11-20-2014, 02:07 PM
Travelling these days, so got to be short: My problem with the several official takes on Blackmoorian "founding" mythology is that they are not very coherent, and that, apparently, people tried to compress things into the relatively small timeframe of a thousand years. That leaves very, very little time for mystery, IMO.
Now, mellowed down CONSIDERABLY, this could still work for a campaign that I would like: For example, what about making the Id Gem sort of a stand-in Silmaril? - One could work with that, at least tentatively.
IF I WAS TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS A GAME, I would try to work with Chris Aylott's approach to Elven and Human neighborhoods ("humans are hairless monkeys") once more, and the main narrative would be about humans discovering a way (literally, "cold steel") to upset that relation of power. The other main aspect of the game, I would probably try to handle based on what we know from Zimriel (once again, my Blackmoor is 50% inspired in his notes):
So, some basic considerations:
Trolls could be a race to tool with, in the larger scale of things. No greenskins, but trolls. Especially interesting in combination with Elves.
Also, what if the Id Gem is the corrupted "Jewel of the Sun"? Perhaps it contains another powerful soul, similar to the Evershard, but, well, smaller? What if it's really the "Id" of something powerful?
My bet would go, just based on the stuff we've been toying with, on the oldest Elves. Now, since BM has only a tradition that stretches back a thousand years, that pretty boring, but if we borrow from WL lore, like I did for the LFC, then we quickly get to Dragon Kings and Macrabs, and, in short, stuff to toy with.
Will be off for a few days. Feel free to use these ideas as you like.
Now, mellowed down CONSIDERABLY, this could still work for a campaign that I would like: For example, what about making the Id Gem sort of a stand-in Silmaril? - One could work with that, at least tentatively.
IF I WAS TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS A GAME, I would try to work with Chris Aylott's approach to Elven and Human neighborhoods ("humans are hairless monkeys") once more, and the main narrative would be about humans discovering a way (literally, "cold steel") to upset that relation of power. The other main aspect of the game, I would probably try to handle based on what we know from Zimriel (once again, my Blackmoor is 50% inspired in his notes):
Quote:Note that the Temple of Id is no churchland, but is actually a cursed and ancient place of terror. Extensive caverns contain prisons, chapels, and monster dens. Above-ground structure: courtyard with small amphitheatre, “several undead superheroes”, great orange jewel on black pedestal. This Jewel is very probably the legendary Jewel of the Sun, which in 996 proved very effective against undead and magical darkness.
Stealing this jewel results in the “Id Monster” chasing the thief. Only the thief can see the monster. The Monster will eat the Jewel (and thief), at which point the monster and jewel return to the Temple, and the thief magically reappears, naked, under the Blackmoor “Troll Bridge” in Blackmoor’s sewage runoff. The Jewel was still there as of 1000.
So, some basic considerations:
Trolls could be a race to tool with, in the larger scale of things. No greenskins, but trolls. Especially interesting in combination with Elves.
Also, what if the Id Gem is the corrupted "Jewel of the Sun"? Perhaps it contains another powerful soul, similar to the Evershard, but, well, smaller? What if it's really the "Id" of something powerful?
My bet would go, just based on the stuff we've been toying with, on the oldest Elves. Now, since BM has only a tradition that stretches back a thousand years, that pretty boring, but if we borrow from WL lore, like I did for the LFC, then we quickly get to Dragon Kings and Macrabs, and, in short, stuff to toy with.
Will be off for a few days. Feel free to use these ideas as you like.