The Archbarony of Blackmoor by Frederick Weining (
[email protected]) Far to the North !nder the looming threat of the Black "ce abides a co!ntry of legend. Bet#een the stark e$panse of the "cy %ea and the silent to#ering e&ergreens of the B!rneal Forest this land o&erlooks and finally 'oins the old arshes in a confl!ence of clinging mist and s!perstition. s!perstition. *ere on the &ery edge of the #orld lies Blackmoor. +nce the f!rthest pro&ince of the ,reat -ingdom this distant Archbarony someho# end!red the cent!ries that sa# Aerdys rise and fall. No# the Archbarony of Blackmoor stands alone. Tho!gh the Wars that recently ra&aged the rest of the ci&ili/ed #orld ne&er reached Blackmoor it has felt after effects from those conflicts. "ts modest trade #ith the lands to the so!th has been nearly abolished0 a fe# straggling ref!gees from those same lands ha&e been rel!ctantly accommodated by the s!spicio!s nati&es0 and a po#er that had a&oided the Archbarony has finally fo!nd its malicio!s attention dra#n to the north. "!/ the +ld has remembered the moors and their #eird magic that reb!kes his po#er. *e keeps #atch !pon the borders of Blackmoor b!t does not mo&e against it nor #ill he allo# his priests to enter the land. For no# the Archbarony is sec!re in its isolation b!t the time may soon come #hen Blackmoor m!st confront the #orld beyond its borders.
*istory of the 1and At the time of the great igrations the moors north of the old arshes #ere inhabited by the T!octs a Flannish people #ho d#elt in stockaded &illages and b!ilt hill2forts on the rocky o!tcroppings protr!ding from the marshland. *ere they led a simple e$istence3 raiding trading feasting and fe!ding amongst themsel&es !nder the #atchf!l eye of their dr!ids and bards. At established inter&als they #o!ld band together to make #ar #ith their prime&al enemy the 4gg of oot or to campaign for a season against their distant kin from the 5!agheath. The steady cycle of their li&es #as first dist!rbed #hen %!el raiders s#ept across the "cy %ea to pillage along the coasts before ret!rning home to 6hi/ia in late s!mmer. Within a fe# years these %ea Barbarians calling themsel&es 7eai had made permanent settlements north of Blackmoor on the Brink "slands and along the T!sking %trand. 4&en #ith the addition of these immigrants little changed in the north !ntil the first +eridian e$plorers and ad&ent!rers arri&ed in the Northlands a generation later. For the most part these ne#comers #ere ethnic
Aerdi 22 indi&id!alists rebels or o!tcasts #ho so!ght to escape the increasingly rigid society that #o!ld emerge in only a fe# years as the -ingdom of Aerdy. These Aerdi pioneers began the tradition of castle b!ilding in the lands of Blackmoor. The first called astle Blackmoor #as b!ilt on a lo# hill o&erlooking Blackmoor Bay. The location had been !sed since time immemorial by the northern clans as their hill of testing the site of their *igh2seat of 8!dgement. 9!els #hether m!sical magical or martial #ere cond!cted here !nder the a!thority of the %halmist dr!ids and bards. ontests #ere most often held #ithin the ancient ring of standing2stones b!t at times they might e$tend to the ca&erns beneath the hill #here legend said the :r2Flan sorcerers had ensla&ed fiends and po#erf!l elementals. The first astle Blackmoor #as b!ilt o&er these r!ins and +eridian lords r!led here e&en as the -ingdom of Aerdy sa# fo!ndation in the so!th. A &illage ;!ickly gre# !p aro!nd this first castle and soon other fortifications and settlements #ere b!ilt in the region. Th!s began an era of prosperity !nlike any pre&io!sly kno#n in the North. Ne# immigrants d#ar&es halflings and a fe# high2el&es among them bolstered the e$isting pop!lace adding their infl!ence to the emerging c!lt!re of Blackmoor. Tho!gh they arri&ed on the trail of the +erid settlers the immigrants soon established their o#n comm!nities. At some point an encla&e of Wastrian c!ltists also appeared taking !p residence in the old arshes #here they obser&ed #ith disg!st the racial cooperation fostered by the leaders of the ne# settlements and labored secretly to fr!strate it. Nonetheless the many different peoples of Blackmoor managed to #ork together o&er the ne$t cent!ry to form a r!gged b!t &ital society. This contin!ed !ntil in the decades immediately preceding the instit!tion of the +&erking a po#erf!l ne# fig!re rose to prominence in Blackmoor3 6anial the ,a!nt 1ord of 9antred!n %cion of Tenh and enemy of ,reat -ingdom. *e !nified the Blackmoor territory in opposition to the Aerdi aggressors from the so!th and thro!gh magic he created the ro#n of Blackmoor and claimed so&ereignty o&er the land and its people. *e defied the might of Aerdy for se&eral years !ntil his e&ent!al defeat at the Battle of Toad#ash. As his #ithered form sank into the marsh the ,reat -ingdom
ho#e&er Blackmoor #as e$cl!ded d!e to cartographical error. Tho!gh the mistake #as disco&ered prior to the in&estment of the =iceroy it #as concealed to a&oid any delay in the elaborate ceremonies
already prepared. Blackmoor after Perrenland F!ryondy and Tenh had seceded from the ,reat -ingdom. Tho!gh no formal declaration #as made the Archbarony ceased to pro&ide its symbolic trib!te to the +&erking. The matter #as scarcely ackno#ledged in 6a!$es. The final element completing separation from the ,reat -ingdom arri&ed on horseback in the early fo!rth cent!ry > #hen Nomad bands from central +erik in&aded the Flanaess and established themsel&es in the steppe2lands so!th of the B!rneal Forest. For the ne$t generation the trade ro!tes to the Northern 6eaches of F!ryondy #ere effecti&ely c!t off by the !nsettled hordes. 9!ring this t!m!lt!o!s period the ro#n of Blackmoor #as reclaimed by the e&il sorcerer 4ngren 4rris #ho became kno#n as the 1ich of ,lendo!r. The h!manoid inhabitants of Blackmoor flo!rished d!ring his reign and the h!man pop!lation t!rned markedly e&il. *e soon made #ar against the legitimate so&ereign and #hile his forces besieged astle Blackmoor Wastrian c!ltists emerged from the marshes dri&ing their 5!aggoth sla&es to a killing fren/y against the demi2h!mans of Blackmoor. These bands massacred d#ar&es el&es and halflings in the &illages and h!nted them thro!gh the co!ntryside. >et a fe# bra&e so!ls resisted and fo!ght against the m!ltit!de of e&ils that assailed Blackmoor from #ithin. Among these rebels #as fo!nd a leader #ho !nified the resistance. %he #as 6!a orgaiste the last li&ing heir to the Archbaron of Blackmoor. %he collected allies from the neighboring territories to aid in her fight0 she made tr!ce #ith the Wolf Nomads and e&en added some of their #arrior bands to her army0 she gathered free companies from thro!gho!t the North0 and led them all to &ictory o&er the #i/ard2!s!rper. orgaiste th!s became the first r!ling Archbaroness and led Blackmoor for another si$ and a half decades. 9!ring her long reign the Archbarony became one of the greatest co!ntries in the North #ith m!ch infl!ence in the s!rro!nding lands. To#ard the end of her regime she e&en helped the peoples of the 5!agheath and the >atils form the nation of Perrenland. Tho!gh she had r!led long and #isely she left no heir !pon her death and the s!ccession #as again open to challenge. According to her #ishes her co!ncil #as to decide the matter and r!le the land in the interim. any claimants presented themsel&es to the Baronial o!ncil as candidates for the high office incl!ding one sponsored by the 4gg of oot b!t the o!ncil chose Fadden of 9antrefaer. *e #as confirmed as Archbaron after first being named 1ord onciliator of Blackmoor astle for the go&erning a!thority #as retained by the Baronial o!ncil. The Archbaron #as to ser&e as a fig!rehead tho!gh in ret!rn he recei&ed a genero!s stipend and a &oice in the o!ncil. The reigns of fo!r Archbarons passed in this #ay before the fifth and last 1ord onciliator of Blackmoor astle Pernold lost his life in battle defending Blackmoor To#n from the 4gg of oot
inside. Tho!gh the magical defenses of the "nn co!ld not be breached by the 4gg neither co!ld the o!ncil escape their confinement. "t is possible that they still #ait for resc!e from #itho!t. The Archbaron
The Archbarony Today For the past ? years Bestmo has r!led Blackmoor from 9antred!n and #itho!t the assistance of the Baronial o!ncil established by orgaiste. Tho!gh the 4gg of oot remains his s#orn enemy the Archbaron has not yet made any definiti&e effort to recapt!re the to#n of Blackmoor. >et he is e&er diligent in his preparations0 ta$es are high and la#s are harsh so the Bastard of Blackmoor #ill ha&e the might to defeat his foe #hen the time is right. The Archbarony of Blackmoor is one of the fe# lands in the central Flanaess largely !nharmed by the ,reyha#k Wars. "ts peoples ha&e little contact #ith the o!tside #orld for the o!tside #orld sees the Archbarony as ha&ing little to offer in ret!rn for the dangero!s 'o!rney re;!ired to reach it. A fe# ref!gees from the Bandit -ingdoms and from Tenh ha&e bro!ght a slight increase to Blackmoor
6aces and 6egions Blackmoor
T!sking %trand. They also ha&e one permanent &illage of their o#n #ithin the Archbarony called Tonnsborg. The land of the Brinks is ;!ite poor so most s!stenance is garnered by h!nting fishing or #haling. The 7eai seldom raid as they did in pre&io!s cent!ries and many of them speak ommon as a second lang!age. A$e and s#ord are their fa&ored arms and those #ho can afford it #ear chain2mail in battle along #ith the ro!nd shield common to all the Barbarian %!el. The other race of h!mans in Blackmoor is a gro!p of primiti&es fo!nd in the region of the Black "ce. "t is !nkno#n if they ha&e any name for themsel&es b!t their fe# neighbors call them %k!rtha a #ord in the old Tong!e meaning back#ards. Wearing only skins they d#ell in r!de tents or ca&erns at the edge of the "ce. They make no !se of fire or of metal and greatly fear those #ho bear either. "t is remarkable that they can s!r&i&e in this fro/en land yet they ha&e li&ed here for !ntold cent!ries #hile other inhabitants ha&e either fled or died. 1egends say that their shamans ha&e a special relationship to the Black "ce and find pro&ision there for the tribe. Whate&er their secrets the &ery fact that they still end!re is a testament to h!man resilience. The h!manoids of Blackmoor are tolerated by most of the other inhabitants of the land. They ser&e as mercenaries for most of the !nderbaronies and ha&e scattered settlements of their o#n as #ell. The #ild bog2gnolls are an e$ception to this tolerance for they are the enemy of all other races. Their sa&agery is #itho!t peer among the h!manoids of Blackmoor b!t since they are seldom enco!ntered o!tside the fens fe# b!t the nati&e tribesmen or !nfort!nate tra&elers are forced to confront them. ost feared of all ho#e&er are the Tr!e Trolls. These nearly mythical creat!res are a magical race created by 6anial the ,a!nt as his personal ser&ants0 tho!gh less than t#o do/en of these creat!res ha&e e&er e$isted they may be enco!ntered any#here. They are linked to his other e&il legacy the ro#n of Blackmoor and no# e$ist only to find that heirloom #hich has been lost for cent!ries. 9emi2h!mans are so rare in Blackmoor as to be &irt!ally !nkno#n. Tho!gh they did ha&e their o#n comm!nities at one time these #ere destroyed by the Wastrian pogroms of the fo!rth cent!ry. Those fe# indi&id!als that remain to represent the demih!man races are looked on #ith little fa&or partic!larly at the co!rt of Archbaron Bestmo. The "cy %ea is home to a &ariety of creat!res. Fish are ab!ndant in the cold #aters. Whales are common here and #alr!ses are plentif!l in the area of the Brinks and T!sking %trand. +ther less m!ndane creat!res make their homes here as #ell. %ea2#ol&es are a r!mor among the 7eai and other maritime tra&elers. %ea serpents ha&e been enco!ntered in the open #aters and an ancient one is nati&e to Blackmoor Bay. This beast is a ser&ant of the giant %tormlord Aren =osendar #ho is said to still d#ell in his castle beneath the frigid #aters grie&ing o&er the folly of men.
The marshes of the north are inhabited by h!mans and h!manoids of differing kinds. The h!man Fen2folk are mostly of Flannish heritage descendants of the first immigrants to eastern +erik. Fre;!ently enco!ntered h!manoids incl!de #ild gnolls ice trolls and ;!aggoth. +ther h!manoid races are fo!nd here intermittently incl!ding a notorio!s co&ey of greenhags b!t one deser&es special mention. *e is called the Frost an and he has been reported by many different #itnesses o&er the past fi&e cent!ries. Whether there is b!t one Frost an or a #hole race of the creat!res is !nkno#n. *e is ensla&ed to the enigmatic race of ice toads that secrete themsel&es in the marshes. Perhaps this bondage is the so!rce of his e&il nat!re for he lo&es neither men nor his alien masters. Aro!nd him is an a!ra of !nnat!ral cold and this force can be foc!ssed and pro'ected by the glance of his blind eye. *e alone possesses the ability to comm!nicate #ith both mankind and the ice toads. Nati&e marsh d#ellers consider him either a fiend or an acc!rsed h!man or perhaps both and greet his presence as a sign of e&il. The moorlands are home to the ma'ority of Blackmoor
Po#ers and Priesthoods Traditionally Blackmoor has been only nominally religio!s. ertain sects ha&e al#ays been acti&e b!t e&en their follo#ers are moti&ated by e$pedience more often than de&otion. To many it seems that the gods themsel&es take little interest in Blackmoor. Among the deities #ith representati&e priesthoods in Blackmoor the most po#erf!l is +bad2hai. *is is the oldest h!man religion here and still the most #idespread tho!gh other foreign faiths ha&e also established themsel&es in the Archbarony. Together their priests keep the people of Blackmoor attached to s!ch gods as #ill ha&e them. +bad2hai3 This god
godet it is this &ery pro$imity that demands the +ld +ne
partic!lar concern. The demi2god "!/ is po#erf!l on +erth b!t that po#er is fragile compared to the ancient +erth magic and the !ni;!e e$pression of that magic #hich per&ades the northern moors. "!/ fo!nd his o#n po#ers t!rned against him by the land itself #hen he &ent!red there in the days preceding his imprisonment as had Wastri before him and this #eakening assisted in his confinement. :ntil he gains eno!gh kno#ledge and po#er to o&ercome the +erth magic he m!st contin!e to sh!n Blackmoor. B!t "!/ #ill not forget in the day of his tri!mph the land that shamed him.
1ocations and %ettlements The =illage of 9antred!n This &illage ser&es as the capital of the Archbarony as it has thro!gho!t the reign of Archbaron Bestmo. *e presides o&er a strange sort of co!rt in e$ile nominally claiming Blackmoor To#n as his official seat of go&ernment #hile making no clear effort to reclaim it from the 4gg of oot. Among his retin!e are fo!nd &ery fe# of Blackmoor) and b!ilt one of the first independent frontier baronies in the north0 collo;!ially this territory #as kno#n as the 9!chy of Tin for the po&erty of these e$patriate Tenhas ;!ite o&ermatched their pretensions to grande!r. A little more than HD years later 6anial lead the last resistance to Aerdy r!le in the North. *is defeat at the Battle of Toad#ash ga&e the Aerdi control of the entire region dist!rbed only sporadically by marsh2d#elling tribesmen. Tho!gh !ltimately con;!ered 9antred!n has retained a certain attit!de of independence from the rest of Blackmoor. 4$plorers and ad&ent!rers tra&eling into the region all make 9antred!n their first (and sometimes only) stop and this has pro&ided the &illage more familiarity #ith foreign peoples and c!stoms. This together #ith its location has made it the h!b of trade bet#een Blackmoor and the other nations of the Flanaess. At one time trade #as cond!cted #ith Perrenland the *ighfolk the Bandit -ingdoms and e&en Tenh. There #as also some commerce #ith the old *orned %ociety !ntil the reappearance of "!/ made this !ntenable. Tho!gh m!ch diminished in recent years some small merchant trains still tra&el hence from 9antred!n. These traffickers skirt the old
arshes !ntil they reach 4r!2To&ar and from there they 'o!rney across the steppes #ith Wolf Nomad g!ards !ntil they make their arri&al in Perrenland. Their most &al!able commodities are the rare and pec!liar Blackmoorish anti;!ities incl!ding the highly pri/ed 9eath 4ggs. The &illage has s!ffered more than its share of diffic!lties d!e to its location. "t
The =illage of ,lendo!r The only &illage of s!bstantial si/e in the ,loomfens a region still dominated by the indigeno!s clans ,lendo!r is !ni;!e in that its predominantly Flan c!lt!re #as blended #ith that of the +erid settlers early in the history of the Archbarony. This #as the first nati&e settlement to !se the +eridian methods of #arfare and commerce and '!st as importantly to adopt the !se of ommon as their primary tong!e. At the same time they ha&e maintained their o#n traditions especially those of the +ld Faith. >et #hile the a!thority of the dr!ids is strong here they are seldom present to enforce it0 rather their bardic disciples attend to the affairs of ,lendo!r. Foremost of these is ,eand !leare the master of the 6hymer the legitimate master of the 6hymeret in the end this black bard #as bro!ght lo# by his key ri&al #ho c!rsed him by performing a po#erf!l satire. The ill l!ck accompanying this satire soon assailed his !ndead so&ereign as #ell #hen orgaiste of Blackmoor defeated his h!manoid troops #ith her company and allies. %he he#ed him in hal&es #ith her o#n blade0 th!s ending his reign and restoring the &illage to its rightf!l leaders. Tho!gh it has
remained the chief &illage of the fen2folk it has ne&er again risen to the le&el of prominence that it held !nder the 1ich of ,lendo!r.
9earthkettle -eep This age#orn to#er is home to a co&ey of greenhags. Their e&il presence is strangely tolerated by the local T!octish tribes #ith #hom they ha&e a cent!ries old relationship. Tho!gh the fen2folk keep themsel&es at a distance from the Wido#s of 9earthkettle they are not seen as enemies. The hags play the role of #ise #omen and seers e&en acting as healers at times tho!gh their skills are more often !tili/ed in the ser&ice of personal and clan &endettas. >et it is ackno#ledged that the more often one deals #ith these #itches the higher the price they demand. %till they generally seem benign or nearly so b!t #oe betide any #ho transgress the obsc!re r!les of their hospitality 22 especially !nkno#ing strangers #ho fall into their cl!tches or healthy men #hen the ladies go a2 h!sbanding. The -eep itself is b!ilt o&er a nat!ral geyser and is al#ays s!rro!nded by hea&y fogs. The legendary magic of Blackmoor
Broomsage Abbey Broomsage Abbey named for the yndorian monastery aro!nd #hich it #as b!ilt is a &illage of precisely ID residents. They are called the N!mbered and all of them are !nder the a!thority of the presiding abbot. Their li&es are ordered by the de&otional re;!irements of their faith and #hile the ma'ority of them are merely lay members of the religion their presence is still &ital to the contin!ity of the religio!s comm!nity. 4ach s!ch resident of Broomsage Abbey ser&es in an established role and the clergy direct their daily efforts as h!mble craftsmen or laborers to complement the rites of #orship. +!tside the &illage proper are the habitations of their families and any others #ho are co!nted among the e$cess pop!lation. The lodgings for pilgrims and other tra&elers are fo!nd here as #ell. The resident priesthood comprises the +rder of the hroniclers #hich #as fo!nded by alen the hronicler in EII +.6. (2?H? >). These priestly sages are said to obser&e and record e&ents on the #hole of +erth despite their isolated &antage in Blackmoor. "n this p!rs!it they are aided by alen
The only interaction most o!tsiders ha&e #ith the abbey is d!ring the Festi&al of Fore&er #hen the clergy make themsel&es a&ailable as sages and seers. At these assemblies those #ho dare may entreat the priests for kno#ledge of their f!t!res. any still make the diffic!lt pilgrimage to Blackmoor for this opport!nity or for other kno#ledge that the priests may hold. ertain participants are seen to lose all interest in their pre&io!s li&es and thereafter 'oin the ranks of yndorian #orshipers #orking at the abbey.
6amshorn astle This r!ined fortification has recently been claimed by a mi$ed gro!p of immigrants e$iles from the Bandit -ingdoms #ho 'oined #ith a fe# escaping Tehnas to cross the Northern Barrens. These old enemies fo!nd common ca!se in the desperate days follo#ing the con;!est of Tenh and s!bmission of the Bandit -ingdoms. Together they fled the chaos and destr!ction they enco!ntered on both sides of the 7!mker ri&er. 1ead by the #ily ill!sionist Te!od Fent e$patriate Tenha and onetime Plar of 6ookroost nearly IDD men and #omen managed to reach Blackmoor beneath Fent
osshold J Tonnsborg osshold is a small seaport of EDD inhabitants the remnant of a once thri&ing to#n that held many times that n!mber in the early cent!ries >. "n those days osshold #as Blackmoor
Tonnsborg sits across the #aters from osshold on the northern shore of Blackmoor Bay. This settlement of appro$imately GDD citi/ens #as fo!nded by the 7eai #arlord 1ert!r 9rakanskald #ho led his kin from the T!sking %trand to Blackmoor in the mid second cent!ry >. These %!el Barbarians ;!ickly adapted to pre&ailing c!lt!re and #orked to foster trade bet#een 7eai and Blackmoorish. "nitially this trade dealt mostly in the reco&ery of riches stolen by the 7eai in the pre&io!s season
The To#n of Blackmoor The r!ined to#n of Blackmoor #as once the capital of the Archbarony before it fell to the 4gg of oot in EH >. The 4gg had long laid claim to Blackmoor its castle and most importantly the d!ngeons beneath #hich are said to be as old as any on +erth. No# after cent!ries of h!man occ!pation the site is again in r!in as if the 4gg had desired only to see it so. Fe# #ill risk the 'o!rney here for dangero!s creat!res especially the mad 5!llan #arriors are still fo!nd in these precincts. 4&en the h!manoid ser&ants of the 4gg a&oid this area sa&e for those #ho d#ell in Blackmoor 9!ngeon itself. ost of these follo# Brost B!lem self proclaimed -ing of the Northern +rcs. *is bands sca&enge the r!ins of Blackmoor To#n tho!gh they also scr!p!lo!sly a&oid the 5!llan. The one str!ct!re that remains intact in the other#ise r!ined to#n is the fabled omeback "nn. This inn has its o#n !ni;!e history for e&en prior to its constr!ction the &ery gro!nds #ere legendary. The nati&es considered them to be ha!nted by the spirits of ancient heroes and demons #ho had been tested on the hill abo&e0 the dr!idic elders kne# the place simply as the ,rotto of 6es!rgence. When the fo!ndation of the omeback "nn #as laid the b!ilding raised !pon it pro&ed to be a magical str!ct!re indeed imm!ne to the ra&ages of time. Any damage done to this b!ilding no matter ho# great #as repaired in a matter of days. "ts entrance #as also #arded so that no one intending harm to the b!ilding or its occ!pants might pass o&er the threshold. As a strange corollary no one #ithin co!ld e$it the b!ilding either !nless they #ere assisted from #itho!t. 4arly in the "nn
:nfort!nately the destr!ction of the to#n #as other#ise so complete that there #ere none left #ho co!ld assist those inside the "nn. %o the Archbarony is bereft of both it
The 4gg of oot 6ising from the northern fens is a strange dome2shaped edifice #hose ancient &erdigrised s!rface is formed of some !nkno#n metal. "t has b!t one &isible entrance a ro!nd gate on its eastern side. Thro!gh this gate pass an odd assortment of creat!res ser&ing a recl!si&e and !nnat!ral master3 the 4gg of oot. ost of these beings are either s!mmoned creat!res or those he has bred or in&ented s!ch as his &ario!s strains of diseased gibberlings se&eral &arieties of hom!nc!li and most recently the chaos race of 5!llan. Fe# other than the 4gget it seems he has no act!al desire to r!le as a so&ereign b!t prefers to !se lands and peoples as his playthings. For the 4gg has b!t one great passion and that is gaming. *e is fascinated by the p!rs!it of ephemeral &ictories and in the de&elopment of arcane r!les and rit!als. The 4gg has long made a practice of dra#ing !n#itting players into his games #hether from nearby or from the far corners of the +erth 22 or e&en from other #orlds and times.
+ther %ites The ity of the ,ods This ancient city is perhaps the oldest legend of Blackmoor. Tho!gh most stories place it beyond the borders of the Archbarony the act!al location is !nkno#n. "t is said to en'oy a balmy climate despite the harsh en&ironment immediately o!tside the city #alls. Those #ho d#ell #ithin are said to be immortal perpet!ally yo!ng and gifted #ith e$traordinary bea!ty. They possess arts and sciences !nkno#n else#here on +erth yet they ne&er tra&el o!tside this
sanct!ary for they are !nnat!ral beings #ho ha&e earned the #rath of Beory. Their crime #as to commit an !npardonable blasphemy3 the creation of synthetic life. They ha&e retained the semblance of life #itho!t the cycles of life #itho!t gro#th or decay and #itho!t hope of rebirth. These self2appointed ,ods no# find themsel&es imprisoned by their &ery e$istence and the paradise of their home cannot be shared #ith others. The ity of the ,ods brings madness disease and !ltimately death to li&ing things that linger there too long.
The Temple of the Toad 1ost in the old arshes some#here bet#een Blackmoor and the lands of "!/ this holy place of the demi2god Wastri has fallen into r!in. The comple$ #as b!ilt long ago to encompass the so2called Pinnacle of the Toad #hich Wastri had raised from the mire #ith po#ers stolen from the ity of the ,ods. "t is said that the Pinnacle has again s!nk beneath the marsh and is lost to Wastri !nless he sho!ld risk yet another e$c!rsion to the ity and sei/e the po#er to restore it. >et r!mors persist that the temple2comple$ itself still e$ists holding other secrets of the *opping Prophet. "t is also said to ser&e as the gathering place many of the ice2toads fo!nd in the marshes b!t it is other#ise a&oided d!e to the inordinate n!mber of #raiths that congregate there.
The Wi/ard
