Vistani

Introduction

The Vistani are an insular, itinerant people freely able to pass through the mysterious mists of Barovia. Vistani are humans with dark, luxurious hair, fair skin, and graceful builds.
Vistani travel in close family groups of only a few dozen people in distinctive wooden, round-topped wagons called vardos. They rarely interact with giorgios (the Vistani term for any non-Vistani) except to peddle their wares or obtain supplies. They do not possess the same notions of propriety or property ownership as others in Barovia, and are just as likely to get what they need from giorgios by honest purchase, trickery, or outright theft.
Vistani life revolves around rich tradition. Tradition dictates where the families roam, how they make their camp, and with whom they may interact. Vistani leadership is prescribed by tradition: each family is directed by a senior male called the captain and an elder female called the raunie. The family's captain oversees mundane matters such as camping, travel, and trade. The raunie guides the family's spiritual life.
The Vistani possess powers that set them apart from the common folk of Barovia, but these powers are not wellunderstood. Every raunie--and often other women in a family--possess the power to deliver powerful curses such as the "evil eye" and to tell fortunes with cards, dice, or tea leaves. This gift is commonly called "the Sight." Vistani rarely tell a giorgio's fortune, but their predictions are uncannily accurate.

Tribal Groups

Vistani families interact with one another when their paths cross, particularly to exchange information or to establish marriages. Each Vistani family belongs to one of three extended tribal groups called tasques: The Boem (who are primarily entertainers and more inclined to interact with giorgios), the Kaldresh (primarily crafters and animaltrainers), and the Manusa (specialists in arcane powers).

Families

Bogarav Moslavaric

Mortu

The most extreme punishment among the Vistani is exile from the family, which is deemed the equivalent of a deathsentence. Such outcasts are called mortu, and are shunned by all Vistani.

Type

Geopolitical, Nomadic tribe