“It is better to have your head in the clouds, and
know where you are... than to breathe the clearer atmosphere below them, and
think that you are in paradise.”
―
 |
| A string of pearls... |
Paradise. And
capricious beauty.
The climate of these islands is very tropical, and
stifling warmth and humidity persists almost year round, save in the late
summer months when the great tropical storms that sweep in from the Oljatt are
not uncommon. Much of the terrain on the isles, except for the rocky volcanic
peaks central to most of them, is covered in thick tropical forest. [LGG –
70]
The coasts usually
receive more rainfall and remain cooler in the summer and warmer in winter than
inland areas. Several areas have subtropical conditions, during which the
summers are relatively dry but winters bring considerable rain. These areas
include the Hold of the Sea Princes, the Pomarj, Onnwal, Idee, […] Dullstrand,
the northern Lordship of the Isles and the Spindrift Isles. [PGtG – 8]
These pearls are
commonly called the Lordship of the Isles. They were not always called such;
once they were known as the the Duxchan Isles – and still are, depending who
you talk to. Before that, who can say? The Flan surely had a name for them, if
you’d care to ask. And before them? The Olman most certainly must have, but
none would ask so lowly a savage as them. And who would care to? Before them,
most profess that they were forever vacant, forever pristine, just pearls upon
a turquoise sea.
c. -10,000 CY
 |
| The Dakon |
Beastman tribes tend to keep to themselves,
communicating only with other beastman tribes. They use and produce few
artifacts, and hence have little interest in trade. They speak their own language,
but a few individuals can converse haltingly in the common tongue. The bulk of
their population seems to be in the Amedio Jungle, although there are reputed
to be beastmen tribes in the jungles of Hepmonaland as well. [GA – 21]
Did they actually? It’s not certain they did, but they
might have. The did raise cities in both the Amedio and Hepmonaland; thus, it
is very probable that they did across the length of the Duxchans, which are
only a short hop from the Dark Continent. Should they have, and they surely
could have, their presence has long since been erased by the ravages of time.
c. -8000 CY
 |
| The Torhoon |
Their earliest
mention is by Andy Miller in Ex Keraptis Cum Amore, in Dungeon #77 (December
1999):
[A]n ancient
race called the Torhoon (whose empire, based on alchemy and magic, was centered
in Hepmonaland over 8,000 years ago) [.] [Dungeon #77 – 33]
That passages
says that their civilisation was centred in Hepmonaland, not that it was
exclusive to it.
Who were these
Torhoon? According to Andy Miller, they were human:
A [7’] tall
man suddenly appears in front to you. He is human, although his body is
hairless and his features are slightly elongated. He wears a loose, black toga
and watches you with large, unblinking eyes. [Dungeon #77 – 48]
Little else is
mentioned. There are references to Torhoon writings and pyramids and Torhoon
wights and mummies and mists, of Torhoon magic and alchemy, although none of it
differs much from contemporary versions, except that more modern wizards can
not duplicate all of the spells known to the ancient Torhoon sorcerers. [Dungeon
#77 – 53]
Legends of
Hepmonaland natives suggest that they are not adverse to the belief that the
Torhoon sailed the southern seas.
Reports
surface from time to time of unusual ships on Byanbos shores piloted by beings
the locals call “The Tall Walkers.” [SB – 48]
Are the Tall
Walkers and the Torhoon one and the same? Maybe. They could very well be.
The Tall Walkers
could, in contemporary times, presumably be the Suel, seeing that there are no
other mentions of the Torhoon ever again, but they are most likely not. The
Suel are referred to as the white-skinned northerners [SB – 50] and the ”white
demons” [SB – 48] by the Tuov.
So, who then
were they?
All canonical mention
of the Torhoon is restricted to the southern half of Hepmonaland, but a
civilisation as powerful as the Torhoon could, and would, have colonised the
rest of their continent and beyond, to my thinking.
-6233 CY
What became of the Torhoon? Your guess is as good as
mine; but, as is usually the case, Torhoon civilisation collapsed, whether by
war, internal strife, by the maleficence of their most powerful and misguided.
Left to their own devices, those who survived invariably rose again, if by a
new name.
 |
| The Kersi |
Could the Kersi
be the Olman?
The Olman of
Hepmonaland have rich red-brown or dark-brown skin, straight hair and dark
brown eyes. They have high sheekbones and high-bridged noses, although those of
more common stock have less definition in these characteristics. [SB – 36]
They could be.
It’s not like the Olman appeared out of thin air. Unless they did, that is,
which is unlikely, but stranger things have happened: The Rhennee did, after
all; so it’s not without precedence. But I imagine that the Olman did not, that
the Olman had always been there, whether they might be called Kersi or Olman.
-6067 CY
Plentiful seas lured the Kersi out from their coasts. An
open sky, a rocky coast, a strings of islands, banks and shoals lured them
further and further out.
Oljatt Sea: The waters to the north of
Hepmonaland east of the Duxchans Is known as the Oljatt sea. These warm, deep
blue-green depths are dangerous in the extreme, for many creatures haunt this
sea. [Folio – 20]
Did they remain? Surely they did.
The climate of these islands is very tropical, and
stifling warmth and humidity persists almost year round, save in the late summer
months when the great tropical storms that sweep in from the Oljatt are not
uncommon. Much of the terrain on the isles, except for the rocky volcanic peaks
central to most of them, is covered in thick tropical forest. These forests are
a rich source of the exotic animal and plant life that sustain the economy of
the islands [.] [LGG – 70]
Why would they leave?
Olman and darker-skinned natives of Hepmonaland live
in abundant numbers here [.] [LGG – 70]
They then sailed further asea, from the Tilva to the
Tilvenot, to the Duxchans, unto the Olmans and beyond. And upon those southern
seas they were sure to meet others as eager to explore as they.
The Se-Ul
began systematized trading with the tribes to the north and east. The Baklun in
the northern plains, and the Flan who dwelt just west of the mountains were
among these. Sea trade routes to AnaKeri are developed. [OJ#1 – 5] (-551 SD)
-5528 CY
These Suel, the Kersi would discover, sought to conquer
all the peoples of the world.
Alianor sends
a large naval force to invade AnaKeri.
The outriggers of the AnaKeri are no matches for the mighty warships of
the Suel. [OJ#11 – 56]
But the Kersi remembered their Torhoon past.
 |
| A Maelstrom of Wind and Wild Seas |
Might they have
called up a hurricane? Or might a hurricane have fortuitously blown in, saving
the Keri from the Suel? As to whether a maelstrom might circle the continent to
this very day, hurricanes are seasonal, coming every year.
The waters and coastlines of the isles are not without
their dangers. Strong cross-currents can send a small vessel with an
inexperienced captain or fishing crew […] many miles out to sea, with generally
northern currents flowing up from the warmer southern waters. Whirlpools or
tsunami are, however, very rare events, and gale or storm force winds and
massive downpours are not too common. [Ivid – 89,90]
c. –2400’s
Did the Kersi continue to flourish? Or did they, in their
turn, collapse, as the Torhoon did before them.
Did they forget who they were? Did they then become
Olman, declared as such by the arrival of new, hitherto unknown, gods?
The Olman gods are not native to Oerth, having been
worshipped first by beings on another prime material plane. At some point
around 3000 years ago, these gods discovered Oerth and the Olman people, and
revealed themselves as supernatural beings to the primitive Olman. [SB –
42]
 |
| Huhueteotl |
Huhueteotl, god of Fire and Motion of Time
Mictlantecuhtli, god of Death
Quetzalcoatl, god of the Air, Birds, and Snakes
Tezctlipoca, god of the Sun, Moon, Night, Scheming and
Betrayals
Tlaloc, god of Rain
[SB – 42,43]
Who are the
Olman People, anyway? They are an old people indeed, if they are the newly
revived Kersi, as old as the Suel, in fact; as old as the Flan, as well, surely.
Are they an off-shoot of the Flan? Or the Flan them?
The Flan were the first known humans to live in
eastern Oerik, and it is from them that the Flanaess gets its name. Although
evidence exists that they once had settled nations, those vanished long ago.
The Flan had been a nomadic people for many centuries [.] [LGG – 5]
Have they the
same ancestral root?
Some consider the
Olman to be distantly related to the Flan, but there is of yet little evidence
to corroborate this. [SB – 36]
But they might
be.
 |
| The Olman |
Pure Flan have bronze skin, varying from a light
copper hue to a dark, deep brown. Flan eyes are usually dark brown, black,
brown, or amber. Hair is wavy or curly and typically black or brown (or any
shade between). The Flan have broad, strong faces and sturdy builds. [LGG –
5]
And the Flan may
have sailed the coastal waters longer than we imagine.
Flan […] inhabitants […] plied the surrounding waters
for centuries. [LGG – 71]
Who can say? The
origins of man and elves, as are the origins of Oerth and Oerik, a mystery.
Thus, the Olman
might have shared a common ancestor with the Flan. But they are not Flan.
The Olman originated on Hepmonaland, raising a number
of city-states from the jungles of that land. Through centuries of warfare,
they built an empire that spanned northern Hepmonaland and reached across the
Densac Gulf to include the Amedio Jungle. [LGG – 6]
Were these Olman civilised? Did they erect ziggurats to
their gods? Or did they only cling to those few clearings they hacked out of
their jungle, or upon reed rafts in vast swamps and estuaries, eking out
existence where beastmen and troglodytes might still have reigned?
Savages [the Olman] from the Amedio Jungle or Hepmonaland
would have skills in long distance signaling, running, possibly paddled small
craft, sound imitation, and trap building. Their required initial weapons would
also include the blowgun or short bow, club, and dart or javelin in the Amedio.
With respect to Hepmonaland, the atlatl and javelin, club, and short sword are
typical weapons. [Dragon #63 – 11]
 |
| Jungle Druid |
Jungle
Druid
WG: Amedio Jungle, Hepmonaland [Dragon #209 – 14]
And in time master it.
Skull-Staff of Hepmonaland (C, M): This is a 7‘ long
pole that is topped with a skull with a wild mane of white hair and sharp,
demonic features. The shaman who uses the staff claims that it is the skull of
an ancient demon, though many suspect that it belonged to an evil wizard who
died in the hands of head-hunters in Hepmonaland. [GA – 74]
Cloak of
the Couatl
This item is
a short cloak made of couatl feathers. [It allows] the wearer to fly [, and]
become invisible at will [.] This item is normally only found in Hepmonaland
and the Amedio. [SB – 86]
-1932 CY
Before long, they discovered the waters that spanned the
whole of the Oerth. Or perhaps they had always been there. It was upon the
shores of these waters they would soon rediscovered that there were more
peoples upon this Oerth than they had until now believed to be true.
The first reports of strange cities to the south
worshipping strange gods are reported by the Flanae. These people (according to
Flan sources) call themselves Almeks (Olmec in the Common tongue). (3584 SD/215
FT) [OJ#1 – 13]
These Almek were not native to the continental Flaneass,
the Flan discovered. They had sailed from a far-off land, a hot, jungled land,
one they gestured to lie many days journey to the east. Although great effort
was made, neither could make themselves understood, except in the most
rudimentary way, as neither spoke the tongue of the other.
Where were these shores? One imagines they were close to
where the Flan had presumably first settled in the Flanaess: Keoland.
c –1900 to
–1500 CY
But where the Suel and the Flan had discovered the secret
of bronze, and the fashioning of weapons with it, the Olman of Hepmonaland had
not. But they marvelled at the slim, shining stone that the Flan had carried;
and they sought to divine the secret of it themselves. Its discovery changed
them. Their weapons were no longer blunt wood and stone. They were sharp, and
their keen edge allowed those tribes that wielded them to conquer the others.
Over the next 400
years, the Olman learned to work stone and bronze and built great cities in the
heart of the jungle—clearing land around them for farming—and raising great
temples to honor their deities. Four Olman city-states formed from the original
tribes, and all delighted in warring on each other, claiming prisoners as live
sacrifices. [SB – 36]
The nomadic Flan had spread out over the continental
Flanaess, building cities, claiming nations.
Two millennia ago,
Flan civilization reached its zenith on the arid grasslands of Sulm. [Polyhedron #157 – 22]
c. -1125 CY
Claiming ever more of the continent.
The ancient kingdom of Ahlissa, ruled by the Flan […],
is known today only for its founding wizard-queen, Ehlissa the Enchantress, and
a magical nightingale she made. [LGG – 13]
They had settled the coasts, and sailed the southern
seas.
[T]he Flan […] inhabitants […] had controlled these
islands and plied the surrounding waters for centuries. [LGG – 70]
This is the first mention of the Flan far in the east.
-1100 to -1000 CY
The Olman, it would appear, had come under siege.
The capture and conversion of two of the Olman
city-states into yuan-ti communities wounded the Olman morale, and eventually a
large number of Olmani migrated to the north end of Hepmonaland and onto the
Tilvanot peninsula and Olman Islands, with most settling in the Amedio jungle. [SB
– 36]
Indeed, they were fighting on two fronts, from within and
without.
c -1000 CY
Besieged by both the southern Tuov and the yuan-ti, the
Olman retreated, until they had largely vacated their once glorious jungle
empire.
The last Olmani to traverse the seas were the men and
women who fled to the Amedio a thousand years ago. [SB – 37]
Not all Olman abandoned Hepmonaland, though. Some
remained. Presumably those who could not escape.
-476 CY
In time, the
Suel returned to the far eastern southern shores.
In the wake of the Rain of Colorless Fire, Suloise
survivors fled in all directions, many crossing the Hellfurnaces into the
Flanaess, where they met other Suel who had fled the long war much earlier.
Some evil Suel were forced into the extreme corners of the Flanaess by invading
Oeridians. […] The people of the Duchy of Urnst and places in the Lordship of
the Isles are nearly so. [LGG – 8]
Indeed, they spread out into the entirety of the southern
seas.
The majority of the Suelites were pushed to the
extreme south, into the Amedio Jungle, the Tilvanot Peninsula, the Duxchan Islands,
and even as far as across the narrow Tilva Straight into Hepmonaland.
[Folio – 5]
Lordship of the Isles: North Latitude 20
[Dragon #68 – 42]
This chain of islands has been occupied by the Suel
for nearly one thousand years, and this race remains the most dominant
population of the isles, most notably on Ansabo and Ganode. [LGG – 70]
The majority of the island inhabitants are of pure or
nearly pure Suloise descent, their ancestry closely dated to those Suel who
colonized the Tilvanot Peninsula and became the Scarlet Brotherhood of today.
The islanders never had a voice in their government and were largely divorced
from concerns other than farming and logging, sending their goods to Sulward or
Duxchan for overseas trade. [TAB – 33]
Many Suel settled in the island realms off the
southeast shores of the Flanaess, specifically in Lordship of the Isles. Like
their brethren of the Thillonrian Peninsula, they may have bonus seamanship,
fishing and swimming proficiencies. With their strong tradition of trading,
they are better at negotiating than most Suel. [PGtG – 45]
This is not to
say that the Suel held dominion over the southern seas. Far from it.
Originally of Hepmonaland blood, Shemnoata [former pirate
chieftain] was widely known as a merciless pirate who was also a great
witchdoctor. His name is still whispered with fear and awe in the Lordship of
the Isles. What is not widely known is that Shemnoata was a necromancer whose
dabblings were not limited to his enemies. [Dungeon #71 – 27]
[Shemnoata must
be of Olman descent. He must have been active after the Duxchan Isles were
settled.]
-216 CY
The Suel held
dominion until the Aerdi came to the coast.
 |
| The Aerdi |
Solnor Ocean: It is said the Solnor
reaches for a thousand leagues and more eastwards. […] Great monsters dwell in
the Solnor and sport in Grendep Bay when the sun warms the waters there. [Folio – 20]
Their first permanent settlements were soon founded
along the coast of the Aerdi Sea, between Pontylver at the mouth of the Flanmi
and the Gull Cliffs in the north. After decades of battle with the native Flan
and treacherous Suel, the Aerdi noble houses sought a place to call their own,
and these places included settlements at Roland, Ountsy, and the largest of all
at Rel Astra, the site of a small abandoned Suel settlement. In 428 OR (-216
CY), these small states finally united under a single banner, and the kingdom
of Aerdy was born. [LGG – 93]
Aerdi Sea: The reach of water from the
Tilva Strait to the northern tip of Asperdi Island, as far west as the islands
beyond Spindrift Sound, and generally demarked by the islands which border the
east coast of the Flanaess is referred to as the Aerdi Sea. Much seafaring
takes place upon these waters, and many monsters are found upon and under its
waves. [Folio – 20]
One might say they were a martial people. And ambitious.
They wished to carve out a home for themselves after having trekked across the
whole of the Flanaess. They were ruthless in doing so.
The Great Kingdom (Kingdom of Aerdy): chaotic evil,
lawful evil; Oeridian, [Aerdian], Suloise. [Dragon #52 – 20]
In 428 OR (-216 CY), the scion of House Garasteth,
Lord Mikar, became the first grand prince (equal to a king). He ruled a land
now called the kingdom of Aerdy ("aer" meaning "sky" in Old
Oeridian). [LGG – 23]
Old Aerdy East (former Great Kingdom)
The lands south and east of the Rakers and north of
the Vast Swamp, off to the Solnor coast, were once the heartland of Aerdy, the
Great Kingdom. These lands are rich and their climate pleasant, though long
years of civil war and oppression have damaged the economy. Many orcs and
goblinoid races live among the numerous, warlike Oeridians here. [LGG – 4]
[T]he most powerful of all Oeridian tribes, the Aerdi,
reached the Flanmi River. From there they spread outward again, conquering
indigenous peoples and fellow migrants alike. In time, the kingdom of Aerdy
ruled the whole of the eastern Flanaess and moved its borders westward.
[LGG – 14]
The Aerdi made their capital in Rel Astra, and spent
the next few decades conquering the neighboring Flan and driving the Suel to
the south. Due to the cooperative effort of the various Aerdi tribes settling
in the Flanmi basin, they expanded quickly. First they conquered the Flan's
crumbling kingdom of Ahlissa in the southwest, then swept north to contend with
other Oeridian tribes who had settled the Flanaess behind them. [LGG – 23]
1 CY
In time, the
Aerdi conquered the whole of the east. And the Kingdom of Aerdy became the
Great Kingdom.
In the year 645 OR (1 CY), Grand Prince Nasran
declared universal peace in the empire, taking the new title of overking.
Nasran was by all accounts a wise and dutiful ruler, and few openly begrudged
him his claim. However, it quickly became clear to all the noble houses of the
Aerdi that power in the Great Kingdom was being centralized in the hands of the
rulers of Rauxes, and that the fortunes of the Great Kingdom would now rest
with them. [LGG – 23]
Settlers flocked
to the plains, the coasts. And with them the faith of the Oeridan peoples.
The Holy Censor was originally the chief cleric of the
Great Kingdom. Clerical holdings were granted from Rel Astra to Pontylver south
of the Mikar and Flanmi Rivers, including a portion of the Imperial Preserve
(Grandwood Forest). This fief became so strong as to be virtually independent
when the Malachite Throne went into decline. [Folio – 12]
1st Century CY
They had not yet
conquered all, however. The islands beyond their farthest shores had yet to be
gathered in. All too soon, they too were drawn into the fold.
Early in the history of Aerdy, when the Aerdi expanded
west from their holdings in the Flanmi basin, little attention was paid to
naval pursuits in the Solnor. Most of the islands off the eastern coast of the
Flanaess were either inhabited by Flan natives in the north or Suel colonists
in the south, and these peoples posed little threat to the expansion of the
dominant Aerdi on the continent. It was only centuries later, after the
founding of the Great Kingdom, that the overkings sought to extend their
dominion to the seas. [LGG – 99]
First fell the
Asperdis.
The overkings colonized the [Asperdi] islands off the
eastern coast of the Flanaess, but standing in their way were the Flan and Suel
inhabitants who had controlled these islands and plied the surrounding waters
for centuries. For the most part they were no match for the Aerdi, and
the isles of the Sea Barons were settled quickly. [LGG – 71]
102 CY
These northern Asperdis were tasked to safeguard the
Kingdom’s coast. First from the raiding barbarians to the north…
The main duties of the
Barons in serving Aerdy were to fight off the Frost and Ice Barbarians and the
Lordship of the Isles, which they carried out without great enthusiasm. [FtAA – 36]
And then the piratical Duxchaners to the south.
None of these maritime powers and their natives were
more powerful than the Duxchaners of the Oljatt Sea. These pirates and
buccaneers were the terror of the south, holding a near stranglehold over
traffic through the southern straits and raiding the southern coastal cities
with ease. [LGG – 71]
166 CY
Though the
Barbarians were troublesome and far more lethal, they were seasonal, and could
wait. The Duxchaners, however, harassed the Kingdom’s coasts and shipping
year-round.
 |
| An End to Marauding |
168 CY
Within two years of hotly fought battles in the Aerdi
Sea, Atirr and his armada, which was outfitted with mages and powerful clerics
of Procan, finally defeated the Duxchaners and their allies at the Battle of
Ganode Bay. [LGG – 71]
With the naval power of the Sea Barons at the fore,
the Aerdi captured the Lordship of the Isles in 168 CY by defeating the Suel of
Duxchan. [LGG – 100]
The Duxchan
threat put to rights, the Aerdi landed upon their tropical shores.
The Oeridians have emigrated to these islands in large
numbers only over the last few centuries; they are most common in Diren and the
smaller isles of Jehlum, Mirim, and Luda. [LGG – 70]
And tasked those Oeridian nobles to keep these southern
Suel in check.
The Aerdi settled these islands in large numbers,
founding Sulward as the capital, though the population remained largely Suel,
particularly on Ansabo and Ganode, where local Suel lords were absorbed into
the government of the realm. [LGG – 71]
Lordship of the Isles: So [Dragon #55 – 18/WoGA – 14]
Indeed, the Duxchan
Suloise nobility soon discovered that Aerdian rule had its benefits.
This scattered principality
stretches across seven islands lying between the Tilva Strait and southern
Lendore, and was originally occupied by pirates. The pirates soon found that
trade (especially from Hepmonaland up to the Great Kingdom) and exacting tribute from trade vessels passing through the
Tilva Strait offered much easier living.
[FtAA – 30]
Those who fell in line were soon rewarded.
Lordship of the Isles: Likely alignments: LN [Dragon #52 – 18]
[The Lordship of the Isles]
gained authority from the overking over the southern seas and the rich trade
proceeding from Hepmonaland. [LGG – 100]
Tilva Strait: This commerce is preyed
upon by piratical vessels – sometimes whole fleets – so squadrons of warships
will be seen patrolling at times when important commerce is at a peak. [Folio
– 20]
Oljatt Sea: Some are [sea monsters] large
enough to carry a ship to the bottom, and vessels going into the Oljatt are
said to chain themselves together and have men with pikes and bows ready to
fend off the monsters. [Folio – 20]
They were not, however, entirely their own masters.
The island lords became very
rich over the next few centuries, profiting from the trade that flowed through
their islands, a portion of which was due the herzog of South Province.
[LGG – 71]
These forests are a rich
source of the exotic animal and plant life that sustain the economy of the
islands, primarily through their export to the mainland, where they are
exchanged for hard coin. In the areas cleared by humanity near the coastal
towns and seaports, sugarcane, pineapple, and coffee plantations are
commonplace. These isles are also one of the few sources of rare woods such as
mahogany, ebony, and teak, that are highly prized on the continent. [LGG –
70]
Tirucambi
The Oljatt Sea is largely unexplored owing to the
hazard of the predatory sea creatures that dwell there, but nonetheless the
intrepid Sea Lords have trade routes along the shallower portions well down the
Hepmonaland coast. One of the primary reasons for taking such a difficult
journey is the lacework of islands, reefs, lagoons, and lakes known as
Turucambi. [GA – 102]
 |
| Tirucambi |
Axe of Sulward +2: Magically sharpened
to aid woodsmen in cutting the rare woods to be exported from the Lordship of
the Isles, this axe can also serve as a valuable weapon. Though it causes
damage as a battle axe +1, its +2 bonus is gained only against wooden objects
and plants. On a roll 4 higher than the required “to hit” roll, the axe
destroys an opponent’s wooden shield. [GA – 88]
 |
| Sulward |
Thugs are most common in major trade cities, particularly
seaports and river towns where thieves are common, protection rackets are well
entrenched, and large shipments of valuable goods exist to be protected or
hijacked. [T]hugs are frequently seen in the cities of […] the Lordship of the
Isles [.] [PGtG – 59]
Indeed, these isles are a canvas of contradiction. Why
so? Because they were good citizens, loyal to the Malachite Throne.
Lordship of the Isles: Likely alignments: LN [Dragon #52 – 18]
And free,
independent souls who plied the sea lanes and answered to no one but
themselves; and their captains, of course.
Lordship of the Isles: neutral, chaotic neutral;
Oeridian, [Aerdian], Suloise, (Ferral). [Dragon #52 – 20]
200s CY
Old habit do die
hard, don’t they?
The Duxchaners of the duchy of Ansabo, the second
largest isle in this chain, were viewed as little more than pirates by most,
but they were kept in check; they learned to prefer trade and fought only
occasionally with the Sea Barons. [LGG – 71]
213 CY
All too soon the Duxchaners, Suloise and Oeridian alike,
found themselves left to their own devices.
From 213 CY on, the Aerdi overkings grew lax, caring
more for local prestige and wealth than for the affairs of their vassals in
distant lands. This period was called the Age of Great Sorrow. [LGG – 14]
The yoke had been removed, as it were.
446 CY
Years, decades,
centuries passed. The Crown grew ever more decadent. And ever more cruel and
reputedly diabolical.
The situation changed during the Turmoil Between
Crowns, when the whole of the South was in rebellion against the Malachite
Throne. [LGG – 71]
The Throne plotted. So too did the Celestial Houses. And
the Kingdom paid a heavy price for its neglect.
The last heir of the House of Rax fell to
assassination during the Turmoil Between Crowns. When the demon-serving House
of Naelax ascended to the Malachite Throne, the whole of the South Province
refused to swear loyalty [.] [Folio – 6]
An Iron League against the Throne and its Celestial
Houses began to form.
This pact [the South Province discussed] with the Free
City of lrongate, the Szek of Onnwal, and the Lord of the Isles certainly gave
the League a stronger bargaining position. It assured its status by enabling
the confederation to negotiate a treaty of mutual protection between League
states and the Kingdom of Nyrond. This treaty remains in force to this day.
[Folio – 6]
447 CY
The whole of the
Great Kingdom fell to rebellion.
Irongate, Onnwal, Idee, Sunndi, and the Lordship of
the Isles declared independence from the Great Kingdom, witnessed by
ambassadors from Nyrond and dwarf nobles from the Glorioles, Hestmark
Highlands, and Iron Hills. [LGG – 57]
448 CY
The South
Province proved no ally, in time.
Ivid I of House Naelax brought pressure on the
southern princes to fall into line, but the outrages committed by the new
herzog of South Province, which included seizing Lordship vessels anchored in
Prymp Town, drove the Lords of the Isles to declare independence along with the
other states. The prince of the Isles joined the Iron League in 448 CY,
providing naval support and conveyance for traffic between Irongate, Onnwal,
and their allies in Nyrond. [LGG – 71]
 |
| Pledged Their Oath |
In 448 CY,
the Lords of the Isles pledged their oath to the [Iron] League. [Dragon #302 – 98]
The South was
now free – but it faced a determined foe with powerful armies that far
outnumbered the combined forces of the free states. Where might of arms could
not prevail, stealth and guile would redress the balance. The rulers of the
Iron League states created a shadowy organization they called the Jade Mask,
populating the group with some of the most skillful saboteurs, burglars, and
professional liars in all the southeast Flanaess Outwardly, the mask appeared
to be no more than a diplomatic corps tasked to foster cooperation between the
members of the League and to represent their interests abroad. In fact, it was
one of the most extensive spy networks on the continent. [Dragon #302 – 98]
In 448 CY, the Sea Barons suddenly gained sole
authority over naval pursuits in the eastern Great Kingdom, following the
affiliation of the Lordship of the Isles with the Iron League. Overnight, the
prince of Sulward and the baron of Asperdi became nemeses instead of rivals,
with the Aerdi Sea as their field of battle. [LGG – 100]
Spindrift Sound: In these waters are
fought some of the fiercest sea actions, for when Sea Barons and ships of the
Lord of the Isles meet, no quarter is ever asked or given. Unknown pirates and
buccaneers frequent these waters also, and it is a lively place indeed. [Folio
– 20]
Before the Lordship knew it, it was under siege.
The overking in Rauxes quickly issued letters of
marque to the Sea Barons, designating the ships of the Lordship of the Isles as
targets for any Aerdi vessel. [LGG – 71]
The hostility between the Sea Barons and the Lordship of
the Isles flared up again. If indeed it had ever truly gone out. The north
coast was in all truth closed to them for the first time in centuries.
c. 500s CY
The bold
mariners struck out west, instead. And ever further south. But however bold and
brash these sailors of the southern seas might be, there are certain places
even they proceeded into with the greatest of caution. And dread.
Tirucambi
 |
| Sahuagin |
It is hazardous to approach an unfamiliar part of
Turucambi, not merely because of the natural hazards but because of the locals,
who are more than willing to attempt piracy rather than trading, and who are
resentful of possible coral poachers. [GA – 102]
A Duxchaner vessel blown out to sea and unsure of its
bearings once approached from the east, and observed a huge hulk more than a
hundred feet long, with many masts and a slender shallow body. She appeared to
be really holed, and to have a cargo clearly visible in the six fathoms of
water over her, but the practical and incurious Duxchaners turned away. [GA
– 102]
And there were
possible lucrative markets closed to them.
SPINDRIFT ISLES
The Spindrifts are really divided into two parts; the
northern islands of the High Elves and the single southern Lendore Isle. The
three northern islands are supposedly overseen by five elven wizards supported
by numerous elven lords and half-elven clergy. Ships from the Lordship of the
Isles as well as from the Sea Barons who have ventured there have yet to
return! There are no reported towns or villages in the northern islands and
seclusion is all these demi-humans seem to require. [Folio – 16]
Both the Sea Barons and the
Lordship of the Isles kept well away from the six isles in this chain, save
Lendore Isle itself. [FtAA – 30]
Luckily, not all of the Spindrifts were. If you played by
the rules, that is.
Lendore Isle […] has much trade with the continent and
pays. through the Council of Seven of Lo Reltarma, a liberal sum to both the
Lordship of the Isles and the Sea Barons to pass without incident. This
immunity has been ignored on occasion by an enterprising pirate who is then
later exterminated; whether by an agent of the [Lendore’s] Council [of Seven of
Lo Reltarma] or by someone else is unknown. [Folio – 16]
c. 515 CY
Lordships have
lately ventured ever farther south down the coast of Hepmonaland than ever
before – not that the doughty Duxchaners feared to venture north since
hostilities flared up again with the Sea Barons, because they are not, and
never have been – they did so because once they had gained authority
from the overking over the southern seas and the rich trade proceeding from
Hepmonaland [LGG – 100] from the Malachite Throne, they had sought out what
trade could be had there. They had greater need to now, though.
Sharba has
had friendly trade relationships with the Lordship of the Isles for nearly a
hundred years [.] [SB – 52]
Not all ships
returned from their missions.
40,000 gp worth of pearls and ingots of precious metal
from the hulk of a Duxchan ship sunk in 515 CY [Dragon #206 – 40/Ivid – 92]
564 CY
 |
| Latmac Ranold |
The Duxchaners and their Suel duke had grown
increasingly powerful during the intervening years and finally, when an
internal squabble among the Oeridian lords on Diren failed to produce a
successor in 564 CY, Latmac Ranold of Duxchan became the new prince. He took an
increasingly provocative stance among the lords of the Iron League, favoring
open conflict against the Great Kingdom to negotiation and subterfuge. Ranold
built up the navy of the Lordship and began harassing the shipping lanes of the
Great Kingdom as his forebears had done centuries ago. [LGG – 71]
They held dominion in the tropical seas, for the most
part.
572 CY
But they could
not hope to win every battle.
More than a century and a half of conflict has ensued
between the two powers, and while the names and faces have often changed, the
contests are still hotly fought. The Sea Barons won the most recent encounter,
the massive Battle of Medegia, fought in the Aerdi Sea in 572 CY. [LGG –
100]
The last century and a half have seen many battles
between the two naval powers, culminating in […] the Battle of Medegia
in 572 CY, in which the Duxchaners suffered their greatest defeat by the Sea
Barons. This action failed to get the approval and support of the Iron League,
and the debacle deflated Prince Ranold greatly. As the lord grew older, he
appeared to lose his once-tight grip on the islands. [LGG – 71,72]
There is particular enmity between the Sea Barons and
the Lord of the Isles for rather obvious reasons. The Duxchaners are still
smarting from the Battle of Medegia (572 CY), wherein the Sea Barons sank four
of their warships and made prizes of three loaded cogs before they could gain
safety in Pontylver. [Folio – 12]
573 CY
The Lordship had always known about the Kingdom of Shar.
How could they not? But Shar upon the rocky Tilvenot had closed its ports to
all, and always had. It can as a surprise, then, when emissaries of the “Order
of the Scarlet Sign” appeared in the courts of the Iron League. (6088 SD)
In 573 CY, however, red-robed ambassadors from the
south appeared in the courts of the Iron League Speaking in whispers, they
offered their services to the merchant lords, announcing themselves as peaceful
envoys of the Scarlet Brotherhood, representatives of the kingdom of Shar, an
Ancient Suloise word meaning "purity." […] The arrival of the
Brothers of the Scarlet Sign did trigger curiosity, of course, and in short
order spies were sent to the Tilvanot. [LGG – 96]
574 CY
 |
| Powerful Wizards |
The spies also spoke of bredthralls, bizarre slave
races created through magic and arcane science, and of the powerful wizards of
the Scarlet Sign who created and controlled them. Last, and perhaps worst all,
the agents of the north reported that the Scarlet Brotherhood did not worship
proper gods, but instead gave tribute to dread Tharizdun, the Great Destroyer.
Needless to say, such reports frightened the rulers of
the Flanaess, who turned to their own trusted advisers and agents in conference
to plan strategies to deal with the growing threat. Unfortunately, many such
advisers were themselves Brotherhood agents, and advised caution and patience
in the matter. In time, they reasoned, the Brotherhood would reveal themselves,
and could be dealt with as the rabble they certainly were. [LGG – 96,98]
c. 575 CY
The Sea Barons
had had little success against the Lordship since the Battle of Medegia.
One wonders if they had expected that that battle was the beginning of the end
of their eternal conflict with their most hated enemy. The continuing stalemate
prompted them to consider other avenues in the pursuit of their ultimate goal:
total defeat of the Duxchaners.
[T]he Sulward Assassins' Guild, whose leader was once
a pirate himself [, had] just been paid a large sum by the Sea Barons for
assassinating the Lordship's Grand Admiral. [WoGG – 28]
The gamble failed. And the Guild’s fortunes faltered.
For this deed the Prince of Duxchan is attempting in
earnest to destroy the Guild. [WoGG – 28]
Latmac Ranold’s wrath is such a concern, in fact, that
the Guild has decided that a quite departure from Sulward is their wizest
course of action, at present.
[M]ost of the assassins (including the Guildmaster)
are going on the voyage, hoping the heat will have cooled down by the time of
their return. [WoGG – 28]
576 CY
His Exalted Highness, Latmac Ranold [WoGG – 17], the Prince of
Duxchan; Lord of the Isles; Scourge of the Waves (Fighter, 16th level)
Capital: Sulward (pop. 5,500)
Population: 80,000 +
Demi-humans: Few
Humanoids: Doubtful
Resources: rare woods, spices
[Folio – 12]
Trade resumed with the Great Kingdom, in time.
This scattered principality stretches over seven major
islands, from the Spindrift Sound to the mouth of the Tilva Straight. These
islands are rich and fertile, and enjoy the benefits of their strategic
location. [Folio – 12]
They even allowed Great Kingdom vessels to pass through
the Tilva Strait.
They profit hugely from cargoes of goods brought from
Hepmonaland to the Great Kingdom and collect tribute from those states which
wish to use the Tilva Straights in commerce. The rulers of Duxchan gave up
piracy in favor of more lucrative methods of extracting money from merchants. [Folio
– 12]
Not so to Sea Baron vessels, though, I imagine.
The Lordship’s conflict with the Barons continued,
regardless how hostilities might have eased with the Great Kingdom and its
Provinces and Sees.
There is particular enmity between the Sea Barons and
the Lord of the Isles for rather obvious reasons. The Duxchaners are still
smarting from the Battle of Medegia (572 CY), wherein the Sea Barons sank four
of their warships and made prizes of three loaded cogs before they could gain
safety in Pontylver. [Folio – 12]
One expects that that conflict was the Lordships’
greatest continuous threat.
And it is. Or was.
if truth be told, it truly no longer was.
 |
| The Most Dangerous Threat |
The Lordship learned that the Iron League were not the
only nation to receive Shar emissaries. The Great Kingdom did, as well. As did
the Sea Barons. And Keoland….
In 576 CY,
the [Jade] Mask’s agents reported the arrival of envoys from the Land of Purity
in the courts of the south, Despite strenuous efforts, the Mask discovered
little about either the newcomers or their homeland. [Dragon #302 – 99]
But their
interest and increasing concern was deflected by other more pressing events.
While the
number of agents that disappeared in the sweltering south troubled the Twelve
[the Jade Mask’s overseers], the War of the Golden League, a conflict pitting
Aerdy and South Province against Nyrond, Almor, and the Iron League, soon
monopolized their attention. The enigmatic monks were forgotten. [Dragon #302 – 99]
With war again on
the horizon, the Lordship could only wonder what the future held.
Truly, they had
no idea…
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my
friends?”
―
One must always give credit where credit is due. This Primer 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:
The Dakon, by Alan Hunter, from Fiend Folio 1e, 1981
Sea Barons map, by, Dave Sutherland, from Dragon #206, 1994
Huhueteotl, from Deities & Demigods 1e, 1980
The Ancient Flannae, by Sam Wood, from The Adventure Begins, 1995
Map detail, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Crew, from Of Ships and the Sea, 1997
Shokal, by Sam Wood, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
Lordship of the Isles, by Anna Meyer
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
2023
Greyhawk Adventures Hardback, 1988
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1981
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, 1998
Dragon
Magazine #52, 55, 68, 206, 209, 302
Dungeon
Magazine #77
Polyhedron
Magazine #157
Oerth
Journal #1, 11
Greychrondex,
Wilson, Steven B.
Greyhawkania,
Jason Zavoda
The
Map of Anna B Meyer
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