Talena Von Zarovich, “Strahd’s Dagger”

Female human Wiz9/tyrant mage 5: CR 14

Medium humanoid (human) (5 ft., 2 in. tall)

HD 9d4 plus 5d4; hp 35; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.;

AC 13 (+3 Dex), touch 13, flat-footed 10; BAB/Grap +6/+5;

Atk +5 melee (1d4–1/19–20, adamantine dagger)

Full Atk +5/+0 melee (1d4–1/19–20, adamantine dagger)

SA spell-like abilities, spells;

SQ summon familiar, tyrant’s eye, Von Zarovich traits;

AL NE;

SV Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +11;

Str 9, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 16.

Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +16, Decipher Script +12, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +3 (+5 acting), Intimidate +13, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +9, Listen +3, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +20, Spot +3.

Feats: Blood Spell\*, Cold-Hearted\*, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, JadedR, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Vampiric Regeneration.

Languages: Balok; Luktar, Patterna, Vaasi, Sithican.

Spell-like abilities: 1/day—charm person (DC 14), dominate person (DC 18), suggestion (DC 16). Caster level 14th. Wizard spells (4/5/5/5/5/3/3/2; DC 14 + spell level).

Signature Possessions: Adamantine dagger, amulet of death ward, chaos diamond, minor cloak of displacement, ring of wolf summoning M.

### Description

In addition to the family’s cruel streak, Talena has inherited its legendary beauty; blessed with unnaturally pale skin and raven tresses, many claim that she is herself a vampire. Though she is actually human, Talena does nothing to discourage this belief, and in fact plays it for all it is worth, normally dressing in revealing and seductive clothing concealed by voluminous cloaks or other fanciful wraps.

### Background

A distant cousin of Strahd Von Zarovich, Talena undertook the study of magic at a young age and found that she had a real knack for spellcasting — particularly those magics that controlled others’ actions, either through compulsion or through the infliction of pain. As she advanced in power, she came to Strahd’s attention and was immediately recruited into his service as a tyrant mage.

Talena progressed quickly, surprising her instructors with her enthusiasm and skill. She was initiated as a full-fledged tyrant mage within a single year, where most recruits took over three. Two years later she was one of the most successful and dangerous tyrant mages in all of Barovia, with dozens of arrests and executions to her credit. Soon she was known as “Strahd’s Dagger,” his left hand, a keen weapon that slays without hesitation.

### Current Sketch

Talena Von Zarovich has certainly found her calling as Strahd’s living weapon. Her heart, never terribly warm to begin with, has grown icy cold, and now the only thing that can being her even brief excitement is the prospect of killing an enemy of the state. Talena’s emotional state is equally chill; though she has taken many lovers, they usually fail to hold her interest, and she abandons them as readily as she takes them. The lucky ones are given a small reward and sent away, while the unlucky ones — those who irritate her in some way — are rewarded with a trip to the dungeons below Talena’s manse, where they make the acquaintance of her hounds or her hired torturers. Talena lives in a grim stone keep on the Gundar River. She has a company of elite guardsmen at her service, and sometimes brings prisoners here for interrogation and torture in the cells that lie beneath the keep. She has a number of undead servants as well — they are Strahd undead (see Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol. I), given to her by Count Strahd as a reward for her faithful service.

### Combat

Unlike many spellcasters, Talena adores combat, and even sometimes fights hand-to-hand after casting Tenser’s transformation, stone skin and perhaps a couple of other “buffing” spells. On dangerous missions she is always accompanied by one or more squads of her elite guards, and allows them to engage in any heavy fighting while she supports with spells.

Talena prefers destructive spells, particularly those that deal in pain, and also those that control the actions of others. She is quite fond of having her men encircle small groups of foes, then using her spells and spell-like abilities to force them to fight one another, finally sending in her escorts to pick up the pieces.