Chapter Seven Further Adventures in Invidia Claude's heart beat so hard he thought it might burst; in fact, the taste of blood in his mouth made him think it just might have - but that was just the blood flowing from his nose and over his lips. He crashed through the forest, branches striking and scratching his face, he prayed to his gods that if they would just see him through this day, he would join a holy order as thanks. He shouted the name of his god, but then received solid evidence that his plea had not been heard. Claude had reached the edge of the trees, but now found himself standing on the edge of a cliff that dropped sharply down. Hundreds of feet below him, and as far as he could see, a landscape of dazzling beauty was spread out. A grand forest, clad in the brilliant colors of autumn at its most splendid, reached toward distant snowcapped mountains. A river of brilliant blue cut a swath through the scene. A crisp blue sky, stained by a bank of threatening, black clouds spread like a canopy over it all. But in this beauty, all Claude could see was death. And then death took a physical form behind him. He heard mocking voice of the young man who had descended upon Claude's party and the Vistani who had offered to guide them from Zeidenburg to Curriculo, and slain everyone: "If you're done with your afternoon constitutional, shall we finish with your lesson? The world must learn that the Vistani and their friends are not welcome in Invidia." The Domain of Invidia This chapter provides information on Invidia, for Dungeon Masters who, instead of sending the heroes back to their original world, would like to continue the campaign with additional adventures in Ravenloft. And, as the map of Invidia indicates, the domain is much more than just the Musarde and Karina. The following is an expansion, and, in some cases, an update to the material presented in the Denizens and Domains book from the RAVENLOFT Campaign Setting. Invidia is a land of lush forests and fertile farmlands, cradled in the river valleys of the Musarde and Gundar Rivers. Three deep, old-growth forests grace the land with immense red woods and oak trees, the Vulpwood in the north; Dreadwood, between the Prestige Mountains and the Crmartan Ridge; and the Breadth Forest and Mantle Woods in the south. Human inhabitants are not generally found in these forests, although the Breadth Forest is home to at least one elven vampire. While Invidia is a place of great natural beauty, it is also a land where crimes of violence and passion are common. Jealousy is perhaps the one emotion that most frequently touches the heart of Invidians, followed closely by envy. It may be that Gabrielle Aderre's connection with the land, as dark lord, has mystically influenced the emotions of the people, or it may just be a part of the national character, but the people of Invidia are often found to long for things they cannot have, and when they take or otherwise obtain what was thought unattainable, they become objects of resentment by both those they have wronged and their neighbors. Grudges fester, arguments grow hot, and sorrow inevitably follows. The folk view even their own kin with a suspicious and fearful eye. Also, whether Gabrielle or the Dukkar is the lord of the land, Invidia is one of the few domains where traveling with a Vistanis escort is deadly. Both mother and son have their reasons for hating the Vistani. Karina is the only city in the domain, but there are several other towns of interest. Beltis was once a thriving logging community that supplied wood to Karina by floating logs down river twice a year. However, one night, the 35 people who lived here (loggers and their families) vanished without a trace. Attempts to reestablish the community and resume the business have all ended in tragedy, with the loggers seemingly killing each other. The initial community was destroyed by rival loggers from Valetta. The bodies of all community members were sunk to the bottom of the river. The deserted village is now infested with a variety of vengeful spirits, including corpse candles, geists, and odems. (All detailed in the RAVENLOFT Monstrous Compendium Appendix III.} Meanwhile, Valetta is a thriving, rough-and-tumble frontier community with a guilty secret. A character possessed by a corpse candle or vengeful odem might well serve to turn the community on itself, the way it turned on Beltis. Further upriver, Tancos was a community established by Barvoian loggers, but this effort was long-since abandoned. There is still a thriving community here, on the surface just another, if a bit pricey, waystation where riverboats can receive repairs and buy supplies. However, the citizens here are even less friendly than most Karinans, and river-lore states that those who attempt to overnight in Tancos, vanish without a trace. The residents of Tancos are, in fact, of pakas, who bear an intense hatred for all other humanoids. (These feline shapeshifters are detailed in the RAVENLOFT Monstrous Compendium Appendix III.) The final Invidian community of note is Curriculo, located in the northern part of the domain but on the Musarde and two separate paths that lead to major towns and cities. At the time of Bakholis' death, this village was little more than a roadside inn and a single dock, but once the werewolfs iron grip on the domain and its residents was loosed, merchants from Zeidenburg and Richemulot began to use this as their base for Invidian trade rather than the crowded, expensive, and decaying Karina. New warehouses are being built in Curriculo every day, as are residencies and docks. Merchants here are always looking for adventurers to fend off gangs and arsonists hired by unscrupulous warehouse owners in Karina. A rumor has been circulating that a Karinan noble has hired a necromancer from Darkon to "shut down Curriculo once and for all." Also of note, while not a town or village, is Castle Loupet. It has been at the heart of tragedy and terror for decades, first as the seat of power of the tyrant Bakholis, then as the home of the dreaded Witch, Gabrielle Aderre, and after the events chronicled in "The Evil Eye," a new terror will dwell in those wicked halls, the Dukkar. Vulpwood and the roads near it will soon become unsafe for any travelers at all, as the Dukkar vents his rage at being trapped within Invidia, whether he is the domain's lord or not. Politics and the Lord of the Domain Since the death of Bakholis, Invidia has had not central leader. Each community maintains its own small militia to defend itself against monsters and raiders. Some Karinan nobles have been watching Lord Soth's renewed campaigns against the elves of Mal-Erek and the Iron Hills, fearing that once the elves are defeated, the Sithican armies of undead and mercenaries will head for Invidian territory. There is a growing feeling that another overlord is needed to keep the nation safe. Of course, each Karinan noble is of the opinion that he is the only one suited for the job. Duels among the nobles have been on the rise, and in many houses, thirdborn sons and daughters, and even distant cousins stand to inherit the family vineyards. Naturally, the rising voices of those growing rich on trade in Curriculo wish to remain independent, claiming that the Karinan alarmists are just trying to take away their personal liberty for their own gain; the citizens of Curriculo think Lord Soth is only concerned with "the pointy-eared freaks" and has no designs for lnvidia. Of course, if Gabrielle Aderre is dead, Invidia will eventually have its overlord again. The Dukkar will get tired of harassing travelers in the vicinity of Castle Loupet, and will start looking for more effective ways to keep the hated Vistani from his land. Armies will be raised, villages and cities will be brought under the control of Castle Loupet, and laws to slay Vistani on sight will be passed. Eventually, the Dukkar will hear of the Vistani Wanderers trapped in Sithicus and the Barovian tribe of the Zarovan. Even larger armies will be raised... Sooner or later, someone will want to attempt to deal with this "Dukkar person," particularly once his agents begin stealing Karinan maidens to serve as his "consorts." If this adventure concludes without Aderre being replaced as the lord of the domain, the Dukkar will behave much as outlined above, but a powerful party of heroes will able to deal with him much easier. Of course, the Dukkar may be a villain the DM might wish to keep around for a while, if he is running an extended Ravenloft campaign. First, his machinations serve as a way to connect the heroes with the Vistani, who are excellent DM mouthpieces and adventure motivations. Second, although quite powerful even if he isn't a domain lord, the Dukkar can still serve as a master villain to whom the heroes can deal the final blow at the climax of a campaign, without necessitating a major change to the Ravenloft world. (This should be an attractive option for DMs who run successive, linked campaigns.) Further, future TSR RAVENLOFT releases will continue to develop some of the seeds sewn in "The Evil Eye." The Dukkar and the mysterious Gentleman Caller are but the heralds of a time of terror that will make the Grand Conjunction look like a summer rainstorm. Neighboring Domains With the possible exception of Lord Soth, no lords have any interest in sending armies to conquer the lands of Invidia; after all, why spend effort on something they will never be able to enjoy? However, the reactions of some neighboring peoples lords should the Dukkar be in control do bear mentioning. With all the tensions that will be raised in the lands of Core, those who know what the Dukkar might have been had he been free to roam, breathe sighs of relief. Barovia: Should the Dukkar begin to send mercenaries after the Zarovan, Count Strahd von Zarovich will most certainly send his own agents after the Dukkar. While it is unknown exactly what Strand's relationship with the Zarovani is, he not take murderers preying on those within his land, nor to armies massing on his borders. Borca: Neither of Borca's twin dark lords care one way or another about the Dukkar or his vendetta against the Vistani. However, should roving parties of hired killers get overzealous and raid a farm or two, or destroy a merchant caravan, adventurers will be sought out (either by agents of the dark lords, or by beleaguered peasants) and asked to hunt the mercenaries down. While such an adventure would most likely pit the heroes against another party consisting of evil adventurers, although the bad guys could conceivably be led by a werewolf or some type of vampire, it could a horrific change of pace if the heroes find themselves facing humans so brutal that they make even the worst monster seem tame; after all, the brutal acts committed by both the werewolf and vampire, while terrible, pale when compared to the slaughter of innocent Vistani perpetrated soley for financial gain. Killers hired by the Dukkar should be a worthy target for any Ravenloft adventurers. Sithicus: Much like Strahd, Lord Soth desires to keep the Vistani in his domain from suffering harm at the bidding of another lord; Soth wants to keep the lone Vistani band that travels Sithicus firmly in his grasp, and whole, as he blames their leader, Magda, for his being imprisoned in Ravenloft. He wishes them to share his suffering. An invasion of Sithicus on the part the Dukkar, be it with assassins or a fullblown army, will prove disastrous for Invidia: Soth has spent over 400 years as a warrior, and the prospect of war will only rejuvenate his undead existence. Verbrek: Ever since Bakholis ruled Invidia, the werewolves of Alyssum, in what is now Verbrek, have used Vulpwood has a location for their rites of passage ceremonies (a young werewolf, upon making a sentient kill in Vulpwood, is considered an adult). Although Gabrielle, in her intense hatred for shapeshifters, tried to drive the werewolves from the forest, she was never able to succeed. However, once the Dukkar creates enough animosity against him among the people of Karina and Curriculo, there will be an increase in armed parties venturing into Vulpwood. The humans will be attempting to invade Castle Loupet, of course, but will instead come upon young werewolves. After a few of such encounters, the lycanthropes of Alyssum will assume that the Invidians have launched an organized effort against them, and will launch a counter offensive. Heroes may find themselves set upon by a pack of werewolves in search of vengeance, or one or more heroes might be captured by a grieving mother who wishes to avenge her son or daughter's death. But before she kills the hero as revenge, she wants to understand what kind of "monsters humans really are." If orchestrated properly, the DM can add some depth to monsters with a scenario along these lines. Recurring Characters Much talk has been devoted to the Dukkar in this section. As a major source of disruption, that's only natural. However, there are several characters from "The Evil Eye" who will lend themselves to spin-off adventures. Matton and Gabrielle Despite her catatonic state, Gabrielle remains the lord of Invidia. In his Guide to Fiends, Dr. Van Richten mistakenly hinted that Gabrielle was draining life from the soil of Invidia to extend her own life, as he labeled her as being of an unnatural age. (This seemingly far-fetched assumption arose when the doctor came across a forgery among the papers of Aimon Davidovich, but didn't recognize it as such due to grief over the loss of a beloved comrade while working on that volume). As Matton tries nurse her back to health, he could get wind of would-be heroes bent on slaying her. If the heroes are still in Invidia, they will receive a desperate plea for aid. Of course, Gabrielle may also recover from her madness, and set about gaining revenge over the Dukkar, as well as just resuming her evil, manipulative ways... with love-struck Matton being her first victim, and the heroes being high on the list of targets as well. The Midnight Slasher Whether or not the Midnight Slasher survived this adventure, Karina will continue to be haunted by a brutal serial killer. Whether this is the same killer or a different one, is up the Dungeon Master to decide, but Commander Regess will be very keen on securing the services of the heroes in stopping the disruption of order in his Quarter, not to mention the threats being leveled against him. The identity of the Midnight Slasher in the wake of "The Evil Eye" can be many-fold; the original Midnight Slasher may not been dead (particularly if she plunged from Cliffhouse with Matton Blanchard), or the role of Slasher could have been adopted by Gabrielle herself, from whom a violent, rage-filled personality emerges in the dark of night, filling the empty shell of the once-vicious manipulator with blood-thirst. In this case, the Slasher is no longer killing victims who abuse women and children, but rather dancersm musicians and darkhaired men and women (an expression of Gabrielle's hatred for Vistani). The Gentleman Caller The incubus known as the Gentleman Caller may have been a purely random event, prophesied by Isabella, and the incubus may have no further role in the lives of the people of Invidia, except as a phobia in the mind of Matton Blanchard, who is (irrationally) afraid that the Gentleman Caller still exerts an influence over his beloved Gabrielle. The Dungeon Master may still wish to drop hints and build up anxiety about the Gentleman Caller. Alternatively, the Dukkar may not be gathering consorts for himself (as mentioned above), but actually for the incubus, who has returned to Invidia to preside over some masterplan that is now ready to unfold. As hinted above, the mysterious Gentleman Caller may also appear in future RAVENLOFT products. In the meantime, he can be considered an addition to the roster of Ravenloft fiends identified by Rudolph van Richten. He is a roving element, and the DM can have his path cross that of the heroes - he may even take a lethal liking to a female hero...

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