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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tetrasodium" data-source="post: 9308763" data-attributes="member: 93670">Even if they are, being or believing yourself "special" makes The Dark Powers that run Ravenloft even more likely to twist the screws. To answer [USER=5038]@Greg K[/USER] 's question about the vistani though... CoS26-28 talks about them and the closest it gets is  mentioning they can travel[spoiler="this"]STRAHD'S VISTANI SERVANTSDuring one of Strahd's military campaigns, years beforehe became a vampire, a group ofVistani rescued himafter he was wounded in battle. These Vistani not onlynursed Strahd back to health but also delivered himsafely home. As a reward for their generosity, Strahd declared that allVistani had the right to come and go fromhis land as they please, and this privilege extends tothe present day. Thus, Vistani can travel freely throughthe fog that surrounds Barovia, without fear of harm orentrapment.Strahd honors his debt to the Vistani in part becausehe envies the Vistani way of life-the freedom they haveto go where they please, their devotion to family, andtheir festive spirit. The courtesy he shows them is notsimply a matter of honor but is also born from his admiration of them.In the centuries since Strahd became a vampire,many Vistani have allowed themselves to be corruptedby Strahd, to the extent that they consider him theirking. Vistani who serve Strahd are less lively andfriendly than normalVistani, and their hearts are poisoned with dark intentions. Strahd uses them to lure adventurers into his domain and keep him informed about the events occurring in lands beyond his reach. These Vistani will lie to protect the vampire, and they fear the consequences of disobeying him. When it comes to sharing information about their dark master,   but the information they impart is misleading at best and often deceptive. They readily tell adventurers that they have a potion that protects them from the deadly fog that surrounds Barovia. Although this is a lie, they attempt to sell their fake potion for as much money as they can get. [/spoiler]I think it's pretty clear on the subject of them relaying a message.  VRGtR is slightly more favorable, but fairly explicitly in conflict with the criminal's background feature in multiple ways.[spoiler="VRGtR 176 & 177"]VISTANIKnown throughout the Land of the Mists, Vistani(singular: Vistana) are a people with a unique understanding of the Domains of Dread and the hiddenpaths between them. Following itinerant traditions,many Vistani travel between domains*, learningmuch of hidden lands, the many faces of evil, andthe strange wonders of the Mists. A people untothemselves, Vistani refuse to be captives of a singledomain, the Mists, or any terror....TRAVELING WITH VISTANIMembers of Vistani bands understand the disorienting, dangerous nature of the Mists better than anyone. Vistani caravans sometimes take pity on thosewho ask them for help, especially strangers fromunfamiliar lands hopelessly searching for home, allowing such wayfarers to travel with them as far asthe next settlement. In rare cases, a clan might evenadopt a gracious, helpful traveler.Characters who befriend or do right by members of a Vistani band might be allowed to take shelter or travel with a caravan for a time. But Vistani travelers quickly share tales of danger and of those who've wronged them with other caravans, and those who slight one Vistana often meet others who share a grudge against them. [/spoiler]*Toril(FR) is obviously not in the mists. This started because of multiple posters claiming that the GM must/needs to allow the criminal contact background feature to be used as written if a PC gets sucked into ravenloft from FR rather than declaring it inapplicable & treating the character's background/backstory itself like many GMs have in past editions ... Obviously there has been no efforts in befriending or doing right by the Vistani band & that creates a second pretty significant conflict in [spoiler][/spoiler]Why is the player even there at the table if the GM needs to play their character for them by figuring out how the player could play their PC?  Beyond that there is an even more critical problem that is tied to the heart of Ravenloft itself.  Because <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/do-you-plan-to-adopt-d-d5-5one2024redux.702682/post-9298254" target="_blank">1299</a> was quoted in <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/do-you-plan-to-adopt-d-d5-5one2024redux.702682/post-9307651" target="_blank">1420</a> literally asking why the GM should get to decide in <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/do-you-plan-to-adopt-d-d5-5one2024redux.702682/post-9307651" target="_blank">1420</a> & the answer in <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/do-you-plan-to-adopt-d-d5-5one2024redux.702682/post-9307653" target="_blank">1421</a> has received no support to the contrary I feel that this is a scenario where The Dark Powers would go above & beyond to intervene in this blinding inversion of player/gm roles.  As such, it is unlikely that the player will ever find some group more capable of getting a message to & from FR while any efforts to send one are certain to result in said message being delivered express to the ears of whomever might create the most complications for the PC.</blockquote>

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