Blaustein!

[Nerit]

On a quick aside about the setting, has anyone played Clive Barker's Undying? It has a right good mix of pirates and undead (undead cenobites too, eek!) in the Irish cliffs and coves. Could serve for inspiration if desired.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Split the difference, maybe? The younger, actively-piratical Blausteiners pay lip service to the Lawgiver as the state religion, but personally and on shipboard, it's Umberlee they revere. Once they retire and become more interested in power than plunder, they abandon the Bitch Queen (whose favor isn't needed on land) and take up the Lawgiver's faith in earnest, both as an affirmation of their new social status and as a way to suck up to Bluebeard.

I dunno, I don't think Bluebeard would be that hot on the Lawgiver (or any other god) being worshiped in his domain. Why invite another power center in when you're the only game in town?

Perhaps Uri came, made inroads in the local population, and Bluebeard (initially positive or at least neutral on the idea) encountered a few circumstances in which someone he had thought "safe" displayed a disturbing independence of mind--or, if not true independence, Lawgiver-dependence, rather than the enthusiastic personal loyalty Bluebeard expected. Realizing that this could lead to no good, Bluebeard strung up the foreign interloper and ended the experiment with allowing religion on his island. Uri's teeth, among other body parts, were salvaged by local resurrection-men for necromantic purposes (hanged men, very useful for ingredients) and happened to be offered to a Vaasi ship captain who recognized the story of their provenance, bought them, and brought them back to Nova Vaasa as martyr's relics.

[EO]

In our persistant world, I introduced the Lawgiver to Blaustein. The way I did it was to have Bluebeard supporting this Church since it endorses his way of ruling. The people of Blaustein are generally not religious, so they care little for the Lawgiver or any other god though.

The people of Blaustein are generally not religious, caring little for gods and organized religions. Despite this, a priest of the Lawgiver has recently settled on Blaustein with the blessing of Lord Bluebeard and has been attempting to convert people. Bluebeard is favorable to this religion since its dogma preaches loyalty and love to the rightful ruler, something that fits very well his current status. The people of Blaustein do not care much for the Lawgiver, even though they agree with some of the religion's viewpoints. However, they do not care for the strict dogma associated with it and generally just pay minor respect to the religion, ignoring its tenets or restrictions.

Concerning pirates, I made Blaustein a freeport, but not a Tortuga. Bluebeard does not care about what happens behind the shores of Blaustein, but while people are on his isle, they should respect his law. As such, many sailors, pirates and fishermen find solace in Blaustein temporarily.

A small garrison of guards, best described as thugs, patrol the Castle walls and the few streets of the village to ensure that no violence or crimes are commited. These guards often take liberties when applying the law and the most usual punishment on Blaustein is hanging. Lord Bluebeard rules the Village with an iron fist and does not let any sort of crime go unpunished. In turns, this has made Blaustein a haven for pirates and any seafarers since within Blaustein's waters and on the isle itself, no one can harm another or attempt to capture them. Blaustein has thus acquired a reputation as a freeport and a safe haven in the dangerous Sea of Sorrows.

[cure]

For my two wolf's fangs, the Lawgiver is excellent in Nova Vaasa, is equally good in Hazlan, should be something of a pest about the Nocturnal Sea and Tepest, should be dog food in Kartakass and Verbeck, catfood in Valachan, ghoul food in Darkon, and a non-starter in Mordent, Richemulot and Dementlieu. Further West, an evangelising priest getting his teeth knocked out before having his head handed to him sounds right, especially given that it is, one way or another, a pirate port.

Put differently, the Lawgiver is a horse that seems to me to have been beaten to death and space should be permitted in the Sea of Sorrows for something other than the Tyranny of the Lawgiver, even if it is just atheism, which might be worth investigating given the 'spiritual' influence of Mordenheim and Dominiani, and the burning of Ghastria's unique church by its Darklord.

Granted, the Church of the Lawgiver would like to get its claws into Bluebeard. But I suspect that there are dimensions of this monster worth exploring that would allow him to stand on his own two-feet, in all his malicious glory, without the crutch of an alien religion, whose rites are moreover in a foreign language. The story Sound and Sense, for example, would not have been improved by hanging the trappings of the Lawgiver about it. And that story is essential Bluebeard.

Napolean kidnapped the Pope, dragged him to Paris, obliged him to agree to crown the Corsican emperor, then publically snatched up the crown and crowned himself, showing the Pope and the world the place of religion so far as he was concerned. If Bluebeard were to mess about with religion, embarrassing the religion that sought to annoit him under its rules would be his style, and the more so as he has no need of it.

[Delyun]

Well put. The church of bane needs limitation.

[The Giamarga]

Also interestingly Bluebeard has lived for over/almost a century now in Ravenloft according to Darklords.

I think this must be adressed. How did he even survive this long? Is he immortal? Does he age? Does he have the rejuvenation SLA ?

Also is seems to contradict this:

7) time of creation: year 697 (a nod to the creation of the tale by Perrault in 1697)

Can someone recheck the Darklords reference?

[Joël of the FoS]

There are no canon creation dates. The only thing we have is DL "over the course of a century, his features have improved".

I first wanted it to be 697 (as a nod to Perrault year of writing the original - 1697) but it can't be a century.

For the moment, it's 643, 13 years after the creation of the SoS.

Joël

[DeepShadow of FoS]

For my two wolf's fangs, the Lawgiver is excellent in Nova Vaasa, is equally good in Hazlan, should be something of a pest about the Nocturnal Sea and Tepest, should be dog food in Kartakass and Verbeck, catfood in Valachan, ghoul food in Darkon, and a non-starter in Mordent, Richemulot and Dementlieu.

Interesting summary. What about Falkovnia, or Invidia?

[Strahdsbuddy]

Interesting summary. What about Falkovnia, or Invidia?

Not to steal cure's thunder, But Falkovnia would probably be out, since Drakov needs no god to tell him he's ont he right bath, and doesnt seem to need help to convince his subjects either; that's what the pikes are for!

Invidia is tricky. As a sort of bastard state i dont see a reason that 'foreign' religions wouldnt try to gain a foothold there, but the entire culture seems so resistant to structure and a centralized order that organized religion would probaby have a hard time. THere are probably a few scattered cults of Bane, Ezra and the Wolf God. I'd say the Balinoks are the barrier of the Lawgiver's influence.

[cure]

If one is willing to further play up, and draw upon, the Nazis in one`s vision of Falkovnia, Hitler's obsession (true or fictional I don't know) with pursuing mythologies in search of superweapons provides a useful hint. Vlad would be interested in the hocus pocus of a religion exactly to the extent that it somewhat credibily promises him the material, tangible, concrete means that he or his generals could personally wield to crush his external enemies. For as already mentioned, internally he has got social control entirely covered (well save for some kobolds).

The thelogical-political organisation of Europe, where a warlord supports a cult that names him king by divine right and that he names in turn the one and true faith, has no place within totalitarianism, whether of the right or the left.

In so far as Maloccio is inspired by his great-grandfather, the same might be true of Invidia.

[HuManBing]

Hitler apparently wasn't very interested in the occult, but Himmler did appear to be.

For a Ravenloft equivalent, we know Drakov doesn't think highly of magic, but maybe one of his sons is a key endorser of magical research. He might have to keep this secret from his father until he has provably effective techniques from it, which could make for interesting tension. There is certainly room for some state attempt to co-opt an existing religion, even if the leaders are unbelievers.

[The Giamarga]

Did anyone search the netbooks to find references to Blaustein/Bluebeard?

[The Giamarga]

The more I read about him, the more I'd make him an aristocrat. Being an aristocrat and a caliban just seem to fit with the idea that he wanted a perfect wife, but could only get women who were willing to overlook his ugliness--usually because he was rich. His suspicions drove him to his series of "tests" of their loyalty, with death as the consequence of failure.

As he tested them, his criteria became more and more exacting, until his ultimate test was to see if a woman could actually, literally forget his bad traits or actions and see only the good. Thus his ability to change the thoughts of his citizens.

The women rejected him because of his monstrousness. Now that the DPs have given him a more human look, they still reject him as a monster sooner or later, but doesn' realize that the monstrousness is in what he does rather than how he looks. I think that is the central theme in Blaustein. The inner vs. the outer monstrousness and how it affects loyalty, affection and love.

[The Giamarga]

As cure first suggested, Blaustein is a pirate haven. But Darklords and RL3e say that any foreign ship is boarded by angry Blausteiners. Let’s add something to make it more practical in game: the ships not bearing a Blaustein flag are boarded. So pirates and other raiders and other criminal dwellers know and use that flag. Other foreign ship not knowing this are boarded and brought to Bluebeard.

I’d really like to keep that slaving idea, which didn’t get any reaction so far. Bluebeard and his thugs are providing living bodies to Markov and Heinfroth, as well as to other paying customers on the core with special tastes.

[...]

Now for the Blausteiners. You have the young Blausteiners – raiders, shady traders, slavers, whale fishers, etc (all tough guys). They revel in these tough / brutish activities, and alcohol is flowing in their veins. This is the source of revenues for the island, and Bluebeard has a % of the take (those evading this “tax” are punished by horrible death).

When they get older (40? 50?), if they reach this age, it’s time to retire. They proved their worthiness. They move one level up literally, moving in small mansions closer to the castle. They become (try hard anyway) gentlemen and gentlewomen. The façade is well maintained, and at first glance, they could look OK in a Dementelieuse salon, if a little outdated in fashion, and a few scars and broken limbs. But when alcohol is flowing, sometimes, this veneer melts and the pirate talk is back, as with the violence of the early age.

Does that make sense for you guys?

Joël

So the whole male Blausteiner populace are pirates and thugs? Hmmm... Does this really fit for Bluebeards aspirations to noblesse? Is this the culture that his "theme" creates? And then how does he keep his rule over the scum? Sure the natives are loyal due to the powers the DPs granted Bluebeard, but what about all those foreigner cutthroat pirates and criminals who might choose to make a grab for power?

I don't think anyone's suggesting that Bluebeard himself was ever a pirate, but only that his policies as a ruler make his island a convenient place for pirates to visit. Not unlike how 18th-century governors and town officials in the American colonies deliberately turned a blind eye to how the cheap goods brought in by "merchant seamen" were quite often pirated from other countries' cargo ships. (Hey, it was good for the economy at the time....)

Of course, if Bluebeard has chosen to directly fund or employ pirates from time to time, none of the Blausteiners will remember him doing so. The fact that this guy's been getting away with murder repeatedly is part of his image; the possibility that he gets away with other crimes just as casually, making him less of a one-trick-pony, shouldn't be ruled out.

Bluebeard is protrayed as very brutal but also cunning, diplomatic, perceptive and manipulative in Sight & Sound. He manoeuvers to get Henredon's own consent to giving up his tongue before he brutally rips it out and he maintains a gentlemanly demeanor even through provocation.

I think the answer to how he rules might be his reading of people and cunning brutal manipulation. If Roti's exmaple of the 18th centurygovernor in the colonies should hold that I also think that this precludes a native culture where all the males are pirates.

But I'm still torn wether to give him any Thug elvels or not...

[The Giamarga]

I agree that a turban would be a little silly, particularly since his picture is shown in Darklords, and he's wearing European dress there, IIRC. Plus, it'd be in poor taste to play up to that sort of stereotype: political correctness aside, we can surely come up with something better.

I see him a adopting different noble vestments from many foreign lands/courts, all of them somehow not quite fitting his bulky frame and looking just a tiny bit off somehow. But who would dare to mention this to his face as his manner is impeccable and his justice notoriously brutal. The pic in Darklords fits that description imho as do the depiction by Dore and others.

One intriguing question hit me just now, BTW ... namely, who says that the bloody key Bluebeard uses to trap his wives is his only cursed key? What if he has several, and uses them to test everyone whom he associates closely with? A key to his treasury-vault, to trap thieving officials; a key to the town armory, to trap potential traitors; a key to the shackles at the human-traffickers' camp, to trap slavers who neglect to pay him his due share of the profits. How better to keep that gibbet of his occupied year-round, than to subject his own underlings to constant, exacting, and fatal tests of loyalty?

I like it. the theme is very fitting. But he does not even need a such key for trapping them. See how he read and manipulated the good Lord Henredon in Sight & Sound.