Marfeldt, the Blue Rider, and the wizard

[ripvanwormer]

Dave Arneson's Blackmoor gives us the following dates:

994: Marfeldt the Barbarian begins his legendary rampage. First Fantasy Campaign tells us he killed the wizard who created him during a "friendly wrestling match."

996: William of the Heath picks up the sword and armor beneath Castle Blackmoor and becomes the Blue Rider.

First Fantasy Campaign recounts an alternate story, however, in which a "demented old wizard" gave a passing adventurer the sword, armor, and warhorse in order to aid him against one of his own creations. It's implied that the wizard is dead, probably at the hands of the Blue Rider.

However, what if the rebellious creation was Marfeldt? Given the dates above, Marfeldt's creator could have gifted a passing adventurer with the Blue Rider's equipment in a desperate attempt to prevent Marfeldt from killing him. Whether it was Marfeldt or the Blue Rider who ultimately caused the wizard's demise, the Rider could have subsequently been killed beneath the twelfth level of Blackmoor Castle only to have William of the Heath discover the items there a few years later. That would explain the two contradictory stories; there were two Blue Riders, a short-lived one and William.

Are there any likely candidates for who this wizard might have been?

[gsvenson]

Svenny was with the Blue Rider when he got his sword, armor and horse. We were deep in Blackmoor dungeon. The encounter had nothing to do with Marfeldt. I am not sure about the story related to Marfeldt's creation and who was involved. The guy who played Marfeldt is the guy who first introduced me to Dave Arneson, but I don't recall ever playing Blackmoor/D&D with him and don't know those stories.

[aldarron]

Sure, the blue armor etc. could have been used by someone before Bill, so no harm in tying the three stories together. 996 and 997 cover the year 1972, pretty much and Bill Heaton appears to have gotten the blue armor very early in 1972 or late 71.

[ripvanwormer]

Interesting! Thanks.

[Yaztromo]

Svenny was with the Blue Rider when he got his sword, armor and horse. We were deep in Blackmoor dungeon. The encounter had nothing to do with Marfeldt. I am not sure about the story related to Marfeldt's creation and who was involved. The guy who played Marfeldt is the guy who first introduced me to Dave Arneson, but I don't recall ever playing Blackmoor/D&D with him and don't know those stories.

I think you definitely can't ask more than this froma eyewitness!!! :wink:

Thank you!

[Havard]

Hey guys,
its great to see that you have kept busy during my absence!

The FFC offers two theories for where the Blue Rider's Armor and Horse may have come from. One matches the story told by Greg. The other mentions a demented old wizard giving the items to an adventurer who then killed the wizard when he wanted the items back.

I think it is possible that both of those stories may have been true. The adventurer recieving the items from the wizard may have then descended to the Blackmoor dungeon and being killed before the items were found by Heaton. However, it seems unlikely that the wizard is the same one who created Marfeldt since the two stories about his death seem so different. But if we ignore the part about Marfeldt killing his creator, then I suppose it is possible.

My own fairly non-canonical take is that Marfeldt is actually a demi-God. Son of one of the Gods, perhaps even Elgath? The story about him killing his father may have been the God playing a trick on the barbarian, or pergaps just a legend.

He could even be a creation of the Egg of Coot, just like the Ran of Ah Foo?

Some other historical wizards include:

• Kargas
  
• Mi-Karr (seems unlikely since he is still around at the time of the FFC)
  
• Philos' Lich Lord (if so he wasnt killed at all)
  Master Graelwende. (My name for the Wizard of the Wizard's Pit)
  
• One of the Red Wizards
  
• Skelfer
  
• Xavier the Gray Mage
  
• The Creator of the Pygmalion

-Havard

[Aegir]

My own fairly non-canonical take is that Marfeldt is actually a demi-God...

In my own Blackmoor game - which has had much of the Pantheon changed to that of the Norse Gods (though many of the Blackmoor Gods still exist as aspects of various Norse Gods) - Marfeldt would totally fit as a Hercules-like son of Thor.

[Havard]

My own fairly non-canonical take is that Marfeldt is actually a demi-God...

In my own Blackmoor game - which has had much of the Pantheon changed to that of the Norse Gods (though many of the Blackmoor Gods still exist as aspects of various Norse Gods) - Marfeldt would totally fit as a Hercules-like son of Thor.

I was trying to think of what type of God may have spawned him. A warrior God seems likely, though the Freedom aspect is equally strong in Marfeldt, earning him the name "The Last Anarchist". Thor would be appropriate in both those aspects.

-Havard

[ripvanwormer]

I was trying to think of what type of God may have spawned him. A warrior God seems likely, though the Freedom aspect is equally strong in Marfeldt, earning him the name "The Last Anarchist". Thor would be appropriate in both those aspects.

I'd nominate Pacuun or Hak.

But I kind of like the idea that he was a human-qullan hybrid created by the Ran of Ah Fooh to be the first of a race of minions who would oppose the thralls of Coot, if he hadn't rebelled and escaped.

[Havard]

I'd nominate Pacuun or Hak.

Not bad suggestions. Alignment-wise Pacuun sounds right too.

But I kind of like the idea that he was a human-qullan hybrid created by the Ran of Ah Fooh to be the first of a race of minions who would oppose the thralls of Coot, if he hadn't rebelled and escaped.

a) He is a Robot
b) He is a Qullan-Human Hybrid
c) He is a Demi-God
d) ?

Plenty of origins options for Marfeldt

-Havard