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''Count Strahd von Zarovich'' is the ruler of the country of Barovia entire, ruling from the seat of Castle Ravenloft.<ref>Domains of Dread p.61</ref><ref name="gaz1_150">Gazetteer I p.150</ref>  The 11th to bear the name publicly, his vampirism and true nature as the first is a secret kept from most.  May speak of the act that caused him to become a Darklord: the murder of his younger brother Sergei von Zarovich on his wedding day in an attempt to steal his bride, Tatyana Federovna.  She rejected his love, and jumped to her death from the walls of Castle Ravenloft.<ref name="gaz1_28">Gazetteer I p.28</ref><ref name="dod_1415">Domains of Dread p.14-15</ref><ref name="rl3e_4t12">Ravenloft Third Edition p.4, 12</ref> Common belief ascribes this to the 1st, and they speak of him holding a deep-seated regret that lead to a depression that drove him to suicide, and the 11th merely a distant descendant.  This is false, but few would know it.

Strahd and Tatyana are both cursed, entwined together: he is cursed to lose successive incarnations of her, and she to be reincarnated again and again only to once again be sought out by he.  Strahd was nobly born to Barov von Zarovich and Ravenia van Roeyen<ref name="gaz1_151">Gazetteer I p.151</ref> in Prime Material Barovia in 299 BC.<ref name="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17</ref><ref name="rl3e_12">Ravenloft Third Edition p.12</ref><ref name="rlphb_14">Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.14</ref> He was the older brother of Sergei and Sturm.

Strahd spent the first few decades of his adult life in his war with the Tergs that had invaded and occupied Barovia. In perhaps the most critical moment in his war against the foreign invaders, Strahd called the fiend Inajira in the hope of securing victory at the cost of his soul.<ref name="gaz1_142">Gazetteer I p.142</ref> Strahd largely managed to escape the arcanaloth's foul contract with the contract he made with Death that gave him eternal life, or unlife as the case may be. However, Strahd merely traded one form of damnation for another, as this horrible pact ultimately led to Strahd becoming an all but immortal darklord.<ref name="gaz1_146">Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume 1 p. 146</ref><ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref><ref name="rl3e_4t12">Ravenloft Third Edition p.4, 12</ref><ref name="rlphb_4t14">Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.4, 14</ref>

Throughout his long history as darklord of Barovia, Strahd has come into conflict with many who would challenge his dominance. For example, his great niece, [[Lyssa von Zarovich]], transformed herself into a vampire to challenge his rule. She also conspired with the High Master Illithid to generate a race of illithid vampires to depose Strahd, but the plan failed.<ref name="gaz1_34">Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I p.34</ref><ref name="tod">Thoughts of Darkness</ref> With the help of Emil Bollenbach, Strahd poisoned Lyssa as punishment for her plotting against him, causing her to fall into a debilitating slumber.<ref name="cotnv_21t26">Children of the Night: Vampires p.21-26</ref> Recently, this poison has been slowly losing its potency, and she has been both more awake, and more active in the affairs of the realm.

Unlike said grand niece, Strahd is not a particularly well-liked ruler.  While he is not an oppressive despot as say, [[Vlad Drakov]], he nonetheless punishes disobedience with a heavy hand, and his taxes are among the highest in the Core - most of which goes to his own coffers, and to serve shoring up his own military, rather than into development projects.  He is not openly hated - those whom would call him "Devil Strahd" always do so quietly - but neither is he liked.  This is partly as a result of his curse, which enacts that his people will slowly grow to resent their once-time saviour.  To circumvent that, he uses an alias when he wants to assist his realm: Lord Vasili von Holtz.<ref="istrahd">I, Strahd<nowiki></ref></nowiki> This largely results in von Holtz being one of the more well-regarded nobles of the realm, and some even desire for him to rule, unknowing of this duplicity, to speak nothing of what necessitates it.

This opinion may change, if somewhat by accident, should the curse allow it: Strahd brooks no challengers to his rulership of Barovia, and that has made the resulting incursions of the darkness in the Time of Unparalleled Darkness something he becomes increasingly personally-involved in.  His is the ruler, and he is eager to show the various monsters whom might challenge this the error of their ways.

== Chronology ==
* 299 BC: Strahd is born.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref><ref name="rl3e_12">Ravenloft Third Edition p.12</ref><ref name="rlphb_14">Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.14</ref>
* 320 BC: Strahd gains the military rank of general.<ref name="rl3e_12">Ravenloft Third Edition p.12</ref><ref name="rlphb_14">Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.14</ref>
* 320 BC: Tergs invade Barovia.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref><ref name="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17.</ref>
* 326 BC: The Siege of Krezk occurs.<ref name="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17.</ref>
* 333 BC: Tatyana, the future lover of Sergei von Zarovich and target for Strahd von Zarovich's desire, is born.[29]
* 346 BC: Count Barov and Countess Ravenia von Zarovich slain by Tergs.<ref name="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17.</ref>
* 347 BC: Strahd makes a pact with Inajira right before a critical battle with the Tergs.[13]
* 347 BC: Last of the Tergs driven from Barovia.<ref name="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17.</ref><ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref> Strahd takes the rule over Barovia as the prize for his victory.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>
* 349 BC: Castle Ravenloft completed.<ref name="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17.</ref> Strahd assumes residence there.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>
* 350 BC: Count Strahd von Zarovich, Commander Alek Gwilym, Sergei von Zarovich, and Lieutenant Falov lead a military strike force to defeat Red Lukas and his gang of bandits.<ref name="istrahd">I, Strahd</ref>
* 350 BC: The Ba'al Verzi try and fail to assassinate Count Strahd von Zarovich.<ref name="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17.</ref>
* 351 BC: Barovia forms due the actions of Strahd von Zarovich.<ref name="gaz1_10t16">Gazeteer 1, pp 10, 16.</ref><ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref><ref name="istahd">I, Strahd</ref> Strahd turns into a vampire.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref><ref name="istrahd">I, Strahd</ref>
* 352 BC: Strahd flexes his muscles to show domination over Barovia.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>[32]
* 398 BC: Count Strahd von Zarovich confronts Lord Leo Dilisnya at the Monastery of Silver Threads, walking into Lord Dilisnya's trap. Strahd is almost put down, but the monks of the monastery act to turn the tide of battle. Strahd turns Lord Leo Dilisnya into a vampire and imprisons him in a tomb to starve from a lack of blood.[24]<ref="istrahd">I, Strahd</ref>
* 400 BC: First known reincarnation of Tatyana.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>[32]  According to a version of Strahd's diary ready by van Richten in 736 BC, Alina, the second reincarnation of Tatyana Federovna dies of fever in this year of 445 BC. Count Strahd attempts suicide with Alina in hand, but the Mists prevent him and snatch away her corpse.<ref name="istrahd">I, Strahd</ref> However, this goes against a version of Strahd's diary read by Jander Sunstar that says Tatyana's second reincarnation was Olya Ivanova who died 30 years later in 475 BC.<ref name="votm_266t267">Vampire of the Mists p. 266-267</ref>
* Sometime between 450 BC and 460 BC: Gregorri Kolyan the bard is held captive by Strahd for several years. Kolyan is ultimately let go with the story of Strahd's past.[35][36]
* 470 BC: The Vistani appear in Barovia for the first time.<ref="gaz1_17">Gazeteer 1, p 17.</ref>
* 470 BC: [[Madame Eva]] and Strahd form an alliance.<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>
* 485 BC: Petya and Anastasia Petrovich killed by Strahd.[37]
* 499 BC: Alexi "Sasha" Petrovich, Leisl, and Jander Sunstar assault [[Castle Ravenloft]] drive Strahd into hibernation.[37]
* 525 BC: [[Lyssa von Zarovich]] is born.<ref name="gaz1_34">Gazetteer I p.34</ref>
* 528 BC: Outlander adventurers assault [[Castle Ravenloft]] and are destroyed.<ref="gaz1_18">Gazetteer I p.18</ref><ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>[39]
* 542 BC: [[Azalin Rex|Azalin]] enters Ravenloft and arrives in Barovia.<ref name="gaz2_135">Gazetteer II p.135</ref>[41]<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref> Reluctantly, he serves Strahd for a time.[42]<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>
* 542 BC: Strahd discusses the potential threat [[Azalin Rex|Azalin]] poses with [[Madame Ilka]], the new raunie of the Zarovan tribe (Maruschka having apparently died at some point in the last 40 years). [43]
* 547 BC: [[Forlorn]] appears.[44] Strahd sends [[Azalin Rex|Azalin]] to investigate, but nothing of value to them is found.[45]
* 550 BC: [[Lyssa von Zarovich]] becomes a vampire and discovers a way to achieve the power of a vampire much greater than her age.[14]
* 579 BC: Strahd and [[Azalin Rex|Azalin]] create a portal to Mordent[40], where The Alchemist conducts strange research on changing the soul.[46] The Mists snatch up [[Mordent]] before either Strahd or [[Azalin Rex|Azalin]] can make good their escape, leaving them with only hazy dream-like recollections of what happened.[40]
* 579 BC: [[Azalin Rex|Azalin]] leaves the service of Strahd.[42]<ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref> Darkon forms.[47][42][10]
* 593 BC: The domain of [[Gundarak]] appears.<ref name="gaz1_18">Gazetteer I p.18</ref><ref name="dod_16">Domains of Dread p.16</ref>
* 593 BC: First known contact between Barovians and Gundarakites.<ref name="gaz1_18">Gazetteer I p.18</ref>
* 613 BC (approximately): Strahd encounters [[Harkon Lukas]] running amok in Barovia and thoroughly thrashes him, forcing Harkon to flee into the Mists.[48]
* 718 BC: [[Tara Kolyana]] is born. Not too long thereafter, her parents flee Barovia to go to Hazlan.[49]
* 735 BC: [[Tara Kolyana]] experiences her first brush with the supernatural with an afflicted werewolf. After witnessing the man become cured, Tara resolves to help people throughout the Land of Mists. Her parents make her promise to never to go to Barovia.[49]
* 736 BC: [[Duke Gundar]] is assassinated.[17][50]
* 739 BC: [[Lyssa von Zarovich]] conspires with Bluetspurean illithids to create a vampiric version of their race. She hopes to use these vampire mind flayers to take over Barovia, but she ultimately fails.<ref name="gaz1_34">Gazetteer I p.34</ref>[51]
* 740 BC: The Great Upheaval.
* 740 BC: Strahd begins the annexation of [[Gundarak]].[17]
* 750 BC: Strahd poisons [[Lyssa von Zarovich]] into a slumbering state that leaves her active for only a few hours each night.<ref name="gaz1_34">Gazetteer I p.34</ref> The poison is delivered via the blood of the dread flesh golem Tom (created by [[Emil Bollenbach]]) that acts as a stand-in for a human she hoped to enslave.[16]
* 753 BC: On his deathbed, [[Tara Kolyana]]'s father expresses how proud he is of her and tells her of the prophecy the Vistani gave about her and why they left Barovia.[49]
* 753 BC: Count Strahd von Zarovich personally executes [[Shaithis Vosrovna|Burgomaster Shaithis Vosrovna]] for goading adventurers into the murder of one of the Vistani.<ref name="gaz1_35">Ravenloft Gazetteer I, p35</ref>

== References ==