Strahd von Zarovich

Count Strahd von Zarovich is a fictional character originally appearing as the feature villain in the highly popular Advanced Dungeons and Dragons adventure module I6: Ravenloft. Later, this character and his world would be explored in followup modules, novels, and a campaign setting called Ravenloft.

Biography
A man of noble birth, Strahd spent much of his life serving causes of goodness and law, most notably as a warrior and leader of armies. Years of such service took their toll upon him however, and by the time he reached middle age, Strahd came to believe he had squandered his life and his youth. With this dark mood upon him, he came to conquer the region known as Barovia, and assumed lordship there, taking as his residence the pre-existing castle known as Ravenloft. From this position of power and security, he sent for his brother, Sergei. Some time after this reunion, Strahd himself fell in love with a young Barovian woman, Tatyana, though she rejected his affections in favor of the younger Sergei. Filled with jealousy and hatred for his brother, Strahd plotted to magically steal Sergei's youth and win Tatyana for himself. Making "a pact with death - a pact of blood", Strahd murdered his brother on the morning of the young couple's wedding day, pursued the grieving Tatyana until she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft, and was himself finally shot down by the arrows of the castle guard. Even so, he did not die, but went on to rule the land of Barovia as the first vampire.

Development history
The adventure itself takes place centuries after these tragic events, and centers upon the efforts of the player characters to help a young Barovian woman, Ireena Kolyana, escape the dreadful fate of so many others on whom "the devil Strahd" has cast his eye over the generations. The setting includes not only castle Ravenloft itself, but also the nearby village of Barovia, and a camp of gypsies led by one Madame Eva, who had formed a kind of alliance with the vampire. Through the course of the adventure, players have the opportunity to learn Strahd's backstory and discover that Ireena is herself the reincarnation of Tatyana. Strahd von Zarovich himself is noted as being the first truly well developed villain to appear in the AD&D game system, being fully capable of changing the course of events to suit his own evil ends.

The immediate popularity of Ravenloft proved sufficient to warrant a sequel, I10: Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill (Tracey and Laura Hickman, TSR, Inc., 1985), again casting Strahd von Zarovich in the central, villainous role. Set in the quiet, sea-side town of Mordentshire, players of this adventure are confronted by two Strahds -- the same monstrous vampire from Ravenloft (now referred to as the Creature), and a very human counterpart, known as the Alchemist.

Much more ambitious in scope than the original, the plot of Ravenloft II focuses on the players' attempts first to discover the true nature of the vampiric threat afflicting Mordentshire, and then to discover the secret identity of the Creature and destroy him. Nothing of note is added to original nature or history of Strahd von Zarovich in the course of the adventure, though a number of characters of lesser importance, including the lich Azalin make their first appearance in this publication as well.

It bears noting that the two Ravenloft adventures, taken together, represent an analog of the Bram Stoker classic, Dracula. Ravenloft, set in a remote, mountainous land inhabited by superstitious peasants, gypsies, and the Gothic castle of the vamire himself, mirrors the early, Transylvania-based chapters of Stoker's novel. Similarly, Ravenloft II draws its inspiration from the English setting of Dracula, and even duplicates in considerable detail the pastoral geography of Whitby.

Though Ravenloft II did not enjoy the wide acclaim of the original, the phenomena of Ravenloft proved sufficient for TSR, Inc. to place it and Strahd von Zarovich at the heart of a new product series released in 1990 -- Ravenloft: Realm of Terror -- an entire game world based on the Gothic horror theme of Ravenloft.

Within this new setting, Strahd is the first and best-known of Ravenloft's darklords. He is a powerful vampire (in Dungeons & Dragons terms, an Ancient class vampire, having been a vampire for 400-499 years). He is also a master necromancer, a skilled warrior, and the unquestioned ruler of the domain of Barovia.

Strahd's backstory was further refined for the new setting such that he unwittingly became a vampire as a result of a "pact" between himself and an unknown entity (Strahd claims it to be Death, but most likely it was Inajira the arcanoloth). He promised to kill his younger brother, Sergei, in return for the chance to woo his brother's fiancee, Tatyana. Strahd murdered Sergei on his wedding day and confessed his love to Tatyana, but overcome with grief, she fled from him, hurling herself to her death from the balcony of Castle Ravenloft. Immediately afterwards, the Mists of Ravenloft drew Strahd to the Demiplane of Dread.

His official "autobiography" has been presented in two novels by P. N. Elrod, I Strahd, Memories of a Vampire and I, Strahd, the War Against Azalin.

Strahd has ruled his domain for the longest of any darklord, and as such his knowledge of the workings of Ravenloft are without equal. When Strahd chooses to close the borders of his lands, poisonous mists arise and suffocate anyone attempting to pass through them. There are only two ways to avoid the poisonous fog: immunity to poison (magic does not help, but creatures that are innately immune to poison, like elementals, constructs, and undead, have nothing to fear), or by ceasing the attempt to escape. In addition, the Vistani know a secret antidote which renders the drinker immune to the closed border. This fog permanently rings the village of Barovia as well.

Strahd's curse is that although he is absolute lord and master of Barovia, to the point where he can enter private homes unbidden because he owns them, once every generation he will meet a woman whom he believes is Tatanya reincarnated. He always tries to woo her, but the scene of his damnation is replayed, and the woman inevitably dies.

Strahd is perhaps the most difficult of all darklords to face. His mastery of necromancy is so great he has produced a kind of "super-zombie," one that is capable of seeing invisible, regenerating like a troll and whose appendages continue to fight on when severed. Strahd has had at least two darklords under his sway in the past; Azalin Rex the lich, and Lord Soth the death knight. Both eventually escaped, but that he could control such beings speaks much of Strahd's power.

When the Ravenloft campaign setting was developed, the events of Ravenloft II were retconned so that Strahd was present and disguised as a human alchemist, and did not die at the module's conclusion.

With Strahd as the main character

 * I Strahd, Memories of a Vampire (1993) by P. N. Elrod, (ISBN 0-517-16592-9)
 * Details how both Strahd became a vampire and how Ravenloft originally formed.


 * I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin (June 1998), by P. N. Elrod, (ISBN 786907541 )
 * Presented as the diary of Strahd von Zarovich written during the period of war between Barovia and Darkon.

Including Strahd

 * Vampire of the Mists (September 1991), by Christie Golden, (ISBN 1-56076-155-5)
 * Ravenloft's first full novel provided a clear link between the Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft.


 * Knight of the Black Rose (December 1991), by James Lowder, (ISBN 1-56076-156-3)
 * Featuring Lord Soth of the Dragonlance setting in the Demiplane of Dread.