Blackmoor and Quag Keep

[Finarvyn]

I'm re-reading Andre Norton's Quag Keep from 1978. I know that it's loosly tied to Greyhawk and that Andre even thanks Gary in the book for his assistance.

But I never made this connection before:

From Chapter 2:

They proceeded into wider and less winding streets, catching glimpses now and then of some shield above a door to mark a representative of Blackmer, a merchant of sub-stance from Urnst, or the lands of the Holy Lords of Faraaz.

Okay, so it's spelled "Blackmer" but can there be any doubt as to what she is talking about?

Anyone else ever thought about this?

[tavis]

I was just looking at Quag Keep using Google Books today as part of my apocalypse essay to see whether the Sea of Dust is explicitly stated to be the ruins of the Suloise empire after the Rain of Colorless Fire. (No.) Thoughts:

1) Quag Keep is an interesting window into pre-Folio Greyhawk
2) Google Books is awesome because you can search the text for the appearance of a phrase
3) Norton mentions the Temple of the Frog
4) In cases like this where there was another existing textual reference at the time (unlike some Greyhawk stuff) my inclination is to assume that Norton got it from reading (e.g. Supplement 2), since it doesn't sound like she spent all that much time playing/talking to Gary and probably had plenty of time left to do research for the book by reading D&D stuff

[Finarvyn]

May 25, 2010 18:09:09 GMT -6 tavis said:

3) Norton mentions the Temple of the Frog

Hmmm. I had forgotten this one as well. I'll have to be on the lookout for it.

[aldarron]

What are Urnst and the Holy Faraaz?

[Finarvyn]

I realized that Blackmoor appears in other places as well, and not just spelled "Blackmer"...

Here it is in chapter 3, when the characters are looking at a map. Too bad an actual map wasn't included.

To the north lay the Grand Duchy of Urnst, for Greyhawk was clearly marked nearly at the edge of the sheet to his right. Beyond that swelled the Great Kingdom of Blackmoor. To the left, or west, were mountains scattered in broken chains, dividing smaller kingdoms one from the other. Rivers, fed by tributaries, formed boundaries for many of these. This cluster of nations ended in such unknown territories as the Dry Steppes which only the Nomad Raiders of Lar dared venture out upon (the few watering places therein being hereditary possessions of those clans). Farther south was that awesome Sea of Dust from which it was said no expedition, no matter how well equipped, had ever returned, though there were legends concerning its lost and buried ships and the treasures that still might exist within their petrified cargo holds.

Later in chapter 3:

“The Harrowing of Ironnose,” a saga or legend of men, once might have been true history of a world crumbled now into dust and complete forgetfulness. Ironnose was the Great Demon, called into being by early adepts of Chaos, laboring for half a lifetime together. He was intended to break the Law forever. It was Lichis who roused and did battle. The battle had raged from Blackmoor, out over Great Bay, down to the Wild Coast, ending in a steaming, boiling sea from which only Lichis had emerged.

[havard]

Interesting. Never heard it described as The Great Kingdom of Blackmoor before...

Havard