To the King and Queen and all who are loyal to the Royal Family: I, Count Strahd of Barovia make my confession.  If you are reading this then I and my beloved bride, Princess Lo'reean, have been freed from the chains of darkness that bind us, and though I wish my name was not associated with treason and tyranny, by now I realize it is too late.

 

I write this letter in haste as the last memory of who I was is fading from me, and soon I fear, my soul will be so drunk with power that I will never come back.  I hide this in a silver chest and leave it to the Dracolich with instruction to keep it safe even from me.  Otherwise I might come back and destroy it.

 

This darkness has come from Maargog, the Emperor of the Kingdom of Da'rahad. It was his evil servant in the form of a Lich that assaulted us at night on the full moon of the third month.  I and my bride were at rest in our castle estate when the beast appeared in our room.  I reached for my sword to defend us but its spell of darkness was already at work on me.  It delivered a message from the Emperor that it thought I would not refuse – wealth and power beyond what my present King and Queen could offer. 

 

My lovely bride, the Princess Lo’reean - whose honor this letter must defend – saw in me a hesitation that enraged her.  While I stalled to listen - to my eternal peril and regret – she grabbed my sword and attacked the creature. But it was too powerful for her and took her life swiftly.  My anger burned and I fell into combat like a mad man, and though I was able to defeat the Lich, I was mortally wounded and the poison of the creature’s magic drug my soul into the shadow world between the living and the dead.

 

My flesh was frozen in the disease of the undead, and in my sorrow,  I took her body down into the crypts and could not leave her side.  As I no longer required food or water to survive I sank into lonely darkness and could not bear to see any of the people of Barovia who came to try and help me. Eventually they left me alone.

 

But the Emperor did not leave me alone. He sent his second messenger – this time in the form of a Wraith – and it continued to temp me. I refused to listen for many nights until finally it made an offer I did not refuse.  Become my pupil it said, and I will show you how to raise her from the dead.  In my madness I believed it and raise her I did – but she was not the same. In her undead state she was furious and miserable. And so she became the Howling Hag and my sorrow overwhelmed me.

 

I cannot bear to write anymore. My lord and lady, forgive me if you can. But be sure of this: she was always loyal to you.

 

Count Strahd.