Strahd Von Zarovich

"Whats a paladin? Strahd knows."

- Noah the Spoony One Antwiler in Counter Monkey

Strahd Von Zarovich is the most prominent character of the Dungeons and Dragons horror themed setting Ravenloft. He's also the final boss of the DOS videogame Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession.

He's Vampire Highlord of Borovia. After becoming a vampire with the help of the Dark Powers, Strahd murdered his younger brother Sergei in order to claim his bride Tatyana Federovna. Tatyana rejected Strahd and commited suicide. This act made Strahd the first Darklord of Ravenloft and he's cursed to pursuit and lose the various reincarnations of Tatyana.

Strahd spent the first few decades of his adult life in his war with the Tergs that had invaded and occupied Barovia. In perhaps the most critical moment in his war against the foreign invaders, Strahd called the fiend Inajirain the hope of securing victory at the cost of his soul. Strahd largely managed to escape the arcanaloth's foul contract with the contract he made with Death that gave him eternal life, or unlife as the case may be. However, Strahd merely traded one form of damnation for another, as this horrible pact ultimately led to Strahd becoming an all but immortal darklord.

Trivia

 * Strahd can essentially be considered D&D's version of Dracula.


 * A partially edited image of Strahd appears in the USA and Japanese covers of Castelvania II: Simon's Quest.