Updated Falkovnia

Discussing all things Ravenloft
Post Reply
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Updated Falkovnia

Post by ewancummins »

Assumptions:

The Black Box presentation of the Demiplane nd its characters is the baseline.
In particular, Drakov acts and thinks as described there, and not as developed in later sources. He is not hidebound. He's a keen tactician. No chivalric code of honor.

Before:
GC or something like it happens.
During this time Drakov uses his army and crosses borders.
He conquers much, but is assassinated before he can enjoy the fruits of his victories.

Now:

The Kingdom of Falkovnia occupies Dementlieu, Mordent, and Borca. A brief occupation of southwestern Darkon was smashed by the returning wizard-tyrant of that country.
Lamordia is allied to Falkovnia through the marriage of the Baron's only daughter to Vlad Darkov's eldest son, who now reigns in his father's stead.

Borcan terrorists operate out of Dorvinia, harassing the Falkovnian occupiers of their homeland and assassinating collaborators (often just innocent civilians who pay taxes to the new rulers, or refuse to help the terrorists/freedom fighters).

Mordent remains firmly under Falkovnian control, but tensions are rising between the new settlers and the natives.

Dementlieu is divided into rival factions. The Populists support the invaders, because the Falkovnian monarch has opened opportunities for any man who accepts the hawk-brand, regardless of birth or wealth. That, and the Falkovnians redistributed wealth to the common folk who supported them, dividing the estates of the rich. The Loyalists support the surviving members of the Council, most of whom have retreated to the villages of Arkandale.


Technology:

Unlike my earlier Black Box musings, here I will use the CLs from later sources. But why should Falkovnia not advance to match its human neighbors?
This Drakov is not Luddite. And his son isn't, either. Falkovnians will certainly copy, and if possible, improve upon, any military advances.
The domain should be CL 8 or 9.
CL 9 weapons tech, at any rate.
New model Falkovnian troops carry muskets with socket bayonets. Falkovnia uses horse drawn artillery, too.
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)
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Re: Updated Falkovnia

Post by ewancummins »

Alternatively, the Council members who survived may have fled to Richemulot.
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)
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Re: Updated Falkovnia

Post by ewancummins »

RE Dementlieuese factions:


The Populists might be secretly controlled by the Living Brain, if he is part of this version of the setting.

My concept for Dominic D'Honaire's pseudo-survival involves him planting a clone of his personality deep inside his niece's mind. Yes, this derives from a novel. No spoilers.
Mme D'Honaire can direct the Loyalists, probably using a frontman. Maybe a surviving nephew of Marcel Guignol, or a Council member.

This set of options allows for a continuation of the Living Brain- D'Honaire struggle under altered circumstances.

Yes, I know the LB is not in the BB.
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)
jamesfirecat
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 637
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:30 am

Re: Updated Falkovnia

Post by jamesfirecat »

ewancummins wrote:Alternatively, the Council members who survived may have fled to Richemulot.
Richemulot is going to look very interesting in this particular set up if only because it's the equivalent of Switzerland to Vlad's expanding empire, there's just no easy way to conquer it, because RATS RATS RATS RATS, and likewise there's no easy way to launch an effective decapitation strike because Jaqueline Renier in addition to having a bunch of wererat resilience is quite literally impossible to kill given that she turns into a cloud of foul smelling gas every time she hits zero hit points or lower and is immune to further harm (though I can't remember if it was 3rd edition where she got that ability/if it is cannon in this setting, I've heard she had the ability back before she became Darklord (which I personally dislike) but I think it was only for traveling around and not an automatic "Get out of death free" card at that point) and I know it takes her a while to come back from that particular fate).

Falkovnia might be making/trying to make overtures/background deals to her sister Louise, but the Renier family for all their in fighting like most bickering families probably band together if anyone from outside said family tries to get involved. That or Louise would have to realize that any deal she makes is inevitably going to decrease her power in the long term/make her little more than a Falkovnian puppet, though she might ponder if there wasn't a way to pull it off anyway...



It's entirely possible that if Vlad is expanding his prohuman prejudices through more and more of the surrounding territories, that it might raise the possibility of as a counter weight some sort of united Lycanthropic Rat/Wolf/Panther alliance between Richemulot, Verbrek, and Valachan (maybe elves of Sithicus also) on the principle that none of them want to let Falkovnia take them next, especially if Falkovnia is still interested in capturing and dissecting/vivisecting Lycanthropes to pump out more Primal Serum for the soldiers to use as a combat steroid.

Either that or we might see the Becoming Plague shift from a way to infect normal humans with mind controlling lycanthropy through rats to a way to infect normal humans with True Lycanthropy (which by all rights is impossible but in Ravenloft you never know) as a way to all the better arm (or claw) their entire population in case Falkovnia does eventually make their move.
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Re: Updated Falkovnia

Post by ewancummins »

Pont a Museau might have suffered a brief siege during the war, before rats om nom nommed the Falkovnian supplies and spread illness among the troops. Then the borders snapped shut as the Conjunction ended. End of invasion.
The border opened again to allow demoralized survivors to flee, but not all went home. Some remain in Richemulot as river pirates and bandits.
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)
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Re: Updated Falkovnia

Post by ewancummins »

Domains and Darklords


Falkovnia

With Vlad Drakov the First assassinated, who is the political ruler? His eldest son. But who is the darklord? I'm not sure.
Suggestions? It could be a Drakov, but it does not have to be.

Mordent
It seems there is no reason to assume Lord Geoffrey does not continue as darklord. He's not the ruler, anyway. The domain has been annexed, but that is political and not metaphysical.

Dementlieu
With Dominic dead ( though his personality clone is active in another domain) a new darklord is needed.
The Living Brain could work.
Or has the domain actually been absorbed by Falkovnia?

Borca

Ivana Boritsi probably ended up on a stake. Ouch. Absorbed by Falkovnia? A new darklord rules behind the scenes? Not sure.
Perhaps Ivana was betrayed by Nostalia Romaine?
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)
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Re: Updated Falkovnia

Post by ewancummins »

Maybe the Mayor of Mordentshire surrendered and took the hawk brand?
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)
User avatar
ewancummins
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 28523
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm

Re: Updated Falkovnia

Post by ewancummins »

jamesfirecat wrote:
ewancummins wrote:Alternatively, the Council members who survived may have fled to Richemulot.
Richemulot is going to look very interesting in this particular set up if only because it's the equivalent of Switzerland to Vlad's expanding empire, there's just no easy way to conquer it, because RATS RATS RATS RATS, and likewise there's no easy way to launch an effective decapitation strike because Jaqueline Renier in addition to having a bunch of wererat resilience is quite literally impossible to kill given that she turns into a cloud of foul smelling gas every time she hits zero hit points or lower and is immune to further harm (though I can't remember if it was 3rd edition where she got that ability/if it is cannon in this setting, I've heard she had the ability back before she became Darklord (which I personally dislike) but I think it was only for traveling around and not an automatic "Get out of death free" card at that point) and I know it takes her a while to come back from that particular fate).

Falkovnia might be making/trying to make overtures/background deals to her sister Louise, but the Renier family for all their in fighting like most bickering families probably band together if anyone from outside said family tries to get involved. That or Louise would have to realize that any deal she makes is inevitably going to decrease her power in the long term/make her little more than a Falkovnian puppet, though she might ponder if there wasn't a way to pull it off anyway...



It's entirely possible that if Vlad is expanding his prohuman prejudices through more and more of the surrounding territories, that it might raise the possibility of as a counter weight some sort of united Lycanthropic Rat/Wolf/Panther alliance between Richemulot, Verbrek, and Valachan (maybe elves of Sithicus also) on the principle that none of them want to let Falkovnia take them next, especially if Falkovnia is still interested in capturing and dissecting/vivisecting Lycanthropes to pump out more Primal Serum for the soldiers to use as a combat steroid.

Either that or we might see the Becoming Plague shift from a way to infect normal humans with mind controlling lycanthropy through rats to a way to infect normal humans with True Lycanthropy (which by all rights is impossible but in Ravenloft you never know) as a way to all the better arm (or claw) their entire population in case Falkovnia does eventually make their move.
I'm a big Richemulot fan.

:)

If the monstrous nature of various darklords and their minions is revealed, it seems possible that a new Falkovnian monarch may be able to use a humans-vs-monsters appeal to gain some support from the common people in targeted domains.


"Sure, the Falkovnians impale their enemies. But I hear the new king is better than the old one. And at least he's human!"
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)
Post Reply