ith apologies to the Kargat, I've always thought Richemulot was third-tier as Ravenloft domains go. It seems like an obligatory "wererat domain", without much substance beyond its lycanthropic residents. Adding to my personal disinterest is its French cultural flavor, an atmosphere which Dementlieu and Ghastria, in my opinion, evoke much more successfully. Nonetheless, with the release of Domains of Dread, the Kargat did a sketchy but intelligent fleshing out of the domain's thematic emphasis on secrets. I liked this idea, but I thought that some alterations to milieu would make Richemulot even more effective.

Enter medieval Spain during the rise of the great Christian monarchs. Criticism has occasionally been directed at the Ravenloft setting concerning a lack of original fantasy domains and a complementary proliferation of domains based on real-world cultures. The Forgotten Realms setting has weathered such criticism more frequently, but the point is a valid one. This Richemulot revision plays into the hands of those who make such criticisms; nonetheless, I feel that the Spanish milieu has been neglected for too long. Medieval Spain in particular has much potential for gothic horror, and unlike many European cultures, it actually adapts well into a high-magic fantasy setting.

An obvious question is how does this revision differ from the canon Richemulot? Generally, the broad image of Ricoba mirrors that of Richemulot as it is described in Domains of Dread. Wererats scurry through the sewers, society is dominated by powerful noble families, and secrets are the most valued commodity. However, the culture of the domain has been fleshed out and altered slightly. Chief among the changes is the presence of the Three Faiths, roughly modeled after the Christian-Jewish-Muslin triad that coexisted in medieval Spain. Furthermore, names, geography and monsters have all been changed to reflect the Spanish flavor.

So as you read on, be like the Ricoban and whisper three prayers to Salvador. One to protect you from the gibbering, howling creatures that lurk in the Lonely Sierra. One to preserve your soul from temptations of the Pit and all its lies. And one to hold at bay the scuttling minions of the Rat, and all the unclean, secret things they carry...