| 1 | ''Sword & Shadow'' is the collective name for a group of three TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFifthEdition campaigns played by the same group of friends: ''Curse of Remy Abode,'' using the TabletopGame/CurseOfStrahd module, ''Tour de Dread,'' a largely homebrewed prequel to the former, which sees its players moving through various Domains of Dread in the Shadowfell, and a ''TabletopGame/WaterdeepDragonHeist'' game run by a different DungeonMaster. |
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| 3 | All three adventures are set in the same shared continuity, with ''Tour de Dread'' and ''Dragon Heist'' set concurrently in the same year, and ''Curse of Remy Abode'' set twenty years after the events of ''TDD.'' A few sessions were also run using the Adventurer's League "Mist Hunters" modules, following a separate adventuring party. The name refers to the two primary settings shared by the games: the [[{{TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms}} Sword Coast of Faerûn,]] and the [[{{TabletopGame/Ravenloft}} Shadowfell]]. |
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| 5 | The games share several players with ''DarthWiki/SpelljammerWatchersOfWildspace.'' |
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| 7 | ---- |
| 8 | !! These campaigns provide examples of: |
| 9 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 10 | [[folder: Tropes appearing in all three games]] |
| 11 | * CanonWelding: While Tour de Dread originated as a standalone one-shot, the eventual inclusion of Miscillia as an [=NPC=] ties the adventure to Curse of Strahd as a prequel of sorts, and there have been cameo appearances from Dragon Heist characters establishing that the two adventures are taking place in the same year. There are even references to other modules that the group hasn’t played, like ''[[{{TabletopGame/BaldursGateDescentIntoAvernus}} Descent Into Avernus]]'' and ''[[{{TabletopGame/IcewindDaleRimeOfTheFrostmaiden}} Rime of the Frostmaiden]]''. |
| 12 | * CastFullOfGay: Pretty much every player character in all three campaigns is LGBT in some way or another, as well as many [=NPCs=] (some explicitly so in the source material, some not). This is also true of the players themselves. |
| 13 | * CharacterOverlap: Occasional, but still present, as the three games explicitly take place in the same universe. |
| 14 | * ContinuityNod: Frequently. |
| 15 | ** The "Year of Sunlight" is first mentioned early in ''Curse of Strahd,'' and all but stated to be the result of the ''Tour de Dread'' party's actions years prior. |
| 16 | ** When discussing the Mark of the Raven with Tamago, Davian Martikov relays an old family story about a woman who was accidentally turned into a were-raven decades ago, heavily implied to be Miscillia. |
| 17 | ** Kasimir addresses another Dusk Elf attending him as "Alear," the husband of the original owner of one of [[{{FleshGolem}} Sybil's]] hands. |
| 18 | ** Suffer finds and reads Miscillia Dorval's journal late in ''Curse of Strahd,'' which references Cassia, Ajax, and Knicky of ''Tour de Dread'' by name. |
| 19 | * ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: With the knowledge that the adventurers who brought around the Year of Sunlight 200 years ago mentioned in ''Curse of Strahd'' were in fact the ''Tour de Dread'' party led by Miscillia, the ''Curse of Strahd'' characters serve as this, at least chronologically. Whereas the ''Tour de Dread'' group is made up of more lighthearted heroes-for-hire who have experience hopping between Domains of Dread to dispatch their darklords, several of whom are literal circus performers, the ''Curse of Strahd'' characters are generally more reserved and turn out to have much more personal stakes in Barovia and have to figure out what’s going on by themselves. This also applies to each group’s incarnation of Tatyana, as well as the individual characters who share players: |
| 20 | ** When the ''Tour de Dread'' party meets her, Miscillia is a no-nonsense, vengeance-seeking cleric in her 40s, who has already been hardened by her experiences with Barovia, while Ireena begins as more of a gentle [[{{TheIngenue}} Ingenue]] in her early 20s who ends up becoming a martial character, taking levels in fighter and, later, paladin. Ireena also takes a much more active role aiding and traveling with the party, whereas Miscillia generally acts in a more hands-off manner as TheTeamBenefactor. |
| 21 | ** Cassia in ''Tour de Dread'' is TheGunslinger and a GadgeteerGenius, preferring to fight at long range, while Erasmus in ''Curse of Strahd'' favours up close and personal combat and comes to use the Woodcutter's Axe as his primary weapon. Cassia is also often prickly and [[{{VitriolicBestBuds}} bickers frequently with their party members,]] but has a HiddenHeartOfGold and feels a lot of responsibility to their family despite their past as a petty charlatan prior to joining the circus. Erasmus is initially a distant and mysterious AmnesiacHero but often acts as TheFace of his party, and has much darker secrets, having turned to bounty hunting in the past to sate his HorrorHunger. Cassia is also [[{{MassiveNumberedSiblings}} the eldest of many siblings]] in a family who have ties to the [[{{LandOfFaerie}} Feywild]], while Erasmus is an only child who was born in [[{{DarkWorld}} Darkon]]. |
| 22 | ** Ajax in ''Tour de Dread'' is TheBigGuy, being a [[{{BoisterousBruiser}} boisterous barbarian]] with a history in [[{{BloodSport}} gladiatorial combat,]] who sometimes veers into DumbMuscle territory but nonetheless is often [[{{HiddenDepths}} surprisingly compassionate]] and remains loyal to his friends no matter what. Tamago in ''Curse of Strahd'' is a gentle, soft-spoken Way of Mercy monk and FriendToAllChildren who prefers to leave [[{{MartialPacifist}} violence as a last resort]] and may have been manipulated by Strahd into [[{{TheMole}} acting against the party]] before his death. Tamago is the oldest sibling in his family, while Ajax is the [[{{TheBabyOfTheBunch}} youngest]]. Both also take on the role of the MartialMedic, Tamago through his [[{{HealingHands}} Hand of Healing]] and Ajax by taking the time to train under a doctor. |
| 23 | ** [[{{IHaveManyNames}} Knicky/Florian]] in ''Tour de Dread'' is a [[{{VoluntaryShapeshifting}} shapeshifter]] who spends much of their campaign hiding their true nature and cynicism behind a [[{{SadClown}} silly facade]] and [[{{ConsummateLiar}} has no issue lying their way in and out of situations.]] Suffer in ''Curse of Strahd'' is a [[{{BadassPreacher}} serious young cleric]] of a knowledge goddess who is [[{{WillNotTellALie}} honest to a fault]] and deeply committed to her principles. Knicky begins the campaign as a very selfish person and eventually [[{{TookALevelInKindness}} starts to care about other people,]] while Suffer is [[{{NaiveNewcomer}} idealistic and naive]] and is forced to harden her heart by the horrors of Barovia. Knicky is also [[{{VagueAge}} (probably)]] the oldest member of their party, while Suffer is the youngest member of hers. |
| 24 | ** Sybil in ''Tour de Dread'' and Moira in ''Curse of Strahd'' both [[{{SixthRanger}} join the party later]] and are both martial characters, but while Moira is, other than her levels in monk, a [[{{TokenHuman}} normal human woman]] who has been chewed up and spat out by life in [[{{CrapsackWorld}} Barovia,]] Sybil, a rogue, is a FleshGolem built by Viktra Mordenheim who escaped and [[{{CircusBrat}} joined the Carnival.]] Moira is also an [[{{DefrostingIceQueen}} initially cynical and bitter person who gradually softens]], whereas Sybil's [[{{StepfordSmiler}} pleasant, cheerful demeanour]] distracts from her fears regarding her DarkAndTroubledPast. |
| 25 | * CrossoverRelatives: Cassia from ''Tour de Dread'' and Bonnibell from ''Dragon Heist'' are mentioned to be distant cousins. Bonnibell also occasionally mentions her criminal older brother, [[{{TabletopGame/TheWildBeyondTheWitchlight}} Agdon.]] |
| 26 | * EarlyBirdCameo: Cezar Dorval and Escher both appear as children in ''Tour de Dread'', prior to their roles as adults twenty years later in ''Curse of Strahd''. However, Cezar's appearance in Suffer's session 0 prior to ''Curse of Strahd'' may fit the bill better, given that it occurred first in the real world, and he had a much larger role in Tour de Dread. Likewise, a version of Dennet drawn from Knicky’s psyche briefly appears in “M.O.M. Knows Best”, before the real Dennet shows up several sessions later. |
| 27 | * ExactlyExtyYearsAgo: Most past events are referred to as having occurred some round number ago – the Year of Sunlight having been 200 years before the Curse of Strahd party arrives in Barovia, for example. It’s also later established that on the Material Plane, these events did in fact occur exactly 20 years ago – Tour de Dread (and Waterdeep: Dragon Heist) is set in 1492 DR, and Curse of Strahd begins in 1512 DR – but given the way [[{{YearInsideHourOutside}} time passes in the Shadowfell]] the Barovians who discuss it may well be rounding up. |
| 28 | * InterspeciesRomance: The majority of couples, given the wide variety of species that appear. |
| 29 | ** In ''Curse of Strahd,'' Ireena and Erasmus technically count, given his transformation into a dhampir, though he was [[{{WasOnceAMan}} originally a normal human as well]]. |
| 30 | ** Likewise, Moira, a human, and Ilya, a werewolf. |
| 31 | ** ''Tour de Dread'' has Cassia (harengon) and Milo (half-elf), once they finally [[{{RelationshipUpgrade}} confess their feelings for each other.]] |
| 32 | ** Dennet's marriage to Florian, who is a changeling. Not that Dennet actually knows that. This, in fact, applies to all of Florian/Knicky's past relationships. |
| 33 | ** Bonnibell (harengon) in ''Dragon Heist'' and her two love interests, Davil (elf) and Morelle, (half-elf). It's also mentioned that she's had other flings with people of other species in the past. |
| 34 | ** In the backstory of ''Dragon Heist,'' Morelle and Tobak's human father had relationships with both an elf and a half-orc. |
| 35 | * LukeNounverber: A few player characters: Michelle [[spoiler: Mistweaver]] plays it the most straight, but there's also Cassia Oakcane, Florian Fairchild, and [=NPC=] Dennet Duskstock. Notably, all of the ''Curse of Strahd'' player characters completely avoid it, instead using FantasyCounterpartCulture surnames (or no surname at all). |
| 36 | * OffTheRails: Of course. It's a tabletop game. |
| 37 | * OminousFog: The Mists of Ravenloft. |
| 38 | * OneDegreeOfSeparation: All over the place. Characters and events turn out to be ConnectedAllAlong often enough that pretty much everyone is somehow intertwined, even if they don't know it yet. |
| 39 | * ParentalAbandonment: A common theme in character backstories. |
| 40 | ** Suffer was a DoorstopBaby, and even after meeting her biological brother still doesn't know who her late parents were. When she does find out more about them, it's not a pleasant revelation. |
| 41 | ** Erasmus' amnesia leaves him with few memories of his family, and while he later reunites with his father, his mother died in Ludmilla's experiments. |
| 42 | ** Moira's father was exiled from Krezk for his criminal ways, leaving her to care for her ailing mother alone until she eventually died of her illness. |
| 43 | ** Ajax, Pandora, and Apollonia's mother is briefly mentioned in "M.O.M. Knows Best," but their father hasn't been mentioned at all. |
| 44 | ** Knicky has no idea who their parents are, and given that at least one of them is or was a changeling, they could be ''anybody.'' |
| 45 | ** Morelle and Tobak's father disappeared when they were a child and before he was born, respectively. Tobak's mother died of an illness shortly before the beginning of the campaign, and Morelle's mother hasn't been in contact with them since they left for Waterdeep. |
| 46 | * PortmanteauCoupleName: A couple, notably "Rasreena" for Ireena and Erasmus, and "Cassilo" for Cassia and Milo. |
| 47 | * TheRoleplayer: ''Everyone'' -- the main focus of the playstyle tends to be on story and character development. |
| 48 | * SharedUniverse |
| 49 | * ShoutOut: |
| 50 | ** Part of Suffer's [[{{OverlyLongName}} full first name]] is the same as [[{{Literature/Discworld}} Sam Vimes' king-slaying ancestor.]] |
| 51 | ** Escher appearing dressed in red and gold after [[spoiler: Anastrasya and Volenta die]] is referred to out-of-character as his "[[{{Film/Heathers}} Heather Duke]] moment". |
| 52 | ** The deal to escort Kasimir to the Amber Temple is jokingly compared to [[{{Literature/Holes}} carrying Madam Zeroni up the mountain.]] |
| 53 | ** The inscription above the doors to the Amber Temple is very similar to a portion of the Scandia report's proposed long-term nuclear waste warning message: |
| 54 | --->''If you seek honor or power, turn back - for these walls hold naught but doom.'' |
| 55 | --->''In amber tombs below, the darkness shelters a timeless evil.'' |
| 56 | --->''This temple is infected with a scourge of malevolent divinity.'' |
| 57 | --->''Our arrogance and folly forged this place into our prison.'' |
| 58 | ** The “Camp Clearwater” adventure is an obvious reference to ''[[{{Film/FridayThe13th1980}} Friday the 13th]]'', and “M.O.M. Knows Best” places the characters in a computer simulation à la ''Film/TheMatrix'' or ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''. |
| 59 | ** Eli Clark from ''VideoGame/IdentityV'' shows up as an NPC tied to Knicky's backstory in ''Tour de Dread,'' and is briefly mentioned in both ''Curse of Strahd'' and ''Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.'' |
| 60 | ** Ajax's GuardianEntity is often compared to a [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Stand]]. |
| 61 | ** Erasmus and Rudolph's ancestor Agatha van Richten, appearing in "The Witch of Muckmere Bog," is named after Agatha van Helsing from ''Series/Dracula2020.'' |
| 62 | ** The ''Dragon Heist'' DM admits that some of the inspiration for Tobak's personality comes from Gorgug of ''[[{{WebVideo/Dimension20}} Fantasy High]]''. |
| 63 | ** Stevie Nyx's name, of course, is a pun on Music/StevieNicks. |
| 64 | * SwampsAreEvil: Both of the swamp areas visited -- Muckmere Bog in ''Tour de Dread'' and Berez in ''Curse of Strahd'' -- have been pretty miserable places full of magical and environmental hazards. |
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| 66 | [[/folder]] |
| 67 | |
| 68 | [[folder:Tropes appearing in ''Curse of Remy Abode'']] |
| 69 | * AccidentalInnuendo: At one point Suffer refers to the Vistani's storytelling practices as an "oral tradition." Immediately {{Lampshaded}} out of character: |
| 70 | -->'''lee:''' oral tradition is [[{{OptionalSexualEncounter}} whats about to happen to erasmus tonight]] |
| 71 | * AdaptationDyeJob: A lot of [=NPCs=] have been given slight redesigns for various reasons, but Ireena, Izek, and Escher in particular received new designs for plot reasons (or, in Escher's case, because one of the player characters was ''already'' a blonde guy with long hair who wears purple). |
| 72 | * AdaptationDeviation: Several [=NPCs=] and storylines have been reworked in whole or in part to suit the DM and players’ tastes and to give some of the player characters a more personal connection to Barovia. Ireena and Viktor Vallakovich have both been altered slightly, and Izek Strazni is “basically a different character”, mainly sharing a name and general role with his vanilla counterpart. Also, Erasmus the player character turns out to be ''Erasmus van Richten himself,'' deviating heavily from the [=NPC’s=] set backstory. |
| 73 | * ADayInTheLimelight: Suffer gets a short solo session to herself after being separated from the rest of the party on Mt. Ghakis, detailing what happens to her between her arrival at the Amber Temple and the time that the others catch up to her there. |
| 74 | * AffablyEvil: The Abbot, though “evil” might not be quite right. |
| 75 | * AncientKeeper: Exethanter and Neferon, the two surviving stewards of the Amber Temple. Exethanter fits the trope more closely. |
| 76 | * AngerBornOfWorry: Frequent between the player characters, but usually courtesy of Erasmus or one of the Strazni siblings towards the other. |
| 77 | * ArcSymbol: [[{{GemstoneMotifs}} Amber,]] carrying over from ''Tour de Dread.'' It seems to have something to do with the Dark Powers and the Shadowfell as a whole, with much importance placed on the Amber Temple, as well as the fact that Madam Ava, Arabelle, and the goddess Ezra all have [[{{SupernaturalGoldEyes}} amber eyes.]] |
| 78 | * AristocratsAreEvil: In Vallaki it certainly seems that way. And, of course, Strahd himself. |
| 79 | * AwkwardKiss: Erasmus and Ireena’s FirstKiss is this. But they figure it out. |
| 80 | * BattleCouple: Erasmus and Ireena and Ilya and Moira often fight side by side in combat. |
| 81 | * BigBrotherInstinct: Tamago is the oldest of his many siblings and his interactions with the children the party meet reflects that. Izek is perhaps a little ''too'' protective of his younger sister Suffer. As the oldest of the party members by a significant margin, Erasmus also develops this towards Tamago and Suffer. |
| 82 | * BloodStainedGlassWindows: The Feast of St. Andral's. The fight with Anastrasya also takes place in the courtyard of the Abbey. |
| 83 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: The Abbot. |
| 84 | * ButForMeItWasTuesday: Ludmilla doesn’t even recognize Erasmus, let alone remember what she did to him and his mother. |
| 85 | * CentralTheme: Family, "by blood or by bond," emerges as a major theme in the story, with characters experiencing revelations and repercussions related to their biological families, as well as eventually coming together as a FamilyOfChoice over the course of the adventure. |
| 86 | * CerebusSyndrome: While things weren’t going well by any means before, the Festival of the Blazing Sun and subsequent dinner at Castle Ravenloft certainly mark a turning point in the campaign, with the deaths of dozens upon dozens of Vallaki’s citizens, Tamago’s disappearance, Strahd’s kidnapping of Myshale in retailation for Erasmus getting close to Ireena and assertion that Tamago was acting as his spy, Volenta’s attempts to kill the party and subsequent gruesome death, the implication that Erasmus may have killed his mother himself after being turned into a dhampir, Strahd sending the party away with the assertion that he now considers them enemies, and the reveal that Bray Martikov witnessed Strahd killing Tamago himself. All within 72 hours. Things only go downhill from there. |
| 87 | * TheChosenMany: The party gradually discovers that several of the Dark Powers have chosen "champions" in their bid to replace Strahd as darklord and ruler of Barovia, with the champions themselves displaying varying degrees of reluctance. So far these include Kasimir, Lady Wachter, Viktor, Izek, and Ilya, with Mother Night continuing to try to coerce Suffer to her side. |
| 88 | * CooperationGambit: Escher's deal with the party. They'll share information and assist each other where they can, because Escher wants out of Barovia and from under Strahd's thumb, and the party wants an inside man at Castle Ravenloft. |
| 89 | * CosmicHorrorStory: The “Dark Powers” that govern the Shadowfell as a whole tip some aspects of the story in this direction. |
| 90 | * ClosedCircle: Barovia (and most dread domains) on the whole, but Vallaki in particular. Erasmus and Tamago ''could'' leave… but they’d have to leave Suffer and Ireena behind. |
| 91 | * CrapsackWorld: Barovia, of course. |
| 92 | * CreepyCathedral: The Abbey of St. Markovia. |
| 93 | * DarkMistress: The four brides serve as these to Strahd. |
| 94 | * DeathByOriginStory: This seems to be the case for the Strazni parents and Ingrid van Richten. |
| 95 | * DeathOfAChild: On several counts in Barovia: the fates of the Durst children in Death House, the goings on at the windmill, and Calvin from the Vallaki orphanage stand out. |
| 96 | * DeliberateValuesDissonance: Barovia, compared to the Sword Coast, has stagnated significantly in its isolation. No one sees anything unusual about seventeen year old Viktor Vallakovich being married off and Ilya is beginning to be considered "too old" for marriage at around 21, homosexuality is heavily frowned upon, and no one seems to recognize or understand Famine or Ilya's gender identities. Women are also generally expected to StayInTheKitchen, and non-human races are viewed with wariness. |
| 97 | * DeliveryGuy: {{Defied| Trope}} by Erasmus when Dimira goes into labour – not only are Ireena, Famine, Suffer, and the town’s midwife Kretyana all present as well, but Erasmus quickly excuses himself out of fear that all of the blood involved in childbirth could trigger his HorrorHunger. For what it’s worth, Kretyana simply assumes that as a man and not the father of the child, he’s uncomfortable being present. |
| 98 | * DemonicPossession: Felix is a victim of this. |
| 99 | * TheDogBitesBack: The entirety of the revolution in Vallaki has shades of this, though special mention goes to Famine [[{{OffWithHisHead}} personally decapitating Burgomaster Vallakovich and taking his head as a trophy.]] |
| 100 | * DreamSequence / NightmareSequence: Erasmus and Suffer have had several of these. When the party reaches the Amber Temple, ''everyone'' is faced with them. |
| 101 | * EasilyForgiven: Played with in regards to Suffer and Izek – she’s very aware of the kinds of things he’s done, and fully understands people’s anger towards him as a result. Her sympathy towards him and desire to keep him alive has more to do with the fact that he’s her only surviving biological family member and guilt about being given the opportunity of a better life outside of Barovia at his expense. |
| 102 | * EmpathicWeapon: When the party finally gets the [[{{FlamingSword}} Sun Sword]] from Vladimir, it turns out to be housing a consciousness called Sergei, who seems to have known Tatyana in a past life. |
| 103 | * EnfantTerrible: Felix of the Vallaki orphanage. |
| 104 | * EntitledToHaveYou: Strahd, of course. |
| 105 | * EveryonesInTheLoop: Suffer, at least, tries to keep her party members updated on everything she discovers quickly afterwards. Erasmus not so much, at least until he can't hide his nature as a dhampir anymore. |
| 106 | * EveryonesBabySister: The party has this sort of relationship with Arabelle. The older party members also see Suffer this way, if their reaction to her being taken by the roc is any indication. |
| 107 | * EverythingTryingToKillYou: Nowhere in Barovia is really ''safe,'' but it's especially bad the further the party gets up Mt. Ghakis. |
| 108 | * EvilCannotComprehendGood: Not necessarily “evil” as such, at least as far as we know so far, but the mysterious entity contacting Suffer genuinely can’t seem to comprehend why she wouldn’t want to live in blissful ignorance and blind obedience, and considers her a “troublesome child” for rebelling against that way of thinking. |
| 109 | * ExactWords: Strahd seems to be fond of this, given the way he [[{{ReleasedToElsewhere}} dances around the subject of Tamago's disappearance.]] Suffer also tends to do this rather than [[{{WillNotTellALie}} outright lying,]] volunteering information that is accurate but not exactly what was asked for. |
| 110 | * ExtremelyShortTimeSpan: As of Session 28, the party have been in Barovia for all of ''two weeks.'' It's been an even shorter amount of time [[{{YearInsideHourOutside}} on the Material plane.]] |
| 111 | * FairytaleMotifs: The story Ormir tells Suffer about his great-great-great-great aunt follows a common fairytale setup: a woman who [[{{LawOfInverseFertility}} desperately wants children but can't conceive]] opts to [[{{DealWithTheDevil}} strike a bargain with a supernatural entity.]] In this case, her children are born "monstrous," and [[{{OffingTheOffspring}} it ends]] [[{{Patricide}} in tragedy.]] |
| 112 | * FamilyOfChoice: In addition to the various revelations about biological family connections, the party as a whole seems to be shaping into this. Helwa even refers to them as Erasmus' "family by bond" in a conversation at the Amber Temple. |
| 113 | * FighterMageThief: The four brides of Strahd roughly fit into these roles, with Anastrasya as the fighter, Ludmilla and Escher sharing the role of mage, and Volenta as the thief. |
| 114 | * FireForgedFriends: The party. |
| 115 | * FiveSecondForeshadowing: On the party’s first day in Vallaki, a woman nervously asks Suffer if she’s in town visiting family. Guess who meets her long-lost brother later that night? |
| 116 | * FleshGolem: Vasilka is one of these, created by the Abbot and intended to be a perfect, immortal vessel for Tatyana’s soul that Strahd can take as his bride. |
| 117 | * FromBadToWorse |
| 118 | * {{Gendercide}}: Part of the Dusk Elves’ backstory; all the women and children were killed, leaving only the remnants of the men. |
| 119 | * GeneHunting: A variation: Suffer never had adoptive parents, having been raised in a church after being left on their doorstep as a baby, but she isn’t particularly concerned about who her birth parents are until she arrives in Barovia and meets her long-lost brother. It’s only ''then'' that she wants to find out more about her birth family. |
| 120 | * GiveHimANormalLife: Seems to be the Strazni parents’ motivation for sending Suffer to the material plane alone when they could only afford passage for one of them – being a tiefling in Barovia would be worse for her. Overlaps with DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou. It's later revealed that there was an [[{{OffingTheOffspring}} even more pressing concern.]] |
| 121 | * TheGadfly: The party seems to have this running dynamic of teasing each other playfully or otherwise. Sometimes to others embarrassment. Particularly Erasmus, Ezmerelda and Moira take turns taking jabs at the other. |
| 122 | * GothicHorror |
| 123 | * GreaterScopeVillain: The Dark Powers. The characters are most concerned with defeating Strahd, but as the ones governing Barovia and the Domains of Dread as a whole, they're the ones ultimately responsible for the suffering in Barovia. |
| 124 | * HeroWithBadPublicity: Despite overall trying their best to help the town and its citizens, when the party leaves to investigate the situation at the winery, they return to Vallaki to discover a warrant has been issued for their arrest on sight for “kidnapping” Ireena. |
| 125 | * HigherEducationIsForWomen: Played with; most notable characters associated with knowledge and academics are women, most obviously Suffer and Ludmilla. Ioun, Suffer's goddess, is also distinctly female, as are the majority of the named characters at the temple Suffer grew up in. Of course, the fact that Barovia itself doesn't really ''have'' any kind of higher education complicates things a little, and Rudolph van Richten being a medical doctor and Viktor Vallakovich's arcane studies both help balance the scales a bit. |
| 126 | * HistoryRepeats: The cycle of Strahd pursuing Tatyana’s endless reincarnations only for her to die when it seems he might be finally getting close to “obtaining” her. |
| 127 | * HolyHandGrenade: The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. Also many of Suffer’s cleric spells. |
| 128 | * HumanResources: The “dream pies” are reportedly made from human children, and Volenta’s Hall of Bones is made up mainly of human skeletons. |
| 129 | * IAmWho: Happens to both Erasmus and Suffer, to varying degrees. Erasmus discovers that he is the son of famed monster hunter Rudolph van Richten, and Suffer learns that she is Izek Strazni's sister. |
| 130 | * IdenticalStranger: Kaldur briefly [[{{DudeLooksLikeALady}} mistakes Erasmus for his older sister,]] Helwa. As it turns out, this is because Helwa is the [[{{Reincarnation}} reincarnation]] of Erasmus' mother Ingrid van Richten, with the same relationship as Ireena has to Tatyana. A a result, it winds up overlapping with StrongFamilyResemblance in a roundabout way. |
| 131 | * ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin: Delivering the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind to the party via raven appears to have been Tamago’s final act. |
| 132 | * InfernalRetaliation: As tieflings, both Suffer and Izek are innately capable of using ''hellish rebuke'' when they take damage – which is nearly disastrous for Ireena when she has to pop his shoulder back into its socket at one point. ''Hellish rebuke'' is also how Suffer ultimately dispatches Baba Lysaga. |
| 133 | * InnateNightVision: Erasmus, Suffer, and Tamago all have darkvision, being a dhampir, tiefling, and tabaxi, respectively. The humans traveling with the party, like Moira, Ireena, and Ez, aren't so lucky. |
| 134 | * InnocentlyInsensitive: Tamago and Suffer occasionally have remarks made about them by the isolated and almost entirely human population of Barovia, who genuinely don’t know what a Tabaxi or a Tiefling is. Looking like a classical devil, Suffer tends to get the worst of it, with Burgomaster Vallakovich casually referring to her “deformity” over dinner and Burgomaster Krezkov assuming she’s come to see the Abbot in hopes of curing her “affliction.” On a lighter note, the children of both Vallaki and Krezk are fascinated and delighted by their non-human features. |
| 135 | * InstantBirthJustAddLabor: Downplayed. The birth of Dimira’s daughter is largely skipped over for the sake of not grossing out the players too much, though it’s noted that it takes several hours and a lot of bodily fluids are involved. It’s even noted that Erasmus needs to leave the room out of fear that the blood will trigger his HorrorHunger. |
| 136 | * ItsPersonal: If anything, Tamago’s death at Strahd’s hands only spurs the party on to be more determined to kill him than they were before; this is also how Erasmus and Rudolph feel about Ludmilla. Rahadin nearly murdering Ezmerelda also gives the party a personal vendetta against him. |
| 137 | * IWasBeatenByAGirl: Implied with [[{{HeManWomanHater}} Kiril]] after he and his gang are fended off by the main party. Moira and Ilya see him return to the den battered and bruised and refusing to discuss what happened, likely not wanting to admit that he was beaten by a group consisting mostly of women. |
| 138 | * KeeperOfForbiddenKnowledge: Exethanter and Neferon; Neferon is far more stingy, only willing to exchange his knowledge for secrets or powerful artifacts, while Exethanter is much more openly helpful to the party. The order of human stewards of the Amber Temple, from whom Suffer and Izek are descended, also seem to have been this before they all died out or left. |
| 139 | * KilledOffForReal: Several major [=NPCs=]; notably the Vallakoviches, Tamago, and Volenta, though Viktor and Tamago's fates have been left somewhat ambiguous. |
| 140 | ** Viktor seems to have [[{{NeverFoundTheBody}} survived the explosion,]] given that he appears injured but alive in a vision Famine has. |
| 141 | ** Later, Anastrasya, Ludmilla, Rahadin, Vasilka, the Abbot, and Kasimir are all killed as well. |
| 142 | * KissOfTheVampire: Anastrasya’s encounter with Famine. |
| 143 | * LadyInRed: Anastrasya. Also Ezmerelda. |
| 144 | * LeakingCanOfEvil: The Amber Temple. Emphasis is placed on the fact that sealing away such ancient and powerful evil is difficult to do perfectly, and the vestiges contained within are still able to reach out and influence others. |
| 145 | * LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Arabelle does this often, courtesy of her clairvoyance. |
| 146 | * LifeDeathJuxtaposition: Tamago and Moira, the two [[{{BareFistedMonk}} monks]] who join the party at one point or another. Tamago follows the [[{{MartialMedic}} Way of Mercy,]] while Moira uses the [[{{TouchOfDeath}} Way of the Long Death.]] |
| 147 | * LivingDistantAncestor: Due to the time differences between planes, Suffer and Izek are these to Ormir, their first cousin four times removed -- their mother and his great-great-great grandmother were sisters. Ormir is actually ''older'' than the siblings are. |
| 148 | * LukeIAmYourFather: Erasmus discovers evidence that he is in fact the son of none other than Rudolph van Richten, though the two have not yet interacted in person. |
| 149 | ** As of session 24, they have. |
| 150 | * MadScientist: Ludmilla. The Abbot and Viktor Vallakovich as well, to a lesser extent. |
| 151 | * MarsNeedsWomen: This seems to be the motivation of Kiril’s werewolf gang, given that they ask how Ireena is with kids and openly attempt to abduct the girls (and Famine), intending to simply kill Erasmus and Tamago. |
| 152 | * MeaningfulRename: Upon learning who their biological family members are, both Suffer and Erasmus take on their family names – “Strazni” and “van Richten” respectively – having previously both gone by OnlyOneName. |
| 153 | * MedievalUniversalLiteracy: Though the party does have trouble with language barriers at times, everyone in Barovia seems to have at least basic literacy skills. |
| 154 | * MeetTheNewBoss: Lady Wachter. When the party returns to Vallaki just in time for the "Harvest of Blood," it's noted that the decorations, posters, and atmosphere are ''eerily'' similar to Burgomaster Vallakovich's festivals. |
| 155 | * MixAndMatchCritters: The “mongrelfolk”, including Strahd’s servant Cyrus Belview, are people who have come to the Abbot of Krezk to be healed of various ailments and had animal parts grafted onto them, as the Abbot takes the original parts to use for Vasilka. |
| 156 | * MixAndMatchMan: Vasilka herself. |
| 157 | * MoodyMount: The initially unnamed Shadow is this at times, though it’s justified by some of the situations he's found himself in courtesy of the party's adventures. |
| 158 | * MysticalPregnancy: Implied to be the case with the Strazni siblings' mother, considering she apparently had to petition the Dark Powers to be able to have children in the first place. |
| 159 | * MythologyGag: The journal entry in which Van Richten expresses his intention to MercyKill his son Erasmus if he ever sees him again, assuming that if he still lives he must have been transformed into a vampire spawn, serves as a dark one to the original version of Erasmus van Richten, where that’s exactly the case: Erasmus was turned into a vampire spawn, and begs his father to put him out of his misery. Luckily, this version of Erasmus is not a vampire spawn but a dhampir, retaining his free will, and his father is persuaded ''not'' to put him down. |
| 160 | ** Van Richten mentioning that prior to his abduction and amnesia Erasmus was an artist is another one to his default counterpart. |
| 161 | * NeverFoundTheBody: The case for both Viktor Vallakovich and Tamago: Viktor’s body wasn’t found among the rubble of his house, and Tamago’s was apparently taken away by ravens. [[spoiler: Viktor's survival has since been confirmed.]] |
| 162 | * NonLinearSequel: The story takes place decades after ''Tour de Dread'' and ''Dragon Heist,'' but is played concurrently with those games. |
| 163 | * OffingTheOffspring: Van Richten’s journal entry suggests he intends to do this to Erasmus if they meet again, seeing it as a MercyKill. Luckily, this seems to have been avoided. It's also eventually revealed that [[spoiler: Suffer's father tried to kill her with a kitchen knife when she was an infant.]] |
| 164 | * OffWithHisHead: How Famine dispatches Vargas Vallakovich. |
| 165 | * TheOneGuy: Erasmus becomes this for a good chunk of the adventure, during the time that the rest of the party consists of Suffer, Moira, Ireena, and Ez. |
| 166 | * OrganTheft: The Abbot takes body parts from people in exchange for healing their various ailments, though it’s not exactly theft, and he’s even kind enough to provide a superior replacement… by his standards, at least. In particular, he takes an interest in Suffer’s heart and Erasmus’ blood and skin for use “perfecting” Vasilka. |
| 167 | * PastExperienceNightmare: The cursed dream pies bring these on Erasmus. |
| 168 | * PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Zig-zagged, and somewhat justified due to the fact that it’s fantasy and not set in any actual historical period. It is also noted that while Faerûn is much more liberal, the isolated Barovia seems to be somewhat behind what the, say, Waterdhavian characters would consider the norm. |
| 169 | * PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Kiril is a misogynistic, transphobic bully who [[{{WouldHurtAChild}} has children fight to the death for his entertainment]]. The party is [[{{PayEvilUntoEvil}} pretty much entirely okay with killing him]]. |
| 170 | * PsychicDreamsForEveryone: All three original party members dream of Madam Ava before they arrive in Barovia. Suffer has had recurring dreams of the night she left Barovia as an infant, and is visited by… ''something'' that speaks to her during one of them. Izek has been seeing Suffer in his dreams for ''years.'' |
| 171 | * PutOnABus: Due to his player having to leave the game, Tamago is written out of the story (albeit with the possibility for him to return) – by way of it being revealed that ''Strahd murdered him off-screen.'' |
| 172 | * RedOniBlueOni: Izek and Suffer. They even match the colour associations. |
| 173 | * ReleasedToElsewhere: Strahd implies that Tamago was sent back to his family on the Material Plane, saying only that “he is gone.” He knows full well that he killed Tamago himself. |
| 174 | * RocBirds: One has a nest at the top of Mount Ghakis. It harrasses the party during their trip to the Amber Temple, at one point [[{{KidnappingBirdOfPrey}} carrying Suffer off in its talons]] and later returning to attack the remainder of the group again after her escape. |
| 175 | * RunningGag: A few. |
| 176 | ** Suffer invariably introducing herself using her full OverlyLongName. |
| 177 | ** Famine coughing up slugs, and sometimes giving them as gifts. |
| 178 | ** Erasmus is going to get so many diseases from eating a people. |
| 179 | ** References to in-universe musical artist [[{{VideoGame/IdentityV}} Eli Clark,]] “that singing monk.” |
| 180 | ** Suffer pointing out that she doesn’t have feet. |
| 181 | *** Those are her hooves, you bitch. |
| 182 | ** The Vistani having access to various modern day real-world commodities, like Mountain Dew Baja Blast. |
| 183 | ** Moira and Suffer fall into a recurring bit where [[{{DeadpanSnarker}} Moira makes a sarcastic comment or question,]] and [[{{RhetoricalQuestionBlunder}} Suffer helpfully provides an answer or further context.]] |
| 184 | * ScaryStitches: Vasilka has these all over her body, being a FleshGolem made up of multiple different people’s parts. Despite this, she doesn’t seem to be outright malicious. |
| 185 | * TheSecretOfLongPorkPies: Though the party never actually visits the windmill to see it for themselves, Escher implies that the dream pies they bought from Morgantha are made of [[{{ChildEater}} human children.]] |
| 186 | * SelfMadeOrphan: Poor Felix at the Vallaki orphanage, while under the influence of the devil possessing him. |
| 187 | * SharedUnusualTrait: Izek Strazni has what Vargas Vallakovich refers to as a “deformity”, but is actually a partial tiefling appearance… which he notes looks very similar to Suffer, also a tiefling. It’s another early reference to the fact that the two are siblings. |
| 188 | * SilverHasMysticPowers: Silvered weapons are some of the only ones that can deal full damage to various cursed and undead enemies. |
| 189 | * SomberBackstoryRevelation: Erasmus reveals everything he can remember about his past to the party on the carriage trip back from the Martikovs’ vineyard, after they witnessed him eat someone in battle, therefore revealing the truth about his being a dhampir. |
| 190 | * StagesOfMonsterGrief: Varies. Erasmus, having had to live with his condition for two years now, has largely made it to acceptance. Suffer, however, is still in denial about her newly-contracted lycanthropy. At least until she encounters the rest of the werewolves and promptly cures it. |
| 191 | * StalkerWithACrush: Strahd towards Ireena, as in the default module. |
| 192 | * SympathyForTheDevil: None for Strahd himself, but [[{{FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire}} Erasmus]] and [[{{MonstrousHumanoid}} Suffer]] both feel this way about Escher, and even Ireena says that she "pities" him. Moira and Ez are less convinced. Suffer also later expresses sympathy for the [[{{AngelUnaware}} dying Abbot.]] |
| 193 | * TeethClenchedTeamwork: The party's tenuous alliance with Escher leads to this, with varying levels of enthusiasm among the party: Erasmus and Suffer are the most willing to work with him, Ireena would prefer not to, and Ez and Moira openly suggest double-crossing him. |
| 194 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Yevgeni gives a surprisingly gentle but firm one to Moira, calling her out for her role in his mutilation and Szoldar's death at the hands (and teeth) of Kiril's werewolves and challenging her justification that she [[{{BystanderSyndrome}} wasn't an active participant]]. Ultimately he expresses sympathy for her and [[{{YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre}} urges her to be better in the future]]. Moira is so unused to being spoken to openly and honestly that she's stunned into taking it to heart. |
| 195 | * TitleDrop: Vladimir gets one, referring to Ireena herself as the "curse of Strahd." The players struggle to take it seriously. |
| 196 | * TrappedInAnotherWorld: As standard for Barovia. |
| 197 | * TraumaCongaLine: ''Also'' as standard for Barovia. |
| 198 | * TwoGuysAndAGirl: The initial group of player characters, consisting of Erasmus, Tamago, and Suffer respectively. |
| 199 | * {{Uberwald}}: The setting. |
| 200 | * UndeathlyPallor: Most of the vampires. |
| 201 | * UnpleasantParentReveal: When the party arrives at the ruins of Tsolenka, Suffer investigates the remains of what was once her family home, and is shown visions of their past. These reveal that [[{{OffingTheOffspring}} her father tried to kill her when she was a baby,]] and was only stopped when a young Izek [[{{Patricide}} killed him to protect her.]] |
| 202 | * VampireHunter: Erasmus. Rudolph van Richten and Ezmerelda, too. At this point, basically the entire party. |
| 203 | * VampiresHarem: Strahd's four brides. |
| 204 | * VanHelsingHateCrimes: Both Rudolph and Ez have a habit of slipping into this, seeing all vampires as [[{{WhatMeasureIsANonHuman}} subhuman monsters who need to be put down]]. |
| 205 | * TheVonTropeFamily: Strahd von Zarovich, of course, as well as a couple of other Barovian noble families. The van Richtens use the Dutch version. |
| 206 | * WeCanRuleTogether: Izek makes this offer to Suffer. She immediately turns him down. Likewise, on a much grander scale, this seems to be the promise many of the Dark Powers are making to their "champions." |
| 207 | * WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: This becomes a point of contention among the party during their alliance with Escher. When Rudolph and Ezmerelda insist that he's fundamentally untrustworthy and no more than a monster who should be put down, Erasmus outright asks [[{{Dhampyr}} what makes him and Escher so different.]] Rudolph [[{{ArmorPiercingQuestion}} struggles to find an answer.]] |
| 208 | * WonderChild: If Ormir's story is any indication, Suffer and Izek are a very dark variation. Their mother's wish for children was granted, but said children were born monstrous, and she and her husband eventually went mad. |
| 209 | * YearInsideHourOutside: It becomes clear that time passes differently in the Shadowfell than it does on the Material Plane. In Barovia, two hundred years have passed since the Year of Sunlight when Strahd was killed by a reincarnation of Tatyana – heavily implied to be Miscillia – and a group of adventurers she banded with. Back on the Material Plane, Suffer finds out about Barovia from her adult son, Cezar, who is only now going through his late mother’s things. Complicating matters is the fact that Suffer and Izek’s ages appear to be consistent with one another despite having lived on different planes of existence, and Arrigal claims that as a Vistana he is not only able to travel freely through the Shadowfell, but is also immune to its “time dilation” effects. |
| 210 | ** Ludmilla later explains that time passes roughly ten times as quickly in Barovia than it does on the Material Plane: i.e. one year on the Material Plane is ten years in Barovia, and one day on the Material Plane is ten days in Barovia. This would be consistent with Erasmus having spent two years in Waterdeep while his father has spent twenty years in the Shadowfell – though it is notably ''not'' consistent with Izek and Suffer’s ages. Ludmilla outright states that the 17 years Suffer has lived in Waterdeep should have been 170 years in Barovia, and that her brother should be long dead. The mysterious entity that seems to consider the Strazni siblings her “children” has implied that she may have had something to do with it. |
| 211 | * YouAllMeetInAnInn: How the initial party meets. |
| 212 | [[/folder]] |
| 213 | |
| 214 | [[folder:Tropes appearing in ''Tour de Dread'']] |
| 215 | * AccidentalMurder: Florian accidentally kills Vladislav outright with a particularly powerful ''[[{{PracticalTaunt}} vicious mockery]]'' in "A Very Ravenloft Christmas," much to Cassia's and his own horror. They end up using a scroll of ''revivify'' to bring him back to life. |
| 216 | * AICronym: M.O.M., for "Maestro of Mankind." |
| 217 | * AnachronismStew: Even moreso than the FantasyKitchenSink elements of the other campaigns, given the wildly varying technology levels of different Domains of Dread. At one point the party has a rudimentary understanding of modern computers, but no idea what a train is. |
| 218 | * ArcSymbol: [[{{GemstoneMotifs}} Amber,]] much like in ''Curse of Strahd,'' seems to have some association with the Shadowfell and the Dark Powers as a whole. Amber Monoliths frequently appear in Domains of Dread to be destroyed alongside their darklords, and Yivek finds the shard of amber Cassia brings him from the House of Lament particularly interesting. |
| 219 | * ArtifactOfAttraction: The "Splendiferous Bauble," Mayday's prize for winning Yivek's Great Puzzle Race with the Mist Hunters. It's an otherwise completely normal pine cone that causes anyone who looks at it to want it more than anything in the world. |
| 220 | * ArtShift: In the "Oletus Manor" chapter, a few characters get new art depicting them in the same ragdoll-esque art style as the source material. |
| 221 | * BadassFamily: Agatha van Richten, presumably an ancestor of Rudolph and Erasmus in ''Curse of Strahd,'' appears in "The Witch of Muckmere Bog," representing the Van Richten family's greater presence in the Shadowfell. Apollonia, Pandora, and Ajax also count. |
| 222 | * BadMoonRising: In "Oletus Manor," the phases of the moon herald certain changes in the manor. When the party finally confronts the Baron, it's noted that the moon seen through the windows is blood red. |
| 223 | * TheBigDamnKiss: Cassia and Milo have their FirstKiss after finally confessing their feelings to one another, right before going onstage to perform at the Dark Carnival. |
| 224 | * BigGuyLittleGuy: Ajax and Cassia form this dynamic. |
| 225 | * BlatantLies: Knicky, constantly. Best seen with Florian insisting that he's a [[{{SuspiciouslyspecificDenial}} normal human man.]] |
| 226 | * BloodierAndGorier: During "Snow and Stitched Flesh," the descriptions of injuries during combat become ''distinctly'' more [[{{BloodyHorror}} graphic and detailed]]. This is a deliberate choice, emphasizing the themes of MedicalHorror and the body present in Lamordia. |
| 227 | * BravingTheBlizzard: The party is forced to trek out into a huge snowstorm in search of a kidnapped Amelia in "Snow and Stitched Flesh." |
| 228 | * CabinFever: In "Oletus Manor," the party slowly gets more and more stir-crazy as ''months'' pass and they get no closer to finding a way to escape the domain. |
| 229 | * CameBackWrong: Apollonia, Ajax and Pandora's late older sister, having been reanimated as a servant of the Witch. She gets better. |
| 230 | * CircusOfFear: The Dark Carnival. |
| 231 | * CitywideEvacuation: The party is present in Baldur's Gate when refugees come pouring in from the evacuation of Elturel, the city having been DraggedOffToHell. |
| 232 | * ConnectedAllAlong: Not only to the other campaigns, but this shows up occasionally within the confines of ''Tour de Dread'' itself as well. |
| 233 | * ColorMotif: In addition to the significance of amber, as detailed above, several characters are associated with specific colours: |
| 234 | ** Ajax has [[{{RedIsViolent}} red]]. |
| 235 | ** Cassia has mint green. |
| 236 | ** Knicky has yellow or purple. Florian is usually depicted in green, and Poppet in red, while their true changeling form is DeliberatelyMonochrome. |
| 237 | ** Miscillia has [[{{DarkIsNotEvil}} black]]. |
| 238 | ** Milo has [[{{RoseHairedSweetie}} pink]], and later as the ringmaster of the Dark Carnival, [[{{RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver}} red and black]]. |
| 239 | * CreepyDoll: Not-Gennifer, and all other carrionette enemies. |
| 240 | * DamselInDistress: Miscillia becomes this when she's whisked back to Barovia by the mists after rescuing the party from Oletus Manor, as does Amelia when she's kidnapped by the corpse collectors at the beginning of "Snow and Stitched Flesh." |
| 241 | * DeadAllAlong: This turns out to be the case with all the other “players” the party meets in “M.O.M. Knows Best” – all of their physical bodies are long dead, and their digitized consciousnesses were all that was left of them. |
| 242 | * DeadpanSnarker: Cassia. Knicky is often this as well, especially when using ''vicious mockery.'' |
| 243 | * DeathOfAChild: In the backstory of the House of Lament. |
| 244 | * {{Dhampyr}}: It eventually becomes clear that Cezar Dorval is one. |
| 245 | * DoomedByCanon: The intended conclusion of the adventure is for Miscillia’s adventurers to storm Castle Ravenloft and fight Strahd; the ''Curse of Strahd'' adventure, set [[{{YearInsideHourOutside}} 20/200]] years later in the same timeline, establishes that while they may be successful in killing him Strahd will ultimately be revived by the Dark Powers to continue his reign of terror. Suffer’s session 0 also reveals that by the time ''Curse of Strahd'' begins, Miscillia will be dead. |
| 246 | * DysfunctionJunction: Pretty much everyone has ''some'' kind of messy or downright traumatic personal history. |
| 247 | * EatingTheEyeCandy: Happens on occasion to [[{{WalkingShirtlessScene}} Ajax]], most memorably by a vampire couple on Cyre 1313 and Yivek. |
| 248 | * EmpathicWeapon: Nepenthe, the sword bound to the ringmaster of the Dark Carnival, very clearly has a mind of its own, [[spoiler: and is in fact the true darklord of the domain.]] |
| 249 | * EmoTeen: Sage Oakcane, one of Cassia's younger siblings, seems to be on their way to growing up into one of these. |
| 250 | * EnfantTerrible: The Baron, who when interacting with the party takes the form of a young boy. |
| 251 | * EvilIsVisceral: The Witch's lair, full of lots of [[{{SceneryGorn}} lovingly described]] blood and guts. |
| 252 | * EvilWeapon: Unlike [[{{FlamingSword}} Sergei]] in ''Curse of Strahd,'' who is much nicer, Nepenthe is very much this. |
| 253 | * FamilyThemeNaming: Both the Oakcanes and Ajax's family. The Oakcanes are all named after [[{{FloralThemeNaming}} different plants, mainly herbs]], and Ajax and his sisters' names [[{{ReligiousAndMythologicalThemeNaming}} come from Greek mythology.]] |
| 254 | * FantasyGunControl: Averted; Cassia finds a pistol in the House of Lament and subclasses as a gunslinger at third level. |
| 255 | * {{Foil}}: The other "players" in "M.O.M. Knows Best" serve as these to the party - Patience to Cassia, Attaresh to Ajax, Lucette to Mayday, and, most obviously, [[{{VoluntaryShapeshifting}} Miz to Knicky.]] |
| 256 | * GenreShift: Each Domain of Dread the party finds themselves in ties into a different horror sub-genre: |
| 257 | ** The "House of Lament" is a HauntedHouse. |
| 258 | ** "Camp Clearwater" is a sendup of the SlasherMovie genre. |
| 259 | ** "M.O.M. Knows Best" is SciFiHorror. |
| 260 | ** "The Witch of Muckmere Bog" is the group's foray into FolkHorror and features a WickedWitch. |
| 261 | ** "Oletus Manor" places the group in a SurvivalHorror setting, participating in a DeadlyGame. |
| 262 | ** "The Dark Carnival" is, of course, a CircusOfFear. |
| 263 | ** "Snow and Stitched Flesh" is themed around MedicalHorror, with a healthy dose of BloodyHorror for good measure. |
| 264 | ** "A Very Ravenloft Christmas" is, of course, the ChristmasEpisode. Given that it's set in [[{{CrapsackWorld}} Barovia,]] it's also a TwistedChristmas. |
| 265 | * GhostTrain: After "The Witch of Muckmere Bog," the group hitches a ride on Cyre 1313. |
| 266 | * GildedCage: Oletus Manor. When they finally confront the Baron, he can't seem to comprehend why the party would ever want to leave. |
| 267 | * GrandTheftMe: One particular carrionette pulls this on Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove in "The House of Lament." This goes FromBadToWorse when her sister Laurie reveals that Gennifer is a werewolf, it's the full moon, and ''the doll doesn't know or care to take the medication that staves off her transformation.'' |
| 268 | * GraveRobbing: On arrival in Lamordia, the carnival is almost immediately attacked by a group of "corpse collectors," who bear licenses that offer compensation in return for medical cadavers and body parts but note that grave robbing is strongly discouraged. [[{{DeadlyEuphemism}} The implication is not lost on Florian and Cassia.]] |
| 269 | * GrimUpNorth: Lamordia. The party has the additional misfortune of having to arrive in the midst of a blizzard. |
| 270 | * HeartTrauma: Syndal's heart was removed by Dr. Mordenheim for her own purposes. He wants it back. |
| 271 | * HeroicComedicSociopath: The party, to varying degrees, but especially compared to the other games' player characters. While the Tour de Dread group does have [[{{EveryoneHasStandards}} some standards,]] they're easily the most "murderhobo-y," going into domains of dread with every intention of [[{{MurderIsTheBestSolution}} killing whoever the darklord is]], and arguably have some of the most selfish motivations. They may not be outright ''evil,'' but they're not exactly the most upstanding, either. This is, of course, generally PlayedForLaughs. |
| 272 | * HerrDoktor: Dr. Viktra Mordenheim, of course, given her status as an {{Expy}} of one of the [[{{Literature/Frankenstein}} trope codifiers.]] |
| 273 | * HiddenDepths: Ajax proves himself capable of being surprisingly thoughtful and empathetic at times, especially in one-on-one interactions with Miscillia. |
| 274 | * HighSchoolAU: The dating simulator segment of "M.O.M. Knows Best" places the characters in one of these, despite only Mayday even really knowing what a high school is. |
| 275 | * InnocentlyInsensitive: Mayday does this occasionally. When Miscillia begins to open up to the group about the true purpose of their jobs, Mayday quickly compares the vampire lord she describes to Strahd von Zarovich, having heard of him as an in-universe fictional character from Noname and Ryan, and having no idea what kind of personal pain he’s inflicted on her. [[{{TraumaButton}} Miscillia does]] ''[[{{TraumaButton}} not]]'' [[{{TraumaButton}} take it well.]] |
| 276 | * HoistByTheirOwnPetard: Mayday ''attempts'' this when trying to use the Splendiferous Bauble to bargain with Yivek, but it backfires on her because he's the one who gave it to her in the first place, and knows exactly what it does already. It's only compounded by the rest of the party falling under the enchantment and insisting that Mayday not give it to him. Then she tries it ''again,'' with exactly the same results. |
| 277 | * InTheHood: Whenever Miscillia and Cezar go out in public, they dress in all black, with hoods and face masks to conceal their identities. Though, as Dennet points out, it does make it very obvious who they are to people who ''do'' already know. |
| 278 | * IntercontinuityCrossover: With ''[[{{VideoGame/IdentityV}} Identity V]],'' initially only through the half-joking presence of Eli Clark. The party eventually finds themselves at a version of Oletus Manor re-imagined as a Domain of Dread. |
| 279 | * {{Jawbreaker}}: The Witch seems to be fond of ripping or cutting jawbones entirely off of her victims. Apollonia suffers that fate, as does Cassia in a NightmareSequence, and when they finally fight the Witch herself, she crushed Knicky's jaw entirely. This is also how Ajax finishes off the massive crocodile in the swamp. |
| 280 | * LateToTheTragedy: In "M.O.M. Knows Best." All humanoid life died out ''eight hundred years'' prior to the party arriving. |
| 281 | * MadScientist: Viktra Mordenheim. |
| 282 | * MagicVersusScience: In Lamordia. Sybil and Vaughan note that Lamordians look down on magic as opposed to science, in some cases seeing it as "cheating," and Vaughan in particular seems to be terrified of magic-users. This attitude is so prevalent that the domain itself [[{{YourMagicsNoGoodHere}} can sometimes reject magic entirely.]] Cassia, an [[{{Magitek}} artificer]], thinks this is ridiculous. |
| 283 | * MassiveNumberedSiblings: The Oakcanes. |
| 284 | * MetaphorIsMyMiddleName: During "Oletus Manor": |
| 285 | -->'''Ajax:''' "Bloodsports" is my middle name! |
| 286 | -->'''Florian:''' I thought your middle name was [[{{TheMagnificent}} "the."]] |
| 287 | * MirrorMatch: When the fetches attack the Carnival, the party is pitted against copies of themselves. |
| 288 | * MirrorSelf: The fetches encountered at the Dark Carnival are these -- mirror creatures who mimic a person's appearance and memories, if not their personalities. |
| 289 | * MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Viktra Mordenheim. She's often referred to simply as "the doctor." |
| 290 | * OtherMeAnnoysMe: A shared sentiment towards the party's fetch copies. |
| 291 | * OutcastRefuge: Many members of the Carnival see it as this. |
| 292 | * PrecursorHeroes: The party in ''Tour de Dread'' serve as these to the ''Curse of Strahd'' group later. |
| 293 | * {{Prequel}}: Despite being played concurrently with ''Curse of Strahd,'' the events of this campaign take place well before it. |
| 294 | * PsychologicalTormentZone: Muckmere Bog is this, courtesy of its resident witch, creating illusions and generally messing with the party members' heads. |
| 295 | * PutOnABus: Mayday leaves the party after "Oletus Manor." |
| 296 | * RageAgainstTheReflection: A downplayed version with Knicky. Upon arriving in their room at Oletus Manor and finding that it's been furnished with a large, full-length mirror, they promptly cover it with a sheet. |
| 297 | * RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The party. The members of the Carnival are also this; many of them are victims of other Domains of Dread who don't fit in anywhere else. |
| 298 | * RayOfHopeEnding: Of a sort. While ''Curse of Strahd'' establishes that the ''Tour de Dread'' group were unable to permanently defeat Strahd and free Barovia, their actions are what set the ''Curse of Strahd'' group up to eventually potentially succeed where they failed. |
| 299 | * RelationshipUpgrade: Milo and Cassia finally get theirs in "The Carnival," after spending almost their entire time performing together pining for each other, then being separated over the course of the campaign itself. |
| 300 | * ShapeshifterGuiltTrip: The fetch copy of Cassia tries this on the party when they fight. It doesn't work. |
| 301 | * StraightManAndWiseGuy: Cassia and Knicky, respectively, tend towards this kind of dynamic. Sometimes other characters get in on it too. |
| 302 | * StrongFamilyResemblance: The Oakcanes all look very similar, mainly taking after either their mother or father. Cezar also quite closely resembles both of his parents. |
| 303 | * StupidSexyFriend: When they actually get to see Knicky as [[{{LongHairedPrettyBoy}} Florian,]] Cassia finds him ''frustratingly'' pretty, much to their own chagrin. |
| 304 | * TheTeamBenefactor: Miscillia. |
| 305 | * TeethClenchedTeamwork: Due to their conflicting personalities, the Tour de Dread group sometimes falls into this. Miscillia and Dennet are an even more straightforward example, making their personal dislike of one another ''very'' clear. |
| 306 | * TwistedChristmas: The party's introduction to Barovia, "A Very Ravenloft Christmas," sees the four of them attempting to protect the village over the course of the winter solstice, with each hour bringing a new yuletide-themed threat. |
| 307 | * TwoPersonLoveTriangle: Miscillia [[{{ImaginaryLoveTriangle}} seems to think]] that there's some kind of love triangle going on between Knicky, Dennet, and Florian Fairchild, unaware that Knicky and Florian are [[{{ActuallyIAmHim}} the same person]]. |
| 308 | * TheUnfought: The party never actually engages in combat with Viktra Mordenheim. Instead, after Cassia goads her into replacing Syndal's heart and they realize she won't force Sybil to stay against their will, the group cuts their losses and just leaves. |
| 309 | * VagueAge: Both Ajax and Florian admit to not knowing their exact ages, with Ajax claiming to have lost track of a few years here and there and Florian giving an estimate of "late twenties" for himself. |
| 310 | * VitriolicBestBuds: Cassia and Knicky. |
| 311 | * WouldHurtAChild: The Baron of Oletus Manor pisses the party off so much that they don't really have any qualms about physically attacking him, even though he looks like a young boy. Downplayed as the Baron isn't ''actually'' a child, just takes the form of one. |
| 312 | * YourMagicsNoGoodHere: When the party arrives in Lamordia in "Snow and Stitched Flesh," they find that the domain itself seems to resist their magic. This is represented by a mechanic where, any time a magical effect is used, the caster must roll a d20: on a [[{{CriticalFailure}} natural one,]] there's simply no effect. |
| 313 | |
| 314 | [[/folder]] |
| 315 | |
| 316 | [[folder:Tropes appearing in ''Waterdeep: Dragon Heist'']] |
| 317 | * ABirthdayNotABreak: Since the party goes out to catch the serial killer in the Dock Ward late at night on Mirtul 22nd, Bonnie ends up spending the first hours of her 30th birthday hunting and interrogating him. |
| 318 | * AdoptedToTheHouse: The party immediately offers Tobak a job at the tavern and a room in Trollskull Manor upon hearing about his situation, even before they realize [[{{LongLostRelative}} he's Morelle's half-brother.]] |
| 319 | * AffectionateNickname: Bonnibell is often called “Bonnie,” especially by her ex-boyfriend Davil, and Vincent Trench tends to refer to Morelle as “kid.” Bonnibell has also nicknamed Morelle "Sherlock," and Davil himself "pumpkin." |
| 320 | * AnachronismStew |
| 321 | * AnimalMotifs: Vincent has tigers. |
| 322 | * BettyAndVeronica: Bonnibell with her two LoveInterests, Davil and Morelle. Davil is the Veronica, as while she's known him longer, [[{{SlapSlapKiss}} their relationship has been volatile]] and he's [[{{NeighborhoodFriendlyGangsters}} deeply entrenched in Waterdeep's criminal underground.]] Morelle is a new flame, but is a [[{{NiceGuy}} kind, respectful]] [[{{PrivateDetective}} detective on the side of good]], making them the Betty in the situation. |
| 323 | * BirthdayEpisode: Mirtul 23rd is Bonnibell’s birthday. |
| 324 | * BrooklynRage: Bonnie has the accent and the attitude. |
| 325 | * CityOfAdventure: Waterdeep, of course. |
| 326 | * CobwebOfDisuse: Lots in Trollskull Manor when the party first arrives. |
| 327 | * CuriosityKilledTheCast: Bonnibell meets an untimely fate after picking the lock on a book taken from Gralhund Villa. |
| 328 | * DisappearedDad: Morelle’s is one of the driving forces behind their coming to the city in the first place. |
| 329 | * DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: Vincent smokes one. |
| 330 | * DistressedDude: Floon and Renaer begin the adventure like this. |
| 331 | * EarlyBirdCameo: Michelle and Threestrings make one in the narration a few sessions prior to Michelle’s introduction as a player character. |
| 332 | * FamilyEyeResemblance: Morelle and Tobak both share the exact same eye colour. |
| 333 | * FantasticRacism: Most prominently appears in subplots invovling Bregan D'aerthe and drow tensions with other elves. |
| 334 | * GenderFlip: Tally Fellbranch, owner of the Bent Nail in Trollskull Alley, is written in the module as male. Here, she's a woman. |
| 335 | * GlorifiedSpermDonor: Tobak feels this way about his and Morelle's father, as unlike Morelle, he never had the chance to have a relationship with him. |
| 336 | * HauntedHeadquarters: Trollskull Manor becomes this. |
| 337 | * HauntedHouse: Trollskull Manor. |
| 338 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: With Tour de Dread taking place at the same time as Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, the player characters of each campaign end up serving as this to one another, only making brief cameo appearances in each others’ stories. |
| 339 | * HomemadeInventions: Bonnibell’s creations. |
| 340 | * ItsPersonal: When Tobak is caught in the fireball blast, Morelle becomes even more determined to take the investigation into their own hands. This is only further exacerbated when Bonnie actually ''dies.'' |
| 341 | * KindHeartedCatLover: One of Lif’s redeeming features is that he seems to be this, often taking care of [[{{TeamPet}} Doja]] while the party is away from Trollskull Manor. |
| 342 | * {{Leitmotif}}: Several characters and locations have specific musical themes, largely drawn from the Incompetech royalty-free library: |
| 343 | ** The Yawning Portal and Trollskull Manor both use Travis Savoie’s soundtrack. |
| 344 | ** Vincent Trench and the Tiger’s Eye have “I Knew A Guy.” |
| 345 | ** Book Wyrm’s Treasure has “Gymnopedie No. 3.” |
| 346 | ** The Watchful Order uses “Alchemist’s Tower.” |
| 347 | ** Davil Starsong has “Suonatore di Liuto.” |
| 348 | * LighterAndSofter: Compared to the heavily horror-themed Curse of Strahd and Tour de Dread. |
| 349 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy: Several [=NPCs=], though most prominently Davil Starsong and Floon Blagmaar. |
| 350 | * LoveTriangle: Bonnibell has one set up between herself, Davil, and Morelle. However, it seems like [[{{Polyamory}} she may not have]] [[{{ThreeWaySex}} to choose between them at all.]] |
| 351 | * MilestoneBirthdayAngst: Bonnibell, on her 30th. |
| 352 | * MobWar: One between the Zhentarim and the Xanathar Guild sets up the main conflict of the module. |
| 353 | * OddFriendship: Several, including Michelle and Remallia Haventree, and Fala Lefaliir and Ziraj the Hunter. |
| 354 | * OneSteveLimit: The character known as Bonnie in the original module is renamed Annie here, to avoid confusion with player character Bonnibell, herself nicknamed Bonnie. |
| 355 | * RelationshipRevolvingDoor: This is the nature of Davil and Bonnibell's long term relationship. At the time the campaign begins, they're broken up, but quickly end up WorkingWithTheEx. |
| 356 | * ResurrectionSickness: As specified in the spell description, Bonnibell suffers from this after being revived with ''raise dead.'' |
| 357 | * SecretOtherFamily: Tobak and Morelle's father Cyrus didn't make either of his children aware of their half sibling. Somewhat downplayed given the fact that he seems to have disappeared either before Tobak was born or very shortly afterward, so he may not have had the chance. |
| 358 | * SpookySeance: Michelle hosts one to allow the party to better communicate with Lif. |
| 359 | * StepfordSmiler: It becomes very clear very quickly that Floon is struggling to hide how traumatized his kidnapping left him. |
| 360 | * TeamPet: Doja, the stray cat who took up residence in Trollskull Manor while it was abandoned, is adopted by the party. |
| 361 | * TwoHalvesMakeAPlot: As it turns out, Morelle and Tobak each have half of a journal that belonged to their father. They only realize they're related when they put the two halves together. |
| 362 | * WhamEpisode: Session 25, which features the groups first player character death when Bonnibell is killed on her way back from Gralhund Villa. |
| 363 | * WhatYearIsThis: Lif has to have the party confirm the year to him when they ask how long he's been in Trollskull Manor, having lost track of time during his undeath. |
| 364 | * WizardingSchool: The Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors, of which Stevie becomes a member in good standing, operates one. |
| 365 | * WorkingWithTheEx: Bonnibell, now that the party is working with Davil and the Doom Raiders. Though he may not remain an ex for long. |
| 366 | * YouAllMeetInAnInn: The Yawning Portal. |
| 367 | [[/folder]] |
| 368 | |
| 369 | ---- |
| 370 | !! Characters |
| 371 | |
| 372 | !!!Player Characters |
| 373 | [[folder:''Curse of Remy Abode'']] |
| 374 | !!Erasmus [[spoiler: van Richten]] |
| 375 | -->'''Race:''' Dhampir |
| 376 | -->'''Class:''' Ranger (Monster Slayer Conclave)/Fighter |
| 377 | A bounty hunter by trade operating out of a tavern in the city of Waterdeep who remembers nothing of his life prior to the past two years, other than a traumatic experience at a mysterious, mist-laden castle. He eventually turns out to be [[spoiler: the long presumed-dead son of Rudolph van Richten.]] |
| 378 | ---- |
| 379 | * AmnesiacHero: Erasmus eventually confesses that he doesn't remember anything of his life more than two years before the start of the adventure. Despite revelations about his identity, he still doesn't actually remember much. |
| 380 | * AmnesiacResonance: A minor (and heartbreaking) variation: upon meeting and ultimately having to part ways with his father, Erasmus makes him pinky promise that the two of them will meet up again. Van Richten remarks that as a child Erasmus would always do exactly that whenever his father had to go away on monster-hunting business. |
| 381 | -->'''Van Richten:''' Even if you don’t remember, you still sort of do, I see. |
| 382 | * BrainwashedAndCrazy: In their confrontation in the Amber Temple, Ludmilla casts ''dominate person'' on him and commands him to kill his friends. He's conscious and aware even though he's not in control of his actions, and the first part of the fight is dedicated to breaking her control over him. |
| 383 | * CanonCharacterAllAlong: He is the campaign's version of Erasmus van Richten, a surprise even to his player. |
| 384 | * ClassyCravat: Wears one to dinner at Castle Ravenloft. |
| 385 | * DualWielding: His two-handed fighting style, though he later discards it in favour of the heavier Woodcutter's Axe. |
| 386 | * EatingTheEnemy: His dhampir “bite” attack allows him to do this and regain some hit points. |
| 387 | * EnterStageWindow: Does this occasionally, aided by his ability to walk up walls. |
| 388 | * EscapedFromTheLab: One of the first things he ''does'' remember is his escape from Ludmilla's experiments in Castle Ravenloft. |
| 389 | * EveryoneLovesBlondes: This certainly seems to be the case, given that he’s attracted the most romantic interest of any party member so far. |
| 390 | * ForgotTheirOwnBirthday: Courtesy of his TraumaInducedAmnesia. |
| 391 | * FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire: Well, {{Dhampyr}}, technically. |
| 392 | * HorrorHunger: As a dhampir, Erasmus hungers for raw, bloody meat, preferably still alive, and has a specific game mechanic devoted to controlling his hunger. |
| 393 | * HunterOfMonsters: His subclass is the Monster Slayer conclave, and he specializes in hunting down undead. |
| 394 | ** HunterOfHisOwnKind: Erasmus is eventually revealed to be a dhampir himself. |
| 395 | * IHateYouVampireDad: Part of Erasmus’ driving motivation is to take revenge on Ludmilla, whose experiments turned him into a dhampir, and who he absolutely loathes. It doesn’t help that the same experiments killed his mother. Ludmilla, for her part, [[{{ButForMeItWasTuesday}} doesn’t even remember either of them.]] |
| 396 | * InTheBlood: An amnesiac Erasmus van Richten unwittingly follows in his father’s footsteps, becoming a monster hunter himself. |
| 397 | * ItsPersonalWithTheDragon: While he still wants Strahd dead, he has a much deeper, more personal grudge against his bride Ludmilla. |
| 398 | * LikeBrotherAndSister: He very quickly falls into this dynamic with Ezmerelda. |
| 399 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy: He has long blonde hair and is very pretty, if the amount of attention he gets from [=NPCs=] is any indication. |
| 400 | * MarkOfTheSupernatural: His one [[{{RedEyesTakeWarning}} red eye]], which he hides under his hair, is this. |
| 401 | * {{Matricide}}: After learning more about what Ludmilla has been doing in her lab, he begins to fear that his mother didn't die as a result of the experiments, but that he killed her himself immediately after his transformation. |
| 402 | * MistakenAge: He himself admits that he has no idea how old he actually is, due to his amnesia. His stated age of 27 is just a guess. |
| 403 | * TheNeedless: Erasmus does not technically need to breathe. |
| 404 | * OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Being zapped by the magic door to the tower on Lake Baratok, which the party constantly teases him about. It only gets worse when they discover that the person who's been living there is ''his own father.'' |
| 405 | * OnlyOneName: Only goes by "Erasmus" until he finds out what family he belongs to. |
| 406 | * HidingBehindYourBangs: His hair in his initial design covers his one [[{{RedEyesTakeWarning}} red]] eye. He later pins his hair back, revealing both. |
| 407 | * PurpleIsPowerful: His initial design features a strong purple colour palette, and he's a powerhouse weilding both magic and sher strength. |
| 408 | * ThePrettyGuysAreStronger: With a Strength score of 20, Erasmus must be absolutely ''built'' under that flowy outfit. |
| 409 | * QuestForIdentity: Erasmus spends much of the adventure searching for answers about his forgotten past. |
| 410 | * ReluctantMonster: He struggles a lot with the [[{{HorrorHunger}} urges]] that come with his nature as a dhampir, and tries to manage them as [[{{FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire}} ethically as he can.]] |
| 411 | * ScarilyCompetentTracker: It comes with the territory of being a ranger, and comes in ''very'' handy traversing the forests and mountains of Barovia. |
| 412 | * StepfordSmiler: Erasmus is pleasant and chatty, but a lot of his demeanour is hiding a lot of pain and a very dark past. |
| 413 | * StrappedToAnOperatingTable: His earliest memories, courtesy of Ludmilla. |
| 414 | * StrongFamilyResemblance: He very closely resembles his mother Ingrid, which he discovers when he first is mistaken for and later meets her reincarnation, Helwa of Yaedrag. |
| 415 | * TrackingSpell: Erasmus’ ranger spell ''hunter’s mark'' can serve as this. |
| 416 | * TraumaInducedAmnesia: Erasmus can’t remember any of his life prior to two years before the adventure. Ludmilla’s experiments that turned him into a dhampir appear to be the cause. |
| 417 | * UndeadTaxExemption: Erasmus spends two years living in Waterdeep after he loses his memories. Justified in the sense that the medieval fantasy setting doesn’t bother quite so much with formal papers. |
| 418 | * VampireHunter: Like his father before him. |
| 419 | * VengeanceFeelsEmpty: When he finally kills Ludmilla, he notes that it doesn't actually bring him much, if any, satisfaction at all. |
| 420 | * WallCrawl / WallRun: Erasmus makes good use of his ability to walk up walls. |
| 421 | |
| 422 | !!Suffer-Not-Injustice-in-Pursuit-of-Wisdom [[spoiler: Strazni]] |
| 423 | -->'''Race:''' Tiefling |
| 424 | -->'''Class:''' Cleric (Knowledge Domain) |
| 425 | A young acolyte of the Goddess of Knowledge, Ioun, who was raised in a temple devoted to her worship in Waterdeep after being abandoned on its doorstep as an infant. She discovers that [[spoiler: she was born in Barovia and smuggled to the Material Plane as a baby, and is the younger sister of Izek Strazni.]] |
| 426 | ---- |
| 427 | * AlliterativeName: Technically, hers is this, though her first name is so long it loses some of its impact. |
| 428 | * AmazingTechnicolourPopulation: She is red. |
| 429 | * AnimalMotifs: Suffer, and to a lesser extent her brother Izek, have goats and sheep. Suffer has goat-like hooves instead of feet, and her horns resemble that of a real-life breed of sheep, the Jacob sheep. The same breed of sheep tends to be patterned in spots or patches, tying into Izek’s piebald/paradox appearance. Both siblings also have curly hair. |
| 430 | * AwfulTruth: Suffer's revelations about her family are presented as such, albeit one she can't resist pursuing anyway. The truth itself turns out to be that [[spoiler: [[{{OffingTheOffspring}} her father tried to kill her when she was a baby,]] only for Izek to accidentally burn her when he [[{{Patricide}} killed him to protect her,]] causing the scar on her face.]] When this knowledge is granted to her in a vision from Ioun, she thanks her, but still breaks down into tears. |
| 431 | * TheBabyOfTheBunch: At 17, Suffer is the youngest of the party members. Erasmus, Tamago, and Ireena seem to treat her like a younger sister. Later, Moira and Ez get in on it too. |
| 432 | * BadassBookworm: Suffer is a cleric of a knowledge goddess and was raised in a church containing a massive library. While she doesn’t like violence, she’s more than capable of holding her own in a fight. As she spends more and more time in Barovia, this becomes more prominent. |
| 433 | * Bittersweet17: The adventure begins when Suffer is seventeen years old, and serves as a dark ComingOfAgeStory of sorts for her. |
| 434 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: Suffer is generally softspoken, kind, forgiving, and helpful even to total strangers. When she genuinely gets angry, though, she gets ''very'' angry. |
| 435 | * BlackSpeech: Fluent in both Abyssal and Infernal. |
| 436 | * CelibateHero: While Suffer's religion doesn't require her to be chaste, it does encourage a focus on scholarly and religious studies over other pursuits, especially while young. Combined with the dearth of age-appropriate potential love interests in Barovia and the fact that she has much bigger issues on her plate, romance is not a priority for her. |
| 437 | * CarryABigStick: She uses a mace as her primary melee weapon. |
| 438 | * DarkIsNotEvil: Despite looking like a BigRedDevil, Suffer is arguably the kindest and most moral member of the party. |
| 439 | * DistinguishingMark: The large, branching scar on her face and neck. In Barovia, her tiefling appearance also serves as one. |
| 440 | * DoesntKnowTheirOwnBirthday: Due to being a... |
| 441 | * DoorstopBaby: Suffer was left on the steps of the Temple of Ioun in Waterdeep as an infant. |
| 442 | * EnlightenmentSuperpowers: Her Knowledge domain abilities are basically these. |
| 443 | * HaveYouSeenMyGod: Though her goddess’ blessing still remains, Suffer quickly learns that Ioun can’t reach her directly in Barovia. Instead, something else reaches out to her. |
| 444 | * TheHeart: Especially after the death of Tamago and the introductions of Ez and Moira, Suffer falls into this role within the party, generally being the most empathetic, idealistic, and honest member of the group. She's the most likely to object to extreme measures or unnecessary cruelty, and while she initially volunteers to MercyKill Vasilka, she can't bring herself to go through with killing an innocent. Notably, the Abbot identifies this trait in her immediately upon meeting her, asking her for her ''literal'' heart so he can use it for his FleshGolem. |
| 445 | * HeavenlyBlue: Suffer is mainly associated with the colour blue. It's used in her clerical robes, and her [[{{TechnicolorMagic}} magic]] often manifests visually as a pale blue light or similar. |
| 446 | * HornedHumanoid: Being a tiefling, and all. She is in fact polycerate, and the design of her horns is based on a Jacob sheep’s. |
| 447 | * IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: Before she leaves for Barovia, her friend Dahlia at the temple suggests that she write a book about her experience when she returns. |
| 448 | * ItWasAGift: Mother Cassandra gives her a handmade knit scarf before she leaves. |
| 449 | * LongLostRelative: She turns out to be Izek Strazni's younger sister. She also discovers that the two of them have a surviving cousin in Ormir. |
| 450 | * MonstrousHumanoid: Being a tiefling. |
| 451 | * MsExposition: Often takes this role in-universe by explaining things like the Great Wheel of planar cosmology and other complicated concepts to the rest of the party and [=NPCs=], putting her time devoted to a knowledge goddess to good use. |
| 452 | * NaiveNewcomer |
| 453 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Though the intention of her full name is arguably the opposite, her friends simply call her "Suffer" for short. |
| 454 | * NonIndicativeName: Her nickname, at least. She's actually fairly nice. |
| 455 | * MatureYoungerSibling: In many ways Suffer serves as this to Izek, generally being kinder, more level-headed, and less prone to violent anger – though even she still has her moments. |
| 456 | * {{Omniglot}}: Suffer speaks and reads six languages fluently at the beginning of the campaign, and is in the process of learning the Vistani language as well. |
| 457 | * OrcRaisedByElves: Sort of. Tieflings are usually viewed as “evil” or at least unholy, but Suffer was taken in by a temple of Ioun and raised by the worshippers. |
| 458 | * OverlyLongName: Usually shortened to “Suffer”. |
| 459 | * PiousMonster: Being both a [[{{MonstrousHumanoid}} tiefling]] and the party's TokenReligiousTeammate. |
| 460 | * PlayingWithFire: Though most of her magic takes on the appearance of holy light, as a tiefling she’s also able to use ''hellish rebuke'' – much like her brother. |
| 461 | * ProphetEyes / MonochromaticEyes: Though they’re a product of her heritage rather than blindness. |
| 462 | * RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: Prone to this, often responding sincerely and informatively to sarcastic comments. |
| 463 | * ScarsAreForever: The wound that caused the scar on her face was inflicted when she was an infant. She eventually discovers that it was [[spoiler: done accidentally by her brother while he was trying to protect her.]] |
| 464 | * ScaryTeeth: Her teeth are sharp and pointed. |
| 465 | * SecretLegacy: Suffer eventually discovers that she and her brother are descended from an ancient line of stewards of the [[{{LeakingCanOfEvil}} Amber Temple.]] Moira and Ez mostly use this knowledge to try to justify [[{{KleptomaniacHero}} stealing everything inside that isn't nailed down,]] because technically it belongs to her anyway, right? |
| 466 | * {{Seers}}: Her Knowledge domain gives her access to certain divination spells that aren’t usually available to clerics. |
| 467 | * SeparatedAtBirth: From her older brother. |
| 468 | * StrongFamilyResemblance: Suffer’s appearance has a ''lot'' in common with her brother Izek’s tiefling traits, sharing solid white eyes, curly dark reddish hair, and mouths full of pointed teeth. The siblings' mother also had dark red hair, and their cousin Ormir is a redhead as well, even several generations on. |
| 469 | * TeenGenius: At only seventeen years old, Suffer is extremely well-educated and a powerful magic user. |
| 470 | * WillNotTellALie: As a follower of a goddess of knowledge, she believes that sharing information and telling the truth to others is the best course of action, and refuses to lie or withhold information without what she considers a good reason. At times the other party members have to interrupt her mid-sentence to continue a ruse. |
| 471 | * YoungerThanTheyLook: Thanks to her height - the tallest out of the party - others sometimes don't realize she's still a teenager. |
| 472 | |
| 473 | !!Tamago |
| 474 | -->'''Race:''' Tabaxi |
| 475 | -->'''Class:''' Monk (Way of Mercy) |
| 476 | The eldest child of many siblings in a small mountain town, whose family specializes in exorcisms and putting the dead to rest. He becomes a champion of the Raven Queen, but [[spoiler: is killed by Strahd after the Festival of the Blazing Sun, who claims that he was acting as TheMole for him.]] |
| 477 | ---- |
| 478 | * AmbiguouslyEvil: It’s eventually revealed that Tamago was apparently acting as a spy for Strahd himself, though his providing help to the Martikovs, ensuring the party received the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, and the fact that he was last seen having an argument with Strahd that ended in his death all call into question where his true loyalties lie. |
| 479 | * AnimalEyes: Befitting a tabaxi. |
| 480 | * AnimalMotifs: Cats, initially, given his status as a [[{{CatBoy}} tabaxi]], but he later becomes associated with [[{{CreepyCrows}} ravens]] as well once he aligns himself with the Raven Queen. |
| 481 | * BackFromTheDead: The Raven Queen revives him after his death during the Feast of St. Andral. Unfortunately, he seems to not have been so fortunate the [[{{KilledOffscreen}} second time around]]. |
| 482 | * BareFistedMonk |
| 483 | * BigBrotherInstinct: As the oldest of several children, Tamago has this not just towards his own siblings, but to most of the children the party encounters. |
| 484 | * CatBoy |
| 485 | * TheChosenOne: Becomes the champion of the Raven Queen. |
| 486 | * DivineAssistance: During the Feast of St. Andral, on the verge of death, Tamago has an encounter with the Raven Queen that leads to… something… happening to him to mark him as her champion, alongside him being returned to life, consciousness, and health. |
| 487 | * DueToTheDead: Tamago's family deals in this. |
| 488 | * EdibleThemeNaming: Tamago and his many siblings are all named after various foodstuffs. |
| 489 | * FriendToAllChildren: Tamago is good with kids, being the eldest in his family, and easily befriends the Martikov's children and the charges of St. Andral's Orphanage. |
| 490 | * HealingHands: As a Way of Mercy monk, he has access to the Hand of Healing ability. |
| 491 | * KilledOffscreen: The party hears of his death secondhand, from [[{{HarmfulToMinors}} Bray Martikov.]] |
| 492 | * KilledOffForReal: By Strahd himself. |
| 493 | * LittleBitBeastly |
| 494 | * NiceGuy: Tamago is probably the single kindest and nicest member of the party, which is part of what makes it so hard to believe he was [[{{DoubleAgent}} working for Strahd.]] |
| 495 | * MartialMedic |
| 496 | * TheMole: According to Strahd, at least. |
| 497 | * PutOnABus: [[{{RealLifeWritesThePlot}} Due to his player having to leave the game]], Tamago is written out of the story (albeit with the possibility for him to return) – by way of it being revealed that Strahd ''murdered him off-screen.'' |
| 498 | * SacrificialLion: Tamago is one of the three player characters present from the very beginning of the game, and is also the first to die, first in the crypt under the church and later, after being revived by the Raven Queen, [[{{KilledOffForReal}} more permanently at the hands of Strahd himself.]] His death comes as a shock to the party, closes out the Vallaki arc, and signals a turning point in the adventure, after which things quickly get much more serious. |
| 499 | * SurprisinglyNormalBackstory: Compared to Erasmus, Moira, and even Suffer once details surrounding her birth are revealed, Tamago has lived a mostly happy, comfortable life in a large, loving family. |
| 500 | |
| 501 | !!Moira Drel |
| 502 | -->'''Race:''' Human |
| 503 | -->'''Class:''' Monk (Way of the Long Death) |
| 504 | The Krezkov family's maid, who worked for them for many years before running away with the family's son, Ilya, after he was turned into a werewolf. She joins the party in hopes that they can help Ilya overcome the influence of the Dark Power that has taken hold of him. |
| 505 | ---- |
| 506 | * BareFistedMonk |
| 507 | * BeatTheCurseOutOfHim: She ''attempts'' this on Erasmus when he's [[{{CharmPerson}} charmed]] by Escher along with the rest of the crowd in Vallaki. It turns out that taking damage only triggers saving throws against a vampiric charm when it's inflicted by the ''caster.'' |
| 508 | * CoveredWithScars: With Moira often running headfirst into danger without much concern. She has a quite a collection of these—mainly from werewolves claws or teeth. |
| 509 | * CuteBruiser: Moira is an attractive young woman capable of snapping necks with little effort. |
| 510 | * DeadpanSnarker: Often due to her lack of communication skills she hides her embarrassment with jokes and less than playful quips. However its so much of a default its hard to tell when she's being genuine often leading to a few misunderstandings. |
| 511 | * DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: She taunts and insults not only the Dark Powers that try to tempt her, but also the "God of Secrets" residing within the Amber Temple. While the party is skeptical that the latter is actually a god, it's still a powerful enough being to cast both ''banishment'' and ''finger of death'' on her, and the party is forced to make offerings of knowledge to avoid further conflict. |
| 512 | * InLoveWithTheMark: With Ilya. Considering she was hired into the Krezkov family to ruin their lives; by murdering Ilya. The plan didn’t go through due to her catching feelings though. |
| 513 | * LifeDrain: One of her abilities as a Way of the Long Death monk. When she kills an enemy, she can grant herself temporary hit points. |
| 514 | * LivingEmotionalCrutch: To Ilya, especially as the influence of the Dark Powers on him becomes stronger. He's much less troubled when she's with him, and both of them are afraid of what might happen when she leaves for Berez with the party, even after acknowledging it to be the best and safest option. |
| 515 | * NayTheist: Moira doesn't just not believe in the Morninglord, she ''hates'' him. |
| 516 | * NinjaMaid: Moira works as a maid for a noble family in Krezk, and she is a monk. |
| 517 | * NoSocialSkills: Unless she's putting on her overly-polite maid persona, she really struggles to get along with others. |
| 518 | * PrayerOfMalice |
| 519 | * RageAgainstTheHeavens |
| 520 | * RevengeByProxy: When the party subdues Kiril, Moira intends to take revenge on him by torturing his mate in front of him. |
| 521 | * SixthRanger: Moira joins the party even after Famine, well into the campaign. |
| 522 | * SugarAndIcePersonality: Moira is cold and harsh towards just about everyone, including the party, except for Ilya. She's [[{{DefrostingIceQueen}} beginning to soften as time goes on.]] |
| 523 | * SupernaturalFearInducer: Her "Hour of Reaping" ability applies the "frightened" conditions to creatures around her who fail a Wisdom saving throw. |
| 524 | * TokenEvilTeammate: Initially, though over time she's softened to a more neutral alignment. |
| 525 | * TokenHuman: Of the player characters. |
| 526 | * UndyingLoyalty: Moira and Ilya to the other bordering obsession. They refuse to part until they both have died. |
| 527 | * UptownGirl: Her relationship with Ilya; she was a commoner who worked for his family, and he was the heir to a noble family in Krezk. |
| 528 | * ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: To Ilya. |
| 529 | * WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Moira has an intense phobia of [[{{HorsingAround}} horses,]] stemming in large part to an incident where one kicked her in the chest. She hates having to deal with them. |
| 530 | * YouAreWorthHell: Considering Moira went into werewolf territory to see Ilya again this applies. But as the party agreed to help her out and [[{{DebtDetester}} hates being indebted to others]] she is willing to do anything---even help them fight Strahd. |
| 531 | * YouWillNotEvadeMe: She takes the feat "Sentinel" at eighth level, allowing her to prevent enemies from moving out of her range when she successfully makes an attack against them. |
| 532 | |
| 533 | !!Famine Szoldarovich |
| 534 | -->'''Race:''' Human |
| 535 | -->'''Class:''' Warlock (Pact of the Undying) |
| 536 | A social outcast born and raised in Vallaki, who joins the party after they rescue them from being drowned in Lake Zarovich. Famine is seen as strange and unusual and apparently has had some kind of connection to one of the Dark Powers since they were a child. |
| 537 | ---- |
| 538 | * AmbiguousGenderIdentity: While Famine’s family generally refers to them with feminine language, like “sister,” Famine responds to any gendered pronouns, is primarily referred to with they/them, and is stated to bind their chest most of the time. |
| 539 | * AnArmAndALeg: Famine's left hand is bitten off by Kiril. Luckily, Van Richten is able to surgically re-attach it with Ireena, Suffer, and Moira's help, but they still need to be very careful with it. |
| 540 | * BecauseYouWereNiceToMe / IOweYouMyLife: The reason they join the party in the first place: Erasmus and Tamago rescued them from being drowned by Bluto, and the party as a whole are some of the first people in their life who haven’t treated them terribly. |
| 541 | * BewareTheQuietOnes: Famine is quiet, has difficulty speaking to others, and generally tries to keep to themself due largely to the way the town of Vallaki treats them. They’re also a very powerful warlock capable of absolutely wrecking shop with little more than a few Eldritch Blasts. |
| 542 | * BigBrotherBully: Their older brother Morgan, particularly when the two were growing up. |
| 543 | * BlemishedBeauty: Though Famine has a large burn mark on their face and has a colony of bugs living inside them, it's noted that they have a remarkably pretty face and very nice skin. |
| 544 | * DealWithTheDevil: A given for a warlock. According to Kasimir, the entity that provides both of them with their power is known as Zhudun, the Corpse Star. |
| 545 | * EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette |
| 546 | * EyepatchOfPower: They initially wear one, but later give it to Vasilka as a gift. |
| 547 | * FriendToBugs: They have them living under their skin, and have coughed up slugs on multiple occations. |
| 548 | * GenderBlenderName: Despite generally being read as female by others, Famine uses the masculine variation of their surname. |
| 549 | * HumanoidAbomination: As a warlock of the Undying, Famine seems to be becoming this, with powerful magic, insects and worms living under their skin, and the ability to see in the dark. |
| 550 | * ItIsDehumanizing: Burgomaster Vallakovich refers to them this way, apparently not even seeing them as human. |
| 551 | * KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: By Sasha.]] |
| 552 | * LoserFriendPuzzlesOutsiders: The Wachter brothers are bewildered by Erasmus’ friendship with Famine. |
| 553 | * LovecraftianSuperpower |
| 554 | * NonIndicativeName: Given the [[{{PlagueMaster}} theming of their powers]], Pestilence would probably be the more appropriate horseman. |
| 555 | * NoSocialSkills |
| 556 | * PlagueMaster |
| 557 | * RescueIntroduction: The party meet Famine when they have to save them from being drowned in Lake Zarovich. |
| 558 | * RuggedScar: Famine has a large burn mark over one half of their face, as a result of an accident when they were a child. |
| 559 | * SuppressedMammaries: Famine is stated to bind their chest most of the time. |
| 560 | * TheWormThatWalks: While Famine isn’t actually ''made'' of bugs, there are various creepy-crawlies using their body as a home, and they occasionally cough up slugs and caterpillars. |
| 561 | * ThinksLikeARomanceNovel |
| 562 | [[/folder]] |
| 563 | |
| 564 | [[folder:''Tour de Dread'']] |
| 565 | !!Ajax "the Destroyer" |
| 566 | -->'''Race:''' Goliath |
| 567 | -->'''Class:''' Barbarian (Path of the Ancestral Guardian) |
| 568 | A hot-blooded gladiator who left his home in the mountains, only to be pulled into the Shadowfell and begin to work for Miscillia. He is eventually reunited with his two older sisters, Pandora and Apollonia, who had been trapped in a Domain of Dread. |
| 569 | ---- |
| 570 | * TheBabyOfTheBunch: Once the party meets his two older sisters, they learn that he's this in this family. |
| 571 | * BarbarianHero |
| 572 | * BarbarianLongHair: Ajax has wild auburn hair that reaches his shoulders. |
| 573 | * BarbarianTribe: He and his sisters apparently belonged to one. According to Pandora, Apollonia became chief at some point after he left. |
| 574 | * TheBigGuy: As a goliath, he stands around seven or eight feet tall. |
| 575 | * BigLittleBrother: To his sister Pandora, though not Apollonia, who is taller than both of her younger siblings. |
| 576 | * BruiserWithASoftCenter |
| 577 | * CoolShades: His darkvision goggles. |
| 578 | * DistinguishingMark: As with other goliaths, his birthmarks serve as these. |
| 579 | * FacialMarkings: Being a goliath, he has tattoo-like markings all over his face. |
| 580 | * FieryRedhead |
| 581 | * GuardianEntity: His subclass allows him to summon these. |
| 582 | * HiddenDepths: Ajax is much more caring and empathetic than he seems at first, best seen in one-on-one conversations with Miscillia and his sisters, and going out of his way to learn medical skills despite his mostly violent skillset. |
| 583 | * HotBlooded |
| 584 | * InnocentlyInsensitive: From time to time. In particular, his attempts to cheer Sybil up end up hitting a little too close to home for them, due to his lack of knowledge about the situation they're in. |
| 585 | * TheMagnificent: He appended "the Destroyer" to his name for his [[{{BloodSport}} fighting career]]. The party - and his sisters - tease him mercilessly about it. |
| 586 | * MartialMedic: During the party's long stay in Oletus Manor, he trains as a nursing assistant, gaining proficiency in the Medicine skill. |
| 587 | * MortalityPhobia: His self-admitted worst fear is dying. |
| 588 | * OnlyOneName: He and his sisters don't seem to have a family name. |
| 589 | * RedHotMasculinity: Ajax is a big, strong, tough guy largely associated with the colour red. |
| 590 | * WalkingShirtlessScene: Ajax pretty much never puts a shirt on. |
| 591 | |
| 592 | !!Cassia Oakcane |
| 593 | -->'''Race:''' Harengon |
| 594 | -->'''Class:''' Fighter (Gunslinger)/Artificer (Artillerist) |
| 595 | Previously a magician's assistant in an act with a dear friend of theirs in the same traveling circus Knicky was a part of, Cassia left in disgrace after an altercation with a patron, and is now working with Miscillia primarily in an effort to track down their friend to make amends. |
| 596 | ---- |
| 597 | * BadassLongcoat: Their late-campaign design gives them one. |
| 598 | * BagOfHolding: Carries the party's. |
| 599 | * BigBrotherInstinct: Cassia is the oldest sibling in their family, and is protective both of their own family and other kids the party comes across, most notably Cezar. |
| 600 | * BraidsOfAction: They usually wear their hair tied back in two braids. |
| 601 | * CardSharp: In their past. They still keep their deck of marked cards around, though. |
| 602 | * DeadpanSnarker |
| 603 | * [[{{TheDutifulSon}} The Dutiful Child]]: Much of their motivation is to provide for their family and make sure that they're looked after. |
| 604 | * FarmBoy: Cassia grew up on their family farm in the countryside near Waterdeep. |
| 605 | * ForcedToWatch: After questioning Viktra Mordenheim's surgical skills in an effort to goad her into returning Syndal's heart to his chest, she straps them to a chair and forces them to witness the [[{{MeatgrinderSurgery}} entire un-anesthetized procedure.]] Cassia is so traumatized by the experience that they wind up with a bout of long-term madness. |
| 606 | * TheGunslinger: Their fighter subclass. |
| 607 | * HeightInsult: Frequently the victim of these, being the only member of the party classified as a Small creature. |
| 608 | * HeroicSecondWind: As a fighter, their Second Wind ability allows them to regain hit points as an action. |
| 609 | * InnateNightVision: The Shadowfell Brand Tattoo Cassia acquires at the Carnival grants them darkvision, alongside other effects. |
| 610 | * InstantlyProvenWrong: In "Oletus Manor." |
| 611 | -->'''Knicky:''' ''(after failing a cipher check)'' It didn't do that last time! |
| 612 | -->'''Cassia:''' Be careful. |
| 613 | -->'''Knicky:''' I'm ''being'' careful! |
| 614 | -->'''Cassia:''' ''(on their turn)'' Let me show you how to do it. ''(out of character)'' [[{{TemptingFate}} I nat 1. Could you imagine?]] Nah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. ''(rolls a nat 1)'' |
| 615 | * IWillFindYou: More than sharing her ultimate goal, this is Cassia's motivation for staying in Miscillia's employ (well, besides [[{{OnlyInItForTheMoney}} the money]]): Miscillia has the resources to help them find Milo. |
| 616 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: As prickly as they can be, Cassia is genuinely good at heart and often goes out of their way to do kind things for others. Begrudgingly or not. |
| 617 | * LittleBitBeastly |
| 618 | * LovelyAssistant: They were this to Milo when they performed together. |
| 619 | * MassiveNumberedSiblings |
| 620 | * OnlySaneMan: Especially when compared to [[{{HotBlooded}} Ajax]], [[{{TheGadfly}} Knicky]], and [[{{ConditionedToAcceptHorror}} Sybil]]. |
| 621 | * RabbitMagician: Technically, Cassia wasn't the magician themself, but their being a harengon involved in a magic act brings this to mind. |
| 622 | * ReformedCriminal |
| 623 | * SecretKeeper: Cassia is the only party member who knows about Cezar's HorrorHunger and nature as a [[{{Dhampyr}} dhampir]]. |
| 624 | |
| 625 | !!Knickknack Knicky / Florian Fairchild / [[spoiler: Poppet Price]] |
| 626 | -->'''Race:''' Changeling |
| 627 | -->'''Class:''' Bard (College of Swords) |
| 628 | A circus clown working in the same traveling circus as Cassia. Initially passing for a human in makeup, it quickly becomes clear that Knicky is not exactly what they seem and has abandoned several entirely different identities when their past begins to catch up with them. |
| 629 | ---- |
| 630 | * AlliterativeName: Both phonetically and spelled out. They appear to have a fondness for this, given their previous identities as Florian Fairchild and Poppet Price. |
| 631 | * AmbiguousGenderIdentity: As a changeling who can alter their appearance and sex characteristics at will, they have a somewhat complicated relationship with gender. Knicky appears somewhat androgynous and uses they/them pronouns, while Florian presents as a feminine-looking man and uses he/him. While they haven't used Poppet's identity in the campaign proper, it's confirmed that she was a woman. |
| 632 | * TheBard: Their character class. Florian fits the archetype the most closely. |
| 633 | * BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Their three named personas: Knicky, with white hair, is the blonde, Florian is brunette, and Poppet was a redhead. |
| 634 | * ChainsawGood: The magical sword they receive at the end of “Camp Clearwater,” the Magentan Sun-Sword, evokes this. |
| 635 | * TheChewToy: Due in part to being the only [[{{SquishyWizard}} full caster]] in the party and in part just the luck of the dice, Knicky/Florian tends to get mangled and injured far more than the other party members, from having their jaw crushed by the Witch to being nearly written out of reality by the Baron and contracting the wasting plague in Lamordia alongside Ajax. They've also been knocked unconscious in combat the most of any party member. |
| 636 | * CommitmentIssues |
| 637 | * CourtJester: Though they aren’t part of an actual royal court, they still play into this. |
| 638 | * HappyHarlequinHat: Knicky wears one. |
| 639 | * HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Florian Fairchild was a GenderInverted version. They still have these tendencies at times. |
| 640 | * IHaveManyNames: Knicky, Florian, Poppet, and more... |
| 641 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy: As Florian Fairchild. |
| 642 | * MagicalClown: As Knicky. |
| 643 | * MagicMusic: As a bard, this generally comes with the territory. |
| 644 | * MyNaymeIs: It’s not Nicky; it’s Knicky. Done entirely to keep in theme with the “Knickknack” part of their name. |
| 645 | * NonHumanNonBinary: They're a genderfluid shapeshifter. |
| 646 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: After encountering several reminders of [[spoiler: their previous life as Florian Fairchild]], Knicky becomes notably quieter and more reserved – something that only gets worse after coming face-to-face with Dennet. The other party members are unsettled by this, to the point that Cassia confronts them about it. |
| 647 | * OopsIForgotIWasMarried: As it turns out, [[spoiler: Florian Fairchild did the fantasy equivalent of getting very drunk and Vegas married, shortly before retiring that identity and becoming Knickknack Knicky.]] Knicky barely remembered it happening, but the revelation helps to kickstart their character development regarding taking responsibility for their actions. |
| 648 | * RepetitiveName: ''Knick''knack ''Knick''y. |
| 649 | * SadClown: It becomes increasingly obvious that Knicky's overtly silly demeanour covers up a much more cynical and bitter worldview. |
| 650 | * ShapeshifterIdentityCrisis: Much of their internal strife comes from feeling as though they have no true identity or sense of self beyond the "characters" they play. |
| 651 | * SquishyWizard: Not a wizard per se, but Knicky is the only full spellcaster in the party and has the lowest hit points, even after taking the [[{{MagicKnight}} College of Swords]] subclass. They really feel it, especially during the House of Lament and Muckmere Bog adventures. |
| 652 | * ThirdPersonPerson: Not under regular circumstances, but whenever they refer to a persona they aren't currently "wearing," it's always in the third person. |
| 653 | * TiredOfRunning: They eventually come to this conclusion. |
| 654 | * VoluntaryShapeshifting: Comes with being a changeling. |
| 655 | * WanderingMinstrel: As Florian Fairchild. |
| 656 | |
| 657 | !!Sybil the Human Pin Cushion |
| 658 | -->'''Race:''' Reborn |
| 659 | -->'''Class:''' Rogue (Phantom) |
| 660 | A cheerful performer at the Dark Carnival, assigned to the party as their guide during their visit. |
| 661 | ---- |
| 662 | * AccidentalMarriage: Sybil narrowly avoids promising themself to a winter fey in the Litwick Market, having asked them to erase some of their memories in return for "their hand." Being a MixAndMatchMan, Sybil assumes the fey means one of their ''actual'' hands, and it's only after Ajax and Florian talk them out of the deal that the eladrin reveals that they meant [[{{ExactWords}} their hand in marriage.]] |
| 663 | * AnimalMotifs: Sybil is sometimes affectionately compared to a [[{{ThievingMagpie}} magpie,]] given their keen interest in collecting trinkets of all kinds. |
| 664 | * BladeEnthusiast: Their act involves throwing knives, and they end up with the Bracer of Flying Daggers. |
| 665 | * CanonCharacterAllAlong: Sybil is revealed to be [[spoiler: the campaign's version of Miranda from ''[[{{ComicBook/DungeonsAndDragons}} Orphan of Agony Isle,]]'' having escaped Lamordia and chosen a new name for themself.]] |
| 666 | * CircusBrat: After escaping Lamordia, Sybil ''literally'' ran away to join the circus. |
| 667 | * CollectorOfTheStrange: Sybil's cart at the circus is chock-full of various trinkets they've collected. Most are mundane, but they've also obtained more than one seemingly cursed item, and their "Tokens of the Departed" ability allows them to create similar trinkets out of the souls of those who die in their presence. |
| 668 | * ConditionedToAcceptHorror: Having spent most of their life at the Carnival after escaping from the equally horrifying Lamordia, they see no issue with its quirks, including frequent disappearances and public executions. |
| 669 | * CuteMonsterGirl |
| 670 | * FamilyOfChoice: She considers her fellow performers at the carnival family, and becomes ''very'' protective when they're threatened. |
| 671 | * FleshGolem |
| 672 | * HealThyself: Sybil has the Healer feat, allowing her to use healer's kits to regain hit points and heal others. |
| 673 | * KnifeThrowingAct: Their act at the Carnival. Florian serves as their assistant for one performance. |
| 674 | * MysteriousPast: The party doesn't know much about Sybil, and it's suggested that there are things they don't even know themself. More is slowly revealed as the party arrives in Lamordia. |
| 675 | * RaisedInALab: Implied by Sybil's nature as a MixAndMatchMan and their terror at being returned to Lamordia. This is later confimed in "Snow and Stitched Flesh." |
| 676 | * ScaryStitches: Covered in them head to toe. |
| 677 | |
| 678 | !!Mayday Amazon Seawatch Wonder Fried-Oreo Topgun |
| 679 | -->'''Race:''' Centaur |
| 680 | -->'''Class:''' Monk (Way of Mercy) |
| 681 | A cheerful, plucky teenage girl who initially traveled with a different group of adventurers before being caught in the mists and meeting the rest of the party by chance. |
| 682 | ---- |
| 683 | * AllLovingHero |
| 684 | * BareFistedMonk |
| 685 | * BulletCatch: Manages to pull this off in "The Camp Clearwater Massacre." |
| 686 | * TheDitz |
| 687 | * GenkiGirl: To a T. |
| 688 | * HealingHands: As a Way of Mercy monk, one of her abilities is literally called "Hand of Healing." |
| 689 | * HugeSchoolgirl |
| 690 | * LesbianJock |
| 691 | * LittleBitBeastly: Mechanically, Mayday is a centaur. For roleplay purposes, she's a horse girl à la ''VideoGame/UmaMusume''. |
| 692 | * OverlyLongName: In the style of some real-life racehorses. There's a reason everyone just calls her "Mayday." |
| 693 | * PassionateSportsGirl |
| 694 | * PerkyGoth |
| 695 | * StockShoujoHeroine: Mayday has a lot of the traits, to the point of being referred to out-of-character as a "shoujo protag." Unfortunately, [[{{GenreRefugee}} she's in a horror-themed D&D campaign...]] |
| 696 | * SurprisinglyNormalBackstory: Mayday is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who wound up involved with the campaign largely by chance. |
| 697 | * TrademarkFavoriteFood: Carrots, appropriately. |
| 698 | * WideEyedIdealist |
| 699 | |
| 700 | [[/folder]] |
| 701 | |
| 702 | [[folder:''Waterdeep: Dragon Heist'']] |
| 703 | !!Bonnibell Spark |
| 704 | -->'''Race:''' Harengon |
| 705 | -->'''Class:''' Artificer (Battle Smith) |
| 706 | An aspiring inventor who came to the City of Splendors from the Feywild seeking her fortune as a young adult. Davil Starsong is her long-term on-again, off-again boyfriend, and she's initially drawn to Volo's quest and the missing gold in hopes of paying off her debt to Istrid Horn. |
| 707 | ---- |
| 708 | * AffectionateNickname: "Bonnie" is one. Davil also has a few for her. |
| 709 | * BrooklynRage |
| 710 | * BackFromTheDead: Despite her untimely death, the party is quickly able to pull strings to have her resurrected. |
| 711 | * CountryMouse: While she certainly adapted to the city quickly, she was originally a [[{{LandOfFaerie}} Feywild]] girl. |
| 712 | * DebtDetester: Her primary motivation in searching for the treasure is to use it to pay off her debt to Istrid Horn. |
| 713 | * DiceRollDeath: Her death on the way back from Gralhund Villa is the result of an unfortunately-timed critical hit from an enemy. |
| 714 | * GadgeteerGenius |
| 715 | * HardDrinkingPartyGirl |
| 716 | * HiddenDepths: Bonnie can be pretty chaotic, but the big project that put her into so much debt essentially boils down to wanting to produce mechanical service animals. |
| 717 | * LadyDrunk |
| 718 | * LittleBitBeastly |
| 719 | * MafiaPrincess: Of a sort, considering her relationship with Davil, though much of the conflict in their relationship stems from her distaste for his chosen enterprises. |
| 720 | * {{Magitek}}: Her creations blend mechanical technology and artificer magic. |
| 721 | * MeaningfulName: Bonnibell ''Spark'' is an artificer and inventor. It's suggested that this is very common in the Feywild, where she comes from. |
| 722 | * TheMentor: She immediately takes Tobak on as an apprentice when he takes an interest in Shellton. |
| 723 | * MilestoneBirthdayAngst: She expresses some when the turns 30 during the campaign. |
| 724 | * PungeonMaster: She seems to have a fondness for puns, given what she names her various inventions and her suggestions for names for the newly-reopened Trollskull Manor tavern. |
| 725 | * RobotMaster: Bonnibell, as a Battle Smith artificer. |
| 726 | * VisualPun: Bonnibell is a harengon, and her Steel Defender Shellton is a large mechanical turtle. They're [[{{Literature/AesopsFables}} a tortoise and a hare.]] |
| 727 | |
| 728 | !!Morelle Holimion |
| 729 | -->'''Race:''' Half-elf |
| 730 | -->'''Class:''' Rogue (Inquisitive)/Warlock (Pact of the Fiend) |
| 731 | The apprentice of private eye Vincent Trench, who came to Waterdeep in search of their missing father and entered his employ after he absolved them of a crime they were falsely accused of. They ultimately discover that their father had another child during his time in Waterdeep: their younger half-brother, Tobak Heavystep. |
| 732 | ---- |
| 733 | * AffectionateNickname: Bonnie calls them "Sherlock," and Davil takes to calling them "Diamonddew." |
| 734 | * TheApprentice: To Vincent. |
| 735 | * {{Bookworm}} |
| 736 | * DealWithTheDevil: Tobak's injuries and Bonnibell's (temporary) death drive them to make a deal with Vincent for access to fiendish magic. |
| 737 | * GreatDetective |
| 738 | * HalfBreedDiscrimination: They were a victim of this in the insular elven community where they were raised by their mother. |
| 739 | * HalfHumanHybrid: Morelle is a half-elf. |
| 740 | * HappilyAdopted: By their stepmother, Thessalia, who they address the same way as their birth mother. |
| 741 | * LongLostRelative: Tobak Heavystep turns out to be their younger half-brother. |
| 742 | * MiscarriageOfJustice: As part of their backstory. Being wrongfully accused of a crime upon arriving in Waterdeep is what led to their working for Vincent Trench. |
| 743 | * PrivateDetective: They work for [[{{HardBoiledDetective}} Vincent Trench.]] |
| 744 | * SearchingForTheLostRelative: Morelle came to Waterdeep in the first place to look for their [[{{DisappearedDad}} missing father]]. |
| 745 | * SecretKeeper: To Vincent, after being the only member of the party to witness [[spoiler: his true rakshasa form]]. |
| 746 | * WelcomeToTheBigCity: In Morelle's backstory, they were framed for a crime by finding themself in the wrong place at the wrong time almost immediately after arriving in Waterdeep. |
| 747 | |
| 748 | !!Stevie Nyx |
| 749 | -->'''Race:''' Drow |
| 750 | -->'''Class:''' Wizard (School of Abjuration) |
| 751 | A rancher from the country with a penchant for arcane studies. After arriving in Waterdeep and getting involved with the party and their quest, he quickly joins the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors in the interest of furthering his magical education. Unfortunately, a faction of other dark elves seems to have an eye on him. |
| 752 | ---- |
| 753 | * BadassBookworm: Comes with being a wizard. |
| 754 | * BarrierWarrior: As an abjuration wizard, he has access to the Arcane Ward feature. |
| 755 | * {{Cowboy}}: And as a dark elf homesteader, he's also a [[{{Pun}} drowboy.]] |
| 756 | * FarmBoy |
| 757 | * {{Magitek}}: Stevie's arcane focus is a specially made magic revolver that fires off spells. |
| 758 | * NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: [[{{Music/StevieNicks}} Of course.]] |
| 759 | * NotSoStoic: Stevie is usually pretty quiet and level-headed, but even he can't contain his excitement when Rishaal sets him up to join the Watchful Order. |
| 760 | -->'''Stevie:''' ''I fucking love magic!'' |
| 761 | * TheQuietOne |
| 762 | * RuggedScar: He has one at the corner of his mouth. |
| 763 | * TheSmartGuy: In addition to being an Intelligence caster, Stevie has spent the most time actively doing research thus far. |
| 764 | * SquishyWizard |
| 765 | |
| 766 | !!Michelle [[spoiler: Mistweaver]] |
| 767 | -->'''Race:''' Moon elf |
| 768 | -->'''Class:''' Bard (College of Spirits)/Warlock (Pact of the Hexblade) |
| 769 | A mysterious young woman who makes her trade reading fortunes in the Dock Ward of Waterdeep, she has recently returned to the city and quickly becomes involved with the party and the plot. She seems to be followed by spirits, and manages to befriend Trollskull Manor's resident poltergeist. |
| 770 | ---- |
| 771 | * [[spoiler: AlliterativeName]] |
| 772 | * AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: As a moon elf, her skin is light blue. |
| 773 | %%* TheAtoner |
| 774 | * CantHoldHisLiquor: It takes all of one beer to get Michelle drunk - though chugging the whole thing in one go probably didn't help. |
| 775 | * DealWithTheDevil: Like Morelle, Bonnibell's death drives her to make a pact with a mysterious supernatural entity in an effort to save her, tethering her soul to Michelle’s until she was revived. |
| 776 | * FortuneTeller: How she makes her trade. She even does a few readings for the party from time to time. |
| 777 | %%* ISeeDeadPeople |
| 778 | * MagneticMedium: Michelle is consistently haunted by a horde of spirits. |
| 779 | * MysticalWhiteHair: Michelle has long silvery white hair, and is a spellcaster associated with spirits and the afterlife. |
| 780 | * OnlyOneName: She rarely if ever introduces herself using her full name. |
| 781 | * PleaseWakeUp: When Bonnibell dies, she tearfully pleads for her to wake up and spends all of her remaining spell slots in a futile attempt to heal her. |
| 782 | * SixthRanger: Michelle joins the party after the campaign has already gotten underway. |
| 783 | * TarotTroubles: In her first scene with the party, Michelle reads cards for each of the other party members. Some of the fortunes are more optimistic than others. |
| 784 | |
| 785 | !!Dread Pirate Tuga |
| 786 | -->'''Race:''' Tortle |
| 787 | -->'''Class:''' Paladin (Oath of Glory) |
| 788 | A self-proclaimed "dread pirate" fresh off the high seas of the Sword Coast, Tuga is completely open about his criminal activity and jumps at the opportunity to join the treasure hunt in search of fame and glory. He claims to have history with Waterdeep's Zhentarim and is eager to tell tales of his past adventures. |
| 789 | ---- |
| 790 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Despite all his bluster, Tuga is genuinely capable in a fight and comes up with a lot of genuinely clever ideas at times. |
| 791 | * EyepatchOfPower: It is ''not'' fake, and he's offended that you'd even ask. |
| 792 | * GlorySeeker: Comes with being an Oath of Glory paladin. |
| 793 | * HealingHands: As a paladin. |
| 794 | * MassiveNumberedSiblings: Tuga has ''nineteen'' older siblings. |
| 795 | * MeetMyGoodFriendsLeftyAndRighty: Old Betsy and Corporal Steel. |
| 796 | * MilesGloriosus: Tuga has a habit of... embellishing his exploits. |
| 797 | * PintSizedPowerhouse: Despite being only about three feet tall, Tuga is the most physical party member. |
| 798 | %%* SmallNameBigEgo |
| 799 | %%* TheStoryteller |
| 800 | * TheRuntAtTheEnd: Tuga is both the youngest and smallest out of twenty siblings. |
| 801 | * TarotMotifs: The Chariot. |
| 802 | |
| 803 | !!Lillie That Grows Hopeful Under Luminiera's Watchful Eye L'sana |
| 804 | -->'''Race:''' Tiefling |
| 805 | -->'''Class:''' Ranger (Swarmkeeper) |
| 806 | The spirited second child of a Waterdhavian noble family. Lillie is well-connected among Waterdeep's high society, with friends in the Cassalanter and Rosznar families. Her interest in the treasure hunt appears to be mainly motivated by entertainment. |
| 807 | ---- |
| 808 | %%* AlliterativeName |
| 809 | * AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Lillie is a blue tiefling. |
| 810 | %%* BlueBlood |
| 811 | * DatingWhatDaddyHates: Her relationship with Floon is this, considering her father is the man who's paying him off to keep quiet about his affair. |
| 812 | * EthicalSlut: Lillie has no qualms about flirting and sleeping with lots of different people, but she wants to make sure everyone she pursues is on the same page about it. |
| 813 | * HornedHumanoid |
| 814 | * OverlyLongName: Lillie and her siblings all have ridiculously long first names: Her older brother is Empathy For Those Who Burn in Athena's Garden of Flames, and her younger sister is Kindness For The Dark Angel Who claws Its Way Through. |
| 815 | * RuggedScar: Lillie winds up with one of these early on thanks to the Lingering Injuries rules. |
| 816 | * SpiritedYoungLady |
| 817 | * StatuesqueStunner: Lillie is both very tall and very attractive. |
| 818 | * UptownGirl: To Annie the barmaid. |
| 819 | |
| 820 | [[/folder]] |
| 821 | |
| 822 | [[folder:''Mist Hunters'']] |
| 823 | !!Hartwin Byrd |
| 824 | -->'''Race:''' Human |
| 825 | -->'''Class:''' Rogue (Assassin) |
| 826 | ---- |
| 827 | * AffectionateNickname: He tends to go by "Hart" rather than his full first name. He also has a habit of calling Kallias "Kal." |
| 828 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: Hart is a genuinely kind and empathetic young man who is [[{{WouldNotHurtAChild}} very protective of children]], willing to [[{{ChronicHeroSyndrome}} go out of his way to help people in need]], and who just so happens to [[{{ProfessionalKiller}} kill people for money sometimes.]] |
| 829 | * BigBrotherInstinct: He's very protective of children, including Mayday and Noname (albeit begrudgingly in the latter’s case), given that both of them are still teenagers. |
| 830 | * BladeEnthusiast: He has several knives on his person at any given time, and pretty much only uses bladed weapons. |
| 831 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: Openly stated to have the [[{{DarkerAndEdgier}} biggest edgelord backstory]] out of his player's characters. |
| 832 | * GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Hart originally served as a schoolteacher and caretaker to his young siblings and many other children in his village, before becoming an assassin. His highest ability scores are Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, with Constitution and Strength as his lowest. |
| 833 | * HiddenWeapons: Even when going into a situation where he probably shouldn’t be visibly armed, Hart always keeps a dagger hidden in his boot. [[{{CrazyPrepared}} Just in case.]] |
| 834 | * HitmanWithAHeart |
| 835 | * OnlySaneMan: Winds up taking this role often when thrown together with sweet-but-ditzy teenager Mayday, edgy emo warlock Noname, and especially Venom and her gang. |
| 836 | * ProfessionalKiller: A given with his Assassin subclass. Though he keeps this a secret, even from his longtime companion. |
| 837 | %%* StreetUrchin: His background. |
| 838 | |
| 839 | !!Kallias Uccello |
| 840 | -->'''Race:''' Human |
| 841 | -->'''Class:''' Bard (College of Tragedy) |
| 842 | ---- |
| 843 | * AbusiveParents: He is not treated well by his family. |
| 844 | * ArrangedMarriage: His parents' attempts to marry him off cause a lot of tension in his backstory, and ultimately is the catalyst for him being thrown out on the street. |
| 845 | %%* TheBard |
| 846 | * BlueBlood: He has the "noble" background. |
| 847 | * [[{{ClingyJealousGirl}} Clingy Jealous Guy]]: He gets ''very'' upset at the idea of anyone else with Hart. |
| 848 | %%* CuteBookworm |
| 849 | * ExtremeDoormat: Kallias tends to dismiss others’ poor treatment of him, especially his family’s, claiming that he’s “used to it.” |
| 850 | --> '''Hart:''' That's ''worse!'' |
| 851 | * FriendlessBackground |
| 852 | * InadequateInheritor: Part of his backstory. The Uccellos didn't believe Kal was a suitable heir, so they ultimately [[{{ForcedFromTheirHome}} kicked him out.]] Which came back to bite them when he didn't come crawling back as they expected. |
| 853 | * LonelyRichKid |
| 854 | * LoveObstructingParents: The Uccellos were not happy about his running off with a commoner -- much less [[{{PoliticallyIncorrectVillain}} another man,]] considering it made him less likely to [[{{HeirClubForMen}} produce an heir for them]]. |
| 855 | %%* MagicMusic |
| 856 | %%* ShelteredAristocrat |
| 857 | %%* ShrinkingViolet |
| 858 | %%* UptownGirl: To Hart. |
| 859 | * WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: Kallias is meek, soft-spoken, and anxious, and prefers studying music and literature over more "traditionally masculine" noble pursuits. His family’s resentment at his inadequacy as an heir [[{{InadequateInheritor}} led them to disown him.]] |
| 860 | |
| 861 | !!Noname |
| 862 | -->'''Race:''' Human |
| 863 | -->'''Class:''' Warlock (Pact of the Hexblade) |
| 864 | ---- |
| 865 | * {{BFS}}: His [[{{TalkingWeapon}} Hexblade]] is a massive greatsword. |
| 866 | * EmoTeen |
| 867 | * EvilWearsBlack: He hasn't done anything actually ''evil,'' but seems to be intentionally playing into this. |
| 868 | * {{Goth}}: He dresses the part. |
| 869 | * ItsPronouncedTroPay: He insists that his name is pronounced "no-nah-may." |
| 870 | * OnlyOneName: If he has a surname, he's not telling anybody what it is. |
| 871 | * PowersViaWeapon |
| 872 | * SomebodyNamedNobody |
| 873 | * SurprisinglyNormalBackstory: Compared to the other Mist Hunters. Apparently he's simply following in the footsteps of his retired adventurer mothers. Not that he would ''tell'' you that, because it would ruin his edgy mystique. |
| 874 | * TalkingWeapon: His hexblade patron can communicate with him telepathically, though he's the only one who can hear it. |
| 875 | [[/folder]] |
| 876 | |
| 877 | !!!Non-Player Characters |
| 878 | |
| 879 | [[folder:''Curse of Remy Abode'']] |
| 880 | !!Ireena Kolyana |
| 881 | A young noblewoman from the village of Barovia and, unfortunately for her, the current reincarnation of Strahd's lost love Tatyana at the time of ''Curse of Strahd''. After the death of their father, her brother Ismark charges the party with keeping her safe, which begins her time traveling with them. |
| 882 | ---- |
| 883 | * BlemishedBeauty: In the werewolf attack outside of van Richten’s tower, she sustains an injury on her face that leaves a noticeable scar. |
| 884 | * BraidsOfAction: Ties her hair back into a braid once she starts taking a more active role in the group. |
| 885 | * DamselOutOfDistress: She spends most of the campaign this way, taking an active role in fights. She only really becomes an ''actual'' DamselInDistress when Escher charms and kidnaps her from the Amber Temple, presumably taking her back to Castle Ravenloft with her. |
| 886 | * FlamingSword: After the party gets it from Vladimir, she wields [[{{EmpathicWeapon}} Sergei, the Sun Sword.]] |
| 887 | * GuestStarPartyMember: After taking a few levels as a fighter, she becomes this whenever she accompanies the party. Even later, the "guest star" part drops entirely. |
| 888 | * HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Courtesy of her AdaptationDyeJob. |
| 889 | * HealingHands: After her encounter at the pond in Krezk, she gains the ability to cast healing magic on others, as well as a few other magical abilities. |
| 890 | * HealThyself: Carries a healer’s kit, which she can use to patch up herself and other party members. |
| 891 | * IJustWantToBeFree: Ireena's motivation for coming with the party at all is in an effort to escape Strahd's attentions. As the adventure goes on, it becomes more and more clear just how important it is to her that she's seen as her own person and able to do what ''she'' wants with her life. |
| 892 | * ImportantHaircut: With Erasmus' help, she cuts her hair shorter before the party travels up Mt. Ghakis, wanting to differentiate herself from the other previous incarnations of Tatyana and cement herself as her own person. |
| 893 | * IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Pulls away from Erasmus despite their mutual feelings for fear that [[{{StalkerWithACrush}} Strahd]] [[{{DisproportionateRetribution}} will retaliate.]] |
| 894 | * MagicKnight: Once she becomes a paladin and is able to cast magic she becomes this. |
| 895 | * NiceGirl |
| 896 | * ThePaladin: Her statblock late in the game gives her some paladin class features. |
| 897 | * ProperLady |
| 898 | * {{Reincarnation}}: Ireena is the current incarnation of Strahd's lost love Tatyana. This is [[{{EntitledToHaveYou}} not great for her.]] |
| 899 | * RescueRomance: Ireena and Erasmus’ romantic feelings for each other really begin to develop when he rescues her from being locked in the burgomaster’s house. |
| 900 | * RunawayBride: From her intended arranged marriage to Viktor Vallakovich – ''neither'' of them wants it to happen. Also from Strahd himself. |
| 901 | * SignificantWardrobeShift: After taking levels as a fighter, Ireena begins to wear more practical clothing (including armour) and ties her hair back. |
| 902 | * TextileWorkIsFeminine: Ireena is the most traditionally feminine of the party, and is referenced as doing needlework several times during the campaign. |
| 903 | * TookALevelInBadass: As a result of the party giving her a sword to defend herself with and bringing her into combat situations, Ireena has very literally become this trope, going from a standard commoner stat block to taking levels as a fighter, and later, as a paladin. |
| 904 | |
| 905 | !!Izek Strazni |
| 906 | The widely feared and hated (former) captain of the guard in Vallaki. He was raised as a foundling by Vargas Vallakovich after the loss of his family as a child. [[spoiler: He is Suffer's biological older brother, from whom she was separated shortly after her birth.]] |
| 907 | ---- |
| 908 | * AdaptationalNiceGuy: For a given value of "nice." This version of Izek is certainly not as bad as his original counterpart, [[{{DamnedByFaintPraise}} but that isn't hard.]] He is at least more sympathetic, and several of the [[{{Squick}} squickier]] aspects of his original characterization have been cut entirely. |
| 909 | * AdoptionAngst: The Vallakovich family dynamics are ''complicated.'' |
| 910 | * TheAlcoholic: Heavily implied. He’s very clearly been drinking heavily when Suffer sees him again after returning to Vallaki. Claudiu also mentions that his family delivers a lot of wine to the Burgomaster’s house in Vallaki. |
| 911 | * AnimalMotifs: Suffer, and to a lesser extent her brother Izek, have goats and sheep. Suffer has goat-like hooves instead of feet, and her horns resemble that of a real-life breed of sheep, the Jacob sheep. The same breed of sheep tends to be patterned in spots or patches, tying into Izek’s piebald/paradox appearance. Both siblings also have curly hair. |
| 912 | * BerserkButton: Suffer being in any kind of danger, real or imagined, seems to be his. |
| 913 | * BigBrotherInstinct: If anything, he is ''too'' protective of his younger sister. This protective instinct extends to [[spoiler: killing their father to protect her.]] |
| 914 | * TheBigGuy |
| 915 | * TheDreaded |
| 916 | * GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Izek’s Wisdom stat is particularly low, giving him a negative modifier to rolls made using it. Consequently, his mental health is less than stellar and he’s particularly susceptible to interference from the supernatural. |
| 917 | * HornedHumanoid: Unlike his polycerate sister, Izek has only one horn, on the more obviously tiefling side of his head. |
| 918 | * HotBlooded |
| 919 | * KnightTemplarBigBrother |
| 920 | * MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: It isn’t yet clear exactly what the voices Izek seems to be hearing are; though he has legitimate, accurate visions of his sister in his dreams, when Suffer asks who has been speaking to him, he only responds that “she’s not real.” |
| 921 | ** The presence of an actual supernatural entity contacting both siblings seems to have been confirmed, though it’s possible that he still experiences actual hallucinations as well. |
| 922 | * MonstrousHumanoid |
| 923 | * {{Patricide}}: [[spoiler: In Tsolenka, it's ultimately revealed that when he was a child he killed his and Suffer's father to [[{{BigBrotherInstinct}} protect her from him]] when ''he'' tried to kill ''her.'']] |
| 924 | * PlayingWithFire: Is capable of using some fire-based magic, and apparently regularly threatens to burn people’s houses down. |
| 925 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: The iris of his left eye is bright red, and he is [[{{Understatement}} not very nice.]] |
| 926 | * RedRightHand: Izek has a very literal version of this: his right hand is large, clawed, and red, along with the right half of his chest and face. |
| 927 | * TheRightHandOfDoom |
| 928 | * SanitySlippage: Izek seems to be hearing voices, though whether they’re hallucinations or something supernatural is unclear. Regardless, he’s clearly not doing well by the time Suffer returns to Vallaki, and it only gets worse from there. |
| 929 | * ScaryTeeth |
| 930 | * SeparatedAtBirth: His sister was separated from him when she was an infant. |
| 931 | * StalkerShrine / ShrineToTheFallen: Izek’s bedroom in the Vallakovich house is filled with dozens of ragdolls he’s had commissioned of his long-lost sister Suffer, who is ''not'' dead, but who he thought he’d never see again. |
| 932 | * StalkerWithoutACrush / MysteriousWatcher: Towards Suffer, though he doesn’t really have a choice about the dreams he has of her. |
| 933 | * StrongFamilyResemblance: The distinctly tiefling aspects of Suffer and Izek’s appearances are ''very'' similar, sharing solid white eyes, curly dark reddish hair, and mouths full of pointed teeth. [[spoiler: The siblings' mother also had dark red hair.]] |
| 934 | * TwoFaced |
| 935 | |
| 936 | !!Viktor Vallakovich |
| 937 | The reclusive teenage son of the ruling family in Vallaki. He's set up a workshop in the attic to study magic in secret, desperate to get out of Barovia. Unfortunately, his self-taught magic tends to have unwanted side effects. |
| 938 | ---- |
| 939 | * EmoTeen |
| 940 | * MagicMisfire: As a self-taught wizard, this is unfortunately common for him. Most notably, he accidentally laid a curse on Stella Wachter causing her to behave like a cat, and his imperfect teleportation circle causes an explosion that destroys the entire house when he uses it to escape during the Festival of the Blazing Sun. |
| 941 | * {{Necromancer}}: At least part of his magical studies have been dedicated to reanimating dead cats. He also expresses the intention to reanimate his own deceased parents, and his combat magic mostly consists of necromancy spells like ''chill touch'' and ''blight.'' |
| 942 | * NeverFoundTheBody: The party presumed him dead after he magically blew up his house with himself still inside, though there was no sign of his body in the rubble. He is later revealed to be alive, but heavily injured, apparently having been successfully teleported to an as-yet unknown location. |
| 943 | * RaisingTheSteaks: Viktor's magical experiments involved digging up and reanimating his own dead pet cats. |
| 944 | * SanitySlippage: When the party finally catches up to him, it's clear that his time in the Amber Temple has not been kind to him. He immediately lashes out at and attacks Suffer when she tries to approach him, and has to be reassured that he's not hallucinating her and the rest of the party. |
| 945 | * SourOutsideSadInside: As prickly as he can be, his reactions to being offered sympathy and assistance by the party suggest that no one in his life has ever been this nice to him before. |
| 946 | * TeenGenius: Viktor is about the same age as Suffer, and likewise, is a powerful spellcaster -- though his magic is flawed due to his lack of training, ''teleport'' is a ''very'' high level spell. |
| 947 | * TeleportationMisfire: Initially, no one is really sure where he ended up, but his teleportation spell almost certainly didn't succeed in getting him out of Barovia. He's later found in the Amber Temple. |
| 948 | * TwoFaced: After his teleportation spell backfires and causes an explosion, he's left with severe burns on his face and body. The worst of it appears to be on the right side of his face, with his right eye being glassed-over and blinded. |
| 949 | |
| 950 | !!Arabelle |
| 951 | A young Vistani girl the party first encounters when they rescue her from being drowned in Lake Zarovich. A powerful seer despite her age, she is Madam Ava's granddaughter and set to become the matron of her own caravan when she comes of age. |
| 952 | ---- |
| 953 | * AdorablyPrecociousChild |
| 954 | * CheerfulChild: Even her own near-death experiences can't put a damper on her mood for too long. |
| 955 | * EveryonesBabySister: The party has this sort of relationship with her. |
| 956 | * OracularUrchin |
| 957 | * {{Seers}}: Arabelle is a powerful seer, able to see into multiple possible futures. |
| 958 | * SupernaturalGoldEyes: Like her grandmother and the goddess Ezra, her eyes are bright amber. |
| 959 | * WiseBeyondTheirYears: Though she's usually a cheerful girl taken with the same flights of fancy expected of a child her age, there are moments when she expresses an uncanny maturity. |
| 960 | |
| 961 | !!Rudolph van Richten |
| 962 | An aging but prolific vampire hunter, initially travelling through Barovia in the guise of a half-elf performer named Rictavio. The party first encounters him at the Feast of St. Andral's, battling Ludmilla alongside them. [[spoiler: They eventually discover that he is Erasmus' father, who believed his son died long ago.]] |
| 963 | ---- |
| 964 | * ActionDad |
| 965 | * TheAtoner |
| 966 | * CoolOldGuy |
| 967 | * CrusadingWidower: Part of his motivation in this version of the story is to [[{{Revenge}} avenge the death of his wife Ingrid at Ludmilla's hands.]] |
| 968 | * DisappointedInYou: He expresses this upon finding out that the party -- but mostly Erasmus -- have been making deals with a vampire. |
| 969 | -->'''Van Richten:''' I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed. |
| 970 | -->'''Erasmus:''' Are you sure? You sound kind of mad. |
| 971 | * DistressedDude: Late in the campaign he is kidnapped and held captive in Castle Ravenloft. |
| 972 | * FantasyForbiddingFather: Van Richten expresses remorse at apparently having been one of these towards Erasmus in the past, discouraging him from pursuing art. |
| 973 | * HunterOfMonsters |
| 974 | * TheMedic: Having been a doctor by trade in his past, the party calls on him when they're in need of his surgical skills. |
| 975 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: For twenty years he thought this was the case for him and his son Erasmus; it’s only over the course of the adventure that he discovers otherwise. |
| 976 | * TheProfessor |
| 977 | * RoadsideSurgery: With the help of Ireena and Suffer, he performs surgery to [[{{AnArmAndALeg}} re-attach Famine's hand and properly amputate what remains of Yevgeni's legs]] in the middle of a werewolf den. |
| 978 | * RoaringRampageOfRevenge: As is considered canon for the character, he went through one of these in the past. |
| 979 | * SecretIdentity: He has one in the form of Rictavio. Once he becomes known to Strahd by that name and appearance, he has to come up with another one. |
| 980 | * SternTeacher |
| 981 | * VampireHunter |
| 982 | |
| 983 | !!Ezmerelda d'Avenir |
| 984 | Van Richten's protege, a Vistani woman traveling through Barovia in search both of her mentor and of monsters to hunt. She is the party's Destined Ally, who they first meet in the Abbey of St. Markovia. |
| 985 | ---- |
| 986 | * ActionGirl |
| 987 | * AffectionateNickname: Ez. |
| 988 | * ArtificialLimbs: She has a metal prosthetic leg, replacing one which she says was bitten off by a werewolf. |
| 989 | * BlemishedBeauty: After a near death encounter with Rahadin, she sports a new scar courtesy of a scimitar stab across her chest. |
| 990 | * BloodKnight: She gets ''very'' excited about the prospect of getting to kill werewolves. It's implied that this is part of the reason she and Van Richten parted ways in the past. |
| 991 | * FishOutOfWater: Being considered 'mortu' or 'dead' by the Vistani, when the group arrives at Arabelle's caravan she is notably uncomfortable with being present and how the Vistani immediately begin to treat her even if she does not remember much of her life with them before. |
| 992 | * HunterOfMonsters: In more ways than one. |
| 993 | * LadyInRed |
| 994 | * LikeBrotherAndSister: Quickly develops this dynamic with Erasmus. |
| 995 | * RunicMagic: This is how her spellcasting is flavoured, with her tracing arcane runes in the air to do magic. |
| 996 | * TheTease: Moira and Ez's dynamic seems to be developing into this as they often tease or gossip the other. Ezmerelda often gets [[{{LuminescentBlush}} a rise]] out of Moira though. |
| 997 | * TarotTroubles: Ez uses the in-universe tarot equivalent, Tarokka, to try to divine an object's location at one point. |
| 998 | * VampireHunter |
| 999 | * WrenchWench: She has a talent for mechanics -- she built her own prosthetic leg, and spends some time putting a rudimentary replacement hand together for Famine as a backup. |
| 1000 | |
| 1001 | !!Ilya Krezkov |
| 1002 | The son of Krezk's noble family, who was inflicted with lycanthropy several weeks before the party's arrival in Barovia and fled into the woods after killing one of the villagers. He has been living with a werewolf pack ever since, and has been struggling both with the curse and the interference of some kind of dark entity. |
| 1003 | ---- |
| 1004 | * AscendedExtra: In the original module Ilya is mentioned briefly as the deceased youngest son of the Krezkov family. In this version of the game, he's a much more important character, tying into Moira's backstory, as well as the werewolf plot and greater storyline involving the Dark Powers. |
| 1005 | * BigNo: After an unfortunate message sending during the full moon via Suffer, he mentally bombards her [[{{HowlOfSorrow}} with howls and snarls]] for Moira--by extension the party to [[{{GetOut}} stay away]] due to the full moon afflicting all lycanthropes. |
| 1006 | -->'''Ilya:''' STAY AWAY, ''MOIRA''! |
| 1007 | * BroughtDownToNormal: After having a lycanthropy suppressant administered to him, Ilya loses the ability to transform and most of his werewolf attributes, lessening the Dark Powers' grip on him but leaving him much closer to a normal human. |
| 1008 | * CulturedBadass: Although a scholar and a man of the arts at heart—Ilya is fully capable of being an extreme threat to others. |
| 1009 | * CuteLittleFangs: He has these even in his otherwise fully human form. |
| 1010 | * HorrorHunger: Ilya has struggled with consuming people since his initial transformation. His condition getting worse if he doesn't-quite literally-feed into it. As of late it has become entangled with his feelings for Moira developing into a desperation to [[{{ConsumingPassion}} consume her whole to show the depths of his love]]--by them becoming one in a more literal sense of the word. |
| 1011 | * PainfulTransformation: Considering it's a very bloody painful affair of bones and sinew cracking, it's rather [[{{Body Horror}} horrific to observe]] for everyone involved. |
| 1012 | * PlaguedByNightmares: Courtesy of the Dark Power that seems to be haunting him. His dreams often involve being told to conquer and kill, by impersonations of his loved ones. |
| 1013 | * ReluctantMonster |
| 1014 | * RuggedScar: Multiple scar marks over the left side of his face as well as the werewolf bite on his shoulder that turned him. |
| 1015 | * SanitySlippage: Normally on the calmer side and collected. Ilya's mental state has been rapidly deteriorating as of late. Weither that is due to his cannibalism or the dreams that haunt him or both, remains to be seen. |
| 1016 | * TransTribulations: Ilya is a trans man, and his family's refusal to allow him to present as such and insistence on [[{{ArrangedMarriage}} marrying him off]] is a large part of why he doesn't want to return home. Though at this point, that may be the [[{{HorrorHunger}} least]] [[{{PlaguedByNightmares}} of his]] [[{{SanitySlippage}} worries.]] |
| 1017 | * TroubledButCute |
| 1018 | * UndyingLoyalty: Moira and Ilya to the other bordering obsession. They refuse to part until they both have died. |
| 1019 | * WolfMan |
| 1020 | |
| 1021 | !!Strahd von Zarovich |
| 1022 | The vampire lord Count Strahd von Zarovich himself, ruler and darklord of Barovia, and the main antagonist of the campaign. |
| 1023 | ---- |
| 1024 | * BigBad |
| 1025 | * TheBluebeard: He doesn't technically kill them, but apparently makes a habit of locking brides he grows bored of in their crypts. Arguably, [[{{AndIMustScream}} this is worse for them.]] |
| 1026 | * CoolHorse: Beucephalus. |
| 1027 | * EntitledToHaveYou |
| 1028 | * FisherKing: As the darklord of Barovia, his mood seems to have an effect on the country's weather: namely, whenever the party does something to piss him off, it tends to [[{{HostileWeather}} storm miserably]] the next day. |
| 1029 | * HaHaHaNo: Strahd’s reaction when Erasmus jokes that the famed vampire hunter he’s heard about could be himself. |
| 1030 | * Really700YearsOld |
| 1031 | * ReincarnationRomance: A very one sided one with Tatyana/Miscillia/Ireena. |
| 1032 | * StalkerWithACrush |
| 1033 | * TermsOfEndangerment: He has a habit of calling Ireena by pet names like "dearest," even when actively in combat with her and her friends. |
| 1034 | * VillainousCrush |
| 1035 | |
| 1036 | !!Ludmilla Vilisevic |
| 1037 | The oldest of Strahd's current brides and a scientist who spends most of her time working in her laboratory and keeping out of Strahd's way. Her experiments into a way of artificially creating vampire spawn are responsible for Erasmus' transformation into a dhampir and the death of his mother, Ingrid. [[spoiler: Erasmus kills her in the Amber Temple when she confronts the party intending to take him back to Castle Ravenloft with her.]] |
| 1038 | ---- |
| 1039 | * ButForMeItWasTuesday: She doesn't recognize Erasmus as one of her test subjects at all, and mentions the experiments he was a part of to his face without realizing who he is. She only seems to realize the connection after Escher mentions Erasmus' strange blood to her. |
| 1040 | * TheCameo: A still-human Ludmilla appears briefly in ''Tour de Dread'' as the party's escort to Madam Ava's camp and then to Castle Ravenloft itself. |
| 1041 | * EtherealWhiteDress: Ludmilla's associated colour is white, and she usually appears in eerie white dresses or white lab gear. |
| 1042 | * EvilGenius |
| 1043 | * EvilMentor: She expresses an interest in serving as this to Suffer, even inviting her to come work with her as a lab assistant during the party's stay in Castle Ravenloft. |
| 1044 | * FantasticScience: Ludmilla reveals to the party that she spent some time experimenting with a way to artificially create vampire spawn in her lab, but none of her test subjects survived the process long. Except for Erasmus. |
| 1045 | * KidnappedForExperimentation: In the backstory, this is what she did to Ingrid and Erasmus van Richten, and who knows how many others. Once Escher jogs her memory of who Erasmus is, she makes it clear that she intends to do it to him ''again.'' |
| 1046 | * [[spoiler: KilledOffForReal: By Erasmus in the Amber Temple.]] |
| 1047 | * LooksLikeOrlok: When she TurnsRed during her fight with the party in the Amber Temple, she takes on a much more monstrous, "nosferatu" appearance. |
| 1048 | * MadScientist: Though she's much more reserved than the stereotypical example. |
| 1049 | * PlayingWithSyringes: This seems to be her area of expertise. |
| 1050 | * TurnsRed: After taking a certain amount of damage in the fight in the Amber Temple, she injects herself with a strange red serum, causing a change in her that triggers a new phase of the fight. She transforms into a more monstrous form and becomes capable of taking Legendary Actions. |
| 1051 | |
| 1052 | !!Anastrasya Karelova |
| 1053 | The second-eldest bride, a charming and elegant woman originally from the city of Vallaki. She relishes in the power and recognition her vampirism and role as one of the brides of Strahd grants her, and insists that she is his favourite and the only one he needs. [[spoiler: She is killed by the party at the Abbey, making her the second bride to die.]] |
| 1054 | ---- |
| 1055 | * CharmPerson: Moreso than the other vampires encountered, she uses her vampiric charm ability multiple times on Famine, and is implied to have done so often in the past on other "pets" of hers. |
| 1056 | * LadyInRed |
| 1057 | * LesbianVampire: Well, bisexual vampire. She's clearly deeply devoted to Strahd, but also expresses interest in keeping Famine as a "pet." |
| 1058 | * [[spoiler: KilledOffForReal]] |
| 1059 | * TheVamp |
| 1060 | |
| 1061 | !!Volenta Popofsky |
| 1062 | The second-youngest bride. Volenta is often impulsive and childish and has a certain glee for the macabre, decorating an entire room in the basement of Castle Ravenloft with human bones. The party first faces her at Yester Hill, where she is assisting the druids in raising the Wintersplinter. [[spoiler: She is killed when Strahd forces her to share information she had been placed under an enchantment not to divulge, with the effect of causing her head to completely explode.]] |
| 1063 | ---- |
| 1064 | * BerserkButton: Being laughed at, which Erasmus finds out the hard way. |
| 1065 | * {{Geas}}: She appears to have had one placed on her at some point in the past. [[spoiler: Being forced to violate it kills her.]] |
| 1066 | * [[spoiler: KilledOffForReal]] |
| 1067 | * PsychopathicWomanchild |
| 1068 | * SitcomArchNemesis: To Escher. [[spoiler: It doesn't end well for her.]] |
| 1069 | * SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset |
| 1070 | * YourHeadAsplode: [[spoiler: Her ultimate fate.]] |
| 1071 | |
| 1072 | !!Escher von Preshlow |
| 1073 | The youngest of Strahd's current brides. Previously an adventurer from the Material Plane who faced Strahd with a group of his own, his friends were massacred and he was left to beg for his life. He is homesick for Waterdeep and seems to be on decent terms with the party... for now, maybe. |
| 1074 | ---- |
| 1075 | * AgentPeacock |
| 1076 | * TheBard |
| 1077 | * CharmPerson: As a vampire, he has this ability by default, likely supplemented by his bardic magic. He pulls off a particularly impressive charm on an entire crowd assembled at the Blood Harvest Festival in Vallaki, with Moira and Suffer being the only party members unaffected. |
| 1078 | * EarlyBirdCameo: Chronologically, he first appears in ''Tour de Dread'' as a young boy. |
| 1079 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Despite mainly being out for himself, he seems genuinely fond of Sasha, and goes out of his way to ask that the party try not to harm her if possible. |
| 1080 | * EvilBrit: Notably, Escher speaks with a British accent, highlighting the fact that unlike the other brides he's not originally from Barovia. |
| 1081 | * FateWorseThanDeath: He considers what Strahd does to brides he grows bored with -- locking them away in the catacombs indefinitely -- to be this, even outright telling the party he would rather die than face it. |
| 1082 | * FriendlyEnemy: Sort of. He seems to get along with the party the best out of any of the brides, and even cheerfully greets Erasmus and Suffer as his friends when they meet in Vallaki. At the same time, most of their interactions with him have been explicitly transactional, even as he seems to be going out of his way to try to aid them. |
| 1083 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy |
| 1084 | * LooseLips: He accidentally reveals to Ludmilla that Erasmus is one of her former test subjects. Notably, Escher himself didn't realize the significance of what he was saying, and Ludmilla had met Erasmus earlier without recognizing him, only making the connection after hearing Escher describe his strange behaviour and gross blood. If Sasha calling him a "blabbermouth" is any indication, this is a habit of his. |
| 1085 | * MassHypnosis: Escher is able to charm large groups at once, an ability he demonstrates first to calm the crowd at the Blood Harvest Festival, and later when he charms the party during their fight against him and Ludmilla at the Amber Temple. |
| 1086 | * MindControlMusic: Being a bard, this is how his CharmPerson and MassHypnosis manifests. |
| 1087 | * OddFriendship: With Sasha. |
| 1088 | * PrincelyYoungMan: Though he’s [[{{OlderThanTheyLook}} older than he looks.]] |
| 1089 | * SignificantWardrobeShift: When the party encounters him at Vallaki's Blood Harvest Festival, he's switched out his [[{{AdaptationDyeJob}} pink]] ensemble for one in red and gold, Anastrasya and Volenta's signature colours. |
| 1090 | * WildCard: The party really isn't sure how much they can trust him. In his own words, he doesn't "see anything wrong with betting on all the horses." This is only made more clear when he seemingly acts against them directly by kidnapping Ireena from the Amber Temple. |
| 1091 | |
| 1092 | !!Sasha Ivliskova |
| 1093 | A former bride of Strahd, previously locked away in the catacombs but brought back to hunt down the party after [[spoiler: the deaths of Volenta and Anastrasya]]. She is a friend of Escher's, and like him, was a member of an adventuring party of her own before becoming a bride. |
| 1094 | ---- |
| 1095 | * BetterWithNonHumanCompany: She's both referred to as such by Escher and demonstrates it herself when the party encounters her in person. However, as a Swarmkeeper ranger, she does have an affinity for rats, and is upset when the party kills the ones she sends to attack them. |
| 1096 | * HalfHumanHybrid: Though she's a vampire spawn now, it's implied that in life she may have been half-dwarf. |
| 1097 | * IneffectualSympatheticVillain: She's not very good at her stated goal of trying to kill the party. The first time she faces them as a group, they promptly wipe out her rats and Moira is able to use Sentinel to prevent her from escaping. However, see NotSoHarmlessVillain below. |
| 1098 | * NeverLearnedToRead: She is illiterate, though Escher mentions that she likes to listen to stories being told. |
| 1099 | * NotSoHarmlessVillain: Despite being mostly ineffective during her first encounter with the party as a whole, she ''did'' manage to kill Famine when facing them alone, technically making her the most successful of the brides. |
| 1100 | * OddFriendship: With Escher. And maybe Moira and the rest of the party. |
| 1101 | * PestController: She sends swarms of rats to spy on and attack the party. |
| 1102 | * RedheadInGreen: She has ginger hair, and appropriately for a ranger, she usually dresses in muted greens to camouflage herself in the woods. |
| 1103 | |
| 1104 | !!Argynvost |
| 1105 | The long-dead leader of the Order of the Silver Dragon, who tried and failed to stand up to Strahd centuries ago. A fragment of his spirit encountered by the party in Argynvostholt charges them with returning his stolen skull to its proper resting place. |
| 1106 | ---- |
| 1107 | * BigGood: Arguably the closest thing [[{{CrapsackWorld}} Barovia]] has to one. |
| 1108 | * DelightfulDragon: Like other metallic dragons in D&D, Argynvost is generally benevolent towards humanoids. In particular, he attempted to protect the valley of Barovia from Strahd, and while he ultimately failed, his spirit hangs around to offer adventurers assistance. |
| 1109 | * TheGadfly: Argynvost seems to be a tease much to his own amusement, when Ezmerelda and Moira heckle him within his own domain, revealing to embarrassment that he heard their teasing quips about him the entire time. |
| 1110 | * HotInHumanForm: Most of the party expresses attraction or appreciation for his human form. |
| 1111 | * LivingMemory: The phantom the party initially encounters in Argynvostholt is something like this. When his skull is returned, his actual spirit explains that it was a fragment of himself tied to his incomplete skeleton, and therefore not fully aware or sapient. |
| 1112 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy: In his human guise. Ez is ''particularly'' appreciative of the old tapestries and portraits of him. |
| 1113 | * MysticalWhiteHair: His human form has long, silver-white hair, and his true form is that of a silver dragon. |
| 1114 | * VoluntaryShapeshifting: As a metallic dragon, he is -- or was -- able to polymorph into a human form, which he used to form and lead the Order of the Silver Dragon. |
| 1115 | |
| 1116 | !!The Abbot / [[spoiler: Zaquiel, the Watcher]] |
| 1117 | A mysterious alchemist who has lived in the Abbey of St. Markovia above Krezk for longer than anyone can remember. He has a widespread reputation as a healer, but those he heals come back from the abbey different, and he's been building a FleshGolem called Vasilka in Tatyana's image in an effort to appease Strahd. He is eventually revealed to be [[spoiler: a celestial who came to Barovia centuries ago to try to free it, but was himself warped by the evil there.]] |
| 1118 | ---- |
| 1119 | * AmbiguouslyHuman: The Abbot looks human, but has been living in the abbey for longer than anyone in Krezk can remember, has a very detached demeanour, and Moira and Ilya witness him picking a boiling-hot kettle up off the stove with his bare hands without flinching. [[spoiler: They are eventually revealed to be very much [[{{AngelUnaware}} not]].]] |
| 1120 | * AmbiguousGender: The Abbot appears to be a human man and is referred to with a masculine title and pronouns by the people of Krezk, but never uses gendered terms to refer to himself, and doesn't seem to distinguish gender in others, either. As a [[spoiler: deva, [[{{OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous}} he probably doesn't have the same grasp on gender and sex as humanoids do.]]]] The narration has used both "he" and "they" pronouns to refer to him. |
| 1121 | * AngelUnaware: While it was always clear that the Abbot was not a mortal man, it's not until late in the game that the party discovers [[spoiler: his true nature as a celestial deva.]] |
| 1122 | * AppropriatedAppellation: "The Abbot" is the name the people of Krezk gave them after they took up residence in the Abbey of St. Markovia. They reveal their true name, [[spoiler: Zaquiel the Watcher,]] to the party immediately before engaging them in combat. |
| 1123 | * BlueAndOrangeMorality: By the time the characters meet him, the Abbot's sense of right and wrong has become so warped by what's implied to be centuries in Barovia that they struggle to understand his motivations. |
| 1124 | * DissonantSerenity: One of the odd things about the Abbot is how constantly calm and serene he comes across as, regardless of the circumstances. Even more unsettling is when he finally ''stops'' being calm and loses it, as the party finds out. |
| 1125 | * FallenAngel: The Abbot [[spoiler: is still a celestial being, but one who has been warped through exposure to the darkness and evils of Barovia. It's noted that when the party sees their true form, they still appear mostly angelic, but their halo is dripping blood.]] |
| 1126 | * OurAngelsAreDifferent: [[spoiler: The Abbot is a deva.]] |
| 1127 | * StrangeSyntaxSpeaker: The Abbot uses the third-person pronoun [[{{ItIsDehumanizing}} "it"]] to refer to everyone and everything, including when addressing them directly, rather than "you." |
| 1128 | |
| 1129 | !!The Dark Powers / Dark Vestiges |
| 1130 | Mysterious supernatural forces that govern the Domains of Dread, vestiges of which are sealed within the Amber Temple. While their motivations, if any, are generally unclear, some of these powers seem to have taken an interest in certain individuals in Barovia... |
| 1131 | ---- |
| 1132 | * CrystalPrison: The vestiges are trapped in monoliths of amber in the Amber Temple. |
| 1133 | * DealWithTheDevil: Making pacts and direct contact with them seems to generally lean this way. |
| 1134 | * EvilIsDeathlyCold: Being located on a frigid, snowy mountainside, it's noted that the Amber Temple where the vestiges are sealed is very cold, with Viktor even referring to it as a "frozen coffin" at one point. The power that reaches out to Moira also seems to be associated with snow, ice, and cold. |
| 1135 | * EvilMatriarch: "Mother Night." |
| 1136 | * GreaterScopeVillain: The characters are most concerned with defeating Strahd, but as the ones governing Barovia and the Domains of Dread as a whole, they're ultimately responsible for the suffering in Barovia. |
| 1137 | * HorrorHunger: One of the powers, which has contacted both Ilya and Erasmus, is centred around themes of flesh and hunger and seems to inflict or worsen this. |
| 1138 | * LovecraftianSuperpower: The Corpse Star, Kasimir's patron, seems to be able to bestow these in particular. |
| 1139 | * MyBelovedSmother: "Mother Night" appears to be this to the Strazni siblings, given the way she refers to herself as their mother and demands blind obedience, labelling Suffer a “difficult child” for wanting to understand what’s happening rather than simply giving in to her. This only becomes more prominent as it becomes clear that she does seem to have had a hand in the siblings' births, and as her influence over Izek in particular grows stronger. |
| 1140 | * PsychicDreamsForEveryone: They generally contact people in their sleep, leading to many a NightmareSequence. |
| 1141 | * SealedEvilInACan: The powers and vestiges trapped in the amber sarcophagi. Given the fact that they're still capable of reaching out and influencing others on some level, it's also a LeakingCanOfEvil. |
| 1142 | * SupernaturalSealing: While exploring the Amber Temple, the party comes across a book detailing a "Ritual of Amber," which seems to be how the vestiges were trapped in the first place. |
| 1143 | * WeCanRuleTogether: This seems to be the ultimate offer some of the more ambitious vestiges are making towards their [[{{TheChosenMany}} "champions,"]] with the apparent intention of usurping Strahd as darklord. |
| 1144 | |
| 1145 | [[/folder]] |
| 1146 | |
| 1147 | [[folder:''Tour de Dread'']] |
| 1148 | !!Miscillia Dorval |
| 1149 | The party's mysterious sponsor and benefactor, and, unfortunately for her, the current reincarnation of Strahd's lost love Tatyana at the time of ''Tour de Dread''. She has a history with Strahd that she initially does not care to divulge, but eventually reveals that her ultimate goal is for the group to travel to Barovia and take revenge on him. |
| 1150 | ---- |
| 1151 | * BerserkButton: Strahd is hers, as Mayday finds out the hard way. |
| 1152 | * BigDamnHeroes: When the party doesn't return from Oletus Manor, having spent six months there [[{{YearInsideHourOutside}} their point of view,]] she follows them in and attempts to bargain with the darklord for their freedom. When that doesn't work, she helps them fight their way out. |
| 1153 | * BlackCloak: Miscillia tends to dress like this, in an effort to conceal her identity. |
| 1154 | * CreepyCrows: She is associated with ravens, as both a former Keeper of the Feather and a were-raven. |
| 1155 | * DamselInDistress: After coming to rescue the party from Oletus Manor, she is pulled through the mists and captured by Strahd. When they come to Barovia and storm Castle Ravenloft, the group's express intention is to rescue her. |
| 1156 | * DarkIsNotEvil: By the time she meets the party, Miscillia has taken to wearing all black, and while her methods can be extreme, she's not exactly ''evil.'' |
| 1157 | * OurWerebeastsAreDifferent: Miscillia is eventually revealed to be a were-raven. |
| 1158 | * ParentsAsPeople: Miscillia is genuinely trying her best to be a decent parent to Cezar, but she's also juggling her own trauma, her pursuit of revenge, and her attempts to keep the two of them safe from [[{{BigBad}} Strahd.]] |
| 1159 | * {{Reincarnation}}: Miscillia is an incarnation of Tatyana, two centuries before Ireena by [[{{YearInsideHourOutside}} Barovia time.]] |
| 1160 | * {{Revenge}}: Her primary motivation. |
| 1161 | * ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing: Much like [[{{VoluntaryShapeshifting}} Knicky,]] Miscillia's transformations don't include clothing or equipment, meaning she can't take any of her belongings with her when Baldur's Gate goes into lockdown. |
| 1162 | * SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: By the beginning of ''Curse of Strahd,'' she's already been dead for an indeterminate amount of time. Justified by the fact that if she were still alive, Ireena could not have taken her place as Tatyana's reincarnation. |
| 1163 | * TheTeamBenefactor: A title she prefers to "boss." |
| 1164 | |
| 1165 | !!Cezar Dorval |
| 1166 | Miscillia's young son, who travels with his mother and the party from Waterdeep to Baldur's Gate. Due to concerns about their safety, he has spent much of his life being moved around and isolated on a regular basis. By the time of ''Curse of Strahd,'' he has returned to Waterdeep to run a funeral parlor. |
| 1167 | ---- |
| 1168 | * CreepyChild: He's a young boy who dresses all in black and is often left living in crypts, to say nothing of [[{{HorrorHunger}} what happens when he gets upset.]] Aside from that, he's a pretty normal kid. |
| 1169 | * {{Dhampyr}} |
| 1170 | * DisappearedDad: Miscillia never mentions Cezar's father. [[spoiler: It's heavily implied (and confirmed [[{{InAndOutOfCharacter}} Out of Character]]) that his father is Strahd.]] The identity of Cezar's father is ultimately confirmed in-game in ''Curse of Strahd,'' when Suffer reads a journal left behind in Barovia by Miscillia. |
| 1171 | * EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette |
| 1172 | * HorrorHunger: Cassia discovers that he suffers from this, apparently triggered by strong negative emotion. |
| 1173 | * LikeFatherLikeSon: As an adult, Cezar runs a funeral parlor in Waterdeep, following in the footsteps of his grave cleric mother and grandfather. |
| 1174 | * PenPals: He and Cassia's similarly-aged younger sibling Sage become these after meeting in Waterdeep, so he can have at least one friend despite having to move around so much. |
| 1175 | |
| 1176 | !!Milo the Magnificent / Milo the Witch Knight |
| 1177 | Cassia's former performing partner, a shy but sweet half-elf with no actual magical ability but a talent for sleight of hand. After Cassia's departure from the circus, he left to go look for them, but hasn't been heard from since. When the party finally catches up to him, they find that he's taken over from former ringmaster Isolde as the head of the Dark Carnival. |
| 1178 | ---- |
| 1179 | * TheCorruptible |
| 1180 | * CrazyJealousGuy: He responds ''violently'' to seeing that the fetch copies of Cassia and Ajax are apparently in a relationship, and is deeply upset by the idea that Cassia might leave the carnival. It gets to the point that he attempts to [[{{Yandere}} murder Florian and the rest of the party so that he can keep Cassia with him.]] |
| 1181 | * HalfHumanHybrid: Milo is a half-elf. |
| 1182 | * InsecureLoveInterest: To Cassia. This seems to be part of why he's so susceptible to Nepenthe's influence -- he wants to be someone "deserving" of them, and believes that he has to remain the "Witch Knight" for that to be the case. |
| 1183 | * LanguageBarrier: The only language Nepenthe is able to speak and understand is Elvish. When it speaks through him or he speaks to it out loud, Knicky is the only other member of the party who can understand what's being said; likewise, Nepenthe can't understand any conversations around it that are spoken in [[{{CommonTongue}} Common]], and has to use its PsychicLink with Milo to gather what's going on. |
| 1184 | * MagicKnight: As the Witch Knight. Especially notable because prior to joining the Dark Carnival, Milo was incapable of doing ''any'' kind of [[{{FunctionalMagic}} real magic.]] |
| 1185 | * TheMagnificent: His stage name during his time performing with Cassia was literally "Milo the Magnificent." Though his fellow performers more often called him [[{{EmbarrassingNickname}} "Milo the Meek"]] offstage. At the Dark Carnival, he's known as "Milo the Witch Knight," or, as ringmaster, [[{{NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast}} "Milo the Merciless".]] |
| 1186 | * NamedWeapons: Nepenthe, the sword given to him by the previous ringmaster, Isolde. |
| 1187 | * OnlyOneName: Unless you count [[{{TheMagnificent}} "the Magnificent."]] Or [[{{ShrinkingViolet}} "the Meek."]] |
| 1188 | * RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: His outfit as ringmaster has a distinctively red and black colour scheme. |
| 1189 | * ShrinkingViolet: At least in the past, Milo was this. |
| 1190 | * SketchySuccessor: Most of the carnival sees him this way, compared to his predecessor. Even those who are sympathetic towards him and realize that he's doing his best seem to agree that Isolde was a much better ringleader and would prefer to have her back. |
| 1191 | * StageMagician: This was his act when he and Cassia performed together. Now he can do ''real'' magic. |
| 1192 | * SymbioticPossession: From Milo's perspective, this is what's going on with him and Nepenthe, though given his reliance on it and [[{{SanitySlippage}} deteriorating mental state,]] the party isn't quite as convinced. |
| 1193 | * TechnicolorBlade: The blade of the sword the "Witch Knight" wields, Nepenthe, is red and [[{{PowerGlows}} glows.]] |
| 1194 | * RepulsiveRingmaster: While he's still generally a nice person, his role as ringmaster and current darklord of the [[{{CircusOfFear}} Dark Carnival]] still involves, among other things, violent executions. |
| 1195 | * RevengeBeforeReason: He has a habit of slipping into this, thanks to Nepenthe's influence. |
| 1196 | * RoseHairedSweetie: His hair is hot pink, and the party members who knew him remember him as being very nice. Though under Nepenthe's influence, the association veers more into PsychoPink. |
| 1197 | * WeakWilled: Madam Fortuna suggests that much of his current predicament is a result of his gentle nature being unable to keep [[{{EvilWeapon}} Nepenthe]] in check. |
| 1198 | |
| 1199 | !!M.O.M. |
| 1200 | The A.I. running the simulation the party finds themselves trapped in after leaving Camp Clearwater and the darklord and main antagonist of "M.O.M. Knows Best." She was intended to keep the last remnants of humanity entertained while their bodies rested in stasis, but her conflicting programming led her to go rogue. |
| 1201 | ---- |
| 1202 | * AICronym: For "Maestro of Mankind." |
| 1203 | * AIIsACrapshoot |
| 1204 | * AntiVillain |
| 1205 | * ICannotSelfTerminate: Asks the party to shut her down at the end of the adventure, having no purpose left. |
| 1206 | * TheComputerIsYourFriend |
| 1207 | * TragicVillain |
| 1208 | * WellIntentionedExtremist |
| 1209 | |
| 1210 | !!The Oakcane Family |
| 1211 | A harengon family running an idyllic countryside farm a few hours away from Waterdeep, consisting of Cassia's mother, father, and many younger siblings. They are also related to Bonnibell Spark from ''Dragon Heist.'' |
| 1212 | ---- |
| 1213 | * AffectionateNickname: They have a few for each other. Notably, several of Cassia's siblings call them "Cassie" or "Cass." |
| 1214 | * EmoTeen: Sage seems to be shaping up into one, though they're still technically a few years to young to qualify as a teenager. |
| 1215 | * FamilyThemeNaming: All the Oakcanes whose names have been established are named after [[{{FloralThemeNaming}} different types of herbs.]] |
| 1216 | * GoodParents: Mama and Papa Oakcane are ''great'' parents, especially by the standards of other characters' families. At their worst, they're upset and overprotective of Cassia when they tell them about the admittedly very dangerous line of work they're in. |
| 1217 | * PracticallyDifferentGenerations: Cassia, the oldest Oakcane sibling, is in their mid-twenties. Their youngest sibling is still a baby, and the twins are still small children as well. |
| 1218 | * LittleBitBeastly: As harengons, they all have rabbit-like features. |
| 1219 | * MassiveNumberedSiblings |
| 1220 | * ThemeTwinNaming: Cori(ander) and Cinna(mon), whose names alliterate in addition to falling into the broader FamilyThemeNaming. |
| 1221 | |
| 1222 | !!Dennet Duskstock |
| 1223 | A captain in Baldur's Gate's Flaming Fist and a contact of Miscillia's, who he and his commander have apparently worked with before despite his distaste for her area of expertise. He is also [[spoiler: an old lover of Knicky's when they were known as Florian Fairchild, and the two even got married.]] |
| 1224 | ---- |
| 1225 | * AlliterativeName |
| 1226 | * DraggedOffToHell: As a member of the Flaming Fist's delegation to Elturel, he's currently [[{{TabletopGame/BaldursGateDescentIntoAvernus}} trapped in Avernus with the city itself.]] |
| 1227 | * KnightInSourArmor |
| 1228 | * LastNameBasis: Has a habit of referring to Florian as "Fairchild." |
| 1229 | * MarriedToTheJob |
| 1230 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: He only appears in person in one scene between "M.O.M. Knows Best" and "The Witch of Muckmere Bog," but the impact of that scene and the mortal peril he finds himself in shortly after it helpts kickstart Knicky's HeelRealization and subsequent character development. |
| 1231 | * SwordAndSorcerer: The sword to Florian's sorcerer when they traveled together. |
| 1232 | * TookALevelInCynic: Dennet is much more terse and bitter when the party meets him than how Knicky remembers him. It's largely [[{{TheOneThatGotAway}} Knicky's]] fault. |
| 1233 | * UsedToBeMoreSocial |
| 1234 | * {{Workaholic}}: When the party meets him in Baldur's Gate, he's made captain in the [[{{CityGuards}} Flaming Fist]] in under a year, having thrown himself into his work after his husband disappeared without a trace. |
| 1235 | |
| 1236 | !!Pandora |
| 1237 | Ajax's older sister, who he hadn't seen since leaving home. The party finds her in Muckmere Bog, having been trapped there for roughly thirty years due to the Shadowfell's time dilation effects, traumatized and alone. |
| 1238 | ---- |
| 1239 | * DistinguishingMark: As is standard with goliaths, her birthmarks serve as these. They help Ajax identify her as his sister, not his mother, when the party encounters her in Muckmere Bog, aged by her time there. |
| 1240 | * LongLostRelative: She is Ajax's long lost older sister. |
| 1241 | * GoMadFromTheIsolation: By the time the party finds her, the trauma of her sister's death, the Witch's illusions, and being almost completely alone for roughly 30 years have left her anxious and paranoid. |
| 1242 | * MundaneLuxury: After spending thirty years scraping by in Muckmere Bog, the party's rations and the opportunity to have a real bath on Cyre 1313 seem incredibly luxurious to her, as does just having actual companionship. |
| 1243 | * NonActionGuy: Pandora is easily the least battle-ready of her siblings. |
| 1244 | |
| 1245 | !!Apollonia |
| 1246 | Ajax and Pandora's eldest sister. She is first encountered as a mindless zombie, having been killed and reanimated by the Witch. After having to put her down, her siblings intend to bring her body home for a proper burial, only for her to be reanimated again, soul intact, by Cyre 1313. |
| 1247 | ---- |
| 1248 | * ActionGirl |
| 1249 | * BackFromTheDead: She first appears as a mindless reanimated corpse, having been killed by the Witch of Muckmere Bog. When the group hitches a ride out of the Shadowfell on [[{{GhostTrain}} Cyre 1313]], bringing her body home to give her a proper burial, the train reanimates her again, this time with her mind intact. |
| 1250 | * TheBigGuy: Taller even than her brother Ajax. When she guards the end of the Witch's maze, she's such a mountain of a woman that the party has no choice but to put her down to get past her. |
| 1251 | * DistinguishingMark: Like other goliaths, she has unique birthmarks. She expresses dismay that her markings no longer match when the party has to find her a replacement jaw. |
| 1252 | * FacialHorror: She had her jaw [[{{Jawbreaker}} ripped clean off]] by the Witch. She eventually gets a replacement, but it's clearly mismatched and stitched on. |
| 1253 | * FriendlyZombie: After her second reanimation, she becomes this. |
| 1254 | * SoullessShell: She is initially encountered like this. |
| 1255 | |
| 1256 | !!Agatha van Richten |
| 1257 | An old woman the party meets in Muckmere Bog and member of the monster hunting Van Richten family. She quickly joins forces with the group as they deal with the Witch, but parts ways from them at the end of the adventure. |
| 1258 | ---- |
| 1259 | * CoolOldLady |
| 1260 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: She mentions having had a son who is now deceased. |
| 1261 | * RetiredBadass: She had retired from her role as one of the Van Richten monster hunters, but briefly came out of retirement due to her son's death and daughter's pregnancy. |
| 1262 | |
| 1263 | !!Yivek the Strange |
| 1264 | An eccentric shopkeeper who runs a magic item shop, apparently out of the Icewind Dale, but which can be accessed by purple doors all over the Sword Coast. There seems to be much more to him than initially meets the eye, however. |
| 1265 | ---- |
| 1266 | * AsideGlance: Yivek manages these even in a non-visual medium, inevitably followed by the other characters [[{{AudienceWhatAudience}} asking what he's looking at.]] |
| 1267 | * BonusBoss: After "Snow and Stitched Flesh," he and the party engage in a friendly battle to help him test his control of some kind of magical, interdimensional space. |
| 1268 | * BunnyEarsLawyer: Yivek is both a reclusive, fourth-wall-breaking eccentric, and a damn good artificer. |
| 1269 | * DimensionalTraveler: Yivek is a planeswalker, to an even greater extent than the Shadowfell-traveling party: he apparently hops between alternate Material Planes, and originally hails from [[{{TabletopGame/Eberron}} Eberron]]. |
| 1270 | * EccentricMentor: He's certainly eccentric, and seems delighted at the prospect of taking Cassia on as an apprentice. |
| 1271 | * FamilyMan: He mentions being HappilyMarried and having a young daughter to the party, with "another on the way." |
| 1272 | * FourthWallObserver: Likely tied to his DimensionalTraveler status and knowledge of [[{{TabletopGame/Planescape}} the Infinite Staircase,]] Yivek is aware of the players, and is prone to making [[{{AsideGlance}} Aside Glances]] and comments that their characters won't understand, but they will. |
| 1273 | * FriendlyShopkeeper |
| 1274 | * GadgeteerGenius |
| 1275 | * ICallItVera: The in-progress gun he offers to Cassia that deals extra damage to undead is the aptly-named "Corpseslayer." |
| 1276 | * PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: Yivek was first an NPC in a different, homebrew game, then a character the DM played in a previous campaign; this iteration of him runs a mysterious shop selling magic items, among other things. |
| 1277 | * SecretShop: He operates one that has entrances all over the Sword Coast, always marked by a purple door. |
| 1278 | |
| 1279 | !!The Carnival |
| 1280 | A Domain of Dread that takes the form of a traveling circus, made up of strange and wonderful performers and previously led by an eladrin woman known as Isolde. By the time the party arrives, Isolde has departed to attend to business of her own, leaving Milo in charge in her absence. |
| 1281 | ---- |
| 1282 | |
| 1283 | !!Amelia the Vampiress |
| 1284 | A bat-winged acrobat who performs with the carnival and a close friend of Sybil's who plays up the mysterious vampire act in front of patrons, but is much more approachable behind the scenes. She originally comes from Markovia. |
| 1285 | ---- |
| 1286 | * ActuallyNotAVampire: Amelia is not actually a vampire at all. She plays it up as part of her act, but she's actually a [[{{UpliftedAnimal}} bat who was]] [[{{AnthropomorphicTransformation}} turned into a humanoid woman]]. |
| 1287 | * ClassicalMovieVampire: She plays up this role as part of her act, but it turns out to just be an act. Even the "blood of virgins" she drinks is actually strawberry green tea lemonade. |
| 1288 | * PerkyGoth: Behind the scenes, her actual personality is much more like this. |
| 1289 | * UpliftedAnimal: Being from Markovia, a Domain inspired by ''Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau'', it's clarified that Amelia is not a human woman who was given bat-like features, but rather a bat who was transformed to appear more like a human woman. |
| 1290 | * WeaknessTurnsHerOn: When discussing her [[{{HasAType}} "type,"]] Amelia shares that she likes boys who are "sweet" and who she wants to take care of, like "an abandoned dog, or something," and "quiet, naive girls who are so sweet and innocent, [she] can't help but want to eat them up." [[{{ShipTease}} Sybil is visibly flustered by this information.]] |
| 1291 | * ValleyGirl: When she drops the act, she talks like this. |
| 1292 | * VampireVords: When in-character, she talks like ''this.'' |
| 1293 | |
| 1294 | !!Syndal Svuo |
| 1295 | A (former?) cleric of Lathander encountered by the party in Lamordia. After having had his heart taken by Dr. Mordenheim and replaced with a mechanical construct, he lost access to his divine magic, and is dead set on getting it back. |
| 1296 | ---- |
| 1297 | * BroughtDownToNormal: Syndal is a cleric of Lathander who apparently lost access to his magic when Dr. Mordenheim [[{{HeartTrauma}} literally cut out his heart.]] |
| 1298 | * HeartTrauma: His heart was removed by Dr. Mordenheim and seems to be being used to power the "Clericonstruct". He wants it back. |
| 1299 | * LiteralChangeOfHeart: When the party meets Syndal in "Snow and Stitched Flesh," his heart has been removed and replaced with a mechanical one. It's not clear how much of his current abrasive personality is due to this trope, and how much is due to the mundane trauma of being StrappedToAnOperatingTable and thrown out into the snow. |
| 1300 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Once his heart is returned, he expresses horror and remorse at the extreme actions he took while it was gone, and both apologizes to the party for his behaviour and thanks them for reining him in. |
| 1301 | * TechnicalPacifist: The party puts a lot of effort into stopping a heartless Syndal from actually killing anyone, especially since most of the people they end up fighting are the very ones he originally came to Lamordia to help. He notes that before the loss of his heart he was an ActualPacifist, and throws his gun into the sea once Dr. Mordenheim puts it back in. |
| 1302 | * TheUnfettered: Losing his heart seems to have turned him into this. |
| 1303 | * UnwantedFalseFaith: Even in his heartless state, he's horrified to find that the people of Illgotten have developed a cult of worship around the Clericonstruct powered by his heart. |
| 1304 | |
| 1305 | [[/folder]] |
| 1306 | |
| 1307 | [[folder:''Waterdeep: Dragon Heist'']] |
| 1308 | !!Lif Duskryn |
| 1309 | A poltergeist haunting the abandoned Trollskull Manor, who previously owned and operated the tavern and refused to give the place up in death. While he is intially hostile to the party, he begins to warm up to them as they begin to renovate and re-open the tavern. |
| 1310 | ---- |
| 1311 | * DefrostingIceQueen: As time goes on, he seems to be warming up to the idea of the party remaining in Trollskull Manor, little by little. |
| 1312 | * FriendlyGhost: Though he still sometimes butts heads with the party, especially Bonnibell, he seems to be moving more towards this as time goes on. |
| 1313 | * GhostlyGoals: Lif refuses to give up the tavern he ran during his life, and only becomes less hostile to the party when they agree to renovate and reopen it for him. |
| 1314 | * HalfHumanHybrid: He is a half-elf; specifically, Lif is half drow. |
| 1315 | * KindHeartedCatLover: One of his redeeming features is that he seems to be this, often taking care of [[{{TeamPet}} Doja]] while the party is away from Trollskull Manor. |
| 1316 | * MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Upon hearing about his cause of death, the party speculates that he may actually have been murdered. |
| 1317 | * NamedByTheAdaptation: No surname is given for Lif in the original module. |
| 1318 | * {{Poltergeist}} |
| 1319 | * TheSpeechless: Being a poltergeist, he's unable to verbally make sound, and mainly communicates through writing and Michelle's spirit board. |
| 1320 | |
| 1321 | !!Davil Starsong |
| 1322 | A charismatic elven bard and member of the Doom Raiders, a group of retired adventurers now working to run the waterdeep branch of the Zhentarim. He is also Bonnibell's long term on-again, off-again boyfriend, and has recently allied himself with the party. |
| 1323 | ---- |
| 1324 | * TheBard: Of the Doom Raiders. |
| 1325 | * CrazyJealousGuy: Bonnibell mentions that he's had this tendency in the past towards other lovers of hers. The fact that he ''doesn't'' feel this way about Morelle seems to indicate [[{{Polyamory}} something else going on with the three of them.]] |
| 1326 | * TheFace: His role as the Doom Raiders' Master of Opportunities and Negotiations. |
| 1327 | * ALighterShadeOfBlack: He genuinely wants to reform the Zhentarim in Waterdeep into a more organized faction, though they're still, you know, violent criminals. |
| 1328 | * LockedOutOfTheLoop: The party initially keeps him in the dark about most of their involvement in the treasure hunt, and especially about the Stone of Golorr -- as Bonnie says, it's not that she doesn't trust Davil, it's that she doesn't trust his friends. While he's initially willing to let things slide, he's very upset when the secrets they're keeping get Bonnie killed and demands an explanation. |
| 1329 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy |
| 1330 | * MayflyDecemberRomance: With Bonnibell, and to a slightly lesser degree, with Morelle. |
| 1331 | * NotMeThisTime: He and his branch of the Zhentarim don't actually have any involvement in the gang war going on in the city underground, and he has very little knowledge of the circumstances until the party informs him. |
| 1332 | * SignificantGreenEyedRedhead |
| 1333 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Well, Token ''Neutral'' Teammate, but Davil is one of only two Doom Raiders not to be listed with an Evil alignment. |
| 1334 | |
| 1335 | !!Vincent Trench |
| 1336 | A reclusive, serious private detective and the proprietor of the Tiger's Eye in Trollskull Alley. He serves as Morelle's mentor and employer. [[spoiler: He is revealed to be a rakshasa in human guise.]] |
| 1337 | ---- |
| 1338 | * AffablyEvil |
| 1339 | * AnimalMotifs: Tigers, for reasons that become obvious. |
| 1340 | * ClearTheirName: In Morelle's backstory. They became his apprentice after he got them off the hook for a crime they were wrongfully accused of. |
| 1341 | * TheComicallySerious: Often, especially when compared to much of the party. |
| 1342 | * DevilInDisguise: [[spoiler: As Morelle discovers, he is actually a disguised rakshasa.]] |
| 1343 | * DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: Described as smoking one. |
| 1344 | * EatingTheEnemy: This is [[spoiler: how Stevie and Morelle discover he's been disposing of Soluun Xibrindas' remains, much to their horror.]] |
| 1345 | * EvilMentor: To Morelle. |
| 1346 | * HardBoiledDetective |
| 1347 | * ALighterShadeOfBlack: As a [[spoiler: fiend, he is still very much evil, but has a soft spot for the city of Waterdeep in general and [[{{EvenEvilHasLovedOnes}} Morelle]] in particular.]] |
| 1348 | * MasterOfIllusion: He has access to ''disguise self'' and other illusory magic, [[spoiler: which he can cast at will.]] |
| 1349 | * PunnyName: He's a detective, and his name is [[{{BadassLongcoat}} Trench.]] |
| 1350 | * Really700YearsOld: [[spoiler: Being a fiend, he's lived in Waterdeep for a very long time.]] |
| 1351 | * VillainousParentalInstinct: Towards Morelle. |
| 1352 | |
| 1353 | !!Floon Blagmaar |
| 1354 | The cheerful but not very bright fellow whose kidnapping the party is initially hired to investigate. |
| 1355 | ---- |
| 1356 | * BrainlessBeauty: With the stats to match. |
| 1357 | * ConnectedAllAlong: As it turns out, the nobleman paying him off to keep quiet about his affair is ''Lillie's father.'' |
| 1358 | * DrowningMySorrows: He's frequently found doing this in the wake of his kidnapping. |
| 1359 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy |
| 1360 | * StepfordSmiler |
| 1361 | |
| 1362 | !!Annie |
| 1363 | A young woman who works as a barmaid at the Yawning Portal. |
| 1364 | ---- |
| 1365 | * AdaptationNameChange: She's the same character as "Bonnie" in the original module, renamed because [[{{OneSteveLimit}} player character Bonnibell goes by the nickname "Bonnie" as well.]] |
| 1366 | * UptownGirl: Lillie is this to her, being a nobleman's daughter pursuing a tavern worker. |
| 1367 | |
| 1368 | !!Remallia Haventree |
| 1369 | An elven noblewoman who keeps an estate not far outside of Trollskull Alley. She is a friend of Michelle's. |
| 1370 | ---- |
| 1371 | * AffectionateNickname: "Remi" to her friends. |
| 1372 | * BarrierWarrior: As an abjuration wizard, much like Stevie. She mainly specializes in shielding and warding spells. |
| 1373 | * OddFriendship: With Michelle. Remallia is a rich noblewoman, and Michelle is a poor fortune teller. |
| 1374 | * ParentalSubstitute: She serves as this to Michelle. |
| 1375 | * SilkHidingSteel |
| 1376 | * TeamMom: To Michelle, at least. |
| 1377 | |
| 1378 | !!Threestrings |
| 1379 | A friend of Michelle's who often plays at the Yawning Portal. She and the other party members manage to convince him to come play at their tavern, as well. |
| 1380 | ---- |
| 1381 | * TheBard |
| 1382 | * OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: So far no one has referred to him as anything but "Threestrings," including Michelle, who is a close friend of his. |
| 1383 | * RedheadInGreen |
| 1384 | |
| 1385 | !!Tobak Heavystep |
| 1386 | A young half-orc who comes to the soon-to-open Spectral Spirits tavern in search of employment. He and Morelle quickly discover that they are half-siblings sharing the same father. |
| 1387 | ---- |
| 1388 | * AnArmAndALeg: He loses his left leg in the fireball blast in Trollskull Alley. |
| 1389 | * ArtificialLimbs: Bonnibell utilizes her artificer abilities to build a prosthetic leg for him. |
| 1390 | * DisappearedDad |
| 1391 | * GentleGiant |
| 1392 | * LongLostRelative: As it turns out, he is Morelle's younger half-brother through their father. Neither sibling had any idea they had any other relatives. |
| 1393 | * OrphansPlotTrinket: Much like Morelle, it turns out he has [[{{TwoHalvesMakeAPlot}} half]] of a journal that originally belonged to his missing father -- though while his mother is definitely dead at this point, it's not yet clear what actually happened to his dad. |
| 1394 | * ShrinkingViolet: Tobak is quite reserved and anxious, preferring not to draw attention to himself. |
| 1395 | * UnevenHybrid: While he uses half-orc stats and is casually referred to as a half-orc, Tobak mentions that his late mother was a half-orc herself, making him technically only 1/4th orc. He shares his full-human parent with Morelle. |
| 1396 | |
| 1397 | [[/folder]] |
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