Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

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Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Mistmaster »

Lazendrak

Culture level: Medieval
Ecology:Full
Climate & Terrain: Continental hills and river valleys.
Languages:Baloki, Borcan.
Religions: Church of Belenus, Church of the Blood Mother, Church of Hala.
Races:Human (Lazendraki)50%, Dhampirs 30%,Vampires 18% (Obiri, Nosferatu), Others 2%.
Governement:Diarchy.
Ruler:Day Queen Helena II Ravenhair, Night King Ezekiel the Wise.
Darklord: Sebastian Bellamy aka Bloodstake the Hunter.
Analog:Central Europe XIII century.

Capital City: Covenant Rock (L/G, Non Standard, 20,000 in.)
Important towns:Merry Bloodlake (L/N, standard 13,000 in), Shaderest(N/G, Standard, 10,000 in), Twilight Gates (L/N Non-Standard, 8,000 in)
Borders: North: Mists, West: mist, South: Barovia, East: Mist. South West: Borca.

Domain Overview
Lazendrak is a disturbing, yet surprisingly wellcoming land, where rural landscape, with woods and hills are dotted by springs, lakes and rivers naturally composed of fresh blood; There is also fresh water creeks and wells, but blood is abundant;
Covenant Rock houses the governement of the Kingdom; The city is double leveled, one for mortals, the other one for Vampires.
The main features of the town are the Red and White Manor, which is the seat of both the mortal ruler, and the immortal one, the Covenant Rock, were people can debate, day and night, and the Crimson Dome, house of the church of the Blood Mother, main religion of the domain .
Red wooded trees form great forrests, which cover the hills off the kingdom
Rhe capital lay on the source of The Blessed Blood River, at the foot of the Blood Mother Heel's Peak
Merry Bloodlake is the second largest city of the domain, and lay on a small island in the center of the omonimous lake. It is a famous market city.
Shaderest lay near the misty southern border where the Blessed Blood River leave the domain; It is a prosperous city of miners and crafters.
Twilight Gete lay at the northern border and it's heavily fortified.


The People
Lazendraki people are unique in the core, as the do not fear vampires; while they do know vampires can be dangerous, they have protected them by the other monsters of the night (like werewolves and demons), since the dawn of time, thanks to the Covenat of Day and Night. Thanks to the blood rivers, Vampires are well fed and happy; because of that they use theyr powers to help living people who shelter them in day time.

The Famed and the Infamous:


Day Queen Helena II Ravenhair
(Male Adult Human, N/G, Aristocratic 5.)
Qeen Helena, a Beautiful woman with the signatur ebony hair and pale complexion of her dinasty succeded his father Richard III three years after the fall of Lazendrak in the mists; Her father became a Vampire but was assassinated one year after his abdication; a strong women with a kind heart, she is increasingly obsessed about finding out who killed her father. The suspicions of course fall on the Bloodstake Gang.

Kevin Reine
(Adolescent human Bard 3 Adult Vampire C/G)
Kevin is fisically and emotionally a 16 years old boy; He is one of the few kids ever vampirised by the Night-King, and that was done to save his life; differently from other vampires, he has grown up in the last 3 centuries, albeit really slowly; He will stop completly aging once his phisical age reach 21. His mother was killed by Bloodstake to protect him. Her death triggered the entrance of Lazendrak in the Demiplane.

Day Chancellor Mordecai Smith
(Middleaged Human Aristocratic 3, L/N)
A stern man, leader of the conservative faction of the nobility, he is a defender of the traditionale balance of power beetwen mortals and immortals. Recently, he repressed with an heavy hand anti-vampire riots; he view the Bloodstake Gang as the main threat to the country stability.

Lady Milldred Kaine
(Old Human N/E Druid 9)
The chairlady of the Human Covenant, the front organisation of the Bloodstakes Gang, she is an advocate of aparthaid beetween human and Vampires; in her hopinion vampires are unholy abomination you need to be kept under control, when not destroyed ; life and death are in balance, and vampires upset it; The Covenant of Night and Dayom her hopinion has created a grievous umbalancing, which must be repaired. She abstains from action which could create massive fighting, but she is still a big threat.

Grey Ghost
(Middle-Aged Dhampyr Oracle 10, L/G)
The past of the man known as the Grey Ghost is shrouded in mistery; He is a religious guide both for human and vampires, a powerfull follower of the Blood Mother.

Gabriel Grilka (C/E Necromancer 7)
Grilka is a sociopathic necromancer obsessed by vampirism; on the other side, this make him a very popular person, sincer he vent up his worst side on the militants of the Bloodstakes, and on the other enemies of the vampires; If he can demonstrate to be able to control himself, he will have the Gift; Right now, however, the Mists have gifted him with very vampire unfriendly sunbased powers.

The Bloodhound (Unique Vampire) (C/E)
Once a member of the Bloodstakes, abandoned mortally wounded, Trevor Gane was saved by the vampires, and subsequiently embraced; His former boss, Bloodstake, didn't take betrayal very well; Using a druidic corrupted ritual, he turned him in a mindless beast which pray on vampires and Dhampirs.


Morton Redfield
(Old Aged Human Expert 2/Aristocratic 2/Rogue 3, N/G)
Redfield is the human manservant of Nightking Ezekiel; Under his humble and discreet look, he hides a keen mind and a loyal heart; he as been offered eternal life as a vampire already three times, but he have declined.

Antoniette
(Human Youth, Rogue 7/Assassin 3, C/E)
Antoniette is the innocent looking, whicked and merciless adoptive daughter of Bloodstake; She his her daddy girl, and often lead the Bloodstakes on his name.

Night King Ezekiel
(Middle aged Human Vampire Patriarch, Alchemist 17, L/G)
Exekiel was once a human healer and scholar, honorable, wise and brave; Vampirized for petty revenge, he was saved by divine intervention. The Blood Mother taught him the true way of the Night Children. Many century ago, he traveled in the mists, and confronted many vampires and other horrors; He fought Sthrad at a stallpoint, and outsmarted Azalin himself; Once freed, he signed with the human rulers of Lazendrak, a land blessed by the Blood Mother, the Covenant of Day and Night, and since than, he ruled the nights. He roam the small kingdom during nights, being equipped to brave daylight, if he must.
He is a humble, yet strong and autorative leader; He is patient and mercyfull, but his power exhude from him like an aura of strenght. In his millennia he had many wives, human wives; Everytime he gifted one of them with eternal life, Bloodstake killed her; Actually he fear the next time he will fell in love again, but is wise enought to not close his heart to love. He has several Dhampyr and vamporized childrens, which he loves dearly; He kept them safe far from him; Bloodstakes already killed a couple of them, he won't allow him to kill another.He is an healer and a crafter of wonderous alchemic items.

Mary Lilian Fitzroy
(Dhampyr Sorcerer 7 C/G)
One of Ezekiels younger daughters, this rebel Dhampyr refused every attempt of his father to keep her far from himself; She have a bullseye over her chest, but she won't allow that monster to keep her from her beloved father.

The Bloodstakes
300 3 level Warriors + ten human rogues 5 + 5 Druids 7. They are all antivampiric fanatics.

Medger Tyler
(Vampire Alchimist 8 L/E)
Medger is a spy from Sthrad, formally he is a reformed vampire refugee from Barovia; Instead he is searching a way to emulate Ezekiel's creations, to bind them to his master will.

The Darklord

Bloodstake

Medium Undead C/E Slayer 16 (176 HP)
Speed:60 feet
Initiative:+14 (+19 in the Staked Grave).
Senses: Darkvision 30 feet.
Armor Class:38 (43 in the Staked Grave) (+10 Dex, +4 Natural Armor, +6 Deflection, 8 Armor)
Space/Reach: 1 squares /1 squares
Combat Manouver Defense/Combat Manouver Bonus:36/+16 (+20 Disarm)
Str:19, Dex:31, Con:-, Int:17, Wis:13, Cha 22.
Saving Throws: Fort:+16, Ref:+20, Wil:+6
Special Qualities: Undead Traits, Damage Reducrtion:15/Magic and slashing, Unholy Tougtness, Unholy Deflection, S.R. 32, Curse of the Darklord, Vulnerable to cold, Immune to fire, Vampire's Bane,Track, Stalker, Slayer Talents (Ranger Style Feat x3, Slow Reactions* Deadly Range x4), Swift Tracker. Vulnerability to Blood. Mastery 2
Special Attacks: Sneak Attack (5d6), Quarry, 4th Studied Target (+4),
Attack: Melee: 2 +3 Undead Anathema Impaling Stakes (+29/+24/+19/+14 e +29/+24/+19) (1d6+7, pierce the heart with a natural 20 confirmed; crit 19/20) Ranged: 2 +2 Returning Impaling Undead Anathema Stakes, Range 100 ft. (+28/+23/+18/+13) e (+28/+23/+18) (1d6+6,pierce the heart with a natural 20 confirmed; Crit 19/20)
Skills:Acrobatics: (+29), Bluff (+25) Climb (+23), Disguise (+25), Intmidate (+25), Perception (+20), Sense Motive (+20), Stealth (+44), Survival (+20)
Feats:Authorithy, Weapon Focus (Stake), Double Slice, Two-Weapon Fighting (B), Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (B),Imptoved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (B), Weapon Finesse,
Challenge Rating: 22
Proprieties: Greater Shadow +8 Armour Bracers, Belt of Phisical Perfection +4, Band of Mental Perfection +2; +3 Undead Anathema Impaling Stakes, +2 Returning Impaling Undead Anathema Stakes.

Background:
Sebastian Bellamy was born in a family of monster hunters; He was quite good in his job, and with time passing he became a narcisistic dangerholic, who believed he was the hero of the tale; He sincerely believed himself a hero, and tryed to look the pasrt, anytime; But than, he arrived at Lazendrak; The peacefull valley was considered the refuge of many escaped vampites, and ones he arrived he realized why, discovering the blood rivers and lake; what he failed to understand was that human population was vampire-friendly too; so, when he tried to kill Ezekiel, the "evil Vampire over lord", in his deluded mind, he found himself litterally kicked out of Lazendrak by the outraged human population. Convinced beyond reason that Lazendraki were spelled he obsessed himself with saving them, utterly ridiculing himself. There were plenty of other threats, but he kept himself persecuting the ones which were not. One day, at the top of his delusion, he kidnapped Kevin Reine, a boy Ezekiel was treating for a serious illness; he was convinced the Night King was turning the kid in a Vampire; when human and vampires tracked them, the boy was near death-doors, and the boy's mother pleaded to Ezekiel to save him; the only way was turning him in a vampire; Ezekiel did so, albeit reluctantly. Believing he was doing the right thing Sebastian tried to kill the vampire boy, but staked his mother to death, instead. The human mob lynched him while Ezekiel tried unsucessfully to save the woman; They staked him and left him to bleed to death. Ezekiel offered him to save his life, with vampirism, but Sebastian refused, saying that he preferred the peace of the grave to live as a monster. The reply of the Night King, as the Mists engulfed Lazendrak, haunted the future Bloodstake since then "You died as a monster, Sebastian, what piece will you ever know?"

Current Sketches
Sebastian Bellamy was reborn; he is way paler than before, but he seems still living; But he is dead; He is an anti-vampire, who need to feed with the ash of vampires. He is still convinced to be the hero, and since Lazendrak population grew, he set himself to be the one who will liberate them; calling himself Bloodstake, he fprmed a gang of self-righteous cutthroats calling themselves the Bloddstakes; supported by a cabal of deranged Druids, he strive to expose the vampires as the monsters they are; As today; he is the most feared monster in Lazendrak.

Combat
He use his minions to make distruptive actions and agitations, but, being a narcisitic attention-seeker, he will try to resolve any situation by himself; Beacause of his curse( see below, curse of the Dark Lord), he will treat any human as a monster.

Special Abilities:

Vampire Bane: He add his class level to any dice roll against Vampires and Dhamphyrs, included damage rolls; He is immune to any of the vampires special attacks, and if he touch a vampire he inflict a Charisma damage of 1d4; A vampire reduced to Charisma 0 is destroyed and turned to ash.

Blood Vulnerability: Trat blood as acid when it touch his flesh; he get half the damage he inflict in close range to any creature which have the abilty to bleed, included well fed vampires.

Rejuvenation: If killed he is Reborn at midday three days later, impaled in the Stake Graveyard. If Every edged wooden object would be removed from the Blood Graveyard, he would be reborn in the closest place a Vampire was killed, if an edged wooden object is present; Puryfing all of such places with rites of the Blood Mother and dulling the edges of every wooden object into the Domain would kill him off for good.

Curse of the Darklord: He will mistake humans for monsters (other than Vampires) and monsters for human (He can only, and athomathically distinguish vampires and Dhampyrs as such). This delusions hamper any attempts to gain that hero status he craves so much.

Lair:
The Stakes Graveyard is the place were Sebastian died, it was the place were stakes and wooden spears were buried, symbolically after the Covenat of Day and Night; The Graveyard main entrance has collapsed, but secret ways in exist, konowed only to the Bloodstakes;
The Stakes Graveyard is a Sinkhole of Evil Rank 2, who can afflict people who fails a DC 20 Will Save with Fear and Desperation.

Closing the Border:
If someone try to cross Lazendrak's borders when they are closed, a wall of stakes stop theyr passage; it can be destroyed with magical or mundane means, but keeps reappearing; Every someone destroy the wall, theycan make a single movement before it returns; When the wall appears, force everybody to Reflex Save DC 20; who fails get 10d8 piercieng damage and she is impaled (she takes 1d8 damage any round she stays impaled, destroyng the wall, a Strenght Test DC 20, or an Escape Artist Test DC 25 allow the impaled to be free, inflincting him additional 1d8 damage) Success half the damage, and negates the impaling. Bloodstake can close the borders for up 1 day.

Feedback is wellcomed.
Last edited by Mistmaster on Sat Oct 21, 2017 8:14 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Rock of the Fraternity »

The change to the usual human/vampire-relationship isn't bad!
I wouldn't connect this land to the Core, though; it'd work better as an Island or part of a Cluster, maybe connected to a land where the relationship between mortal and monster is the complete opposite, leading to tensions. If you link it up to the Core, the general fear of the inhuman would lead to trade embargos and attacks by the more twitchy nations, I think.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Manofevil »

For Ezra's sake, go in and clean up the TYPOS! :D I got lost three times trying to read it. Great concept though. You should also be more clear about the presence of blood rivers and lakes. Write passages describing them and locating them on the imaginary map. Also what are the sources of fresh water in the domain? Also, since traditionally the comic book character Vampirella comes from a plane where there are blood rivers, it might be interesting to include a tribute character (maybe Vampiria?) Just Sayin'
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by The Lesser Evil »

Rock wrote:The change to the usual human/vampire-relationship isn't bad!
I wouldn't connect this land to the Core, though; it'd work better as an Island or part of a Cluster, maybe connected to a land where the relationship between mortal and monster is the complete opposite, leading to tensions. If you link it up to the Core, the general fear of the inhuman would lead to trade embargos and attacks by the more twitchy nations, I think.
If I understand correctly, the premise of Mistmaster's Mist World design is that he is reimagining Ravenloft as a full-fledged Prime Material world and not disparate bits and pieces like the Core, Clusters, and Islands of Terror.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Mistmaster »

The Lesser Evil wrote:
Rock wrote:The change to the usual human/vampire-relationship isn't bad!
I wouldn't connect this land to the Core, though; it'd work better as an Island or part of a Cluster, maybe connected to a land where the relationship between mortal and monster is the complete opposite, leading to tensions. If you link it up to the Core, the general fear of the inhuman would lead to trade embargos and attacks by the more twitchy nations, I think.
If I understand correctly, the premise of Mistmaster's Mist World design is that he is reimagining Ravenloft as a full-fledged Prime Material world and not disparate bits and pieces like the Core, Clusters, and Islands of Terror.
The Lesser Evil, You are correct, only, when I publish a solo domain, I try to make it compatible with canon Ravenloft; when I add it to the Mistworld, I increase size, population, and connections with the rest of the world.
Manofevil wrote:For Ezra's sake, go in and clean up the TYPOS! :D I got lost three times trying to read it. Great concept though. You should also be more clear about the presence of blood rivers and lakes. Write passages describing them and locating them on the imaginary map. Also what are the sources of fresh water in the domain? Also, since traditionally the comic book character Vampirella comes from a plane where there are blood rivers, it might be interesting to include a tribute character (maybe Vampiria?) Just Sayin'
You are right, I'm sorry for the typos, and Vampirella actually was one of my source of inspiration.

Rock wrote:The change to the usual human/vampire-relationship isn't bad!
I wouldn't connect this land to the Core, though; it'd work better as an Island or part of a Cluster, maybe connected to a land where the relationship between mortal and monster is the complete opposite, leading to tensions. If you link it up to the Core, the general fear of the inhuman would lead to trade embargos and attacks by the more twitchy nations, I think.
Well, canonically, Domains haven't a lot of relationship, anyway; I placed it in the core because I liked the idea of Strhad being interested in the alchemical secrets of Ezekiel, (like the one which allow vampires to move in daylight, for example)

Thanks a lot to you all for your feedback.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Mistmaster »

What do you think about the Darklord? Do you like his curse?
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by DustBunny »

Mistmaster wrote:What do you think about the Darklord? Do you like his curse?
Being a fan of the "Kick them while they're down" type DPs, I would amp it up a little. :twisted:

He wants to be the 'hero' and is a narcissistic enough to prance around being one - hit him there. Every time he tries to be the 'hero' his plans go disasterously wrong and he come out looking like a horrible but mindless monster to the citizens, and a bumbling idiot to his allies/minions.

The plans which are successful are invariably crafted by someone else (Antoniette maybe?) who the group sees as the unspoken leader 'who gets things done', while Sebastian is seen as the official leader who is good for speeches and general direction but shouldn't be trusted to run a lemonade stand. He can't get rid of the planner as he needs them, and any plan he devises to dispose of them would fail badly anyway.

If he personally attends a successful plan, his 'role' in the event boils down to 'stand there, be quiet, look menacing and don't touch anything'. If he follows those rules the plan usually works out. But the second he tries to be the hero and direct things due to his 'superior tactical skills' it goes to hell in a hand basket and becomes a miserable failure.

This would drive him up the wall with his hero complex - the superhero who will save to world reduced to little more than a posing mannequin.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Mistmaster »

I do like your interpretetion, DustBunny; but you must understand that Sebastian craves not for his minion's respect, they follow him because they fear him and because they have anti-vampiric goals; against Vampires and Dhamyrs he is very effective, and that is the problem, for him, because he wants the love and the respect of Lazendraki human population, those same people who killed him centuries ago; but he keeps treating them as the monsters, and the only monsters he manages to kill are Vampires and Dhampyrs which are seen as productive society members by the majority of Lazendraki people. Don't you think he is kicked enought this way? Beside, the idea of the General Failure sound me too much as the usual portrayal of the curse of Vlad Drakov.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Alastor »

I like the anti-vampire aspect, which is different and fits the darklord's personality.

It seems like the curse of mistaking humans for monsters and visa-versa should eventually wear off for each particular case. Failed heroism won't torment him very much if he never realizes that he is rescuing the creatures of the night and slaying ordinary people.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

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Mistmaster wrote:I do like your interpretetion, DustBunny;
Thank you, but it sounds like it was not what you desired so I apologise for eating your time unnecessarily.
Don't you think he is kicked enought this way?

Never! :twisted:
I'll ramble a little here with my thoughts which may explain where I am coming from...

From the books, Darklords are supposed to labor under their curse, not a suffer a mild irritant which pops up every now and again. For example, in some of the more modern depictions of vampires - they are not so much as 'the damned' as superheros with a sunlight allergy. If the Darklord dances around with superpowers granted by the DP's, then those powers should come with a equal price tag - their curse. If the curse is weak then the powers appear 'unearned' and thus they are just two dimensional bad guys to beat players with.

Imagine this - Put yourself into the mind of the Darklord (and making your madness check :P).
You are is sitting in a chair before a fire, staring silently and brooding. The room is silent and the children of the night have stopped making music gone home for the day. You watching the flames dance, and see your history play out in the light. Everything you have done, everything you have been, and everything you will be.
Suddenly the question "Was it worth it?" is asked.

How do you answer?

If you answer 'Yes' without hesitation, then the curse is weak.
If you answer 'No' without hesitation - the curse is too strong.
If you have to pause a long time before answering - the curse is good.
If you answer 'Whatever' - you're trying the Lord Soth method of escaping Ravenloft.

IMHO a lot of the canon Darklords fail this test.

***

The next bit is in regards to the PC's.

It is very easy for PC's to see the Darklord as 'generic evil guy #567'. In the case of a Darklord you have to make them unique (easy) and connect the Darklord with the _players_ emotionally somehow (hard). Abstract curses tend either to be not relatable or considered mere annoyances, thus preventing any meaningful connection. If it is something players can relate to personally, then you can have a fleeting moment where they can empathize with the Lord. He's not just a common big bad evil guy, but that nasty little voice in the dark corner of their soul say 'There but for the grace of the gods....".

In my thoughts on Sebastian, PC heros could feel a pang of sympathy for him in being unable to act as they could probably relate to the situation in real life. He may be utterly evil and the players have no qualms about opposing him, but in the depths of their soul a player could relate to being cursed that way and how bad it would feel as opposed to 'someone with another lost love and/or relative'.

Enough idle thoughts from me for now.
Hopefully this gives some ideas of where I am approaching from. If not, roll from the madness table.
Beside, the idea of the General Failure sound me too much as the usual portrayal of the curse of Vlad Drakov.
You have a point, though I never had much to do with Falkonovia. Drakov was supposed to be a military genius, and yet he come across as a little different than a typical warlord with extra incompetance thrown in. He fails the 'chair by the fire' test badly.

I would not want your Darklord to go down that route - apologies if I have done that.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Mistmaster »

I absolutly agree with your test in front of the fireplace approach. Indeed, I asked myself that question for all four the darklords I developed; if you are interested you can check the three threads about Collodi, Harlington Dale and Zeindost.
Regarding Sebastian, he is, basically an undead teenager (mentally) trying to please those same people who killed him (because of his faults) and failing costantly; The false hope which forbid him to reply no without thinking on it a lot, are his victories on the Vampires, on which he relishes, because he hates them, but which prehent him for ever reaching his goal. PCs could sympathize with him, partly because they will probably share his view on Vampires, at least at the beginning, and secondarily because of the tragedy his curse represent; But at the end, when he will kill theyr Dhampyr or even Vampire friend in front of theyr eyes, or will attack them because they are werewolves, in his eyes, he will still be the villain.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Mistmaster »

Alastor wrote:I like the anti-vampire aspect, which is different and fits the darklord's personality.

It seems like the curse of mistaking humans for monsters and visa-versa should eventually wear off for each particular case. Failed heroism won't torment him very much if he never realizes that he is rescuing the creatures of the night and slaying ordinary people.

Yes, you are right, it kick in and than wear off at the most unfortunate moment; Her won't mistake a group of humans walking down the street for werewolves, but, should those humans get attacked by werrewolves, well, he will slay the former only realizing what he has done when the latter attack him.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by The Lesser Evil »

The idea for an evil and vainglorious version of a Belmont type vampire hunter is not a bad one. The thing about the classic narcissist archetype though is that while he generally might have high self esteem, it's a generally fragile and delicate one that depends upon confirmation like praise and falters in the face of criticism or defiance. (Of course this doesn't mean a narcissist will show or admit this but will usually react with anger and hostility, such as Baron Viktor Vallakovich from Curse of Strahd.) I would think that Sebstasian would have some need for high praise, which isn't necessarily reflected too much here. I would make it a more explicit part of his curse in that he suffers, as a hunter of the undead, from the irony of having to hide his undead nature from his followers. I would make it a secondary goal for him to seek a way to regain his former mortality by finding a sympathetic priest (unlikely with the native clergy?), but having to do it while disguising his true motives.

I could see how Sebastien's family history could use contribute to his vainglorious personality. The long dynasty of vampire hunters may leave some pretty big shoes to fill, and an aloof, distant, or uncompromising father may have left little Sebastian to be raised in the hands of mewling and fawning sycophants that allowed Sebastian what he wanted when young. But when he became old enough to start his training, Sebastian never got the praise he wanted from father until it was too late and father was dead.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by Mistmaster »

Great observations, the Lesser Evil; indeed Sebastian is very angry with the commoners who does not reckognise him "as the wonder he is", but he attributes that to vampires' trickery, this fueling his hatred against the "evil bloodsuckers" and thus alienating even more the population.
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Re: Lazendrak, the land of Blood and Honey

Post by jamesfirecat »

Have you considered that instead of naturally occurring lakes/rivers of blood, and blood that somehow qualifies as fresh sentient blood which is the type required by vampires in Ravenloft, instead have the people of Lazendrak be suffering from some form of mysterious disease that causes people who are infected with it to develope blood clots at a much higher than normal rate, and if left untreated will cause infected people (which is just about everyone in the domain) to die in their late thirties/early fourties?

The main "cure"/"treatment" for said condition is of course having the amount of blood in your body reduced, combined with the he fact that vampiric salvia has natural anti-coagulation related properties, just like vampire bats.

In short the relationship between the humans of Lazendrak is not simply vampires acting as guardians against other evil night creatures because they were lucky enough to find a place where free blood is everywhere, but instead a particular disease/genetic quirk has caused predation to transform into genuine symbiosis. Also because in my opinion there is not much point to having vampires around if they aren't biting people's necks....

Needless to say this make Bloodstake's actions just that much more hubristic and horrible, he would probably consider the disease a lie spread by vampires to keep their human chattel in line, when in reality if he did kill off al the vampires, he would just be dooming the humans of Lazendrak to an early grave.
Last edited by jamesfirecat on Thu Nov 02, 2017 7:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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