Well, here's something I wrote.

Dr. Vinchenzio's Vardo of Visions.

As the large wagon lumbered into the town of Arbora, in the land of Nova

Vassa, the people looked on with trepidation and even a little awe. The

wagon was drawn by two pairs of donkeys, bone-white creatures that had dark

black crosses of hair on their backs common to all such creatures. It was

said by some that the crosses on the backs of the donkeys were a sign of the

favor of Ezra or some other beneficient deity, but such talk was discouraged

by the Temple of Bane in this land. Still, there was talk. Then everyone

noticed at the same time...there was no driver.

The wagon was bright red, although the paint looked as if it had faded

somewhat. The wood looked old but strong. The harness was dusty and

creaked as the wagon moved, but, on the sides of the wagon , in bright gold

lettering was 'Dr. Vinchenzio's Vardo of Visions!' Strangely this was

written in Thayvian, the language of Nova Vassa and southern Hazlan, a

language unused in the rest of the lands.

One of the men in the crowd, a dark swarthy fellow from neighboring

Barovia, muttered "That's like a Vistana's wagon!" Soon people all over

began to mutter and curse lowly; the Vistani were well known to be thieves

and bandits, scourges of all decent folk around. Then, the wagon came to an

abrupt stop. There didn't seem to be any reason for the sudden halt. There

was still some way for the wagon to go before it entered the town square;

the normal place for someone like this Vistana trader to stop. People began

to press forward in an effort to see what might lay inside the mysterious

wagon. Suddenly there was a bright flash of smoke and brief purple flame at
the top of the wagon that caused the populace to jump back in fright. Then,

with the clearing of the cloud, stood a man in a bright pair of red trousers

and a white shirt. On top of this was a dark blue jacket covered in buckles

and bangles of many different metals. The jacket brought to mind those worn

by sea captains when they left from Egertus or even from the northern

Nevuchar Springs in Necropolis. He wore a bright green bandana covering the

top of his head, just as the gypsies did. The man himself had dark skin,

indicating that he could have hailed from Valachan. He was also tall and

somewhat skinny, wearing a plethora of rings upon his fingers that sparkled

in the sun.

"Good people of Arbora! I am the one, the only, Dr. Vinchenzio! I am here

to soothe your woes, engage your minds, and show you wonders that you've

surely never beheld before! All this, and I shall bring an end to the

problem that plagues your town!"

At this speech, one of the men near the front, a minor official in the city

and distanly related to the Vistin family spoke up saying "And just what do

YOU know of our troubles, Vistana?"

Dr. Vinchenzio turned a smile that was almost predatory upon the small man

below him and then spoke to the crowd at large "Why, I know that you are

suffering from a terrible drought, that your crops lay dying and that your

animals are weak. So are you all! This is not right, and I have come from

far off to free you from this oppressive hand that Mother Nature herself has

seen fit to deal you! But first, let me astound you with a small bit of

what lays inside my wagon, to show you I am genuine..."

In many different places in the lands of Ravenloft the sinister Dr.

Vinchenzio has appeared, and always misery has followed in his wake.

However, the man is so skillful at diverting the attention from himself that

only a few are aware of his participation and even influence in this work.

Dr. Vinchenzio is a tall thin man, with dark skin who wears garish clothes

with lots of bangles, buttons, and jewellry. He has dark, almost hypnotic

eyes, and and a deep commanding voice. There is also a trace amount of

Vistani accent in his words, but he always seems to speak the language of

the area fluently, even imitating the local accent somewhat.

Dr. Vinchenzio's wagon is about twice the size of a Vistana's wagon, also

adding to the initial impressions of him being related to the mysterious

wanderers. It is pulled by four albino donkeys which never seem to scare or

pay any attention to the people around them.

Often, Dr. Vinchenzio rolls into a town and puts on a show like the one

above, enticing his audience with a free view of one of his "wonders."

Then, he tells them the next day he will open officially for all who wish to

view his collection and hear his stories, a pittance of only 5 copper pieces

apiece is required. Soon after he disappears, and nothing else is to be

heard or seen until the next day.

When the crowd arrives the next day, they will find that a door at the back

is open and only a small curtain covers their eyes from seeing the strange

sights within. Standing before the door is Dr. Vinchenzio himself, holding

a small cash box before him to receive his customer's money. Inside he will

take them on a grand tour, consisting of many sights, beginning with...

The Monstrous Minotaur!

"Step right up here my good people, and see the Monstrous Minotaur! A

horrid conglomeration of both bull and man. A beast of evil that was

brought low in southern Sithicus by the stalwart efforts of a heroic group

of adventurers! All that remains is his skeleton. But his rage still

possess it, and it has been known to growl and struggle against those who

would look too closely into it's confines! Look now, if you dare!"

Folks coming to this attraction see a large box, perhaps seven feet tall,

standing on it's end. Dr. Vinchenzio will bade each customer to take a peek

into an opening near the 6' mark; there is a stool for the shorter patrons

and children to peek in. Inside the box, lit by a strange red glow, the

onlookers will see a skeleton with a bull skull instead of that of a human.

Sometimes the skeleton will even growl slightly at a particular moment,

frightening the onlookers to the next act.

The Shrivelled Head of Pasa-al-Kadjut!

"And here, hanging from this dark hook, we have the cursed head of

Pasa-al-Kadjut; a famous explorer from the far-off realm of Sri Raji! Never

afraid of his jungle home, Pasa once came upon a tribe of strange beings

that would spell his doom! It's not clear whether the beings that Pasa met

where human or something else, but, they possessed dire powers that did what

you see now to the poor man! His head shrunk to a fraction of it's size.

There are those who say that his eye still follows you even now, watching

for someone whom might be related to his killers!"

This item appears to be an old, shrivelled human head. It is missing one

eye, the teeth are broken, and it hangs from a hook on the wall by a leather

strap wrapped around it. The head is three times smaller than a normal

head, with brown, leathery skin that is puckered at the neck. There is a
look of horror upon the features, but many claim that the eye seems to

follow them as they walk past.

The Mirror of Gabrielle Aderre!

"Behold folks, this small mirror on the wall. Nothing much is it? Well,

perhaps a closer look is in order! Step right up one and all, and see what

you only dream! That's right madame, I do believe that your reflection *is*

thinner! And yes sir, that boil on your cheek isn't there in the mirror!

It's said this mirror was enchanted by the powerful witch, Gabrielle Aderre

to always show the best of anyone looking into it. There are those who say

that looking long enough will cause the image to become reality..."

A small enchanted mirror, two feet to a side, hangs on the wall here.

However, it was not Gabrielle Aderre that created the object. It is true,

however, that those looking into the mirror will see the best of themselves

in it's glistening depths. This is one of the more popular items. One that

Vinchenzio often brings out as a teaser the day before to entice his

audience. Traffic past this exhibit is slower than the rest, for obvious

reasons.

The Beast Man of Markovia!

"And here we have a living monstrosity! One of the beast men of Markovia!

A creature of the wild, something feral and evil! A product of the mad

Markov's hideous work, a beast that I personally captured before Markovia

was swallowed by the Shadow Rift in the Great Upheaval. Stay back from

it...it has been known to bite those who get too close!"

This exhibit is a small cage in which a Broken One from Necropolis is held
prisoner. The creature wears nothing but rags, and sports many scars and

singed patches of fur. It is a hybrid of bat, snake, and human. It's arms

are bat wings with talons on the upper side; in patches it has snake scales

upon it's skin and one side of it's face is serpentine. The creature

squints and hisses at it's onlookers, and bares broken fangs while gibbering

incoherently with broken phrases of the language of Oerth present.

The Vampire's Claw!

"Look now, upon a definate proof of the fact of the undead! Here before

you is evidence that the dreaded nosferatu stalk our lands, for this is

one's hand! I cut the hand from the creature when it was climbing out of

it's grave on a dark and moonless night in northern Necropolis. Since then

I have turned the horrible thing into an entertaining candle, don't you

think? Fear not the Vampire, for it did come after me; I had a band of

noble heroes dispatch the beast to ensure the safety of you, my customers."

This item appears to be a hand standing on it's stump, palm grasping for

the sky. The middle and little fingers have been bent over and nailed into

place, and the other three fingers have had pieces of wood driven under the

nails as wicks. The thing is actually a Three-Fingered Hand, detailed in

Forged of Darkness.

"And that, my good people is the end of our little tour. Now, on to your

real problem, the drought. I have the means to bring water to your town,

but only if one of you will volunteer to hold...this." At these words,

Vinchenzio brought out a small gemstone that glittered brightly in the

fading sun. It was a deep blue, and everyone present knew that it must be

of some value. "Yes, dear people. This is a rain stone, from a distant

land. If one of you holds this stone for a day and a night, then it is said
that rain will come. But there is a catch; the rain will only come pure and

healthy if the one who holds it is such. Otherwise, the rain will be

corrupted. And the stone must not be moved. It must stay where it is set,

in whomever's home that may be, for the full time, else the rain will be

corrupted. So, who is to hold the stone?"

At this, a large number of the crowd began to yell and jeer, screaming that

they were the only one's suitable to hold the stone. But Vinchenzio paid

them no mind, and instead his gaze fell upon a small dirty man in the back

of the crowd. This man had not had the money to see the inside of the

wagon, but had waited while the rest went in. This man would be perfect.

"You," said Vinchenzio, pointing a long finger at the dirty peasant. You

are to hold the stone." At this the doctor held out the stone, and the

peasant hesitantly came to take it. He knew that this was perfect. The

other jealous townsfolk would soon come and try to take the stone from him,

and he would defend it. Hopefully, blood would be shed. A wry smile crept

to the doctor's face as he closed up his wagon and the people dispersed.

Then, whether or not the stone was stolen, he would use his powers to make

it rain blood upon the townsfolk, ruining their crops and spirits. They

would turn in rage to the one who held the stone, and the doctor himself

would claim in a loud voice that the holder had been impure, and so had the

rain. And then the mob would form...

Doctor Vinchenzio chuckled in the darkness of his Vardo, his home.

Doctor Vinchenzio, Canjar Darkling Mage, Chaotic Evil

Armor Class: 10 Str: 7

Movement: 12 Dex: 10
Level / Hit Dice: 6 Con: 8

Hit Points: 18 Int: 13

THAC0: 19 Wis: 12

No. of Attacks: 1 Cha: 14

Damage / Attack: 1d4

Special Attacks: Spells, Evil Eye

Special Defenses: Foreseeing

Special Vulnerabilities: Nil

Magic Resistance: Nil

XP Value: 3,000

Doctor Vinchenzio has been described earlier, and will not be repeated here

for the sake of space. One thing worth of note to add though, is that

Vinchenzio has studied extensively the languages of the Core and can speak

them all fluently. Only more obscure languages such as Luktar (the language

of the Gundarakites) give him problems.

In reality, Doctor Vinchenzio is a Darkling who was expelled from the

Canjar tasque. His crimes and the reason for expulsion are known only to

him and his tribe, and they will not speak of the matter. His motives are

simple greed and the desire to cause suffering. Vinchenzio feels that if he

must suffer, then all he comes across must suffer as well.

If forced into combat, Vinchenzio fights with a dagger and his spells to

his best ability. He will try to escape though, as soon as possible. Due

to his foreseeing ability, Vinchenzio automatically makes all saving throws

and cannot be surprised. He also has all the other abilities of a Canjar

Darkling, as given in the Book of Secrets, under the article "A Darkling by

Any Other Name."

In a secret trunk in his Vardo, Vinchenzio has stored away 3,000 cp, 5,000

gp, and 30 gems (10 gp value each). He usually carries 15 cp, 13 sp, and 5

gp on his person for transactions.

Vinchenzio usually has the following spells memorized. It is important to

note that if the DM does not have access to or is not using the Complete

Necromancer's Handbook then Vinchenzio should either be upgraded or have

access to an item that allows him to animate the dead for short periods of

time. Spells marked with an asterix are from the Complete Necromancer's

Handbook.

Spells (4/2/2): Cantrip, Detect Magic, Friends, Read Magic, Shield, Spectral

Voice*; ESP, Fools' Gold, Scare; Bone Dance*, Monster Summoning I, Rain of

Terror, Wraithform

Doctor Vinchenzio always goes to a town with the goal of spreading misery

and making a profit. It should come as no surprise that the "wonders" he

has in his Vardo all serve these purposes. Also, sometimes the doctor finds

himself in a position to offer a service. It is important to note that the

doctor will never approach a patron to offer his services. But he will

portray such potential offerings in the best possible light (using ESP

spells to help this) to make the patron come and ask his services.

Whenever the doctor needs some sort of muscle or mercenary, he casts a Bone

Dance spell upon the Minotaur Skeleton. Then, safely inside his Vardo he

uses the Mirror of Gabrielle Aderre as a scrying device to direct the

skeleton's actions. Vinchenzio often uses the skeleton to fullfill a

bargain he has made with one of his guests, such as to kill or incapacitate

a certain person. Players could meet the Minotaur skeleton while it is on a

mission or perhaps an enemy of theirs in the current town has approached the

doctor and petitioned him to remove the players. Use the statistics for the

"Skeleton, Monster" in the Monstrous Manual, with the exception that the

Minotaur Skeleton does not use any weapons and instead causes 1d6 damage

from slashing and goring.

The Shrivelled Head of Pasa-al-Kadjut is much more a library of sorts. In

truth the doctor did not travel to Sri Raji at all, but did kill some of the

natives of that land who came to the Core. One of them possessed this head,

which the doctor took for his own.

The head acts as a consultant to the doctor. When awoken by having a spell

cast upon it (the doctor usually casts a Cantrip because any magic will do)

the head will stay "awake" for one hour. During that time the possessor can

use the Head to answer questions. The head has detailed knowlege of Sri

Raji but is limited in other respects. However, the Head can preform once

per hour, an ability equivalent to the Legend Lore spell. The Head is often

fond of giving it's own opinion to any questions posed to it, and it is

favorable to staying away from trouble.

The Mirror of Gabrielle Aderre is a magical item that the Darkling crafted

himself. The mirror's most obvious function is to create an idealized image

of the viewer. It does this by utilizing divination magics on the subject's

mind to discover the proper image. However, these magics are weak, and

blocked by any sort of psionic or magic defense or a magical item that

duplicates these effects, such as a Ring of Mind Shielding.

The second and more hidden function of the mirror is to act as a scrying

device. All one must know is the secret command word, a word known only by

Dr. Vinchenzio and the wizard who created the device, a man named
Tindafalus. (Since the mirror was created Vinchenzio has been looking for

this mage in an effort to silence him (even though Tindafalus hasn't said

anything) but has had no luck.) Once the command word for the mirror is

spoken, the viewer must then show the reflection of a creature in it's

depths. The mirror will then become attuned to that person, and will from

then on show in it's depths what that creature sees. This lasts until the

command word for the mirror is spoken a second time.

A side effect of this scrying is that if the creature with whom the mirror

is attuned sees itself in a reflective surface, the reflection will be that

of the viewer watching the Mirror, not the actual being's reflected visage.

The Beast-Man of Markovia is one of the creatures that Markov created, but

it was in Darkon at the time of the Grand Conjunction and so was not drawn

into the Sea of Sorrows with the rest of the domain. Dr. Vinchenzio does

not know this, of course. The Beast-Man serves the same purpose as the

Minotaur Skeleton for Dr. Vinchenzio. However, the Beast-Man's forte' is

subtlety and sneaking, rather than brute force. Also, the creature is not

as loyal as the animated skeleton; it has tried to escape many times.

Before it gets sent out Vinchenzio always attunes his Mirror to it though,

so that it is very unlikely that it will escape him. Statistic wise, the

Beast-Man is a Lesser Broken One that can fly at a rate of 18 (D) and can

inject type C poison with it's bite (1d2 damage for bite).

The Vampire's Hand is as mentioned above a Three-Fingered Hand from Forged

of Darkness. It was created for him by a Hag in Lamordia. Those DM's

without Forged of Darkness can assume the Hand is a magical item with 13

charges; expending one charge last for an hour and cause Vinchenzio to cast

his spells at double effectiveness. However, there is a chance (System

Shock roll for those without Forged of Darkness) that Vinchenzio will suffer
a magical backlash and be harmed by the spell. Thus, he usually only uses

it when animating the Minotaur Skeleton with a Bone Dance spell.

Those wishing to use Dr. Vinchenzio in their campaigns may do so in many

different ways. Perhaps the doctor shows up in an area where there has been

problems with bandits or even monsters. The doctor will show up and claim

to bring up morale while solving the "problem" of the town. Unknown to the

locals, Dr. Vinchenzio has been behind the attacks, with a Monster Summoning

I spell (possibly augmented with the Hand). Or, the threat could be real.

Vinchenzio could then use the Minotaur Skeleton or the Beast-Man to provoke

the bandits or monsters to attack the town, causing suffering, but also

allowing him to deal with the bandits with the help of the militia (since

the bandits are not in their natural element).

Mark, Ravenloft Mailing List Senior Monitor.