Return to the Vales of Blackmoor

This week, my PbP campaign started up again this week after a long break. We are now on the third chapter of the Vales Saga. Set in the lands to the west of the Duchy of Ten, Chapter 3 is called Legends of the Vales.

 After such a long break, I was really happy to see that so many from the old group of players were excited to rejoin the campaign. In addition, this chapter sees two new participants as well, making a total of nine players. When I started chapter 1, I was worried about how many players I could handle, but I have found that it is much easier to handle a large number of players in this type of game than say if we were sitting around the same table. For my face-to-face campaigns these days I prefer four players and one Dungeon Master.

 In this chapter, the PCs have been asked to investigate closer the curse that has been placed on the forests of the region. The curse was put there by cultists of the Frog God, and the ritual they used involved the ritual sacrifice of a local druid. In addition to looking for a way to finally rid the Vales of this curse, a powerful rogue magic-user is at large. Will they encounter him again? Well don't ask me what happens next. My players have been known to surprise me, so how this chapter will evolve from here is far too early to even ponder on at this point!




 -Havard

Exploring the Vales of Blackmoor

Heroes of the Vales is the second chapter in my Play by Post Campaign. Hosted at the Comeback Inn, this game is  set in the Vales, a remote region west of Blackmoor. It has been great running this game for a group consisting of some of the most hard core Blackmoor fans on the Internet, including Greg Svenson who was a regular in Dave Arneson's original campaign.

One of the great things about the Vales is that it is a region where very little has been detailed in published sources. This offers a lot of creative freedom. On the other hand, one of my goals is to preserve a certain Blackmoor atmosphere for the campaign. Most recently I revealed to my players a map of a much greater area of the region than they had seen before...




-Havard

Mi-Karr and the Wizards Cabal

One of the most powerful Wizards in the history of Blackmoor is the mysterious Wizard of Mi-Karr. I decided to make use of this character in my Tales from the Vales Campaign. Very little is known about this Wizard who was introduced in the First Fantasy Campaign. Undoubtedly, Dave Arneson named the character after Mike Carr, although it doesnt seem like Mike actually played the character. More details on the origins of Mi-Karr and how I have adapted him to my campaign  can be found here.



Image source


-Havard

Vales Campaign approaches Season Finale

Tales from the Vales is my ongoing PbP campaign hosted at the Comeback Inn. It is set in the lands west of Blackmoor, known simply as the Vales. Starting in February this year, the campaign is now approaching its season finale.
 

The Story So Far:
When they first arrived in the Vales, the heroes befriended Thane Arthax, a local chieftain. Arthax was having trouble with local brigands and the heroes agreed to help rid the Thane of this problem. Investigating the  situatuon further, they learned that the brigands were lead by a man called Drunstan the Dog and that Drunstan was also hiring out his brigands to Master Oswin, an emissary of the Wizards Cabal.

The Wizards Cabal formally has no authority in the Vales, but were tracking a renegade sorceress named Madam Wynne who had sought refuge in this region. Having killed most of the brigands, the heroes made contact with Wynne and agreed to help her defeat the Wizards.


Retrieving an artifact for Wynne in ancient ruins, the heroes once again crossed paths with Drunstan the Dog as well as a cult dedicated to the worship of the Frog God. The cult was lead by Thane Arthax' daughter who apparently had seduced Drunstan. Defeating the cultists and killing the Thane's daughter, the heroes, Drunstan and Wynne have now formed an unlikely alliance in order to fight Master Oswin. But will their collective strength be enough to oppose a Master of the Cabal and his Arcane Warriors?

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-Havard