[0:00]How is it going, and welcome to Villain's Voice, a series where I go over your favorite villains that you love to hate. In today's video we're going to be taking a look at Vladimir Horngard, a once proud and noble ruler of an awesome order of Paladins. Of course, there is going to be a ton of spoilers, so players do not watch this. But DMs that want added insight on running this awesome character, go ahead and stick around because we have a lot to cover. And here he is, Vladimir Horngard, an incredibly powerful enemy to be found in this game. He is a revenant but also has additional health as well as a plus two great sword. So he hits like a truck, he's going to take a bunch of hits, and also if your players get into a fight with him, then some more baddies are going to come along the way. Unlike most enemies that are found in this module, Vladimir is not roaming around the lands. Vladimir is simply sitting in his chair, brooding for all of time. Should your players crawl all around Argonvostholt, they can eventually find him. peering inside this room, they will hear a voice cry out saying: "Go away!" So normally in this series, I read up all the dialogue and start voicing it, but the great thing here is we're actually given an incredibly awesome opening in the book. And I'm going to tell you, it's pretty freaking good. If you want, you can shorten it down a bit, but I'm telling you, you should keep it in there because it's pretty powerful. "If you have come to destroy me, know this: I perished defending this land from evil over four centuries ago, and because of my failure, I am forever doomed. If you destroy this body, my spirit will find a new corpse to inhabit, and I will hunt you down. You cannot free me from my damnation, nor would I wish it. "If you have come to free this land from the creature that feasts on the blood of the innocent, know this: There is no monster I hate more than Strahd von Zarovich. He slew Argynvost, broke the life of the knight I loved, and destroyed the valiant order to which I devoted my life, but Strahd has already died once. He can't be allowed to die again. Instead, he must suffer eternally in a hell of his own creation, from which he can never escape. Whatever can be done to bring him misery and unrest, I will do, but I will destroy anyone who tries to end his torment."
[2:40]Your players are going to see the madness that has developed in poor Vladimir here, about how his motivations are now to keep Strahd locked in damnation. Of course, your players can recognize that he is a paladin, and perhaps he wants to do greater deeds and do greater good. Your players can press further on, and if they do, he will reply with, "And end his misery? No, he is tormented now, and will forever be tormented! He shall suffer, and not be given the sweet release of death!" At this point, it should be painfully obvious that Vladimir is blinded by rage and will not help the party. Of course, your players may be persistent in trying to ask him, either for his own personal help, or maybe the help of his other Paladins that are located in the Argonvostholt. If they continue to press on, he will give the final warning. "One more word of seeking the death of Strahd will only result in your own destruction! I have slain countless people to uphold my vows, and you will be but a footnote on that list!" Hopefully at this point, your players back off, but if they continue on, then inevitably a fight is going to ensue. Your players may have interacted with the other revenants located in Argonvostholt. Whether the revenants just immediately attacked, or your players met with some that are more cordial and willing to talk. For example, Sir Godfrey Gwilym, your players may come to find that this place has fallen and needs to be restored. If your players know that they need to light the beacon of Argonvostholt, then perhaps they'll ask Horngard about it. In which case he'll go ahead and reply, "The bones of our Lord are lost to the depths of darkness. Give it up, and know your place in the world in which you now find yourselves in." Once again, Vladimir Horngard is not going to help the party, unless the fortunes of Ravenloft guide your players right to him. If your players have been foretold that the fortune that they seek is located right here, then they're going to see it, either a book, an amulet, or a sword, and they're going to want it. However, Vladimir is not going to give this thing up for free. Your players are going to have two options, either they're going to have to steal it from him, or they're going to have to do the quest. They are going to have to light the beacon of Argonvostholt. If your players ask about the item in question, he will go ahead and reply, "So you want this then? You all look so weak, so pathetic. I will relinquish this under but one condition, storm the castle yourselves, take back that which has been stolen, and restore this house to its former glory. It matters little, you shall all perish in the attempt!"
[5:37]This will of course send your players spiraling down the path of pulling off a heist at Castle Ravenloft, which can always be a fun time. Hopefully your players can pull it off. Maybe your players do something elaborate, storm the castle, get the skull, high tail it out of there, and make their way back to Argonvostholt to light the beacon. Once they do, a light will be restored in the lands of Barovia. And not only will this be a physical light, but this will be a proverbial light. As your players will feel hope restored in the lands of Barovia, and they'll also see all of the fallen knights in the Argonvostholt will finally relinquish all that anger. If your players light the beacon of Argonvostholt, then they can meet with Vladimir Horngard who will tell them, "I... I have been clouded by hatred for so long. I can hardly remember what it feels like to feel anything else. Thank you, thank you all. You are truly the shining beacons of hope in this land. May the light of silver dragon bless you all!" Something to remember is the knight that Vladimir Horngard loved was Sir Godfrey Gwilym. Unfortunately, before the beacon of Argonvostholt is lit, he is blind by anchor and forgets who Sir Godfrey Gwilym is. But if your players do restore the light, then he will be able to recognize the person that he loved oh so long ago. "My...love? How long has it been? How have I been consumed by darkness for so long that I have forgotten your face? Let us leave here, so that we can be together again!" If Sir Godfrey Gwilym isn't your faded ally, then perhaps the two of them will hold hands and side by side relinquish their anger and move off to the afterlife. But if Sir Godfrey Gwilym is your ally, then he will say, "No, I'm sorry, I have one last thing I need to do before I join you in the afterlife." Of course, your players may get a little combative and maybe press a little too hard, either wanting his swag that he's got in his possession, or your players just don't know when to quit. If your players press Vladimir Horngard into combat, Vladimir will stand from his throne and spout, "Strahd's suffering will continue on, and so shall your souls as it drifts within the mists!" Combat here is incredibly terrifying. Not only is he a monster in his own regard, but once he takes damage, then several spectral guardians will join in on the fray, adding to an absolutely chaotic mess. Vladimir Horngard will just single out a target, beat them down into submission. All the meanwhile, the party will be dealing not only with his monstrous form, but also all of the additions added to the fight. In combat he will be shouting such things as, "I will not stop until your bodies are torn asunder!" "My sword has slain true monsters! What hope do you think you have against it?" "I feel no pain! You shall feel nothing but suffering!" "Slay me, and I will return with greater vengeance!" "My order is the strongest force in this land! Defying me shows you have no sense of self-preservation!" Something very interesting to note about his stat block is it tells us he has that he's a revenant, and he's got the additional HP, and he's got this sword, but something very unique hidden in the text. It says that whenever he damages Strahd, he deals additional damage. But here's the thing, he will not go to fight Strahd. He doesn't want to do that, as written. So that tells me there, that there's a story to be told there. Perhaps if your players can have Sir Godfrey Gwilym convince him to join in on the fight, then maybe you can have Vladimir Horngard join in on that epic conclusion.
[10:10]Now, as he said in that opening monologue, he can't die. But if your players do get the finishing blow on his body, he will go ahead and scream out, "My spirit will find a new body, and once it does, your lives are forfeit!" His body will crumble, and his spirit will take several days to find a new corpse. And then that is where the fun ensues because now he will be pissed. Vladimir Horngard will have a new vendetta against the party. Vladimir Horngard is an interesting character in this campaign. He is not a direct antagonist. The only way he becomes an antagonist is if your players push him to that degree. He will simply sit on his throne and does what he does. But if he is protecting an item, then your players need to get that item. If your players want that plus two sword because they think that'll be helpful, then once again, they're going to come into conflict. Especially if your players meet up with Sir Godfrey Gwilym, Godfrey Gwilym will be conflicted about it as well. He doesn't want to hurt his lover. Why would he want that, right? Sir Godfrey Gwilym wants Vladimir Horngard to see the light, and that is going to prompt your players to get the skull of Argonvosth all the way back to Argonvostholt. An incredibly fascinating character, there's a lot of amazing things you can do with him. I feel like a lot of people sleep on this character, but there's certainly a ton of things you can do with it. As previously mentioned, maybe your players can somehow go to Vladimir Horngard into fighting Strahd. Maybe they kill Vladimir Horngard once, and now Vladimir chasing after them, the players run all the way to the Castle Ravenloft, and blind by rage, then Vladimir is storming the castle inadvertently. There's a ton of great things your players can do with that. Play up Vladimir's honor, his anger, and his connection into the world, and I promise you, he is going to shed a light in this campaign that is filled with darkness. So go ahead and tell me, are your players going to have a significant meeting with Vladimir Horngard? Or do you think your players are going to skip right past him and not want to deal with him? Are your players going to meet up with Sir Godfrey Gwilym and be intertwined with the relationship there? Or are your players going to meet him, greet him, and never interact with him again? Is Vladimir going to fight Strahd, or is he going to let go of his anger once that beacon is lit? Go ahead and tell me all those things because I want to know. But that's going to do it for me. Thank you for watching, thanks for listening, and thank you to my amazing patrons. You guys are incredible. Thank you so very much, and I cannot wait to see you all in the next one.
