Edit: Aha, one more question. The various descriptions of Blackmoor refer to "mad quallan warriors". Who or what are these seemingly dangerous folks?
The qullan warriors, the first mention of then I can remember was on the map for a Dungeon adventure called "[i]Ex Keraptis [latin for "with", but the content filter blocks because it is a vulgar slang for something else] Amore[/i]". The Living Greyhawk Journal dealt with them in a 3e format. Pretty much, barbaric warriors, humanoid looking, in fact they look pretty much like painted up human barbarians if I recall correctly.
I wish I could remember their special abilities, but it had something to do with an extremely chaotic nature that affected others around them.
Regards,
Eric Anondson
Another hint of all the different incarnations Blackmoor has had can be seen in Andre Norton's novel Quag Keep that she wrote after extensive consultation with Gary Gygax. In that book, Blackmoor is conflated with the Great Kingdom.
To the north was an evil and unnatural superbeing that called itself the Egg of Coot...
...In his Great Nest north of Blackmoor, the evil Egg of Coot counted his losses at the hands of Blackmoor's army, and he too decided that he hated the new king with a special hate...
...To the northwest of Blackmoor and separated from it by a narrow channel called the Breakers, is an isolated peninsula that rose from the depths so recently that there are men who remember when that barren, stinking tongue of land was open sea. This magically created peninsula is the dominion of an evil and vastly powerful entity that calls itself the Egg of Coot. Few have ever seen the Egg. Those who have seem unable to remember anything about it. But over decades, it has drawn men to its lair and bound them to its evil will. Now, from its capital, the Egg's Nest, it rules a small empire of 20,000 subjects, a quarter of whom are slaves...
...Most of the coastline surrounding the Egg's realm is either rocky cliff or nearly impassible fen... In the north, the spit of land connecting it with the mainland is guarded by a castle called Trollgate, which is manned by 400 soldiers. On the east coast, Castle Ohmafet, with its garrison of 600, blocks the one good landing site. On the south coast, the walled town of Harbol (pop. 3000) controls access to the beaches at the head of Blinkdog Bay. At the head of Coot's Bay is the Egg's Nest, a walled town and port of 6000, inside of which is the Egg's citadel.
Someone who has the other adventures in the DA series (which presumedly stands for Dave Arneson) might know more. You might ask the Mystara forum.
Just as a suggestion, it might be an illithid elder brain pool, perhaps one that's lost the illithids who formally cared for it. Or an elder beholder, for that matter. Both are roughly egg-shaped and powerful. It could also be a sentient artifact. Or maybe it's a literal egg of some cosmic entity - what might happen if it hatched?
Qullans are from the original Fiend Folio, and White Dwarf Magazine before that. They're humanoids infused with chaos. Here is a conversion to 3rd edition D&D.
The town and castle of Blackmoor in DA1 was suffused with wild magic due to the mysterious black rock upon which it was built, and caused the dungeons beneath the castle to spew up weird monsters on a periodical basis. This explains qullans nicely. You might conceivably consider the black rock to the the basis for a far realm cyst as described in Dragon Magazine #330. Maybe that's what the Egg is after.
The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer suggests that the Egg of Coot might be a technological thing, either itself a construct or a constructor, for many of its servants are automatons.
The quallen are described in the old AD&D Fiend Folio.
You might conceivably consider the black rock to the the basis for a far realm cyst as described in Dragon Magazine #330. Maybe that's what the Egg is after.
That's a great idea.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
The town and castle of Blackmoor in DA1 was suffused with wild magic due to the mysterious black rock upon which it was built, and caused the dungeons beneath the castle to spew up weird monsters on a periodical basis. This explains qullans nicely. You might conceivably consider the black rock to the the basis for a far realm cyst as described in Dragon Magazine #330. Maybe that's what the Egg is after.
For me poor non-Paizo-subscriber, can you detail the concept a bit more please? -Hope Mr Mona doesn't mind.
;)
For me poor non-Paizo-subscriber, can you detail the concept a bit more please? -Hope Mr Mona doesn't mind.
Something from outside (make that Outside) the cosmology has warped reality, and things are wonky and also horrific. It's like a cancer on space-time. It's like Bruce Banner's gamma rays. It's like R'lyeh trying to impose itself upon Euclidean space. Tentacles often result, and blobs.
http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_anagrams.html
and
http://www.geocities.com/havardfaa/Coot.html
So, essentially we have an idea that the Egg is kind of a parody of people who think wargaming is above roleplaying (GW anyone?) or a dig at Gary Gygax.
Something from outside (make that Outside) the cosmology has warped reality, and things are wonky and also horrific. It's like a cancer on space-time. It's like Bruce Banner's gamma rays. It's like R'lyeh trying to impose itself upon Euclidean space. Tentacles often result, and blobs.
So, basically, the Egg of Coot is the source of all evil in the world (of BM)?
'pure madness' would be more like it.
Heck, you can call it 'Tharizdun's paradise' if you like it better ;)
http://www.geocities.com/havardfaa/Coot.html
So, essentially we have an idea that the Egg is kind of a parody of people who think wargaming is above roleplaying (GW anyone?) or a dig at Gary Gygax.
The Egg of Coot desciption also appears in OJ 5 article "Archbarony of Blackmoor"...encourage everyone to read it, the egg is definitely unique.
Basically the Egg in a disgusting blob the feeds on egos and has the personality of the ultimate spoiled brat with a dose of mad scientist.
So, basically, the Egg of Coot is the source of all evil in the world (of BM)?
No, not nearly. The Afridhi and their demon-god are another big evil, and the Empire of Thonia (as it's called in the Mystara setting) isn't nice at all either (being essentially equivalent to Oerth's Great Kingdom of Aerdy). And what in the Mystara setting eventually dooms that world comes from a completely different source, beginning in a well-intended university of enlightenment and science.
And the description of the far realm cyst I made above refers to the "wild magic" beneath Castle Blackmoor, not to the Egg of Coot. The two aren't connected; I just thought the Egg might be interested in it. The wild magic is yet another problem for Blackmoorians to face.
http://www.geocities.com/havardfaa/Coot.html
So, essentially we have an idea that the Egg is kind of a parody of people who think wargaming is above roleplaying (GW anyone?) or a dig at Gary Gygax.
I really, really hope that Gary Gygax lives in a giant fortified city-palace and only communicates with others through his intercom system. That would be awesome.
No, not nearly. The Afridhi and their demon-god are another big evil, and the Empire of Thonia (as it's called in the Mystara setting) isn't nice at all either (being essentially equivalent to Oerth's Great Kingdom of Aerdy). And what in the Mystara setting eventually dooms that world comes from a completely different source, beginning in a well-intended university of enlightenment and science.
Thank you, again!
This is something that is very different in my view of Blackmoor: Thonia=Wilderlands Demon Empires, The Cities of the Steel, etc.
... I personally believe the egg had no real purpose. It's so far away from the real action. Discovering what lies beneath its evilness is certainly like freeing Tharizdun or smashing the Greystone... ;)
I REALLY should get the Blackmoor books already... Can't wait to start games EVEN MORE oldschool than Greyhawk... ;)
In my Blackmoor campaign, which is very non-canon, I think I will use something different. I'm thinking of it being more of a dome, an architectural style popular in Pre-Cataclysmic Suloise Empire, covered in Ancient Suel runes, that was built by a survivor of the Rain of Colorless Fire. Either a lich or vampire, but a very powerful wizard who has essentially enslaved some of the primitive Flan tribes to do his bidding. As for his plans...we'll see.
Ludovico