Quote:Abridged story of Blackmoor
King Robert I of Geneva, about a millennium ago guided a great war fleet from Thonia to the lands now known as Blackmoor and took over without fighting the only meaningful settlement of the region: the whaling port of Maus. He claimed the whole region (calling it the Northern Marches) but barely stepped outside the walls of Maus, that at the time was inhabited mostly by Skandaharians and a mix of other refugees (...pirates...) from several lands. Outside Maus, the population was mostly Elves and a few, scattered Human tribes technologically at early Bronze Age (now usually called pre-Thonians and sometimes also Picts, as they used to paint their bodies with colours made with minerals or herbs).
The Northern Marches eventually were renamed Blackmoor (from King Robert's magic javelin called Black) and were the northernmost outpost of the Thonian Empire. Blackmoor has always been considered in Thonia a far, icy-cold province of fairly low importance, usually left poorly protected and poorly supported, despite the many local enemies and challenges.
In year 1,005, the young Uther Andahar becomes Baron of Blackmoor after his father passes away in a surprise Scandaharian raid. In 1,015, Uther Andahar, after asking in vain for support from Thonia against the Afirdhi, proclaims the independence of Blackmoor from the Thonian Empire and becomes the first King of Blackmoor. During his life, Blackmoor deals with many internal and external enemies: the Thonian Empire, the Skandaharian, the Peshwah, the Afridhi, the curse of vampire Dwarves, the enigmatic entity called the Egg of Coot, all sort of rebels, the Orcs, the Cult of the Frog, the Cult of Id, the heresy of Pyros, various plagues, undeads, the mechanical abominations of the Valley of the Ancients, the Garthropods, etc. in 1,055 Uther Andahar passes away, after a valiant defence of Blckmoor Castle from the Garthropods (and the terrible battle that leaves that symbol of power in ruin). His designated successor, the Grand Inquisitor Col, survives him by a few weeks, as he falls in an attack by the thralls of the Egg of Coot.
The throne is taken over by his step brother King Ewan Andahar, a former merchant and not a great warrior like his brother. The Kingdom is again assaulted but all sides, several battles are lost and many cities are destroyed, but King Erwan proves to be a great diplomat and plays his many enemies against each other. He also shows practical attitude, and no pride, by accepting to become a tributary kingdom to the Thonian Empire and negotiating some diplomatic weddings within the royal family, but maintains the independence of the Kingdom. King Ewan Andahar is later on poisoned by a Blackmoorian noble unhappy with his policies. His wife and successor, Queen Desideria, is poisoned as well and the people of Blackmoor shortly experience the nightmare of the Abyss before being saved by a group of adventurers, as often happened during the history of Blackmoor. Eventually the Kingdom survives, despite the devastation, and the descendants of the House of Andahar build new cities and expand the arable lands away from the coasts and the wasted lands that have seen too many battles: after Uther, the warrior-king, and Erwan, the diplomat-king, Blackmoor is now living in the time of the farmer-kings! The huge body of water that is now in what was the Valley of the Ancients has changed the climate a bit and it is now possible to farm some lands that used to be too dry for that.
You are now in the year 1,082 and the Kingdom had a number of peaceful years. Now being a Hero isn't as fashionable as it used to be one or two generations ago. While at the time of Uther Andahar it was a common practice for all young Blackmoorians to go out adventuring as a coming of age tradition, now not many young people find that option that exciting and all new adventurers have to register at the Adventurers Guild.
In practice, I relied heavily on the history of Blackmoor from the MMRPG, with some light touches here and there.
For example, I re-introduced the Picts as pre-Thonian population and I wrapped together the Ben-Hassock and the Peshawh. I also introduced the theme of Uther, the warrior-king, Erwan (that I used in the adventure "On the Edge of the Abyss") the diplomat-king (or merchant-king) and the following kings as farmer-kings, rebuilding the kingdom from the basis after so many wars.I also stole with pride (from Raphael) the theme of the Valley of the Ancients submerged by waters (a thing that changes the climate locally, opening the door to the farmer-kings and to a general development of settlements further away from the coast - in fact the map that I want to use is of a landlocked region and the names of the cities are all new for Blackmoor, so this climate change with following local population migration is there just to make my life easier
).
He's a real Nowhere man, sitting in his Nowhere land,
making all his Nowhere plans for Nobody.
making all his Nowhere plans for Nobody.