Innistrad

Lore and Trivia

Innistrad Lore and Trivia

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Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 2: Ascending Darkness ............................................................................................................... 6
Chapter 3: History ................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 4: The Daily Life ....................................................................................................................... 11
The Moon of Silver and Innistrad's Seasons...................................................................................... 11
Chapter 5: Religion and the church ....................................................................................................... 13
Religion .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Church Hierarchy ............................................................................................................................... 13
Clerical Ranks..................................................................................................................................... 14
Cathars............................................................................................................................................... 15
The Skirsdag....................................................................................................................................... 16
Chapter 6: Vampires .............................................................................................................................. 18
Vampiric powers and magic .............................................................................................................. 18
Vampiric Vulnerabilities .................................................................................................................... 19
The Unquenchable Thirst .................................................................................................................. 19
Bloodlines .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Chapter 7: Devils ................................................................................................................................... 23
The Nature and Role of Devils ........................................................................................................... 23
Chapter 8: Zombies ............................................................................................................................... 25

The Unhallowed ................................................................................................................................ 25

Ghoulcallers ....................................................................................................................................... 25
The Skaab .......................................................................................................................................... 26
Chapter 9: Spirits ................................................................................................................................... 28
The origin of Spirits ........................................................................................................................... 28
Material and Immaterial ................................................................................................................... 28
Faith's Power ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Kinds of Spirits ................................................................................................................................... 29
Chapter 10: Werewolves ....................................................................................................................... 31
Killer or Victim ................................................................................................................................... 31
The Transformation ........................................................................................................................... 32
Warding Against the Change ............................................................................................................. 33
The Cause and Nature of Lycanthropy .............................................................................................. 34
Howlpacks ......................................................................................................................................... 35
Chapter 11: Nephalia............................................................................................................................. 37
Overview............................................................................................................................................ 37
Port Towns of Nephalia ..................................................................................................................... 38

Chapter 1: Introduction
The people of Innistrad were accustomed to living in a world plagued by evil. The protective wards
held monsters at bay, keeping the villages relatively safe. Prayers and holy oaths banished geists and
skewered vampires where they stood, allowing humans to control nests of horrors when the danger
got too great. Thanks to the presence of the archangel Avacyn, hope and belief held real power to
smite the darkness, and so hope and belief flourished.
Even after Avacyn disappeared and the fiendish creatures of the night advanced, the people of the
four provinces survived. The power of the wards waned, but the Church recruited new holy warriors
to take up arms and fight back. Prayers to the angels went unanswered, but villages closed their
borders and shut down the roads into the fog-cloaked wilderness. The ghouls and geists had gained
an advantage on humans, and things looked bleaker than they had for generations. But together the
people of Innistrad presented a united front, able to keep humanity safe almost as if Avacyn had
never forsaken them.
But safety on Innistrad was a comforting fiction. Among the sinister forces of the world, word has
spread.

Chapter 2: Ascending Darkness

The horrors of Innistrad have learned the weakness of their prey. The werewolf howlpacks have
tested the defenses of the country villages and found them pathetically thin. Now, werewolves
terrorize hamlets across the countryside without fear of wolfhunters or weapons of blessed silver.
Vampires pick and choose their human prey as they see fit, letting the vampire families gain in
ascendancy across every province. Geists appear undaunted in the bedrooms of children and saints.
The walking dead pierce the defenses of even Church-dominated towns. Monstrous fleshconstructions lurch unimpeded into protected sanctuaries, slaughtering innocents who relied on
Avacyn's promises. As humanity's defenses crumble, Innistrad's tale of horror has become ever more
dire.

The Undying Threat

The humans now face a dark new twist in the fight
against the fiends. It's not just that the wards and
prayers no longer bind these creatures. Now even
the bonds of death no longer hold. Apparently
slain werewolves have begun to stagger back to
their feet, their hunger only renewed by their
seeming destruction. Geists return after being
exorcised by the clerics' most powerful
banishment spells. Vampires laugh off stakes and
fire, rising in spite of every trick and country
secret known to kill them. Reassurances from the
Avacynian Church fall on impatient ears as, more and more, the old lore no longer applies.

Wavering Devotion
Even more distressing, there are signs that the people of Innistrad might be losing hope. The Elgaud
Grounds report fewer and fewer recruits to become undead-slaying cathars. Statues of the beloved
archangel are found toppled, not by the random attacks of rampaging werewolves, but by
despondent humans. Demonic cults have gained in membership as people seek some power, any
power, on which they can rely. Entire ships full of evacuees sail into the mists in search of some far
harbor, never to be heard from again. Some villages have taken to making offerings of their own
weakest members, hoping that innocent lives chained to posts will mollify the hungering beasts in
the night.

Infernal Risings
But the darkest news of all may be the emergence of infernal forces. Cults such as the Skirsdag
beckon forth demonic beings from the deep abysses of the world. Cracks in the earth, such as the
Ashmouth, spew forth demons and devils who spread mayhem and death wherever they go.
Emboldened by Avacyn's long absence and the waning potency of holy magic, the demons have
begun to use humans to further their whims, sacrificing innocents to fuel dark magics. Humans have

become the playthings of the fabled monsters they once spoke of only in scare-tales and campfire
yarns.

The Eleventh Hour

If anything good has come of this dark time, it's that humanity knows the stakes of its plight.
Humankind's collective back is to the wall, so the few parish priests, pitchfork-wielders, and fiendslayers who remain have learned to dispense with the traditional pleasantries. Avacyn might no
longer support their feats of faith, but their magic has become enhanced by desperation, as the
threat of death encroaches. Those practitioners of magic have learned to hurl the despair of their
spiraling losses into their spells, giving them the strength to slice through the ranks of the dead
rather than join them. The humans have even learned from their enemies, discovering new ways to
tap into the tempting power of the grave and to cast deathly spells with amplified strength.

Chapter 3: History
The vampire Sorin Markov, the self-serving aristocrat who was once drenched in privilege in his role
as the favored lord of Markov Manor, created Avacyn, the angelic champion of the meek and divine
source of the protective power on Innistrad.
How did this come to be? To understand that, we have to learn about another member of the
Markov familyEdgar Markov, Sorin's grandfather.

The rise of the vampires

Thousands of years ago, before there were vampires on Innistrad, Edgar Markov was an alchemist in
the land that would become Stensia. Famine was sweeping the land, and the old alchemist Edgar
searched for a solution that could help the starving families feed themselves. The answer was a
brutal one: to undergo a blood ritual that would cause some of the people to feed on blood. It would
provide sustenance to those few, reducing demand for the failing crops, but it would also cull the
overall population, reducing the number of hungry mouths to feed. Thus were vampires born on
Innistrad.
But Edgar Markov's chilling tale has an even darker
truth behind it. The famine was an expedient excuse
for Edgar's blood magic, but in truth the aging
alchemist was experimenting with ways to achieve
agelessness for himself and his only grandson, Sorin. A
demon called Shilgengar preyed on Edgar's ambition
and whispered secrets that would point the way
toward Edgar's blood-feeding experiment. Shilgengar
also helped the old man overcome his squeamishness
at what must be done. Still, Edgar needed prodding for
him to go through with the ritual to create the bloodfeeders. Shilgengar was one of few demons to exist on
the surface of Innistrad at the time, and as it turned
out, he became a kind of harbinger for his own kind.
Edgar inflicted his curse of vampirism on his grandson,
Sorin, awakening Sorin's latent planeswalker spark.
And later, Edgar's actions indirectly led to a resurgence of demons in the world.
And that's when the famine put him over the edge. The famine might or might not have been
Shilgengar's doing. Either way, it was the genesis of this world's vampires. With his blood magic
experiment, Edgar succeeded at finding a way to extend his own life. He anointed Sorin with the
same vampiric stateand shockingly, his grandson disappeared.
The trauma of the transformation had caused Sorin's devine spark to ignite.

Sorin's Creation
Sorin was a demigod now, but he was also the grandson of the honored progenitor of the entire
vampiric race back on his home plane. As the Markov bloodline spawned other bloodlines, Edgar
remained the prestigious forefather of all vampires, and Sorin's "life" became like that of a royal.
Over the centuries, as vampires spread further into human lands, Sorin spent more and more time
away from his homeworld, sometimes disappearing for years at a time. Vampires became disdainful
of the race from which they had spawned, hunting mortal humans more and more boldly, and Sorin
became distant from his own vampire-kind.
But Sorin always kept watch on Innistrad. From his world-hopping perspective, he could see the
changes on the world of his birth. He saw that as vampires gained in power, the human villages were
dwindling. Although he was no longer human himself, he saw the curse his grandfather had brought
to the humanity of their world, and he saw that in time, they would be wiped out by the bloodfeeders.
Sorin borrowed from long-held beliefs about the moon and the afterlife, forging a warrior who could
hold back vampires and other monstrous forces that would extinguish life on Innistrad. He created an
angel he named Avacyn and tasked her with protecting the plane. Through her, the magic of faith
would create true power to fend off the darkness. The Church of Avacyn grew up around the power
Sorin invested in her.

Some of the vampires understood Sorin's act, but most reviled him as a traitor. Edgar still lives in
Markov Manor to this day, and to this day Sorin is not welcome there. Avacyn was Sorin's gift to his
home, but she was also his betrayal of his own people.
But now Avacyn has disappeared from Innistrad. How could this have happened? Sorin has always
had a dark edge to him, and he has never hesitated to destroy anyone who got in the way of his
ambitions. But at the same time, he never meant these shadows to rise over the world of his birth.
Sorin might be his grandfather's creation, but Sorin's own creation was meant to preserve a way for
humans to survive Edgar's crime.

And now, after Sorin's long absence, it is the disappearance of that creation that has called him home
again.

Tales of Demonkind
Even before the time of Sorin Markov and his
grandfather Edgar, before Innistrad's race of
vampires existed, the people of Innistrad feared
demons. Few of these demonic creatures ever made
themselves manifest, to the point that some
believed demons were mythical or long dead. But
others knew the legends of wicked demon-spawn
were true and they feared the day when the
demons would return.

Avacyn's Campaign
The archangel Avacyn and her host of angels took up the sword against those who would harm
humanity. They slew vampires with holy fervor, prompting Sorin's kin to brand him a traitor to their
kind. The angels thrashed the werewolf howlpacks that threatened to overwhelm those towns
bordering the wilds. They banished malevolent geists that haunted the shipwrecks and ancient
manors of the plane. They incinerated unholy ghouls with piercing light. They were never able to
cleanse the plane of evil, but Sorin's creation had done her job.
Humanity was able to flourish again. The Church of Avacyn grew up around the archangel, and faith
in her helped fend off the flesh-hungry monsters. The power balance on the plane tipped in
humanity's favor. None could have foreseen what evils this would bring.

Demons and Devilry

The retreat of the supernatural fiends of the plane opened a spacean opportunity for Innistrad's
infernal forces to manifest. Like Shilgengar long before, the demons and their hosts of impish devils
began to make their presence known in far
greater numbers.
Avacyn engaged each demon in single
combat, defeating them one by one. She
found that new demons would appear a
short time later and decreed: "What
cannot be destroyed must be bound." She
then forged a collar of silver to bind
demonkind, so they could be hauled away
and imprisoned. The Silver Collar became
Avacyn's symbol and the holy symbol
carried by Avacynian priests and cathars.

Chapter 4: The Daily Life

Humans
The everyday life of a human varies dramatically according to one's class. The wealthy families and
clergy live in comfort and safety. Thraben clergy, in particular, have every need met by the church.
The middle classesartisans and merchantsare also quite comfortable. But the working class and
farmers have a much shorter lifespan; they are more at risk from the dark things of the world, and
they suffer from more sickness and famine as well. A farmer lives an average of fifty years, while a
bishop lives closer to seventy.
Safety is the main commodity in Innistrad. The wealthier you are, the safer you can make yourself.
The high walls of Thraben protect the well-to-do who live inside. Titled families in Gavony have
fortified manor houses, while the farmers must make do with the wooden walls of their farmhouses.
Because of the lack of physical safety, the poor spend a larger portion of their income of
enchantments and non-physical means of protection. Tithing is required for everyone, and the
church charges a small fee for every blessing and spell. Even at unstaffed little altars, payment is
expected, and many of the faithful diligently pay even when there is no one to enforce it. Not
unexpectedly, there is resentment among some for the amount of money required of the poor to
uphold their faith. This resentment increases dramatically as the effectiveness of the Avacynian
blessings diminish.
For the humans of Innistrad, the purpose of life is not to live forever, but to have a restful "sleep"
after deathtranquil oblivion, or perhaps oneness with everything, rather than becoming a
tormented spirit, mutilated corpse, or undead abomination, as so often happens on Innistrad. The
Sleep is considered a reward for a virtuous and vigilant life. "May you spend an eternity in the
ground" is a common blessing among the people of this plane.

The Moon of Silver and Innistrad's Seasons

Innistrad's moon is both a source of hope and a harbinger of woe. Many Innistrad astronomers
believe that the moon is a vast desert made of grains of
pure silver, and that any extant silver on Innistrad
originated from the moon.

Cathars and priests know the power of

specially blessed silver to harm werewolves
and ward off other horrors, so the moon
has become associated with the divine
strength of the archangel Avacyn. Some
even perceive the shape of a heron in the
areas of dark and light on Innistrad's moon,
and so the heron has come to be a symbol
of Avacyn. But the rise of the moon can also
dampen protective magic and cause
werewolves to transform from human to
wolf. The fickle silver moon seems both to
serve humanity and to bring out the worst
evils within.
Innistrad humans also name the world's seasons by different aspects of the moon, as it seems hold a
strange influence on the world as the seasons change.

Harvest Moon
This is Innistrad's autumn. A huge orange-to-blood-red moon hangs in the night sky. The days grow
shorter. The weather cools with each passing day and the forests turn vibrant colors. This is
considered to be the time when vampires are the strongest. Bonfires are common during harvest
time, when farmers toil late in the fields until after twilight. The bonfires are thought to keep the
vampires away.

Hunter's Moon
This is Innistrad's winter. The chill never leaves the air
and the sun's apex is close to the horizon. This is the
longest season, and the time when food becomes most
scarce. More hunters have to venture out into the wilds
in search of food, which results in increased attacks on
humans. This is considered to be the time when
werewolves are the strongest. Since there are more
humans hunting and traveling in the woods during these
months, werewolf attacks are more prevalent. The
humans believe the attacks have something to do with
the season itself, although there are no more
werewolves at this time than any other time of year.

New Moon
This is as close as Innistrad gets to a spring and is the shortest season. The days are longest and the
sun is the brightest, though still pale compared to some worlds, and there is new growth in the
forests. Humans consider this their season, associating it with new life and birth. Babies born under
the New Moon are considered to be holier, with a better chance of attaining the Blessed Sleep.

Chapter 5: Religion and the church

Religion
Faith in the church of Avacyn actually works, but there are no formulas that are consistently
successful. Saying the mystical words in the right combination will result in protective magic, but
some days it works better than others. And sometimes the evil it's warding against is more powerful
than other times. The unreliability of the wards and blessings has led to disagreements over dogma.
Although there is still only one church, sects have emerged over disagreements about the right way
to do things. The goal of the church is safety, not perfection. Humans want to live in reasonable
safety until they die, and then they want to remain peacefully in their graves. Cremation is forbidden
because it is believed to result in a restless, angry spirit.
In the Church of Avacyn, there is no conception of heaven and hell. The humans of Innistrad do not
believe in a heavenly afterlife to reward their past deeds. And their equivalent of hell is a very literal
thing: there are actual cracks in the ground
where demons dwell. Avacyn is not expected
to eliminate evil in the world or to create a
perfect life for everyone. Instead, she is the
font of safety and protection. She is the
authority to whom the faithful must
go before something bad happens, to help
ward off those evils that have always been a
part of the world.
In Innistrad, church and state are deeply
interdependent; there is virtually no
separation of the two. Local governments rely on the power of the Church to keep order and
maintain public safety. Often the rule of law is adjudicated by the prelature, lawyers and judges
ordained by the Church. All education is handled by the Church, although different sects sometimes
establish their own schools and training grounds. Except for merchants and artisans, all professions
are part of the Church. Even merchants and artisans are governed by fellowships, which must be
sanctioned by the Church.

Church Hierarchy
Avacyn
The archangel Avacyn is the focal point of the
human's worship. She is believed to be the
source of all protective magic. It is thought that
she controls the seasons and is the force that
brings an end to the long and bleak Hunter's
Moon. Adherents to Avacyn are called
Avacynians, and their church is the Church of
Avacyn, or the Avacynian Church.

Avacyn's Host
The archangel Avacyn has a host of angels who serve her. These angels appear frequently to humans
and fight all supernatural monsters who are a threat to human society. These angels try to keep the
world in balance.

The Flight of Goldnight

These angels are associated with the sun, in contrast with Avacyn herself. Once a year during the
Harvest Moon season, the sun will not dip below the horizon for two full days, and during this time
the moon isn't visible. Known as the Feast of Goldnight, this is the holiest day for the humans. It is
the time when the Avacynian enchantments are strongest throughout Innistrad.

The Flight of Alabaster

These angels personify the Blessed
Sleep and are associated with the
Hunter's Moon season. They provide
magic that wards against the
desecration of dead humans.

The Flight of Herons

These are the angels of birth and purity
and are associated with the New Moon
season. Their magic is said to ward
humans against harm in life (as opposed
to the Alabaster host, which wards
against harm in death).

Clerical Ranks
Lunarch
The Lunarch is the head of the church. This is a position elected by the council of bishops. Currently,
it is held by a man named Mikaeus, who is searching desperately for the reason behind the decline of
the church's power. The Lunarch is chosen among the bishops and will only be replaced when dead.
Being a Lunarch means having immense power over the church and state. The Thraben Council
gathers as much as they can to discuss political and religious matters.

Bishop
The bishop is the highest order of clergy. They reside in the cathedral at Thraben as members of the
Thraben Council, the governing body of the church. Bishops also are like governors of the provinces.
They gather with the mayors of villages and cities and are the point of mutual interests for every
priest and mayor. Bishops are honored by the common people and are often strong leaders or even
cathar leaders.

Mayor
Sometimes called the elder, this is the political leader of a parish. He or she has a mix of
administrative and religious duties, but the day-to-day administration is left to the priests. Mayors

are men of the people, they are chosen from the common people and dont have to be a man of the
church per se.

Priest
Priests oversee the church and attend to parishioners' needs. They all use magic to weave spells, but
with varying degrees of skill. Priests mostly stay in villages to protect the common people and be
there in times of need.

Monk
These wandering priests are the lowest order of clergy. Some have been sanctioned by the church to
seek out people living alone in the wilderness. But many are fanatics who are no longer formally part
of the hierarchy. Most monks put their quiet life behind and joined the forces of the cathars. Many
monks have beside their clerical rank also a place in the cathar ranks.

Cathars
Cathars are soldiers of the church. All Cathars get trained to track and kill supernatural beings. A
Cathar can either be a master of the martial arts or a holy priest who can banish ghosts back to the
ther

Lunar-smiths
Blessed weapons are an important part of
Avacynian magic, and these clergy are trained in the
art of weapon-making. Certain blessings must be
said at certain times during the forging process to
make a weapon magically effective against a
particular foe. Silversmiths are particularly revered
because of the difficulty in imbuing the silver with
strong magic, especially anti-lycanthropic magic.
These smiths are not in particular soldiers, but more
like craftsman which provide weapons and armor
for their fellow cathars.

Inquisitors
Inquisitors are cathars who can be hired out to come help a parish if they have a particular problem
with vampires or devils. These cathars are fierce warriors and are specialized in tracking down
demons or vampires who disguised themselves. Becoming a Inquisitor takes many years of training
and experience.

Parish-blades
Cathars stationed in parishes serve as escorts along roads or protect the cathedral in Thraben. This is
an ordained military force that assembles whenever the clergy demands. These cathars are mere
soldiers who operate in small armies if possible. They are
used to fight back zombie hordes. Some parish-blades
become inquisitors after long years of training and
fighting.

Runechanters
Runechanters are a specialized branch of the clergy that
specializes in engraving blessings on material objects,
including weapons. Everything from swords to axes to
children's toys has words written on it in an effort to
protect its owner. The best runechanters can write so
small that hundreds of these blessings can be squeezed
into a small space.

The Skirsdag
A Demonic Cult
The Skirsdag is a demonic cult of worshippers of Griselbrant, the demon who was bound by Avacyn in
the great silver mass of the Helvault. Demons existed long before Sorins divine spark and his creation
of Avacyn to keep the world of Innistrad in balance. Nowdays cults still exists and wait for the return
for their master who will reward their loyalty and will spare them from the other monstrosities who
will make an end to this world.

The Goal of the Skirsdag

Skirsdag cultists have many ranks and followers throughout the world. Now people dont longer can
rely on their former savior the turn to other powerful beings in the hope for salvation.
Skirsdag priests try to open as many gates to the underworld as possible resulting in more and more
demons and devils swarming into this world and leaving a trace of death and decay. Skirsdag
followers know their summons bring destruction to Innistrad, but are willing to pay the price for of
their own lives.
Though cathars and the powers of the church actively fight vampires, werewolves and cultists alike,
the Skirsdag try to remain underground,
though society can feel the influence in their
daily lives. Many Skirsdag rituals require
human sacrifices or a tribute of blood for
their demon masters and it is not uncommon
for people to find bloody altars in cellars of
houses or in the wild days after a demonic
ritual.

Cultists and priests

The skirsdag hierarchy is a lot like that of the church of Avacyn. The high priests is the first in
command. Since Griselbrant is no longer in this world he still obeys other demons but can order
devils to do his bidding. Priests perform rituals and are in command in larger regions while cultists
are more the experienced members of the Skirsdag. Skirsdag followers are considered to be new
members or people without any magical powers. The Skirsdag welcome new members which have to
perform an oath to pledge their loyalty to the cult. This makes it very hard to infiltrate the cult not to
mention the contact with powerful demons which can easely pick out the undercover members. This
also creates a very save aspect to the cult and its members.

Chapter 6: Vampires
Vampirism on Innistrad is neither a virus nor a curse, but what the vampires themselves somewhat
euphemistically call a "condition of the blood." It is an anointing that persists and is perpetuated by
magic alone, and few if any of its bearers consider it a curse. When reflecting on the nature of "the
condition," vampires sometimes poetically call it an ablution, a washing of the self in blood that
results in a new state of being. Vampires are not truly undead, although they have some undead
traits (such as agelessness and skin that's cold to the touch).

The most distinctive thing about vampires' appearance is their eyes. The sclera is black and the irises
gold, silver, or other colors. The skin is pale and cool to the touch. The hair is often black but is
sometimes deep purple, dark magenta, burgundy, or even dark blue-green. Some vampires wear
wigs, however, for variety, novelty, or to disguise themselves more easily among humans. A
vampire's canines are very slightly pronounced at all times, and when they bite someone, the canines
extend about a quarter inch. Vampires also tend to have long and slightly curved fingernails.

Vampiric powers and magic

Humans have a multitude of tall tales about the evils and wonder of which vampires are capable. In
reality, though, the vampires' universal suite of powers is limited to just three things: agelessness,
slightly enhanced strength (approximately double that of a human), and a two-foot-wide aura of
silence that emanates from them at will.
Many vampires learn a uniquely vampiric form of glamer (quasi-illusion magic) that enables them to
move among humans undetected. These are mind-affecting spells that alter what nearby humans
think they're perceiving, rather than true illusion magic that changes the subject's appearance. As
such, particularly strong-willed humans can sometimes shake off the effects of the glamer and see
the vampire truly. Also, given time, power, elder vampires learn all manner of powerful magic,
including flight, hypnotic gaze, transformation into other forms (such as that of a bat or a mist), and
so on.

Vampiric Vulnerabilities
All vampires inherit a set of weaknesses linked to the ritual that created their race. First, although
they can be harmed or killed by any weapon,
weapons of living wood have special efficacythis
is the so-called Dryad's Legacy (dead wood is inert,
no more effective than stone or steel). Second, a
vampire can't cross running water in which the
moon is reflected, because of the link between
water as the source of human food and the moon
as the source of angelic power. Third, Avacyn
herself can enchant water with the power to burn
vampires like acid by touching it. But this water is
scarce and becoming scarcer with each passing
day.

Silver, the soothsayer

Because of the connection between Innistrad's silver moon and its angels, and because the ritual that
created vampires required the drinking of angel blood, silver has special properties vis--vis
vampires: it causes them to see how they would have been in normal, mortal life, ignoring vampire
glamer and reality alike. Because of this, vampires go to great lengths to avoid mirrors (glass backed
with a coating of silver), because mirrors reflect their mortal images rather than their actual ones.
This is also the reason why vampires can't cross running water in which the moon is reflected.
Although silver weapons aren't particularly deadly to vampires, the presence of silver unsettles them,
putting them at a disadvantage.

Avacyn's power
The archangel Avacyn is (or was) the living
covenant of the balance between humans
and vampires. Avacynian holy symbols can
induce in vampires a paralyzing fear and
the desire to flee, although their ability to
do so has significantly diminished in the
last year (because of Avacyn's
disappearance). Despite Avacyn's absence,
however, the strength of faith alone
imbues a degree of continued power in the
symbols of Avacyn: the silver collar and the
heron crest.

The Unquenchable Thirst

A vampire will starve to death in one full cycle of the moon unless it drinks as much human blood as
an average human contains (about five liters). Almost any vampire will drink more than this if given
the chance, however. Without enough blood, a vampire starves quicklyin a matter of several
daysfirst desiccating before eventually crumbling to dust. Because of the source magic that created

all vampires, only blood from a living human will

suffice. Vampire alchemists have attempted
transmutations of animal blood to human blood, but
all have failed. Blood from a dead human is also
insufficient; if blood from a living human is like wine,
blood from a dead human is like vinegar.

Blood trade
To vampires, blood is indeed like wine. Vampires
enjoy a lively commerce in blood, although the
commodity is only good for a few days before it
provides no nourishmentabout the same length of
time as wood stays alive once cut from its plant. Small castles and manor houses in relative proximity
to each other trade blood via carriage and experiment with various blends. Particularly interesting or
delicious samples are occasionally preserved by well paid time-mages who can use sorcery to prevent
the blood from "dying" for a short time (freezing doesn't work). When a time-mage can't be secured,
however (which is often), some vampires resort to slavery of the victim, shipping him or her from
place to place to be supped on. Specialty carriages exist for this purpose.

Feeding and siring

A vampire will drink the blood of his or her human victim, usually until the victim dies of blood loss.
Sometimes the vampire is interrupted and the human will survive and recover. Although other
humans might suspect the survivor of a vampire's bite of becoming a vampire, this isn't a possibility,
because siring requires an exchange of blood. The survivor will be plagued by disturbing and
sometimes erotic dreams for years but will not turn. When a vampire wishes to turn a human into a
vampire, to sire the victim, the vampire must introduce his or her own blood into the victim. The
simplest way to accomplish this is for the vampire to cut his or her own cheek or tongue before or
during the bite. This act will "anoint" the victim, endowing him or her with the same "condition of
the blood" that all vampires have. But this is only the first step. The victim, once anointed, will begin
to feel the bloodthirst, and food will become unsatisfying within one to three days. But this first
bloodthirst is special; only the blood of the sire can quench it. A newly anointed victim who doesn't
drink the sire's blood before the next new moon will die. But if he or she does, the siring will be
complete and the anointed will become a full-fledged vampire.
Who do vampires
sire? Because
believe they are
saviors, and
their own
and hedonism,
cream of the
is fit for siring. A
might decide to
because of the

choose to
vampires
humanity's
because of
decadence
only the
human crop
vampire
sire a human
human's

beauty, charisma, intelligence, or talent, for example. In short, only the most remarkable humans
become vampires.
When vampires feed, they will sink their teeth into any exposed flesh. Usually the neck is most
convenient, but an arm or even a cheek will do. But the siring bite is special. Vampires want to avoid
marring the appearance of their future
peers, so often a siring bite is made in some
out-of-view location, such as on the upper
thigh, the torso under the arm, or the
bottom of a foot (although in this last case
the victim must be special indeed to be
worth the vampire's self-humiliation).

Bloodlines
Not all vampires are created equal. Among
the existing vampiric bloodlines, some are
more common but prestigious whereas some are rare but less respected. There were originally
twelve bloodlines, which originated long ago in a ritual that had something to do with the Markov
progenitor, Edgar Markov. Three of these bloodlines have died out completely. Five others are
relatively minor, having sired fewer vampires. The four major bloodlines that remain are:

Markov
This is the bloodline of Edgar Markov and is the most prestigious of the bloodlines. The Markov line
has been fairly ambitious in its siring over the many centuries, and as a result the Markov vampires
exist in all four of Innistrad's provinces. This isn't to say that all vampires of the Markov line are all
high-minded or noble; a bloodline doesn't determine temperament, self-discipline, or restraint.
Markov elders seem to have a talent for psychic magic.

Falkenrath
The Falkenrath line, concentrated more in Stensia than the Markov line, had a famous falconer (now
dead) as its progenitor and remains associated with far-reaching activity and predation. Falkenrath

vampires are the boldest in walking among humans, taking pleasure in choosing their victims from
deep within human communities that consider themselves safe. Falkenrath elders are more likely to
master powers of flight than those of other lines.

Voldaren
The progenitor of the Voldaren line, Olivia Voldaren,
was in life a beautiful but strange, hermetic, antisocial
woman who preferred to live far away from human
civilization, in manor homes built for her from her
seemingly boundless wealth. Like their progenitor,
Voldaren vampires tend to live in the distant places, in
the borderlands and edges of Innistrad's provinces.
Voldaren elders can more easily master magic that
enables them to transform into animal forms,
especially those of the bat, cat, and rat.

Stromkirk
Unwilling to take part in the political and social
machinations of Stensian vampires, those of the
Stromkirk line chose to concentrate their power in
Nephalia instead. As a result their disguising glamers
are more powerful and more sophisticated.
Stromkirk's progenitor, Runo Stromkirk, was a high
priest in life who worshipped a pre-Avacynian god
of the sea and storms, and Stromkirk vampires still
feel a slight affinity with the coast. Some Stromkirk
elders have achieved the ability to transform
themselves into mist.

Chapter 7: Devils
The Nature and Role of Devils
Devils are infernal perpetrators of malicious
mischief. They stand about three or four feet tall,
have a face full of needlelike teeth, and often have
ruddy or deep red skin. They usually have one or
two back-sweeping horns and most of them have
long, whiplike tails, but their morphology can vary
from individual to individual. They are agile and
can be passable fighters, but they do their best
destructive work by sabotaging things of value and
by inciting violence in others.

The work of Devils

Devils often work in the employ of demons,
stirring up chaos and woe. Devils aren't very
dependable minions when it comes to servant
tasksthey don't do well retrieving fragile objects or remembering to guard choke points. But devils
are experts when it comes to generating and fueling bitter emotions. Demons are most interested in
ways to demonstrate and expand their own power, seeking to tempt mortals to give up what's most
precious to them. Devils, on the other hand, just want to repeatedly check who's at the top of the
Things Are Going Okay in My Life Leaderboard and go wreck some self-respect. That works out well
for their demon masters, because once a poor human's will has been broken and livelihood
destroyed by devils, that human is much more desperate and apt to agree to a demonic deal with
shudderingly harsh terms.

Devilish Humor
A devil's laugh is a brain-needle forged from
pure spite. You might laugh when someone
trips and fallswhatever. It's okay. It's kind
of a human reflex. But a devil's sense of
humor isn't satisfied until someone trips,
falls, breaks an ankle, loses the ability to
work, loses the farm, dies penniless, and
dooms his or her starving heirs. Hilarious.
Devils don't have that little boundary of
decorum that divides the harmless,
schadenfreude-induced chuckle into your
hand from the full-blown sadistic cackle at the dispensation of harm. The farther a prank goes, the
more wrong it gets, and the more pain it causes, the harder a devil laughs. They will insult the
memory of your dear, departed auntwhile waving at you with her own severed handsjust to bray
at the look of anguish on your face. They have an uncanny knack for sniffing out exactly what you
care for most just so they can break that thing and watch you cry. They can't be reasoned with; they

are not creatures of reason. They can't be bargained with; they want nothing but your admission of
defeat.

They can, however, be killed. Devils swarm out of the crevices of the plane, their shrill laughter heard
in every village and along every route through the wilds. Priests and cathars have taken to killing
them on sight whenever possible, even given their diminished holy powers, knowing that devils only
herald ruin.

Chapter 8: Zombies
Two distinct kinds of corporeal undead creatures plague Innistrad. The first are ghouls, sometimes
called "the unhallowed," which are necromantically animated corpses. The second are the skaab,
beings alchemically constructed from the dead.

The Unhallowed
Necromantically animated zombies are more
commonly called ghouls or "unhallowed" on
Innistrad, because they're drawn forth from
unhallowed graves. One of the duties of
Avacynian clergy is blessing the final resting
places of the dead to try to ensure "the Blessed
Sleep." Now that Avacyn is no longer present,
the dead can be more easily stirred.

Ghoulcallers
Necromancers on Innistrad are usually referred
to as ghoulcallers, the black magic mages that call forth the dead from graveyards, or "grafs." There
are several varieties of graf, each of which draws forth a unique mix of the walking dead.

Fengraf
A fengraf is one of the many flooded lowland graveyards. These sites were once hallowed ground,
but have remained untended for many years. Fengraf ghouls are usually smiths, cobblers, brothel
workers and other common and poor folk.

Seagraf
A seagraf is a "fisherman's graveyard." Much
like minor nobles, fishermen are often buried
with their most prized possessions, such as
nets, long harpoons, and large hooks for
getting hold of a slippery catch. Seagraf
unhallowed have not completely forgotten
their trade even in death, and they will pursue
victims using the tools and deftness they had in
life.

Diregraf
A diregraf is the site of a particularly gruesome battle. Unhallowed awakened from a diregraf carry
the armor, weapons, and fatal wounds from their last bloody battle. Diregraf ghouls carry this lust for
an unfinished battle within their fogged minds, and they often attempt to fall into military formations
as they were trained to do in life.

Once the dead have risen, the ghoulcaller then supplants all other addled thoughts of the dead with
one single driving purpose in their minds. The near-mindless ghouls will call on what skills they have
left to carry out the task, and the results are a grotesque parody of their lives. Blacksmiths attempt to
"reforge" their opponents, fallen warriors emit rasping pseudo-cries, and undead murderers
reawaken their taste for killing. Occasionally, fallen mages even show a limited ability to weave
spells, but this often results in some aberration of the spell's original purpose.

The Skaab
Necro-alchemy is much more of an art than
ghoulcalling. One who practices the art of
creating skaabs is called a skaberen. The true
goal of the skaberen is to create life, an
undertaking which usually produces malformed
"offspring" rather than true life.

Corpus Creare
Also known as "corpse cobbling," is the
collecting of various anatomical parts from
corpses from which the skaab will be constructed. This is usually performed by paid grave robbers or
homunculi under the skaberen's charge. In some cases, even the limbs of beasts are used for the
construct; if a human arm is not available, a horse's leg can suffice.

Patin Ligitus
Or rune-bonds, are the "binding plates"
used to join various anatomical features
together. These are plates of copper
and/or brass, with silver-inlaid runes
scribed on them. They provide an arcane
bridge of sorts between disparate parts
gathered by corpse-cobbling.

Viscus Vitae
Or vital fluid, is the key to the skaberen's
art. Viscus vitae is created by mixing a large
quantity of lamp oil with the slightest pinch
of the dried blood of an angel. Once a
perfect mixture of viscus vitae is created, any blood remaining in the corpse is replaced with vital oil,
via transfusion. As a result, skaab are often highly flammable.

Vox Quietus
Translated as "the silent word," is the final step in creating a skaab. The skaberen whispers a fairly
lengthy incantation over the corpse which awakens the creature, but in a much calmer manner that
that which is used by ghoulcallers. Once awakened, the skaab is in a calm, "tabula rasa" state, which

allows the alchemist to begin the long task of re-educating the creature. In the eyes of a skaberen,
the technique used by ghoulcallers is crude, heretical, and provides unacceptable results.
Skaberen usually ply their trade in remote and inhospitable places, since they are viewed as
blasphemers by commoners and clergy. Skaberen often become obsessed hermits who surround
themselves with ancient scrolls and books, phials of rare noxious liquids, glass jars full of pickled
organs, anatomical charts for both human and beast, rune-engraved skeletal remains, and small
anvils and hammers for inscribing runes on brass and copper plates.

Chapter 9: Spirits
The origin of Spirits
Innistrad is a world filled with the ghosts of the human dead. These spirits, called geists, take many
forms. Some are protective spirits of ancestors. Others are vengeful creatures bent on resolving
conflicts they couldn't resolve in life.
Geists have always been a presence on
Innistrad, but before Avacyn, all such spirits
were malevolent, manifesting on the plane
only because of a grudge or regret powerful
enough to disturb the Blessed Sleep of the
body to which they were connected. In
Avacyn's absence, the malevolent spirits
were counterbalanced by the appearance of
many benevolent and neutral geists, from
nurturing apparitions of family members
who have passed on to inscrutable ghosts
who seem to want to continue whatever
duty they had in life.
This new balance in the spirit realm resulted from Avacyn's function as psychopomp for the dead; her
existence shepherded the souls of the departed back into the plane's thereal space. This
metaphysical guidance from Avacyn enabled geists to elect to turn away from reunion with the
plane's essencea phenomenon that previously occurred only when a geist's anguish or regret
overcame the pull toward the ther.

Material and Immaterial

Geists exist in the space between the material and thereal realms, so to varying degrees they
possess qualities of both worlds. Thus some are able to walk through walls and then slash open
throats. Others use the beliefs of the living against them; victims believe in the spirit so completely
that they harm themselves with the power of their own mind. Some use fear to literally scare the
victim to death. Some spirits use cold to freeze opponents or reduce their temperatures down to
hypothermic levels when humans become lost on the moors or wander too far into the bogs. Other,
more powerful ghosts use their force of will or emotion to condense matter (called ectoplasm)
around their hands or weapons for a split second when they attack. Some use psychokinetic power
to wrap objects around them (e.g., brambles, chains, spikes, glass, etc.), and then wield them against
their foes.

Faith's Power
Even in Avacyn's absence, divine magic is
not impotent. With a combination of
powerful faith and magic, clergy can banish
geists in various ways, from dispersal of
the geist's essence to functioning as a
surrogate psychopomp to guide the geist
toward its rest in the ther.

Kinds of Spirits
Holy Geists
Many white-aligned geists are harmless or
even protective spirits of dead family and friends who haunt the living out of a sense of duty, fealty,
responsibility, or love. Malevolent holy geists do exist, however, and are usually twisted by guilt,
feelings of failure, or unrighted wrongs. Some are ghosts of fallen soldiers that still patrol the moors,
looking for their vanquishers.

Magic Geists
Some geists are projections of the animating principles of the mind. Vicious or obsessive thinking as
well as collective human memories come to life by attracting enough latent aether around them to
become autonomous entities. They carry on as obsessive ghostsrepeated knocking, patterning,
arranging, stacking, marking, etc. They can also possess one's mind and cause repetitive movements,
speech, epilepsy, obsessive behavior, schizophrenia, and other such maladies of the mind. These are
also the geists most drawn to the water, storms, frost, and misteven the mist of the breath.

Dark Geists
These geists eternally hunger for life, power, or the
settling of a wicked grudge. These are spirits that
must be appeased by offerings of food, goods, and
even blood. If not appeased, these geists can be
responsible for disease, accidents and death. Dlack
geists are almost always dangerous and
malevolent.

Fury Geists
These spirits have attached themselves to rampant
emotions, unfulfilled desires, and thirsts for
revenge that were frustrated during life. They can
manifest as blood dripping from statues, whirls of dust on roads, minor rockslides on hillocks, cliffs,
and mountainsides, and, in the case of possession, as sudden mania or murderous rage. The ghosts
of the unavenged are some of the most dangerous geists on Innistrad, sometimes appearing as living
fire or as "blood mist" entities that engulf a hapless victim and inflict cuts and welts that are slow to
heal.

Nature Geists
Some geists long to be reconnected with the nature they revered in life. Energies within the woods
that have been called into being by druids or other nature-mages take on form by entwining roots
and brambles around their thereal bodies. Some of these spirits attach themselves to animals,
plants and landforms, imbuing them with special power or mutating them into strange, otherworldly
entities. If the spirits that inhabit landforms are not appeased, it can often result in blight, crop
failure, and famine.

Chapter 10: Werewolves

The werewolf is a creature of duality, forever dragged between two worlds: it is both monster and
man, nature and civilization, rational thought and raw savagery.

Killer or Victim
Some werewolves see themselves as victims cursed with the souls of untamable killers. Others see
themselves as glorious scions of nature trapped inside a cage of civilized lies. Though most of
Innistrad society focuses on the mass-murdering horrors of the werewolf's beast form, the
lycanthrope can be seen as a tragic figure with an identity chained to the treacherous moon or an
avatar of nature's inherent wildness.
A person afflicted with lycanthropy is forever in doubt of his or her own urges and instincts. In
human form, a werewolf feels the pull of the wolf's essence within even while trying to integrate into
polite society. A lycanthrope can feel the war of emotions in his or her heart, and as the moon grows
full, the influences of conscience, religion, and personal restraint do less and less. The full moon
makes the change inevitable, but in fact, any strong emotion or traumatic experience can trigger a
lycanthropic crisis and allow the transformation to occur.

Werewolves in canid form are beings of unparalleled savagery and strength. Their bodies are
perfectly engineered for slaughter, with jaws capable of snapping bone and claws sharp enough to
rip the entrails from a beast many times their size. Their minds are explosions of instinct and
adrenaline, fed supernatural awareness from their heightened senses yet cognitively blind to almost
everything but the kill. They can walk upright for manual dexterity or can lope on four limbs for
speed. Their howl is said to release the wolf's spirit within, a harrowing sound that fogs the air and
chills the night. Werewolves in beast form cannot speak human languages, but seem to be able to
communicate with each other on matters of hunting, dominance, and social hierarchy, as canines do
in the wild.

The Transformation
The transformation process is harrowing for the lycanthrope and incredibly disturbing to any
witnesses. The eyes change first, the whites darkening and the iris filling with color. The claws go
next; the hands elongate, knifelike claws extend from the fingertips, and the thumb forms a claw
back near the wrist. The muzzle thrusts forward out of the human's skull, and the teeth jut through
the gums in sharp points. Bones crack as they rearrange. Marrow spills into the bloodstream as ribs
and skull fracture and telescope. Thick, wiry
fur pushes through the skin, often pushing out
normal human hair. The tailbone elongates
and becomes a shaggy wolf's tail. Metabolism
speeds up, increasing blood flow, oxygen flow,
and glandular production, creating cravings for
protein and fat. Any clothing that was worn at
the time of the change is generally torn to
shreds and falls away. If a werewolf dies in
beast form, it changes back to human form, a
process called death reversion.

A werewolf that has just

changed back to human form is
usually naked, disoriented, and
covered in the debris, wounds,
and bloodstains of the previous
night's hunt. He or she has
flashes of memories left over
from canid form, often
experienced with involuntary
heart spasms and jolts of
adrenaline, not unlike the
experience of panic attacks. The
days following a transformation
are often filled with shame, guilt,
and depressionand repression, as the lycanthrope struggles to feign normality, construct alibis, and
hide evidence of his or her savage crimes.
After reverting to humanoid form, most werewolves have partial memories of their time in canid
form, and they clearly see the aftereffects of the destruction they've caused. This can send
lycanthropes into the throes of depression, shame, or even hostility against others. A minority of
lycanthropes actually embrace their werewolf nature, however, and actively seek to return to their
canid state. Werewolves that revile their lycanthropy are called repentants; the few who embrace
the wild are called wantons. While in canid form, however, all werewolves are savage beasts, all
traces of their humanity gone.

Warding Against the Change

Humans destroy known werewolves when
they can; all lycanthropes are seen as
abominations and mass murderers. But
werewolves are dangerous creatures to face
head-on, so wide-scale magical prevention is
often employed to curb lycanthropy
passively.
Regular and repeated application of
Avacynian magic can help prevent the
change to canid form. Roadside shrines,
prayer, angelic rites, the blessing of
accomplished clerics, and the presence of
holy symbols all help reinforce the
werewolf's humanity, helping her hold on to her human form. Repentant werewolves often stay
within the city limits, around their fellow man and the influence of religion, whereas wantons often
venture into the wilderness, far from the wards and priests that keep their wolf essence in check. The
full moon, however can overcome even powerful religious precautions. In addition, the power of
angelic magic has waned in recent times, and werewolf transformations have become more common
and harder to predict.

Lycanthropes and the Moon

There's no doubt that the moon holds sway over werewolves. As the moon's phases change, so
changes the power of lycanthropy over the werewolf. As the full moon approaches, the effectiveness
of divine magic becomes dampened, and werewolves change more readily.
Werewolves in canid form are supernaturally strong and tough, and since the weakening of
Avacynian magic, few protection spells have been able to harm them or keep them at bay. But
werewolves have a weakness: pure silver that has been ritually blessed by a powerful cleric of Avacyn
can cause them great agony. According to alchemists, silver's purity of material readily absorbs the
divine magic. Arrowheads, spearpoints, and other weapons made from blessed silver can be
powerful instruments for fighting werewolves.

Silver and the Moon

Mages have presumed a relationship between the moon and the metal silver for centuries, but the
nature of that relationship remains a mystery. The respected astronomancer Jenrik once posited that
Innistrad's moon is actually a vast desert composed of tiny grains of silver. He believed that any silver
found on Innistrad actually originated from the moon's silver desert, and that terrestrial silver
maintains a relationship with the moon's power. Why the moon seems to empower werewolves
while silver harms them is not well understood.

The Cause and Nature of Lycanthropy

There are many theories of how lycanthropy is caused or spread. Most sects of the Church of Avacyn
hold that lycanthropy is a kind of demonic possession, but ritual exorcisms have not successfully
purged the affliction. Most afflicted humans appear to become werewolves at some point in their
lives rather than being born so, although there are sporadic (and chilling) tales of child werewolves in
remote areas. Many alchemists and wolfhunters believe that werewolves are sterile, and only
reproduce by cursing humans with lycanthropy; however, many commoners fear that they might be
able to interbreed with humans or give birth to their own kind.

The True Cause

Lycanthropy is a supernatural curse that causes the victim's spiritual essence to become mingled with
the wild essence of nature, symbolized by the wolf. The lycanthrope in effect has two souls, or one
split soul. These two essences constantly battle for control within the victim. When the wild wolfessence triumphs, the werewolf change occurs. This may explain why werewolves hunt humans so
often; the wolf-essence desires to destroy the human side and triumph over humanity, and does so
symbolically by brutally slaying humans.

Transmitting the Curse: The Call and the First Hunt

The curse of lycanthropy overtakes a person over a period of one night. One or more werewolves
howl in the night, calling out to the victim. Soon after, the victim finds himself in the wilderness,
under the silvery moon, surrounded by eyes glowing in the night. The victim's will is compromised
already, the wild essence entering him and doing battle with his human conscience. The victim and
the werewolves crash through the woods together, and over the course of the night, they hunt and
kill their preyusually woodland game, but other humans or even another lycanthrope is not
unheard of.
The called victim begins to express wolf characteristics throughout the night, and as he sinks his
teeth into bloody flesh, the curse perceptibly takes hold, and he transforms fully into canid form for
the first time. There is a bone-chilling chorus of howls, and the First Hunt is complete. Later, the new
lycanthrope usually staggers back into civilization, half-naked, barely recognizable through the blood
and offal and wilderness debris, and nearly mad from fear and shameful memories. Thereafter, the
werewolf must remain vigilant with prayer and caution, lest the wolf essence manifest again.

Detection
Werewolves in either form seem to be able to tell a human-form lycanthrope by smell. Indeed,
humans who are mysteriously spared during werewolf rampages are often suspected of being
werewolves themselves.

No Known Cure
No known remedy, blessing, or ritual has effectively purged the curse of lycanthropy. The closest
anyone ever came was alchemist Theodora Glick,
who was brought in to inspect Guthril, a
werewolf captured by the local constabulary.
Through a complex ceremony involving mystic
circles inlaid with the wolfsbane plant, a blanket
woven with blessed silver thread, and a lightning
storm, Glick managed to force Guthril to revert
to human form and stay that way through three
lunar cycles. Unfortunately, the ritual was only
temporary, and Guthril re-emerged stronger
than ever. He utterly destroyed Glick's laboratory
in Gavony and fled into the night.

Howlpacks
Werewolves are often lone hunters, stalking and killing humans as singular monsters in urban
settings. But some werewolves form loose, evolving social groups out in the wild called howlpacks.
The populations of howlpacks wax and wane like the moon, gaining and losing members as individual
lycanthropes enter or leave their canid state. Some werewolves seem to be continually drawn back
to their howlpack, returning to it time after time as soon as they drop their human guise and reenter
the wild. Howlpacks can be tiny hunting parties of just a few werewolves, or can be massive hordes
of over a hundred. A howlpack is often led by a single alpha (male or female) that dominates the
pack. Alphas must often defend their power by defeating challengers in combat. Three of the larger,
more stable howlpacks are the Krallenhorde, the Mondronen, and the Leeraug.

The Krallenhorde: Innistrad's Largest Howlpack

When an average Innistrad human thinks of a werewolf pack, he or she thinks of the Krallenhorde.
The Krallenhorde has existed in some form for decades, composed of anywhere from fifty to over
two hundred werewolves depending on the availability of prey and the phase of the moon. The most
heterogeneous of howlpacks, Krallenhorde includes a mix of repentant and wanton werewolves, and
has drawn members from all provinces of Innistrad. The alpha of Krallenhorde is currently the

werewolf Ulrich, a cunning and perceptive wanton who remains in the wild and runs with the
howlpack even when he reverts to human form.

Mondronen: Carnal Ritualists

The Mondronen howlpack is composed of
around sixty werewolves who are said to
control a dark, bloody magic of nature. Their
alpha Tovolar is a mute, silver-furred werewolf
who leads his pack on revels of carnage and
howling songs, and who never seems to revert
to human form. The Mondronen wolves
historically stayed far from centers of
civilization, only preying on farmlands, rural
communities, and remote monasteries. But as
Avacyn's protective wards have diminished in
strength, it's said that the Mondronen
territory has grown closer to cities, and that
their dark magics may soon spill over into
genteel life.

Leeraug: Killers of the Absent Moon

Few know of the Leeraug, a relatively small and tight-knit pack of Innistrad's most vicious werewolf
predators, but almost all have heard tales of their destruction. The Leeraug are unique in that they
hunt under the black night of the new moon, rather than transforming when the moon is full. They
favor the flesh and entrails of children, and often steal into homes and orphanages through chimneys
or windows left ajar. The Leeraug alpha is Skaharra, a black-furred she-wolf noted for her tendency
to kill along bloodlines, murdering entire families in a single night while sparing unrelated farmhands
and servants.

Chapter 11: Nephalia

Overview
Innistrad denizens interested in commerce are attracted to Nephalia, which
makes for an interesting mix of occupations and races in the province.
Nephalia has numerous towns in which order is maintained by Avacynian
clergy and their representatives. It has a "stock" of humans to be fed upon,
thus the Stromkirk line is well represented here. It has busy trade routes
with caravans of merchants and townsfolk milling between the cities for
the Krallenhorde to prey on. And it has the ever-present Nebelgast, the socalled "Breath of the Sleepless," that rolls in and out with the tide, bringing
with it a host of geists.
In Nephalia, skaberen (creators of skaabs, the alchemically vivified
constructions of flesh) and ghoulcallers (practitioners of necromancy) alike can find out-of-the-way
places in which to practice and further their art with little or no interference from suspicious
townsfolk or Avacynian authority. Both must remain highly secretive, as their trade is still feared
within the general human populace, but the Stromkirk vampires and Nephalia's merchants see
money to be made, so their arcane trinkets and dark services are tolerated as long as they remain
only rumors at the local taverns.
The merchants, known as the metzalar, are
the glue that binds Nephalia together. They
keep every separate party joined together by
the exchange of goods and services and, of
course, coin.

Nearly Treeless
Nephalia has always been lightly forested, but
in the last century its few trees have been cut
down or destroyed due to the vampires' fear
of them being turned on them as stakes and
other weapons.
Runo, progenitor of the Stromkirk line, was
crafty in his removal of the woodlands. Early
on, using his glamers and sizeable fortune, he
turned the human populace into artisans,
supporting their efforts in building fine cities,
proud ships, and a vigorous, provincial commerceall based around wood.

Prosperous and plentiful humans are good business for the

Stromkirk, so Runo became a kind of secret Nephalian
patron, supporting master craftsmen and commissioning
buildings, towers, and ships, while funding any vampirefriendly efforts by alchemists and magisters. Out of
this, Nephalia has become widely known for its masterful
crafting and artistry with wood. Nephalian buildings, ships,
chapels, and houses all bear a distinct and inspired art that
sets it apart from the other provinces.

Faith in Nephalia
In Nephalia, the Church's role has been to keep humans safe from the actions of necromantic
ghoulcallers and corpse-stitching skaberen. Now that holy magic is losing its strength, undead attacks
on already-terrorized merchant outposts and port towns have gotten even worse. The underground
corpse trade is in full swing, delivering precious bodies to those who wish to harvest them for their
dark magics. Geists blow in with the sea's mist, restless spirits fresh from shipwrecks or roused from
the Blessed Sleep as the Avacynian blessings over cemeteries fail. Nephalians regularly see the
facesor other body partsof their loved ones at the ends of their silver weapons. Sometimes those
faces are mercifully decomposed and unrecognizable, but it's not uncommon for them to be attacked
by deathless versions of the same beloved priests who were supposed to be guarding the town
gates.

Port Towns of Nephalia

This province is defined by waterby its access to the ocean (the easiest of any province), by its
many rivers that lead deep inland, and by its deltas, marshes, and lakes. Water enables commerce
here but also gives Nephalia a silvery, mystical character; the clouds and the moon seem to be both
above and below in most places.

Silver Beach
Nephalia's coastline consists of the Silver Beach, which
stretches countless miles, interrupted by rocks, sea
caves, and occasional large promontories. The sands of
the beach are rich in granular silver, giving them an
unearthly shimmer that dazzles visitors from other
provinces. This is no vacation spot, however. Threats are
far too numerous, and the ocean too dangerous, to
invite beachcombers. Only experienced Nephalian sailors
know the spells and the land well enough to venture out
into the sea and return with fish, trade goods, or treasure.
Nephalia has three main port towns along the coast: Havengul, Drunau, and Selhoff.

Havengul
The largest of the three cities, Havengul, stands at the mouth of the Silburlind River. The population
consists of human craftworkers, shipbuilders, smiths, and traders. The Avacynian church has a strong
presence here to take part in the burgeoning trade and marketplace, but many Nephalians are wary

of the priesthood and watch them like hawks. As long as the church brings trade to and from
Thraben, they are given a pass from the key players in Nephalia.

Elgaud Grounds
A contingent of the Avacyn Church long ago established a small fort here known as the Elgaud
Grounds where new cathars are trained to spread
the word of Avacyn and protect the people. Once
trained, these graduates are sent out in small groups
(of two or three) to neighboring towns to establish
an outpost. These are known as Arms of Avacyn, and
they attempt to strengthen trust in the Church under
the offer of protection and security. Many townsfolk
are wary or outright untrusting of these "Arms" and
would rather protect themselves with their own
blood, sweat, traditional folklore, and superstitions.

Corpse Trade
Even with the presence of the Cathars, there is money to be made in corpses. Havengul, having the
largest human population, is rife with bodysnatchers who disinter corpses and then shuttle them off
using the network of underground passageways, known as the Erdwal, for high-paying ghoulcallers or
skaberen.
The most influential of Nephalia's merchants is Ludevic of Ulm, a wheezing and reclusive alchemist.
Some say that Ludevic's consumption of potions and inhalation of toxic vapors has left him no choice
but to abandon his experiments, leaving him to devote his sizeable intellect to the problem of making
himself and his partners filthy rich. Others gossip that Ludevic still dabbles in the alchemical arts.

The Tide and the Nebelgast

Here in Havengul and all along the Nephalian
coastline, spirits come and go with the tide, but that
isn't to say that when the tide is out, spirits are
absentthere are just far fewer. Because the tide is
connected to the moon, the pull of the moon brings
the spirits into the world of the living to haunt. The
Nebelgast consists mainly of the marei (drowned
sailors and shipwreck victims) and the niblis (frost
phantoms), but there are a host of other ghosts and
spirits that are pulled by the moon.

The River Ospid and the Morkrut.

This creates a sizeable marsh known as the Morkrut. Few set
foot within the Morkrut other than ghoulcallers, and even
they can become lost in its mists. The Morkrut has been a
dumping place for murder victims and unclaimed bodies for
which no one will pay for proper burial. Because of this, the
Morkrut is filled with banshees and other malevolent geists.

The Erdwal
Colloquially known as "The Ditch," the network of underground passageways and crevasses called
the Erdwal originated as trenches created by Nephalians in each of the major cities of Havengul,
Drunau, and Selhoff for resisting zombie and werewolf attacks. Over the years, the trenches between
the three cities were connected into a network of defensible walkways for transporting goods and
continuing trade even while wandering zombie hordes, demonic fiends, hungry geists, or the
Krallenhorde wander about looking for victims. Major merchants of Nephalia have paid special
attention to the uses of the Erdwal and have put serious resources into making it a legitimate artery
of trade, thus it has developed a bustling underground economy of its own dealing in all manner of
grey- and black-market goods: human blood, assassinations, counterfeit silver, necromancy, curses,
and bloodsport.
Near the larger towns, the Erdwal becomes a trench marketplace of colorful rogues, seedy
merchants, filthy sailors and gaunt strangers,
all doing business in dark alleyways and roughly
hewn tunnels branching off the main trench.
Along the clandestine nooks, the skaberen and
ghoulcallers ply their trade and human blood is
bought and sold by the flagon. Flesh golems are
created and experiments in transmuting base
metals into pure silver are carried out.
Skaberen stitch together hideous
monstrosities, some of which get loose and
cause havoc throughout the Ditch. As long as
these dark dealings do not make it above
ground level, the Church of Avacyn and its
cathars do not intervene. Nephalia is a province of "understandings," and this is one of those uneasy
truces that, if maintained, benefits all parties concerned.

Jenrik's Tower
Along a particularly bare stretch of the Silver Beach looms a tall tower. The mortar has been mixed
with sand from the Silver Beach, making it glitter in the moonlight. Within the tower, Jenrik, the
astronomer, mysteriously conducts his work studying the stars, eschewing all contact with the
outside world. He is making observations of the moon, charting its path across the heavens with
excruciating detail. Wards keep away werewolves, and the Stromkirk actually fear his knowledge, for

anyone with such a vast understanding of the moon is holding great power indeed. Some say he is
predicting the future of Innistrad, or that he is a spirit trying to get home. Others say he is an angel
attempting to restore Avacyn, or that he is a demon plotting to destroy the world.