Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

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Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Nemesio »

Hello all. Looking for some opinions. I'm fleshing out BC 739 Barovia for an ongoing Pathfinder campaign using elements from Curse of Strahd. Although I generally love the book, I'm having a little trouble melding it into the 3rd edition White Wolf sourcebooks (which I adore), or even the original Realm of Terror boxed set.

I'm assuming that Curse of Strahd works easiest if set in BC 735, seeing how that is when Van Richten most likely visited the Domain and researched the Count. Now here's my conundrum: If Ireena Kolyana was originally introduced in BC 528 but you decide to disregard that fact, what's Tara Kolyana up to at the time. Tara is (or at least was) always roaming the Core in BC 735 according to the original 2nd Ravenloft supplements. Are there two reincarnations of Tatyana walking around at the same time? The concept of a nonlinear Limbo-like timeline (at least in Barovia) appeals to me. Anything works as long as Strahd is made to suffer in his prison sort of thing...

Another quick question about Rahadin the Chamerlain of Castle Ravenloft who appears in Curse of Strahd. I frigging love this character BTW, especially his curse, where screams of his countless victims literally broadcasts to everyone within 10 feet that he is an utter sociopath, and he can't hear them himself! Classic Dark Powers checks stuff... Anyway. I just can't see this guy having survived Jander Sunstar's long stay at Castle Ravenloft. If Vampire of the Mists is to be considered acceptable canon, wouldn't Rahadin have been prudent to stay the F away from Jander?
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Ender »

If I remember correctly, 735 was when Tara receives her Call to Action, having witnessed a werewolf attack and decides to help people. But it's also when her parents make her promise to never go to Barovia. And she's be 17. There's a few quick options I could see here:

1. Tara witnesses the werewolf attack in Barovia (which could tie into the Werewolf attack adventure hook provided in CoS) while away from her parents.
2. Tara goes to Barovia after becoming an Achorite specifically because her parents tell her not to, reasoning it must be dangerous in Barovia and that's exactly what she seeks to aid others with.
3. Tara travels through Barovia to spread the church's good word, which is why she wants to get to the church in Vallaki in the first place.
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Nemesio »

Cool Ender. Thanks for your response. :) So you are saying you would just avoid using Ireena Kolyana, who had lived hundreds of years before Van Richten, according to older Ravenloft products and substitute Tara as the reincarnation in CoS?
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Ender »

Personally, if I wanted to make it fit with the Gazetteers, yeah, probably. But then, I'd change a lot about Curse of Strahd.
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Nemesio »

Ha! Yah, me too! The Gazetteers rule! So much work went into them. But then again, a lot obviously went into CoS too. Its well written, but obviously created to be an homage and stand alone. ;)
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Dion of the Fraternity »

Eh, anything can happen. I did mention before that in one of my campaigns Tatyana returned as a man.
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Nemesio »

Wow Dion! Countess Astrid Von Zarovich what a trip! I'd love to know what all the PCs were playing in that campaign!
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Zilfer »

Player here, I don’t see why the Dark Powers couldn’t create a “Tatyana” that looked exactly like her (since Tara doesn’t look quite like her at least hair color wise right?) I mean there are many “soulless” husks running around in that module, maybe it’s someone else’s soul in this form of Ireena. Curse of Strahd leaves a great deal up to the DM to come up with an resolve for their own particular campaign. Not sure which elements you are looking into for this Nemesio but only the “loremongers” are likely to see the ‘plotholes’ and in Ravenloft I feel that it’s possible to have plotholes.

In fact I dare say I think in the 3e it actually openly stats it’s OK to [edit: mess] with time. I seem to recall reading in one of the handbooks that the players may leave for example Mordentshire traveling to Invidia and upon arriving realize after 3 days of travel they have arrived 3 WEEKS before they had even left the previous location. (Visa versa too!) A good way to throw players back and forth and keep them on their toes. I’ve done this a few times, or taken liberties with my own campaign to mesh multiple timelines closer together.

So perhaps Tara being outside of Barovia long enough caused the Dark Powers to create a “Pseudo Tatyana” to replace her. If I recall she can be reincarnated even “off plane” as Sarah was it? In vampires of the mist that Jander ended up loving or at least caring for?

Anyways my two blood drops.
Last edited by Gonzoron of the FoS on Mon Aug 01, 2016 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: It may openly state it, but not in grandma-rule violating language :)
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Garudos Celestar »

It's also worth noting that there's a 3rd reincarnation of Tatyana running around in the contemporary era: Kristina von Zarovich, who reincarnated on prime material Barovia and was featured in Roots of Evil (my own personal preference is to have Kristina be the current generation's "official" reincarnation, leaving Strahd even more frustrated once he realizes that the reason he was unable to locate her this time around was that she was on a different plane the entire time).
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

Zilfer wrote:Player here, I don’t see why the Dark Powers couldn’t create a “Tatyana” that looked exactly like her (since Tara doesn’t look quite like her at least hair color wise right?) .
I also thought so, but when I brought it up several years ago I was corrected. They are both redheads, and always have been.
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Nemesio »

Zilfer wrote:Player here, I don’t see why the Dark Powers couldn’t create a “Tatyana” that looked exactly like her (since Tara doesn’t look quite like her at least hair color wise right?) I mean there are many “soulless” husks running around in that module, maybe it’s someone else’s soul in this form of Ireena. Curse of Strahd leaves a great deal up to the DM to come up with an resolve for their own particular campaign. Not sure which elements you are looking into for this Nemesio but only the “loremongers” are likely to see the ‘plotholes’ and in Ravenloft I feel that it’s possible to have plotholes.

In fact I dare say I think in the 3e it actually openly stats it’s OK to [edit: mess] with time. I seem to recall reading in one of the handbooks that the players may leave for example Mordentshire traveling to Invidia and upon arriving realize after 3 days of travel they have arrived 3 WEEKS before they had even left the previous location. (Visa versa too!) A good way to throw players back and forth and keep them on their toes. I’ve done this a few times, or taken liberties with my own campaign to mesh multiple timelines closer together.

So perhaps Tara being outside of Barovia long enough caused the Dark Powers to create a “Pseudo Tatyana” to replace her. If I recall she can be reincarnated even “off plane” as Sarah was it? In vampires of the mist that Jander ended up loving or at least caring for?

Anyways my two blood drops.
All good points Zilfer. Thanks for chiming in. You know me. After reading the module I had to scavenge it for parts for our pathfinder campaign. Actually looking forward to your reactions in game, whenever the PCs get around to Barovia anyway...
Last edited by Gonzoron of the FoS on Mon Aug 01, 2016 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: It may openly state it, but not in grandma-rule violating language :)
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Nemesio »

Garudos Celestar wrote:It's also worth noting that there's a 3rd reincarnation of Tatyana running around in the contemporary era: Kristina von Zarovich, who reincarnated on prime material Barovia and was featured in Roots of Evil (my own personal preference is to have Kristina be the current generation's "official" reincarnation, leaving Strahd even more frustrated once he realizes that the reason he was unable to locate her this time around was that she was on a different plane the entire time).
Yes! Thanks Garudos Celestar! Kristina von Zarovich! That was her name. She would be an excellent addition to any campaign centered around the Grand Conjunction!

In my campaign I think Tara and Kristina are enough "living" Tatyanas running around for my taste. Ireena would be an undead bride of Strahd like the other past reincarnations.
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Zilfer »

DeepShadow of FoS wrote:
Zilfer wrote:Player here, I don’t see why the Dark Powers couldn’t create a “Tatyana” that looked exactly like her (since Tara doesn’t look quite like her at least hair color wise right?) .
I also thought so, but when I brought it up several years ago I was corrected. They are both redheads, and always have been.
Really? I'm pretty sure in the Gazeteer the way she was drawn seems to indicate she's blonde. That actually surprises me!!!! I don't remember there being any sort of shading in Talon's drawing. o.o'
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Ender »

"A natural beauty in her late 30s, Tara Kolyana has a creamy complexion, full lips, a gentle face, expressive emerald green eyes, and auburn hair, highly unusual traits for an ethnic Barovian." -Gaz 1, pg. 144

"Ireena, a striking young woman with auburn hair, has been bitten twice by Strahd." -CoS, pg. 45
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Re: Ireena and Tara Kolyana relationship in Curse of Strahd

Post by Zilfer »

Ender wrote:"A natural beauty in her late 30s, Tara Kolyana has a creamy complexion, full lips, a gentle face, expressive emerald green eyes, and auburn hair, highly unusual traits for an ethnic Barovian." -Gaz 1, pg. 144

"Ireena, a striking young woman with auburn hair, has been bitten twice by Strahd." -CoS, pg. 45
Yep, that makes me have to do some mental retraining because everytime I've ever thought of Tara it has been blonde. xD Time to go back to Gazeteer 1!!!


Edit: I knew all the other incarnations had auburn hair.
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