User summary:
The Crossroads of the Gothic Earth was the second Ravenloft Netbook published by the Kargatane, a group of Ravenloft fans who went on to run the official fan site for many years. The Crossroads of the Gothic Earth is a collection of articles covering locations in the alternative Earth of the Masque of the Red Death setting.
From the introduction of the book:
In the 1890's, no corner of Gothic Earth remains untouched by the Red Death. Ever since the Egyptian priest Imhotep unwittingly allowed the Red Death access to the world, it has insidiously spread across Gothic Earth to corrupt and pervert every land and every culture like a malignant cancer. It has radiated from its point of entry on the coat tails of human history and discovery, never far behind wherever and whenever mankind steps for the first time. It invariably leaves its mark on everything pure and innocent it comes across, and leaves in its wake a foul trail of corruption.
Crossroads of the Gothic Earth is an atlas of some of the lesser known corners and crevices of Gothic Earth that the Red Death has managed to find and corrupt. It contains some of the smaller human settlements that might have been overlooked by the adepts and scholars in their works of Forbidden Lore, but nonetheless have come to the attention of the Red Death and its minions. In addition to settled habitations, it contains geographical features and landmarks that have also in some way been touched by the malignant hand of the Red Death.
The greatest weapon for fighting the Red Death and its minions is knowledge. This atlas attempts to fill in some of the gaps to make the fight a little easier for the champions of all that is good.
