Des' Barovia Campaign, Preliminaries...

[Le Noir Faineant]

Hello,

I guess most of you might know that I am tinkering on *THE* Barovia campaign. Now, I luckily stumbled over a document listing all known RL locations... (No idea where I got it from...)

Now, at a glance, would you say this list is complete?

Barovia

Cities/Towns
Barovia, Village of ***** [DoD, pg 59]
Population 500. The windrose on the map of Barovia in [HoS] is pointing the wrong way - it should point to the right. The map in [I6] seems to be correct.
Berez ** [IS, pg.268]
Small village south of Vallaki, on the Luna river. Population less than 300.
Cuzau ** [ISII, pg.175]
Small village at the west flank of Mt. Sawtooth. Population 500.
Hoessla ** [ISII, pg.175]
Small village near the border with Forlorn, at the south end of Mt. Sawtooth. Population less than 200.
Immol ***** [DoD, pg 43]
Population unknown, estimated 2,000
Krezk ***** [DoD, pg 42]
Population unknown, estimated 2,500
Löwenturm **** [TEE, map]
Population less than 200
Teufeldorf ***** [DoD, pg 59]
Population 3,000, mostly former Gundarakites
Uselix *** [VRGttC, pg.36]
A small village on a mountainside, possibly Mt. Sawtooth. Population less than 100
Vallaki ***** [DoD, pg 59]
Population 1,500
Zeidenburg ***** [DoD, pg 59]
Population 4,000, mostly former Gundarakites

Sites
Circle, the ***** [VotM, pg 3]
Circle of large stone soutsid ethe limits of the village of Barovia, in teh Svalich Woods
Devil’s Descent, the ***** [DoD, pg 59]
Road between Vallaki and the village of Barovia
Icy Heart Glacier * [SotK]
A glacier in the Balinoks. Mentioned in a Kargatane news letter (yes, I’m grasping at straws here).
Latos Estate ** [KotD, pg.244]
Small estate near Berez
Old Svalich Road ***** [DoD, pg 59]
Road running east-west through barovia (from Krezk to Nova Vaasa). Also known as the Devil’s Pass (ToR, pg 316)
Ravenloft, Castle ***** [DoD, pg 43]
Strahd’s castle, set on top of a precipice overlooking the village of Barovia
Svalich Pass ***** [RoE, map]
Pass between Vallaki and the village of Barovia
Valcon Keep * [HS, pg 49]
Abandoned fortress in Valcon Forest

Regions
Balinok Mountains ***** [DoD, pg 43]
Mountainrange including Mt. Baratok, Mt. Ghakis, and Mt. Sawtooth
Baratok, Mnt ***** [DoD, pg 43]
The [RoT] map, and [IS] name the mountain Mt Baratok, the [DoD] names it Baratak.
According to [RoT], the mount reaches between 7,000 and 7,500 ft.
[DoD] states the mount is over 10,000 ft.
Ghakis, Mnt ***** [DoD, pg 43]
According to [RoT], the mount reaches over 7,000 ft, though the map shows it to be less than 5,000 ft, most likely the map maker confused Ghakis with Sawtooth.
[DoD] states the mount is over 10,000 ft.
SawTooth, Mnt ***** [DoD, pg 43]
It is likely that this mountain also has a local (non-english) name
According to the [RoT] map, the mount reaches between 5.000 and 7000 ft, likely about 6.00 feet.
Svalich Woods **** [DoD, pg 59]
Woods north/east of the village of Barovia.
Tepurich Forest **** [DoD, pg 59]
Woods west of Vallaki
Valcon Forest * [HS, pg 49]
Woods north of the village of Barovia


Rivers/Lakes
Baratok, Lake ***** [IS, pg 229]
Lake west of mount Baratok.
Gundar River ***** [DoD, pg 42]
Ivlis River ***** [DoD, pg 43]
Luna River ***** [DoD, pg 42]
Nharov River ***** [DoD, pg 42]
Saniset River ***** [DoD, pg 43]
Tser Falls ***** [HoS, map]
A waterfall for the Ivlis which spills into the Tser Pool.
Tser Pool ***** [HoS, map]
A very small pool near the village of Barovia
Zarovich, Lake ***** [DoD, pg 43]

Yours,

Rafael

[Ail]

Hello,

I guess most of you might know that I am tinkering on *THE* Barovia campaign. Now, I luckily stumbled over a document listing all known RL locations... (No idea where I got it from...)

Now, at a glance, would you say this list is complete?

Well, at least I can't think of anything that is missing. You haven't put Lake Krezk in, but I'm not sure if that's the name in Gaz 1 or if I made it up.

Anyway, you've got a lot already.

Ail

[Le Noir Faineant]

Hi Ail,

Thank you!

Yeah, indeed, Lake Krezk isn't listed. I'll check the Gaz and my other sources during the follwong weeks and will look if I can do something out of the material... Barovia itself, as a minisetting for a load of campaigns comes into my mind... Let's hope that Castle RL in october gives me material I can expand on...

Yours,

Rafael

[Ail]

Hi Ail,

Thank you!

Yeah, indeed, Lake Krezk isn't listed. I'll check the Gaz and my other sources during the follwong weeks and will look if I can do something out of the material... Barovia itself, as a minisetting for a load of campaigns comes into my mind... Let's hope that Castle RL in october gives me material I can expand on...

Yours,

Rafael

I also noticed that you don't have any source from the Books of S of the Kargatane. I don't remember, but surely there must be something there, no?

Make a list of NCPs and curious items too. In my opinion, but I'm obviously partial, Jacqueline Montarri, the Ba'al Verzi, Tara Kolyana and even the dread possibility about Leo Dilisnya are things rife with opportunity. Not to mention the Keepers of the Black Feather. It might be interesting to dupe them somehow. Make the Ba'al Verzi enter a war against Strahd and then make somehow the Keepers be duped about their allegiance and think the Ba'al Verzi are serving Strahd. The Keepers might end up doing Strahd's business instead, and what will they think when they find out they've been helpting their sworn enemy?

I don't know how you'd do this, but I think it has some interesting possibilities. It might somehow help that currently the Ba'al Verzi are led by another vampire, and since the Keepers know Strahd is a vampire (iirc) and the BV are secretive enough for their leadership not to be known by anyone (including Strahd), the Keepers might simply have noticed some traits that witness the leader must be a vampire (for instance, there's a huge number of vampire-dominated assassins doing work for the BV, or even some of the assassins are vampires) and assume that the only one powerful enough to lead such a secret society would be Strahd. Strahd himself has noted this and he wants to eliminate this rival, and that's how the war began, but since it's a secrete war, outside observers may not notice it for quite a while and take all two sides for one and only.

Ail

[Le Noir Faineant]

Thank you again, Ail!

Now, I have no idea of how exactly work the campaign out, but, the true geek that I am, I would like to play not only one, but several campaigns in that spooky setting. While at least one will center on Strahd and Castle RL (maybe just the new 3e version coming this year), the other ones will most likely focus on Mrs Montarri and maybe even the Ba'al Verzi.

- Although the focus of my current game will mst likely lie on the tomb of Leo Dilisnya...

How cool is RL!