The Corruption of Europe in T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil By Gary Gygax & Frank Mentzer - Looking At Lion & Dragon & Adventurer, Conqeuror, King's By This Axe

 So today has been a day where T1-4 Temple of Elmental Evil by Gary Gygax & Frank Mentzer has been on my mind. We're gonna pick it up from here on the blog.  Over the last couple of days we've been going over original Dungeons & Dragons. However something remains on my mind as a DM would the rise in humanoid populations dramatically within the campaign?! Possibly especially given the fact that events would center near the line of ancient human fortresses on the Borderlands near the Black Forrests of Germany. 

Because to the Dwarven nations of  ACK's By This Axe I Rule  these fortresses are brand new lines of defenses. And they can't understand why the humans of B2 & T1 have let these defenses go soft after the fall of the Roman empire. 
Is an economic downturn really what the cult of Elemental Evil wants for Europe?! In a short answer. Yes! Fast breeding humanoid cultures fresh out of the generation pits would be a horror to anyone they run across. The cult is trying to whip up any dark energies that they can. 
And this is something we see time and again with the Caves of Chao! The rise of Chaos in ACK's based games is centered around humanoids. And this could easily apply to the Europe of Dark Albion's setting.  

And this predicates the fact that many of the horrors rising within Europe could indicate that the ancient monsters know as dragons could awaken across Europe. And be ready to blast the advancing humanoid armies to restore the balance. And this ties directly into Sword & Caravan 's commentaries. The boundry of the Silk Road is more then a mere economic life line of trade in Europe. It could well be an ancient route where history and myth meet. The Romans knew it and tried to keep the ancient Pagan forces predicated. 

The cult of elemental evil's cultists have been working hard to corrupt officials across Europe. They work behind the scenes of both peasant & king alike. They bribe, corrupt, and bring to heel those they can. 
Asassinations, distruption of infrastructure systems, etc. are all through them where and when they can. 

The other forces that are on the move are the more covert menaces. The monkey wreckers and mercenaries who are only to happy to take the elemental evil's coin. 

Little do the 'useful idiots' realize just how disposable that they are. And the 'Elvish' race has little rational of it's place in the scheme of events as some groups of cultists are from thier ranks.