Appearing somewhere in her mid-twenties, Ireena Kolyana is a fierce and passionate woman. A skilled fighter and diplomat, she was adopted by Barovia's burgomaster when she was found in the wolds. she has caught the eye of Strahd and is set to marry him in under 2 weeks.

Ezmerelda d’Avenir, a Vistana, is the protégé of Rudolph van Richten — despite the fact that her first encounter with the vampire hunter was anything but pleasant. 

Izek and his sister were born in Vallaki. One morning, their father and their uncle took them fishing on Lake Zarovich. On the way back to town, a dire wolf attacked Izek and bit off his right arm. His father carried Izek back to town while his uncle distracted the beast. His sister ran and hid in the woods and was never seen till the party returned with her.

After years of doing Baron Vallakovich’s dirty work, Izek awakened from a drunken stupor one morning to find that he had grown a new arm to replace the one he had lost.

The new appendage has barbed spines, elongated fingers, and long nails. He can create fire with the snap of his fiendish fingers and has used the flames to put the fear of the devil in every Vallakian.

Several months ago, a colorfully dressed half-elf bard came to Barovia in a carnival wagon, with a pet monkey on his shoulder. He took over an abandoned tower on Lake Baratok before rolling into the town of Vallaki several months later. Claiming to be a carnival ringmaster in search of new actors, he began regaling locals with tales of distant lands.

Monster Hunter. The half-elf ringmaster is, in fact, a legendary human vampire hunter named Rudolph van Richten. Van Richten’s tale is a sad one. 

The Waiting Game. Van Richten isn’t a young man anymore. He knows his road is coming to an end, but his work isn't done. He has come to Barovia to kill Strahd von Zarovich, the greatest vampire of them all. Van Richten has studied Strahd for years and knows he can’t hope to best the vampire in a straight-up confrontation: he must wait for the right moment to strike. 

The Librarian of the Amber Temple. He is a powerful undead wizard who's memory is... Spotty at best, but thanks to the party he has returned to some of his faculties, most notably his spell casting ability and name. 

He has opened the temple to all who enter, though the floating skulls are a barrier to entry for most, and a pest he is currently trying to clear out for good. Their unending cackling bothers him. 

His Undead cat, on the other hand, finds then a delight to play with.