“The world as we have created it is a process of our
thinking.
It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
―
 |
But why, do you ask? Because, even though I love its
value as a gazetteer for the area it covers, and even though I adore the detail
they applied to the story arc, there’s aspects to their reasoning that rubs me
the wrong way. Don’t get me wrong, they did a wonderful job ironing out the
wrinkles that aged tournament modules inevitably impose on the continuity and
verisimilitude of the setting. But the release of A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry,
14 years later in the A0-A4 Against the Slave Lords compendium, muddied
the water even further. Such is life.
I’ve gone on record opining that I’m not a fan of the
Earth Dragon. But I had not read this adventure in its entirety when I had. Am
I a fan now? A little. Maybe more than a little. I do like its inclusion in the
adventure. But I still prefer using the
Elder Eye as the over-arcing driver behind the whole affair.
Let’s analyse the plot points of Slavers, as
given.
I’ll be critical, so indulge me.
 |
| The Earth Dragon |
[c.-1000 CY] Before the great migrations that
transformed the Flanaess, the nomadic Flannae were the only humans to live in
this sparsely populated land. […]
During the mid-400s CY, a small barony catapulted to
prominence in the Pomarj. Legends tell that young Baron Erkin journeyed alone
to Mount Drachenskopf, home of the Earth Dragon, and made a pact with that deity.
In exchange for sacrifices and worship from the baron’s people, the Earth
Dragon promised miraculous spells and powers and aid in the baron’s conquests.
[Slavers – 120]
I thought I wouldn’t, but I love this part. A small
spirit ascends to demigod status. It has power here, but is largely unknown everywhere
else.
In 498 CY a series of battles known as the Hateful
Wars began. […] The barons of the Pomarj failed to act in unison, and the
humanoid tribes quickly overwhelmed the defenders, capturing the enemy’s
strongholds and setting themselves up as [the] new rulers of the land. […]
Suderham swelled with refugees as the rest of the
Pomarj fell [….] While life in Suderham became claustrophobic, most people
preferred to remain where they were safe. [Slavers – 121]
This was the environment Stalman Klim was born into, where
he was weened, and where he somehow became high priest of the Earth Dragon
Cult. The adventure does not mention his ethnicity.
 |
| Stalman Klim, High Priest of the Earth Dragon |
[He] and his faithful escaped from the Pomarj with few
losses. The group traveled throughout the Flaneass over the next four years,
and Klim gathered many allies among the pirates of the Woolly Bay, the drow of
UnderOerth, and the newly discovered Scarlet Brotherhood. Visions of Conquest
consumed Klim, and he developed a plan to weaken all the nations surrounding
the Pomarj. To implement this plan, he assembles a secret brotherhood,
originally named the Nine. Years later, the world would rename this group the
Slavelords. […]
In 574 CY High Priest Klim returned to Suderham with
his new allies. King Rodric’s joy at Klim’s return was short-lived, as the
priest tried to involve the king in his schemes. Klim promised the other
members of the Nine that they should use Suderham as a secret base, but King
Rodric refused. […] Following King Rodric’s rebuff, the outraged high priest
organized an assassin’s coup. [Klim claimed to the people of Suderham that
Rodric had blasphemed against the Earth Dragon, and in] righteous vengeance,
the deity ordered the king’s death, and Klim could only obey. With the help of
magical influence, the citizens of Suderham believed the heroic priest. [Slavers
– 121]
 |
| Of Demihuman Bondage |
Heroes are gathered, tasked to infiltrate Highport and
discover who is behind the slaving. At this stage, there is no onus on them to
put an end to the slavers’ operation. They accept the challenge. Their initial
success allows for their continued employment; to wit, they put an end to the
doings of the Slavelords. Or did they?
 |
| The Slavelords |
When Stalman Klim first created the Slavelords, his goal was to spread the worship of the Earth Dragon through conquest and coerced conversion. As the years wore on, he lost sight of this goal and paid less and less attention to his priestly duties. In the final year of the Slavelords' reign, Klim was consumed by a power smuggle with his fellow Slavelord Edralve, a drow agent from Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders. Klim attempted to discredit Edralve by helping a hand of heroes penetrate the secret lair of the Slavelords. His plan was co capture the heroes and discover forged documents he had previously planted on them chat would expose Edralve's "betrayal." It was a cunning scheme, worthy of Klim, bur it spelled the Slavelords' demise. [Slavers – 122]
That passage burns, doesn’t it? That plot twist comes
from A1-4 Scourge of the Slave Lords; I didn’t like it. Our heroes are
reduced to mere pawns in a power struggle; and it is only through blind luck
that they were able to put an end to the Slavelords, once and for all.
But they didn’t, did they?
 |
| Edralve |
Theg is an unattractive
half-orc who can easily pass for an ugly human. (When presenting himself to his
orcish hordes, he normally uses his Disguise ability to mnke himself look more
orcish.) [Slavers – 105]
Why did Kerin stick with Theg Narlot? To manipulate him,
it would seem. The original heroes weren’t the only pawns, apparently.
6098 SD was the year the Brotherhood spoke poison into
the ears of nonhumans everywhere. Aid from a red-robed visitor allowed a
half-orc named Turrosh Mak to take over as chieftain of his tribe, the Nedla
and then bind together the tribes of the Pomarj into a large orc army. [SB
– 5]
Soon after, a new name was raised in the halls of the
powers-that-be: Turrosh Mak.
 |
| A4 Theg Narlot |
Meanwhile, trouble was brewing in the Pomarj. A half-orc warlord named Turrosh Mak was growing m power, terrifying fiefdoms as he worked to unify the myriad humanoid tribes of the Pomarj under his leadership. No one had ever succeeded in this task, but Despot Mak proved an exceptional leader. His judicious use of assassination and brute force helped him to forge an enormous army of orcs, gnolls, goblins, and other humanoids from the divided tribes. His professed goal was conquest of the Lortmil Mountains, and a reclamation of the homeland of the humanoid tribes. All the tribes rallied to his banner, and his power grew. [Slavers – 122]
So, who is this Turrosh Mak?
[Some] suggest that Turrosh Mak is but the puppet of a
greater power, perhaps some mighty wizard or an agent of dark powers from the
UnderOerth. Still, the more fearful suggest that Mak's might derives from some
ancient evil power. Some think he possesses a fabled weapon of the Suel, such
as the Devastator of the World. Others propose that he draws his authority from
some dark god or is the living avatar of a deityy, such as the Earth Diagon or
the roiling chaos called Tharirdun. None of this is true, and yet in each of
these tales there lies the shadow of truth. Despot Mak has been seen on
occasion with a red-robed stranger, suggesting a possible link co the Scarlet
Brotherhood. This clue is even mom important than it appears, for it points to
Mak’s true origin. The half-orc known as Turrosh Mak is none other than Theg
Narlot, the former Slavelord.
In the wake of the Slavelords' destruction. Theg Narlot
and Brother Kerin of the Scarlet Brotherhood remained together. In collusion
with other agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood, the two former Slavelords
concocted a plan to unite the humanoid tribes of the Pomarj and carve out a new
nation. With their experience, and the contacts of the Slavelords, and the
resources of the Scarlet Brotherhood, only one thing stood between Theg Narlot
and domination: the Earth Dragon.
Narlot and Brother Kerin remembered the Earth Dragon
and knew that it was a power best not crossed again. Before his rise to power
as Turrosh Mak, Theg Narlot decided to journey to the original temple of the Earth Dragon. There he made a pact with
the god-thing, just as Baron Erkin had done so long ago. Narlot promised to
spread the worship of the Earth Dragon in the lands he conquered, and to offer
mass sacrifices to the god as well. The Earth Dragon was pleased with this
offer of obeisance and agreed to help the canny half-orc. The rise of Turrosh
Mak was thus assured. [Slavers – 122]
Apparently, Theg could not succeed on his own. He needed
help. Lots of it. Kerin’s. The Scarlet Brotherhood’s. And a demigod’s.
Meanwhile…
Stalman Klim, high priest of the Earth Dragon Cult,
vanished for nearly 10 years. Many presumed that he had died at the hands of
his humanoid allies. In truth, he wandered in disguise throughout the Flanaess
[…], seeking to atone for his failure [….] In 590 CY he returned to the
original temple of the Earth Dragon hidden in the Drachenrgrab Hills and took
his place once again as the head of the Earth Dragon Cult upon his return.
Stalman Klim was surprised to discover his former
compatriot, Brother Kerin, waiting for him. […] [Slavers – 124]
Convenient; but the Brotherhood lurks in every shadow,
and have eyes and ears everywhere, or so they lead us to believe. Mind you, it
goes without saying that they would keep tabs on Klim. He could be useful
again, after all.
 |
| To Rebuild the Slavelords |
With a grin of satisfaction, Sralman Klim agreed to
the new plan immediately. This was his chance to redeem himself in the eyes of
his god, to make right what was wrong, and to gain vengeance on the meddlers
from Greyhawk for their part in his downfall. [Slavers – 124]
Okay, hold on! Theg Narlot has conquered the whole of the
Pomarj, and then some, and he’s willing to take a back seat to the incompetent
who felled their last sweet gig?
Makes sense to me.
So, what’s in it for the Scarlet Brotherhood?
The Scarlet Brotherhood is said to revere Tharizdun
and to seek his release through the use of a mighty artifact of evil. [FTAA
– 92]
 |
| Watching. Waiting. |
The largest supporter of the Slavelords is the Scarlet Brotherhood. Their ships arrive in the ports of the Pomarj fairly regularly, and their citizens are used to dealing with humanoids. If the balance of power here is upset, a number of Brotherhood soldiers and battle wizards to take over the contested territories. Should this occur, the Brotherhood will have a subsidiary colony right on the doorstep of the City of Greyhawk and would be in a position to put a chokehold on trade through Woolly Bay just as they control trade passing through the Densac Gulf to the south. [Slavers – 119]
That’s a tall order, but if they are bent on word
domination, Greyhawk would be the fulcrum upon which the remainder could be
levered.
But as the years pass, their gains are slipping from
their grasp. The Sea Princes have proven a prize too hostile to be worth the
effort of holding; and Onnwal has all but evicted them. One wonders how long
such a small nation as Shar can occupy its gains. As to its chokehold on trade,
Rel Astra has circumnavigated Hepmonland, rendering their blockade of the Tilva
Strait all but meaningless. I suspect their chokehold is losing its grip.
There you have it, a plot riven with less than convincing
connections. That sounds harsh, but in their defence, Reynolds and Pramas were
trying to stitch together a slew of disparate and sometimes conflicting source
material, and I think they did a good job, seeing that they had to leave the
whole lot of canonical landmines undisturbed, lest fandom burn them in effigy.
I am not as constrained as they might have been, and can
suggest another possibility that doesn’t stick in my craw, like this string of
logic does.
If I may be so bold, I propose there is another
possibility, one that incorporates Skip William’s Elder Eye temple from A0 Danger
at Darkshelf Quarry far better than the one presented.
To be continued….
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 K. Reynolds, Chris Pramas, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable.
Special thanks
to Jason Zavoda for his compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research
tool.
The Art:
The Earth Dragon, by Wayne Reynolds, from Slavers, 2000
Earth Dragon Priest, by Wayne Reynolds, from Slavers, 2000
Theg Narlot, by Erol Otus, from A4 In the Dungeons of the the Slave Lords, 1981
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed
Set, 1983
1043 The City of Greyhawk
Boxed Set, 1983
1064 From the Ashes Boxed
Set, 1992
2011A Dungeon Masters Guide,
1st Ed., 1979
9025 World of Greyhawk
Folio, 1980
9039A A0 Danger at Darkshelf
Quarry, 2013
9039 A1 Slave Pits of the
Undercity, 1980
9040 A2 Secret of the
Slaver’s Stockade, 1981
9041 A3 Aerie of the Slave
Lords, 1981
9042 A4 In the Dungeons of
the Slave Lords, 1981
9167
A1-4 Scourge of the Slavelords, 1986
A0-4
Against the Slave Lords, 2013
11374 The Scarlet
Brotherhood, 1999
11621 Slavers, 2000
11743 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer,
2000
Dungeon Magazine #215, 2013
Dragon Magazine
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