Where next?

[TwiceBorn]

My votes,

1) The Amber Wastes (I'm doing a Grand Conjunction campaign, playing the adventures by level, so we're currently in Souragne and will move on to Har'Akir next)... so yeah, I have a vested interest. I could even imagine the narrator from the Souragne gazetteer embarking on an ocean voyage with some Souragniens explorers seeking to colonize, trade and/or pillage the rare treasures of the Amber Wastes (in order to raise Souragne's status in the world).

2) Liffe (it does make sense to focus on the areas that are closest to the Core). Perhaps this could be combined with the Nocturnal Sea?

3) Tie between the Frozen Reaches (I have a thing for cold and harsh environments) and the Verdurous Lands (I know, I know, totally opposite climate).

Har'Akir, Sri Raji, and Liffe all originally appeared in products that were published during the early years of Ravenloft (Book of Crypts, Touch of Death, Web of Illusion), so I like the idea of fleshing these out earlier rather than later... first come, first served!

Bluetspur strikes me as being off-limits for low (and maybe even mid-) level characters, so although I think it would be a really interesting domain to read about, its higher threat level arguably makes it of more limited use to the average DM (of course, the gazetteer might prove the opposite, that there could be potential adventures for lower level characters there).

[Pamela]

Oh. I don't think we should mess with the clusters, yet.

Detail the domains as they appeared in 3.5, then start messing with them when we've finished.

I normally would agree about not messing around with canon, except that so little has been done with Paridon, Timor or Nosos. ScS' article on the Shining Bay cluster was excellent, and gave a feasible reason as to how Paridon has maintained its high cultural level after the Great Conjunction.

And thank you for your excellent points, Undead Cabbage. I myself have enjoyed the little I could find on Paridon and Lamordia because they were so different and 'modern'.

[Jakob]

Rokushima Tayoo.

I LOVE that place.

[Joël of the FoS]

The core is well developed with S’s Gaz, so what's remaining is the islands located in the Nocturnal sea and the sea of Sorrow, and then also the islands of the mists (incl. the clusters).

Your mentions so far:

Amber Wastes (Har’Akir, Sebua, Pharazia) 5
Shadowland Cluster (Shadowborn Manor, Nidala, Avonleigh) 5
Frozen Reaches (Vorostokov, Sanguinia) 4
Verdurous Lands (Wildlands, Sri Raji, Saragoss) 4
Shining Bay (Nosos, Paridon, and Timor) 4
Bluetspur 2
Rokushima Tayoo 1
Liffe 1
Fill the sea first, to complete the core, then the stuff in the mists 1
House of Lament 1

Interesting...

Joël

[Seamus]

I'd like to add my vote to filling in the seas, for the sake of the already stated ideal of having the Core completed before moving on to the clusters and islands.

[TwiceBorn]

I can support the idea of filling out the Nocturnal Sea... especially since I presume that Liffe would be included in that project.

[Undead Cabbage]

I'm sorry if I'm being Gwydion's advocate here, but there's just one thing I've noticed.

When the thread for the Nocturnal Sea came out, it didn't seem to recieve a lot of input (correct me if I'm wrong, however). The beautiful thing about the Souragne Gazateer was that a lot of forum members were making stuff for and using Souragne any way. However in the end its the Fraternity members that write the Gaz, I would think that it's also key that the realm be something that a lot of people will make a lot of contributions to. My vote may be going to the Shinning Bay, but I'll also say that the Amber Wastes, the Steaming lands, or the Shadowlands would recieve a lot of input. The Nocturnal sea, not so much. Uniformity is nice, but I can't help but think it wouldn't recieve as much as other areas.

[Jonathan Winters]

Hum...

I think the Seas should be explored last, just before the FoS returns to the Core?

Question: Will the clusters be explored in one report or will each domain get its own report?

I think I would like to see

1- Zherisia
2- Shadowlands
3- Frozen Reaches
4- Amber Wastes
5- Verdurous Lands


Also, I think Islands should be done sometime in-between some of the Clusters. FoS could get lost or decide to alternate shorter trips (Islands) with longer trips (Clusters).

Some of the Islands can't be too long to cover (Odiare, anyone?)

Just my two pennies.

Patrick

[alhoon]

Your mentions so far:

Fill the sea first, to complete the core, then the stuff in the mists 1

I voted that too...

[cure]

There is not, as someone said, enough about boats in the Mist.

The Musarde from its sources in Kartakass and other realms, is the key artery touching most of the western core that is almost entirely undeveloped.

Yes we know that Timothy is about. But what does he carry up river and what does he bring back down?

What foul business does Timothy have in the Kartatan lake at the Musarde's head or does he dare enter that land? Wolfwere rivals that he fears?

What men dare the waters of Sithicus? We know that there are ports there and trade linking southern Kartakass to Invidia and beyond in principle, but what is the actual practice? Do boat loads of revellers risk the trip to Invidian Carnival each year? What befalls those who doesn't make it?

What of the great Musarde Delta? We don't even know which branches are navigible? Presumably that through Leidenheim at least? What lives in the fell waters? What is the dark price of safe passage?

What of the ports in Verbek? What of the docks of Lekar, Sibervas, Ste Ronges, Invidia? What are their famous/infamous bars and taverns?

Why the Dementlian indifference to the Musarde (almost no significant settlements upon it)? What of the passage through Falkovnia and its Lake Kriegvogel?

What of the steamers? Timothy has one. There must be others. How big? Are some elaborate and suited to lodging passengers in comfort? How far up river do they go? Are they built in Lamordia?

Who are the gamblers, villains, and monsters that stock up and down the river bleeding men dry?

What of the ghosts of the dead and of the ghost ships? Even the devil ships?

And what of the voices of light in the Mist? Are missionaries of Ezra to be found working the docks of Verbrek and catching rides into even more forbiding places?

In brief, the waterways of Ravenloft, with all their potential for trade, criminality, mayham, and murder beg a close up treatment, and none more than the Musarde. Whether it be through the eyes of Timothy or by some other means.

[Kessler]

My votes:
Frozen Reaches
Bluetspur

[Don Fernando]

Pardon my ingnorance, but is the Shining Bay cluster mentioned in any RL 3ed. book, or 2nd ed. book for that matter?? I've been searching for it and so far ....niente, nada, zero. Is there any book I can find information about this "new" cluster??

[Jakob]

Pardon my ingnorance, but is the Shining Bay cluster mentioned in any RL 3ed. book, or 2nd ed. book for that matter?? I've been searching for it and so far ....niente, nada, zero. Is there any book I can find information about this "new" cluster??

It was detailed in QtR#2.
It's, essentially, an Industrial Period cluster formed by Paridon, Nosos and Timor.

[Don Fernando]

Oh..thanks a lot! But it is considered "cannon"?? (as it is fan made..I was just wondering..)

Thanks again!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Mostly selfish vote: The Shadowlands (because my campaign is heading there and I don't want to do all the work myself.) But only mostly selfish, since it seems to be a well loved cluster, but with very little canon info.

Aside from that, Liffe is a good option, because it's always caused me a Jerry Seinfeld reaction... "What's the deal with Liffe?" I can't get a good grip on the place, even after reading the Book of Crypts.