If questioned about Strahd's consorts, he will eagerly inform players with all the information in "About Strahd's Consorts" outlined in the setup. Her offputting, aloof demeanor and eagerness to direct the player's investigations elsewhere may come off as very suspicious to the players. In addition, he cannot detect any unusual magic on the brides, nor have his attempts to Dispel Magic yielded any results. Ludmilla is a calm, composed individual who handles herself with a regal deportment that belies her humble origins. For years she made deals with the witches that made their home in the towers of Ravenloft, but their access to Strahd and his goings-on was limited. She began to become more and more insecure, until she reached out to the witches that lived in Ravenloft's tower if they knew of any way to earn Strahd's favor. If he was really worried about being spied upon, he would simply kill all three of his brides and turn new ones. Strahd can offer simple backgrounds and info on each of his brides, meanwhile providing perspective on his attitudes towards them, as well as their locations: To entice players, Strahd may offer a variety of rewards, depending on how the group negotiates, the details of the campaign, and what Strahd thinks the players will want: Their pick from a selection of powerful magical artifacts (Animated Armor, Wands, etc. Much better to see how the outsiders handle it. Lysaga is motivated chiefly by a desire to protect Strahd, and secondly by a desire to preserve her delusion that she is Strahd's mother. She is quite possessive and protective, in a charming yet occasionally offputting way. She is enamored with any pieces of art that the group has displayed. If Strahd discovers the player has stolen something of moderate value, Strahd will cut off one of their fingers (or have Rahadin do so). Anastraya is the most vocal and excitable of the brides and acts as a hostess when the players come to have dinner. It is exceptionally rare for a vampire spawn to rebel against it's master, although it is possible. There, the vampire lord tasks players with uncovering the identity of a spy among his consorts, testing their abilities of deduction and subtlety as they interact with the colorful denizens of Castle Ravenloft. Either players or servants may convince Strahd that the other is responsible. ), Permission to leave Barovia. This horrible fate has befell dozens upon dozens of men and women. She is only able to speak a. I recommend using the word "Mother". Strahd has a habit of picking up beautiful men and woman for entertainment, drawn by their intellect, charisma, and natural beauty. She is probably researching spellbooks in his Study (K37). He has kept close eyes upon his brides since acquiring this knowledge, but has not spotted them acting out of kind. If players question her about being a spy, she will pause, before resolutely denying the claim. "Baba" achieves a similar effect. In summary, this encounter was designed to contribute the following: A showcase of the Brides, as well as the other denizens of Ravenloft (Escher, Rahadin, etc. Every week, Volenta ascends to the spires of Ravenloft, and speaks with Lysaga through her familiar, which takes the form of a spider (this works fantastically well if you incorporate my version of the. She is extremely careful in her behavior, knowing she does not interest Strahd any longer. She is the de facto leader of the harem, the other brides fear and respect her, although Anastraya often makes a point of trying to push her buttons and get her to break her ironclad composure. She ties a frankly embarrassing amount of her self worth into her ability to plan and host parties. Players may recognize this request as an opportunity to scout Ravenloft without fear from Strahd and his minions, and learn valuable intel on the castle and it's inhabitants for use when the group inevitably storms Ravenloft at the end of the campaign. TRAITOROUS CONSORT Over time, Strahd took many brides and paramours, embraced th em to join him in undeath, but none can replace his love for Tatyana. In summary, this encounter was designed to contribute the following: If one or more of the above is of interest to you, read onward. He values most of his minions less than the players, they have no entertainment value. During the investigation, Strahd will keep tabs on the players using whatever spies are available, or by following them in Bat form. He refrains from telling the players any sensitive details about the brides or about Strahd, stating "it's not his place to comment on such things" or other polite evasions. An allusive thief who has a pet fairy. While a tension-wrecked meal across the table from the Dark lord himself already offers a lot of material to play with, I wanted to beef it up it with content that encouraged players to interact with the attendees and explore the castle. She is seen as the leader of his harem, and reins the others in when necessary. His three main consorts, or "brides", are Ludmilla, Volenta, and Anastraya. Anastraya is not guilty of spying, however she has shared sensitive information with the ghostly guests that attend her parties. See what Edmund Lee (infinite_h8tred) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of ideas. At a glance, she seems as though she is shy and reserved, as well as uncomfortable. She is only able to speak a single word before the 5d10 psychic damage kicks in and she collapses to the earth, dead (optional exploding head). However, to offer advice, she needs to know what's going on of course. Ludmilla does not feel she can risk being suspected of spying, given her tentative standing with Strahd, so she will attempt to aid the PCs in uncovering the true culprit. In short, she saw an opportunity. Partway through this conversation, Strahd will request that the players accompany him in the den to enjoy some foreign ale, or some other excuse to get the players into private company. She views her as the old, tired spinster who Strahd will soon dispose of. She dresses in a tattered golden dress and bears a brass tiara with a bright turquoise gem in it's center. These enchantments protect Volenta from revealing any information about Baba even while under the thrall of Strahd. She now carefully stays out of her master’s way unless he needs her direct aid, and she has ingratiated herself to Rahadin who also keeps her in favor with Strahd. I love where your head's at, though. He does not know the identity of the spy, whom they might be reporting to, or for what purpose. This threat can be explicit, but it's far more in-character of Strahd for the threat to be. The more "innocent" brides are killed, the less pleased Strahd will be, which may be reflected in reduced rewards or other ghoulish repercussions. 28 Tweets That Sum Up Valentine’s Day During A Pandemic. Players should feel conflicted about taking this offer though, since it makes it exceptionally difficult to take any actions against Strahd's interests. She has survived being cast aside like other consorts by not fatiguing him with a need for his attention, while actively seeking ways to attend to the matters he deems important. She is a born hostess and frequently hosts dinners featuring the captive spirits in Castle Ravenloft, pretending as though they are real guests. For years she made deals with the witches that made their home in the Spires of Ravenloft, but their access to Strahd and his goings-on was limited. On her own time she carves dolls out of wood with her claws, creating misshapen, jagged statues of the Ladies Three, figures from local folk legends that were passed down from generation to generation in her family. I love this, I had a lot of trouble finding any actual use for the "dinner with Strahd" event and was considering just skipping it entirely. If players question her about being a spy, she will pause, before resolutely denying the claim. However, over the years he began to lose interest in her. Players should understand that they are distractions or playthings, like the consorts. Ludmilla is Strahd’s oldest bride at nearly 200 years old. And so began Volenta's unwitting espionage. He values most of his minions less than the players, they have no entertainment value. However, she has a childlike personality that quickly descends into a sadistic bloodlust. Something Borrowed by Kim Babe: A boy breaks into a house and wears the mothers bridal gown, and by tradition, he becomes the next bride, despite his protests. A highly perceptive character might have noticed a strange twitch in her face a moment before she answered. Rahadin or any of the other consorts can tell players this information. It's an evocative word that is sure to get players wondering. Players should feel conflicted about taking this offer though, since it makes it exceptionally difficult to take any actions against Strahd's interests. She has confided in Cyrus Belview once before, however. Ludmilla is not guilty, but she has ample motive given Strahd's disregard for her and the fear of being discarded. She's extremely beautiful but extremely loud and extroverted. She is also the most physically powerful of the brides. The Free-Spirited Bride is almost too laid back. Listening in, Baba Lysaga siezed upon the opportunity to gain a mole so close to Strahd. Finally, she will attempt to speak Baba Lysaga's name as a last act of loyalty to Strahd, despite the Geas placed on her that forbids it. Ludmilla will lurk in The Study (K37) in the Rooms of Weeping, studying arcane tomes in quiet isolation, Anastraya will always be found in the Dining Hall (K10) on the main floor, tending to a menagerie of ghostly wedding guests. She is outwardly open with the party members, but speaks largely in half truths and tall tales, even in the presence of Strahd. Much to her surprise, Anastrasya was enamored with the macabre and evil displays of Strahd’s power. Players may be pressured into accepting this task if they believe that Strahd will kill them if they refuse or fail. Before proffering the group, Strahd will spend some time questioning the players and gauging their talents (as he would regardless). She will attempt to shift the players attention to Anastraya, who she claims is a terrible gossip. Tying the "potential ally" hook to Baba Lysaga is brilliant, and has the potential to yield some troubling dilemmas for the party. As she becomes increasingly aware that she is under a powerful enchantment spell, she will become more and more agitated. While a tension-wrecked meal across the table from the Dark lord himself already offers a lot of material to play with, I wanted to beef it up it with content that encouraged players to interact with the attendees and explore the castle. The more "innocent" brides are killed, the less pleased Strahd will be, which may be reflected in reduced rewards or other ghoulish repercussions. She will tolerate the players presence, content with the knowledge that they'll be dead soon enough. They know Strahd is marrying Ireena at midnight. I love creating as much intrigue as possible so this will be perfect! This supplement talks about a villainous dusk elf named Rahadin, that helped Count Strahd punish the dusk elves for killing Strahd's bride-to-be. He has caught wind of spies in his land before (the Order of the Feather), but this endeavor would be unusually bold of them. While Strahd offers players the freedom to explore the castle, they are still guests in his home and he will take notice of their actions if they cause him or his servants harm. And that's it, I hope this was of use to people, or at the very least interesting! It is then that she began to fixate on the lord of the land, Strahd von Zarovich. I wrote this encounter up for you! If asked to, Rahadin is happy to simply give them the directions to the desired location so that he mustn't waste his own time. One-click unsubscribe later if you don't enjoy the newsletter. He offers Rahadin's services in escorting them to any specific area of the Castle, should they require it. Strahd doesn't view the problem as terribly urgent, but it is a convenient opportunity to test his newest playthings. Otherwise he may pop up from time to time to check up on the players progress, either after a certain measure of time or after they speak with one of the brides. She will speak vaguely about an old woman in the swamps, a flooded village, a coven of witches. He has an entire collection of "thieving hands", severed from the arms of fools who have tried to steal from him. Once at the castle, Ludmilla gave Anastrasya a tour, gaining some pleasure in the prospect that the beautiful noblewoman would be terrified by the sights of Castle Ravenloft. This encounter takes place during one of the players (civil) visits to Castle Ravenloft, and is best utilized after Strahd takes interest in the players but before he considers them too large a threat to let live. She will be leisurely perusing various Arcane Tomes and reacts to players with mild annoyance at disturbing her "me time". She is seen as the leader of his harem, and reins the others in when necessary. When Strahd is not present, Volenta prefers to spend her time in the Hall of Bones (K61). He uses his vampiric hold over her to halt her regeneration so that she can be properly interrogated. The party might not know he can do this, so the ploy might very well work, but I'd be tempted to have Strahd use this ruse to watch and learn how the adventurers conduct themselves than to actually root out a traitor. Oh yeah, it's entirely within Strahd's power to figure this out himself, but what's the fun in that? She will callously tell unfavorable stories about the husband she left back in Vallaki or the many suitors she had while married to him. If a lowly vampire spawn strikes out at players against Strahd's will, they will be dragged and sealed in the crypts to slowly starve to death. He may even inflict punishments upon the players or his own servants for misbehavior, the specific nature of which may depend on the severity of the crime and Strahd's attitude toward the offender. Rahadin can serve as the players escort around the castle, or may instead give them simple directions if the players aren't keen on Strahd's second hand walking with them. She dresses in a flamboyant crimson dress with a high propped collar and moves in graceful, circular motions, as if dancing. Soon after, everybody makes a Wisdom Save as Lysaga casts Scrying to survey the situation, to which Strahd reacts with mild annoyance before casting. She wanted her cousin to catch it because she wanted her cousin to get engaged. He does not care if players loot the corpse of an adventurer he never got around to disposing of, or if they pilfer the possessions of the dead sealed in his crypts. This encounter takes place during one of the players (civil) visits to Castle Ravenloft, and is best utilized after Strahd takes interest in the players but before he considers them too large a threat to let live. In thanks for showing him a glimmer of hope he thought lost to Strahd’s Curse, Vladimir gifted his silver great sword to GORD (and GORD left a sword to him in turn). After a point, she will lash out at players and pull them into combat, summoning several swarms of bats to assist her. Instigating fights with any of Strahd's servants (none of which should be directly hostile to the players) will alert Strahd. I've made it a very clear goal of mine to give the party a reason to visit the castle more than once and really get as much out of it as they can. He does not know the identity of the spy, whom they might be reporting to, or for what purpose. Ludmilla does not feel she can risk being suspected of spying, given her tentative standing with Strahd, so she will attempt to aid the PCs in uncovering the true culprit. She likes to toy with her victims, and doesn't seem to give much thought to consequences. Players may want to investigate this powerful spellcaster that successfully planted a spy within Strahd's castle, as a possible ally. He has kept close eyes upon his brides since acquiring this knowledge, but has not spotted them acting out of kind. However, she has a childlike personality that quickly descends into a sadistic bloodlust. He offers Rahadin's services in escorting them to any specific area of the Castle, should they require it. Who is Donavich? Ludmilla is Strahd’s oldest bride at nearly 200 years old. The punishment he doles out depends on the severity of the combat and his attitude towards the offender. However, Strahd only cares about his own possessions being taken. The witch's there will not betray Lysaga. The "bride" that was created for me by a demented celestial. From her perspective, she was simply sharing innocuous information on her personal life to a woman who wants her and Strahd's love to thrive. Strahd intervenes when Volenta is at low health, unless players have taken pains to hide their activities from him. Volenta will be found in the Hall of Bones (K67) in the Larders of Ill Omen. The characters are present for the wedding ceremony, including the deaths of Sergei and Tatyana and Strahd's battle against the traitorous forces led by Leo Dilisnya. If questioned about the espionage, she will act aghast and begin pointing fingers at all sorts of people: Rahadin, Escher, the Witches. I wrote this encounter up for you! She wants attention from everyone, not just Strahd. It seems more likely that this whole setup would just be a ruse, since Strahd almost certainly has the ability to scry on each of his brides and keep very close tabs on them. He may act playful, framing the task as a bet or challenge. Ravenloft isn't empty of course, and players may run into (or you may choose to put them in contact with) other NPCs as they investigate the brides. She assumes there is no harm in this, as they are ghosts and even as ghosts they are beholden to Strahd. It is exceptionally rare for a vampire spawn to rebel against it's master, although it is possible. However, he gives no guarantee of safety, as he does not have direct control over all the creatures that haunt Castle Ravenloft. She will be leisurely perusing various Arcane Tomes and reacts to players with mild annoyance at disturbing her "me time". Anastraya: The youngest of the vampire spawn, Strahd doesn't know much about her life before Ludmilla brought her to Ravenloft, beyond that she was a noblewoman in Vallaki. Once at the castle, Ludmilla gave Anastrasya a tour, gaining some pleasure in the prospect that the beautiful noblewoman would be terrified by the sights of Castle Ravenloft. He has an entire collection of these "thieving hands" on. (adjective) He then turns these poor souls into vampire spawn and keeps them as possessions, bound under his thrall. She dresses in a tattered wedding dress who fabric has been bunched up and tied into knots to disguise the clear tears and stains. Strahd only cares about his own possessions being taken. His three main consorts, or "brides", are. That said, Scrying isn't really a reasonable method of keeping surveillance on the three brides. Cyrus Belview is aware of this behavior, as are the ghostly guests should players question them. Cookies help us deliver our Services. 1. The "spy" among the brides is Volenta, and the entity she reports to is none other than Baba Lysaga, Strahd's "second mother", who has taken advantage of the bride to keep a watchful eye on her "son" without risking her cover. This is such a great idea! Episode 11 - Devil's Bride: Strahd shows up to take Ireena away. The bride naively shares what she believes is harmless, impersonal information about Strahd's activities with a kindly witch who wants to see their love thrive. Volenta: A quiet but willful creature whose bloodlust impresses even him at times. I was never able to pin them down. Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. She will callously tell unfavorable stories about the husband she left back in Vallaki or the many suitors she had while married to him. Here is a bit more background information you should keep in mind, including the true identity of the spy. Lysaga's spider familiar can be found on the, She is too naive and (frankly) stupid to recognize that she has been taken advantage of, or that she's been placed under the effect of various enchantments strong enough to undermine Strahd's thrall. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. If backed into a corner, usually through physical force, Volenta will attempt to confess to Strahd, but is unable to communicate effectively while under the effect of the Geas. Her suspicions will settle on Ludmilla, however, merely due to her Vistani origins. He has caught wind of spies in his land before (the Order of the Feather), but this endeavor is far bolder than they've ever been before. Should Volenta have dropped references to a "flooded village", Strahd will swiftly deduce she is referring to Berez, and may ask players to investigate to find this "Mother" figure to which she referred. She dresses in a flamboyant crimson dress with a high propped collar and moves in graceful, circular motions, as if dancing. These rewards are dependent on the players identifying the culprit and, ideally, leaving her alive for him to question. He believes whoever is responsible is capable of powerful magic as, despite being vampire spawn under his thrall, Strahd has not yet been able to compel the guilty bride to confess. He will explain that he knows that one of his brides is a traitorous spy, and he wants the players help in determining who. He then turns these poor souls into vampire spawn and keeps them as possessions, bound under his thrall. No fuss, no muss. Her fingers are covered in garish rings. A highly perceptive character might have noticed a strange twitch in her face a moment before she answered. The more the issue is pressed, the more anxious and uncomfortable she will become. All three brides will be present at the start of dinner, but after Strahd assigns the player the task of discovering the mole, they will scatter across the castle. If asked to, Rahadin is happy to simply give them the directions to the desired location so that he mustn't waste his own time. Players will have to get this information elsewhere. These rewards are dependent on the players identifying the culprit and, ideally, leaving her alive for him to question. This is an encounter that I designed in anticipation for my players' upcoming visit to Ravenloft, where they will attend a dinner with Strahd and his entourage. At one of her grand parties, she met a beautiful black skinned woman named Ludmilla, who claimed to be an agent of the count. History (Credit to u/JonathanWriting for his post here). Over the course of these visits, Lysaga has subtlety subjected Volenta to a. The "bride" that was created for me by a demented celestial. She was a noblewoman of Vallaki that hosted parties in honor of Strahd. She views her as the old, tired spinster who Strahd will soon dispose of. She makes deeply macabre statements and wonders aloud how the players taste. Either players or servants may convince Strahd that the other is responsible. Subscribe to get the free product of the week! The latter demands that she keep her distance from Strahd, since even she knows deep down that he would never accept her as his mother. She likes to toy with her victims, and doesn't seem to give much thought to consequences. I especially like the idea to take her delusional motherhood and actually given it agency in the story. He has an entire collection of these "thieving hands" on. However, you may want to downplay his ability to watch over the castle, pointing out the clear disrepair and insubordinate monsters lurking his halls. Lord Strahd himself was strangely absent as well. Luckily there are a few you can use. Otherwise he may pop up from time to time to check up on the players progress, either after a certain measure of time or after they speak with one of the brides. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. He made her his bride, and is at times impressed with her vampiric bloodlust which almost rivals his own. During his many centuries of imprisonment in Barovia, Strahd became acquainted with several visitors from Toril, including the vampire Jander Sunstar, with whom Strahd formed a long-lasting relationship, and Volothamp Geddarm, who briefly visited Barovia at the behest of Elminster Aumar. She continues to find him new, exciting consorts however, which keeps her useful. Her fingers are covered in garish rings. If one or more of the above is of interest to you, read onward. Due to. She seems to have less affection for Strahd than the other brides. The bride ran over to me and grabbed it out of my hands. I recommend using the word "Mother". If Strahd discovers the player has stolen something of major value, Strahd will cut off one of their hands. They decided to try to find a secret entrance to the castle dungeons, which they did, using spiderclimb and fly to break the windows and sneak into the tomb of King Barov. This sounds like a beautiful plot thread to make your players think. I was never able to pin them down. I am about to run the dinner with Strahd, so this is a god send! He will then give them a very stiff warning that should they repeat the offense, he will do more than just curse their digits. She was a woman of extraordinary beauty and had no doubt that if she could only meet the count, he would deem her worthy as a bride, not realizing he was truly a vampire. Finally, she will attempt to speak Baba Lysaga's name as a last act of loyalty to Strahd, despite the Geas placed on her that forbids it. They may agree to investigate the spy to try and learn about these possible allies, with no intention of informing Strahd even should they discover the spy's identity. (Note: I took a lot of the material for the bride's backstories from u/JonathanWriting's post here), (Edit: I added a section called "Investigation" to outline how players might go about exploring ravenloft and where major characters can be found). If Strahd is present, she will feel betrayed that he is not aiding her against the outsiders. Ludmilla is Strahd’s oldest bride at nearly 200 years old. He is not certain who would have the nerve to orchestrate such an operation. She saw an opportunity, however, when Volenta first came to the witches to seek out a way to curry Strahd's favor. ), An excuse for players to explore Castle Ravenloft, when they may otherwise be reluctant to, A set of short-term objectives for players to pursue during the dinner beyond "talking with Strahd", An intrigue subplot to the campaign, which largely lacks them otherwise, An early hook to Baba Lysaga, as well as a subsequent quest from Strahd to investigate. If a lowly vampire spawn strikes out at players against Strahd's will, they will be dragged and sealed in the crypts to slowly starve to death. He deeply resents anyone who does this without good reason, though it would take a deeply insightful individual to notice it beneath his stone composure. He was aware of her murderous behavior and impressed with the depths of her sadism. If his brides are present, he will pay careful attention to how they react to new information players reveal. Strahd can offer simple backgrounds and info on each of his brides, meanwhile providing perspective on his attitudes towards them, as well as their locations: Ludmilla: His oldest bride and a former Vistana who lost her sight upon turning into a vampire. However, when Volenta came to the witches to seek out a way to curry Strahd's favor, Lysaga saw a woman who was deeply insecure, desperately in love, and terrified of being discarded, with the mentality of a young teenager. Subscribe to get the free product of the week! All three brides will be present at the start of dinner, but after Strahd assigns the player the task of discovering the mole, they will scatter across the castle. On her own time she carves dolls out of wood with her claws, creating misshapen, jagged statues of the Ladies Three, figures from local folk legends that were passed down from generation to generation in her family. You may want to seal doors or give the impression that going off the beaten path is dangerous in Ravenloft; you want to preserve this content somewhat for when players return to the castle at the end of the campaign.
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