D&D 5E CoS - What do *animals* know?

[Wepwawet]

I'm running Curse of Strahd, and the players just finished Death House, and are about to help bury the late burgomaster of Barovia.

I made a raven observe them as they came out of the death house, and also as they went in the tavern. It got their attention and the Druid said he wants to use Speak with Animals on it (luckily it was by the end on the session)

The Wereravens are very secretive and cautious of strangers, they wouldn't show themselves that early. But I want to have ravens help the PCs on a fight, in the church, against Strahd's minions. And I want to show that they are allies, because when I played CoS, we thought that ravens were Strahd's spies, because you know, they're completely black omens of death normally.

So, what would a raven tell them?

Edit: Actually, the bigger question is what do animals tell you when you speak with them? They wouldn't know anything about politics for instance...

EDIT: SPOILERS!

 

[ccs]

Well, you're the DM. So....
1) What info do you want to share with the party atm? The raven knows that.
You can use it to guide the party to additional sites.

2) It's answers might well depend upon what the PC asks it.
For ex; The 1/2ling warlock I play just likes talking to animals via her one invocation. She's just as likely to ask a raven how high/fast it can fly or what worms taste like as she is anything else....
Though if she's noticed ravens watching the party on several occasions I think I'd lead with asking it why it was watching us (after introducing myself of course).

 

[Wepwawet]

I guess that it would tell them that the ravens got curious because this group of people seem to bring a bit of light into that awful land...
But nothing on the wereravens.

Good point on giving them clues to where to go next!

 

[ccs]

I guess that it would tell them that the ravens got curious because this group of people seem to bring a bit of light into that awful land...
But nothing on the wereravens.

Good point on giving them clues to where to go next!

You could go with the bit of light/awful land. But does the raven really understand that? You could instead introduce the idea that the party, especially any non-humans, are NEW here. That's what caught the ravens attention.
"Rawk; You new here. Never seen one like him before (gestures with wing/talon/beak at most standout PC). People not have tails/scales/pointy ears/etc)"
"Rawk; Others notice soon."
"Rawk; (in response to a Who question) The Devil. (gestures up towards Castle Ravenloft - may or may not be in sight, let the PCs venture up the road & find the coach. )
If even the birds recognize that you don't belong here.... :/

Question: Do your players know they are playing CoS?

 

[Sammael]

Regular animals are all supposedly under Strahd's thrall (if ravens aren't, this requires some sort of explanation). Now, he probably doesn't care about all animals - just predators and those he can use for spying. Most animals would thus likely refer to him as "master," and those he favors might make comments about how master speaks to them, sends them on missions, and so on. I'd say the tone should be "terrified admiration" - like certain brutal dogs develop with respect to their even more brutal owners.

As for ravens, it's possible that wereravens have devised a method to keep at least some of them loyal - or perhaps all ravens of Barovia have at least some wereraven blood (lycanthropes who didn't fully manifest, like yennorks in Discworld. In any case, ravens can speak brief warnings, try to alert them of danger with their croaks, and even drop a useful trinket or two when needed.

 

[Wepwawet]

Question: Do your players know they are playing CoS?

They do, and that Strahd is the vampire ruler of this land.

BTW, I forgot to mention that when the PCs "de-haunted" Death House the clouds opened and a ray of light shone for a moment. Which is most unusual. That's what I meant the raven to say, actual light

 

[Wepwawet]

Regular animals are all supposedly under Strahd's thrall (if ravens aren't, this requires some sort of explanation). Now, he probably doesn't care about all animals - just predators and those he can use for spying. Most animals would thus likely refer to him as "master," and those he favors might make comments about how master speaks to them, sends them on missions, and so on. I'd say the tone should be "terrified admiration" - like certain brutal dogs develop with respect to their even more brutal owners.

Well, in the book they talk about how ravens start following the PCs and help them when attacked. And I don't remember reading anything about Strahd being master of all animals.

See, when I played it the DM said something about beasts being Strahd's spies and we were supposed to take Ismark and Ireena to Vallaki. But I just thought what's the point of doing that if anything we do will be watched and reported to him? Of course when we saw the raven that was trying to catch out attention to go see madame Eva, I attacked it (luckily I missed).

We know that Strahd controls the weather and druids worship him because of that. He also controls the mists and access to/from Barovia. But he doesn't control people's souls (or Tatyana would have come back already), and similarly I don't think he controls animals.
He uses wolves as spies and minions (bats too, right?) Could be just a question of affinity...

 

[Nagol]

It depends on the animal. Generally, I have the animal notice things it needs/fears most profoundly and then things it stereotypically likes. It would discuss what it has sensed using the senses it most relies on.

So for a raven, the primary sense is sight. It needs food like mice, eggs, insects, carrion, and refuse. A murder of ravens have also been known to hunt larger prey.. It fears predatory creatures like eagles, bears, and owls. It is highly protective of its nest and young. It notices shiny/sparkly things. People as a group are both valuable (food increases near them) and dangerous (they are unpredictable and can kill).

It can probably identify individual humans and/or common uniforms in simple terms. "The one who puts food in the pit every night." (the slop house girl throws out kitchen waste) "Those that are mostly red" (guards dressed in red livery), and "The little one that throws stones" (young boy who throws rocks at the birds).

So a raven might say "One that is mostly red and the one that puts food in the put every night went to those trees together where me and my flock were eating a dead one with a long stick and a several shiny things on its hands. They shooed us away and took the shiny things. Then they took the body back with them into the place the food comes out of."

 

[Bawylie]

Ravens are often depicted in myths and folklore as uncommonly clever, tricksters, and sometimes capable of human speech.

So, me? I'd play that stuff way way up.

As for what other animals know and say, I suppose they can distinguish one from many, youth from age, threats, prey, fear, and friendliness, food & water, their homes, and major geographical features (rivers, mtns, towns). Even if they don't know the words for these things.

Aside from that, I think in CoS, all animals know the super predator among them, and are aware and fear his animal-servants.


-Brad

 

[ccs]

Regular animals are all supposedly under Strahd's thrall (if ravens aren't, this requires some sort of explanation).

Nope, not really. Or it simply boils down to "Strahd can control whatever animal I need him to make a scene work."