Secrets of Blackmoor Kickstarter Poster Maps: Emergence of Blackmoor
Aug 18, 2021 21:27:37 GMT -5
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Post by arjen on Aug 18, 2021 21:27:37 GMT -5
I posted this on another thread but as it is separate from the Tonisborg book (these were sent as a separate awards for the kickstarter) There were 2 2 sided mini posters sent out with maps of the town of Blackmoor and the environment of Blackmoor:
I am obsessed by the first campaign map as it is based on my home country; I was born and grew up, for instance, in the Northwest town on the map (second town from the top left; Haarlem), I went to college, did research, lived and worked in basically the 50% of map that is the general North Western part of the area. I lived across a real ruined castle for the first 11 years (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huis_ter_Kleef); my father was born and grew up in the general area that is Blackmoor Castle.
As I have already and wanted to set my future campaign in this general area (especially Haarlem) as I could use the (real) names, visuals and history of this place to enrich my campaign (given that I now live in CT, USA) I did some research in the sagas, mythology and history of this region. And it did not disappoint.
There is a castle/town just north west of Castle Blackmoor, which is the general area that in real world Muiden and Nuiderberg is situated, were according to a 1613 tragedy/play (by P.C.Hooft, the Netherlands most important Renaissance poet/playwright and Historican) 'Geeraerdt van Velsen' a sorcerer lived in a hollow oak, "Timon de Tovenaar" that would call on the Goddess Hecate to summon Ghosts or Demons to tell the future or uncover secrets, he was classified in some literal history books as a Necromancer or Negromancer (black magic user)>
Also, a thief operation in the North Mid-West was known to be a thief magician as he was able to use magic and enchantment to keep out of the hands of the law (in one story being able to paralyze the major, sheriff and guardsmen ready to arrest him in a tavern). His name was "platte Thijs", translating as "flat Thijs" (Thijs is a shortening of "Mathias"), he got the name because the first time he was arrested his nose got chopped off. His fame grew after he escaped by bending the bars of his cell and run away. I envision him as a MU with a high strength and low moral. Other tales of his magic were about his ability to always win at dice games. He met his end by betting his soul (or "everything") when playing an old man that turned out to be the Devil; the devil beat his 12 score by rolling 2 dice that broke mid roll showing 13 pips (a common trope I understand).
The name of the city Haarlem is, apparently, derived from the name of a "giant" called Lem that build the center of the town all by himself. The name 'Haarlem" is purportedly the assembly of "Heer Lem" which translates as "Lord Lem" (think "Herr" as used in many German stories/movies with Germans). The son of this Heer Lem, "Aurindulius", grew to be know as the King with the Donkey Ears (like Midas) and became the King of Friesland (which is the area of the West of Dave's map and an area north of the map that is a large as Dave's map. Apparently animal features were common in this family of city founding giants as the other son of Heer Lem was called "Falk-eye" and founden a city called "Valkenburg" that still exists to the South East of Dave's map (that town was in the news recently with the big flood that happened in Germany, Belgium and the South part of the Netherland)
The south part of Dave's map is the North border of a "proper" (allegedly) gnome Kingdom spanning the Southern part of the Netherlands and the Northern part of Belgium. These gnomes were secretive and helpful the same what that (Scandinavian)Tomte, (German) Kobolds, Leprechauns and Brownies were/are. Their capital was under the Devils Mountain (basically a burial hill, everything higher than 100 feet is a mountain in the Netherlands), situated just South of the Middle of the map. This Kingdom dissolved only abou 70 years ago when the legendary gnome king Kyrie got shot by accident by a local hunter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnome_King_Kyri%C3%AB).
Also just South of the map are the 'hunting grounds' of a notorious gang of bandit named the "bokkenrijders" (Buck Riders, "buck" as in male goat). This gang was described as a cult of devil worshippers of Robin Hood like robbers based on the source you read. As understood this was a robber gang that started mostly robbing rich farmers and town notables and distributing the loot among the poor, especially making sure that all the members had "normal' day jobs so no member could be a "usual suspect". It got it's name when it got big enough to hit several towns on the same night so the myth grew that the gang was able to travel by riding flying goats from 1 town to the other to do so may robberies in 1 night. This myth was adopted by the gang to grow their notoriety and appeal. According to some sources it was also used when the gang started targeting rich abbeys, convents and churches and had new recruits spit on the cross and devote their fealty to Satan. How much of this was the demonization from the authorities to crack down on the gang and start arresting "suspects" and extracting "confessions" to make a show that they "where doing something" and "where fighting Satan worshippers" is not exactly known but it is suspected that a lot of innocent poor farmers and farmer hands where prosecuted in this process of showing strength. All in all, a great source for great campaign/plot hooks.
I am obsessed by the first campaign map as it is based on my home country; I was born and grew up, for instance, in the Northwest town on the map (second town from the top left; Haarlem), I went to college, did research, lived and worked in basically the 50% of map that is the general North Western part of the area. I lived across a real ruined castle for the first 11 years (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huis_ter_Kleef); my father was born and grew up in the general area that is Blackmoor Castle.
As I have already and wanted to set my future campaign in this general area (especially Haarlem) as I could use the (real) names, visuals and history of this place to enrich my campaign (given that I now live in CT, USA) I did some research in the sagas, mythology and history of this region. And it did not disappoint.
There is a castle/town just north west of Castle Blackmoor, which is the general area that in real world Muiden and Nuiderberg is situated, were according to a 1613 tragedy/play (by P.C.Hooft, the Netherlands most important Renaissance poet/playwright and Historican) 'Geeraerdt van Velsen' a sorcerer lived in a hollow oak, "Timon de Tovenaar" that would call on the Goddess Hecate to summon Ghosts or Demons to tell the future or uncover secrets, he was classified in some literal history books as a Necromancer or Negromancer (black magic user)>
Also, a thief operation in the North Mid-West was known to be a thief magician as he was able to use magic and enchantment to keep out of the hands of the law (in one story being able to paralyze the major, sheriff and guardsmen ready to arrest him in a tavern). His name was "platte Thijs", translating as "flat Thijs" (Thijs is a shortening of "Mathias"), he got the name because the first time he was arrested his nose got chopped off. His fame grew after he escaped by bending the bars of his cell and run away. I envision him as a MU with a high strength and low moral. Other tales of his magic were about his ability to always win at dice games. He met his end by betting his soul (or "everything") when playing an old man that turned out to be the Devil; the devil beat his 12 score by rolling 2 dice that broke mid roll showing 13 pips (a common trope I understand).
The name of the city Haarlem is, apparently, derived from the name of a "giant" called Lem that build the center of the town all by himself. The name 'Haarlem" is purportedly the assembly of "Heer Lem" which translates as "Lord Lem" (think "Herr" as used in many German stories/movies with Germans). The son of this Heer Lem, "Aurindulius", grew to be know as the King with the Donkey Ears (like Midas) and became the King of Friesland (which is the area of the West of Dave's map and an area north of the map that is a large as Dave's map. Apparently animal features were common in this family of city founding giants as the other son of Heer Lem was called "Falk-eye" and founden a city called "Valkenburg" that still exists to the South East of Dave's map (that town was in the news recently with the big flood that happened in Germany, Belgium and the South part of the Netherland)
The south part of Dave's map is the North border of a "proper" (allegedly) gnome Kingdom spanning the Southern part of the Netherlands and the Northern part of Belgium. These gnomes were secretive and helpful the same what that (Scandinavian)Tomte, (German) Kobolds, Leprechauns and Brownies were/are. Their capital was under the Devils Mountain (basically a burial hill, everything higher than 100 feet is a mountain in the Netherlands), situated just South of the Middle of the map. This Kingdom dissolved only abou 70 years ago when the legendary gnome king Kyrie got shot by accident by a local hunter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnome_King_Kyri%C3%AB).
Also just South of the map are the 'hunting grounds' of a notorious gang of bandit named the "bokkenrijders" (Buck Riders, "buck" as in male goat). This gang was described as a cult of devil worshippers of Robin Hood like robbers based on the source you read. As understood this was a robber gang that started mostly robbing rich farmers and town notables and distributing the loot among the poor, especially making sure that all the members had "normal' day jobs so no member could be a "usual suspect". It got it's name when it got big enough to hit several towns on the same night so the myth grew that the gang was able to travel by riding flying goats from 1 town to the other to do so may robberies in 1 night. This myth was adopted by the gang to grow their notoriety and appeal. According to some sources it was also used when the gang started targeting rich abbeys, convents and churches and had new recruits spit on the cross and devote their fealty to Satan. How much of this was the demonization from the authorities to crack down on the gang and start arresting "suspects" and extracting "confessions" to make a show that they "where doing something" and "where fighting Satan worshippers" is not exactly known but it is suspected that a lot of innocent poor farmers and farmer hands where prosecuted in this process of showing strength. All in all, a great source for great campaign/plot hooks.
