Count Strahd von Zarovich

The Devil Strahd von Zarovich

Count Strahd von Zarovich was the vampire darklord of Old Barovia. He ruled the land publicly from Castle Ravenloft as Strahd IV, supposedly a descendant of Strahd I, but actually the same man.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Strahd murdered his younger brother Sergei von Zarovich on his wedding day in an attempt to claim Sergi's bride, Tatyana Federovna. This was one of the final acts that drew the attention of the Dark Powers and caused him to later become a darklord. Tatyana rejected his love and jumped to her death from the walls of Castle Ravenloft. He made a deal with the demon Narrian who helped form the domain of dread known as Old Barovia. Strahd was nobly born to Barov von Zarovich and Ravenia van Roeyen in Prime Material Barovia in the The Shadowed Vale, estimated around the 7600s. He was the older brother of Sergei and Sturm. Strahd spent the first few decades of his adult life in his war with people that had invaded and occupied Barovia. In perhaps the most critical moment in his war against the foreign invaders, Strahd called down supernatural powers in the hope of securing victory at the cost of his soul. He began his life as a vampire then, living the reality of unlife. However, Strahd merely traded one form of damnation for another, as this horrible pact ultimately led to Strahd becoming an all but immortal darklord. Strahd's curse included that the woman Tatyana, his personal obsession, would be reincarnated every time she died, which is a common feature of a Domain of Dread such as Barovia. It is known that Strahd was angry enough at her rejection of his affections to kill her himself at least once, that recorded time being when the Darkonian Knights were briefly brought to Krezk by the Vistani. Throughout his long history as darklord of Barovia, Strahd has come into conflict with many who would challenge his dominance. Many adventurers from the Prime, and other realms, have been dragged in by the Vistani either as a trap or in an attempt to cure the curse of Strahd. Most notably Ace Ventura, who were brought to the realm by Narrian to try and finally put a direct end to Strahd's existence, as he could not do so himself. After Barovia's destruction, he escaped to the Prime Material Plane, returning to the Shadowed Vale and crushing the Ordayn Crime Syndicate, taking back Castle Ravenloft. After a month or so however, he was dragged back into the demiplane of dread by the Dark Powers, particularly the father of Narrian, and his new punishment is revenge for the mistreatment of the demon Narian. His new dread punishment is for all of the monsters and horrors of Barovia to chase him, endlessly, and whenever they catch up to him, they tear him limb from limb and he reincarnates in Castle Ravenloft again. Narrian's father picked this punishment out himself, and sets off his own death dogs. With the blessing of Kella, Hades, and the endorsement of Strahd himself, the power over Ravenloft and the Shadowed Vale went to Koko.