DA1 NPCs and Original Blackmoor Players

[havard]

Below is a list of the characters from the NPC section in DA1. I have tried to identify as many of them as possible with the Original Blackmoor Players. Obviously, not all of the NPCs were based on players in the first place. Does anyone know if I missed anything?

Alwyn Morland: ??
Arn Yonson : Most likely a play on “David Arneson”
Barnabas the Wander: ??
Bascom Ungulian: Unknown, although Duane Jenkins was the first ruler of Glendover
Bosero the Drunkard: John Snider
Bram Tagard Baron of Bramwald:??
Brother Richard – the Flying Monk: Richard Snider
Fletcher William: ??
Garamond Bolitho: Mike Carr?
Jallapierre: ??
King Uther: Dave Arneson, although the name first appears in DA1
Lortz Khanundrhum: Stephen Lortz
Marfeldt the Barbarian: Marshal Hegfeld (Spelling?)
Mello the Halfling: Rick “Mel” Johnson
Menander Ithamis: Probably Jim Barber or Phil Grant
Moorkok the Slayer : ??
Miklos Haruska: ??
The Peshwan Na Shepro – Baron of Dragonia: Ken Shepro
Piter Rall – Baron of Maus: ??
Philo Holbytyn – Sheriff of Ramshead: My first guess was Phil Grant, but unlikely according to Greg.
Rissa Aleford – Baroness of the Lakes: ??
Robert the Bald: Bob Meyer
Ruda Malefor: ??
Scotty Debelfry: Scott Belfry
Sildonis – Wizard of the Woods: Pete Gaylord was the Original Wizard of the Woods
Sirk Am Peshwa – Hand of the People: Dale Nelson (The Nomad)
Skandros the Strangler: ??
Sonia Shokalo – Duchess of the Peaks: Unknown, but Dale Nelson controlled the Peaks at one point.
Taha Markovic – The Iron Duke: NPC. Dave controlled Thonia.
Tamis Azkanikin – The Green Man: ??
Thorsen One-Thumb - First Jarl: ??
Timothy Curlytop – Shiremaster of Booh: Tim Kirkpatrick
Toska Rusa – Mistress of God: Deborah Nafziger
Uberstar Khazakhum – Regent of the Mines: Walter Oberstar
Veslo Meridan: ??
Willem of the Heath – The Blue Rider: Bill Heaton
Wolper Gannet – Baron of Archlis: ??


Havard

[Falconer]

Cool info, thanks!

I am still unclear when King Uther came into the picture. In FFC it was Baron Fant (and it wasn’t clear if Baron Fant was or was not the same character as Sir Fang the Vampire, although I understand it was the same player, Dave Fant). In Kuntz’s “Journey to the City of the Gods”, they still mention Baron Fant, so that was what, 1976? I used to just assume that Dave Ritchie simply renamed Baron Fant to King Uther, but apparently I was mistaken.

[havard]

Jul 26, 2010 11:27:10 GMT -6 Falconer said:

Cool info, thanks!

I am still unclear when King Uther came into the picture. In FFC it was Baron Fant (and it wasn’t clear if Baron Fant was or was not the same character as Sir Fang the Vampire, although I understand it was the same player, Dave Fant). In Kuntz’s “Journey to the City of the Gods”, they still mention Baron Fant, so that was what, 1976? I used to just assume that Dave Ritchie simply renamed Baron Fant to King Uther, but apparently I was mistaken.

Good question. David Fant played Fant who was later turned into Sir Fang. I'm guessing Uther was introduced when Fant turned into a Vampire, but AFAIK Uther is not mentioned in the FFC.

I think Sir Fang may have been introduced as early as 1973 (when the campaign moved to Lake Gloomey), but its hard to be certain of this.

Could it be that Sir Robilar simply was not aware of the fact that Blackmoor had a new ruler?

I could certainly be wrong about this one...

Greg will likely know this, but I believe he is travelling at the moment, so it might take some time to get him to confirm this...

Havard

[aldarron]

Jul 26, 2010 11:27:10 GMT -6 Falconer said:

Cool info, thanks!

I am still unclear when King Uther came into the picture. In FFC it was Baron Fant (and it wasn’t clear if Baron Fant was or was not the same character as Sir Fang the Vampire, although I understand it was the same player, Dave Fant). In Kuntz’s “Journey to the City of the Gods”, they still mention Baron Fant, so that was what, 1976? I used to just assume that Dave Ritchie simply renamed Baron Fant to King Uther, but apparently I was mistaken.

Good question. Uther certainly feels like an invention for the DA series rather than a players character who came to power in the game. He seems almost mythic.

[havard]

Aug 11, 2010 11:51:18 GMT -6 aldarron said:

Good question. Uther certainly feels like an invention for the DA series rather than a players character who came to power in the game. He seems almost mythic.

Maybe. Various players controlled Blackmoor at different points, but I think David Fant was the last player to take the role of ruler of Blackmoor. I am pretty sure that Fant didnt stay in the campaign as long as Greg did, so I am guessing Arneson played the role of ruler of Blackmoor in the later years. Whether he used the name Uther or not is anybody's guess...

Havard

[gsvenson]

I moved to Mankato, MN in the fall of 1974 and was not as active after that. Dave Arneson moved to Lake Geneva in 1975, so after that we didn't really game together anymore. I take Uther to have been played by Dave Arneson, but I don't really know. Svenny's promotion to Baron was after I got married and moved to Texas, far to far away to be an active player. Dave Arneson came down to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and stayed with me while I lived there (1977-1978) and also to Boston (1978-1983) while I lived there, but we didn't play D&D during those visits. Nor did we play D&D when I visited the Twin Cities in that timeframe (oddly enough, I always stayed at Dave's place rather than with my father when I came back to the Twin Cities in those days).

Sir Fang was new to me in 1976 when I played a game of Blackmoor at GenCon, but I figured that he was Duane Jenkins, since Duane liked a TV soap opera called "Dark Shadows" which highlighted a vampire, but it could easily have been Dave Fant. That gaming session didn't go very well. One of the other players put description of that game out on the Internet which I read and was embarrassed to to realize that I hurt his impression of the game. I would not have asked Dave if I could play if I had realized how a game at a convention would work, as I didn't enjoy the game either...

The first time I heard of Uther was when I read DA1.

The Baron of Dragonia was played by Ken Shepro.

BTW, I never played Blackmoor/D&D with Sir Roblar.

[havard]

Thanks Greg! Your information is invaluable as always!

In the case of Uther, did any player control Blackmoor after David Fant, or was it simply assumed that some NPC ruled the realm after this?

Can you tell us anything more about Ken Shepro? Was the games expanding to the south around Dragonia played during the later part of the campaign? I have always associated Peshwa Na Shepro with Paul Atreides from the Dune novels...

Havard

[gsvenson]

After the heros lost Blackmoor and were exiled to Loc Gloomin, Blackmoor was recovered and controlled by the elves (led by Phil Grant) and dwarves (might have been led by Harry Holman, I am not sure anymore). Later control was restored to human leaders, but I don't recall who, as that was when Svenny got his own fief, Newgate, in the "new lands" and I was preoccupied with that. That is also when Dragonia and four other new fiefs came into existance, also in the "new lands". They went to major players like Robert the Bald (Bob Meyers), Boozero (John Snider), and Brother Richard (Richard Snider). I don't recall who had the sixth fief, it might have been Dave Meggarry.

Ken Shepro lived in Chicago and was originally part of the Napoleonic campaign, if I remember correctly. I only met him once or twice, so I can't offer much more about him.

[havard]

Aug 24, 2010 7:44:14 GMT -6 gsvenson said:

After the heros lost Blackmoor and were exiled to Loc Gloomin, Blackmoor was recovered and controlled by the elves (led by Phil Grant) and dwarves (might have been led by Harry Holman, I am not sure anymore). Later control was restored to human leaders, but I don't recall who, as that was when Svenny got his own fief, Newgate, in the "new lands" and I was preoccupied with that. That is also when Dragonia and four other new fiefs came into existance, also in the "new lands". They went to major players like Robert the Bald (Bob Meyers), Boozero (John Snider), and Brother Richard (Richard Snider). I don't recall who had the sixth fief, it might have been Dave Meggarry.

Ken Shepro lived in Chicago and was originally part of the Napoleonic campaign, if I remember correctly. I only met him once or twice, so I can't offer much more about him.

Thanks again Greg!

Your description fits where these player's holdings also appear in the DA series maps so it seems like Ritchie must have been working from detailed notes from Arneson on this topic. Chuck Monson also had lands just north of the Valley of the Ancients, but I am not sure if those were part of the New Lands?

Any idea what sort of character David Megarry played?

Also, it is pretty interesting to see Harry Holman's name appear here. I don't think I have seen any reference to his role in the game before, other than playing a dwarf.

Havard

[havard]

Oh and Greg, or anyone who might know: Do you know of any player who controlled Thonia/The Great Kingdom at any point? Or their forces in the North, rather?

Havard

[gsvenson]

Aug 24, 2010 9:58:40 GMT -6 havard said:

Your description fits where these player's holdings also appear in the DA series maps so it seems like Ritchie must have been working from detailed notes from Arneson on this topic. Chuck Monson also had lands just north of the Valley of the Ancients, but I am not sure if those were part of the New Lands?

Any idea what sort of character David Megarry played?

Also, it is pretty interesting to see Harry Holman's name appear here. I don't think I have seen any reference to his role in the game before, other than playing a dwarf.

Havard

The sixth fief could have been Chuck's or more could have been added after I moved away.

My recollection is that Dave Megarry played a rogue, but I can't be sure at this point, even if I DMed many of his adventures.

Harry was an interesting guy. We played more FITS than D&D together, though.

Dave Arneson controlled Thonia/the Great Kingdom.

[havard]

Aug 24, 2010 15:29:11 GMT -6 gsvenson said:

The sixth fief could have been Chuck's or more could have been added after I moved away.

My recollection is that Dave Megarry played a rogue, but I can't be sure at this point, even if I DMed many of his adventures.

Harry was an interesting guy. We played more FITS than D&D together, though.

Dave Arneson controlled Thonia/the Great Kingdom.

Thanks Greg!

Do you remember anyone ever being in control of Maus?

Do you remember any of the adventures you DMed for Megarry? Did you mostly run straight dungeon games or something else? Did you like using a particular type of monster or other element? Interesting interesting!

As mentioned in the other thread, I am going to assume that Sirk Am Peshwa is the same character as "the Nomad" from the FFC which I am guessing is Dale Nelson's character. Either that, or Sirk is the NPC who took over when Nelson's domain went evil.

Havard

[gsvenson]

I have no idea who controlled Maus.

Dave Megarry did wilderness, town, cavern and dungeon adventures, but I can't give you any specifics about them anymore. The only detail I remember is his once entering the dungeon thru a tombstone or grave into the cavern system and then the dungeon, that entrance was on the 5th level.

[aldarron]

Aug 26, 2010 18:36:10 GMT -6 gsvenson said:

I have no idea who controlled Maus.

Dave Megarry did wilderness, town, cavern and dungeon adventures, but I can't give you any specifics about them anymore. The only detail I remember is his once entering the dungeon thru a tombstone or grave into the cavern system and then the dungeon, that entrance was on the 5th level.

Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor or some other dungeon?

[gsvenson]

Aug 27, 2010 19:38:22 GMT -6 aldarron said:

Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor or some other dungeon?

Sorry for the ambiguity, I meant the dungeon under Blackmoor castle.

[havard]

Updated. Added info on Toska Rusa.

-Havard

[aldarron]

Its a bit of extra work, but it would be handy if the class info were included when known....

[havard]

Nov 29, 2010 9:18:23 GMT -6 aldarron said:

Its a bit of extra work, but it would be handy if the class info were included when known....

I will see what I can do

-Havard

[havard]

Some more wild speculations:

Chuck Munson: Controlled Ramsgate. This is the missing fief of "the New Lands". This could mean Philo Hobytyn is based on him. If so, Ritchie simply changed the curse from Orange Mists to the curse Philo has.

David Megarry: Miklos Haruska? If Greg is right about Megarry playing a rogue then it could be. This would in effect have meant that Megarry controlled Vestfold?

Jim Abler: Tamis Azkanikin - The Green Man. He is an evil wizard.

Jim Laferrie: Jallapierre? Could Jallapierre's name be formed by the letter's in Jim's?

Malia Weinhagen: Alwyn Moreland? Moreland is a mage in DA1, but a bard in the D20 version. Malia is said to have played a Thief/Monk. Not too many female characters to choose from.

Ken Fletcher: Fletcher William? KF played a Ranger. Fletcher is grounds keeper at the university. The Fletcher name seems like too much of a coincidence not to be true?

Edit: Fixed Ken Fletcher's name after comment by Greg.

-Havard

[Deleted]

Hiya guys.
Nearly 40 years have passed. I had a couple of meals with David while he visited a con here in Seattle. I chided him on revising my name in Blackmoors last publication, but appreciated the sentiment. I helped create a game con Dragonflight that has run here for over 33 years.

I did not see Steve Rocheford listed (Temple of the Frog).

As noted in the Judge's Guild publication... released at GenCon Lake Geneva Playboy Club so long ago (10th GenCon?)... I held a post in the Duchy of Ten, however frequently I was mashed by the hordes.

Chuck Monson

[thorswulf]

You're one of the folks that created Dragonflight? Awesome!

[havard]

Aug 21, 2011 3:30:03 GMT -6 @rahar said:

As noted in the Judge's Guild publication... released at GenCon Lake Geneva Playboy Club so long ago (10th GenCon?)... I held a post in the Duchy of Ten, however frequently I was mashed by the hordes.

Chuck Monson

Mr Monson, it is great to see you here! I was never quite clear on how to read the passage in the FFC detailing your fate in the Blackmoor game. Thank you so much for the clarification. The Ran of Ah Foo is listed as the ruler of the Duchy of Ten. Did he play a role in the game that you took part in or did he appear later? Did you see the Duchy of Ten as a typical medieval kingdom, or of some exotic, perhaps oriental culture? Who were the nomads of Ten?

I have lots of more questions that I want to ask you, but hopefully you will find time to answer these first

-Havard

[aldarron]

Welcome Mr. Monson and ditto what Havard said! I would also like to point you to the Blackmoor forum mentioned in Havards signature as another friendly place for Blackmoor enthusiats and players.

[aldarron]

This thread needs some serious updating.

Veslo Meridan is Weseley's Half Elf Character.

The DA1 list of characters is an interesting puzzle. Some of them are originals and those we know, but many are characters from Arnesons time running Adventure games and it isn't clear to me which, if any of them are "real". Arneson liked to have "tribute" NPC's based on people in his circle. Marfeldt is like that (he probably never played except maybe in a very early "northern Marches" wargame). Ken Fletcher might have played once or twice in the 80's but not enough to have Fletcher William reach 14th level. Ken Shepro (Peshwan ne Shepro) never played at all.

So it's a strange mix of real PC's and tribute characters from the 70's and early 80's.

[Deleted]

I just finished watching "Secrets of Blackmoor". It seems like many of the original players and their characters were identified in the movie. www.secretsofblackmoor.com/

[aldarron]

May 4, 2020 6:40:50 GMT -6 @robblock said:

I just finished watching "Secrets of Blackmoor". It seems like many of the original players and their characters were identified in the movie. www.secretsofblackmoor.com/

For sure. The mysteries in DA1 are characters like Ruda Malfor, for example. Characters who weren't from the early '70's, but may still be a real person's character. One we know, for example, is Lortz Kharnundrum, a dwarf character played by Stephen Lortz when he worked for Arneson's company Adventure Games in the early 1980's.