Although the Domains of Dread are dramatically different, certain realities underpin their terrors. The nature of domains, the influence of Darklords, the mysteries of @The Mists, and the machinations of the Dark Powers present a wealth of ominous possibilities. All these elements share a shadowy uncertainty and the potential for terror to take on unpredictable forms.
The following sections are written for the DM to consider and incorporate into adventures as seen fit. Cultivate dread by leaving the fundamental truths of the world vague or defined by the players' theories. Deep shadows immerse the Domains of Dread. Whether light is cast on them or they are left as an inky mystery, their potential for terror remains endless.
This article provides an overview of the dreadful forces at work in Ravenloft, elements other lore articles explore as tools for crafting horror adventures.
By the standards of what other worlds' inhabitants consider true and sane, the Domains of Dread don't make sense. The setting's domains don't neatly flow into one another, histories don't record a collectively remembered past, fictions spawn terrible facts, and sheltered villagers remain stubbornly ignorant about the world beyond. Ravenloft is a setting designed to cultivate uncertainty, mystery, paranoia, and dread in defiance of logic or common sense.
The characters in Ravenloft adventures might be the first to inquire after obvious inconsistencies or to notice plain impossibilities. But why has no one before them sought answers to such unignorable questions? The Dark Powers, @The Mists, and the nature of domains and Darklords all claim part of the answer, but ultimately they reflect aspects of the same cause: nightmare logic.
Ravenloft is inherently a vast nightmare. Most of those who experience its terrors never suspect its surreal nature; only a few gradually realize that things don't add up. Whether they do or don't, the setting's supernatural features and malicious masterminds exist to foster terror. The details described in this section are true, but truth is malleable in Ravenloft. The exact limits of the Dark Powers' influence, @The Mists' reach, and the Darklords' control over their domains are purposefully vague.
As with any nightmare, the Domains of Dread aren't shackled to the laws of reality. Domains exist not to simulate a believable world, but to terrify. This flexibility provides a powerful tool to upend assumptions of safety and tailor the characters' struggles. It also encourages layers of mysteries about the nature of the setting. Is each domain unique or just one in a series of recurring nightmares? How many forms of @Castle Ravenloft exist, have existed, and will yet reveal themselves in @The Mists? What is truth among the Domains of Dread, and how long will that remain certain? The answers are for the DM to decide.
Unfathomable, hidden forces manipulate life, death, and reality within Ravenloft. These mysterious, deathless beings are the architects of the Domains of Dread, and have secreted these pockets of terror deep within the Plane of Shadow. The Dark Powers watch and influence events within their dominion. When their gaze drifts, they reach into other planes to collect heroes and villains to add to their terrifying menagerie. To what end, no one knows. For more, see the Dark Powers lore article.
Known throughout Ravenloft, @The Mists are manifestations of the Dark Powers' will. They divide, surround, and isolate every domain, creating fog-shrouded borders that imprison Darklords within their territories. @The Mists slip through the Domains of Dread, rising to claim unwitting travelers or releasing terrors upon unsuspecting villagers. Most infamously, @The Mists slither into other worlds to claim innocents, villains, or whole lands, dragging them back to become the newest prisoners of Ravenloft.
Inhabitants of the Domains of Dread know of @The Mists and ascribe sinister stories to them, but they accept @The Mists as a natural part of their homeland. Many who travel between domains even refer to their world as the Land of @The Mists. Any supernatural happening, inexplicable disappearance, or malicious force can be blamed on @The Mists, and those who interact with @The Mists or who come from beyond them are met with suspicion. @The Mists confound travel between domains, whether one wishes to leave a place to reach another land or to escape the realm they're in.
Beyond these truths, @The Mists are a tool to establish the boundaries of horror stories. See the Featured Domains & The Mists lore article for details on employing @The Mists to focus horror adventures, leading characters to engage with certain elements while cloaking others in mystery.
Sinister demiplanes known as domains constitute the realms of Ravenloft. These domains vary widely, but they share a number of common features:
Domains Are Finite. The domains vary in size from countries or geographic regions to a single city, structure, mobile conveyance, or specific location.
Domains Are Isolated. Each domain is surrounded by @The Mists, its boundaries fading away into haze. Domains share neither borders nor common geography, and you can't peer from one domain into another. The environments, cultures, and residents of one domain don't influence those of other domains.
Domains Hold Darklords. Domains exist to contain and torment a villain. Though Darklords exert control over their domains, they are each tormented by a personal terror playing out in their realm.
Domains Are Cages. Those who run afoul of a Darklord might find that @The Mists prevent them from leaving the villain's domain. Like a haunted house that conveniently seals its doors or summons a deadly storm, so do domains create inescapable spaces where horror adventures unfold.
Domains Are Themed. Each domain reflects its Darklord and facilitates horror tales related to that villain. Just as creepy manors suit ghostly inhabitants, so does each domain inspire and encourage a distinct type of terror.
Details regarding some of the most notorious Domains of Dread can be found in the lore articles under the Domains of Ravenloft folder.
Central to each domain is a Darklord, the seed from which a thorny thicket blooms. The villain might be a nation's leader, a prominent citizen, a notorious monster, a mysterious recluse, or a seemingly innocuous character. Regardless of the Darklord's current role, their wickedness led to the creation of their domain and their imprisonment in Ravenloft.
Though these individuals vary widely and exceptions occur, Darklords share a number of qualities:
Darklords Are Evil. Each Darklord is the ultimate villain of a domain and the root of the suffering and terror that unfold there.
Darklords Are Prisoners. Darklords cannot leave their domains. If a Darklord enters @The Mists or uses another method to attempt an escape, the Dark Powers return them to their domain. Even death rarely allows a Darklord to escape their prison for long.
Darklords Are Tormented. Every domain torments its Darklord in a poignant way tied ironically to their past crimes, failures, or unattainable ambitions.
Darklords Influence Domains. Although Darklords hate their domains, they exert considerable control over them. This might be the influence of a governmental leader, the magic of a supernatural overlord, or a more fundamental connection. Most possess the ability to prevent others from leaving their domains (further explored in the Featured Domains & The Mists lore article).
Darklords Vary in Threat. Darklords range from monstrous tyrants to depraved individuals who otherwise appear as ordinary people. A Darklord's position and powers stem from their deeds, not their game statistics. While some Darklords are deadly or possess foul gifts from the Dark Powers, many pose little threat in battle. Their menace is the result of capabilities beyond physical prowess.
Darklords Are Active. Darklords might brood over their failures, but nevertheless they relentlessly strive to achieve their ambitions. Their desperate struggles fuel their conflicts with characters. Liberally use Darklords in adventures rather than save them for distant climactic plots.
Darklords Don't Realize They're Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don't realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their agendas, obsessions, and egotism distract them from focusing on the strangeness of the world and petty concerns such as eerie fog.
Darklords Are Immortal. Darklords are casually immortal, many having no concept of how long they've lived, how many times they've died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they're restored by the Dark Powers. In their absence, those who sought to escape or supplant them seize their chance.
The Domains of Dread don't typically breed heroes. For the inhabitants of most domains, simply surviving the night is an act of courage. Those willing to confront the terrors of @The Mists are rare, but when they do, they have one of the following origins:
Mist Wanderers. @The Mists reached into these characters' worlds and dragged them into the Domains of Dread. Whether these adventurers are trapped in Ravenloft for a night or an eternity, their spirits mark them as outsiders but also as rare beacons in the endless darkness.
Roused Locals. Some shock jarred these unusual individuals from the apathy pervasive to the Land of @The Mists. Witnesses to evil, these characters will never know the solace of ignorance again.
Adventurers find few peers in the Land of @The Mists. While there are exceptions—many of whom are found within the Domains of Dread—such individuals are few and their lives are often short. Guilds of adventurers and shops catering to their needs generally don't exist. As a result, the challenge of confronting evil rests squarely with a few rare souls.