When the light fades and the moon rises over

Innistrad, humanity becomes the universal prey.

Packs of werewolves emerge like the tide, drawn out by the moon, their
humanity washed away by animal rage. The vampire families bare their
fangs at the scent of human blood. Hordes of the walking dead lurch
across the manors and moors, driven by an innate hunger for the living.
Alchemically created abominations twitch to life in alchemists'
laboratories. Geists haunt the huddled human towns and terrify
travelers along the dark crossways in between. From Innistrad's deeper
chasms, powerful demons and impish devils plot humanity's downfall,
their influence spreading into all echelons of human society.

The humans of Innistrad have done their best to fight back. They form
torch-wielding mobs to cleanse the abominations with fire. They train
specialized holy warriors, called cathars, to strike back against the
supernatural horrors. Most of all, they brandish the power of their faith
in the Church of Avacyn. But the weapons of commoners, soldiers, and
priests are all failing. Their whispered prayers and runic wards don't
hold their same power. Talismans of silver no longer frighten nocturnal
horrors. The holy symbol of Avacyn no longer keeps trespassers from
disturbing the entombed dead. Things are getting progressively worse
for humanity across the four major regions of the plane.
 Innistrad's Four Provinces

The known landmass of Innistrad is divided into four regions called

provinces.
 Gavony
The province of Gavony is where humanity remains safest and
strongest. It is home to Thraben, largest city in the known world, which
houses the mighty Cathedral of Avacyn, seat of religion in the world
and the place where a great archangel once presided. Smaller towns
radiate outward from Thraben across Gavony's rocky moors. Small
copses of trees dot the landscape of rolling hills and heaths. Because
more human dead are buried here than anywhere else, Gavony is more
plagued by the undead than othprovinces, and geists are more common
as well.
 Kessig
Innistrad's vast, wooded hinterland is called Kessig, a province in a state
of perpetual autumn. The deep woods are king here, although small
human communities have carved out farming villages, and groups of
hunters and trappers venture into the forest to make a living. Even new
arrivals to Kessig know not to venture out at night. Even if the
wilderness weren't haunted, it wouldn't be safe—werewolves prowl the
province, sometimes alone and sometimes in packs.
 Stensia
Vampires control the province of Stensia, which covers the darkest and
most mountainous parts of the plane. The evergreen forests here seem
to always be half-dead and the roads always misty and deserted. Jagged
hills hide isolated, wary human villages and vampire manors from each
other. At the province's edges, the forlorn pines give way to high cliffs
above which no human dares venture. In Stensia, the sun seems never to
break through the strangely colored clouds.
 Nephalia
This coastal province is home to a number of small-to-medium port
towns, most situated at the mouth of a river that leads further inland.
Nephalia's sloughs, sea mists, and mysteries cloak its commerce and
crimes; it is populated mainly by humans, geists, and vampires, all of
whom seek business, secrets, or solitude. The province's silver sand
beaches, punctuated with rocky promontories and sea caves, afford
easiest access to its fog-shrouded ocean.
 The Church of Avacyn

Humanity's true religion on Innistrad is the Church of Avacyn. The

central figure in the Church is Avacyn herself, an archangel so true and
so mighty that she held back the darkness of Innistrad. Until recently,
Avacyn's presence was so powerful that faith in her yielded true power
for clerics and other faithful: prayers to her could cause evil creatures
to turn away, silver weapons blessed by her priests could slay great
horrors, and runes marked with her symbol could protect entire
villages. The Church's efficacy was real and plain to see—a welcome
weapon in a world of monsters.

But the archangel Avacyn has not been seen over the last few seasons,
and her absence is beginning to tell. Since Avacyn has disappeared,
prayers have not spared remote villages from werewolf attacks as they
once did. Holy symbols have not stopped vampires from preying on
travelers in the high mountain passes. The dead are not protected from
tampering by ghoulcallers and flesh-animating alchemists called
skaberen. If the elders in the Church, including Mikaeus, the ruling
Lunarch, know what has happened to Avacyn, they've given no word. It
may be that Avacyn has truly vanished. What was once humanity's
greatest weapon has abandoned them, and the Church's power to hold
back the dark forces of Innistrad is beginning to wane.
 The Blessed Sleep
A key tenet of the Church of Avacyn concerns the conditions of death.
For the citizens of Innistrad, the goal of a good life is not to seek to live
forever, but to have a restful "sleep" after death. The Blessed Sleep is an
eternity of tranquil oblivion, much preferable to the shame of
becoming a tormented spirit, mutilated corpse, or undead abomination,
as so often happens on Innistrad. The Blessed Sleep is considered a
reward for a virtuous and vigilant life. "May you spend an eternity in
the ground" is a common blessing among the people of Innistrad.
 The Moon of Silver and Innistrad's Seasons

Innistrad's moon is both a source of hope and a harbinger of woe. Many

Innistrad astronomers believe that the moon is a vast desert made of
grains of pure silver, and that any extant silver on Innistrad originated
from the moon. Cathars and priests know the power of specially blessed
silver to harm werewolves and ward off other horrors, so the moon has
become associated with the divine strength of the archangel Avacyn.
Some even perceive the shape of a heron in the areas of dark and light
on Innistrad's moon, and so the heron has come to be a symbol of
Avacyn. But the rise of the moon can also dampen protective magic and
cause werewolves to transform from human to wolf. The fickle silver
moon seems both to serve humanity and to bring out the worst evils
within. Innistrad humans also name the world's seasons by different
aspects of the moon, as it seems hold a strange influence on the world
as the seasons change.
 Harvest Moon
This is Innistrad's autumn. A huge orange-to-blood-red moon hangs in
the night sky. The days grow shorter. The weather cools with each
passing day and the forests turn vibrant colors. This is considered to be
the time when vampires are the strongest. Bonfires are common during
harvest time, when farmers toil late in the fields until after twilight.
The bonfires are thought to keep the vampires away.
 Hunter's Moon
This is Innistrad's winter. The chill never leaves the air and the sun's
apex is close to the horizon. This is the longest season, and the time
when food becomes most scarce. More hunters have to venture out into
the wilds in search of food, which results in increased attacks on
humans. This is considered to be the time when werewolves are the
strongest. Since there are more humans hunting and traveling in the
woods during these months, werewolf attacks are more prevalent. The
humans believe the attacks have something to do with the season itself,
although there are no more werewolves at this time than any other
time of year.
 New Moon
This is as close as Innistrad gets to a spring and is the shortest season.
The days are longest and the sun is the brightest, though still pale
compared to some worlds, and there is new growth in the forests.
Humans consider this their season, associating it with new life and
birth. Babies born under the New Moon are considered to be holier,
with a better chance of attaining the Blessed Sleep.
 The Demons of Innistrad

Long ago on Innistrad, demons were a threat only whispered about,

feared by vampires and humans alike. They were thought to be long
dead, or mythical. But then Avacyn and her angels came, and with her
presence a new equilibrium was reached. Vampires, werewolves, and the
undead were driven back to restore the balance between humanity and
the rest of the world's beings. But their retreat opened a space—an
opportunity for Innistrad's infernal forces to manifest. The demons and
their hosts of devils began to arrive, one by one.
 The Silver Collar
At first Avacyn ignored this new threat, but as the demons amassed
power, she knew she would have to destroy them. One by one she would
engage them in battle and defeat them. But each time she did, a new
demon would appear shortly thereafter. It soon became apparent that
the demons could be killed but would return in a different form, since
they were beings created of pure mana. Realizing this, Avacyn decreed
that "What cannot be destroyed will be bound," and thus her symbol
became a silver collar, which was to be symbolically forged shut around
the necks of all demonkind.
 The Skirsdag
Born from ancient demon-worship, the Skirsdag are now a secret demon
cult centered in the High City of Thraben. This secret organization has
human members in all levels of the church, nobility, and the trades.
Although small, it has been in existence for generations. When the
demon Griselbrand rose in power to eclipse all other demons, the
Skirsdag gained prominence as well. Griselbrand disappeared around
the same time that Avacyn did, leaving the humans of the Skirsdag to
further his ends in their lord's absence.
 Ascend into Darkness

Once, Innistrad had a savior, an angel who held back the darkness. Now
humanity clings to the bottom of the food chain, struggling to survive
in a world menaced by monsters. What do a priest's blessings mean
when the dead walk the land? How can friends be trusted when they
transform into beastly enemies? What does life mean when aristocratic
immortals stalk one's lifeblood? The humans of Innistrad are beset on all
sides by shadow, and unless they find a way to survive, shadow will
envelop them. Has humanity's story come to its end? Only the actions of
Planeswalkers will tell.
 Gavony
The province of Gavony is where humanity remains safest and
strongest. It is home to Thraben, the plane's largest city. Thraben
houses the Cathedral of Avacyn, where the archangel herself resided
before vanishing. Smaller towns radiate outward from Thraben across
Gavony's rocky moors. Small copses of trees dot the landscape of rolling
hills and heaths. Because more human dead are buried here than
anywhere else, Gavony is more plagued by the undead than other
provinces, and geists are more common as well.
 Thraben, the High City
The city of Thraben sits on a massive mesa in the middle of the Lake of
Herons, a long body of water that flows around the rock and over an
enormous waterfall. The eastern tip of the rock juts out over the
waterfall itself, and it is on this dramatic pinnacle that the Cathedral of
Avacyn stands. Thraben is the largest city in the known lands of
Innistrad. It's the seat of the Avacynian Church, built as a city of walls
and various bulwarks designed to keep supernatural threats at bay.
While smaller settlements are constantly under siege by monsters, the
inner parts of Thraben and the Cathedral are the safest areas in
Innistrad, which sometimes gives the bishops of the church a skewed
perspective on how dangerous the world outside really is.
The Walls of Thraben are a complex system of bulwarks and defense
lines. There are remnants of older walls, which have crumbled and lost
their effectiveness. But even the old walls demarcate the city into
sections, some which have a penal or ceremonial function.

 Outer Wall. The main defense of Thraben. A thick, high wall that
rings the perimeter of the city. The church has approved the
expansion of the wall several times to keep the city from getting
too crowded.
 Merchant's Wall. A complex of fellowship halls that forms a
substantial market square. This is the center of commerce in
Thraben.
 Child's Wall. The inner wall that surrounds the grounds of the Old
Cathedral. Nearly as strong and tall as the outer wall, the Child's
Wall has not been altered in ages. It is inscribed with the names of
every child born in Innistrad. Many parents make a pilgrimage to
the wall in the year after their child's birth, believing that having
their child's name written on the wall will add protection to its life.
 Fang Wall. When werewolves are caught, they are executed in
front of this wall. Then their fangs are removed and shoved
between the crevices of the stones.
 Bloodless Wall. When vampires are caught, they are chained to this
wall and left to starve to death.
 Cathedral of Avacyn
A massive cathedral with three wings and a network of cloisters,
courtyards, outlying schools, and forges. There are well-kept gardens
and substantial training grounds for cathars (holy warriors). Outside of
Thraben, churches are quite rustic, constructed from rough planks and
often containing only a single room. The Cathedral is opulent by
comparison.

The grounds between the wings form a triangular courtyard that is

locked from public view by high walls. Most people don't know the
courtyard exists. Only the most powerful bishops are permitted to set
foot in it.
The Cathedral's structure symbolically divides the wealthy and poor of
the world. Each class has its own designated place to worship:

 Chapel of Noble Peers. The opulent, gilded chapel that is reserved

for the high levels of clergy and titled members of society.
 Midvast Hall. The larger, less opulent hall for ordained fellows and
lesser clergy.
 Common Cloisters. The covered corridors along the edges Midvast
Hall where commoners stand during worship. There are only
certain holy days when the commoners are permitted to enter the
Old Cathedral.
 The Courtyard. At first glance, the courtyard resembles an ornate
garden with stands of fruit trees and gold-and-white flowers that
are cultivated with painstaking care. At the heart of the garden,
the trees fall away, leaving a view of a curious object: the Helvault.
 The Helvault. The Helvault is a huge silver mass that stands at the
precipice inside the courtyard of the Cathedral of Avacyn. Its
surface is rough and unrefined, and thin veins of dark mortar
branch across its surface.
 Gavony's Geography
Thraben lies in on the northern edge of the province of Gavony. It's the
largest walled city in Innistrad, although parts of Nephalia's seaports
are more densely populated. Thraben's population is mainly clergy,
merchants, and artisans. With the church's influence, the city maintains
a high standard of cleanliness and order. There is a standing militia and
the church pays a host of workers to keep the streets swept, the public
gardens and grafs tended, and the riff-raff off the street. Begging is
strictly prohibited, and there is a street curfew enforced by the militia.
Several alms houses exist just outside the main walls of Thraben, and
the church regularly sponsors "caravans" to take the needy to the sea
ports, where they will ostensibly be able to find employment or trade
work more easily.

The River Kirch

This wide, fast-flowing river originates in the mountains of Stensia. It
empties into the Lake of Herons, with murky water, high ridges
bordering the bank, and depths of hundreds of feet. Great sea serpents
and other creatures are said to hide in the depths of the Lake of Herons,
which stretches almost 20 miles before flowing over the 2,000-foot
waterfall known as Kirch Falls.

Seraphic Shrouds
. The mist from the waterfall is collected in long banners of heavy,
white cloth. The water wrung out is considered holy, but once it is
gone, the sbrouds still have magical properties. Skaberen will kill for
these shrouds, as they give extra stamina to their undead skaab
creations.
 The Voice of the Moon
On Innistrad, as elsewhere, the moon controls the tides (as well as the
path of rivers and other bodies of water). The River Kirch flows into the
Lake of Herons, over Kirch Falls, and into the sea. The continuous roar
of the water over the falls has a different rhythm depending on the
season and volume of water coming down from the high lands. The
Cathedral grounds are lush and fertile from the continual spray of mist.
 Moonchanters
A sect of clergy sing prayers according to this changing rhythm,
believing it puts them in better connection with the moon. Others in
the church believe that you should commune with Avacyn herself, not
the symbolic power of the moon.
 Gavony Parishes
Parishes are an administrative designation used by the church. Gavony
has five parishes, including Thraben. There are three in the area called
Nearheath: Videns, Wittal, and Effalen. The region known as the
Moorland is a single parish of the same name, although it is larger in
size than the other four combined. Each parish may have multiple
priests, chapels, and small altars.
 Nearheath.
Within a few miles south of Thraben's walls, there are several medium-
sized towns. This area is called the Nearheath and is inhabited mainly
by artisans and farmers. Being so close to Thraben affords a good deal
of protection to these towns. Most have fortifications or walls in case of
a ghoul attack or some other threat, but there are many outlying farms
as well. Nearheath is composed of several parishes:

 Videns. A region of vineyards and rolling hills with small castles

with walled estates. The River Kirch runs through this region.
 Wittal. This is the most thickly forested area of Gavony. Although
small in size, the forest is dense and dark, with ancient pines trees
that dwarf the deciduous forests in the neighboring parishes. The
forest has become particularly dangerous now that the infamous
werewolf Skaharra and her Leeraug cohorts have moved to the
area.
 Effalen. This is the rockiest area of Gavony. A vicious coterie of
vampires have taken to preying on the periphery of the parish for
sport.
Two of the main villages in the Nearheath are Estwald and Hanweir.
Estwald is the center of woodworking in Gavony and part of the Wittal
Parish. Hanweir is the agricultural jewel of Gavony. Hanweir is the site
of the largest open-air market, the place where livestock are traded and
trappers from Kessig bring their wares. Hanweir is in Videns Parish, and
the River Kirch runs through the village, making it a bustling port
where goods are brought in from the other provinces before being
transported up to Thraben by horse and cart.

The Moorland
Beyond the Nearheath is the Moorland. This has always been a more
desolate region, filled with stories of spectral wolves and wandering
spirits. There are few trees in the Moorland and the ground is covered
with coarse grass, bracken, and violet heather. There are boulders and
standing rocks, and the countryside seems to be covered in perpetual
mist. The area is rife with geists, many of them dangerous, and
travelers are constantly at risk from them as well as other things that
wander the countryside.
 Gisa and Geralf
There used to be more towns in the Moorland than there are now. Two
rival necromancers—brother and sister, both quite insane—moved into
the area in recent years. The siblings were scions of a noble family and
distant relatives of the current Lunarch. They were banished from
Thraben in a hushed scandal and have since moved to the Moorland,
where they wage war against one another by raising armies of undead.
Their battles have prompted many of the Moorland's inhabitants to
move to the Nearheath, leaving the area even more desolate than
before. Now, marauding ghouls range freely through the moors, lost
playthings in the mad, epic battles of Gisa and Geralf.
 Trostad
This was formerly a village of trappers on the border with Kessig,
which has been entirely overrun by Geralf and his undead creations. His
sister constantly lays siege to the village, seemingly for no purpose
other than to best her brother. Geralf has grander ambitions and has
been sending armies of undead into the Nearheath and raiding villages
there.
 Grafs
There are more graveyards—known as grafs—in Gavony than
anywhere else in Innistrad. Thraben in particular has many
mausoleums, graveyards, and even paupers' gravesites, because people
bring their dead from all over Innistrad to bury them in the perceived
safety of the holy city. There is a gate, the Arch of the Dead, through
which pilgrims bring the bodies of their loved ones into the city.
 Blessed Grafs
Thraben has city blocks devoted to burial sites known as Blessed Grafs.
These are a grid of tombs and mausoleums under heavy guard from
Elgaud soldiers and tended by horticulturists to keep trees and flowers
blooming around the tombs. In Thraben, these are the equivalent of
parks, and people visit them recreationally. It is considered relaxing to
spend time in a place where kin are enjoying their Blessed Sleep.

The Estwald Murders

One of the most notorious cases in recent years involved a series of
murders in the Wittal Parish. In Innistrad, murder is not unusual, but
these deaths were particularly gruesome. The murderer left mauled
body parts from the same victim at various chapels and priests' houses.
The church sent a renowned inquisitor named Thedis, who was found
dead in the same manner, his head mounted on a post near the outer
wall of Thraben. Additional inquisitors and a small force of cathars were
sent to the area, and it was eventually determined that it was the work
of the newly arrived Leeraug werewolf pack, who were making a
territorial claim with the grisly leavings. The battalion is still there,
having been unable to roust the werewolves from the forest, although
they have contained the murders.
 Nephalia
Innistrad denizens interested in commerce are attracted to Nephalia,
which makes for an interesting mix of occupations and races in the
province. Nephalia has numerous towns in which order is maintained
by Avacynian clergy and their representatives. It has a "stock" of
humans to be fed upon, thus the Stromkirk line is well represented
here. It has busy trade routes with caravans of merchants and townsfolk
milling between the cities for the Krallenhorde to prey on. And it has
the ever-present Nebelgast, the so-called "Breath of the Sleepless," that
rolls in and out with the tide, bringing with it a host of geists.
In Nephalia, skaberen (creators of skaabs, the alchemically vivified
constructions of flesh) and ghoulcallers (practitioners of necromancy)
alike can find out-of-the-way places in which to practice and further
their art with little or no interference from suspicious townsfolk or
Avacynian authority. Both must remain highly secretive, as their trade
is still feared within the general human populace, but the Stromkirk
vampires and Nephalia's merchants see money to be made, so their
arcane trinkets and dark services are tolerated as long as they remain
only rumors at the local taverns.
The merchants, known as the metzalar, are the glue that binds Nephalia
together. They keep every separate party joined together by the
exchange of goods and services and, of course, coin.

Nearly Treeless
Nephalia has always been lightly forested, but in the last century its
few trees have been cut down or destroyed due to the vampires' fear of
them being turned on them as stakes and other weapons. Runo,
progenitor of the Stromkirk line, was crafty in his removal of the
woodlands. Early on, using his glamers and sizeable fortune, he turned
the human populace into artisans, supporting their efforts in building
fine cities, proud ships, and a vigorous, provincial commerce—all based
around wood. Prosperous and plentiful humans are good business for
the Stromkirk, so Runo became a kind of secret Nephalian patron,
supporting master craftsmen and commissioning buildings, towers, and
ships, while funding any vampire-friendly efforts by alchemists and
magisters. Out of this, Nephalia has become widely known for its
masterful crafting and artistry with wood. Nephalian buildings, ships,
chapels, and houses all bear a distinct and inspired art that sets it apart
from the other provinces.
 Waters
This province is defined by water—by its access to the ocean (the
easiest of any province), by its many rivers that lead deep inland, and
by its deltas, marshes, and lakes. Water enables commerce here but also
gives Nephalia a silvery, mystical character; the clouds and the moon
seem to be both above and below in most places.
 Silver Beach
Nephalia's coastline consists of the Silver Beach, which stretches
countless miles, interrupted by rocks, sea caves, and occasional large
promontories. The sands of the beach are rich in granular silver, giving
them an unearthly shimmer that dazzles visitors from other provinces.
This is no vacation spot, however. Threats are far too numerous, and the
ocean too dangerous, to invite beachcombers. Only experienced
Nephalian sailors know the spells and the land well enough to venture
out into the sea and return with fish, trade goods, or treasure.
 Port Towns of Nephalia
Nephalia has three main port towns along the coast: Havengul, Drunau,
and Selhoff.

Havengul.
The largest of the three cities, Havengul, stands at the mouth of the
Silburlind River. The population consists of human craftworkers,
shipbuilders, smiths, and traders. The Avacynian church has a strong
presence here to take part in the burgeoning trade and marketplace,
but many Nephalians are wary of the priesthood and watch them like
hawks. As long as the church brings trade to and from Thraben, they
are given a pass from the key players in Nephalia.
 Elgaud Grounds.
A contingent of the Avacyn Church long ago established a small fort
here known as the Elgaud Grounds where new cathars are trained to
spread the word of Avacyn and protect the people. Once trained, these
graduates are sent out in small groups (of two or three) to neighboring
towns to establish an outpost. These are known as Arms of Avacyn, and
they attempt to strengthen trust in the Church under the offer of
protection and security. Many townsfolk are wary or outright
untrusting of these "Arms" and would rather protect themselves with
their own blood, sweat, traditional folklore, and superstitions.
 Corpse Trade.
Even with the presence of the Cathars, there is money to be made in
corpses. Havengul, having the largest human population, is rife with
bodysnatchers who disinter corpses and then shuttle them off using the
network of underground passageways, known as the Erdwal, for high-
paying ghoulcallers or skaberen.
 Ludevic.
The most influential of Nephalia's merchants is Ludevic of Ulm, a
wheezing and reclusive alchemist. Some say that Ludevic's consumption
of potions and inhalation of toxic vapors has left him no choice but to
abandon his experiments, leaving him to devote his sizeable intellect to
the problem of making himself and his partners filthy rich. Others
gossip that Ludevic still dabbles in the alchemical arts.
 Drunau
Drunau is where the Stromkirk vampires under their progenitor, Runo,
have established their ancestral manor and their center of commerce
outside of Stensia. If it is blood you want, Drunau is the place to get it.
Humans who possess especially delicious blood are treated like the most
precious livestock, knowing a life of pampered bondage but being
protected from all the other dangers of Innistrad. All this takes place
within the elegant ballrooms and mahogany studies of Stromkirk
manors.

In Nephalia, when vampires must walk among humans, they use

glamers to disguise themselves so as not to drive away their human
neighbors. Occasionally, a newly sired vampire leaves the family fold of
civilized decorum and goes on a blood-soaked frenzy of feeding. Often
the Stromkirk deal with this as swiftly and as quietly as possible,
especially if the vampire is a rogue from outside of the bloodline.
 The Fauchard.
These warriors are not cathars, but are a distinct order of human
vampire hunters. Some have come to Drunau especially to destroy the
undead and possibly Runo himself. They are a secretive group that
recognizes one another through an elaborate, symbolic code, either
worn, written, or gestured. Runo knows of them and tolerates them to
some degree, as the Fauchard destroy the vampires whom the
Stromkirk consider to be most crass and distasteful. That said, the
Stromkirk vampires will relentlessly pursue and destroy any Fauchard
who becomes known to them.

Merchants within Drunau.

The metzalar here deal in the usual fare of ships, handcrafted goods,
wares from other provinces (such as holy items from Thraben), and
weapons.
 Selhoff
The foggy, quiet port of Selhoff is where the Nebelgast, the spirit-mist,
is most active. The mist almost perpetually covers the town and the
nearby Morkrut Swamp. Because of the spirit activity here, it has
repelled some humans, but it has attracted others—namely the
skaberen and alchemists who experiment with geist energy. The elite
of Selhoff dwell within towers and spires that set this town apart from
others of Nephalia, which is why the phrase "the spires of Selhoff" is
often used when Nephalians talk of their southernmost town.

The Tide and the Nebelgast.

Here in Selhoff and all along the Nephalian coastline, spirits come and
go with the tide, but that isn't to say that when the tide is out, spirits
are absent—there are just far fewer. Because the tide is connected to
the moon, the pull of the moon brings the spirits into the world of the
living to haunt. The Nebelgast consists mainly of the marei (drowned
sailors and shipwreck victims) and the niblis (frost phantoms), but there
are a host of other ghosts and spirits that are pulled by the moon.
 The River Ospid and the Morkrut.
Selhoff lies on a small river delta where the river Ospid empties out
into the Bay of Vustrow. This creates a sizeable marsh known as the
Morkrut. Few set foot within the Morkrut other than ghoulcallers, and
even they can become lost in its mists. The Morkrut has been a
dumping place for murder victims and unclaimed bodies for which no
one will pay for proper burial. Because of this, the Morkrut is filled with
banshees and other malevolent geists.
 The Erdwal
Colloquially known as "The Ditch," the network of underground
passageways and crevasses called the Erdwal originated as trenches
created by Nephalians in each of the major cities of Havengul, Drunau,
and Selhoff for resisting zombie and werewolf attacks. Over the years,
the trenches between the three cities were connected into a network of
defensible walkways for transporting goods and continuing trade even
while wandering zombie hordes, demonic fiends, hungry geists, or the
Krallenhorde wander about looking for victims. Major merchants of
Nephalia have paid special attention to the uses of the Erdwal and have
put serious resources into making it a legitimate artery of trade, thus it
has developed a bustling underground economy of its own dealing in
all manner of grey- and black-market goods: human blood,
assassinations, counterfeit silver, necromancy, curses, and bloodsport.

Near the larger towns, the Erdwal becomes a trench marketplace of

colorful rogues, seedy merchants, filthy sailors and gaunt strangers, all
doing business in dark alleyways and roughly hewn tunnels branching
off the main trench. Along the clandestine nooks, the skaberen and
ghoulcallers ply their trade and human blood is bought and sold by the
flagon. Flesh golems are created and experiments in transmuting base
metals into pure silver are carried out. Skaberen stitch together hideous
monstrosities, some of which get loose and cause havoc throughout the
Ditch. As long as these dark dealings do not make it above ground
level, the Church of Avacyn and its cathars do not intervene. Nephalia
is a province of "understandings," and this is one of those uneasy truces
that, if maintained, benefits all parties concerned.

Jenrik's Tower
Along a particularly bare stretch of the Silver Beach looms a tall tower.
The mortar has been mixed with sand from the Silver Beach, making it
glitter in the moonlight. Within the tower, Jenrik, the astronomer,
mysteriously conducts his work studying the stars, eschewing all
contact with the outside world. He is making observations of the moon,
charting its path across the heavens with excruciating detail. Wards
keep away werewolves, and the Stromkirk actually fear his knowledge,
for anyone with such a vast understanding of the moon is holding great
power indeed. Some say he is predicting the future of Innistrad, or that
he is a spirit trying to get home. Others say he is an angel attempting
to restore Avacyn, or that he is a demon plotting to destroy the world.
 Kessig
The province of Kessig consists of rolling farmlands surrounded by
grasping fingers of dense, dark woods. The woods hide werewolves,
ghosts, and other supernatural menaces, while the farmlands support a
ardscrabble rural livelihood for Kessig's humans.
 Ulvenwald, the Misty Wood
Howl-haunted woods of aspen, birch, and maple border the edges of
Kessig province. The woods are almost supernaturally dense, filled with
dark, sinuous trunks and a constant, hanging mist. The trees have broad
leaves in muted reds, golds, and greens, and the forest floor is papered
in damp leaves. The Ulvenwald tends to isolate Kessig from the other
provinces, as travelers through the woods are subject to attacks by
werewolves, hauntings by all manner of primordial spirits, and
mysterious disappearances in the mist. At night, the autumnal colors of
Ulvenwald turn stark and steely under the silver glow of the moon. The
only spots of color that appear are the luminous eyes of animals and the
geistfires of shimmering apparitions.
 Kessiger Culture: Commoners and
Rural Laborers
For the Kessiger, life is work. Kessigers are farmers, millers, weavers,
stonemasons: they are close to the land and must work hard for every
meal. This makes them self reliant, pragmatic, and plainspoken. A
Kessiger doesn't purchase tools from the general store; he forges them
himself. She doesn't learn arithmetic or memorize the names of royal
families; she learns harvest dates and the shapes of edible weeds. He
doesn't quote great works of literature; he calls it like he sees it, in his
own simple words.

Kessigers and Avacyn

Kessigers are hardheaded and unpretentious people, and the face-to-
face realism of the Avacyn religion fits right into their worldview.
Kessigers believe in "the worked earth below us, the hand-hewn stone
walls around us, and the angel above us." However, they don't trust the
shiny boots of big-city cathars, the pristine fingernails of Gavony ghost-
hunters, or the out-of-touch decrees handed down from the aristocrats
of the High City of Thraben.
 The Curfew of Silver
Ever since Avacyn went missing last year, the church at Thraben has
kept the truth of her disappearance from Innistrad's denizens.
Kessigers, for their part, know that Avacyn hasn't been making
appearances as often these days, and there are doubters and gossips who
believe something has happened to her. In the meantime, werewolf
attacks have gotten worse and spirit hauntings more frequent. There is
a rising sense of panic throughout the countryside.

Recently, a new decree came down through the local priests and
cathars. As a measure meant to protect citizens against werewolves and
other hunters of the night, the law states that commoners of Kessig out
after dark must wear an amulet of blessed silver. The amulets were
crafted and blessed in the High City of Thraben, and have a potent
effect against lycanthropes. But they are in limited supply, and some
priests have quietly begun giving them out preferentially, in exchange
for favors or promises of protection. Since the Curfew of Silver,
relations between Kessig and Gavony have worsened. Some Kessigers
have begun to refuse shipments of goods from Gavony and deny
service to travelers from that province.
 Etiquette in a World of Supernaturals
Superstition and fear of supernatural creatures has woven its way into
etiquette in Kessig. When you meet someone for the first time, it's
polite to show that you are wearing an item made from silver (even
though silver can easily be counterfeited, and only blessed silver has
real protective power). Wreaths of living wood are commonly given as
gifts, and are often placed on the door of a home where a child has just
been born, a gesture meant to protect the child's life from vampires
(even though the wood and its effectiveness die after a few days). It's
customary to eat sour root soup before traveling, or to fast for up to a
day before a long trip, habits that are thought to make one less
appealing to werewolves and other hungry beasts.

The Sleep Revel

It's traditional in Kessig to celebrate a person's life on the anniversary
of his or her death, a joyous ceremony called the Sleep Revel—as long
as the deceased has successfully stayed in the ground that long (instead
of reemerging as a ghoul, geist, or other supernatural fiend). The
continued undisturbed sleep of one's ancestors is seen as almost a
greater blessing than the continuing birthdays of one's living relatives.
 Supernatural Creatures of Kessig
Kessig is home to werewolves, geists, and other supernaturals.

Werewolves in Kessig
Several howlpacks hunt in Kessig, as do many lone werewolves. The
Mondronen howlpack is dominant here during most seasons, but during
the New Moon season, the Leeraug howlpack terrorizes Kessiger
villages. Smaller, nameless howlpacks also claim dominion of some
fingers of the Ulvenwald, waning and waxing with the moon.
The elder of Gatstaf once famously declared, "In Kessig, the werewolves
outnumber the priests." Many lone werewolves live in secret among the
Kessigers, too afraid of retribution to reveal themselves but too
attached to their families and Kessig roots to leave. Suspicion and
speculation run rampant among Kessig's commoners, fueled by
frightened exaggeration and misremembered anecdotes. Kessigers hold
conflicting views about how to detect, hunt, or cure werewolves, how
many exist, what keeps them at bay, and what it all means for humanity.
 Geists in Kessig
Ghostly apparitions are second only to werewolves in terms of danger
to the Kessigers, and geists may cause even greater psychological
damage. The geists in Kessig are wild spirits of nature, prone to taunt
or terrorize civilized life. They can be cold-burning geistflames made of
surreal fire, mischievous poltergeists that shove at the physical world
through the power of their outrage, or blood mists that envelop and
devour the living. They can be beautiful nature spirits tressed in vine
and thorn, beast-possessing geists that shimmer through the mouths
and eyes of feral animals, or vindictive crop-spoilers that vex farmers
and druids alike.

Other Supernaturals in Kessig

Kessig is so ravaged by werewolves that many other supernaturals have
been squeezed out, although rare individuals occasionally appear.
Kessig has experienced few devils or demons, but a smoking fissure
called Devils' Breach lies in the tall stone hills at the edge of the
province, and threatens to boil over with demonic activity soon.
Alchemically created zombies (skaabs) have become a kind of symbol of
the evils of the big city; Kessigers often equate necromantic alchemy
with black market trade, prostitution, religious heresy, and murderous
conspiracy.
The average Kessiger has a double-edged opinion of vampires. In public
the vampire families are spoken of as the height of urbane evil, but in
private, Kessigers' salacious whispers betray fascination with vampires'
refinement and celebrity. Few actual encounters with vampires have
occurred in Kessig to date, so word spreads quickly whenever someone
comes along the Hairpin Road in an elegant, shaded coach.
 Locations in Kessig

The Breakneck Ride

There are a few main paths that lead into Kessig from the other
provinces. Each crossway is fraught with peril, leading travelers
through the Ulvenwald and over treacherous slopes, so those who make
the journey do so at as brisk a pace as possible. Kessigers sometimes
collectively refer to these paths as the "Breakneck Ride."
 Lambholt, the Threatened Pasture
Lambholt is a farming village at the center of miles of sheep, goat, and
cattle pasture. The pastures near the town were once mingled with
woods—dense arms of forest that once joined the Ulvenwald—but the
Kessigers here chopped down all but a few trees to clear room for their
farms. It's thought that wild essences resent the destruction of their
forests, for werewolves continually terrorize the livestock and humans
of Lambholt.

The villagers of Lambholt celebrate a harvest festival at the rise of the

red moon, working late into the night by the light of bonfires, and
cooking great feasts of fresh meat and vegetables. Lately, as the power
of Lambholt's protective shrines has waned and werewolf attacks have
become more frequent, the tenor of the harvest festival has changed.
Now the highlight of the festival is a great hunter's contest, in which
warriors and priestly champions go on hunts through the surrounding
Ulvenwald, trying to slay the most powerful supernatural creature.
Many never return.

Hollowhenge, the Lost Capital

A ruin of wood and brick now stands where Kessig's county seat stood.
Only a year ago it was a thriving small town of manor houses called
Avabruck, and you can still find wooden signs among the splintered
wood and broken gates that say "Avabruck" in cheery paint. But a new
name has caught on—a vulgar name, a commoners' name: Hollowhenge.
One year ago, after the protective power of Avacynian magic began to
wane, the wards around Avabruck's central cathedral, the Temple of
Saint Raban, failed. It took only two nights for the werewolves to
discover this breach in protection. The howlpack known as Mondronen
ripped through the town, slaughtering any in their path, charging
straight for the Temple. There they took up siege, tearing down the
cathedral and feasting on those who attempted to attack them. City
magistrates gave the order to evacuate, but communications became
chaotic, and many residents opted to ensconce themselves in their
homes.
Seven days into the Mondronen occupation, the werewolf savages
enacted some unknown type of blood ritual. A mystical, concussive
force leveled the city from the center out, flattening most of the
structures in town and killing hundreds. Only the outermost ring of
Avabruck's buildings remained, forming a circular "henge" around the
devastation within. Rescue attempts met with further werewolf attacks.

As time went on, the city was abandoned, even by the howlpack. Now
only wild, terrified ghosts and the occasional werewolf scavenger
scuffle among the ruins. It's said that all who were killed in the
cathedral-shattering blast still linger inside the walls of Hollowhenge,
trying in vain to reconstruct their homes or recover their lost loved
ones. Some spirits are deeply angry and ferocious wights, dangerous to
all who seek within. Despite the danger, travelers often pass near to
Hollowhenge, as the former county seat lies at the crossroads of two
major Kessig thoroughfares.
 Devils' Breach
Far from the towns, off the wagon-beaten paths, through vaults of
primeval forest, a fissure known as Devils' Breach has opened in the
earth. Smoke and heat waft from the chasm, obscuring its depths, and
eerie voices mutter and cackle. Trappers claim to have seen literal
devils near there, but so far, the influence of demonic forces has not
been strongly felt in Kessig.
 Stensia
The province of Stensia is the darkest both literally and figuratively on
Innistrad, but also the most dramatic, the most storied, and the most
unexplored. Its valleys range from pastoral (albeit dusky) range-lands
to black bogs into which dead conifers slowly sink. Its black-pine-
forested midlands, riddled with wisps of thick fog, show colors from
deep green to purple to orange-grey. Its far-flung indigo and black
mountains disappear into the clouds, and humans can only imagine
what dwells among the shrouded peaks.
The sun never quite seems to break through the oddly colored clouds
in Stensia. The ruling power of Stensia, the vampire bloodlines, prefer it
that way. Innistrad's moon is more seldom fully seen here, and the Z-
shaped mountain range that dominates the province, the Geier Reach,
separates the valleys from each other, making them easier to monitor
and control. The long-suffering humans of Stensia, for their part, hold
an illogical loyalty to their homeland. Truth be told, most have little
choice; they are trapped between the province's narrow mountain
passes and bound to their time-honored lives of herding and gathering.

Geier Reach
The mountain range that dominates Stensia, the Geier Reach, defines it
utterly. This chain grows steadily higher in elevation as it moves from
the borders with Gavony and Kessig toward the province's outer edge.
Inland, the mountain peaks are forested, whereas in the chain's middle
the tree line gives way to bare rock, and at its verge, the peaks
disappear into the clouds. The highlands are dotted with caves and
crevasses where vultures, bats, and other, larger creatures reign.
 Mountain passes.
The passes through Geier Reach are few and precious; all travel into or
out of the province must use them.

Ziel Pass.
Only one pass crosses the final zig-zag of the Geier. Ziel Pass is the only
way to reach the sea from Stensia's inland valleys. The cliffs at the end
of Ziel Pass descend for 1,600 feet, and the only way to get to the
churning waters is to jump... or to trek by foot or mule down a
treacherous path of endless switchbacks plagued by the geists of those
who have died trying to do the same.

Hofsaddel and Needle's Eye.

These two passes connect the inland valleys to the outland ones.
Hofsaddel is a wide and well-trodden pass, and one that the vampires
leave alone. The reason: human interaction is good for the long term, as
long as it's among Stensians. Needle's Eye, however, is a narrow,
treacherous, and deadly path because of the presence of vengeful geists
on the route as well as its proximity to Ashmouth and its devils.
Humans will take the Needle's Eye path only in the event of
emergencies in the neighboring valleys.
 Getander Pass and Kruin Pass.
Two passes lead from the adjacent provinces into Stensia. The pass from
Kessig is Getander, a long, zig-zagging route watched by the rapacious
Falkenrath vampires. Gavony must use the Kruin Pass, which is just as
long, but in vertical elevation rather than horizontal turns, and is
lackadaisically watched by the well-fed Markov vampires.
 Stensia's valleys.
The shape of the Geier Reach creates two long valleys in the provinces,
and foothills separate those valleys into numerous, isolated segments.

Outland valleys.
The outer valley is divided into eight pieces by terrain, three of which
are noteworthy: the human village of Shadowgrange, the abandoned
Maurer Estate, and the human rancher community of Lammas.
Shadowgrange and Lammas are strange places populated by humans
that are fiercely passionate about their lifestyles but also paranoid and
fearful. Few other humans of Innistrad ever see these distant places.

Inland valleys.
The inland stretch houses two significant human communities with a
prominent vampire holding: Silbern, a tiny stone watchtower manned
by fatalistic cathars and surrounded by several family farms, Wollebank,
a large village of shepherds and their families, and Markov Manor, a
hilltop estate that towers over both. Markov Manor is the home of
Edgar Markov, grandfather of Sorin Markov.
 The Farbogs.
Twin bogs, one in the inland valley and one in the outland, blanket the
center of Stensia like two puddles of ink. Both were once groves of
pines, but those trees now sink into the peat muck at odd angles,
creating a tangle of dead trunks. The peripheries of both bogs are home
to ancient grafs, and as the graves dissolve into the slime, geists
proliferate. A few ghouls wander here as well, most of them products of
the young, self-taught ghoulcaller Rinelda Smit, an irresponsible
teenager trying to make her mark on Stensia by creating her own force
of beings to defend against vampire attacks.
 Ashmouth.
In the middle of the Geier, in between the Hofsaddel and Needle's Eye
passes and cloaked by forest, lies Ashmouth, a huge chasm deep enough
to glow with magma from below. Ash-ridden smog rises from it, mixing
with the dark clouds above. Ashmouth is an infernal gateway, and
perhaps the most important one. The demon Shilgengar emerged from
this pit, which also spews out bands of devils according to some eldritch
pattern only the demons understand.
 Somberwald.
Despite its darkness, Stensia still holds places of beauty. Between its
contested valleys and savage peaks, the Geier is forested with a
winding, melancholy, drooping pine wilderness. These woods are home
to some of Innistrad's most noble and pristine creatures: bears, stags,
and other things that have fled here over the centuries for safety and
seclusion. Many of these creatures were once found in Kessig, but the
spread of hunters, trappers, and werewolves there have driven them
here, where they're safe in the shadow of the vampires.
 Stensian Life and Culture
Sheep and Shepherding.
Because not many crops will grow in Stensia's rocky soul and dim light,
humans are reliant on sheep for wool, leather, milk, and meat.
Shepherding traditions are ancient here, and Stensian wool is
considered the finest in the world. Vampire dominance has prevented
werewolves from gaining a foothold in the province, so the flocks are
safer from predators than they would be elsewhere. In Stensia, humans
depend on sheep and vampires depend on humans—an irony not lost
on the vampires.

Stoicism.
Stensia's humans are not an expressive or demonstrative bunch.
Countless generations of hardship and proximity to the vampire
strongholds—lost children, lost neighbors—have taught Stensians to
guard their hearts. They are proud and fervent in their beliefs but seem
brusque or even cold to humans from other provinces.

Village moats, cottage trees, and welcome mirrors. Humans have

adapted as best they can to life surrounded by vampires. Almost every
Stensian village is surrounded by a shallow moat from which the sheep
drink, because although clouds often obscure the moon here, while the
moon is out, the moat will keep vampires from trespassing. In small
villages, the cottages are usually arranged around a small grove of
hawthorn trees for centralized access to living wood. In larger villages,
the cottages themselves are often built around a hawthorn, with the
tree's trunk in the center of the common room and its leaves above the
roof. Caring for the cottage tree is the oldest child's responsibility.
Lastly, almost every Stensian cottage features a mirror on the outside of
the front door to dissuade vampires from approaching.
 Vampire Culture
Noble benefactors.
Vampires' attitude toward their own role and the role of humans is
predictably self-centered and skewed. Vampires believe themselves to
be the saviors and keepers of humanity. The "sacrifices" they made—
surrendering their mortality and their relationships with human kin—
are to them proof of their beneficence, and their demeanor toward
humans is similar to that of a rich philanthropist toward a pauper
(except they occasionally drain the pauper of blood).

Social creatures.
The social lives of vampires are every bit as treacherous and debauched
as those of royal courts. Vampires visit each other to conduct parties,
feasts, romances, entertainments, and so on. Grudges and betrayals are
as much a source of amusement to them as they are a serious matter,
and keeping track of vampiric trysts and enmities would be a full-time
job.

Demand for finery.

Vampires want only the finest clothing, the finest weapons and armor,
the finest furnishings and transport. Sometimes these desires can be
met by a vampire artisan, but once in a while a human achieves a level
of artistry that surpasses anything among vampires. In these cases, the
vampire finds a way to acquire the thing in question, whether by
arranging a deal through intermediaries or paying a visit to artisan(s)
directly. Usually the humans in question can tell easily enough that
their clients are vampires, because vampiric tastes differ so sharply
from humans'. But whether because of profit, blackmail, or simply fear
for their lives, most artisans comply.

Court of the Vampire King/Queen.

This disturbing three-day holiday was invented by Olivia Voldaren. A
human is identified, kidnapped, and brought to a large vampire estate
or castle, where they serve as "King or Queen of the Vampires" for the
duration of the event. The mock king/queen, always utterly terrified,
of course, is served the best food and drink and is theatrically
supplicated. The vampires will follow any order the king or queen
issues, except any attempt to abdicate the "throne." At the end of the
three days, the king or queen is killed and all present share the blood.
 Important Vampire Locations
Some of the major vampire bloodlines have their most important
strongholds in Stensia. All are on high ground, away from the prying
eyes of the humans below.

Castle Falkenrath.
In the middle strip of the Geier Reach, between the Hofsaddel and
Getander Passes, lies Castle Falkenrath, a towering, menacing Gothic
masterpiece that houses scores of vampires of the Falkenrath line.
Although the bloodline's progenitor is long dead, the castle is
meticulously maintained. Smaller manor homes exist around the castle
and along the border with Kessig, but Castle Falkenrath is the home
base from which Stensia's most dominant vampires conduct their
ambitious predations.
 The Voldaren Estate.
Four miles from the end of Ziel Pass, cloaked in mist and surrounded by
jagged peaks, is the huge estate of Olivia Voldaren, famous eccentric, bon
vivant, and progenitor of the Voldaren bloodline. Olivia travels often,
visiting the far-flung Voldaren manors and fortresses that are scattered
across the four provinces of Innistrad. The elite among vampires know
that Olivia throws the best parties, and the nobility will happily make
the trek out to the estate for her seasonal ball.

Markov Manor.
In the corner of Stensia closest to Gavony, Edgar Markov's manor home
overlooks Kruin Pass, and the High City of Thraben is visible in the far
distance from its balconies. Although the Markov bloodline is the most
prestigious and perhaps the most widespread, Edgar lives in
comparative simplicity relative to the other vampire elders.
 Personalities of Stensia
Cosper Lowe.
Captain of the Silbern Guard. The small community of Silbern arose
because of Silbern Tower, a lodging and base of operations for the local
cathars. Although the Silbern cathars have grown fatalistic since the
disappearance of Avacyn, their captain, a classically handsome young
man named Cosper, continues to command admiration. He is good with
a horse and blade, but his main skill is his ability to calm and inspire—
his charisma. Only one thing plagues Cosper Lowe: Every young woman
who has taken a shine to him has disappeared. It has just started to dawn
on Cosper that this means he's the target of a vampire's infatuation.

Kastinne, the Demon Killer.

A young and insane woman from Shadowgrange who considers herself
a wandering monk. A demon killed her three children, and she has
vowed to slaughter it and every other demon until her children's souls
find rest.
 Traft and his attendants.
In life Traft was a living saint who fought demons alongside the host of
Avacyn. Traft's ghost and those of a few of his attendants linger on to
continue the battle, waiting for the demons' return. Traft has
manifested in several locations in Stensia, including Ashmouth, and his
attendants inhabit the Shrine of Traft in Thraben and give aid in the
form of prophecy and omens.

Rem Karolus, Blade of the Inquisitors.

Some problems can be resolved only by the most feared and revered of
the inquisitors: Rem Karolus. Rem, now in his late 30s, wanders
Innistrad on his dappled gray horse armed with his trademark rapier
and poniard at his side and bastard sword across his back. The Elgaud
Grounds have courted Rem as an instructor more than once, but he has
no interest. He takes orders from Thraben when he agrees with their
goals, but he often simply wanders, dealing with crises as he encounters
them, and Stensia has at least as many crises as other provinces.
 The Humans of
Innistrad
The everyday life of a human varies dramatically according to one's
class. The wealthy families and clergy live in comfort and safety.
Thraben clergy, in particular, have every need met by the church. The
middle classes—artisans and merchants—are also quite comfortable.
But the working class and farmers have a much shorter lifespan; they
are more at risk from the dark things of the world, and they suffer from
more sickness and famine as well. A farmer lives an average of forty
years, while a bishop lives closer to seventy.
Safety is the main commodity in Innistrad. The wealthier you are, the
safer you can make yourself. The high walls of Thraben protect the
well-to-do who live inside. Titled families in Gavony have fortified
manor houses, while the farmers must make do with the wooden walls
of their farmhouses.

Because of the lack of physical safety, the poor spend a larger portion of
their income of enchantments and non-physical means of protection.
Tithing is required for everyone, and the church charges a small fee for
every blessing and spell. Even at unstaffed little altars, payment is
expected, and many of the faithful diligently pay even when there is no
one to enforce it. Not unexpectedly, there is resentment among some
for the amount of money required of the poor to uphold their faith.
This resentment increases dramatically as the effectiveness of the
Avacynian blessings diminish.
 Community
The sense of community is very strong among humans in Gavony and
in other provinces as well. Little altars and crossway chapels aren't as
common in Gavony as in the other provinces because of the strength of
the parish churches. The parish church is the focal point of any
community in Gavony. Most people worship several times a week, and
many pass by the church on a daily basis for a blessing of safety.
 Travel
The roads in Gavony are best in the four northern parishes, although
there are adequate roads in the Moorlands as well. It is easy to hire a
soldier to guide you along the roads between Thraben and the
Nearheath, and if you can make your trip during the daytime, such
guides are usually not needed.

A few terms to know:

 Chapel. An enclosed space of varying size devoted to worship.

There are many chapels built along the crossways of Innistrad.
Most have resident clergy who attend them. These sometimes
serve has hostels for travelers.
 Parish. The equivalent of a county. Each parish has its own chapel.
 Crossway. The name for roads in Innistrad. Most are just dirt tracks
for horses and carts.
 Crossway Altar. An open-air altar along a crossway somewhere in
the wilds.
 Defense
Martial prowess is highly valued among humans. Cathars, particularly
inquisitors, are highly revered. Poorer families have a harder time
getting their children accepted to train at the Elgaud Grounds. When
children show aptitude for spellcasting, however, they are accepted at
the Fal Seminary no matter what their parents' status.
 The Church of Avacyn
Why there is evil in the world really isn't a question on Innistrad. There
always has been, and no one expects it to change. Vampires,
werewolves, zombies, spirits, devils: these are part of the natural order
of the world. Humans have always battled the forces of darkness and
had their back to the wall in the fight of good versus evil. At times the
prospects for the continued existence of the human race have seemed
grim indeed.

The Blessed Sleep

For the humans of Innistrad, the purpose of life is not to live forever,
but to have a restful "sleep" after death—tranquil oblivion, or perhaps
oneness with everything, rather than becoming a tormented spirit,
mutilated corpse, or undead abomination, as so often happens on
Innistrad. The Sleep is considered a reward for a virtuous and vigilant
life. "May you spend an eternity in the ground" is a common blessing
among the people of this plane.
 Theological Underpinnings
Faith in the church of Avacyn actually works, but there are no formulas
that are consistently successful. Saying the mystical words in the right
combination will result in protective magic, but some days it works
better than others. And sometimes the evil it's warding against is more
powerful than other times. The unreliability of the wards and blessings
has led to disagreements over dogma. Although there is still only one
church, sects have emerged over disagreements about the right way to
do things. The goal of the church is safety, not perfection. Humans
want to live in reasonable safety until they die, and then they want to
remain peacefully in their graves. Cremation is forbidden because it is
believed to result in a restless, angry spirit.

In the Church of Avacyn, there is no conception of heaven and hell. The

humans of Innistrad do not believe in a heavenly afterlife to reward
their past deeds. And their equivalent of hell is a very literal thing:
there are actual cracks in the ground where demons dwell. Avacyn is
not expected to eliminate evil in the world or to create a perfect life for
everyone. Instead, she is the font of safety and protection. She is the
authority to whom the faithful must go beforesomething bad happens,
to help ward off those evils that have always been a part of the world.
 Church and State
In Innistrad, church and state are deeply interdependent; there is
virtually no separation of the two. Local governments rely on the
power of the Church to keep order and maintain public safety. Often
the rule of law is adjudicated by the prelature, lawyers and judges
ordained by the Church. All education is handled by the Church,
although different sects sometimes establish their own schools and
training grounds. Except for merchants and artisans, all professions are
part of the Church. Even merchants and artisans are governed by
fellowships, which must be sanctioned by the Church.

Church Hierarchy
 Avacyn. The archangel Avacyn is the focal point of the human's
worship. She is believed to be the source of all protective magic. It is
thought that she controls the seasons and is the force that brings an
end to the long and bleak Hunter's Moon. Adherents to Avacyn are
called Avacynians, and their church is the Church of Avacyn, or the
Avacynian Church.
 Avacyn's Host. The archangel Avacyn has a host of angels who serve
her.
 The Flight of Goldnight. These angels are associated with the sun,
in contrast with Avacyn herself. Once a year during the Harvest
Moon season, the sun will not dip below the horizon for two full
 days, and during this time the moon isn't visible. Known as the
Feast of Goldnight, this is the holiest day for the humans. It is the
time when the Avacynian enchantments are strongest throughout
Innistrad.
 The Flight of Alabaster. These angels personify the Blessed Sleep
and are associated with the Hunter's Moon season. They provide
magic that wards against the desecration of dead humans.
 The Flight of Herons. These are the angels of birth and purity and
are associated with the New Moon season. Their magic is said to
ward humans against harm in life (as opposed to the Alabaster host,
which wards against harm in death).
 Clerical Ranks
 Lunarch. The head of the church. This is a position elected by the
council of bishops. Currently, it is held by a man named Mikaeus,
who is searching desperately for the reason behind the decline of
the church's power.
 Bishop. The highest order of clergy. They reside in the cathedral at
Thraben as members of the Thraben Council, the governing body
of the church.
 Mayor. Sometimes called the elder, this is the political leader of a
parish. He or she has a mix of administrative and religious duties,
but the day-to-day administration is left to the priests.
 Priest. Priests oversee the church and attend to parishioners'
needs. They all use mana to weave spells, but with varying degrees
of skill.
 Monk. These wandering priests are the lowest order of clergy.
Some have been sanctioned by the church to seek out people
living alone in the wilderness. But many are fanatics who are no
longer formally part of the hierarchy, having said the wrong thing
or enforced the wrong dogma and been cast out.
 Cathars
Lunar-smiths. Blessed weapons are an important part of Avacynian
magic, and these clergy are trained in the art of weapon-making.
Certain blessings must be said at certain times during the forging
process to make a weapon magically effective against a particular foe.
Silversmiths are particularly revered because of the difficulty in
imbuing the silver with strong magic, especially anti-lycanthropic
magic.

Inquisitors. Inquisitors are cathars who can be hired out to come help a
parish if they have a particular problem with vampires or devils.

Parish-blades. Cathars stationed in parishes serve as escorts along roads

or protect the cathedral in Thraben. This is an ordained military force
that assembles whenever the clergy demands.

Runechanters. Runechanters are a specialized branch of the clergy that

specializes in engraving blessings on material objects, including
weapons. Everything from swords to axes to children's toys has words
written on it in an effort to protect its owner. The best runechanters
can write so small that hundreds of these blessings can be squeezed into
a small space.
 The Undead
Two distinct kinds of corporeal undead creatures plague Innistrad. The
first are ghouls, sometimes called "the unhallowed," which are
necromantically animated corpses. The second are the skaab, beings
alchemically constructed from the dead.
 The Unhallowed
Necromantically animated zombies are more commonly called ghouls
or "unhallowed" on Innistrad, because they're drawn forth from
unhallowed graves. One of the duties of Avacynian clergy is blessing
the final resting places of the dead to try to ensure "the Blessed Sleep."
Now that Avacyn is no longer present, the dead can be more easily
stirred.
 Ghoulcallers and Grafs
Necromancers on Innistrad are usually referred to as ghoulcallers, the
black-mana mages that call forth the dead from graveyards, or "grafs."
There are several varieties of graf, each of which draws forth a unique
mix of the walking dead.

Fengraf.
A fengraf is one of the many flooded lowland graveyards. These sites
were once hallowed ground, but have remained untended for many
years. Fengraf ghouls are usually smiths, cobblers, brothel workers and
other common and poor folk.
 Seagraf.
A seagraf is a "fisherman's graveyard." Much like minor nobles,
fishermen are often buried with their most prized possessions, such as
nets, long harpoons, and large hooks for getting hold of a slippery
catch. Seagraf unhallowed have not completely forgotten their trade
even in death, and they will pursue victims using the tools and deftness
they had in life.

Diregraf.
A diregraf is the site of a particularly gruesome battle. Unhallowed
awakened from a diregraf carry the armor, weapons, and fatal wounds
from their last bloody battle. Diregraf ghouls carry this lust for an
unfinished battle within their fogged minds, and they often attempt to
fall into military formations as they were trained to do in life. Once the
dead have risen, the ghoulcaller then supplants all other addled
thoughts of the dead with one single driving purpose in their minds.
The near-mindless ghouls will call on what skills they have left to carry
out the task, and the results are a grotesque parody of their lives.
Blacksmiths attempt to "reforge" their opponents, fallen warriors emit
rasping pseudo-cries, and undead murderers reawaken their taste for
killing. Occasionally, fallen mages even show a limited ability to weave
spells, but this often results in some aberration of the spell's original
purpose.
 The Skaab
Necro-alchemy is much more of an art than ghoulcalling. One who
practices the art of creating skaabs is called a skaberen. The true goal of
the skaberen is to create life, an undertaking which usually produces
malformed "offspring" rather than true life.
 There are four steps to producing a skaab.

I. Corpus Creare, also known as "corpse cobbling," is the collecting of

various anatomical parts from corpses from which the skaab will be
constructed. This is usually performed by paid grave robbers or
homunculi under the skaberen's charge. In some cases, even the
limbs of beasts are used for the construct; if a human arm is not
available, a horse's leg can suffice.
II. Patin Ligitus, or rune-bonds, are the "binding plates" used to join
various anatomical features together. These are plates of copper
and/or brass, with silver-inlaid runes scribed on them. They
provide an arcane bridge of sorts between disparate parts gathered
by corpse-cobbling.
III. Viscus Vitae, or vital fluid, is the key to the skaberen's art. Viscus
vitae is created by mixing a large quantity of lamp oil with the
slightest pinch of the dried blood of an angel. Once a perfect
mixture of viscus vitae is created, any blood remaining in the
corpse is replaced with vital oil, via transfusion. As a result, skaab
are often highly flammable.
IV. Vox Quietus, translated as "the silent word," is the final step in
creating a skaab. The skaberen whispers a fairly lengthy
incantation over the corpse which awakens the creature, but in a
much calmer manner that that which is used by ghoulcallers. Once
awakened, the skaab is in a calm, "tabula rasa" state, which allows
the alchemist to begin the long task of re-educating the creature.
In the eyes of a skaberen, the technique used by ghoulcallers is
crude, heretical, and provides unacceptable results.
Skaberen usually ply their trade in remote and inhospitable places,
since they are viewed as blasphemers by commoners and clergy.
Skaberen often become obsessed hermits who surround themselves
with ancient scrolls and books, phials of rare noxious liquids, glass jars
full of pickled organs, anatomical charts for both human and beast,
rune-engraved skeletal remains, and small anvils and hammers for
inscribing runes on brass and copper plates.
 Geists
Innistrad is a world filled with the ghosts of the human dead. These
spirits, called geists, take many forms. Some are protective spirits of
ancestors. Others are vengeful creatures bent on resolving conflicts
they couldn't resolve in life.

Malevolent and Benevolent

Geists have always been a presence on Innistrad, but before Avacyn, all
such spirits were malevolent, manifesting on the plane only because of
a grudge or regret powerful enough to disturb the Blessed Sleep of the
body to which they were connected. In Avacyn's absence, the
malevolent spirits were counterbalanced by the appearance of many
benevolent and neutral geists, from nurturing apparitions of family
members who have passed on to inscrutable ghosts who seem to want to
continue whatever duty they had in life.
 Avacyn as Psychopomp
This new balance in the spirit realm resulted from Avacyn's function as
psychopomp for the dead; her existence shepherded the souls of the
departed back into the plane's Æthereal space. This metaphysical
guidance from Avacyn enabled geists to elect to turn away from
reunion with the plane's essence—a phenomenon that previously
occurred only when a geist's anguish or regret overcame the pull
toward the Æther.
 Material and Immaterial
Geists exist in the space between the material and Æthereal realms, so
to varying degrees they possess qualities of both worlds. Thus some are
able to walk through walls and then slash open throats. Others use the
beliefs of the living against them; victims believe in the spirit so
completely that they harm themselves with the power of their own
mind. Some use fear to literally scare the victim to death. Some spirits
use cold to freeze opponents or reduce their temperatures down to
hypothermic levels when humans become lost on the moors or wander
too far into the bogs. Other, more powerful ghosts use their force of
will or emotion to condense matter (called ectoplasm) around their
hands or weapons for a split second when they attack. Some use
psychokinetic power to wrap objects around them (e.g., brambles,
chains, spikes, glass, etc.), and then wield them against their foes.
 Faith's Power
Even in Avacyn's absence, divine magic is not impotent. With a
combination of powerful faith and mana, clergy can banish geists in
various ways, from dispersal of the geist's essence to functioning as a
surrogate psychopomp to guide the geist toward its rest in the Æther.

White-Aligned Geists
Many white-aligned geists are harmless or even protective spirits of
dead family and friends who haunt the living out of a sense of duty,
fealty, responsibility, or love. Malevolent white-aligned geists do exist,
however, and are usually twisted by guilt, feelings of failure, or
unrighted wrongs. Some are ghosts of fallen soldiers that still patrol the
moors, looking for their vanquishers.
 Blue-Aligned Geists
Some geists are projections of the animating principles of the mind.
Vicious or obsessive thinking as well as collective human memories
come to life by attracting enough latent aether around them to become
autonomous entities. They carry on as obsessive ghosts—repeated
knocking, patterning, arranging, stacking, marking, etc. They can also
possess one's mind and cause repetitive movements, speech, epilepsy,
obsessive behavior, schizophrenia, and other such maladies of the mind.
These are also the geists most drawn to the water, storms, frost, and
mist—even the mist of the breath.
 Black-Aligned Geists
These geists eternally hunger for life, power, or the settling of a wicked
grudge. These are spirits that must be appeased by offerings of food,
goods, and even blood. If not appeased, these geists can be responsible
for disease, accidents and death. Whereas geists associated with other
colors of mana might be benevolent or neutral, black-aligned geists are
almost always dangerous and malevolent.
 Red-Aligned Geists
These spirits have attached themselves to rampant emotions, unfulfilled
desires, and thirsts for revenge that were frustrated during life. They
can manifest as blood dripping from statues, whirls of dust on roads,
minor rockslides on hillocks, cliffs, and mountainsides, and, in the case
of possession, as sudden mania or murderous rage. The ghosts of the
unavenged are some of the most dangerous geists on Innistrad,
sometimes appearing as living fire or as "blood mist" entities that
engulf a hapless victim and inflict cuts and welts that are slow to heal.
 Green-Aligned Geists
Some geists long to be reconnected with the nature they revered in
life. Energies within the woods that have been called into being by
druids or other nature-mages take on form by entwining roots and
brambles around their Æthereal bodies. Some of these spirits attach
themselves to animals, plants and landforms, imbuing them with special
power or mutating them into strange, otherworldly entities. If the
spirits that inhabit landforms are not appeased, it can often result in
blight, crop failure, and famine.
 Werewolves
The werewolf is a creature of duality, forever dragged between two
worlds: it is both monster and man, nature and civilization, rational
thought and raw savagery.
Killer or Victim: Perspectives on the
Lycanthrope
Some werewolves see themselves as victims cursed with the souls of
untamable killers. Others see themselves as glorious scions of nature
trapped inside a cage of civilized lies. Though most of Innistrad society
focuses on the mass-murdering horrors of the werewolf's beast form,
the lycanthrope can be seen as a tragic figure with an identity chained
to the treacherous moon or an avatar of nature's inherent wildness.
 Human Form: A Tenuous Hold on Civility
A person afflicted with lycanthropy is forever in doubt of his or her
own urges and instincts. In human form, a werewolf feels the pull of the
wolf's essence within even while trying to integrate into polite society.
A lycanthrope can feel the war of emotions in his or her heart, and as
the moon grows full, the influences of conscience, religion, and
personal restraint do less and less. The full moon makes the change
inevitable, but in fact, any strong emotion or traumatic experience can
trigger a lycanthropic crisis and allow the transformation to occur.
 Beast Form: The Natural Killing Machine
Werewolves in canid form are beings of unparalleled savagery and
strength. Their bodies are perfectly engineered for slaughter, with jaws
capable of snapping bone and claws sharp enough to rip the entrails
from a beast many times their size. Their minds are explosions of
instinct and adrenaline, fed supernatural awareness from their
heightened senses yet cognitively blind to almost everything but the
kill. They can walk upright for manual dexterity or can lope on four
limbs for speed. Their howl is said to release the wolf's spirit within, a
harrowing sound that fogs the air and chills the night. Werewolves in
beast form cannot speak human languages, but seem to be able to
communicate with each other on matters of hunting, dominance, and
social hierarchy, as canines do in the wild.
 The Transformation
The transformation process is harrowing for the lycanthrope and
incredibly disturbing to any witnesses. The eyes change first, the
whites darkening and the iris filling with color. The claws go next; the
hands elongate, knifelike claws extend from the fingertips, and the
thumb forms a claw back near the wrist. The muzzle thrusts forward out
of the human's skull, and the teeth jut through the gums in sharp
points. Bones crack as they rearrange. Marrow spills into the
bloodstream as ribs and skull fracture and telescope. Thick, wiry fur
pushes through the skin, often pushing out normal human hair. The
tailbone elongates and becomes a shaggy wolf's tail. Metabolism speeds
up, increasing blood flow, oxygen flow, and glandular production,
creating cravings for protein and fat. Any clothing that was worn at the
time of the change is generally torn to shreds and falls away. If a
werewolf dies in beast form, it changes back to human form, a process
called death reversion.
 Aftermath
A werewolf that has just changed back to human form is usually naked,
disoriented, and covered in the debris, wounds, and bloodstains of the
previous night's hunt. He or she has flashes of memories left over from
canid form, often experienced with involuntary heart spasms and jolts
of adrenaline, not unlike the experience of panic attacks. The days
following a transformation are often filled with shame, guilt, and
depression—and repression, as the lycanthrope struggles to feign
normality, construct alibis, and hide evidence of his or her savage
crimes.

Repentants vs. Wantons: Living

with the Curse
After reverting to humanoid form, most werewolves have partial
memories of their time in canid form, and they clearly see the
aftereffects of the destruction they've caused. This can send
lycanthropes into the throes of depression, shame, or even hostility
against others. A minority of lycanthropes actually embrace their
werewolf nature, however, and actively seek to return to their canid
state. Werewolves that revile their lycanthropy are called repentants;
the few who embrace the wild are called wantons. While in canid form,
however, all werewolves are savage beasts, all traces of their humanity
gone.
 Religion: Warding Against the Change
Humans destroy known werewolves when they can; all lycanthropes are
seen as abominations and mass murderers. But werewolves are
dangerous creatures to face head-on, so wide-scale magical prevention
is often employed to curb lycanthropy passively.

Regular and repeated application of Avacynian magic can help prevent

the change to canid form. Roadside shrines, prayer, angelic rites, the
blessing of accomplished clerics, and the presence of holy symbols all
help reinforce the werewolf's humanity, helping her hold on to her
human form. Repentant werewolves often stay within the city limits,
around their fellow man and the influence of religion, whereas wantons
often venture into the wilderness, far from the wards and priests that
keep their wolf essence in check. The full moon, however can overcome
even powerful religious precautions. In addition, the power of angelic
magic has waned in recent times, and werewolf transformations have
become more common and harder to predict.
 Lycanthropes and the Moon
There's no doubt that the moon holds sway over werewolves. As the
moon's phases change, so changes the power of lycanthropy over the
werewolf. As the full moon approaches, the effectiveness of divine
magic becomes dampened, and werewolves change more readily.

Blessed silver

Werewolves in canid form are supernaturally strong and tough, and

since the weakening of Avacynian magic, few protection spells have
been able to harm them or keep them at bay. But werewolves have a
weakness: pure silver that has been ritually blessed by a powerful cleric
of Avacyn can cause them great agony. According to alchemists, silver's
purity of material readily absorbs the divine magic. Arrowheads,
spearpoints, and other weapons made from blessed silver can be
powerful instruments for fighting werewolves.
 Silver and the Moon
Mages have presumed a relationship between the moon and the metal
silver for centuries, but the nature of that relationship remains a
mystery. The respected astronomancer Jenrik once posited that
Innistrad's moon is actually a vast desert composed of tiny grains of
silver. He believed that any silver found on Innistrad actually
originated from the moon's silver desert, and that terrestrial silver
maintains a relationship with the moon's power. Why the moon seems
to empower werewolves while silver harms them is not well
understood.
 The Cause and Nature of
Lycanthropy
There are many theories of how lycanthropy is caused or spread. Most
sects of the Church of Avacyn hold that lycanthropy is a kind of
demonic possession, but ritual exorcisms have not successfully purged
the affliction. Most afflicted humans appear to become werewolves at
some point in their lives rather than being born so, although there are
sporadic (and chilling) tales of child werewolves in remote areas. Many
alchemists and wolfhunters believe that werewolves are sterile, and
only reproduce by cursing humans with lycanthropy; however, many
commoners fear that they might be able to interbreed with humans or
give birth to their own kind.
 The True Cause
Lycanthropy is a supernatural curse that causes the victim's spiritual
essence to become mingled with the wild essence of nature, symbolized
by the wolf. The lycanthrope in effect has two souls, or one split soul.
These two essences constantly battle for control within the victim.
When the wild wolf-essence triumphs, the werewolf change occurs. This
may explain why werewolves hunt humans so often; the wolf-essence
desires to destroy the human side and triumph over humanity, and does
so symbolically by brutally slaying humans.
 Transmitting the Curse: The Call and the First
Hunt
The curse of lycanthropy overtakes a person over a period of one night.
One or more werewolves howl in the night, calling out to the victim.
Soon after, the victim finds himself in the wilderness, under the silvery
moon, surrounded by eyes glowing in the night. The victim's will is
compromised already, the wild essence entering him and doing battle
with his human conscience. The victim and the werewolves crash
through the woods together, and over the course of the night, they
hunt and kill their prey—usually woodland game, but other humans or
even another lycanthrope is not unheard of.

The called victim begins to express wolf characteristics throughout the

night, and as he sinks his teeth into bloody flesh, the curse perceptibly
takes hold, and he transforms fully into canid form for the first time.
There is a bone-chilling chorus of howls, and the First Hunt is complete.
Later, the new lycanthrope usually staggers back into civilization, half-
naked, barely recognizable through the blood and offal and wilderness
debris, and nearly mad from fear and shameful memories. Thereafter,
the werewolf must remain vigilant with prayer and caution, lest the
wolf essence manifest again.
 Detection
Werewolves in either form seem to be able to tell a human-form
lycanthrope by smell. Indeed, humans who are mysteriously spared
during werewolf rampages are often suspected of being werewolves
themselves.

No Known Cure
No known remedy, blessing, or ritual has effectively purged the curse
of lycanthropy. The closest anyone ever came was alchemist Theodora
Glick, who was brought in to inspect Guthril, a werewolf captured by
the local constabulary. Through a complex ceremony involving mystic
circles inlaid with the wolfsbane plant, a blanket woven with blessed
silver thread, and a lightning storm, Glick managed to force Guthril to
revert to human form and stay that way through three lunar cycles.
Unfortunately, the ritual was only temporary, and Guthril re-emerged
stronger than ever. He utterly destroyed Glick's laboratory in Gavony
and fled into the night.
 Howlpacks
Werewolves are often lone hunters, stalking and killing humans as
singular monsters in urban settings. But some werewolves form loose,
evolving social groups out in the wild called howlpacks. The
populations of howlpacks wax and wane like the moon, gaining and
losing members as individual lycanthropes enter or leave their canid
state. Some werewolves seem to be continually drawn back to their
howlpack, returning to it time after time as soon as they drop their
human guise and reenter the wild. Howlpacks can be tiny hunting
parties of just a few werewolves, or can be massive hordes of over a
hundred. A howlpack is often led by a single alpha (male or female) that
dominates the pack. Alphas must often defend their power by defeating
challengers in combat.

Three of the larger, more stable howlpacks are the Krallenhorde, the
Mondronen, and the Leeraug.
The Krallenhorde: Innistrad's Largest Howlpack
When an average Innistrad human thinks of a werewolf pack, he or she
thinks of the Krallenhorde. The Krallenhorde has existed in some form
for decades, composed of anywhere from fifty to over two hundred
werewolves depending on the availability of prey and the phase of the
moon. The most heterogeneous of howlpacks, Krallenhorde includes a
mix of repentant and wanton werewolves, and has drawn members from
all provinces of Innistrad. The alpha of Krallenhorde is currently the
werewolf Ulrich, a cunning and perceptive wanton who remains in the
wild and runs with the howlpack even when he reverts to human form.
 Mondronen: Carnal Ritualists
The Mondronen howlpack is composed of around sixty werewolves who
are said to control a dark, bloody magic of nature. Their alpha Tovolar
is a mute, silver-furred werewolf who leads his pack on revels of
carnage and howling songs, and who never seems to revert to human
form. The Mondronen wolves historically stayed far from centers of
civilization, only preying on farmlands, rural communities, and remote
monasteries. But as Avacyn's protective wards have diminished in
strength, it's said that the Mondronen territory has grown closer to
cities, and that their dark magics may soon spill over into genteel life.
 Leeraug: Killers of the Absent Moon
Few know of the Leeraug, a relatively small and tight-knit pack of
Innistrad's most vicious werewolf predators, but almost all have heard
tales of their destruction. The Leeraug are unique in that they hunt
under the black night of the new moon, rather than transforming when
the moon is full. They favor the flesh and entrails of children, and often
steal into homes and orphanages through chimneys or windows left
ajar. The Leeraug alpha is Skaharra, a black-furred she-wolf noted for
her tendency to kill along bloodlines, murdering entire families in a
single night while sparing unrelated farmhands and servants.
 Vampires
Innistrad's vampires comprise its only nonhuman civilization and the
biggest threat to humans on the plane. Their existence represents a sort
of externalization of self-indulgent desire; if werewolves are a symbol
of repressed rage, vampires are a symbol of repressed desire. On
Innistrad, vampire manor houses, courts, and even the occasional castle
exist across the plane, and vampires themselves vary considerably in
aggressiveness toward their human prey.
 The Nature of Vampirism
Vampirism on Innistrad is neither a virus nor a curse, but what the
vampires themselves somewhat euphemistically call a "condition of the
blood." It is an anointing that persists and is perpetuated by magic
alone, and few if any of its bearers consider it a curse. When reflecting
on the nature of "the condition," vampires sometimes poetically call it
an ablution, a washing of the self in blood that results in a new state of
being. Innistrad vampires are not truly undead, although they have
some undead traits (such as agelessness and skin that's cold to the
touch).
 Vampiric traits
The most distinctive thing about vampires' appearance is their eyes.
The sclera is black and the irises gold, silver, or other colors. The skin is
pale and cool to the touch. The hair is often black but is sometimes deep
purple, dark magenta, burgundy, or even dark blue-green. Some
vampires wear wigs, however, for variety, novelty, or to disguise
themselves more easily among humans. A vampire's canines are very
slightly pronounced at all times, and when they bite someone, the
canines extend about a quarter inch. Vampires also tend to have long
and slightly curved fingernails.
 Vampiric powers.
Humans have a multitude of tall tales about the evils and wonders of
which vampires are capable. In reality, though, the vampires' universal
suite of powers is limited to just three things: agelessness, slightly
enhanced strength (approximately double that of a human), and a two-
foot-wide aura of silence that emanates from them at will.
 Vampiric magic.
That said, many vampires learn a uniquely vampiric form of glamer
(quasi-illusion magic) that enables them to move among humans
undetected. These are mind-affecting spells that alter what nearby
humans think they're perceiving, rather than true illusion magic that
changes the subject's appearance. As such, particularly strong-willed
humans can sometimes shake off the effects of the glamer and see the
vampire truly. Also, given time, power, and mana, elder vampires learn
all manner of powerful magic, including flight, hypnotic gaze,
transformation into other forms (such as that of a bat or a mist), and so
on.
 Vampiric Vulnerabilities.
All vampires inherit a set of weaknesses linked to the ritual that created
their race. First, although they can be harmed or killed by any weapon,
weapons of living wood have special efficacy—this is the so-called
Dryad's Legacy (dead wood is inert, no more effective than stone or
steel). Second, a vampire can't cross running water in which the moon is
reflected, because of the link between water as the source of human
food and the moon as the source of angelic power. Third, Avacyn
herself can enchant water with the power to burn vampires like acid by
touching it. But this water is scarce and becoming scarcer with each
passing day.

Silver, the soothsayer.

Because of the connection between Innistrad's silver moon and its
angels, and because the ritual that created vampires required the
drinking of angel blood, silver has special properties vis-à-vis vampires:
it causes them to see how they would have been in normal, mortal life,
ignoring vampire glamer and reality alike. Because of this, vampires go
to great lengths to avoid mirrors (glass backed with a coating of silver),
because mirrors reflect their mortal images rather than their actual
ones. This is also the reason why vampires can't cross running water in
which the moon is reflected. Although silver weapons aren't
particularly deadly to vampires, the presence of silver unsettles them,
putting them at a disadvantage.
 Avacyn's power.
The archangel Avacyn is (or was) the living covenant of the balance
between humans and vampires. Avacynian holy symbols can induce in
vampires a paralyzing fear and the desire to flee, although their ability
to do so has significantly diminished in the last year (because of
Avacyn's disappearance). Despite Avacyn's absence, however, the
strength of faith alone imbues a degree of continued power in the
symbols of Avacyn: the silver collar and the heron crest.

The Unquenchable Thirst

A vampire will starve to death in one full cycle of the moon unless it
drinks as much human blood as an average human contains (about five
liters). Almost any vampire will drink more than this if given the
chance, however. Without enough blood, a vampire starves quickly—in
a matter of several days—first desiccating before eventually crumbling
to dust. Because of the source magic that created all vampires, only
blood from a living human will suffice. Vampire alchemists have
attempted transmutations of animal blood to human blood, but all have
failed. Blood from a dead human is also insufficient; if blood from a
living human is like wine, blood from a dead human is like vinegar.
 Blood trade.
To vampires, blood is indeed like wine. Vampires enjoy a lively
commerce in blood, although the commodity is only good for a few
days before it provides no nourishment—about the same length of time
as wood stays alive once cut from its plant. Small castles and manor
houses in relative proximity to each other trade blood via carriage and
experiment with various blends. Particularly interesting or delicious
samples are occasionally preserved by well paid time-mages who can
use sorcery to prevent the blood from "dying" for a short time
(freezing doesn't work). When a time-mage can't be secured, however
(which is often), some vampires resort to slavery of the victim, shipping
him or her from place to place to be supped on. Specialty carriages exist
for this purpose.
 Feeding and siring.
A vampire will drink the blood of his or her human victim, usually until
the victim dies of blood loss. Sometimes the vampire is interrupted and
the human will survive and recover. Although other humans might
suspect the survivor of a vampire's bite of becoming a vampire, this
isn't a possibility, because siring requires an exchange of blood. The
survivor will be plagued by disturbing and sometimes erotic dreams for
years but will not turn.

When a vampire wishes to turn a human into a vampire, to sire the

victim, the vampire must introduce his or her own blood into the
victim. The simplest way to accomplish this is for the vampire to cut his
or her own cheek or tongue before or during the bite. This act will
"anoint" the victim, endowing him or her with the same "condition of
the blood" that all vampires have. But this is only the first step. The
victim, once anointed, will begin to feel the bloodthirst, and food will
become unsatisfying within one to three days. But this first bloodthirst
is special; only the blood of the sire can quench it. A newly anointed
victim who doesn't drink the sire's blood before the next new moon will
die. But if he or she does, the siring will be complete and the anointed
will become a full-fledged vampire.
 Only the gifted.
Who do vampires choose to sire? Because vampires believe they are
humanity's saviors, and because of their own decadence and hedonism,
only the cream of the human crop is fit for siring. A vampire might
decide to sire a human because of the human's beauty, charisma,
intelligence, or talent, for example. In short, only the most remarkable
humans become vampires.
 The Bite.
When vampires feed, they will sink their teeth into any exposed flesh.
Usually the neck is most convenient, but an arm or even a cheek will
do. But the siring bite is special. Vampires want to avoid marring the
appearance of their future peers, so often a siring bite is made in some
out-of-view location, such as on the upper thigh, the torso under the
arm, or the bottom of a foot (although in this last case the victim must
be special indeed to be worth the vampire's self-humiliation).
 Bloodlines
Not all vampires are created equal. Among the existing vampiric
bloodlines, some are more common but prestigious whereas some are
rare but less respected. There were originally twelve bloodlines, which
originated long ago in a ritual that had something to do with the
Markov progenitor, Edgar Markov. Three of these bloodlines have died
out completely. Five others are relatively minor, having sired fewer
vampires. The four major bloodlines that remain are:
 Markov.
This is the bloodline of Edgar Markov and is the most prestigious of the
bloodlines. The Markov line has been fairly ambitious in its siring over
the many centuries, and as a result the Markov vampires exist in all four
of Innistrad's provinces. This isn't to say that all vampires of the Markov
line are all high-minded or noble; a bloodline doesn't determine
temperament, self-discipline, or restraint. Markov elders seem to have a
talent for psychic magic.
 Falkenrath.
The Falkenrath line, concentrated more in Stensia than the Markov line,
had a famous falconer (now dead) as its progenitor and remains
associated with far-reaching activity and predation. Falkenrath
vampires are the boldest in walking among humans, taking pleasure in
choosing their victims from deep within human communities that
consider themselves safe. Falkenrath elders are more likely to master
powers of flight than those of other lines.
 Voldaren.
The progenitor of the Voldaren line, Olivia Voldaren, was in life a
beautiful but strange, hermetic, antisocial woman who preferred to live
far away from human civilization, in manor homes built for her from
her seemingly boundless wealth. Like their progenitor, Voldaren
vampires tend to live in the distant places, in the borderlands and edges
of Innistrad's provinces. Voldaren elders can more easily master magic
that enables them to transform into animal forms, especially those of
the bat, cat, and rat.
 Stromkirk.
Unwilling to take part in the political and social machinations of
Stensian vampires, those of the Stromkirk line chose to concentrate
their power in Nephalia instead. As a result their disguising glamers are
more powerful and more sophisticated. Stromkirk's progenitor, Runo
Stromkirk, was a high priest in life who worshipped a pre-Avacynian
god of the sea and storms, and Stromkirk vampires still feel a slight
affinity with the coast. Some Stromkirk elders have achieved the ability
to transform themselves into mist.
Character Guide
 Races

Human (Any Color)

Free Edge, +5 Power Points, +2 Charisma,

Humans are probably one of the most prevalent species in

the multiverse. They are four limbed, bipedial primates of the
mammallian class. They have a highly developed brain capable of
abstract reasoning, language, and introspection. The only natural plane
where humans are known not to exist at all is Lorwyn.
 Aven (White)
Flight, -1 Toughness, +5 Bonus Power Points, Keen Sense

Aven are sentient, anthropomorphic bird creatures found

on Dominaria and several other planes; on Dominaria, they are most
prevalent on the continent of Otaria.

Otarian Aven resemble humanoid eagles, and are tall and strong,
possessing arms, legs, and powerful wings capable of flight. Most aven
live along Otaria's northern coasts around Balshan Bay as fishers, but
many are also found inland on the Daru Plains and other Order-
controlled regions. They are militant creatures who make up a
significant portion of the Order's members. Many aven are
accomplished warriors, wizards, or both.
 Moonfolk (Blue)
d8 in Smarts, -1 Parry, -1 Toughness, Keen Sense, +10 Power Points

Moonfolk are humanoids unique to the plane of Kamigawa. The

Moonfolk or Soratami are an enigmatic race of humanoid beings who
dwell in Kamigawa's clouds. Physically, they are slim, posses blue-gray
skin, and have long ears which they wrap over their heads.

The Moonfolk live within floating palaces, of which their greatest

structure on the clouds is a palace named Oboro (or Otawara). They watch
over the world below, mostly indifferent to the concerns of the surface
folk. They have a high emphasis on the study of magic and have some of
the most learned mages on the plane.
 Vampire (Black)
Free Edge, +1 Toughness, Flight, Bloodthirsty, Must partake of 1 cup of
blood every 72 hours.

Vampires are a dangerous type of undead. Whilst humans are the most
common victims of vampirism, it can infect other species as well,
including hounds and even dragons. Throughout the multiverse,
vampires can be created through other vampires transforming their
victims, or through enchantment.

The most defining characteristic of vampires is their hunger for the

blood or lifeforce of others. Other traits of vampires can include
unnatural physical strength and enhanced healing powers. Many
vampires are highly sensitive to sunlight and therefore only go out at
night or in the shade, but this is not always the case.
 Viashino (Red)
Outsider, Natural Weapons, d6 Fighting, -4 to Resist Cold

The viashino are a race that are typically depicted as intelligent bipedal
humanoid lizard-folk descended from dragons, over whom they exert
some power. Viashino possess lean but muscular builds and can be agile,
quick, and vicious when necessary.

In Dominaria, viashino are the main civilization on the Shivan sands. The
viashino live in clan communities, each of which led by a ''bey'', and have
a society of warriors. In spite of the emphasis on militarism and their
warrior code, the viashino are also known for their metalsmithing and
crafts.
 Elf (Green)
d6 agility, Strength requires 2 points to level at creation, All Thumbs,
d6 Tracking, +4 to resist natural conditions.

Elves are a race associated with green mana; they are ubiquitous
throughout the multiverse, second in prominence throughout the many
worlds only to humans. They typically live in forests, and are close to
the land. Most elves look much like humans, only with pointed ears.
Most elves live far longer than humans, but it's unclear exactly how
much. Elves can be found in virtually every plane throughout the
multiverse. To date, Kamigawa, Ulgrotha, Mercadia, and Theros are the only
natural planes to have no known races of elves, and only small portions
of these have been seen. According to legend, Elves were once present
on Innistrad, but were driven to extinction.
 Leonin (White)
Loyal, d6 Agility, Racial Enemy (Werewolves), Natual Weapons, Low
Light Vision, Spellcasting is linked to SPIRIT

Leonin are a form of anthropomorphic lion found on the Razor

Fields of Mirrodin, their capital being Taj-Nar, the Ancient Den. As with all
creatures from that plane they have partially metallic features, and
were drawn to that world from another plane, quite possibly Alara.
There, the cat-people used to dominate Naya, but a rebellious faction
believed they had grown weak, and that they should return to their
true cat-nature. After the Conflux, when Alara was made whole once
more, some nacatl migrated to the civilized lands of Bant and began
integrating into the city-dwelling culture. The Bant cat-people, who
adapted to the chivalrous code of knights and soldiers, simply called
themselves leonin.
 Merfolk (Blue)
Aquatic, Pace 5, +1 Toughness, Ugly, Spellcasting is linked to SPIRIT

Merfolk are a race of aquatic humanoids. Humans speculate that merfolk

are Atlantean humans that adapted to the ocean; merfolk speculate that
humans are merfolk that have adapted to live on land. In the dual plane
of Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, merfolk are known as merrows. In Lorwyn they
control commerce and trade routes, which takes places through the
plane's extensive rivers. However, in Shadowmoor, they are murderous
cutthroats and thieves who steal from the other races of Shadowmoor
who live along the rivers, particularly the kithkin. It should also be
noted that the merrow of Shadowmoor have abandoned shaping the
tides, leaving some rivers to dry up and others to flood.
 Gorgon (Black)
Poison, Natural Weapons, Wanted (Major), -2 Charisma, Immunity to
Disease and Poison, Fear, Spellcasting is linked to SPIRIT

Gorgons, also known as medusae, are snake-skinned humanoid women

with hair made of snakes and the ability to calcify organic entities that
look at the gorgon in the face. Incredibly deadly, they are thankfully
rare across the planes, only known to have appeared
in Dominaria, Ravnica, and Shandalar. Other than their universally
cunning, deceitful, and ruthless nature, little is known about this
mysterious race, regardless of plane. However, many do seem to show
aptitude in alchemy, especially as poisoners.
 Goblin (Red)
-1 Size, +1 Parry, +2 to Repair (1 on Skill Die means 2d6 hours to repair),
d6 Repair, d8 Agility, Smarts can NEVER Advance Beyond d6, Low
Light Vision, Spellcasting is linked to SPIRIT

Goblins are a red-aligned race that is usually encountered in

underground warrens in mountain areas. They are known for their
small size and low intellect. Goblins proliferate on the city-plane
of Ravnica, filling various functions within the guilds they populate. In
theBoros Legion, they are expendable soldiers. The Izzet League uses
goblins as servants and experiments. Within the Gruul Clans and Cult of
Rakdos, goblins are very much like they are on most other planes:
Angry and violent. Though some goblins find positions of respect
within their guilds, they remain much put-upon by their neighbors, and
most Ravnicans regard them as little better than beasts or simpletons.
 Loxodon (Green)
Size +1, +1 Reach, Vow (Minor), -2 Charisma, Smarts requires 2 points to
raise during creation, Hardy, Spellcasting is linked to SPIRIT

Loxodons are elephantine humanoids of unknown origin. They were

present in Mirrodin and were thought to have originated in Ravnica, but
it hasn't been confirmed. Ravnican loxodons are nearly extinct. Most
seek membership in the Selesnya Conclave, it being the most naturalistic
of the guilds. In Mirrodin, they have as much metal on their bodies as
any other beings, and are more clerical rather than natural. These
loxodon ascribed religious superiority to those born albino, believing
them to be spiritually pure. Long ago, the Auriok attempted peace with
the loxodons and the leonin attempted war; neither succeeded.
 Background
All Characters in this campaign have Arcane Background (Magic). This
is a gift; you do not have to buy this Edge. I am a generous god.

Arcane Background (Magic) begins each player with 10 power

points and 3 powers to choose from. We‘ll get to the powers in a minute,
but the other thing to remember is that if your Spellcasting die ever
comes up 1, you are automatically Shaken. Yes, this can wound you.

Players in Innistrad must also choose a color identity to represent

their character during creation. First and foremost, unless you‘re a
human, one of your colors must align with your race. This choice of two
colors outlines the powers available to you and provides the Major
Hindrance for the character (Minor Hindrances are still chosen
normally). Choose carefully, roleplaying will be rewarded. And
Punished. Humans may also choose a second affiliation since they are
not tied to any color. However, these affiliations must share a color, and
yes, you‘ll rack up 2 extra Major Hindrances, and get no points for them.
 The Affiliations
Colors Alliance Name Major Hindrance
White-Blue The Seer Haunted Dreams
White-Black The Inquisitor Greedy
White-Red The Champion Heroic
White-Green The Shepherd Loyal
Green-Blue The Alchemist Curious
Green-Black The Gravekeep Grim Servant
Green-Red The Hunter Vengeful
Red-Blue The Conjurer Impulsive
Red-Black The Zealot Bloodthirsty
Black-Blue The Stitcher Arrogant

Edges
See SWADE p. 37-53
 New Hindrances
Haunted Dreams (Major). If a character with Haunted Dreams
gets less than 8 hours of sleep a night, they cannot use fate chips the
next day. If they do get enough sleep however, they can use 1 fate chip
per day to get a revelation about the current situation.

Grim Servant of Death (Major). The Character deals +1 on all

damage rolls. Bravo! Unfortunately, if your combat roll comes up 1, then
your attack automatically hits your nearest ally! Congratulations, pawn
of Bolas!

Just kidding.

Everyone‘s a pawn of Bolas.

Hindrances
See SWADE p.22-28
 Skills
Academics (Smarts): Knowledge of liberal arts, social sciences, literature, history, etc.
Athletics (Agility): Overall athletic coordination and ability.
Battle (Smarts): Strategy, tactics, and understanding military operations.
Boating (Agility): Ability to sail or pilot a boat, ship, or other watercraft.
Common Knowledge (Smarts): General knowledge of a character’s world.
Driving (Agility): The ability to control, steer, and operate ground vehicles.
Fighting (Agility): Skill in armed and unarmed combat.
Gambling (Smarts): Skill and familiarity with games of chance.
Healing (Smarts): The ability to treat and heal Wounds and diseases, and in forensic
evidence.
Intimidation (Spirit): A character’s ability to threaten others into doing what she wants.
Notice (Smarts): General awareness and perception.
Occult (Smarts): Knowledge of supernatural events, creatures, history, and ways.
Performance (Spirit): Singing, dancing, acting, or other forms of public expression.
Persuasion (Spirit): The ability to convince others to do what you want.
Repair (Smarts): The ability to fix mechanical gadgets.
Research (Smarts): Finding written information from various sources.
Riding (Agility): A character’s skill in mounting, controlling, and riding a tamed beast.
Science (Smarts): Knowledge of scientific fields such as Alchemy, Engineering, etc.
Shooting (Agility): Precision with any type of ranged weapon.
Spellcasting (Smarts): The arcane skill for Arcane Background (Magic).
Stealth (Agility): The ability to sneak and hide.
Survival (Smarts): How to find food, water, or shelter, and tracking.
Taunt (Smarts): Insulting or belittling another.
Thievery (Agility): Sleight of hand, pickpocketing, lockpicking, and other typically
shady feats.

Gear
Use ―Medieval‖ Gear in SWADE
 Powers
If a power is present in more than one of a character‘s colors, that
character gets a +1 to the Spellcasting roll if a power is present in 2
colors, and a +2 if it is present in 3 colors

White
Armor, Banish, Blind, Blast, Boost/Lower Trait, Dispel, Environmental
Protection, Drain Power Points, Fly, Healing, Greater Healing, Light/
Obscure, Sloth, Slumber, Smite, Speak Language, Stun, Succor,
Summon Ally, Warrior‘s Gift

Blue
Banish, Barrier, Confusion, Detect/Conceal Arcana, Disguise, Dispel,
Divination, Drain Power Points, Entangle, Fly, Growth/Shrink,
Intangibility, Invisibility, Mind Reading, Puppet, Shape Change,
Slumber, Summon Ally, Telekinesis, Teleport

Black
Armor, Blast, Blind, Bolt, Damage Field, Darksight, Detect/Conceal
Arcana, Disguise, Divination, Drain Power Points, Farsight, Fear, Havoc,
Intangibility, Mind Reading, Puppet, Speak Language, Teleport, Wall
Walker, Zombie
 Red
Blast, Bolt, Burrow, Boost/Lower Trait, Burst, Confusion, Damage Field,
Elemental Manipulation, Fear, Havoc, Pummel, Puppet, Quickness, Shape
Change, Smite, Speed, Stun, Summon Ally, Telekinesis, Warrior‘s Gift

Green
Armor, Banish, Barrier, Beast Friend, Boost/Lower Trait, Burrow,
Damage Field, Divination, Deflection, Elemental Manipulation,
Entangle, Environmental Protection, Farsight, Healing, Growth/
Shrink, Shape Change, Sloth, Speak Language, Succor, Wall Walker

Wedge and Shard +2 Powers

Esper (White/Blue/Black) Drain Power Points
Grixis (Blue/Black/Red) Puppet
Jund (Black/Red/Green) Damage Field
Naya (Red/Green/White) Boost/Lower Trait
Bant (Green/White/Blue) Banish
Jeskai (White/Blue/Red) Summon Ally
Sultai (Blue/Black/Green) Divination
Mardu (Black/Red/White) Blast
Temur (Red/Green/Blue) Shape Change
Abzan (Green/White/Black) Armor