"S"

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"S" is the in-game author of the Doomsday Gazetteers, and thus, the narrator the Ravenloft Gazetteers. As such, there is a lot to say about her, but I do not want to dig through my books to find it. Over to you, RL Community!

Canon

"S" is an accomplished vivisectionist, carving up a paralysed wolfwere in Kartakass, and an accomplished torturer, passing some very interrogation techniques on to Teodorus Raines while in Nevuchar Springs.[1]

S has fought shadow fey before, whom she compares to the Math Muinner so favorably spoken about by the Oak Faction of Forfarian druids.[2]

History

Before Starting on the Doomsday Gazetteers

Most of what is known about "S" is from her own in-character writings in the Doomsday Gazetteers.

In the account told by "S", her mother died giving birth to her in Darkon. Her father attributed his wife's death on S. This wedge distanced and alienated father and daughter from each other. S' father sent her off to distant schools as as soon as he could. Although beginning elementary education in Nartok, she finished primary and secondary education at Dementlieuse boarding schools. Here she made her first acquaintance with arcane magic, as a fellow student who would join the Societe de Legerdemain would demonstrate his growing skills to her.

"S" returned to Darkon to pursue higher education.[3] She received degrees from both the Brautslava Institute and the University of Il Aluk. Although the sources have not provided details on what her degrees were in, "S" claimed she possessed "a wide range of expertise on matters both magical and sociological.[4] At some point, S entered into an arranged marriage and gave birth to a single, unnamed daughter.

On top of her formal education, "S" conducted a five year independent study of Necropolis and the Requiem. However, knowledge would claim a dear price: that of her daughter, who she had brought along and used as a research assistant.[4] In an abandoned farmhouse outside of the Shroud, "S" interrogated a ghoul. However, the ghoul broke free of her control and clawed her daughter before "S" could destroy it. In spite of her daughter's pleas to let her die, "S" dragged her child into the edge of the Shroud in an effort to preserve her mind and existence. This led to her daughter turning into a ghoul herself. Rather than attack her mother, "S"' daughter gave her mute look full of reproach, then entered the Shroud without looking back at her.[5]

Commissioned for the Doomsday Gazetteers

In the winter of 756 BC, "S" was commissioned by a then anonymous patron to map and write a travelogue of the domains of the Land of Mists.[4] Because she knew it was Azalin from the beginning, "S" nicknamed the Doomsday Gazetteers off of Azalin's Doomsday Device from his previous failed plot, the Requiem.[6] Beginning with Barovia, "S" toured the entirety of the Core's main landmass and wrote five Doomsday Gazetteers. (See the lists below for domains she visited and important characters she met with or encountered.)If the Ravenloft license to Sword and Sorcery Studios had allowed, the Kargatane (Real World) had planned for "S" to cover both seas, the clusters and islands of terror before becoming, or rather choosing, an unfortunate end. See the Potential Canon section below for details.

A few noteworthy (regarding "S"' character development and metaplot) events happened along "S"' journey, listed below:

  • Before she left Darkon for Lamordia, she was given a set of magical bracers by the minions of Azalin, ostensibly for "S"' own "protection".[7]
  • In Verbrek, she was lured by Gwalon into a werewolf ambush at the Circle. There, she seemingly met her doom, but later "S" awakened in Valachan unharmed.[8]
  • In Sithicus, the Guilt of Sithicus struck her, awakening guilt over how her negligence caused the death of her child.[9] This guilt continued to haunt her even after she would leave that domain.[10]
  • As "S" concluded her tour of Sithicus, several darklings attempted to assassinate her. She escaped, noting the scars on their hands. These scars revealed the darklings to be members of the Tribe of Hyskosa, hellbent on preventing Azalin from completing his goals.[10]
  • In Tepest, the Gentleman Caller confronted "S" and demanded to know what she (or rather her master) wants with his children. She knew not which of he spoke, nor who he was. However, his appearance built her resolve to discover what Azalin was really looking for.[11]
  • In Keening, "S" delivered a human infant to Tristessa she had purchased at a Nova Vaasan orphanage in return for safe travel (for a time). The incident brought back many long repressed memories of her daughter, worsening her guilt.[5]

Noteworthy Persons Encountered

See "S" Interviewee for a complete list of characters interviewed by "S".

Potential Canon

"S" is one of Azalin's clones from the Grim Harvest project. For some reason, she turned out female.[31] She studied at the University of Dementlieu around 735 BC.[32]

Netbook Canon

Professor Viktor Hazan of the University of Richemulot and the Fraternity of Shadows dismisses "S" in these terms: "a stern scholar for whom I once sat as token out-ofbranch examiner in Darkon. She tried to impress the Brautslava cell’s admissions committee by her superior wit, yet failed the second figment quiz. Her own arcane interests, she’d sullenly retorted, lay elsewhere. It’d been a while since I saw her work in the occult journals; I wondered what had happened to her and what kind of trouble she was involved in now." [33]

Behind the Scenes

According to John Mangrum, "the concept of S evolved from a pre-gen PC I used in several adventures (including "The Heart's Final Beat" and "Farewell to the Flesh") named Marie DuChance. (Note, however, that S evolved far beyond her origins. You could put S and Marie next to each other in a scene and I doubt anyone would suspect that one was based on the other.)"[34]

Statistics

Human female, Wizard / Expert, Evil

References

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume II

Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume II - p81

Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume I - throughout
Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume II - throughout