What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
- GreenWood
- Agent of the Fraternity
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 10:01 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Alabama
What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
The title really says it all. I see many of the cultural influences in Ravenloft, but Nova Vaasa stumps me. I thought there were Spanish influences there but upon reading more of the Gazetteer I'm not so sure.
I, the Lord of the Midnight Green, now give rise to my final dream.
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 28523
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
Nordic countries, but that seems more apparent in 3E sources than the older stuff.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 28523
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
Some guys like to put a Fantasy Old West spin on it.
Cattle Barons who are literally barons, 'boltslingers' with hand crossbows, dirt farmers, saloon girls, etc.
Cattle Barons who are literally barons, 'boltslingers' with hand crossbows, dirt farmers, saloon girls, etc.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- Gonzoron of the FoS
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 7558
- Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 8:02 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: New Jersey
- Contact:
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
The language is Norwegian/Danish. Culturally, it's a bit of a mishmash. Some Russian, some wild west, a good deal of Tolkein's Rohan, a dash of Egyptian.
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
-
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 1143
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:27 pm
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
I have always played them as Cossaks.
- GreenWood
- Agent of the Fraternity
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 10:01 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Alabama
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
Mistmaster wrote:I have always played them as Cossaks.
I see this influence a lot, now that you mention it. Right down to the mustaches
I, the Lord of the Midnight Green, now give rise to my final dream.
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 28523
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
Last edited by ewancummins on Thu Jan 04, 2018 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
- ewancummins
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 28523
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
There is also, presumably, as much British Victorian architecture and urban society as DMs need to properly replicate the atmosphere of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
I'm just a ghost in this house.
-
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 1143
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:27 pm
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
That, is the major elephant in the room; I always felt that Tristen and Malken were out of place.
- GreenWood
- Agent of the Fraternity
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 10:01 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Alabama
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
With the rest of the domain, absolutely. I feel like the writers wanted the Jeckle/Hyde villian more than the rest of the domain was given details. There is a lot of possiblities for Nova Vaasa, but it's barely given much attention.Mistmaster wrote:That, is the major elephant in the room; I always felt that Tristen and Malken were out of place.
I, the Lord of the Midnight Green, now give rise to my final dream.
- GreenWood
- Agent of the Fraternity
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 10:01 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Alabama
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
Jekyll/ Hyde. Not enough coffee yet this morning, I'm afraid.
I, the Lord of the Midnight Green, now give rise to my final dream.
-
- Conspirator
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:26 pm
- Gender: Male
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
I think the lack of obvious analogue makes Nova Vaasa my favourite domain! But I agree that it also makes things problematic.
The schizophrenic identity is partly by design (to mirror the Jekyll/Hyde nature of the lord) but sadly also due to an uneven publication history! Arthaus, as always, put a very definite and more internally-consistent stamp on it, using Danish as their language analogue.
But Arthaus' interpretation might not be for everybody. In particular, I prefer to keep the flavour Slavic and reserve Swedish/Danish for Lamordia.
I personally do it like this:
- cities are CL8 and based on a kind of squalid, urban Russia
- countryside is CL7 or sometimes 6 and based on the Eurasian Steppes
- if in doubt, I think of Hungary (Kantora = Budapest, country = Pannonian Plain with leopards)
- everybody in the Core wants a Vaasi horse but only Tepestani or Invidians would want to live there!
- I use Latvia and Lithuania as my language inspiration. Natives pronounce "Egertus" as "Ej-YEAR-toos" to make it sound less humdrum!
If done right some of the things that make least sense in Ravenloft can be sources of horror precisely because they defy expectations and feel wrong - like the Egyptian-style tomb in the middle of the Steppes from the Awakening. But I concede that capturing this can be difficult.
The schizophrenic identity is partly by design (to mirror the Jekyll/Hyde nature of the lord) but sadly also due to an uneven publication history! Arthaus, as always, put a very definite and more internally-consistent stamp on it, using Danish as their language analogue.
But Arthaus' interpretation might not be for everybody. In particular, I prefer to keep the flavour Slavic and reserve Swedish/Danish for Lamordia.
I personally do it like this:
- cities are CL8 and based on a kind of squalid, urban Russia
- countryside is CL7 or sometimes 6 and based on the Eurasian Steppes
- if in doubt, I think of Hungary (Kantora = Budapest, country = Pannonian Plain with leopards)
- everybody in the Core wants a Vaasi horse but only Tepestani or Invidians would want to live there!
- I use Latvia and Lithuania as my language inspiration. Natives pronounce "Egertus" as "Ej-YEAR-toos" to make it sound less humdrum!
If done right some of the things that make least sense in Ravenloft can be sources of horror precisely because they defy expectations and feel wrong - like the Egyptian-style tomb in the middle of the Steppes from the Awakening. But I concede that capturing this can be difficult.
- GreenWood
- Agent of the Fraternity
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 10:01 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Alabama
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
I agree, the Slavic influence is more appealing. Lamoridia works well as a Ravenloft Sweden, that's how I use it.
I, the Lord of the Midnight Green, now give rise to my final dream.
-
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 1143
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:27 pm
Re: What culture is Nova Vaasa based on?
Well, to me, Lamordia has always been akin to Switzerland.