Café de Nuit

I haven't given up on Nosos and Pharazia, but I had an idea for a domain and it's DL that wouldn't stop bugging me until I put something down. I'm stuck on a name for it, but it is an island of terror unless you think there's a place they could connect to.

Amneia (working name)
Culture level: Late Medieval
Ecology: Full
Climate & Terrain:
Languages: Common
Religions: None, but they are willing to adopt one.
Races: Humans 85%, other 15%
Government: A baron for it's surviving city.
Ruler: Baron Lars Urstan
Darklord: Professor Dominic Marsh
Lightlord:
Inhabitants:
Capital City: Saldinar

The funny thing about the Amneians is that anything past the last three years has all been a blur. Sure, little things like who their family and friends and their education remains, but other than that, the people have no real memories outside what the Dark Powers and the ruins of the razed cities will tell. Knowing both of them, they bring forth conflicting messages, leaving the Amneians in three camps: Searchers that believe they were warped to Ravenloft and seek a way home, Homesteads that believe that this has always been their home and they should rebuild their wrecked domain, and the (thinking of a name) who like the Seachers believe that they were warped, but they are stuck and they make their stay the best it can be by making connections with the other domains (especially since they've heard that some of them are more advanced).

Due to their belief that exercising the body and the mind are equally important, the Amneians come from both an athletic and educated stock. The people are curious to a fault and eager to learn even the most forbidden of things. Because of this, they tend to be more open-minded than your usual resident of the mists. (Though nerdy men can expect an occasional good-natured ribbing.) The exception is with the Orcs that the people are at war for reasons they can't remember other than the angry feelings on both sides.

The Truth: According to the darklord, Dominic, many of the Amneians were once close-minded and scoffed at educated folks. The disabled, non-humans, and anyone who didn't fit their ideal were ridiculed. While both the old and the new Amneians accept magic as a normal part of life, the old ones only saw wizards are something they could use to their advantage while the new ones respect them for their education and guidance. Most of all, in the old Amneia, Dominic despite not fitting their ideals, was eventually hailed as a hero for his adventuring and new position as head of the most prestigious (and surviving) magic academy in the domain. But now, (as part of his curse) he is seen as a has-been where his heroic deeds are down-played and with the new attitude of the people, he has no one to feel superior to. (Any attempt to tell the truth get jumbled by the dark powers.)

As for the Orcs, it was the old Amneians' prejudice that fueled the war against creatures that just wanted to be left alone. In fact, it was Dominic (before he got totally corrupted) that created the truce between them until the Dark Powers erased all history of it and warped the Orcs into violent, misogynist savages who want to conqueror Amneia.

More to come...

Perhaps the third faction can be called the Exiles?

When you say Dominic has no people he can feel superior to, do you mean he is in his own heart lacking a group of people he can feel superior towards, or is it that he cannot convince society of his superiority over any groups of people? (As in, is his curse internally or externally focused?)

ewancummins: That sounds like a good idea.

The Lesser Evil: Back when the people were close-minded, sneered at education and more self-absorbed, Dominic always felt like he was better than them. He was smart, open-minded towards the demihumans, and believed he could think beyond his own silly life. The main reason he became a famous adventurer was to show up the guys that ridiculed him and the women who ignored him. Now that the Amneians no longer have the traits that he hates, he can no longer turn his nose up on them.

Despite all of his good deeds, the desire for fame continued eating away at him. Even more so when an injury left him with a bad leg and cut his adventuring career. So to keep himself fresh in the minds of the people, Dominic ruined the reputation of the most prestigious magic academy's headmaster and took the position for himself. For years, he'd stage little incidents where he'd get to play the hero and kill/ruin any adventurer that could overshadow him. The final straw came when he took his three most promising and loyal students and tricked them into entering a village where he released a demon for them to defeat. He knew that the students would exalt him as their mentor and inspiration when they won. Tragically, Dominic underestimated the demon (and the few monsters that escaped with it) and it made short work of the students and the neighboring towns. Just as he was about to make his way to re-seal the portal the demon came from, the mists rolled in.

I noticed you have a Lightlord position in your domain description; maybe a very humble person? Someone who act in secret, maybe using powers of true invisibility, and for all its effort still get accolades and honours, for the Darklord's eternal annoyance..