Strahd's Curse

A curse Strahd placed on the land of Barovia and its people. According to Mad Mary and Ismark Kolyana, the legend holds that Strahd's ancestors — or the ancestors of the Barovians — did something to Strahd that he will not forgive. The exact nature of this transgression is unknown to the current inhabitants.

The effects of the curse are broadly visible in the state of the land: the mist that traps travelers, the soul-suppressing atmosphere, the inability of Barovians to leave, and the nightly procession of the dead marching toward Castle Ravenloft as if their work is unfinished.

Known Details

• The curse has lasted for as long as anyone in Barovia can remember
• Strahd has been seen in multiple forms: as a man, and as a wolf with strangely human eyes
• He periodically charms young women from the village and takes them to his castle
• The souls of those who die in Barovia do not appear to rest — at midnight they emerge from the graveyard at the Church of the Morning Lord and march west

First Referenced

Session 4 (confirmed by multiple sources in the village)