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Dungeons & Dragons is all about storytelling, and beyond the collaborative stories created through playing the classic tabletop RPG, there's a whole universe of D&D stories in other media, including comic books. IDW Publishing has been releasing a whole slew of D&D comics in recent years, and the latest is Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft - Orphan of Agony Isle, which will take readers into the gothic horror setting of Ravenloft.
Writer Casey Gilley and artist Bayleigh Underwood take the lead on the four-issue limited series, which also includes guest creators in each issue. But before Orphan of Agony Isle is released, Newsarama spoke to Gilley all about how the gaming tradition of D&D has evolved since its initial '80s heyday, and how the sensibilities of modern games and stories come home to roost in the new horror-themed fantasy story.
Newsarama: Casey, full disclosure, what I know of Dungeons & Dragons is high school boys in the '80s in a basement on a Friday night and 12-sided dice. I know there is obviously more to it than that, but what is the source of D&D mythology you're tapping into? Is it from gaming guidebooks (whatever the term for D&D is) or a whole other medium?
Casey Gilley: No problem! It's always fun to learn new things and Dungeons & Dragons has come a long way since the '80s!
Ravenloft is an alternate universe in the D&D world - I think they refer to it as a "pocket dimension." It's essentially these creepy domains created and unified by a mysterious force known as the Dark Powers. Each domain has a HBIC (known as a Darklord) and they are all themed under different genres of horror.
For example, one of the domains is Barovia and it was inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula, so it's very European and vampire-heavy. Our book takes place in Lamordia, a domain inspired by Mary Shelly's Frankenstein - think lab abominations, grave robbing, reanimated corpses, and all sorts of ghouls. The Darklord of Lamordia is Viktra Mordenheim, a gothy mad scientist determined to master the arts of flesh manipulation. Our book is informed by Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, the 5th edition campaign sourcebook that came out in 2021, but shows Viktra and Lamordia in a brand-new story.
In the main throughline of Orphan of Agony Isle, Zoë Quinn, Bayleigh Underwood, and I were tasked with further exploring the world of Lamordia and showing what life has been like for Viktra after her first creation, Elise, escaped. What has she been doing? What is her next experiment? How are things in that drafty, eerie, Schlöss she inhabits? We wanted to give more visuals, more inspiration, and more lore to the world, which has been incredibly fun!
Nrama: When D&D expands beyond sword and sorcery, is there still a common element that makes a D&D adventure specifically D&D?
Gilley: Well, I can't speak for Wizards of the Coast or any D&D players, but what I think are common threads that tie Ravenloft to other D&D campaigns are the players (and creators) ability to problem solve in a way that feels empowering, inspiring, and fun. The magic of Ravenloft from my perspective is that there are very few rules. Yes, there are core characters and locations to be honored, but it's a world of horror! I can find a reason to justify something as long as it fits into the vibe of Ravenloft. There are still swords and plenty of sorcery, and the same types of adventures and quests exist, but they do so in a realm where terror reigns supreme.
Nrama: IDW mentioned flashback sequences in each issue by guest creative teams. Can you provide a little more detail and mention any of the guest creators?
Gilley: Each issue will include a backup story showing just how creepy and dangerous life can be in Ravenloft, as treacherous forest witches, deadly bog mummies, bloodthirsty sea hags, and brain-hungry zombies keep the inhabitants on their toes.
These backup stories are gorgeously rendered by artists Corin Howell, Vincenzo Riccardi, and Kayla Felty, who give each story a very different look that still matches the setting and the feel that Bayleigh establishes in the lead story. I am writing two of those backups, and the other two come from Ryan Cady and Ro Mediavilla. I really think the backup stories are a highlight of the book and I am so excited for readers to discover them. Ryan and Ro are incredible writers and did so much killer storytelling in just 8 pages.
Nrama: Without giving too much away, what would you say are the themes that you're hoping to explore in Orphan of Agony Isle?
Gilley: I love exploring what makes a monster and Ravenloft was the perfect place to get into it. As a horror fan, I don't respond to the binaries of good/evil, right/wrong, bad/good - I like to tell (and consume) stories that exist in the gray areas. They have real stakes and are much more relatable than familiar archetypes, so that was something I brought into the book. I also dance around the ideas of how past fears, traumas, and experiences inform how someone might perceive a helper and a hunter.
Nrama: What do you find most compelling about the character of Viktra Mordenheim?
Gilley: Oh, she's terrible and I love that about her. She's singularly focused, self-obsessed, and entirely dismissive of anything that doesn't interest her. It might not always make her a great person, but she doesn't have to be. No one expects a Darklord to be a hero - or maybe heroics just look different in Lamordia?
I loved writing her because I wasn't always sure what she was going to do - sometimes characters surprise me and I'll find myself having written a scene I didn't intend to write because it just felt more accurate. Viktra bossed me around quite a bit and I think (hope?) the comic is better for it.
Nrama: What do you hope the fans of Ravenloft will take away from your work on this beloved gothic universe?
Gilley: I hope they'll feel inspired and excited to either return to Ravenloft and start a new game or play for the first time. I love how horror always opens the door for sequels, spin-offs, and more storytelling so I'd love for someone to take away the desire to go and have their own journey through the world. There are so many wonderfully upsetting things to play with (Trees made of heads! Goblin cats who eat magic! Boneless meat sacks!) and I hope to return to writing Ravenloft in the future and see what disturbing, delightful things fans come up with.
And check out a three-page preview of Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft - Orphan of Agony Isle #1:
Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft - Orphan of Agony Isle brings classic horror sensibilities to D&D comics. These are the best horror comics of all time.
