Jacqueline Montarri

Jacqueline Montarri

Jacqueline Montarri

Jacqueline Montarri, a professional thief, could not stand the thought of time taking her beauty. She turned, quite madly, for an answer to one of the most powerful, and perhaps one of the oldest, individuals in existence. Initially Madame Eva refused to aid her in the quest for eternal beauty. Upon being threatened however, the raunie seemed to relent and directed her to the library of Count Strahd von Zarovich, whereupon Jacqueline murdered the old crone. Strahd was waiting for the thief and murderer, no doubt unhappy with the death of his ancient ally. The next day Jacqueline, still alive but caged, was presented as a criminal to a crowd of grim-faced villagers and executed by beheading. The Zarovan tribe arrived promptly to take possession of the corpse. Not content with the suffering of Montarri in the moments proceeding her death, they returned her to life, but not before hiding away her beautiful head (see:The Head of Jacqueline Montarri), and so set her on an eternal quest to recover it. She was not to be another Headless Horseman however. She could don temporarily the heads of others, a stolen head being held in place by a magic ribbon. The joy of being restored to life was not long lived for Jacqueline. Looking back at the vain woman from a pool of water was the head of Madame Eva. Montarri clawed at the ribbon and the head fell off.

Thus it was that Jacqueline discovered that she could survive without a head. So long as she dons a stolen head it is the head and not herself that ages, a year passing for every day that she wears it. In 3rd Edition, it is the appearance of the head that advances 1 year per day, and she suffers a negative level for every week she wears the head (or goes without a head, for that matter).

She currently resides in the Barovian town of Krezk where she leads the Red Vardo Traders which fronts her desperate search for her head. She can be found in the Red Vardo Traders Kresk Storefront or her manor, both in Krezk.

Jacqueline Montarri carries Ironfang, a magical vorpral longsword she stole from the Arak.

In To Sleep With Evil

Jacqueline Montarri appears in the Ravenloft product line novel To Sleep With Evil, where she is revealed to be a long time partner in crime of Lord Milos Donskoy (prior to him becoming darklord) and current day mistress. Jacqueline vists Donskoy once per month (when the Mists will it) in her magical carriage. During her visits, she along with Donskoy's men rob and murder travelers brought by (and lost in) the Mists.

Jacqueline Montarri is also something of a romantic rival to Marguerite de Boche, Donskoy's wife and protagonist in TSWE, as Donskoy's relationship with Montarri is more honest and perhaps more pleasurable. However, Montarri and Lord Donskoy also quarrel and insult each other. As in his relationship with Marguerite de Boche (Donskoy's wife), Lord Donskoy is at times abusive with Montarri. During one of their arguments, Lord Donskoy scars one of Montarri's heads for insulting him.

A key pattern in Lord Donskoy and Montarri's disagreement revolves around trust. Montarri wishes to carry on Donskoy's business and wishes access to his ledger, especially to see what kind of objects Azalin Rex might want. She also implores Donskoy to lend her some of his men and write her a letter of recommendation to Montarri. Despite her years of service to him, he declines all of her requests, trusting her not to pick up his old "business". Instead, Donskoy places his trust in his son with Marguerite to resume his formerly lucrative business as a "procurer" (professional thief) of objects and rejuvenate his kingdom. Montarri warns Donskoy not to trust Margeurite or especially Zosia, Donskoy's Vistani servant and Marguerite's midwife. However, Donskoy rejects her warnings, stating that Zosia is "tamed" and powerless (a reference to her mortu nature).

Although Montarri's objections are tainted by personal self-interest, racist bigotry, and the fact that the Vistani cursed her, Montarri's warnings turn out to be correct. The object of his hope turns out to be his undoing, as Zosia subverts Marguerite's pregnancy to make what is born a serpent of shadow that kills Donskoy rather than a child of flesh and blood.

Chronology

• 469 Jacqueline Montarri born in Krezk. [MCAI&II pg. 89: She killed Madame Eva while in “her late twenties.” See “495: Jacqueline Montarri murders” for derivation of that date.]
• 485 The teenaged Jacqueline Montarri is recognized as both one of Barovia’s most skilled rogues and as one of its most beautiful women. [MCAI&II pg. 89]
• 495 Jacqueline Montarri murders Madame Eva and is horrifically cursed.

Noncanon Information

Beheaded: Collected Tales is a book that Jacqueline Montarri is writing in her spare time. Her decades old quest to find her lost head has brought her into contact with some of the most remarkable accounts of beheadings and like fates. Eventually, she decide set the best of these down in writing. She finds the work extreme therapeutic and has started collecting the heads of writers to help her in the task. Currently, she considers the work to be less than half-finished.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Monsterous Compendium I & II - pp88-91 Monsterous Compendium II - "Human, Cursed (Jacqueline Montarri)" Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I
		Monsterous Compendium I & II - pp68,88 Monsterous Compendium II - "Human, Cursed (Jacqueline Montarri)" Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p149
		Monsterous Compendium I & II - pp88-91 Monsterous Compendium II - "Human, Cursed (Jacqueline Montarri)" Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - pp147-149
		Monsterous Compendium I & II - pp88-91 Monsterous Compendium II - "Human, Cursed (Jacqueline Montarri)" The Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p9 Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - pp147-149