EVERLASTING SORROW. A PALADIN IN RAVENLOFT?

[Samael Hands of Stone]

Solomon Kane is a fictional character created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. A 16th century Puritan, Solomon Kane is a somber looking man who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanquish evil in all its forms. His adventures, published mostly in the pulp magazine Weird Tales, often take him from Europe to the jungles of Africa and back to Europe.

Howard describes him as a somber and gloomy man of pale face and cold eyes, all of it shadowed by a slouch hat. He is dressed entirely in black and his weaponry consists of a rapier, a dagger and a couple of flintlock pistols. During one of his latter adventures his friend N'Longa, a black African shaman, gave him a voodoo staff that served as a protection against evil, but could easily be wielded as an effective weapon. In the same adventure with N'Longa, Kane is seen using a musket as well.

Kane is one of Robert E. Howard's most original characters. A common criticism of Howard is that all his heroes are the same, and this is a hard fact to deny. Conan the Barbarian, Kull the Conquerer, and Bran Mak Morn all fit the same mold: Strong, willful, unstoppable warriors who fight in ancient times and live by their own rules. Solomon Kane, however, is quite different. He lives in a much more modern world (the sixteenth century) and is exceptionally dedicated to the cause of good. Other Howard heroes are amoral, relatively apathetic men who care little for the troubles of others. However, in several Kane stories, Solomon spends years at a time dedicating himself to one cause or another, all in the name of stopping evil. It is to Howard's credit that Solomon Kane is such a radical departure from his other characters.

- source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Kane

[Boccaccio Barbarossa]

Can anyone recommend the best book from this series then? I would LOVE to sink my literary chops into that one...

[Undead Cabbage]

When you say 'To be, or not to be', having studied Hamlet to some degree I can vouch for how appropriate that is. The struggle of a paladin isn't merely a matter of the 'bad guys' having more toys than you. The Ravenloft Paladin, like Hamlet, should be questioning when he should or should not act, and exactly what is right or wrong. Hamlet has NO clue what the right thing to do is (i.e. he had the word of a ghost and the appropriate reaction of his uncle from the twisted play he put on), and neither should the paladin. Where do you draw the line between Sloth and Patience; between sin and virtue?

And on the note of DLs and Paladins. At first, you'd think that any self respecting DL would immediately sack them. However, on the other hand, Azalin did say at the end of the first Gaz "Do not be so quick to destroy that which can be controlled". I can somehow see Strahd, Azalin, Dominic, Jacqueline, Harkon, and possibly Dr. Mordenhiem taking this approach. However some DLs, such as Drakov, would probably try to kill a paladin on sight (not that a Paladin would have much to work with in Falkovnia any way).

Isolation, Manipulation, and Self-Doubt are all key.

[Boccaccio Barbarossa]

And on the note of DLs and Paladins. At first, you'd think that any self respecting DL would immediately sack them. However, on the other hand, Azalin did say at the end of the first Gaz "Do not be so quick to destroy that which can be controlled". I can somehow see Strahd, Azalin, Dominic, Jacqueline, Harkon, and possibly Dr. Mordenhiem taking this approach. However some DLs, such as Drakov, would probably try to kill a paladin on sight (not that a Paladin would have much to work with in Falkovnia any way).

Isolation, Manipulation, and Self-Doubt are all key.

Absolutely. For some darklords, it would be out of the question NOT to squash them. But, some of the more... imaginative ones (as well as those who feel most secure in their power, and least threatened) might be inclined to entertain alternatives.

I'm just stirring the pot, essentially. I believe though, that, until you reach a certain level of power in our games, most darklords have better things to do than squash a 1st level paladin. Especially as he is likely (as we have been suggestiong) to squash himself WAY before a Darklord needs to do it himself/herself. they've likelty seen it hundreds of times before. It's like television to them, watching them invariably fail.

[Lord Soth]

a RL paladin would have faith that keeping up the struggle against Evil, despite all of the darkness that suffuses their world, is an end -- and a triumph -- in itself.

Ever watch the show 'Angel'? That's essentially how the series ended. Angel figured that there was no way he and his people could ever defeat the Senior Partners. So instead they decided to disrupt their plans, even if only for a handful of moments, by assassinating the Circle of the Black Thorn, the agents of the Senior Partners on Earth. It cost them their lives, but for them it was worth it in order to show the Senior Partners that they couldn't control everything. Pretty good episode, even though it ended with a small army of demons (including a dragon) descending down on the survivors.

[Le Noir Faineant]

I am Batman.

[Johann Foxgrove]

I must say I agree with all of you. Thanks for your comments. To keep fighting is all about in Ravenloft. Obviously, is not possible for any character to destroy ALL of the Darklords and the land itself. In my humble opinion, I'd turn the fight to the character itself. The fight against the evil within becomes more important than fighting the dark creatures of the land. If the paladin could survive his own struggle, then he is apt to make the final sacrifice.
I made two final considerations: To play with a paladin character in RL, is demanding, but proudly satisfactory. Number two, if you don't want to die to fast, make another kind of character (I'll suggest a common warrior).

[Boccaccio Barbarossa]

I must say I agree with all of you. Thanks for your comments. To keep fighting is all about in Ravenloft. Obviously, is not possible for any character to destroy ALL of the Darklords and the land itself. In my humble opinion, I'd turn the fight to the character itself. The fight against the evil within becomes more important than fighting the dark creatures of the land. If the paladin could survive his own struggle, then he is apt to make the final sacrifice.
I made two final considerations: To play with a paladin character in RL, is demanding, but proudly satisfactory. Number two, if you don't want to die to fast, make another kind of character (I'll suggest a common warrior).

Then again, the paladin may outlive them all by virtue of his abilities! lol! (And I think that the internal struggle is really what every Ravenloft character, every really good one anyways, is all about)

Happy to be of service, however. let me know how it goes.

[Manofevil]

I have been trying, for quite some time now, to write a long story, in the form of a long series of journal entries, of a Knight of Solamnia from Krynn (Lord Soth's former Order) who finds his way into and out of RavenLoft. His name is Merrick Marcusa. (yes, of THAT family) He is a veteran of the Dragon Wars outlined in the DragonLance Chronicles and Legends Novels. He was at the High Clerist Tower and was a trusted lieutenant of Krynn's own Joan of Arc, the Golden General. I intend to create in Merrick a character who is both so damnably uncorruptable and unkillable, ala William Wallace of 'BraveHeart', that the DPs finally cast him from the demiplane. That is, if I can ever finish the damned thing

[Samael Hands of Stone]

I have been trying, for quite some time now, to write a long story, in the form of a long series of journal entries, of a Knight of Solamnia from Krynn (Lord Soth's former Order) who finds his way into and out of RavenLoft. His name is Merrick Marcusa. (yes, of THAT family) He is a veteran of the Dragon Wars outlined in the DragonLance Chronicles and Legends Novels. He was at the High Clerist Tower and was a trusted lieutenant of Krynn's own Joan of Arc, the Golden General. I intend to create in Merrick a character who is both so damnably uncorruptable and unkillable, ala William Wallace of 'BraveHeart', that the DPs finally cast him from the demiplane. That is, if I can ever finish the damned thing

I've often found the narrative voice the most comfortable when writing recap logs for our gaming group's sessions. If I can recommend anything, is to sit down and decide exactly who Merrick (big Elephant Man fan too by the way) is, and what he sounds like. Practice recounting a simple anecdote or experience using the "Merrick persona". Ask yourself, is he the type to notice little details a la Sherlock Holmes, or is he more the nostalgic observer, where everything that sticks out to him invokes some painful/joyous memeory from his past. Does his fervent belief in justice cause him inner-conflict? Does he question himself, etc.

Once you have IT, the Voice, and you can almost hear him speaking casually in your head, then sit down and start typing the most trivial of his experiences (ei picking apples in spring), and keep going until you're so sure of his character that you can barley contain his actual story.

Works for me...

[Manofevil]

Preacher, meet choir. I am so there with you. Seriously though, the largest problem I have with this project is where to start. I know where I want him to go. I know what he'll do when he gets there. My problem is getting him to that point. He's no where near ready to face DarkLords, yet. He's no level 1 noob but neither is he Epic. I guess the best way to describe him is blooded veteran. He's in the demiplane. He knows he's not in Solamnia anymore and suspects (after looking up and seeing one moon and unfamiliar stars) that he may be on a completely different world. It has shaken him clear throughout his disciplined solamnic core. I'd say he's about as ready as any outlander could be to face the 'Loft. I just don't know what to do first! ARGH![pulling hair]

[Samael Hands of Stone]

Preacher, meet choir. I am so there with you. Seriously though, the largest problem I have with this project is where to start. I know where I want him to go. I know what he'll do when he gets there. My problem is getting him to that point. He's no where near ready to face DarkLords, yet. He's no level 1 noob but neither is he Epic. I guess the best way to describe him is blooded veteran. He's in the demiplane. He knows he's not in Solamnia anymore and suspects (after looking up and seeing one moon and unfamiliar stars) that he may be on a completely different world. It has shaken him clear throughout his disciplined solamnic core. I'd say he's about as ready as any outlander could be to face the 'Loft. I just don't know what to do first! ARGH![pulling hair]

Well, far be it from me to begin dictating my opinions of how you should start it off, but perhaps a few humble suggestions (my favorite kind) might help you cast off from the shore.

Okay, so you know where the stroy is going, you have specific ideas of what he's going to face, what the "trials" will involve. That's a good start. Now ask yourself these easy questions:

- Why is Merrick in Ravenloft? What has he done to merit attention from the Mists?

- What is the purpose of his journey? What does your story want to reveal about Merrick, what's the goal or end state of his adventure?

- Does he realise that he's in another world, or does he perhaps think that he is dead, and Ravenloft is some kind of netherworld or afterlife?

- Does he pop up in Sithicus? In this case the afterlife angle could work, after all Sithicus is like a decayed and colorless version of Krynn.

- What does Merrick remember of his real life? What does he think happened to him? Exploring his misgivings and confusion could make for interesting journal entries.

I hope this helps bro...

[Boccaccio Barbarossa]

Preacher, meet choir. I am so there with you. Seriously though, the largest problem I have with this project is where to start. I know where I want him to go. I know what he'll do when he gets there. My problem is getting him to that point. He's no where near ready to face DarkLords, yet. He's no level 1 noob but neither is he Epic. I guess the best way to describe him is blooded veteran. He's in the demiplane. He knows he's not in Solamnia anymore and suspects (after looking up and seeing one moon and unfamiliar stars) that he may be on a completely different world. It has shaken him clear throughout his disciplined solamnic core. I'd say he's about as ready as any outlander could be to face the 'Loft. I just don't know what to do first! ARGH![pulling hair]

If I may be so bold...

If you are looking for where to begin, allow me to suggest what seem entirely counter-intuitive: start right in the middle of the action, midway through, whatever. Have him start, right away, with some sort of trial, battle, etc, and then, work your way BACK through his past experiences as he moves FORWARD to new ones. It souds tricky, but it's actually more common than people think.

Also, another good reason for starting in the middle: epeic (poetry, anyways) always starts in the middle of the action, at someplace exiting, and it sort of sets the tempo. (I'm an english major - sometimes I talk about thing that scare people - like poems )

Of course, Mr. Am(brus) is coorect as well - finding the right voice is supremely important, especially if you have a 1st-person narrator (your KNight) speaking the tale. (But then, you're already sold on that...hmmm... can;t think of much else then. lol!)

Best of luck in any event (and I really like your line: "Preacher, meet choir!" It was very smooth!)

[Manofevil]

Well, far be it from me to begin dictating my opinions of how you should start it off, but perhaps a few humble suggestions (my favorite kind) might help you cast off from the shore.

Actually, I welcome the input.

Okay, so you know where the stroy is going, you have specific ideas of what he's going to face, what the "trials" will involve. That's a good start. Now ask yourself these easy questions:

- Why is Merrick in Ravenloft? What has he done to merit attention from the Mists?

I've thought most of this out but I'll share. He becomes obsessed with hunting a Dragon War criminal and the Mists notice. I haven't thought the criminal out, yet. I was going to consider that when I had him relive his abduction. I don't know if I'll even have him FIND his quarry in RavenLoft. Truthfully, by the time he starts the journal, he's almost forgotten his quarry.

- What is the purpose of his journey? What does your story want to reveal about Merrick, what's the goal or end state of his adventure?

To get home and get into the DPs faces on the way (unbeknownst to himself)

- Does he realise that he's in another world, or does he perhaps think that he is dead, and Ravenloft is some kind of netherworld or afterlife?

He'll quickly get to the point where he doesn't care. I think he'll decide that people don't BLEED in the afterlife.

- Does he pop up in Sithicus? In this case the afterlife angle could work, after all Sithicus is like a decayed and colorless version of Krynn.

No but he will get there eventually. I should mention that his entry in RavenLoft won't be that many years after Soth's (Note: WAAAY Pre-GC) I have quite a confrontation planned between him and his Lordship.

- What does Merrick remember of his real life? What does he think happened to him? Exploring his misgivings and confusion could make for interesting journal entries.

Everything. That's going to be a large part of the narrative.

I hope this helps bro...

Actually the largest problem is the basic difficulties any Outlander will face when they arrive in RavenLoft: Language barriers, suspicious locals, different weather patterns, etc. I'm scared to death that I'll miss something and readers who know RavenLoft will discount it because I left something out. I really want it to be canon

[Undead Cabbage]

Actually the largest problem is the basic difficulties any Outlander will face when they arrive in RavenLoft: Language barriers, suspicious locals, different weather patterns, etc. I'm scared to death that I'll miss something and readers who know RavenLoft will discount it because I left something out. I really want it to be canon Sad

The trick to this is, get to know the realm he pops in VERY well.

For instance, say he were to pop up in Mordent wearing full plate and a bastard sword. Well, full plate and a bastard sword in any of the domains involved in the treaty of four towers might signify that he's Falkovnian. In Mordent, he would be appoarched in a very 'we don't want any trouble' sort of way. Now instead of Mordent, make that Borca. In Borca, there will most likely be more hostility towards him.

As stated in the FAQ, the three best places for an outlander to come into RL are Darkon, Barovia and Mordent. Personally, I like Mordent, because Mordentish is similar to english (and since most D&D games are based in english, Mordentish could easily have enough similarities with common). The Mordentish are superstitious folk, but would never burn anyone at the stake for mere appearances. But on the other hand, I'm sure you already have a starting point in mind (be it Mordent, or whereever). Just get to know the starting domain very well and read over the gazateer.