Hannah

### Cause(s) of Death

1. Bitten by Strahd von Zarovich (Turned to a Vampire)2. Killed by Riza's Eldritch Blast (Body reformed in a coffin)

3. Destroyed by Hindsight (Physical body destroyed by Pseuda's Lethal Strike, mist form destroyed by Bishop's radiant magic)

Hannah was a human bard who faced Strahd von Zarovich in Barovia, he killed her and made her a vampire and she then served as a member of the Council of Echoes.

## **Description**

### **Appearance**

Hannah appeared as a human woman in her mid-thirties with dark hair and pale skin. She had deep blue eyes and often wore dark dresses and golden jewellery.

### **Personality**

Hannah was confident, almost to the point of seeming overly cocky. She cared little for others beyond her own daughter and in Barovia, fought because she knew that Strahd getting free would endanger the girl.

Following her transformation into a vampire, Hannah saw her new power as an improvement on what she had been capable of as a mortal and sought to spread it to as many as she could. She saw herself as Strahd's legacy and spiritual successor and as such fought to be at Riza Whispercreek's right hand during the rise of the Council of Echoes. Her twisted sense of self-importance led her to start plotting to overthrow Riza using the army of vampire spawn she was building in her orphanage.

## **Biography**

### **Early Life**

Hannah was born in Port Damali on the Menagerie Coast and grew up there, learning how to become a bard. In her early twenties she had a brief whirlwind romance with a young noble that ended with her getting pregnant with his daughter. However, the noble abandoned Hannah and their unborn child and left the area, leaving Hannah to raise her child alone. Hannah eventually relented and put her daughter in a temporary foster home while she headed out, wandering further in an attempt to make more money as a bard.

### **Curse of Strahd**

Hannah was wandering when a thick mist gathered around her. The mist transported her to Barovia in the Shadowfell and there she encountered a few fellow wanderers, also lost in the mist. Riza, a tiefling warlock, Kulos, a high elf rogue and Tarrell, a human wizard. The group then travelled deeper into Barovia where they took on a mission to defend a young woman named Ireena Kolyana from the vampire overlord of Barovia, Strahd von Zarovich. In a battle with a coven of night hags, Tarrell was polymorphed into a toad and then killed when Riza sent an *Eldritch Blast* wide and shattered the floor beneath him, sending him falling to his death. The next day, the party were joined by a half-orc barbarian named Korg. Soon after this, Hannah was killed by Strahd as he attacked the town of Vallaki in search of Ireena. The vampire bit down on her and while it seemed to her companions that she had perished, Hannah was in fact turned into a vampire herself, to be used by Strahd against her former allies. She fought against her former ally Riza and Riza killed her again, further driving the warlock insane. Unknown by Riza and the others though, Hannah was not fully slain and her newfound vampire power allowed her body to reform in a coffin in Castle Ravenloft. Not long after her revival, Strahd was slain and his realm then passed to Riza Whispercreek who took on leadership of his remaining forces. This annoyed Hannah but she knew she was unable to overcome Riza and take over, so instead she sought to become Riza's right hand in the newly formed Council of Echoes.

### **Return to Exandria**

Before long, Riza left her Council to return to Xhorhas at Tharizdun's urging. While she was away, Kulos and Hannah found themselves at one another's throats in a bid to become Riza's right hand within the Council of Echoes. This fighting was settled when Riza returned to Barovia and tasked the Council with locating the required vestiges for freeing Tharizdun, stating firmly that Kulos was to serve as her right hand. The Council then headed into Tal'Dorei and took up residence at the Whispercreek Estate north east of Kraghammer. Over the course of the next seven years, the Council secured several vestiges and quietly built their influence. During this time, Hannah returned to Port Damali and found her daughter, granting her a "gift" by biting her and turning her into a vampire herself. Hannah then went to Emon and started an orphanage, planning to build a vampiric army and overthrow Riza. While there she also recruited the services of a coven of Annis Hags known as the Orphan Makers, directing their attacks to better serve both the Council of Echoes and Hannah herself.

### **Council of Echoes**

In late 822 P.D. Hannah's vampires were tasked by Riza to seize the Goblet of Sarenrae and she began plans to work towards this goal. One day, she encountered a high elf named Pseuda and a wood elf named Ariawyn Vennan at the orphanage, the two looking to ask questions of her orphans as a part of the investigation into the Orphan Makers. Realising that they were close to uncovering her plans, Hannah directed them away and that night, sent the Orphan Makers to attack the family of Vanya, Pseuda's sister. Kulos then teleported to the orphanage and waited for Hannah's plans to bear fruit. Her young vampire spawn orphans succeeded in stealing the Goblet of Sarenrae from her temple and the Orphan Makers' final plan brought Pseuda's niece and nephew, Belin and Elana to Hannah. She gave these children and the Goblet to Kulos who then teleported away to give them to Riza. Meanwhile Hannah sent her assistant, also a vampire spawn, to deal with Roland Songsteel, the investigator that had been tracking the Orphan Makers. She also prepared for a fight herself. This fight came when Hindsight arrived to her orphanage and faced her and her vampire spawn in combat. Although they put up a good fight, Hannah and her spawn were overcome and Hannah herself had her physical form destroyed by Pseuda when he used a *Lethal Strike* that overloaded her mind. Hannah then attempted to flee in her mist form but Felix Bishop revealed he possessed aasimaar heritage and destroyed the misty form of the vampire using his radiant powers, killing Hannah finally.

### **Legacy**

Hannah succeeded in capturing the Goblet of Sarenrae, resulting in her aiding the future freeing of Tharizdun, even after her death. Her daughter took on her leadership position of the vampires serving the Council of Echoes and her capture of Belin and Elana allowed Riza to use the children as bargaining chips against Hindsight. Her orphanage in Emon later came into the ownership of Pseuda following the end of the Echoes Crisis.

## **Relationships**

### **Riza Whispercreek**

Hannah was another tool to Riza, one she wielded with great caution as she knew the vampire often plotted against her. In a way she was thankful to Hindsight for slaying Hannah before Riza herself inevitably had to.

### **Kulos**

Hannah and Kulos had a deadly rivalry, even attempting to kill one another in a bid to serve as Riza's right hand on the Council of Echoes. As such, Kulos was almost gladdened by the news of her death at Hindsight's hands.

### **Roland Songsteel**

Roland was the main investigator into the Orphan Makers and he often referred to Hannah and her orphans for information. Hannah was able to use subtle charms and magic to feed Roland, and his predecessor Morxes, deliberate misinformation.

### **Hindsight**

Hannah underestimated Hindsight's abilities, believing that the Orphan Makers could kill at least some of them and she herself could finish with the others. She realised her mistake too late and was slain by the adventuring party.

## **Equipment**

Hannah possessed a few notable pieces of equipment

* Armour of Resistance to Force - Hannah's armour was enchanted to resist force damage as this would aid her against Riza if needed as it would resist *Eldritch Blasts* Riza's main offensive spell. After Hannah's death this armour passed to Lindal Greenbottle.
* Crystal Ball - Hannah used a crystal ball to commune with the Orphan Makers and with Riza.

## **Trivia**

* In the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse makeup of the Council of Echoes, Hannah was meant to represent Pestilence, spreading the disease of vampirism amongst the populace, ironically in some literature, Pestilence is replaced with Conquest who is represented by Kulos in the Council of Echoes much like Hannah was overshadowed by Kulos during their time in the Council.