The Abbey of Saint Markovia
 |
This section contains canon info from officially published sources |
In Curse of Strahd, the Abbey of Saint Markovia is an [ancient]] monastery overlooking Krezk, once populated by Saint Markovia and her followers.[1] Today, it is the lair of the Abbot and his mad mongrelfolk followers, the Belview Family.[2]
Map
See p. 149, 153
History
The Abbey once served convent and hospital. After Strahd put down the rebellion of Saint Markovia, her followers cut themselves off from the outside world. In the years that followed, they fell to Strahd's manipulations and their own petty sins and vices. By the time they emptied their supplies, the faithful had decimated themselves, all either dead or mad. The Abbey thus became shunned.[1]
Over a hundred years ago, a mysterious figure known as the Abbot came to Krezk to restore the Abbey[1]. (which, given that the "current year" of CoS is 735 BC, would make the Abbot's arrival prior 635 BC].) Actually a deva, the Abbot was driven to the long abandoned and defiled Abbey of Saint Markovia to restore it to its former glory. Posing as a pious cleric and healer, helping those with afflictions both mental and physical in nature. However, the Dark Powers set out to corrupt him.[3]
The Belview Family delivered his first step to corruption. Physically sick, the Abbot tened to their needs, determined to rid them of any imperfections. However, they saw not the human form as perfect but rather wished altered physiology, human mixed with the gifts of various animals. The deva capitulated in sympathy for the pitiful lot, the Abbot capitulated. The starting experiments were often lethal, but the Belviews didn't care and urged him on. Then Strahd arrived under the guise of Vasili Von Holtz. The Abbot recognized him as a figure of ultimate evil, yet Strahd won the deva over to his side. He provided the Abbot with furnishings and dark knowledge from the Amber Temple, which allowed him to grant the demented Belviews their wish by transforming them into mongrelfolk. Mad and hideous, the Belviews were nonetheless happier.[3]
As Strahd "confessed" his past, he earned a degree of sympathy and a degree of fear on the other from the deva. Knowing Strahd was the land, the Abbot felt bringing about his doom was impossible. Therefore, he found an alternative solution: build Strahd a bride, a flesh golem copy of Tatyana. Only then could salvation be delivered to the land and its curse removed.[3] That golem is Vasilka.[4]
In Curse of Strahd
Much of the abbey serves as a prison for the mad Belview Family, too dangerous to themselves or others to be let roam freely away from the abbey.[5] The abbey allows for the player characters to interact with multiple strange characters who are not necessarily hostile. Here too, the Abbot educates Vasilka in etiquette and culture at the main hall (S19), though he still seeks a bridal gown for her.[4]
Ezmerelda d'Avenir stays in the (now unused) barracks (Area S19) as the Abbot's guest. She intends to take advantage of the Abbot's hospitality to ambush Strahd, though she might readily abandon this to join with the player characters.[6]
It should be noted the hospital (S21) is haunted.[7] The loft and belfry (Area 17) is a teleportation spot form Castle Ravenloft)[8] One of the treasures revealed by Madame Eva's reading the fortunes of Ravenloft may be in the gardens (S9), and Sun's Grave is in the graveyard (S7).[9]
