Blackmoor AC1000

[Havard]

The above is an excerpt of a map by LoZompatore (a fellow Mystara enthusiast). It shows where various locations surrounding Blackmoor may have ended up after the planets axis shifted.

I wonder what a quest to this location might reveal? One adventure idea could be to have Jaggar von Drachenfels send the PCs to the region. The Glantrian Prinz has quite likely visited the place before, given the Blackmoorian artifacts in his arsenal...

-Havard

[RobJN]

My preliminary "Darklands of Skothar" map takes LoZomp's excellent work and mashes it up with Kal's HUGE Mystara hex map.

It's funny Havard should mention quests to that location, since the penultimate arc of Thorn's Chronicle (tentatively titled Awaken, Oh Empress of Dreams) will involve just that....

[LoZompatore]

Glad to see you like this old map!

An interesting hint useful for PCs to organize and expedition to the lands of Blackmoor could come from this note from HWR2 Kingdom of Nithia supplement (DM's book, at the beginning of the "History" section):

"Over the next thousand years, the self-proclaimed Nithians rediscovered the technologies necessary to build a nation, and later an empire. Nithian adventurers began to explore the world—including the fell lands of Blackmoor—and return with the spoils and artifacts of their exploration. During this period, Nithia discovered the insular Tangor civilization, which apparently survived the Blackmoor and Glantri disasters intact."

When we discussed this sentences at the old IMB message board we supposed that a likely sponsor for the ancient Nithian expedition to Blackmoor could have been pharaoh Tokoramses V "the far traveller" of M5 module (library clue #2 on page 22). This pharaoh claimed also the Great Bay area of Norwold, coming close to the Arch of Fire.

An interesting adventure path could lead the PCs from Edairo (where the clue about Tokoramses V is located) to the Arch of Fire of Norwold: here they could find more info about Tokoramses V and details about his expedition to the lands of Blackmoor (and maybe also a couple of techno-magic artifacts brought back by the Nithians, just to lure the PCs). Further investigations might lead to follow the steps taken by the Nithians during their old and dangerous voyage to Blackmoor. For example, a possible stop could be the ruins of the Thonian Temple of Remembrance (likely somewhere inside New Thonia in my map above) where, accordingly to DA1 module (page 9 halfway the third column), the last relics of Blackmoor/Thonia were held until they were utterly (?) destroyed in a great fire around AC 0.

If you like to increase the difficulty of this adventure path, the PCs could also incur into the Immortal Spell of Protection if they happen to learn too much about Nithia: their memories will be erased of all the relevant details about Nithia and the PCs suddenly have to figure out where they are, what are they doing in the wilderness and where they are going. They could go on on their voyage only if they manage to rebuild their original scope using their notes and what they already gathered during the previous stops (an exercise in roleplaying by the players, who are not allowed to use most of the information they already know), otherwise they have to give up the whole adventure and find a way to return safely home.

Just throwing in some thoughts :wink:

[Havard]

My preliminary "Darklands of Skothar" map takes LoZomp's excellent work and mashes it up with Kal's HUGE Mystara hex map.

It's funny Havard should mention quests to that location, since the penultimate arc of Thorn's Chronicle (tentatively titled Awaken, Oh Empress of Dreams) will involve just that....

Ah, brilliant Rob! Perhaps we can make use of this to give more detail to the area.

Question: How far south does the World shield's Anti Magical Field extend?

Glad to see you like this old map!

Good to see you posting here at last Zompa!

An interesting hint useful for PCs to organize and expedition to the lands of Blackmoor could come from this note from HWR2 Kingdom of Nithia supplement (DM's book, at the beginning of the "History" section):

Ah, thanks for posting this here! I knew this passage existed somewhere, but I was just not able to find it.

When we discussed this sentences at the old IMB message board we supposed that a likely sponsor for the ancient Nithian expedition to Blackmoor could have been pharaoh Tokoramses V "the far traveller" of M5 module (library clue #2 on page 22). This pharaoh claimed also the Great Bay area of Norwold, coming close to the Arch of Fire.

Sounds good to me!

An interesting adventure path could lead the PCs from Edairo (where the clue about Tokoramses V is located) to the Arch of Fire of Norwold: here they could find more info about Tokoramses V and details about his expedition to the lands of Blackmoor (and maybe also a couple of techno-magic artifacts brought back by the Nithians, just to lure the PCs). Further investigations might lead to follow the steps taken by the Nithians during their old and dangerous voyage to Blackmoor. For example, a possible stop could be the ruins of the Thonian Temple of Remembrance (likely somewhere inside New Thonia in my map above) where, accordingly to DA1 module (page 9 halfway the third column), the last relics of Blackmoor/Thonia were held until they were utterly (?) destroyed in a great fire around AC 0.

This is a great adventure setup! I wonder what the Nithians did in Blackmoor and what they might have discovered there? Did they bring something back with them?

If you like to increase the difficulty of this adventure path, the PCs could also incur into the Immortal Spell of Protection if they happen to learn too much about Nithia: their memories will be erased of all the relevant details about Nithia and the PCs suddenly have to figure out where they are, what are they doing in the wilderness and where they are going. They could go on on their voyage only if they manage to rebuild their original scope using their notes and what they already gathered during the previous stops (an exercise in roleplaying by the players, who are not allowed to use most of the information they already know), otherwise they have to give up the whole adventure and find a way to return safely home.

That is a pretty cool idea actually. I have never seen the Spell of Oblivion used in such a way before, but I like it!

-Havard

[RobJN]

An interesting adventure path could lead the PCs from Edairo (where the clue about Tokoramses V is located) to the Arch of Fire of Norwold: here they could find more info about Tokoramses V and details about his expedition to the lands of Blackmoor (and maybe also a couple of techno-magic artifacts brought back by the Nithians, just to lure the PCs). Further investigations might lead to follow the steps taken by the Nithians during their old and dangerous voyage to Blackmoor. For example, a possible stop could be the ruins of the Thonian Temple of Remembrance (likely somewhere inside New Thonia in my map above) where, accordingly to DA1 module (page 9 halfway the third column), the last relics of Blackmoor/Thonia were held until they were utterly (?) destroyed in a great fire around AC 0.

This is a great adventure setup! I wonder what the Nithians did in Blackmoor and what they might have discovered there? Did they bring something back with them?

Obviously, they got their hands on the Afridhi's formulae and rituals for summoning demons. :twisted: They probably also found caches of precious gems and jewelry, some of which were either Heirloom Brooches, or improperly sealed black dragonstones.....

Of course, among those gems would have been three very large, perfectly cut specimens that fell into the hands of a certain Nithian by the name of Traldar....

[LoZompatore]

Good to see you posting here at last Zompa!

:mrgreen:

Obviously, they got their hands on the Afridhi's formulae and rituals for summoning demons. They probably also found caches of precious gems and jewelry, some of which were either Heirloom Brooches, or improperly sealed black dragonstones.....

Of course, among those gems would have been three very large, perfectly cut specimens that fell into the hands of a certain Nithian by the name of Traldar....

Very nice! Especially the Eye of Traldar connection :wink:

what the Nithians did in Blackmoor

When the Nithians were at their peak (say, between BC 1100 and BC 800) the Great Rain of Fire was just a couple of millennia in the past so, likely, Blackmoorabilia were easier to find (and the Temple of Remembrance was still available). Lore from elves and dragons could be also have been more detailed as a few of the oldest living members of these races could have heard the story of the fall of Blackmoor by the very witnesses to it.
Perhaps the Nithians just wanted to explore the remnants of Blackmoor just to see if there was anything useful for them.

what they might have discovered there? Did they bring something back with them?

Well, they could have brought back techno-magic devices and weaponry similar to what can be found in DA3 module (pages 32, 33, 34, 35 and 39, they also cover most of what can be found in DA2 module) or in the HW module (Blacklore elves, pages 37-40).
In principle, modern firearms rules and damages from IM1 module (page 28) could be used to create some more variations.

A few more examples of advanced devices can be found in DA2 module:

- Norn the cyborg (Stephen Rocklin personal guard in the Temple of the Frog DA2 page 37)
- ID code transmitter rings (to open and close doors inside the Temple of the Frog DA2 page 14)
- Computer and computer terminals (DA2 page 36)

Staying more fantasy-themed, a few interesting objects from 4000 BC Blackmoor that the Nithians coud have brought back with them are listed below (all from DA1; the list may not be complete):

- The blue flame sword of Willelm of the Heath (DA1 page 64)
- Eye of the Egg (DA1 page 56), a cursed magical amulet allowing the Egg of Coot to see through the eyes of the bringer.
- Cursed amulet of Miklos Harkusa (DA1 page 55); as an Eye of the Egg but allowing also to send telephatic messages to the bringer.
- Regent of the Mines' helmet (DA1 page 53): "This cap, part armor, part symbol of office, is banded with a gold circlet set with a single large emerald. The helmet also has two midnight black raven’s wings set above the ears, dwarf-style."
- Maroon, the intelligent sword of the Great Swenny (DA1 page 51)
- The White Sword (an intelligent sword) of Garamond Bolitho (DA1 page 50)
- The Great Holy Mace Icon of Brother Richard (DA1 page 48)
- Vasgo, the intelligent sword of Barnabas the Wanderer (DA1 page 47)
- The magical device (not specified) which contains the life essence of Ibis Shatn, a powerful and wicked (female) Thonian mage (DA1 page 47)

Intelligent weapons, in my opinion, could be a great way to bring the voyage on as, once dicovered, they could provide many info about ancient Blackmoor and their forer holders.

Moreover, what if the Egg of Coot actually went into a sort of long slumber during the peak of Blackmoor civilization (maybe as early as 3900 BC) and survived the Great Rain of Fire? The actions of the PCs (for example dressing with an Eye of the Egg) could awake it and - in the attempt to be freed/regain power - the evil being could lead the party to the ancient Land of the Egg, where a confrontation would ensue...

:wink:

[RobJN]

My preliminary "Darklands of Skothar" map takes LoZomp's excellent work and mashes it up with Kal's HUGE Mystara hex map.

It's funny Havard should mention quests to that location, since the penultimate arc of Thorn's Chronicle (tentatively titled Awaken, Oh Empress of Dreams) will involve just that....

Ah, brilliant Rob! Perhaps we can make use of this to give more detail to the area.

Question: How far south does the World shield's Anti Magical Field extend?

Hmm, I thought I answered this ages ago.....

The purplish band at the top of the Darklands map marks the beginning of the World Shield's anti-magical zone. If I'm counting right, that's about 11 hexes north of the ruins of Blackmoor and Coot