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hikarinokusari · 11 months ago

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I don't know much about romani people IRL, except that "gipsy" is considered a slur by many.

Regarding Vistani though, I highly recommand reading Van Richten's guide to the Vistani (Ad&D2 Ravenloft). You'll find their dkfferent tasques, how they work, what kind of day to day activities they do etc. Also about their culture : the tralaks (signs they leave for them to know about places, abit like tjieve's can't symbols) , how they always drink water but never alcohol with strangers, a bit of their language (patterna), their views about wedding, how they honor their promises with strangers, their justice (vishnad), how they treat the giorgiottos etc... Why they have to move every week and can't stay still because they are cursed with the Static Burn as well. You will also have some of their curses and hlw they work which is always nice to have in the sleeve imho.

You'll also find their songs for the pratastonata, and so on. The boon itself is old and flawed because it is full of cliché and somewhat wrong views and stereotypes. It doesn't help it is written with VR's a narrator for most parts but it lays a big big help to build on the vistani people.

Other books that you may find interedting for tidbits of lore here and there is the whole Hyskosa story, because it speaks of the Dokkar, a vistana male born with the Sight and who should bring the end to worlds. It is spoken about in VR's guide but the adventure themselves gives you a good grip on the family of Hyskosa. It's been a long time I've read through them so I can't tell anymore how much each modules provides. I think it is in the whole Feast of Goblyn' s series of modules.

One of the adventurein 4e lets you meet Arabelle Zarovan and treats about the Dukkar as well : Fair Barovia. It treats her as bith her role as a Zarovan (she doesn't work like she is supposed to), how she goes against Eva's wishes and how whe still works for Strahd while being ignorant of his vampiric nature.

I am pretty sure I've read a little more information about Vistani here and there in the Ravenloft Gazeeters 4 or 5 ?

Of course, there are some excerpts from the novels that talks about Strahd and his relationships to Vistani here and there. In I, Strahd the war against Azalin, I'm pretty sure there's Strahd's tarokka reading and how he negociates Vistani to pay him taxes. I'm really not sure about but I guess they also feat in Vampire of the Mists ? Been a while since I've last read those two books.

I know they are used in Mask of the Read Death as well but I hardly remember learning thibgs in there as I've read previous Ravenloft books without stopping and my memory is kinda confused on what is said where.

But mainly, VR's guide to the vistani would be, imho, your primary source to everything about the mistwalkers :)

My white suburban ass played a "Gypsy" in a LARP before people (including myself) realized that was problematic and the name of the people was changed to "Selunari" (in like 2016 or something).

The "Vistani" in Curse of Strahd seem to suffer from the same vague cover-up nomenclature. They were also referred to as "gypsies" in earlier editions, and I doubt much else about them has changed.

I really loved my LARP-Gypsy character and wanted to redesign her in a way that would be more respectful and representative of the culture her fantasy people were based upon. I got as far as picking up some books, but I was already on my way out of that game (for unrelated reasons). A lot of other things were going on at the time, and my ability to focus was critically lacking. I didn't even get as far as the first page.

Now that I'm planning a CoS campaign, though, I have a new opportunity to dote on them.

I'm nervous. It feels like returning to a home I don't actually belong in.

Here are a few titles that have been haunting my bookshelf for the past decade:

The Gypsies by Angus Fraser (a history)

The Gypsies by Jan Yoors (a memoir)

English Gypsy Language: Word Book of the Romany by G. Borrow

Gypsy Witchcraft & Magic by Raymond Buckland ("a half-blood Romany")

Bonus: This little newspaper clipping was tucked in the front cover of the Angus Fraser book

If you have any other recommendations for material on the Romany people irl or insights on the CoS Vistani in particular, let me know! I want to do so good for them. ♡

#curse of strahd #vistani

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