Strahd von Zarovich is historic. He is the land. A brooding, cursed Darklord, this vampire is probably essentially the most notorious dracula in all D&D.
“I am ancient, I am the Land. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past. I am not dead. Nor am I alive. I am undead, forever.”
So begins the Tome of Strahd, a e book devoted to the lifetime of the darkish prince of Barovia, Strahd von Zarovich. This tortured vampire was one of many first Darklords of Ravenloft. He dominated over the shadowed lands of Barovia with a bloody fist. From his citadel he lamented a misplaced love.
But he was as soon as a person. Mortal as your or I. How did he turn out to be the tortured Darklord of Barovia? Why was he ensnared by the Mists of Ravenloft? To reply these questions, we should go to Strahd’s mortal previous.
Strahd Von Zarovich – Origins
In his life, Strahd was a prince and conquerer, a regal determine who settled the valley of Barovia. Strahd and his brother, Sergei von Zarovich, got here to the valley of Barovia. There they drove out bandits and marauders, and settled in to rule.
But Strahd was jealous. Sergei had a phenomenal spouse, Tatyana. And in Strahd’s envious rage, he started to really feel as if she was his.
As the story goes, Strahd slew his brother and took his spouse. Some say that this jealous act was sufficient to rattling him, others say that the elder von Zarovich had made a pact with Dark Powers for immortality. Either manner, after the homicide of Sergei von Zarovich, his spouse Tatyana took her personal life, and Strahd was changed into a vampire.
Depending on whom you communicate to, Strahd is the primary Vampire, remodeled by the Dark Powers of Ravenloft. But such legends could also be exaggerations.
Subscribe to our e-newsletter!
Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture information delivered on to your inbox.
This darkish transformation was sufficient to brush all the valley of Barovia into the Mists of Ravenloft the place it now resides, with Strahd its ruler and its prisoner. Now his existence is torment itself. He spends his life searching for the soul of Tatyana, whom he believes will at some point be reincarnated in Barovia, in order that they might as soon as once more be reunited.
Strahd is a strong vampire, extra succesful than most. Like all vampires, Strahd can change his form, utilizing an motion to polymorph right into a bat, a wolf, or a cloud of mist (which is resistant to all nonmagical injury). He makes use of this potential to stalk the lands of Barovia.
His vampiric regeneration protects him from most hurt, however the place Strahd differs from most vampires is the magic he’s discovered over his a few years as a creature of the night time. Strahd, along with being a vampire, is a Ninth-level wizard and might forged spells that permit him to render his enemies unconscious, flip himself invisible, and if want be fireball anybody and something that will get in his manner.
The Darklord of Barovia is a shadow on the land, however he longs to be reunited together with his misplaced love. Wary adventurers might be able to exploit his most burning need, however be warned–he was prepared to homicide earlier than, now that he’s an immortal monster, there’s no telling to what lengths Strahd would possibly go to as soon as once more be with the love of his life.
Or what he would possibly do if he finds out what Tatyana actually thinks of him…
