History of Barovia - Curse of Strahd: Reloaded

*All dates are given in the Barovian calendar, in which "B.U." stands for "Before Unification", and "B.C." stands for "Barovian Calendar." The year 1 B.C. is marked by the founding of the first Kingdom of Zarovia by King Barov von Zarovich I.* # The Ancient Era (3,000 BU–0 BC) ## Origins of the Valley Nearly four millennia ago, the land of Barovia was a peaceful valley inhabited by the First Folk: a nomadic society of hunter-gatherers. When they arrived in the valley—which they called "Cerunnos," meaning "fertile land"—the First Folk brought with them the worship of a quartet of minor fey goddesses that they called the *Rozana*—the Ladies. Each of the four sister goddesses oversaw a particular season: * The Weaver, the goddess of spring and the eldest sister, governed birth, family, and the growth of new life. Her sigil was the spider. * The Huntress, the goddess of summer, governed hunting, war, and the flames of young passion. Her sigil was the wolf. * The Seeker, the goddess of autumn, governed foresight, harvest, and the wisdom of age. Her sigil was the raven. * The Dreamer, the goddess of winter and the youngest sister, governed rest, hope, and the chill of the grave. Her sigil was the butterfly. For as long as they ruled the land, the Ladies acted as its sovereigns, making their will known through auguries and omens. Through intermediaries, they wielded powerful magic, but one different from that of mages. They drew power from water, air, and earth, and were bound to the ancient valley in which they dwelled. It was said that the Ladies could hear everything that happened in their woods, predict the future, twist the threads of human lives and bring blessings as well as curses. Two of the Ladies bestowed upon their most faithful worshippers the gifts of lycanthropy: flocks of wereravens served the Seeker’s will, while packs of Good-aligned werewolves called wolfir raced through the woods to join the Huntress’s Wild Hunt. Meanwhile, the Weaver fashioned three gemstones the size and shape of pinecones, imbued them with the raw energies of life, and delivered them to her priests with a promise that the bounties of the woods would always feed them and their children. Together, the Weaver, the Huntress, and the Seeker became known as the Ladies Three. To honor them, the First Folk built three sacred fanes at places of natural power—the Swamp Fane, the Forest Fane, and the Mountain Fane. These fanes served as conduits for the goddess' power, allowing them to walk among their worshippers and anchor themselves to the land they loved. The First Folk, however, built no shrine to the Dreamer, too fearful of her grim portfolio to invite her into their tents and prayers. Embittered and enraged, the Dreamer fell into jealousy and envy—and the whispers of Mother Night, the greater goddess of darkness, lured her into corruption. The Dreamer forsook her place among her sisters and became the Devourer—a shadowed, twisted creature whose hunger knew no bounds. Her icy claws reached out for the spirits of the First Folk, turning dreams into endless nightmares as she claimed their very souls. To defend their people, the other three goddesses rose up against the Devourer and struck her down. Her corpse became the Whispering Wall: a shroud of mist that towered into the skies by Yester Hill. Her divine spark, severed from her body, laid amidst the snowy slopes of Mount Ghakis nearby. Her sisters mourned her—but, slowly, knowledge of the Dreamer and her fate departed from living memory, and was lost to the ages. ## The Amber Temple Though the First Folk were the first to claim the valley, they were far from the last. Two thousand years after the First Folk passed through the Balinok Mountains, a secret society of wizards worshipping a nameless god of secrets came into the valley, drawn there by the remnants of the Devourer's power. They sealed her divine spark in a block of amber and founded the Amber Temple near the peak of Mount Ghakis, as described in Chapter 13: The Amber Temple (p. 181), to contain her vestige and those of other dead, hateful gods, which they imprisoned in amber sarcophagi in the temple’s deepest vaults. When the forces of evil sought to claim the vestiges’ power for their own, the wizards resolved to guard the Temple themselves, and built a road from the Temple through the mountains to import supplies. To protect it, they constructed the defenses described in T1. Gatehouse Portcullis, T2. Demon Statues, and T3. Curtain of Green Flame (p. 157) along the winding Tsolenka Pass. However, these defenses could not stop the wizards themselves from falling to the vestiges’ corruption. Within three generations, nearly all of the wizards were dead as described in Chapter 13: The Amber Temple (p. 181). The lone survivor—an archmage named Neferon—was transfigured to an immortal, monstrous form and settled in to guard his “hoard.” ## Fall of the First Folk The seven tribes of the First Folk kept largely apart from one another until, one day, a young, impulsive warrior named Kavan entered the Whispering Wall, eager to set foot within its forbidden mists. In the fog, Kavan saw greatness—*his* greatness—and emerged with a deep and terrible ambition. Kavan became warlord of his tribe, and led his people down the slopes of the Balinok Mountains, waging a bloody war to unite the First Folk under a single banner. With the Devourer whispering in his ear through the mist of the Whispering Wall, he stole the Huntress's sacred spear from the Forest Fane and bathed it in a pool of blood to bend its power to his will. With the blessing of Mother Night, Kavan's spear drank the blood from his enemies and fed their strength to its wielder; for this, Kavan was called Blood-Drinker, and his spear *Bloodthorn*. Kavan’s conquest united the tribes, but broke their sacred peace. The Ladies’ words grew mournful and quiet on the wind, even as their priests—the druids who enacted their sacred rituals—found themselves subject to the whims and scorn of Kavan’s warrior caste. The wolfir fled into the woods, and the wereravens to the mountains. Fearful of the corruption that Kavan might wreak upon them, the Weaver’s eldest druids bestowed her life-giving gems to the wereravens for safekeeping, ensuring that the secrets of their power would die with them. Kavan ruled the First Folk with an iron fist, but he lived long enough to see his empire crumble. In Kavan's waning years, as his children squabbled and fought to claim his throne, a new power descended upon the valley: King Dostron, a cruel and ambitious monarch described further in Crypt 34: King Dostron the Hellborn (p. 92), sought to claim Barovia’s splendor for his own nearby kingdom. He invaded the valley, massacred its inhabitants, and desecrated their holy places with wanton abandon. Dostron's invasion shattered the Ladies' power, driving their surviving followers back into the slopes of the Balinok Mountains. To cement his claim to the valley, Dostron bade his troops to build an enormous stone fortress atop a mountain to the east and settled there to taste the land’s many riches. However, King Dostron’s hand reached too far, leaving his kingdom rocked by calamity and war. When he died, thirty years after he had first invaded the valley, his generals buried him in the crypts beneath his fortress and left it behind to fall into ruin. Even so, the damage to the First Folk had been done. Never again would they reach their former glory; never again would their priests work the Ladies’ greatest miracles. Though the land was still beloved of the *Rozana*, a crack had been left in its heart—a crack that, centuries later, Strahd von Zarovich would exploit. Meanwhile, near the peak of Mount Ghakis, the evil archmage Exethanter breached the wards of the Amber Temple, as described in Chapter 13: The Amber Temple (p. 181). After becoming a lich, Exethanter seized control of the temple from Neferon, transforming the long-dead wizards into **flameskulls** under his command and settling in to welcome fellow seekers to the corridors of power. # The Founding Era (1 BC–345 BC) ## The Von Zarovich Line More than four centuries after King Dostron's death, King Barov von Zarovich I became the first monarch of his House, unifying several separate city states to found the nation of Zarovia. The young kingdom thrived for two hundred years, until civil strife and foreign invaders caused it to fracture and drove House von Zarovich into exile. However, the dream of Zarovia never left King Barov’s descendants. One hundred years after their exile, Barov von Zarovich II, the heir to the family name, took up arms to reclaim his namesake’s legacy. Wielding his cunning and wealth, Barov II built an army of soldiers legions strong and began to carve out a territory that he could be proud to call his kingdom. Barov’s crusade was buoyed when Saint Andral—a spiritual leader among the Church of the Morninglord, despairing at the chaos and poverty that had embroiled the kingdom since its fall—granted him the crown of old Zarovia. With Barov’s aid, Saint Andral became the Most High Priest of the Morninglord’s church; with Andral’s aid, Barov’s expansion became a holy war. The kingdom of the dusk elves—a former province of Zarovia—declined to pay fealty to King Barov, who declared war. Within a year, Barov’s forces—aided by Rahadin, the exiled dusk elf son of Prince Erevan Löwenhart, described further in Rahadin (p. 237)—had conquered the dusk elves, obliterating the elven royal line and subjugating those that remained. With the aid of Ciril Romulich, King Barov took the hilt of Prince Löwenhart's shattered *moonblade* and used it to forge the *Brightblade*: a crystal blade of radiant light. To further empower the sword, the witch Baba Lysaga—King Barov's advisor on matters of magic—sealed Prince Löwenhart's spirit within the blade. Not long thereafter, however, Baba Lysaga was banished for her unhealthy attachment to the king's newborn son, Strahd, as described in Baba Lysaga (p. 228). Seven years later, the young Strahd, joined his father’s army as a squire. While at war, Barov also sired a bastard daughter, Katarina, by a Vistani woman. (See Madam Eva (p. 233).) A decade after the fall of the dusk elves, Strahd—now a soldier and captain under King Barov’s command—was wounded in battle and rescued by the Vistani, as described in The Dancing Fire (p. 20). Within four years of his safe return, Strahd became a general in King Barov’s army, leading the vanguard of the conquering force. As he waged war upon his family’s enemies, Strahd saw neither leaf nor stone of his family’s homeland, more often sleeping in tents on soggy, bloodstained earth than in royal sheets and linens. Within five years of Strahd’s dispatch to the front lines—by the time Strahd himself was twenty-six years old—his mother, Queen Ravenovia, bore Barov a second son: Sergei. ## Arrival of the Outsiders Less than a decade after Sergei’s birth, a world away in the valley of the First Folk, Saint Markovia, a priest of the Morninglord, began the construction of an abbey on a spur of Mount Baratok. Markovia, a fierce opponent of Saint Andral’s support for Barov’s claim, sought to create a sanctuary of reflection and peace far away from the killing fields. Priests and refugees alike heeded her call, and within two years, the Abbey of Saint Markovia was complete. To sanctify it, Markovia blessed a sacred pool at the base of the mountain below, as described in S4. Pool and Shrine (p. 146). A trading post was established nearby—which, over time, grew into a small and humble hamlet. Within three years of the Abbey’s founding, a renewed interest in the region’s history drew Argynvost, a silver dragon, to uncover the lost secrets of the Amber Temple, as described in Ch. 7: Argynvostholt (p. 129). Given the unrest and bloodshed that dominated the lands nearby, Argynvost feared that evildoers might seek out the Temple and unleash the darkness that slumbered within. The dragon moved quickly to develop plans for the Order of the Silver Dragon: an order of valiant knights that would do battle to defend the innocent. Their true, hidden purpose, however, would be to guard the Temple from evil and ensure that its prisoners remained secured. After relocating to the valley, Argynvost began the construction of the manor of Argynvostholt, his new lair and the headquarters for the Order of the Silver Dragon. He dedicated its chapel to the Morninglord, and—as a shrewd political gesture—its upstairs gallery to both Saint Andral *and* Saint Markovia, who by now had become the two competing spiritual leaders of the Morninglord’s faith. With the mansion complete, Argynvost put out the call for knights to join his order—and, as described in Chapter 7: Argynvostholt (p. 129) and Q40. Argynvost's Study (p. 140), they came. Many were dispatched to the front lines of nearby conflicts to wage war against evil—including, in some places, the armies of King Barov von Zarovich II, who had begun to test the borders of long-peaceful nations with an ambitious and obvious hunger. With the Abbey and manor drawing new settlers to the valley, the descendants of the wereravens that had once fled Kavan’s tyranny now saw an opportunity to thrive. Using the last of the secrets passed down from their ancestors, they reshaped the Weaver’s lifegiving gemstones to grow strong, hearty grapes in the woodlands’ rich soil. They built a winery along the western edge of the valley, and—hoping to conceal the true source of their produce—named it the “Wizard of Wines,” spreading a rumor that a powerful mage had founded the business. The winery soon forged strong relationships with Argynvost and Markovia, and a profitable trade began. Deliveries to the Abbey were stored in S16. Wine Cellar (p. 152), while deliveries to Argynvostholt were kept in Q11. Wine Storage (p. 133). News of the Wizard of Wines drew new immigrants to the valley, bolstering the Order’s forces and further growing the hamlet at the base of the abbey. With the winery completed, however, Argynvost foresaw that an economic boom in the valley might bring about the very fears he had founded the Order of the Silver Dragon to prevent. To fortify the existing gatehouse at Tsolenka Pass, he directed his knights to construct a white stone tower overlooking the road, securing it from any who might seek to embark toward the Temple on foot. Throughout this process, the First Folk watched cautiously, fearful of the newcomers’ sudden and aggressive expansion—but far more fearful that provocation could spur a reprisal to rival King Dostron’s greatest cruelties. And so, they remained amidst the woodlands and mountain slopes, silently observing the newcomers’ activities. # The Era of Blood (346 BC–351 BC) ## Birth of Barovia King Barov did not live to see the fruits of his labors. When he passed into death, Strahd inherited his lands and enemies and vowed to finish what his father had started. Though he had been Barov’s heir, Strahd did not name himself king; instead, he deferred the ancient crown of Zarovia, keeping it in a chest carried by his attendants. A kingdom was not enough—Strahd dreamed of forging an empire. Strahd refused, too, his father’s *Brightblade*, gifting it to Sergei—now a priest in the Morninglord’s church—on the grounds that his legacy was his own to win. His own blade had sufficed for the countless battles before; it would suffice for the wars to come. War came first from the long-subjugated dusk elves, who—hoping to take advantage of the change in leadership—staged a rebellion against the governor that Strahd had set over their homeland. Emboldened by the elves’ courage, other nations entered the fray, staging troops near the kingdom’s borders and issuing embargoes and high tariffs on goods transported from its markets and ports. Where his generals saw threats, however, Strahd saw opportunities. Such newfound hostilities provided him with the perfect justification to sow the seeds of his future empire. He began by mercilessly crushing the dusk elves’ rebellion, as described in Kasimir Velikov (p. 232), and proceeded to declare war on every nation that had ever insulted or opposed him. The dusk elves were left to the care of the Vistani, who spirited them away to the valley in which Strahd’s enemies—the Order of the Silver Dragon and the Abbey of Saint Markovia—offered sanctuary and peace. By now, Strahd’s forces were legion, their soldiers a ruthless fighting force that embodied his conquering ambition. Though technically outnumbered, Strahd’s cunning and military prowess allowed him to cut through any opposing force with ease—and, one by one, the dominoes fell. Within six months of Strahd's ascension, his armies had waged a bloody military campaign that had reunited, and then *surpassed* the ancient borders of Old Zarovia—and yet Strahd’s hunger was unabated. With few others left, the Order of the Silver Dragon stepped forward to lead and coordinate the defensive alliance, winning several crucial battles that temporarily stopped Strahd’s advance in its tracks. (See Chapter 7: Argynvostholt (p. 129).) Vladimir Horngaard, a young captain among the Order, proved instrumental in directing the war effort; for his courage and skill, Argynvost made him a field commander, as described in Vladimir Horngaard (p. 241). By the first frost of winter, however, Vladimir believed that Strahd’s advance could no longer be stopped. He issued the order to retreat, escorting hundreds of refugees to Argynvostholt in the hopes that winter and the natural protection of the Balinok Mountains would keep them safe. But Vladimir’s hopes proved in vain. Before the end of winter, Strahd’s forces tracked the Order to the valley—now the last bastion of resistance against his dreams of empire. When Strahd’s reinforcements arrived, they breached the valley’s natural defenses, and did battle with the Order’s knights—and the silver dragon Argynvost himself—on the marshy field beneath the fortress of Argynvostholt. In what would later be called the Battle of the Luna River, Commander Vladimir Horngaard, Vladimir's husband Sir Godfrey Gwilym, and nearly all of the knights of the Order were slaughtered. Despairing and enraged, Argynvost retreated to his lair: the manor of Argynvostholt itself. Strahd’s forces pursued him within, the resulting battle destroying the mansion’s western wing (described in Q4. Spiders' Ballroom (p. 132), Q32. Ruined Bedchambers (p. 138), and Q48. Roof's Edge (p. 141)) and bursting a hole in its roof (described in Q43. Hole in Roof (p. 140) and Q33. Collapsed Ceiling (p. 138).). When silence finally fell, the dragon’s corpse lay unmoving upon the floor. Strahd’s soldiers looted the manor, as described in Q23. Storage Room (p. 135), Q37. Knights of the Order (p. 139), Q39. Vladimir's Bedroom (p. 140), Q40. Argynvost's Study (p. 140), and Q41. Dragon's Vault (p. 140). Strahd then had Argynvost's corpse hacked to pieces and stripped to the bone, intending to keep the dragon's skull as a trophy. When the dust of Strahd’s final battle had settled, he was finally left with no more foes to destroy—and no more lands to conquer. His advisors urged him to return to his homeland to govern, but Strahd had better ideas. He was envious of his mother’s attention to Sergei, eager to escape the shadow of his father’s legacy, and struck by the beauty of the valley he’d conquered. He named the valley “Barovia”—not after his father, but after King Barov I, the great patriarch of the Von Zarovich line—and decided to settle there. ## Rise of Castle Ravenloft Not all the denizens of the valley were grateful to see Strahd’s arrival. Saint Markovia, embittered by the death of her friend, Argynvost, visited Strahd’s court to condemn him as a mad tyrant. Magnanimous in victory, Strahd allowed her to depart in peace, amused by the futility of her convictions. Meanwhile, after a lifetime spent at war, Strahd began to turn to the question of peace. As noted in Barovians (p. 24), Strahd repopulated the valley with human subjects drawn from his other conquered lands. The nobleman Boris Vallakovich, described further in Chapter 5: The Town of Vallaki (p. 95) and N8. Town Square (p. 119), founded the town of Vallaki in the heart of the valley, while the noblewoman Vasha Krezkova settled within the hamlet at the foot of the Abbey of Saint Markovia, naming it “Krezk.” For her family’s loyalty, Strahd bequeathed to the Krezkovs the Wizard of Wines winery, its former owners having fled amidst the tides of war. He awarded parcels of land to the noble House of Wachter, described in N4q. Storage Room (p. 114), who settled in the growing town of Vallaki. Meanwhile, Elisabeth and Gustav Durst, the heirs to a wealthy merchant family, funded a grain mill near Vallaki—Chapter 6: Old Bonegrinder (p. 125)—atop a promontory overlooking the valley. The Dursts themselves settled in the newborn village of Barovia, a settlement that had spawned among Strahd’s military encampment to the east. Saint Andral, now the Most High Priest of the Morninglord’s church, passed away at the ripe age of eighty-two. A church was built in Vallaki and named St. Andral’s Church in his honor, his bones interred in a crypt beneath the altar. Meanwhile, an old witch named Baba Lysaga—Strahd’s former nursemaid, as described in Baba Lysaga (p. 228)—followed Strahd’s forces to the valley, settling in a small, ramshackle hut amidst the Svalich Woods. The dusk elves—the same refugees who had fled the aftermath of Strahd’s rebellion not long before—found themselves trapped in the heart of their conqueror’s new empire. After a lengthy debate led by their leader, Kasimir Velikov, the elves reluctantly agreed to remain in the new homes they had built in the valley, hoping that the sanctuary of the Vistani would keep them safe from further reprisal. Kasimir’s sister Patrina Velikovna, however, an archmage of considerable power, felt stirred to further action. With the Order of the Silver Dragon fallen, she investigated the secrets it had left behind—and so discovered the secret of the Amber Temple. There, she completed her studies of the black arts, and began to hatch a dark and ambitious plan. With the repopulation of the valley well underway, Strahd now turned to his own home. He summoned artisans, wizards, and workers loyal to him, described in Chapter 4: Castle Ravenloft (p. 49) and The Vampire's History (p. 9), and set them the task of constructing a castle worthy of his family’s legacy. He chose to place it atop the ruins of an ancient stone keep—the very same fortress built by King Dostron centuries before—and named it Castle Ravenloft, for his mother Queen Ravenovia. However, Strahd did not suffer peace well. Restless, and feeling like his best years were behind him, he experimented with an assortment of eccentric hobbies and arts before finally turning to the study of magic. Mages flocked to his court for the chance to serve as his arcane tutor—and, seeing opportunity, Patrina did the same. Near-ageless and fair, the elven Patrina knew well of humanity’s fear of death. Where others saw a powerful conqueror, Patrina saw a man of middling age fast-approaching his twilight years. She whispered in his ear the name of the Amber Temple—and the secret of immortality it concealed—and Strahd eagerly listened. Upon Strahd’s arrival at the Amber Temple, the lich Exethanter welcomed him with open arms, as described Chapter 13: The Amber Temple (p. 181). Patrina led him to an amber sarcophagus deep in the temple, to the vestige that offered the dark gift of Tenebrous: the secret of lichdom. She spoke to him of the grand power he could wield—of the ageless aeons through which he could conquer. What she left unspoken, of course, was that the vestige’s dark gift could be wielded only by an archmage capable of the highest circles of magic—a level that, with his fledgling skill, Strahd could reach only with her aid and influence. Patrina was not surprised when Strahd insisted upon speaking with each of the three vestiges in the temple’s amber vault; he was a man of power, and men of power enjoyed the drugs of knowledge and control. She was astounded, however, when—after being offered the dark gifts of Tenebrous, of Zhudun, and the Vampyr—Strahd declined them all, refusing Patrina’s promise of immortality. Strahd returned to Castle Ravenloft, mortal and unchanged. Troubled, yet fascinated, Patrina followed after him. Strahd continued his studies of magic, learning at a far more rapid—and voracious—pace then any student Patrina had yet seen. Suspicious of his fellow dusk elf’s motives, however, Rahadin—now one of Strahd’s most trusted advisors—began to seek out women who could distract him from Patrina. Meanwhile, the construction of Castle Ravenloft continued unabated. As a token of his favor, Strahd led one of the mages—a brilliant architect named Artimus—to the Amber Temple itself, showing him the secrets of setting magic deep into quarried stone. There, Artimus finalized the design of the castle itself, as described in X20. Architect's Room (p. 187). Just over a year after construction had begun, Castle Ravenloft was finished. Strahd appointed Rahadin as the chamberlain of the keep, as described in Rahadin (p. 236). He then summoned his mother, Queen Ravenovia, and his brother, Sergei—now a high priest in the Church of the Morninglord—to join him in Barovia. With their work complete, Strahd’s masons and mages departed the castle; the archmage Khazan, however, chose to settle in the valley, constructing a magical tower in Lake Baratok as described in Chapter 11: Van Richten's Tower (p. 167). Khazan met and married a Barovian woman, Isabella, who came to live with him in the tower. Afflicted with poor health—perhaps as a result of Baba Lysaga’s curse, as described in Baba Lysaga (p. 228)—Queen Ravenovia did not survive the journey to Barovia. Two months after she and Sergei had departed, he and her coffin arrived in the valley. It was in grief for their mother that Strahd met Sergei for the first time in each of their lives, and both oversaw the Queen’s burial in the newly-built crypts of Castle Ravenloft. Sergei, however, did not arrive alone. He was accompanied by Ciril Romulich, a high priest of the Church of the Morninglord (described in Crypt 30: Prefect Ciril Romulich (p. 91). Ciril provided Strahd with the *Icon of Ravenloft*, described in K15. Chapel (p. 57) and Icon of Ravenloft (p. 222), to consecrate the castle and its chapel. Ciril also delivered news that the priest Kir—the Most High Priest of the Morninglord’s church and Saint Andral’s successor—had crafted a strange holy relic called the *Sigil of the Sun* that he claimed was needed to prepare for the coming of a future enemy. Kir, however, had died in the process, leaving the position of Most High Priest vacant—a position that the council of high priests chose Sergei to fill. Sergei, already the bearer of King Barov’s *Brightblade*, was now also given the *Sigil of the Sun* as a symbol of his new station, and set about preparing to assume the role. ## Strahd Becomes the Land With Castle Ravenloft’s furnishings now largely complete, Strahd installed the *pièce de résistance*: the skull of Argynvost, mounted upon the wall of his great war-room as a trophy. (See K67. Hall of Bones (p. 78).) However, this final desecration enraged the spirit of Commander Vladimir Horngaard, who returned to life as a revenant to avenge the destruction of the Order of the Silver Dragon. His zeal was so great that it also brought back the spirits of his fellow fallen knights, as described in The Order of the Silver Dragon (p. 129). It was then, as the revenants of the Order ravaged Strahd’s perfect valley, that a circle of druidic elders among the First Folk saw an opportunity. The new denizens of Barovia had begun to expand their settlements into the wild places of the land, pushing the First Folk back toward the Balinok Mountains. As tensions mounted and a series of small skirmishes unfolded, the elders feared that a return of King Dostron’s genocide was imminent. Those elders secretly approached Strahd with an offer. He would provide the First Folk with his protection, defending their people and the integrity of their woodland home. In exchange, the elders would guide him to three hidden places of power within the valley—the sacred fanes of the Ladies Three—and teach him to command their might. Amused by their audacity and intrigued by the possibilities, Strahd tentatively accepted the druids’ offer. He allowed them to guide him to the Mountain Fane first—the closest to Castle Ravenloft—and proceeded to study it and its properties in exhaustive detail. The elders shared with him the secrets of its ancient rituals, the blessings that it granted the Lady’s champions, and the bonds it shared with the earth of the valley itself. With their aid, guided by the fell arcana that Patrina had taught him and a flash of his own genius, Strahd forged a profane ritual that would tie the Fane’s power to his own spirit. It was a clumsy attempt, admittedly—a bond that he would return to refine again and again in the centuries to come. But when the first drops of Strahd’s blood soaked into the Fane’s earth, he felt its power infuse his very soul. The land became a part of him—and he, a part of the land. Strahd repeated the process at the valley’s two other sacred places: the Swamp Fane, just east of the young town of Berez; and the Forest Fane, south of the Wizard of Wines winery. With each site he claimed, he felt his bond to the land grow stronger. The beasts, woodlands, and even the very skies of the valley seemed to sing to him—and he followed that song to crush Vladimir Horngaard and his undead knights wherever their spirits fled. ## Sergei and Tatyana By the time Strahd returned once more to Castle Ravenloft, his spirits buoyed by the new turn in the war against the revenants, he found Sergei to be in high spirits. Sergei had fallen in love with a young woman named Tatyana Federovna, described in The Vampire's History (p. 9), and visited her daily in the village of Barovia to pursue her affections. On a whim, Strahd followed his brother to the village—and was smitten utterly with her at once. Strahd lavished Tatyana, a woman more than thirty years his junior, with gifts and attention—but it was Sergei, of an age with Tatyana and still in his prime, who swiftly won her affections. Now, it was Tatyana who visited Sergei as often as he did her, escorted to Castle Ravenloft in a snow-white carriage with gold filigree. Each time she did, Strahd welcomed her with the fondness of a suitor—and each time he did, she accepted his warmth with the obeisance of a niece. Slowly, Strahd felt a darkness begin to clutch at his heart, finding his aging reflection more repulsive by the day. Only his pride, tinted with bitterness, stayed his hand from obstructing the young couple’s love. Tatyana was not the first visitor to walk Castle Ravenloft’s halls, nor the last. As Strahd fumed and longed for her love, he also hosted a number of dignified guests—including Duchess Dorfniya Dilisnya and her fool, Pidlwick, further described in Pidlwick II (p. 235). Determined to win Strahd’s hand in marriage, the Duchess nonetheless was blind to his infatuation with Tatyana, visiting the castle many times with gifts and stories. Eager to please him, she commissioned the legendary toymaker, Fritz von Weerg, to build a clockwork effigy of Pidlwick, as described in Pidlwick II (p. 235), and assigned Pidlwick to train it. Meanwhile, even as the war against the revenants continued, Strahd soon found his day-to-day agenda full with the management of his domestic affairs. Prince Ariel du Plumette, a distant relative from a branch house of the von Zarovich clan, plumetted to his death as described in Crypt 4: Prince Ariel du Plumette (p. 86). Sir Sedrik Spinwitovich, a general who had won his post through nepotism as much as skill, completed the construction of the Barovian navy within the landlocked Lake Zarovich, as described in Crypt 17: Sir Sedrik Spinwitovich (p. 89). Sir Klutz Tripalotsky, a loyal knight of Strahd's court, perished when he fell on his own sword, and was put to rest within the crypts. (See Crypt 33: Sir Klutz Tripalotsky (p. 91). More significantly, Sergei’s dalliances with Tatyana had begun to impede his priestly duties. Sensing an opportunity—and annoyed at his brother’s negligence—Strahd gave Sergei an ultimatum: end his relationship, or abdicate his position as Most High Priest. To Strahd’s shock and horror, Sergei chose the latter, forswearing his vows as a priest of the Morninglord. Within a fortnight, he and Tatyana were engaged to be married. Unfortunately for Strahd, a harsh winter soon trapped him in Castle Ravenloft with Sergei and Tatyana, condemning him to suffer endlessly their laughter, stolen kisses, and love-addled gazes. Duchess Dilisnya, a fellow prisoner of the snowdrifts, made her best efforts to bring warmth and good cheer, but ultimately succumbed to a bad bout of pneumonia and was buried beneath Castle Ravenloft. Not long after the snows lifted, Tatyana kindly asked Duchess Dilisnya’s fool, Pidlwick, to remain at Castle Ravenloft—but within a week, the mechanical fool, now named Pidlwick II, secretly murdered the original Pidlwick by pushing him down a flight of stairs. Not long after, it was shut away in a guest bedroom closet, as described in Pidlwick II (p. 235). By mid-spring, preparations had fully begun for the upcoming royal wedding. Sergei asked—and Strahd reluctantly granted—his elder brother’s blessing for the union to come. Even as the revenants’ battles burned on in the lands beyond, the world within the castle’s walls was abuzz with romance and excitement. Only Strahd, tormented by the sight of the happy couple together, felt his spirit sinking ever-deeper into shadow and mirk. ## Arrival of the Mists The morning of Sergei's wedding, Strahd gazed into his mirror and realized he had been a fool. Immortality—the secret of eternal youth—had been within his grasp only three years before. Had he been brave enough—strong enough—to accept it then, Tatyana could have been his. Had he done so mere days before now, she might still have been so. But the hour of the wedding was near, and the vault of the Amber Temple far away. It was then that a voice spoke to him: a woman’s voice on the surface, but a cacophony of maddened whispers below. *Time slips through your fingers like the sands in an hourglass,* it whispered. *Yet a chance yet remains to claim what is yours.* "Who are you?" Strahd demanded. *We are the eternal,* the Dark Powers replied. *The hidden. We are Death—and we may grant what you seek.* "What must I do?" Strahd asked. "How can immortality be mine?" *A shard of the tomb of the one you once spurned,* came the answer. *Take it, and be reborn.* A broken shard of amber appeared before him, glinting amidst the shadows. Strahd reached to take it—but hesitated. "What price must I pay for such a gift?" he asked. "What man can trust Death itself?" *What man can deny it?* the whispers replied. *The choice is yours.* Strahd closed his eyes—and grasped the shard. The whispers vanished, and in their place, he felt the familiar presence of the vestige of the Amber Temple. Once again, he felt the entity offer him the dark gift of the Vampyr—the immortality of undeath. And this time, Strahd accepted. In an instant, Strahd knew the two conditions he must fulfill to gain the immortality he desired, described in Amber Sarcophagi (p. 196). Where once the thoughts might have horrified him, he now accepted them gladly like old friends. Strahd came upon Sergei in his own royal chambers and slew him with a single blow. With blood on his hands and lips, Strahd found Tatyana in her dressing room and confessed his obsession with her; at long last, he told her, they could be together as they were always meant to be. Tatyana fled—and Strahd pursued. He chased her through the gardens of Castle Ravenloft, commanding and pleading with her to stop. At last, he cornered her at K6. Overlook (p. 54) and begged for her love. Horrified at the monster he had become, and desperate to escape, Tatyana stepped away from him—and felt the thousand-foot chasm beneath the mountain’s cliffs silently waiting behind her. In that moment, as Strahd stepped slowly forward, Tatyana heard a voice: a woman’s voice, too pleasant and kind for her to notice the cacophony of whispers that lay just below the surface. *I see your heart,* the voice said to her, *heavy and weeping with fear and despair.* Tatyana, trembling, whispered, "What can I do? I am trapped, and I cannot bear to be with him." The Dark Powers replied, *Escape is within your reach, dear one—within the reach of a single step.* "But the fall," Tatyana said, her voice shaking. "It would surely mean my end." *An end by stone, or an end by blood,* the voice said sweetly. *The choice is yours.* With a deep breath, Tatyana leapt—and Death claimed her. Strahd, enraged and despairing, ran to the edge—but her body had already vanished, swallowed up by the mists of the forest far below. It was there, upon the overlook, that the assassins found him—treacherous castle guards, as described in The Vampire's History (p. 9), led by Leo Dilisnya, the son of Duchess Dorfniya Dilisnya—and brought Strahd to his death. But Strahd did not die. His last breath sealed the pact he had made with Death and the vestige alike, and he was reborn as a vampire. In that moment, the Dark Powers took him as their own—and, by the bond that Strahd bore to the land, the land accompanied him. The sky above Barovia turned black, and the Dark Powers spirited the valley away: their first domain of the Mists. The treacherous guards, terrified of what Strahd had become, fled into Castle Ravenloft through K23. Servants' Entrance (p. 59), across K62. Servants' Hall (p. 76), and into K67. Hall of Bones (p. 78), Strahd's war-room, praying that his loyal guards would slay the beast that their master had become. Strahd pursued them there, slaughtering dozens of guards—both loyal and traitor alike. The survivors retreated and made their stand in K70. Kingsmen Hall (p. 79), while Leo Dilisnya and his most trusted conspirators fled into K71. Kingsmen Quarters (p. 79), ascended the stairs to K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59), and exited the secret entrance into K34. Servants' Upper Floor (p. 64) before escaping into the courtyards once again. By the time Strahd had finished his slaughter, Dilisnya was gone—fled across the drawbridge and lost in the mountains. Katarina, still serving as a maid in the castle, came upon Strahd amidst the slaughter—and, for reasons he did not fully understand, Strahd left her in peace. She fled from him, escaping the keep as screams echoed behind her, and never looked back. Finally, covered with blood, Strahd exited Castle Ravenloft and saw his parents’ faces in the thunderclouds, as described in The Vampire's History (p. 9). Along the borders of Barovia, the Dark Powers raised the Mists: impenetrable walls that imprisoned all who would cross them. # The Dark Era (352 BC–599 BC) ## Aftermath of the Wedding Katarina sought refuge with a Vistani encampment at Tser Pool, too fearful of Strahd to seek shelter elsewhere. There, she prayed for a means to free her half-brother from the fate that had befallen him and to liberate her people from the death he embodied—and a voice answered. That evening, Katarina forged a pact with the Seeker, the sole surviving spirit of the forsaken Ladies Three. She traded her youth for the power to undo Strahd's evil, transforming into Madam Eva: an ageless crone and avatar of the Seeker, endowed with magical foresight. Alone in a Vistani tent, Madam Eva delicately manipulated the threads of Fate, bracing herself for the burden of years to come. By nightfall, Strahd's heart was consumed by fury, hatred, and grief. He preserved Sergei’s corpse using the magic he had mastered, then set out to hunt down the treacherous guards. With eyes sharper than a hawk's, a nose stronger than a wolf's, and ears keener than a bat's, he pursued them through the darkened woods, extinguishing their lives one by one like candle flames. Each time he killed, he fed voraciously, draining their blood like a drunkard indulging in wine. As dawn approached, only Leo Dilisnya, the mastermind of the conspiracy, still eluded him. Bloated with blood, but his thoughts still in chaos, Strahd returned to the castle. He descended to the carnage he had unleashed in the cellars below, only to find dried husks— the soldiers' corpses, drained of all blood. Instead, an enormous blood-red human heart hovered at the pinnacle of the dark and empty tower, looming far above the killing grounds. Forged of shattered crystal and as tall as a man, it stood as an unholy monument to Strahd's first victims: the Heart of Sorrow, described in K20. Heart of Sorrow (p. 59). As Strahd surveyed the wreckage of his former nobility, the revenants of the Order of the Silver Dragon marched towards Castle Ravenloft, determined to understand why Strahd's death had not freed their spirits. Upon arrival, they encountered Madam Eva, as described in The Order of the Silver Dragon (p. 129), who informed them of Strahd's fate. Hearing this, Vladimir Horngaard halted his advance and led his knights back to Argynvostholt. Strahd eventually returned to the chamber where Sergei's corpse and possessions still lingered. Whether it was grief, wistfulness, or a mere impulse that moved him to pick up the *Brightblade*, Strahd couldn't be certain. All he knew was that, as the sun's rays shone from his father's crystal blade, they scorched him with an unimaginable pain. He threw the weapon aside, his skin seared with burns, and howled in both agony and rage. Slowly, time resumed its flow for Strahd. However, adjusting to his new state proved difficult. Discovering that his reflection no longer appeared in the castle's mirrors, he ordered them removed and stored in K11. South Archers' Post (p. 57). As the bloodthirst rose within him, he attempted to quench it first with animals, then criminals. Beast's blood brought no nourishment, however, and the keep's dungeons quickly emptied of prisoners. Reluctant yet driven by hunger, Strahd turned his attention to his maid, Varushka—who chose to take her own life, as described in Tormented Spirit (p. 68). As her body was buried, scouts returned with ill tidings: the edges of the valley had been engulfed by an impassable mist, confounding to those who passed through, and deadly to those who lingered. By now, only a remnant of the castle’s original staff remained, driven by loyalty, fear, or a combination of both. Strahd found a stableboy among them and ordered him to prepare his horse, Beucephalus, for departure from the keep. Too terrified to refuse, the stableboy stammered that the stallion's coat had darkened with the skies, and now a demonic fire blazed upon its mane and fueled its temper. The stableboy spoke true. Gone was Beucephalus, the Wonder-Horse, a stallion fit for an emperor. In its place was a **nightmare**, a demon that burned with rage and spite. (See Crypt 39: Beucephalus (p. 93).) Strahd found the demonic steed fitting for a creature such as himself and rode forth from the castle to the Amber Temple, determined to seek a means of escaping his fate. It was in the archives of the Amber Temple that Strahd learned his new name. "Vampire," the books called him, an enemy of the sun and its blessed light. But the sun had not shone upon the valley since his transformation days earlier, the skies remaining dark and overcast. Strahd couldn't help but wonder if it was a blessing to be granted respite from the light he once knew, or a curse, to endure without it. ## Ghosts of the Past Eager to put Tatyana out of his mind, Strahd lured more women to the castle in rapid succession, taking several of them as brides before draining their lives and turning them into vampire spawn. Rahadin, his ever-faithful chamberlain, ensured that Strahd’s victims were made comfortable during their stay, as described in Rahadin (p. 236). The first of these was a woman named Sasha Ivliskova, who Strahd would later seal in a crypt beneath Ravenloft after tiring of her. (See Crypt 20: Sasha Ivliskova (p. 89)). By the time a month had passed since Strahd’s transformation, Patrina had learned of Tatyana’s death and Strahd’s terrible curse. Though taken aback by his decision to accept the Vampyr's dark gift, she saw an opportunity within her circumstances. She returned to Ravenloft to win Strahd’s heart—and Strahd accepted her offer of marriage with amusement. Before they could be wed, however, Kasimir Velikov, Patrina’s brother, learned of their plot. Helpless to keep her from Strahd, but determined to thwart the vampire’s plans, he rallied the dusk elves to stone her to death. In response, Strahd demanded her body—which he sealed in the castle crypts—and sent Rahadin to punish her killers, as described in Kasimir Velikov (p. 232) and Rahadin (p. 236). When news of the dusk elf massacre reached Saint Markovia’s ears, she knew that she could wait no longer. Markovia rallied her followers and declared holy war on Castle Ravenloft—and when Strahd sent a group of vampire spawn to the Abbey, destroyed them with contempt. Determined to complete her crusade, Saint Markovia led her followers to Castle Ravenloft, where she battled Strahd as described in Saint Markovia's Thighbone (p. 222). Strahd slew her and her followers, and sealed her remains in the crypts below Ravenloft. Though unsuccessful, Markovia’s attack had left Strahd wounded and emptied the castle of most of its remaining staff. Adamant that a keep should lack neither guards nor attendants, Strahd raised the corpses of his former guards as **wights** and set them to patrolling the castle. Fearful that a future revolt might find and raise Sergei’s *Brightblade* against him, Strahd then journeyed to Khazan’s tower at Lake Baratok and commissioned the archmage to destroy it. Though Khazan’s apprentice stole, then lost the sword’s hilt, Khazan told Strahd that the entire weapon had been destroyed, as described in Sunsword (p. 223). When news of Markovia’s death reached its walls, the clerics of the Abbey sealed it off from the outside world, terrified of Strahd’s reprisal. Meanwhile, near Yester Hill to the south, a vision of Strahd’s homeland appeared in the Mists, as described in Y5. Wall of Fog (p. 200). Determined to distract himself from the visions in the mist, Strahd terrorized the clerics of the Abbey, preying upon their paranoia and fear. It was’t long before the the clergy began to fight amongst themselves; within weeks, all were either dead or insane, as described in Chapter 8: The Village of Krezk (p. 143). In the darkened halls of Argynvostholt, quarrels rang out amongst the revenants of the Order as Vladimir’s knights demanded vengeance for Saint Markovia. Vladimir, however, crushed their dissent, determined that Strahd should suffer his accursed fate for all of eternity. Awoken by their discord, the ghost of Argynvost began to haunt his ruined lair—too weak to speak out, but strong enough to mourn. ## Strahd’s First Followers By now, word had spread of Strahd’s transformation and the valley's isolation. Not all reacted with fear, however. In the village of Barovia far below, Elisabeth Durst found herself spellbound by the news from the castle, following Strahd’s descent with admiration and awe. All was not well in the Dursts’ home. Gustav Durst, Elisabeth’s husband, was rumored to be having an affair with the family’s nursemaid, Klara, described in 15. Nursemaid's Suite (p. 215). Elisabeth dismissed the claims; they were baseless accusations, she said, born from jealousy of her husband’s wealth and success. She chose to ignore the steady growth of Klara’s stomach, their fleeting glances, and the hours they spent alone. It was nothing, she told herself—and, for a time, she believed it. That changed when she discovered a shard of amber within a shipment of grain delivered from their mill to the west. The mysterious gem seemed to beckon her, captivating her senses and sparking an inexplicable fascination. She kept it, storing it in the jewelry box in 12. Master Suite (p. 214), where she admired it each night. From that moment, something within her shifted. No longer could she bear the sight of Klara’s pregnant figure or ignore the whispers and shared glances between her and Gustav. Denial turned to suspicion, then paranoia and rage. Slowly, Elisabeth’s bitterness simmered, building in fury until she could bear it no longer. When the maid's bastard son, Walter, was born, Elisabeth snapped. She took a carving knife from the kitchen and ambushed Gustav in their bedroom, killing him. With blood still dripping from the blade, she went to Klara’s suite, where she found the nursemaid asleep and her baby resting in its crib. Elisabeth first bound Klara's limbs to the bed with rope and twine, then murdered the child where he lay. As Walter’s blood stained her knife, she prayed to Death that his infant soul would be damned—and Death listened. From her jewelry box, Elisabeth felt the amber shard calling to her. She picked it up, and for the first time, heard its voice. It offered her the power to conceal her husband’s untimely death, to torment his mistress, to bind Walter’s spirit, and to secure a family truly faithful to her. She agreed—and accepted the dark gift of the vestige within. With its aid, Elisabeth summoned Walter’s soul from the Mists and bound it to his tiny corpse. The undead child had a ravenous hunger, and, over the following days, she gleefully mutilated his mother’s body, feeding him fingers, toes, eyes, and teeth. However, she made sure to keep Klara alive, prolonging her vengeance. As Walter fed, he grew, transforming into a misshapen aberration of flesh. Meanwhile, in the twisted labyrinth of her own mind, Elisabeth found solace in nightly prayers to Strahd, whom she perceived as the source of the power that sustained her. Slowly, she gathered a group of like-minded followers to do her bidding, using her newfound power and Walter’s monstrous strength to keep them in line. The cult made sacrifices to Strahd on an altar deep underground, worshipping him as a messiah sent by the powers of darkness. They feasted on the organs of those that they killed, and fed the carcasses to the ever-hungry Walter. Rose and Thorn, haunted by the ghastly sounds below, begged their mother to end their nightmares. Elisabeth ignored them at first, but when the sight of their faces—painful reminders of her late husband’s blood—became too agonizing to bear, she locked them in their attic bedroom and left them to starve. Elisabeth’s fixation with Strahd only grew. She saw in him a kindred spirit, and yearned to unite with him. On the first anniversary of Barovia’s entry into the mists, she led her cult to visit Castle Ravenloft, eager to pledge their devotion in exchange for a promise of immortality. But Rahadin, on Strahd’s orders, turned them away instead, delivering a letter dismissing Elisabeth and her ambitions. The cult withdrew to the Durst house in despair, where Elisabeth’s worship soured to rage and despair. Months passed, and the cult’s members began to depart. Through the eyes and ears of her remaining followers, Elisabeth came to learn that a group of outsiders—adventurers—had entered Barovia, spirited to the valley by the will of the Mists. She also came to learn that Strahd had encountered them on two occasions—occasions that, by all accounts, he had seemed to take pleasure in. Jealous of Strahd’s attentions and determined to draw his eye, Elisabeth lured the adventurers to her home, where they were captured and killed atop the cult’s bloody altar. She had intended their murder to be a sacrifice to Strahd’s glory—but she had no knowledge that Strahd, bored and hungry for fresh blood, had intended those outsiders to be his own prey. Enraged by her interference, Strahd slew her and the entirety of her cult. Their spirits, however, lived on in the haunted foundations of the house, serving Mrs. Durst’s final wish to find and capture a worthy sacrifice to Strahd’s glory—and so win his affections at last. ## Passage Into History Two years passed, and the land of Barovia sank deeper into darkness and despair. Khazan's wife conceived a child, but both died in childbirth. Torn by anguish, and searching for the power to resurrect them, Khazan visited the Amber Temple—but learned too late that both had already been reincarnated. Enraged and blaming Strahd for the descent of the Mists that had entrapped their souls in Barovia, Khazan sought to claim the secret to becoming a lich. When he had completed the transformation, he raised an undead army and traveled to Castle Ravenloft to challenge Strahd for the rulership of Barovia. Instead, Strahd persuaded him to serve as an advisor in matters of magic—a proposition that Khazan, to his own surprise, accepted. His undead soldiers now unneeded, Khazan consigned them to a dark catacomb built into a northeastern spur of Mount Baratok and left them to sleep, forgotten. Since he had become a vampire, Strahd’s own magical progress had slowed to a trickle; where mortals could wield their life force as a means of channeling the arcane, he had been forced to find other, less efficacious means. With Khazan’s aid, though, Strahd’s studies began to advance once more. Together, they developed a spell that would preserve Sergei’s body for eternity, and built a tomb whose splendor would never fade. Sergei was buried there in his gleaming armor, with the *Sigil of the Sun* around his neck. They built arcane traps to defend Strahd’s tomb and castle, including the Teleport Traps (p. 85) of the catacombs, the gargoyles of K8. Great Entry (p. 55), and the wyrmling statues of K7. Entry (p. 54). Strahd learned also to imbue his armor with permanent spells and a sliver of his being, creating Strahd’s Animated Armor (p. 227). Meanwhile, he delved deeper into the secrets of necromancy; as an amusement and a challenge, he created **Strahd zombies**—foul creatures both stronger and more horrible than the ordinary undead. But as time stood still for the immortals of Castle Ravenloft, its sands continued to flow for those in the valley beyond. The once-loyal retainers and vassals of the von Zarovich line began to pass into death—Artimus, the castle’s architect; General Grislek, Strahd's most trusted commander; Prefect Ciril Romulich, high priest of the Morninglord; and countless others. Strahd found each one when they died and sealed their corpses in places of honor in the catacombs beneath Ravenloft, as described in K84. Catacombs (p. 85). One life yet eluded him, however: Leo Dilisnya, the traitor. Through his spies, though, Strahd soon discovered that Lovina Wachter had discovered Leo’s location. To avoid causing alarm, Strahd disguised himself as a human nobleman and journeyed to the Wachter manor in Vallaki. There, he introduced himself under the pseudonym of Vasili von Holtz, claiming to be an envoy from Ravenloft. With Lovina’s aid, Strahd tracked Leo to the darkened corridors of the Abbey of Saint Markovia. As they climbed the path from Krezk below, Lovina, whose family had been slaughtered by the traitorous guards on the day of Sergei’s wedding, asked that Leo be denied the mercy of a quick death. “Vasili” agreed to her request, and asked her to remain outside while he confronted him. Strahd defeated Leo with contemptuous ease. Instead of killing him, Strahd transformed Leo into a vampire spawn and, with Lovina’s approval, entombed him in a mausoleum beneath the Wachter’s manor. Without access to human blood, Leo would slowly starve to death, his sanity eroding over the decades. Lovina agreed that, when Leo died, her descendants would remove the flesh from Leo's bones and hide them away, preventing his resurrection. Years later, Strahd sent Lovina the letter described in N4q. Storage Room (p. 114), signed “Vasili” to maintain his disguise. Elsewhere, facing an eternity of confinement in Barovia, Khazan became determined to find an escape. He sought the secrets of demilichdom at the Amber Temple and sought to complete his transformation in his catacomb on Mount Baratok—but destroyed himself in the process, as described in Chapter 11: Van Richten's Tower (p. 167). Strahd, mourning the loss of a fellow immortal, sealed Khazan’s skull and staff in Crypt 15: Khazan (p. 88). The lich’s spellbook, however, was nowhere to be found. And unbeknownst to Khazan or Strahd, the explosive energies of Khazan's failed transformation had warped the fabric of the Mists nearby, turning the rear wall of the catacomb into a new entrance into Barovia . . . ## The Decades Pass Forty years after Tatyana’s death, Strahd encountered Marina Ulrich: her first reincarnation. However, before he could turn her into a vampire spawn, the Mists spoke to her as they had once whispered to Tatyana, and promised her an escape from Strahd’s clutches—if only she would allow her father to discover the vampire’s nightly visits. Driven to desperation beneath layers of Strahd’s hypnosis, Marina accepted the Dark Powers’ offer—and was soon killed as described in Chapter 10: The Ruins of Berez (p. 161). Strahd erected U5. Marina's Monument (p. 164) in her memory, and condemned her father’s guilt-ridden spirit to haunt U2. Ulrich Mansion (p. 162). Over the course of the coming centuries, Strahd would chase Tatyana’s spirit again and again; each time, the Mists would speak sweet words of sanctuary—and her soul would once more slip from his fingers. By the time of Marina’s death, the Martikov family—the descendants of the druids who had once owned the Wizard of Wines winery—had assimilated among the Barovian people, with a goal of reclaiming their birthright. After earning a small fortune through the secret use of their **wereraven** lycanthropy—as messengers, knowledge-brokers, and everything in-between—the Martikovs arranged a marriage between their eldest son and one of the Krezkovs’ daughters. Fifteen years later, when the reigning Krezkov patriarch passed away, the Martikovs made sure that his will bequeathed the winery to his daughter, who now bore the Martikov name and was secretly a **wereraven** herself. Though the business was now once again truly theirs, the Martikovs kept good relations with the Krezkovs by making regular deliveries of wine, free of charge—a practice that would continue for centuries to come. As the Martikovs reclaimed their vineyards, the witch Baba Lysaga claimed the swamp that Berez had become as her new home, as described in Chapter 10: The Ruins of Berez (p. 161). She built U3. Baba Lysaga's Hut (p. 163) atop the stump of an enormous tree, and erected the Goat Pen (p. 162) outside of U2. Ulrich Mansion (p. 162). She found herself drawn to the latent power of the nearby Swamp Fane at U6. Standing Stones (p. 165); when the storm giant Deceba, the mate of Elder Burebis, confronted her, Baba Lysaga killed her and took her head, from which she crafted her Giant Skull (p. 163) magic vehicle. Meanwhile, Strahd found himself intrigued by a new arrival to his keep: a mage by the name of Ludmilla Vilisevic, who had sought him out seeking the secrets of immortality. Unlike Elisabeth Durst long ago, Strahd was impressed by Ludmilla’s cunning, ambition, and aptitude for the arcane arts. Strahd made Ludmilla his vampiric bride and commissioned her to serve as his chief advisor on matters of magic, given Khazan’s absence. Decades passed, and the last remnants of Strahd’s humanity faded with them. By now, he had been undead far longer than he had ever been alive; any romance, nostalgia, or regret he had once possessed had long since vanished from his hollow heart. In this time, Strahd learned that the Mists that entrapped him and his land would occasionally bring outsiders into the valley: playthings for him to torment and entrap. He found himself looking forward to these interruptions from the monotony of unlife, savoring each moment of the games that he played before his toys inevitably snapped. Those opportunities, however, were few and far between, with years or even decades passing between them. Bereft of lands or people to conquer, Strahd grew melancholic, withdrawing to his coffin for weeks, then months at a time, spending his solitude in a state of slumbering torpor until his servants awoke him. When not hibernating, Strahd continued to seek entertainment wherever he could find it. He took on two new brides: Anastrasya Karelova, a Vallakian noblewoman who delighted him with her cunning and wit; and Volenta Popofsky, a Barovian courtesan whose cheerful sadism was matched only by her innovative spirit. Anastrasya assumed authority over Strahd’s vast network of spies, while Volenta built traps and gruesome installations across Castle Ravenloft, including Flight of the Vampire (p. 61), the floating skeletons of K26. Guards' Post (p. 61), the armor traps on K19. Grand Landing (p. 58), and the K67. Hall of Bones (p. 78). Two hundred and thirty-seven years after Barovia’s isolation, a **deva** named Ithuriel was sent from the Upper Planes to honor Saint Markovia’s memory. Ithuriel took up residence at the Abbey of Saint Markovia and called himself the Abbot. He reopened the abbey and began tending to Barovia’s sick, but—with Strahd's influence—ultimately fell from grace and descended into madness. (See The Abbot (p. 225).) The Abbot’s arrival, however, reminded Strahd of the world that lay beyond the Mists, inspiring him to renew his efforts to escape. On a whim, he visited the Vistani fortuneteller Madam Eva and bade her to read his future. When Madam Eva, however, foretold the coming of a Grand Conjunction—a time, more than a century in the future, when the borders between worlds would grow thin, and the Mists would touch the Material Plane—the fragile light of hope reignited within Strahd’s blackened heart. Strahd realized, however, that he would need greater knowledge and power to take advantage of this opportunity. He returned to the Amber Temple—and there came upon the vestige of the Devourer, whose shreds of power resonated pitifully with the magic that linked him to the Fanes. Strahd tore the Devourer from her prison and sealed her within the Heart of Sorrow—the invulnerable crystal heart that hovered at the peak of Ravenloft's tallest tower. There, he tore from her the secrets of her past and her knowledge of the Fanes, and forced her to share her mastery of the magic of souls. With his new knowledge and power, Strahd began to craft a terrible plan. Decades prior, Strahd had learned that the Heart represented the bond between himself and the Mists, which allowed him to control others’ passage in and out of the valley even as he himself proved unable to leave. Now, he returned to the Fanes of Barovia, where he bound their power ever-closer to his own. In doing so, he channeled their energies into the Heart, laying the foundations for a weapon that, on the eve of the Grand Conjunction, would carve a hole through the Mists for Barovia’s escape. He told no one of his grand designs—not even Rahadin, his faithful chamberlain—fearful that speaking it aloud would invite interference. When the plan was complete, however, Strahd found little else to retain his attention. Impatient to see the fruits of his labors and weary of his subjects, he retired to his tomb for a final hibernation: one that would last a hundred years. The Devil Strahd vanished from public view—and, as he slumbered, the Heart of Sorrow slowly grew in power, devouring the energies of the land itself. # The Dormant Era (600 BC–735 BC) ## Echoes of Evil Though Strahd slept in Castle Ravenloft, his children and servants remained active in Barovia. Without their master to restrain their appetites, dozens of Strahd’s surviving vampire spawn dispersed across the valley, beginning a reign of terror that made the streets run red with blood. Lugdana, a paladin of the Morninglord, took up arms to defend her people. With the aid of burgomaster Ismark Antonovich and the **wereraven** Livius Martikov, she uncovered the secret history of the long-lost *Sigil of the Sun*, an ancient artifact that could aid her in her quest. It was Livius who discovered that the *Sigil of the Sun* lay in the crypts of Castle Ravenloft, and Livius who stole it while Lugdana and Ismark kept the castle’s guards distracted. With Lugdana wielding the sigil’s power, the trio began a campaign to root out and destroy nests of vampires scattered across Barovia, inspiring renewed faith in the Morninglord’s glory wherever they went. Unwilling to reveal that the power to resist Strahd’s creatures had come from the Devil’s own castle, but determined to give his people something to believe in, Ismark told the masses that an angel in the form of a raven had delivered the sigil to them—and so it became known as the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.* Grateful for Ismark’s honor, and inspired by their adventures alongside Lugdana, Livius Martikov founded the Keepers of the Feather: a secret society of **wereravens** who would aid and assist the good-hearted heroes of Barovia. Membership was small, at first, limited to Livius’s own family—but as time passed, their ranks began to grow. By the time of Lugdana’s crusade, Baba Lysaga had begun to recruit a coven of witches from amongst the exiles and forsaken of Barovia. However, twenty-five years after Lugdana had first claimed the *Holy Symbol*, many of Baba Lysaga’s faithful had grown resentful of the swamp-mother’s tireless dedication to Strahd. With the vampire asleep in his castle, the youngest among the coven had no living memory of his power or authority and no desire to serve his name or legacy. The strongest among them, a witch who called herself Baba Zelenna, secretly founded the Cult of Chernovog: a fiendish cult that venerated the demon prince Chernovog and sought to summon him into Barovia to overthrow Strahd. The cult assembled at the Forest Fane at Yester Hill, seeking to use its power for their own ends. Together, they broke Strahd’s bond to the sacred fane and began the ritual that would summon Chernovog, known also as the Green God, to wreak havoc across the valley. With the weight of years upon her shoulders, Lugdana was now far from the days of her prime. Ismark, named “Ismark the Great” for his feats of bravery, had perished in a heroic fight defending the people of his village years before. Lugdana and Livius went alone to Yester Hill to do battle with the coven and Chernovog. The demon prince was fearsome, but the *Holy Symbol* and the Keepers’ aid balanced the scales. With a mighty blow, Lugdana felled Chernovog and dispelled his spirit—but sustained a wound that soon cost her her life. In the chaos, the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* was lost, vanishing once more amidst the sands of time. ## A New Generation Three years after Lugdana’s death, in a land far beyond the valley, Rudolph van Richten was born. By the time he was twenty-eight, he was a successful doctor and husband, married to his childhood sweetheart, Ingrid. Across the Mists, in the land of Barovia, Livius Martikov’s grandson Davian became the proud father to Urwin, Davian’s second-born child. Not far from the Martikovs' winery, in the town of Vallaki, the sixteen-year-old Fiona Wachter ran away from home following an explosive argument with her parents and brother. She found herself in the Old Svalich Woods, where the witch Baba Lysaga found her. Lysaga led Fiona to the ruins of old Berez and allowed her to become a member of her witch's coven. There, Fiona learned of Mother Night, of Strahd's legacy and curse, and of the secrets of magic, though she struggled to hear, as Baba Lysaga called it, "the voice of Mother Night." Six months later, however, upon learning that her parents and brother had died in a tragic accident, Fiona chose to return to Vallaki against Lysaga's will. Though Fiona secretly took her grimoire of magic with her, Baba Lysaga banished Fiona for her decision, barring her from returning to Berez ever again. Fiona returned to take command of Wachterhaus, her family's estate. As she wept and prayed in her parents' former bedroom, a voice spoke to her—identifying itself not as Mother Night, but as Ezra, goddess of the Mists. Fiona accepted the voice's counsel eagerly, ignorant of its nature as a mere mask of the Dark Powers. Six years later, Rudolph van Richten's son, Erasmus, was born. When Erasmus was fourteen, Madame Irene Radanavich—the leader, or *raunie* of the Vistani Radanavich caravan—forged an alliance with the **vampire** Baron Metus, who dwelled in the county neighboring the Van Richtens' home. Baron Metus commissioned Madame Radanavich to kidnap victims and consorts for his pleasures, but the Radanavich's first foray—joined by the parents of the young Ezmerelda d'Avenir—went sour, leaving Madame Radanavich's son, Radovan Radanavich, badly wounded. The Radanaviches brought Radovan to Rudolph, who proved unable to save him. When Radovan died, Madame swore vengeance on Rudolph's family and kidnapped his son, Erasmus before selling him to Baron Metus. Their terrible task complete, the Radanaviches parted ways with the d'Avenirs and fled through the Mists to Barovia, where they believed neither Van Richten nor Metus could follow. Rudolph tracked down and interrogated Ezmerelda's parents before departing to find his son, but was too late, losing not only Erasmus, but his wife Ingrid as well. (See Ezmerelda d'Avenir (p. 231) and Rictavio (p. 238).) Rudolph destroyed Metus in fury, and took up a life of hunting monsters—and vengeance against the Vistani. For three years, Rudolph traveled in search of the Vistani who had wronged him. Having learned the Radanaviches' location from the d'Avenirs, Rudolph sought in vain for a means to traverse the Mists to Barovia. After obtaining a *mist talisman*—a platinum ring that had once belonged to Khazan—from a fortuneteller, however, Rudolph followed the ring's pull to a mountain cave deep in the wilderness. The cave was, in truth, a portal to Barovia—the same portal Khazan had accidentally created in his underground catacomb centuries before. There, Rudolph encountered Khazan's spirit, which roused its undead army to aid Rudolph in his quest for vengeance. When Rudolph finally came upon the Radanavich clan, he released the undead swarm upon them, declaring, "Undead take you as you have taken my son!” The horde killed all but one young man: Arturi Radanavich, who hid away in a trunk until Rudolph and the monsters had gone. The leader of the Radanavich clan, the Vistana seer Madam Irene Radanavich, cursed Rudolph as she died, as described in Journal of Rudolph van Richten (p. 254). His vengeance complete, Rudolph contemplated taking his own life and following his family into death—until the Vistani seer Madam Eva gave him a new *mist talisman* capable of leading him out of the Mists once more. Several weeks after Rudolph van Richten departed Barovia, Izek and his younger sister, the four-year-old Ireena Strazni, were attacked by a **dire wolf**, as described in Izek Strazni (p. 231). Although Izek lost his arm, an *amber shard* he had picked up by the shore of Lake Zarovich spoke to him, promising the power to keep his sister safe. Izek accepted the vestige's offer, and destroyed the dire wolf with its fiery power. When Izek returned to his senses, however, he found that Ireena had fled, vanishing into the woods. She would later appear near the Village of Barovia with no memory of her past, where she would be adopted by Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich. (See E5f. Chapel (p. 46). Izek soon lost his parents to grief, as described in Izek Strazni (p. 231), and lashed out at those around him—eventually killing several other children. He was caught and pardoned by Vargas Vallakovich, the adult son of Baron Valentin Vallakovich. Against his father's wishes, Vargas took Izek into their home. Vargas's wife, Lydia Petrovna, was disturbed by the boy’s violent proclivities and withdrew to care obsessively for the their newborn son, Victor. Six years later, while ransacking a household that had failed to pay its taxes, Izek—now Vargas's loyal enforcer—was ambushed by a half-dozen angry Vallakians. Bleeding and enraged, Izek once more sought power from the *amber shard* around his neck—and received a fiendish limb that could conjure fire, as described in Izek Strazni (p. 231). Upon his return, however, Izek's new arm was seen by Baron Valentin Vallakovich. A deeply religious man, Valentin condemned Izek for his blasphemy and vowed to cast him out of the Vallakovich household. Instead, Izek suffocated him with a pillow, savoring the Baron's slow, quiet death. Unbeknownst to Izek, Valentin's son, Vargas, observed the entire interaction. Rather than intervene, however, Vargas chose to do nothing, both out of hatred for his father's abuse and from Vargas's own narcissistic ambitions. Vargas became Baron, and Izek his right hand. Not long thereafter, Izek began to dream of Ireena and commissioned the toymaker Gadof Blinsky to craft toys that resembled her. (See Izek Strazni (p. 231) and Creepy Toys (p. 118).) Meanwhile, at the Wizard of Wines, Danika Dorakova, a **wereraven** and agent of the Keepers of the Feather, became pregnant with the child of Urwin Martikov, her sweetheart and beau. Alarmed by their romantic dalliances, their families betrothed them at once to ensure that the child would not be born out of wedlock. Shortly before the wedding, however, the disguised **roc** of Mount Ghakis—acting at the behest of Madam Eva—secretly stole one of the three magic gems from the winery’s fields while Urwin was on watch, ending its production of Champagne du Stompe. Madam Eva foresaw that the theft would bring discord to the Martikov family and drive Urwin to Vallaki, where he would one day assist and guide heroes who could defeat Strahd and return sunlight to Barovia. Madam Eva’s foretelling proved prescient. As described in Chapter 12: The Wizard of Wines (p. 173), Davian blamed Urwin for the theft, leading to a bitter fight. Urwin and Danika departed the winery altogether for Vallaki, where they purchased a run-down tavern and renamed it the Blue Water Inn. The inn soon became a haven for the members of the Keepers of the Feather, who expanded their operations in Vallaki and extended their spy network. Not far away, in the Vistani encampment just outside of Vallaki, the Vistana Luvash became the proud father of Arabelle—a descendant of Madam Eva’s blood. Months later, Ezmerelda, now a young woman, ran from home in search of Dr. Van Richten. Two years passed before she finally found him, becoming his apprentice as described in Ezmerelda d'Avenir (p. 231). Their companionship lasted for two more years—until Van Richten came to learn the terrible truth of the Vistani curse that haunted him. Unwilling to either reveal the truth to Ezmerelda or risk her death at the curse's dark hands, Van Richten staged a fierce and raw argument, driving Ezmerelda and his other students away for—he believed—their own safety. Ezmerelda, determined to prove her skills as a monster hunter and spite Van Richten in the process, set off to make a name for herself. Less than a year later, however, the **werewolf** Kiril Stoyanovich bit off Ezmerelda’s right leg following a rescue mission gone wrong, sidelining her for months in Barovia while she commissioned Gadof Blinsky to craft a prosthetic. As Ezmerelda waited, the hateful spirit of Madame Irene Radanavich—sensing Ezmerelda's connection to Rudolph van Richten and predicting an opportunity to lure the old vampire hunter to his doom—appeared to Ezmerelda in a dream. Madame Radanavich shared with Ezmerelda a vision of a possible future, depicting a time when Strahd would awaken from his slumber and return to terrorize Barovia and the realms beyond—and Rudolph van Richten would be a key figure in opposing him. Madame Radanavich, however, omitted one key detail: that Van Richten himself would be the impetus that awoke Strahd from his sleep. As Ezmerelda departed Barovia in an attempt to warn Van Richten of the vision she had foreseen, the young Victor Vallakovich found an old spellbook in his father’s library—the lost spellbook of the lich Khazan—and began to teach himself magic. That same winter, Nikolai Wachter, the husband of Lady Fiona Wachter, died of illness, breaking Fiona’s heart. Meanwhile, the last elders of the Vallakian Vistani encampment passed away, leaving Luvash—and his younger brother Arrigal—in charge of the caravan. ## Strahd’s Return Three years after Nikolai Wachter’s death, Rudolph van Richten received a letter from Ezmerelda d'Avenir warning him of the vision she had foreseen, though Ezmerelda, unaware of its significance, failed to mention that the vision had been sent by the spirit of Madame Radanavich. Van Richten, determined not to allow his curse to claim any more of his friends, prepared his tools one final time and set off alone through the Mists. Six months later, Van Richten—now disguised as a traveling scholar and accompanying a caravan of Vistani—arrived in the quiet village of Barovia. The burgomaster, a man named Kolyan Indirovich, welcomed him as an honored guest, and Van Richten settled in to gather intelligence and prepare his attack. Two weeks after Van Richten’s arrival, however, disaster struck. A massive undead **dire wolf**—the beloved pet of Strahd’s bride Anastrasya Karelova—attacked a group of Barovian children who had strayed too far from the village. Van Richten, luckily nearby, fended off the beast and destroyed it, freeing the children with nary a scratch. It was ill luck, however, that the beast’s attacks knocked off Van Richten’s *hat of disguise*, revealing his true appearance. It was worse luck still that the priest’s son—a young man named Doru who had been looking for the children himself—recognized Van Richten’s face, tools, and fighting style from *Van Richten’s Guide to Vampires*, a well-worn tome that Doru had read countless times since purchasing it from a Vistani caravan. That evening, Doru confronted Van Richten, demanding to confirm his true identity. Cornered, Van Richten reluctantly did so—and an awestruck Doru posed an ambitious and audacious plan. A fierce devotee of the Morninglord’s sacred texts and an amateur swordsman, Doru was determined to lead an army against Castle Ravenloft and return sunlight to Barovia. With Dr. Rudolph van Richten at their helm, Doru believed their righteous fight would surely be victorious. Van Richten attempted to dissuade him—but Doru was unconvinced. Proud and zealous, Doru demanded the right to accompany Van Richten to Castle Ravenloft to destroy the vampire Strahd. To force the old man’s hand, Doru vowed to gather his friends and neighbors and set off for the castle in the morning—with or without Van Richten’s aid. Realizing that Doru’s crusade would see his companions destroyed—and risk awakening Strahd regardless—Van Richten reluctantly agreed to accompany them, if only to ensure that their lives were not spent for naught. He exacted from Doru a promise to depart in two days’ time, rather than one, giving him additional time to prepare. Doru also agreed to conceal Van Richten’s true identity, calling him by the alias “Alanik Ray” to avoid alerting Strahd’s servants. As Van Richten readied himself for the journey, Doru raised the cry of revolution. By the day of reckoning, he had gathered a mob of two-dozen hopeful young Barovians to march upon the keep, promising to restore the light of the sun to the dreary valley. Ismark Kolyanovich, a skilled swordsman and the son of Burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich, remained behind, concerned of the consequences should the village be undefended. As Van Richten had feared, though Doru’s efforts proved worse than fruitless: Instead of killing Strahd, the mob only awoke him from his hibernation. Stirred from his slumber, Strahd massacred the Barovian invaders, sparing only two: Escher, a talented bard who confessed a fascination with Strahd and the dark power of immortality; and Doru himself. As Van Richten fled from the castle for Chapter 11: Van Richten’s Tower (p. 167), Strahd turned both Escher and Doru into **vampire spawn**. He kept Escher to amuse him as a consort and cupbearer, and—after forcing “Alanik’s” true identity from his lips—sent Doru back to Barovia to bring terror to its people. # Strahd's Awakening (735 BC–Present) ## Master of Castle Ravenloft Displeased with the weakening of his rule while he had slept, Strahd summoned his minions to Castle Ravenloft and ordered them to restore his authority over the land. He also directed them to hunt down Dr. Van Richten, as described in Find Rudolph van Richten (p. 10). The castle’s servants, Lief Lipsiege and Cyrus Belview, proved grateful to finally have a proper lord to serve. Meanwhile, Strahd interrogated Rahadin to confirm the current date—and was relieved to learn that the time of the Grand Conjunction had not yet passed. Rahadin, knowledgeable of Strahd’s tells, inquired as to the reason behind Strahd’s concern—and Strahd shared with him the secrets of the Fanes, the Heart of Sorrow, and the coming Grand Conjunction. Their conversation was overheard, however, by the **banshee** of Patrina Velikovna, described further in Crypt 21 (Patrina Velikovna) (p. 89). Eager to seize Strahd’s power for herself, and seeing an opportunity to manipulate circumstances in her favor, Patrina contacted Kasimir in his dreams as described in Kasimir Velikov (p. 232) and K9a. Kasimir’s Hovel (p. 121). As his minions prepared to execute his bidding, Strahd gave Rahadin a critical task: announcing the Devil's return to Castle Ravenloft. Rahadin rode forth from the keep with haste and delivered his proclamation first to Barovia. As punishment for their treason, he told them, the village of Barovia alone would face Strahd's wrath, giving them ninety days to make peace with their gods. Rahadin rode next to Vallaki and Krezk, sharing the news of Strahd's reawakening. In response, a terrified Baron Vargas Vallakovich closed Vallaki's gates to outsiders, and began hosting weekly festivals in an effort to drive out the Devil's influence. Shortly after Rahadin's warning, many of the villagers of Barovia proposed an exodus to Vallaki, where they could take shelter behind the town's fortified walls. However, when Ismark Kolyanovich gave a rousing speech invoking the memory of Lugdana and Ismark the Great, most decided to remain in the village to defend their homes. Only a few Barovians—two dozen at most—gathered up their belongings and fled on the Old Svalich Road. Upon their arrival, however, Baron Vargas Vallakovich refused to allow the Barovian refugees entry, fearful that they were cursed by Strahd’s wrath. With news of the vampire’s return ringing in his ears, the Baron instead enacted a series of iron-fisted laws, clamping down on “malicious unhappiness” and mandating attendance at the “festivals” that he now considered the keys to Vallaki’s salvation. Not far away, in the village of Krezk, the Abbot felt Strahd’s return, and became determined to see the vampire’s curse lifted. (See The Abbot (p. 225).) The Abbot directed two of his attendants, the **mongrelfolk** Otto and Zygfrek Belview, to begin scouring the village’s cemeteries for human remains. Meanwhile, the darkness and despair spread by Strahd’s revival drew the attention of Morgantha, a **night hag**, and her two daughters, Bella Sunbane and Offalia Wormwiggle. The coven, drawn to Barovia like moths to a flame, took up residence in Chapter 6: Old Bonegrinder (p. 125) and began selling Dream Pastries (p. 125) to the Barovian refugees outside of Vallaki. Hoping to keep apprised of Castle Ravenloft’s doings, Morgantha bestowed her coven’s *hag eye* upon Cyrus Belview, as described in K62. Servants’ Hall (p. 76). Concerned that the Barovian werewolf pack had forgotten its ancient fealty to him, Strahd closed the valley's borders to them and sent **dire wolf** emissaries to confirm their loyalty once more. Emil Toranescu, the pack's alpha, privately schemed to betray Strahd's pact and escape through the mists—until Kiril Stoyanovich, a younger and more ambitious werewolf, betrayed him in turn. Strahd locked Emil in the castle dungeons, and Kiril took control of the pack in his stead. ## The Darkened Valley Two weeks now had passed since the failed revolt, and Strahd began gathering hordes of undead to serve his wrathful will. Upon learning of his dark designs, the revenant knights of the Order of the Silver Dragon demanded that their commander, Vladimir Horngaard, release them from their vows and permit them to warn and defend the village. Enraged by their defiance, Vladimir banished his knights from the mansion and commanded them to secrecy, allowing only Sir Godfrey Gwilym to remain. Not long thereafter, Kasimir Velikov, investigating the secrets of the Amber Temple at Patrina's direction, visited the now-empty manor of Argynvostholt and spoke with Sir Godfrey. Though Godfrey warned him to avoid the darkness that lay within the temple, Kasimir did not leave empty-handed, finding amidst the rubble an ancient map that bore the temple's location. As Kasimir prepared to climb the slopes of Mount Ghakis, Victor Vallakovich and Stella Wachter—the children of Baron Vallakovich and Lady Fiona Wachter—activated a prototype *teleportation circle*, dreaming of escaping Strahd's tyranny. The circle malfunctioned, however, sending Stella's spirit into the Ethereal Plane—where the vengeful spirit of Leo Dilisnya severed it from her body. Enraged by Stella's fate, Lady Wachter began recruiting a cult to Ezra to depose the Vallakovich clan. In Krezk, the Abbot completed a prototype of his own: a monstrous **flesh golem**, which he set to patrolling S15. Madhouse (p. 151). He swiftly began work on his next project: a masterpiece to serve as Strahd's final bride. As the Abbot's grave-robbing intensified, Kasimir attempted to reach the Amber Temple, but was turned back by the **vrocks** of Tsolenka Pass at T2. Demon Statues (p. 157). Wounded and despondent, Kasimir returned to the dusk elves’ settlement to ponder his next move. ## The Wrath of Strahd Ninety days after Rahadin's proclamation, Strahd's undead army was finally complete. He unleashed the zombie horde against the village of Barovia—and, to punish Doru, sent him to the Barovian church to torment his father, Father Donavich. The zombies’ siege of the town has lasted six days thus far, with the undead crashing against crude village fortifications night after night. Dozens of lives have been lost already, and many who remained have turned on Ismark, blaming him for dissuading them from fleeing for safety weeks before. Ismark—named for his ancestor “Ismark the Great”—is now mocked as “Ismark the Lesser.” Meanwhile, as Strahd’s servants spread themselves across the valley, obedient once more to the vampire’s will, a creeping darkness is returning to corrupt the land. Shadows lurk in every corner, and the Mists watch silently as the horrors unfold. Meanwhile, in a distant land far beyond the valley, several travelers arrive in the town of Daggerford, blissfully unaware of the trials that await . . . # Design Notes: History of Barovia ***Origins of the Valley.*** The "First Folk" are a fleshed-out interpretation of the ancient druids and mountain tribes mentioned in the original module. The Ladies of the Fanes, as well as the Fanes themselves, are reinterpretations of lore from the 3.5 module *Expedition to Castle Ravenloft*, added to *Curse of Strahd: Reloaded* in order to give Strahd a more active goal (i.e., escaping Barovia) and to tie together a number of narrative elements, including the werewolves, the wereravens, the winery's enchanted gems, and Madam Eva's divine pact. ***The Amber Temple.*** No changes have been made to this period of history aside from Neferon's biography. ***Fall of the First Folk.*** This section aims to provide additional depth to Kavan and Dostron, to explain why and how the Ladies of the Fanes were unable to resist Strahd's invasion, and to justify the druids' decision to aid Strahd in desecrating the Fanes. ***The Von Zarovich Line.*** This section aims to flesh out the history of Strahd's "ancestral homeland" and to place Saint Andral into a fuller historical context. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***Arrival of the Outsiders.*** This section aims to justify the Martikovs' possession of the winery's enchanted gemstones and to place Saint Markovia into a fuller historical context. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***Birth of Barovia.*** This section aims to explain Strahd's refusal to name himself "king," his decision to allow Sergei to inherit their father's sword, and the cause of Argynvostholt's exaggerated collapse. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***Rise of Castle Ravenloft.*** This section elects to have Strahd initially refuse the dark gift of the Vampyr in order to both establish his independence from Patrina and to set up his pact with the Dark Powers later on. The *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* has been initially renamed to the *Sigil of the Sun* in order to provide an opportunity for the relic to be given its "Ravenkind" association later on. Patrina's characterization has also been somewhat further developed. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***Strahd Becomes the Land.*** This section aims to resolve the apparent contradiction between the one-year time limit that **revenants** have to fulfill their revenge and the fact that multiple years passed between Strahd's conquest and death. The druidic elders have also been added in order to justify the division between the "Forest Folk" of Yester Hill and the "Mountain Folk" of Soldav, given that the latter are an essential part of conveying the Fanes questline. ***Sergei and Tatyana.*** This section has incorporated classic Ravenloft lore regarding Sergei's negligence of his priestly duties. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***Arrival of the Mists.*** This section aims to reconcile the module's assertion that Strahd made *two* pacts—one with a vestige, and one with the Dark Powers—as well as to set up Tatyana's relationship with the Dark Powers in order to give Ireena's character arc a suitable climax when she confronts her past lives' memories at Marina's Monument in Berez. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***Aftermath of the Wedding.*** This section expressly links Katarina and the Seeker, replacing Katarina's pact with the evil Mother Night and justifying the Seeker's continued involvement in mortal affairs (when compared with the inactive Weaver and Huntress). The Heart of Sorrow has also been linked to the slaughtered castle guards to provide it with an appropriate origin story. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from—or, at least, not inconsistent with—the original module. ***Ghosts of the Past.*** This period of history is unchanged from the original module. ***Strahd's First Followers.*** The Dursts' history has been changed to enhance Death House's status as a "miniaturization" of Barovia, paralleling Elisabeth Durst's villainy to Strahd's. The **shambling mound** of the original module has been exchanged for a flesh mound bound to Walter's spirit, which both creates a more evocative final boss for the Death House dungeon and mirrors the Heart of Sorrow as a symbol of the local "Darklord's" fall from grace. Finally, Elisabeth Durst has been given an *amber shard*—a new kind of magical item that allows the players to connect with the vestiges of the Amber Temple before ascending Tsolenka Pass—in order to explain the source of her cult's power and to foreshadow the shards' appearance later on in the revised campaign. ***Passage Into History.*** This section aims to explain why Strahd—a near-five hundred-year-old vampire—has not progressed beyond the expertise of a 9th-level wizard, and to incorporate old Ravenloft lore from prior editions of D&D to add further depth to Leo Dilisnya's destruction and Strahd's relationship with the Wachter family. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***The Decades Pass.*** This section moves Berez's destruction further into Barovia's past, creating opportunities for Tatyana's soul to experience additional reincarnations between Marina and Ireena. This section also aims to explain the Martikovs' inheritance of the Wizard of Wines, explain the winery's close relationship with Krezk, identify the source of Baba Lysaga's flying *giant skull*, and provide additional background for Strahd's vampiric brides, who have been given expanded roles in this guide in order to provide the players with level-appropriate antagonists before the final battle. The Grand Conjunction has been added to provide Strahd with a more active agenda in the time leading up to the final battle. Finally, Strahd's hibernation has been added to turn modern-day Barovia into a more active and dynamic environment and to explain the timing of Strahd's more antagonistic schemes (e.g., the destruction of the Wizard of Wines or the attack on St. Andral's church). ***Echoes of Evil.*** This section aims to flesh out the history of the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, explain why Ismark Koylanovich is called Ismark "the Lesser," develop the beginnings of the Keepers of the Feather, and—by requiring Strahd to reestablish his connection to the Forest Fane upon reawakening—prevent Strahd from obtaining the necessary energy for his Grand Conjunction plan during his hibernation, thereby providing the players with a meaningful opportunity to halt his plan by reconsecrating the Fane themselves. The cult of Chernovog is incorporated from *Expedition to Castle Ravenloft* to justify the disappearance of the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind*. ***A New Generation.*** This section aims to reconcile the evident contradictions between Van Richten's account of past events (in which he claims that he killed Ezmerelda's parents) and Ezmerelda's account of the same (in which she claims that Van Richten showed them mercy). Arturi Radanavich, a character of the 2nd Edition book *Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani*, has been added to provide additional depth to Van Richten's character and introduce Van Richten's biography to the players at Tser Pool, thereby limiting the players' suspicion when they encounter him in Vallaki. This section also aims to explain the disappearance of the winery's third enchanted gem, the source of Izek's demonic arm, the source (and speed) of Victor Vallakovich's arcane learning, and the source of Fiona Wachter's spellcasting abilities. This period of history is otherwise unchanged from the original module. ***Strahd's Return.*** This section further develops Van Richten's relationship with Arturi and reworks Van Richten's original plan to slay Strahd by removing the nonsensical (and ethically problematic) "saber-toothed tiger" plot. This section also sets the wheels in motion for the adventure to come, tying together Strahd's knowledge of Van Richten's presence, Doru's transformation into a vampire, the Barovian rebellion against Castle Ravenloft, Ismark's condemnation by the villagers of Barovia, and Escher's acceptance into Strahd's collection of consorts. ***The Darkened Valley.*** This section provides a reasonable time period for Strahd's awakening to reverberate throughout Barovia, thereby setting up many of the challenges and conflicts, such as Kasimir's search for the Amber Temple and Stella Wachter's "illness," that the players will later face. ***The Wrath of Strahd.*** This section provides context for the players' arrival in the village of Barovia, setting up Ireena's journey alongside them.