Mordent

From Mistipedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Mordent
Culture Level Renaissance (9)
Ecology Full
Climate & Terrain Forests, Plains, Swamps
Year Formed 579 BC
Population 5,500
Races (%) 99% Human
Languages Mordentish*, Falkovnian, Vaasi
Religions Church of Ezra, Church of Hala
Government Hereditary Aristocracy
Ruler(s) Lord Jules Weathermay
Darklord(s) Lord Wilfred Godefroy
Nationality Mordentish‎
Analog English countryside
Related Categories
Locations in Mordent
Transportation in Mordent
Inhabitants of Mordent
Former Inhabitants of Mordent
Flora of Mordent
Fauna of Mordent
Native Monsters of Mordent

Mordent is the setting of the module Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill. After one of Strahd and Azalin's many attempts to escape the Demiplane of Dread, they found themselves in Mordent. After the events involving the Alchemist and the Apparatus, they were sent back, and Mordent was added to the demiplane as a new domain.

The Darklord of Mordent is the ghost Lord Wilfred Godefroy.

Things, Creatures & Personnages of Legend

Biology

Flora

Two unusual species of plant, devil's tears and wraithroot, are native to Mordent. Trees include willows on the running alongside the Arden River, evergreens in the Forest of the Ancients, and hardwoods in the Lightless Wood. However, the heaths and coastline of Modent show little diversity in plant-life.[1]

Mordent also hosts its share of dangerous and dread plants, such as assassin vines, bloodrose plants, crawling ivy, and death's head trees.[2]

Fauna

Although snakes and spiders are common Mordentish animals[3][4], animal-kind in general seems to be unusually uncommon in Mordent.[5] Seagulls dominate the cliffs of the coasts, whereas most the rest of Mordent's terrestrial wildlife is found Mordent's marshes and forests.[5] Within the northern forests, there is some supply of deer, foxes, and even a few odd boars to serve as game animals.[5] Wolves show greater numbers within Mordent, but the Mordentish avoid hunting them for fear of inducing bad luck.[5] Dire wolves may also be encountered.[6] Other Mordentish wildlife include bats[6], rats[6] (including dire rats[6]), and ravens[6].

In the sea, flounder, lobsters, oysters, sole, and sardines all represent natural resources heavily tapped into by the Mordentish.[7][8] Other aquatic sealife includes octopi[6], porpoises[6], sharks[6], squid[6], and whales[6].

In the sphere of domesticated animals, sheep are particularly important to the Mordentish economy, although cattle are also an agricultural commodity.[7][8] As far as pets and working animals, the Mordentish hold a particular appreciation for mastiff hounds[9][10], although other breeds of dog as well as cats may also be encountered[6].

Native Horrors

Virtually any sort of undead may be found in Mordent, though ghouls, haunts, poltergeists, and shadows.[3][4][11] Of the undead, incorporeal undead figure the most in Mordentish legend, though mostly lumped together under the collective label of ghost. In addition, there are several tales of creatures of the Mists; this reflects that Mordent is a magnet for a number of Mist Creatures, such as fenhounds, mist elementals, and mist ferrymen.[12]

Other threats include hags[3][4], gargoyles[6] , imps[3][4], lycanthropes[3][4], and will o'wisps[3][4][6]. Bog Hounds are sometimes found on the moors[13], whereas reavers[6], sahuagin[3][4][6], sea spawn[6], and even krakens[6] are found in the sea or on the coast.

Geography

Mordent map by the MCS. Note: Since this fan-made map predates 3rd Edition Ravenloft, there are some inconsistencies with the more recent maps.

Locations in Mordent

Locations in Mordentshire

Weather

Terrain

Hills

Forests[14]

Lakes

Communication

Rivers

Roads

Economy

Agarian

Manufacturing

Ships

Trade

Taxation

Black Market

Landmarks

  • The Pale Lady and the Ashen Man are local names for the chalk cliffs on either side of Arden Bay.

Population Distribution

Towns

Mordentshire

Blackburn's Crossing

Steadwall (ghost town)

Tumbledown

Villages

Mordent is dotted with small villages. Waterford is mentioned by John Mangrum in his adventure 'The Man Who Lost His Mind'. Crawford is a village derived from the Dungeon adventure 'The Unkindness of Ravens', by Jason Kuhl. Glenwich is a take on the English Dunwich (a real village on a sandcliff that threatens to be swallowed by the sea). The last site also is the location of Preston Hill, which is featured in Children of the Night:Ghosts. In Children of the Night: The Created, Lian de Loranche Punchinel is a resident of Idlethorp.

Authority

Darklord

Godefroy was a fairly inconsequential darklord, preferring to rule over the spirits in his manor, until about 750, when an assault on the Gryphon Hill manor roused him out of his complacency. He now uses the spirits of the house as spies, informants, and hostages to control the living.

Temporal Rule

Mordent was ruled in the past by landed gentry, but most of these families have vanished, leaving the Weathermay family as the only landowners left. The aging Jules Weathermay is disinclined to overt rule. His most significant political act was to sign the Treaty of the Four Towers.

Spiritual Rule

Since the return of the Church of Ezra under Felix Wachter in 698, the Church has grown to be the dominant religion of Mordent.

Church and State

While there is no official relationship between the Church of Ezra and the hereditary government, gossips are quick to comment as to the generous donation of the old temple of Mordentshire after anchorites healed young Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove after her mauling by the werewolf Natalia Vhorishkova.

Government

Landowners select a mayor for each settlement, and the mayor appoints a sheriff and magistrate.

Law

Magistrates interpret the law and exact fines and sentences. Like the sheriffs, they are equal in authority to the mayors who appointed them.

Law Enforcement

sheriffs are appointed by the mayors, but are not subordinate to them. Sheriffs, magistrates and mayors are of equal authority in their respective spheres. The Lamplighters serve as detectives. All city watchmen are volunteers.

Intelligence Gathering

Military Footing

Language & Culture

Gods and Religions

God - Focus - Domains

Inns & Taverns

Mordentshire

The Seventh Sea (579 BC)

Traveler's Inn (579 BC)

Old Salt House (579 BC)

Salty Dog Tavern (579 BC)

The Old Blackard Inn

The Beached Mermaid

The Blue Rose

Blackburn's Crossing

The Dancing Lady

The Gilded Ladle

The Willow's Heart

The Roaring Rapids

Tumbledown

The Leering Jester

The Weeping Lady

The Happy Devil

Inhabitants of Mordent

Mayor Daniel Foxgrove

Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove

Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove

Sister Eleyna

Lian de Loranche Punchinel

Bailey Lacrese

Howard Lumley (most likely)

Honarius

Brother Greggory

Eowin Timothy

Spelaka of Mordent

Eia Pax

This page incorporates content from the inactive Mordent Cartographic Society. Used with their express permission.


Chronology

References

  1. Gazetteer III p.42-43
  2. Gazetteer III p.42, 44
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Ravenloft: Realm of Terror, p. 77
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Ravenloft Campaign Setting: Domains and Denizens, p. 25
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Gazetteer III p.43
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 Gazetteer III p.44
  7. 7.0 7.1 Ravenloft Third Edition p. 130
  8. 8.0 8.1 Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.149
  9. Denizens of Darkness p. 80
  10. Denizens of Dread p. 116
  11. For a list of some other undead, see Ravenloft Gazetteer II, p. 69
  12. Gazetteer III p.43-44
  13. Howls in the Night
  14. Ravenloft Gazetteer I, p37.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Gazetteer III p.45
  16. the House on the Edge of Midnight, Dungeon Magazine # 76, p. 12; Besides occurring before Mordent even became a domain, this date contradicts what is described on p. 10, where the module says he left "100 years ago". A House on the Edge of Midnight was published in 1999, at which time the current game year was 752 BC, so perhaps this should be 652 BC, or perhaps Mordent had a different calendar back then.
  17. the House on the Edge of Midnight, Dungeon Magazine # 76, p. 12. See 387 BC "Dr. Blake Ramsay leaves Mordentshire..." for why this date does not work.
  18. Gazetteer III p.48
  19. Gazetteer III p.54
  20. Gazetteer III p.52
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Gazetteer III p.130
  22. Gazetteer III p.56
  23. Gazetteer III p.47
  24. 24.0 24.1 Gazetteer II p.135
  25. I10: Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill
  26. 26.0 26.1 Gazetteer III p.50
  27. Ravenloft Player's Handbook ].19
  28. Howls in the Night p.4-5
  29. the House on the Edge of Midnight, Dungeon Magazine # 76, p. 10, 12; See the note on 387 BC as to the derivation of the date.
  30. the House on the Edge of Midnight, Dungeon Magazine # 76, p. 10, 12; See the note on 387 BC as to the derivation of the 652 BC date of the arrival of the Ramsay Family in Mordentshire. On p. 12, the fall of Liza occurred 6 years after their arrival on the Isle.
  31. CotN:The Created
  32. Gazetteer III p.110
  33. Book of Sacrifices p. 39-41; "50 years ago" from 754 BC/2001 in the real world
  34. Domains of Dread p.17
  35. Champions of the Mists p.62
  36. Van Richten's Arsenal p. 137
  37. Champions of the Mists p.63
  38. Howls in the Night
  39. Domains of Dread p.17
  40. Children of the Night: The Created p. 84
  41. Children of the Night: The Created p. 87
  42. Gazetteer III p.131-132

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

Ravenloft Third Edition
Domains of Dread

Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp7,18,42-43
Ravenloft Third Edition - pp13,17,129-131
Domains of Dread - p41
Howls in the Night - pp1-2
Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - pp24-25,99
Realm of Terror - pp76-77
I, Strahd, The War Against Azalin - pp232-234, p260

Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp8-9
Ravenloft Third Edition - inside cover
Domains of Dread - p42
Howls in the Night - inside cover
Ravenloft Campaign Setting - poster map
Realm of Terror - poster map