The Adventures of Halgred Forestwalker

[Havard]

Halgred Forestwalker (Blackmoor Player's Guide) was supposedly the first druid in the modern sense of the word. In my description of the Valemen, I made him the founder of modern Valeman Culture.

My idea is that he lived during the early days of the reign of King Uhlmar. I'm not talking about the last years of Uhlmar, as detailed in the Legend of King Uhlmar, but rather the early days around the time when Robert of Geneva founded Blackmoor. I could even see the three of them adventuring together in the North in that age.

What sort of things might the three heroes have encountered on their adventures?

-Havard

[Havard]

Question here is: What sort of world was Blackmoor around the founding of Thonia? I believe this was the end of the era that DoCBM called the Age of Giants, when Giants ruled the north. I don't have DoCBM with me, but one of the races mentioned there are Fire Giants. I am thinking that these Fire Giants would be followers of Zugzul. Perhaps Zugzul had a following in that part of the world a milennion before his Afridhi are lead there?

More on Zugzul's relations to Fire Giants here:
http://www.pandius.com/zugzul.html

Anyway, I imagine that Halgred would have done a great deal of Giant Slaying in his youth...


-Havard

[Hyrieus]

DA 3 has the Fire Giants of Windhoek practising the obscure religion of Shokai a cult of sacrifice by burning. AC10 has war between the Gundirrim (Fire Giants) and Bromdignags (Cloud Giants) which the Gundirrim win driving the Cloud giants into the mountains and clouds.

The old Frisii, still in the iron age, could be attempting to establish tribal lands, likely foes would be fomorian like swamp dwellers, prehaps related to the later Gatormen. The picts would also be more prominent.

[Havard]

DA 3 has the Fire Giants of Windhoek practising the obscure religion of Shokai a cult of sacrifice by burning. AC10 has war between the Gundirrim (Fire Giants) and Bromdignags (Cloud Giants) which the Gundirrim win driving the Cloud giants into the mountains and clouds.

The old Frisii, still in the iron age, could be attempting to establish tribal lands, likely foes would be fomorian like swamp dwellers, prehaps related to the later Gatormen. The picts would also be more prominent.

Great ideas here Hyerius! I hadnt considered consulting AC10. I really must check out this cult of Shokai. It seems likely that Fire Giants would be linked to Zugzul, doesnt it?

Iron Age Frisians is a great idea. Maybe those were the ones recruited to join the Cult of Id? Fomorians in the swaps is also pretty cool. In the case of Picts, I was pretty much thinking that the Picts and the Valemen would be the same people. Or maybe the Picts would be the ancestors of the Valemen.

Also, I would throw in more dinosaurs and Neanderthals than in the current Blackmoor era.

-Havard

[Havard]

Looking at the Company of the Maiden Timeline, I found some interesting ideas for the life of the young King Robert of Geneva. As he was contemporary with Halgred Forestwalker, I think it could be interesting to weave these tales together a little.

-Havard

[Rafael]

We might differ there completely, but you do a lot of things with the Valemen and that Highlander race that might be reconcilable with my idea of the Genevans.

When did Genevans become Thonians? Are Valemen old Genevans? Stuff like that would be interesting to explore!

The only thing is, I think I canned King Uhlmar for the LFC timeline,
because the concept would not be compatible with the WL timelines.

[Havard]

We might differ there completely, but you do a lot of things with the Valemen and that Highlander race that might be reconcilable with my idea of the Genevans.

When did Genevans become Thonians? Are Valemen old Genevans? Stuff like that would be interesting to explore!

I see Genevans as just a small group of Thonians. I'm assuming Geneva is a province that took over the neighbouring realms, forming the Thonian Empire. I would assume Valemen to be descended from the Picts, so a separate group from the Thonians, but if we go far enough back, they could of course be related.

The only thing is, I think I canned King Uhlmar for the LFC timeline,
because the concept would not be compatible with the WL timelines.

I don't think this is necessary to be honest. Does the WL timeline state for the Westryn/Cumasti split to have taken place milennia ago? From my reading of the WL material, it doesn't say much about traditional demihumans at all, but I may have overlooked something.

In any case, Uhlmar could easily have been king 500 years ago, even if the nature of his tragedy is changed.

OTOH, none of this really affects Halgred Forestwalker all that much. He is simply a man who lived around the year 500, and a very important figure in Valeman history. (Possibly the first druid). I made him live among the elves for a while, since its nice to bring in the connection between elves and the druidic faith.



-Havard

[Rafael]

Okay, I see.

Now, the problem I personally am having through the nature of the LFC is that everything is naturally three times as old - the Dragon Kings (think FR Netheril), the Macrab, the Thracians, all of them had full-fledged D&D societies.

The notion of something being "first" in the North, which, in my timeline was populated relatively late, and even then already marked as snakemen and Thracian territory. Our past is supposed to have had Wizard-Kings, the Red Coven, and thousands of years of history. That is why I'm always pretty defensive about this stuff.

But, obviously, you have no obligation to work solely based on the WL/BM connection.
- Go on with this! I'm excited to hear more. (And to mine it for myself.)

[Havard]

Okay, I see.

Now, the problem I personally am having through the nature of the LFC is that everything is naturally three times as old - the Dragon Kings (think FR Netheril), the Macrab, the Thracians, all of them had full-fledged D&D societies.

My timeline isnt too different from yours. I have a Glacial period lasting until ca -5000 NC, meaning that before this there is little activity in the Blackmoor area before this. That does contradict your ideas about Thracia, but it does not prevent activity to have taken place to the South, ie in the Wilderlands region long before this. From my reading of your timeline, most events prior to this (except mentioned Thracia stuff) mainly involves the Wilderlands.

The notion of something being "first" in the North, which, in my timeline was populated relatively late, and even then already marked as snakemen and Thracian territory. Our past is supposed to have had Wizard-Kings, the Red Coven, and thousands of years of history. That is why I'm always pretty defensive about this stuff.

"First" should not be taken too literally. I have Uhlmar be the first elven king in the North (Blackmoor map region), not the first elven king ever. I have Halgred be the first Druid, but this could easily be read as the first in the modern druidic tradition. There could have been druid-like people before, but modern druids in the North follow Halgred's ways.

But, obviously, you have no obligation to work solely based on the WL/BM connection.
- Go on with this! I'm excited to hear more. (And to mine it for myself.)

I also use the WL, but it is adjusted to my other ideas rather than get in the way. That said, I don't think there is much conflict with WL canon either.

The story of King Uhlmar was a way to explain the origins of the divide between Westryn and the Cumasti. However, if the Maiden Timeline assumes that this split occurred earlier (I can't find anything about this?), Uhlmar could simply be the Cumasti King ruling between the years 1-500, ending up being betrayed by the humans in his war against the Temple of Id.

Back to Halgred
I'm still searching for ideas on this one. I picture Halgred sort of like how Beorn appears in the Hobbit. Since many of the stories I have presented so far have been tragic, I think Halgred's story should not be. His tale should be about exploring the wilderness, defeating monsters and building the druidic tradition. His adventures take place in the first decades of the Thonian Empire, witnessing the founding of Blackmoor and so on. My current idea is that he would spend most of his time in the North, not going much to Thonia oir

Taking a look at my Peshwah Timeline, I found this:

YEAR 5
Hurghast and Herutu become the first leaders of the Peshwah

YEAR 20
Calelrin conspires with the Thonians and kill Hurghast and Herutu. Calelrin is cast out by Hak and forced to seek shelter among the devils of the Hells. Cult of Calelrin is founded

This is something I could see Halgred getting into! The main problem is that I don't see the Thonians doing something like this while Robert I is king. OTOH, there could be Thonians acting against Robert's wishes. They were in league with fairly nasty deities afterall. I could see Robert I and Halgred helping the Peshwah get rid of these murdering Thonians, possibly even being instrumental in driving Calelrin off to the Hells.

Side note: There are pits near Blackmoor said to contain a gate to Hades. Was that where Calelrin was bannished?

-Havard

[Rafael]

First off, let's talk about that better in person, next time we skype!

With the transition to Spain near,
I will be too busy for the next few weeks to post as much as I did during the last few days.

My timeline isnt too different from yours. I have a Glacial period lasting until ca -5000 NC, meaning that before this there is little activity in the Blackmoor area before this. That does contradict your ideas about Thracia, but it does not prevent activity to have taken place to the South, ie in the Wilderlands region long before this. From my reading of your timeline, most events prior to this (except mentioned Thracia stuff) mainly involves the Wilderlands.

Yeah, but the Thracian timeline in itself is way longer - I just didn't put it there because I thought it would blow up
the timeline unnecessarily. Just let me say that you can't have a pseudo-Atlantean society there and have them live from air and water. :wink:

"First" should not be taken too literally. I have Uhlmar be the first elven king in the North (Blackmoor map region), not the first elven king ever. I have Halgred be the first Druid, but this could easily be read as the first in the modern druidic tradition. There could have been druid-like people before, but modern druids in the North follow Halgred's ways.

ok.

I also use the WL, but it is adjusted to my other ideas rather than get in the way. That said, I don't think there is much conflict with WL canon either.

The story of King Uhlmar was a way to explain the origins of the divide between Westryn and the Cumasti. However, if the Maiden Timeline assumes that this split occurred earlier (I can't find anything about this?), Uhlmar could simply be the Cumasti King ruling between the years 1-500, ending up being betrayed by the humans in his war against the Temple of Id.

Actually, I try to leave the split between the Elves open. I'd say, since two sister races have developed, it's definitely than just two Elven generations. Aroro Esti in my timeline vanishes around 7000 years before even the beginning of the timeline.

I would date the split around the End of the Dragon Wars, at least, if not earlier.

However, I don't think that should be overdeveloped, as I write in the timeline about the "Age of Auld":

Only the very eldest immortal beings surviving to this day hail from this period.
If you dig your way to the deepest bottom of the deepest dungeon in the most remote of all places,
you might maybe find a small and tiny glimpse that this time once existed.

I'm still searching for ideas on this one. I picture Halgred sort of like how Beorn appears in the Hobbit. Since many of the stories I have presented so far have been tragic, I think Halgred's story should not be. His tale should be about exploring the wilderness, defeating monsters and building the druidic tradition. His adventures take place in the first decades of the Thonian Empire, witnessing the founding of Blackmoor and so on. My current idea is that he would spend most of his time in the North, not going much to Thonia oir

Sounds nice enough. Let's what you cook out...

Hurghast and Herutu become the first leaders of the Peshwah

YEAR 20
Calelrin conspires with the Thonians and kill Hurghast and Herutu. Calelrin is cast out by Hak and forced to seek shelter among the devils of the Hells. Cult of Calelrin is founded

This is something I could see Halgred getting into! The main problem is that I don't see the Thonians doing something like this while Robert I is king. OTOH, there could be Thonians acting against Robert's wishes. They were in league with fairly nasty deities afterall. I could see Robert I and Halgred helping the Peshwah get rid of these murdering Thonians, possibly even being instrumental in driving Calelrin off to the Hells.
[/quote]

All open for you to develop. On a side note, I hate the Peshweah as treated in the official books.

Side note: There are pits near Blackmoor said to contain a gate to Hades. Was that where Calelrin was bannished?

Conflicts with my idea of planar travel and the Well of Souls, but otherwise, probably...

Yours,

Rafe