Imagine this: the pcs come across a land that seems abandoned. They find empty farms and cabins from the natural growth it may be abandoned for months. Domestic animals have gone wild and it’s to quiet at times. If the pcs investigate houses/buildings they find concerning hints of something bad has happened here. Journals with mentions of strange dreams, of possible hallucinations and black outs. The PCs may find broken doors, blood stains, signs of a last stand but no bodies. There are “thangs” out there aberrations and strange phenomena.
The land is pretty rural, but it has a town, and some large businesses like a logging camp ect.
There are only a few people in the land, the pcs will discover from the survivors the story. One dr.vern did some kind of experiment at the hospital, he released something that has ravaged the land, some beast. Everyone seems mentally unwell, and all stay away from the hospital. And soon the beast comes for the survivors one by one but the pcs never see it. The last is a catatonic preteen when it comes for him, if the pcs see it its a softball size ball of light. The last survivor is terrified and runs he throws himself out a window and the land resets.
Survivors:
A confrontational soldier
A hedonistic tavern owner
A nillistic priest
A narcissist clerk
A manic fisherman
A paranoid woodworker
A emotionless gravedigger
A obsessive bookmaker
A catatonic preteen
And others
VIEW CONTENT:
Dr.vern is not the darklord in fact there was no dr.vern when the mists came. The dark lord was a doctor at the hospital. The story you are told is mostly fiction.
Nearly everyone in the domain is just an aspect of one man psychic manifestation as he tried to unlock the secrets of the mind and its power. He experimented with patients at the hospital and when he believed it ready used it on himself. All it took was a moment of enlightenment, of clarity and truth to destroy him. He saw himself objectively and it was not pretty
He fractured his mind but succeeded in getting psychic powers.
The beast is just a manifestation of empathy, that is why the others fear it and why it kills them, as empathy can destroy more selfish impulses.
The survivors are just manifestations of his broken personalty, aspects of himself like his anger or fear and that is why they are dangerous. They are not really people and them being broken show. They have killed before they will do so again
Last edited by edised on Mon Aug 17, 2026 2:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
This sounds a bit like Davison, a nightmare scape and pocket domain in the Nightmare Lands, but more fleshed out and with a more interesting dynamic than “man shares body with 3 others.”
If Venn isn’t the Darklord, who is?
"Blood once flowed, a choice was made
Travel by night the smallest one bade" The Ballad of the Taverners.
The Galen Saga: 2000-2005
Oh right, dr.vern was in reality modeled after Josia Vern a patient at the hospital suffering mental brake after a house fire killed his family. he died in the experiment but did gain psych powers (his psychic scream proved that)
dr.vern is a red herring, a scapegoat, but also the one of the few npcs that won’t kill the pcs, he is unsure who or what he is as he is separate from the darklord but he understands more of what is going on than anyone else in the domain.
The real darklord was a doctor obsessed with the power of the mind, he studied psychology and neuroscience but really he wanted ESP. He made a machine to unlock secrets of the mind, experimenting with animals and then patients, he was a deeply unpleasant person. The dark lord is hiding amongst the survivors the catatonic preteen is the real physical body, and the only real weak point. As the others are spirits/psychic energy.
Need a name for the dark lord, some thing both mundane but a bit creepy
Drinnik Shoehorn wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2026 1:56 pm
This sounds a bit like Davison, a nightmare scape and pocket domain in the Nightmare Lands, but more fleshed out and with a more interesting dynamic than “man shares body with 3 others.”
I am familiar with some of the nightmare lands but not that one.
Alot of my inspiration is from an episode of tv series (the outer limits or the new twilight zone I think) and add a dash of silent hill. Also we need more psychological horror type domains.
I forgot to mention, the domain itself may manifest stuff from the pcs minds as well but not to the extent of the darklord, maybe they see something one moment and gone the next, they manifest a fear as a ethereal shape that induces terror in one person, other pcs see a memory of a party member. Maybe they meet an aspect of themselves briefly, like a fighter meets there courage that looks like an old swordsman who gives words of encouragement and leaves not giving his name. None of the natives know who they are talking about there is no such person.
Last edited by edised on Thu Aug 20, 2026 12:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Drinnik Shoehorn wrote: Tue Aug 18, 2026 5:48 pm
You could also draw on things like the Red Room from Twin Peaks. A place where parts of the fractured psyche manifest to aid or hinder PCs.
Good idea, but I have never seen that show. Can you explain a bit more to me.
I rather proud of the twist and subversion in it, that the monster the player hear about is no danger to them. That the people they try to help are not victims but deranged killers.
The confrontational soldier is the dark lords anger
/rage, they will use violence or shouting to solve problems, they are all ways slightly hostile.Focusing on battle with the beast, being one of the few who do not fear it they actually seem to relish the idea. They have a large stockpile of armaments and other occupy a fort, making him seem like a needed ally, but his bloodlust will turn on the pcs, and he can be set off by anything.
The hedonistic tavern owner is desire/lust and seem rather mellow or extroverted, and drunk or high. They are vary welcoming and overly friendly, but will not talk of the beast, not wanting to even think of it. But are happy to gossip, and practice escapism. They are in reality vary selfish and rather narcissistic, the pcs are a new opportunity for fun, but if not entertaining then they get rid of them. They also have accidentally killed many (overdose).
The nillistic priest is sceptaeism/apathy/sorrow and talks a lot of death and the futility of life, they seem like a broken man of fate. They are bleak and joyless, but vary knowledgeable if you can keep there focus, as they tend to go on depressing ponderings. They are willing to help if only escape their own thoughts. They are most dangerous if he likes someone, they will mercy kill them to save them.
The narcissist clerk is pride/ego they seem to be running the government by themselves as if all is normal, delusional of their own importance. They are self important and vary busy with “important”tasks. They will speak of there achievements and the city’s achievements at any opportunity, and has access to a wealth of information if you can convince him to help. He is more dangerous than he seems, he feels personally attacked if you break the law.
The manic fisherman is joy/happiness they seem not concerned of what is going on, they are focusing on catching the new “fish” from the water. They are friendly and warm but with barely contaminated energy, a smile always on their face. He has alot of information on the creatures of the land especially the ones in the water, and knows the land well. They are the least likely to kill pcs, but are dangerous by being reckless and bad decisions.
The paranoid woodworker is fear/anxiety and spends time preparing for the worst. Nervous and paranoid, they are not trusting, and worry about unlikely things. If there trust is gained can be vary helpful in both building material and information but much of it is wrong (this survivor has a vague memory of the brake). He is dangerous if he trusts you, he is suspicious of trusting anyone.
The emotionless gravedigger is logic/reason they are drab, all business, with a stone face and monotone voice. They are withdrawn and seem to ignore people. If you can get them to speak they can answer many questions or give insight but not always accurate. They are hard to get them to open up (and there is nothing hidden) but they like puzzles. They will turn on pcs that are too emotional or destructive with cold reason.
The obsessive bookmaker is drive/passion, eccentric with a love of books, they are all over the place
