The Infinite Oerths Journal 32

Oerth Journal 32

Wonders never cease.
I'm published again. Needless to say I'm thrilled.

This issue has a theme, and that theme was Infinite Oerths. That may sound odd to those already familiar with the intent of Gary Gygax's setting. Gary set the stage all those years ago, and then set it free. Make it yours he said. And we did. Each created a Greyhawk of his own, and each Greyhawk was unique. That was its charm. Greyhawk, by its very nature is a study of infinite possibilities.

But despite Gary's best intentions, canon slipped in through the cracks. He himself began adding to the setting's timeline in the pages of the Dragon magazine. Then others followed, and before long, these dispatches were becoming canon.
And before too long, there were further sourcebooks by Sargant, Moore, Mona, and Holian. And yet more Dragon articles. We were knee deep in accepted canon. Of course, no one had to use it. Gary's invitation was still there, It will always be there.
Thus was the invitation of the Oerth Journal for its 32nd issue: Infinite Oerths. What if the accepted history of Greyhawk was a little different? What if the Invoked Devistations had never happened? What if Mordenkainen had hair? He did once, after all. He looked a lot like E. Gary Gygax, if you recall. In any event, we were asked to peek behind the curtain of what might have been, or what your personal Greyhawk had evolved into over the years. Because some Greyhawks have been evolving for so very long time, as has Lord Gosumba's Greyhawk.

I was perplexed. I was crestfallen. I'd already begun a story that would likely not fit in such a theme. But Jay Scott, the infamous Lord Gosumba of the Free City of Altimira, pressed a promise from a few of we of the online Greyhawk community to submit to the magazine. I said I'd think on it. And I did. But what? An idea sprang to mind.
That idea can be found within these pages. I hope you enjoy it.
I won't say what it's about. That would be telling. That would spoil the story., and maybe the twist and surprise at the end.
But I will mention that it's an exploration of a classic 1st edition module, loved and hated and venerated by many. It was written by Mr. Gygax, of course, as so many of those classic modules were; and were he still around to read it, I should hope that he would love it. He loved a twist, from what I've heard.

But don't just read my humble submission to the issue's pages. There are many worthy articles. There's advice from newcomer Amy Crittenden on "How to Make Greyhawk Your Own," and exploration of Gord the Rogue by Carl Scrivener. Joseph Bloch, the Greyhawk Grognard visits the "Many Castles of Greyhawk." It wouldn't be the Oerth Journal without a submission from Jason Zavoda and Will Dvorak, and neither failed to appear. Or Jay Scott, for that matter.
All submissions are worthy of praise, but there are two of note: the first is the return of Gary Holian, writer of the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer and a number of exceptional entries in the Dragon, with an article about Death Knights in Greyhawk; and the other is by Mike Bridges about the Sea Princes and the fleets that sail Oerth's oceans.
I'm in worthy company.

Download a free copy and enjoy. You can find a link here.
Another thing to note is that those supporting the Oerth Journal through donation will receive a print copy of the OJ. Not this one, sadly, the deadline for receiving this particular journal has passed. But so long as you keep your support current, you'll receive a physical copy by mail. Here's a link to the Patronage page.