Black jay

[davegibsongreyhawkdm]

It states in VOH that Black Jay is friendly with the elves to the northwest - in what ways did you detail these elves and further develop Black Jay's backstory in your campaigns? Do you have these elves as a small group of emissaries from Celene to keep an eye out for evil in the VOH area, a local elven settlement, or what?

[geneweigel]

He's a sheep rapist!

Honestly? I just made the elves as standard as possible without qualms so they can have a safety net for any and all elf PCs. I usually had some of them (large bands 160) roaming about at night with a "captain elf" a fighter/magic-user (6th/9th) though and willing to aid friendlies with succor of the non-fighting sort unless complicated by "paladin" types.

[foster1941]

I've just put a "lair" of high elves in the area - 20 miles or so NW of Hommlet - and not given it much more thought than that. Looking at it again, though, I wonder if "the elves to the northwest" was actually meant as a reference to the elves of Highfolk?

[GRWelsh]

It could be a reference to Highfolk, but that's pretty far away. Going by the BIRTHPLACES FOR DEMI-HUMAN CHARACTERS table in the Glossography, elf characters are just as likely to be born in Veluna (4%) as Highfolk (4%), and can even be born in Furyondy (2%) or Verbobonc (2%). So, it's not unlikely that this is a reference to elves much closer to Hommlet, northwest in the Kron Hills or perhaps in the unnamed forestlands along the Velverdyva River west of the city of Verbobonc. I like Gene's idea of roaming elves as a possible support for elf PC's.

[Scott]

Remember that the map was still in flux when that was written, so I wouldn't put too much weight into that text. Changing it to reference wood elves from the Gnarley is probably the easiest and would probably be the best resource for the PCs.

[davegibsongreyhawkdm]

I may be reading too much into Black Jay's name (seems like it could be a reference to the stellar jay, a collector of acorns - collecting acorns to protect or devour? - allusion to VOH banner two acorns above a sheaf of grain?) and backstory - a grizzled herdsman friendly with elves to the northwest who lost his wife and children while he was away at the wars - due to his guilt, is he susceptible to being turned/manipulated/possessed to evil for example by Lareth or Iuz or is he simply keeping people away due to the agony of his ongoing grief over his loss?

Would you envision him as a reluctant agent for good, a now ambivalent bystander, a possible turncoat to evil, or something else entirely?

The TOEE introduction used a vivid word 'picture' for VOH & Nulb: like two dark and tiny eyes surrounded by the ancient wrinkled {Kron?} hills on the face of some evil demiurge {Iuz?} - seeming a demonically evil visage mockery of VOH banner? Does this mean that the Kron hill gnomes are infiltrated also? The Gnarley Wood elves and Druids too? How deep and widespread is the malevolent oppression, deceit, and pain?

[geneweigel]

Dude, I think you OGed (OverGreyhawked)! Just kidding!

I see him as straightforward.

[davegibsongreyhawkdm]

Ok, thanks Gene for bringing me back to Oerth!

[GRWelsh]

I've always thought Black Jay was just one of those interesting seeds planted for a DM to run with -- if the PCs ever interact with him (which is a big if). I've wondered why he was placed there in the module at all, and considered maybe he's a red herring? Once the players become aware that there are hidden agents of evil around, the grizzled recluse who lives at the edge of the village may naturally seem suspicious to them... His alignment is not given, but considering he's friendly to elves, I'd assume he's neutral or good, and fought on the good side during the war.

[Scott]

To me it’s one of those things that make EGG’s adventures so unique. They’re as entertaining to just read as they are to play. Here’s this guy, with a mysterious, cool backstory, who is very unlikely to ever be met by the party, and if they do it’s specified he won’t get involved. A DM would have to go out of his way for the PCs to interact with this guy in a meaningful way, and if they did, so what, there’s nothing they could get from him that they couldn’t get easier somewhere else. You can add whatever you want to make him a relavent figure in the campaign, but as presented he’s just flavor for the DM.

[GRWelsh]

Yeah, I agree. EGG could describe things in a way that fires the imagination without over-detailing. It’s a style that always made me want to learn more, or add to it myself.

Black Jay has never shown up in a T1 game I’ve DMed or played in. But I like the idea of finding a use for him! Maybe in a side adventure.

[davegibsongreyhawkdm]

It's a different type name than other VOH NPCs - would it be an Attloi/Rhennee origin name?

[GRWelsh]

I don't think so. Attloi and Rhennee names seem be Gypsy or Romani, based on the Gord novels. Black Jay sounds more like a local nickname -- maybe his name is Jay and people added the prefix because of his hair color and/or black moods, or maybe it is based on a bird in the Flanaess.