward them and apologizes for the chapel’s state of disrepair.

As the conversation unfolds, the following exchanges might occur:

• If Ismark, Ireena, or a hero asks about burying the deceased burgomaster, Father Donavich informs them that he would be glad to oversee a burial, but that he cannot perform the holy rites that would sanctify Kolyan’s remains. (Donavich is sorrowful to hear of Kolyan’s death, and expresses his condolences for his passing.)
• If Ismark, Ireena, or a hero notes the damage done to the church, Father Donavich informs them that it was caused by a vampire spawn that attacked amidst the siege—the undead husk of his son, Doru. (Both Ismark and Ireena are shocked and horrified to learn of Doru's fate, having believed he died at Castle Ravenloft.)
• If Ismark, Ireena, or a hero informs him that Gertruda (Doru's betrothed) has gone missing, Father Donavich mourns her and murmurs a quiet prayer that the Lady of Morning keep and protect her soul.

If the heroes inquire further, Donavich can share the following information:

• When Doru set off for Castle Ravenloft, Father Donavich gave him his holy symbol of the Lady—a bronze sunburst on a leather cord—to keep him safe in the face of darkness. When Doru failed to return, however, Donavich feared the worst.
• Six days ago, as the siege was beginning, Doru returned to the church at midnight, now transformed into a vampire spawn. Donavich managed to lure Doru into the undercroft and trap him there.
• Ever since Doru returned, Donavich hasn’t been able to cast spells or feel the Lady’s presence. He believes that this is because Doru still has his holy symbol, and that Strahd’s foul influence has corrupted Donavich’s connection to the gods.
• Donavich believes that his son is dead, and that the creature that wears his skin is a mockery that must be destroyed.

Donavich knows that he can’t defeat Doru and can’t bear to see his son’s face again. If the heroes are willing, however, Donavich asks them to descend to the undercroft, destroy Doru’s body, and retrieve his holy symbol. In exchange, Donavich offers to complete the proper burial rites and to tell the heroes of a place where they can find safety from the Devil Strahd.

If the heroes agree, Donavich produces the key to the padlock in E5d. Trapdoor (p. 45) and allows them to enter. Ismark remains upstairs with Ireena, reluctant to expose her to a vampire—even Doru—but promises the heroes that he will join them should Doru prove too dangerous for them to handle.

Descent to the Undercroft

The undercroft is largely as described in E5g. Undercroft (p. 47). However, modify the last sentence of the description as follows:

Doru, a Barovian vampire spawn, has climbed up the walls to cling to the ceiling at the sound of the heroes’ approach. A hero with the Alertness skill automatically spots him in the darkened upper corner on the far side of the room. Otherwise, read the following after a few seconds have passed.

Doru prefers to speak with the heroes from the safety of darkness, but won’t refuse if the heroes command him to reveal himself. If he does, read the following:

"Doru" by Caleb Cleveland. Support him on Patreon!

Doru’s request is simple: to prove to himself that he can control his vampiric urges, he wants the heroes to expose him to the scent of fresh blood. If he can refrain from attacking, he wants the heroes to tell Father Donavich that his son is still alive. If he can’t, he wants the heroes to kill him. In either case, he won’t stop the heroes from taking the holy symbol once the experiment is complete.

Doru's Trial

If the heroes agree to fulfill Doru’s request by exposing him to fresh blood, he asks them to strike him down if he succumbs, and then asks them if they truly believe he can overcome his vampiric nature.

As the heroes converse with Doru, secretly track three counters: humanity, bloodlust, and control. If one or more heroes speaks Vaslorian, Doru's control instead starts at 5. Doru has several tethers—things that connect him to his humanity—and pitfalls, which weaken his control on his bloodlust.

As the heroes converse with Doru, they will likely attempt to encourage him to hang onto his humanity. If an argument appeals to one of Doru's tethers, the hero's test has the following outcomes.

If an argument doesn't appeal to one of Doru's tethers or invoke one of his pitfalls, the test to encourage Doru is more difficult and has the following outcomes.

If an argument invokes a pitfall, it automatically fails. Doru's bloodlust increases by 1, and his control decreases by 1.

The heroes may also try to uncover Doru's tethers or pitfalls in order to make more persuasive arguments. The test has the following outcomes.

If a hero lies to Doru with an argument that fails to increase his humanity, Doru catches them in the lie, and his faith in them weakens; Doru's bloodlust increases by 1.

What Doru Knows

Doru can share the following information with the heroes if asked:

• As a child, Doru was enraptured by stories of the sun and the light and hope that it once brought to the valley. As he grew older, he learned swordsmanship from Ismark and studied the book Van Richten’s Guide to Vampires to learn how to destroy the undead. He dreamed of one day destroying the Devil of Castle Ravenloft and bringing freedom to his people.
• Sixteen weeks ago, a foreign scholar calling himself Alanik Ray arrived in Barovia and rented a room in the burgomaster's manor. When an enormous undead dire wolf attacked a group of children who had strayed too far from the village, however, Doru alone saw "Alanik" fend it off with expert skill—and when the wolf knocked "Alanik" down, something fell from his face and his appearance magically changed, revealing him to be the legendary vampire hunter Dr. Rudolph van Richten.
• Doru confronted him and insisted that Van Richten lead the village in revolt against Castle Ravenloft. Though Van Richten was reluctant at first, he eventually agreed—on the condition that Doru allow him to keep his disguise. Two days later, Doru, aided by a man named Escher—the village bard and Doru’s oldest friend—had assembled more than two dozen fighters to march on the keep.
• With Van Richten’s aid, the mob struck down any undead guards that tried to stand in their way. However, when they finally opened Strahd’s crypt, Escher was nowhere to be found—and Strahd’s coffin was empty. (If asked, Doru forcefully denies that Escher betrayed them.)
• Shortly thereafter, Strahd emerged from the shadows and attacked the mob with merciless force. Most of Doru’s companions were slain. Doru himself was turned into a vampire spawn, and later learned that Escher had been as well. Doru doesn’t know what happened to Van Richten, but was forced to confess the old man’s identity when Strahd interrogated him later.
• Doru spent nearly three months at Castle Ravenloft, during which Strahd repeatedly forced him to drink the blood of his former companions. Six nights ago, Strahd commanded Doru to return to the church and his father.
• Doru can’t disobey Strahd’s direct orders, and can feel his presence at all times. His vampiric bloodthirst is a constant distraction, and it’s difficult to control his predatory urges and instincts. When he first returned to the church, he was almost grateful that his father had locked him in the undercroft, where he couldn’t do any harm.
• Doru doesn’t know if his soul or body can be saved, but he’s kept his father’s holy symbol to remind him of his faith and family, and to steel his will against the addictions of his new form. If not for that, he suspects that he would have lost control days or even weeks ago. (Doru doesn’t know why Strahd allowed him to keep it, but suspects that Strahd viewed it as a form of ironic amusement.)

If the heroes ask about his argument with "Alanik," Doru admits, shamefacedly, that he forced Van Richten to accompany his rebels to the castle, threatening to march on Castle Ravenloft with or without Van Richten's help. (An enraged Van Richten ripped out the preface of Doru's copy of Van Richten's Guide to Vampires—which Doru bought from a traveling caravan ten years prior—in order to make a point. "He warned me that faith and books meant nothing in the face of true evil," Doru murmurs. "I should have listened." Doru isn't sure what happened to the rest of the book.)

As the conversation continues, Doru might ask the heroes:

• whether Escher has been seen in the village, and
• whether Doru’s betrothed, Gertruda, survived the siege.

If told that Gertruda has left the village alone for Vallaki—likely in a misguided effort to save Doru himself—Doru becomes visibly distraught, but hopes aloud that she made the journey safely. He asks the heroes to look out for her and help bring her home should they find her. Doru feels that he has earned his fate, but believes that Gertruda, a good and compassionate woman, deserves far better.

Doru's Fate

When the heroes expose Doru to fresh blood, read the following:

Doru's trial ends when his humanity reaches 5, his bloodlust reaches 5, or his control reaches 0.

If Doru's bloodlust reaches 5, or his control reaches 0 with more bloodlust than humanity, he succumbs to the bloodlust. Doru pauses, then attacks. Draw steel. If the heroes defeat Doru, there is no reward; this is a tragedy, not a heroic victory.

Otherwise, if Doru's humanity reaches 5, or his control reaches 0 with at least as much humanity as bloodlust, Doru successfully resists his bloodlust. Read:

Doru thanks the heroes and relinquishes the holy symbol without protest. If the heroes mention it, he is surprised to hear that his fangs have retracted, but recognizes the significance with humility and disbelief. (Doru has, after all, read Van Richten's Guide to Vampires many times.)

Milestone. If the heroes successfully help Doru overcome his bloodlust, award each hero 1 Victory.

Doru warns the heroes that Strahd will likely take an active interest in newcomers to his land, and that they should therefore be careful. As a token of his gratitude, he provides the heroes with the location of a hidden weapons cache that Van Richten kept in case of emergencies. To reach it, the heroes must cross the River Ivlis Bridge and travel down the Old Svalich Road three hundred paces south into the woods, until they arrive at an ancient oak tree. They'll find the cache nestled in a hollow beneath the tree's roots.

If the heroes appear interested in learning more about vampires, Doru can share the information contained in the Chained to the Grave feature of the Barovian vampire and Barovian vampire spawn statblocks, as well as the broad details of the other features in the Vampire Attributes featureblock. Doru notes, however, that the Devil is unlike any other vampire. "He holds powers beyond any ordinary vampire's ken. He is . . . unfathomable." He shudders, his eyes squeezing shut in painful remembrance. (Doru can't share any specifics regarding Strahd's capabilities, only that he seemed to slaughter Doru's friends "in mere moments.")

Before the heroes depart, Doru asks them once more to tell Father Donavich that his son is still alive. If asked to accompany them upstairs, he declines to do so. "I have sinned with my hubris, and this is my penance," he says softly. "I will leave this prison only when my father allows."

The Burial

If the heroes return to Father Donavich with his holy symbol in hand, he accepts it with gratitude.

If the heroes tell Father Donavich that they killed Doru to obtain the symbol, read:

Otherwise, if the heroes spared Doru and relay his final message, read:

Once he’s received his holy symbol, Father Donavich gladly agrees to conduct Kolyan’s burial.

The cemetery is as described in E6. Cemetery (p. 48). At night, the cemetery is watched by two swarms of bats—spies of Strahd’s—who hang to the eaves of the church and the nearby mausoleums, watching the heroes.

Upon entering the cemetery, Donavich retrieves four shovels from a shed abutting the church and shares them with the heroes. When the grave is fully dug and dawn has begun, Donavich offers prayers to the Lady of Morning, asking for Kolyan’s deliverance in the following refrain:

At the conclusion of Donavich’s prayer, Ismark and Ireena offer the following words in memory of their father:

Any heroes who wish to may offer words, prayers, or tributes of their own.

If he has recovered his holy symbol, Donavich first performs a divine ritual to sanctify Kolyan’s remains. Donavich then directs the heroes to lower the coffin into the ground.

With the burial concluded, Strahd’s bats take off into the air, vanishing up into the mist surrounding the base of Castle Ravenloft.

Donavich takes the bats’ presence as a bad omen. In a surprisingly lucid moment, he warns the heroes and Ismark of a Barovian superstition that young women with red hair often find that ill luck travels beside them, and asks if Ireena plans to remain in Barovia now that the Devil has awoken. If told that Ireena and the heroes intend to leave, Donavich suggests the Abbey of St. Markovia in Krezk as an eventual destination. He notes it was once a bastion of good, and may yet still offer some protection.

Return to the Mansion

When the heroes return to the burgomaster’s manor following the burial, Ismark packs them three days' worth of rations in cloth sacks for the journey to come. As he does, Ireena tells the heroes that she'll be ready to leave at noon. Until then, the heroes are free to explore the village, shop at Bildrath's Mercantile, or otherwise pass the time.

As Ismark packs the rations, he can share the following information:

• The journey to Vallaki is more than a day's travel if the heroes plan to visit Tser Pool first, and that Ireena and the heroes will likely need to spend a night on the road. He recommends doing so at Tser Pool itself.
• Tser Pool is a bit under two hours' journey from Barovia. (Though Strahd's spies are everywhere, Tser Pool is known to be a safe place for travelers to spend the night, especially given Fravartiš's reputation.)

B5j. Lugdana's Knoll

Approximately an hour before noon, Ireena quietly slips out of the mansion, walking to Lugdana's Knoll, a small, quiet hill to the north of Barovia. (The hill is named for the holy warrior Lugdana, who, according to legend, first met Burgomaster Ismark Antonovich the Great upon that hill.)

Shortly before noon, if the heroes haven't been keeping track of her, Ismark—who's currently debriefing a pair of Barovian scouts regarding their unsuccessful search for Gertruda—notes Ireena's absence with minor concern and asks the heroes to find her and bring her home.

Because Strahd and his servants have only visited at night, Ismark isn't notably alarmed by Ireena's absence, but still wants to see her brought home as quickly as reasonably possible. Ismark advises that the heroes check Lugdana's Knoll first—one of Ireena's favorite spots around the village—and provides brief directions to get there.

If the heroes visit the knoll, read:

The figure is Ireena, who has donned her chestplate and rapier and now wears a red scarf around her neck. As the heroes approach, they can see that she is using a trowel to dig a hole in the earth between the tree's roots. Ireena, fixated upon her work, doesn't notice the heroes until they call out to her or otherwise enter her field of view.

Ireena greets the heroes with warmth, though with some embarrassment for having driven them to come search for her. She shares freely that she is digging for a small wooden chest that she and her mother, Korina Targolova, buried here before her mother's death fourteen years ago—a coffer whose contents she hopes to take as a keepsake when she departs for Vallaki, given that she doesn't know when, if ever, she'll be able to return home.

If allowed to finish unearthing the chest, Ireena opens it, revealing its contents. The chest contains a silver bracelet set with gemstones, a pressed aster flower, a wooden charm in the shape of the yarrow flower on a leather cord, and a handkerchief with floral patterns.

The flower (which Ireena found and her mother pressed), charm (which Ireena's mother wore as an apprentice to the town's healer), and handkerchief (which Ireena's mother helped her to sew) are all mementos of Ireena's childhood with her mother. The bracelet is an item that Ireena was found carrying when Kolyan found her in the Svalich Wood, which Korina kept as a memento of their "miracle child" after she learned that she could bear no more children.

The bracelet holds no sentimental value for Ireena, and she doesn't remember why she was carrying it when Kolyan first found her, or where she obtained it. She offers it to the heroes as a gift for their agreement to escort her to Vallaki, as compensation for their trouble.

The silver bracelet, which is tarnished and clearly hundreds of years old, looks valuable and bears an intricate pattern of the moon and stars along the exterior, with a moonstone gem embedded at the center of the moon and five lapis-lazuli serving as the stars. On the inside of the bracelet, in tiny, elegant script, the following message is engraved in Common: "Tatyana: May you find your path, and may you find light even in the darkest places—Mother & Father."

Ireena doesn't know who Tatyana is. (Unbeknownst to Ireena, the bracelet was a gift from Tatyana Federovna's parents on Tatyana's eighteenth birthday. It was lost in the Svalich Wood when Tatyana leapt to her death from the Castle Ravenloft overlook.)

After sharing the items in the chest, Ireena removes her scarf, revealing the bite marks on her neck. As she traces her fingers along them, she grimaces. "I don't know why he hasn't killed me or turned me," she says, gritting her teeth as her hands curl into fists. "I don't know if this is some kind of sick game he's playing, or if he just likes to see people suffer."

The anger leaves her as she adds, her voice tightening, "They say people with red hair bring bad luck. I'm sorry—I never wanted to bring any to you." (She is grateful for any reassurances the heroes might offer.)

Ireena gladly returns to the mansion with the heroes, or returns on her own shortly after noon if the heroes failed to find her. She then retrieves a packed traveling bag from her room.

When the heroes are ready to leave, Ireena bids Ismark a heartfelt farewell and sets off on the road.

Design Notes

Ismark and Ireena. As written in Curse of Strahd, Ireena doesn't have much agency at any point in the adventure. She's first presented as Strahd's victim and not much else; then her brother decides unilaterally that she must leave her whole life behind and go to Vallaki; then she's stalked relentlessly throughout the adventure; then finally she fucks off into a pool for someone else's happy (?) ending. She doesn't even get to see her stalker dead! And her soul isn't even an original! Yikes. Her role in Curse of Strahd: Reloaded is improved, but still puts players in the uncomfortable position of taking her overbearing brother's side and trying to convince Ireena to go against her own wishes. Surely better things are possible.

The siblings' argument and the morning scene at the mansion have been rewritten to give Ireena the active role in deciding her own fate, to give her more emotional depth through survivor's guilt, to further incentivize the heroes to agree to escort her, and to make Ismark more sympathetic and less overbearing. The reveal of Gertruda's disappearance has also been moved to the argument scene to avoid giving the players something quest-hook-shaped that they can't actually follow, to avoid unnecessary repetition, and to decrease the NPC roleplay workload on the Director during the tavern scenes.

Doru's Trial. Doru's trial has been reworked to better use the mechanics of Draw Steel. I considered making it a straight-up negotiation, but didn't like the implications of a decreasing "humanity" meter—Doru is a thinking, feeling person the whole time, and killing him would be a tragedy. So instead, here we have competing humanity and bloodlust clocks.

Barovian Names. What are the human naming conventions of Barovia? Ismark has the patronymic Kolyanovich, after his father Kolyan; Kolyan has the patronymic Indirovich; so we can conclude that the burgomaster's family does use patronymics but does not have a family name. All fine and good. But then, if one looks at the "Barovian Names" sidebar in Chapter 2 (page 25), meant to give a GM a handy list of names for the average random Barovian commoner, we run into several problems. First, we are given only a list of "family names", and a family name isn't the same as a patronymic. Second, this list of names doesn't seem to have a consistent way the gendered forms of these names are derived; we have, for example, "Targolov/Targolova", which fits the pattern one would expect from an east Slavic family name or a Bulgarian patronymic, but we also have "Mironovich/Mironovna", which fits the pattern one would expect from east Slavic (but not Bulgarian) patronymics. Fine for there to be people of different cultures with slightly different patronymic naming conventions, and maybe some of these names are meant to be patronymics and some are family names, but then, Ireena Kolyana fits neither pattern—one would expect her patronymic to be Kolyanova or Kolyanovna. So: do most human Barovians use patronymics, or do they not, and if they do, how are they derived? Do they have family names, or do they not? I must choose a convention or have this debate with myself again every time I name an NPC.

What I've settled on is something like sixteenth-century Russian names. Generally, peasants (e.g. Gertruda, Escher) have only a given name. Minor nobles and wealthier families use patronymics derived from the highest-status parent's name (e.g. Ismark Kolyanovich, Lydia Petrovna). Some use the non-gendered form for their patronymic despite its resemblance to a family name (e.g. Kasimir Velikov, sibling to Patrina Velikovna) or drop the patronymic altogether (e.g. Victor Vallakovich, who hates his father Vargas Vallakovich). Some very old or noble families also have family names (e.g. Ilya Dmitriyevich Krezkov, youngest son of the burgomaster of Krezk). Some people adopt their spouse's patronymic in an altered form upon marriage (e.g. Ivan Nastasyich might become Ivan Altynov upon marrying Aleksey Altynovna, or Ekaterina Ivanovna might become Ekaterina Petrova upon marrying Olga Petrovna). Some, of course, have particular reasons for breaking this pattern (e.g. the burgomaster of Vallaki uses Vallakovich, the patronymic of town founder Boris Vallakovich, as his family name), and some have names from cultures that don't follow this patronymic/family name convention at all (e.g. the Dursts).

Anyway, this came up because of Alenka. Alenka, given the second name Konstantinova in Curse of Strahd: Reloaded, is the sister of Anton Konstantinovich, who in turn is married to Dezdrelda Konstantinova. I've changed Alenka's patronymic to Konstantinovna to avoid questions like "how many Konstantins could there possibly be in this tiny village" and "if Alenka is married, where's her husband". Ireena's patronymic has also been changed to Kolyanovna, to match Ismark's patronymic.

Rahadin the Shadow Elf. Ah, Rahadin. I knew I wanted to change his ancestry to one present in Draw Steel's Orden, and shadow elf seemed like a more interesting option than wode elf. Plus, DnD5e-Rahadin, scheming yet servile, ambiguously "dusky-skinned", feels like an Orientalist trope to me, and I (Japanese) am very tired. So here Rahadin was born to a small court of shadow elves who moved to Orden—specifically Rhöl—to escape the schemes of Every Strike of Lightning a Lover Betrayed.

The rest of Rahadin's backstory has also been almost entirely reworked for this guide. Primarily because I'm trans, and I simply am not interested in including gendered genocide in my own games or in the adventures I write. Frankly, bizarre to include that in the original module, I think. You simply oughtn't imply in a throwaway line in an NPC's backstory that an entire society was 100% cis people. (A society of elves, no less.)

Fravartiš. Another major change foreshadowed here! We all know the Vistani in 2016-CoS are heinously racist stereotypes of Romani people, and 2020-CoS isn't much better. And of course both are inspired by the also-racist tropes in Dracula. The seer, whose mystical powers are real, is of course load-bearing for the adventure; but making her an otherwise normal human person who lives in a nomadic society of cheerful storytellers—well, I think it would inevitably lead back to racist stereotypes.

So, what to do? Thankfully, an alternative presented itself in the form of existing Draw Steel lore: hakaan! Hakaan heroes have Doomsight, which allows them to see a piece of the future, namely the moment and nature of their own death. This doesn't get us quite all the way to "the seer can tell the heroes useful things about the fate of Barovia", unless the seer's death is also Barovia's death. Enter a piece of lore from Curse of Strahd: Reloaded: in that guide, Madam Eva is an avatar of the Seeker, one of the Ladies of the Fanes, the oldest gods of Barovia. Putting these pieces together, we have what I arrived at for this guide: the seer is a saint (maybe just conduit) of one of the gods of Barovia, and also hakaan, so her Doomsight shows her the moment Barovia falls—when Strahd defeats the heroes and executes his villainous scheme on the night of the Grand Conjunction, on the winter solstice of this year. Further, since one of her god's domains is fate, her divine rituals can sometimes augur other people's futures as well.

And thus the seer has a hakaan name.

Of course, I'm not entirely confident I've eliminated this particular strain of racism from the adventure; I'm not Romani, so this is outside my expertise. I do plan to hire a Romani sensitivity reader for future arcs including formerly-Vistani characters.