Odiare

Domain of Childish Things

Darklord: Maligno
Genres: Dark Fantasy
Hallmarks: Evil toys, village of
children, games.
Mist Talismans: a child’s favorite
toy, a “perfect” stick, a rag that has
wiped a child’s face

Noteworthy Features ………...………………………………………………...

● Odiare is a small domain of narrow cobblestone streets and alleys. The

whole place appears as though it hasn’t been properly maintained for a long
time. Here and there are crude repairs, but most things are falling apart.

● There is no sign of adults in Odiare. Children seem to be the town's only

citizens and are grouped in little gangs. They claim their king is a toy named
Maligno. They also say that he has other toys that serve him.

● There are rumors of two adults in the domain. The first, the Toy Maker, who
fixes the toys that get broken and makes new ones. The second is a beautiful
fairy that cares for children that are sick or badly injured.
Settlements and Sites ……………...…………………………………………..
Odiare is a copy of only a small portion of the original hamlet. Forty two buildings
to be precise. Almost all of them are two stories or more, many with basements.
Broken windows with rusting balcones stare out from brick and plaster walls. The
ceramic shingles are bare in patches and make dangerous terrain. Garden plots are
weed choked and overgrown. Doors swing loose on old hinges. No adults are in
sight, but the litter of children at play is everywhere.
A fair amount of life exists in Odiare for such a small area. Rodents, pigeons and
cats scatter from children and claim the dark corners of the town. Mangy but
friendly dogs follow whichever child has claimed them. At night crickets chirp
from hedges and the gardens.

The Old Theater

Near the sluggishly bubbling fountain in the town's square is the theater. It appears
to be the most well maintained building in town. Inside chairs have been moved
around to make an open area in front of the stage where the children play court.
One person is accused of a crime and then is put on trial.
Meanwhile on the stage a throne room has been made from props, bed sheets and
other makeshift materials. On the thrones sits a puppet surrounded by a toy
entourage.

The Toymaker’s Shop

The shop has been boarded up. Inside toys and their parts still silently stare from
racks and shelves. In the workshop a lone awl lies on the workbench, the other
tools missing. Upstairs however are signs that someone has been visiting.

The Gardens
There are a couple of courtyard gardens among the buildings of Odiare. The places
are overgrown with weeds, but the children pull the “ugly” ones. Oddly these areas
still have plants that produce fruit even in winter. The children say this is because
of the Fairy. Maybe the Fairy is also the source of the small rune carved bones
hidden among the plants?
The Tavern
The single tavern in Odiare is as rowdy as it ever was. Inside the oldest children
play billiards, drink, smoke and dance to the music from what instruments they’ve
learned. Each morning the barrels refill, cigars are in boxes and bowls of candy and
nuts wait for eager hands. The leaders of Odiare’s various factions negotiate
territories or change rules. This is also where every birthday is celebrated, except
the sixteenth when King Maligno calls for you.

Maligno………………………………………………………………………...

In whatever place Odiare was originally, Guiseppe was a well known puppeteer
and toy maker. People across the land praised the products of his craft. Perhaps his
most famous toys were his carrionettes. He would close up his shop during the
warm months and pack into a specially made wagon. Traveling one end of his
homeland to the other putting on puppet shows for the children and selling his
wares.

For many years Guiseppe found great joy in his life. But time moves ever forward.
In the winters he would be home in his shop alone crafting new wonders. And as
those winters piled up the loneliness held less peace and more sadness. Guiseppe
had become an old man, with no child of his own.

Guiseppe became obsessed with an idea. He began crafting over and over again.
Trying to make the perfect marionette. One so perfect that it might truly live. One
night he succeeded. Guiseppe woke to his fevered work of the night before
standing by his bed looking at him. The living carrionette called him father and
Guiseppe named his creation Figlio.

Guiseppe was delighted with his son and took him on a journey putting on shows
across the land. Figlio at first was as excited as his father. But over and over the
crowds would speculate on what mechanism made the toy move. None would
believe that Figlio was alive. This wormed its way into Figlio’s mind until it was
all he could think of. Guiseppe watched as the joy left his son with each new show.
He could not answer the difficult question his child asked. “Am I real?”
The assurances that Figlio got from his father always held a certain tone that the
puppet boy couldn’t quite place. But it nagged at him. The adults of the towns were
worse, praising Guiseppe’s invention. “What’s your secret?” Only the children
truly believed. The way the children treated him held no hesitation or strange
thoughtful looks like his father.

One evening during their tour, Figlio sat outside the wagon after Guiseppe slept.
His mind filled with the ache he had to be “real”, Figlio didn’t notice the pair of
drunks until one snatched him with his sweaty hands. The pair that had grabbed
him dragged him down the street laughing. Into the local tavern to the amusement
of a rowdy late night crowd.

They passed Figlio around. Poking and prodding. Joking about him and wondering
at Guiseppe’s inventiveness. They ignored his pleading and forced him onstage.
Making the “little toy” dance for their pleasure. As the night went on and they
wandered off to their homes they left Figlio discarded by the back door. A new
feeling filled his wooden chest. A coldness and a deep rage.

When they were back at the shop for the winter Figlio convinced his father that he
should have siblings. Guiseppe gave in to his son’s request. While these new
carrionettes moved of their own accord, they seemed to lack something. They
didn’t seem to have the same spirit as Figlio. Guiseppe found them seeming more
artificial and disturbing than his son.

The warm months came again and Guiseppe packed into his wagon and headed out
with his children. The people of the towns were even more excited by the troupe of
carrionette performers. Children were still delighted by Figlio. But they didn’t like
the new additions and wouldn’t approach them and protested when their parents
pushed.

When Figlio finally reached the town of his greatest shame, he was well practiced.
He and the others had been slipping out in the night. A string of murders across the
country the evidence of the lessons they were learning. When Guiseppe went to
sleep every trick the carrionettes had learned was put to use.

They worked from the wagon through the town in a slow spiral toward the tavern.
The rowdy drunks were surprised when Figlio took to the stage. They cheered the
puppet’s dancing, laughed at his jokes and sang along with him. Maybe before the
end someone noticed the small drops of blood on the carrionette’s wooden arms or
small gloves. By then the wires had already been wound around legs and tables and
chairs. When the carrionettes began cutting tendons and arteries beneath tables it
was too late.

Figlio laughed harder than he ever had in his existence watching it. The tangle of
humans trying to scramble away from first the puppets moving among the crowd,
then the dead and dying. Unable to escape from the wires that had been attached
wrapped the furniture and their legs. Figlio thought to himself how they looked like
tangled puppets. He laughed harder and fog washed over the town.

Maligno’s Power and Dominion

After becoming a Darklord Figlio changed his name to Maligno. He has the stats of
a carrionette except he does not have the soul swap ability, as well as being
immune to fire or any effect/ability that would change his form. The puppet rules
over Odiare under the pretense of a benevolent king. He appears to be a wooden
puppet carved with extraordinary skill to resemble a young boy in the garb of a
troubadour. He tops his head with a crude wooden crown made to fit him and like
all the carrionettes lacks strings. He rules domain his from the village’s theater.

Young Subjects. Maligno is treated as king by the children that populate

Odiare. They go to him to arbitrate their arguments and for ideas of games to play
much like an eldest sibling. The children are from all over the Domains of Dread
and only remember their former lives when they sleep. Their current games have
them organized into shifting gangs with ridiculous names and colorful banners
playing war.

Guiseppe. Maligno’s father is still in Odiare, the only adult allowed to

remain alive. He has however been driven mad by the actions of his creations.
Maligno had the children move “Nonno” to a very secret place with his tools.
There Guiseppe continues to create, but the influence of the Demiplane causes all
of them to be cursed. He also continues to make carrionettes, forever trying to
make a real child as he drifts between fantasies.
 Maligno’s Knights. Once Maligno allowed the children to grow up and
become the “new parents” of Odiare. But they would inevitably lose something as
they grew up and would see him as only a magical toy. So after purging Odiare
once more he made a new plan. Now when the children reach sixteen they are
called to the theater for a big celebration. There Maligno knights them and presents
them with one of Nonno’s wonderful creations before sending them on a heroic
quest into the Mist. These children first are inhabited by one of the carrionettes
with orders to find Maligno an escape.

The Fairy. The entity that the children call “the Fairy” is a mystery to
Maligno. She seems to attend to the children’s health and keep the gardens healthy
but still the King of Carrionettes does not trust her. Firstly, she did not appear until
the Fog came. Second, the children have described shimmering turquoise hair,
flowing gowns and fluttering moth wings. This sounds suspiciously like the stories
Maligno was told by Guiseppe when asking if he had a mother.

Closing the Borders. Whenever Maligno wishes he can close or open the
borders as detailed in “The Mists” section of the VRGtR. He keeps them closed
except when sending one his “knights” out. If closed the streets double back over
and over from one alley to another, when open they lead into the Mist. Maligno
opens and closes the borders by leading the children in a rousing version of “Pop
Goes the Weasel”. (Or similar.) As if suddenly a switch was flipped, all the
children in Odiare stop whatever they are doing to take to the streets in a parade
and sing with their King.

Maligno’s Torment

Maligno has a number of torments that constantly pick at him.

● Maligno Thinks of himself as only a magical toy and not a real sentient
being. He believes that adults see him as just an object as well. That he
cannot inhabit a body like the other carrionettes only drives this home.
● Maligno does not know who “the Fairy” is and seems unable to track her
down. Somehow she is able to come and go as she pleases. Her resemblance
to his father’s tales of an imaginary mother anger him. He is convinced that
 she’s some kind of agent sent to destabilize his rule. Consequently he sees
her appearances as ill omens and becomes paranoid for days at a time.
● It seems Maligno is tied to Guiseppe in his curse. Maligno’s father, while
mentally broken, has not aged since the domain formed. At times Maligno
wishes him dead though he never acts on it. Other times he wishes to
reconcile with Guiseppe, but the old man is too far gone to stay present.
Maligno avoids his father because of this except when he needs repairs or
new carrionettes.
● Maligno misses the open road and days of travel across his homeland. The
very small urban environment emphasizes how trapped he feels.
● It may be his unusual nature but Maligno remembers everything since his
creation. He is aware his domain is merely a stage made by others. He also
had heard enough stories from travelers to know that he is not the only
prisoner. Furthermore, the prison has broken and been remade repeatedly.
This knowledge has made his “kingdom” feel hollow and emphasizes his
other torments.

Roleplaying Maligno

Maligno, the King of Carrionettes is on the surface a cruel and petulant child. He
seems ruled by his emotions when interacting with others. All his social skills are
from interacting with children. He enjoys positive reactions from an audience and
every gesture is a performance for those around. Maligno has recently taken to
sitting in his throne completely still and plotting between manic bouts of play. He
is perfecting a plan that he believes will destroy his misty prison.

If asked Maligno would compare the children of Odaire to younger siblings. But he
has a deep resentment for them and the games he suggests often lead to injuries. It
is not unusual for Maligno to become so jealous of one of the boys as to make such
an accident fatal. The other toys Guiseppe created do not have the same spark as
Maligno and so are little to him other than tools to be used. He runs Odiare as a
despot king with parades, imagined holidays and grand balls for his entertainment
and attention. All these “royal events” are just how children would imagine.
Maligno has been sending his “knights” along with Guiseppe’s cursed toys to other
domains for years. The idea of them out there spreading pain and chaos delights
the carrionette. Recently though he has started to give them a secondary mission to
watch for anything that might help him break free of his prison.

Personality Trait. “We’re going to play how I want and I'll make the rules!.”

Ideal. “I can find a way to be real, I just need to find what is stopping me.”

Bond. “Guiseppe is just an old fool! I just need him for now, that’s all.”

Flaw. “I cannot stay like this, I don’t want to be just a puppet.”

Adventures in Odiare...………………………………………………………..

Odiare has horrors that gravitate around children and childhood. On the surface it
allows for adventures based around twisted games, murderous children and deadly
toys. The deeper themes of the domain allow for stories that deal with loss of
innocence, those unwilling to grow/change and those that have been discarded.

Keening Adventures
d6 Adventure

1. The children of Odiare have invited the party to join their game of war. Each
party member is drafted into a different gang. Starts innocent enough until
the first knife wound.
2. Children in another domain are being kidnapped. A pair of Maligno’s
“knights” have a wagon full to take back to Odiare.
3. The Fairy seeks out the party to come to Odiare. A boogeyman has begun
preying on the children. An entity called “the Scissors Man”.
4. A string of strange events are occurring in Ludendorf, Lamordia. Evil toys
have been set loose in the city. The party is asked to help find the figure
witnesses say carries a bag the toys come from.
5. The party has had a recent victory and gained the goodwill of the locals.
They wake up inside of carrionettes. Can they find their real bodies before
Maligno’s minions commit whatever act they’ve planned.
6. Maligno wants the party to go to Castle Avernus in Darkon. There are
rumors of a set of gazetteers that Azalin commissioned. Maligno believes
they hold the secret to escaping the Demi-plane of Dread. Maligno assures
the party they too will be freed.
A note on Guiseppe’s creations.
First, I would like to make a quick side note about carrionettes, in established lore
it is Guiseppe that gives them this name. Seems a weird thing to call your puppets,
sounds really ominous and kinda like you want them to turn evil. So, I did some
etymology work. Guiseppe and Odiare for that matter are actually supposed to be
from Italy of the Gothic Earth setting presented in ‘Masque of the Red Death’. So
with a little playing with a few things I settled on a wagon (which in Italian is the
word “carro”) set up as a traveling puppet theater. So Guiseppe’s name for his
marionettes makes a bit more sense.

Beyond his carrionettes, Guiseppe has made a number of other magical and sinister
toys that have been introduced over the course of various Ravenloft supplements.
Though Guiseppe is not an evil man, for some reason he keeps making evil toys.
That is why I’ve settled on the idea of him having completely gone insane and
disconnecting from reality. So presented here are conversions for a number of his
creations from what sources I have access to.

Note that some of these toys are minor artifacts in their own right and can be the
center of their own adventure. They are included here close to how they were
originally printed, DMs are of course free to give additional saving throws or
handicaps to the items as they feel suits their campaign.

Animated Toys

Guiseppe seems to create almost exclusively magical toys after being imprisoned
in Ravenloft. In the first adventure everything in his workshop is animated and
potentially dangerous. These objects include things like; a kite, a top, a rag doll, a
wooden bear, roller skates, a wheeled horse, a toy dragon*, even a slingshot that
fires itself. These in general aren’t worth giving real stat blocks, so I present some
basics for their use.
AC: 12, HP: 5, Attack: varies +3 to hit or DC:13, Move or Fly 20’

Attacks deal 1 to 1d4 damage of an appropriate type* on a successful attack roll or

knocks a target prone if they fail a Dex save.

*The dragon is given a blast of fire as it’s attack which illustrates the kinda fun a
DM can have with this concept.

The Dancing Men

A set of five marionettes carved from pine with rough features and well made
costumes. Each is attached with horsehair strings about 24 inches long to a
crossbar that can be folded for easy storage. They are held in a wooden chest lined
with velvet that has six spaces for storing them. (The sixth was lost long ago.)

When used, the Dancing Men can grant complete control over an individual’s
actions. For the magic to work certain criteria must be met. First, the marionettes
only work on members of certain groups based on their appearance.

Warrior; fighters, barbarians, paladins, soldiers, guards and such.

Wizard; wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, artificers and other arcane mystics.

Priest; clerics, monks, druids, cultists and those with strong spiritual ties.

Rogue; rogues, bards, bandits, swashbucklers and similar.

Fool; commoners, merchants, regular folk that have no strong ties.

Second, something personal which belongs to the target must be taken and added
to the appropriate marionette as part of its clothing or equipment. A lock of hair
tied on as a belt or a wedding ring placed on like a crown are just two examples.

Finally the user manipulates the marionette while focusing their thoughts on the
target who must be in the same domain. The target makes a Wisdom DC: 18 and on
a failure is placed under the magic of the marionette for one hour.
While under the control of one of the Dancing Men, the target appears blank of
expression and monotone of voice. Appropriate spells or supernatural abilities can
detect an enchantment on them. The normal restrictions such as alignment, going
against character or personal danger do not matter under the influence of one of
the Dancing Men. The victim does anything they are manipulated to do.
Destroying the token taken from the individual and attached to the marionette will
end the effect immediately.

At the end of the hour control ends. The victim remembers everything they did.
However they do not remember being controlled and believe that they made all
their own decisions whatever the actions. It is possible this makes the target believe
they’ve lost their mind.

The Dancing Men are immune to fire, acid, area effects, physical attacks and even
magical spells targeting specific marionettes have an 80% chance to do absolutely
nothing. It is believed that they can only be destroyed by using scissors made of
silver to cut their strings first or using Guiseppe’s own tools to unmake them.

Death-in-the-box

This toy is held inside a sturdy oak box with a rusty steel crank protruding from
one side. The outside of the box has a rich dark finish and dancing skeletons
cavorting with bats inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Inside is a clown with a grinning
skull and clawed hands made of fine porcelain. It is clothed in a bright silken outfit
with a loose stocking cap that ends with a silver bell attached.

When the crank is turned the box plays macabre and distorted music. After 2d4
turns of the crank it pops open and the clown pops out. The irregularity makes it
hard to anticipate the clown, making it slightly jarring each time.

If used in isolation at night the box has a 50% chance to manifest its evil power. If
sprinkled with the blood of a murder victime it has a 100% chance of manifesting
it’s power under these circumstances. Further, once anointed in this way it has a
50% chance of manifesting one of its powers any other time it is cranked.
When the dark curse of the Death-in-the-box manifests roll 1d6, one of the
following occurs.

1. The clown whips violently back and forth on its spring cackling with eyes
glinting malignantly. Anyone that sees this must make a save against
Wisdom DC:18 or be frightened until they are no longer in the box’s line of
sight for at least one minute. The individual turning the crank has
disadvantage on the save.
2. The clown pops out of the box and slashes the individual that turned the
crank with its claws. It will stretch its body and limbs up to a total of six feet
to reach its target. If it cannot for whatever reason it attacks the nearest
living target within its reach. This magical attack has +6 to hit and deals
1d10 slashing damage.
3. When the lid pops open, 2d4 skeletons dressed like jesters spring forth
instead of the clown. The slams immediately shut. They attack anyone
around the box and fight until destroyed. When attacking the individual that
turned the crank they have advantage.
4. The clown pops out almost as normal and then fixes its gaze on the nearest
target. That target must immediately make a Death save, if they fail they
suffer a fatal seizure and die.
5. The clown pops out like normal. However the next living being to touch it
takes 4d8 necrotic damage and its maximum hit points are reduced by the
same amount. This reduction to max HP lasts until after a long rest.
6. The clown pops out normally. However if any “common folk” are present
one of them feints from the scare.

The Death-in-the-box cannot be destroyed or permanently damaged by normal

means. Even magical fire only does temporary cosmetic damage to it. However the
toy may be destroyed by burning it on a funeral pyre.

Toy Nightmare

These toys appear to be simple hobby horses. Crafted with a birch wood handle a
yard long and bleached bone white. This is topped by a wooden horse head carved
in exquisite detail from ebony wood. The horse's eyes and nostrils are painted a
vivid fiery red and cloth streamers of orange and red fabric form the mane.

The toy seems innocent enough, but those you play with them find their nights
disturbed by bad dreams. The toy’s true power is revealed if the butt of the handle
is slammed on the ground at midnight. (Something that can occur accidentally
during enthusiastic play.) The toy then transforms into a nightmare which will
serve the user for 13 days and nights. At the end of its servitude the nightmare
turns on its former master.

Perhaps the most frightening prospect of these toys comes after one succeeds in
killing the nightmare. It is believed that doing so has a chance of drawing the
attention of the Nightmare Court, the Darklords of the Nightmare Lands.

Tin Soldiers

These soldiers are easily mistaken for cleverly made clockwork toys. Each one
stands 20 inches tall, is fully articulated and has a small windup key on its back.
There are 24 in total, half are in uniforms painted red and white. The other dozen
are painted in blue and light gray. In the red army are 8 with sword and shield, 4
with crossbows. The blue army has 8 with axes and shields, 4 with arquebuses.

When completely wound the toys operate for 10 full minutes. The clockwork
engine within is so cleverly designed that they cannot be over-wound. Once fully
wound the key turns loosely so as not to damage the soldiers. It is possible to wind
two soldiers in one round using all the activator’s actions.

Once wound up the Tin Soldiers essentially operate like tiny golems. They follow
basic instructions given to them by the individual that turned their key. The first
time any soldier is wound up there is a 1% chance that it turns on the individual
that activated it. This chance increases by 1% for every time any of the toys is
wound up by that individual. No amount of time reduces this chance. If winding a
Tin Soldier causes it to turn on its owner, all other Tin Soldiers currently present
activate (wound or not) and attack the individual as well. Those already activated
will immediately cease any other actions to join this attack. They do not stop until
broken or the target is dead.

Tin Soldiers cannot be destroyed by magic, however they take damage from
non-magical attacks normally. When reduced to zero hit points a Tin Soldier is
broken but can be repaired. Doing at least 10 points of damage to one of the toys
when it is broken is believed to destroy it. One must be careful however. There are
legends that if one of the Tin Soldiers is melted down that a violent explosion is
caused and any caught in the blast are transformed into new Tin Soldiers.

Presented here are suggested stats for the toys. Attack actions are based on the
weapon the Tin Soldier is carrying.

Tin Soldier Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Tiny construct, chaotic evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 6 (3d4) Speed 20 ft.

STR 4 (-3) Skills Perception +2

DEX 15 (+2) Senses passive Perception 12
CON 11 (+0) Languages Common
INT 6 (-2) Proficiency Bonus +2
WIS 10 (+0) Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened,
CHA 1 (-5) paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Pack Tactics. The Tin Soldier has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one Tin
Soldier ally is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Magical Immunity. The Tin Soldier cannot be directly affected by spells. Targeted or Area
Effects do nothing to the Tin Soldier. Magical weapons do damage for the weapon but not any
additional damage that may come from a magical effect.
ACTIONS
Draining Sword. A Tin soldier equipped with a sword may attack with it. Melee Weapon Attack:
+4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing damage, and the target's Strength score
is reduced by 1d4.
Paralyzing Axe. A Tin soldier equipped with a sword or axe may attack with it. Melee Weapon
Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing damage. The target must
succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute.
Acidic Crossbow. A Tin soldier that is equipped with a crossbow may fire a Melf’s Acid Arrow at
target as an attack action.
Magic Arquebus. A Tin soldier that is equipped with an arquebus may fire a Magic Missile at
target as an attack action.