Who They Were
King Barov von Zarovich II was the father of Strahd von Zarovich and ruler of the kingdom of Old Zarovia. He was a conqueror who expanded his realm through brutal military campaigns.
What the Party Knows
From Kasimir’s Tale, the party learned:
- King Barov demanded the Dusk Elves’ fealty and tribute, seeking to expand the borders of Old Zarovia
- When Erevan Löwenhart, leader of the dusk elves, refused to bow, Barov launched a war of conquest
- The war was swift and brutal, with Barov’s forces—joined by Rahadin, a dusk elf traitor—laying waste to the dusk elf kingdom of Othrondil
- Barov subjugated the dusk elves and ruled over them with an iron fist
- When Barov died, his son Strahd came to power
- The dusk elves rose in rebellion against Strahd, hoping for freedom, but were crushed in a matter of days
- Strahd’s genocide left fewer than a hundred dusk elves alive
Legacy
King Barov’s conquest of the dusk elves set the stage for centuries of suffering. His tyranny was continued—and exceeded—by his son Strahd, who transformed the conquered valley into a prison from which none can escape.
Appearance in Sessions
- Session 13 — Kasimir Velikov told the party about King Barov von Zarovich II during Kasimir’s Tale