We Chose Hell
Locations
I bid you welcome...to the inaugural issue of Strahd Loves, Man
Kills, a Ravenloft fanzine for the fifth edition of Dungeons &
Dragons. This zine was inspired in equal parts by my enduring
love of the Ravenloft setting and by the recent release of Van
Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. Keep in mind that this zine presents
my own idiosyncratic vision of the setting. You will find much
within these pages that diverges from the setting’s canon, but my
hope is that SLMK will give you new toys to play with and inspire
your own unique take on Ravenloft.
This issue contains the following features:
• Lurid Locations. This feature is dedicated to new and
revised areas of the Ravenloft setting. In this installment, I
present Strega Hollow and the mysterious and miraculous
wilds of the Wychbog.
• Baleful Backgrounds. This feature presents three new
backgrounds for characters: country squire, cultist, and
cut-wife.
• Seeds of Evil. This feature details an adventure seed you
can use to craft a scenario set in Ravenloft. This issue’s
installment, entitled “The Thing in Elbert’s Parlor,” posits a
visit to an uncle who has just added a mummy to his
collection of antiquarian artifacts.
• Cryptic Alliances. This feature adds additional secret
societies and factions to Ravenloft. In this installment, I
detail the Cult of the Rotmaiden, a circle of druids devoted
to Zuggtmoy.
• Tragic Heroes. This features give advice on creating
characters who fit Ravenloft’s horrific mood. This
installment focuses on troubled troubadours.
• Random Ruin. This feature presents a random table to
enrich your game. This installment is a table meant to
generate a grandiose title for your campaign arc.
• Forbidden Tomes. This feature presents a bibliography
of a particular genre of horror for your edification and
entertainment. This installment explores folk horror.
Lurid
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
features many interesting
locations tailor-made for
adventures set in the Land of the
Mists, but there is always room for
more sinister sites. This
installment of Lurid Locations
presents two new areas to explore
in your campaign: the Wychbog
and Strega Hollow.
The Wychbog is an eerie fen in
which the ill and dying sometimes
find supernatural succor. Of course, nothing is ever truly free in
Ravenloft, as you will see when you meet the Sisters of the
Wychbog.
Although it is commonly believed that Viktal is the sole
populated town in Tepest, an obscure community known as Strega
Hollow sits at the foot of the Brujamonte mountains. This article
expands upon and alters the presentation of the folk horror
domain of Tepest to add a community in the grips of a diabolic cult
of witches pledged to the service of Asmodeus.
Strega Hollow as a Domain of Dread
I’ve presented Strega Hollow as an addition to Tepest, but if you
would rather use Strega Hollow as its own separate folk horror
domain, consider Magda Vargori its Darklord. Her torment is
that the love she feels for her daughters is never returned. She is
doomed to have her children turn against her as usurpers. As a
domain, Strega Hollow’s Mist talismans might take forms such as
a pendant shaped like an inverted pentagram, a silver coin
stamped with Asmodeus’s profile, or a defaced holy symbol.

Wychbog
The Wychbog is a swampy forest that can be placed in any domain
that could feature a wooded fen. The woods are avoided by the
populace of any settlements nearby, save by those seeking a cure
to an otherwise fatal illness. Stricken individuals left within the
Wychbog sometimes find themselves miraculously restored to
health. However, most who enter the Wychbog hoping for a
remedy disappear and are never heard from again.
Those who emerge cured from the Wychbog have encountered
the Sisters of the Wychbog. Wicked Hattie, Crooked Nell, and Ada
Rottentooth are three ancient hags who live in a rustic stone cabin
deep within the wetlands. They have the stats of a night hag,
green hag, and annis hag, respectively. The Sisters of the
Wychbog never disguise their terrible natures under palatable
illusions. All three sisters are corpulent and slavering; they wear
leather butcher’s aprons stained with blood and viscera.
When the Sisters of the Wychbog encounter a dying humanoid
in their territory, they make that person a poisonous offer—they
will cure whatever ailment besieges the sufferer, but in return that
person must bring them a living child as payment. If the Sisters
take a shine to the child, it is transformed into a hexblood. If the
child proves truculent or unpromising, it is eaten—the Sisters of
the Wychbog find the flesh of children to be a delectable treat.
Dread Possibilities
If the Sisters of the Wychbog do not suit your purpose in adding
this location to your game, consider replacing them with one of
the following alternatives:
The slumbering angel. An angel was interred within the
Wychbog in a deathless sleep after it nearly died trying to defend
a penitent pilgrim from an attack by fiends. The healing power of
the woods is simply the holy grace emitted by the celestial's
presence. Learning of the link between the angel's fate and the
curative aspect of the Wychbog poses a difficult moral quagmire:
would it be better to unearth and revive the angel or keep it
buried and retain the Wychbog as a place possessing
supernatural therapeutic effects?
The kindly ones. There are two hidden factions who quietly
make war against each other within the Wychbog. One faction is
comprised of kindly fey creatures who heal the sick they find
within the woods. The other is a coterie of necromancers who
collect the bodies of the dying and use them as the raw materials
needed to construct an army of the living dead. If the fey are not
aided in stopping the necromancers, their undead army will
eventually be unleashed on the land as a ravening horde of
zombies, skeletons, and bog mummies.
A serpentfolk cult. The Wychbog is home to a yuan-ti cult who
sometimes provide healing to those they discover within the
marshy lands they have claimed. Individuals restored to health
are sent back to their communities as living weapons—at any
moment the healed person could transform into a monstrous
giant snake and attack their fellow citizens.
The Feywild spring. Those who are cured in the Wychbog have
discovered a magical spring whose healing waters originate in the
Feywild. Unfortunately, the waters also affect their memories. At
first, they find themselves unable to remember the spring that
affected their miraculous cure. Once they return from the
Wychbog, other memories begin to fade until nothing of the past
remains accessible.
Strega Hollow
The town of Strega Hollow was initially founded as a mining camp
when rich veins of silver were discovered in the mountains of the
Brujamonte. The mining operation grew prosperous, enabling the
camp to expand into a fully fledged town. Then, disaster struck. A
series of mine collapses began to plague Strega Hollow. Without
its silver lifeblood flowing freely, the townsfolk fell into despair
and the town’s death seemed all but assured.
The town was granted a new lease on life when the women of
the Vargori family arrived from out of the Mists. To the relief of
the town’s stakeholders, the Vargori women had ready coin to
purchase their claims on the disaster-prone mines. With the mines
now under their sole ownership, the Vargoris still faced one
challenge: convincing the populace to enter their employ and
return to the perilous mines.
The Vargori family held a meeting in the town square. Magda
Vargori offered the townspeople a strange and blasphemous
proposition—if they would renounce their gods, they would be safe
within the mines and the town would once again know the
prosperity of old. The townsfolk initially jeered at this proposal,
but within the week the town’s most desperate citizens resumed
mining under the auspices of the Vargori family. These miners
were paid well by the Vargoris, and the combination of the
working miners’ sudden affluence and the absence of any further
catastrophes within the mines set a powerful example. Soon the
majority of the town’s miners had resumed their work and
abandoned their faith in the gods.
In time, it became apparent that the Vargoris practiced the
unhallowed ways of diabolic witchcraft. Nevertheless, the Vargori
family were viewed as the town’s saviors, and the people of Strega
Hollow even began to accept the Vargoris’ open practice of black
magic because it was intimately tied to their own enrichment and
security. Many of the townspeople have been converted to the
worship of the archdevil Asmodeus, whom they view as the author
of the town’s return to plenty and ease. As long as the mines
remain fruitful and safe, the people see no reason to turn their
hearts and minds back to the reverence of the gods.
Noteworthy Features
Those familiar with Strega Hollow know the following facts:
• The silver mines of Strega Hollow produce unusually fine
ore. Strange merchants bearing Mist talismans arrive from
outside Tepest to trade for the town’s silver.
• Although they hold no official offices within the town, the
women of the Vargori family govern Strega Hollow.
• The Vargori clan worships Asmodeus and are all too eager
to initiate others into his cult.
• Worship of the gods and conventional faiths have been
outlawed in Strega Hollow. Though the town is kept in
good repair, its churches have fallen into ruin and any
remaining statues or icons of the gods have been defaced.
• The countryside around Strega Hollow is haunted by Old
Samael, a monstrous goat who is especially fond of the
flesh of priests.
Stregani Characters
Characters from Strega Hollow tend come from rural
backgrounds, and are usually either laborers who work in the
mines or artisans and farmers supplying the goods needed by the
town’s miners. Most residents of Strega Hollow are human, but
characters whose mothers are witches of the Vargori family will
invariable be tieflings. When players create characters from
Strega Hollow, consider asking them the following questions.
Why did you leave Strega Hollow? Those within the town
lead prosperous lives due to the occult power of the Vargori
family. What caused you to leave a life of comfort and fortune
behind?
How do you feel about the Vargori family? The Vargoris
dominate the town of Strega Hollow. Do you hate the influence
they wield or do you regard them as a necessary evil?
What do you miss about Strega Hollow? Feel free to invent
a tradition, custom, or local delicacy from Strega Hollow that you
have never found elsewhere.
Settlements and Sites
Strega Hollow’s mining operations have brought the citizens a
comfortable level of wealth that is reflected in the cleanliness and
general upkeep of the town itself. The streets are in good repair
and brightly lit at night, the buildings are kept structurally sound,
and the populace seems happy and well-fed. However, anyone who
stays within the town begins to notice that not everything is what
it seems on the surface. Occult symbols decorate the facades of the
town’s shops and homes, the townspeople make casual references
to the glory of Asmodeus in conversation, and the street signs are
written in both Common and Infernal.
The Black Manse
Once they established themselves in Strega Hollow, the Vargori
family built a magnificent mansion called the Black Manse at the
heart of the town. Their home has a foreboding atmosphere, as it
is constructed of ebony stone, the windows are obscured by blood-
red curtains during the day, and the manse’s roofs are decorated
with grotesque gargoyles. Townsfolk claim to have seen the
gargoyles stretch their limbs before settling back into their
customary positions; some even say they have witnessed the
gargoyles take flight during the night, yet they always return with
the coming of dawn.
The interior of the Black Manse is opulent and richly appointed
in gold filigree. Visitors with a knowledge of arcana will note that
the decorative motifs inside the house all carry a whiff of the
infernal. Deep within the mansion are ritual chambers in which
the Vargoris pledge their servitude to Asmodeus.
The Houndsman’s Pub
The Houndsman’s Pub is a rough tavern that is mostly frequented
by the town’s miners. Cavernous chambers beneath the pub host
illicit blood sports, such as pugilism and rat-baiting. Miners who
attend these events at the Houndsman’s Pub place exorbitant bets
on them; literal fortunes change hands night to night. The tavern
also has several private rooms that can be rented on an hourly
basis. These rooms have been enchanted to make them safe
against scrying and other forms of divination magic. The witches
of the Vargori family use these rooms to meet with anyone they
deem too dangerous to invite into their home.
The House of Rackrend
The Rackrends are a decrepit family of necromancers who own a
crumbling estate on the outskirts of Strega Hollow. Their house
sits at the base of a brackish tarn and has seen better days.
Although the house emits an aura of stoic endurance, its
foundations are cracked and the land around it is choked with
black weeds.
The remaining members of the Rackrend family have inherited
an ancestral duty to maintain the magical wards keeping an
aberration imprisoned within a glass coffin in the tombs that lie
under their home. This aberration takes the form of a beautiful
young woman who appears to be sleeping—the rise and fall of her
chest is visible inside her glass sarcophagus. If she were to awaken,
she would prove to be a star spawn seer. As part of the
ritualistic vigil that keeps the aberration incarcerated, the
Rackrends wear black garb decorated with the yellowed bones of
their ancestors and paint their faces to resemble macabre skulls.
The Vargori Family
The Vargori family of witches control the town of Strega Hollow by
ensuring its continued prosperity through the diabolic pact they
have forged with Asmodeus. In truth, the women of the Vargori
clan worked in secret to cause the disasters that nearly ruined the
town. Their sudden appearance in Strega Hollow as its saviors was
not happenstance—it was part of a carefully engineered plan.
The family is led by the long-lived matriarch Magda Vargori,
and it consists of her strangely innumerable daughters and
menfolk from the town who have married into the family. Men
who join the clan always assume the Vargori name, and they know
better than to meddle in the affairs of the family’s women. All of
the children born to the family are daughters and the women of
the Vargori family are always tieflings no matter who fathers them.
The women of the Vargori clan are easily recognized in Strega
Hollow. Their bodies are marked by scars denoting Asmodeus’s
favor, such as occult words written in the Infernal script, arcane
sigils, and other diabolic symbols. The witches of the Vargori
family serve Asmodeus as his loyal handmaidens. Their ultimate
goal is to summon Asmodeus from the Seven Hells so that he
might rule Tepest and eventually bring the various domains of the
Land of the Mists under his sole control.
Magda Vargori
Magda Vargori is the tiefling matriarch of the Vargori family, a
powerful warlock, and the unofficial burgomaster of Strega
Hollow. The townsfolk look to her for guidance, as it is openly
known that her connection to Asmodeus keeps the town and its
mines thriving. Magda has the stats of a warlock of the fiend.
Despite having a massive family of daughters, some of whom
look to be in their twenties, Magda appears to be a comely woman
in her mid-thirties. She is especially proud of her mane of curly
auburn hair. Magda has lived for centuries; her youth and beauty
have been preserved by her pact with Asmodeus. She fears that if
she were to ever displease her master, he would revoke her
longevity and let time ravage her body.
When the mood strikes her, Magda selects a new paramour
from the population of Strega Hollow to be her consort. Indeed,
characters visiting Strega Hollow may have the misfortune of
finding themselves the object of Magda’s rekindled interest in
romance. When Magda becomes pregnant, the term of her
pregnancy lasts only six months before she gives birth to a new
member of the Vargori coven.
However, Magda suffers from a strange curse related to her
daughters. She is fated to love her daughters dearly, but they are
destined to vie against her for control of the Vargori family when
they come into their own powers as members of the clan’s diabolic
cult. Magda has slain several of her children over the long years, as
they always eventually rise against their mother in opposition to
her leadership of the family; each instance of a daughter dying by
her hand haunts Magda.
Personality Trait. “Asmodeus lives on our lips and in our
hearts.”
Ideal. “I want others to depend on my benevolence and
largess. The townsfolk should bow and scrape in deference.”
Bond. “I love my daughters, even when they contest my
leadership of the family.”
Flaw. “My life would be worth nothing without my youth and
good looks.”
Ivara Vargori
Although she plays the part of a bookish and naive young woman,
Ivara Vargori is a tiefling witch who does Asmodeus’s bidding.
Ivara poses as an innocent, scholarly girl who dresses like a prim
and proper schoolmarm, but this guise is calculated to make her
appear harmless or perhaps even in need of protection. However,
she is unafraid of using others to get what she wants.
Like her mother, Ivara has the statblock of a warlock of the
fiend. She is highly knowledgeable about arcane matters and is
familiar with most languages. Ivara is currently Magda Vargori’s
favored child, but they both know it is only a matter of time until
they strive against each other.
Personality Trait. “When taken together, power and
knowledge are the strongest intoxicants.”
Ideal. “I will replace my mother as matriarch of the Vargoris.”
Bond. “My family is my entire world.”
Flaw. “I burn with impatience to be recognized as a powerful
witch in my own right.”
Old Samael
Old Samael is a legendary beast that prowls the countryside
around Strega Hollow. Old Samael takes the form of a massive
goat with jet-black fur, fearsome curling horns, and eyes that
smolder with infernal flame. Use the statblock of a hell hound
for Old Samael.
Old Samael often attacks those who have come to free the
people of Strega Hollow from the Vargori’s family’s influence, but
he also assaults travelers seemingly without rhyme or reason. He
has an especial taste for the flesh and blood of priests, clerics, and
devout followers of the gods.
The infernal goat is actually a faithful servant of the Vargori
clan, rather than a mythical beast. The apparently random
violence he metes out to wayfarers is meant to remind the people
of Strega Hollow that they are safe within the town as long as they
please the Vargori witches and accept the protection offered by the
archdevil Asmodeus.
Adventures in Strega Hollow
The horror of Strega Hollow is that it is a town where evil operates
in plain sight. The witches of the Vargori clan illustrate the allure
and rewards that alliances with dark entities can bring.

Strega Hollow Adventures

d6 Adventure
1 The characters are asked to venture into the mountains of
the Brujamonte to find magical herbs needed to remove a
horrific curse from an innocent miner who has offended
Ivara Vargori.
2 The family of an abducted spiritualist has tasked the
characters with retrieving the medium from Strega Hollow.
The spiritualist is being forced by grieving parents to
continuously channel the specter of their deceased child.
3 A coven of witches calling themselves the Church of Hala
present themselves as benign members of a beneficent,
nature-venerating sect. They enlist the characters to thwart
the Vargori witches from summoning Asmodeus into the
Baleful Backgrounds
Domains of Dread. This section of Strahd Loves, Man Kills presents three
4 A mine shaft has been collapsed by cruel and malicious fey backgrounds that are especially well-suited to folk horror
from Mount Arak. The characters are drafted to save the scenarios or for creating characters who hail from eerie rural
miners trapped within and repel the horrific fey creatures domains in the Land of Mists. A cut-wife, for example, could
who have claimed the shaft as their lair. originate in Valachan or Barovia—or perhaps even travel as a
member of the Carnival. A cultist would likely find themselves
5 A charlatan’s fraudulent medicines are giving false hope to a particularly at home in Tepest or other domains shaped by the
wealthy (but terminally ill) widow. He must be exposed presence of the fey, fiends, or aberrations. A country squire could
before his chicanery claims another life. be native to any domain in which the landed gentry possess
6 The Vargoris approach the characters with a request: rescue estates, such as Mordent or Borca.
a witch of the Vargori clan from being offered to Viktal’s The county squire was inspired by my love of eighteenth- and
Mother as part of the Tithe. If the characters are able to save early nineteenth-century novels and the bumbling, benevolent,
her from being sacrificed, they will be offered a magical and sometimes outright villainous gentry they often feature. The
boon as payment. cut-wife background was directly inspired by the Cut-Wife of
Ballentree Moor in the second season of Penny Dreadful. The
Inspirations cultist was inspired by a number of folk horror sources, but I had
recently re-watched Black Death and Season of the Witch before
The witches in Salem, Penny Dreadful, and Joseph Delaney’s
writing that background, so let’s blame those films for my
Last Apprentice series inspired the Vargori clan. Think of Strega
excesses.
Hollow as the town the coven at the end of The Witch would
found or as the part of Ravenloft where D&D’s infamous Tasha
would feel quite comfortable.
Country Squire
A background for landed gentry, rural lords, and the remnants of
once-great families.
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Nature
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, vehicles (land)
Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a riding crop, a gaming set, a
contested deed to a tract of land, a belt pouch containing 15 gp
Feature: Position of Privilege
Thanks to your status among the gentry, people are inclined to
think the best of you. You are welcome in high society, and the
common folk make every effort to accommodate you and avoid
your displeasure. You can secure an audience with a local noble if
you need to.
Personality Traits
d8 Personality Trait
1 I like to treat others to food and drink to show my
gregarious nature.
2 I prefer the fellowship of the working man to that of the
nobility.
3 My family has a long and storied family tree, and I won't let
anyone forget that fact.
4 I will a tale unfold—and my tales are never brief.
5 I use polished manners to make an impression.
6 There is no deed, true or untrue, that I won't boast of.
7 I digress with long, flowery descriptions of the beauty of the
countryside in conversation.
8 My word is inviolate.
Ideals
d6 Ideal
1 Familial Honor. I value my family's good name over my
own life. (Neutral)
2 Sublimity. The beauty of nature must be protected from
the march of progress. (Chaotic)
3 Tradition. The time-honored ways of country life must be
preserved. (Lawful)
4 Pleasure. Pursuing one's own satisfaction is the greatest
good. (Evil)
5 Modernization. I am fixated on the newest developments.
(Any)
6 Charity. I believe in improving the lot of my fellow man
where possible. (Good)
Bonds
d6 Bond
1 Somewhere out there is my bastard child, to whom I feel
duty-bound to secure a prosperous future.
2 I am trying to pay off my family's outrageous debts.
3 I am engaged to a family friend, but do not love them.
4 I am the patron of a charitable institution.
5 I would move heaven and earth to regain the trust of my
long-lost love.
6 My loyalty to the ruling class is unswerving.
Flaws
d6 Flaw
1 A pretty face is hard to pass by.
2 I never back down from a challenge to my honor.
3 Sometimes the common folk need to be reminded of their
natural inferiority.
4 Scandalous rumors follow me wherever I go.
5 I have a weakness for drink and other intoxicants.
6 I have trouble holding onto money.
Cultist
You belonged to a cult that venerated an otherworldly entity such
as a fiend, fey, or powerful aberration. You may have been
inducted into the cult by your family or a loved one, or you may
have joined the cult because it gave you a sense of belonging.
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Religion
Tool Proficiencies: Alchemist’s supplies, herbalism kit, or
poisoner’s kit
Languages: Abyssal, Infernal, Sylvan, or Deep Speech
Equipment: A set of common clothes, a specious book of cult
beliefs, a tool (one of your choice), a belt pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Cult Born
Thanks to your affiliation with cultists, you can easily identify
anyone who is a member of a cult similar to your own if you spend
time either observing them or conversing with them. You are
adept at noticing tell-tale signs—such as runic markings or cult
sigils—that could alert you to the presence of the occult.
Distinguishing Mark
Membership in a cult is usually denoted by the adoption of an
unusual bodily adornment or a physical transformation that
occurs during a cult’s initiatory rites. Choose the distinguishing
mark of your cult or roll on the Distinguishing Mark table.
Distinguishing Mark
d8 Distinguishing Mark
1 You wear bits of bone tied into your hair.
2 Runes have been branded onto your body.
3 You still wear jewelry, such as rings or amulets, that are
recognizable to those steeped in occult lore.
4 Your flesh is tattooed with magical sigils.
5 You bear the marks of ritual scarification.
6 Somewhere upon your body is a third nipple.
7 Your teeth are sharpened fangs.
8 Under the light of the new moon you appear far older than
your years.
Personality Traits
d8 Personality Trait
1 Old habits die hard. I still have an insatiable curiosity about
arcane lore.
2 Deferring to the authority of others has become second
nature to me.
3 I prefer to keep my own council.
4 Without my fellow cultists I feel adrift and unable to make
my own decisions.
5 I feel I must cling to religious tenets so that I do not
backslide into the beliefs instilled into me by the cult.
6 I resent anyone having power over me and lash out when
given orders.
7 I am paranoid that the cultists I used to associate with will
hex me or hunt me down.
8 I am haunted by the rites I took part in.
Ideals
d6 Ideal
1 Atonement. I cannot repent fully for my past until I
perform a righteous act that balances the scales. (Good)
2 Power Hungry. If I learned anything from my time in the
cult, it was that power must be taken no matter the cost.
(Evil)
3 Redemption. I must find others brainwashed by cultists
and free them from corruption. (Lawful)
4 Hammer of the Witches. I must stamp out all evil cults,
even if it means wanton destruction and the loss of innocent
lives. (Chaotic)
5 Seeker. Now that I am away from the cult, I need to find a
greater meaning in my life. (Any)
6 Lorekeeper. I must learn as much as I can about cults so
they can be documented and studied. (Neutral)
Bonds
d6 Bond
1 A close friend, family member, or lover still belongs to the
cult and I cannot let go of them.
2 The cult forced me to do things I knew to be wrong. I want
revenge against them.
3 I stole an important item when I left the cult and cannot
bear to part with it.
4 I helped someone who was marked for sacrifice escape. Now
I feel responsible for their life.
5 I feel kinship with all outcasts.
6 I know others who have escaped similar backgrounds. They
are my true family.
Flaws
d6 Flaw
1 I have spilled enough blood in this lifetime and can be
moved to violence only on behalf of someone else.
2 I cannot allow myself to enjoy life and take pleasure only in
my own pain.
3 The thought that I am wrong for leaving the cult nags at me.
4 I am enraged when I witness any form of abuse.
5 I drink to forget my time in the cult.
6 I hear voices in my head that command me to do awful
things. Sometimes I heed them.
Cut-Wife
You provided medical care to the women of a rural community,
easing their burdens in ways that a more conventional doctor
would never dare. You services included herbal contraceptives, the
treatment of menstrual complaints, and abortions.
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Nature
Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A canvas apron, crude surgeon's tools, an herbalism
kit, a worthless bauble you accepted as payment, a set of common
clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Sister-bond
When you visit a rural settlement you will be recognized for what
you are. Your craft may not be respected, but the women of the
community will do what they can to assist, shelter, and feed you.
They will protect you from threats if they can, unless you have
proven yourself to be a danger to them or it would risk their own
lives or livelihoods.
Personality Traits
d8 Personality Trait
1 The lot of women is a hard one, and I do what I can to make
their lives easier.
2 Innocence is rare and must be protected.
3 I have seen such blood and misery in my time that acts of
violence do not shake me.
4 I avoid people and wish to foster as few personal
relationships as possible.
5 My craft is a humble one. It is to be pursued without the
expectation of recognition or excessive recompense.
6 Although my skills are not often valued by men, I will make
them respect me.
7 I crave to learn more of the arts of medicine.
8 I feel great empathy for the suffering and wish to provide
them with what comfort I can.
Ideals
d6 Ideal
1 Balance. Moral judgments about those I treat are not mine
to make. (Neutral)
2 Benefaction. I make life less painful, less dangerous, and
less fearful for those I treat. (Good)
3 Pride. I am skilled at what I do. (Any)
4 Power. I do what I do because of the power over life and
death that it grants me. (Evil)
5 Duty. I will treat any woman, because that is what my
calling demands. (Lawful)
6 Innovation. I ply my trade so that I might discover new
methods of treating women's complaints. (Chaotic)

Bonds

d6 Bond
1 My mentor is still living, and I often seek advice from her.
2 A young woman from my community is interested in
learning the ways of my trade from me.
3 I saved the life of the first woman who came to me for aid,
and we are now as close as kin.
4 A noblewoman once secretly sought out my services.
5 I have many small self-inflicted scars on my arm, one for
each woman I have tended.
6 There is a rival cut-wife in the vicinity who is unskilled and
unsafe. I will do everything I can to undermine her.
Flaws
d6 Flaw
1 Most men are beasts, and I am disdainful of them.
2 I am gruff, ill-mannered, and casually cause offense.
3 Women who obey social expectations annoy me.
4 A powerful person blames me for the death of their child.
5 I am addicted to the narcotic herbs that are part of my trade.
6 My devotion to my profession has left me isolated and alone,
and I resent that.
Seeds of Evil
What follows is an adventure seed suitable for any composition of
characters—so long as one of them has room for a previously
unmentioned uncle to appear in their family tree.
The Thing in Elbert’s Parlor
One of the characters has an eccentric antiquarian uncle named
Elbert, and there a multitude of reasons why the party could find
themselves at this home. A few possibilities include:
• Uncle Elbert has sent word through the Keepers of the
Black Feather that he desperately needs to talk to his niece
or nephew about the inheritance he plans to leave them.
• The party is on the run from a powerful enemy, and Uncle
Elbert’s house offers safe haven.
• As an antiquarian, Uncle Elbert might be just the man for
the job of identifying an obscure arcane item that has come
into the party’s possession.
• The niece or nephew has heard that Uncle Elbert’s health is
failing; this may be their last chance to see him before his
unfortunate demise.
When the characters arrive at Uncle Elbert’s home, he sits them
down in his parlor for tea and biscuits. Elbert is also keen to show
them his latest acquisition: a mummy from Har’Akir that is kept in
a display case held shut by a sturdy lock. The characters will also
notice the brooch that Uncle Elbert wears. Characters steeped in
the arcane may realize that the brooch’s design is akin to that used
in rites of soul transference.
During the first night of the party’s stay under Uncle Elbert’s
roof, the mummy will telepathically communicate with one (or
perhaps all) of the characters. The mummy claims that the
creature posing as Uncle Elbert is an imposture and that Elbert
died a few weeks prior. Uncle Elbert’s body is currently inhabited
by an evil spirit that lurked within an accursed object among his
collection of oddities and antiquities. Or so the mummy says.
The mummy suggests that the only way to defeat the unholy
being dwelling inside Uncle Elbert’s stolen flesh is to release it
from the display case currently imprisoning it. The characters will
likely be wary of this idea, especially when the mummy

Cryptic Alliances
desperately tries different tactics to convince the party to open the
display case and grant it freedom.
Uncle Elbert may well catch the group in the act of
communicating with the mummy or otherwise examining the This installment of Cryptic Alliances divulges the secrets of the
display case. If he does, he will fly into an uncharacteristic rage. Rotmaiden cult, a sect of corrupt druids who serve Zuggtmoy. The
Clearly, something is not right with Uncle Elbert. The characters cult can operate in any domain capable of sustaining fungal life.
have now been drawn in a quandary: something is wrong in Uncle

The Cult of the Rotmaiden

Elbert’s house, but the mummy could lying in order to trick them
into releasing it from the case. A few possibilities suggest
themselves for how this adventure resolves:
• The mummy is murderous and merely wheedles for its
release so that it can slay all who are present in the house.
• Destroying the strange brooch Elbert wears will banish the
entity possessing his corpse, but the mummy will not tell
the party this fact until after it is released.
• Both of the previous possibilities are true.
Inspiration
This adventure seed was inspired by Icy Sedgwick’s short story
“Something Wicked This Way Slithered” in the collection Black
Dog & Other Gothic Tales.
The Cult of the Rotmaiden is a circle of nihilistic druids devoted to
Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi. Rotmaiden cultists wear
furs that they have allowed to become sodden and rife with fungal
growths. The cult’s goal is to cleanse the land of what they see as
the sadistic degeneracy of civilization and clear the way for the
rebirth of the “pure” natural world promised by Zuggtmoy.
For the members of the Cult of the Rotmaiden, the desire to
ravage the Land of Mists with fungal infections is the promise of
vengeance against a world that has wronged them; all members of
the cult have suffered abuse and seek revenge. Typical members of
the Cult of the Rotmaiden include formerly oppressed serfs,
mistreated children, and people who have been wrongfully
imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
Rotmaiden Cultists
Rotmaiden cultists use the druid statblock with additional
abilities from the Circle of Spores subclass. Higher-ranking
members of the cult use the archdruid statblock similarly
modified with abilities from the Circle of Spores subclass. The cult
is sometimes assisted by demons aligned with Zuggtmoy and evil
myconids.
Dahlia Medlozka
Once a criminal confined to a brutal prison labor camp, Dahlia
Medlozka escaped with Zuggtmoy’s aid and eventually became the
hierophant of the Cult of the Rotmaiden. She is a thin, pinched
human woman in her late twenties—though the world’s cruelty has
prematurely aged her. She wears moldering furs and a ushanka
that is festooned with purple and black fungi. Her back is deeply
scared by the lash she was subjected to in the camp.
Although Dahlia is a hardened woman, she has great empathy
for those who are abused or oppressed. She views the cult not as
an extension of an evil agenda, but rather as a tool of liberation
through which the wronged can make the civilized world pay for
its misdeeds. She hopes that the cult’s efforts can usher in a better
world in which all become equal as Zuggtmoy weaves together the
consciousness of every living being into a biological tapestry
devoid of individual will.
Dahlia has statistics similar to that of an archdruid, though
like most members of the Cult of the Rotmaiden she also has
several abilities from the Circle of Spores druid subclass.
Personality Trait. “I will do anything it takes to survive in
this cruel, heartless world.”
Ideal. “The people who harmed me will pay dearly.”
Bond. “The downtrodden are my brothers and sisters.”
Flaw. “I am haunted by the brutality of my imprisonment in
the labor camp.”
Tragic
Heroes
This feature gives five brief
outlines of heroes you might create
as characters to face the horrors of
Ravenloft. Each Tragic Heroes
segment will revolve around a
common theme. The theme of this
installment is troubled
troubadours.
Blackened Skald
Unlike most entertainers,
blackened skalds do not specialize
in romantic ballads or songs of
heroism. Their music is morbid,
dark, and misanthropic. They unveil the violent truths of the
multiverse; they sing of cosmic desolation and promote a bleak
worldview. Blackened skalds are immediately recognizable—they
paint their faces with stark black and white pigments to give
themselves a startling, demonic appearance. Some alarmists claim
that the music of blackened skalds is corrupting and encourages
blasphemy, arson, diabolism, murder, paganism, and necromancy.
Suggested build: Goliath Phantom rogue
Crossroads Nightingale
Not everyone has the natural musical talent to be a bard, even if
the admiration of an adoring audience is their dearest wish. The
crossroads nightingale was unable to achieve success through
conventional hard work, practice, and determination, so they
turned to darker forces for aid. A midnight sojourn to an accursed
crossroads led to a meeting with a devil who proposed an unusual
deal: do the fiend's bidding in return for musical skill and access to
infernal magic.
Suggested build: Lightfoot halfling Fiend patron warlock
Dirge Singer
Although most musicians aspire to leave their audiences feeling
joyous and inspired, this troubadour sings songs that render
crowds maudlin and weeping: their ballads tell of the tragic
downfall of the great dwarven heroes. As sorrowful as their music
may be, there is still magic in those old songs of slain warriors and
fallen thanes; in combat, the dirge singer's mournful strains and
melancholy melodies embolden them to acts of bravery worthy of
the subjects of their repertoire.
Suggested build: Hill dwarf Bladesinging wizard
Murder Balladeer
Random Ruin
When you’re stuck for inspiration, nothing beats a random table.
Campaign Arc
Use the following table to randomly generate a title for your
campaign arc in the style of the Castlevania games or Ravenloft
novels. Roll once on each column and combine the results to
create a title that suggests a new direction for your game or charts
a course to a larger theme in your campaign.

Kartakass is home to many thrilling styles of musicianship, but Campaign Title

none raise the hair on the back of the neck quite so well as the
chilling art of the murder ballad. This troubadour travels the Land d100 [Noun] of (the) [Noun]
of the Mists to collect new tales of horrific slayings, dark magic, 01-02 Abyss Abominations
and warped passions; sometimes these terrible events are even 03-04 Aria Agony
witnessed firsthand by the balladeer in their wanderings. These 05-06 Asylum Anguish
monstrous affairs are woven into musical cautionary tales that
warn the populace of the horrors that lurk in the night and the 07-08 Bride Black Rose
violence roiling within the hearts of fallible mortals. 09-10 Castle Blood
Suggested build: Human College of Eloquence bard 11-12 Chorus Carrion
13-14 Chronicles Cruelty
Psalmist 15-16 Church Dark Souls
The psalmist is a proselytizer who eschews the fire and brimstone 17-18 Circle Darkness
sermon in favor of spreading the holy word of their god through 19-20 Court Dead
song. The songs of a psalmist reiterate creation myths, relate 21-22 Crescendo Death
religious parables, and impart spiritual truths through the 23-24 Curse Decay
combination of instrument and voice. The psalmist’s goal is to
draw the listener toward the light of salvation through divinely 25-26 Dance Desolation
inspired performance. When a psalmist rushes into battle against 27-28 Dawn Despair
the forces of darkness, they do so with a song in their heart that 29-30 Dreams Dissonance
spills forth from twixt their lips, filling the air with the radiant 31-32 Elegy Doom
tones of the music divine.
33-34 Empire Dread
Suggested build: Human Light domain cleric
35-36 Eve Dusk
37-38 Eyes Fallen
39-40 Forest Fate
41-42 Fortress Fear
 Forbidden Tomes
43-44 Harmony Forbidden
45-46 Heart Frost
47-48 Kiss Grave
49-50 Lake Grotesque Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft features a fantastic discussion of
different genres of horror. Unfortunately, the one thing it doesn’t
51-52 Lament Heartbreak
include is a list of inspirations you can turn to for each of the
53-54 Legacy Horror genres it covers. This feature aims to add to Van Richten’s Guide
55-56 Lords Innocence by providing a list of media you might want to read or watch to
57-58 Mansion Madness deepen your understanding of those genres. The first genre I’m
covering here is folk horror. These selections are not intended to
59-60 Melody Malice
be comprehensive—these are merely my favorite examples of the
61-62 Mirror Midnight folk horror genre.
63-64 Mists Moon
65-66 Nocturne Morbidity Bunn, Cullen & Tyler Crook. Harrow County.
67-68 Omens Night Burton, Tim. Sleepy Hollow.
69-70 Opera Perversion Carroll, Emily. Through the Woods.
71-72 Order Putrefaction Christensen, Benjamin. Häxan.
73-74 Palace Rot Davidson, Andy. The Boatman’s Daughter.
75-76 Portrait Ruin Eggers, Robert. The Witch.
77-78 Promise Secrets Feigelfeld, Lukas. Hagazussa.
79-80 Reflection Shadow Gavin, Richard. Sylvan Dread: Tales of Pastoral Darkness.
81-82 Requiem Sin Haggard, Piers. The Blood on Satan’s Claw.
83-84 Ritual Sorrow Hand, Elizabeth. Wylding Hall.
85-86 Rondo Suffering Hardy, Robin. The Wicker Man.
87-88 Sabbath Terror Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.”
89-90 Seas Torment Hurley, Andrew Michael. The Loney and Devil’s Day.
91-92 Sonata Tortured Souls Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.”
93-94 Symphony Twilight James, M. R. “Casting the Runes” and “Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come
95-96 Tapestry Violent Passions to You, My Lad.”
97-98 Tomb Whisper Jones, Stephen Graham. The Only Good Indians.
99-100 Tower Winter Machen, Arthur. The Great God Pan and “The White People.”
Mills, Daniel. Revenants and The Lord Came at Twilight.
Reeves, Michael. Witchfinder General.
Schwartz, Alvin. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Smith, Christopher. Black Death.
Stoker, Bram. The Lair of the White Worm.
Wheatley, Dennis. The Devil Rides Out.