Halfling dark lord

[edised]

I think we need more non human dark lords
Please excuse me, I can’t do the domain format well

I had this idea for a halfling dark lord, he was regular rural halfling in a shire like community, a disaster destroyed his family business so he had to go to the city to support his new wife and family. The city hardened him, as he turned to crime gathering his fellow halfling in to a crime syndicate, becoming a ruthless mafia don, praying on tall folks especially. His family never knew what he had become, they knew the city had changed him, less trusting, more cutthroat. He seemed to try to keep the two sides of his life separate.
His enemies found out about his family, and his family found out the truth, his wife begged him to stop, to step away. He chose power over the safety of his family. He noticed his enemies death before his family’s as the mists came.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

And what happened next?

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

I like the idea so far, cause I feel like a huge part of halfling culture (Literally going back to 'The Hobbit') is valuing family, community and the simple pleasures of life over money and power. So this sort of conflict really touches what they'd consider an act of ultimate darkness.

[edised]

Thank you
I like to think he at first did crime for his family, but gained a taste for power, he really did it for his pride
I imagine he feels guilt for letting his family’s business die. A legacy he was told he will continue suddenly gone (in reality his community came together to help but he wanted to succeed not just survive)

I’m not sure on the torment yet

[The Lesser Evil]

There's a parallel here you could explore between his blood relations/actual family and his crime family. As he pursues darkness, he identifies more and more with his crime family and away from his actual family. On the torment, you could take some inspiration from Wilson Fisk/the Kingpin, whom saw his wife and son turn against him, and make it such that all of the halfling darklord's actual blood relations/wife/legitimate connections will eventually turn on him, while the crime family seems to support him without question. This turn of events he secretly hates, for he secretly views the crime family as mostly tools more than close friends or even allies.

I think to become a darklord you need a truly heinous crime. Like I probably wouldn't see merely allowing the family business to fail through negligence is not evil enough by itself*. But maybe if he killed a few key business players/partners/employees, maybe a relative or two, to conceal a horrific crime (or crimes) they witnessed. Like one by one, he ordered their deaths in cold blood (and made it look like accidents or disappearances).

*Although causing death or disaster through willful negligence might have been an early step on the path to darkness

[IanFordam]

First of all: I agree with what The Lessser Evil said. Even a halfling's Act of Ultimate Darkness needs to be horrific.

If you're having trouble coming up with details for your darklord, I recommend approaching it from a sideways direction: What is the corresponding domain like? It should reflect the darklord's nature, of course, but I think the best domains are the ones which can support storylines other than the darklord's. What else is going on? What other notable figures inhabit the domain? What is daily life like for native citizens? Most importantly: What sorts of adventures might happen there?

For example, your halfling's domain seems to be centered upon a city. Was it founded by the halflings? Is the majority of the population halflings, or are they a minority? Are Big Folk trying to make inroads, either in the darklord's territory or into the city as a whole? Who rules the city? Who is the darklord's foremost competitor?

Anyway. Those are the sorts of questions I ask myself when filling in a domain. Maybe one of them will strike a spark for you.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

Here's an idea:

Throughout 'The Hobbit', the narrative talks a lot about Bilbo's 'Baggins Side' (his father's side of the family, representing the settled-down, respectable and conservative side of hobbit culture) and 'Took Side' (His mother's side of the family, representing the brave, adventurous and chaotic side of hobbit culture). It feels to me very similar to the Nova Vassan 'Horse VS Plains' Cat' image - The difference, I think, is that hobbits are presented as the best of both worlds (peaceful people that mostly mind their own buisness and appreciate what they already have but can also be amazing adventurers when needed), while Nova Vassans are presented as the worst of both worlds (strict, authoritarian bigots who can also be criminals when they feel like it).
Anyone else finds this interesting?

Maybe we can make this domain a pocket domain inide Nova Vassa, playing on this commonality?

[edised]

First of all: I agree with what The Lessser Evil said. Even a halfling's Act of Ultimate Darkness needs to be horrific.

If you're having trouble coming up with details for your darklord, I recommend approaching it from a sideways direction: What is the corresponding domain like? It should reflect the darklord's nature, of course, but I think the best domains are the ones which can support storylines other than the darklord's. What else is going on? What other notable figures inhabit the domain? What is daily life like for native citizens? Most importantly: What sorts of adventures might happen there?

For example, your halfling's domain seems to be centered upon a city. Was it founded by the halflings? Is the majority of the population halflings, or are they a minority? Are Big Folk trying to make inroads, either in the darklord's territory or into the city as a whole? Who rules the city? Who is the darklord's foremost competitor?

Anyway. Those are the sorts of questions I ask myself when filling in a domain. Maybe one of them will strike a spark for you.

I was thinking he got his some of his family killed when his enemies came for him family, he chose killing his foes then keeping his family safe

[IanFordam]

Maybe we can make this domain a pocket domain inide Nova Vassa, playing on this commonality?

Honestly, I was thinking along similar lines, but I tried not to say too much in that direction because I feared I was straying too far from the original poster's intention.

I was thinking he got his some of his family killed when his enemies came for him family, he chose killing his foes then keeping his family safe

As long as his choice was informed, deliberate, and unregretted, then yeah, I think that could work.

[edised]

The domain I think has a major metropolis and several smaller towns, halflings are the major population with humans making the rest. Humans are not treated kindly, believed to be stupid and clumsy. The major city is a halfling city, but sure doesn’t feel like one, it has little warmth or community (think Victorian London) thare is a bleakness to the city.
The humans and halfling have switched culture personalities. Humans valuing community, family and simple pleasures.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

Maybe we can make this domain a pocket domain inide Nova Vassa, playing on this commonality?

Honestly, I was thinking along similar lines, but I tried not to say too much in that direction because I feared I was straying too far from the original poster's intention.

Maybe we can do ours as a separate thing.

[edised]

[quote=TheArcaneWeirdo post_id=261006 time=<a href="tel:1783619703">1783619703</a> user_id=7863]
Maybe we can make this domain a pocket domain inide Nova Vassa,

[quote=TheArcaneWeirdo post_id=261006 time=<a href="tel:1783619703">1783619703</a> user_id=7863]
Maybe we can make this domain a pocket domain inide Nova Vassa, playing on this commonality?

I don’t mind, if you can make it work and good
On you.

[edised]

His name is

Gildo Raggins

But seriously I’m not great at coming up with names any suggestions are welcome

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

His name is

Gildo Raggins

But seriously I’m not great at coming up with names any suggestions are welcome

How about Giando Huts?

[Manofevil]

Frito Bugger.