They should... tradition demands it; yet the chapel bell above the village hangs silent, its rope damp and unmoving in the morning mist. No wind stirs it. No one dares touch it.
A heavy fog clings to the ground, thick enough to swallow boots to the ankle. It beads on cloaks and lashes like cold sweat. Above, a swollen sky threatens rain but never releases it... perhaps the last blessing of a good man gone too soon.
The villagers of Barovia gather in a tight semicircle around a freshly dug grave at the edge of the churchyard. No one speaks above a murmur. they maintain caution, even in their grief.
At the grave stands Father Donavich.
He reads from worn scripture, but his voice drifts — losing its place, repeating lines, lingering too long on certain words. His eyes, sunken and rimmed in sleepless red, occasionally flick toward the church doors behind him… as if expecting them to open. But, he's been through too much in the last year. especially since the loss of his son... so you pretend to not notice.
You do notice the mourners.
Near the front, Ismark Kolyanovich, jaw set rigid, posture straight from sheer effort rather than strength. A man forcing himself into a role he has not yet accepted. Beside him stands Ireena, pale but composed. Some villagers refuse to look at her. Others stare too long in some refuge of fragile hope. A few steps away loiters a well-dressed outsider — Vasili, you heard someone say— a Vallakian landlord, observing with polite attentiveness that feels almost studied. Behind him, the emissary of Vallaki’s burgomaster — a stiff official accompanied by a young nobleman, Viktor Vallakovich, whose bored expression makes no effort to hide his disinterest in grief. At the far edge of the crowd, Mary rocks back and forth, some have taken to calling her mad... for weeks she's been muttering through cracked lips about a daughter no one remembers ever seeing.
No one asks her to stop.
No one comforts her.
Father Donavich finally steadies himself and begins the eulogy:
“Kolyan Indirovich was… a good man.”A pause.“He kept the dread outside his doors as long as any man could. He believed — foolishly perhaps — that duty could outlast fear. The Morninglord teaches that the dawn comes for all souls… and in the end I suspect he was at peace... looking forward to a new dawn, as he departed for a better life beyond.”
His hand trembles as he grips the prayer book tighter. “He died as he wished for Barovians to live — Bravely, and with love.”
He turns his gaze to Ireena and Ismark. He closes the book.
For a moment, no one moves.
Then your gaze lifts — not by intention, but by instinct.
Beyond the cemetery, above the choking mist and skeletal trees, the cliffs rise.
And upon them…
Castle Ravenloft. Watching... Mocking.
Every spire angled downward toward the village like a predator resting its chin upon folded claws.
Understanding passes silently through the crowd: Kolyan Indirovich did not simply die.
He resisted with everything he had.
A long, distant howl cuts the stillness.
Another answers.
Then several more.
The villagers look to one another... panicked growing in their eyes.
Father Donavich whispers, almost unconsciously: “He knows."
STRAHD: Legends of Barovia
A Prestige Run for DMs, Advanced Players, and all those who have played a Ravenloft game before this one.
Return to Barovia to take on Strahd once again during a Ravenloft adventure that challenges your skills as a player, and allows you to tell the tale of the Legends of Barovia exactly how you've envisioned it for yourself. as an experienced player or DM familiar with Curse of Strahd, you'll be able to dive right into the world as a third level character from the Valley itself. no introductory one shot, no slow lore delivery. your character will know the valley, because they live the valley. The death of Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich has left a wound. and after the funeral, those closest to him rally to his cause of protecting what matters--no matter the cost.
Dive right into the journey to rid the valley of their darklord as one of the valleys well known protagonists like: Ismark the Lesser Ireena Kolyana Ezmerelda D'avinir
Or pave your own path to renown as a soon-to-be hero of the Valley, as a: Villager
Vistani
Dusk Elf
Forest Folk
Shell (soulless)
or one of the three Lineages of Dread: Dhampir, Hexblood, or Reborn.
This game promises Difficult ant Tactical versions of the combat encounters you know and love, impactful role-play moments that deliver the story as you always imagined, and reinstated lore that the 2016 module glimpses at or ignores all-together.
The bells don't ring.
You do notice the mourners.
A few steps away loiters a well-dressed outsider — Vasili, you heard someone say— a Vallakian landlord, observing with polite attentiveness that feels almost studied.
Behind him, the emissary of Vallaki’s burgomaster — a stiff official accompanied by a young nobleman, Viktor Vallakovich, whose bored expression makes no effort to hide his disinterest in grief.
At the far edge of the crowd, Mary rocks back and forth, some have taken to calling her mad... for weeks she's been muttering through cracked lips about a daughter no one remembers ever seeing.
Father Donavich finally steadies himself and begins the eulogy:
“Kolyan Indirovich was… a good man.” A pause. “He kept the dread outside his doors as long as any man could. He believed — foolishly perhaps — that duty could outlast fear. The Morninglord teaches that the dawn comes for all souls… and in the end I suspect he was at peace... looking forward to a new dawn, as he departed for a better life beyond.”
Kolyan Indirovich did not simply die.
“He knows."
STRAHD: Legends of Barovia
Starting Level: Third
Ruleset: 2024 Core & Expanded
Platforms: DndBeyond, Discord, Syrinscape
Session Schedule: Thursdays 3:00PM EST.
Session Duration: 2-3 Hours
Session Frequency: TBD Session 0.
Summary:
Return to Barovia to take on Strahd once again during a Ravenloft adventure that challenges your skills as a player, and allows you to tell the tale of the Legends of Barovia exactly how you've envisioned it for yourself. as an experienced player or DM familiar with Curse of Strahd, you'll be able to dive right into the world as a third level character from the Valley itself. no introductory one shot, no slow lore delivery. your character will know the valley, because they live the valley. The death of Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich has left a wound. and after the funeral, those closest to him rally to his cause of protecting what matters--no matter the cost.Ismark the Lesser
Ireena Kolyana
Ezmerelda D'avinir
Villager
This game promises Difficult ant Tactical versions of the combat encounters you know and love, impactful role-play moments that deliver the story as you always imagined, and reinstated lore that the 2016 module glimpses at or ignores all-together.
https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmm01wf9l003sl4045cdjikh5?ref=cmc12kam8004l79wmpalrnwzn