Domain of the Month
The Isle of Ravens
Adventure Hooks
Darklord: The Lady of Ravens
Isle of Ravens info in 3e:
none
Second edition: Domains of Dread
More information can be found on the Isle of Ravens in the Kargatane Book of Sacrifices.
David of the Frat
The Boristi shipping company in Nova Vaasa has found the Island to be a navigational hazard. They wish to hire some adventurers as guards while they dispatch a ship and build a beacon or lighthouse. While building the lighthouse they need someone to investigate disappearances of several builders. Is it the ravens or has another beast made this small land its home? Or is it really one of the sailors with a dark secret and a silent hunger for flesh and revenge. During a bad storm some boxes of equipment were washed into the sea. A diving expedition must be launched to recover the gear, but time is of the essence before it is ruined.
The Nightmare Man: Perhaps this can be tied to the hook regarding the Lady of Ravens search for information on her lineage. These boxes may have contained archives pertaining to family history, and now someone has gone to great lengths to ensure that the secrets of her family... remain secrets.
David of the Frat: Or while trying to salvage the boxes something is found off the coast, something related to the darklord's past. A forgotten item or other long lost memento. The storm cracked on of the food barrels and it was not noticed for several days. The entire crate is spoiled by the salty sea-water. More food must be found and quick or the expedition faces starvation or even cannibalism. A sailor family hires the party to rescue their son, whom was part of a fishing voyage in the area of the Isle. He has not returned and it is believed he was shipwrecked in a recent storm. The heroes must navigate the sea then explore the island for a trace of the stranded sailors. But, even if they find them, will they be permited to leave?
Nathan of the Fraternity
I had an idea for a mini-campaign based on the Isle of Ravens which I actually intended to write up for the long-lost Book of Storms (eek!). There are two articles in the Book of Sacrifices which touch on the Isle of Ravens--the domain synopsis (full disclosure and tooting my own horn: I wrote that.) and the article on the cursed sword Felauragoth.
I intended to combine the two by writing up an evil earth fey named (what else?) Caliban, who had been summoned to Ravenloft by the Lady of Ravens and was Really, Really Unhappy when he discovered he couldn't go home again. He made Felauragoth in order to kill the Lady of Ravens and (as he supposes) free himself, but she beat him up and took it away from him, and then sent it to the mainland to get it safely away from her. However, she didn't kill him, and he still lurks at the other end of the island in a grotto, plotting how to recover his sword and get his revenge.
This would give the PCs an ally if they try to fight against the Lady of Ravens, or, alternatively, gives them a service they can perform the Lady of Ravens to get a friend back from her.
As people have noticed, it's hard to use the Island of Ravens as written up in Domains of Dread, because from that information it would appear the Lady of Ravens never interacts with people except by turning them into ravens, which is appropriately creepy and Ravenloftian, but is not much of a plot hook. So I endeavored to a) give the domain more texture in terms of what could be encountered there (evil fey, elementals, ghosts in the Tower of Flint), and b) give the Lady a reason to interact with people, other than turning them into birds.
Joël of the Fraternity
A family of nobles in a domain (any in LotB) heard of that island lady looking for more information on her lineage. They send PCs as emissaries to find out more on this mysterious island mistress.
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Send your adventure hooks to Joel@fraternityofshadows.com