Eliza
Source characterization: Homebrew
Role: Vistani spy, likely working Strahd’s interests
Key characterization principles:
- A stereotypical spy archetype with a bubbly personality, but with an unhinged edge underneath.
- Keeps scrying materials on her person (described in the brainstorm as small pouches of goat-innards/similar used for divination-adjacent magic), and possibly a lock of Theren’s hair, for tracking/scrying on Strahd’s behalf. If searched, this is what the party would find.
- Picked up a folksy, warm speech affectation in the map-design session, played for both charm and mild comic effect.
- Established as the NPC most likely to enthusiastically recommend the Pie Mill (see Session 9 prep) to the party as a wholesome local landmark, partly out of genuine friendliness and partly to restock her own pie supply.
- Slotted to tell the reworked “Vistani can leave Barovia” parable at the planned campfire storytelling scene (reassigned from Stanimir — see Session 9 prep), reinforcing why Ismark distrusts the Vistani.
Current narrative status: Confirmed directly interacted with and told her story at the Tser Falls campfire scene in Session 9 — substantially as planned: the Vistani founding parable (a wounded, unnamed “prince” taken in and protected, later granting them safe passage/welcome), read by most listeners as true.
Session 10 update (canonical): Eliza slipped away from the party around noon on the road toward Vallaki (the morning of Session 10, between sessions) and couldn’t be tracked. Reyna suspects she was a spy, or simply used the Vistani’s ability to travel the mists.
GM-confirmed canon (2026-10-09; unknown to the party): Eliza is a spy for Strahd and went to Castle Ravenloft. This confirms her role as Strahd’s spy (above). The party only suspects she’s a spy and doesn’t know where she went.
Also GM-confirmed: Eliza slept with Theren on the night before Session 10, and while he was with her, the rest of the party stole his gold (see Theren and the Session 10 log).
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