A new take of Verbrek and Alfred Timothy

[JasperWick]

Reactions have been mixed on van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, but personally, I like it and most of the changes it brings. In particular, I'm a fan of some darklords being changed up -- like Viktra's new relationship with her monster being more than a mere Frankenstein expy, and Tsien Chiang completely losing the stupid misandry and obsession with the number 4. In particular, I enjoyed Valachan. Valachan really became a new domain with a smooth transition from its previous darklord Urik to the current Chakuna. Valachan now felt like it had a purpose -- a gauntlet to terrify players -- rather than just an out of place area. However, I always attributed the Most Dangerous Game vibe with the domain of Verbrek. Verbrek holds a soft spot for me as the werewolf domain that revels in werewolf brutality compared to Kartakass' more "Wolf in sheep's clothing" vibe. The Darklord I always felt was fun, but his curse of turning into a human in the throes of passion in the hunt sort of struck me as bothersome for the DM and confusing for the players. Since it's the season to bring all DM's creativity to the table, here's my take on a new Verbrek and a new history of the domain and Alfred Timothy.

The following may have a lot of similarities to 5e's Valachan

Before the Mists: Arkandale
In a land tied to Mordent and Forlorn on the material plane, Arkandale was a vast forested dominion where the Timothys ruled as a lord. He enjoyed hunting, and his 4 children were similarly hunters, warriors, and sturdy. All save for Alfred Timothy, the youngest and frailest child. He tended towards the arts and was the type to feed animals, tend gardens, and paint. He was also very good at leadership, preferring to lead through compassion and understanding rather than fear and force like his father taught his other siblings to do.

Alfred was brought along on one of the family hunting trips one day. They ventured to the northern forest of Arkandale where wolves had been causing issues. Alfred shot a wolf with a crossbow, but it was in reality a werewolf who retaliated and bit him in panic before fleeing. That month's full moon, Alfred Timothy turned into a werewolf for the first time. The feeling was exciting, and Alfred felt so powerful. The Timothys and their guard tried to subdue Alfred but he managed to escape into the night.

When he woke up after the full moon's night, he was naked and alone in the north of Verbrek, where he was bitten. He was found and taken in by the lycanthrope who bit him -- Einri, chief of the Werewolves of the Circle, which is a strain of werewolves who derive their lycanthropy from the traditions of ancient druids linked to the druidic pasts of Forlorn. They managed to control the Beast Within and discipline themselves, using their powers to defend the forests. Growing up with Einri and the Circle Werewolves after being chased out of Castle Timothy, Alfred had a sense of community. He grew up with people who cared for him, helped him in his weakness, and taught him to hone his strength of lycanthropy. Einri, his lycanthropic sire, made up with him and mentored him, showed him love, and proved to be a true father figure.

Alfred's Fall
3 years later, at age 18, Alfred Timothy had full control of his lycanthropy. On a hunt, Alfred saw his sister on a hunt, having shot a member of the Werewolf Circle and taking her back to Castle Timothy as a trophy. At this, Alfred felt his rage return when his spiteful family took away a member of his true lycanthropic family. He remembered the bitterness and hate he felt towards Nathan Timothy and his siblings. He convinced the other Lycanthropes that his birth family was far too harmful to be kept alive, and come the full moon, he led a siege on Castle Timothy. Alfred's siblings were slain, the guards eaten, but Nathan managed to escape on his river-boat. Nathan boarded his river-boat, the Virago, and sailed away to the family's hunting lodge.

The wolves wanted to stop there, but Alfred felt in that violence a rush of passion, joy, and power that his father Nathan always wanted him to have. In a twisted way, Alfred felt fulfilled, and he didn't want to stop there. He started to wage war on the rest of Arkandale's small towns and villages. Convincing some close friends, he led his own pack to the slaughter of various towns and villages, leaving only two intact -- Alyssum and Fylfot. When he returned home one night, Einri tried to calm him down. When that failed, Einri attempted to use a last resort -- a trap of silver and moonstone shackles with smoke from burning nightshade. Alfred, in the light of the full moon, managed to break free with the sheer force of his rage and betrayal, and killed Einri. When Alfred killed his true father figure, the mists finally rolled in and took Arkandale, turning it into the domain of Verbrek.

Nowadays, Verbrek is a hunting ground. People who are lost find themselves entering Verbrek through one area only -- the southern mountains known as Prowler's Peak, where the Werewolves grant them until nightfall to survey the land and make their way northward to the Circle before they are hunted.

VERBREK, Domain of Wolves
This roughly follows the format laid out in van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.
Darklord: Alfred Timothy
Genres: Gothic horror, slasher horror
Hallmarks: Traps, paranoia, survival games, dark rituals
Mist Talismans: Wolf's pelt, broken crossbow bolt, Silver jewellery with the Timothy crest

Verbrek is a land of thick and tangled forests, occasionally cut through with rivers, jagged mountains, and hills. Verbrek is not highly populated by humans, the two largest settlements aside from nameless hamlets and constantly-travelling Verbrekers being Fylfot and Alyssum. Every month, Verbrek is seat to a hunt, where Alfred Timothy brings new and fresh game into the domain. Every month, on the morning when a Full Moon is to occur, people are brought to a mountain at the south of the domain. Clara Britter, a powerful werewolf and second in command to Alfred, warns the party that they must make their way to the Circle -- the ruined druidic stone circle where Alfred used to live before the Mists turned Arkandale into Verbrek. Along the domain's rivers and forest edges lie the small hamlets and villages that house the human Verbrekers.

Places in Verbrek
Fylfot: A small village where people try to keep out any hint of lycanthropy. The nearby forest is burned down on orders of the Wolf King, leading to those in Fylfot to either subsist on meagre crops or brave more verdant forests for better food at risk of encountering werewolves.
Alyssum: A town that is in reality a trap. Alyssum is a prosperous village by a river of abundant salmon, where the werewolves here to trade across the river with the help of Nathan Timothy to other domains. The other werewolves of Alyssum see the town as an abomination and a parasitical community, as they subsist on farmed sheep and pork, feasting on human only when they mistakenly come into Alyssum seeking refuge from the Wolf King's hunt. Alyssum is relatively safe as these werewolves are more of a mind for trade and good standing over fearful hunting, but when the Full Moon comes, they cannot control their tendencies.

The Circle: A ruined druidic circle that hosts the origins of the werewolves of Verbrek. The menhirs and dolmen circles are carved with depictions of druids, moon cycles, and plants, and the stones themselves are roughly carved in a circle representing the formations of the moon. When the full moon rises, the full moon stone has a moonstone gem in it that when the moonlight passes through, coats the circle in a mystical light. It is here that the Werewolves meet the subjects of their hunt -- either for the Wolf King to grant them sanctuary, or for the Wolf King to feast upon them and attain more time to be his desired wolf form.

The Banegrove: A grove that grows wolfsbane, one of the last vestiges of the druids of Verbrek. The wolves avoid this grove as the very smell from a mile away can make them sick, but in his human form, Alfred Timothy comes here. He has every opportunity to burn the grove to the ground, but he simply cannot bring himself to destroy any more of the druidic werewolves' legacy than he already has.

The Moonmine: A former source of the Timothy families wealth. Build into the imposing Winterfang Crests, the Moonmine was renowned for its ores of silver, moonstone, iron, and coal. It was abandoned when Alfred Timothy took over, but recently a group of people seeking refuge has entered: stray werecreatures that are not werewolves, such as werebears and werebats. Though the silver and moonstone is anathema to them, they'd rather live among their literal poison than face the brutal werewolves of Verbrek.

Duskpeace Lodge: A home to werewolves who keep true to their druidic roots and abhor Alfred's corruption of the werewolves of the land. They seek to live in peace, hoping to control their beast using the teachings of the druids. Other werefolk come here hoping to learn to control their power -- including possibly Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove.

Castle Timothy: Former seat of the Timothy family. Castle Timothy is located where rivers converge into a large lake. It is not particularly large or imposing, and in its ruined state, it holds nothing but foul memories and Alfred when he occasionally comes here to contemplate.




Alfred Timothy's Current Sketch & Curse
Alfred's story is detailed above.

ALFRED'S POWERS AND DOMINION
Alfred Timothy, once a kind-hearted soul, has been warped by a need for validation and revenge into that which he once hated -- the manifestation of brutality and wild hatred. He now values the wild and hateful werewolf side, but he is always plagued by his human side. Alfred wanders the domain posing as his old, kinder, softer self. Whenever it isn't the night of the full moon, Alfred Timothy is a simple artist. He wanders the woods, having special sanctuary from the Werewolf lieutenant Clara Britter. Alfred takes this time to paint, enjoy the quieter side of nature, and sometimes try to find peace in his rare moments of quiet contemplation.

On the full moon however, Alfred is everything he wanted to be in the eyes of his father before his curse -- a powerful Werewolf. He uses the stats of a Loup-Garou. On Full Moons, Alfred is the Wolf King, the mysterious lord of the werewolves who appears only on this sacred day. Alfred ordains the hunt and can revel in bloodshed and the wild hunt. The Full Moon is also the only day of the month that people can escape Verbrek. When the full moon shines, the Circle is suffused in moonlight. Those who stand in the middle of the Circle while it glows in the moonlight are considered off-limits by Alfred Timothy (his last shred of respect for the druidic teachings Einri taught him, as well as the fair endgame to his hunt). They are allowed to leave through the mists after this, which is not that far a distance from the Circle.

Closing the Borders. When Alfred wishes to close the borders of Verbrek, the Mists grow full of spectral wolves that hunt down those who leave without Alfred's permission. In addition, the old druidic magic Verbrek has corrupted creates walls of thorns, thick moving trees, and other natural barriers to those who leave.

Alfred's Torment
-Alfred can only turn into a werewolf on the full moon, having been cursed for forsaking his druidic werewolf teachings and slaying Einri. This tears at him, and every drop of blood and inch of flesh he devours in a ritual at the Circle on the full moon grants him additional hours to enjoy his werewolf form outside of the Full Moon at will.
-Alfred killed his true father, Einri, and regrets it. He is constantly on the look out for any clerics and druids who are powerful enough to survive the Hunt, seeing them as powerful enough to revive Einri. Even if he was successful, Einri would not wish to come back to life, ashamed of Alfred.
-In contast to his true father figure, Nathan Timothy escaped Alfred's clutches, and is safe on the rivers the Virago travels. While Nathan himself is cursed to stay on the rivers of Ravenloft, Alfred himself cannot actually touch whenever the full moon reflects upon a surface of water. He is also deathly afraid of water anyways, due to a near-drowning incident during his youth.

Roleplaying Alfred
Alfred is a confused, terrified, and insecure person at heart, who tries to hide his faults with the mask of brutal power and strength. He has a desperate need to be validated, stemming from Nathan Timothy's spite for him. Alfred longs for love and acceptance, but the closest he comes to is the fawning and fearful werewolves who only see him on the full moon. He enjoys the hunt as a dark mirror of his father's own hunting tendencies.
Personality Trait. "In moments of silence, when the full moon is distance, I sometimes like to indulge in my weak human pleasures. When I grow stronger, I can purge these weaknesses.
Ideal. "Power is everything. If anyone is ever stronger than me, they deserve to live... and I shall grow even more powerful for next time."
Bond. "The werewolves are my people. Humanity left me, and I shall destroy them in revenge."
Flaw. "Nobody has or ever shall love me. Only through fear and dominance can I rule."


Other Characters
Clara Britter: Alfred's lieutenant, who takes care of things when Alfred is in his human form. Clara is everything Alfred wishes to be. Clara is brutal and cruel, a pureblood werewolf with werewolf parents, and a consummate hunter. Clara is aware of Alfred's curse and inability to transform outside of the Full Moon's light, and covers for him, giving him sanctuary in human form, and relaying his secret edicts. This is because Clara Britter is someone envious of Alfred as he is of her -- she wishes to feel the silence and quiet away from the beast within her, and is smitten with Alfred.

Nathan Timothy: Alfred's father, who escaped Castle Timothy when Alfred came to slaughter them all. He escaped on the Virago, but was sucked into the mists along with Arkendale. He sailed through the mists to other domains with rivers, and he was cursed to always stay on his boat, always on the vessel he chose to escape the consequence of his terrible parenting. He conducts trade across domains, and incurred the wrath of Larissa Snowmane. He likes to pop in to Verbrek from time to time by the river near Alyssum to keep a safe eye on Alfred's activities, secretly proud of how brutal and vicious his son is as a hunter, but equally angry and eager to bring him down. Nathan is stricken with lycanthropy ever since Alfred attacked him, which only fuels Nathan's latent cruelty.

Ester Timothy: Unknown to both Alfred and Nathan, Alfred's sister Ester survived her injuries, swimming away from Castle Timothy. With a heightened fear of werewolves and a past of hunting with her relatives, Ester became the head of a werewolf hunting society known as the Woodsman's Axe. She hides her last name and past as a noble, and is unaware that Alfred Timothy is the Wolf King. If she ever was to find out, and if Alfred was to discover that Ester was alive, it would be a sibling battle to shake the power structure in Verbrek.

Adventures in Verbrek
Kartakass is a wild hunting ground, and humans are the prey. Compared to Kartakass, Verbrek presents werewolves in a less manipulative light and more akin to wild, feral hunters.

VERBREK ADVENTURES
1. Traders in a river-laden domain report traders bound for Alyssum have gone missing. They are hiring people to speak with Mayor Meogon of Alyssum to discover what happened to the lost traders.

2. An organization called the Woodsman's Axe seeks out allies on a wolf hunt in the deep woods. Its leader, Ester, hopes that capturing a werewolf alive can help her track her brother.

3. Werecreatures in the Moonmines -- in the centre of the domain -- seek passage to the edge of the domain to attempt escape. They offer to pay the party in precious silver and gems as payment.

4. The dryad of the Banegrove is dying, and she requests a druidic artifact from the Circle brought to her in payment for fruits and wolfsbane for protection.

5. A werewolf has taken residence in Castle Timothy, and the normally hostile werewolves of the domain have come beseeching the party for help. For some reason, the lycanthropes are hesitant to step inside the castle, for fear of either the castle itself or its new mysterious resident.

6. An afflicted lycanthrope seeks the party help in finding Duskpeace Lodge, a place where lycanthropes can find peace and cope with their condition.

7. Alfred Timothy, a small young painter, requests the party take him through a part of the woods to a beautiful grove he wishes to paint. He says he needs protection from the beasts of the woods, but the constant howling of wolves suddenly ceasing whenever he is around speaks to something being askew.

8. A mighty werewolf known as the Wolf King has captured the party, and his lieutenant Clara Britter has placed them in the Hunt of the Full Moon. It's a race to the north Druid Circle before Alfred devours the party.

ALFRED'S PLANS
1. Alfred seeks to create a new item -- the Full Moon Pendant, which absorbs the light of the full moon and allows him to transform into his lycan form whenever he wishes.

2. Alfred, through the traders of Alyssum, seeks to establish trade with a domain he heard rumour of called Kartakass. He hopes that Kartakass holds the secret to further power as a lycanthrope that he wishes, though his human side is also quite fond of the artistry of the land (Perhaps Alfred would have been happier had he been born and afflicted in Kartakass).

3. Alfred seeks the death of his father, Nathan Timothy, and wishes to set a trap for him the next time he sails into Verbrek.

4. Alfred seeks to seperate the beast and the human inside his heart, to live without self-confusion and insecurity, and so the Wolf King can live on outside of the Full Moon. He's heard word of something called the Apparatus, from a land linked to ancient Arkandale's history called Mordent.