Native PC Information Thread

[Bluebomber4evr]

Greetings,

To help you create native characters, you will find information on all of the Core's domains, along with islands of terrors and clusters. Characters cannot be native to domains ending in an asterisk (*) since there is no local population.

The Core

The Core is the most densely populated and well-traveled region in the Land of Mists. There are more known domains within the Core than there are beyond it, lending weight to its standing as the veritable center of the world. It is a rugged, temperate land characterized by both bustling villages and trackless wilderness. The Balinok Mountains are the principal geographic feature of the Core, running north to south across the center of the continent. The mysterious Shadow Rift, a yawning chasm filled with black fog, interrupts the Balinoks near the center of the Core. The Core's frontiers are defined to the north and south by the Mists, to the east by the Nocturnal Sea, and to the west by the Sea of Sorrows.

Although the landscape varies from domain to domain in the Core, some generalizations about the continent as a whole can be made. To the east of the Balinoks, densely forested river valleys and floodplains dominate, with most waterways flowing toward the Sea of Sorrows. West of the mountains, sweeping grasslands stretch out on an upland plateau to the shores of the Nocturnal Sea. The temperate climate has a regular cycle of seasons, though weather extremes are common in many domains. The Core is a region of both prosperity and misery, where a host of tyrants skulk in their dark manses and plot endlessly against one another. The villages hum with thriving commerce and intrigue, while cunning predators, both natural and aberrant, stalk the wilds.

• Barovia
• Borca
• Darkon
• Dementlieu
• Falkovnia
• Forlorn
• Hazlan
• Invidia
• Kartakass
• Keening*
• Lamordia
• Mordent
• Nova Vaasa
• Necropolis*
• Richemulot
• Sithicus
• Tepest
• Valachan
• Vechor
• Verbrek

• The Nocturnal Sea
  
  • Isle of the Ravens*
  • L'Ile de la Tempęte*
  • Liffe
  • Nebligtode

• The Sea of Sorrows
  
  • Blaustein
  • Dominia*
  • Ghastria
  • Markovia*

Clusters

Clusters are composed of two or more domains, though none approaches the magnitude of the Core. Like those of the Core, the domains within a cluster usually share a common climate and terrain. Some cluster domains have a subtler bond, however, such as a shared history. Each is distinctive, and few generalizations can be made about them.

The Amber Wastes
The Amber Wastes are desert lands parched by the relentless heat of the sun. There is no ebb and flow of seasons in these arid domains; the scorching temperatures are relentless. Here the Mists sometimes reveal themselves in strange ways, appearing as shimmering heat mirages or blinding sandstorms. The Wastes are harsh and unforgiving; life huddles near oases and hides beneath the shifting sands.

• Har'Akir
• Pharazia
• Sebua*

The Frozen Reaches
In the Frozen Reaches, eternal winter reigns. Daylight is short, the sun peering above the horizon for just six hours. Endless snow blankets the rugged landscape, making travel arduous. The stiff winds howl eerily across the wastes, cutting through the thickest clothing. Several feet of ice covers the surface of lakes and ponds, and jagged floes choke the rivers. Dense evergreen forests tower around travelers, their bitter needles, nuts, and bark the only food for foragers. Farmers are forced to grow tiny plots of winter grains and hardy root vegetables. Fierce predators, maddened with starvation, stalk the wilderness. The Mists sometimes appear here as cruel, blinding blizzards.

• Sanguinia
• Vorostokov

The Shadowlands
The forbidding Shadowlands are dubbed for the Shadowborn family whose fate seems entwined with the region. Regardless, it is an appropriate appellation for lands so suffused with darkness, both real and spiritual. Unspeakable atrocities and shameful secrets skulk within the dense forests, both also in strongholds of righteousness. Evil clashes with still greater evil, while the guttering flame of virtue threatens to dim forever.

• Avonleigh*
• Nidala
• Shadowborn Manor*

The Verdurous Lands
The Verdurous Lands are sweltering, tropical domains where the lush vegetation grows dense and wild. The heat and humidity are unrelenting, drenching travelers in sweat. In these muggy lands, torrential rains define the years, deluging the verdant landscape with an annual wet season. The wilds are shadowy and menacing in the Verdurous Lands, stalked by vicious predators and choked by toxic plant life. Where humanity has slashed back the strangling vegetation and toiled to survive, nature seems to scrabble and claw at his handiwork. In these lands, the savagery of the wilderness is unremitting and terrible.

• Saragoss*
• Sri Raji
• Wildlands*

Zherisia
Once the city of Paridon was the bustling center of a domain called Zherisia (zair-ISS-i-a). Now the Paridoners find only unfamiliar lands beyond their city, but old habits die hard, and some still refer to their home as Zherisia. Although it outwardly resembles an island rather than a cluster, Paridon is not completely isolated. A wider world still extends beyond Paridon's streets, not outside of the city but below it. Beneath its fog-bound boulevards skulk living nightmares clawing at the edges of the city's shadows. Abominations squirm and gibber through the labyrinthine sewers, the natives of the subterranean domain of Timor.

• Paridon
• Timor*

Islands of Terror

Islands of Terror are domains surrounded by the Mists; they do not share stable borders with neighboring domains. They are among the most secluded domains in Ravenloft, though solitary wanderers always seem to find their way to such remote places. The list below only includes Islands of Terrors characters can be from; there are many others lost in the mists.

• Aggarath*
• Al-Kathos
• Bluetspur*
• Estrangia
• Eyrie*
• Farelle
• G'Henna
• I'Cath
• Isle of Dr Ramsay*
• Kalidnay
• Kislova
• Nosos
• Odiare
• Risibilos
• Rokushima Taiyoo
• Souragne
• Staunton Bluffs
• Tovag

[Bluebomber4evr]

The Core

BAROVIA

Barovian History

Barovia's early history is murky and incomplete, yet it is without a doubt the oldest nation of the core. The fact that the world calendar is based off of the Barovian Calendar (BC) is proof of this. One of the earliest known conflicts involved an invasion by a barbaric people known as the Neureni in 230 BC. Their hordes conquered and razed much of Barovia, until the legendary General-Princess Nicoleta von Zarovich halted the Neureni's advances and sent them back out of the passes in the Balok mountains that they had used to enter the valley.

Barovia enjoyed eight decades of peace and prosperity after the routing of the Neureni hordes, until court intrigues among the noble houses of Dilisnya, Katsky, and Petrovna sparked a bitter struggle called the War of the Silver Knives in 314 BC. This inter-family war of assassination and revenge lasted for two years before Count Barov von Zarovich intervened and ended it, placating the families with parcels of new land. Unfortunately, this conflict drastically weakened Barovia, and they were unprepared for the invasion of the Tergs some four years later in 320 BC.

Unlike the Neureni, the Tergs were not destroyers and raiders, but conquerors and settlers. In less than five years, the Tergs displaced many of Barovia's noble families, including the von Zaroviches themselves. Their shame would not last long, however. Strahd von Zarovich, eldest son of Barov, vowed to drive the Tergs from Barovia and rebuild his parents' nation at all costs. After twenty-seven grueling years, Strahd did just that, though his parents did not live to see the day. In their honor, he constructed Castle Ravenloft (named after his mother Ravenovia), and called to his family to settle in the castle.

In 351 BC, tragedy struck. On the day of the wedding of Strahd's youngest brother Sergei, assassins struck and murdered all the guests, as well as Strahd and his brother. The assassins, known as the Ba'al Verzi, were under the employ of a noble from the Dilisnya family, Leo Dilisnya. Leo wished to usurp the throne of Barovia from the von Zarovich line, though his actions, according to legend, cast a curse upon Barovia that still lasts to this day. Fortunately for the von Zarovich family, Sturm von Zarovich, Strahd and Sergei's brother, was unable to attend the wedding, and thus the von Zarovich family has lived on to this day.

The von Zaroviches have continued to rule Barovia, each one taking the name of Strahd in honor of the the man who freed their nation from the Tergs' iron grip. Curiously, each one resembles him as well. In the centuries since the wedding massacre, Barovia has seemed dismal and stagnant, perhaps a result of the curse placed upon the land by Leo Dilisnya's actions. Strahd's heirs have become increasingly despotic, seizing control from the nobles until they had all but disappeared from Barovia.

In 470 BC the Vistani appeared in Barovia, and Strahd IV formed an allegiance with them that lasts to this very day. Strahd IV declared the life of the Vistani to be sacrosanct, and they were to be considered under his complete protection. It is assumed that in exchange for this the gypsies provide some sort of service to the von Zaroviches, but neither the Vistani nor the von Zarovich family will discuss the matter.

In the years directly following the tragedy of Sergei's wedding, Barovia seemed to be surrounded by a thick, almost impenetrable white fog. In 542 BC, the wizard Azalin emerged from the mists, and formed an uneasy alliance with the von Zaroviches, though this alliance ended by 579. In 550 BC, the mists to the southwest of Barovia parted and revealed the land of Forlorn. In 585, the mists to the south parted to reveal the blasted landscape of Bluetspur. In 593, the western border revealed the nation of Gundarak, believed by many Barovians to be inhabited by the descendants of the Neureni. In 684, the mists to the northwest parted to reveal the nation of Borca, ruled by the descendants of Leo Dilisnya. To the north of Barovia, the nation of Markovia was revealed in 698 BC. To the east, Hazlan was revealed by the mists in 714. And in 715, the nation of Dorvinia appeared to the northwest, between Borca and Markovia, also ruled by Leo's descendants. Rumors spread of other nations beyond the borders of Barovia's neighbors, including one ruled by Azalin, far to the north.

This geographical arrangement was forever changed in 740 BC, during a powerful supernatural event called the Great Upheaval. The horrid land of Bluetspur disappeared from Barovia's southern border, and Hazlan somehow moved from the east to take its place. The landmass that was once occupied by Hazlan was now part of the nation of Nova Vaasa, once Hazlan's northern neighbor. The nations of Borca and Dorvinia merged into one nation, though it kept the name of Borca. The nation of Markovia disappeared from Barovia's northern border, along with Markovia's northern neighbor G'Henna. In their place was left a deep chasm called the Shadow Rift. No one knows exactly what lies at the bottom of the chasm's festering black shadows, though many rumors persist of a land haunted by dark fey, where time flows differently. Finally, to the east, the nation of Gundarak lay in anarchy when its ruler, Duke Gundar, was assassinated. Strahd XI seized this opportunity by conquering much of Gundarak and annexing it into Barovia. After a brutal nine-month siege, half of Gundarak was annexed and brought under the rigid control of Barovia. The rest of Gundarak was seized by the nation of Invidia to the west.

The Gundarakites are an oppressed people. Openly resented by the Barovians, their spite has brewed over the last decade and a half into a full-blown rebellion. The rebellion's leader, Ardonk Szerieza, believes in a vision of Gundarak that never truly was, often ignoring or revising history to fit his patriotic ideals. Ardonk moves back in forth between Barovia and Invidia, leading the rebellion in both nations.

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests, Hills, Mountains

Major Settlements: Berez, Cuzau, Hoessla, Immol (1,623), Jarvinak, Krezk (2,060), Krofburg (500), Renika, Teufeldorf (3,539), Vallaki (1,547), Village of Barovia (535), Zeidenburg (4,615)

Population: 27,700

Races: 98% Human, 1% Half-Vistani, 1% Other

Languages: Balok, Luktar, Forfarian, Vaasi, Sithican, Thaani, Patterna

Religions: The Morninglord, Hala, Ezra, Nerull

Government: Feudal Hereditary Monarchy

Ruler: Count Strahd Von Zarovich XI

Currency: wolf-fang (gp), raven-claw (sp), rat-tooth (cp)

Resources: Wheat, corn, turnips, cabbage, potatoes, plums, sunflowers, grapes, goats, sheep, chickens, trout, pike, sausage, spirits, timber, iron, salt

Diplomacy: Limited contact with other realms due to the folk's xenophobia and the Count's tyrannical nature. Trade alliances exist between merchants in Barovia, Kartakass and Invidia. Despite the distance between their realms, it is widely believed that Strahd and Azalin Rex despise one another.

The Land: Straddling the loftiest reaches of the Balinok Mountains, Barovia is a harsh, rural domain held in the grip of tyranny and superstition. Its landscape is dominated by the Balinoks, in particular by the twin snow-capped peaks of Mounts Baratak and Ghakis. The mountains run like a craggy spine down the center of the realm, spreading east and west to include the rugged hills on either side of the range. The Balinoks within Barovia are particularly treacherous, characterized by jagged outcroppings and sheer cliffs. Travel is made all the more perilous by the ice and snow that choke mountain passes nine months out of the year.

The narrow valleys that cut the slopes of the Balinoks widen to the east and west. Crystalline mountain streams quickly transform into broad, mighty rivers that wind their way through the thickly forested dales. Numerous vital waterways begin their journey across the Core high in the Barovian Balinoks - the Gundar, Luna, and Nharov Rivers to the west and the Ivlis and Saniset Rivers to the east. With the exception of the upper reaches of Mounts Baratak and Ghakis, the domain is dominated by ancient forests, broken only occasionally by mossy meadows. At night, hulking wolves stalk the woods, and the skies swarm with huge, screeching bats.

Lake Zarovich, one of the largest freshwater bodies in the Core, is nestled between Mounts Baratak and Ghakis, along the Old Svalich Road. This highway is the sole link between the eastern and western Core south of the Shadow Rift. Thus, despite Barovia's forbidding landscape, a surprising number of merchants and pilgrims travel through the realm each summer, urgently crossing the Balinoks before the Old Svalich becomes impassable again in late autumn.

Most buildings in Barovia are constructed of brick and dense timber that is plastered and painted deep russet or light dun. Many homes and shops are adorned with rows of mineral-flecked stones set into the plaster. The thatched rooftops are steep and set with tiny, leaden rose windows in the gables. In the spring, window boxes overflow with vivid flowers, and harvest time brings pumpkin lanterns, intended to keep the minions of evil at bay. One of the realm's most remarkable features is the ring of perpetual fog that surrounds the village of Barovia. Although Barovia's winters are long and brutal, the remainder of the year is mild, characterized by gentle precipitation and sun-dappled days.

The Folk: Barovian culture is dominated by the ethnic Barovians, who have lived in the area for seven and a half centuries. Their language, Balok, is one of the most widespread tongues throughout the southern Core. The second largest ethnic group in Barovia are the Gundarakites, who became second-class citizens (at best) of Barovia when Strahd XI annexed neighboring Gundarak during the Great Upheaval in 740 BC. The Gundarakites are an oppressed people, and mainly stay in the vestiges of their former homeland in the west of Barovia. There are also smaller groups of Forfarians, the descendants of refugees from Forlorn when it was revealed to Barovia in 550 BC, and the Thaani, who fled across Barovia's southern border from the horrid realm of Bluetspur in 585 BC. These two minor ethnic groups have maintained their ethnic identity by refusing to intermarry with ethnic Barovians. Finally, the Vistani have a large presence in Barovia, largely due to the pact they have with the von Zarovich family. The Vistani are a nomadic people, but there are always some tribes to be found within Barovia's borders, as it is the safest place for them throughout the Core.

Barovian society is largely medieval, and the majority of its populace are poor peasants and serfs, working the farmland of the von Zarovich family under the watchful eye of the local boyars. Those few who are free are mostly small farmers, herdsmen, and fishermen. The villages and cities are a different matter, with many craftsmen and merchants to be found.

Barovians tend to marry at a fairly young age, 16 for males and 13 for females, though they do not observe the practice of arranged marriages. Their customs do not allow for divorce or remarriage for widows or widowers. Since many Barovians work on farms, their families tend to be large, and women are expected to bear as many children as they can. As a consequence, many mothers die in childbirth and the infant mortality rate is high during the first two years of life. Barovians receive no formal schooling, and few, if any are literate. Wealthy children are taught by private tutors or are sent abroad to study.

The majority of travel is done on foot, as the mountainous terrain is ill-suited to horse-riding. As a result, the folk of Barovia are quite sedentary, with many never even leaving the village they were born in. Most of the rivers are too hazardous for boat travel, though Lake Zarovich's deep waters have been a haven for fishermen for centuries.

The Barovian people, despite their varying ethnic backgrounds, all share at least one thing in common: a dislike of strangers, almost to the point of xenophobia. Their harsh glares and lack of hospitality are due to the years of living under the stern rule of Count Strahd. Barovians care little for the ways of others and prefer to mind their own business—and usually their own business consists of day-to-day survival.

All Barovians have an almost crippling fear of the supernatural. Their daily rituals involve locking every door and window at sunset. They regard magic with equal superstition. Arcane magic, in particular, is believed to be the gift of demons, and the foolhardy spellcaster in Barovia will likely find himself facing an angry mob.

The Law: Barovia is ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich, the most recent despot in an ancient line of feudal tyrants going back centuries. "The devil Strahd," as he is called locally, is a cruel but distant ruler, rarely taking an interest in the day-to-day (or perhaps night-to-night) business of his realm. Strahd leaves local governance to the boyars (noble landowners) and burgomasters (mayors), who are free to rule as they see fit. These petty but coveted positions of authority are traditionally hereditary, but turnover is high due to replacement by the Count--for incompetance, weakness, or sedition--or suspicious deaths. The main duty of the boyars and burgomasters is to maintain a militia, for which they collect burdensome taxes, though Strahd himself does not demand regular tribute from his people. Boyars and burgomasters also enforce the peace, appoint magistrates for civil disputes, and keep a wary eye on ambitious craft and merchant guilds.

The ongoing Gundarakite rebellion in western Barovia has led to increasing tensions between the two ethnic groups.

Races: Humans are Barovia's dominant race, though half-Vistani run a distant second. Other races are extremely rare, but not unheard of. Calibans occur with disturbing regularity in Barovia, though their births are just as often blamed on the influence of vampires, demons, or wizards as hags. Halflings are found exclusively in the large villages of western Barovia, where they live in tiny ghettos. Dwarves are thought to dwell deep in the Balinoks, and wild elves purportedly stalk the Tepurich Forest. Rural Barovians who encounter such nonhumans are likely to consider them monstrous freaks or malicious fey.

Classes: Clerics, fighters, rangers, rogues, and sorcerers are the classes most commonly encountered in Barovia. Clerics are admired for their healing and power over the undead, even if they are not always trusted. Fighters and rangers are always given their due, for Barovians respect the warrior's path. Reviled as scoundrels, rogues are widespread, though they generally restrict their activities to countryside banditry rather than urban guild endeavors. Sorcerers must keep their nature secret for fear of retribution by suspicious peasants. Druids and wizards are fairly rare but similarly feared. Barovian bards are uncommon, but are enjoyed for their mournful ballads and lullabies. Paladins are regarded as hopeless madmen by all but devotees of the Morning lord, who respect their virtue if not their lawful outlook. The odd barbarian is usually a wild man, raised among beasts in the high mountains. Monks are all but unknown.

Recommended Skills: Hide, Influence, Lore, Perform

Recommended Feats: Blind-Fight, Dodge, Endurance, Extra Turning, Great Fortitude, Spell Focus (Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Necromancy), Toughness, Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (battleaxe, longsword, mace, scimitar, shortbow, throwing axe, warhammer)

Names:

-Barovian Male Names: Alexandru, Bela, Cosmin, Dimitry, Horatiu, Ionache, Lucian, Mircea, Nicolae, Ovidiu, Petru, Radu, Sorin, Vasile, Zaharia

-Barovian Female Names: Anica, Bianca, Costela, Draguta, Florica, Izabela, Lizuca, Marilena, Nadezdha, Nicoleta, Rodika, Simona, Uta, Viorela, Ylenia

-Barovian Surnames: Amanar, Antonescu, Arcos, Balcescu, Ban, Belododia, Boboc, Bochinsky, Bogoescu, Capraru, Cardei, Cernea, Chisca, Ciobotaru, Ciorbea, Comanici, Cosmescu, Dalakis, Dimitru, Dobre, Dobrogeanu, Dragomir, Eliade, Eminescu, Florea, Iliescu, Lacusta, Leonte, Luca, Macek, Marinescu, Miklos, Milosovici, Murgu, Noica, Ovidiu, Pavlenco, Petri, Popa, Popovici, Radu, Saguna, Sima, Slabu, Stanescu, Ticmeanu, Tomescu, Tugurlan, Trandafir, Ungureanu, Ureche, Urzica, Vărzaru, Vladu, Zeklos. Also, any male first name with "ovich" added at the end (signifying "son of").

-Gundarakite Male Names: Baltasar, Csepan, Demetrius, Elfric, Fredek, Gusztav, Istvan, Lazlo, Miklos, Paszkal, Rognvald, Stefano, Ubul, Varady, Zeteny

-Gundarakite Female Names: Antonia, Boriska, Dominika, Ethelhild, Hortenzia, Ingrid, Jusztina, Mariska, Orzebet, Piroska, Serafin, Szabina, Tzigane, Vilhelmina, Zsofika

-Gundarakite Surnames: Ajkler, Aladár, Andras, Artali, Balassa, Baltar, Cizinski, Corvinus, Csapek, Csurgo, Czako, Daroczy, Divos, Doczi, Dohnanyi, Dvorzsak, Egerszegi, Eötvös, Farkas, Födes, Foldenyi, Gabor, Gaspar, Goencz, Götz, Groditje, Gyorffy, Hlady, Horansky, Hrutka, Jaszi, Joska, Lajtha, Lerch, Liptak, Lugosi, Mandula, Mindszenty, Nagy, Nejedly, Nemeth, Noszaly, Palagyi, Petrahn, Pokolytsch, Pongratz, Rdzavolgygi, Rubik, Sandor, Sebok, Sjsiengel, Solti, Szabo, Szeman, Szokefagy, Temesvari, Tokody, Varga, Verboczy, Wajda, Zsivozky, Zsoldos

-Thaani Male Names: Arjan, Bekim, Dritan, Ermal, Fatos, Gjon, Hysni, Jusuf, Klodi, Lulzim, Mirdon, Nuhi, Qamil, Sokol, Ysni

-Thaani Female Names: Anjeza, Axhire, Blerta, Drita, Enkela, Fitore, Jorgji, Lejla, Mirsada, Nazibe, Rozafa, Shasine, Shpresa, Vona, Zhaklina

-Thaani Surnames: Ahmetaj, Ajeti, Arbnori, Bajraktari, Bajramovic, Bazhunaishvili, Boshnjaku, Bytygi, Cacaj, Chocholi, Ciftja, Dejti, Demisovski, Fazliu, Gjika, Gjokaj, Hajdaraga, Halil, Harxhi, Hasangjekaj, Idrizi, Isufaj, Janazaj, Kiuprili, Korkizoglou, Krasniqi, Lamaj, Logoreci, Luzaj, Maxharraj, Mishaxhi, Mripa, Naçi, Nooja, Oseku, Paloka, Pllana, Prenkpalaj, Prifti, Qosja, Rugova, Sapunxiu, Sejko, Shkelyim, Smajlaj, Sylaj, Thaqi, Tolr, Tzeka, Vllasi, Xhaxhka, Ymeri, Zhuzumi, Zogjani

You can find more information on Barovian and Gundarakite roleplay here.

You can find more information on the official announcements in Barovia here.

Source: Ravenloft Gazetteer I, Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting

[Bluebomber4evr]

Blaustein

Cultural Level: Early Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Grass, Rocks, Hills (island)

Major Settlements: Village of Blaustein (300)

Population: 300

Races: 99% Human, 1% Other

Languages: Mordentish*, Lamordian, Darkonese

Religions: The Lawgiver

Government: Autocratic Despotism

Ruler: Lord Bluebeard

Currencies: no currency, trade conducted through barter and other domains' currencies

Resources: potatoes, turnips, sheep, cattle, dairy, herring, cod, tuna, sardines, salmon, lobsters, whales, gems.

Diplomacy: None. Visitors are unwelcome on Blaustein unless invited by its ruler. It is also rumored to be a haven for the pirates of the Sea of Sorrows.

The Land: This small island located in the Sea of Sorrows off the coast of Dementlieu is nothing more than a rocky island in the sea. Blaustein is said to be impenetrable because of its major natural defenses. Shallow waters and dangerous reefs surround the island and Blaustein has no lighthouse. The waters of Blaustein have been the bane of countless ships in the past. These wrecked ships are a source of income for Blausteiners who often plunder them nearly as soon as they crash by. In addition to this, the isle itself is a large rock formation with cliffs so steep and high that no man could hope to climb them and reach the island.

The only way to reach the village from the sea is through the only natural access point. A small makeshift dock was built on the only sandy beach of the isle. Past this makeshift dock, the village of Blaustein spreads across most of the island. Its homes are small and shabby and many are in advanced states of disrepair. Towering above this village is the infamous Castle Bluebeard, a massive fortress of brown stone said to be haunted by the locals. The castle sits atop a hill at the edge of his village, reached by a winding, rutted dirt road. The castle, like the village below, is almost completely under the control of Lord Bluebeard. He knows of every action within its heavy stone walls.

It is said that a large network of sea caves crisscrosses the island, but few have attempted to explore them all and even less have come back alive to tell of it.

The Folk: Blausteiners are a rough folk. Most are stocky and sturdily built. Clothing is functional and rarely gaudy, though many young women tend to wear semi-revealing clothing when the weather permits in an attempt to court their ruler, who through a series of tragedies has been a widower several times over. The people seem to be mostly of Mordentish descent, perhaps intermarrying with Lamordians. Skin tends to be fair, though tanned from lots of outdoor activities. Hair color ranges from blonde to dark brown, most of it wavy or slightly curly. Men grow beards and mustaches in emulation of their ruler. Women grow their hair long, frequently braided or in a ponytail. Jewelry is quite fashionable, and many women wear large earrings, gaudy rings, and several necklaces, to the extent that one starts to believe the rumors of Blaustein being a pirate haven.

Most of Blaustein's people would best be described as "thugs" and "ruffians" by most other folk. They are likely to brutally attack or give very cold shoulders to those foolish enough to land on their island, unless they have been invited there by Lord Bluebeard. The lord's many departed wives do not seem to deter young Blausteiner women from seeking his attraction, yet Lord Bluebeard seems to prefer foreign women. His people have attempted to procure him a wife from afar, so strong is their devotion. The people of Blaustein love Bluebeard completely and obey him without question.

The people of Blaustein are generally not religious, caring little for gods and organized religions. Despite this, a priest of the Lawgiver has recently settled on Blaustein with the blessing of Lord Bluebeard and has been attempting to convert people. Bluebeard is favorable to this religion since its dogma preaches loyalty and love to the rightful ruler, something that fits very well his current status. The people of Blaustein do not care much for the Lawgiver, even though they agree with some of the viewpoints. However, they do not care for the strict dogma associated with it and generally just pay minor respect to the religion, ignoring its tenets or restrictions.

The Law: Autocratic Despotism. Blaustein is controlled by the dread Bluebeard, a secretive tyrant who commands fervant loyalty among his subjects. Bluebeard is the ultimate judge and jury of Blaustein, granting punishment as he believes it is deserved. Displeasing Bluebeard is a capital offense. Unfortunately, it is easy to do so. Many from other parts of the Core believe that Bluebeard's many departed wives met their fate because they could not live up to his impossibly high standards. Woe be to whomever says such a thing within earshot of Blausteiners. The people of Blaustein are so fervently loyal to their ruler that any who dare speak against him meet a violent end.

A small garrison of guards, best described as thugs, patrol the Castle walls and the few streets of the village ensuring no violence or crimes are commited. These guards often take liberties when applying the law and the most usual punishment on Blaustein is hanging. Lord Bluebeard rules the Village with an iron fist and does not let any sort of crimes go unpunished. In turns, this has made Blaustein a haven for pirates and any seafarers since within Blaustein's waters and on the isle itself, no one can harm another or attempt to capture them. This has given Blaustein a reputation as a freeport and a safe haven in the dangerous Sea of Sorrows.

Classes: Fighters and rogues. Barbarians and rangers are uncommon. All other classes are unwelcome here.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Discipline, Influence, Parry

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Back to the Wall, Called Shot, Dodge, Expertise, Great Fortitude, Toughness, Weapon Focus (rapier)

Names:

-Blausteiner Male Names: Alphonse, André, Antoine, Bernard, Bertrand, Bruno, Claude, Donatien, Étienne, Florian, François, Frederic, Gaston, Georges, Gerard, Gilles, Guy, Henri, Hervé, Hubert, Jacques, Jean, Jean Pierre, Jean-Claude, Jean-Francois, Jean-Paul, Laurent, Louis, Luc, Lucien, Mathieu, Michel, Olivier, Pascal, Phillippe, Pierre, Raoul, Remy, Renard, René, Serge, Thibault, Thierry, Valčre

-Blausteiner Female Names: Adélaďde, Adéle, Adrienne, Aimée, Amélie, Antoinette, Avril, Bernadette, Blaise, Brigitte, Camille, Celeste, Chantal, Charlotte, Clarisse, Claudette, Corinne, Danielle, Désirée, Dominique, Éloise, Emmanuelle, Evelyne, Francoise, Genevieve, Giselle, Isabelle, Jacqueline, Jeanne, Joan, Joséphine, Josette, Karine, Lucienne, Marie, Marie-Laure, Mirielle, Monique, Nathalie, Nichole, Regine, Rolande, Sabine, Solange, Sophie, Sylvie, Tatienne, Therese, Valerie, Vivienne, Yvonne, Zoé

-Blausteiner Surnames: Alard, Anciaux, Arguelles, Barbier, Baudelaire, Beauregard, Bordeaux, Bouchet, Brosseau, Camus, Carbonneau, Chaboteaux, Chevalier, Clemenceau, Clouseau, Coulette, d'Aubec, d'Espivant, Daumier, De La Brosse, De La Chaize, De Lavergne, De Leon, De Masse, De Thibault, Delaroux, Deneuve, Deschamps, Destine, Du Plat, Dupin, Durand, Favreau, Flaubert, Foucault, Garnier, Gatteux, Gauthier, Gillette, Goulet, Grignon, Jean-Aubry, Jeune, La Berche, La Rochenoire, Labourdette, Lacroix, Lambert, Laporte, Larroquette, Laurier, Lavigne, Le Jeune, Le Marquand, Le Nôtre, L'Heureux, Marceau, Martineau, Moreau, Pepin, Pichot, Poiret, Quilleboeuf, Renault, Roche, Simoneau, Soulette, Thibedeaux, Tourette, Voltaire

Source: RR1 Darklords, Tales of Ravenloft, Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting

[Bluebomber4evr]

Borca

Cultural Level: Chivalric

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forest, hills and mountains

Major Settlements: Levkarest (8,500), Lechberg (5,500), Sturben (2,020, Vor Ziyden (1,200)

Population: 34,200

Races: 95% Humans, 4% Halflings, 1% Other

Languages: Balok, Mordentish, Falkovnian, Luktar, Halfling

Religions: Ezra, Hala

Government: Pseudofeudal despotism

Rulers: Sefeasa Ivana Boritisi and Sef Ivan Dilisnya

Currencies: nightshade (gp), hemlock (sp), foxglove (cp)

Resources: wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, apricots, sheep, cattle, chickens, beer, wine, timber, iron, copper, lead, salt, marble, leather goods, usury, culture

Diplomacy: trade and military alliance with Dementlieu, Mordent, and Richemulot. Hostile towards Falkovnia and Invidia. Neutral towards Barovia and Verbrek.

The Land: Borca is a beauteous domain scarred by betrayal and ruthlessness. The domain lies along the northwestern edge of the Balinok Mountains, in the rolling dales that stretch out beyond the icy crags of Mount Gries. Borca is a green, fertile land blanketed with wildflowers throughout the spring and summer. Ancient, verdant forests cover much of the domain, overgrown with tangled brambles and twining ivy.

The trees and shrubs are heavy with nuts and fruits, and the ground is blanketed by spongy little toadstools. Most of these morsels, however, ooze with sweet-smelling toxins, a notorious feature of Borcan foodstuffs fortunately betrayed by a telltale purplish tinge. The domain is also known for its geothermal activity; hot springs bubble up from the ground everywhere, spewing steam and sulfurous fumes into the air. The Luna and Vasha Rivers flow gently east through the realm, fed by the crystalline snowmelt of the Balinoks.

Homes and shops in Borca are broad, massive buildings of plastered and whitewashed brick. The gabled rooftops are shingled in thin, charcoal-gray wood and topped with slim, knobby spires. Wooden trim of dark green or blue, carved with stylized vines and mushrooms, graces the doors and windows. Small, white marble statues of the goddess Ezra stand serenely at the entrances of many homes. The smooth stone streets of villages are narrow, shaded by the overhanging upper floors of buildings. Borca has a temperate climate, leaning toward severe winters and cool, pleasant summers.

The Folk: Because of the harsh volcanic environment of Borca, Borcans seem to age quickly. They are fair-skinned and dark-haired. The most common eye color is brown. Women grow their hair long, while men grow theirs to a medium length. Commoners dress in a utilitarian manner, while nobles tend to wear baroque fashions imported from Dementlieu. The oppressive taxation of Borca has given the people a sullen and depressed nature. Borcans were once a lusty, life-loving people. Now they are defeated and go about their business with a resigned fatality. A weary, pained look clings to their features, as if they were being affected by some numbing poison. Their only respite is the grace of the goddess Ezra, whose largest sect resides in the Great Cathedral of Levkarest.

The Law: Ivana Boritsi, the "Black Widow of Borca" is the current mistress of this land. She inherited the rulership when her mother Camille died an unexpected death. Ivana's only real political interest seems to be indulging herself at her subjects' expense. She is called the Black Widow from her infamous fatal romances, as her lovers have a tendency to die in her bedchambers. Though a feudal form of government, Ivana Boritsi is the only true landowner, making all Borcans vassals to her. She grants and revokes noble titles on a whim, constantly changing the makeup of the aristocracy. Her cousin, Ivan Dilisnya, maintains the law, and his notoriously corrupt enforcers are more or less legal brigands who extort the populace as often as possible. Ivan is the only noble in Borca to truly own property, a holdover from when he ruled his own nation of Dorvinia prior to the Great Upheaval. Ivan's thugs never pass up an opportunity to extort whatever meager money the Borcans have. Protection rackets are an epidemic, with payment required from anyone unfortunate enough to run into a roving band of Dilisnya enforcers. Bribery is required merely to prevent a business from being vandalized or to keep enough food to live through winter. There is virtually no criminal or civil law in Borca, save what can be bought through dirty coin.

Races: Humans are the overwhelmingly dominant race in Borca; halflings hold no true power. Other races are extremely rare, and Borcans generally see them as freaks and curiosities, reacting with disdain rather than superstitious fear.

Classes: Bards, clerics, fighters and rogues are the most common classes here. Bards are seldom traveling minstrels; instead, they appear as actors, composers, or musicians who channel their tortured imaginations into arcane artistry. Many Borcans are devout followers of the Church of Ezra and hold anchorites in high regard, but reactions toward druids and clerics of other faiths range from indifference to mild hostility. Fighters can easily find employment as enforcers, but are usually dismissed as mindless thugs; they are paid to fight, not think. Rogues are common, but depending on their role in society may be respected or despised; Borcans admire cunning as much as they loathe thievery. A few rangers monitor undeveloped estates in the western lowlands for absentee landholders. Borca has few talented sorcerers or wizards. Those who do emerge typically conceal their abilities, hoarding their gifts as a valuable commodity. A tiny handful of folk have been popularly labeled as paladins of Ezra over the years, but these holy warriors remain largely the stuff of legend. Other classes are virtually unknown.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Influence, Lore

Recommended Feats: Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (dagger, musket, pistol)

Names:

-Borcan Male Names: Adelmo, Aldighieri, Adriano, Antonio, Arturo, Augusto, Bonifazio, Bruno, Carlo, Cesare, Claudio, Cheslav, Dante, Domenico, Donatello, Edik, Ezio, Fabio, Fiorenzo, Fortunato, Francisco, Fredrik, Giambruno, Giovanni, Giuseppe, Guido, Gustavo, Kiryl, Ladislao, Leo, Leonardo, Lorenz, Luigi, Marcello, Marco, Mario, Mercurio, Michelangelo, Napoleone, Nicolo, Paolo, Prospero, Raphael, Rodrigo, Romeo, Salvatore, Sergio, Stepka, Valentino, Vincenzo, Vito, Zivon

-Borcan Female Names: Adriana, Acquilina, Alma, Annabella, Antonia, Bella, Bianca, Camilla, Carlotta, Cecilia, Charlotta, Claudia, Duscha, Emerenzia, Eva, Fabiola, Federica, Francesca, Ghita, Irena, Isabella, Katarina, Lubmilla, Lucilla, Luisa, Maria, Mina, Miranda, Mirabella, Natasha, Oleska, Serafina, Urola, Vera, Violetta, Zinerva

-Borcan Surnames: Aghov, Aldobrandini, Alighieri, Amanar, Aragazzi, Baboescu, Barbieri, Bartoccini, Benakov, Bendzar, Borovsky, Botticelli, Bratiano, Calvocoressi, Capov, Carmitru, Calzaghe, Caprioglio, Castelucci, Ceauęcescu, Codreanu, Czermak, Dallapiccola, De Giovanni, De Vesci, Demko, Dobrovsky, Dodrescu, Donzelli, Eruzione, Fetsko, Fioravanti, Gabbiadini, Genovese, Georghiu-Dej, Gogean, Goradz, Guiccardini, Havel, Havlicek, Ibanescu, Ioanid, Iorga, Kafka, Kautsky, Kazaku, Korda, Korzha, Kovarikov, Lazar, Lazzarali, Malek, Mandildova, Marcovicci, Milea, Moravec, Niculaie, Novak, Palmarocchi, Pangratiu, Pavlovich, Petrov, Pizzolato, Radacanu, Rebagliati, Richterova, Romaine, Rondinelli, Scacceri, Sfondrati, Silivasi, Simenov, Studenikova, Tegliacci, Uguccione, Ullman, Valencik, Vizzoni, Vosper, Vulpes, Zelezny, Zanotti, Zrubakova

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer IV, Ravenloft Gazetteer IV Web Enhancement

[Bluebomber4evr]

Darkon

Cultural Level: Ranges from Chivalric along the Jagged Coast and the edges of the Forest of Shadows to Dark Ages in the wildes regions of the Mountains of Misery

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: forest, hill, plains, mountains, swamp

Major Settlements: Corvia (4,400), Delagia (1,500), Karg (8,500), Martira Bay (10,400), Maykle (2,600), Mayvin (1,500), Nartok (7,500), Neblus (2,900), Nevuchar Springs (1,100), Rivalis (5,500), Sidnar (1,400), Tempe Falls (2,500), Viaki (8,900)

Population: 117,300

Races: 70% Humans, 14% Halflings, 6% Dwarves, 5% Elves, 3% Gnomes, 1% Half-Elves, 1% Other (errata)

Languages: Darkonese, Halfling, Gnome, Elven, Dwarven, Falkovnian, Lamordian, Mordentish, Tepestani, Vaasi

Religions: The Eternal Order, Ezra, The Overseer

Government: Feudal hereditary monarchy

Ruler: Azalin Rex

Currencies: crown (pp), skull (gp), bone (sp), chip (cp)

Resources: wheat, barley, rye, oats, hops, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, grapes, hogs, sheep, cattle, goats, chickens, dairy, herring, cod, flounder, sausage, beer, wine, timber, peat, gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, salt, gems, cloth, ceramics, perfumes, ships, arcane knowledge

Diplomacy: trade with Lamordia and Nova Vaasa. Open hostility with Falkovnia

The Land: Darkon, one of the largest domains in the Core, is a land of legend steeped in intrigue, terror, and magic. Stretching across the entire northern third of the continent, the domain encompasses an astonishing variety of landscapes. In the west, the Sea of Sorrows laps at Darkon's shore, while the domain's eastern edge ends at the frigid shores of the Nocturnal Sea. North of Darkon lies the vast expanse of the Mists, which roil and shift much more chaotically than elsewhere in the Core. Thus the bleak northern frontier, known as the Mistlands, is constantly in flux.

The Mountains of Misery overlook all of southeastern Darkon, crowned by the barren volcanic peaks of Mounts Nirka and Nyid. Rugged and trackless, the mountains are surrounded by broken badlands that sprawl far to the west. The rest of the eastern half of Darkon is dominated by the Vale of Tears, a wide, rolling floodplain dotted with small, shadowy woodlands. Darkon's eastern shore is cold and bleak, a flat, wind-beaten coastline featuring only slim, sandy beaches.

Western Darkon is a thickly forested floodplain broken by the central Boglands and the western Jagged Coast. The Forest of Shadows enshrouds most of the region, a menacing wood so ancient and dense that no light can reach the forest floor. The Boglands consist of patchy marshes surrounding the dark depths of the Great Salt Swamp. The Jagged Coast is a harsh, rocky shore region riddled with caves and possessing only the sparsest vegetation. The coast is a maze of tiny islands and hidden coves, and the Sea of Sorrows itself is storm ridden along Darkon's shores.

Darkon is etched with a web of prominent waterways, most flowing into the mighty Vuchar River as it rushes westward. Numerous freshwater and saline lakes dot the landscape as well, most in the Mountains of Misery and the Boglands.

Darkon's villages exhibit dazzling variety in their architecture; each settlement is graced with a unique style that complements its surroundings. The folk of Corvia, for instance, have hollowed out the massive stone buttes of their village to create homes and shops. The metropolis of II Aluk, once the jewel of Darkon, is now a damned city so inhospitable to life that it has been rechristened Necropolis. The climate in Darkon is temperate tending toward extremes, with harsh winters, hot summers, and brief but pleasant springs and autumns.

The Folk: Darkon is a "melting pot" of sorts; there is no common physical trait among Darkonians. Dress tends to be practical in nature and in earth tones. All Darkonians fear the undead. They believe that their land once belonged to the undead until the living banished them to the Gray Realm. Darkonians believe that the undead will return to exact their revenge in an event called the Hour of Ascension. Non-human races are not treated with the fear and hatred they meet in other realms.

The Law: The wizard-king Azalin Rex rules Darkon with an iron fist in a velvet glove. His rule is harsh but he has set up a strong feudal base for his monarchy. Barons rule each major settlement and are allowed to rule as they see fit--they have their own vassals, set local laws, appoint magistrates, and control trade. Azalin's presence is felt amongst the populace through his secret police, the Kargat. This secretive organization is feared by all Darkonians and answer only to Azalin.

Races: Humans are the dominant race in Darkon, but the nonhuman races have a significant presence as well. Elves and half-elves are most common in the Mistlands, while most dwarves hail from the Mountains of Misery. Mayvin is the heart of gnome culture, and halflings center in Rivalis and Delagia. Calibans are not uncommon, but they have no communities of their own; most toil in "undesirable" positions, such as digging graves.

Classes: Bards, clerics, fighters, rogues, and wizards are the classes most commonly encountered in Darkon, but all classes can be found. Bards serve a valued purpose in society, spreading tales across the extensive kingdom. Clerics are expected to guard against the dead; any lapses are judged most harshly. Fighters are generally respected, particularly if serving in official capacities such as a landed knight or simple constable. Stealth and treachery are associated with the Kargat, so most folk are deeply suspicious of rogues. Sorcerers and wizards are both respected and justifiably feared for their powers. Other classes are usually newcomers claimed by Darkon.

Recommended Skills: Influence, Lore, Perform

Recommended Feats: Blind-Fight, Exotic Weapon Proficiency

Names:

-Darkonian Male Names: Ardmor, Boyce, Estran, Gilos, Jakome, Ragnol, Tullus, Varian, Wat, Xanthus

-Darkonian Female Names: Aldea, Catalin, Francesca, Gisele, Imogen, Marguerite, Ondyne, Serilda, Virdisia, Zezilia

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer II

[Bluebomber4evr]

Dementlieu

Cultural Level: Renaissance

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests and Plains

Major Settlements: Cerlimieu (804), Chateaufaux (1,400), Port-ŕ-Lucine (5,400), Villebois (less than 100)

Population: 13,600

Races: 95% Humans, 3% Halflings, 2% Other

Languages: Mordentish, Lamordian, Falkovnian, Halfling

Religions: Ezra

Government: Aristocratic republic

Ruler: Lady-Governor Hélčne DuSuis

Currencies: corona (pp), solar (gp), lunar (sp), bit (cp)

Resources: Potatoes, wheat, barley, apples, grapes, cattle, dairy, herring, sardines, wine, timber, cloth, weapons, books, ships, culture, scientific knowledge.

Diplomacy: Political, military, and mercantile alliance with Borca, Mordent, and Richemulot. Hostile towards Falkovnia. Neutral towards Lamordia.

The Land: The coastal domain of Dementlieu is a bastion of civilization in the Core, a land of secrets and hidden loyalties. The domain lies on a broad, green floodplain dappled with lush woodlands and heaths. The realm's western shore along the Sea of Sorrows is blessed with numerous natural ports, including glittering Parnault Bay. Although the terrain is flat, Dementlieu's soil is sandy, and crop yields tend to be low, with stunted plants and small fruits. Scattered, sun-dappled forests cover the regions that agriculture has not claimed. The coastline is edged with rolling, sand dune beaches. The Musarde River meanders north through the domain, peppering the eastern countryside with oxbow lakes.

Dementlieu's highways bustle with activity, funneling people and wealth toward Port-ŕ-Lucine. The buildings in the domain are tall and narrow, densely packed edifices of dull brown stone that loom over the narrow, twisting village streets. Windows and doorways are trimmed with whitewashed wood, and the shallow, gabled rooftops are shingled in rich, dark brown wood. Towers are crowned with elegant stone ornaments and statues of legendary artists and civic leaders. Dementlieu's climate, blessedly mild, is characterized by frequent precipitation and moderate temperatures. Severe winters and sweltering summers are not unheard of, however.

The Folk: The average Dementlieuse person has a slim build, strong features, and high cheek bones. The range of skin tones is from very pale to olive-tan, and the range of eye colors is from pale blue to green to dark brown. Hair color varies from dark blond to light brown, though auburn does crop up in every few individuals. Men usually have beards and mustaches that are trimmed and styled. Women never have short hair, instead either pinning up their locks meticulously (nobles) or braiding it (poorer folk). Clothing is especially important in Dementlieuse culture, particularly to the nobility. Most commoner men wear dark woolen trousers and light cotton shirts, and wear cloth caps on their heads, regardless of whether they indoors or outdoors. Men of nobility wear breeches and silk shirts with tailed coats, as well as tall black hats. Wigs are considered proper for men in public life. Both commoner and noble women wear long, dark dresses with high-button boots and always wear hat when outside. Lower class women wear simple bonnets, while noble women have large, elaborate hats. Typical clothing colors are black, white, and shades of gray, though nobles often try to outdo each other in opulent and exotic colors for special occasions

The Dementlieuse, perhaps moreso than any other culture of the Core, believe themselves to be a highly civilized people. They appreciate beauty and learning in all its forms, and their society is structured according to rigid etiquette. Adherence to decorum is vital, and those who overstep the delicate balance between deference and bravado find themselves scorned. The Dementlieuse believe their advanced society has earned them a place of respect among the civilized nations of the world, and they often say so quite openly. Not all outsiders are as grateful for Dementlieu's contributions as the Dementlieuse believe them to be, and many people of other nations consider the Dementlieuse to be shiftless fops who produce nothing of value. Arcane magic is an accepted facet of life in Dementlieu, though it is viewed as a quaint distraction to be used primarily for entertainment. The majority of wizards in Dementlieu are enchanters or illusionists who take to the stage.

The Law: The Lady-Governor, Hélčne DuSuis, is advised by a five-member Council of Brilliance in the capital city of Port-ŕ-Lucine. Dementlieu's aristocratic society is extremely complex, and even though feudalism was dissolved long ago, true power is still held by the wealthy nobility. Dementlieu's nobles elect the lord-governor for life, but it is possible for them to depose her and elect a new lord-governor if they are dissatisfied with the current one. While the lord-governor is free to select her own advisors for the Council of Brilliance, the nobility often firmly suggests proper candidates for the position.

The lord-governor's duties include writing and enforcing laws, promoting the arts, administrating the realm's public institutions, appointing criminal judges and civil magistrates, and personally adjudicating important trials. Each settlement has a militia organized by the lord-governor through voluntary conscription, and many nobles have their own personal retinues of guards. Port-ŕ-Lucine also has the added protection of Alanik Ray, a world-famous master detective who often lends his skills to the city's watch.

Dementlieu's aristocracy has a tradition of providing for the needy through an extensive network of food distribution and housing and a literacy program for even the poorest of children. Despite all of this, however, Dementlieu's lower classes are still mired in desperate poverty and crime, and the nobles believe that their benevolence allows them to exploit the poor as they see fit.

Races: The majority of the population in Dementlieu is human. A small enclave of halflings, usually referred to as "the little people," lives in Port-ŕ-Lucine. Other non-humans can occasionally be found, but are often looked down upon by others.

Classes: Bards, clerics, fighter, rogues, and wizards are the most common. Bards, with their deference for the arts, are the most respected of all of these classes in Dementlieu. Fighters are usually trained by the local militias or in the personal retinues of the nobility. Clerics are typically priests of Ezra. Wizards are generally either enchanters or illusionists, but are looked down upon. Rogues are common amongst the poorer folk. Warmages have started appearing in recent years, trained at the Université de Dementlieu, though they are either looked down upon by academics or feared by locales. Hexblades and sorcerers are rare and are looked upon with suspicion- while learning magic from a text is acceptable (if quaint and improper), traipsing about flashing uncontrolled arcane might is considered unacceptable in Dementlieuse society. Other classes are either rare or unknown here.

Recommended Skills: Appraise, Influence, Lore, Perform, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft

Recommended Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Iron Will, Muse, Soothing Presence, Weapon Finesse, Willbreaker

Names:

-Dementlieuse Male Names: Alphonse, André, Antoine, Bernard, Bertrand, Bruno, Claude, Donatien, Étienne, Florian, François, Frederic, Gaston, Georges, Gerard, Gilles, Guy, Henri, Hervé, Hubert, Jacques, Jean, Jean Pierre, Jean-Claude, Jean-Francois, Jean-Paul, Laurent, Louis, Luc, Lucien, Mathieu, Michel, Olivier, Pascal, Phillippe, Pierre, Raoul, Remy, Renard, René, Serge, Thibault, Thierry, Valčre

-Dementlieuse Female Names: Adélaďde, Adéle, Adrienne, Aimée, Amélie, Antoinette, Avril, Bernadette, Blaise, Brigitte, Camille, Celeste, Chantal, Charlotte, Clarisse, Claudette, Corinne, Danielle, Désirée, Dominique, Éloise, Emmanuelle, Evelyne, Francoise, Genevieve, Giselle, Isabelle, Jacqueline, Jeanne, Joan, Joséphine, Josette, Karine, Lucienne, Marie, Marie-Laure, Mirielle, Monique, Nathalie, Nichole, Regine, Rolande, Sabine, Solange, Sophie, Sylvie, Tatienne, Therese, Valerie, Vivienne, Yvonne, Zoé

-Dementlieuse Surnames: Alard, Anciaux, Arguelles, Barbier, Baudelaire, Beauregard, Bordeaux, Bouchet, Brosseau, Camus, Carbonneau, Chaboteaux, Chevalier, Clemenceau, Clouseau, Coulette, d'Aubec, d'Espivant, Daumier, De La Brosse, De La Chaize, De Lavergne, De Leon, De Masse, De Thibault, Delaroux, Deneuve, Deschamps, Destine, Du Plat, Dupin, Durand, Favreau, Flaubert, Foucault, Garnier, Gatteux, Gauthier, Gillette, Goulet, Grignon, Jean-Aubry, Jeune, La Berche, La Rochenoire, Labourdette, Lacroix, Lambert, Laporte, Larroquette, Laurier, Lavigne, Le Jeune, Le Marquand, Le Nôtre, L'Heureux, Marceau, Martineau, Moreau, Pepin, Pichot, Poiret, Quilleboeuf, Renault, Roche, Simoneau, Soulette, Thibedeaux, Tourette, Voltaire

You can find more information on Dementlieu here.

You can find more information about the laws of Dementlieu and official edicts here.

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer III, Van Richten's Guide to Fiends, RPGA Adventure: A Curse of Blood, RPGA Adventure: The Beast Within

[Bluebomber4evr]

Dominia

Cultural Level: Chivalric

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forest and hills

Major Settlements: Heinfroth's Asylum (300)

Population: 300

Races: 99% Humans, 1% Other

Languages: Darkonese, Vaasi, Lamordian, Mordentish

Religions: Any

Government: No formal government.

Ruler: Dr. Daclaud Heinfroth is the chief physician and owner of the asylum.

Resources: None.

The Folk: Heinfroth's asylum is staffed by orderlies, doctors, and groundskeepers. The rest of the population is made up of the mentally ill from around the Core. Heinfroth's asylum is a world-renowned institution for treating those plagued with madness.

The Law: Aside from Heinfroth, there are three other individuals referred to as "doctor" by the orderlies. One of these is Dr. Piotr Rehner. The other two serve as Rehner's assistants and are called Dr. Black and Dr. White. The orderlies obey these other doctors, but there is no question that Heinfroth is the ultimate authority.

Classes: Any, though most who have been admitted into Heinfroth's asylum are hopelessly mad. No PC may be a native of Dominia for this reason.

Recommended Skills: None.

Recommended Feats: None.

Names: Any name can be used for NPCs from this tiny island asylum; people from all over the world come here to be treated for their madness.

Source: Bleak House, Domains of Dread, Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting

[Bluebomber4evr]

Falkovnia

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests and Plains

Major Settlements: Aerie (2,600), Lekar (15,900), Morfenzi (1,500), Silbervas (5,800), Stangengrad (6,500)

Population: 64,300

Races: 93% Humans, 2% Halflings, 2% Half-Elves, 1% Gnomes, 1% Elves, 1% Other

Languages: Falkovnian, Darkonese, Balok, Lamordian, Mordentish, Halfling, Elven, Gnome, Dwarven

Religions: Hala, Ezra

Government: Military despotism

Ruler: Kingfuhrer Vlad Drakov

Currency: falconhead (gp), falconclaw (sp), falconeye (cp)

Resources: Wheat, oats, barley, hops, rye, potatoes, cattle, hogs, dairy, falcons, beer, dye, timber, salt, weapons

Diplomacy: As one of the "breadbaskets" of the Core, Falkovnia maintains active trade with virtually every other nation. Despite this, Vlad Drakov is considered an enemy of every single nation bordering Falkovnia, save Lamordia. The mercenary-king has tried his hand at invading all of his neighbors in the past, with no success. Nearly every campaign has met with disaster--sometimes spectacularly so--which only enrages Drakov further. Darkon in particular is a thorn in Drakov's side, as he has tried to invade that nation on five separate occasions, and each one has failed worse than the prior attempt. The nations of Mordent, Borca, Richemulot, and Dementlieu have formed a political and military alliance in the form of a mutual defense pact against Falkovnia, called the Treaty of Four Towers. The only nations that treat favorably with Falkovnia are the aforementioned Lamordia and distant Invidia, where Drakov has offered that nation's ruler support in the form of troops.

The Land: Falkovnians are fair-skinned and fair-haired, though their eyes tend to run from hazel to brown. They are visibly overworked and underfed. Men wear their hair in crew cuts and women grow their hair long and unkempt. They dress in deliberately drab clothing; to stand out is to draw the attention of the realm's soldiers, which can mean death or worse. Typical colors for clothing are earthen tones such as brown or tan. Men tend to wear tunics and breeches while women tend to wear blouses and long skirts. Those who are not soldiers are often filthy, covered in dung, mud, lice, and fleas. All Falkovnians are branded on their foreheads at birth with Drakov's seal, a hawk's head. This clearly identifies Falkovnians in other lands and reminds every citizen of his true status: property.

Falkovnians have perhaps the most horrid of lives in all the Core. Brutally oppressed, overtaxed and overburdened, they have little to look forward to but death. The unending horrors of Drakov's regime have destroyed any sense of beauty or hope the people may have had in their hearts. Many people develop personalities that mimic their brutal oppressors, though by far most Falkovnians are simply passive and slightly paranoid. They are jaded and desensitized towards violence and gore.

No matter how bad the humans of Falkovnia have it, it is much, much worse for any nonhumans who happen to find themselves in Vlad Drakov's realm. Any nonhumans who pass through Falkovnia are slapped in irons and are considered state property, to be treated as chattel slaves. Intermarriage between humans and nonhumans is forbidden in Falkovnian culture, though Drakov has tried to promote it as an attempt to "breed out the taint of nonhuman blood." So far his program has met with little enthusiasm.

The Folk: Falkovnians are fair-skinned and fair-haired, though their eyes tend to run from hazel to brown. They are visibly overworked and underfed. Men wear their hair in crew cuts and women grow their hair long and unkempt. They dress in deliberately drab clothing; to stand out is to draw the attention of the realm's soldiers, which can mean death or worse. Typical colors for clothing are earthen tones such as brown or tan. Men tend to wear tunics and breeches while women tend to wear blouses and long skirts. Those who are not soldiers are often filthy, covered in dung, mud, lice, and fleas. All Falkovnians are branded on their foreheads at birth with Drakov's seal, a hawk's head. This clearly identifies Falkovnians in other lands and reminds every citizen of his true status: property.

Falkovnians have perhaps the most horrid of lives in all the Core. Brutally oppressed, overtaxed and overburdened, they have little to look forward to but death. The unending horrors of Drakov's regime have destroyed any sense of beauty or hope the people may have had in their hearts. Many people develop personalities that mimic their brutal oppressors, though by far most Falkovnians are simply passive and slightly paranoid. They are jaded and desensitized towards violence and gore.

No matter how bad the humans of Falkovnia have it, it is much, much worse for any nonhumans who happen to find themselves in Vlad Drakov's realm. Any nonhumans who pass through Falkovnia are slapped in irons and are considered state property, to be treated as chattel slaves. Intermarriage between humans and nonhumans is forbidden in Falkovnian culture, though Drakov has tried to promote it as an attempt to "breed out the taint of nonhuman blood." So far his program has met with little enthusiasm.

The Law: Vlad Drakov, the mercenary-king, rules his nation with an iron fist. He is infamous not only for his constant attempts to invade his neighbors, but also for his cruelty towards his subjects. Drakov seems to simply oppress his people because he can. It is well known that he is a brutal sadist; it is said that he demands an execution by impalement every night to accompany his evening meal.

Falkovnia is nothing more than a military state. There is no civilian government or police force, nor even any form of aristocracy; soldiers are the highest social class. Drakov's soldiers oversee every aspect of daily life in Falkovnia. Military tribunals conduct all trials, and justice is swift and harsh. Punishments are always a shocking display of torture and execution, and criminals are often left hanging on the city walls to rot.

Anyone of any station in Falkovnia has a military commission of some sort, even a bureaucrat. Falkovnians fear Drakov's elite soldiers, the Talons, more than any of the other soldiers. These shock troops have fanatical loyalty towards Drakov and are said to have a sadistic streak that matches that of their cruel master.

Races: Humans, including half-Vistani, are the sole free race found in Falkovnia. All other races are considered state chattel, subject to imprisonment and forced labor.

Classes: Fighters, rangers, and rogues are the most common classes in Falkovnia. Clerics are free to follow their gods within Falkovnia, so long as they inspire no disobedience in the populace. In addition to the large numbers of fighters in the military, fighters such as mercenaries and retired veterans can be found throughout Falkovnia. Rangers are common in rural areas, where their skills are needed to hold back the woodland shadows of the interior. Rogues are common throughout Falkovnia's squalid cities, where crime and stealth are often all that ensures day -today survival. Falkovnian wizards (and more rarely, sorcerers) are uncommon, but those found within the domain are quickly brought to the military's attention and forced to take oaths of loyalty and service to Vlad Drakov. In recent years, the Ministry of the Arcane has started training warmages loyal to Vlad Drakov, though they remain a rather small contingent for now. No other PC class finds significant representation in Falkovnia.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Hide, Influence, Move Silently

Recommended Feats: Back to the Wall, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)

Names:

-Falkovnian Male Names: Alber, Artur, Felix, Franz, Hans, Helmut, Igor, Ivan, Karl, Leopold, Otto, Vladimir, Viktor, Wulfgang

-Falkovnian Female Names: Anya, Berta, Emma, Greta, Inga, Ingrid, Klara, Marie, Olga, Rebek, Sylvi, Tasha, Vika

-Falkovnian Surnames: Ahlmann, Angerhausen, Apenzeller, Aschenbach, Auerbach, Bachman, Bauer, Baumgaertel, Bloch, Bohlen, Bohringer, Braun, Brockhaus, Dautzenberg, Denhardt, Deutscher, Diesel, Dietz, Dittrich, Eichendorf, Ernst, Faulhaber, Faustmann, Fehrenbacher, Frankenheimer, Frauenfelder, Friedlander, Gettelfinger, Glauber, Goebel, Goettinger, Groezinger, Haessler, Hahn, Hammerich, Hauser, Herzog, Hess, Hoffmann, Huntziger, Joachimsthaler, Kaempfer, Kaiser, Kierkegaard, Kirchenbacher, Kleinschmidt, Koehler, Lambrecht, Leitenberger, Manstein, Matzenkopf, Moellendorf, Nachbauer, Niederstatter, Oberman, Pfeiffer, Reinhardt, Richter, Schaeffer, Schenk, Schmidt, Schroder, Schultz, Steinbauer, Strauss, Tellenbach, Unger, Van Volkman, Von Ettingshausen, Von Friedenreich, Von Zitzewitz, Wagner, Weiss, Werner, Wolfert, Wollheim, Zahn, Zimmermann, Zoeller, Zurbrugg

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer II

[Bluebomber4evr]

Forlorn

Cultural Level: Iron Age. The ruins in Forlorn reflect a Medieval culture.

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests, hills, plains

Major Settlements: None

Population: 2,025

Races: 94% Goblyns, 6% Humans

Languages: Forfarian

Religions: Forfarian druidism (the Celtic pantheon)

Government: Anarchy

Ruler: None

Currency: none

Resources (not exploited): timber, iron, clay, salt.

Diplomacy: None. Forlorn has no formal government to conduct relations. Likewise, the monstrous goblyns that inhabit Forlorn's bleak landscape have no interest in trade or barter. The few beleaguered humans who dwell here are in constant fear of being discovered by the goblyns and have no time for mercantile relationships, though they readily accept aid from any who offer to fight the goblyns.

The Land: Forlorn is a blasted highland domain, a forsaken land from which humanity has long been driven. Nestled just south of the Balinok Mountains, Forlorn is a land of thickly forested uplands with sparse heather and mosses clinging to the exposed rocky hillsides. The woods are dark, twisted places full of grasping branches and ominous shadows. In some areas, the forest has been actively destroyed by the land's goblyn inhabitants, reduced to a wasteland of broken stumps and sucking mud. The Maw of Arawn, rising from the center of Forlorn, is a jagged peak that perpetually belches noxious vapors. The only notable body of water is the Lake of Red Tears, whose deep, dark waters appear crimson when the sun reflects off the nearby red granite cliffs.

The Folk: The primary inhabitants of this bleak no-man's land are the monstrous goblyns (not to be confused with goblins). These horrid, grotesque humanoids love little else but slaughter and mayhem, and the only goals they seem to pursue are the systematic destruction of Forlorn's remaining forests and the routing of the last remnants of the druidic humans. Forfarians in Hazlan and Barovia, as well as the druids of Forlorn assert that the goblyns of Forlorn were once humans who were transformed into hideous mockeries along with the land itself during a period they refer to as the "Year of Woe." It comes as little surprise that this Year of Woe ends at the exact moment the Mists at Barovia's borders revealed Forlorn in 547 BC. Forfarians say this transformation was caused by the "Solleyder," their all-purpose bogeyman whom they say is the cause of all of Forlorn's problems. The goblyns are completely obedient to this "Solleyder," whom the druids of Forlorn insist is the spirit that haunts Castle Tristenoira. The goblyns are as ruthless and cunning as they are stupid and violent. They are also fearless, and often hurl themselves into situations that would make any sane being quake with fear. They speak a degenerate form of the Forfarian language, which ethnic Forfarians can understand with effort, though the goblyns have little of interest to say aside from promises of death and torture and the wrath of their mysterious master.

The humans of Forlorn are a weary and beleaguered folk, yet they are hearty and well-built. They have a very fair complexion, often with freckles and are easily sunburned. They nearly all have red hair, which they always grow out and is often times unkempt. Men often grow thick beards and muttonchop sideburns. Their clothing is known for its bold plaids and earthy greens and browns. The colors and patterns of stripes on their clothing are called "tartans," and are emblematic of their various clans. The primary clothes for men consist of a loose shirt and a kilt (a plaid, skirt-like garment). Women's clothing is basically the same, though their skirts are longer than the men's kilts. Additional garments include sheepskin vests, tartan shawls or cloaks, and sashes in greens, browns, or tartans. Jewelry is either polished iron or silver in nature motifs such as vines and oak leaves. The Forfarians are a humble people, pursuing agriculture or simple crafts as a means to live. Forfarian herbalists and healers are renowned as some of the best in all the Land of Mists. Religion is centered around the druids, and clerics are rare, so many druids overlap their duty to nature with the duties of a priesthood to the Forfarian gods. One of the most important elements of Forfarian culture is the passing down of their complex oral history. This task is usually assigned to a clan's elder female, called a "tanist," who is often the de facto leader of her settlement. Important holy days are on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices.

The Law: No formal government exists within Forlorn. The monstrous goblyns have a loose clan system, no doubt a holdover from when they were human, but all goblyn clans swear allegiance to the Solleyder, the mysterious master of Castle Tristenoira. This "Solleyder" only seems to have two goals for its servants: raze the forests and hunt down the humans. The hidden human settlements are ruled by the druids, who often take the advice of the tanists of each clan.

Races: Forfarians are almost exclusively human. A half-elf or half-Vistani of Forfarian descent might be encountered, but this would be extremely unusual and such individuals would undoubtedly find themselves shunned by their fellow Forfarians.

Classes: Bards, druids, fighters, rangers, and rogues are the most common classes among the Forfarians. Forfarian bards are highly respected, not just for the entertainment they provide but for their role as historians and storytellers. All Forfarians in Forlorn are raised with the expectation that they will become druids, and this is the most common class found there by far. Druids are also well respected by Forfarians in other lands, but also feared due to the primal nature of their power. Fighters are readily embraced, as the Forfarians still hearken back to a time when they were feared warriors defending a highland kingdom. Rangers have been valued by the Forfarians ever since the wolf plague began centuries ago, but those who choose that path are often seen as having a death wish. Rogues are generally despised for their reliance on cunning and stealth over honor and directness. Barbarians are uncommon, but garner more respect from Forfarians than they do from most other peoples; the wild warriors hearken back to the Forfarians' ancient heritage. Clerics are rare but not unheard of; most Forfarian clerics follow the Morninglord, though the old gods have recently made a resurgence. Sorcerers are usually redheaded, as red hair and a talent for magic seem to go hand-in-hand among the Forfarians. Monks, paladins, and wizards are virtually nonexistent.

Recommended Skills: Influence, Lore, Perform

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Courage, Dead Man Walking, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Toughness, Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (battleaxe, dagger, halberd, handaxe, longspear, longsword, shortspear, throwing axe).

Names:

-Forfarian Male Names: Bran, Brian, Caral, Conan, Donnach, Fionn, Garbhan, Kenneth, Kyle, Lachlan, Malcolm, Nioll, Ross, Sionn, Taran, Wallace

-Forfarian Female Names: Agatha, Arline, Bonnie, Colina, Dona, Edana, Fenella, Fiona, Greer, Heather, Ina, Kenna, Morna, Nessa, Rhona, Una

-Forfarian Surnames: Angus, Armstrong, Bisset, Brodie, Buchanon, Comyn, Dunbar, Leith, MacArthur, MacBride, MacDonald, MacDougall, MacDuff, MacEwan, MacFarlane, MacGillivray, MacGregor, MacIntyre, MacLachlan, MacLean, MacLeod, MacNeil, MacQuarrie, MacRae, Muir, Munro, Ogilvie, Ross, Scott, Sinclair, Urquhart, Wallace

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer I

[Bluebomber4evr]

Ghastria

Cultural Level: Chivalric

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests, Plains (island)

Major Settlements: East Riding (600)

Population: 600

Races: 99% Humans, 1% Other

Languages: Mordentish, Lamordian, Darkonese

Religions: Ezra, Hala (no standing temple)

Government: Feudal Aristocracy

Ruler: The Marquis Stezen d'Polarno

Currency: no currency, trade is conducted through barter

Resources: potatoes, wheat, grain, vodka, turnips, sheep, cattle, dairy, herring, lobsters, whales, wine, cider

Diplomacy: No political alliances, though the natives share an ancestry with Mordent and have amicable relations with that nation.

The Folk: The Ghastrians, like the Mordentish people, are fair-skinned. Common eye colors are blue, green, or gray. The most common hair colors are blond and brown, though many other hair colors are known among the Ghastrian folk. Men either grow their hair long or cut it short. Those who grow it long tend to keep it in a ponytail or braid. Women grow their hair very long. Ghastrian clothing is made of wool and kept very clean. Most men wear simple shirts and breeches of homespun with high socks, though nobles wear lacy shirts with a waistcoat over them. Women wear long dresses that flare at the bottom but fit tightly above the waist. Clothing colors are usually black, gray, or various earthtones from rust to green. Jewelry is considered gaudy even amongst the nobles.

Most Ghastrians are simple farmers, and warmly welcome contact with those from other lands. It is not often that they get visitors to their tiny island nation, and even Ghastria's ruler takes interest when foreigners come to his realm. One reason outsiders are so welcome here is hope for trade in their foodstuffs. For some unexplained reason, any food grown in Ghastria is lifeless and bland to taste. It is only during certain times of each season that native-grown foods have any flavor at all. This rare produce, as well as foodstuffs from the Core, fetch impressive prices here, but most of it is taken as tax-payments by the Marquis. However bland their food is, it still provides the necessary nutrients to survive. Isolation from the Core has taught Ghastrians self-reliance and they have also began to hone their maritime skills.

The Law: Ghastria is ruled by the Marquis Stezen D'Polarno, an aristocrat who throws annual galas for nobles who make the journey to his island. Stezen rules his land apathetically so long as the crops are harvested and he has enough to eat and drink. Unless crimes involve strangers--who interest him for some reason--he lets the local law deal with the problem. "Local law," in this instance, means mobs with lots of rope.

Classes: Fighters and rogues. There used to be clerics but ever since the Marquis burnt down the only church in East Riding, claiming the priests were stealing from his coffers, there hasn't been a standing clergy in Ghastria. Sorcerers and hexblades are infrequently born amongst the populace, but wizards and warmages are unheard of. All other classes are unknown here.

Recommended Skills: Parry

Recommended Feats: Back to the Wall, Dodge, Expertise, Weapon Focus (rapier)

Names:

-Ghastrian Male Names: Alfred, Allan, Allistair, Andrew, Arthur, Beldwyn, Benjamin, Brian, Charles, Christopher, Cyrus, Daniel, Douglas, Edward, Elias, Elijah, Francis, George, Giles, Halrick, Henry, Hugh, Ian, Irving, Isaac, James, Jeremiah, Jonathan, Joseph, Lawrence, Martin, Matthew, Nathaniel, Neville, Nicholas, Oliver, Owen, Pardag, Peter, Porgam, Richard, Robert, Samuel, Silas, Simon, Stephen, Thaddeus, Theodore, Thomas, William

-Ghastrian Female Names: Abigail, Alice, Alyson, Anne, Annabeth, Beth, Bridget, Candace, Charity, Chastitiy, Constance, Deborah, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Emily, Esther, Faith, Gennifer, Grace, Hannah, Helen, Hope, Irdala, Jane, Judith, Julianne, Katharine, Lacey, Laurie, Lillian, Lucile, Lydia, Margaret, Martha, Mary, Mercy, Meredith, Nell, Patience, Prudence, Rebecca, Ruth, Sarah, Susanna, Tabitha, Virginia

-Ghastrian Surnames: Abbot, Archer, Bennett, Brumfield, Capper, Carpenter, Chandler, Collier, Dodds, Dole, Emry, Fisher, Fletcher, Garrett, Golding, Laxon, Laydon, Lewis, Mutton, Powell, Post, Reade, Sexton, Smith, Sullivan, Sykes, Thatcher, Towtales, Unger, Ward, Weaver

Source: RR1 Darklords, Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Dance of the Dead (RPGA Adventure), Return of Stezen D'Polarno (RPGA Adventure)

[Bluebomber4evr]

Hazlan

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: hills, mountains, plains

Major Settlements: Ramulai (300), Sly-Var (4,500), Toyalis (8,200)

Population: 26,100

Races: 92% Human, 4% Halflings, 3% Gnomes, 1% Other

Languages: Vaasi, Halfling, Gnome, Balok

Religions: Bane, Hala

Government: Feudal ethnocratic despotism

Ruler: Hazlik, the Red Wizard

Currency: soulorb (gp), moondagger (sp), bloodpenny (cp)

Resources: wheat, barley, corn, cotton, olives, grapes, hazelnuts, opium, tea, goats, sheep, cattle, honey, copper, lead, iron, leather goods, cloth, arcane knowledge

Diplomacy: Limited trade with Nova Vaasa and the Barovian village of Immol. Hazlanis have little interest in the rest of the world

The Land: Hazlan is a domain of ancient magic and severe oppression, lying in the extreme southeast of the Core, at the southern end of the Balinok Mountains. The Hazlani Balinoks are rugged but traversable, though vegetation is sparse and landslides are not uncommon. The dusty cliffs and canyons slope downward to a sweeping landscape of knolls and valleys stretching off to the horizon. Massive blocks of golden stone and half-buried statuary hint at a forgotten era. Mineral springs, common in the foothills, are warm pools of jade-green water encrusted with alkali salts. Farther eastward, the foothills become dry plains blanketed by brown grasses and briars. Herds of sheep wander the lonely plains, their bleating carried weakly on the breezes. Occasional stands of trees dot the grasslands, but overall Hazlan is a land of open sky and trackless terrain.

The poorer Rashemi majority dwells in simple, squat structures of whitewashed brick. Roofs are flat and facades are unadorned, though tiny, dutifully tended vegetable gardens grow alongside many homes. The estates of the wealthy Mulan, by comparison, are sprawling, opulent abodes. Magnificent edifices of polished gray, pink, and russet stone are surrounded by serene gardens of poppy flowers and bubbling fountains. Delicate latticework covers the tiny, rounded windows.

Towering minarets and domes inlaid with intricate mosaics sparkle in the sun. Hazlan has a generally mild but temperate climate featuring long, hot summers and short, wet winters. Although the Balinoks are capped with snow, truly frigid weather is rare elsewhere in the realm.

The Folk: Two distinct ethnic groups comprise the human population of Hazlan: the Mulan and the Rashemi. The Rashemi are the lower class, yet make up 90% of the population. The Rashemi are short, broad-shouldered and muscular. Their skin tends to be tan, their eyes brown, and hair either brown or black. Rashemi men keep their hair wild and wear bushy beards while Rashemi women grow their hair long and work it into elaborate braids. Both Rashemi men and women dress in simple baggy clothing in earth tones. The Mulan, the upper-class of Hazlan, only make up 10% of the population. The Mulan are tall and slim with angular facial features. The Mulan have pale skin and gray eyes. Mulan hair tends to be blond, but both genders ritually shave their heads. Mulan men and women cover their skin with elaborate tattoos, with distinct designs for each gender. Both Mulan men and women wear cloth wrappings instead of trousers. Women wear vests while men go bare-chested. Both genders wrap themselves in red robes.

The most distinctive trait amongst all Hazlani is their deep pride.  They are deeply religious and devout worshippers of Bane, making them rather cruel and somewhat fatalistic. The Rashemi are practical and gruff while the Mulan are arrogant and paranoid. Both ethnic groups are distrustful and suspicious, and the Mulan are especially obsessed with maintaining their control of Hazlani society. Hazlani people have a tendency to view all outsiders as rivals at best or enemies at worst.

The Law: Hazlik, the Red Wizard, rules Hazlan with sheer arcane might and utter ruthlessness. He is Mulan, and his word is law. Hazlik established a a council of Mulan governors to oversee the major settlements of his realm, with each governor personally responsible for enforcing Hazlik's edicts. Though there is an appearance of law in Hazlan, it is little more than a byzantine system of boons and favors amongst the Mulan. The Rashemi are not allowed to participate in the governing process. Prior to the Great Upheaval, magic was outlawed in Hazlan; no-one but Hazlik was allowed to practice arcane magic. Something about the events of the Great Upheaval changed his mind however, and now an academy of wizardry has been opened in Ramulai.

Races: Humans are by far the most common race in Hazlan, but nonhumans are better represented here than in most of the Core. Gnomes and halflings are commonly found in Hazlan, though actively discouraged from mingling socially with their human "betters." Calibans were once virtually unknown in Hazlan. Since arcane practice became legal, they have been born with exponentially greater frequency.

Classes: Clerics, fighters, rogues, sorcerers, and wizards are the classes most likely to be encountered in Hazlan. Clerics, who must follow the Lawgiver if they expect to worship openly, are given wary respect and a wide berth. Fighters are considered necessary but not particularly desirable; most fighters eventually find themselves recruited as retainers for a Mulan family. Rogues are common only among the Rashemi; the prosperous Mulan detest thieves and their ilk. Wizards and sorcerers have rapidly risen in standing in Hazlan, at least among the Mulan, since Hazlik rescinded the prohibition on arcane magic. In recent years, a training program for warmages has been established at the Red Academy. Monks are slightly more common in Hazlan than in the rest of the Core domains, but still quite rare; Hazlani monks subscribe to an odd mix of Lawgiver theology and arcane mysticism. No other class finds significant representation in Hazlan.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Concentration, Influence, Lore, Spellcraft

Recommended Feats: Combat Casting, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus (Conjuration, Divination, Evocation, Transmutation), Toughness, Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (dagger, falchion, quarterstaff, whip)

Names:

-Mulan Male Names: Aoth, Balser, Bareris, Enevold, Ehput-Ki, Hassan, Kethoth, Kyrill, Marcus, Momme, Mumed, Ossur, Preben, Ramas, So-Kehur, Taico, Thazar-De, Urhur, Zoltan

-Mulan Female Names: Alvina, Arizima, Cattia, Chathi, Elida, Helma, Kaisa, Leila, Malvina, Murithi, Nephis, Neya, Nulara, Sefris, Thola, Trine, Umara, Zilla, Zolis

-Mulan Surnames: Ankhalab, Anskuld, Fezim, Hahpet, Nathandem, Sepret, Uuthrakt

-Rashemi Male Names: Alpagu, Borivik, Cengis, Doukan, Faurgar, Haydar, Jandar, Kanithar, Kubilay, Madislak, Mengu, Nisami, Ozalan, Ragap, Ralmevik, Shaumar, Toktamop, Vladisak

-Rashemi Female Names: Adelet, Cemiyet, Cemre, Bengi, Feyza, Fyevarra, Gunay, Hulmarra, Immith, Imzel, Julide, Navarra, Roxelana, Shevarra, Sobehat, Tammith, Yuldra, Zumrut

-Rashemi Surnames: Chergoba, Dyernina, Iltazyara, Murnyethara, Stayanoga, Ulmokina

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer I, Forgotten Realms 3rd Edtion Campaign Setting

[Bluebomber4evr]

Invidia

Cultural Level: Chivalric

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests and Hills

Major Settlements: Beltis (0), Curriculo (1,135), Karina (2,315), Valetta, Tancos

Population: 6,900

Races: 99% Human, 1% Other

Languages: Balok, Mordentish, Falkovnian, Luktar, Vaasi

Religions: Ezra, Hala

Government: Formerly independent villages shifting to despotism

Ruler: Malocchio Aderre

Resources: Barley, rye, hops, wheat, oats, potatoes, cabbage, grapes, hogs, wine, beer, sulfur, salt

Currency: drymark (gp), sweetpiece (sp), bitterbit (cp)

Diplomacy: Hostile towards Barovia, Borca, and Sithicus. Neutral towards Kartakass. Military alliance with Falkovnia.

The Land: Nestled in the heart of the southwestern Core, Invidia is a land where passions are easily inflamed and daggers are drawn with little provocation. Cut by the murky waters of the Gundar and Musarde Rivers, the land stretches out largely unspoiled, broken only by the occasional farm or vineyard peeking through the thick, old growth forests. Massive trees soar above an open floor of soft, green grasses and spongy mosses. The oaks, redwoods, and maples burst into fiery colors in autumn, unrivaled in their beauty anywhere in the Core. Noisy flocks of crows and swallows soar over the lush landscape, darting to and fro in the warm breezes.

The bulk of the domain's population is concentrated in the bustling river villages, and even rural folk tend to live within an hour's ride of a settlement. Journeys through the wilderness are lonesome; travelers only rarely spy lone carts burdened with hay or casks or wine. Their only companions in the wilds are lean packs of wolves, which keep menacing pace with travelers for hours at a time.

Invidia's buildings are tall with steeply gabled roofs tiled in black wooden shingles. Although plastered and painted a creamy dun color, most Invidian structures have crumbling facades that expose the red brick underneath. Interiors are wooden, the staircases and rafters darkly stained and intricately carved with grapevine designs. Baroque towers, topped with charcoal-gray cupolas and grim statuary, tower above the grandest buildings. Invidia's climate is temperate, although the realm boasts long, pleasant summers.

The Folk: Invidia, unlike many of its neighbors, lacks its own distinct ethnic group. Most Invidians are of mixed blood, with Barovian and Kartakan blood running strongest. As such, few generalizations can be made about their physical appearance. They can range from swarthy and stocky to fair and lean, but they do tend to have the best features of their ancestors. Invidian clothing is simple but aesthetically pleasing. Men wear tunics, breeches, and high boots. Women wear loose-fitting shirts and layered skirts. Sparkling jewelry is commonplace for both genders, particularly earrings or rings.

Invidians are infamous for their passionate personalities; it is not, however, a compliment to say that someone has an "Invidian heart." Invidians are hot-tempered and tempestuous, and frequently allow their passions to get the better of them. Marital infidelity is common, as are the grudges and spilt blood that often follow. Bitterness is nursed for years over small (or even imagined) slights, and it is not unknown for violence to erupt within families when tempers flare.

Stereotypes aside, the Invidians are a hard-working, solid people who nonetheless like to enjoy the fruits of their labors and have little use for the lazy. Invidia has a loose, poorly-defined class system. The rich still look down upon the poor, but the nobility seems to be weak and ineffectual. Thus the middle class, made up mostly of merchants, is exceptionally strong in Invidia. Most Invidians hold a deep loathing for the Vistani.

The Law: The vicious tyrant Malocchio Aderre has ruthlessly been increasing his hold on Invidia for nearly a decade. Prior to his ascent to power, Invidia had experienced a period of isolation and weak self-governance at the local level. This state of affairs had persisted since Malocchio's mother Gabrielle Aderre assassinated Invidia's previous despot, Bakholis. Though Bakholis was a cruel tyrant, he seemed more interested in protecting his hunting rights than in governing. Although Malocchio is perhaps more brutal than his predecessor, he has taken a much more aggressive approach to ruling Invidia. He encourages trade between the villages and generally pursues a more unified vision for his realm. Since Invidia cannot raise much of an army, Malocchio has hired mercenaries from across the Core to serve his expansionist agenda. Falkovnia's ruler, Vlad Drakov, has lent Malocchio his own troops, though his motives for such an uncharacteristic show of good faith are unknown.

Malocchio is obsessed with destroying the Vistani. The gypsies are, to say the least, not welcome in his realm; all Invidian mercenaries have standing orders to kill Vistani on sight. Besides this duty, the soldiers collect taxes, protect civilian merchants, and generally enforce order in Invidia. Invidians are fearful of these soldiers but have learned to follow their orders without question and to avoid them whenever possible. Although this military presence has successfully suppressed brigand activity, it has done little to stem the rise of attacks of solitary madmen such as Karina's Midnight Slasher.

Races: Invidians are almost exclusively human, of mixed Barovian and Kartakan heritage. Nonhumans make up less than 1% of the total population and are regarded with superstition and distrust by commoners. Half-Vistani risk their lives by entering the domain. In the north, the Gundarakites descend from the same root stock as the Barovians, but stick doggedly to their own culture.

Classes: Most Invidian heroes are either fighters or rogues. Bards are fairly common, some of whom learned their craft from the famous Kartakans. Sorcerers are not uncommon, but usually practice their craft only in the larger towns. Magic in rural areas is a delicate matter, as spellcasters must carefully avoid displaying any destructive magic. Wizards fill the same role, but are far less common. Clerics are rare and usually serve Ezra as wandering healers and priests, but are generally trusted. Druids lie somewhere between sorcerers and clerics and must be careful what kinds of spells they cast lest they trigger an angry response from the common folk. Paladins, barbarians and monks are all but unknown.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Influence

Recommended Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Improved Initiative, Lunatic, Weapon Focus (dagger, musket)

Names:

-Invidian Male Names: Adi, Adrian, Badun, Costine, Dimitru, Gogu, Haslav, Horatu, Mikal, Petre, Radu, Vasili, Vaslav

-Invidian Female Names: Ameli, Antoaneta, Celestina, Diona, Elena, Florenta, Gabrielle, Ileana, Ivona, Ligia, Lizuça, Marilena, Nicoleta, Ridiçea, Teadora, Zina

-Invidian Surnames: Angelova, Balakov, Borev, Bukhalov, Chervenkov, Dimitrof, Dimova, Hinova, Ingatieva, Ivanov, Jordanov, Krumova, Levski, Lukanov, Maleeva, Markhov, Pendareva, Prandzheva, Rakovski, Romanov, Slovensky, Stamboliski, Svetkova, Todorova, Veneva, Yankov, Zukanov

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer IV

[Bluebomber4evr]

Kartakass

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests and hills

Major Settlements: Harmonia (1,500), Skald (2,800)

Population: 5,000

Races: 98% Humans, 1% Half-Elves, 1% Others

Languages: Vaasi, Old Kartakan, Balok, Sithican

Religions: The Ancestral Choir, Ezra, Hala, Milil

Government: Meritocratic independant settlements

Ruler: None; Autonomous meistersingers

Currency: ballad (gp), dirge (sp), canticle (cp)

Resources: rye, barley, oats, beets, potatoes, cabbages, hogs, cattle, dairy, sausage, beer, timber, salt, musical instruments.

Diplomacy: Kartakass' lack of a sovereign ruler prevents the nation from achieving true political standing amongst its neighbors. It conducts trade with Barovia, Invidia, and Sithicus and has formed mercantile alliances with these nations. Kartakan merchants are famed throughout the southern Core for being both cunning and charismatic. Kartakan lumberjacks are known for being overeager and are often found felling trees illicitly in neighboring lands. Kartakass' reputation is for the most part healthy with its neighbors, though the elves of Sithicus are taking an increasingly dim view of Kartakan immigrants.

The Land: Located in the south-central Core, Kartakass is a land of music where joyful song echoes through the black forests, tinged ever so slightly by a tone of fear. It is a domain of dense woodlands blanketing a region of rocky upland terrain southwest of the Balinok Mountains. The forests are wild and treacherous here, from the thorny undergrowth to the fierce wolves that stalk the wooded ridges. The wilderness is far from lonely, however, as the sweet baritone voices of lumberjacks at work float over the hills.

The domain is riddled with spectacular natural caverns, endlessly branching labyrinths of limestone that wind deep into the cold earth. As daylight begins to wane, silvery fog rises from the ground, settling in low places and making travel through the forests all the more dangerous. The Musarde River's headwaters lie in Kartakass, and here the mighty waterway is clear and sparkling, pooling into serene ponds and lakes on its way to the valleys of Sithicus.

Buildings in Kartakass are massive log lodges with broad facades and towering thatch roofs. Rows of narrow windows, bold wooden carvings, and delicate floral patterns grace the fronts of homes and shops. Most structures feature enormous central fireplaces ringed by a raised dais for musical performances and storytelling. Natural surroundings are frequently incorporated directly into the domain's architecture. Living trees may be employed as natural pillars, or a structure may open up directly into a cavern of glittering crystal. Even the humblest settlements feature public amphitheaters for annual singing contests. Kartakass' climate is generally moderate, but harsh winters sometimes strike the domain.

The Folk: Kartakans are lean and graceful, with angular, handsome features. Skin tones are light and creamy with the occasional freckles. Eye color is blue-violet and hair color is typically flaxen blond. Men and women both grow their hair long and wild. Men often grow facial hair in the form of long, full moustaches and neatly trimmed goatees. Clothing is comfortable and dashing, with both genders wearing blousy shirts and trousers. These trousers are tucked into high black boots. Men wear full coats over their shirts, while women wear short vests. Men typically wear wide-brimmed hats. Clothing colors are vibrant and brilliant, and hues of red, yellow, and blue are the most popular. Jewelry is used sparingly.

Kartakans are a warm, gregarious people known for their love of music and singing talent. They have a song or melody for every occasion and daily activity. They also have a fondness for tall tales called "feeshkas"; stories that both teach a lesson and play on the gullibility of the listener. Bards are an institution here, and some, such as the dashing Harkon Lukas, have become celebrities. A popular local alcohol called "meekulbrau" is often imbibed during musical festivals. It is said to sweeten the voice and loosen inhibitions. Kartakans appreciate the simple pleasures of life and value tradition, wisdom, and musical skill above all else. The one thing Kartakans truly fear are the vicious wolves that stalk their land in large numbers. It is said these wolves have been known to enter homes at night and drag the inhabitants out from their very beds. Legends speak of a time when wolves disguised themselves as men to trick humans just long enough to devour them.

The Law: Each settlement in Kartakass is autonomous. They each choose a "meistersinger" at an annual competition marked by wild revelries and constant music. The winner of the competition becomes the meistersinger for that settlement. The meistersinger is personally involved in all matters of the community, delegating nothing except for the appointment of the leaders of the local militia. Meistersingers also serve as cultural and moral leaders, responsible for teaching the youth the "mora," songs which the Kartakans believe are divine gifts from the gods to teach moral lessons to all. Most meistersingers serve for many years before retiring voluntarily.

Races: Humans are by far the dominant race in Kartakass. Half-elves are usually the product of the Kartakans' limited interaction with their Sithican neighbors, and as such display their elven parent's silvery hair. Other races are extremely rare. Kartakans are quick to believe even the wildest tales told about nonhumans, though they are somewhat accustomed to Sithican elves.

Classes: Bards, fighters, rangers, and rogues are the most common classes encountered in Kartakass. Unsurprisingly, bards form the backbone of Kartakan culture; bards throughout the Core dream of performing at Harmonia's amphitheater. Rangers are considered the defenders of Kartakan settlements against nature and are generally well regarded. Rogues are also respected for their resourceful cunning, a trait common to the heroes of Kartakan mora. Kartakans are notably noncommittal toward fighters; while they recognize the need for brawn, they see nothing particularly praiseworthy in it. Barbarians are uncommon and usually appear as wild men, shunning the larger settlements. With the exception of the handful of followers in the Ancestral Choir cult, Kartakans have little respect for organized religion; clerics are rare and are sure to face frequent good-natured ribbing. Druids and sorcerers are also rarely encountered and poorly understood, having been entangled in many wildly inaccurate tales, though the Kartakans (with a few exceptions) are not overtly hostile toward them. Wizards and monks are virtually unknown, and the former are frequently confused with sorcerers. Any that appear will be the students of an isolated, secretive teacher. Paladins are seen as figures of legend, the archetypical doomed hero.

Recommended Skills: Lore, Perform

Recommended Feats: Expertise, Lunatic, Skill Focus (Perform), Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (Rapier).

Names:

-Kartakan Male Names: Aalef, Akil, Bartholomeus, Castor, Christoffel, Erik, Ernst, Evert, Frans, Frederik, Frerich, Gustaaf, Jeroen, Johannes, Josef, Joshua, Koenrad, Kyros, Laszlo, Maarten, Nikolaas, Oltmann, Petros, Pieter, Sandor, Sebastiaan, Steffen, Theon, Zev

-Kartakan Female Names: Akrynna, Aleris, Amelia, Berenda, Bianca, Eva, Femke, Frieda, Gerda, Helena, Henrika, Johanna, Julianna, Katalyn, Klara, Kolette, Lelia, Lysbet, Meleda, Mina, Odelle, Sofie, Zeta

-Kartakan Surnames: Acker, Aertsen, Albertszen, Amerman, Anseyving, Ayers, Baans, Banckert, Bant, Barentstochter, Barneveld, Bartholds, Bekker, Berchoven, Bergkamp, Bervoets, Blauvelt, Bleekemolen, Bleyck, Blinkerhof, Boertgens, Bogaardt, Bosch, Brattbakk, Breughel, Bronckhorst, Christoffel, Claessen, Cornell, Cronenburgh, De Baun, De Boer, De Camp, De Graff, De Jager, De Klerk, De Randt, De Veaux, Deburghraeve, Dekkers, Dennysen, Didricks, Drotske, Duisenderb, Duzant, Dyckman, Ebersole, Eckhaus, Engel, Esterhuysen, Evertszen, Fransz, Fredrickszen, Froelich, Gerberich, Graaf, Groeneveldt, Groethuysen, Gysbrechts, Haag, Hagerman, Hecht, Hendricks, Herbrüggen, Hess, Hoefnagel, Holst, Hostetter, Janssens, Jongejans, Kauffman, Kierstede, Klausman, Koch, Krige, Kuyper, Leydecker, Loers, Lutz, Mackelyck, Markgraaf, Maurhoffer, Messeker, Meynderts, Neuwenschwander, Nordhagen, Oberholtzer, Ostenstad, Pieterszen, Reiss, Reizinger, Ristenblatt, Roeloffs, Schaeffer, Schenck, Schermerhorn, Schoonmaker, Schuyler, Seedorf, Snyder, Struycken, Sykes, Teichmann, Ter Haar, Terwilleger, Tichelman, Traphagen, Trichardt, Van Der Linde, Van Alstyne, Van Biesbrouck, Van Brevoort, Van Cleve, Van Couvenhoven, Van Daalen, Van Der Berg, Van Der Hoef, Van Der Schurr, Van Dyck, Van Friesland, Van Giesen, Van Imbroeck, Van Pelt, Van Tassel, Van Wyck, Veldkamp, Vermeulen, Von Hengel, Voorhees, Wagner, Wannemacher, Weekveldt, Westerhof, Wiese, Wortendyke, Wyckoff, Yost, Zimmerman

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer I

[Bluebomber4evr]

Lamordia

Cultural Level: Renaissance

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: aquatic, forest, hill, plains, swamp

Major Settlements: Ludendorf (930), Neufurchtenburg (760)

Population: 3,280

Races: 99% Human, 1% Other

Languages: Lamordian, Darkonese, Mordentish, Falkovnian, Dwarven

Religions: none

Government: Hereditary aristocracy, with republican settlements

Rulers: Baron Vilhelm von Aubrecker, Regent Gerta von Aubrecker

Resources: rye, sheep, cattle, dairy, furs, cod, mackerel, herring, flounder, beer, sausage, salt, leather goods, furniture, ships

Currency: glutton (gp), sable (sp), marten (cp)

Diplomacy: trade with Darkon, Dementlieu, and Falkovnia. No political alliances with any neighbors

The Land: Lamordia is a bleak coastal realm in the northwestern Core, a land ravaged by the elements. The domain lies south of Darkon's Jagged Coast on the Sea of Sorrows and includes the string of islands known as the Finger, which stretches out to the northwest. Notable are the frozen Isle of Agony, where a demonic creature is said to lair, and rocky, forsaken Demise. During the summer months, a muddy causeway links the islands of the Finger, but few travelers brave the brackish muck.

The interior is a region of towering forests where the black trees grow massive and dense. The woods are forlorn and eerily still, but travelers often have the impression that they are being watched from the shadows. Each spring, woodsmen inevitably find thawed corpses deep in the wilderness, their forms mangled beyond recognition. The terrain is rugged in the north, especially along the rocky upland region known as the Sleeping Beast. To the south, a wooded delta marks where the mighty Musarde River meets the Sea of Sorrows.

Lamordian villages are tidy and attractive, whether awash in summer wildflowers or slumbering peacefully beneath winter snow. Two or three stories tall, the neat rows of homes and shops look down over narrow streets of gray, smooth cobblestone. Buildings are constructed with thick timber frames and brick, then plastered and painted white or cream. Roofs are steep and gabled, with thick thatch to keep out the cold.

Although Lamordia is a temperate domain, its winters are extraordinarily harsh. Blizzards blanket the land with unending snow and batter the inhabitants with bitter, howling winds. For much of the year, sleighs and snowshoes are the preferred modes of transportation. The summer is no less difficult on travelers, as thick, sucking mud collects in low areas.

The Folk: Lamordians are lean, tall, and wiry. They have very fair skin and eye colors are either green or blue. Hair color varies from light blond to dark brown, but the lighter colors are more common. Men cut their hair short, while women grow their hair long and tie it into twin braids. Men never grow facial hair but tend to grow muttonchop sideburns. Clothing is modest and somber, yet of the finest quality. Typical clothing for men includes collared shirts, vests, and trousers, with nobles adding waistcoats and scarves. Typical clothing for women includes modest woolen dresses with high collars and tight, white bonnets. Lamordian clothing is almost never colored. Jewelry is not worn by Lamordians, although they often carry canes or pocketwatches.

Lamordians are a hardy folk, accustomed to Lamordia's harsh winters. They believe that they can survive through hard work and will. Lamordians are not superstitious in the least. They are logical and rational, almost to a fault, and believe that any problem can be solved with a commonsense solution. Lamordians are either deistic or outright atheistic, and no religion has managed to gain a foothold here. Lamordians believe that faith and magic are crutches for those with weak minds. Lamordians believe that demihumans such as dwarves and elves are merely abnormalities instead of other races. They do not hide their disdain towards Victor Mordenheim, a mad scientist who conducts strange experiments in his estate in northern Lamordia.

The Law: Baron Vilhelm von Aubrecker rules Lamordia from his estate in the Sleeping Beast mountains. His family has ruled Lamordia for generations. The von Aubreckers have been distant rulers, collecting tribute on occasion and maintaining small garrisons of soldiers throughout the nation. Vilhelm is on his deathbed, however, and with the loss of both of his sons, it falls to his daughter, Gerta von Aubrecker, to take his place when he passes on. Each of Lamordia's settlements is ruled by a mayor, who is appointed by a council of wealthy aristocrats. The main responsibility of the mayors is to encourage and maintain trade with other towns and other nations. Since Lamordians are extremely polite and have such a strict moral upbringing, they rarely have many conflicts and therefore do not need to enforce many laws. On the rare occasion that trouble arises, the baron's enforcers and the town militias are quick to respond.

Races: Lamordians are almost exclusively human. A handful of half-Vistani can be found, but they are viewed with suspicion and a sneer of racial superiority. Nonhumans, including the dwarves of the Sleeping Beast, are regarded as natural abnormalities and flawed branches on the Great Tree of Life, the top of which is crowned by humanity.

Classes: Fighters, rangers, and rogues are the most common classes in Lamordia. Adventurers in general are perceived as shifty mercenaries without an honest trade. Fighters are given a healthy respect for their skills, though epithets such as "brute" are whispered behind their backs. The talents of rangers are admired, but those who espouse their woodland spiritualism are mistrusted. Rogues are despised unless they prove a willingness to apply their skills toward the protection of communities rather than the pursuit of criminal acts. All other PC classes are rare in the extreme or completely unknown. Heroes with levels in the expert class are not unusual, however, as master craftsmen and academics alike can be drawn into the sinister conflicts of the Realm of Dread.

Recommended Skills: Appraise, Disable Trap, Lore, Search

Recommended Feats: Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Expertise, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Lore), Toughness, Weapon Focus (handaxe, halberd, musket, pistol, rapier, throwing axe)

Names:

-Lamordian Male Names: Augustin, Berthold, Conrad, Dieter, Frans, Hubert, Juergin, Ludwig, Niklaus, Oscar, Rudolph, Stefan, Tomas, Werner, Yann

-Lamordian Female Names: Brigitte, Camilla, Daniela, Erika, Federica, Ingrid, Johanna, Katia, Mathilde, Pascale, Ramona, Sofia, Teresa, Ursula, Victoria

-Lamordian Surnames: Accola, Acklin, Agassiz, Albrecht, Almer, Anderhub, Baehler, Baertschi, Bertod, Besse, Boller, Bornisson, Bovet, Brand, Burkhart, Corminboeuf, Delfs, Egemann, Frei, Frischknecht, Geiger, Gisler, Goeschi, Graf, Grassi, Gruenenfelder, Gygax, Haefeli, Heinzmann, Huber, Kestenholz, Lafranchi, Lambert, Lanbrigger, Lautens, Lucchesi, Metzier, Monachon, Nietlispach, Perren, Plancherel, Quentin, Reuteler, Riegler, Righetti, Rusterholz, Schneider, Seifert, Sforza, Stocki, Von Gruenigen, Von Sibenthal, Zberg, Zingre, Zinsli, Zulle, Zurcher, Zwygart

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer II

[Bluebomber4evr]

Liffe

Cultural Level: Chivalric

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests, Hills, Plains, Swamps (island)

Major Settlements: Armeikos (3,000), Moondale (1,600), Claveria (400), Aferdale (1,000)

Population: 6,000

Races: 95% Humans, 5% Other

Languages: Darkonese, Vaasi

Religions: Ezra, Bane

Government: Hereditary aristocracy, with republican settlements

Ruler: Baron Lyron Evensong

Currency: no coinage, trade conducted through barter, though some merchants have begun to use Nova Vaasan currency

Resources: potatoes, corn, sheep, dairy, cod, herring, mackerel, lobsters, talc, salt, ships, pottery

Diplomacy: The deep-water harbor of Armeikos, as well as the shipyards there, are making Liffe a frequently visited island, despite something of a language barrier. It seems the tongue spoken by the people of Liffe is closely related to the language known by the elves of Sithicus.

The Land: This large island contains several cattle farms, rolling fields - although the corn grows sickly here, due to the scarcity of sunlight - and three settlements: Armeikos, which is home to three thousand people; Moondale, home to one thousand people; and the small village of Claveria (located on the estate of Baron Evensong), home to four hundred people. Between these three settlements and the island's farms, Liffe is completely self-sufficient.

The Folk: Liffan skin tones range from tan to olive; brown and auburn hair are common, though some individuals have hair as light as honey or as dark as coal. Likewise, eye coloration is highly variable; brown and gray are seen most often. Liffans tend to have square or oval faces and strong jaw lines. Dress normally consists of a short tunic and close-fitting trousers with a cape or cloak, tailored for ease of movement. Designs and patterns are often stitched into their clothes, such as plaids, checks, ovals and diamonds.

The people of Liffe enjoy their independence as a small nation. Recent trade with Darkon and Nova Vaasa has given rise to a large merchant class, though it also has brought in cultural influence from these nations, which Liffe's ruler dislikes. The Baron sees this cultural contact as a threat to Liffe's independence. The populace of Liffe, on the other hand, seeks to end Liffe's isolation and has increased its contact with other nations of the Core. Farmers work harder to produce more crops to sell across sea which they use to hire more hands and produce even more crops. Meanwhile there are the newly starting craftsmen anxiously producing their wares for sell overseas and the traders and explorers hoping for new exotic items to bring back. Ironically, the Liffan people are so desperate to trade, yet so much needs to be imported that there is little to offer. Given that many craftsmen are so new to their skill and may lack the years of experience,  many mimic the crafts from Darkon and Nova Vaasa, producing cheap copies and knock-off products. Waves of cheap, supposedly "masterwork" Darkonian pottery are now being sold in ports across the Nocturnal Sea.

The Law: Liffe is the realm of Baron Lyron Evensong, a highborn bard who prizes his island's independance. The Baron dwells in an opulent manner in the small town of Claveria. Though he is seen every day, he never steps foot outside of his house, the farthest he goes is his front porch. So all edicts are issued from this porch, with visitors only rarely going inside his mansion. The Baron has instituted a code of morality in Liffe. Those who obey his moral code are free to otherwise do as they wish. Those who do not face stiff penalties; these are usually fines, but harsh offenders have been known to be brought to the Baron's home and have never been seen again.

Each of the towns in Liffe have a local constabulary to keep the piece. Constables are elected by the populace and they keep their position for life. When a constable dies, a new election is held. The towns of Liffe are ruled by a council of elders. These councils run the day-to-day affairs of their settlements, enforcing the Baron's edicts and moral code, arbitrating settlements, and levying taxes and fines.

Classes: Bards are the most prized citizens, though few of Liffe's population are born with the natural talent. Fighters are fairly common, and many serve in the local constabulary. Clerics are welcome, so long as their beliefs don't contradict Baron Evensong's moral edicts. Paladins are welcome here, unlike many other lands of the Core. Their code of honor and goodness pleases the Baron. Wizards, beguilers and sorcerers are distrusted, but respected. So long as they behave themselves and don't practice necromancy, they are allowed to dwell here. Rogues flaunt the Baron's moral edicts, and are not tolerated, yet they still are found here. Other classes are not known here.

Recommended Skills: Influence, Lore, Perform

Recommended Feats: Artist, Courteous Magocracy, Curse Song, Dodge, Empower Spell, Expertise, Extend Spell, Extra Music, Lingering Song, Maximize Spell, Mobility, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (lore), Skill Focus (perform), Weapon Focus (rapier)

Names:

-Liffan Male Names: Ardmor, Boyce, Estran, Gilos, Jakome, Ragnol, Tullus, Varian, Wat, Xanthus

-Liffan Female Names: Aldea, Catalin, Francesca, Gisele, Imogen, Marguerite, Ondyne, Serilda, Virdisia, Zezilia

Source: RR2 Book of Crypts, Domains of Dread, Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, Adventure Hook Bank from the Fraternity of Shadow's website (http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/)

[Bluebomber4evr]

Mordent

Cultural Level: Renaissance

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forest, marsh, plains

Major Settlements: Mordentshire (2,600)

Population: 5,500

Races: 99% Human, 1% Other

Languages: Mordentish, Falkovnian, Vaasi

Religions: Ezra, Hala

Government: Hereditary aristocracy

Ruler: Lord Jules Weathermay

Currency: mournepiece (gp), weepstone (sp), saltpenny (cp)

Resources: barley, wheat, hops, sheep, cattle, dairy, flounder, sole, sardines, lobsters, oysters, chalk, clay, ships

Diplomacy: trade and military alliance with Dementlieu, Richemulot, and Borca. Hostile towards Falkovnia.

The Land: Mordent is a bleak domain on the Core's western coast, a land of fishing hamlets and desolate, haunted moors. Tracks of dense forest still cover much of the countryside, alternating with low, foggy plains and rolling heaths. Stiff winds whistle across the eastern moors; some travelers have reported hearing chilling howls carried on the breezes. At night, curling fog creeps out of the moors and into the domain's decrepit graveyards.

Majestic ruined manors, crumbling and choked with dark ivy, loom out of the fog. Abandoned to the restless spirits of the moors, such estates are widely regarded as haunted, and the Mordentish know better than to investigate when a dim light is spotted in an upper window. In particular, they avoid the infamous House of Gryphon Hill, where the dread spirit of Lord Wilfred Godefroy lurks. Mordent's shore along the Sea of Sorrows is rocky and battered by cold winds, the rugged chalk cliffs rising up a hundred feet or more. Salt spray perpetually hangs in the air, and belligerent seagulls gather to snatch the bait of fishermen. It is in Mordent that the broad Arden River finally joins the Sea of Sorrows, at Arden Bay.

Mordent's seaside communities, huddled in the bitter ocean winds, are stoic clusters of shanties and venerable taverns. The whitewashed buildings are constructed with thick wooden frames, soft brick, and plaster. Wooden plank roofs grace the humble structures, gray and warped by the sea air. Every window and door is equipped with sturdy storm shutters. Narrow tin chimneys puff white smoke into the sky, and weather vanes spin frantically in the shifting winds. Twisting wooden staircases descend the steeper cliffs, providing access to the humble vessels moored along the docks below. Mordent is a gray, damp land, its temperatures moderated by the sea; extreme summers and winters are uncommon.

The Folk: The Mordentish people are fair-skinned. Common eye colors are blue, green, or gray. The most common hair colors are blond and brown, though many other hair colors are known among the Mordentish folk. Men either grow their hair long or cut it short. Those who grow it long tend to keep it in a ponytail or braid. Women grow their hair very long. Mordentish clothing is made of wool and kept very clean. Most men wear breeches with high socks and loose shirts, though nobles wear lacy shirts with an waistcoat over them. Women wear long dresses that flare at the bottom but fit tightly above the waist. Clothing colors are usually black, gray, or dark hues of blue, green, yellow and red. Jewelry is considered gaudy even amongst the nobles.

The Mordentish are simple and practical, highly prizing tradition and common sense. They are also highly superstitious, yet are not ruled by fear. They respect and avoid places they believe to be haunted, in order to keep the wrath of spirits at bay. The people of Mordent are always polite and friendly, yet reserved as well. They are known for their ability to get others to reveal a lot without revealing anything about themselves. Mordent is perhaps best well-known for being the home of the late, great Dr. Rudolph van Richten, an accomplished physician-turned-monster-hunter, who recently perished in a battle with his long-term nemesis.

The Law: Situated in the grand estate of Heather House, Lord Jules Weathermay, aging patriarch of the Weathermay family, rules Mordent with a light hand. He does not usually pronounce any laws, preferring instead to let the mayors and other civic servants of Mordent's villages run themselves. The villages elect their mayors from the male property owners, who are always reminded of how their decisions will affect the poor. The mayor of Mordentshire, Daniel Foxgrove, is Lord Weathermay's son-in-law. His daughters, Gennifer and Laurie, have decided to carry on in Dr. van Richten's footsteps. The Weathermays are the last of Mordent's noble families. The other families fell to tragedy and betrayal generations ago, and their decaying estates haunt Mordent's fog-choked moors. The most infamous of these haunted manors is the House on Gryphon Hill, once home to the Godefroy family until tragedy claimed them.

Races: Given the overwhelming racial makeup of the domain, one should perhaps not be surprised that most Mordentish heroes are human. The majority are drawn from fairly common stock, driven by wanderlust or tragedy to take up the adventurer's path, although a fair number of nobles looking for a diversion or to regain their family's glory can be found in this profession as well. Most foreign heroes in Mordent are sailors who arrive in the realm either at Arden Bay or through the Arden River traffic, though these points of access are by no means the only way for them to arrive. Of all the other races, only half-elves are represented often enough to count as any significant minority, and even they are few and far-between. Most other races avoid dwelling in Mordent for any length of time; or if they do, they form such a small number of the realm's adventuring population as to be essentially irrelevant.

Classes: Although one might consider it unlikely given their dour reputation, the Mordentish folk value bards highly as keepers of stories and traditions. The ability of a bard to entertain can help alleviate much of the tedium and depression that can wrack communities during the long winters spent around tavern fires.

With their strong devotion to Ezra, clerics are highly valued in Mordent as well, especially those who make a habit of laying to rest wandering spirits and other restless dead. Few druids are found here. Those that do exist associate themselves with the faith of Hala, keeping the true extent of their knowledge secret from their neighbors.

Many fighters come from the ranks of the common folk to help defend their towns against attacks by wildlife, brigands, and the occasional monstrous enemy. Rangers are slightly less common; those of Mordentish stock have few equals when dealing with their bogs, marshes, and other lowland areas. Paladins are extremely rare, given the somewhat fatalistic outlook of Mordentish folk as a whole, although those few that do emerge are accorded great respect by those who know of them.

Given Mordent's small, insular nature, rogues tend to stay constantly on the move. It does not take long for tales of their past to catch up to them or for the local folk to cast suspicious glances at the stranger from out of town when items go missing. A few live as highwaymen, striking from ambush and waylaying wealthy nobles in transit.

Not many wizards learn their craft in Mordent, and those that do tend to be nobles with the means to hire a private tutor, as no known academies of magical learning exist in this superstitious land. Sorcerers emerge infrequently and are often subject to a great deal of fear and abuse from their fellow townsfolk until they learn to control their gifts.

Native barbarians and monks are so rare as to be unheard of in Mordent; the local culture and history simply do not support either lifestyle very well.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Heal, Influence, Lore, Search, Spot

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Extra Turning, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Lore), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (flintlock, rapier)

Names:

-Mordentish Male Names: Alfred, Allan, Allistair, Andrew, Arthur, Benjamin, Brian, Charles, Christopher, Cyrus, Daniel, Douglas, Edward, Elias, Elijah, Francis, George, Giles, Henry, Hugh, Ian, Irving, Isaac, James, Jeremiah, Jonathan, Joseph, Lawrence, Martin, Matthew, Nathaniel, Neville, Nicholas, Oliver, Owen, Peter, Richard, Robert, Samuel, Silas, Simon, Stephen, Thaddeus, Theodore, Thomas, William

-Mordentish Female Names: Abigail, Alice, Alyson, Anne, Annabeth, Beth, Bridget, Candace, Charity, Chastity, Constance, Deborah, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Emily, Esther, Faith, Gennifer, Grace, Hannah, Helen, Hope, Jane, Judith, Julianne, Katharine, Lacey, Laurie, Lillian, Lucile, Lydia, Margaret, Martha, Mary, Mercy, Meredith, Nell, Patience, Prudence, Rebecca, Ruth, Sarah, Susanna, Tabitha, Virginia

-Mordentish Commoner Surnames: Abbot, Archer, Bennett, Brumfield, Capper, Carpenter, Chandler, Collier, Dodds, Dole, Emry, Fisher, Fletcher, Garrett, Golding, Laxon, Laydon, Lewis, Mutton, Powell, Post, Reade, Sexton, Smith, Sullivan, Sykes, Thatcher, Towtales, Unger, Ward, Weaver

-Mordentish Noble Surnames: Ambrose, Bayard, Creede, Denmarsh, Doyle, Fleming, Hotspur, Houlgrave, Galloway, Livingston, Midwinter, Radcliffe, Rodes-Taving, Rowantree, Saxon, Sickelmoore, Thornedale, Throgmorton, Uffington, Ulminster, Weston-Smythe, Wellington, Wickinson, Wyffrin

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer III

[Bluebomber4evr]

Nebligtode

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Cold

Terrain: Plains, Swamps, and Rocky Badlands (islands)

Major Settlements: Graben Village (1,900), Seeheim (300), Kirchenheim (300), Meerdorf (150)

Population: 2,800

Races: 99% Human, 1% Other

Languages: Grabenite, Vaasi

Religions: Ezra, Bane

Government: Feudal Plutocracy

Rulers: The Graben family

Currency: no coinage, trade conducted through barter

Resources: sheep, goats, cotton, oats, rye, wheat, flax, corn, wool, cod, herring, mackerel, lobsters, seals, talc, salt, ships

Diplomacy: Trade with Darkon, Nova Vaasa, Liffe, and Vechor. No political alliances

The Land: Graben Island is located approximately 75 miles off the coast of Lamordia, in the Sea of Sorrows. There are no landmasses visible from any portion of Graben Island. The climate of Graben Island is cold and harsh. Chilly ocean winds torment all sides of the island during all seasons of the year. The temperature never warms above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the height of the summer. Winter temperatures can easily reach -20 degrees. The island is shrouded in mist nearly every evening, varying from a light haze to thick fog with low visibility.

The island receives frequent, violent storms and is buried beneath many feet of snow in the winter. While the climate is difficult to live in, the storms nonetheless provide a steady source of fresh water.

The northwestern coast of Graben Island is a rocky bluff bordered by a short, rocky beach. The bluff is void of plant life except for some scrub grass and an occasional tree wedged between the rocks.

The village of Graben and the Graben family estate are contained in a bowl-like ravine where the river cuts through the bluff to reach the ocean. On both sides of the river, the bluff slopes steeply upward until it reaches the 300-foot height of the rest of the bluff. The northern end of the island is covered by rocky, rough terrain. Long, tough grass and some occasional hardy flowers grow in the hard soil. The land is used for grazing sheep and goats.

The land slopes gradually toward the southern end of the island. The midsection of the island is covered by prairie, with long grass, tumbleweeds, and many varieties of shrubs and wildflowers. It is home to a variety of small wildlife, including wild chickens, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, pheasants, quail, partridges and other birds and small mammals.

The southern end of the island consists of swamp and marshland. The ground is spongy and soft, virtually uninhabitable. Many of the typical swamp-dwelling creatures are absent, due to the cold climate. However, the swamps are home to otters, beavers, many species of snakes and frogs, owls and several species of birds.

The frequent rainfall on the island caused the formation of many flash-flood ravines. Along the ravines are dense pine forests, home to bears, wolves, cougars, rabbits, squirrels and many varieties of birds.

Two small, isolated farming villages, Seeheim and Kirchenheim, lie on the northern end of the island. They are nearly self-sufficient, but a few merchants in each village make occasional trips to Graben village for needed supplies. These villages are each home to approximately 300 people. The largest settlement on the island is the village of Graben. It is home to approximately 1,000 people. A fourth village lies on a small island to the west of the main island. Known as Knammen Island, its terrain matches that of the northern portion of Graben Island. The small village is home to 150 persons and is known as Meerdorf.

The island of Todstein is a rocky knoll located 60 miles to the west of Graben Island. The waters around the island for 50 yards are calm and placid, but outside that boundary for one mile, the waters are choppy and boiling. Despite a similar latitude to that of Graben Island, Todstein has a radically different climate. The climate of the island, for unknown reasons, is arctic. The temperature can drop to -60 degrees in the winter and reaches a maximum of 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. During the winter, snow falls every few days. Blizzards assault the island every two to three weeks. For this reason, the animals dig deep burrows and warrens, and they survive quite well despite the harsh climate.

The island is an igneous extrusion of an ancient, extinct volcano. This gives it a hard, stable base. A 20-foot layer of permafrost lies over the igneous base. Despite the extreme climate, the island is covered by pine forest and a variety of hardy evergreen shrubs growing and thriving right in the permafrost. Snowshoe hare, wolves, ptarmigan and a few other varieties of arctic creatures inhabit the island.

A wide beach rises gradually to meet the pine forest, which rises in a steep hill. The beach is sandy within 20 feet of the water, giving way to frozen sand, then permafrost, and finally the thick pines. The rest of the island looms 150 feet over the water in icy, treacherous cliffs. Except for the beaches, the rest of the island stands at a 150-foot elevation. Two mausoleums stand on the northern end of the island. They can be reached by following a snowy, narrow trail from either the western or eastern side of the island.

Except for the mausoleums and trails, the island appears to be untouched by civilization. Animal tracks are abundant, forming trails through the thick woods. Human tracks are discernible along the trails. They appear to be several days old. The tracks lead only to the mausoleums and do not lead anywhere else on the island.

The Folk: Nebligtodians are fair-skinned and fair-haired, with blonde the most common hair color. Typical eye color is blue, though green and gray are not unknown. Men grow their hair no longer than the shoulders, and facial hair is somewhat common. Women grow their hair fairly long, down to their hips on occasion, and usually tie it in a single long braid. Typical Nebligtodian garb is made of thick wool, to fend off the biting cold of the long winters. Men usually wear breeches and loose shirts with a woolen overcoat. Women usually wear sweaters and long skirts. Clothing colors are usually grays and browns, though members of the Graben family wear black with purple and deep blue. Jewelry is uncommon, though many women wear simple earrings and necklaces.

The residents of all the villages are a quiet, slightly suspicious people. They compose a tightly knit group, apprehensive of outsiders and strangers. They know their fellow villages very well and know the relatives and family trees of their neighbors as well as their own. The natives of Graben Island are primarily sheep and goat herders, though various grains such as wheat, rye, flax, and corn are grown in small fields in the prairie regions of the island. Many natives are employed as weavers, millers, and wool spinners. The people work hard, but they make a reasonably comfortable living in their harsh environment. The rough waters of the Nocturnal Sea surrounding this group of islands makes fishing a dangerous profession, but the since the deep waters are so near, boats need not venture far to land a large catch.

The Law: Settlement elders called deacons oversee governance of their villages with the mandate of the Grabens, who own all the land in Nebligtode. The Grabens were the first settlers on the islands and are descended from jewel merchants. Most of the older Grabens keep to themselves, but the younger family members are seen in the Village of Graben frequently. Four generations of the family live on the estate. The Graben family leaves most of the day-to-day affairs to the deacons of each village, only making direct rulings in the case of an emergency, which, aside from the flash-floods during the heavy rainy season, are fairly rare on these small islands. All villagers are essentially leasing their land from the Graben family. Most of the Grabens keep to themselves, and this suits the villagers just fine.

Classes: Fighters and rogues are the most common classes here. A few clerics have imported the religions of Ezra and the Lawgiver from the mainland, though they only have a small following here. A few rangers patrol the tiny wilderness of Graben Island, though druids are extremely rare. Bards are uncommon, but welcome, especially during the long, cold winters. Sorcerers are occasionally born, but few willingly take up the profession of wizards...those who practice arcane magic openly in Nebligtode have a tendency to disappear mysteriously. Other classes are unknown here.

Recommended Skills: Appraise

Recommended Feats: Dodge, Expertise, Weapon Focus (rapier)

Names:

-Nebligtodian Male Names: Alfred, Andreas, Arvid, Asmund, Barnabus, Bjřrn, Blaine, Colin, Danar, Driddam, Edvard, Egil, Erik, Ezekial, Gunnar, Halvard, Hans, Harald, Harvid, Henrik, Hiram, Horst, Ivar, Jeremiah, Jacob, Jarle, Johan, Jonas, Josef, Karl, Knut, Kristoffer, Kugan, Lars, Leif, Ludvig, Markus, Matthias, Metan, Mikkel, Nestor, Njord, Olaf, Olsain, Osvald, Řystein, Pieter, Ragnar, Roald, Rolf, Sigurd, Stymar, Sven, Thomas, Thor, Tobias, Torbjorn, Torvald, Vance, Viggo

-Nebligtodian Female Names: Adelheid, Anette, Anne-Lisbet, Araby, Astrid, Bergitte, Dina, Elena, Elisabeth, Emma, Eva, Geneel, Gerd, Gjertrud, Gudrun, Gunnhild, Hedvig, Hilde, Hjřrdis, Inga, Johanna, Josefina, Karolina, Kirsten, Kristianne, Lucretia, Madeline, Margaret, Marie, Marietta, Marta, Matilde, Mavis, Miriam, Olava, Nora, Petra, Ragnhild, Rebekka, Rosalee, Sigrid, Synnřve, Tova, Valbjorg, Yvonne

-Nebligtodian Surnames: Aasgaard, Abel, Ackerman, Alving, Andreassen, Arnesen, Berg, Bjoenkaer, Björnson, Böcklin, Bře, Bredesen, Brekke, Brřgger, Brote, Dahl, Dybendahl, Edvardsen, Eggen, Elvsted, Engstrand, Eriksen, Ertzgard, Fischer, Fjćrestad, Garborg, Gjeldnes, Grodas, Groenvold, Gundersen, Gwynn, Haarland, Hagen, Halvorsen, Hanevold, Hanssen, Heiberg, Henriksen, Heyerdahl, Ingstad, Jakobsen, Jensen, Johannessen, Karlsen, Kjřrsvik, Knutsen, Kristoffersen, Larsen, Loevaas, Lövborg, Ludwigsen, Mikkelsen, Mueller, Olsen, Rasmussen, Schrřder, Sjřvold, Skovgaard, Stellen, Stromm, Thomassen, Thorsen, Vincent

Source: RA2 Ship of Horror, Domains of Dread, Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting

[Bluebomber4evr]

Nova Vaasa

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Plains, forests, and hills

Major Settlements: Arbora (4,500), Bergovitsa (6,600), Egertus (3,800), Kantora (16,500), Liara (2,600).

Population: 67,700

Races: 91% Humans, 5% Halflings, 3% Gnomes, 1% Other

Languages: Vaasi, Halfling, Gnome, Balok, Darkonese, Falkovnian, Tepestani

Religions: Bane

Government: Hereditary Aristocracy

Ruler: Prince Othmar Bolshnik

Currency: bridle (gp), spur (sp), horseshoe (cp)

Resources: Wheat, corn, millet, barley, oats, rye, cabbage, beets, potatoes, apples, pears, sunflowers, hemp, flax, horses, chickens, cod, herring, wine, gypsum, amber, chalk, salt, leather goods, furniture, ships

Diplomacy: Mercantile relationships with Barovia, Darkon, Hazlan, Tepest, and the island nations of the Nocturnal Sea. Nova Vaasans dislike the Barovians' superstitious atheism, and like the Cult of the Morninglord even less--its message of hope for the downtrodden is the polar opposite of the dogma of Bane. Nova Vaasans admire Azalin's firm control of Darkon and have been eager trading partners with Darkon ever since the Great Upheaval. The people of Hazlan have a culture too alien for the Nova Vaasans, so much so that even their common language and religion does little to bring the two cultures together. The Tepestani people are considered beneath the Nova Vaasan's notice. Their "pagan" zealotry and wild, untamed lands would drive most Nova Vaasans away, were it not for Tepest's vast stores of timber and the possibility of a shortcut to Darkon through Keening.

The Land: Nova Vaasa, situated on a plateau in the southeastern Core, is a land dominated by sweeping grasslands and crushing urban poverty. The plains are rocky and trackless, but the grasses that cover them are short, tamed by the constant grazing of horses. The wind whistles eerily across the steppes, which are dotted with rocky uplands and copses. For the most part, however, the domain is exceptionally flat, stretching from the Balinok Mountains in the west to the Nocturnal Sea in the east. Crumbling stone ruins and humble horse ranches break up the landscape.

Broad rivers meander across Nova Vaasa's steppes, cutting deep gorges through the plateau where they reach the Nocturnal Sea. The domain enjoys access to numerous important waterways, including the Dnar, the Borchava, the Ivlis, and the Saniset. The eastern coast is rugged and adequate natural ports are rare; the flat plateau drops down to treacherous bluffs and narrow, rocky beaches.

Near settlements, the plains are cleared for vast farms needed to feed the domain's swelling population. The cities are nightmarish scenes of dreadful urban squalor. The streets throng with beggars, and the ditches are piled with refuse and plague-bloated corpses. The press of people and beasts of burden is positively suffocating. Buildings are constructed of reddish beige brick on foundations of rough gray stone, with tiny windows and gabled roofs of golden-yellow shingles. Nova Vaasa's weather can be brutal during winter, but spring always brings mild warmth and wildflowers.

The Folk: The people of Nova Vaasa are rugged, with average stature, wide hips, and stout limbs gained through generations of horsemanship. Their facial features include angular chins, prominent cheekbones, and wide, full-lipped mouths. Skin color is usually pale and ruddy, though pale olive or sallow skin are not unusual. Eye color is usually dark green or gray, while hair color ranges from dirty blond to black, with darker colors being more common. Women grow their hair straight and long, often past their waists, though young girls often tie their hair into braids. Men prefer to keep their hair cut just below the shoulder, and grow long mustaches, which the wax into stiff curls. Clothing varies by social class. The poor wear simple garments that are not maintained very well. Male commoners wear trousers and long shirts while female commoners wear blouses and culottes and cover their heads with kerchiefs. Commoner clothing is never dyed and is patched repeatedly. Most of the poor cannot even afford shoes, and instead wear cloth wrappings on their feet. Aristocrats stand out from the unwashed rabble in their meticulously kept and brightly colored clothing. Male nobles wear flared riding breeches, tall black boots, finely tailored coats trimmed with lace, neckerchiefs bearing their family crests, and felt caps. Female nobles wear velvet riding skirts, black boots, billowing blouses, and gauzy scarves trimmed with tinkling bells. The clothing of the nobility is often dyed in vibrant shades of red, blue, and purple, with stripes and spiral patterns being popular.

The class divide in Nova Vaasa is wide and deeply entrenched. The poor are the vast majority of the population. They are truly destitute and miserable, afflicted by hunger, disease, and crime. The comparatively tiny aristocracy is immensely wealthy. Five families - the Bolshniks, Chekivs, Hiregaards, Rivtoffs, and Vistins - own nearly all the property in the vast country. A very small middle class has arose in recent years, comprised of civil servants, merchants, and underworld types. Despite its wealth and size, Nova Vaasa has the feeling of a society in decline. The overpopulated cities are rife with violence and vice. The nobility becomes increasingly wealth on the backs of the poor masses. The poor are only concerned with surviving and drowning their sorrows in vices. Most of the nobility is arrogant, believing the common people to be little more than subhuman beasts of burden to be used and abused at whim. One would think that in such a society rebellion and unrest would be commonplace, but the dogma of Bane forbids such actions, thus the status quo is maintained in Nova Vaasa.

The Law: Prince Othmar Bolshnik, patriarch of the Bolshnik family, is the current ruler of Nova Vaasa. Nova Vaasan tradition had the nation's mantle of leadership be passed to the head of each noble family every five years, called the Ordained Cycle of Stewardship, though Prince Othmar has refused to relinquish his title after twenty-eight years as prince. This has caused considerable tension among the other four noble families of Nova Vaasa, but Othmar's formidable military and political power has grown so great that none dare oppose him. Othmar is vain and ruthless, focused on making his family the most powerful of all the noble families, as well as maintaining the status quo in Nova Vaasan society. Each of the noble families rule their lands independently, only rarely paying tribute to Othmar. Most of the noble families rule harshly and without mercy nor pity, though the Hiregaard family treats its commoners relatively fairly.

Law and justice do not truly exist in Nova Vaasa, and there is little recourse if one is wronged criminally. The cities and plains of Nova Vaasa are largely lawless, with cities having a weak and mostly ineffectual civil government, run by people hand-picked by the local nobility. Each noble family has its own militia, though the Bolshnik family's forces are equal to that of a full-blown army. The closest thing Prince Othmar has to a rival is the criminal mastermind known as Malken. This shadowy figure is said to control all illicit activity in Nova Vaasa, and is practically a bogeyman of sorts to the poor and downtrodden of the realm.

Races: Thanks in no small part to the influence of the Church of the Lawgiver, Nova Vaasa is an unashamedly racist domain. Nonhuman races are believed to be cursed with degenerate forms for the sins of their past, and thus nonhumans are seen as innately corrupt, both physically and spiritually. Large pockets of dwarves, gnomes and halflings live in Nova Vaasa, mostly confined to racial ghettoes in the larger cities. The laws of the land prohibit "fraternization" between races, so inter-racial social interactions are limited and kept as brief as possible.

Classes: Clerics, fighters and rogues are the most common classes in Nova Vaasa. Almost all clerics are devoted to the Lawgiver and receive a high degree of respect and deference. Other clerics are in danger of harassment or imprisonment if their faith is revealed. Fighters and rogues can be found in all corners of the domain, with rogues being especially common in the cities. Rangers are uncommon, but their skills are highly valued; nobles often employ them to help watch over their horse herds or to keep plains cats from wandering into their land tracts. Bards are uncommon in Nova Vaasa due to the general distrust of arcane magic; most artists and musicians in the domain are mere experts. Those bards who do reside in or visit Nova Vaasa focus on recitation and poetry and keep their arcane talents well concealed. Druids, sorcerers and wizards are all equally despised and rarely encountered. Barbarians and monks are virtually unknown.

Recommended Skills: Animal Empathy, Antagonize, Appraise, Lore, Perform, Sleight of Hand

Recommended Feats: Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Animal Empathy), Toughness, Weapon Focus (heavy flail, heavy pick, lance, longspear, morningstar, scimitar)

Names:

-Nova Vaasan Male Names: Andor, Christer, Erik, Fraanse, Gunnar, Ivaar, Konraad, Mikaal, Olav, Rudolf, Tor, Ulf, Viggo, Warnaar

-Nova Vaasan Female Names: Anja, Dagmar, Else, Grete, Helena, Inge, Lucia, Magda, Marta, Sofie, Thora, Ulla, Vanja, Vita

-Nova Vaasan Surnames: Andersen, Arneborg, Assenbjerg, Bakhvalova, Balcerowicz, Bartoszak, Bekker, Berthelsen, Bonnikson, Borniski, Borzykowski, Brandhorst, Chichlowski, Ciesinski, Claussen, Czernin, Damsgaard, Dembowski, Didenksen, Dlugopolski, Domaszewski, Dziewanowski, Ebel, Ejlersgaard, Eldjárn, Ellegaard, Eriksen, Ernst, Fallingborg, Fredskild, Gasioworski, Gimsing, Golota, Gorczinski, Gospodyni, Gram, Gruntvig, Grzybowska, Guildenstern, Guldbrandsen, Halkenhvad, Hannestad, Heintze, Helveg, Hjelmslev, Hřrby, Holowczyc, Hvass, Hviid, Hylgaard, Iglikowski, Jakkelsen, Jankowski, Jaworski, Johannsen, Kalendovsky, Kantorowicz, Kapuscinski, Karseffni, Kasprowicz, Kaustrop, Kieslowski, Kjeldsen, Kjölbye, Kobolowski, Kolakowski, Korzeniowski, Kowalski, Kruhl, Krzyzanowski, Kwiatkowski, Langvardt, Laursen, Lenska, Leszczynska, Lewinsky, Lundgaard, Malewski, Malinowski, Matschewski, Mazurkiewicz, Meindl, Mikkelsen, Mleczko, Moesgaard, Nowak, Nylén, Olrik, Olszewki, Olynyk, Ostgerg, Paderewski, Partyka, Peplinski, Pilegaard, Piotkowski, Pitowski, Podivinsky, Pollack, Prazmowski, Przybyiski, Rasmussen, Riis, Roesdahl, Rogowski, Rohrmann, Rřnne, Rosenkrantz, Rozycki, Schjonberg, Sellevold, Skaarup, Skovgaard, Skrowaczewski, Slowacki, Sokolowski, Sřrensen, Staszewska, Svendsen, Szymanowski, Teglbjaerg, Thodberg, Thyregod, Tobolowsky, Toksvig, Turnau, Urbansky, Vanska, Wajda, Wieghorst, Wisniewski, Zbigniew, Ziomkowski, Zinck

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer V

[Bluebomber4evr]

Richemulot

Cultural Level: Chivalric

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests, Hills, Plains

Major Settlements: Mortigny, Pont-ŕ-Museau, Ste. Ronges

Population: 45,330

Races: 93% Humans, 5% Halflings, 1% Half-Vistani, 1% Other

Languages: Mordentish, Balok, Falkovnian, Halfling, Vaasi, Darkonese

Religions: Ezra, Hala

Government: Hereditary aristocracy

Ruler: Jacqueline Renier

Currency: scandal (gp), secret (sp), rumor (cp)

Resources: Wheat, oats, barley, apples, potatoes, dairy, cloth, furniture, leather, ceramics, glass, weapons, iron and tin goods

Diplomacy: Trade and military alliance with Dementlieu, Mordent, and Borca. Hostile towards Falkovnia. Neutral towards Verbrek

The Folk: Richemuloise are short, but wiry and athletic. Skin tones are fair, and eye colors are typically blue, green, or gray. Hair colors range from honey blonde to dark brown, with black only seen in noble families. Both genders wear their hair long, with men keeping theirs in a ponytail or braid. Excessive facial hair is considered barbaric, but thin, well-groomed mustaches are acceptable. Dress is uniformly comfortable and neat throughout the social spectrum. Both genders wear loose shirts, which men keep open during the warmer months. In terms of legwear, men wear baggy trousers while women wear knee-high skirts. Standard footwear consists of high, hard-soled boots. Clothes are usually patterned or decorated, with colors of white, gray, or beige. Jewelry is rarely worn, even amongst the nobility.

Unlike their Dementlieuse neighbors, the Richemuloise are down-to-earth and practical, and care nothing for superficialities such as rank and social status. They believe that a man's significance is defined by what he knows--his skills and knowledge, and how he applies those assets. This attitude has created a remarkably unstratified society. Richemulot's large cities have no grubby beggars nor opulent nobles. It as if the whole of the population is moderately comfortable. Property ownership is not a mark of social status, and any family can take up residence in an abandoned building and call it home. Unlike many other nations in the Land of Mists, Richemulot has a large immigrant population, as folk flee from oppression and poverty in their homelands to seek opportunity and free property in the nation's cities.

It is information that defines the nobility of Richemulot. While the nobility is hereditary, the aristocratic families hold their power in the form of information, which is brokered and exchanged like a commodity among the Richemuloise elite. A cobbler who happens upon a secret can become a noble overnight if he knows how to properly use his influence. The intrigues of Richemuloise courtly life are dizzying in their complexity, and few outsiders could keep up with either their nuances or pace. Trading in knowledge can be a lethal pursuit, however, as more than one noble has buried a secret forever with a dagger or vial of poison.

The Law: The most powerful noble family in Richemulot is the Renier family, informally ruled by its matriarch, Jacqueline Renier. She is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant and ruthless nobles in Richemulot, and few of her subjects would argue that their nation's fate could be in more capable hands. While Jacqueline is undeniably conniving and conceited, her strong patriotic streak and firm vision for the future of Richemulot serves her nation and her subjects well. She encourages outsiders to settle in her nation, asking only that they own a weapon and swear fealty to Richemulot. There are no formal militias, but Jacqueline expects all of her subjects to defend Richemulot should it ever be invaded.

Daily life in Richemulot is controlled by the hereditary nobility. Aristocrats arbitrate civil disputes and regulate trade, and enforcers retained by individual noble families keep the peace. The nobility exercises its power only lightly; power is a transitory thing in Richemulot, and few families wish to risk overstepping their bounds and become disgraced by vicious rumors.

Races: Humans predominate in Richemulot, though halflings and half-Vistani also dwell in the domain in small numbers. Other races are almost always refugees or their descendants. The Richemuloise tend to accept nonhumans into their society more readily than other folk, though they feel that this openness gives them carte blanche to treat such outsiders with persistent, "good-natured" cruelty.

Classes: Bards, beguilers, clerics, fighters, rogues, and wizards are the most common classes in Richemulot. All are regarded with esteem in at least some circles of Richemuloise society, though beguilers, rogues and wizards must be wary of the jealous, vindictive nobility. Druids and rangers are rare in a land with such an urban character, though occasionally a brave ranger devotes himself to the urban wilderness of back alleys and labyrinthine sewers. Paladins are equally scarce, often beginning their lives as mad street corner prophets. Sorcerers are much rarer in Richemulot than in neighboring realms, and those who do exist seem to prefer solitude. Barbarians and monks are practically unknown.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Appraise, Disguise, Hide, Influence, Listen, Move Silently, Spot

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Expertise, Iron Will, Point Blank Shot, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Influence), Spell Focus (Divination), Still Spell, Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, musket, rapier, sap, short sword)

Names:

-Richemuloise Male Names: Arnaud, Bernart, Crespin, Esteve, Folcaut, Gauderic, Jaufres, Lambert, Michels, Peirol, Raimond, Sicart, Thibaud, Vicenc, Xavier

-Richemuloise Female Names: Aidelina, Beatriz, Cecile, Danielle, Elianor, Felise, Garsenda, Heloise, Isolina, Lilianne, Margalida, Nicole, Reina, Sibille, Verinne

-Richemuloise Surnames: Adriaenssens, Ambre, Amelotte, Appelmans, Audenaert, Balanque, Barbieur, Batte, Berndeux, Blacque, Blondeau, Boenne, Bollens, Bonacieux, Callioux, Camerier, Cathoir, Coppenol, De Beul, De Bilde, De Maere, De Wilde, Debergé, Deflandre, Demeuleneire, D'Haenens, D'Hondt, Donnadieu, Dupon, Engels, Falličres, Fauchlevent, Felix, Flambeau, Fraigneau, Galliene, Gareau, Gatteaux, Gielen, Godignon, Grosbelhomme, Heirbaut, Higounet, Huygens, Jobert, La Pérouse, Lapierre, Lapôtre, Le Goyet, Lerminie, Lesclide, Loef, Loubens, Malisse, Mercator, Michielssens, Mirabeau, Mortier, Pallegoix, Pasquier, Penneman, Picavet, Provost, Rivette, Rogiers, Rotthier, Thernadier, Tilleman, Van Brussel, Van Damme, Van de Velde, Van de Walle, Van Haute, Van Poele, Vermeiren, Villevieille

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer III

[Bluebomber4evr]

Sithicus

Cultural Level: Medieval; Wild Elves are Stone Age

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests and hills

Major Settlements: Har-Thelen (500), Hroth (900), Mal-Erek (500)

Population: 4,300

Races: Elves 96%, Half-Elves 2%, Humans 1%, Other 1%

Languages: Sithican, Vaasi, Balok, Mordentish

Religions: Ezra, Hala

Government: Despotic monarchy and aristocracy

Ruler: Azrael Dak

Currency: rose (gp), crown (sp), sword (cp)

Resources: oats, cabbage, carrots, turnips, peppers, squash, peaches, grapes, sheep, goats, wine, spirits, timber, furs, salt, gems, crystal, cloth

Diplomacy: Heavy trade with Kartakass. Hostile towards Invidia and Valachan

The Land: Sithicus, located in the southwestern Core, is a shattered elven kingdom, perhaps the only domain in the Land of Mists populated primarily by nonhumans. As might be expected, it is a land of ancient forests where the dense, leafy boughs above blot out the sun. The wilds are overgrown and treacherous, reeking constantly of wet decay and sickly-sweet resin. Patches of briars and nettles form dense snarls, and the forest floor is slick with rotting leaves and moss. Mottled ivy and gray ferns grow everywhere, and pools of fetid water gather algae in the hollows. Fallen logs litter the understory, encrusted with florid, poisonous fungi. Rocky uplands peek out of the sweeping forest landscape here and there, providing roosts for great, russet eagles.

The Musarde River and its tributaries cut through the domain's gently rolling terrain. Near the center of the domain is the jagged maw of the Great Chasm. Out of this sheer canyon rises a black peak topped by the ruins of Nedragaard Keep, the fortress of Sithicus' dwarven tyrant. Shattered three years ago in the Hour of Screaming Shadows, the cracked ruins now jut from the earth like blackened teeth. Ravens wheel forlornly about the towering shards, and some elves swear they have glimpsed mournful shades drifting around the ruins at night.

Elegant architecture was once prized by the elves of Sithicus, but today the domain's settlements are crumbling. The wondrous elven wood and crystal masonries are neglected and covered with ivy. Twisting towers of living wood are blighted with insect galls and rot, and the gardens stand choked with thistles and brambles. Roads that once glittered like an evening sky are dull and crumbling. The arcane libraries slowly rot under an assault of mildew and silverfish, yet the elven wizards seem oblivious. Temples to forgotten gods are charred and blasted as if from lightning, the holy names stricken.

The climate in Sithicus is temperate but mild. Although the sun often blazes cruelly in the late summer months, the elves are sheltered by the cool shadows of the forest.

The Folk: Sithicus is unique among the realms of the Land of Mists in that its population is almost entirely non-human. The dominant race here is the elves, though Sithican elves are very different than the elves found elsewhere in the world. The elves here are grim and dreary, their love of nature and beauty replaced with a solemn apathy. They are highly arrogant; they treat humans with the contempt that non-humans receive in other nations, but the Sithican's contempt extends to other non-humans and even non-Sithican elves. The elves of Sithicus live in constant denial. Their culture is visibly crumbling away before their very eyes, yet they firmly cling to age-old traditions that no longer seem to have any meaning. Hair color tends to be silver and eyes are usually amber in color.

The elves dress in drab colors, often dull shades of white, beige, ash, and gray-green. There are rumors among the elves of a xenophobic tribe of halfling-like beings called "kender" dwelling in the northeaster hills of Sithicus, but the elves believe it is a haunted region and avoid it whenever possible. Also in that same region live the wild elves. The wild elves are polar opposites to the "civilized" elves in this land. They are feral and primordial, dress in furs and let their hair grow wild. They tattoo themselves and partake in ritual scarification. There are rumors that they even resort to cannibalism in the belief this will make them purer elves.

The Law: Until very recently, Sithicus was ruled under the iron fist of the death knight Lord Loren Soth, Knight of the Black Rose. Soth had no compunctions about revealing his undead status to the world, and used it to strike fear into the populace. He hated the elves and kept them under his thumb with his sorcerous powers. In 752 BC, during a confrontation with the forces of Malocchio Aderre's Invidian troops, a wave of wailing shadows smashed Soth's fortress Nedragaard Keep, apparently destroying him. Soth's seneschal, the dwarf Azrael Dak, immediately proclaimed himself King of Sithicus.

Azrael has ruled erratically since then, appearing periodically in the elven cities to demand tribute and mercilessly slaughtering any who displease him. Azrael backs his power up by a host of undead troops and a secret police force known as the "politskarae." The elven aristocracy, however, remains a potent and stabilizing force on the government. Each of the three cities has a council of aristocratic elders. This council appoints and advises a leader called the Lord Speaker, who in turn answers to Azrael. The councils follow a complex set of elven traditions, and follow King Azrael's edicts in appearance only. When Azrael demands they change their rules to follow his, the elven councils resort to endless debate in an effort to delay. Given Azrael's short attention span, this tactic usually works, and the council then continues about their business without changing their ways. Azrael, however, often plays upon the rivalries of the three cities' councils, and thus maintains at least some measure of control. Aside from the councils, each elven city has a house for each role and task in their society. The noble, wizard, and ranger houses are the most powerful and prestigious.

Races: Most Sithicans are elves, with smatterings of humans, half-Vistani, halflings and a growing population of half-elves. Sithicans are met with derision and hatred by the humans outside their borders and thus return the favor within their realm. While “true” Sithicans are disdainful, if not outright rude, to any foreigners and non-elves within their borders, PCs may be exempt from such racist behavior. Yet even they are growing concerned and fearful of the bitterkinder, the fastest-growing population of "new" Sithicans.

Classes: Druids, fighters, paladins, rangers and wizards are the most common classes in Sithicus. In a desperate attempt to better understand the land Sithicans have finally chosen to inhabit, there is a growing trend among the elves to embrace the path of the druid. Acting as guardians of the forests, druids protect the woods from elf or human intervention. They serve as a medium between the land of spectres and elfkind, although some turn toward evil as they struggle with and misinterpret the nature they so desperately try to understand.

Rangers are also highly respected, though not numerous. They protect the travelers passing through the elven forests, while both druids and rangers act as intermediaries between folk and nature.

A select few from the growing numbers of halflings have turned to the life of the paladin, as younglings born to halflings who escaped with their lives have not grown up under the grim rule of the Black Rose. Wizards are also a growing number as more of them reveal themselves. Without the sorcerous presence of the Black Rose, many who studied for years in secret are slowly practicing their craft in public.

Recommended Skills: Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Search, Spellcraft, Spot

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Unarmed Strike, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Lore), Skill Focus (Move Silently), Weapon Focus (dagger, handaxe, longbow, longsword, quarterstaff, shortbow, spear)

Names:

-Sithican Male Names: Aramil, Aust, Avonathalonus, Eberk, Enialis, Falindrithan, Heian, Hemo, Ivellios, Jahran, Kardanon, Laucian, Lothas, Maravallon, Pellarin, Quarion, Quimathon, Ruric, Silvanas, Terevalis, Thamior, Tharivol, Veit

-Sithican Female Names: Aleaha, Anastrianna, Antinua, Artin, Diesa, Drusila, Felosial, Ielenia, Ilde, Ladine, Lia, Lisindrela, Maleesa, Nemetranee, Qillathe, Raenavalona, Roselenna, Serinda, Silaqui, Telisina, Thyanel, Valanthe, Xanaphia

-Sithican Surnames: Althonos, Caladon, Calostin, Dralathalas, Kaldeist, Lanthaloran, Oakleaf, Rathenas, Starbreeze, Takmarin

-Sithican Houses: Advocate, Cleric, Gardener, Mason, Metalline, Mystic, Noble, Protector, Ranger, Servitor, Wizard, Woodshaper

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer IV, Dragonlance 3rd Edition Campaign Setting

[Bluebomber4evr]

Tepest

Cultural Level: Early Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forest and hills

Major Settlements: Briggdarrow (300), Kellee (3,700), Viktal (3,600).

Population: 15,500 (Approximately 3,000 goblins)

Races: 99% Human, 1% Other

Languages: Tepestani, Darkonese, Goblin, Sylvan, Vaasi

Religions: Belenus, Ezra, Bane

Government: Aristocratic and theocratic independent settlements

Ruler: none

Currency: no currency, trade conducted through barter

Resources: barley, wheat, oats, turnips, potatoes, pears, sheep, goats, hogs, dairy, sturgeon, pike, peat, timber, gypsum, beer

Diplomacy: Tepest's isolation, even prior to the Great Upheaval, has kept it from having extensive contact with other nations. The nation's only contact with the outside world are through the East Timor Road and South Dnar River, both leading into Nova Vaasa. Tepest's forests hold a fearsome reputation that discourages travel along the East Timor Road, and the recent paranoia and hysteria sweeping through the nation give few outsiders any reason to conduct business with Tepest. There is limited trade with Nova Vaasa.

The Land: The domain of Tepest is a land of dark, menacing forests where the folk are beset by malicious, creeping evils and paranoid hysteria. These woodlands are eerie, preternatural places where shadows persist throughout the day and wisps of fog cling to the ground. The ancient trees are gnarled and grotesque, their branches and roots seeming to grasp at interlopers. Toadstools and mosses carpet the muddy ground, and weird sounds echo through the thickets. The forests seem sinister even by the light of day, and at night they teem with flickering shadows, glinting yellow eyes, and the eerie glow of St. Elmo's fire.

Travelers sometimes stumble upon unnatural copses of trees that are perpetually wrapped in spring bloom, autumn color, or winter snow. Rivers and the East Timori Road divide the forests, and the Tepestani have names for them all - Wytchwood, Brujamonte, Goblinwood, and so forth. The black waters of Lake Kronov, in western Tepest, provide easy fishing throughout the year, as they never freeze over completely. Fishermen must keep a watchful eye out for the water monster known as the Avanc and avoid the haunted shores of Castle Island.

Villages are cozy little points of light amid the forest gloom. Most buildings in the domain are crudely constructed of smooth stones. The conical roofs are thatched with hay or peat, with central, wobbly chimneys. The humblest homes are merely sod huts built atop shallow pits. Nobles, meanwhile, dwell in grim keeps that are little more than featureless monoliths of stone surrounded by wicked palisades. The domain's most beautiful structures are the small stone temples dedicated to Belenus. The splendid chapels are open to the sky, as if anticipating a glimpse of the god's face through the ashen sky. Stylized stone images of Belenus's solar disc adorn villages throughout the domain.

Tepest's climate is temperate but moderate; truly brutal winters or scorching summers are unusual. Most days are overcast and foggy, the sun shining weakly through the gray haze.

The Folk: Tepestanis are muscular and handsome, if a bit short. Their fair skin often has freckles. Eye color is typically green or blue. Hair color ranges from strawberry blond to brown, though most are redheads. Men cut their hair just above the shoulder while women grow their hair to exceptional lengths. Most men have beards and moustaches. Tepestanis wear clothing that is simple and durable. The men wear trousers and baggy shirts and the women wear long skirts and blouses. Both wrap themselves in dense, layered furs during the winter. Clothing colors tend to be earth tones such as brown or dark green.

The Tepestani take pleasure in hard work and the simple joys of life, such as family, food, and music. While they consider toil and hardship to be sacred facets of life, they are also a passionate people. The typical Tepestani calendar has many festivals and holidays featuring song, dance, and spirits. The Tepestani are also extremely superstitious and fearful, moreso than even the Barovians. They are particularly terrified of the goblins that infest Tepest's forests, whom the Tepestani refer to as "little beasties." They also greatly fear the fey. They view all of the inhabitants of the forest as unholy magical beings bent on destroying civilization. While the Tepestani used to huddle in fear from these monsters, they now respond with sword and flame, led in their crusade by the clerics of Belenus. The Tepestani have begun to see signs of evil everywhere, even amongst their families and friends. This paranoia has caught a few malicious creatures, but has destroyed a great many innocents in the process.

The Law: The people of Tepest are united by their culture, rather than by a formal government. Each settlement is independently administered by a council of wealthy elder males. They govern with relative impunity, though they only act when in unanimous agreement. The clerics of Belenus have a significant influence of these councils in most settlements, an influence which has grown in recent years, as the crusade to save Tepest from evil has intensified. The clerics root out suspected evildoers and quickly convene tribunals to interrogate and sentence them. These hasty trials often cause a domino effect of accusations as the guilty try to shift the blame to others. The head of the Church of Belenus is Wyan of Viktal. He is a severe man who unflinchingly takes drastic measures when cleansing a village of evil.

Races: Tepest's population is from a near-total homogenous ethnic group, with the exception of a tiny number of half-Vistani on the outskirts of the settlements and a small number of Nova Vaasan woodsmen and their families on the edges of the forest.

Classes: Fighters and rangers are the most common heroic classes in Tepest. Fighters are typically devoted to defending their families and communities, while rangers focus mostly on hunting, trapping and protecting loggers or members of the Inquisition as they move from settlement to settlement. Tepestani rangers usually choose goblins as their first favored enemy, with a type of fey being their second choice.

Since the beginning of the Inquisition, a growing number of Tepestani have entered the service of the gods, so an increasing number of clerics dwell within Tepest's forests. Most of them serve the mighty Belenus, although a few serve other deities in the pantheon. A smaller, extremely militant arm of Belenus' clergy has emerged in Kellee in the last couple of years: paladins. Still uncommon, they are quickly gaining respect among the common folk and the Inquisition alike. There is also a small, extremely secretive coven devoted to Hala living in a tiny community on the far shores of the Blackmist River. They are devoted enemies of the hags that menace Tepest. Small churches devoted to Ezra and the Lawgiver have been founded in Kellee within the past decade. While they are headed by an ever changing selection of experienced clergy from Nova Vaasa and parts more distant, the tiny flocks are starting to produce local clerics of the deities as well. The clergy of Ezra has fairly good relations with the Inquisition of Belenus, while the Lawgiver's priests scoff at the ignorant peasants and their foolish superstitions.

By tradition, at least one bard and his or her apprentice live in each of the domain's major settlements. The bards are responsible for maintaining an oral history of their community. In recent years, clerics of Belenus have encouraged the bards of Tepest to focus their efforts more on chronicling the deeds of the domain's holy warriors and the misdeeds of the fey, saying that these are the only events worth passing down through the generations. As in most domains, however, Tepestani bards tend to be free spirits, so as the clergy tries to force more control upon them, apprentices quit their masters' tutelage and seek freedom and livelihood in the alien lands beyond the forests of their birth. The Inquisition is grows ever more suspicious of bards, particularly those who augment their performances with magic; if these bards weren't allies of fey, wouldn't they be more dedicated to preserving a record of the Inquisition's deeds and the defeat the fey suffer at its hands?

Sorcerers are rare in Tepest, and they fall almost exclusively into the category of Redheads, while wizards are practically unheard of. Those Tepestani who feel a pull toward the magical arts tend to leave their homeland and seek their fortunes elsewhere. If they return, it is only for short visits, for every spellcaster who isn't a priest of Belenus or other gods from his pantheon, or a well-known local bard, is viewed with potentially violent hostility and is automatically suspected of being one of the fey in human guise. Natural sorcerers, such as Redheads, are often found in the ranks of the Inquisition these days. A rare few of them also sometimes live as hermits in the forest, occasionally becoming allies of the Witches of Hala in the southwestern part of the domain.

Rogues do not find Tepest a welcoming place. Those of larcenous bent discover that there is very little worth stealing and that the penalties if caught are so severe it's not worth the risk. Rogues who tend to stay on the right side of the law find even less to do in the domain as rangers fill their traditional roles far more effectively in the wild woods and primitive settlements.

Recommended Skills: Animal Empathy, Heal, Influence, Listen, Lore, Perform, Spot

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Back to the Wall, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Lore), Toughness, Warding Gesture, Weapon Focus (throwing axe)

Names:

-Tepestani Male Names: Abban, Berrin, Brion, Brock, Brogan, Calvagh, Cassair, Colm, Cormac, Cobb, Cuinn, Declan, Dermot, Desmond, Donal, Donagh, Dougal, Eamon, Ellis, Ernan, Eunan, Fearghal, Fergus, Fian, Finn, Garvan, Gilligan, Hewith, Keane, Kevin, Killian, Lawton, Liadan, Lochlan, Loman, Mullen, Murtagh, Murray, Murphy, Nashe, Neil, Nealon, Ogan, Onghus, Oran, Oscar, Ossian, Patrick, Rafe, Reardan, Rion, Ronan, Rory, Ross, Rowan, Seamus, Shea, Tiernan, Torin, Ultan, Whitten, Wyun

-Tepestani Female Names: Aisling, Ana, Blinne, Breda, Brigid, Brona, Bryonna, Canice, Cara, Darina, Derval, Doreen, Deirdre, Eileen, Enya, Evgren, Evlin, Finnat, Fiona, Fionella, Hespra, Jocelyn, Kaylin, Keeva, Keira, Kira, Maeve, Maren, Maureen, Melissa, Moira, Molly, Muriel, Myrna, Nemon, Nessa, Nora, Noreen, Orla, Rathnait, Renny, Riona, Rosaleen, Rose, Sheeva, Siobhan, Slaney, Sondra, Tallula, Tara, Teafa, Tressa, Una

-Tepestani Surnames: Aiken, Anglum, Armitage, Athey, Baggett, Bain, Baird, Ballagh, Barrett, Beatty, Bernan, Berrigan, Beyers, Blaire, Blake, Blevins, Boland, Bolger, Bourns, Brann, Brislane, Brosnan, Brynnock, Bourke, Byrne, Callahan, Clune, Cochrane, Colgan, Collings, Conaghan, Connolly, Conroy, Corliss, Cornynn, Corrigan, Cosgrove, Crowley, Cullen, Darby, Darragh, Davoran, Dempsey, Dillon, Doherty, Donlan,  Doyle, Egan, Fallon, Farnan, Fitzpatrick, Gallivan, Gavaghan, Gilbride, Glennon, Guinness, Healy, Hennessy, Hough, Kilbride, Kilcash, Kilcullen, Kilgannon, Kilgore, Kilkelly, Lanaghan, Lennox, Lydon, Lynagh, Lynam, Lynch, MacAindris, MacAteer, MacAuley, MacCiochain, MacCochlann, MacCruddan, MacCune, Malone, Nolan, O'Bannon, O'Blighe, O'Boyle, O'Camdhain, O'Carolan, O'Casey, O'Cassidy, O'Connattan, O'Connell, O'Conor, O'Creedan, O'Cunnigan, O'Daly, O'Discin, O'Donaghue, O'Donnell, O'Donavan, O'Dugan, O'Driscoll, O'Dwyer, O'Faherty, O'Farrell, O'Finan, O'Flynn, O'Foley, O'Hagen, O'Halloran, O'Hanlon, O'Hanrahan, O'Hart, O'Herlihy, O'Hearn, O'Horrigan, O'Keane, O'Keefe, O'Kelaghan, O'Leahy, O'Leary, O'Mahony, O'Neill, O'Reilly

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer V

[Bluebomber4evr]

Valachan

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests and Hills

Major Settlements: Helbenik (3,500), Rotwald (4,400), Ungrad (1,500).

Population: 19,100

Races: 97% Human, 2% Gnome, 1% Other

Languages: Vaasi, Mordentish, Gnome, Sithican

Religions: Yutow, Ezra, Hala

Government: Aristocratic Monarchy

Ruler: Baron Urik von Kharkov

Currency: pantherhead (gp), cateye (sp), claw (cp)

Resources: Wheat, barley, hops, cherries, apples, peas, flower bulbs, hogs, sheep, dairy, salmon, trout, timber, furs, gold, copper, bows, furniture

Diplomacy: Hostile towards Sithicus and Verbrek. No formal diplomatic relations with any other nation, but trade exists between Valachan and Mordent.

The Land: Nestled in the southwestern Core, Valachan is a rugged domain blanketed by lush evergreen forests and prowled by fearsome black panthers. The trees are ancient and massive, shrouded by cool fog and a thick beard of mosses. Eerie hoots and growls echo through the hollows, and the chill air is heavy with the primeval scent of damp redwoods. Although the shadowy understory is dotted with low, dewy ferns, travel is difficult due to the treacherous terrain. Ridges and narrow canyons wind their way through the domain, providing concealment for skulking predators. Rocky streams flow eastward toward the Arden River, their whitewater rapids teeming with fish.

Villages are densely clustered in Valachan, bustling pockets of industriousness amid the eldritch wilderness. The windowless buildings are constructed of heavy logs or planks, with gabled roofs shingled in black slate. Large, single-room lodges are common even among wealthy nobles, who take great pride in their cavernous abodes and encourage villagers to socialize within. Structures are decorated with elaborate, stylized carvings of panthers, bears, wolves, and ravens.

Heraldry is important to the Valachani, and homes are proudly adorned with the matriarch's insignia. Baron von Kharkov's Castle Pantara, in contrast to the inviting homes of his subjects, is a menacing fortress of charcoal-gray stone. Although temperate, the Valachan's climate is exceedingly wet, with heavy rainfall throughout the year. Temperatures are moderate through all seasons, but sweltering summers occur occasionally.

The Folk: The Valachani are tall and muscular, with wide shoulders and long, sturdy limbs. Skin color is a dark coffee brown, though it can range from a creamy tan to a charcoal black on occasion. Eye color is almost always dark brown, but every once in awhile an odd individual with bile-yellow eyes is born. Hair is glossy black and worn long and straight by both genders. Men never grow facial hair, though many grow long sideburns. Clothing is durable and simple, with both genders preferring to dress in loose trousers and tunics often decorated with fringe and animal teeth. Faded black and white are their favorite colors, accented with bold reds, greens, and blues. Footwear consists of knee-high soft leather boots that are worn throughout the year.

The Valachani are a stalwart people accustomed to a rustic life in the nation's eerie forests. They personify the forest animals in their myths, with their greatest reverence--and fear-- for the panthers, which are numerous and notoriously cunning. Valachani value perseverance and strong family ties but tend to be suspicious of "book learning" and the trappings of more advanced nations. To the Valachani, anyone who does not know how to shoot a bow or survive in the wilderness is less than a whole person. Despite their individualism, they are a social people with exceedingly complex rituals for life's milestones, including birth, coming of age, marriage, and death. Lengthy festivals mark these events in Valachan's settlements. Handcrafted gifts are exchanged and wealthy Valachani attempt to outdo one another by obtaining the best foodstuffs and entertainment.

The Law: Valachan's ruler, Baron Urik von Kharkov, is a cold man who values obedience and his own privacy above all else. This stern aloofness does little to endear him amongst his subjects, but the Valachani have learned to pay their taxes dutifully and thereby avoid the Baron's attention and infamous temper. The baron occasionally demands petty servitude from random commoners, summoning them to Castle Pantera for a single night. These one-time servants often return infected with the White Fever, a mild but debilitating flu that strikes many Valachani throughout their lives. Each year von Kharkov forcefully takes a young Valachani woman as his bride; to date, none of these women have lived more than a year as his wife. These sinister facts only heighten the Valachani's fear of their ruler and feed rumors that he is truly some inhuman monster.

Von Kharkov's private army of enforcers, the Black Leopards, collect his taxes and captures anyone unfortunate enough to anger him. Each of these enforcers is expertly trained in swordsmanship and wilderness survival, and they sadistically and fanatically serve the baron. They are commanded by the mysterious Lady Adelaide, often referred to as the Veiled Mistress. Adelaide seems to share the same appetite as von Kharkov, and is known to be arrogant and vicious. She can be bribed by the offering of a handsome male youth, who usually emerges scarred without and within from the mistress's wicked attentions.

Despite the oppressive presence of the Black Leopards, life in Valachan is relatively peaceful. The nobility administers justice and arbitrates disputes, and corruption is rare. Nobility is hereditary through the mother's side, and men instead of women marry outside of their families. Although tradition states that nobles be respected and deferred to because of their wealth, commoners do not tolerate incompetence or weakness in their betters. Nobles who lack the guile to defend their positions are eliminated and their assets divided up among the remaining nobles. To the Valachani, serving in a settlement's militia is both honorable and profitable, as the nobles reward excellent service with wealth, titles and arranged marriages.

Races: Humans are by far the most common race in Valachan, but many gnomes have been tempted to settle the domain from Darkon, Hazlan and Nova Vaasa by the fierce demand for their skills. Calibans are frequently born, but are then abandoned to the elements.

Classes: Valachan is a wild land, and rustic classes such as barbarians, druids, fighters, sorcerers and especially rangers are common. Rangers and barbarians are held in high regard as the defenders and providers for their villages; their ability to survive in Valachan’s eldritch forests is seen as particularly praiseworthy. Although bards’ tales are enjoyed, Valachani tend to regard the musicians as shiftless fops and layabouts, and keep close watch on them to ensure they pull their own weight. Of the spellcasters, clerics command some respect among the common folk, but those who proselytize too vigorously have a tendency to vanish. Druids are more common and are less likely to disappear than priests of more public churches. Sorcerers are relatively common but are vilified for their unnatural talents. Along with wizards, they are often arrested or executed by the Black Leopards.

Recommended Skills: Hide, Lore, Move Silently, Spot

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Courage, Improved Critical, Point Blank Shot, Warding Gesture (fey, shapechangers, undead), Weapon Focus (composite longbow)

Names:

-Valachani Male Names: Aksell, Arkin, Audun, Brand, Davin, Egil, Erik, Jens, Mikkel, Mogens, Morten, Nils, Oleg, Ragnar, Rurik, Skjřld, Stefan, Trigue, Varik

-Valachani Female Names: Aleksia, Andras, Birget, Dakin, Faiga, Falda, Grette, Katarine, Kristen, Liese, Magna, Nissa, Rakel, Reidun, Saffi, Semine, Sula, Unni, Vanja, Ylwa

-Valachani Surnames: Aamodt, Amundsen, Arup, Bakken, Birknes, Bjoenkaer, Bjřrlo, Böcklin, Brřgger, Daehle, Dybendahl, Eftevang, Engen, Fjortoft, Frethheim, Gjeldnes, Grieg, Grimsmo, Haarland, Hagen, Hanevold, Ingstad, Kaland, Kjeldaas, Kvarme, Ljoekelsoey, Lövborg, Malmros, Mostue, Mykland, Naustvik, Nyberg, Omholt, Ostenstad, Rasmussen, Ratkje, Sandvik, Siversten, Sjřvold, Skarsgard, Skovgaard, Svendson, Tveit, Ulving, Wikborg, Ytterhus

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer IV

[Bluebomber4evr]

Vechor

Cultural Level: Classical

Climate: Warm

Terrain: Forests, Hills, and Swamps

Major Settlements: Abdok (8,000)

Population: 15,900

Races: 99% Humans, 1% Other

Languages: Vechorite

Religions: None. Vechorites acknowledge their king as a god but do not worship him.

Government: Ochlocratic despotism

Ruler: Easan the Mad (also known as Easan the Eternal)

Currency: wildcrown (gp), wildorb (sp), wildpenny (cp)

Resources: Rice, millet, cassava, cotton, bananas, sugarcane, cacao, coffee, tea, rubber, gums, spices, vanilla, cattle, tuna, shrimp, turtles, pearls, timber, gold, silver, gems

Diplomacy: Expanded trade with Darkon and Nova Vaasa. No formal or military relations with any other nation.

The Land: Vechor is a domain of chaos and turmoil where the land itself can be unstable. Lying east of the Core, beyond the cold, gray waters of the Nocturnal Sea, Vechor's coast is a tidal marshland. Lush, salt-tolerant vegetation and clouds of buzzing mosquitoes inhabit this border between land and sea. Farther inland, dense, verdant tropical forests are cut by the wide Nostru River as it winds its way toward the coast. At the domain's eastern frontier, the Cliffs of Vesanis rise up toward a drier plateau that quickly becomes lost in the Mists. Vechor's climate is perpetually hot and humid, marked by a long and merciless rainy season. Rapid, seemingly impossible shifts in weather are not unusual. Storms that drop hail, sleet, and even snow can sweep through the domain unexpectedly, vanishing just as quickly as they appear. Cyclones regularly strike the domain with frightening ferocity.

Much like the weather, Vechor's landscape has a disturbing tendency to shift over time, as fluid and unpredictable as a maelstrom. Most of these changes occur over the course of days, but rapid, violent shifts are not unheard of. The forests seem to rearrange themselves at random, obliterating landmarks and rendering maps useless. Trails are redirected to new destinations, and the coastline appears to creep back and forth. This effect can be observed in the domain's settlements as well. The square, pale brick structures can vanish or appear from nowhere. Streets and alleyways twist and turn differently each time they are traversed. Even the heavens above Vechor are not immune. The sky changes colors, oozing from azure to sickly green to brilliant purple. The sun and moon appear to change size with each dawn and dusk, bloating to fill the sky or dwindling to a weak blot of light.

The Folk: The lean, athletic people of Vechor tend to have dusky complexions ranging from an olive-tinged light tan to a deep bronze. Their deeply set eyes are either an intense blue or green, or, more rarely, a startling gold or silver. Vechorite hair is straight and unruly, with color ranging from honey-blond to flat black. Most Vechorites work their long locks into a cascade of fine braids. Men grow small, neat mustaches but do not grow beards. Clothing is light, to provide the wearer with mobility and keep him cool in Vechor's muggy climate. Both genders favor short skirts and tunics that are worn over the left shoulder and belted at the waist with a sash. Simple sandals are the preferred footwear. Men's clothing colors consist of white, beige, or gray, while women dress in floral colors such as pale reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, and violets. Jewelry is popular among both genders, especially bracelets and necklaces; gold, silver, gems, shell, bone, and wood are all used in equal measure. Every Vechorite bears the brand of an "E" on the forehead, written in the local language. This is done voluntarily as an honorific for their king.

Vechor's weather and landscape are disturbingly unstable. Snowstorms blow through during the summer. Forests rearrange themselves at random. Streets twist and turn differently each time they are traversed. The sky changes colors and the sun and moon appear to change size. Despite this unnerving strangeness, Vechorites are a warm and content people. They take simple joy in farming, fishing, hunting, and handicrafts. They are notoriously fickle, however, and tend to act out of emotion or impulse rather than rationality. It is no secret that Vechor's king is hopelessly mad. The Vechorites believe that the land is both an extension and reflection of their ruler. Thus, they do not find it surprising that Vechor can seem as insane as their king. Their response is to simply take the mayhem in stride. Particularly startling changes in the landscape are considered omens of the king's mood.

The fluid nature of the land has touched its society as well. There are few social restrictions or barriers and virtually no taboos. Class structure is loose, and both genders are considered equal. The strong dominate the weak with little fear of reprisal. The only enduring social custom seems to be marriage, which is considered a sacred symbol of stability. Widowed men and woman do not remarry, and unfaithful spouses are executed.

The Law: Vechor is ruled by Easan the Mad, a reclusive wizard-tyrant. His reign is supported by a firm conviction among the Vechorites that he is divine. According to them, Easan has ruled for eons. He is never seen in public, and his opulent palace in Abdok stands silent. It is rumored that the king spends most of his time in a mystical dwelling beyond the Cliffs of Vesanis in the east, cackling madly and listening to the whispers of ancient evils.

Vechor has no formal law, only an unspoken code of loyalty to Easan. Although Easan's presence is barely felt in everyday life, none dare speak against him. Those who speak words of rebellion vanish without a trace, never to be seen again. Vechor's settlements have no civil or criminal authorities. Violence and theft are repaid with brutal mob justice; lynchings are carried out in the streets, the offenders hacked to death with blades. There are no militias in Vechor, but all young men are trained in hunting and combat.

Classes: Druids, fighters, rangers, sorcerers. Other classes are unknown here.

Recommended Skills: Antagonize, Lore

Recommended Feats: Courage, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (kukri)

Names:

-Vechorite Male Names: Abercius, Adranos, Aeacus, Aelianus, Agrippa, Aloysius, Ambrosius, Angelus, Aquilius, Augustus, Aurelius, Barbatus, Bartolomaeus, Bellus, Brutus, Caesar, Caldus, Caligula, Calvinus, Carnifex, Cicero, Claudianus, Constantius, Corvinus, Crispus, Cyprianus, Damasippus, Didacus, Dominicus, Eborius, Emeritus, Eugenius, Falconius, Felix, Festus, Flavian, Gaius, Gessius, Hadrianus, Helvius, Hortensius, Italicus, Jovinus, Julian, Justinianus, Laevinus, Lentulus, Ligustinus, Lucretius, Magnus, Marcellus, Martinus, Mercator, Narcissus, Neneus, Nero, Novatian, Octavian, Paetus, Peregrinus, Philippus, Pilus, Placidus, Porphyrius, Primus, Quartinus, Receptus, Regulus, Remus, Romulus, Sabinus, Scipio, Seneca, Sidonius, Sigilis, Silus, Synnodus, Tacitus, Tertius, Tiberinus, Tyranus, Ursinus, Valentinian,    Vestorius, Vitulus

-Vechorite Female Names: Aeliana, Amalthea, Astia, Camilla, Carina, Cinna, Cloelia, Cordelia, Crescentia, Cypria, Decima, Dinysia, Dulcilla, Emelia, Emerentiana, Erigena, Estella, Eubia, Eutropia, Felicia, Flora, Fontia, Gaea, Gloria, Gnaea, Graecina, Grata, Hilaria, Honora, Hypatia, Iana, Idonea, Ingenua, Innocentia, Januaria, Jovina, Juliana, Lanilla, Larina, Laureola, Laurina, Lavinia, Lepida, Licinian, Livigena, Longina, Luciana, Lucilla, Lucina, Lupula, Mallea, Mamaea, Mariana, Marina, Martina, Matrona, Maximilla, Messina, Metella, Milvia, Naissa, Nobilioris, Occia, Ocresia, Olivia, Panthea, Peregrina, Petraea, Phrygia, Planasia, Plotina, Pompeia, Porcella, Prenestina, Priscilla, Regina, Rhea, Sabina, Salonia, Saturnina, Selene, Serena, Severiana, Silvia, Thena, Tiberia, Ursula, Velvinna, Veronica, Vibidia, Victoria, Viventia, Volumnia

-Vechorite Surnames: Aegidius, Aelius, Annaeus, Antonius, Arius, Artorius, Axius, Baenius, Barrius, Bruccius, Bruttius, Caelius, Caesius, Caledonius, Calpurnia, Cassius, Clovius, Cordius, Decimius, Dexius, Egnatius, Equitia, Fabricius, Fadia, Faustus, Floronius, Fulvia, Galerius, Gavius, Herminius, Horatia, Iulus, Juventius, Laetonius, Lampronius, Licinia, Longus, Lucius, Lutatius, Mallius, Maximius, Milonius, Nemetorius, Neratius, Nipius, Nonius, Occius, Octavius, Orestilla, Petellius, Petreia, Petronius, Piscius, Placidus, Platorius, Pomponius, Publicius, Quintius, Rufus, Sabidius, Salvius, Secundius, Septimius, Sertorius, Sidonius, Silius, Silvianus, Terentia, Titinius, Valerius, Vesuvius, Victricius, Vipsanius, Vitruvius

Source: Domains of Dread, Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting

[Bluebomber4evr]

Verbrek

Cultural Level: Medieval

Climate: Temperate

Terrain: Forests, Hills, Swamps

Major Settlements: None. Verbrek is sparsely populated, and most folk dwell in solitary farmsteads or settlements of fewer than twenty people. The only larger settlements are Fylfot (67), Alyssum (62)

Population: 830

Races: 97% Humans, 1% Half-Elves, 1% Half-Vistani, 1% Other

Languages: Mordentish, Balok, Vaasi, Sithican

Religions: The Wolf God, Hala, Ezra

Government: Independent gerontocratic settlements and farms

Ruler: None

Currency: no currency, trade conducted through barter

Resources: Oats, barley, hops, cabbage, potatoes, peppers, cattle, hogs, chickens, dairy, mushrooms, timber, furs, beer, clay

Diplomacy: Verbrek has no formal relations with any of its neighbors, though trade does occur.

The Land: Verbrek is a wild domain in the grip of fear, where the wolf is master and humanity huddles like cowering prey. Lying in the heart of the southwestern Core's river lowlands, the domain is shrouded in a patchwork of towering forests, misty hollows, and overgrown wetlands. Here the wilderness is primeval and untamed, the dense and thorny vegetation making travel an arduous experience. Travelers must learn to be wary of Verbrek's wolves, hulking, silverfurred beasts that stalk their prey with human cunning.

Those who brave the domain's trackless wilds are constantly harried by a terrifying sensation of being hunted. Snapping twigs and rustling leaves are enough to send travelers into panicked flight, like frightened deer. There are no wide, well-traveled roads in Verbrek, only the most rugged and poorly maintained trails. The broad, muddy Arden and Musarde Rivers and their tributaries serve as the domain's primary conduits to other lands.

The scattered hamlets and lone farmsteads that dot the domain are wholly without comfort in the surrounding gloom of the wilderness. Civilization seems to be hanging on by a thread, the savage forests threatening to devour its tiny strongholds. The squat buildings are constructed of massive, rough-cut logs and thatched, gabled roofs and chimneys of smooth river stones. Muddy trenches five feet or more deep surround the domain's humble livestock pens, an often futile strategy to keep the wolves at bay. Verbrek's climate is extremely even, featuring cold winters and warm summers, with rainfall most plentiful in late spring.

The Folk: Verbrekers are short, sturdy, and muscular. Skin tones range from fair and freckled to light tan. Eye color is usually blue or green. Hair color ranges from honey blonde to light brown, with the occasional auburn. Both genders keep their straight hair long and unstyled. Men prefer to keep their hair at shoulder length, and grow mustaches and beards. Clothing is simplistic and functional; men wear trousers and tunics while women wear blouses and long skirts slit up to the thigh. Hooded cloaks are commonly worn by both genders. Typical garment colors consist of greens, whites, beige, and browns. All Verbrekers carry a hatchet and knife at all times.

While Verbrekers are at home in the wilderness, it would best be described as an uneasy truce. They have a healthy respect for nature, but it is tempered by a fear of nature's savagery. They stoically attempt to establish a small piece of civilization along Verbrek's rivers, though they realize that in a battle between man and nature, nature is likely to be the victor. They value basic survival skills and are easily angered by city folk who risk everyone's well-being through their recklessness or ignorance.

Verbrekers realize they are not the true masters of their homeland. Verbrek belongs to the werewolves, who have their own brutal tribal society. Verbrekers, raised on wolf myths and the occasionally encounter with the lycanthropes, fear werewolves and avoid them at all costs.  Every once in a while, during a full moon, a lone victim of werewolves is heard screaming in the darkness. Verbrekers respond by simply double-checking their locks and thanking the gods that they aren't the ones who are victims that night.

The Law: Verbrek has no centralized authority or regional government. Each settlement is ruled by a council made up of the oldest male from each household. Most of these councils are democratic, with disputes settled by majority votes. Petty rivalries are uncommon, because survival, not power, is on the minds of Verbrek's patriarchs. Since the settlements are too small to have militias, all young men are trained in combat, both armed and unarmed.

Verbrek's werewolves have a cruel and savage culture, but the details are unknown to most of Verbrek's human population. Werewolves attack only occasionally, despite the fact that they vastly outnumber the human population and could easily slaughter them all. The reason for this is unknown, though the Verbrekers are thankful nonetheless. The werewolves are said to worship a deity known only as The Wolf God, a primeval force of fury and carnage. Tales of moonlit sacrifices, blasphemous beast rites, and frenzied ritual hunts are common among the Verbrekers.

Races: Most Verbrekers are humans, though the domain is home to a smattering of calibans, half-elves, and half-Vistani. Verbrekers generally accept these outcasts, provided they have dwelled among the native humans for some time. The Verbrekers reserve their suspicion for civilized outsiders, regardless of their race.

Classes: Druids, fighters, rangers, and sorcerers are the most common classes in Verbrek. Druids and rangers act as emissaries between nature and humankind, promoting respect and caution toward the wilds. Fighters follow a less spiritual path, perfecting tactics that provide an edge in the forest landscape. Sorcerers are relatively common here, and many Verbrekers believe that the forests themselves touch these souls with eldritch power. Barbarians are uncommon, but not unheard of among the werewolves and toughened wanderers who dwell deep in the forests. Other classes are curiosities or outlanders far from civilization.

Recommended Skills: Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Spot

Recommended Feats: Alertness, Back to the Wall, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Lunatic, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Lore), Warding Gesture, Weapon Focus (battleaxe, dagger, handaxe, longbow, longsword, quarterstaff, spear, throwing axe)

Names:

-Verbreker Male Names: Agnan, Cadoc, Drenig, Ehoarn, Gilduin, Herveig, Jaoven, Kerrian, Maugan, Privael, Riwallan, Sklaer, Teyrn, Vonig, Youenn

-Verbreker Female Names: Aven, Biganna, Enora, Flamenn, Goulvena, Joela, Kavanenn, Lennig, Maiwenn, Nevena, Paola, Rivanon, Sisilia, Vouga, Yuveot

-Verbreker Surnames: Aelfing, Aelli, Aescwine, Angeltheow, Angenwit, Baeldaeg, Bedca, Beorthing, Caedbaed, Cerdic, Cweldgils, Cynewald, Ealding, Ealdrith, Eanferth, Eomer, Eoppa, Esla, Frithugar, Hrothmund, Hryp, Offa, Saefugl, Saexnaet, Sigefugel, Sigegeat, Swebdaeg, Sweppa, Trygils, Uxfrea, Waegdaeg, Wecta, Westerfalca, Wihtlaeg

Sources: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Ravenloft Gazetteer IV

[Bluebomber4evr]

The Amber Wastes Cluster

Har’Akir

Cultural Level: Bronze Age

Climate: Tropical

Terrain: Deserts, hills, mountains

Major Settlements: Muhar (300)

Population: 600

Races: 99% Human, 1% Other

Languages: Akiri, Pharazian

Religions: Akiri (Egyptian) Pantheon

Government: Theocracy

Ruler: Snefru, high priestess of Osiris

Currency: no currency, trade conducted through barter

Resources: wheat, millet, flax, beans, dates, figs, sheep, goats, cattle, camels, iron, salt, gypsum, talc, cloth

Diplomacy: brisk trade with nomads from Pharazia. Little contact with other nations

The Land: Har'Akir is a land of vanished empires where the sands erode ancient monuments and the folk live in the shadow of faded glories. It is a lonely realm, a patch of burning desert that drifts up against the towering cliffs that lie to the east. Riddling these barren crags are numerous forgotten tombs, concealing fabulous riches and horrifying curses. Foremost among these forbidden vaults is the crypt of Anhktepot, Har'Akir's mightiest pharaoh, in the canyon known as Pharaoh's Rest.

The sole source of fresh water in Har'Akir is the Muhar Oasis, hidden among the rolling desert dunes. Its waters are clear and refreshing, though the local villagers strictly limit access to such a precious resource. The shores are lined with swaying palm trees and crowded throughout the day with camels, donkeys, and women bearing jugs of water. Buildings in Har'Akir are squat structures of whitewashed mud or sandstone. Doorways and windows are open portals that allow cool breezes to circulate indoors, though at night they are draped with linen to keep out the evening chill.

The Folk: The Akiri people are short and wiry. Their skin, weathered from the hot desert sun and winds, varies in color from bronze to brown. Eyes are brown and hair is either brown or black. Men never grow facial hair and often shave their heads. Both genders wear long, loose robes of white cloth, and wear a headcloth that can be draped across the face during sandstorms. Sandals are the customary footwear of Har'Akir. Both men and women wear pigments of gold, azure and black around their eyes, and women often stain their hands with henna.

They are a cautious folk, suspicious of outsiders though not hostile towards them. They are quiet and sad, even amongst themselves, as if they bitterly remember a time of glory and nobility that has long since passed. They express fear and regret over their last pharaoh, Anhktepot, who they claim sleeps nearby in his tomb in the mountains. Of all the Akiri gods worshipped here, it is Osiris who gets the most reverence. As the god of both life and death, the Akiri try their best to please Osiris by adhering to the principle of "ma'at," a philosophy that dictates a cosmic order to everything. Those who live by the principle of ma'at may be admitted to paradise in the afterlife. The Akiri believe that the dead require their bodies and possessions in the afterlife, so much importance is placed on funerals and their rituals. Even entering a sealed tomb is considered a profane act among the Akiri, and graverobbing is an unspeakable crime.

The Law: Har'Akir was once ruled by the pharoahs, kings who claimed to be descended from the sun god Ra. Those days came to an end with the tragic life and death of Anhktepot, the last pharaoh. Today, the clerics of the Akiri gods rule the populace. The lone settlement of Har'Akir, Muhar, is ruled by Snefru, the high priestess of Osiris. Outside the village is a lawless wasteland of brigands and desert hazards. Slavery is an accepted institution here, and the most common form of punishment for criminals is enslavement. Slaves can perform various tasks from household chores to heavy labor.

Classes: Clerics, fighters, and wizards are common here. Sorcerers are rare. Other classes are unknown amongst the natives.

Recommended Skills: Influence, Lore

Recommended Feats: Endurance, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (short sword, spear)

Names:

-Akiri Male Names: Ahhotpe, Ahmose, Amenakht, Amenemopet, Ankhef, Apophis, Bakenkhonsu, Bakenmut, Djedhor, Djehuty, Djhutmose, Genubath, Hapu, Haremakhet, Heqaemeheh, Hor, Horemheb, Imhotep, Iu-Amun, Kha'y, Khnumhotep, Khonskhu, Maakha, Ma'nakhtuf, Menmet-Ra, Merenptah, Mokhtar, Mose, Naga-ed-der, Nebankh, Nebimes, Nebnefer, Nefermaet, Nes, Nespaherenhat, Pakheter, Pa-Siamun, Penmaat, Prahotpe, Ptahhemhat-Ty, Rahotep, Sabef, Seneb, Sennufer, Sethnakte, Si-Mut, Snefru, Tefibi, Teti-en, Tymisba

-Akiri Female Names: Amosis, Asenath, Baktre, Beketaten, Duathor, Henenhit, Hentempet, Henut, Hetepheres, Hrere, Inhapi, Ipip, Ipu, Isetemkheb, Isiemkheb, Kem, Kutenptah, Maatneferure, Maharet, Mehetweshkhet, Mekhare, Meryt, Mutemhab, Nebefer, Neferet, Neferu, Nitetis, Nodjmet, Nofretiri, Nubkhaes, Rai, Reddjedet, Reonet, Sebtitis, Senet, Senmonthis, Shesh, Sitkamose, Sitre, Sobekemshaf, Tabes, Tabesheribet, Tahpenes, Takhat, Tiaa, Weret

Source: Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting