# The Old Svalich Road

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

> [!infobox]
> ![loc into the mists road 1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-into-the-mists-road-1.webp)
> **Region:** [Into the Mists](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/regions/into-the-mists.md) · level 1
> **Resting:** Risky
> **Light:** dim, outdoors
> **Getting here:** the travel map (The Gates of Barovia)
> **Quests:** [A Knight, More or Less](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/a-knight-more-or-less.md), [A Seat at the Table](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/a-seat-at-the-table.md), [Aurel's Last Chapter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/aurels-last-chapter.md), [Carry the Dawn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/carry-the-dawn.md) and 11 more

## Overview

The party's arrival in Barovia: out of the mists onto the Old Svalich Road, through the Svalich Woods where a wolf pack bars the narrows, past the headless guardians of the Gates of Barovia, to the first cottages of the Village of Barovia, where two children are waiting in the road.

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

![loc into the mists road overview](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-into-the-mists-road-overview.webp)
*The whole place from above.*

## Getting here

### Ways in

- **The travel map:** The Gates of Barovia, in Barovia.

### Ways out

| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Into the village | [Village of Barovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-of-barovia.md) |  |

## Map

![into the mists road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/maps/into-the-mists-road.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 into the mists road spot1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-into-the-mists-road-spot1.webp)
*an abandoned cart*

![loc into the mists road spot2](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-into-the-mists-road-spot2.webp)
*a torn carcass, a traveller's pack under the carcass*

![loc into the mists road spot3](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-into-the-mists-road-spot3.webp)
*a wayside shrine, the headless statues, a gate guard's sword in the weeds, a loose board behind the shrine*

## People

> [!note]- Who turns up at points in the story (5)
> - **[The Wolves](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/the-wolves.md)**, The Svalich Woods (#2): when not mists wolves resolved
> - **[Rose](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/rose.md)**, The Village Edge (#3): when not visited death house ground; or when death house completed and not death house children at rest
> - **[Thorn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/thorn.md)**, The Village Edge (#4): when not visited death house ground; or when death house completed and not death house children at rest
> - **[Marshal Dragomir](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/marshal-dragomir.md)**, The Gates of Barovia (#5): when night and quest.last muster and not bone marshal beaten
> - **[Ilarion](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/ilarion.md)**, The Svalich Woods (#6): when quest.the last traveller isn't home and quest.the last traveller isn't done

## What to find

| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | an abandoned cart | [Rope](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#rope), [Torch](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#torch) ×3, [Ration](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#ration) ×2, 2 gp | open it |
| 11 | a gate guard's sword in the weeds (hidden) | [Longsword of Warning](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#weapon-of-warning) | Search: Perception DC 13 |
| 12 | a loose board behind the shrine (hidden) | [Ring of Mind Shielding](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#ring-of-mind-shielding) | Search: Investigation DC 12 |
| 13 | a traveller's pack under the carcass (hidden) | [Boots of the Winterlands](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#boots-of-the-winterlands) | Search: Perception DC 12 |
| 14 | a traveller's pack in the ferns (hidden) | [Signal Whistle](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#signal-whistle) | Search: Perception DC 12 |

The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 1 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 torn carcass | Survival 12 | Read the wolf sign by the carcass | reveals mists_wolf_trap; finds Boots of the Winterlands |
| 9 | a wayside shrine | Religion 11 | Pray at the wayside shrine | Heroic Inspiration |
| 10 | the headless statues | History 12 | Read the statues' plinths | reveals stone heads in the weeds; lore: The headless statues |
| 15 | an old oak with a broad low bough | Athletics 10 | Climb the oak and look out | finds Longsword of Warning |

### Traps

| # | Trap | Find DC | Disarm DC | Save | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | a hunter's wolf trap | 11 | 11 | DEX 11 | 1d6 piercing |

## Fights

- *The pack stops pretending.*, in [The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md): [Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wolf.md).

- *The marshal salutes with his blade, and his two lieutenants walk their bone horses out of the column to his…*, in [The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md): [The Bone Marshal](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/the-bone-marshal.md), [Wight](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wight.md), [Skeleton](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/skeleton.md), [Phantom Warrior](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/phantom-warrior.md). Scales with your level. Part of [The Last Muster](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-last-muster.md).
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when riders stood down and level ≥ 8: [The Bone Marshal](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/the-bone-marshal.md), 3 × Lieutenant of the Vanguard ([Wight](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wight.md)) (6000 XP)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when riders stood down and level ≥ 6: [The Bone Marshal](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/the-bone-marshal.md), 2 × Lieutenant of the Vanguard ([Wight](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wight.md)) (5300 XP)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when riders stood down: [The Bone Marshal](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/the-bone-marshal.md), Lieutenant of the Vanguard ([Wight](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wight.md)) (4600 XP)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when not riders stood down and level ≥ 8: [The Bone Marshal](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/the-bone-marshal.md), 3 × Lieutenant of the Vanguard ([Wight](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wight.md)), 6 × Rider of the Last Muster ([Skeleton](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/skeleton.md)), 2 × Banner of the Vanguard ([Phantom Warrior](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/phantom-warrior.md)) (7700 XP)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when not riders stood down and level ≥ 6: [The Bone Marshal](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/the-bone-marshal.md), 2 × Lieutenant of the Vanguard ([Wight](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wight.md)), 6 × Rider of the Last Muster ([Skeleton](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/skeleton.md)) (5600 XP)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when not riders stood down: [The Bone Marshal](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/the-bone-marshal.md), Lieutenant of the Vanguard ([Wight](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wight.md)), 6 × Rider of the Last Muster ([Skeleton](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/skeleton.md)) (4900 XP)

- *The fog behind you opens like a mouth, and the count's wolves come out of it low and quick, for the man who…*, in [The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md): [Dire Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/dire-wolf.md), [Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wolf.md). Scales with your level.
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when level ≥ 3: The Grey Leader ([Dire Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/dire-wolf.md)), 4 × [Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wolf.md) (400 XP)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**, when level ≥ 2: 6 × [Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wolf.md) (300 XP)
> - **[The Old Svalich Road](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-old-svalich-road.md)**: 5 × [Wolf](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wolf.md) (250 XP)

## Quests and lore

- [A Knight, More or Less](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/a-knight-more-or-less.md): Sir Godrick Pendlebrook was knighted on a deathbed with a soup ladle. He carries his old master's sword into the mists to have it done…
- [A Seat at the Table](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/a-seat-at-the-table.md): Ratatouille learned magic so that people would sit with him. He crossed the mists to apprentice himself to the Wizard of Wines, a master of…
- [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…
- [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…
- [Cold Prayers](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/cold-prayers.md): Hedda Ironvow dreamed of a dying sun and a silver raven, and left her chapel before dawn to follow the dream. Since she crossed the mist,…
- [Count Off](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/count-off.md): Ilse Varga's mercenary company marched into the mists a year ago at the invitation of someone who signed himself S. She was meant to march…
- [Death House](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/death-house.md): Two children begged us to save their baby brother from a monster in the basement of their house. The house had other plans.
- [Grandda's Trail](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/granddas-trail.md): Thistle was raised in the deep woods by a trapper called Fen Burley. He followed a wolf the size of a pony into a wall of fog and never…
- [Into the Mists](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/into-the-mists.md): The road you were on is gone. The mist has delivered you somewhere else: a dark valley, a wolf-haunted road and a village at the end of it.
- [Rest for Rose and Thorn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/rest-for-rose-and-thorn.md): The Durst children died in their locked attic room, and their ghosts are still waiting there for someone to come back for them.
- [The Fine Print](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-fine-print.md): Kip Smudgewick signed a devil's contract to save his family's apricot orchard. The devil has offered him one way out: a signature from the…
- [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 Last Muster](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-last-muster.md): Every night, riders made of bones go east along the Old Svalich Road to the Gates of Barovia, and none of them comes back.
- [The Last Traveller](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-last-traveller.md): A young man in rags and beautiful boots sits at the edge of the mists on the Old Svalich Road, asking what day it is.
- [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…