gothic falkovnia

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Drakov can't really be the Vladd of legend, because that Vladd was a one trick pony. He was brutal and sadistic, and that's about it.
How many times can PCs walk over a hill and find a forest of impaled bodies - and still be scared?
Breaking into Drakov's estate and finding him feeding babies to mutated puppies doesn't generate fear - just disgust.
Drakov is an attempt to have a gothic Vlad, as opposed to a splatter-horror-Vlad.

So, yes, by appearances he appears a little more tame than legendary Vlad the Impaler. But in truth, he's really more twisted and insane.

[HuManBing]

[snip]

[HuManBing]

[snip]

[Garudos Celestar]

Another twist is, once the party leaves Falkovnia, to have them see shades of the brutality they witnessed there.

For example, parallel to the improperly dusted photos example mentioned by HuManBing, almost every country has a fairly detailed set of rules for flag care. In most cases this will amount to a fine, community service, or some other minor punishment rather than a "disappearance" (if the rules are upheld at all) but there are many people who consider mistreatment of the flag to be a serious crime. The majority attitude around the world is far more rational than with the North Korean photos, but the basic premise - obsession over particular objects for symbolic reasons - remains the same.

As a Ravenloft example, a truant in Ludendorf might get a light smack over the back of the head and a spot fine for splashing mud all over a von Aubreker crest. After seeing someone mutilated or executed in Lekar for doing the same to a Talon flag, what will the PCs think? Will they be creeped out by the shadow of Drakov's modus operandi, or will they be thankful that the Lamordians are far more reasonable than the Falkovnians?

[Manofevil]

This is all perhaps true, But I'm afraid you've all missed my point. I find Drakov to be a frail, sickley, barely recognizable knock-off of the legendary impaler. My impression of the legend was of a man who would wake up every day and ride out into the countryside looking for somebody to kill for some reason or another. My impression of Drakov is a guy sitting on a throne having other people kill for him. He's a Hitler, and Hitler's never do their own killing. I've never heard or read of a single person Hitler ever killed by his own hand. The legendary Impaler literally stalked his land every day looking for enemies or betrayers of the real or imagined type. What does Drakov do with his days that make him anything more than pathetic? A DarkLord is supposed to be a fearsome individual, not a pitiful one. Even Darkov's driving motivation is inferior. The legend's motivation, by all accounts, could be stated as follows: ' I am a man of nobility and title! These countries are my birthright and , by God, I WILL make everyone respect that!!!'. Drakov's motivation, if I recall right, is more like 'I'll make myself a war king even though I'll never believe myself anything other than a common peasant soldier'. PAAAAH- thetic!

I'll admit that the nation-state Drakov has created, however incidentally, is a very fearsome entity, indeed, but individuals become DarkLords. Governments do NOT.

Then again.... a government that becomes a DarkLord... Hmmmm.

[HuManBing]

[snip]

[ScS of the Fraternity]

I don't know where you're getting that legend ManofEvil.

I've heard a number of the better stories; the burning beggers, the boiled wife, the forest of bodies, the nailed hats, the purse on the road, ect...
But in none of them does Vlad actually do the deed himself.

[Gemathustra]

I don't know where you're getting that legend ManofEvil.

I've heard a number of the better stories; the burning beggers, the boiled wife, the forest of bodies, the nailed hats, the purse on the road, ect...
But in none of them does Vlad actually do the deed himself.

What about the one where his lover tried to cheer him up by claiming she was pregnant with his child, only to have him cut her stomach open to check?

[ScS of the Fraternity]

I heard one similar, but he was looking for a sandwich, which, coincidentally, had been made from his child.

[Gemathustra]

I heard one similar, but he was looking for a sandwich, which, coincidentally, had been made from his child.

That one was pure myth: the one thing that Vlad Dracul was not, was a baby-eater.
Baby-killer, yes, but not a baby-eater.
A guy has to draw the line somewhere, you realize.

[Undead Cabbage]

I'm very glad someone mentioned a difference between the historical Tepes and the legendary. I'm no native Romanian myself, but I can still tell you that Tepes' reputation was thrown out of proportion onpurposely. When you're fighting off the Ottoman Empire with little Wallacia, having an overblown, fiersome reputation can't hurt.

Enough said, Drakov is a great Darklord. He's a different Darklord, but just because he isn't conventional doesn't mean he isn't right.

Drakov is a bully. He was born a commoner, and had to fight his way up through wars in order to gain any respect. And even in the end, he still wasn't respected by the pretty boys of local nobility. In order to remind himself that he is a worthy man, he tightens his control on those who are weaker than him.

This is also why Drakov will do silly things in order to secure his own pride. He does things like leave enemy nations unattacked, or forsake fire arms, only because he doesn't want to need them. He wants to be better than everyone, since he was once at the bottom of the chain himself. Drakov's pride is a crutch for a lack thereof, so to speak.

On this note, another theme of Falkovnia should be insignificance. Walking into Falkovnia, the PCs will initially want to do something about his regime. But because Drakov's despotism in Falkovnia is so strong, the PCs should feel powerless in his realm. Just like how Drakov is surrounded by enemies he cannot defeat, so are the players when they enter his realm.

[Manofevil]

HMB you can twist the curse any way you like but I will never respect Drakov Until I see him going out and doing things for HIMSELF. The only respectable quality I found in the legend I read of in high school was his willingness to go out and get his hands dirty. He didn't hide behind armies. He may not have taken part in EVERY execution, but I got the feeling that he was at least involved.
SCS, the book I read, and looking back on it, it was probably far from factual, was 'In search of Dracula'. It was a study of vampire legends, every piece of script ever written regarding the historical or legendary Dracula, and what the Hollywood types did with it when they made their movies. It was a fascinating book, but now that I think about it, being a Hollywood book, it was probably embellished to death. (or undeath ) I still think the impression it gave me of the legend was far superior to the one I have of Drakov. And that sandwich thing is just gross.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

And that sandwich thing is just gross.

And delicious.
Or so the story goes.

[Garudos Celestar]

I will never respect Drakov Until I see him going out and doing things for HIMSELF. The only respectable quality I found in the legend I read of in high school was his willingness to go out and get his hands dirty. He didn't hide behind armies.

Ah, but that's the other little catch. Let's say Drakov does try to lead one of the invasions of Darkon. What happens? He reaches the border of Falkovnia... and the rest of his army keeps moving while he's stuck there.

Even if he wants to lead the glorious charge to conquer one of the neighboring domains, he can't. He's stuck where he is, and he must send others to do his work for him, because he's physically incapable of personally leading a conquest.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Even if he wants to lead the glorious charge to conquer one of the neighboring domains, he can't. He's stuck where he is, and he must send others to do his work for him, because he's physically incapable of personally leading a conquest.

I'd probably not make his entrapment so obvious as to physically bar him from stepping across a border; more likely, I'd have the DPs arrange for a messenger to call him back to the capital at the last minute, to deal with some incident he has to hush up. But the same basic impotency as a 'conquering warlord' still applies, and does so both during and after a hypothetical conquest: even if his troops did manage to seize military control of another domain, he'd never get the chance to see "his" new territory.

Not to mention that even if those others did seize control of a chunk of the big prize he's been trying for -- i.e. Darkon -- they'd all lose their memories of having served him in a matter of months! At best, his efforts might result in mass immigration, not mass invasion; in the event I ever choose to take Drakov out once and for all, IMC, I'd be tempted to let his plans for conquest 'succeed' to the extent of occupying a piece of the Forest of Shadows ... only to have his entire occupation-force take on false Darkonian memories, switch sides and invade him!