# Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count

> From the Curse of Strahd game wiki (it covers the whole game, spoilers included): https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.html. Unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy, not approved or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

> [!infobox]
> ![loc castle ravenloft court 1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-castle-ravenloft-court-1.webp)
> **Region:** [Castle Ravenloft](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/regions/castle-ravenloft.md) · level 10
> **Resting:** Risky
> **Light:** dark
> **Getting here:** [Castle Ravenloft, the Treasury](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-treasury.md), [Castle Ravenloft, the Rooms of Weeping](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-rooms-of-weeping.md), [Castle Ravenloft, the Main Floor](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-main-floor.md)
> **Quests:** [Aurel's Last Chapter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/aurels-last-chapter.md), [Mary's Daughter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/marys-daughter.md), [The Last Lesson](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-last-lesson.md), [The Woman in the Locket](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-woman-in-the-locket.md)

## Overview

The castle's second floor, where the count keeps court: the long King's Hall, the audience hall and its throne, the study with a lady over the hearth, the trophy room, the accountant's office, the guardroom, and the stairs to the towers and to the rooms above.

A long hall of black stone hung with old banners runs the width of the keep. Tall doors open on a throne room to the north; a study, a trophy room and a clerk's office open off it; the grand stairs come up from below.

**Resting:** Risky: a rest here can be interrupted.

![loc castle ravenloft court overview](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-castle-ravenloft-court-overview.webp)
*The whole place from above.*

## Getting here

### Ways in

- **From [Castle Ravenloft, the Treasury](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-treasury.md):** Secret stair up to the King's Hall
- **From [Castle Ravenloft, the Rooms of Weeping](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-rooms-of-weeping.md):** Stairs down to the Court of the Count
- **From [Castle Ravenloft, the Main Floor](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-main-floor.md):** The grand stairs up
- **From [Castle Ravenloft, the High Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-high-tower.md):** The arch to the count's floor

### Ways out

| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stairs down to the main floor | [Castle Ravenloft, the Main Floor](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-main-floor.md) |  |
| 2 | Tower stairs up to the spires | [Castle Ravenloft, the High Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-high-tower.md) |  |
| 3 | Stairs up to the rooms above | [Castle Ravenloft, the Rooms of Weeping](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-rooms-of-weeping.md) |  |
| 4 | Secret stair down behind the portrait | [Castle Ravenloft, the Treasury](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-treasury.md) | court treasury found |

## Map

![castle ravenloft court](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/maps/castle-ravenloft-court.svg)

**Key:** gold, people; red, containers; purple, hidden finds; teal, skill checks; white, exits; orange, traps. The numbers match the lists on this page.

### Close up

![loc castle ravenloft court spot1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-castle-ravenloft-court-spot1.webp)
*the throne*

![loc castle ravenloft court spot2](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-castle-ravenloft-court-spot2.webp)
*Portrait over the fireplace, the count's desk, the study fireplace, a hidden drawer in the count's desk*

![loc castle ravenloft court spot3](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-castle-ravenloft-court-spot3.webp)
*Trophy cabinet*

## People

> [!note]- Who turns up at points in the story (3)
> - **[Rahadin](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/rahadin.md)**, The grand landing, The King's Hall (#5, #6): when gertruda with the party and not rahadin stood aside and not rahadin defeated; or when not rahadin met and not rahadin defeated
> - **[Lief Lipsiege](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/lief-lipsiege.md)**, The accountant's office (#7): when court rug destroyed and not lief freed; or when not lief freed
> - **[Aurel Mirescu](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/aurel-mirescu.md)**, The study (#8): when name silvain aster and not (quest aurels last chapter at or past the last page) and not (final room:castle ravenloft study and quest strahds lair at foretold)

## What to find

| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | the throne | 40 gp | open it |
| 10 | Portrait over the fireplace | empty | open it |
| 11 | the count's desk | [Ink](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#ink), [Ink Pen](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#ink-pen), [Parchment](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#parchment) ×4, 25 gp | open it |
| 12 | Trophy cabinet | [Spear](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#spear), [Longbow](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#longbow), 60 gp | open it |
| 13 | an iron strongbox | 220 gp | lock DC 15 |
| 14 | Weapon rack | [Longsword](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#longsword), [Shield](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#shield), [Light Crossbow](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#light-crossbow), [Crossbow Bolt](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#crossbow-bolt) ×20 | open it |
| 17 | a hidden drawer in the count's desk (hidden) | [Crystal Ball](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#crystal-ball) | Search: Investigation DC 17 |
| 18 | a sword hung high among the trophies (hidden) | [Longsword of Sharpness](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#sword-of-sharpness) | Search: Perception DC 15 |

**Tarokka treasure spots.** If the reading hid one of the treasures here, it's in: Castle Ravenloft Audience Hall (court_throne); Castle Ravenloft Study (court_study_portrait)

The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 10 the first time you come ([Random Treasure](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/random-treasure.md)). Hidden finds need a Search (F) nearby; the party's best roll counts.

### Skill checks

| # | Where | Check | Try | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | the study fireplace | Investigation 15 | Pace out the study's walls | reveals court_study_bookcase |
| 16 | a chained desk | Deception 15 | Tell the clerk you're the count's auditor | unlocks court tax strongbox |

### Traps

| # | Trap | Find DC | Disarm DC | Save | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | a tripwire to a hunting crossbow | 14 | 14 | DEX 14 | 3d10 piercing |

### Locked and secret doors

- a bookcase that swings: secret, found at DC 15

## Fights

- *He is on the throne, one leg over the arm of it, as if he has been waiting a long time and enjoyed every…*, in [Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.md): [Strahd von Zarovich](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/strahd-von-zarovich.md), [Dire Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/dire-wolf.md).

- *He is reading by the fire. He finishes the page before he looks up, and marks it with a ribbon, and the…*, in [Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.md): [Strahd von Zarovich](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/strahd-von-zarovich.md), [Swarm of Bats](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/swarm-of-bats.md).

- *The armour on its stand turns its helm toward the door. Behind it, three more suits step down from the wall…*, in [Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.md): [Strahd's Animated Armor](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/strahds-animated-armor.md), [Helmed Horror](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/helmed-horror.md).

- *Rahadin draws a curved blade and settles on the top step as if he means to stand there for another four…*, in [Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.md): [Rahadin](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/rahadin.md). Scales with your level.
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.md)**, when gertruda with the party: [Rahadin](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/rahadin.md) (5900 XP)
> - **[Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.md)**: [Rahadin](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/rahadin.md) (5900 XP)

- *The rug lifts off the floor like a sheet in the wind and comes for you, and from the ledger shelves something…*, in [Castle Ravenloft, the Court of the Count](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/castle-ravenloft-the-court-of-the-count.md): [Rug of Smothering](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/rug-of-smothering.md), [Crawling Claw](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/crawling-claw.md).

## Quests and lore

- [Aurel's Last Chapter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/aurels-last-chapter.md): Silvain Aster's colleague Aurel Mirescu went into the mists after a book written in a vampire's own hand, and wrote home exactly once: He…
- [Mary's Daughter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/marys-daughter.md): Mad Mary's daughter Gertruda, sixteen and never once allowed outside, slipped out of the house a few nights ago and hasn't come back.
- [The Last Lesson](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-last-lesson.md): Wren Featherfoot's old master, a dusk elf called Sorrel, died before Wren's training was finished, and left him one errand: a sealed letter…
- [The Woman in the Locket](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-woman-in-the-locket.md): Tamsin Tealeaf lifted a silver locket from a coach with no driver and no horses he could hear. The woman painted inside it has called his…

> [!quote]- Letters on a side table
> A stack of letters in one long, careful hand, every one addressed to the same woman, none of them sent. The newest ink is still glossy. The oldest pages have gone the colour of tea.

> [!quote]- The count's ledger
> Columns in a small, perfect hand. Tithes from Vallaki, wine from the Martikovs, rent from Krezk. Under VAULT: carried behind the lady in the long hall. Under GUESTS: A. Karelova, gowns, account closed. G., sixteen, three gowns, pending.