Art Blog

How does it feel, fighting creatures that bear your face, little dhampir?” Vania grabs the stake behind her back. “Do it, drive the stake into my heart. This is your chance.” Vania hesitates and drops the stake. Strahd catches it, looks at it, then throws it into the flames. “As I thought."

why is he purpleeeee same reason strahd is i guess

but god yeah it’s. whoof. i was just talking with a friend too about how no one seems to have done the reading, let alone understood the assignment, since 3.5e. apparently 5e+ hasn’t even mentioned his illusions?? so there’s ppl thinking he’s just corpsemoding 24/7??

and it’s so frustrating bc azalin is one of the pillars of ravenloft, he’s the mover and the shaker and the guy whose constant machinations cause problems for everyone else, and wotc just….. don’t seem to know what to do with him. maybe they’re gunshy about committing to another grand conjunction-like plot, maybe they don’t want him stealing strahd’s spotlight, god only knows.

but that lack of giving a shit about the character shows in the art. visual design is an avenue to communicate things about a character, to tell the viewer what they value and how they present themselves and how they feel about others - and that goes double for a guy who is literally a king wearing a facade of life to conceal his ‘unfortunate reality’.

I mean, I LOVE Lamordia (I still prefer 2e Lamordia since it is more faithful to the original Frankenstein), but let's admit it was never an important Domain.

Not as important as Darkon! Azalin Rex and Darkon have always been at the centre of Ravenloft lore. Thankfully in 5.5 they AT LEAST explained Azalin's story and they reastablished the canon creation of the Domain of Mordent based on Ravenloft II.

Innsmouth look.

Tovag

Darklord: Kas the Bloody Handed

Hallmarks: Undead military dictatorship

Notorious across the planes, the vampire Kas was once the champion of the lich Vecna. Wielding the mighty sword that bears his name, he betrayed his master, and the resulting battle supposedly destroyed them both. In truth, Vecna escaped and grew in power over ages and across worlds. Kas, though, was claimed by the Mists, and in his wasteland domain of Tovag, he believes his war with Vecna rages on. Patrols of prisoner-soldiers under undead commanders scour the land, dragooning strangers to serve in Kas’s armies and to manufacture bizarre war machines. When Kas deems the time right, he sends his forces into the Mists, believing that Vecna’s realm lies just beyond. Invariably, those troops never return, leaving the vampire to rage, rebuild his forces, and continue his search for the Sword of Kas (detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide), which he considers his key to victory.

Tovag

Darklord: Kas the Bloody Handed

Hallmarks: Undead military dictatorship

Notorious across the planes, the vampire Kas was once the champion of the lich Vecna. Wielding the mighty sword that bears his name, he betrayed his master, and the resulting battle supposedly destroyed them both. In truth, Vecna escaped and grew in power over ages and across worlds. Kas, though, was claimed by the Mists, and in his wasteland domain of Tovag, he believes his war with Vecna rages on. Patrols of prisoner-soldiers under undead commanders scour the land, dragooning strangers to serve in Kas’s armies and to manufacture bizarre war machines. When Kas deems the time right, he sends his forces into the Mists, believing that Vecna’s realm lies just beyond. Invariably, those troops never return, leaving the vampire to rage, rebuild his forces, and continue his search for the Sword of Kas (detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide), which he considers his key to victory.