Forlorn

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Forlorn is a tiny domain mainly inhabited by goblyns, monstrous slaves created by dark magic. A handful of humans live in the woods and underground, fighting the goblyns. The darklord is a cursed individual named Tristen ApBlanc, vampyre by day, ghost by night, who inhabits a castle caught in temporal flux due to the massive amounts of ethereal resonance created by the ghosts there. Those who enter Castle Tristenoira are subject to time travel to one of three time-lines, each fundamental to the creation of the domain.

As such, Forlorn maintains no ties with any other domain and none of the other lords or lands pay it any heed.

Forlorn
Culture Level Iron Age (3); the ruins in Forlorn indicate a Medieval (7) culture
Ecology Full Ecology
Climate & Terrain Temperate Temperate Forests, Hills, and Plains
Year Formed 547 BC (1,934 by the Forfarian calendar)
Population 2,025
Races (%) 94% Goblyn, 6% Human
Languages Forfarian
Religions Forfarian druidism
Government Anarchy
Ruler(s) None
Darklord(s) Tristen ApBlanc
Nationality Forfarian
Analog Ireland, Scotland, and Wales
Related Categories
Locations in Forlorn
Transportation in Forlorn
Inhabitants of Forlorn
Former Inhabitants of Forlorn
Flora of Forlorn
Fauna of Forlorn
Native Monsters of Forlorn

Geography

Forlorn is a hilly, mountainous terrain with wooded lowlands. Mounts Arawn and Mathonwy reside at the center of the domain, Arawn in particular permanently enshrouded in a sickly yellow fog.

Weather

Forlorn is almost always overcast, and often raining accompanied by thunder and lightning. In the summer months, the clouds give way to the sun to produce a hot muggy climate, but this doesn't last for long.

Terrain

Muddy, with bogs and marshes dotting the region.

Lakes

The Lake of Red Tears at the northern part of the domain is the source of the Musarde River, and home to Aggie, an undead sea serpent.

Landmarks

Two haunted, mostly abandoned keeps are located at the north and south ends of the domain: Castle Tristenoira and Castle Forfarmax.

Rivers

The Musarde River begins at the northern end of the domain, and Kendall Creek passes through the southern end.

Settlements

There are no permanent settlements in Forlorn proper, but its culture thrives (so to speak) in the hamlet of Forfarmax which resides in the relative safety on the border of Forlorn, in Hazlan. (Note the error in the map on this page, placing the village in Kartakass instead. This map predates Gazetteer I, which places it definitively in Hazlan. Gomez, of the MCS says, "the neighbouring village of Forfarmax contained living inhabitants, which ment that the village itself could not possibly be in Forlorn (all the domain's inhabitants are Goblyns). I therefor put the village in Kartakass.")

Druids also maintain a small presence in the domain, in a hidden sanctuary.

Chronology

  • 207 BC 1594 Forfarian Calendar (Spring) - Rivalin ApTosh and Flora ApBlanc become married, but Rivalin is called away to war against the Goteerans. Rivalin earns glory through his bravery and decisive action, personally killing the leader of the Goteerans. Forfarian druids call upon a great storm to route the Goteerans. However, the storm takes the lives of both friend and foe. Rivalin is one of the lives lost, leaving Flora a widow]].[3][4] and their unborn son without a father.[3]
  • 207 BC - Rivalin returns to Flora as a vampire, and she falls under his sway. He partakes of her blood for a period of time, tainting their unborn son's blood. Rivalin eventually starts feeding upon other people in Birnam, but he is caught and destroyed. With his blood tainted by a latent vampirism, Tristen ApBlanc is born to Flora ApBlanc. Rivalin is killed and Flora is lynched by a mob as a witch. Upon Flora's request, Rual and the druids take in the boy.[5][6]
  • 231 BC - 1618 Forfarian Calendar: Tristen tries burning down the sacred grove he's bound to in an effort to escape his curse. It fails, he goes on a rampage, terrorizing the people of Birnam with his wolves as a result. Tristan keeps the stolen possessions for himself. He repeats the process of murdering and looting for the next couple of centuries.[9][10]
  • 350 BC - Duncan MacFarn lures his brother Donal MacFarn into a trap under a pretense of a feast at Castle Forfarmax. Once Donal and his guard are inside the feast hall, Donal orders his archers to shoot them all dead. Donal and his soldiers all perish. Duncan's agents entomb the dead bodies beneath the stones of the castle's floor.[13]
  • 422 BC - 1809 Forfarian Calendar: Tristen ApBlanc resurfaces under the guise of a minstrel and distant relative of the ApBlancs. He lays claim to their old lands and orders the construction of the Lord's Tower.[14]
  • 463 BC - 1850 Forfarian Caledar: Minstrel Tristen vanishes. The Lord's Tower now (or is thought to now) lies abandoned.[22]
  • 519 BC - 1906 Forfarian Calendar: Castle B Tristen, under the guise of Marc ApBlanc- the grandson of Bragain, claims the Lord's Tower and begins refurbishing it. Against the protests of the ApFittles, Tristen/Marc builds walls around his keep and begins recruiting mercenaries.[22]
  • 519 BC-522 BC - Monsters begin flooding the lands of Forfar, distracting the ApFittles from Tristen/Marc's activities of building up his castle and power.[23]
  • 522 BC - 1909 Forfarian Calendar: The Lord's Tower has now been remade into Castle ApBlanc.[23]
  • 537 BC-543 BC late 1920s Forfarian Calendar Tristen/Marc challenges the ApFittles for rule over Forfar, plunging it into Civil War. Tristen's forces eventually triumph.[23]
  • 546 BC 1933 Forfarian Calendar: The people of Birnam sign papers of formal surrender to the minions of Tristen ApBlanc.[7]
  • 547 BC - Strahd sends Azalin to investigate Forlorn, but nothing of value to them is found.[27]
  • 722 BC - 2109 Forfarian Calendar: Maeve dedicates her life to the path of the druid and restoring balance in Forlorn.[37]
  • 730 BC - 2117 Forfarian Calendar: According to "S", this is the final year of where "credible" and documented cases of goblyn attacks from beyond the borders of Forlorn occur.[38]
  • 739 BC - 2126 Forfarian Calendar: By this year, Tristen ApBlanc has noticed the threat Azenwrath represents. Tristen manipulates Kyall into bringing down Azenwrath.[[42]
  • 747 BC - 2134 Forfarian Calendar: Druidic records show that this year marks the most recent significant expansion of goblyn clear-cutting.[43]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gazetteer I p.70
  2. 2.0 2.1 Eve of Sorrows p. 27
  3. 3.0 3.1 Weeping Lands p. 6
  4. Gazetteer I p.70-71
  5. Gazetteer I p.70-72
  6. Weeping Lands p. 5-8
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Eve of Sorrows p. 28
  8. Weeping Lands p. 5, 8-11
  9. Weeping Lands p. 5,11
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Gazetteer I p.130
  11. Weeping Lands p. 5, 11; Eve of Sorrows p. 28
  12. Weeping Lands p. 37
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Children of the Night: Ghosts p. 79
  14. Weeping Lands p. 5, 11-12
  15. 15.0 15.1 Eve of Sorrows p. 29
  16. Weeping Lands p. 5, 12-13
  17. Weeping Lands p. 5, 13
  18. Gazetteer I p.130, based upon Gilan being "12 years old" at the time of death
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 Weeping Lands p. 5,13
  20. Gazetteer I p.130-131, "one year earlier" than 1839 Forfarian Calendar/452 BC
  21. 21.0 21.1 Gazetteer I p.131
  22. 22.0 22.1 Weeping Lands p. 5,14
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 Weeping Lands p. 5,15
  24. Weeping Lands p. 30; Melancholy Meetings p. 30
  25. Weeping Lands p. 28
  26. Weeping Lands p. 30
  27. Gazetteer I p.73-74
  28. Gazetteer I p.18
  29. Melancholy Meetings p. 30; "52 years" after the mass execution of a large number of ApFittles.
  30. Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I p.74
  31. Weeping Lands p. 27
  32. Eve of Sorrows p. 23; "nearly one hundred years ago" from 735 BC
  33. Weeping Lands p. 31, Gazetteer I p. 67
  34. Quoth the Raven Issue 13 p. 72
  35. 35.0 35.1 Weeping Lands p. 41
  36. Gazetteer I p. 82
  37. Weeping Lands p. 42; has spent the last 13 years to restoring balance in Forlorn
  38. Gazetteer I p.74
  39. Melancholy Meetings p. 6; "Two years ago" from 735 BC
  40. Melancholy Meetings p. 21, "a few weeks ago"
  41. Gazetteer I p.74
  42. Gazetteer I p.68
  43. Gazetteer I p.67
  44. Gazetteer I p.74
  45. Weeping Lands p. 5, Eve of Sorrows p. 32

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

Ravenloft Third Edition
Domains of Dread
Castles Forlorn
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I

Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp7,50
Ravenloft Third Edition - pp13,17,121
Domains of Dread - p65
Castles Forlorn: The Weeping Lands - pp24-27
Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - pp16-17
Realm of Terror - p70
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - pp62-84
I, Strahd, The War Against Azalin - pp179-203

Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp8-9
Ravenloft Third Edition - inside cover
Domains of Dread - p43
Castles Forlorn- poster map
Castles Forlorn: Melancholy Meetings - p32
Ravenloft Campaign Setting - poster map
Feast of Goblyns - poster map Download Now!
Realm of Terror - p70
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - p65