Lyssa von Zarovich

Lyssa von Zarovich is the daughter of Anna von Zarovich and Tod von Zarovich, the granddaughter of Sturm von Zarovich, and the grandniece of Count Strahd von Zarovich, the later of whom she has taken for an enemy. She is a potent vampire with strength beyond her years. As part of a scheme that was monumental in its madness she contributed, presumably as a necrologist, to the creation of the illithid vampire and so most probably has acquired at least a familiarity with the principles of biomancy. The creature proved to be as mad as the scheme and was of no use to her intention to reorganise matters in Barovia to her liking. Strahd's patience with Lyssa snapped eventually. The lord of Barovia, with the assistance of Emil Bollenbach and the golem Tom, poisoned Lyssa, condemning her to sleep long after sunset. Lyssa conspires against Strahd from her perch in Zeidenburg, at the opposite end of Barovia from Strahd.

Statistics

Human ancient vampire female, Aristocrat 9 / Sorcerer 2, Chaotic Evil

Chronology

• 525 BC Lyssa von Zarovich is born.
• 550 BC Lyssa von Zarovich becomes a vampire and discovers a way to achieve the power of a vampire much greater than her age.
• 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.
• 750 BC Strahd poisons Lyssa von Zarovich into a slumbering state that leaves her active for only a few hours each night. The poison is delivered via the blood of dread flesh golem Tom (created by Emil Bollenbach) that acts as a stand-in for a human she hoped to enslave.

References

]

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Children of the Night: Vampires Thoughts of Darkness Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I
		Children of the Night: Vampires - pp20, 25 Thoughts of Darkness - p60
		Children of the Night: Vampires - p20 Thoughts of Darkness - p60 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p34
		Children of the Night: Vampires - pp20-26 Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p34 Thoughts of Darkness - pp43-45,p60 Realm of Terror - p126 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p34
		Lyssa Heitman