The Great Kingdom

[WolfKook]

I thought this question was asked before, but then I didn't find it's answer anywhere in the forums, so I ask it, begging on your mercy if it has already been answered...

I've been toying with using the Great Kingdom (The one from which the Shadowborn cluster comes) as an introductory RL setting. However, the information I got on the kingdom is far from complete.

What sources of information do you recommend? Has anyone used the Kingdom in their campaigns? If so, what have you done with it?

[Archedius]

The novel from the Ravenloft book line called Shadowborn is a great source on this topic. It gives some insight into the backstory of the great kingdom as well as how Belenus was revered by them. Plus it has the best rendition of a Paladin I've ever read- totally made them viable thematically for me.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Yeah, you don't get much more about the Great Kingdom directly from anywhere other than the novel. Everything else you have to work backwards from how it's been corrupted into the Shadowlands.

For that, you've got Darklords (for Ebonbane), Islands of Terror (for Nidala), Bane of the Shadowborn (Dungeon Magazine) (for Shadowborn Manor), Champions of the Mists (for The Circle), and A Light in the Belfry (for Avonleigh). Also, check out the write-ups for Theokos (Nidala), Addar (Phantasmal Forest), and the Red Wolf (Nidala) in the Book of S___ netbooks, and especially the Book of Shadows framing fiction for a look at how the cluster hangs together. (Also look at John Mangrum's view on the cluster in the adventure hook bank here.)

(Can you tell I've been studying this stuff a lot recently? )

[Baduin9]

The connection with the Great Kingdom of Aerdy in Greyhawk is pretty obvious. They were famous both for good paladin orders and for fallen paladins such as St. Kargoth.

[ewancummins]

At which point Belenus could be Pholtus, or perhaps even better, Pelor. Pelor [aka Sol, if you are an old fashioned Oeridian] is a NG solar deity, just like Belenus.

[The Giamarga]

The connection with the Great Kingdom of Aerdy in Greyhawk is pretty obvious. They were famous both for good paladin orders and for fallen paladins such as St. Kargoth.

IMHO the connection is probably in name only.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Agreed. At the time those books were coming out, TSR/WoTC had no qualms about namedropping connections between the settings. If it was meant to match, it would've match exactly. If you want to connect them, go ahead, but I don't think it's intentional.

(IMC, I had the world that Daglan and Radaga came from be the same place. Daglan's boss was the Caliph Ab Sang, and Radaga was a fallen priestess of Belenus. But that's just me...)

[DasSoviet]

Agreed. At the time those books were coming out, TSR/WoTC had no qualms about namedropping connections between the settings. If it was meant to match, it would've match exactly. If you want to connect them, go ahead, but I don't think it's intentional.

(IMC, I had the world that Daglan and Radaga came from be the same place. Daglan's boss was the Caliph Ab Sang, and Radaga was a fallen priestess of Belenus. But that's just me...)

Indeed, one could easily paint the Great Kingdom as the Kingdom of Galifar if one so chose, and make Faithold a fallen paladin of Dol Arrah, the sun deity of Galifar's major pantheon...

Now that I think about it, this could actually work as a great way to tie in Eberron to Ravenloft, as I've been trying to do for a while now... Ebonsbane could be Lord of Dust, and Elana would likely fit better as a crusader of the Silver Flame, as they tend to have a more militaristic mindset. Morgoth may take a bit more work, but I think I may have just found a way to bring my Eberron group into a weekend of hell...

[Baduin9]

Agreed. At the time those books were coming out, TSR/WoTC had no qualms about namedropping connections between the settings. If it was meant to match, it would've match exactly. If you want to connect them, go ahead, but I don't think it's intentional.

It is clear that both Great Kingdoms are NOT the same - their history and the names of characters don't match . The timeline of Ravenloft makes this obvious:
http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Maus ... ne_JWM.doc

On the other hand, The Great Kingdoms are somewhat similiar, Both evil wizards and paladin orders figure prominently in the history of Aerdy. See eg Xaene and Knights Protectors of the Great Kingdom.

http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules ... nt&sid=806

Therefore, you can use information about the Great Kingdom of Aerdy, after suitable modification, to describe the Great Kingdom from Ravenloft.