Mordentish Hauntings

[Germaine]

While I'm well aware that the Mordent Gaz. 3 chapter was...um...rather unpopular among many- and it does have its flaws- I found it to be fascinating and atmospheric, and have drawn a wealth of inspiration from it. The thing is, I'm curious as to whether anyone else here ever put any of the new material to use and, if so, how. I'm particularly interested in any takes on the de Boistribue (sp?), Mournesworth, and Halloway material. Also, has anyone ever pondered an explanation for the "always a bad place" take on Gryphon Hill? That is, aside from: "Someone watched 'The Haunting' one too many times."

[Strahdsbuddy]

I have to say I never heard anythign bad about the Mordent chapter, only that it was enormous and bumped the entire gaz down to just 3 domains.

I am using the material from it extensively, in a retroactive fashion. My current campaign runs in Mordent before its brush with von Zarovich during I10. All of the characters and families from that chapter are still around, and my players like the rich roleplaying options having a built-in noble class provides. The goal of the campaign, of course, is to play right through the famous module and show the decline of the houses after the realm enters the Demiplane.

One layer I added was that of Renier himself, and the intricate web of secrets he scattered across the sleepy Mordentish countryside, not just at the House on Gryphon Hill. The boarding schools attended by the nobles and emerging middle-class have several "lodges" which each keep their share of the secrets, never to be combined. The nobles therefore leads sort of double lives, with changing alliances from their normal lives into those in their secret societies (many don't know the identities of all their lodge's members).

I admit it is a little bit Lovecraftian, but the piecing together of this information to unlock some horrible secret that was not meant to be unveiled is a fun enough campaign focus for my players. I am enjoying it so much, I'd even like to run it here if there was interest.

[Mangrum]

I have to say I never heard anythign bad about the Mordent chapter, only that it was enormous and bumped the entire gaz down to just 3 domains.

The opposite--Mordent was expanded because I completely blew my deadline for the Borca chapter.

[Strahdsbuddy]

Forgive yourself, John, I'm pretty sure all the Gaz chapters turned out wonderfully!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I think the problems people had with the Mordent chapter were more in the lack of consistency with the tone and "voice" of the other gaz's. The content itself was pretty well-liked, I think. (the art on the family seals was awful, though.) I used a dagger that was a family heirloom of the Mournesworth family in my campaign, and also the town of Blackburn's Crossing, and that's it, but I also haven't spent much time in Mordent.

[Mangrum]

Forgive yourself, John, I'm pretty sure all the Gaz chapters turned out wonderfully!

It's all water under the (smoking remains of a) bridge now, but even so it wouldn't sit right with me to let other writers or the developers take a hit for errors that were my doing. Credit where credit's due, and blame too.

[High Priest Mikhal]

Forgive yourself, John, I'm pretty sure all the Gaz chapters turned out wonderfully!

It's all water under the (smoking remains of a) bridge now, but even so it wouldn't sit right with me to let other writers or the developers take a hit for errors that were my doing. Credit where credit's due, and blame too.

I applaud your integrity, Mr. Mangrum. So few people I know would stand up and face the music like that.

And yes, Strahdsbuddy, the chapters did turn out wonderfully. It's too bad the license expired before we got chapters on the domains of (and in) the Sea of Sorrows and the Nocturnal Sea. But looking at the Masque of the Red Death, it was likely a blessing in disguise; White-Wolf editors ruined that book. The Fraternity's own Gothic Earth rules are much better and free.