In Curse of Strahd, Muriel Vinshaw appears briefly at the Standing Stones in the swamps of Berez.

Muriel Vinshaw at the Standing Stones

RAW, edited for clarity
[Source: DNDBeyond – U6: Standing Stones]

The scene is described as a circle of towering, moss-covered menhirs rising from the earth. Among them, a wary peasant woman lurks behind the tallest stone, clutching a rusted lantern in one hand and a dagger in the other.

This woman is Muriel Vinshaw, a wereraven and a trusted ally of the Martikov family. A resident of Vallaki, Muriel spies on Baba Lysaga on behalf of her fellow wereravens, keeping watch from the outskirts rather than the village itself. If the characters earn her trust, she warns them of the dangers of Berez and shares what she knows.

Muriel explains that Berez was abandoned after the river flooded the village, and that an ancient and powerful hag, Baba Lysaga, now dwells there in a hut at its center. The hag commands murderous scarecrows that serve as both guardians and early warning, and she periodically sends them to attack the Wizard of Wines vineyard, making her a long-standing enemy of the Martikov family.

Muriel also notes that Baba Lysaga keeps animals penned near the ruins of an old mansion, which she believes the hag feeds upon. She avoids direct confrontation, flees if attacked, and conceals her lycanthropic nature for as long as possible. While she refuses to accompany the characters against Baba Lysaga, Muriel knows Barovia well and can point adventurers toward other notable locations, including Argynvostholt and Yester Hill.

She grew up hearing stories of the druids of Yester Hill, how they abandoned their ancient beliefs and knows they still visit the standing stones from time to time. Muriel avoids them whenever possible.

Her description in the adventure is short but evocative. Muriel is presented as a spy type figure, a lone watcher for the secret order of wereravens known as the Keepers of the Feather, keeping an eye on Baba Lysaga and the darker, stranger things that stir in the swamps. She has a small amount of lore to share about Berez and Baba Lysaga, but beyond a wereraven stat block and a paragraph of text, she is left largely undeveloped.

Like many NPCs in Curse of Strahd, Muriel is a strong narrative seed, one that invites expansion.

Muriel and the Fey Quest

When I began work on Legends of Barovia, I was already expanding the Fey Quest and giving deeper meaning to the Standing Stones. These stone circles became the Fanes, ancient druidic shrines tied to the Old Fey who once watched over Barovia long before Strahd’s conquest.

There are three stone circles, each associated with a Fey power. Muriel’s canonical appearance near the stone circle in the swamp aligned naturally with the Water Fey (or Swamp Fey), making her an ideal bridge between the Keepers of the Feather and the ancient Fey lore.

Muriel Vinshaw in Legends of Barovia

In Legends of Barovia, Muriel becomes a fully realized and recurring character, the quiet watcher, trusted ally, and one of the few true friends the party may find in Barovia.

She appears throughout the campaign in places such as Vallaki, Berez, Wizard of Wines, Yester Hill, and beyond. While she is a spy for the Keepers of the Feather, she also carries a deeper secret: a hidden relationship with Lila, the herbalist living in Vallaki. Lila is, in truth, the Forest Fey in disguise, and Muriel is the only person in Barovia who knows her true identity.

Muriel keeps watch over the three Fey Shrines, reporting their status to the Forest Fey while also feeding intelligence to the Keepers of the Feather. She tracks the movements of Strahd’s agents, observes the actions of the druids of Yester Hill, and quietly evaluates any adventurers who enter Barovia to determine whether they might become allies or liabilities.

A key figure within the Keepers of the Feather, Muriel is a skilled fighter and tactician, and the last descendant of the legendary Vinshaw wereravens, who were entrusted with protecting the Green Fey Gem hidden at the Wizard of Wines vineyard. She keeps her distance from the party at first, revealing herself only once trust is earned, but she is watching from the moment the characters arrive.

Described in Curse of Strahd as someone who lurks on the edges and keeps watch alone, Muriel felt less like a traditional NPC and more like a solitary, mysterious ranger. As a wereraven with ties to the Fey, it made sense that she would possess a handful of unique abilities with survival-focused talents that help her remain unseen in Barovia. (see Muriel's stat block at the bottom)

Design Intent: How DMs Can Use Muriel

Muriel was designed with three primary uses in mind.

1. Ally

Muriel is the unseen raven in the trees, an NPC who can intervene when the balance of a fight turns against the party. She works especially well as a sudden, believable source of aid at locations like the Old Bonegrinder, Svalich Woods, the Wizard of Wines, or Berez.

2. Guide

When the players are lost, unsure whom to trust, or missing a critical piece of information, Muriel can provide a clue, warning, or nudge in the right direction without breaking immersion. She is informed, cautious, and selective with what she shares.

3. Optional Fated Ally

Muriel can also serve as an alternative Fated Ally (Strahd’s Enemy). Her lineage, her connection to the Forest Fey, and her family’s role in hiding the Green Fey Gem make her a natural enemy of Strahd. If the Raven card is drawn, she becomes a powerful and thematically appropriate choice.

Raven Card - Tarokka Color Deck

Muriel’s First Appearance: The Old Bonegrinder

The party’s first encounter with Muriel occurs at the Old Bonegrinder, though they don’t meet her directly.

She watches.

Muriel has seen many adventurers come and go, all of them doomed. In her mind, the hags may be the first real test. If the party survives the windmill, perhaps they are different.

A Raven’s Warning
As the characters approach the windmill, a raven watches from a nearby tree, squawking insistently. If the characters use speak with animals or similar magic, the raven warns them of danger before flying off. The raven alerts other wereravens. If combat erupts with the full coven, they arrive to aid the party.

The Blue Water Inn and the Kenku

Muriel is also a frequent presence at the Blue Water Inn. Urwin Martikov leads the Keepers of the Feather, but Muriel serves as his second-in-command, overseeing intelligence gathering across Barovia. She is often found at the bar and openly helps Danika when the inn is busy, making no secret of their friendship.

Muriel also tends to the cursed wereravens, now kenku, who were captured, tortured, and transformed by Strahd during his search for the Fey Gems. These creatures now reside in the Abbey of Saint Markovia in Krezk.

Though feared by villagers, the kenku remain loyal to the Keepers of the Feather. Muriel visits them in raven form, offering comfort and gathering information about the Abbot and Strahd’s activities in the region.

The Wizard of Wines and the Druids

Long ago, Muriel’s ancestors hid the Forest Fey Gem beneath the Wizard of Wines, concealed within the earthen cellar. There it shielded the vineyard and ensured the land’s unnatural abundance. As long as the gem remained hidden, the winery endured.

Knowledge of the Fey Gem is tightly guarded. Among the Martikovs, it is a secret passed only to the leader of the Keepers of the Feather. Davian Martikov and his son Urwin are the sole keepers of its existence and location.

Yet they are not alone.

Muriel Vinshaw, last descendant of the wereraven entrusted with the gem, knows the truth. She serves as the Forest Fey’s eyes and ears and when necessary, her sword.

When word reaches her that druids have attacked the Wizard of Wines, Muriel fears what she has long dreaded: the gem may have been found.

Summoned by a desperate message from the winery, Muriel abandons caution and flies to the woodland camp where the Martikov family has fled. She arrives in human form, revealing her wereraven nature without hesitation. Only Davian understands why. Their conversation is brief, tense, and private... the gem may have been taken by the druids.

The truth is finally spoken. The Fey Gem lies behind a concealed door beneath the cellar, and if the druids now possess it, Barovia will suffer. Muriel urges the party to reclaim the vineyard and search for the gem. In doing so, this moment naturally draws the party’s attention toward Yester Hill, the druids who threaten not just the winery, but the balance the Fey once maintained.

This is a turning point. Muriel’s role as the gem’s silent caretaker may be revealed, as well as her service to the Forest Fey. Yet her other secret, the Forest Fey’s hidden identity as Lila the herbalist, should remain concealed until the gem is safe from the druids of Yester Hill.

Here, Muriel is no longer merely a watcher. She becomes a pivotal force in the unfolding story and perhaps the key to helping the party restore what little hope Barovia still holds.

A Recurring Presence

Muriel may appear throughout the campaign:

  • Abbey of Saint Markovia – checking on the kenku
  • Wizard of Wines – learning of the Green Fey Gem’s fate
  • Berez – watching Baba Lysaga or rescuing trapped wereravens
  • Yester Hill – observing the druids’ movements

She remains elusive, mysterious, and reliable, a shadowy figure in Barovia.

A Fun Alternative

One supporter shared a great idea: after a character death, the player took on the role of Muriel Vinshaw as their new character. A wereraven ranger-spy with deep ties to the Keepers of the Feather makes for a compelling and organic replacement character.

Conclusion

Curse of Strahd is an intricate campaign filled with mysteries, dangers, and moral ambiguity. A recurring NPC like Muriel Vinshaw can serve as a guide, ally, and emotional anchor, someone the party can trust when Barovia feels overwhelming.

For the DM, she is a flexible and powerful tool. For the players, she is proof that resistance still exists and that they are not alone.

Free Legends of Barovia PDFs Featuring Muriel Vinshaw

A full list of Legends of Barovia Guides can be found here.

For DMs who want to use Muriel Vinshaw immediately at the table, here is her full stat block as presented in Legends of Barovia.