Raxandra

An elderly Vistani woman and band leader who wields twin scimitars with acrobatic grace. Widow of Petru. She defeated a scarecrow single-handedly, forced Stefan to dig her husband's grave, silently tolerated the party's conspiracy to send Stefan to his death, and found a Tarokka card in his corpse's eye socket with knowing composure. She commands respect through decisive action, brutal honesty, and a debt code that admits no exceptions.

Overview

Raxandra is the leader of a four-person Vistani band sent by Madam Eva on a mission to find an ancient ring of some significance to the Vistani people. Despite her age, she is a formidable dual-scimitar fighter who moves with acrobatic grace. She is sharp-tongued, commanding, and unflinching — whether cutting a scarecrow in half or telling Stefan he is "a useless piece of dog shit." She treats outsiders with measured caution but fair dealing, and she takes the Vistani debt code seriously: "The Vistani never leave a debt unpaid."

Session Appearances

Session 04 — First Encounter

The party encountered Raxandra's band arguing near a dead tree in the Barovian woods. When a scarecrow attacked, Petru — Raxandra's beloved husband and the band's healer — was killed before the party could intervene. Raxandra fought with acrobatic grace and ultimately defeated the scarecrow with an elegant flourish of her dual scimitars, striking twice and cutting the creature in half.

After the battle, she invited the party to break bread: "You didn't have to help. That makes it matter more. The Vistani never leave a debt unpaid." She forced Stefan to dig Petru's grave — "You will dig the hole, you useless piece of dog shit" — and rebuffed Aleric's offer to help: "That is not your duty." When Stefan confronted Aleric aggressively, she intervened: "Stefan, you are not in your right mind and it is not your place to do such a thing. You close your evil eye and you dig that fucking hole."

At camp, she directed Diona to set up lean-tos and brief the party about the village of Barovia and the Blood and the Vine tavern. She observed Diona whispering the plan to lure Stefan beyond the wards — giving her a steely, disapproving glance — but did not intervene. The following morning, when Stefan was found impaled on a tree of bones, Raxandra investigated the corpse, reached into his empty right eye socket, and pulled out a Tarokka card: "The Innocent," crossed out. She held it up and said simply: "The Tarokka deck never lies."

Relationships

• Petru — Beloved husband; killed by the scarecrow; she buried him deep in the woods so his soul could move unbidden
• Diona — Young band member she is training; disapproved of her conspiring with the party but did not stop it
• Stefan — Despised him openly; forced him to dig graves; silently allowed his death
• Madam Eva — Sent Raxandra's band on the ring-finding mission
• Aleric Shaw — Treated with measured respect after the party helped without being asked

Memorable Quotes

"You didn't have to help. That makes it matter more."

"The Vistani never leave a debt unpaid."

"You will dig the hole, you useless piece of dog shit."

"Stefan, you are not in your right mind and it is not your place to do such a thing. You close your evil eye and you dig that fucking hole."

"The Tarokka deck never lies."