Reconciliation

[William Blackmoor]

You're welcome
Added the 'reconciled' Carnival.

[Charlatan]

Ok, I wanna try to take the 5E Ravenloft and make it more like the 2nd and 3rd E versions I liked so much. This is not exactly 'Reconciliation' though, at least not the same way I think it's being used in the other posts? Mainly, I want to undo making every single domain it's own isolated island in the mists. Even without the core, I'd like several domains with somewhat similar cultural, geographic or 'horror' themes together.

Let's say that for most of their history, most of the domains were indeed disparate islands (especially for the older ones), but that for a few decades they actually did gradually clump together to form a small continent. For a time there was interdomain commerce and politics.

Somehow, Emperor Palatine returned-LOUD NEEDLE SCRATCH- I mean, Azalin Rex escaped. The lord of Darkon overcame the schemes of The Dark Powers. At least, he has so far. But 'so far' was enough to rip Darkon and the rest of the Core into chunky-chunks. Most of these chunks are still connected with various other domains, but not with each other anymore. This goes double of Darkon itself, split between several clusters while the central segment floats alone.

While plenty of domains are free-floaters, some pieces of the Core stuck and held together into clusters. And even between clusters, there are fairly reliable Mistways that take you along roads that used to connect other domains.

Nocturnal Sea cluster- Nocturnal Sea, Vechor, Liffe, various minor island (actual islands) domains. This place is big enough to be it's own thing without needing a specfic theme to hold it all together methinks. Watery Mistways to the port cities of Nevuchar Springs (Darkon), Arbora and Egertus (Nova Vassa)

Vassai Cluster- Nova Vassa, Hazlan, Kartarkass, East Coast of Darkon. Main connecting theme here is all speak the same root language. Geographically, the northern half of the land is the plains of the Nova Vassa plateu. The southern half gets more arid and hilly (Hazlan) then moister forested hills (Kartakass) in the southwest corner. Northen Kartakass and western Nova Vassa both hold Mistways to Barovia

The Dark Heart- Barovia, Borca, Forlorn, Invidia, Arkendale(Verbrek but I like Arkendale as a name better). The mountains of Barovia and Forlorn slope down from the east into rolling forested hills and river valleys of Invidia and Arkendale while in the northwest area Borca holds sway as the heights of culture and civilization in the area- which, given that domain's notorious reputation for scheming backstabbing nobility, makes the rest of the 'backwater' domains say "Do we REALLY have it so bad?.." Mistways from Barovia to Bergovista (Nova Vassa),

Falkovnia 'Cluster': Falkovnia, Castle Avernus (Darkon). Vlad Drakov's greatest enemy blew up his own homeland and powerbase, YAY! Except not so much because as the core split apart a big chunk of Darkon remained attached to Falkovnia and it's loads and loads and loads of undead poured over the now-open border and swarmed across the Falcon King's domain, causing a slaughter even HE couldn't stomach. Maybe he's still in charge, maybe he died and his daughter Vladeska took over?

Arak Cluster: Tepest, Keening, Arak, The Mountains of Misery (Darkon). Infested with dark fae who live in the domain of Arak which lays beneath the other three domains. Mistways between (undestryoed) Kellee and Liara (Nova Vassa)

Sea of Sorrows Cluster: Sea of Sorrows, Valachan(new version is... okay), Markovia, Blaustein, Ghastria, Dominia, Mordent, Dementlieu (DEFINATELY original version, 'new' version could be its own city somewhere?), Lamordia, Richmeulot, Jagged Coast (Darkon). By FAR the largest remaining piece of the Core, the strip of easern coast from Martira Bay to Mordentshire has some of the most advanced tech and culture- aside from the two large jungle islands of Valachan (in the southwestern area of the Sea) and Markvoia (in the Northwestern part of the Sea). The layout is roughly the same as post-GC, except that Valachan is now and island and Richemulot is now a longer thinner river valley forming much of the eastern borders of not just Mordent but also Dementlieu and some of Lamordia. Mistways between Mortigny and Sturben (Borca), maybe Martira Bay and Il Aluk.

[alhoon]

First, long time no see Charlatan. Good to see you still gaming.

Second, interesting take there, but breaking up Darkon seems a bit... well... meh. I would go with clones of Darkon's part, twisted mirrors.

Third, forgive me for saying this, but I believe the premise of how you approach this is a bit flawed. You still have aaaall the material you want from 2e and 3e. You have 5e rules that are very retro-compatible and you have a new take for several domains.
I don't think you need to redo everything, I believe that just adding in (reconciliation) pieces from the new Ravenloft that you prefer would serve you better.

Now, if you PREFER a lot of clusters instead of the old core, all the power to you.

[Charlatan]

Yea, my post was working reverse as the rest of you here in that I was trying to make 5e more like 2/3e. I considered making my own thread, but didn't feel that it was 'worth it' compared to posting it here even if it was a slightly different premise.

[The Lesser Evil]

Ok, I wanna try to take the 5E Ravenloft and make it more like the 2nd and 3rd E versions I liked so much. This is not exactly 'Reconciliation' though, at least not the same way I think it's being used in the other posts? Mainly, I want to undo making every single domain it's own isolated island in the mists. Even without the core, I'd like several domains with somewhat similar cultural, geographic or 'horror' themes together.

Let's say that for most of their history, most of the domains were indeed disparate islands (especially for the older ones), but that for a few decades they actually did gradually clump together to form a small continent. For a time there was interdomain commerce and politics.

Somehow, Emperor Palatine returned-LOUD NEEDLE SCRATCH- I mean, Azalin Rex escaped. The lord of Darkon overcame the schemes of The Dark Powers. At least, he has so far. But 'so far' was enough to rip Darkon and the rest of the Core into chunky-chunks. Most of these chunks are still connected with various other domains, but not with each other anymore. This goes double of Darkon itself, split between several clusters while the central segment floats alone.

While plenty of domains are free-floaters, some pieces of the Core stuck and held together into clusters. And even between clusters, there are fairly reliable Mistways that take you along roads that used to connect other domains.

Nocturnal Sea cluster- Nocturnal Sea, Vechor, Liffe, various minor island (actual islands) domains. This place is big enough to be it's own thing without needing a specfic theme to hold it all together methinks. Watery Mistways to the port cities of Nevuchar Springs (Darkon), Arbora and Egertus (Nova Vassa)

Vassai Cluster- Nova Vassa, Hazlan, Kartarkass, East Coast of Darkon. Main connecting theme here is all speak the same root language. Geographically, the northern half of the land is the plains of the Nova Vassa plateu. The southern half gets more arid and hilly (Hazlan) then moister forested hills (Kartakass) in the southwest corner. Northen Kartakass and western Nova Vassa both hold Mistways to Barovia

The Dark Heart- Barovia, Borca, Forlorn, Invidia, Arkendale(Verbrek but I like Arkendale as a name better). The mountains of Barovia and Forlorn slope down from the east into rolling forested hills and river valleys of Invidia and Arkendale while in the northwest area Borca holds sway as the heights of culture and civilization in the area- which, given that domain's notorious reputation for scheming backstabbing nobility, makes the rest of the 'backwater' domains say "Do we REALLY have it so bad?.." Mistways from Barovia to Bergovista (Nova Vassa),

Falkovnia 'Cluster': Falkovnia, Castle Avernus (Darkon). Vlad Drakov's greatest enemy blew up his own homeland and powerbase, YAY! Except not so much because as the core split apart a big chunk of Darkon remained attached to Falkovnia and it's loads and loads and loads of undead poured over the now-open border and swarmed across the Falcon King's domain, causing a slaughter even HE couldn't stomach. Maybe he's still in charge, maybe he died and his daughter Vladeska took over?

Arak Cluster: Tepest, Keening, Arak, The Mountains of Misery (Darkon). Infested with dark fae who live in the domain of Arak which lays beneath the other three domains. Mistways between (undestryoed) Kellee and Liara (Nova Vassa)

Sea of Sorrows Cluster: Sea of Sorrows, Valachan(new version is... okay), Markovia, Blaustein, Ghastria, Dominia, Mordent, Dementlieu (DEFINATELY original version, 'new' version could be its own city somewhere?), Lamordia, Richmeulot, Jagged Coast (Darkon). By FAR the largest remaining piece of the Core, the strip of easern coast from Martira Bay to Mordentshire has some of the most advanced tech and culture- aside from the two large jungle islands of Valachan (in the southwestern area of the Sea) and Markvoia (in the Northwestern part of the Sea). The layout is roughly the same as post-GC, except that Valachan is now and island and Richemulot is now a longer thinner river valley forming much of the eastern borders of not just Mordent but also Dementlieu and some of Lamordia. Mistways between Mortigny and Sturben (Borca), maybe Martira Bay and Il Aluk.

You might consider adding a mistway to Valachan from the Vaasi culture, as it has a Vaasi-speaking connection as well. If you wish, you could also merge the Sea of Sorrows cluster with the Nocturnal Sea, as the former in 5e can can connect to any body of water even if they go by a different name.

You may also find inspiration for clustering Core domains by reading the Savage Worlds Ravenloft netbook in the FoS library section.

[William Blackmoor]

Added another map to my original post on pg.4 (The Core's Cities, Waterways and Roads, but without names)

[HyperionSol]

I'm just offering some ideas for adding some of the 4E domains to the Reconciliation.

Timbergorge - I believe placing Timbergorge near Nosos can offer some intrigue which can make Nosos more than just a minor domain which I perceived it as. After so long of logging, strip mining, and burning coal, Nosos is finally running out of natural resources. Malus is finding that fortune he made on destroying his land is running out very quickly. Still overcome with his need to have all the luxuries he was denied as a child, he sends out prospectors to find more resources. Near his lands is Timbergorge which was everything he wanted to destroy to spite his father, so he was set to invade it like a conquering arming.

The loggers and prospectors were quick to enter the forests, but were soon sent back in gory chunks. The Metsuri clan werewolves were quick to follow, seeking escape from Silvermaw's fury. They were no friends of the people of Nosos though. Seeing their disease, overindulgence, and sicknesses, they are disgusted and seek to conquer the city and make it their new home after purging the filth in it. Ironically, this makes them almost allies to Silvermaw who sought to destroy such signs of civilization.

Rather than use caution, Malus grew almost obsessive in razing Timbergorge to the ground. It reminds him of everything his father neglected him for and he wants to see it turned to the same blasted wasteland that Nosos is. He sends soldiers, miners, hunters, and loggers deep into Timbergorge, trying to cut down every tree and tear up the ground everywhere they go to get the needed resources to Nosos quickly. Silvermaw in turn rampages, raising plants and animals to attack the camps and rout the workers who are trying to cut down their forest.

Despite the immense hatred the two Darklords have for their opposite lands, they are locked in a stalemate. The animals and plants won't cross Timbergorge's borders and the disease and decay Nosos is so famous for isn't effective on the Feywild-based plants and animals that oppose the prospectors. Their forces can't make any headway on the other since Nosos is well stocked with silver and weapons to eradicate nature while the prospectors are woefully unprepared for the Feywild dangers of Timbergorge.

Sunderheart - Sunderheart found itself dropped between mountain rainges which marked the borders of Vorostrokov and Sanguinia. Such a vibrant place between a barren land on one side and a cruel lord don't care on the other, a vibrant city like Carousal gains attention. People flocked to Sunderhart, hoping to find something better. The citizens of Sunderhart, the Hellbounds, disguised as tieflings or using illusion magic to hide their features, warmly welcomed the immigrants.

Ivania Dreygu doesn't care about new arrivals to her city of Carousal. Still, realizing her lands are not as cut off as they used to be, she has reached out and invited many to come to her city. It has become a vital trade and travel point between Sanguinia and Vorostrokov. It is famous for its luxuries and parties, luring in many people within its borders. Products and goods are all found there within the region and Ivana is trying to lure in traders from more lands. All of this is to try and bring in wise minds to perhaps find a way to remove the Ghoul from her bac and finally return to the life of hedonism she loved so much before she was made a Darklord.

In the dark alleys of Carousal though, the Hellbound have become the Ravenloft equivalent of Avernus' dealmakers. They make offers for the souls of visitors to amass power for themselves and for Ivania. Although not full devils, the Hellbound do have the ability to bind souls to their contracts, gaining iron coins of Avernus for every one of their contractors that die. The coins are an underground currency for the Hellbound, trading for goods they desperately want or hoard them to try and amass power. Ivana has no idea of this trade, since she wishes only for beauty and delight in her palace, but should she find out, she may start taxing her Hellbound for them.

The Endless Road - The Endless Road in it's entirety is an Island of Terror, separate from any of the Clusters. Still, during certain phases of the moon, portions of it are overlaid with other roads within a certain Cluster, allowing large amounts of trade between distant Clusters, making it perhaps the most reliable of mistways. Eli Van Tassen has noticed the increased activity on the road and has quickly set up a number of tolls and fees for merchants to pay if they want to use 'his' road. Normally this would risk the ire of the Horseman, but toll bools are circled by running water, helping keep the Horseman at bay. The overlaps remain until the moon disappears.

The Headless Horseman still runs on the roads, often appearing on parts of the road and hunting for Eli or anyone else who walks on the road. His actions remain unknown, but his first targets are anyone who swears loyalty to Eli. Anyone else is a target of opportunity as he searches for his lost head. It's possible after the second Grand Conjunction, the Horseman's head has finally manifested in one domain or another. Having it will mean a great deal of control over the horseman, even being capable of summoning him to that domain.

Eli often campaigns hard to try and recruit capable individuals, perhaps to help expand his estate so he can finally escape the cramped quarters of his single estate and develop the lands of his domain he can see from his windows. If they can't convince people to join, his men are under order to detain people until the moon descends and the people are trapped in the Endless Road, forced to work for Eli or have to struggle to survive there until the moon enters a new phase and they can escape.

[William Blackmoor]

There were 4e domains? Maybe I blocked them out because of ...well...4e What 4e did to the Forgotten Realms was hard enough for me.

Updated some domains on pg.4 (Darkon, Hazlan, Sithicus, Nidala, Minossos, Seven Hills, Richemulot, Borca and some other minor alterations).

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

There were 4e domains?

The FoS tried to gather them into a cluster on Mistipedia. That is how I first heard about them.