CrackedMack wrote:Potentially noobish question/suggestion, but could all of this be conceivably the start of the Time of Unparalleled Darkness? With all the weirdness going on - alternate realities and variant darklords appearing, some domains (Darkon) slowly collapsing, the (potential) reliance on Mist Talismans to get between places, etc. - it seems like a decent herald of how the demiplane as a whole is becoming unstable.
The Grand Conjunction on steroids, if you will.
I'd like to keep Darkon, and instead of collapse parts of the Core, expand it.
But yes, it could be the Time of Unparalleled Darkness as people start to realize the Demiplane is much vaster in scope and variety than they ever imagined.
As some of the 'shadow' domains collapse due to the Azalin/Hazlik-effect, they and their contents fuse with the Core. Confusion, awe and terror abound as people come to realize just how vast the potential of the Mists and the Dark Powers really is...
A proposed early timeline for the "Time of Unparalleled Darkness / Reconciliation"-event.
75X - "S" hurls herself into the Illithid God-Brain's brine pool to thwart Azalin's plans of using her as an incubator for the rebirth of his son, Irik.
Azalin, unable to gather the Gentleman Caller's children as he planned, is too stubborn to give up -- as usual. He starts plotting to find a way around his most recent debâcle instead of just coming up with a new scheme.
In Bluetspur, the God-Brain finished analyzing the memories it gained from its assimilation of "S". Owing to its genius-level intellect, it draws certain conclusions and grows concerned. It starts sending agents into the Core to gather information.
Azalin has set up his "workaround"; he has gathered a cabal of flunkies to help him cast spells he has designed to circumvent the lack of actual Gentleman Caller-related genetics in a stable of captive creatures with reality wrinkles. He is so obsessed with achieving his success that he chooses to ignore minor fluctuations and less than perfect test results.
One of the God-Brain's spies manages to report to its master about Azalin's "workaround" before expiring. The Darklord of Bluetspur analyzes the new data, compiles it with the old... and comes to the conclusion that Azalin's latest flawed project is likely to tear apart the whole Demiplane of Dread.
Including Bluetspur.
The God-Brain is spurred into immediate action, not out of any concern for the people of the Demiplane, but its own survival. Using the information gleaned from the memories of "S" and its agents abroad, it arranges for some very interesting information to fall into the hands of Hazlik, who is getting ready for his Mulan-extermination ritual.
Hazlik takes the bait and incorporates some exciting arcane equations he has "stolen" from what was actually an agent of the God-Brain into his ritual. The new equations allow him to advance his time table by years, and he gets ready to act.
In Darkon, Azalin believes he is also ready to enact the rebirth of Irik. He continues to ignore the flaws in the "workaround", and takes no interest in what the rest of the Core is up to - as per usual when enacting a mad scheme.
Right on cue, the two rituals are activated in Hazlan and Darkon. Owing to the God-Brain's sabotage, Hazlik's ritual goes wildly out of control at its apex. Instead of attacking the Mulan race in the wider multiverse, it burns just enough Mulan lives out to power its assault on Azalin's ritual. The two magics clash with disastrous results.
The ritual location in Darkon is annihilated, taking the captive Outsiders and Azalin's cabal with it. Azalin himself survives, thanks to his magical protections, but all of his notes on the ritual and a big chunk of Castle Avernus are just gone... and a malignant new star shines above Darkon: the Tear of the King.
Little do the inhabitants of the Core suspect that they have actually dodged a bullet. Thanks to Hazlik's corrupted ritual metaphorically tackling Azalin's ritual into the Mists and ripping it to shreds, the true destructive force of Azalin's botched magic fails to manifest.
Instead, the damage is inflicted on alternate timelines / dimensions of the Core, with the 5e reality taking the brunt of it. This causes the 5e Core and Clusters to be ripped apart and its Darklords to be weakened to the point that many are usurped by new heirs.
The metaphysical 'vacuum' left behind by the botched ritual's strike draws people and places, including several villains, out of alternate timelines / dimensions and deposits them in Core-Prime. The Mists boil all around the Core until they have managed to stitch everything back together -- or as close to back together as they can get.
The Tear of the King remains as a visible sign that all is not perfectly well, and can potentially be used as a gateway to other timelines and dimensions of the Demiplane of Dread.
Thus begins the Reconciliation.
Over the following days, then years, the Core starts seeing change as the newcomers start making their mark, some of them becoming trapped as new Darklords. It also changes as some of the Core's inhabitants react to the change, seeing it as an omen or a sign that the time is right to strike.
With the appearance of the University of Leidenheim in expanded Lamordia, the great colleges of the Core cautiously start to work together to study the events that have caused new swaths of land to appear - as well as scores of people who adhere to very different accounts of history.
In order to facilitate travel and exchange of information, the universities propose the notion of building a network of train lines across the Core. Some of the Core's governments agree to allow this, some do not; others are not invited to join with the scholarly union, nor the building of train lines. (Falkovnia, Forlorn and Invidia foremost among them.)
Although the Core has once again narrowly dodged annihilation and the ripples of change are moving outward to the furthest Island, the intelligentia of the Demiplane are cautiously optimistic that the rising of the Tear of the King signals a new age of scholarly expansion and exchange...
CrackedMack wrote:Potentially noobish question/suggestion, but could all of this be conceivably the start of the Time of Unparalleled Darkness? With all the weirdness going on - alternate realities and variant darklords appearing, some domains (Darkon) slowly collapsing, the (potential) reliance on Mist Talismans to get between places, etc. - it seems like a decent herald of how the demiplane as a whole is becoming unstable.
The Grand Conjunction on steroids, if you will.
It could take place after, since the Core is destroyed. Imo it is more a reboot than anything else but each its own take on the subject.
It could be Azalin that failed in his quest to assemble the Gentleman Caller's childs and it backlashed, it could be the ritual to kill all Mulans designed by Hazlik that failed, it could be Gwydion that broke free from the Shadow Rift or it could also be all of this together or something else entierly. You decide.
This setting assumes that the VRGtR shows the Ravenloft Setting in the last year of the Time of Unparalleled Darkness, which was brought about by the actions of the Gentlemen Caller and his Children, most notably the Dukkar Malochio Aderre and the machinations of Azalin Rex, who, in a bid to free himself from the Dark Powers, twisted the time and space of Ravenloft's reality. The Core shattered into single Islands of Dread which sometimes were drawn from the past, the possible future or even an alternate version of the domains. Barovia for instance was shown in the year of 735 BC. The deeds of heroic adventurers in league with Rudolph van Richten and Firan Zal'honan brought about the Second Grand Conjunction and the formation of a new core and a return to the year 760 BC.
Languages
Darkonese (Similar to Latin): Darkon, Tovag, Vechor, Necropolis
Low/High Mordentish (Similar to old English/modern English): Mordent, Avonleigh, Nidala, Seven Hills, Verbek, Paridon
Tepestani (similar to Gaelic): Tepest, Forlorn, Keening
Lamordian/Falkovnian (Similar to German): Lamordia, Graben Islands and Todstein, Blaustein, Falkovnia (dialect influenced by Sithican), northern Sithicus (humans of Rotburg and Ungrad)
Vaasi (similar to Damaran of the Forgotten Realms): Nova Vaasa, many speakers in Hazlan, Davion and Kartakass
Mulan (Similar to Thayan of the Forgotten Realms): Hazlan
Kartakan (Similar to Cormyran of the Forgotten Realms): Kartakass
Halruan (Similar to Netherese of the Forgotten Realms): Davion
Sithican (Similar to the Sylvanesti-Elvish of the Dragonlance world of Krynn) Sithicus, Liffe
Chateaufauxian (Similar to French): Dementlieu, Chateaufaux, Richemolut, Ghastria, Dominia, Sourange
Balok (Similar to Slavic languages like Hungarian): Barovia, Sanguinia
Luktar (Similar to Italian): Western Barovia, Invidia, Borca, Odiare
Vos (similar to Vos of the Birthright world of Cerelia / Russian) Vorostokov
Kosti (Similar to Norwegian): Polaris
Atian (Similar to Greek): Minossos, Omphale, Demise
Nogalifar (Similar to Eberrons Trade Language of the Five Nations): Nosos, Cyre 1313
Azcalan (similar to Aztec): Valachan, Azcal
Rohoni (similar to african languages): N'doki Roho, Colonia
Akiri (Similar to ancient Egyptian): Har'akir, Sebua
Pharazian (similar to Arabic): Pharazia, Sebua, Isles of the Faithless Stars
Kalidnan (similar to the Athasian Trade Language): Kalidnay
Elvish
Drow
Dwarvish
Halfling Tongue
Orcish
Draconic
Abyssal
Religion
Ezra: Mordent, Darkon, Sourange, Dementlieu, Chateaufaux, Richemulot
Hala: Southern Core
Eternal Order (Death Gods like Nerull, Myrkul, Kelemvore): Darkon
The Overseer: Darkon
Erlin: Barovia
Mother: Tepest (Viktal)
Belenus: Avongleig, Nidala, Tepest, Seven Hills (Humans)
Celtic Pantheon: Tepest, Forlorn
Olympian Pantheon: Omphale, Minossos, Demise
Nordic Pantheon: Polaris
Lolth The Spiderqueen: Arak (among the heretic arak known as hull- or zelldrow), Keening, Darkon (Drow below Mountains of Misery, Vradlock), Tovag (Drow below Burning Peaks), Hazlan (Drow beneath Fallen Sisters Mountains), Sithicus (as Jiathuli)
Lathander/The Morninglord: Barovia
Bane the Lawgiver: Nova Vaasa, Hazlan
Forgotten Realms Pantheons: Davion (Mystra, Loviatar, Malar), Hazlan (Bane, Mystra, Talos Torm), Kartakass (rarely Milil and Oghma), Saragoss (Umberlee the Sailors Bane), Darkon (Eilistraee, Vharaun, Lolth, Bahamut and Tiamat in Vradlock)
Ancestral Choir: Kartakass
The Wolfgod: Verbek
Divinity of Mankind: Paridon
Yutow: southern Chateaufaux
Krynnish Pantheon: Sithicus (Paladin the Adamantine Wyrm, Chislev the Sylvan Dancer, Takhisis the Many Headed Devourer, Nuitari the three-faced Goddess of the Moon and Magic), Liffe, Falkovnia (very distorted)
Eberrons Pantheons: Nosos, Cyre 1313
Birthright Pantheon: Vorostokov (Deities of the Vos only)
Greyhawk Pantheon: Darkon, Vechor (sometimes), Tovag (collectivly known as the 'Penates')
Elven Pantheon: Darkon (Elves), Kartakan (Elves), Hazlan (Elves)
Dwarven Pantheon: Darkon (Dwarves), Seven Hills (Dwarves). Hazlan (Dwarves)
Halfling Pantheon: Darkon (Halflings)
Gnomish Pantheon: Darkon (Gnomes)
Orcish Pantheon: Darkon (Orcs in Tempe Falls)
Loa (Spirits of the Voodan people) : Sourange (Voodan)
Hindu Pantheon: Kalakeri/Sri Raji
Kami-Pantheon (Japanese/FR Kara-Tur): Rokushima Tayioo
Celestial Buerocracy (Chinese /FR Kara-Tur): I'cath
Aztec Pantheon: Azcal
African gods: N'doki Roho, Colonia
Fate and The Lawgiver (similar to the believes of FR Zakhara): Isles of the Faithless Stars, Sebua, Pharazia
Kalid-Ma: Sorcerer-King of Kalidnay
The Core
Barovia
Darklord: Count Strahd von Zarovich
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Darkon
Darklord: Azalin Darcalus Rex II.
Themes: False Histories, Arcane Secrets
Alterations to VRGtR: The Land itself largely returned to the state of 3e.
The return of Il'Aluk and the appearance of new neighbors to the north during the 2nd Grand Conjunction has convinced the populace, that their new King Azalin Darcalus II. is even mightier than his father Azalin was. Azalin Darcalus Rex II. really is another 'bastard son', meaning clone, of Azalin and he also possesses the memories of the fictious wizard-king Darcalus. He is now advised by the same serpent that formerly counciled Vecna when he was Lord of Cavitius. The vile being that now poses as the familiar of the king, convinced the young wizard to absorb the 'spirit of Darcalus' during the 2nd Grand Conjunction and now goads him to ever greater magical evil. The first act of evil was to turn into a lich, to actually become as powerful as Azalin was. The sacrifice he had to make for immortality, was the life of his son.
It is rumored that not only the spirit of Darcalus was freed from the realm of the dead but that other spellcasters from the Arcane Age walk the world again as well. This is partly true, for three other clones of Azalin, who also received the call to inherit their 'father's' power, have taken up the mantels of the legendary mages Nightmage, Wormshield and Moonblood, after failing to become Azalin's successor. These 'Arcane Lords' all hate each other, Azalin Darcalus II., as well as the wandering mage Firan Zal'honan and other powerful spellcasters who share the blood of Azalin (other clones of Azalin or their descendants who surpass 10 lvl).
Nightmage is a former kargat vampire sorcerer, who now wages a nightly war with Lady Kazandras Kargat. Nightmage made his lair below Il Aluk, trying to become the shadowking of Darkon's criminal underworld.
The warlock Wormshield turned into a worm-that-walks (or Larvae mage in 5e) who lairs in Wormshield's Halls below Sidnar and is watching for omens in the night skies, send to him by his dark patrons from beyond the stars.
A mage and female clone of Azalin, Moonblood gained immortality by becoming an undead spirit who possesses the bodies of other woman, entering through their dreams. Her base of operations is within Maykle and the local asylum is one of her research grounds.
During the onset of the ToUD, when Hazlik of Hazlan learned that Azalin Rex had manipulated his Grand Ritual, he attacked the lich-king magically. His mind wrestled with that of Azalin and was rebuked. The short contact had the effect that Hazlik's curse as a Darklord now mirrored that of Azalin, but like Azalin he also gained the power to view through symbols of his power, called the Eye of Hazlik.
Hazliks second attempt to deal with Azalin, not knowing that the lich had vanished after the Hour of Ascension, was to send an army conjured from his homeland beyond the mists into Darkon. Although the boundries of the domains were failing, the army's warriors fell under the sway of Darkon's memory altering powers within days and were added to Darkon's population. About two hundred members of a caliban-like race called orcs, were send to Tempe Falls, to serve as caravan masters for the dwarven miner's goods. The dragonborn fighters of the army were to live in Vradlock, beside the drow, who had recently emerged from the Mountains of Misery for unknown reasons. Other strange races become more numerous as well. Green hexbloods and calibans are quite common in Viktal while tieflings and night hexbloods are not an uncommon sight in Martira Bay and Il Aluk. The Kargat is responsible for most of dhampirs that call Darkon home.
In the aftermath of Darkon's 'salvation', the new king named Madame Talisveri Eris to be baroness of Il'Aluk.
Alcio 'Baron' Metus was driven out of Martira Bay by Lady Kazandra and Kargat operatives from other parts of the domain. The rogue Metus now hides from the Kargat and has become the right hand of the Nightmage. She still hunts for clues about Van Richten, not knowing that the Dark Powers made Van Richten a blind spot for her and bound her to Darkon for her failed bid to become Darklord.
After being freed from the influence of the necrichor 'Darcalus' the elven mystic and archmage Cardinna Artazas has turned to tending the Nevuchar Shrine and 'healing' the books of the Library Pharmacologae, which were infected by the foul influence of the necrichor.
After a long hiatus in Dementlieu the Ray Agency has moved back to Martira Bay during the ToUD. Alanik Ray has been healed by a wandering outlander cleric of the elven god Corellon and is able to walk again. Also it has been revealed to a few, that Alanik is actually one of the rare elves able to switch between genders (see Mordenkain's Tome of Foes pg.44). Arthur Sedgewick is still recovering from the fact that his body was transferred into another body during a case in Sourange and that his original body has been destroyed. He also (rightly) fears, that Alanik is still secretly in love with 'the Woman': Lady Kazandra of the Kargat. For their role in placing him in power and saving Darkon, Azalin Darcalus II. has forbidden the Kargat to kill the detectives.
The King's Tear still hovers in the sky above Darkon and some astronomers from Sidnar who turned their view to it, believe it's a flying fortress fashioned from amber.
Many elves in Necuchar Springs have turned to their cultural gods again, after Ezra seemingly didn't help them during the ToUD . Ironically the first who warned about the ToUD, Bastion Teodorus Raines of Ezra's church, was also one of it's first victims. His ghost still haunts the Last Redoubt temple, which otherwise lies empty as Ezra's clergy mostly moved to the new harbor district of Nevuchar Port, which arose at the shores of the Nocturnal Sea on orders of Azalin Rex. The port lies somewhat separated from the elven settlement, which is just the way the elven residents like it. Many newcomers in Darkon now take up residence here and soon Nevuchar Port will rival Martira Bay in size. It's now the eastern endpoint of the Via Regis or King's Road (called the Reigning Road during the ToUD) which was completed and now connects the land from Martira Bay to Nevuchar Springs. Also a road now connects Nevuchar Springs and Har-Thelen in Sithicus.
Necropolis (Pocketdomain)
Darklord: Death
Alterations to VRGtR: Il'Aluks 'mirror-city' Necropolis is now located within the Mists north of Darkon. The deadly Shroud is gone. Death still plots against his 'father' Azalin, whom he still suspects to pull the strings in Darkon under a new disguise.
Lamordia
Darklord: Doctor Viktra Mordenheim
Alterations to VRGtR: Viktor Mordenheim and his monster were killed by an angry mob at the onset of the ToUD. Doctor Viktor Mordenheim is remembered as a distant villanous ancestor of Viktra, who created a monstrous creature known as Adam.
Deities: Lothurr (old god of lightning) Klorr (the divine Clockmaker, old god of sun, creation, time and destruction), venerated only by uneducated peasants.
Tovag
Darklord: Kas The Bloody Handed
Alterations to VRGtR/3e: Kas now sends his troops into Falkovnia which he believes to be under the secret control of Vecna.
Falkovnia
Darklord: Vladeska Drakov
Alterations to VRGtR:
Vlad Drakov and most of his sons died in the Time of Unparalleled Darkness during a war that he started together with Malochio Aderre. Vladeska is the only daughter among his many illigtimate childen, whom he acknowleged as his own. Vladeska archived this acceptance by serving her father as a successful captain of his Talons, as well as possessing beauty and battleprowes. Because of her red hair she was called the Red Falcon. During the years of the ToUD Falkovnia was beset by zombiehordes and the populace looked to the remaining Drakov for guidance. After the 2nd Grand Conjunction Falkovnia rejoined the Core north of Darkon from which it is separated by a strip of Mistland. From it's other neighbors Tovag, Lamordia and Sithicus the domain is cut of by mountains. After the Conjunction Falkovnia has returned to a state resembling the realm under Vladeskas father (and 3e), but is under regular attacks from Tovag (whose ruler Kas believes that Vecna is secretly pulling the strings in Falkovnia) and undead from the mists on Falkovnias southern border (whom many believe to be agents of the old enemy Darkon, but who truly are the restless victims of Vladeskas campaigns). Vladeska is struggeling to prove herself in the eyes of her people to be just as capable a ruler as Vlad Drakov was, but many still hold the military might of the late Drakov in awe (“She will never be as powerful as Vlad Drakov”).
Sithicus
Darklord: The Dark Lady aka. The Banshee Queen or Black Rose
Alterations to 3e RL:
Sithicus – Land of Spectres -Land of Beautiful Lies and Sinister Truths
During the Time of Unparalleled Darkness the Wanderers had staked Sithicus's Darklord Inza and it seemed that Sithicus had vanished, but now it borders to the elven lands of Darkon's north-east.
The new darklord appears to be a shadowy banshee, which is called the Dark Lady, the Banshee Queen or even Black Rose. Some think her to be an aspect of Takhisis, because her hair sometimes seems to form five dragon heads, some believe her to be Sylvyana the Ghoul Queen of legend, some say she is a dragon's spirit, some (mainly Azrael and his knights) believe her to be Inza in diguise, while some see her as the living embodiment of Sithicus' sorrows and shadows, and a few suspect her to be the banshee of the elfwoman who told the one lie that drove a knight to abandon hís quest and who must now accept the truth that her lie doomed a world. Maybe one of this theories is true, maybe none is or maybe they all are. No matter what truly lies at the core of the Dark Ladys' being, it is to a degree the believes and fears of Sithicus residents that shape the darklord and give her power. Her seat of power is the surviving, now rose-topped tower of Nedragaard Castle's ruins.
Sithicus now seems to be on it's way to a better future, buildings and roads are being rebuilt and renovated. Temples reopen and Knights of the Adamantium Wyrm and the White Rose ride across the land. On the outward the elves seem more hopeful. But Sithicus' elves know that even a gilded cage is still a cage and that all their work is actually doomed. Sithicus is not their home but a prison and the gods who seem to answer the clerics prayers again are in truth far away, oblivious to the plight of Sithicus people. The repaired roads may seem a little less threatening while you travel on them, but one step into the trees makes you realize that the shadows are still as deep and dark as in the past if not more so. The people still feel the guilt the land forces upon them, but the elven natives have learned to live with this feeling, while others and especially foreigners bear the brunt of Sithicus truths.
In it's north, settlements Rotburg and Ungrad as well as the surrounding lands of old Valachan have been added to the domain, but today's residents look and talk like people from Lamordia or Falkovnia and consider themselves expatriats from those lands. They have mostly adapted to the sithican way of life, but panthers and the cruel Lady Adeline still stalk these people.
At the northern border a ruined city can be found that the elves call Kaelinost and believe that it was once their capital, destroyed by unknown forces.
'King Azrael I. Dak' has been reduced to the life of a bandit lord, who still terrorizes the residents of the land, but holds little power anymore. His followers, mostly the members of the former politskarae, are now known as the Order of the Knights of the Black Rose. Azrael and his men wear armor that reminds of Lord Soth's suit and make their home in Thorns Keep outside of Ungrad. Sorrow Castle is their headquarter in the eastern part of Sithicus, were Azrael keeps his prisoners and controls travel on the Elven Road to Darkon. He argues that as king it is his right to take tolls and that his knights provide protection from the wild elves. His special hatred the dwarf now reserves for the Vistani and still believes that Inza is the shadowy Darklord of Sithicus.
Important Races: Elves, Humans (Lamordian or Falkovnian expatriats in Rotburg and Ungrad), Halflings (Kender), Dragonborn (considered to be a local form of Caliban), Half-ogres (considered to be a local form of Caliban), Green Hexbloods (sometimes called Daughters of the Sylvan Dancer)
Eyrie (Pocketdomain of Sithicus)
Darklord: Highlord Kravon Aviador
Alterations to 2e/3e:
Polaris
Darklord: The Ice Queen
New Domain: inhabited by the Kosti, a viking-like people at the ice free shores and fjords. They fear the wicked Ice Queen and her ice giants.
Mordent
Darklord: Lord Wilfred Godefroy
Alterations to VRGtR:
Rudolph Van Richten was resurrected during the events that started the ToUD. His heroic deeds during the 2nd Grand Conjunction left him a broken, old man. Although he is still able to walk, he now uses the custom-made wheelchair for which Alanik Ray had no longer need, after being healed. Van Richten rarely travels anymore and relies on agents like Ray, the Weathermay twins and other heroes. He now leads a quieter life as an herbalist and occultist and is working on new 'Van Richtens Guides'.
Tepest
Darklord: 'Mother' Lorinda
Alterations to VRGtR:
Mostly returned to the state of 3e. The other settlements of Tepest are peopled again, but Viktal remains as described in VRGtR. But Viktal hides the fact that it forged a pact with the Goddess 'Mother' from other people. For instance, they still have a shrine for the gods of Tepest, but they now think of them only as wayward children of Mother and pay them no real homage. Hexblooded in Viktal are hidden from strangers.
Wyan's Inquisition is gone, believed by many to have been destroyed by the fae during the 2nd Grand Conjunction, but some lonely witchfinders still roam the land for good or ill, trying to protect people from darkness.
Castle Island (Pocketdomain within Tepest's Lake Kronov)
Darklord: The Lady of the Lake
Alterations to 3e: None
Arak
Darklord: Gwydion
Alterations to VRGtR/ 3e: Largely returned to state of 3e, but now it is again located under the Mountains 'Arak' and 'Gydions Claw' in Tepest.
Forlorn
Darklord:Tristen ApBlanc
Alterations to VRGtR/3e: The town of Forfarmax is now part of Forlorn. Forfar clans inhabit the highlands fighting against the 'little folk' (the goblyns).
Keening
Darklord: Tristessa
Alterations to VRGtR: Returned to the state of 3e, but there are now two settlements on the slopes of Mount Lament, to the north the Dead City, whose residents were killed and became undead by Tristessa's scream and Anwrtyn to the south, whose inhabitants 'merely' became deaf.
Avonleigh
Darklord: Morgoroth
Alterations to VRGtR/3e:
Avongleigh now borders the sea in the west and where once roads entered the mists there now are bustling harbor-cities: Avonleigh, Kingsport and Devonshire. Little hamlets and manorhouses dot the rural landsscape. The Circle and it's Knights of Shadows are revered by the people as succesors of the old paladins of Lady Shadowborn.
Morgoroth is an old tiefling necromancer, who tried to atone for his sins. He once advised the Knights of the Circle in the guise of a human mage, but when his love for Aurora Shadowborn and his fiendish origin were revealed, he killed Aurora's brother the king and most of the other Knights of the Circle. He now lairs in haunted Teregone Castle. (Think of Merlin gone bad)
Themes: Cursed and fiendishly possessed objects, hereditary family secrets
Shadowbane Manor (Pocketdomain)
Darklord: Ebonbane
Alterations to VRGtR/3e:
Ebonbane is again confined to Shadowbane Manor, but now has the power to forge pacts with warlocks.
Nidala
Darklord: Elena Faith-Hold
Alterations to VRGtR/3e:
Elena believes she hears the words of Belenus and that her god has blessed her with eternal youth as long as she keeps fighting 'the war against evil'. Elena looks like a young woman recently grown into adulthood and wears a suit of armor that has been blackend by the fires of the fiendish dragon Banemaw, Ebonbane's most powerful remaining servant. Nidala now has an Inquisition trying to find heretics and witches in thrall to the 'demons', especially the banished Ebonbane. Small Towns and villages can now be found within Nidalas borders, like shadowy D'Ark or the lakecity of Is.
Themes: Evil done in the name of good, fanatism, demonic possession, witches
Seven Hills
Darklord: Princess Ravenblack
New Domain: Ravenblack's mother, the former queen of the kingdom of Seven Hills wished for a daughter on a moonlit night. She wished for a daughter as radiant as the pale moon, hair as black as a raven's feather and lips as red as blood and offered her soul in return. And the raven sitting in the tree next to her window said 'Done'. The queen died in child bed and her daughter, Princess Ravenblack, grew up and became a vampire. The King loved his daughter, oblivious to the signs that his child was a creature of darkness, but her stepmother feared for the kingdom should Ravenblack ascend to the throne. She send a hunter to stake her, but Ravenblack charmed the man into letting her go. She believed her father had finally deduced her secret and send the hunter back to the castle to slay him. Ravenblack fled to the seven dwarf clans in the Sevenhill-Mountains and made their leaders her vampire minions. Ravenblack now collects beautiful females whom she turns into dhampirs and stores in magical crystal-coffins. She also sends her dwarven minions against her benign stepmother, Serina Gloriana of House Lancesta, the Queen of Seven Hills human population.
Nova Vaasa
Darklord: Myar Hiregaard
Alterations to VRGtR: Largly returned to state of 3e. After the last male Hiregaard died during the turmoil of the ToUD the curse sprang onto the oldest daughter of the house, who reunited the struggling country with an iron fist.
Sanguinia
Darklord:Prince Ladislav Mircea
Alterations to 3e: None, Mountains and a steep cliff separates the domain from it's neighbours.
Vorostokov
Darklord:Gregor Zolnik
Alterations to 3e: None, high mountains separates the domain from it's neighbors.
Borca
Darklords: Ivana Boritsy / Ivan Dilisnya
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e. Ivana has returned to her girlish looks, but the black veins do reappear for a time when she consumes poison. Ivan has taken an interest into mechanical wonders besides his love for poisons, for his fake mechanical henchmen are immune to Ivanas poisonous servitors the Ermordenung.
House of Lament (Pocketdomain in Borca)
Darklord:The House/Mara
Alterations to VRGtR: None
Richemulot
Darklord: Jaqueline Renier
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e. The plague that haunted the land during the ToUD has largly vanished, after cure was found. Actually the Dark Powers granted the people of Richemulot immunity from the plague, not wanting Jaquline to be able to turn the domain into a paradise for wererats. Rats have been deduced to be the carriers of the plague and are now actively hunted, making life harder for Jaquline's rat people, who blame her. Additionally Jaquline has to fight for her human subject's affections, as many consider electing a new government. She is now captured between wererats and humans and is always in danger of alienating one or both sides.
Verbek
Darklord: Alfred Timothy
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Invidia
Darklord: Lucita Aderre
Alterations to VRGtR:
Gabrielle and Malochio Aderre vanished during the 2nd Grand Conjunction. While some believe that they saw Gabrielle in later times, her son died during the climax of the Conjunction.
Gabrielle's daughter Lucita has become a 'matchmaker', able to make people fall in love with a few chosen words, but she herself seems to be unable to find a proper lover. Therefore she develops an enviousness when witnessing the happiness of couples and she is also able to destroy a relationship just as quickly as she creates them.
Odaire (Pocketdomain)
Darklord: Maligno
Alterations to VRGtR: Mostly returned to state of 3e. Although still an island in the Mists people are often transported there from Invidia or Borca making many from those lands believe that Odaire is a secluded village within their lands.
Dementlieu
Darklord: Dominic d'Honaire
Alterations to VRGtR:
Dominic d'Honire is again Darklord of the Domain. Although 'The Brain' has returned to his native Lamordia, his criminal empire has been inherited by Dominic's niece Celeste Loverde d'Honaire, who is now plotting from the shadows against her uncle.
Chateaufaux
Darklord: Duchess Saidra d'Honaire
Alterations to VRGtR:
Duchess Saidra is now the darklord of Chateaufaux, a former part of Dementlieu, that now houses the bustling metropolis Chateaufaux, which is considered the sister-city of Port-a-Lucien. The Duchess is human by day and changes into her 'Red Death' persona by the stroke of midnight, having to rely on costumes and masks to hide that fact. She also fears, that a rightful heir to the D'Honaire name could expose her as a fraud.
In the south, her realm includes lands that once were part of old Valachan, including the town of Helbenik, were a people different from the Chateaufauxians live, still clinging to her old traditions and only slowly getting used to the new ruler of the land, who considers them to be natural servants.
Hazlan
Darklord: Hazlik
Alterations to VRGtR: The land has returned to a state similar to 3e. The Grand Design and it's sigils have stabelized Hazlan, the Lacuna has shrunken to the size of a small lake. The wizard rulers of Hazlan also put up wards that hinder the purple worms from leaving the Mounds of the Worms. The moon appears broken and a trail of gleaming asteroids follow the moon over the nightsky. Some of them fall to the ground within Moonstone Valley. Flying earthmotes, like the Orbitoclasts, are still around and have become home to all manner of creatures. Although the playas have filled with water again, the magical poisoned swamp of the 'Brew' also remains. Hazlans rivers now cut deep into the earth forming large canyons on their way to the border of Nova Vaasa.
Themes are now vanished ancient cultures (like the insectoid El'koth, the fey Quelshar, the twisted dwarfish Yath, the barbaric Duruum, the Ssethes, shapechanging serpentmen still rumored to live among humans in disguise as well as the Vossath-Nor) and their forgotten dark secrets, bound fiends waiting to be released into the world again, magical chaos and classic sword and sorcery in the tradition of Conan the Barbarian.
Deities: Bane, Mystryl the Weaver (Goddess of Magic, slave of Bane, some consider her a local form of Hala), Tempus and Talos (among the barbaric Rashemi-Tribes of the Mountains)
Hazlans cities are ruled by tharchions, powerful mage-gouvernors, lording over the masses, except for the tribes of the Rashemi barbarians living in the mountains. All tharchions are subservient to the wizardking or Zulkir Hazlik of Hazlan. Hazliks former apprentice Eleni now has long silvery white hair, believing it to be a sign of the goddess Mystryl that marks her as her chosen. Discovering what Hazlik had planned for her during the Grand Ritual drove a wedge between the two, but Eleni is still tharchion of Ramulai.
The cities of Toyalis, Sly-Var and Ramulai have become sprawling centers of exotic civilization, surrounded by the barbarism of the Rashemi. The barbarian Rashemi are convinced that their ancestors were actually the Vossath-Nor, who ruled the land before the Mulan, who now keep many of the Rashemi as slaves. Like Darkon Hazlan now is also home to several nonhuman species. Elves inhabit the woods, halflings are a favorite among the Mulan's slaves and servants, Dwarves and Gnomes mine the mountains whose tunnels and caves are also home to drow and mindflayers. Tieflings and Genasi are offspring to several of Hazlan's elite families.
Kartakass
Darklord: Harkon Lucas
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e, but it now also encompasses lands to the west where formerly Sithicus lay. The new woods are peopled by elves although they are unlike the Sithican elves (more like elves from the Forgotten Realms) and seem to have an understanding with the wolves, as their communities are far less likely to be preyed upon than the human counterparts. At the heart of the Elven Woods lies a haunted, ruined city can be found which the elves call 'Myth Illmoon'.
Davion
Darklord: Davion the Mad / Augustus of Halruaa / Narana of Dambrath/ Boromar the Arkaiun
Alterations to 2e: The domain of Davion no longer remains in the Nightmare Lands. Although the town has a different name under every personality of it's darklord, the citizens always call the surrounding lands by the name of Davion. The city is a disaster stricken place called Thornewood under Davion (who is the only one who remembers everything, but whose time in control year after year grows shorter); Pallatia, a hedonist's paradies controlled by the priestesses of Loviathar under Narana; a rustic frontiertown called Boromar's Knoll when Boromar is in control and Arcanon, a wizard's dreamcity with flying towers and arcane wonders under Augustus.
The people of Davion change with their city and always only remember their lives within the current city. Should a citizen ever leave he will remember the city as it was at he time he left until he returns. People from neighboring domains believe that the city is cursed, but as the curse doesn't seem to affect outsider's memories some merchants are willing to do good business with the people there.
Sea of Sorrows
Darklord: Pietra van Riese
Alterations to VRGtR: During the collapse of the Core, signaling the start of the Time of Unparalleled Darkness, Captain Peter van Riese was brought back to his homeworld. There, by accident or destiny, he happened upon the ship captained by his daughter Pietra. Pietra had tried to follow in the footsteps of her father as an explorer and trader, but soon succumbed to smuggling and piracy. In the ensuring fight Pietra's ship sank, but the pirate captain slew her father and took control of his ship the 'Relentless'. The Dark Powers then drew Pietra back into Ravenloft, cursing her to never set foot on land again.
Blaustein
Darklord: Bluebeard
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Dominia
Darklord: Doctor Dominiani
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Isle of the Ravens
Darklord: The Lady of Ravens
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Isle de la Tempete
Darklord:Captain Alain Monette
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Vigilant's Bluff
Darklord: The Paladin
Alterations to VRGtR: None
Ghastria
Darklord:Stezen d'Polarno
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Graben Islands/Todstein (Nebligtodt)
Darklord: Meredoth
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e but the Darklord no longer rules the whole sea, but only his islands and the waters surrounding them.
Staunton Bluffs
Darklord: Teresa Bleysmith
Alterations to VRGtR: None
Paridon
Darklord: Sodo
Alterations to VRGtR: The populace believes that Paridon was built on the ruins of an older city which was called Zheresia (that also gave the isle Pardidon shares with Nosos it's name). The city is again surrounded by pastoral farmlands, little villages and aristocratic family houses (the later two are like Paridon itself prone to eerie murders (think 'Midsummer Murders'). Food from the farms and from Nosos provide Paridon City's wealthy population with food, but there are still many poor people starving.
Zheresia
Darklord: The Hive Queen
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Nosos
Darklord: Malus Sceleris
Themes: Greed, industrial destruction of nature, with nature fighting back
Alterations to 2e: Malus hails from Eberron, elemental trains connect Nosos to Paridon, half of the domain is covered by forests which are called the 'Enemy Forests' and constantly threaten to overgrown deforested farmlands and industrial lands. So Malus can never archive victory in his 'War against Nature'. Many sicknesses in the domain hail from pollution but Malus doesn't cultivate them anymore.
Vhage Agency (Pocketdomain of Nosos)
Darklord:Flimira Vhage
Alterations to VRGtR: None. A door in one of Nosos' towering buildings now says 'Vhage Agency' and leads into the domain.
Cyre 1313 (wandering Pocketdomain)
Darklord:The Last Passanger
Themes: Although Cyre 1313 mainly haunts Nosos' and Paridon's railways, the elemental train has been spotted elsewhere in the Core or even amid the Mists, sometimes pausing as if waiting for new travelers.
Nocturnal Sea / Lost Shay-lot
Darklord: Virundus
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Vechor
Darklord: Easan the Mad
Alterations to VRGtR: The culture is now more roman like, with Easan as the divine emperor of the realm.
Liffe
Darklord: Baron Lyron Evensong
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Risibilos (Pocketdomain of Liffe)
Darklord: Doerdon
Alterations to VRGtR: None
Omphale
Darklord: Queen Omphale (Werlioness)
New Domain:
Queen Omphale was once the queen of a small realm of greeks, who met and fell in love with the demigod and hero Herakles. They were married and for a time they were happy. But Herakles evil stepmother, the goddess Hera, clouded the heros mind with madness, he became lazy and bathed in his past glories. Omphale eventually came to hate Herakles for his behavior. Deciding that she was the stronger one, she now wore the lionskin of the hero, gave womenly clothes to him and even seduced him to sit at her feet to weave wool. So Herakles sat among the female servants and feared his wifes anger if his daywork wasn't finished.
When his father Zeus finally discovered what was done to his beloved son he lifted the madness from Herakles mind, so he could free himself from his cruel wife. Herakles was disgusted of what had become of him and he left the realm of Omphale, to once again go on to adventures that would become legends.
None of the legends mention what became of Omphale. The night after she had been bereft of 'her' Herakles she herself succumbed into madness and slew all males she could get her hands on and her palace was drawn into the mists and vanished from the world.
Omphale is a rare beauty and one wonders why she has no consort, but since Herakles left her she never allowed a man to even touch her. She decided that only a man who can defeat her in combat will be her mate. Sofar all who tried to beat her failed, resulting in their deaths or slavery.
When Omphale arrived in the demiplane she again possessed a lionskin that looked like the one Herakles wears. This skin allowes her to change into a lion.
Omphale is a greek society ruled by the females. Males are not allowed to wear armor or weapons within the city of Omphale, and are expected to fill out the traditional roles of women within society. They weave, wash and cook, fearing the anger of their wives or even Omphale if something is not done properly.
Deities: Goddesses of the Olympian Pantheon, but especially Hercules is revered in secret by rebellious men, Typhon (said to buried below one of the realms mountains, a dark cult prays to him for power)
Minossos
Darklord: King Minos the Younger
Deities: Olympian Gods, especially Zeus, whose sacred animal is the bull here, Hecate as the serpent goddess of magic and Poseidon who send the original bull of Minos.
Cultural Level: Minoans
New Domain: When King Minos the Younger ascended the throne, the memory of the minotaur was already fading into legend. When his rule proved disastrous because he was a spoiled young man, he revived the legend of the minotaur, claiming the beast had returned. In truth he used the legend to frighten his people into obedience, demanding sacrifices to the beast (young woman he claimed for himself, men he sold into slavery, food and riches to sate his various appetites). The deception worked well, until he demanded a girl to be 'sacrificed' whose father was actually the god Poseidon. The earth shock when he laid hand on the girl and Minos the Younger fled into the night fearing the god's wrath. When he awoke he found himself in a land that resembled his kingdom and yet was different. He was king, beloved by his subjects, but there now also was an actual monstrous minotaur within the labyrinth below the palace. When he closed his eyes at night, in his dreams he was the minotaur and he soon discovered, that when the minotaur was hurt he bore the same marks in the morning. Fearing what would happen if the beast was killed or stood with the king face to face, Minos the Younger does everything to appease the minotaur, rightly fearing that he and the minotaur were one. Actually the minotaur is a manifestation of the king's vices, existing only when the king sleeps. But for some reason, called the 'Bull's Curse', now and then caliban are born to human women, whose heads grow more bull like as the grow up. These are thrown into the labyrinth as well, so now there are several lesser minotaurs as well.
Demise
Darklord: Althea the Medusa
Deities: Olympian Gods
Alterations to 3e: None, apart that Demise is now located within the Nocturnal Sea
The Accursed West
Markovia
Darklord: Frantisek Markov
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e.
Saragoss
Darklord:Draga Salt-Biter
Alterations to 3e: None
Sourange
Darklord:Anton Misroi
Alterations to VRGtR: Largely returned to the state of 3e. Anton Misroi returned to be the elemental force of nature as Lord of the Dead. A haunted prison, that is still in use but has nothing to do with Misroi, can now be found near the large port of Port d'Elhour. Voodans largely replace the Vistani in these lands.
Dark Lagoon (Pocketdomain)
Darklord: The Creature from the Dark Lagoon
New Domain: Think Creature from the Black Lagoon, The waters of the Lagoon can overlap with the waters of the surrounding domains, allowing the creature to abduct victims (preferably screaming, blond females) from those lands.
Dr. Marcinus Guillaume had it all: money, handsome good looks, a sharp mind and he hailed from a noble family in Dementlieu. Often he would manipulate others, steal vital information for his own research and he wasn't beyond sabotaging the works of other scientists. Although his reputation was largely built on the works of others, it brought him a position at the L'Académie de Sciences in Port-a-Lucine. Guillaume's downfall came when he joined the expedition of his colleagues Dr. Davian Reedwater and Dr. Charles Maian, who wanted to discover a new race of amphibious gill-men, based on the fossil of a humanoid claw with webbed fingers, found on the tropical shores of Valachan. Upon arrival, they found nothing. The group already prepared to leave, when their ship's captain suggested a place called the 'Dark Lagoon'. The group went to examine the lagoon. During a dive into the water, Guillaume discovered an underwater cave and within it, a temple built by a race of reaver-like gill-men, filled with a treasure beyond reckoning. Before the altar stone he found a single skeleton of the creatures they had been looking for, a gemstone-amulet around its neck. As he grabbed for the amulet the skeleton crumbled to dust. When he donned the amulet Guillaume discovered to his astonishment that he transformed into a gill-man himself and back to human after he took it of. Unwilling to share his discovery, greed took over Guillaume and when he returned to his colleagues he claimed to have seen a living specimen of the gill-man. He then used the amulet to kill the researchers, one by one, until only he and Dr. Reedwater's pretty fiancee Kayla Brightlight, a blond cleric from Kartakass remained. Guillaume had secretly fallen in love with Kayla and wanted to share the treasure and fame for the discovery with her. When he approched her Kayla noticed that he wore the same amulet the creature had been wearing when David was killed. She deduced who the true killer was and told Guillaume so. Before she jumped into the water to escape him, she cursed Guillaume with all her hatred for the man who had killed the love of her life. Guillaume transformed and dove after her, but before he could reach her the clear waters of the lagoon turned murky and he lost Kayla.
Emerging, Guillaume discovered that the ship was gone year. Worse, the amulet was gone and he was still gill-man. He had the treasure, but he could never go back to spend it or claim credit for the discovery. Worse, he had lost Kayla, his love, who had cursed him to this life.
These days, the Creature that was Guillaume, swims through the lagoon looking for the amulet, collecting treasure that might be it.as it seems he has forgotten the exact form the talisman took. And it also tries to find Kayla. Curiously humans suddenly started to look very similar to him and he can barely recognize humanoid females with blonde hair. So he kidnaps those that might be Kayla. As he started his hunt for Kayla it was to make her break the curse, but nowadays, the part of mind that still realizes he was once Guillaume, realizes to it's horror that 'the Creature' more and more thinks of Kayla as it's chosen mate, attacking those that stand between her and it..
Valachan
Darklord: Chakuna
Alterations to VRGtR: None
Azcal
Darklord: King Azacul and King Mortazucal
New Domain: Aztec-like Domain, two major cities with blood-drenched pyramids ruled by two brothers, who hate each other. Azacul (a werjaguar follower of the god Tezcatlipoca, see cover of CotN:Werebeasts) wields the Darklords power to close the borders by day, while his brother Mortazucal (a werbat follower of the god Camazotz) has that power by night (during dusk and dawn none have this power).
Lands of the Burning Sun
Isles of the Faithless Nights
Darklord: Captain D'badsin
Deities: Fate and the Lawgiver (thought by some to be Bane or Belenus)
New Domain: The Domains Name derives from the fact, that it's nightsky sports numerous stars and colorful nebulas, but it's constellations change every night, making it almost next to impossible to navigate after the stars. Astrologers stories on the other hand turn very colorful indeed.
Har'akir
Darklord: Ankhtepot
Deities: Akiri/Egyptian Pantheon
Alterations to VRGtR: The Parodies of the Egyptian Pantheon have been replaced by the original egyptian gods again after the 2nd Grand Conjunction, as the Dark Powers don't want Ankhtepot to become to comfortable in his domain. So they have to remind him of the gods who cursed him again.
Sebua
Darklord: Tiyet
Alterations to 3e: The domain has grown and at it's coast lies the metropolitan city of Takiris, a port where merchants from other lands mingle with the native Akiri people. A merchant from Paridon even opened a luxurious hotel named 'Golden Pharao' where foreigners may stay. Religion currently has the ancient rites of the Akiri fighting with the teachings of Ezra and the faith of Fate and the Lawbringer for the believes of the people.
G'henna
Darklord: Yagnov Petrovna
Alterations to VRGtR: None
N'Doki Roho
Darklord:The N'doki
New Domain: An african domain, The N'doki is a Rohoni witchdoctor who angered the spidergod Anansi and who finally lost his name in a bet to the deity. Enraged he let out his wrath against followers of Anansi, killing a whole village. He mostly works through his two fiendish lions called 'Demon' and 'Darkness'
Important Races: Humans (black skinned Rohoni), Elves (Wakyambi, tree-living black elves with metallic hair colors, who revere Anansi in a female form, because Anansi tricked some darkelves into believing that he was Lolth reborn), halflings (Pigmi)
Colonia
Darklord: Lord-Gouvernor Henry Ravensgate (Werhyena)
Important Settlements: New-Paridon
New Domain: An colonial-african domain, New Paridon is a city built by white colonists from Paridon who plunder the riches of the land. Colonia is peopled by native Rohoni and Akiri. The cruel Lord-Gouvernour believes himself and the white people to be superior to all other races and was granted a domain after he committed a massacre in N'doki Roho, killing a whole village of Rohoni. The local witchdoctor cursed him with his dying breath and now under a full moon the Lord-Gouvernor changes into a bloodthirsty hyena-creature. He remembers everything from his time as the beast and is revulsed by his animalistic impulses. Additionally he believes that his skin is turning slowly darker and tries to hide from the sun leaving him sickly pale, while believing that others could assume that he is turning into a Rohoni himself.
Pharazia
Darklord: Diamabel
Alterations to 3e: None
Kalidnay
Darklord: Thakok-An
Alterations to 2e/4e: None
The Verdurous Lands
Wildlands
Darklord: Crocodile
Alterations to 3e: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Kalakeri/ Sri Raji
Darklords: Ramya Vasavadan / Arijani Vasavadan
Alterations to VRGtR: After his destruction at the hands of heroic adventurers during the ToUD, Arijani's soul was reincarnated within the family of his human mother. The fiend Inajira was drawn to the same land and impersonated Ramya's and Arijani's sister Reeva, secretly goading the two siblings into fighting each other. He awakend Arijani's memories of his previous life and subtly manipulated Ramya into becoming more and more brutal. By doing so he bound himself to the fate of the new darklords of Kalakeri, when the domain was drawn into Ravenloft. Arijani and his supporters call the domain Sri Raji, while Ramya and most inhabitants call the land by it's ancient name of Kalakeri.
Niranjan
Darklord: Sarthak
Alterations to VRGtR: None
The Forbidden East
I'cath
Darklord: Tsien Chiang
Alterations to VRGtR: None
Rokoshima Taiyoo
Darklord:
Alterations to 3e: Largely returned to the state of 3e
Isles in the Mist
Bluetspur
Darklord: The God-Brain
Alterations to VRGtR: None
The Nightmare Lands
Darklord: The Nightmare Court
Alterations to VRGtR: None
The Carnival
Darklord: Isolde
Alterations to VRGtR:
The Carnival's and Isolde's backgrounds return to the one established by Carnival 2nd Edition. In preparation to the ToUD the Gentleman Caller confronted Isolde and, on purpose, impaled himself upon Isolde's holy avenger 'Nepenthe'. In that moment he ritually broke of the piece of his soul that bound him to Ravenloft. The fiendish soul-sliver corrupted the intelligent weapon of Isolde, turning Nepenthe into an instrument of darkness. The fiend, now 'The Caller' only and free of Ravenloft's bonds, then fled the scene in dramatic fashion bemoaning his defeat. The Caller was now free to set longstanding plans into motion. Aided by his allies (like his children or unwittingly Vlad Drakov) he tried to free himself of Ravenloft completely, but his plans clashed with those of Azalin Rex, the machinations of Bluetspur's god-brain and Hazlik's Great Ritual. The result unleashed the ToUD onto the demiplane and shattered it.
The Carnival actually escaped Ravenloft for a time into the Feywild, where Isolde changed into her true eladrin form, although her body and hair was black like coal and her eyes a slightly glowing purple. She and the Carnival fell into the clutches of the arch-fey Lady Zybilna, who found a liking to the entertaining group, welcoming them as 'guests'. But Isolde still felt that the Gentleman Caller, although changed, was still out there. When she decided to return to Ravenloft, the Carnival decided to leave with her. Angered by Isolde's 'rudeness' of depriving her of her toys, Zybilna send a group of fey, led by two shadar-kai named Espla and Vyrnock, to hound the Carnival. They too were drawn into Ravenloft and became part of the Carnival as the Litwick Market.
During the ToUD Isolde's corrupted avenger Nepenthe was the actual darklord of the Carnival, but in the developments leading to the 2nd Grand Conjunction, Nepenthe was cleansed of the soul-sliver. Heroes aided by Firan Zal'honan reunited the sliver with 'the Caller', who became the 'Gentleman Caller' again and was instantly claimed by the Dark Powers.
The Carnival, free of Nepenthe's dark shadow, still travels the roads of Ravenloft, offering sanctuary to those in need. Isolde stayed in her elven form but now changes her looks according to the seasons: pale, rosy skin and light blond hair, paired with green eyes in spring; dark brown skin and golden hair and eyes in summer; for autumn it is bright red hair, freckled skin and one eye the color of fallen leaves and the other of green moos, and in winter she sports ice blue eyes, misty-white hair and white skin with a bluish tint.
The Rider's Bridge (wandering Pocketdomain)
Darklord: The Headless Rider
Alterations to VRGtR: None
Scaena (wandering Pocketdomain)
Darklord:Lemont Sediam Juste
Alterations to VRGtR: None, except that the Domain often appears in Dementlieu, the domain that spawned it.
Attachments
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Last edited by William Blackmoor on Sat Jul 03, 2021 11:13 am, edited 12 times in total.
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Very impressive work so far, Mr. Blackmoor! I look forward to seeing the fleshing out, especially of the new domains - Omphale sounds very intriguing indeed; do I detect a subtle blend of Classical Mythology with African elements?
"Is there any word more meaningless than 'hope'? Besides 'blarfurgsnarg,' of course."
"Seek and Locate! Locate and Destroy! Destroy and Rejoice!"
Hell_Born wrote:Very impressive work so far, Mr. Blackmoor! I look forward to seeing the fleshing out, especially of the new domains - Omphale sounds very intriguing indeed; do I detect a subtle blend of Classical Mythology with African elements?
Thank you
Classical Mythology yes, african elements no. Omphale was Queen of Lydia (modern Turkey) and Hercules was her slave for a time. She wore his Lionskin for that time (hence Wer-Lion). It's more or less a classical greek domain ruled by an amazone elite.
Minossos, well it's the Minotaur. Together with Omphale and Demise (and romanized Vechor) I wanted to add some mediterainian domains. And below the waves lies Shay-lot Ravenlofts Atlantis.
Polaris is a domain for viking-horror blended with Disney's Icequeen
Seven Hills is also a take from Disney/Grimms . Snowwhite is actually a gothgirl (Black hair, snowwhite skin, bloodred lips) so the jump to the vampiress Ravenblack wasn't a far one
Just saw that I forgot the Burning Lands Cluster (added to the former post)
N'doki Roho (Witchdoctor darklord and a pair of fiendish lions) and Colonia (Paridonian Darklord as a colonial gouvenor) are african inspired domains (defenitly african Elements and I think there should be african domains), why I will put them together with the Egyptain/Akiri Domains and arabic domains (Pharazia) and Dark Sun's Kalidnay.
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Official sponsor, of my killing you.
CrackedMack wrote:Potentially noobish question/suggestion, but could all of this be conceivably the start of the Time of Unparalleled Darkness? With all the weirdness going on - alternate realities and variant darklords appearing, some domains (Darkon) slowly collapsing, the (potential) reliance on Mist Talismans to get between places, etc. - it seems like a decent herald of how the demiplane as a whole is becoming unstable.
The Grand Conjunction on steroids, if you will.
It could take place after, since the Core is destroyed. Imo it is more a reboot than anything else but each its own take on the subject.
Exactly my point. I meant in the case of our spin on the new material and trying to merge it with the old. And honestly, I'm glad to see what's been brought up so far.
Rock wrote:Although the Core has once again narrowly dodged annihilation and the ripples of change are moving outward to the furthest Island, the intelligentia of the Demiplane are cautiously optimistic that the rising of the Tear of the King signals a new age of scholarly expansion and exchange...
William Blackmoor wrote: This setting assumes that the VRGtR shows the Ravenloft Setting in the last year of the Time of Unparalled Darkness, which was brought about by the actions of the Gentlemen Caller and his Children, most notably the Dukkar Malochio Aderre and the machinations of Azalin Rex, who, in a bid to free himself from the Dark Powers, twisted the time and space of Ravenloft's reality. The Core shattered into single Islands of Dread which sometimes were drawn from the past, the possible future or even an alternate version of the domains. Barovia for instance was shown in the year of 735 BC. The deeds of heroic adventurers in league with Rudolph van Richten and Firan Zal'honan brought about the Second Grand Conjunction and the formation of a new core and a return to the year 760 BC.
I like this idea for a storyline idea to reconcile the new shattered Ravenloft and reforge it into a new one which is more faithful to the classics. This can also be the chance to incorporate other Domains which appeared in 4e. Sunderhart could connect to Sanguinia and Vorostrokov with their icy terrain and perhaps some of the themes within the city. Timbergorge could be placed next to Nosos, igniting a war between Silvermaw and Malus as one wants to stamp out civilization and the other wants to stamp out nature.
I do have a suggestion that Pietra van Reese is the daughter of Pieter van Riese. He wanted a son, but his wife could have no more children so in perhaps pettiness, he named her Pietra in an attempt to have his name continue. He was dismissive as Pietra since she wasn't living up to the high, perhaps unreasonable standards he set for a child of his. This led to Pieter's ill-fated journey where he offered the lives of his crew so he might continue sailing. He was desperate for his name to be remembered by history so his legacy would live on and his 'failure' of a daughter.
After news of his death, Pietra decided to become a pirate to have her own revenge on him, to oppose everything he valued as a sailor and captain. Ironically, she shared her father's cruelty and callousness. She just exemplified it more often than he did. She even named her ship after his, the Relentless, just to spite his memory. Then when she was finally brought down, she demanded that whatever higher forces were there take her to her father so she could spite him. She got her wish, as she, her ship, and her crew were brought to Ravenloft as corporeal undead.
Pietra is a Darklord, although her domain is on her boat rather than the sea she sails on. Perhaps it is the Ship of Horror, now having a permanent Darklord.
I feel her curse should be a kind of reflection of Pieter's, especially since she is a corporeal undead instead of an incorporeal undead like Pieter. Where Pieter can't navigate the Sea of Sorrow, constantly lost, Pietra can go to any land she likes so long as there is access to the sea. Frustratingly for her, she can't step off her boat and she can't seem to make any significant gains from her plundering, undermining her pride in being a dreadful pirate. She eventually learns her father sails the Sea of Sorrows, but despite her exceptional ability to find any location she wants, she can't seem to find anything beyond scarce clues of the trail of the Relentless.
Building upon Tepest: If one wanted to keep the pre-5e factional power balance somewhat intact, one could say that Mother Lorinda is just starting in Kellee, and her intrusion has mystified most of the town, leaving Gerald Ferrier and his remaining supporters hold up in Hawk's Inn, likely a lot more heavily fortified. Perhaps he became a lot more suspicious and paranoid after Lorinda's meddlings and thus lost a good chunk of the support he once had. To strangers, he may seem like just another example of Falkovnian belligerence and bullying, with a recently built wall around the inn turned complex. So Hawk's Inn could still exist as a possibility, but the rest of Kellee would still be the paradise Viktal seems to be in VRGtF.
As far as connecting the skeletal innkeeper of Nobody's Inn Bryonna to Viktal's daughter Bryonna, I figure she might have created the inn in an indirect revenge against the fey by providing safe refuge (relatively) from the fey and chaos outside. for some horrible wrong afflicted against her father- such an action pulls her out of her guilt-ridden comatose state. How the fey are warded away will likely remain a mystery. Perhaps she embraced necromancy- the fey in general seem to have a general aversion to that. Or perhaps she found a missing piece of Gwydion.
Speaking of Gwydion, it seems like the implication is that he along with Loht and Mauve lurk in the dark shadowy places beneath the surface of Tepest. A corollary is that Tepest's underside, or at least part of it, was its own domain. To those who wanted to replace the Shadow Rift with something less obviously fantastical, here's a possible thing to do.
The Sea of Sorrows seems like a good genesis point for a new Core, as it seems to be unbound by the "domains never connect" VRGtR rule. In addition to its island domains, it is stated that the Sea may physically border other domains, even if the denizens of those domains have their own name for it. It can also spontaneously connect to any body of water in the domains of dread, acting effectively like a floating pocket domain. So if we keep Pieter van Riese, or made Pietra more like him, we could use the darklord's missing to map the Northern Passage as a way to reconnect the domains. The darklord's boat would come near a domain and draw it into the Sea and the Dark Powers could string them together into new clusters or Cores.
William Blackmoor wrote: Dark Lagoon (Pocketdomain)
Darklord: The Creature from the Dark Lagoon
New Domain: Think Creature from the Black Lagoon, The waters of the Lagoon can overlap with the waters of the surrounding domains, allowing the creature to abduct victims (preferably screaming, blond females for whatever reason) from those lands.
William Blackmoor, if you have a backstory for this domain already, please feel free to ignore this, but since I do love The Creature from the Black Lagoon, I had to offer a story.
The Darklord is named Markham Williamson, a scholar who seeks to exploit his discoveries for personal profit.
Markham came from money and had all the trappings of it. Fine clothes, fine education, and handsome good looks made him stand out everywhere. He was charming and wasn't lacking in convincing others to aid in his research or do favors for him. Often he would manipulate others through his charisma to aid himself, such as stealing vital information for his own experiments or research or sabotage someone who was doing the same thing he was. Markham has the intelligence and skill to be a proper scholar, but he is not as grand as his reputation would have one think it was were it not for his manipulations and stealing credit for important discoveries. Oftentimes, he would sell his discoveries and make considerable coin doing it.
Markham's downfall came when a colleague came declaring he discovered a new lifeform in a tropical wetland region. Seeing perhaps a great discovery, Markham helped put together an expedition and set out to find the rest of their colleague's fossil.
Upon arrival, they found nothing. Thinking it may be a loss, the group prepared to leave before their boat captain suggested a nearby lagoon where part of the rock walls they were excavating may have been deposited over the centuries. A place called the Dark Lagoon.
Excited to perhaps make their discovery, Markham and the group went to examine the lagoon. Again, they found nothing, even though the rock from their first dig site was found there. During their diving into the water, Markham discovered a shipwreck, and inside was a treasure beyond reckoning. Greed took over Markham's eyes and he began pondering how he might be able to claim the treasure and not have to share it with his colleagues.
His opportunity came when he discovered an amulet that would transform him into a Fishman creature among the treasure. Markham used this form to terrorize his colleagues and convince them it was perhaps a living specimen of the fossil they were chasing. Bringing up their fear and paranoia, Markham used his amulet to cut off the boat's escape route. Then he systematically terrorized the party, killing them one by one until only he and his former colleague's fiancee Kayla remained. In deep love with her, Markham intended to spare her and show her the treasure he discovered. When he showed Kayla the power he discovered, she recoiled in horror as she realized what Markham did and dove into the Dark Largoon to try and escape him. Markham transformed and dove after her, but lost her in the murky water.
Emerging, Markham discovered the Dark Lagoon was now circled in a fog he could not escape from save for odd pockets which seemed to end up at different shores during certain times of the year. Worse, he could not change back from his Fishman form. The amulet had fused with his body, becoming a marking on his skin. He had the treasure, all the wealth he could imagine and his name was famous, but he could never go back to claim credit for the expedition. Wrose, Kayla was still out there and could potentially ruin everything.
These days, Markham is desperately searching for Kayla. Partially because he fears she could rat him out for his crimes and ruin his reputation. The other reason is that since she's a cleric, he can force her to break the curse the amulet put on him, and perhaps he can seduce Kayla with the treasure he found. A hoard that keeps growing as he finds more sunken ships in the lagoon or sinks them if they slip inside. Sadly, his vision on land is not the best and he can only recognize humanoid females with blonde hair, so he kidnaps them thinking they might be Kayla. He can't be precise since the links to other shores are always temporary so he grabs a humanoid blonde who he thinks sounds like Kayla and drags her back to the lagoon. When he discovers the woman is not Kayla, he inevitably kills them unless a rescue party follows for her and Markham can begin trying to force them to find Kayla for him.
How does this sound? It hit me suddenly so it may not be the best, but I like the general idea.
HyperionSol wrote:
William Blackmoor, if you have a backstory for this domain already, please feel free to ignore this, but since I do love The Creature from the Black Lagoon, I had to offer a story.
(...)
How does this sound? It hit me suddenly so it may not be the best, but I like the general idea.
As I only had a few notes on the backstory, I took the liberty of combining them with your story. As for the names I used the movienames as well Guillaume is William in french, Kay Lawrence's family name translates (among other things) into bright one /shinning one therefore Brightlight. The rest ist just the movie names changed a few letters.
Also added reconciliation story for Kalakeri.
The Gem of Amara...
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