Instead of Sithicus and the Shadowrift?

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DoctorMoreau
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Instead of Sithicus and the Shadowrift?

Post by DoctorMoreau »

I am working on a Ravenloft reinvisioned of sorts (similar to the Ultimate Ravenloft or the Ravenloft Reorganized projects, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't take some ideas from them). But this isn't for a community project (though I'd be glad to share my changes) but is instead for a Ravenloft game I'd like to run in October (best month to start one).

To give you a basic idea, I will be sort of merging some "domains" into larger countries, with kind of a focus darklord and then demilords as it were. Not saying you have to agree with what I am doing, but to give you a basic idea.

Dementleiu: Country of Enlightenment - Only "Democracy" having a (though d'Honaire is really in charge) - Highest tech level
(all of the following are part of Dementleiu the country)

* Dementleiu - Major metropolotian area, art and reason are celebrated. Encourages open-mindedness, especially Port-a-Lucine (think Paris)

* Mordent - Smaller cities & countryside, very conservative, seeking to put faith back into their country, growing power base.

* Richlemont - Former capital before the democracy, was overpopulated and much of it was burned and damaged by the revolution. More like a slum now, though Jaqueline Reiner has been attempting to revive the area's former glory on her behalf.

* Lamordia - Most educated area in Dementleiu, home to the greatest minds and the least superstitious.

Ahem... I may have gotten a bit off topic.

That said, I don't want to replace too much of the existing layout of the core (partly because I'm bad with maps) I'm just sort of merging areas into new political borders.

But I want to remove the Shadowrift and Sithicus, both of which I feel aren't the flavor I want with my Ravenloft (though I will have a Faire realm, along with Sithicus being a ruined Eladrin nation inside it, so it's not going away completely).

Anyway, I'm not familar with the best of the fanmade domains, or even other official domains that might fit well into the surrounding geography/size of these two areas and would like suggestions, preferably something that would mesh with the nearby area (like intigrating Sithicus lands something else with Verbrek or Barovia and the Shadowrift with the Tempest area, keeping a similar feel).

Any suggestions, fan-made, BoS, or other domains that might be more obscure to fit in these spots?
Last edited by DoctorMoreau on Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DoctorMoreau
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Post by DoctorMoreau »

I'm mostly posting this as a place to put it so I won't loose it. But this expands more on what I mentioned earlier and if you are interested in reading it may provide more of an insight into what I plan to do to the Core and what type of things I'm looking at to replace Sithicus and The Shadowrift.

Basically, Dementleiu as a country and the others states or regions as it were. Perhaps in the "history" they were once their own countries and united, not really important in the current setting.

My idea, which I basically hint at in the history, is about 40 years ago a young d'Hornaire lead a revolution for the country. He was very "persuasive" and convinced numerous nobles to back his idea for a ruling council, elected by the certain people from the nobility of course.

The government was already falling apart, and the capital city was overcrowded and built over numerous times. During the revolution a fire was lit in the capital city tore Pont-A-Museau apart and much of the city was burned, still much of the slums were not affected, there were a number of people who couldn't afford to live anywhere else, though many of them got sick from the smoke, many people died.

During the fire a number of noble families, who would have been ruined by the devistation to their earnings and property, disappeared. The Reiner family was one of these, and only recently has some of the families resurfaced, lead by Jacqueline Reiner and interested in rebuilding their city and their power base.

The vacated properties and half charred homes provided shelter for a number of poor and thieves for a number of years and still does, though there are some "improved areas" it is still one of the most dangerous cities in Dementleiu.

Meanwhile, the new council, who were elected by landowners entitled to vote, moved their capital to the then thriving (and soon metropolitan) port city of Port-A-Lucine. Under their guidance and with their finance it grew larger and more elaborate. With the high standard of living and a ruling body that did not force the religion of Ezra on them, so the citizens turned to appreciation in art and freethinking.

Of course, the problem being they mostly use this to distract themselves from a corrupt ruling body who, as most of them rent, do not have rights to affect and from the people who live in poverty and filth who were forced to abandon their homes in Pont-A-Museau by the fires. Still, it has become the major hubbub for the starving artists as it were, and if lucky, they might be discovered by an aristocracy who has taken this interest recently. Of course, crime and corruption runs rife as well, and a number of people "vanish" every day.

The people of Mordent are the ones stuck in the way things used to be, their aristocracy often sided with the former monarch and they lost much of their aristocracy to various and often convent accidents before the revolution. The only "old" major family left is the Weathermay's and they have become weird since their dealings with the now disappeared Dr. Rudolph Van Ricten. They are stuck in tradition and their religion, the most down to earth and prudish and want a return to more "conservative" days.

Lamordia prides itself on being the center of scientific advancement, once stifled by certain religious "taboos" they have been able to throw their corner of the world into a flurry of research and learning. The people of Lamordia scoff at religion that tells them right from wrong and many of them are dangerously coming to believe themselves "above" morals and perform more and more unethical research. Though not every Lamordian is a scientist or scholar there is a higher degree of learning in this country than found elsewhere and most Lamordians are tutored or attend schools, and the unethical scientists are the exception, the average Lamordian still believes their are lines that shouldn't be crossed.


Warning, this is raw, so I didn't edit or spell check it, just posting it so it doesn't go missing for now.
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Post by Jester of the FoS »

For Sithicus your best bet is to just make the main forest part of the neighbouring lands (Invidia, Verbrek, and Valachan). This dark, misty forest close to the Faerie world of eladrin (and possibly with elven settlements in the deepest, darkest parts of the woods far away from human roads.

For overtop of the Shadow Rift you could slap some island domains (Sanguinia or mebbe a reshaped Shadowlands). It's less work for a place your campaign might not enter.
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Post by WolfKook »

I would also recommend the Shadowlands if you want to minimize the amount of work to do.

If you're looking for the best fan-made domains, perhaps you should check this thread. The standard deviation of that poll was pretty high, but at least it's an attempt to get the best fan-made domains.

If that is the case, I would recommend Fairhafen, but maybe it's kind of author bias: I would love to hear that someone other than me has playtested the domain. :wink:
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DoctorMoreau
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Post by DoctorMoreau »

I'm looking through this list:
http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/foru ... php?t=4376
and I don't see Fairhafen... I'd like to read about it.

I may end up just developing something myself with dwarves instead, because of the nearby Keening mountain range I can make it something mountainous, with the whole classic concept of dwarves as deep miner men who you might catch a glimpse of.

But I don't know, still looking at these. I really like Arlington Farm, I'll be giving it a permanent location, probably in Mordent. But it's not area sized.
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
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