Chezna the Blood-Cat

Chezna the Blood-Cat is a red-haired giomorgo ("half-vistani") bandit with an inherent talent for attracting the attention of consequential individuals. Prior to 3rd edition, she was described as a darkling.

By 729 BC, and probably earlier, Chezna was leading a band of brigands known as the Briarweed Forest Bandits based in the Briarweed Forest of north-central Nova Vaasa. Perhaps spurred by reports of her Vistani heritage or by knowledge of her methods, Othmar Bolshnik approached her in that year to purchase a poison with which to slowly poison to death his father, Prince Kethmar Bolshnik. She granted him this boon and he replaced his dead father as Prince of Nova Vaasa. In 733 BC Malken contacted Chezna, among others with whom Prince Othmar had secretly treated, as part of an effort to compile evidence against him for the purpose of blackmail . . . should the need ever arise. In 741 BC Prince Othmar began covering his tracks and attempted to have Chezna silenced permanently by the efforts of a band of foreign mercenaries. She was driven out of the Briarweed Forest, obliged to roam the land, and responded with an unprecedented reign of terror that so blackened her name that any evidence she were ever to give against Prince Othmar would be dismissed out of hand.

In 758 BC an agent of Azalin Rex who signs her reports with a "S" was confronted by the Gentleman Caller who complained about the interest that she and her master had taken in his children, inviting the conclusion (confirmed by the Kargatane) that Chezna, whom "S" had just researched, is his daughter.

Game Statistics

2nd Edition: female darkling, Chaotic Evil

Chronology

729 Othmar Bolshnik conspires with Chezna (a darkling and leader of a ruthless band of thieves known as the Briarweed Forest Bandits) to slowly poison his father, Kethmar Bolshnik. Because Othmar’s older brother is a mad killer kept in the Clinic for the Mentally Distressed, Othmar becomes Prince, but Sir Tristen Hiregaard is made his regent (per Kethmaar’s final request).

733 Prince Othmar reaches secret understandings with Malken and with the bandits, offering them a measure of protection from legal authorities in return for gold. Malken contacts the bandits, including Chezna the Blood-cat, to compile evidence that might be used to blackmail Othmar should the need ever arise.

741 Othmar tries and fails to have Chezna the Blood-cat silenced for all eternity by a band of foreign adventurers. The Vistani outcast and bandit leader replies with a reign of terror. She is, however, driven out of her base in Briarweed Forest and obliged to roam the land.

758 An incident that befalls the agent of Azalin known as S in Tepest suggests that the Vistani outcast and bandit leader Chezna the Blood-cat might be the daughter of a mysterious gentleman.

Note

The Awakening labels Chezna as a Darkling, but only full-blooded Vistani can be darklings, and as a child of The Gentleman Caller, she would only be partially Vistani. Comments from John Mangrum indicate that the authors intended to retcon her into a half-vistani who had been mistaken for a darkling, so that she could be the Gentleman Caller's child.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		The Awakening Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V
		The Awakening - p20 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V - p15
		The Awakening - p22
		The Awakening - pp21-22 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V -p15,81-82,150
		Chezna the Blood-cat Chezna