Ravenloft/Exandria Campaign Brainstorm

[Solamnicknight]

Hello forum, it's been a while. I'm starting a Ravenloft/Wildemount campaign with a custom domain of dread, ie one pulled from Exandria. I'm looking for help brainstorming ideas so my players have a good time in the mists.
Ideas so far. Darklord is a lich that is a member of the Cerberus Assembly, an Archmage of Lore.
Magic is regulated in this dark realm, anyone with magical ability is expected to attend an academy run by the Assembly. Students that excel particularly well are recruited by the Volstrucker. Also, the players are going to be part of a secret illegal magic academy, working name Ravenscroft house. What are ways they could fool the assembly into thinking they are legit? Perhaps any of the spellcasting players attended the official magic school but faked being poor students?
Also taking a page from Disney's Owl House here: Instead of executions of illegal spellcasters, they are turned into glass statues that line the street, frozen in their final moments of agony. Imagine being burned at the stake but the flames trap you in amber rather than burn you, but the flames actually hurt still.
Also, I'm thinking of three towns in the domain, one big one, and two smaller ones. Being surrounded by the mists the wilderness is full of gothic horror monsters.
I was thinking of having the way to defeat the lich and save the domain be that the players have to destroy their phylactery first, by going through a dungeon that conjures up the character's personal fears and regrets. This idea came from an episode of the old D&D cartoon.
Other horror elements include when fighting certain foes their opponents switch from people to creepy eldritch forms of what that person is. The same thing can happen to PCs during intense moments. Think along the lines of the eye of Sauron for example. Anyone have any other cool ideas to expand upon my Domain?

[Bohandas]

I think a combination of bribery, flattery, and mind control could allow the presentation of a legitimate facade

[Solamnicknight]

I think a combination of bribery, flattery, and mind control could allow the presentation of a legitimate facade

Makes sense, and would definitely add to the eerie tone, especially mind control