If the ritual in area Y4 is interrupted, the gem becomes Keshgar’s only remaining leverage against the Martikovs. He is taunting her and holding the gem out in front of her, telling her that all of this can be reversed if she simply gives him what he wants. Keshgar, a blood druid ( see the full PDF for this stat block), is forcing Stefania to watch her son’s blood flow through the tree’s roots and into the effigy in order force her into giving up her family’s secret. The captive woman is Stefania Martikov, who was taken hostage along with her son, Claudiu, in the latest attack on the winery. They know that this gem is precious to the Martikovs, and thus want to use it-and their lives-as bargaining chips. The druids of Yester Hill have stolen one of the gems used by the Martikov family to give life to the grapevines cultivated at the Wizard of Wines. You can see tears streaking down her face. The bloody figure wears a headdress of twisted antlers and holds a fist-sized gem in front of the woman’s face, whispering in her ear. On the ground in front of the effigy you glimpse a woman kneeling on the ground, her chin grasped by a figure clad in bloody hides behind her. The echo of a furious battle cry seems to linger in the air-raging to break free. Embedded where its heart would be is a spear of black iron, continuously dripping with blood, grasped by foul roots twisting up the statue. In the circle of stones stands a twisted effigy of wood and vines, resembling Strahd von Zarovich. The Blood Spear of Kavan is no longer located in this area, but can instead be found in area Y3. Any area not listed here should be run as it is written in the module, or modified to your liking. This section will cover revisions to the areas of Yester Hill. Their ties to the natural world were severed, and their ability to change their shape was lost. At that point, darkness truly took hold within them. This changed when the druids began to cultivate a Gulthias tree that they discovered in the forest. Their connection with nature-while strained-remained with them, and they often took on the shapes of forest animals for ritual purposes. A Lost GiftĪfter their departure from the Kavani tribe, the druids of Yester Hill continued in their descent into darkness. Those that worshiped Strahd were driven out, and came to call the forest near the Luna River their home.Įventually, this offshoot of the Kavani tribe grew to become the druids and berserkers of Yester Hill. Through a violent schism, the Kavani tribe was decimated. Two sects had sprung up: one that adhered to the old ways of natural harmony, and one that saw a Strahd as the avatar of the land, and deserving of their worship. Within a few generations, the Kavani tribe began to suffer from internal strife. Kavan’s name and memory became legend, as did stories of his infamous weapon, a spear made of black iron. None of them returned, and none of their bodies were ever recovered. When the mists enshrouded Barovia, Kavan and several of his warriors left their village in order to drive back the darkness and restore light to the land. Lead by a powerful barbarian, Kavan, the tribe took to calling itself “The Kavani.” See the Amber Temple chapter of this guide for more information on the Kavani tribe. The “Forest Folk,” as they were called by those who lived in villages, had chosen to eschew all trappings of civilized life, and instead sought solace and worship in the natural order of the land. Hundreds of years ago, the forests and mountains of Barovia were home to a tribe of wild nomadic peoples. Kavan and his blood spear will also take on a much more important role. This chapter aims to tie up the loose narrative threads within the chapter, and will refocus the druid’s summoning ritual around the Gulthias tree. That they worship Strahd as a god, and are being manipulated by Baba Lysaga to her own ends, is mostly what is known of them. Their involvement in the narrative is spread across multiple chapters, but little information is given regarding their motivations and history. The druids of Yester Hill are an enigmatic group within Curse of Strahd.
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