The Land: Nova Vaasa lies
between the crook of the Balinok Mountains, between Markovia and the Nightmare Lands. Next to the Balinoks, the terrain is
rocky and steep, but it quickly spreads eastward into a vast, grassy plateau dotted with occasional outcroppings. Aside from
the trees along the rivers, woods are scarce.
Nearly a quarter of the land is devoted to farming. Wheat, oats, and rye are the
principal crops. The soil is rocky, and fields cleared for farming are bordered by crude stone walls. Despite Nova Vaasa's
relative youth on the calendar, many of the walls appear ancient. Abandoned, roofless stone huts mark the habitats of forgotten
families. The huts are grouped in a circle and ringed by low walls of stone.
Even newer buildings in Nova Vaasa are commonly made of stone. Nova Vaasan lumber
often rots in just a few years. As a result, timber for construction usually must be imported from other domains.
The city of Kantora lies near the center of Nova Vaasa. It rivals Lekar and Il
Aluk in size, with 16,000 people living in rather squalid conditions. The smaller towns of Liara, Egertus, Bergovitsa, and
Arbora house between 2,000 and 8,000 people.
The domain is known for its horses. Many of which them run wild, particularly
along the western border. The best mounts in Ravenloft come from Nova Vaasan bloodlines.
The Folk: Nova Vaasa is sharply
divided into a small aristocracy, impoverished masses, and a vague middle class consisting of tax collectors, merchants, and
clever thugs. Vice and violence are rampant among the settlements, and each town has an inordinate number of gambling houses
and taverns. The culture level here is medieval bordering near a post-medieval age. More medieval though than
anything.
The Lord: Prince Othmar is
the leader of this domain. His city milita include fighters equipped with ring mail and clubs.
Encounters:
*Note--most encounters are with bandits and men bent on mayhem. The only serious
predators are the plains cats. These black, tailless creatures live in crevices in the granite outcroppings and hunt on the
plains by night. The females hunt in prides, dragging down horses or other sizeable mammals.
Common:
Rare:
Horses
Plains cats
Snakes
Wolves
Lycanthropes
Jermalaine
