An Illustrated History of the Core

[Hamiclar]

The Tepest comment about them standing at the border mimicing the child is just humorous. The gazateer does a little portrayal but I agree the Tepestry of Dark souls was just interesting in seeing how they interact with dark side of Tepest. The way I look at if you spend any amount of time in this land you will meet the ladies of the realm for evil or eviler paths if you survive the table.

The Scholar of decay does have a good part the rats see humans as playthings in their cage.

[Ryan Naylor]

While we're on the subject of replacing darklords, has anyone else noticed darklords who supplant other darklords are nearly universally female?

Gabrielle Aderre
Ivana Boritsi
Jacqueline Renier
Inza
The Hive Queen

Any other I've missed?

EDIT: Daclaud Heinfroth
Possibly Daglan Daegon

I wonder why?

[brothersale]

Strahd replacing Duke Gundar
Alfred timothy replacing Nathan Timothy

PS really enjoying the thread

[Ryan Naylor]

Neither of those really count, since it's more of a border rearrangement than a replacement. And it's not as direct as the others, who all did something to displace the previous darklord (usually fatally). Alfred hasn't seen Nathan since 730 BC, and Strahd had nothing to do with Heinfroth being banished to an Island - they both just took advantage of the Dark Powers reshaping things.

If you're going to count Gundarak though, you also need to count Gabrielle Aderre there, making her the only darklord to do it twice. (Remember, Heinfroth replaced Gundar, and Strahd and Aderre got portions of Gundarak after the Grand Conjunction - Strahd never replaced Gundar metaphysically, only politically)

[brothersale]

yep, you are right, but by mentioning Heinfroth, you did remind me of Daglan, who's first Darklord is Radaga, followed swiftly by Daglan Daegon

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Brothersale's right about Daglan, but you also answered your own question there, no? Heinfroth isn't female, yet he replaced Gundar, though not killing directly, but through betrayal.

[Ryan Naylor]

You are correct. I knew there was a male I was missing, but I couldn't think who it was. Heinfroth.

I'd completely forgotten about Daegon, but Feast of Goblyns suggests Radaga's just a place holder lord until Daegon is reborn - the Dark Powers only ever intended her to be sacrificial. So she might be a special case.

[brothersale]

I'd completely forgotten about Daegon, but Feast of Goblyns suggests Radaga's just a place holder lord until Daegon is reborn - the Dark Powers only ever intended her to be sacrificial. So she might be a special case.

The same argument could be made for the other darklords you have mentioned as the unknown Timor Queen, Camille Dilisnya, Claude Reiner and Bakholis have never really been explored as they are dead by the start of the black box and their domains introduced. It really doesn't matter how long they were darklords, without them the domain would not have formed and they held the title. Heck MCII introduced NPCs that were meant to be effectively Darklords in waiting, should players put the existing darklords down, does that mean that they are merely placeholders, i think not.

[Ryan Naylor]

The text of Feast of Goblyns specifically says Radaga is just keeping the seat warm for Daegon. This makes it qualitatively different to all the others who were darklords in their own right, often for decades, whether they were really detailed in game terms or not.

The difference is in the Dark Powers' attitudes towards the character.

EDIT: The relevant quote from Feast of Goblyns:

"Since the land is aware the crown and Radaga are about to be reunited by those (namely the PCs) who may fulfil their prophecy and release the powerful warlock Daglan, a large domain is granted to her... Radaga does not understand all of what is occurring. She has no idea the Mists of Ravenloft are making ready to receive the evil Daglan."

[brothersale]

That simply depends on the ending chosen as Daglan has the equal opportunity not to appear at all, which would make Radaga the sole darklord of the domain before its destruction. My personal version of the domain is that both survived the PC's after a fashion and became co-darklords each trying to locate the fragments of the Crown of Souls for their own purposes that are at odds with each other. But to each the own.

Now I think we have diverted the thread more than was intended and I do want to see more of it so that's the last I'm going to the say on this segue

[Hamiclar]

Gabrial Renier, Siticus' current ruler as of Gaz IV

[Ryan Naylor]

Gabrial Renier, Siticus' current ruler as of Gaz IV

I think you may mean Inza. Or possibly either Gabrielle Aderre or Jacqueline Renier.

[Ryan Naylor]

698: Markovia forms

Frantisek Markov grew up on a small pig farm outside Vallaki in Barovia, married and opened a butcher shop. As a hobby, he began experimenting with surgical procedures on first, his pigs, and then second, his wife. When the other Barovians discovered what he’d done, they chased him into the Mists north of Barovia, and he became lord of Markovia.

Now, Markov is very intelligent and his faith in science and disdain for superstition marks him as a very unusual Barovian, but being able to perform surgery in your backyard shed when you’re a pig farmer is a remarkable achievement. On one hand, as a celebration of the powers of intellect and in recognition of the fact that he’s nearly 100 years old by the modern era, I’d like to say that he is entirely self-taught. We know he loves reading from his library in Neither Man Nor Beast, and from the grave markers under Castle Ravenloft, we know his family used to be quite influential. On the other hand, as he painfully and blasphemously vivisects his pigs, his terror track may have started in early with some supernatural ability to keep his victims alive for at least a couple of days. (Most die after a couple of days; Ludmilla his wife dies after 3—so not a huge length of time). Perhaps, despite owning only a small pig farm, his family fortunes have been sunk into a large natural philosophy library which he devours? Perhaps he spends a fortune (inherited or made from his butchery) importing surgical supplies (“butcher’s supplies”) from Borca, Mordent and Lamordia? And once he has his own domain and supernatural powers, he is free to really push the boundaries of science (learning enough over the decades to successfully pose as a doctor), expand his library and learn a few languages.

Leonardo da Vinci, who Markov is clearly based at least partially on (with his love of painting), was also only schooled informally as a child, although he did work in one of the foremost artist’s workshops in Europe in the fifteenth century. So there you go.

Markov has the power to combine any creature with any other creature. When Markovia is part of the mainland Core, he seems to spend his time getting really wacky with his experiments—putting human torso on lions, lion heads on humans, and creating traditional broken ones (the ones who are a completely mishmash of creatures, perhaps inspired by the mongrelmen being created in G’Henna next door). Once he’s stuck on an island with no human contact, he focuses exclusively on the more familiar Markovian broken ones (animals he makes into humans). Perhaps he gets bored with no one to talk to? Or settles down to crack his curse once and for all?

Originally, Markov’s border closures cause crippling agony. After the Grand Conjunction, he causes the much less evocative (but a touch more subtle) bad weather. Markovia is also home at one point or another to two separate sects of the Order of Guardians, which seems quite high until you consider it is basically a craggy, isolated hell where no one in their right mind would go to disturb you.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Gabrial Renier, Siticus' current ruler as of Gaz IV

I think you may mean Inza. Or possibly either Gabrielle Aderre or Jacqueline Renier.

Or was it perhaps a joke poking fun at Inza's unoriginality?

[Ryan Naylor]

Possibly.