SouragneCultural Level: Chivalric
Climate: Warm
Terrain: Forests and Swamps
Major Settlements: Marais d'Tarascon (300), Port d'Elhour (1,200).
Population: 3,100
Races: 99% Human, 1% Other
Languages: Souragnien
Religions: The Loa.
Government: Independent aristocratic settlements
Ruler: None.
Currency: gravestone (gp), fingerbone (sp), toothchip (cp)
Resources: rice, yams, sugarcane, cotton, catfish, crappie, shrimp, crayfish, spirits, salt
Diplomacy: Sailors who find their way to the Murky Sea regard Souragne as a hostile and unpleasant domain. Although the sugar and cotton grown here are highly valued in distant domains, merchants are wary of the sweltering climate, Maison d'Sablet's unseen horrors, and the peculiar ways of the Souragniens. The native nobility, for their part, strive to encourage trade with other domains. They hope to expand their influence into other realms and watch Port d'Elhour emerge as a vital harbor in the Land of Mists.
The Land: Souragne is a domain that swarms and slithers with life, a lush river delta choked with dark bayous. Called Maison d'Sablet by the Souragniens, the wooded swamp that covers most of the domain stretches out like a languid snake. The muggy air is thick with gray fog and buzzing insects. Pale green moss hangs heavy on the cypress trees, where raccoons and opossums clamber. The few folk who dwell in the bayou pole their wooden rafts through the fetid waters, keeping a wary eye out for alligators and more unnatural threats. At night, the swamps come alive with the trilling of frogs, crickets, and cicadas. The delta fans northward toward the Souragne's warm, shallow coastline along the Murky Sea. Near the center of the domain is Lake Noir, its waters slick with algae and choked with cattails.
Most settlements are in the east, where ground is slightly higher and flooding less severe. The domain's villages are cramped and sweltering, the gray stone edifices of their buildings looming over narrow, muddy streets. Balconies and gates of wrought iron adorn the two-story homes and shops, alongside stone carvings of snakes and dancing skeletons. The plantations of the nobility feature magnificent estates with lustrous white pillars and gloomy willow groves. The high water table prevents traditional burial in Souragne, so the dead are entombed in morbidly beautiful mausoleums. Unrelenting, oppressive heat and humidity mark the domain's weather. The autumn rainy season brings temperatures that are only slightly cooler than the norm.
The Folk: Souragniens are generally short in stature and slight of build, but their appearance otherwise exhibits remarkable variation. Their skin can range from milky pale to a deep coffee brown. Eye colors vary widely, from pale blue to hazel to nearly black. Hair is either straight or tightly curled and anywhere from auburn to raven black in color. Men keep their hair very short or shoulder length, with nobles preferring the latter, and shun facial hair. Women let their hair grow quite long, and while commoners don't mind wild and tangled tresses, noblewomen style their hair elaborately, pinning it up in delicate fashion. Among commoners, clothing is threadbare and humble; men wear a loose shirt and trousers, women a blouse and long skirt. Such garb is usually naturally colored rather than dyed. Nobles, on the other hand, go about in exquisite garments of vibrant hue. Men wear blousy shirts under jerkins, sashes, and breeches with high boots. Women wear revealing, ruffled dresses in pastel colors. Jewelry is common among the aristocracy, who love to show off their wealth through such baroque adornments.
The class divide in Souragne is deep and bloody. Property owners, no matter how humble their assets, are the elite, and all others must toil to serve them. Commoners are little better than slaves; they're exploited by the aristocracy until they collapse, then discarded. Among the nobles it is acceptable to savagely abuse commoners, even without reason. In villages, poor farmers rub shoulders with gamblers and streetwalkers, attempting to drown their miseries in vice. All Souragniens, regardless of class, tend to be earthy, passionate folk. They have little respect for academic knowledge, instead valuing cunning and strength of character.
Souragniens are also superstitious people, their beliefs revolving around natural spirits called loa, The loa are the embodiment of natural forces; chief among them is the Maiden of the Swamp, who represents Masion d'Sablet itself, and the Lord of the Dead. While numerous loa are revered, Souragniens truly fear the Lord of the Dead, who has the power to take the deceased as his own, raising them as zombies. Wild festivals throughout the year honor the loa and appease the Lord of the Dead in particular. Many customs in Souragne are believed to tap the power of the loa to attract success and romance or to strike one's rivals with misfortune.
The Law: Villages in Souragne are essentially autonomous, the nobles electing a lord mayor from among their ranks every two years. Precious little governance actually occurs, however; lord mayors merely act as voices for the aristocracy, who create and enforce laws in the domain to suit their needs. There are no standing militias in Souragnien villages, but young noblemen are expected to serve a term as village constables.
Although he may be only a mythical being, the Lord of the Dead is so deeply feared in Souragne that the folk follow customs intended to please him. The dead are not interred for four days following death, out of deference to the Lord of the Dead, who may choose to claim the corpse as his servant. Similarly, all arcane magic save Necromancy displeases him, and as such its practice is strictly forbidden among the Souragniens.
Classes: Druids, rangers, rogues, sorcerers and voodan are the most common, but any class can find its way in Souragne.
Voodan are the primary religious casters but clerics also worship the Loa pantheon.
Recommended Skills: Discipline, Lore, Perform
Recommended Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Voice of Wrath, Weapon Focus (rapier, sickle).
Names:-Male Names:Alphonse, André, Antoine, Anton, Bernard, Bertrand, Bruno, Claude, Colin, Donatien, Étienne, Florian, François, Frederic, Gaston, Georges, Gerard, Gilles, Guy, Henri, Hervé, Hubert, Jacques, Jean, Jean Pierre, Jean-Claude, Jean-Francois, Jean-Paul, Jerald, Jordi, Laurent, Louis, Luc, Lucien, Marcus, Mathieu, Michel, Nazaris, Olivier, Pascal, Phillippe, Pierre, Pierot, Raoul, Remy, Renard, René, Serge, Thibault, Thierry, Tomas, Valère, Vardain
-Female Names:Adélaïde, Adéle, Adrienne, Aimée, Amélie, Antoinette, Avril, Bernadette, Blaise, Brigitte, Camille, Celeste, Chantal, Charlotte, Clarisse, Claudette, Corinne, Danielle, Désirée, Dominique, Éloise, Emmanuelle, Evelyne, Fiora, Francoise, Genevieve, Giselle, Henrietta, Henriette, Hillaire, Isabelle, Jacqueline, Jeanne, Joan, Joséphine, Josette, Karine, Katha, Lillin, Louise, Manon, Marguerite, Marie, Marie-Laure, Mirielle, Monique, Nadine, Nathalie, Nichole, Regine, Renée, Rolande, Sabine, Solange, Sophie, Sylvie, Tatienne, Teresa, Therese, Valerie, Vivienne, Yvonne, Zoé
-Surnames:Alard, Anciaux, Arguelles, Barbier, Bascolm, Baudelaire, Beauregard, Bordeaux, Bordell, Bouchet, Brosseau, Camus, Carbonneau, Chaboteaux, Chevalier, Clemenceau, Clouseau, Coulette, d'Aubec, d'Espivant, d'Cann, 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, Gremin, Grignon, Jean-Aubry, Jeune, Labourdette, Lacroix, Lambert, Laporte, Larroquette, Laurier, Lavigne, Le Jeune, Le Marquand, Le Nôtre, L'Heureux, Levi, Marceau, Martineau, Moreau, Pepin, Pichot, Poiret, Quilleboeuf, Renault, Roche, Simoneau, Soulette, Thibedeaux, Tourette, Verret, Voltaire
Sources:
Ravenloft 3rd Edition Campaign Setting, Domains of Dread, Night of the Living Dead, Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium IIINote: the Souragnien Gazetteer netbook made by the Fraternity of Shadows is not considered Canon for our Server.