“War does not determine who is right — only who is
left.”
―
 |
| Under the Influence |
584 CY
Given their gains, the Scarlet Brotherhood suffered
something they had never experienced before: vainglorious pride. Were they not
entitled to such Pride, they reasoned? No nation had withstood their sudden
foray into the fray. None could, they believed. None would.
By 584 CY, decade-old paranoia regarding the Scarlet
Brotherhood came true, as advisors in courts throughout the Flanaess were
revealed as Brotherhood agents. The Lordship of the Isles, Onnwal, and the Hold
of the Sea Princes fell under the influence of the Scarlet Brotherhood thanks
to treachery or invasion. Barbarians from the Amedio Jungle were used to secure
captured lands. The Brotherhood was revealed as an order dedicated to
preserving the culture and racial purity of the ancient Suloise Empire.
[WoGG 3e – 4]
Prudence prevailed, though. The Land of Purity was a
small nation, and despite its people’s dedication to duty, its resources were
stretched to the very limit.
Sensing that his reach was nearing its limit, the
Father of Obedience halted the troop advances and instructed his agents to
solidify their holds in the Brotherhood-controlled governments, where new laws
suppressed previous officials, and temples to Brotherhood faiths rose. [SB
– 6]
Another could boast his own successes, even as they did
theirs.
 |
| Turrosh Mak |
Turrosh Maks sudden surge into lands surrounding the
Pomarj had taken those unsuspecting nations by surprise. Little thought was
spared just then for reclaiming those coasts; containment was their only goal.
The Free City was only too happy to aid those besieged cities and towns who had,
until then, yet to fall to Mak’s hordes, cities and towns that had, until then,
remained free of the Free City’s rule.
The remaining unconquered cities of the Wild Coast,
Narwell and Safeton, formally concluded pacts of association with Greyhawk in
Coldeven, 584 CY. Greyhawk stationed garrisons at both cities, and administered
city law there, extracting tax and tribute from the cities in return. Faced
with onslaught from the Pomarj, the rulers felt they had no choice. [FtAC –
50]
The Free City began rigorous pursuit of law and order and
security. Enemies were everywhere, they reasoned.
The population of both cities has had a sharp turnover
during the wars; many refugees fled there from vanquished cities, but many
ruffians fled Greyhawk's rule, and while both cities had significant humanoids
among their numbers before the wars, this changed in the infamous Night of
Terror early in 584 CY. Every orc, half-orc, and hobgoblin in Narwell and
Safeton was knifed, lynched, or burned alive by the humans, fearing they were
Pomarj spies. [FtAC – 50]
Autumn
The Night of Terror was for naught. There was no need—other
than that the peoples of the Wild Coast had need to strike with rage at the
image of what terrified them—Turrosh Mak’s hordes had ceased their relentless
march north. Mak knew that he should not bite off more than he could chew, as
did the Father of Obedience. Better to pause and consolidate, lest they lose
what they had gained. It was best that the cessation appear to come from
without, lest others think them weak.
 |
| Scarlet Sign Diplomacy |
Regardless how the nations came to the table, they did.
They were exhausted. They were broke. And their people could fight no more.
Proposals for a great peace treaty gained rapid
acceptance in many quarters, aided by the persuasive whisperings of the agents
of the Scarlet Brotherhood. [FtAA – 9] (6099 SD)
For three years, the whole of the Flanaess flew
banners of war. Nations fell as new empires were born. Demons and devils from
the Outer Planes were summoned en masse by Iuz and Ivid V, and hundreds of
thousands of mortals died. Finally, the battle-weary combatants gathered in
Greyhawk to declare peace. Harvester 584 CY was to see the signing of the Pact
of Greyhawk, fixing borders and mandating an end to hostilities. [LGG – 16]
Why the Free City? Because it was neutral ground.
Harvester
When peace came in Harvester 584 CY, the whole world
was weary of war. Many hoped that the treaty signed then marked the end of
marching armies, bloody fields, and burning cities. [TAB – 1]
With the ratification of the great Pact of Greyhawk in
Harvester 584, however, the wars came to an end. [LGG – 47]
In the month of Harvester, 584 CY, in the untouched
Free City of Greyhawk, countless ambassadors assembled to inscribe their names
on the treaty at the Day of the Great Signing. It very nearly didn't happen.
[FtAA – 9]
Day of
Great Signing
The Day of Great Signing was to have been a
celebration of the end of three years of brutal conflict that touched nearly
every nation in the Flanaess. [LGG – 38]
Weakened before the war had boiled over, the Circle of
Eight declared that nothing should prevent the peace.
When the political rumblings that signaled the end to
the conflict reached the Free City of Greyhawk, the entire Circle was on hand
to ensure a favorable outcome to the peace process. Their network of agents
researched the backgrounds of key diplomats and participants in the
proceedings, and magical divinations were conducted to unmask any would-be
saboteurs. [LGJ#0 – 8]
But shadows lurk in plain sight.
Never did the view of those scrying crystals turn
inward, however, toward the plans of the single individual who could do the
most harm to the delegates' cause. [LGJ#0 – 8]
All their preparations, all they diligence, failed them.
Instead, the day ended prematurely in a brilliant
display of destructive magical fire that swallowed the building where the event
was to have taken place only hours later. [LGG – 38]
Magical scrying and the strenuous efforts of sages
have not availed to give the full story of what happened that day. All that is
known for sure is that, within the Grand Hall where the treaty was to be
signed, a fierce magical battle erupted and spread havoc through the Old City. [FtAA
– 9]
 |
| The Death of Otiluke |
Afterwards, two members of the famed Circle of Eight,
the great mages of Greyhawk, lay dead; Otiluke and Tenser were no more. Their
magical clones likewise shrivelled and perished, and their own bodies could not
be resurrected. It is also known that Rary of Ket, another Circle member, was
last seen fleeing with Lord Robilar into the Bright Desert, and that Rary had
turned traitor and had slain his old friends. Why this is, is a tale yet in the
telling. A sideshow to the main event, to be sure, but one that still shook
Oerth.
Despite this, the treaty was signed and the Greyhawk
Wars drew to a close. The Pact of Greyhawk ensured peace—of a sort. [FtAA –
9]
Fearing further disruptions, the delegates hurriedly
signed the Pact of Greyhawk. Ironically, because of the site of the treaty
signing, the great conflicts soon became known as the Greyhawk Wars. [LGG –
16]
The Free City was fortunate, if not blessed. It had
remained neutral in the war, fought no battles, risked nothing, yet it had
waxed while others waned.
When the Pact of Greyhawk was signed in Harvester 584
CY, Greyhawk’s Lord Mayor and directors had laid claim to a large amount of
territory guarded by the largest army Greyhawk had ever fielded in its history.
[TAB – 62]
585 CY
The Circle had been shamed; they had failed to keep the
peace; they had failed to maintain the balance. Mayhap that failure was only in
their own eyes, but that shame spurred them to greater diligence. Evil had
waxed. Under their very watch. They needed to act to correct their lapse;
however, they needed to gather information first if they were to be successful
in curbing Evil’s further growth.
Bay of Renho
This bay is best known for the numbers of dolphins
visible here. Some suspect the dolphins visit a secret underwater city, or perhaps
a secondary home of the wizard Drawmij. As Drawmij is displeased with the
Brotherhood’s blockade across the Densac Gulf, he may be spying on them from
this location. [SB – 30]
 |
| Allies in the Deep |
A school of dolphins has swum into Relmor Bay. They
are clearly restless and troubled, but they swim away from those who approach
them. […]
[T]he dolphins seek to guide sailors to a wreck off
the coast of Onnwal, an Irongate vessel sunk by the Scarlet Brotherhood. The
wreck contains important icons and one or two magical items of good (good-aligned
weapons, etc.). Of course, the Brotherhood will not wish to see anyone dive
down to the wreck, and will take steps to avoid this. Ixitxachitl are in the
area of the wreck [.] [FtAA – 73]
Try as he might, Drawmij could not cast his eyes upon
every shore, into every port, or into the hearts of every soul that looked out
upon the azure seas to see if evil lurked there. If he were able, he would be
blinded by the blackness that would surely gaze back at him.
Long years after they had first terrorized the southern
seas, rumours began to drift about that yellow sails had been sighted on the
horizons. Few believed them; the Slavers had been put to the sword, the
skeptics said. It must be the orcs, they said.
Orcish ships begin to appear in Woolly Bay. Orc and
human pirates raid the area from bases hidden in the Pomarj and southern Wild
Coast. [Slavers – 120]
They were not wrong. Neither were they right.
Since 585 CY, the orcish Empire’s pirate ships have
operated out of the Port of Elredd under the command of Davis the Reaver, a
longtime ally of Turrosh Mak. [Slavers – 63]
Their disbelief is forgivable. So many had died in
Turrosh Mak’s probing raids that few could imagine that others might have been
carried off by ships other than his.
[Davis’] ships have been harming shipping in the Sea
of Gearnat since 585 CY, and there are three important reasons to keep up the
pressure. First, it keeps the northern Wild Coast and the Domain of Greyhawk
off balance, tying up many of their resources to defend their merchant ships.
Second, the confusion created by pirate raids helps in the transportation of
slaves from the north. Third, the ships and crew captured by the raiders
provide treasure, additions to the navy of the Pomarj, and slaves. [Slavers
– 67]
Piracy increases as evil humans, hobgoblins, and orcs
from the Orcish Empire put to sea to attack ports and shipping from Woolly Bay
to Relmor Bay and the Azure Sea.
When the humanoid armies from the Pomarj invaded the
Wild Coast, Greyhawk sent several warships to patrol the upper reaches of
Woolly Bay to guard against humanoid and pirate attacks. These marines are
largely crewed by Wild Coast slaves freed by edict of the City of Greyhawk. As
such, they are very loyal to Greyhawk and full of pride in their service. [Slavers
– 32]
Rumors during this time place the headquarters of the
Horned Society along the coast of the Pomarj, in the Bone March, or even in the
Bright Desert or Rift Canyon.
Rumors during the last five years have placed the
group's headquarters along the coast of the Pomarj, in Bone March, or even in
the Bright Desert or Rift Canyon. Most people no longer care, for Iuz is now
perceived as the true threat. However, suggests Arkalan, the Horned Society has
become even more dangerous since its dispersal. As the Archmage Mordenkainen
was heard to comment last year during a conclave in Greyhawk, "Are their
members now dozens, hundreds, thousands? Where are they headquartered? What do
they plot? Can we rest assured of the death of the [Unnameable] Hierarch? To
the one who could answer these questions would go the thanks of a free
people." [LGG – 157]
Nyrond and the
South Province had never been friends. Indeed, they have a very long history of
conflict as they vie for control of Relmor Bay.
Along Relmor Bay, South Province is engaged in a
sporadic piratical war with Nyrond. The fleets of Prymp and Shargallen raid
southern Nyrond, seeking slaves, plunder, and food. In return, Nyrondese
vessels raid Ahlissa's northern coast and, indeed, mounted a major raid on
Prymp itself in Coldeven. This piracy is still relatively small-scale because
neither side seeks all-out war and neither has a truly dominant fleet. Still,
this gives Reydrich concern. For one thing, building up defenses such as city
walls is expensive, and local rulers demand help with such constructions which
Reydrich is loath to give. [Ivid – 129]
Prymp is a major center for the vile trade of slavery,
and in truth virtually anything is for sale here, including the loyalty of many
of its mercenary and blackhearted defenders. Many are ex-slaves, pirates of
old, or simply chaotic and utterly untrustworthy souls held in check by the
rigid Lawfulness of the city's rulers. [Ivid – 132]
586 CY
Coldeven
 |
| Demons and Devils Walked the Oerth |
The Flight of
Fiends
In Coldeven 586, Canon Hazen of Veluna employed the
Crook of Rao, a powerful artifact, in a special ceremony that purged the
Flanaess of nearly all fiends inhabiting it. Outsiders summoned by Iuz, Ivid,
or independent evils fell victim to this magical assault, which became known as
the Flight of Fiends. [LGG – 16]
No one knows how
many demons survived the Flight of Fiends in 586 CY; few have surfaced. [LGG – 61]
Canon Hazen’s banishing the fiends wiped a blight from
the face of the Oerth. Demons and devils ought not to walk the land. But none
could have predicted what chaos might arise from such a righteous act.
[Spies] and agents of the overking [had always] kept
careful watch on the actions of [the priesthood of Hextor, for its power was
hardly contained.] The priests, lacking detection and subtler magic, were not well-equipped
to uncover such agents. […]
What has happened subsequently is almost without
precedent within this priesthood. Patriarch General Pyrannden has stood
by Ivid. However, Krennden, Patriarch of Hextor in Rel Astra, has pronounced
the Overking insane and renounced his sacred guardianship of the Malachite
Throne on account of that. [Ivid – 21]
Early
Immediately thereafter, priests of Hextor appeared in
Rauxes, the former capital of the Great Kingdom, and announced that Ivid V was
no longer Overking. Conflict engulfed the capital in a matter of hours. Many of
Ivids generals and nobles, filled with spite and ambition, marched on Rauxes.
No one can exulain what followed. but the city itself was engulfed by a strange
magical warp. Few willingly approach Rauxes now, and bizarre eldritch forces
still prevail where the city once stood. [WoGG 3e – 4]
As Rauxes
burned, and the Great Kingdom broke apart, the herzogs and grafs and the Holds
of the Celestial Houses saw fit to take what they might while they might. If
they did not, others surely would. The Scarlet Brotherhood, mayhap….
Graf Reydrich of South Province, though hampered by
the loss of his fiendish servitors to the Crook of Rao, set in notion his plans
to enlarge his kingdom and turn it into a true empire. By unknown means thought
to consist of a combination of spells, enchanted assassins, and a spy network
of his own […] he was able to find and slay many of the Scarlet Brotherhood’s
commanders in Onnwal and Idee. His powerful military units rode directly into
Idee in late 586 CY, conquering the northern half. He planned to move on Onnwal
as well, but bad weather and heavy fighting in Idee forced him to delay those plans.
[TAB – 24] (SD 6101)
 |
| Reydrich, Graf of South Province |
The fall of Idee to South Province in 586 CY and the
emergence of the United Kingdom of Ahlissa in the following year panicked many
in Sunndi, who already felt threatened enough by the Scarlet Brotherhood's
attempts to overthrow the realm from within. A few heavy-handed overtures by
Ahlissa for the county to join their nascent empire did not help matters. [LGG
– 111]
Reydrich knew
that he could not let such quiet aggression go unchallenged, not when those of
his inner court knew what he did, that the mysterious nation of Shar to the
south had infiltrated every level of his government. Why would they, unless
they had meant to take control of it.
Reydrich told one
of his generals to be prepared to ride to the Tilvanot Peninsula by year’s end
over the bodies of the Scarlet Brotherhood’s finest spies, assassins and
savages. [TAB – 24]
But Reydrich as
truly fortune’s fool. Just as he declared his intent to march unto the land of
Shar, fickle fate decreed otherwise.
The general
returned to Reydrich’s quarters later that day to find the archmage dead,
apparently slain during the casting of another spell against the Brotherhood’s
leaders. His assassins were never found. [TAB – 24]
Tyrum is the man
who killed killed the original Reydrich of South Province in 6101 SD,
infiltrating the Graf’s domicile, slaying him, and transporting a piece of
flesh back to the Brotherhood wizards to make a clone. The success of this solo
mission caught the attention of the Father of Obedience whom after observing
him in subsequent missions, appointed him [Foster Uncle of Faith.] [SB – 18]
A charismatic and
evil man, he left his position in the Temple of Pyremius [years earlier] when
he realized he could best serve his god and the Suel race by becoming an assassin,
a profession recognized as part of the official Brotherhood government. [SB – 18]
The plot
thickens. Was Reydrich truly master of his own fate? Not so, says the Scarlet
Brotherhood.
[Reydrich had been]
under the magical influence of the Brotherhood. The Father of Obedience used
him to eliminate ambitious political rivals in Indee and Onnwal, then had the
graf assassinated before he could overcome the enchantment. Idee and several
units of savages seemed acceptable losses compared to the elimination of
potential challengers to the Father’s leadership, and he retained several
backup plans to compensate for Idee’s “freedom.” [SB – 6]
But is this
truly true? I wonder. Reydrich was a powerful man, few his arcane equal. It
would take an immensely powerful wielder of the Arts to have dominated one such
as he. It would be far easier to spin such a tale, and to quietly spread it far
and wide, and see how it might undermine trust.
With Reydrich
dead, the Scarlet Brotherhood agents continued to try to fell the South
Province, assassinating those members of the newly declared Kingdom of Ahlissa’s
Oligarchy.
[A] coalition of military officers and nobles who
briefly attempted to establish a realm of their own, renaming South Province
the Kingdom of Ahlissa Several of this oligarchy were slain by Scarlet
Brotherhood agents during the winter of 586-587 CY, but the oligarchy held
together and oversaw the complete reconquest of Idee by the end of 586 CY.
[TAB – 24]
 |
| Lord Drax |
Wars are costly
affairs. Lives are lost. Wealth too. In the aftermath, the peoples of the land
need time to breathe, to replenish, to rebuild. And to heal old wounds.
Re-establish broken bonds. Trade can help do that. It opens dialogues. It
reminds those who fought that not all across the border are foes and fiend. The
Scarlet Brotherhood preferred that not happen.
Merchant ships from
Rel Astra ceased to appear in the Azure Sea after 586 CY. It is now known that
the Tilva Strait had been blockaded by ships and possibly monsters under the
command of the Scarlet Brotherhood and likely its puppet, the Lordship of the
Isles. [TAB – 29]
This situation has
led to an increase in trade along an overland corridor from the town of
Dullstrand uphill to the Kingdom of Sunndi, and from there into the Kingdom of
Ahlissa to Nyrond and on to the west. This trade has served to moderate tempers
in diplomatic relations between the Iron League and Ahlissa. [TAB – 29]
Even the Scarlet
Brotherhood can change their mind. A piece of the action is far more lucrative
a proposition than a blockade, and less costly than the loss of a single ship
and its crew, even if that crew are Duxchaners and subjects of the Sea Princes.
The Scarlet
Brotherhood in Scant originally blockaded the Strait of Gearnat, but soon
switched strategies, instead allowing ships through—with the payment of
protection money. This is particularly irksome to the Domain of Greyhawk and
the kingdom of Nyrond. [TAB – 25]
Brewfest
No siege lasts
forever, although they can last a very long time, indeed.
Irongate lived under siege until late 586 CY, when the
Scarlet Brotherhood suffered setbacks in Idee and Onnwal that prevented it from
keeping the pressure on Irongate's defenders. Irongate is no longer pushed back
on its heels and has tried to reestablish the alliance. [LGG – 58]
The Scarlet Brotherhood’s iron grip had begun to slip.
The Father of Obedience had planned well, and his conquests had been swift; but
he also knew that holding onto those swiftly gathered gains was quite another
thing, altogether.
Onnwal continued to
struggle against the Scarlet Brotherhood. The core of the rebelling force
consisted of the entire [thieves’] guild of Scant, led by a notorious master
thief, Rakehell Chert. [TAB – 25]
The barbaric treatment of the populace by the Scarlet
Brotherhood whet the cry for revenge, and a general revolt was launched in late
586 CY before the Brotherhood could crack down on the rebels. The countryside
became a battleground during a brief, bitter struggle in which the freedom
fighters drove the Scarlet Brotherhood back to the city of Scant. [LGG –
80]
[Chert’s’ thieves
had worked hand-in-hand with the dwarven clans of the Headlands and with
Irongate [….] Chert also received considerable help from the famed archmage
Bigby, once a resident of Onnwal, and a group of Bigby’s former associates and
apprentices in Scant. The rebellion began on the first day of Brewfest, 586 CY,
and lasted through Patchwall. [TAB
– 25]
These insurgents have nearly convinced Lord Mayor Cobb
Darg of Irongate that they can win back the whole land soon. [LGG – 80]
Since 586 CY, rebellious Onnwallers had tried to
recapture [Chadwell] manor unsuccessfully, until a storm raging in off the
Gearnat veiled their assault. Inside, they discovered a scene of unrivalled
butchery amongst the Brotherhood's troops. Several of the Onnwallers remained
inside overnight to investigate and were found dead the following morn. Both
sides now avoid the area, unsure of what lurks below the house. [LGJ#0 – 12]
As the Brotherhood’s grip loosened, those ports who had
languished sought to take command of their seas once again.
With Onnwal's rebellion in late 586, a counter to [the
chaos of the piracy plaguing the Wooly Bay] has formed, with Safeton and Hardby
sending out warships to patrol the north, and Onnwalish ships from Scant
guarding the south. This reduced the incidence of piracy, but it has hardly eliminated
the problem. [Slavers – 38]
End
Despite the Brotherhood’s attempt to usurp their
autonomy, the Oligarchy of Ahlissa held firm and succeeded where Reydrich had
failed.
In late 586 CY, South Province captured the northern
half of Idee, and would own the whole of the territory by the end of the year. [LGG
– 96]
For two years Irongate had endured the Brotherhood’s siege
of Irongate.
Irongate lived under siege until late 586 CY, when the
Scarlet Brotherhood suffered setbacks in Idee and Onnwal that prevented it from
keeping the pressure on Irongate's defenders. Irongate is no longer pushed back
on its heels and has tried to reestablish the alliance. [LGG – 58]
 |
| Calling on Ports of Call |
How the Brotherhood-allied Lordship came to act as a
“neutral” sea power is a controversial topic in any port city. Merchant ships
flying the blue crown-and-anchor flags of the Lordship (minus the Iron League
symbol once displayed at the bottom) traveled across the Azure Sea in 586 CY,
carrying diplomatic personnel, merchants, sailors, and a few marines. No
obvious members of the Scarlet Brotherhood could be found aboard the ships by
scrying wizards, nor did other divination spells determine that the crews were
under charm or duress. The diplomats requested an opening of relations with
other major seafaring states, with the goal of restarting the considerable
maritime trade that the Lordship enjoyed prior to the Greyhawk Wars. [TAB –
33]
One wonders how long Turrosh Mak will be able to keep
hold of his conquests?
The Orcish Empire of the Pomarj now holds a large
portion of the open land to the east between the hills and the Jewel River.
This ground is in active contention by the principality and is by no means
conceded to the invaders, but Prince Corond has been desperate for an edge to
help him defeat the orcs and goblins of the Pomarj. In 586 CY, an alliance with
the Knights of Luna produced a counteroffensive that recovered some of this
land. [LGG – 121]
War between the Pomarj and the dwarves of Ulek has
continued unabated to the present, and some of the land west of the Jewel was
recaptured in a major battle in 586 CY. Mak now works to build an orc-and-human
pirate navy with which to extend his power across the sea, at least until he
has the power to overcome the elven kingdom of Celene. [LGG – 88]
“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans
and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of
totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”
―
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:
Scarlet Brotherhood Assassin, by Sam Wood, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
Wealthy Quarter Assassin, by Bill Willingham, from A3 Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords, 1981
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed
Set, 1983
1064 From the Ashes Boxed
Set, 1992
9025 World of Greyhawk
Folio, 1980
9577 The Adventure Begins,
1998
9578 Player’s Guide to
Greyhawk, 1998
11374 The Scarlet
Brotherhood, 1999
11621 Slavers, 2000
11742 Gazetteer, 2000
11743 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer,
2000
Ivid the Undying, 1998
LGJ #0
Greychrondex, Wilson, Steven
B.
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The
Map of Anna B Meyer
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