Although they can seem lazy and irresponsible to outsiders, the Vistani are serious people, quick to act when their lives or traditions are threatened. They resolve disagreements through contests that end with reconciliatory singing, dancing, and storytelling. Vistani families and clans are closely knit. Vistani elders make all the important decisions, but whether by choice or because of their age, tend to speak in cryptic, flowing riddles. This elder carries the bulk of the responsibility for enforcing traditions, settling disputes, setting the course for the group's travels, and preserving the Vistani way of life. They spend whatever they earn to support a lavish lifestyle, display their wealth openly as a sign of prosperity, and share their good fortune with family and friends.Įach family or clan of Vistani is its own little gerontocracy, with the oldest member ruling the roost. They also earn money by telling fortunes and selling information. Vistani are silversmiths, coppersmiths, haberdashers, cooks, weavers, musicians, entertainers, storytellers, toolmakers, and horse traders. As much as they feel at home in Ravenloft, they know they how to navigate The Mists and can leave whenever they please. They dress in bright clothes, laugh often, and drink heartily. The Vistani are wanderers who live outside civilization, traveling about in horse-drawn, barrel-topped wagons called vardos, which they build themselves.
