Verra Sorkova - Devoted Follower

Verra is an NPC that I got attached to immediately. First off, she's a Vampire, but not a RAW (Rules As Written) vampire from Dungeons & Dragons, she is a Vampire from the Planeshift Zendikar module released back in 2016. I'm also a fan of MagicTheGathering and the Zendikar plane (build the most fun Landfall deck ever! haha), so this was a great deal of fun to watch grow. Second, Curse of Strahd is my favorite campaign of all time. Right away Verra was created with a fun twist; Vampires are not undead if we are following the Zendikar module, they are just infected with an eldrich disease that turns their skin gray or purple, etc. So maybe a certain vampire we know and love experimented and created her with this disease (preserving RAW vampires in the world). Maybe he speaks to her telepathically, used the Vistani to cart her off to a different plane (wherever yours is taking place!), and maybe he has the goal of creating a worthy replacement to rule Barovia so he can leave with his love from beyond life. Talk about a character backstory! On top of that, she is a Blood Cleric of Matt Mercer's design, which I thought was a fun touch. She follows a god that fits her domain, but only through the manipulation of our awesome vampire's will.

Background - Verra remembers very few things before her life changed forever, or, so she assumed. The stunning purple dress with silver trim that gave her ebony, athletic frame more curve than what she really had, and the dark haired man...

The dress she remembered because it's what she woke up in... In a dark chamber on a stone slab on a raised dais. The sound of water lapping against the stairs beneath her is what woke her. She had blood dried on her neck, and her eyes hurt, but adjusted more quickly to the darkness than usual. The last part she didn't mind, as she spotted an open doorway in the far corner of the room.

She was grateful for her brown leather sandals when she submerged her feet into the cold water. The impulse to run overpowered her. The water splashed about as she ran to the door and rushed through it. The moment she did, her surroundings changed. A dull gray mist surrounded her in an open field, a dark silhouette of a castle built on the edge of a cliff loomed high overhead.

"Greetings Verra." The voice carried like a gentle breeze.

Mist gathered and swirled around her, caressing her exposed arms and shoulders, the feeling of breath behind her ear. She chilled, but did not move. She felt compelled to listen to this voice, this force of will.

"Become strong child, and serve..."

(The spells are hard to see, they consist of the following.)

Domain Spells - Sleep, Ray of Sickness

Level 1 Spells - Command, Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds, Protection from Evil and Good.

As stated before hand, I love this character right away and want to play her. But not in Barovia, at least not 'til higher levels, where he would call her back when she is strong enough and "worthy" enough to replace him. It's DMs choice on when that would be, but the role play ability and potential is insane! Makes my imagination go wild!

Vampires from Zendikar also have the ability to create a Null, a zombie-like creature with greater strength and speed than a typical zombie... This could possibly break the game if a party let it happen a lot! Because the Null is subservient to it's creator, although the DM could change this. Maybe the Null would behave like a zombie, but just stronger and faster? Of maybe whatever was turned would go to Verra's master *twists hands nefariously*. Or even still, she did start making an army of Null style creatures. They must be humanoid, so that means no Null-Dragons destroying the world persay (you're the DM, have a freakin' Null-Dragon if you want too!). Maybe Verra creates a Null that seizes control of her created army... and her and party now must face all past foes and then some.

As you can see, I can easily get carried away with this one, so I'm going to stop now! haha