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Domain Lords were the rulers of Domains in Ravenloft, and could be categorized based upon the magnitude of their power.

General Characteristics[]

Creation[]

Domain Lords were always creatures of great evil whose vile acts had garnered the attention of the Dark Powers. The trangression damning them to their role could consist either of small, successive acts committed within the Demi-Plane of Dread itself or one grand Act of Ultimate Darkness that drew the attention of the Dark Powers regardless of whence it originated; however, to be embraced as a Domain Lord, the creature must have no hope of redemption for its sins. Merely having raw physical power and committing evil acts were not enough to make one a worthy candidate, however; the subject must have a force of personality and strong passions and emotions, whether it be a lust for power, unchecked greed, an unreasonable thirst for vengeance, or an overwhelming hatred.

Domain Lords were capable of losing their power or becoming stronger if the Dark Powers rewarded them for their evil, but there was no rigid structure of progression by which to gauge their evolution.

Tormented Fate[]

Domain Lords were always considered prisoners of the Dark Powers, caged within their domain of residence; all were cursed to be denied what they desired most, yet be unable to avoid reminders of it, though the details of each individual's curse varied. While some Domain Lords came to terms with this, others obsessed over finding ways to escape; Domain Lords typically had a selfish nature that twisted their desire into an overwhelming, obsessive focus. This selfishness kept them from acknowledging their failings if faced with their transgressions.

Those that became Domain Lords typically manifested some outward, hard-to-hide evidence of their corruption; while the changes varied in Intensity, the more corrupt a Domain Lord became, the more these changes intensified and multiplied.

While Domain Lords were typically the sole rulers of their Domain, there were cases where a group of individuals were collectively considered the lord of a realm.

Abilities[]

The Dark Powers usually gave all Domain Lords dark, unnatural powers, which could vary wildly; they might include control over plants, the undead, the weather, certain types of creatures, or the land itself; other common powers included sensing the disruption caused by paladins, avoiding magical detection, and projecting thoughts of evil and despair into a victim's mind. In a few cases, however, darklords were merely granted political power. However, all domain lords, with the exception of those whose curse prevented them from doing so, possessed the power to close off the borders of their domain with a thought, blocking entry and exit by both mundane and magical means.


Due to their intrinsic connection to their lands, it was impossible to scry on Domain Lords, such as through a crystal ball; it was, however, possible, though difficult, to kill them. However, the higher categories of domain lords would eventually be revived by Dark Powers and even a limited wish spell could not permanently destroy them.

Categories of Domain Lords[]

Darklords[]

Darklords were the most powerful form of domain lords, ruling over Core Domains. The first and most infamous of all Darklords was Strahd von Zarovich.

Overlords[]

Overlords were the second most powerful form of domain lord, ruling over Cluster Domains.

Standard Lords[]

Lords were the third most powerful form of domain lord, ruling over Islands of Terror; most domain lords newly anointed by the Dark Powers began as one of these.

Demilords[]

Demilords were the lowest, least powerful form of Domain Lord, ruling over Pockets- the smallest form of domain, often no larger than a small patch of land or a building. Though Demilords were the lowest form of domain lord, by no means were they any less evil than those who outranked them.

Appendix[]

External Links[]

  • Domain Lords article at Mistipedia, a wiki for the Ravenloft campaign setting run by The Fraternity of Shadows.

References[]

Sources[]

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