![[The Dead Poacher’s Society.webp]] *The Dead Poacher's Society stands as a grand and imposing hunting lodge, its construction a testament to the resilience and dark history of the [[Svalich Woods]] and the ominous tales of Lord Strahd's antagonisers. Situated within the dense thicket adjacent to Lake Baratok, it serves as a place of congregation and communion for hunters, assassins, thieves, and various adventurers who have dared to challenge the treacherous lands of Barovia. The lodge's walls are composed of the felled, ash scorched trees of the Svalich Woods, hewn with expertise to create a strong and formidable structure. Iron nails, retrieved from the crucified adversaries of Lord Strahd himself strike through each crossed timber of the building, a haunting reminder of the dark force that governs the land.* *A long bar runs down one length of the hall, offering a variety of drinks and spirits to its patrons. Opposite the bar, an enormous open fireplace stands, casting a warm and inviting glow throughout the room. Above the bar's facia a long chalkboard hangs, covered with scrawls of various adventurers' names, their titles, deeds, or, more somberly, their deaths. On the far wall, hundreds of small framed pictures hang, each a poignant memorial to those who have recently met their demise across the land of Barovia. Some of the images are simple pen drawings, while others are more intricate, artificer-infused living images that seem to flicker with a ghostly essence, keeping the memories of the fallen alive within the lodge's walls.* *In a nearby corner, a large brass bell hangs heavily from a wrought iron wall sconce, only rung when word returns to the lodge of an adventurer's death.* *The room is furnished with large boar-skin upholstered couches that are grouped in small clusters, providing cozy spaces for travelers to gather and share their stories or plan their next daring endeavors. It is within these intimate settings that various subfactions, like the Barovian detectives and the Bloodhunter pacts who traipse the Barovian landscape often convene to discuss their missions, strategies, and alliances.* *It is also rumoured that a particular elusive merchant will sometimes distribute rare and unusual poisons and elixirs from within.*