The Vistani

The Vistani are a nomadic group who travel around Barovia with far more freedom than most, maintaining at least two permanent or semi-permanent camps: Tser Pool, where our heroes spent their first night on the road to Vallaki; and another camp near Vallaki itself.

Though friendly with our heroes, the Vistani seem to be maligned by most Barovians, particularly in Vallaki, where they are not permitted entry. Still, their camps tend to be welcoming, with music, dancing, and a promise of good food and good wine for any who need their hospitality — particularly those who come bearing stories.

As our heroes have gotten to know the Vistani better, they've seen more of both sides of the Vistani. On one hand, it seems they still have a warm welcome at Vistani camps even after they unknowingly risked the life of one of their own, thanks to Sylvain's payment of his own life in sacrifice. On the other, the claims that the Vistani are all allied with Strahd, while wildly exaggerated, aren't entirely true, particularly after van Richten's attempt on their Vallaki camp and Strahd's ensuing gift of van Richten as a vampire spawn, eternally bound to protect the people he'd tried to wipe out. However, they have been, on the whole, rather more helpful and welcoming than most Barovians.

Madam Eva
A respected elder among the Tser Pool Vistani, Madam Eva may be much more than she appears at first glance — from Osrin's insistence that the prophecies she offers are real to the revelation that she had already been an old woman when the Lady Wachter visited her several decades ago, writing Madam Eva off as a mere fortune-teller would be a mistake. Certainly, her prediction of where the Symbol of Ravenkind panned out.

Arabelle
Precocious and a little creepy, Arabelle appears to be around 6 or 7 years old. She has brown hair, light eyes, and first met the party while trying to sneak up on them in the woods outside the Vistani camp near Vallaki, where she lives with her father and uncle, who lead the camp there. Arabelle is not particularly shy, and seems to be comfortable wandering through the woods on her own, though she warned the party about wolves in the woods (about an hour before they were attacked by wolves). Ayduin noticed that sometimes Arabelle's focus will go momentarily distant and distracted, as if she's perceiving things others don't, though it's subtle enough that the others didn't catch it. She read Osrin's cards for her using the same sort of deck Madam Eva has, though the reading she gave was more impressionistic than Madam Eva's, and she seemed to struggle somewhat to interpret the cards. She is close with both her father and her uncle, though she claimed her uncle was the nicer of the two. She seems quite interested in the party, and followed them around the camp their first night there. After she was abducted by Bluto — one of the Blue Water Inn's most faithful patrons, according to Danica — who tried to sacrifice her to Lake Zarovich so he could get more fish, our heroes rescued her, solidifying her love for them, though her opinion of Ayduin's understanding of appropriate meals seems to have plummeted since then — familiarity breeds contempt, bro. She can be relied on for hot tips like "which of the treasures in Papa's wagon are fake?" and "are there any cool murderbots kicking around in that treasure wagon?" As of our heroes' last visit to the Vistani, it seems Arabelle will be making a point of avoiding them, thanks to the whole "the last time I talked to you guys an ancient vampire threatened to murder me" thing. Whether she's doing this of her own volition or on the orders of her father and/or uncle is unknown.

Arrigal
Arrigal is Arabelle's uncle, and though everyone formally acknowledges Luvash as that Vistani camp's leader, Arrigal seems to be informally recognized as his second-in-command. He is quite close with his niece, and takes her stories and commands very seriously. When our heroes returned Arabelle after her abduction, it was evident that he had been badly shaken by the experience. Though less overtly friendly than some of the Vistani our heroes have interacted with, he was cordial in welcoming them to the camp, though throughout the evening both Sylvain and Ayduin noticed him watching them closely. Among all the Vistani at the camp — very few of whom have any love for the town of Vallaki, which has banned them — Arrigal in particular looked rather pleased to hear of its misfortune, though he hid his pleasure quickly enough.

Later on, in a vision from the Raven Queen, Bodaway learned that Arrigal was a servant of Strahd, though seemingly not out of malice — rather, Strahd was not a threat to his persecuted people, while the townspeople very much were. So he offered his fealty to Strahd in exchange for assistance in looking after his camp and his niece. The party got a firsthand demonstration of this fealty a few days later, when Arrigal tried to assassinate Ayduin as Strahd-ordered revenge for the party quizzing Arabelle about how to defeat him. Arrigal then travelled with the party as their captive, with the promise of being able to kill Sylvain once they wrap up their business at the winery. He did so, then swore his loyalty to Sylvain before making a hasty departure and heading off to join the wine delivery back to his home. When he returned to the camp, he apparently learned that Ruslan, a dusk elf with whom he's close, had gone off looking for him, and he followed shortly after. When next our heroes returned to the Vallaki Vistani camp, they found a dirty and slightly wounded Arrigal, who had apparently only recently returned with Ruslan in tow, the dusk elf on the verge of death from relatively mild wounds that had become badly infected as he'd hidden in the wine cellar of Argynvostholt following a run-in with some needle blights. Ri-An — after a brief ball-based detour — cured Ruslan of the infection, ensuring he'd live through the night.

Overall, he does not seem to dislike the party, though he was very upset at the revelation they'd been pushing Arabelle for information. One notable exception is Bodaway, who he has professed a pronounced dislike for, between Bodaway's initial reaction to his explanation of why he'd tried to kill Ayduin, and his less than stellar Charisma rolls in ensuing attempts to make peace with Arrigal. However, aside from his respect for Sylvain, he spent some time in the woods with Ayduin foraging and teaching him how to make his favoured poison, and he seemed deeply grateful to Ri-An for saving the life of Ruslan, his "good friend."

Atanasie
Though more subdued than his younger brother Rudolph, Atanasie was among the friendlier Vistani the party has encountered, trading stories with Ayduin and Bodaway late into the night at Tser Pool, and offering a ride in his wagon at the end of their journey to Vallaki. Around 5'8 and of average build, with dark hair and light brown skin.

Grigori
Brother to Lech, and an accomplished hat-maker — the greatest in all of Barovia, as Lech tells it. Based in the Vistani camp near Vallaki. Around 6'3" and muscular, with darker hair and a darker complexion than his brother.

Lech
A strapping young red-headed man with a fabulous hat who Ri-An has a crush on. 6'6" and fair-skinned, with an epic red beard. Is never at the camp when you want him to be.

Luvash
The leader of the Vistani camp southwest of Vallaki, father to Arabelle and brother to Arrigal. Luvash appears to be a few years older than his brother and is friendly and gregarious, though the party didn't interact with him directly much beyond the initial introductions. He gives off faint Used Car Salesman vibes, and the party has been given indication from his daughter that his friendly veneer may drop if he's shown any disrespect. Judging by the state of his nose, which looks to have been broken at least twice, as well as various scars readily visible on his hands, Luvash is not a stranger to settling problems with his fists.

Though it's obvious Luvash is a force to be reckoned with when angered, our heroes have learned that he doesn't seem to be the type to hold a grudge once he feels a debt has been paid. The presence of van Richten at his camp is not, to him, a painful reminder of a dark day for his people, but justice done and done again by the man's potentially eternal servitude to the Vistani. Though the party's questioning of Arabelle nearly led to her destruction by Strahd and the breaking of the vow between him and the Vistani as a whole, and required his brother to run across Barovia to try to kill one of the party, then travel with them for several days so he could kill Sylvain with his consent, Luvash seems to bear them no ill will now that that blood debt has been paid. He is not, perhaps, the most trustworthy man, but it seems he can be relied upon to follow his own code of fairness.

Manda
Wife to Atanasie and sister-in-law to Rudolph — easily the most subdued of the three, though she won't hesitate to smack someone upside the head if they're being too obnoxious. Around 5'2", with a pretty, round face, long dark hair, and light brown skin.

Rudolph
SO excited to be friends with all of you and also to woo Ireena and Osrin any day now. Probably the most handsome of all the Vistani ever. Incredibly virile. Should definitely be trusted to write his own Wiki section. Officially mesmerized by Ri-An and their incredible powers of disguise. 5'7" and scrawny, with light brown skin and a mess of fluffy dark hair. Probably also an evil spy who helps with assassination attempts. One day Bodaway will kill him.

Unknown Vistana (I)
Seen sneaking around Tser Pool when Sylvain first woke the night our heroes spent there.

Unknown Vistani (I)
A younger woman and an older woman helping an older man to the edge of the Vallaki Vistani camp to relieve himself; the first people, after Arabelle, to greet the party when they arrived.

Unknown Vistani (II)
A group seen twice, always on the road. First, some hours before Arrigal attempted to assassinate Ayduin, and clearly concealing something at the time. Second, leaving the Vallaki Vistani camp, headed west again.