Count Strahd von Zarovich













 
This article is a (Non) Player Character biography page
The contents herein are entirely player made and in no way represent official Birthright history or occurrences which are accurate. The characters and events listed are of an independent nature and applied for roleplaying, fictional, speculative, or opinions from a limited playerbase only.
 
Count StrahdCount Strahd

Bloodline: Azrai, great, 50
Blood Abilities: Bloodform (Great), Charm Aura (major), Invulnerability, Shadow Form
Special Attacks: Energy drain (2 levels); Charm Aura acts as a vampire?s charm gaze attack (-3 penalty to save); Bloodtheft bite: when Strahd uses his Energy Drain on a blooded scion or regent his energy drain acts like a bloodtheft attack (see page 103 of Blood Enemies for rules); shadow form as a wolf or bat; summon rats, bats, or wolves; spider climb; close or open any door in the castle at will.
Special Defenses: Hit only by +2 or better weapons; half damage from electricity or cold; gaseous form; immune to sleep, charm, hold, and mind-affecting spells; regenerate 3/hp per round; immune to garlic & mirrors; can withstand 10 rounds of sunlight; contingency spell: teleports if exposed to dangerous sunlight.
Special Weaknesses: Holy symbols, if presented with conviction and faith; more than 10 rounds of sunlight (1 round from Sergei?s Sunsword); 1d6+1 points from holy water; 14 points of damage per/round in running water.
Equipment: Bloodstone amulet, which is an amulet of proof against detection and location; cloak of protection +2; and a ring of fire resistance (on his left hand). He has a crystal ball in his treasury.
Realm Spells: Alchemy, Death Plague, Demagogue, Legion of Dead

?I am the Ancient, I am the Land. My name is Count Strahd von Zarovich, and I rule all of Barovia from my castle, Castle Ravenloft. I should begin at the beginning. After the battle at Mount Deismaar, my clan left Ust Atka and came to this place, the Vicissitude Mountains. My clan had a really minor Azrai bloodline that never really manifested any awnsheghlien rulers, except for me. My clan, Zarovich, is a Vos Clan that took the Vicissitudes for their own.
?Also soon after the battle of Mount Deismaar, Roele was creating his Anuirean Empire. With the invasion of Barovia, we could not fight his armies and my family accepted his appeal for clemency. With that, my family retained regency over the counties of Barovia, Landsborough, and Nuremberg Valley. My ancestors became known as Barons; the Barons of Barovia.
?So, through the generations, my family ruled Barovia and the realm enjoyed peace and prosperity with the occasional earthquake or rarer still, the volcanic eruption. It was then that the Vos and the Brechts and Anuireans that we ruled over began to interbreed. And also through the centuries, most of the Vos features were nearly breeded out as you can see from my appearance. The Barovian Vos retained the dark hair of my Vos ancestors, but we gained the Anuirean height and slimness; exchanged the Vos eyes for Brecht eyes, and gained our own sculpted facial features. My family is still Vos, and we still had the bloodline --- but we only resembled my Vos Ancestors in our hair.
?By my time, we resembled more like Anuireans with jet black hair. And in my time, Michael Roele ruled the Empire. By his time, the Brechts absorbed their Anuirean rulers and gained their independence through culture and breeding. Barovia, ruled by my father Baron Barov and my mother, the Baroness Ravenovia. Of the three sons that my mother had, I am the eldest. And I am also the greatest knight in the land. As Roele?s empire disintegrated, I fought to defend Barovia from her enemies.
?I became a powerful warrior, I was good and just. My father?s own right hand man and lieutenant. I was the leader of his knights, and we thundered across the land like Haelyn himself during the Battle of Mount Deismaar. My father was proud of my accomplishments and awarded me the county of Barovia. But the years of war wore down my soul as the wind wears down a stone to sand.
?Over time, my father realized the change in me and began to favor my younger brother over me, my brother Sergei. He was handsome and youthful, both of these qualities for which I hated him for. My hate grew even worse when my father named Sergei to be his eventual successor for the barony.
?And there was one other that came between us. From the families of the valley, one spirit had shone above all others. A rare beauty, whom I called perfection, joy, and treasure. A blessed daughter of Haelyn called Tatyana, and I longed for her to be mine.
?I truly loved her with all of my heart, and all of my might. I loved her for her youth and beauty. But she spurned me! ?Old One? was my name to her, she called me ?elder brother.? Her heart, however, went to Sergei. On the day they her betrothed, my father completed the right of Investiture, and invested my brother Sergei with the regency of the Barony. And the date was set. I was aghast.
?Tatyana called me brother with her words, but I could see it in her eyes -- death. She called me death. Curse my agéd body, it was the agéd she saw in me. She loved her youth, and enjoyed it. I foolishly squandered mine.
?When my father and mother died, I came to hate death. I came to hate my own eventual death with a passion beyond passion. I was determined not to be called ?death? so soon. So I made a pact with death, a pact of blood. On the day of the wedding; I killed my brother Sergei with a dagger made of tighmaevril. My brother?s regency, my regency, filled my body and my soul with the power of Azrai. I didn?t know it then, but thunder rolled across the land, heralding my usurpation of my own bloodline. But I knew that my pact was sealed with his blood.
?I found Tatyana weeping in the garden east of the Chapel of Haelyn. She fled from me. She would not let me explain the sacrifice I made for her. The pact I made to have her be mine. I became angry, because she had to understand! I pursued her. She ran and flung herself from the highest tower of my castle and I watched everything I wanted fall from my grasp forever. It was a thousand feet through the storm filled sky. No trace of her was ever found.
?With a heavy heart, I assumed the Regency over the land. As time went by, I found that I could not die, but neither did I live. I became a creature of the Shadow World, an undead forever.
?I studied and learned that I had become the one thing my people feared the most. ?Vampyr,? ?Nosferatu,? the ?Undead?; or as the people around Cerilia calls me, ?Vampire.? I still long and lust for life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even Lana is against me, for it is the Sun and it?s intense light I fear the most. But little else can harm me now.
?As Count of Barovia, however, I found that no house in my domain is barred entry by me. Except for the cursed Chapel of Haelyn! As if Haelyn himself barred my entry into his holy place. In my anger, I renounced Haelyn and the other gods; especially Lana. I outlawed them all and invited their more warlike brother and sister ? Alenecht and Kriestal ? as gods worthy of my people?s worship. Now, as the Ancient and the Land, I protect my people from their enemies.?



Barovia (a.k.a. The Vampire's Hold)

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Capital
Barovia (a.k.a. Bloodshroud)

Government
Autocracy

Imports
Wine, Silk, Cotton
Exports
Timber, quarried stone
GB Income
GB (Province GB; Law GB)
RP Income
RP (Province RP; Law RP)
GB Expenses
GB (Army GB; Fortifications GB; Court GB)
Treasury
16 GB
Acc. Regency
16/40 RP
Armies




The changes made to the Vampire's Hold as detailed in Havens of the Great Bay and Blood Enemies are as follows:
Alignment: Neutral Evil.
Status: Not Available for PC Use.
Provinces/Holdings: Barovia's provinces are divided into three. The realm was Brecht ruled under the Vos clan of Zarovich until it came under power of Count Strahd through a terrible dark romantic tragedy.

[top]Introduction


Barovia is a land that has been under a constant gloom since Count Strahd usurped the throne. The Land, linked to it's brooding regent, has become a place where cold air from the Great Bay mixes with the warm air from the Gulf of Coeranys. The clash between cold and warm air, plus the Vicissitudes, brings frequent thunderstorms during the summer; and wet snowstorms during the winter. The climate is more moderate in the Spring and Fall.
Although Snow does not fall until the ninth month of the Michaeline calendar. However, Barovia experiences many temperature inversions during latter fall and early winter; meaning that the land is shrouded in fog for much of the time.
The fog and gloomy storms linger on because of Barovia's regent. The Count's sorrow, envy, and hatred is reflected in the earthquake, volcanic eruption, and general depressing mood of his subjects. At night, the valley foor experiences mists that is only six inches high. The mists appear in graveyards and around church yards.

[top]Lieutenants


[top]Provinces


[top]The Vicissitudes

The Vicissitudes mountains are a mountain range famous for earthquakes and the occasional volcanic eruption. The Vicissitudes, because they are geologically unstable, are rich in mineral wealth and fertility. however, the mountain valley is actually a caldera of an earilier eruption that happened before men came to Cerilia. The region is rich with hot springs, cold springs, and geysers.
Before Barovia came under the dominion of Count Strahd von Zarovich, the place was famous as a place for healing and bathing. Magician doctors who practice arcane healing would prescribe soaking in hot springs for a variety of ailments. Although there are hot springs scattered across Cerilia (and some are sources of magic), the Vicissitude hot springs were often the more popular of them all. After the Count took Barovia as his own, travels to the hot springs for a healing bath has all but been reduced to a trickle.
Now, Strahd has claimed many of the hot springs as sources of magic. He doesn't allow much development of the hot springs; just as he keeps mining and logging down to a minimum. A few of the hot springs have been allowed to be developed into places of recreation and healing.
The Vicissitudes' mineral wealth includes gold, silver, iron, copper, and diamonds. The Vicissitudes also yield up a mineral known as uxoricore. The uxoricore mineral has all the properities of white phosphorus[1].

[top]Barovia (4/5)

Barovia is a town that seems to be under a perpetual shroud. Lana, the sun, does not usually break through the gloomy overcast skies. However, Barovia is constantly being remodeled. It is a small, beautiful town that is nestled on the eastern side of the Vicissitudes. The mountain that dominates it's landscape is a volcano that has been conquered by Life. Castle Ravenloft is perched on top of a high bluff.
Barovia is peopled by Vos, Anuireans, Brechts, and a people known as the Vistani. A gypsy-like people who are the descendants of Brecht, Masetian, and Vos mixed marriages. The Vistani maintain many Masetian traditions mixed with those of the Vos. They are also persecuted for their strange ways. Over the centuries, intermarrages among the four groups have produced a people who are more Brecht than Vos or Anuirean.
Barovia is governed by Strahd, but the town is governed by the Burgomeister Kolyan Indrirovich. Strahd's laws require a permit for intercity travel. Barovia county, however, has a fair amount of agriculture. The region is known for sheep herding and cattle ranching. Often, the cattleherds and shepherds compete for the best ranch land. Fights have broken out and Count Strahd has been forced to mediate more than a few times. Strahd's draconian laws have resulted in the imprisonment and torture of known maleficants. Some become sources of food for his vampiric wives.
The county also includes jungfräulichsee, a mythical lake where swanmays may be found. Thermalheilquelle, a small resort village west of Barovia famous for it's healing springs. And the Nachahmungwald or Shadow Forest. The Nachamungwald is rumored to have places where portals to the Shadow World occassionally open during winter.

[top]Landsborough

[top]Ruapacht

[top]Important NPCs


  • General Karl Hassan of Barovia.
  • General Heinricht VonStaffel of Landsborough.
  • General Josef Bellshauft of Ruapacht.
  • Gustaf Kremler (MAw; Clr9, Azrai, minor, 9; CE) controls the Black Church of Alenacht. He frequently makes trips through each of the provinces with the generals. He has been forcing the people to convert to Alenacht by the sword or by intimidation tactics. He has also recruited many of the farmers and peasants in the building of his grand cathedral to the God of Terror. Strahd's Laws, however, force him to pay his workers.


Gustaf Kremler is an ugly cuss who is slowly turning into an awnshegh. His skin is taking on a sickly green cast and has contracted boils on his right hand, forearm, and left jaw. Three of the boils have busted and are weaping puss.

[top]Description



Domain Table: Count Strahd von Zarovich
ProvinceLawTempleGuildSource
Barovia (4/5)SZ (4)Al (2)SZ (3)SZ (5)
Kr (2)
Landsborough (3/6)SZ (3)Al (2)SZ (1)SZ (6)
Ruapacht (3/6)SZ (3)Kr (1)SZ (1)SZ (6)
Abbreviations: SZ=Strahd von Zarovich (the Vampire); AL=Black Church of Alenecht (Gustaf Kremler); Kr=Temple of the White Hand of Kriestal (Karayana Darnov).

  • Law: Strahd von Zarovich (MAw; Nec16; Azrai, great, 50; LE), the count and the Vampire, controls the Law in Barovia. He also has two generals that help govern Landsborough and Ruapacht for him. Strahd rules with an Iron Fist.
  • Temples: Two cults unique in Brechtur have sprung up in Barovia. The Black Church of Alenecht is one of the few temples dedicated to Belinik in the region; while the Temple of the White Hand is it's sister church dedicated to Kriesha.
  • Guilds: Strahd controls the trade he permits in his realm. The few trade routes from neighboring kingdoms that lead into his realm are taxed moderately.
  • Sources: Strahd is an accomplished necromancer, and he controls all the Sources in his realm. He protects his source holdings with jealous fervor and won't hesitate to use the Realm Magic he knows.
  • Regent: Count Strahd von Zarovich, also the Vampire, rules his realm directly as an Autocrat. No doubt exists in the minds of the Barovians that Strahd's latent Azrai blood was awakened through a powerful ritual. Strahd is a true Vampire, able to drink the blood of his victims. He has increased his bloodline strength by draining his blooded victims. The Count rules from Castle Ravenloft.
  • Allies: Surprisingly enough, Strahd has courted a few allies. Unlike the original Vampire, Britter Kalt, Strahd isn't mad with psychopathic insanity. He is an amicable, if dangerous, regent to deal with. Muden, Treucht, and the Banshegh can count on the Count.
  • Enemies: Kiergard worries about an attack from Barovia. So far, Strahd has stayed his hand, but Strahd considers the Gorgon to be an enemy. Strahd sees Keirgard as a land of weakness -- virtually unprotected. Sometime, somewhen, the Vampire will attack Kiergard to test the Gorgon's strength. Most probably at the worst possible time for both Kiergard and the Gorgon.


 
This article is Fan Fiction
The contents herein are entirely player made and in no way represent official Birthright lore or history.
The characters and events listed are of an independent nature and are applied for roleplaying purposes only.
 

©1986, 2007 Wizards of the Coast. All Rights Reserved.

[top]Internal Links

Created by , 07-12-2007 at 05:34 PM
Last edited by , 10-23-2011 at 12:04 PM
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