The Father of the Church of Barovia and the literal father of Doru Stefanovich, Stefan grew up a fearful man living under Strahd von Zarovich's terror. He survived in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, but his wife passed during childbirth, leaving him along with his parish. He raised Doru to the best of his abilities in such a cursed village, however, and was respected by the few non-mad residents of the ghost town.
Doru was swept up in a local effort to attack Castle Ravenloft, and was turned into a Vampire Spawn by the Count himself. He returned to the village to terrorize it at Strahd's behest, but was lured into the Church's undercroft by his father, who locked him inside. Father Donavich had complete, desperate faith that the Morninglord would fix his son's condition, and so listened to his cries alone. As months passed and Doru's hunger grew more painful, Father Donavich was driven half-mad by the pain and loneliness, no longer receiving any visitors to his church.