Introduction:

Several footpaths and horse trails lead to this location in the woods southwest of Vallaki.

The woods part to reveal an expansive clearing: a small, grass-covered hill with low houses built into its sides. Fog obscures the details, but you can see that these buildings feature elegantly carved woodwork and have decorative lanterns hanging from their sculpted eaves.

Atop the hill, above the fog, is a ring of barrel-topped wagons that surround a large tent with a column of smoke pouring out through a hole in the top. The tent is brightly lit from within. Even at this distance, you can smell the odors of wine and horses that emanate from this central area.

This natural clearing serves as a permanent campsite for the Vistani and their dusk elf allies.

ROLEPLAYING THE VISTANI AND THE ELVES
Use the following information to roleplay the Vistani and the dusk elves that occupy the camp.

Vistani. The Vistani in this camp all serve Strahd. The elders have died, leaving a pair of brothers named Luvash and Arrigal in charge. Both men are evil and willing to do whatever Strahd demands of them. These Vistani have two problems. First, Luvash's seven-year-old daughter, Arabelle, recently disappeared from the camp. Consequently, half of the Vistani are out searching for her when the characters arrive. Second, the Vistani have exhausted their supply of wine and are eager to obtain more. Characters who help them with either problem earn the Vistani's respect.

Dusk Elves. The dusk elf rcic!! is all but forgotten, and the few survivors live in secret places such as this. They have dark skin and hair, but otherwise they are similar to wood elves.
One of Strahd's old brides, Patrina Velikovna, used to live here. Her brother, Kasimir Velikov still does. The dusk elves reside in small homes built into the hillside and a're m�stiy seif-sllfficient. They are skilled trackers, and many of them are away from the camp when the characters arrive, helping the Vistani search for Arabelle. Strahd has tasked the Vistani with keeping
an eye on the dusk elves, and the dusk elves know they aren't safe in Barovia without the Vistani's "protection."

Strahd has also forbidden the Vistani from helping the dusk elves escape his domain.
There are no women or children among the dusk elves. Strahd had all the female dusk elves put to death around four centuries ago as a punishment for Patrina's murder. Thus, the remaining elves can't procreate. A broken people, they are aware of the vampire's absolute hold over the land of Barovia. They keep a low profile and have no desire to incur Strahd's wrath again.

KASIMIR'S HOVEL

If the characters approach the house at the base of the hill on the eastern perimeter of the camp, read the fol lowing text:

Standing quietly in front of this house, bathed in the warm light of its lanterns, are three sullen, gray-cloaked figures, their angular features and black, flowing hair half-hidden under their cowls.

The cloaked figures are three guards (N male dusk elves). If the characters seem friendly and are looking for someone to talk to, the guards direct them inside to Kasimir or point them toward the Vistani camp on the hilltop.

Kasimir Velikov (see appendix D) is the leader of the dusk elves. His hovel has a decorated vestibule and a comfortable room beyond with a fireplace. Wooden statuettes of elven deities stand in cubbyholes along one wall. A tapestry of a forest hangs on the opposite wall. Kasimir confesses that he is burdened by dreams sent to him by his dead sister, Patrina Velikovna, whose spirit has languished in the catacombs below Castle Ravenloft for centuries. Kasimir believes that Patrina has repented for her many sins, and he yearns not only to free her but also to restore her to life.

If the characters seem intent on destroying Strahd, Kasimir tells them about the Amber Temple. Without divulging too much of the dreams sent to him by Patrina, Kasimir informs the characters that the secret to breaking Strahd's pact and freeing Barovia from its curse might be hidden there. Kasimir doesn't know whether this claim is true or not, but he states it as a way of persuading the characters to accompany him to the temple; his main objective, he says, is to find something there that he can use to bring Patrina back from the dead.

DUSK ELF HOVELS

Six simple houses ring the base of the hill, three protruding from the north side and three from the south side.

A grim, gray-cloaked figure stands in front of the door to this house.

The cloaked figure is a guard (N male dusk elf). If the characters appear friendly and are looking for someone to talk to, the guard directs them to Kasimir's hovel (area N9a). Under no circumstances does the guard willingly allow strangers to enter the house he protects.
Each hovel is configured similarly to Kasimir's hovel. All are currently unoccupied. (Except for the nine guards left behind to watch the homes, the dusk elves are out searching for Arabelle.)

VISTANI TENT

Piled outside the wagon are several empty casks of wine. From inside the tent comes the crack of a whip followed by the howls of a young man. Three sputtering campfires fill the tent with smoke, and through the haze you see six Vistani passed out in various places on the dead grass.

A barely conscious and shirtless teenager hugs the central tent pole, his wrists bound with rope and his back streaked with blood. An older, larger man in studded leather armor lashes the young man with a horsewhip, causing him to scream again. Standing in the bigger man's shadow is a third man also clad in studded leather.

"Easy, brother," he says to the whip-wielding brute. "I think Alexei has learned his lesson."

The two men in studded leather armor are the leaders of the Vistani camp-the brothers Luvash (CE male human bandit captain) and Arrigal (NE male human assassin). If you used the "Plea for Help" adventure hook, the characters have already met Arrigal. Luvash is so drunk that he has disadvantage on his attack rolls and ability checks. Each brother carries a key that unlocks one of the padlocks of the treasure wagon (area N9i).

Luvash is punishing a Vistana named Alexei (CN male human bandit with 3 hit points remaining) for failing to keep a watchful eye on his daughter. The characters' arrival distractsLuvash, and- he forgets about Alexei long enough to play the role of host-until such time as the characters become tiresome or threatening, Alexei blames himself for not watching the little brat more
closely and has accepted his punishment, If the characters: try to rescue him, he screams for them to stop, not wanting to appear weak in front of Luvash and Arrigal.

Dealing with Luvash. Luvash is unhappy because his seven-year-old daughter, Arabelle, has vanished. She's been gone for a little more than a day. Because everyone in the camp was drunk and Arrigal was away, no one remembers seeing or hearing anything strange. Luvash is determined to find her, no matter what the cost, and most of his camp is out scouring the woods when the characters arrive. (Missing from the camp are twelve bandits. Each hour that passes, ld4 of them return to camp with no news on Arabelle's whereabouts.)

If an alarm is sounded, nine sober Vistani bandits ( NE male and female humans) emerge from three of the surrounding wagons (area N9g) and arrive at the tent with weapons drawn in 2 rounds. Luvash won't meddle in the characters' affairs without Strahd's consent, and he is quite content to let the vampire deal with them. For a hefty price, he offers to sell the characters potions that allow safe passage through the deadly fog that surrounds the valley; he keeps them in the treasure wagon (area N9i). The potions dont work, of course.

If the characters rescue Arabelle from Lake Zarovich (chapter 2, area L) and see her safely returned to camp, Luvash is overjoyed and offers to repay the favour. He doesn't sell them the fake potions. ("Um, they aren't as potent as they could be.")
Instead, he lets them choose a treasure from the Vistani treasure wagon (area N9i).

If the characters ask something of the Vistani but have not earned Luvash's goodwill, he agrees to do business with them if they accomplish one of two tasks: either find his missing daughter or procure six barrels of wine and bring them to the camp.

Luvash suggests they can get the wine in Vallaki, or go straight to the source-the Wizard of Wines winery. He isn't picky when it comes to the quality of the wine.
Dealing with Arrigal. Arrigal is a much more dangerous creature than his brute of a brother. If the characters have something in their possession that is either useful or harmful to Strahd and Arrigal becomes aware of it, he tries to deprive the characters of this item, stalking them if necessary and going as far as to kill one or more of them if he thinks he can escape with the item
in his possession. If he succeeds, he takes one of the riding horses (area N9d) and delivers the item to Strahd at Castle Ravenloft.

HORSES

The hilltop is covered with steaming piles of horse dung. More than two dozen horses are tethered to stone blocks inside the circle of wagons but outside the tent. Most of the animals are draft horses, but a few of them are riding horses equipped with saddles.

Twenty-four draft horses and six riding horses are tethered here.

LUVASH's WAGON

This barrel-topped wagon is nicer that the others. Drapes of golden silk hang in the windows, and the wheels have gold, sun-shaped hubcaps. An iron chimney pipe protrudes from the roof.
Luvash's wagon is a mess inside. Empty wineskins, dirty clothes, and mangy furs are strewn about. A small hammock strung across the width of the wagon under the driver's seat serves as Arabelle's bed. A burlap doll with button eyes lies in the hammock; Arabelle has no other possessions.

A small iron stove in the middle of the wagon keeps the interior warm.

WAGON OF SLEEPING VISTANI

There are four of these wagons at the camp. You hear heavy snores from within this barrel topped wagon. Each of these wagons contains id4 intoxicated and unconscious Vistani (CN male and fe'tnale huma� bandits). These Vistani wake up if their wagon is shaken or if they take damage and have at lea�t 1 hit point remaining.

WAGON OF GAMBLING VISTANI

There are three of these wagons at the camp.

Loud voices and laughter spill from this barrel-topped wagon. Each of these wagons contains three Vistani (CN male and female human bandits). The Vistani are playing a dice game for wine and favors, since they have no money. They respond to sounds of alarm by drawing their weapons and heading to the tent (area N9c).

N9H. VISTANI FAMILYWAGON
There are three of these wagons at the camp.
This barrel-topped wagon is filled with the raucous screams and laughter of children. Each of these wagons contains one Vistani adult and ld4 + 1 Vistani children (CN male and female human noncombatants).

The adult is watching the children playing games, teaching the children about their heritage, or telling a scary story to frighten the children.

VISTANI TREASURE WAGON

Two iron padlocks secure the door of this barrel topped wagon.
The Vistani keep all their treasure in this wagon. The door to the wagon has two locks, each of which requires a different key. Luvash carries one key, Arrigal the other.

Each lock is rigged with a poison needle trap (see "Sample Traps" in chapter 5, "Adventure Environments," of the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Treasure. The wagon contains the following items:
A wooden chest containing 1,200 ep (each coin stamped with the profiled visage of Strahd)
• An iron chest containing 650 gp, An onyx jewelry box with gold filigree (worth 250 gp) containing six pieces of cheap jewelry (worth 50 gp each) and a potion ofpoison in an unlabeled crystal
vial (worth 100 gp), A wooden throne with gold inlay and decorative stones (worth 750 gp), A rolled-up 10-foot-square rug with an exquisite unicorn motif (worth 750 gp)
A small wooden box containing twelve fake potions in stoppered gourds (theVistani.sell these nonmagical elixirs to naive strangers; claiming that they protect against the deadly fog surrounding Barovia)