“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for
themselves”
― Complete Works -
Volume XII
 |
| Expeditions into Hepmonaland were Charted |
584 CY
The Great War, the Greyhawk Wars as they came to be
known, had come to a close. Their coffers emptied, the nations of the Flanaess
had exhausted their selves. They had spent their strength, dashing the flower
of their youth upon the shield of their enemies. But not all. Not the
Brotherhood. They had held back, fielded no armies, marched upon no fields. Yet
somehow, they had conquered nations, by hook and crook and surgical precision.
The ports and straits and fleets of the south now in
their possession, they turned their attention to the Dark Continent.
 |
| Extensive Forays |
The Brotherhood has made extensive forays into
Hepmonaland and the Amedio Jungle, both home to "degenerate" Suel
people. [FtAA – 35]
The city [of Sharba, in Hepmonaland] is a staging
ground for deeper forays into the jungle. [SB – 52]
They had great need of fodder to garrison their recent
gains.
Recent
kidnappings by warriors of Xolapeqa have aggravated Cuhuetla; armed guards
watch over the northwestern settlements, and it is expected that the relations
between the two states will escalate into war relatively soon. [SB – 49]
At least one ship departs Ekul for Hepmonaland every
day—the purpose of these voyages can only be speculated upon in the north,
though few believe the activities of the Brotherhood in Hepmonaland and the
Amedio Jungle to be charitable. [LGG
– 96]
Ekul has a
large (if transient) Hepmonalander population. Since many of the savages have
little experience on boats, the Brotherhood puts them ashore as soon as
possible, which makes Ekul a dumping-ground for the transported warriors; the
then march overland to the mesa. [SB – 25]
As in Ekul,
large numbers of Hepmonaland soldiers and slaves camp outside the city [of Kro
Terlop], awaiting transport.
[SB – 27]
 |
| Exploring the Coasts |
Protected
from most naval attacks by the dangerous reefs on their western shore, the
Cuhuetlan are not yet threatened by the Scarlet brotherhood. [SB – 49]
Ships from the Scarlet Brotherhood have landed in
[the] port [of Ikelan] and so far relations have been cordial; the visiting
Suel have made no mention of their agenda, nor of their hostility toward other
races. [SB – 50]
Scarlet Brotherhood ships have been spotted along the
western shore [of Iyapo’s demesnes] and navigating the Hambu channel, but the
rocky cliffs have discouraged them from landing, and the Iyapoans have had
little contact with the Suel explorers. [SB – 50]
The Scarlet
Brotherhood has sent one delegation to the city [of Kundaxa], although they
retreated quickly after viewing some of the giant hillside markings common to
the region; no Brotherhood ships have come back since. [SB – 52]
 |
| The Kabrevo Plain |
The Scarlet Brotherhood landed once at the city port
[of Byanbo] and offered gifts to the king; a small group remained behind to
study the language and advise the prince. Reports surface from time to time of
unusual ships on Byanbo’s shores piloted by beings the locals call “The Tall
Walkers.” [SB – 48]
The Prince
[of Vay Nama] has received several visits from red-robed officials of the
northern lands, but has made no announcement about an alliance with the
strangers. [SB – 54]
Emissaries from the Scarlet Brotherhood were slain and
sent downriver, which caused the Brotherhood to patrol the Jolan coast; Prince
Ilamo Ilamo looks forward to testing the blades of his warriors against the
flesh of the white-skinned northerners. [SB – 50]
 |
| Exploring the Dark Continent |
Many volunteer for dangerous assignments in the Vast
Swamp or the remote jungles, often sacrificing their lives for the betterment
of their people. [SB – 9]
Typical assignments include:
- Ferrying messages to agents in Hepmonaland, the Amedio jungle, or extreme regions of the Tilva peninsula
- Taking an administrative post in a Tilvanot city, Brotherhood controlled outworld city, of Brotherhood colony, including Hepmonaland and the Amedio
- Exploring a particular country or region, discovering and claiming treasure and magic
- Conveying troops or essential materials to an outworld location
- Establishing a safehouse or temple in an outworld location
[SB – 9]
The faithful all too soon were setting out into the
southern plains, even as they plunged into the jungles, each and all sending
back both tales of wonders and riches, and reports of the most amazing
discoveries that never failed to excite.
The discovery of near-human creatures such as apes and
baboons in Hepmonaland and the Amedio has caused a great deal of excitement
among the slave-breeders [.] [SB – 22]
Those who succeeded were rewarded for their successes.
 |
| Ziggurat |
Most preferred the comforts of the Tilvenot peninsula.
But the Duxchan beaches beckoned, too. They were peaceful. Deferential.
Subdued. Safe. Those faithful who toiled to tame Hepmonaland, however,
sometimes found comfort under those ziggurats they had worked so hard to claim.
Why tarry, though, the most dedicated argued, when one could relax under the
southern stars, exploring the inland plains for a camel’s perch?
585 CY
One wonders how the Scarlet Brotherhood was received in
the wake of the war. They were far afield, visible in most ports now, supposed
gentle monks. Or so they presented themselves. The perceptive could not help to
recognise their suppressed swagger, though, their hooded glance of contempt,
their pride. They could not hide those from those who looked. Their composure
declared: we are the masters of the southern seas.
Surely the blame fell on the shoulders of the piratical
Duxchaners, though. Didn’t it? It was their ships that held the Spindrift
Strait, their crews that boarded merchants and extorted the tolls. As far as
the rest of the world was concerned, they were the reclusive and seemingly
benevolent Kingdom of Shar. Didn’t they?
Perhaps most importantly, many rulers in the Flanaess
believe they have purged their courts of possible Brotherhood agents, giving
sovereigns in courts still populated by inactive agents an unwise sense of
security. [LGG – 98]
No matter. As masters of the southern seas they must be
recognised, treated with, traded with, even if those lesser peoples knew them
for what they were.
North Province
Grennel was pragmatic.
So far as importing foreign goods goes, the supply
line from the south—the great Flanmi artery of trade—has dried up beyond
Darnagal. Once, even Hepmonaland silks and spices reached Eastfair by this
route, but no one could hope to sail the full length of the Flanmi safely now.
Atirr has become the most important supply port for goods from the far south,
which has made that city more important politically, as Grenell is only too
well aware. [Ivid – 45]
Sea Barons
The Sea Barons are increasingly rapacious. Between the
Rhisians to the north and the Duxchaners to the south, they have need to be.
Basmajian Arras suspects they may be infiltrated and under siege.
Most seriously, Leastisle fell to pirates and
buccaneers at the end of the Greyhawk Wars. Most of these freebooters were
fleeing the eastern coastal cities of Aerdy, but they brought enough
mercenaries and seapower to sack Vernport. They now sail widely, attacking any
target that looks soft enough, from North Province to Hepmonaland. [Dragon #206 – 35]
[The Sea Barons] now sail widely, attacking any target
which looks soft enough, from North Province to Hepmonaland. [Ivid – 45]
The old Medegian lands offer a soft target and the
Barons raid there, but apart from the occasional foray into Hepmonaland to loot
the spices, ivory, and furs which come from that vast land, that is about the
limit of the Barons' current exploits. [Dragon #206 – 35/ Ivid – 45]
[T]he Barons and their liegemen often have slaves in
their households, save in Oakenisle. These slaves are humans taken from
Hepmonaland for the most part. [Dragon
#206 – 36/ Ivid – 89]
The sharks revel in these times, however uncertain the
future may be.
Sea captains who, as children, sat on his knee and
thrilled to tales of savage Hepmonaland or the orcs of the Pomarj (Walfrenden
has sailed all of the Azure Sea), are every bit as ready now to bring the old
man a tankard of ale and hear the same tales again. [Ivid – 94]
Rel Astra
Drax the Invulnerable is as much an opportunist as
Grennel.
Rel Astra is a city of contrasts. The Barbarian
Quarter is a place of license and vivacity. Sunndi elves, albino barbarians,
Suel folk, even a handful of Hepmonalanders can be found here. [Ivid – 97]
Rel Astra also has, by virtue of its size, some of the
oddest and most specialized traders and shops anywhere. Selling Hepmonaland
goods only is not uncommon, but Rel Astra also boasts one tiny, dusty little
shop where only carved jade artifacts from the Shinazi people of that continent
are sold. Those curiously fascinating little trinkets, often carved in the form
of fabulous or enchanted beasts, are said to have magical qualities to ward off
disease or magical control of one's mind. [Ivid – 97]
[P]irate vessels and a few ships which have looted, or
traded with, the free Hepmonaland peoples have been known to bring their
cargoes to Rel Astra. [Ivid – 97]
Trade must flow. Rel Astra means to be the marketplace on
the Solnor.
In its expansive markets are displayed half the
wonders of the world, and its streets are trodden daily by dark-skinned folk of
Hepmonaland, golden Baklunish in flowing cloaks, and pale, gruff barbarians of
the far north. [LGG – 92]
Ountsy
Ountsy,though open, is more cautious.
Lastly, though Ountsy is a puritanical and mean city,
it has a sprinkling of visitors as all the southeastern port cities and towns
do. Dullstranders sometimes trade here, likewise do men from the Darmen lands,
the Sea Barons, and one or two Hepmonalanders. [Ivid – 102]
The markets to the west all but closed to them, thy have
braved the blockades and sent out merchants and spies into Hepmonaland to
discover what riches might be found there.
Celandenn: […] priestess of Wee Jas
Her home is filled with relics and trinkets from
Hepmonaland, and she has visited there several times, though she does not
reveal what she learned or observed in that wild and wondrous land. [Ivid –
102]
586 CY
Few ships ventured south of Dullstrand, what with the
blockade. Those that did invariably found Duchan ships lying in wait.
Shulof
 |
| Shulof |
Great standing waves of water have been seen off
Dullstrand; the Brotherhood is experimenting with weather-controlling magic.
Many locals are fleeing the city for Rel Astra. [FtAA
– 79]
That served the port of Dullstrand well in the long run,
it turned out. With the blockade tightening, Dullstrand served as departure for
caravans that trekked across the Highlands with regularity once tension cooled
between Alhissa and Sunndi.
Merchant ships from Rel Astra ceased to appear in the
Azure Sea after 586 CY. It is now known that the Tilva Strait has been
blockaded by ships and possibly monsters under the command of the Scarlet
Brotherhood and likely its puppet, the Lordship of the Isles. The seaports od
Ekul and Duxchan are undoubtedly part of this blockade, though additional ports
to support the effort may have been built along the Tilvenot Peninsula and even
in northern Hepmonaland. 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 connection has served to moderate tempers in diplomatic
relations between the Iron League and Ahlissa. [TAB – 30]
How long the
brotherhood could sustain the blockade was anyone’s guess. They would declare indefinitely.
But there were those who thought otherwise. The Brotherhood was stretched thin.
And all too soon they began to lose their grip on their recent gains.
[T]the Great and Hidden Empire soon fractured.
[LGG – 98]
An oligarchy
of nobles and generals took over South Province and the conquered portions of
Idee; although Brotherhood assassins did their best to eliminate these leaders,
the oligarchy held firm and claimed the rest of Idee by the end of 6101 SD. The
Hepmonaland and Amedio troops were no match for the superior arms and cavalry
of Ahlissa, and most were killed or forced into work camps. [SB – 6]
Meanwhile, the peasants of Onnwal threw down the
Brotherhood government in all but the crucial port town of Scant. [LGG –
98]
586 – 589 CY
Despite these losses, the Brotherhood as a political
entity is now much, much more powerful than at any time during its long
history. While it has lost land, it has gained enormous wealth, destroyed and
destabilized enemies, and made important gains in the southern jungles. The
Brotherhood commands the southern seaways, with naval blockades in the
shark-infested waters of the Tilva Strait, and in the so-called "Southern
Gates" of the Azure Sea, between the Amedio Jungle and the Tilvanot Peninsula
neat the Olman Isles. [LGG – 98]
 |
| A New Route |
Merchant ships from Rel Astra ceased to appear in the
Azure Sea after 586 CY. It is now known that the Tilva Strait has been
blockaded by ships and possibly monsters under the command of the Scarlet
Brotherhood and likely its puppet, the Lordship of the Isles. The seaports of
Ekul and Duxchan are undoubtedly part of the blockade, although additional
ports to support the effort may have been built along the Tilvenot Peninsula
and even in northern Hepmonaland. [TAB – 29]
Travelling ever
south, Rel Astra rounded its southern extent.
It was then they
realised that they had discovered a new route to the Azure Sea and the markets
of the west.
589 CY
[T]hough the Brotherhood has lost much power since the
wars, it is now more feared than ever before, and arguably remains poised to
strike in several key, as-yet-revealed locations. [LGG – 98]
But there are cracks forming within its rigid structure.
There are those who do not bow to the Father of Obedience, it would seem.
Key […] Hepmonaland holdings are being infiltrated by
the so-called "Black Brotherhood," a sect devoted to entropy
(Tharizdun). [LGG – 98]
That summer, the appearance of a Rel Astran caravel in
the central Flanaess surprised the Brotherhood. The ship had avoided the
brotherhood blockade of the Tilva Strait by circling the small continent of
Hepmonaland. [SB – 7] (6105 SD)
And elven ships appeared to sail where they wished with
impunity.
An elven ship was seen in the Densac Gulf as well in
589 CY, and many wonder if the elves are allowed to pass through the straits or
have managed to sneak through using magic. It is also possible the elves are
rounding Hepmonaland as the Rel Astrans claim to have done. [TAB – 29]
The Brotherhood took measures to shore up their
increasingly less effective blockade.
In that same
year [6104 SD], the Brotherhood fortified its closest Hepmonaland ports to help
maintain the blockade of the Tilva Strait. A third was build farther south on
the western Hepmonaland coast; this third port was largely created to move
goods, slaves and recruits north. [SB – 7]
The northernmost islands [of Breeka’s Teeth] are
hideaways for pirates from the north, although few have been seen since the Scarlet
Brotherhood increased their blockade of the Densac Gulf. [SB – 57]
591 CY
What’s the state
of the southern seas?
Spindrift Sound: These waters connect
the Solnor Ocean to the Aerdi Sea. Spindrift Sound is notable as the
traditional battle-zone between the Lordship of the Isles and the Sea Barons,
with pirates and sharks making it livelier still. [LGG – 150]
[N]o quarter is ever asked or given. Unknown pirates
and buccaneers frequent these waters also, making it a lively place indeed.
[WoGA – 48]
Oljatt Sea: The blue-green tropical
waters east of the Duxchans, south of the Lendores, and north of Hepmonaland
are known as the Oljatt Sea. This region of the Solnor is believed to be
extremely deep and is known to be inhabited by sea monsters able to drag down
solitary merchantmen with ease. Ships voyaging into the Oljatt are known to
chain themselves together, with men-at-arms ready with pikes and bows to drive
off giant octopi and sea serpents. Sharks of unbelievable size trail convoys in
hopes of stealing scraps from a fight; giant crocodiles from the saltwater
Pelisso Swamp do likewise near that area. Ships from the Lordship of the Isles
and Scarlet Brotherhood sail here freely, hunting down vessels from other
realms that dare invade "their" territory. Hobgoblin pirates are
noted near Hepmonaland. [LGG – 149]
 |
| Pelisso Swamps |
Few explorers have braved its depths, thanks in part
to the Scarlet Brotherhood's blockade. [LGG – 153]
It is home to
many exotic birds and insects, whose feathers and chitin would probably fetch
good prices if they could be exploited. Giant crocodiles and poisonous reptiles
and amphibians throng the place. There is said to be an extended family of
black dragons (a most unusual occurrence) in one central location. [FtAA –
61]
Black dragons have been attacking ships passing the
Pelisso Swamp. [SB – 61]
The flora is similarly said to be exotic and
dangerous, with carnivorous plants and huge flowers, pitcher plants, and giant
ferns standing twice the height of a man and more. [FtAA – 61]
Several ships have become stuck in very shallow rivers
here, leaving much wealth here (or so it is thought). [LGG – 153]
Tilva Strait: The Lordship of the Isles
long collected tribute from states wishing to use this long, tropical,
shark-infested passage between the Tilvanot Peninsula and northwestern
Hepmonaland. Such tribute was negotiated through diplomats and paid in advance,
and Lordship vessels patrolled the straits, hunting for vessels whose home
states had not paid the fee while also ensuring that those who had paid made
the journey safely (i.e., were not attacked by pirates, rumored to actually be
Duxchaner privateers). [LGG – 150]
 |
| Sahuagin |
The Sea of Sharks: The eastern shore of
Hepmonaland abuts the Sea of Sharks [.] Technically part of the Solnor Ocean,
the Sea of Sharks is home to many colonies of sahaugin, which periodically raid
the coastal towns. [SB – 55]
Vogan Sea (Pearl Sea): Named for the Tuov
storm god, this sea is the source of the annual hurricanes that bombard the
western side of Hepmonalnd. In its deeper areas, it is plagued by sea monsters.
[SB – 56]
“End? No, the journey doesn't end here.”
― The Return of the
King
“A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one
chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look
ahead.”
― The End of the
Affair
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.
Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his compiled
index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.
The Art:
Quicksand, by Terry Dykstra, from Swamplight, 1993
The Tuov, by Sam Wood, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
Jungle Ruin, from Tomb of Annihilation, 2017
Greyhawk Map detail, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Elven Ship, by Joel Biske, from Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Swamp, by Terry Dykstra, from Swamplight, 1993
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
1068
Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11374
The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Ivid
the Undying, 1995
Greychrondex,
Wilson, Steven B.
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The map of Anna B. Meyer
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