Village of Vor Ziyden
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This section contains canon Ravenloft information from officially published sources; see the References below. |
Vor Ziyden is a town originally located in Dorvinia but now located in Borca following the merging of those two domains during the Grand Conjunction.
Settlement Statistics[1]
Template:Potential-canon Vor Ziyden (small town): Conventional; AL N; 800 gp limit; Assets 48,000 gp; Population 1,200; Isolated (human 95%, halfling 4%, other 1%). Authority Figures: Baron Hedeon Andaas, male human Exp 10; Baroneasa Marta Fortich, female human Exp5; Baron Burian Septow, male human Ari2; Captain Valeska Vanator, female human Rgr3. Important Characters: Sentire Duscha Yanoff (anchorite), female Clr3; Dima Mojic (innkeeper), male human Com5.
Gaz IV Missing Notes[1]
Template:Potential-canon My work in the Doldak Heights complete, I retraced my steps to Ilvin, then took a barge up the Strecura to the bucolic, oft-overlooked agricultural community of Vor Ziyden. The town is unfortified, nestling between the Ziyden Woods and a sharp bend in the river. During the War of Silver Knives, Vor Ziyden was a thriving work camp for Steading's loggers and miners. As these industries slowly dried up, the community turned to more genteel pursuits to survive. A few remnants of the past remain, including a handful of old logging mills, though only one is still in operation. Abandoned mineshafts are rumored to honeycomb the earth beneath the town. On rare occasion, cellar floors have collapsed under a person’s weight, dropping them into the tunnels. Local children insist that wicked monsters glide through the lightless maze, but most adults believe that if the tunnels do see any activity, it is likely from mundane smugglers. Homes here are generally small and sedate — even the local bathhouse and temple are simple structures — but the streets are wide and airy.
Most of Vor Ziyden’s inhabitants are servants or tenant farmers who work in the cleared lands surrounding the town. These gentle hills are home to the most acclaimed vineyards in Borca. Power in the region, including the town itself, is controlled by a consortium of the three most powerful wine families. Although Vor Ziyden is generally a quiet, secluded refuge from the deadly waltz of Borcan politics, whenever anything does go wrong, the stapans are quick to blame their neighbors.
Missing Dread Possibility from Gaz IV[1]
Template:Potential-canon A Curious Sediment
In 727 BC, workers at the Andaas Vineyards discovered a few splotchy mauve toadstools growing among the vines. The Corpsewort Toadstool usually grows only in the Tainted Wood, miles away; to this day, no one knows how the fungus was transplanted. The toadstools were quickly burned and the harvest completed. It was thought that no harm had been done, but years later, after the wine had been aged, bottled, and shipped across the Core, the truth came to light: At least three-fourths of the harvest was tainted with lethal spores. Andaas Brimbubbly ‘27 is now one of the most notorious vintages ever produced. Collectors pay outrageous prices for a sealed bottle, while other bottles have been implicated in several deaths. The Andaas family still employs agents to recover the remaining bottles, hoping to stem the damage done to their reputation.
Corpsewort spores infect living creatures as a disease: ingested or inhaled, DC 16, incubation 1 day, damage 1d4 temporary Constitution. Within 2d6 hours of infection, the victim begins to experience euphoric hallucinations (see Madness effects in the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook). The victim grows increasingly giddy and disorientated, both drawn to sound and motion and oblivious to her own worsening condition. Meanwhile, the fungus grows beneath the skin, slowly emerging as new toadstools. When the victim dies, the toadstools burst, spraying spores in a 20 ft. radius. All living creatures within this area risk exposure.
Where to Stay in Vor Ziyden[1]
Template:Potential-canon Vor Ziyden’s sole inn is the Silver Vein (poor quality rooms, common quality meals), which is also the general store. I was the sole guest during my stay; the chatty proprietor rents out his few rooms only on occasion, perhaps as an afterthought. My room in particular grew much more inviting after I gave it a day to air out the mildew.
