#the ravenloft wanderers

[theravenloftwanderers]

🥀 𝕮𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕾𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖍𝖉 - 𝕯𝖆𝖞 𝕴𝕴𝕴 𝕭𝖗𝖎𝖉𝖊 - 🥀

If Strahd sent me a wedding invite or even for a vow renewal for his brides. Disrespectfully, I would decline. I ain't about to be the entree for them y'know. I like blood like I like my slumber. Undisturbed.

[willow-boop]

Phil the arsonist

I wanted to make a silly image with her and my uptight elf paladin Taeral because I know she would drive him crazy!

I like tormenting him.

(Lovely Phil created by @theravenloftwanderers )

(Taeral by me)

[chaotic-miserables]

Troublemakers, am I right Tae?

(I like to think there are multiple versions of Tae, each one stuck (or mayhap shipped) with their own chaos gremlin)

(Tae as a pansexual man is unfortunately vulnerable to all genders, rip him)

Rook by @-tokyo-mewtwo

Philly cheese by @-theravenloftwanderers

[tixdixl]

Meet "The Annoyance"! The first reoccurring NPC from Those Who Wander.

This art was revealed last session!

If you are curious about our gothic horror campaign, you can check out our VODs here!

[petalpierrot]

Last session we put Lady Wachter under house arrest

We also found Gertruda wandering the streets of Vallaki.

The ranger was polymorphed into a cat and the druid wild shape into one for support, and then both of them lured her into the mad wizard's mansion to keep her safe.

[darklordazalin]

Azalin Reviews: Urik von Kharkov

Domain: Valachan Domain Formation: 625 BC Power Level:  💀💀 ⚫ ⚫ ⚫ (3/5 skulls) Sources: 2e: Darklords, Realms of Terror, Domains of Dread, Felkovic’s Cat; 3e: Gazetteer IV, Secrets of the Dread Realms; Novel: Tales of Ravenloft; 5e: van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft “Baron” Urik von Khakov was the former Darklord of Valachan until Chakuna defeated and replaced him. I use the title “Baron” lightly as he is not and never has been a Baron and is not even really human though he desperately wishes to be.Valachan is a heavily forested domain dominated by evergreens and redwoods in a temperate ecosystem with a few small townships dotting the landscape. In 5e this has been changed into a rainforest with two newly named townships instead of three. All of these villages are barely populated, so it makes little difference.

Urik’s story is, well I’d say unique but there are stranger Darklords in the Demiplanes, so I’ll just say that his story is a fascinating experiment conducted by Morphayus, a Red Wizard of Thay. I have been called vindictive in the past by those who have little understanding of my intentions, but I do not even come close to Morphayus’s levels. This wizard had his eyes on a young woman named Selena who had no interest in him. This indifference plagued Morphayus and he plotted his revenge. Try being married to indifference and spite for 17 years, then get back to me Morphayus…

Morphayus found a unique and rare version of the polymorph spell and used it to transform a panther into a man. He gave that man a fake title and name (Baron Urik von Kharkov), then educated him at the finest universities Cormyr had to offer. He groomed the man cat to be the perfect match for Selena and the two eventually fell for one another. Morphayus then dispelled the polymorph upon Urik when he was intimate with Selena, which ended with Selena being mauled to death by a giant panther. Morphayus, being an incompetent wizard who stumbled upon a powerful spell, turned Urik back into a man, thinking he could use the same ploy again on another, but had not realized Urik would remember his life as a man. Urik, horrified and ashamed of what he had done, fled from Morphayus and into the mists, which deposited him into Darkon.

There Urik learned of the Kargat, my secret police and as any good citizen would, wished to join their ranks. Seeing how much he distrusts wizards, it is interesting that he agreed to work for me considering I go by the title “The Wizard King”, but the lure of immortality is a potent one. Urik willingly allowed a vampire to turn him, not realizing that he would now be under the whims of the vampire that changed him for all eternity. He worked under his maker for 2 decades until his maker was slain by another. Seeing a chance to escape, Urik fled into the mists once more and found himself the ruler of his own Domain, Valachan.

As Darklord, Urik copied my Kargat with a group of werepanthers to assist him in ruling his realm from Castle Pantara, a large stone structure designed to resemble a crouching tiger. Why not a panther? Maybe Urik decided he had too many panther things going on? Can’t be TOO obvious about these things. Urik demands little of his people, mainly taxes and servants now and then to attend to the castle. These servants and any who come close to Urik’s castle often suffer from “white fever”. This “white fever” is nothing more than a fabrication to hide Urik and his vampire thrall’s thirst for human blood. Urik’s paranoia has proven to be a boon and his massive mind control he has used upon his people have made it so few realize his true nature.

Every year, he also demands a bride from his people. These unfortunate women are typically drawn through lotteries, but occasionally Urik picks one out himself. Fickle like a cat. This led to the creation of the jade figurine known as Felkovic’s Cat and Urik’s greatest fear. Urik took an interest in Felkovic’s wife and made plans to have the wizard killed so he could then select his wife as a bride. His version of the Kargat are not as disciplined nor discreet as my own and ended up speaking of the plan while in the same room as Felkovic. Felkovic, in hopes of saving his wife, created the jade cat figurine which would transform and assassinate Urik when commanded.

Felkovic, being a lesser mage, was charmed and then killed by Urik’s panthers before he was given the opportunity. Felkovic cursed Urik with his dying breath and his spirit became tied to the cat figurine. Felkovic learned to possess the object, transforming it into a larger and larger cat over the course of seven days. On the seventh day, the cat figurine, now the size of a saber tooth tiger, attacked and nearly killed Urik, who was only saved by his servants.

Urik is a beast that dreams of being a man. He struggles between his animalistic nature as a panther, his lust for blood as a vampire, and his past love as a man. He takes the form of a panther instead of a wolf and can summon these large cats to fight beside him. Otherwise, he is a standard vampire who cannot change into a bat. In 5e, Urik has been defeated by a werepanther named Chakuna and only his severed head remains hidden in the new Darklords abode.

In summary, Urik is a giant cat whose biggest fear is a giant magical stone cat and who tried to copy his former boss’s government. Should I be flattered? No. 2 out of 5 skulls, but only because I like cats…

[honourablejester]

Random half-baked 5e thought, but as the spooky month approaches, I’m reminded that I really, really want to play a Stars Druid for horror. Just. A lot.

It’s just the imagery of stars and omens that permeates the subclass. Starry Form, you become a piece of the night sky, your body a dark canvas on which glowing constellations paint themselves. Omens, weal or woe. Constellations, to dispense healing or radiant judgement. If you like cosmic horror, and I quite like cosmic horror, there’s such a temptation there.

And. There’s a background in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, called the Haunted One, which is that your entire character history is dominated by a dark event or secret that, well, haunts you. You get a feature, Heart of Darkness, which is just that people looking at you can tell that you have seen some shit and will try to help you out if you haven’t pissed them off, and you also get a ‘Harrowing Event’. Which is that dark event that dogs your footsteps. And one of them is the following:

“You were born under a dark star. You can feel it watching you, coldly and distantly. Sometimes it beckons you in the dead of night.”

And sometimes, if you’re a Stars Druid, it beckons you from within your body. Every time you invoke Starry Form. There’s a constellation on your body, a dragon or a chalice or an archer, but there’s also, every time, somewhere on your skin, in your bones, shining from your flesh, another, darker, more distant star. Maybe you can’t see it yourself, in that form, not always, but you can feel it.

You’re a child of omen. You were born under a dark star. A watching star. And you like to think you could have run from it, but instead you carry it with you. Within your skin. Within your magic.

Was it on purpose? Your birth? The difference between ‘circle’ and ‘cult’ is sometimes rather academic, after all. Or were you an infection, a curse? Were you driven out, a cursed omen to wander the land, and that’s why you’re here now? Or were you taught instead. Trained to embrace it. Perhaps your circle were a circle of ill omen, believers of an apocalyptic destiny. That dark star is distant now, but it won’t always be. And you, you are a harbinger of that fate.

I do like the Star Map as well, on this character. Any of the suggested forms, but in particular the ‘collection of maps bound in an ebony cover’. Your star map is your own creation. Perhaps you’ve been tracking your star’s approach. Maps of the night sky, and maps of your skin. Maybe every time you invoke Starry Form, you ask those around you afterwards where it was. That other star. Where has it moved, and does it mean anything? What happens when that dark star reaches your heart? Or your brow? Does the movement across your skin match the movements across the skies? Or is it a more personal, intimate motion, a signifier of a smaller and more personal apocalypse?

There is a temptation to flavour some of the druid spells to reflect the dark star’s influence, Entangle most easily, but that might be a trap. The druid list doesn’t lend particularly well to that. Maybe keep the horror for starry form, and have your magic be your attempt to ground yourself back down. Ground yourself in the world, in the dirt and the soil and the water, to stave off that darker influence. But maybe it creeps in anyway. Maybe you find yourself favouring spells like Moonbeam and Heat Metal, like Maelstrom and Cone of Cold. Divinations, like Augury, Divination, Scrying. Seeking omens.

Druids don’t, generally, have the spell list for cosmic horror, not like an aberrant sorcerer or a goolock, but just from Starry Form. Just from that. And the divination, omen, weal or woe aspect. Your omen is written in your flesh. And every time, to empower yourself, you invoke it. You pull it closer. Wear it inside your skin. Shine its light out into the world through the vessel of your own form. A harbinger, a walking omen of a distant malice.

A child of omen. A daughter of a dark star. Clinging to earth, to stone, to the magic of this world, but forever bearing witness to something more distant and more alien. And drawing it, by your own actions, ever closer to all that you protect.

Oh, I do, I really do, want to play Stars Druid for horror. So very much. Heh.

[y-rhywbeth2]

I recently said something about vampire art always being fucked up in some way. More recently it turned out that the same vampire who couldn't make music without it being miserable and angry can make little figurines and stuff without them being tainted with evil.

So either all vampiric music is evil, but if they want to use their fine arts degree it should be fine.

Or the difference between the first situation and the second is that the second one was on Toril and the first one happened in the Ravenloft setting. Which... makes a lot of sense. Sort of like the dude's gardening hobby was fine on Toril and then in the Domains of Dread every plant he touched died.

Ravenloft is the setting where literally everything being saturated in evil, angsty edginess trying to corrupt you and driving you to become your worst self is part of the metaphysics, so it's probably that answer. And I would pay good money for a DLC where I get to take the BG3 crew there. For Science.

So yes, vampires can probably make art just fine, just don't let them wander off on foggy days lest they get kidnapped by dark forces to be used as extras in their evil soap operas.

[enzomancer]

Haunted by the image of Lorenzo wandering aimlessly around Castle Ravenloft in a silk robe (this has not happened in game… but what if it did…?)

[crybaby-herbalist]

This is as far as this can go right now lmao, our Ireena PC wandering around Ravenloft at night and stumbling upon a hall of portraits of current and past brides, a frame empty and waiting for his next bride.

[ocelot-art]

Rahadin Headcanons

I've been working on a Curse of Strahd fanfiction for a while now. In case anyone is looking for character inspiration for their own campaign or just want a fanfic lore dump, here's the amalgamation I've amassed over the past 2 years!

Spoilers under the cut.

Identity: cisgender, he/him. Demisexual (VERY rare attraction), demiromantic

Age: 465. He was banished by the dusk elves when he was 30 and spent 5 years as a wanderer (and often a beggar on the outskirts of the town Bellemeade) before King Barov recruited him

Equipment (Changed from module): Rahadin's deathly choir is connected to his cursed scimitar. The blade became cursed when he drove it through his own mother's heart when killing the dusk elves. The ability activates when Rahadin is not in control of his emotions; over time, he's mastered this ability and can control when it activates. He also wields a bow (I refuse to let the lad use DARTS), and wears studded leather armor atop a doublet. As he gets cold easily, he wears a fur-lined cloak with hood to protect his ears

Personality: Loyalty above all else. Rahadin will remain stone-faced through any comment/insult unless it offends Strahd's honor, in which he will attack if the issue is pushed. The only exception is sexual comments, in which he will try and quickly excuse himself from the situation red-faced. He has no sense of humor and his attempts at jokes often fall flat. (Those points in charisma are solely for intimidation and diplomacy.) He avoids discussing his own feelings and will rarely disclose his thoughts on matters unless Strahd is specifically seeking his consult

Hobbies: Rahadin loves botany, and his office is filled with plant-related books. He used to be a prolific gardener before he was banished by the dusk elves. In the early years, he would tend to the gardens of Castle Ravenloft. Before his turning, Strahd had instructed Rahadin to prepare and tend to a rose garden dedicated to Queen Ravenovia, and it would become his pride and joy - until Strahd had it destroyed in his grief upon his mother's passing. After Strahd chided him for wasting time on such a useless hobby, Rahadin pretty much stopped gardening and allowed the gardens to run wild. He still grows his own poisons for his weapons in the chapel garden

Skills: Despite seeing most animals as dirty (and preferring to ride spectral steeds for this reason), he is a skilled horseman. He’s also a skilled tactician, and has a way with extracting information from (or punishing) prisoners. Strahd is happy to delegate torture to his chamberlain and sees it as a reward for his loyalty. On the other hand, Rahadin is painfully bad at physical labor and crafts.

Relationships: Rahadin despises most of Strahd's consorts, but he usually keeps his thoughts to himself so as to not annoy Strahd. He enjoys taunting Escher with stories of how Strahd has locked previous consorts in the catacombs when he grew bored of them. Otherwise, he sees Escher as an attention-starved puppy and is constantly annoyed by Escher trying to start conversations with him. Strahd, knowing that Rahadin cannot stand Escher, takes great joy in sending the two out together on missions. Ludmilla and Rahadin respect one another and are on friendly terms. He respects her loyalty and calm counsel and sees her as the main source of wisdom besides himself in the castle. He and Anastrasya are not on good terms; with an overly polite facade masking an insulting interior, she never shies from throwing thinly veiled insults his way. The most feral of the consorts in his opinion, Volenta is primarily ignored by him.

Rahadin once fancied Ludmilla before she was turned, and had begun the process of courting her. Strahd, concerned that a spouse would distract Rahadin from his duties as chamberlain and decrease his loyalty, interjected himself. Being the more charming of the two, Strahd wooed Ludmilla and turned her. This upset Rahadin, but he would never question the will of his master.

Religion: While he no longer fully worships the elven pantheon (Corellon, etc.), he still has a reverence for nature and elven lore (particularly the stories behind constellations)

Diet: Vegetarian, like most dusk elves

Strahd: He's wary of and has plenty of snide remarks for anyone that shows the slightest romantic interest in Strahd, believing that they are only interested in him for his power/wealth. He believes that he is the only one that truly appreciates Strahd for who he is. He is always looking out for his master in this regard, which annoys Strahd greatly.

Valuing his loyalty, Strahd gave Rahadin his word that he would never bite him after he became a vampire.

Taught Strahd Elvish when Strahd was a young man

He is unaware that Strahd is the one that killed Sergei. Instead, he still believes it was by the hand of an assassin/one of Leo Dilisnya's men that Sergei died. Rahadin will brush off any related comments from PCs as hearsay and attack if the issue is pushed.

Shippy stuff: Rahadin developed feelings for Strahd when the both of them were still young men. When Strahd became a vampire, it crushed Rahadin to see the way it changed the man he loved. His personality had changed, and although the dread lord would never admit it, Rahadin could tell that Strahd was miserable. Knowing that Strahd would never return his feelings, he's kept them secret for over 400 years. Although he has not made it known, Strahd is aware that his chamberlain has feelings for him and will use it to his advantage if necessary.

He is a sadist and, in later years, a masochist

[theravenloftwanderers]

Curse of Strahd: The Ravenloft Wanderers (Incorrect quotes 1)

This isn't what happened however I have a bunch funnier quotes in my head that could've been said so I'll doodle them over time.

[willow-boop]

POV you're a poor Barovian peasant meeting Phil.

Tae would likely lose years off of his life traveling with Philly.

Taeral by me

Philly cheese by @theravenloftwanderers

[vodoriga-art]

well, my curse of strahd PC fucked up and got kidnapped along with ireena after strahd manipulated him, and now they're stuck in castle ravenloft... and I think it's really funny to imagine my sheltered vampire dork running into kaspar in the castle hallway and both being like ????

He was just about to go on break after a hard night of vivisecting prisoners medical research and now there's new people wandering the halls unsupervised, Strahd preserve us.

[tixdixl]

WE LIVE ON TWITCH

SECRET SURPRISES AND NEW PLAYERS AHOY

[lycantripuwu]

So Rhil might have "wandered" a bit too deep into Ravenloft, and she might have some regrets.

She's alive! But boy, she almost wasn't. Her back got singed pretty badly while she ran for her life.

I hope Strahd didn't hear that dragon roar 👍