Changes to Vorostokov

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brilliantlight
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Changes to Vorostokov

Post by brilliantlight »

First thing I change is the "eternal winter" which makes it questionable if anyone survives. Not much grows in winter and they would likely all starve to death. It is still an arctic place and so very cold. However like such places it has a six month summer followed by a six month winter. In summer the ice melts and there is some plant growth. Short lived grasses and bushes grow in the summer as the land becomes unfrozen. There is enough small and large game in summer to feed the small villages quite well and allow them to salt enough meat for winter. There is also a thriving fur trade that allows import of food.

Gregor's curse is a bit different in this version. He doesn't have to kill humans to provide for his people although he does kill and eat humans because he is a werewolf. His curse is that he is not considered a hero. Voretokov's society resolves around hunting and trapping and he is cursed to be able to get only small game, outside of humans that is. He is still the main Boyer but this is through the fact that before it entered Ravenloft the king made him one and everyone respected that. He is seen as a mediocre hunter who inherited his title.

Every year in the domain the small game goes into hibernation so there is only the big game left, which is more prestigious anyways. One of the local hunters then gets very lucky that winter and is the hero of the domain through his hunting prowess. Although he never does as well as that one winter he remains one of the better hunters from then on. He tried secretly killing that man but all that happened then is someone else took his place and if that one is killed someone else took his place etc. So even though he is the leader there are now a number of men with more renown then him and that is very grating to him.
Last edited by brilliantlight on Thu Dec 07, 2017 1:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

Post by jamesfirecat »

brilliantlight wrote:First thing I change is the "eternal winter" which makes it questionable if anyone survives. Not much grows in winter and they would likely all starve to death. It is still an arctic place and so very cold. However like such places it has a six month summer followed by a six month winter. In summer the ice melts and there is some plant growth. Short lived grasses and bushes grow in the summer as the land becomes unfrozen. There is enough small and large game in summer to feed the small villages quite well and allow them to salt enough meat for winter. There is also a thriving fur trade that allows import of food.

Gregor's curse is a bit different in this version. He doesn't have to kill humans to provide for his people although he does kill and eat humans because he is a werewolf. His curse is that he is not considered a hero. Voretokov's society resolves around hunting and trapping and he is cursed to be able to get only small game, outside of humans that is. He is still the main Boyer but this is through the fact that before it entered Ravenloft the king made him one and everyone respected that. He is seen as a mediocre hunter that got lucky one winter.

Every year in the domain the small game goes into hibernation so there is only the big game left, which is more prestigious anyways. One of the local hunters then gets very lucky that winter and is the hero of the domain through his hunting prowess. Although he never does as well as that one winter he remains one of the better hunters from then on. He tried secretly killing that man but all that happened then is someone else took his place and if that one is killed someone else took his place etc. So even though he is the leader there are now a number of men with more renown then him and that is very grating to him.

How do you want to have his son Mikhail factor into this version?
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

Post by brilliantlight »

jamesfirecat wrote:
brilliantlight wrote:First thing I change is the "eternal winter" which makes it questionable if anyone survives. Not much grows in winter and they would likely all starve to death. It is still an arctic place and so very cold. However like such places it has a six month summer followed by a six month winter. In summer the ice melts and there is some plant growth. Short lived grasses and bushes grow in the summer as the land becomes unfrozen. There is enough small and large game in summer to feed the small villages quite well and allow them to salt enough meat for winter. There is also a thriving fur trade that allows import of food.

Gregor's curse is a bit different in this version. He doesn't have to kill humans to provide for his people although he does kill and eat humans because he is a werewolf. His curse is that he is not considered a hero. Voretokov's society resolves around hunting and trapping and he is cursed to be able to get only small game, outside of humans that is. He is still the main Boyer but this is through the fact that before it entered Ravenloft the king made him one and everyone respected that. He is seen as a mediocre hunter that got lucky one winter.

Every year in the domain the small game goes into hibernation so there is only the big game left, which is more prestigious anyways. One of the local hunters then gets very lucky that winter and is the hero of the domain through his hunting prowess. Although he never does as well as that one winter he remains one of the better hunters from then on. He tried secretly killing that man but all that happened then is someone else took his place and if that one is killed someone else took his place etc. So even though he is the leader there are now a number of men with more renown then him and that is very grating to him.

How do you want to have his son Mikhail factor into this version?
He is a good hunter who is also incapable of becoming a loup du noir . This upsets his father who thinks it will allow him to become closer to his son. He tried turning him into a loup du noir years earlier and it didn't work. He is trying to come up with a ritual or something that will allow Mikhail to become one. He is doomed to fail.
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

Post by jamesfirecat »

brilliantlight wrote:
He is a good hunter who is also incapable of becoming a loup du noir . This upsets his father who thinks it will allow him to become closer to his son. He tried turning him into a loup du noir years earlier and it didn't work. He is trying to come up with a ritual or something that will allow Mikhail to become one. He is doomed to fail.

Is Mikail the martial leader of a village that is oppressed by his father?

Is he even a free man or does his father have him chained up in a dungeon some where as he tries to find a way to transform him?
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

Post by brilliantlight »

jamesfirecat wrote:
brilliantlight wrote:
He is a good hunter who is also incapable of becoming a loup du noir . This upsets his father who thinks it will allow him to become closer to his son. He tried turning him into a loup du noir years earlier and it didn't work. He is trying to come up with a ritual or something that will allow Mikhail to become one. He is doomed to fail.

Is Mikail the martial leader of a village that is oppressed by his father?

Is he even a free man or does his father have him chained up in a dungeon some where as he tries to find a way to transform him?
I would have him captured and then escape later. He is a rebel his father is trying to track down and take in alive.
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

Post by Dark Angel »

brilliantlight wrote:There is enough small and large game in summer to feed the small villages quite well and allow them to salt enough meat for winter. There is also a thriving fur trade that allows import of food.
Interesting take that makes the place more playable, more realistic and still allows the 'canon' setting of winter (just plop them in during the winter and nothing changes in the setting). Odd query: where do they get salt from? One easy means of refrigeration is the use of root cellars which would remain cold in permafrost terrain, especially in the waning summer days and beginnings of winter.
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

Post by brilliantlight »

Dark Angel wrote:
brilliantlight wrote:There is enough small and large game in summer to feed the small villages quite well and allow them to salt enough meat for winter. There is also a thriving fur trade that allows import of food.
Interesting take that makes the place more playable, more realistic and still allows the 'canon' setting of winter (just plop them in during the winter and nothing changes in the setting). Odd query: where do they get salt from? One easy means of refrigeration is the use of root cellars which would remain cold in permafrost terrain, especially in the waning summer days and beginnings of winter.
Seawater, there is a fairly easy path through the mountains (Obviously made up) that is mostly hills and valleys salt traders can get through that isn't shown on the map as it is too large scale.
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

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brilliantlight wrote:
Dark Angel wrote:
brilliantlight wrote:There is enough small and large game in summer to feed the small villages quite well and allow them to salt enough meat for winter. There is also a thriving fur trade that allows import of food.
Interesting take that makes the place more playable, more realistic and still allows the 'canon' setting of winter (just plop them in during the winter and nothing changes in the setting). Odd query: where do they get salt from? One easy means of refrigeration is the use of root cellars which would remain cold in permafrost terrain, especially in the waning summer days and beginnings of winter.
Seawater, there is a fairly easy path through the mountains (Obviously made up) that is mostly hills and valleys salt traders can get through that isn't shown on the map as it is too large scale.
Ok. I don't recall such access in the original maps (because it wasn't there), but makes more sense than salt mining. Wouldn't the locals then have reason to have a seaside settlement to pull fish, seals, or even whales from the water? Or at least long term hunting trips to get the same? Can you tell I play with very nit-picky players who would poke holes in any reasonable inconsistencies in my game?
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Re: Changes to Voroetokov

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Dark Angel wrote:
brilliantlight wrote: Seawater, there is a fairly easy path through the mountains (Obviously made up) that is mostly hills and valleys salt traders can get through that isn't shown on the map as it is too large scale.
Ok. I don't recall such access in the original maps (because it wasn't there), but makes more sense than salt mining. Wouldn't the locals then have reason to have a seaside settlement to pull fish, seals, or even whales from the water? Or at least long term hunting trips to get the same? Can you tell I play with very nit-picky players who would poke holes in any reasonable inconsistencies in my game?
Shrug, they probably do. Since I am not starving them there is no reason not to have fish on the diet. Fishing is considered less prestigious though as it is considered "less manly". It is also more practical in summer to hunt as it game closer by the settlements and gives fur to sell as well as food. Also I picture the beach as being fairly small, a few hundred yards. Still, there would be number of fishermen to help supplement the diet, particularly in winter.
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Re: Changes to Vorostokov

Post by Rock of the Fraternity »

How does Sanguinia feature in these changes?
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Re: Changes to Vorostokov

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Rock wrote:How does Sanguinia feature in these changes?
A very obscure domain I know virtually nothing about. The domain seems to be based on the Edgar Allen Poe story Masque of the Red Death. Can you fill me in on the details?
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Re: Changes to Vorostokov

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An idea I just had. It has a false history. On top of everything else Gregor is thought by everyone to get his position by inheritance not merit. As far as the people in the domain are concerned he never was a hero, his dad was.

He never saved any village from starvation, he just inherited the title. Two things though, he remembers the real story which is the same as canon and the inhabitants don't think he is half the man his "father" was. His "father" was a great man who carved the domain out of the wilderness, fought off invaders , was a great hunter and all around awesome. Gregor is considered a stunted weed, an offshoot of the "Great Man" but nothing in comparison. The inhabitants all whisper hopes that one day he become something other than a shadow of his father.

This is even more punishment. Not only is he cursed in never becoming the hero he is cursed to be thought of the son of a hero he will never live up to. The lesser son of a much greater man.
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Re: Changes to Vorostokov

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I have been using the Frozen Reaches cluster as a Siberian type setting. Not completely winter all the time but very cold and harsh territory. A lot like Winter hold, if anyone plays Skyrim. It also fits the obviously Russian influenced culture that is in place. I love the extremely diverse nature of the clusters, I really enjoy using them.
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Re: Changes to Vorostokov

Post by brilliantlight »

Yeah, I was going to use Russia as the model myself.
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Re: Changes to Vorostokov

Post by ewancummins »

Eternal winter can be just that: eternal winter. It's almost timeless.

The land is cold and snowy all the time. Fish and wild game replenish very quickly-- to normal levels for winter.
Trees cut down often seem to regrow while nobody's looking. But new-planted trees rarely, if ever, flourish.

The only reliable measure of the passage of the years are the growth and aging of human beings. But given the narrow margin for life in the settlements the population never expands much before starvation threatens.
Couples marry late and have few children.

If you are prepared to go really dark,
VIEW CONTENT:
there may be a barbaric practice of infanticide by exposure. The local people won't talk about it with outsiders. It's too shameful. But if there are too many mouths to feed...
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.

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