In life, Count @Strahd von Zarovich was a ruthlessly effective conqueror. Over decades of brutal military campaigning, he defeated his rivals and forged a nation. Retiring from war, Strahd settled in the beautiful valley where he'd won his greatest victory. There, in the way of his ancestors, he spilled his blood into the earth, sealing a pact between himself and the land. In honor of his parents, King Barov and Queen Ravenovia, he named the valley @Barovia and constructed his fortress-home, @Castle Ravenloft.

Strahd had spent his youth at war fighting alongside Ulmed, the founder of the Ulmist Inquisition, but as he reached his middle years he sought the comforts of family. He invited his kin to live with him at Castle Ravenloft, and was eventually joined by his younger brother, Sergei.

Sergei was everything Strahd wasn't—youthful, empathic, and warm. Soon after he arrived in Barovia, the younger von Zarovich and a local villager named Tatyana fell in love. Strahd resented his brother, even more so after meeting Tatyana and experiencing her pure kindness. Obsessing over her, Strahd sought to woo Tatyana but was soundly rebuffed. Unwilling to accept her wishes or Sergei as his better, Strahd delved into the sinister secrets of his land and came to learn of the @Amber Temple. There, amid hidden lore and the imprisoned vestiges of ancient evil, Strahd first encountered the Dark Powers—and made a bargain with them to regain his vitality and ensnare Tatyana's heart.

The day of Sergei and Tatyana's wedding, Strahd murdered Sergei and, to seal his pact with the Dark Powers, drank his brother's blood. He revealed his new might to Tatyana, expecting to enthrall her. Instead, horrified by Sergei's murder, Tatyana fled Strahd, ultimately leaping from the height of Castle Ravenloft to escape him and vanishing into @The Mists. At the same time, traitors from among the castle's guards and wedding's guests rose up to assassinate Strahd. Despite suffering countless wounds, Strahd did not die. The nature of his bargain with the Dark Powers was revealed, and Strahd became the multiverse's first @Vampire, Vampire Form. A night of bloody rage followed, and when dawn touched the parapets of Castle Ravenloft, no living soul survived within. But Strahd remained.

Little is known of the origins of the Domains of Dread, but what's certain is that they began here. Strahd's villainy, his connection to his land, and his entanglement with the sinister Priests of Osybus drew all of @Barovia into the Shadowfell. This began a succession of torments that haunt the Count still and spill forth to drag others into the Land of @The Mists.

Strahd's Powers and Dominion

Strahd is a patient and dramatic mastermind. His statistics are similar to those of a @Vampire, Vampire Form and his spellcasting prowess is formidable, enabling him to face most threats directly. In combat he uses the @Strahd von Zarovich monster stat block. Strahd ever seeks to escape his boredom and draws challenges out for as long as it entertains him. However, if insulted, the Darklord can turn all of Barovia against his foes.

The Ancient, the Land. Strahd is bound to @Barovia and it to him in a way few rulers or Darklords understand. As part of this relationship, Strahd knows when any creature enters or dies violently within Barovia—and takes personal offense when his agents or the domain's wolves are slain. Strahd can also manifest a variety of dramatic effects, such as causing his voice to be heard on the wind, making his visage appear in the clouds, changing the weather, and so forth. He can't use these effects to aid him in combat, but they can make his presence known throughout the land.

Master Vampire. Strahd eagerly plays the parts of nobleman and gracious host, but drops these pretenses when they no longer serve him, revealing his megalomania and monstrous nature. Strahd believes he has no peers and eagerly cultivates servants, particularly @Vampire Spawn. He hasn't survived for ages by being reckless, though, and he retreats or sacrifices even his favorite agents when necessary.

Vistani Sanctuary. The ancient Vistani fortune-teller @Madam Eva makes her home in Barovia. She knows much of Strahd and has occasionally served as an intermediary between him and various Vistani bands when it serves her own mysterious goals. As part of this arrangement, Strahd avoids harming Vistani who travel within his land.

Closing the Borders. Strahd closes @Barovia's borders whenever something that interests him threatens to escape, surrounding the domain with poisonous mist. Those who enter @The Mists choke and are affected as detailed in the Featured Domains & The Mists lore article.

Strahd's Torment

Eternity is a cruel consort. The following are just a few of the torments Strahd endures:

• Through endless generations, Tatyana has been reincarnated again and again. Each time Strahd believes he can undo his past failures, win Tatyana's heart, and in so doing free himself from his ages-long curse. Each time, though, Tatyana renounces him once more.

• Strahd chafes within the borders of his domain. His desire for novelty, passion, and conquest matches his thirst for blood.

• Strahd considers Barovia's people dull inferiors, even as he resents them for the simple pleasures of hope and companionship they possess.

Roleplaying Strahd

@Strahd von Zarovich is infinitely egotistical, cruel, and manipulative—a charming monster who wears the trappings of power and class. The vampire victimizes his subjects whenever the urge strikes, reveling in the fear he causes.

Personality Trait. "I am Barovia's lord. All within this land are mine."

Ideal. "I sacrificed my life to forge this land. None deserve respect and love more than me."

Bond. "My subjects exist to serve and sustain me. The blood of the defiant tastes the sweetest."

Flaw. "I crave the company of equals—if only such individuals existed."

Adventures in Barovia

Count @Strahd von Zarovich casts a shadow no matter where heroes tread in @Barovia, and sooner or later, they'll face an inevitable showdown with the land's vampiric overlord. The domain's innumerable evils all ultimately tie back to Strahd. Any corrupt individual, sinister cult, or rampaging monster might have been inspired by the Darklord, their evil ultimately furthering the count's plots and infamy.

Strahd's depravity takes physical form in the vampire's lair, @Castle Ravenloft. The castle is itself a notorious legend intrinsic to the count's terror. @The Mists often deposit strangers to Barovia within sight of the fortress, daring the unwary to approach. Ultimately, only the bravest lay siege to the castle or accept the count's invitations to visit him there. But Castle Ravenloft needn't be challenged in a single assault, and defeating Strahd might not be the only goal of those who enter. The library, chapel, and catacombs of Castle Ravenloft all hold tempting secrets that might be vital to countering the count's plots or undoing other evils. Or Strahd might make good on an invitation to grant guests shelter and safety within the Castle Ravenloft—for a time. Ultimately, don't hesitate to employ the setting's most infamous castle even if there isn't a plan to run a lengthy siege.

The following table provides examples, but the DM should come up with original ideas as well.

Barovia Adventures
d8 - Adventure
1 - @The Mists draw the characters into @Barovia, where the fortune-teller @Madam Eva sets them on a dark course that leads them to @Castle Ravenloft.
2 - Priests of Osybus have gained a following in the @Town of Vallaki. They consider @Strahd von Zarovich a demigod of their faith and drain the blood of nonbelievers in his name.
3 - A merchant working for a mysterious patron hires the party to recover the bones of Tatsaul Eris, a noble buried in the catacombs of @Castle Ravenloft.
4 - The Martikovs, owners of the @Wizard of Wines Winery, seek aid recovering a shipment of cursed wine that turns drinkers into @Vine Blights.
5 - A dying @Wereraven gives the characters a scroll and an amulet bearing the Mark of the Raven. It begs the characters to deliver the message to the Keepers of the Feather.
6 - A megalith erected by @Barovia's original inhabitants topples near the @Town of Vallaki. Beneath lies the tomb of an ancient @Nosferatu who calls himself Duke Gundar; he immediately takes a disliking to Count @Strahd von Zarovich.
7 - From the ruined mansion of @Argynvostholt, the @Revenant knight @Vladimir Horngaard dragoons innocents into the Order of the Silver Dragon and pits them against @Strahd von Zarovich's servants.
8 - The characters are accused of a crime. Surprising everyone, word arrives that Count @Strahd von Zarovich will serve as their judge.