Desert themed domains?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Wow, what a wealth of information - you guys are incredible.

That's what we're here for.

@ Gonzoron - So these Clusters (and I guess also the original Islands of Terror) cannot be physically entered in the same manner as say, walking from Barovia to Gundarak? Do I understand correctly that they are not true "islands" in the sense that one could navigate to them by boat, or fly by more exotic means (spell or griffon mount)?

Yes, that's correct. See our FAQ, specifically Question 6.

They are just smaller cores, locked away in a remote area of the demiplane, accessible only by the caprice of the mists? I already have a fair amount of teleportation involved in this scenario, I'd rather not introduce more.

Well, yes and no. It depends on how capricious you wish your mists to be. Generally speaking, to get to an Island or Cluster from the Core or another island or cluster, you walk into the Misty Border and hope for the best. Eventually, you'll walk out somewhere (assuming you survive the things that lurk in the mists) mostly at random. If you consider that to be teleportation, sure, I can see that, though it feels like a different phenomenon to me. However, there are currents in the Mists, called mistways, like those I mentioned above, which are place where generally if you walk into the Mists at point A and walk for a while, you usually come out at point B. So there's a spot on the border of hazlan, where you can enter the Misty Border, and a good portion of the time, emerge in Pharazia. (there's also a point in the Nocturnal Sea where you can sail a boat and end up shipwrecked in the desert of Har'akir. not as easy, but it works. )

On an only partially and abstractly related side note, if you had to classify G'Henna as a real world analogue, what would be the closest example? I've read a few small blurbs only on that domain and I just can't get a good cultural feel for it.

Yeah, some have said tibet, some have said the middle-east... it's not really clear.

[alhoon]

To make the answer shorter: Yes, Clusters are like "little cores". As Gonzoron said, you can end up in a cluster by Mist abduction or a pathway.
If you have started your campaign already in the Core, then yes, transportation to a cluster by mists is needed. Of course, as you said you may circumvent that, by adding a "Far away desert" as a big desert island somewhere in the seas of the Core.
If you haven't started a campaign... then have the Mists take your players in the Cluster you want, insted of the Core.

[High Priest Mikhal]

Clusters are unlike mini-Cores in that they're linked by a common thread. The Shadowlands, for example, are linked by the legacy of the Shadowborn clan: Shadowborn Manor is obviously the ancestral estate of the family, Avonleigh is home to the wizard who killed one of the last Shadowborn's and kidnapped the other out of a twisted sense of love, and Nidala is ruled by Elena Faith-hold who one served alongside Lady Kateri Shadowborn before her zeal turned her to evil (and she doesn't even know it!).

Others, like the Burning Wastes, share a thematic thread. Namely they're all based on the desert cultures of Egypt. From ancient times to the arrival of Islam (including "police" whose sole concern is rooting out those who stray from strict religious laws set by Diamabel).

This isn't to say Clusters couldn't become Cores, just that they share a common link that is more important metaphysically. If they did become Cores they would likely be monothematic where every domain is somehow tied in with the common thread.

[ewancummins]

On an only partially and abstractly related side note, if you had to classify G'Henna as a real world analogue, what would be the closest example? I've read a few small blurbs only on that domain and I just can't get a good cultural feel for it.

A desertified/dustbowl version of Romania under Ceausescu?
Yagno Petrovna came from Barovia. I assume that Balok is the native tongue in G'henna.

[Ryan Naylor]

There really isn't one. It's a fantasy culture. There's a bit of Tibet, a bit of Mesoamerica, a bit of lots of places.

[ewancummins]

There really isn't one. It's a fantasy culture. There's a bit of Tibet, a bit of Mesoamerica, a bit of lots of places.

Sure.

In the original, I think it's pretty much just a dry, cold, dusty land with a crazy ruler who worships a made-up evil god.'Zhakata' sounds like a pulp fantasy villain.

The older material on the domain included some nice bits of local color; the brewing of a native drink, use of human teeth in ornaments, and so on.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

If anything, G'Henna reads most like something out of old-school pulp fantasy, like the original Conan short stories: over-the-top levels of stark desolation, terrain features that look like monsters and arches and bones, mysterious canyons where nameless monstrosities prowl, whatever. Like if Yagno'd spent his childhood daydreaming loads of cliche-ridden self-insert fanfics, and the Dark Powers ran with those in shaping the domain.

BTW, while making Har'Akir larger might improve its playability, it would rather undermine its darklord's curse to do that. If you want a larger Egyptian-style domain, it might work better to either invent a new one from scratch, or to depose the current Akiri darklord and replace him with one who isn't cursed to rule over some pitiful flyspeck of a town rather than an empire.

[High Priest Mikhal]

BTW, while making Har'Akir larger might improve its playability, it would rather undermine its darklord's curse to do that. If you want a larger Egyptian-style domain, it might work better to either invent a new one from scratch, or to depose the current Akiri darklord and replace him with one who isn't cursed to rule over some pitiful flyspeck of a town rather than an empire.

Isn't Ankhtepot's curse to forever be denied the mortality he lost, even with his ability to kill a living person and become mortal until sunset (when Ra turns His Gaze away)? Being cursed to never be lord of more than a backwater is Harkon Lukas IIRC.

[alhoon]

True. Ankhepot's curse doesn't have to do with the prosperity or power of his domain. He doesn't even seem to care about those guys as he lays dormant in his tomb.

[VikingLegion]

Well I've gotten quite a bit of mileage and great advice from this thread for my project, let's see if I can squeeze a bit more While building my pseudo Amber Wastes hybrid domain, I came across some sparse information regarding Diamabel:

Diamabel is the darklord of Pharazia. He resides in Phiraz.
By day, he appears as a holy, angelic being. By night, he appears as an undead horror.

as well as this bit of info:
http://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index ... 20.25;wap2
which deals mostly with his style of law and how he governs Pharazia, not so much about the creature himself.

Angel by day, monster by night? Why the duality? Is he some kind of fallen deva or archon? Or is it just a "Don't look behind the curtain" scenario used to impress the populace? I'm really intrigued by this guy now, where can I go to learn more?

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Isn't Ankhtepot's curse to forever be denied the mortality he lost, even with his ability to kill a living person and become mortal until sunset (when Ra turns His Gaze away)? Being cursed to never be lord of more than a backwater is Harkon Lukas IIRC.

But having only a tiny flyspeck of a village in his domain is what ensures he can't just sacrifice someone every day, thus obviating his curse's effect. He knows if he does that, he'll quickly run out of subjects and be left alone for eternity. The humiliation he suffers from having no empire is an additional fringe-benefit of this, from the DPs' perspective.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Angel by day, monster by night? Why the duality? Is he some kind of fallen deva or archon? Or is it just a "Don't look behind the curtain" scenario used to impress the populace? I'm really intrigued by this guy now, where can I go to learn more?

Diamabel was a human religious fanatic, who'd believed that he'd become a gorgeous and powerful angelic being in the afterlife if he served his faith (read: relentlessly slaughtered innocent non-believers) well. The Dark Powers granted him this desire -- sort of -- by making him superficially beautiful and angelic during the daytime, but transforming him into a hideous death-angel monstrosity at night.

It's a real transformation, but one that the populace (whom he's brainwashed into worshiping his angelic aspect) is unaware of. During the day, Diamabel luxuriates in his followers' praises and enjoys a lazy life of hedonism; by night, he flies far and wide, hunting down unbelievers and other scapegoats in the belief that he simply hasn't murdered enough enemies of the faith, yet.

[Bluebomber4evr]

Diamabel is basically a twisted personification of Zoroastrianism. By day, he looks like Ahura Mazda, the god of light and goodness. By night he looks like Angra Mainyu, the god of darkness and evil. Note that this is merely skin deep. Diamabel is an evil person even when he looks angelic. The desert nomads who rebel against Diamabel basically see through this deception and correctly believe that Diamabel is just a corrupt mortal man, though they do not know that he is also the demonic figure that plagues the domain at night.

[alhoon]

But having only a tiny flyspeck of a village in his domain is what ensures he can't just sacrifice someone every day, thus obviating his curse's effect. He knows if he does that, he'll quickly run out of subjects and be left alone for eternity. The humiliation he suffers from having no empire is an additional fringe-benefit of this, from the DPs' perspective.

Well, he would be equally humiliated too if Har'Akir had 2000 people, and they also wouldn't be enough for him to sacrifice one every day, or even one every month. Also, if he becomes a mortal for a day, he loses all his powers. His not-that-friendly associates, that are 3rd-5th magnitude mummies would tear him appart.

[High Priest Mikhal]

But having only a tiny flyspeck of a village in his domain is what ensures he can't just sacrifice someone every day, thus obviating his curse's effect. He knows if he does that, he'll quickly run out of subjects and be left alone for eternity. The humiliation he suffers from having no empire is an additional fringe-benefit of this, from the DPs' perspective.

Well, he would be equally humiliated too if Har'Akir had 2000 people, and they also wouldn't be enough for him to sacrifice one every day, or even one every month. Also, if he becomes a mortal for a day, he loses all his powers. His not-that-friendly associates, that are 3rd-5th magnitude mummies would tear him appart.

That, and the fact he's so often inactive it could be decades between potential rituals. It seems like being in a state of torpor ninety-percent of the time is part and parcel of his curse as well. If not canonically then just as part of being one of the ancient dead. It's almost like they "leak" the energy that animates them (usually negative, not positive which Mr. Mangrum posted once was a typo and snowballed in 2e; check out Libris Mortis for verification that undead mummies use negative energy in 3.x) and they have to recharge constantly. Or maybe it's part of the ritual that creates them, except undead mummies can't die and depart for the afterlife as deathless mummies do until something calls them back. Instead they're trapped with nothing but their own thoughts until triggered. Perfect recipe for major psychosis.