ravenloft brief gazetteer

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Corelands Barovia Fantasy Transylvania through a Gothic lens. A realm of thick forests, towering snow-capped peaks, and woodland dales resting in the Balinok Mountains; Barovia is ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich (cursed more commonly as “the devil Strahd”), who is openly known to be a vampire and who has governed the land since time immemorial; Strahd is a cruel tyrant, but he prefers to rule from the shadows and delegates most of the duties of leadership to his boyars and burgomasters; the Svalich woods surround Castle Ravenloft (Strahd's personal fortress—it is perpetually obscured by what is believed to be a poisonous fog that only the Vistani may pass through unharmed) and the city of Barovia proper; the Old Svalich Road crosses the Balinoks and leads to two major settlements: Vallaki and Barovia; plums grown in the region are used to brew a brandywine called tuika; there are three major ethnic groups living in Barovia: Barovians, Gundarkites, and the Vistani; the Barovians are the native population, the Gundarkites are oppressed immigrants from a conquered land, and the Vistani are gypsy travelers given free reign in Barovia in return for the information they provide to Strahd; Barovians do not generally attend church except for funeral services, though some Barovians belong to a cult called the Children of the Morninglord —they believe that the Morninglord's coming will banish the darkness that plagues their land; Gundarkites are much more religious—they tend to belong to the Eternal Order religion, which worships a personification of death that they call Nerull the Reaper; incendiary ethnic tensions exist between the Barovians and the Gundarkites, as the Gundarkites are victims of unfair legal restrictions (they cannot own land) and the heavy taxes they must pay; Mount Baratok is known to be haunted by a spirit called Jezra Wagner, also known as the Ice Queen; a young firebrand named Ardonk Szerieza has begun to agitate the Gundarkites of Zeidenburg and Teufeldorf to revolt against the Barovian boyars. 1

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Page 1: Ravenloft Brief Gazetteer

CorelandsBarovia Fantasy Transylvania through a Gothic lens.

A realm of thick forests, towering snow-capped peaks, and woodland dales resting in the Balinok Mountains; Barovia is ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich (cursed more commonly as “the devil Strahd”), who is openly known to be a vampire and who has governed the land since time immemorial; Strahd is a cruel tyrant, but he prefers to rule from the shadows and delegates most of the duties of leadership to his boyars and burgomasters; the Svalich woods surround Castle Ravenloft (Strahd's personal fortress—it is perpetually obscured by what is believed to be a poisonous fog that only the Vistani may pass through unharmed) and the city of Barovia proper; the Old Svalich Road crosses the Balinoks and leads to two major settlements: Vallaki and Barovia; plums grown in the region are used to brew a brandywine called tuika; there are three major ethnic groups living in Barovia: Barovians, Gundarkites, and the Vistani; the Barovians are the native population, the Gundarkites are oppressed immigrants from a conquered land, and the Vistani are gypsy travelers given free reign in Barovia in return for the information they provide to Strahd; Barovians do not generally attend church except for funeral services, though some Barovians belong to a cult called the Children of the Morninglord—they believe that the Morninglord's coming will banish the darkness that plagues their land; Gundarkites are much more religious—they tend to belong to the Eternal Order religion, which worships a personification of death that they call Nerull the Reaper; incendiary ethnic tensions exist between the Barovians and the Gundarkites, as the Gundarkites are victims of unfair legal restrictions (they cannot own land) and the heavy taxes they must pay; Mount Baratok is known to be haunted by a spirit called Jezra Wagner, also known as the Ice Queen; a young firebrand named Ardonk Szerieza has begun to agitate the Gundarkites of Zeidenburg and Teufeldorf to revolt against the Barovian boyars.

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Borca Fantasy Italy through a Gothic lens.

A realm of green, rugged valleys where vegetation runs wild and wildflowers blanket the hillside; natives are quick to notify visitors that they should avoid any water or fruit with a purplish tinge—this coloring is a sign of poison; Borca has four major settlements: Lechberg, Levkarest, Sturben, and Vor Ziyden; the Boritsis, the wealthy family that rules much of Borca, have an opulent estate at Levkarest; the area around Levkarest boasts several natural hot springs and the city is home to the Great Cathedral of the Church of Ezra; the second most important family in the domain is the Dilisnyas, whose estate is near Lechberg; Ivana Boritsi, also known as the Black Widow because her suitors all die under mysterious circumstances, is the head of the politically powerful Boritsi family and de facto ruler of most of Borca; her cousin Ivan Dilisyna is the head of Borca's “police force,” and is Ivana's rival for control of the realm; most Borcans are extremely poor; corruption is rampant and bribery is a way of life in the domain; a place known as the House of Lament recently appeared in the southwestern region of Borca—it is known to be haunted by an unquiet spirit named Mara; Borca is also haunted by a “poisonous woman” named Nostalia Romaine.

Dementlieu Fantasy urban France through a Gothic lens.

A hilly and forested coastal domain on the Sea of Sorrow that is the most civilized and advanced culture in the Core; Dementlieu is home to Port-a-Lucine, a walled city whose homes and businesses are arrayed around a small fortress; a prominent temple of the Church of Ezra lies on the outskirts of Port-a-Lucine; nearby Chateaufaux (a trade village) is ruled by a mayor who has lost his grip on sanity; the realm is famous for artists producing masterwork landscape and portrait paintings; as a people the denizens of Dementlieu are guided by rational, enlightenment principles; however, the gentry treat the poor as little more than slaves; poverty, disease, and crime are common among the lower rungs of society; the upper classes set the fashion for the rest of the Core; Dementlieu is ruled by lord-governor Marcel Guignol, but it is rumored that Dominic d'Honaire, a member of the lord-governor's advisory council, is the power behind the throne; Dr. Vilhelm Mikki operates a sanitarium famous for treating nervous disorders—the sanatorium is located in the countryside outside Chateaufaux.

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Falkovnia Part Hitler's Germany, part Stalin's Russia, part Vlad Tepes's Wallachia through a Gothic lens.

A heavily forested realm ruled by the tyrant Vlad Drakov; Falkovnian trees are towering and black—the people refer to them as “viglia dimorta,” or “sentries of death”; Falkovnia is also the Core's breadbasket—it exports grain to virtually every other domain; Lekar, the largest city in the Core, is a center of trade linked to the Falkovnia's towns by well-maintained roads; Falkovnia also possesses three fortified towns: Stangengrad, Aerie, and Morfenzi; Drakov's summer palace is located in Silverbas, which sits on the eastern shore of Lake Kriegvogel; the Falkovnian people are a downtrodden lot: they are overtaxed, overworked, and terrorized by Drakov's soliders and the Talons (Drakov's secret police); each Falkovnian citizen is branded at birth with the sign of a hawk—Drakov's mark of servitude; in Falkovnia, soldiers are the highest social class and the elite military is completely loyal to Drakov; however, there are rumors of an armed resistance forming against the tyrant's rule.

Forlorn Fantasy Scotland through a Gothic lens.

A largely de-populated land of lush forests nestled in the Balinok Mountains; the most notable landmark is Castle Tristenoira, a decaying edifice said to be the home of a vampire named Tristen ApBlanc; some claim that Tristan ApBlanc can alter the appearance of the castle and that sea monsters haunt the depths of the Lake of Red Tears; the land is infested with goblins; small enclaves of druid-led folk live hidden deep within the woodlands.

Hazlan Fantasy Turkey through a Gothic lens.

A land of grassy hills turning to rough and rocky terrain; Hazlan is ruled by Hazlik, the Red Wizard; those who displease Hazlik are taken to “the tables,” laboratories in which Hazlik and his apprentices practice hideous arcane experiments on still-living human beings; Hazlik has ordered the construction of a city named Ramulai—it is to serve as a center for the teaching of the magical arts at the Red Academy; Hazlan is also home to two other cities: Toyalis and Sly-Var; the people of Hazlan are divided along ethnic lines; the majority of the people are Rashemi, a sturdy lot who make up the working classes; the elite ruling class are the Mulan, a tall and fine-boned people who shave off all of their body hair and tattoo their bodies with runic symbols; strangely, wizardly apprentices can be drawn from either ethnic group; the only sanctioned church in Hazlan is that of Bane, the Lawgiver; a young Rashemi woman named Eleni appears to be the most promising student of the occult that Hazlan's schools have yet produced.

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Invidia Fantasy Spain through a Gothic lens.

A lush, twisting valley where huge trees stretch toward the sky ruled by Malocchio Aderre and his mercenary army; the land is mostly unspoiled wilderness and was formerly ruled by a werewolf named Bakholis; however, Bakholis was slain by Malocchio Aderre's mother, Gabrielle Aderre; Karina is Invidia's one major settlement, and it is surrounded by vineyards that produce the best wine in the Core; Karina is a center of river trade and its famous Harvest Festival draws travelers from across the Core with its promise of a week of wild abandon and pleasure; visitors to Karina should beware the Midnight Slasher, a bloodthirsty murderer who prowls the foggy back streets and darkened alleys; the people of Invidia are noted for being hot tempered—crimes of violence and passion are shockingly common; it is rumored that colonies of werewolves and rakshasa exist at the edges of civilization; the Vistani are particularly unwelcome in Invidia—Malocchio Aderre hates the nomads and executes them where possible; Malocchio's rule is contested by Gabrielle Aderre and the remainder of Duke Gundar's army, which continues to hold the area around Castle Hunadora.

Kartakass Fantasy Scandinavia through a Gothic lens.

A heavily forested domain studded with rugged foothills and riddled with caverns and cave complexes; each settlement in Kartakass is governed by a Meistersinger—a kind of singing mayor; Kartakass is a land of song where traditional knowledge is handed-down through instruction in “mora,” songs that give lessons on morality, goodness, and happiness in life; each village and town holds an annual singing and storytelling competition that determines the Meistersinger for the year to come; the most famous of these Meistersingers is Harkon Lucas, ruler of Skald, who is the land's greatest expert in traditional bard songs and religious hymns; Skald is also famous for its fine wool; Harmonia, to the south, is said to produce the most talented singers in the Core—though this is disputed by the citizens of Skald; Kartakass natives distill berries called meekulbern into an alcoholic drink called meekulbrau which is said to relax the throat and sweeten the voice—the taste of it is despised by most foreigners; the people of Kartakass love to tell “feeshkas”—tall tales and bits of outlandish folklore.

Keening Abandoned, haunted Ireland through a Gothic lens.

A small domain surrounding a lonely mountain known as Mount Lament; at the base of the mountain is a village that is inhabited only by the walking dead; rumor has it that a banshee called Tristessa haunts the peaks of Mount Lament.

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Lamordia Fantasy Germany/Switzerland through a Gothic lens.

Cold, windswept northern realm ruled by Baron von Aubrecker, whose castle is perched a forested ridge called the Sleeping Beast; three nearby islands (the largest is known as the Isle of Agony) are linked to the mainland by muddy causeways during low tide in the summer, but attempts to venture out to the islands are met with attacks by ferocious birds; the people of Lamordia are trappers, miners, shepherds, and craftsmen; the people tend to believe that the gods created the world and then withdrew from the world or that the gods simply do not exist; the realm is home to a mad scientist named Dr. Victor Mordenheim, who is known to conduct strange experiments—sometimes deformed creatures escape from the lab in his home, Schloss Mordenheim.

Mordent Fantasy England through a Gothic lens.

Mordent is a land of forests, moors, and rocky beaches; Mordent's major settlement is a city called Mordentshire that is governed by Daniel Foxgrove, the current mayor; Mordentshire is home to an important temple of the Church of Ezra; the folk of Mordent are mostly fishermen and farmers, and they are noted for being particularly evasive when asked personal questions; located in Mordent is the infamous House on Gryphon Hill, which is known to be haunted by the ghost of Lord Godefroy; also, located near Mordentshire is Heather House, home to Gennifer and Laurie Foxgrove-Weathermay—twin sisters who run an herbalist shop in town and who are also noted monster hunters; folklore maintains than an alchemist in Mordent once created a machine called the Apparatus, a magical device capable of casting a person's soul into oblivion, swapping souls between bodies, or splitting the good and evil in one person's soul into two separate beings.

Necropolis Fallen fantasy kingdom through a Gothic lens.

Necropolis is the remains of a kingdom once known as Darkon that was devastated by a magical catastrophe; Il Aluk, the former capital city of Darkon, is now a cursed place inhabited only by the living dead; the rest of Necropolis is divided into six regions:

• The Boglands – A vast bog dotted with many lakes, the largest of which is the Great Salt Swamp; the lakes are so briny that they are devoid of life and their water is undrinkable; however, Stagnus Lake teems with life that moves under the green scum that obscures its surface; it is believed that the root crops that grow in this region are cursed; an important figure in the area is Glennis McFadden—an infamous witch and wisewoman skilled in alchemy.

• The Forest of Shadows – A formerly lush forest that is now home to mobile shadows and giant spiders; the forests conceal rough circles of standing stones that serve as the meeting places for werewolves—the werewolves gather here to howl at the moon in unison and it is said that anyone who witnesses this will be

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inexplicably drawn to join them; the Forest of Shadows has two major towns: Nartok, a cosmopolitan trading center that regularly sends goods to Falkovnia, and Rivalis, a village peopled by halflings. Also within the region is Castle Avernus, former seat of Azalin (the last lord of Darkon); travelers are warned to beware the bandits led by Galf Kloggin.

• The Jagged Coast – This region has many tiny islands and secret coves that are used by pirates for their illicit smuggling operations; rumor has it that there are a great many buried treasures here protected by cunning traps; other rumors suggest that a race of foul underwater dwellers live off the coast and creep ashore at night to make off with the unwary; strange, unaccountable whirlpools have recently begun to appear without warning in the gray sea off the coast; often anchored at Martira Bay is the Bountiful, a ship captained by Damon Skragg.

• The Mistlands – A northerly realm of constant, thick mist that is populated mostly by elves; some believe that the region is home to the underground lairs of goblins and dark elves; the oddest feature of the region are the peculiar sinkholes of silence—when inside one of these sinkholes, no sound can be made or heard; the Mistlands has three major towns: Neblus, Nevuchar Springs, and Sidnar; these areas were once home to the Church of the Eternal Order (the morbid, death-obsessed state religion of Darkon), but now other religions have begun to filter into the area—including a powerful temple belonging to the Church of Ezra in Nevuchar Springs; the Mistlands are loosely ruled by Trillen Mistwalker, a man more interested in finding a mysterious ruined tower than seeing after the populace.

• The Mountains of Misery – This region is dominated by two long-dormant volcanoes: Mount Nyid and Mount Nirka—however, thin plumes of smoke have recently been sighted over each and tremors have been felt throughout the land; the area's strangest phenomenon is located at Lake Temporus: all around the shores of the lake are animals bending down to drink the lake's water, but the animals seem to be utterly frozen in time (some believe that these animals will serve as mounts for the dead who will one day rise to push the living out of Necropolis); two mining towns have sprung up to exploit the gold, silver, and gemstone resources of the area: the dwarven town of Tempe Falls and the gnomish town of Mayvin.

• The Vale of Tears – This region used to be a fertile valley that saw heavy riverboat traffic along the Vuchar River, but the river is now haunted by unliving crews of sailors; the major cities of this area are Karg, Maykle, and the halfing-inhabited Delagia; the area is ruled by an undead sorcerer called Yako Vormoff.

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The Nocturnal Sea Haunted sea off the east coast of the Core.

A frigid body of choppy waters that is home to the following known islands:• Graben Island – home to four towns governed by the Graben family.• Isle of Ravens – masses of ravens swoop the skies of this seemingly-abandoned

island; at its center stands a sorceress's lonely tower.• Knammen – an island of small fishing communities.• L'ile de la Tempete – an island surrounded by dangerous rocky shoals; a

treacherous lighthouse stands at its center.• Liffe – a large island of cattle farms, home to three towns: Armeikos, Claveria, and

Moondale.• The Nightmare Lands – a strange land of tribal peoples (the Abber nomads) where

reality and the world of dreams seems to intersect. • Souragne – a humid swamp island with two major settlements: Port d'Elhour and

Marais d'Tarascon; Port d'Elhour is governed by a thin, spidery man named Bernard Foquelaine; Marais d'Tarascon is ruled by the Tarascon family who owns the plantation there; the people are a superstitious lot who worship a variety of nature spirits they believe dwell within the swamp—chief among these loa is the Lord of the Dead; Anton Misroi is the most important figure in the land, though this wealthy man rarely leaves his manor house; the people whisper about a being they call the Maiden of the Swamp, who they believe to be either a servant of the Lord of the Dead or the only creature able to resist his power; a crippled mage known as Chickenbones is said to be able to arrange an audience with the Lord of the Dead.

• Todstein – a snow-draped island buffeted by icy winds; it is said to be the home of Meredoth the necromancer.

• Vechor – a marshy, humid realm plagued with mosquitoes; Vechor is supposedly ruled by King Easan (known more readily as Easan the Mad), but in reality Vechor is a land of mob rule; however, all Vechorite natives bear the Mark of Easan—a letter E is branded on each of their foreheads; the city of Abdok is a ramshackle collection of buildings—the walls around Abdok randomly change from stone to pulsating, stinking flesh; indeed, the land is cursed with acts of random transformation such as forests that re-arrange themselves, the dead leaving their graves to join in marriage celebrations, and Fortean weather phenomena; all magic is outlawed upon pains of death in Vechor.

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Nova Vaasa Fantasy Russia through a Gothic lens.

A large land of grassy plateaus, rocky outcroppings, and ancient, abandoned stone fortifications; Nova Vaasa is ruled by five aristocratic families: the Hiregaards, the Chekivs, the Rivtoffs, the Vistins, and the Bolshniks; Prince Othmar Bolshnik is the acknowledged head of the five families and is said to have a number of werewolf mercenaries in his employ; the city of Egertus is the center of learning and culture in Nova Vaasa—it is also home to the Clinic for the Mentally Distressed; the city of Kantora is widely known to be an impoverished slum; Nova Vaasa is best known for its horses, which make the finest mounts to be found on the Core; the main religion in Nova Vaasa is that of the Lawgiver; a wandering serial murderer known only as Malken stalks the land, but has so far evaded capture; Nova Vaasa is also home to a black-clad stalker of evil named Weathermay.

Richemulot Fantasy rural France through a Gothic lens.

A land of forested wilderness dotted with isolated farms, woodsman's cottages, monasteries, and wizard's towers ruled by Jacqueline Renier, who commands that all citizens swear an oath of loyalty to Richemulot and are prepared to die in defense of their homeland; the majority of the realm's population lives in three larger settlements: Pont-a-Museau, Ste. Ronges, and Mortigny; at least a third of the buildings in these three settlements lie abandoned or in ruins—many are boarded up and infested with vermin; however, it is rumored that great wealth still lies buried deep within the rubble; Richemulot's settlements stand atop finely constructed sewers, but the labyrinthine sewer tunnels are home to were-rats; in Richemulot, material possessions do not equate to status—rather, every strata of society seems to be equally affluent to the outsider's eye; it is known that there is an intense rivalry between Jacqueline Renier and her sister Louise, particularly when it comes to male suitors.

The Sea of Sorrows The haunted sea off the west coast of the Core.

The Sea of Sorrows is bitterly cold and frequently storm-wracked; its fogs are thick and clammy; the Sea of Sorrows is said to be haunted by the ghost-ship of Captain Pieter van Riese; it is home to these known islands:

• Blaustein – a small island ruled by the mad pirate lord Bluebeard; Bluebeard keeps his gallows continually swinging with a fresh corpse to showcase his cruelty and absolute control of the land.

• Demise – a sizable island on which stands a strange labyrinth of white stone; trapped within the labyrinth is a lonely medusa named Althea; Dr. Maclaud Heinfroth's Asylum for the Mentally Disturbed houses the island's largest human population.

• Ghastria – a place of bountiful, but utterly flavorless, crops ruled by the benevolent Stezen D'Polarno—lord of a settlement named East Riding.

• Isle of Agony – a island chain rumored to be inhabited by either a flesh-eating monster or

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the devil himself; rumors abound of a dimensional gate that connects the world to some other plane of existence.

• Markovia – a large, lush island inhabited by beastmen and their lord-creator, Frantisek Markov, whom they refer to as “Diosamblet” or “the god who walks among us”—the Vistani refer to him as “the Master of Pain.”

Sithicus Decadent elf kingdom through a Gothic lens.

A thickly forested domain where massive trees crowd out the sun, plunging the forest floor into darkness; Sithicus has three main cities: Mal-Erek, Hroth, and Har-Thelen; each city is ruled by a hereditary governor known as the Lord Speaker, but all the Lord Speakers acknowledge that the domain is ruled by Lord Soth, a death knight who lives within the haunted Nedragaard Keep; Lord Soth's seneschal is a stout, twisted dwarf called Azrael; the people of Sithicus are elves and have an air of apathy about them, they find neither joy nor beauty in the world; furthermore, the elves are xenophobic and distrust outsiders; the songs native to the realm are mournful dirges accompanied by low-pitched, droning instruments that evoke a sense of loss; warriors from Sithicus use giant horned stag beetles as mounts; there is a small, but significant Vistanai population in Sithicus called the Wanderers—they are persecuted by Lord Soth and his knights for unknown reasons; the elves worship a constellation called Tiamat as a goddess—the constellation is said to be shaped like a five-headed dragon; strangely, the moon shines differently in Sithicus than it does in the rest of the Core: the moon is black and gives off a fearful, shadowy luminescence—it is rumored that all magic in Sithicus ebbs and flows according to the dark moon's phase; Sithicus's cities are all in states of disrepair, with large gaps in stonework, potholes in the streets, crumbling castle walls, moldy books within the libraries, and public statutes that look rushed and half finished; Mason, the Lord Speaker of Har-Thelen, is the only political leader who urges the populace to rise from their decadence and engage in progressive mercantilism with the rest of the Core.

Tepest Fantasy Ireland through a Gothic lens.

Tepest is nestled in the Balinok Mountains and is bisecting from east to west by the East Timori Road; near the center of the domain the road hugs the southern shore of Lake Kronov; Tepest has two major towns, Viktal and Kellee, both of which are mostly home to fishermen and shepherds; however, the wild-lands of Tepest are home to goblin tribes who prey upon travelers and sheep herders; the Tepestani are a very superstitious lot who hate and fear magic, fey creatures, and all creatures of the night; Wyan, an elderly priest in Viktal, spearheads a crusade against wizards and fey creatures—he leads a militia that functions as a makeshift inquisition.

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Valachan Fantasy Norway through a Gothic lens.

A rugged domain of heavy forests and sweeping canyons ruled by Baron Urik von Kharkov (who is rumored to be a were-panther); Valachan has three major settlements: Ungrad, Rotwald, and Helbenik; Castle Pantara, Von Kharkov's fortress, lies between Rotwald and Helbenik; the folk of Valachan often suffer from a strange disease known as White Fever, which leaves its victims listless and bedridden for several days; Baron von Kharkov's rule is enforced by a mysterious woman known only as Lady Adeline or the Veiled Mistress; the Veiled Mistress leads the Baron's tax collection efforts, but has been known to relieve an entire village's tax burden if a young man of her choosing will join her in the woods—however, the man always returns scarred of body and mind with no memory of the tortures inflicted upon him.

Verbrek Pagan werewolf lands.

A wild, uncivilized land of woods, mashes, and meadows; Verbrek is known to be a land ruled by werewolves; the werewolves' leader is named Alfred Timothy, and he is high priest of the werewolves' veneration of the feral Wolf God; in a clearing near the southern border of the domain stands the Circle, which consists of roughly hewn stones twice the height of a man—packs of werewolves gather here on the full moon following the solstices and equinoxes to celebrate the hunt of men, settle legal issues, perform marriages, and engage in trade; few people call this land their home—but those who do home live in small villages centered around family farms; Nathan Timothy, a riverboat trader who captains the Virago, buys their goods and sells them upriver in other domains.

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ReligionsBane, the Lawgiver is worshiped mostly in Nova Vaasa and Hazlan. Bane is also known as the Iron Tyrant and the Black Lord; he is the god of hierarchy, obedience, and the strictures of law. Holy symbol: an upright spear.

Belenus is worshiped in Tepest as the god of the sun. This is a rustic, folk religion, but its faith also engenders the use of inquisitors to seek out heretic witches and fey creatures. Belenus is the head of a pantheon of nature gods, but none are revered by the faithful as much as he. Holy symbol: Celtic sun-burst.

Adherents of the Eternal Order worship a pantheon of patchwork death-gods, paying particular homage to Nerull the Reaper. Worship focuses on a myriad of rituals meant to appease the dead and stave off an apocalypse. Holy symbol: A hooded human skull.

Ezra is worshiped throughout the Core, but especially prominent in Borca, Dementlieu, and the populated areas of Necropolis. Ezra is a goddess known as Our Guardian of the Mists; she is said to protect her followers from the world's insidious evil. Holy symbol: sword superimposed over a shield.

Hala is worshiped in secret, mostly in isolated rural areas. Hala is a witch-goddess and her rites are decidedly pagan. Holy symbol: ouroborus of thirteen serpents devouring each other's tails.

The Morninglord is worshiped throughout the Core, particularly in Barovia. The Morninglord is the god of survival and new dawns; his faithful believe that each new day is a gift against the darkness of the world. Holy symbol: a gold disc.

Takhisis, also known as Tiamat, is a five-headed dragon goddess worshiped by the elves of Sithicus. Her constellation, which shines in the night sky only over that nation, is an avatar to be placated rather than adored; as the Mother of Evil, Sithicans pray to her to spare them from the misery she threatens to bring. Only the most depraved curry her favor as She of Many Faces, the Corrupter, the Dark Queen, the Queen of Many Colors and None, or the Dark Warrior.

The Wolf God is the ravenous god of barbarians and lycanthropes. The Wolf God's rites are blood-soaked, carnal, and sacrificial. Holy symbol: a wolf's head.

Many other religions (and dreadful cults) exist throughout the land.

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OrganizationsAdam's Children is a secret society of conscious golems who seek the means to replicate themselves fruitfully and spread over the world. Some within the group wish to achieve a peaceful co-existence with the sentient races of the world, while others wish to displace them through extermination. Many awakened flesh golems desire to keep the mortal races alive as “parts” from which they might construct others of their kind. The headquarters of Adam's Children is an abandoned monastery in Lamordia.

The members of the Ata-Bestaal believe that man's rationality stands in the way of his happiness; they embrace the idea that to be animalistic and bestial is to be closer to the divine state of nature. To the Ata-Bestaal, lycanthropy is a blessing rather than a curse; similarly, they actively seek out magical ways to eradicate their reason or transform themselves into brutish beasts.

Though there are many carnivals and circuses that ply their trade in the world, there is only one Carnival. The Carnival is a traveling show run by the beautiful Isolde that draws upon occult power to mystify and entertain its audiences. For reasons unknown, no authority in the Core will interfere with Carnival's business. It is believed that the Carnival sometimes harbors fugitives and helps them to flee from persecution.

The Circle, also known as the Knights of the Shadows, are a knightly order based in Mordent. Members of the Circle are knights errant; that is, they are questing knights who travel the land, bringing justice to the downtrodden and making war against the forces of darkness.

The Dark Delvers are a group of subterranean explorers who seek a supernatural being they call “the Hated Mother” in the Underdark; they believe that the Hated Mother is the source of all magical power, and the nexus from which all evil flows into the world. The Dark Delvers have their own secret language, which is called “the Mother's Tongue.” Their gathering places are usually caves hidden in the mountains; they are most active in Barovia, Markovia, Necropolis, and Tepest.

The Fraternity of Shadows is a coterie of illusionists who wish to harness the innate power of the land so that they might master it and make slaves of the populace at large. The aim of the Fraternity is to control the world through hallucinogenic magic and phantasm. This secret society has cells within many of the schools that teach magic, as well as within all of the world's major libraries. Though the society is called a “fraternity,” it does have some few women among its numbers.

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The Green Hand is an order of druids who believe that protecting the sanctity of graves and burial grounds is a way to ensure the the cycle of death and rebirth is uninterrupted by the curse of undeath.

The Ildi'Thaan are a cabal of warlocks who have made pacts with the Great Old Ones. All members of the Ildi'Thaan cult suffer from horrific nightmares; it is through these dreams that the Great Old Ones communicate with them. Their goal is to acquire a series of mysterious grimoires known as the 13 Tales of Thaan so that they might before a grand summoning of their otherworldly masters.

The Kargatane are mortals who seek the gift of eternal life through vampirism. They serve a group of vampires known as the Kargat, and further their masters' agendas during the daylit hours. The Kargatane are blood-bound to their vampiric liege, Kazandra. When the Kargatane meet, their rituals involve the drinking of blood in hellish imitation of their masters.

The Keepers of the Black Feather are a revolutionary society of vampire hunters whose goal is to overthrow and destroy Strahd von Zarovich. Each member of the Keepers has a specialized task: some are scholars who research the weaknesses of the undead, some are common folk who gather rumor and intelligence, and others are trained to combat the scourge of the living. A fact unknown to most members of this secret organization is that the leadership are all ravenkin.

The Unholy Order of the Grave is an unusual coven of wraiths who travel the world harvesting souls at the behest of an elusive, shrouded master known only as Death, the lord of Il Aluk. Each ghostly member of the Order of the Grave is marked with symbol of an emptying hourglass.

The Order of the Guardians is a monastic organization that is sworn to collect dangerous or cursed magical artifacts and safeguard them within their fortified retreats. The center of the order's operations is the Monastery of the Lost Guards, a bleak edifice in Markovia. Children raised in a monastery operated by the Order of the Guardians receive mystical training that aids them in the quest to keep the world safe from malicious arcane items.

The Vistani are a tribe of gypsies who wander the breadth of the world by wagon caravan (vardos) or riverboat. Although most Vistani belong to the same ethnic group, occasionally an outsider who has done them a tremendous boon is accepted into the tribe. It is believed that any Vistani possess the second sight or have a natural aptitude for witchcraft. In many areas, the Vistani are distrusted—as nomads they are seen as little more than rootless thieves.

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