Ravenshold
RAVENSHOLD
City of Cursed Souls
Ravenshold? Do I know of anything of Ravenshold? Aye, I do. It is the one place Ravenloft won't add to its land...out of fear. Fear that Ravenshold will infect the rest of the Mists.
OVERVIEW:
There is more rumors and false speculation out in the world about Ravenshold, than there is factual accurate information. Ravenshold is a mystery at best. A horrific nightmare at worst. Ravenshold is the remaining ruins of a once-thriving city deep within the Brambledeep Forest. A city that was cursed from the beginning, and each decision made within it, drove the city deeper into the bowels of madness and evil. A town of three hundred or so buildings or outcroppings, it is now overrun with nature attempting to reclaim the forest city, with nightmarish horrors acting as groundskeepers. A city known as The City of Cursed Souls, it is a crusade for only the most foolish of adventurers, even in their most powerful years.
HISTORY:
Ravenshold was founded in 444, and was originally named Ravina'hyel. A loose collection of Elven clans, families and human allies built the first house and farm within the Brambledeep Forest. The town thrived for thousands of years, as Elves and humans alike worked together, defending the forest. At some point in 1000AB, the entire town came into a disagreement so severe, the town revolted and half the population left the city and traveled north, to form and found a new High Elven city, without human influence. This is what's known as the turning point of of the city and it was renamed, Rayvins'hol, with a new ruling council. This was the start of Rayvins'hol and its descent.
Today, Above ground there is chaos. there is no ruler in the city as it now stands in ruins. Buildings burnt out and charred skeletons of their former glory. Broken spires and towers crumbling around overgrown gardens and tainted pools of fetid water.
LEADERSHIP:
There is no known leader or ruler within the grounds of Ravenshold; above ground. If there is any leadership or rulings done , no one living creature has seen it.
Below ground, is a different story.
Secretly, and unbeknownst to anyone, there are three rulers, in constant battle to control Ravenshold and the dark secret deep underground. The three dukes and duchess remain, and they vie for power and control of the foul gates beneath the city are constantly sending armies to attack the others. Those creatures who break off , or are remnants of the armies who lost... find their way to the surface to seek weaker prey. Another Duke of Ravenshold had escaped and is loose on the surface world.
Supposedly, there are still living remnants of the elven families living within tis horrific cursed city, but no records of actual rescues have been made public.
Ravenshold? Do I know of anything of Ravenshold? Aye, I do. It is the one place Ravenloft won't add to its land...out of fear. Fear that Ravenshold will infect the rest of the Mists.
DM Notes: Ravenshold is not meant to be 'cleansed". It is not meant to be able to be beaten. It is meant to be "survived". If your players want pure survival horror, Take the fear and terror of Bloodborne, Silent Hill and Call of Cthuluhu merged into one John Carpenter nightmare, You begin to come CLOSE to Ravenshold's horrors. One of the first players entering the city, described it as "if Ravenloftof TSR is classic gothic horror, Ravenshold is opening the Hellraiser box in the middle of Silent Hill."
There is no safe place. There is not a place to 'rest and heal'. This is a descent into hell itself, where every demon within that hell, had nightmares of what scares them and those things are made real in Ravenshold. A Ravenshold campaign or even excursion adventure, should leave the players feeling like they survived a night in any of the other above media I previously named. If you "cleanse" Ravenshold because I said 'it cannot be", then you do this city a great storytelling disservice. Use this city as where "the Boogeyman refuses to go". An oft used descriptor in game by Gothmyrrans of any terrifying place is "That is Ravenshold-born." This is the realm of madness. Of illusions driving mortals insane, while stripping their skin off their body, as they watch from distended eyeballs. And that's before they even begin to work on their souls.
Deities have problems with communicating or answering prayers by their chosen in Ravenshold. Nature does not rule in these woods either. Paladins, Clerics and druids have been warned. All arcane magic spells cast while in Ravenshold have a 20% chance to be corrupted and twisted, causing random wild magic surges. All divine magic spells cast while in Ravenshold have a 20% chance to be corrupted and either blocked by the powers on Ravenshold, or corrupted and twisted causing random wild magic surges.
{ Cultists use the woods for rituals }
Type
Large city
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