The Blackwood - A Folkloric "Mini" Setting (WIP, PEACH)

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The Blackwood Campaign Setting

Once, a long time ago, there was a forest that was so large that it took many days to travel from one side to the other. It crept down from the mountains when the world was young, and settled over the land like a great blanket of green, grey and brown. It was the Blackwood, a land of hills and valleys, of lakes and rivers, and it’s shadow-cloaked pathways and sun-dappled meadows were home to humans and strange things for as long as any tale told.

Map

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The Wood

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Woodfolk
Woodfolk are the hearty, honest men and women that make their lives on the shaded pathways and in the flowered meadows of the Blackwood. Many gather in hamlets and villages for the safety that a group provides, but many also choose to live alone amongst the wood. These latter are thought of as brave and foolish by those that gather in settlements, and with good reason. In a place where whole villages can be swept from the earth overnight by bands of trolls, bandits, or even elves, one must indeed possess either great courage or great stupidity.

Where the woodfolk gather in villages, they form a close bond with those around them. They work together to put food on one another’s tables and roofs over each other’s heads. Squabbles and feuds still arise from time to time, but they threaten the very existence of the settlement and its inhabitants. To that end, Woodfolk often have a sort of town council that presides over each settlement’s resources, arguments, and the coordination of the town’s defense in emergencies.

Locales
Most Woodfolk do not travel frequently. Of course, most every village has at least one other village a day’s ride away, but the toil of everyday life prevents villagers from visiting their distant neighbors except for special occasions and at great need. In truth, the majority of Woodfolk rarely travel more than 10 miles from their birthplace in their entire lives, with adventurers a rare exception.

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• The Village
  Villages are scattered all across the Blackwood. They do not amount to more than a drop of civilization in the vastness of the Wood’s deeps, but they provide a vital lifeline for many Woodfolk. Most hold anywhere from 30 to 200 Woodfolk, with the largest reaching as many as 500 souls. Often but not always, they are protected by a modest wall of wood and stone, though many smaller villages are left bare to the dangers of the Wood.
• The Stag and Dragon
  A great inn and tavern along the Forest Road, the along permanent highway through the deeps of the Blackwood. The Stag and Dragon is considered famous neutral ground; traders, hunters, nobility, heroes, and bandits alike seek shelter under its ancient roofs. Because it is such a melting pot, it is often a meeting place for treaties, duels, and other important meetings.
• High Hall
  High Hall is a castle nestled near a small lake in the midst of the Blackwood. It lies next to a small mountain, surrounded by more expansive meadows and clearings than can be found in any other region of the Wood. It is home to King Eikhart, his queen, and their beautiful daughter. Tales are told across the land of the quality of its mead. High Hall is home to a branch of the Sentinels, who roam the region for days in every direction, even making forays into the Bracken to hunt for more formidable bands of ruffians.
• Spearwood
  Far beyond the tread of even the most intrepid trade caravans and hunters lies the hall of the Spearwood. It is a large swathe of dense trees, the largest of which is no thicker than a man's leg, and the smallest perhaps as thick as a finger. This region is home to the Spearwood Brotherhood, a group of former Sentinels and hunters devoted to controlling the influx of strange creatures from the Blackwood's eastern regions.
• Grey Folly
  This frontier town exists solely as a shipping point for the iron mines in the area. Built in the shadow of the Paganwall Range, Grey Folly is often the victim of witches and their hordes of feral humans.
• The Bracken
  This region of the Wood is a thick tangle of trees and underbrush with no resources worth pursuing. Wolves prowl it’s undergrowth, and it is a notorious home for what some call a kingdom of bandits. Sentinels probe into its depths, and indeed they find bandits in plenty, but never have they managed to learn anything of its choked inner recesses.

Factions
There is very little cohesion between the various settlements of the Woodfolk. Many of them follow the same pattern because that pattern has been shown to work, but each village is subject to its own customs, laws, and habits. For instance, the town watch in one village may look and behave very differently from its neighbors. Woodfolk understand that what works in one place may not work in another.

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• The Council
  Every village great and small has its Council, though few councils look exactly the same. Some are made up men, others of women, and still others of a combination, and each comes to a sense of order and safety in their own way. Few (if any) make an attempt to coordinate with the councils of other villages, though many of them are similar enough. With few exceptions, they work for the good of the village as a whole, monitoring food and other provisions, regulating the town watch, and resolving disputes between villagers.
• Town Watch
  With a town watch, most villages in the Blackwood would be doomed in short order. Like the councils of various towns, town watches may or may not resemble each other. Some are little more than volunteers that roam the streets with cudgels and torches by night, whereas other, larger villages may have the means to outfit their watch with armor and more warlike weapons. In all cases, however, they are charged with protecting the village from wild animals, magical beings, and malevolent strangers.
• Hunters
  Hunters are a vital part of every Blackwood settlement. Hunters are responsible for bringing in game to feed and clothe their families, but they also act as scouts, patrolling the woods on their hunts, on the lookout for strange activity. In smaller villages, hunters might be the only line of defense available. Crossing paths with a hunter is a sure sign that a settlement lies not far off, though many hunters are less than welcoming to wandering strangers.
• Sentinels
  An old order of knights and protectors that wander the Wood, rooting out evil in all its forms. Sentinels swear an oath of service to the Elder Kingdom and all the people of the Wood, and spend their days fulfilling that oath. Where the town watch guards a settlement and hunters patrol beyond the fringes of their homes, Sentinels make themselves at home on the roads and pathways that stretch beneath the branches of the trees. There are too few Sentinels for them to be a common occurrence in the Wood, which makes the chance arrival of one of their bands all the more exciting.
• Bandits
  Most Woodfolk work to provide for and protect their neighbors, if for no other reason than because neighbors are allies, and allies increase your chance of survival in the Blackwood. There are those, however, who would rather rob the diligent from the fruits of their labor, taking everything and giving nothing in return. These are the bandits, cutthroats, and wanderers that plague the Wood. They are universally reviled, and sow the sad seeds of mistrust and worry amongst those who travel between settlements. They are pursued relentlessly by the Sentinels, though it is a battle that results in far more stalemates than victories.
• Ancestors
  The Woodfolk have no organized religion of their own, but their reverence towards community and service borders on the religious. Woodfolk have a huge measure of respect for their ancestors and the labor they gave so that they might have a safer existence, and most villages have a shrine to all the village ancestors in the graveyard. Every good Woodfellow works for the betterment of his peers, remembers the deeds of his elders, and honors the dead who have passed. Sometimes, Woodfolk plead with the spirits of the departed--and the spirits are said to respond when the need is great enough--but it is a strange thing, and most Woodfolk consider it too close to sorcery to meddle with.

The River

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Riverfolk
As their name implies, Riverfolk make their homes along the rivers of the Blackwood, most notably along the Way, the largest river in the region. Riverfolk from different cities have a greater sense of unity than Woodfolk from different villages, largely because the Way and other river systems are such excellent trade lanes, and are more easily traveled than the Wood. Where Woodfolk work together and struggle to survive, Riverfolk are often more selfish, and are engaged in various power struggles and other intercity intrigue. Of course, there are also plenty of Riverfolk that get along together just fine, but the stereotype of a greedy Riverfellow exists for a reason.

Compared to Woodfolk, Riverfolk have access to higher-quality goods, education, and services. This results in a stronger religious conviction, as well as a different sort of skepticism in regards to magic. Woodfolk are skeptical of magic because it might damn their souls for eternity or transform them into a frog. Riverfolk, on the other hand, are skeptical of magic because a goodly number of them don’t even believe that it exists. They have all heard tales of strange creatures and haunted locations, and foul curses, but far fewer of them have seen any proof of the tales. Riverfolk gather together to live in greater comfort and strive for wealth, and that has a profound effect on their personalities.

Locales
The Way boasts three major cities, as well as countless smaller villages and important sites. The Three Cities are independently governed by their own ruling bodies, though they form a loose coalition by cultural and practical bonds. The Three Cities also collect goods and taxes from outlying settlements, whether they be along the rivers or a few days’ ride inland. River settlements are more tightly-knit that Wood settlements, even though most River settlements are a further distance apart.

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• Freeport
  The largest city in the Blackwood, and a major trading hub with the realms beyond the forest. Freeport is known as Blackwood’s largest producer of grain outside the Elder Kingdom, as well as for its large harbor. It’s position along the Way and its reputation for trade grants it a large population of foreigners, in particular a large group of the Unified faith of Cerai.
• Three Rivers
  Another large city along the Way, Three Rivers is the first major gathering place for goods drawn from the Western half of the Blackwood. It is the most rustic of the Three Cities, made up mostly of one- or two-storied buildings, but still has a sturdy stone wall and a deep harbor for ships. Understandably, Three Rivers is the city with the largest number of Kossians and Elderfolk, though both are only modest populations.
• Span
  This city occupies an important point along the trade route of the Way. Situated near the Great Falls, Span is a necessary portage route to transfer goods along the Way. Due to this, many guilds make their homes in this city, to personally oversee the transfer of their goods from ship to caravan, then back to ship again at Great Falls Lake. However, such a complex trading of goods makes the city a hotbed of black market activity.
• Grey Folly
  A frontier town if ever there was one, Grey Folly serves as a hub for collecting the product of the many iron mines in the region. It is a dirtier city than most, and is overcrowded from Riverfolk seeking shelter from the many pagans in the area. The people of Grey Folly are unique amongst the Riverfolk for their feelings on magic, which are identical to most Woodfolk.
• Sentry Grove
  Home to the Sentinels throughout the organization’s existence, this fortress is just a short journey from Freeport. Originally it served as a temporary base where Sentinels could rest and resupply before returning to the Elder Kingdom, though it has since become more of a headquarters. There is a small settlement outside the walls of the fortress that is open to travelers, but only Sentinels can enter the fortress proper.
• Longwater Fen
  The Fen is a large, marshy area in the southern reaches of Longwater Lake. It is sparsely populated, though it boasts a fishing village, and is well-known for the presence of many herbs and plants that are used in the making of medicines and potions. Superstitious folk claim that lights can be seen in the Fen by night, and that strange things creep up from the water.

Factions
Even when they are separated by days of travel, Riverfolk have a greater sense of unity than Woodfolk. Settlements by Wood and River both feature groups of people that can be found in most every settlement, but there is much less variation between groups in different River Cities. Trade and travel have given the Riverfolk a common culture, and their various factions reflect that.

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• Nobles
  The ruling class amongst the Riverfolk, the nobles are responsible for administering to the thousands of people that live in the cities, as well as the uncounted masses that live in outlying villages and hamlets. Many are either in command of a militia, the master of a guild, or sometimes even a retired trader. They dictate the laws of their settlements, and live in comfort and splendor for their efforts. In some settlements, the nobility are notoriously corrupt, whereas in others they are seen as wise and benevolent.
• Guilds
  Whether the cater to sailors, brickmakers, security guards, or scholars, the River is home to many different guilds. They bring a measure of regularity and quality to a wide range of trades, and they often ensure the well-being of their members. Many of them make use of secret phrases or gestures to identify members, which leads some to believe that they have secret, sinisters motives, and some others to believe that they deal in dark magic.
• Sentinels
  The path of a Sentinel through the Wood makes a sort of circuit. They begin at Sentry Grove, forage north through the heart of the Blackwood, and eventually come to the city of Grand Delving. Once there, they often board ships, travelling down the river at a slow pace, stopping at villages and towns along the way to help out where they can. Regardless of whether they travel by Wood or River, the Sentinels are always involved in the rooting out and quelling of evil.
• Bandits
  In the Wood, bandits roam the wilds, dwelling in remote places and preying on those who stray to far from the safety of the group. These same bandits make no distinction between dwellers on the River or in the Wood, but they steer clear of the larger settlements. However, where well-armed guards keep those bandits out, other, subtler folk thrive on the crime within a city’s walls. These bandits are often the poor and desperate, but in the largest cities, they may have a whole underground network of cutpurses, kingpins, and ne’er do wells.
• Religion
  Civilization has fostered the growth of many things, and religion is one of the most pervasive. Because the cities are so cosmopolitan, a wealth of different beliefs can be found within their walls. One religion that bears elaboration, however, is the Unified faith of Cerai.
  • Priests
    Unified Priests are the servants of Mareal Turi, god of unity and authority, and their tools are Light and Sound. They welcome the faithful, preach to the nonbelievers, and wage a war against demons and the dark things of the night. Each may choose to carry a holy symbol of painted glass, a bell, or a lantern to focus their meditations towards the Holy King.
  • Pagans
    In sharp contrast to the Unified, pagans cling to the edges of civilization, worshipping the old gods and the spirits of nature that they always have. The Priests think of them as deviants, and the common folk think of them as primitives, but they continue to practice their beliefs nonetheless. If you are a pagan, then you are following the tenets you have been commanded to follow. If you aren’t, then they are a strange faith, clinging to the past, and they deal in things that are better left to history and superstition.

The Elder Kingdom

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Elderfolk
Where the folk of the Wood are earthy and superstitious, and the folk of the River are cosmopolitan and shrewd, the folk of the Elder Kingdom are knowing and peaceful. Most Elderfolk live in small villages amidst grain fields and flower meadows, never straying far from their homes from cradle to grave. Many others facilitate trade up and down the headwaters of the Way. Some mine the land’s rich silver deposits, and some choose to take on the trade of a scholar, but there are few to no warriors in this idyllic place.
Locales
The Elder Kingdom rests in a highland valley of the Heights. It is a place of magnificent beauty nestled in the midst of towering, snow-capped peaks. In winter, its flowered meadows and ambling forests are shrouded in blankets of snow, though that does little to diminish its splendor.

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• Grand Delving
  By far the largest city in the Elder Kingdom, Grand Delving is situated at the mouth of the Elder Valley, at once a welcoming hearth and an important shield for this special land. Named for nearby excavations into vast cave networks, Grand Delving has grown to be a symbol for everything the Elder Kingdom has to offer: harmony, protection, and learning.
• Elder Gate
  To some, the Elder Gate is more legend than truth. It is a palace and grounds home only to the Royal Family, their closest retainers, and the Nine Swords. Nestled in a narrow cleft in the mountains, almost no one has set eyes upon it, though it is said to be a place of incredible beauty and tranquility.
• Starmirror Lodge
  Next to a lake in the high mountains, embraced by forested ridgelines and commanding an excellent view of the Elder Valley and the skies above is the complex known as Starmirror Lodge. Though many Classicists live in Grand Delving, this is the place they all call home.
• Sky Pillar
  Situated atop one of the needlelike mountains in the otherwise uninhabited Spires, this place is a center of training for those who hope to become one of the Nine Swords. Only the finest of the Sentinels are recruited into this prestigious academy of war and philosophy, and many of them live out the rest of their lives here as students and instructors.

Factions
Beyond the villagers and traders that one might find in any corner of the Blackwood, the Elder Kingdom is home to a few very important, nigh-mythical groups.

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• Royal Family
  The Royal Family of the Elder Kingdom is fabled throughout the Blackwood. Myth and legend makes up the bulk of information about them, but what is clear is that the Elderfolk owe all of their wisdom and prosperity to this family that has ruled unchallenged for as long as any tale tells. It is said that to look upon them is to behold true perfection, with all the peril that implies.
• Classicists
  The most prestigious scholars in all of the Blackwood, these philosophers train for most of their lives for the ability to read the truths written in the stars, and to understand the mysteries locked within the earth. Most of the live in Grand Delving, though it is not uncommon to find them scattered throughout the Elder Kingdom. Rarely, they can even be found out amongst the rest of the Blackwood, though it is said to be an ill omen.
• The Nine Swords
  The finest of the Sentinels make their way to the academy of Sky Pillar, where they train with one another to perfect the art of war and to delve deep within themselves. Of those dozens, the nine among them to show the utmost perfection become the Nine Swords, sworn protectors of the Elder King and his family.
• Kobolds
  One of the most prominent legends in the Blackwood is the tale of the helpful elves that dwell in harmony with the Elderfolk. It is said that they hide underneath carpets and behind cupboards, and that they come out at night to finish the chores of a house or to whisper revelations into the ears of scholars and peasants alike. Many Elderfolk claim to have seen them, though tales vary as to whether they exist.

Names
No matter where one calls home in the Blackwood, names are more or less universal. Here is a collection of suitable names, though it is by no means an exhaustive list. In general, everyone has one given name. Almost overwhelmingly, this is something you would typically consider to be a name, though poorer/simpler folk might name their children something like “first” or “wart.” Nobility often name their children after relatives or heroes, and all nobility also have a family name. Instead of a family name, common folk are often known by their location or trade (i.e. “Enderl of Three Rivers,” or “Hunter Gawin”).

Also, however, it is very common for common folk (not nobility) to have a byname. “Honest Eckhart” and “Owl Guntram” are examples of this.

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Male Names

Allard, Arnulf, Bertold, Burkhart, Conrad, Ditmar, Eckhart, Fritz, Gotfrid, Heinrich, Johann, Otmar, Ramung, Richart, Rutger, Sigmund, Ulrich, Volkwin, Werner

Female Names

Agathe, Agnise, Beate, Berchte, Else, Enede, Gerdrut, Hildegund, Hille, Jutte, Kirstan, Lucie, Osanna, Ursula, Veronica

Bynames
In addition to the possibilities below, it’s popular for bynames to cite a person’s profession. It’s also popular for someone’s byname to borrow from an animal, plant (especially flowers, for women), a bodily feature, a personality quirk, or almost anything you can think of.

Old, Young, Worried, Bearded, Wart, Blind, Bony, Bad, Fierce, Cousin, Wide, Fat, Large, Small, Hooded, Short, Tall, Needle, Rich, Poor

Magic
From golden, talking birds flitting from branch to branch and ugly trolls guarding troves of treasure, to ruined castles and fortresses still haunted by the ghosts of their inhabitants, magic runs rampant in the Blackwood. Despite the ubiquity of its presence, however, magic is a subtler thing in this setting. You are more likely to see a man trapped in the body of a fox for years than you are to see a wizard flinging fireballs, and you’re more likely to spend hours toiling over a cauldron than simply activating the power in a wand. It is an earthy kind of magic, barely-understood, never mastered, and pursued at great risk to one’s health and perception in society’s eyes.

Whether they live on the river or in the shade of the trees, people in the Blackwood are wary of magic. It is a mysterious thing, often the result of dealing with Elves or spirits, and always capricious by its very nature. By and large, the people of the Blackwood are honest, simple folk who are simply trying to survive, and the cost of using magic is too great for any of the benefits it might bring. By contrast, the people of the Way lead fast-paced lives of quick gains, and magic has fallen to the wayside in the River Cities because it is so imprecise and so slow in the gaining. Elderfolk are the most likely to embrace magic, though there are few that actually choose to do so.

People of the Blackwood understand magic in two different ways: sorcery and the works of faith.

Sorcery

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Sorcery is maligned at best. It comes from sealing pacts with Elves and the other dark things of the Blackwood. It comes from rooting out the pages of tomes that brave men escorted into the Wood, intent to bury the secrets scrawled on their pages forever. No matter the intention of the person who seeks to use it--and no matter how useful it can be--magic comes from a place that is barely understood, and hardly trusted.

The people of the Blackwood often carry trinkets or baubles to use as wards against evil, though these superstitious items are much more common amongst the the folk of the Wood than those of the River. On the River, more and more superstitious symbols are being replaced by the symbols of religion, though their purposes are much the same. Both are still intended to ward off evil in all its forms. These trinkets are often mundane items that are said to be repulsive Elves or spirits in turn, though there are tales of items with more powerful magic worked into their crafting.

Despite the stigma attached to magic, Woodfolk and Riverfolk alike have an odd way of accepting its presence. Many villages in the Wood have a man or woman who lives apart and deals in strange things. In some places, she may live within the town walls, and the village folk may benefit from the healing salves she makes from her herb garden. In other settlements, he is forced outside the village, practicing in the midst of the wood and profiting from the hypocrisy and desperation of the nearby Woodfolk. In all cases, however, they are considered a last resort.

Works of Faith

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Works of faith are no better understood than sorcery, but are accepted to a greater degree. Priests and pagans alike are quick to point out that works of faith are the product of miracles and devotion to a higher power, not from dealing with the depths of the Blackwood. Because magic is such a volatile practice, however, the claim that one wields it “in purity” does not go unanswered. Where those who deal in sorcery have a queer kinship at best and are uncaring of each other at worst, the works of faith spawn conflict and division by nature of their doctrine. Priests, shamans, and holy men of the various faiths are famous for denouncing one another, and those that have gathered enough support from the populace often become violent towards their opponents.

The works of faith also seem to be more capricious than those of sorcery. The incantations, gestures, and ingredients of sorcery require precision to the point that even those who have studied its secrets for decades can still know failure while trying to cast a spell, but the works of faith are subject to a higher power, and those higher powers do not always deign to respond. Where sorcery is about commanding elements and bending them to one’s will, works of faith are supplications, humble entreaties for greater beings to intervene.

Spells

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1st Circle:
Whistle of the Lost

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"There is no greater sorrow than to lose a child, and no greater fear for a child than to be lost," he said to his son, eyes full of love. "When I was your age, I used to whistle this tune, and my father always said he could hear it wherever I went. Learn it well, that I may always find you in your hour of need."
Circle 1st
Mana 1
DL 5
Effect When whistled, this 3-4 note tune reaches out over the wide lands to the ears of a designated person, usually a loved one. The target of the spell immediately knows the direction of the whistler, and the distance that lays between them (e.g. "Five miles south-by-southwest.") It reveals no more information than direction and distance (e.g. not "in this direction, near a dead tree and a stagnant pool"), though the target will know when they arrive at the exact site where the spell was cast.

2nd Circle:
Disguise

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"Beware the elves, my child," she said, tucking her daughter into bed. "They can take many forms, and will tempt you to wickedness."
Circle 2nd
Mana 2
DL 7
EffectThe caster may alter his appearance, becoming up to a foot taller or shorter, appearing as a different race, or other similar alterations. A DC 5 (+ the caster’s Mage attribute) Awareness check allows a character to see through the illusion. The caster may increase the Awareness DC by 1 for every 1 additional mana is spent on the spell.

3rd Circle:
Leaf Step

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The Sentinel pursued the bandit down an alley, and saw to his fortune that it was a dead end. However, before his eyes the bandit leapt, planting one foot on a crate, another on the wall itself, and then glided up and over the rooftops.
Circle 3rd
Mana 4
DL 9
EffectSo long as the caster comes into contact with a solid or liquid surface once every few seconds, they have the feeling of being as light and buoyant as a leaf in a breeze. They can scale walls, run through the treetops, and even skip over the water like a stone for an hour of in-game time.

Silence

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As the hunter crept closer to the deer, he contemplated the nature of silence. Soon it enveloped his soul, spreading out over the surrounding area and cloaking him in the absence of sound.
Circle 3rd
Mana 4
DL 9
EffectFor the next hour of in-game time, the caster emits an aura of silence. Within 10 feet of the caster there is total silence that cannot be broken by even the loudest noises. This effect weakens, until full sound is regained 20 feet from the caster.

4th Circle:

War in the Blackwood
Or, why an isolated realm has armored soldiers

The Blackwood is full of dangerous creatures and magical beasts. Though the forest itself is vast, human presence in the Blackwood is confined to a few relatively narrow corridors. There are no wide, open plains as in other regions, and there is not even an abundance of level ground. All of these elements combine to create an atmosphere that discourages open warfare, and yet the various lords of the Blackwood each have their standing armies. Why do these armies exist, and what do they look like?

Organization

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Each major city of the Blackwood has its own soldiers, to defend against attack from bandits, pagans, and--rarely--other cities of the Blackwood. Most of these are made up of volunteers from the populace, though many cities have been known to conscript soldiers from time to time. Each city's army is commanded by the lord of that city.

These armies are made up of a small core of professional soldiers called knights (typically members of noble families or select adventurers) augmented at need by a much larger conscription force. All cities are home to a knightly order made up of between 50-150 knights, enough to deal with any problems the city may have. Knights hone their skills in the city training yards, and are often called upon by the lord of the city to ride out in defense of the people of the Blackwood.

By their nature, the number of conscripted soldiers in service to a lord varies depending on the population of the city and whether the city is currently in conflict. The cities of the Blackwood rarely fight amongst each other, but it has been known to happen. A conscripted soldier serves until his lord has no further need of him, and is often little more than a commoner. No city has a greater standing army than Freeport, which numbers almost 2,200 warriors.

In addition to armies, the cities of the Blackwood each have their own guard. The commander of the city guard is often one of the city's knights, and the guards themselves can be aspiring professional soldiers or merely young men looking for adventurous work. These guards make up a regulatory force in the cities. They are tasked with the city's security, from the city gates to street-level crime. Most cities have one guardsman for every 150 citizens, though the city of Span (understandably) has many more.

Far more popular amongst the people of the Blackwood is the mercenary band. Hundreds of these groups cling to the cities and trade ways, offering protection or threatening safety according to their virtue or depravity. Most of these mercenary bands are known either for a particular weapon, or a particular style of combat, and members of each band outfit themselves with weapons and armor according to their tradition. In some cases, mercenaries settle in a village or town to provide their services in exchange for food and shelter. In all cases, mercenary bands fall outside the realm of the knightly orders, even when knights join (or even found) their own mercenary band.

Equipment

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Knights are by far the most thoroughly equipped of the warriors of the Blackwood. According to his station, every knight has a suit of light plate (which includes a full suit of chain mail), two weapons of his choosing, a horse, and a shield. However, most knights can afford much more equipment, and may have access to a private armory.

Outside of the knightly orders, armor is rare in the Blackwood. When one might contend with the legendary strength of trolls, all mortals would be well-advised to avoid blows rather than withstand them. That said, there is no shortage of bandits, pagans, and other folk whose weapons are all but useless against armor, so prudent adventurers often seek out a suit of leather or chain if they can afford it.

Horses are rare throughout the Blackwood. Sentinels, mercenary bands, and traders make their living by traveling the breadth of the Blackwood, and a horse can be a valuable investment for these folk. Beyond this, knights are afforded a horse for travel, but the idea of a warhorse is foreign to the folk of the Wood. Even when a knight is assaulted on horseback, his first instinct is to put his own two feet on the ground.

In the case of conscripted soldiers, their lord only has access to so many resources. A few soldiers can be outfitted by the city armory or by the lord himself, though most soldiers wear precious little more than padded armor and a kettle helm. Even though most woodfolk have a staff or heirloom falchion to protect themselves, riverfolk lead a generally peaceful life, and those conscripted soldiers who bring their own weapons to combat generally wield old, rusted blades. Staffs, for all their utility, are considered a poor choice for battlefield weaponry.

Weapons
There are many different kinds of weapons in the Blackwood, but four are most common, and another is worth mentioning. The four most common weapons in the Blackwood are the longsword, falchion, spear, and staff.

Spoiler

The Longsword is known as a noble weapon, and is the favorite of soldiers, lords, and students of the blade. The warrior scholars of Sky Pillar are considered to be the masters of the longsword. It is most typically made for one hand, with a blade around 30 inches in length, and is very similar to the Oakeshott Type XIII blades. Larger swords exist (mainly in standing armies), but this is by far the most prevalent. Except during battle, it is rare to see warriors armored in anything heavier than leather and mail; this sword is small enough to allow for the finesse of lightly-armored combat, as well as the use of a shield or parrying tool in the off hand. Combat with a longsword takes place almost at arm's length, and features thrusts and jabs as well as slashes. Devotees of the longsword can become masters of position and the riposte.

The Falchion is well-known as both a tool and a weapon. It is almost the same size as the longsword, but its blade is slightly curved, and broader at the tip than the base. It works well in combat, but also excels as an axe or machete. For these reasons, it is popular amongst hunters, bandits, and explorers. The Sentinels are famous for their mastery of the falchion, and wield it in tandem with a buckler. Visually, it's a cross between an actual falchion and a chinese dao. Combat is much tighter with a falchion than a longsword, and are almost always slashes. Devotees of the falchion can become masters of spinning past their opponents' defenses to deliver a wicked blow.

Because of how easy it is to construct, the Spear abounds on and off the battlefield. Hunters use them on large, dangerous game, guards are especially fond of them, and spearmen make up the bulk of infantry. The Spearwood Brotherhood are the spear's renowned masters. Most spears are six feet long, though they can be as long as 13 or as short as four feet. All spears are affixed with a tassel, and combat with a spear is cautious and confusing. Opponents are kept at length, and the tassel makes the spear's head difficult to track.

The most basic of these four weapons is the Staff. Commoners that wield blades often choose to use a falchion, but most commoners can't afford to own a sword, nor do they have training to use it. The staff, on the other hand, is exceptionally easy to construct, and requires very little experience to wield. Almost every commoner carries a staff at one point, and several have developed a basic set of maneuvers for it. There are rumors that a village in the Elder Kingdom is full of humble masters of the staff. It is usually five feet long, but size varies widely amongst this weapon that is sometimes nothing more than a tree branch. Combat with a staff is simplicity at its finest, and grants a sense of control to the practitioner.

The fifth weapon worth mentioning is the Antler Knife. Originally a weapon of the pagan wild, its design has evolved from the antlers of a stag to cold iron. It was originally popular amongst bandits, though it has come to be widely used amongst the poor and desperate in cities as well. It resembles two overlapping half-circles, and it is often used in pairs. There are many masters of the Antler Knife, but the skill of the bandits of the Bracken is notorious throughout the Blackwood. Combat with antler knives is fast and relentless, and masters of the weapon can be a whirlwind of blades.

Deployment

Spoiler

The people of the Blackwood exist as a host of cities unified against the darkness and danger of the forest, but they do come into conflict with one another from time to time. One of the more famous examples was the Siege of Span, where members of the nobility of Three Rivers laid siege to the cliffside city for a fortnight. The cause of this futile conflict was a young, rambunctious nobleman of Span, who had seduced a young maiden of the nobility of Three Rivers, and had got her with child.

Typical of Blackwoods warfare, the knights and soldiers of Three Rivers formed a blockade across the Way, and most combat took place either on board the ships themselves, or in the camps posted on either bank to guard the blockade's flank. Warriors clashed in small melees and solitary duels. Horses were used strictly for carrying messages to and from the battlefield commanders, and archery played an important role on both sides of the battle.

Fortunately for the conscripted soldier, these inter-city battles are mercifully rare. A riverman may live his whole life without seeing himself or any of his companions conscripted into service, and a lord can generally accomplish his martial needs with a ranging of his knights. Because of this, knights of the Blackwood are much better at fighting alone or in small groups than as part of a larger army, and most tacticians from the Blackwood have no mind for large-scale engagements.

In sum, conflict in the Blackwood has more to do with personal combat than large groups of infantry, and usually comes only at the end of a dogged pursuit or guerrilla campaign. Armor can be a life-saving investment, but heavier armors are often too cumbersome to be practical in most situations.

Nobility in the Blackwood
Various Titles and Their Hierarchy

In the Blackwood, the villages under the boughs each follow their own code, but along the Way men are ruled by the River Lords. They may be virtuous or corrupt, but each city ennobles them with the same titles.
Titles of Nobility

Spoiler

Knight: This is the lowest of the nobility. The least among them are granted a cottage and access to the armory, while the best of them command manors and incomes of their own.
Freelord: A step up from a Knight, a Freelord is always the lord of a manor. He is often the owner of profitable business, or perhaps the commander of the city guard in a larger settlement.
Lord: Slightly greater in importance to the Freelord is the Lord. This is the first title that is exclusive to members of the various noble houses of the Blackwood, even if they are only members through marriage. Lords may have several estates, and often support themselves with taxes.
Count: Aside from the High Lord, no member of the nobility can claim so much power and influence as the Count. Not only do they collect taxes from all citizens of a city or township, but they also almost always control several businesses. Counts are always the head of their house, though not every house can boat the presence of a Count.
High Lord: The High Lord of each city is its de facto ruler and protector. They owe fealty to the Elder King, but they collect oaths from Knights and Counts alike. High Lords have final word in the laws of their cities, and a portion of every tax is paid to the High Lord. It is a hereditary title, though bloodlines have risen and fell throughout history.

[Zap Dynamic]

Tales of The Blackwood
By Owl Guntram, a man of the Blackwood

My mother's father was a woodsman and a traveler. To hear him tell it, he walked the breadth of this wide Wood, meeting folk from far-off cities and villages, carousing with brigands and heroes alike, and seeing with his own eyes the wonders that dwell beyond even the faintest man-made paths. Throughout his stories, he held that the surest way to know something is to listen to the stories told of it. On these pages, you will find the stories of the Blackwood. Some are in my grandsire's own words, written down by mine own hand before his passing. Others are from my travels in his footsteps, whether they be personal accounts or hearsay.

In my lifetime of travel, I’ve heard enough stories to send all the babes in the realm to sleep. I have forgotten more stories than most old wives have ever told, but these following I have kept because they are the heart and soul of this land. If some high-minded Cerian or Kossian were to come up to me and say “Owl, what make the Blackwood a place worth a notice?” I would sit them down and speak these words, and by the end they would have their answer.

The Riverman and The Woodsman, a tale of the folk of these dark woods.

Spoiler

Once, there was a man who lived in the cities along the river who was invited to visit his cousin in the woods. The path to the woodsman’s home was long and tiring, even though the woodsman had moved down from the mountains for the winter. Because the snow had fallen heavily all over the Blackwood, the riverman found it very hard to get on, and soon became tired and hungry.

When he reached the home of his cousin, he was greeted warmly by the woodsman and his wife. They gave him a place by their modest hearth, and while he warmed himself they went to a hole in the ground in the corner of their hut, and pulled out their best food for a feast. They had strips of salted venison, dried berries from many different bushes, and on the fire was a stew made from boiled roots. Outside their home, a stream came down from the mountains even in the dead of winter, and they had fresh water whenever they wanted.

The riverman ate his food politely, and spoke to his cousin about their life. “You have such a small home,” he said, seated on a stump that had been made into a stool.

“It serves us well,” replied the woodsman’s wife.

“Aye,” said the woodsman. “We have food to eat, a roof to shelter us from rain and snow, and walls to hide us from the wolves. Trolls do not often come to this part of the woods, and if they do I shoot them with my bow.”

The riverman was appalled. “How can you live with such meager food to feed you, and with so many dangers around you? Come to visit me in my home in the city. If you spend just one week with me, you will never want to return to your home in the woods!”

In a few days, when it was time for the riverman to return home, the woodsman kissed his wife goodbye and went to see what life was like in the city. The path back was much easier for the riverman, for the woodsman knew the best ways to move across the snow, and knew which paths were easiest.

When they reached the city, the riverman welcomed his cousin into his home. “I live in the estate of my employer, a wealthy prison warden. We will dine in a nice tavern, just down the street.

The woodsman had been to a tavern many years before, but it was a small thing along a lonely road in the Wood, and had little to offer him. This tavern was large and warm, with many tables of people eating all kinds of delicacies. There were cakes and roast pork, and capons and bread fresh from the ovens.

The riverman and the woodsman both ate much food, but soon the woodsman began to grow thirsty. The riverman called for beer, and when it arrived he only drank a little, since he knew the winter beer was strong. The woodsman had only had fresh water to drink, though, so he thought the beer was a wonderful thing. Soon he was dancing around the room, whooping and shouting and bothering the tavern’s patrons.

“Sit down and stop acting like you just came from the backwoods, making such a row and noise,” said a thief who had come into the tavern. The woodsman laughed at him, so the thief grabbed him by his shoulder and put a knife to his throat. “Give me your money,” the thief said.

The woodsman was startled, and wrestled with the thief, taking the knife from his hands and killing him. The whole tavern became frightened, and many people shouted for the town guards.

“Hurry,” cried the riverman to his cousin, “You have killed a man, and you must leave before you are thrown in jail!”

The woodsman laughed. “Your food and beer may be nice, but no man should be thrown in jail because someone attacked him. I’ll take the woods and the hills any day, and you can keep your wardens and your thieves for yourself, cousin!”

With that, the woodsman fled the city, using the tricks he learned as a hunter to avoid capture. When he returned home, he kissed his wife. “Ancestors preserve me from having such a fine home and such fine food and drink. Why I only just got away with my life!”

The Elder King, a tale of the King whose wisdom guides all of the Blackwood, like the unwavering star of the North.

Spoiler

A very long time ago, when half of the Blackwood was still covered in saplings, a child was born in the far East of the forest. He shined with a great light when he was born, and the sun rises in the East every morning to remind the world of that auspicious moment.

As a child, he roamed the forest from one end to the other. He would stop when he came to a campfire, so he could talk with the people that lived there and learn about who they were. He loved to learn about people, and in time he knew the names of everyone in the Wood.

On his journeys, he met a great stag with long whiskers like a dragon and fur as soft as a cloud. Its eyes shone like stars, and glistening moss that hung down from its antlers. “Climb on my back,” it said to the boy, “and I will show you all the trees of the forest.”

And so the boy did, and they ran together over stick and stone. From the stag the boy learned the languages of every tree and flower, as well as the languages of all the beasts great and small. Every animal took the boy as their king, except the wolf, which is too angry and proud to worship anything.

Of all the words the boy learned, his favorite were the words of trees, because they were soft and slow and very beautiful. When an animal would please him, the boy would write his name on the animal’s forehead with the words of the trees. “You are my dearest friend,” said the boy. “Thank you for protecting me and helping me grow.”

When the boy grew to be a man, he was beautiful and strong and wise, and flowers bloomed everywhere he walked. Elves would come from every tree and pond to trick him, but he was too clever for them, and soon they came to respect him and leave him alone. Before long, the man looked around and said “I have learned everything about the forest, and about the people and animals who live here. I don’t want to leave, but it is time for me to climb higher so I can rule the forest as a King should.”

So he so he patted the Stag on the back, which had always been his closest friend and greatest servant, and said “Walk through the forest for the rest of time, so I can always see things up close when I need to.”

Then he went to the river, and the river rose up to greet him in the form of a great dragon. It coiled like a snake and spread out wings of sparkling water, and river weeds hung from its antlers and its eyes were like two polished gems. “Climb on my back,” the Dragon said, “and I will show you the path to your home.”

And so the man did, and as he was riding the Dragon up the river, he looked around and said “This is the Way to my home, and all the things I do will travel down it towards the forest, and all of its people and animals.”

The Dragon carried the man to the very end of the Way, high up into the mountains, to a long lake that reflected the stars even in the middle of the day. The Dragon showed the man the valley stretching out below them, and the forest beyond it, and “This is your home, my King. We were born before you, but you age while we remain young forever, so you shall be our Elder King.” And the Dragon bowed down to the Elder King, and the Elder King wrote his name on the Dragon’s forehead.

“Thank you,” said the Elder King. “Please swim the river for all time, so I can see the surface and the depths if I need to.”

And then the Elder King walked to a great cleft in the mountains that was not far from the lake. With the help of the trees and the rocks and the water, he made a great palace for himself. But there was no one for him to talk to in his palace, and he grew very lonely, so he would often walk out into the forest or the valley to speak with his friends. “I love my friends, but I must watch over them, and it is so lonely in the Heights.”

And all the animals and trees and flowers and people that worshiped him were very sad, because they wanted their Elder King to be happy. So they searched through the whole forest, and they found a woman who was the most beautiful in the land. She was so beautiful that even the wolves were calmed in her presence, and all things seemed to shine like silver when she looked at them.

So they brought the woman to the Elder King, and the two fell very much in love. “If you will live in my palace with me, I will make you my Queen, and we will watch over all of the forest together forever.”

And the woman curtsied and said “No one should be lonely, and you are the wisest and most handsome man in the world. I love you dearly, and I will stay with you for all time.”

And so the Elder King and Queen were married, and from that day they have sent their wisdom down from their palace to every corner of the Blackwood.

The Wild Hunt, a tale of spirits that carry the living off into other realms, never to return.

Spoiler

All souls know better than to journey forth when the moon is dead and the stars have vanished from the night sky. At that hour, the sound of heavenly trumpeting is no call to the paradise of the gods of the treeless lands. No, those horns accompany the hooves of dark steeds sparking fire in the night, and the baying of hounds that man was not meant to see. They are the heralds of the Wild Hunt.

They say that when the night is deep and black, some travelers come across an old man alone on the road, holding a lantern aloft and leaning on a staff. “Do you hear?” he asks, though not even the crickets are making their song. “Do you hear the riders? All good souls should be indoors at such a time and such a place as this.”

Those who meet him and hear his words must heed them, and quickly. Those who do not seek the warmth of the hearth will come to gaze upon the Hunt. It is said to be a great host of flying riders, following a pack of hunting dogs and lead by a powerful man with a mighty horn and a long, cold spear. They ride through all the realms of the earth, through the tangle of the Weald and amongst the woods and meadows of the Blackwood, searching for all wayward souls both brave and foolish. Those that they find on their Hunt are seized, bound by strange cords of spirit, and carried off to the Land of the Dead, from which there is no escape.

Of all the tales of the Hunt told across the breadth of this Wood, only one tells of a man who saw those Lands and came back to tell the tale. They say his name was Eckhart, and that he made common cause with a woman of the deep woods, who deals in strange things and follows the Old Ways. She told him of the secret paths that lead from the Land of the Dead back into our Midst, asking a token from that world as payment for her knowledge. This man walked those paths, seeing the Meadow of Peaceful Souls and the Hall of the Valiant Dead. He saw the Dead at rest, basking in sunlight or seated at table, and was wont to join them. He saw shadows at the corner of his sight, shadows that preyed upon the light and made him shudder. He saw many splendid things as well, the golden torcs and goblets and all the hoards of the Dead. He reached for those things, but they passed through his hands like mist, and he saw the Land for a place filled with ghosts and memory.

In time, Eckhart found the path back to the Midst. He met the woman in the woods walking down an old forest path, and she cursed him for a liar because he brought nothing back for her. She doomed him to last forever in the twilight of his years, unable to reach the rest in the Land of the Dead ever again. Since that day, he has wandered the Wood, bearing a lamp and leaning on a staff, walking endlessly and warning good folk of the approach of the Hunt.

Dinner With the Elves, a tale of a girl’s journey to a strange place.

Spoiler

Once, a long time ago, there was a girl who lived in a village deep in the Wood. She was a restless girl, who finished her chores early and liked to skip along the edge of the village, near the flower and herb gardens of the woman who lived alone. She was just like you.

Her friends never wanted to follow along. "She is a witch! She will capture us and cook us into a stew!"

That little girl said the same things you did. "I am not scared of some old woman." She said. "I like the flowers, and to prove I'm not scared, I will pick some for my mother." So the girl went into the flower garden, and when her friends screamed because the witch was looking out of her window at the girl, the girl paid her no mind and gathered a big bouquet for her mother.

When she got home, she said "Look, mother. I have brought you a bouquet of beautiful flowers."

But her mother knew exactly where the flowers came from, just like I do, and she threw them out the window. "You have been a bad girl!" Her mother screamed, brandishing the spoon with which she was stirring the night's stew. "Go to your bed, and do not set foot upon the ground until I tell you!"

So the girl sat on the bed, crying to herself as the sun started to fall from the sky. After what seemed like a very long time, the girl was startled by a strange noise. She peered over the corner of the bed just in time to see a tiny pair of boots disappear underneath her bed. "Who's there?" she said, straining to look into the darkness beneath her.

"It is I!" a small voice said, as a man about the size of a potato walked out from under her bed. He wore small yellow boots, and his clothes were made out of leaves. His hair and eyes were the color of moss, and small butterfly wings sprouted from his shoulders. "Your mother is a mean woman, but if you close your eyes I'll take you my home, and you can roam wherever you like!"

The girl laughed at the little man. "But you are so small! How could I fit into your home?"

But the little man just hopped up into her lap and pinched her nose. "Silly girl, my home is big enough for anyone! Won't you come see?"

The little girl thought about the flowers lying broken on the ground outside, then agreed to go with the little man. "Take me to you home!" She said, and the little man smiled and placed a log under the sheets of her bed. "So your parents will never know you have left!" He said, eyes twinkling. She closed her eyes, and no sooner were they shut than she felt very sleepy, and laid down her head for a nap.

When she awoke, she found herself in the Wood. She was next to a well, and the day had not yet fallen into dusk. The little man was standing atop the well, and he beckoned her with his hands. "Come down the well, and you will see my home!"

So the little girl hopped into the well with the little man, and splashed into the water at the bottom. There was a door at the bottom, and when the little man opened it she stepped out into a cozy room with a fireplace and a table with lots of food. There were many strange men and women around the table. Some were tall and some were short, and some were fat and some were thin. Some had hair of many colors, and others had no hair at all. Each wore different clothing, and all of them looked quite silly while they sat and talked.

"Who are these people?" The girl said, walking toward the table.

"Why, these are my brothers and sisters! Come sit, and eat with us!" And so the little girl sat and ate, and the little man's brothers and sisters told stories and danced and made the little girl laugh for a long time.

The little girl was having such a good time that she never noticed when the little man and his brothers and sisters started to change. It happened slowly, but some of their eyes darkened, and the room darkened with them. Some of them became hunched and their teeth sharpened, and the room sharpened with them. Some of them changed to very strange, upsetting colors, and the room changed with them. But the little girl was having such a good time that she never noticed any of it, because the Elves are such great tricksters. She only learned what was happening when they brought out their sharp forks and knives, and they threw her in their stew pot, and used her screams as a spice for their stew.

And her poor parents never knew she was gone until many years later, because that log under her sheets changed into a creature that looked just like her, but it was a much nastier child than she ever was.

Cottage in the Woods, a tale of a woman who courts dark powers.

Spoiler

Not long ago, a young man of the Riverfolk went to visit his cousins in the Wood. Because he had come such a long way, and because his Woodfolk cousin had just learned the trade of hunting, they decided to go with some of their friends into the Wood, to swim in a beautiful pool and also to test their courage. Three young men and two young women set out on that day.

They set out for the pool, which was quite far from their village. They walked for a long time.

“I am tired,” said one of the young men. “Let us take a nap.” The others realized they were tired as well, and so each found a comfortable spot and rested their heads.

But the Riverman could not sleep, because the Wood was strange and frightful to him. “I am being foolish,” he said to himself. “This is nothing but a forest, and these are nothing but trees.” So to screw up his courage, the Riverman decided that he would leave the small clearing he and the others had found.

He took one step, and nothing happened.

He took two steps, and nothing happened.

He took three, and four, and five steps, and still nothing happened. “What a great fool I was!” he said, laughing. “I will hide and scare my friends. Then they will think that we Riverfolk are much better than Woodfolk.” So the young Riverman found the crook of a large tree root, and laid down beyond it. From his hiding spot, he could no longer see his friends back in the clearing, but he heard one of them snoring.

But as the Riverman waited for his friends to wake, he caught a familiar scent drifting through the air. “That smells just like the pies my mother bakes!” And since the Wood held no fear for him, and since he remembered the way back to his friends in the clearing, he decided to see where the smell had come from.

He wandered toward the smell until he came to a cottage with the sun kissing its roof here and there. A garden lay beside it, and smoke was rising from the chimney. An old woman stood in the doorway, holding a great pie. Her eyes met the Riverman’s, and he walked into the cottage with her.

“Might I trouble you for a piece of your pie?” Said the Riverman. “Of course, my dear.” Replied the old woman, and she put a slice on a plate for him.

The Riverman ate, but he didn’t notice that with each bite he grew much fatter. Soon he was so fat that he couldn’t stand, and the old woman laughed a cruel laugh. “You are mine now, to do with as I please.”

“But my friends will come and rescue me!” The Riverman wailed. “One is a hunter with keen eyes, and another is a wise woman in her village!”

But the woman just laughed all the more cruelly. “The tracking eyes of your hunter will do him no good, and no wisdom in the world can teach where I am. You are mine, and the Elves are coming.”

Much later, the Woodfolk awoke in the clearing and wondered where their friend had gotten off to. A few thought to go separate ways and find him, but the hunter said “To walk the Wood alone is foolish. We will look for him together, but we must be back in the village by nightfall.” The others knew the stories of werewolves and evil things, and the thought made them shudder.

So they left the clearing to search for the boy. The hunter used the best of his tracking skills, but he only lead them in large circles. “He must be following our tracks, too. We will wait for him here.”

And while they waited, the wise woman thought of the stories she had heard. “I cannot think of where he might be. It is like a riddle that I used to know, but have forgotten.”

They sat and thought for a long time, until suddenly a troll came crashing from the Wood and scattered them. Each fled a separate way, and by the time the sun had set only the wise woman had made her way back to the village. The others were never found again.

[Zap Dynamic]

Further Tales of the Blackwood, Part I

From the time I was young, I collected tales from merchants and town guards, from old wives and field hands. I have heard all manner of strange things, and I have come to believe a good many of them to be true. Beyond the stories that are central to this land of Wood and River, the following tales still bear repeating. They are each tales about an important part of our culture or history, and all good folk should come to hear them at least once.

The Lord of High Hall, a tale of haunted castles and King Rutger, a man who could not be afraid.

Spoiler

Not so long ago, there was a man in the Blackwood who had two sons. The first was handsome and intelligent and could manage everything, but the second was so stupid that he could neither understand nor learn anything. Whenever people saw the second son, they would shake their heads and say “He will be a burden upon his father!”

The first son did everything around the house and performed many errands, but would never go out at night because he was very afraid of the dark. At night, the family would gather around the fire to tell stories, and the first son would often shudder, saying “Please! Tell me no more frightening tales!” And the father would shudder too, because he had scared himself with his own stories. The second son, huddled in the corner, would think to himself, “How sad! Fear is one more thing I don’t understand.”

One day, the father came into the house and saw his second son huddled in the corner. “You there! You are almost a man grown. You are big and strong, and it is time you learned a skill to earn your bread. Leave this house, and do not return until you have learned a skill.”

The second son rose and looked his father in the eyes. “Father, I do want to learn something. I don’t understand what it means to be afraid, but I know I will learn if I work very hard.”

The oldest song laughed at this brother when he heard this. “By the Silverheart!” He said, “Even the trolls are smarter than my brother! He will be useless for as long as he lives.”

But the father loved both of his sons, and said to the younger son “You may learn how to be afraid, though you will not earn your bread that way.”

So the second son left the house of this father to learn what fear was. As he was walking, he came upon a Priest of Unity who was gardening outside his modest Temple. “The Priest is a wise man, a man who can read and write,” said the boy. “I will ask him if he can teach me what fear is.”

And so he did, and the Priest laughed at him. “Yes,” the Priest replied. “I will teach you what fear is if you will ring the bells of this Temple at midnight tonight, when the moon has disappeared behind its blanket of clouds.”

So the boy did as he was told, and that night at midnight he climbed the tower of the Temple of ring the bells. The Priest, however, sneaked up the tower ahead of him. As the boy grasped the ropes to ring the bells, he saw of a sudden a white figure standing near the edge of the tower.

“Who is there?” shouted the boy. When the white figure did not answer, the boy said “Speak or be gone. You have no business here at night.”

But the Priest remained standing there in silence, so the boy would think he was a ghost.

The boy shouted a second time. “Speak or begone, or if you won’t I’ll throw you off the tower.”

The Priest wavered for a moment, but decided the boy was bluffing and stayed silent.

When the ghost did not answer, the boy leapt forward, picked the ghost up, and threw it from the tower. The Priest yelled until he hit the ground, where he lay motionless for a long time. The boy finished ringing the bells, then went down the stairs to look at the intruder. When he saw that it was the Priest, the boy became confused, wondering why the Priest wouldn’t speak to him. He thought for a long time, and when he couldn’t figure it out, he left the Temple and never came back.

For many days the boy wandered through the Blackwood, and every night he made a bet with someone that they couldn’t teach him what fear was. Every night they would try to scare him, and every morning they would pay him their money because they had failed. The boy reached an inn deep in the woods, and was about to give up hope.

The Innkeeper saw the boy, and asked him why he was so sad. “I have traveled for a long time and looked very hard,” said the boy, “but no one can teach me what fear is.”

The Innkeeper laughed at the boy, and said “You’ve come to the right place!” The Innkeeper told the boy about a haunted castle not far from there, and any man could learn what fear is if only he could keep watch in the castle for three nights. A nearby lord had decreed that any man who cleansed the castle of ghosts could marry the Lord’s daughter, who was very beautiful. Further, the castle was full of many great treasures that would make a man rich enough, but they were guarded by evil spirits. Many had gone into the castle, but no one had returned.

So the boy went to the nearby lord and told him that he would stay in the castle for three nights. The lord saw that the boy was handsome and strong, and so he agreed, and gave the boy wood and tinder for a fire, and a knife to defend himself. The lord took the boy to the haunted castle, helped him build a fire, and told the boy “You must not leave the castle until dawn.”

So the boy huddled by the fire, and not long after night had fallen, he heard a moaning whisper.

“Who is that?” said the boy.

Just then, the moaning grew much louder, and the boy watched as many black cats and black dogs leapt into the room, each with red-hot chains around their necks. They poured into the room, meowing and barking, until the boy could hardly move.

“Too many! Begone!” said the boy, and went about hacking with his knife. Several of the spirits fled, but those that he killed he gathered up and threw off the wall down into the moat.

In the morning, the lord came and was shocked to see him still alive. “We shall see if you survive another night.”

The second night, the boy was sitting by the fire and grew very tired. Just at that moment, he noticed a large bed in the corner of the room. He yawned happily and laid down on the bed, but as soon as he had the bed start shaking and moving all around the castle. It moved faster and faster, bumping up and down stairs, down corridors, and through rooms large and small, and all the while the boy laughed louder and louder. Suddenly, the bed turned upside down and pinned the boy to the floor. “No fun!” said the boy, wriggling out and grabbing the sheets. Just as he did, the bed disappeared. “How strange,” he thought. He went back to the fire, laid down, and fell asleep.

On the second morning, the lord was even more amazed to see the boy alive. “We shall see if you survive the last night,” he said.

So the final night name, and soon a whole troop of dead men walked into the castle, bearing a coffin with them. The boy called to them “Ho there! I am starved for company, come in!”

The dead men came closer, and soon they were reaching out their hands. “I will strangle you!” one of the dead men said.

“I think not!” the boy called back, and he picked each of them up and threw them into the moat.

As he was coming down from the curtain wall, a tall man was standing by his fire. He was broad of shoulder, with white hair and a long white beard. “You will die tonight,” said the old spirit.

“Not so fast,” replied the boy. “If I am to die, you will have to kill me. I think I am as strong as you, and perhaps stronger!”

So the spirit wailed and attacked the boy, and they wrestled together. Soon, the boy grabbed the spirit by his long beard and dragged him to the fire. “If you don’t yield, I will burn you!” the boy shouted.

“Please! I yield! If only you will spare me, I will show you great riches!” said the spirit, the light of fear bright behind his eyes.

So the boy released the spirit, and the spirit lead him down deep into the castle. They came to a room with three large chests, each filled with gold. “Of these, one is for the poor, one is for the lord, and the third you may keep,” said the spirit, who disappeared into thin air.

The next morning, the lord came and praised the boy for living through the final night. “Surely, now you must have learned to fear!”

“Sadly, nothing here could teach me,” said the boy. “I may never learn how to fear.”

So the boy gave the riches to the poor and to the lord, and the lord gave the boy his daughter’s hand in marriage. They named the castle High Hall, and the boy lives there still, though he has grown into a strong man and a good lord.

Tale of Lake Echo, of an old musician at a famous inn.

Spoiler

Johan the Fiddler was one of the most legendary patrons of the Stag and Dragon, greatest of the inns along the Forest Road. Heroes and villains alike could be found under its wide eaves, but from time to time this aged musician seated himself by the fire and ordered hot mulled wine. He would produce his lap fiddle, and weave a sad song over the heads of all in the room.

He pulled his hood down, and without fail he said "Once, when I was a younger man, I traveled far from paths and roads. I sought the Blackwood, and the things within it. During my travels through the southern mountains, I met a man who showed me the sublime truth of music, and I turned myself to its study forever after.

"It was high in a mountain pass, with the mountain's firs hung heavy about me, where I met him. I had lost my way, and stumbled blindly upward. I found a stream trickling down, so I traced it to its source. I climbed a waterfall and skirted a pair of trolls to do it, but I came to a great and beautiful lake. Like a hound, it was wrapped around the feet of the mountains beyond, which rose into the morning mist and left sight. The lake was still as the forest around it, and quiet settled over all.

"That's when I saw him, a man of noble dress seated on a stump at the water's edge. He held a lap fiddle in his arms, and he looked out on the water in equal stillness. I approached him, blade bare, but never did he glance at me or move one inch. He merely picked up the bow of his fiddle, and began to play.

"The fog pressed in around us in those first, mournful notes. I felt the burden of a heavy heart, the kind that only lost love can create. I seemed to see her in the mist, and hear her melancholy in the lap fiddle's song. She cried, but no solace came, for her light, my light, had left. It left her in a world of rain and misery as she walked, jostled by every passerby, beaten but unbowed.

"Then the song changed, and the abiding sadness was swept up into a fiddler's passion. I felt all the thrill of life from every leaf and branch, the lake cleared like air and I saw its every depth, and the call of every bird seemed to be held in the fiddle's vital playing. It was sturdy music, timeless as the trees themselves, and I saw the frivolity of the lives of men.

"But finally, a third movement arrived. This one combined the first two, with a third theme that was forever transfixed between them. I felt the need to choose, to reach out and grab hold of something, anything, but my own nature would not let me. Lacking this, I wanted to make my life a monumental bridge between two worlds, to sway between them until the world's end."

The music would stop, and the patrons would be spellbound by the song he had played for them.

"With his last chord," he would say, and only then would the patrons realize he had not spoken for some time. "I understood the power of music, when before I had only heard its beauty. I cast my sword into the lake, fell at his feet, and from that day these hands have held nothing but this lap fiddle."

And then he would drink his wine and watch the patrons from a snug corner. From time to time he would play a new song on his lap fiddle, but never did they have the same effect on patrons as the Tale of Lake Echo.

The Hollowback, a tale about one of the many kinds of Elves here in the Blackwood.

Spoiler

Once, there was a man with three sons. Each were young men, and one day the man got it into his head to send his firstborn boy out into the woods. His firstborn son was tall and strong, and the man knew he could kill a great deer that had been spotted in the woods nearby, and bring it back for a feast.

“I will kill it, father,” said the first son, “and we will have meat for many days.” He set out with bow and arrow, and for many days he had followed the deer, eager to kill it and bring it back to his family.

It happened that as he was walking through the forest, he came upon a stream and decided to stop for a drink. Just at that moment, a beautiful maid stepped out from behind a tree. She was wearing the simple dress of a farmer’s daughter, and held her hands coyly behind her back.

“Where are you going?” the girl asked the firstborn son.

“I am hunting a great deer,” said the son. “I have no time for silly talk.”

The firstborn son saw that this made the girl angry, and he began to laugh at her. “Did you want a kiss from me?” he asked, making fun of her. “Come here, and I will give you a kiss.”

But just at that moment, the firstborn son saw that the girl had the tail of a fox, and was hiding it behind her back. It flicked to and fro, and the girl grabbed him by the arms and pulled him apart in her anger.

After many days, the man began to fear that his firstborn son had left for a larger village. So he sent his second son out to hunt the deer. This son was even larger and stronger than his older brother, but he was foolish, and had never learned anything in his life. “I will go, father,” said the second son. “But I hardly know what a deer looks like.”

The second son blundered through the woods for some time before he too came upon the young woman. He waved to her, and said “Have you seen a deer in these parts?”

The girl smiled a shy smile, and said “I have not seen a deer,” then she walked closer to the boy and laid a hand against his cheek. “But you are very handsome.”

The second son, being foolish, did not understand what the girl wanted, and said “but I must find a deer for my family!”

“I will tell you where there is a great deer,” said the girl. “But first you must take me in your arms and give me a kiss.”

“I can do that,” the boy said, because his arms were very strong. So he scooped her up, but when his hands touched her he found that her back was all hollow, and she was made of wood on the inside.

“You are a Hollowback!” the second son yelled, pushing her away. “I want no part of your woodland magic!”

This too made the girl angry, and she grabbed the second son by the arms and pulled him apart, just like the first son.

After many more days, the man feared that his second son had also fled to a larger village. “You are my last son,” said the man. “You must go and find the deer and bring it back. My other sons have run away.”

So the third son set out. He was not as tall or as strong as his brothers, but he was a polite young man, and had learned much in his years. He walked through the forest for a few days, then stopped at a stream to examine some tracks.

Just at that moment, the Hollowback appeared before him, stepping out from behind a tree.

“Hello,” the third son said, thinking her to be a farm girl. “Have you lost your way?”

The Hollowback blushed and touched his arm, and as she did the third son caught a glimpse of the tail sticking out from under her skirts.

“Excuse me,” the third son said, looking away. “It would seem that your skirts are ruffled.”

The Hollowback stepped back and fixed her skirts. “Thank you,” she said, hiding her tail. “You are the brother of the two men who came here earlier. They were hunting for a great deer. Come with me, and I will show you where this deer is.”

The boy graciously agreed, and when the girl turned around he saw that her back was all hollow, and that she was made of wood on the inside. The girl looked back at him, but he just smiled and said nothing.

As they were walking, the Hollowback stopped and turned around. “This is the spot where the great deer will be,” she said. Grabbing the third son’s hands, a great wind rushed up and blew all of her clothes away. The two of them laid down, and after a time the great deer approached.

Quickly, the Hollowback leapt up and pulled the head off of the deer. “Here is your deer,” she said. “It is time for you to return to your home.”

So the third son returned to the village with the deer, and his father was very happy. They mounted the head in their cottage, and had meat for a long time.

But one day, the third son opened the door of the cottage to find a baby on the doorstep. He took the baby in and cared for it, because he knew it was his child from the Hollowback. When the baby grew to be a young man too, he was the strongest and most handsome man for many leagues around, and many girls wished to be his wife.

The Waymaiden’s Eyes, a cautionary tale told by sailors along the Way.


Terrors in the Night, a tale of the darkness in the souls of Elves.

Spoiler

Good children stay safe in their beds when the sun has set over the Blackwood. To rise at night and travel through the dark wood is to forsake all reason and to court folly. By the light of day, the Blackwood is a wild land without mercy for the foolish, but at night the magic in every leaf and stem, or brook and cave shines forth. Even the bravest hunters only take to the darkened Wood at great need, and they invoke all that their ancestors may provide to do so.

Once, when I was a girl, there was a boy just my age named Georg. He was a vain and foolish boy, and all the children were wary of him because he was fond of going out into the Wood. He would journey out in the morning and sometimes not come back until well after midday meal. One boy saw Georg balancing on logs and climbing over rocks, and heard him laughing and carrying on like he thought he was an elf. Some people heard him say that he wanted to talk to the elves.

Well one morning, the children were all playing on the village green when they we spotted Georg peering out from behind the village elder’s hall. His face was pure white, and he beckoned us to join him. One boy ran over to see what he wanted, and when he returned he said “Georg has a story to tell us. He says it’s important.” So we all ran after Georg until we had found a shaded spot behind a woodcutter’s hut.

It was there that Georg told us his tale. The night before, after his parents had gone to sleep, he snuck out of their hut and went into the Wood. He couldn’t find the elves in the day, so he would try the wood at night. Oh, he knew the stories, but he thought that he knew the Wood well enough to walk it after dark.

He told us that the wood twisted and turned all around him. Clouds covered the moon, and at every turn there was a raking branch or tripping root to waylay him. At one point, he had to crawl through a thicket he had fallen into, and just when he though he would make it no further, he stumbled out into a torchlit clearing. The sky was black overhead, and a great hall loomed large before him. Strange music could be heard coming from within the hall, and his courage led him to the door.

A tall man with rich clothing and a strange face welcomed him inside. “You have entered Waldenhall, child. Come, and behold wonders!” There, Georg saw many thing that none of us believed. He saw great deer holding feasts at table, and squirrels fighting duels in the rafters. There were women with light in their hair, and tiny folk with greedy faces. They told him they were elves, and that he was welcome in their hall to make merriment and eat well. He sat at their table and shared their food and drink. He listened to their many fine minstrels, and laughed at the stories they would tell.

In time, he came to notice a dark figure in the corner. He was squatting on a shelf, and looking at him was like stepping into a dream. The figure’s skin was an iron-heavy shadow, and his eyes were red like two wells of blood. The very walls seemed to slip and twist around him, and it was impossible to break his gaze. Georg didn’t move from the table all night, yet he felt as though he had been pursued through backwards corridors for hours. He escaped and made his way back to the village, but he only found his way after the sun rose. He had been awake all night, yet he could not rest, for fear of being pursued by the shadow creature.

We all laughed at him and named him a fool, and went about our play. He remained there for some time, then sulked off to the cottage of his parents. They whipped him for going into the Wood, and sent him to bed with no supper. We all had fits in our sleep that night, and when we woke we found that Georg had died. His father found him stock still and blue as a deep pool. His chest was covered in bruises, like he had been crushed, and all the children recalled the image of the crouching figure in the woodland hall, and how Georg swore that it seemed like an unnaturally weighty fellow.

Good children do not seek the wood after dark, and wise adults know why. Too often do they hold service for loved ones who tempt the tangled depths, and don’t even leave a body to bury. Be a good child, for your father’s sake and for mine.

[Zap Dynamic]

Further Tales of the Blackwood, Part II

In my days, I have walked the length of the Forest Road, and sailed up and down the Way, and up and down again. I have seen much and heard more. These tales will not teach you about life within the Wood, but rather they will teach the folk of the Blackwood about the lands beyond. They speak of lofty Koss and wide Cerai, and the peoples that inhabit each.

Excerpts from The Song of Unity, a tale from the foreign religion of Cerai.

Spoiler

In the name of Mareal Turi, the loving God!
Praise be to Mareal Turi, whose light touches every dark corner;
Greatest in power; Gentlest in hand;
To thee we pray, and Thine aid we seek.
Light our path in righteousness,
The path of your faithful servants, who love the world, and all its people.

In the beginning, there was Mareal Turi, and He made the world with the breath of His Voice and the help of His Creations. They labored long, and made a thing of great beauty.

And when the time came, Mareal Turi said “Now wilt thou see the work of thy hands under My Holy Command.” And His Light burst forth, and all His Creations were frightened.

All fled into the dark places of the world, crouching in the shadows because not even the mighty could withstand His Light.

From that day, Mareal Turi and those who worship him have sought those dark corners, rooting out His Creations to bring them back into the fold.

Some come willingly, having learned to love His Light, and longing to hear His Voice once more. These are His Supplicants, ever-pious servants and messengers on His behalf.

Some have grown to hate His Light, and have used their own voices in vain to sway the people of this world. They are the Demons, and are cast down into the pit.

______________________

The Great God, Mareal Turi, Champion of Cerai and Protector of Its People, forever looks down on us all from his seat within the Sun.

His Light shines through the windows of His Holy Temples, cast in many-colored wonder down onto the faithful and repentant who call His Name in the presence of His Sign.

His Light shines over stock and stone alike, and through His Light all things come to see His Land.

His Voice resounds through the Carillon of the Great Shrine and through the most modest petitioner’s Bell with equally beautiful music, for all music is lovely in His Presence.

His Voice resounds within halls of stone and the deep places of the earth, and through His Voice all things comes to know the Truth.

From the Time of the First Gathering, the Unified have dwelt within His Light and drank deep of His Voice, for His Gifts come in Light and Sound.

The Wicked and Downcast cannot abide these beauties. The Wicked flee from the heat of His Eyes. The Downcast are cowed by the sound of His Voice.

And those that seek to repent of their sins may call unto him in the presence of His Sign:

I confess to Mareal, the Lord of Light and Sound,
And to you Supplicants that attend Him,
And to you, my brothers and sisters in Him,
That I have greatly sinned,
In my thoughts and in my words,
In what I have done and what I have failed to do,
Through my fault, through my grievous fault,
I turned away from His Light and Voice,
But I ask you Supplicants, brothers and sisters, hear my plea,
To see the shame in my heart,
And pray with me to the Lord Mareal Turi.

These are the words that are pleasing to the ears of the Lord, and these are the words that shall begin your path back into His Light.

______________________

And the Tale of the Rise of Mareal Turi is great beyond measure. Read the words written by His First Supplicant, Alareg the Pious, after the victory over King Humbir of The Yellow Wastes:

The Red King came down like a lion on the fold,
And his fellows were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars shining free,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on dear Naster Sea.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Lord of the Light loosed His Voice like a blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the Demons waxed weary and chill,
And their slaves but once heaved, and forever were still!

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.

And the widows of Rau, they moan evermore,
And the idols are broke in the shrines of Omor;
And the might of the Gamar, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

And thus does Mareal Turi, Lord of Light and King of Peace, tear down the Demons and false gods, to make the world safe for His Children.

The Winter and Summer Kings, a tale from the histories of the mountainous land of Koss.

Spoiler

Long ago, when men had only just begun to gather in cities, there were two kingdoms in the up in the lofty mountains unlike anything the world had seen. One lay in a shadowed valley where many sweet things grew, and the other was perched on a high cliff. These were the kingdoms of Winter and Summer. They were ruled by two brothers who had bickered all their lives, using the armies of the Two Kingdoms to settle their quarrels.

One year, after a very long summer of fighting, the Two Kingdoms hunkered down to weather the snows of winter. This year, the snows piled higher than they ever had, and many people in the Winter Kingdom died. Even in the Summer Kingdom, where hot springs protected its people from the worst winter’s storms, many people took ill and died, though they had food in plenty. No scouts left from either of the castles of the Two Kingdoms, for no one could travel the roads without great peril.

And so it happened that one night in the middle of winter the Summer King laid himself down to sleep. He kicked and sweat through most of the night, and in the quiet hour before dawn he jerked upright in his bed. “Who goes there?” he bellowed, frightful eyes darting to and fro. “Who disturbs the sleep of the King?”

For a long time, there was no response but the sound of the wind as it rushed by outside. But then, without warning, the great wooden shutter of his window burst inward, filling the room with wind and cold. The Summer King clutched his heavy blankets close, but nothing came of the wind and noise.

Some days later, the Summer King went walking through his gardens. The sun was high in the sky as he came to one of his favorite hot pools, where he saw a beautiful woman. She wore robes all of white, and she sat gazing into the pool while she brushed her long, golden hair.

When the Summer King approached, she turned her head and met his gaze. “I know you,” she laughed, eyes sparkling.

“I am the Summer King,” he replied, tossing his thick cape, “I am known far and wide. Who are you, woman, and what are you doing in my gardens?”

The woman laughed at him as the sunlight danced with her hair. “I have seen you all abed, shaking beneath your sheets. You are not so big and brave as you wish.”

At those words, the Summer King became enraged, and pulled his sword from its scabbard. “Quiet, wench!” he shouted, “Or I’ll have your tongue out!”

But the woman laughed all the harder, and so the king raised his sword to strike at her. But as soon as he took one step, he was thrown back with great force as the beams of the sun blossomed into a great light.

The woman stood, and her bearing was regal and terrible to behold. “Take care with your deeds, child of Man.” the woman said, her voice aglow with the power of command. “You chide defenseless women for their harmless mirth, and think to raise blades against them. All the while, your brother the Winter King lies at the door of death in his northern fortress. Mend your ways, foolish man, or I and my sisters will take you away into great light and heat, and you will surely die.”

It was then that the Summer King saw the wonder before him, as though he had never seen before. This was a White Woman, come to herald great woe.

The Summer King rose to one knee, bowing his head and making a sign to ward off evil intentions. “Forgive me, my lady.”

“If your brother the Winter King should die by your deeds or your negligence, know that all his folk and all yours too shall melt like the snows melt with the dawning of spring. You have been warned.” The White Woman turned, and all the light in the garden dimmed as she left. Alone with his thoughts, the Summer King hied himself to his castle, there to meet with his council and to make ready his plans.

When he reached the great hall, his champion saw that he was distraught, and said “My liege! Show me the foe, and I will take their heads and lay them at your feet!” Thinking that the Winter King and his armies had come raiding through the storms.

His master of trade reached for his tallies, lamenting. “Have they damaged the roadways in their descent?”

His judge, recalling his precedents, shook his bearded head. “The Winter Peace is broken. The people of Winter must pay!”

And the fool, who wanders from Kingdom to Kingdom at a whim to bring news and secrets, was silent because he had heard nothing of this treachery.

“Fools!” the Summer King said, his great voice booming off the walls. “My brother lies in his bed, sick unto death from starvation. I cannot sit by and allow him to die, though long have I cursed his every breath.”

And so the Summer King and his court gathered up many of their provisions, and piled them high on great sleds. They hitched mighty oxen to the sleds, and set out with great haste for the Winter Kingdom.

The winds and snows vanished before them as they rode, their sleds going faster and faster with every league. As they drove, the Summer King felt a great joy seize his heart, and as he began to laugh the sun began to shine brighter.

Soon the sleds flew over the earth like birds, and the Summer King’s laughter could be heard far and wide. They came to the gates of the Winter Castle and smote upon the door three times. “We bring gifts!” The Summer King cried, mirth in every word. “We bring salvation!”

The people of the Winter Kingdom were amazed when they opened the door, for the Summer King shone like the sun, and his mead glittered like gold as it splashed upon the floor. The Summer King went to his brother, who drank from the Summer King’s own horn, and as he did the Summer King bellowed laughter and spoke. “It is an ill omen that kin should come to blows. Drink, brother! Remember the summer you have lost, and let us know peace.”

And so the Winter and Summer Kings feasted in the Winter King’s own hall in the midst of winter. The snows returned, but they were easier to bear with the Summer King’s provisions.

And after many months, when summer reached its height, the Winter King gave charge of his kingdom to his castellan. “I owe my brother a great debt, and you must guard this land until I return.”

And the Winter King piled his own wagons high with the work of his finest craftsmen, and with the written histories of his wisest elders, and set out for the Summer Kingdom. There he met with his brother the Summer King, saying “The land yields great riches when kin are at peace. Take these gifts, my brother. Store them against the coming winter, and let us know peace.”

And since those days, the Kingdoms of Winter and Summer have lived in peace in their mountain lands. The fates decide which kingdom shall reign with the coming of each new season, and each comes to bow before the sovereignty of the other. Their lands know great peace, and woe betide any who should seek to disturb them.

[Zap Dynamic]

The Blackwood for GMs
Recommended Homebrew, Etc.

Welcome to the Blackwood Campaign Setting! By now, you've probably at least skimmed through the preceding posts, so there's not a whole lot more for me to cover. This section will focus mainly on how to run a game in the setting, including a list of RPG systems that I think fit the tone of the setting, as well as a list of recommended homebrew if you choose to use D&D 3.x.

Before we get started, it goes without saying that this information is considering to be "For GMs Only." If you're currently playing a campaign in this world, or if you intend to play in one someday, I would strongly recommend skipping over this section. Let's get started, GMs!

Spoiler

Mystery
One of the most important elements to running a campaign in the Blackwood is a sense of mystery. Whether in the shaded depths of the Wood itself or along the wide streets of the River Cities, players (and characters) ought to be constantly evaluating what they’ve been taught, what they’ve heard, and what they’ve even seen with their own eyes. With that in mind, everything present in the other sections of this setting is free to be true, false, or a twist on the truth. Are Elves really universally malevolent? Are the nobility of the River Cities genuinely corrupt? Are trolls actually the dumbest creatures in the Blackwood? These are things you’re encouraged to adapt for your own uses. In fairy tales and in life, people are often surprised that what they’ve been told is different from what is actually true, and this campaign setting thrives when that happens.

Systems and Homebrew
Officially, The Blackwood Setting is system-neutral. That said, the setting was inspired by the OSR, is a place where magic is nigh ever-present but subtle, and the people of the world hold deep superstitions about its practice. It is also a setting that lends itself better to storytelling, exploration, and problem solving than to breakneck, vigorous combat. Of course, combat is an inevitability, but it is by no means the focus of the setting.

To that end, I've compiled a list of Homebrew and UA mechanics that lend themselves well to this kind of storytelling. Along with links to the information (when available), I'm also giving a short blurb about how to apply these things.

d20 Material:

Spoiler

• E6: The Game Inside the World's Most Popular RPG: The focus on earlier levels helps to contain the power at a level that's concurrent with fairy tales, fables, and myths.
  • The Classes of Gnorman's E6 Compendium: This is an excellent companion piece to the E6 rules. I would include the races as well, but this setting only makes use of Humans as player characters. Be sure to check out my list of recommendations about classes that are appropriate, as well as those that aren't.
  • The Storysinger: This is a custom class in the style of Gnorman's E6 stuff, and made with this setting in mind.
• Factions as Races: This piece of homebrew allows for greater variation of character without straying away from the human baseline.
• Contacts: Whether you choose to adventure in the cities or in the wilderness, having connections can mean the difference between a cold trail or the perfect lead, or--sometimes--even life and death.
• Honor: The measure of one's honor is an important element in many of the myths from the Germanic tradition. It's also an indistinguishable element of wuxia fiction.
• Reputation: I recommend this system as a replacement for the alignment system. In a world where elves have no discernable morality, and even humans can be hard to pin down, this is a more accurate means of measuring one's deeds.
• Incantations: The Blackwood is a "subtle-magic" setting, and the usage of E6 turns it decisively into a "low-magic" setting. Still, there are times when grander magical powers could enhance the storytelling. This mechanic opens up those channels, and it's thematically appropriate to boot.
• eXPloration: Wandering is a key element of this setting, and to that end it has been sprinkled with a variety of interesting locales. This mechanic rewards players merely by traveling to these locations and experiencing events in those locations.
• The Demographics of Heroism: This is not so much the introduction of a mechanic as it is pointing towards a helpful guide. With E6, it is possible for a party of four 6th-level characters to survive encounters against 12-14th level adversaries. This can give you an idea of how many individuals of any given power level there might be in a given location.
• The Fey Compendium: Whether used verbatim or merely as inspiration, there are several setting appropriate creatures in this wonderful compilation.

Other Systems:

Spoiler

• Warrior, Rogue, and Mage: This is my preferred system for this setting. It is lightweight, elegant, and places emphasis where emphasis ought to be placed. It is a very good fit.
• D&D6 Lite: An even smaller system than WRM, this is one of many systems that would lend itself well to "GM-less" gaming, if that's to your interest.

World Information
Cosmology:

Spoiler

A layout of the cosmology of this setting is placed in the GMs-only section because while characters may have an understanding of the cosmology, they certainly don’t think of it in planar terms. For the folk of the Blackwood, there is life, there is death, and there is that strange place where Elves must come from because they’re certainly not from around here.

Additionally, keeping this sort of concrete information from the players helps to reinforce that all-important sense of mystery or wonder. These realms should be consummately mythical (if you choose to make them exist at all), nigh-unreachable, and very much “unknown territory.” With those points in mind, this of this section as a storybuilding translation to dictionary, to help bridge the gap between our understanding as GMs and the character’s understanding as denizens of this fantasy world.

The Midst: The Material Plane sits in the middle of a spectrum of life and death. It is a wide world, of which the Blackwood is only a small part.
The Land of the Dead: This bleak plane is coexistent with The Midst, and is where all dead souls come to rest. Illusions of grass, flowers, and sunshine cover The Meadow, a resting place for gentle souls, while the valiant Dead feast on intangible food in The Hall.
The Weald: Existing on the spectrum's other end, the Weald is also coexistent with the Midst. In most places it is a thick tangle of plants, though there are clearings for the mansions of the Elves. All Elves live here, and only they know the secret ways to travel from the Weald to the Midst and back.

Cities and Settlements:

Spoiler

Freeport (Large City, 14,060): Trade hub a few days from the Blackwood's northern border, and a major cultural melting pot.
Grand Delving (Large City, 11,980): Often called "The Hand of The Elder Kingdom," this city at the mouth of Elder Valley has been a hub of learning and wisdom for hundreds of years.
The Stag and Dragon Inn (Inn, 390 employees): An inn and tavern complex that is larger than most villages and situated at the Midway point of the Forest Road, the Stag and Dragon has been a meeting place for heroes for centuries, as well as the site of legendary showdowns.
Three Rivers (Small City, 9,840): Third largest city in the Blackwood, Three Rivers is considered the midway point for traders traveling up and down the Way.
Sentry Grove (Fortress, 1,570): Less than a day's ride from Freeport, this fortress has been the home of the Sentinels since just after their inception.
Span (Large Town, 3,930): Span is a town near the Great Fall along the Way. Ships must moor at this port and transfer their cargo by land to the lake below, and Span has become famous for its brokerages and independent security companies as a result.
Grey Folly (Small Town, 1,180): This frontier town exists solely as a shipping point for the iron mines in the area. Built in the shadow of the Paganwall Range, Grey Folly is often the victim of the hexes of witches.
Spearwood (Fortress, 780): Home to the Spearwood Brotherhood, this fortress is a waypoint along the ranges of the Brotherhood. It is their task to slow the advancement of mythical creatures from the East.
High Hall (Small Town, 470): Little more than a lakeside castle, High Hall is nevertheless famous for its mead. It has been ruled by for decades by a fearless King, and brigands know better than to test its strength.
Sky Pillar (Academy, 85): The best of the Sentinels are inducted into the Royal Guard of the Elder King, and this academy atop a rocky tower in the Spires is where they are trained in the arts of war and philosophy.
Elder Gate (Palace, 81): Situated in a narrow cleft in the deepest reaches of the Elder Valley, this is the home of the Elder King and his family. It is a serene place, with a carefully-tended grove leading out into the Eastern reaches of the Blackwood.
Winter (Small City, 5,650): One of the twin capitals of the stoic and warlike Kossians, this fortress and surrounding city is presided over by the Winter Court. The city and nearby lake rest atop high cliffs, leaving it scant access to the Blackwood.

History:

Spoiler

For a very long time, perhaps as much as two thousand years, the Blackwood has lived under the benevolent leadership of the Elder Kingdom. Nestled high in The Heights, this fertile valley has been a peaceful kingdom of knowledge and beauty for as long as any stories tell. The Elder King, who's family line has ruled the kingdom from its beginning, is said to be half-elven.

The Way, a river that begins in the highest reaches of the Elder Kingdom, pours forth into the Blackwood, has become a highway for the culture of the Elder Kingdom to spread into the forest. For a very long time, the People of The Way have considered themselves grateful vassals of the Elder Kingdom. Even the free-roaming folk of the forest--who trade with the folk on the river but keep to themselves--have reaped the benefits of what the Elder Kingdom has to offer.

The Way has a huge effect on the way the Blackwood is perceived even today. Either a person lives in one of the cities or villages spread along the river, spending their days in the comfort of civilization and plying any number of trades, or they live in the shadows of the Blackwood. The Woodfolk may still gather into villages, but they settle around natural meadows where they grow much of their own food, and are constantly preyed upon by brigands and mythical creatures.

To that end, The Elder Kingdom began a tradition known as the Sentinels. These stalwart warriors patrol the vastness of the Blackwood, pinpricks of light and chivalry in an ocean of shadows. They help the Woodfolk when they find them, and have made sworn enemies of all brigands.

This is also a temporary storage location. I will provide links below for things I've written for the final draft, but have no better place to put them for the time being.

The Blackwood Bestiary
Random Tables
The Land of Lakes and Rivers, and Riverfolk vs. Woodfolk
What Does the Blackwood Look Like?
The Night Sky
Magic
Intro Text
Important Peoples of the Blackwood
Vindlander Gods
Blackwood Potions

[Zaknir]

This is VERY intresting you know?

I'll follow this project with great interest :)

For the "Bureaucrat" role, there are a variety of "Noble" class from various sources that might be what you're looking for, or the Marshal from Miniature's Handbook, or again a class wich I don't remember the name from Dragonlance Campaign setting.

See ya and great work :)

P.S.
The simplified class and the simplified races links don't work :P

[Zap Dynamic]

Originally Posted by Zaknir

This is VERY intresting you know?

I'll follow this project with great interest :)

Thanks!

For the "Bureaucrat" role, there are a variety of "Noble" class from various sources that might be what you're looking for, or the Marshal from Miniature's Handbook, or again a class wich I don't remember the name from Dragonlance Campaign setting.

I guess I should have been a little more clear on what I was looking for. In the Game of Thrones tabletop game, there's a class who's job it is to get all the money, have all the contacts, and pull the strings behind the scenes while the sword guys do their swording and the tracker guys do their tracking. It makes me think of a "party" of adventurers that can still work as a team even while separated by hundreds of miles. It also makes me think of campaigns that involve, like, maybe one combat per character level. It's terribly exciting stuff.

That said, I think I might end up making the class myself or putting out a request in the homebrew section. I glanced at E6 stuff today, and it seems pretty cool, but I need to look more closely to figure out if it's feasible.

P.S.
The simplified class and the simplified races links don't work :P

Hmmm... The links have worked for me on two different computers, now. I'll fix them when I get home just to be certain.

In other news, I've put up blurbs under the Geography section, reworked the Cosmology section, and moved the Factions to the "And Its People" post for the sake of space in "The Realm" post. Huzzah!

[Zaknir]

Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic

Thanks!
I guess I should have been a little more clear on what I was looking for. In the Game of Thrones tabletop game, there's a class who's job it is to get all the money, have all the contacts, and pull the strings behind the scenes while the sword guys do their swording and the tracker guys do their tracking. It makes me think of a "party" of adventurers that can still work as a team even while separated by hundreds of miles. It also makes me think of campaigns that involve, like, maybe one combat per character level. It's terribly exciting stuff.

You know...it REALLY sounds like the Bard concept, but with MONEY instead of SPELLS

Maybe you could create a custom class that works as the bard but when it would take spells, instead gain the "Favour" class ability of the Noble (Dragonlance).

BTW
Is this a 3.5 project or Pathfinder project?

[Eldest]

I like this idea, and I wish I had seen it earlier. Btw, Savannah's trying something sorta similar, with her setting Badger's Hollow. I would link it, but apparently I don't have a link.

[Zap Dynamic]

Originally Posted by Zaknir

Maybe you could create a custom class that works as the bard but when it would take spells, instead gain the "Favour" class ability of the Noble (Dragonlance).

I like it! It's extremely similar to the class in GoT.

BTW
Is this a 3.5 project or Pathfinder project?

After reading through most of the classes on Gnorman's E6 Compendium, I think that's going to be the way to go. If the E6 Handbook knows what it's talking about, then E6 characters can handle up to 12th-ish level threats. That's right on track with the kind of demographic I hope to create. The whole of the Blackwood is home to a little more than 1 million people, and the largest city only has 11,000 or so. With that in mind, I think its only fair to design a setting such that the PCs can become the most powerful mortals around.

Originally Posted by Eldest

I like this idea, and I wish I had seen it earlier. Btw, Savannah's trying something sorta similar, with her setting Badger's Hollow. I would link it, but apparently I don't have a link.

No worries! This has only been posted for, like, three days anyway. Badger's Hollow seems eerily similar to what I have in mind. I swear I didn't steal anything!

In other news, I added another section (or two... can't remember) to the Parallels post. I'm about to add some stuff to the Crunch section, as well as hammer out some info about the races in the People post. If I'm feeling crazy, I may even throw up the info I have about the cities... at least their populations.

[Zap Dynamic]

All right, so I definitely did do all of those things I said I might do. In particular, take a look at the whole "Half Elf" thing in the Races section. It's admittedly pretty weird. Thoughts?

[Eldest]

Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic

After reading through most of the classes on Gnorman's E6 Compendium, I think that's going to be the way to go. If the E6 Handbook knows what it's talking about, then E6 characters can handle up to 12th-ish level threats. That's right on track with the kind of demographic I hope to create. The whole of the Blackwood is home to a little more than 1 million people, and the largest city only has 11,000 or so. With that in mind, I think its only fair to design a setting such that the PCs can become the most powerful mortals around.

*looks at sig*
It's spreading...
MWAHAHAHA!!!

Anyway, when I am much less tired I shall look through your stuff in earnest. And PEACH. And help.

[Wyntonian]

While I have many (good) things to say about this setting, one sticks foremost in my mind.

WHO MADE YOUR MAP???

[Zap Dynamic]

Originally Posted by Wyntonian

While I have many (good) things to say about this setting, one sticks foremost in my mind.

WHO MADE YOUR MAP???

I did! I've already made some minor adjustments, and I'm working on a fancier, "painted" style now.

I've been mapping with photoshop for a few years now, but I've only just started getting good. Here's a link to my deviantArt profile.

[Savannah]

Ooh, I like it! Will need to read it in more detail when it's not 2:30 am, though

[Wyntonian]

Because I feel bad just demaning map-related answers, I do hereby solemnly swear I'll look over this setting a little more thoroughly some time today. I'll PM you about linking them, too.

[Zap Dynamic]

Wowza! Now that I've got so many people interested in taking a look, I guess I should let everyone know that there's very little flavor text at this point. The italicized bit before the picture in the OP and the history section are the only things that are even vague attempts at flavor thus far, but I intend to make everything taste delicious eventually.

Also, I've got rough drafts for each of the faction "racial modifiers." I think I'll put those up now.

[Zap Dynamic]

Factions

Each of these is prone to change, and they will definitely be expanded to include more flavor later on. Before I dive in, here's the format of the stat blocks. As a reminder, right now character pick two of these at character creation instead of picking a race. Everyone is otherwise a human, and this reflects the circles in which a character travels.

Title
Size: How widespread the faction is. Small factions have contacts in two locations, Medium have contacts in 4 locations, and Large factions have contacts in 6 locations.
Ability: Each faction grants a +2 bonus to one ability score.
Skill: Each faction also adds one skill to your list of class skills. These are all Pathfinder skills, because Pathfinder's skills are better.
Contacts: Each location has contacts in a number of different locations, according to its size. There may be a mechanic to look for a contact in an atypical place, probably involving a d% roll.
Skills Available: In addition to providing contacts, each faction also grants access to (and eventually discounts at) various professionals. These professionals can grant Knowledge, Influence, or Skills.

Spoiler

Riverfolk
Size: Large
Ability: +2 Cha
Skill: Appraise
Contacts: Freeport, Three Rivers, Span, Grey Folly, Grand Delving, Sentry Grove
Skills Available: Appraise, Craft (Jewelry, Armorcraft), Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (Engineering, History, Local, Nobility, Religion), Linguistics, Perform, Profession (Sailor, Trader, Noble, Etc.), Sense Motive, Swim

Woodfolk
Size: Large
Ability: +2 Wis
Skill: Survival
Contacts: The Stag and Dragon, High Hall, Grey Folly, Sentry Grove, Span, Three Rivers
Skills Available: Climb, Craft (Fur, Bowmaking, Etc.), Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana, Geography, Local), Perception, Ride, Stealth, Survival

Elder King
Size: Large
Ability: +2 Wis
Skill: Knowledge (History)
Contacts: Elder Gate, Grand Delving, Three Rivers, Grey Folly, Span, Sentry Grove
Skills Available: Appraise, Craft (Silversmith, Calligraphy, Art, etc.), Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana, Engineering, History, Nobility, Religion), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

Cerai
Size: Medium
Ability: +2 Cha
Skill: Knowledge (Nobility)
Contacts: Freeport, The Stag and Dragon, Three Rivers, Span
Skills Available: Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Knowledge (Geography, Religion), Linguistics, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand

Koss
Size: Small
Ability: +2 Con
Skill: Intimidate
Contacts: Winter, Three Rivers
Skills Available: Climb, Craft (Armormaking, Weaponmaking, Sculpting, etc.), Intimidate, Knowledge (Engineering, History), Linguistics

Sentinels
Size: Medium
Ability: +2 Str
Skill: Diplomacy
Contacts: Elder Kingdom, Stag and Dragon, Sky Pillar, High Hall
Skills Available: Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Geography, History), Profession (Sentinel), Ride, Sense Motive, Survival

Hunters
Size: Medium
Ability: +2 Dex
Skill: Perception
Contacts: High Hall, Grey Folly, Stag and Dragon, Spearwood
Skills Available: Acrobatics, Climb, Craft (Bowmaking, Trapmaking, Furs), Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Geography, Local, Nature, The Planes), Perception, Profession (Hunter), Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival

Spearwood Brotherhood
Size: Small
Ability: +2 Dex
Skill: Handle Animal
Contacts: Stag and Dragon, Sentry Grove
Skills Available: Acrobatics, Climb, Craft (Spears), Escape Artist, Fly, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana, Geography, Nature, The Planes), Linguistics, Perception, Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Stealth, Survival, Use Magic Device

Kobolds
Size: Medium
Ability: +2 Int
Skill: Knowledge (Planes)
Contacts: Grand Delving, Elder Gate, Three Rivers, Freeport
Skills Available: Appraise, Craft (Any), Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Heal, Knowledge (All), Linguistics, Profession (Scholar, Craftsman), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

Brigands
Size: Medium
Ability: +2 Any
Skill: Survival
Contacts: Three Rivers, Span, The Bracken, Stag and Dragon
Skills Available: Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (Geography, Nature), Perception, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival, Swim

Unified
Size: Medium
Ability: +2 Cha
Skill: Knowledge (Religion)
Contacts: Freeport, Three Rivers, Stag and Dragon, Span
Skills Available: Appraise, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (Arcana, History, Religon, The Planes), Linguistics, Profession (Clergy), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

[Eldest]

Would you be able to stack two of the same ability scores, because that may get out of hand. What if you had each faction offer two ability scores, but you have to chose one, and you can't have two +2s to the same score?

[Zap Dynamic]

I had planned on that being the case. I wasn't sure how that would affect things in the E6 world... My thinking was that a character with an additional +4 to an ability score is choosing specialization over generalization, which tends to balance itself out. For instance, a sorcerer with a +4 to Cha (especially over the course of the first 6 levels) is going to have a harder time than a sorcerer who only has a +2 to Cha, but a +2 to Con as well. Also, that's something that each DM could keep track of and deal with on a case-by-case basis. Maybe it could be resolved if I just include a note saying as much?

[Pokonic]

About Giantkin and the like: It could be that you can simply state that "All Trolls are Different" is a actual cosmic rule. One Ginny Greenteeth (Annis Hag) eats small childeren who wander up to her lair, and her late husband Garon (a Two-headed troll) lurked in a nearby hollow and hunted down deer before he was slain. There childeren include a two-headed giant, a stony man with rock-hard skin, and a girl who has strange powers over nature that occasinaly plays with childeren near her home when mama is'nt looking ( a half-fey human child with levels in Druid).

They are realy varing fey that have too many ties to the natural world, and are happier in a stone hut ( or under a dich, or in a cave, or inside a hill, ect), and have a bit more pratical sence then 'bolds or elves. A few have little reason not to "adopt" a child if there parents are not nearby, and such childeren have a much greater chance at developing raging or magical abilites, even if there "parents" have none.

[Zap Dynamic]

I like the thoughts about Trolls, and they're sort of in line with the way I've been thinking about them.

Originally, the Forest was the last place where magic still existed. It had the ability to warp things that lived under its eaves, and for humans that meant corruption. In the original setting, humans were minorly anti-magic: one human alone wasn't enough for it to be noticeable; a band of them could stave off the forest's effects, and an entire town could actually create a sort of bubble of protection. If you wandered too far out into the wood, however, you risked being transformed into a Troll.

Much of that has changed, but I still picture Trolls being (at least descended from) twisted humans. They're generally large, hideously ugly, and pretty stupid. That said, there's a lot of room for these Trolls to look pretty different from each other. Maybe one just looks large and deformed, while another might look like some creature made of wood and moss.

I also agree with the idea that Trolls aren't necessarily evil. There may be places in the wild where Trolls and humans live together in a kind of uneasy peace. Although trolls are naturally cruel, they're also notoriously stupid, and can be easily tricked into helping someone out. They can also speak, though they may or may not speak your particular language.


While I'm posting, I want to start cataloging different ways that magic is expressed in fairy tales. Right off the bat, I can think of the witches cauldron (whether it's poison or potions), the enchanted sword (or any enchanted object or person, for that matter... Excalibur and Sleeping Beauty come to mind), the prophesy (sights and revelations in general), the illusion (ghosts seem to do this a lot), locomotion/teleporting/phasing (how else do the fairies get to fairyland?), and truenaming (Rumplestiltskin being the most obvious example).

Out of all these, I think I'm comfortable including all of them in the setting except truenaming. My reasoning is this: there's very little danger of power creep when your magic is about brewing potions, enchanting people and things, pronouncing prophecies, and creating illusions. Being able to jump around willy-nilly (whether that be balancing on bamboo or teleporting from one realm to the next) is in some serious grey area, but truenaming just seems... really powerful. I suppose it could be limited like Rumplestiltskin implies (you can make an Elf go away if you know its true name, but you're not about to do anything grander), but I don't know. Does anyone have a thought on this?

[Pokonic]

On trolls: I would have them be a combo of the following: Well, trolls, Giants and Giantkin, Hags, Ogres, Treants, and finaly any sort of unseelie fey one could think of.



Dont have truenaming per say. but hand out stuff like "The beast of Beri road can be pushed back be the sound of a birds death-cry" as rewards and such, not by any sort of class ability. The information about the local magical tree and the hunting down of the troll who knows the password could be a adventure unto itself.

[Zap Dynamic]

Originally Posted by Pokonic

On trolls: I would have them be a combo of the following: Well, trolls, Giants and Giantkin, Hags, Ogres, Treants, and finaly any sort of unseelie fey one could think of.



Dont have truenaming per say. but hand out stuff like "The beast of Beri road can be pushed back be the sound of a birds death-cry" as rewards and such, not by any sort of class ability. The information about the local magical tree and the hunting down of the troll who knows the password could be a adventure unto itself.

I dig it all except the unseelie thing. I don't really like that distinction amongst fey (at least, not for this setting), and I'd rather avoid it.

On a related note, I JUST edited the Parallels post to include a lot more droning, and I address that very point!

Like I've said, I'm still really concerned about the nature of half-elves, and would love some feedback on it.

[Pokonic]

Originally Posted by Zap Dynamic

I dig it all except the unseelie thing. I don't really like that distinction amongst fey (at least, not for this setting), and I'd rather avoid it.

On a related note, I JUST edited the Parallels post to include a lot more droning, and I address that very point!

Like I've said, I'm still really concerned about the nature of half-elves, and would love some feedback on it.

1. Naw, I mean like evil fey that would not fit in with the currant elven realm you currantly had.


2. Half-Elves seem fine. Seems to me like there could be half-fey in the woodland communities due the the occasinal fling with some Troll with polymorph abilites and that half-elven are pretty much exclusive to the high nobility, yes?

[Zap Dynamic]

While I've got time, I'm going to undertake the massive job of classifying all of the classes in Gnorman's E6 Compendium.

Key:
Green is Gravy. This is a class I'm approving for PCs. They would make fine NPCs too.
Blue is a Bossibility. This is a class that would make for a good NPC, but should be taken with a big grain of salt for PCs.
Red is Rawful. For one reason or another, it just doesn't work.

Combat Classes

Spoiler

Brawler: The Classic Unarmed Combatant. It doesn't really fit the German Folklore side of things, but it does really fit the wuxia side of things. Overall, it's fine for a PC to be a Brawler, but it really ought to be rare.

• Breathstealer: Sure.
• Bruiser: A Dhalsim hand? Sorry, but no. Too wacky.
• Cenobite: Everything but the teleportation is fine with me.
• Martial Artist: Mmm, bread and butter. I like Martial Initiators a lot, and this is pretty typical Wuxia fair.
• Ravager: I can picture characters that make use of this, but I feel it would make a much better Troll than anything.

Gladiator: The Classic Melee Striker. A-OK in my book. Kind of a weird name for the class as a whole, but no biggie.

• Brute: Eh. Raging doesn't really mesh with the setting, but whatever. Would be more appropriate as a bandit than anything.
• Kensei: Mmmmm, flavor. Initiator and a Fearless Knight? Sound like Prince Charming material.
• Master-At-Arms: He is better than you at hitting things. Nothing wrong with that.
• Pit Fighter: There's no place for the "pit fighter" flavor of this class, but mechanically he's just fine.
• Vindicator: This guy would make a fine Spearwood Brother. Would also make a decent Sentinel. Would also make a decent Hunter.

The Hunter: The Classic Ranged Striker. Right on par.

• Beastmaster: What a cool Hunter you would make.
• Deadeye: What a cool Hunter you would make.
• Peltast: What a cool Spearwood Brother you would make!
• Sniper: What a cool Hunter you would make.
• Stalker: What a cool Hunter you would make.

The Sentinel: The Classic Melee Tank. Right on. A lot of these would suit a person from Koss very well.

• Bastion: "Big Awesome Armored Guy" is pretty much the stereotypical view of Kossians in the Blackwood.
• Gallant: Lots of potential for heroic self-sacrifices here. Bonus: you can survive them!
• Juggernaut: I love the idea of pushing people around, I just think it would work better for a Troll than a human. Use sparingly.
• Landsknecht: What a cool rendition of the Brick Wall. Bonus: It has a German name! Would make a good Spearwood Brother.
• Praetorian: As a soldier that works best with a unit, this is a good Kossian. Would also make a fine Sentinel.

The Zealot: The Classic Melee Buffer. Just dandy.

• Avenger: An Initiator, and one tough mutha.
• Cavalier: There really isn't space for combat on horseback in the Blackwood. Too many trees. Use sparingly.
• Initiate: Not my favorite take on the "holy warrior." I'd prefer them to be able to turn at the cost of melee power, or vice versa. Ultimately not a big deal, but use sparingly.
• Reaver: Nothing wrong with this class, but would make a much better villain, whether it's a bandit, an evil baron, or a Troll.
• Templar: The Magekiller. This is much more in line with what I consider to be a "devout warrior."

Skilled Classes

Spoiler

The Engineer: The Alchemical/Mechanical Caster is a cool role, but is exactly wrong for this setting. The Sawbones archetype comes close, but still no.
The Noble: The Charismatic Moneybags--often behind the scenes--is exactly who needs to be amongst the Riverfolk. Booyah.

• Dilettante: A dedicated generalist. I wouldn't want to play it, but I think it's fine.
• Duelist: I picture a lot of the well-to-do in the larger cities (and almost ALL of the well-to-do from Cerai) to be Duelists.
• Patrician: The Forceful Diplomat is a very interesting character option. It reminds me of Tyrion from ASoIaF.
• Tyrant: Obviously, this guy would make a great villain whether he's a bandit king or a corrupt politician with a retinue of guards. Except in rare circumstances, minions and henchmen should be humans.
• Warchief: I'm glad to see the "Charismatic Combat Buffer" as a meager combatant. Lots of interesting potential here.

The Poet: The Artistic Buffer, with an interesting healer twist. I like it!

• Banshee: I like this archetype a lot--especially when I think about those sonic attacks coming from instruments--and it's right on the edge of the kind of magic I think is appropriate in this setting.
• Bravado: Ah, the two-handed, mobile warrior. Nothing wrong here.
• Doomsinger: This is very cool. I picture the twin instrumentalists from Kung Fu Hustle. That last ability is really skirting the edge, but I'll allow it.
• Skald: Maybe a little wild for my taste, but I like it. Would make a good brigand, backwoods dude, or pagan.
• Trickster: Not a lot in the way of flavor here. As far as I'm concerned, that puts more fun in the hands of the player!

The Sage: The Knowledgeable Buffer. Generally very cool; specifically very sketchy.

• Caller: I haven't read much about vestiges, but it seems very close to the way I imagine divine magic working in my campaign.
• Didact: Long story short, I need to read more about the mechanics behind this. Flavor-wise, it doesn't fit. Truenaming might be a thing in this setting, but it's not that powerful.
• Occultist: Again, not crazy about this one. A little too high-magic. Could work in certain circumstances, but probably not.
• Polyglot: Eh. It's a little too "evocationy" for my taste. The second ability is cool, though. Better as a villain than a PC.
• Tactician: Super sweet. THIS is the kind of mechanic that I think should represent a bookworm that knows the weaknesses of all the magical beasts.

The Scoundrel: The Roguelike. Welcome to Freeport, Herr Schmidt.

• Cutthroat: Another Initiator, and an assassin. Ninja?
• Phantom: A sneaky devil whose magic is very cleverly represented. I'm totally down.
• Silencer: As assassiny as this looks, I actually think it would make a better witch. Your call.
• Thief-Acrobat: This is the rogue who's so nimble as to be almost supernatural. Right on par with wuxia.
• Umbral Scion: This really skirts a line. I need to do more reading on shadow magic to decide how I feel. Could be awesome; could be just on the wrong side of things.

Magic Classes:

Spoiler

Black Mage: The Dark Magic User. I wasn't expecting to like this, but it's not half bad for the setting. Most all of these would obviously be better as villains than good guys.

• Demonologist: Really cool stuff. That first ability would have to be reworked in light of the Ritual Magic I'm planning on implementing, but it could still halve the casting time or something.
• Hexer: Debilitators are fine in my book!
• Necromancer: Definitely better as an NPC villain than a PC. Use sparingly.
• Pestilent: I love the disease-spreading stuff. I don't like the rest. Use sparingly.
• Zoid Cultist: In the proto-setting? Oh yes. In this one? Nah.

Blue Mage: The Bufferish/Seer Type. This guy is among the most appropriate from the magic classes.

• Chronomancer: On the one hand, he could wreak exactly the kind of havoc that Elves are known for. On the other hand, I don't picture "time magic" as part of this setting. Use sparingly.
• Hyperborean: The magic is a little too "visible" for my tastes. I also don't think the "cold" theme really fits, but it's your call. Use sparingly.
• Mountebank: A charmer? okay!
• Wayfarer: I'd like to reflavor the teleporting as Wuxia flying, but other than that it's just fine.
• Weaver: An illusionist? Okay!

Green Mage: The Druidlike. As appropriate as it is for the setting, this is really the realm of the NPCs, not the PCs.

• Chloromancer: Fine and dandy for an Elf or Half Elf. Use sparingly otherwise.
• Elementalist: My one concession. The air stuff screams Wuxia, though I'm not into the elemental companion at all. Most likely found amongst the Spearwood Brotherhood.
• Ophidian: Ugh, it's just fine... then you get to the dinosaur thing. Use sparingly, and discourage dinosaurs altogether.
• Subterranean: Would be fine for a Kobold, but those aren't PCs. Use sparingly, if at all.
• Wildling: Lycanthropes are more than welcome to use this. Otherwise it's just not the right fit.

Red Mage: The Gish. Very, very unlikely stuff here.

• Chaos Child: I could see this being some crazy Elf, but in no other situation would I approve this.
• Crimson Disciple: I've alluded to dragons once thus far, and I haven't decided if they really exist. Sorry, but no.
• Magesmith: I like the magical smith thing a lot. I'm sure there's one of these guys somewhere in the Blackwood, but probably just the one.
• Pyromancer: No fire dudes. Way too visible, and we don't have Smoky the Bear anyways.
• Sand Shaper: This ain't no desert!

White Mage: The Healer. THIS is the way the devout warrior should be handled.

• Champion: Like I said, this is who the devout warrior should be.
• Exorcist: I like it a lot. I've been toying around with how/if to include outsiders.
• Healer: I think how much I like this guy depends on the individual player. Toning down the "activity" of the magic is key.
• Mystic: It's hard to be an angel in training when there are probably not any actual angels.
• Oracle: Oh my goodness yes.

Psionic Classes

Spoiler

I will say right now that I'm really torn about these. I don't think they're appropriate at all, but a lot of people associate them with Wuxia type stuff. In this case, Blue means more "I'm on the fence," than "I'm okay with this...but just for NPCs." One thing is for certain: no crystals. Look forward to reskinning that stuff.
The Aspirant: The Psychic Warrior.

• Animus: Magic is too visible.
• Atavist: Would make a nice template for a Troll.
• Pugilist: This might be the more appropriate of all the unarmed warrior archetypes.
• Tempest: Mobile warrior with fancy moves. That's all right.
• Warden: The magic is too visible.

The Empath: The Mind-er. This could be a cool zen-type character, except for the telepathy thing. All the cherry blossoms are perfect, blah blah.

• Abhorrent: Subtle magic, fear-based effects. This guy could make a very good pagan or cultist or something.
• Mentalist: Another charmer? OK!
• Precognitive: Another seer? I'm into it.
• Superegoist: A... mind...melder? All right.
• Walker: Hmm... a dreamwalker? I'd like the idea better if they walked through the Land of the Dead or something, but they can do that through their dreams easy enough. DMs: it's in your hands.

The Esoteric: The Psionic Cleric. I think I'm okay with most of what's going on here.

• Anchorite: Healer-type. I dig it.
• Apostate: I'd like it better if the magic were more subtle. Reskinning might fix this.
• Demiurge: An interesting class. I don't like the ectoplasmic stuff, but that's what reskinning is for.
• Sympathetic: Another interesting option. Might make for a nice Aikido-type warrior.
• Transcendant: Kind of a psychic tank? I'm okay with that.

The Kinetic: The Mind Do-er. Not a lot here.

• Architect: I don't like constructs in this setting.
• Energetic: Magic is WAY too visible.
• Gravitic: Magic is still too visible.
• Telephasm: The magic might not be too "visible," but it's not appropriate for the setting.
• Transmigrant: I'm okay with this except for the teleportation thing. Needs to be reskinned.

The Subliminal: The Mind Sneak. I don't have much of a problem with this one.

• Deadmind: Flavor-wise, there is no room for telepathy in this world. Mechanically, I could see it.
• Operative: That crowning ability to starting to get very Elf-like. Otherwise, a very nice archetype.
• Razor: I don't know what a "metaphysical weapon" is, but this is tentatively okay. If it's like a Soul Blade or whatever, then no.
• Trueshot: I don't like the visibility of the magic, and it would be easier to play a hunter than to reskin it.
• Untouchable: Fairy tales and folklore both seem to be full of lucky rogues.

As you can tell, this is not necessarily a low-magic setting. I'd like to think of it more as an "invisible magic" setting.

[Zap Dynamic]

Originally Posted by Pokonic

2. Half-Elves seem fine. Seems to me like there could be half-fey in the woodland communities due the the occasinal fling with some Troll with polymorph abilites and that half-elven are pretty much exclusive to the high nobility, yes?

That could be the way it works. I don't know how I like the idea of Trolls and humans interbreeding. Trolls (as I picture them) are too big for it either way, and humans would find it repulsive at best.

As far as the prevalence of Half-Elves is concerned, it would be a big. deal. if you knew a Half-Elf. There may be more instances where Elves (or even Trolls... I haven't decided if they can reproduce at all) pull a changeling on someone, though it's more likely that the Changeling will be of the "swapped log" variety.

[Wyntonian]

The more I read about this, the more I think our settings should be linked. Same world, different continents? Not particularly aware of each other?

I could see a "well, you're kings of Patria/The Blackwood, how about you set sail for that mythical land across the sea?" sort of end-game campaign.

There's just so much that's shared that I can't really see us not taking advantage of it.

[Eldest]

I like that idea. A lot.
For Gnorman's classes (they're spreading, MWAHAHAHA!!!), I notice a few of them are marked as "maybe, for a troll". Could you just add that as a racial requirement in your setting, for those particular archetypes.

[Zap Dynamic]

Originally Posted by Wyntonian

The more I read about this, the more I think our settings should be linked. Same world, different continents? Not particularly aware of each other?

I could see a "well, you're kings of Patria/The Blackwood, how about you set sail for that mythical land across the sea?" sort of end-game campaign.

There's just so much that's shared that I can't really see us not taking advantage of it.

Dealio. Since the cultures have been separated by 2000 or so years (and maybe as many miles) it would be easy to say that they're on the same planet.

More and more, my plan is to flesh out what's left of this continent. I'm thinking about probably 3-4 more cultures. It will be awhile, but I think this is a good deal.

Originally Posted by Eldest

For Gnorman's classes (they're spreading, MWAHAHAHA!!!), I notice a few of them are marked as "maybe, for a troll". Could you just add that as a racial requirement in your setting, for those particular archetypes.

They're spreading because they're awesome! I liked all of them, but some just didn't fit the setting well enough. As for the racial requirement, it would be an easy thing to do, but that note was more for the DMs that run campaigns in the setting. I'm a big fan of reskinning/repurposing monsters and races/classes for whatever I need, and I could see rolling up a human with insane strength bonuses, terrible intelligence, and a few levels in those classes and dubbing that a "troll."