Population: 14,000
Overview: Mystically advanced city of tieflings
Key NPCs: Lady Faith (female tiefling cleric), Lady Promise (female tiefling warlock), Lord Maker (male tiefling artificer), Lord Mystery (male tiefling wizard)
Like Lost, the Venomous Demesne is a mystery even to the people of Droaam. While the location of the Demesne is generally known—it is on the western edge of the Watching Wood, drawing on the waters of Blackwater Lake—it is concealed by powerful illusions and wards, and creatures who stumbled across it often didn’t survive the experience. With the rise of Droaam, the Lords of the Venomous Demesne chose to end their isolation. Tieflings and humans of the Demesne can be found in most of the major cities of Droaam, serving with Katra’s Voice or working as magewrights and merchants. However, while the Venomous Demesne has chosen to be a part of Droaam, it still doesn’t welcome strangers into the Demesne itself. The concealing wards of the Demesne remain in effect, and anyone who enters the Demesne without an invitation will be expelled—though generally, such intruders are no longer killed. As such, much about the Venomous Demesne remains a mystery. However, the following things are known.
- The population of the Venomous Demesne is mostly human, though “mostly human” is a good way to describe the people of the Demesne; most have some minor fiendish features (unusual eyes, small horns, patches of strange skin, an unnatural odor). Around five percent of the population are full tieflings.
- The society of the Demesne is governed by the four mazes: The Maze of Mysteries, the Maze of Promises, the Maze of Making and the Maze of Faith. The Demesne is ruled by the Council of Four, who represent the mazes. The mazes and Demesne society are discussed in more detail in the tiefling section of chapter 1.
- The aesthetic of the Demesne is distinctly alien and its buildings couldn’t exist without the use of magic; architecture involves levitation, transmutation, and the use of teleportation and extradimensional spaces.
- While it is small—in part because of strict population control—the Venomous Demesne is significantly more advanced than the Five Nations. Each maze pursues a different branch of mystical science, and the fruits of that work are applied across the Demesne. Overall, spell effects of up to 5th level can be seen at work in daily life and effects of up to 7th level can be encountered. Teleportation Circles link different parts of the Demesne. Dead nobles can be resurrected in the Maze of Faith. Planar travel isn’t common, but the Maze of Promises deals with fiends (mostly Daanvian), efreet, archfey, and other planar powers. Common magic items truly are common, and the Maze of Making can produce rare or even legendary items—though they lack the industrial capacity of House Cannith and can’t mass-produce these things.
That last point is important. The Demesne is more advanced than the Five Nations, but it is limited in many ways. Much of its magic and arcane science is tied to disturbing traditions, ancient pacts, and the blood of the tieflings themselves; it’s not simply that the mazes refuse to share their power with non-tieflings, it’s that they can’t share their power with non-tieflings. Practices that seem cruel and unusual to outsiders are necessary to generate and maintain the powers they rely on. It is a place of arcane wonders, but the deeper you dig, the more disturbing it becomes.
Given the isolationist nature of the Demesne, this is the extent of common knowledge about it. Smugglers are always keen to acquire goods from the Venomous Demesne—whether drugs, arcane weapons, or simply curious trinkets—but few will ever see the Demesne itself. More details about the culture of the Demesne and its inhabitants can be found in the Tiefling section of chapter 1.
Interesting Things About The Venomous Demesne
- The Venomous Demesne contains multiple manifest zones, though the nature and location of these manifest zones isn’t commonly known. This is one of the main reasons the Demesne doesn’t expand; its way of life is dependent on its
current location.
- The Demesne is an urban core surrounded by a number of massive farms. The farms are largely tended by humans, constructs, and bound spirits. Mystic shields hide both the farms and the
grand city.
- The wards that surround the Venomous Demesne are exceptionally powerful. Illusions hide the Demesne from sight and shield it from divination. Some say that the wards will disintegrate any creature that comes into contact with them; others say that they are just a form of Wall of Force. A single gate allows passage through the wards.
