currently mastering a homebrew version of CoS and I had my party get into Barovia through a horror carnival, twbtw style! If you're familiar with canon d&d lore, it's Isolde's carnival. Except I had Isolde die and my ocs take over because I hate her as written sorry not sorry lololol
There are more original characters, but I'm starting to post these in case you enjoy them so you can bully me into sharing more! In order:
the 4 plague doctors of the carnival, my players only really met 2. Dr Crimson, Cordovan, PB (short for Peste Bubbonica, Bubonic Plague) and Lunedì (Monday). They're adoptive sisters! And not really licensed medical professional but shush. They have a maskless design I swear haha
Funesta Pathos-Lepiota, the new artistic director of the Carnival, and her wife Sibilla Ardelean. A drow and a wood elf, basically Gomez and Morticia Addams if they were roaring 20s elder lesbians. Funesta is also a dhampire but that's like the most normal thing about her so no one notices. Sibilla is a disciple of the Raven Queen, and a native Barovian. Also the adoptive mothers of the plague doctors and the krampus! (see below)
Toblach and Bruneck, the carnival's krampus and security personnel. They're very sweet, eccentric 10ft tall dudes who enjoy scaring folks and play-kidnapping misbehaving children, although this usually backfires because most kids break a rule just to get their attention and an instant high-speed ride in their baskets. They're blood brothers and adoptive kids of Funesta and Sibilla, thus also siblings of the plague doctors. One big happy family! Can you tell found family is my favourite trope ever also SHOUTOUT to my pal @milich96 for bearing with me appropriating alpine culture and for suggesting names!! You're basically their godparent now
Silessa, one of the few npcs who are actually from the original setting, although I changed so much about her I might claim her as an oc at this point asdfghjk. Heavily inspired by Kalbelia dancers (from a real life tribe of Rajasthani snake charmers), she performs with her beloved snakes, her favourite being a 15ft long python named Sir Hissington, whom she affectionately refers to as "uncle". She's actually a giant venomous snake polymorphed into a human, but first of all, a sweetheart who loves sharing stories. I should really do her justice and clean her artwork.
And that's all for now! Names in image ID
