Strahd himself was shot down by the arrows of the castle guard. Even so, he did not die, but went on to rule the land of Barovia as a vampire. The adventure itself takes place centuries after these events, and centers upon the efforts of the player characters to help a young Barovian woman, Ireena Kolyana, escape the dreadful fate of so many others on whom "the devil Strahd" has cast his eye over the generations. The setting includes not only castle Ravenloft itself, but also the nearby village of Barovia, and a camp of gypsies led by one Madame Eva, who had formed a kind of alliance with the vampire. Through the course of the adventure, players have the opportunity to learn Strahd's backstory and discover that Ireena is herself the reincarnation of Tatyana. Strahd von Zarovich himself is noted as being the first truly well-developed villain to appear in the "AD&D" game system, being fully capable of changing the course of events to suit his own evil ends. The immediate popularity of "Ravenloft" proved sufficient to warrant a sequel, I10: "Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill", again casting Strahd von Zarovich in the central, villainous role. Set in the quiet, seaside town of Mordentshire, players of this adventure are confronted by "two" Strahds—the same monstrous vampire from "Ravenloft" (now referred to as the Creature), and a very human counterpart, known as the Alchemist. Much more ambitious in scope than the original, the plot of "Ravenloft II" requires the players to discover the true nature of the vampiric threat afflicting Mordentshire, and then to discover the secret identity of the Creature and destroy him. Nothing of note is added to original nature or history of Strahd von Zarovich in the course of the adventure, though a number of characters of lesser importance, including the lich Azalin make their first appearance in this publication as well. The two "Ravenloft" adventures, taken together, represent an analog of the Bram Stoker classic, Dracula. "Ravenloft", set in a remote, mountainous land inhabited by superstitious peasants, gypsies and the gothic castle of the vampire himself, mirrors the early, Transylvania-based chapters of Stoker's novel. Similarly, "Ravenloft II" draws its inspiration from the English setting of "Dracula", and even duplicates in considerable detail the pastoral geography of Whitby.