Mother Lorinda

Domain of Nature's Cruel Secrets Darklord: Mother Lorinda Genre: Folk horror Hallmarks: Fey bargains, nature worship, rural festivals, secret sacrifices Mist Talismans: Bloodstained farm implement, dried crown of white camellias, straw doll All is well i n Tepest. Fields shine with the golden hues of a bountiful harvest, and horned village children happily recite sing-song rhymes . But those who linger among this land's pastures and colorful cottages can't escape the feeling of being watched, or the impression that the idyllic fields have a distinctly somber cast. The locals dismiss such worries as the tricks of scheming fey, but their smiles fail to mask the desperation in their eyes . Brutality wears a welcoming face in Tepest-a truth embodied by the ancient hag Lorinda, who betrayed her coven in pursuit of a daughter to love. Taking the guise of a deity called Mother, Lorinda has adopted the entire village of Viktal, protecting its people from nature's whims so they can feed her accursed offspring. Meanwhile, lingering in forests and hiding beneath the earth, resentful fey watch and plot, offering cruel bargains to those who wander beyond Mother's sight. The people of Viktal, Tepest's only remaining community, do what they must to survive, using tradition and faith to cloak their fear of the wilds and their complicity in a cycle of murder. Strangers are symbols of hope to them-either as a promise of a life free from terror, or as potential sacrifices for the next necessary slaughter. NOTEWORTHY FEATUR E S

Those familiar with Tepest know the following facts: • Viktal is the only noteworthy community in Tepest. The idyllic village's residents devoutly follow the optimistic, naturalistic faith of the god known as Mother. Supposedly, no one born there ever wants to leave. • The frequent festivals in Viktal include a fertility celebration called the Tithe, which occurs once each season. • The most zealous of Viktal's faithful are Mother's M inders. These devotees sacrifice their left eyes to Mother to show their faith. • Caves dot the land, connecting to deeper caverns where dangerous fey dwell. The people of Viktal fear the fey and blame them for every accident and ill. • Few children are born i n Tepest. Determined would-be parents must bargain with Mother or the fey to bring them a child.

TEPESTA N I C H A R ACTE R S C h a racters from Tepest come from a r u r a l backgro u n d , h av i n g fle d the v i l l age o f V i k t a l . H u m a n s a n d hex· b l o o d s (see c h apter 1) of a ny a p pe a r a n ce a re comm o n , b u t o t h e r fo l k w i t h ties t o the fey m ight a l s o h a i l from the d o m a i n . W h e n p layers create c h aracters from Tep· est, c o n s i d e r a s k i n g them the fol lo w i n g q u estion s .

What do you love about Tepest? I s it the peaceful l i fe or t h e bounty of n at u re ? Is it your fam i l y or the col o rful festival s ? Feel free to i nvent customs a n d r u r a l cel e b ra · t i o n s t h at h o l d s i g n i fi c ance fo r you.

How do you feel about Mother? Do you devotedly follow the d e ity? D i d you sacrifice a n eye to h e r to become one of M other's M in d e rs ? Are you a hexblood that she created? O r d o you fol low you r v i l lage's custom s o u t of expectation o r fea r?

Who have you lost to the Tithe? A p a rent or s i bl i ng? A frie n d o r partner? Do you u n d e rstan d the necessity of the l o s s , o r d o you want reven ge ?

SETTLEM E NTS A N D SI T E S

The forested valley o f Tep est stretches between ranges of rugged mountains etched with dramatic cliffs and mysterious vales. Rocky soil and unpredictable weather make much of the region ill-suited to agriculture, and deadly predators, murderous goblins, and cunning fey haunt the wilds. Despite this, the land around the community of Viktal is a haven of peace and bounty. Most people in the domain live here, though scattered homesteaders and hermits take their chances in the wilds. VIKTAL

Tales of the days before Mother arrived claim that the families of Viktal barely scraped enough from the earth to survive, and often lost livestock and children to malicious fey. Today, Mother ensures peace in Viktal. Wicker scarecrows guard the rich fields, and friendly people go about their business with idyllic simplicity. Families in the community share their crops and resources equally. The cheery villagers welcome visitors, showing eager interest in their stories and lodging them free of charge at the village inn, the Fisher's Rest. Visitors are welcome to stay for as long as they like, especially as one of the seasonal Tithe festivals approaches. THE GURGYL

Those who venture into the wilds on a moonlit night might see a massive shape silently lumbering through Tepest's woods. The Gurgyl, a structure of thorns, wicker, and giants' bones, appears as a misshapen, towerlike nest balanced on three skeletal dragon legs. Lorinda and her daughter Laoirse dwell inside this mobile fortress, which holds Lorinda's kitchen-laboratory, Laoirse's nursery-oubliette, and the Old Cauldron, a plugged pot where Lorinda's coven-sisters languish. The Gurgyl ranges across Tepest at Lorinda's will and

MAP 3.13: TE PEST

might appear anywhere. T h e villagers of Viktal know the Gurgyl serves their god in some way, but sighting it portends bad luck. K E LL E E

The gates t o the walled village o f Kellee hang open, and its crumbling houses stand empty. Lorinda first sought to spread her worship here, but something went terribly wrong. Now, one of hag's forsaken creations haunts the abandoned village, and neither Mother nor her followers dare approach the place. THE L O ST C OU RT

This serene valley lies in the shadow of Mount Arak. By day, its woods throng with fat, happy animals. By night, the ground turns to mud and brambles from which the transformed victims of deadly magic rise. A sanctuary from the terrible night beckons on the shore of Lake Lenore-the sturdy walls and warm hearth of the Nobody's I n n . The fey and their servants avoid the inn and its skeletal innkeeper, Bryonna, at all costs. MOUNT ARAK

Miles of tunnels r u n beneath Tepest's forests and vales, all of which eventually lead to vast hidden caverns beneath the dramatic peaks of Mount Arak. The fey create their homes in a realm of glowing crystals and mist-filled fissures. Dozens of different species live here, under the seelie Queen Maeve and the unseelie Prince Loht. These siblings jointly rule their hidden realm together despite a strained relationship. The inhabitants of Arak resent the people of the surface for ancient slights and view them as dangerous. They avoid the folk of Viktal but eagerly play malicious tricks on those who venture into the wilderness. The fey could easily overwhelm the surface dwellers, but Maeve and Loht hold them at bay to avoid the hag Lorinda's ire. The fey monarchs believe Lorinda's followers possess a weapon capable of unleashing a deadly force and that it is locked beneath the three-peaked mountain called Gwydion's Claw. MOTHE R L O R I N DA

Lorinda, Laveeda, and Leticia, the Mindefisk sisters, were gifts from the faeries to their lonely mother, a kind, honest woman who wanted daughters to cherish. Their brutish father and brothers resented the girls, whose sufferings grew worse after their mother died. Desiring a better life, the sisters began preying upon travelers who passed by their secluded