Darklord
- This article deals with Ravenloft. See also Dark Lord (disambiguation).
Darklord is a title used to refer to the mystically imprisoned and cursed ruler of a domain in Ravenloft, a campaign setting in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.
Background
A Darklord was originally an individual who had committed a truly horrific crime, which drew the attention of the enigmatic Dark Powers. The Dark Powers then proceeded to craft a personal kingdom around the Darklord. This crafted domain serves both as a kingdom and a prison: the Darklord gains incredible powers whilst within its borders but can never leave it, although most Darklords can seal their domain borders with a thought. Within their domains, the Darklords are forever tormented by the objects of their desires, which are often the objects for which they committed their crimes. The Dark Powers dangle these objects before the Darklords like the fruits of Tantalus. Each Darklord's desires and motivations differ: some desire love, some hunger for glorious victory, while others crave for the defeat and humiliation of their enemies, which may include other rival Darklords.
Darklords
Known darklords have included:
- Adam
- Alfred Timothy
- Althea
- Ankhtepot
- Anton Misroi
- Arantor
- Azalin Rex
- Frantisek Markov
- Harkon Lukas
- Hazlik
- Ivana Boritsi
- Kas the Bloody-Handed
- Lord Soth
- Strahd von Zarovich
- Vecna
- Vlad Drakov