Rudolph Van Richten gone into Shadow?

[The Giamarga]

I just finished reading the fiction parts form VRG to the Shadow fey. Am I wrong or did the old Van Richten dissappear into the Shadow Rift?

Some more clues can be found in the excerpt from Van Richten's unpublished memoirs, which can be found on page 8 of this document:
http://www.montecook.com/images/SSI_03Q1.pdf


What does Gaz5 say on the matter? Any more clues?

[Jasper]

Van richen's last adventure was detailed in the 2nd edition box set/adventure Bleak House. While there is no cannon ending to that adventure it has various endings for VR including being turned into a ghost, dieing completly and even being turnd into a young child once again.

In any case his writen career was over.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Van Richten's remarks on the page you referenced aren't specifically about the Shadow Rift; indeed, AFAIK, he doesn't seem to have ever gone there. VRGtSF was written by the Weathermay-Foxgrove girls, well after their "Uncle Rudolph"'s disappearance, although they continue to draw on his years of accumulated notes (including notes on the fey) in the book-series that bears his name.

As for why the books still do bear his name, IMO that's about 80% respect on the W-F twins' part, and 20% good marketing.

[Le Noir Faineant]

So, what was the *official* ending?

Has VR popped up somewhere else since *Bleak House*?

[Darkknight]

Not that I have seen. I ran Bleak House and all the possible endings led to the Doctor's demise.

Now Some might still keep the area as a pocket domain or... I have the quote...

A number of them point that Van Richten will be needed again in the future.

If anyone wants me to post all the ending quotes let me know.

[Jester of the FoS]

Basicly the final bit of the plot is decided randomly though Tarroka cards with the ending being decided by that. The doctor may live or die but all endings have him 'trapped' in the Bleak House.

Why? Because a time may (will) come when he is needed again, in the Time of Unparalleled Darkness.

[The Giamarga]

Ahh right. The Bleak House. I'll have to actually read that box sometime.

Well shame on me for forgetting. But there seem to be an awful lot of pointers to the Shadow Rift. Maybe that's where he's appear again? or where the time of unparrallelled darkness shall start from?

[Le Noir Faineant]

Thank you for the info!

Hopefully, we'll see VR in action again! He's such a great RPG Icon...

Would be interesting what they cook out of the Shadow Rift in the near future... Gwydion resurrected would not be so nice, I think...

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Given the fact that various DMs who run "Bleak House" will come up with different and contradictory endings -- although they all wrap up with Van Richten out of the picture for the time being -- it's really not something for which Arthaus is at liberty to declare a single "canon" ending: if they DID choose one outcome, they'd contradict the three-quarters of campaigns in which a different result occurred! Kind of like how TSR's Kargat always had to pussy-foot around revealing what "really happened" in Mordent, when Strahd and Azalin went there, because events in I10 were likewise determined by random chance.

[Igor the Henchman]

Many adventure's endings have been set in stone by canon. The Created ended in Maligno's plans thwarted, but the puppet itself escaping. House of Strahd officially took place when Barovia was still the only domain, and the heroes ended up being killed. Death Ascendant offered several possibilities for the creation of Death (even making it possible for a PC to be transformed into that entity), but in canon, only the Llowelyn Daschine scenario was kept as official. From the Shadows made it possible for the heroes to reduce Azalin's wizard level to 14 by offing his imp familiar, but in canon, no such thing occured.

[Charney]

I doubt we'll have to worry about that anytime soon. Though, between the four endings, I think there's one that's preferred over the others.

[Dominique]

Which one?

[Igor the Henchman]

I think Charney means the one where Van Richten stays alive, albeit reduced to the body and mind of a 12-year old, to be raised by the ghosts of Richten Haus.

[Le Noir Faineant]

I think Charney means the one where Van Richten stays alive, albeit reduced to the body and mind of a 12-year old, to be raised by the ghosts of Richten Haus.

OMG! What would his stats be at the age of 60?! -Certainly the mightiest and most skilled demon-hunter mankind has seen until now...

Suggestion: R. v. Richten junior LG Sage10/Rogue5/Priest5/Gypsy5/Witch-Hunter10

Go home, Strahd...

[Charney]

I think Charney means the one where Van Richten stays alive, albeit reduced to the body and mind of a 12-year old, to be raised by the ghosts of Richten Haus.

That's the one indeed. I can't remember where I read that it might be the canon. I think it was back at the Kargatane.
That's also the ending I used but if I ran the game again eventually, I'll follow with a different ending just for the fun of it.