A Setting Supplement

Compatible with the

Delving Deeper
Rules and all Editions based on
The original 1974 roleplaying game

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Blackmarsh
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Copyright 2011 Robert S. Conley

Written by Robert S. Conley

Cartography by Robert S. Conley
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Layout by Robert S. Conley

Edited by Tim Shorts, and Ken Harrison
Inspiration and Design, Dwayne Gillingham

some artwork copyright, The Forge, Maciej Zagorski, Pawel Dobosz, Claudio
Pozas, Louis Porter, Jr. Design, Cerebus, Dover Publications, used with permission.

some artwork public domain retrieved from Wikimedia Commons

at http://commons.wikimedia.org

Thanks to John Adams and his team for putting together the Delving Deeper
Rules

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 Introduction
At the dawn of roleplaying, the campaign and its setting were already established.
One could say it preceded the RPG itself, as Dave Arneson adapted the ideas of
Major David Wesely’s Braustein game for his Blackmoor campaign. Slightly later,
Gary Gygax created Greyhawk. From the experience gained with these campaigns,
the first roleplaying game was written. In all the years since, the campaign has
been the centerpiece. Yet few roleplaying games included a fully useable campaign
setting with their rules.

The limits of roleplaying games are only bound by the collective imagination of the
referee and his players. But first time referees are often daunted not only by the
effort needed to master the game rules, but also having to create a campaign

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setting. Many have given the advice to start out small, to detail a town or village
near a dungeon as the initial focus of the campaign. As the referee gains experience,
he can later expand into the surrounding wilderness, fleshing out the campaign

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setting with as much detail as he wishes.

As good as that advice is, it would help to have examples of what a fleshed out
campaign would look like. That is why Blackmarsh has been included in the Delving
Deeper Box Set. It is not meant to define the limits of the Delving Deeper world,
but rather show its possibilities to show referees a way of organizing their own
campaigns and finally, as a source of inspiration.
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Blackmarsh was designed to evoke the earliest campaigns of the world’s most
popular roleplaying game. It takes place amid a wilderness full of danger and
the possibility of great treasure. It is organized as a numbered hex grid with
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locales keyed to specific hexes. Locales are described briefly in a paragraph or
two. Most locales are meant to serve as a springboard for the referee to create
his own details. In addition, geographical entities, organizations, and realms that
span multiple hexes are described as well.
The Hex Map
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A grid of hexes, arranged in columns, make up the map. The hex numbers are
given in a four-digit format (1213, 0114, etc). For example, 0211 means that it
is in the “02” column (the 2nd column of the map) and is 11 hexes down.
Sometimes the hex number will not be clear because of the terrain in the hex. In
this case, you will need to count the hexes. Each map hex is 5 miles.
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This system of using hex numbers allows a referee to quickly find the locales on
the map and what is near a location. This helps keep the map uncluttered and
easy to read. Geographical features are composed of multiple hexes and are
labeled directly on the map. They are listed alphabetically in that map’s
chapter.
Adventuring Advice
This format is designed to make it easy to referee players as they explore the
world. With a list of locales, it is easy for the referee to determine what is over
the next hill and what possible challenges the players might face. In addition, since
the players can largely be left to their own devices, this format allows the referee
more time to focus on the core adventures in his campaign.

Not every hex location has a description, and the background information is only
meant to be a loose framework. Referees are encouraged to add material and
make the setting unique to their campaigns.
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It is suggested that to get maximum use of this setting that the referee look over
the locales, then chose the ones that best suit the campaign. Note the NPCs and
their circumstances. Develop a timeline of events if the characters are not involved.
Detail important locales and add new ones of your own design. Do the same for
the NPCs, and make notes on their motivations and personalities.
After each session of the campaign, review what the players did. Look at your
original timeline of events, see what impact their actions had, and make the needed
changes. Sometimes the players’ actions will lead to a new and unexpected chain
of events.

The creativity of the referee comes by not forcing his players to follow a

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predetermined story, but to develop new and interesting consequences based on
the players’ actions. Use the NPC’s motivations and personalities to decide which
consequences are the most likely and pick the most interesting.

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The result is a campaign where the players feel they are forging their character’s
destiny within a living, breathing world. It will not only be fun and adventurous, but
also filled with surprises. Consequences will accumulate and spin the campaign
into unexpected directions.

Overview
Blackmarsh lies on the fringe of civilization, located around a large bay on the
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western edge of the Grey Sea. For a brief time, the frontiers of the great empires
encompassed the region, but they retreated centuries ago. Only a few outposts of
civilization remain amid the dangers of the encroaching wilderness.
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The bay that dominates Blackmarsh was created two millennia ago by the disaster
known as The Mountain That Fell. After The Mountain That Fell, strange and terrible
monsters appeared in the surrounding wasteland. The elves arrived in Blackmarsh,
drove the fell creatures into hiding, and healed the land. However, after two and
a half millennia, their power is waning and the monsters have crept back into the
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dark corners of the wilderness.

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A thousand years ago, the Bright Empire settled Castle Blackmarsh and for a brief
time the races were united in an alliance and pushed back the monsters. Then eight
hundred years ago, the Bright Empire collapsed after being defeated by the
barbarians in the cataclysmic battle known as The Shattering. Blackmarsh was one
of the first regions to be abandoned. Left in the wake of the empire’s retreat was
a patchwork of realms ruled by petty kings and tyrants.

Since the Shattering, the frontier has slowly retreated. In place of the ordered
safety of the Bright Empire, monsters, barbarians, and other increasingly roamed
without restraint. In the present day, those who come to Blackmarsh are more
interested in viz, killing monsters, or the strange artifacts left by The Mountain That
Fell than establishing new settlements. The only force that stands against the

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wilderness is the Blackmarsh Rangers. Anyone who is willing to defend the land
and its people are welcomed into their ranks.
The Mountain That Fell

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In the days when man knew only the working of stone and fought for their existence
against the orc and the goblin, the sky turned to ash and down fell the fiery
mountain onto the land. The world tore open and the grey waters rushed in. Those
who survived the impact were lost as boiling clouds rushed out in all directions
leaving a wasteland in its wake.

The Mountain That Fell left a gift; magic. Near and far, those of learning and
strong of heart discovered new powers to shape the world. In the desolation
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around the Smoking Bay the adventurous found viz, magic in physical form. And
there was more, scattered amid the landscape were strange artifacts and stranger
creatures that survived The Mountain That Fell. For a time men, dwarves, orc,
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goblins, and other races braved the dangers and fought each other in the wastelands.
Then the elves came into Blackmarsh expelled the feuding races, drove the monsters
out, and healed the land.
Viz
Viz is a magical substance that takes many forms. It could be a flask of pure
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spring water, a newly bloomed flower, or an iridescent rock. What all these items
have in common is they are infused with pure magic. Viz can be used in the casting
of spells or the creation of magic items.
Viz allows a magic user to cast spells without losing it from memory. The viz is
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consumed in the process. One viz for a first level spell, two viz for a second level
spell, three for a 3rd level spell and so on. One viz is worth 100 GP towards the
creation of a magic item. The referee can use viz as treasure usable towards the
creation of a magic item in place of giving out more gold pieces.
The Wild North
To the north of Blackmarsh lies the Wild North, a cold land of dark fir and taiga.
The mighty Belaya River runs through the heart of the land. Scattered through the
Wild North are the human Rurasin city-states.
Southland
Bordering Blackmarsh to the south is the region known as Southland. It lies on the
frontier of the Vasa Province of the Grand Kingdom and was recently opened for
settlement. The Kingdom of Bolzak in the White Mountains is the birthplace of
many dwarves in Blackmarsh.

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Adaption Notes
The map for Blackmarsh is designed to work with the Lands of Adventure, a series
of settings. For those with the Lands of Adventure product (or the earlier Points of
Light products from Goodman Games) Blackmarsh adjoins along the northern edge
of Southland and lies a hundred miles to the west of Wildlands. It is set during the
time period depicted in Southland, the era of the Grand Kingdom.

There are several possibilities to place Blackmarsh in your existing campaign. The
first, it’s located on the frontier of the “known world”. A once wide spread empire,
that encompassed Blackmarsh, has since retreated or collapsed. Another possibility,
Blackmarsh is located in an out of the way corner of the world where the land is
marginal for farming and mining. In times of decline, it is one of the first places to

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be abandoned, or at best ignored.
The settlements of the four races (man, elves, dwarves, halflings) are distant colonies

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of racial homelands. The remoteness of Blackmarsh means that these settlements
are effectively independent.

There are four distinct areas of men in Blackmarsh. The Ostrobards are new to
civilization, having shed their barbarian ways in the last century. There are the
men along the southern shore of the Smoking Bay running from Castle Blackmarsh
in the west to Jorvik in the east. They are a surviving remnant of the Bright Empire.
The Vasan Vikings have four settlements along the eastern edge of Blackmarsh.
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They arrived here after they lost much of their homeland to the Grand Kingdom.
Finally, there is the Grand Kingdom which is starting to expand into Blackmarsh.
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Several references are made to the dwarven kingdom of Bolzak which is found in
Southland. This can be ignored or replaced with a suitable dwarven kingdom of
your choosing. Olden Hold is a base for the dwarves to explore Blackmarsh so it
is not critical to have a kingdom immediately to the south.

The Blackmarsh Rangers are designed as an organization indigenous to the area.

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If a referee wants to incorporate the Ranger class this would be a natural starting
point.
For the House of the Raven, a referee could use the dark elves from other fantasy
roleplaying games. As presented in Blackmarsh, they are a group who believe
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that the elves should rule and enslave other races. This is considered abhorrent to
the cultures of Blackmarsh.

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 Geography
The aftermath of The Mountain That Fell has had a major impact on the region’s
geography. The impact caused many cracks and shifts in the land, forming the
numerous swamps and estuaries of the region. Even after two thousand years, and
the best efforts of the elves, much of the shoreline is a confusing maze of waterways.
Alhert Island
This long barrier island has little of note other than scrub and sand. The unique
Pyrocantha bush grows in abundance here. Its berries can be harvested in the fall
and used to create a salve that when rubbed on armor gives a +1 bonus.
Unfortunately, the salve lasts only a single battle, but additional doses can be
applied. Multiple applications of the salve do not have an accumulative effect.

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Dragonbone Peaks
The western slopes of these high mountains took the brunt of the debris ejected

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from the crash of The Mountain That Fell. The debris covers most of the valleys of
western slopes. In the centuries since, an extensive cavern system has formed. It is
believed the network extends for miles along the western edge of the mountain
range.
Driftwood Isle
The currents of the Grey Sea caused this island to accumulate a large amount of
driftwood as well as other objects from the wind and tide. Along the southeast
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peninsula, the scattered remains of a ship can be found. Beneath a pile of seaweed
is a body of a young man dressed in the style of a high noble of the Grand
Kingdom. His hand clutches a necklace with the royal seal.
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Lanis River
The Lanis River flows north from Southland and is three miles wide when it enters
Blackmarsh. The current is deep and slow and easily allows ships and barges to
travel in both directions. Merchants travel between Castle Blackmarsh, Westguard
and the dwarven kingdom of Bolzak. Sometimes the occasional Vasan longship
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will try their luck raiding farther south.

Pendar Mountains
A spur of the White Mountains they connect a hundred miles to the northwest. They
are known for the numerous goblin tribes that inhabit the little explored mountain
valleys.
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Rednut River
This river gets its name from the number of Rednut groves growing along its banks.
The Rednut is considered a tasty delicacy by the inhabitants and animals of
Blackmarsh. Every fall, the river surface is covered with floating rednuts as they
drop from the trees. This has the unfortunate effect of attracting hippogriffs and
griffons who swoop down and scoop them off the water. They are not above
trying to take a more meaty bite from an unwary traveler on the river.
Sandstone Island
The leeward side (facing Sheltered Bay) is a mass of sandstone that was heavily
cracked from the crash of The Mountain That Fell. There are numerous ravines,
gullies, and chasms throughout the length of the island. This is a favorite haunt for
vikings and pirates to hide their treasure. Windward, it gradually fills in with sand
until the beach dunes are reached.
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Sheltered Bay
A chain of islands absorbs the brunt of any storm sweeping in from the Grey Sea.
It is also the only entrance into the Smoking Bay and the rest of Blackmarsh. There
is a 1 in 3 chance per day of encountering a ship entering or leaving the Smoking
Bay.
Smoking Bay
The Mountain That Fell created the Smoking Bay and for a century afterwards,
pillars of steam rose from the waters and were seen for hundreds of miles away.
The pillars of steam have since subsided, but the name remains. The sea bottom is
a confusing maze of rubble with many areas unexplored. Many sea creatures
have moved in to take advantage of the chaotic terrain to hide.

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The Black Marshes
The impact of The Mountain That Fell fractured this region forming the marshes that
give the area its name. The marshes are fifteen miles north-south and over fifty

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miles east-west. The impact left several large lakes connected by a confusing
maze of waterways and bogs. It offers a convenient place to hide for those who
want keep their activities away from prying eyes. The water is black in color
caused by the minerals leeching from the surrounding soil and vegetation.
The Crimson Hills
Over the centuries, numerous orc tribes conquered and were conquered among
these hills. Their continual conflict has caused this region to be known as the Crimson
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Hills. The two main tribes are the Bateaters (1911) and the Bloodcrushers (2207),
but there are several smaller orc clans and families hiding and hunting in the hills.
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The Grey Sea

The Grey Sea is known for its storms, strong currents, treacherous reefs, and superb
fishing grounds. After the collapse of the Bright Empire reavers, vikings and pirates
dominated the waters, but the rise of the Grand Kingdom has largely brought
peace to the Grey Sea. Only the Vasan Vikings and a few pirate ships remain to
challenge the might of the Grand Kingdom’s navy.

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The Greywoods
Over a thousand elves make their home in this forest. The forest gets its name from
the Grey Ash trees, whose seeds in the fall, dry into a grey ash like color. The
seeds littering the forest floor remind the elves of the wasteland that once existed
here in the aftermath of The Mountain That Fell. The ash seeds are also a potent
source of viz, jealously guarded by the elves for their own use.
The Tave Marshes
Unlike the Black Marshes there are not many lakes in the Tave Marshes. Instead,
there is a network of estuaries connected by small steams and bogs. The region is
largely avoided by the surrounding races due to the evil reputation of the weretigers
that dwell within the swamp.

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The White Mountains
These majestic, snowcapped mountains stretch far to the northwest, and are the
highest known in the regions. The dwarven kingdom of Bolzak lies to the south and

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Olden Hold is the northernmost outpost.

The White Mountains teem with game, and great predators, such as griffons and
hippogriffs, making their home in the high aeries. Stone giants are known to roam
to the edge of the mountains, and although they don’t often attack, they will attack
small parties of travelers.
Thornbrush Island
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The leeward side of this island is choked with groves of thorny bushes and hedges.
Numerous game trails form an extensive maze that wild boars (2 HD) and other
creatures use.
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The Westwall
Farther south, the Westwall forms the western boundary of the Vasa Province of
the Grand Kingdom. The northern terminus ends in Blackmarsh and is home to
several clans of hill giants.
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Locales
0105 These are the ruins of Daur Anthar, the hold of the famed Dwarven
Ironmaster, Gamli Norreshield. It is here that he found a vein of metal rich in viz
and researched its use in the forging of arms and armor. When the hold was
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abandoned several hundred years ago, an earth elemental (HD 12) remained to
guard the ruins.

0107 A band of brigands are bent on vengeance against the Rangers of

Blackmarsh and are marching on Blackoak Castle. Sigrun the Boneless (Ftr9), two
captains (Ftr6,5), and three lieutenants (Ftr4) lead 115 brigands.

0211 Viewing the Halflings of Newcombe as easy prey, King Graptar the
Stupendous (treat as a hobgoblin and wielding a +1 warhammer) moved 150
goblins into the Pendar Mountains where they established their new base.
Surrounding the king are twelve guards (treat as hobgoblins) who protect Graptar
against any usurpers.

0214 A mother black dragon (old, HD 8) and her child (young, HD 7) have
slaughtered a herd of deer and are in a meadow consuming the carcasses.
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 Rumors
1 In Strangeholm, the halflings have uncovered a powerful sword of law
(F)
2 Goblins roam the Pendar Mountains (T)
3 Be careful wandering the Greywoods, the boundary between worlds is
weak there (T)
4 The elves have wild parties of debauchery in Castle Blackmarsh(F)
5 The Duke of the Ostrobards is noted for his wild parties (T)
6 The Wizard of the Isle will allow any who tells him a riddle he can’t
solve to stay on The Mountain That Fell (F)
7 Lord Mazardan of Olden Hold is offering 1,000 GP for any viz brought
to him (partially False, he will offer 200 GP)

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8 King Ragnar’s grip on the throne of Castle Taldane is weak. Civil war is
about to ensue (T)
9 The Blackmarsh Rangers are recruiting new members (T)
10 Sir Causari of Inuacus Keep is gathering forces to overthrow the elves

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(F)
11 Three beautiful maidens dwell in the westernmost lake of the
Blackmarshes, they will bestow their treasure on those who please them
(F)
12 Beware of those who march underneath the Raven’s wings (T)
13 Actayl Oathbinder survived the clearing of the lighthouse and is now in
Jorvik raising an army (F)
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A strange maelstrom appears in the western portion of the Smoking
Bay. One can see treasure at the bottom (T)
15 The Ostrobards are having trouble with attacks by hippogriffs (T)
16 Lord Mazardan hosts a lav ish banquet at Olden Hold every year. Only
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the most successful of explorers are invited. (T)
17 Myrmidons of Sarrath are leading an invasion force into Blackmar sh (F)
18 So many orcs have died in the Crimson Hills that the hills are haunted by
their spectres (F)
19 Most of the magic-users from the time of the Bright Empire lived in
conclaves south of the Black Marshes. Their ruined homes are
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dangerous but many are remain untouched (T)

20 The Duke of the Ostrobards is going to hold a grand tourney the first in
the Blackmarsh region (F)
0217 Oldan Hold, Pop: 342, Dwarf; Align L; Ruler: Lord Mazardan, Ftr6, L,
Dwarf; Resource: Market.
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Oldan Hold is the northernmost outpost of the Dwarven Kingdom of Bolzak. It was
founded as a base for the search of viz by the Ironmasters of Bolzak. It’s become
an entrepôt where merchants all over Blackmarsh come and trade with the dwarves.
There are 5d10 foreign merchants (human, elf, halflings) with their guards present.

Lord Mazardan was one of the most successful explorers and appointed as Lord
of Oldan Hold two decades ago. He is also High Captain of the Northern Company
of Adventurers. An association of explorers looking for sources of viz. Every year
he hosts a grand banquet in the company hall where members and their friends
eat and tell tales of their discoveries.

0302 The inside of this bend on the Rednut River is riddled with giant snake
dens. Every 100 yards there is a 3 in 6 chance of encountering either a hole to a
den (1-4) or a giant snake (HD 2)(5-6).
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0309 This crumbling wizard’s keep dates back a thousand years to the time of
the Bright Empire. An experiment gone awry left the keep infested with numerous
ochre jellies (HD 5), including one very large black pudding (HD 10, 60 hp) in the
old great hall.

0318 A herd of mean tempered wild boars (HD 3) roam the slopes of the
White Mountains here. Even hunters from Olden Hold (see 0217) avoid this valley.
There is a 1 in 4 chance of encountering 4d4 boars per hour while in the region.
0407 Blackoak Castle; Sinerian, Ftr4/Mu6 L, Elf; 50 elves, 60 men, 40 dwarves,
20 halflings.

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This castle is the headquarters of the Blackmarsh Rangers, an organization dedicated
to preserving peace between the races and keeping Blackmarsh free from the
depredations of monsters. They consider the Brotherhood of the Raven their mortal
enemy (see 1807). The Temple of Thor at Castle Blackmarsh is an ally especially

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when monsters are involved.
The Blackmarsh Rangers were founded by the legendary Geran Blackoak fifteen
centuries ago during the invasion of the Ostrobard barbarians. Geran Blackoak
was instrumental in restoring the peace. While he failed to unite them politically, a
tradition of mutual assistance took hold among the races.
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The castle serves as the primary training ground for new rangers recruits as well as
a meeting place for the biannual gathering of the captains. It contains workshops
and stores to supply the various ranger circles wandering throughout Blackmarsh.
Clerics of Silvanus, the Forest Lord, are traditionally stationed at the castle to
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provide aid and support. Thanks to the elves, one of the finest schools of magic in
the Blackmarsh region is found here. The school tends to study the practical rather
than theoretical aspects of magic.

High Captain Sinerian has been the leader for over a century and expects to serve
for several decades more. Her greatest challenges have been dealing with the
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raids of the Vasan Vikings from across the Grey Sea, and the rising power of the
Grand Kingdom to the southeast. If the Rurasin city-states to the north unite, it may
prove another threat to the peace.

0409 Strangeholms, Pop: 292, Halfling; Align L; Ruler: Mayor Holbein Redleaf,
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0-lvl, L; Resource: Farm.

Strangeholms is a halfling village that surrounds a large hill south of the Holms
Water. The region around the village has rich soil for farming and the halflings
supply much of the food needed by Castle Blackoak (see 0407).

Mayor Holbein, along with his constable, keeps the peace, but struggles when the
occasional monster emerges from the ruined wizard keep (see 0309) to the
northwest. In addition to being mayor, Holbein is a skilled painter and has had his
work commissioned several times by the wealthy and nobles of Blackmarsh.

0413 A tribe of 190 kobolds dominate the forest north of the lake. High Chief
Cruk rules the kobolds with the assistance of six other chiefs of the tribe (treat as
goblins). He also leads the kobolds in the worship of a strange glowing sword of
law in an open grove at the center of the forest. When the kobolds first arrived,
a century ago, they tried to take the sword, but it killed any who touched it.
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