Campaign set in RL's past

[Lord_Pruitt]

How about a slightly radical beginning idea for a early Barovia campaign? The PCs are hired by Strahd to thwart a group of mercenaries and retrieve his kidnapped bride-to-be.

The mercenaries would, of course, be another group of adventurers trying to save Tatyanna from certain doom.

The PCs could track the other group close to this portal, and during the ensueing battle - Strahd arrives to claim Tatyanna, leaving the decimated adventures to deal with wolves and skeletons.

And if you didn't mind the complexity of it, you could put some PCs in one group and other OCs in the second group. That way the "survivors" of each group could join forces against Strahd.

[Luke Fleeman]

I like it. It needs ot be fleshed out and explored, but the premise is good, and the PCs can try to be redeemed or be heroes.

[Lord Cyclohexane]

To Lord Cyclohexane: those are also good ideas (the original portal and that person S mentioned). But you are talking about which monks?

Sorry about the slow reply.

Honestly, I can't find any information about the monks themselves (I think they were still around in I, Strahd, in the later chapters when Strahd was hunting down Leo Dilisnya, but I seem to have misplaced my copy somewhere...

Anyway, Gaz I mentions them offhand as a pre-Terg remnant on p13: "Numerous crumbling ruins predating the Terg occupation dot Barovia's countryside, and even a cusrory examination reveals three distinct types of structures. First, abandoned monasteries are found throughout the high elevations of the Balinoks. The Monastery of Silver Threads on Mount Baratak is one such sanctuary, thought to conceal fabulous treasures and prodigious secrets, not to mention undead shades."

That's the best I can give you, though. I seem to recall a short adventure from somewhere dealing with an abandoned monastery up in the mountains (my memory is not good enough to recall if it was even in Ravenloft, much less Barovia, however), so you might also keep your eyes open on that.

Anyway, as primary source, check out the latter chapters of I, Strahd.

[Charney]

Ah it's ok, I just didn't remembered about those monks. Actually, I'm going to use them in my current but in hiatus game.

Lyssa will try to free Leo for she figured he would make a powerful and natural ally in her revolt against Strahd. So the PCs will go in such a monastery.