Café de Nuit

I think it's best that there be just one Strahd. It's a hallmark of Ravenloft that villains should be a product of their own human failings, and Strahd's personal history is the classic example of this. If he'd *always* been an evil man, the tale of Barovia's origins would be nowhere near as poignant or interesting; portraying him as a man who'd once understood honor and righteousness, but who lost faith in these things after decades of warfare, and ultimately slipped into darkness because of his own character-flaws, makes him a vastly more dramatic and sophisticated persona.

That's not to say that there couldn't be a scenario that *did* involve the two sides of Strahd's personality. In fact, the way I interpret the events of I10, IMC, is that the alchemist who built the Apparatus wasn't actually named Strahd von Zarovich, at all! Rather, the original alchemist was overwhelmed by the power of his creation when he first activated it, and was reduced to his essential components a la the VRA rules. But the artifact had already begun interacting with Strahd's and Azalin's escape attempt (with a little DP intervention), causing it to pull Ravenloft's Strahd into Mordent ... and split him into two selves, one human and Good, the other vampiric and even more Evil than he'd been, as a darklord. The Evil side of Strahd ran off to become the villain of the adventure, but the Good side -- horrorstricken by recollections of having been a vampire and murderer -- stumbled into the dissipating gaseous essence of the original alchemist, and absorbed his memories. Given a choice between the alchemist's memories and his own, the Good side of Strahd naturally opted to believe the benign ones, and so adopted the [dead] alchemist's identity, though his own name was so strong a part of his identity that he kept calling himself Strahd. Not until the end of the adventure, when the Apparatus was destroyed and its effects were undone, did the two Strahds reunite. Poor Azalin, of course, had no idea why [Evil] Strahd was acting even more gratuitously cruel and vindictive than usual, and hassling him non-stop, the whole time they were in Mordentshire....

Of course, these "pet theories" about Strahd's title and the sunsword and I10 are simply stuff I extrapolated and/or concocted for my own personal campaign. YMMV.

Actually, King Barov of Prime plane Barovia dies in the course of Roots of Evil (it's one of those railroad-type events), so technically, Queen Kristiana is currently ruling it alone.

So, to try a first sum-up, PMP BArovia is now ruled by an aged queen who lost her three sons in a war against goblinoids and demons.

This long-lasting war, however was finally won, slightly before or shortly after the family tragedy.

Barovia in the meantime is a nation at the borderline between human and demonic forces, maybe comparable to Gondor or Callahorn. (Who knows where that second allusion comes from, gets a friendly for free.)

Mordent is a small nation in the near vicinity of Barovia.

Right so far?

Or have I forgotten something?

Rotipher wrote: YMMV.

Now, that's an abreviation I've never seen before. What does it mean, friend Rotipher?

Desdichado wrote:So, to try a first sum-up, PMP BArovia is now ruled by an aged queen who lost her three sons in a war against goblinoids and demons.

This long-lasting war, however was finally won, slightly before or shortly after the family tragedy.

Barovia in the meantime is a nation at the borderline between human and demonic forces, maybe comparable to Gondor or Callahorn. (Who knows where that second allusion comes from, gets a friendly for free.)

Mordent is a small nation in the near vicinity of Barovia.

Right so far?

Or have I forgotten something?

Rotipher wrote: YMMV.

Now, that's an abreviation I've never seen before. What does it mean, friend Rotipher?

Mordent does not necessarily come from the same plane as Barovia, that's just speculation.

YMMV = "Your Mileage May Vary", i.e. "this might not work as well in your campaign as mine"

Desdichado wrote:Barovia in the meantime is a nation at the borderline between human and demonic forces, maybe comparable to Gondor or Callahorn. (Who knows where that second allusion comes from, gets a friendly for free.)

*cough* Elfstones of Shannara *cough*

One other tidbit about Barovia's home plane: while the Balinoks might be a medieval-era backwater, *somebody* in the Von Zarovich homeworld knew enough about engineering, metallurgy, and acoustics to contruct a humungous pipe organ.

Mortepierre wrote:*cough* Elfstones of Shannara *cough*

The first fantasy novels I ever read (at about 9 years of age, against the will of my parents)... Marked my imagination for my entire life...

*bows in deep respect before the dwarven student of anatomy*

Rotipher wrote:YMMV = "Your Mileage May Vary", i.e. "this might not work as well in your campaign as mine"

Thank you! I have to find a place where I can look such abbreviations up!

Rotipher wrote:One other tidbit about Barovia's home plane: while the Balinoks might be a medieval-era backwater, *somebody* in the Von Zarovich homeworld knew enough about engineering, metallurgy, and acoustics to contruct a humungous pipe organ.

Very good observation! *Logical bug in the Strahd series: medieval Dark Ages always meets baroque gothic*

On one hand the original module, being written during the early days of AD&D, was probably set in the default world of Greyhawk along with most of the I series.
On the other I seem to recall a reference to Strahd coming from "an unknown world in the Prime Material Plane" in one of the Ravenloft products hinting that it is not a known setting.

Desdichado wrote:

Rotipher wrote:

Rotipher wrote:One other tidbit about Barovia's home plane: while the Balinoks might be a medieval-era backwater, *somebody* in the Von Zarovich homeworld knew enough about engineering, metallurgy, and acoustics to contruct a humungous pipe organ.

Very good observation! *Logical bug in the Strahd series: medieval Dark Ages always meets baroque gothic*

For that matter, most fantasy world have their share of anachronisms. It's easy to ignore when you tell yourself that it's not Earth history anyhow.

Inajira, his pact with Strahd, and however it was that he came to the count, shed a little light on the matter. A world of low-magic quite possibly with few fantastic monsters about, but with the horrors of the after-life coming up out of the netherworld pit, whether by their own means, dark desire, or exceptional (clerical?) magic.

actually their is only three domains that seem to have orgianted from the same prime world, Barovia, Borca, and Rookhausen. (yes i know Borca is a full scale creation of the mist but enough info sugests their may have been a borca in the prime world).

Now postioning Barovia in the center we have Borca probily in the same place and Rookhausen on a coast area v. close to Barovia but and independant city state that has split away from the realm, probly located either south or north of Immol.

To the east of Barovia we have the lands of the Tergs (real world parallel: the Turks), and beyond that the marching grounds of the Neureni Horde (real world parallel: the mongols)

The prominate religion of barovia, borca and Rookhausen is andral, sun god that is still worshiped during the time of the GC. the Tergs worship Za'far and the Neureni is worship their Khan

useful books are RG 1, RG 4, RoE, I6:R and sword & Sorcery: Rookhausen

Desdichado wrote:

Rotipher wrote:One other tidbit about Barovia's home plane: while the Balinoks might be a medieval-era backwater, *somebody* in the Von Zarovich homeworld knew enough about engineering, metallurgy, and acoustics to contruct a humungous pipe organ.

Very good observation! *Logical bug in the Strahd series: medieval Dark Ages always meets baroque gothic*

Given how much Borca has been drawing on the Renaissance domains' technological toys, of late, it's a perfectly reasonable assumption that Borjia (Borca's Prime Material equivalent) had similar economic ties to more advanced regions of the Von Zarovich/Dilisnya homeworld. The pipe organ might've been created in a Renaissance region of the Material homeworld, then later imported by some pretentious Borjian merchant or minor lord. The Borjian then sent the over-the-top trinket to Strahd, as a way of kissing up to the general who'd just kicked the Tergs' butts out of the region (and whose father [Barov I] had a history of breaking upstart Borjian lords' heads, too! ;-D).

Given that we know Strahd's homeworld was a low-magic place, it makes sense that there'd be a bit more of a technological bent there than in your average D&D gameworld. Barovia was still medieval, and Borjia less so, because they were isolated backwaters on the fringes of hostile Tergish and Neureni territory, not because there *was* no technology beyond the medieval on their world. This also perpetuates the analogy between IRL history and Barovia's origins, as much of Slavic Europe was left behind by southern and western Europe's post-medieval technological and social developments.

First of all I wish to explain that the "Religion" is simply called The White Light. But yes the High Preist did die when creating the Symbol of RavenKind. He had the Holysymbol already. Strahd's homeplane is very unmentioned but ties to the legend of Vlad the Impailer. Strahd was a powerful warrior-general. Aged to some 50 years when Sergie and Tat were to be married. Sergie was actually a Paladin of The White Light. That is why he had the Sun Sword in the original Ravenloft adventure. Strahd was only bitter because Tat rebuked his attempts at affection. I believe she called him "Old One" out of respect of course. Strahd did not take it as a complement but a curse because he was actually old.
Strahd did learn magic, but from Jandar Sunstar the elven vampire. Yes Jander is from Forgotten Realms, and was part of the party who attempted to destroy the vampire who caused the Dale to become Daggerdale. Jander had been a vampire for over 300 years while at the time Strahd was only a vampire for a few years. So actually Jander is the one responsible for Strahd becoming a dual class human Fighter/Wizard(necromancy), which Strahd is not actually a specialist wizard. He just chose to study necromancy magic. Also Strahd did not use magic till 2nd edition D&D when they reproduced the adventure "House of Strahd" it was a compliation of Ravenloft and House on Gryphon Hill.
No one has ever seen Strahd's actuall study, and the onyl reason is that he possesses only a few spells. Other than those he has memorized and those detailed in his "Nova Arcanum".
Magic is very low-key in Strahd's homeplane, ie no wizards blasting with lightning and fire. the preists were more like modern day clerics, only a few blessings should the White light choose to answer her clerics prayers. So mostly it revolves around Strahd's wish for long life, being spurrned by Tat, Sergies youthfulness, and the Dark Powers heard him and blessed him with the template of Vampire. Because the Holysymbol already exhisted the Dark Powers had to pull Raveloft Castle and the Lands of Barovia to them to hide the power of the white light.
When the priest died, the Dark Powers were lax that day. His death was their way to avenge him making an artifact, so they caused him(already well into his 60's) to have a heart attack.
And yes while the Icon in its self is not a powerful artifact it is an artifact non the less. An artifact dones not have to shake the foundations of the world to be one. It only cured wounds and raised a clerics Turn Undead ability. But in a land of Zombies and Skeletons that is pretty powerful.
If you ever have watched the Old Movie Nosferatu, that is the feel I got when the Lands of Barovia were first described to me so many years ago. The humble village(everyone there knows of the Count and that he is a vampire) down from the castle, the Gypsies who are the Vistani(but lead by a male elder), the black carrage which picks up the realestate agent and takes him to the castle(who is Sergie, or his personification), and even Tat(the realestate agents wife).
But then why worry where Barovia came from and why its never been expanded on too far. It was the First land and Strahd the first Vampire. Other Darklords can be killed but Strahd always comes back after some years. The other lands were added later as the Dark Powers ensnared others into their dark embrace....

But enough of my own rambling, im out to slay my pcs in my own 3ed Ravenloft campaign today....Mua, Ha, Ha, Ha