#Markovia

[sebeth]

This Man - Abraham Lincoln Carlyle

[darklordazalin]

Azalin Reviews: Darklord Frantisek Markov

Domain: Markovia Domain Formation:  698 BC Power Level: 💀💀⚫⚫⚫ Sources: Neither Man nor Beast (2e); Ravenloft Third Edition; Domains of Dread (2e); Realms of Terror (2e); Gazetteer II (3e), Fair Barovia Dungeon Magazine #207

Franktisek Markov is the Darklord of Markovia, a heavily forested island with the scatterings of a few small, abandoned villages reclaimed by nature; “Fran’s” manor; and the aptly named Monastery of Lost Souls. 

Franktisek grew up on a small pig farm outside of the village of Vallaki in Barovia. This was after von Zarovich became a vampire and started all this nonsense with these Misty prisons. He married Ludmilla, a young woman from Vallaki and opened a butcher shop there. Franktisek enjoyed the act of slaughtering his pigs, though the act itself was not enough for him and in time he began to experiment on the animals. He performed amputations, skin grafts, glandular injections and became fascinated with the results. I’m not sure where he learned the art of surgery…it is not as if Barovia is known for its education system nor pig farmers for their collection of books. I digress, when his wife discovered his grim experiments, she threatened to leave him and inform the villagers of what he was doing.

Overreacting to this threat, Markov made Ludmilla his next experiment and performed numerous surgeries on her over the course of three days. She died on the third day, her body now resembled an animal more than a person. However, once the villagers realized the truth, they chased Markov into the Mists and Markovia formed.

The Markov Manor was eventually claimed by Thaani refugees from Bluetspur and the echoes of Markov’s past deeds upon Ludmilla had some…well, let’s just say interesting effects on the Thaani. 

Before the Grand Conjunction, Markovia lay where the Shadow Rift now lies. Now Markovia has been transformed into an island west of the township of Ludendorf in Lamorida on the Sea of Sorrows. This transformation of Markovia is quite suitable for our transformed Darklord. Once a man, Franktisek is now a beast with the face of a man, forever searching for his lost humanity.

Franktisek continues his experiments on Markovia. Capturing various species of animals and transforming them into beasts with human-like features. Every attempt he sees as a failure as they have not sufficiently shed their animal side. These “Broken Ones” roam the island and worship Franktisek as a god, referring to him as “the god who walks among us”. Though I believe the Vistani have a better name for him: “Master of Pain”.

Any humanoid that finds themselves on Markovia will likely end up in Markov’s lab, where he transforms them into humanoids with beast-like features. He does not use any anesthesia, so these ‘surgeries’ of his are quite...memorable.

Markov can take on the form of any beast, though always retains his human head and face, which is as ridiculous and terrifying as it sounds. He tends to take the form of an ape, believing it makes him look more human. Perhaps there are no mirrors on the island so he can see how much that is not the case?

[spooky-owl-necromancer]

Is it gay to marry your best friend before you march on castle ravenloft in case you might die?

Hopefully they'll live longer than the AC benefits!!

[demiplanardemagogue]

The hope for a Lamordian theme park on Markovia all but disappeared today with the horrid destruction of the park's premiere love boat ride by a kraken with no heart or soul. Many hearts were broken as the park's fate ran aground on the jagged shores of reality.

[raisingcain-onceagain]

Thank you very much for this artwork, I love them 😍 They look so radiant and happy!!

Commission for @raisingcain-onceagain

commission info

[windona]

Sure, Markovia may be in a different place in Europe depending on the run or even if the writer and artist didn't share notes on what 'East' or 'West' Europe is, but if it's a country with Earth metahumans whose to say we can't No Prize it to say they move the country around every once in a while.

[eliotbaum]

I'd like to do more locations of Barovia in this mock postage stamp style! Here's the abbey of St. Markovia and the church of St. Andral for a start.

[shrimpari]

"I see all of you as rats. Nothing...but...rats."

The Abbot of Saint Markovia

[wafflecrew-outofcontext]

Strix: Diath, come breathe this dust in

Diath: What?

Strix: I don’t know just sniff it up

DM: Go snort Saint Markovia

Diath: I am not doing a line of Markovia

Paultin: Not with that attitude you're not

[tofu-bento-box]

alright curse of strahd people / other DMs. i need plot brainstorming help. wig and revivivivify no reading past the read more or checking the notes. i’m warning you. i’ll know 👁️ 👁️

thanks in advance!!!

so my plan for the leadup to the final battle in my curse of strahd campaign is to do arcs based around the four horsemen of the apocalypse. we’ve already covered war (#1) via the fall of argynvostholt, famine (#3) is self-explanatory, and death (#4) is the final battle.

the issue is pestilence (#2, and the next big arc). i made krezk a mining town, and the abbot has been helping the party at little to no cost, so i’m planning on setting it there. there are two very minor NPCs that got on the abbot’s bad side, so i’m planning on having them be the first victims. they’ll come to the abbey looking for help and get turned away (barring successful party intervention). if the party manages to pry some forgiveness out of the abbot, there’s still gonna be an issue, because the abbot can’t fix whatever’s wrong.

the issue is i cannot figure out what the fucking pestilence is. some creeping black gunk? where did it come from, how is it treated if not by magic, why can’t the abbot just snap their fingers and fix it?

dug too deep in the mines? something like the blight in datv? parasitic creature? hivemind? slime mold that feeds off of magic, so magical healing makes it worse?

THIS IS A PLEA FOR HELP. please DM me or brain dump in the notes because i’m hardcore stuck on this.

**because of some of my players’ triggers, please don’t base ideas on real diseases (no cancer, no 1:1 terminal illness replication). parasitic stuff should be okay, same with more fantasy style diseases**

[lemonsdaily-artdump]

Strahdtober Day 29 - Sun

"The Abbey of Saint Markovia

May her light cure all illness."

We didn't explore the abbey a whole lot when we first went there. My DM tends to stay pretty close to how the campaign is written but the Abbey I know he's going to change a bit. (should we explore more of it when we make our way back to Krezk)

I cannot wait to see how he expands upon her Lore. I know "the big twist" as he discussed it with me in regards to Kasia, but I have no idea how he'll do the reveal or how he'll change the legend around Markovia or the actions/roles she played. But I'm chomping at the bit for it.

[dinfern0]

also, if anyone's wondering of what happened to Ismark (sorta) there is that. In my COS rendition he + some other NPCs were the pieces of Saint Markoviases soul reincarnated as fragments of her personality, eventually when they all reunited (by the dying method) she managed to reincarnate into the next era :D

[windona]

late prompting night ask! in spirit of the season: Outlaw AU -- the Outlaws' (Brion, Jason, Rose, Kory) different reactions to cold and snow. Could be a list of headcanons or a snippet.

"This is the worst," Rose said as she wrapped her arms around herself, big coat pulled on tight. She leaned against Brion. "Keep me warm?"

Chuckling, Brion wrapped her in a one armed hug and let a gentle wave of heat roll off him. "I must admit, it is odd to be in snow and not cold."

"The Shadows do training for different climates, don't they?" Jason asked as he idly compacted a snowball. "I was stuck on Infinity Island, but they had a mountain."

"I am trained for it and could complete a mission in any climate," Rose huffed. "But this is the worst."

Kory stuck out her tongue, letting a snowflake drop on it. "I find it rather pretty. However, I now understand why humans tend to wear so many layers of cloth."

"I bet Brion was the type to wear shorts in winter even before he got his powers."

"When I could get away with it," Brion admitted. He grinned. "Rose, did you ever have a snowball fight?"

She shook her head. "Didn't exactly have a lot of snow where I grew up, or on Santa Prisca. Had to travel specially for it."

A small ball hit Brion in the back. He smiled. "Well then, there's a first for everything." He bent over and compacted a ball of snow, kneading it for the correct amount of stability before handing to Rose.

She smiled, and flung it back to Jason. He stumbled, then grinned and with a practiced motion made his own ball of snow.

"I may not have grown up in the mountains of Markovia, but we had the occasional snow even without Mr. Freeze," Jason called out as he and Kory made their own snowballs.

[ravenloftian]

Saint Markovia of Krezk

In 323, fate wove a tapestry that would forever alter the destiny of Barovia. Lyvia Markovia, a child of mystery, was discovered amidst the ancient trees of the Krezk forest by a humble wolf hunter. Adopted into his simple life, Lyvia's formative years were imbued with the whispers of the wild until destiny intervened and set her on an extraordinary path.

Lyvia's footsteps led her to the hallowed halls of the Abbey in Krezk, where she was taken under the wing of Tavian Andral, a paragon of devotion to the Morninglord and a beacon of hope to orphaned children. Under the tutelage of this venerable mentor, Lyvia blossomed into Sister Markovia, her heart ablaze with compassion for the downtrodden and the wounded.

The spring of 341 witnessed the revelation of Sister Markovia's divine gift—an ethereal touch that mended the broken and healed the afflicted. She became the Blessed Sister, her touch a radiant balm that breathed life into the wounded hearts of knights and soldiers entwined in the battles against the relentless Terg forces.

As the dark clouds of tyranny and despair gathered, Contessa Sera von Hapsburg sought refuge within the Abbey's sheltering walls. There, under the tender care of Sister Markovia, the newborn Julius Vernon von Hapsburg took his first breath, heralding a fragile hope in a world spiraling into shadow.

Yet Prince Strahd von Zarovich's ascent heralded a harrowing winter that gripped the land in an icy vise. During this time, the Abbey faced Strahd's decree of forbiddance, forbidding anyone from sheltering or worshipping at the abbey. Heavy taxes were also levied against the church.

After experiencing a holy vision where she saw troops marching toward the abbey, Sister Markovia entrusted the young Julius to the care of Ivan Ivliskovich, a hunter, and bid him take the boy far from Krezk.

Strahd's forces marched on the abbey in 352 fulfilling Markovia's vision. In the crucible of battle, Sister Markovia's divinity blazed, a beacon of resistance that struck down her foes with a fury borne of unwavering faith. Strahd was severely wounded by the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and quickly retreated. Amidst the chaos, a moment of eerie silence descended and the mists closed in. The following morning, the Abbey of Brilliant Worship had disappeared, leaving no trace that it had ever existed.

Later that year, the Church of the Morninglord exalted Sister Lyvia Markovia to the hallowed status of Saint Markovia. Since then, the church has been at odds with the sovereign.

Miracles and Legends

Saint Markovia's fervent devotion to the Morninglord bestowed upon her extraordinary powers, enabling her to perform miracles that bolstered the spirits of the oppressed and struck fear into the hearts of the wicked. Her blessings were said to heal the sick, restore hope to the despairing, and grant courage to those facing the darkness.

Shrine of the Sun

Pilgrimage Site for Saint Markovia Location: Krezk Center, constructed in the year 341 The Shrine of Saint Markovia is near a pool of water in Krezk that Blessed Sister Markovia blessed. The spring waters are hoped to provide healing comfort for the ill. The shrine becomes a place of pilgrimage among those in Barovia who seek its healing waters.

Within the shrine, a statue of the Blessed Sister stands tall, holding a radiant sun symbol high above her head. Pilgrims offer prayers and leave tokens of their devotion at the statue's base, seeking her aid in their struggles against the darkness. It is said that the faithful who drink the water at the shrine and offer sincere prayers may receive visions or signs of guidance from the martyred priestess, their spirits uplifted and emboldened in the ongoing battle against the forces of evil.

Abbey of Brilliant Worship

Located North of Krezk in the Baratok Mountains for a hundred years. Recently vanished. Former Function: Convent and Hospital

Description: The Abbey of Brilliant Worship was an ancient monastery constructed in the mountains North of Krezk in Barovia. It holds a storied history, once serving as a place of refuge, healing, and devotion. Once a place of healing and solace, the Abbey housed a convent where Saint Markovia and her devoted followers dedicated themselves to the Morninglord's teachings. It also served as a hospital, providing care and shelter for the wounded and afflicted. The echoes of prayers and hymns once filled its corridors, resonating with hope and faith. But those days are long gone.

The abbey mysteriously vanished in the mists during a skirmish with Strahd's forces.

[transpanda-1]

🌋on tonight’s episode of DND, we finally reveal this cool art done by @impossiblevariable of our player character only to get their hands ripped off 5 minutes later

[sheabeanie]

I love your ez x ireena art and your art in general so much it’s soooo good omg 😭

shfjshcbgdhc thank you???!!! 💜

I love these two so much,, gay people stay winning