Ravenloft Hawksmire

Had a good game of my Ravenloft setting where my Domain Hawksmire has been the real campagn setting all along. Now all party have dark gifts. Our youngest player has been getting bolder and on one hand wants to revive enemies often up to 3 times a fight but also fireball at close range and burning hands in wooden slum full of garbage. Glubglub the Barbarian bard got the party in trouble for waving severed head bundles about in public. Ratrump the Halfling is a dirty bastard rogue with lots of magic and poison blades. The new cleric of light a a reformed dark elf. Threekay the Dwarf cleric who has been fairly indifferent to suffering, is now starting to think he has some duty to local dwarves and other people. GlubGlub had flu and was quite to preserve his lovley singing voice for songs about orc decapitation.  

Party arived at Hawksmire, the capital town of the island, with a population of 4000ish. Got inside and performed a hunt to get into the hunters' guild to immigrate into the population rather than be treated like outsiders or peasants. While in the in planning what to do, everyone except Ratrump voted no to anything with magic beans after the pyramid incident. Ratrump was playing with his magic bag and noticed his pampered piglet was afraid of the bag. So they took it to the privy to empty out whatever evil was inside and creepy, long-limbed Bagman horror stepped out. Was a dangerous battle, and the bathroom was singed. They tipped the attendant and cast repair on the wall a few times, accidentally filling in a glory hole.

Locals in the tavern who were joking about Bagman moments before saw some flashes and heard an unearthly scream. The bag seemed ok now but PIg still wont go near it. Barman told them of a ward elector of the slumbs reports disappearances and offers the undying love of the people if they help. So they drank more and headed off to meet the man and get a briefing. Went walking around the block seeking homless being preyed abon. Gave some of them money to stay in an inn. The Ratrump dressed as an urchin to be bait realised he could also could climb walls and the rooftops to look about. The light cleric summoned a radient orchid spider familiar and screamed because she hated spiders and it was her first time using the spell. The spider made a good spy. Threekay hung back prefering to buff enemies.

They found a strange scrawny hairless cat creature on the roof that seemed intelegent and Ratrump gave it food and it followed him. He pulled rats out of his magic hat for it.

They found in one alley a strange man in a coat rocking about with some dead dogs. Drow light priest spoke to him and the guy was a were-stirge horror and that coat was his leathery wings. Under his arm flaps were normal stirges feeding of him. A pesky fight and some fire in tightly packed wooden alley with trash everywhere. Killed monsters then worked on puttoing out fire. Some homeless grabbed roast stirges. Ratrump peed on the fire to "help". Everyone had stirges sucking their blood. Ratrumps funny cat killed one with glowing claws. The light priest used her crappiest cloak. This looked good when law and firemen arrived, and the party were exonerated of blame. Some repair spells helped. The creature had a burned journal about how it tried to resist. The light priest stabilised the creature and cast remove curse, healing it. Threekay tied it up, and the law complained the monster would be better to hunt for sport than some old man who might be sort of innocent. Off to the courthouse to await trial with comments from characters taken as testimony.

Later found a man hiding who warned them of a creaking wagon making people vanish. So they all hid, and sure enough, the creaking wagon came. The light priestess in her ratty burned cape was lured with food into the wagon by a strange, scarred man. The spider familiar jumped on the creep's back. The wagon set off and Ratrump and his cat climbed under the wagon. It went into a stable in an alley next to the wall keeping the poor from the rich. They went inside and confronted the strange man who was some kind of fiend, a man-stabbing machine who slashed the party and mad some fear for their lives. Killed it and moved through a secret door into a townhouse of a noble. Some kind of armoured wizard was levitating in iron magic armour, so the light priestess fireballed him. Rest of the party piled and killed the warped weird wizard who battled them with some kind of arcane blade. A fireball damaged books and an alchemy lab. Luckily, this building was brick. 

So they found the property deeds, the lord's dead-end family tree, his documents of nobility so Ratrump in his best outfit, claimed to be the long lost son of the weird magician so he is now a Lord. Party is happy to settle in and continue adventuring. Interested in killing Chrysopasia the Domain Lord. GlubGlub wants to plunder serpent folk ruins for cash.

There is a hunter's ball on where Chrysopasia will attend soon...

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Hawksmire
Domain of thirst for the hunt
Darklord: Lady Chrysopasia Drakon
Genres: Folk Horror, Cosmic Horror, Dark Fantasy

Hallmarks: Bloodthirsty hunts, isolated communities, lingering darkness
Mist Talisman: Hunter's horn, cloak, hat or hunting trophy

Hawksmire is a hidden, mist-shrouded island where stranges wash ashore from many worlds, saved from drowning but damned by the lords of dread. There are many coastal villages on the coast influenced by strange cults. The core of the island is a forested hilly region with Hawkmire town in the centre. Between the woods and coasts, orcs roam, limiting trade and commerce. There are those who know how to navigate the coasts by worshipping a great Anglerfish goddess. They also use underground tunnels all over the island to travel past orc scrutiny. Everyone on the island is obsessed with hunting, and great hunters get more respect than anyone other than the Domain lord.

Noteworthy Features

Hawksmire is an island in a sea of mist where outsiders arive mostly by sea. The domain draws in the wicked and the damned near death on the sea. Fog and dangerous grey soupy seas surround the island populated by seamonsters, fueding fish folk and a great lamprey fish god who eats ships whole.

The coasts are rough and swampy but their are villages operating wharfs atound the coast. The inner region is a wasteland of hills and plains with highways linking the villages to the City in the centre. The inner region has dangerous wolves, killer hogs and orc tribes. Their are five tribes all serving christopasia. A sixth of necromancer death cultists was killed by the other tribes a generation ago who were very fearsome. The orcs limit trade to certain monopolies who use of roads and tax the villagers.

Their are also undergroud ancient highway tunnels linking villages and the city but mostly they are dangerous and goblin infested. Smugglers know their own secret safe routes and can sail the coasts without being eaten by the great Angler fish godess. The smugglers are based in Anglers Harbour as is the Anglerfish godess cult. 

The central region is forested full of wild and strange beasts and hunters persuing them. In the middle is the City of Hawksmire.

Settlements & Sites

Hawksmire City is the city of Hunters ruled by Crysopasia from her palace. Their are X districts around the palace and walls and gates divide them. Strangers will only let in islandborn or guild members. You can apply to a guild with a test and a payment. The hunters guild, bards guild, wizards guild, mercenaries guild, merchants guild are the most common and have various tests and quests to join. The hunters guild hall is outside the city near the hunters district so you can get a test without entering the city or hiring a middleman. Districts include: Merchant (markets & shops), Guild (guilds, crafts, workshops), Hunters (butchers, stables, hunters lodges), Orctown (orcs and goblin district) Slumtown (poorest workers) and the Nobles district that surrounds the Palace district.

Chumwater is a decrepid village once thralls to the cult of the fish god Dagon. Their are many abandoned houses and catacombs. A goblin village acts as a buffer between humans and orcs just outside the village. Locals are wary and bitter and hungry. Many are cultists and are granted fish and gold from the fish folk.

Anglers Harbour is a thriving village serving the Anglerfish Goddess. Male visitors risk being chosed as a husband of the goddess and carried out to sea to merge with her as just a face with thousands of other. Otherwise the village is quite friendly. The smuglers here can move your goods around the island on a weekly anticlockwise trip or know secret underground dwarf roads that are mostly safe.

Ealdwell is town of wizards and artisans where quaint bookish cottage folk dwell. Some report a loss of memory and some so badly they are sent to the local asylum for such victims. Locals are proud of the local shine of a wizard who bound a tentacled toad beast in the village well long ago. Many locals speak of the faeries quite often.

Greywater is a primordial swampy village where strange prehistoric marine scorpions and trilobytes dwell. Mutants dwell in the swamp and locals hunt and and kill them. Some were former humans but many small ones under a yard seem to spawn from the earth itself. The locals love mutnat whacking and the mayor a hulking stern old fashoned fellow keeps local law and order by himself unarmed.

Burning Hill is a mining town with a sizable dwarf minority. A pleasnt terraced hill has a fence around it and the cottages of the ruling mine owners. These wealthy comfortable folk perform rites in their fenced comunity and learn arcane secrets.

Wolfmire is a town of rough woodland hunters. Many locals have tamed wolves and outsiders are unwelcome. Many strangers are attacked by werewolves. Many locals serve Chrysopasia as her personal guard.

Swinewater is a town of wretched debter workers and flamboyant huge rich folk who feast all day and are even carried by their servants. The locals love their pigs and lavish them with bejewled outfits and even wheel piglets about in prams. The poor seem wretched and wait on the pigs and rich. The rich enjoy novelities, strangers and new stories of hillarious escapades. Pig lovers are always welcome so take care not to hurt or spurn a friendly pig.

Fever Bay is a swampy village famous for snake cults. They are famous for wearing few clothes, gold jewelery and snake tatoos. They are very festive and welcom guests.  Their are ancient serpant folk ruins in the swamps full of undead and snake bog mummies.

Lady Chrysopasia Drakon

The domain lord Chrysopasia is famed as the iron grip ruler of the island, a great beauty and famous huntress. She hunts daily and many see her on their travels daily. Her fine palace is also home to her servants and her wolf guard of elite hunter riders. Sometimes she is seen at night with a wolf pulled chariot heading to the forest to hunt. They say she seldome sleeps and has vast treasures and stuffed creatures in her palace.

Chrysopasia's Powers & Dominion

The domains existance is predicated on the hunt. The more you hunt the higher your status and aura. Hunters are heroes and celebrated in arts and culture of the city. Many die on dangerous hunts and rapidly replaced. Many locals feel a hunger to kill and see blood. The compulsion to eat prey and make trophies is visible on clothing, jewellery and home decor. People bet on hunters and animal fights. A cat chasing a rat will draw a crowd and bets and the hero beast will be rewarded with cream.

Locals may also hunt humans and criminals are often set loose for a mob to hunt. If a famous criminal the best hunters will be called to hunt the criminals. On festivals the jobless will be rounded up and dressed as blackbirds to be hunted for a charity event. Men may invoke bloodhunts on their enemies or just duel. Hunting contests may be used to prevent duels and nobles deaths if their peers step in. Nobles are given titles for hunting deeds so they hunt constantly and teach their children to do the same to inherit their goods. 

Chrysopasia is a 20th Lv ranger and 14th Lv wizard. She has a blood drinking sentient sword named Woundmaker. Her Wolfguard are werewolves and they will sometimes pull her night chariot. Her horse is really a nighmare named Umbra, bound to this demiplane. If killed she sheds her humanity and is reborn as an ancient shadow dragon. Her moods alter weather for the island turning skies grey or dark with clouds when moody or storms if enraged. Those she marks as prey she can spy on with a crystal ball in her treasury. SHe has magic items that are disguises. She may gift a valuable trinket or magic item of clothing to someone which helps her scryings. 

Chrysopasia's Torment
Chrysopasia was a cruel rich noble who hunted villagers and her suitors for sport and skinned them alive. Her lust for treasure was notorious and it is said she liked to sleep on her vast hoard. Drawn into this domain as its ruler, she led the orcs to take over rapidly several hundred years ago but it seems like forever. 

She must hunt and kill to maintain her beauty daily or her skin sloughs off revealing black scales. She is terrified of this effect and being revealed so she spends all her spare hours hunting and killing. Hunting adventurers is her gretaest delight and she may let them live to grow more challenging several times. If she is reduced to zero hitpoints she burns with silver flames and black smoke revealing her Shadow Dragon form. By hunting and devouring a victim then sleeping on her treasure pile she restores her human form.

Adventure in Hawksmire

Each village is potential a place of mystery and conflict and local weird cults are common. 

Crossing the wastes and exploring the island offers months of adventure as they visit each village. Exploring your own underground highway routes provides adventure and a shortcut from orcs in the waste.

Chrysopasia's Hunts
Daily she hunts and you might become her target. She may spy on them with some magic treasure in her palace at first and may disguise herself to get a look at them. It is likley officials and orcs will have been killed by adventurers. Adventurers may also earn respect for killing famous monsters. It is possible adventurers with wanted posters may be offered enoblement at a ball in the city. She will use this to meet adventurers and show she has been admiring them from afar. She will offer adventurers the chance to pay off any murders of civic officails with gold or service. She likes powerful minions she can keep near for future hunts. She may spare adventurers so they can grow to be a challenge. Risk is more delicious and makes her rejuvination last longer.

Exposing her true nature makes her turn up all opressions and cruelty. The island days grow shorter and weather is darker. She may just roam as a dragon eating people and use orc thugs to opress all. She may even revive the 6th orc tribe as undead.

I will detail the city and districts with tables next.

All my game stories out of sync sorry.