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What is Ravenloft?
Ravenloft is a pocket demi-plane located in the Ethereal Plane.
It is a land surround by mist. It exists as an island unto itself. It is a solid, physical dimension
within the ethereal, and follows its own mystical set of laws. Predominat of all aspects is that it is prison for powerful,
evil souls and a torture rack for the innocent.
Ravenloft's land itself is alive. It responds to it's Dark Lords,
and to people with extremely powerful thoughts and emotions of great evil. Anyone can enter this dark land, but few
ever escape.
Ravenloft is not stable. Over time, its lands can expand, condense,
coalesce, or disappear. It is usually smaller than realms in the prime material plane, such as Krynn and the Forgotten
Realms, but unlike them, Ravenloft has no fixed size. In fact, it appears to move as well as change shape. It
floats about the ethereal plane, extending its misy fingers into other worlds, into other planes, to absorb characters as
well as land.
For those who visit this realm, time passes with agonizing slowness,
espcially after sunset. Some who have escaped, after having watched the moon drag across Ravenloft's heavens for a dozen
months, claim that each year in Ravenloft equals two in any other world.
The land is composed of the Core Lands and Floating Islands in the
misty border. The Lands of the Core are a single land mass that include 26 domains. Each the personal prison and
realm of power of a lord. The domains are like small countries with distinct political borders. Each domain reflects
the personality of the lord who prompted its creation. The domains are solid and real, and most appear no different
from the material plane. Natives and visitors to this demiplane can travel across the borders between domains.
The lords cannot.
The Islands of Terror, float independently in the misty seas of Ravenloft. (This is not to be taken literally, they do not float in water. They float
in the mists.) Each is permanently surrounded by the Mists. Their origin may be as varied as the islands in other
worlds, calving from the Core like icebergs, or erupting like fountains of lava, which later cool and solidify. Because
Ravenloft is ever-changing, these islands may eventually drift together to become one, or simply may sink back into the Mists
and vanish.
The culture levels vary from land to land. Where some lands would
be considered to be stuck in a "medieval setting", others are more in tune to a "renaissance setting", as well as some
bordering on a "pre-victorian age". There are even one or two domains that would be considered to be in the "bronze
age". This is not only due to the lord of a domain, but can also be explained in terms of economics that characters
would understand; some countries (domains) that are more secluded are cut off from trade and growth. Keep in mind
that the setting was and always will be "Dark Fantasy".
The lord of each domain is
evil, but many people are kind and good at heart, and then again, many are not. Unfortunately, most are too guarded
or afraid to show this side to a stranger. Others are too ignorant or numb to combat the evil around them. Yet
in the midst of this darkness, small bastions of goodness and hope take hold. To survive, they must stay in the
shadows and choose their actions carefully.
The Ravenloft Mists
In any world, mists and fog can plague travelers, blurring senses,
concealing terrors, and leading ships to watery graves. Ravenloft has such ordinary vapors, too. It is also home
to the Ravenloft Mists--a force more deadly than any natural phenomenon.
The Mists of Ravenloft appear to be a manifestation of the border
ethereal. They surround the demiplane at all times, creating the Misty Border. They do not radiate an aura of
magic, nor reveal any alignment or sign of life. To all eyes, they appear to be normal fog. But they are anything
but "normal". The Mists cn reach into the material plane and transport unsuspecting characters into Ravenloft.
With time, they can surround an entire portion of land and consume it, too.
No one can command the Mists to perform in this fashion. Where
the Mists appear in the prime material plane and who they carry into Ravenloft is beyond the control of anyone living or dead.
But when a character has a great enough need or desire, Ravenloft may respond to him or her. Usually, the Mists are
content to transport a few hapless travelers, leaving others behind. In some worlds, sages speak of entire armies that
have vanished in a fog, and it is conceivable that the Mists of Ravenloft have swallowed their ranks.
Once the Mists have engulfted any intelligent creature outside of
Ravenloft, he must complete the journey to the demiplane. Even if the traveler stands still, the Mists eventually lift
and he finds himself in Ravenloft. The actual passage between planes is never witnessed. Anyone who is close enough
to witness the transport of another character becomes an accidental voyager himself.
In nearly every case, the Mists are indistinguishable from normal
fog. Exceptions do exist. For example, if the victims are traveling in the ethereal plane, no mists foretell their
fate. One moment they are in the ethereal plane. The next moment they are somewhere in Ravenloft, with a few wisps
of vapor snaking around their feet.
These mystical vapors are permanent fixtures in Ravenloft's Misty
Boarder, but they can rise from the soil anywhere in the demiplane, creating a temporary pocket of doom. As a result,
a character may be transported from place to place within the demiplane--from fog bank to fog bank--and be powerless to stop
it. This also means a character who enters the demiplane from another realm may find himself deposited anywhere in Ravenloft,
stranded by the vapors which dissipate around him.
Characters in Ravenloft who willingly step into the Misty Border
can wander within it. They walk in a bewildering, foggy dreamworld, where time and space seem twisted and tangled.
If their desire to remain in this limbo is strong enough, they can remain. When their will to stay in the border flaters,
they find themselves in one of Ravneloft's domains within an hour. No one can predict or control where a wanderer emerges--that
is determined by the forces of Ravenloft.
The Misty Border is not completely void of life. Small, temporary
domains sometimes form within it. The Border is also home to many wandering monsters. Just as a character can
choose to stay in the Mists, so can a creature, particularly one without the brains or personality to establish a domain.
These creatures lurk within the Misty Border, hoping to encounter travelers. Given such encounters, few travelers choose
to remain in the Misty Border for long.
A Pruned Time Line of Events
The following is a time line for the past 110 years only. This
is to better develop your character so they have a sense of "origins or creation" of certain domains. i.e. if your character
lived in a domain next to one that came into being while your character lived there, they would know about it or have experienced
it at a distance. The past 110 years have been listed in case a parent or grand parent ever told something about the
appearance to their children.
Just a note--domains never just suddenly appear. The Mists
gather and spread. Pushing the land so to speak as if it were a malleable piece of clay. The Mists reach up to
the heavens and eventually dissipate, revealing a new land. This process takes a fair amount of time.
This is according to the Barovian Calendar
625 Valachan takes shape
682 Nova Vaasa appears
684 Borca appears
690 Falkovnia appears
691 Tepest appears
694 Richemulot appears
698 Markovia is formed
700 Drakov (Lord of Falkovnia) invades Darkon and is repelled
702 G'Henna appears
704 Drakov invades Darkon and is repelled
707 Dementlieu appears
708 Arkandale appears
711 Drakov invades Darkon and is repelled
714 Hazlan takes shape
715 Dorvinia takes shape
720 Sithicus takes shape
722 Drakov invades Darkon and is repelled
725 Barovia's borders are closed. A misty wall as high
as the heavens forms.
730 Verbrek takes shape
735 This time line is recorded (current year to date)
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The Vistani
The gypsies of Ravenloft--or "Vistani", as they call themselves--are
a mysterious people. They wander the lands and travel the Mists, independent of the bonds which shackle lords to their domains
and natives to their dreary, oppressed existence. In some ways they are the most powerful characters in Ravenloft, because
in spirit, the gypsies are free.
Like the gypsies in other realms, Vistani have dark skin, dress in
vibrant clothing, and rarely linger in any location. Their hair is black and shining, though some are born with amber tresses.
Their eyes are black and luminous, and in a few tribes, are of a shape that suggests a distant link to the Orient. But it
is more than physical appearance that defines a Vistana. The gypsies in Ravenloft are unique. No ordinary gypsy who wanders
into the demiplane shares the mystical powers of the Vistani of Ravenloft.
Gypsy Powers
Vistani have an ageless, timeless quality. True, their babes grow to
be men and women, and their men and women grow old, but many elders seem to have lived for centuries. It is as if they have
distanced themselves from time, just enough to slow its disintegration of their bodies and stop its erosion of their minds.
Only the Vistani can tell the future in Ravenloft. They use tiny crystals
and balls, cards call a "tarokka" deck, and the "dikesha" which are carved dice. Other less used forms are casting bones or
runes, reading tea leaves, palmisty, physiognomy, dream interpretation, and astrology. Natives of Ravenloft take fortune telling
very serious for the Vistani are true seers.
Every Vistana has the potential to see the future, but not all have
an equal ability to use their gift. Many dark-eyed wanderers have the power to cure as well as curse. Some of
their talents involve rituals or potions. Certain lizards in the Balinoks, for example, help create a gypsy brew with
wonderous powers of healing. The fruits of Barovia, when sliced in a given way under a certain moon, are rumored to
form the basis of deadly curse. (Only Vistani know the precise details) But some gypsies need no props to harm or heal.
They need only their own gaze, and the powers of the evil eye.
The evil eye is the ability to cast an enchantment with only a look.
It is most common among women, and seems to increase with age. Old gypsy women, whose hair has gone white and whose
teeth have gone completely, may command the greatest respect. Their curses, when the will is strong, are said to rival
the powers of Ravenloft. Usually, however, a gypsy curse is embarrassing or dangerous rather than deadly.
Only a fool crosses a gypsy, because every crime against their kind,
no matter how secret, may return to haunt the offender. Even offenses against the dead can be dangerous. It is said that he
who robs the body of a gypsy, especially with malice, may find that his fingers have turned black the following morn. The
blackness cannot be washed away. Every living Vistana knows this sign, and will recognize the bearer as an enemy of gypsy
tribes. With repeated wrongs, the blackness may spread, until the offending flesh begins to fall away like that of a leper.
So say the gypsies, at least.
Vistani are gifted explorers. They can enter the Misty Border and sometimes
determine where and when they shall leave it. According to legend, they can even enter and leave the demiplane, though many
say it is because they know of portals no others have discovered. If a "giorgio", or nongypsy, wins their confidence, Vistani
may allow him to travel with them. No gypsy can be forced to act as a guide, however. Nor can any giorgio stow away on a caravan
and hope to escape the demiplane. The Vistani are protected by the Mists. Like chaff is culled from wheat, the Mists of Ravenloft
separate unwanted followers from the full-blooded Vistani, and send them different ways.
Gypsies have little to fear from the rulers of Ravenloft's domains.
Most lords tolerate them, and many are in awe of their powers. The gypsies' ability to travel the Mists and foretell the future
commands great respect. Some lords forge agreements with the tribes.
Lifestyle
Gypssies are vagabonds, wandering from domain to domain, rarely pausing
more than a week in any one place. Progress on the road is languid and unhurried. Children scamper beside the wagons, gleefully
engulfed in their own coulds of dust.
Each tribe is an extended family of ten to fifty members. A man is
the head of his own family, next replaced by his eldest son. However, a grandmother with the powers of the Evil Eye commands
the greatest respect of all. Gypsies cherish their children, perhaps because many die so tragically. The gypsies are blessed
with many powers of healing, but they cannot prevent a stillbirth.
A gypsy home is called a "vardo". These small, well-crafted caravans
have tall wodden walls, an arched wooden roof, and a door at the back. The vardo is drawn by horses, and the driver sits up
front on an outdoor seat. Most vardos are painted in vivid colors, such as turquoise, or black with gold and magenta highlights.
The finest are carefully decorated with gilded carvings, picturing proud steeds, intricate flowers, or prancing deer. Even
the wheels are sometimes painted gold. The Vardo of a great gypsy lady may include tiny windows made of etched or tinted glass.
The vagabonds usually travel with a menagerie. Horeses and a faithful
mongrel or two trot alongside. Chicken crates are strapped beneath the wagons, and a tethered ox or goat may bring up the
rear. Sometimes a trained bear follows the caravan, ready to amaze and entertain villagers at the tribe's next stop. A handler
usually leads the bear.
Vistani pursue a number of occupations. Their traveling ways make them
natural escorts and traders. They tell fortunes to those who are brave enough to hear them. (The future is often dark in Ravenloft)
Some foretell the weather to interested farmers. A few are thieves and con artists. Others are tinkers, knife grinders, or
pot menders, selling their services from village to city. Many are entertainers, who earn money through music and dance. A
particularly well-trained bear may not only dance, but also may ease weary muscles by walking on a paying customer's back.
Some tribes are also cagey horse-traders. Vistani have an unusual rapport
with these animals. Only gypsies can break the wild colts of Nova Vaasa with any success, and their own horses carry the Nova
Vaasan bloodlines. Their attachment to these beast is so strong that when mother's milk is unavailable, a Vistani babe may
suckle a mare.
Gypsies make their camps well away from a village or town, usually
near a clear-running brook or spring-fed pool. When the days are warm, the children run naked, splashing in the water or relishing
the lush, cool grass beneath their feet. Camps usually are well hidden. To find them, clever travelers look for the "vista-chiri",
tiny gray and white birds that are rumored to follow the gypsies from land to land.
Each night, and again early in the morn, gypsies gather round a fire.
For supper, each family passes one great pot, into which each person dips his own utensil. Vistani drink copious amounts of
tea, and make a coffee that is bitter and thick, like mud. In times of celebration, adults tip a glass of "aniso", a drink
that is flavored with aniseed.
Fire-building is a matter of honor among men. They have an uncanny
ability to encourage wood to burn, even when the forest has been drenched with rain. When a tribe wishes to conceal an item
of value or danger, a fire-builder may bury it deep beneath the fire site. Gypsy children often sleep outside. On bitter nights,
their father may build a fire in a trench. When the timber is reduced to coals, he covers the embers with earth. The children
sleep on top, beneath feather blankets and a tarp, preferably with an old dog for added warmth and company.
A boundless world is the gypsy's home, but his heart is open only to
his own people. Gypsies reject their own kin if they are not of full blood, and marriage to a half-breed is forbidden. Vistani
do not form friends with giorgios readily, and rarely invite them into their midst. When escorting a traveler, they prefer
to leave him in a town or village when establishing a camp, or may drop him at a peasant's home for the night. Only when a
giorgio has earned respect, or has paid dearly for his safty in the camp, will he be allowed to join the Vistani's circle
after twilight. Those who have been honored by such an invitation describe magical moments, when the gypsies have gathered
round a glowing fire to play their instruments and dance for their own enjoyment.
As the fire rages, young women dance to the fervent sounds of fiddles,
guitars, and tambourines. Their skirts sweep the earth, rising and falling as they twirl, and if you look closely, you can
see the music swirling around them. As the embers glow red, and the sky turns from an inky blue to pitch black, the fiddler
plays alone. He makes his instrument cry, in a song of lament so clear, so acute, that it can pierce the listener's heart
and make it bleed in sympathy. When it ends, the leader of the tribe sings alone in the gypsy tongue. The lyrics tell his
people that when the cock hearalds the morn, they must move on.
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