Barovian Fairy Tales

Hello! So I've been reading through u/DragnaCarta 's [Curse of Strahd: Reloaded.](https://
www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/9bpzbh/
curse_of_strahd_reloaded_compilation_thread/) Thoroughly recommend it but in it there's a
reference to a book of fairy tales in Gertruda's room in Barovia Village. Now I'm sure Dragna
only meant to make descriptions more interesting and personal than in the original text but it
got me thinking, and I'm passing that thinking in guide format on to you!

# Purpose of Fairy Tales in Your Game:

So why the heck do you, hypothetical CoS DM, care about my musings of a hypothetical book
of fairy tales? I'll tell ya!

1. ***Foreshadowing.*** The book can be found early and alludes to (in varying degrees of
accuracy and specificity) things your players will encounter later on.
2. ***Horror.*** Brother's Grimm-Style folk horror fits neatly into the setting. A lot of these
are creepy.
3. ***Making Children Useful and Interesting.*** There are rather a lot of children in CoS, and
they're mostly just creepy (Reference: any art of a child in the book). Creepy children are a
staple in horror and players may regard them with suspicion. A good way to make them less
obviously untrustworthy is to make their presence beneficial to the party in some way.
4. ***Gertruda.*** The book specifically states that Gertruda has a "fairy tale" view of the
world. This was no doubt the reason Dragna included it in Reloaded. This can add a little
depth to her character.
5. ***Content!*** Make your CoS game ever-so-slightly... more. I'll be linking to a couple of
homebrews and dropping one of my own here that tie into the fairy tales in some way. If you
like anything I link that isn't mine, be sure to remember that upvotes are on the left when you
visit. Crediting the artist is about all I have to give but by god I'm gonna credit them.

# Name/ Where to Find:

The book is called *Baba Belsky's Book of Fables*. It can be found in Gertruda's room in
Barovia village, as well as the Rose and Thorn's room in death house to make it accessible
near the beginning (Like other important things in death house, it gets older when removed,
not destroyed). It can also appear in multiple libraries and children's rooms across Barovia as
you see fit. Most children have knowledge of at least some of these tales. They'll sing the
rhymes to themselves and compare the party to the heroes of legend if they like them.
Children excited to see new people might ask if they've seen horrors described in the book.

If your players actually care enough to investigate with experts knowledgeable of Barovian
folklore, Baba Belsky is the pen name for a long-dead Valakian woman named Helena Belsky
who compiled local nursery rhymes and legends in a book for children. In addition to the
erosion of time, historical accounts have been edited to avoid aggravating Strahd.

# The Fables (Let's be honest, its what you're here for)

**Katelyn Crooked-Teeth:**

Katelyn Crooked-Teeth is a creepy old woman that takes your teeth. Pure and simple. Like the
tooth fairy. Parents who's children squirm at the thought of yanking out baby teeth are told if
they don't, Katelyn will come in the night and take them all.

In reality, Ceithleen of the Crooked Teeth is an evil arch-fey worshipped by the hags of Old
Bonegrinder. If you want to flesh this out some, I use the [toothbold](https://
www.reddit.com/r/DnDHomebrew/comments/jj2xmx/
artoc_i_made_a_bunch_of_tiny_creatures_and_would/), a monster by u/michifromkmk .
They wander about old bone grinder and there are a lot of them in a big bag at Ceithleen's
shrine. They could be incorporated into hag deals. I've also added [the skeleton key](https://
www.reddit.com/r/DnDHomebrew/comments/ngbwju/skeleton_key_that_steals_your_teeth/)
to one of the hags to be traded or looted from her corpse. Its a magic item by u/
For_The_Lazy85 that might make your teeth fall out.

​

**The Bear Knight of Delmor:**

In the text, the Bear Knight is a hero in shining armor crafted to resemble a bear. A hero of
legend from the kingdom of Delmor before it was conquered and called Barovia and was
champion of many battles. He fought valiantly to save the woman he loved from the wicked
Devil King Dostron. The Bear-Kight's quest was ill-fated but their souls were united in death,
a bitter-sweet reunion.

In actuality the real bear knight, a warrior named Oren, would have hated being called the
Bear Knight of Delmor. He was a knight of Delmor that discovered the old ways of Cerunnos,
from before even Delmor stood and forsook his nation. He gained the secrets of werebear
lycanthropy through ancient rites and used his newfound might to oppose tyranny. Though
king Dostron was real and is buried beneath Ravenloft, his inclusion here is to appease
Strahd, the actual adversary of Oren. When Strahd supplanted the three ladies of the wood
(more on them later) one of them, the Huntress, was in love with this mortal champion. Over
the years as traditions were forgotten she became the fair maiden in the tale.
The Huntress is currently a deranged old woman (and hag) named Laura. Cruel and mad from
Strahd's corruption. Her home is at the base of Mt Ghakis, doing everything short of violence
to keep people away from her lover's crypt. Strahd's corruption of the land and by extension
her, combined with her grief, prevents her from realizing that Oren would want to be found.
Upon aproaching Mt Ghakis, players may find several wolves killed in territorial disputes with
bears and any wolf random encounters should be replaced. Brown bears instead of wolves
and polar bears (reskinned as cave bears) instead of dire wolves.

Oren's crypt is a simple affair. A single worn megalith a bit farther up the mountain carved
with vivid depiction of Oren's battles. The megalith was split in half by Strahd in an act of
cruelty long ago. Flower's grow all around as a result of the Huntress's influence. At its base
is a heavy stone slab that, if moved, reveals a rough earthen staircase. I would recommend a
character of evil alignment or an ally of Strahd that lifts this slab be cursed in some way. If
you have access to VRGtR it contains some good options. The crypt itself is a simple
underground cavern with a large stone sarcophagus. Roses are both laid atop the
sarcophagus by the Huntress.

If a player of good alignment is present, Oren's ghost appears to address them. If a lawful
good character is present, he will show preference to them over other good aligned
characters in a sort of perceived kinship. He also respects those who revere nature. Oren has
plate armor adorned with a roaring bear and lined with fur. He's a hairy, wild-looking man
with a thick mane of unkempt brown hair. His throat bleeds constantly from Strahd's final,
mortal wound. In spite of this he will converse with players in a cryptic, ghostly fashion. If the
players say they are enemies of Strahd when Oren asks, he will offer his aid if one of them
can best him in single combat. Oren has the statistics of a werebear from the MM with an
armor class of 16, a greatsword instead of an axe (2d6 instead of 1d12). He also has the
condition/damage immunities, flying speed, ethereal sight, and incorporeal movement of a
ghost from the MM. Once defeated, his ghost will transform into bear form and bite his
combatant, dealing 1d4 piercing damage (nonlethal) before fading forever. This player
obtains werebear lycanthropy and a single whisper of gratitude hangs in the air. Sure its a
curse, but since werebears are lawful good, their moonlit rampages will at least be aimed at
injustice.

Oren's coffin contains his skeleton as well as his armor and sword. It is plate armor with a +1
bonus to defense. If your are running lycanthropy in a way that requires worn equipment to
be destroyed, this armor is enchanted to be an exception. If you have access to Eberron:
Rising from the Last War, you may wish to also apply the shifter's racial shifting feature to
those attuned to this armor (beasthide or longtooth) once per day recharging at dawn. His
greatsword is +1 and silvered, adorned with further bear imagery. Another curse can be
applied if someone opens the coffin without dueling Oren's ghost as with the initial opening
of the tomb.
The intent of Oren's crypt is that it be out of the way but a cool late-game reward for players
that have been paying attention. A single vaguely creepy reward that isn't as *overtly*
corrupting as the dark gifts, for players that managed to retain their virtue through most of
the campaign.

Edit: for the curse, the slab has writing that reads: “Here lies Oren, knight of the Fanes.
Death will follow wicked hearts who disturb his rest.” I’m using the sample curse “Ancient
Seal” from VRgtR but replacing the wraith with either redcaps or bears that appear in the
dark comprised of black smoke.

**Brunhilda and the Tower:**

Brunhilda and the Tower is a Rapunzel-like tale of a young woman held captive in a tower by
her evil witch of a mother and rescued by a dashing prince. The unique bit being that the
mother kills the prince and resurrects him as a slave to torment Brunhilda, but he overcomes
even the mindlessness of undeath to be with her. Brunhilda's love breaks the curse and
restores him to life.

Though entirely fiction, this story was always Gertruda's favorite and It goes without saying
that the story has had an effect on how she sees Strahd and her mother.

​

**The Ladies Three:**

In Baba Belsky's Book of Fables the ladies are reduced to [this poem](https://
www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/kj5d0u/
ring_of_stone_ladies_three_poemsong_handout/) by u/breosaighead . The ladies three are
old forgotten lore and you won't get any specifics from a children's' book. Its good to
foreshadow them later though.

I'm sure many of you are aware of the ladies three. u/DragnaCarta and u/MandyMod have
both done excellent jobs [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/8ryr9b/
revisions_for_running_curse_of_strahd_the_fanes/) and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/
CurseofStrahd/comments/9l5zfh/fleshing_out_curse_of_strahd_the_fanes_and_the/)
respectively outlining how you can incorporate the Weaver, Huntress, and Seeker into your
game. I recommend you look them over they are very good. In brief they are ancient archfey
of Barovia once worshipped by the druids and mountain folk. Forgotten when Strahd
"became the land" and supplanted them. u/DragnaCarta 's guide effectively gives Strahd a
power-up until the fanes are re-consecrated, making them somewhat necessary to
completing the campaign.

Now the above linked creators have their own awesome interpretations of the Ladies, and I
have mine. I'm sure you have your own. I'm only bringing this up because the Bear Knight
clashes with how u/MandyMod incorporated the Huntress and I'm worried someone will bring
it up. The ladies are very open to interpretation.

**Eye-Catcher:**

*It can see what you cannot,*

*giving wisdom, trading rot.*

*Cursed swarms of glinting waste,*

*dealing pain to spite your face.*

​

*Cross your heart and hope to die,*

*stick a needle in your eye,*

*Eye catcher, eye patcher,*

*hide from the eye catcher!*

I've implemented this creature as a substitute random encounter. Sometimes the table says
"If (blank) treat this as no encounter." In this case I use an [eye catcher](https://
www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/k8gyzp/
three_tiny_monsters_the_thumbstall_knight_the/) instead. It trades a skill proficiency for
one of your eyes. I made the rhyme longer. The eye-catcher is a creature by u/michifromkmk
as a part of their series of tiny creatures (The Fluffy Folio) along with the toothbold from
earlier. Give 'em a look.

**Mist Rider:**

*Have you seen the wicked man,*

*riding forth to distant lands?*

*His horrid bones so pale and long?*

*His wretched steed and wailing song?*

​

*Those who leave their loving home,*

*run afoul this beast of bone.*

*Punished for their wanderlust.*

*Pulled from mist and ground to dust.*

​

The mist rider is based in part off sightings of the skeletal rider random encounter, but is
mostly used to instill in children at a young age that they must never try to traverse the mists
of Barovia.

# Conclusion:

And that's all she wrote! It should go without saying since this is DnD but feel free to alter
this, remove any entries you dislike for your game, and add any fables/ nursery rhymes you
come up with. In fact, if you have any please put them below!