Saint Markovia and the Markovs

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nothri
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Saint Markovia and the Markovs

Post by nothri »

So I've been following the "evolution" of Marya Markovia to St. Markovia across the various editions of the Castle Ravenloft adventure. Interesting stuff, to say the least. Considering how to reconcile it with the "proper" timeline of the campaign setting.

Originally Marya was poisoned by a glass of wine intended for her lover by Endorovich the Terrible, who was implied to be some former king of the Zarovichs or at least a vassal who killed many servants in his grief and anger at poisoning the woman he loved. Later, "St. Markovia" was decoupled from that origin and became a powerful cleric of Pelor who fought Strahd and lost. In Curse of Strahd her Abbey was converted to an insane asylum in which a angel is conducting weird experiments on the Belmot clan.

So, to reconcile everything I propose the following. St. Markovia was a cleric of the Morninglord rather than Pelor. She was a Dawnslayer, a Harkener who collected reports of lycanthropes and studied theories on curing the condition. She confronted Strahd and was destroyed. Perhaps Endorovich was fed a lie by Strahd for the sake of being cruel. Her death was not caused by a poisoning blunder, but Endorovich went mad and harmed many anyway.

St. Markovia's research into lycanthropy led to the experiments on the Belmots as scene in Curse of Strahd. The remnants of her family also retained some of that lore. The went about calling themselves Markov to distance themselves from the famous saint, knowing Strahd's animosity towards her. But the philosophies about humanity and the beast contained in Markovia's old research inspired Frantisek Markov to begin his infamous experiments.

Thoughts?
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The Lesser Evil
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Re: Saint Markovia and the Markovs

Post by The Lesser Evil »

Marya and Saint Markovia seem to be two separate people. (Marya is mentioned along with Endorovich the Terrible in Curse of Strahd on page 87 under Crypt 7.) The Markov/Markovia difference, although not explicitly mentioned anywhere, may be due to how certain surnames work in the naming scheme, ending in different syllables depending on the descendant's gender. Examples include Petrovich (male)/Petrovna (female), Martikov (Male)/Martikovna (female), Targalov (male)/Targalovna (female), etc.- this naming scheme doesn't always seem to have been understood by the designers- hence why we had people like Yagno Petrovna (who should have been named Yagno Petrovich). Beyond this trivial nitpicking, my biggest question is who did the experimenting. It would seem out of character for Saint Markovia to perform evil research that lead to the creation of the Belviews (not Belmots). The work could've certainly came from her disciples as they fell into depravity following her destruction, however.

Would you intend on substituting somebody for the angel to actually perform the transformations of the Belviews?
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ewancummins
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Re: Saint Markovia and the Markovs

Post by ewancummins »

PARTIAL NOTES for something I might not get around to running:
VIEW CONTENT:
Sacred Empire of Gundareik-Narany
Empress Arbella IX
The state cult centers on the propitiation of Nerull the Reaper. Fervent devotion to Nerull has been discouraged since the Necromantic Purges of two-hundred-fifty years ago, and the small minority of spell-casting clerics keep a low profile. The cult teaches that Nerull was the progenitor of humanity and also the first human to die and enter the Underworld, where he achieved his dark apotheosis. Executioners of the Empire are all clerics in minor orders.
Any necromantic spells, priestly or wizardly, fall under the jurisdiction of clerical courts. This includes ‘white magic’ spells such as cure disease and cure blindness. The (mostly nonmagical) state religious hierarchy checks the activities of smaller cults with spell-casting priests through selective enforcement of the law codes.
State cult:
• N (le)
• Few true clerics
• Complicated relationship with necromancy
• Bureaucratic and clerkish
• Bury the dead, execute criminals, minister to the dying, keep records, investigate burglaries and nocturnal disturbances

Lama
Erlking



County of Barovia, ‘’The Old Kingdom”

Borjian Republic
After the massacre of a good part of the leading nobles of Borjia in the Bloody Wedding at Castle Ravenloft, the burgomasters of Borjia seized power and established a republic.
• Free Farmers: land-hungry squatter rebels, persecuted by the Republic militia and living as banditti
• Ba’l Verzi killers: someone has posted letters claiming that the ancient Ba’l Verszi sect is responsible for a spate of murders in Levkarest. Panic, paranoia, and wild accusations spread…


The ruling junta favors the humanistic and materialistic philosophy of Alchemical Transcendence and regards the old cults as a stew of superstitions, witchcraft, and reactionary politics.
Most common folks remain privately religious, but respect the scientific achievement of the alchemists…

Prince-Abbacy of Sankt-Markovia
The Prince-Abbot holds a most unusual position as the only clerical prince of the Sacred Empire who isn’t part of the Nerullite state cult. He manages the BLANK Sacred Empire religious establishment by a bit of theological politesse in which Nerull’s rulership of the darkness below the world complements Andral’s glorious domain above.
Though invested as a cleric of Andral, the current Prince-Abbot spends far more time in scientific research than spiritual devotions. Whispers in Markovian villages tell of strange medical experiments beneath the abbey-palace, which remind elders and scholars of similar rumors about the first Prince-Abbot (the miraculous, charismatic, ‘’Doctor of Krezsk’’).




Madlands

Grey Moors

Avergnites…
The only bit relevant here is the indirect reference to Saint Markovia and the Doctor of Krezk (a Belview, from Curse of Strahd).

My basic idea was Prime Material Barovia as an isolated backwater surrounded by lands that reflect some elements of Ravenloft setting materials:

Gundarak and the possible Neueruni connection

Saint Markovia and the Abbot

etc etc
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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