Quoth the Raven #28 review thread

[Jeremy16]

Why not really embrace this concept and go full Firestarter here?

Τhe Gene Simmons version?

No, I mean this one...

[Mephisto of the FoS]

The Firestarter theme could be the turnout of the only successful subject of these psychic-broken-one-accidental-creation experiments...

[IanFordam]

When I read about the wereweasel all I could think of was this...

The next time my group finds itself in Kartakass or upon Liffe, they will surely be accosted by a mustachioed bard playing "Wereweasels Ripped My Flesh". (All the noise, plus lycanthropy!) I've got at least one Zappa fan among my players who might get the reference.

(I know, I know. That way leads to Chibiloft...)

[Jack the Reaper]

Say, is there a map of the City of Ravenloft anywhere? I really love this concept, but a map is required in order to make sense of all the locations.

[Manofevil]

Sadly, no. Somebody's going to have to draw one.

[Jeremy16]

The Spawn of the Lizard


Emperor Basiliscus – This article starts off with a Game of Thrones like rundown that honestly turned me off. Endless recitals of long ago battles and vanished races doesn't do it for me. Nobody reads Tolkien for the genealogy, it's the action and drama that brought that brings a world alive.

Amrocar's Last Expedition – This section provides some interesting details that could be used later when PCs encounter the same tomb.

Basiliscus (The Traitor Emperor) / Bakiliskis (The Dragon) – I get the “history repeats” motif weaved through this article, but having two characters with similar names and similar life stories is needlessly confusing. Don't get me wrong... There's a lot of nice touches here (the petrification and the missing hand) which have payoffs later on in the story. That's good. Just keep the history of the various reincarnations briefer and make them more distinct.

Basilisk the Freedom Fighter – Now we are finally getting somewhere! I like how he is transported to Falkovnia and his introduction to Vlad. And the descriptions of the gladiatorial combat, as well. In fact, this section brings home the brutality of Drakov's regime better than Vigo's demonic antics and all crazy Nazi experimentation stuff.

The Servile Massacre – I like how you separated the men from the boys here. It marks the Basilisk as smarter than your average rebel. Plus, it makes sense that the monstrous humanoids would close ranks and keep the “normal” humanoids at arms length after their treatment here

The Willows et al – I like this Dread Possibility a lot, but it is long enough to give it its own chapter. Personally, I would leave the Green Maiden out of this spot's origin and say it became a sinkhole of evil due to the many deaths that occurred there and use that as the excuse for the Death's Head Trees accelerated growth.

Blutfalk et al – I'm a sucker for a town that is hiding an evil secret. I love the raptor knight NPC and his mechinations. I'm not big on Octoberfest but local festivals are great adventure seeds so I will let it pass.

Vladik's Ford – This is nice twist on the phantom army legend.

The Fragmented Soul of the Basiliscus – You have buried the lead here. This should be put up front right after the three incarnation's histories are completed. It's the main driver for the subsequent adventures after all.

Night of the Officers – This is not really needed. It veers too far away from the main plot and doesn't add anything.

The Green Maiden – I like the idea of bringing her onto the scene only after Dorfurer Klaus Graf is dispatched by the PCs. There's nothing like the true villain showing up right after the PCs think they've defeated the evil mastermind behind it all.

The Imperial Bracelet et al – This and the Lost Notes of Amrocar are good plot devices to draw PCS into the story. Trelan the Odem, not so much. The Bakiliskis' Hand already fills that role nicely. And, if we are really dealing with a fragmented soul trying to reunite its scattered parts, why not have the soul control the hand and be the main instigator in this drama?


Overall Impression


This is an ambitious article filled with amazing story ideas. It doesn't flow very well, however, which makes it hard to follow sometimes. The first half of the article is dragged down due to the dry recital of ancient history. And presenting the biographies of important NPCS separate from the items that relate to them (such as the petrified emperor and the Imperial Bracelet) is even more confusing. And since we are talking about three separate (I think...) NPCs with similar names and origins it would be nice if they were numbered just for ease of reference. Or maybe I'm just getting stodgy in my old age...

[Jeremy16]

The City of Ravenloft


Arak – Why not have this spread even farther? Have the Arak inhabit the natural caverns that run beneath the city and then Timor (and its marikiths) serve as the city's sewers.

Barovia – Nicely done. I get a Godfather vibe off this description.

Blaustein – This domain should have been treated as the city's Staten Island – a significant part of the metropolis (it's one of the five boroughs after all) but mostly forgotten about. Eh, making this an island may be too on the nose.

Bluetspur – I'm sorry but talk of mountains in a city doesn't work. Maybe transform it into a strange hive-like strucuture (like geodesic dome) that rises up from the ground and has no visible entrances or exits.

Cavitus – This is another hard sell. The original domain is so grimdark it doesn't translate well to other venues.

Darkon – I would actually expand this district to encompase the more well-to-do neighborhoods and attribute its status and influence on the fact that it controls the northern docks.

Dementlieu – It would be neat to have this be like another SoHo bohemiam spot where all the crazy artists and hippies and such flock to.

Falkovnia - When you squeeze the domains so close together you see who the movers and shakers of the Demiplane really are. Vlad stands out as the chief instigator of cross-border strife. Azalin and his various schemes loom large. And Strahd's shadow covers the entire city. I would have liked to have seen a gang war metaplot between the various lords and their proxies (such as the Talons fighting the Kargat and similar match ups) to liven up things.

G'Henna – I like the idea of this being a religious commune ala the Branch Davidian.

Har'Akir – Sorry, pyrmands don't fit in a city no matter how hard you try.

Hazlan – This should have been made into a waterfront enclave that imports exotic items and holds daily bazaars.

I'Cath – All these forested domains scream for a Central Park to contain them all. Or maybe make them into a string of parks that dot the city...

Kartakass – Making this into the theatre district was a no brainer.

Lamordia – This should have been made into the city's only university.

Markovia – An abandoned zoo... I love it! Very inspired.

Nosos – Along the same lines this domain should have been turned into the city's dump.

Nidala – Sebua – Pharazia – These translations don't work for me. They just don't gel well with the environs.

Valachan – Vechor – Verbrek – The Wildlands – Ditto for these.

Necropolis – Great idea making this into the city's cemetery!

The Council Meetings – I don't think this idea works. What's the point? There's really no need for a city council to come together in a show of authority. Just have the city run on its own seemingly with no one at the wheel. That way it's even more creepy for the PCs. Whenever they start asking questions just have everyone shrug their shoulders and say, “That's the way it's always been.”


Overall Impression


This is another interesting riff on our beloved setting. And comprehensive too! No domain, no matter how small or out of the way, has been excluded. Bravo for that bit of due diligence alone! Of course, some places come off better than others.

This is another article where a map would make a world of difference! I'm not sure if this was the intention or not, but I can't help super imposing this onto a map of Manhattan in my head.

This idea could have legs if developed right. It makes the entire demilplan even more claustrophobic than the Core. I would love for some domain translations to become even more abstracted. Make Lamordia a self-contained university and the whole of Richemulot is placed within the sewers. And any of the forested domains can be treated as parks. Heck, you can even make the various Islands of Terrors into actual islands to preserve their isolated feeling. Stuff like that.

[Jeremy16]

The Conch Shell of Sorrows


Framing Fiction - I like seeing the Umbra make an appearance, but that afterword should have been placed, you know, at the end.

Cedrik Paddock – a human “doppleganger” is an interesting concept and I like that his past ties in so well to what he eventually becomes. I would have liked him to have spent a little more time in other reality altering domains; Vechor seems like a natural option. That would give him more gravitas in his chosen field of expertise.

Saulbridge Sanitorium – I love the return of this old asylum and the good doctor McClintock! It makes for a very Lovecraftian setup, and I am sucker for things like that.

Douglas Danton - This anchorite fellow is an interesting NPC but it's really the Soul Searcher Medallion that is the star of the show. It was hard for me to keep the stories of his friends Alinda and Bran straight and Douglas himself seemed like a bit character in the overall drama of the household. Also, I'd prefer him to be more proactive and seek out Cedrik instead of running away from him.

The Unkindness of Ravens – I am not familiar with this adventure so I can't say how well it is adapted or even tell what parts are original and what have been adapted. The focus on knights and wereavens makes it seem like it would be more at home in Barovia because a castle in Mordent would stick out like a sore thumb. Also, who and where are all these other unnamed wereraven protectors and what have they been doing all this time?

The Six Artificers – Its hard to keep track of all these boons and oaths and curses. Is having six wereraven protectors not enough? Having six ghosts haunt the underground dungeons seems a bit much.

Dread Possibilities – I'm calling a flagrant foul for violating the rules for Dread Possibilities. If a DP is over a page long it may as well just be woven into the surface story! j/k

The White Tower / Ghost Warrior – Introducing too many characters without giving each of them room to grow and breath just makes this article seem crowded. This ghost is a good NPC to get PCs interested in the manor, though.

The Soul Searcher Medallion / Wereravens – I like these two DPs as they aid PCs in delving deeper into the history of the manor. A lot of times authors get caught up in the lore but don't provide openings for PCs to get in on the action or uncover the truth. Well done.

The Scarecrow – This is a little too overboard for me, but I do like the idea of Mr. Gaunt acting as an instigator and drawing the attention of the PCs. If he's bound to the medallion shouldn't he be able to follow Danton around? As for the DPs for this character, I'm not as enthused by them. (That dang Apparatus makes yet another appearance!)

Ravienne – I like this interpretation very much. You have made it resemble Innsmouth much better than I ever could! I'm not a fan, however, of having an entire village being transformed (even though that cleaves closer to its source material). Rather, I'd prefer that these transformations are triggered by someone's actions and have them be slowly corrupted in both body and mind. That allows one or two holdouts that can ask for help and explain the lay of the land to the PCs.

Dame Dominique – This is another great extrapolation of a NPC from a one line mention. Giving her tentacles for legs is very creepy.

Adventure Ideas – These are all really good.

The Conch Shell of Dagon – At first, having a magical item with a reality wrinkle didn't work for me, but after my second read thru I figured out that its the essence of Dagon that causes the reality wrinkle not the shell itself. This should have been explained more clearly. Also, I would like to think that the Dark Powers are smart enough to not trying and bring such a powerful entity and artifact into their personal playground, but maybe they didn't learn after the Vecna debacle. I mean, we're talking about bringing an Elder God into the demiplane!

The Spear of Dagon – I always like tidbits like this. Just like henchmen are useful foils for darklords, built-in adversaries or weaknesses are helpful at making NPCs more fleshed out and dynamic. My only problem is this lead is never followed up on. Why not spend a paragraph or two on that dread possibility? We can't have a bloodthirsty cult taking over a seaside town without a built-in antidote somewhere, can we?

Transformation Tracks – Very nice details on this. Reminds me of terror tracks from the old days.

The Caller From the Depths – This is an interesting monster but I'm a little confused on how it ties into the article's theme? Is this an avatar of Dagon or just another sea creature that has been drawn to the Conch Shell? Anyways, it makes for a nice reveal as the true menace after the PCs dispatch Dame Dominque.

Drowned Ones – I love cannon fodder monsters like this that have unique and creepy characteristics. Anyone with a fear of drowning will want to avoid these things.


Overall Impression


There is a lot going on here. And while I like all the ideas, the two scenarios (the haunted tower and the evil seaside resort) don't connected very well. Maybe they should have been split into separate articles.

I would have liked more interaction between Dame Dominique and Cedrik. I wonder if they would they get along? Or are they working at cross purposes? Also, I would have loved to see a little scenario outlined where Dame Dominique succeeds in summoning the Caller from the Depths and what happens afterward.

[Daisu]

The City of Ravenloft
Har'Akir – Sorry, pyrmands don't fit in a city no matter how hard you try.

I can see a pyramid as some muesum display or attraction in a city. But how about focal point of a city like kalidney. I just think of the somewhere in time album by iron maiden.

[alhoon]

The City of Ravenloft
Har'Akir – Sorry, pyrmands don't fit in a city no matter how hard you try.

I can see a pyramid as some muesum display or attraction in a city. But how about focal point of a city like kalidney. I just think of the somewhere in time album by iron maiden.

Not that I disagree that in this case, it doesn't work very well but, in general, says who?

That the Egyptians didn't do it doesn't mean it doesn't fit. It means that the culture the domain is loosely based upon didn't do it, for religious and safety reasons. That's by no means a good reason to not make a pyramid the center of worship for a slightly different culture with very different religion. Also, speaking of people with pyramids, the Aztecs had their pyramids inside their cities.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

I may be mistaken, but weren't Aztec pyramids temples that were in use by the living, whereas Egyptian pyramids were tombs with traps and curses inside?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

The City of Ravenloft
Har'Akir – Sorry, pyrmands don't fit in a city no matter how hard you try.

I can see a pyramid as some muesum display or attraction in a city.

[Jeremy16]

The City of Ravenloft
Har'Akir – Sorry, pyrmands don't fit in a city no matter how hard you try.

I can see a pyramid as some muesum display or attraction in a city. But how about focal point of a city like kalidney. I just think of the somewhere in time album by iron maiden.

Not that I disagree that in this case, it doesn't work very well but, in general, says who?

That the Egyptians didn't do it doesn't mean it doesn't fit. It means that the culture the domain is loosely based upon didn't do it, for religious and safety reasons. That's by no means a good reason to not make a pyramid the center of worship for a slightly different culture with very different religion. Also, speaking of people with pyramids, the Aztecs had their pyramids inside their cities.

I will amend my comment to say "Pyramids don't fit in this city." Everyone feel better now?

P.S. - Yes, Gonzoron, I know of several modern cities with pyramids (Las Vegas, NV and Memphis, TN come immediately to mind) but the operative word here is modern, as they are are simply aping the style of the pyramids of old. It's not as if they arose organically, which is my original objection.

[alhoon]

There, we agree.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I may be mistaken, but weren't Aztec pyramids temples that were in use by the living, whereas Egyptian pyramids were tombs with traps and curses inside?

Aztec (or Mayan) pyramids temples were used by the living to create more dead people.
The following video is a human sacrifice reenactment from Apocalypto (Rated R)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG8WqEyXIyc

Although it does have historic inaccuracies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5pBZKj1VnA