WotC announcement - novels:
Announcing New 2008 Ravenloft Novels
Ravenloft: Dominion isn't the same horror you used to read. Combining the best of gothic horror with the best of fantasy, Ravenloft: Dominion comes up with something entirely new -- something that touches the world we live in, our Earth, not merely lands that never were. Something that taints our world, our history, with the darkness of the Domains.
A series of stories that show you the evil that lies at the core of our own history.
The Sleep of Reason, by C.A. Suleiman
(previously planned for August 2008; ? Doubtful. This book isn’t listed at Amazon or WotC anymore – fate unknown for the moment!)
Moving forward in time nearly 800 years, The Horizon Society's newest member, Charles Bromley, is approached about a missing compatriot, Cyrus Umber, who has vanished from his home in the town of Sharing Cross. Charles is tasked with investigating the disappearance -- by the father of his betrothed, in a harsh test of a prospective son-in-law. When Charles arrives in Sharing Cross, he quickly becomes aware that the missing man's interests go rather beyond what the rest of the Horizon Society considers a normal interest in the occult. Before he can react to that knowledge, the Mists rise around him - but they do not send him to a new world. Instead, they drive him first mad and then to the new laboratory of the missing man, where Umber waits for Charles to arrive and to bring the last piece of the puzzle he needs to complete the picture of obsession and magic and the deadly terror of dreams.
Heaven's Bones (formerly titled Clockwork Angels) , by Samantha Henderson
(Amazon said September 2nd 2008 - Out! Released Sept 2!)
Amazon’s Book Description
Love and death walk hand in hand...
Dr. Sebastian Robarts is a man paralyzed by the fate of his adored wife, dead in childbirth, their only child with her. He searches for a way to build angels from women, a pastime known to Scotland Yard as murder. Robarts meets the Vistani seer named Trueblood, who becomes his assistant and leads him to the Antebellum-era domain of Riverbend, controlled by the sadistic Dr. Weldon, to create angels, unfettered by conventional morality, or even rules. When the murderer returns to earth, it is the task of a Vistani policeman and a woman with a strange connection to Robarts to stop him. If he can be stopped.
Heaven's Bones skillfully blends horror and steampunk and classic Victorian literary style into something exotic and fascinating.
From the Worlds of D&D website:
About the AuthorJoël: Can I ask what % of your book is happening inside the world of Ravenloft (new domain of Riverbend?) ?
Samantha: I would say about half the story takes place in the Mists, including one location that exists partially in the Mists and partially in our world.
Samantha Henderson grew up all over the world and now lives in Southern California with her husband, two daughters, two corgis and two very disapproving rabbits. She enjoys riding horses, hiking, theater, silent movies, and making jam. She might be a little bit overly obsessed with Jane Austen, if such a thing is possible. Her stories have been published in markets such as Strange Horizons and Realms of Fantasy, and she is an active member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association.
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Mithra's Court , by David Page
( Out! Released Nov 4th!))
Amazon’s book description :
When you've lost what you love most, a life in hell comes easy...
Lewis Beckford's wife was murdered on a London subway car; now Lewis spends his night searching the underbelly of London looking for the man with the snake tattoo. A year after her death, he finds Richard Baxter, but his attempt to bring the man to summary justice for his crime goes horribly awry when the train finds its way to Mithras Court Station, a place not on any mortal map of London. The only key Lewis finds is a name - Sir Lucius Knight. But Knight seeks only his own empire to rule, and in Mithras Court, he has that. Lewis cannot buy his assistance easily, but Knight offers a deal: Lewis' aid in Knight's plan to expand his kingdom in exchange for Lewis' freedom.
An action-packed story of love, revenge, and the horror that waits for all people, Mithras Court will be a key book for fans of horror and gothic romance alike.
About the Author
After reading The Hobbit and The Sword of Shannara at the age of twelve, David Page boldly announced to his parents that he was going to write a book of his own. He started by scrawling on an old notepad and by age eighteen submitted his first short story. A novel soon followed. Several of his short stories have appeared in small press magazines.
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
A Crown of Ash (was titled Black Crusade) , by Ari Marmell
(previously planned for March 2008 - Book has been cancelled - Released on WotC as a weekly!)
You can get it here : http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20090116
Info on the new novels from the EnWorld board :
Ari : Don't get the wrong idea from the promos. This is still Ravenloft. It draws from historical periods in the real world, now, rather than D&D settings--and there are some other changes as well, which I can't yet get into--but it's still its own world. The bulk of my novel takes place in a brand new domain, but it is a domain, not part of Earth. (Roughly, oh, 15% or so of my own novel takes place on Earth. I think C.A.'s novel has a much more even mix of Earth and Ravenloft.)
Q Ari, will there be anything regarding game stats for any aspect of your novel?
Ari : Nothing that I'm aware of, though I've contemplated eventually writing up Malosia in the style of the other domains in the old books and submitting it as a web article. Wouldn't happen for a good long while after the book was out--if ever--but I've thought about it.
Two reasons to publish it long after the novel, primarily.
1) Any such writeup would almost by definition include spoilers for the novel. I'd want to make sure most people who wanted to read the book would have the chance to do so first.
2) I'm hoping for the chance to write more books in the line, and some of those might also be set in Malosia. I'd want to have a pretty solid idea of where I was going with the domain before committing to any info not included in the novel.
Q Also, given the Gothic Earth speculation, is there any hint of the Red Death or anything specific to the Masque of the Red Death campaign setting?
Ari : Nope, or at least, not in my novel. I guess it's possible such details could appear further down the line, though.
Q : Since the novels are drawing from Earth, and specifically very *religious-focused* periods of Earth's history, I assume the domain will feature Earth religions, or at least Earth-based characters will view everything through a Earth-religion lens, right?
Ari : The Earth-based characters do indeed tend to view things through the lens of Medieval Roman Catholicism. The primary religious institution of Malosia, the Empyrean Church, has some similarities to the Roman Catholic Church, but is also very different in many respects. IOW, I've done my best to ensure that while everything feels at least somewhat familiar, nobody should have any real reason to find offense.
Q The whole "weekend in hell" never set well with me to begin with, since it made the campaign world a one shot. I much preferred what Domains of Dread attempted to do - present it as a campaign world where natives struggled against the darkness.
Ari : In terms of RL in gaming, I agree with you. The best RL campaign I ever ran was about natives, and never was the concept of other worlds even brought up. In novels, I think a good mix is best. The trick is, when writing a novel about outsiders to Ravenloft, to focus on goals other than just "escape." Not saying that getting home can't be a factor, but it should rarely be the primary focus of the story.
From World of D&D
Ari : Well, I don't think I'm spilling anything to say that it's a single book, not the first of a trilogy--but it could have sequel potential, if people demand it.
Q Did you read much of the original Ravenloft fiction, and if you did what was the most memorable of the books?
Ari : Quite a bit of it, yep. I think the ones I liked best were the two I, Strahd novels by P.N. Elrod, and the anthology of short stories called Tales of Ravenloft. I thought the two Lord Soth novels were decent, but the story felt a little disjointed. (I've heard rumors that an entire chapter was lost from the second one.)
Q Also how much did you get to game in the original setting?
Ari : A decent amount, albeit not as much as I'd have liked. My best "mini-campaign" (defined, in this case, as a campaign designed only to run about five sessions) was set in Ravenloft, though.
Q Do you have any favourite adventure modules released by TSR?
Ari : Hmm... I tend to read modules for inspiration and to steal ideas/scenes, as opposed to running them directly, so my memory of them is fairly shaky. I know I read a lot of them, but they've sort of blurred together in my mind, honestly.
Q If you could go back and choose any of the original characters from the setting and write a novel about them, which would it be?
Ari : Well, let's see. Strahd's a cool character, but he's been done to death. I really like Anton Misroi (darlord of Souragne)--and indeed, I do hope to write a novel set in Souragne one day--but I don't think it would be about him, per se. He'd more likely be the villain.
You know, I think I have to say Rudolph van Richten. I know it's kind of a cliche to write about him, but at the same time, I don't think any of the novel-length stories ever focused on him. I'm a big fan of older protagonists who have to rely on their swift wits and knowledge, as opposed to their sword-arm, to overcome challenges. I think it'd be a blast to write a Ravenloft novel from his perspective.
Q Can you tell us about the guidelines you were given about any eventual cross-D&D setting features in these new novels?
Ari : None. The Ravenloft: Dominion line doesn't draw characters from other D&D settings. The characters are all either A) from historical periods of Earth, or B) natives to one of the Ravenloft domains.
From the FoS board :
Q I think the main question we all have is if you can disclose if this new line of RL fiction is actually accompanied by RPG supplements of any sort.
Ari : To the best of my knowledge, no RPG supplements are planned at this time. (If I'm not mistaken, RL always sold better as novels than RPG books anyway.) But who knows? If they do well enough, and there's a demand for 'em, I suppose anything's possible down the road...
Q The first book makes me a little nervous, actually--given the background and characters described, it's going to have to involve Christianity at least a little, and the way Christianity often gets treated in gaming circles leaves me uneasy. I don't know enough about Ari to make a judgement one way or the other, and I hope he doesn't take offense at this--I'm just a little hesitant.
Ari : I don't take offense at all. I think it's a valid concern. I'm not a fan of religion-bashing in any sense, honestly. I have a problem with what some people do in the name of religion, but I draw the line at blaming the religion itself.
Without getting too heavily into details (no sense in offering spoilers this far in advance ), I'll say this much. While religion obviously lurks in the background of the Earth-centric chapters, and the main characters clearly view the world through their own (often twisted) lenses of Roman Catholicism, those chapters are far more about the specific events occurring, and the specific characters' motivations, than they are about either the religion or the Church.
And while the primary religious institution of Malosia, the Empyrean Church, has some obvious and deliberate parallels to the Roman Catholic Church, it's also got some pretty major differences as well.
The upshot of all this? While I tried to make things feel familiar, and there are certainly some connections if people choose to draw them, I believe I've been very careful to avoid painting any real-world religions in any particular light, and I don't think anyone should find offense.
Q To bad the first two books don't appear to take place in pre-existing Ravenloft domains (From the sound of the second book, it doesn't even sound like the characters end up in Ravenloft). Still, no reason they can't add more domains. And of course, if these books are a success then there's no reason to think that future novels won't take place in more wellknown domains like Darkon or Tepest.
Ari : Exactly. Since the new series does indeed have some differences from older RL fiction, it was decided to set the first batch of books in new domains, to provide a completely fresh start. However, it's been suggested to me that future novels may indeed take place in older domains. (I certainly hope so, since I'd really like to write more set in Souragne. I love that domain...)
Q Though rereading the press release, it sounds like the whole purpose of the Ravenloft: Dominion line is Ravenloft + Earth. So any chance we may see a THIRD line in the future? Ravenloft: The Covenant (Reprinted Ravenloft novels), Ravenloft: Dominion (Which connects Ravenloft to different eras on Earth), and a Ravenloft novel line which focuses specifically on Ravenloft on its own?
Ari : Well, yes and no. Any "outside" characters in RL:Dominion have to come from historical Earth. However, if I understand the new guidelines fully, it's perfectly acceptable to write a RL:Dominion book set entirely in Ravenloft, using native characters.
Q Hmm. You say the first novels are going to be in new domains. This begs the question, will those domains remain for further novels? and if so, will we (after a time) begin to see inhabitants finding out about the rest of the land of mists?
Ari : Oh, absolutely they will. (Or rather, I shouldn't make promises. I can't swear that these domains will appear again, but I know that they can. I'm sure I'll wind up writing in Malosia again, if I'm given the opportunity.)
Q So what's the deal with Malosia? Is it an island of terror? Is it part of a cluster? If so, how many domains border it? Or is it part of an entirely different core? And would it be an accurate assumption to say that the technology level is roughly parallel to that of the 1st Crusade? Or is it higher/lower? As for the Empyrean Church, is it a monotheistic religion? Polytheistic? Do their priests cast spells? Inquiring minds want to know.
Ari : Hmm... Now, I think, we're starting to get into specific details and even a few potential (albeit very minor) spoilers. I'm afraid I'm going to have to address most of the above with a "wait and see."
Sorry; I know that's not the most satisfying answer, but I'm already pushing the boundaries of my NDA pretty tightly as is.
From Ari’s live journal
Q So is this a d20 Modern version of Ravenloft then?
Ari : Novels only. To the best of my knowledge, this incarnation of Ravenloft is pure fiction, not gaming material.
Q Oh, that sounds a-MAZ-ing! Congrats on such a fun premise and period. Can't wait to see what you do with it. Given the amount of AQ I wrote, though, you'll have to forgive me if I cheer a little for the Saracens.
Ari : No worries. Al Qadim is, in fact, tied for Ravenloft as my favorite setting from old editions.
I will warn you, though, that only a relatively small portion of the novel actually takes place in Jerusalem/the real world. So you won't have too much opportunity to cheer for the Saracens this time. That said, I see no reason not to revisit the period in later works, if I'm allowed to write any, so hold the thought. 
From WotC's boards
Re: New novels
I'm not going to address every issue in the thread point-by-point. But I will say this.
1) Everyone working on the new line is a huge fan of the old line.
2) While the earlier novels in the Ravenloft: Dominion line revolve around new domains, that doesn't mean you won't be seeing familiar domains, and familiar characters, appearing in the future.
3) The elements that make Ravenloft Ravenloft--including, but not limited to, the Mists, the various domains, the Dark Powers, the Vistani--are just as vital to the new line as they were to the old. They play a big part in some stories, a small part in others, but they've been neither forgotten nor abandoned.
4) While the new line is more "gothic horror" and less "fantasy horror" than the old line, it's still got plenty of elements of both.
5) While the new line links Ravenloft to Earth, that doesn't mean these stories take place on Earth with "Ravenloft flavor." I can't speak to the second novel, but I can tell you that maybe 15% of Black Crusade takes place in historical Earth. The rest takes place entirely in Ravenloft; a new domain, yes, but very much the Realm of the Mists.
Oh, and I'll add...
Don't read too much into those blurbs. They do what they can, but it's difficult to summarize novels like this--particularly horror novels, with the requisite twists and turns--in a paragraph.
Postulating a major change in the fundamental nature of the Mists based on the blurb for a future release would be--premature, to say the least.
Other WotC books with Ravenloft content:
Catman Jim reports that the newly released Dragonlance hardcover, "Dragons of the Highlord Skies" has the last ten pages of the book detail Kitiara's first overnight stay with Lord Soth at Dargaard Keep. It’s out now.
Ebonacht news!
James Lowder announces (Mar08): Some news that might be of interest to those of you who enjoyed my Ravenloft work. Elder Signs Press will be releasing the Ebonacht Trilogy beginning this fall. There might also be a reprint of the Ebonacht prequel story a month or two before Tower sees release. More on that as I have the details.
They are accepting pre-orders for the first book, The Screaming Tower, here.
Screaming Tower teaser from the publisher:
Superstition shrouds the island of Thran and keeps the fear-plagued inhabitants subservient to the reclusive tyrant, Lord Ebonacht, and the denizens of the unseen Twilight Court. Only Janus, an orphan whose own mysterious past is discussed in frightened whispers, rails against the tales of the Strangerfolk and the other creatures that are rumored to stalk the night. His quest to prove the old stories false will bring him face to face with the prisoner of the Screaming Tower and reveal secrets about the world — and himself — far more terrible than those hinted at in the grimmest of legends.
Worlds of D&D Comics
Devil's Due has announced a new comic. It's titled Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and will adapt short fiction from at least four settings--the Realms, Krynn, Eberron, and, yes, Ravenloft.
http://www.comicbox.com/index.php/news- ... ng-lowder/
Issue #3 has the Rigor of the Game story adaptation.
A future issue should have the Caretaker adaptation.
Our own Ravenloft veteran James Lowder is editing these comic books :
Devil's Due first approached me about scripting for them, but then realized I had either edited or written some of the stories they were thinking of adapting. I will be involving as many of the original fiction authors--at least those with an interest in comics and the time in their schedule--in adapting their own work. The other scripters will be people with a strong interest in the worlds.
Right now, the DDP license only allows for adaptations of existing fiction, but I've pointed DDP toward fan comments about original material. The license doesn't currently allow DDP to develop material, just adapt it. So we couldn't add significantly to the stories. That may change, but right now we're limited to adapting existing tales.
"Caretaker" is very high on the list and already penciled into the schedule, pending the schedule of the writer I'm talking with about that assignment. (Scheduling and writer availability will play a big part in which RL stories are done in what order for the first six issues or so.) "Crucible" presents some challenges to comic adaptation, but it's high on the list, too.
At minimum, we should do at least one RL story every three issues of the comic. There are two Ravenloft tales scheduled for adaptation in upcoming issues and a third in the works.
Very interesting idea about taking scenes from the novels or the modules. I could see that working. I'll give it some more thought and check with DDP on precisely what the license allows them to adapt.
The third issue of Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons has now been solicited, so I can reveal that it will feature a Ravenloft story--an adaptation of "The Rigor of the Game" from Tales of Ravenloft. (This was the reason DDP originally contacted me--to write an adaptation of my story--and my role on the book grew into that of a creative editor from that initial discussion.)
You can see the very cool cover here:
http://devilsdue.net/images/stories/sol ... bcolor.jpg
And details on the entire issue can be found here:
http://devilsdue.net/index.php?option=c ... &Itemid=51
The next Ravenloft story will appear a few issues after this one, with another script by a different original Ravenloft author.
