The Abbot

The Abbot is an NPC from the 5th Edition module Curse of Strahd. He is a deva sent to deliver the Abbey of Saint Markovia from corruption, but the dark land delivered its corruption upon him instead. Now he sits in an abbey full of mad mongrelmen working on a flesh golem bride for Strahd in order to deliver Barovia from its curse.

History

The Abbot was driven to the long abandoned and defiled Abbey of Saint Markovia to restore it to its former glory. Posing as a pious cleric and healer, helping those with afflictions both mental and physical in nature. However, the Dark Powers set out to corrupt him.

The Belview Family delivered his first step to corruption. Physically sick, the Abbot tened to their needs, determined to rid them of any imperfections. However, they saw not the human form as perfect but rather wished altered physiology, human mixed with the gifts of various animals. The deva capitulated in sympathy for the pitiful lot, the Abbot capitulated. The starting experiments were often lethal, but the Belviews didn't care and urged him on. Then Strahd arrived under the guise of Vasili Von Holtz. The Abbot recognized him as a figure of ultimate evil, yet Strahd won the deva over to his side. He provided the Abbot with furnishings and dark knowledge from the Amber Temple, which allowed him to grant the demented Belviews their wish by transforming them into mongrelfolk. Mad and hideous, the Belviews were nonetheless happier.

As Strahd "confessed" his past, he earned a degree of sympathy and a degree of fear on the other from the deva. Knowing Strahd was the land, the Abbot felt bringing about his doom was impossible. Therefore, he found an alternative solution: build Strahd a bride, a flesh golem copy of Tatyana. Only then could salvation be delivered to the land and its curse removed. That golem is Vasilka.

In Curse of Strahd

While the Abbot feels remorse about what he's done to the Belviews, he has the certainty of the heavens in the moral and practical good of what he's doing now. He just needs one thing: a bridal gown. He may assign this task to the player characters in return for favors few others than a deva can grant. On the other hand, the Abbot might seek out Anna Krezkova and Dmitri Krezkov and offer to raise their deceased son, Ilya Krezkova, back from the grave. if they give in, he later uses it to push them into finding a gown. Anna takes a crew of followers out, but, minus the player characters' intervention, never returns.

Game Statistics

Lawful Evil Deva