Baron Sengir

Across the planes, conventional wisdom for many holds that the fearsome Count Strahd von Zarovich is the original progenitor of all vampires, and that through his curse all vampires were born. True planar historians, however, can isolate several varying sources of the vampiric curse. Strahd von Zarovich is only one among many, including the bloodthirsty Edgar Markov, and the ruthless Baron Sengir.   Curse in the Family The current Baron Sengir, unlike other vampiric progenitors, did not actively seek his transformation. Instead, it was forced upon him by his father, in an attempt to save his son's life. For his efforts, his father was killed by a swarm of carnivorous rats, and the current Baron was brought back from death with a thirst for blood and a fear of the sun.   Left to Fester Unable to rejoin society, and repair the damage his father had done to the surrounding lands as he had intended, Baron Sengir grew callous, angry and hateful as the centuries slowly passed. Whiling away his time in isolation, forced to survive by feeding on those who served him, the Baron would eventually discard the moral compass which led him to betray his father's efforts. As his tyranny grew more oppressive, the Baron's methods for taking blood grew more volatile, and he would turn to hunting humans like prey for his nightly meals.   New World, New Start The Baron would eventually find himself forcibly pulled to another world altogether, the plane of Ulgortha, and stranded there once his summoner was killed. Turning a nearby dwarven stronghold into his own castle, the Baron set out to conquer Ulgortha, kidnapping the people of other lands and forcing them to live in the shadowy swamps under his rule. Plotting through centuries, Baron Sengir's plans were foiled time and again by the presence of Serra and Ferozz, two indredibly powerful planeswalkers who repelled the Baron and disrupted his schemes. Eventually Feroz would die, causing Serra to forever leave Ulgrotha, soon after meeting her own end. With no true opposition, the Baron slowly took hold of the rest of Ulgortha, crafting an enormous army to send through the planar portal below his castle, intent on using it to take control of other new worlds.   Castle Sengir, Bridge to Elsewhere The Baron Sengir still makes his home in the dwarven fortress which he conquered hundreds of years ago, after first arriving on Ulgrotha. Renaming it Castle Sengir, after the manor he left behind, the Baron has transformed the once glimmering halls into shadowed corridors more fitting his moods and personality. While inside the Castle Sengir, the Baron's own powers are greatly enhanced, and while the Baron does occasionally cross the portal to other worlds to lead his armies, he prefers to face his greatest threats from within the comfort of his home.   Lair Actions On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Baron Sengir takes a lair action to cause one of the follow effects; Baron Sengir can't sue the same effect two rounds in a row:

• The very walls of the castle obey the Baron's commands, twisting and shaping to his desires. The Baron casts the wall of stone spell. The walls created by this spell remain for 1 minute, or until the Baron dies or uses this action again.
• Shadows stir in the corners of Castle Sengir, growing thick and moving at the Baron's will, allowing him to cast the darkness spell. The Baron can see through this magical darkness as if it were nonmagical, and the spell's effects last for 1 minute, or until the Baron dies or uses this action again.
• Castle Sengir's menagerie is the Baron's pride and joy, filled with dozens of bloodthirsty predators, each of them perfectly trained to heed Baron Sengir's every command. The Baron summons 1d4 swarm of bats or rats and 1d6 wolves, which arrive immediately, bursting forth from the castle's myriad shadows. The called creatures act as allies of the baron and obey his spoken commands, remaining until the baron dies or dismisses them as a bonus action.
• Baron Sengir has learned to make the most the planar portal's unusual effects, allowing him to cast the dimension door spell using this action. To do so, the Baron must be in an area of dim light or darkness, and the spell can transport the Baron only to another area within the castle.

Regional Effects Beneath Castle Sengir sits an abandoned dwarven city, with a functioning planar portal as its centerpiece. The constant opening of this portal to accommodate the Baron's armies has begun to fray the planar boundary, creating distortions in the area surrounding Castle Sengir, and resulting in the following effects:

• Spells cast within 5 miles of Castle Sengir which teleport creatures, such as misty step or dimension door, do not function unless cast by Baron Sengir.
• Within 10 miles of Castle Sengir, the land stretches and warps at random intervals, impossible to predict. When a creature travels within 10 miles of Castle Sengir, roll a d20. On a 10 or less, the distance traveled takes 1d4 additional hours; on an 11 or above the distance traveled takes 1d4 fewer hours.
• Undead within 1 mile of Castle Sengir have advantage on saving throws made to resist being turned or rebuked.