Van Richten's Guide to the Mists
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Guide to the Mists VanVan Richten’sRichten’s GuideGuide toto thethe MistsMists Credits Authors:: Carla Hollar and Rucht Lilavivat Special Acknowledgements Developers:: Andria Hayday (1st ed. design) Jackie Cassada and Nicky Rea Bruce Nesmith (1st ed. design) Editor: Tracy & Laura Hickman (original concept) Dale Donovan Sword & Sorcery Managing Editor: Stewart Wieck Layout and Typesetting: Ron Thompson Additional Thanks Based on the Original Dungeons & Dragons ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new Dungeons & Dragons game designed by Johnathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker and Peter Adkison. ©2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Ravenloft, Van Richten’s Guide to the Mists, D&D, Dungeons and Dragons and its logo, the d20 System logo, and Wizards of the Coast and its logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc., in the USA and other countries, and are used by Arthaus under license. Arthaus and its logo are trademarks of Arthaus Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Sword and Sorcery and its logo are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 Sword & Sorcery http://www.swordsorcery.com Introduction VanVan RichtenRichten’’ss GuideGuide toto thethe MistsMists Table of Contents Introduction 3 Chapter One: Veiled Origins 8 Chapter Two: Hidden Compositions 18 Chapter Three: Extraordinary Powers of Mist Creatures 28 Chapter Four: Vulnerabilities of Mist Creatures 46 Chapter Five: Those Who Dwell Within 54 Chapter Six: Traveling Through the Mists: Byways 64 Chapter Seven: Wanderers in the Mist: Vistani and Outlanders 72 Chapter Eight: Secret Places of the Mists 80 Chapter Nine: Hunting Those Who Dwell Within the Mists 87 DM’s Appendix 97 2 Sword & Sorcery http://www.swordsorcery.com Guide to the Mists Introduction Fear death? — to feel the fog in my throat, The mist in my face, When the snows begin, and the blasts denote I am nearing the place, The power of the night, the press of the storm, The post of the foe; Where he stands, the Arch Fear in a visible form; Yet the strong man must go….” —Robert Browning, “Prospice” 3 Sword & Sorcery http://www.swordsorcery.com Introduction elcome Dear Reader, she believed was a true accomplishment. Van My name is Laurie Weathermay- Richten carefully studied our script and gently laid Foxgrove. it upon the herbalist counter in front of him. It was Many of you are already familiar then that he turned and peered at me, cocking a with the dread creatures that roam this land. The brow in my direction. vampire, the lycanthrope, the created — most of “What is the meaning of this?” he asked. these are known to our readers, either through the “Uncle Rudolph, I present to you a publica- works of our mentor, Rudolph Van Richten, or tion that we…” I paused and corrected myself, “…a through unfortunate personal experience. What proposed work that we have been working on.” many people do not know about are the creatures of Van Richten rubbed the bridge of his nose the Mists, beings that exist within those mysterious with a sigh. His voice dropped to a low hiss. “What borders that cordon off our land and, from time to you two have written, what I see here is quite time, intrude upon it. brilliant,” Van Richten nodded his gray head, What we propose in this book is that these sighing. “Yes, what you have set before me is well beings are far more common than previously be- researched, backed up with evidence and corrobo- lieved. Indeed, we are daring to make that claim rated by witnesses. Your writing even has a certain that these creatures surround us— all the time. style that appeals to me.” Furthermore, numerous properties of the Mists For a rare moment in my life, I was without themselves have never been considered by others words. in the field. In this volume, we attempt to delve “But what you are writing,” said Van Richten, into the nature of these unspoken powers. “is dangerous. It can only lead to sorrow, not only for As you know, the year is 758, eight years past you and your sister, Laurie, but for everyone that the date in which the acclaimed Rudolph Van you hold dear.” Richten disappeared from the face of the land. I stood back for a moment and crossed my Since that time my sister and I have carried on his arms, beginning to feel a tingling curiosity. “How work to the best of our ability, exploring the nature can writing a simple book be dangerous, Uncle?” of the dead that walk and the mysterious inhabit- “You, of all people should know about books ants of the Shadow Rift. and the inherent danger that they — no, wait, that This latest publication, however, takes a new was Gennifer that found—” turn, for not only does it branch out into new, Before the good doctor could finish his thought, unpenned territory, it treads through the very a large man came bursting into the herbalist shop. ground that we were warned not to explore. The Instantly, I recognized the tri-cornered hat, the Mists have ever been a source of both mystery and iron lantern and the alert eyes that darted with fear. They seem to come and go for no reason that caution. we are aware of and only the wandering Vistani “A lamplighter,” I whispered. traverse them with any degree of surety or safety. “Dr. Van Richten,” said the lamplighter, his So, understand, by merely reading this book, voice bellowing from his bearded face. “They told you subject yourself to new and unheard of dangers. me to come get you. There is need for you at the Therefore, be warned. Halloway House.” From Small Beginnings Van Richten looked back at me. We read each The creation of this manual began just a year others’ thoughts. The Halloway House was well- before the disappearance of the great Dr. Van known to us, for it had once belonged to one of the Richten, when my sister and I were at the impetu- great ruling families of Mordent. Each of its mem- ous age of seventeen. We were tending his herbalist bers had been found murdered, or had disappeared shop in Mordent, already interested in the study of without a trace over the years. Each time a family the strange and peculiar. To this end, we had begun member vanished, the incident had always been writing our first text together. At that time, it was accompanied with a night of thick, viscous fog. entitled, “Weathermay-Foxgrove’s Inclusive Guide Now, the house stood completely empty, its vacant to the Curious Properties of the Mists.” windows staring hollowly over an unoccupied town — a testament to the loneliness and sadness that Indeed, I showed the text to Uncle Rudolph consumed the Halloway family in its final years. himself, a proud seventeen-year old basking what 4 Sword & Sorcery http://www.swordsorcery.com Guide to the Mists “Make ready, Laurie,” said Dr. Van Richten. “I thought you wanted to accompany me on “We have work to do.” my missions,” said Van Richten. “I do,” I replied, abashed at my mentor’s sharp A Glimpse of Darkness hearing. “I simply have a…trepidation where root We rode out from the herbalist shop as fast as cellars are concerned.” our carriage horses would take us. Tamsin, the Soon, we could see that not only had the door lamplighter, rode out ahead of us, illuminating the to the root cellar shattered, but the stairs beneath way through the moors and dense forests. the cellar doors had given way as well. Down When we finally arrived at the Halloway house, below, the lantern shone upon a mass of broken we saw a small crowd of people assembled outside boards, splinters and rusted nails. Past the scattered of that dreaded place. Tiny flickers of torchlight remains of the door and stairs, I could see a mass of played upon the splintering walls of the mansion. footprints. Dozens of tiny prints made their marks The large porch, sagging from the weight of age, upon the dusty floor. grinned at our approach, as if sardonically noting “What is it?” I wondered aloud with the faint- our arrival. As we drew nearer, I was startled to find est whisper. the house looming towards me, as if trying to peer The lantern swung back and forth. As the light into the carriage that I was riding. It was only later swayed through the room, the shadows reached that I discovered that the house was naturally first to the left and then to the right — and there, tilting forward in the earth, leaning due to the I saw it, that terrible detail that not only bewildered weight of age. The slanted angle of the house made me, but left me with a cold feeling of dread. it look as if it were crouching like some great cat, “You see it, too?” whispered Van Richten, patiently watching for its prey as it crept ever noting my swift intake of breath. “You note the closer. same thing?” “What news?” cried Van Richten, opening the I nodded in silence. Hooves. All of the small door to the carriage and hopping out even before footprints were actually marks where miniature the horses had stopped. hooves had tread upon the ground as if a herd of I saw now that a number of lamplighters stood miniature goats had tromped back and forth in that at the scene. Beside them stood a weeping woman spot. Van Richten tilted the rope that dropped dressed in a plain cotton dress.