Nova Vaasa Redux: The Criminal Rings

[Isabella]

I think I missed a lot of good things by being too young for Second Edition. You sometimes get the feeing, when reading the Gazetteers, that they're referencing some 2e product that I can no longer buy. Take Nova Vaasa, for example: four and a half pages on the domain's false history, two paragraphs on the Darklord and the huge criminal ring he supposedly runs.

A while ago I posted some threads called "Ravenloft Redux", in which I rewrote certain domains to work better in my head (Valachan and Kartakass). I figured I'd share the chunks of Nova Vaasa involving the criminal circles, which were rewritten with inspiration from the actual Russian vory v zakone - a bit modern for Ravenloft, but with Hazlan next door, certain cultureal bits just fit.

The Nova Vaasan Underworld

Given the Iron Faith's prohibitive bans on gambling, opium, subversive literature, magic, and prostitution, as well as the stiff tariffs on the export of horseflesh and restrictions on the sale of alcohol, it's not surprising that a criminal underworld has exploded in Nova Vaasa's cities. The domain is simply too large to be effectively policed, and the noble families keep their power centralized for fear of spreading themselves too thin. Bandits ride openly along the rural steppes, and smugglers run every commodity imaginable across the Vaasi borders. But the Lawgiver's dogma adds to the criminal class in another way: anyone who is possessed of moral degeneracy is believed to also be cursed by physical degeneracy. Thus, those with physical deformities, disfiguring diseases, or transformative magical curses are shunned as immoral. Criminals are often branded or tattooed as punishment, so that their crimes have a physical marker on their flesh. All demihuman races are seen as being physically altered by the Lawgiver's displeasure, and shapeshifters are considered anathema to the church, as they are attempting to hide their divine punishment from the pious. The result of this is a dedicated criminal "caste" - a group of people in Vaasi society that have no means to survive except through a criminal lifestyle.

Although the core of the criminal class is made of the disfigured and the inhuman, the underworld is teeming with Nova Vaasans from every walk of life. Some have been disenfranchised by the nobility; some are in it for the thrill; some in it due to addictions and debts; still others are in it for the money. Crime is one of the only ways to get ahead in a land choked by oppression and corruption. The criminals put on a great face of being noble brothers refusing to aid a tyrannical government, citing a thieves' code to live by and a camaraderie between all thieves. In truth, the criminals kill each other more often than they kill lawmen, and the nobility is so corrupt that there is often little to differentiate the criminal from the legitimate. Smugglers bribe border guards to carry on business, criminals often have nobles and priests on their payrolls, and lawmen are given a cut of illegal proceeds from gangs in their area. Many criminals have taken over large chunks of the government, and it's not uncommon for criminal groups to own large swaths of legitimate businesses.

Despite this congruence of the criminal and the legitimate, most of Vaasi criminal culture is built around thumbing their nose at at government, and the Lawgiver in particular. Thieves are expected to never cooperate with the government, nor betray their fellow thieves to any authority, though inter-criminal conflict is permitted and common. Criminals and those who live in gang controlled areas are expected to turn to criminal authorities for any trouble they might have, not to the nobility or legitimate lawmen. Given the nobility's general apathy and antipathy toward the poor, this is a demand that is usually adhered to. Though the criminals squeeze as much, if not more, money out of their communities than the nobles do, they are often viewed slightly more favorably, as they also live up to their end of the bargain and protect those who pay them. The criminal groups tend to be legitimately helpful to the people they are exploiting, as it is their community and their source of livelihood.

Due to the Lawgiver's preferred punishment for crimes and their antipathy toward body modification, tattoos and brands have become a particular code among the Nova Vaasan criminal class. At first the markings were simply proof that the person bearing them was really a criminal - no pious adherent to the Iron Faith would deliberately disfigure themselves. It was also an advertisement for what crimes the person had committed, and thus what relevant skills they might have. In time, however, the criminals began to tattoo themselves as well, learning techniques from Hazlani travelers and making inks from alchemical reagents. Criminal tattoos are often a telltale shade of bluish grey, as ash is the easiest pigment to obtain in exile or prison. The tattoos are disparate but laden with symbolism, a secret code that only the criminals seem to understand. The most common symbol is that of the cat, which represents a thief or a criminal. Ironically, religious symbols tend to be very common; for instance, many criminals have the iron spear of the Lawgiver over their heart, on the back of their neck, or on their back, both as an insult to the church and to offend any priest meting out a whipping or execution by forcing them to defile their own holy symbol (some fearfully pious nobles defer the punishments altogether, which the criminals no doubt hope for). These tattoos make up a criminal's reputation to other criminals - if a criminal is caught boasting a tattoo they do not have the rights to wear, it is forcibly cut off. Criminals caught breaking the criminal code are also forcefully tattooed with markers of shame, in an unintentional echo of the Lawgiver's punishments.

Of particular note among the criminal underworld are the Paka, a race of cat-like shapeshifters that have an affinity for the vicious plains cats of the Nova Vaasan steppes. The Paka bear an extreme hatred of the Lawgiver and most the humans of Nova Vaasa, claiming an attempted genocide of the Paka race generations ago. Given the Iron Faith's opinion of the Paka, this may not be an incorrect accusation - the Lawgiver's clergy is happy to return the hatred, and will brand Paka for the simple crime of their ability to shapeshift. As such, the Paka culture is completely rooted in the Nova Vaasan criminal class. Some even claim the use of the cat as a symbol for a thief is because of the Paka. Whatever the case, the near universal conscription of the Paka into crime only fuels the Iron Faith's self-righteousness at persecuting them, which in turn only fuels the Pakas' hatred of the Iron Faith. It is a cycle that is echoed among all the disfigured and non-human races.

[Isabella]

Tattooing in Nova Vaasa

Due to the Lawgiver's preferred punishment for crimes and their antipathy toward body modification, tattoos and brands have become a particular code among the Nova Vaasan criminal class. The symbols that criminals use have a series of double meanings, with seemingly innocuous or religious symbols meaning something entirely different in the context of the criminal underworld. A criminal's tattoos are his reputation, his resume - if a criminal has a tattoo, they are expected to have earned it or lived up to it. Wearing a tattoo without having the "rights" to it will cause other criminals to cut or burn them off. Tattoos can also be forcefully applied if a criminal breaks the criminal code: examples include selling out another criminal to official government authority, reneging on gambling debts, or harming children. Such tattoos mark the criminal as an "untouchable", bullied and exploited by his own criminal brethren. The placement of tattoos has meaning as well: for example, criminals almost never tattoo their face unless they expect to be imprisoned or exiled for life. The exception to this is Lawgiver brands, which are often placed on the face or hands. These brands are usually treated as badges of honor, as anyone who doesn't burn them off or otherwise remove them is usually very dedicated to the criminal way of life.

Common Symbols Include:

The Cat: The cat is the symbol of the thief, usually placed on a criminal after their first successful endeavor. Common variations include the cat smoking a pipe and wearing a hat, or having a collar with a club card suit or an alchemical symbol placed upon it. Married couples often both have a pair of cats nuzzling tattooed on the same spot.

The Plains Cat: A forward facing head of a plains cat, snarling and bearing its fangs. Known as an oskal, or a grin, this represents the wearer "baring his teeth" at the government, and being violently opposed to authority.

The Dragon: While some criminals wear it simply for the glamor, the dragon has come to suggest an opium addiction or heavy involvement in the opium trade.

Spider: A spider, usually in a web, is a symbol of a drug addiction. If the spider is downward it implies a desire to leave this way of life.

Stars: A thirteen pointed star, likely taken from Darkon, is a symbol of authority among criminals. They are either placed upon both shoulders (which means the criminal has never taken money from legitimate work) or placed on both knees (which means the criminal will never kneel before authority).

Scarabs: A scarab is the symbol of an arcanist.

Skulls: A skull usually represents a murderer. A skull with a crown, interestingly, means the bearer has some manner of arcane or uncanny power.

Religious Symbols: The Iron Church of the Lawgiver represents that the criminal has been imprisoned or exiled, with each Iron Spire representing a year in prison. The Iron Spear of the Lawgiver is often worn over the heart or on the back of the neck, as some church-fearing nobles will defer punishment rather than defile the symbol of the Lawgiver. The Shield of Ezra, or the figure of Ezra herself, means the criminal was first punished or imprisoned as a youth, or was born in prison.

Chess Knight: The symbol of the horse-headed knight piece seems completely innocuous, but it symbolizes a decapitated horse head and thus anti-noble sentiment.

Birds: Symbols of freedom. A golden eagle represents a monster hunter.

Alchemical symbols: Given the prevalence of alchemy in Nova Vaasa, they are commonly found as criminal symbols. A crescent moon on a black background means the criminal is an alchemist or has been alchemically altered. A skull with a circle and a dot on the forehead is a warning not to jilt the criminal in matters of money. The alchemical symbol for Iron represents an executioner or hitman for the criminal authorities. S.V. (the symbol for Spirit of Wine) is an acronym that stands for Syekhmaa Victorious.

Card Suits: A spade is the symbol of a killer, the club a sign of a thief. Diamonds are used as symbols of the government, and hearts suits tends to be reserved only as an insult to the bearer. A knife through a playing card with a heart means the bearer will kill for revenge or money.

Hazlani Symbols: Criminals tend to be superstitious, and also hold a heavy interest in their neighboring domain's culture. Criminals will often get tattoos of their birth signs, assuming their birth sign is prestigious enough. Otherwise, they will simply grab random totems to claim as their own, much to the Mulani's disdain.

Forced Tattoos: A tattoo of a goat represents an informer. A heart inside a triangle represents someone who has abused young children. Anyone who reneges on gambling debts is given a tattoo by his fellow gamblers, which usually means they are incredibly embarrassing.

There are thousands of different symbols and variations, depending on geography, ethnic background, or criminal group. A half-vistani might have a tattoo of a tarokka cards. Wolves and werewolves are common among criminals who have been magically or alchemically experimented on. Elvish inspired tattoos are known among smugglers in the North. In general, the code is so complex and convoluted that only criminals tend to be fluent in what any symbol might mean.

[Isabella]

Malken

Malken is the Darklord of Nova Vaasa. He is the head of the Syekhmetskaya Circle, one of the largest criminal rings in the Core.

Two things become quickly apparent upon meeting Malken: the first is that he is brilliant; the second that he is hideous. He has a hunched build and twisted spine, with thick limbs and heavy hands. Despite this, his footfalls make almost no sound, an unsettling trait for those he sneaks up on. His fingernails are long, yellowed, and chipped, though they are trimmed and filed enough to form impromptu claws. His unruly hair and thick eyebrows are gray, and have been since birth. Malken's nose is too large for his face, and his mouth is likewise oversized, filled with jutting, snaggled, crooked yellow teeth. he tends to leer his head forward whenever he's examining something. His eyes reflect the light like an animal, and seem to glow yellow in the dark. Malken rarely dresses in any fancy manner, usually wearing a heavy dark coat that goes down to his knees, dark trousers, and heavily wrapped boots. On occasion, he will wear something that looks like a painted death-mask.

Like most Vaasi criminals, Malken bears tattoos - each finger has a ring tattooed on it, all of them with different meanings; the back of his neck has the letters S.V.; he has a crescent moon on the back of one hand; a roaring plains cat's head on the other; winged skulls on both shoulders; stars on his knees; the spear of the Lawgiver over his heart; and an incomprehensible code of writing and alchemical symbols on his back, his right hip, and various other parts of his body. He also has a thick, nasty scar on the left side of his neck and collarbone.

Malken is unpleasant to deal with personally. He speaks a heavy Vaasi slang that is comprised mostly of obscenities - he is capable of crisp, eloquent Vaasi as well, much to people's shock, though he usually also peppers that with obscenities. He can be cultured, intelligent, and even charming, but doesn't bother unless he thinks it will make something go his way. Most of the time, Malken acts towards his reputation as a criminal mastermind and dangerous man - it is apparent to everyone who speaks to him that he could have them killed, and he always seem to be judging if it is worth his time to do so. For the most part, Malken does make for an effective and profitable criminal boss. When confronted with a problem, he usually solves it with an inspired, if ruthless, plan of action. If confronted with something he can't solve, however, or confronted with someone personally annoying him, he usually explodes into abusive violence. On rare occasions, if things really upset him, Malken just has everyone involved killed.

Background

Malken was born a caliban, cursed with his misshapen visage from birth. His parents abandoned him on the streets to die, and he was only begrudgingly taken in by the local orphanage. The doctrine of the Lawgiver stated that spiritual degeneracy was marked by physical degeneracy, and the local Lawgiver priest ruled that there was only the barest responsibility to take care of such an evil creature. Malken's early years were marked with abuse and neglect, barely managing to steal and scrape enough food from his "caretakers" to get by. As he got older, it quickly became apparent there would be no escape from this life - no one would adopt such a child, nor would anyone respectable teach him or employ him. The child was only saved by a group of juvenile delinquents, who were young enough to find the grotesque amusing. They brought him back to their criminal employers, a small group of paka, who paid the child a paltry sum to stand lookout for them or run other errants. It was a pittance, but it was more than Malken ever had, and it kept him from freezing to death in the cold winters. It was the paka who nicknamed him Malken, due to his gray hair, and since Malken had no other name it stuck with him.

As Malken grew, however, the group began to become fond of him, and it quickly became apparent that he was incredibly brilliant. His suggestions nearly doubled the profits of the various scams and rackets that the paka were running. Malken relished the feeling of being accepted and rewarded for his talents, rather than punished for his appearance, and he began to get more and more involved with the criminal activities of his new friends. For a while, he stuck with smuggling, but when he spotted a lone noble on a horse, he couldn't resist attempting a mugging. Unfortunately for the boy, his intended victim was Dmitri Stanov, High Constable of Kantora and one of the most famed swordsmen in Nova Vaasa. Unsurprisingly, the malnourished, thirteen year-old caliban was soundly outclassed, and Dmitri defeated him with no real effort.

Once Dmitri realized how young and weak his assailant was, he couldn't help but take pity. The caliban still lived, but had been grievously injured in the assault. As High Constable, it was his right and duty to pass down sentence - the law stated Malken was to be exiled or imprisoned. The usual place for such imprisonment was a hard, brutal labor camp, where the injured boy would almost certainly die. Malken instead served out his sentence in a small house near the Stanov estate, with a pair of armed guards and a fully trained physician. Malken's initial response was that of hostility, but he was too weak and injured to cause much trouble. Good food and proper care improved his constitution, and by the time he was strong enough to walk around, he was on decent terms with his physician and a number of the Stanov staff. Dmitri allowed the boy out, provided he was accompanied by his guard, and while Malken gave them the slip sometimes he was more curious than mischief-minded. He could often be found poking around the estate, but was most often found examining the alchemy lab in the left wing, and asking perceptive questions of the alchemists who worked there.

Intrigued by this, Dmitri bought a few books on alchemy and gave them to the boy. Malken took to them like a fish to water, and alchemy became his vocation and passion. He dreamed of finding some way to change himself into a normal human being, but all his attempts to do so faded all too quickly. He tried turning to other, more knowledgeable alchemists, but every one refused. The Vaasi church had decreed that permanently changing a creature's form was a crime, especially in the case of Malken - improving the caliban's life would be defying the Lawgiver's divine judgment, and hiding his degeneracy from more worthy folk. Malken was incensed that not only he was abused because of an accident of birth, but the church had made it illegal to fix it, because it would make it harder to abuse him. His bitterness grew with every rejection he encountered.

In many ways, this made him loyal to Dmitri, who had given him a chance at a good life. When Malken's "sentence" was up, Dmitri offered the caliban a position as an alchemist. Malken accepted, serving the Stanov household faithfully for over a decade. Though Dmitri never quite treated the Malken as an equal, the two became very close - Dmitri seemed to acknowledge that his servant was quite a bit smarter than he was, and Malken even saved his master's life on more than one occasion. To Malken, Dmitri was everything a noble ought to be: just, loyal, and merciful. But Malken still brooded over the unjust Vaasi system. Every time he left the Stanov estate, he was plunged back into a world that despised him, and despised everyone like him. Dmitri was good to him, but the noble still upheld the laws and religion that had made Malken's life miserable in the first place. Malken began to start entertaining revolutionary ideas, secretly reading proscribed literature that Dmitri had confiscated.

It was while reading this verboten literature that Malken stumbled upon a fateful alchemical secret. One of the manuscripts contained a formula that could "steal" a human body by dissolving it into a potion, and then bestow that human form on whomever drank that potion. Dmitri had banned it and confiscated the text the moment he'd heard of it, but Malken was struck by the chance that he could be a normal human being. Of course, he'd have to kill someone else and steal their life, which put a damper on Malken's thoughts for a while. He could not bury his yearning, however, and eventually he became fixated on a particular plan — he would steal the form of one of the oppressive nobles, and use his newfound power to make things better for people like him. This assuaged his conscience, and the irony delighted him. Unfortunately, no noble or churchman was willing to be in his company for long, and certainly not in so intimate a capacity that Malken could carry out his operation without being caught. The only noble he could feasibly manage the switch with would be his own employer, Dmitri Stanov.

Malken loved his master, and likely would have found some other plan, or delayed his plan indefinitely, had it not been for a fateful piece of news: Malken discovered that his paka friends who had saved his life when he was young were dead. They'd been caught by local lawmen, and while the normal punishment for their crimes would have been imprisonment, because they were paka they were executed. Malken was incensed, and began to focus his rage at Dmitri, for not stepping in to prevent this (as he had with Malken), and for serving the laws and nobility that enforced such injustice. The caliban took to brooding in solitude, until he finally lured Dmitri down to the alchemy lab, on the pretense of showing off some new discovery. Dmitri had been concerned about Malken, and followed without question — he trusted Malken implicitly, and when the caliban turned on him he was too stunned to fight back. Malken killed Dmitri and chopped him into pieces, slowly feeding the nobleman's body into his alchemical concoction. By the dawn of the next morning, Malken was now wearing Dmitri's form.

At first, it seemed to have worked perfectly. Malken reveled in his new respect and authority, but quickly discovered that both these things were dependent on serving the laws that he so hated. Change was too slow, and the more Malken tried to change the law, the more pressure came down on both him and Kantora from the other nobles. This period of clarity lasted for only a few weeks, at which point Malken stumbled onto Dmitri's personal writings and correspondence. Reading just how much Dmitri had cared for Malken caused the caliban to break down in grief.

When Malken next awoke, it was night, and he had no recollection of where the day had gone. Upon encountering a mirror, he was horrified to discover he had returned to his natural caliban form — he was even more horrified to encounter one of the Stanov household, who told him that Dmitri had been looking for him that very morning. Terrified and confused, Malken grabbed what possessions he could and ran, fleeing into the slums of Kantora.

Curse

Malken shares his body with Dmitri Stanov, with their physical appearance transforming to match whichever one is in control. The two are wholly separate personalities and have separate knowledge from one another, neither is aware what the other does when not in control. Neither man has any control over when they transform into the other, nor any control over the other man's actions. So far, Malken has managed to figure this out, although Dmitri remains ignorant of his criminal alter-ego — indeed, his mind seems to subconsciously avoid any suspicion of it. It is uncertain if "Dmitri" is the actual Dmitri Stanov, or a splinter of Malken's guilty conscience, but his behavior is identical to the original Dmitri Stanov, and he knows things that Malken doesn't. Malken is convinced that some essence of Dmitri remained behind in the alchemical potion, and is determined to get rid of it. The very concept of Dmitri still being alive and aware of his betrayal fills Malken with an uncontrolled horror.

The transformation tends to take place while secluded, but nothing Malken has done has managed to prevent him from changing back. When it is time for either man to make the switch, they subconsciously move to where they cannot be seen — when Malken tries to resist this, he blacks out and loses control over his actions, sending his henchmen away or sneaking past his own subordinates. This also does not always prevent people from following either man and finding out the truth, and after a botched blackmail attempt by one of Malken's cronies, Malken does everything he can to ensure his dual-identity stays secret. He is terrified of Dmitri discovering the truth, as he is concerned his better half will kill himself to kill Malken.

Dmitri considers himself personally responsible for Malken's actions, and dedicates his life to fighting Malken's criminal activities. Malken, however, still clings to the hope of regaining Dmitri's form and taking his place, and thus he defends Dmitri's honor and position rabidly. Since Dmitri is unaware of Malken's true aspirations, he interprets Malken's defense of the Stanovs as signs that Malken still cares for him. This in turn makes his disappointment and pain over Malken that much more evident, and on occasion prompts him to return the caring sentiment, which drives a knife deep into Malken's black heart.

Both Dmitri and Malken are immune to anything — magical, alchemical, or natural — that would alter their shape, with the exception of the curse. They are too steeped in chemicals and forbidden alchemy for anything else to have an effect on them.

Current Sketch

Malken has slowly betrayed every one of his ideals as he continues to cling to the hope that Dmitri's power and influence will someday be his. He's squashed rebellions and assassinated revolutionaries who were threatening the Stanov's influence. He's murdered trusted friends and advisors because they discovered his double identity. He's sold inconvenient calibans into slavery or used to law to execute them, because they got in his way. He's started paying bribes and tithes to nobles so he can get on with business. In the beginning, he convinced himself that it was for the greater good, and once he fixed his formula he could make it right. Now he no longer even pretends to care. He has simply sunk too much effort into Dmitri's body for it not to be his.

To this end, he secretly shores up the Stanov finances with his filthy lucre, keeping the other nobles of Nova Vaasa from bleeding Dmitri dry. He also has a vested interest in keeping Dmitri alive, given they share the same body, which means he will assassinate any threats to Dmitri's person or family. This strange chivalry on Malken's part has not gone unnoticed, but most people close to the Stanov family assume it is because Malken still cares for his former master. While this is not true in an altruistic sense, Malken still has a twisted and possessive respect for Dmitri, and Dmitri's disappointment and feelings of betrayal can unhinge Malken like nothing else can.

Malken is a criminal mastermind, and he is good at it. He has an absurd amount of the Vaasi government on his payroll, and it's rumored that even Prince Othmar Bolshnik is in his pocket. Though he himself is bound to Kantora by Dmirti's continued presence there, his fingers reach all the way to Falkovnia. He instead lurks in the Kantora slums, working through intermediaries or anonymous messages. He controls his lieutenants via magic communications and messenger birds, but for the most part, he doesn't care what they do so long as they pay him. He himself tends to play things quietly, neatly, and efficiently. Despite his reputation for causing mayhem, Malken rarely resorts to violence as his first move. He will bribe, blackmail, discredit, or kidnap before turning his hand to murder. Malken is rarely to be trusted, and he will gladly double-cross or betray other criminals, Lawgiver church officials, or nobles. That being said, he usually plays things fair in his dealings — he's considered a nasty, unpleasant snake, but a very good boss to work for, as criminals go.

Malken spends much of his free time seeking out further alchemical knowledge, in the hopes of undoing his curse. He has failed all his attempts, but has otherwise gathered an encyclopedic knowledge of alchemy, and is probably the finest alchemical mind in the Core. He is in correspondence with a number of scholars under a pen name, and occasionally publishes papers via these connections. He is also known for publishing underground papers on a stolen printing press — the contents vary between embarrassing government secrets, forbidden alchemical formulas, obscene threats, or tips for fellow criminals.

[Isabella]

The Syekhmetskaya Circle

A Nova Vaasan criminal ring run by Malken, considered to be one of the largest criminal rings in the Core. The Syekhmetskaya Circle has a presence in most major Vaasi cities, although it keeps a low profile in Kantora - a fact attributed to Dmitri Stanov's tireless efforts against them. The group is uncannily organized for a crime ring of that size, mostly attributed to Malken's brilliant mind and a number of smuggled communications magics. The Syekhmetskaya Circle dabbles in anything illegal that it can make a profit on, including art and artifact smuggling, drugs, protection rackets, horse smuggling, and human trafficking, but its real specialty is in weapons, arcane items, and alchemical components.

The Syekhmetskaya Circle is known to be territorial, and often dominates any area it gets a foothold in. Members of the circle are the de-facto rulers of their territory — stories are told of one high ranking member who cordoned off an entire street, because she wanted to eat lunch without the noise from foot-traffic. City guards or churchmen are bribed or brought into the fold, while more stubborn lawmen are either beaten or, more often, simply left alone and allowed to go bankrupt via their own virtue. This territoriality expands to other criminal enterprises, as well, as the members do not want other groups competing with their business. Anyone caught doing business without the Syekhmetskaya Circle's permission is beaten up and tossed out. Local business owners are subject to the same treatment, and have to pay a fee to the criminals in order to keep doing business. This is more than just extortion, however. If a business is vandalized or robbed by someone else, the criminals will work hard to get the property back and bring the vandal to justice. The Syekhmetskaya Circle sees itself as providing a service, and compared to the uncaring and opulent nobility of Nova Vaasa, they are often the only form of justice that a citizen can fall back on.

The Syekhmetskaya Circle gets it's name from one half of the paka dual goddess, Syekhmaa-Ubahstyi. Many of the thugs adopt some of the lion-goddess' trappings — most simply consider her a symbol of rebellion against the Vaasi government, but some actually go so far as to consider themselves a part of the faithful.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I think I missed a lot of good things by being too young for Second Edition. You sometimes get the feeing, when reading the Gazetteers, that they're referencing some 2e product that I can no longer buy.

Yes, sadly one fan's nostalgic reference is another WTF? Well, on the bright side, a lot of the old Ravenloft stuff is now becoming available as pdf's. And we're always here to fill you in, via Mistipedia and the forums...

I really love what you've done with the criminal culture of NV, and especially the tattoos. I probably would have gone with Tarrokka suits instead of mentioning real-world ones, but to each their own. Another connection that you missed (perhaps for being too young, again. ) is the Nightmare Lands. The Abbers have a culture of tattoos, too, and moreover, are the inventors of the Living Tattoo. And the Nightmare Lands shared a border with NV before the Upheaval. So it's likely some rogue Abbers found their way into the NV underworld, and that the most powerful criminal warlords have a Living Tattoo or two. (tattoo or two, tattoo or two... fun to say....)

Your Malken is definitely a new twist. Malken an Tristen have had tons of different and conflicting takes (even in the books!) but I don't know if I've ever seen one where Malken is "real" like this. I like it! Though, I miss Tristen... why the change to Dmitri?

[Isabella]

I really love what you've done with the criminal culture of NV, and especially the tattoos. I probably would have gone with Tarrokka suits instead of mentioning real-world ones, but to each their own.

There's a thought. Of course, I never liked the Tarrokka deck (as a deck, the artwork was always fantastic) and wound up redrawing the whole thing as a tarot deck, so, uh... I'll stick with real world suits for me.

Boy, what were the tarrokka suits again.... sigh. Glyphs, Coins, Swords, Stars? The swords are a sign of ruthlessness, glyphs would be an insult to the bearer, stars would be a sign the criminal knew magic, and coins... I dunno, they're coins.

Your Malken is definitely a new twist. Malken an Tristen have had tons of different and conflicting takes (even in the books!) but I don't know if I've ever seen one where Malken is "real" like this. I like it! Though, I miss Tristen... why the change to Dmitri?

a) In cannon, we have Tristen Hiregaard, Tristan apBlanc, and Tristessa. There might be others. I'm not saying this isn't realistic, mind, given my high school classes invariably had five "Mike"s, but at the same time I can't shake the vague feeling this has been a bit overdone.

b) The Hiregaards are named Katya, Ivar, Yorgi, Sasha, Mikhail, and... Tristen. The five noble families in Nova Vaasa are Bolshnik, Rivtoff, Vistin, Chekiv and Hiregaard. One of these things is not like the others. >.> I couldn't help but think of Terry Pratchett's novel Interesting Times, with the Hongs, Tongs, Fangs, Tangs, and Mc Sweenies. Which, once again, isn't unrealistic so much as anything that makes us start quoting Terry Pratchett in game is a death sentence for a dramatic mood.

c) Look closer: Dmitri Stanov

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

c) Look closer: Dmitri Stanov

heh heh... clever. I'd missed that.

[Hazgarn]

Boy, what were the tarrokka suits again.... sigh. Glyphs, Coins, Swords, Stars? The swords are a sign of ruthlessness, glyphs would be an insult to the bearer, stars would be a sign the criminal knew magic, and coins... I dunno, they're coins.

Could indicate an assassin/contract killer/killer for hire, "celebrate" a bounty on their head, or simply advertise that they are willing to do anything if the price is right...

I've always been fascinated with the codes within real-world criminal tattoos. Even if I don't use the rest of this, I'm probably going to snag a few parts of this if my group ever winds up in Nova Vaasa.

[herkles]

This is really cool. I will try and find a way to use this in my version of Nova Vaasa; which is significantly differente but this is too cool not to use.

[order99]

Isabella-

You have done what any number of supplements have failed to do for me.

You have made me want to bring Malken into a Ravenloft game-YOUR Malken to be precise! I hope you won't think me forward if I invite him.

I love the fact that your Malken is a real creature that let his hatred for the status quo overwhelm the happiness that life did allow him, and who has no one to blame for his sins but himself. This Malken 'clicks' as a potential or actual Darklord for me personally in a way that the canon one did not.

Also, this version is far less a copy of the classic Jekyll/Hyde template and far more its own creature, while still remaining true to RL Stevenson's theme of 'hidden sin'. In fact, your Malken reminds me of a dark little character study of Stevenson's called (coincidentally?) 'Markham'. Unlike Malken though, the unfortunate Markham was able to resolve his own internal conflicts-but i'll leave no details in case anyone hasn't read it yet...

Again Isabella, thank you so much-and please keep going with this!!!

[Isabella]

You have made me want to bring Malken into a Ravenloft game-YOUR Malken to be precise! I hope you won't think me forward if I invite him.

I'll be happy that this was of some use, and I'm sure he'll be happy to be let out of the GM box.

If by happy we mean, you know, "eternally miserable due to his own actions."