“Life is for the living.
Death is for the dead.
Let life be like music.
And death a note unsaid.”
― The Collected
Poems
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian & Edwina |
Indeed, Jallarzi had striven for, and attained, all her
greatest desires. She wished to be a wizard. She was one. She was an archmage,
in fact.
She had yearned for adventure and had found it in the
depths of the Gnarley Forest.
She had desired to meet the Circle of Eight, renowned
figures who had captured her imagination when young. Not only had she, but she
had been mentored by Tenser, himself!
She had pursued and won the admiration and love of
Bucknard. Their union had blessed her with the love of her life, her daughter Skye
the Lion. But she had lost Bucknard. And had to secrete away her daughter.
She had even become a member of the Circle of Eight. And
in short order, her reward for that admission had been her life.
581 CY
The final week of her six-month trial membership was
to be a baptism by fire. [LGJ#0 – 6]
An important though seldom noticed event took place in
581 CY, when an agent of Vecna, the Whispered One of ancient Flan legend,
struck down the entire Circle of Eight […]. [LGG – 15]
Could there have been a worst time to be accepted into
the Circle of Eight? Not likely.
Jallarzi was
dead. Indeed, the whole of the Circle, with the exception of Mordenkainen, were
dead!
Jallarzi was
just 32 years old when she died.
582 CY
The Flanaess was
in shock. The Circle of Eight was gone? Dead? Was that possible? Surely it was
a lie!
But it wasn’t.
They were dead.
Truly dead.
The recent deaths of the members of the Circle of
Eight was the prelude to an attempt by the evil Vecna to overthrow the entire
pantheon of Greyhawk’s deities and install himself as absolute ruler of the
gods. Only the bravery and fortitude of a brave handful of adventurers was able
to thwart Vecna’s machinations and put an end to his plans. [WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk – 32]
Jallarzi’s friend, Marial, was among those gathered.
 |
| Marial |
Marial was born in the City of Greyhawk and there she’s spent all her
life. The redhead has never felt the desire to travel beyond the city walls.
There is more than enough adventure in the dark corners of Greyhawk to satisfy
her. She has spent many hours among the lowlife and scum of the city – it’s
exciting and full of danger. What she needs to know of the rest of the world
she can learn from books and travelers. […]
Marial is close friend[s] with Jallarzi, who
first came to Marial for advice concerning the darker parts of the city. Since
their first meetings, Jallarzi has become fascinated by Marial’s paradoxical
nature, while Marial eagerly listens to Jallarzi’s tales of the greater world.
[WGA4 Vecna Lives! – 92]
But Death is not
always the end, is it? There is always hope. Especially where archmagi are
concerned.
Though the Circle's leader, Mordenkainen, returned his
colleagues to life using powerful magic, the group was in disarray when war
again erupted in the distant north in 582. [LGG – 14]
There was a cost, however.
This endeavor consumed time that otherwise might have
seen him addressing the reports of the Circle's allies in the North, who warned
of alarming developments in Stonefist and the Barbarian Lands. When those
events spiraled into the first conflicts of the Greyhawk Wars, the Circle's
clones remained undeveloped and half-aware. By the time the clones reached full
maturation, the Circle of Eight had been forced to take a reactive stance to
the tumultuous events unfolding before them. [LGJ#0 – 6]
The Circle was a group of powerful wizards based in
the City of Greyhawk and led by Mordenkainen. Powerful and political, they
restrained the constant plotting and the disastrous wars and attempts at
empire-building that chronically plagued the Flanaess. [Rot8 – 2]
While
Mordenkainen might be the “leader” of this group, it is not a hierarchy, but a
close group of wizards with similar concerns. [CoG:GotF – 21]
The majority
of the members of the Circle of Eight are of pure neutral alignment, and do not
revere one diety to the exclusion of others. [CoG:GotF – 21]
Not so all.
Tenser was a good soul. So too Jallarzi.
 |
| Karll |
While Karll adventured, Hadric, a self-interested
mayor, really ran Leukish, and gripped the entire nation in an economic
stranglehold. It took the duke until just before the Greyhawk Wars to realize
Hadric's power. Upon doing so, he exiled the man and set about cleaning up the
capital and the local lords. While this had the effect of merely displacing
most of the corrupt to Seltaren or the old Maure Lands, the ranger duke has
been stripped of his old naivete, and knows well the challenges surrounding his
situation. [LGG – 126]
One wonders why it took so long for Karll to come to his
senses. And where was Warnes throughout Hadric’s corrupt rule?
Warnes has a
constant interest in the politics of the central Flanaess, particularly the
Urnst states. [Rot8 – 59]
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]
Was Warnes stretched to thin to notice? Or did he care
not to notice?
Warnes solves problems quickly, but he delegates the
actual labor to others. He doesn’t lose his temper, but he ignores those he
does not respect, preferring to deal only with experienced, intelligent people.
His peers find him touchy and suspicious, but a worthy ally. [Rot8 – 59]
582 – 584 CY
However unprepared the Circle was, war had come to the
Flanaess.
When those events spiraled into the first conflicts of
the Greyhawk Wars, the Circle's clones remained undeveloped and half-aware. By
the time the clones reached full maturation, the Circle of Eight had been
forced to take a reactive stance to the tumultuous events unfolding before
them. [LGJ#0 – 7]
During the Greyhawk Wars, their attention focused on
three major threats: Iuz the Old‘s growing empire; mad Ivid V the Undying and
the military might of his Great Kingdom; and the subtler treacheries of the
mysterious Scarlet Brotherhood. [Rot8 – 2]
 |
| The Wars |
His companions
were not pleased, to say the least. Some even felt betrayed by him.
583 CY
Certain members of the Circle are well known and
liked, their talents appreciated throughout the Flanaess. The mages Bigby,
Jallarzi, and Otto, for instance, are welcome in courts far from cosmopolitan
Greyhawk. [LGG – 156]
She would have advised her cousin to make what alliances
he could against the horrors perpetrated in and by the despotic Great Kingdom.
As 583 came to a close, the king [Karll] met in Oldred
with representatives of Almor, Onnwal, Idee, Sunndi, the Pale, the County of
Urnst, and Irongate. There, all but the Pale signed the Eastern Pact of
Alliance, a treaty meant to ensure the containment of Ivid's armies. [LGG –
78]
There were other curious concerns to be looked into, as
well.
A letter from Jallarzi Sallavarian [to Tenser], asking
for information on the now-destroyed Slave Lords of the Pomarj. She has come
across curious rumors in the underworld of the City of Greyhawk indicating that
one or more Slave Lords have resurfaced within Turrosh Mak’s Orc Empire of the
Pomarj. [Rot8 – 32]
584 CY
The War wound down, the combatants exhausted, as one
would expect after prolonged bloodshed. Troops were spent, munitions depleted,
coffers empty. The victors would wish to consolidate their gains, the others
had need to shore up their defenses and prepare for what they knew was sure to
resume.
There was a rumour of peace. Before long, those rumours
became fact.
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. 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 – 7,8]
9 Goodmonth
 |
| Treachery |
A blazing explosion destroyed a good part of the Grand
Hall only minutes before the ambassadors assembled for the day. A fierce
magical battle immediately ensued, spreading havoc through much of the old
city. [Wars – 24]
Often considered soft-spoken, her demeanor has
hardened noticeably since she was the first to discover the devastation on the
Day of Great Signing [.]. [LGJ#0 – 8]
When the fire and dust cleared, constables discovered
smoldering robes belonging to two powerful members of the mysterious Circle of
Eight—Otiluke and Tenser. The murderer of these wizards, undeniably a powerful
mage [.] [Wars – 24]
A badly wounded third, Bigby of Scant, claimed that
their assailant had been their one-time ally, Rary, member of the Circle of
Eight. [LGG – 38]
Rary and his co-conspirator, the wily Lord Robilar,
were nowhere to be found, and Rary's tower, in Lopolla, also vanished. [LGG
– 38]
Using secrets gained in confidence, Rary not only
vaporized his two fellows but also tracked down and destroyed every clone the
pair held in preparation. [Wars –
24]
Rary's treachery that day […] gained the Archmage of
Ket everlasting infamy. [LGJ#0 – 7]
Jallarzi felt the loss more keenly than the others. They
may have known Tenser for longer, but he had been her mentor; and they had seen
common cause: to not only protect the Balance, but to bring greater Good to the
realms.
[Jallarzi] has sworn vengeance against Rary, though
she has not taken any public action against her one-time comrade. The treachery
of one so even-mannered as the former Archmage of Ket has triggered paranoia
throughout the Circle, and these feelings have affected even Jallarzi.
[LGJ#0 – 8]
Indeed, Jallarzi felt like she had lost a second father,
and that all too soon on the heels of the loss of her lover.
She was not the only one to vow vengeance:
Schinus has a secret ambition: he wants to hunt down
Robilar and Rary and kill them. Schinus had his own life saved from a dragon
turtle by Tenser, and has been an escort to Jallarzi Sallavarian, and he hopes
to track down the renegades, revenge his old friend Tenser, and present himself
covered in glory to Jallarzi, whom he admires and desires greatly. Thus, he is
ever eager to hear from the Mountaineer Militia and to overfly the Bright
Desert himself, and will wish to interrogate any adventurers returning from
that arid land if he hears of their travels there. [FtAC – 85]
The treachery left the Eight (now Five: Bigby,
Drawmij, Jallarzi Sallavarian, Nystul and Otto) reeling. [Rot8 – 2,3]
Jallarzi emerged from this tragedy stronger than ever,
even more resolved that Evil most pay for the misery that it had and continued to
cause.
In the last two decades, the Circle has seen members
come and go, but its dedication to Mordenkainen's goals and methods remains
steadfast. Current members include Bigby of Mitrik (N male human Wiz19), once
Mordenkainen's apprentice and now an archmage in his own right; the rotund and
jovial Otto (N male human Wiz15/Clr3 of Boccob), who favors the kitchen over
the laboratory; Jallarzi Sallavarian of Greyhawk (NG female human Wiz15), one
of the most dynamic wizards in a city of mages; the reclusive Drawmij (N male
human Wiz18), who oversees Keoland and the south from his undersea lair near
Gradsul; and Nystul (N male human Wiz17), a Tenha expatriate who wishes to
expand the Circle, beyond eight if need be, to combat the growing threats
presented by Iuz, Turrosh Mak, and the consolidating factions of the former
Great Kingdom. [LGG – 156]
Following a near-tragedy at the hands of Vecna’s
followers, all members of the Eight kept a number of active clones. [PGtG – 23]
 |
| Rary |
Many favored
simply leaving him to rot in self-imposed exile.
Mordenkainen
and Bigby, who had been wounded by the renegade, did not agree. [WGR3 – 8]
Neither did
Jallarzi! But Rary was hidden from their scrying.
If they could
not act directly against Rary in his Bright Desert fortress they could at least
deny Rary of whatever magics he had left behind when he fled the scene of his
crime.
A hero in possession of the Lost Spellbook of Rary
might find herself in a dangerous situation politically. A wary hero having the
tome might want to keep the knowledge of it to herself. The recently reformed
Circle of Eight […] would be but one group among many on Greyhawk who would
actively work to acquire one of Rary’s Spellbooks. Should the owner decide to
keep the book for herself, she might soon expect a personal visit from Bigby,
Otto, or one of the other members of the Circle. [Dragon #249 – 93]
 |
| Tenser's Castle |
Mordenkainen’s divination revealed that Tenser was truly
dead and could not be resurrected by any means. Tenser had left a will with the
Guild of Lawyers and Scribes in Greyhawk naming Jallarzi Sallavarian executrix
of his estate. [Rot8 – 3]
Since Tenser's death, the sirines, swanmays, selkie,
nymphs, and halflings he befriended still visit, in the hope that their friend
may yet return. None enters the castle, save for Jallarzi Sallavarian, the
executrix of Tenser's will. She alone holds the keys to the castle, although
she rarely visits now that Tenser's bequests have been fulfilled. [FtAC – 85]
The Circle was not the only institution that had to recover
from its loss: Otiluke had been an oligarch as well as a Circle member.
Three factors have changed the internal politics of
the Guild of Wizardry. First is the destruction of Otiluke, previously the
President of the Society of Magi. Kieren Jalucian has been forced to take on
this role, in addition to his duties as Guildmaster. This is against his will,
but an alternative acceptable candidate really couldn't be found. The doubling
of roles makes Kieren feel overly burdened, especially with Jallarzi
Sallavarian […] being increasingly absorbed with the business of the Circle of
Five. [FtAC – 9]
This did not prevent Jallarzi from pleading Kieren’s case
within the Circle. Otiluke is dead, she reminded Mordenkainen. We’re
but five now. Kieren can easily fill Otiluke’s shoes, she argued, and
more.
Mordenkainen was not so sure.
“Peace” having come to the Flanaess, Jallarzi would have
urged Karll to ally with the untouched power of the Free City of Greyhawk. But
that came with a cost.
Urnst-Greyhawk Treaty
The Free City now controls almost all of the Cairn
Hills, right up to the eastern fringes, as a result of a treaty concluded with
the Duchy of Urnst in 584 CY. Urnst, increasingly aware of the need to support
the County and Nyrond, simply felt that it could not continue to maintain
garrisons in the Cairns when it needed more troops close to the Nesser River.
[FtAC – 7]
[P]art of the southern hill country once owned by the
Duchy of Urnst was ceded to Greyhawk in 584 CY, an ill-advised decision in the
best light. [LGG – 144]
585 CY
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian |
Human Female 14th-level Mage
Member of the Circle of Eight
Spells: (5/5/5/4/4/2/1)
Traveling spell book:
1st level: burning hands,
cantrip, dancing lights, detect magic, detect undead, gaze, reflection, hold
portal, light, magic missile, mending, mount, read magic, shield, shocking
grasp
2nd level: alter self,
continual light, darkness 15-foot radius, ESP, hypnotic pattern, knock, locate
object, rope trip, shatter
3rd level: blink, delude,
dispel magic, fireball, flame arrow, hold undead, infravision, lightning bolt,
phantom steed, protection from normal missiles, slow, water breathing
4th level: charm monster,
contagion, improved invisibility, monster summoning II, phantasmal killer,
plant growth, polymorph other, polymorph self, remove curse, shadow monsters,
solid fog, wall of fire, wizard eye
5th level: advanced illusion,
chaos, feeblemind, major creation, monster summoning III, passwall, sending
teleport, wall of force, wall of iron
6th level: conjure animals,
disintegrate, gas, glassee, mirage arcana, programmed illusion, transmute water
to dust
7th level: charm plants,
delayed blast, firewall, duo-dimension, spell turning
Weapon proficiency: dagger
Equipment: bracers of defense AC2 (also
works as a ring of fire resistance), ring of protection +2, staff of striking,
arrow of direction, boots of elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, hat of disguise,
rope of climbing, ring of feather falling, wand of fear, wand of illusion, wand
of magic missiles, wand of metal and mineral detection and wand of secret door
and trap location. [Rot8 – 57]
Jallarzi is young and distractingly beautiful, and
thus frequently underestimated by those who think she should be interested in
suitors. In fact, she is a powerful wizard with potential to become as great as
any mage in the Flanaess. She enjoys attractive clothes, but whatever she wears
is set off by highly intricate arm bracers of red dragon hide, bound with
platinum filagree and set with bloodstones. She is quite private about her
personal life. [Rot8 – 57]
[S]he’s very well off [Rot8 – 18], as per her
financial records; not surprising, given that she’s new nobility and connected:
she has letters to and from relatives and friends in the Duchy of Urnst
(including the Palatine Duke, Karll) [Rot8 – 18]
Indeed, she’s not only a peer of Urst, but of the Free
City, as well:
New nobles include the Lockswells of the Gnarley
Forest, the Blackfairs of the Ery River, and the Silverfoxes and Henways of the
High Quarter. Lord Yrag, formerly of Mordenkainen’s Citadel of Eight […] is
still a new noble, though he was away from Greyhawk for many years. Jalllarzi
Sallavarian has a tentative hold on “new nobility,” being a cousin of Duke
Karll of Urnst, but she has no interest in social status. [TAB – 71]
Jallarzi threw herself into her work. There was troubling
news from Almor:
[Excerpt from a letter to Johanna from Otto, dated 8th
of Coldeven]
I must also tell you that I was profoundly distressed
to read of the rumors you have heard regarding a white orb said to have been
seen in the claws of the Great Murderer of Almor, Duke Szeffrin. […] That this
orb is held by an undead wretch such as Szeffrin is ghastly news; between this
and word of your brothers, I have been robbed of my appetite, and I have
scarcely eaten for a day now. I have sent urgent word to Mordenkainen through
Jallarzi to meet with him, since he has resources that I lack, but she returned
and said he was “out,” likely swapping tales with that vile goat of a
spell-hurler from Faerun — rot him for delaying Mord in this hour of need! But
I have been tardy as well, and we must as a consequence handle this matter on
our own. [Dragon #230 – 8]
 |
| Acererak |
Acererak’s Libram
So it was until CY 585, the Year of Peace. In a
meeting of the senior members of Greyhawk City’s Guild of Wizardry, Jallarzi
Sallivarian informed those present that, while magically disguised, she
overheard an aged dwarf give an exact description of the Libram to a group of
his fellows. Through her eavesdropping, she also learned that the tome was
being held in one of the three dwarven enclaves in and around the northern
Abbor-Alz, either Dumadan, Greysmere, or Karakast. How the dwarves came to
possess Acererak’s Libram is a mystery, but this
is unimportant in light of what the dwarves intend to do with it. If Jallarzi’s
information is correct, the dwarves plan to dismantle the Libram and use its
valuable metals to construct more “useful” items like tools and weapons. The
Wizards’ Guild plans to recover the book before the dwarves destroy it, but to
date, they have yet to learn which enclave has it; the dwarves are not talking.
[Dragon #225 – 54]
Just as
pressing, Mordenkainen had finally raised the issue of their filling the vacant
positions of the Circle. Jallarzi advised Kieren to prepare himself that he should
be asked to join.
Rumors tell that Kieren was invited to join that
august order after the destruction of Otiluke and Tenser, but that he refused
due to his duties as master of the Guild of Wizardry (on top of his position
with the university). Now that he has passed on his role in the guild to
another, it may only be a matter of time before he opts to join Bigby, Otto,
and the others. That is, if Mordenkainen, who has openly derided Jalucian as a
"hopeless idealist," will have him. [LGJ#5 – 6]
But Mordenkainen preferred Warnes Starcoat, who was
involved in the recovery of the Crook of Rao. [PGtG – 23]
Jallarzi argued passionately against Warnes Starcoat
as one of the new Eight, insisting Kieren Jalucian should be considered
instead; one of the more recent letters indicated her frustration that Kieran
was not going to be offered one of the positions. [Rot8 – 18]
 |
| Mordenkainen |
Warnes, Mordenkainen said, had a consuming desire […]
to restore security and peace to the central Flanaess. […] Warnes hates the
forces of Iuz and the Iuz-ruled Bandit Lands, Ivid V and other evil rulers of
the ruined Great Kingdom, the Scarlet Brotherhood, Iggwilv and various evil
cults. He dislikes the government of the City of Greyhawk, all Knights of the
holy Shielding, paladins and Nyrond’s current government, especially King
Archibald III, but he will work with them if need be. [Rot8 – 59]
That was good enough for Mordenkainen.
Nearly a year ago, the Circle of Eight was shattered
by treachery, but its leader, Mordenkainen, has decided to return it to its full
strength. While Mordenkainen won’t announce his selections until all members of
the new Eight are in the City of Greyhawk, Warnes is a certainty to be one of
them [.] [Rot8 – 2]
2nd week of Goodmonth
Warnes Starcoat joined in 585 CY to become one of the
newest members of the Circle, a middle-aged man with a bald spot in his long
blond hair and piercing pale eyes. He has a long-standing interest in the
politics of the central Flanaess, particularly the County and Duchy of Urnst.
[PGtG – 23]
Jallarzi was furious. But what was to be done? She
quietly considered whether her time in the Circle was coming to an end….
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
Jallarzi, as the only current member of the Circle of
Five in town at the moment, wishes to buy him a celebratory drink. [Rot8 –
2]
She was not rash, however. Just as Mordenkainen agreed to
giving her a trial period, she too ought to be as gracious concerning Warnes.
As Marial tries to teach Edwina [Jallarzi’s
pseudodragon familiar] to balance a piece of pastry on her nose, Jallarzi
congratulates Warnes again.
Warnes cuts her words short. “Thank you he says, “but
we both know you didn’t want me in the Eight.”
Jallarzi blushes. “I set this up to make peace with
you, Warnes. I didn’t want you, that’s true. I thought – I still think – that
Kieran would be a better candidate.”
You recognize the name: everyone in Greyhawk knows
Kieran Jalucian is the Master of the Guild of Wizardry – and, rumor has it,
Jallarzi’s sweetheart.
Warnes snorts. “Mordenkainen chose me, not him.”
“I know,” Jallarzi says. “And I also know that we will
need to be able to work together.” [Rot8 – 5]
It was the least she could do, she reasoned.
She was not given the opportunity.
The next evening, […] Jallarzi’s tower has just been
attacked [.] Jallarzi has been kidnapped by the demon Tuerny, as part of a plot
involving the witch Iggwilv and her son Iuz the Old. [Rot8 – 2]
Tuerny has attacked Jallarzi’s tower and kidnapped
her, creating a powerful simulacrum in her place and changing the real Jallarzi
into a man; he has also manipulated her alignment, though she fights this
alteration. [Rot8 – 21]
“Jay” (cursed form of Jallarzi
Sallavarian) hm M16
Jay wears a black iron medallion engraved with
Tuerny’s symbol.
[For full details of Jay: Rot8 – 50]
 |
| Jallarzi’s greatest treasure... |
Hiding behind a stack of barrels is 9-year-old Skye
(“the Lioness”), already a 2nd-level wizard [.] [S]he is a special student of
Jallarzi’s, coming to her house every few days for lessons that Jallarzi gives
in her messy, brightly lit bedroom/study on the third floor. [Rot8 – 14]
Why might Jallarzi take on young Sky as an apprentice?
Because she is hers and Bucknard’s child?
Being who she
is, and the dangers that might attract, Jallarzi hides the fact that Skye is
hers and Bucknard’s child to protect her….
3rd
week of Goodmonth
Tenser’s last
clone is discovered, but he is not himself:
Tuerny has tortured him by changing him to a dretch
marked with an imitation of the sword from his coat of arms, Tenser retains his
awareness, but he currently has no spell powers, armor, weapons or anything
else. [Rot8 – 50]
More than anything, Tenser wants to be human again,
and he wants Jay revived if necessary and restored to her good-aligned female
form. One wish can return Tenser to his human form. Two other wishes can change
Jay to Jallarzi and restore her old alignment. [Rot8 – 52]
Let’s make life simple: Done, done, and done.
 |
| The Circle of Eight |
Theodain has taken to the affairs of the Circle with
avid enthusiasm. He finds Drawmij, Nystul, Otto, and Jallarzi particularly to
his liking, and he has enjoyed his infrequent visits to the Free City. He has
treated coolly with Alhamazad the Wise and Warnes Starcoat, whom he views with
suspicion (they, in turn, consider him a firebrand who all-too-often resorts to
morally questionable methods). [LGJ#0
– 11]
Alhamazad the Wise is new to the Circle and its politics
and as such has kept his distance from the other mages. He is wary of Drawmij,
though the two share many common interests. Alhamazad has displayed antipathy
for Warnes Starcoat, though there appears to be no obvious explanation for the
cause of his feelings. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Herself again,
Jallarzi saw to it that that ordeal would never happen again!
Following a destructive attack by a powerful demon
lord in 585 CY, her tower was renovated and Jallarzi had it reinforced to be
more resistant to invasion. Jallarzi lives alone here except for her sole
henchperson, Marial [CG hf W15; hp 32; girdle of protection +2, shoes of
silence, several magical rings], and numerous nonliving magical guardians. Now
and then she sees her long-time paramour Kieren Jalucian […], but since her
kidnapping by the demon lord Tuerny the Merciless she has been withdrawn,
paranoid, and cheerless. Something is obviously bothering her, but she won't
discuss it with anyone. […] [TAB – 88]
That’s understandable. Call it PTSD, if we should call it
anything.
Kieren
Jalucian
 |
| Kieren Jalucian |
Kieren is
unquestionably in love with Jallarzi Sallavarian. [PGtG – 31]
Tall, heavy-set, and handsome, blond Kieren once
enjoyed life but has pulled back from his many interests. It is rumored that he
asked Jallari Sallavarian […] several times to marry him, but for some reason,
she has refused Kieren looks less lively than he once did, and he seems
distracted and unhappy at his work. He is businesslike but not passionate about
serving on the Directing Oligarchy. [TAB – 87]
Jallarzi is having nightmares about her captivity by
Tuerny, and certain memories of events and places she saw are surfacing despite
being magically suppressed by the fiend. [TAB – 88]
Jallarzi rarely travels alone,
for the pseudodragon, Edwina, constantly flutters at her side, occasionally
acting as a messenger in times of need. The creature is fiercely loyal, and the
few attempts that have been made to abduct it have met with dismal failure and,
given Jallarzi's extensive contacts in the City Watch, unusually harsh
sentences. [LGJ#0 – 8,9]
586 CY
THE War might be over, but the signing of the Greyhawk
Treaty did not put an end to war. Not by even a short measure.
Planting
[I]n 586 CY war flared again between Furyondy and Iuz,
Lynwerd appealed to nervous citizens in the County of Umst to move farther from
Iuz’s empire and settle instead in Nyrond’s western lands. [TAB – 30]
Jallarzi approved. Nyrond had paid a heavy cost during
the war and was much depleted for its efforts. If there was one thing Jallarzi
understood, it was that a strong Nyrond made for a secure Urnst.Nyrond would
bear the brund of the war to come. And it would come. Mark her words. Almor had
fallen. The Bandit Kingdoms were under the heel of Iuz. And what remained of and
emerged from the collapse of Ivid’s empire was anything but promising for the
future.
She also wondered how secure her beloved Urnst was.
[A] man named Lucious Stairnezh [,] who believed to be
the brother of Karll, Duke of Urnst [,] attempted to gather allies to march [on
Urnst from the Free City] and seize the throne. In a drunken rage in 586 CY,
Lucious attacked Count Reichart Petrides, the ambassador from the duchy [to
Greyhawk City], and was arrested and throne into prison in the Grand Citadel.
He died there awaiting trial, reportedly murdered by an inmate who happened to
like the current government in Urnst. [TAB – 125]
Who else, what else might rise up against the beleaguered
Karll?
589 CY
 |
| Lady Xenia SaIlavarian |
A terrible tragedy struck Lynwerd and his kingdom [of
Nyrond] in 589 CY. A long-planned marriage between King Lynwerd and Lady Xenia
SaIlavarian, a distant cousin of both the Circle of Eight member Jallarzi and
Duke Karll of Urnst, was scheduled to take place during Richfest of that year.
In Wealsun, Lady Xenia was touring Rel Mord on foot when she collapsed of
heatstroke. She could not be revived by her attending priest, and it was learned
later that her body was devoid of her intellect and spirit, though she still
breathed. Her body was taken back to Nellix, where it is tended by her family.
Divinations and questioning of those present when the lady collapsed strongly
hint that she was attacked by magical means, but little more was learned. Though
the royal marriage was believed convenient for both parties, it was known that
Lynwerd and Xenia were well pleased with each other’s company. Lynwerd fell
into black despair for weeks. Richfest and Brewfest were bleak in Nyrond that
year, and few celebrated long. [TAB
– 31]
Jallarzi rushed to her cousin’s side, but divination
raised no answers, Indeed, all magic failed the Sallavarians. Whatever healing
was administered to Xenia, her condition remained unchanged.
[Xenia] has not been seen since, and many suspect the
worst, detecting sorrow and a grim hardness in their king. [LGG – 78]
590 CY
Karll lashed out in any direction available to him.
[A] military sweep of the eastern Duchy of Urnst in
590 CY drove some rag-tag bandits into the hills [around the dwarven hill
fortress of Karakest], and orcs from the hidden realms of Harrgrek Kukulend to
the north might raid or scout nearby. [TAB: AM – 3]
591 CY
What, do we wonder, is the state of the Circle of Eight
today? Business as usual, I suppose. But they are not the same tightknit group
they once were. Always individuals, they are more so now. But they carry on,
because they must.
Did Jallarzi quit as she thought she might? She did not.
If Xenia’s illness taught her anything, it was that Evil could strike at any
time, and at anyone close to them; it behooved her then to remain, and to use
all the resources available to her to protect those and that which she loved
and cherished. So, she remained.
All members of the Circle of Eight possess or have
access to large numbers of magical items, particularly potions. They might be
approached for assistance on a quest, requesting little more than a full report
of the journey or an errand in return. Any of the members of the Circle of
Eight might be contacted by leaving a message at the Wizards’ Guildhall, Otto’s
home in the Garden Quarter or Jallazi Sallavarian’s home in the High Quarter of
the City of Greyhawk. The members of the Circle of Eight have fast
communication with each other through various magical devices. [PGtG – 21]
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian |
Jallarzi […] is the Circles youngest member; and its
only female. […] [LGJ#0 – 8]
Even at the age of 42, she remains beautiful, with
blonde hair and bright blue eyes. [PGtG
– 22]
Jallarzi has been a member of the Circle of Eight for
just over nine years: she truly enjoys her membership and uses her other
affiliations to benefit the Circle whenever possible. [PGtG – 22]
Since Tenser was probably her closest ally in the
Circle, she now spends less time with her companions than before the wars
[since Tenser left the Circle], preferring instead to conduct her research and
Circle business alone. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Jallarzi is an extremely busy woman; the last year has
seen her travel the Flanaess from Loftwick to Rel Mord. She avoids the lands of
the old Great Kingdom, but urges her political friends to support both Nyrond
and the Urnst States against the tyranny to the east. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Jallarzi remains dedicated to her duty as a liaison
between the Circle and other powerful mages in Nyrond, and the new leadership
of King Lynwerd has given her reason to hope for that embattled nation. [LGJ#0
– 9]
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian's Tower |
Jallarzi Sallavarian's Tower
H16:
Residence – Jallarzi Sallavarian [LGJ#2 – 5]
This huge tower and the grounds around it belong to
the only female member of the famed Circle of Eight, 42-year-old Jallarzi Sallavarian
[.] [TAB – 88]
She still spends a great deal of time with her friends
Derider Fanshen and Matriarch Sarana, and the dark times have bolstered her
faith in Pelor. [LGJ#0 – 9]
Derider Fanshen, City Constable [NG hf C13
– Pelor; age 52; […]. Plans to retire in 592 CY (and work as a legal defender;
very active physically but clumsy and awkward; personable, wise, and warm, greatly
loved and trusted by many; defends rights of the poor in Greyhawk and is
concerned about homeless children in the Old City; close fiend of High
Matriarch Sarana of the Temple of Pelor and Jallarzi Sallavarian of the Circle
of Eight; unmarried but has a small circle of male “romantic friends.” [TAB
– 63]
High Matriarch Sarana [NG hf C15 –
Pelor; […] is 63 years old and feeling the pinch of age, but still continues
her work. [TAB – 91]
She puts on a brave face.
[Jallarzi] makes her home in the City of Greyhawk and
will entertain visitors there, but she prefers to hold meetings at the Guild of
Wizardry. [PGtG – 22]
Regardless of her increased responsibilities, however,
Jallarzi still takes time to encourage younger mages. She often is sought out
for training purposes. She prefers the coin of Greyhawk in exchange for
training, but she also fancies magical wands, and any addition to her
considerable collection would be greatly rewarded. [LGJ#0 – 9]
She keeps up her public image.
The highlight
of Growfest for the […] populace […] is the Desportium of Magic [, where groups
of illusionists] attempt to cast the most magnificent display of
illusion/phantasm magic possible [….]
Each
performance of in the Desportium […] uses a long-established theme: the attack upon
the Grand Citadel by various humanoids and monsters, repelled by warriors and
spellcasters within the Citadel itself.
The
performances are judged by Kieren Jalucian, the Guildmaster of Greyhawk’s Guild
of Wizardry; Jallarzi Sallavarian, a local wizard known to be a member of the
Circle of Eight; and Torrentz Hebvard, the President of Greyhawk’s Society of
Magi. [TAB – 43]
And she keeps
watch.
The Flanaess remains factionalized, however, and few
are more aware of this than Jallarzi. Her greatest fear is that by choosing a single
enemy, the Circle opens itself to several more. The Greyhawk Wars and their
aftermath have frozen everything in a kind of limbo. It is her belief that the
best course of action is to wait, and see what starts to thaw. [LGJ#0 – 9]
 |
| Creeping through the seedier parts of town... |
Jallarzi Sallavarian
of the Circle of Eight has recently discovered omens that predict imminent doom
for Greyhawk. Among the more mundane omens are an increase in the number of dem
sightings in the Abbor-Alz, and the uppermost sail of the mysterious
Doomgrinder approaching the zenith by another degree. Other signs indicate that
one of the ancient cairns known as the Star Cairns may be the key to averting
the doom The Eight have warned the city about the possible doom (and its
possible prevention); they urge adventurous souls to scour the Abbor-Alz for
anything that might be the key to saving the city. [LT1 - The Star Cairns –
2]
Indeed, she has come to realise that
sometimes even that which she loves must be protected from its own folly.
Urnst openly
mines the hill country ceded to Greyhawk in a treaty six years ago. An enigmatic archmage known as the Seer, expelled from
court in 572 CY, was seen near Maure Castle. [LGG – 126]
“Regarding war and peace—the seeds of each are planted
in the other.”
―
 |
| Jallarzi |
Jallarzi is not
given an adventurer’s backstory besides the mere mention that she called Edwina
to her from within the Gnarley Forest. That’s sad, a missed opportunity for
dropped threads and tattered edges, the bits that add flare to a character, PC
or otherwise. What she was doing in the Gnarley is anyone’s guess, given that
she’s an Urnst native, and gentry to boot. She has no mentioned past
compatriots, no party she was a party to. As to her early history, even her
apprenticeship to Warnes and the Seer seems shoehorned in. No matter, you work
with what you have.
Or you create
it, as I did with her romance with the mysteriously absent Bucknard. It’s all
subtest and subterfuge, but the years line up nicely, even my alluding to Skye’s
parentage. I suggested that I concocted the story to spice up Bucknard’s slim
narrative, but it also helps why Jallarzi has had such a long unrequired
relationship with the charismatic Kieren.
So, who is
Jallarzi, as written? She’s the ultimate homebody; much like Otiluke was. We
read that she travelled, and relates her travels to Marial, but we know not
where. What we do know it that she’s active in the City of Greyhawk. And that
she works tirelessly in the pursuit of Balance, and the Greater Good.
That’s laudable.
And that also makes her as great a patron and Bigby and Tenser ever were.
Honestly, that makes her a far better patron than Warnes might be. Or so I
imagine.
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to
be kindled.”
―
One must always give credit where
credit is due. This piece 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.
Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his
compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.
The Art:
Jallarzi Sallavarian detail, by Mark Zug, from the LGJ#0 cover, 2000
The Circle of Eight, by Sam Wood, from the From the Ashes Boxed Set, Ref card #13, 1992
Duchy of Urnst Map, by High Programmer (Alan De Smet)
Rary the Traitor, by Ben Wooten, 2011
Rary, by Andrew Hou and Arnold Tsang, from LGJ#22 and Dungeon #103, 2003
Cairn Hills map detail, by Sam Wood, from The Adventure Begins, 1998
Mordenkainen, by Thomas Denmark, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Warnes Starcoat, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
The Circle of Eight detail, by Mark Zug, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0 cover, 2000
Jallarzi Sallavarian, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Jallarzi Sallavarian’s House detail, by Diesel, from City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1989
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed
Set, 1983
1043 City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1989
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
1068 Greyhawk Wars Boxed
Set, 1991
9025 World of Greyhawk
Folio, 1981
9309 Vecna Lives! 1990
9360 Treasures of Greyhawk,
1992
9386 Rary the Traitor, 1992
9576 Return of the Eight,
1998
9577 The Adventure Begins,
1998
9578 Player’s Guide to
Greyhawk, 1998
9579 LT1 The Star Cairns,
1998
11743 Living Greyhawk
Gazetteer, 2000
Dragon Magazine #225, 230, 249
LGJ #0, 2, 5
Greychrondex, Wilson, Steven
B.
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
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