Introduction

Welcome, traveler, to the sorrow-steeped halls of Misselthwaite, a domain enshrouded in the eternal mists of Ravenloft. Here, the legacy of the Craven lineage unfolds, a tale of a child's heart turned cold by neglect and the cruel whims of fate. This is the tale of Colin Craven, once the frail and sickly heir to the manor, now the dread lord of this twisted domain, where every shadow whispers of his dark reign.

In his youth, Colin's world was confined to the high walls of his room and the echoing emptiness of the manor, his only solace the tales of a secret garden—a garden that his mother loved, and in which she drew her last breath. The garden, sealed upon her death, became the emblem of all Colin was denied: health, affection, and the vibrant touch of life. As his bitterness grew, so too did a dark and potent will within him, a will that could bend the sinister forces that linger in the darkest corners of Misselthwaite.

But the Secret Garden, the heart of the manor's ancient magic, remains untouched by his corruption. It is a sanctuary of purity, a remnant of the world as it once was, verdant and wild, locked away from Colin's darksome influence. It is the one realm where his dominion holds no sway, and for this, he is eternally ravenous, forever longing to enter, to destroy, to dominate.

Yet, the garden resists, protected by an ancient enchantment—perhaps the final, fading echo of his mother's love or a testament to a purer legacy that even the mists of Ravenloft cannot wholly extinguish. This is Colin's curse: to be the lord of all he surveys, yet powerless to touch the one thing he desires most.

Adventurers who find their way to Misselthwaite will hear the echoes of Colin's rage in the howling winds, and they will see the manifestation of his power in the gnarled and twisted forms that prowl the manor grounds. But let them seek out the Secret Garden, and they will find hope—a place where Colin's darkness has no reign, where the tyranny of the Dark Lord is but a distant shadow.

In the tale of Colin Craven, there lies a lesson: that power, unchecked by the heart's compass, can become the very chains that bind us. For in his quest for dominion, Colin has ensnared himself in a prison of his own making, a ruler who cannot claim the one kingdom he covets. His is a story woven into the fabric of Ravenloft, a story of power, of loss, and of a garden where the purity of life endures amidst a land ensconced in shadows.