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{{Location
{{Realm
| type          = Nation
|image        = [[Image:Blackmoor01.jpg]]
| name          = Blackmoor
|caption      = The arms of Blackmoor, as depicted in the ''[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]]'' (2000).
| image        = Blackmoor.jpg
|name         = Archbarony of Arn
| caption      = Blackmoor
|alt_name      =  
| aliases      =
|alt_spelling  =  
| demonym      =
|motto        =  
| capital      = [[Dantredun]]
|region       = [[Bitter North]]
| area          = [[Flanaess]]
|ruler        = Archbaron [[Bestmo]]
| size         =  
|government   =  
| rulertable    =  
|established  =  
| ruler1        = His Luminous Preponderancy, Archbaron Besmo of Blackmoor
|capital      = Dantredun (pop. 709)
| ruleryear1    = 591
|major_towns  = [[Dantredun]], [[Blackmoor Town]] (ruined), [[Egg of Coot]] (pop. 180?), [[Tonnsborg]] (pop. 150)
| ruler2       =  
|provinces     = Ten underbaronies (four ruined)
| ruleryear2    =  
|resources     = Walrus ivory, copper, gems
| ruler3        =
|coinage      =  
| ruleryear3   =  
|population    = 110,000  
| ruler4        =  
|races        = [[Human]] 37% (FOsb), [[Orc]] 20%, [[Halfling]] 18%, [[Elf]] 10%, [[Gnome]] 7%, Half-orc 5%, Half=elf 2%, Other 1%
| ruleryear4    =  
|languages     = Common, Flan, Orcish, Halfling, Elven, Gnomish
| ruler5        =  
|alignments   = LN, LE, NE*, CE
| ruleryear5    =
|religions     = [[Saint Cuthbert]], [[Gruumsh]], [[Thrym]], otherwise unknown
| rulertype     =  
|allies        =  
| government    =
|enemies      = [[Empire of Iuz]], [[Wolf Nomads]] (sometimes)
| languages     =  
}}
| races        =  
The '''Archbarony of Arn''' (also known as '''Archbarony of Blackmoor''' or simply '''Blackmoor''') ), is a political state in the far north of the [[Flanaess]].
| religion      =
| currency      =
| reckoning    =
| population1  = 110,000
| popyear1      = 591
| population2  =  
| popyear2      =
| population3  =
| popyear3      =
| imports      =
| exports      =
| alignment     =  
| allegiance   =  
| usethe        =
| useon        =
| inhabitants  =
| locations     =  
| organizations =  
| settlements  =
| roads        =  
}}'''Blackmoor''' is  located in the northwestern portion of the [[Flanaess]]. It is a small and inhospitable realm lying almost completely within the boundaries of the northern reaches of the [[Cold Marshes]]. The Burneal Forest forms a western boundary of sorts, while the Land of Black Ice does the same to the north.


The population of Blackmoor totaled 110,000 persons. Almost 40% of these inhabitants are humans of predominantly Flan and Oeridian stock, although some Suel and Baklunish can be found as well. Another 20% comprise orcish tribes that roam the region (some under the control of the Egg of Coot, some not). A slightly smaller percentage of halflings is also present, while elves, gnomes, half-orcs, half-elves, and other races make up the remainder of the population in increasingly smaller percentages.
==History==
Ages ago (certainly before the [[Twin Cataclysms]]), the [[City of the Gods]] was the heart of a technocracy in what is now Arn. The lords and ladies of the City used a combination of elemental magic and clockwork science to create automatons to perform all menial labor for them. Meanwhile, they devoted their time to art, philosophy, and war.


The most populous town is Dantredun (pop. 700) on the edge of the Burneal. Blackmoor Town, the original capital of the archbarony, was conquered and destroyed in 541 CY by the "Egg of Coot", a mysterious being with a significant amount of magical power at his disposal. The "town" that serves as the Egg's home contains a number of automata (some reports place the number as high as 200), though very few living beings (if any) reside there
The end of the age came when the city's automatons were struck down by a plague called "gear madness," or when the city's humanoid inhabitants transformed themselves into constructs themselves. Over the centuries, most of what remained of their civilization was covered by the encroaching Black Ice.


The actual structure of Blackmoor's government is unknown. His Luminous Preponderancy, Archbaron Bestmo of Blackmoor claims the title of "Archbaron", and with it, rule over the ten underbaronies of the region. However, Teuod Fent, formerly of the Bandit Kingdoms], has claimed Ramshorn Castle as his own, and with it the title of "baron". Nonhuman tribes also roam the area, though their allegiances are usually only to themselves. The national capital is Dantredun (the seat of Bestmo's power).
Legend has it that the Northern Adepts of Blackmoor, a cabal of [[Ur-Flan]] sorcerers,{{cite dragon|315|54}} created the many mounds and standing stones found throughout the archbarony in order to use the Oerthmagic that steeps the region to constrain the Black Ice.  


==Geography==
The accessory ''College of Wizardry'' suggests that at some point before the City of the Gods was swallowed by the Ice, Arn was claimed by the [[Baklunish Empire]]. By the early days of the [[Baklunish-Suloise Wars]], the region now called Arn was independent of the Baklunish and considered an ally of the [[Suel Imperium]]. During this period, the Suel emperor sent the people of Arn an artifact known as the ''[[Unquenchable Scepter]]'' as a gift.


=== Forests ===
By the time of the [[Great Migrations]], Arn was inhabited mainly by [[Flan]] tribes dwelling in stockadelike hill-forts near the region's numerous hot springs. The first migrants to enter the region were the [[Zeai]], a [[Suel]] people related to the [[Ice Barbarians]]. They raided the Flan villages, while the Flan raided one another, and heard legends of the City of the Gods and the [[Egg of Coot]], and saw the Black Ice. Soon other peoples learned of these things as well.
* [[Burneal Forest]]


=== Hills ===
[[Oeridian]]s and some Suloise from the south appeared in Arn, usually in small bands of treasure-seekers. Outcasts of other lands followed them, seeking to create their own domains in this new frontier. These minor barons built the first castles and brought new forms of warfare. The natives were driven to less inhabitable regions such as the bogs, where they encountered [[Wastri]] and many joined his growing band of followers. Elsewhere, [[Ranial the Gaunt]] organized resistance to the [[Aerdi]], creating the ''[[Crown of Blackmoor]]'' in an attempt to wield the land's strange Oerthmagic against the invading armies of the [[Great Kingdom]]. Ultimately he failed, and the archbarony of Arn became enfiefed to the distant empire of [[Aerdy]], administered by viceroys of [[Ferrond]].


=== Rivers ===
Ferrond took little interest in the archbarony except for the occasional punitive action. They did build the [[Stornawain Road]] through the [[Cold Marshes]], but this route was never maintained locally. Eventually Arn became independent due to the apathy of [[Furyondy]] and the Great Kingdom, ignored and forgotten. There are rumors of a lich-lord rising to power in Blackmoor in the [[fourth century CY]], but the upheaval of the [[Relentless Horde]] overwhelmed such talk, the barbarians cutting the archbarony off from the southern lands.


=== Marsh ===
In the 540s CY, the capital of the archbarony, [[Blackmoor Town]], was invaded by the Egg of Coot, destroying both the town and its famous [[Castle Blackmoor]], costing the archbarony the revenue gained from the Dungeoneers' Tax imposed on those who would explore the castle's dungeons. The Egg's orc army made the ruined castle and upper dungeon levels into his stronghold.
* Cold Marshes
* Gloom Fens


== '''History''' ==
New immigrants arrived in the aftermath of the [[Greyhawk Wars]], fleeing the expansion of [[Iuz]]'s empire. [[Teuod Fent]], a former ruler of the [[Bandit Kingdoms]], now styles himself baron of Ramshorn, and he has attracted many to his banner through his successful raids on Iuz's slave-trains.
At the time of the great Migrations the moors north of the Cold Marshes were inhabited by the Tuocts, a Flannish people who dwelt in stockaded villages and built hill-forts on the rocky outcroppings protruding from the marshland. Here they led a simple existence: raiding, trading, feasting and feuding amongst themselves under the watchful eye of their druids and bards. At established intervals they would band together to make war with their primeval enemy, the Egg of Coot, or to campaign for a season against their distant kin from the Quagheath.


The steady cycle of their lives was first disturbed when Suel raiders swept across the Icy Sea to pillage along the coasts before returning home to Rhizia in late summer. Within a few years these Sea Barbarians, calling themselves Zeai, had made permanent settlements north of Blackmoor on the Brink Islands and along the Tusking Strand. Even with the addition of these immigrants, little changed in the north until the first Oeridian explorers and adventurers arrived in the Northlands a generation later. For the most part these newcomers were ethnic Aerdi — individualists, rebels, or outcasts, who sought to escape the increasingly rigid society that would emerge in only a few years as the Kingdom of Aerdy.
==Geography==
Modern Arn is generally located in the northwestern portion of the Flanaess. It is a small and inhospitable realm lying almost completely within the boundaries of the northern reaches of the [[Cold Marshes]]. The [[Burneal Forest]] forms a western boundary of sorts, while the [[Land of Black Ice]] does the same to the north.


These Aerdi pioneers began the tradition of castle building in the lands of Blackmoor. The first, called Castle Blackmoor, was built on a low hill overlooking Blackmoor Bay. The location had been used since time immemorial by the northern clans as their hill of testing, the site of their High-seat of Judgement. Duels, whether musical, magical or martial, were conducted here under the authority of the Shalmist druids and bards. Contests were most often held within the ancient ring of standing-stones, but at times they might extend to the caverns beneath the hill where legend said the Ur-Flan sorcerers had enslaved fiends and powerful elementals. The first Castle Blackmoor was built over these ruins, and Oeridian lords ruled here even as the Kingdom of Aerdy saw foundation in the south. A village quickly grew up around this first castle, and soon other fortifications and settlements were built in the region.
Settlements include the ruins of [[Blackmoor Town]], [[Broomsage Abbey]], [[Dantredun]], the [[Egg of Coot]], [[Frost Citadel]], [[Glenndour]], [[Kolbenborg]], [[Mosshold]], [[Ramshorn Castle]], [[Stornawane]], [[Trollbar]], and [[Tonnsborg]],  


Thus began an era of prosperity unlike any previously known in the North. New immigrants, dwarves, halflings and a few high-elves among them, bolstered the existing populace, adding their influence to the emerging culture of Blackmoor. Though they arrived on the trail of the Oerid settlers, the immigrants soon established their own communities. At some point, an enclave of Wastrian cultists also appeared, taking up residence in the Cold Marshes, where they observed with disgust the racial cooperation fostered by the leaders of the new settlements, and labored secretly to frustrate it. Nonetheless, the many different peoples of Blackmoor managed to work together over the next century to form a rugged but vital society.
==People==
While humans and orcs are the most populous races in the realm, numerous nonhuman creatures can also be found, including the mad [[qullan]] shock troops of the [[Egg of Coot]] and the savage [[frost folk]] and [[snow goblin]] raiders from the [[Land of Black Ice]].{{cite dungeon|115|16-35|Raiders of the Black Ice}}  Additionally, in the vicinity of the [[City of the Gods]], creatures such as [[nimblewright]]s can be found.{{cite dungeon|115|16-35|Raiders of the Black Ice}}{{cite dungeon|126|42-61|The Clockwork Fortress}}


This continued until, in the decades immediately preceding the institution of the Overking, a powerful new figure rose to prominence in Blackmoor: Ranial the Gaunt, Lord of Dantredun, Scion of Tenh and enemy of Great Kingdom. He unified the Blackmoor territory in opposition to the Aerdi aggressors from the south and through magic he created the Crown of Blackmoor, and claimed sovereignty over the land and its people. He defied the might of Aerdy for several years, until his eventual defeat at the Battle of Toadwash. As his withered form sank into the marsh, the Great Kingdom’s army advanced on Castle Blackmoor, where they received the submission of the ruling baron. The march of Aerdy conquest had at last reached even this distant land. Blackmoor was first made a province of the Great Kingdom, and at the crowning of the first Overking saw its establishment as an Archbarony in the writ of Imperial Aerdy. Most of the Oeridian barons swiftly pledged loyalty to the Great Kingdom, but a majority of the Tuocts rejected Aerdy rule and withdrew into the Gloomfens and the Cold Marshes. Their lands were divided by the Archbaron, and they were left to rot in the bogs. Wastri gained many new followers in this manner, and his evil took deep root in the hearts of these impoverished natives.
===Population===
The population of Blackmoor totaled 110,000 persons in[[591 CY]].  Almost 40% of these inhabitants are humans of predominantly [[Flan]] and [[Oeridian]] stock, although some [[Suel]] and [[Baklunish]] can be found as well. Another 20% comprise [[Orc|orcish]] tribes that roam the region (some under the control of the Egg of Coot, some not). A slightly smaller percentage of [[Halfling|halflings]] is also present, while [[Elf|elves]], [[Gnome|gnomes]], half-orcs, half-elves, and other races make up the remainder of the population in increasingly smaller percentages.


For the next two centuries Blackmoor was ruled as an hereditary Archbarony within the Great Kingdom. When the Viceroyalty of Ferrond formed in early years of the second century CY, however, Blackmoor was excluded due to cartographical error. Though the mistake was discovered prior to the investment of the Viceroy, it was concealed to avoid any delay in the elaborate ceremonies already prepared. Blackmoor’s first shift toward independence was thus a matter of bureaucratic incompetence. The second step was taken at the end of the third century CY, after Perrenland, Furyondy and Tenh had seceded from the Great Kingdom. Though no formal declaration was made, the Archbarony ceased to provide its symbolic tribute to the Overking. The matter was scarcely acknowledged in Rauxes. The final element completing separation from the Great Kingdom arrived on horseback in the early fourth century CY, when Nomad bands from central Oerik invaded the Flanaess and established themselves in the steppe-lands south of the Burneal Forest. For the next generation the trade routes to the Northern Reaches of Furyondy were effectively cut off by the unsettled hordes.
The most populous town is [[Dantredun]] (pop. 700) on the edge of the [[Burneal Forest|Burneal]].  Blackmoor Town, the original capital of the archbarony, was conquered and destroyed in 541 [[Common Year|CY]] by the "Egg of Coot", a mysterious being with a significant amount of magical power at his disposal. The "town" that serves as the Egg's home contains a number of automata (some reports place the number as high as 200), though very few living beings (if any) reside there.


During this tumultuous period the Crown of Blackmoor was reclaimed by the evil sorcerer Engren Erris, who became known as the Lich of Glendour. The humanoid inhabitants of Blackmoor flourished during his reign, and the human population turned markedly evil. He soon made war against the legitimate sovereign and while his forces besieged Castle Blackmoor, Wastrian cultists emerged from the marshes, driving their Quaggoth slaves to a killing frenzy against the demi-humans of Blackmoor. These bands massacred dwarves, elves and halflings in the villages and hunted them through the countryside.
===Religion===
There is no one significant religion or groups of religions among the inhabitants of Arn. There is such a diversity of peoples, both in terms of race and nation of origin, that no single form of worship holds sway.


Yet a few brave souls resisted and fought against the multitude of evils that assailed Blackmoor from within. Among these rebels was found a leader who unified the resistance. She was Rua Morgaiste, the last living heir to the Archbaron of Blackmoor. She collected allies from the neighboring territories to aid in her fight; she made truce with the Wolf Nomads, and even added some of their warrior bands to her army; she gathered free companies from throughout the North; and led them all to victory over the wizard-usurper.
===Languages===
The most widely-spoken languages in Arn include Common, Flan, Orcish, Halfling, Elven, and Gnomish.


Morgaiste thus became the first ruling Archbaroness, and led Blackmoor for another six and a half decades. During her long reign the Archbarony became one of the greatest countries in the North, with much influence in the surrounding lands. Toward the end of her regime she even helped the peoples of the Quagheath and the Yatils form the nation of Perrenland.
==Government==
The actual structure of Arn's government is unknown.  His Luminous Preponderancy, Archbaron [[Bestmo]] of Blackmoor claims the title of "archbaron", and with it, rule over the ten underbaronies of the region.  However, [[Teuod Fent]], formerly of the [[Bandit Kingdoms]], has claimed [[Ramshorn Castle]] as his own, and with it the title of "baron".  Nonhuman tribes also roam the area, though their allegiances are usually only to themselves.


Though she had ruled long and wisely, she left no heir upon her death, and the succession was again open to challenge. According to her wishes, her council was to decide the matter and rule the land in the interim. Many claimants presented themselves to the Baronial Council as candidates for the high office, including one sponsored by the Egg of Coot, but the Council chose Fadden of Dantrefaer.
The national capital is Dantredun (the seat of Bestmo's power).


He was confirmed as Archbaron after first being named Lord Conciliator of Blackmoor Castle, for the governing authority was retained by the Baronial Council. The Archbaron was to serve as a figurehead, though in return he received a generous stipend and a voice in the Council.
===Heraldry===
Blackmoor's coat of arms is blazoned thus: ''Per fess gules and water proper, a tower on a hill, all sable''.


The reigns of four Archbarons passed in this way before the fifth and last Lord Conciliator of Blackmoor Castle, Pernold, lost his life in battle defending Blackmoor Town from the Egg of Coot’s invading army. The Egg’s forces sacked the town and razed the castle, but most of the Baronial Council retreated to the famous magical tavern of Blackmoor, the Comeback Inn, and sealed themselves inside. Though the magical defenses of the Inn could not be breached by the Egg, neither could the Council escape their confinement. It is possible that they still wait for rescue from without.
==Economy==
===Resources===
Arn has few resources, but is noted for producing walrus ivory, salt fish, copper, furs, and average-quality gems.


The Archbaron’s wife was more fortunate. She and some few of her staff and servants fled the town before it was captured, and passed through the dangerous fens with the assistance of the uncanny Tuoctish sorcerer, Tintyvo. This company arrived in Dantredun late the following spring, in time for the Archbaroness to give birth to Pernold’s only child, named Bestmo. Though Bestmo’s prospects would at first have seemed slight with the loss of his father’s castle, he was fortunate enough to be adopted as heir by the lord of Dantredun — though the baron of Dantredun passed away soon thereafter
===Currency===
Arn has no mint and does not currently have a standard system of coinage.  Explorers, however, have found many standard coinage types (gold, silver, and copper pieces) in odd shapes and sizes, and for the most part, these are used as "standard" currency throughout the realm.


The Archbarony Today
==Transportation==
For the past 20 years, Bestmo has ruled Blackmoor from Dantredun, and without the assistance of the Baronial Council established by Morgaiste. Though the Egg of Coot remains his sworn enemy, the Archbaron has not yet made any definitive effort to recapture the town of Blackmoor. Yet he is ever diligent in his preparations; taxes are high and laws are harsh, so the Bastard of Blackmoor will have the might to defeat his foe when the time is right.


The Archbarony of Blackmoor is one of the few lands in the central Flanaess largely unharmed by the Greyhawk Wars. Its peoples have little contact with the outside world, for the outside world sees the Archbarony as having little to offer in return for the dangerous journey required to reach it. A few refugees from the Bandit Kingdoms and from Tenh have brought a slight increase to Blackmoor’s population in recent years. Most of these dwell in Dantredun or Glendour, though some have made their own settlements and holds within the Archbarony. Ironically then, the Wars that decimated so much of Greyhawk’s world have provided a minor boon for Blackmoor, which had not seen castle building for centuries before the turmoil of recent years.
==Military==
The militias of Blackmoor's small underbaronies are typically leather-armored villagers carrying slings, shortspears, or longbows. The archbaron's personal guard consists of perhaps 60 "knights" (heavy cavalry, but actually little more than bandits), and heavy and medium infantry made up of several hundred human and orcish soldiers, mercenaries paid for with the archbaron's personal funds to help defend the archbarony from the Wolf Nomads and the Empire of Iuz. All the archbaron's troops are quartered in the town of Dantredun. Many more nonhuman troops can be called up from the surrounding area.


== '''Population''' ==
==Creative origins==
The name of the barony was updated from "Blackmoor" to "Arn" in the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (2024) as an homage to its original creator, [[Dave Arneson]]. 


== '''Religion''' ==
The original Blackmoor began life in the early 1970s as the personal setting of Arneson, the co-creator of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', first as a setting for Arneson's miniature wargames, then as an early testing ground for what would become ''D&D''.  Though published in booklet form by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) in 1975 as the second supplement to ''D&D'' (the first being ''Greyhawk''), Blackmoor actually predates Greyhawk as an ongoing game (or "campaign"). Before that, "real-world" locations had traditionally been the setting for wargaming.  Also, Arneson originated the concept of the "dungeon adventure" before D&D—a fact which [[Gary Gygax]] acknowledged in the foreword to the Blackmoor supplement.


== '''Languages''' ==
Blackmoor as a location within the Greyhawk setting came about both as an inside-joke by Gygax,{{cn}} and as a way for him to acknowledge his fellow writers' creations{{cn}} ([[Lenard Lakofka|Len Lakofka]]'s [[Lendore Isles]] occupy a similar position in the world).  Having certain locations exist across multiple DM's campaign settings also became a convenient way to explain how player characters such as [[Mordenkainen]] (Gygax's character) and [[Robilar]] ([[Robert J. Kuntz]]'s character) could be adventuring in Blackmoor's [[City of the Gods]] at one sitting, while exploring the dungeons of [[Castle Greyhawk]] the next.  [[Gary Gygax]] made clear, however, that the location on Oerth is not the same as the Blackmoor created by [[Dave Arneson]], especially his later works developing that campaign.<ref>{{cite web |author= Gary Gygzx|title=Q&A with Gary Gygax |url= https://www.enworld.org/threads/q-a-with-gary-gygax.22566/post-2855578|work= |publisher= ENWorld|date= 2006-05-29|accessdate=17 August 2022 |quote= The Blackmoor on the Oerick maps is certainly not the same as Dave Arneson's campaign setting. I liked its ring, so put it onto the map as I was making up names for the various states.}}</ref>


== '''Government''' ==
== Gallery ==
=== Maps ===
<gallery>
Image:Blackmoor.jpg|''[[Dungeon]]'' #126 (2005), by [[Rob Lazzaretti]]
</gallery>


== '''Law and Justice''' ==
==References==
===Citations===
<references />
===Bibliography===
*[[Arneson, Dave]]. ''Dungeons & Dragons Supplement II: Blackmoor''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1975.
*[[Baur, Wolfgang]]. "The Clockwork Fortress." ''[[Dungeon (magazine)|Dungeon]]'' #126. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004.
:———. "Raiders of the Black Ice." ''[[Dungeon (magazine)|Dungeon]]'' #115. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004.
*[[Baur, Wolfgang]], [[James Jacobs]], and George Strayton. ''Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow.'' Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
*[[Bruce R. Cordell|Cordell, Bruce R.]] ''College of Wizardry''. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
*[[Allan Grohe|Grohe, Allan]] and [[Erik Mona]]. "Artifacts of [[Oerth]]." ''[[dragmag|Dragon]] #294. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
*[[Gygax, Gary]]. ''The World of Greyhawk''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1980.
:———. ''[[World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
*[[Gary Holian|Holian, Gary]], [[Erik Mona]], [[Sean K Reynolds]], and [[Frederick Weining]]. ''[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
*[[Moore, Roger E]]. ''[[The Adventure Begins]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
* [[Carl Sargent|Sargent, Carl]]. ''[[Ivid the Undying]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995. Published online. [https://greyhawkonline.com/download/16370/?tmstv=1727302323 PDF by William Allman with maps].  Original RTF archived:[http://web.archive.org/web/20081218001449/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads Wizards.com]. WGR7 or WGRx
{{index|title=Blackmoor}}


== '''Culture''' ==
[[Category:Realms]]
 
== '''Military''' ==
 
== '''Resources''' ==
 
== '''Foreign Relations''' ==
 
Other Locations:<br />*
 
===References===
<references />
[[Category:Nations]]

Latest revision as of 16:10, 16 June 2025

Greyhawk Realm
Archbarony of Arn
The arms of Blackmoor, as depicted in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000).
General information
Region:Bitter North
Government
Ruler:Archbaron Bestmo
Alignments:LN, LE, NE*, CE
Demographics
Capital:Dantredun (pop. 709)
Major towns:Dantredun, Blackmoor Town (ruined), Egg of Coot (pop. 180?), Tonnsborg (pop. 150)
Provinces:Ten underbaronies (four ruined)
Population:110,000
Races:Human 37% (FOsb), Orc 20%, Halfling 18%, Elf 10%, Gnome 7%, Half-orc 5%, Half=elf 2%, Other 1%
Languages:Common, Flan, Orcish, Halfling, Elven, Gnomish
Groups
Religions:Saint Cuthbert, Gruumsh, Thrym, otherwise unknown
Enemies:Empire of Iuz, Wolf Nomads (sometimes)
Miscellaneous
Resources:Walrus ivory, copper, gems

The Archbarony of Arn (also known as Archbarony of Blackmoor or simply Blackmoor) ), is a political state in the far north of the Flanaess.

History

Ages ago (certainly before the Twin Cataclysms), the City of the Gods was the heart of a technocracy in what is now Arn. The lords and ladies of the City used a combination of elemental magic and clockwork science to create automatons to perform all menial labor for them. Meanwhile, they devoted their time to art, philosophy, and war.

The end of the age came when the city's automatons were struck down by a plague called "gear madness," or when the city's humanoid inhabitants transformed themselves into constructs themselves. Over the centuries, most of what remained of their civilization was covered by the encroaching Black Ice.

Legend has it that the Northern Adepts of Blackmoor, a cabal of Ur-Flan sorcerers,[1] created the many mounds and standing stones found throughout the archbarony in order to use the Oerthmagic that steeps the region to constrain the Black Ice.

The accessory College of Wizardry suggests that at some point before the City of the Gods was swallowed by the Ice, Arn was claimed by the Baklunish Empire. By the early days of the Baklunish-Suloise Wars, the region now called Arn was independent of the Baklunish and considered an ally of the Suel Imperium. During this period, the Suel emperor sent the people of Arn an artifact known as the Unquenchable Scepter as a gift.

By the time of the Great Migrations, Arn was inhabited mainly by Flan tribes dwelling in stockadelike hill-forts near the region's numerous hot springs. The first migrants to enter the region were the Zeai, a Suel people related to the Ice Barbarians. They raided the Flan villages, while the Flan raided one another, and heard legends of the City of the Gods and the Egg of Coot, and saw the Black Ice. Soon other peoples learned of these things as well.

Oeridians and some Suloise from the south appeared in Arn, usually in small bands of treasure-seekers. Outcasts of other lands followed them, seeking to create their own domains in this new frontier. These minor barons built the first castles and brought new forms of warfare. The natives were driven to less inhabitable regions such as the bogs, where they encountered Wastri and many joined his growing band of followers. Elsewhere, Ranial the Gaunt organized resistance to the Aerdi, creating the Crown of Blackmoor in an attempt to wield the land's strange Oerthmagic against the invading armies of the Great Kingdom. Ultimately he failed, and the archbarony of Arn became enfiefed to the distant empire of Aerdy, administered by viceroys of Ferrond.

Ferrond took little interest in the archbarony except for the occasional punitive action. They did build the Stornawain Road through the Cold Marshes, but this route was never maintained locally. Eventually Arn became independent due to the apathy of Furyondy and the Great Kingdom, ignored and forgotten. There are rumors of a lich-lord rising to power in Blackmoor in the fourth century CY, but the upheaval of the Relentless Horde overwhelmed such talk, the barbarians cutting the archbarony off from the southern lands.

In the 540s CY, the capital of the archbarony, Blackmoor Town, was invaded by the Egg of Coot, destroying both the town and its famous Castle Blackmoor, costing the archbarony the revenue gained from the Dungeoneers' Tax imposed on those who would explore the castle's dungeons. The Egg's orc army made the ruined castle and upper dungeon levels into his stronghold.

New immigrants arrived in the aftermath of the Greyhawk Wars, fleeing the expansion of Iuz's empire. Teuod Fent, a former ruler of the Bandit Kingdoms, now styles himself baron of Ramshorn, and he has attracted many to his banner through his successful raids on Iuz's slave-trains.

Geography

Modern Arn is generally located in the northwestern portion of the Flanaess. It is a small and inhospitable realm lying almost completely within the boundaries of the northern reaches of the Cold Marshes. The Burneal Forest forms a western boundary of sorts, while the Land of Black Ice does the same to the north.

Settlements include the ruins of Blackmoor Town, Broomsage Abbey, Dantredun, the Egg of Coot, Frost Citadel, Glenndour, Kolbenborg, Mosshold, Ramshorn Castle, Stornawane, Trollbar, and Tonnsborg,

People

While humans and orcs are the most populous races in the realm, numerous nonhuman creatures can also be found, including the mad qullan shock troops of the Egg of Coot and the savage frost folk and snow goblin raiders from the Land of Black Ice.[2] Additionally, in the vicinity of the City of the Gods, creatures such as nimblewrights can be found.[2][3]

Population

The population of Blackmoor totaled 110,000 persons in591 CY. Almost 40% of these inhabitants are humans of predominantly Flan and Oeridian stock, although some Suel and Baklunish can be found as well. Another 20% comprise orcish tribes that roam the region (some under the control of the Egg of Coot, some not). A slightly smaller percentage of halflings is also present, while elves, gnomes, half-orcs, half-elves, and other races make up the remainder of the population in increasingly smaller percentages.

The most populous town is Dantredun (pop. 700) on the edge of the Burneal. Blackmoor Town, the original capital of the archbarony, was conquered and destroyed in 541 CY by the "Egg of Coot", a mysterious being with a significant amount of magical power at his disposal. The "town" that serves as the Egg's home contains a number of automata (some reports place the number as high as 200), though very few living beings (if any) reside there.

Religion

There is no one significant religion or groups of religions among the inhabitants of Arn. There is such a diversity of peoples, both in terms of race and nation of origin, that no single form of worship holds sway.

Languages

The most widely-spoken languages in Arn include Common, Flan, Orcish, Halfling, Elven, and Gnomish.

Government

The actual structure of Arn's government is unknown. His Luminous Preponderancy, Archbaron Bestmo of Blackmoor claims the title of "archbaron", and with it, rule over the ten underbaronies of the region. However, Teuod Fent, formerly of the Bandit Kingdoms, has claimed Ramshorn Castle as his own, and with it the title of "baron". Nonhuman tribes also roam the area, though their allegiances are usually only to themselves.

The national capital is Dantredun (the seat of Bestmo's power).

Heraldry

Blackmoor's coat of arms is blazoned thus: Per fess gules and water proper, a tower on a hill, all sable.

Economy

Resources

Arn has few resources, but is noted for producing walrus ivory, salt fish, copper, furs, and average-quality gems.

Currency

Arn has no mint and does not currently have a standard system of coinage. Explorers, however, have found many standard coinage types (gold, silver, and copper pieces) in odd shapes and sizes, and for the most part, these are used as "standard" currency throughout the realm.

Transportation

Military

The militias of Blackmoor's small underbaronies are typically leather-armored villagers carrying slings, shortspears, or longbows. The archbaron's personal guard consists of perhaps 60 "knights" (heavy cavalry, but actually little more than bandits), and heavy and medium infantry made up of several hundred human and orcish soldiers, mercenaries paid for with the archbaron's personal funds to help defend the archbarony from the Wolf Nomads and the Empire of Iuz. All the archbaron's troops are quartered in the town of Dantredun. Many more nonhuman troops can be called up from the surrounding area.

Creative origins

The name of the barony was updated from "Blackmoor" to "Arn" in the Dungeon Master's Guide (2024) as an homage to its original creator, Dave Arneson.

The original Blackmoor began life in the early 1970s as the personal setting of Arneson, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, first as a setting for Arneson's miniature wargames, then as an early testing ground for what would become D&D. Though published in booklet form by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) in 1975 as the second supplement to D&D (the first being Greyhawk), Blackmoor actually predates Greyhawk as an ongoing game (or "campaign"). Before that, "real-world" locations had traditionally been the setting for wargaming. Also, Arneson originated the concept of the "dungeon adventure" before D&D—a fact which Gary Gygax acknowledged in the foreword to the Blackmoor supplement.

Blackmoor as a location within the Greyhawk setting came about both as an inside-joke by Gygax,[citation needed] and as a way for him to acknowledge his fellow writers' creations[citation needed] (Len Lakofka's Lendore Isles occupy a similar position in the world). Having certain locations exist across multiple DM's campaign settings also became a convenient way to explain how player characters such as Mordenkainen (Gygax's character) and Robilar (Robert J. Kuntz's character) could be adventuring in Blackmoor's City of the Gods at one sitting, while exploring the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk the next. Gary Gygax made clear, however, that the location on Oerth is not the same as the Blackmoor created by Dave Arneson, especially his later works developing that campaign.[4]

Maps

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Dragon #315 (Jan 2004), p.54.
  2. ↑ a b "Raiders of the Black Ice". Dungeon #115 (Oct 2004), p.16-35
  3. ↑ "The Clockwork Fortress". Dungeon #126 (Sep 2005), p.42-61
  4. ↑ Gary Gygzx. Q&A with Gary Gygax. ENWorld, 2006-05-29. Retrieved on 17 August 2022. "The Blackmoor on the Oerick maps is certainly not the same as Dave Arneson's campaign setting. I liked its ring, so put it onto the map as I was making up names for the various states."

Bibliography

  • Arneson, Dave. Dungeons & Dragons Supplement II: Blackmoor. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1975.
  • Baur, Wolfgang. "The Clockwork Fortress." Dungeon #126. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004.
———. "Raiders of the Black Ice." Dungeon #115. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004.
———. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

Blackmoor - Dungeons & Dragons Book V Adventure El Raja Key Archive (Standard Edition) 284
Blackmoor - Dungeons & Dragons Book V Adventure Monster Manual 1, AD&D 1e 4
Blackmoor Bay Geographical feature Bay, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 34, 148
Blackmoor Campaign Adventure Greyhawk: Supplement I, OD&D 3
Blackmoor Town Settlement Blackmoor, Capital, Ruins, Different Worlds Magazine #42 Insert (M1, M4)
Blackmoor Town Settlement Blackmoor, Capital, Ruins, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 34, 35
Blackmoor Town Settlement Blackmoor, Capital, Ruins, The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (Folio) 9
Blackmoor, Castle Settlement Defensive Structure, Dragon magazine #006 22, 23
Blackmoor, Castle Settlement Defensive Structure, Dragon magazine #007 28, 29
Blackmoor, Castle Settlement Defensive Structure, Different Worlds Magazine #42 Insert (M4)
Blackmoor, Castle Settlement Defensive Structure, El Raja Key Archive (Standard Edition) 11, 166
Blackmoor, Castle Settlement Defensive Structure, Greyhawk Adventures 100
Blackmoor, Castle Settlement Defensive Structure, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 34, 35
Blackmoor, Crown of Item Artifact, Encyclopedia Magica - Volume I 332
Blackmoor, Crown of Item Artifact, Greyhawk Adventures 78
Blackmoor, Crown of Item Artifact, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 34, 35
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Artifact of Evil 7, 343
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), LT2 Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad 41
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), College of Wizardry 9
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #057 13
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #209 11
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #241 48
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #256 45
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #264 49
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #265 57, 58
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #294 94
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #315 51, 53, 54
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dragon magazine #359 74, 75
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Dungeon magazine #077 37
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Different Worlds Magazine #42 Insert (M4)
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), El Raja Key Archive (Standard Edition) 11, 12, 13, 14, 58, 164, 166, 210, 229, 284
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess 23, 60, 62
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), From the Ashes: References Card #2
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), From the Ashes: References Card #8
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Greyhawk Adventures 78, 82, 100
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Living Greyhawk Gazetteer IC, 3, 33, 34, 35, 62, 85, 133, 139, 148, 154
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Living Greyhawk Journal #0 6
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Living Greyhawk Journal #1 22
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Living Greyhawk Journal #2 4
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Living Greyhawk Journal #4 26
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Player's Guide to Greyhawk 6
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Return of the Eight 62
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), Slavers, AD&D 2e 12
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil 6
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), The Adventure Begins 17, 36, 38
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), LT3 The Doomgrinder 14
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), The Scarlet Brotherhood 23
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (Folio) IC, 2, 9, 21, 23
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), WGR5 Iuz the Evil 64, 66
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) 20, 51, 56, 60, IBC
Blackmoor, kingdom of Kingdom (576 pop: 25000), (591 pop: 110000), World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) 17
Blackmoor, Northern Adepts of old People Group Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 34
Blackmoor, Queens Ragalia of Item Artifact, LT3 The Doomgrinder 14
Blackmoorian Rhymes (General) Rules Feat/Proficiency/Skill, Dragon magazine #315 51
Crown of Blackmoor Item Reference SEE Blackmoor, Crown of
Grey Dragon of Blackmoor Non-player character Different Worlds Magazine #43 Insert (M2)
Paints of Blackmoor Item Greyhawk Adventures 82, 83
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