Blackmoor in the year 500

[aldarron]

...... I am working on a few assumptions:
1) Blackmoor was founded shortly after the forming of the Thonian Empire (Great Kingdom). Before that there was probably no Thonian settlers in the North. So I would assume it would take a few centuries to get even a decent Thonian population up there.
2) The North saw a massive expansion in population from ca year 600 after Kargas made his disoveries of the magical properties of the North

I think the population continued to grow after Kargas, particularly as new areas formerly under elven control were expended into, but I don't see it as an explosion in population. The most notable influx was that of magic users and that surely only numbered in the hundreds.

3) The New Lands, Outlands and Dismal Swamp was settled during the FFC era. Even Glendover/Jenins Land was settled during Fant's Reign.

Outlands perhaps, dismal swamp yes, but I think the "new lands" were probably inhabited earlier and later somewhat abandoned. Given all the peasant revolts that took place there shortly after the heroes moved in, I think there must have still been some settlements there, kinda wild west like.

....
Interesting that you have the Bloody Duke rule before the Dog Duke. In my Rulers of Blackmoor writeup I have Raddan Goss as the Bloody Duke, but looking back I think that he could not be the original Bloody Duke. IIRC the FFC states that there were several Bloody Dukes, so Goss could well have also been referred to as a Bloody Duke, but I like your idea of having the original Bloody Duke rule Blackmoor before the Dog Duke.

There is only one Bloody Duke referenced in the FFC. He is the same Bloody Duke about which a good deal of info is given in DoCBM. Here is what I have in my timeline:

471 – 497
The Bloody Duke, a sadist and architectural megalomaniac, reigns in Blackmoor Castle. He designs and builds a vast, multi-level dungeon beneath castle Blackmoor - connecting to natural cavers and some say to even older, deeper passages. (CS:116, 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)

484 –
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 by a combined force of humans and elves. (FFC80:18) Treachery within the human faction creates a deep rift among the elves. A faction of elves vows to turn their backs on humans and all civilization, becoming the Westryn. Uhlmar, king of the elves, dies, but not before cursing the Westryn to be forever childless. (Havard, DAB 14,17)

Okay, it is key to notice that the Bloody Duke built Blackmoor dungeon and Blackmoor dungeon is connected by tunnel to the dungeon of the Temple of the Id. In fact, in DoCBm there are Id cultists still in Blackmoor dungeon, and in the FFC there's all those devil fountains etc. It follows then that the Bloody Duke was openly an Id cultist who supported the expansion of the Id cult and Temple. Perhaps he built the temple in the first place.

I also note that your description of elven history seems to be close to how I see it.

Yep. I think you did a great job with the elven material.

I dont have a definite stance on exact population figures either though. I do agree that the population could well have risen and fallen with the major wars and other dramatic events through the centuries.

One more thing to take into account: The Temple does seem to have been a significant threat to the humans and perhaps even the combined human and elf forces of the North. If Blackmoor was at its Age of Glory at this time, what sort of resources would the Temple have had access to to pose such a threat?

-Havard

Money, state support, and a zealous evangelical following.