Domains Of Dread - "Ravenloft"
"Ravenloft" by Tracy and Laura Hickman.
The Domains of Dread steal things away into their own pocket realities. While not a true material plane, it shares enough similarities with one to be listed here..
Its essence leaks outward as the Mists, which drift like tendrils of gray through the phlogiston itself.
On rare occasions, a spelljammer crew might witness the phenomenon firsthand, as a vast curtain of vapor sweeping across the rainbow sea, growing and collapsing across stellar distances in mere heartbeats.
The Domains of Dread steal things away into their own pocket realities. While not a true material plane, it shares enough similarities with one to be listed here..
Its essence leaks outward as the Mists, which drift like tendrils of gray through the phlogiston itself.
On rare occasions, a spelljammer crew might witness the phenomenon firsthand, as a vast curtain of vapor sweeping across the rainbow sea, growing and collapsing across stellar distances in mere heartbeats.
The world of Ravenloft gives us:
- The Mists. Sentient fog plucks villains and heroes from other worlds and traps them in cursed domains.
- Darklords. Each domain has a ruler cursed by their own evil, eternally replaying their failings.
- Fear & Madness. New mechanics test characters’ sanity, morality, and courage.
- Limited Magic. Spells and divine powers may be warped or blocked. Resurrection is unreliable.
- Dark Overtones. Stories lean into Gothic horror: tragedy, romance, corruption, and terror rather than flashy high fantasy.
Even to a casual eye, it looks as though the Mists are alive, stretching to bridge the gulfs between spheres. No vessel can outrun them. They move faster than any current in the Flow, and when they touch, whole ships or even entire worlds can be swallowed, vanishing into the Realm of Dread before witnesses can comprehend what they’ve seen.
"Dark, gloomy castles, desolate landscapes, black clouds racing against the moon - these are the trappings of the Gothic tradition. Early Gothics were stories of mystery, and desire - of heroines imprisoned in a fortress, their purity and sanity assaulted by the evil lord of the manor. Later novels, such as 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein', toss the heroine to the sidelines, and "evil" takes center stage. This is the classic horror in which Ravenloft has its roots."
(fraternityofshadows.com)
(fraternityofshadows.com)
