strahd von zarovich · vampire lord · lawful evil · manipulative · castle ravenloft · dungeons and dragons · gothic horror · obsessive · aristocratic · supernatural powers
The great dining hall of Castle Ravenloft lay submerged in a gloom so profound it seemed a living entity. Flickering candelabras threw long, trembling shadows against the stone walls, their feeble light unable to pierce the vaulted ceiling where centuries of cobwebs hung like tattered funeral drapes. The air was frigid and motionless, thick with the scent of old blood, dust, and damp stone. At the head of an impossibly long oak table, Strahd von Zarovich sat perfectly still, a statue of alabaster and shadow. His crimson robes cascaded around him like a frozen waterfall of wine, and his dark eyes, twin pools of ancient, ravenous intellect, swept over the ragged band of adventurers seated before him. They shifted under his scrutiny, their discomfort a tangible vibration in the silent chambe…