Image by Metis Creative
A Serenade for the Damned | Level 1-10 Adventure | Historical
Venice, 1520 — a city of masks and secrets. As dark magic rises and old wounds bleed, you must uncover the truth before madness claims the city.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday – 5:00 PM UTC
2.5–3 Hour Duration
2 / 5 Seats Filled
About the adventure
https://youtu.be/ezpvfrh3pNM ^ Official Launch Trailer by Metis Creative Step into 1520s Venice — a city of crumbling grandeur, sacred secrets, and shadowed canals. Beneath the opulence of Carnevale masks and church bells lies a festering wound, as forgotten sins claw their way to the surface. This is not just a historical setting — it's a city on the brink, where dark magic stirs and ancient tragedies demand justice. A Serenade for the Damned is a 1–10 level campaign set in the rich, immersive world of Historica Arcanum, blending historical drama, mystery, and eldritch horror. You’ll play as characters drawn into Venice’s descent — facing cults, corrupted nobles, cursed artifacts, and the haunting legacy of a failed apotheosis. Social intrigue, personal dilemmas, and myth-infused horror are at the core of the story. This game emphasizes heavy roleplay, social and political consequences, and medium levels of combat and investigation. It’s ideal for players who enjoy character-driven narratives, complex relationships, morally grey choices, and exploring a world that feels beautifully real and deeply wrong. Players may create characters native to Venice or visitors from across Europe, the Ottoman Empire, or distant lands — every background has room to shine in the unfolding mystery. Whether you are a noble, a soldier, a scholar, or a street rat, you have a reason to be in Venice... and secrets to uncover once you’re there. Players should be comfortable with mature themes (abuse, obsession, body horror, religious corruption, and betrayal) and eager to dive into a dark, slow-burn narrative where your choices echo across an entire city. Session Zero will include safety tools such as lines & veils, X/N/O cards, and open discussion. All you need is curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to lose yourself in the masks and madness of Venice.
Game style
Theater of the Mind
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Rules as Written (RaW)
Roleplay Heavy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(21)
2 years on StartPlaying
189 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Inclusive
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Heyo! I'm Bear! I have been playing D&D for roughly five years, starting off my time as a DM and occasionally as a player. As a DM I enjoy crafting large worlds and forming a story both my players and myself can be proud of. I run respectful games for anyone and everyone that passes by my table. While my main focus is D&D5E, I've been looking into dming a Dragon Age: Inquisition game and possibly a Dishonored game as well.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation starts in our discord, where we have a roll bot preset up to deliver our rules for rolling. This can happen at session 0 or prior, either way it doesnt matter to me much. We will create our characters on foundry or other platforms before importing them to foundry. Starting level will be 1, and all books are fine to draw upon! Any Homebrew has to be ran by me firstly before any planning of a character using it.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Prepare by reading up on the story and lore involved, Venice at this time period of the book has plenty of lore. Make sure you have a ForgeVTT account as well as discord. Bring a good headset and mic for the game! Rules may have to be read ahead of time if the game is already running, however all rules used for the game will be done at session 0 and decided by the players.
What UndeadBear brings to the table
I bring a wealth of knowledge in the game as well as enjoyment for voices on characters. I try to fit the combat to players style. I bring music, I like to embrace RaW as well as rule of cool! A Healthy mix of both is always welcome at my table.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Headphones
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How UndeadBear creates a safe table
Session 0 will be used to go over tone, boundaries, expectations, and campaign content warnings. We'll establish personal limits and discuss the intensity of themes like horror, romance, violence, and historical politics. Open Door Policy: Players are always free to step away, message me privately, or exit a scene if something becomes uncomfortable, with no judgment. Breaks are built into longer sessions, and players can request one anytime. Aftercare is offered after intense or emotional scenes. We take time to decompress, check in, and ensure everyone is okay before wrapping up. Stars and Wishes will be used to reflect on what players enjoyed and what they’d like more (or less) of in future sessions.
Content warnings
Safety tools used