Castle Ravenloft Board Game is a board game published in 2010 by Wizards of the Coast . It was the first game released in the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure System board game series.
131-720: In Castle Ravenloft Board Game , the players control Heroes who have come to Barovia to discover the secrets of Castle Ravenloft, and must work as a team to succeed in the adventures within the castle. It features multiple scenarios and quests. Castle Ravenloft Board Game is a co-operative game for 1-5 players. Each player selects a Hero, and can choose from the Dragonborn Fighter, Human Rogue, Dwarf Cleric, Eladrin Wizard, and Human Ranger. Castle Ravenloft Board Game includes 40 plastic heroes and monsters, 13 sheets of interlocking cardstock dungeon tiles, 200 encounter and treasure cards,
262-632: A "rare few" in rural communities as they were considered to be "deadly serious" practices. In recent centuries, these divination games have been "a common feature of the household festivities" in Ireland and Britain. They often involve apples and hazelnuts. In Celtic mythology , apples were strongly associated with the Otherworld and immortality , while hazelnuts were associated with divine wisdom. Some also suggest that they derive from Roman practices in celebration of Pomona . The following activities were
393-572: A Christianization of an earlier pagan custom. Many Christians in mainland Europe, especially in France, believed "that once a year, on Hallowe'en, the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival" known as the danse macabre , which was often depicted in church decoration . Christopher Allmand and Rosamond McKitterick write in The New Cambridge Medieval History that the danse macabre urged Christians "not to forget
524-647: A Ravenloft adventure, the Vistani have some control of the Mists of Ravenloft, which divide realms, while the players are generally confined to a region from which they must escape by solving one or more problems. Players generally need help from the Vistani to travel reliably from one open realm to another. The Vistani people were "described as superstitious " and had "abilities to curse and hypnotize players or cast spells like Evil Eye ". They were also originally stereotyped "as 'uncivilized' and heavy drinkers", but this portrayal
655-443: A Romani consultant to present the Vistani without using reductive tropes". On this update, Jon Ryan, for IGN , wrote that "it's worth noting that the book's illustrations of the Vistani still evoke Romani culture, and some players may still associate certain abilities [...] with outdated cultural stereotypes". Julie Muncy, for Io9 , criticized the "granular changes" to the Vistani people as not very extensive and that "while there's
786-478: A bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sin , drink , and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming looking for
917-587: A carnival fun house, powered by steam. The House still exists, in the Hollycombe Steam Collection . It was during the 1930s, about the same time as trick-or-treating , that Halloween-themed haunted houses first began to appear in America. It was in the late 1950s that haunted houses as a major attraction began to appear, focusing first on California. Sponsored by the Children's Health Home Junior Auxiliary,
1048-434: A chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drive the fork into an apple, or embedding a coin in the apple which participants had to remove with their teeth. Another common game involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity that inevitably leads to a sticky face. A similar game involved hanging an apple from
1179-510: A character in his own right, he is broadly drawn, so every group of players can make him their own. There are many Strahds, each defined by the tastes of the people at the table." Halloween Halloween , or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween , All Hallows' Eve , or All Saints' Eve ), is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day . It
1310-472: A common feature of Halloween in Ireland and Britain during the 17th–20th centuries. Some have become more widespread and continue to be popular today. One common game is apple bobbing or dunking (which may be called "dooking" in Scotland) in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water and the participants must use only their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. Variants of dunking involve kneeling on
1441-465: A core continent attached around Barovia which could be traveled to by others if their respective lords allowed entering or leaving their borders; while some Domains remained isolated in the mists and were referred to as Islands. In 1978, Tracy and Laura Hickman wrote adventures that would eventually be published as the Dungeon & Dragons modules Pharaoh and Ravenloft . Strahd von Zarovich
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#17328552564231572-552: A famous Monster Hunter in Ravenloft and author of a series of guides to hunting and slaying various monsters, had a great enmity for the Vistani for most of his monster-hunting career, but his opinion improved during his penning of Van Richten's Guide To The Vistani , during which he befriended a mortu (a Vistani outcast). Ravenloft has acted as the official campaign setting for multiple Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying adventure modules, sourcebooks and accessories. It has also been
1703-431: A heaven filled with angels and a hell filled with devils", a motif that has permeated the observance of this triduum . One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet John Mayne , who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween— "What fearfu' pranks ensue!" , as well as the supernatural associated with the night, "bogles" (ghosts) —influencing Robert Burns ' " Halloween " (1785). Elements of
1834-472: A home to enter. Unless they're an extremely powerful vampire like Strahd, natch". Shelly Jones, in the journal Analog Game Studies: Volume IV , highlighted the Tarokka Deck mechanic used in both the original Ravenloft (1983) module and the 5th edition Curse of Strahd (2016) module to add randomization to the game and increase replayability . Jones wrote: "The Tarokka Deck incorporates an inconsistency in
1965-719: A newspaper in Kingston, Ontario , Canada, reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood. American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book-length history of Halloween in the US: The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America". In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; "Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in
2096-653: A number of alterations, many due to conflicts with existing Wizards of the Coast intellectual property . Specific references to D&D -specific deities were replaced with new names in the White Wolf Ravenloft settings (for example, Bane was changed to the Lawgiver). The license to the Ravenloft trademark reverted to Wizards of the Coast on August 15, 2005, but White Wolf retained the right to continue to sell its back stock until June 2006. The timing of this reversion meant that
2227-473: A number of lives during Rome's sultry summers. By the end of the 12th century, the celebration had become known as the holy days of obligation in Western Christianity and involved such traditions as ringing church bells for souls in purgatory . It was also "customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets, ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember
2358-457: A nun, priest, monk, etc.); a coin , that they would become rich; a bean , that they would be poor. The game features prominently in the James Joyce short story " Clay " (1914). In Ireland and Scotland, items would be hidden in food – usually a cake, barmbrack , cranachan , champ or colcannon – and portions of it served out at random. A person's future would be foretold by
2489-449: A place to rest. In Ireland, Scotland, and Northern England the turnip has traditionally been carved during Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger, making it easier to carve than a turnip. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837 and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until
2620-587: A plot device for Ravenloft, especially concerning the Darklords, the de facto visible rulers of the Ravenloft Demiplane. Where the player characters are often tormented and opposed by the Darklords, the Darklords are themselves tormented and opposed by the Dark Powers. The difference lies in order of power—while many D&D adventures focus on allowing a band of heroes to prevail over a Darklord (much as in
2751-437: A real opportunity here to do better work—the aforementioned diversity pledge also mentioned future works that will feature the Vistani people and aim to complicate their depictions—starting that work with a fancy collector's edition feels less like a promise to do better and more like a victory lap". Muncy also highlighted that the unrevised parts, such as the art and specific magical abilities, still lean "into tropes that suggest
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#17328552564232882-495: A revised depiction of the Vistani" who are based on stereotypes about the Romani people . Wizards of the Coast released a new Ravenloft campaign sourcebook, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (2021), which introduces other Domains of Dread to the edition. It was published on May 18, 2021. Ravenloft is primarily a Gothic horror setting. Dungeon Masters are encouraged to use scenes that build apprehension and fear, culminating in
3013-458: A rulebook, a scenario book, and a 20-sided die. David M. Ewalt of Forbes comments: "Count Strahd von Zarovich and Castle Ravenloft — stars of a beloved Dungeons & Dragons setting — make their board game debut. It's like playing fourth edition D&D, but without a dungeon master or most of the rules. Anyone can play, even if they don't know D&D. It's cooperative, challenging and fun". Scott Taylor of Black Gate comments: "I have to give
3144-578: A secular Halloween custom. It is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit, and money. In Ireland, the most popular phrase for kids to shout (until the 2000s) was " Help the Halloween Party ". Author Nicholas Rogers cites an early example of guising in North America in 1911, where
3275-498: A string with a coin embedded; the coin had to be removed without using hands. Another once-popular game involves hanging a small wooden rod from the ceiling at head height, with a lit candle on one end and an apple hanging from the other. The rod is spun round, and everyone takes turns to try to catch the apple with their teeth. Several of the traditional activities from Ireland and Britain involve foretelling one's future partner or spouse. An apple would be peeled in one long strip, then
3406-447: Is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" implies a "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. The practice is said to have roots in the medieval practice of mumming , which is closely related to souling . John Pymm wrote that "many of
3537-447: Is a popular Irish Christian folktale associated with the jack-o'-lantern, which in folklore is said to represent a " soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell ": On route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil and tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes
3668-450: Is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension or demiplane, called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called " domains ", brought together by a mysterious force known only as the Dark Powers . Each domain is tailored to and mystically ruled by a being called a Darklord who is forever trapped and surrounded by magical mists surrounding
3799-613: Is an update to Realm of Terror , but it removes Domains that were destroyed in the Grand Conjunction adventure series and adds new Domains. The metaplot of the adventure series was used to update the setting: "David Wise, leader of the 'Kargat' of Ravenloft designers at TSR, has said there were a few reasons for the changes. Some domains were changed or removed because they didn't fit into Ravenloft ecologically [...]. Some domains were removed or merged because their lords were too similar, and finally some islands of terror were kicked to
3930-444: Is at the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide , the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints ( hallows ), martyrs , and all the faithful departed. In popular culture, the day has become a celebration of horror and is associated with the macabre and the supernatural . One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals , particularly
4061-659: Is of Christian origin ; a term equivalent to "All Hallows Eve" as attested in Old English . The word hallowe[']en comes from the Scottish form of All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day ): even is the Scots term for "eve" or "evening", and is contracted to e'en or een ; (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en became Hallowe'en . Halloween is thought to have influences from Christian beliefs and practices. The English word 'Halloween' comes from "All Hallows' Eve", being
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4192-719: Is one of the quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar and has been celebrated on 31 October – 1 November in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man . A kindred festival has been held by the Brittonic Celts, called Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall and Kalan Goañv in Brittany ; a name meaning "first day of winter". For the Celts, the day ended and began at sunset; thus
4323-616: Is the world's largest Halloween parade and America's only major nighttime parade, attracting more than 60,000 costumed participants, two million spectators, and a worldwide television audience. Since the late 2010s, ethnic stereotypes as costumes have increasingly come under scrutiny in the United States. According to a 2018 report from the National Retail Federation , 30 million Americans will spend an estimated $ 480 million on Halloween costumes for their pets in 2018. This
4454-477: Is up from an estimated $ 200 million in 2010. The most popular costumes for pets are the pumpkin, followed by the hot dog , and the bumblebee in third place. There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween. Some of these games originated as divination rituals or ways of foretelling one's future, especially regarding death, marriage and children. During the Middle Ages , these rituals were done by
4585-540: The Castle Ravenloft Board Game . Ravenloft also appeared in official magazine articles, such as, Dungeon #207 "Fair Barovia" (October 2012) and Dragon #416 "History Check: Strahd and Van Richten" (October 2012). In 2016, Barovia (one of the main locations within Ravenloft) was the main setting for adventure module Curse of Strahd which acts as an adaptation of the original Ravenloft module for
4716-736: The 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons . The adventure states: "The lands of Barovia are from a forgotten world in the D&;D multiverse [...]. In time, cursed Barovia was torn from its home world by the Dark Powers and bound in mist as one of the Domains of Dread in the Shadowfell". The module was developed in-house by the Wizards of the Coast team, led by Christopher Perkins , with story contributions by original creators Tracy and Laura Hickman. Charlie Hall, for Polygon , explained that "instead of reinventing
4847-617: The AD&;D days, just the sort of thing that Wizards published in the waning days of 2e". Appelcline later noted that, once fourth edition was officially announced, "the Expedition books that had begun publication in 2006 were revealed to indeed be part of Wizard's slow slide into 4e". In 2007, Wizards of the Coast announced the printing of two new Ravenloft novels for 2008, Black Crusade and The Sleep of Reason , fueling more speculation. A short story by Ari Marmell , "Before I Wake", based on
4978-479: The Aos Sí , or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf, similar to ' souling '. Impersonating these beings, or wearing a disguise, was also believed to protect oneself from them. In parts of southern Ireland, the guisers included a hobby horse . A man dressed as a Láir Bhán ( white mare ) led youths house-to-house reciting verses – some of which had pagan overtones – in exchange for food. If
5109-528: The Celtic-speaking countries , some of which are believed to have pagan roots. Jack Santino , a folklorist , writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived". The origins of Halloween customs are typically linked to the Gaelic festival Samhain . Samhain
5240-518: The Gaelic festival Samhain , which are believed to have pagan roots. Some go further and suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallows' Day, along with its eve, by the early Church . Other academics say Halloween began independently as a Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallows' Day. Celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries, Irish and Scottish immigrants took many Halloween customs to North America in
5371-432: The autumn season , such as pumpkins, corn husks , and scarecrows , are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil , and mythical monsters . Black cats , which have been long associated with witches, are also a common symbol of Halloween. Black, orange, and sometimes purple are Halloween's traditional colors. Trick-or-treating
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5502-512: The effect of witches , who were believed to accompany the malignant spirits as they traveled the earth". After 1605, Hallowtide was eclipsed in England by Guy Fawkes Night (5 November), which appropriated some of its customs. In England, the ending of official ceremonies related to the intercession of saints led to the development of new, unofficial Hallowtide customs. In 18th–19th century rural Lancashire , Catholic families gathered on hills on
5633-702: The "Black Box", and winner of the Origins Award in 1991 for "Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1990". The campaign setting was revised twice during AD&D 2nd Edition: first as the Ravenloft Campaign Setting or "Red Box", then as the Domains of Dread hardback. In 1994, Ravenloft spun off into a sub-setting called Masque of the Red Death , set on Gothic Earth, an Edgar Allan Poe -influenced alternative Earth of
5764-561: The 1890s, where fantasy creatures and magic exist in the shadows of civilization. TSR also published a series of novels set in Ravenloft. Each was typically focused on one of the Darklords that inhabited the Ravenloft world, with several focusing on the figure of Count Strahd von Zarovich. Many of these early novels were by authors who would later receive wider fame as horror/dark fantasy authors. These authors have included Elaine Bergstrom , P. N. Elrod , Christie Golden , and Laurell K. Hamilton . A major revision of Dungeons & Dragons
5895-541: The 18th century, "imitating malignant spirits" led to playing pranks in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands . Wearing costumes and playing pranks at Halloween did not spread to England until the 20th century. Pranksters used hollowed-out turnips or mangel wurzels as lanterns, often carved with grotesque faces. By those who made them, the lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits, or used to ward off evil spirits. They were common in parts of Ireland and
6026-558: The 19th century, and then through American influence various Halloween customs spread to other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century. Popular activities during Halloween include trick-or-treating (or the related guising and souling ), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins or turnips into jack-o'-lanterns , lighting bonfires , apple bobbing , divination games, playing pranks , visiting haunted attractions , telling frightening stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed films . Some people practice
6157-508: The 33 years of its existence. The Dark Powers are a malevolent force who control the Demiplane of Dread. Their exact nature and number are deliberately kept vague, allowing for plot development in accordance with the Gothic tradition of storytelling – where the heroes are frequently outclassed and outnumbered by unknowable evil forces beyond their control. The Dark Powers most frequently serve as
6288-681: The Calvinist doctrine of predestination . State-sanctioned ceremonies associated with the intercession of saints and prayer for souls in purgatory were abolished during the Elizabethan reform , though All Hallows' Day remained in the English liturgical calendar to "commemorate saints as godly human beings". For some Nonconformist Protestants , the theology of All Hallows' Eve was redefined: "souls cannot be journeying from Purgatory on their way to Heaven, as Catholics frequently believe and assert. Instead,
6419-519: The Christian observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, although it is a secular celebration for others. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes , and soul cakes . The word Halloween or Hallowe'en (" Saints ' evening" )
6550-517: The Christian tradition, serves as "a reminder of death and the transitory quality of human life" and is consequently found in memento mori and vanitas compositions; skulls have therefore been commonplace in Halloween, which touches on this theme. Traditionally, the back walls of churches are "decorated with a depiction of the Last Judgment , complete with graves opening and the dead rising, with
6681-404: The Coast might be preparing a fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons and stated that "the release of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (2006) might just have offered another clue to the changing winds that lay ahead. First, it was a new line for 3.5e, suggesting that their original series of 3.5e books was coming to an end. Second, it was a fond look back at one of the most notable adventures from
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#17328552564236812-598: The Dark Powers to lose interest in imprisoning him, and agents of his former curse on the world of Krynn coming to collect him. Most frequently, the Dark Powers make their wishes and intentions known through subtle manipulations of fate. Thus, Barovia 's vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich 's many attempts to win back his love, Tatyana, are doomed to failure, but the Dark Powers arrange such that he never truly loses hope. Each time, for example, Strahd's own actions may be partially culpable for his failure, and as such he may go through crippling self-recrimination, rather than cursing
6943-537: The Dark Powers, who have judged a being worthy of reward and release from their misty domain. There are many Domains of Dread that makeup the landscape of Ravenloft. The Domains are surrounded by strange mists that can ensnare both people and places in Prime Material Plane and pull them into the Domains. Each Domain is ruled by a Darklord, but each Darklord was imprisoned in their Domain by the Dark Powers. The Dark Powers "are believed to have been responsible for
7074-542: The Darklord of Falkovnia whose military expeditions are doomed to constant failure, seems even to be totally oblivious to any non-mortal factors in his repeated defeats. The Dark Powers also seem capable of non-evil manipulations. Although their machinations are often directly responsible for the misery of many of Ravenloft's inhabitants, they also appear to play a role as dispensers of justice. Some tales of innocents who have escaped Ravenloft for happier environs are attributed to
7205-460: The Hickmans began work on Ravenloft , they felt the vampire archetype had become overused, trite, and mundane, and decided to create a frightening version of the creature for the module. They play-tested it with a group of players every Halloween for five years on their own game system with the adventure titled Vampyr . However, the Hickmans kept being asked about their "Ravenloft game", and so
7336-476: The Irish and Scots, though "In Cajun areas, a nocturnal Mass was said in cemeteries on Halloween night. Candles that had been blessed were placed on graves, and families sometimes spent the entire night at the graveside". Originally confined to these immigrant communities, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and was celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial, and religious backgrounds by
7467-501: The Mists "isn't scary, per se, but Strahd wreaks enough horror and carnage to drive home that Ravenloft is much, much more sinister than the Forgotten Realms . [...] Ravenloft (and I guess Forgotten Realms) vampires have all the tropes: They can turn into bats, wolves, and mists, and they don't cast reflections. They can control animals and enthrall people, to a degree. They can't cross running water, and they have to be invited into
7598-503: The Planes (2008) established that in the retconned cosmology, the Domains of Dread (and by extension the Ravenloft setting) were now located within the Shadowfell , a mirror-plane of death and gloom lying adjacent to the mortal realm. While a 4th edition update to the Ravenloft setting was announced at Gen Con 2010, the product was never released. In 2010, Ravenloft was the setting for
7729-518: The Puritans of New England strongly opposed the holiday, along with other traditional celebrations of the established Church, including Christmas. Almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was widely celebrated in North America. It was not until after mass Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century that Halloween became a major holiday in America. Most American Halloween traditions were inherited from
7860-490: The Ravenloft campaign setting was located in the Ethereal Plane. As a physical manifestation of that plane, lands, monsters and even people were created out of the mysterious mists, and the realm acted as a prison where one could enter or be transported, but means of escape were few. Other Ravenloft Domains and Darklords were eventually added in various AD&D 2nd edition (and then later in 3rd edition) products establishing
7991-474: The Ravenloft name stuck. The duo eventually caught the attention of D&D' s original publishers. They were hired to adapt it into the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and it was released as Module I6: Ravenloft in 1983 by TSR . The first appearance of the setting was in Ravenloft , a stand-alone Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module, published in 1983. In 1984, it won
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#17328552564238122-549: The Ravenloft setting. One exception is the phlogiston of the Spelljammer setting. The phlogiston blocks all planar travel, but the Ravenloft mists can appear in deep space inside crystal shells, according to the Complete Spacefarer's Handbook . Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made Ravenloft a very well received role-playing game setting during
8253-452: The Ravenloft supplement Van Richten 's Guide to the Mists did not see print. Instead, it was released by White Wolf as a free download in late September 2005. The majority of the Van Richten's Guide series had already been published by TSR in the 1990s, before White Wolf's involvement. In October 2006, Wizards of the Coast released Expedition to Castle Ravenloft , a hardcover version of
8384-468: The Romani have mystical, dangerous powers, tropes that have been used in the past to target Romani for persecution". Christian Hoffer, for ComicBook.com, highlighted that in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (2021) the Domains of Dread "all now function as originally intended: prisons meant to torture specific souls. Many of the original Ravenloft domains featured strange punishments that didn't necessarily fit
8515-820: The San Mateo Haunted House opened in 1957. The San Bernardino Assistance League Haunted House opened in 1958. Home haunts began appearing across the country during 1962 and 1963. In 1964, the San Manteo Haunted House opened, as well as the Children's Museum Haunted House in Indianapolis. The haunted house as an American cultural icon can be attributed to the opening of The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland on 12 August 1969. Knott's Berry Farm began hosting its own Halloween night attraction, Knott's Scary Farm , which opened in 1973. Evangelical Christians adopted
8646-565: The Scottish Highlands in the 19th century, as well as in Somerset (see Punkie Night ). In the 20th century they spread to other parts of Britain and became generally known as jack-o'-lanterns . Lesley Bannatyne and Cindy Ott write that Anglican colonists in the southern United States and Catholic colonists in Maryland "recognized All Hallows' Eve in their church calendars", although
8777-512: The Strategists' Club Award for Outstanding Play Aid. It was popular enough to spawn a 1986 sequel, Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill , and an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks novel, Master of Ravenloft , the same year. Ravenloft was launched as a full-fledged campaign setting, for AD&D 2nd Edition, in 1990, with the Realm of Terror boxed set, popularly known as
8908-610: The US in the early 20th century, as often for adults as for children, and when trick-or-treating was becoming popular in Canada and the US in the 1920s and 1930s. Eddie J. Smith, in his book Halloween, Hallowed is Thy Name , offers a religious perspective to the wearing of costumes on All Hallows' Eve, suggesting that by dressing up as creatures "who at one time caused us to fear and tremble", people are able to poke fun at Satan "whose kingdom has been plundered by our Saviour". Images of skeletons and
9039-573: The United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries". While the first reference to "guising" in North America occurs in 1911, another reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920. The earliest known use in print of the term "trick or treat" appears in 1927, in the Blackie Herald , of Alberta , Canada. The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between
9170-402: The attention of the enigmatic Dark Powers. The Dark Powers then proceeded to craft a personal kingdom around the Darklord. This crafted domain serves both as a kingdom and a prison: the Darklord gains incredible powers whilst within its borders but can never leave it, although most Darklords can seal their domain borders with a thought. Within their domains, the Darklords are forever tormented by
9301-452: The bonfire were carried sunwise around homes and fields to protect them. It is suggested the fires were a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic – they mimicked the Sun and held back the decay and darkness of winter. They were also used for divination and to ward off evil spirits. In Scotland, these bonfires and divination games were banned by the church elders in some parishes. In Wales, bonfires were also lit to "prevent
9432-417: The crime of the Darklord. The revised domains are usually a better utilization of the ironic intent that flavors the immortal prisons of Ravenloft. The domains also now include a variety of different horror genres rather than a fixation on gothic horror. Finally, much of the misogynistic, colonialist, or racist elements have been purged out of this new iteration of Ravenloft. Although these changes will likely be
9563-563: The curb just because they were 'less exciting'. [...] A few domains that had appeared since the publication of Ravenloft: Realm of Terror were notably missing [...]. All told, Ravenloft Campaign Setting covers 20 core domains and nine islands". The 5th Edition campaign guide Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (2021) includes an overview of 39 Domains and many Domains are given a "wholesale revision" while "other Domains keep their original lore but are advanced in other ways". Rob Wieland, writing for Forbes , explained that in this book "many of
9694-583: The dark side of the AD&D game. Though it lacks the flamboyance of Call of Cthulhu and the, er, bite of Vampire , the Ravenloft setting remains the hobby's most enduring fusion of horror and fantasy". Darker Days Radio declared Ravenloft the "greatest D&D campaign setting", citing the unique gothic horror elements and classic villains such as Azalin Rex. In the Io9 series revisiting older Dungeons & Dragons novels, Rob Bricken highlighted that Vampire of
9825-617: The dead , especially the souls of the givers' friends and relatives. This was called "souling". Soul cakes were also offered for the souls themselves to eat, or the 'soulers' would act as their representatives. As with the Lenten tradition of hot cross buns , soul cakes were often marked with a cross , indicating they were baked as alms . Shakespeare mentions souling in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593). While souling, Christians would carry "lanterns made of hollowed-out turnips", which could have originally represented souls of
9956-570: The dead are traditional decorations used as memento mori . " Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF " is a fundraising program to support UNICEF , a United Nations Programme that provides humanitarian aid to children in developing countries. Started as a local event in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood in 1950 and expanded nationally in 1952, the program involves the distribution of small boxes by schools (or in modern times, corporate sponsors like Hallmark , at their licensed stores) to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit small-change donations from
10087-573: The dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world . In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes". In the Middle Ages, churches in Europe that were too poor to display relics of martyred saints at Allhallowtide let parishioners dress up as saints instead. Some Christians observe this custom at Halloween today. Lesley Bannatyne believes this could have been
10218-483: The dead; jack-o'-lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits. On All Saints' and All Souls' Day during the 19th century, candles were lit in homes in Ireland, Flanders, Bavaria, and in Tyrol , where they were called "soul lights", that served "to guide the souls back to visit their earthly homes". In many of these places, candles were also lit at graves on All Souls' Day. In Brittany , libations of milk were poured on
10349-464: The designs props for creating a fresh version of an old concept and if you're looking to have a few hours of fun on a weekend night". Castle Ravenloft won the Origins Award for Best Board Game of 2010. Castle Ravenloft Boardgame received the gold ENnie Award for Best RPG Related Product. Barovia Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game . It
10480-562: The domain. Strahd von Zarovich , a vampire in the original AD&D Ravenloft I6 module released in 1983, became the first Darklord, both ruler and prisoner of his own personal domain of Barovia. The story of how Count von Zarovich became Darklord of Barovia was detailed in the 1993 novel I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire . As originally established in the Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set known as "the Black Box" released in 1990,
10611-399: The domains have new Darklords that reflect their original character but have details changed to better fit the type of horror the domain is supposed to represent". Some of the more notable Domains include: Darklord is the title used to refer to the mystically imprisoned and cursed ruler of a domain. A Darklord was originally an individual who had committed a truly horrific crime, which drew
10742-487: The early 20th century. Then, through American influence , these Halloween traditions spread to many other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century, including to mainland Europe and some parts of the Far East . Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. Jack-o'-lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows' Eve in order to frighten evil spirits . There
10873-508: The end of all earthly things". The danse macabre was sometimes enacted in European village pageants and court masques , with people "dressing up as corpses from various strata of society", and this may be the origin of Halloween costume parties. In Britain, these customs came under attack during the Reformation , as Protestants berated purgatory as a " popish " doctrine incompatible with
11004-717: The evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (All Saints' Day) on 1 November and All Souls' Day on 2 November. Since the time of the early Church , major feasts in Christianity (such as Christmas , Easter and Pentecost ) had vigils that began the night before, as did the feast of All Hallows. These three days are collectively called Allhallowtide and are a time when Western Christians honour all saints and pray for recently departed souls who have yet to reach Heaven. Commemorations of all saints and martyrs were held by several churches on various dates, mostly in springtime. In 4th-century Roman Edessa it
11135-486: The eventual face-to-face meeting with the nameless evil. Characters have a much greater significance attached to their acts, especially if they are morally impure, as they risk coming under the influence of the Dark Powers (through the game process called "dark powers checks") and gradually transforming themselves into figures of evil. The magical mists of Ravenloft could appear anywhere in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, drawing evil-doers (or player characters) into
11266-443: The fact that it "solves the rural conundrum in which homes [are] built a half-mile apart". Halloween costumes were traditionally modeled after figures such as vampires , ghosts , skeletons , scary looking witches , and devils. Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princesses . Dressing up in costumes and going " guising "
11397-523: The feast days associated with the presentation of mumming plays were celebrated by the Christian Church." These feast days included All Hallows' Eve, Christmas, Twelfth Night and Shrove Tuesday . Mumming practiced in Germany, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, involved masked persons in fancy dress who "paraded the streets and entered houses to dance or play dice in silence". In England, from
11528-455: The festival begins the evening before 1 November by modern reckoning. Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature. The names have been used by historians to refer to Celtic Halloween customs up until the 19th century, and are still the Gaelic and Welsh names for Halloween. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year. It
11659-510: The game play that reflects fragmented traumatic memory and reifies the inconsistency present within an abusive relationship". Jones also highlighted that "without sunshine as a key time-tracking element, players are forced to rely upon other means to signal the passage of time within Barovia. Further adding to that disorientation is the knowledge that the players have been abandoned from anything familiar or real. [...] This alienating effect, based upon
11790-443: The gods solely and giving up. Most other Darklords have similar tales of frustration, kept all the more unbearable because the flicker of the possibility of success is never truly extinguished. Not all Darklords acknowledge the Dark Powers directly, however. Strahd, for example, in his own memoirs, speaks only of a force known as Death, who mocks him with the voices of his family and former colleagues throughout his life. Vlad Drakov ,
11921-462: The graves of kinfolk, or food would be left overnight on the dinner table for the returning souls; a custom also found in Tyrol and parts of Italy. Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh linked the wearing of costumes to the belief in vengeful ghosts : "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for
12052-455: The graveyard of Holy Spirit Hospital in Rome presented a scene in which bodies of those who recently died were arrayed around a wax statue of an angel who pointed upward towards heaven . In the same country, "parish priests went house-to-house, asking for small gifts of food which they shared among themselves throughout that night". In Spain, they continue to bake special pastries called "bones of
12183-580: The holiday. Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses that may include haunted houses , corn mazes , and hayrides , and the level of sophistication of the effects has risen as the industry has grown. The first recorded purpose-built haunted attraction was the Orton and Spooner Ghost House, which opened in 1915 in Liphook , England. This attraction actually most closely resembles
12314-672: The holy" (Spanish: Huesos de Santo ) and set them on graves. At cemeteries in Spain and France, as well as in Latin America , priests lead Christian processions and services during Allhallowtide, after which people keep an all night vigil. In 19th-century San Sebastián , there was a procession to the city cemetery at Allhallowtide, an event that drew beggars who "appeal[ed] to the tender recollections of one's deceased relations and friends" for sympathy. Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from
12445-416: The household donated food it could expect good fortune from the 'Muck Olla'; not doing so would bring misfortune. In Scotland, youths went house-to-house with masked, painted or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed. F. Marian McNeill suggests the ancient festival included people in costume representing the spirits, and that faces were marked or blackened with ashes from
12576-399: The houses they visit. It is estimated that children have collected more than $ 118 million for UNICEF since its inception. In Canada, in 2006, UNICEF decided to discontinue their Halloween collection boxes, citing safety and administrative concerns; after consultation with schools, they instead redesigned the program. The yearly New York's Village Halloween Parade was begun in 1974; it
12707-410: The item they happened to find; for example, a ring meant marriage and a coin meant wealth. Up until the 19th century, the Halloween bonfires were also used for divination in parts of Scotland, Wales and Brittany. When the fire died down, a ring of stones would be laid in the ashes, one for each person. In the morning, if any stone was mislaid it was said that the person it represented would not live out
12838-459: The late 19th century and early 20th century. Another popular Irish game was known as púicíní (" blindfolds "); a person would be blindfolded and then would choose between several saucers . The item in the saucer would provide a hint as to their future: a ring would mean that they would marry soon; clay , that they would die soon, perhaps within the year; water, that they would emigrate ; rosary beads , that they would take Holy Orders (become
12969-435: The life cycle and rites of passage of local communities" and curbing them would have been difficult. In parts of Italy until the 15th century, families left a meal out for the ghosts of relatives, before leaving for church services . In 19th-century Italy, churches staged "theatrical re-enactments of scenes from the lives of the saints" on All Hallows' Day, with "participants represented by realistic wax figures". In 1823,
13100-436: The main setting for novels and video games. Game designer Rick Swan commented in 1994 that when the Ravenloft setting first came out, it "just didn't seem special, a Forgotten Realms variant with a few more bats", but after supplements like Forbidden Lore , The Created , and the Van Richten's Guide series, Swan felt that "the Ravenloft campaign has proven to be a credible adventure alternative for players interested in
13231-747: The medieval period, up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of souling on Halloween, which involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends. In the Philippines, the practice of souling is called Pangangaluluwa and is practiced on All Hallows' Eve among children in rural areas. People drape themselves in white cloths to represent souls and then visit houses, where they sing in return for prayers and sweets. In Scotland and Ireland, guising —children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins—is
13362-403: The mid-to-late 19th century. The modern imagery of Halloween comes from many sources, including Christian eschatology , national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus and Dracula ) and classic horror films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932). Imagery of the skull , a reference to Golgotha in
13493-512: The most talked about part of the book in some circles, these changes seem to have occurred naturally during the course of updating Ravenloft to reflect more diverse horror genres and to make the domains conform to Ravenloft's internal laws". In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground , RPG historian Stu Horvath noted, "In many ways, Strahd is a vessel for the audience's relationship with an ever-changing and evolving vampire legend. While
13624-658: The night of All Hallows' Eve. One held a bunch of burning straw on a pitchfork while the rest knelt around him, praying for the souls of relatives and friends until the flames went out. This was known as teen'lay . There was a similar custom in Hertfordshire , and the lighting of 'tindle' fires in Derbyshire . Some suggested these 'tindles' were originally lit to "guide the poor souls back to earth". In Scotland and Ireland, old Allhallowtide customs that were at odds with Reformed teaching were not suppressed as they "were important to
13755-468: The objects of their desires, which are often the objects for which they committed their crimes. The Vistani are a nomadic ethnic group. They are based on depictions of the Romani people . Since their introduction in the original Ravenloft module (1983) as fortune-tellers, they became a unifying element in the Ravenloft and the Masque of the Red Death campaign settings , which offer Gothic horror scenarios. In
13886-651: The original 1st Ed. adventure, updated for the Dungeons & Dragons v.3.5 rule set. This version includes maps from the original Ravenloft adventure, and new character-generation options. Expedition to Castle Ravenloft is a stand-alone supplement set for any D&D worlds, and only requires the three core books for usage. This book's setting is distinct from the Ravenloft of the White Wolf product line. Shannon Appelcline, author of Designers & Dragons , highlighted that by 2006 people were beginning to wonder if Wizards of
14017-607: The overall creation of the Dread Domains". The concept of Domains and locations in Ravenloft besides Barovia and Mordent was introduced in the 2nd Edition campaign setting book Ravenloft: Realm of Terror (1990). This book outlined that the size of Ravenloft is "40,000 square miles [spanning] 26 different domains, including Barovia and Mordent. All of the core domains are overviewed in Ravenloft , as are eight 'islands'". The revised 2nd Edition boxset Ravenloft Campaign Setting (1994)
14148-408: The peel tossed over the shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name. Two hazelnuts would be roasted near a fire; one named for the person roasting them and the other for the person they desire. If the nuts jump away from the heat, it is a bad sign, but if the nuts roast quietly it foretells a good match. A salty oatmeal bannock would be baked;
14279-449: The person would eat it in three bites and then go to bed in silence without anything to drink. This is said to result in a dream in which their future spouse offers them a drink to quench their thirst. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from
14410-460: The physical environment as well as the psychological manifestations, traumatizes characters". The Ravenloft setting has been criticized "for reinforcing harmful stereotypes through its portrayal of the Vistani, an in-fiction analogue for the Roma people". In 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced "in the editorial process for Strahd ' s reprint, as well as two upcoming products, Wizards worked with
14541-432: The poor souls". The Allhallowtide custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for all christened souls, has been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating. The custom dates back at least as far as the 15th century and was found in parts of England, Wales, Flanders, Bavaria and Austria . Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during Allhallowtide, collecting soul cakes, in exchange for praying for
14672-412: The protection of God when approaching their dwellings. At Samhain, the Aos Sí were appeased to ensure the people and livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink, or portions of the crops, were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also said to revisit their homes seeking hospitality . Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them. The belief that
14803-554: The realms of Darkon, Lamordia, and Bluetspur was released on October 31, 2007, on the Wizards of the Coast website as a special for Halloween; it featured characters inspired by H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith . In 2008, Ravenloft was revealed to be re-introduced to 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons , as was depicted in the October issue of the Dragon online magazine. The Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition supplement Manual of
14934-576: The sacred bonfire. In parts of Wales, men went about dressed as fearsome beings called gwrachod . In the late 19th and early 20th century, young people in Glamorgan and Orkney cross-dressed . Elsewhere in Europe, mumming was part of other festivals, but in the Celtic-speaking regions, it was "particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers". From at least
15065-567: The so-called ghosts are thought to be in actuality evil spirits". Other Protestants believed in an intermediate state known as Hades ( Bosom of Abraham ). In some localities, Catholics and Protestants continued souling, candlelit processions , or ringing church bells for the dead; the Anglican church eventually suppressed this bell-ringing. Mark Donnelly, a professor of medieval archaeology , and historian Daniel Diehl write that "barns and homes were blessed to protect people and livestock from
15196-466: The souls of the dead from falling to earth". Later, these bonfires "kept away the devil ". From at least the 16th century, the festival included mumming and guising in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales. This involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated
15327-909: The souls of the dead return home on one night of the year and must be appeased seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures. In 19th century Ireland, "candles would be lit and prayers formally offered for the souls of the dead. After this the eating, drinking, and games would begin". Throughout Ireland and Britain, especially in the Celtic-speaking regions, the household festivities included divination rituals and games intended to foretell one's future, especially regarding death and marriage. Apples and nuts were often used, and customs included apple bobbing , nut roasting, scrying or mirror-gazing, pouring molten lead or egg whites into water, dream interpretation , and others. Special bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them. Their flames, smoke, and ashes were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers. In some places, torches lit from
15458-409: The spirit of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula ), no such victory over the Dark Powers seems possible, or even conceivable, for the Darklords. Vecna and Lord Soth "escaped" Ravenloft, but are the only two Darklords known to have done so; Vecna by attaining the status of Greater God (and thus becoming too powerful for the Dark Powers to contain) and Lord Soth by ignoring his domain and punishment, causing
15589-453: The team. The result was a torrent of ideas for new locations, characters and encounters". Wizards of the Coast released a new edition of the Curse of Strahd module, entitled Curse of Strahd: Revamped , on October 20, 2020. This module is the first released with the publisher's new focus on diversity and inclusion. Wizards of the Coast stated that "the adventure includes the latest errata and
15720-430: The trunks of cars parked in a church parking lot", or sometimes, a school parking lot. In a trunk-or-treat event, the trunk (boot) of each automobile is decorated with a certain theme, such as those of children's literature, movies, scripture , and job roles . Trunk-or-treating has grown in popularity due to its perception as being more safe than going door to door, a point that resonates well with parents, as well as
15851-454: The turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but not trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating does not seem to have become a widespread practice in North America until the 1930s, with the first US appearances of the term in 1934, and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939. A popular variant of trick-or-treating, known as trunk-or-treating (or Halloween tailgating), occurs when "children are offered treats from
15982-442: The wheel, principle [ sic ] designer Chris Perkins brought in the module's original writers — the husband and wife team of Tracy and Laura Hickman — to create the very best version of the famous module yet. [...] Tracy and Laura have been hosting nearly annual sessions of the original Ravenloft at their home, for friends and family, over the course of decades. When Perkins asked for their input, they flew out to meet with
16113-475: The year. In Mexico, children create altars to invite the spirits of deceased children to return ( angelitos ). Telling ghost stories , listening to Halloween-themed songs and watching horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of television series and Halloween-themed specials (with the specials usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before Halloween, while new horror films are often released before Halloween to take advantage of
16244-479: Was a Germanic idea, although it is claimed that both Germanic and Celtic-speaking peoples commemorated the dead at the beginning of winter. They may have seen it as the most fitting time to do so, as it is a time of 'dying' in nature. It is also suggested the change was made on the "practical grounds that Rome in summer could not accommodate the great number of pilgrims who flocked to it", and perhaps because of public health concerns over Roman Fever , which claimed
16375-468: Was created by the Hickmans "after Tracy returned home from a disappointing session of D&D . Back in First Edition, the game was less of a storytelling game. [...] It didn't make sense to [Tracy] why a creature like a vampire was just sitting around in a random dungeon with oozes, goblins, and zombies. So he and his wife set out to create a vampire villain with fleshed-out motivations and history". When
16506-543: Was held on 13 May, and on 13 May 609, Pope Boniface IV re-dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to "St Mary and all martyrs". This was the date of Lemuria , an ancient Roman festival of the dead. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III (731–741) founded an oratory in St Peter's for the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors". Some sources say it was dedicated on 1 November, while others say it
16637-596: Was on Palm Sunday in April 732. By 800, there is evidence that churches in Ireland and Northumbria were holding a feast commemorating all saints on 1 November. Alcuin of Northumbria, a member of Charlemagne 's court, may then have introduced this 1 November date in the Frankish Empire . In 835, it became the official date in the Frankish Empire. Some suggest this was due to Celtic influence, while others suggest it
16768-624: Was prevalent in Scotland and Ireland at Halloween by the late 19th century. A Scottish term, the tradition is called "guising" because of the disguises or costumes worn by the children. In Ireland and Scotland, the masks are known as 'false faces', a term recorded in Ayr, Scotland in 1890 by a Scot describing guisers: "I had mind it was Halloween ... the wee callans (boys) were at it already, rinning aboot wi' their fause-faces (false faces) on and their bits o' turnip lanthrons (lanterns) in their haun (hand)". Costuming became popular for Halloween parties in
16899-493: Was released in 2000, the first edition published by Wizards of the Coast (which had acquired TSR in 1997). In the same year, Wizards of the Coast licensed the Ravenloft brand to White Wolf Publishing . Under its Sword & Sorcery Studios (and later Arthaus imprints), White Wolf Publishing released the 3rd Edition d20 System Ravenloft Campaign Setting (2001) and the 3.5 Edition Ravenloft Player's Handbook (2003). The campaign settings published by White Wolf introduced
17030-408: Was removed in the adventure module Curse of Strahd Revamped (2020). Their portrayal was further retconned in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (2021); the Vistani people are no longer considered superstitious but instead focused on their traditional practices and their abilities are grounded in the forms of magic found in Dungeons & Dragons . The fictional character Rudolph van Richten ,
17161-531: Was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned. This meant the Aos Sí , the 'spirits' or ' fairies ', could more easily come into this world and were particularly active. Most scholars see them as "degraded versions of ancient gods [...] whose power remained active in the people's minds even after they had been officially replaced by later religious beliefs". They were both respected and feared, with individuals often invoking
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