Strahd Von Zarovich

Roleplaying Strahd

Strahd believes his soul is lost to evil. He feels neither pity nor remorse, neither love nor hate. He doesn't suffer anguish or wallow in indignation. He believes, and has always believed, that he is the master of his own fate. When he was alive, Strahd could admit to letting his emotions get the better of him from time to time. Now, as a vampire, he is more monster than man, with barely a hint of emotion left. He is above the concerns of the living. The only event that occasionally haunts him is the death of Tatyana, but his view of the past is bereft of romance or regret. In his mind, her death couldn't have been prevented, and what is done cannot be undone. In life, Strahd lived to conquer. In undeath, he conquers still-not realms, but people, driving good souls to become corrupt and destroying those who won't yield. Characters who try to appeal to Strahd's humanity will be gravely disappointed, because there is little humanity left in him. If they ask Strahd why he's preying on Ireena Kolyana, he tells them that Ireena's body is the host for Tatyana's soul, and Tatyana's soul belongs to him. Strahd can be seductive and subtle when he chooses to be, especially if a person is clever or attractive. Men and women of beauty and cunning amuse Strahd for a time-playthings to possess or discard as he desires. If he senses a lack of cohesion in a party of adventurers, he preys on that weakness and tries to drive a wedge between the characters by promising to help one at the expense of another. If Strahd senses evil in a person, he cultivates that tendency by offering to turn that character into a full-fledged vampire after helping Strahd destroy the rest of the party. Ultimately, Strahd doesn't honor his promise, instead turning the character into a vampire spawn under his control.

When Strahd Attacks

Strahd isn't a villain who remains out of sight until the final scene. Far from it-he travels as he desires to any place in his realm or his castle, and (from his perspective) the more often he encounters the characters, the better. The.characters can and should meet him multiple times before the final encounter, which most likely takes place in the location determined by the card reading. His combat details are_;wailable,in appendix D. When Strahd wants to terrprize the characters, he pays them a visit, either .µntler· the cloak . of night or beneath overcast skies duriqg the day. If they're indoors, he tries to charm or goad a character into inviting him inside (along with his vampire spaWn; if they are present). Strahd and his minions never attack Ireena. These encounters are meant to test the characters, not kill them. After: a few rounds of toying with them, Strahd and his creatures withdraw. If the characters retreat, Strahd is likely.to allow them to flee, savoring their fear and believing he has broken them.

Mental characteristics

Storia personale

In life, Strahd von Zarovich was a count, a prince, a soldier, and a conqueror. After the death of bis father, King Barov, Strahd waged long, bloody wars against his family's enemies. He and his army cornered the last of these enemies in a remote mountain valley before slaying them all. Strahd named the valley Barovia, after his deceased father, and was so struck by its scenic beauty that he decided to settle there. Queen Ravenovia lamented the death of Barov and was fearful of Strahd. War had made him cold and arrogant. She kept her younger son, Sergei, away from the battlefield. Strahd envied the love and attention his mother visited upon his brother, so in Barovia he remained. Peace made Strahd restless, and he began to feel like his best years were behind him. Unwilling to go the way of his father, Strahd studied magic and forged a pact with the Dark Powers of the Shadowfell in return for the promise of immortality. Strahd scoured his conquered lands for wizards and artisans, brought them to the valley of Barovia, and commanded them to raise a castle to rival the magnificent fortresses of his ancestral homeland. Strahd named the castle Ravenloft, after his mother, to demonstrate his Jove for her. When it was complete, Strahd commanded his mother and brother to come to Barovia and stay with him. Sergei eventually took up residence at Raveoloft, but Ravenovia passed away while traveling to her namesake. In sorrowful disappointment, Strahd sealed his mother's body in a crypt beneath the castle. Strahd's attention soon turned to Tatyana, a young Barovian woman of fine lineage and remarkable beauty. Strahd believed her to be a worthy bride, and he lavished Tatyana with gifts and attention. Despite Strahd's efforts, she instead fell in love with the younger, warmer Sergei. Strahd's pride prevented him from standing in the way of the young couple's Jove until the day of Sergei and Tatyana's wedding, when Strahd gazed into a mirror and realized he had been a fool. Strahd murdered Sergei and drank his blood, sealing the evil pact between Strahd and the Dark Powers. He then chased Sergei's bride-to-be through the gardens, determined to make her accept and love him. Tatyana hurled herself off a castle balcony to escape Strahd's pursuit, plunging to her death. Treacherous castle guards, seizing the opportunity to rid the world of Strahd forever, shot their master with arrows. But Strahd did not die. The Dark Powers honored the pact they had made. The sky went black as Strahd turned on the guards, his eyes blazing red. He had become a vampire. After slaughtering the guards, Strahd saw the faces of his father and mother in the thunderclouds, looking down upon him and judging him. He had destroyed the family bloodline and doomed all of Barovia. The castle and the valley were spirited away, locked in a demiplane surrounded on all sides by deadly fog. For Strahd and his people, there would be no escape. Strahd has been the master of Ravenloft for centuries now. Since becoming a vampire, he has taken several consorts-none as beloved as Tatyana, but each a person of beauty. All of them he turned into vampire spawn. Although he feeds on the hapless souls of Barovia, they provide little nourishment and no comfort. From time to time, strangers from faraway lands are brought to his domain, to play the vampire's game of cat-and-mouse. Strahd savors these moments, for though these strangers offer him no lands to conquer, they aren't so easily destroyed and therefore provide a welcome diversion. Strahd believes that the key to his escaping Barovia lies in finding someone worthy to rule in his stead, but his arrogance are so indomitable that no one is ever good enough in his eyes. He believes in his cold heart that only a von Zarovich as great as he or his father could sway the Dark Powers to release him.

Personality Characteristics

Motivazioni

Turn Ireena Kolyana

Strahd's unrequited love for Tatyana drove him to slay his brother, Sergei. Some time ago, Strahd glimpsed the young woman Ireena Kolyana in the village of Barovia and felt extreme deja vu. Ireena looked exactly like Tatyana! Strahd now believes that Ireena is the latest reincarnation of Tatyana, and thus he seeks to claim her. Strahd's evil courtship has led him to visit Ireena twice. On both occasions, he charmed his way into her home-the house of her adopted father, the burgomaster of the village of Barovia-and drank her blood. He intends to kill Ireena during their next meeting and turn her into his vampire spawn consort. Chapter 3 gives details about Ireena and where to find her in the village of Barovia. ·

Find Rudolph van Ritchen

Although he is usually focused on making Ireena Kolyana his bride, Strahd has been distracted by reports that a legendary vampire hunter named Rudolph van Ritchen has come to Barovia. It takes more than one old man with a death wish to frighten Strahd; nevertheless, the vampire has his spies searching Barovia for van Richten. Strahd would like very much to meet the old vampire hunter, lock him in the dungeons of Castle Ravenloft, and slowly break his spirit. Chapter 5 describes the town ofVallaki, where van Richten currently resides incognito.

Search for a Successor or Sconsort

Strahd can sense the a:rrival ofoew.bloodfo his·domain. When newcomers enter Barovia, he shifts his attention from Ireena Kolyana and van Ritchen to his new guests so that he can determine whether any of them is worthy to be his successor or consort. (Eventually, he decides that none of them can replace him as master of Barovia, but he doesn't arrive at this coriclusion immediately.) Strahd pays close attention to adventurers who are charismatic and arrogant, like himself. He focuses his attacks on them, to see how much they can withstand. If they crumble easily, he loses interest in them. If they exhibit great fortitude and defiance, his interest is piqued-even more so if the character displays uncommon knowledge or beauty. Such a person might not be worthy to succeed him, but the man or woman might provide amusement to Strahd as a new possession.

Reign

Barovia

Character Location

Castle Ravenloft

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Titoli Onorari e Occupazionali

Count/King