This is a custom domain of dread and setting for a fresh horror Dungeons and Dragons setting.

Domain of Hounds and the Huntsman

Darklord: Rory the Blink Dog

Genres: Monster, body horror

Hallmarks: Stealth, giant monsters, vengeance

Mist Talismans: A giant dog treat, a bisected chew toy, a stray bolt from a mouse’s atlatl

The previous owner of 7a Pearson Way was a noble hunter, spending time with their neighbors and enjoying the peaceful life they shared with their retired hunting dog Rory. Rory loved their master, but they also loved the hunt. In their freetime, which they had plenty of, they would hunt the nearby rodents and any stray pet that entered their yard, violently brutalizing them and bringing them to the feet of their master. After being scolded, they would retreat into the attic. 

One fateful night, Rory became tired of listening to their master, and in one decisive moment tore their master to pieces, leaving a bloody stain of sinew and muscle torn from their skeleton around the den. It was then that Rory, and the building, were called by the Mists.

Noteworthy Features

Those familiar with 7a Pearson Way know the following facts:

• Rory is the master of the house, which has grown to match his appetite. It is nigh impossible to climb between floors without great help.
• The current residents are the rodents and insects of the house who have been granted sentience to give them a sporting chance against Rory.
• The only path of escape is rumored to be through the window in the den, but Rory has full domain over the Den and none have escaped.

7a Pearson Way Characters

Being a native resident of 7a Pearson Way means that you are a rodent or insect creature (Hadozee, Tabaxi, Thri-kreen) who has adapted to surviving the ruthless hunts.

Settlements and Sites

The rodent and insect residents of 7a Pearson Way live in the walls or hidden cobwebs in the corners of the house, but have detailed maps of how to escape and survive Rory. Escape routes and go bags have been meticulously planted around the house for the residents in quick need of escape.

The Den

The Den is where Rory did his monstrous act, and as such has full control of it. It is a wide no man’s land, littered with half-eaten corpses and viscera.

The blood of the Owner has expanded into a wide bloody lake. It is deep, and drowning inside of its sticky murk causing the body to be rerisen as a gorey spirit trying to drown others into the lake.

Ash’s Maze

Ash’s Maze is a network of tunnels that are used by the rodent population as dwelling. It is led by Ash, a rat warlock who heralds exodus, and hopes that one day all his people may escape 7a Pearson. They have focused on becoming increasing militaristic and advanced – speeding toward inventing modern warfare.

Coercion’s Web

The spiders in the far corner of the entrance have created a sturdy web to create a colony of sorts, run by the Queen Spider Coercion. They hunt the insects that buzz around 7a Pearson Way, and stay very solitary in it. They are rapidly running out of food, and have begun resorting to less than savory way to stay fed.

Rory, Bad Dog

Rory lived their life happy, killing and destroying all that would come across them in the Feywild, until they were summoned by a humble hunter to the material plane, where the kills were novel and exciting. Years and years Rory followed their master on the hunts, until a elk gored their master. They were unable to continue hunting, but Rory stayed by their side throughout their retired years. Their master stayed seated in their comfy armchair all day, and Rory stayed at their foot rest.

Rory was not content, he had hatred in their heart however, driven to partial madness by being trapped outside of the Feywild. More and more they would sneak into nearby yards and under the house, hunting rodents and pets too far from home, and bring them to their master. Each time, the Master would seal up another way out of the house. One day Rory brought to their master’s feet a young bird, and the master only had one last seal to place on the house – the kitchen window. As the master was getting out of his seat to close the window forever, Rory acted on instinct and tore down their Master and ripping his throat out, slumping them on the couch and extruding a pool of blood at their feet. That is when the Mists took the house, and made Rory its Dark Lord.

Rory’s Powers and Dominion

Extraplanar Hunter. Rory is a blink dog, and has the properties that the fey beast comes with. Rory has the ability to slip through the cracks in the universe and appear anywhere in the house as he pleases.

Training Day. Rory has mastery of 7a Pearson Way, causing the vermin to be constantly on edge. The rodents and insects are training their young from birth to escape, forage, and fight against Rory and survive his domain. 

Closing the Borders. They can close the borders of their domain by barring each of the small holes that lead out of the home through the dog door. They cannot control the window however, but is unable to leave through it.

Rory’s Torment

Rory likes to be in control of his home, but they never can be because:

• Rory is cursed with hunger, starving and needing to hunt for sustenance, but no one creature can satiate their appetite.
• Rory is cursed to be alone, unable to communicate with the others in 7a Pearson, and unable to hear the sweet call of his master.
• Rory can never leave the home, causing them great anguish, unable to ever feel the wind again or run freely.
• The many easy targets that Rory has toyed with for so long have been granted sentience, and have grown intelligent enough to develop strategies to evade Rory.

Roleplaying Rory

Rory is sadistic and cunning. If getting away will give a quarry false hope, Rory will allow it, because they will always find them again.

Personality Trait. “I have earned this life I have, and I plan on enjoying it.”

Ideal. “If I’m not having a good time, it’s a bad time – I am the only one I will be concerned with.”

Bond. “My master, despite everything, loved me, and I hunt to honour him.”

Flaw. “Sometimes I value the fun of the hunt over the result – to my detriment.”

Adventures in 7a Pearson Way

The setting of 7a Pearson Way provides the opportunity for living through your favorite monster stories, or inject elements of absurdity due to the scale of the domain. Rory is a fearsome hunter, tormenting innocent creatures and toying with his food, making them a powerful horror villain – always tracking and open to the possibility of him being behind every new corner. The setting also aids in this, with many of the embiggened rooms creating interesting set pieces for combat, adventure, or exploration. 

Consider the plots on the 7a Pearson Way Adventures table when planning adventures in this domain:

d10	Adventure
1	Ash plans to destroy Coercon’s web and steal their resources so that Ash’s Maze can thrive. The only problem is that Coercon is planning the same thing.
2	Rory has been seen toying with an upside down glass in the kitchen – and Coercon’s daughter is trapped there.
3	A small band of explorers come back from their journey with a large vial of poison, now looking for a way to poison Rory, granting the rodents just long enough to escape.
4	A vole magician has discovered the location of a powerful artifact, and the characters are tasked as their bodyguard.
5	A termite artificer has created a weapon that can permentantly blind Rory – the problem is that they need to get close enough to use it.
6	A cult of mosquitoes have taken to worshipping Rory and valuing his blood as sacred – which transforms them into fey abominations.
7	Azalin Rex has come to 7a Pearson Way to recruit Rory as a companion – and if he does the entire dark domain will crumble without a dark lord, killing everyone.
8	A town of rats has become bold – exiting their holes to roam the house as they please – but Rory is ignoring them. What have they figured out?
9	The bathroom sink has been running for days now, and the algae and mold has animated and threatens to destroy all life on 7a Pearson Way.
10	Rory has been pacing around the living room for days, staring at the window. What is he planning? What would happen if he escaped?