Thoughts on... Verbrek

[alhoon]

The thing is, the way I see it, that there's no reason for that untamable wilderness to be its own domain instead of part of a civilized one. WHat I mean is... nature would win within a few days. If there are 100 people and 50 werewolves, then a week later there would be no people and 60 werewolves.

[Mistmaster]

Werewolves are people too, probably ypu meant himans or not-werewolves.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

The thing is, the way I see it, that there's no reason for that untamable wilderness to be its own domain instead of part of a civilized one. WHat I mean is... nature would win within a few days. If there are 100 people and 50 werewolves, then a week later there would be no people and 60 werewolves.

I guess that is the point the inability and pointlessness of trying to conquer nature and fighting against all odds that makes this domain interesting. It has it's roots in Romanticism which was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism, idealization of nature, suspicion of science and industrialization, and glorification of the past. It was partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, the social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment, and the scientific rationalization of nature. The movement emphasized intense emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such emotions as fear, horror and terror, and awe, especially that experienced in confronting the new aesthetic categories of the sublime and beauty of nature. And it is where gothic horror has it's roots, both are the product of a profound reaction against everyday reality and conventional religious explanations of existence. But while romantic writing is the product of faith in an ultimate order, Gothic writing is a gloomy exploration of the limitations of man. Plus I like the concept of pagan werewolves...

[alhoon]

Mephisto, I agree.
I don't mean eliminate Verbek as a place. Just as a separate domain.
What I mean is that there's no reason for those pagan werewolves to be in a different domain than the urban shapeshifters (Wererats). Or, if you want, Invidia had a werewolf darklord before Gabby dealt with him.
Split Verbek between the two domains, with the lines "unclear" and you have the untamed wilderness etc etc etc without Verbek.

I am not saying a forest with werewolves makes no sense. I am saying Verbek doesn't need to be a domain.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I understand what you say, but I disagree because as every domain is different and the thing that makes it different is the connection of the darklord with the land. I like Alfred Timothy as a persona, a "weakling" wolfpup, son of an abusive darklord who despised his weakness and "accepted" it as a part of his human side, so he despises humans as he despises his human side. A runaway abused kid who in the end didn't become really different form his father. Also I will go too far as to say that I can see Alfred as a misguided environmental radical activist, similar to what Jeffrey Goines (Brat Pit's role in 12 Monkeys) is supposed to be in most of the movie.

For instance Mother Fury's Cult located in 2e in Kartakass is similar to Verbrek but just as an encounter, there is no real drive behind her or her cult compared to Alfred and the religion of the Wolf God. That is why I believe Verbrek as a domain has meaning, because we already have a werewolf infested forest as you said in Invidia and a small part of Kartakass. Verbrek as a domain specifies that men are not welcome there, as the living are not welcomed in Keening and werewolves in Kartakass, or wizards and demihumans in Tepest. It creates this atmosphere of allienation important to create horror as it has been written in many Ravenloft products.

Now if Richemulot's forests were infested with werewolves how is that reflected to the domains darklord, why should there be werewolves in a wererat dominated domain that it's main theme is urbanity, intrigue and sewer filth?

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Mephisto, I agree.
I don't mean eliminate Verbek as a place. Just as a separate domain.
What I mean is that there's no reason for those pagan werewolves to be in a different domain than the urban shapeshifters (Wererats).

Except from the idea of "the domain is the reflection of its darklord" mentioned before there is also an affinity between wererats and werewolves and so it wouldn't be possible for werewolves to thrive in a wererat domain.

Or, if you want, Invidia had a werewolf darklord before Gabby dealt with him.
Split Verbek between the two domains, with the lines "unclear" and you have the untamed wilderness etc etc etc without Verbek.

Gabrielle Aderre murdered Lord Bakholis in 729BC creating a power vacuum of a strong werewolf personality in the area (as Nathan Timothy was confined within the Musarde). Alfred Timothy bacame darklord in 730BC with the Dark Powers creating Verbrek for him to fill this vacuum. Later on the Dark Powers (or better Game Designers) as they didn't want to have all these werewolf domains gathered together and since Arkandale was underdeveloped (and a bit similar to Souragne as an inspiration for the domain) they decided to let Nathan free and keep Verbrek as a no man's land kind of domain (not as extreme as Keening).

[KingCorn]

I kinda like exploring the after effects of Arkandale becoming Verbrek, with logging crews and tradesmen flooding into other domains as the werewolves swarmed, the ruins of saw mills and farms down the river. Even small towns of refugees forming in Invidia ,forming a core of bitter business men who see Malacchio as a chance to regain their fortunes, and be the petty business tyrants they once were

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I kinda like exploring the after effects of Arkandale becoming Verbrek, with logging crews and tradesmen flooding into other domains as the werewolves swarmed, the ruins of saw mills and farms down the river. Even small towns of refugees forming in Invidia ,forming a core of bitter business men who see Malacchio as a chance to regain their fortunes, and be the petty business tyrants they once were

Thats a nice touch!

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Yes, that would be interesting to expand on...!

[Jeremy16]

Mephisto, I agree.
I don't mean eliminate Verbek as a place. Just as a separate domain.
What I mean is that there's no reason for those pagan werewolves to be in a different domain than the urban shapeshifters (Wererats). Or, if you want, Invidia had a werewolf darklord before Gabby dealt with him.
Split Verbek between the two domains, with the lines "unclear" and you have the untamed wilderness etc etc etc without Verbek.

I am not saying a forest with werewolves makes no sense. I am saying Verbek doesn't need to be a domain.

Anyone ever hear of the concept of "genius loci"? Why can't the land itself be the darklord? That way Verbrek's man vs. wilderness theme can be kept the same, but the bad guy would be a lot more subtle but infinitely more sinister. Think along the lines of "The Happening" or "The Ruins".

[Speedwagon]

Like Ego the Living Planet? I’m familiar with the concept thanks to TVTropes, so if that’s what you mean, then I think it’s a concept that has legs. Idk if it would work for Verbrek…but for the Wildlands…

[Baron Von Stanton]

Mephisto, I agree.
I don't mean eliminate Verbek as a place. Just as a separate domain.
What I mean is that there's no reason for those pagan werewolves to be in a different domain than the urban shapeshifters (Wererats). Or, if you want, Invidia had a werewolf darklord before Gabby dealt with him.
Split Verbek between the two domains, with the lines "unclear" and you have the untamed wilderness etc etc etc without Verbek.

I am not saying a forest with werewolves makes no sense. I am saying Verbek doesn't need to be a domain.

Anyone ever hear of the concept of "genius loci"? Why can't the land itself be the darklord? That way Verbrek's man vs. wilderness theme can be kept the same, but the bad guy would be a lot more subtle but infinitely more sinister. Think along the lines of "The Happening" or "The Ruins".

Like the movie "Rose Red" or that Extreme Ghostbusters episode where the haunted house is actually the ghost of the week?

What would be the genesis of Vebrek? What catastrophe gave it maligned life and a malevolent intellect?

[alhoon]

I had something similar, very similar in my campaign. A cursed forest. There was always an evil vibe there and Elves have been burying alive locked in coffins traitors and criminals condemned to death. Others they would nail on trees to die slowly from bleeding. Generations of traitors, criminals etc dying there while cursing their enemies have tainted the soil to the ground. Undead were in abundance but the elves didn't care and considered the horrors of undeath a part of the penalty. The humans living near the cursed wood, the ones that had to deal with the undead etc were angry and they were attacking elven parties on their way to kill more criminals there which had the effect of the human defenders being added to the corpses in the woods. Etc.
Fast forward a few centuries of this and a mad elf king that dealt with a war by nailing 200+ prisoners of war there, people that were violent but not necessarily deserving that fate and voila. Or you could simply say the mad king became a darklord like the one in Rokushima (Sp? The Japanese domain) who is a powerless spirit.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Or maybe the elven king and his court are now trapped at the center of the forest, with humans hemming in the woods and driving the undead back inside when they try to get out - them and any elves who try to make a break for it. The king is quickly losing control due to his hard stance against the criminal humans, whereas most of his people are so terrified of the hungry dead that they just want to sue for peace so they can get out.

[alhoon]

Or maybe the elven king and his court are now trapped at the center of the forest, with humans hemming in the woods and driving the undead back inside when they try to get out - them and any elves who try to make a break for it. The king is quickly losing control due to his hard stance against the criminal humans, whereas most of his people are so terrified of the hungry dead that they just want to sue for peace so they can get out.

Well, my point is that I believe a "Cursed forest that is the darklord similar to a curse sword being a darklord" is possible, but yes, I can see your idea.