New World Order, or, Ravenloft Reorganized

Coordinating community projects
User avatar
Nathan of the FoS
Fiendish Enforcer
Fiendish Enforcer
Posts: 5246
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:39 pm
Location: San Francisco CA

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

DeepShadow wrote:Oh, so my post still ranks behind yours, even though they rate the same time?! What gives?
No idea. I tried to post several times Saturday night, only to get a "You have posted too recently to post again; try posting again later" message. I guess my messages were being sent forward (backward?) in time, or something. ;)
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
User avatar
Nathan of the FoS
Fiendish Enforcer
Fiendish Enforcer
Posts: 5246
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:39 pm
Location: San Francisco CA

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

DeepShadow wrote:May I suggest that we do away with false history entirely? In terms of raw real estate, the domain was always there; Adam's darklordship coincided with political upheavals that "happened" to produce the barony of Lamordia. The upheavals could actually have started long before hand, but simply came to a head on the same night.

Now THAT's subtle.
In Lamordia's case, one wouldn't even need upheavals; as you say, the real estate was always there, and then, one morning, Azalin wakes up and finds a largish chunk of his land empire has been handed to someone else.

At some point one pretty much has to go back to false history, but limiting it as much as possible is a good idea.

(One amusing false history idea--the Barovians think the Darkonese are the Tergs. :) )
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
User avatar
Baduin9
Conspirator
Conspirator
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:27 pm

Post by Baduin9 »

I would say that the if the whole word is made of mists, which are an Ethereal substance, then they are governed by emotions. So called "pathetic fallacy" is the most basic rule of physics of New Ravenloft.

I would posit some additional rules - an elaboration of "ethereal resonance".

First - "ethereal attraction"

Things with high etheric charge and embodying similar emotions are attracted, proportionally to their power. Darklords are the greatest concentrations of Ethereal energy (and emotion) and so are attracted very strongly to the area of NewRavenloft embodying the same emotion.

Second "ethereal resonance"

Ethereal resonance is usually thought of as happening in the unbound ether in the Near Ethereal. As the whole Ravenloft is made of solidified ether (the substance of Ethereal logically should be called ether, I think), it is also subject to resonance. To be specific, each domain is in resonance to its Darklord. It responds in a certain way to his moods and to his wishes. Conversely, Darklord can feel important things which happen in his domain, and most of all the appearance of other powers.


Focal points

Resonance happens most strongly in certain focal points. The darklord lairs can be assume to be such points. When the darklord move far from his lair, his resonance with his domain, and consequently his power weakens.

Darklord is similarly in resonance with the population of his domain. This resonance, however, is not automatic. It does not depend on any allegiance of people, but on the similarity of their mind-patterns with the preferred mode of thinking of the darklord. Eg people of Barovia are in resonance with Strahd as long as they are uneducated, afraid and superstitious. Should that change, he would lose his control on them.

Darklords and domains

Darklords usually are not imprisoned in their domains (the exception would be if they needed the powers given by their domain to live). On the other hand, they cannot enter the domain of any other darklord. Since the whole NewRavenloft is divided into the domains, the result is very similar.

The domain borders are movable. The most direct way to move border would require the darklord to stand on the border and try to walk into the adjacent domain. By expenditure of a considerable amount of energy, he could very slowly change the resonance of the land from the former darklord to himself. On the other hand, he would be very weakened - being effectively outside of his domain he would lack his powers, and by the effort of pushing the border would weaken him ever further. The other darklord would feel a physical attack on himself, and would be certain to counterattack, in person or by proxies, probably killing the aggressor.

Another way of moving the boundary would be to convert the other's subjects to his own way of thinking. Should the population along the border become wholly converted, the border will move to reflect the mode of thinking of the people. Again, this does not depend on any allegiance, but on the similarity of world-views.

False history

The NewRavenloft is effectively a complete world, more or less continuously populated. The areas without any darklord are also populated, but uncivilised - villages in dense forests, nomads on the steppe, etc. The geography tends to be fluid, tribes etc have no contact with the rest of the world. On the other hand, monsters, halfmen like orcs etc can appear out of the mist. There are also imports from other worlds. There can appear copies of people dying in other world (usually with altered memory)- "etheric resonance" again.

When a new darklord appears, he shapes both the land and the people to his way of thinking. There can appear new and old buildings, even some terrain features can change. People can acquire a new language, and always acquire a new civilisation. Instead of isolated villages there appears a nation, with traditions etc. It can be sometimes rather abrupt. When it happens near other domains, the change is much more gradual - there are slow changes in fashion, technological regress or progress, ruins can be discovered during an archeologic excavations - more like in Borges "Tlon, Ukbar, Orbis Tertius". Since the darklords is attracted towards most similar area anyway, the changes shouldn't be too radical.
"Dies nostri quasi umbra super terram et nulla est mora."
User avatar
Undead Cabbage
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 623
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:39 pm
Location: In one of Neil Gaiman's books, or at least I wish I was.
Contact:

Post by Undead Cabbage »

Hey Nathan,

Just recently I saw a map of what they thought the world looked like during the 1600s. I'm afraid I couldn't find anything like it with a google search (perhaps someone else might have better luck), but essentially it seemed to be very proportionate to the current globe in 'civilized' areas (primarily europe at the time), with 'uncivilized' areas twisted drastically out of shape, as if their exotic nature made their borders crooked.

So I was thinking, maybe that might be a good approach for this. The Core nations could be very well defined and proportionate, and although it would show them going around the world, foreign nations could have a sort of misshapen element to them. I felt that this would both help unify Ravenloft in a working world like you have targeted to do, while maintaining a mysterious feel behind the world, implying there might yet be more room for discovery.

Just an idea though. :)
User avatar
Nathan of the FoS
Fiendish Enforcer
Fiendish Enforcer
Posts: 5246
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:39 pm
Location: San Francisco CA

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

Undead Cabbage wrote:Hey Nathan,

Just recently I saw a map of what they thought the world looked like during the 1600s. I'm afraid I couldn't find anything like it with a google search (perhaps someone else might have better luck), but essentially it seemed to be very proportionate to the current globe in 'civilized' areas (primarily europe at the time), with 'uncivilized' areas twisted drastically out of shape, as if their exotic nature made their borders crooked.

So I was thinking, maybe that might be a good approach for this. The Core nations could be very well defined and proportionate, and although it would show them going around the world, foreign nations could have a sort of misshapen element to them. I felt that this would both help unify Ravenloft in a working world like you have targeted to do, while maintaining a mysterious feel behind the world, implying there might yet be more room for discovery.

Just an idea though. :)
Sure, it's a good idea. Certainly Core cartographers would make their mapas that way...
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
User avatar
Nathan of the FoS
Fiendish Enforcer
Fiendish Enforcer
Posts: 5246
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:39 pm
Location: San Francisco CA

Post by Nathan of the FoS »

This "reorganization of Ravenloft" is being continued on the this thread at the following board: http://deepdreamer.conforums.com

If you're interested in seeing this version of Ravenloft elaborated, or interested in making your own revisions to the Demiplane of Dread, please, stop by and check it out. :)
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
Post Reply