At it again I am. The following awaits your commentary (or rotten tomatoes if preferred). Rather than one giant post, I've broken it into three for everyon's convenience. I've removed system specific stuff. Oh and this is an FFC ordered timeline, with the priority being FFC/Garbage Pits and Player recolections > DAB books > DA series. With small exceptions, this is meant to flesh out the timeline the 4eTFC, pg 147-8.
Know, oh Prince… The Northern Marches lie on a world with two moons and wondrous magic (Greg Svenson, Blackmoor forum). It is a swamp and lake riddled, far northern region of some 4,346 square miles (FFC80:17) in which, unsurprisingly, winter is no stranger, typically lasting from October till May. (FFC80:26) The native population of the north includes orcs, elves, dwarves, ents, and hobbits. (FFC, DA1:4).
Once, long ago, the kingdom of the Elves stretched across the North, from coast to coast. (PG:197; 4eTFC:183) As the numbers and strength of the Elves has slowly waned, humans and others have moved in and cobbled together several polities. Hereafter follows that history in brief:
- 800 (+/- 300) Construction of the great tower of shining blue glass in the Valley of the ancients. (4eTFC:192, true date unknown) Humans known as Picts begin settling within the borders of the Elven Kingdom. The Picts are a freshwater based culture who build their settlements on islands within the rivers and swamps. (FFC 80: 86, Havard- Arneson letter) Initially, the Picts rely on bronze technologies, are highly superstitious and follow the leadership of religious leaders called wokan. (TWC:3; DoCBM:7 – The history of Callas Anethenitos. the earlier parts of which are considered largely apocryphal by most authorities) (wokan – 4eTFC:99)
0 - Founding of the Great Kingdom, (Grand Kingdom) southeast of the Northern Marches. (4eTFC:148) Beginning of the reign of Uhlmar Ithamis, Lord of the Elves. (Havard, date approximate)
26 – Establishment of a trading post at Maus. (4eTFC:167, date derived from TWC:3 ”almost immediately after the founding of the empire”)
324 – 398 Rule of the Mad Wizard over the Black Moors of the North. Fortifications are built on the future site of Blackmoor Castle on top of Cumasti Elf ruins. The wizards laboratory is built nearby. The mad wizard’s defeat in battle resulted in the creation of a 60’ wide “bottomless” crater – The Wizards Pit - where his laboratory had been. (4eTFC:157, 158;”clear signs of Cumasti craftsmanship.” “ruins of at least three previous layers”, dates assumed/approximate)
398 – A group of ambitious wizards found the Red Coven and establish a settlement in the diamond rich Superstition Mountains Called by some the Land of the Red Coven, it becomes more formally known as the Duchy of the Peaks. (D&DSuppII:37; true date unknown but Red Coven in the “Northwest” assumed to be associated with the Duchy of the Peaks due to the names of Superstitions, Starmorgan, Starport)
440 - Conquest and settlement by Robert I, king of All Geneva. He creates a ducal seat (assumed by later references to dukes) at “Blackmoor” and builds a fortification at Glendower (Rampart#10, presumed date) and builds Blackmoor Castle over the Cumasti and Mad Wizard ruins on Dragonsrock. (FFC80:17 Date must predate Temple of Id and post date Mad Wizard. FFC dates never exceed 5 or 6 centuries and there is no reason whatever to push back the date of Blackmoor castle further, creating centuries of empty history. Note: Dragon Rock probably was meant to refer to Serpent Rock island in Blackmoor bay, but I choose to mis-read “Dragon Rock, the hill where Blackmoor Castle itself stands,” as one thought.) Early, Thonian settlers begin to clear the land and establish hamlets and farms utilizing hay based agriculture. In addition to sheep (DW42:M3), they begin to domesticate the large wild bison that constitute one of the most common wild animals in the area. The domesticated bison soon become the dominant farm animal in the Northern Marches. (FFC80:17)
450 – Uberstar Khazakhum establishes the Great Mines at Mount Uberstar. (DA1:63; 4eTFC:189 “nearly 600 years of mining”)
471 – 497 The Bloody Duke, a sadist and architectural megalomaniac, reigns in Blackmoor Castle. He greatly expands the dungeons to a depth of 11 levels or more, connecting to even older passages and giving the levels their present form. (DoCBM:184,185 “hundreds of years”; 4eTFC:158; FFC80:21, date assumed to be related to construction of the Temple of Id, which is known to connect by tunnel to Blackmoor dungeons)
474 – Construction of the Temple of the Id. (FFC80:18, DoCBM:146 ”Worship of Id started shortly before the year 500.” date based on the supposition that the temple was not operational for more than a few decades )
497 – The Bloody Duke killed in his own dungeon by 13 escaped prisoners. (DoCBM:184,185)
500 – Destruction of the Temple of Id. (FFC80:18) An Evil wizard imprisoned in a workshop he has constructed in The Wizard’s Pit. (FFC80:21)
_________________ "The gamemaster may find that sometimes it is a good idea to just let the unexpected lead where it will." Dave Arneson - DNA DOA
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