That’s right, folks! The Master of Evil, the Baron of Blood, The Titan of Terror, Strahd Von Zarovich is casting his shadow over Cryptic Studios‘ Neverwinter! In the newest expansion of the Faerun-flavored MMORPG, players will journey to Barovia, the ancient hamlet long-ago subjugated to the Baron’s will.
There, with the help of the Vistani, a band of gypsy-like travelers, players will assemble the Sunsword, an ancient artifact with the power to overthrow the wicked vampire-baron, but only if the heroes are brave and strong enough to fight their way through Ravenloft, Strahd’s gothic castle!
Whether this expansion means the players will eventually confront Lord Soth and the other Lords of the Demiplane of Dread is unknown, but Cryptic Studios is pulling out all the stops to do justice to one of Dungeons and Dragons’ most iconic villains! Strahd’s backstory is immense and spans the better part of thirty years of tabletop history. A once-noble man, the loss of a loved one and the gods’ refusal to resurrect her lead the young man to make a deal with the Dark Powers: An eternity with which to look for a way to bring her back, in exchange for…-something-.
Unbeknownst to Strahd, the bargain warped him, enhancing his strength and cunning, but stripping him of the capacity to walk in daylight and crippling him with an endless thirst for blood. When he realized the truth, his attention turned toward escape from the Demiplane of Dread and the omnipotent Dark Powers.
Why has he come to Faerun? Does he have some scheme by which he might finally be free of the powers which torment him so? Find out in Neverwinter’s take on Ravenloft!