Bargle Beyond the Red Box

[Agamon]

And the reason he's such a bastard? Imagine your attitude if you were named 'Bargle'....

 

[frog]

I had him running an archaeological expidition in the Black Eagle Barony. They were digging into an old Temple of Elemental Evil. Seems Bargle had found a skull that needed some gems to fully activate it...

 

[Semah G Noj]

From a thread on RPG.Net, "RPGs Go To The Movies":

2 Guys at a party I was at were wearing the kill bargle shirts

 

[harmyn]

Here is the truth behind that introductory scenario from the Mentzer Basic Red Box of D&D and the two notable NPC's of that adventure; Aleena and Bargle. The young warrior from that introductory solo adventure is meant to be inspired and traumatized by that dark moment when Aleena was slain and Bargle escaped. You were meant to be driven on until you reach name level, then discovering that clerics who can bring the dead back to life gives you further dedication to reach the companion level adventures, find another cleric who can cast "Raise Dead Fully" then bring your lost true (but all tragically too brief) love back from the dead.

Then you marry her and share the domionion you have built up with her. Then you discover that you have matured and she has not. She goes out with "friends" while your stuck defending the keep with the same old henchmen you see every day. Soon you discover the castellan's nickers where they don't belong. And by the time your 25th level your "companion" can no longer take your suspicious ways and files a plea with both the Grand-Duke of the land and the head Patriarch of the church asking release from her marriage vows. You come back from having to slay the 8th dragon who decided to abduct maidens from your villages this year to discover that she gets full title to the Keep and Dominion, half of the noble treasury, your stationary followers, and requires a monthly maintenance so steep you are driven on ever more mythic quests seeking great fortunes or final release from her.

You then spend those levels when you should have been master of all trying to find that final path of escape from Aleena's greedy clutches. Only after trials so amazing and legendary that skalds and minstrels will seek songs of it for centuries to come are you granted the escape of another plane of existence and removal of your body from this world forever. Your a bottom of the barrel immortal, but you are free of her.

Turns out Bargle wasn't bad, he was just trying to save us grief.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Aleena's got nothing on Morgan Ironwolf.

And let's hear it for Zenopus. Now THAT's a name for an NPC wizard!

 

[Staffan]

In the Kingdoms of Adventure set, the Black Eagle Barony had changes its name to Fort Doom. Bargle was partly responsible for many atrocities, and Fort Doom was overthrown by the Hin.

IIRC, Fort Doom was the "capital" of Black Eagle Barony.

As of that part of the timeline, Bargle was in hiding and was suspected of being allied to King Kol (goblin or Kobold...I forget which)

Kobold. Though the Glantri boxed set said that he as a very malformed shadow elf who just looked like a kobold (because kobolds can't be wizards).

 

[Cthulhudrew]

IIRC, Fort Doom was the "capital" of Black Eagle Barony.

That's correct. The Barony was originally named Halag, before the Thyatians took over the land. When von Hendriks took over Halag, he renamed it the Black Eagle Barony (after his crest), and the capital town was Fort Doom.

After he was overthrown, it went back to the name Halag.

 

[Akrasia]

Bargle's cousin (nephew?) -- who also goes by the family name 'Bargle' -- has an agency of sorts in the Kingdom of Irendi. He's also a vile cretin, but less dangerous than his relation in the Black Eagle Barony.

The Bargle family tendrils spread far indeed across the Known World.

Aleena's got nothing on Morgan Ironwolf...

I have to agree with that!

 

[Shadowslayer]

Ah yes. Halag, then Black Eagle, then back to Halag. Its all coming back now. Unfortunately my Mystara stuff is lost to time.

I do remember that I never actually used the name Bargle. I just had a notion that an arch villain with a name like Bargle wouldn't be taken that seriously. I think I changed it to Baragelle or something.

 

[frankthedm]

http://pandius.com/bargle.html he's 17th as 2e set him, though a built 17th level wizard is still usefull as a stat block