New Shades are gathering...

[Jack the Reaper]

Okay, Casey Jones and his ghost train seems to me more fitting MotRD, but a great inventor like Nemo is a good direction. Actually Nemo himself could be the Darklord of the Nautilus, which would be a floating pocket domain in the seas of Ravenloft and Gothic Earth (I have a feeling it was done already). But the Darklord of the steampunk domain can be a similar type of person. However, I still need to have a clearer picture of the domain in my view. I figure it is highly polluted, maybe in the aftermath (or middle) of a great war, with lots of smoke and soot and people wearing gas masks. I'll try to find a film or RPG portraying such a setting.

[Mistmaster]

I would suggest you to read Robur the Conqueror, too. And Fritz Lang's Metropolis could be an inspiration, too

[The Lesser Evil]

Okay, Casey Jones and his ghost train seems to me more fitting MotRD, but a great inventor like Nemo is a good direction. Actually Nemo himself could be the Darklord of the Nautilus, which would be a floating pocket domain in the seas of Ravenloft and Gothic Earth (I have a feeling it was done already). But the Darklord of the steampunk domain can be a similar type of person. However, I still need to have a clearer picture of the domain in my view. I figure it is highly polluted, maybe in the aftermath (or middle) of a great war, with lots of smoke and soot and people wearing gas masks. I'll try to find a film or RPG portraying such a setting.

I believe somebody already did a writeup of Captain Nemo for MotRD from the Undead Sea Scrolls 2003. Eberron is more of a magic punk setting, in that it is magic that has created a steam punk/noir esque setting rather than nonmagical technology.

As for steampunk, Lamordia, Paridon, and Nosos already have some significant potential overlaps (representing mad science, Victorian era, and corrupt industrialization). So I would go with something that avoids covering the same core themes, unless you can offer a substantial new twist on them.

[Jack the Reaper]

As for steampunk, Lamordia, Paridon, and Nosos already have some significant potential overlaps (representing mad science, Victorian era, and corrupt industrialization). So I would go with something that avoids covering the same core themes, unless you can offer a substantial new twist on them.

Those domains (at their formal versions) have at most some flintlock pistols and pocket watches. Speaking about hardcore steampunk means something along the lines of trains, zeppelins, steam engines and lots of clockwork machinery. Think Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust for example. Ravenloft doesn't have anything like that... yet.

[Jack the Reaper]

Now how about giving Ravenloft its version of The Doctor, in the shape of...

Klorr, the Time Lord. Though believed to be slain by his infamous Timepiece, the legendary watchmaker has been saved and made darklord by the Dark Powers. His house of clocks became a floating domain, traveling not only through space but through time too. Klorr has the power to control time itself, and may slow, accelerate or stop it, trap creatures in time-loops or throw them out of sync with time, and create other effects in his house and its surroundings. He seems to be looking for his lost Timepiece, but it keeps eluding him.

[Jack the Reaper]

Agonath-Ra, the Chained Doom, was an evil wizard who transformed himself into a colossal, tarrasque-like monstrosity, lying waste to whole towns. Now he is almost completely paralyzed, and buried under a hill, with only some spikes and horns of him protruding out of the ground. The denizens of his domain built their city upon this hill, most of them unaware of the beast underneath. Some of them discovered the truth though, and use tunnels to reach Agonath-Ra's body. They harvest his flesh and blood and use them for magical purposes or simply consume, becoming more powerful - and monstrous - by the process. Agonath-Ra is helpless to stop this torture (though he regenerates quickly any damage), and the occasional earthquake is the most he can do. But he still dreams the day he will break free of his earthly prison. (Inspiration: Carpe Deum: Tales of Taltasqa)

[Jack the Reaper]

I thought a lot how to carry out this concept, and that's what I finally came with. Tell me what you think and if you've got any ideas how to make it cooler:

Salvador, the Monster Keeper, is a middle-aged man with short grey beard and steely eyes. His is the owner of the Pandorum Box, a complex construction of glass and metal about one cubic foot size, covered by arcane symbols. The Box functions like an advanced Trap the Soul spell, and may trap and contain all kinds of beings. From the inside the cube is a vast, labyrinthine complex of many levels, where prisoners are kept in separate glass cells. There are hundreds of cells within, and about any kind of monster might be found there. Salvador searches the realms for more additions to his collection, and may release prisoners from their cells (so they may roam freely in the Pandorum) or out of the Box entirely, in case someone wants to purchase a creature. Better not to think what happens if he releases them all at once. (Some visual conceptualization is taken from The Cabin in the Woods and Thirteen Ghosts)

[KingCorn]

Figure I could lend an idea

Helg'Vir, the Primative
Helg'Vir, a giant from Eberron, was once one of the greatest mind of Xen'drik. An artificer of high renowned, his creativity was only matched by his cruelty to his elven slaves, engaging in acts of brutality which gave even his fellow slave lords pause. Eventually, he began to incorporate the flesh and souls of his slaves into his projects, drawing the attention of the Dark Powers. Drawn into the land of mists, he was made darklord of Torrad,a hostile jungle, a mirror of modern Xendrik. He is cursed to be turned into a simplistic idiot when around magic items or any forms of technology beyond the most simple tools and weapons. He still yet rules over the elven tribes of his domain, but he can never engage in the creation and research which he once so loved.

[Jack the Reaper]

Sounds nice; I like the curse of a genius becoming stupid, but it would be more disastrous when happening around other people, so that no one would ever appreciate his wisdom

[KingCorn]

Another one
Witch's Bane is a Fire Elemental who has made a small niche for itself in Tepest. Installing itself in a heavily Inquisition managed city, its appearance during a witch burning was seen as sign of Belenus's favor, and so the fire is tended to, fueling furnaces and witch pyres alike. Being feed so many witches, both real and fake, has made Witch's Bane addicted to magic, and so it will lash out at anyone who practices magic, or is under the effects of magic. This ability to point out witches is only further proof to the town that the fire is a miracle of Belenus

[Jack the Reaper]

Now this one is a truly terrific idea full with potential, but can be helped by some fleshing out, especially for the darklord. Your help will be appreciated.

The Cloned. Both denizens and visitors of this fog-shrouded domain are sure there is only one village in it. In truth, there are many, many villages - but they all look exactly the same, including identical people! As a result, those who wonder in the fog and come upon another village, will probably assume they have returned to where they came from, and will be surprised when nobody recognizes them (denizens may encounter their doubles, which is shocking to both). None of the villages know of the others. There are some differences among the villages though, from minor to more prominent ones (e.g. evil or inhuman versions of denizens). The darklord is an alienist whose mind was split among multitude clones of himself, now scattered across the many villages. He wants to reunite them, but this task proves to be impossible. (Inspiration: the movie Coherence)

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

The darklord is an alienist whose mind was split among multitude clones of himself, now scattered across the many villages. He wants to reunite them, but this task proves to be impossible.

This reminds me of the plot of the 4th edition module Pyramid of Shadows. When the tiefling wizard Karavakos led his loaned infernal armies to defeat, breaking his pact, his diabolical patrons sealed him in the extradimensional pyramid, where his personality was split into three parts to prevent him from escaping. He draws the adventurers in, and they have to kill him three times, then rush up to the apex to kill his whole self again before he can make his escape.

[Jack the Reaper]

Asking for your advice again: I want to make of a domain of a large, dark city, where everyone, with no exception, is a monster of some kind: vampires, werebeasts, hags, demons, rakshasas etc. Who or what can be the darklord of such domain (undoubtedly he must be quite powerful), and what could be his or her story?

[ewancummins]

Asking for your advice again: I want to make of a domain of a large, dark city, where everyone, with no exception, is a monster of some kind: vampires, werebeasts, hags, demons, rakshasas etc. Who or what can be the darklord of such domain (undoubtedly he must be quite powerful), and what could be his or her story?

Pun-Pun

[KingCorn]

Asking for your advice again: I want to make of a domain of a large, dark city, where everyone, with no exception, is a monster of some kind: vampires, werebeasts, hags, demons, rakshasas etc. Who or what can be the darklord of such domain (undoubtedly he must be quite powerful), and what could be his or her story?

A normal man who though because of his station or authority he was beyond any person. Now he lives in this land of powerful monsters, constantly fearing that his next act will get him killed.