Thoughts on...Sanguinia

[Carrion Crow]

Having looked at both Tepest and Forlorn (or Forlarn in my revision) in previous threads, the next Domain on my list is Sanguinia, which may come as a little bit of a surprise.

Sanguinia has not had a lot written about it. It first made an appearance in the Black Box as an Island of Terror, with a brief description and also appeared on one of the cards included, which gave brief details of Prince Ladislav Mircea’s domicile, Castle Guirgiu. From these details, we know that Mircea is a vampire and is considered a cruel and despotic ruler. Basically, another cookie-cutter vampire Darklord.

The Domain gained additional coverage in later editions of D&D, joining with Vorostokov to become part of the Frozen reaches cluster and, from what I can gather, Mircea became an analogue for Prince Prospero for the ‘Masque of the Red Death’ tale by Edgar Allen Poe.

However, as I have no access to 3e stuff and don’t really like this version of him, it’s time for a little Carrion Crow revising…

I particularly liked the Dungeon adventure ‘The Price of Revenge’, which was nominally set in Valachan. However, this version of Valachan suggested that it was a cold realm, full of wolves and snow, which didn’t really fit in with the canon description of the Domain. However, if this particular adventure was relocated to Sanguinia, it actually fits a lot better.

The other issue I had was Baron Urik von Kharkov himself, as I felt that it wasn’t necessary for him to be both a werepather AND a nosferatu vampire and I couldn’t really see why he warranted Darklordship. So, if we take the Nosferatu vampire part of Von Kharkov and make this into Prince Ladislav Mircea, we not only have a viable Darklord for Sanguinia, we also have a detailed adventure for the Domain utilising ‘The Price of Revenge’. The description of Sanguinia fits in with the details from this adventure and ‘White Fever’ also seems more suitable for this realm. As for the werepanther part of Von Kharkov, I have plans for this too…but elsewhere.

As the shape and terrain of Sanguinia also fits quite nicely into the Core where Markovia once was, my plans include relocating it there after the Grim Harvest, as the wave of negative energy released allowed the Dark Powers to ‘repair’ this rent in the core, by filling the void with previous Islands of Terror. So, Sanguinia occupies the space which was formerly Markovia, restoring the Balinoks as a complete mountain range and Kislova (from Baroness of Blood) occupies the space formerly occupied by G’Henna. This has the added advantage of restoring the Timori Road an additional pass through the Balinoks, meaning that trade through Tepest can resume.

The fact that Castle Guirgiu sits far above the settlements of Sanguinia, combined with the title of Prince gave me an idea as to both the character of Mircea and both the reason for his Darklordship and his curse…

Ladislav Mircea was the youngest of three sons of the ruler of Roskov, Tsar Ivan Mircea. As was the tradition of Roskov, the eldest son was destined to become Tsar on Ivan’s death and the second son would become the Patriarch of the Church. Ladislav, spoilt by his mother and having been brought up on folktales wherein the third son was destined for greatness, considered himself better than his older brothers and far above the peasants of the realm. His father, having a more realistic view of how a prince of Roskov should act, decided to educate his son in the realities of rulership and, upon Ladislav reaching his majority, dispatched his son to the isolated duchy of Sanguinia.

He was installed as the ruler of this duchy and given the responsibility of ensuring that ‘his’ subjects were ruled fairly and justly and that he put the needs of ‘his’ people above his own. Ladislav was horrified at this turn of events. Not only had he been banished to a backwater of the realm, he was now expected to look after a bunch of uneducated peasants and live amongst them! However, after a period of sulking in what the inhabitants laughingly called a ‘palace’, Ladislav realised that his distance from the capital and his standing meant that he could rule as he saw fit. Deciding he needed to distance himself from his subjects, in both a social and physical sense, he began construction of a palace suitable for one of his standing, high on the slopes of Mount Radu.

The council advised that this idea was ill-advised and unnecessary, as the dangers posed by constructing both a road up the mountain and the palace itself would be substantial to those involved. The predations of the wolves alone would result in the deaths of many workers. Ladislav was unmoved – they were only peasants and they were sacrificing themselves for the greater good – namely his. The council again tried to convince Ladislav of the error of his ways. Ladislav coldly informed the council that as they were so concerned about the peasantry becoming prey for the wolves, they would provide the wolves first meal, allowing his workers to remain unmolested. They were then taken away in chains.

As work began of the road, each night a member of the council would be staked out for the wolves and the workers, in their makeshift shacks, covered their ears to the sounds of the wolves descending on their hapless victims. Of course, construction of the road took longer than there were members of the council, so Ladislav began to instigate a series of harsh laws, the breaking of which would result in the offender becoming the next meal for the wolves. Any who died during the construction would also become fodder.

After many years and numerous deaths, both the road and the palace were completed, built on the misery and blood of the populace. Installed in his palace high on the slopes of Mount Radu, the cold clean mountain air free of the taint of the peasantry below, Ladislav felt at peace. However, his peace was short-lived, as the servants of his castle, having lost friends and relatives due to his harsh laws, quietly revolted, abandoning the Prince and his small retinue of guards, and leaving all exterior doors open. Soon the wolves descended upon the castle, having become accustomed to regular meals of man-flesh, and began to slaughter and devour everyone they could find. Ladislav ran in fear of his life, barricading himself in his bedchamber, a brace of pistols primed and ready for use. As the wolves began battering down the door to his chamber, he called upon the Gods to save his worthless life, promising anything in return. The Gods did not answer, but the Dark Powers did…

Sanguinia was spirited away into the Mists, becoming an Island of Terror. Ladislav, having spilt the blood of his subjects without regard, was transformed into a Nosferatu vampire and must now ensure that the subjects he despises thrive and prosper, as only their blood will slake his thirst and continue his cursed existence. Over the years, he has learned to sup from many sources, thus ensuring that his supply never runs out. The effect of his feeding has become known as ‘White Fever’ and is considered a disease that the populace bear with great stoicism.

In Sanguinia, curses are best served cold…

[Joël of the FoS]

Great relocation of this Dungeon adventure.

Great reboot, as interesting as tepest or Forlorn. Very sick/interesting ideas for Ladislav Mircea but ... I think I prefer the MotRD plague background.

Ryan's :

Mircea (Sanguinia) (The Frozen Wastes)
Timeline
584 BC Born in Prime Material Sanguinia.
590 BC Parents die of the plague.
606 BC Plague returns to Sanguinia; seals himself and his friends up in his castle. Aristocrat.
607 BC Becomes darklord of Sanguinia.
755 BC The Frozen Reaches cluster forms.
760 BC Present day.

Powers Checks
Caress (Blasphemy: abandons nation to protect himself from plague: 4%; 606 BC): Disease enters castle.
Enticement (Betrayal and Violence: throwing infected friends off battlements: 16%; 606 BC): Gains some chirurgeon abilities.
Invitation (Betrayal and Violence: more violence towards infected friends: 8%; 607 BC): Infected with the plague. Bonus feats (part of vampire template)
Embrace (Black Magic: experimenting on sick friends to find cure for plague: 16%; 607 BC): Aristocrat levels change to alchemist levels.
Creature (Black Magic: cursing guards who left him to die: 4%; 607 BC): Becomes vrykolaka and darklord of Sanguinia. Drain humours

If I use Sanguinia, I think I would combine the two ideas, yours and the MotRD story? I think it would mak a more solid background, making Mircea even more cold and distant from peasants.

Joël

[Carrion Crow]

Thanks for the input, Joel, and from such an illustrious source!

I'd seen some of the previous threads on Mircea, but not come across the details you quote. Is this from Ryan's Pathfinder mod or a another thread (that possibly doesn't have Mircea's name in the title)? Once I've had a look, I may very well revise my ideas.

Although, I was imagining a set of saltires (the X-shaped crosses they used to use for crucifixion) lining the road to the castle, a lasting reminder of Mircea's 'solution' to protecting his workers, which struck me as quite an evocative image...

[IrvyneWolfe]

Is Urik overly complicated? Absolutely. Is it worth it to essentially split him into two Dark Lords? Not in my opinion. I'm with Joel in liking Ladislav as he is. I especially like him being vrykolaka which never really got much play in Ravenloft despite being a completely different route to take vampires in.

[Joël of the FoS]

Thanks for the input, Joel, and from such an illustrious source!

I'd seen some of the previous threads on Mircea, but not come across the details you quote. Is this from Ryan's Pathfinder mod or a another thread (that possibly doesn't have Mircea's name in the title)? Once I've had a look, I may very well revise my ideas.

From Ryan's netbook #3. http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Libr ... _Night.pdf

No problem, I like your "wolf" ideas too.

Although, I was imagining a set of saltires (the X-shaped crosses they used to use for crucifixion) lining the road to the castle, a lasting reminder of Mircea's 'solution' to protecting his workers, which struck me as quite an evocative image...

Sick !

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Yeah, I also liked the idea of him as an alchemical vrykolaka who drained humours. What source started that? I know it's canon, but can't remember where.

Another bonus of going this route--possible alternative alchemical tradition!

[Carrion Crow]

Thanks for all the feedback. Remember the opinions expressed in this thread are mine alone and are in no way endorsed by the Dark Powers.

As all my Ravenloft material and rules are 2e, as I have been lost in the mists awhile, this colours my views of Ravenloft. For example, when stating that Mircea is a Nosferatu vampire, I am utilising the 2e version, rather than the Pathfinder version, which is somewhat different. Having reviewed the basic MC description of the 2e Nosferatu, I can now see why they chose to add the werepanther part in to von Kharkov, as without this, he doesn't have an alternate form.

As an aside, I don't dislike von Kharkov as a character, I just felt that the Nosferatu vampire/white fever part fit better in my 'Dread Alternative' Mircea, which also ties in nicely with 'The Price of Revenge' scenario.

My version of Mircea is based on the limited info provided in the Black Box, the Nosferatu part of von Kharkov from Darklords and 'The Price of Revenge', with a hefty dose of Baron Anton Garnier, the Alpine Vampire from the Vampires accessory for the Chill RPG. (Which if you haven't got, is an excellent resource for different types of vampire, easily adaptable to Ravenloft, Call of Cthulhu, etc.)

So, this version of Mircea is a suave, sophisticated cold-hearted monster, with a pale complexion and shoulder-length pale blonde hair that looks silvery in certain light. He always tries to maintain control, to distance himself from the crass emotions of the peasantry and comes across as cold and emotionless, almost as though he was chiselled from the ice that surrounds his mountain retreat. Of course, this all breaks down once he hears the howl of a wolf, which due to the circumstances of his entry into the Demiplane, fills him with an irrational fear, causing him to retreat to a specially prepared 'panic room'. He remains cowering in the corner of this room, primed pistols shakily pointed at the door, until he retains his composure.

Due to the events leading up to Sanguinia's entry into Ravenloft, the wolves of the Domain are much more savage than those of other realms, having been accustomed to eating the flesh of man. During the even colder winters of Sanguinia, their grey forms are regularly seen flitting between the shadowed alleys of the three towns and woe betide any resident who fails to secure their casement against the weather or finds themsleves alone on the streets after night has fallen. During these months, the half-eaten frozen corpses of drunks caught unawares or the broken shutters and empty, blood-stained cribs evidence the fearlessness and savagery of these predators.

Due to his own irrational fear (for could a natural wolf actually harm him?), Mircea has instigated a generous bounty on the wolves, and a competent hunter can make his fortune in exchange for the skins of his prey. However, there always seem to be more wolves than hunters...

[Mistmaster]

Interesting; My question is about the curse of Mircea; Exactly what it is?

[De Montour]

Very nice take on a criminally underused Domain and Darklord. Price of Revenge is an excellent adventure and fits much better in your version of Sanguinia then in Valachan.

I have both 1st Ed and 2nd Ed Chill Vampires supplement and I think that using elements of Anton Garnier is a great idea. Perhaps this Sanguinian Vampire can, likewise, only be staked using an icicle?

I also like the idiosyncrasy of his irrational fear of "the children of the night". That is unusual, very cool and opens up many interesting story possibilities.

Spoiler Alert








I note though, that the antagonists of Price of Revenge are 'normal' in their reactions around wolves. That might need to be reviewed before running the adventure, as well as how the good doctor can transform into an altogether different species of animal that makes more sense with her original master.

[Carrion Crow]

Thanks Guys.

Mistmaster - The curse that this version of Mircea labours under is that whilst he hates and despises the peasants that he rules and would quite happily slaughter the lot of them, due to his vampiric nature and the harshness of his realm, he has to 'care' about his subjects, to ensure a continued food supply. Whilst a normal 2e Nosferatu vampire can feed on animals, if nothing else is available (though this reduces their abilities), Mircea can ONLY feed on humans. So whilst he revels in his powers and his immortality, he is disgusted by the fact that he has to feed on the lower classes.

De Montour - Good point about the scenario. There will need to be some 'adjustments' made to some of the details, to align it with my ideas about the Domain. However, saying that, if the protagonists of that scenario are the progeny of von Kharkov, surely they should become great cats rather than wolves anyway? But I digress...

For Mircea and his progeny, I might make them Strigoi vampires instead, keeping the blood drinking of the Nosfertau and general stats, but giving them an alternate form of a snowy owl and a freezing fog in place of the standard gaseous form, which would make them sufficiently different from the 'standard' Nosferatu and keeps in line with the mythology of the Strigoi themselves.

As for staking Mircea, I was thinking that he could only be staked with wood carved from one of the crosses of his previous victims, as there are quite a few of these lining the road to the castle...

As people have probably noted in my descriptions of Mircea, this version of Sanguinia is Renaissance level, rather than that of the original and I see smoke or black powder being quite common, with the natural resources and mines on the slopes of Mount Radu providing the raw materials necessary for its manufacture. Of course, due to the depredations of the wolves, a well-armed, competent party of adventurers may find lucrative work guarding the miners or a caravan to or from the mines. (For the latter, think Ice Road Truckers, but without the big rigs.)

[De Montour]

Probably the only thing I don't like about 'Price of Revenge' are the different forms that the Vampires can take. Don't get me wrong, I do like the idea of different bloodlines being capable of shapeshifting alternatives to the common bat, mist and wolf. I just believe that the progeny of particular Lords should be confined to the same types as their sires.
So, to my mind, the two offspring should only be able to shapeshifting to the same forms as their master. Now, The male Nosferatu reads like the DPs are possibly lining him up to eventually have his own domain, as they have granted him several unusual powers. His Winter Wolf/Giant Raven combo could be explained away by that and a bit of hand waving.

One thought For consideration is that it could simply be that Mircea's fear of wolves precludes him from shapeshifting to become a wolf. He can still, however, achieve bat and mist form. His offspring are likewise unable to achieve bat and mist, but not wolf form. In the event that somehow his phobia was cured, he might actually be able to become a wolf. This might, however, be inextricably linked in with his curse.

The Snowy Owl and the Freezing Fog are excellent options that I was actually going to suggest myself. Regarding the Snow Leopard, I reckon the big cats are best left to Valachan.

[Mistmaster]

And if he was instead cursed instead to serve his people? What if he is compelled to resolve any problem and quailm the brought to him, in the most satisfying of the ways? He despise other people, he is a mighty, powerfull Vampire, but he can't treat his subjects as kettle; He has to be a just and true ruler, and he can only fed from strangers or animals, so he is either starving or depowered. His Lychophobia (fear of wolves), plus, should let him very vulnerable, cowering in a corner, unable to defend himself, and forces him to depends on the very people he despises.

[Carrion Crow]

De Montour - I dug out my copy of Chill Vampires and The Price of Revenge to double-check some details, which then led me to check the MC entries fro both the 'common' and Nosferatu vampire.

Regarding the shape-changing, according to the MC entry, the Nosferatu strain shares all the strengths and weakenesses of the standard vampire, which interestingly, only states that the alternate forms are gaseous form and a bat. No mention of transforming into a wolf. But that's rubbish, so as far as I'm concerned vampires can transform into wolves as well. They can also summon and control rats, bats and wolves, depending on the environment.

So, regarding the two protagonists in 'The Price of Revenge', the male can do gaseous form, wolf and raven and can control wolves and ravens. The female can do gaseous form and snow leopard, and can control bats and wolves. Not particularly consistent with their sire, or each other, for that matter.

So, to bring them in line with my views on bloodlines, the Strigoi bloodline of Mircea and his progeny, can transform into a freezing fog (with similar properties to gaseous form) and a snowy owl. They can also control owls. Due to Mircea's Lupophobia and the nature of the (dire) wolves of the Domain, the ability to transform into a wolf and control them is not available.

However, this then presents the problem of the vampiric Vistani child, whose control of wolves is essential to one of the encounters. Actually, the fact that she can control wolves, when the rest of the Domains wolves are uncontrollable makes the encounter a bit more chilling - let's chalk it up to her Vistani heritage...

As we've removed the ability to control ravens from the male protagonist, this requires a make-over of one of the encounters in the adventure, which features ravens under his control. I think this would actually make the encounter slightly more creepy, as being stared at by a loftful of owls, then attacked by them in absolute silence, no matter what time of day, would instil a certain amount of fear in the characters, who would usually associate owls with 'niceness' (Harry Potter has a lot to answer for...)

Mistmaster - glad you've come back, as I have been pondering Mircea's curse and feel that my initial idea is a little bit weak. Thinking about it, as I've already established that the wolves of the Domain are a major threat to the populace and Mircea can only feed from the human population, there exists a constant struggle for him. Though he hates and despises his subjects, he needs them to survive, but they are being preyed upon by a natural (?) predator that he cannot directly act against due to his fear. No matter what bounties he establishes or laws he passes, the wolves can never be completely eradicated, as they are tied to his curse. (NB: I don't have access to it at the moment, but I think there was demonically possesed wolf-thing called Diesache the Devourer, which was located in a labyrinth beneath Mount Radu in one of the netbooks. Could this be the ongoing source of Sanguinia's wolves, with raw, half-formed wolves budding of this being, then slowly growing and re-forming as they drag themsleves into the cold night air?)

Having re-read the full description of Anton Garnier, it seems my version of Mircea is pretty much Garnier. I'd forgotten about the portraits of his 'wives' he decorates his house with. The section where it relates the female SAVE Envoy waking up in a room surrounded by them, with a half-finished portrait with the facial features missing, and realises that the dress in the portrait is the one she is wearing was particular creepy. That's definitely going in!