Strahd von Zarovich

Count Strahd von Zarovich is a fictional character originally appearing as the feature villain in the highly popular Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D) adventure module I6: Ravenloft. Later, this character and his world would be explored in follow-up modules, novels, and a campaign setting called Ravenloft. Strahd was named as one of the greatest villains in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) history by the final issue of Dragon magazine.

Fictional character biography

A man of noble birth, Strahd spent much of his life serving causes of goodness and law, most notably as a warrior and leader of armies. Years of such service took their toll upon him however, and by the time he reached middle age, Strahd came to believe he had squandered his life and his youth. With this dark mood upon him, he came to conquer the region known as Barovia, and assumed lordship there, taking as his residence the pre-existing castle known as Ravenloft. From this position of power and security, he called for members of his family "long unseated from their ancestral thrones" to join him, including a younger brother named Sergei.