Ravenloft domains
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The fictional campaign setting of Ravenloft for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game is divided geographically into a number of domains.
[edit] Aggarath
Aggarath is a unique domain that is in actuality a ruby gemstone just roughly an inch across, but appears as much larger once entered. Once just an empty, featureless realm it is now the personal domain of Chardath Spulzeer who was transported inside with his undead sister Marble from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, and—changed by their arrival—it is now divided into sections called Facets, which reflect aspects of Chardath's personality and his twisted memories.
[edit] Arkandale
Originally formed by an adventurous natural werewolf by the name of Nathan Timothy. Son of Eowin Timothy, a powerful werewolf from Mordent, Nathan was always compelled to wander. On some level, he seemed to believe that he might escape the Demiplane of Dread through his wanderings. Being a natural werewolf and raised as a monster, he left a trail of murders in his wake. When there was nowhere left to explore, he entered the Mists. They obliged him with a domain of his own: Arkandale.
Arkandale is riddled with small, sharp hills and thick forests. The land is abundant with game animals and wolves, and Arkandale is (was) well known for the furs its settlements produced. These small villages are clustered around the Musarde River, which cuts a broad swath across the domain. Captain Nathan Timothy pilots his paddleboat, the Virago, up and down the river as a merchant.
His curse was to be unable to leave the river, lest he begin entering a helpless, comatose state. Unlike most darklords, Nathan learned to live with the curse, even coming to enjoy the river all the more. While he was not a good man, and was still a ruthless werewolf, his evils were no longer so dramatic or pervasive that he warranted a domain of his own. His son, Alfred, however, was indulging in worship of a Wolf God, and making ruthless sacrifices and decisions for no reason greater than his own sense of hatred and desire to be a monster.
When the Grand Conjunction (or Great Upheaval) was finished, Verbrek had absorbed Arkandale. Nathan Timothy was released from his curse, and remains captain of the Virago as of 755 Barovian Calendar. His travels now take him all over the core, and he is famous for providing a safe ride and gregarious company. Then again, no one would hear from anyone who disappeared on his ship.
Note: Nathan's son, Alfred, is the darklord of Verbrek, to the south.
[edit] Avonleigh
Part of the Shadowborn Cluster ruled by the ghost of a necromancer named Morgoroth. Morgoroth exemplifies the concept of an "omnipresent" darklord, existing only as the influence he exerts on his domain (whispers in the wind, unnaturally cold wind,) until the mirror shards in which his soul is trapped are reassembled. The Knights of the Circle, a knightly order founded by Alexi Shadowborn, meets at a circle of standing stones located within this domain.
[edit] Barovia
Barovia is the oldest domain in Ravenloft. It was formed from a part of the ancestral lands of Strahd von Zarovich at the time when he murdered his brother Sergei to win the hand of the beautiful Tatyana in the year 351 of the Barovian Calendar.
Barovia is loosely based on real-world Transylvania, and more closely related to the stereotypical Hollywood depiction of that place. The country is mostly mountainous (the Balinok range) and covered in dense woods. The climate is cold with frigid winters.
Strahd von Zarovich remains the darklord of Barovia, inhabiting the castle Ravenloft, close to the original village of Barovia (otherwise unnamed), the de facto political centre of the land. Other large settlements include Zeidenberg, Immol, Teueldorf, Vallaki and Krezk.
The population is 98% human, with native Barovians and the lower-class emigres from Gundarak, the Gundarakites. The Vistani, though a one percent minority, are influential due to their compact with Strahd.
The most popular language, Balok, shows patterns of Slavic influence.
[edit] Blaustein
An island domain, battered by storms, Blaustein (German: "blue stone") is the domain of Bluebeard, a charming but murderous man, rumoured to be an ex-pirate. Much like the fictional character he is based on, Bluebeard is a serial wife-killer who, prior to acquiring his Domain, acted almost exactly like his fairy-tale counterpart. His curse is that his slain wives rise as undead ghosts devoted to him, but he finds them abhorrent. They are bound to the castle where he lives, and the curse also forces him to return there around every 3-4 days.
[edit] Bluetspur
Bluetspur (from the German word "Blutspur" - "blood trail") is a Lovecraftian domain, a bleak, storm-wracked, blasted wasteland with no life on the surface. Also serves as the core domain's moon.
Deep within the ground, massive cities of insane architecture sprawl in all directions, teeming with tortured slaves and their masters; the hideous, unspeakably inhuman illithids (known as"mind flayers" for their powerful psionic talents and their penchant for eating brains). For the will of their insane ruler, the Illithid God-Brain, these twisted beings perform malicious bio-engineering experiments, all for the purpose of breeding a superior slave race.
The darklord of the domain, referred to as the Illithid God-Brain, was once a human psionicist, who betrayed his city and willingly fused with the Elder Brain in hopes of becoming the ultimate psionicist. His curse is that he is now trapped within a 30ft-long egg-shaped mass of brain tissue, unable to experience the outside world except by draining the minds of free beings, and even that degenerated exposure only lasts until the victim's mind disintegrates into the insane morass.
[edit] Borca
Borca is a nation ruled by noble poisoners, filled with poverty-crushed peasants, and ruthless social climbers. Loosely modeled after real-world Italy during the time of the Borgia family's rule, Borca is also the birthplace of the Church of Ezra. The ruler, Ivana Boritsi, is eternally young and beautiful, but her touch is death. Likewise, Borca is a land of pastoral beauty that is rotten and foul beneath the surface.
Borca was created when Camille Dilisnya murdered her husband in a jealous pique and then left Mordent to avoid mob justice. Granted her own domain by the Mists, Camille was blessed with the ability to craft any poison she could imagine, though she was not immune to them, herself. She also suffered under a horrific curse: anyone who she trusted completely would betray her. She ruled her nation with an iron hand and married several times, though each of her husbands was unfaithful and she eventually murdered them. Ivana's father, Klaus Boritsi, was poisoned with a contact concoction which merged his skin with the chambermaid he was having an affair with.
When Ivana fell in love with a young bard named Pieter, Camille was incensed at her daughter finding love when it had eluded her for so long. Camille disguised herself as Ivana and seduced Ivana's one true love. She then claimed he had seduced her, and succeeded in proving in Ivana's eyes that all men were evil. Ivana took the lesson to heart, and killed Pieter by saturating her own body with a virulent poison. Two years later, she assassinated her mother and became the new ruler of Borca.
During the Grand Conjunction in 740 Barovian Calendar, Borca absorbed neighboring Dorvinia, ruled by Ivana Boritsi's cousin Ivan Dilisnya. Born on the same night and sometimes called "the Dark Twins," the cousins had long corresponded and considered themselves close friends. After their countries merged and they were forced to become co-rulers, however, they grew to loathe one another.
[edit] Cavitius
Cavitius is a domain in the Burning Peaks cluster ruled by the demigod Vecna. Most of the domain is a desert which saps the life force of anyone who sets foot in it. The only settlement in the domain is Citadel Cavitius, where undead are leading citizens and the living have no rights.
Cavitius is constantly at war with Kas the Destroyer's domain of Tovag, but neither side ever gains an advantage.
[edit] Liffe
Liffe is a small island in the Nocturnal Sea. It is ruled by a Baron Lyron Evensong, a bard from Krynn whose curse is to spend 100 years trapped in his study for every day that goes by in real time. The three settlements in Liffe are Armeikos, Moondale, and Claveria.
[edit] Carnival
The Carnival is one of the oddest domains in Ravenloft, consisting of a wandering freakshow/circus. Originally, the Carnival was a freakshow/prison which was part of a now lost domain called l'Morai, ruled by a monstrous tyrant called the Puppetmaster. Prisoners would be sent here from l'Morai, and would be magically warped in recognition of their crimes, gaining bizarre deformities that indicated that crimes and losing their memories and names, so they would never be able to leave without becoming prey for the townspeople. Eventually a freak by the name of Blind Marie, with the aid of the giant Hermos, led the freaks in a rebellion. They all would have perished had she not sacrificed herself so that they would flee. The Carnival wandered the lands seeking a place to settle for some time, until they were eventually saved in Falkovnia by Lady Isolde, the current "darklord" of the domain.
The Carnival is not a true domain but bears many resembelances to it. Isolde is not a great villain but a Chaotic Good Outsider called a Ghaele, or Greater Eladrin, who willingly entered the mists seeking an enemy of hers, a powerful Incubus (believed by many fans of the setting to be the Gentleman Caller). As with all Outsiders of Good or Evil Alignment, Isolde emits an aura of energy which disrupts the fabric of Ravenloft, an effect which is known as the Twisting. In a manner reminiscent of the effects of l'Morai, the Twisting causes anyone effected by it to develop bizarre deformities based around past deeds of evil and negative personality traits, whilst at the same time developing one or more mystical abilities. For example, a shy sorceress who keeps her mouth shut even when her advice or ideas could help her friends might lose her mouth, causing her to feed and drink by taking fluids in through her nose, whilst still being able to cast spells with verbal components and developing telepathy in the process. The Twisting affects everything within 300 feet of Isolde and she cannot halt it, though she may accelerate it. It takes anywhere between 6 and 13 cumulative days spent in the Carnival for the Twisting to affect a person, though once they have left the Carnival the effects vanish, taking a month for each day spent at the Carnival.
Like a typical Darklord, however, Isolde has suffered from entering Ravenloft; her superiors refused to allow her to enter the Demiplane of Dread at first, and as a consequence for entering she was entrapped within a mortal shell (stripping her of most of her powers, such as her Alternate Form ability) and told that she could never leave Ravenloft. She is dedicated to both fighting evil and capturing and punishing her nemesis, but the Dark Powers toy with her in the same way they do with all true darklords; wherever the Carnival goes, magical flyers announcing their presence precede it. She ensures that the Carnival never spends more then one week in a single area, as she is afraid what the Twisting would do if she stayed in one place over long.
None of the Carnival members know that Isolde is a Ghaele, though many of them believe her to be a kindly guardian spirit sent by Blind Marie. The only one who has a clue to the truth is a malignant scholar called Professor Pacali, who runs the Hall of Horrors. He knows that Isolde is an Outsider, but mistakenly believes her to be a Fiend of some sort, due to manipulation by Isolde's Incubus enemy and a copy of Van Richten's Guide to Fiends.
Notable members of the Carnival are:
- The Imp, or Importun, is a classic case of conjoined twins. One brother, Claude, is a fully developed and not unhandsome man; his brother, the Imp, is a disgusting lump of flesh on the side of his neck vaguely reminiscent of a tumour with eyes, mouth and a single spindly arm. As far as the other Troupers know, the Twisting simply allows Claude to see through the Imp's eyes. The truth is far more grisly - the Imp is alive and sentient, and has been since the day the two were born. The Twisting allows the Imp to dominate Claude, and is actually the nice personality that most Troupers associate with the brothers. His spiteful, hateful brother Claude is kept imprisoned in the depths of their shared mind, and he hates the Carnival, the Imp and just about everything. Fortunately, he can only take control if the Imp drinks alcohol, which he avoids doing whenever possible.
- Trosk, an Orc from some other world. He is a classic, typical Orc, which makes him a novelty by Ravenloft's standards (the deformed Calibans are the only race on Ravenloft who can even be likened to Orcs). The Twisting has simply enhanced his strength, but at the same time he has become even less human visaged than an ordinary Orc.
- The Illuminated Man, an Abber Nomad Shaman whose Twisting has left him covered with moving tattoos. He can create tattoos that help fight off or inflict a person's darkest nightmares.
- The Snake Mistress, Silessa, was originally a pseudo-familiar in the form of an Asp who belonged to a Sithican wizard and was polymorphed into her current shape by him. She was rescued from him by the Troupers, though they cannot kill him as the mystical linkage between mage and familiar still exists - if he dies, so too does Silessa. He constantly tries to retake her, but so far has been repulsed every time. Silessa cannot leave the Carnival without suffering the effects that normally occur to a pseudo-familiar who is more than a mile away from its master - sickness and eventual death. Silessa can spit blinding venom up to three times a day, she sheds her skin during spring and snakes consider her one of them - they will not attack unless she attacks them first.
- Wood'n-Head is an ermite, a form of wizard who casts spells by brewing potions, though he is not a very good one. Wood'n-Head came to the Carnival of his own free will after his master made him imbibe an experimental regenerative elixir. Wood'n-Head is now immune to slashing and piercing weapons, as his flesh simply seals around the blade or probe. He knows the formula for the elixir, but no one else who has drunk it to date has survived - this is what slew his master.
- The Living Skeleton, Mola Kravvan, was once part of a brother-sister team of con-artists who staked out the Carnival (her brother, Rasulid, is now the Hall of Horrors exhibit called The Gargantuan). Her Twisting causes her to dramatically lose weight; she is called the Living Skeleton for a reason. A source of worry for the other Troupers is that, despite the fact she eats like a horse, Mola keeps losing weight. They fear she - and her brother - will soon be the first to die from the Twisting. She hasn't yet lost any of her vitality or agility, but the Troupers look at her and fear.
- The Hideous Man-Beast, or Raja Singh as he is called when he is human, is a bizarre wereleopard, originating from the Wildlands domain, who is a leopard/human hybrid for most of the month and becomes fully human when the moon is full. His beast friend amongst the Troupers is Silessa, which makes Tindal somewhat jealous.
- The Vampiress, Amelia, earns her stage name for her looks (reminiscent of a typical vampire) and for the large batwings which grow from her back. Amelia is one of the original Troupers, banished to the Carnival at the age of nine for trying to run away from home. In l'Morai, she grew tiny, malformed wings. When the Twisting came, these wings grew and developed until she is now able to fly for up to three hours at a time with them.
- Mister ? is a strange Wax Golem who possesses the ability to perfectly mimic another person by transforming his body and facial features to match theirs. Unfortunately for the object of his attentions, a side effect in this case is that he steals the original's memories and personality in the process, actually believing himself to have become that person. Fortunately, the memories eventually restore themselves to the person they were taken from, and Mister ? loses hold of his form in the process.
- The Amazing Soulless Man, Tindal, is an illusionist and the Barker for the Carnival. He is also what the Troupers call a Whisp, a Trouper whose Twisting deformity is very hard to notice - in Tindal's case, he casts no reflection. What nobody - not even Tindal - knows, is that Tindal is not the real thing. He is the Fetch of the illusionist Tindalfus, a malevolent and vicious person who is now trapped in the mirror world, being capable only of manifesting himself in any reflective surface. Tindalfus is one of the allies of Professor Pacali, and hopes that destroying Isolde will free him from his prison. Only Pacali and his Horrors know about Tindalfus.
- The Skurra and Madame Fortuna are a group of Vistani who work with the Carnival, protected by the Twisting due to the Skurra-vera, a mystical facepaint which protects those of Vistani blood who wear it, so long as they never speak. All Skurra are Mortu, Vistani who have succumbed to Static Burn and lost their powers. Because Mortu translates (roughly) as 'undead', and due to the enigmatic ways of Madame Fortuna, many Troupers believe that that the Skurra are actually ghosts. The Skurra's ties to the Carnival have allowed them to regain their magical powers, due to the fact they have formed their own unique tribe: the Tribe of None. Madame Fortuna is the only Skurra who doesn't wear the Skurra-vera, as she is the voice for the Skurra. As a result, her eyes have become voids, but her 'Sight' has become even more powerful.
- Professor Pacali is a bitter and twisted Arcanist, whose Twisting causes his vile plots and repressed thoughts to take physical form as lumps of flesh which grow on his stomach into twisted, disgusting monstrosities and drop off. These creatures, held sedated in jars of alcohol, are Professor Pacali's infamous "Pickled Punks". He is one of two people in the Carnival who know that Isolde is an Outsider (Madame Fortuna believes Isolde is a fallen angel), though he has been misled into believing her to be some kind of fiend - specifically, he thinks she is Elsepeth, the Succubus.
- The Gargantuan, Rasulid Kravvan, was once part of a brother-sister team of con-artists who staked out the Carnival (his sister, Mola, is the Living Skeleton). His Twisting has caused him to become monstrously obese; he weighs over a thousand pounds. He has the power to magically persuade others to do his bidding. The Twisting's effect is that, whenever he uses this ability successfully, his victim loses five pounds and he gains one. Also, he and his sister share a mystical tie: she feels his hunger, and he receives the fat that should come from the amount of food she eats. There is only one way to save the two of them - firstly, Mola must stop slaving to please Rasulid. If she were to start living her own life, her weight loss would slow, as would Rasulid's weight gain. Secondly, if Rasulid were ever to perform an act of generosity, the person benefiting from him would gain one pound whilst Rasulid would lose five. Nobody (except maybe Isolde) knows about this. Rasulid believes that Isolde's death would free him, and thus he uses his 'silver tongue' to help Pacali.
- The Squid Woman, Tenira, was a Seawolf member of the Kargat who came to the Carnival on Azalin's orders. Her Twisting has replaced each lower arm with ten fleshy tentacles.
- The Geek, Roman Olzanik, was a lesser nobleman who was cursed by a peasant girl he turned out into the snow. Roman can only gain sustenance from the foulest and most vile of foodstuffs, though they still taste wretched to him. In return, though wholesome food makes him sick, he is immune to ingested poisons and diseases.
- The Fire Eater, Charlotte, is another of the original freaks who escaped from l'Morai. Of all of Professor Pacali's 'assistants', she has no grudge against Isolde, but believes his claims that Isolde controls the Twisting. She desires to force her to change those of her friends who are unhappy with their twisting (such as Rasulid) back to normal. Her swirling red and orange eyes and her fiery-red hair are physical manifestations of her Twisting - she is immune to mundane flames and is capable of exhaling great gouts of fire. Also, her blood ignites upon exposure to the air.
[edit] Castle Island
Home to a twisted fey sorceress and her husband, now transformed into a monster called the Avanc, which roams the black water of Lake Kronov.
This Island of Terror is located within Tepest, and draws some inspiration from The Lady of the Lake of Arthurian legend.
[edit] Darkon
A feudal fantasy nation ruled over by the lich-king Azalin Rex, Darkon is the largest domain in Ravenloft. Physically, it takes up the northern third of the main continent, the Core, and its population easily exceeds that of any other single domain. Politically, Darkon is stable but not very influential, with its various nobles kept in check by Azalin's machinations.
In a real sense, Darkon's history is Azalin's history. After being driven out of his original homeland and finding himself in Ravenloft, Azal'Lan (originally a title meaning simply "Wizard King") was briefly befriended by Strahd von Zarovich, the darklord of Barovia. They were experimenting with a few magic spells to help each other escape until eventually Azalin gave up, and wandered into Darkon. After escaping, Azalin found himself the master of a sprawling domain that reflected his cruelty, his obsession with order, his cunning, and his greatest frustration: the inability to learn new magic.
Due to Azalin's desire for unswerving loyalty, Darkon has the most obvious and unique curse in Ravenloft. After spending from one to three months within its borders, anyone not native to Darkon loses all memory of their original homeland, instead believing themselves to have always lived in Darkon. Additionally, they lose all personal desire to leave the country, though some do so anyway out of necessity or circumstance. The lost memories return upon leaving the domain.
Azalin's desire to escape Ravenloft lead to the disastrous Grand Conjunction in 740 Barovian Calendar, nearly destroying the Demiplane of Dread. His next escape attempt resulted in the equally catastrophic Requiem, destroying his physical form and turning the capital city of Darkon, Il Aluk, into a city of the undead, now called Necropolis. For the five years of Azalin's disappearance, Darkon itself was known as Necropolis due to the influence of that city's darklord, Death. Azalin was restored to his body and his throne in time, and now plots a third escape attempt, the details of which are unknown.
Darkon is one of the few domains of Ravenloft to accept demihumans such as elves and dwarves as equal citizens, and one of the few to embrace arcane magic openly. Darkon is often considered decadent by its neighbors, appropriate enough as Azalin encourages his citizens to debase themselves as a means of salving his own ego.
[edit] Davion
A pocket domain ruled by a power-hungry and insane wizard called Davion, whose identity is shared with three other people. Each of these identities, a wizard named Augustus, a priestess of Loviathar called Narana, and a fighter named Boromar, becomes dominant over the others over a period of time, and the domain's guise changes to suit the identity currently in command.
Davion can only be accessed through the Nightmare Lands. The portal to Davion there is one of many dreamspheres found throughout the domain.
[edit] Dementlieu
Modelled after Renaissance France, Dementlieu is ruled by the charismatic and manipulative Dominic D'Honaire. It is considered the cultural heart of the Core. The language spoken is a sort of 'French' "Mordent".
D'Honaire's power is hypnotism; virtually all of his subjects are under his control, and he knows whatever goes on in his domain. His personal curse is that any woman he wooes becomes more repulsive the more he is attracted to them. Also, for some time his rule is challenged by an entity who is called (and virtually is) the Living Brain, the last remains of Rudolph von Aubrecker, the youngest son of Lamordia's political ruler.
[edit] Demise
The small isle of Demise sits on the tip of The Finger, a cluster of islands that protrude from Lamordia into the Sea of Sorrows. The island is dominated by a labyrinth, where stand countless statues of people seemingly in the throes of terror. Demise is ruled by Althea, a medusa, though, she is not really a darklord. Demise is an island in Lamordia.
[edit] Dominia
Dominia is an island ruled by Dr. Dominiani (Also known as Dr. Daclaud Heinfroth), a psychiatrist and cerebral vampire who seeks to find a cure for madness by inflicting it on others, observing the effects and searching for treatments. The island is home to his renowned Asylum for the Mentally Insane.
Before Dominia's formation, Dr. Dominiani was an assistant to Duke Nharov Gundar of Gundarak. The Doctor was directly responsible for the Duke's death, and temporarily held the position of Darklord of Gundarak until Barovia and Invidia moved to annex the territory.
[edit] Dorvinia
A small, mountainous realm north of Barovia and northeast of Borca before the Grand Conjunction, Dorvinia was ruled by Ivan Dilisnya, who gained the domain when he fled into the mists for poisoning his sister and her husband, and trying to kill their newborn child. Formerly flamboyant and a lover of the finer things in life, his personal curse is the loss of his sense of taste, leaving him murderously frustrated when others around him enjoy what he cannot anymore.
Dorvinia was centered around Mt. Gries, a misty, ragged mountain covered with evergreens that stretched into its valleys. Civilization existed in the form of three riverside villages, Lechburg, Ilvin, and Vor Ziyden.
During the Grand Conjunction, Dilisnya was in close proximity to the darklord of neighboring Borca, his own cousin Ivana Boritsi. Due to their similarities and proximity, their domains merged, and Dorvinia was absorbed into Borca. While Ivana still holds the majority of power, Ivan is no doubt a major part of the evil in the land.
[edit] Falkovnia
Falkovnia is ruled by Vlad Drakov, a mad tyrant (and former Krynnian mercenary) with a love of impaling as an execution method (an obvious reference to the Wallachian voivode Vlad Ţepeş, sometimes known as "Vlad the Impaler", although Drakov also shows echoes of Hitler and Stalin).
Falkovnia produces much of the Core's grain and wheat, which Drakov uses to fund his war machine. As absolute ruler of Falkovnia, everything is his property, including the population, which are branded with the mark of a hawk on their foreheads shortly after birth (perhaps a reference to Italian fascism symbols).
Drakov has attempted to invade Darkon, the vast domain to the north, no less than four times since Falkovnia was formed, and every time his army reached the border, an army of undead creatures rose to stop them. Every man in Drakov's army who fell rose to fight for Darkon. The domains around Falkovnia (Borca, Richemulot, Dementlieu, and Lamordia) have signed a mutual defence treaty in the event that Drakov invades any of them, although he believes that they are not worth invading, being run by women and fops.
[edit] Farelle
Farelle is an Island of Terror. It is wild, covered by forests filled with dangerous beasts. The domain is ruled by Jack Karn, a jackalwere, called the wandering tinker. There are only two towns, Kaynis in the west, and Mortilis in the east. The villages are surrounded by farmlands. The domain was dropped after the Grand Conjunction.
[edit] Forlorn
Forlorn is a tiny nation mainly inhabited by goblyns, monstrous servitors created by dark magics. A handful of druids live in the woods and underground, fighting the goblyns. The darklord is a cursed man named Tristan ApBlanc, vampyre by day, ghost by night, who inhabits a castle caught in temporal flux due to the massive amounts of ethereal ressonance created by the ghosts there. Those who enter castle Tristenoira are subject to time travel to one of three time lines, each pivotal to the creation of the domain.
[edit] G'Henna
G'Henna is now an Island of Terror, but used to be part of the Core. G'Henna and Markovia were removed fom the Core during the Great Upheaval/Grand Conjunction, the place where they used to be is now the location of the Shadow Rift.
G'Henna is a starving land of religious zealotry, where the populace slave to produce food to be sacrificed to their false deity; Zhakata the Destroyer. Their religion states that Zhakata has two forms, the Destroyer - to whom they sacrifice all of their food, receiving only enough to keep themselves alive - and the Provider - the opposite of the Destroyer, the arrival of whom the G'Hennans pray for ferverently. Cruelly ironic, Zhakata - like the Wolf God worshipped in Verbrek - does not exist. Generations of G'Hennans have starved themselves to death in hopes of attracting the Provider, but this will never happen.
[edit] Ghastria
Ghastria is a dull, gray domain, ruled by a darklord who literally is gray, in a pastiche of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The domain is infested with undead ghasts and ghouls and with monstrous carrion crawlers. No food produced here has any flavour whatsoever. The domain is the core's leading producer of Umbral Gray, an element used in paintings to add a smoky, misty effect but which is also lethally poisonous; however, the darklord has discovered that by mixing carrion crawler venom with Umbral Gray, you eliminate the strong flavour, thus making it much more useful as a poison.
The darklord Marquis Stezen D'Polarno is also the political lord, his curse being that he cannot feel any form of emotion (this has the physical effect of leaving him a dull gray in colour) unless he first shows a living being his self-portait, which sucks the life from them and leaves him with emotions until the effect wears off. He always plans great things to do when he regains his emotions, but he lacks the self-drive to do them; thus he never gets anything accomplished. His right-hand man, the Baron Camar D'Marosso, is beginning to transform into a ghast, and it is likely he will soon earn his own domain.
Ghastria was a domain in the second edition of Ravenloft, and hasn't been translated into the third edition.
[edit] Har'Akir
Har'Akir is the centre domain which makes up the Amber Wastes cluster, being merged together with Sebua and Pharazia. Har'Akir's Darklord is an Ancient Dead (DnD mummy) by the name of Ankhtepot, infamous amongst the natives for the cruel experiments into obtaining immortality he performed whilst he was alive. The natives blame him for their current state, for their belief is that his actions angered the gods and led to the destablisation of Ma'at.
Ankhtepot's curse is the desire to be both mortal and a great ruler again, but both his wishes are denied. All he could rule is a barren wasteland with only one village full of people; and the only way to have mortality granted to him again is to sacrifice a human being - but this condition only holds from dawn to dusk.
Har'Akir and the rest of the Amber Wastes cluster is the theme for the fifth issue of the Fraternity of Shadow's Quoth the Raven netzine.
[edit] Hazlan
Hazlan is a moderately arid country ruled over by Hazlik, a former Red Wizard of Thay (from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting). Hazlik was ostracized by his peers for his lack of social graces, ambition, and (in a risky move displaying the evils of social intolerance) homosexuality, and finally was deeply humiliated by them when they captured him, burned his tower, and tatooed his head with arcane symbols of femininity. He eventually got his revenge on two of them, murdering them as they were caught up in a tryst, and was drawn into Ravenloft before he could find the others.
Hazlik initially banned the practice of arcane magic in his nation, making its use punishable by death through torture or experimentation, but he reversed his policy after the Grand Conjunction and even founded a wizarding academy. His long-term plan with this reversal is unknown, but it is suspected to relate to his desire for vengeance.
Hazlan's population is divided into two distinct human ethnic groups: the Mulan and the Rashemani. The Rashemani make up over ninety percent of the population and serve as a worker caste to the aristocratic Mulan. The Mulan keep the Rashemani in line by fear and force, keeping them ignorant and poor enough to prevent uprisings and treating them as veritable slaves. Though Hazlik himself is Mulan, his hatred for his own people is well known; he bears no great love for the Rashemani, however, and so leaves the social structure unchanged.
[edit] House of Lament
This small pocket domain is always found within another domain, and moves. It consists of a large old house with an attached stone tower. The tower was once part of a castle built by a sadistic lord who would stop at nothing to prey on his neighbours, even to the point of entombing Mara, one of his neighbours' daughters (who had been promised to him to end the endless pillaging), alive in its newly-built foundations. He and his men were eventually killed by her apparition, however, and the castle - with the exception of the tower - fell into disrepair. The house was later added by a merchant, who, along with his family, fell victim to the haunt in the house.
The darklord for the house is actually the house itself, which has fused with the spirit of Mara. Because Mara was entombed in it, she became intensely lonely. As a result, the house will not let any visitors leave until one of them sacrifices himself or herself to placate her unquenchable loneliness.
The house will manifest its true nature gradually. First of all, neither doors nor windows will open, not even with magic; strange noises will begin to be heard. Then, the walls may begin to bleed, or messages such as "Mara is lonely" will appear in random places. If the walls are attacked, they bleed, too; if enough blood is shed, the house can form a blood elemental with it. No amount of hitting will cause the house any damage. Lastly, the house will begin to pulsate noticeably, with a distinct heartbeat. Furniture may move and attack, and planar rifts may surge open from the ground, releasing horrible creatures. In the end, Mara will make it clear that she has singled out one of the visitors for sacrifice, and she will not let the others out of the house until this is done. True to her word, the house will release the remaining visitors if this occurs. However, no matter how many people are sacrificed, none are ever enough to sate Mara's loneliness, and the process repeats itself whenever new visitors arrive. It is suggested that if one of the visitors sacrifices himself or herself willingly, then the house's destruction might be possible.
As of its last, consistent sighting (according to maps of the Core circa BC 755-758) signal that the House is located in south-western Borca.
[edit] I'Cath
I'Cath is a small domain ruled by Tsien Chiang, a powerful sorceress from Kara-Tur who hates all men.
[edit] Invidia
Invidia is ruled by Gabrielle Aderre. A cruel and manipulative half-vistana, she mothered Malocchio Aderre, considered the prophesied Dukkar who would bring about the destruction of Ravenloft, from her union with the Gentleman Caller. Gabrielle is an enchantress that draws from her vistana heritage. Gabrielle became a darklord after willingly allowing her mother to be ripped apart by beasts.
[edit] Kalidnay
Kalidnay is a domain taken from Athas (Dark Sun setting). It is ruled by the High Priestess Thakok-An, whose defining crime was the voluntary sacrifice of her family in order to transform her Sorcerer King, Kalid-Ma, into a dragon. Instead of transforming, the King was put into a deep sleep, and half of the city's population was killed as Kalidnay was added to Ravenloft as an island of terror.
-- Thakok-An and Kalid-Ma's gender are up for debate as they are two versions of this dark domain's origin. The Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium I & II suplement says at page 116 (the monster Palik's story) treat Thakok-An as "he", while the Domains of the Dread corebook establishes Thakok is female (with an undeniable picture). -Duce
[edit] Kartakass
Kartakass is the most musical domain in Ravenloft, and all native bards originate from or have been trained there. İt lies in the south of the Core.
A domain with lush forests, it contains only two major settlements: Skald and Harmonia. It is crisscrossed with the rivers that originate from the Musarde River, which flows in from Sithicus and disappears into Hazlan. The domain is bordered by Barovia in the north, Hazlan in the east, and Sithicus in the west. South of this domain lay the mists. Wedged between Barovia and Kartakass lies Forlorn, a mostly empty domain.
Kartakass is infested with Wolfweres (wolves that transform into humans and humanoid-wolf hybrids), the darklord being the Meistersinger (German for "master singer"), Harkon Lukas. This fact is unknown to outsiders - who regard the country as simply being the homeplace for bards and a particular potent alcoholic drink called Meeklebrau. The natives suspect that the very numerous wolves of the land are more than they appear to be but the literal truth about them is rarely whispered. The figurative truth is, however, lent voice in song by the wolfwere bards themselves, who never tire of recounting the tales of the cunning of Grandfather Wolf over and against the stupidity of Grandfather Boar and the feebleness of mankind.
[edit] Keening
Keening is ruled by Tristessa, a drow banshee who perpetually seeks her dead daughter. The daughter, born with spider's legs, was killed by her fellow drow and Tristessa was staked to the ground and left to die in the hot sun. Vistani and others occasionally leave babies for Tristessa, but because she lacks the physical requirements to care for a baby (such as the ability to nurse a child), all of her surrogate babies die of starvation.
In 3'rd edition D&D Ravenloft, Tristessa was not a Drow, but an Arak Sith, one of the breeds of dark fey native to the Shadow Rift (And, as of the new version, the original inhabitants of Arak's mountains). When she discovered the worship of the Spider Queen Lolth, she became the head priestess of a cult in her honor. The followers of this cult began to change in appearance: instead of their normally bone-white skin, they became similar in appearance to the Drow.
[edit] Lamordia
Lamordia is ruled by Adam, also known as the Creature, an extremely intelligent and nimble flesh golem, based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Adam is the most successful creation of Dr. Victor Mordenheim in his research into the creation of life, albeit the one that caused him the most grief. Adam mangled the doctor's wife Elise and apparently murdered their adopted daughter Eva.
The two are intextricably bound together: Dr. Mordenheim has Adam's hit points, and in return Adam shares the doctor's constant anguish.
Usually hidden from sight, Adam is often thought to spend most of his time on Devil's Island, part of the archipelago known as the Finger.
[edit] Markovia
Markovia is an Island of Terror (a free-floating lesser domain) situated in the Sea of Sorrows and based on the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Doctor Moreau. The domain's sole inhabitants are Dr. Frantisek Markov and his unique Broken Ones (tormented humanoids created by twisting animals with Markov's surgical methods). Dr. Markov is based on Dr. Moreau, and so his obsession and is to always attempt to create humans from animals, but to never succeed fully; his creations are inhuman looking and will slowly degenerate back into mere mindless beasts.
Dr. Markov can transform into any animal shape he chooses (although his face remains the same), and his curse is that he can never assume human form, only those of beasts. Normally, he stays in the shape of a gorilla.
[edit] Mordent
Mordent is the setting of the module The House on Gryphon Hill. After one of Strahd and Azalin's many attempts to escape the Demiplane of Dread, they found themselves in Mordent. After the events involving the Alchemist and the Apparatus, they were sent back, and Mordent was added to the demiplane as a new domain.
Mordent is ruled by the ghost of Sir Godefroy, a cruel and brutal aristocrat who murdered his wife and daughter and framed the act as an accident. Their ghosts rise every night to haunt and consume him eternally.
[edit] Necropolis
Necropolis is the domain formed during the Grim Harvest. At first, it included all of Darkon, but with Azalin's return, it only includes the area around the former city of Il Aluk. The only inhabitants of Necropolis are undead, due to the deadly shroud of negative energy throughout the domain. The darklord of Necropolis is a negative energy elemental named Death.
[edit] Nidala
Nidala is part of the Shadowborn cluster, bordering Avonleigh on the west and Shadowborn manor on the south west. It is ruled by the fallen paladin Elena Faith-hold. A fanatical follower of Belenus, Elena enforces her interpretation of Belenus's will upon the population through Decrees of Faith, which have forbidden many activities, and she uses a network of informants to root out those who defy her will and has them publicly punished. Only the threat of Banemaw, an evil dragon, keeps Faith-hold in power. In reality, Banemaw does not exist. Elena merely invented him to frighten potential dissenters. Typically, she will surround a small and isolated town that she has deemed as "evil" and wipe it off of the map, then spend the next several days publicly bemoaning the fact that she "failed to stop the dragon."
Elena has discovered that the Shadowborn is held within Shadowborn Manor, but is unable to reach it. Her descent into irredeemability is quickened by her chaplain Theokos, who is in reality a Gelugon (an insectile greater Baatezu Devil). Theokos is detailed in the Book of Sorrows PDF netbook at www.kargatane.com.
[edit] Nightmare Lands
The Nightmare Lands are a pocket domain, ruled by the Nightmare Court. The landscape is always shifting, reflecting its dreamlike nature, although it is often nightmarish. The only native inhabitants are the Abber Nomads, a band of primitive humans who are naturally immune to the many illusions this domain creates.
[edit] Nocturnal Sea
The Nocturnal Sea is ruled by Meredoth the Necromancer, who lives in an island entirely populated by his intelligent but mindless undead creations, the lebendtod (from the German term "lebende Tote" - "living dead"). In his original realm of Mystara, Meredoth came to hold a barony through award. However, as the barony's problems constantly got in the way of his wicked experiments, Meredoth concocted a plan to kill all the inhabitants and turn them all into mindless undead who would never bother him again. It was this crime that led him to the mists, and stewardship of the Nocturnal Sea.
[edit] Nosos
Nosos is a domain of over-industrialization, a land buried under garbage and poison.
The darklord of the domain is Malus Scleris, a male human of eighth level (4th level aristocrat, 2nd level expert and 2nd level manipulator). The only son of a widowed druid, Malus never received any affection from his father. He eventually murdered him by contaminating his bed linen with disease pathogens. His curse is that he is always under the effects of a Speak with Plants spell, which affects all plants within a mile of him. Any trees speak to him with the voice of the ancient forest where he grew up, forcing him to go through his guilt. Because of this, he orders all trees in his domain destroyed, and only allows people to grow other forms of plants if they pay a "Green Tax", basically one gold coin per month for every cubic foot of flora owned.
Malus is immune to level draining, ability score damage and all forms of poison and disease. He has several scientists experimenting with creating newer and deadlier varieties of toxin, and uses these to his advantage. Because of his immunity, he can simply smear the pathogen on his hands - which is why he always wears white gloves. When he whishes to infect someone, he simply removes his gloves and shakes their hand. One of the diseases he has bred is Brain Fever, which lowers Intelligence. Because his minions have spread the rumour that Brain Fever originates from prostitutes, anyone infected suffers from both the brain draining effects and a shake in his reputation - which makes the disease perfect for discrediting rivals. A more lethal disease is "Elevens", a muscular disease which causes two vertical muscles in the neck to stand erect, hence the name.
Nosos was an Island of Terror in the second edition version of Ravenloft, but was left out of the third edition version. The fans of the setting rectified this in the second issue of Quoth the Raven, a fan-created netzine hosted by the Fraternity of Shadows website (www.fraternityofshadows.com), merging an updated Nosos with Paridon and Timor to form the Shining Bay cluster.
[edit] Nova Vaasa
A feudal domain, and the only one whose darklord is not evil by inclination (it is his alter ego, the fiend Malken that lives within him, who is responsible for his crimes). Otherwise a law abiding man, the darklord Sir Tristan Hiregaard was cursed by a woman he murdered out of jealousy when young: he would from thereafter always murder any woman he came to love. Sir Hiregaard's repentance and regret, coupled with he pleasure he had felt when murdering the woman, eventually caused his personality to split. Thus Malken, his vicious alter ego, was born.
Unlike the other darklords of Ravenloft, Sir Tristen is actively trying to fight the evil inside of him, seeking to rid himself of Malken and to curtail his rampages (over which he otherwise has no control).
[edit] Odiare
An Island of Terror, Odiare is made up of a small town inhabited mostly by children. The overlord is a carionnette named Maligno. Maligno, who was created by the toymaker Giuseppe out of his desire for a son, ended up murdering the entire adult population, who would not believe that he was real, and leaving the children, who (originally) loved him and did believe he was real, to adore him. Malligno keeps Giuseppe, now driven mad, in an attic in one of the houses, making (more) toys and carionnettes for Maligno (Maligno had originally planned to use a cadre of carionnettes under his control to possess the adults of Odiare, but was foiled by a group of adventurers and was forced to slaughter them all instead).
Although he hates Giuseppe, Malgino needs him, for he is the only one who can repair him. Also, Maligno cannot harm Giuseppe, for all harm inflicted on Giuseppe is inflicted on himself.
It is not especially difficult to see that this domain is based upon a twisted version of the traditional Italian children's fable, 'Pinocchio' by Carlo Collodi. Indeed, this domain is originated in the Gothic Earth, and the language used is Italian.
[edit] Paridon
Paridon is a domain revolving around the idea of social decay, one which happens to be infested with dread doppelgängers. The darklord is called Sodo, and is referred to by the human inhabitants as "Flickerflame", because he cannot control his shape-changing powers and is constantly "flickering" in form. Paridon and the domain of Timor (located within the sewers) form the Zherisia cluster.
Fanon has recently changed Zherisia to the Shining Bay cluster by adding a third edition rules version of Nosos to it and moving Timor out into an island connected to Paridon by both a bridge and a mass of tunnels.
[edit] Phantom Lover's Domain
This otherwise nameless, subterranean domain is the home of the Phantom Lover, a creature which appears before young women who have lost the love of their life by tragic circumstances. Assuming the shape of their beloved, he makes them depend upon his presence, and when their desire has become too strong to bear, he leads them to the entrance to his realm, which they enter willingly, never to return.
Its entrance may always appear in any graveyard, including such outside of Ravenloft.
[edit] Pharazia
Pharazia is part of the Amber Wastes cluster with Har'Akir and Sebua, ruled by a moralistic despot named Diamabel. Diamabel appears as a shining winged celestial during the day, and as a hollow, psychotic monster called "The Black Herald" at night. Pharazian society revolves around purity for its own sake, and Diamabel's inquisitors relentlessly hunt transgressors and put them to the lash.
Diamabel is obsessed with moral purity to the point of madness, and killed his own father, as well as countless others, in a genocidal campaign against impurity before the dark powers took him.
[edit] Ravallah
[edit] Richemulot
Richemulot's darklord is Jacqueline Renier, a wererat trained in the dark arts who is forced to turn into rat form in the presence of anyone she loves. Jealous of her sister, she would often arrange her lovers' death just to sadden her. A well-versed conversationist, Jacqueline inherited the title of darklord after murdering the previous holder, her grandfather Claude.
[edit] Rokushima Taiyoo
The Six Islands of the Sun are ruled by four brothers (originally six, but the youngest and oldest were murdered) who constantly wage war with one another, grinding the populace under their heels. Their father is the true darklord, but he is a geist, a type of ghost that cannot interact with the material realm.
[edit] Sanguinia
Sanguinia is a frozen land ruled by the vampire Ladislav Mircea. In life, Mircea was a handsome and vain prince. When a gruesome plague swept his lands, he abandoned his subjects and sealed himself and his friends inside his keep to escape the plague. When the plague penetrated his castle, he had anyone who showed signs of the disease tossed over the walls. Eventually, Mircea himself contracted the disease. He turned to a desperate study of alchemy in order to find a cure using the untainted blood of his guests. After he finally died, Mircea rose again as a disease ridden, hideously deformed type of vampire known as a vrykolaka.
The story of Ladislav Mircea is probably based on The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe.
[edit] Saragossa
Saragossa is a sea domain, consisting of a vast ocean of seaweed ringed by reefs where ships get stuck. Saragossa is perhaps the harshest domain in which to live, as all inhabitants above and below the waves are forced to prey on each other (both figuratively and literally) to survive. It is ruled by Draga Salt-Bitter a were-shark, a former pirate lord who is now doomed to rule a domain which will never know unity.
[edit] Scaena
Scaena is a floating pocket domain, ruled by the playwright Lemot Sediam Juste. Cunning and treacherous, Juste did anything to further his career, eliminiating all who stood in his way. Popular and renowned in his time for his comedies, Juste sought to extend his reputation to become known as a master of all forms of theatre. However, his attempts at writing tragedies failed completely, usually resulting in over-the-top performances with no credibility, or even melodramas. Frustrated, the self-centered Juste blamed the actors for the failure of his plays.
Eventually, Juste came to think that his performing troupe was sabotaging his performances on purpose. To exact revenge for this perceived treason, Juste devised a plan. First, he wrote a bloody tragedy in which all the performers died in horribly violent ways. Although the troupe remarked at the quality of the script, Juste stuck to his plan.
On the night of the premiere, Juste went around the dressing rooms, substituting the fake props with real items: fake poison with real venom, the fake dagger with a real one, and so on. When the actors went to perform, they had no idea of what had happened. As the play progressed, the audience remarked in disgust at the grisly realism of the scenes where the characters died; one by one, the actors and actresses unsuspectingly dying, sometimes with blood streaming on the stage.
However, when Juste came forth to take his applause at the play's conclusion, the audience booed him for what they considered a play in bad taste. Angered, Juste retreated into the back of stage and, taking sources of fire nearby, proceeded to burn the building down with the audience trapped inside.
As the building burned full of screams and panic, Juste escaped through a back door to an adjacent building, another theater owned by a friend of his. When he entered the theater, however, it seemed a bit different.
Juste stayed in the theatre until he felt it was safe to do so. When he tried to leave, however, he found swirling mists around the entrance; as he ventured outside, his mind was filled childhood horrors long forgotten. Scared, Juste turned back into the theatre, where he realised he remained trapped.
Boredom soon struck, so, having found a sheaf of papers, Juste began to write a play. Suddenly, as he wrote, Juste realised that he was no longer in the theatre, but in a sparse forest; looking up, he saw dark grey clouds spouting drops of blood, precisely the scene that he was writing. Frightened and confused, Juste ran away from the scene to find himself back in the same theatre he was writing form. Juste realised that he had been on the stage.
Baffled, Juste wrote some more; simultaneously, props came out of nowhere and fell into place according to what he wrote . Piqued, Juste began to experiment enthusiastically, writing several different scenes. Each time, the stage changed to reflect the words on the paper. Now energetically, he began writing plays, and roles for actors, and then tearing them up to see the stage dissolve back. Marveled at this newfound wonder, Juste realised that the stage was his to control, although no longer did the stage show the realism of his first experience in the forest; the changes became represented by simple cardboard props to him, although to visitors who become involved in Juste's machinations, the experiences were (and are) very real.
Now partially demented, Juste continues to experiment with tragic writing, with visitors to the theatre often becoming entangled in the plots. The horror lies in the fact that if they do, they may never get out of them again.
When the play is completed, Juste's theatre will appear in a city within the domain in the stead where another theatre should be; it will be shown to be opening night, and patrons can come and see the play for 1 gold piece.
Before the performance begins, the doors close and become unopenable for the remainder of the show. Meanwhile, the show goes on.
If the audience likes the performance at the end of the play, then Juste will probably allow them to leave safely, although not necessarily in the same city they came from. If their enthusiasm is not very pronounced, or if they boo him, then Juste will not let them leave alive; he will keep the doors locked and proceed to burn down the theatre with the audience trapped inside. Though this causes him pain, he does not die from the experience, and the theatre reforms again the next day with Juste intact.
[edit] Sea of Sorrows
The Sea of Sorrows is on the other side of the Core. It is home to various Islands of Terror, including Demise and Markovia. The Sea of Sorrows is usually covered in fog.
The darklord is the captain of a ghost pirate ship known as the Relentless, which can manifest and appear real. The captain, a ghost called Pieter van Riese, perpetually navigates and attempts to chart all the islands in the Sea of Sorrows, but is always foiled by the shifting geography. The original crime of his was driving his crew to the death while trying to search for a new passage to a land laden with riches.
Van Riese can also never set foot on land.
[edit] Sebua
One of the three desert domains which make up the Amber Wastes cluster, Sebua is the largest, separated from Har'Akir by three ranges of mountains and "inhabited" by nomads, desert caravans and a large tribe of feral children. The darklord of the domain is an Ancient Dead named Tiyet. This undead woman appears as a normal human woman, but her heart has been removed and placed in a jar near the altar and (animate) idol of Apophis, within Apophis' temple within the Valley of Death in the northeastern reachs of Sebua. Because of her missing heart, she is nigh-invulnerable (she can only be killed if her heart is destroyed), with a penchant for eating the hearts of living beings.
In the fifth issue of Quoth the Raven, a magical weapon called the Spear of Amhoth was created by fans so that a hero would have an easy time facing her. This weapon is a +3 Undead-Bane Short Spear, with the following special abilities:
- It cannot cross the borders until Tiyet is destroyed.
- When facing Tiyet or her minions it can cast the following spells as though it were a level 10 cleric; Bull's Strength (bearer only), Bless, Protection from Evil and Remove Fear three times a day and Consecrate, Cure Moderate Wounds and Remove Paralysis once a day.
- The spear is drawn to the jar containing Tiyet's heart, and can thus be used as a divining rod to destroy her permanently.
- It suffers from two curses; firstly the wielder suffers from nightmares, thus counting as having slept for half the time he actually has and the wielder must make a DC 20 Will save to be able to avoid fighting Tiyet's minions to the death, which increases to DC 30 to avoid fighting Tiyet herself.
[edit] Shadowborn Manor
Shadowborn Manor is a lesser domain contained within the Shadowborn cluster. All Domains in the cluster are fragments of the same world, in this case the former estate of Kateri Shadowborn and the surrounding landscape. Now, it is a prison of a monstrous, spiritual entity so powerful and evil that demons fear it. This is the cursed sword called the Ebonbane. Within the manor it is death to bring any sword or dagger, as the Ebonbane can control these with a thought. Ebonbane's evil suppresses all natural healing in the domain, except in the Shadowborn chapel.
Originally, the sword Ebonbane was created to utterly destroy Kateri Shadowborn, a powerful paladin who had fought against the darkest evils all her life. But the spirit creature the dark disciples tried to bind to the sword was much too powerful for them; it enslaved them easily and had itself transported to the manor, where it struck down Kateri Shadowborn with its innate power to command sword blades.
However, now it is trapped in the manor along with Kateri's ghost, who cannot oppose him directly but can direct others (i.e. passing adventurers) to do so. The only way to defeat Ebonbane, however, is to collect four elemental "keys" which are symbolic for Ebonbane's creation: earth (from the soil deep benearth the house), water (holy water from the chapel), air (the "breath of the dead"), and fire (a fire-related spell cast by an adventurer priest or wizard in order to release the power of the other "keys").
[edit] Shadow Rift
The Shadow Rift was created during the Grand Conjunction in 740 Barovian Calendar when the nations of G'henna and Markovia vanished from the main continent, the Core. Left in their place was a great, yawning chasm splitting the Core in two. The Shadow Rift is a sheer canyon filled with darkness and black fog. None that have entered it have ever returned.
At the bottom of the Shadow Rift is a kingdom of shadow fey, the Arak, shrouded in perpetual night. The domain is reachable through a number of cracks and crevices that run beneath neighboring domains. Those that pass through these cracks understand that roughly two days of travel pass either direction, but they retain no memory of the journey.
The Shadow Rift is ruled over by Loht, the Prince of Shadows and head of the Unseelie Court, and his sister Maeve, the Faerie Queen and mistress of the Seelie Court. These two children of the former shadow fey king, Arak, jointly rule the land in the father's stead. Arak died fighting the monstrous entity known as Gwydion, a being that had enslaved and altered their race to conquer worlds for him. Arak freed his people and trapped Gwydion between worlds. Gwydion, called the Sorcerer-Fiend, is the true master of the Shadow Rift, though he can exert very little control over it.
[edit] Sithicus
Sithicus, meaning The Land Of Specters in the Elven tongue, is unique in being the only domain inhabited primarily by non-humans, in this case elves. Created and formerly ruled by the Death Knight Lord Soth, Sithicus is now officially the kingdom of the were-badger Azrael, who is far more interested in the fates of his subjects than Soth was. Other than Elves, the other sentient races inhabiting Sithicus include a few small pockets of humans, and several tribes of tortured, tormented Vampiric Kender, who are usually mistaken for Halflings. The Darklord of Sithicus is a half-Vistani/half-shadow woman by the name of Inza, daughter of Magda.
[edit] Souragne
Souragne is a domain based around stereotypical Louisiana voodoo, and as such consists primarily of a vast swamp. The two most important individuals in Souragne are the darklord Anton Misroi (a Zombie Lord) and Chicken Bone, the most powerful voodan (Ravenloft's equivalent of a houngan) in the swamp.
[edit] Sri Raji
Sri Raji is a distant jungle domain based on the cultures of India, ruled by a tiger-headed rakshasa named Arijani. Sri Raji forms part of the Verdurous Lands cluster.
[edit] Staunton Bluffs
Staunton Bluffs is a small island of terror ruled by the ghost of Torrence Bleysmith. A nobleman who was jealous of his eldest brother for surpassing him in everything, Torrence enabled his family castle to be stormed by enemy mercenaries who were assigned to kill his brother only, but these villains murdered his entire family as well. Enraged, he tried to take revenge by changing his people into berserk-like fighters, but this makeshift army was no match for the experienced mercenary force. Wracked by guilt, Torrence hung himself in the castle's attic but returned as a ghost.
[edit] Tepest
Tepest is a forest domain infamous for the superstitious nature of its inhabitants. The darklords are a coven of three Hags and the domain itself contains a pocket domain in the western area, Castle Island, home to a twisted fey sorceress and her husband, now transformed into a monster called the Avanc, which roams the black water of Lake Kronov.
The Hags were originally three human sisters, who were wished for by a peasent's wife (who ironically died while caring for them). Unloved by their adoptive father and brothers, the sisters plotted to get away from the farm by murdering travellers, cooking them into stew, and stealing their gold. Finally all three fell victim to a dandyman rogue, and finding out about his betrayal, the sisters slew him together. The Dark Powers reponded to their deed, abducting them into Ravenloft and changing them into a trio of hideous flesh-eating monsters.
Among other things, this domain traces its inspiration to William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, and the witch burnings which have occurred throughout history, from the Spanish Inquisition to Salem.
A 2nd Edition version of the Castle Island domain is detailed in the Book of Secrets PDF file, created and housed by the Secrets of the Kargatane website, a now-defunct site dedicated to fan-produced Ravenloft materials. The Secrets of the Kargatane still hosts its Book of Secrets series and has a few other game materials available for download.
[edit] Timor
Timor is an Island of Terror which, along with Paridon, forms part of Zherisia and later Shining Bay. In Zherisisa, Timor is located within the sewers of Paridon, in Shining Bay, Timor is an island in the bay reachable by the Queen Anne Bridge- which ignores the permanently closed borders. Timor is inhabited by insectile beings called Markith, the darklord was a human princess who asked a wizard to turn her into a Markith Queen so she could scare her mother to death. Her mother ruled Timor through terrifying illusions, and she intended to surpass her mother by assuming a more terrifying visage, but it ended up that this new visage came to be real, not illusionary.
[edit] Tovag
Tovag is the domain ruled by Kas the Destroyer, as part of the Burning Peaks cluster with Vecna's domain of Cavitius. It is thickly forested, but any stake fashioned from this wood will not harm the vampiric darklord; only a stake of wood from his homeland (Greyhawk) can do this. Kas wages an endless war of attrition with Vecna's forces across the Burning Peaks, and believes that Vecna possesses the Sword of Kas, which Vecna forged for him, and the weapon he used to sever Vecna's hand and eye.
[edit] Valachan
Valachan is ruled by Urik von Kharkov, a nosferatu vampire that can transform into a panther. Originally a panther, he was polymorphed into human form by a wizard of Thay, who wanted to use him to commit murders (by polymorphing him back in appropriate times). As a human, the wizard educated him in manners and some of his wizardry. Well mannered, he became appalled and driven insane because of the atrocities he was forced to commit under panther form, and he eventually slew his master. With time, he also became a nosferatu vampire.
Unlike other vampires, however, von Kharkov takes careful attempts not to drain people completely of their life-blood (unless he needs servants); instead he feeds on several people in one night, and he commands his vampire subjects to do so as well. The anemia-related symptoms caused by this feeding are referred to as "White Fever" by the general populace. The only thing Kharkov truly fears is a magical artefact called the Cat of Felkovnic, a magical (and willful) statuette which can turn into a sabre-toothed tiger.
Valachan is notable for the abnormal amount of mushrooms and molds growing in the domain. In fact, mushrooms have become a staple diet for the domain's people, although this is not without dangers. The dead are usually buried in mittens in which a household grows its own mushrooms, thus providing for their progeny.
[edit] Vechor
Vechor is ruled by Easan the Mad, a tormented wood elf whose soul has been fused with that of a fiend. Easan searches for a way to separate his soul from the fiend's with dark experiments. In the meantime, he rules Vechor, which literally fluctuates at his will depending on his mood. No one in Vechor has true control of themselves, as everyone is dominated by the darklord's whims. Every inhabitant is branded with an E on his forehead, denoting their subordination to Easan.
[edit] Verbrek
Verbrek is a wilderness land ruled by savage werewolf tribes. These tribes are in turn dominated by Alfred Timothy, the high priest of the Wolf God, a deity that embodies savagery and bloodlust. Timothy invented this deity out of a desire to purge his weak human half, and has committed innumerable atrocities in his false god's name. Timothy is constantly haunted by his curse: whenever he indulges in his animal passions he is shifted into his weakling human form, so he must constantly control his temperament, lest he be seen as weak by his followers.
The werewolves dominate the primitive human inhabitants by culling their numbers and subjecting them to horrific tests of survival. A number of other were-creatures inhabit the land as well, and have banded together in a resistance movement to overthrow the tyranny of the werewolves. Unfortunately, they bear no greater love for the human inhabitants than the lycanthropes, and would most likely just exterminate them out of hand were they to succeed in their goals.
[edit] Vorostokov
A land resembling Dark Ages Russia, Vorostokov is locked in perpetual winter, its inhabitants struggling to survive day to day. The darklord is Gregor Zolnik, a hunter who can transform into a loup-garou by donning a bonded wolf's pelt. He is also a warlord who has brought virtually all the people of Vorostokov (a little over 1,000) under his iron fist with his boyarsky, a collection of thugs and hunters loyal to him. Originally, Zolnik assumed his wolf form to provide for his people during a harsh winter, but the compulsion to assume wolf form eventually made him slay his wife (a local lord's daughter) and eventually his mother - deeds which banished him to Ravenloft. Now, since Vorostokov seems to lack any game to hunt, Zolnik and his followers have but one choice only: to prey upon the inhabitants of hapless villages surrounding his home hamlet.
After the Grand Conjunction, the domain of Sanguinia appeared beyond a valley in the northwest. The domain cluster is called "the Frozen Reaches."
Vorostokov's size has fluctuated between editions; in Domains of Dread, the scale provided indicated it was larger than the Core.
[edit] Wildlands
The Wildlands is a domain populated by intelligent talking animals. Humans and other "civilized" races are not welcome and usually hunted by the local predators. The domain is ruled by King Crocodile, a gigantic crocodile who took the special powers of the other animals to drive out the "hairless apes" (humans) but chose not to return them, instead using them to satisfy his unending hunger by preying on the other animals.
[edit] Winding Road
The Winding Road is a pocket domain that shifts from place to place. It is perpetually haunted by the Headless Horseman who decapitates everyone in his wake.
[edit] Zherisia
Zherisia is the cluster which contains the domains of Paridon and Timor.
In the second issue of the fan-created Ravenloft netzine Quoth the Raven, Zherisia was updated by having a 3rd edition version of the garbage-strewn domain of Nosos grafted into it. Zherisia is now called the Shining Bay Cluster and contains three slightly modified domains, mainly being changes to government and the abilities of the darklords (Sodo, the Dread Doppelgänger darklord of Paridon, can now successfully assume the form of the newly re-instated queen of Paridon, but only while he wears the Crown of Queen Anne).
