“Wizards had always known that the act of observation
changed the thing that was observed, and sometimes forgot that it also changed
the observer too.”
―
“All you get to decide is what to do with the time that
it is given to you.”
―
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
Regardless of background, most wizards are identified
by a single name: Mordenkainen or Bigby are examples. Generally, the higher a
mage’s eminence, the more likely this is, though there are extremely powerful
mages with multiple names, like Jallarzi Sallavarian and Warnes Starcoat.
[PGtG – 48]
Warnes Starcoat, it would seem then, is one of Greyhawk’s
greatest living wizards.
One of the greatest? That remains to be seen. He is certainly
one of the Flanaess’ most powerful; so much so, in fact, that he was counted
one of the few who was deemed worthy of being received as a recent addition to
the Circle of Eight in the aftermath of Rary the Traitor’s betrayal.
The first post-war addition, however, was the most
obvious. [LGJ#0 – 7]
Warnes Starcoat. Wiz20: HP 86. AL N. Str H. Dex 18,
Con 16. Int 24. Wis 17. Cha 17. [LGJ#0
– 11]
Was Warnes worthy?
That too remains to be seen.
535 CY
Warnes was born [in 535 CY {585-50}.] [Rot8 – 59]
The man who would become Warnes Starcoat was born 57
years ago in the city of Leukish to merchant parents of moderate wealth and
influence. [LGJ#0 – 11]
Warnes was born fifty years ago, the oldest of five
children in the County of Urnst near the border with the Bandit Kingdoms. [Rot8
– 59]
[…] being the third son of four […] [LGJ#0 – 11]
There appears to
be some confusion as to exactly where Warnes was actually born. Was it in the
County or Duchy?
His typically Suel complexion […] [LGJ#0 – 11]
Urnst, County of
Population: 682,200—Human 79% (SOr) [LGG – 123]
The people of the County of Urnst are mostly of Suel
heritage.
Most
citizens of the Duchy of Urnst are purely Suel, however.
Urnst, Duchy of
Population: 751,850—Human 79% (S) [LGG – 124]
The Suel race is very fair-skinned, some being almost
albino. They have light red, yellow, blond, or platinum blonde hair. Eye color
varies from pale blue or violet through deep blue, with gray occasionally
occurring. Curly to kinky hair is common. The inhabitants of the Duchy of Ernst
[sic] are nearly of pure Suel race. [WoGA – 13]
Being Suel does not necessitate their being evil,
however. Both the County and the Duchy are of the same temperament.
Alignments: LG, NG*, N [LGG – 124]
Indeed, Warnes, being TN, is not evil, though not entirely
indicative of the temperament of his nation (NG).
So, where does Warnes hail from? That depends. I rather
like to think that Warnes is actually from the County of Urnst, originally; and
that his father relocated to Leukish as his fortunes rose. Being from Leukish
would elevate Warnes socially and politically, so it stands to reason that
Warnes might suppress his more humble origins, favouring his adopted home.
 |
| Young Warnes |
As a boy, he designed a complex defense to protect the
family farm. [Rot8 – 59]
Farm? [Aren’t the Starcoats merchants? We can defend this
disparity by declaring them Landed Gentry.] Estate, more likely. Granted,
Warnes’ father’s estate might indeed be a gentleman’s pastime.
Regardless what the family holdings might be characterised
as, Warnes proves curious, clever, and perhaps even calculating, even at a
young age.
It attracted the attention of a noble in Radigast
City, who arranged for him to become a wizard‘s apprentice. [Rot8 – 59]
Warnes is 10 years old. [Conjecture]
550 CY
Warnes is 15
years old. [Conjecture]
The Starcoat family relocates to Leukish. Warnes
relocates to the Duchy with them.
When he came of age, being the third son of four and
showing some inclination toward scholarly pursuits rather than matters
mercantile, Warnes was sent south to the old city of Seltaren. There his
education began in earnest at the Wizardholme of Urnst, a small magical society
and school founded by wandering Suel mages many centuries ago. [LGJ#0 – 11]
This suits both
Warnes and Warnes’ father. Tutelage at the Wizardholme of Urnst is far more
prestigious than that in Radigast City.
550s CY
In the
mid-sixth century CY, however, the adventurers Tenser, Terik, Merlynd, and
Robilar discovered the [Crook of Rao] in the depths of Castle Greyhawk, only to
lose it again in a bizarre demiplane known as the isle of the Ape. [Dragon #294 – 95]
Warnes could only be inspired by their feats.
Warnes progressed quickly, becoming a well-regarded
generalist wizard before his thirtieth winter. [LGJ#0 – 11]
563 CY
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian |
Jallarzi Sallavarian begins study at 14. [Conjecture]
Born into minor nobility in the Duchy of Urnst, she
studied magic as a teen under the mysterious Seer of Urnst and the redoubtable
Warnes Starcoat. [LGJ#0 – 8]
I expect Jallarzi began her tutelage under Warnes; and it
was only after the scope of her talent became evident that she came to the
attention of the celebrated (and perhaps infamous) Seer. [The Greyhawk Wiki has
her tutors reversed, but I find it had to believe that the Seer would waste his
time on a green student, however well-connected she was.]
Why infamous?
[P]artially shrouded in shadow [,] the mysterious
magician known only as the Seer[’s] features are indistinguishable beneath the
long robe which hides all but his gnarled hands from view. "It is
fortunate for all of you that the Duke is both a wise and merciful ruler."
His words are almost musiclike but have a strangely malevolent undertone.
[C2 Ghost Tower of Inverness – 4]
Few altruist souls are described as “strangely
malevolent.”
564 CY
 |
| The Seer of Urnst |
[T]he Chief Magical Councilor of the Duke, an
enigmatic figure known only as the Seer of Urnst. The [Seer and Warnes
Starcoat] quickly came at odds (it is said that the [Seer] practiced dark,
forbidden rites) and Warnes left Urnst for the Flanaess and adventure, coming
to live in the Free City of Greyhawk for some time. [LGJ#0 – 11]
This recognition soon brought him an appointment as a
junior assistant to the Chief Magical Councilor of the Duke, an enigmatic
figure known only as the Seer of Urnst. The two quickly came at odds (it is
said that the latter practiced dark, forbidden rites) and Warnes left Urnst for
the Flanaess and adventure, coming to live in the Free City of Greyhawk for
some time. [LGJ#0 – 11]
Did adventure truly call Warnes? It might have: He was
young and brash, merely 29 years old.
Warnes was born [in 535 CY {585-50}.] [Rot8 – 59]
Did he leave willingly? Was it prudent that he should
leave Urnst? Did he leave in haste, without much notice? Might that have had
something to do with the shadowy Seer’s dark and forbidding rites? Whatever the
reason, the Seer took the young Jallarzi under his wing. One wonders what he
hoped to gain by instructing the young Jallarzi? Political influence? He had
that already. Leverage? One wonders. One also wonders what that tutelage was
like; and whether Jallarzi harboured resentment towards Warnes for his sudden
abandonment?
Jallarzi is 15.
Warnes went on many adventures across the Flanaess and
elsewhere on Oerth, and he came to know such future powers as Mordenkainen,
Bigby, Nystul and Robilar. [Rot8 – 59]
570 CY
 |
| Justinian |
The dynasty of House Lorinar began in 497, and has
provided Urnst with a number of capable rulers. The primary exception to this
was Justinian, Karll's older brother, who ruled briefly in 570-571 CY. A
devotee of the philosophical school of "Skepticism," realized in the
writings of Urnst-born scholars Daesnar Braden and Elbain Hothchilde, Justinian
questioned the divinity of the gods, increasing temple taxes some three hundred
percent upon gaining office. [LGG – 125]
That philosophy, and that increase – which might be
construed as religious suppression – would not have reaped much support for
Justinian from the devout. Indeed, it likely made him quite a few enemies.
The events of C2 Ghost Tower of Inverness occur in 570
CY.
For many years legends of the Soul Gem persisted. And
so it happened that one day, not long ago, while researching in some ancient
tomes, the great Seer of Urnst discovered the strange account of the Soul Gem
and the legend of its master. […]
Turning to Justinian Lorinar, Duke of Urnst for aid,
the Seer recounted to him the story of the Soul Gem and of the magician's own
unsuccessful attempt to recover it. He convinced the Duke that the gem could be
both a very powerful protection from one's enemies and a great tool with which
to battle the forces of evil. He confided that he, the Seer, knew how to use
the gem's power and could teach Duke Lorinar this knowledge, if he could but
obtain the jewel. [C2 – 2]
Did the Seer want the Soul Gem for his own use? Very
likely. But would he have convinced Justinian that procuring it would be “for
the good of the state.”
571 CY
Warnes travelled north, lending aid to the County of
Urnst.
He was appointed to the Joint Courts of Urnst in 571
CY after foiling a plot led by Nyrondese nobles against the County of Urnst [.]
[Rot8 – 59]
One might wonder why the son of a merchant of moderate
wealth and influence would bother interfering in the political autonomy of the
Duchy’s northern neighbour?
The county is allied to and under the protection of
the Duchy of Urnst, but its ruler is by no means subservient to the duke (who
is seeking to marry his eldest son to the Countess and thus permanently unite
the lands into one realm). [Folio – 18]
Might it be because Warnes continues to harbour hidden
loyalty to the true nation of his birth?
If he does, he was well rewarded for his meddling.
Justinian’s rule was not long, Soul Gem or no Soul Gem.
The duchy had never been a particularly religious
place, but the subsequent razing of Leukish's defiant temple of Zilchus
triggered the Temple Coalition Revolt, during which great riots embroiled the
capital. In 571, most churches withdrew from Urnst, declaring the duke
and his noble advisers, the Honorable Chamber, heretics. When Justinian found
himself sorely wounded in battle with Bright Desert dervishes later that year,
no cleric in the land would heal him. [LGG – 125]
572 CY
 |
| Karll |
Justinian likely died of those wounds. Whatever the cause
of Justinian’s passing, his brother succeeded him shortly afterwards. Jallarzi
could only be thrilled when Justinian’s kind-hearted brother ascended to the
throne.
Karll, a ranger at Stalwart Pines, reluctantly gained
the [Urnst] throne in 572 CY. Though Karll is kind-hearted and a great friend
to those he cares for, it took him a long time to care for the business of the nation.
[LGG – 125]
The Seer was less thrilled.
[The] enigmatic archmage known as the Seer, [was] expelled
from court in 572 CY [.] [LGG – 126]
Why was he expelled? Dark, forbidden rites might have
something to do with that. The Soul Gem would appear to have disappeared with
the Seer.
Warnes is 37.
575 CY
Mordenkainen and Tenser and Bigby weren’t the only
wizards mentioned in the courts of Urnst. Warnes Starcoat was all too soon a
homegrown hero, exciting the imagination of the people of his native land.
 |
| The Weird of Gnatmarsh |
Quite a feather in Warnes’ cap.
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, H 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]
Gnatmarsh: The Nesser River would be the
preferred means of travel between the Nyr Dyv and Sea of Gearnat if not for the
Gnatmarsh, nominally claimed by Nyrond. It is still well traveled except in the
summer when insect swarms are horrific. Desperate swamp-folk pole about on
flat-bottomed boats, fishing and trapping. The leader of a witch coven in the
swamp, the so-called Weird of Gnatmarsh, has not been seen since being defeated
by the archmage Warnes Starcoat some years ago. [LGG – 153]
Quite a boost to Warnes ego, too.
576 CY
Warnes newfound
fame has served him well. The Seer banished, Karll eagerly sought the return of
the Duchy’s homegrown hero. Indeed, it was in Warnes that Karll believed he had
finally found a wizard worthy to be his trusted councillor.
Although intrigue involving Nyrond brought your
appointment as the magical councilor to the Joint Courts of Urnst, there is no
question that your personal triumph over the Weird of Gnatmarsh has made you
the most respected magic-user in many states. [WG6 – 27]
After adventuring for several years, considerable
successes lead to appointment as Court Magic-User of the Duchy of Urnst. [WG6
– 27]
This was
fortuitous, as Warnes’ recent entrance onto the political stage had only
whetted his appetite for more… what…? Influence? Power? Power to influence?
Warnes has a
constant interest in the politics of the central Flanaess, particularly the
Urnst states. [Rot8 – 59]
 |
| Leukish |
Jallarzi was not at all excited about Warnes’ appointment.
Indeed, she was a little shocked upon hearing the news. Warnes Starcoat? A
trusted advisor? The Warnes Starcoat who had abandoned Urnst to the Seer’s
influence? To be true, Warnes had dabbled in politics and affairs of sate… But
a councillor? Was he indeed worthy of trust?
Karll believed he was.
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]
Warnes certainly looked the part….
Warnes appears as a gentleman of great refinement. His
typically Suel complexion is tanned from many years spent outdoors. He wears a
short, well-trimmed beard and a fine black hat with a dark blue stripe. His
magical coat is black as midnight, and glimmers like the sky on a cloudless
night. [LGJ#0 – 11]
Warnes is 41.
576 – 579 CY
Warnes did not only come to Karll’s notice.
[Warnes] received a call for assistance from the
Council of Eight. There is much challenge and promise in this call, so you gain
the permission of the Courts to undertake a quest. [WG6 – 27]
Events of WG6 Isle of the Ape [Rot8 – 55]
[I place this adventure after Warnes’ appointment a Chief
Sorcerous Councilor to Duke Karll, noting his reference card therein as the
Arch-Mage of Urnst.]
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
(Magic-User 18th level, Arch-Mage of Urnst)
Neutral (Zagyg)
Strength: 15; Intelligence: 19; Wisdom: 16; Dexterity:
18; Constitution: N/A (15* [Rot8]); Charisma: 17; Comeliness: 11
Spell Immunities: 1st level illusion/Phantasm spells
+2 Wisdom Adj. Vs.: Beguiling, charm, fear, hypnosis,
illusion, magic jar, mass charming, phantasmal force, possession, rulership,
suggestion, telepathic attack, etc.
Magic Items:
Potions: Gaseous Form, Growth, Fire Resistance,
Invisibility
Scrolls: Six spells (levels 3,4,5,6,7,8), plus 1 spell
level 9, Protection from Demons, Devils Magic Protections: Bracers of Defense
AC 3; Boots of Striding & Springing, + 1; Cloak of Displacement
Weapons: +3 dagger, +2 knife
[WG6 Isle of the
Ape – 28]
Miscellaneous possessions: Beaker of
Plentiful Potions (free action {as ring}, healing, ESP, delusion), Brooch of
Shielding (40 charges), Hat of Feather Falling (as ring), Pouch of Holding […],
Ring of Regeneration, Ring of Wizardry (2x 6th level, +1 on saves), Robe of
Stars*, Staff of Thunder & Lightning (25 charges), Stone of Good Luck,
Zagyg’s Spell Component Case (7 usages/ day)
[WG6 – 27]
 |
| Tenser |
Character’s Relationships: Wishes to become member of
the Circle of Eight[.] [WG6 – 27]
The Circle had a mission of great importance to be
carried out.
“You are the chosen agents of the Circle of Eight[,
Tenser said]. It is your charge to overcome all the perils of the Isle of the
Ape, find the crook of Rao, and with it […] return here.” [WG6 – 8]
He asks: “Do you each solemnly accept this perilous
charge?” [WG6 – 8]
Of course they did. Truly, Warnes would have probably
gone alone, believing success would ensure his eventual membership in the
Circle.
The Crook of Rao first appeared in the adventure WG6
Isle of the Ape, where it had to be rescued from a demiplane by adventurers. [TAB
– 20]
Warnes Starcoat, Counselor to the Courts of Urnst […] dignified
himself by helping the Circle recover the powerful Crook of Rao from the
clutches of the Mother of All Witches, Iggwilv. [LGJ#0 – 7]
The recovery of
the crook was yet another feather in Warnes’ cap.
The
artifact's subsequent rescue by a group of adventurers led by the redoubtable
Warnes Starcoat of Urnst is now a popular tale with bards throughout the
Central Flanaess. [Dragon ##294
– 95]
 |
| The Vale of Lamia |
Upon his return to Urnst….
For decades, a number of ruins have been reported in
the Vale of Lamia, but the dangers of the region have defeated most exploratory
attempts. […] The ruins […] include a castle […] and a ziggurat of recent
manufacture [.] […] The ruins [of the castle] suggest a Suloise origin, perhaps
from the earliest days of Urnst’s colonization. The ziggurat is told to be
magical and filled with nonliving guardians. […] A distant relative of Duke
Karll of Urnst vanished with his expedition here […]; no adventuring group has
gone here since. [TAB: AM – 4]
 |
| Urnst and the Vale of Lamia |
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian |
Jallarzi Sallavarian was invited to join in 581 CY,
replacing the much esteemed Bucknard, who had mysteriously vanished two years
earlier. LGJ#0 – 6]
Not him! After all he had done for them!
Warnes might well have counted his blessings six months
later, however.
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.
The whole of the
Circle, with the exception of Mordenkainen, were dead!
Did Warnes
expect to be asked by Mordenkainen to join the Circle?
If he did, he
would again be disappointed.
Mordenkainen [recovered] what was left of his fallen
comrades and [cloned] them. [LGJ#0 – 6]
Warnes is 46.
582 – 584 CY
Warnes had
little time to brood on the slight.
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]
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]
While the Circle
floundered and did the best they could during the Greyhawk Wars, Warnes was
engaged in the defence of Urnst.
During the Greyhawk Wars, Warnes secretly coordinated the
defense of Nyrond and the Urnst states against the Great Kingdom’s armies. [Rot8
– 59]
584 CY
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
His consuming desire is to restore security and peace
to the central Flanaess. As he sees it, the primary means to that end is to
break Iuz’s hold in the north. Current projects in support of this include
sending adventurers to destroy or subvert Iuz’s forces on Admundfort Island,
freeing ship traffic on the Nyr Dyv (and focusing Iuz’s attention away from the
Urnst states); sowing dissent among Iuz’s forces in the Bandit Lands; getting
the Theocracy of the Pale to act against the Stonefist barbarians in conquered
Tenh so that the distracted Pale does not further weaken Nyrond‘s northern
border; and to check the growth of Rary’s empire in the Bright Desert. [Rot8
– 59]
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 Archbold III, but he will work
with them if need be. [Rot8 – 59]
Warnes is 49.
“By faithfully working eight hours a day
you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day.”
―
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.
Special
thanks to Jason Zavoda for his compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable
research tool.
The Art:
Warnes Starcoat, by Sam Woods, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Map details, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
The Seer of Urnst, by Jeff Dee, from C2 The Ghost Tower of Inverness, 1980
Warnes Starcoat, by Gary Williams, from WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1985
Tenser detail, by Gary Williams, from WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1985
Map detail, by Anna B. Meyer
Jallarzi Sallavarian, by Sam Woods, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Warnes Starcoat detail, by Sam Woods, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9038 C2 The Ghost Tower of Inverness, 1980
9153 WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1985
9576 Return of the Eight, 1998
9577 The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578 Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11743 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Dragon Magazine #294
LGJ #0
Greyhawkania,
Jason Zavoda
The
map of Anna B. Meyer
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