Musings on the mage wars

[aldarron]

Thanks for the thought provoking responses Havard!

Interesting ideas there! Personally, I am too attached to the idea of Divine Magic being separate from Arcane Magic, but otherwise I do like the idea of Refined Magic vs Raw Magic.

I think you can seperate out divine magic without hurting the idea much.

My only problem with this description is that it ignores many of the established facts of the timeline. This can be excused since the focus is on mages rather than everything else happening, but it a fact worth keeping in mind when reading that text...

and

Note again what I mentioned in the Blackmoor-centrism thread. The idea of "arcanists by the boatload" fits very poorly to the idea of how magic is presented in other Blackmoor sources...

and

This is one possibility, but it is very hard to reconcile with various sources.

I'm not so sure about what's established fact outside of the FFC, and original Blackmoor player comments, but which sources were you thinking of? I haven't read the d20 sourcebooks or the 4e one, something there?

Anyway, what if we think like a post catyclismic historian for a moment and imagine that all the sources are ancient and suspect, as you would do in real life trying to piece together a history from a handful of chronicles. Some of the "authoritative" sources can't really be trusted at all, and some of those biased works actually contain contextual facts.

Something else about the TWC history seems to really ring truer to me. While I'm sure Dustin wrote most if not all of it, there are parts that really remind me of Dave's voice and I do note that TWC is the only d20 product on which Arneson has a writing credit....

"by the boatload" - yeah its a bit exxagerated in tone but then again a boat load might only have been 20 or 30. The picture though, of a wilderness whose magical nature is an irresistable attraction to wizards, who come in like a goldrush, forming rapid settlement and conquest is a very intriguing one...

In my Blackmoor, I have another approach.

Blackmoor may have been founded in year 3, but this was little more than a small outpost with a single castle (a small keep really) built by King Robert. The surrounding lands were mostly wilderness, home to elves, monsters, giants and elder demons. Nothing really happened in the north during the next 500 years.

Then, around the year 500, the Cult of Id appears and the small outpost of humans in Blackmoor is forced to ask the elves for help. The Cult is crushed, but betrayal on the part of the humans lead to division among the elves, and the decline of the elven race begins.

100 years later, the Peshwah encounter Blackmoor for the first time. Having had unpleasant encounter with Thonians to the south previously, they attack Blackmoor. The ruler at the time, Kargas Passiac Dolhaunt is forced to improve the Castle's fortifications.

Then Kargas late in his life makes discoveries that draw mages to the north, leading to the Mage Wars in 815.

Yes, I think that its entirely possible to fit in the TWC timeline this way and keep the 815 date. I didn't stick with that idea really because it seems too implausable to me that Blackmoor could have trade, travel and some settlement, some wizards, and contact with the world at large in general, and still somehow remain a secret to all but a few wizards for 800 years. I mean, one of the central themes, from the FFC onward is how special the magical nature of Blackmoor is. The Wizards Cabal book makes it a central motivator for the stampede of mages into the place, the mage wars, and the reason for the council.
So, if we accept that Blackmoor is to wizards like an oilfield to EXXON, then the 815 date just doesn't work. Of course, there's always some way or other to get around such problems if you feel you need to.

Continuing with the history – events 7-10

7) First coot invasion. Coot defeated.
8) 2nd Coot invasion. Cabal defeated.
9) Elves and Barons defeat Coot forces and free Blackmoor
10) Cabal returns as an ally of the Barons.

This part is not satisfactory IMO because it diminishes the role of Fant, Svenny and all of Arneson's campaign. With Skelfer and Raddan gone, I see the Cabal being seriously weakened. When Skelfer sets up the Cabal, part of his goal is to keep the mages out of politics. While Raddan enjoyed a great deal of independence, his removal leads to Blackmoor returning firmly as part of the Thonian Empire. Subsequent rulers are not magic users and the Cabal works to support the rulers, regardless of their policies.

I completely agree the player contributions should not be diminished, but I think that it can all fit together either way.

Your model differs alot from what is written in other books, but I think you might be onto something here. A conflict between the elves and the Cabal is interesting. Another thing worth noting is that according to DA1, the Cabal (or the darker sides of the Cabal if you wish) is secretly funded by the Duke of Marban. The Cabal may have their own agendas, but the Iron Duke supports them as one of his many schemes to undermine Uther and bring Blackmoor back into the fold of the Empire. Gaining control of Blackmoor, the Iron Duke can turn to his true goal of becoming Emperor himself. :twisted:

By the way, if you havent already done so, read Zimriel's Blackmoor Gazetteer. It is an incredible resource when it comes to Blackmoor lore, including Arnesonian lore that is not printed anywhere else.


-Havard

I'm seeing the Cabal as being repressive and self interested. Not altruistic at all. In fact I was again struck with the parrallels in feel between Blackmoor and Herbert's Dune, with the Cabal being a lot like the benegessirit and Spacing Guild, controling a precious recource.