When Curse of Strahd introduced Tsolenka Gate, it offered little more than atmosphere: an ancient mountain pass, an unnatural curtain of green flame, and a lonely, half-ruined guard tower clinging to the mountainside. Evocative, certainly, but narratively empty.
For a creative DM, it was an invitation.
When I ran my Curse of Strahd campaign in 2020 and began developing Legends of Barovia, Tsolenka Gate quickly became far more than a checkpoint. It became a place of intention, a forgotten border where Barovia’s past, present, and future quietly converge.
Strahd is Barovia’s master, but he is also its prisoner. His story is not simply one of tyranny, but of erosion, obsession, stagnation, and decay. Nowhere is that more apparent than in his brides. In the published adventure, they are dangerous, devoted, and largely static.
I wanted one of them to be different.
Not a lover.
Not a fanatic.
But a successor.
What if one bride recognized that Strahd is fading, that his will is eroding under centuries of obsession with Tatyana, and that his desire for release from the curse grows stronger with every passing year?
And what if she intended to help him find that release… and then take his throne?
That idea reshaped Tsolenka Gate entirely.
The abandoned guard tower became her sanctum. A place where no banners fly, no armies march, and no one expects ambition to patiently take root.
This is where Ludmilla plans the future of Barovia.
Ludmilla Vilisevic
Ludmilla Vilisevic is a 200-year-old vampire, deeply versed in arcane lore and empowered by dark gifts drawn from the Amber Temple, specifically Delban and Khirad. She is composed, methodical, and terrifyingly patient.
Her loyalty to Strahd extends only as far as her survival requires.
Ludmilla believes Strahd is weakening. His obsession consumes him. His authority stagnates. And beneath it all, she knows he seeks an ending, perhaps even death.
She intends to give it to him.
And then replace him.
This ambition has never been spoken aloud.
Not to Strahd.
Not to Rahadin.
Not even to her fellow brides.
Born an orphan, Ludmilla survived through intelligence and calculation. She traveled with the Vistani, absorbing their customs and secrets, eventually taking the surname Vilisevic. Through them, she learned of the Great War, the Amber Temple, and the truth behind Barovia’s curse.
When she sought the Amber Temple herself, she was intercepted by Rahadin and brought before Strahd.
Strahd was intrigued.
He taught her magic, history, and the deeper truths of Barovia. He fed upon her, shaped her, and offered her immortality as one of his brides.
She accepted.
But Ludmilla never loved Strahd.
She studied him.
To secure her own position, she groomed Anastrasya as her replacement, redirecting Strahd’s obsession and ensuring her continued usefulness.
Invisible.
Indispensable.
Prepared.
The Guard Tower at Tsolenka Gate
The guard tower itself is small, cold, and deliberate—perfectly suited to Ludmilla’s temperament.
With DM Andy’s cartography and map design, the tower was reimagined as a vertical lair:
- The second floor serves as Ludmilla’s magic study, a place of alchemy, research, and long-term planning.
- The third floor is a prison, where Emil the werewolf is held for study rather than mercy.
She is not alone.
Munstor, a mongrelfolk she once rescued, now serves her in quiet devotion, hidden behind the unsettling guise of a plague doctor.
The tower sits at the crossroads of Barovia’s deepest histories: Argynvostholt, the werewolves, the Amber Temple, and the old powers that once contested this land.
Nothing here is accidental.
Fated Ally — Or Something Worse?
Ludmilla can serve as an alternative Fated Ally against Strahd, one that fundamentally changes the tone of the campaign.
She does not seek Strahd’s destruction out of justice.
She does not care for mercy.
She seeks his throne.
If the party earns her interest, Ludmilla offers something few others can:
- Forbidden knowledge of Strahd, Ravenloft, and Barovia’s hidden mechanisms
- Strategic insight rather than brute force
- Access to secrets others fear to speak aloud
She will aid the party in the final confrontation—but only if she believes they can win. She arrives late, watching from the shadows, ensuring she sees Strahd fall with her own eyes.
In return, she expects compromise. Silence. And opportunity.
Choosing Ludmilla as a Fated Ally introduces real danger:
- She is not loyal, only aligned by circumstance
- She manipulates outcomes to ensure Strahd’s fall benefits her most
- She will sacrifice others without hesitation if it secures her future
Ludmilla has little reverence for the Fey or the old gods, but she holds one belief with absolute certainty:
The Fey must never rule Barovia.
An alliance with her should feel tense and transactional, built on necessity, not trust. Polite conversations hide withheld truths. Every favor carries weight.
She will remind the party often:
Strahd must fall.
But someone must take his place.
And she is ready.
Ludmilla’s Magic Study
Ludmilla is encountered within her magic study in the old tower.
Treasures of the Magic Study
Ludmilla’s study contains two items of particular importance and both invaluable.
Ludmilla’s Spellbook
Her spellbook is protected by a powerful glyph of warding or similar magical defense. Should the party overcome this safeguard and claim the book, an arcane spellcaster may gain access to rare and potent spells, magic shaped by centuries of study, dark pacts, and Barovia’s unique arcane traditions.
Ludmilla’s Journal
Also found within the study is Ludmilla’s private journal, a player handout designed to be shared at the table.
Within its pages, the party can uncover hard-earned truths and fragmented insights into:
- Strahd and Castle Ravenloft
- The werewolves and their hidden hierarchies
- The Amber Temple and the nature of its dark gifts
- Barovia’s deeper, unspoken history
The journal does not provide answers freely, but it offers perspective.
In Barovia, knowledge is power.
And power always has a cost.
Introducing Ludmilla
Magic Study
At the far window, a cloaked woman stands with her back to you, pale light spilling across scrolls and open tomes laid out with meticulous care. She does not turn—yet she is unmistakably aware of your presence.
Her voice reaches you in a calm whisper.
“You have come far… and passed the fabled Tsolenka Gates. Even Strahd’s armies never breached them. A rare feat indeed.”
She turns slowly.
Dark hair frames a composed, striking face. Her eyes are ice-blue—unnaturally cold.
“Interesting,” she says softly.
“How, may I ask, did you manage it?”
Let the roleplay begin.
What will the characters do now, faced with a powerful and potentially dangerous ally?
Free Download
The Tsolenka Gate PDF Guide is free and can be downloaded here, along with the accompanying Player Handout PDF — Ludmilla’s Journal.
Use them to expand Tsolenka Gate into a place of secrets, ambition, and difficult choices, where the party doesn’t just confront Barovia’s past, but helps decide its future.
