Strahd's Domain

This is a site devoted to Strahd Von Zarovich, and where better to start than a page devoted to the man himself. Since you are visiting this site in the first place, you likely know the fundamentals of Strahd's nature, appearance and character but it's about time that we have a page devoted to all things - from the mundane to the arcane - about our favourite vampire lord, Count Strahd Von Zarovich!

The first question to ask is why Strahd? What is it about him which has led me to build a website about him, and has similarly led TSR to include him in numerous campaigns and novels in the Ravenloft series? Everybody's reason for liking a character is different, but there can be some fundamental favourable characteristics which appeal to many people.

The first encounter I had with Strahd was in the second novel, Knight of the Black Rose. Strahd features prominently in the story of Lord Soth's arrival in Ravenloft and strikes me as a bold, genuine, believable character. I love him because you can relate to him so easily and yet he's got the kick-arse attitude we like to see in a villain. Since Strahd is a famous player in the world of Ravenloft, there is no shortage of detail about him, and indeed his history - and it is because of this intircate history that his character is intensified and made even more credible.

Strahd has been there since the beginning of Ravenloft, both in this world and in his own. In the former, Tracy and Laura Hickman, authors of many fantasy novels, particularly in the DragonLance series, decided way back in 1983 to make a new campaign setting for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons roleplayers - a module they entitled "Ravenloft", named after the castle you have to penetrate and explore in the game. Strahd Von Zarovich was the vampire the adventurers had to defeat, and although many have tried, none have ever succeeded. Strahd still reigns over his duchy, Barovia, with just as much force and influence as he did when he settled there. Which leads me on to how Strahd has been there since the beginning of Ravenloft. When Strahd, a mighty warrior in charge of a strong army, took control of land which he considered rightfully his, Barovia as it is called, he was in fact the very first of many Darklords and the world of Ravenloft only comprised Barovia. Gradually, other lands were formed, stemming off the boundaries of Barovia and whenever an evil and powerful being made a name for themselves in Ravenloft, they were granted duchies by the ever haunting Mists which surround the world of Ravenloft. So Strahd was the first key player in the Ravenloft world and he is showing no signs of going anywhere, even if TSR has lost all hope in finding excitement within the Mists. They just don't know what they're missing!

Strahd was born in an unknown land, the first of three sons to his proud and noble parents, Barov and Ravenovia. His two brothers, Sturm and Sergei were considerably younger and he did not meet Sergei at least until he was much older. Strahd's childhood is completely unknown and his young adult life is just as much a mystery. However he was a very skilled and just warrior who conquered and united many lands. As he grew older and approached his mid-forties, Strahd longed for youth again. He brooded over the fact that with every day came another step closer to his death. Strahd finally conquered and came to settle in a land called Barovia. There is possibly a link between the name of Barovia and his father's name, Barov. The castle in this land was in very poor condition when he found it but he had it masterfully restored before taking up residence in it and officially making it the home of the Von Zaroviches. He named it Ravenloft in honour of his mother, Ravenovia (in I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire she is called Ravenia). Strahd joined himself to the land in a ritual where he cut his palm and allowed the blood to trickle onto the land. Saying the correct words, he was able to join himself to the land so that the two are dependent on each other. This is why Strahd refers to himself as "The Land". If Barovia was ever destroyed, Strahd would be destroyed likewise, and vice versa. For many years Strahd ruled his people with a harsh hand. He never tolerated liars, thieves and cowards and brought wrongdoers to justice. He was, and still is, simultaneously respected and feared by his subjects throughout his reign.

When Strahd's youngest brother Sergei rode up to meet Strahd in Castle Ravenloft, it was the first time the two brothers had met because eighteen years separated them. Sergei was a lively, cheerful young man with stunning looks and an honest heart. He bore strong resemblances to his handsome eldest brother in charisma and appearance but had youth and good will in his favour. Strahd both loved and hated his brother. There were qualities about him that he deeply admired and yet at times, Strahd loathed his brother more than anyone else. His biggest issue with Sergei was held in his jealousy for his youth. There Sergei was with his whole life ahead of him and everything going in his favour, destined to become ordained into the priesthood, while Strahd was able to boast of his victories and yet was still not happy in himself. Sergei failed to see why Strahd was unhappy with his life since he deeply admired his brother and recognised his achievements.

Sergei was as keen to mix with commoners and peasants as he was to mix with nobles and aristocrats. He fitted in everywhere. One day, whilst doing work in the village of Barovia, Sergei fell in love with a young woman named Tatyana. Her beauty was exceptional and she was just as bright, cheerful and good natured as Sergei. They were very well suited to each other and their love was genuine. Sergei announced his love of Tatyana to Strahd and decalred that he was going to marry her. Strahd was unconcerned until he met the woman in question and, like his brother, fell instantly in love with her. Sergei was ignorant of Strahd's burning passion for Tatyana and similarly, Tatyana only saw Strahd as an older future brother-in-law. Infuriated by his lack of success in attracting Tatyana and haunted by the names she called him, "Elder" and "Old One", Strahd longed for his youth more than ever. Driven to desperate measures and knowing that he was skilled in magic, he ordered his soldiers and agents to acquire any books of magic they came upon. Determined to find a spell which would enable him to make Tatyana love him instead of Sergei, Strahd perused all his magical tomes but found nothing until the night before his brother's wedding.

In one of the books he had acquired, Strahd found a spell which would grant him his heart's desire. It was a complicated spell though but Strahd was willing to try anything, even though he found the spell hard to decipher. Each time he looked at the ingredients he would need, he found that they were different from before. Strahd tried his hardest to concentrate and make sense of the spell but things only got more bizarre. The room went dark and a mysterious force seemed to be preventing him from mastering the spell. Eventually the room became pitch black and a voice spoke to Strahd in the darkness. It was the voice of Death and he was willing to give Strahd what he desired... for a price. Strahd had served Death well over the years and his reward was to be granted his heart's desire: not to age a day more and never to die. Tatyana would be his if he would just pay the terrible price of murdering two people: his friend and second-in-command, Alek Gwilym and, worse still, his own brother, Sergei.

Strahd was by this point beyond any sense of reason. He was mad and evil enough to be tempted by Death's proposal and he murdered both Alek Gwilym and Sergei before the wedding. He stabbed Sergei through the heart with the most treacherous of blades, the Ba'al Verzi dagger, a dagger which could have murdered Strahd himself if he had not known of a traitor in his camp. The only thing left for Strahd to do now to fulfil Death's proposal was to drink the blood of those he had just murdered. Once this ritual was complete, Strahd noticed a change in himself. Life was forsaking him and yet death was not claiming him - he was becoming an undead, the first vampire in Ravenloft. He watched as his refelction started to vanish and his canine teeth grew longer. His ears became slightly pointed and his skin paled. He was in every way a full vampire with enhanced strength and abilities and never to age again. Surprised yet content with his new self, Strahd was filled with confidence when he sought out Tatyana but at the news of Sergei's death she was grief-stricken. Nobody knew who Sergei's murderer was and Strahd pretended to be an innocent victim of the crime. Strahd tried to comfort Tatyana and due to his new vampiric powers, he was doing very well at soothing her but he erred when he mentioned Sergei and then proceeded to tell her that they could now be together without him in the way. It was too much for Tatyana. Mourning at the loss of her beloved husband-to-be, she ran away from Strahd and, while mist gathered around the castle, she headed for the battlements where, in utter misery, she threw herself, barely missing Strahd's grasp. Strahd watched helplessly as she disappeared into the ever thickening mist.

Since that day, all three have suffered. Strahd became trapped within Barovia, a prisoner in his own land without even having Tatyana by his side; Sergei became a mere skeleton, cursed to guard the chapel in Castle Ravenloft with his soul neither free in life nor death; and Tatyana became doomed to return every generation or so to Barovia, a fragment of her original self each time. Strahd grieved for Tatyana after her suicide but was alarmed when, fifty years later, he found her again, but now the Burgomaster's daughter. Amazed that he had been given another chance to be with his love, Strahd began to relate a distorted version of events to Tatyana, now called Marina. Strahd planned to marry Marina but the burgomaster wouldn't hear of it and killed his own daughter before Strahd could claim her as his wife. Full of rage, Strahd slaughtered the entire family as revenge.

Strahd has since discovered that Tatyana returns to him every new generation and goes out in search of her when he believes she should be reappearing in Barovia. Every time he has gotten very close to her but Death has had the last laugh and always snatched her away from him before he could make her a vampire bride. Strahd has ruled Barovia ruthlessly but has never disclosed his vampiric nature. The villagers assume that their count's ever-increasing knowledge of magic has allowed him to find ways to lengthen his life and eliminate aging. Life in Barovia is straightforward most of the time but occasionally interesting guests come through the Mists and enter Barovia. Gypsies calling themselves the Vistani were the first of these enigmatic guests. Unlike normal inhabitants of Barovia, they were able to navigate the Mists and lived in a little society of their own, generally keeping themselves to themselves. Strahd took an interest in the Vistani and has on occasions had his future read for him by their tribal leaders. The Vistani offered to be in Strahd's service and to be his spies in return for not paying taxes or following the same rules as ordinary villagers. Strahd considered their offer and now has an alliance with them. He has even entrusted them with the antedote to the poisonous fog which surrounds Castle Ravenloft.

Other noteworthy guests to Barovia include Jander Sunstar, a golden elf from Toril of the Forgotten Realms series. Jander was like Strahd in that he too was a vampire, yet unlike the count, he despised everything dark about his nature and loathed his existence as an undead. For a while he lived in Castle Ravenloft as Strahd's guest but upon trying to murder Strahd, the two clashed and Jander submitted himself to the harmful sunlight. Later a different powerful creature came into Strahd's domain, a lich by the name of Azalin. Strahd and Azalin made a forced alliance with each other, both desperate to get beyond the boundaries of Barovia but whereas Strahd never succeeded, chained to the land he himself was ruler of, Azalin eventually proved his worth to the Mists and was given his own duchy, Darkon, the largest of all the Ravenloft realms, taking up a third of the Core. Strahd may have found Azalin's company irksome, but Azalin positively loathed Strahd and declared war on him shortly after becoming a Darklord himself. Strahd defeated Azalin's soldiers in many well-calculated attacks and by using an amulet and crystal ball which allowed him to see into Darkon and influence whomever he sent to attack Azalin's zombie warriors. Azalin and Strahd ceased warring eventually but they have never liked each other. The other noteworthy guest to Barovia was Lord Soth the Death Knight from Krynn in the DragonLance novels. Similar to Strahd, Lord Soth has had a very unhealthy obsession with a woman he desires more than anything else. Kitiara uth Matar, a strong warrior, is Soth's ultimate love but since her death, Soth has sent his loyal servant, a ghost named Caradoc, to seach for her soul in the Abyss. Soth and Caradoc were engulfed by a mysterious mist and arrived in Barovia. Soth did not take kindly to this unplanned change in circumstances and sought to find a way back to Krynn. After many struggles, Soth also eventually proved his worth to the Mists and although they did not grant him passage back to Krynn, they gave him a replica castle to the one he inhabited back in Palanthas and he was given his own domain, Sithicus.

To the left is a manga sketch I did of Strahd sometime ago. It may not match your idea of what Strahd looks like, but the key features of his appearance are there.

Build: Strahd is just over 6' in height and his body is strong and physically fit, mainly due to the long years he spent as a warrior, but even stronger now since he's become a vampire. Face: Strahd has a face typical of a Von Zarovich - handsome with prominent cheekbones and strong features. Eyes: Strahd's eye colour is never mentioned but they are always described as dark, so it is reasonable to presume they are dark brown. However, since Strahd is a vampire, they can sometimes burn red - particularly when he is angry or aroused. His eyes are described as having hypnotic qualities and are 'like deep pools with subtle reflections of red light'. Skin: Normally Strahd's skin in very pale and cold but it becomes flushed whenever he feeds and stays darker and warmer for several hours. Hair: His thick hair is short and black and neatly combed. Eyebrows: Like his hair, his eyebrows are pitch black and very thick. Ears: Whilst mortal, Strahd's ears were normal, but since he has become a vampire, his ears have developed slight points like those of an elf. He explains them by claiming that he is a half-elf, but this is not true. To avoid drawing too much attention to his ears, Strahd combs his hair over their points. Teeth: As a vampire, Strahd obviously has fangs. These are hardly noticeable most of the time and Strahd can speak, and even yawn, without attracting attention to his vampiric nature. However, when feeding or particularly ravenous, his canine teeth lengthen. Fingers: Strahd's fingers are thin and elongated with sharp nails. He sometimes hides these by wearing soft, grey, lambskin gloves. Strahd also wears rings of power and protection. Ruby: Around his neck, Strahd has always worn his Von Zarovich ruby, a charm he is proud of which declares his rich and noble background. This large, reflective jewel is a vibrant red mounted on gold and suspended on a gold chain. Attire: Strahd's attire is varied but is normally black with only touches of white and red in places. Strahd's clothes are formal, finely tailored and made of the richest material. His trousers are always black and with them he wears a coat or jacket over a white shirt. At his neck he has the Von Zarovich ruby and sometimes a red bow tie. For footwear, Strahd wears strong buckled leather boots. His hands are sometimes covered by soft, grey, lambskin gloves (mentioned earlier) and the collar on his shirt is turned up and frames his chin. For travelling in particular, Strahd is accustomed to wearing a long black cloak. Strahd often travels with the alias 'Lord Vasili Von Holtz' because he knows how much the public fear 'the devil Strahd'. Even with this alias, the public still fear Strahd's supposed loyal servant, Lord Vasili. When not travelling in human form, Strahd can choose from three other vampiric transformations: a large black wolf, a small black bat or a thick grey mist.

Strahd is a dangerous man since he is a calculating genius with an evil personality. He is cold and ruthless and because he is egocentric, everything he does is for some personal gain. Even his devotion to Tatyana is completely selfish. Strahd is not brash or impetuous and can afford to be careful since he has all the time in the world. He is an even more deadly enemy because of this infinite patience and will only attack when the time is right for him. He also guards against unexpected outcomes by having contingency plans and spells. If ever caught out in sunlight, a contingency spell he has placed upon himself takes immediate effect and he is transferred to a deep, dark, hidden cave in Mount Ghakis. In this way, he is safe even from trespassers who attempt to destroy him in his own castle. Strahd is a mighty warrior and iron-fisted ruler who does not tolerate crime in his land, especially from those who steal from him (e.g. in keeping taxes for themselves). He has a great dislike for cowards who are too frightened to address him properly and yet he wants there to be no mistaking his authority. Generally, he allows his people to rule themselves but ultimate laws are laid down by him and in times of war and conflict, he is their protector and can even earn his people's respect because he does not rule in a particularly unfair way. If anyone ever wrongs him, he is not hesitant in dealing out punishments, whether it be immediate death, imprisonment in the dungeons in his castle or anything which will make them regret their crime. Because he has been very powerful for an exceptionally long time, he sometimes underestimates the power and influence of ordinary mortals. Strahd is not foolish in his attempts to find Tatyana and persuade her to love him, but he is willing to take calculated risks for his one love.