History

Welcome to Blackstone

 

Royal Seal of the Blackstone Family

 

Blackstone, named for its active volcano was once a separate kingdom, having been ruled for many years by the Blackstone family.

About 500 years ago, as Evendarr grew around them, the king offered them a place within his kingdom. King Hender Blackstone, glancing about at the good king’s troops, decided that such an arrangement would be beneficial to everybody. In fact the people of Blackstone have taken Evendarr to their hearts and thoroughly enjoy the new markets that have been made available to them through this compromise. For Blackstone is possibly the largest trading and shipping capital on the continent of Avalon, and as such it is also one of the richest.

Blackstone had been a political anomaly – Until the year 601, it was a County without a Duchy, and at that time King Mykel Endar II elevated Count Derrick Blackstone to the rank of Duke. It was expected that in a short time that Duke Blackstone would establish the first Counties and raise various Lords to the rank of Count. Baronies were sure to follow.

Instead, Duke Derrick did nothing of the sort. He named no Counts, nor any Barons to subdivide his fiefdom. It is believed that this lack of action on his part is what lead to the Saxony Rebellion of 603/604. Under the leadership Joseph Saxony, several of the lords of Blackstone rose up and captured the City of Braughm-roar. They also managed to either capture or turn portions of the Blackstone Naval forces.

Politics is what Blackstone is all about. The nobles of the county seem to be in constant political struggle with each other to gain status and standing in the court. Gossip and innuendo can make or break a noble house here, and word as to who was at each party, and who has the Duke’s ear at any time are valuable commodities. It consumes their lives to the point where it provides meaningful employment for the local thieves’ guilds, which provide nobles with the necessary spies and assassins.

When visiting Blackstone, you may wish to travel to the capital city of Braughm-Raor , where the marketplace is open from dusk to dawn. It is a colorful ongoing pageant of sight, sound and smell and I have seen nothing like it in my travels. Row upon row of shops, inns, taverns, gambling parlors and other places of pleasure and leisure abound in the city. Of course, remember what I said about powerful thieves’ guilds, and watch your money carefully when there.

Currently, the lands of Blackstone are recovering from several years of calamities, in 601 & 602; various factions of undead fought a Civil war amongst themselves. During the Undead Wars of 601/602 Duke Blackstone had hoped to contain the fighting and let it burn itself out, but the scale of warfare escalated quickly and sucked in several companies of the Blackstone army. Forces led by the undead Knight Malik Bane (former lieutenant of Nekros) overran many towns around Blackstone and their populaces were killed and raised as undead conscripts. Fields were burned herds slaughtered or scattered to the four winds. Famine was rampant during the winter of 601/602. The Undead Civil war was finally suppressed and the famine was brought under control by food trains from Evendarr, Kitheria and storehouses in Braughm-Roar.

In 602 however a new enemy presented itself, the Lords of Eight were discovered, spreading the corrupting influence of Chaos. Duke Blackstone was captured by the Lords of Eight, and held ransom. . In 602 the forces of Chaos were unleashed by the fighting of the Undead and ran rampant across the lands before being contained. In 604, there was an uprising led against the Duke himself by various lords led by Joseph Saxony.

 

 

Blackstone, named for its active volcano, was once a separate kingdom, having been ruled for many years by the Blackstone family. About 500 years ago, as Evendarr grew around them, the King offered them a place within his kingdom. King Hender Blackstone, glancing about at the good king’s troops, decided that such an arrangement would be beneficial to everybody. In fact the people of Blackstone have taken Evendarr to their hearts and thoroughly enjoy the new markets that have been made available to them through this compromise. For Blackstone is possibly the largest trading and shipping capital on the continent of Avalon, and as such it is also one of the richest. Blackstone is an anomaly politically - it is a County without a Duchy. It has no Baronies, either. When Count Blackstone visits other duchies he is offered the treatment afforded a visiting Count, not a visiting Duke. Politics is what Blackstone is all about. The nobles of the county seem to be in constant political struggle with each other to gain status and standing in the court. Gossip and innuendo can make or break a noble house here, and word as to who was at each party, and who has the Count’s ear at any time are valuable commodities. It consumes their lives to the point where it provides meaningful employment for the local thieves guilds, which provide nobles with the necessary spies and assassins. When visiting Blackstone, you may wish to travel to the capital city of Braughm-Raor, where the marketplace is open from dusk to dawn. It is a colorful ongoing pageant of sight, sound and smell, and I have seen nothing like it in my travels. Row upon row of shops, inns, taverns, gambling parlors and other places of pleasure and leisure abound in the city. Of course, remember what I said about powerful thieve’s guilds, and watch your money carefully when there.