Incarnations of Tatyana

The curse that engulfs @Barovia means that the soul of Tatyana, the subject of @Strahd von Zarovich's obsession, perpetually reincarnates into new physical forms. No matter what form she takes, Strahd unceasingly seeks her, determined to possess her and soothe his rejected ego. The following section explores creating stories with Tatyana's latest incarnation at their center. This incarnation—whether an unwitting innocent, a determined vampire, a villain, or something else entirely—influences both Strahd's and the characters' relationship with her. Consider how changing Tatyana's incarnation allows the DM to give a distinct spin to Ravenloft's classic tale.

Who Is Tatyana?

When building a new version of Tatyana, use the Tatyana's Incarnation table to determine the character's basic description, or create an original idea. Once satisfied, consult the following "Connection to Strahd" section to determine the incarnation's relationship to @Barovia's Darklord, or create an original idea. Alternatively, should Tatyana's incarnation to appear outside Barovia and potentially lead adventurers to Strahd's domain, consider the plots in the "Beyond Barovia" section, or create an original idea.

Tatyana's Incarnation
d8 - Who Is Tatyana's Newest Incarnation?
1 - @Ireena Kolyana, the adopted daughter of burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich of the @Village of Barovia
2 - @Ez d'Avenir, vampire slayer and protégé of @Rudolph van Richten
3 - @Vasilka, a @Flesh Golem who lives in the abbey near the @Village of Krezk
4 - The identical twins Yasmine and Nasseri, who are devout servants of the god Ezra
5 - Renoir Laurent, the teenage son of Chantal Laurent, a woman Strahd abducted years ago
6 - Petra Rilenovich, a young prodigy who has gained local renown for her remarkable paintings of what she calls her "dream lives"
7 - Vanasia, the leader of a far-ranging Vistani band
8 - Quentin L'Argent, the dragonborn son of human goat herders living near the ruined manor @Argynvostholt.

Connection to Strahd

Once what form Tatyana's current incarnation takes has been determined, consider how the character feels toward @Barovia's Darklord. If a version of Tatyana wants to stay away from Strahd, whether or not the incarnation knows they possess Tatyana's soul, roll on the Avoiding Strahd table, or create an original idea. Alternatively, if they're compelled to destroy Strahd, roll on the Hunting Strahd table, or create an original idea.

Avoiding Strahd
d8 - Concealment
1 - The incarnation pretends to be a religious zealot who took a vow of silence.
2 - The incarnation (or their guardians) made a bargain with @Madam Eva or the Keepers of the Feather to hide the incarnation from @Strahd von Zarovich.
3 - The incarnation is the ward of a famous monster hunter, who might not know the soul's identity.
4 - The incarnation was adopted by a group of Vistani travelers and rarely visits Barovia.
5 - The incarnation hides from Strahd by taking a magic potion that causes them to sleep for all but one hour a day.
6 - The incarnation uses magic to appear as an old person, a child, or a white raven.
7 - Some evil, such as @The Abbot of the @Abbey of Saint Markovia or an inhabitant of the @Amber Temple, cloaks the incarnation's existence from Strahd.
8 - The incarnation lives a charmed life and is heedless of the count, not realizing Strahd is cultivating them until a particular time.

Hunting Strahd
d10 - Hunting Method
1 - The incarnation seeks to become the greatest monster hunter ever, training constantly so they're prepared when Strahd eventually appears.
2 - The incarnation misguidedly plans to redeem Strahd through their exceptional kindness or faith.
3 - The incarnation knows their true nature and has weaponized their blood with poison that will put Strahd to sleep for a generation.
4 - The incarnation seeks to resurrect a historic figure to battle Strahd, perhaps Sergei von Zarovich, the first Tatyana, or another enemy of the count.
5 - The incarnation has located a relic that can weaken Strahd, such as the @Holy Symbol of Ravenkind (Good Cleric/Paladin) or the @Sunsword. However, they need the heroes to recover the item while they distract the count.
6 - The incarnation used powerful magic to lead the heroes to Barovia so they can destroy Strahd.
7 - The incarnation has joined the Keepers of the Feather and seeks to organize a siege of @Castle Ravenloft.
8 - The incarnation feels the weight of their past lives and seeks a way to end their cycle of rebirth by freeing @Barovia from @The Mists—or destroying it.
9 - The incarnation falls in with a sinister group such as the Priests of Osybus and seeks to manipulate Strahd to further their organization's schemes.
10 - The incarnation has drawn an enemy of Strahd's to Barovia, such as Firan Zal'honan or Jander Sunstar, hoping the rivals will slay one another.

Beyond Barovia

It's not necessary to have Tatyana's incarnation appear within Barovia. Rather, Tatyana's spirit might arise in another land or under strange circumstances. Use the Lost Tatyana table for suggestions for such characters and their objectives, or create an original idea.

Lost Tatyana
d6 - Resurrection Circumstances
1 - Tatyana's incorporeal spirit assembles and haunts heroes whom she believes have the best chance of defeating Strahd.
2 - A character's friend or loved one is the incarnation of Tatyana. When @The Mists claim that individual, the character is drawn into @Barovia as well.
3 - A character's own reincarnation allows Tatyana's soul to enter their body, bringing with it memories in the form of vivid dreams.
4 - Tatyana's soul was captured by an effect similar to the Magic Jar spell. Strahd or another entity hires the characters to seek out the container holding the soul, not revealing its true nature.
5 - Tatyana's soul reincarnated as someone another Darklord covets, such as the bearer of Ankhtepot's ka in Har'akir or Elise in Lamordia.
6 - Tatyana's soul found its way into a distant relative of Strahd, Lyssa von Zarovich. Lyssa seeks to grow more powerful and claim Castle Ravenloft for herself. Her first step to deposing Strahd was to become a @Vampire, Vampire Form. Now she needs allies.