Absalom

Mousif: A merchant prince of Qadira, currently residing in Absalom.

  • Very wealthy, large estate, dabbler in magic, highly interested in planar exploration and investigation
  • Discovered new plane, and hired the party to help investigate it for commercial reasons.
  • Could not accompany team to new plane due to other engagements in Oppara.

Loryndas: High level magic user in the employ of Mousif, scholar, planar adept.

  • Tapped by Mousif to lead the expedition to the new plane.
  • Killed by werewolves after arriving.

Village of Barovia

Ilarion Grimhold: male, 40s, hunter and woodsman

  • Saved the party from the werewolf attack and guided them to the village of Barovia
  • Explained to the party that:
    • expeditions had been to Barovia before and had been warned off
    • the importance and danger of argint (silver)
      • he shows that he has some silver, including an Absalomian silver pieces and a fairly crude poignard, obviously locally made
    • the werewolves are servants of the Count; they have informants but it’s possible they can also detect silver.

Reverend Donavich: male, mid 40s, serene, polite

  • High Priest of the “Morning Lord,” which theologically has some intersections with Sarenrae.
  • Asks several questions, but also seems to know much of what Ilarion does re previous visits.

Elders Serilda and Dragmir Valemar: married couple, mid 30s, associated with Church of the Morning Lord in some unstated way. Did not speak or ask the party any questions.

Darius and Honorus Malvorn: males, early 20s, associated with the Church of the Morning Lord. Seem fearful of the idea of the party being in Borovia.

Vhalmir: male, early to mid 20s, associated with the Church of the Morning Lord. Seemingly agnry with the party, but later drives them in the armored carriage to Vallaki.

Isolde Varkov: female, early 20s, scholarly, associated with the Church of the Morning Lord.

  • Has a book in front of her that she refers to during the conversation
  • Seems composed and somewhat emotionless
  • Makes pronouncements that are taken seriously by Rev. Donavich but without any external validation (eg “They’re telling the truth.”)

Brother Gregor: male, late teens, a novice at the Church of the Morning Lord. Polite, accomodating, somewhat clueless.

Volack: male, reported to be the Count’s direct agent in the village of Barovia. Reported to have at least several subordinates and snitches in the town.

Town of Vallaki

Urwin and Danika Martikov: married couple, late 30s, proprietors of the Blue Water Inn.

  • Urwin: Tall, dark hair and beard, physically strong but softspoken. Moves with a quiet efficiency, polishing mugs, carrying plates, and tending the hearth while keeping a constant eye on the room. He studies newcomers with a farmer’s patience, gauging whether they bring trouble or coin.
  • Danika: Small but wiry, black haired, observant. Sharp, clear, and brisk, she speaks with confidence and authority, cutting through murmurs with precision, yet there’s an underlying warmth for those she trusts. She moves quickly and decisively, whether serving drinks, directing her two sons, or managing the inn’s daily operations. Her eyes miss very little; she notices newcomers instantly and gauges both danger and character.

Madame Eva: female, late70s-early 80s, seeress, purveyor of the Tarokka. Lives on the southern edge of Vallaki in a small, somewhat rundown house.

The “Renfields”: colloquial term for Strahd’s secret police, coined by Grughilda.

  • They identify themselves to each other with white enameled pendants, adored with a black stylized raven
  • Evidence at the Durst Mansion suggests rhat, at least some of the time, they dress in hooded black cloaks.

The Dursts: a wealthy family from Vallaki who disappeared mysteriously approximately 15 years ago.

  • Gustav, the family patriarch, was a wealthy and influential Vallakian attorney. He owned both Durst Manor (now called “Death House” by the locals in Vallaki) and the Old Bonegrinder Mill, which was in the Durst Family for a long enough time that it was prominently displayed on the family coat of arms. He was reported to be affable, even charming, and devoted to his family. He was in his late 30s or early 40s when he disappeared.
  • Elisabeth, Gustav’s wife, was a tall, elegant woman with dark hair and a saturnine countenance. She tended toward black clothing, and was in charge of the Durst family’s domestic affairs, including household management. She was in her early to mid 30s when she disappeared.
  • Rosavalda “Rose” and Thornboldt “Thorn,” Gustav and Elisabeth’s children aged around 12-13 and 6-7, respectively. They are specifically – and solely – named as heirs to the Old Bonegrinder mill in documents found in Durst Manor. They disappeared at the same time as their parents.
  • Infant boy, shown in the family portrait but otherwise not referenced in any family documents. Possibly named “Valter,” what information available about the child seems to indicate that (a) was born out of wedlock, reportedly to the Durst’s nanny, and (b) that the child was stillborn.

Aleko Dobromir, an apparently wealthy attorney from Vallaki. Documents found at Durst Manor suggest the manor was deeded to Dobromir by Strahd after the Durst’s disappearance. Dobromir was resident of Durst Manor for at least a brief period after the Durst family disappeared, evidenced by documents and other items found on the master bedroom. Among those items was a small portrait, ostensibly of Dobromir, should a stocky, well dressed man of middle years.