Commander Alek Gwilym
This section contains canon info from officially published sources |
As described in Strahd's in character narrative of I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire, Alek Gwilym was a close friend of Strahd Von Zarovich (or perhaps, the closest thing to a friend Strahd ever had) who fought at his side against the Tergs.[1] Something of a rumormonger[1], Alex was the first to report to Strahd that a traitorous Ba'al Verzi assassin in their military camp in 348 BC.[2] Commander Alek Gwilym was also involved in the military operations that took down Red Lukas and his gang of bandits.[3]
Beyond serving as a military commander for Strahd, Alek was also something of an emissary for Strahd. Unlike his lord, Gwilym showed an enjoyment for going out and dealing with the peasantry, perhaps because of the reactions to their lord Strahd or his representatives.[4] Gwilym also met with other Barovian noble households and gave Strahd his appraisal of them.[5] Gwilym was also charged with procuring spellbooks for Strahd.[6]
Commander Gwilym's strongest characteristic may have been his loyalty to Strahd. Such loyalty was this that the only act of disobedience he might have committed against Strahd was to sacrifice himself to prevent Strahd from dying in the fight against Red Lukas. (Fortunately, Strahd's stubbornness and Sergei von Zarovich's timely intervention prevented the need).[7] Such was Gwilym's loyalty to Strahd that he would have likely aided Strahd in murdering his brother Sergei. It is perhaps all the more tragic that Strahd, in his paranoia, struck Gwilym down to preserve the secrets of his pact with "Death" and to become a vampire.[8] Strangely, Gwilym's corpse disappeared due to unknown circumstances
This section contains Declared non-canon info, officially retracted by the publishers |
In the novel Lord of the Necropolis that was by the producers of Ravenloft, the (albeit non-canonical) cause of Gwilym's fate is revealed. In traveling back through time to assassinate Strahd before he becomes a vampire, Azalin inadvertently motivated Alek into interrupting Strahd's scheming to become a vampire and thereby earn his wrath. As Gwilym is struck down, Azalin takes over his corpse. But before he can strike a killing blow on Strahd, the Mists come up and whisk Azalin-possessed Gwilym away back to Darkon. Azalin remains in Gwilym's body for a time until he discards it in another scheme to escape the Land of Mists.[9]
References
Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue
I, Strahd, The War Against Azalin - p40, 121, 190; I, Strahd p 19 |
- Canon
- Declared non-canon
- Character
- NPC
- Deceased
- Murdered
- Former Inhabitants of Prime Material Barovia
- Agent
- Barovian (Prime Material Plane)
- Betrayed
- Commander
- Deaths in 351 BC
- Emissary
- Exchanger
- Exsanguinated
- Former Inhabitants of the Prime Material Plane
- Gwilym Family
- Horseback Rider
- Human
- I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire Character
- Informant
- Killed
- Killer
- Lord of the Necropolis Character
- Loyal
- Male
- Military Officer
- Noble of Barovia (Prime Material Plane)
- Novel Character
- Perceptive
- Professional Killer
- Former Soldier
- Rider
- Rumormonger
- Tactician
- Tax Collector
- Trusted