Vistani

The Vistani are a distinct group of travelling peoples whose reputation travels with them beyond Barovia. They are known for their parties, dancing, bright colours and joviality, but also for their reputation as thieves and practitioners of curses. Despite their wanderlust, Vistani all end up returning to Barovia at some point, if for no other reason than to pay homage to Madam Eva, a legendary seer within Vistani culture.

There are two main Vistani camps in Barovia - the camp close to Tser Pool and the camp south of Vallaki.

History
After Count Strahd von Zarovich was grievously wounded by an ambush at Argynvostholt the western Vistani camp nursed him back to health, allowing him to make a full recovery. Strahd made a vow that all Vistani would henceforth be welcome in his land, so long as they did not openly antagonize him.

After Strahd had decimated the dusk elves and forced them into hiding they began to live in the forest south of Vallaki with the Vistani, where they have lived ever since. One of the dusk elves, "Giorgoto" Kasimir Velikov, was involved in a nasty confrontation with Rahadin, a dusk elf in the employ of Strahd, who cut off Kasimir's ears and slew all of the female dusk elves of the tribe. In response, with the help of his great Vistani allies, Kasimir inflicted a curse upon Rahadin, such that all of the screams of the female dusk elves that he slaughtered would forever haunt and isolate him.

Acording to Ezmerelda d'Avenir's journal, Dr Rudolph van Richten had attempted to help a Vistani child recover from an unspecified injury or illness, but he was not able to do so and is said to have been cursed by the Vistani as a result. After their child's death they took van Richten's son, Erasmus, in return and sold him to Baron Metus, an old and immortal vampire lord of another realm. Metus turned Erasmus into a vampire and van Richten was forced to kill him after Erasmus asked him to. A lich took pity on van Richten's plight and gave him a force of undead warriors to wreak vengeance on the Vistani with.

Recent history
In Y735 the party of Hallgrimm Mikkenson, Sigismund "the Bold", Narid Ashplantt, and Ireena Indirovich approached the Tser Pool camp and were allowed to stay the night, eat, and drink, for the cost of only a tale, which Hallgrimm willingly dispensed to great cheer.

A week later Hallgrimm and Narid approached the western camp with the Wachter family after the Festival of the Blazing Sun and were greeted by Gameel, a dusk elf, who advised that the Vistani were busy searching for a missing girl, Arabelle. As they ascended the hill they were greeted by the sound of screams and it became apparent that the boy, Alexei, that was with Arabelle was being whipped as punishment for his carelessness.

Luvash, her father, advised she had been out in the woods playing games when she went missing two days ago. He relayed her great interest in seeing and in the Seeker of the Forest Fane - Madam Eva. In addition to Arabelle, Saveed, a Vistani that went searching for her, hasn't returned.

Before Hallgrimm and Narid could leave for the morning the camp was attacked by an armoured tiger, which targeted Vistani campmates only. It killed seven Vistani before finally being taken down. Hallgrimm and Narid quietly noted between themselves that it was likely to be van Richten's work.

Culture
The Vistani are a vibrant, energetic folk as renown for their music, fortunetelling abilities, and lust for life as they are infamous for their curses, swindling, and general debauchery. They are silversmiths, coppersmiths, haberdashers, cooks, weavers, musicians, entertainers, storytellers, toolmakers, and horse traders. They also earn money by telling fortunes and selling information. They spend whatever they earn to support a lavish lifestyle, display their wealth openly as a sign of prosperity, and share their good fortune with family and friends.

The Vistani live in roving bands of several to several dozen individuals headed by either a single venerable individual or a council of elders. Each band follows a rough code of conduct respected within Vistani society but otherwise does what and goes where it pleases, treating each other as if in one large family. An extraordinary deed of loyalty towards any member of the Vistani is reason for the elders to grant the outsider, or “Giorgio” the title “Giorgoto”, an honorary Vistani.

Frequently, looked upon with suspicion by local, less transient peoples; the fear and angst the Vistani generates acts as both an advantage and disadvantage. On the one hand, the Vistani are never welcome anywhere outside of Barovia long and easily overstay their welcome. On the other hand, fear of Vistani curses and retribution generally protect the bands from direct violence.

Vistani families and clans are closely knit. They resolve disagreements through contests that end with reconciliatory singing, dancing, and storytelling. The Vistani are quick to act when their lives or traditions are threatened and are merciless when they believe they must be. Vistani who knowingly bring harm or misfortune to others of their kind are banished, and brandished “Mortu” — the worst punishment a Vistani can imagine, even worse than death.

The Vistani believe in The Weave and it is believed that Madam Eva is the Seeker of the Forest Fane.

They also believe in "reema", roughly equivalent to karma in other cultures.

Relationship with Strahd von Zarovich
The History of Barovia book written in Y397 states that the Vistani and Strahd von Zarovich share a mutual respect of one another, and as a result the Vistani are the only people able to travel through the otherwise impenetrable mist which surrounds the Barovian valley by simply walking through. Dr Rudolph van Richten described the Vistani as the spies of Strahd.

However, Luvash of the western camp stated that they do not have any relationship so to speak, and that Strahd was more of an inattentive landlord than anything else.

Notable Vistani

 * Madam Eva - legendary seer
 * Mirabelle, Sovia, Alenka - mortu owners of the Blood on the Vine
 * Irahja - advised the party to avoid windmills and not to stay in the woods too long
 * Reena
 * Damien - intoxicated juggler of high calibre
 * Luvash - Vistani captain of the Western camp, father of Arabelle
 * Arabelle - missing young girl from the Western camp, daughter of Luvash, with an interest in seeing, she was found to have been kidnapped by Bluto and returned to the camp by the party