This week, we learned that WotC are changing the name of Blackmoor in the Greyhawk setting to Arn. But beyond the obvious reference to the last name of the D&D Co-creator, why does the name Arn sound so familiar?

The name Arn has actually been used on a number of occasions. In the adventure DA1 Adventures in Blackmoor (p46), we meet Arn Yonson, a 10th level Fighter who is an obvious stand in for Dave Arneson. Arn Yonson's name does suggest a Skandaharian origin, but the description only says that he wears an outlandish helmet with large horns that some people of Blackmoor find a bit funny. 

In OD&D Supplement 3: Eldritch Wizardry (by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume), we find the artifact known as the Invulnerable Coat of Arn, a chainmail +5 with a number of magical resistances and powers linked to it. The same book also has a Ring of Gax so both D&D Co-creators got their names referenced in this book. It is unclear where the Coat of Arn got its name, but it is said to be a relic of a bygone age. 

The oldest known reference to Arn that I was able to dig up on short notice however, is an illustration from the D&D draft document known as Beyond This Point Be Dragons or the Dalluhn document. The document contains an illustration showing a sign leading to "Lord of Arn". Now, I am not sure if there was ever a conclusion to who actually wrote that document, there have been suggestions that this illustration was drawn by Dave Arneson. Likely the signpost was just a joke, but Lord of Arn does suggest that this is the name of a realm. Perhaps the realm whose ruler once wore a magical chainmail?

Have you found other references to Arn in any D&D products or Arneson material? Please let me know about it. 

Could any of these factoids help explain why Arn has now become the name of a realm in Greyhawk? Could this support Greyhawk Grognard's theory that the new WotC Greyhawk is set at an earlier point in the timeline?  Or was it just a big coincidence?

Discuss this article at The Comeback Inn

-Havard

As the saying goes, 'for want of a nail, the war was lost'; and for want of a company, the D&D game might have been lost amidst the lean and turbulent years of the last decade. This set is therefore dedicated to an oft-neglected leader of TSR Inc., who with Gary Gygax founded this company and made it grow. The D&D Companion set is dedicated to BRIAN BLUME. -- foreword, D&D Companion Set 1984

His obituary reads:

Brian John Blume January 12, 1950 ~ March 27, 2020 (age 70) 

 Brian J. Blume, 70 of Lake Geneva, passed away Friday March 27, 2020 at the Lakeland Nursing Home in Elkhorn WI from Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson's disease. 

 Brian was born January 12, 1950 in Oak Park, IL to Melvin and Kathleen Blume. He grew up in Wauconda IL, about an hour from Chicago, with 4 brothers and 3 half-brothers, and graduated as the valedictorian of his high school class. He attended Wabash College, but followed in the footsteps of his father by leaving and becoming a journeyman tool and die maker. While he excelled academically, he loved the precision and sense of exacting creation in tool making. He met and married Victoria Miller of Elkhorn WI, and they have been married for 40 years at the time of his death. They were devoted to each other throughout their marriage. Brian was also well known as the co-founder, with the late Gary Gygax, also of Lake Geneva, of TSR, the company involved in the creation and world-wide popularization of Dungeons and Dragons, the first “role playing” game to achieve national and international acclaim. 

 Brian was instrumental in the development of the company and in helping to expand the details of the Dungeons and Dragons world. He was the author of several other TSR games. His creative work at TSR built on a lifetime of interest in, and enjoyment from, games that challenge the intellect, expand the players’ horizons, interests, and understanding, and are just plain fun. He could always be found with friends and family pursuing a new, challenging, and enjoyable game. His general knowledge was encyclopedic. He is remembered in the gaming world as being one of the sharpest players of any game, who always found the best and most innovative games, and who was one of the friendliest and fairest players who ever rolled a die, moved a token, or played a card. Despite being hard to beat, he always played for simple enjoyment. 

 He is remembered by family and friends as generous, soft spoken, and always concerned about the well being of others. Even in the later stages of his disease he still had the quick wit and insight that was one of his many gifts throughout life. He is survived by his wife, Victoria Miller Blume, his brothers; Daniel, Keith, Douglas, Kevin, Gary, and Erick Blume, his brother-in-law, George Miller, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, Bruce Blume. In keeping with his lifelong wish to help others, his body is being donated for research. Also, in keeping with Brian's wishes, there will be no memorial service. Please consider donations to the Parkinson's Foundation or Lake Geneva Public Library.

Our hobby has lost yet another figure of historic importance to the development of Dungeons & Dragons. My thoughts go to his friends and family.

-Havard

In the latest entry of the Dungeons and Digressions blog, ze bulette talks about disease in D&D. The article mentions Supplement II Blackmoor as a good resource for information about this phenomenon. Sure enough, on page 52 of Supplement II, the following diseases are detailed:

• Grippe
• Bubonic Plague
• Cholera
• Malaria
• Small Pox
• TB
• Typhoid Fever
• Typhus
• Yellow Fever
• Adv. Leprocy
• Crud
• Spottet Fever

I am not aware of whether disease was a common phenomenon of Blackmoor campaigns. So far I have not seen any accounts from the original players mentioning it, nor does it seem like a particularly heroic element to a story. Still, the rules can come in pretty handy as can be seen in the previously mentioned blog.

Of course, it would be wrong autmonatically linking something to Blackmoor because of its appearance in Supplement II. Beyond Temple of the Frog, many authors contributed to Supplement II. Editor Tim Kask wrote the following on Supplement II:

"TotF was the only part of BM that was Dave’s alone. In fact, if the whole of the book were analyzed, Dave wrote the TotF segment, and I wrote about 65 or 70% of the rest. Gary  [Gygax], Brian [Blume] and Rob [Kuntz], and Terry [Kuntz], too, contributed the rest. Some of the ideas might have been Dave’s, but the execution, expansion and explanation were ours."


 So where does that leave diseases in Blackmoor? I guess that's up to you! :)





-Havard