Mordenheim and Markov.

[jamesfirecat]

Another strange idea came upon me, that would be interesting to see played out, since he's not actually Darklord is Victor Mordenheim allowed to leave Lamordia? It might be mentioned somewhere but I can't seem to find it directly in my recent review of Adam's Wrath or the 2nd edition box set.

The reason I ask (and if I can't do it exchanging letters/whatever would probably work just as well) what would Victor Mordenheim and Frantisek Markov, the Mists two resident mad surgeons think of one another and their works?

Granted such interaction probably works best before the Grand Conjunction when there was no ocean between the two of them, but it's still interesting to think about.

Do they hate one another for their differences (Markov may call himself a surgeon but he probably treats his "patients" more like an artist does his work, if you don't like how your result looks/acts just take it under the brush/knife again), while I can't imagine that Mordenheim would have tried to modify Adam's behavior (before they had their falling out) by cutting up his brain after he came to life. Or how Markov considers himself a living god, (Diosamblet!) and Mordenheim is an atheist.

On the other hand, they also might look semi-favorably upon one another for their shared passion in surgery as both of them are interested in creating human life from something decidedly unhuman (Mordenheim dead human flesh, Markov from living animals). If journals of surgery/anatomy get published is the "letters to the editor" section half filled with messages from Mordenheim and Markov sniping at each other? ("Unlike my friend from Lamorida I realize it takes more than diodes, switches, and lightning to create life." "While I respect my Markovian associate's opinion, flesh knows it own, and using surgery to graft stripes onto a horse still does not make it a zebra.")

Once again, with them having an ocean between them and Markovia being an island that only extremely unlikely people end up on (and Markov's experiments with bird broken ones loosing their ability to fly) it's unlikely that any sort of communication exists between the two now, but it'd be interesting to imagine how the two play off one another.

(Granted once again I'll admit it also plays into my innate love of adding a touch or two of farce to Gothic Horror for example imagine Mordenheim and Markov tipping hats to one another as Mordenheim is leaving a graveyard with a wheelbarrow full of bodyparts and Markov is leaving zoo (or traveling circus since even the more advanced domains probably don't have public zoos yet) with a wheelbarrow full of tranquilized animals.)

Still, I'm certain that there could be an adventure in watching these two work with/against one another if only one could figure out how to do it properly/make it internally consistent with the rules of the setting.

[Garudos Celestar]

Another strange idea came upon me, that would be interesting to see played out, since he's not actually Darklord is Victor Mordenheim allowed to leave Lamordia? It might be mentioned somewhere but I can't seem to find it directly in my recent review of Adam's Wrath or the 2nd edition box set.

I don't think it's ever explicitly stated whether Mordenheim could leave Lamordia or not, but I think there's a reference somewhere to Adam reflexively closing the borders if his nemesis gets too close (sadly, I don't remember where; it could be a bit of subconscious "personal canon").

[Dark Angel]

Another strange idea came upon me, that would be interesting to see played out, since he's not actually Darklord is Victor Mordenheim allowed to leave Lamordia? It might be mentioned somewhere but I can't seem to find it directly in my recent review of Adam's Wrath or the 2nd edition box set.

I don't think it's ever explicitly stated whether Mordenheim could leave Lamordia or not, but I think there's a reference somewhere to Adam reflexively closing the borders if his nemesis gets too close (sadly, I don't remember where; it could be a bit of subconscious "personal canon").

Though I could be wrong (lord knows it happens plenty), I am pretty sure the good Doctor qualifies as a darklord in the same vein as Ivan Dilisnya. While not exerting as much influence over the realm (as far as closing borders and decisive rule), he is still trapped as much as Adam. This is also directly related to your particular settings "rules". I follow the books for the most part, but many feel the need to be changed in various ways. Some allow their darklords to leave, while other do so at great cost (either their powers disappear (but not their curses) or they become vulnerable to permanent death, which some may want). In my system, if they appear in the Domains of Dread they are given some level of status (even if shared) that says they cannot leave. Your game? You can do whatever you feel works best for your campaign.

Now given this, would a certain Dr. Emil Bollenback (sp?) take such liberties with Dr. Markov and seek him out for a visit? He is one of the few recognized doctors (with the exception of Van Richten, of course), but you could easily come up with a NPC of your own seeking out the strange doctor capable of tremendous surgical acts. But who could accompany this doctor through the jungles of Markovia? I wonder if that stalwart band could do so under the guise of finding the plant extract for a mysterious malady that has been popping up amongst the locals...

[HuManBing]

This is a very interesting idea, and one that I'm going to stea, er, adapt for my campaign.

Will post more as I think of it, but a Darwin-esque voyage with one doctor seeking out the other sounds very cool. I'm a fan of portraying darklords as more dynamic than a badguy in a lair.

[Mangrum]

As I imagine it, the Dark Powers don't prevent Mordenheim from leaving, but Adam will never let him go. Mordenheim's prideful obsession with his work--which relies upon a manor's worth of unique, hand-made, non-portable equipment--is an additional factor.

[jamesfirecat]

I'm glad to see that this idea is generating some interest, I had the seed of the idea when I was wondering "If you were going to adapt "Neither Man Nor Beast" to a party native to Ravenloft, where would Doctor Fran claim to be from if they asked him? (Would he try to fake not being sure anymore due to failing memory/name some place from another world and not be a native to the Domain of Dread?)

I decided the most obvious answer would be Lamordia due to him being interested in most maters medical (well at least surgical) and he probably already picked up that language back when Markovia was part of the core just to read the medical journals/papers written in that language dealing with human/animal anatomy and it also hangs together well (either intentionally or by accident) since Lamordia is the nearest part of the core to Markovia's new location.

After I realized that and double checked to make sure that indeed Lamordia had existed for long enough (longer than Markovia in fact) I couldn't help but wonder if Markov might taken an interest in Mordenheim's work or vice versa?

[Ryan Naylor]

Also remember is that Mordenheim's curse is to never receive the recognition he is due for his discoveries, so Markov may be compelled to disregard what Mordenheim says.

Or it could be like Darwin and Mendel: someone going through Markov's library finds a series of papers written by Mordenheim and mailed to Markov for comment, dusty and unopened in a corner. Or propping up a table.

[Bluebomber4evr]

As I imagine it, the Dark Powers don't prevent Mordenheim from leaving, but Adam will never let him go. Mordenheim's prideful obsession with his work--which relies upon a manor's worth of unique, hand-made, non-portable equipment--is an additional factor.

That makes sense to me, since I've always envisioned Victor barely ever leaving Schloss Mordenheim anyway, let alone leaving Lamordia.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

I agree with others that Dr. M is chained by his inability to abandon his work. IMC it was only after Elise came back to life and abandoned him that he crossed the borders searching for her and Eva, and that was after all the border closures had been eliminated (long story).

That being said, I can them exchanging notes via correspondence, and I could see a scenario where they are fast friends by letter, but if they ever actually met face to face, they'd suddenly find they hated each other.

Both are among the Irregulars that Alanik Ray calls on from time to time IMC, FWIW.

[Garudos Celestar]

I'm glad to see that this idea is generating some interest, I had the seed of the idea when I was wondering "If you were going to adapt "Neither Man Nor Beast" to a party native to Ravenloft, where would Doctor Fran claim to be from if they asked him? (Would he try to fake not being sure anymore due to failing memory/name some place from another world and not be a native to the Domain of Dread?)

I decided the most obvious answer would be Lamordia due to him being interested in most maters medical (well at least surgical) and he probably already picked up that language back when Markovia was part of the core just to read the medical journals/papers written in that language dealing with human/animal anatomy and it also hangs together well (either intentionally or by accident) since Lamordia is the nearest part of the core to Markovia's new location.

Seeing as Balok is Markov's native language and he was actually from Barovia, I would imagine that the obvious answer is that he tells people he was born in Barovia (probably followed by a tirade about the uneducated numbskulls who didn't appreciate his explorations into the world of biology - which is his public explanation for why he decided to move far away).

[jamesfirecat]

I'm glad to see that this idea is generating some interest, I had the seed of the idea when I was wondering "If you were going to adapt "Neither Man Nor Beast" to a party native to Ravenloft, where would Doctor Fran claim to be from if they asked him? (Would he try to fake not being sure anymore due to failing memory/name some place from another world and not be a native to the Domain of Dread?)

I decided the most obvious answer would be Lamordia due to him being interested in most maters medical (well at least surgical) and he probably already picked up that language back when Markovia was part of the core just to read the medical journals/papers written in that language dealing with human/animal anatomy and it also hangs together well (either intentionally or by accident) since Lamordia is the nearest part of the core to Markovia's new location.

Seeing as Balok is Markov's native language and he was actually from Barovia, I would imagine that the obvious answer is that he tells people he was born in Barovia (probably followed by a tirade about the uneducated numbskulls who didn't appreciate his explorations into the world of biology - which is his public explanation for why he decided to move far away).

Honestly the fact that he is originally from Barovia is why I wanted to have Doctor Fran claim to originally be from somewhere else. Why give the adventures unnecessary hints as to his true history?

[Bluebomber4evr]

I'm not sure there could have been much interaction between the two. As Ryan said, Mordenheim is cursed to never be recognized for his successes, and Markov was never a professional scientist -- he was a butcher who got ran out of town and went to live in the woods with his creations, hardly noteworthy enough to get Mordenheim to look up from his work if word of Markov even traveled that far.

There wouldn't have been any way for them to correspond even if they could have interacted, because no sane courier would have dared try to deliver anything to someone in Markovia. Even when it was landlocked north of Barovia, it was a spooky wildland inhabited by monsters that few returned from alive.

Actually, now that I think about it, I suppose they could have some sort of carrier pigeons or some other birds carrying notes (or maybe a bird-derived broken one!), but they'd have to know about each other in the first place. That seems to be the sticking point.