Rivenholm

Rivenholm is a decaying southern port city under the iron grip of six vampire overlords, where fog-choked streets hide secrets, rebellion, and the ever-present threat of The Culling.

RIVENHOLM — AUTHOR’S NOTES Rivenholm is a city of shadows, fog, and whispers—a decaying port on the southern coast where the sea mixes with the stench of fear. Once a bustling hub of trade, it is now hollowed and hollowing, its streets a labyrinth of narrow alleys, crumbling buildings, and secret passageways. The city exudes a sense of perpetual dread, as if the walls themselves remember centuries of bloodshed. Adventurers entering Rivenholm should expect tension at every turn. The populace is wary, their faces pale and eyes downcast, knowing that survival requires obedience, cunning, or secrecy. The streets seem alive, but in a deadened way: muffled cries, distant clangs, and fleeting shadows hint at the predators that rule the night. Every ten years, The Culling reminds all who live here of the cost of defiance. The vampire overlords descend upon the city to harvest blood, enforce loyalty, and maintain the delicate balance of power. Citizens live under the constant threat of disappearance, and even small acts of rebellion can bring swift, fatal consequences. The Council of Blood—six immortal vampire lords—shapes every aspect of life in Rivenholm. Each member has their own dominion: from governance and security, to blood harvests, espionage, necromancy, and aristocratic intrigue. They are cunning, cruel, and meticulously organized, maintaining control through fear, manipulation, and ritualized terror. The Council is a living, breathing force; their rivalries and schemes ripple through the city, creating opportunities for adventurers to exploit—but never without risk. Rivenholm is a city of moral ambiguity and lurking horror. Every shadow hides a threat, every alley may conceal salvation—or death. The atmosphere should feel suffocating, the air heavy with mist and blood, and the very city itself a cage with invisible bars. Here, heroism is perilous, rebellion is dangerous, and survival is an art.