Ravenloft
Established at some point during the Age of Fire, Ravenloft was an enormous fortress within the valley of Barovia. Ravenloft was home to Strahd Von Zarovich, from which he ruled over the other inhabitants of Barovia, while inside his personal Plane of Dread. It was a place of unrivaled evil, and home to many horrible creature of darkness and hate.
Architecture
Ravenloft was truly enormous, and featured an extremely complex layout of high towers, endless rooms, and hidden passages. Those that found their way into the castle, either by will of their own or someone else's, often found themselves lost among the vast corridors, and often, never escaped. The entirety of the building, from the towers, to the catacombs, was designed in a Gothic-like fashion. Ravenloft was fashioned from black stone, featuring decorative aspects such as protruding spikes and gargoyles. The castle itself was built upon a towering cliff-side, giving the structure an incredible, almost complete, round-view of the surrounding region. From atop Ravenloft's highest tower, it was even possible to see as far as Krezk. At the front of Ravenloft, laid a drawbridge, connecting the castle to the rest of the hillside. Furthermore, standing around the castle itself, was a massive courtyard, of which was surrounded by huge black walls of stone. Two huge doors kept this courtyard closed, though at the back of the castle, facing off the cliffs, the walls were open, to allow for a large overlook. The towers of Ravenloft stretched high into the sky, towering hundreds of feet above the ground level. Inside these towers, endless staircases that wound downwards, connecting Ravenloft's towering heights, to it's crushing depths. Almost every level of the castle was accessible from these towers. At the bottom of the castle, laid the catacombs. It was a large dungeon, crawling with undead and other creatures. Within, there were many tombs, most built for victims and the eternal playthings of Strahd. Even Strahd's own tomb was located on this level, alongside the tombs of his parents, and his brother; Sergei. On the two main levels, laid the bed chambers, kitchen, living areas, and the grand cathedral. The cathedral was the largest room in Ravenloft, extending with high ceilings, and walls pushing well into the courtyard. It's many windows were situated at the front of the room, staring out towards the gardens and overlook. It was within the walls of this church that Strahd had intended to marry his lost love, Tatyana, an event that has yet to occur, and possibly never will.History
Founding and Purpose
At some point, during the Age of Fire, the valley of Barovia was invaded and taken by the young general Strahd Von Zarovich. Driving out the previous town-masters of Vallaki, Barovia Village, and Krezk, Strahd took ruler-ship over the small region, and eventually invited his family to come and inhabitant the region with him. Ravenloft, was constructed as a palace for the Von Zarovich family, and was partly named after Strahd's mother; Ravenovia van Roeyen.Transportation to the Plane of Dread
Following the downfall of the Von Zarovich family, the death of Sergei, and Strahd's pact with dark powers from The Amber Temple, Ravenloft, along with the rest of Barovia, was transported into a Plane of Dread; a realm of Kelemvor's own making. This was part of an eternal punishment for Strahd, whom as a higher vampire, would never truly die. Ravenloft, now the setting of Strahd's great downfall, turned evil, matching the will of it's dark master. It's halls and towers were filled with hate and anger, and became infested with creatures drawn to Strahd's ancient powers. It became a beacon of fear for all those that continued to call Barovia home.Recent History
Until recently, Ravenloft served Strahd Von Zarovich's dark purposes. However, in AoR 597, Strahd and most of his power was removed from the fortress, destroyed by a group of adventurers whom had become trapped in Barovia. Though, as foretold, Strahd is destined to return to Ravenloft once again, as the vampire lord can never truly be defeated.
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