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We need to do what we can to protect the Internet Archive. Here is a petition that you can sign.

This petition alone might not be enough, but everything we can throw at this counts.

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Actually you SHOULD make problematic content. You SHOULD explore dark or taboo topics. You SHOULD have a space where you can cope with your traumas or explore sensitive topics in a way that doesn't hurt anyone.

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the various smilings of Count Strahd Von Zarovich

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harkon lukas, my beloved (the new design in talon dunning's ravenloft style)

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harkon lukas, my beloved (the new design in talon dunning's ravenloft style)

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to "go to therapy" crowd suddenly turning anti-psych when the psychologists say "yeah embracing that kink you feel really ashamed about and cant control is the key to healing and unpacking it"

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I forgot that Barovians with souls reincarnate in 5e like yeah okay let’s expand Tatyana’s curse to 10% of the populace I guess

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I did that post at like 4am so forgive me if it wasn’t entirely put together as I thought lol

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always think of Azalin Rex

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A focus on Barovia, and, by extension, Curse of Strahd. This won't go over the Vistani, as I am sure there are people out there who have talked about it extensively. I am not Romani, either, and I don't feel I know enough to do it here.

SPOILER CUT, just in case

Lack of Sunlight. I always found this one to be a little silly, as I found that Strahd was/is a wizard - and, like most wizards, he created his own spells especially to counteract this problem (non-magical sunlight, of course). Taking away the idea that consistent cloud-cover may just fair poorly for surface plants and crops, maybe I can see why the soulless Barovians would be fine in a vampire haven 24/7 environment. Maybe. It takes away one major vampire weakness, if your spellcasters don't have sunbeam on hand. Anyway, not as much of a gripe, but you get it. You can find Strahd's spells in Forbidden Lore: Nova Arcanum (specifically, Mortal Mimicry, if you're interested).

Souls and Shells. "Barovians are made of flesh and blood. They are born, they live, they age, and they die. But not all of them—only about one in every ten—have souls. [...] When a being with a soul dies in Barovia, that soul remains trapped in Strahd's domain until it is reincarnated in a newborn. [...] Barovians without souls are empty shells created by his consciousness to fill out the local population."

-- Curse of Strahd

This just takes away any shred of individuality you might find in a Barovian. Let's go into the very first Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume I. There are more than just the typical Barovian heritage:

"Barovia's population has four distinct ethnic groups: Barovians, Gundarakites, Forfarians, and Thaani. While the broad cultural differences are minimal today, they can generally be distinguished by their physical appearance or language."

Much of the written text within that book describes attire, physical appearance, class structure to education, even diet and culture! It is worth a read, if you know where to get it.

"[...] Barovians are fond of decorating the facades of their buildings with colorful stones, especially those that glitter with bright mineral flecks or a strange luster. These pebbles are pressed into the plaster in neat rows or decorative patterns of curls and florals. [...] For all the realm's cruel dreariness, I was struck by the lively decorations that adorned even the humblest Barovian homes."

The majority of the issue here is that there is not enough information to go on, in Curse of Strahd, about Barovians. The writers say that it is a multi-ethnic group, but where do they show it? Where is the love of life, the break between the stoicism and the abrasiveness? How are the players supposed to care about the fictional world they will be in, and why does the Dungeon Master have to make up most of the work for it?

Realistically... I think a lot of it comes down to the publisher, which I am also not an expert in, as 3.5e content (like the Gazetteers) were under White Wolf and ArtHaus. The other half is due to 5e's focus on the player and the removal of extra supplements. This leaves the DM to improvise a bit more with the material. It's not an ideal situation, but it is still one that we can improve.

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Okay Obsidian as like a notes app is pretty cool

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I think I’ll just focus on the domains in VTGR and the lore for CoS. I need to sort out all my thoughts first

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me holding in the urge to yell about how good old Ravenloft lore is compared to how unsaturated 5e made it out to be

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Did I post Azalin’s Pizza Palace yet

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MAGNETO’S FIRST NAME IS MAX!

I scream as they drag me into the asylum

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this is still my favorite image of my Gothic Earth boy sawyer

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Declaud Heinfroth send post