Domain of the Month: Sea of Sorrows

[KingCorn]

Summer heat is finally here, why not cool off with a dip in the cool waters of the Western Core. Whats your thoughts and ideas for the Sea of Sorrows?

[Mistmaster]

I have an hydiosinchrasy against the concept of the sea as a domain; I prefer to concentrate myself on the various Islands, instead.

[edised]

some pirates and prisoners are shipwreck on a island and find little food. so a Donner party deal go on, one of the prisoners is the last man standing. when help arrives he becomes afraid they whont believe he had to do it, find out he ate them, so his act of darkness he killed the men that found him.

Curse: he is now a ghoul(look's human if unhealthy)

[ewancummins]

I have an hydiosinchrasy against the concept of the sea as a domain; I prefer to concentrate myself on the various Islands, instead.

I agree. I see it as a liquid extension of the Mists, basically.
It may have underwater domains in it, though...

[KingCorn]

I have an hydiosinchrasy against the concept of the sea as a domain; I prefer to concentrate myself on the various Islands, instead.

I like the sea domains, as it creates the idea of a greater domain lord. van Riese can reach the shores of any domain within the sea of sorrows, and beyond. Thus, he has far greater ability to influence it, just like Meredoth is affecting Graben Island and other domains in the Nocturnal Sea.

Also, it gives the opportunity to create lords specifically tied to the water. Sea Monsters, ghost pirates, mad water elementals.

[ewancummins]

A domain with reavers or sahuaghin could be cool.

Something like that might have been done in the Nocturnal Sea webbook. I don't know.

[Mistmaster]

I prefer the idea of a Dark Lord being the bigger bad fish in the barrel, without overlords; while van Riese is an interesting character, I prefer to use him elesewere in a antillas-like domain. Meredorh, instead is the Lord of the Neblictode Islands (Graben Isld is paer of it) and a renowned Necromancer.

[The Lesser Evil]

-Mysterious men with enlistment contracts have started popping up along the docks and seedy districts of the Sea's coasts. Could Van Reise have stepped up recruitment to the point he would need enough recruitment for a fleet of ghost ships? Or is another force at work?

- Ghastria has given asylum to a number of Dementlieuse refugees and criminals, offending the Demenlieuese. Recent grumblings from some of the nobility and bureaucrats of Dementlieu have emerged regarding Ghastria and its relation to Dementlieu. Some argue that Ghastria is not a distinct nation but is properly a province of Dementlieu. Others regard Marquis D'Polarno with a certain amount of disgust, thinking him unfit to be a ruler. Relations between the two realms have decayed, and things may be coming to a slow boil. So far the conflict has only amounted in a war of words and perhaps an incoming trade embargo. While all-out war is unlikely, further escalation could result in a cloak and dagger struggle of sabotage. Such a struggle could alter the delicate balance of power in the Sea of Sorrows and the western Core. How can relations between the two nations be repaired?

-A large tsunami hits the coastlines of the Sea of Sorrows, causing social upheaval humanitarian disaster. After a second wave hits, fear begins to spread about something, whecther natural or unnatural, causing a pattern of disasters. What is behind the destructive waves, and how it be remedied?

[KingCorn]

-A Mordent fisherman and his crew have gone missing. Other sailors in town say that before he left, he bragged about having found a bride on the some nameless island, and had brought his crew along for his wedding ceremony. The bride he found was infact a horror from beneath the sea, which has used the crew for food for its clan, and the body of the groom as a nest for her eggs.

-A mad lamordian inventor has created a ship that sails beneath the waves, a submarine, and he now hunts down ships at his leisure. Until this madman and his machine is stopped, no ship on the sea is safe.

-A fierce icestorm in Lamordia has left several ships frozen in place. Something or several somethings stalk the sailors at night, hunting them down one by one.

-All sailors fear the falling to "Sea Madness", a condition caused by the isolation of months at sea. Lately, it has happened in increasing strength, with even a single short outing bring it about. Many fear the sea is now cursed.

[Mistmaster]

The Zherisian Company of the Sea of Sorrows, a powerful merchantile company, is campaigning to end piracy, and that means War on Blaustein. They want to hire the best captain of the misty Seas to do that, and they aren't very scrupolous in who or what they will hire.

[edised]

a huge ghost ship with a cargo of wealth (gold, maybe taken from pirates), it a trap, the ship is cursed and haunted. some of the original crew wanted the gold for them shelves and killed the rest, then kill eche other. all who find the ship are killed by greed or the ghosts

[Strahdsbuddy]

I also like Relentless as a floating pocket domain upon the Sea fo SOrrows, as it often reaches other shroes. Drowning Deep in Nocturnal Sea makes more sense as a domain than having Meredoth ruler over the entire sea as well. Like most Maritime Law (cue Arrested Development reference) the Dark Powers' juristiction ends a few miles out to sea....

For a body of water that has existed since the arrival of Mordent, though, there needs to be more legends of sunken ships in the Sea of Sorrows. This leads to the problem of getting to those wrecks. Long grappling ropes and the dangerous but lucrative profession of salvaging hulks from the sea floor. I think that would be a fun non-combat encounter with seamanship and athletics checks to keep the rescuing vessel from joining her quarry below the waves.

And zombie whales.