The Sea of Sorrows
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This section contains canon info from officially published sources |
| The Sea of Sorrows | |
|---|---|
| Culture Level | Varies by island, mostly Medieval to Chivalric[1][2] |
| Ecology | Full Ecology for the sea itself, mostly Full Ecology for the islands[1][2] |
| Climate & Terrain | Temperate Aquatic; most islands have Temperate Forests, Hills, and Plains[1][2] |
| Year Formed | 630 BC[3] |
| Population | 1,300[4][2] |
| Races (%) | Humans 99%, Other 1%[4][2] |
| Languages | Mordentish, Lamordian, Darkonese[4][2] |
| Religions | Ezra, Hala[4][2] |
| Government | No formal government for the sea itself, but the islands have their own.[4][5] |
| Ruler(s) | None[4][5] |
| Darklord(s) | Captain Pieter Van Riese[6] |
| Nationality | |
| Analog | |
| Related Categories | |
| Locations in The Sea of Sorrows | |
| Transportation in The Sea of Sorrows | |
| Inhabitants of The Sea of Sorrows | |
| Former Inhabitants of The Sea of Sorrows | |
| Flora of The Sea of Sorrows | |
| Fauna of The Sea of Sorrows | |
| Native Monsters of The Sea of Sorrows | |
The Sea of Sorrows is the sea that borders the western mainland of the Core.[7] Although the sea itself was formed in 630 BC[3], it may not have gained a darklord until 740 BC in the wake of the Grand Conjunction.[8] Like with the Nocturnal Sea, the Sea of Sorrows boasts several islands. Some of these islands have human populations on them, but the presence of fog makes the Sea difficult to charter[7], even by its darklord[9] (see below). Towards its edge, the Sea gives way entirely to the Misty Border. In addition, many of the islands located within the interior of the Sea are either hostile to outside trade or have limited capacity for it. Lands beyond may be reached via the Sea of Sorrows, but such routes are the most precarious.[7] Sailors of the Core's western shorelines may wishfully speak of a way to sail through and around to the Nocturnal Sea and its more plentiful ports, but there is scant evidence that the possibility even exists.[10]
The Sea of Sorrows has neither a central government nor a single ruler[5], but the domain is sailed by its darklord, Captain Pieter Van Riese, and his ship, the Relentless. He seeks strong and able crew for his ship. To take him up on his offer is to disappear, to reject it means facing his wrath.[9] He presides over merely the waters of the sea far enough from land, not the islands nor coastlines nor the waters immediately surrounding them.[6]
Islands of the Sea of Sorrows
- Blaustein is a pirate haven ruled by the mad tyrant Bluebeard. Most visitors here will be met with violence either at the hands of its ruler or his fanatically loyal people. Very few foreign ships that manage to escape ever deign to return. Bluebeard and his domain are described in Darklords[7] (p.22-27).
Non-canon information can be found in Quoth the Raven Issue 19.
- Carcharodon Isle A small island with but a single hamlet of 100 people called Mistlington. It is ruled by the government of Darkon.[11]
- Dominia A former island of terror, this tiny island is home only to the the Asylum for the Mentally Disturbed and its director, Dr. Daclaud Heinfroth. This place is most fully explored in the Bleak House Boxed Set[7]
- The Finger is a small chain of notoriously dangerous islands, most notably the Isle of Agony and the Isle of Demise. The Finger is off of the northwest coast of Lamordia. Whereas the Isle of Agony is actually apart of Lamordia, Demise is its own domain. Details on the latter can be found in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix I & II, whereas details on the latter can be found in Adam's Wrath[9] and Gazetteer II.
- Ghastria A small island containing only the village of East Riding, Ghastria is one of the few friendly ports for sailors from the mainland. This small island is notable mostly for the fact that any home-grown food tastes inevitably utterly bland, leaving the island always desiring food imported from the mainland. It is fortunate that Marquis Stezen D’Polarno, Ghastria's ruler, maintains good relations with merchants. Darklords has the most details of all canon products on the Marquis[7], but noncanon information can be found in both the Book of Souls and the Nocturnal Sea Gazetteer.
- Gustavstan An island far, far west of Dementlieu, Gustavstan has destablized as the Gustav Baronial Family has fallen into inner turmoil. Despite Falkovnia not being a naval power, Gustavstan was formerly on good terms with them, though this relationship has started to fray.[12]
- Hibernate sits in between Demise and Markovia. Culturally advanced, the society is tainted by rampant hypocrisy and extremely imperialistic attitudes. A repressive church stems to curb wanton ways of sin, yet the domain is overflowing with debauchery. A republic in theory, it runs as an oligarchy in practice. Some limited trade is conducted with Lamordia and elsewhere in the Core, but the trade embargo ordered by the Church of Hibernate restricts trade to those converted. (In effect, this cuts trade to a minimum.)[13]
- The Isle Right off the coast of Mordent, the nameless Isle is home only to Dr. Blake Ramsay. For details on this tiny domain, see Dungeon Magazine #76 (1997)[14]
- Markovia, formerly a temperate domain in the mainland of the Core, became a tropical island in the Sea of Sorrows following [the Grand Conjunction]]. However, to date every single human colonization attempt has failed. The island is not totally uninhabited, as it is the home of Dr. Frantisek Markov and his beastmen. Neither Man Nor Beast is the product with the most information on Markovia.[15]
Virisa, ruled by the despotic Lord Willem Ducas and his Disciples of Virisa, is 30 miles to the south of Blaustein. It has a sizable human population (approximately 20,000), but foreigners are only allowed to trade with the people the coastal cities of Telgan and The City of Virisa. Native merchants are relatively small in number.[16]
Things, Creatures & Personages of Legend
- Captain Pieter van Riese and his ship, the Relentless[6]
- The Finger, particularly the Isle of Demise and the Isle of Agony
Biology
Flora
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This section contains netbook-canon info from netbooks |
- Gillweed, although it resembles the treacherous Sargasso Weed, gillweed is said to grant water-breathing[17]
- Red Tears, a type of red algae with psychoactive properties[17]
- Sargasso Weed
Fauna
Native Horrors
- Bowlyns[18]
- Jolly Roger[19][20]
- Lacedons[18]
- Lycanthrope, Wereray[21]
- Ravenloft Siren[22]
- Reaver[23][24]
- Sea Spawn, Master and Minion[25]
- Soul-Kraken[26]
- Will O'Sea[27]
Sailors
Chronology
500 BC Audun Beck, captain of the Illsong, discovers a magic gem while looting a wizard's tower. It transforms him into a sea vampire. After the healer in his village fail to restore him to life, he massacres everyone and burns the village to the ground. The Mists abduct him and his ship, taking them to the Sea of Sorrows.[28]- 630 BC The Sea of Sorrows forms.[29]
- 635 BC[29] In a brutal winter, Meredoth poisons his subjects and reanimates them as lebendtod to keep them from bothering him for help. His island (or a version of his island) is taken to an unfamiliar land.[30] The domain of Nebligtode forms as a number of islands[31] in the Sea of Sorrows.[32] After spending some time exploring, Meredoth kills and reanimates the Graben Family.[33]
- 643 BC Blaustein forms.[34]
- 651 BC Carcharodon Isle appears in the Sea of Sorrows.[35]
- 683 BC Lamordia forms.[36]
- 686 BC or earlier: the Isle of Demise forms.
- 686 BC The Doma Odana, piloted by Captain Johan Werner and his crew, crashes into the hidden Isle of Demise. Most perish instantly, but Captain Werner and his men explore the Isle. They come to a path underground, eventually leading to a labyrinth. All but Werner are slain by Althea or other menaces. Werner is blinded, but he escapes, as commented about in his journal. His final fate remains unknown.[37]
- 707 BC Dementlieu forms.
- 719 BC Virisa is taken by the Mists after Lord Willem Ducas murders and eats his parents.[38]
- 724 BC The old ship captain Captain Killian retires and leaves his ship, the Endurance, to his nephew, Garvyn[39]
- 734 BC Captain Garvyn, his crew, and his ship, the Endurance become cursedfor dumping overboard the corpses of Madeline Stern, Jacob, and Charlotte Reisland which he had been hired to deliver to Todstein.[40] As a consequence, the Endurance became the Ship of Horrors.
- 737 BC With the delivery of the corpses to their proper resting places, Captain Garvyn and the Endurance are freed from their curse[41] as the 2nd Verse of Hyskosa's Hexad comes to pass.[42]
- 740 BC The Grand Conjunction causes the Sea of Sorrows to get a darklord[8], Captain Pieter van Riese[43]
- 740 BC Markovia relocates to the Sea of Sorrows.[43]
- 750 BC Graben Island and the other islands that were formerly Nebligtode break off from the Sea of Sorrows and become the Nocturnal Sea on the opposite side of the Core.[44]
- 750 BC By this year, Dominia has changed from an Island of Terror to an island in the Sea of Sorrows.[45] Ghastria has broken off from the mainland and also become an island in the Sea of Sorrows.[46]
- 753 BC Gustavstan forms.[47]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ravenloft Third Edition p. 137
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.155
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Domains of Dread p.16
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Ravenloft Third Edition p. 138
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Ravenloft Player's Handbook p.156
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Domains of Dread p.75
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Domains of Dread p.73
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ravenloft Campaign Setting: Realm of Terror (Red Box) p.19
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Domains of Dread p.74
- ↑ Domains of Dread p.78
- ↑ Book of Souls p.73-75
- ↑ Undead Sea Scrolls 2001 p. 81-87
- ↑ Undead Sea Scrolls 2002 p.216-217
- ↑ The House on the Edge of Midnight
- ↑ Domains of Dread p.74-76
- ↑ Alanik Ray's Library Archives Places] p.330-333
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Quoth the Raven Issue 22, p. 46
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Ravenloft Campaign Setting: Domains and Denizens, p. 29
- ↑ Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium III p.64
- ↑ Denizens of Dread p.122
- ↑ Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium III p.83
- ↑ Requiem: The Grim Harvest p.31
- ↑ Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium I & II p.45
- ↑ Denizens of Dread p.175-176
- ↑ Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium III p.96-97
- ↑ Neither Man Nor Beast p.15,25
- ↑ Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium III p.121
- ↑ Children of the Night: Vampires p. 14-15; The date is questionable because it precedes the formation of the Sea by 130 years.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Domains of Dread, p. 16
- ↑ Domains of Dread p. 80
- ↑ Ship of Horror p.54
- ↑ Ship of Horror p.43
- ↑ Domains of Dread p.79-80
- ↑ Quoth the Raven Issue 19, p.54
- ↑ The Book of Souls (Netbook) p.72
- ↑ Gazetteer II p.69
- ↑ Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix I & II p. 103-105
- ↑ Alanik Ray's Library Archives Places p.335
- ↑ Ship of Horrors p.13
- ↑ Ship of Horrors p.12,38-39
- ↑ Ship of Horrors
- ↑ Domains of Dread p. 17
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Ravenloft Campaign Setting: Domains and Denizens p.29
- ↑ Domains of Dread p. 17, 78-80
- ↑ Domains of Dread p. 19
- ↑ Domains of Dread p. 74-75
- ↑ Undead Sea Scrolls 2001 p.82
Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue
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Secrets of the Dread Realms - p7 | |
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Secrets of the Dread Realms - pp8-9 | |
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Sea of Sorrows, The Sea of Sorrows |
