Domain of the month - Dominia!

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Yes, hired by the good doctor to kidnap an illithid, in furtherence of his research into madness.

Beyond that, I envisioned the adventurers/mercenaries to be Darkonese (hence the Latin names) and, as suggested by the story itself, the good doctor, rather than paying them, locked them away in his asylum where they are beginning to doubt (among other things) the reality of their expedition to Blutspur.

The leeches were evidently psychic leeches, apply to cripple the illithid's psiconic abilities.

That there's a good use of psychic leeches!

Wonder what other stuff Dominiani would do to kidnap people? What other kinds of people or animals around RL would he be interested in?

[Zettaijin]

If we assume that folks from the Athasian domain of Kalidnay also exhibit the same latent psionic abilities or psionic potential as other Athasians, obviously Dominiani could be interested in studying them.

Although slightly difficult to achieve, abducting an Abber nomad would not only be quite the coup for Dr. D but also provide much needed data on how mortals deal with unstable environments. However, this would certainly be a little redundant if the Vechorite idea is also used.

The more fanatical followers of Yagno Petrovna might engage in behaviour perceived as unnatural by people living in the core. So unnatural as to be classified as insane. Eccentricity has a long history of attracting negative attention, but when mixed with frothing at the mouth religious fervour, it stands to reason that the more reserved inhabitants of the core would be quick to ship these visitors back home or perhaps to Dr. D's place.

Transpossession may lead to some forms of insanity depending on the fiend type. One can very much imagine a particularly turbulent transpossession victim finding his/her way to Heinfroth's home for the mentally distressed. One can also imagine the trouble said fiend might cause if it completes the process in full.

Seeing as how the Vistani are a little off limit, darklings will have to do. The fragile mind of the darkling is in some ways quite alien and by virtue of a once strong connection to the land itself makes for a fascinating test subject.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Abducting and imprisoning a darkling might just be asking for trouble, IMO. It'd be a great Dread Possibility, however, if the darkling and the doctor get into a mind-game rivalry of some kind.

Great idea about the Abber, BTW. Even if he's also testing Vechorites, an Abber's unusual mindset -- their refusal to believe what's not right in front of them, which Dominiani would likely regard as a coping mechanism -- would make an excellent case-study for Heinfroth ... if, that is, he can even get the captive nomad to respond to his harassments. (Freaky physics and voices in the head? Been there, done that...)

[Zettaijin]

Abducting and imprisoning a darkling might just be asking for trouble, IMO. It'd be a great Dread Possibility, however, if the darkling and the doctor get into a mind-game rivalry of some kind.

The way I see it, the time displaced Zarovan tribe would probably be of great interest to our dear doctor, but he's also smart enough to leave the Visatni alone. But what of a darkling?

It's not as if the Vistani will come rushing in to save one of these twisted creatures and I'm quite certain Heinfroth feels confident enough in his methods to keep the darkling in check.

I don't think it would be completely out of character for the good doctor to take up the challenge. And it also wouldn't be completely out of character for the darkling to perhaps facilitate his capture in order to cause mayhem in the asylum as a measure of revenge for the very idea of attempting to capture him. Life's bad enough as it is without some lunatic trying to jail him and use him as a test subject, so perhaps his would be jailer needs a little lesson in good manners...

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Abducting and imprisoning a darkling might just be asking for trouble, IMO. It'd be a great Dread Possibility, however, if the darkling and the doctor get into a mind-game rivalry of some kind.

The way I see it, the time displaced Zarovan tribe would probably be of great interest to our dear doctor, but he's also smart enough to leave the Visatni alone. But what of a darkling?

A Zarovan darkling? I seem to recall that there was one a long time ago.... Allisandro Tselikov? Wasn't he a Zarovan? Other than him, I don't know if there would be that many Zarovan darklings, if any.

Would be an interesting project to keep one under control, though. Maybe the other Zarovan would drop him off themselves, complete with tools and suggestions for keeping him bound?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I could also see it going the other way. I could see the vistani saying, "he may be a darkling, but he's our darkling. We've passed our judgment and given our punishment, and no one else is going to torture him if we have anything to say about it." (I'm extrapolating this possessiveness based on the vistani custom of retrieving darkling bodies after their death.)

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Yeah, that does make more sense. What would Dominiani be able to do against them? Psionic leeches are one thing, but the gypsies get hacked off, next thing you know there 's no one in the cells!

[cure]

Brains in vats, and the Brain in particular, might be an object of fascination for the good doctor. Plus this might be the grounds for something of a relationship with his near neighbour Mordenheim.

[Zettaijin]

Then again, as I was saying, what if the darkling himself decides to "play along" with the plan, allowing for his capture in order to meet his jailer face to face, possibly feeling confident that anyone foolish enough to mess with a former Vistana has it coming to him?

Needlessly convoluted? You bet! I make no attempt to hide nor deny my love of needlessly convoluted plans/stories. And really, who are we to judge the decidedly warped workings of the darkling mind?

As for his former kin, again, how would they react to their former friend willingly being captured by a darklord for the sole purpose of "settling the score" as it were? Who really needs their help? The darkling or Heinfroth?

I'd say this could lead to some very untenable decisions for the Vistani...

And really, if we're going to discuss Vistani loyalty, what about the aforementioned Illithid? Does the God Brain and the Illithid really want one of their own to be tortured and used as a guinea pig? What if the alien squid man squeals?

Dominiani is probably in over his head no matter what he tries to capture, but somehow that's how I'd like to see Heinfroth portrayed. For all the control and domineering attitude, the cerebral vampire is a bit player in the great scheme of things, taking over because Gundar died not because of anything he did and then being shunted off to an isolated island domain because he's such a minor force.

You get the feeling that darklords like Azalin and Strahd are firmly in the driver's seat, knowing full well the burden they must bear but, for better or worse, making the most out of their unfortunate situation. These men are leaders: strong willed, intelligent and resourceful despite their respective obsessions and failings. Then you have the Dominiani, lesser rulers of tiny islands and more often than not unable to truly achieve much of note and instead falling prey time and time again to their obsessions and failings with little to show for it in return.

Sorry about that last part, I just love underdog darklords.

[The Giamarga]

The way I see it, the time displaced Zarovan tribe would probably be of great interest to our dear doctor, but he's also smart enough to leave the Visatni alone. But what of a darkling?

A Zarovan darkling? I seem to recall that there was one a long time ago.... Allisandro Tselikov? Wasn't he a Zarovan? Other than him, I don't know if there would be that many Zarovan darklings, if any.

AFAIK Tselikov is mentioned in canon only in the spell description of "Allisandro's Binding Curse" where he is called the first darkling and is said to have created the spell several hundred years ago. As it is a 9th level spell we can infer that he was a powerful arcane spellcaster. This post on RAVENLOFT-L paints him as a canjar darkling lich necromancer20 with an interesting history.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

These men are leaders: strong willed, intelligent and resourceful despite their respective obsessions and failings. Then you have the Dominiani, lesser rulers of tiny islands and more often than not unable to truly achieve much of note and instead falling prey time and time again to their obsessions and failings with little to show for it in return.

There's the crux of it, right there. Strahd and Azalin are leaders. Rulers. A Count and a King, respectively. (and Strahd had right to the title King as well, just stuck with count out of respect for his father, IIRC). Dominiani makes no such claim. Like Mordenheim, he's just a mad doctor concerned with his own experiments. One gets the feeling that he didn't want to outright rule Gundarak, just the metaphysical power that came with it. (And perhaps a bit to just get Gundar off his back, so he could get back to work.) I expect that Dominiani-era Gundarak looked a lot like Lamordia without the Von Aubrekers, or Nova Vaasa without Othmar. Except the Gundarakites had lived under despotic rule for so long that with a completely hands-off ruler, it probably fell into chaos.

Dominia is perfect for Dominiani, because it's really all he needs as darklord. He is lord of the asylum, not a country, and that's perfect for a cerebral-fluid drinking mad doctor who tortures and gaslights his patients.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Yeah, I see Dominiani preferring to rule in depth rather than bredth, if at all. That is, he'd rather have total control over an individual or small group, right down to the ability to control their emotions and memories, than partial control over a nation, with the ability to do little more than levy taxes or wage war.

[Zettaijin]

Oh I agree on all counts with you, DS and Giamarga. Certainly Dominiani has his interests and they're probably not in ruling a country or even a city.

I guess I just want to see Dominiani attempting elaborate, complex or perhaps insanely over the top plans to further his obsession but ending up well over his head.

I wish to see Dominiani constantly bitting his nails, knowing that there's a million and one fascinating test subject out there but their capture could lead to his own end. He can't help his destructive habit as normal human subjects can only provide him with so much knowledge and joy. He knows better, but can't help himself.

But as the head of the asylum, he tends (and certainly needs) to project that aura of calm rationality and even some paternal domineering. As the head of the asylum he should know better than to play with fire, yet it's just too much temptation for someone like him.

I'm no longer sure how pertinent all of this might be, however it may help in understanding why I seem so intent on Heinfroth adding more dangerous patients to his asylum.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

One gets the feeling that he didn't want to outright rule Gundarak, just the metaphysical power that came with it. (And perhaps a bit to just get Gundar off his back, so he could get back to work.)

Hmmm. That begs the question of what did motivate Heinfroth to turn on Gundar at last, despite having endured his subordinate status for so long. Did Gundar make some truly intolerable demand of his pet mad doctor, that brought their enmity to a head? Did Heinfroth make a major scientific breakthrough of some sort, that Gundar wilfully suppressed out of ignorance, or fear it could impinge upon his own power? Could some outside agency have intervened, convincing Heinfroth it was finally time to make a clean break with his master?

[cure]

The simplest answer might be a basic incompatibility of temperments and goals. Gundar seems to be very much the brute who revels in carnal passion (slaying and drinking blood as well as ruthlessly crushing the slightest resistance). The good doctor is an entirely more cerebal creature driven by his fear of succumbing to madness, perhaps of the very sort that Gundar symbolises. Gundar is out to dominate for the sake of domination. The good doctor is out to dominate to the end of distilling a cure for himself, not explicitly seeing the domination as an end in itself, however much he actually enjoys it and is addicted to it. The good doctor will happily sit down to dinner with visitors, before perhaps seeking to drive them mad. Gundar will happily have visitors for dinner before even allowing the to get to the table. The latter revels in being a monster. The former does not even consider himself to be a monster.