“The beginning is the most important part of the
work.”
― The Republic
As old empires wane, others rise.
Tis is not to say that the old empires disappear
overnight. Their waning persisted for decades, if not centuries. But in their
waning, others find opportunities to capitalize on their diminished aspect, and
perhaps undermine their interests.
530 CY
The Sea Princes were quite aware of Keoland’s influence,
and how Keoland would forever seek to diminish the returns of the Princes’
investments. The Princes were also aware how profitable foreign “holdings”
could be; so it comes as no surprise that they desired their own. Where better
than the Amedio. It was on their doorstep, and was rich in exotic woods, in
spice, in precious metals and stone, to say nothing of its peoples, were they
bold enough to seize them.
 |
| The Sea Princes Arrive |
[The] Sea Princes expanded their borders to the
Hellfurnaces. Vast plantations, worked by imported Amedio slaves, provided
shiploads of tropical fruits and sugar, goods that could be exported to foreign
ports for unheard-of low prices. Though the sale of human beings drew the ire
of upstart radical nations such as the Yeomanry, the Sea Princes' slave trade
was seen by most of the Flanaess as a necessary evil on the road to fantastic
wealth. [LGG – 101]
Thousands of natives died from mistreatment,
malnutrition and unfamiliar diseases they contracted from the Holders. Some
tribal leaders recognized the threat and managed a few retaliatory attacks
against their would-be captors, but most of the natives saw their northern
slave-takers as a way to eliminate their ancient enemies, and began slaving
raids of their own, selling conquered opponents to the Sea Princes for iron
weapons, cheap jewelry and minor magic items. [SB – 63]
539- 564 CY
Trevlyan III of House Neheli (The Afflicted] [LGJ #1 –
14]
mid-550’s
The Turmoil Between Crowns was indeed turbulent. The
Celestial Houses of the Great Kingdom sought to capitalize on its fluid
uncertainty, ever striving to rise above the others, each rising to and falling
from prominence.
In the South Province alone, the seat of power passed
from House Cranden, to House Naelax, and then to House Chelor, cousins of the
Overking.
In the mid-550s, cousins of the overking known as the
Chelors were awarded rulership of South Province, and for thirty years they ran
an aggressive campaign to win back these rich provinces, but to no avail. [LGG
– 58]
557 CY
The See of Medegia, on the other Hand, had always been
firmly in the hands of the clergy, and at this time under the iron fist of
Hextor, wrested long years past from Pholtus.
The Holy Censor still remains one of the chief
advisors of the Overking, however, and he reigns oppressively over peasant
masses with full approval from Rauxes. [Folio – 12]
Rel Astra, on the other hand, had long been in fiefdom to
House Garasteth.
And continued to when His Most Lordly Nobility, Lord
Protector of Rel Astra, Drax of House Garasteth became ruler of the city of Rel
Astra.
Rel Astra is currently ruled by Lord (actually Prince)
Drax of House Garasteth, who has held sway over the city since 557 CY. [LGG
– 92]
The city and constabular fief of Rel Astra extends
from the precincts of the city northwards to the Lone Heath south of the Mikar,
including the town of Ountsy, whose mayor is subject to Rel Astra. This trading
and mercantile port city is held in hereditary fief by a rival noble house of
the Aerdi who are secretly conspiring against the royal house of Naelex,
although they are careful to allow no proof of this to fall into their enemies'
hands. They desperately seek close ties with Medegia and the Sea Barons to
balance the weight of the Overking' s kinsmen in North and South Province. It
is reported that the Overking views these machinations with ill-concealed
delight, for they are seen as check and balance, as the monarch fears his own at
least as much as he distrusts others. In any case, the lord of Rel Astra at the
same time desires to check the growth of the Censor's lands and holdings, and
secret plots with the freefolk of Grandwood Forest and the Herzog of the South
Province are rumored. [Folio – 14]
558 CY
 |
| Foreign Advisors |
In the
madness and infighting following Ivid I’s death, the Scarlet Sign infiltrated
the Aerdi court to keep a close watch on things, but with the crowning of Ivid
V in [6072 SD] the Great Kingdom settled for a time. The new Overking banished
all foreign advisors from the courts of his nation, and the Brotherhood lost
its foothold in Suundi.
In 6074 SD,
the Scarlet Brotherhood set out to stir trouble for the Great Kingdom. In the
Raker Mountain range, members whispered into the ears of humanoid leaders,
encouraging them to raid the Bone March. The raids began the spring of the next
year, and by the year after that the raids became a full invasion. [SB – 5]
559 CY
Did the orcs and
gnolls listen to their whispers? They did, for those whispers promised great
things. Land, power and pillage. Riches beyond their imaginings. Did they trust
those who whispered? No. Not in the least. But they did not let that away them.
They are not
prepared, the whispers
said. They look to the barbarians to the north and have not guarded against
you, they said. But the orcs were cautious. For they knew not what these
red-robed whisperers hoped to gain. And because they had heard the whispers of
Men before, and knew that Men had always used orcish blood to blunt the swords
of their enemies. The gnolls were less cautious, for the whispers promised them
blood, and they do so love the smell of it.
563 CY
The Bone March fell to the humanoids and all humans in
that area were either enslaved or killed, Lord Clement among them, as he was
held up within the walls of Spinecastle, waiting for succor from Ratik and the
North Province, when it fell after a prolonged siege, virtually overnight.
Survivors say that the orcs and gnolls had nothing to do with its fall, that it
fell from within, that dark forces rose up from its very foundations, causing
those within to throw open the gates in their haste to flee, and only then did
the humanoids gain entry. It was the castles’ curse, they said, gesturing to
ward off the Evil they claimed to witness that day.
 |
| Success? |
In 563 the land fell to these invaders, its lord was
slain, and its army slain or enslaved. Humans in the area were likewise
enslaved or killed, and the whole territory Is now ruled by one or more of the
humanoid chiefs. [Folio – 9]
What did the
Scarlet Brotherhood think about their success? They were elated. They were
infuriated. The orcs slaughtered their agents along with all the other humans,
for the orcs understood that those red-robed whisperers were not their friends.
They understood that they were pawns in a greater game that was not their own.
And they recognized the scent of slavery when they smelled it.
The Bone
March fell to the humanoids in 6078 SD, and all humans in that territory were
slain or enslaved. The plot misfired. The Bone March’s new rulers severed all
ties with their human co-conspirators, and few Brotherhood agents escaped with
their lives. [SB – 5]
564
CY
Kimbertos Skotti of House Lizhal (The Commoner) [LGJ #1 –
14]
568 CY
One wonders whether there ever has been sweeping change
in the Kingdom of Shar? The last time change affected the Tilvenot peninsula
was in 489 CY, 79 years prior, when the old order toppled. Since then, The
Kingdom of Sar has been guided by the monastic Order of the Scarlet Sign (or
the Scarlet Brotherhood, as it is known far and wide) and the Order of the
Scarlet Sign has been guided by the Father of Obedience. One might say that the
Father of Obedience IS the Kingdom of Shar.
The Father of Obedience is elected for life by a
council of the highest-ranked monks. The current Father of Obedience is Korenth
Zan [.] Elected to his Office in 6083 SD, [his] attitudes are similar to the
Strong Hand Faction, although he professes no allegiance to the group – his only
true allegiance is to his race and the Brotherhood itself. [SB – 18]
The Strong Hand faction wishes to begin domination of
the Flanaess immediately by taking control of the predominately Suel nations
and using them to conquer the lands immediately north of the Tilvanot
Peninsula. [WG8 Fate of Istus – 110]
572 CY
Who rules the eastern seas? The elves? They had never
laid claim to its vast expanse, despite their having sailed its waters for
millennia. The Flan? They were the first men to lay eyes on the Solnor, but
they were content to do little more than cast nets into its banks. The Suloise?
They, like the Flan before them, colonized coast and island alike, and for a
time, it was they who ruled its waves. But it wasn’t until the Aerdi laid eyes
on it did anyone truly lay claim to it. Ivid commanded the Sea Barons to secure
his coasts and tame those who raided it. Did they ever truly tame the
Barbarians of the north? No. But they did put an end to the piracy of the
south, for a time.
The Duxchaners are still smarting from the battle,
wherein the Sea Barons sank four of their warships and made prizes of three
loaded cogs before they could gain safety in Pontylver. [Folio – 12]
More than a century and a half of conflict has ensued
between the [Sea Barons and the Lordship of the Isles], and while the names and
faces have often changed, the contests are still hotly fought. The Sea Barons
won the most recent encounter, the massive Battle of Medegia, fought in the
Aerdi Sea in 572 CY. [LGG – 100]
 |
| The Battle of Medegia |
573 CY
Korenth Zan decreed that the Shar had remained in the
shadow of the Flanaess for far too long. Where they not Suloise? Where they not
destined to rule as their ancestors once had? It was time they ventured forth
and laid the groundwork for what was, and always had been, inevitable. Thus his
emissaries set sail to those Suloise ports closes to theirs.
The first official act of the organization was the
dispatching of emissaries to the courts of the Iron League in 573 CY. Traveling
robed and hooded in red, these strangers claimed to be ambassadors from the
Land of Purity. Most were excellent scholars and sages who observed in the
courts of the Iron League and generously offered their talents to those who
needed them. [Wars – 6]
In 573 CY, a secretive monastic group called the
Scarlet Brotherhood was discovered living on the Tilvanot Peninsula, south of
Sunndi. Despite dark rumors of this group's aims (control of the Flanaess by
Suloise-descended peoples) and forces (monsters, assassins, thieves, and
martial artists), the Brotherhood was ignored for a decade. [PGtG – 10]
In 6088 SD […] red-robed members of the Scarlet
Brotherhood appeared in the cities of the Iron League, describing themselves as
sages from the Land of Purity and offering their services. These advisors were
accepted by the member-countries’ rulers, albeit with some hesitation, and soon
the Scarlet Brotherhood moved into sensitive and vital offices in a handful of
other nations, as well. Simultaneously, Brotherhood assassins eliminated
intractable foes of the Brotherhood. In most cases care was taken to dissociate
the acts from the instigators, but the removals often accelerated the advisors’
advancement. [SB – 5]
The arrival of the Brothers of the Scarlet Sign did
trigger curiosity, of course, and in short order spies were sent to the
Tilvanot.
Few agents returned to their masters. Those who did
told of an agrarian society along the coasts that farmed far more than it could
consume, with huge shipments of crop sent to the plateau at the center of the
peninsula. The farmers, it was said, were kept in line by orderly monks in red
robes, men and women who had on occasion displayed unimaginable acts of unarmed
martial prowess. These monks kept the populace in order, making examples of
those few who would defy their orders.
The spies also spoke of bredthralls, bizarre slave
races created through magic and arcane science, and of the powerful wizards of
the Scarlet Sign who created and controlled them. Last, and perhaps worst of
all, the agents of the north reported that the Scarlet Brotherhood did not
worship proper gods, but instead gave tribute to dread Tharizdun, the Great
Destroyer.
Needless to say, such reports frightened the rulers of
the Flanaess, who turned to their own trusted advisers and agents in conference
to plan strategies to deal with the growing threat. Unfortunately, many such
advisers were themselves Brotherhood agents, and advised caution and patience
in the matter. In time, they reasoned, the Brotherhood would reveal themselves,
and could be dealt with as the rabble they certainly were. [LGG – 96,98]
 |
| The Seer of Urnst |
As do the Seekers.
The Seekers are a loose-knit society od adventuring
scholars and explorers who hunt ancient secrets and magic, often for personal
gain and profit. The Seekers have become something of a nuisance to the Silent
Ones over the past two centuries, as the two societies have often butted heads
contending for the same items. The seekers have as a particular goal the desire
to locate and secure ancient artifacts and relics of a unique nature. In the
opinion of the Silent Ones, these items are best left undisturbed, even
destroyed if need be, lest they fall into the wrong hands. […]
Some Seekers share sympathies with the Skeptics of
Nellix Town [Duchy of Urnst] and often share their company in the home of
Marius of Seltaren [,] who along with the former Seer of Urnst were high
ranking members of the order in that nation.
[LGJ #4 – 15,16]
The Seer of Urnst might indeed travel long and far
seeking such artifacts, in and of itself a dangerous proposition. It comes as
no surprise that one day the Seer departed, and never returned, whatever his
fate.
In 576, Warnes was appointed Chief Sorcerous Councilor
to Duke Karll, filling a vacuum left open a few years earlier by the mysterious
disappearance of the Seer of Urnst. [LGJ #0 – 11]
Not all
Sea Princes condoned slavery. Some even abhorred it. Others sought to end the
slave trade, expecting that their trade might suffer in the long run should the
practice continue.
When the moderate Prince Jeon II of Monmurg assumed
the throne in 573 CY, most expected the issue to come to a head. [LGG – 101]
574 CY
Was the infamous Stalman Klim a Sea Prince? Common belief
is that he fared from the Pomarj. But I wonder? He did venture forth from the
secluded, and secretive city of Suderham long years prior; but one wonders,
considering his intended use of slavery to finance his plans of domination.
Regardless Klim’s origins, he and his newfound allies (some
of whom were members of the Scarlet brotherhood) eventually arrived in Suderham,
assassinating the city’s King Roderic when he protested Klim’s methods.
 |
| Stalman Klim |
575 CY
Blood is thinker than water. Or so the old saying goes.
Far be it of Ivid to refute such a claim. He raised his family high, where and
when able, and thus supported House Naelax-Selor’s claim to the throne of the
South Province.
Herzog Chelor, third of that name to rule the
once-greatest fief of Aerdy, scion of the House of Naelax-Selor, spent two
years securing his base of power. [Dragon #57 – 15]
For nearly 30 years, three rulers of the same name
—Herzog Chelor—kept Ahlissa stable. They did this through repression and fear
of the magical power and fiendish aid which both they, and their relative the
overking, could bring to bear on any rebelling against them.
Since South Province lacked any truly powerful nobles,
with large landholdings and powerful armies, the Chelors stayed in control.
[Ivid – 128]
Ivid wasn’t the only one to believe blood thicker than
water. He wasn’t the only one securing territory, either.
The arrival of pure Suel from the Scarlet Brotherhood
in 6090 SD was a surprise to the people of Zar, who had largely forgotten their
heritage and lived in a state of barbarism. The Brotherhood won over the Zarii
with gentle words, promises of power and gifts, so the people of Zar taught the
Brotherhood what was necessary to survive in the jungles of Hepmonoland. In
less than a year, Zar became a primitive daughter state to the kingdom of Shar,
sending resources and warriors north to the main Brotherhood lands. The city of
Zar is being revovated and restored from ruin.
The Zarii are content with their lot; in exchange for
goods and warriors, they receive exotic (to them) cloth, weapons and food. They
ferry gents of the Brotherhood along the newly built roads to Lerga, travel to
strange lands, fight and pillage; most don’t realize that they are second-class
people to the Brotherhood—barely above Hobgoblins. [SB – 55]
Most adventurers come to an early end. Theirs is a
dangerous path. But some survive their exploits; indeed, some thrive upon them.
Warnes Starcoat was one such.
Warnes came to real prominence in CY 575, after
defeating the plots of a certain mysterious magus, known only as the Weird of
Gnatmarsh. This sorceress and her cult had grown wicked and powerful over the
previous few years, espousing the worship of various depraved, croaking powers
of the swamp. Her grotesque retinue plagued the surrounding territory, killing
and maiming men, dwarves, and elves, even delving into the Celadon. When her
final outrage, absolute control of the mouth of Nesser, proceeded unchallenged
after her destruction of a royal squadron, Warnes and a company of allies went
after her. In what has become a legendary magical duel, he defeated the Weird
in personal combat, sinking her perverse tower into the swamp in a display of
crackling energy that drew Warnes into the Astral Plane. There, in an adventure
he has yet to speak of, he gained his most prized possession and his namesake,
the Starcoat. [LGJ #0 – 11]
It was then that Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight
took note of this rising talent.
(11
Reaping) Events in Module L1, The Secret of Bone Hill occur.
c
576-579 CY
Iggwilv reappears, but is thwarted by Tenser in events
from WG6, Isle of the Ape. [Rot8 – 55]
576-580
CY
 |
| Stalman Klim |
Original
Slavelords terrorize the coast. [Slavers – 120]
For several years, organized bands of pirates and
slavers have made a living by raiding the coastal towns on the Sea of Gearnat.
Ranging from Onnwal to the Wild Coast, they have descended quickly and ruthlessly
on the small towns and villages, and carried off innocent citizens into the
night. [A1 – 2]
Before
long, his Yellow Sails were the terror of the seas.
The lords have finally become determined to take
action, forgetting their petty squabbles to unite against the marauders of the
yellow sails. [A2- 2]
Mercenaries were commissioned, and the machinations of
Klim and his associates were put to an end. For now. But Klim and many of his
allies escaped, whence, none could say.
576 CY
The Seer of Urnst had disappeared three years prior. None
knew where he had gone. None knew if he ever intended to return. None could
even attest to whether he had met his end.
Justinian Lorinar, the Duke of Urnst, was advised that the
time had come to admit that they might never see the enigmatic Seer ever again,
and that he ought to be replaced. But by whom, he asked? It was suggested that
the Seer might be replaced by the wizard who’d put an end to the Weird of
Gnatmarsh.
In 576, Warnes was appointed Chief Sorcerous Councilor
to Duke Karll, filling a vacuum left open a few years earlier by the mysterious
disappearance of the Seer of Urnst. Six months later, he was welcomed in
Countess Belissica's court as well. [LGJ #0 – 11]
One would think that the Scarlet Brotherhood was a strict
and ordered society, and in that thought, one would be correct. It was; far
more than most in fact. This is not to say that all within it were pulling in
the same direction, so to speak. There was division within the Brotherhood.
Secrets abounded.
The [recent] alliance between the Oriental monks and
the Scarlet Brotherhood contained the seeds of division, despite similar
alignments, philosophies, and even symbolic colors. At the root of the
difficulty is the Scarlet Brotherhood’s program for racial superiority. […]
Initially their superior knowledge of martial arts allowed the Orientals to
maintain something of a balance of power, but that advantage has been gradually
eroded, while the need to maintain Suelites in exposed public positions has
distanced them from the centers of power within the Scarlet Brotherhood. […]
Even now [the Kara-Tur] confine themselves to the inner quarters of Hesuel
Ilshar and go forth among general members of the population cowled and in long
robes that conceal the color of their skins.
The casket […] appeared mysteriously one night next to
the Central Compound of Hesuel Ilshar. […] It is decorated with intertwining
dragons. […] [It] is presently concealed
in the Garden of Meditation. [WG8 – 110]
The casket contained the spirit of Morgoroth, a minion of
Istus sent to test and evaluate the peoples of the Flanaess. As to why, and to
what end, who can guess the intentions of Istus, for hers is the inexplicably
woven web of fate.
The Holy Land of Shar was most assuredly a structured,
well-ordered society. But not all castes within were satisfied with their lot.
Within the Scarlet Brotherhood, there are the obvious
divisions according to city quarter and according to profession (the [Silent
Death, the Aesthete, the Cloaking Shadow], and the more diffuse orders of [Arms
and the Arcane]). The fact that the highest leadership remains within the hands
of those trained as monks is a source of unhappiness for all those of other
professions (calling a monk “father” is particularly galling to them). In
addition to this, there are the more fundamental divisions according to what
might be called political philosophy. [WG8 – 110]
The Pure Suels wish to eliminate the Kara-Tur, and the
ancient and heretical houses of Rhola and Neheli of Ulek and Keoland.
The Strong Hand wish immediate domination of the
Flaneass, beginning with predominately Suel nations.
The High Unity are the most moderate, and secret faction,
believing that the Shar should take in what strength there might be gained from
other human races, and to gain skills they might from the elves and dwarves.
Finally, there are the Millennialists, whose doctrine
states that “at the millennium of the Foundation a great miracle will occur
which will be the beginning of a purified and strengthened Scarlet
Brotherhood.”
The descendants of the original monks from Kara-Tur
amount to a faction in themselves. They are increasingly uncomfortable and
isolated, and many of them have come to believe that their ancestors were wrong
to embrace a foreign country [….] [WG8 – 110]
Indeed, there were even factions within the Kara-Tur: The
Sapphire Celestials, the Black Order, The Golden Monks, and the Scarlet Order.
With the passing of the "Millennium" date
predicted by Huro for the Scarlet Brotherhood, when nothing oerth shattering
occurred, the Millennialist Party begins to decline.
The Millenialists believe some obscure and generally
discredited statements of the “prophet” Huro (officially banished from the
Brotherhood and sentenced to death by ritual torture). He wrote a hundred years
ago that “at the millennium of the Foundation a great miracle will occur which
will be the beginning of a purified and strengthened Scarlet Brotherhood,” This
will be the signal to go forth in strength to conquer the world. Millenialists
know that this is The Year (6091 S.D., or 576 CY, exactly 1,000 years since the
Scarlet Brotherhood was formed), and are making plans. [WG8 – 110]
They assumed that
the Foundation referred to the inception of the Brotherhood in 5091 SD, and
thus the millennium date would be 6091 SD, or 576 CY. However, no
earth-shattering miracles occurred in that year, and this faction’s membership
has dwindled away since then, although a few steadfast members cling to Huro’s
writings, claiming that they were misinterpreted. [SB – 17] (6091 SD)
Vigils were held
at the Ziggurat of Black for such a sign, none forthcoming. Prayers made.
Sacrifices as well. But for naught. Silence met the millennium. And
incredulity. Had they been forsaken?
Ziggurat of Black:
 |
| The Black Ziggurat |
The Ziggurat itself is pitted and tarnished as if from
great age. It is terribly cold to the touch, capable of peeling off bare skin
on even the warmest days. Scrying and sounding have determined that there is a
hollow space within the object, but no entrances have been discovered and no
wizards have volunteered to teleport blindly into it. Those who spend too much
time near it experience blurred vision and terrible nightmares about spiraling
downward into blackness. The Scarlet Brotherhood believes the Ziggurat may be
connected to Tharizdun and are trying to learn more about it. [SB – 33]
Despite the silence that met the Millennial’s vigil, there
was a spark of hope that the people of Shar had not been abandoned after all.
During their vigil, the Order of Arcane discovered the Weeping hexagram. The
faithful wondered: Is this the sign we have been waiting for?
[The Weeping Hexagram] was discovered by the Scarlet
Brotherhood in 6091 SD in a cavern near the Ziggurat of Black. It was a
ten-foot-diameter ring of black iron inset with a bowed hexagram; it seeped
blood when exposed to sunlight. Believed to be tied in some way to the
mysterious god Tharizdun, the Brotherhood began exploring and cataloguing its
magical abilities, which included the ability to create darkness, animate the
dead, attack minds with phantoms and summon creatures from other planes. [SB
– 86]
The discovery of the Weeping Hexagram did indeed prove to
be the omen the Millennials believed. Or so they said. And so too did many of
the Order of the Arcane believe it to be.
Having recently discovered a resonance between the
Weeping hexagram and the Ziggurat of Black, the Office of Sorcery is
investigating the possibility of using the two as some sort of power source,
utilizing the artifacts’ supposed link to Tharizdun; the Office of Sorcery is
enthusiastic about the possibility of creating wide-scale madness and freezing
temperatures in other parts of the Flanaess, though the Office of Faith advises
caution. [SB – 24]
Omens and
artifacts aside, the Brotherhood knew that to place too much faith in such
things was folly. Their course had been set by the Father of Obedience, and
thus far he had steered them true. The path to success lay within subterfuge
and manipulation; and they had made great strides, thus far.
But not always.
The Brotherhood
had not succeeded in all their endeavours of seduction. They
failed utterly in their seduction of the Cruski.
 |
| Old King Cralstag |
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]
And they had
failed in Fruztii, if not so completely, for they retained a foothold in
Djekul, its jarl despondent of his kin having fallen under Ratik’s shadow.
His Most Warlike
Majesty, King Ralff of the Fruztii, did not see it as such. 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 if they
were to have any hope of 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]
“And that (...) is the secret of happiness and virtue
—liking what you’ve got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people
like their unescapable social destiny.”
― Brave New World
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.
The Art:
The Seer of Urnst, by Jeff Dee, from C2 Ghost Tower of Inverness, 1980
Earth Dragon Priest, by Wayne Reynolds, from Slavers, 2000
Hesuel Ilshar, by Sam Wood, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1068
Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
2011A
Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9039
A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity, 1980
9045
L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981
9253
WG8 Fate of Istus, 1989
9576
Return of the Eight, 1998
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11374
The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
11621
Slavers, 2000
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, 2000
Ivid
the Undying, 1998
Dragon Magazine #57
LGJ
#0, #1, #4
Greychrondex,
Wilson, Steven B.
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The map of Anna B. Meyer
I love this stuff David, only halfway through, but will be back to finish it. Greyhawk ENDURES! (even if Chathold doesn't)
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