Innistrad: Crimson Vow as Told by Flavor Text

"I refuse to die before I see the sun rise again."

"Stand strong. We will reclaim the dawn."

Faith is a cathar's greatest weapon, but a sword of blessed silver is a close second.

The red envelopes guarantee safe passage through the Lurenbraum barrier. Olivia left strict instructions: no invitation, no entry, no exceptions.

"Our bodies may lie slain, but perhaps we can still complete the ritual. I'd rather not spend my afterlife in this wretched eternal night."

"I never did enjoy studying."

He swore to protect the Moorlands. A little thing like death was no excuse to break his oath.

The door to her home survived the fires of the Malignus. Now it's her greatest weapon.

"It won't bring them back, but it will bring me peace."

"Keep your heels down and bend at the hips as your mount takes flight. She'll do the rest." ~ Anders, cathar drillmaster

"You look cold, dearie."

"We can wait like helpless children for a hero, or we can gather our courage and *be* the heroes. Who's with me?"

A moment of distraction, an hour off course.

"Stay in the light. I don't know what lurks in those shadows, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Help! There's been a horrible murder!"

The recruits trained in eternal night, fueled by the hope that they might one day see the sun again.

"Creatures of the night dissolve like shadows in the light of faith." ~ Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

"It's not that I didn't expect some defiance, but I did hope it wouldn't be so heavily armed." ~ Olivia Voldaren

"Olivia Voldaren has faith only in herself. We answer to a higher calling." ~ Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

With Olivia distracted, Sigarda tore free from her bindings and summoned her Host of Herons.

"Thraben belongs to the living. I will not rest until it is cleansed."

Priests of the Sigardian Sect travel to the farthest reaches to spread hope and healing, even in the darkest times.

She faced down a howlpack alone, saving her town at the cost of her life.

"Is this twisted ceremony simply a mockery of the human rite, or has Olivia fallen for her own charade?" ~ Sorin Markov

When Kaya saved her village, Berit realized even vampires could be killed. When she brought one down herself, she realized she had found her calling.

From the moment they arrived, wedding guests were met with a pageant of wealth and excess.

To most, a terrifying apparition. To a necro-alchemist, a potent fuel source.

Serpents leave their eggs in the cold and inky depths...

Frozen is frozen, whether it's with cold, terror, or both.

"Don't worry everyone—I hear hoofbeats! The Gavony Riders are coming to save us!" ~ Adin, Moorland villager

Nephalia's tides obey an unforgiving moon.

"I escaped, so why do I still feel like I'm being watched?" ~ Gregel, militia leader

It doesn't need to breathe, but the suit does help keep the parts together.

Tamil had always wanted a closer look at a geist's lantern. Now he had an eternity to study one.

"Do you like it, Sister? Its dreadful visage was inspired by your own."

Geists have a knack for showing up wherever they're least expected.

Stitching is an ever-evolving field, with each new advancement reaching a new height of horror.

"Our world may be dark, but there's still plenty to see."

Val didn't know what the silent geist was offering . . .

"I never get any knitting done, but I don't entirely mind." ~ Lorn, Lambholt innkeeper

"Geralf's prowess continues to grow. He can now replicate my own creations with near-perfect accuracy." ~ Ludevic's laboratory notes

Created to capture the spark of genius for later use.

Stitchers delegate the most important tasks to assistants with a good eye for detail.

It knows one fundamental truth: bodies belong in graves.

The merchant did guarantee the new bait would bring in something big.

"If I wanted all the parts to match, I wouldn't have become a stitcher." ~ Barton, stitcher

Some geists imitate the lives they left behind. Others follow the dreams they never realized.

"Blasted drake's interfering with the conductivity again. Garl! Go chase it away." ~ Ludevic, necro-alchemist

"Fool! Can't you see the tide has turned against you?"

The third step in creating a skaab requires draining the body of blood and replacing it with *viscus vitae*, a mixture of angel's blood and lamp oil.

"This is your only warning, alchemist. The secrets of the sea are not yours to behold. Lord Krothuss will not be so merciful next time." ~ Runo Stromkirk

The towers and catwalks of the Voldaren fortress are lit by the lanterns of geists endlessly seeking a way out.

"May the ocean take it" ~ Nephalia expression meaningn"good riddance"

Ivold was aghast when his device revealed the full scope of the geist infestation.

"No, no, it's just a murder of crows, not an omen of murder . . . I think." ~ York, Kessig tracker

"Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no, again!" ~ Beltstad, cathar recruit, last words

"Works every time." ~ Halana, Kessig ranger

"Wipe your chin, child. We can't have Olivia thinking we're uncivilized." ~ Anje Falkenrath

These days, ghouls are the only abundant resource in Thraben.

Specifics were kept secret, but word quickly spread that the show was a must-see.

Swarms of bats poured from Lurenbraum Fortress carrying wedding invitations to vampires of every bloodline.

"Do not try to negotiate with me, human. You want power? This is the price." ~ Ormendahl

A tragic moment pushed him to a blasphemous act.

It can barely feel the sword anymore.

The most dangerous place to be in Kessig is alone.

By the sixth day of darkness, the lake was more blood than water.

"I used to have hired hands, but I discovered they make better waitstaff with the rest of the body attached." ~ Olivia Voldaren

"Here you go. Can't have you sleeping through your own wedding day."

"You are one of the few to whom we offer our blessing. What fool would reject immortality?" ~ Runo Stromkirk

"You can always tell who's new from the screaming." ~ Tinua, Skirsdag cultist

He wanders the Moorlands hoping to one day chop off a head worthy of replacing his own.

Odric resisted the vampire's curse with all his strength. But after a lifetime of fighting monsters, he was doomed to become one himself.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"This still doesn't make you the brains of the operation." ~ Ghoulcaller Gisa

Some wicked souls linger only to consume the warmth of life.

To Olivia's guests, a welcome. To everyone else, a warning.

"The jaw bone's connected to the skull bone. The skull bone's connected to the . . . uh . . . hook thingy." ~ Garl, sticher's assistant

Small talk is a dying art.

"Forgive my manners. It's been so long since I had a guest for dinner."

Now that it doesn't need to breathe, its hunting ground extends well beyond the sea.

Olivia set a few villagers loose in the hedge maze as part of the evening's "entertainment."

Few take kindly to being put in their place, especially if their place is the grave.

"In case any of you new recruits were wondering, this is why we don't use mass graves anymore." ~ Kerren of the Mausoleum Guards

Young vampires gorge themselves at every meal, but their elders have learned to savor the smallest bite.

In lieu of payment, he was granted permission to devour any unauthorized visitors.

The Falkenrath progenitor was a vicious falconer, and the line is quick to remind others of its heritage.

"May I have this dance?"

"One vampire for every family member I've lost."

"Careful, this thing's dangerous. Wouldn't want anyone getting hurt."

Arvon was ecstatic to offer his blood to such a captivating creature.

"We cannot escape change, but with faith and fortitude, we can mold it to our liking." ~ Marel, Dawnhart witch

After weeks of unending darkness, a glimpse of dawn was all the people of Stensia needed to rekindle their will to fight.

"You can join me or feed me. Choose fast."

When the defenses around Lurenbraum Fortress faltered, the Crimson Ballroom received some unexpected guests.

When Harold ran from the wolves, the others called him a coward.

"I noticed you were short on party favors, so I brought my own." ~ Higa, slayer-captain of Gatstaf

"Devils need no reason to stir up chaos. The chaos itself is their reward." ~ Rem Karolus, Fiendslayer

A carriage crafted from the finest materials. Horses bred from the finest stock. Skulls taken from the finest foes.

Even vampires know to travel faster when they hear howling in the Geier Reach passes.

"When lost souls wander into the woods, the wilds have a way of showing them who they really are." ~ Rahilda, Vildin-Pack alpha

"Hunter's fire" was meant for slaying monsters in the Ulvenwald, but that never stopped Ralen from showing it off.

"It's a perfect partnership. My village is safe from wolf attacks, and she gets to eat any vampires we catch."

These thick-furred wolves have adapted to Stensia's storms, channeling their energy into bursts of supernatural speed.

Memories of the Harvesttide tragedy festered until they grew into an incarnate rage that set the world ablaze.

A stitcher looks at their creation and sees the result of years of study and hours of toil. A devil sees a new plaything.

"It is our duty to bring the Blessed Sleep to the dead, even if they resist that gift." ~ Grete, Order of Saint Traft

The wolf's captor hid his fear, but he knew someday the runes would fail, the collar would break, and the wolf would remember his face.

"Vampires have done nothing but take from us. Tonight, we reclaim what's ours!"

Before the officiant even had a chance to ask if anyone objected to the Voldaren-Markov union, Arlinn made her opinion known.

Olivia was quick to make an example of any village that refused to pay her blood tithe.

"If you're not refining your tastes, what's the point of living forever?"

She spent many years trying to harness chaos.

"Your guard attacked me. He got what was coming to him."

Innistrad's best archers are trained by the Quiver of Kessig, an order of cathars who specialize in ranged combat.

She monitors the roads in every province, mapping safe routes through hunting grounds and haunting grounds alike.

"The forests of this world are unafraid to assert themselves." ~ Wrenn

"Our coven finds strength in nature and purpose in serving our communities."

Things buried on Innistrad rarely seem to stay that way.

As the natural cycle of day and night grew twisted, old powers stirred deep in the Ulvenwald.

"I would welcome her into my pack with honor." ~ Arlinn Kord

The local gossips swore Nesmith lost his hands in a fight with a werewolf.

There's only so many times she can take being asked . . .

"We are not here to mourn their loss. We are here to celebrate their lives." ~ Vesna, Dawnhart witch

"Run! It's coming for us! Eventually!" ~ Yaster, Havengul shopkeeper

Between stitchers, cultists, and scavengers, corpses are in high demand.

"Tread carefully. You remember what happened in the last quiet, peaceful clearing." ~ Halana, to Alena

He blends seamlessly into the forest, waiting silently for his prey.

A wolf pup is always dangerous, because a wolf pup is never alone.

All druids seek to preserve nature, but some go about it in rather unusual ways.

The roots preserved the armor for a hundred years, safeguarding it for a traveler in need.

The Dawnhart survivors welcome recruits of all shapes and sizes.

"We're not at odds with the woods. How could we be, when we share so many enemies?" ~ Marel, Dawnhart witch

"Oh, thank the angels. It's not a werewolf, just a regular wo—" ~ Bruno, Ulvenwald guide, last words

"These seeds waited faithfully for the sun to rise again. Now, their patience is rewarded." ~ Wrenn

"Remember to come back in a few years when that fungus has died off. Then we'll see what's in the chest." ~ Old Rutstein

The mushrooms growing in the wolves' fur possess curative properties incredible enough to tempt many alchemists into risking their lives to track one down.

"You want that venom? Collect it yourself! I'm not losing another pair of dragonhide gloves." ~ Old Rutstein

"Obviously it's dangerous, but I've never seen anything like it. This could be an entirely new species! I say we follow it." ~ Halana, Kessig ranger

Living in harmony with nature . . .

Ever since the ritual, Ryla didn't have an appetite at the dinner table, but her long walks in the forest always seemed to satiate her hunger.

Tovolar's howlpack had scattered, but the Dire-Strain survivors were still on the hunt.

The villagers feared him. The cathars scorned him. Only in the wilds did he find a family that accepted him.

The soft creak of trees in the wind is not always cause for comfort.

Her face shines with youthful innocence.

"Every day a Voldaren draws breath is a day I cannot rest."

"Our kind has taken my gift for granted. It is time to correct that folly."

She is cursed with visions of monsters and suffering . . . and all her visions come true.

The ceremonial "incense" was a concoction of Edgar's own design, a precise blend of blood from his favorite human lineages.

"I'll lead."

Her grand wedding had one goal: to unite the vampire bloodlines under her rule.

"Please, my friends, help yourselves to the help." ~ Olivia Voldaren

"Sturdy nails make for sound sleep." ~ Cosper Lowe of the Silbern Guard

As the sand eroded, a faint sound could be heard whirling under the ground.

After the Travails, Runechanters set about repairing twisted symbols of Avacyn as the first step in restoring faith in the Church.

RSVP at your own risk.

Deadly mushrooms litter these woods, each waiting for an errant footstep to release its noxious spores.

Soothing whispers invite travelers to step closer, closer, closer . . . until they vanish soundlessly beneath the surface.

"Spend too much time scanning the shadows for evil and you'll never see the beauty our world has to offer." ~ Katilda, Dawnhart Prime

The Quietus Cult holds their grim ceremonies in the dark places where unburied dead litter the ground.

Frequent, violent storms shape the Nephalia coastline, sculpting cliffs and caves where monsters often lurk.

Riders chase the fading light recklessly through the mountains, desperate for one last glimpse of day.

With Olivia distracted, Sigarda tore free from her bindings and summoned her Host of Herons.

"Our dear Madam Mina is once more our teacher. Her eyes have been where we were blinded. Now we are on the track once again, and this time we may succeed."

I knew he had left the castle now, and thought to use the opportunity to explore more than I had dared to do as yet.

I looked at her throat just now as she lay asleep, and the tiny wounds seem not to have healed.

She was ghastly, chalkily pale; the red seemed to have gone even from her lips and gums, and the bones of her face stood out prominently; her breathing was painful to see or hear.

We want no proofs; we ask none to believe us! This boy will some day know what a brave and gallant woman his mother is.

"It is in the hold, perhaps in one of those boxes. I'll unscrew them one by one and see. You work the helm."

"The blood is the life! The blood is the life!"

He seems absolutely imperturbable. I can fancy what a wonderful power he must have over his patients.

Tamil had always wanted a closer look at a geist's lantern. Now he had an eternity to study one.

"You can join me or feed me. Choose fast."