Boyar Gregor Zolnik

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Boyar Gregor Zolnik is an NPC villain from the Ravenloft campaign setting. In universe, he is a Loup du Noir and darklord of Vorostokov. He rules from the Boyar's hall in the village of Vorostokov. He murdered his former wife Ireena Vladimir and her family, the seminal event that caused the duchy of Vorostokov to become a domain in the Demiplane of Dread.[1][2][3]

Biography

The young hero emerges

Born in a backward[4] duchy[5] in the Grovinekevic Forest of northern Cerilia[6], Gregor is the son of Antonina Zolnik and brother of Natalya and Elena Zolnik. In the middle of a particularly harsh winter that could bring ruination to the people of his own village, the young hunter sought a way to ensure the survival of his people. Based on a legend he heard as a child, Gregor ritually consumed a wolf and took its power and skill. Using its pelt, he took its form, thereby becoming a loup du noir, a type of werewolf. Using his newfound abilities, he ensured not only the survival of his family but of everyone in the village of Vorostokov. Nightly, Gregor donned the pelt that allowed his transformation into beast and hunted.

With the arrival of the following winter, Gregor's fame spread across the duchy, and Duke Andrei Vladimir personally gave him a visit. During this visit, Gregor met and fell in love with the duke's daughter Ireena. At Ireena's insistence, she and Gregor were married. Given a noble title, Gregor came to live at the duke's estate and lent his skills an an expert hunter. Unfortunately, the primal call of Gregor's nightly transformation and hunt were by now too much to resist, so he stole away each night to perform his hunts in secret. Ireena believed Gregor's nightly absences to be the result of an illicit affair. In her jealousy, she took on a young noble as her lover in revenge. Gregor discovered the tryst and secretly murdered Ireena's lover while in wolf form.

The hero's corruption

The duke called upon Gregor to find the wolf that killed the nobleman. Gregor went off to hunt but of course found no such beast. After Ireena took a second lover, Gregor's anger caused him to go on a rampage throughout the duke's castle. He killed not only Ireena's new lover but also Ireena, an innocent maid, Duke Vladimir, and many others in the castle. This mass murder brought the Mists to claim the domain of Vorostokov. After Gregor awakened to human form from his blood frenzy, he had returned to his home village, and he found the land wrapped in eternal winter. For the first time, he found that he could not bring food back to support his people save for one circumstance. Gregor could find prey but only when that prey was human. Thus, Gregor began to hunt the people of the surrounding villages and hamlets. The year of Vorostokov's arrival in the Demiplane of Dread was 731 BC.[7][8]

Gregor's ultimate corruption did not affect him alone. Gregor's mother and sisters also became touched by darkness, but not in the same way. Rather than become lycanthropes, they practiced witchcraft to support Gregor's dark desires. It was also they that cooked the tainted meat (always called "caribou", "elk", or some other beast rather than human). Moreover, Gregor hunted but refused to allow others to hunt in "his" forests, murdering those that disobeyed this taboo.

Eventually, Yuri Tupolek and a band of rebels opposed Gregor's rule. Gregor would have killed them all, had Antonina cautioned restraint for more hunters were needed in order for their people to survive. Instead of merely massacring them, he led them to a cave where he transformed into a wolf and tore Yuri apart. Yuri's former followers found their weapons could not harm him, and they went running in all directions. He wiped out the cowards among their number who simply begged for mercy. However, to those who showed bravery in the face of doom, Gregor offered the "gift" of lycanthropy (rather than death) to those who would enter his service. In order to further solidify his power, Gregor established his own personal force of thugs and enforcers, the Boyarsky. He infected many of their ranks with lycanthropy, effectively making them his thralls.

Gregor's Second Love

As he gained control over the domain, Gregor met and fell in love with a woman from Torgov named Sasha. Although she was terrified of his might and potential wrath, Sasha acquiesced to go back with him and marry. Gregor was a doting husband, and together they had two children, Alexei and Mikhail. However, not all was well within the family. Gregor disappeared every night for reasons unknown to Sasha, but Gregor forbid mention of his nightly absences. Moreover, Gregor made his mother, Antonina jealous of all the attention he gave his wife and his sons.[9]

Alexei proved to be a bold and brave son. At the age of 18, Alexei was chosen by his father to join the boyarsky, which included transformation into a loup du noir. Antonina knew of this and, tempting Sasha with the forbidden knowledge of where her husband went nightly, purposefully egging on Sasha to visit the spot where the transformation was to take place. As the boyars donned their wolf pelts and transformed[9], they noticed Sasha's presence and gave chase. Trying to escape, she fell from a cliff and died. Deducing Antonina's betrayal, Gregor noticed Antonina's smell on Sasha's body, so he tracked Antonina down and murdered her. In response, Gregor's sisters abandoned him and disappeared.[10] The year was 754 BC.[7][8]

Current Sketch

As they have with many darklords, the Dark Powers gave Gregor what he wished for but not as he wanted it. He has gained much more than the skill and might of a normal wolf. He is practically invulnerable to all damage save for a few examples. In addition, he holds the majority of Vorostokov within the palm of his hand. Yet he is less than he was before. He cannot directly provide food for his people without resorting to the act of cannibalism. Far from being a hero, he is widely hated.[11]

Before the formation of the Boyarsky, Gregor was a regular serial killer, hunting humans from the other small communities in Vorostokov. The village of Vorostokov came to heavily rely upon him and thus (unknown to them) eating human meat. They may have had some inkling of the horrid nature of their food, but the truth was too terrible for them to fathom.[12] The creation of the Boyar has allowed Gregor's underlings to hunt and procure food for the realm, reducing the need for killing humans.[13] However, as the game in Vorostokov is used up, Gregor and the Boyar turn to forcing the other villages to pay tribute from their food stores.[14]

Gregor's tyrannical crackdown on the villages surrounding his own also serves a second purpose that would still exist even in the advent of spring: a distraction from his guilty conscience.[13] Despite his reputation as a mere sadist and bully[15], Gregor is no mere psychopath. recognizes the difference between the despicable villain he has turned into and the ideal hero he dearly wishes to be. He bloodily puts down any resistance to his rule not just out of anger and spite but also out a need for respect and adulation. Gregor has convinced himself that if he can be reborn a hero in the public's eyes, then the curse that enshrouds him will finally be lifted.[11]

Despite both the depths of his depravity and his efforts to be seen a hero, the general public is neither aware of how horrible a creature he really is nor as appreciative as he would prefer. Despite his many clandestine killings, the people of Vorostokov still by and large do not realize he is a loup du noir. Instead, he is seen as an unrighteous, even mad tyrant and even a force of corruption[16]. The Boyarsky is known by several people to have changed their enlisted loved ones into quite darker souls.[17] Despite his known dark influence, Gregor has dominated most of the nearby villages. Only three (See "Gregor's Enemies" for more) stand against him.[18]

Gregor's Enemies

Although the boyar's might is such that few stand against him, heroes such as Yuri and Nicolai have challenged him. Nicolai once managed to kill Zolnik, but the boyar's virtual immortality assured his return as a wolf. Thereby, Nicolai was struck down by "a wolf" one night later, and Gregor returned unharmed.[16] Today, only three villages (Kargo, Kirinova, and Torgov) resist his rule.[18]

Of Gregor's extant enemies, perhaps the most dangerous come from within his own blood family. Timid and meek as a child, Mikhail Zolnik, Gregor's second son, remains in Torgov with Sasha's family and leads some covert resistance there. Gregor's two sisters, Elena Zolnik and Natalya Zolnik, now dwelling in the forest as witches, are dreaded by the common folk of Vorostokov. However, their hate burns brightest for their traitorous brother for murdering their mother.[14] Antonina herself remains a hidden potential danger, for she "lives" on as a ghost in Gregor's old house. She is perhaps the only one in the domain who knows of the way to permanently slay Gregor.[19]

Sources

Boyar Gregor Zolnik was first presented in the sourcebook Darklords, where the basics of his past and present were established. In that sourcebook, his personality and basic past prior to his second marriage and the formation of the Boyarsky is laid out. In Darklords, the existence of a wife and children are mere rumors, and his mother and sisters are still loyal to him.[16] The module Dark of the Moon provides for the first time the elements of his children, the formation of the Boyarsky, and the murders of his second wife and mother. Domains of Dread is the first campaign setting product to include him and Vorostokov. Although the information is abbreviated in Domains of Dread, it includes some information from Dark of the Moon. It also retroactively specifies his homeworld: Vos on the continent of Cerilia, the location of the Birthright campaign setting. According to Domains of Dread, Gregor has the bloodline of Azrai flowing in his blood.[13]

Ravenloft Third Edition and the Ravenloft Player's Handbook include write-ups of Vorostokov from a player's perspective and suggestions for characters who hail from that domain.

In Dark of the Moon

Gregor Zolnik plays the role of the primary antagonist of the module Dark of the Moon. He attempts to capture and interrogate the player characters. Wishing to see if they're worthy, he infects them with lycanthropy and then challenges them to make it to the Boyar's Hall. If they do so, they will be servants worthy of membership in the Boyarsky. However, if the player characters play their cards right, they can learn the secret of his permanent destruction and eradicate him, earning their freedom.

Statistics

Male human Loup du Noir ranger 8; Chaotic Evil[2][3]

Male human werewolf, Ranger 9, Chaotic Evil, CR 14

References

  1. ↑ Islands of Terror (Sourcebook) p. 91-93
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dark of the Moon p. 5-6
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Domains of Dread p. 99-100
  4. ↑ Dark of the Moon p. 9
  5. ↑ Islands of Terror p. 92
  6. ↑ Domains of Dread p. 99
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ravenloft Third Edition p.18
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.20
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dark of the Moon p. 7
  10. ↑ Dark of the Moon p. 8
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Darklords p. 93-94
  12. ↑ Darklords p. 93
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Domains of Dread p. 100
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Dark of the Moon p. 8
  15. ↑ Ravenloft Player's Handbook p. 173
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Darklords p. 94
  17. ↑ Dark of the Moon p. 41-43
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Dark of the Moon p. 10
  19. ↑ Dark of the Moon p. 44, 47=48

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

Domains of Dread
Dark of the Moon
Darklords

Domains of Dread - p99
Dark of the Moon - p25
Darklords - p91

Domains of Dread - pp99-100
Dark of the Moon - p56
Darklords - p94

Secrets of the Dread Realms - p7
Ravenloft Third Edition - pp18,155
Domains of Dread - pp99-100
Dark of the Moon - pp5-8,24-25,33,53-56
Darklords - pp90-94


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