Quoth the Raven #30 reaction thread.

[IanFordam]

I'm very grateful to both your review AND to the help that you've given me throughout the creative process, at least regarding Vorostokov. Without such input I definitely wouldn't have had such a polished product (especially in figuring out where to put the Birthright source material and balancing it with Ravenloft canon) or the confidence to contribute to Quoth the Raven for this year. And I'd also like to give the same shoutout regarding looking-over-my-unfinished-work, even if I wasn't able to publish those articles this year.

Very glad to help! And besides, you more than returned the favor.

To answer a few things: while I don't have a full idea of who proved strong enough to resist the fiend's best efforts, I'd personally like if it were a more diverse ensemble of "heroic resisters" than what one would assume. I'm sure that there might be one or two knights and priestesses of the Great Kingdom, but I'd also hope that there were some rebels in the Grand Caliphate in the south that opposed Ebonbane, instead of the Caliphate being treated as a monolith. That's also me speaking from a Middle Eastern perspective, as I've had varying levels of appreciation and lack thereof of such representation of Middle Eastern-esque cultures in fantasy (as you'd know from my review comments for the Pharazia article).

I think the inclusion of rebels from the Grand Caliphate is an excellent idea.

Also, I appreciate that you like Damir Shkut! I tried to make every settlement have at least one NPC that was memorable, but it quickly grew quite taxing on my creativity (once again, shoutout to Mistmaster for his massive collection of the Famed and the Infamous).

It's tough, innit? But, as you point out, Mistmaster does provide a good example to learn from.

And on one last note: I think it's nice that, with this Vorostokov article and your prior Sanguinia article, the Frozen Reaches have been really explored this year. A fun coincidence!

Synergy for the win!

[Jeremy16]

I love the 6-characters of Ill Repute article. At first I thought it would be simply a collection of villains, but it took me till the second one to realize it was about con-men, traveling sales, ect. As I understand it, each is also a reference:

1. Dr. Garricalo: Ghostbusters. Obviously. Love it!

She was based off The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Garricalo = Caligari split in half and rearranged back to front). While researching that character, I came across articles about the Phantasmagoria Shows of the 18th century and knew I had to add that element into her story somehow. I picture her as a Steampunk Marie Curie.

[*]Mr Gaynes: Needful Things/Mr. Gaunt. A peddler of fiendish wares, driving men to madness, he has a suspciously large amount of extraplaner wares. Perhaps our favorite Night Hag is his supplier (hell, she probably knew Graz'zt personally back in the old days)

You are right, I made this reference pretty clear from the get-go. I wanted to portray a dangerous demon worshiper who seemed completely harmless on the outside. Think of him as Ravenloft's own evil Santa Claus (hence all the red accents on his clothing)!

[*]Professor Harkniss: P.T.Barnum. He should contact the good professor Arcanus. Then again, this show ain't big enough for two apes (or worse, the Sri Rajans might kidnap him by mistake!). And I love the Man in the Ice, and see it as a Skooks reference and nothing will convince me otherwise ('What I wanna know is weres the caveman'). Also love the little reference to the Giant of Kandahar. I can just imagine some Talon Soldiers running into it (I don't know why they're in Har'Akir, just work with me on this. Speedwagon, get notes from this man! Or devour him and acquire his genius, either works)

Right again. I even adapted one of his marketing techniques (The Man with the Bricks) and put it in the article. I have tons of ideas for carnival-like attractions but wanted to start off with the quintessential carnival barker/circus ringmaster. I limited myself to just six exhibits so I didn't get too sidetracked (don't worry, I still have plenty more ideas for future articles!) (BTW, Munbar = Barnum split in half and rearranged back to front. Hey, if it was good enough once, why not use it a second time?)

[*]Top Hat Jack: Ironman/Robocop/Inspector Gadget/...Mr Hyde? By day a inventive man with dreams of being a superhero, by night a genuine supervillain! (man Jermey, you never miss). And his equipment reminds me: I need to work on that list of enchanted animal canes with powers and personalities (the dragon one breaths fire).

This guy was originally based off of Spring-Heeled Jack. Then, I figured, why not kill two birds with one stone and make him into a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? I threw in a dash of the Mad Hatter (as played by Johnny Depp in the Tim Burton movies) and The Joker, as well, for good measure. I mean, why just use one source when four, or more, will do?

[*]The Opium Eater: Confidence Man/Snake Oil Salesman/Tent Revivalist/ DARE-Program. The the Hazlani have rehab in a vial is convient (maybe its for Mulani nobles who indulge in drugs but find becoming an addict to be uncouth). And his talk of fever dreams on Opium should be a Nightmare Lands plothook, but all it makes me think of is a trip segment from any Ralph Bakshi movie. Either way, you somehome combined 1880 moral panics with 1980s moral panics and for that Jeremy I salute you

I knew I wanted to write up a snake oil salesman, but couldn't find a decent hook until I came across the original Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. I read the whole thing and its flowery and over-the-top prose was exactly what I was looking for, so I paraphrased several pertinent passages from it (don't worry, I checked and it is in the public domain).

[*]The Apprentice of Klorr: Batman's Clock King (yes, I mean it). Klorr returns, though body or no body he's a fool for wanting to return to the Mists. As for the toys: I am convinced Mother Fury commisioned the Lunar Lullaby to grow her army, and I am simply confused as for what Vigo wants toy-soldiers for (maybe he's as much a child at heart as his nephew-brother Malacchio. And he gave two ladies clockwork birds (ladies love clockwork birds). This guy I love cause he has so many plothooks: the beer-baron and his own clock from QtR 2: Van Richten's Lost Arsenal, Vir Stannum, ect. Hell, Joel's idea of the Clockworks in Falkovnia becoming a portal to Mechanus could be how Klorr returns, having seen his Apprentice as a dead end[/list]

I didn't have anyone particular in mind for this fellow. I just really loved all the clockwork devices that were outlined in Forged of Darkness (hey, I was 13 years old, what can I say?) and always thought it would be cool if someone came along to continue Klorr's work. Once I learned about the Plane of Mechanus and the Modrons it all just fell into place.

Great work Jeremy!

Thanks again for the high praise!

[Jeremy16]

Sanguinia: Survey of a Snow-Bound Land


History – I like the brevity of Sanguinia's backstory. Not sure if this is false or true history, but it gives the domain some much needed depth. And while it focuses exclusively on different eras of the royal family's rule, that tracks along with the darklord's self-centeredness. It gets the job done without getting bogged down in needless continuity.

The Gray Plague - I would have liked Mircea's alchemical efforts to save himself to be a little more detailed here. Was turning himself into a vrykolaka the only way he found that worked (it did allow him to survive contracting the Gray Plague after all) or was it an unintended side effect of his experiments? While most readers are familiar with the general outline of his story, I think it could be given more gravitas – either here in the history section or more appropriately under Mircea's profile later on. Was it his evil experiments that proved to be the Act of Ultimate Evil that damned him, the defenestration of his fellow nobles, or the massacre after he became a vrykolaka? Maybe it's just me, but I think the why needs to be spelled out more clearly. I do, however, like the bit about the vrykolakas that he creates are not under his control, as it highlights his carelessness, even in undeath. It's also stands in contrast to Strahd, who keeps a tighter reign upon the spawn he creates (more on that later).

The Razing of Kryoso – If this chilling incident isn't from canon, it is brilliant addition! It sets the stage so well for how the rest of the domain plays out (i.e. the people's attitudes towards their lord, Mircea's continued attempts to reclaim his glory thru more masquerades, etc.).

Van Richten - I love the good doctor's cameo here. It highlights Ian's knack for tying in all the diverse sources of canon into one cohesive whole. It's a really nice touch.

The Populace – While this section goes into a lot of good details, I feel like the medicine section could be expounded upon, since alchemy is one of the main “gimmicks” of this domain. I wanted to read about different doctors of the humours, essence distillers and traders, and unique creatures or items that feed of off or is composed of these materials (phlegm leeches and bile solutions, anyone?).

The Realm – I'm not a fan of the idea that most of the populace is “in the know” about their darklord's true, undead condition. I would have prefered Mircea went the Azalin route and claims he found the fabled Philospher's Stone that granted him eternal life but made his base nature come to the fore (sort of like how the Super Soldier serum worked in the Captain America movies). Plus, that explanation could lead to new alchemists arriving on his doorstep every few years to serve either as victims or collaborators of the good prince. (But, again, it does serve as a nice contrast to how Strahd does things.)

Who's Doomed – All of these entries are really great and do a good job of fleshing out the realm's villages and filling the land with unique NPCs. I won't go into detail with all the characters herein otherwise this review may become as long as the original article itself. But here are a few that stood out to me...

Iren Aspuru – An ancient dead shaman is a stroke of genius; and he fits the flavor of the land so well! The Seven Sacred Caves reminds me a bit of the Story of the Seven Sleepers (a popular myth from medieval Europe). And his hillfolk co-horts serve as an excellent foil to the more scientific-minded alchemists that can be found in the towns and villages.

Gennadi Mardari – A summoner of ice mephits in a land of snow is an interesting idea. I like the uses he puts them to and am amused by the image of all the castoffs banding together and forming an abominable snowman. I can tell an idea is good when I start riffing on it and making it my own...

Ladislav Mircea - Taking what little info there is of this Darklord from canon and creating a vampire lord that is the polar opposite of Strahd von Zarovich is no easy feat. Whereas Strahd is suave, Mircea is a petulant child. Whereas Strahd is a master of magics, Mircea is a master of scientificc alchemy. Whereas Strahd demands that his presence be felt all throughout his domain, Mircea barely pays the land he rules over any mind. I can go on and on, but suffice to say that Ian really knocked it out of the ballpark with this one!

The Three Ghosts – While I like the ghost retainer (every darklord has gotta have their right hand man – er, woman), I think the brother and sister ghosts (Dima and Geyda Vier) could have been done better. I don't like the fact they have to automatically obey Mircea. Who says? Just because they died underneath his castle? I think it would be a better dynamic if Mircea had something they wanted that he constantly holds over their heads to get them to do his bidding (such as passing off a young maiden or two for Geyda to possess every once in a while).

Sites of Interest – These too, are well done. It all makes sense and works together as a whole. I especially like the small changes that are taking place due to its newfound connection to the core domains through the Ice-Bound Passage mistway.

Factions, Cabals, and Secret Societies – I like all of these groups, especially the Hillfolk and their Dread Possibilities (I love me some grimlocks!). The Order of Alchemical Mysteries is a no-brainer, but I would have liked to have seen them form lodges similar to what has been detailed for Paridon. (In fact, I would love to see some sort of contact between believers of both of these alchemical traditions and how they compare and contrast to each other.) The Roshu Copper Consortium is an interesting new player in local politics and I can see it as a plentiful source of adventure hooks.

New Monsters – Sorry, but I'm not feeling the Rank 0 ancient dead. You could just use Rank 1 ancient dead and they would work just as well. Seeing the Upir Lichy again is a nice and the vrykolaka feeding on humours is a nice distinguishing feature. I would have liked to have had at least one “master” vrykoloka detailed here who could serve as a more competent foil to Mircea but is constantly stymied by infighting within his own forces.

Timeline – I love this, but it would have been better if it was placed earlier in the article.

References – I love that the author didn't forget to add in NPCs and monsters from the netbooks of yesteryear.

Overall - Put simply, Ian has done an amazing job here! I couldn't ask for a more thorough and entertaining treatment of such a criminally under-used domain. I agree with others that this is indeed worthy of being considered Gazetteer-level canon. That's the highest honor I can give to such an incredible effort!

[IanFordam]

Sanguinia: Survey of a Snow-Bound Land

History – I like the brevity of Sanguinia's backstory. Not sure if this is false or true history, but it gives the domain some much needed depth. And while it focuses exclusively on different eras pf the royal family's rule, that tracks along with the darklord's self-centeredness. It gets the job done without getting bogged down in needless continuity.

I meant it as true history. I prefer to use false history only for resolving contradictions.

The Gray Plague - I would have liked Mircea's alchemical efforts to save himself to be a little more detailed here. Was turning himself into a vrykolaka the only way he found that worked (it did allow him to survive contracting the Gray Plague after all) or was it an unintended side effect of his experiments? While most readers are familiar with the general outline of his story, I think it could be given more gravitas – either here in the history section or more appropriately under Mircea's profile later on. Was it his evil experiments that proved to be the Act of Ultimate Evil that damned him, the defenestration of his fellow nobles, or the massacre after he became a vrykolaka? Maybe it's just me, but I think the why needs to be spelled out more clearly. I do, however, like the bit about the vrykolakas that he creates are not under his control, as it highlights his carelessness, even in undeath. It's also stands in contrast to Strahd, who keeps a tighter reign upon the spawn he creates (more on that later).

My thought was that Mircea caught the Dark Powers' attention when he retreated into his castle and sealed the deal when he started killing his guests—Lady Rusnac in particular, because he killed her out of spite. When he finally died of the Gray Plague, the Dark Powers said, "Well, clearly you're not going to repent now. You are OURS." I intended his vrykolaka nature to be part of his curse.

That said, I can see that Mircea's backstory would benefit from a more explicit Act of Ultimate Evil.

The Razing of Kryoso – If this chilling incident isn't from canon, it is brilliant addition! It sets the stage so well for how the rest of the domain plays out (i.e. the people's attitudes towards their lord, Mircea's continued attempts to reclaim his glory thru more masquerades, etc.).

The Gryphon Hill archive (https://fraternityofshadows.com/Gryphon ... omain.html) asserts that Sanguinia was originally called Kryoso. Speedwagon directed me to the Gryphon Hill reference, and then I just ran with it.

Van Richten - I love the good doctor's cameo here. It highlights Ian's knack for tying in all the diverse sources of canon into one cohesive whole. It's a really nice touch.

Thank you.

The Populace – While this section goes into a lot of good details, I feel like the medicine section could be expounded upon, since alchemy is one of the main “gimmicks” of this domain. I wanted to read about different doctors of the humours, essence distillers and traders, and unique creatures or items that feed of off or is composed of these materials (phlegm leeches and bile solutions, anyone?).

Agreed. An expansion of this article should definitely include more alchemy.

Also, phlegm leeches? Ewwwwwwwwww...

The Realm – I'm not a fan of the idea that most of the populace is “in the know” about their darklord's true, undead condition. I would have prefered Mircea went the Azalin route and claims he found the fabled Philospher's Stone that granted him eternal life but made his base nature come to the fore (sort of like how the Super Soldier serum worked in the Captain America movies). Plus, that explanation could lead to new alchemists arriving on his doorstep every few years to serve either as victims or collaborators of the good prince. (But, again, it does serve as a nice contrast to how Strahd does things.)

As you guessed, I made this decision to explicitly contrast with Strahd. That said, your point is well made. The people of Sanguinia don't need to know that Mircea is undead to despise him.

Who's Doomed – All of these entries are really great and do a good job of fleshing out the realm's villages and filling the land with unique NPCs. I won't go into detail with all the characters herein otherwise this review may become as long as the original article itself. But here are a few that stood out to me...

Iren Aspuru – An ancient dead shaman is a stroke of genius; and he fits the flavor of the land so well! The Seven Sacred Caves reminds me a bit of the Story of the Seven Sleepers (a popular myth from medieval Europe). And his hillfolk co-horts serve as an excellent foil to the more scientific-minded alchemists that can be found in the towns and villages.

I hadn't heard of the Seven Sleepers before, but now that I've consulted Wikipedia, yes, I can definitely see why the Seven Sacred Caves echoed them for you.

Gennadi Mardari – A summoner of ice mephits in a land of snow is an interesting idea. I like the uses he puts them to and am amused by the image of all the castoffs banding together and forming an abominable snowman. I can tell an idea is good when I start riffing on it and making it my own...

Always happy to inspire.

Ladislav Mircea - Taking what little info there is of this Darklord from canon and creating a vampire lord that is the polar opposite of Strahd von Zarovich is no easy feat. Whereas Strahd is suave, Mircea is a petulant child. Whereas Strahd is a master of magics, Mircea is a master of scientificc alchemy. Whereas Strahd demands that his presence be felt all throughout his domain, Mircea barely pays the land he rules over any mind. I can go on and on, but suffice to say that Ian really knocked it out of the ballpark with this one!

Making Mircea the opposite of Strahd was a very deliberate decision. Good to know that it worked!

The Three Ghosts – While I like the ghost retainer (every darklord has gotta have their right hand man – er, woman), I think the brother and sister ghosts (Dima and Geyda Vier) could have been done better. I don't like the fact they have to automatically obey Mircea. Who says? Just because they died underneath his castle? I think it would be a better dynamic if Mircea had something they wanted that he constantly holds over their heads to get them to do his bidding (such as passing off a young maiden or two for Geyda to possess every once in a while).

Hmm. My self-imposed challenge now is to see if I can't find a way to tie the Vier siblings' servitude in with an explicit Act of Ultimate Evil.

Sites of Interest – These too, are well done. It all makes sense and works together as a whole. I especially like the small changes that are taking place due to its newfound connection to the core domains through the Ice-Bound Passage mistway.

As much fun as darklord machinations can be, in any given domain I like to have something going on which is not directly tied in to the darklord. Or at least not yet, anyway.

Factions, Cabals, and Secret Societies – I like all of these groups, especially the Hillfolk and their Dread Possibilities (I love me some grimlocks!). The Order of Alchemical Mysteries is a no-brainer, but I would have liked to have seen them form lodges similar to what has been detailed for Paridon. (In fact, I would love to see some sort of contact between believers of both of these alchemical traditions and how they compare and contrast to each other.) The Roshu Copper Consortium is an interesting new player in local politics and I can see it as a plentiful source of adventure hooks.

I'm not sure that the Order of Alchemical Mysteries is large enough to have formed distinct lodges. Or, from another perspective, nearly every alchemist is a lodge unto himself. Mircea's isolationism does bleed into the people, after all.

To my embarrassment, I utterly forgot that Paridon has a strong alchemical tradition. Yeah, that's an avenue ripe for expansion.

New Monsters – Sorry, but I'm not feeling the Rank 0 ancient dead. You could just use Rank 1 ancient dead and they would work just as well. Seeing the Upir Lichy again is a nice and the vrykolaka feeding on humours is a nice distinguishing feature. I would have liked to have had at least one “master” vrykoloka detailed here who could serve as a more competent foil to Mircea but is constantly stymied by infighting within his own forces.

I didn't want Irren Asparu's wolf companions to possess the traditional disease or fear special attacks. I could have just mentioned this lack, but it struck me as a good opportunity to teach myself a bit of 3e monster template design. I did learn something, but I'll try to make my next experiment more significant.

Oh, and a "master" vrykolaka is an excellent idea for an NPC.

Timeline – I love this, but it would have been better if it was placed earlier in the article.

That's an amazingly sensible idea. In future articles I will do so.

References – I love that the author didn't forget to add in NPCs and monsters from the netbooks of yesteryear.

I am building upon what others have done, so I want them to receive due credit.

Overall - Put simply, Ian has done an amazing job here! I couldn't ask for a more thorough and entertaining treatment of such a criminally under-used domain. I agree with others that this is indeed worthy of being considered Gazetteer-level canon. That's the highest honor I can give to such an incredible effort!

Learning what readers like and don't like is immensely valuable. Thank you very much for your detailed review. I am happily humbled.

[IanFordam]

The Mist-Borne Post

This is an interesting mechanism to tie Darklords together, especially ones that reside in the (relatively) more inaccessible Islands of Terror. I appreciate the callback to Kislova, as well. I might balk at the idea of the Dark Powers aiding the Darklords in such a fashion (after all, it goes against the forced isolation via domain borders that is just one of the tools they use to torment them), but it doesn't break the campaign setting.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure that I will use the Mist-Borne Post in my own campaigns. However, after reviewing my "Survey of a Snow-Bound Land", Speedwagon really wanted me to have some connection between Sanguinia and Kislova. I took that as a challenge. The Mist-Borne Post was what I came up with, and I liked it well enough to write up.

Besides that, I think that Ladislav Mircea lusting after a disinterested Ilsabet Obour is an apt if pitiful character note for both of them.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Indeed, Mircea is no Fabio.
Heck, he's not even a James Belushi.

As for Ilsabet... yech. Just yech.

[IanFordam]

Larva and Satyral

Larva made its debut in QtR29, and its re-release in QtR30 shows how the story has not only expanded but matured. For example, Stanton F. Fink has added three paragraphs to the beginning which help to define the location and the tone. I particularly enjoyed the snide restaurant humor which runs throughout. More importantly, though, the author plants more clues regarding Luke's nature and history alike. Pay attention to the mention of the fire marshall of Smew's Landing and Wexler's tale of the Killer Oblate. I'm sure they are part of the hidden pattern. Also, the section headings ("First Instar" and such) are a nice touch.

Earlier in this thread, Fink remarked that Larva and Satyral are both part of a larger story. Given that, it's no surprise that neither story feels complete. As far as I could discern, Satyral did not add anything to that larger story, but given the promise of Larva's evolution, I'll be curious to see how the series progresses going forward.


Excerpts from: "The Register of Monsters"

The fiends and ghosts and gods and virusbeasts from Stanton F. Fink's Register of Monsters are always a fascinating, trippy read. Their inspirations are drawn from a wonderful range of sources. I recognized references to Greek, Middle-Eastern, and East Asian mythology and even tales from the American backwoods. The Ten Abominations and servitors of the Apokryltaros feature heavily in this year's excerpt. What are they? We are not told. Fink provides no stat blocks, only illustrations, and his creations are much richer for these ambiguities.

[Baron Von Stanton]

Larva and Satyral

Larva made its debut in QtR29, and its re-release in QtR30 shows how the story has not only expanded but matured. For example, Stanton F. Fink has added three paragraphs to the beginning which help to define the location and the tone. I particularly enjoyed the snide restaurant humor which runs throughout. More importantly, though, the author plants more clues regarding Luke's nature and history alike. Pay attention to the mention of the fire marshall of Smew's Landing and Wexler's tale of the Killer Oblate. I'm sure they are part of the hidden pattern. Also, the section headings ("First Instar" and such) are a nice touch.

Earlier in this thread, Fink remarked that Larva and Satyral are both part of a larger story. Given that, it's no surprise that neither story feels complete. As far as I could discern, Satyral did not add anything to that larger story, but given the promise of Larva's evolution, I'll be curious to see how the series progresses going forward.

To clarify, Satyral and Larva are parts of larger stories, but not the same stories. Satyral is a saga about a weretiger who tries very hard to run away from the fact that he's more like his father than he will ever admit, while also dealing with some of his father's various unresolved projects. Larva is about "Luke" living his life as a part-time human; next installments would be about either how he became and adjusted to being a part-time human, or him dealing with a focused threat, i.e., what happened to the fire marshall.

Excerpts from: "The Register of Monsters"

The fiends and ghosts and gods and virusbeasts from Stanton F. Fink's Register of Monsters are always a fascinating, trippy read. Their inspirations are drawn from a wonderful range of sources. I recognized references to Greek, Middle-Eastern, and East Asian mythology and even tales from the American backwoods. The Ten Abominations and servitors of the Apokryltaros feature heavily in this year's excerpt. What are they? We are not told. Fink provides no stat blocks, only illustrations, and his creations are much richer for these ambiguities.

I always want to stat up my children, but, on the other hand, can you really put stats on, for example, a living bad dream who can subdue a pit fiend with a literal application of "catch your death of cold"?

[Mistmaster]

I always want to stat up my children, but, on the other hand, can you really put stats on, for example, a living bad dream who can subdue a pit fiend with a literal application of "catch your death of cold"?

Yes, a Kalaraq Quori might be able to do exactly that.

[IanFordam]

Six Persons of Ill-Repute

I have to confess that Six Persons is one of my favorite kinds of articles, featuring NPCs that can be dropped into a campaign wherever they might seem to fit. None of them are tightly bound to any one place, although they have connections throughout the setting as a whole. Although they have each have their storylines, they don't have to form the center of a campaign. As has been discussed previously, each of these six ruffians has some pop culture, folkloric, or real-world inspiration, but you don't have to be familiar with the inspiration to make good use of the NPCs. Jeremy16 provides an impressive amount of detail in terms of background history, suggested use, and game mechanical crunch.

Dr. Garricalo - Although Dr. Garricalo's alignment is evil, nonetheless I have unexpected sympathy for her. I had assumed she would be the sinister force behind the deaths of Luc Cheriot and Professor Weishaupt. However, unless I missed a contrary clue somewhere, she had nothing to do with Luc's death, and she was actually trying to help Professor Weishaupt. She has gone astray since, of course, but from sympathetic beginnings interesting characters are drawn.

Mr. Gaynes - On the other hand, there's nothing sympathetic about Mr. Gaynes. He's a wicked, wicked fellow, although those who do business with him aren't likely to discern that. Not at first, anyway. I appreciate the descriptions of how Gaynes might attempt to wheedle his goods into unsuspecting victims' hands. Perhaps my favorite part of this write-up, though, is the list of uncommon wares, many of which are drawn from obscure sources.

Professor Harkniss - Never mind Isolde's Carnival. Professor Harkniss' Extraordinary Exhibitions is the Greatest Show in the Mists! Or so Harkniss would have you believe. And, to be fair to the professor, his exhibits do sound entertaining... or at least rife with adventure hooks, as the write-up demonstrates. I enjoyed the reference to Abu al-Mir and the Seekers of the Seven Scarabs, especially because I don't think someone would need to know the original sources to make use of the relevant hook.

John Garrett Daly - Unlike the other persons of ill-repute, Daly's alter-ego is not an intentional deception. Then again, I think that Daly is interesting enough that he could be introduced in a campaign without Top Hat Jack making an appearance. Not that I'm against unleashing Top Hat Jack on insuspecting players! I appreciate his Joker-esque manic energy.

Rafael Lorghan - One doesn't have to be a vampire or werewolf to be despicable.

Anton Kythera - I would never have thought that modrons could fit into Ravenloft, yet here we are. For that matter, I never cared for the various clockwork devices attributed to Klorr in Forged of Darkness, but this write-up gives me a better idea how such items might be used thematically. In fact, should my players ever decide that their characters are returning to Liffe, they might just have to stumble into Kythera's Clockworks.

In other words, this article is chock full of Good Stuff™.

[Jeremy16]

Vorostokov Gazetteer


Themes of the Land – Speedwagon and I have had several conversations about the importance of nailing down the themes of domains before starting a gazetteer of this type. Even if not everyone agrees on what the main elements of each land is, putting them up front at least lets the reader know where the author is coming from and what they are aiming for. All of the ones listed here – Endless Winter, The Specter of Hunger, Wolves and Men, and Old vs. New – are spot on.

Landscape - I am a big fan of taking a domain with features that seem monotonous (all forest, all desert, etc.) and breaking it into smaller sections to introduce a bit more variety. The landscape here is well described, but its features are not differentiated enough for me. I'm looking for all kinds of weird and outre ice-related phenomena, such as frozen waterfalls, snow geysers, permafrost cave systems, etc.

Flora – I'm also a big fan of filling domains with appropriately thematic plants and animals. I love that all of the plants here can be used to aid inhabitant's survival in one manner or other. The rarity of the Babushka Tree makes good sense, but I feel that Darkwood trees should just be the standard lumber source for the entire domain instead of being only one town's trade secret. Having the Varsk serve as a sort of ice-cactus is exactly the kind of twist I was looking for in the above section. I envision a group of enterprising individuals creating a complicated system to tap, process, and transport its “sap” throughout the domain (much like maple syrup farmers) and possibly beyond.

Dread Possibility: Timelessness – I like this concept a lot, and it is an elegant solution to solve the riddle of how anyone survives in such an unforgiving domain.

Food – This section is done really well, as it has to answer the main question that always crops up when discussing this domain – how can people survive for long in a place with such scarce resources and hostile living conditions? All of the tactics outlined, such as greenhouses, extensive use of root vegetables, and ad-hoc mushroom cellar (made from people!) are really novel and realistic solutions. (Is it wrong that I want to see a recipe for cooked Yeti?)

The concept of the Great Thaw that is introduced here is a stroke of genius! It makes sense that the land would react in such a way to Gregor's defeat after the events of the Dark of the Moon and it provides a great re-set for the domain and its inhabitants.

Native Horrors – I am not feeling the Varsk; I don't care if they are a carryover from Birthright setting, they are too high fantasy for me. (And, why does the plant and this creature share the same name? Was this intentional or an oversight?) Maintaining a herd of these things seems labor (and food) intensive, and the costs would probably outweigh the benefits. Another thing is that it breaks the sense of isolation that pervades the domain if such rapid transport is easily available. If a quicker mode of travel was necessary, I think introducing sled dogs would have been more thematic.

History – This section is very well put together. Speedwagon's attention to detail here is amazing!

Populace – I don't know much about the Vos people from Birthright, but it's an interesting direction for the author to take (I know this is technically canon, but it was never really expounded upon in canon). Since I don't know anything about that world, I can't say much for or against it. But, if you are going to make a distinction between the Vos (the original people from the Birthright campaign setting) and the Voros (the people who now reside in Ravenloft), I think the terms should be used in a more consistent manner. The term Vos was used earlier in the article and now it is changed to Voros here. I believe after this point it switches back and forth every once in a while, which was a tad confusing.

Lifestyle – The introduction of the Nona Voros and Torva Voros adds a great new dimension to conflicts between inhabitants of the domain.

Culture / Holidays – I love these kinds of sections because it adds much needed flavor to the day-to-day life of the domain's inhabitants. I do feel, however, that funeral customs should have been covered here instead of under its own section below.

Religion – Once again, I'm not familiar with either the church of Belinik or Kriesha but assume they are another transplant from Birthright. I have mixed feelings about this, however, because I feel like after all they've been through most, if not all, of the domain's inhabitants would have abandoned belief in any gods whatsoever. I appreciate the sidebars on each of these denominations, though, as its a good introduction to these deities for those who want to use them.

Attitudes Towards Magic – I'm unsatisfied with this section but I can't quite put my finger on why. Are hedge wizards actual magic users or just wise old men that use folk remedies? Do hedge wizards and witches (such as the Zolnik Sisters below) work together or at cross purposes?

In addition, I feel like there should be some limiting factor to how much arcane or divine magic can be learned in this domain, as some higher level spells would make life too easy for the people (such as the create food and water spell).

The Realm – I really like the primer on the various classes (boyars, merchants, and peasants), but I believe a lot of the social stratification outlined here would have broken down over time. A large household of slaves or servants would be too cumbersome to feed and maintain in such a desolate land. And, there's no need for vassals to farm the land when large-scale crops are non-existent. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that this pseudo-fuedalist approach to Voros society doesn't seem like a good fit for the domain as it is set up currently.

Who's Doomed – I won't go over every single NPC introduced here, but just highlight a few that I really like. Overall, I will say that I love the way Speedwagon has taken the characters from Dark of the Moon and pushed their timelines forward in such an organic way.

Gregor Zolnik – His history is well recounted here in a neat and orderly fashion. This is a good, in depth character study and very well done.

There is only one thing I would have liked to have explained better. When did the general populace begin to suspect that Gregor was feeding them other villagers? And did they ever find out if this was, in fact, true? Did he ever admit to such a horrific practice? This seems like it would be pivotal turning point in the domain's history – did people choose to look the other way and do what they needed to survive or did they take a stand and die of starvation with their morals intact? I think this facet of Gregor's story is glossed over way too breezily. Cannibalism is a nearly universal taboo; and I feel that Gregor's “force feeding” the townspeople his tainted meat is, arguably, one of the crown jewels of horror in this land.

As for changing the Zolnik's curse, this was a much needed progression that makes the domain more “hospitable” for visitors and inhabitants alike. I don't usually like switching up a darklord's curse (because it's so hard to get right), but the author has convinced me here.

Duke Andrei Vladimir – Yes! I am always in favor of bringing back old bit characters from a darklord's past (this is Ravenloft after all, where the dead rarely rest easy).

The Brothers Zolnik – I'm ambivalent about this twist. I can see why Mikhail would benefit from the arrangement, but Alexei not so much. It does remind me a little bit of how America and Russia treated each other during the Cold War Era, so I think there's a seed of a good idea here; it just needs to be thought thru a bit better.

Berngarvild the Frost Giant – Normally I would say this character is too high fantasy for Ravenloft, but I can't deny that she fits in to the domain pretty dang well.

Sites of Interest – Again, I won't go over every single location introduced here, but just highlight a few that I really like...

Novayalenk – While I like the White Lady and her hold over this town, I'm not sure if she is differentiated enough from the Zolnik Sisters. If you want to introduce the concept of good hags (the Zolnik Sisters) and bad hags (the bheur hag), the difference between the two – including their goals and the methods they use – needs to be more clear.

Voronina – This village's bug-eating ways, and their novel use of magic, is a really neat twist.

The Bottomless Lake – Is it too much to ask for an ice wyrm to reside here? Or what about monstrous “snow” crabs that are the result of an alchemical experiment gone wrong? All I'm asking for is some frickin' monstrous sea serpents and/or crustaceans (hold the laser beams)!!!

Yargorod – Now this settlement's backstory is exactly what I was looking for above (re: inhabitants discovering Gregor's meat source)!

Dread Possibility: The Bear of Vlasinovka – This is a very sad story, but the poignancy is undercut by the return of regular old bears to the domain. But, I do love that Arto's presence echoes the concept of a Demon Bear (or its modern day equivalent - Cocaine Bear) in his ferocious vendetta towards the wolves.

Coldspine Rock Penitentiary – I see what Speedwagon is attempting to do here (The Gulag Archipelago, anyone?) but I don't think this location fits the domain at all. It feels way too modern; I kinda get the feeling that convicted (and even unconvicted) criminals from either Nova Vaasa or Vorostokov would be summarily executed, not exiled in this way.

The Icemarch / The Mistmoors / The Shattered Swamp / The White Wastes – This is exactly what I was looking for in the landscape section way up at the beginning! (Holy repetitive commentary, Batman!)


OVERALL


My oh my, is this a long one, folks! (I guess that is fitting for the Demiplane's largest domain.) And, I may be mellowing in my old age, but I hardly have anything bad to say. I got everything I would want from such a domain write-up and it adds a few interesting new twists to the proceedings, as well.

The only piece of advice I would give is that the tone could be tightened up. It comes off as too casual in some places and breaks the mood of the article. It's like it's half written for DMs in the real world and half written from the perspective of an in-world character. For instance, I don't think the term “long pork” would be used in conjunction with Gregor's cannibalism as that is a more modern (well, late 19th century modern) term that was used in reference to the cannibalistic practices of some Pacific Islanders.

Besides that, this is an amazing piece of work and shows passion for the setting. I've brainstormed with Speedwagon about a lot of his other projects and can't wait to see what more he has in store!

[Jeremy16]

RED LIKE COPPER


I find it hard to properly review an adventure without actually playing it, but I will go over this one briefly. After all, it doesn't take much - an intriguing set up, multiple chances to interact with NPCs, a couple of cool combat set pieces, and a compelling Big Bad is all you really need. And this article does the trick.

I give Ian's effort even more credit because it does such a fine job of introducing various aspects of the domain to players. Within this one mission PCs encounter the Ash Men, one of the Seven Sacred Caves, a primal spirit of the Hillfolk, and a handful of key players within each village they visit.

I, of course, do have a couple quibbles, but they are very minor...

The Big Bad's goal could have been outlined a little clearer; one line of dialogue as he is dying seems a bit too cryptic to me. (Asparu's goals may have been gone over in the main domain write-up, but they should have been repeated here.)

The epilogue seems rather extended to me. Having the PCs complete their report to the consortium should be the true ending of the adventure, not just the killing of Asparu. The epilogue usually serves to lead PCs into further adventures and this one has several unanswered questions that could be pursued, such as... If the One-Eyed Badger is real, what about the rest of the Hillfolk spirits? Where can they be found? Where did those ice mephits come from anyway? What are the Sleepers waiting for? Stuff like that.

[Jeremy16]

BLAUSTEIN: LAND OF PIRATES AND JEALOUSY


The Domain – Mistmaster says up front that this is a land of jealousy and simmering passions, which immediately reminded me of Invidia (at least, the canon version of it). But those themes are never really followed-up in the rest of the article.

Bluebeard – Starting Bluebeard relatively early in his “career” (having only killed three wives in instead of the dozen or so in canon), is a good choice here, but that's about the only thing I like about this version. First, as written I don't see his great sin being jealousy; it's his need for control. His father didn't give him rulership over the island so he killed his brother in order to get what he wanted. In my opinion, that doesn't show jealousy, just a cold-blooded calculation to eliminate any obstacle in his way. This same scenario is played out with his wives; he wants to control ever aspect of their lives and when they don't follow his orders they are killed for their transgression. He may say its about trust, but it's really about power (just like all abusers do when gaslighting their victims).

Focusing on this need for control might have lead to a better curse for him. With so many cutthroats running around this place, the political situation would surely be highly volatile. Perhaps an unexpected assassination of one of the high-captains makes things reach a fever pitch and Bluebeard is forced to step in and take a more hands-on approach to ruling things to maintain order. Eventually, his attention turns to wooing a new wife and then the political situation reverts back to the status quo. Then, the tension between various warring factions starts building up all over again.

Another thing I didn't like is his ability to summon his wives during combat. This may be splitting hairs, but I feel that the ghosts of his wives should be there to torment him (much like Soth and his banshees), not as weapons to help him win in a fight.

The Bunyip – More needs to be added about this creature. If my Google-Fu is on point it looks like a land-walking seawolf with arms instead of flippers, but I don't recall seeing a description of it within the article itself. Is this just another name for a seawolf or something completely different?

And, I know Mistmaster and I don't see eye to eye about “evil creatures = bad guys” but these things seem like they would be a great domain-wide bogeymen that all the inhabitants could agree on hunting down and getting rid of. I guess what I'm saying is that this is an okay concept but it needs more work to really... uh, work.

The Famed and Infamous - I do like the addition of more pirates (the high-captains) and towns into this domain. It is a much needed revision to flesh out this domain and make it more three-dimensional. Mistmaster does a good job of differentiating their personalities and modus operandi. And there's a lot of good subplots mixed in with the rest of the NPCs presented here.

But again, none of this seems uniquely flavored by jealousy or tied into the Darklord or his curse. Why not utilize these high captains to drive home the jealousy aspect highlighted at the beginning of the article? Surely one of these guys wants to take over the top spot from Bluebeard? Heck, why just one? Why not have all of them working on schemes to take over? They're frickin' pirates, for Pete's sake!


OVERALL


Poor Blaustein... this domain seems cursed to never get a write-up that is just right. Nathan's FoS survey was too one-note and bloodthirsty (in the wrong way) for me, and while Mistmaster's attempt is more well-rounded it seems too bland in terms of its theming and atmosphere.

[Jeremy16]

THE FONT OF MERCURIAL TEARS


This (blessedly) brief entry is a very well done study of a unique magic item. I love the contrast between the logical Kranz and the more magically astute Tiberin. When writing, I find that maintaining one consistent “voice” is hard enough, getting two right deserves kudos! In fact, I like this exchange so much I could see an entire series of articles relayed in this way with a variety of theorists offering contrasting explanations of phenomena based off their various fields of study.

A lot of neat concepts are explored here, ranging from what scientific experimentation looks like in advanced domains to practical monster hunter applications of such an item.

The asides (specifically Limitations of Legend Lore and Everstone Condemnation) while esoteric for me, are mostly harmless.

Then, we come to the origin of the Font, and this is where I have a lot more criticism.

First, I had no idea what a mythal is until I looked it up, and the author should have explained that better up front.

Second, did Viistaros save Myth Lharast or some other city? I assume it's a completely new city since it is stated he was a refugee but it doesn't get named until later. Again, this bit of information should have been relayed up front.

Third, I understand Viistaros' motivation to save the city's inhabitants from tearing themselves apart, but why use statues that weep precious metals? I don't see that as a requirement to create a mythal so it must be a flourish that Viistaros added on his own. Why that is exactly, is never explained.

Moving on, the bit about the absorption of the unwanted emotions was confusing. Were the statues leeching more emotions than was necessary and thus deadening the population further, or was the population creating so many negative emotions that the statues were becoming overloaded and there was a danger of them shorting out? I assume the latter, but once again I feel this needs to be spelled out more clearly. Another thing that needs to explained better is why that excess build-up is such a threat. Would all the unhappy emotions be returned to the people? Or would there be some magical backlash that would physically destroy the city?

Then, after Viistaros does his magical whammy and the city is cast into the Mists, this Phantasmagorum creature shows up completely out of left field. This part feels incredibly really rushed. The author seems to be creating a full-fledged domain for Viistaros to rule over as darklord, which is fine on its own, but why include that in the origin of this magic item? The group of elves that somehow escape the city of Myth Viistar through the mists (and bring the Font into the Core) seems almost like an afterthought at this point.

Either this entire origin section needs to be pared down to focus solely on this particular statue, or else the Myth Viistar section needs to be spun off as a domain write-up all on its own. Trying to have it both ways doesn't quite work.

[Joël of the FoS]

OVERALL


Poor Blaustein... this domain seems cursed to never get a write-up that is just right. Nathan's FoS survey was too one-note and bloodthirsty (in the wrong way) for me, and while Mistmaster's attempt is more well-rounded it seems too bland in terms of its theming and atmosphere.

That was me by the way, not Nathan

And v2 will take into account all criticism of v1 so far. Do not hesitate to add anything, it is still time to be heard

Joël