Café de Nuit

Mistmaster wrote:Well, to me, Lamordia has always been akin to Switzerland.

Geneva, then?
But with a much larger and saltier lake.

Nova Vaasa is the Dutch culture if they controlled the Central Asian steppes.

Dion of the Fraternity wrote:Nova Vaasa is the Dutch culture if they controlled the Central Asian steppes.

Or Goths on the Pontic Steppe.

Mistmaster wrote:Well, to me, Lamordia has always been akin to Switzerland.

That's certainly more in keeping with the Frankenstein novel.

I like using Scandinavia because it messes with expectations and I get to use cool pictures of 17th/18th century Stockholm as handouts.

Everybody their own take on details of Ravenloft - that's what makes this such a good community!

I have always envisioned Kartakass as Switzerland. I do like that everyone has their own view of the domains.

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:The language is Norwegian/Danish.

Really? It always struck me as having elements of Polish, which would make sense if we consider the Cossack-influenced culture.

The House of Vasa, by way of the placename Vaasa (now in Finland) might be the inspiration for the name Nova Vaasa.

Or it might come from FR's Vaasa, which I guess might also be taken from Finnish geography. Somebody could query Ed Greenwood on that one.


Finland was, of course, a Swedish possession at one time.


Poland was once ruled by a Swedish monarch. Same royal house.


The elective monarchy in Nova Vaasa also seems somewhat Polish (though it could just as easily reflect the HRE, the early history of several European realms, etc.)

Correction/clarification-- I looked it up.

I had it right about a ruler of Poland being Swedish, but it turns out he was elected king of Poland first and afterward succeeded to the Swedish throne. Hijinks ensued.