Libertad
Hero
Between the setting’s various appearances across Editions, the reincarnation cycle of Tatyana, and the hordes of deceased adventurers in the March of the Dead, it goes without saying that Strahd Von Zarovich has seen his fair share of strange and interesting people coming into his domain.
Now imagine for a moment that all of the gaming groups who played the Castle Ravenloft adventures are canon. Think of all the out-there PCs who graced Strahd’s dinner table, and the novella-length backstories they were all too happy to monologue when the vampire sought nothing more than an idle conversation. Think of the immersion-breaking races and subclasses who have no place in gothic horror who found their way to Madam Eva’s tent.
These don’t have to be actual PC parties; this is more of a creative writing exercise. But you can still include actual stories from the game table!
The Green Collective: An orc, goblin, lizardfolk, and wood elf who all lived in some marshy woodlands and happened to become fast friends. Possessing little understanding of the ways of “city-slickers,” they proved quite adept at surviving Barovia’s initial horrors. However, they left a poor impression on Strahd during the dinner invitation to Castle Ravenloft, where the goblin’s request to play a classic “song of his people” on the pipe organs created a tortuous cacophony.
The Halruaan Hustlas: An all-spellcaster party of smug academy graduates from Waterdeep who planned on touring the planes “because that’s where the real treasure’s at.” They were unfazed by the dread atmosphere of Barovia and sought to capitalize on their magical talents. They challenged the hags of Old Bonegrinder to a “spell-off” competition to rescue the captured children, inadvertently got Ireena killed and animated her as a zombie to try and trick Strahd into thinking she’s still alive (it didn’t work), and met their end at the hands of the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok after heading into the northern Svalich Woods to try and get their hands on his magical secrets.
⋔⟟⋏⎅ ⎎⌰⏃⊬⟒⍀ ⋏⏃⎍⏁⟟⌰⎍⌇ ⌇⍾⎍⏃⎅⍀⍜⋏: An illithid scouting party and their brainwashed slaves took a wrong Plane Shift at Gehenna and ended up in the Domains of Dread. Seeking to abduct native Barovians in order to harvest their memories and learn more of this new planar prison, they proved to be one of Strahd’s deadlier foes. However, they soon earned too many enemies from their raids, and after being forced out of Krezk by the Abbot they were cut down by a combined assault from the werewolves and druids of Yester Hill.
Fun Fact: Illithids are a playable race in Mirt’s Undermountain Survival Guide on the DM’s Guild. As one of the products part of the Guild Adept program, this book has Wizards of the Coast’s seal of approval!
Now imagine for a moment that all of the gaming groups who played the Castle Ravenloft adventures are canon. Think of all the out-there PCs who graced Strahd’s dinner table, and the novella-length backstories they were all too happy to monologue when the vampire sought nothing more than an idle conversation. Think of the immersion-breaking races and subclasses who have no place in gothic horror who found their way to Madam Eva’s tent.
These don’t have to be actual PC parties; this is more of a creative writing exercise. But you can still include actual stories from the game table!
The Green Collective: An orc, goblin, lizardfolk, and wood elf who all lived in some marshy woodlands and happened to become fast friends. Possessing little understanding of the ways of “city-slickers,” they proved quite adept at surviving Barovia’s initial horrors. However, they left a poor impression on Strahd during the dinner invitation to Castle Ravenloft, where the goblin’s request to play a classic “song of his people” on the pipe organs created a tortuous cacophony.
The Halruaan Hustlas: An all-spellcaster party of smug academy graduates from Waterdeep who planned on touring the planes “because that’s where the real treasure’s at.” They were unfazed by the dread atmosphere of Barovia and sought to capitalize on their magical talents. They challenged the hags of Old Bonegrinder to a “spell-off” competition to rescue the captured children, inadvertently got Ireena killed and animated her as a zombie to try and trick Strahd into thinking she’s still alive (it didn’t work), and met their end at the hands of the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok after heading into the northern Svalich Woods to try and get their hands on his magical secrets.
⋔⟟⋏⎅ ⎎⌰⏃⊬⟒⍀ ⋏⏃⎍⏁⟟⌰⎍⌇ ⌇⍾⎍⏃⎅⍀⍜⋏: An illithid scouting party and their brainwashed slaves took a wrong Plane Shift at Gehenna and ended up in the Domains of Dread. Seeking to abduct native Barovians in order to harvest their memories and learn more of this new planar prison, they proved to be one of Strahd’s deadlier foes. However, they soon earned too many enemies from their raids, and after being forced out of Krezk by the Abbot they were cut down by a combined assault from the werewolves and druids of Yester Hill.
Fun Fact: Illithids are a playable race in Mirt’s Undermountain Survival Guide on the DM’s Guild. As one of the products part of the Guild Adept program, this book has Wizards of the Coast’s seal of approval!
