Jackie Montarri

[Joël of the FoS]

... is the star of my next couple of sessions. The PCs will need to either invade her manor or try to negociate with her about a thing she is keeping (if anybody asks you: it's a red cap held in a cage, that has the soul of a changeling).

Since JM's heads wither over time and "dies", Jacqueline can't be a very well known popular figure in Krezk? She must be an extremely rare sighting? Otherwise, people who have previously seen her, or dealed with her (the RVT is famous afterall), would notice her head is always different? I don't think her curse is well known!

What is known about JM in Krezk? All that is to know about the RVT, plus that she is herself rarely seen?

Would it work better if she had a trusted #2 NPC, that takes requests?

Joël

[steveflam]

A second npc is fine. Is she the leader of the Red Vardo's in your game or you haven't adopted that? One of her men could easily fill that job.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

She could be an infamous recluse. Always hooded, veiled, etc. Or she could cultivate rumors that she's a wizard and cloaks her true face in an illusion.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

One possible solution to the issue would be for her to let the people she deals with "accidentally" discover that she (apparently) owns a hat of disguise. If the right sorts of people (i.e. the shady merchants and smugglers she does business with) think she's using a magic item to change her face, they'll not only respect her for her cunning, but they'll be impressed that she's competent enough at acquiring rare goods to have tracked down a genuine magical item.

[Joël of the FoS]

Indeed Ron, but that does contradict Gaz1's "Jacqueline often stays at storefront for the RVT in Krek, where she oversees the acquisition of objects from across the Realms".

There is a problem with this if her head is withering and dying over time

Seems I am the first to pinpoint this design bug?

An object giving her an illusion of a face would work, but that's somewhat removing a few of what makes Montarri so fun. "How come she has a new face? Wait, she is casting a spell!"

I'll perhaps add that she has a specific head that doesn't wither, or does so very very slowly, and doesn't give her any additionnal powers, one that just doesn't die over time. That is her "public" face. Other heads wither from negative levels and fall off. This one doesn't.

I'll also give her a bag of holding for keeping close a few heads in hat boxes.

Joël

[HuManBing]

The storefront canon does make it tricky, that's true. What if she was pretending to be merely the "front" for the organization, similar to Vasily Von Holtz and Strahd? If she was pretending to be the receptionist or the adviser to the mysterious "aesthete buyer/benefactor", she could feasibly change heads every so often and pretend that she was a completely different shopgirl hired for the job.

Depending on the changes of outfits, most dealers and sellers might simply not notice her change.

I don't have the relevant Gazetteer with me, but I can't recall if Jacqueline Montarri's voice also changes with the head. I recall her from 2nd Ed.'s RMCII but it was not clear if her decapitation severed her vocal cords as well.

[Zilfer]

I'm pretty sure her voice does not change. I do remember her having Madame Eva's head because she killed Eva. (who's still alive) <--- just weird and never really got why except that the Zarovan Vistani must be time travelers! Hence Ron's and your Favorite thing of "We've met before, but for them it hasn't happened yet."

You could feasibly say that the Eva head doesn't age. The problem with her personality though, i believe she likes looking "pretty" or attractive. (wow.... just thought of an old grandma having a body like Montarri.... <.< xD)

Not sure if there are any rules but maybe she could have a wooden or steel 'head'. Where it looks like she's wearing a mask. If it was (Metal) that would 'age' a lot slower. Just a thought....

[vipera aspis]

I always her wearing a veil as her head began to decompose. I tied it in to the moon cycles. So early on in the first stages it would have been a thin translucent veil, almost attractive in candlelight; to in the far end of the cycle: a full on Victorian funeral veil. Thus she could be known alternately as The Veiled Lady. Which could function as a secondary identity or primary identity to local thieves guilds. I thought that might work well with your question of what's known of her.

[brothersale]

I was under the impression in her MCII background that her Madame Eva head doesn't age, but as it is an ancient and ugly head, she hates wearing it. As such she actively avoids wearing it, even to the point that she has never realised that it is the one head that does not age.

[Mangrum]

She does wear a scarf and veil in public, yes.

[Zilfer]

Mangrum is there anything you don't know? XD

[Joël of the FoS]

OK, she wears a scarf and veil, thank you, I missed that.

Then: What do local people say about her? Why do they think she is doing this (hiding her face)?

[Five]

OK, she wears a scarf and veil, thank you, I missed that.

Then: What do local people say about her? Why do they think she is doing this (hiding her face)?

Intentional/General gossip: Permanent mourning for a loved one (lover/husband). Compounded by a few intentionally loud/overheard (she knows the gossip bags in town) "conversations". It's easily maintained as it is a half-truth: she's mourning her true self/face/head.

General gossip: Protection/Anonymity. Her business deals with a lot of strange outsiders and their oddities. Her identity should be safeguarded against them, and her neighbours. Maybe it's known that she's shady. That would be more than enough reason to keep her face faceless.

Kids gossip: She's just weird. Krezk's version of the infamous cat lady. Some versions are, ironically, closer to the truth than any other rumour in town. She hides a needle mouth that eats kids that hang around the back of her store; her face is horribly melted; she has skeleton eyes, etc. Hell, it might even be fun for the DM to throw in the truth amongst the (outlandish?) rumours. Just make it a moral dilemma. (Insert local youth's name) has seen her switch heads one night while skulking about. Only thing is they'll only talk if you get them and their friends drunk. Which of course will get the PCs driven out of town (at best) if the parents find out that they are corrupting their youth through such abhorrent behaviour. Might even call for a DP check. Truth comes with a price..

Merchant/Competitor gossip: It's a professional signature/visual calling card/sales pitch/persona. Again, odd. But easily ignored (after eyeroll).

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I'm pretty sure her voice does not change. I do remember her having Madame Eva's head because she killed Eva. (who's still alive) <--- just weird and never really got why except that the Zarovan Vistani must be time travelers!

Indeed they are. Or more accurately, they exist outside of time as we know it. See VRG to Vistani for more details.


Another potential gossip about why she's veiled: she's obviously from some foreign land (in the mists?) where the women veil themselves. Never trust a foreigner! (this is Barovia, after all...)

[Joël of the FoS]

Very good ideas, thank you all.