"Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water."
Shakespeare, Henry VIII (1613)
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| Evil Rises Again and Again |
However, no reprieve lasts forever. Evil rises again and again, and all must be vigilant, for it rises in the most unexpected places. One might expect that it takes root in tangled forests and fetid swamps, but that is not true; it festers in the hearts of the lustful, the wrathful, in avarice and vanity, pride and vainglory. And in the soul of the defeated. Thus, the greatest Evil might rise up in the most unlikely places, a village, or a hamlet, unseen.
c. 550 CY
A collection of hovels and their slovenly inhabitants formed the
nucleus for the troubles which were to increase. A wicked cleric established a
small chapel at this point. The folk of Hommlet tended to ignore Nulb, even
though it was but six miles distant. [T1 The Village of Hommlet - 2]
The village of Nubb began to fester with all manner if evil folk,
culminating with the founding of the soon infamous Temple of Elemental Evil.
The troubles began soon thereafter. Local caravans, gnome clans and the
neighboring village of Hommlet, became easy targets for bandits from that
region. [The Battle of Emridy Meadows, by Mike Bridges]
568 CY
News of
this evil quickly spread to the Viscounty of Verbobonc to the ears of Prince
Thrommel IV, Marshall of the combined armies of Furyondy and Veluna […].
Compelled to take up the quest, the Prince left his concerns to the north and
promptly called upon his most pious knights, clerics, and his own picked guards
to bring down this profane temple. [The
Battle of Emridy Meadows, by Mike Bridges]
569 CY
The
Battle of Emridy Meadows
By 568 CY, it became clear that the villains had established an army,
and the following year saw a great battle between this horde and the forces of
Verbobonc, Veluna and even Furyondy. Elves from the Gnarley proved vital to the
success for the side of weal, and the Horde of Elemental Evil was scattered at
the Battle of Emridy Meadows. Powerful mages and clerics sealed the temple with
arcane bindings, claiming to have trapped a powerful demon within the golden doors of the edifice. For a time, peace
returned to the lands of Verbobonc. [LGG - 132]
 |
| The Battle of Emridy Meadow |
When the horde of evil creatures marched forth next dawn they were
confronted by the senied ranks of the allied army. The pikes of Furyondy and
Veluna were arrayed so that their flank was secured by the Velverdyva, in the
center were the banners of horse, and on the allied left were deployed bands of
dwarves and gnomes, with a few units of elven archers placed in the intervals
between. The humanoids fell immediately upon the left, while the men in the
evil ranks rode to engage the center and right. The hordes of ores, gnolls, and
ogres thrust aside their hated foes and rushed to encircle the balance of the
allied army. Thus the fatal trap was sprung, for the whole allied army pivoted,
squadrons of knights driving into the rear of the onrushing horde of evil, and
squares of elves emerging from the Gnarley Forest on the left to seal the
pocket. Trapped in a pocket, with the bend of the Velverdyva at their backs,
and the human and demi-human army forming the chord of the arc, the packed mass
of evil humans and humanoids fought hopelessly. After the great slaughter
inflicted, the army went on to besiege the Temple of Elemental Evil, and it
fell in a fortnight. The Demoness Tsuggtmoy (or Zuggtmoy) was imprisoned in the
ruins of the place, with special wards to prevent her escape. Only a few of the
wicked leaders of the Temple managed to escape, and it is suspected that these
individuals were responsible for the subsequent kidnapping and total
disappearance of the Prince of Furyondy. [Folio - 6,7]
So great was the slaughter, so complete the victory of good, that the
walled stronghold of the Temple of Elemental Evil fell within a fortnight,
despite the aid of a terrible demon. The place was ruined and sealed against a
further return of such abominations by powerful blessings and magic. [T1 - 2]
Prince Thrommel summoned all his mages and clerics to cooperate in
creating great seals to bind this evil within the deepest parts of [Zuggtmoy’s]
dungeon. Four pairs of large bronze doors, starting with the Grand Entrance to
the Temple, were each bound with heavy iron chains and their seals filled with
softened metal. Lastly runes were carved into the bronze portals bearing
adjurationsof arcane and holy power. With the final spells in place, Evil was
contained at last. [The Battle of Emridy Meadows, by Mike Bridges]
One would be naïve to believe
that Evil had been destroyed. If we have learned nothing from History, it is
that victory is not enough. Evil hides. Evil lurks.
In recent years, Dyvers has gained the unfortunate reputation of being
a good place to "get lost"—or, rather, to lose one's pursuers. After
the Horde of Elemental Evil was routed at Emridy Meadows, some adherents to
darkness who did not flee to the Wild Coast instead traveled north to Dyvers,
bolstering the criminal element in the city. In part because of the aftermath
of that conflict, the Gentry of Dyvers live in fear of Turrosh Male's Pomarj
"empire" and have even charted out wholesale evacuation plans for the
city in the event of invasion (the populace fleeing to either Furyondy or
Verbobonc). [LGG - 41,42]
History is not just the waxing
and waning of nations and fell gods. History is much more than that; it is the
triumphs and tragedies of everyday folk who sometimes rise high, and those who
do not, even those who are swept up and sometimes aside by events that sweep in
and out of their lives.
History of Keiren’s Journal
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| Just Another Day in the Hellfurnaces |
Not all were destroyed. One
volume turned up in the hands of a Keoish wizard, who later gave it to House
Rhola in exchange for access to their family library. They had possession of it
for but a single season before ordering a servant to remove it from the
household. Apparently, “visions” indicating death surrounded the book.
The servant did not dispose of
the book, as ordered to, but decided that he could make a quick coin off it. He
did not; he was slain while on his way to a book dealer.
Kieran’s journal surfaced again
in 569 CY, plucked from a wizard’s corpse at the Battle of Emridy Meadows.
At this point, its trail becomes
a little sketchy, as there are too many rumours about its whereabouts. Reports
claim that it surfaced in Veluna City, yet others in Celene. None are denied,
none are confirmed, either.
It is an odd thing, that book; it
looks more like a satchel or handbag than a book, the wooden covers and spine
encased in a heavy, hardened reddish leather (that Akastilan {more on him
later} claimed is red dragon skin). Keiren scoffed at that when asked.
From Greyhawk Grimoires,
Keiren’s Journal, by Robert S. Mullin [Dragon #268 - 70-72]
570 CY
You
can not keep a good man down, can you? Though few knew it, Iuz had been freed
from his imprisonment beneath Castle Greyhawk.
Whether this was by error or perhaps design on the part of Robilar, who
secretly carried a pair of highly unusual dispelling magics about himself on
that fateful day, sages cannot say. What is known is that at the moment of
Iuz's being freed, Archmage Tenser arrived on the scene together with Bigby the
mage and a powerful fighter going by the unlikely name of Neb Retnar. Tenser
had learned of Robilar's plan, feared that Riggby was being duped, and came
post haste to prevent their action. Tenser and his cohort began battling the
freed, enraged demigod. Riggby at once aided the assault. Robilar and Quij
considered flight and felt their chances would be best if they made odds of
four against one into six against one. Iuz was very nearly destroyed in that
conflict, escaping to the Abyss just before Bigby would have destroyed him with
his infamous crushing hand spell. He left behind him a backwash of chaotic evil
magic which altered the alignment of Retnar, left Riggby catatonic for days,
and caved in a large part of Castle Greyhawk's deepest dungeon complexes. Since
that time, Iuz has always protected himself with a carefully secreted soul gem
hidden on an unknown, unbelievably well-guarded Abyssal plane. [WGR5 Iuz the Evil - 5]
 |
| Rage of Iuz |
He returned to Dorakaa, and finding his fiefs disloyal, he exterminated
most of the “independent” lords of the lands he still claimed as his own.
Their bones, along with those other “unfaithful” he murdered, lengthened his
Road of Skulls.
After his release, Iuz was filled with a desire for vengeance and
conquest. Sixty-five years of banishment had concentrated his mind wonderfully.
With a savagery and cruelty allied to plans formed over many long years of
thought, Iuz acted to gather together the warring bandits and humanoids of his
land with an iron grip. He drew together his Boneheart, a Greater and Lesser
circle of spellcasters, six in each echelon. His agents began to scour the
Flanaess, seeking arcane evils and relics. Iuz readied his forces for a great
war. [WGR5 - 3]
Iuz and the eight other
demi-gods released; they were not happy. Can you blame them?
The seeking of treasure in Castle Greyhawk itself had unintended
consequences. Iuz was suddenly freed from imprisonment in the dungeons under
Zagig’s old castle in 570 CY, to the great consternation of those in Greyhawk
who saw the half-fiend briefly when he emerged from the ruins. He then returned
by magic to his old kingdom in the north. Several members of the Circle of Eight
attempted to prevent Iuz’s escape but were unsuccessful. Other powerful beings,
some of demigod status and some demon lords, appeared around this time, also
apparently freed from captivity by their own muggles or the careless
intervention of adventurers such as Lord Robilar of Greyhawk, a Wild Coast
warrior who diplayed a bad habit of setting evil monstrosities loose from their
magical bonds. Every powerful being freed from Castle Greyhawk blamed Zagig
personally for his or her imprisonment and vowed revenge as they fled to
recover from their ordeal. [TAB - 61]
Far be it from Iuz not to hold a grudge.
When Iuz was freed in 570 CY, he had great plans for the Flanaess.
Risen to the power of a demi-god, Iuz has achieved more than a few of his
initial goals. [FtAA - 29]
Nyrond saw, clearly, the Overking's preparations for a great war
against the western state. Yet, when the first blow came, it did not come from
Rauxes. It came from luz; meddling fools managed to release the fiend from his
imprisonment in Castle Greyhawk in 570 CY, only a year after the forces of good
in Furyondy and Veluna celebrated the sack of the notorious Temple of Elemental
Evil in the Gnarley Forest. Their celebrations would not last many years.
[FtAA - 5]
571 CY
Stories are fruit upon the tree. They ripen
over time. Sometimes epic tales have such paltry beginnings.
The Story Reuven of the Rhennee
573 CY
Iuz was not the only one with designs on the North. The Horned Society
most certainly did, too. Oddly, so did the Scarlet Brotherhood. Why would they,
you ask? Because The Brotherhood never thought small. They we
re wont to prepare
for a future in which the whole of the Flanaess would be remade in their image.Does anyone truly know when The Scarlet
Brotherhood began affecting the course of the Flanaess? Could it have been when
the Prince of Furyondy-Provost of Veluna disappeared? Maybe. They had been
plotting a very long time; so it stands to reason that if they did, then this might
not have been their first strike. Or was it? No clues were left behind when the
Prince vanished.
The Prince, betrothed to the
daughter of the Plar of Veluna, and serving as Provost of that state, as well
as Marshall of Furyondy, was of key importance to the forces of good. [Folio - 8]
At the time, few connected the appearance of these sagely, monastic
advisers to the disappearance of Prince Thrommel of Furyondy, or to any number
of political developments throughout the Flanaess. The arrival of the Brothers
of the Scarlet Sign did trigger curiosity, of course, and in short order spies
were sent to the Tilvanot. [LGG - 96]
But was it the Brotherhood? It
is far more likely that the masters of the sundered Temple of Elemental Evil
were to blame, taking vengeance on that worthy paladin for his meddling in
their affairs. But then again, the Brotherhood were always amicable with those
who furthered their ends, weren’t they?
The Scarlet Brotherhood had designs further
afield than The Sheldomar Valley and the Azure Sea. They had watched the nations
of the Flanaess and its peoples for a very long time, and began inveigling
their way into the courts and halls of all the lands wherever they found the
descendants of the Suel migrations.
The Suelii called themselves by names in the Cold Tongue, too: Cruski,
the Ice Clans, who are the most noble and brave; Schnai, the Snow Clans, who
are the most numerous and strong; and Fruztii, the Frost Clans, who are the
bulwark and first in battle. They battled with each other over the long years
since Vatun lay down in the cold, but they would always join their hosts
together when an outsider threatened. The Schnai perfected the art of building
longships, and the Fruztii found adversaries for the barbarian nations to fight
and plunder. The Cruski joined with their cousins on many of these raids,
taking special joy in fighting their particular rivals, the Sea Barons of
Aerdy.
 |
| Scarlet Whispers Call |
This was the life of the barbarian Suel for hundreds of years, through
victories and losses. Their freedom was undiminished, but it was subtly threatened
several decades ago. Travelers from the south came to call at the courts of the
barbarian Suel. Calling themselves the Brothers of the Scarlet Sign, they
claimed to be kin of the Fruztii, Schnai, and Cruski. By blood, perhaps they
were kin, though distantly—but, in spirit, they were the same devious
manipulators who claimed to rule the ancestors of the northern Suel. They came
with tales of the lost glory of the Suel race and its ruined empire. They told
how the Cruski were descended from an Imperial House, the noble and loyal
servant of the last Suel emperor.
Old King Cralstag knew well that his ancestors, be they slaves or
scoundrels, were never the lapdogs of an emperor who stank of magic. So he told
the Scarlet Brothers, and before all in his court, as his judgment on their
words. For this, the Brothers murdered him soon thereafter—not with clean blade
or strength of arms, but with hidden venom in his cup.
The king's nephew, Lolgoff, knew the old king's judgment and the manner
of his death. When the Brothers were brought before him, they spoke words of
praise and honor for the dead king, and they smiled. Lolgoff smiled too, as he
cut them apart with the old king's sword, for he honored Cralstag in deeds, not
words. As king and fasstal, Lolgoff pronounced his judgment: The Brothers of
the Scarlet Sign should receive only death in the kingdom of Cruski. [LGG - 55]
574 CY
The
Fruztii consulted with Ratik concerning what wonders may be hidden within their
mountains, eager to see whether the lore of their skalds was to be found in the
dusty tomes the southerners worshiped so. So, Ratik consulted the Library in
Marner, and those sages and wizards employed there, and within those dusty
tomes they exhumed references to lost cities of the Flan, to ancient relics of
the dwerfolk, and to sunken cities of the Solnor Sea. And of course, they dug
up references to dragons and the hordes they amassed. All these they brought to
the attention of the Fruztii, and the Fruztii listened with great interest. And
armed with this knowledge, the Fruztii and those scions of Ratik brave enough
to accompany them, they climbed into the Griffs and the Corusks in search of
such things.
575 CY
Where
the Schnai sent promises and warriors to support the Fruztii front lines as a
rear guard of the Bluefang-Kelton Pass, Ratik did one better. Although already
hard pressed in the south with the orcs and gnolls, they understood that they
must also secure their north, so, they sent battle hardened troops to stand
shoulder to shoulder with their northern kin. The Fists came, as they knew they
must, and they came with ogres and orcs and gnolls, and the alliance held the
pass against them. But holding the pass was not enough. Securing it was
essential, as was securing the lands north of it.
The Battle of Kelten Pass, as the Fist called it, only served to
divide the Atamans of Stonefist. Were it not for Vlek’s iron rule, the Hold
might have fallen into strife.
The Coltens, despite generations of servitude to the invaders, have
slowly emerged as a competing form of leadership, offering their method of
election of the most popular warrior as an alternative to the Rite of Battle
Fitness. So many aspiring leaders were slain in the often useless raids of the
latter method that its proponents have grown scarce. When Ratik and the Fruztii
made peace, the subsequent battles for the Kelten Pass brought several telling
defeats to “fists” led by the descendant warband leaders. The Hold was then
divided between those who followed the laws laid down by Vlek Col Vlekzed, and
those who claimed that Stonefist’s methods are no longer appropriate and the
Coltens Feodality should be restored. The nomads and settlers west and around
the Frozen River championed the ways of Stonefist. The population around Kelten
and the Hraak Forest wished to establish new forms of leadership. [Dragon #57 - 13]
The successful alliance of the Barony of Ratik and the Frost Barbarians
has caused much consternation in Bone March. A joint Ratik-Fruztii army wreaked
havoc within the March after the signing. Leaders of the humanoids have
determined that the northern alliance must be dissolved. [WoGG - 29]
Duke Ehyeh of Tenh understood the need to strengthen his borders, what
with the dangers of the Fists to the North, and with raiding Rovers there as
well. South lay the Bandits and the aspirations of the Theocracy of the Pale.
The Pale could one day be the greater enemy, for they were organized and
strong. And fanatical in their devotions that he and his people did not share.
In CY 575, Duke Ehyeh II began
an active campaign to clear the Troll fens and border area on the west bank of
the Yol. Considerable numbers of fortifications were built, and this two-year
effort was deemed a general success. The Theocrat of the Pale concentrated his
attentions south and eastwards because of the strong show by the Tennese. [Dragon #56 - 27]
576 to 582 CY
The alliance between Ratik and the Frost Barbarians was mutually
beneficial. Not only had they begun to secure the Fruztii’s northern pass, they
had begun to make gains against the Bone March to the south, too. But at a
cost. They were small nations, their resources were limited, and were the orcs
not soundly defeated, and soon, they knew all might be lost.
The humanoids so soundly defeated in the campaign of 575 were again
raiding over the border, and the gnomes of the Lofthills (west of Loftwood)
were being continually besieged. Losses from the campaigns in Bone March and
with the Frost Barbarians could be replaced by mercenaries and volunteers from
foreign lands only. [Dragon #57 - 14]
The Frost
Barbarians had not turned their backs on their cousins, the Schnai and Cruski,
for they had common cause. They each hated the Hold of Stonefist, as did their
distant cousins, the Zeai, the whaling Sea Barbarians who dwelt upon the far
Brink Isles and Tusking Strand, east of the Black Ice. And the Snow and Ice
Barbarians shared common cause against the North Province and Sea Barons, for
life was harsh upon the Thillonrian Peninsula, and thought their seas were
plentiful, their slim growing season could not support them.
The Schnai
noticed their Fruztii cousin’s absence from the seas. And they saw their
cousin’s increased reliance upon Luxnor of Ratik. But they were not worried. Let
them break themselves upon the Fists and the Bone March, the Schnai said. They
will weaken beyond recovery, and will be forever under our suzerainty when
Ratik finally fell, for fall it must, in the end.
And in the Fruztii’s absence, the Schnai increased their raids on the Great Kingdom, knowing that they need not share the spoils with them.
The Schnai were not the only ones to note the Fruztii’s increased presence in the northeastern theatre. Tenh had heard of the Frost Barbarian’s alliance with Ratik, they had heard of their joint strike into the Bluefang-Kelten Pass, and they sent emissaries to treat with them, for, as they explained to them, we have common cause against the Fists of Stonehold, and the Fruztii listened.
And in the Fruztii’s absence, the Schnai increased their raids on the Great Kingdom, knowing that they need not share the spoils with them.
The Schnai were not the only ones to note the Fruztii’s increased presence in the northeastern theatre. Tenh had heard of the Frost Barbarian’s alliance with Ratik, they had heard of their joint strike into the Bluefang-Kelten Pass, and they sent emissaries to treat with them, for, as they explained to them, we have common cause against the Fists of Stonehold, and the Fruztii listened.
576 CY
Bonded
by blood, and having shed blood to protect one another, the Fruztii and Ratik
ratified their bond in the eyes of both their gods, for they knew that their
only hope of their standing against their enemies, they would need to stand as
one.
This symbolic parchment was endorsed and blessed by the gods of both
Ratik and Fruztii, and the superstitious Frost Barbarians place great store in
its safety. [WoGG - 29]
But what can be done? How is it
spread? Physical contact? Air? Water? Or by some other mysterious agency. The
name Iuz is whispered. The Horned Society. Even Keraptis.
Plague abroad in Rookroost—or that's what a large percentage of
its populace believes. A week ago, the city was as disease free as a city like
Rookroost ever is. Now scores are suffering from a malady that has herbalists
and clerics puzzled . . . and worried.
The word on the streets is
that the Red Death has returned. [WG8 Fate of Istus - 6]
History of Keiren’s Journal
The journal next surfaced in
Admondfort, its owner known for wandering the shores of the Nyr Dyv. Akastilan
claimed to have found it in the Cairn Hills, but he was known to spin a tale,
and likely wrestled it from a hedge wizard. He promptly traded it in Urnst.
Keiren was made aware of the volume’s
surfacing, and has stated that it focuses on his experiences in the Amedio
Jungle.
According to Keiren’s obserations, not every Amedio tribe is hostile to
outsiders and, in fact some are quite friendly to visiters who come in peace.
Several pages describe how one tribe even took him on a tour of an ancient
Olman ruin, leading to his discovery of a lost spell. Although the original was
etched into the surface of an immovable stone slab, the Journal contains a
reproduction. The spell, calle Lightning Serpent, is one of two spells
inscribed in the Journal, though both are unique. The other Kieren’s Curse
Ward, is clearly of Kieren’s devising.
In any event, Kieren’s Journal is an invaluable source of information
for those who would learn more about the Amedio Jungle and its people.
From Greyhawk Grimoires,
Keiren’s Journal, by Robert S. Mullin [Dragon #268 - 70-72]
The Rovers were wont to increase
their strength; but, their young warriors were impatient, and their elder
chieftains remembered the days of old when the peoples on their borders quaked
with fear upon hearing the thunder of their horses’ hooves.
The young tribesmen who matured into warriors during the last two
generations avoided their old battling and hunting grounds along the Fellreev
Forest and the plains of the Dulsi, for they feared the might of luz’s hordes.
Instead, these nomads and woodland hunters withdrew to the steppes and other
sites to the north and east. Their numbers increased, and they practiced their
fighting skills against the men of the Hold of Stonefist and the savages and
humanoids they met on raids into the Cold Marshes. Despite the difficulties of
communication, the western tribes of the Rovers of the Barrens actually made
alliances with the Wegwiur. In 566 there were a few light raids into the
northeastern edge of the Fellreev. [Dragon #56 - 28]
577 CY
Bellport
grew tired of the repeated raids by the Schnai, and demanded the protection due
them as a city of the North Province and the Great Kingdom. Lord Captain Aldusc
was dispatched from Asperdi of the Sea Barons with a squadron of warships and
troops to do just that.
The warships are now reported to be operating along the coast. Included
are no fewer than six large galleys and perhaps a score of other war ships. The
troops were divided after landing into main [joining Herzog Grenell] and
reserve [defending Bellport's landward approaches] groups. [Dragon #63 - 15]
Although the
Schnai had not raided as far and as often as the Fruztii had in their days of
glory, they were no strangers to such things; indeed, they were the most
accomplished of seafarers, and they were truly as fierce as their cousins, as
were the Cruski. They increased their raids, and their longships swept down the
coast, striking the North Province and the Baronial Isles both, luring those
who chased them or sought to stop them far out to sea where they could lose
them with ease.
But not all were so lucky.
It was only a matter of time before the Schnai had their noses bloodied. They had underestimated the Sea Barons, and in their hubris and folly were dealt a defeat as they had not yet faced.
But not all were so lucky.
It was only a matter of time before the Schnai had their noses bloodied. They had underestimated the Sea Barons, and in their hubris and folly were dealt a defeat as they had not yet faced.
During the season of 577, much minor activity took place along the
coast of North Province and off the northern end of the Island of Asperdi. Some raiders were met and actions were
fought; some slipped through, some turned elsewhere. Reportedly a squadron of
seven Schnai longships were set upon whilst sinking the hulks of two provincial
merchants, the vessels Marntig and Solos. Guided by the smoke and flames, a
flotilla of Baronial warships surprised the barbarians. Three of the Schnai
were rammed and sunk. In hand-to-hand action, the flagship of the barbarians’
fleet was captured, but the three remaining longships escaped after jettisoning
all of their captured cargo.
In hand-to-hand action, the flagship of the barbarians' fleet was
captured. Jarl Froztilth, leader of the Schnai, many of his men, and the
captured ship were all taken to Asperdi. News of this success was said to have
greatly heartened the Herzog. [Dragon #63 - 16]
The Schnai
recalled how once they and the Fruztii were the terror of the seas, and they
wished the southerners to fear them so again. So, the Schnai treated with their
cousins, the Cruski. And the Cruski were glad to treat with them, for the
Schnai held what was theirs. The Schnai gave up the lands south of Glot along
the east coast [and] the Cruski regained their southern harbors. This made
the raids into North Province and the Isles of the Sea Barons all the easier
next year, and most of the able-bodied men were away on those journeys when the
warbands of Stonefist (now Stonehold) rode into the tundra which the King of
Cruski claimed. The few wandering tribes of Coltens there welcomed the
invaders, while surviving Cruskii headed east as quickly as possible. The
returning warriors were enraged at the boldness of the invasion. [Dragon #57 - 14]
The Cruski and
Schnai negotiated their treaty, with the Schnai agreeing to give back the lands
south of Glot along the east coast to the Utsula Highlands.
The attention of the Cruski was directed wholly to the south, where
choice plunder could be gained during the summer raiding season. After a
particularly successful venture in 577, the Cruski and Schnai sat down together
to bargain on a division of the spoils. In the end, the Schnai agreed to give
up the land south of Glot along the east coast. The Snow Barbarians gained more
gold and silver, while the Cruski regained their southern harbors. [Dragon #57 - 14]
Iuz looked upon
the expanse of Whyestil Lake and understood its use. Dorakaa lay upon its
northern shore, Chendl lay within a day’s march of its southern. He looked to
the south and knew that Furyondy ruled its waves from Crockport and he seethed.
He coveted. Moreover, he realized that it had only been by the grace of Graz’zt
that he had not had to fend off their fleets, or had his seat of power razed to
the ground. He commissioned forty galleys to be built at Dorakaa.
After a period of rebuilding and strengthening his domain, the Lord of
Evil set his mind upon the lands to the south. Various pacts and treaties were
concluded with the none-tooloved Horned Society, thus assuring no immediate
trouble from the east. Groups of humanoids — gnolls and flinds, orgrillons,
bugbears, and even ogres — under human leadership were sent across the Dulsi
River to first occupy the nearer portion of the Vesve Forest, and then work
south to harass the border of Furyondy. luz caused a fleet of 40 galleys to be
built at Dorakaa in 577. With this force he hoped to wrest control of Whyestil
Lake from King Belvor, thus exposing all of the northern portion of Furyondy,
from the Vesve along the Crystal River to the Veng and then to the Whyestil, to
easy invasion. To facilitate this move, luz joined forces with the resurgent
followers of Elemental Evil, believing that such a threat on the Kingdom’s
southern border would distract the Furyondians from his much more ambitious
plans in the north. While his forces were being readied, luz ordered his
northern contingents to capture EruTovar and thus stop any possible move by the
Wolf Nomads upon the upper portion of his realm while his invasion of the south
was in progress. Leaving the execution of his will to trusted underlings, luz
himself went far to the south to stir up trouble. [Dragon #56 - 19]
Belvor was having none of it, though. He sent his Fleet to Dorakaa, destroying the majority of the Iuzan galleys under construction.
Belvor was having none of it, though. He sent his Fleet to Dorakaa, destroying the majority of the Iuzan galleys under construction.
The intelligence network of Furyondy discovered the plan to wrest
control of Whyestil Lake from their navy, and before the luzite army stood
before Eru-Tovar, King Belvor’s fleet staged a daring raid upon Dorakaa. The
majority of the galleys being built were burned in the stocks, and seven of
those which had been completed and outfitted were captured, while another five
were sunk. [Dragon #56 - 19]
Duke Eyeh II of Tenh turned his attentions to the north, for the Fists flowed from Rockegg Pass each and every spring. He marched north to meet them, and although successful in repelling their savage attack, he fell in what came to be known as the Battle of Rockegg Pass.
11 tribes of the Great Stags, counting 5,200 warriors;
Not all Shield Landers were of like mind. Some were petty. Some were greedy. Some wondered why they stood alone against the evils to the north. Prince Zeech was one such. Though brave, was not at all honorable. He saw how the Bandits took what they wanted while he was held back from taking what he thought could be his, like a horse held to rein, so he broke his ties with the Shield Lands and formed the Bandit Kingdom Principality of Redhand from what was once the province of Alhaster.
Duke Eyeh II of Tenh turned his attentions to the north, for the Fists flowed from Rockegg Pass each and every spring. He marched north to meet them, and although successful in repelling their savage attack, he fell in what came to be known as the Battle of Rockegg Pass.
In 577, the Duke began early actions to the north, working into the
mountains and fortifying the southern end of Rockegg Pass, some 20 leagues
above Catbut. The Duke was himself killed in fighting against the Holders,
whose units of “fists” resisted with great ferocity the closing of the pass.
Despite the death of their leader, the Tennese (now under Marshal laba)
finished what their liege had willed, thus effectively securing the Duchy on
two sides. [Dragon #56 - 27]
The Wolf Nomads were of a mind with the Rovers. For too long, the nations of the South had held dominion over lands they claimed as theirs. The Wolves wanted them back. So too did the Rovers. So, they came together to treat at the Great Beast Hunt to speak on it, and to plan.
The Wolf Nomads were of a mind with the Rovers. For too long, the nations of the South had held dominion over lands they claimed as theirs. The Wolves wanted them back. So too did the Rovers. So, they came together to treat at the Great Beast Hunt to speak on it, and to plan.
By CY 577, a conclave of all the clans staged a great beast hunt in the
central portion of their territory, with many visiting Wolf Nomads taking part
in the sport. The census sticks showed that clan warrior strength was as
follows:
In attendance were:
 |
| A Conclave of the Clans |
eastern area Bear Paws 1,150, 4 tribes;
Southeastern area Red Horses 2,700 6 tribes;
Northwestern area Black Horses 3,350 8 tribes;
Northwestern area Gray Lynx 1,450 5 tribes;
Northern woodlands area Horn Bows 1,800 4 tribes;
West central area Sly Foxes 850, 4 tribes;
Southern woodlands area Wardogs 3,100 fighting society;
All tribes White Wardogs 950 fighting society;
North tribes only.
At the great conference, the Rovers agreed to a plan to make war upon
the Horned Society to attempt to regain their lost territory around the Opicm
and in the Fellreev. The help of the Wolf Nomads was not promised, but the
Rover tribes knew it would certainly come if possible. The Sly Fox Clan, always
on good terms with the sylvan elves of the Fellreev Forest, were to harass the
enemy from the woodlands, while the western clans, the Red Horse, Black Horse,
and Horn Bows, rode south and made war upon the hated peoples of the Horned
Society. Chada-Three-Lances […] was made War Sachem, and in the spring of 578,
he led some 6,000 warriors on a campaign to accomplish the recovery of the lost
lands. With the force went a party of about 900 centaur warriors. The latter
had been displaced from their territory in and around the western end of the
Fellreev, so they were more than eager to take part. [Dragon #56 - 22,23]
Not all Shield Landers were of like mind. Some were petty. Some were greedy. Some wondered why they stood alone against the evils to the north. Prince Zeech was one such. Though brave, was not at all honorable. He saw how the Bandits took what they wanted while he was held back from taking what he thought could be his, like a horse held to rein, so he broke his ties with the Shield Lands and formed the Bandit Kingdom Principality of Redhand from what was once the province of Alhaster.
The [Bandit Kingdom’s] only coastal "kingdom," Redhand holds a
section of the north coast of the Nyr Dyv, from the old Shield Lands to the
mouth of the Artonsamay. "Prince" Zeech [a cleric of Hextor], an
effete renegade Shield Lands lord who broke with his nation in 577 […]. [LGG - 27]
The Art:
One must always give credit where credit is due. This History is made possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable. Thanks to Steven Wilson for his GREYCHRONDEX and to Keith Horsfield for his “Chronological History of Eastern Oerik.”
Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.
Special thanks to Mike Bridges for his “The Battle of
Emridy Meadows.”The Art:
Iuz, by Eric Hotz, from WGR5 Iuz the Evil, 1993
Reuven, by Eric Hotz, from RPGA The Fright at Tristor, 1993
Archway by tacosauceninja
Donner-Lake by chateaugrief
Archway by tacosauceninja
Donner-Lake by chateaugrief
Red Death, by Karl Waller, from WG8 Fate of Istus, 1989
Visions-in-the-fire by dominikmayer
Front-Line by dominikmayer
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1064 From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
1068 Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
2011A Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979
2023 Greyhawk Adventures Hardback, 1988
9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9026 The Village of Hommlet, 1979, 1981
9399 WGR 5, Iuz the Evil, 1993
9577 The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578 Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
Ivid the Undying, 1998
11742 Gazetteer, 2000
11743 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
RPGA The Fright at Tristor, 2000
Dragon Magazine
OJ Oerth Journal, appearing on Greyhawk Online
Living Greyhawk Journal
Greychrondex, Wilson, Steven B.
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The map of Anna B. Meyer
Visions-in-the-fire by dominikmayer
Front-Line by dominikmayer
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1064 From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
1068 Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
2011A Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979
2023 Greyhawk Adventures Hardback, 1988
9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9026 The Village of Hommlet, 1979, 1981
9399 WGR 5, Iuz the Evil, 1993
9577 The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578 Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
Ivid the Undying, 1998
11742 Gazetteer, 2000
11743 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
RPGA The Fright at Tristor, 2000
Dragon Magazine
OJ Oerth Journal, appearing on Greyhawk Online
Living Greyhawk Journal
Greychrondex, Wilson, Steven B.
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The map of Anna B. Meyer
Good read,interesting overview
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