Domain of the month - Dominia!

[Rotipher of the FoS]

That gives them reason to despise each other, but it doesn't explain why Heinfroth chose that particular time to try to usurp control of Gundarak -- an objective which, IMO, Ron's perfectly right to say is out-of-character for this guy -- when he'd been able to put up with his master for so many decades, up to then. You'd think that if a mere personality-clash was enough to set them at each others' throats, it would have come to a head shortly after they met, and Gundar would've simply destroyed Heinfroth once and for all! (Gundar doesn't seem the sort to give unruly minions a second chance to betray him.) Yet Heinfroth's not only tolerated his superior's atrocious behavior without complaint for over a century, at the time of Feast of Goblyns, but he's actually played the part of a loyal servant long enough to be entrusted with a fair amount of authority and freedom of action.

So it still leaves me wondering why, if Heinfroth has stoically put up with his boss's bad attitude for a century and a half already, he'd suddenly opt to risk a potentially-fatal act of betrayal. Would a man as methodical and purpose-driven as Heinfroth really do something that reckless, for so little reward, just because some wolfwere with patricidal ambitions of her own is goading him to?

[Nathan of the FoS]

So it still leaves me wondering why, if Heinfroth has stoically put up with his boss's bad attitude for a century and a half already, he'd suddenly opt to risk a potentially-fatal act of betrayal. Would a man as methodical and purpose-driven as Heinfroth really do something that reckless, for so little reward, just because some wolfwere with patricidal ambitions of her own is goading him to?

That depends...is he really in love with her, or manipulating her to his own ends?

When he and Akriel learned about the Crown of Souls might make a difference, too--access to an artifact that powerful might change one's attitude toward an overbearing boss quite a bit.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

See? That's just the kind of thing I'm wondering about: his immediate motive, that caused him to suddeenly change tactics after a hundred-plus years. Nathan's ideas are two interesting possibilities.

Incidentally, do we actually know what happened to Akriel? I don't recall if her name has ever come up, in the wake of FoG, aside from that brief mention in Gaz I's recent history of Kartakass. If she's still out there looking for her old boyfriend (whether to hook up again, or to kick his butt for screwing up their plans), then that's a potential Dominia plot-hook in itself!

[cure]

As I recall, Lukas had her memory wiped and he dispatched her off into the wide wicked world. A board member, of a prior message board or two, then stuck her in an asylum, perhaps in Darkon or perhaps that of Dr. I. in Nova Vassa (prior to its theft by the Nightmare Court). So no official canon conclusion to her. But one could image the good doctor taking a renewed interest in her and having her transferred to his asylum would not be overly difficult.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

As I recall, Lukas had her memory wiped and he dispatched her off into the wide wicked world.

I don't believe that part is canon either. You got a cite?

Gaz I does mention her by name, but says only that the popular version of the story has her and Dominiani fleeing into exile after their assassination of Harkon fails.

I seem to recall something in FoG about Dominiani planning to betray Akriel and/or vice versa, but I can't find it now. All I find is a trap laid for her: in his reading room is a book entitled Life or Death? a History of the Crown of Souls, but it's trapped with explosive runes and is blank, except for a note saying "you didn't think I would leave such an important document here did you?" So there's definitely something going on other than pure love.

In my campaign, I had Dominiani corresponding with Baron Metus during the time of FoG (setting up their future collaboration in Bleak House). I said that Dr. D was the one who revealed to the Baron the secret of how to perform the Dark Kiss to make a vampire bride/groom. The PCs found an incomplete note from Dr. D to Metus asking if the technique was a success, since he would soon have need of it. (hinting that he planned to make Akriel his Bride.)

[cure]

That 'fact' was by memory. Still, I don't think I just imagined it. Perhaps a Kargatane 'fact'? Anyone?

OK, further research establishes it as non-canon; here it is, by Mark Graydon:

http://oracle.wizards.com/scripts/wa.ex ... &F=P&P=339

" Annabelle was found wandering the lands of Darkon in 626 B.C. She was not taken in by those who found her, but took her to the newly completed Clangor Asylum in Maykle. She was taken in as a patient by Arthur and Fennigan, but they were both unable to help her, as every other doctor has been unable to help her since. Everytime a breakthrough is near, her mind shuts down under some mental block and no more progress can be made for months at a time. Add to the fact that Annabelle does not seem to age, and she becomes one of the strangest cases at Clangor.

Annabelle spends her time in her room, humming and practicing her hobbies which include drawing, singing, and dancing. Although the majority of the time she is calm and practical, when anything reminds her of her memory loss she becomes distraught and distant, and often refuses any sort of contact with anyone for a good day or so.

One thing has been found to terrify Annabelle, and that is wolves. Whenever the wolves howl Annabelle starts to shake with fear and has in the past gone into shock and siezures from the panic. The doctors are at a loss to say why this is, but theorize that it is connected to her past somehow.

Annabelle is actually Akriel Lukas, Harkon Lukas' rebellious daughter. After she attempted to take control of the land of Kartakass from him in 635, he devoted a small amount of time to making sure that she would *never* bother him or reveal his secrets to anyone again. Using a pack of wolfweres and a local mage that he knew (the same man who created Harkon's Ring of Imitation, see Feast of Goblyns) they drove Akriel out into the wilderness towards the caves on the edge of Kartakass and at what the time was Bluetspur. There a large patch of wolfsbane grew, and they cruelly forced her into the flowering mass. The scent itself nearly drove her mad, and she clawed and scratched at herself trying to remove the skin that had been tainted by the plants. It was then that the mage with Harkon cast a powerful mind-affecting spell upon her, erasing her memory. Then, satisfied with the results Harkon and his pack left and he began to further pursue his plans that his daughter had left off.

Akriel Lukas, Wolfwere female, B3: AC 6; MV 15; HD 5+1; hp 32; THAC0 14; #AT 1; Dmg 1d2+2; SA Singing; SD Iron or +1 or better to hit; MR 10%; SZ M (5'6"); ML Unreliable (7); Str 18, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 18; AL CN. - Can sing a song of lethargy; victims must save vs. spell or be affected by a Slow spell for 1d4+4 rounds. She can only be hit by iron or +1 or better magical weapons.

Akriel has forgotten many of her powers, and indeed even that she is a Wolfwere. If she were shown the truth of things she would probably fail an immediate horror check as her nature becomes apparent to her.

Although she cannot remember many of her abilities, her subconscious still knows how to preform them, thus she has the following chances to succeed at these bardic abilities"

[Rotipher of the FoS]

In my campaign, I had Dominiani corresponding with Baron Metus during the time of FoG (setting up their future collaboration in Bleak House). I said that Dr. D was the one who revealed to the Baron the secret of how to perform the Dark Kiss to make a vampire bride/groom. The PCs found an incomplete note from Dr. D to Metus asking if the technique was a success, since he would soon have need of it. (hinting that he planned to make Akriel his Bride.)

Considering Akriel is neither a humanoid nor a monstrous humanoid, she shouldn't be able to add a vampire template, via Dark Kiss or otherwise. Perhaps Heinfroth could be searching for a means to turn her, assuming he does have such designs on the wolf-girl? Previous post to the contrary, she's probably not ageless like her sire -- darklordship-based traits shouldn't be hereditary, IMO, and there's nothing in the wolfwere's base description to suggest they're immortal -- so if he wants to keep her around for the long haul (be it for love or just entertainment), he'd need to find a way to prolong Akriel's wolfwere lifespan.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Considering Akriel is neither a humanoid nor a monstrous humanoid, she shouldn't be able to add a vampire template, via Dark Kiss or otherwise.

Agreed. Since he never got as far as implementing the plan IMC, I leave it as an exercise for the reader to determine if he knew it was impossible and was looking for some alternate method, or if he simply didn't know wolfweres would be immune. (Or if you want him to be really oblivious, he might not even have known she was a wolfwere! Though this is pretty unlikely, since he knew enough about Harkon to know he's a darklord. The minor fact of his species should probably be easier to obtain.)

Then there's also the question of whether he can even perform the Dark Kiss, with his unusual diet. Would Akriel have to drink his cerebral fluid?

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Considering Heinfroth's fondness for wolves, he almost certainly knew what she was. Heck, he might prefer it that way: he doesn't demonstrate much interest in human women IIRC, save as experiments and/or snacks, but Akriel's lupine aspects might've intrigued him.

For the Dark Kiss? Good question. Maybe that's why he keeps so many vampire servants, despite the difficulty of feeding them all: he's testing out different means of conferring cerebral vampirism, looking for a technique that's the equivalent of the Kiss. If not for Akriel, then for somebody else he might hypothetically choose to turn one day.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Ah, found the confirmation: They were both going to betray each other. It's right in their bio text in FoG, p12-13.

Rather than taking control of Gundarak, Dr. D plans to off Akriel after she helps him kill Harkon, thus taking control of Kartakass, not Gundarak. Gundar is in on this part of the plan and approves, hoping to have Dr. D as a friendly neighbor.

Akriel, for her part plans to either kill Dominiani or make him her slave once she rules Kartakass.

His later plot to kill Gundar must've been hatched after this initial plan was foiled by the destruction of the Crown.

[cure]

As neighbours go, Harkon doesn't seem particularly unfriendly. OK, we can say that he is territorial, for whatever that is worth, but practically what does a friendly doctor get you over and above the status quo? We can understand what is in it for the doctor. But what is 'really' in it for the baron?

As to the betrayal, involving, as I recall, the baron putting himself in a compromising position only to have the doctor not save him as planned, it speaks first of all to the supreme and misplaced confidence of the baron and second to a possible Oscar Wilde like ability of the doctor to resist everything but temptation. Betrayal then by intellectual curiosity and a sense of drama.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

As neighbours go, Harkon doesn't seem particularly unfriendly. OK, we can say that he is territorial, for whatever that is worth, but practically what does a friendly doctor get you over and above the status quo?

Good question. We know the Duke was a temperamental, violent ruler, and not terribly bright. Maybe Lukas was jealous of Gundar's authority as the iron-fisted tyrant of a more-populous and more civilized domain, and so had made a hobby out of heckling the guy? A few snide songs at Gundar's expense might've done a lot to rile the Duke up, if they became popular enough.

[Kessler]

Some insane persons from Heinfroth's Asylum:
-guy with Haunted feat
-monomaniacal rope entwiner
-homicidal guy who sneaks behind other people and cuts their throats with imaginary knife. Imaginary as long as he hasn't hot some kind of weapon.
-guy who stares the PCs ALL the time
-guy who "shots" a person and starts lamentig for being murderer
-somebody who thinks that everything she touches melts
-bird phobic (and left outside)
-calculator - calculates everything, his steps, his breaths, grass etc., then averaging
-guy who claims he does'n exists, we are all simply a dream of somebody
-somebody who's thinks all his thoughts are heard aloud or by doctors
-megalomaniac - thinks he is Vlad Drakov and shouts occasionally: "This man - on the stake!" - like Queen in Alice in Wonderland
-pyromaniac
-kleptomaniac - very good pickpocket
-eater - she needs to eat everything, flies, spiders etc.
-guy from Shadowdale Forgotten Realms, not so mad yet, but considered as such due to his talks about
-guy with Ghostsight feat
-maniacal cleaner
-guy who thinks he is a baby

[cure]

I have always imagined northern Kartakass to be a significant base for the Gundarkan resistence to Strahd. Perhaps it was previously a significant base for the the (slight) Gundarkan resistence to Gundar himself, with Lukas (rightly or wrongly) being suspected by Gundar of being behind it.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Considering the financial backers of Dominia, one wonders how many skeletons it holds from the collective closets of Ravenloft. Noble lines that give birth to calibans or halfbreeds might find it a convenient place to put their loved ones out of sight.