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 The Ten Marches of Blackmoor

What is this book?

This book presents an overview of Blackmoor for Greyhawk players; it's major places, people, and events. The
goal of this book is to provide just enough detail for the Game Master to build adventure, while avoiding
the mind-numbing text dumps too often found in sourcebooks. The information is not intended to be
thorough or highly detailed, but sufficient to provide a Game Master with just what is needed to run a
Blackmoor campaign grounded in tradition but allowing for creative freedom and imagination. It is a framework
upon which many different styles of dress may be hung. It is system neutral, so it may be used with any ruleset,
and it is adapted to the Greyhawk setting so that Greyhawk referees will have access to the wealth of Blackmoor
material in a familiar and readily useable way.

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"Dave Arneson decided to begin a medieval
fantasy campaign game for his active Twin
Cities club. From the map of the "land" of the
"Great Kingdom" and environs -- the territory of
the C & C Society -- Dave located a nice bog
wherein to nest the weird enclave of
"Blackmoor", a spot between the '''Great
Kingdom" and the fearsome "Egg of Coot".
Gary Gygax, Introduction to D&D, 1 November
1973
BLACKMOOR SETTING INFORMATION
Introduction: Understandibly, there are many
misconceptions about Blackmoor, even among those
knowledgeable regarding the early days of fantasy
gaming. The earliest inkling we have of the setting
comes from a medieval game played at Bill Hoyt's
house in the fall of 1970. These were the days of
the "Braunstein" games, role playing games
developed by Major David Wesely in which pre-
generated characters with pre-set objectives
competed for points to win the game. Arneson set
up his medieval wargame along similar lines,
assigning command roles to the players such as Jarl
of the Viking raiders or the Baron of "Keston",
which, un-coincidentally was assigned to Bill Hoyt
who lived at the time on Keston street. This
particular game lasted into the early morning hours
of the next day. Arneson himself having gone home
and left Bill in charge while Ross Maker chased
down every last one of the enemy peasants.
Not long thereafter in the cold Minnesota winter of
1970/71, Duane Jenkins set up a game he called
Brownstone, Texas, extending the Braunstien
concept from one off games to an ongoing
campaign which became less "winner" focused and
revolved largely around the exploits and growth of
Dave Arneson's bandit character "El Pauncho" and
his nemesis Sheriff Fant, in addition to a cast that
5
included deputies, a gambler, a priest, and the usual
stereotypical figures of Spaghetti Westerns.
"Brownstone" was a great success with the players,
so Arneson elected to bring this campaign-style Role
Playing to his medieval game along with new
fantasy elements. He drew a detailed map roughly
based on Holland, and divided the area into four
"marches", including the central march of Kieston,
recalling no doubt the Keston region of the prior
medieval wargame. After rounding up some would-
be players Arneson then wrote a letter briefly
explaining his campaign to Rob Kuntz in his
capacity as "king" of the Castle & Ccrusade society,
of which Arneson was an officer at the time.
This March 1971 letter explained that Arneson put
together a campaign of medieval flavor but
"partially fiction". The fictional elements included
Conan-esque "Red Wizards" and Pictish savages, in
a land he called "The Northern Marches."
Blackmoor itself was not mentioned until about a
month later when Arneson typed up his Corner of
the Table Top newsletter Volume 3 #5, where he
made the following declaration: "There will also be
the continuing saga of El Pauncho and the start of
the "Black Moors" battle reports..."
In the weeks and months that followed Dave
Arneson's March letter to Rob Kuntz, two things
happened: Gary Gygax published CHAINMAIL(TM)
with its fantasy supplement, and Domesday Book #9
was published. Sometime after receiving his copy
of CHAINMAIL(TM) Arneson totally revised his
fantasy Medieval campaign. CHAINMAIL(TM)
provided a host of monsters and ideas Arneson
could draw on, in addition to defining troop types
and other organizational information. Likewise, the
Domesday book at last provided a world map,
originally promised the previous year in Domesday
#6 (August 1970) for use in "A(vallon) H(ill)-type
play as well as aspects of Diplomacy." Those
Diplomacy games never materialized, but in any
case, Arneson decided to insert his Northern
Marches into this "official" C&C world published in
DB #9. So he "located a nice bog" as Gary Gygax
had noted and redrew his Northern Marches map,
leaving the interior waterways and town locations
little changed but totally reworking the coastline to
match that of the C&C map. Below is a colorized
version of Arneson's new C&C version of
Blackmoor, prepared by Nicolas Dessaux and used
with permission:
This second version of the Blackmoor map now
located in the cold north of the C&C "Great
Kingdom" map of Domesday Book #9 was the map
used for the entire pre-D&D playtest that took place
in both the Twin Cities and Lake Geneva. For
Arneson, play continued on this map until late
1976, when he and TSR parted company. Gygax
was apparently still using the Great Kingdom map
as the basis of his Greyhawk world up until 1978
when Andre Norton's Quag Keep was published,
This book repeatedly references the geography of
the C&C Great Kingdom map, including Greyhawk
and Blackmoor references.
"We also had a period of several months, after some
of us read the “Tarnsman of Gor” books, where we
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were traveling around on tarns (think of Rocs in the
“Lord of the Rings”). That was after Gary Gygax
had started his campaign because one of our
adventures was to travel to Grayhawk on tarnback
to rescue Gary’s players who had gotten into
trouble." Saturday, May 30, 2009 Q&A with Greg
Svenson, Shams Grog & Blog.
"Svenny and his family traveled to the Great
Kingdom (in the summer of 1972 real time) to sell
Elven magic items collected for his friends among
the Cumasti Elves. That was the official explanation
for when I was out of town for about three months
and therefore not active in the game... Later all of
the heroes of the North travelled across the Great
Kingdom to Greyhawk, where Gary's players had
gotten into a bad way and we were able to save
them from their crisis, but we traveled on tarnback
and didn't really have a specific adventure during
the trip..." Original Blackmoor Player Greg "The
Great Svenny" Svenson, [ZGG Repost] Regional
Map Post Posted: Jan 05, 2010 11:50 am, The
Comeback Inn forum.
"Gary, Dave, Rob, a bunch of the other players, had
all been in the Castle & Crusade Society and
Greyhawk and Blackmoor were both placed on the
map originally of the Great Kingdom of the Castle
& Crusade society." Michael Mornard: Improvised
Radio Theater with Dice, 2013
"The "Blackmoor" lands lie far up on the northeast
coast. "Greyhawk" is in the central portion. There
are a few other independently run campaigns
located on this map. There are also some other
dungeons related to the "Greyhawk" campaign
located at some distance from the free city of
Greyhawk. Players in our campaign may freely
play in "Blackmoor", but to get there they must
adventure cross country." Gary Gygax, Alarums &
Excursions #15 (October, 1976)
The Great Kingdom was one and the same in both
campaigns, and the two campaigns were
intertwined.

From 1971 to 1976, Dave Arneson's world of
Blackmoor was a land within the C&C Great
Kingdom map, as was Gary Gygax's Greyhawk, Rob
Kuntz' Maure Castle, and Jeff Perren's Perrenland.
The C&C Great Kingdom map was in fact the first
crude map of what we now call the Flanaess -
though that name didn't get coined until a few years
later. Thus Arneson's Blackmoor material is very
much Greyhawk lore, just as much as Gary Gygax's
Castle Greyhawk, or Len Lakofka's Lendore Isles. It
is the purpose of this supplement to make the rich
traditions of Blackmoor available to Greyhawk fans
in a way that harmonizes with existing Greyhawk
lore and fan works to the extent possible. Further,
because there is such a wealth of material from
various incarnations, I haven't limited the
supplement to just early Blackmoor, but to the
whole tradition, as far as was practicable.
THE MULTIVERSE OF OERTH
The Flanaess is a world that "officially" exists in
numerous parallel forms. However, what happens
in one version of Oerth will likely have a
counterpart in another version of Oerth. This view
allows us to look at the post 1977 Blackmoor
material as a source of parallel world information, if
we like, much in the same way that Gary Gygax's
Gord books are used by fans to help flesh out the
Greyhawk setting. Maybe the world turned just the
same way in your Greyhawk, or maybe it was just a
bit different....
The Map of 591 - 621 CY
Arneson took his original map of the Northern
Marches, and mapped it onto what was then the
current map of what we now call the Flanaess.
Following exactly in his footsteps, I have taken
Arneson's original 1971 map of the Northern
Marches and mapped it precisely onto what is now
the current map of Flanaess, retaining the towns,
major geographic features and most of the
7
waterways, within the Flanaess coastline. Of course
I have closely consulted all of the important maps of
Blackmoor and Greyhawk both, and a careful
observer can detect their influence in places,
particularly to do with coasts and rivers. For the
curious, I would refer you to my blog, Hidden in
Shadows post from September of 2019, but the
short version is that I simply took a more recent
Greyhawk map showing Blackmoor - the one found
in Dungeon #126 with a scale bar - and laid
Arneson's Northern Marches map onto it. I then
resized the map so that the towns of Mosshold and
Blackmoor on both maps aligned perfectly with
each other. The rest then simply fell into place.
Blackmoor in a Nutshell
The Archbarony of Blackmoor is a weird enclave in
the far north of central Flanaess. It exists as an
outpost of civilization where none would be
expected. Blackmoor is cold and harsh; a land
where winter starts early and lasts well into late
spring. In the west lie windswept volcanic plains
scarred by frost and punctuated by short sulferous
streams that bubble up from the earth and disappear
into the cracked and broken ground or pool into
misty ponds of hot water. In the east reign the dark
and heavy redwood forests. Between these two
extremes lie the marshlands, lakes, and rivers fed by
the rushing meltwater coming down the Firefrost
channel from the Black Ice.
Rich in resources, Blackmoor has long been a
magnet for human and demi-human settlers despite
the harshness of the topography and climate. The
first human settlers were the Flanish tribal Tuocts
and Eraks, attracted to the fishing grounds and
abundant game. The Eraks settled in the east and
have long since ceased to be a distinct people, but
the Tuocts can still be found in their picketed
villages in some of the deeper swamps and rivers of
central Blackmoor.
An influx of Oeridians followed, possibly drawn to
the rumored mineral wealth and magical properties
of the strange, eponymous black rock of the
archbarony. A semi-mythical Oeridian warlord
known as Robert of Genyva, is said to have built the
first castles and walled settlements at Blackmoor
town and Glendour, sometime around CY -644.
Settlers found little in the way of arable land and
the climate does not permit the growing of grains,
but the grazing of sheep and domesticated "shaggy"
version of the local bison (Grazers) is common
subsistence activity, second only to fishing, and fur
trapping in season.
In the coastal fjords and tundra northwest of the
barony, Zeai settlers hunt the Tusking Strand and
the Brink Islands for Ivory. The hills and mountains
of the archbarony have long been mined by dwarves
for a rich variety of gems, which are said to be
particularly favored by wizards.
Blackmoor's isolation and geographic limitations
have also allowed it to exist largely outside the
political machinations of the empires further south.
It has of course seen more than its fair share of
trouble and internecine strife, but has also at times
prospered at short intervals under wise leaders such
as king Uther and archbaroness Morgaiste.
However, several centuries ago during a period
Blackmoor historians refer to as the Mage Wars, a
mysterious evil power arose within a portion of
Blackmoor controlled by the Red Wizards Coven.
This mysterious being has been variously called the
Egg of Coot or Og of Ott, though what its true
name and nature may be are unknown. What is
known is that the Egg wields great influence of the
mind and is served by sorcerous and technomagical
beings in addition to many more mundane monsters.
From its citadel known as "The Nest", in the city of
Thune, the Egg launched multiple invasions of the
Archbarony, but was consistently repulsed until 541
CY. With the aid of a magically induced seismic
8
upheaval, the Egg was finally able to overrun
Blackmoor Castle and surrounding lands.
Political Situation
For a thousand years, the land of the Black Moors
has been divided into Marches ruled over by barons.
Originally, there were five such marches, known as
Keston, Jenkinsland, Gloomfens (aka The Lakes),
Eraks, and the land of the Red Coven. The marches
were further subdivided into smaller under-baronies
centered on the cities and towns which had sprung
up there. Following the discovery of rich diamond
deposits in the Superstation mountains to the west,
a sixth March, Celate, a. k. a. the Duchy of the
Peaks, was added. Two more marches, Zeailand and
Orcocho, were added to Blackmoor during the time
of Uther. Political power shifted between the city of
Vestfold and the town of Blackmoor, depending on
who was in charge.
In 281 CY, a rebellion in the verdant lands on the
west bank of the Misauga in southern Celate led by
10 bandit chiefs successfully broke away from
Celate to established the Duchy of Ten Heroes. This
independent and troublesome "Duchy" lasted a
mere 90 years, falling to Afridhi invaders in CY 371
and later becoming the March of Dantrefaer.
The land of the Red Coven, likewise proved
troublesome for the rest of the Archbarony. Taken
over by the mysterious Egg of Coot in the aftermath
of the Mage Wars, the March of Coot as it is now
called, remained at odds with the other marches,
launching several failed attempts at conquest until
finally succeeding at conquering the heartland of the
archarony in CY 541.
Today Blackmoor is a torn and strangled land, split
between the Egg of Coot who controls the marches
of Keston, Jenkinsland, Gloomfens, Eraks, and
Coot, and Archbaron Bestmo, who controls Celate,
Dantrefaer, Orcocho, Peshwan, and nominally As the boots on the ground throughout the
Zeailand. The Egg's forces significantly outnumber archbarony, Councilor Marshals represent the
the archbaron's but they are unruly and authority of the Regency Council in Blackmoor.
undisciplined. Further, the Egg seems to be driven Each marshal is appointed by the Council and are
by two obsessesions, one involving an artifact in given a territory to patrol. These territories are fluid
Blackmoor dungeon and even the dungeon itself and overlap and marshals are entirely free to go
and the other with clearing out a pocket of old anywhere in Blackmoor in pursuit of justice.
Blackmoor nobility trapped within the magical
It is best to stay on the good side of a Councilor
Comeback Inn - a task that so far has proved
Marshal. All significant matters of law enforcement
impossible.
are handled by marshals and their deputies.
Marshals, are sometimes retired fighters or minor
nobles with Ranger skills or Taltos (spirit/undead
The Regency Council
hunters), but others seek out the position as their
Following the devastating 2nd Coot invasion, sole career, typically beginning as deputies.
representatives of the Elves, Dwarves and Humans Marshals have broad authority to organize local
formed the Council of Three. The council soon defense, investigate crimes and administer
grew to include the barons of each march and other punishment or bring offenders to the appropriate
prominent leaders, becoming formally known as the authorities. Marshals are subject only to the Council
Regency Council. Numbering only 21 members as a whole, not to any individuals, including
(Co-Regents) at its height, the council was never a individual barons or even the archbaron himself.
large body and now consists of only 5 lords at
Dantredun. Upon the death of Ra-all, the council
took on increasing authority as the principle Marshalls are notoriously scrupulous. The Regency
governing body under Council frowns on bribery or the clear abuse of
queen Maragain and power involving their marshals/ Such has been
has remained central to known to cause unrest and rebellion among
the governance of Blackmoor's rugged peasantry. Aside from
Blackmoor ever since. retirement or death, marshals may only be removed
It is the council who from their position by the Council, and this rarely
appoints the archbaron happens, but when it does the punishment for the
when a vacancy arises. breach of trust the Regency Council placed in the
The council is also marshal is usually banishment or death.
responsible for raising
bodies of troops,
funding the defense of It is not unusual for a marshal to accompany a party
Blackmoor and on an adventure. Marshals are paid a small yearly
appointing Councilor stipend that amounts to a carpenter's wage,
Marshals and their however they are allowed to keep 10% of any
deputies to enforce the stolen goods they recover, and 75% of any
law of the land and unclaimed treasure taken from monster hoards, so
investigate crimes or Councilor Marshals lucky or good enough to reach
threats to the retirement age often settle down on a handsome
archbarony. estate.

Councilor Marshals Thrall of Coot

9
The Egg of Coot cannot move on its own. It has
neither arms nor legs nor any means of locomotion.
It controls it's environment entirely through others
using an overwhelming mind control. These poor
victims are known as Thralls of Coot. Coot
possession begins as a whisper and grows to a
cacophony none can resist completely. It is a
strange phenomenon, known to grow stronger the
closer the victim is to The Egg, but effective for
hundreds of miles away from the nest of that foul
being. The effect can be amplified by certain magic
devices designed for the purpose, usually appearing
as necklaces or simple charms. Thralls of Coot are
mentally possessed and controlled by The Egg and
The Egg is aware of all their thoughts and all they
see and hear. Thralls are often allowed to have
varying degrees of agency and intelligence, but
some are so dominated and taken over they are little
more than automatons. Those affected often exhibit
odd behaviors such as staring off into space while
working, muttering to themselves, and humming a
particular, monotonous tune. Their eyes also often
exhibit a bluish tinge. Once a being gives in to
Coot possession and becomes a Thrall of Coot,
there is no cure and no going back to normalcy as
long as The Egg lives, though a rare few have
managed to temporarily resist The Egg's commands
- a task that grows easier with distance.
Customs
While Blackmoor certainly has its quirks, like any
other land, there are a few customs that tend to
jump out at travelers, including these:
Lepers wear Yellow robes and ring a bell to warn
others of their condition.
It is not unusual to encounter young members of the
nobility traveling around and getting into various
mis-adventures. Nobles are expected to prove their
mettle when young, by going on adventures and
mingling with commoners - not that there is much
10
distinction between the nobility and their charges in
the cold north to begin with.
Larger buildings generally follow the popular styles
of Nyrond and Aerdy, however there is marked
Baklunish influence in the form of curves and bells,
sometimes reversed in a uniquely Blackmooran
fashion as steep concave features, especially roof
tops. Also of note to many a traveler is the
common occurrence of flat-roofed houses and the
use of turf to construct the walls of buildings and
freestanding walls. Almost all the houses in
Glendour are built this way. From a distance these
buildings resemble the adobe houses of the west,
but up close the herringbone patterns of cut turf can
be clearly seen on any building not plastered or
parged and on older buildings where the rendering
has flaked off. On other buildings thatched roofs
are very common, especially in the marshy areas of
which Blackmoor has an abundance.
Dwarves in Blackmoor are not averse to allying with
humans or engaging in business with them, but
generally keep to themselves otherwise. When they
are out and about in human dominated areas they
stand out as being very noticeably brightly dressed.
Colored garments of choice include yellow, blue,
white and red woolens, finely and intricately
tailored. Male dwarves also have an elaborate and
competitive beard culture involving decorative
gems, jewels, silver chains and the like woven into
the beard. They gain social status by the richness
with which their beards are decorated. The
wealthiest of dwarves can literally carry a kings
fortune in their facial hair.
Clockwork devices of gnomish and dwarvish origin
are noticeably more common in Blackmoor and
there is a strong cultural element among both
dwarves and gnomes encouraging the experimental
creation of clockwork and steam powered
machinery. This may be because of the influence of
the mysterious technomagical devices that have
turned up in Blackmoor from time to time, and
perhaps also the result of the long winters
encouraging such tinkering to pass the time.
Being so far removed from the heart of the
Flanaess, many Blackmoorians still think of the
Great Kingdom as the center of all things civilized,
and that it is only a matter of time before the
empire of Aerdy re-asserts itself.

Elves in Blackmoor, both the wood elf Cumasti and

grugach Westryn, have a reputation of being sexual
libertines, and, at least according to common jests,
none too picky about the nature of their lovers.
Regardless of the truth of this, an unusually high
percentage of the population is made up of half-
elves. Half-elves are frequently raised by their
human parent, as they are looked down upon with
some embarrassment by full blood elves.
The elves of Blackmoor are also especially vain
about their hair and will spend considerable time
grooming and primping their coiffure. It is a great
and shameful punishment among Blackmoor elves
to have had ones hair plucked out or shorn off.
The Rhymers - riddles and song are ancient
pastimes among the Tuoct, and long ago their bards
and spell casters developed a method of spell
casting through rhymes and song. During the high
age of kings, Rhymers became established within
the former University of Blackmoor and further
developed the art. Since the Coot take-over, the art
has become rare, but there are those who still know
it and pass it along, especially in the towns and
villages of the Tuocts deep within the Gloomfens.

As is common elsewhere, Hobbits tend to have their

own settlements of their usual semi-subterranean
homes. However Blackmoor hobbits and humans
freely associate to a degree rarely seen in other
lands.
The hobbits of Blackmoor appear to be somewhat
taller than their cousins elsewhere. They are also
noted to produce excellent cooks, and are
notoriously averse to swimming. Less than 10%
ever learn how.

Giant orcs - that is orcs of near human size - are

very common among the orc tribes of Blackmoor
and are likely the result of crossbreeding with
hobgoblins or even more fiendish creatures. The
term frequently used for this larger variety in
Blackmoor is bale-born.

11
Calendar Lunar Festivals
The 14th of every mid-quarter month is recognized
The calendar used in Blackmoor retains peculiar old
as a Lunar Festival. Special "mooncakes" are baked
names for the months. They also celebrate several
and shaped to represent both moons together and
unique holidays.
these are usually eaten along with drinking
Months of the Year "moonbeer" - fermented sheeps milk. Sometimes
the cakes are placed in bowls and covered with
Common Blackmoor Season Notable days cream and bilberries as a special treat. Puppeteers
Blackmoor and story-tellers regal children with stories of the
grazer who jumped over the moon, the giant worm
Fireseek Azam Winter Azam who took a bite out of Celene and so forth, while
tavern bards often sing fanciful songs about visitors
Chrislin from the stars.
Readying 14: Lunar
festival
Kissing Day
Yoveno On Kissing Day people gather early for indoor
Coldeven Growfest parties in attempt to shake off the gloom of winter.
Nuol Kings Day - They put on colorful and bright fancy dress,
Planting Spring Nuol 6 complete with elaborate masks. After the last light
of the setting sun disappears on the horizon, masks
Kohrtr
Flocktime 14: Lunar are removed and people kiss whoever they are with.
festival Bad luck is said to follow those who balk at kissing
their now maskless partners.
Tihuma
Wealsun
The entire holiday is said to have originated as an
Salix elaborate ruse by King Ra-all in an attempt to steal
Reaping Summer a kiss from his chief advisor - a strikingly beautiful
Kuilan woman known only as "The Scholaress". The
Goodmonth 14: Lunar Scholaress was no fool however and foiled the
festival king's plans through a last minute costume switch
with the kennel mistress.
Dumima
Harvester Brewfest -
Dumima 25 Kings Day
Eaiwe Spirit Eve/All Kings Day commemorates the birth of Uther.
Patchwall Autumn Hallows Though once a boisterous holiday, celebration Kings
(Eaiwe 14) Day now is limited to the occasional toast and free
Hotem round at a tavern.
Ready'reat 14: Lunar
festival
Brewfest
Jekuma
Sunsebb Brewfest is a day-long party. Brewers large and
small bring out their latest creations and share
liberally - be it beer, whisky, mead, or any liquor.

12
People will set up small booths and stands in even
the smallest of hamlets, offer samples, and if they
have some extra for sale, and usually they do, try to
sell a bottle or two. Other vendors of all sorts take
advantage of the often inebriated foot traffic and
also set up booths and stalls outside their shops with
special deals on merchandise. When evening
comes, musicians appear and people gather for
dancing, and of course, more drinking. Usually
ribbon awards recognizing the best brews will be
handed out by local officials. Hardly anyone does
any work on the day after Brewfest.
All Hallows
On All Hallows or Spirit Eve, the restless and
vengeful spirits of the dead are said to walk the
world of the living. People gather in homes and
taverns to collectively celebrate and remember those
who have passed, tell ghost stories, and hide away
from the horrors of the night.
Humans of Blackmoor
The average human of Blackmoor is of very mixed
descent. The initial Tuoct and Erak Flan peoples
intermingled with Oeridian migrants at first, and
later with both Zeai Suel, Aeridian settlers, and the
Pehswah. No particular strain dominates, except
13
among the swamp dwelling Tuocts, who retain a
predominantly Flan ancestry.
Afridhi
These people were a tribe of Paynims from the
Senescent Hills west of Blackmoor and South of the
Burneal Forest noted for their extreme devotion to a
fire god they called Zugzul, but whom scholars
consider to be Pyremius under another guise. Their
appearance differed from other Paynim only by their
nearly universal trait of flame red hair, supposedly
bequeathed on them as a sign of devotion to their
fire god. Generally Afridhi of both sexes wore a
nondescript outfit of loose fitting pantaloons, warm
felt boots, and collarless double-breasted coat suited
to the weather. Their theocratic society was also
very matriarchal and matrilineal, but both men and
women were expected to become warriors or serve
Zugzul in some other capacity. In 356 CY the entire
tribe of Afrdhi left the Senescent Hills on a religious
jihad led by their High Priestess Toska Russa, a
doomed mission that ended with the tribes
extinction as a distinct people by 400 CY. Persons
of mixed Afridhi descent remain and are sometimes
the target of discrimination when their heritage is
known or suspected. Rumors persist that secret
cultists seek to revive the faith and the race.
Peshwah
Peshwah literally means “Persons”. Peshwah
typically introduce themselves as “Peshwan na”,
followed by a clan name such as Bortai followed by
their personal name. The Peshwah are plainsmen
related to both the Rovers of the Barons and the
Tiger Nomads. Southern chroniclers have generally
not distinguished the Peshwah from their Tiger
Nomad cousins, or have considered them merely to
be another Tiger Nomad tribe or rather group of
tribes. Despite the overall similarities to their Tiger
Nomad cousins, the Peshwah have a number of
distinctive customs. The Peshwah were once a
untied people and single tribe, as the Peshwah grew
in numbers and power, clans formed and split into
12 separate tribes, loosely united under a leader
known as the Sirk. For a time the Peshwah
prospered, but the ravages of war and fate took
their toll. The final blow for many of the Peshwah
tribes occurred as a result of the drastic expansion
of the Cold Marsh following the 5th Coot Invasion -
the "Coot Apocalypse" as it is sometimes known.
Seven of the twelve tribes dissolved entirely and the
remaining five have largely gone their separate
ways. In some cases the last few members of dying
tribal groups were absorbed into other tribes, in
other cases, such as with the entire Faleem tribe,
they simply gradually adopted the ways of
civilization and set aside their "barbaric" Peswah
identity. Today the Peshwah are no longer united
and likely never can be again. Though some tribes
retain common relations, the differences between
the groups grows with each passing year. The five
remaining tribes of the Peshwah are these:
Bortai
The Bortai are the easternmost of the Peshwah and
the most like the Rovers of the Barrens in
appearance and custom. They are grazer hunters
roaming across the plains east of the Tiverton
Greening and the animal is sacred to them. Strictly
patriarchal, the Bortai are also the most conservative
and traditional in honoring the old customs, but
living near the Rovers has nevertheless influenced
their appearance and their ways - though they
would never admit it. The Bortai consider
themselves to be the only true remaining Peshwah,
being long out of touch with the groups surviving
farther west. Of all the Peshwah, the Bortai take
horse-bonding most seriously, and will exile any
tribe-member unable to form the intimate psychic
bond. Their horses are bred for durability and
charging. Bortai warriors favor the lance in battle,
decorated with the scalps of their enemies. Though
never the most numerous, Bortai warriors are
among the most fierce of any of the horse peoples,
yet they are also renowned for their skill at poetry.
14
Epics of their greatest heroes are memorized from
childhood, and it is the dream of every Bortai male
to achieve immortality through an epic of their own.
Briela
The Briela are nomadic shepherds and hunters who
wander the volcanic wastes and deserts west of the
Root river. As the most religious of the Peshwah,
each youth is expected to spend years questing for
the lost bow of Hadeen, a sacred relic once the
charge of the tribe but stolen by a traitor whose
name is never spoken except in curse. Before the
bow was lost, the Briela were a very powerful and
numerous tribe who frequently led raids into
Blackmoor. Now their numbers have dwindled but
are fairly stable. Most Briela who live long enough
to return from their quests do so before they see
thirty summers so that they may aid their elders in
caring for the flocks and horses, and ensure the
continuance of the tribe. No doubt reflective of the
traveling done by Briela youth during the questing
time, the tribe is regarded as the most open-minded
and least xenophobic.
Ornidri
The Ornidri are perhaps the most isolated and least
changed of all the Peshwah. They wander the Ash
Hills and surrounding lands on their purebred
Peshwah mounts and rarely interact with foreigners
or even other Peshwah in a friendly manner. Little
is known about their current state as a result. As
with other Peshwah, Ornidri depend upon their
horses and frequently bond with them, but Ornidri
also keep and breed hounds with exceptional
tracking skill. These dogs are never willingly given
to non-Ornidri. Druids and rangers of the tribe
frequent the Blasted Woods, and the tribe is well
known for elaborately carved wood totems of all
sorts and sizes. Seemingly, no Ornidri can be found
without at least one such totem on their person and
totem posts may be found throughout their territory,
sometimes serving as warnings or as markers or
carrying a strictly sacred significance. Only the
Ornidri know which. Priests among the Ornidri
have developed a unique totem based magic that
few outsiders have ever learned.
Peshneath
The Peshneath live in small permanent hamlets and
ranches on the plains and foothills north of the
Sundance Peaks and west of the Root river. The
foothills here are known as the Neath and are the
heavily forested home of Neath Spiders, whose silk
is regularly harvested by the Peshneath and used to
make the exceptionally light Spidersilk Armor and
other things. Once among the least of Peshwah
tribes with nearly the entire population living in the
single village of Churmlish Penarth in the Neath
foothills, the Peshneath have actually expanded in
recent decades, absorbing both refugees in the wake
of the dissolution of other nearby Peshwah tribes
and such grazing grounds that remained after the
expansion of the Cold Swamp. Though most
Peshneath live in small hamlets, grazer herders
associated with each settlement drive a semi-
domesticated variety of these cattle from gazing
ground to grazing ground. Conflicts between
settlements over grazing and water rights are not
uncommon.
Qulaam
To outsiders the Qulaam do not appear to be
Peshwah at all. They live in permanent stilt-house
settlements built along and partly into the Root river
and they almost never have horses. Their mounts -
and they do depend on and bond with mounts as
strongly as other Peshwah - are dire weasels instead
of horses. It is perhaps because of these oddities
that the Qulaam have clung so strongly to Peshwah
identity, speaking only Peshwan in their wood post
and beam villages and strictly prohibiting marriage
to persons of non-Peshwah heritage. While the 5th
Coot invasion was devastating for most Peshwah,
the Qulaam have actually prospered as the changes
15
in climate have beneficially affected their aquatic
centered lifestyle. To the Qualaam, the Root river is
sacred and they are loath to leave it. A few have
done so for marriage within another Peshwah tribe
but most will not even for that reason. As children
of the river they are of course excellent swimmers,
boatmen and fishers, and their ability to handle their
carefully bred dire weasels is remarkable.
Tuocts
The Tuocts can be found throughout the swamps of
Blackmoor but are most numerous in the
Gloomfens. They are a freshwater based culture
who build their settlements on islands within the
rivers and swamps. These consist of wood palisade
protected villages of communal, thatch-roofed
houses holding up to ten Tuocts each, Catapults
and tamed monsters are often employed in the
defense of these villages. These settlements are
smallish, usually less than 200 people, and are
typically abandoned after a few decades, the people
building a new settlement elsewhere in the swamp.
Because iron corrodes so easily in the swamp, the
Tuocts rely on bronze and even stone technologies.
They are highly superstitious and follow the
leadership of religious leaders called wokan. Each
village will have a primary wokan who will be the
highest level cleric/shamen in the village. Tuoct
men and women are often heavily tattooed. Tattoo
designs on their arms chest and even faces may
signify village and clan identity, accomplishments,
class, and social position, including warrior's and
hunter's marks. Traditionally, Tuocts take heads for
trophies; they hang them inside their huts or bind
them to the altars of their villages. Tuocts believe
that if they bring the head of their enemy home, the
spirit of the enemy will be forced to serve them in
the afterlife. Tuocts are adept swimmers and
nobody knows the ways of the swamps better.
They employ a shallow draft boat to hunt and fish
the waterways and gather plants and herbs. Tuocts
are generally wary of outsiders, but are not averse
to making a coin or two. They are often hired as
"swamp rat" guides for outsiders with business in
the swamps or fools seeking lost treasure in Groda
ruins.

Zeai
With a reputation for savagery, the Zeai are the
northernmost humans in Blackmoor. Zeai are often
dressed in leathers and heavy furs and decked out in
as much amber, silver, and gold as they can
manage. Their homesteads of turf longhouses dot
the coastal fjords north of Reeva Bay and a string of Key Personalities
inland settlements runs along the Firefrost channel
north of the Malfera forest. They also have
Archbaron Bestmo
seasonally-inhabited longhouses established along
Even as the son of the late archbaron, and the heir
the Tusking Strand and Brink Islands used by
of the baron of Dantrefaer, there was no guarantee
hunters and whalers. Zeai subsist on a mix of
the Bestmo would be chosen by the Council of
trapping, fishing and hunting of marine resources
Regents to become the next archbaron. However
and through trade of furs and ivory at port cities
none of the councilors could agree among
such as Mosshold and Al 'Cocer. Small flocks of
themselves on another choice, and it was felt the
primitive sheep are also kept by some Zeai, chiefly
boy could be easily manipulated. In such an
for the wool. The Zeai are a fatalistic minded people
atmosphere, it is little wonder that Bestmo grew up
who treat death as foreordained and war and raiding
to be a master manipulator himself, somewhat
as a sport. Their dragon-prowed longships are
resentful of the position forced on him essentially
eminently suited to such pursuits. These ships
since birth. He is a short bull of a man with a close
include both rows and sails and may be crewed by
cropped bowl cut, beady eyes, and a booming voice
as many as 75 warriors, usually all from the same
that comes out all too often when he loses his short-
fjord or area. However, political boundaries are
fused temper. Bestmo is an ugly and angry person.
fuzzy at best and often overlapping, with loyalty
He is unmarried and childless, two previous wives
being sworn to the captain of a longship (or fleet of
having been executed - one for trying to poison him
them) and crew rather than to a region. Anyone
and the other for being caught in an act of infidelity.
who can manage to get a longship can become a
Despite his personal shortcomings he has managed
leader known as a Jarl, but these positions are often
to weld together what remains of his fragmented
inherited - as wealth usually goes. Collectively, the
barony. Bestmo seems to have an obsession with
Zeai people are ruled over by a Baron, who's main
finding something. Outsiders who come to
function is to organize the Jarls for trade missions or
Dantredun are always invited to meet with the
raids and settle disputes between Jarls. Currently
archbaron, sometimes at the point of a sword, and
the Baron has been missing for years, but believed
very closely questioned. In fact he seeks any lead
to be still alive, perhaps in the dungeons of
he can get on technomagical devices or godworks
Blackmoor. Nobody seems to mind the absence.
which he believes are the only hope for defeating
the Egg whom he hates above all things.

16
Baron Fant
Fant was a minor noble and skilled swordsman who
rose to prominence in the first Coot Invasion. After
Coots forces took over Blackmoor castle, he
gathered and led a group of fighters through a
secret entrance and opened the gate to an awaiting
army. Ra-all gave him the barony as a reward for
liberating the castle. Fant was a shrewd baron and
a brave leader. Unwilling to leave the "fun" to
others however, he frequently organized and led
expeditions into the dungeon to clear level after
level of its evil monsters. On one such expedition
after the second Coot invasion, Fant did not return
as expected. The elvish forces under Menander
guarding Castle Blackmoor at the time soon
discovered that Baron Fant was still in the dungeon,
but transformed into Sir Fang, the vampire. The
elves took immediate measures to contain Sir Fang,
sealing the main entrance and setting up guardians
in the castle. The elves couldn't seal all the exits
from the dungeon of course, but they were able to
prevent Fang from re-entering the castle from
below. Although Fang was eventually hunted down
and killed by his former lieutenant Svein Zvenzen,
the "death" was temporary. Svenny could not bring
himself to destroy the body of his former
companion. A pair of dwarves, hoping to become
vampires, snuck into Fant's crypt and removed the
stake in his chest - they got their wish. Baron Fant
remained trapped in the dungeon however until the
fifth and last Coot invasion finally freed him.
As an ally and thrall of Coot, Baron Fant rules once
again over Blackmoor. Though the Great Svenny
was dead by the time Fant was freed from the
dungeon, Fant did gain some measure of vengeance
by turning the Zvenzen family present at
Williamsport into vampire servants.
Baron Irkswyn Rall
Irkswyn Rall is a sniveling weasely man obsessed
with numbers. Every action the man takes is
calculated - literally - with no concern for any moral
17
or ethical compunction. His skill at accounting and
statistical analysis - a trait common in the Rall
family - has however served him well in holding on
to power and maintaining Mosshold as the
economic powerhouse of the north. The entire Rall
family, Irkswyn included, is infected with wererat
lycanthropy brought about by the Egg of Coot.
Being the souless leaders of a city of pragmatists,
the Ralls surrendered immediately to the Egg's
forces during the 5th Coot invasion and have been
faithful servants ever since.
Baron Ungulian
The son of the great hero Jenkins Ungulian and
nephew of Baron Fant, Bascom Ungulian is one of
Blackmoors most enigmatic figures. The Ungulian
family may be said to be cursed, stemming from
Jenkins' secret and ultimately fulfilled desire to
become a vampire. Bascom also became infected,
not with vampirism, but with werewolf lycanthropy.
How that came about only Bascom knows. Worse
perhaps, he is also a victim of Coot possession.
How this happened is not hard to guess. Bascom,
like his father before him, is a fearless fighter,
strong of arm and quick of wit. But he is also a
man of strong passion who dearly loved his wife.
When agents of the Egg kidnapped his beloved,
Bascom immediately called his guards, placed his
court sorcerer Engrin Eris in charge, and dashed into
the land of Coot to rescue his wife. He returned
sixty years later, a servant of Coot, his wife by his
side, transformed into a cyborg automaton with no
apparent will of her own. In appearance Bascom is
a stout, exceedingly hairy brunette with a
penetrating gaze. He has a tendency to act
impulsively but fairly, usually, except when guided
by the whims of the Egg.
Baron Rodrigo Zvenzen
Although Rodrigo lives in the shadow of his great
grandfather, the Great Svenny, he considers it a
privilege rather than a burden. Rodrigo is a bold
and seemingly humorless man, but not unkind. His
serious demeanor is perhaps affected by having seen
his grandfather Avro die in captivity and witnessing
his fathers' health likewise fade. Rodrigo shares the
captivity of his father and grandfather for he was
born within the Comeback Inn where the pair of
them were trapped after the 5th Coot invasion.
Rodrigo trains daily, waiting for the moment when
an escape may be possible. He longs for the day he
can go to Newgate, having heard so many stories
about his ancestral home.
Baron Nyrndyr Zvenzen
The older twin of Hathrick, Nyrandyr is the rightful
baron of Williamsport, though both he and his
brother are captives trapped in the Comeback Inn.
Nyrandyr is a tall, thin man whose elven heritage is
readily evident. His hair and beard are white and
long and his demeanor stiff. Nyrandr has a very
clear-eyed sense of good and justice. As with the
other Zvnezens held within the Inn, he trains daily
with all manner of weapons for the hoped for day
they are able to break free. Though age has slowed
him, Nyrandyr is still an impressive fighter as is
Hathrick is brother.
Baron Tasker Fenstein
Baron Fenstien is an obsequious human Thrall of
Coot given the rulership of the March of
Gloomfens. He is a sado-masochist with an
imaginative and hateful temper, but is otherwise
efficient at carrying out the will of his master.
Dannic Olson
A clever gnomish fighter-merchant with a mind for
business and a lack of scruples, Dannic purchased
the Silver Dragon Inn and the general store in
Blackmoor town during the reign of Ra-all and has
owned both ever since - though he has had to
rebuild several times due to various invasions.
Dannic's aggressive business tactics and use of
18
"associates" a.k.a. the Merchant Mafia resulted in a
near monopoly on property and on goods flowing in
and out of the town and ownership of more than a
third of the buildings. Though his monopoly was
successfully challenged in the past, he effectively re-
established his control following the Coot invasion
and was instrumental in rebuilding the town.
Despite the well known fact that you don't want to
re-nig on a debt to the gnome, Dannic is generally
well liked and respected by Blackmoor's residents.
Menander Ithamus
For an ancient and powerful elf lord, Menander is
remarkable friendly and unassuming. It was this
very friendliness toward humans that is said to have
caused the split between Westryn and Cumasti long
ago. Menander's easy going demeanor has been
tempered by the decline of his kingdom. His focus
in particular since the final Coot invasion has been
to keep the Redwood free of Coots forces.
Meridan Veslo
Grandaughter of Menander, Meridan was born in
354 CY and lived through some very tumultuous
times. She is among those trapped in the
Comeback Inn. Her mother, Lotsa has very little
interest in her half-human child as is typical among
Blackmoor's elves, however, she is a secret favorite
of Menander, who is known to be more friendly to
humans than usual for the Cumasti elves. Meridan
is reclusive, but is known to be both very wise in
counsel and very deadly in a fight. Few know that
her human father was the renowned warrior Fnord
the Barbarian and Meridan never speaks of her
parentage.
Robert the Bald
Undoubtedly the most powerful wizard remaining in
the North, Robert the Bald has not been seen
outside his seclusium in decades. In his youth,
Robert became a companion of baron Uther, the

two being about the same age. He was then known
as Robert the Bold for his aggressive nature. Robert
would not hesitate to cast all his spells and then
charge into battle like a warrior. His outstanding
bravery raised jealousy among some of the nobility;
his vast knowledge and quickness to correct others
brought a reputation as a know-it-all, and his zero
tolerance for rule bending, ran afoul of the
pragmatists. As he grew older and follicle
challenged, his detractors changed his moniker to
Robert the Bald in jest, and Robert was not amused.
The final affront occurred over an incident whose
details are unclear, but for which Robert demanded
an immediate and formal apology from the Regency
Council - an apology which he awaits to this day.
Though now a grumpy recluse, Robert is actually
quite kind and will help those who come to him in
need - provided they are good and well behaved.
He has a vast stock of scrolls, potions, and other
magic items stored for the day when the council
"comes to its senses".
19
Robert has a deep hatred of trolls, but he can speak
both Orc and Elvish. His seclusium, Cloudtop, lies
at the top of one of the highest peaks in the Dragon
hills overlooking the Vale of the Byte.
Saint Carmichel
Founder of the Wellwish Way (or as critics call it
the Wishy Washy Way) saint Carmichel taught that
all that is good and pleasant is permissible and all
the Greater Gods of Good are to be honored, not
just one favorite. Further, he preached that
consistent tithing and giving of gifts to the church
was a means of pleasing all the Greater Gods. He
insisted his fellow priests acquire no personal
wealth, but pour all their energies into enriching and
growing the church. His seemingly kind and
unjudgemental attitude did not extend to the forces
of evil, such as the Cult of Id, and he reserved a
special hatred for undead. Thus, under his
leadership as Bishop of Blackmoor, holy orders of
undead hunters and Taltos were formed to stomp
out all undead and deal particularly with the
vampire threat that has long plagued Blackmoor.
He was also a consummate organizer and investor.
The Church of the Wishful Way developed many
prosperous industries and trade networks under his
leadership and may be credited in part with the
tremendous economic growth in Blackmoor during
his lifetime. To protect all its growing interests, the
church established a well trained militia in addition
to its holy orders of paladins. Caravans who hired
Carmichelite guards were notably more successful
than others. Carmichelite cleric proselytizers teach
that one can only truly serve either "Law" or
"Chaos" and worship either the "Greater Gods" or
the "Dark Lords."
Tallo Vonbil
Tallo is the smooth-talking Shiremaster of Booh,
leader of Blackmoors halflings. Tallo is related to
famous halflings of old, but displays none of their
valor. He is, of course a thrall of Coot, as are most
of Blackmoor's halflings, but the neurotic and
talkative Tallo seems perfectly content to be Coot's
thrall. He believes foremost in maintaining order
and efficiency and in organizing halfling agricultural
and fishing production. Gardening in the cold north
is limited to cabbages, root vegetables, peas, and
berries, but the halflings of Booh have had notable
success with such despite the short growing season.
Tallo ensures the majority of fish and vegetables
produced by the halflings goes to feed the minions
of the Egg.
Tarden son of Tilif
Among the elves, few are as renowned and revered
as the warrior Tarden. Tarden has been in every
major battle the elves have fought since he came
into his own during the reign of Ra-all. He has
been on countless expeditions to Blackmoor
dungeon and returned when many others have not.
Tarden laments the decline of his people but is a
faithful friend to Menander and defender of the
elven realms. He helps train the young warriors and
sharpen the Gen-ri in addition to spending most of
his time patrolling the redwood forest on the
lookout for the minions of Coot.
The Ran
Long believed dead, the Ran of Ahfoo was a cyborg
servant of the Egg of Coot who ran afoul of the Egg
when he managed to create technomagic more
powerful than the Egg's. The cyborg's worst affront
was creating a device capable of negating the Eggs
mental control. Incensed, the Egg ordered him
killed but the cyborg fled to the rebels of Dantrefaer
and rose to become the High Lord of Ten. He was
captured and believed killed during the Afridhi
invasion, but the truth is he was partially dis-
assembled and stored in a dungeon beneath
Starmorgan. He is there still, limbless but very
much sentient, buried in the city ruins. His
appearance, when whole is that of a remarkably tall
20
(7 feet in fact), stout human with unusually pale
skin.
Uberstar Khazakhum
- really ought to be dead. Not only is he one of the
most ancient persons alive in Blackmoor, but he also
survived by a stroke of luck when the great city he
founded and ruled over in the Crystal Peaks was
utterly destroyed in the seismic upheaval caused by
the Egg of Coot. Uberstar survived because he was
busy setting up the New Delving in the Black Hills
at the time of the upheaval, along with quite a few
other dwarves. Nevertheless, the destruction of his
former home and thousands of his subjects in that
foul event has stoked the fires of hatred in the old
Dwarfs heart. Uberstar would walk hand in hand
with the orc king himself if it meant even a chance
to kill the Egg. He came to Blackmoor as a
young(er) dwarf almost 700 years ago, making
Uberstar possibly the oldest dwarf on record. His
gift for organization, skill as a strategist, and
proclivity toward friendly relationships with elves
and men have served him well and helped the
dwarves of Blackmoor to prosper. Of course, it
doesn't hurt that the mountains and hills are rich in
gems.
Note: the following characters detailed above are
the "real" PC's of original Blackmoor players:
 Baron Fant
 Baron Rodrigo Zvenzen
 Saint Carmichel
 Dannic Olson
 Menander Ithamus
 Meridan Veslo
 Robert The Bald
 Tarden son of Tilif
 Uberstar Khazakhum
(Two character here are my own invention to fill the
information gap - Tasker Fenstein, drawn from
names Arneson used elsewhere, and Tallo Vonbil, a
pun meant to be reminiscent of Philo and Mello,
hobbits from Arneson's original campaign.)
WEIRD GODS OF BLACKMOOR
While many of the usual deities are known in these
far northern lands, there are a few that seem
peculiar to the people of Blackmoor. These are
detailed below:
Greater Gods
Bosero
Symbol: Wooden Mallet
Bosero once was a human fighter and great hero of
Blackmoor who stumbled and drank his way into
godhood. He lived during the reign of Ra-all, was a
companion of the Great Svenny. Robert the Bald,
Saint Carmichael, among others, and brother to
21
both The Flying Monk and to the great wizard
Snidar, who's tower seclusium is sometimes called
"Bosero's Tower" due to his frequent stays there.
Though the wizard is long dead, some say Bosero
lives there still, but the tower is surrounded by
deadly yellow mist which no one entering has ever
returned from. Bosero's prowess as a fighter is all
the more remarkable considering his sole weapon
was and is a wooden hammer of the type used to
open kegs. Bosero has always been an insatiable
consumer of alcohol but its effect on Bosero, aside
from the usual, is to greatly multiply the deadliness
of his hammer blows. He is generally a seemingly
careless and bumbling god who pines for days of
old, In truth he cares very much about Blackmoor,
but has long been frustrated by being ineffective
against the Egg of Coot, his greatest enemy. Bosero
is well and accurately informed on the Egg and the
land of Coot and he is immune to the Coot's mental
power provided he is well sauced, though it greatly
hurts his head to resist the Coots attacks, preventing
him from ever getting near to the Egg itself.
Insellageth
Symbol: The Eye of the Dragon
Insellageth is also known as “Father Dragon” and
"Lichis", a shortened form of his name sometimes
used in the southern Flanaess. This greatest of
dragons sleeps usually, and few have ever dared
disturb him. It is said that his lair in the dragon hills
is a virtual city of warrens tunnels and lesser drakes
who hold him in the highest place of honor.
The Pygmalion
Symbols: Pink Orchids and Red Silk
It is debated if she deceased a very long time ago or
if she was only temporarily trapped. It is unknown if
she actually grants priestly powers. The legends say
Pygmalion arose on the mysterious Pinnacles of
Azor Alq, where her temple, and even the goddess
herself, may yet be. From this secluded location she
spread her message of "Make love, not war"
throughout Blackmoor and nearby regions along beast remains strong in the north. Some say he yet
with her religion of peace, beauty and free love. lairs under the ruins of Northwatch Tower.
Pygmalion, as her statues will attest, was a spirited
woman of remarkable beauty and sensuality, which
is what no doubt caught the eye of the Gin of Salik. Zugzul
The Gin was a powerful magical being who worked Symbol: Flame
his way into Pygmalion's inner circle only to capture
Zugzul, god of fire, is the Afridhi name for
her and force her into his seraglio. It is unclear
Pyremius. In another world he is known as
what happened next. Some say she escaped, others
Vimhula. Zugzul believes himself to be the rightful
that she was rescued but cursed to eternal slumber,
ruler of all.
others that the Gin has her still or that he chases her
across worlds, or that they are all long dead.
Uzu Kul
Symbol: A Kraken or Tentacles.
Dark Lords
The great ancient kraken of Blackmoor Bay, Uzu
Kul is an immortal elder god of the deep with few
Id worshippers above the cold waves of the northern
seas, but perhaps many beneath it.
Symbol: Black whirlpool
Id is a dark and mysterious elder god who's cult
appeals to the meanest of souls. Scholars consider
Id to be none other than Tharizdun or some aspect
thereof. An ancient abandoned temple to Id sits on
a hill just Northwest of Blackmoor town. The place
is said to have secret passages that connect to
Blackmoor dungeon. There in these ancient ruins,
sitting plainly visible on a pedestal, rests the sun
jewel, a magical orb that radiates sunlight both day
and night. No one dares take it however, for those
who have tried have died horribly - unless they
return the jewel within a day. The jewel has an
SETTLEMENT GUIDE
invisible guardian, a ceaseless, invisible tracker who
never fails to get back the treasure it guards. The population of the Northern Marches has greatly
fluctuated over time. Peak population of 475,000
was reached around the reign of Queen Maragain
Chamber and has since declined, at times quite dramatically
Symbol: none due to the various wars and misfortunes that have
beset Blackmoor. The current population of the
Chamber is dragon, a son of Insellegeth said to be Northern Marches is around 110,000. Only
immortal like his father. He lacks his father’s Zeailand has retained a stable population figure.
tolerance of non-dragonkind and works to enslave Because population numbers in Blackmoor have
all others to his race. However Chamber has not changed over time, city and town numbers are not
been seen or heard of in years. Rumors abound that specified here. Instead settlements are described
Chamber was slain long ago, but fear of this dread using the following scheme:

22
Hamlet - decentralized settlement of 100-600 engage in. The people have a wide latitude for
persons pursuing means of financial gain, vice, and exotic
pleasure. Strict discipline is however enforced
Village - centralized settlement of 100 -1000
among the militia to ensure the protection of the
persons
diamond mines and shipments. Celate boasts
Town - centralized settlement of 1000 - 8,000 excellent Pikemen. Some of the most powerful
persons magic users of the North can be found here, where
City - centralized settlement of 8,000 + persons they are free to perform whatever experiments they
please with no questions asked. Slaves and peasants
make up the majority of the population, Drug use is
rampant and encouraged by the authorities. Life in
Starport is dominated by public spectacle,
THE MARCHES
debauchery, drug use, wild parties and various
decadent forms of entertainment. Celate is also
notorious for its unusually high population of sirens
and the nominally human inhabitants of the
Wolfwood are nearly all werewolves. Celate was a
large territory initially, taking in all the land west of
the Misauga river to the Burneal Forest and
Superstition mountains. Much of this territory was
comprised of the volcanic badlands known as the
Barrens of Karsh, but also included arable land
around the Misauga.

Barrier Swamp
THE MARCH OF CELATE
The continuation of the Gloomfens swamp on the
west bank of the Misauga, the Barrier Swamp is so
Population 9,000; (human 75%, hobbit 9%, elf named because it separates Dantrefaer from Celate.
5%, sirens 4%, dwarf 3%, others 3%). The swamp has few human inhabitants, but is
Authority Figures: Baron Deuce Kligan known to harbor large colonies of gatormen and
other nasties. Numerous ruins of the ancient Groda
Inspector Lorio, civilization have been reported there also.
Master of the Mines

A libertine land in the Superstition range in the

northeast of Blackmoor commonly known as the
"Duchy of the Peaks" to the locals. The chief
settlement is the thoroughly decadent city of
Starport. The land counts its wealth in diamonds
and slaves. The city exists primarily to exploit the
rich diamond mines in the mountains and as long as
the mines remain productive, the rulers of Celate
care little what debaucheries the bored population
23
Bittergreen March Camp the roughly 6 months of winter Sherpur becomes
practically deserted with all but a fraction of the
A small keep maintained by the baron as both a
population retreating to Starport and other cities.
waystation for trappers and tiger hunters traveling
into the Burneal Forest and a first defense against
incursions by monsters.

Fenrok Tor
Monument
Site of prehistoric standing stones where legends
say Ur-Flan adepts called forth fiends and
elementals. Others say the place functions as a
barrier preventing the Black Ice from flowing over
Blackmoor. Likely Fenrok Tor had additional
significance to its builders now lost, or perhaps kept
secret.
Starport
City
As gateway to the richest diamond mines in Celate,
Starport functions as the seat of power in the
region. It began long ago as a decadent boom town
when the diamond mines were first discovered, and
its character has only worsened since. Starport is
home to every vice and few virtues.
The city itself sits high in a mountain pass, guarding
access in and out of the Superstitions. It is a walled
city, roughly circular, with a tall and well built keep
in the center, raised during the reign of the
Vadeleys.

Superstition Mountains
Perhaps unrivaled for sheer majesty, these tallest
peaks of Blackmoor are largely unexplored, at least
Sherpur as far as sages are concerned, though a few daring
Town illegal miners and prospectors continue to delve
further in every year chasing diamonds and gems.
The town of Sherpur is the common point of access
The rulers of Celate however are extremely harsh on
in and out of Celate and a major hub for trade. Like
illegal mining activities, and those who are caught
Starport, it is a renowned den of iniquity, but also a
are publicly flayed alive or used as live bait in public
veritable town wide bazaar of shops and merchants.
gladiatorial games. The steep mountains themselves
Next to Mosshold, there is no better place in the
are ice capped year round and a natural danger to
north to shop. The town is unwalled but there is a
any who would venture in, being prone to avalanche
decent sized keep to which the citizens will flee in
and home to giants, dragons, taers, and other such
any attack. Sherpur is the northernmost navigable
monsters. Of course, it is also well known the
port on the west bank of the Misauga river. During
24
mountain glades of the Superstions, especially when
awash in summer wildflowers, are a haven to
Sirens, and many a would be prospector has fallen
victim to their song. Travelers' tales also claim men
have been driven mad there by even stranger things
and ancient powers said to haunt cold forgotten
valleys and rime covered caves. One legend even
claims the Throne of the Gods is here.

Wolf Wood
In character, the Wolf Wood to the east of the
Superstitions is a continuation of the Burneal Forest
to the west, however, it is so called not only
because of the abundance of wolves who live there,
but worgs and werewolves also. The werewolves
are many, but they are organized into competing
clans at war with each other. This fact has long
kept them from expanding out of the wood. A few
hardy humans dwell on the fringes as do grugach
elves. To the grugach, the wood is sacred and plays
an integral part in their lives. Upon attaining a
certain maturity and being deemed to be ready,
grugach youth from all over Blackmoor travel deep
into the Wolf Wood for an annual rite of passage
that involves the single-handed killing of a werewolf
and returning with its' flayed skull.

25
THE MARCH OF COOT

Population 12,000; (troll 30%, others 28%, orc

22%, human 19%, elf 1%)
Authority Figures: The Egg
The Red Wizards
Coven

The Realm of the Red Wizards is a place filled with

thick disorienting mists, twisted thickets of mutated
bushes, thorny plants, and foreboding sentient trees.
The land is harsh and fowl and filled with dark
places. Blackened plains of barren rock or rough
and thorny areas are interspersed with foreboding
woodlands such as the Forest of the Druj and the
Weirdring Woods - dark and sinister places, where
even plantlife seems hostile. Details are sketchy, for
no one has gone to the land of Coot and returned
except its thralls. Attempts to scry or teleport
Etana
within have been thwarted by wards and scrambling
spells. Thus hardly anything is known beyond the Town
names of a few cities. It is said that before the A walled town about which little is know except it
coming of the Egg the land of the Red Wizards was is said to be the home of the Red Wizards Coven.
guided by a coven sisterhood of the nine witches.
Once a year when the moons, Celene and Luna,
came in to a certain conjunction with the Oerth, the Mekbuda
Nine Red Sisters passed into a separate plane of
City
existence where they spoke with the dead and
enacted secret rituals. Such sisters, and all the Red Populous, heavily fortified, and smoggy, Mekbuda
Wizards and Witches remaining, are now thralls of hosts the Eggs extensive steel making and metallugy
Coot. industries. Here, iron ore mined from the nearby
Locust hills is smelted and processed into the finest
steels in all of Oerth. The industrial processes
Amber Mere through which the Egg accomplishes this feat is one
One of Blackmoor's largest lakes, the Amber Mere of the great secrets of his realm. Nevertheless, Coot
is a calm, cold water. Sahaugin are known to have steels are a valued commodity and the chief source
once inhabited its depths and some may still dwell of outside income for the Egg.
there.

26
 Trollsgate
Town
The only humans in this large town are slaves.
Trolls and other monsters dominate the population.
Trollsgate is also home to a small fishing fleet and
what is sometimes jokingly called Coots Navy.
These are small oared longboats of modest
construction used to ferry persons and supplies
across and around Reeva Bay.

THE MARCH OF DANTREFAER

Ohmfet
Population 13,000; (human 79%, dwarf 8%,
City
hobbit 5%, elf 5%, treent 2%, half-elf 1%)
The last navigable port on the east side of the
Authority Figures: ArchBaron Bestmo
Firefrost Channel, Ohmfet is a squalid and sprawling
city and the final dumping ground for many of the The Regency
thralls of Coot enslaved from other lands but no Council
longer of use to the Egg. The trade district in
Ohmfet is one of the few places in Coot that
foreigners are tolerated, but only just long enough
to conduct business and be gone.

Thuban
Town
Thuban - The Egg's Nest - sits on a plain on Reeva
bay, dotted with low dome shaped, semi-
subterranean dwellings or hives of some unknown
use. A single large dome dominates the center of
the city wherein dwells the egg. It is believed that Barrens of Karsh
much of the population of Thuban is automatons of
one sort or another; android, undead, constructs, The Barrens of Karsh is a broken land of low hills,
and mixtures of such, their true nature, it is said, windswept plains, and volcanic vents. It is not a
kept concealed beneath heavy dark robes. true desert, as rain and snow do fall there, although
with limited frequency. Overgrazing from Pehswah
herds of grazers, horses, and sheep have turned
some areas into eroded rocky plains while in other
areas the constant frost and freeze of the north have
cracked the land into vast fields of mossy hillocks

27
that are very difficult to travel through. Steam vents
and sulferous pools can also be found in various
places throughout the Barrens. Somewhere in the
Barrens once existed a gateway to the plane of fire
known as the Well of Souls. This place was sacred
to the Afridhi, but rumor has it that it was destroyed
or buried during the wars with Uther.
Dantredun
Village
Dantredun is an oasis in the heart of the Barrens and
one of the few places where the water isn't tainted
with sulfur. The deep freshwater pond here has
long attracted those who travel the area and so men
long ago claimed and fortified the place.
Under Archbaron Bestmo the settlement has been
much improved, While the old three story tower is
still maintained, Bestmo built an entirely new walled
keep on a low rise about 100 yards to the north of
the pond. The keep consists of a very large walled
courtyard and support buildings with a central
gatehouse and four heavy round towers on the
corners. In the rear center rear of the castle rises
the 6 story keep. This project took nearly twenty
years to complete and stretched the resources of the
archbarony to the limit but no one complained with
the ever present threat of the Egg of Coot looming
over them.
The castle is manned by approximately 140 light
infantry and another 60 heavy infantry. The
Archbaron's greatest strength lies in his heavy
28
cavalry, a crack and hardened band of veteran
cavaliers. The rest of the barony relies primarily on
local militia raised as needed by the underbarons
and while lacking in discipline, these conscripts are
often hardened frontiersmen and together form a
fairly high quality force.
The remainder of the town is small and picturesque,
consisting of about two score of stone and thatch-
roofed houses and smallholdings spread around the
oasis. There is no Inn, but food and lodging may be
found at the hall in the old keep. All but the most
destitute of foreign visitors will be welcomed at the
castle, where they will be expected to stay so
Bestmo can keep an eye on them. The single store
in Dantredun also rents tents for the tenting grounds
by the oasis used by the nomadic Peshwah herders
in the area, and lastly those of meager means just
passing through often sleep in the archbarons's
stables with their mounts for an extra copper a
night. The stables are east of the castle and consists
of ten buildings capable of stalling 400 horses if the
need arises.
Dearthkettle Keep
Hamlet
Once an Afridhi stronghold known as Fort Wazir,
Dearthkettle Keep is an imposing but small structure
consisting of a central round tower and thick
circular curtain wall. The place is sturdy, despite its
age, but often shrouded in fog. The nearby volcanic
vents are active but stable. After the Afridhi defeat,
the place was taken over by a coven of green hags,
who remain there still and have wisely chosen to be
cooperative subjects of the archbaron. They will not
attack any visitors immediately and will in fact seem
quite welcoming. They will however,
conversationally question travelers to determine who
they are and if they are known in Blackmoor. Most
travelers will find their stay with the hags to be
perfectly safe and even pleasant, however if the
hags determine that their visitors are not on the
archbaron's business or are weak and have no
particular connections to be concerned about, they
will attack and eat them. Tuocts who live near the
headwaters of the Green River consider the hags to
be semi-divine and go to them on occasion for
magical aid and divination.
Eaves Forest
The Eaves Forest has long been considered to be a
haunted wood, but has on occasion been a refuge
for bandits and outlaws. Grugach are known to
have settlements there also and along with
numerous treents, may be the primary source of the
haunting rumors. These grugach have tamed the elk
of the forest to use as mounts. They have even
developed a special breed for war, having long
antlers they sharpen and cap with spearheads. The
wood itself is dominated by spruce trees with a
lesser amount of birch and ash.
Khost Island
Surrounded by the frigid waters flowing down from
the Firefrost Channel and covered by marshes and
rough and broken terrain, Khost island has never
had much appeal for human or humanoid settlers,
though a fortified outpost did once, long ago, exist
here. Now sirens haunt the place, calling out to
boatmen from time to time as they pass upriver.
29
Misauga River
Though short, the Misauga is one of the most
important waterways in Blackmoor, serving as a
means of travel, commerce, and sustenance, and
historically as a barrier between west and east. The
Misauga begins just below Khost island and flows
south into the Great Mill Mere.
Octagern
City
Octagern sits on a long low hill covered with green
pastures rising gently out of the surrounding
swamp. It's elevation and isolation make it an
excellent fortified settlement, but these same
characteristics have also prevented the city from
ever growing very big. Octagern is surrounded by
strong stone walls and defended by a dominating
central keep. The city was conquered only once in
its long history, in a lightning nighttime raid by
Afridhi light cavalry who caught the inhabitants
unprepared, scaled the walls and rounded up the
sleeping leadership with hardly a fight. For a time
thereafter Octagern was little more than a fortified
slave camp. Though the bloodbath of beheadings
was horrific, it paled in comparison to the cleansing
that followed when the Afridhi were overthrown in
their final days. Nevertheless, of all the cities in the
north Octagern's citizens retain the strongest traces
of Afridhi blood, most notable in the higher
frequency of redheads than usual elsewhere.
Octagern generally is a dour and sleepy place with
little to recommend it to an adventuring band. The
militia of the city train harder than most, however
being so close to the lands of Coot and take their
job very seriously.
Ranshold
Town
When the ten bandit leaders successfully revolted
against the March of Celate and imperial authority,
they chose the city of Rhun as their capital.
Situated along the War Road on a peninsula dotted
with green pastures and sheltering hills, Rhun was a
prosperous and respectable capital - until Marfeldt
the Barbarian came. In the end, the
uncompromising barbarian had led the armies of the
Duchy of Ten Heroes to destruction and Rhun was a
smoking ruin purposely reduced to rubble by the
forces of the Great Kingdom as a pointed lesson. It
was to these very ruins that the cyborg Ahfoo came
when he fled from the Egg. Here with the aid of his
technomagic, he single-handedly built a walled
Keep, proclaimed himself the new lord of the area
and began styling himself as "The Rhun Ahfoo"
which to the locals sounded like, and thus quickly
became, The Ran of Ahfoo. The keep then became
known as Ran's hold. Militarily, Ranshold was an
efficient and well situated design that has stood the
test of time. The archbaron maintains a garrison
there to guard against incursions from the forces of
the Egg, and small raids coming down the War
Road are common. Aside from the keep there are
few other buildings due to the frequency of the
Egg's raids, but there is a smithy and stables and a
small tavern.
Ren
Village
Ren is a small settlement built around a traveler's
inn where the road to Lyntok diverges from the
Bittergreen March road. A wood palisade with a
single gate open from sunup to sundown surrounds
the inn and houses which altogether number less
30
than a dozen. The inn has a small general store and
stables.
Rusagern
Town
Rusagern began as a trading post established by the
once powerful Degern family out of Octagern. Here
merchants met with Peshwah to exchange goods -
and engage in all the other sorts of things that
happen at such places. Trade was prosperous and
soon the settlement grew into a decent sized walled
town - which was sacked and raised during the
Afridhi invasion. Likely due to it's strategic location
at the time, the Afridhi then proceeded to build
smithies and foundries here for the production of
weapons and tools for their armies. Slag from all
the metalworking litters the ground around
Rusagern to this day. Though abandoned for a time
following the Drakkon’katha invasion, surviving
former residents returned and Rusagern was soon
resettled. Now the town has no greater number of
smithies than any other and most trade with the
Peshwah takes place at Dantredun, leaving
Rusagern's economy more locally based. Though
the place is no longer the boom town it once was,
Rusagern is a stable, walled town, fairly typical and
average in all respects.
Silverbell
Town
Silverbell is a small walled town and the only
settlement on Tiger island. The inhabitants are
mostly fishermen and some hunters and trappers,
and are known to be an especially resilient people,
having survived the many disasters that have
befallen Blackmoor over the centuries, more or less
intact.
Some credit is due to the magical bell for which the
town is named. The bell sits in a high bell tower in
the church of the Wellwish Way in the center of the
town. When rung, a Bless spell covers the entire the towering fortress of the Ran of Ahfoo is a mere
town and affects all who are in it. heap of stones. On the hill just west of the city
another ruin surrounded by a collapsed wall marks
Following the fall of Blackmoor town to the forces
the location of the Ran's infamous dragon breeding
of Coot, the Church of the Wellwish Way in
complex. Here a few scatterings of dragon bones
Silverbell became the home of the Carmichaelite
can be found amid the debris.
Patriarch. The Carmichaelites have not seen eye-to-
eye with the new Regency Council - in large part
because the re-constituted council at Dantredun did
not see fit to invite the new Bishop - the previous
one having been killed in the Coot invasion - to THE MARCH OF ERAKS
join the council as had traditionally been the case.
Archbaron Bestmo is likewise not on their list of
favorite people, because upon his maturity, he Population 19,000; (human 70%, dwarf 12%, elf
choose not to support the church's claim to a seat 9%, half-elf 5%, treent 3%, others 1%).
on the council. Nevertheless the current bishop Authority Figures: Baron Irkswyn Rall,
does support the archbaron and the Regency wererat, thrall of Coot
Council generally as the legitimate government and
Menandar Ithamis, King
far better alternative to becoming thralls of Coot.
of the Elves

Starmorgan
City
When the Ran of Ahfoo became High Lord of Ten,
he decided to leave Ranshold and build a new city
deeper within the territory and more suiting to his
grandeur. Thus he built Starmorgan in the foothills
overlooking the Glenfinan valley a few miles west
of where the Green River joins the Misauga.
Starmorgan was like no other city in the north,
being laid out in a rigid and methodical pattern,
"perfectly" divided into sections and subsections
with the high fortress of the Ran and Tenian
Archlis
government in the exact center. Though the Afridhi
sacked the city, they quickly made repairs and it Town
became the center of their operations against Uther Archlis is a small and picturesque hillside fishing
and so it became their final battleground. Uthers town. It is and always has been save for a brief and
forces besieged Starmorgan in 390 CY. Victory terrible moment in the Mage Wars, one of the most
seemed inevitable until the Drakkon'katha appeared peaceful, unchanging and idyllic places in all of the
and attacked both sides indiscriminately. At least north. A small ruined keep on a hill above town,
some of Uthers forces were able to retreat, but the once the home of the Gannets (a minor noble
last of the Afridhi, trapped within the city, were family) adds to the charm of Archlis. The pace of
wiped out. Starmorgan now is an overgrown ruin. life is slow here, though every once in a while
Its perfectly aligned streets are buried in rubble and

31
rumors of pirates, merfolk, or monsters from the
Redwood cause a stir among the residents.
Erak
Sunken City
Like the march of Eraks, the city of Erak is named
after the savage Flan tribe who once inhabited the
area. The compact but well-built city of Erak long
served as the satellite port for Bramwald through
which all sea traffic would pass making Erak a
wealthy hub of commerce in prosperous times.
However, when the seismic upheaval preceding the
5th Coot invasion hit, being so close to the edge of
that event, Erak suffered greatly from the quake
and tsunami resulting from the Eggs' awful spell.
Her grand buildings and cobbled streets were
inundated, and remain so still. The water depth
varies from only ten to forty feet, leaving the taller
buildings and those in shallower areas standing
above the waterline. Erak is a ghost town, but
merfolk swim her streets and more sinister creatures
lair in the dry rooms of the taller buildings.
Bramwald
Town
As Mosshold is the economic powerhouse of the
north so Bramwald was her stalwart counterpart.
Bramwald long acted independently, but economic
ties kept her from ever formally breaking away from
Mosshold and the rest of the march of Eraks. Much
of the trade to Mosshold went through Bramwald
first, both by land and sea through the ports of
nearby Erak. This was especially true regarding the
commerce of dwarven goods from the Stormkiller
mountains and Uberstars realm. These items
included intricate jewelry, magical weaponry, and
Blackmoor's famous gems. At the time, the
dwarven quarter of Bramwald was active and
prosperous and many dwarves choose to live there
and do business, at least for a time. Bramwald
stood out as a cultured, cosmopolitan city in a
32
backward corner of the Flanaess. Well protected
behind a tall wall dotted with towers encircling the
city, the slate roofed buildings of Bramwald
reflected the trends and styles of Aerdi, as did the
clothing and culture of the populace in general.
Bramwald, strong and proud, was laid low at last in
the 5th Coot invasion when the earthquake that tore
out the nearby Crystal Peaks shook the very
foundations of the city and the giant tsunami that
followed swept all but a few survivors to a watery
doom. Today, much of proud Bramwald remains in
ruin, but not all is abandoned. Thralls of Coot
haunt the place like wraith from a bygone age. The
Tagus family who long ruled the city, fled
southward for good, but new leadership has arisen,
who, under the influence of the Egg, have built
upon the old city a sort of ramshackle town. The
singular benefit to Bramwald of the seismic
upheaval, was that it brought the shore much nearer
to the city - near enough for a shallow port.
Though all the dwarven trade has moved elsewhere,
peasants eke out a living in the nearby fields and
forests, and the new port is active with fishermen.
The fishing is good and a few have made tidy sums
in the growing saltfish trade across the northern
waters, helping to sustain the small but growing
populace. Bramwald may one-day regain some of
her former grandeur.
Crab Island
As the favored spawning ground of Giant Crabs,
this island is uninhabited and wild.
Haven Peaks
These tall and steep mountains south of Mosshold
are usually avoided as there is little to recommend
them for settlement. The Haven Peaks are indeed a
haven for monsters, lycanthropes, taers, trolls ,
ogres and others, including a colony of remarkably
insular dwarves, although they will sometimes seek
out merchants from Mosshold to act as middlemen
for the sale of gems they mine in the mountains.
Jackport
City
Jackport was a thriving, if small city built on the
coast halfway between Bramwald and Mosshold.
Its proximity to the Redwood also attracted elves
who came to the city for reasons ranging from
trade, to curiosity to base entertainment, or
sometimes to drop off an unwanted half-elf child at
the Carmichelite orphanage. Naturally, Jackport
also supported a thriving thieves guild. All of that is
history now, for the city lies in ruins. Her once busy
port is a rocky overgrown plain. When the Egg of
Coot unleashed its massive Move Terrain spell in
prelude to the 5th Coot invasion, the land east of
Jackport rose, leaving her entirely landlocked. from the city having shifted entirely to Al 'Cocer.
Today, Jackport is a city of the dead, infested with Trade with the Zeai continues, but at a somewhat
roaming packs of skeletons and surrounded by thick reduced volume as better prices can be had in Al
fog. Vampires are said to lord it over the place. 'Cocer. As a result the population and wealth of
Rumors also persist that the undead elven sorcerer the city has dropped steadily and continues to
Tellert - old Blackbones - has escaped from burial plummet.
beneath his ruined fortress only a few miles outside
The city is divided into several districts. "The
the collapsed city walls, and is once again a curse
Shallows" in the north adjacent the port is both the
upon the land.
busiest and the most crime ridden of the districts.
In the wealthiest district, the baronial mansion and
government buildings surround a grand courtyard.
Mosshold
Stylistically these buildings are unusual in
City Blackmoor being long rectangular structures with
Mosshold is an ancient city, surrounded by massive slate roofs and pebble-dash exteriors with unusually
and thick walls of black stone. Blessed with ornate decorative elements.
arguably the best port in all the north, and the only The initial seismic upheaval in the last Coot invasion
port west of Al 'Cocer capable of taking the bigger, cracked a few stones but did no serious damage to
deep drafted vessels, it has long been the hub of Mosshold, and the moment it became apparent the
business and banking and is the home of the Egg was wining, the Rall family switched sides,
infamous Merchants Guild. The guildhall is an remaining loyal thralls of Coot unto the present.
impressive stone building and houses the only Mosshold suffered little during any of the Coot
dependable and wealthy bank in Blackmoor. The invasions, Though some vestiges of her former
Rall family dominates both the guild board and the glory remain, under Coot's rule Mosshold has
politics of the city, using their wealth to secure their become a city in steep decline. Once an impressive
position and to buy off enemies when necessary. bastion of civilization in the far cold north, empty
Traditionally, Mosshold's wealth derived partly from and abandoned buildings now blight every
the lucrative fur, ivory, and amber trade with the neighborhood, crime is rampant, and the population
Zeai, and partly from whaling. Since the Coot is dwindling.
takeover however, whaling has all but disappeared
33

Redwood Forest
Home to the Cumasti wood elves, the Redwood is
an old growth forest dominating the land between
the Stormkiller Mountains to the south and the
Haven Peaks to the north. The wood is majestic
and impressive but not dangerous to those whom
the elves will tolerate. There are many lesser trails
within the wood but only a single road - the Elf
Road - passes all the way through the forest. The
elves permit very little timber cutting, but do harvest
a limited amount of the highly valued darkwood.
This wood is naturally black, will take a beautiful
finish, and carves cleanly. The tree only grows in
certain areas of black soil within the forest. Though
the elves may be found throughout the forest,
Cumasti are noticeably less commonplace in the
southernmost reaches approaching the Stormkiller
mountain. Here an ancient green dragon dwells.
To the southwest, as one approaches Archlis, a
section of the forest known as Norriswood is home
to a band of the Westryn Grugach elves. Westryn
and Cumasti keep their distance, but the forest is
big enough that contact is rare.
Ringlo Hall
Hamlet
Ringlo Hall is the court of Menander Ithamis, king
of the Cumasti wood elves. As a grand palace of
wood and stone, it is a testament to delicate and
aspiring architecture that seems to almost blend
with the forest. Ringlo Hall incorporates living trees
34
and forest glades into its structure, making it hard to
tell where forest ends and palace begins. The place
is a wonder to behold, but that privilege is reserved
to guests of the elves.
In addition to the grand hall itself there is a
network of nearby villages and towers hidden
among the trees within a half day's journey and
pathways only elven eyes will readily see leading to
other villages throughout the Redwood.
Stormkiller Mountains
The name of these mountains is descriptive rather
than imaginative. The tall steep peaks, among the
tallest in the north, rise like spearpoints to peirce the
sky, forming a weather barrier that effectively halts
the storms sweeping down from the northwest,
resulting in an abundance of pools, streams and
runoff during summer. Spring comes late to the
Stormkillers and for more than half the year, thick
snow and ice crowns the peaks. As the southern
Redwood meets the broken foothills of the
Stormkillers, the abundant moisture feeds giant trees
and rushes through rocky gorges lined thick with
bushes, brambles and ferns. Ancient monsters
scarcely seen elsewhere roam the forest, some of
which are mere fodder for the ancient green dragon
who dwells here. She is a legend of many names
and none, and perhaps not the only one of her kind
in the southern Redwood and foothills of the
Stormkillers.
As rough and wild as the Stormkillers may be, The Zvenzen Clan at Williamsfort
Uberstar Kazakhum long ago established a thriving
The wrath of Coot went nearly unchecked against
dwarf colony there. Known as the Northern
the Zvenzen family. Though a portion of the family
Delving, these mines are extensive, and a principal
survives, trapped within the Comeback Inn, all the
source of gems and precious metals in the north.
Zvenzens at Newgate died either first in the tsunami
They are overseen by Uberstars' cousin and steward,
that followed the seismic upheaval the Egg caused
the jovial and intellectual Lortz Karhnundrhum.
or they were slaughtered in the subsequent invasion.
Those at Williamsfort were too far inland to be
much affected by earthquakes and tsunamis but
Williamsfort
were overrun and slaughtered none the less. Sir
Town Fang led the attack on Williamsfort, and while most
Williamsfort is among the oldest settlements of of his enemies were killed outright some were
Blackmoor, but it remains a modest town "spared" and turned to subservient vampires - in
surrounded by grasslands. Winter snows are harsh part because there were two of Fants' own
here. Snowfalls of four to six feet are not descendants among them. The vampires now
uncommon. Stout timber-frame buildings set on cut infesting Williamsfort are these:
stone foundations dominate the town. Even the
temples and the barons's keep are primarily timber
Lady Claen Zvenzen - Vampire, Sister of Nyrandyr
structures. The Grim Maiden tavern is the largest
and Hathrick, daughter of Lord Oscar Zvenzen,
stone building in town standing three stories tall,
appears to be 58 years old.
but even this building is stone only for the first two
floors. The buildings are indeed picturesque but
they are also frequently rebuilt, due to the cheap
Lord Lance Fant, Vampire, grandson of Baron Davit
and abundant supply of replacement timber from
Fant (Sir Fang), appears to be 63 years old.
the nearby Stormkillers.
Dorcas Fant, Vampire, daughter of Lance and lover
The economy is pastoral, the surrounding land being
of Lorard Zvenzen, appears to be 16 years old.
ideal for the grazing of sheep and shaggy grazers.
Williamsfort is a cattle-town, known in the north Lord Nicolas Zvenzen Vampire, brother of Lord Otis
not only for having some of the most skilled Zvenzen, uncle of Lord Oscar Zvenzen, appears to
carpenters, but also for producing some of the best be 42 years old.
meats and cheeses.

Lady Livy Zvenzen, Vampire, wife of Lord Nicolas,

Though not large or as influential as more well mother of Lorard and Ingak appears to be 41 years
known cities in Blackmoor, Williamsfort is not a old.
sleepy town. Williamsfort occupies a central
location in what was once known as "The Valley of
Lorard Zvenzen, Vampire, son of Lord Nicolas,
the Kings" from the old days of the kingdom
appears to be 14 years old.
founded by Robert of Genyva. Bounded on the
north by Blackmoor castle, the west by the Peaks of
Booh, the east by the Redwoods and the south by
Ingak Zvenzen, Vampire, daughter of Lord Nicolas,
the Wurm Channel, this area is dotted with cattle
appears to be 7 years old.
ranches and small hamlets for whom Williamsfort is
a hub of business and government.
35

THE MARCH OF GLOOMFENS
Population 8,000; (human 88%, frogfolk 9%,
other 3%).
Authority Figures: Baron Tasker Fenstein, thrall
of Coot
Baron Evard Vernek,
trapped in the Comeback
Inn
Boggy Bottom
Village
The Root Channel Flows west out of the Great Mill
Mere into the Blood Mere, forming the only access
for water travel between the two. The dingy port
town of Boggy Bottom is strategically situated at the
point where the Root Channel empties into the
Blood Mere. Aside from being a convenient point
to control shipping, there is absolutely nothing to
recommend the place for human settlement. The
town is aptly named, resting in the middle of a
boggy lowland near the water, but with a deep
harbor and good anchorage. An ever present smell
of rotten eggs from many sulfurous springs
throughout the area, including a large one just north
of town known as the Stink Pit, further
compromises the towns attractiveness. Boggy
Bottom has never had anything but a bad
reputation. The citizens as a whole are far from
cultured, and likely as not to have at least some
experience with criminal activities. Looking the
other way is part of the job descriptions for
authorities in the Town.
36
Due to the fairly steady flow of trade, Boggy
Bottom does have an impressive market square
paved with cobbles and surrounded by taverns,
shops, and town offices. For bargains on almost
anything, provided you don't ask too many
questions, the adjacent Cheap street has few rivals
in the North. The locals and regulars in the taverns
there are a wonderful source of rumors and tales
from all over Blackmoor, and a few of them may
even be true. Boggy Bottom supports an impressive
amount of taverns and bars, some of which are little
more than a streetside stands. In fact the largest
building in town is a three story tavern known as
the Soggy Bog. Despite the seeming glut of these
"watering holes", they never seem wanting for
clientele.
Adjacent to the town there is also an old earth and
stone fortress with a decent central well. The
fortress was built during the Afridhi wars to watch
the lake and channel, and is no longer manned.
Instead it is filled with the ramshakle homes of
squatters.
Curiously, some of Blackmoor's best brewers and
meadmakers hail from Boggy Bottom. In part this is
due to the availability of grain shipped in from the
east. Blackmoor is far too far north for growing
grain, but demand for beer remains high, and Boggy
Bottom is a receptive port for shipments in and out
to the rest of Blackmoor. There being few other
economic resources in the area, a thriving brewing
industry arose. Most buildings around the town
have at least one barrel for the collection of the
abundant rain water used by most brewers.
Berne Mere
The Berne Mere is a picturesque lake surrounded by
swamp on all sides except the northeast where the
shore is met by the Westwood forest. The fishing
here is good and the waters calm. The lake was
once the scene of a famous winter battle between
Uther and the forces of Ten in which Uther led a
victorious charge across the frozen lake.

Frog Town
Town
The swamp has long since reclaimed the ruins of
this place, but it was here the frog cult established
their great temple and engaged in their nefarious
acts. The ruins are said to be haunted by a vampire
who was once a great leader of the cult. Rumors
that the cult has been revived and the temple rebuilt
are surely just campfire tales.
The Frog Cultists and Wastri
Southern chroniclers often confuse the cult of
Tsauthoggus with Wastrians. Nothing could be
further from the truth. As is often the case with
groups having some surface similarity, these two
distinct cults hate each other with a passion. The
frog cultists worship Tsauthoggus not Wastri, but
perhaps the most glaring difference between the
two is their view of humanity and demi-humans.
While Wastrians view humans as the pinnacle of
evolution, Frog cultists revile their humanity and
desire to become amphibian, engaging in gross
surgeries and magical transformations to "become
the Frog."
Great Mill Mere
The Great Mill Mere is one of the largest lakes in
Blackmoor but it also contains some of the largest
Islands - Frog, Mare, Toad, and Tiger islands
37
principally. The freshwater lake is fed by both the
Misauga and Root rivers and its surface is often
covered with mists rolling out of the Gloomfens.
The waters from the lake flow east along the deep
but narrow Root Channel to mix in the Blood Mere
with sea water flowing in from the Wurm Channel.
Lock Gloomen
Town
Lock Gloomen, aka "Lake Gloomy" began as a
great engineering project under a long forgotten
ancient king. The plan seems to have been to build
a canal between Berne Mere and the Misauga, or
perhaps south to the Big Muddy - nobody
remembers. The project died with the king and only
the town of Lock Gloomen, a short section of canal
and a lock were completed. The new town might
have died and reverted to the swamp, but Valarion
Aleford, baron of the March of Gloomfens
recognized the defensive advantages of the town
and made it his new seat.
Lock Gloomen is a damp and rainy place, but well
fortified with a tall stone wall surrounding the
settlement. A wide but shallow fosse filled with
stagnant, foul-smelling sulfurous water surrounds
the town which is itself raised several feet above the
adjacent land, giving it the appearance of an island
rising out of a lake. The edge of the fosse is further
ringed with fraise, adding to the towns defenses.
Plank roads lead in and out of the town and these
are regularly replaced. The streets of the town itself
are cobbled and served by an extensive system of
drains to cope with the rain in summer and
snowmelt in spring. The town has the usual
amenities but also boasts a prosperous herbal and
alchemical industry dealing in the exotic plant and
mineral bounty the swamp provides.

Dangers of the Gloomfens
In the warmer months when the ice has thawed the
Gloomfens become particularly hard for outsiders to
navigate due to a near constant fog that often
obscures the sky. Navigation is further complicated
by the presence of a great deal of compass-wrecking
of bog iron, often appearing as patches of rusty red
oozing out of the mud as if the earth itself is
bleeding.
Within the Gloomfens, the Tuoct natives contend
with frogfolk, marsh ogres and marsh goblins for
resources, but when the mists are especially thick an
even more terrifying creature haunts these
swamplands. Known variously as thouls or as
wrights in some older sources, scholars believe this
creature is a form of undead troll with
characteristics similar to both ghouls and wights (Hit
Dice: 7). These foul creatures have grey, rope like
hair, pupiless yellow eyes and green, hairless skin.
They are able to regenerate damage and regrow lost
limbs (1 HP/round) and are unaffected by either
normal metal weapons or by holy water. Burning
oil or other fire only does half damage to thouls.
However, they can be turned, and sunlight causes
38
visible harm (1 HP/round) which is not regenerated,
but will eventually heal (1 point per day). Thouls
have paralysing claw strikes, one attack per new
opponent. Successful hits paralyse for 21-40
minutes. Failure to paralyse after a hit means the
target is unaffected by that particular thoul. Thouls
hate Elves and fairies, who are both immune to their
paralysing attack. Thouls have sharp senses,
especially smell, useful in hunting victims in the
foggy swamps.
The bipedal amphibian frog folk aka froglin are
ubiquitous throughout the swamp and their
voracious young, known as tadrits, are especially
dangerous to anything unfortunate enough to
encounter a school of them in the water. Frog folk
are often accompanied by killer frogs whom they
use as hunting companions.
Deeply buried in the muck, ruins of the ancient
amphibian civilization of the Groda can also be
found throughout the Gloomfens. These ruins are
avoided religiously by the Tuoct when their
presence is known and it is said to be easier to steal
dragon's eggs than trying to get a Tuoct guide to
enter one. There is a presumed relationship
between the frog folk and this ancient civilization,
but opinions range from the frog folk being the
degenerate descendants of the Groda to the frog
folk being a re-creation/revival of the ancient race
by the frog cultists. Some claim both or neither are
true.
THE MARCH OF JENKINSLAND baron rules with an even hand and is not entirely
trusted by the Egg.

Population 2000; (human 79%, hobbit 9%, elf 5%,

dwarf 3%, gnome 2%, half-elf 1%, other 1%). Harbol

Authority Figures: Baron Bascom Ungulian, Hamlet

werewolf, thrall of Coot Harbol is a hardscrabble place of flat roof turf
houses and a single inn. The inhabitants, all dutiful
thralls of Coot like just about everyone else in the
Glendour
lands held by the Egg, are mostly sheep and grazer
Town pastoralists or else they are apple growers and the
Often shadowed in a thick fog, Glendower has two do not get along. A few others fish or hunt in
always been one of the key fortifications protecting the Coots Fen. A keep once guarded the place but
the North from external invaders. The small walled has been ruined and rebuilt so many times it is now
village is more of a fortress than a town, dominated a mere heap of stones. Once a year the hamlet
by a castle defended by catapults and cauldrons of brightens a bit with the annual Ramp Festival.
burning pitch. Outside these walls, clusters of the Locals gather ramps - a pungent root vegetable
flat roofed turf homes of the inhabitants spread in a related to onions - which grow wild in the boggy
lazy fashion across the landscape. Glendour is ground around the Coots Fen. These are used in all
austere, but does boast a life sized statue of the manner of cooked and baked goods - some of
Great Grey Dragon built above the tomb of the which are more successful creations than others.
beast. He was killed by the forces of the Egg of
Coot in while defending Glendour during the fourth
Coot invasion. There is also an ancient dungeon
beneath the town known to be haunted with ghosts
and the spirits of ages past. The dungeon is at least
three levels deep but is thought to be fairly small.
Many of the people here make their living off the
abundant natural resources of the land - fishing,
hunting, trapping - and through the keeping of
sheep. However, apple orchards form the basis of
the primary industry and can be seen doting the
landscape for several miles around Glendour. The
orchards chiefly grow a unique, cold-hardy variety
known as the Glendour Striped, used in everything
from pies to cider. Glendour cider, both hard
(alcoholic) and sweet (non-alcoholic) is a popular
beverage throughout Blackmoor and fetches a good
price.
The ruler of Glendour is the taciturn Baron
Ungulian, once a great hero, but now a servant of
Coot infected with Lycanthropy. Nevertheless the

39
Old North Watchtower likely still does, though no sighting of the god-beast
has been reported for years.
A tall stone tower guarding the Raider Road in days
of old, it is now inhabited by dragons and best
avoided by travelers.

Sage Tower
Learning and scholarship was much encouraged
during the reign of Ra-all and subsequent Andahars.
During that time a sage guild was formed and this
tower built as a somewhat secluded home for the
guild. The tower also served as a watchpost against
the Egg and was overrun by the forces of Coot
several times. It is now an abandoned ruin. Some
sources also refer to it as the Wizards Watch tower.

THE MARCH OF KESTON
Population 20,000; (human 50%, hobbit 18%, orc
13 %, elf 10%, dwarf 3%, treent 3% others 3%).
Authority Figures: Baron Davit Fant
` Dannic Olson
Merchant Kingpin
Shiremaster
Tallo Vonbil, thrall of
Coot
Black Mere
The largest lake in the north, Black Mere is deep,
dark and cold. The fishing is abundant year round,
although like the rest of Blackmoor's major lakes
Black Mere freezes over in winter. Sahaugin once
had settlements in these waters and may still. No
one has ventured in to the depths to see. The
ancient Kraken god Uzu Kul lived here and very
40
Blackmoor
Town
Mixed (human 49%, orc 39%, goblin 5%, troll 2%,
half-elf 1%).
Authority Figures: Baron Davit Fant (Sir Fang),
male human vampire, Dannic Olson, male gnome
merchant.
At its height in the golden age of Uther, Blackmoor
was a small city of several thousand. The
apocalypse of Coot in 541 CY put an end to that
grandeur and now only a scattering of ruins remain
outside of the old village core.
The gnomish merchant Dannic Olson - godfather of
the Merchant Mafia - watched much of his wealth
in Real Estate holdings go up in flames during the
5th Coot invasion as the forces of the Egg poured
into the earthquake ruined city. The forces of
Archbaron Pernold were overwhelmed following a
valiant but doomed fight - a fight that nevertheless
lasted long enough for his pregnant wife to escape
to safety and later give birth to Bestmo. Dannic, the
ever enterprising gnome immediately set up shop in
front of his half ruined tavern and offered free beer
to the conquering liberators, an act which not only
spared his life but also ensured his continuing role
as the main civilian power in the town.
Dannic slowly helped the village rebuild, to the
modest extent it has been, became the main
financier and now as a thrall of Coot, ended up with
even more power and property than he had before.
Baron Fant, back in charge under the Egg, knew
Dannic from of old and found his activities useful.
Dannic has become the de-facto leader of the town,
and the chief go between with Fant, and Fant's chief
lieutenant Brost Bulem, the orc leader.
Baron Fant had the original town walls rebuilt much
as it was when he was human and first became
baron, except that the walls are now much thicker
and more substantial, having been built from
materials scavenged from the ruined city buildings.
The city ruins remaining outside the town wall are
little more than heaps of moss covered stones and
weeds,
The town now contains some 40-50 wooden and
stone buildings of one or 2 stories. Though a
decidedly sleepy town during daylight hours, at
night, the place comes alive. Locals gather at the
Silver Dragon tavern for drinking and entertainment
or at the Gambling Den for other vices. Those not
interested in such activities often gather in each
others homes as added protection against the terrors
of the night. While Sir Fang does not hunt in his
own back yard, so to speak, there are still plenty of
creatures that haunt this place.
Some of these buildings are for storage or in use as
a communal bunkhouse by the orc guards. Others
are home to 1d8 villagers.
The Gambling Den, The Silver Dragon Inn, and the
Merchant Warehouse and General Store and all but
six of the houses are owned by Dannic Olson.
41
Dannic is a cool and calculating business gnome
who lately has been frequenting the gambling
house. Dannic has quarters above the Store.
Comeback Inn
The most famous building in Blackmoor, the
magical Comeback Inn consist of a three story
rectangular main building running east-west and an
adjoining stable attached on the northwest of the
main building and running north-south. The stable
entrance is actually below grade with a down-
sloping rampway leading to large double doors. the
first floor of the stable consists of a hayloft. It is
possibly to freely enter and exit the stable, and at
any given time horses may be found tethered inside
in stalls. There is no passage from the stable into
the inn.
The inn sits on a stone foundation which rises ten
feet above grade in the front. Wide steps lead up to
the front porch set ten feet off the ground, from the
porch double doors lead into the common room of
the building. These doors are the only way in or
out.
Currently the porch is occupied by a squad of
automaton, armed to the teeth. These thralls of
Coot have been patiently guarding the doors year
after year, awaiting the moment any of the inn's
occupants may dare to come out. They cannot enter
the building because who can enter and who can
leave is entirely under the magical control of the
Cripps family who own the inn and are trapped
inside, along with others who took refuge in the
building during the Coot invasion. The refugees
are thus trapped, as long as the automatons remain.
Graveyard
The graveyard has not been used in centuries and is
quite neglected. At one point the headstones were
leveled and covered over with a foot of fill to make
42
way for new buildings which were then plagued
with ghosts and eventually abandoned. However
Fant ordered the graveyard cleared and such
headstones as could be found restored. A small
mausoleum was built there to commemorate his
long dead wife, Lady Fant, aunt of Bascom
Ungulian. The mausoleum covers a secret passage
into a section of Blackmoor dungeon known as the
catacombs.
Horseman’s Court
This area is often occupied with the tents of
Peshwah nomads, travelers, and/or a troop of
Renee. At any given time, 2 - 24 faded tents and
travelers wagons cluster around the court.
There is not a lot of slave traffic in Blackmoor.
Slavery was long ago outlawed by the Regency
Council, but it is of course permitted within the
marches under the Egg's control and Baron Fant
encourages it, provided he is paid his tax of one
slave per shipment sent to Blackmoor castle. These
"payments", of course, are never seen again. There
is a 15% chance slavers could be camped here.
Piers
Moored at the piers are fishing boats of various
types and one small cargo vessel owned by Dannic.
Fish Market
A few stalls and booths are set up here by the
docks, but most fishermen selling their catch simply
set the fish on wood tables or in baskets. On any
given day there will be half a dozen fish sellers here.
Fish is the most common fare to be had in
Blackmoor town.
43
General Store
The large, two story warehouse and General Store
lies near the village square. The entrance faces
north towards Castle Blackmoor. Dannic Olson,
the owner, is well acquainted with Baron Fant, who
sometimes sends him requests for items. In addition
to everyday items, the store has all manner of
hardware: rope, caltrops, hurricane and bulls-eye
lanterns, rations, water skins, oats and fodder, ale
and wine and so on, at standard prices.
Dannic also runs a small bank, postal service, and
an "assurance" business out of the store. His
assurance business offers to store valuables for a fee
and ship these items along with any last messages
to any part of the land desired, should the
customer's luck run out. In the basement of the
General Store The merchant holds deposits
amounting to 4,000 gold pieces and 8,000 silver
pieces locked in five sturdy iron chests.
The store keeper and part time bank teller is a
talkative and unassuming man with a fairly neutral
disposition. However, he will defend the store
against any aggression. He considers the place his,
even though he is actually in the employ of Dannic
Olson. He is a 2nd level fighter and is well
equipped by Dannic with plate armor and a +1
shield he keeps behind the counter and a +1 sword
he carries at his waist. Also behind the counter he
keeps a handaxe, a dagger, and a loaded light
crossbow and 30 quarrels. A readied pack lies next
to the weapons containing 5 large sacks, iron
rations, a full waterskin, a flask of oil, 12 iron spikes
a bag of 1000GP and 2 gems, and 3 unidentified
magic potions.
Within the warehouse portion of the store, stocked
to the rafters, can be found 25 barrels of flour, 5
barrels of pickled beets, 20 barrels of salted meat,
25 barrels of salted fish, 10 barrels of oil, 19 casks
of wine, cider, and spirits, 5 casks of salt, 5 casks of
pressed fowl, 4 casks of sweet butter, 3 casks of
molasses, 10 casks of honey, and 50 bags of oats. 5
ten-foot diameter, six-foot width rolls of cloth in
earthen colors, 200 Grazer hides and several
hundred untanned pelts of fox, beaver, and mink.
The southern end of the warehouse is devoted to
weaponry. There are 10 casks of steel headed
arrows, 2 casks of halberd heads, 12 casks of sword
blades, 10 casks of spearheads, 10 unpainted steel
shields, 100 stacked shield bosses, 25 helmets, 20
chainmail shirts wrapped in oiled paper, 25 sets of
leather armor, 20 casks of quarrels, 1 bundle of
pike/spear staffs, 15 crossbows and 5 crates of 5
bows each.
Silver Dragon Inn
This two-story, limestone building is the favored
watering hole of most locals.
The staff of five local women is managed by
Kawee, the taciturn Tuoct bartender who lives on
the top floor.
At night, the north wing’s common room hosts 40
patrons. In his quarters just off the common room
Kawee keeps receipts amounting to 1000 gold
pieces in a locked ironbound oak chest.
Kymbeline’s
This two-story gambling and bawdy house owned
by Dannic offers games of chance run by
Kymbeline’s girls, all slaves specially trained in the
flesh pots of Starport who have been promised
freedom after a 10 year run. The games are all
rigged of course, but Dannic allows just enough
winners to keep the suckers coming back for more.
Kymbeline is a middle aged ex-slave who agreed to
stay on as manager after her 10 year stint was over
in return for a share in the lucrative profits.
44
Many think Kymbeline and Dannic are a couple - a
misunderstanding "Miss Kym" is happy to
encourage and which Dannic finds amusing. They
have played along with the "farce" for so long that
the two have practically become what they are only
pretending to be.
Church of the Wellwish Way
(AKA The wishy washy way)
The church of the Wellwish Way stands as an
impressive ruin in the center of town. The slate roof
has failed in several places and the bell tower is
broken off at the roofline. What once were perhaps
beautiful windows of stained glass along the long
sides of the building are now open holes. The large
front door is likewise an open gap, with remnants of
charred wood hanging from rusted hinges.
The main worship hall is empty of furnishing, aside
from a stone lectern toppled over and cracked. The
floor is littered with dead leaves, broken glass and
various bric a brac. On either side of the chancel, a
single door leads to a small bare room. The room
on the left has a door leading into the base of the
square bell tower and stairs leading up to the bell.
The room on right of the chancel has a set of stairs
down to an empty basement. A single flagstone in
the center of the basement floor is ajar, only
partially covering a shaft that leads into the 4th level
of Blackmoor dungeon. The only other thing of
note in the basement are empty wooden tuns which
once held wine.

Castle Blackmoor
Rising over fifty feet above the town, the black rock
upon which Blackmoor Castle is built is an
impressive geological edifice. On the lake side it is
a sheer cliff, but on the town side it is a mix of
steep rises and low cliffs with a single narrow road
winding up the hill to the castle gatehouse on the
eastern wall. In places here and there, cracks and
fissures in the rock ooze an oily black tar. The rock
has a dull sheen and will glisten in bright light, but
curiously seems to drink light in at the same time -
perhaps due to a high lead content. It is magical in
nature, but drawing on that power requires years of
study. Many a magic-user has found the rock to be
more of a hindrance than help to divination spells
being unable to penetrate the stuff.
The castle built atop this great rock is not an
especially large or architecturally impressive
construct. It appears ramshackle in places, and was
clearly renovated, remodeled and rebuilt many
times. The castle is built out of the same black rock
as the hill, no doubt mined from the many tunnels
and passages below. The oldest portion is a
rectangular, five story tower. Onto this was later
built a three story hall. The whole is surrounded
with a stone wall and three guard towers. Atop
each tower is mounted a "lightning thrower" laser
canon as defense against aerial attack. Somehow
this modest castle manages to seem daunting and
looms over the town like a long shadow.
45
The lord of the castle, the town, and the entire
march, is Lord Davit Fant a.k.a. Sir Fang the arch
vampire. Fant is a ninth level fighter, a ninth level
illusionist, and enjoys powers beyond those of usual
beings of his kind. He is especially impervious to
turning, and receives a saving throw at every
successful attempt.
Fant's heavies, whom he relies on for most mundane
work, are two dwarven vampires named Frick
Tanndon and Frack Glerndon. For jobs that may
require some extra muscle, Fant will send along an
incredibly strong vampire ogre named Gunge.
The castle is further manned by a menagerie guard
composed mostly but not entirely of several types of
orcs led by Brost Bullem, an Ahdit orc and self
styled orc king, though in reality he is merely
captain of the castle guard. At any given time,
Brost will have 30-180 soldiers at his command.
Blackmoor Dungeon
Beneath the castle, beneath the town, and beneath
even the surrounding countryside, lies the dungeon
and catacombs of Blackmoor. Centuries ago the
Bloody Duke expanded the dungeon to at least 10
levels deep, connecting in some places with natural
caverns, in others with passages older still. Why the
sadistic duke did this is unknown, but since the day
he was murdered in his own dungeon, the gigantic
underground warren has been a magnet for
creatures both evil and good. The dangers of the
dungeon are legendary, as are the rewards to be had
therein.
The main entrance to the dungeon is through the
basement of Blackmoor castle, but there are quite a
few others. Here is a map showing historically
known entrances which may or may not still exist.
The label in red indicated surface (0) followed by a
letter and the numbers of levels which may be Outside the town, East:
accessed by the entrance:

The Elf Stump

This large stump of some unknown tree never rots

and has been here for centuries. No one remembers
why it is call the elf stump or why it is apparently
incorruptible. It has long served as a roundezvous
spot however.

The University of Blackmoor

The central tower of the university was originally

built by the Great Svenny as his personal keep when
he first became a hero of Blackmoor. When Svenny
headed south to found Newgate, he gifted
"Svenson's Freehold" to a group of Blackmoor
scholars to found the University of Blackmoor. The
university thrived and grew, especially under the
patronage of King Uther, but was destroyed and
abandoned after the 5th Coot invasion. The ruins
here may hold many a secret, including an entrance
into Blackmooor Dungeon.

The Wizards Pit

Everyone avoids the 60 foot wide sinkhole known

as the Wizards Pit. Noxious vapors, and sometimes
Other entrances further afield are also known and
eerie sounds arise from the pit and snakes frequent
include:
the edges, strangely, in both winter and summer.
The pit is known to intersect with tunnels leading in
The graveyard to Blackmoor dungeon.

The Elf Stump

The Wizards Pit
The temple of ID
Basement of the Church of the Well Wish Way
Rumor has it that a tunnel also once existed beneath
the house of one of Blackmoor's heroes built near at
the base of the rock near the road to the gatehouse.
Wolfshead Pass
To the northeast of Blackmoor town, the Raider
Road passes between four long and very steep hills -
two on the east and two on the west which lie
between the Redwood forest and the Black Mere.
The path between these hills is known as Wolfshead

46
Pass. The pass is narrow but not especially the Sun. It may be freely removed from the
dangerous, although travelers do sometimes run pedestal, but if not returned in 24 hours, a ylth'yl
afoul of the giant, semi-intelligent vultures who nest will hunt down the offender and return it for them.
in the hills. Wolfshead Pass extends for some five
miles before exiting onto the downs. The ruins of
two towers once meant to guard the road stand at
the northern end of Wolfshead Pass.

Outside the town, West:

Sawmill

This building is in relatively good repair and is used

primarily to produce planks of high quality wood for
export, using saws powered by a waterwheel. Once
long ago there was a grain mill here that ground
imported grains, since no grain can be grown in the
northern marches, and the old millstones can be
found sunk half into the mud of the stream bank.
The sawyer is a dour, tall fellow named Alston. He
employs several goblins to help him with his work
and will loudly complain of their unreliability if
asked. He would gladly hire a strong PC or NPC
who showed an interest. The lumber racks currently
hold 50 20-foot long 8-inch oak planks, 100 20-foot
long six-inch oak timbers, and 100 20-foot long
foot-thick oak baulks.
The Ylth'yl is a shimmering creature of pure energy,
possibly related to the invisible stalker. The touch of
Temple of ID the Ylth'yl causes immediate unconsciousness if a
saving throw is failed. When the Ylth'yl encounters
Just west of Jenkins hill, rises another hill of similar
a target creature there is a one sixth minimum
size, covered in forest. A path leads up to the hill
chance on any successful attack that it will open its
from the main road and ends in an overgrown ruin
mouth incredibly wide, engulf and swallow the
of modest size. A few walls and scattered stones
victim in one swift move. That person will later
are all that remain of the temple building, but in the
awaken completely naked in a predetermined place.
courtyard a remarkably preserved semicircular
The Ylth'yl apparently digests all possessions of the
masonry hood covers a short pillar of the ubiquitous
victim.
black stone. Resting on the pillar is a fist-sized
sphere brightly glowing with what seems to be
sunlight. The hood softly reflects the light toward How the Jewel of the Sun came to be in the
the temple ruins. This orb is known as the Jewel of courtyard of the temple of Id, no one knows. The
47
cult was dedicated to the worship of the darkest evil
as manifested in the glorification of the most base
and selfish desires. They sought the blessings of
Tharizdun through their own peculiar doctrine of the
veneration of the Id.
Though the temple was destroyed by lawful wizards
ages ago. Many of the cultists survived due to the
extensive dungeon beneath, connected by a tunnel
to the dungeons of Blackmoor castle. The cult
never completely died out and in fact has been
growing since the Coot Apocalypse, the Eggs'
conquest of Blackmoor Castle. The cult now
operates freely with the Egg's blessing, but they
have never sought to rebuild the temple, choosing
instead to treat it as a site of holy pilgrimage.
Outside the town, North:
Just north of Blackmoor town in the Black Mere
lake is the rocky promontory known as Dragon
Island. The single large cave at the center of the
island is the home of the giant brown dragon Gerti,
who was last seen some years prior to the Coot
invasion. She might of course, be long dead, or
more likely asleep, perhaps a magical sleep induced
by the Egg. Rumor has it that a tunnel in the island
connects to the 5th or some lower level of
Blackmoor dungeon, but this has yet to be proven.
Blood Mere
At the Blood Mere the waters flowing down from
the Misauga and up from the Root into the Great
Mill Mere and from there through the Root Channel
mix with the sea water flowing west through the
Wurm Channel into the Rat River. This mix of salt
and fresh water creates a somewhat unusual,
esturarian ecology for the lake, and species of both
fresh and salt water creatures may be found here.
The waters of the Blood Mere flow south forming
the headwater of the River Running.
48
Kings Crossing
Town
Once a prosperous town on the west shore of Blood
Mere, Kings Crossing has effectively disappeared
and probably now lies underwater as a result of the
lake shifting during the cataclysmic upheaval the
Egg unleashed before the 5th Coot Invasion in 541.
Some say there is treasure there.
Peaks of Booh
The Peaks of Booh are a deceptive string of rounded
mountains running down the middle of Keston
march, Although the foothills are fairly gentle,
especially on the eastern side where the halflings
dwell, the heart of the chain is criss-crossed with
steep ravines, winding narrow paths, cliffs, and
gorges cut through the friable shale that forms the
bedrock. Going off-trail in the heart of these
mountains is nearly impossible due to the steep and
treacherous terrain.
Somewhere somewhat near to the Tower of Booh
lives an ancient female silver dragon named
Cazamyza’hakkan’keye.
Tower of Booh
Hamlet
Booh seems almost a pleasant place, where the
looming authority of the dystopian Egg of Coot
could almost be forgotten - almost. From a
distance, Booh seems to be a lone black tower,
rising more than a half dozen stories above rolling
hills. Closer inspection reveals a large halfling
settlement, whose homes are built into the hills in
small clusters for miles around the tower.
The tower itself is very ancient and no one seems to
remember who built it or why, although it has
served in more recent times as a guard tower and
place of refuge for the halflings who live nearby.
Fortunate for the halflings, the surrounding
landscape has an abundance of volcanic hotsprings
with clean clear water. The halflings have taken
further advantage of this by creating a virtual
warren of underground aqueducts extending for
miles, channeling the warm water to scores of
outlets, pools and even some greenhouses. The
water is used for both bathing, and gardening, and
has allowed limited growing of some plants not
found elsewhere in the cold north.
Unicorn Wood
This rocky, forested island is said to be inhabited by
the eponymous creatures, but the grugach who live
their forbid all access. A temple and burial ground
sacred to the grugach exists somewhere on the
island.
Vestfold
Never a large city by southern standards, Vestfold
nevertheless was once the shinning jewel of the
north. It's picturesque lakeshore location and
reputation as a calm spot in the otherwise biting
winds and weather of Blackmoor made it a draw for
the respectable and wealthy and the power center of
leadership. Today Vestfold is a completely
abandoned ruin haunted by fiendish things and
monsters.
West Wood
The West Wood is a small but significant forest
between Berne Mere and Sage Tower. It is home to
49
the queen of the grugach elves of Blackmoor. When
her father King Norris died, Queen Ceridrone
moved the royal seat of the grugach Westryn from
the Norriswood, a section of the Redwood forest
east of Archlis to the West Wood. The West Wood
is not as large as many of the other forests in
Blackmoor, but it is greatly feared by many. The
forest is dark and heavy, consisting mostly of spruce
and hemlock varieties. Giant Spiders are common.
Ceridone rules from a cave complex deep in the
forest at the head of a ravine made entirely of
Blackmoor's notorious black stone. Only other elves
have been there and returned, and very few details
are known.
Wizard Wood
The Wizard Wood is a section of the Redwood
Forest avoided entirely by the elves, immediately
east of Wolfs Head Pass. It was so named for the
wizard Petrus "Pete" Galliar, who was the first
known human to truly master the area. The wood
here is permeated with a strange magic emanating
from a variety of tree known to grow nowhere else.
Impossibly for the climate, this tree appears to be a
variety of the orange or grapfruit trees of the
tropics. The fruit however is as large as a pumpkin
and the skin is a hard orange shell. These fruit
hanging heavy in the trees year-round are called
"superberries" for their potent magical properties
believed to be drawn from the rocks and soil. The
magical effect emanating from these Superberry
trees causes confusion, illusion and madness to
those entering the wood and unable to resist the
effects. The colony of pixies who live here tend to
enhance the effect, in part for fun, but also to
protect their home from strangers.
Petrus Galliar, a companion of the Great Svenny in
the time of Ra-all, found a way to nullify the effect
of the trees, befriend the pixies, and built a
seclusium within the wood where he conducted
many experiments with the superberries. Several
years after he was killed while adventuring in the
City of the Gods, the wizard Sildonis claimed and
refurbished the seclusium. Sildonis never left the
wood, having transformed himself permanently into
a treent.
THE MARCH OF ORCOCHO
Population 9000; (Dwarf 48%, human 27% orc
10%, elf 6%, half-elf 2%).
Authority Figures:
Durik Benobond, Steward to House
Zvenzen
Baron Rodrigo "Ruy" Zvenzen, trapped
in the Comeback Inn
King Uberstar Khazakhum
Al-'Cocer
Ranial the Guant built the fortress here on a high
rocky island and established the adjacent port on the
mainlaind, to be the main military outpost in the far
east of his realm. Al-'Cocer overlooks an excellent
bay, and from here Ranial could both control trade
and protect Blackmoor from Rhizian/Thillonrian
raiders. Among those manning the fortress were
50
many orc mercenaries, and when Ranial was
defeated and killed at the battle of the Toadwash,
the orcs of the Black Hand took over Al-'Cocer,
making it their great capital. So it remained until
Al-'Cocer was conquered by the Great Svein
Zvnezen. Svenny took over the town and began an
extensive building program to strengthen and
improve the place. The fortress was restored and
re-christened "Tonnisborg" after his father's home
village of Tonnsborg in the far north. Here he
established the Order Draconae knights, tasked with
forever guarding the place and the secrets of the
deep dungeon which lies beneath.
Al-'Cocer is a prosperous city and center of trade.
Whaling is a primary and profitable industry and
evident everywhere, but all manner of Blackmoor
goods, amber, ivory, gems, to name a few, trickle
south from here in troubled times, and flow in
caravans when politics allow it and the taxes are not
too high.
Black Hills
Once the home of the orcs of the Black Hand, the
rolling Black Hills stretch across Orcocho as foothills
to the great Dragon Hills. The Black Hills are quite
gently by comparison and not especially difficult to
traverse. The name itself is derived from the
plentiful coal deposits which break the surface in
many places and are frequently mined as a source
for fuel by the dwarves who moved in here after the
conquest of the orcs by the Great Svenny.

Dragon Hills
Civilization has no claim on the Dragon Hills nor the
Spine of the Dragon extending westward from
them. These mountains are wild and dangerours
and not named in vain. Overall the mountains are
not the highest in Blackmoor or the steepest. Most
of the chain is navigable with effort, but the hills are
riddled with caves and caverns that are a natural
draw, not just for dragons, but for many kinds of
monsters. Strange, mutant cretures can also be
found here of unknown origin. Some of these
atrocities are scaled and resemble some kind of
dragon-humanoid cross. Others are completely
different, like walking, talking maggots. The only
humans to be found in these mountains are bandits
and slavers and even these low-lifes usually only
make temporary use of hideouts in the Dragon Hills.
Of the dragons who dwell in these hills one of the
fiercest is a Grey Dragon who goes by the
deceptively mild sobriquet of Sophie. She is the
daughter of Gertie and sister to the Great Dragon of
Glendour, and she is easily one of the largest
dragons living. Fortunately Sophie sleeps a lot and
is known to favour law over chaos.
Jonon
Town
Jonon is strategically located on the trade road
between Al-'Cocer and just about everywhere else.
It is a walled town with a circular keep and plenty
of taverns.
51
Newgate
Newgate was a project of the great Svenny, and
perhaps the one most important to him. Svenny
took control of a barren spit of rocky land and built
a thriving settlement with high walls and a strong
keep. In plan, the sturdy fortification resembled the
shape of a right triangle with the long wall bowing
slightly and with towers on each of the corners. A
carefully planned town sprung up near the keep and
gained a reputation for being clean and well
managed. The Coot Apocalypse changed
everything. As with Bramwald, being so close to
the epicenter when the Crystal Peaks were ripped
away and the New Delving bay created was in itself
devastating. Walls were cracked and buildings
collapsed in the earthquake, and most of the
survivors were
drowned in the
ensuing tsunami.
Coots armies further
ensured none but the
dead would dwell
here. Today the
place is a ruin,
though some of the
small hamlets outside
the town linger on.
Wurmwood Forest
Despite the ominous sounding name, the
Wurmwood is not an especially dangerous forest,
though spiders are known to dwell here. The
Wurmwood is one of the few places in the north
where a significant number of chestnut trees are to
be found.
THE MARCH OF PESHWAN
Population 8000; (human 92%, frogfolk, 4%, 1%
goblin, other 3%).
Authority Figures: Baron Tuod Pent
Ash Hills
Formed millenia ago of volcanic ash, these
windswept soils are poor in nutrients and only
stunted trees and grasses grow here - suitable
however for the wild grazers and tame shaggy ones
herded by the Ornidri Peshwah. There is also a tribe
of unusually tough goblins known to live in these
hills. The Ash Goblins are nearly a foot taller than
other goblins. The also exhibit horn nubs on their
forheads and their skin is a strange metallic gray.
Ornidri and Ash Goblins war constantly with one
another and a great hatred exists between them.
Blasted Woods
Between the Ash Hills and the south shore of the
Great Mill Mere, this dense forest is frequently
shrouded in low fog. Many of the ash, birch, larch,
52
spruce, and oak trees here bear the scars of
lightning strikes that seem to plague the forest with
unusual frequency. The forest falls within the
territory of the xenophobic Ornidri Peshwah. In the
late evening hours, packs of their hounds can often
be heard baying as they run the wood on an
evening hunt, driving prey back towards the torches
and arrows of the awaiting Peshwah hunters. The
Blasted wood is dotted with their totems, some
ancient, others newly carved. It is not a place
where strangers are welcomed.
Broomsage Abbey
Village
Dedicated to Cyndor, this walled village compound
at the northern edge of the forest known as
Manwyn's Hunt is home to just under 400 monks.
Here they dutifully guard the holy Sepulchre of the
Facets and chronicle the history of the Flanaess in
never-ending detail. Outsiders are not permitted to
enter the abbey except during the annual Festival of
Forever, during which visitors are welcomed in to
participate in divination ceremonies, storytelling,
and revelry. Rhennee are always in attendance at
the festival, and some years there are few others.
The rest of the year however, monks will meet
travelers outside the abbey gate to sell food and
drink, seek news and answer questions. A well-
used campground exists on the edge of the forest
just west of the village gate and a half dozen lean-
tos have been built there for those without other
shelter.
Churmlish Penarth
Village
Nestled at the base of the heavily forested foothills
here known as the Neath, Churmlish Penarth is the
largest and most important of the Peshneath
settlements. The village is slowly growing and has a
small but important trade in Spidersilk Armor
supplementing the base subsistence derived from Duero's Tower
grazer herding.
The lawful wizard Duero built this old keep as his
personal seclusium during the time Ra-all was
encouraging the settling of southern Blackmoor.
Dragonia
Duero was involved with the study of nature magics
Village and seemingly not a very amazing or powerful
Dragonia - the city of Father Dragon - is a curious wizard. He appears to have met his end when the
place, founded in fact by the great patriarch dragon tower was overwhelmed by a Peshwah attack.
Insellageth. Its walls are high and form a perfect The tower lies in ruin with only a few rooms intact.
circle. Within stands a strange, low pyramidal keep
composed of oval segments that, from a distance,
looks amazing similar to a stack of eggs but are in
fact well designed to withstand aerial attack. For a
time Insellageth laired here along with a host of
lesser dragons and their kin. The setting suited
Insellageth being centrally located along the
adjacent Dragon Hills, and next to the Greenway, a
principal road into Blackmoor, allowing the
collection of taxes from all travelers desiring a safe
passage through the Dragon Hills.
Dragonia still serves as an excellent taxing station,
though the dragons have long moved elsewhere
after an incidence with a sleep inducing device
smuggled in by the Egg of Coot. Now the Peshwah Gillian
of the Bortai clan are the masters of the place. In
Village
winter months, many bands of Bortai encamp within
the walls or nearby, but in summer only a single There is a small village here with modest buildings,
band of Bortai remain permanently in Dragonia, and dusty streets, but Gillian first and foremost is a
along with those who may be recovering from some rock quarry where a high quality marble may be
illness or injury or who may be too old to roam the obtained. The people who live here either work in
grasslands. Merchants who foolishly think these the quarry or they supply the support services to
seemingly weakened forces would permit them to those who do.
avoid paying the travel tax, soon learn just how
formidable even a handful of Bortai can be.
High Tenlish
Town
Founded as the home base of the Faleem Peshwah,
the people who now live in High Tenlish have long
since given up "being Peshwah", having adopted
more civilized ways. Physically they are of mixed
heritage, though Peshwah traits can be readily seen
in most and many will speak proudly of Faleem
ancestry. Mixed subsistence enterprises including
53
gardening, beekeeping, hunting, fishing,
pastoralism, and horse breeding, form the basis of
most livelihoods, in addition to the usual service
professions one finds in a small town.
The town here is spacious and comfortable, spread
across a low hill on the crown of which is the
walled fortress/temple of Raelralataen. The building
has fallen in to disrepair and only a handful of
priests remain as the people of High Tenlish have
largely turned to other gods, but it still visited by
Peshwah from the remaining tribes. Visitors to the
temple who climb to the tower's top are treated to
one of the most impressive views in Blackmoor with
the Sundance Peaks at their back, and the town, the
plains of Hak, the Glaemere lake, and distant
Kerman Peaks spread out before them.
High Tenlish receives few visitors, isolated as it is
on the edge of the plains of Hak and at the base of
the Sundance Peaks, but visitors are welcome, being
seen as a source of news, trade goods, and possible
potential new blood.
Kerman Peaks
Few trees grow along the slopes of the Kerman
Peaks - they are too steep and rocky, cutting into
the sky like a row of dragon's teeth. Shale and deep
scree make travel through these mountains very
difficult. A single valley pass known as The Gut
cuts through the mountains. It is the only known
way through without going around the range
entirely.
54
Lyntok
Town
Its hard to say where Lyntok starts and ends. The
characteristic wood buildings of the Qulaam
Peshwah stretch for miles up and down the Root
river. The core of the town is surrounded by a large
wood stockade, three quarters of which is actually
built on piers in the river. Most of the houses and
buildings of Lyntock are likewise built on sturdy
stilts in the river but there are also some buildings
on the shore. These too are built on piers to raise
them above winter snows. Typically, buildings in
Lyntock are entered through an opening in the floor,
sometimes requiring diving into the river to get in
the building, similar to entering a beaver dam.
Non-Peshwah are generally not welcome in Lyntok.
At the ferry crossing there is a single inn - The
Drowned Rat - catering to foreigners and any non-
Peshwah coming to Lyntok either without an
invitation or credentials from the archbaron will be
directed here. Councilor Marshals are an exception
of course, as not even a Qulaam would dare tell the
Marshals where they can't go.
Neath Hills
Foothillls of the Sundance Peaks, the Neath Hills
mark the start of the Root River and are heavily
forested. Here live many species of giant spiders.
New Bril
Village
The fortunes of New Bril rise and fall with the
coming of trade and travel from the south. Since
Iuz overthrew the Horned Society, few travelers
now make their way up the Stornawain road, and
few of those are up to any good. Among those
who do still make the journey are Rhennee, and
there is a good chance some Rhennee can be found
here any time of year. Otherwise New Bril is a
small walled town of no great note. There is one
Inn remaining open - several others having long
since closed.
Formerly the town was often subject to Peshwah
raids, but an agreement was struck to end them.
New Bril pays an annual tribute in Kumis
(fermented sheeps milk) to the Briela Peshwah, who
in turn protect the town from any potential enemies.
Oclair
Town
Strangely, Oclair benefits from being on a dry
tongue of land surrounded on three sides by
wetlands and on the west by the Toadwash river.
Peshwah warriors find the boggy ground around the
Toadwash completely unsuited to their horse-borne
raids, so they largely ignore it, preferring instead to
demand tribute from those who may be unlucky
enough to encounter the raiders when traveling the
Wanderspike Road between Oclair and New Bril.
The buildings of Oclair are primarily built of the
fieldstones and river cobbles plentiful in the region,
and the people of the town are of truly mixed
heritage being descended from Peshwah outcasts,
southern refugees, and people from all over the
north. The Toadwash is wide and broad here and
can be forded almost year-round and the people of
Oclair frequently cross the river to hunt and forage.
Livelihoods vary, but there is plentiful fishing to be
had in the river and abundant game in the
surrounding wetlands. Catfish, perch and bass are
common fair in Oclair and almost every family
keeps at least some ducks or geese for both meat
and eggs. These waterfowl thrive, having plenty to
eat and lots of water. Visitors to the town can't help
but notice that duck and geese flocks seem to be
everywhere.
55
Ramshorn
Ramshorn rests at a naturally ideal place for a
fortress to guard over The Gut pass through the
Kerman Peaks. The view from the castle here is
extensive, and only one steep path grants access. A
castle known as Farah was built here long ago
during the expansive period under king Ra-all, but
later fell into ruin. In more recent times, the
warlord Tuod Pent re-established the castle, which
he christened Ramshorn, after fleeing from the
devestation in Tehn caused by the forces of Iuz.
Pent uses this near-impregnable base to launch raids
into the lands of Iuz to free captives and gain
wealth, in preparation for the inevitable day he faces
Iuz in battle again.
Life in Ramshorn is harsh, and resources limited.
Hunters bring in some sustenance, most commonly
the wild sheep that inhabit the steep slopes of the
Kermans, but what little pasturage there is on the
small plateau at the fortress is given over to the
horses. A few chickens geese, and pigs are kept,
but the bulk of the food must be imported. Thus
some companies of Pent's men are nearly always on
a raid or out foraging and the fortress is never at
more than 60% full strength. Even so, Pent has a
force of arms at his command to rival even the
archbaron.
Pent has a total of 1200 foot soldiers under his
command, organized into ten companies under an
officer (level 8). Each company has 3 platoons of Toadwash
30 soldiers each under a sergeant (level 5), A few
The Toadwash is a broad and shallow river for most
of these companies have mounts, but they are more
of its length, easily forded in many places except
in the nature of dragoons than true cavalry.
during the floods of late spring.

Root River
Tower of Glass
Broad and shallow in places and a narrow cataract
Standing some ten stories tall, this ancient tower of
in others, the Root river is the lifeblood of the
dense, shinny blue glass rises skyward from deep
Qulaam Peshwah. Unusually, it flows northeast,
with the Vale of the Bite, as it has done for
emptying into the Great Mill Mere.
thousands of years.

Sul Peshwan
Tower of Salt
Never a city, nevertheless thousands of Peshwah
The Tower of Salt is a natural stone pillar whose
once gathered here annually creating a sea of tents
sides are forever crusted with salt. The rock is
as big as any city in Blackmoor. Only one building
sacred to the Peshwah who come here to experience
ever existed in Sul Peshwan and it remains there
visions. Before the great seismic upheaval caused
still, sitting like a lone sentinel in the midst of the
by the Egg of Coot, the Tower of Salt was
grassland, or, since the environmental changes
surrounded by grassland, but it is now deep within
brought on by the Egg of Coot, more of a boggy
the expanding Cold Marsh.
plain. This single building is a large dome, a half
sphere with twelve large archways opening to the
interior. Inside is a bare stone floor and a singular
circular stone in the center, rising about two feet
higher than the floor. Here the Sirk of the Peshwah
stood to deliver speeches, pass judgements, and
make decrees. On the stone floor around the
central stone Peshwah leaders would gather to listen
to their Sirk, hold debates, make deals and go about
the business of leaders.
Each of the arches has the name of one of the 12
Peshwah tribes inscribed above it, and on the ceiling
of the dome are faded paintings of Hadeen and
Raelralataen. Vale of the Bite
Formerly a dry and dusty plain between the Kerman
Peaks and the Spine of the Dragon, the Seismic
Tiverton Greening upheaval that preceded the 5th Coot invasion
Tiverton Greening is an old growth forest with caused the River Running to expand and flood
abundant game but few human or humanoid southward across the plain. Soon the Vale turned to
inhabitants. Proximity to the Dragon Hills may be a tangle of marshland and pools of stagnant water,
the reason so few peoples live here. becoming part of the growing Cold Marsh.

56

THE MARCH OF ZEAILAND
Population 10,000; (human 93%, elf 3%, dwarf
3%, others 1%).
Authority Figures: Baron Einar Borks
The march of Zeailand covers what was once two
distinct Zeai colonies, the Skandahar to the east and
northeast of the march and the Northern Lords or
Norlanders in the west of the march. When Uther
led an army across Reeva Bay to put an end to the
threat of Zeai raids, east and west united against
him to no avail as Uther was victorious in his
conquest. Zeailand has been a march of Blackmoor
ever since.
Clustered settlements are almost non-existent in
Zeialand. Only Borkshold and Tonnsborg can be
considered as such. The Zeai are individualists and
typically live on independent farmsteads scattered
up and down the fjords of the coast and along the
banks of the Firefrost river.
Borkshold
Hamlet
Borkshold grew from a typical Zeai farmstead to a
thriving trading post when Bork built a large
warehouse for storing ivory, furs and other trade
goods. A small village formed, but never more than
a dozen buildings. In time, Borkshold became the
seat of Thorson One-thumb, who rose to be one of
57
the most powerful and successful jarls and chosen
leader of the Zeai in the fight against Uther. After
the defeat of the Zeai and Thorson's surrender,
Uther chose the charismatic Thorson as the first
baron of Zeiland. Borkshold has changed little since
Thorson's day.
Dunland Forest
Unlike the Malfera forest and Wolf Wood, the
Dunland forest is not plagued by many monsters.
Most notable among the usual sorts of northern
forest fauna living here are the Giant Beavers and
their enormous dams and dens, which are more
common in this forest than any other in Blackmoor.
Zeailanders have established several sawmills to
exploit the plentiful larch and spruce. Oak trees
growing in the forest near to Reeva Bay are
especially valued in the building of Zeai longships.
Firefrost Channel
The Firefrost is an impressively large and deep river
of bitingly cold meltwater coming from the Land of
Black Ice. Falling in to the frigid, swift water is
often a death sentence, nevertheless, the banks of
the Firefrost are dotted every mile or so with Zeai
homesteads from the Malfera forest northward to
the shadow of the ice itself.
Tonnsborg
Hamlet
Tonnsborg developed within a sheltered fjord as a
convenient place for Zeia hunters and trappers to
port when traveling to and from the hunting
grounds on the Tusking Strand and Brink islands.
Even so, this thriving metropolis consists of no more
than a dozen turf homesteads spread in a semicircle
at the head of the fjord and about as many support
buildings, byers, boathouses, stables for the shaggy
northern ponies and warehouses for storing ivory,
amber, and furs.

CITY OF THE GODS
The City of the Gods is more of a myth than a
particular place. The term refers to places of
advanced technology or magitech and in fact there
are likely several such locations in Blackmoor, no
doubt further confusing the myths and stories about
the "place". What is known for certain that one
such "City of the Gods" is a crashed interplanetary
ship from which the High Priest Stephen of the
Temple of the Frog and several of his companions
originated. There is a least one other such ship
known to have landed in Blackmoor, having been
confiscated and perhaps destroyed by the wizard
Snidar. There are also rumored to be remains of
some ancient technological civilization in the land of
Black Ice.
58
BLACKMOOR ARTIFACTS
Throne of the Gods: a mysterious artifact,
sometimes associated with the Throne of the Skies.
It is said sitting on this throne will grant a boon of
wonderful magical powers, but the location of the
throne has been lost for many centuries.
Throne of Growth: Ruling his hordes from the
sixth level of Blackmoor dungeon, King Funk the
1st commission the creation of the throne of growth
to impress upon his subjects his own enormity. Any
living creature who sits on Funk's throne will double
in size. Take care however only the flesh, not
anything worn, will undergo the effect.
Crowns of Blackmoor: the ancient crowns of
power now found at the bottom of Tonisborg.
These are the Crown of Magic, Crown of the
Warrior, and Crown of the Priest. These three can
be united into one great Crown of Blackmoor when
worn together. Only Ranial of Gaunt is known to
have done so successfully. However, Ranial was
also known to be a lich. It is not clear if he bacame
such as a result of wearing the united crown or if
being a lich allowed him to wear it.
Doomsday Rod: it is perhaps best that we know
nothing of this artifact beyond the name.
Jewel of the Sun: a brilliant yellow jewel that when
uncovered will continually produce perfect daylight
conditions in a 35' radius. This effect repels many
types of undead.

GODWORKS
Technomagical items capable of working wondrous
effects are often referred to as godworks by the
sages of Blackmoor. The origin of these items is a
mystery, but most are assumed to originate from the
legendary City of the Gods. Gnomish and dwarvish
artificers have attempted to make clockwork or
steam powered copies of some technomagical items
- with varied success.
Borer: There are various types of these machines,
but all of them are designed to dig through earth.
Cloak of the Avians: This item appears to be a
normal cloak with a sky blue lining. Anyone
wearing the cloak however is able to fly through the
air exactly as if they were a bird, at a maximum rate
of 160 yards per turn. Characters must learn to
maneuver themselves as birds do in order to take
off, fly, and land properly, and may not hover or
stop while flying.
Communicator: a set of matching hand-held pieces
that carry any sounds occurring near any individual
piece to all the other pieces wherever they are, thus
enabling long distance communication.
Entertainer: a helmet that encloses the entire head.
When worn, the user is rendered helpless for 1d10
hours, being caught up in any illusion they wish.
Upon completion the user is fully rested and regains
1 HP for each hour worn.
59
Flying Machine: Alien pod or egg shaped devices
roughly the size of a large covered wagon, capable
of flying. The interior of these machines are
covered with panels of blinking lights and clear flat
windows that appear to look onto strange moving
images.
Fighting Machine: roughly man-sized, barrel-
shaped mechanical devices armed with all manner
of weapons. Fighting Machines are used as both
guards and training devices.
Glow Wand: This wand has a translucent ball at the
end which will rotate, becoming brighter as it turns
for a maximum illumination extending 100 feet.
The wand requires a power pack to work and will
last 24 hrs.
Healing Chamber: a cylindrical box that will
expand up to a human sized tube with a sliding
door. Any being (living or dead) shut inside for 24
Hours will emerge completely healed of all wounds
and sickness. There is no partial healing for less
time, and being removed early requires a save vs
Constitution or death results.
Identifier: will provide detailed information on any
object pointed at within a 100 yard range. It will
not, however, penetrate objects containing Iron. An
Identifier will directly answer specific question but
will not provide any information not asked for
unless the question is general. General questions
will receive a barrage of trivial data that can last up
to 30 days and can not be interrupted. Battery
Powered
Illusion Projector: This device allows any image,
up to 100 yards wide, to be projected anywhere
within sight of the Image Projector. The image is
perfect in three dimensions but has neither smell nor
sound. It can however, be animated as desired.
Mechanical Horse - This wonderful machine looks
like a statue of a horse riveted together out of
scraps of armor. Typically the metal is blued to
prevent rusting. When fed sufficient lamp oil
(kerosene) the horse will function as a heavy
charger warhorse. The "animal" is quite intelligent
and may have better sense than its owner. While
the horse can operate on low quality oil, the more
refined the fuel the less smokey the exhaust coming
out of the rear end of the horse will be.
Mermen Suit: Slipping into this rubbery, whole
body covering will allow a Merman or Mermaid to
walk on two legs and be out from water with no ill
effects except that their movement will be slowed
by half.
Skimmer: A lightweight open hydrofoil boat
capable of moving across water at 50 mph or more.
the skimmer will slow down on stretches of low
unobstructed land and completely halt after
traveling 60 feet over land.
Transporter, Dimensional: Usually appearing as a
simple baton with engraved panels, when operated
properly this device provides a one way trip to any
plane chosen. The transporter must be activated
again to open a gateway back or to a different
dimension. An imperfect understanding or how to
operate the device will result in transport to a
random dimension.
Transporter, Time: provides a one way trip to any
time period. A second transporter is necessary to
return.
Wand of Pain: This wand has a control knob which
allows the user to inflict 1-6 points of damage from
electric shock when contact is made with the victim
and anyone else directly connected.
Wand of Poisoned Dreams: Shoots a small dart
into a victim which will paralyze them for two hours
and produce nightmares which have a 33% chance
of being prophetic or revealing secret information in
a somewhat confused and cryptic form.
60
Water Machine: purifies 10 square feet of any
water per day.
Power Pack: A battery of the ancients or aliens.
Robots/Fighting Machines – Mechanical creations
powered by magical energy and controlled by a
remote device. Robots vary in size, shape and
ability. Fighting machines are particularly deadly
contraptions armed with multiple melee weapons
and projectiles. Robots have a HD range of from 1-
6. Any robot with 4 -6 Hit Dice is almost certainly
a fighting machine.
Screen of Protection: allows nothing from the
outside to enter, including light, heat and air.
Fireballs, and Lightning Bolts may pass from the
interior to the exterior however. Has a defensive
value of +5. Lasts 10 minutes per charge. Requires
Power pack for 1d100 uses.
SuperBerry Magic
To the east of Wolfshead Pass lies the Wizard
Woods, a small enchanted forest in which may be
found groves of Suberberry trees. These produce
large orange fruits which have have a hard, egg like
shell encasing a viscous liquid varying in color
depending on the age of the fruit and other factors.
The liquid is enfused with magical energy drawn
from the rocky black soil itself. The full potential of
the liquid is a source of endless experimentation.
One early use of the berry involves simply cracking
it open during the casting of a spell. The effect will
increase the power of the spell as if it were of 1d6
higher levels. More refined uses developed
primarily by Petrus Galliar involve a distillation
process creating Super Berry Wine. One sip of this
powerful elixir causes an extreme drunken state for
1-6 hours. However, spellcasters in this state will be
able to double all the effects of their spells. A
second sip in a 24 hour period is fatal.

Adapting Published Blackmoor Adventures to
Greyhawk
One of the best things about the Blackmoor
setting is the wealth of published and fan made
material to be pillaged. There are, for example, over
90 MMRPG adventures freely available online.
However, the vast majority of the source material
out there needs a bit of work to bring it in to
alignment with the Greyhawk world or even other
iterations of Blackmoor. If you plan for a campaign
set entirely in Blackmoor and you wish to use the
classic adventures taking place in and around the
age of Uther, the easiest approach is simply to set
your campaign in that time - roughly, CY 378.
Another option would be to use the rather
heavy handed time travel narrative found in DA1,
adventures in Blackmoor, but shorten the time
difference to a few hundred years and adjust any
references from Mystara to those of Greyhawk to
end up in the period you like. In fact, this option
opens possibilities for jumping in and out of
multiple Blackmoor eras such as the time of the
Mage Wars or The age of the Bloody Duke.
Regardless, some adaptation of geography,
references to gods and cultures, and place names
will be necessary, as is usually the case when
adapting any adventure to a different setting.
61
The third option - the one I myself use and
would recommend - is to run a contemporary
campaign, meaning the 576 to 621+ era of
Greyhawk, using the maps and timeline I have
provided here, but raid the published Blackmoor
material for maps, dungeons and so on. You can
build an entire campaign around Blackmoor
dungeon, for example, and all you have to do is the
occasional name swap or plot line adjustment. So,
for example, "Thonians" become Aeridians or
Nyrondians, as you please (I have included a list of
Blackmoor to Greyhawk names for you as an
appendix). Places described in the published
material are now often changed or in ruins, but you
have a template to work from and a wealth of ideas
to mine for what may be there and what mark past
events may have left. Some published adventures -
The Redwood Scar(tm), for example - can be played
in almost any time period, others are very time and
system specific, but given that there are well over
90 of the Massive Multiplayer Role Playing Game
(MMRPG), adventures freely available on the
ComeBack Inn website, not to mention the TSR DA
series and the terrific Zeitgeist games adventures,
there is certainly plenty that can be adapted to any
period.
Published Resources:
First Fantasy Campaign - Judges Guild (Featuring
locations and characters from Dave Arneson’s
Blackmoor campaign in the Greyhawk setting.)
Adventures in Blackmoor, DA1
Oerth Journal #5, The ArchBarony of Blackmoor
Oerth Journal #6, Tales from the Green Dragon Inn
Robilar Remembers: Journey to the City of the Gods
The Blackmoor Campaign Sourcebook - Goodman
Games/Zeitgeist Games
The Riders of Hak, Zeitgeist Games
Clock and Steam, Zeitgeist Games
GS1 The Williamsfort Gazetteer
GS2 The Sweetwater Gazetteer
GS3 Castle Newgate Gazeteere
GS4 Noble House of Zvenzen, with Additional
Material by Dave Arneson
The Blackmoor Rampart newsletter
Blackmoor Living World Players Book, Chimerae
Hobby Group
Published Adventures
The Temple of the Frog - Original Dungeons &
Dragons Supplement II (1975)
Temple of the Frog, DA2
Temple of the Frog, Zeitgeist Games
Return to the Temple of the Frog, WotC
The Garbage Pits of Despair, Different Worlds
Magazine issues #42 and #43
City of the Gods, DA3
City of the Gods, Zeitgeist Games
The Duchy of Ten, DA4
The Redwood Scar, Zeitgeist Games
The Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor, Zeitgeist
Games
Blackmoor MMRPG adventures, Episodes 1 thru 95,
Zeitgeist Games
Blackmoor Living World, various episodes,
Chimerae Hobby Group
Blackmoor, The Shattered Empires Campaign
The Lost Dungeon of Tonisborg
The Clockwork Fortress - Dungeon #126
Land of Black Ice
What's the most Arsonian Blackmoor Source?
Obviously the Judges Guild First Fantasy Campaign
booklet tells us the most about the campaign that
was Blackmoor in the early 1970's along with the
two Blackmoor Gazette and Rumourmonger
newsletters. However, these sources are limited in
62
what they have to say about the setting itself. We
get more information from The Temple of the Frog
in Supplement II from TSR, but that is mostly
restricted to a very specific location on Frog island.
Perhaps the single most developed source, with the
clearest information regarding the overall setting as
Arneson envisioned its development as a
commercial product is his adventure Garbage Pits of
Despair as published in Different Worlds magazine
where Arneson worked as an editor and writer of
the pseudonymous Gigi D'Arn series. GPoD is
"pure" in exactly the way that both TSR's DA series
and Zeitgeist Games publications are not. The DA
series from TSR was mostly the product of David
Ritchie and the TSR staff working from materials
Arneson had sent in, but without any additional
input or supervision from him. TSR basically went
rogue, created their own adventure scenarios and
setting details. For example, while Arneson did have
interdimensional travel to 20th century earth as part
of his early '70's game, (as did Gygax in Greyhawk).
the time travel aspect of DA1, a detail that has
become integral to some concepts of Blackmoor,
was entirely created by TSR to shoehorn Blackmoor
into the Mystara setting. Zeitgeist Games largely
built on the DA series and while you might suppose
Arneson had every opportunity to correct and
amend material that differed from his own vision of
Blackmoor, he often did not. Arneson was, by all
accounts, "a nice guy" who wanted everyone to
have fun. He was very accepting of others ideas for
Blackmoor. It is not hard to see that the Zeitgeist
writers largely had free reign to do what they
wanted with the setting. As much as I enjoy and
recommend their products, the Zeitgeist version of
Blackmoor presents a highly developed and
centralized kingdom not very like the wild frontier
of GPoD. Thus GpoD is a real treasure and provides
a solid baseline for judging works by other authors.
I can't recommend it enough.
A final note for those who object to having
peanutbutter in their chocholate or their Blackmoor
in their Greyhawk: Published Greyhawk and Gygax's
home campaign sometimes differed in detail, just as population of 666 and then gives it a name which is
published Lendore Isles and Lakofka's original an anagram of "Redundant".
Lendore campaign were different. However that
does not stop, nor should it, the inclusion of
characters, places, and events from those campaigns So yes, the Folio Blackmoor is different from the
into Greyhawk lore. For all intents and purposes, original Blackmoor, just as Lendore is different from
published Greyhawk is a more polished and its original and Maure castle is different and
developed outgrowth of Gygax's home campaign, Greyhawk is different (or for that matter Zagig or
not some radically new world. Gaxmoor is different). But I don't think anyone is
suggesting that all of Gary or Rob or Len's or Luke's
pre Folio material has no place in Greyhawk now.
Just as published Greyhawk develops the people, Nor should we say that of Dave's.
places, and events of Gygax's home campaign, there
is every reason to also build on the 1971 to 1977
Blackmoor material, and also weave it into the
Greyhawk milleau. To do otherwise while still
drawing on material from Gygax or Lakofka or
Kuntz from the same period is simply inconsistent.
The mantra that Blackmoor in Greyhawk is nothing
more than an "homage" to the name is nothing
more than an oft repeated and incorrect guess.
There is absolutely no reality to this claim.
Blackmoor in Greyhawk was never a mere homage.

The Flanaess is a redrawn version of the Great

Kingdom map. Arneson's Blackmoor was an integral
setting of that map. The Greyhawk Folio is an
expansion and development of Gygax home
campaign, Arneson's Blackmoor was part of that
campaign, and vice versa. Blackmoor was already
published as a supplement, tied to Greyhawk in the
OD&D introduction, stories, such as "The Gnome
Cache", and magazine articles. That's why
Blackmoor is in the Folio, certainly not as a kind of
homage to a group of people with whom Gygax
was not at all on good terms with at the time the
Folio was created. Gygax had less than zero
motivation to include Blackmoor as a homage, but
nonetheless was compelled to include it as a
previously established part of Greyhawk canon. In
fact, he seems to have been rather annoyed to have
to include it, in that he takes several jabs at the
place, creating a miserable new capital with a

63
 TIMELINE OF BLACKMOOR

Note the timeline is in Greyhawk "Common Year" (CY) dates, The Greyhawk Oeridian Record calendar equals
CY + 644, and this timeline assumes the "Blackmoor Calendar" as given in publications by TSR and Zeitgeist
games is identical to the Oeridian Record and would thus also be determined by adding 644.

Once, long ago, Elves dominated the forests that stretched across the north, from coast to coast, while in the
cold swamps and on the tundra other ancient ones ruled uncontested.1

- 3988 CY: For a millennium a highly intelligent and delicate amphibious race, the Groda, had raised wondrous
stone spires, ziggurats, and cities surrounding broad plazas, throughout the great Gloomfens swamp. They had
developed magnificent magics, arts and architecture, but their greatness became their downfall, as they began to
reach out, seeking new territories and colonies, they discovered something else, a plague which ran through the
populace like wildfire, killing millions. Decimated, the survivors became easy prey for invaders. One by one the
Grodian cities toppled. The Groda soon were no more.2

- 2500 CY: Humans from the Tuocts and Eraks Flan tribes (sometimes derisively called Picts for their habit of
living in villages surrounded by picketed stockade walls) begin settling within the north. The Eraks settle in the
mountains and forests in the east. The Tuocts are a freshwater based culture who build their settlements on
islands within the rivers and swamps.3 Because iron corrodes so easily in the swamp, the Tuocts rely on bronze
technologies. They are highly superstitious and follow the leadership of religious leaders called wokan .4

-1516 CY: The Great Suloise Empire is formed.

–1500 CY: Construction of the great tower of shining blue glass in the Vale of the Bite.5

–1400 CY: Beginning of the reign of Uhlmar Ithamis, Lord of the Elves in Blackmoor.6

–670 CY: Founding of Tonnsborg by Lurtur Drakenskald. Zeai settlers colonize East and West settlements of
Zeailand and establish semi-permanent trapping/hunting camps on the Tusking Strand and Brink Islands.7

–644 CY: Year Zero of the Oeridian Record - the traditional calendar used in Blackmoor. Early Oeridian settlers
begin to clear the arable land and establish hamlets and farms utilizing hay based agriculture. In addition to
keeping sheep,8 they begin to domesticate the large wild bison (grazers) that constitute one of the most common
native animals in the area. The domesticated "shaggy" bison soon become the dominant farm animal in the
region of Blackmoor.9

1
BPG:197; 4eTFC:183
2
BCS:134; MMRPG 28; I have taken the liberty of assigning a name and brief history to this otherwise mysterious, undefined civilization. Groda
is frog in Sweedish.
3
FFC 80: 86, Arneson letter to Rob Kuntz
4
TWC:3; DoCBM:7 – The history of Callas Anethenitos. the earlier parts of which are considered largely apocryphal by most authorities. wokan
– 4eTFC:99
5
4eTFC:192, true date unknown.
6
Havard, date approximate
7
OJ #5:5, 10 Zeai settlement a generation before Oeridian. Zeailand name invented here as a logical replacement for Skandaharria.
8
DW42:M3
9
FFC80:17

64
–644 CY to -422 CY: Old Kingdom of Blackmoor - Tales abound among Blackmoorians of a legendary hero,
King Robert the First of Genyva (spellings vary), supposedly a great warlord and monarch who, conquers and
rules over the natives of the North at this time, founding the old Kingdom of Blackmoor and building the Black
Tower on elvish ruins at a place he calls Castle Blackmoor.10 Historians are divided regarding the actual
existence of this character, but it is supposed he was an Oeridian warlord active in the formation of the Oeridian
Confederation.11 Whatever the case, Oeridian nobles carve out fiefs within the heartland of Blackmoor, where
the most favorable lands for hearding can be found and establish a string of strongholds, including Blackmoor
Castle, Glendour, The Tower of Booh, and Vestfold.12 Ancient records refer to this heartland of Blackmoor's
best lands as the Valley of the Kings and this time as The First Age.

Legend says the three crowns of Blackmoor were crafted at this time and worn by these ancient kings. Each
crown represents one of the three domains of power - the Arcane, The Divine, and the Heroic.

-484 CY: Beginning of the Baklunish-Suloise Wars.13

-422 CY: Suloise Mages of Power call down the Invoked Devastation upon the Baklunish. In retaliation,
Baklunish spellcasters bring down the Rain of Colorless Fire upon the Suloise Imperium, transforming the empire
into the Sea of Dust.14

Surviving Baklunish migrate north to the shores of the Drawmidj Ocean.15

The "Nuclear Winter" effect of the devastating end to the Baklunish-Suloise Wars, combined with waves of
desperate refugees causes the collapse of the Kingdom of Blackmoor into anarchy and barbarism.16

-420 CY: Following the Great Reign of Fire, Pygmalion, a semi-legendary religious leader known for her beauty
and sensuality, founds a cult whose theology is literally make love, not war. Her religion flourishes in the North,
but is short lived, as rivalries among her followers lead to her being kidnapped by a Jinn who is said to have
lusted after her. There are those who claim Pygmalion was thereafter enchanted into an eternal slumber, others
who say she escaped her captor and wanders the world in secret, bringing peace where she can but forever
chased by her obsessed kidnapper.17

Pygmalion and her cult originated in the Pinnacles of Azor'alq where her central temple is still located along with
the remnants of her priesthood.18

-212 CY: Founding of Broomsage Abbey by Calen the Chronicler.19

-216 CY: Foundation of the Kingdom of Aerdy.20

10
4eTFC:157,158;”clear signs of Cumasti craftsmanship.” “ruins of at least three previous layers”.
11
BCS:25
12
Rampart 10, Glendour, DA1 Booh
13
Player's Guide to Greyhawk
14
Player's Guide to Greyhawk
15
Player's Guide to Greyhawk
16
BCS:25
17
Arneson Atlantis note 1970, C&C Domesday Book #10, Aug 71, FFC 80:15, Bel-Ran Rumor 624, Oct 1974
18
Not canon, however the location perfectly fits Arneson's depiction of Pygmalion being on an island of a mist covered archipelago hidden from
the rest of the world.
19
OJ 1 #5:10

65
- 184 CY: The dwaven king Uberstar Khazakhum establishes the Great Mines at Mount Uberstar in the Crystal
Peaks.21

- 173 – 146 CY: Rule of the Mad Wizard Nehron over the Black Moors of the North.22 The wizards laboratory is
built over a sinkhole near Blackmoor Castle, The wizard posses the three Crowns of Power.23

-149 CY: Construction of the Temple of the Id.24

-146 CY: The Mad wizard Nehron draws the ire of Insellageth (Lichis for short in the southern dialect, aka
"Father Dragon") the eons old golden dragon and lord of dragonkind. A group of chaos adepts led by the Mad
Wizard summon a Greater Demon called Ironnose, and send the demon on a mission to ravage the world.
Insellageth, being a dragon of Law, rises to fight the demon in a battle that rages from Blackmoor Bay to the
Wild Coast, until at last Insellageth destroys Ironnose over the Nyr Dyv. Though wounded, Lichis flies to the
wizard's seclusium at Blackmoor, and turns it to rubble. The Mad Wizard’s defeat in battle results in the creation
of a 60’ wide “bottomless” crater – The Wizards Pit - where his laboratory had been.

Of the Mad Wizard and his adepts, all that remains is a sense of malign evil in the pit.25

-148 CY: Bruadaire "The Dog Duke" rules over the Black Moors. His court wizard explores the Wizards pit and
builds a secret workshop there. Upon discovery, Bruadaire orders the wizard sealed within his illicit workshop
for all eternity.26

- 110 CY: Battle of a Fortnight's Length. The Kingdom of Aerdy defeats Nyrondal cavalry squadrons to become
the regional superpower. Aerdy thereafter becomes known as the Great Kingdom.27

-106 CY: Establishment of the trading post known as Moss Hold (now Mosshold or "Maus" in the local
accent).28

- 65 CY: Horghast and Herutu arise as popular leaders among the Peshwah nomads, humans who wander the
drylands south and southwest of Blackmoor, a land they broadly call "the Hak".29

-61 CY: Destruction of the Temple of Id by a combined force of lawful wizards led by Pissaic and a company of
warriors led by the hero Marcellius.30

20
Player's Guide to Greyhawk
21
DA1:63; “over half a millennium ago”, 4eTFC:189 “nearly 600 years of mining”
22
4eTFC:157 or BCS: 115 The Mad Wizard is not named in sources, so I choose Nehron, given as name for the northern people of Blackmoor by
Gygax in the Gnome Catch because it sounds like an evil wizard and there is at least some connection.
23
Possession of the Crowns of Power at this date presumed by context and identified with the 3 crowns of Tonisborg, FFC 80:48, The Lost
Dungeon of Tonisborg, level 10.
24
FFC80:18, DoCBM:146 ”Worship of Id started shortly before the year 500.”
25
Norton, Quag Keep, chapter 3, identification of Lichis with Ingselleth obvious
26
Bruadaire name given to the Dog Duke by Havard. Association of Bruadaire with the wizard imprisoned in the pit at his date presumed. FFC
80:21
27
Player's Guide to Greyhawk
28
4eTFC:167, date derived from TWC:3 ”almost immediately after the founding of the empire”
29
RoH: 20, date presumed by context
30
"sometime in the last 500 years" FFC80:18, 21 destroyed by "lawful wizards" - given the timing, Pissaic is the obvious wizard. The association
of Marcellius and Pissaic suggested by Havard.

66
-49 CY: First Great Peshwah Invasion. The Wizard Pissaic creates a ditch and defensive work around Blackmoor
town and castle. Uhlmar, King of the Elves sends a force to assist the humans. The invasion is turned back at
Blackmoor castle.31

The decision by Uhlmar to aid the humans leads to a permanent rift among the elves. The splinter group
becomes a tribe of Grugach known as the Westryn, while the remaining Wood Elves of Ringlo Hall become
commonly known as the Cumasti (i.e. "loyal").32

Few in number, the Westryn elves freely intermarry with humans and other elves, increasing their numbers with
mixed offspring.33

-41 CY: While rounding up wild horses, the Peshwah leaders Horghast and Herutu fall into an ambush set by
men sent from Blackmoor. Horghast is killed. Herutu escapes but is later hunted down and drowned in the
Root River.34

-11 CY: Ranial the Gaunt, a charismatic Peshwah illusionist from the oasis of Dantredun in the volcanic barrens
of Karsh, tricks the ageing Pissaic into revealing the location of the three Crowns of Power.35

Using Oerthmagic rituals he learned from Pissaic, Ranial the Gaunt, wears all three crowns at once, which unite
into the Crown of Blackmoor. Through the crown he first gains control of the Peshwah and then unifies all the
humans, dwarves, and orcs of the north in opposition to Aerdi aggressors from the south. Ranial successfully
defends Blackmoor from the might of Aerdy for several years, however he turns into a lich.36

- 9 CY: Ranial builds a fortress and port at Al 'Cocer in the Black Hills. He is rumored to have prepared a vault
to hide the The Crown of Blackmoor somewhere there.37

- 2 CY: Battle of Toadwash - Ranial defeated and killed. His crown goes missing. Total conquest of Blackmoor
by the forces of Aerdy38 who declare it a duchy and install a man remembered only as "The Bloody Duke". He
builds a fortification at Glendour and rebuilds Blackmoor Castle over the ruins left by elves and the Mad
Wizard.39 Historians often mark this as the beginning of the second age of Blackmoor.

The Peshwah begin to split into separate clans, eventually forming 12 of them.40

1 CY: Prince Nasran declared Overking of Aerdy.41

31
FFC80:21, Peshwah referred to as Ben Hassocks; Hassock later shortened presumably to Hak
32
The reason for the elven split never specified beyond Uhlmar being friendly to humans, however, the Peshwah invasion seems a logical trigger
event. Grugach - Unearthed Arcana, DAB 14,17, meaning of Cumasti presumed, Arneson specified the elves to be Wood Elves in his AiF notes,
1978
33
inferred by details of Norris' Curse
34
RoH: 20, 23, 44
35
FFC80:21, story details presumed
36
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5
37
Presumed, someone had to build Tonisborg dungeon and hide the crowns there. Ranial makes the most sense.
38
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5
39
FFC80:17
40
RoH: 20, 47
41
Timeline of Aerdi Grand Princes and Overkings

67
Nasran establishes four Northern Marches, consisting of Jenkinsland, Eraks, Keston (wherein lies Blackmoor
castle), and Gloomfens, (Wherein lies the lakes Bernemere, Mistmere and the Great Millmere, and the Misaugua
river).42

The Bloody Duke, a sadist and architectural megalomaniac, reigns over the Northern Marches from Blackmoor
Castle. He designs and builds a vast, multi-level dungeon beneath castle Blackmoor - connecting to natural
caverns and some say to even older, deeper passages.43

3 CY: The Cumasti Elven pyromancer Tellert turns himself into the first "blackbones" undead by immolating
himself in a sorcerous fire at his fortress seclusium in the Redwood forest neat Jackport.44

19 CY: The Bloody Duke is killed in his own dungeon by 13 escaped prisoners.45

20-175 CY: A series of Dukes are appointed to rule Blackmoor.46

56 CY: Pirates plague the Misaugua river.47

80 CY: The Peshwah Qulaam Clan settle near the Root River and begin breeding giant weasels.48

95 CY: Ceridrone, only daughter of King Noris of the grugach Westryn Elves, falls in love with a Westryn noble.
Unfortunately, his love belonged to another - a human. Spurned, the princess begs her father for vengeance. In
answer, he lays a great curse upon his people which prevents them from producing any offspring except
between purebred Westryn couples. Shortly thereafter the king died, leaving the curse permanent and Ceridrone
as the Black Queen of the Westryn elves.49

101 CY: A group of Westryn grugach prepare a complex magical ritual intended to remove Noris' curse. At the
same time Sondav, a powerful undead being, opens a rift portal into Westryn controlled forests through which
he and other undead from his world could enter. Sondav begins to gather followers and build a base of
operations. The Westryn elves cease their magic ritual believing it to somehow be responsible for the rift.50

102 CY: Sondav is destroyed by human adventurers, however the rift he opened continues to allow undead into
the Westryn woods.51

106 CY: Crash of an alien spaceship deep in the Hak near the Ash Hills. The crew enters stasis while repair
robots attempt to rebuild the ship.52 For mysterious reasons perhaps related to Oerthmagic, the robots instead
grow the ship into a huge and twisted technological complex.53

42
On the original March 1971 map, the territories are divided into Williamsfort/Maus, Keston Vestfold/Blackmoor, Glendour, The Red Coven,
and "Swampland". The name Mill is used in S2B. as "the Great Swamp of Mill".
43
BCS:116, DoCBM:184,185 “hundreds of years”; 4eTFC:158; FFC80:21
44
MMRPG Episode 5 date presumed by context.
45
DoCBM:184,185
46
FFC80:21
47
4eTFC:148
48
RoH: 44
49
MMRPG 86, Names by Havard, DAB 14,17, date assumed
50
MMRPG, Episode 38, date approximate, “centuries ago” but not long after the curse, also MMRPG 86
51
date approximate, occurs a few years after Sondav creates the rift, MMRPG 38
52
The City of the Gods, DA3

68
136 CY: Kargas Dolunt discovers the special magical nature of the Oerthmagic inherent in the soil and black
stone in the Northern Marches. “Magic permeates the land’s every leaf, stone, and crevice.”54 He seeks for ways
to tap into that magic.55

154 CY: Kargas Dolunt develops several means to draw on the magical forces permeating the land, including
the creation of the gem of spell storing from gems mined in Blackmoor. He makes his discoveries widely
known.56

160-171 CY: Influx of wizards, drawn to the magical nature of the land reported by Kargas. They quickly begin
carving out territories and staking claims. Possibly fearing an invasion of non-loyal foreign mages, Overking
Erhart II issues a call for imperial wizards to settle in the Northern Marches.57 Petty fueds develop and tensions
rise among the wizards.

169 CY: Power-greedy wizards plot to overthrow local authorities and assume direct rule. Ralt Gaither, court
wizard of the very unpopular Duke Glendor Braveen II of Blackmoor, orchestrates a coup and declares
independence from Aerdy with himself as Magelord of Blackmoor.58 Other wizards quickly follow his example.
Some ally with Gaither but others choose independence. One by one, all the human settlements fall under some
wizard's control.

From her seclusium at Starport, the sorceress Surrinya Vadaley claims a large swath of land in the diamond rich
Superstition Mountains. She extends her realm across the volcanic Barrens of Karsh to the banks of the
Misaugua river.59

172 CY: Raddan Goss, a student of Kargas' and his methods of drawing power directly from the land of
Blackmoor, having been among the first to dispose of the local baron in his territory, decides that more and
better land is necessary for his experiments. He attacks and violently expels the neighboring mage lord - an ally
of the Vadaley's - and annexes his land. Surrinya Vadaley swiftly retaliates by killing one of Raddan’s own
students situated near her lands. Open warfare results.60

172 – 190 CY: Mage Wars – “Hot period”. The conflict soon widens to involve nearly all the Magic-users in the
Northern Marches. Though held in check by Surrinya, Raddan wins several decisive victories against other
neighboring wizards and steadily expands his territory. After defeating Gaither at Blackmoor and leaving
Blackmoor Castle an abandoned ruin, Raddan declares himself Archmage of the Arcane Domain of Raddai.
Within the first 5 years, 4 major factions emerge.61 The Arcane Dominion of Raddai led by Raddan Goss

53
Per Robilar in The City of the Gods- The crash is somewhere in the Hak or Barrens of Karsh. The Ash Goblins are said to have been affected
by the crash, making it apparent that the ship landed in or near the Ash Hills. BCS: 198 This is also relatively close to the Temple of the Frog.
The DA series placed the ship in the Valley of the Ancients but this is a JG Wilderlands setting that was later ret-coned into Mystara Blackmoor.
4eTFC:235 Date arbitrary: based on “Many ages ago” in Leron description Riders of Hak, page 40 and the fact that “generations” of mutated
goblins have produced the current Ash Goblins.
54
4eTFC:126
55
TWC:4,5
56
TWC:4,5
57
The Wizards Cabal, p4-5
58
Coup per The Gnome Cache, by Gary Gygax, time period presumed, wizard involvement presumed. The names Ralt Gaithor and Glendor IV
(the II here to allow for time) drawn from Mike Carr's name list in B1 as no direct source was available. House Breveen is a noble house near
Blackmoor village of long standing in MMRPG Ep 41.
59
location assumed as most likely, due the distance between the Vadaley family and Raddan Goss and the lack of other viable options. TWC:5
60
MMRPG episode 47 The Night of Goss, Blackmoor as target territory presumed as Goss does come to control this area
61
TWC:6
69
emerges as the leading faction controlling the marches of Keston, Jenkinsland, and Gloomfens, followed by the
faction of the Vadaley’s at Starport, controlling the March of Celate and the barrens of Karsh, the Red Wizards
Coven in what will become the lands of Coot62 and the Kingdom of the Archmage Xavier the Grey at Mosshold,
controlling the March of Eraks.63

186 CY: Kali, the corrupt leader of the Peswah Sufz Clan and follower of the demi-god Calelrin presides over
the murder of the Twelve Prophets of the Peshwah. Two other Sufz Peshwah, Hasha and Swahi prevent Kali
from fulfilling the blood ritual she had begun, but both perish as a result. Yoosef is born from the blood of the
Prophets, becoming the youngest god of the Peshwah. The Murder of the Prophets forces the Peshwah out of
the Mage Wars.64

190 CY: Inspired by the teachings of Yoosef, the Peshneath clan establish permanent settlements near the Neath
woods and devote their lives to crafts and spider silk weaving.65

191 – 245 CY: Mage Wars - Mage Lord “impasse period”. Open but less active warfare continues between
these groups as each seeks for a way to destroy the others.66 Much of the population is decimated or flees to
safer regions.67

224 CY: Adventurers exploring 3000 year old ruins in the Gloomfens Swamp inadvertently release Shepsut, an
Evil High Priestess of the Groda (a froglin people otherwise extinct) from a Mirror of Life Trapping. She begins
the slow work of making converts and creating a new breed of Froglin to restore her lost civilization. The Frog
cult of Tsauthoggus is reborn.68

230 CY: The Order of the Frog establishes a foothold in Vestfold.69 Worshiping the Dark Lord known variously
as Tsauthoggus or Brr'bb't, the cult believes humans are a biological abomination, inferior to the perfection of
amphibians, and must be transformed or killed for the world to flourish.70

242 CY: Building on the work of Kargas Dolunt, Skelfer Ard invents the spell focus using gemstones from the
Northern Marches.71

Ard begins recruiting and training other wizards. He reaches out to Xavier the Grey, a powerful wizard ruling
the Eraks March from his tower near Mosshold with an offer of alliance.72 Xavier initially agrees, but after
learning the basic magic of the spell focus, turns his back on Ard.73

245 CY: Overking Zelcor of the Great Kingdom sends a token force to subjugate the warring wizards. The
Kingdom’s forces are thoroughly defeated.74

62
D&DS2B:37; Arneson C&C letter to Kuntz, association to Mage faction and Coot assumed.
63
BPG, A Night in Maus
64
RoH: 49
65
RoH: 43
66
4eTFC:126
67
4eTFC:126,128
68
ancient amphibian civilization in swamp BCS: 134, DABTotF: 4, MMRPG Episode 28, further details not cannon - based on my adaptation
to Blackmoor of the Beyond the Towers adventure by W. Jason Peck
69
DA2:9 “Maybe 150 years ago”, present time in DA2 is year Blackmore 1025.
70
Blackmoor S2B:28
71
TWC:8
72
date approximate, association presumed TWC 7, BPG, A Night in Maus
73
TWC: 109
70
251 CY: Clash between Xavier the Grey and Raddan Goss. Xavier is defeated and killed; his tower sheared in
half.75 Rise of the new faction led by Skelfer Ard. Ard begins training a new type of fighter-magic user known
as Arcane Warriors.76

252 CY: Ard attacks Goss, hoping to catch him weakened by the war with Xavier. Goss's forces however hold
out for a year, but lose ground steadily.77

253 CY: Empowered by the use of the spell focus and superior magic, Ard kills Raddan Goss in a duel and
completes the conquest of the Arcane Dominion of Raddai. Within days, the Vadeleys in the Duchy of the
Peaks surrender. Ard and allies are effectively in control of the Northern Marches. However the Red Wizards in
the Land of the Red Coven activate an egg shaped, extra terrestrial artifact which creates a magical barrier Ard is
unable to penetrate.78

254 CY: Founding of the Eldritch Underground, led by the Witch of the Fane – rumored to be the granddaughter
of Skelfer Ard.79

Arcane Warriors defeat "Blackbones" aka the undead pyromancer Tellert, trapping him under the ruins of his
fortress.80

255 CY: Tensions between Ard and the Vadaley's boil over. Skelfer kills Ellierre Vadaley in a one-on-one duel
and installs Abina Snofrea as Duchess of the Peaks.81

256 CY: Skelfer Ard forms an alliance with Emperor Toran II of Aerdy. The agreement establishes a mutual
defense pact and renews the status of Blackmoor as a vassal state to the Great Kingdom.82

The new Wizards Cabal installs an Earl in Vestfold and multiple baronial seats throughout three of the Northern
Marches (Land of the Red Coven excluded). The real power remains in the hands of the Cabal.

256 - 263 CY: Hoyt of Keston granted the Barony of Blackmoor. The Baron is plagued by Zeai raids.83

270-271 CY: Marshal Keston becomes Baron of Blackmoor. He is killed without heir in tavern fight.84

272-283 CY:- Reign of Baron Calvin Andahar, He is murdered by the baroness during an act of infidelity.85

74
TWC:7, Timeline of Aerdi Grand Princes and Overkings
75
TWC: 117, Goss is presumed to be the wizard who defeated Xavier since no mention is made of him fighting Skelfer Ard
76
TWC:9
77
TWC: 9
78
TWC:8,9
79
BPG: 181,182
80
MMRPG 3
81
"Abina Snofrea" not canon - play on "abominable snowfreak" FFC 80:16, itself a piss-take on Bill Hoyt for supporting Hoffa and Scott's
splinter gaming group and not playing in Blackmoor as Arneson had intended
82
TWC: 11, 12, Timeline of Aerdi Grand Princes and Overkings
83
assumed date, both dukes and barons are mentioned in the sources but barons occur in present and recent past whereas dukes in the distant past.
"Baron Hoyt of Keston" appears in the medieval wargame with Braunstein objectives that proceeds Blackmoor and the location Kieston is
described as part of the original March 1971 unlabeled Blackmoor map, quite possibly indicating the original intended name of the town of
Blackmoor.
84
Marshall Hogefeldt was given control of Keiston in Arneson's March 71 letter to Kuntz, however, Mr. Hogefeldt soon thereafter ran afoul of the
other players and was disinvited from the campaign.

71
264 CY: The Wizards Cabal attack the Eldritch Underground at their hideout. The Underground is scattered but
survives, counting the battle as a victory.

Founding of the sworn of Angville by Angville the Chaotic of the Eldritch Underground. The sworn of Angville
dedicate themselves to the destruction of the Cabal.86

266 CY: Ard’s faction establishes a wizards training school in Vestfold. Sometimes considered the official
founding of the Cabal as an institution.87 The Cabal becomes increasingly focused on their own affairs, largely
withdrawing from political concerns.

278 CY: The “Pirate Insurrection”: The Misaugau River and lands to the west had long been a haven for pirates,
bandits, and outlaws, but over time small communities had formed and grown into thriving settlements. When
the locals refused the inevitable taxes, Duchess Snofrea of Celate sends an army to collect. Ten pirate lords
emerge, forging a pact between their respective factions and fighting a brilliant and ultimately victorious war
against the Duchess.88

281 CY: The ten lords style themselves as dukes and co-rulers of the “Duchy of the Ten Heroes", establishing as
their capital the city of Rhun. This region is not to be confused with Tehn - an entirely different polity.89 The
Duchess Snofrea remains in control of Starport and surrounding territory, but her "duchy" is now a quarter of its
former size.

Menander Ithamis becomes lord of the Cumasti wood elves, ruling from the elven citadel Ringlo Hall in the
Redwood forest.90

The cultists of the Frog religious order establish a monastery and modest temple in the swamps on Frog Island,
fleeing from pogroms to eliminate them after it becomes known the Froggies are practicing human sacrifice and
physical mutilation.91

283-299 CY: Alfred Andahar rules as baron of Blackmoor.92

286 CY: Disappearance and presumed death of Skelfer Ard. Radiah Zurren becomes High Spellwise of the
Wizards Cabal.93

300-316 CY: Balfred “the Bald” Andahar rules as baron of Blackmoor.94

306 CY: Rumors of ancient technological wonders have drawn gnomish artificers to Blackmoor for years. Once
such gnome by the name of Artigan opens the first clock store in a small shop in Bramwald. Other gnomes take

85
The order of barons follows order of appearance in print - FFC80:23 - as suggested by Havard. We know these barons are Andahars because
Uther is descended from a “long line of men who held Blackmoor” DA1:4
86
BPG:182
87
TWC:12
88
4eTFC:148 date unspecified but I assume the rebellion lasted only a few years. I further assume the rebellion was against the Duke who
controlled the territory - not the far away empire. According to DA4: 26, the area of Ten was under the control of the Duchy of the
Peaks/Celate.
89
DA3:27; 4eTFC:148, there are 10 dukes FFC80:14, Ruhn is presumed to be part of Ten by later events
90
DA1:54
91
DA2:9 festered for “a century”
92
assumed by context FFC80:23
93
TWC 15
94
assumed by context FFC80:23
72
up the invention and clocks begin to be a common sight in Blackmoor. Artigan is rumored to have been inspired
by work he did for Lord Uberstar on the remains of a mechanical creature brought back by dwarves prospecting
in the Ash Hills near the City of the Gods.95

307 CY: Balfred begins construction of the Black Hall of Blackmoor Castle.96

310 CY: The great dragon lord Insellageth establishes Dragonia, the "city of father dragon" at the base of the
Dragon Hills along a popular trade route into northern Blackmoor. The dragons inhabiting the place assure rest
and safe passage through the mountains to all who pay the toll.97

316 CY: Balfred is torn to pieces in his records room in the castle by a jungle animal he keeps as a pet. Ra-all
The Wise becomes Baron of Blackmoor. He completes the construction of the Black Hall and is the first baron
to fully use it.98

321 CY: Kha-Khan Ogobanuk leads the Relentless Horde. Many Peshwah warriors eagerly join the Horde, but
negotiations for official union stall while with Sirk Baji of the Peshwah insists on honors and titles that
Ogobanuk refuses to grant. Blackmoor is therefore spared invasion as the Horde moves on without official
Peshwah participation. Nevertheless the presence of the Horde across the north isolates Blackmoor almost
entirely while the Kha-Khan lives.99

326 CY: First contact with the forces of Coot - a mysterious Dark Lord who has arisen in the Land of the Red
Coven.100

The earl of Vestfold dies, leaving Ra-all as his heir. Ra-all relocates to Vestfold and is declared king of
Blackmoor and Earl of Vestfold.101

Alveraz Andahar becomes Baron of Blackmoor .102

331 CY: Birth of Saint Carmichel.103

104
332 CY: Birth of Svein Zvenzen (aka Svenny or the Great Svenny), future Baron of Newgate.

341 CY: Birth of Uther Andahar.105

95
C&S 2007:5 I have presumed the location and date and that Artigan was first. Connection to CoG by Havard.
96
FFC80:21 “50 years ago”, present in FFC is Blackmoor 995-1001 Oeridian Record
97
The purpose and date of the city of father dragon assumed based on location of Dragonia. Link to Dragonia presumed based on name and the
fact that "The city of father dragon" only appears pre-TSR DA series and "Dragonia" only thereafter, and therefore are surely the same place.
98
FFC80:21, note that the "First Coot Invasion" did not occur at this time per later sources. The reference here is likely to first contact, which
occurred in CY 326
99
LGG 2000:86 Baji name for the Sirk and story invented to explain why the Horde bypassed Blackmoor
100
TWC:15, Land of the Red Coven identified by the March 1971 C&C letter of Arneson to Kuntz and a reference in the 1975 Temple of the
Frog.
101
Vestfold is referred to as the capitol. Ra-all - an alter-ego for Arneson as god of all - is referred to as king but there is also an earl of Vestfold
in the FFC 80: 4-6, 21. There are numerous references in player reports, CotT and the FFC to "the king". In reality Dave Arneson referred to
himself using both titles
102
Assumed Date.
103
Mike Carr, creator of the first cleric character, was born in AD 1951.
104
House Zvenzen Gazeteer, p18 He is in his "mid 50's" in the year 1030
105
TWC: 16

73
Alveraz is captured in surprise Zeai raid and beheaded.106 The Zeai overwhelm the light defenses and sack castle
Blackmoor. Ra-all appoints Wessel Everett to organize and lead a relief force to expel the Zeai, and after a few
months of looting and raids, the Zeai leave as Everett's dallying forces finally approach.

The Baron’s wife and children, having been hastily hidden behind a false wall in the castle, starve to death .107

Ra-all makes Wessel “The Weasel” Everett the new baron of Blackmoor.108

345 CY: Death of Kha-Khan Ogobanuk

346 CY: The Gnome artificer Artigan invents and sells clockwork toys. Soon larger automatons and even
fighting machines are created.109

345 - 396 CY: Overking Portillan rules the Great Kingdom for 51 years. Initially, his reign marks a resurgence of
Aerdy's glory after 150 years of decline, however he is later plagued by rebellions and war. His successors fall
further into decline.110 Portillan's emissaries re-assert Great Kingdom authority in Blackmoor.

346 CY: Marfeldt Grey111 an imposing barbarian warrior, kills his trainers and becomes a captain in the service
of the High Duke of the Ten Heroes. In a very short period he manages to become chief commander of Tens
armies and initiates a bloody war with neighboring polities, including several attacks against the Great Kingdom
and Celate. Ten wins every battle but suffers heavy casualties.112

348 CY: In response to Marfeldts' attacks, young Portillan, Overking of Aerdy sends an army into Ten, occupies
the country, and pounds the capital Rhun to ruins. The remaining dukes of Ten sue for peace. Portilan accepts
Ten as a new March with its capital centered on Dantredun. Officially it is now known as the March of
Dantrefaer.113

Marfeldt, now a fugitive, leads a guerilla war into the Great Kingdom, causing dissention and rebellion in
Nyrond and other provinces.114

Hoyt Snofrea becomes Duke of Celate.115

A young peasant named Fredigar Cripps is remarkably lucky while adventuring, winning a huge fortune. He
uses the money to begin construction of “The Comeback Inn”.116

A disturbance in the crashed alien spacecraft leads to Stephen, the captain of security, coming out of stasis with
a team of fellow soldiers. Stephen believes the ship to be beyond repair and orders his soldiers to recover as

106
TWC:16, FFC80:21
107
FFC80:23 – baron unspecified but Alveraz is the only candidate fitting the description
108
Weasel Everett was the name David Wesely chose for a playtest character in Arneson's Machine Gun Kelley in 1982. I've presumed to equate
him with the original baron Weasel who's true name is not given in the FFC.
109
Date per Havard. Fighting machines present in the FFC.
110
Timeline of Aerdi Grand Princes and Overkings. I imagine Portillan as a cross between Ramses II and Aurelius.
111
Marshall Heogfeldt post on ODD74 forum as "Lord Grey"
112
FFC80:15,16 Date approximate, Hoegfeldt on ODD74, Ten inserted to make sense geographically as the only nation adjacent to both the
Duchy of the Peaks and the Great Kingdom
113
suing for peace and the establishment of an official march are presumed to explain later events.
114
FFC80:15 Timeline of Aerdi Grand Princes and Overkings
115
Duke "White-head" a play on William-Hoyt. FFC 80:16
116
DA1:7 The Inn is present on Arneson’s first map, and Cripps is middle aged in 1025 – DA1:34
74
much technology as can be carried. They discover a hidden village where the remaining monks of the Frog Cult
of Tsauthoggus work to achieve amphibian perfection. Stephen grows power hungry in the delusion that he can
bring order to this backward planet. He co-opts the frog Cult and begins construction of extensive renovations
to the Temple of the Frog, organizing the society into a complete theocracy for the betterment of all in the name
of efficiency. The Frog cultist prey upon their neighbors in raids for loot and captives.117

The warrior Ser Jenkins Ungulian, having earned much admiration for his exploits, rouses the jealousy of Baron
Wessel, who intends to have him arrested. Jenkins escapes to the wilds of Glendour, where he becomes a
bandit outlaw.118

The cyborg Ah Foo 342-8B34-Ex2, a servant of Coot, runs afoul of his master by creating "magic" able to
overpower the technomagic of the Egg. He flees to the ruins of Rhun, which he rebuilds as a fortress. The
cyborg adopts the title of "The Ran" (as a corrupted pronunciation of Rhun). The rebuilt settlement becomes
known as Ransfort. Through a combination of wizardry, swordsmanship and cunning, The Ran becomes one of
the ten dukes of Dantrefaer; soon the High Duke of Ten.119

351 CY:120 The Ran builds a new capital city, calling it Starmorgan, and begins an intensive dragon breeding
program at a large, purpose-built facility nearby. 121

Lord Marfeldt Grey loots the Merchants’ Guild of Mosshold.122

The Baron Wessel "The Weasel" Everett makes a secret pact in the castle library with the Egg through his
representative, the wizard Soukup.123

The Baron invites his chief nobles into the library one by one where Soukup eliminates them through sorcery.
The Weasel flees the castle, journeying to the Peshwah shortly before the Egg invades. 124

The Northern Marches experience the First Invasion by the Egg of Coot. The castle is besieged. Blackmoor
village is burned and the castle heavily damaged during the invasion. The remaining defenders meet with a Coot
“Peace” mission (actually a crack invasion team led by Soukup) in the castle hall. The invaders break truce and
attack. Both sides are nearly wiped out but The Egg now has control of the castle.125

The Wizards Cabal calls upon Aerdy to honor the alliance. In response, the wizards are permitted to teleport
imperial troops to Blackmoor who join with the wizards in successfully repelling the invasion. The Cabal's ranks
are decimated in the fight.126

117
account of Stephen Rocheford, the Supplement II account; date estimate based on the 5 years given in DA III City of the Gods as the length of
time Stephen had control of the Temple before being discovered.
118
FFC 80: 17, the title "Sir Jenkins" appears in CoTT
119
FFC80:14,15, approximate date. The Ran’s method of gaining control presumed based on his description, Ransfort, one of the larger cities on
the original map, presumed to be the base of the Ran, which is presented here as if it were a colloquialism of Rhun.
120
1971
121
FFC80:14,15
122
DA1
123
Dave Wesely recollection, FFC80:17, TWC:16
124
FFC80:21 Note: “second coot invasion” is taken to be a mistake in both context of the paragraph and the date. Should be first Coot Invasion
here.
125
4eTFC148, Bob Meyer, Zeitgeistgames forum.
126
TWC: 16

75
Fant of Bramwald, and Jenkins Ungulian, the bandit of Glendour, lead a group of adventurers who sneak into
the monster infested Blackmoor Castle and open the gates from inside.127

The Egg of Coots' forces are defeated, but some monsters led by the wizard Soukup escape into the dungeon
where they remain.128

Fant is made baron of Keston March for "his successful operations during the first Coot invasion".129 He is the
first non-Andahar to hold the title in generations.130

Imperial troops help rebuild the town. Coots Watch tower is constructed.131

Jenkins Ungulian is also made a baron, over his home March of Jenkinsland which he already had effective
control over as a bandit.132

Marriage between Baron Fant's sister and Baron Jenkins. Fant likewise marries Jenkins cousin.133

Petrus Galliar becomes Wizard of the Wood, building a hut in the haunted forest, protected by his pet dragon,
Tuffy.134 He perfects a distillation process that captures the powerful essence and unique magical properties of
Superberries, which grow on a tree found only in the Wizards Wood and draw magical energy from the black
soil into the its' fruit.135

Baron Jenkins retreats to Blackmoor in the face of a large foray by the forces of the Egg of Coot. A great
earthquake shakes Blackmoor on All Hallows. Portions of the dungeon beneath Blackmoor castle collapse.136

An enterprising gnome named Dannic Olson organizes the Minions of the Merchant – aka the Merchant Mafia,
headquartered at the Golden Dragon Inn in Blackmoor.137

Newly installed Baron Fant orders an expedition into Blackmoor dungeon. The wizard Soukup and his
Baledraug ally slaughter the soldiers and men at arms. Zvenzen is the sole survivor. He delivers the magic
sword “Maroon” to the Baron.138

Svein Zvenzen marries Ximena and begins construction of the "Freehold" tower fortress.

352 CY:139 Inspector General Snider accompanied by H. W. Dunvo leads repeated expeditions into the dungeon
below Blackmoor Castle. The Inspector discovers a black dragon and mistakenly attempts to open negotiations
which results in the Inspectors' immolation.140

127
Aardy R. DeVarque AKA Joel Andrew Hahn - REC.GAMES.FRP.DND FAQ, Part 3 much of Hahns statement is factually wrong, but he is
the only known source for the sneaking in story. Fant is associated with Bramwald in BMGR #2, the surname Ungulian is taken from DA1
128
Bob Meyer, Zeitgeistgames forum
129
FFC80:17
130
Uther describes Fant as "once a great hero" DoCB: 25. Fant is from Bramwald, CoTT 4 #6
131
TWC: 16
132
FFC80:17
133
FFC80:17, BMGR #2
134
FCC80:47,48; Pete Gaylord in Pioneer Press 06/27/2009, by Tad Vezner
135
use of superberry process assumed, described in FFC80:19
136
Blackmoor Gazette and Rumormonger #1
137
FFC80:19
138
G. Svenson first adventure story, also sword description in FFC80:44.
139
1972
76
Svenny, Carmichel the priest, William of the Heath, and Mello build Freehold to guard Wolfshead Pass.141

Svenny, Mello Feathertoes, and William of the Heath form a real estate cartel to rival the machinations of the
Merchant Mafia under Olsen.

H. W. Dunvo builds a house on the peninsula of Blackmoor castle, and digs a tunnel under it connecting to the
fifth level of the dungeon. Accompanied by his henchman, the dwarf Scuzzy, he begins to meticulously map the
dungeon. 142

353 CY:143 2nd Coot invasion.

The Eggs armies move on Blackmoor village and the Castle is besieged.

From her den on Serpent Rock island in Blackmoor bay, Gertie the Dragon sally's forth to attack the Egg's
forces, but is killed while defending the Marsh Gate of Blackmoor Village.144 She is later resurrected in
gratitude.145

A party of Blackmoor's heroes lead an expedition into the castle dungeon to corner and kill the baledraug and
the wizard Soukup.

Captain Krey, commander of the castle garrison, is given the choice of death or treason. He chooses treason and
opens the door to the dungeon allowing the enemy to flood into the castle from below.146

The castle is attacked and conquered by King Funk I of the Black Hand tribe of the Black Hills. The remaining
Wizards Cabal is defeated and scattered. The traitors split the loot and head north to the Egg of Coot.147

Zvenzen's Freehold destroyed.148

The Heroes emerge from the dungeon expedition, having at last cornered and killed the wizard Soukup and his
baledraug, but upon returning to the surface they find the castle and town have been sacked by Funk Ist and are
now occupied by the Eggs' forces. Baron Fant's family have been killed and the castle is in ruins. The heroes
hide out in the nearby woods. The priest Carmichel misses the entire invasion while on a drinking binge with
Petrus Galliar in the Wizards Wood.149

Orc armies based out of Blackmoor maraud the Northern Marches, aided by the Chaos Wizards in the service of
the Egg. The Wizard of the Wood, Petrus Galliar, acts as a double agent and leads the enemy wizards into an
ambush where they are slain along with many servants of the Egg.150

140
John Snider, Different Worlds #5 1979, FFC80:13
141
“I did the floor plans when I was taking an architectural drafting course in the Spring of 1972” Greg Svenson, Blackmoor forum
142
Megarry's Chemistry Notebook I have taken the liberty of altering the original character name of Dumbo to Dunvo for obvious reasons.
143
1972
144
FFC80:19
145
Player recollection
146
TWC:18; FFC 80: 4, 13, 18, Kurt Krey recollection
147
Arneson, “A quarter Century of Role Playing”
148
BMG&R 2, Player recollections
149
BMG&R v2
150
TWC: 18, Petrus Galliar is a play on Peter Gaylord

77
Elven king Menander’s daughter Lotsa is captured by the orcs and held hostage in Blackmoor dungeon.
Menander offers’s Lotsa’s hand in marriage to any who would rescue her.151

Elven armies drive back Funks' orcs and surround Blackmoor Castle. A team of adventurers storm Blackmoor
dungeons to find Lotsa. She is rescued, but only two survive the attempt – Fnord "Otto" the Barbarian and
Maker the Dwarf. Lotsa is given to the Barbarian for a 24 hr marriage.152

Elven forces swiftly retake the castle.153

Funk I, King of the Orcs, remains on the sixth level of Blackmoor with the remnants of the 2nd invasion forces.
Funk builds the Orchian way.154

Seething at their poor defense of Blackmoor, king Ra-all exiles Zvenzen, Fnord, Maker, Dalen, the Debelfry
brothers, Brother Richard and Barons Jenkins and Fant to Lock Gloomen. 155

William of the Heath, with Mello Feathertoes at his side, takes on constable duties in the village of Blackmoor -
a decision both he and the villagers come to regret.156

Though not exiled, H. W. Dunvo decides to follow the exiled heroes, disguised as a yellow robed leper ringing a
bell. He is eventually discovered by Baron Jenkins, who enlists him in the defense of Lock Gloomen.157

Coot forces under the turncoat Captain Krey attack Lock Gloomen. Zvenzen is isolated and killed defending
southwest gate from a regiment of orcs. He is later resurrected.

William of the Heath loses the sword “Blue” during an aerial dual with the forces of Coot over Blackmoor
village, when William crashes into one of the deep pits around the town.158

Baron Jenkins disappears while exploring the swamp.159 Rumors begin to circulate that he has been turned into a
vampire rose bush. Some time later it is said he learned to shape shift to human form and entered Blackmoor
dungeon through tunnels a pit in a hill west of the castle.160

Lady Ungulian administers Jenkinsland in her husbands' absence and gives birth to a son she names Bascom.161

The heroes of Blackmoor successfully lift the siege of Lock Gloomen and the tide turns against The Egg's armies.

151
Wesely recollection
152
Wesely recollection, Fnord the Barbarian originally simply called David, but later renamed by Wesely, Fnord told everyone his name was Otto
because he thought he would become invisible if his real name were spoken. Ross Maker never named his dwarf so I resorted to using his surname.
153
FFC80:19, 28; 29, BMGR #2
154
FFC80:28, Megarry chemistry notebook, FFC and Player reports. Blackmoor dungeon was originally 6 levels with the orcs on level 6.
When Arneson expanded to 10 levels he moved the orcs down.
155
FFC80:59, BG&R v2, Cott 4 #6
156
BG&R #2, FFC 77:22
157
David Megarry recollection. Dumbo is the presumed character following the calendar given in Megarry's notes.
158
Blackmoor Gazette #2, FFC80:16,33
159
Cott 4 #6
160
Ross and other players report that Jenkins was turned into a vampire rose after pestering Arneson that he wanted to play a vampire. Megarry
reports that Jenkins could shapeshift. Mr. Jenkins was a huge fan of Dark Shadows. A hill West of the castle marked Jenkins Hill was renamed
Vampire Hill on some maps.
161
As no mention is made of a son earlier, I presume Bascom must have been born posthumously to Jenkins.

78
Blackmoor barons and heroes in alliance with the elves under Menander and dwarves under Uberstar mop up the
remaining forces of Coot.

Baron Fant returns to Bramwald, leaving Blackmoor in the hands of the elves.162 Shortly after returning to
Bramwald, Fant leads leads another expedition into Blackmoor dungeon but does not return, having fallen victim
to vampirism.163

Fnord, Scotty Debelfry, and The Wizard of the Wood head south to investigate the Monks of the Swamp and
rumors about the brutal practices of the frog cult. They disappear and are presumed dead.164

Zvenzen's Freehold is rebuilt.165 Svenny is awarded the title Earl of Vestfold by king Ra-All.

Mello Feathertoes builds his house outside Blackmoor village, just south of Freehold.166

The elven prince Menander Ithamis sets up an Elven Fair in the north courtyard of Blackmoor castle and
institutes strict measures to ensure that the plague of vampirism is contained within the dungeon.167

H. W. Dunvo dies while exploring the dungeon. His partial maps begin appearing in the markets of
Blackmoor.168

"Diamonds" Balfour leads the wizard Egary and henchmen on a treasure hunt into Blackmoor dungeon. They
manage to defeat a troll and recover a very powerful magic sword, but beat a hasty retreat when they encounter
a powerful wizard. However, a map they discover in the dungeon, leads to a treasure in an ogre den in the
wilds outside Blackmoor. The sword is rumored to later have passed to the warrior Terik, son of one of Egary's
henchmen.169

Baron von Hercebeiner and his two sons lead an expedition to explore south of the Root river. None return.170

354 CY:171 Delving to the12th level of Blackmoor Dungeon with the Great Svenny, William of the Heath finds
his sword in the possession of a red dragon. Intrigued, the dragon poses a riddle. His life on the line, William
manages to solve it and is rewarded not only with his sword Blue, but also with a suit of blue mechanized armor
and a blue mechanical horse named "Bill".172

162
Cott 4 #6
163
FFC 80:29
164
Cott 4 #6 Stephen Rocheford, Blackmoor forum
165
FFC, Player recollections
166
FFC80:53, house location shown on Arneson hand drawn map from Adventure Games
167
FFC80:19, 28; 29, Elf Prince played by Martin Noetzel, per Kuntz recollection the anti vampire procedures were in place by Nov 1972.
168
BmGR #2, Player Recollection
169
The Game That Changed Everything, Rob Kuntz recollection of first game run by Dave Arneson for Gary Gygax. Gygax played a wizard with
no name other than "Gary's wizard". Within days Gygax made his next character, the fighter Yrag. Arneson told them to keep the sword, recast
here as passing it on from father to son with Terry Kuntz's Terik PC seeming to be the better choice. Balfour is assumed here. Balfour was a
character Megarry had newly made at the time but he doesn't recall if this was the character he played for the adventure or not.
170
David Megarry character sheet. The baron died exploring the Outdoor Survival board.
171
1973 AD
172
Svenson, Zeitgeist Games forum, FFC 80:16

79
Lotsa gives birth to a female half elf she names Meridan Veslo.173

The Egg of Coot patches up the rift with The Ran and launches a massive attack - The Third Coot Invasion.
Agents of Coot secretly ally with Zeai raiders, the barons of Mosshold, Dantrefaer, Gloomfens and Holbytyn,
the Shiremaster of Booh, spearhead an attack against Blackmoor.174

The Sages tower, home of the Sages Guild, is overrun by the Coots forces. The Blue Rider is overwhelmed
while defending the northern pass, but he is carried to safety by his mechanical horse Bill.175

Blackmoor is placed under siege and the elves defending it soon withdraw. The Blue rider rides to Vestfold to
warn the King.

The Wizard of Wood with a force of Cumasti Elves, moves to support of Zvenzen, the Earl of Vestfold.

Glendour, Monks of the Swamp, and militia from Boggy Bottom go on the defensive against the forces of Ten.

Crash of an Avian spaceship on Blackmoor within the wizard Snidar's domain near his tower. Snidar promptly
impounds the ship and everything in it - including cloaks of flying. Some Avians escape and wander Blackmoor
on foot, having long ago lost the ability to fly.176

Offers to join the chaos alliance are rebuffed by the Wizard's Cabal under the leadership of the powerful
Spellwise Mi-Karr,177 and Mosshold drops out of the alliance as Ra-all's forces regroup and dig in.

The Orcs under Funk the Ist with their monstrous allies emerge enmasse from Blackmoor dungeon and join
Coots offensive.

Bramwald and the dwarves of the Stormkiller mountains rally to the side of the king.

Battle of Glendour - The Cleric brother Richard taunts a score of orcs into pursuing him into the woods, where,
with the aid of a magical cloak of flying, he flies from tree to tree just out of bowshot. When the pursuing orcs
follow deeply within the dry woods, he sets the trees and underbrush ablaze. The trapped orcs are consumed
and the ensuing blaze sweeps the flank of the orc army, drawing their attention and providing the defenders the
means to break the orc offensive and thus earning Brother Richard the epithet of the Flying Monk.178

Booh withdraws from the chaos alliance and the King's forces pacify Lock Gloomen, where the mechanical
horse Bill carrying the Blue Rider brakes an entire regiment of orcs.179

173
Wesely played the half elf character but never named her. The character was named later by Arneson, but Wesely remembered it to me as
something like Marten Vessaloy, which must be the half elf character in DA1 known as Veslo Meridan. I switched the name order to match
Wesely's recollection and because, frankly Meridan is a much better first name for a lady elf than Veslo. Possibly TSR got the name order wrong.
174
FFC 80:4
175
FFC 80:16, Sage Guilds are described in S2B
176
Svenson, Blackmoor forum, Star Probe Introduction "A Powerful Wizard" presumed to be John Snider's wizard here, since he is as likely as
any other and Star Probe is his book
177
Mi-Kar is the only wizard-led force in the fight and so must represent the most powerful/significant faction which at this time could only be the
Wizards Cabal.
178
BCS: 176
179
FFC 80:16

80
Reinforcements arrive from the Great Kingdom, which has finally recognized the threat posed by the Egg of
Coot to all civilization.

The March of Dantrefaer decides to withdraw as the Kings forces begin counter-offensive operations.

The Scholaress becomes advisor to King Ra-all.180

355 CY:181 The monster army of Funk the Ist falls back into Blackmoor Castle.

Dwarven forces led by Uberstar Khazakhum storm Blackmoor Castle and rid the place of the orc infestation.182
Funk the Ist retreats all the way down to the 10th level.

Last of Eggs forces defeated and victory declared.183

Carmichel is elevated to Bishop of Blackmoor.

A council of three is established to coordinate the administration of the Northern Marches and martial defense
for the next Coot invasion, marking the founding of the Regency Council.184

The Great Svenny enters Blackmoor dungeon with Scotty Debelfry and slays Funk I. The orcs vow revenge.185

The Elven Fair is re-established in the northern courtyard of Blackmoor Castle.

Uberstar and his dwarves return to their mines, leaving Blackmoor Castle uninhabited and under Elven control.

A strong faction of the Wizards Cabal believes the Cabal's withdrawal from politics to have been a mistake and
gathers in an abandoned tower beyond Wolf's Head pass to plot the overthrow of Ra-all and rule of Blackmoor.
Catching word of it, William of the Heath leads a party of adventurers against the wizards.186 In the ensuing
battle, the wizards confront the Blue Rider in the four hills of Wolf’s Head Pass, where they are joined by the
giant vultures living there. Although the Blue Rider is victorious, several wizards escape, and are believed to
have joined the ranks of the Eldritch Underground.187

Death of the Scholaress in the depths of the dungeon beneath the orc fortress at Al 'Cocer .188

Heroes led by Svenny explore the swamps in search of Frog Cultists. After much wandering, the Temple of the
Frog is discovered and attacked but the heroes are stunned and removed from the area with their memories of it
stolen.189

180
David Megarry report - Ra-all is the earl at the time.
181
1974 AD
182
Walter Oberstar player recollection.
183
TWC:18
184
FFC80:47
185
4eTFC 148, Svenson recollection
186
TWC:17
187
FFC 80:48 – the items described in the rumor table are all from late in the Blackmoor Campaign. Tonisborg wasn’t created until late summer
of 1973 and the three crowns seem to post date the publication of D&D in January of 1974 as indicated by their description in the Tonisborg
dungeon
188
Megarry character sheet and recollection. Al 'Cocer aka Tonisborg.
189
FFC80:11, Svenson and Rocheford, Blackmoor forum

81
“Great Vampire hunt” to dispatch the monster Sir Fang. He is caught and “killed” by staking. The dungeon
entrance into the basement of the castle is sealed and held by elven guards. Parties are permitted to enter
through a guarded and locked door opened only long enough to allow entry.190

With the encouragement of King Ra-all, several Blackmoor nobles lead expeditions into the wilderness south of
the Root river, carving out new baronies.

The Peshwah see the new baronies being established in the south as an invasion of their territory and attack.
The attacks are defeated.191

Peasant revolt in Duero and Dalen baronies.192 The rebels are successful and Lord Duero is killed and his tower
abandoned. Baron Dalen is also badly hurt, but the revolt is crushed by reinforcements from Blackmoor led by
Svenny and other heroes.193

Several of the Blackmoor heroes undertake an expedition to City of the Gods. Petrus Galliar - Wizard of the
Wood - and Lord Dalen are killed.194

Several baledraugs under the control of the Egg sneak an evil device into Dragonia. The device causes dragons
everywhere to fall into a deep and unnatural sleep, including dragons such as Gerti allied to Blackmoor. A
group of Blackmoor's heroes destroy the device by crushing it with a boulder, but in the subsequent battle with
the Eggs' baledraugs, the Wizard Snidar, Petrus Galliar, and Brother Richard are killed. Snidar’s holdings are
covered in deadly yellow mist when his untended spells go critical.195

Following the incident with the Egg's device, Insellageth leaves Dragonia and orders it abandoned.196

War breaks out among the Peshwah clans. Only the Somhak and the Sufz stay out of the conflict.197

356 CY:198 After a harsh winter, Hadeen of the Somhak distributes supplies from the oasis of Sul Peshwan and
brokers peace between the clans who come to barter. The fighting stops and he is chosen to lead all the clans as
the first Sirk of the Peshwah. The tent city of Sul Peshwan is founded as the Seat of the People.199

Two dwarves, Frick Tanndon and Frack Glerndon, discover Fangs' remains and restore him to unlife, joining him
thereafter as servants.200

West of the Cold Marsh, between the Burneal Forest and the plains of the Wolf Nomads lies the Senescent
Hills201, or the Goblin Kush (Goblin Killers) as they are known by the Afridhi tribesmen eking out a harsh life in
these rugged hills. Here Toska Rusa, high priestess of the tribe, receives a grand vision of conquest from Zugzul,

190
Svenson, Wayfarer forum
191
FFC80:11, Robert Meyer, Zeitgeist Games forum
192
In the FFC these are Monson who created a setting called Duero's Tower, and Nelson Dale Nelson.
193
FFC80:11
194
FFC80:11
195
FFC80:11, 61, John Snider recollection
196
Presumed by later events.
197
RoH: 47
198
1975 AD
199
RoH p47
200
Player recollections, DoCBM:231
201
The Gnome Cache by Gary Gygax

82
their god of fire. The god promises her a great empire for her people and she promises to build him a temple
made entirely of gold in the heart of the Great Kingdom.202

Chaffing under the iron hand of Overking Portillan, an opportunist junior branch of the Aerdy Celestial House of
Rax-Nyrond, takes advantage of the civil dissent being stirred up by the barbarian Marfeldt Grey, and declares
Nyrond independent from the Great Kingdom. Overking Portillan prepares an army to put down the rebellion
but his attention is diverted by a coalition of Fruztii and Schnai barbarians from the Thillonian Peninsula,
threatening to overwhelm the Bone March and Ratik and sweep into the North Province. Portillan turns his
forces to deal with the barbarians, allowing Nyrond critical time to entrench. For the rest of his reign Portillan
becomes an Overking at war. The changing political map leaves the Northern Marches even more isolated than
before.203

357 CY: 204 Dragonia cleared out and inhabited by the Peshwah leader, Shepro na Peshwah of the Bortai.205

Svenny, leads a party of adventurers into Blackmoor dungeon in an effort to begin clearing it.206

The Peshneath Clan befriends Sra Duul, a green dragon.207

Bishop Carmichel retires to Bramfield Abbey, Garamond Bolitho succeeds Carmichel as bishop.208

358 CY:209 Sildonis cleans out the cabin of Wizard Petrus Galliar and becomes the new Wizard of the Wood. 210

Slavery abolished in Blackmoor by the Council of Regents and the King.211

Raelralataen, brother of Hadeen, is recognized as the first Lawgiver of the Peshwah.212

The Falleem build a Temple to Raelralataen in their fortress city of High Tenlish.213

The Dwarf Borgrim Stonehammer invents the steam engine. Dwarves begin collaborating with clockmaker
gnomes on experimental steam powered mining machines.214

359 CY:215 The Afridhi horde invades the steppes.

The Peshwah demigod Calelrin, jealous of the popularity of Hadeen and Raelralataen and their string of victories
against the Afridhi, has Hadeen murdered on the eve of battle. The death is witnessed by the red dragon Kafess.
Raelralataen survives a similar assassination attempt, but disappears while burying his brother in the Peshwah

202
DA1:3,4, date confirmed by Greg Svenson, Blackmoor forum
203
The Marklands, World of Greyhawk WGR4
204
1976 AD
205
Date of Shepro's taking control of Dragonia presumed by later story developments.
206
Bill Paley,1976 Alarums and Excursions Gen con Report, Svenson recollection, others, Arneson requested Greg participate in this adventure.
207
MMRPG Ep #27
208
4eTFC:148, Zvenzen Gazeteer, GS4
209
1977 AD
210
David Ross, must post date writing of FFC,1980:19
211
DW42:M4, date approximate, must postdate FFC
212
RoH
213
RoH
214
C&S
215
1979 AD

83
barrow mounds. Calelrin is renounced by the majority of Peshwah, but the Afridhi take full advantage of the
confusion. Hundreds of Peshwah are slain - a loss from which they will never fully recover.216

Peshwah na Jota of the Irfat becomes the new Sirk Am Peshwah.217

Death of Ra-all the wise. Maragaine, daughter of Ra-all becomes Queen of Blackmoor. Power and a sense of
privilege soon corrupt the new ruler. Fortunately for Blackmoor, she leaves much of the day to day affairs in the
hands of Co-Regent Bakula Drachenfels and the Regency Council.218

Despite the claim to the title held by the vampire Sir Fang, Maragaine declares the baronage of Blackmoor
vacant and promotes her cousin Omar Andahar as the new baron. Omar is renowned as an accomplished warrior
and skilled swordsman. Omar takes over management of castle Blackmoor from the elvin forces.219

Shema, apprentice to the Wizard Al Haza in Bleakwood, completes her apprenticeship.220

360 CY:221 The Afridhi control the plains of Hak, reach Dantrefaer and threaten her border.222

361 CY:223 Omar Andahar killed in surprise Zeai raid. His son Uther becomes the new baron of Blackmoor.224

In a surprise move, The Ran of Ah Foo, High Duke of the Ten Heroes, commanding the armies of Dantrefaer,
pulls his reserve forces away from defending against the Afridhi and gambles all by launching an attack against
his hated enemy, Blackmoor.

The forces of Dantrefaer are broken and beaten at the Battle of Bern Mere, due in large part to a brilliant heavy
cavalry charge led by young Uther Andahar.225

Founding of the Scroll and Blade Society - an elite mercenary troop of Fighter-Wizards.226

362 CY:227 Afridhi attack Dantrefaer and secure 3 major field victories. The campaign bogs down into a series
of sieges.228

A Tsolyani sailing ship under the command of Captain Harchar passes through an inter - planar nexus point
entering Blackmoor Bay in proximity to Serpent Rock island - the home of Gertie the Dragon – Gertie having
some time earlier been resurrected for her service to Blackmoor. Lord Chirine ba Kal, a military sorcerer-priest
of the Temple of Vimuhla, addresses Gertie in Nlyssa, the ancient tongue of the Dragon Lords, averting what

216
RoH, date approximate
217
DAB, MMRPG Ep #27, RoH: 26, 39
218
4eTFC:148, death date, family relationship and details assumed. Queen Maragaine from "The Doomgrinder" by Steve Miller, Bakula leads the
council in GPoD, Drachenfels house added from Gaz 3 The Principalities of Glantri
219
presumed - Omar is a baron in waiting in Adventures in Fantasy, Book I p54, 56 and so one of the few possible choices for Uther's father
among named characters.
220
Adventures in Fantasy, Book I p45
221
1980 AD
222
DA1
223
1981 AD
224
4eTFC:148, DA 1:4, name of Uther's father presumed
225
DA1:23, 4e TFC 148
226
BPG:178
227
1982 AD
228
DA 1:3

84
would likely have been a devastating battle.229 Chirine and companions explore Blackmoor for several weeks
before returning whence they came. They do not enter the dungeon.

363 CY:230 Restoration of Blackmoor Castle as a residence. Fant, (Sir Fang) of course, does not recognize the
transfer of his title or his property and begins raising an army of monsters in the dungeon.231

The Council of Regents realize that the Dantrefaer will soon fall to the invading Afridhis. They send a petition to
Emperor Portillan asking for permission to send an army in relief of their former enemies. They also ask for
reinforcements from the rest of the Empire. Their petition is scorned by the Emperor, who has much bigger
problems to deal with, and is not unhappy to sacrifice the troublesome March of Dantrefaer.232

364 CY:233 Fourth Coot Invasion

The Egg of Coot launches what it hopes will be a swift surprise attack. Uther Andahar, assembling an army for
a strike against the Afridhi, marches his army to intercept the foe.234 The Eggs forces are caught in a quick
pincer movement and decisively beaten.

Queen Maragaine proclaims Uther Duke of Blackmoor and grants him a seat on the Regency Council.235

365 CY:236 Increasing raids on trade and immigrant caravans are traced to agents of the Temple of the Frog.237

366 CY: Duke Hoyt the White marries an exotic dancer named Sonia Sholako. Through the use of her charms
and magic, she is soon able to gain complete control of the March of Celate.

368 CY: Duke Hoyt dies under mysterious circumstances. Sonia Sholako becomes the Duchess of Celate and
allies with the Afridhi.238 The Afridhi complete their conquest of the Duchy of Ten/March of Dantrefaer after a
year long siege of Starmorgan.239 The Ran of Ah Foo is rumored to have been captured in the city and
dismantled.240

Ursula Zov becomes High Spellwise of the Wizard's Cabal.

369 CY: Baron Uther’s efforts to clear Blackmoor dungeon suffer a severe reversal as undead overrun the
guards stationed on level 2. The baron orders the dungeon sealed. Elves return to lock and guard the great
enchanted door at the base of the Main Stair. 241

The March of Dantrefaer is struck by a devastating plague, temporarily slowing the Afridhi plans for the
conquest of Blackmoor.

229
Jeff Berry, Blackmoor forum
230
1983
231
TWC:18, Ross via Pacificon session with Arneson
232
DA1:4
233
1984 AD
234
TWC:19
235
Uthers new title “Duke” in DoCBM
236
1985 AD
237
Events of Garbage Pits of Despair, DW #42, #43
238
presumed by Havard to explain the change in leadership in the Duchy
239
DA1:3,4, TWC :19 gives the date 1013 369 but DA1 says it took 7 years after reaching Ten and 12 years from Rusa's vision
240
assumed by context.
241
DoCBM:13,24,25
85
370: CY: Death of Queen Maragaine - rumored to be a murder. With no heir, the throne is vacant. State
decisions are made by the lords on the Regency Council.242

The Afridhi probe Blackmoor's defenses and attack the March of Gloomfens ruled by baron Han Aleford. The
Afridhis are repulsed but Aleford is accused by the Overking of having compromised a possible truce. Overking
Portillan sends the Imperial Governor of the North to arrest Han Aleford, but he is stopped at Blackmoor and
sent back by Baron Uther, who considers Aleford a friend.

The Emperor is incensed and orders an army sent to teach Uther a lesson.

371 CY: Great Kingdom officers travel to the kingdom of Orchocho in the Black Hills. As an ally of Aerdy,
Funk II is ordered to spearhead the invasion. He leads an army of orcs from the Black Hills into the adjacent
barony of Bramwald in the March of Eraks. Baron Tagus of Bramwald refuses to let an army of orcs march
through his territory and, following several skirmishes, Funk II lays siege to Bramwald.243

The rest of the Imperial army - predominantly mercenaries recruited by the Great Kingdom officers - marches on
Blackmoor town. Uther decides not to risk a withdrawal of forces away from the Afridhi defenses to protect
Blackmoor and instead withdraws to spare the town, leaving it to be occupied by the oncoming army.244

Uther takes shelter with the dwarves under the leadership of Uberstar Kazakhum and secretly builds his forces.245

Confident of imminent success, Funk II leaves the siege of Bramwald, taking a regiment of loyal orcs with him,
and enters Blackmoor castle, to search for his father's treasure lost in the dungeon. The remaining orc army at
Bramwald is now in the hands of Ser Vyle - an Anti-Paladin.

Uther orders Svenny to take such troops as he can muster to break the siege at Bramwald.

Vyle learns that Svenny's family has taken refuge at Bramfield Abbey, under the protection of the now retired
Bishop Carmichel. Vyle dispatches the Carrion Brothers - a crack group of orc assassins to capture the family.
They manage to only grab Svenny's teenage daughter Elvira before being discovered.

Ser Vyle sends a messenger informing Svenny that Elvira will be added to his harem if Svenny does not break
off the siege.

Svenny presses the attack. The siege is broken and the orcs take flight back to the Black Hills. Svenny gives
chase. Elvira is discovered by her brother Sol, bloodied but alive.246

Battle of Root River. Uther routs the Imperial army. He reoccupies Blackmoor castle and is recognized as King
of Blackmoor by the Regency Council. Uther declares complete independence from the Great Kingdom.247

242
Presumed to explain the power vacuum at the time Uther declares himself king
243
Great Svenny Poem, GS4 gazetteer, interpreted
244
Aerdy was relatively weak at this time and would have had difficulty fielding a full army to the far north, especially since the interspatial state
of Nyrond was in full rebellion. Alan Grohe, personal communication
245
DA1:63
246
Great Svenny Poem, GS4 gazetteer, interpreted
247
4e TFC: 148, BCS: 20, DA1

86
Shepro na Peshwah and Regency council have been working closely together since the Afridhi invasion. In
honor of this new alliance, Uther creates a new March of Peshwan across the Dragon Hills, granting seats on the
Regency council to these Peshwah leaders.248

Svenny, having been successful against Ser Vyle and now having his dander up, chases the fleeing orcs into The
Black Hills. Mercenaries, adventurers and Aerdy deserters join his ranks. In a series of brilliant maneuvers and
engagements, he sacks Castle Jonon, numerous villages, and captures the fortress city of Al 'Cocer after a 9 day
siege.

Svenny's troops settle in for winter. Svenny rebuilds "The Great Castle." defending the city and names this
fortress Tonisborg in honor of his father Ivar's home village in the far north.249 Here he discovers a secret long
held by the orc kings. Beneath the fortress is an extensive dungeon at the bottom of which are secreted the
fabled Crowns of Blackmoor. Svenny orders extensive repairs to the defenses of the dungeon and places a
permanent guard at the entrance, establishing the knightly Order Draconae.250

Sol Zvenson captured by raiders and sold to the gladiator pits in southern Aerdy.251

Battle of the Neck - Uther victorious, thousands of Afridhi slain, losing an entire wing on the banks of the
Misauga river near the confluence with the Green.252 Han Aleford is killed. His daughter Rissa Aleford becomes
the new Baroness of the Lakes.253

372 CY: With the Afridhi at bay, Uther determines to end the threat from Zeai raiders. At the head of a small
but battle-hardened army, Uther crosses over to Zeailand. He is met by Zeai forces under Jarl Thorsen One-
thumb at the Battle of the Downs.254 Uther negotiates with the Zeai jarls, obtains oaths of fealty from them and
installs Thorsen of House Borkshold as the first baron of the newly created March of Zeailand.255

Orc King Orcocho, marches with five thousand men and orcs to retake Al 'Cocer, surrounding the city and
cutting off the water supply. Undeterred, Svenny sallies forth with four hundred seasoned warriors. Despite
their greater numbers the orcs panic and are slaughtered. The orc population in the Black Hills never recovers -
being largely replaced by an influx of dwarves attracted to the mineral wealth found there.256

374 CY: Overking Portillan sends an army of mercenaries and imperial troops into Blackmoor. Uther intercepts
them in the Crystal Peaks and defeats them soundly.

375 CY: Uther entices Svenny to leave Tonisborg by giving him the March of Keston, the Under Barony of
Williamsfort and establishing the March of the Orcocho across the Black Hills. Svenny builds a new castle at
Newgate, which he makes the new seat of his fief, encompassing all of the Black Hills, Williamsfort and
Vestfold - the largest barony in the north.257

248
DA1:56
249
Great Svenny, Poem, GS4 gazetteer, interpreted, FFC 80:13, 53
250
The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg, Order Draconae per Svenson personal communication
251
Greg Svenson, character sheet
252
4eTFC:148
253
DA 1:5, 57
254
DA 1:61, the name Zeailand derived from the Zeai and Scandinavian precedents
255
Baronage presumed. Conquest evident in that no further Zeai raids are recorded and Zealand is considered part of Blackmoor in TLBI
256
Great Svenny Poem, GS4 gazetteer, interpreted, 4e TFC: 189
257
4eTFC:148, House Zvenzen Gazetteer p16
87
A sharp drop in land values causes William of the Heath and Mello heavy losses, ending their real estate cartel.
Olson’s Merchant Mafia buys them out and forms the united Northern Guild of Merchants .258

Zvenzen donates Freehold for use as a university. He tasks the warrior Ruda Malefor, one of his most loyal
companions, to assist Uther's spy master Fletcher William in establishing the University of Blackmoor.259

376 CY: The Eldritch Underground launches a surprise attack on the Wizard's Cabal headquarters at Vestfold,
killing many of the wizards present. After a two day battle, the Cabal’s emerges victorious The uprisings leader,
Tamis Azkanikin, ("The Green Mage") escapes and goes into hiding.260

377 CY: Fletcher William leads an expedition to City of the Gods but only 1/3rd of the party survives.261

379 CY: Bascom Ungulian, the Baron of Glendower leads an expedition into the lands of the Egg of Coot to
free his kidnapped wife. The expedition is ambushed and Bascom's fate is uncertain.262

380 CY: The Sixth Dwarf-Orc war - Uberstar Khazakhum, Regent of the Mines, is captured in the Crystal Peaks
by orcs of the Black Hand. Lortz Kharnumdrhum becomes interim Regent of the Mines. Lord Lortz invades the
orc stronghold in a failed rescue attempt. The dwarves are pushed back to the gates of their own Northern
Delving, where they are besieged by the orcs, cutting off communications with Blackmoor. The war spreads to
the Stormkiller mountains by winter.263

382 CY: A patrol led by Baroness Rissa Aleford investigating reports of slavers active near Frog Island is
ambushed by forces of the Temple of the Frog. The Baroness is captured. Uther sends a powerful expedition of
adventurers to the Temple, who manage to destroy much of the it and free many slaves. Uther sends in an army
to complete the job. The Order of the Frog is destroyed, the aliens slain, and the cultists put to the sword.
However, Saint Stephen, the leader of the cult, escapes the conflict and hides in the swamp.264

The sorcerer Engrin Eris, left in charge of Jenkisland by Lord Bascom, continues to rule in his stead - a
"temporary" stewardship that lasts more than thirty years.265

Battle of the Dragons over Sumdall. Death of the wizard Profion and cursing of Damodar.266

383 CY: After the dust settles, Saint Stephen returns to the temple hoping to salvage anything that he could.
Stephen accidentally releases the Vampire Alberted from a mirror of life trapping and is bitten. After some time,
Weewak the Cyborg tracks down the pair of vampires and in the ensuing battle both the cyborg and Alberted
are killed, leaving only the undead Stephen to haunt the ruins of the temple.267

258
DA1:64
259
University of Blackmoor drawn at the former location of Svensons freehold on Arneson's ca. 1984 city of Blackmoor map. Founding year
presumed by events. Role of Ruda Malefor and Fletcher William presumed by close association with the university. DA1:49, 58
260
TWC: 21
261
DA 3:7
262
DA1:47
263
DA1, 4eTFC:148
264
DA2, Return to the Temple of the Frog, date per LoZompatore timeline
265
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5:9
266
Dungeons & Dragons movie.
267
Return to the Temple of the Frog, vampire name presumed as a play on the author name

88
386 CY: Baron Zvenzen made Lord High Regent of the Regency Council of the Kingdom of Blackmoor.268

387 CY: First appearance of Plagueborn Zombies.269

Sildonis, Wizard of the Wood, transforms himself permanently into a treant, and remains within his enchanted
forest.270

388 CY: The grandson and heir of the Great Svenny Andor Zvenson, along with his sister Neula, are killed in
battle with Afridhis in the Duchy of Ten.271

389 CY: Toska Rusa leads a new Afridhi offensive through the Great Swamp. The Afrhidhi are repulsed by
Uther and Toska Rusa is killed.272 Daela Rusa succeeds her sister Toska as the new leader of the Afridhi and
vows to carry on her sister's vision.273

390 CY: Uther and allies launch an all out assault on the Afridhi in Ten. The Afridhi, their numbers depleted by
years of fighting and unaccustomed to being on the defensive, quickly crumble under the onslaught. Uther lays
siege to Starmorgan. In the midst of the battle, an obsidian tower springs up suddenly, cloaking the entire
battlefield in unnatural darkness. The Drakkon’katha, a four armed serpentine race from the underdark emerge,
riding on the backs of purple worms and accompanied by a menagerie of underdark denizens The forces of
both the Afridhi and Blackmoor are indiscriminately slaughtered. Daela Rusa dies in the battle as do the last of
the Afridhi warriors. Starmorgan is destroyed. Uther and a remnant of his army retreat.274

391 - 396 CY: Drakkon’katha towers begin appearing in Uther's realm. In the face of this new threat, Uther
grants amnesty to all members of the sorcerous organization known as the Eldritch Underground which merges
with the remnants of the Wizards Cabal to form the Eldritch Cabal.275

398 CY: Birth of Markho Zvenson, second son of Sol Zvenson.276

396 - 410 CY: For a time, the Eldritch Cabal and the heroes of Blackmoor are able to hold back the tide of
Drakkon’katha through sorcery and steel, but border skirmishes are constant.

402 CY: Sven Ithamis, grandson of both the Great Svenny and Menandar Ithamis is granted the Baronage of
Willaimsfort by Svenny277

404 CY: Birth of Rua Morgaiste

410 CY: Death of the Great Svenny at Newgate.278

268
House Zvenzen Gazetteer p18
269
MMRPG 37
270
OJ #5:12, date presumed by context
271
Svenny's Family History by Greg Svenson
272
MMRPG 61, presumed to have included Daela Rusa's death
273
MMRPG 89:3
274
MMRPG 94
275
MMRPG 94
276
Svenny's Family History by Greg Svenson
277
Svenny's Family History by Greg Svenson
278
Svenny's Family History by Greg Svenson

89
411 CY: Obsidian towers begin to appear in every march in Blackmoor, including Coot. The Cabal and Uther's
forces are stretched thin and overwhelmed.

Desperate, Uther sends an offer of alliance to the Egg of Coot, who refuses.

Vestfold falls.

Uther learns the Drakon’katha leader, the Sorceror King Amanset, wears an amulet that telepathically controls all
the giant worms, insectoid, and animal creatures in his forces.

Drakon’katha, riding purple worms, lay seige to Blackmoor Castle with hordes of underdark vermin. Uther and a
band of heroes use the tunnels of Blackmoor dungeon to emerge near the enemy leader. Uther and the heroes
fight their way to Amanset where in a heroic effort, Uther slays him. Taking his amulet, Uther orders the worms
to eat all the Drakon’katha and other underground horrors. Swiftly the tide turns. All over the northlands,
Drakon’katha begin to flee back into the underworld, as the worms gorge themselves on Drakon’katha flesh.
Few escape.

Blackmoor is victorious, but most of the heroes are dead or dying, including Uther and his chosen successor,
Grand Inquisitor Col.279

Various surviving nobles vie for power.

411-423 CY: Elven forces re-occupy Blackmoor Castle to insure Sir Fang does not move out of the dungeon and
occupy the castle.

414 CY: The Wizards Crown of Blackmoor is recovered from Tonisborg dungeon by Engrin Eris, the lich of
Glendour. Crown in hand, Eris claims the rulership of Blackmoor and faces little serious opposition. He begins
to consolidate power and rebuild the kingdom, but grows increasingly cruel and oppressive.280

415 CY: With Uther dead and Blackmoor Castle unclaimed, adventurers are once again drawn to the lure of
riches in the dungeon. Among them is the warrior Yrag. While in the dungeon, he kills two of the three
companions adventuring with him, claiming they were attempting to ambush and kill him for his share of the
treasure. He is arrested by the elven guardians immediately upon emerging from the dungeon, tried, and
acquitted of any wrong.281

422 CY: Rua Morgaiste, the last blood heir to the Andahars, unifies the resistance to Eris and leads a rebellion
that ends with Eris dead.282

She re-occupies Blackmoor castle to signal the return to power of the Andahars, a guard of elves however
remains at the main dungeon entrance to keep Sir Fang in check.

In return for aid provided during the resistance, Rua offers a seat on the Regency Council to a representative of
the Egg of Coot and officially recognizes the Land of Coot as the ninth March of Blackmoor.283

279
MMRPG 94, Dungeon tunnel detail added to make sense of the story. Gathropods changed to worms because Dave Arneson had previously
proposed a magic item that enslaves purple worms and because he also created a number of giant insect monsters making garthropods redundant.
See Fight On 2:62
280
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5
281
Adventure reported by Gary Gygax on Dragonsfoot forum Q&A, Jul 01, 2007; date approximate based on Yrags birthyear and story details.
282
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5
90
Recognizing the precarious economic position of the far flung Northern Marches, Morgaiste concludes an
agreement with Overking Grendemmen reuniting Blackmoor to the Great Kingdom. With control of all of the
north, Morgaiste becomes the first Archbaroness, ruling wisely for 60 prosperous years.284

437- 446 CY: Civil War in the Great Kingdom. Morgaiste deftly avoids involving Blackmoor. Ivid I of house
Nealex becomes emperor in 446.

441 CY: Bishop Carmichel dies, and is immediately proclaimed a saint by High Patriarch William Lecrow.
Across Blackmoor, churches revering the saint's teachings adopt the descriptor Carmichelite.285

478 CY: Hannu Zvenzen, grandson of Sven Ithamis and Grand Nephew of the Great Svenny becomes Baron of
Williamsfort.

482 CY: Morgaiste dies without heir. The Regency Council chooses Fadden Dansii of Dantrefaer over a
claimant sponsored by the Egg of Coot.286

Fadden confirmed as archbaron after first being named Lord Conciliator of Blackmoor Castle, but governing
authority remains with the Regency Council. The archbaron serves as a figurehead, in return he receives a
generous stipend and a voice in the Council.287

Destruction of the lich Damodar in Izmer.288

498 CY: Events of Quag Keep.289

500 CY: Fadden dies following a successful reign.

500- 514 CY: Reign of Forsetti Dansii, son of Fadden, as Lord Councilor of Blackmoor.

514 - 522 CY: Reign of Mandras Dorentir, as Lord Councilor of Blackmoor.

522- 538 CY: Reign of Wargo Trecht, as Lord Councilor of Blackmoor.290

541 CY: The Egg of Coot unleashes a massively overpowered Move Terrain spell on the Crystal Peaks. The
entire mountain range is broken and moved to the seabed around Vestfold, Blackmoor Bay, and Jackport. The
resulting seismic upheaval creates new dry land, causes rivers and lakes to shift and alters precipitation patterns.

The northern coastline is extended by miles, as is portions of the east coast. Jackport becomes landlocked.
Drainage becomes drastically altered. A new bay is formed as seawater floods the chasm where the Crystal
Peaks had been and on through the Wurm Channel turning that area brackish. The River Running floods and
begins to rush through the Vale of the Bite to form a connection with the Toadwash. Weather patterns are

283
presumed by story elements, Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5
284
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5, alliance presumed
285
William Crolley, a Fred's World player who may have played sometime in Blackmoor, recounted a story about vampire hunting priests in
Blackmoor. FFC 80:17, Saint Carmichel per Greyhawk, OJ #5
286
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5,Dansii House presumed, the name taken from Arneson's Star Empires faction
287
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5
288
Dungeons & Dragons II, motion picture.
289
per Eric Mona analysis as The Savant Iquander
290
Mandras name invented by Dorantir on DF, Tom Wargo an SWA member and Trecht was the name of Arneson's Atlantis faction. Lengths of
reigns approximate.
91
affected and water permeates throughout much of the Hak, expanding the Cold Marsh across the entire area
excepting the high ground of the Kerman Peaks and the Spine of the Dragon.

The Peshwah are devastated by the drastic environmental change. Seven of the twelve clans are scattered and
cease to exist. The Bortai look eastward, forming alliances with the Rovers of the Barrens. They consider
themselves the only "true" Peshwah remaining, but intermarriage with the Rovers brings some inevitable change.
The Qulaam, Briela, Peshneath, and Ornidri, survive the environmental devastation intact, but begin to identify
themselves only by their clan, gradually losing their Peshwah identity. The office of Sirk is abandoned.291

Fifth Coot invasion - following on the devastation caused by the seismic upheaval, Coots’ armies easily sweep
across the Northern Marches. Blackmoor castle holds out the longest, but falls within a week. The fifth and last
archbaron of Blackmoor Castle, Pernold Trecht, dies defending Blackmoor Town from the Egg of Coot’s
invading army. Surviving dignitaries and heroes retreat to the Comeback Inn and close the door. The Egg is
unable to breech the Inn, but neither could anyone inside escape.292 Among those trapped inside are Baron Arvo
Zvenzen (b 434) of Newgate; his son and heir to the barony; Lord Aris (b. 478); Lady Dello Walcrest (b. 532),
Baron Von Hercebeiner IV (b. 506) of Gillian; Baron Hannu Zvenzen (b. 422) of Williamsfort with his son and
heir Oscar (b. 455), and two of Oscar's sons, Nyrndyr (b. 477) and Hathrik (b. 477); Lord Otis Zvenzen (b. 496)
of Williamsfort, his wife Tinnaryll (elf) and their son Glormak (b. 539); Baron Einar Borks (b. 517) of Zeailand,
Baron Idris Arthouse (b. 521) of Jackport; Lady Sifa Drachenfels (b 496); Lord Terrence Gladstone; Lady Jisell
Kervall (b. 528); Baron Evard Vernek (b. 508) of the Lakes293, and his heir Evard IV (b 529); Lord Jurgan
Braveen (b. 520), and wife Lady Milshera Braveen (b. 523), the Half Elf Meridan Veslo, 15 warriors and knights,
the Comeback Inn staff, 12 villagers, and the entire Cripps family.

541-586 CY: For those trapped within the Comeback Inn, life goes on.294

542 A fight breaks out among the soldiers, leaving 2 dead before the Barons can stop it. A third soldier
is executed for murder and insurrection.
545 Pernold born to Jurgan Braveen and Lady Milshera.
545 Ivar born to Baron Einar Borks and Sofy of Blackmoor village.
546 Baron Hannu dies, Oscar succeeds him as baron of Williamsfort.
549 Wargo born to Jurgan Braveen and Lady Milshera.
551 Shayla born to Born to Einar Borks and Freeda Cripps.
553 Erik born to Einar Borks and Freeda Cripps.
554 Anvodrim Zvenzen born to Otis Zvenzen and Lady Tinnaryll.
555 Lord Von Hercebeiner IV marries the knight Larissa of Silverbell.
556 Lord Evard Vernek IV marries lady Jisell Kervall
557 Ista born to Evard Vernek IV and Lady Jisell
558 Von Hercebeiner V born to Hercebeiner IV and Larissa.
559 Evard V born to Evard Vernek IV and Lady Jisell
559 Bernice born to Terrence Gladstone and Sofy of Blackmoor village.
560 Baron Arvo dies, Aris Zvenzen succeeds him as baron of Newgate.
561 Vella born to Hercebeiner IV and Larissa.
562 Vosagrorn Zvenzen born to Otis Zvenzen and Lady Tinnaryll.
563 Thendyr born to Hercebeiner IV and Larissa.
291
Presumed by changes to the map and subsequent events
292
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5:6
293
Ed Wernecke was the first player given control of the "Swampland" per the March 1971 letter to Kuntz
294
House Zvenzen members per Svenny's Family Tree by Greg Svneson, all others presumed

92
 563 Braddle born to Evard Vernek IV and Lady Jisell
564 Aris Zvenzen marries Lady Dello Walcrest.
564 Ardy born to Evard Vernek IV and Lady Jisell
565 Chelsa born to Von Hercebeiner IV and Larissa.
566 Unto born to Evard Vernek IV and Lady Jisell.
568 Kalen born to Hercebeiner IV and Larissa.
569 Rodrigo "Ruy" Zvenzen born to Aris Zvenzen and Lady Dello.
569 Lord Pernold Braveen marries Beacle Cripps.
570 Celadrog Zvenzen born to Otis Zvenzen and Lady Tinnaryll.
571 Livy born to Evard Vernek IV and Lady Jisell.
571 Leta born to Lord Pernold Braveen and Beacle.
574 Endi Zvenzen born to Aris Zvenzen and Lady Dello.
574 Wargo Braveen marries Franis Cripps
575 Gerel born to Lord Pernold Braveen and Beacle.
576 Twins Basil and Leah Zvenzen born to Aris Zvenzen and Lady Dello.
576 Cegil born to Lord Wargo Braveen and Franis.
577 Robert born to Lord Braveen and Beacle.
578 Baron Oscar dies, Nyrandyr succeeds him as baron of Williamsfort
580 Ibonarg Zvenzen born to Otis Zvenzen and Lady Tinnaryll.
580 Lord Ivar Borks marries Lady Vosagrorn Zvenzen.
580 Janelle born to Lord Wargo Braveen and Franis.
584 Theo Zvenzen born to Aris Zvenzen and Lady Dello.
584 Death of Baron Von Hercebeiner IV, suicide of wife Larissa of Silverbell.
585 Anvodrim Zvenzen marries Bernice Gladstone.
585 Lord Braddle Vernek marries Chelsa Hercebeiner.
586 Runna born to Lord Wargo Braveen and Franis.
586 Death of Lord Terrence Gladstone
587 Chelsa Vernek dies in childbirth, the child, Uther Vernek, lives.
588 Baron Aris Zvenzen dies, Rodrigo "Ruy" Zvenzen becomes Baron of Newgate
588 Lord Jurgan Braveen dies.
588 Birth of Ria Zvenzen, daughter of Lord Anvodrim Zvenzen and Bernice.
590 Death of Lord Terrence Gladstone

As of 591 CY, in addition to the Cripps family and 8 peasants, the following nobles are trapped inside the
Comeback Inn (oldest to youngest):

Lady Tinnaryll (elf)

Meridan Veslo (half elf) age 234
Baron Nyrndyr Zvenzen of Williamsfort (half elf) age 114
Lord Hathrik Zvenzen (half elf) age 114
Lord Otis Zvenzen (half elf) age 95
Lady Sifa Drachenfels age 95
Baron Evard Vernek of Gloomfens age 83
Baron Einar Borks of Zeailand age 74
Baron Idris Arthouse of Jackport age 70
Lady Milshera Braveen age 68
Lady Jisell Kervall Vernek age 63
Lord Evard Verneck IV, age 62
Lady Dello Walcrest Zvenzen age 59
Lord Glormak Zvenzen (half elf) age 52
Lady Beacle Cripps Braveen age 48
93
Lord Pernold Braveen age 46
Lord Ivar Borks age 46
Lord Wargo Braveen age 42
Lady Shayla Borks age 40
Lord Erik Borks age 38
Lord Anvodrim Zvenzen (half elf) age 37
Lord Von Hercebeiner V age 36
Lady Ista Verneck age 34
Lord Evard Verneck V age 32
Lady Bernice Gladstone Zvenzen age 32
Lady Vella Hercebeiner age 30
Lady Vosagrorn Zvenzen Borks (half elf) age 29
Lord Thendyr Hercebeiner age 28
Lord Braddle Vernek born age 28
Lord Ardy Vernek born age 27
Lord Unto Vernek age 25
Lord Kalen Hercebeiner age 23
Baron Rodrigo "Ruy" Zvenzen of Newgate age 22
Lord Celadrog Zvenzen (half elf) age 21
Lady Livy Vernek age 20
Lady Leta Braveen age 20
Lord Endi Zvenzen age 17
Lord Wargo Braveen age 17
Lord Gerel Braveen age 16
Twins Lord Basil and Lady Leah Zvenzen age 15
Lord Cegil Braveen age 15
Lord Robert Braveen age 14
Lady Ibonarg Zvenzen (half elf) age 11
Lady Janelle Braveen age 11
Lord Theo Zvenzen age 7
Lady Runna Braveen age 5
Lord Uther Vernek age 4

542 CY: Assisted by the skillful magic of the Tuoctish sorcerer, Tintyvo, the archbaron's wife escapes to relatives
in the village of Dantredun and gives birth to the archbaron's son, Bestmo. The childless lord of Dantredun
adopts Bestmo as his heir, but passes away soon thereafter.295

The Egg reinstalls the vampire Sir Fang as the Baron Fant of Blackmoor. Under Fant's rule Blackmoor stagnates
but remains stable and relatively secure.296

Most of the old Blackmoor nobility has been either wiped out, trapped in the Comeback Inn or in a few cases,
converted to serving the Egg. A few surviving nobles eventually find their way to Dantredun, where a new
Regency Council is formed. Unable to choose a leader among themselves, the council declares the child Bestmo
Archbaron in Waiting. These surviving noble houses include Arthous, Caldeel, Hubal, Drachenfels, Galen, and
Trecht. House Tagus fled south into Aerdy, and holds little interest in returning to Bramwald. House Rall,
having immediately switched loyalty when the Egg's forces overran Blackmoor, continues to rule Mosshold, and

295
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5:6
296
presumed by context in Oerth Journal Vol.1 #6, Fant is baron
94
are rumored to have been turned into wererats.297 Surviving members of house Zvenzen at Newgate and house
Fant at Williamsfort were turned into vampires and continue to rule those places as servants of the Egg.

Baron Bascom Ungulian, werewolf, returns with his cyborg wife to the lordship of Glendour in the service of the
Egg.

576 CY: Robilar and the wizard Mordenkainen journey to Blackmoor on an expedition to the City of the Gods.
The pair barely make it out alive.298

577 CY: The expedition of Archmage Marinian of Willip lost without trace.299
300
581 CY: Bestmo becomes Archbaron. Irkswyn Rall becomes baron of Mosshold.

583 CY - 584 CY: Greyhawk Wars. The Wars end with a general peace treaty, the Pact of Greyhawk, in the
month of Harvester.301

Ambassadors from the Egg of Coot approach Iuz with gifts and an offer of alliance, which he accepts.302

Teuod Pent retreats with 300 expatriate Tenha to the ruins of Farah in the Kerman peaks of Blackmoor. They
begin to restore a ruined castle built during the failed attempt at settlement during the reign of King Ra-all
naming it Ramshorn Castle after Teuod's ramshorn standard. From here they raid the slave-trains of Iuz, using
secret paths through the Cold Marsh.303

586 CY: Devastation of Rauxes and dissolution of the Great Kingdom. North Aerdy founded.304

591 CY: Archbaron Bestmo acknowledges Teuod Pent as baron of the March of Peshwan.305

297
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #5:10
298
Oerth Journal Vol.1 #6
299
From the Ashes 1:23
300
Living Greyhawk Gazeteer p35, Oerth Journal #5, date presumed
301
see Come Endless Darkness and Dance of Demons for authoritative details
302
Aritifact of Evil 1986:345
303
Living Greyhawk Gazeteer p35, Oerth Journal #5, Blackmoor DA3 map comparison to Greyhawk map
304
Timeline of Aerdi Grand Princes and Overkings
305
According to the Living Greyhawk Gazateer, Blackmoor has ten provinces and following the dissolution of the Peshwah, these lands are a
logical place for the tenth March.

95
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

592 -621 CY: Officially the publication of material ended with 592, but many campaigns have continued past
this date or been set at a "future" time. In the Blackmoor 621 campaign, we assume each campaign year will
roughly correspond to each real year, so that 2021, the year I am writing this, corresponds to CY 621. What
follows is a very brief outline of the most influential events in the intervening years.

593 CY: A group of adventurers discover the Ran of Ahfoo in the dungeons below the ruins of Starmorgan and
convince it to create technomagical devices for them which will render them impervious to the Egg of Coot's
mental powers, in exchange for his freedom.

Wearing these devices the adventurers sneak into the March of Coot, penetrate the Nest and smash the Egg to
bits, ending the Egg once and for all.

Leaderless, the cyborgs guarding the Comeback Inn become confused and directionless. Sensing opportunity,
Dannic Olson releases the nobles trapped inside. Dannic buys the Inn from the surviving Cripps family, who are
more than happy to leave the place after decades of being trapped inside.

Nyrndyr Zvenzen and sons lead a quick, daytime assault on the Zvenzen vampires who the Egg had placed in
charge of Williamsfort, cleaning out the place and reclaiming it for the living Zvenzen family.

Irkswin Rall sends messengers to Nyrndyr demanding fealty. Nyrndyr refuses, placing him in open rebellion
against the baron.

Archbaron Bestmo recognizes the claims of all the "lost" barons and lords returned from captivity in the
Comeback Inn, hoping to gain allies and solidify his claim on the Marches.

The Red Witch claims the baronage of Coot.

Uberstar Khazakhum welcomes the return of Rodrigo Zvenzen and offers a co-baronage with him. Uberstar
grants control of surface matters to Rodrigo, while he retains rulership of the dwarven mines and underground
affairs.

Rodrigo begins rebuilding Newgate from a total ruin.

594 CY: Incensed at the loss of his ally, but sensing the opportunity of a quick conquest, Iuz invades
Blackmoor. The dwarven mines of Orchocho are placed under siege while the bulk of Iuz's army moves north.

Irkswyn Rall declairs Eraks neutral and sends emissaries to Iuz.

Unable to defend Newgate, Rodrigo escapes to Williamsfort

A costly year long war ensues but sees Iuz defeated. Bestmo is killed in battle.

The council appoints a new Archbaron.

597 CY: Delglath the Undying, priest of Nerull breaks the ten year siege of Rinloru by tunneling under the North
Aerdy camp and releasing a horde of undead directly into the officer's compound. He consolidates his gains and
goes on a slow offensive. The Kingdom of Northern Aerdy proves unable to stop his undead hordes, losing

96
battle after battle. For the former Great Kingdom and perhaps all the Flanaess, the undead apocalypse has
begun.

655 CY Blackmoor Age of the Wolf begins

Citations

4eTFC – Blackmoor: The First Campaign, Zeitgeist

BCS – d20 Blackmoor Campaign Sourcebook

BPG – d20 Blackmoor Players Guide, Zeitgeist

COG – City of the Gods by Harley Stroh, Zeitgeist

C&S - Clock & Steam, Zeitgeist

DA1 - Adventures in Blackmoor, TSR

DA2 - The Temple of the Frog, TSR

DA3 - The City of the Gods, TSR

DA4 - The Dutchy of Ten, TSR

DA5 - City of Blackmoor, TSR unpublished notes by David Ritchie and maps by Dave Arneson

DABTotF - Temple of The Frog by Harley Stroh, Zeitgeist

DoCBM – Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor, Zeitgeist

Havard – the inestimable Havard Faanes, grand researcher of all things Blackmoor and administrator of the
Blackmoor forum.

FFC80 – The First Fantasy Campaign, Judges Guild. I have used the page numbering from the 1980 reprint
rather than the 1977 original as the former is more common.

FtA - From the Ashes, TSR

GSP – the Great Svenny Poem by Dave Arneson, published in Gazeteer #4 House Zvenzen

Gygax - Gary Gygax, original Blackmoor player, co-creator of Greyhawk and author of The Greyhawk Gazeteer,
Aritifact of Evil, Come Endless Darkness, Dance of Demons, many Dragon Magazine articles and webposts.

97
 Kuntz- Robert J. Kuntz, "king" of the Great Kingdom as editor of the Doomesday Book newsletter for the
Castle & Crusade Society, co-creator of Greyhawk with Gary Gygax, and participant in Gygax first time playing
a fantasy RPG in Blackmoor dungeon, with Arneson as Game Master.

LGG - Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, WotC

Maker – Ross Maker, original player.

Megarry – David Megarry, original player and inventor of the Dungeon! Boardgame.

MMRPG –Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor Massive Multi-user Role Playing Game, Zeitgeist

OJ - Oerth Journal

PGG - Player's Guide to Greyhawk, WotC

Rocheford – Stephen Rocheford, originator of the cult of the frog and the character of St. Stephen.

RoH, The Riders of Hak – Tad Kilgore, Zeitgeist Games

Ross – David Ross, creator of a fan gazetteer for the TSR DA series and the timeline used as a basis for the
Zeitgeist Games timelines.

S2B - Supplement II Blackmoor by Dave Arneson, TSR

Snider – John Snider, original player of Inspector General Snider, the wizard "John", Bozero the drunken Fighter
and game designer.

Star Probe – Introduction by Gary Gygax – September 1, 1974

Svensen – Greg Svenson, original player and Gazetteer GS 1-4 author.

Svenny's Family History - unpublished family tree originally prepared by Greg Svenson for the unpublished "Age
of the Wolf"

Timeline of Aerdi Grand Princes and Overkings by Toran 2001

TLBI - The Land of Black Ice - Wolfgang Bauer, Dungeon Magazine #115 17-33.

TWC- The Wizards Cable, Zeitgeist

Wesely – Major David Wesely, original player and inventor of the Braunstein games that preceded Blackmoor.

98
Appendix Stephen Rocheford Saint Stephen
Steven Lortz Lortz Kharnundhrum
Guide to naming equivalents between DAB Walter Oberstar Uberstar Khazakhum
Blackmoor and Greyhawk Blackmoor *Some characters are believed to have been created
by or for players who's association with the
Old Blackmoor Name Greyhawk Blackmoor name
character has been forgotten and are thus not able
Afridhi Afridhi of the Paynim to be listed.
Cumasti Wood Elves
Duchy of the Peaks Celate How the timeline was created
Duchy of Ten/Ten Heroes Dantrefaer
Glendower Glendour The timeline is the result of roughly 15 years of
Goblin Kush Senescent Hills geek-obsessive research, building on others before
Gypsies Rhennee and beside me. The bedrock of the timeline is the
Maus Mosshold
real word campaingn of Arneson and his Twin City
Peshwah, Nomads Peshwah Nomads
Picts Tuocts gamers. I have taken all the information from that
Skandaharian Zeai campaign as gospel truth to be rendered as
Westryn Grugach accurately as possible while presenting a consistent
narrative. Sources include original player reports,
letters, content in the First Fantasy Campaign
Player Name* Greyhawk Blackmoor name in
the Gazeteer booklet and so on.

Bill Hoyt Lord Whitehead/Albina Snofrea For events and details that occurred afterward, I
Bill Hoyt Lord Hoyt of Keston have generously raided all the published material
Chuck Monson Duero from 1978 onward. This material, regardless of
Dale Nelson Dalen who published what when, was treated like a D&D
Dan Nicholson Dannic Olson
Dave Arneson Ra-all the Wise rumor table - some fact some fiction and much
Dave Arneson Captain Harcher laced with exaggerated detail. From that vast and
Dave Arneson King Uther deep sea of rumor I have constructed a consistent
Dave Fant Baron Davit Fant narrative that all fans of Blackmoor in it's various
Dave Megarry The Scholaress
incarnations will find largely compatible with their
Dave Megarry Diamonds Balfour
Dave Megarry Lord Hercebeiner accepted histories, but which is designed to fit
David Wesely Fnord "Otto" the Barbarian particularly tightly with the canon Greyhawk vision
David Wesely Meridan Veslo the Half Elf of Blackmoor. One may think of this Greyhawk
E. Gary Gygax Mordenkainen Blackmoor as one of many Blackmoors where
E. Gary Gygax Yrag
histories parallel, but details may diverge.
E. Gary Gygax Egary
Gregg Scott Egg of Coot
Jeff Berry Chirine ba Kal
Ken Fletcher William Fletcher, the Fetch Determining the Marches
Marshall Hoegfeldt Lord Marfeldt Grey, the
Barbarian You won't find the names of the marches in any
Martin Noetzel Menandar Ithamis single source. Arneson gave names to some of the
Mike Meyer Tarden son of Tilif
regions and not others at various times. When
Pete Gaylord Petrus Galliar
Randy Hoffa The Ran of Ah Foo running Coot invasions he further subdivided the
Robert Kuntz Lord Robilar land in some cases to city states, while leaving
Robert Meyer Robert the Bald others as more regional polities. In his letter to Rob
Ross Maker Maker the Dwarf Kuntz in March of 1971 Arneson describes 5
Scott Belfry Scotty Debelfry
99
marches, Keston, Jenkinsland, Swampwood,
Willamfort/Elf Forest, and Land of the Red Coven.
Two additional areas are also mentioned; the land of
the Picts and the Land of the Eraks. The map
accompanying the letter indicates the division
between the 5 marches with dashed lines. I have
followed those division lines as far as they were
shown. I have also kept the names Keston/Kieston,
Jenkinsland, and Eraks, although I have used Eraks
to cover the whole
Williamfort/Mosshold/Bramwald/Elf Forest area
since these are all shown as one March on the map
and it only makes sense. Keston, by the way, was
the name of the street where Bill Hoyt lived. Bill
was known as the "Baron of Keston" in the fall
1970 medieval Braunstein-influenced wargame that
preceded Blackmoor.
Swampwood covers the area later known in the DA
series modules as the Barony of the Lakes,
including, of course Lake Gloomy (Lock Glomen).
In Greyhawk the area was rechristened the
Gloomfens and I have followed that name here.
The Land of the Red Coven is given the location in
the 1971 letter also marked as the land of Coot on
early maps.
The concept that there are 10 regions or marches
and not just the five already mentioned comes from
Greyhawk, but fits very well with how Blackmoor
was set up originally and developed over Arneson's
lifetime.
One of the first regions to be added to the original
five by Arneson was the so called "Duchy of the
Peaks". Interestingly, the "DoP" area on Arneson's
map falls in more or less the same place as the
Duchy of Celate on some versions of the old Great
Kingdom map, and since Celate is one of the few
names from that map not later re-used in Greyhawk
I have used it here.
Likewise the "Duchy of Ten", a label far too close
to Greyhawk Tehn to use without being confusing.
100
However, Greyhawk lore gives us the name
Dantrefaer, as an unspecified place seemingly in the
same region, so I have used Dantrefaer for the name
of this March.
The Orcocho march is called only the Black Hills
and the land or kingdom of the orcs in the older
materials. However in the 1990's Arneson wrote a
free verse ballad detailing how the Great Svenny
conquered this area and battled against the great orc
king of the kingdom of Orcocco (see GS4 Noble
House of Zvenzen). So I have taken the name to
apply to the whole March as it might or might not
have been intended, and changed the cc to ch in the
theory that the pronunciation of cc follows the
Italian manner and should not sound like Orc
Cocoa.
Zeailand is the only name I made up from whole
cloth. In Arneson's Blackmoor this was
Skandaharia, but Greyhawk changes Skandaharians
to Zeai, so Zeailand seems an obvious analog.
Determining the population of Blackmoor
As given in the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer it is
110,000, so this is our target figure.
But how is it broken up between Marches?
In Arneson's First Fantasy Campaign booklet pages,
we find details of the third Coot invasion from 1973
which includes data on the number of inhabitants in
particular areas. By adding together the numbers
for places inside a given March we can get totals
which we can assume represent the historic peak
total as shown below:
March Historic Current population, implying therefore that the population
Peak (21% numbers refer to family units (average 5 people)
avg)
rather than individuals. However much sense that
Celate/DoP**** 19,000 9,000
Coot* 66,000 13,000 makes economically, I don't for a moment think
Dantrefaer/Ten* 66,000 13,000 Arneson worked that out, or that he meant for there
Eraks/Maus+Bramwald* 86,000 19,000 to be over 2 million people in Blackmoor!
Gloomfens/Loch Gloomey + 34,000 8,000
Boggy Bottom + Monks of the The 475,000 figure however is entirely reasonable
Swamp**
for a particularly prosperous era, and it makes sense
Keston/Blackmoor + heartland 95,000 20,000
(Vestfold*, Booh, Sage that the population would have crashed since then
Tower)** by just over 3/4, especially with the final Coot
Jenkinsland/Glendower** 10,000 2000 invasion. To calculate the new numbers, I simply
Orcocho/Black Hills*** 33,000 8000
divided the figure for each March by 21%, and then
Peshwan/Nomads of Ten+ 56,000 8000
Horsemen of Peshwah* made a few adjustments up or down depending on
Zeai/Monks Vikings* 10,000 10,000 the area and its history.
Total 475000 110,000
Drawing the Maps

*Figures from exact count of cities and villages

listed in area detail.
**Figures from Invasion list calculated as 1 gp per
person at 2000 people per village as indicated.
*** Figure derived from troop totals given in GS4
Dave Arneson poem, which should represent 15%
of total population per FFC.
**** Figure determined by estimating city and
village population. No data exists in any official
source.
Orcocho and Celate are the only two not covered in
the FFC as noted above.
Now, these are big numbers for a northern land of
modest size - by contrast, at just under 10,000
square miles the roughly analogous Adirondack
Park in NY has about 135,000 people.
Also, I'm choosing to use these as total numbers
which is very likely how Arneson meant them.
However, it is worth noting that he equates 1gp to 1
person when using these number to determine the
tax income, which doesn't really make sense when
you consider that unemployed children, the elderly,
and housewives must be a part of a medieval
101
The Town
Purists will note the coastline of the town of
Blackmoor map is not exactly that of Arneson's
town map published in the Castle & Ccrusade
newsletter in 1972. The most immediately
noticeable change is that the narrow peninsula
leading to Blackmoor castle from the town is much
less narrow. This change was necessary however in
order to fit the known entrances of Blackmoor
dungeon on to the town map. It is evident the
original town map was not drawn to scale, but the
dungeon maps were. To avoid having tunnels that
run through thin air and exits that open underwater,
the land had to be widened a bit at the neck of the
peninsula. Likewise the alignment of buildings at
the town square had to be adjusted to fit the
dungeon tunnels maps.
Other changes include the town wall, which has
been redrawn following the wood model of Cuidad
Rodrigo owned by Bill Hoyt, which appears to have
been the original used for Blackmoor. Also the
coastline has been extended a bit and both the
Temple of Id and an expanded Svenson's
Freehold/University of Blackmoor added. These
features are drawn directly from maps Arneson
created in the early 1980's while at Adventure
Games.

The map of the land of Blackmoor
Arneson drew his first map of the Northern Marches
in the early months of 1971 and sent a copy to Rob
Kuntz as "king" of the Castle & Ccrusade Society
along with a brief letter describing his planned
campaign. This map formed the bases of our new
map. Settlements, rivers, and roads found on that
original map were transferred in their exact
locations to the new map. Settlements not shown on
the 1971 origninal map were not included on the
new map with the exception of Newgate. However
principal locations outside the borders of the 1971
map - such as Dantredun or Cloudtop - have been
placed where they are found on later maps. Some
additional details regarding rivers, lakes and some
coastlines was drawn from Arneson's campaign
"sketch map" of Blackmoor found in the FFC. All
the later maps were also drawn upon for fringe
areas not found on these two originals, particularly
to the south and west. Reeva bay was closely
modeled on the Great Bay of the C&C map. The
whole was placed within the largely blank canvas of
the Greyhawk map by aligning the exact position of
Blackmoor town and Mosshold on the Greyhawk
map found in Dungeon #126 with those same two
points on Arneson's maps, thus allowing highly
accurate positioning of internal features.
Beneath the Black Moors
What lies beneath the waves of Blackmoor's
waterways and the cold ground of her hills has only
been hinted at in Blackmoor lore. The underdark
we can be fairly sure, is much the same as elswhere
under the Flanaess, except perhaps for the
Drakkon'katha:
Drakkon’katha
Four armed albino serpent men from the depths
with multiple vocal cords in dual larynxs permitting
Drakkon’katha to speak seemingly from two sources
at one time. This ability allows the to cast two
spells at once. When exposed to natural direct
102
sunlight or similarly bright light Drakkon’katha are
immediately shaken.
During the latter years of the reign of Uther, these
creatures desired to conquer Blackmoor. Their
motive was never clear, but their means certainly
were. Using stone-shaping spells they had
mastered, they created obsidian towers which would
erupt from the earth and spill forth all manner of
denizens of the underdark. Their greatest power lay
in a crown (now lost) of purple worm control.
Blackmoor suffered greatly in the Drakkon’katha
war. Uther was able to defeat them in the end
through a heroic and ultimately self sacrificing act
of wresting the crown from the Drakkon’katha
leader and using it agains them.
It is unknown what the current state of the
Drakkon’katha may be. Undoubtedly some
survived, but their power in the underdark was
surely broken.
Beneath the Waves
In the depths of Reeva bay lies a country of merfolk.
At least half a dozen cities and settlements have
been reported there and ships must always be wary
of merfolk attack. Sahaugin too have long been
known in coastal areas around Blackmoor, though
their presence is much reduced from former days.
Sailors must also be on guard for giant octopi, giant
squid, pleasiosaur and other sea beasts in the cold
waters of the north. At Crab Island and the coast to
the sounteast of Mosshold giant crabs inhabit the
waters and coastal caves. These are usually only a
danger durning spring spawning when they move
inland to breed and lay eggs.
Many a ship has sunk in the cold seas of Blackmoor,
Taking untold treasures with them.
103