Toben the Many? o.O'

[Hazgarn]

It didn't seem confrontational, I was just clarifying.

And thinking about it, Azalin might have absolutely no reason to want his kingdom back...but with a madman suddenly wielding such power over such a large portion of Ravenloft, the PCs might have every motivation to put "the rightful king" back on the throne.

And if Azalin is resistant to his efforts (and how much of a joke is it to give him the taste of freedom, and then threaten to take it away?), he could find himself suffering the same weakness that likely brought Toben under his power in the first place: however many bodies he may inhabit, to effect the switch back it's possible the PCs only need to capture one.

And the same may hold true for any number of other darklords that would love to have Azalin at their mercy.

Though, of course, Azalin's tactics of defending his new mode of existence would probably be drastically different than Toben's...

And, really, whether it actually is or not, something tells me that those who believe in it could easily interpret these happenings as the Time of Unparalleled Darkness, causing further panic.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

But I have a question: does Azalin even know of Toben the Many?

If he hadn't known of him previously, he certainly found out about the guy as soon as the W-F twins' Walking Dead guide hit the bookstores.

[Zilfer]

For that matter how many books can i assume are out there? In game wise.... <.< I know the Gazetteer's are supposed to have 1 and only one. I'm still not sure i'll ever introduce on into my game but it might be interesting to do.... xD

[High Priest Mikhal]

In-game there are eight books by Van Richten himself (Guides to Vampires, the Created, Werebeasts, Ghosts, Liches, Ancient Dead, Fiends, and Vistani). The Weathermay-Foxgrove printed the eight in three Compendiums, adding Guide to Witches in Vol. III which details hags and 2e Halite witches. The Twins also released VRGttWalking Dead and Shadow Fey, but since the Guide to the Mists was never published (it was available for a free download before Wizards decided to cancel all non-4e product downloads) it's likely just the original eight, the Compendiums, and the two 3e guides. The few copies of VRGttMists are rough drafts of a book that, luckily for the Twins, never saw final publishing. There are just some things better left alone.

[The Giamarga]

For that matter how many books can i assume are out there? In game wise.... <.< I know the Gazetteer's are supposed to have 1 and only one. I'm still not sure i'll ever introduce on into my game but it might be interesting to do.... xD

See the We need a books & stories list thread...

[alhoon]

The F-W twins have a printing press and enough money to buy paper and ink, so I would assume several hundred copies of the VRG are out.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Van Richten's Arsenal also exists in-universe, although it may not have been as big a seller as the more specific monster-guides.


Note that copyright laws probably don't exist in the Ravenloft setting, or at least wouldn't be enforceable on anything but a national level. So there's nothing to stop some hack in, say, Nova Vaasa from whipping off a bunch of translated knock-offs of the VRGs, replacing Laurie's and Gennifer's names with their own in the text, slapping a new title on the result, and tossing the Twins' letters of complaint in the circular file when they find out about it.

[Zilfer]

Found myself another possibly future plot hook have we?^

Generally I haven't introduced them because i lack a good deal of them. I wish i had enough money to get most of the stuff but i'm only able to add 1 or 2 things every other month. XD going to be moving soon so we'll see how that one goes. Deprieved of DnD recently with busy life, and work so hopefully I get back into the swing of things soon or i'll become like Gonzoron!!! Not that that's a bad thing mind you! xD

A quick question, about the Twins before getting back to toben. Does anyone know the trigger for Laurie's lycanthropy? I keep thinking it'd be passion or love that would set it off. Or at least some form of lust since that's what Natalia seemed like from reading her.

There's probably no "offical" version, but i can't shake the feeling it was intended to be that and not just natalia's the only trigger. I'll have to figure that out if any of the PC's eventually meet them and want to try and court them. (heh, good luck guys! XD)

Back on toben, someone mentioned him saying the people's souls were still in the body, does that mean you could do the horror trick of "no don't kill me i'm still alive!" where the monster pretends or "lets out" the other personality for a second. Would toben have access to those memories or so?

[alhoon]

Note that copyright laws probably don't exist in the Ravenloft setting, or at least wouldn't be enforceable on anything but a national level. So there's nothing to stop some hack in, say, Nova Vaasa from whipping off a bunch of translated knock-offs of the VRGs, replacing Laurie's and Gennifer's names with their own in the text, slapping a new title on the result, and tossing the Twins' letters of complaint in the circular file when they find out about it.

I don't think the twins would mind too much if just their names were replaced. They didn't do the books for fame/money, but to spread awareness and arm monster-hunters.

However if someone made subtle changes to the text, even keeping the names etc, a subtle error that would put a monster hunter on risk... that would get their attention.
Assume for example that someone mentions in the books that after staking a vampire, you shouldn't cut off the head because the vampire would regrow from there or something.

Would be interesting to find who did that and why.

[Hazgarn]

Would be interesting to find who did that and why.

It would. In fact, wouldn't it be funny if that entire section about Toben mysteriously underwent a few...creative modifications.

(Man, Toben getting back at the twins by perverting their own books...wouldn't that be fun?)

[Manofevil]

And nobody'e even started THINKING about what might happen between Toben and Tristessa.

[Trike]

You all seem to be laboring under the delusion that Van Richten was actually a real person. He was, in fact, an obscure piece of Strahd's propaganda that grew into a symbol of hope for too many outside of Barovia. The "twins" are one of the few groups who know the truth. They are trying to build that hope into something that can be used against evil for all time.

Sure, Strahd is tickled now. Until a group of Van Richten inspired heroes come wandering into his domain helping Tatyana escape his grasp once again!

[High Priest Mikhal]

You all seem to be laboring under the delusion that Van Richten was actually a real person. He was, in fact, an obscure piece of Strahd's propaganda that grew into a symbol of hope for too many outside of Barovia. The "twins" are one of the few groups who know the truth. They are trying to build that hope into something that can be used against evil for all time.

Sure, Strahd is tickled now. Until a group of Van Richten inspired heroes come wandering into his domain helping Tatyana escape his grasp once again!

It's in English, but none of it makes sense. Van Richten wasn't a real person in Ravenloft? Where'd that come from? Is this a personal canon thing?

[Zilfer]

yeah that's what it sounds like. He was giving a possible interpertation of it. xD

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

More of a joke, I think....