shadow-world, you’ll be denied
happiness and release! We shalI suffer
together!”
With that, the creature and Strahd
lunged at each other. The resulting din
and clash of magic sounded as i f a
thousand battles in a thousand
desperate wars raged all around us at
once. Over it all, I heard the creature’s
harsh voice, “Flee,mortal fool, orjoin
your companions in death!”
-Zartin the Red
Autobiography ofa WanderingMage
This passage indicates that the demon
lnajira is a bitter exile in our land,
desperate to return home. A careful
reading of the Madrigorian leads to
the same conclusion regarding Drigor.
The seemingly mad researches Drigor
has sponsored over the course of its
time in our world reveal the truth.
From its scheme to build a magical
vessel to a number of other magical
research efforts over the years, the
primary goal of Drigor has been, and
still is, to escape our world. This
impotence is perhaps the only thing
that strikes horror in the cold hearts
of demons.
TheWning OPFow@r
Horrifying as the prospect may be,
demons are able to gain new powers
from the land to supplement their
already considerable abilities. It seems
that at specific times and places, when
magical forces are aligned properly,
demons may draw on the power
inherent in the land to enhance their
own abilities and obtain new and
terrible powers.
While, as a man I am dismayed at
this possibility, as a scholar of the
supernatural I welcome it. This final
ability of the demon knits together a
comprehensive theory of how demons
exist and function in our land.
Demons are apparently able to tap
into the magic in our land and draw on
its power, yet by so doing they pay a
terrible price. When they draw power
from one of our world’s domains, they We anxiously await the results of *
tie themselves ever more closely to our your research.
world, gradually smoothing the reality
wrinkle that occurs around them, Yours in Service to Darkon,
causing it to “shrink.”Eventually, each
demon becomes as much a part of our Azalin Rex
world a s you or I, through a process to
which I have eyewitness testimony 1 was shocked and amazed at this letter,
from an unexpected, though for I have no relations with the wizard-
unimpeachable, source. king who rules my homeland (a wizard
In the midst of my initial that I fear is an undead being, a s I note
investigations of demons, I received a in an earlier work, the Guide to the Lich,
package. Both the source of the and whom 1thought bore m e no good
will for my earlier works). Yet it is not
package and its arrival at all surprised surprising that any ruler would wish to
me greatly, for I had made every effort contribute to an effort to rid the land of
to keep my researches completely demons, particularly Lord Azalin, who
secret. Nonetheless, an ally presented must be concerned over the possibility
himself from most unusual quarters. of the Whistling Fiend resuming its
havoc in Darkon. O n further examining
In the afternoon of a very dreary day, the packet I was again shocked, this
a messenger arrived at my home in a time by the contents and author of the
well-appointed coach-and-four.That work. The package which Lord Azalin
individual courteously delivered a had delivered contained original journal
slender package and departed, leaving entries recording personal observations
me to blanch in wonder, and no small of a demonic ritual. This ritual drew
amount of fear, at the seal on the power to the demon directly from the
envelope. The contents of the package land. The entries were penned by none
were covered by a letter from Lord other than Count Strahd von Zarovich!
Azalin of Darkon!
It is clear from Strahd’s journal that
To Our Most Learned, Loyal Subject, the creature he encountered was none
Dr. Rudolph Van Richten: other than the Whistling Fiend. Though
an unwilling witness to the creature
Greetings! We write to you today on enacting a dark ritual, Strahd made
a matter of mutual interest concerning very perceptive and informative
the safety a n d preseruation of the observations on the process and its
results. This account seems to illustrate
good people of Darkon, a n d those the means by which demons draw
energy and powers from the land itself.
throughout our world. Your ualiant
efforts to study and battle the forces of The text also sheds light on how one
Darkness in our realm have not gone
unnoticed. Indeed, we share a profes- demon uses such stolen energy to
sional interest with you in the super- further enhance its own, already
natural, and certain ofyour prior
works have been most entertaining January 16th
a n d informative. Yesterday, shortly after sunset, I felt a
It has come to our attention that you small area of blackness enter my
are currently engaged in researching the
eristence and nature of creatures which awareness. Neuer in all my years of
you term “demons.” The enclosed
evcerpts from the work o f a distin- watching over the people of Barouia
guished scholar and expert on all mat- had I felt such a sensation. Therefore,
ters supernatural haue recently come while I mooed to inuestigate, I did so
into our possession, and it is our fervent with caution.
hope that the information contained
herein will proue helpful to you. I arriued near the area, on the slope
of a craggy peak high in the Balinok
Strahd’s observations seem to make it it touched was left a smoldering ruin. ..
clear that demons can draw new powers ,
from the natural magic in the land or And so we /et the thing pass, daring not
from supernatural energy sources to disturb its awful tread. Yet I resolued
connected to our world. The true effects that we would a t least learn the origin
of the ritual and the precise nature of
these powers remain less clear. ofthis creature, that we might come to
understand what we had seen. With
In the passage from Strahd’sjournal, that, we determined to follow the
we see that after the conclusion of the creature’s path backward to learn
ritual a most peculiar fog leapt up whence it came.
around the demon. This fog moved with
the demon, swirling within its reach while From the private letters of
the demon gazed on with pleasure. In its Alyn Dragant
movements, the fog centered on the
demon just as its reality wrinkle does. Young Dragant and his men found the
swath of destruction an easy trail to
Further, there is evidence to suggest follow, tracking the demon’s path
that the Whistling Fiend may have gained through several lands to the borders of
other powers by drawing on the energies Invidia. From there they could go no
of other realms. A letter from the further, although Dragant’s letter offers
collection of the Aspasian family, an no explanation as to why.
aristocratic line centered near II Aluk,
describes this power-a hideous ability Intriguing though it is, this account
which allows the demon to slay plant life alone tells but little, providing no
merely by passing by it. (It should be proof of the origin of this previously
noted that we have no evidence that the unobserved power. Yet, another letter
demon possessed such a power when it found in the collection of papers
was sighted in Creeana decades earlier.) Aimon Davidovich left me may hold
The good monk Hubert of Atalan first the key to the mystery.
noticed this missive while cataloguing the
family archives and, as he is aware of my The contents of this account at first
interest in all manner of supernatural appear unconnected to the events in
creatures, alerted me to its contents. young Dragant’s letter. The missive below
recounts a gala affair in the realm of
The letter was written centuries past Invidia, hosted by the outcast Vistani
by one Alyn Dragant, a young cousin of sorceress Gabrielle Aderre. The letter was
the Baron Aspasian. In the letter, the penned only a few days before Dragant’s
young man describes encountering a encounter with the Whistling Fiend. In
beast in the deep forest. From his lioht of the information from Strahd‘s
physical description of the demon and
remarks he makes on its uncanny ~ ~ . 2~ ~
whistling, it seems fair to assume that
the creature in question is, indeed, the journal, it tells a most disturbing tale.
Whistling Fiend. A s his party watched
from a distance, they noted the
demon’s remarkable and horrifying
effect on the land around it.
-
behind it as it passed, leaues curling
and dying, grass smoking under its feet.
All plant rife left in its wake seemed
suddenly to sicken and die, a n d all that
The food was wonderful and the ...., .
dancing divine, but her ladyship
seemed to take no pleasure that night. c*’ .9
The storm raged outside as if it sought It is most disturbing for me to
consider this matter while I still
to batter the castle to its foundations. struggle to comprehend the nature of
The Lady Gabrielle seemed pensive demons, but I think I may be on the
verge of unlocking the secret of the
most of the evening, oft lingering near many mystical and bizarre phenomena
the windows or balcony, looking out that seem to occur along political
into the stormy night with furrowed borders in our world. While rumors
brow. I wondered somewhat at this, abound that Madame Gabrielle is
but knowing Gabrieile you should not certainly unnaturally powerful so that
be surprised that I dared not question even the land itself bends to her
her. A s the storm reached its height, wishes, there never seemed to be any
dear sister, so did the evening’s supernatural reason for this, other
excitement! than the magic available to any
powerful mage. Now, however, I fear
O f a sudden, the Lady gave a cry that her power might arise from some
far more exotic magic, perhaps the
and collapsed to the floor. Though she same magic that gave Strahd his
“connection” with Barovia. Perhaps,
had given no prior sign of illness, she just as the Whistling Fiend seems to
have gained in strength by draining
was shaking and still, unable to moue power from the land, certain mages
native to our world have been
for long minutes. A s her minions performing power rituals of their own.
attended herpalior faded but little, and Perhaps these rituals are what account
even with their help she was slow to for the strange behaviors along
rise from the cold flagstones. Although arbitrary, man-made boundaries?
she insisted that she was well, she soon
retired for the evening. It is impossible, of course, to draw a
firm conclusion from such a small
The shellfish that evening were body of evidence, but I have resolved
blamed for her collapse, and the cook to someday turn an eye toward the
executed. Still, no others suffered ill rulers and powerful beings of our
effects, and I doubt that the food world. It seems likely that the
caused the malady. It will no doubt be particular psychic energies of each
the talk of the salons for weeks, my realm allow the demon access to
dear. Perhaps our good Lady has differing powers, and perhaps even
taken Lord Darrian closer into her lend power to mortals as well. If this is
“confidences” than any of us has true, it seems not unlikely that power-
guessed! hungry demons might make a practice
of conducting their foul rites in
-From the letters of multiple realms, always searching out
Lady Kristia Llewyllen new and greater powers.
--r-- If my theory of power rituals is
accurate, then it is probably perfectly
The described symptoms of the Madame clear to all readers why a mortal
Gabrielle that evening match perfectly should wish to siphon power from the
Strahd‘s account of the effects of the land. However, demons are already
Whistling Fiend’s power ritual. When we powerful beyond imagining; why
examine Madame Gabrielle’s symptoms, should they want more?
and her distraction that night, in light of
Strahd‘s experiences and the proximity As mentioned, demons, regardless
of the Whistling Fiend, it seems possible whatever else they may be, are on
that the creature conducted another such
rite in Invidia. This conclusion seems
sound, given Dragant’s account of the
demon‘s effusive use of a heretofore
unnoted power mere days later.
iQ
This oassaae made me realize that iust ,
I
quests to escape our land. For all his
might and bravado, even Drigor is as I thought drawing power from the
trapped in our world, forever longing to land might help a demon escape, so
return to whatever foul realm birthed does the unwary demon.
him. I have already discussed the reality
wrinkles that surround the demons, and The changes in the Whistling Fiend
how, by reading Strahd‘s diary, these and Drigor’s talk of a “trap” suggest the
wrinkles become smaller with the true price that demons pay for power
performance of power rituals. It is as drawn from the land. This information
though the demon is becoming more also provides a satisfactory explanation
closely tied to our world. for the variation in size of the reality
wrinkles surrounding demons.
This, of course, paints a strange
As the demon draws power from
picture of the demon. Although our world, and takes that energy into
constantly trying to escape, it itself, its energies are, a s I surmised,
nonetheless seems to be tying itself less alien and less apart. But, a s the
energies of the demon move in
closer to its perceived prison. harmony with the energies of our
My first thoughts on this leaned in world, the demon becomes tied to the
land and is unable to leave it. Rather
the direction that becoming firmly than being the top rung of a ladder,
entrenched in our reality was actually then, our world becomes more akin to
an avenue to the demon’s escape: one quicksand: all around the demon are
must first be standing firmly on the top diamonds of legendary size, but they
rung of a ladder before one can safely are scattered upon a bottomless pit
climb down. However, on rereading the of mud.
Madrigorian in preparation for this
volume and in an attempt to find This is the “honey-coated trap” of
additional weaknesses to exploit against which Drigor speaks. Those demons
Drigor, 1 found what I believe is the that resist the lure of the power ritual
correct answer. create larger reality wrinkles and may
still one day return whence they came.
Though it s e e m difficult to belieue, Demons that are tied to the land may
lose their “heart’s desire,” their ability to
euen the Great Ones face temptation. return home.
7hey too know the sweet lure of The final irony is that demons are
power-tantalizingly close, like ripe vulnerable to the same temptations that
they offer to mortals. In this way, at
fruit there for the picking. Reueling in least, they are not so differentfrom
humans. The differenceis only in the
the fullness of theirpower, the Great scale of the power involved.
Ones must beware ofpowers that euen It is impossible to pity a demon,
and the irony in their situation is, a s
they do not understand. Oh, the deli- even Drigor admits, sweet. Yet, one
must avoid the temptation to
cious irony and great tragedy! Even celebrate the spiritual pain of the
demon. Exultation at another’s
they may act as do the mortal sheep, suffering is an unworthy emotion,
motivated by the baser part of our
a n d so fall into a honey-coated trap that human nature. We must ever avoid
the temptation to nourish our dark
they themselves construct. side, no matter how tempting.
Whispers ofpowers unimagined,
promises of glory and freedom, worm
their way into the spirit and wear on
even the stoutest resolue. Give in to the
temptation, though, and you may lose
your heart’s desire! 7/7is land is sweet
and seductiue-here nothing is as it
seems.
-The Madrigorian
Book IX, Chapter IV
. ... . .. ... .. .---... .. .-. . ...- . ...
The Power Ritual and Corruption ritual draws energy from the domain
h e ritual described here is what a fiend where it is performed. This draining of
ises to draw new powers from the land. energy is painful and temporarily
7ach power ritual is unique, different disorienting to the local domain lord,
rom any other, and different for each causing incapacitation For ld4+1
iend as well. The only consistent factor rounds. However, even minor domain
5 the horrible evil of the rite. Any lords are powerful enough that the
:haracter observing such a ritual must draining effect of the power ritual has
nake both fear and horror checks in the no further measurable effect.
ace of such open, malignant evil.
It should be noted that Dr. Van
Should the Dungeon Master wish, he Richten has misunderstood the source
nay design a suitably evocative power of Strahd and Madame Gabrielle's
itual For any fiend in his campaign. connection with the land, and he does
-he only necessary limitations on the not realize their full status a s domain
itual are that it must occur in natural lords in the Demiplane of Dread
iurroundings where the fiend is in campaign. They need not perform
lirect contact with the land, and that it power rituals, a s theirs is a permanent
'equires at least 6 full turns to perform. connection.
rhe ritual must also be !uninterrupted.
\ny event during the ritual that breaks Each time a fiend successfully
he fiends concentration results in the completes a power ritual and receives
itual's failure. a land-based power, it becomes more
connected to the RAVENLOFTworld.
Even a Demiplane of Dread domain The Fiend succumbs to temptation by
ord cannot resist the fiend's power seizing power from the land. This is
Irain excent bv activelv disruotino the the corruotion of a fiend. and it is
" rIigures are tor true, greater, ana lesser nenas (Len to rigntj; >,LOU leer = I mile.
The corruption index measures a power, its corruption index rises by
iend's connection to the RAVENLOFT Id4 points. The Dungeon Master
world. This is a new statistic for may determine this score randomly,
fiends in the campaign. A fiend's or can assign a number. There is no
corruption index begins at zero when upper limit to a fiend's corruption
a fiend arrives in the land. Each time score. The effects of the rising
a fiend successfully performs a corruption index on the fiend are set
power ritual and gains a land-based forth below.
Shrinking reality wrinkles: As the If the power ritual fails, a dramatlc
e n d s corruption grows, its reality backlash of maalcal energy engulfs
irink.le (or pocket domain) shrinks. thefiend. This gacklash stuns the
:ach time the fiend successfulb fiend for one round, causing it terrible
:ompIetes a power ritual, the pain, as well as more permanent
liameter of the circular realm injury. Every time a fiend fails to
lom'inated by the fiend shrinks by complete a power ritual, the Dungeon
Master should select one of the
ialf, a s per the table. following effects or roll 1d6 to
determine the outcome.
Bound to the land The second
Zffect of the corruption is that the 1. The fiend suffers 6d10 points of
'iend may not be able to leave the damage and is terribly scarred by
:ampaign world even if it finds and the magical energy. This damage
sctivates a portal or magical item may not be magically healed.
:hat would allow any other character However, 75% of the damage will
.o exit the region. The land-based heal with the passage of time. The
mwers of the fiend may bind it to the final 25% of damage will never heal.
ealms. The corruption of the fiend For example, a fiend that suffers 40
:reetes a chance that even a points of damage from this backlash
,erfectly functioning portal or will eventually recover 30 hit points
nagical item will fail. In that event,
he fiend is transported to the precise (75% of the damage). However, the
jpot where it first entered the
Zarnpaign setting. The Dungeon remaining 10 points (25%of the
&aster may determine the success 01 damage) are gone forever.
Failure of a fiend's escape attempt 2. The backlash cripplesthe magical
3ccording to the Fiend Corruption powers of the fiend.The fiend permanenfly
lnd,exTable, or may simply decide if loses one spell-likeability (Dungeon
a fiend succeeds. Master's choice).
At the successful completion of the 3. The backlash permanently
power ritual, the fiend receives a new impairs the fiend's ability to conceal
power from the land (here called a its appearance. One of its limbs
land-basedpower). This type of may no longer be polgmorphed 01
power gained depends entirely on the concealed by after self or change
sort of domain in which the ritual is self spells.
performed, but all should add to the
fear and horror that the heroes feel 4. The failure leaves residual energies
uhen facing a powerful creature with in the body of the fiend, increasing its
unknown abilities. The Dungeon corruption index by two points.
Master should feel free to create
unique land-based powers to fit the 5. The fiend is physically expelled
nature of the campaign. Examples of from the domain where it was, forever
land-based powers could include the barred from that specific area by the
ability to generate certain spell or magic in the land or other forces. The
psionic effects, a poisonous touch, fiend still remains in the RAVENLOFT
insanity, raging thirst, or disease. world.
A power ritual will fail should the 6. The fiend receives the effectsof a
failed madness check and a mental
fiends concentration be broken, even disorder from the madness table
f,sr a moment, in the completion of (Table 9) in Chapter Six of Domains
of Dread.
the ritual. However, there is always a
:IO% chance that the fiend will make
iin error in this exacting ritual even
when not interrupted.
&! sd be theseju /in fiends no more be/iev'd.
iat paiier with u5 in a doub/esenx;
rat keep fhe work of promise to our e m
d break i/ to our hope
-William Shakespeare
Macbeth
[email protected]
mw mP64, It is ironic that those of power in our
PSOPLS land, purporting to lead the people,
often are the ones who most fervently
n this chapter we examine resist the wisdom of the Great Ones.
how demons interact with
the inhabitants of our world. This shows that power and wisdom do
Demons are cunning and not go hand in hand! These fools are
terrible foes, their goals so blinded b y ambition that they
0 ~ 2 -. : ~ ? wnithin the murky, swirling cannot see the truth. They clutch
dsrpth:j of their schemes by varied anxiously to their power and
measiires of careful manipulation and prerogatives like children grasping
brute force. their bed sheets to guard against the
Deinons delight in corrupting or bogeyman!
terrifying mortals. They often conceal Our so-called leaders lack true
their true nature, using their powers of vision, shaking with impotent rage at
charn1 and illusion to move among the the coming of the new order. Yet their
peopli3 in mortal guise. Exploiting the shreds of power will not protect them!
weakrless in the human spirit, these if they do not follow the will of the
demo!ns combine deceit, guile, and Great Ones, they will be crushed and
compiulsion to catch foolish mortals in fall by the wayside!
traps of their own making. -The Madrigorian
A clemon may corrupt mortals Book V, Chapter XI
throusjh pseudomystic cults, arcane
" barga ins, and the usurpation of a
huma n's body in a way more horrible This passage obviously presents a self-
, than transfiguration. serving picture of the relationship
,, between lords and demons. Framing
the conflict in terms of power, however,
4 the demon represents the crux of the
.1, REvalSfOrPOWep.
The powerful and influential rulers of enmity between the two parties.
our dcxnains regard demons a s hated Demons challenge the control of the
enemies. Flowing from their positions at lords over their lands, servants, and
societ.y's forefront and the demons' subjects, scorning the rulers' authority
drive for more power, this enmity is a and power while pursuing their own
direct consequence of the inevitable ends, It is little wonder, then, that
clash of their interests. Indeed, how demons incite rage and hatred in the
could their relationship be otherwise? lords of the realms! Also, persons like
Th,e demon Drigor mentions the Strahd and Madame Gabrielle Aderre of
enmity between demons and the leaders Invidia, who have somehow tied
of mclrtals in the Madrigorian. The themselves to the land, must hate
passage below describes this rivalry, demons passionately.
ints at its causes.
58
...a
Demons seem to see the people of our All fiends delight in cruelty and the
realms as fodder for their own desires. sufferin“a of their victims. but the
The monstrosities apparently think of tanar’ri provide special examples of
us as no more threatening than dogs these traits. The tanar’ri feed not only
or cattle, and important only for on the flesh of other beings, but on
amusement or serving the demons’ their life force as well. They
needs. Toying with mortals as cats toy apparently derive more nutrition from
with a mouse, demons play many a victim if they terrify him before the
different games with their mortal prey. kill. Therefore, they particularly desire
These games appear sparked by one to terrify their prey.
of two motivations: the desire to
terrify, or the desire to corrupt. guile and deceit. Carefully manipulating
mortals, tricking and trapping them with
Certain demons clearly desire to terrify, their powerful intellects and great
or terrorize, mortals. Deriving pleasure charisma, these demons play a far more
from their victims’ fears, they perhaps subtle game than the Whistling Fiend.
even satisfy some inner need by their Ever seeking to promote evil, they
tactics of terror. While many demons insinuate wickedness into the hearts
cruelly enjoy the terror their horrible and minds of the people, and nurture its
power inspires, demons whose primary growth. Corrupting the people of the
desire it is to terrorize mortals differ realms, they slowly corrupt the entire
greatly from the others. society, and thus seek to lead mankind
to its doom. The information below
Both Drigor and the Beast of shows these monstrosities’ foul desires,
Ehrendton use terror as a tactic in battle and discusses the major methods they
and cruelly enjoy its effect. However, use to trick and trap foolish mortals.
they normally work subtly, lurking
behind some front, as seen by Drigor’s December 1 1 th
manipulation of the Madrigore family, After dinner, we took aduantage of
and the Black Duke’s bandit guise in
Ehrendton. our host’s hospitality to arrange a tour of
the grounds. While this was largely
The manifest Dowers of the Whistlina uneventful, the library, in particular,
~~ I proved to be most interesting. It was
packed with books, far more than one
Fiend, on the other hand, are vastly finds in most country estates. A large
different. In contrast to its demonic writing desk was overflowing with
brethren, this horrid creature seems manuscript pages. Our hostess laughed
primarily motivated to terrorize the when asked about her writing projects,
people and destroy the land. Destroying dismissing them as nothing more than
the village of Creeana and slaughtering poetry and flights of fancy-indulgences
its people, as recounted by Ashlan of II o f a young girl. Yet she seemed ill at
Aluk, seems an act of random, ease. She would not discuss the work of
malicious evil. The same is true in the her ancestors, other than to say that the
report penned by Alyn Dragant, where Madrigores were a “literary family.” Dr.
the demon was boldly using its power to Farringer and I both noted an
openly scar the land with no care for inhumanly large chair in one corner,
secrecy, subtlety, or guile. The Whistling half covered with an old quilt.
Fiend behaves as if it enjoys attention,
desiring only to terrify and destroy. At the end of the evening, Dr.
Farringer and I discussed the night’s
The vast majority of demonic behavior, events. We concluded that the dinner
however, shows these creatures’ love for invitation had clearly been given to
inuestiqate our presence and determine
our motives.
we take and hold what’s rightfully closed up all day. When they gaue the
ours! signal to start, we found the Hall lit b y
I don’t know about all this ruling
what must have been a thousand
Noua Vaasa stuft; but the Black Duke’s candles. The shadows still pressed in
a leader! When he talks about what’ll close all around. Then I saw the
be, a man gets a lump in his throat, a writing-symbols and pictures covered
tear in his eye, and a fire in his belly. I’d the walls and the floor.I‘d neuer seen
the like except once on a scroll.
follow him anywhere. Pays good too. Standing in the center of it all, with a
We’rejoining his band. I hear there’s a fire smoking in a pot in front of him, the
cerem0n.y planned next week to
“initiate;&! Black Duke neuer said a word. He
-From the private iournal of raised his arms, drawing us up in a
‘Lertan Scarhand circle. Once the doors were closed the
smoke got thick, and the Black Duke
commenced to sing in the strangest
This passage shows the demon tongue I ever did hear The whole thing
tempting its mortal targets, using its had me spooked! I decided to make a
charisma (and perhaps magical means) break for the door, but couldn’t get m y
to paint a picture of a glorious future for legs to moue.
those in its service. As shown below, The Black Duke called me out Erst,
however, life does not stay rosy for and took a knife out of the pot. He
those who serve a demon. Scarhand slashed his palm, then slashed mine,
realized this, even before he died under taking my hand in both of his as he
the headsman’s axe. brought me to m y knees. Gods, his
blood burned! It felt like his blood ate
The Oafh through my hand. The pain passed,
and I stepped back into the ranks.
The second stage of a cultist’s
recruitment is the oath-the initiation My whole body started to tingle, still
ceremony at which the mortal swears does a little bit. I felt different when it
his loyalty to the demon and the cult.
Binding the mortal to the demon’s was done, and I know I’m differentnow.
service, this oath undoubtedly takes
many forms, and the demon crafts it in With his power, nobody can stand
part to impress the cultist and to before us! /picked a winner this time!
-From the private journal of
Lertan Scarhand
cement his psychological commitment
to serving the demon. Yet the oath Clearly this passage depicts ritual
Scarhand recounts in the passage below magic, a foul blood ritual used to initiate
appears to involve a dark ritual of blood the Brothers of the Whip. This ritual
magic that magically binds the mortal appears to have no known parallels,
and likely is crafted by the demon itself.
to the demon.
Based on the information below, it
Neuer have lseen anything like last seems likely that the ritual magic of the
oath creates a bond between the demon
night! It still has my brain buzzing, but and its mortal pawns far beyond that of
I‘ll try to write it now beforeI forget The mere loyalty. The completion of the
initiation ceremony was held up at the oath springs the trap shut on the
Black Duke’s castle in the mountains. I unwary victims.
figured it would be some mumbled fism
words and a quick handshake before Demons inevitably ensnare those foolish
the party started, but it went nothing
like that at all.
First, the thing started in the dead of mortals who swear to serve them. After
the oath, they draw the cultists further
x night, and the Great Hall had been
GI
under their evil influence, trapping them DEMONS
in a web of deceit and corruption. These
cultists meet their doom used, trapped, of the trap. It may also shed light on the
and corrupted by the demon. means the demon uses to control its
followers.
All the available evidence suggests
that the demon despises and exploits its It's been a while since my fast entry.
followers a s it does any other mortal in We'uebeen campaigning hard, a n d
the realms. Desiring to corrupt and since the troubles began I hauen't
destroy all mortals, the demon seems to wanted anyone to know that I'm
delight in their protracted suffering. writing. The easy targets dried up a
Therefore, the demon rewards them long time ago, a n d pickings are slim. 1'11
only enough to keep them loyal. In the never complain, though-1 saw what
end, no one profits from service to a happened to Jess!
demon.
Three days ago, the Black Duke was
The following excerpt from mad at Jess, captain ofthe Second
Scarhand's journal, written shortly Company, about a failed raid on
before his capture and execution at Drataan. He wanted to know what had
Drataan, shows his dawning awareness gone wrong a n d who was to blame.
The Blood-oath Ritual If the victim successfullv resists the
The blood-oath ritual is evil magic bond, the fiend will know that it did
created by the fiend. This ritual is not not form the link. This resistance,
a standard spell, but a ceremony however, need not interrupt the ritual.
taught on the home plane of the Knowing this, fiends often allow the
fiend. Creating a magical, mental mortal to believe that they have
link between the fiend and its mortal escaped detection until after the ritual
victim, the oath varies for each crea- is completed.
ture. Due to the evil and alien nature
of the ritual, outsiders witnessing it Powers of the blood oath: The
must make a horror check. blood oath grants the fiend the ability
to sense the location of any of its
The oath ceremony requires 24 sworn servants anywhere within the
hours to prepare, while the fiend RAVENLOFTworld. The fiend receives
meditates and readies the ceremony no details concerning the location, but
chamber. The ritual may be held at can track the follower unerringly.
any location, so long as it is
uninterrupted. Any interruption ruins The second power granted fiends
the ceremony, and requires the fiend is the ability to hurt or even kill
to begin preparations anew. The ritual mortals through this mental link. The
lasts for 2 hours, plus an additional 10 fiend merely concentrates its
minutes for each participant. tremendous will and evil power alonc
the link. The fiend may use this
Resisting the oath: The magic of power whenever it can see the target
the ceremony transfixes its mortal and is within 200 yards of its prey.
participants. Anyone desiring to leave When within range, the fiend may
the ceremony once it has begun must use this attack form at will.
make a saving throw vs. paralyzation
at a -2 penalty. Such a departure If the fiend desires to merely hurt its
interrupts the ceremony, with the victim, the mortal must roll a saving
effects discussed above. throw vs. paralyzation with a 4to avoic
the attack. If the saving throw fails, the
A mortal who wishes to resist the victim suffers excruciating, debilitating
bond with the fiend may attempt to pain for 10 rounds. If the fiend desires
do so when their blood mingles, with to kill its servant, the mortal must roll a
a saving throw vs. spell at a -4 saving throw vs. death magic at a -4
penalty. Willing victims receive no penalty. Success negates the attack
to his fate. His other observations of
his master, suggesting certain powers
of the demon, also merit close
attention.
First, the demon is apparently able
to track his fleeing cultists over long
distances with no more than a
thought, and seems likewise able to
kill with the same amount of effort.
While it is dangerous to speculate
based on one case, since neither
ability has been attributed to demons
elsewhere, my theory is that these
abilities come from a mental link
between demon and cultists,
established by the blood oath.
Jess got hot, and told him that he drove Possession
the men too hard, and that the raid was
poorly planned. He was right, but none Many demons choose to manipulate
of us made a sound. mortals and tempt them toward evil not
in large groups, but individually.
The Black Duke got real quiet, and Savoring the intimacy of the encounter,
stared at him like a snake watches a the joy of the seduction, these demons
mouse. Then he sort of bobbed his head promote evil and corrupt society one
at Jess, whojumped like a scared victim at a time. Perhaps the most
rabbit. Jess started screaming, grabbing chilling results of a foolish mortal’s
his head and rolling around on the floor. dealings with demons are the cases
Wejust watched. Then he flopped stone where they steal the very bodies of their
dead, blood pouring from his ears, nose, mortal prey.
and mouth. His body laid there for
hours. Jess was a good mate of mine, A tragic letter came to my attention
and the Black Duke watched me close which seems to describe an example of
after that, but I kept a straight face. a demon seizing, then discarding the
bodies of mortals.
I‘ll say this, no one deserts from this
unit! A few have run, but the Black I write seeking your aid because I
Duke personally leads the searches, and have nowhere else to turn. I believe
always finds them. It’s amazing, the that I have found the cause of the
way hejust looks into the sky and strange disappearances which have
seems to know where to go. Baren had plagued our city, yet I know not what
made it near fitly leagues, too, but that to do!
didn’t matter. No one knows what he
does with them. The Black Dukejust My name is Levis Andreyeu. I am a
says they’ll be punished for breaking craftsman of porcelain dolls. For several
the oath. Sometimes we hear them years now, the beautiful Madame Elsa
scream for a while. No one complains, has come to me with orders for dolls to
though ljust learned that l’m leading add to her wonderful collection. She
the next raid on Drataan. keeps them displayed in the front hall o f
her home, surrounding a beautiful cut
-From the private journal of crystal stone. In addition to the outfits
Lertan Scarhand that I have craned for them, each of the
dolls wears a delicate dab o f scarf, or
In this entry, Scarhand clearly sees some other bit of clothing.
that he is trapped in the service of the
Black Duke and is apparently resigned
. . .,.-
I have never wondered at her was more pressing, an adventurer of our
demands, always producing the dolls to acquaintance, Astonby o f the Oaks,
her exacting specifications o fsize and agreed to investigate the matter for us
appearance. Yet,good sir, I have noted while he was in Borca. His report has
that the most recent doll I crafted for her, done nothing to calm our fears.
strongly resembled Madame luanou,
who disappeared some two months Astonby reports that he interviewed
after I created the doll! the Most Reverend Taliesian,now retired
and in poor health. The venerable man
You may say that this is nothing sir, remembers the letter, but swears that
mere coincidence, but the evidence the dollmaker was deluded.
grows. Last month she brought that
uery doll into my shop for repairs to its That letter seemed wild to me, but I
outfit, and she referred to the doll as determined to look into it. I went calling
“1rina”-the name o f the vanished on the lady myself My, but she did
Madame luanou! Moreover, that doll, sir, have a doll collection! No crime in that,
appeared to me to have changed since I though, and I found no evidence o fany
made it. Every craftsman knows his other crime.
work, sir, and that doll seemed
positiueiy flushed and rosy, far more Indeed, though I was prepared to be
lifelike than I had rendered it. And the suspicious, Madame Elsa-/ can still
eyes-the eyes appeared to moue and picture her beautiful face-put me
glisten with tears! I have invented quickly at ease. After I had determined
pretexts to come to her home since then that she could be trusted, I repeated to
sir, consumed with fear by this matter. her at length the allegations of poor, sick
All o f the dolls are flushed, sir, and all o f Andreyeu. I had feared that she would
them seem to glow from within! be upset, yet she merely laughed, and
expressed concern for the poor man’s
I might still doubt, sir, save that I health and mental state.
have received another doll order. The
description o f this doll, sir, the features No, Andreyeu was crazy as a loon!
and face, resembles none other than my
daughter Liza, married last fall to the -Most Reverend Taliesian of Levkarest
guardsman! The resemblance is
complete in every detail. When ordering Astonby further reported that his
the doll, sir, I noted that she twined and inquiries revealed that Andreyev had
untwined a small scarf in her right vanished from his home nearly nine
hand. This scarf appears to be one I years ago. Ifear that he did not live
purchased for Liza last holiday! This long after his suspicions became
cannot be a coincidence, sir, and I will
never finish this doll, but I need to know known! His daughter still remains in the
what to do! This woman is evil! We
must rid our town o f her! city, but Madame Elsa had left for parts
unknown.
Sincerely, Levis Andreyeu
-From the City Archives of Levkarest There had indeed been a string o f
disappearances in that city, two or
Both Dr. Farringer and I were greatly three women per year for several
disturbed by this letter, and resolved to years. Although all of these cases
investigate. In particular, elements o f the remain unsolved, the guard suspected
tale placed us in mind o f the magicjar the husbands, who in each case
spell, used by powerful and evil mages disappeared within weeks of the
to seize the bodies of unwary victims. loss o f his wife. The guards were
Since we had received word from particularly intrigued by the fact that
Darkon of more recent and possibly each o f these men was seen with a
beautiful young woman ( o f varying
‘3 related events, and our presence there description) shortly after his wife
disappeared.
:iendish Possession I feel these facts strongly suggest
‘iends in the RAVENLOFTsetting may that this woman was a demon. Based
)assess the bodies of mortal victims, on the name, description, and inquiries
{singan ability similar to the magic into a more recent, related case, there
a r spell described in the Player’s can be little doubt that “Elsa” was the
iaandbook. The precise form of this Elsepeth who entered our world through
;pell-like power will vary a bit for Ammie Weaveron 12 years ago.
:ach fiend. For example, while
Clsepeth uses porcelain dolls a s the The circumstances of the dolls and
eceptacle for her victim’s life force, the disappearances, combined with the
,ther fiends would choose receptacles details of the scarves and the crystal,
nore suited to their natures. lead to the conclusion that the foul
creature was using an ability or spell to
The focus for the possession spell possess the bodies of her victims.
Iaries and may be a large gem,
rrystal, doll, carving, piece of jewelry, To the best of my understanding,
>rother lasting item that the fiend during the casting of the magicj a r spell
nust have specially crafted for this a mage uses a large crystal or gem as
mrpose. To form the proper link the focus for a spell of possession. The
xospective victims, the fi.end must caster shifts his spirit and mind into the
;rick them into providing some crystal, then mentally attacks the victim
7ersonal item for use during the spell. as soon as he enters the range of the
spell. At that point, the victim is trapped
After preparing the spell, the fiend in the gem while the caster controls the
shifts its spirit from its body into the victim’s body.
Focus, and awaits the arrival of the
intended victim. A possession attempt I theorize that something similar has
may be made if a victim moves within happened in this case. The scarves
range of the receptacle (10 feet per mentioned are most likely talismans
Hit Die of the fiend). The fiend may taken from their owners to use to link
return its spirit to its body at any time, the women to the demon and aid the
but this ends the spell. The possession possession attempt. The large crystal in
attempt takes one round to complete. Madame Elsa’s living room would serve
The victim must make a saving throw as an admirable focus for the spell,
vs. spell with a -2 penalty. while the dolls could be special
receptacles to store the life forces of
Once the fiend has control of the their victims!
target’s body, it may use that body or
dispose of it and reenter its own. While The pattern of these disappearances
in the host body, it has full access to make it likely that the demon was the
all of its spells and mental powers. same “beautiful young woman” seen
consorting with the husbands shortly
The life force of a victim of after their wives’ disappearances.
fiendish possession whose body dies Perverting and warping the human
is not automatically slain. Rather, its desires for love, affection, and
spirit is shifted into the awaiting fetist friendship, Elsepeth exploits the need
prepared specifically for the victim b! for intimacy to corrupt these men.
the fiend.
Biirgdns
Only a wish or limited wish spell
will free the spirit of a victim from its Bargaining with mortals is another
special receptacle without the consen common technique demons use to lure
of the fiend. The fiend may reverse them into evil. Demons manipulate
the process at any time. mortals by appealing to the greed and
weakness in every human heart. They
Note that if the victim’s body is offer us our hearts’ desire, demanding
dead, a raise dead or resurrection in exchange seemingly minor services
spell must be cast simultaneously, or or innocuous concessions. Ensnared by
the victim’s life force will perish.
66
A_
. .. .. . .
9 a honeyed web of deceit, the demon’s -investiaations. we recovered and
victims find their glittering rewards
turning to ashes at their feet. Ultimately, salvaged portions of the original
they lose their freedom, often their lives, contract between the demon Elsepeth
and perhaps their spirits as well. and one of her victims! The story of
this discovery, and the text of the
The w4?d6’3Lefter letter, shed light on the nature of
demons and their bargains.
Every agreement contains at least two
key elements: the strict letter of the TheTmpt=
terms, and the spirit of the bargain. The
magical energy ensuring compliance While compiling our notes for this
with the demonic bargains applies volume, Dr. Farringer and I received
equally to both parties. This symmetry news of bizarre occurrences in Nartok,
is apparently required to maintain the in the kingdom of Darkon. Several
balance of the magical forces involved. young couples had disappeared over
As seen below, demons are thus strictly the last two years. In each case, when
bound by the terms of their their bodies were discovered, the
agreements-the letter of the law. woman lay dead without a mark on her,
while the man’s corpse was a withered
As the following excerpt reveals, husk with burnt out eyes. This pattern
demons profit from bargains, and tempt seemed similar to the earlier events in
mortals into corruption in a very Levkarest, raising the possibility that the
different manner. demon Elsepeth had surfaced once
more. We hurried to Nartok to
lnajira bristled at the very suggestion investigate.
that he could not be trusted. “I am an Happily for our work, though not for
the unfortunatesinvolved, we arrived in
honorable, honest businessman. My the city just as the authorities discovered
business is magic, contracts, and power! the sixth dead couple. The City Council
I strictly honor my agreements and act agreed to permit us to investigate.
as any merchant would. The profit
margin in any transaction lies around The couple was Tomas and Helga
its edges, and I work the edges in my Tennemen, a clerk and his wife. In this
bargains. case, the body of the wife lay on a slab
in the basement, while the husband
“I lay out my terms very clearly and was sprawled on the living room floor.
explicitly, hiding nothing from each Although signs of decay were present,
customer. If they lack the capacity to the bodies were in the same condition
understand the contract, they should as the previous couples.
refrain from doing business with me. ”
The neighbors had discovered the
-Zartin the Red bodies after seeing no sign of the pair
Autobiography of a Wandering Mage for several days. Careful interviews
revealed that no one had actually seen
This self-serving portrayal of the demon Helga for almost three weeks, though
does establish a critical point-that some neighbors recalled hearing a
demons trap mortals in these bargains woman’s voice from within the home.
by brilliantly warping the spirit of their Cronies at a local tavern revealed that
contracts. Tomas had been seen with a lovely
woman, not his wife, the week before.
A concrete example of the All of these signs suggested the work of
complexity and detail of a demonic Elsepeth, but on a final sweep ofthe
contract was unearthed by Dr. living room Dr. Farringer noticed the
Farringer, in perhaps the most vital clue that I had missed.
precious document that either ofus
has ever uncovered. During our In the fireplace lay a partially
destroyed sheaf of papers. All of them
f3
had burned to the point where the lesson of the perils of bargaining with a
remnants were little more than ash. demon. Remember, demons desire to
Excitedly calling for her equipment, Dr. corrupt and destroy mankind.
Farringer cordoned off the room and Therefore, if the demon does offer
went to work. She first stabilized the anything of true value, the cost will
remaining paper with a mixture of certainly be high.
chemicals and clear resins. Then she
used additional applications of chemical , . , This contract, entered into. . .
concoctions to bring out the ink so that
one could again read part of the between the lady Elsepeth, hereinafter
document. After several days of work,
Dr. Farringer then began to analyze, referred to a s the grantor, or the
copy and translate the document.
party of the first part, a n d Tom . . .
hereinafter referred to as the grantee,
She noted that the script was in a or the party ofthe second part, or the
rounded, feminine hand, the work of
grantor. . .
a well-educated individual. Our . , . The t e r m of this agreement . . .
excitement grew a s it became clear governed by the laws of the territory of
that we had actually retrieved a Rokushima, a s they were in effect on
-, the seventh day . .. month of the. . .
contract, wanhdi.c'-hlosmeeams eledntnoeminevno!lve . . . the party of the first p . . .
Elsepeth
promises to supply erot . , . the grantee,
The recovered fragments speak the party of the second part. . . on the
volumes of the complexity and detail satisfaction ofcertain specific and
contingent requests by the party of the
of a demonic contract. Selected
first part. . .
excerpts from that text are enclosed
The party of the second part agrees
here separately. Let them stand a s a that all obstacles to the successf. . . of
fitting tribute to the scholarship, the contract may be eliminated by the
brilliance, and energy of Dr. Ottelie party of the. . . to include disposal
Farringer.
The restoration of the fragments
remains, sadly, incomplete, but it is of organic organisms natiue to the
clear that the clerk entered into a environment in question. [Rudolph,
contract for the services of the demon note this phrase! I believe this is where
in the very house he shared with his Helga was lost!-Dr. Ottelie Farringer]
wife. H e may even have forfeited his . . . upon nonfulfillment ofany term
wife's life in the bargain! of this contract by the party of the
Tomas Tennemen paid the price for
second part . . . forfeit security deposited
his misdeeds and serves a s an object with the party of th . . . par. . .
. , . agree that if the provisions of said
contract are found to be unenforce . . .
according to the limits of the laws of the
. . , in question, they shall remain in
force in any event to the extent that
they conflict with the interest of the
party of the second p . . . vis-a-vis the
grantor of the favors referred to in Part
Three of this. . .supra.
. . . enforceable into perpet. . . with
the understanding that all costs
associated with collection ofsuc . . .
borne by the grantee in the event of
breach or unexpected contingencies. . .
Xihe one that on a ione3ome road
3 0 t h waih in bar and dread,
42 n d h a m once turned round w a h on,
2 n d turns no more his head,
L%ecau5e he hnowc a fzhffd fmd
3 0 t h ciow behind him fread
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
his chapter presents brief This demon is noted for a preference
toward fire- and lightning-based attacks,
1 + . ' I."~ descriptions of the demons an aura of fear, and a mental attack that
that have made their might affect only those bound to the
presence known in our demon through magic.
lands. I have attempted to
s-i-n-13- i their powers and mentalities The Black Duke's activities suggest
so that t t e reader might get a sense of
the diversity of these monstrosities. that he is equally driven by the desire to
corrupt and the desire to terrify. He is
Do not undertake the pursuit of one likely operating a violent cult
of these creatures lightly. With them, somewhere in the world.
nothing is a s you might expect, and
even your most dedicated research mgor
might result in a false conclusion.
This terrible demon is a tall yet
Th0 Bl~CkDuk0 muscular monstrosity, with a huge
head and mouth, relatively small
The demon known a s the Black Duke is wings, and clawed, three-fingered
described by Sir lronhand in The Beast hands. Drigor may lack the ability to
of Ehrendton a s a monstrously muscled, disguise its appearance.
scaled beast with wings and a long,
prehensile tail. Armed with a barbed The Black Duke
whip, large claws and teeth, and a
panoply of magical abilities, the Black Cornugon (greater baatezu)
Duke is a formidable foe indeed.
Reality Wrinkle: 2,640-foot radius
Although the Black Duke has not
been heard from since the defeat of the Land-based Powers Forqet
Brothers of the Whip, he was active east
of the Dnar River in Nova Vaasa. Corruption Index: 3
The Black Duke is highly AC -2; MV 9, fly 18 (C); HD 10; hp 77;
THACO 11: #AT 4 or 1+weapon; Dmg
militaristic. Disguising himself as a
powerful human warrior (still armed ld4/1d4/ld4+l/ld3 or 1d3 +weapon
with a long whip), he organized and led
a powerful army of cultists on a +6: SD regenerate 2 hp/round MR 50%
campaign of destruction and terror.
This behavior strongly suggests that CiZ L (9' tall); ML elite (14); Int I
the Black Duke has a fundamentally
exceptional (16); AL LE XP 10,000.
3 lawful, if evil, nature.
Special Abilities: +2 or better
"
uJeapon to harm; immune to magical
fiire and poison: half damage from
C,old and gas; may gate abishai,
t,arbam, or cornugon once per day;
Spell-like powers (10th level):
iiduanced illusion, animate dead,
C:harm person, infrauision, know
tilignment, suggestion, teleport
-Luithout error.
h* -a
Drigor most likely appeared in our Drigor 6,
world long ago during the era in which
the first volume of the Madrigorian was Shator (most powerful gehreleth)
published. Drigor made its home in
Edrigan, a small village in Dementlieu, Reality Wrinkle: 5,280-foot radius
but has moved on since our fatal
encounter. Land-based Powers: None
Drigor prefers to manipulate Corruption Index: 0
humanity through mortal pawns while AC -3; MV 9, fly 18 (C); HD 15; hp
keeping its presence and very existence 105; THACO 5; #AT 3; Dmg
a secret. For generations it succeeded
in this goal, controlling the Madrigore ld8+11/ld8+11/5d4;MR 50%; S Z M
family and using it a s a front for its (6' tall); ML fanatic (17);Int genius
writings: the Madrigorian, a huge work (17); AL CE; XP 22,000.
of philosophy, poetry, and other
musings concerning demons and their Special Abilities: +3or better
relationship to our world. weapon to harm; edged weapons -1
Writing is Drigor's favorite activity, to hit and damage; immune to acid,
and its preferred method of spreading
its corrupt philosophy. This sustained, fear, illusions, nonmagical damage,
subtle behavior, proceeding according
to a carefully crafted scheme, and poison; immune to scrying
convinced me that Drigor was lawful. I
should have listened to Dr. Farringer's because he possesses an amulet of
analysis of the disjointed, careless proof against detection and location;
structure of the Madrigorian itself. infravision 120 feet: group memcry;
Drigor is in fact chaotic.
gate other gehreleths once per day;
Drigor's confirmed powers include
the ability to control the minds and spell-like powers (15th level): bqguile
emotions of mortals, tremendous
strength, and the ability to create a ray cloudkill, detect good, detect
of enfeeblement. Drigor appears invisibility, detect magic, dispel magi(
immune to all nonmagical attacks and
has a powerful resistance to magic a s (2/day),ESP, fear, fog cloud (3/day),
well. Only exceptionally powerful inuisibility, ray of enfeeblement
magical weapons could injure this (3/day), stinking cloud (3/day),
creature. However, the demon's true
tongues, weakness (3/day).
name is known, leaving it vulnerable to
summoning magic.
srsepeth
This demon first appeared in Falkovnia
decades ago, transposing her form with
that of Ammie Weaveron. According to
Tasha Weaveron's diary, Elsepeths true
form is that of a beautiful young woman
with large dark wings and glowing eyes.
The demon masks these unnatural
features with some type of charm or
shapechange ability, and she has used it
in a number of guises (always beautiful
females). Elsepeth first appeared in a
small town near Stangengrad in
Falkovnia, and she has since been
active in Borca, Falkovnia, and Darkon.
Elsepeth works subtly to corrupt and
manipulate mortals. She particularly
focuses on males, with the apparent
goals first to tempt the men into
infidelity and then to steal the spirits of
their wives. Elsepeth has apparently
never created an organization to 0
* iajira
ircanaloth (greater yugoloth)
support her activities. Her increasingly Leality Wrinkle: 10,560-foot radius
bold and erratic behavior suggests that .and-based Powers: None
Elsepeth is chaotic. :orruption Index: 0
\C -8; MV 12, fly 18 ( 5 ) ;HD 12+24;
There is no record of Elsepeth ip 108; THACO 9; #AT 3; Dmg
engaging in combat, so her particular d4/ld4/2d6; SA poisonous claws
powers and vulnerabilities are mostly causes a -1 penalty per hit); MR
unknown. Elsepeth does possess a jO%; S Z M ( 6 ' tall); ML champion
particularly potent charm, as well a s 15); Int supra-genius (20); AL N E
the ability to drain the spirit from her
victims. The appearance of the name <P 20,000.
Elsepeth on the contract with Tomas
Tennemen indicates that this is her Special Abilities: +3 or better
true name. Neapon to harm; immune to acid,
'ire, mental attacks, and poison; half
Elsepeth seems driven by the desire iamage from gas; regenerate if killed;
to corrupt. In Nartok and Levkarest she lever surprised; suffers double
preyed on men, destroying their love iamage from cold; may gate
and tempting them into betrayal. mezzoloth, dergholoth, or arcanaloth
3nce per day; spell-like powers (12th
imm level): advanced illusion (l/day),
alter self, animate dead, cause
Except for recent encounters with disease, charm person, continual
Zartin the Red and his companions,
lnajira has hidden his presence from darkness, control temperature lolfml
mortal notice, despite a long-standing
feud with Count Strahd von Zarovich. radius, fear (l/day), fly, heat metal,
lnajira appears as a human male with improved phantasmal force,
the head of a jackal. inuisibility, magic missile, produce
flame, shapechange (any humanoid
Dr. Farringer noted an interesting form), telekinesis, teleport without
coincidence concerning Inajira. The error, warp wood.
reverse of Inajira's true name is Arijani,
the name of the High Priest who rules
3sepeth
juccubus (lesser tanar'ri) Sri Raji, a land reportedly beyond the
{eality Wrinkle: 330-foot radius
-and-based Powers: Forget, mass Sea of Sorrows. This possible
:harm. power word kill
Zorruption Index: 8 connection certainly bears investigating.
4C 0 ; .YV 12, fly 18 (C); HD 6 ; hp 48;
rHACO 15; #AT 2; Dmg ld3/ld3; SA Could the demon have established his
irain one level (Wis 4 to notice); MR
own kingdom?
30%; SZ M (6' tall); ML elite (I 3);Int
lnajira attempts to strike bargains
exceptional (16); AL CE, XP 11,000.
Special Abilties: +2 or better with all manner of creatures, human
weapon to harm; immune to electricity. and supernatural alike. The demon
fire, and poison; half damage fi-om
cold and gas; never surprised may devises contracts of such intricacy
gate a balor once per day; spell-like
powers (6th level): become ethereal, that (he hopes) no mortal may discern
charm person, clairaudience, clarkness
lS/fm] radius, ESE infrauision,plane the true meaning of the clauses and
shift, shapechange (any humanoid
form), suggestion, telepathy, teleport terms therein. Clearly driven by the
wit,houterror.
desire to corrupt, lnajira uses these
contracts to tempt mortals with largely
illusory rewards, exploiting their greed
and tricking them into signing away
far more than they had intended, This
behavior does not suffice to identify
the demon's alignment.
lnaiira is a very" p.owerful spellcaster
~~~~
with a high resistance to magic.
The Whistling Fiend looks like a large, The Whistling Fiend has the power to
skeletal, sexless humanoid covered destroy plant life around it, and the
with leathery hide and red jelly. A horn ability to generate and control a cloud
protrudes from the rear of its skull. It of fog. In addition, the slippery jelly on
whistles cheerfully while committing the creature's hide is acidic. The demon
acts of senseless brutality. The demon is apparently vulnerable to cold iron and
can disguise its appearance, but acid-based attacks.
rarely does.
Pmons q ch+=wbK
The Whistling Fiend roams
randomly, causing havoc wherever it A less known infestation of demons
goes. Driven by the desire to terrify occurred in the town of Chateaufaux in
mortals, the Whistling Fiend has been
sighted in many domains, including Dementlieu, when not one, but two foul
Darkon, Barovia, Falkovnia, and demons attempted to corrupt the
village. Trapped in our world, these two
Invidia. It acts almost a s if it is drawn to conspired to reshape Chateaufaux into
a new home. They slew the mayor,
human habitation, requiring the Henri Melano, and Dominic Tisiphanes,
people's terror for its satisfaction. Its captain of the militia, then used magic
behavior is clearly chaotic. to take on their likenesses. Under their
guise, the Black Watch, a band of brutal
The Whistling Fiend thugs, was formed to enforce cruel
Babau (greater tanar'ri) laws. Though the townsfolk seem
Reality Wrinkle: 80-foot radius cheerful and obedient to strangers, this
Land-based Powers: Confusion, cause is but a facade concealing their mistrust
disease, cause insanity (touch, effects and fear. Neighbor now betrays
as symbol ojinsanity),poison neighbor to gain generous rewards.
(touch), slay plant life (60-foot
radius, no save) I encountered these demons during a
Corruption Index: 14
AC -3; MV 15;HD 8+14; hp 70; visit to the town at the invitation of
THACO 10;#AT 1 or 3; Dmg 1d10+7 Dominic d'Honaire to attend a
weapon or ld4+1/1d4+1/2d4;SA gaze symposium on mesmerism. Though I
(as ray ofenfeeblement);MR 50%;SZ had learned much regarding the nature
M (7' tall): ML champion (15);Int of demons, I was taken unaware when
genius (17); AL CE; XP 17,000. the effects of the demons' reality
wrinkle did not seem to manifest in the
Special Abilities: +1 or better
weapon to harm; immune to town. I now suspect that the demons
electricity, nonmagical fire, and
poison; ha1.f damage from cold, gas, managed to hide their nature through
magical fire, piercing, silver, and the use of magic or perhaps a drug
slashing weapons; gaze (20-foot imbibed by the townsfolk. Captured by
range, saving throw vs. spell, or ray 0, the demons, I survived only because
enfeeblement);corrosive slime (20% my friends felt my long absence strange
chance to corrode metal, saving and came to investigate.
throw vs. acid); backstab (x4); gate a
cambion or babau once per day; In the battle that followed, the true
spell-like powers (8th level): darknesz form of each creature was revealed.
15[jmJradius, dispel magic, fear,fly, Mayor Melano is dwarfish with a
hear metal, inpauision, leuitate, bulbous head, stubby arms and legs,
polymorph self, teleport without error. fang-filled mouth, and leathery wings.
This demon appears to command
JhiefAhilitiesr PP 30%:OL 30%: illusions and has some command of
mental control of others. It proved
35%;CW 35%; RL 30. very resistant to magic. Captain
Tisiphanes is a goblyn of a man with
ra 77 scaly skin, pointy ears, a long tail,
clawed hands and feet, and a wiry
~ - .,.. _I:- DEMONS
.,i disease. The captain has a berserker
rage that made him difficult to face in
9 beard. Wounds from his wiry beard combat. Due to the nature of their
plot, I surmise that they are lawful in
became infected, and several of the nature. Sadlv for our realms, when, i.”t
guardsmen died from a rotting looked like (hey faced their bane, they
fled and remain at large.
Melano
Amnizu (greater baatezu) The Dukkar is a unique and unnatural
Reality Wrinkle: 1,320-foot radius creature, the only known spawn of a
Land-based Powers: Forget, human and a demon, for his mother
hypnotism was Gabrielle Aderre and his father
Corruption Index: 6 was a stranger, referred to as the
AC -1; MV 6 , fly 15 (C); HD 9: hp 48; Gentleman Caller. History reports that
THACO 11; #AT 1; Dmg 2d4; SA this dark stranger had the voice of a
attack ignores foe’s AC (saving throw lover, the wings of a bat, and the cruel
vs. spell, or forget);MR 50%;SZ M (4’ eyes of Hell. Is it any wonder that their
tall); ML elite (14); Int exception,al offspring, Malocchio Aderre, is a cruel
(16); ALLE;XP 11,000. and sadistic monster? He constantly
tests the depths of his powers,
Special Abilities: + 2 or better regardless of the pain, suffering, and
weapon to harm; immune to a d d , death this brings. To him, living beings
fire, and poison; half damage from are no more than toys to manipulate
cold and gas; gate abishai or erinyes and destroy at his leisure.
once per day: spell-like powers (9th
level): aduanced illusion, animate Malocchio’s monstrous nature is
dead, charm person, fireball (Jlday), exposed by a sixth, clawlike “witch
forget, imprisonment ( l l d a y ) , finger”beside the pinky of each hand.
infrauision (120 feet), know His power to transcend magical bound-
alignment, suggestion, telepathy, aries and other demons’ reality wrinkles
teieport Luithoul error. makes him the most dangerous crea-
ture in the realms. Now he competes for
Tisiphanes rulership of the domain of lnvidia with
Barbazu (lesser baatezu) Gabrielle Aderre and tries to destroy all
Reality Wrinkle: 5,280-foot radius Vistani he finds.
Land-based Powers: None
Corruption Index: 0
AC 3; MV 15; HD 6+6;hp 34; THACO
13; #AT 3 or 1; Dmg l d 2 / l d 2 / l d 8
+disease (25%)or whip of
entanglemen.S S A battle frenzy; MR
30%;S Z M (6’ tall); ML steady (12);
Int low (6);AL LE; XP 6,000.
Special Abilities: +1 or better
weapon to harm; immune to fii-eand
poison: half damage from cold and
gas; if both claws hit, beard hits;
battle frenzy (cumulative lO%/round:
attack at twice normal rate, +2: to
attack and damage dice, -3 to AC);
gate abishai or barbazu once per day;
spell-like powers (6th level):
aduanced iilusion, affectnormal fires,
animate dead, charm person,
command, fear (touch), infraukion
(120 feet), know alignment, produce
flame, suggestion, telepathy, tseleport
ec without error.
. . .__ . ..
TION, THEFIRST: snout, ears, legs, fat, and stench of a
giant boar, with a pair of small condor
Yalocchio wings. Its glowing red eyes pierce the
lambion born of a Vistana and the mind and drain energy with a glance.
Zentleman Caller, an incubus (lesser
:anar'ri). The tale of this demon comes from
ieality Wrinkle: 165 feet diameter the starving land of G'Henna, home to
Land-based Powers: Confilsion,forget, the mad priest, Yagno Petrovna.
poison (touch), slay plan/ life (60-foot Petrovna, lord of that dark land, is a
radius, no save) man of weak faith whom some say
Corruption Index: 1 3 believes in nothing and so made his
4C 3; MV 1 2 HD 5; hp 33: THACO 15; own god, Zhakata the Devourer.
#AT 2; Dmg ld3/1d3; SA drain one Seeking to commune with the god he
level (Wis 4to notice), never surprised had invented, this wretched man used
MR 20%;SZ M (6' tall); ML. elite (13); a mage to open the gates to the outer
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 11, realms to summon his god. But, a
Chr 17; AL C E XP 5,000. being of great evil and despair
answered instead and taunted
Special Abilties: +1 or better Petrovna, telling him that his faith was
weapon to harm: resistant to false, his god a sham. The priest filled
electricity. fire. and poison (save at +4 with rage, slew the wizard who
for one-quarter damage); keen conjured the creature, and left the
senses; may summon wild beasts beast bound in a magical circle lost in
(ravens, snakes, or wolves) once per the wastes. From there this demon has
day; spell-like powers (5th level): tried to wrest control of G'Henna from
animal summoning, darkness 15[fml Yagno Petrovna.
radius, euil eye (charm monster,
charm person, E X fear, hypnotism, Malistroi is able to animate dead
suggestion), injravision (120 feet), and reshape the flesh and minds of
plane shiff(creates fog/mist, user those natives of G'Henna's outlands
cannot leave RAVENLOFTworld),
teieport without error. For details, see The Gentleman Caller
Domains ofDread, Chapter Two, and Incubus (lesser tanar'ri)
The Euil Eye (TSR #9497); also see Reality Wrinkle: 1,320-foot radius
the following section, "Vistani," Land-based Powers: Suggestion
Chapter Five. Corruption Index: 3
AC 0; MV 12, fly 1 8 (C); HD 6; hp 48;
Thief Abilities: MS 8096; HS 80%; THACO 15; #AT 2; Dmg ld3/1d,3; SA
kiss drains one level (Wis check at 4
cw 95%. to notice); MR 30%;S Z M (6' tall); ML
elite (13); Int exceptional (16); /iL
Tne c$mtlananQllw CE; XP 11,000,For details, see The
Euil Eye (TSR #9497) and Servants Of
Little is known of the creature named Darkness (TSR #9541).
the Gentleman Caller, but he appears
often in tales around our world. H e is a Special Abilties:+2 or better weapon
seducer of women, a schemer, and a to harm; immune to electricity, fire, and
tempter of the corrupt. His motives poison; half damage from cold and gas;
remain a mystery, but in his wanderings never surprised speaks language of
he aids the wicked and creates new victim: may gate a balor once per day;
monsters of darkness. spell-like powers (6th level): become
ethereal, charm person, clairaudience,
Mlistroi darkness 15[fmlradius, ESR infrauision
(120 feet), plane shin, shapechange
The creature called Malistroi is one of (any humanoid form),suggestion,
most powerful demons in our realms. telepathy, teleport withoul error.
An odd chimera, this creature has the
' f aform of a giant ape, and the tusks,
qalistroi
ialfeshnee (true tanar'ri) Lost beneath the Sleeping Beast
mountain range of Lamordia lies a
teality Wrinkle: 80-foot radius legendary creature called "Baltoi, the
Sleeping Beast." Those who have fled
.and-based Powers: Cause disease, her deadly coils report a beast that is
both hideous and beautiful to behold.
fetect magic, fear aura (line of s~ght, A monstrous 20 feet in length, this
wicked beauty is said to have the body
,aving throw vs. paralyzation, or of a serpent and the many-armed torso
of a maiden. Folktales relate the story
)aralyzed 2d6 turns), polymorph of how Eserine the sorceress bound
this demon deep beneath the earth in
ithers an enchanted sleep. But all magic
wanes with the passage of time, and
Iorruption Index: 15 this demon is bound to awaken at
some future time. Only her immense
i C -8; MV 12, fly 18 (D); HD 9; hp size will keep her imprisoned in her
$3;THACO 7; #AT 3; Dmg earthy tomb.
ld4/ld4/2d4; SA never surprised MR
70%;S Z H (20' tall); ML fanatic (17); The Sleeping Beast
Yarilith (greater tanar'ri)
nt godlike (21); AL CE; XP 17,000. Teality Wrinkle: 40-foot radius
_and-based Powers: Cause insanity
'or details, see Circle of Darkness (touch, effects as symbol of insanity),
:TSR #9493). confusion, corrupt life (acidic touch,
2d4 points of damage), hyper-
Special Abilties: +2 or better regeneration (if hit points fall below
zero, regenerate 10 hp/round until
N-eapon to harm; immune to healed), mass charm
Corruption Index: 20
zlectricity,nonmagical fire, 1st-3rd AC -9; MV 15, burrow 3; HD 24; hp
144; THACO 6; #AT 7; Dmg l d 8 + 8
eve1 illusions, and poison; half (x6)/4d6; SA constriction (Con check
or knocked out), never surprised; MR
3amage from cold, gas, magical fire, 70%; SZ H (20' long): ML fanatic
(18); Int genius (18); AL CE; XP
2iercing and slashing weapons; full 45,000. For details, see Adam's
Wrath (TSR #9439).
damage from cold iron; nightmare
Special Abilities: +2 or better
sprag (3iday): concentrates one weapon to harm; immune to electric-
round, then all within 60 feet suffer 1: ity, illusions, mind-affecting spells,
nonmagical fire, and poison; half
points of damage (saving throw VS. damage from cold, gas, magical fire;
gate any tanar'ri once per day; spell-
spell for 7 points of damage, then like powers (12th level): animate
dead, cause serious wounds, cloudkili
save at -2 or wander in a trance and comprehend languages, curse, dark-
ness 15[frn] radius, detect eoil, detect
experience a vision of fear for 1dlO invisibility, detect magic, infravision
(120 feet), polymorph self(7/day),
rounds: gate a babau or vrock once project image, pyrotechnics, telekine-
sis, teiepathy, teleport without error
per day; spell-like powers (12th level:
(always active) detect invisibility, ESf
know alignment. protection from
good; (at will) alterseli, bind, call
lightning, chill touch, darkness I5[fm
radius, distance distortion, feebleminc
forget, giant insect, infravision (120
feet), invisibility, mirror image, raise
dead, slow, telepathy, teieport iwithoL
-
error; web.
who have stumbled into his lair. These
agents have made repeated attempts
to assassinate the high priest and his
clergy, apparently looking for the key
to release the demon from his cage. It
is suspected that through years of
imprisonment the demon has become
wasted, denied food and other
energies necessary to maintain life
and vigor. Woe betide heroes who
stumble on this ravenous beast
f 3 unaware'
. , .. . . , .- .. . .
j a 3 1 i 3 if you prrnii -Stanley Kunitz
Around Pastor Bonhoeffer
4ihic evil, whaf ic he ood
4of he ood of your iife!
CUAFTFR~IX: a reality wrinkle is a shimmer in the air
and a very slight shift in the relationship
BATrLnwG PsMow between objects. Dr. Farringer and I
both detected this effect, and I
iends are perhaps the recognize it as the unmistakable sign of
deadliest foes any mortal Drigor’s presence. This barely
could ever face, yet they perceptible shift seems to be the most
have weaknesses. Proper common effect of reality wrinkles.
tactics, preparation, and
y yet win the day for those Unexplained murders: Reports of a
are powerful, smart,
prepared, and lucky. Those who would pattern of unexplained murders or
hunt the demon would do well to follow disappearances in a particular region
the suggestions in this chapter if they may point to the presence of a demon.
hope to defeat the creature while they This is particularly likely if the murders
and those they care for still live. or disappearances occurred over an
extended period of time.
DetectingthsP a o n
The key to this analysis, separating
The first step in destroying a demon is
learning of its existence. This task is demons from the more common
rarely simple, for the demon uses its murderous monstrosities, is the
masterful powers of manipulation, pattern-the signature, if you will, of the
illusion, and guile to hide its presence. crimes. The demon’s “signature” will
A direct sighting of a demon is of link these crimes to each other, though
course a sure sign, but such events are they be separated by many years or
extremely rare. Careful, informed many miles.
observation can detect the more subtle
signs of a demon’s existence. Cult activity: Evidence of organized
The wrinkle effect: An aware campaigns of destruction, banditry, or
observer can detect the presence of a ritualistic activity may be a sign of the
nearby demon by noting the effects of activities of a cult-the followers of a
its reality wrinkle. The outward effect of demon. While any group may be no
more than bandits, or a more benign
The noticeable effects of a reality secret society, each report bears
wrinkle are subtle. A hero must make
an Intelligence check with a 4 scrutiny.
penalty to notice the effect, and a Transformation: If you should hear a
Wisdom check at -4 to understand
what they perceive. These modifiers report that a person’s physical form is
changing, investigate immediately.
1 11 While they may have been transformed
awre reduced to -2 if the character is in some other manner, these people
a3wware of the existence of fiends. may also be caught in the midst of
transposition. Attempt to halt or reverse
I 1TThhere are no negative modifiers if the the process, if at all possible.
..h8- e..r.o a.ctiv.e^lIy..s^^e^Ie_^ks t.LhAe w.-r:..t7i1n- kle c.e-‘”+ffect Paladins: These warriors have a
place of honor in the battle against
demons. Paladins are particularly well
suited to battle these creatures, and
greatly assist in detecting them as well.
A paladin’s holy aura, comforting to his
allies and hated by his foes, also affects
the demon. The foul beasts are loath to
approach a paladin, and seem to move
and fight less effectively when they do.
The passage below demonstrates the
special antipathy between the demon
lnajira and Mrytok Greybeard, a veteran
sword. “Gods! Men, look alive!” he This ability, otherwise unknown in our
shouted. “Weare in mortal danger!” realms, may result from the strong
tension between the positive energies of
Moments after he uttered those the paladin and the dark aura of the
words, the creature appeared in the demon. They apparently may thus
sense the presence of a demon, an
now-familiarburst of smoke. With fangs invaluable aid to a group seeking such
frothing, lnajira cried, “Away with you, a creature!
old man! You and your kind are blots
WMng 1 m o n
on this miserable land. I cannot stomach
you. Begone, lest I slay you now!” Any warrior will confirm that one of the
keys to victory is information on the
Mrytok moved only to raise his grand nature and strength of the enemy. Such
knowledge is particularly vital when
sword in formal salute: “Foulbeast, you facing a demon. A single miscalculation
can lead to tragedy and disaster.
set m y eyes on fire, for I know now that
I have seen all the evil that lives in this Therefore, whenever hunters suspect
world wrapped in your corrupt visage. the presence of a demon, they must
conduct a thorough, painstaking effort
Join me in the dance, then! I f I need to to research their foe and gather a s
die, I would count it an honor to perish much information a s possible
concerning its actions and abilities.
while cutting apart the likes ofyou!” While doing so, avoid contact with the
-Zartin the Red demon at all costs. Premature contact
with the demon will only warn it of the
This passage and others in the book group’s activities.
show the natural enmity between
paladins and demons, and that paladins There are unfortunately few ways to
can sense a demon’s presence a s well. directly observe a demon except in
battle. I cannot recommend that
Even though a paladin’s ability to hunters attempt to infiltrate a lawful
demon’s cult. The probability of
detect evil does not normally function discovery and death-or worse,
corruption-is too high. Therefore,
on our world, paladins may detect observe the effect of the demon on the
land and people around it. What powers
fiends. Fiends are so evil that their does the demon apparently use? How
aura cuts through all the interfisrence
to reach the senses of a paladin. A
paladin can sense the presence of a
fiend’s reality wrinkle when he is
within 60 feet of its outermost edges.
This is whether he concentrates or
not. The paladin may not know
precisely what he senses, however,
e,sIrpecially i.f. he has n e v er enc.~ o u n t e r e d
~~~ ~
a1 fiend. The fiend, however, ceiln also
s,eennsse the paladin, knowing his exact
location.
, .t, I.
i . SEC;;ON, T m F~RST:
k does it seek to corrupt the .Deo.ple? Is It control ouer the beast. We must find its
phylactery.” I hesitated, still attempting
given to guile and intrigue, or blatant to find a way to extend our quest. I
displays of power? sensed that w e would soon be at our
Compare the answers to these goal, and I knew that my companions
questions with the passages in this
work, Demons are so rare in the lands and I would haue outliued our
that the one you face may be described usefulness to Strahd at that point. “ifw e
herein. Also, your observations of the haue it, then the creature will let us be.”
demon and its powers may ailow you to Strahd looked at me with a half-
smirk. “Zartin, while Inajira might
determine the demon’s nature-lawful
or chaotic-and from there lay sounder foolishly have let me acquire his Book
strategies and attack plans. Careful of Keeping, I am confident that he will
research to determine the nature and be a bit more cautious with his uery life
force. If you wish to seek out and battle
powers of the demon will greatly
enhance your group’s chance of him for his phylactery, you are free to
do so on your own time. Presently, you
survival. haue much more important tasks with
FhylaWm which to concern yourself:“
-2artin the Red
Demons enjoy a number of tremendous Autobiography of a Wandering Mage
advantages in combat. I have already
discussed their ability to teleport, but an Unlike the lich’s phylactery, it seems
even greater one is the fact that each
that a demon’s phylactery need not be
demon’s spirit-its true essence-is a precious item.
stored not in its body but in a separate The only demon phylactery that I
physical object. The only way to truly
destroy a demon, therefore, is to have had in my possession was
destroy this object. This power is very Drigor’s, a wondrous quill pen over 2
feet long and crafted of diamond,
similar to that of liches, and may
support the theory that demons evolved marble, and gold. Written accounts of
the Whistling Fiend most likely reveal
from these undead mages. For
convenience, I also refer to these its phylactery to be the wicked pike it
objects as phylacteries. carries; it is a constant element of all
reports. The same is true of the Beast of
I first came on a reference to
demonic phylacteries in the writings of Ehrendton’s whip.
Thus, it would seem, just as each
Zartin the Red, during a passage where
demon is unique, so too is each
Strahd is explaining the nature of the
demon Inajira: phylactery. Its nature and form are
undoubtedly linked to some strong
personality quirk of the demon. (Drigor
is obsessed with writing: the Whistling
“The Vistani haue been able to tell me
Fiend with random destruction: the
that thejackal-headed cur is not so
different from the foul lich. The beast Black Duke with driving underlings
bears its o w n chains. Not only does the mercilessly.) While I am unsure what
the destruction of a demon’s phylactery
fool need that precious book it seeks, would result in, I believe Strahd is
but since entering my realm, it must correct in his assumption that he who
ever be on guard to protect its own
possesses the demon’s phylactery will
spirit as well. Their divining magic- have some control over the creature. I
which is still, I must admit, more
powerful than m y own-tells me the hesitate to extrapolate too far from one
example, but Drigor did not attack
creature stores its life in some statue or
trinket. As is the case with the lich, I am Bethany while she held its phylactery.
As readers might know, the
conuinced that he who controls the
demon’s phylactery may haue some destruction of a lich’s phylactery leaves
'iendish Phylacteries Perhaps it is the same with demons.
'he phylactery of a fiend comes into However, during the short time 1
xistence as the creature enters the possessed Drigor's phylactery I was
AVENLOFT setting. The evil powers in unable to discern any method of
le campaign world split the fiends destroying it: we needed it for another
eing into two parts, creating for it a use. Drigor's phylactery served a s the
Tethod to return from certain death. key element in constructing a device
'he nature and powers of a fiend's that negated his ability to teleport.
shylactery in this campaign are
imilar to those of the lich (as noted The principal difficultyin forcing a final
1 Van Richten's Monster Hunter's confrontation between your party and a
:ompendium, Volume Two).When demon is the fact that the foul beasts
fiend's body is slain, its life force are tremendously mobile adversaries.
nmediately transfers to its The creatures all seemingly possess the
,hylactery. This occurs no matter ability to teleport, and may have other
yhere the body lies in relation to the useful spell-like powers a s well. To force
elic, so long a s both are in the the battle on the demon, its foes must
CAVENLOFT world. The fiend may somehow neutralize its mobility.
emain in its phylactery for an
inlimited time if awaiting or growing During my research, 1 discovered a
i new body. magical device which makes it possible
to hold a demon. Although devised by
After resting for at least 24 hours, the ill-fated Brother Micah, 1 know that
he fiend may search for a new this device works, for we used it in the
)hysical form. Unlike a lich, the fiend battle against the demon Drigor.
nust possess a living victim. The
December 30th
for this attempted theft of a J u s t before nightfall, as Samuel and I
iody are identical with the rules for
iossession, except that the fiend washed the p/ates,I heard a frantic
ieed not await a specific victim. pounding on the door. Alarmed, we
'Death" is still humiliating and seized our weapons and rushed to the
door Dr Farringer was due back from I1
nconvenient for the fiend, a s it. loses Aluk a n y day, a n d I feared-well, in
:he physical abilities of its natural any euent I opened the door and was
'orm. Still, it retains its Hit Dici?,
ntellect, and spell-like abilities,, and
"emains a powerful foe. Further, it
3ppears that, in time, the life force of
:he fiend can reshape its host's form
into that of its original shape.
The means to destroy a
phylactery vary in each case. The
Dungeon Master should devise a
particular method suitable for his
campaign. Destroying a phylactery
should be an arduous task requiring
quests for the proper site and
materials; then there is the danger o
summoning the fiend before the dee,
is complete. Indeed, destroying a
fiend's phylactery may be the basis
for an entire campaign itself.
If a fiend's phylactery is destroyec
the fiend dies and its evil essence
disperses.
shocked to find Bethany Madrigore! Eight pillars, 4 feet tall by 3 feet a
! I leapt back, then I saw her eyes. square, are then joined to the beam at
They shone clear and bright, and equal distances. The pillars must have
terrified. Clutching a large package to
sconces in their tops. Four other beams
are also joined to the circular beam,
her chest, she pleaded with me to take
her in. Without a word, I hurried her curving up and across the center of the
circle’s area. These each connect two of
inside. Locking all doors and readying
my wards, I bid Samuel prepare himself the pillars, forming a vaulted “ceiling”
for any emergency, He nodded calmly for the device. Connecting at the very
center of the circle, these beams should
and continued pouring a cup of cider.
In the sitting room in front of the measure 2 feet in width and height.
roaring fire, it was as if I had opened the A low, sturdy platform must be
floodgates! The young mistress of placed in the exact center of the circle.
This olatform must withstand the weiaht
Edrigan began pouring her heart and I
soul into my hands as she described the of the demon, and its dimensions
terror of life with the demon. should be approximately 1 foot in
height by 6 feet in diameter.
“He took me as he took us all, for Finally, a finely wrought, powerful
centuries! I had no hope, then you bolt of cold iron must be driven into the
came! Please, Doctor, you must destroy
him!”/ tried to soothe her, but she juncture of the wooden beams. An iron
chain several feet in length dangles
pressed the package into my hands.
‘‘This is his. I hope it helps,” she said. from it. A box, also of wrought iron,
“It is the only thing he cares about. must be suspended from the chain high
Keep it from him!” The shadows outside above the wooden platform. The device
my window darkened, and she cried may be constructed in sections, and
out in agony. She collapsed to the floor. assembled at the site of the battle.
When I looked up from her dead form,
the sky was clear again, but my blood The mystick cage requires a
ran cold. I quickly checked the package
minimum of one month to construct,
and found a most beautiful replica of a at a cost of 5,000 gold. For each 5
quill pen, made from marble and gems. feet in diameter above 30 feet, tkte
I knew instantly what it must be. That
poor child had given us Drigor’s cost rises by 1,000 gold pieces, and
phylactery. the preparation time increases by one
week. Standard rules in the DUNGMEOONN
-From the private journal of MASTERGuide concerning
Dr. Van Richten craftsmanship and material costs
Construction Activation
As with any magical item, the cage Upon assembling the cage at the
must be crafted with great care, from location of battle, the casters must fill
only the finest materials. Yet the relative the groove in the beam with holy water,
simplicity of design and materials of this and the sconces with consecrated
cage saves much of the time and
expense common to such efforts. tapers.
The final component is the true key
The physical frame of the cage is a
great wooden beam, which forms a to the ritual-the phylactery of the
circle. The beam itself must be 3 feet on target demon. Brother Micah’s notes
all sides, and the circle should be at called for the utterance of the demon’s
least 30 feet in diameter to true name in combination with a
accommodate the coming battle. The summoning ritual, and for some item
craftsman must cut a groove in the top representative of the creature to be
surface of this beam, 1 inch wide and 2 placed at the center of the platform. My
advisers, however, decided that using
, .. -I S E c r m N , T Iiis FIRST: of his words. So the Rue of us it is! We
Drigor’s phylactery would make the must make ready expeditiously, for
mystick cage even stronger. Drigor knows we haue his phylactery.
At this point, all those who will battle The cage for the ritual is nearly half
the demon must be inside the cage. The complete. The workmen are doing a
ritual requires at least four willing life superbjob under Annelyn’s
forces. The caster then inscribes a circle superuision. The phylactery was the
of protection against demons (see later) key-now that we haue it, we must
into the circular wooden beam. Lighting strike! I haue selected a location for the
the tapers, the caster speaks the final battle, an isolated patch ofgrassland,
words of power. With a roar, the protected from obseruatlon and remote
phylactery transfers from the platform from innocent interlopers. The flue of us
into the iron box, and the demon are gathering each night toplot spells
appears on the platform in its place. and strategy. I support fiue separate
The battle is joined! circles ofprotection around the demon,
one protecting each of us while we
The demon is trapped by the ritual, prepare our attacks. It isa sound
and cannot leave the cage until the method, and I belieue i f will work.
battle is done. However, the ritual also
exacts a price from its casters: while the -From the private journal of
tapers burn, the device holds, but it also Dr. Van Richten
drains strength from those battling the
demon. To sustain the containment, the While I have taken as much of this
device must have four willing life forces section as possible from personal
inside it. When fewer than four remain, experience and reliable sources, some
the spell is broken. of the information presented below is
theoretical at best. Should you seek to
DI:Farringer returned today and do battle with a demon, proceed
greeted the news of euents in her carefully, making full use of your
absence with the m u ofshock and faculties. Every demon is unique, and
excitement I had expected. thus every encounter will differ. Take all
of this information to heart, and use
I haue finally firmed up the list of what you may.
those who will be on the team to go up
against Drigor, and there were a couple Weapons: Demons are vulnerable to
of unexpected, last minute additions. enchanted weapons, although it may
take a particularly powerful blade to
Dr. Farringer grew furious when she penetrate a demonic hide. More readily
saw I had left her name off the list. She at hand, however, is iron. We have
will now bejoining Annelyn, who has evidence to show that the Whistling
developed the circles ofprotection we Fiend can be harmed by iron; it is
will use and who will actiuate the possible that all demons have this
Mystic Cage;Dauyyd, priest of Tyr, who weakness. Nonetheless, I advise you to
will prouide much-needed magic spells acquire the most powerful weapons
and a hefty mace; and myself in the possible.
battle.
Attack spells: Any use of magic
We were toying with the idea o f a against a demon is uncertain at best, as
four member team, the ritual minimum, all demons seem to have at least a
when Samuel walked into the room partial resistance to spells. Still, magical
and wrote his name on the sheet in attacks offer better odds than going toe-
front of me. He said, “Doc,you got to-toe with a demon.
nobody there who can swing a sword.
You need me.” A c i d While acid had absolutely no
effect on Drigor, this resistance may
I chided him, saying that no blade
was qoinq to win the da.u against the
demon, b;t I could not r&si thejustice
The Cage Ritual strike at you, Several examples of
The cage ritual has two versions, one useful defensive magic are set out
suitable for mages and one for clerics. below.
In either case, the ritual is the
equivalent of a 6th-level spell, Protection from evil: Demons are
requiring a 12th-level wizard or 1 lth- perhaps the most thoroughly evil
level cleric to cast. The spell requires creatures one will ever encounter in our
three turns (30 minutes) to cast. It realms, The spells which priests and
lasts so long as four of the original mages use to protect against evil may
group remain alive inside the c’ircle. be of great use against these creatures.
The magic drains 1 hit point per
round from each participant to sustain It is my understanding that the
the containment.
protection from evil spell grants the
The ritual traps the fiend and its
phylactery inside the area of effect. If recipient an aura of good similar to that
the fiend wins the battle, it is free to of a paladin, For the duration of the
take its phylactery and depart. spell, supernatural evil creatures such
as the demon may not touch the body
differ for each demon. The records of of the recipient, and find it much more
the city of Lekar contain an account of difficult to approach the individual or
a brief foray into the city by the attack them at all. This spell is only
Whistling Fiend ninety years ago. The useful defensively, for any attack on the
demon caused terrible casualties among demon nullifies its effects.
the efficient and aggressive Falkovnian
garrison. While units of infantry harried I spells protection from evil and
the demon, observers carefully watched
the beast, searching for weaknesses. Yet protection from evil, 1 0 radius
the demon’s most serious injury came
from its own actions in an alchemist’s functio,nn normally iinn the RAVENLOFT
shop. While therein, the demon swept
its pike across a high shelf, bringing a Circles of protection: One of the most
large jar of acid crashing to the floor. powerful defenses against a demon is
This acid burnt its legs terribly. causing the circle of protection. Commonly used
the demon to scream with rage. The by powerful conjurers when summoning
demon continued its rampage through elemental creatures or other
Lekar, limping and roaring with pain. supernatural foes, each of these circles
must be specifically designed for a
PefensiveSpells category of creature. Some circles are
crafted to contain a summoned
When facing a foe as powerful as a creature, while others encircle the
demon, strategies of defense are as caster and his allies.
important as strategies for attack.
Demons have many attacks, physical The mage Annelyn designed several
and magical, which can cause circles of protection for use against
tremendous damage. Powerful weapons demons, combining her own research
and mighty spells do little good if you with the notes we had uncovered. I
die before raising your sword! provide diagrams of these circles
elsewhere in this book, that all may
While a cunning brain and careful share this knowledge.
planning are the best defenses against
the demon, defensive magic is One circle of protection is a “General
invaluable as well. Particularly vital are Circle,” protecting against all demons.
magical defenses which allow you to The two other circles of protection are
attack the demon, but limit its ability to
designed to protect against
TE) subcategories of demons-lawful and
chaotic. Each of these circles is more
L powerful than a General Circle against
one type of demon, but weaker against
the other. Therefore, you must know
. ...
iqxrmq, PIE FIRST:
IIhaveMagic:Circles with certainty the alignment of the
CClrck:s of protection against fiends demon before you attempt to use one of
both clerical and magical these specialized circles.
versicIns. In both cases the spell is February 7th
5th le:vel, requiring either a scroll My hands still tremble to think of it.
or a I4th-level spellcaster. Two
different types of circles are Oh, gods! Why her? Why not me? Why
discussed below. must the blood of those I loue b e spilled
again and again?
Protection from Fiends One week past w e battled Drigor.
This version of the circle of
I protection will protect the caster Tense, but confident, trusting in
and a111within a IO-foot radius ourselues and our cause, we went to
1 again st up to 24 Hit Dice of fiends meet our fate.
of thr:proper alignment. The Annelyn summoned the demon. A
genei.a1 circle of protection spell gross mound of reeking flesh appeared
guarcIs against up to 16 Hit Dice of before us, cracking the platform with its
fiends3. A specific circle of weight, Nearly seuen feet fall and
almost as broad, its huge claws and
protection used against a fiend of ai dripping fangs completed the picture.
1 bPP0site alignment only wards off Circles cast, we buffeted the demon
12 HI:t Dice of fiends. Fiends may with potions, spells, and fire. While
I not enter these circles or attack some ofthe blows staggered it, Drigor
individuals inside them. was largely unscathed.
This spell requires no elaborate Then, the heady rush of battle left
prepzration and lasts 5d8 rounds.
Attarks out of the circle are possible, me. “My friends,” Drigor said, “What
have I done to warrant such rough
as art2 attacks into the circle by fiend: treatment?Please, let us discuss this
with Inore Hit Dice than the circle car
like rational beings.”
protect against. My companions faltered, too. I felt a
Circhss to Confine Fiends waue ofguilt sweep ouer me. A n
MEigic circles designed to confine apology formed on my lips-how I
fiend:j are crafted as part of the detest myseiffor that weakness now-
binding and gate spells. but Drigor spoke first.
impSF0bseeciaal-i2zedpecniracllteysoonf protection
the fiend’s “I, too, am a scholar and philosopher,
Doctor: l a m sure w e can settle our
savin1g throw to resist the circle differences rationally.” Then the foul
when1 used properly. However, they creature looked at the glowing circles
grant: the fiend a +2 bonus to its around our feet. It roared with glee,
savinig throw if the fiend is of a “However, ifyou want a fight, you will
differ‘ent alignment. For example, if have it!”
Anne:lyn attempts to trap a chaotic
tanai.‘ri in a circle of protection Drigor whirled, seizing Samuel, and
I agair1st chaotic fiends, :;he gains a
+2 tC) her attempt to control the dragged him through the circle toward
, or a -2 to its saving throws. his maw!
Zver, if Annelyn mistakenly
I suddenly once again saw Drigor for
a circle of protection against the horrible creature he is. I threw a uiai
11 fiends, the tanar’ri gains the of the flammable concoction I had
onus to its saving throws
secured from the alchemist, but it had
1st the spell. General circles of no effect. He sank his hideous fangs into
Samuel, who screamed--oh, how he
xtion provide no modifiers to screamed!
‘r party.
I blacked out. When I awoke some
hours later, the cage lay burned and
CPbroken, and bodies ofmy friends lay all
around me. It was hours more before I These are the sources used to create
cou[d think again. The circles were this work, as well as a small sampling
of others particularly useful to my
wrong, and it was my doing! I research. Interested readers should
search out tomes to further their
convinced them Drigor was lawful! The understanding of the enemy. Knowledge
circles were worthless, and dear is our greatest weapon in the battle
Ottelie-and the others-re dead. against evil.
Bluemenstin, Dr. Jacov. Philosophical
-From the private journal of
Dr. Van Richten DiscoursesAmong Supernatural
Beings: Higher Truths or Tribalism?
As I pen the final page of this treatise, I Farringer, Dr. Ottelie. Illustrated Manual
feel a great weariness settle across my
shoulders. It has taken far greater effort of Linguistic and Scriptural
to create than any of my previous Aberrations Indicative of Mental
works, yet much less has been Disease.
achieved. I feel empty. Grimfoot, Glental. Silent Speech: Mental
Communication Among Supernatural
The evil embodied by the demon is Beings.
so monstrous and elusive. Still, I must Ironhand, Sir Armand. The Beast of
believe that if not for my tragic error, Ehrendton.
the battle with Drigor would have gone Joonker, Ephraim, and Legothlin
differently. It is the only comfort I have Greenleaf. Heightened Reality: The
as I stand over the raw earth of my Sensory Powers of Sentient
friends' graves. Nonhumans.
Kelman, Dr. Daffyd. Comparatiue
The demon casts death and destruction Toxicology: Pestilence, Poisons and
about casually, delighting in human Plague Between the Species.
suffering.Its monstrous power is matched Kilday, Dr. Jethra. Desire: The
only by its brilliant cunning. Remember Unconscious Guide.
this, and beware! My conscience weighs Terelleian, Archmage Jacktin. Wizards,
heavily now, and I do not need more Magic and Magical Items: A Primer
deaths added to this burden.
for the Serious Scholar.
Every person whom I have cared for
in my life has fallen prey to the forces Tellurian, Dr. A. R. H. Premises of
of evil. From my son, Erasmus, to the Magickal Study.
present day, every time I have dared to
love, to hope for a happier life of quiet Zartin the Red. Autobiography o f a
contentment with a like-minded Wandering Mage.
companion, my dreams have been
shattered. Why am I spared, time and
again, when so many good and brave
souls die before my eyes? I know that I
committed a great evil when I first
started down the path I now tread, but
surely I, and those I have dared loved,
have paid for that crime. Surely, justice
has been served by now? This query,
which no research can answer, gnaws
at my soul.
I hope the few words in this book
will cause the reader to beware the
demon, and insure that the young men
and women who take up the fight
against evil will suffer less than I, and
be purer of heart than I . In them lies
3 our future and our hope.
... ... . . .
shadows of the RAVENLOFTcampaign, in classic tales of temptations,
fiends (even the whisper of the supernatural bargains gone wrong, and
existence of fiends) should most chill
the consequences of accepting deals
. . .. .....-... . . . ...
I one of a type that
rounds up and punishes
-king their duty to the
Ir?
:he fiend's enemies? Why
it odds with it? How does
ty affect the fiend-and
iturers? Would they assist
s in trying to destroy it?
?yexpect some sort of
r doing so? And are they
e fiends enemies, or are
another layer of the
s-minions acting as if
memies just to ferret out
j opposition?
ollowing archetypes
fiendish personalities:
ilator: Manipulation and
standard elements of the
almost any fiend. The
:omplex plots to amuse
ote evil, to ensure its
o pursue its goals of
?dam.
nanipulation, fiends are
pt at the techniques of
persuasion, convincing
.troy themselves and
e. Fiends carry out
actions through mortal
they have possessed,
herwise manipulated.
end's efforts will take
reements and contracts
rom the initiation of
nd throughout its efforts
shadows of the campaign
.I1 fiends, whether lawful
honor-bound by the
heir agreements with
list the spirit of the
3dvantage of every vague
:ry opportunity for willful
ing.
prefer to reveal a s little
their true nature to
:han their closest
are generally skilled in
bapechanging,
Id other magical forms
rhey often appear in a
helpless or sympathetic mortal guise, iajor forces in their own
appealing to adventurers i.0 aid them 1 every meaningful way a s much
in some seemingly innocuous or ners there as the heroes are.
worthy task. :rids are accustomed to moving
gh many planes of existence at
The fiend's true goals should iere, although a fiend may be
remain mysterious to all but itself, to cross the borders of the variou:
hidden beneath layers of imeaning in tins unchallenged, it is unable to
the same way that the fieiid remains the RAVENLOFTworld. This
hidden behind a series of agents, and ity to come and go as it pleases
shifting forms. iainful, claustrophobic state for a
ure used to traversing multiple
For example, a fiend attempting to ies with but a thought, and many
gain control of an artifact that might s devote their best efforts to
turn all residents of Mordent into ig a way out.
mindless drones under its control .entually,most fiends become so
might use an institution of higher ?rate to escape that they fall prey
learning a s its front. While the teachers LOrernptation and seize some of the
power they can gain by yoking
and students at this academy espouse themselves to the land. If such a fiend
the lofty goals of educating even the is not careful, it will find itself an
lowliest peasant so he may become a integral part of the RAVENLOFwT orld,
free thinker and captain of his destiny, and thus unable to leave the land even
all new students must first spend three should it manage to find some means
months in total isolation from the rest of escape. Additionally, the fiend's
of the world. During this time, the circle of influence is very small to begin
hapless individuals are stripped of all with, and becomes smaller with every
free will and original personality new power the fiend accepts from the
through torture and spells., then land, circumscribing it more and more.
"reprogrammed" into unswervingly In effect,the fiend falls victim to the
loyal minions of the fiend. same temptations it uses so readily to
corrupt mortals. As it recognizes the
The fiends are age-old creatures true nature of the trap, it is not unaware
with vast experience to draw . Fiends of this great irony. Each fiend reacts
never rely on only one plan of differently to this turn of events, but
most fiends find the irony unbearable.
corruption or one means of escape, Fiends of this kind tirelessly
pref.e.rr.in? goptotiopnrso.vide themselves with attempt to discover or create magical
gates or other means of escape. They
trated Obsessive: The fiends will often use mortal newcomers to
N dweil on the RAVENLOFTworld the RAVENLOFs~etting as pawns in
their elaborate, long-range schemes,
such as trying to fill the labyrinthine
sewer systems OF one city with gates
leading to any number of the Abyssal
Planes. When its schemes fail, the
fiend vents its frustration on its pawns
(an event that could spell the dooin of
an entire city and all but the cleverest
of heroes) and grows ever more
determined to prove its superiority by
finding some way out. Of course, this
requires more power, which evil
magical beings and forces can easily conflict between the baatezu and
provide, but it becomes even harder tanar'ri for the total control of all that
is evil. The ultimate goal of this type of
to leave. fiend is still victory for itself and
The Philosopher: A fiend such as its kin, even if that contest is far
removed from the campaign world. In
Drigor. Van Richten's shator enemy, fact, this fiend may have originally
might take a more phi1osophic;sl
attitude toward being trapped i n the come to the game world to harvest
RAVEN LO^ world. Such a fiend is an minions to serve as slaves or other
erudite intellectual who takes great pawns in the war.
pleasure in attempting to dissect the
nature of its circumstances. A Although still obsessed with finding
philosopher fiend involves itself in a way to leave the campaign world,
complex studies of the nature of the this type of fiend constantly pursues
world itself, sending mortal pawns into raw power so that it can return in
any sort of situation or location where triumph to the Outer Planes. For the
their actions (or mere presence) is Blood Warrior, nothing would be worse
likely to answer some question about
the world. These fiends use the than to escape confinement but report
mortals that surround them as a to its superiors that it spent a century
scientist uses rats in a laboratory. doing nothing for the cause. Because
of the fiends perceived need for power
Of course, such a fiends curiosity and resources, it is more likely to
and intellectual exploration do not in come into direct conflict with the
any way mitigate its utter, viciszus evil. campaign world's evil powers, and the
Rather, its evil will often come through heroes may he caught in the middle.
mn!it clearly in the cold and callous
way it uses sentient mortals in its The Blood Warrior recruits mortals
experiments, inflicting untold physical,
mental, and emotional suffering in the tainted by the campaign's evil powers,
pursuit of knowledge. Whether it makes deals with powerful evil beings,
operates in a quiet laboratory, tricks and does anything else that might give:
heroes into entering the vast emptiness
it an edge when it returns to its home
of t,he Shadow Rift, or incites a war to
plane.
study mass hysteria, the fiend cares This fiend also carries the rivalries
nothing for any being other than itself.
of the Blood War with it into the game
'To these ends, the philosopher fiend world, and if it learns of the presence
may roam the lands in whatever guise of any other fiends (particularly one
best suits its purpose, or it may from the opposing side), it will likely
remain in a particular laboratory or seek to continue the war on this new
library for decades. Even mcNre than its
freedom, such a fiend desires to battleground.
control what it views as the immense For examule. if the Whistlinq
evil possible within the campaign. It is
doomed to fail, but it will pursue this Fiend entered Nova Vaasa, theBlack
goal nonetheless.
Duke would undoubtedly learn of its
The Blood Warrior: Although presence. Being of a fanatical
residents of the game world are
unaware that fiends have their own military mindset, the Black Duke
societies and social structures on their would use all its might, including
home plane, fiends have nol. forgotten loyal cultists and its own fiendish
their heritage. powers, to destroy this "enemy
scout." Since it is standard procedure
Certain fiends (for example, the on the Outer Planes to wage war wilh
gelugon and balor) remain primarily little concern for collateral damage,
focused on the Blood War, the epic this miniature version of the Blood
War could devastate entire regions of
the RAVENLOFcaTmpaign, and
averting such a collision of evil is the
stuff of epic tales.
The Servant of Evil: This fiend Demiplane of Dread domain lords to
their lands may seek to establish such
iedicates itself to building a power a connection for itself. Such a fiend,
,ase and expanding its domain on the may try to destroy a domain lord
~AVENLOFTworld. Whether it is rather than forge an alliance, hoping to
gain control over the entire domain.
:onscious of this servitude or not, this The heroes may even be pressed into
iend has been seduced by local evil service or used a s pawns by one side
or the other.)
orces commanding powei:ful magic. It
s so tied to the world now that its Other personalities and
iesire and efforts to return to the other combinations of the above
,lanes have greatly weakened. The personalities are possible, and should
lower offered by local evil beings, and
he many souls on the world for the claims different powers from the land.
,aking,have seduced th Dungeon Masters should feel free to
.horoughly as the fiend 1 develop unique land-based powers
;educed a mortal. As wi besides those described in this
Jictims, a Fiend seduced volume. Such powers, designed with
:he world has lost its sel attention to balance and playability,
#ill, and ability to forge add to the flavor of a campaign and
keep the characters wary.
iestiny. It is trapped.
The primary interests weaknesses
x e now the expansion ( The Dungeon Master should create
3ocket domain in the re flaws and weaknesses in addition to
(an impossible task, giv the ones mentioned in Van Richten’s
3f its bargains with the 7 discussion. These can be flaws in the
fiends character or judgment a s well
powers); increasing its I as physical weaknesses. Each fiend
should have some weakness that the
power; and influencing more mortals heroes can exploit, some chink in its
to fall under the sway of evil. If fiends apparent invulnerability, so the heroes
were not so utterly evil, it might be have a chance of defeating it with skill
truly pitiable to find a fiend that good roleplaying, and determination.
believes it is struggling to break free of
the world when all the while it works to One possible weakness is
Further enslave itself. overconfidence. Because they are
among the most powerful beings in
Heroes are likely to encounter this the world, fiends may underestimate
kind of fiend serving a s the head of a opponents. A fiend may be bored from
its long years of imprisonment and
cult that is devoted to new and
magnanimous gods. The deities of this
pantheon will always be touted a s
watching over the cultists, and as
growing stronger from their acting out
their innermost desires. Services
always take place out-of-doors in
natural settings, and it is likely that
this fiendish cult will be mistaken for a
twisted kind of druidic order. However,
the violent and depraved nature of the
worshipers--and their leader-should
soon dispel such confusion. Soon, it
should becc,me evident that this cult is
working to Idrain power from the land,
to strengtht:n their leader so he may
“travel to thle Great Beyond.”
(Of courje, a fiend whB3 recognizes
the intimate: connection of the
lecide to play with dangerous ..
tdventurers for amusement.
Entire campaigns can be built
Another fiend may have a tendency around the theme of deception, with
oward procrastination or habitually the party striving to separate fact from
werplan its schemes. Having centuries fiction, to discover the whole truth, and
)f life behind them and contemplating to learn the identity of their nemesis.
iuch a long span in their futures, many
iends take a long time in planning and A common element of an adventure
,re perhaps too meticulous. Or, they based on deception will be the pitfalls
eel that tomorrow is a s good a time to of bargaining with a fiend. Fiends
.espond to something a s today. adeptly prey on mortals in their
moments of weakness, offering quick
Finally, a fiend's own love of and easy solutions to seemingly
.angled webs of deception may be its insurmountable problems, or promises
veakness. Masters of deceit, fiends of wealth and power to those who covet
,re often unable or unwilling to trust material success. Bargains struck with
ithers, even their allies. Some fiends these monsters may result in some
n a y be incapable of uttering the short-term gain, but in the long run the
:ruth even when doing so might hidden cost of the bargain takes its toll.
jerve them better.
Mortals who rely on a fiend rather
Regardless of weaknesses, the than themselves are drawn into a
3ungeon Master must always bear cycle of dependency. They become
:he I'iend's cunning and intelligence in so accustomed to relying on the fiend
nind. Under most usual circum- and its powers (even when those
jtances, a fiend is more than intelli- powers deliver less than what was
gent enough to compensate for its promised or exact a terrible price)
weaknesses; its failings will only that they find themselves no longer
become evident if the heroes succeed able to exist on their own. They
in rattling the creature first. become creatures without free will,
pawns to the powers of darkness.
Writing Fiwd A%* Trapped, the victims are doomed to
watch their downfall approach.
Four core themes, together or
separately, should play a role in an In an adventure of deception, the
adventure featuring a fiend: deception, heroes seek to right what went wrong,
corruption, terror, and devastation. or perhaps to find the cause of the
When a party crosses paths with one of distress and avenge themselves or
these entities, it is a major campaign their friend. However, such
event, with ramifications not soon investigations can lead the heroes
forgotten. When heroes tangle with
fiends, they should feel lucky to return
with their lives and alignments intact.
Deqfion
The fiends trapped in the RAVENLOFT
world have frighteningly dark intellects
ancl practice deception on a grand
scale to achieve their ends. Adventures
centering around deception, as many
or most adventures involving fiends
will, contain layer upon layer of agents
and hidden meaning. Nothing will be
as it seems.
m t o the trail of the fiend and can One thing for Dungeon Masters to
also provide clues about the nature, remember is to give the heroes
powers, and motives of the enemy. It glimpses of the truth through the lies,
is very difficult for the heroes to truly even in a campaign built entirely
solve the problems that put them on around deception. First, this allows
this path, for they generally cannot them to eventually defeat the fiend, if
change the past, cannot force the they are cunning enough; while fiends
fiend to change the past, and dare are terribly intelligent, they are fallible.
not bargain with the fiend for Second, there are few things more
satisfaction lest further disaster result. terrifying than for the heroes to be
Perhaps, then, they can embark on stranded on an island, surrounded by a
a quest to prevent the fiend from stormy sea, only to learn from a hermit
completing the corruption of another that their supposed benefactor is, at
mortal, averting a similar disaster that very moment, preparing to slay
elsewher-r perhaps the fiend the maiden they were trying to protect.
tricks them into an unwitting bargain
that traps them in its web of deceit ConVpfiOP
a s well.
A central motivation of all fiends is to
Another possibility for adventure taint the souls of mortals with evil.
sees the fiend directly manipulating Fiends seduce them with promises of
the heroes or their enemies to serve their heart's desire, and thus lure them
its own goals or needs. Either in down the path of darkness. Attemptins
disguise or through agents, the fiend to halt or reverse the effectsof such
hires the heroes or provides them corruption can make for fascinating
with some information concerning a and challenging adventures.
monster, treasure, or mystery that
they are sure to act . Regardless of On a societal level, the corruption
the quest, the effortsand suffering of spawned by a fiend is often manifested
the heroes go to further the cause of in bizarre cults, which some lawful
this foul creature. Often, the heroes fiends find amusing or useful. These
may not even realize they have been fiends promise riches, power, or
used to further evil until after the rewards in the afterlife to their follower:
damage sought by the fiend has in exchange for unswerving devotion,
been done. rigid intolerance, and violence to
achieve the fiends' ends. Another
A fiend might also use the charac- symptom of fiendish taint may be
ters' greatest desires against them by disorganized pseudoreligions devoted
appearing to be a friend. It might, for solely to debauchery or random acts o!
example, urge them to build or dis-
cover a portal out of the campaign violence (the cults of a chaotic fiend).
world, supporting them against all
who oppose them. In such an adven- The heroes may be drawn into
ture, the fiend is less likely to harm action against a fiendish cult by
the characters, for they are, in effect, opposing social policies that the cult is
acting as its minions. Once the portal trying to impose. They may anger the
is secured, the fiend would use its fiend by defending innocent villagers.
powers to go through and try to The heroes may also be hired or
destroy it so the characters cannot volunteer to attack or defend against
follow. Of course, a s it escapes, the marauding cultists, or may encounter
fiend would reveal its true nature, groups of cultists working against them
leaving the heroes trapped in the while they are on what they believed tc
game world knowing they had loosed be an adventure completely unrelated
a great evil on countless unsuspect- to any of these issues. Exploring the
ing realities.
origins of the cult or penetrating deepe
into the inner circle of believers then
leads the heroes to evidence of the Fiends are not native to the
existence of a fiend. RAVENLOFTcampaign setting. No one,
not even Dr. Van Richten, knows the
Combining such a plot with the true extent of fiends’ abilities. This
them’eof deception, a campaign might unknown quality of fiends lends itself
feature a cult that is believed by the to terror.
general populace to be devoted to
good. Even the heroes are occasional A creative Dungeon Master can
ageni:s of the cultists and their exploit the powers and mystery of
grandfatherly leader, the “master of fiends to promote an exhilarating
the one true path.” However, they sense of terror. The raw physical
gradually uncover that the master is power of a fiend in a direct
actually a fiend, and that which the confrontation is enough to stun (and
cult promotes a s light is actually the easily defeat) low- to moderate-level
blackest evil. In their attempts to adventuring parties. But the true
unmask and thwart the evil, the terror that a party may experience
characters become outcasts, hunted reaches beyond that superficial level.
by friends and foes alike; not only The magical and mental abilities of a
must they guard against the fiend’s fiend can defeat a party even more
evil servants, but they must be leery of easily than its physical power, and the
those of good heart who have been sense of an omnipotent or omniscient
misguided. The heroes are in a race adversary manipulating events from
against the fiend for the fate of an behind the scenes can cause great
entir’ecommunity. fear and frustration.
On an individual level, the heroes One adventure might involve the
might battle the corrupting effectsof a heroes being stranded in some remote,
fiend,by attempting to save a person desolate region, perhaps a barren
(perhaps even a hero!) who has been plain. Low on supplies and possibly
possessed by a fiend, or who is in the injured, they find themselves stalked
process of transposition. Adventures by a mysterious being that is picking
like these, fought over the battleground them off one by one. This is a fiend
of the mortal spirit, present exceptional that is toying with the party, starting by
opportunities for roleplaying and killing off lower-level companions of
character development. Saving an the heroes. Weapons and spells have
individual from transposition is seemingly no effect on the monster,
extraordinarily difficult, a s is wresting and just as it seems hopeless, they
someone from the grasp of a fiend. come upon a magical healing spring
Yet while the risks are great, the heroic and the shack of a humble mystic. The
reward is equally great. mystic has just the herbs needed to
ward off the fearsome beast, but she
Tm needs the heroes to perform a small
service for her. The “mystic” is really
From the time we were very small, the fiend in disguise, and the heroes
we have feared things we do not might just be frightened enough to
understand. For some of us, enter into a bargain with it.
monsters hid in the closets. For
others, things lurked under our beds DBvastafion
at nights. And there were always
those strange, unexplainable sounds. Beneath their varied exteriors, fiends
Fiends are perhaps the ultimate have one thing in common: They
terr,or for mortals in our realms. They come from the Lower Planes-the
come from the outer darkness- battlegrounds of the eternal Blood War.
inexplicable, alien, extraordinarily They are warriors, capable of massive
powerful and utterly evil. carnage. As the heroes learn more
i
!I,; ' , champion of goodness of growing
renown, he and his companions are
., hot on the trail of a serial killer who
targets young lovers. The hero
A.' discovers that the love he has
considered ideal was all a sham: His
about their enemy, the threat of beloved is an erinyes who would
terrible destruction should hang over have slain him had she had the
them like a cloud. chance. Now, driven insane by a
failed power ritual, the erinyes is
The theme of devastation can be preying on all who love. The hero
introduced into the campaign from and his companions will have to
the outset. The party may hear of destroy her before the hero pays the
incidents of mysterious deaths, ultimate price for once loving a fiend
mutilations, or even the destruction in the body of a woman.
of entire villages and small towns.
The cause is a fiend that has gone Once heroes encounter a fiend,
mad during its imprisonment in the once they have been exposed to its
game world. Or, perhaps it suits multilayered schemes and lies where
some fiendish purpose to have the appearance of ultimate good
minions roam the countryside slaying might simply be a veneer over the
at will. The sheer brutality of these blackest evil, they may never be
acts should keep any heroes worth certain of their place in the world
their salt on the creature's tail, even again.
after they learn that it has the power
to kill them ten times over. As Dr. Van Richten warned in his
introduction to this volume, "Those
Beyond the threat of physical who fight the good fight always risk
destruction lies the threat and the the possibility of wounds that may
reality o f the destruction of t h e never heal, wounds of the spirit."
mortal spirit, or the destruction of Fiends touch the darkest of
the emotional framework or the humanity, and in doing so they color
intellectual frame of reference of the even the brightest within. While the
heroes or characters. This type of dying vow of a fiend-a vow that the
destruction, in which the worldview hero will come to see that all he
of the characters is shattered, is a considered wholesome is truly that
common result of a fiend's activity. which is foul and putrid-is j u s t one
final, empty lie, the heroes will
A possible scenario could revolve always be uncertain whether they
around a long-lost love of a hero. have been tainted by the experience
When young, his first love was a or not, and never again will they
charming and stunningly beautiful know for sure if they are truly on the
woman. H e left on an adventure, only side of good.
to find her gone when he returned; he
has pined for her ever since. Now a While the heroes may destroy a
fiend, even to the point of blasting its
very essence into nonexistence, the
very exposure to its evil may haunt
them for the rest of their lives. Even
in their victory, they suffer a degree
of defeat. If a Dungeon Master can
properly convey this emotion, then
the group has captured the true
horror behind fiends.
...
-- --=-~
L (Wcare ihc musrrrnakcrs.
2 n d we are the drcamcn of dreams.
(YUandennq by lone sea breaken,
i
2 n d srtirnq by desolate strcams.
L
@7orId-/osers and worid-forsaken
zet 4On whom the pale moon hams William Edgar O’Shaughnessy
we arc the movers and shaken “Ode”
Of ihc world former. scems
-Arthur
~rn!3PUCTKW these evil creatures, and many of them
have been properly expunged from the
or more than three world as a result. Yet I do not believe that
decades, now, I have this land of ours is any purer for my
undertaken to investigate efforts. And I must wonder: How many
and expose creatures of brave young heroes have sought glory,
armed with my research, and met
’ darkness to the purifying unspeakable ends in spite of it? How
many have died (and worse) through
1,;- 3 t ~ : d t hand knowledge. “Hero“ I some crucial omission of fact, some
am named in some circles: “sage” and subtle failure to report the whole truth
“master hunter” I am called in others. about one of those monsters? How many
That I have survived countless of my own, precious comrades have
supernatural assaults is a marvel suffered-perished-as i collected data
among my peers; my name is spoken for my infamous guidebooks? Was there
with fear and loathing among my foes. ever so ignominious a scholar as myself?
In truth, this “virtuous” calling began It matters little that my beloved friends
and comrades-at-arms entered freely into
as an obsessive effort to destroy a my company. Small compensation that
many of them have expressed a profound
vampire who murdered my child, and it sense of fulfillment in aiding my cause,
has become for me a tedious and bleak even in the midst of their premature death
career. Perhaps Lord Azalin enjoys the throes. The indisputable fact remains that
mantle of nobility as he sits at Castle I am ever awash in their blood, drowning
Avernus, but nobility is a dead weight in guilt, surely lost to redemption for my
part in their destruction.
hung from my own neck, and it grows
heavier each passing day. Even as my Without doubt, to accept my company
life of hunting monsters began, I felt the is to embrace doom, and I cannot deny
weight of time on my weary shoulders. awareness of that fact. From the very
Today I am a man who has simply lived beginning of my quest to destroy
too long. Like a regretful lich (as I creatures of evil, I have carried Death
suspect Lord Azalin to be!), I find myself itself with me like a virulent disease,
inextricably bound to an existence I infecting all who dared to walk with me!
sought in madness and, seemingly, must
now endure for all eternity. Of course I 4 Confession
shall die, but whether I shall ever rest in
my grave haunts my idle thoughts, and I expect that those who think me a hero
torments me in my dreams. will change their minds when they know
By now, I can consider myself an
expert on vampires, ghosts, liches,
f i lycanthropes, golems, mummies, and all
their ilk. Much have 1 written concerning
. .__” . .. ..
the whole truth about my life as a hunter surreptitiously take my son in exchange
of the unnatural. Nevertheless, I must for their loss! By the time I realized what
reveal, here and now, that I have been had occurred, they were already an
the indirect yet certain cause of many hour gone.
deaths, and the loss of many good
friends. Mistake me not! I do not merely Incensed beyond reason, I strapped
feel sorry for myself. Rather, I come to the body of the dead Vistana to my horse
grips with a devastating realization:
and doggedly followed that caravan
Though I would not at first through the woods of western Darkon,
acknowledge it, and for quite some time naively allowing the sun to set before me
could not even concede the possibility, I without seeking shelter from the night.
now see that I am the object of a Shortly after darkness fell, I was beset by
baneful Vistani curse. More tragically, monsters who would have slain me, had
the nature of this hex is such that I have not Lord Azalin himself intervened and
not borne the brunt; instead, far worse, spared my life, for reasons that I do not
those who surround me have fallen completely understand. He somehow
victim to it! Let me go back to the
beginning, to the day I became an detected me and, with his powerful
unwitting tool of darkness, and enhance magic, took control of a pack of zombies
the reader’s perspective with the whole that wandered in the forest. He spoke to
truth, withheld until now. me through the mouths of the dead
things, a feat doubtless easy for him to
In my Guide to Vampires, I related perform if he is, as I believe him to be, a
the tragic story of how my only child wizard-lich.
Erasmus was taken by Vistani and sold
to the vampire Baron Metus. I explained In short, Lord Azalin placed a
how Erasmus was made a minion of the magical ward against undead on me,
night stalker, and how it was my then animated the dead Vistana and
miserable part to free him from that fate bade me learn if it still possessed the
at the point of a stake. Finally, I ability to travel by magical means
recounted the woeful loss of my
beautiful wife Ingrid, murdered by that common to all Vistani, and thereby find
same Baron Metus in retaliation for my its people. Unfortunately (I say in
successful (if one could call it that) hindsight), the plan worked. I found the
reclaiming of my son. child-stealers, but my unwelcome
entourage included a growing horde of
All that is true enough, and it pains
me still these many years later. What I voracious undead that could not touch
have neglected to illuminate is how I me, thanks to Azalin’s ward.
tracked those Vistani kidnappers across
the land, or how I “extracted Erasmus’s There is only a little more to tell, but
whereabouts from them. To think back it is the most difficult to report. I make
on it fills me with remorse and self- no excuses for my actions: Indeed, none
loathing, yet I must let the full truth be can be made. When I found the
told before I can proceed to the subject caravan, I threatened to set the zombies
of this, my latest treatise. on the Vistani unless they returned my
In fact, the Vistani took Erasmus with dear boy. They replied that he had been
my own, unwitting permission. They
had brought an extremely ill member of sold to Baron Metus.
their tribe to me one evening and Something inside me snapped. I went
insisted that I treat him, but I was
unable to save the young man’s life. In insane with fury and released the
fear of their retribution, I begged the zombies, and the entire tribe was eaten
Vistani to take anything of mine if they alive! I brought about the horrifying deaths
would only withhold their terrifying of them all! Yet the story has not ended.
powers, of which I knew nothing. To my
Before she died, the leader cursed
If3
me, saying, “Liveyou always among
‘L n
monsters, and see everyone you love
die beneath their clawsr’ Even now, so
manv vears later, I can hear her words
Erasmus and lnarid were ruthlessly torn with deadly intent. Witless and
from my loving arms, and I foolishly
believed that the curse had exacted its frightened, I cried out like a snatched
deadly toll. I wept until an insatiate babe in the jaws of a fleeing wolf.
desire for vengeance filled the
bottomless rifi in my heart. “Fear not, Rudolph Van Richten,” said
Now, after more than three decades a gravelly, male voice. “I am come to
of bloodshed and agony and loss, it has heal you. I am come to heal us both.”
slowly dawned on me that the Vistana’s
curse had never slaked its own thirst for Hastily I lit a lantern by my bed and
revenge. Reluctantly determined to
know the truth, I at last consulted with held up the light to see my uninvited
lnarin Alster, a diviner wizard of no visitor. By then I had steeled myself
small ability, and he confirmed my against the unexpected. Yet still I gasped
worst fears! aloud, for the man had the look of a
darkling, a creature who was once a
The curse lingers even to this day, Vistana but was cast out of his tribe for
and all the true and stalwart friends I breaking a law or taboo. My first thought
have known and lost are victims, not of was that he had come to murder me as
outrageous fortune, but of my actions. a means to appease his former people.
True to the words of the dying Vistana,
my life has been shielded from fate Dark-skinned and gaunt, he gazed at me
again and again, while those whom I
esteem above any treasure have taken with eyes that burned cold. His bony
my place! For my nearly forgotten act hands rested in his lap, yet his long,
of hatred, I have served up the flesh of jagged fingers flexed slightly, as if he
my most cherished companions to feed
the appetites of darkest powers! might suddenly lash out at me.
I seized the silver dagger which I
When the horrifying enormity of my
revelation swept over me, I railed keep beneath my pillow and brandished
bitterly at the cruel irony of my life. I it at him, yet he made no move except
recklessly swore to burn every word I to smile grimly.
had ever written, and very nearly did so.
I even contemplated deliberately ending “I am Arturi Radanavich,” he told
my wretched existence in the most
violent of ways. Most of all, I cursed the me, and waited for the name to sink in.
Vistani, who had made a monster of me Sink in it did.
and a mockery of my most noble Radanavich was the surname of the
aspirations, and I swore to murder every
last Vistana I could find. Vistani tribe that stole my son, and
whom I slaughtered in revenge! My jaw
Thankfully, patience and wisdom
stayed my hand. Drained of all spirit, I dropped in remembered horror.
cast myself into bed and wept, as 1 had “Yes, the same,” he said in response.
not done since my former, blissful life
was forever ripped from me. “I am the sole survivor of that terrible
night so long ago, when you gave my
That very same night, 1 awakened people to the undead, though I was only
from my nightmares with a start, for my a child then.”
well-ingrained instincts told me I was
not alone. I sat up abruptly and stared “I thought no one had survived.”
about my bedroom, quickly focusing on “I hid in my Nana’s uardo, in a chest
a dark figure seated in the corner chair. of magical clothing. The monsters
As I struggled to part the void between would not touch it.”
sleep and wakefulness, the remnants of
After an awkward moment, I
my niaht terrors took the intruder’s
shapeand seemed to advance upon me mumbled, “What do you want of me?’
“I am come to heal you.”
“Heal me? What do you mean?”
“You are cursed by my tribe, Dr.
Rudolph Van Richten, as you now finally
realize, to live forever among monsters
and see all whom you love die by them.”
“Yes,” I growled. “Iknow.”
“But I, too, am cursed-by you.”
“By me?”
“Do you not recall? No sooner did
Nana lay her curse on you than you
’
i
returned a deadly curse of your own. I _ .A smile slowlv spread across the
will never forget the sound of your voice
man’s face. “Perhaps I can do better. I
cannot live among my people, but
as you cried, ‘Undead take you as you neither am I hated by them. I will take
have taken my son!’
“Yes, I have been pursued these many you among them, that you may learn
years by the walking dead. They follow their ways and comprehend life through
me wherever I go, like a golem tracking their eyes.
its creator, and they make me an “Your name is not well loved among
the Vistani, Dr. Van Richten. They will
outcast. No tribe will grant me asylum.
No Vistana or giorgio will take pity on not treat you with respect, though they
me. Nothing removes the taint you have may well treat you with fear-in that
put on the name of Radanavich!” common emotion you may at least
Giorgio. I recognized the term Vistani understand one another. But for m y
part, I believe they will tolerate you.
use among themselves to signify Perhaps, in time, we can all accept
outsiders, but vocabulary was not my
overriding concern. “Can you blame each another.
me?” I cried, suddenly transported to “A curse brings no joy to the heart
the past. “You stole my child and sold
him to a vampire!” o f a Vistana, m y . . . friend. Only the
powers of hatred which rule this land
profit by it. Let us destroy the evil
Arturi struggled with his own wrath, together, and allow the past to assume
but he held up his hand in a gesture of
placation. “I know, and that is why I am its proper place in our lives!”
He approached me, holding out his
here. I wish to break our mutual curse.”
I was stunned. “How can you do that?” hand, and 1 took it with both of mine.
“I have the power to break the curse “Yes!” I said, suddenly filled with a
my Nana laid, but first you must lift sense of hope that I had forgotten
existed. That brief and shining moment
your own.”
“Again, how?” became the genesis of this, my Guide to
For a moment, the exiled Vistana’s
the Vistani.
The Vistani are a complex people,
face betrayed some carefully concealed with ancient roots that sink into the
pain or remorse. “Forgiveness!” he
finally blurted. “You must forgive us.” past beyond their own reckoning, so it
My heart hardened at the thought. is difficult to impart an objective
“No! That I can never do!’’ representation of their culture. The
“Then there is no cure for the curse,” only way to truly know them is to be
said Arturi, his face dark. “And there is one of them. Even such a rare giorgio
as myself, who has shared their
no more to discuss.” He arose and campfires and listened to their
strode in the direction of the door.
“Wait!” I cried. He paused and turned. mournful hearts, cannot ever
“I do not refuse you on a malicious completely comprehend them.
whim. Tell me, how can I absolve the What I can assure the reader is that
Vistani of evil when all I have known of
these people are not to be trifled with.
They are not nearly as malevolent as
them is cruelty beyond humanity?”
“The Vistani are not cruel, not evil! You the subjects of my previous works, but
they can be just as dangerous. They
giorgios hate them, for it is through fear
that you see them. If you studied them as will not allow any familiarity. Those
you have studied so many true monsters, who have read this book, beware! To
then perhaps you would understand that.” the contrary, they might perceive any
who know of their ways as a threat.
Hope’s first rays shot into the black Never approach them lightly, as there
void of my heart. Of course! That was
is little hope for mercy if you enrage
the answer! them. My own life should be ample
“Then teach me, Arturi,” I told him.
“Tell me about the Vistani, and help me proof of that.
to understand so that I may forgive.”