Domain of Lumencroft
Domain of the Machine
Darklord: Clarence Bertram
Genre: Dystopian Horror
Hallmarks: Scientific ingenuity, bureaucracy, urbanization
Mist Talismans: Spark Lark Tart, work whistle, industrial waste, loudspeaker piece
Noteworthy Features
Those familiar with Lumencroft know the following facts:
Settlements and Sites
City of Lumencroft
The beauty and heart of the entire domain. Lumencroft is the haven of where every luxury or resource can be obtained. Everything is clean and spotless as drones help with maintenance. Cheery citizens wave hello as they pass along on the trolley. All that matters is that you are not a detriment to the city’s outlook or you’ll be deemed an unfortunate. For beneath the city is the Labor District where unfortunates are sent to a, “proper place,” for their role in the city’s development.
East Harrow
The last settlement against Clarence’s influence. It is a rundown and struggling town. The locals know that their dignity would be lost in accepting the “easy path” in Lumencroft’s terms for their aid. Many runaway unfortunates wind up here as a refuge from the soul-crushing work in the Labor District.
Juniper Forest
As Clarence spreads urbanization, pockets of resistant wilderness hold out. One of the largest and most stubborn of the wilds is the Juniper Forest. The main reason it holds out so well are the shamans and beasts within. Clockwork drones constantly harass them alongside destroying the land to be repurposed. The druids here to their utmost to thwart what degrading plans Clarence has should the forest fall.
Clarence Bertram
Arturias is in a golden age of advancements! Flying vehicles up in the clouds, industry that can mass-produce all sorts of necessities, and research of the most profound! Despite all of this, Clarence became bothered with the fact that, in a period so advanced, societal ills still plagued the developed countries. For someone who grew up in an industrialist’s household, he was fascinated with machines and believed there was a means to remedy these problems through artificial means.
He moved to the City of Lumencroft to begin his career as the head of the city council. He loved the sights and sounds of the place but what always irked him were the poor that made the atmosphere more sullen. His first executive action was to send them away to newly built factories he personally owned that were situated a far distance from the main city. Of course, he cared little about the quality of life in those facilities as to him, people were just as expendable as the machines they worked with.
The radio and intercoms were favorite toys of his. They allowed him to spread the messages of inspiration he had for the citizens. In a sinister fashion, it allowed him to garner more popularity through fear-mongering the populace into going after his enemies, both personal and to the country of Dover. Constant use of the systems, however, meant he slowly fed on his own propaganda against the rival country of Cordero. It got heated to a point that the Dark Powers stepped in before he would bring the city down into destruction for war with Cordero built on his own ego instead of the nation’s. In an illusory fashion, only Clarence got pulled into the Dread Domains as if a grand misty bomb went off in a duplicate region of Lumencroft.
Clarence’s Powers and Dominion
City Council. As Clarence is the head of the City Council, there are also lackeys who focus on other aspects in the city. One can be the Head of Commerce (Dorothy Helmbrooke, human), Recreation (Reginald Reeves, human), Security (Urgrin Bobbart, dwarf), Justice (Helman Stottard, human), Labor (The Machine), or Advancements (Helenia Sordove, elf). In truth, City Council upholds the wishes of Clarence Bertram.
Loudspeakers. Throughout areas of Lumencroft under Clarence’s influence, loudspeakers are everywhere. This allows him to spread his cheerful messages or point out his enemies.
The Machine. Whether Clarence is one and the same with “the Machine,” is a conspiracy by the unfortunates. When people refer to “the Machine,” they mean the massive automaton that acts as a foreman in the Labor District and custodian in the upper parts of the city. The Machine also commands clockwork drones to oversee various duties from city maintenance to upholding the law.
Closing the Borders. When Clarence wishes to close his domain’s borders, fumes from experimental waste rises up alongside the mists (see Chapter 3 | Domains of Ravenloft in “The Mists” section of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft).
Clarence’s Torment
Roleplaying Clarence
Clarence is a controlling narcissist who would happily throw others away if it meant progress could be pursued in bettering Lumencroft.
Personality Trait. “Happy days are when things go according to plan.”
Ideal. “The pursuit of utopia will make things better, regardless of the cost.”
Bond. “The City of Lumencroft is my masterpiece. Those who taint its appearance are enemies to the city.”
Flaw. “If it is not perfect, then it is unworthy.”
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