Night Vale

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

So, have you heard the "Welcome to Night Vale" podcast. It is entertaining.

I think it might make for an interesting "modern" dread domain. I've no idea who the dark lord is though... possibly the Big Glowing Cloud.

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

No responses, at all? That is a pity. Seriously, I think the show - accidentally - does good ob of depicting what it would be like to live in a Ravenloft domain as a normal person.

It can be found here.

[The Wolfman]

The Glow Cloud is a newcomer. It's probably the City Council, which appears to be a single entity sharing several bodies, like Tobin. Either that or Big Rico.

[Zilfer]

The Glow Cloud is a newcomer. It's probably the City Council, which appears to be a single entity sharing several bodies, like Tobin. Either that or Big Rico.

Haha! Toben! Love that guy and there's a podcast out that does I guess a story telling? Is that what I'm getting here?

[Ryan Naylor]

They're different Tobins.

[The Wolfman]

They're different Tobins.

Yeah, sorry. Meant Tobin the Many. The council seems to kind of be like that.

Of course, Night Vale could just be one city in a domain--StrexCorp is looking suspiciously Darklord-ish.

[Zilfer]

They're different Tobins.

Yeah I'm talking about Toben the Many..... <.<'

Now I'm officially confused is there multiple tobens in ravenloft?

I'm talking about the guy from Guide to zombies, crazy undead hive mind, likes practical jokes, and tormenting the living.

[The Wolfman]

They're different Tobins.

Yeah I'm talking about Toben the Many..... <.<'

Now I'm officially confused is there multiple tobens in ravenloft?

I'm talking about the guy from Guide to zombies, crazy undead hive mind, likes practical jokes, and tormenting the living.

Just the one. I, apparently, cannot spell.

[Hazgarn]

Apologies for thread necroage...

So, have you heard the "Welcome to Night Vale" podcast. It is entertaining.

I think it might make for an interesting "modern" dread domain. I've no idea who the dark lord is though... possibly the Big Glowing Cloud.

I haven't even gotten through the entire series yet, but having recently become obsessed with this podcast I found myself thinking along the same lines.

The City Council seems like a reasonable candidate for darklordship. They're reasonably creepy and in a position of power. They also seem to fit the overall theme of the domain in the way a darklord should, which is to say they are either completely insane, utterly incompetent or both.

Station Management seems like another likely possibility. If it ever was human, it clearly isn't anymore, and if we assume that misinformation and double-think are central to Night Vale's theme as a domain, a significant amount of misinformation disseminates from the radio station.

I'd think the most obvious suspect for darklord would actually be Cecil. Sure, he's the protagonist, and to all appearances a really nice guy, but he clearly has a significant degree of influence over the town and the people in it (see Telly the Barber). And the events of "Cassette" suggests the possibility of something else going on with him.

Though, I think to really work, you'd have to include Desert Bluffs and all it's attendant doubles of Night Vale citizens, either as a domain in the same cluster, or as some kind of dual domain. There is sort of a yin-and-yang feel to the two towns, and I think one is needed to balance out the other. To paraphrase Lord of the Rings, Night Vale "looks foul but feels fair", whereas Desert Bluffs is the opposite. Night Vale wears all it's scary viscera on its sleeves, while Desert Bluffs shrouds it behind slogans and a manic grin.

So perhaps Cecil and Kevin would be co-lords of the domain. Or one could be a manifestation of the other's curse.

On a separate note, the fake countries described in "A Memory of Europe" could all make excellently creepy oubliettes (especially Franchia). And I'm not one-hundred percent convinced that Luftknarp isn't located in Ravenloft already... *shudder*