# The Church of St. Markovia

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

> [!infobox]
> ![loc abbey of st markovia shrine 1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-abbey-of-st-markovia-shrine-1.webp)
> **Region:** [The Abbey of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/regions/the-abbey-of-st-markovia.md) · level 7
> **Resting:** no
> **Light:** dim
> **Getting here:** [The Abbey of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-abbey-of-st-markovia.md)
> **Quests:** [Carry the Dawn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/carry-the-dawn.md), [The Abbot's Bride](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-abbots-bride.md), [The Burgomaster's Son](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-burgomasters-son.md), [The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-holy-symbol-of-ravenkind.md) and 2 more

## Overview

The abbey's church: a nave of plain pews, an altar on its step under a great gilded sunburst, the Abbot's bare cell on one side and the sacristy on the other. Where the Abbot works, prays and means to wake his bride.

**Resting:** no Not here. Not under that sunburst, with him lighting candles in the dark at the end of the nave.

![loc abbey of st markovia shrine overview](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-abbey-of-st-markovia-shrine-overview.webp)
*The whole place from above.*

## Getting here

### Ways in

- **From [The Abbey of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-abbey-of-st-markovia.md):** Into the church of St. Markovia

### Ways out

| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Out to the courtyard | [The Abbey of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-abbey-of-st-markovia.md) |  |
| 2 | Out to the courtyard | [The Abbey of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-abbey-of-st-markovia.md) |  |

## Map

![abbey of st markovia shrine](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/maps/abbey-of-st-markovia-shrine.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 abbey of st markovia shrine spot1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-abbey-of-st-markovia-shrine-spot1.webp)
*Vestment chest*

![loc abbey of st markovia shrine spot2](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-abbey-of-st-markovia-shrine-spot2.webp)
*the great sunburst*

![loc abbey of st markovia shrine spot3](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-abbey-of-st-markovia-shrine-spot3.webp)
*a loose stone under the Abbot's cot*

## People

> [!note]- Who turns up at points in the story (3)
> - **[The Abbot](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/the-abbot.md)**, The chancel (#3, #5): when bride defeated and not abbot fate; or when not abbot struck down and ((not bride defeated and (not abbot fate or abbot fate is “wedding”)) or abbot fate is “broken”)
> - **[Clovin Belview](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/clovin-belview.md)**, The nave (#4): when abbot struck down and not abbot fate
> - **[Vasilka](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/vasilka.md)**, The chancel (#6): when vasilka fate is “abandoned”

## What to find

| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Vestment chest | [Holy Water](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#holy-water) ×2, [Candle](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#candle) ×6, [Robe](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#robe), 22 gp | open it |
| 9 | a loose stone under the Abbot's cot (hidden) | [Ioun Stone (Protection)](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#ioun-stone-protection) | Search: Investigation DC 16 |

**Tarokka treasure spots.** If the reading hid one of the treasures here, it's in: Abbey of St Markovia Shrine ()

The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | a small pipe organ | Performance 14 | Play the little organ | Heroic Inspiration |

## Fights

- *Vasilka comes down off the bier like a dancer finishing a bow, and the Belviews come after her with cleavers…*, in [The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md): [Flesh Golem](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/flesh-golem.md), [Berserker](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/berserker.md), [Mongrelfolk](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/mongrelfolk.md). Scales with your level.
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md)**, when level ≥ 7: Vasilka ([Flesh Golem](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/flesh-golem.md)), 2 × Belview Brute ([Berserker](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/berserker.md)), 4 × [Mongrelfolk](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/mongrelfolk.md) (2900 XP)
> - **[The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md)**, when level ≥ 6: Vasilka ([Flesh Golem](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/flesh-golem.md)), Belview Brute ([Berserker](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/berserker.md)), 4 × [Mongrelfolk](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/mongrelfolk.md) (2450 XP)
> - **[The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md)**: Vasilka ([Flesh Golem](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/flesh-golem.md)), 3 × [Mongrelfolk](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/mongrelfolk.md) (1950 XP)

- *The candles go white. He doesn't draw a weapon. He opens his hands, and there is suddenly a mace of light in…*, in [The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md): [Deva](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/deva.md), [Mongrelfolk](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/mongrelfolk.md). Scales with your level.
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md)**, when level ≥ 7: The Abbot ([Deva](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/deva.md)), 2 × [Mongrelfolk](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/mongrelfolk.md) (6000 XP)
> - **[The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md)**, when level ≥ 6: The Abbot ([Deva](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/deva.md)), [Mongrelfolk](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/mongrelfolk.md) (5950 XP)
> - **[The Church of St. Markovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-church-of-st-markovia.md)**: The Abbot ([Deva](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/deva.md)) (5900 XP)

## Quests and lore

- [Carry the Dawn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/carry-the-dawn.md): On the morning of her vows the Morninglord showed Liriel Dawnsong a valley where the sun had not risen in four hundred years, and told her…
- [The Abbot's Bride](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-abbots-bride.md): The Abbot of St. Markovia is stitching a bride for the lord of Barovia from Krezk's dead, and believes a wife will cure him.
- [The Burgomaster's Son](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-burgomasters-son.md): Ilya Krezkov, the burgomaster's last child, has been burning with fever for a month.
- [The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-holy-symbol-of-ravenkind.md): A holy symbol of great power against the undead, lost long ago in the valley.
- [The Sunsword](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-sunsword.md): A blade of sunlight that once belonged to the devil's brother, broken from its hilt and lost.
- [The Tome of Strahd](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-tome-of-strahd.md): A history of the devil, written in his own hand. Madam Eva says it holds the knowledge of his past.

> [!quote]- A ledger of improvements
> A long ledger in a beautiful, even hand, every entry dated. 'Yevgeni B., a hound's patience, for his temper; took well.' 'Old Marta B., wings, for her lightness of spirit; did not take. Wards.' 'Little Ilsa B., an owl's eyes, for the dark; took.' The last pages are a different list: 'Left hand, from the grave of a seamstress. Throat, from a singer. Eyes, two, from sisters, to be matched.' At the bottom: 'Something white.'