Bastion: The Drowned Lands | New Fifth Edition Domain of Dread Horror Setting

An anti-magic Inquisition is terrorizing the populace that looks to occultism and the spirit world for guidance. Witch covens lurk in the rotting forests, raising undead minions to destroy the living. Cannibals and relentless killers hunt in the mists for their next victim. Welcome to Bastion, the Drowned Lands.

To kick off the Summer of Horror, this week brings you a new Domain of Dread that we will be exploring this month! Bastion is based on the old supernatural occultism of the 1800's French-Creole south—a splash of decadence and luxury mixed with the horrors of supernatural monsters in the swamps and marshes. 

Included are two new NPC templates, the Occultist and the Witch as well as a new Magic Item the Inquisitor's Mask.

Please let me know what you think in the comments!

UPDATE: Fixed a rendering error in one of the header graphics.

BASTION

The Domain of Drowned Despair

Darklord: Octavia Lafont

Genres: Gothic Horror and Folk Horror

Hallmarks: Inquisition, witchcraft, social decay, zombies

Mist Talismans: Sackcloth doll stuck with pins, rusty thumbscrew, broken planchette

Perpetual twilight blankets the rotting corpse of what was once the proud nation of Bastion. Fields that were once ripe with wheat and grain have become encroaching swamps filled with monstrous creatures waiting for any foolish enough to step from the safety of the village walls. Twisted vines hang from rotting branches, ready to lash out at the unwary. At first glance, the town buildings and citizens appear decadent and luxurious, exquisitely built and elegant. A second quickly reveals the rot and decay, the flaking paint, and stained clothing. Those who live here know that appearances are deceiving, and the masks one wears are just as important as what they hide. 

The occasional scream that echo across the swamps may equally be the sound of a predator’s successful hunt or the bait they are using to draw in bigger prey. Twisted creations of feathers, twigs, and bone hang from moss-covered tree branches, the only warning of a hunting ground of one of the many horrors that stalk the wetlands. Undead zombies lurch from the waters, risen by witch covens that seek to tear down the last vestiges of civilization in this rotting land. Nightmare horrors ambush the unwary who risk the travel ways, disappearing back into the waters of the swamps with their prizes.

Bastion is the home of the Iron Inquisition, led by the Darklord and High Inquisitor Octavia Lafont, who seeks to eradicate magic—both arcane and divine—along with those who practice it. The citizenry spends their days with forced smiles, never knowing when they will be arrested and brought in for confession. No amount of protestations are enough once the accusation is made, and all trials end with a death sentence—to be burned alive at the stake. Neighbors are forced into strained politeness at all times for fear of pointed fingers, giving the illusion of a gentrified and polite society. Even the slightest hint of magic is enough to bring the Inquisition’s wrath, burning everything—and everyone—in its path.

Bastion is also home to the twisted monstrosities born out of Octavia Lafont’s greatest fears. Witch covens and horrifying creatures fill the swamps, regularly attacking travelers and dragging their victims back to join their undead ranks. The Inquisition struggles to hold back the tide of monsters while the citizens spend their nights celebrating by the firelight of pyres burning those accused of witchcraft.