Homebrew Lore of Strahd: The Mists of Ravenloft

I talk about my Curse of Strahd game a lot on this blog, and I hint at a lot of the changes and additions that I've made to the lore. But I haven't had a place to really delve into those changes. Until now. Welcome to the official Homebrew Lore of Strahd column, where I dive into the personal tweaks I've added to the game. Today I'm going to jump into the actual Mists of Ravenloft, the strange fog that plays such a big part in the adventure.

If you have a character named Badger, Cyrus, Sparrow, Vaclav, Ariane, Flint, or Sascha I suggest you stop reading here. Otherwise continue forward at your own risk...

The Mists of Ravenloft are as capricious as they are ominous; and although Strahd has some control over them, they are not his creation. Indeed, the vampire lord loathes the mists with all his dead heart. For the Mists serve as his eternal prison, trapping him as much as anyone he brings to toy with in his realm.

But what are the Mists of Ravenloft? Why does Strahd have any control over them at all? Well... to understand that, you must understand the reason that Ravenloft exists at all.

You see, Ravenloft is not just the country that Strahd rules. The Mists are more Ravenloft than anything else. The Mists were created or formed for one reason only, to keep the most terrible monsters imprisoned, and to punish them for eternity. Was Strahd a vampire before coming to the mists? Maybe. Probably. Although no one knows for sure. What is sure, is that the vampire lord exists in a state of pure rage, forced to live out his most terrible nightmares over and over again.

Some scholars even believe that Strahd has no control over the mists at all, and they merely react to his whims to enhance his own punishment.

Barovia is the most well known country in the mists. But there are many others, each it's own island surrounded by the terrible fog. Each island is different, but each is ruled over by its own Dark Lord, each lord being punished for their terrible deeds on the material planes. Rumors claim that Lord Soth from Krynn exists somewhere in the obscured lands. Others claim that Vecna himself rules a land of his own from a cursed tower of melting bones. Only one thing is known for certain: there are many islands and many terrors hidden in the Mists of Ravenloft. One must travel with care... if they can travel the mists at all.