“I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other.”
― Macbeth
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
But, Warnes had not been invited to join their ranks. Not
yet anyway.
But he would, sooner rather than later, he believed. It
was only a matter of time.
Why shouldn’t he, after all? He was able. And famous! Why
would they not desire his association?
[M]ost
visiting wizards recognize his name as that of a powerful wizard. [Rot8 – 5]
The [Crook of
Rao’s] 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]
He would not
have to wait all that long either, he calculated.
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]
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 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 – 6,7]
9 Goodmonth
 |
| Jallarzi Sallavarian |
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, [Jallarzi's] 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]
Surely, Warnes thought, he would be called upon now.
585 CY
But would he?
 |
| Kieren Jalucian |
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]
Warnes, she reasoned, was cold. Calculating. Vain!
Conceited! He had few, if any, close connections.
He has no romantic partner, nor any known pets,
familiars or apprentices. [Rot8 – 59]
Moreover, he was not reliable.
Once every few months, Warnes slips away to indulge in
his only known hobby, hook-and-line fishing. [Rot8 – 59]
And most damning, he was not trustworthy.
Warnes is a consummate taskmaster and adventure
patron. He makes no bones about hiring “heroes” to do his work, though he never
fully explains why he wants a certain mission accomplished. His long-range
goals are complex and often involve the subtle manipulation of foreign
governments and armies. Even “simple” missions such as the looting of a dungeon
may be tailored to have far-reaching consequences: An orcish army may think a
looted dungeon was the work of a neighboring kingdom and move to attack its
borders; the kingdom may strike back, pulling troops and money away from
regions in which Warnes is interested. A few adventurers realize that Warnes
has dangerous depths and cannot be relied upon for the whole truth. [Rot8 –
59]
What sort of man might he be, who misled the adventurers
he sent into harms way?
Mordenkainen disagreed.
Warnes solves most 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]
Mordenkainen would have his way. And he did. One wonders
if there was even a vote as to who would be asked, or even much consultation.
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.
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
Warnes is a middle-aged man with pale skin, gray eyes,
graying blond hair worn long with a bald spot and a short, neatly trimmed
beard. He is tall, lean and wiry. His presence is commanding and he is a
skilled speaker with a melodious voice. He is deaf in his left ear; without
magical assistance, he tends to tilt his head to the right. He favors gray and
purple clothing with magical belts for casual and official dress. He wears a
broad-rimmed hat when out of doors, but he goes bareheaded indoors. [Rot8 – 59]
He is
middle-aged, tall and slim, dressed in fashionable garb. [Rot8 – 5]
Str 14, Dex
18, Con 15, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha 17; SZ M (6’1”); AL N [Rot8 – 58]
Spells (5/5/5/5/5/4/3/3/2): Any spells in the PHB
except animate dead are available to Warnes.
Warnes uses spells from all known schools as well as
from other worlds. […] The only spell that Warnes has not mastered is animate
dead. Warnes has invented a dozen new spells of different sorts [.] [Rot8 – 58]
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger,
quarterstaff, knife, dart. [Rot8 –
58]
Magical Items: Warnes Starcoat is never
without magical items, in public or private. At any given time, he is likely to
have bracers of defense AC3; broach of shielding (22 charges); dagger +5; ring
of regeneration; ring of master wizardry (doubles 6th-level spells, offers a +1
on saving throws); beaker of plentiful potions; boots of striding and
springing; cloak of displacement; hat of feather falling (as per ring); pouch
of holding […]; robe of stars (deep violet color with six small eight-pointed
stars on chest; staff of thunder & lightning (made of bronzewood, banded
with iron and silver); stone of good luck; Zagyg’s spell component case; and
scrolls or potions of any sort. It is certain that he has devices even his
friends have not seen.
One special item is the gold-starred girdle of Urnst,
devised for him by grateful fellow wizards of Urnst. This magical belt is made
of purple silk strewn with golden flakes and looks a bit like a similar device,
the golden girdle of Urnst, described in GREYHAWK Adventures (page 79). Warnes’
belt is enchanted to give a +3 bonus to his Armor Class against bladed
(slashing) weapons of any type, though blunt (bludgeoning) and pointed
(piercing) weapons are unaffected. [Rot8
– 59]
If reduced below half his hit points, he tries to
escape combat long enough to use his ring of regeneration before returning.
[Rot8 – 58]
Warnes Starcoat hides spell components all over his
person, even in his footwear. Some are stored in the pouches and pockets
attached to his belt. He can get nearly any nonmagical item. He often wears
extra rings or neck chains with no magical powers, especially if these were
gifts. A medallion etched with Zagyg’s symbol hangs from a neck chain. [Rot8 – 59]
Nonweapon Proficiencies: ancient history
(old Oeridian and Suloise settlement of the Flanaess), astrology, etiquette,
fishing, heraldry (noble and royal houses of the Flanaess), herbalism (x2,
potion making and alchemy), modern languages (Common, bonus; Rhennee cant;
dwarvish; halfling), reading/writing (Common, bonus; dwarvish; ancient
Suloise), religion (Zagyg), spellcraft, swimming. [Rot8 – 58]
2nd week of Goodmonth
 |
| Mordenkainen |
Jallarzi was furious. But what could be done? The
decision was made. She quietly considered whether her time in the Circle was
coming to an end….
While slumming in Greyhawk‘s River Quarter, the player
characters run into two women and a dragon. The women are Jallarzi Sallavarian,
youngest member of the Circle of Five, and her friend, the wizard Marial; the
dragon is actually Jallarzi’s familiar, a pudgy pseudodragon named Edwina. They
are on their way to meet the mage Warnes Starcoat. [Rot8 – 2]
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 decided that she too ought to be as gracious
concerning her former tutor.
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.
He wondered. It seemed obvious to him that Jallarzi had
never forgiven him for having left her in the “care” of the Seer; but what
choice had he had? The Seer would have eventually killed him if he had stayed.
Jallarzi 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]
Adventurers were sent to unravel the mystery. Why not
Warnes? Well… because.
With Jallarzi gone, there are no members of the Five
in the City of Greyhawk. While Warnes is not yet a member, he is the best thing
the city has at the moment, so he decides to stay in town (in case this is part
of a plot to leave the city unprotected), and summon Mordenkainen and the rest
of the Five. [Rot8 – 18]
3rd
week of Goodmonth
 |
| Tenser |
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]
So too was Jallarzi found. Or Jay, in this case.
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]L
et’s make life simple: Done, done, and done.
Tenser and
Jallarzi discovered to be alive, however transformed, the adventurers
unravelling the mystery battled Iggwilv and Tuerny to a standstill, the evil
duo ultimately retreating as Mordenkainen and his forces teleported on scene.
Knights and servants hurry among the castle’s
outbuildings. The corpses in the courtyard have been removed and the pavement
cleaned. A cluster of men including Warnes Starcoat stand near the Great Keep’s
front door.
The [adventurers] are greeted excitedly. The men
approach, and one, a tall man with silver-black beard and flowing robes, nods.
“I am Mordenkainen,” he says. He tells them that Warnes summoned him and the
Circle to aid the [adventurers], but that they have only just arrived at
Tenser’s castle. Mordenkainen does not introduce the others, but the [adventurers]
recognize Warnes Starcoat, and […] may [also] recognize Bigby and Drawmij, two
other members of the Five. The rest are strangers to them. [Rot8 – 53]
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
Mordenkainen orders wine to be brought to you and to
his small group. “You are worthy to hear this before it is made known to any
but the Circle itself,” he says with a solemn expression. “The Circle has long
been weakened by Rary’s evil, at a time when we need all our powers to maintain
balance in the Flanaess. And so I have rebuilt the Circle of Eight. You have
already met Warnes Starcoat, a brave and strong-willed mage.” Warnes nods at
you, his expression distracted.
Mordenkainen continues: “Now I introduce you to
Alhamazad the Wise, a powerful Baklunish sorcerer from Zeif.” An old man
dressed in the style of Baklunish beggars bows slightly, leaning heavily on his
plain wood staff. “And Theodain Eriason, a high elf from the Yeomanry.” A slim
arrogant elf stares at you coolly, making no move.
After a moment, Mordenkainen says, “We will pursue
with new vigor the goals of the Circle of Eight – to defend the Flanaess from
evil and destructive forces within and without, to promote the spread of
civilization and to ensure a balance of power exists within the Flanaess.”
Warnes raises his glass. “To the Return of the Eight!”
The courtyard rings with your voices as you repeat the
wonderful words: ‘To the Return of the Eight!”
[Rot8 – 53]
But things were
not to remain as they once were.
Tenser was returned to life in 585 CY […], but chose
not to return to the Circle of Eight. [PGtG – 21]
Instead Tenser aims to create an organization of
powerful lawful-good heroes, paladins and clerics, mirroring the Circle of
Eight, with the aim of destroying the armies of Iuz and driving Iuz from Oerth
forever. [Rot8 – 54]
That is not
surprising, really. Tenser’s and the Circle’s aims had not aligned for some
time, if ever.
What happened
next did surprise Warnes, however.
Tenser did not support Warnes’ application to join the
Circle, and Warnes’s inclusion in the restored Circle further alienates him
from his old comrades. [Rot8 – 54]
Warnes was
furious. Had he not answered Tenser’s call to retrieve the crook from Iggwilv,
all those years ago? Tenser had had confidence in Warnes then. Why, now, had
Tenser denied Warnes his favour?
No matter!
Tenser was out, and he, Warnes, was in. But Tenser’s disapproval had tainted
Warnes’ joining.
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. [PGtG – 23]
New members include the redoubtable Warnes Starcoat (N
male human Wiz20) of Urnst; Alhamazad the Wise of Zeif (LN male human Wiz19);
and the cold, unemotional Theodain Eriason (CN male elf Wiz17). Mordenkainen
remains the ninth member, a "shadow leader" dictating his agenda to
others and influencing the Flanaess through his powerful network of agents and
servitors. [LGG – 156]
 |
| The New Circle |
To say nothing of trust.
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 – 7]
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]
Drawmij […] only grudgingly agreed to the addition of
Warnes and Alhamazed, and argued steadfastly against expanding the purview of
the Circle to include nonhuman members. Finding Nystul his only ally in the
matter, however, he has since treated the olve Theodain Eriason with bland
acceptance. [LGJ#0 – 8]
What did Warnes
think about his fellow members? One does wonder. But he kept his opinion to
himself. That said…
I expect he
returned Alhamazad’s antipathy.
He would likely be as cool with Theodain as Theodain was
with him.
I imagine he had a low opinion of Drawmij’s having only
grudgingly agreed to his addition.
Bigby? Bigby was distant, removing himself back to Mitrik
shortly after the 3’s admittance. Warnes might wonder whether Bigby’s heart is
really “in it” anymore.
And as to Jallarzi’s opposition to his membership, he
could only be disappointed in her, if not furious, given that he was once her
mentor.
Concerning Tenser, I can only believe that Warnes felt
betrayed by Tenser’s lack of support for his application, given Tenser’s past
confidence in recruiting him to retrieve the Crook of Rao.
Regardless their feelings for one another, the new
members got to work, albeit largely independently of one other.
[In the] "Year of Peace" (585 CY) [t]he
Circle of Eight was brought to full membership once more and began acting
against every power its wizards perceived as tyrannical or dangerous to the
common welfare. [LGG – 16]
Would they, though, have worked as one.
As they once did.
 |
| The Duchy of Urnst |
Two merit members of that body (Otto and Jallarzi
Sallavarian) have homes in Greyhawk; all the others (Mordenkainen, Bigby,
Drawmij, Alhamazad, Nystul, Warnes Starcoat, and Theodain Eriason) visit on an
irregular basis. [TAB – 7]
Warnes has two country estates in the County of Urnst
and one in the Duchy of Urnst. [Rot8 – 59]
But he did return from time to time when the need arose.
When in the City of Greyhawk, he stays at expensive
inns. [Rot8 – 59]
It is easy to learn [when] he is staying at the High
Tower Tavern in the Garden Quarter. This comfortable but unpretentious inn is a
traditional meeting place for the Circle of Eight […]; when Warnes is in town,
he often stays in one of the three rooms in the inn’s peak-roofed tower.
[Rot8 – 8]
Warnes is 50.
586 CY
Even the “Old Guard”
took to working independently of the Circle. Mordenkainen could never be found,
thought to be out in the outer planes. Drawmij spent ever more time in his
undersea citadel, Nystul in northern Tenh. Otto cooked, and directed symphonies
and plays. Jallarzi? Jallarzi was increasingly morose, and oddly preoccupied
with a child by the name of Skye. Bigby spent more and more time in Mitrik,
collaborating with Canon Hazen. And Tenser.
Of late, Veluna has become a beacon of hope, a center
of stability in an unstable land. After the tumult of the Greyhawk Wars, a
group of adventurers in the employ of Canon Hazen recovered the long lost Crook
of Rao. [LGG – 130]
 |
| The Crook of Rao |
Canon Hazen
of Mitrik used the Crook to stunning effect, banishing thousands of demons,
devils, yugoloths, and other outsiders from all parts of the Flanaess [.] The
assistance of nearly every priest of Rao in Mitrik as wall as the aid (some say
manipulation) of the archmage Bigby, certainly played an important role in the
effort’s success. [Dragon
#294 – 93,95]
Others aided him:
Tenser, the Despotrix of Hardby…
[Despotrix of
Hardby] Ilena [Norbelos]’s illness began after the Striking of the Crook, an extensive
ritual led by the priests of Rao in Mitrik which resulted in the Flight of
Fiends. She had been persuaded by Tenser (despite warnings sent to her from the
archmage Rary) to join in an arcane conjunction intended to augment the ritual.
Unfortunately, many of the participants in Tenser’s rites have since suffered
illness or other misfortune – with the notable exception of Tenser himself. [LGJ#1 – 27]
What warnings,
Warnes wondered? Did Rary threaten “do this and die,” or was the once aged and
wise sage trying to warn her that use of the Crook might have some dire price
that required payment? Or penance?
That bore looking
into, Warnes suspected.
Somehow, Warnes’
name was attached to their Rite, regardless that he was not invited to
participate.
Canon Hazen's heroic use of [the Cook of Rao] in 586
CY validated Starcoat's inclusion, as did the archmage's crucial role in the
horrific circumstances surrounding Tenser's return from the realm of the dead [.]
[LGJ#0 – 7]
Did Warnes feel
validated? Bigby and Tenser had acted independently of the Circle (and of him),
aiding Canon Hazen in the Striking of the Crook. They had included others, wizards
and sorcerers and clerics of note. But not other members of the Circle. Not
Mordenkainen. And not him.
What was Warnes
to conclude from that, he wondered. Just how trusting and trustworthy were Bigby
and Tenser, then, Warnes wondered?
And how
secretive?Warnes decided,
just then, that if the others, even the “Old Guard,” were holding their cards
so close to their chest as to exclude the other members, or maybe him
specifically, of their plans, he might as well continue to act as independently
as he always had.
591 CY
Which is what he
did. He would keep the central Flanaess secure, as he always had. He would keep
a firm eye on the perplexing doings of Rary, held up as he was close to the
Duchy of Urnst in the Bright Desert; because if not he, who then would?
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
Warnes Starcoat, Chief Mage to the Joint Courts of
Urnst and a member of the Circle of Eight, warns that Rary's diabolical plans
could soon lead him to covet the ancient knowledge of House Maure. [LGG –
126]
Moreover…
To this day, the archmage eagerly acquires and
examines all manner of scrolls, rings, amulets, bracers, and blades hoping to
unlock a forgotten piece of arcane lore or to discover a long-lost artifact.
His army scours the Brass Hills and surrounding Bright Desert for magical items
for their lord. [Dragon #249 – 90]
Thousands of desert folk have suffered under Rary's
armies. Many fear that he is close to achieving or finding that for which he
searches; few believe the result will benefit anyone but him. [LGG – 38]
And just as worrying…
southern
coast of the Bright Desert. […] The attacks have led many to fear that Rary the
Traitor has allied himself with a powerful druid using weather magic to
accumulate wealth and life energy from these grim harvests. [LGJ#3 – 26]
That said,
Warnes had his failings. He remained critical of Nyrond’s current
government, especially King Archibald III [Rot8 – 59], and in that vein
could be as much a bane as a boon in keeping the Flanaess secure, as he had
always professed was his primary concern.
King Lynwerd is very active and decisive, though he
seems joyless. His father has not appeared in public in many years, and Xenia’s
condition has never changed. His traitorous brother is still free, as is the
former baron Woodwych. He even attempted to speak directly with members of the
Circle of Eight for their assistance, but instead fell into a bitter argument
with Warnes Starcoat, a mighty archmage from the Urnst states, and came away
empty handed. [TAB – 31]
His failure only convinced Jallarzi ever more that Warnes
should never have been inducted into the Circle. He was not “Circle material,”
she said.
Otto, who believed Nyrond was the key to Almor’s liberty,
could only be equally concerned.
592 CY
Recently, there
have been other occurrences worrisome to Warnes.
Every now and
again, the inexplicable happens on and off Rary’s bright and decidedly
inhospitable shores.
Jian Destron
was the only son and heir of Szek Ewerd Destron. […] He was raised a
professional sailor, and from a young age served in Onnwal’s navy. [Dragon #299 – 98]
On the Night
of Scarlet Knives, when Onnwal fell to the Brotherhood [,] [Dragon #299 – 98] the Brotherhood closed
in on young Jian’s ship.
Few can
explain the strange mist that hid Jian’s vessel from its pursuers and enabled
the loyal Onnwalons to subdue the traitors and reach the relative safety of
Nyrond.
 |
| A Mysterious Visitor |
Ought Jian
Destron to worry? Or might this be a clue to Rary’s true self?
One wonders. Drawmij
does. And so does Warnes.
Would that they
worked together. Two sets of eyes are better than one, as they say.
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
Concerned by
stories of the resurfacing of the Isle of Woe, the archmage Warnes Starcoat
sponsors an expedition into the Brass Hills to explore a cite called Zochal.
According to the Nesser Opuscule, the only surviving fragment of a greater work
attributed to the legendary Tzunk, the Zochal is an echo point for planar
confluence that infuses the lost sunken isles. What does that mean? That is
what the Circle of Eight wants to find out. [Dragon #297 – 91] [COR 2 – 1-08: Echo – 0]
Warnes choice of
adventurers are decidedly different from those Tenser chose to seek out the
Crook of Rao all those years ago.
Warnes likes skilled, aggressive adventurers. He is
reluctant to deal directly with clerics and hates to deal with thieves, though
army-trained thieves who work as saboteurs, spies, military assassins and
scouts are acceptable. [Rot8 – 59]
The Tomb of Tzunk's Hands: Tzunk,
Wizard-Priest of the quasi-mythical Isles of Woe which sunk below the Nyr Dyv
in prehistory, is said to have had his body sundered into a hundred parts to
thwart any attempt at resurrection. The portions were scattered to the winds,
burned in fire, dissolved in acidic waters, and buried below the earth. Great
golems with special powers such as paralysis, petrification, and worse are said
to guard a tomb holding his hands here. The approaches to the tomb chamber are
riddled with traps, mazes, secret portals and passages, and many magical
hazards. [WGR5 Iuz the Evil – 64]
I wish Warnes
Starcoat luck. His sponsored expedition, as well.
I would let
long-dead Flan wizard-priests lie, myself. They were/are all obsessed with the
continuance of their life – the necromantic ones, anyway.
If retrieved from their resting place, the hands are
said to animate themselves, serving the one who rescued them as divinatory
tools, but seeking out the other parts of Tzunk's indestructible, scattered
body and slowly beginning to take over the mind of their owner. [WGR5 – 64]
Tzunk, like
others of his ilk, doesn’t care a whit for the expedition members’ lives. Or
Warnes Starcoat’s for that matter.
Warnes
is 57.
 |
| Warnes Starcoat, focused on his own path |
But
is Warnes a good man? He is not. He is True Neutral on the alignment scale. But
so too are most of the Circle. In that regard he is in good company with them. But
where its membership purportedly works to maintain “The Balance,” Warnes
appears to be suspiciously focused on his own path. He’s self-centered, and
selfish. He’s a social climber, a courtier, and an “influencer.” He has the ear
of the Duke and is very much trusted by him. It is a very good thing then that Warnes
is not insidious, as his predecessor the Seer could very well have been (and
probably was). Or so I believe. Warnes might not be malign, but he is also very
much in it for himself. I believe him to be anything but altruistic. Or so I
believe. He does not go on rescue missions. He keeps to himself.
And
yet, Warnes works to defend the Urnst states. He is tirelessly engaged in the
defence of his homeland, primarily the County, besieged as it is by Iuz and
Bandits.
So,
is Warnes Starcoat a good man? I believe he is, despite his faults. His faults
only make him human.
“Try not to become a man of success.
Rather become a man of value.”
―
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 detail, by Sam Woods, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Warnes Starcoat, by Ted Naifeh, from Return of the Eight, 1998
Mordenkainen, by Thomas Denmark, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Warnes Starcoat detail, by Sam Woods, from Living Greyhawk Journal #6, 2001
LGJ#0 cover art, by Mark Zug, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Duchy of Urnst Map, by High Programmer (Alan De Smet)
The Crook of Rao, by Richard Pace, from Dragon Magazine #294, 2002
Warnes Starcoat, by Sam Woods, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
The Isles of Woe map, by Sam Wood, from The Adventure Begins, 1989
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1068 Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9399 WGR5 Iuz the Evil, 1993
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, 297
LGJ #0, 5
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
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