Madame Eva

[Teravala]

I've seen mentioned in passing that Madame Eva "looks as old as she feels" but I cant seem to find any printed info that backs this up. Does anyone know where I could find more info on that? If I recall I first saw it in some notes from the gazeteer authors I read on here, but I could be wrong about that point.

[alhoon]

I think the answer is "as old as you need her to be". Furthermore with her time travelling abilities and vague entrance in Ravenloft (do we know how old she was when she made the pact with Strahd?) it is quite a challenge to pin down her age at ANY time.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I've seen mentioned in passing that Madame Eva "looks as old as she feels" but I cant seem to find any printed info that backs this up. Does anyone know where I could find more info on that? If I recall I first saw it in some notes from the gazeteer authors I read on here, but I could be wrong about that point.

Ravenloft Gazetteer I p.136-137

Madame Eva is a Zarovan Vistani. She appears as a wizened crone, with a deeply lined face and squinting eyes heavy with knowledge, but she has always appeared as a wizened crone in all centuries she has existed in the Land of Mists. Her true age is unknown. Vistani lore holds that Eva's age reflects her inner thoughts: she is as old as she feels.

[Teravala]

Thank you very much. This is really interesting as it would seem that you could in theory run into Eva as a young woman, should she simply be made to feel as such? But yes, it does seem she is especially hard to pin down, part of why I like her so much I think

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Thank you very much. This is really interesting as it would seem that you could in theory run into Eva as a young woman, should she simply be made to feel as such? But yes, it does seem she is especially hard to pin down, part of why I like her so much I think

but she has always appeared as a wizened crone in all centuries she has existed in the Land of Mists.

The look how she feels is Vistani lore. As I see it she always "feels" too wise to be younger than she looks.

[paireon]

but she has always appeared as a wizened crone in all centuries she has existed in the Land of Mists.

The look how she feels is Vistani lore. As I see it she always "feels" too wise to be younger than she looks.

IIRC I've read someone who raised the possibility that the Gentleman Caller could possibly try and seduce Madame Eva, making her feel young again and therefore making her actually young again, so he could sire on her probably his ultimate offspring, for what it's worth.

[Teravala]

but she has always appeared as a wizened crone in all centuries she has existed in the Land of Mists.

The look how she feels is Vistani lore. As I see it she always "feels" too wise to be younger than she looks.

IIRC I've read someone who raised the possibility that the Gentleman Caller could possibly try and seduce Madame Eva, making her feel young again and therefore making her actually young again, so he could sire on her probably his ultimate offspring, for what it's worth.

That’s actually exactly what I was going to bring up. It could happen, but is unlikely unless it was part of a story beat, I think it was in a discussion about the plans for the S metapolot.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

One of the changes to I6 they made with Curse of Strahd was to make Eva Strahd’s illegitimate and secret sister, which is one of the changes I genuinely enjoyed.

It opens up a lot of possibilities story wise.

[paireon]

but she has always appeared as a wizened crone in all centuries she has existed in the Land of Mists.

The look how she feels is Vistani lore. As I see it she always "feels" too wise to be younger than she looks.

IIRC I've read someone who raised the possibility that the Gentleman Caller could possibly try and seduce Madame Eva, making her feel young again and therefore making her actually young again, so he could sire on her probably his ultimate offspring, for what it's worth.

That’s actually exactly what I was going to bring up. It could happen, but is unlikely unless it was part of a story beat, I think it was in a discussion about the plans for the S metapolot.

Yeah, that was probably it.

One of the changes to I6 they made with Curse of Strahd was to make Eva Strahd’s illegitimate and secret sister, which is one of the changes I genuinely enjoyed.

It opens up a lot of possibilities story wise.

Eh, different strokes I guess, because personally I feel it's about as ridiculous as what they did in 3.5's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft* (i.e. make Eva an annis hag). Just sounds like a contrived asspull to me.

*Seriously I will never forgive Hasbro for pulling the license from Arthaus/White Wolf for this tripe. You can literally trace back how it all started to go wrong for official published Ravenloft material to this book, as it started the dumb notion of always trying to reinvent the wheel in the silliest ways possible.

[alhoon]

I actually like (not sure if I would use) the "illegitimate sister" for Madam Eva. Gives them a closer bond.

[Teravala]

One of the changes to I6 they made with Curse of Strahd was to make Eva Strahd’s illegitimate and secret sister, which is one of the changes I genuinely enjoyed.

It opens up a lot of possibilities story wise.

I’m glad you enjoyed it. I don’t agree, but I am ok with people liking things for their games that I don’t.

[alhoon]

Weeeeeeell... while I enjoy it intellectually or as a "what if", I don't think I would utilize it in my Ravenloft games as canon.

[Teravala]

Weeeeeeell... while I enjoy it intellectually or as a "what if", I don't think I would utilize it in my Ravenloft games as canon.

It’s definitely cool as a what if, maybe even something for a distorted mirror world version of the realm?

[Jeremy16]

IIRC I've read someone who raised the possibility that the Gentleman Caller could possibly try and seduce Madame Eva, making her feel young again and therefore making her actually young again, so he could sire on her probably his ultimate offspring, for what it's worth.

That’s actually exactly what I was going to bring up. It could happen, but is unlikely unless it was part of a story beat, I think it was in a discussion about the plans for the S metapolot.

Yeah, that was probably it.

One of the changes to I6 they made with Curse of Strahd was to make Eva Strahd’s illegitimate and secret sister, which is one of the changes I genuinely enjoyed.

It opens up a lot of possibilities story wise.

Eh, different strokes I guess, because personally I feel it's about as ridiculous as what they did in 3.5's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft* (i.e. make Eva an annis hag). Just sounds like a contrived asspull to me.

*Seriously I will never forgive Hasbro for pulling the license from Arthaus/White Wolf for this tripe. You can literally trace back how it all started to go wrong for official published Ravenloft material to this book, as it started the dumb notion of always trying to reinvent the wheel in the silliest ways possible.

I call this the Star Wars Effect. Not every single person has to be related to each other in order to tell a good story. Whatever happened to serendipitous meetings? I really feel like this kind of idea is lazy writing and a way to create cheap drama without actually putting in any real work to a story.

[Mephisto of the FoS]