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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crothian" data-source="post: 2468115" data-attributes="member: 232">Gather Round for Ravenloft's Dark Tales and Disturbing Legends, by Jackie Cassada and Nicky Rea, Ravenloft Developers In the dark we hope to distance, distract and defend ourselves from terrors that haunt the twilight by huddling in our houses before the fading evening fire and telling each other tales to occupy our thoughts till dawn. We recount legends of valiant quests and faded glory, fallen heroes and dark justice, tragic villains and ancient horrors. Then the old folk recall the time-worn tales, grim sagas known throughout the realms from Darkon to Invidia, Mordent to Barovia; narratives of suffering and shame, of trials and tribulation and ultimately of tragedy for hero and villain alike. For in these tales we find warning and caution, hope and solace, and a chance that we might yet avoid a similar fate. The Realms' greatest legends, however, are more than mere musings of an imaginative mind. Though these fables may vary with each telling, the characters, themes and lessons remain the same as if drawn from the very pages of history, for, after all, at the heart of every legend lies a foundation in truth! It is this very kernel of veracity that inspires some and entices others to seek to discern the fact from the fiction and drives them on through the torments of life with the frail hope of proving the tale true and claiming the prize for themselves. But, one must be careful when seeking to learn the legitimacy of a legend lest one becomes trapped within that very saga, facing the same grim fate as its hero. "To Inherit Eternity" is one such story. So begins "To Inherit Eternity," the first of five bone-chilling tales in Ravenloft's latest supplement, Dark Tales and Disturbing Legends. Based on classic horror motifs familiar to anyone who has sat around a campfire swapping scary stories or stayed up late at night as a child to hear the grown-ups tell tales of ghostly visitations and horrific crimes, these stories serve a dual purpose. First and foremost, they are intended to entertain fans of Ravenloft with versions of familiar horror tales such as 'The Bride' and 'The Flying Dutchman.' These tales, however, are transformed by the Mists into mini-adventures that are uniquely flavored by the atmosphere of the Dread Realm. Read through these stories and you will recognize tales of wedding nights gone dreadfully wrong, monsters in the shape of men who prey upon the innocent and the trusting, and an eternal wanderer cursed by something most people would consider a blessing. Once you've read the tales, find out how you can turn these stories into adventures and expand those adventures into campaigns. Variations on each story's theme provide opportunities for clever DMs to use these adventures several times by making some simple changes, such as substituting one villain for another or altering objects or scenes. Beyond the tales themselves, Dark Tales and Disturbing Legends provides something intangible for the Ravenloft game - a set of folk legends and ideas for creating similar stories. These tales come from the popular folklore of the Dread Realm, not from the few heroic characters battling darklords and engaging in political intrigues. These are the stories told by grandfathers and grandmothers to their children's children, or featured in taverns and inns on stormy nights when the doors and windows are bolted against the wind and rain.Tales of haunted houses and hidden treasures hint of a rich body of legendry and folklore, differing from realm to realm but each touching upon the things seen out of the corner of the eye or sensed after the lights have been blown out. Five premier authors approached these tales in their own way. Some place the players in the middle of the story, while others introduce their tales as fireside entertainments. The Ravenloft game grew out of one of the most famous tales of gothic horror, that of the doomed, deathless vampire caught in his own tragic drama. What more fitting addition to the body of published work than a book of folk stories brought to dreadful life by the talents of Harold Johnson, Steve Miller, Brett King, Ryan Naylor and Ari Marmell. So sit back, brew a cup of hot cider, lock your doors and open your minds to a different kind of terror, one that grows quietly as the night darkens, the silence deepens and thoughts dwell on the unknown and the mysterious, on Dark Tales and Disturbing Legends. And here's the complete summary, from our review pages:  Dark Tales & Disturbing LegendsAuthors: Harold Johnson, Brett King, Ari Marmell, Steve Miller, Ryan Naylor Type: Accessory – story hooksFormat: 184 pages, paperback Release date: May 2005 Summary of content: Largely developed story scenarios, based on legendary villains and movies.Chapter One: To Inherit Eternity (Harold Johnson)Chapter Two: The Curse of Ashington Manor (Steve Miller)Chapter Three: The Brood of Blutkalte (Brett King)Chapter Four: Noises in the Night (Ryan Naylor), including the magic item: Tome of HorrorChapter Five: To Honor and Obey (Ari Marmell)DM’s Appendix:  Accompanying notes for each chapters.  Chapter One: New magic items – the Heirloom, Lucine Claw, Wanderer’s Guide, Waters of Eternity; Long cast of characters; New monsters: Ambiant (undead), Darque (aberration), Lost (or Echoes or Shells, aberration)Chapter Two: New magic items – Rozaleen’s Tarokka; New monsters: Verhteig; NPC portrait: Lord Herod Ashington, Maekon, RozaleenChapter Three: NPC portrait: Sebastian Blutkalte Chapter Four: New monsters: Bogeyman – the Bad Thing, Mister Fox, Monsieur and Madame Croquemitaine, Alligator Lenny, the ScissormanChapter Five: New class: Voodan; the Loas of Souragne detailed</blockquote>

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