Lady Gennifer Pretorius Ocrotire

Lady Gennifer Pretorius (alternatively, Lady Jenika)was a member of the Borcan gentry and resided in Lechberg. She was the sister of Lady Monique and niece of Count Pretorius. The latter was a Barovian relative, but he was eventually called to Borca to become the sisters' guardian after their father passed away .

Lady Gennifer became romantically involved with Vladimir Nobriskov, a man that once dated Monique. Known as the Scarlet Prince for his womanizing antics, Nobriskov was to all appearances mere foppish dandy. However, he was secretly werebat whom supped the blood of his romantic partners. As he courted Gennifer, Nobriskov secretly began seeing Monique again, ultimately to murder her. After Count Pretorius investigated the matter and discovered Nobriskov's responsibility, Nobriskov also murdered the count himself.

However, Nobriskov's treachery was eventually revealed, and the werebat was defeated. Lady Gennifer eventually fell in love with Lady Gennifer, and they later married. Seeking to forget the past, the couple relocated to a manor in the Steading. However, Nobriskov's bite left the affliction of lycanthropy with Gennifer, leading her to eventually become an essential component of the Night Swarm (see the cut Dread Possibility from Gazetteer IV, below).

Dread Possibility Cut from Gazetteer IV

The Night Swarm is a phenomenon that occurs on Mount Gries in Borca, with devastating effects on the countryside. Its origins lie with Vladimir Nobriskov, a true werebat who wooed a long string of young damsels, draining them of their blood before moving on to his next conquest. Nobriskov actively mimicked a vampire’s habits to mislead possible hunters, but his ruse eventually failed him. His final conquest was Lady Jenica Pretorius, a lovely but somewhat smug and wanton young Borcan noblewoman. After the Prince’s downfall, the shaken Lady Jenica married another suitor, Baron Amthor Ocrotire. The Ocrotires moved to a manor in the Steading, hoping to leave their horrific memories behind, but sadly, their tragic tale had just begun. Jenica is now an afflicted lycanthrope, and her trigger is the sound of screeching dire bats.

The bats within Mount Gries grow large and fierce, and several have developed a cruel and unnatural cunning (Int 6; considered Magical Beasts). One night they accidentally triggered Jenica’s transformation, and she involuntarily joined their swarm. Jenica’s bat empathy in hybrid form allows her to draw hundreds of Mount Gries’ denizens under her control, and her human intelligence allows the swarm to act with preternatural purpose and guile. Whenever Jenica transforms, the Night Swarm roams the Balinoks, decimating any unprotected herds or settlements they encounter. Although Jenica is the uniting factor, her dire bat “lieutenants” are the true menace. The bats instinctually understand her nature and the benefits her presence brings. Whenever Jenica reverts to human form and flees, they track her down and force her to unite the Night Swarm once more.

Should Jenica be killed but the dire bats survive, they will seek out new werebat figureheads to enslave. They may even shadow Jenica’s murderers, waiting to see if any of them have contracted her lycanthropy. The Ocrotires are desperate for a cure, but they know only the most basic lycanthropic lore. Baron Amthor has of late taken to locking Jenica in a soundproofed chamber at sunset, but the tenacious dire bats often manage to “free” her. Despite their desperation, the Ocrotires are highly secretive for fear that Borca’s lords may find her affliction “amusing.” Heroes may hear rumors of a noble who keeps his wife imprisoned in their manor, or be recruited to rescue Lady Jenica from her “abductors.”

Name Change

After the death of her sister and the Scarlet Prince, Gennifer is referred to as Jenica. Individual DM's may regard this as an author's error, a deliberate name change as part of her new life, or alternate translations of the same name (Mordentish and Balok?).

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Children of the Night: Werebeasts
		Children of the Night: Werebeasts - p36