The author would like to disclaim any trauma or phobias which come with undertaking this task in the Demiplane of Dread, specifically the undead and swampy horrors that come in Sourgane. Anyone on the Demiplane of Dread are beyond help. Sample file Introduction ife in Souragne is for most, never pleasant. The A stranger came to Souragne one day, boasting of wares temperatures are thick and heat is constant. which can help bring a person to what ails them and make all The lands are against the people as the majority their miseries disappear. People often bought small things of the Island of Terror is swamps filled with all within their meager means, curing their woes and reversing manner of deadly plants and creatures. fortunes. The smaller things he offered were paid for in coin, Civilization itself is not a release from this as but greater wares required trade or perhaps favors to be Lthe divide between rich and poor is very wide, called in at a later time. with the former usually allowed to do almost anything they With many of the elite interested in his wares, Romuald want to the latter. Then of course comes the creatures of the brought himself to meet the mysterious merchant and to view night, numerous undead who wander the swamps, attacking his wares. In meeting the merchant, Romuald found himself anything which they come across if not somehow controlled telling the strangely charismatic man about his woes. The otherwise. merchant replied he had the means for Romuald to see his All of this grim life lays directly in the hands of Souragne's beloved Ameline's healthy face once again. Darklord, Anton Misroi, otherwise known as the Lord of the Romuald couldn't offer to pay for such a means from the Dead. His word is law in Souragne and the masses of the merchant fast enough. His price was the harvest of what he Island of Terror revere him as one of the spirits of the island, a would sow by taking his product. Romuald still obeyed, eager Loa of the dead and afterlife. Although he can never leave the for the chance to see his bride's face. For his word written in a swamps which surround his plantation, his influence and contract, Romuald took possession of what seem to be a small authority is felt all over the island. seed. His instructions were to plant it into his reanimated Fortunately for the citizens of Souragane, unlike many wife's body and keep it close, but to keep feeding it. Darklords, Anton does not rule with either a heavy hand nor Romuald obeyed, immediately getting a group of workers to harsh expectations on them. Instead, he is content to let each hunt down his reanimated wife. Fortunately, they didn't have settlement govern itself while he deals with issues which to go far. Her body had wandered to a weeping willow island affect the whole of Souragne. While this has spared the in the swamps, where she usually went to enjoy serenity and people of his more malicious activities more often than not, it (secretly) pray to the Loa. Romulad had his men pin her body also leaves them to deal with their own issues of dangers of down before he cut open a hole int he zombie corpse, still the night, not including the undead as well as their own relatively intact, and planted the seed inside of her before corruption within. The most glaring example of this was the pinning the walking corpse to the ground. incident in Marais d'Tarascon which had the unofficial town Over time, a tree grew from the corpse, albeit slowly. At first leaders nearly destroy their hamlet with a hoard of zombies. Romuald was impatient for the tree's growth, but was startled Once again, another threat to the people is rising and much when he witnessed the tree kill another zombie which was like before, they do not even know it. relatively recent, roots piercing the body for the blood. This Romuald Marchant is one of Souragne's rich elite. His caused a spurt in the tree's growth. plantation stretches for miles and produces much of the Romulad quickly began herding more zombies he could Island of Terror's cotton crops. To all who look in from the find, ones which would still have blood in them, within the outside, the estate seems to be doing well and is prosperous range of the tree where it would strike them down and devour as far as the standards in Souragne go. the blood. Eventually, fruit on the tree began to appear, taking In truth, the plantation is on the brink of falling apart. The the form of small heads which would gasp and groan. To cotton is not selling as quickly as the plantation's costs are Romuald's shock, one of the first was the perfect likeness of piling up. The swamp is infringing on the lands, risking the his departed bride Ameline. crops themselves. The workers have been attacked by undead Believing that the fruit which looks like his wife could be lately, having them afraid to come back and work. the means of reviving her. The healthier the tree is, the more These professional problems only seem marginal compared likely the fruit can become his wife in his mind. An idea which to Romuald's personal woes. He had been married for a time was reinforced when the head began to speak in Ameline's to a beautiful woman named Ameline Landry, daughter of voice and gasp for help. So to that end, he began to lure the another plantation owner. The marriage was pleasant and the downtrodden and homeless of Souragane (of which there are couple were planning to have their first child and heir to the many) to his plantation where he murders them before he plantation. throws their bodies to the tree so their blood can feed it. Sadly, this was not to be. During an excursion near the The tree is now close to ripening and the multiple heads swamps, Ameline fell victim to the undead of the swamps. gasp for more help. She was slain and left in the bogs. Her funeral was held and the customary four days before internment, but to Romuald's despair, her body reanimated as a zombie and wandered out into the bogs. Something in Romuald snapped that day. He began to grow angry Sampleand more prone to snapping into fits of rage and abuse. file Still, it would have only stayed at that if it weren't for the following events. The Island of Terror, Souragne ouragne is an island nation which is more than 50% bogs and swamps. It used to be part of the The Mists of Ravenloft world of Oerth, or at least based off of it. What Like every land within the Demiplane of Dread, Souragne is beauty it had was quickly changed for decay and surrounded by thick and unnatural fog which prevents people terror after Anton Misroi became its Darklord. He from leaving, or at least make leaving that much more is the absolute authority on the island even if he difficult. Even creatures which fly are subject to the affects of Sdoesn't exercise it very often. the fog. Usually Anton Misroi keeps his borders open, only Although natives of Oerth would recognize the area as closing them if he feels someone within has wronged him and similar to Sasserine, the two areas are very different from one he wants them captured without escaping. When the mists another. Souragne was made by the Dark Powers when they close the border, the effects are as follows. pulled Anton Misroi into their collection. It is similar enough to Sasserine than Anton can rule effectively, but clearly A creature that starts its turn in the fog must succeed on a different so that he knows that he is not in his birth lands. DC 20 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion (see Appendix A in the Player's Handbook). Souragne has one ocean which it's exports are sent into the This exhaustion can't be removed while the creature is in mists through, called the Murky Sea which is the source of the fog. Souragane's meager fishing industry. It's main source of No matter how far a creature trvels into the fog, or in income and trade comes from the plantations which can be which direction it goes, it gets turned around so that it found mostly on the dry portions of Souragne. They grow eventually finds itself back in Souragne. cash crops such as tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, and other The area within the fog is heavily obscured (see "Vision crops unique to the swamplands. and Light" in chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook). Like many other domains of Ravenloft, the Vistani can come and go through the mists as they please. Anton allows them to do so since they do not disrupt the peace nor do they Sunlight in Souragne do anything to try and turn against him. So long as they The Dark Powers control many if not all of the aspects of continue to show him proper respect, Anton will continue to Ravenloft outside of the people. The weather is no exception. let them come and visit his lands Sunlight never fully shines over the Demiplan except in a few Native Souragniens fear and revere the Loa they call the cases. For Souragne, the sunlight is partially hidden by dark Lord of the Dead, a spirit who embodies death.