Blackmoor's Plane of Time (Entrem)

[Havard]

Blackmoor's Plane of Time

NAME: Plane of Time, Entrem, The Emerald River
TYPE: Plane
LOCATION: Unknown, likely adjacent to the Astral Plane
SIZE: Universe
INHABITANTS: Jumpers, Repeater, Soo, Titan of Time, Tempus Abbatis

The idea of Blackmoor's cosmology having a Plane of Time was first introduced in the D20 Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Sourcebook, but I think we can connect this idea to the early editions of D&D and the original campaign as well. Most recently the Plane of Time was featured in the MMRPG's season 4 as well.


The Plane of Time in Early Editions and the Original Campaign
Evidence to the existence of a Plane of Time in the Original Campaign is fairly speculative. However, I think it is not unreasonable to say that the original campaign featured time travel. While Earth may have been a different Dimension or Plane to that of Blackmoor, the Blackmoor players in Arneson's Group visited Earth during many different eras, including WWII and the modern Era. DA1 - Adventures in Blackmoor introduced the idea of travelling through time via the Comeback Inn. This may have been the case in the original campaign too, though the FFC is less specific about what realms the Comeback Inn connects to and Dave's references elsewhere to the "ol' teleporter" again is pretty vague.

BECMI D&D introduced a more specific Plane of Time, also called Entrem in the boxed set called Wrath of the Immortals (WotI). Previously HWA3 showed the Plane of Time as the "Emerald River". WotI also details Khoronus as one of the Immortals (Deities) of Time and Khoronus later makes a return in the D20 Blackmoor line.

The Plane of Time in d20 Blackmoor and the MMRPG
The Blackmoor D20 line reveals that the Plane of Time was discovered by the Ordo Elementarum. Exploring this plane was difficult as time worked in unpredictable ways and many wizards were lost in time. The plane is described as containing running sand and mechanical clockwork like landscapes. The plane is also said to be home to an entity known as Tempus Abbatis. The MMRPG is an unofficial addition to the Blackmoor canon, but the final episodes of season 4 link Tempus Abbatis to Mieroc, the Gnome Deity. I am not really a fan of the MMRPG's treatment of Mieroc, but at least the episode offers a way out of that situation.

Conclusion
I think the Plane of Time is a logical extension of what was implied with the Comeback Inn in the older material. In my version, the Comeback Inn was created by Khoronus, a patron of Time. The Comeback Inn connects to other planes as well as the Plane of Time and the Inn draws its power from the magical rock below Blackmoor.


Have I missed any details? How would you use the Plane of Time?


-Havard

[Zeromaru X]

I would say that the plane of time is the same plane of moments from the World Axis cosmology, as I've used it in my 4e campaign, so it would be a good way of reconciling my campaign with the canon stuff.

[Havard]

I would say that the plane of time is the same plane of moments from the World Axis cosmology, as I've used it in my 4e campaign, so it would be a good way of reconciling my campaign with the canon stuff.

Cool, I didn't know about the plane of moments. Can you tell us more about it?

-Havard

[Zeromaru X]

According to the small paragraph of lore in the Adventurers' Vault 2 (a 4e sourcebook), the Plane of Moments is a world where countless golden threads stretch across infinity, each a reality in itself, and the march of history can be seen by reading these strands. The thickest tangles represent those monumental events that shape the world and history. The place is said to be home to strange and terrible creatures that safeguard said tangles of events.

One of my players was playing a wizard back then, and he tried to study the future for its own advantage. He was dragged by one such guardian and his character was removed from the game. I never rule him as dead, to give this plane an aura of mystery and dread. However, I may use him in the future as an NPC or even a villain.