“Do not despise your own place and hour.
Every place is under the stars,
every place is the center of the world.”
― Studies in Nature
and Literature
 |
| The Assassination of Overking Nalif |
[House] Naelax aligned itself firmly with the
burgeoning priesthood of Hextor. In a land with increasing strife and struggle,
this aggressive evil priesthood became more influential as the decades passed.
[Ivid – 3]
437 CY
One wonders why after decades, if not centuries, of
Celestial House intrigue and backstabbing, it took as long as it did for their words
to evolve into action.
The Turmoil Between Crowns, initiated in 437 with the
assassination of Overking Nalif, changed bemusement to horror. [LGG – 77]
House Naelax had come to the fore. And the Great Kingdom
would forevermore be made in its image.
Naelax: Ruling Royal House, major
landholders, noted for their penchant for building large-scale, formidable
castles and fortifications—and for their vanity. [Ivid – 10]
It was not secure on its perch, however. Not yet, anyway.
The tyrannical Ivid I assumed the Malachite Throne at
the price of granting greater autonomy to the provinces, notably Medegia, Rel
Astra, and Almor. [LGG – 24]
446 CY
The See of
Medegia, ever the mirror of the throne, soon reflexed Naelax’s dark view of the
world.
The world is a dark and bloody place where the strong
rule the weak, and power is the only reward. It is often necessary to be cruel
and merciless in the pursuit of ones goals, and achieving those goals can have
harsh consequences. Order must be forged out of chaos and law out of anarchy.
The forces of tyranny must be obeyed and dissenters must be oppressed or
destroyed. [LGG – 172]
As all too soon
did the rest of the realm.
The faith of Hextor became the most prominent in the
realm, and it laid claim to the See of Medegia, wresting it from the Zilchans after
they had supplanted the Pholtans. [LGG – 24]
 |
| Hextor Symbol |
OC [WoGA – 63]
Lesser god, LE – War, Discord, Conflict, Fitness
Hextor, Champion of Evil, Herald of Hell, Scourge of
Battle, is the deity of many soldiers and fighters who deem lawful evil most
fit to rule, admiring war and discord. [WoGA – 69]
It comes as no surprise then that the realm was embroiled
in conflict as Ivid sought to retain his throne.
Civil war erupted in the Great Kingdom. The North
Province […] soon established independence, as did the wily Herzog of Ahlissa
in the South Province. [FtAA – 5]
Medegia was at the forefront of the civil war. Hextor
would have it no other way.
The Holy Censor, High Priest to the Overking, sought
freedom for the See of Medegia. [FtAA
– 5]
Though some fairly complete histories survived in the
monasteries of Medegia, they are heavily tinged with the Holy Censor’s
degenerate philosophies. Their accuracy is highly questionable, especially
concerning their main topic: the battles between Rauxes and Medegia.
Though reliable accounts of the battles are lost to
time, the results stand clear: the Overking retained his throne but suffered
losses of territory and power. A nephew that Ivid left as steward of the North
Province rebelled against his uncle and established his fief as a sovereign
state. So too, the chief prelate of Ivid’s empire – the Holy Censor of Medegia
– defied the Overking and established an independent [S]ee. [Wars – 4]
As noted, the Great Kingdom would never be the same.
Faint cracks were visible in its once glossy glaze.
446 to 447 CY
 |
| Large Standing Armies |
During the rule of the House of Naelax, large standing
armies have been maintained. This was primarily due to the desire on the part
of North and South Provinces, and Medegia, to have security for their
independence. [Ivid – 19]
One would think that they did not trust the word of their
Overking. That is entirely understandable, because they had cause not to.
Extreme
repression and taxation of the population led to a general rebellion among the
commoners and nobles alike. [TAB
– 18]
In 446 CY, the lord mayor of Irongate petitioned to
have his grievances heard in Zelradton and accepted an invitation to attend the
herzog at his palace. When he and his party arrived, they were imprisoned and
tortured to death for the overking's entertainment. Their remains were on
display for weeks in the Traitor's Garden in Rauxes. [LGG – 57]
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. This was followed by the formation of the Iron
League by Irongate, Onnwal, and Idee in late 447 CY. [LGG – 57]
Hestmark Highlands:
The Highlands themselves are very barren, with a
thick, brackenlike plant choking all other fauna in many places, and polluting
drinking water in the bargain. The traveler here is well advised to bring many
waterskins and a tarpaulin for collecting dew and rainfall. [FtAA – 58]
These long broad hills form a barrier between eastern
Sunndi and the Aerdi Sea. The remoteness and ruggedness of these hills made
them an ideal refuge for the disaffected from surrounding states for centuries,
particularly during the depredations of the Ivid overkings. [LGG – 145]
The armies of
the Overking in South Province and the See of Medegia tried without success for
over a century to regain the lost territories [.] [TAB – 18]
450 CY
For centuries the "City of the Heavens" was the
shining beacon of the empire. Indeed, it was once its capital until House
Crandon decided to build a new capital more central to his ever-expanding
lands. He therefore founded Rauxes above the fork of the Imeda and Flanmi
rivers, eschewing the royal palace in Rel Astra. [LGG – 93]
Cranden: Once the royal house, the
[worldly, urbane aristocracy] Crandens have dominated Almor and Ahlissa for
centuries. [Ivid – 10]
Rel Astra never recovered from the slight, despite being dubbed
the first of three nearly equidistant "Cities of Enlightenment"
founded by the Aerdi to span their empire, eventually including Rel Deven and
Rel Mord in the west. [LGG – 93]
Despite the slight, Rel Astra always knew it was superior
to Rauxes. It was larger, more powerful, and far more cultured than that
pretentious hub that presumed to lord over the whole of the realm. All knew
that none could retain power without its support.
 |
| Ivid I |
Rel Astra has been essentially independent for nearly
a century and a half, since the end of the Turmoil Between Crowns, when it
gained palatinate status from the Malachite Throne. For most of that
time, it controlled a large swath of the Solnor coast in a great arc extending
over 30 leagues from the city's walls in all directions. This border begins in
the north and includes nearly all of the Lone Heath to the town of Ernhand, proceeding
west into the vast expanses of the Grandwood, and south to the border of
Medegia at the town of Strinken. [LGG – 92]
Grandwood Forest: The tall hardwoods and
tangled undergrowth of the Grandwood were once a haven for refugees from the
evils of the Great Kingdom. [LGG – 141]
The See would from then on have a tempestuous
relationship with its former capital. The See understood that the true power of
the realm stemmed from its devotion to the divine, not the arcane; and the
heretical Garasteth would never bow to that truth.
Garasteth: The House of Garasteth is
feared for its mages and sages, and for its inscrutability and arcane
knowledge. The house is not much given to temporal power, but sees itself as a
guardian of true Oeridian culture and wisdom. […] Garasteth rulers are hard,
cold, cruel individuals, but they are to be feared on account of their devotion
to learning and their formidable intellects. [Ivid – 10]
That tempestuous relationship might have grown from the
Torquann-Garasteth feud [Ivid – 11] that has festered for as long as memory
serves.
Torquann: An Oeridian-Flan-Suel mix,
this house has dominated commerce and trade along the eastern coastal
provinces. Traditionally aloof in politics, this house has a long, long history
of dour, hard, depressive rulers whose lands suffer heavy taxation and
repressive laws. [Ivid – 10]
450s to 550s CY
Rel Astra became the primary destination for those who
fell out of favor in the former Great Kingdom, a trend that continues as
political refugees arrive from Ahlissa, the Sea Barons, and even North Kingdom.
[LGG – 93]
The Holy Censore petitioned Rauxes to supress Rel Astra’s
sedition. But the overkings never did. Mayhap that was because they were
unaware of Rel Astra’s threat. Or mayhap it was because they had little choice
but to turn a blind eye to it.
Rel Astra is a large city, even by Aerdy standards,
with labyrinthine walls which divide it internally into Old City, Common City,
and the charmingly-named Barbarian Quarter. [Ivid – 96]
Old City is where Rel Astra's "old blood" is
found. [Ivid – 96]
[Rel Astra] is well-protected. The Iron Nation knights
are 100 in number, heavy infantrymen, and there are garrisons of other standing
troops in and around the city numbering nearly 2,200. [Ivid – 97]
Rel Astra trades with virtually anyone. It has a fleet
of six coasters and two heavy cogs for protection [.] [Ivid – 97]
Medegia was not so “free” as Rel Astra to do as it wished.
It was tied to Rauxes, however tenuously. Perhaps because it too had little
choice but to be. Rel Astra was a more prominent port; its armed forces were
stronger; and it had the benefit of the Grandwood and Lone Heath protecting its
flanks.
For many years, Medegia existed in a perilous
semi-independent manner, with the censor being the chief cleric to the
overking. It later established firmer independence from Rauxes while still
paying tribute to the imperial capital. [Ivid – 104]
556 CY
Its semi-independence and perceived autonomy would be
short lived, however.
In the mid-sixth century, Ivid V ascended the
Malachite Throne. […] Ivid V was a weak military strategist, but his diplomatic
skills were considerable, and undoubtedly he had fiendish aid in drawing both
the North and South Provinces and Medegia back under his influence and control.
[FtAA – 5]
One by one, the
palatine states were brought back into the fold.
The Great Kingdom saw a brief, violent resurgence
during the reign of Ivid V, who assumed the Malachite Throne in 556. [LGG –
24]
557 CY
But Rel Astra would continue to resist Ivid’s pull.
REL ASTRA (City of)
Rel Astra, City of: Drax, A 6/MU 9 [WoGG – 17]
His Most Lordly Nobility, the Constable Mayor of Rel
Astra (Assassin/Magic-user, 6th/[.]9th level)
Capital: Rel Astra (pop. 58, 700)
Population; 90,000+
Demi-humans: Very few
Humanoids: Some
[Folio – 14]
Rel Astra is currently ruled by Lord (actually Prince)
Drax of House Garasteth, who has held sway over the city since 557 CY. [LGG
– 92]
 |
| Lord Drax |
By most accounts, he lives up to his reputation, as he
can be harsh but also practical, intelligent, and controlled. [LGG – 92]
Drax is, if anything, practical. From the first, he
realised that Ivid was already becoming a problem, and that he could not resist
the Malachite Throne alone for long.
[The Great Kingdom’s] current monarch, lvid V of the
royal house of Naelax, is reported to be quite mad, but crafty and deviously
capable nonetheless. His writ extends to the Royal Demesne surrounding the
capital, the Grandwood, and further only by threat and persuasion of the Peers
whose fiefs comprise the balance of the realm. [Folio – 10]
Thus, Drax sent emissaries to quietly feel out potential
allies in what would surely become a threat to all the palatinates continued
wellbeing.
[Rel Astra] desperately seek close ties with Medegia
and the Sea Barons to balance the weight of the Overking’s kinsmen in North and
South Province. [Folio – 14]
The four [Sea] barons are virtually independent today,
but still swear fealty to the Overking and serve loyally if not with great
enthusiasm. Their squadrons protect the coasts from Bellport to Pontylver,
driving off the northern barbarian seawolves, protecting the coastal sealanes,
and fight with the ships of the Duxchan Lord whether piratical or otherwise.
[Folio – 15]
None chose to actively defy the Malachite Throne. So Drax
to measures to protect his city and its demesnes. He made deals. He made pacts.
He kept secrets.
In any case, the lord of Rel Astra at the same time
desires to check the growth of the Censor's lands and holdings, and secret
plots with the freefolk of Grandwood Forest and the Herzog of the South
Province are rumored. [Folio – 14]
Drax had reason to worry. And to prepare.
Recently the Rel Astrans have employed mixed human and
orcish scouting bands as light troops in the Grandwood and similar groups on
the Lone Heath. [Folio – 14]
The Grandwood has been a haven, historically, for
renegades both good and bad. While Medegia claimed the forest south of the
Mikar, the remainder was the overking's fief. [Ivid – 108]
 |
| Humanoid Troops |
Nonhuman troops were sent in against the clever
rebels, to little effect. [LGG – 141]
[T]he overking used orc troops to raid the Grandwood,
and because of their familiarity with it, many deserting orc troops filtered
back into the forest. [Ivid – 108]
Occasionally Censorial troops will push into the
heartland, but they return fewer in number than they started out, often never
seeing the enemy who harried their march. […] A tale relates that the freefolk
of the Grandwood once led divergent parties of intruders into battle with each
other, so that the Overking' s men-at-arms slew and were slain by troops of his
liegemen of Rel Astra and Medegia. [Folio – 22]
[The overking’s use of orcs] angered the Censor, and
his troops are reported to have orders to cut down all humans and humanoids on
sight, regardless of whose colors they wear. This certainly aids the dissident
folk of Grandwood. [Folio – 22]
GRANDWOOD FOREST
Population: 25,000
Demi-humans: Sylvan Elves (7,000), some others
Humanoids: Some
It is fortunate for the people and elves of Grandwood
Forest that a more able ruler does not sit upon the Malachite Throne. Likewise,
it is indeed to their good fortune that the Holy Censor of the See of Medegia
covets that portion of these woodlands which lies south of the Mikar, while the
nobles of Rel Astra strive to thwart him and yet remain uncommitted to actual
warfare. [Folio – 22]
Historically, Medegia and men from Rel Astra have laid
formal claim to this forest, but their opposition to each other prevented
either from mounting a concerted assault on the great swathes of land covered
by the Grandwood. [FtAA – 53]
c. 570 CY
Were that the
newly anointed Holy Censor Spidasa had been as wise. But why should he have
been? Decade after decade, the cult of Hextor grew in power and prominence, until
no faith was as widespread. His was the official, sanctified faith of the
realm, and few were as blessed as he in their rise to power. He was well
positioned to the Censorship: family, position, wealth, power, influence. He
had it all. His anointing seemed a foregone conclusion. And it was.
He used that
power well to Hextor’s delight, curtailing worship of all sects other than his
own. Except for Zilchus,’ whose influence was still far too considerable to
confront. For now.
[A]fter the Turmoil between Crowns, priests of
Heironeous have become few and far between. Most emigrated westward, others
found themselves marginalized to fringe areas, often dependent on the support
of a minor local ruler—perhaps for personal or historical reasons. The
marginalization of this priesthood was a catalyst in accelerating Aerdy's drift
to evil. [Ivid – 20]
Worship of Pholtus was next to topple.
[T]ensions grew and after the denunciation of Ivid V
by the patriarch of Pholtus in Rauxes, Ivid ordered a purge of Pholtus's
priesthood. Most local rulers went along with this for the simple reason that
this allowed them to seize church lands and property and enrich themselves.
[Ivid – 20]
Lesser gods were
far more easily marginalized. Stern Alia was no different, even as her
followers sought solace in their faith. Surely Alia would protect them if they remained faithful to the One
True Way. They were wrong.
Hextor reserves a particular animosity for Alia – an
[Oeridian] aspect of Allitur, a Flan deity – whose cult was active in the See
of Medegia before being destroyed by internal dissent and the clergy of the
Champion of Evil. [Bastion of Faith – 87]
 |
| MYRRHA |
The Temple of the Correct and Unalterable Way grew in
followers and prestige, and as time passed, Myrrha noticed that her peers and
superiors were becoming increasingly arrogant and arbitrary. Their
pronouncements came to be regarded as law, and they began to see themselves as
the ultimate arbiters of justice. Myrrha saw that they were falling into the
heresy of believing that law is concentrated in the individual and not the
community. Investigating, she discovered a well-kept secret: many members of the
ecclesiarchy were no longer able to cast high-level spells, thus proving their
estrangement from their deity! At last, Myrrha attempted to speak out against
the heterodox clergy and reveal their fall from divine grace. but the forces of
the ecclesiarchs prevented her from doing so, and she was fortunate to escape
the city with her life.
Now she serves Stern Alia alone, until she can locate
other faithful disciples or somehow find the money to finance a parish of her
own. A landless barbarian is now her only companion, on exile from his own
people too, and a kindred, if misguided soul. [C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan – 28]
The Heironeons departed, Pholtans banished, and the sect
of Alia all but destroyed, Hextor must have been pleased.
572 CY
One would expect
the high seas to be calm by comparison, but they were not, and never had been.
Piracy reigned supreme on the south seas, and the merchant fleets of the Great
Kingdom were as easy prey as any. Until Ivid sought to end the Duxchaners’
reign of terror.
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]
Battle of
Medegia
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. However, this led to 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. [LGG
– 71]
Was the Medegian
fleet present? Was there a Medegian fleet? There must be, even if only to
protect its ports, however ineffectual. So, did Medegia partake in the Battle
of Medegia? Perhaps it did, but perhaps only in so far as to safeguard its
ports….
Perhaps Hextor
was not as pleased as he might have been….
Medegia was a
member state of the Great Kingdom, after all. A “good” and “lawful” and “loyal”
member of the Celestial family.
576 CY
 |
| Ivid V |
Great Kingdom – OS [WoGA – 14]
Great Kingdom (Kingdom of Aerdy): ?, C 7/MU 12
[WoGG – 17]
[The Overking was of course Ivid V {LGG – 24}]
His Celestial Transcendency, the Overking of Aerdy;
Grand Prince of the North; Archduke of Ahlissa, Idee, and Sunndi; Suzerain of
Medegia; Commander of the Bone March; Lord of the Sea Barons; Protector of
Almor and Onnwal; Hetman of all the Aerdi; etc. (Cleric/Magic-user, 7th/12th
level)
Capital: Rauxes (pop. 41,000 +)
Population: 5,000,000 (includes N. and S. Province and
Medegia)
Demi-humans: Some (scattered on fringes of kingdom)
Humanoids: Some (mixture)
Resources: foodstuffs, cloth, copper, silver, gold,
gems (IV)
[Folio – 10]
MEDEGIA, SEE OF
 |
| Holy Censor Spidasa |
Medegia, See of: Spidasa, C 15 [WoGG – 17]
His Equitable Nemesis, the Holy Censor of Medegia
(Cleric, 15th level)
Capital: [Mentrey; the WORLD
OF GREYHAWK™ Gazetteer erroneously labels Rel Astra, a semi-independent city,
as the capital) [Dragon #63 –
16]
Population: 200,000 [250,000 WoGA – 28]
Demi-humans: Sylvan Elves (see GRANDWOOD FOREST)
Humanoids: Some
Resources: foodstuffs, cloth
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. The Holy Censor still remains one
of the chief advisors of the Overking, however, and he reigns oppressively over
peasant masses with full approval from Rauxes. The clerics and nobles of the
See have grown exceedingly rich, and their mercenary forces harry the Olvenfolk
in the Grandwood and loot across the Flanmi in the Glorioles and Hestmark
Highlands where the Censor has extended his holdings to these very foothills,
contesting with dwarves and gnomes without quarter. [Folio – 12]
One would think that Medegia was well situated, what with
the sea to the south and east, and it being bounded to the west by fast flowing
rivers and rugged highlands.
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]
Flanmi River: The greatest water in
eastern Flanaess, its basin drains nearly all of the Great Kingdom, and most of
the river and its tributaries are navigable by ship all the way to Rauxes, and
by barge beyond. [WoGA – 54]
Mikar River: A tributary of the Flanmi
which rises in the Lone Heath and flows through Grandwood Forest. [WoGA –
54]
HESTMARK HIGHLANDS
The Hestmark Highlands run northwards up the coastline
of South Province from the town of Dullstrand to the mouth of the Aanmi,
branching northwestwards into the Glorioles. These hills have always been a
rallying point for disaffected humans, as their remote location and rugged
character have enabled their demi-human inhabitants to remain free of the rule
of the Overking or his minions. [Folio – 22]
Medegians, troops from the Herzog of South Province,
and imperial soldiery alike probe these hills all too often. Its inhabitants,
doughty in the beginning, have become battle-hardened veterans because of these
continual skirmishes and raids, and with the men and elves of Sunndi are
beginning to conduct their own forays into the lowlands beyond the Hestmarks in
reprisal. [Folio – 22]
But wherever Medegia
might look, it was surrounded by fickle friends and fast enemies. Some coveted
its demesne; others have been betrayed by the See too often over the past
decades for Medegia to ever hope to call upon them if ever it were in need.
South
Province
At the present time the holding extends only to the
fief of Ahlissa and the central lands always retained by the Herzog, the
territory around Hexpools and the Thelly River (and portions of this are even
claimed by the Censor of Medegia who seeks to take advantage of the Herzog' s
disgrace). [Folio – 16]
Thelly River: A tributary of the Flanmi
navigable to the town of Nulbish. [Folio – 28]
The Thelly is
often thick with traffic passing up and down the broad waterway from the
seaport of Potylver to the southeast. [Return to the Tomb of Horrors – 7]
Sunndi
It is threatened continually, however, from the north
by the Herzog's legions, from the east by the forces of the Holy Censor of
Medegia, and by the Sea Barons along its coasts. [LGG – 16]
Duxchan Isles
It is known that Rel Astra has had many dealings with
the Great Kingdom and its new Constable, the Lord of Mentrey, Spidasa. To have
this information concerning Rel Astra makes the plot thicker than the Duxchans
would like. A naval and land expedition will possibly be launched later next
year, with the express purpose of putting down the raids along the Aerdi Sea
and in Spindrift Sound. Until then, political pressure and threats are expected
to keep buzzing between Sulward and Rel Astra. The Duxchans are demanding
recompense, while Rel Astra turns a deaf ear to concentrate on its commitment
to the See of Medegia. [Dragon #65 – 11]
577 to 578 CY
Not even the
Malachite Throne could be called an ally.
During the period of CY 577 to 578, the machinations
of the See of Medegia seemed aimed at sapping the strength of the Malachite
Throne as much as they chivvied the Great Kingdom’s enemies south and east.
[Dragon #63 – 15]
Medegia ought to
have been concerned, because, if even the tallest of tales were to be believed,
hard times were coming and the people of Medegia would not going to fare well
when they did.
A certain merchant of Medegia who, having been blown
off course for many days while sailing in his schooner, was washed ashore with
his most able bodyguard, on land which they claimed later to be Lendore Island.
[…] After having been washed ashore, they were immediately beset upon by a band
of kobolds. […] [A] man appeared in a cloud of greenish smoke. His presence had
an adverse affect upon the kobolds, and they dispersed. This man wasted no time
in telling the travelers that he was an extension of the wizard Lendore, and
that it was he who had drawn the merchants’ ship to the island. […]
The wizard then recounted a tale from ancient times
which said that this city would be the last refuge of the inhabitants of this
chain of islands once the calamity struck. The aspect of Lendore pointed out
that this calamity was near, and was coming in the form of an invasion of these
islands by the Lordship of the Isles and their allies, certain merchant clans
from Medegia. Both, he said, hoped to exploit the Spindrifts for outward bases
and possible wealth that was rumored to exist here. […]
The two storytellers were then magically transported
across the Aerdi back to Medegia via Sulward. With them went a message to the
Duxchans and the See of Medegia, Spidasa, as well as to the Sea Barons and the
free city of Rel Astra, who all have strong interests in the Spindrifts.
The message states that if any attempt is made to
invade the islands, there would occur a most dreadful power struggle. Those
“forces” involved would not be limited to the defense of the Spindrifts alone,
and, as it was intimated, many of the attackers’ homelands would come under a
tremendous assault for this breaching of territory and honor.
When the two “messengers” returned to Pontylver they
were detained by Spidasa’s guards and questioned thoroughly. [Dragon #65 –
12]
577 CY
Without an ally
to speak of, Spidasa began to rethink his stratagem, heretofore.
After pursuing his own aims for most of 577, the Holy
Censor decided obedience to the Malachite Throne would be a better course to
follow. Severe losses in manpower due to the successes of his enemies, coupled
with threats of a punitive invasion by the Overking’s forces, brought about
this change of attitude. [Dragon
#63 – 16]
Oh, what a
tangled web he was weaving….
578 CY
Spidensa [sic], His Equitable Nemesis of Medegia, is
now heavily into the councils of Ivid. Past transgressions evidently forgiven,
the arch-cleric has been named Imperial Constable, with instructions to gather
an army and send it deep into the heart of Sunndi. [Dragon #63 – 16]
If the Censor of Medegia would choose this time to
invade [Sunndi] through the Hestmarks, the County would be hard pressed indeed
to defend itself. [Dragon #57 –
16]
Was this
Spidasa’s best course of action? Perhaps it was. He had thus far spurned Drax’s
subtle hints of mutual benefit. So, what choice did he have? For all its
wealth, Medegia’s forces had not seen appreciable action in quite some time.
One wonders what Hextor though about that.
Speculation has it that the Overking does not believe
this army will actually be able to accomplish the penetration of Sunndi. But
the mere attempt, however costly to the Holy Censor, will serve to bleed Sunndi
and her allies as well. The threat will also occupy troops that could otherwise
be used to confront Herzog Chelor’s array led by General Reynard. […]
Spidensa is a willing tool, for he apparently can’t
lose either way. If the war goes in favor of the Great Kingdom, Medegia will
have contributed substantially to the victory. If it fails, the Holy Censor
can’t be blamed, as he will (ostensibly) have committed his every available
unit to the plan.
In actuality, it is believed that the cream of
Medegia’s troops are remaining with the Holy Censor. [...] These troops can follow up a victorious foray into Sunndi,
cover a retreat, or see to the arch-cleric’s personal safety.
The Holy Censor would likely have given the Overking
more wholehearted cooperation, had lvid allowed his new Imperial Constable to
conscript troops from Rel Astra, command a contingent of the Overking’s own
soldiers, and assault Sunndi without interference from Herzog Chelor’s forces.
The Holy Censor disdains the Herzogal troops and wishes to conquer the south
himself, to bring that area the “light” of his rule.
Chelor is reportedly not unaware of this
double-dealing. He has, it is said, asked lvid to send a Marshal (one of the
strongest of the Demonic Knights of Doom) to inspect the See and report on its
readiness to furnish more troops for the campaign, should the effort be
protracted. Discovery in this manner would, of course, humiliate and possibly
disgrace the Holy Censor. Already some of his eastern nobles have deserted,
abandoning the arch-cleric for service with Reynard. Such an inspection would
force Spidensa to yield up his reserves, and in all likelihood they would fall
to the command of Herzog Chelor. Therefore, the Holy Censor is using all of his
influence and wiles to avoid the Herzog’s attempts to maneuver him into this
highly vulnerable position.
 |
| Wholehearted Cooperation... |
Ivid, also reputedly aware of less than full
cooperation on the Censor’s part, does not wish a rebellious servant in yet
another quarter, being pressed from three sides already. Therefore, it is most
likely that the Holy Censor will be kept in line by the continued threat of an
inspection and allowed to proceed in his own fashion, since the force he has
volunteered is probably sufficient to meet the desired goals of the Overking.
The Holy Censor is himself troubled by news that the
dwarves, gnomes, and hillmen of the Glorioles and Hestmarks are responding to
his invasion in a most warlike manner and massing to smash any attempted
movement through their territory.
And worse still is the news from the north. In
Grandwood Forest, a raid by wood elves and foresters has dealt a severe blow to
Medegian troops holding the west bank of the Mikar River. […] Captain General
Gahru, commander of the Censorial army, blundered into a carefully hidden trap
laid about 4 leagues west of his camp. Thinking that he was pursuing marauding
raiders who had come upon him unawares, the Captain General pushed ahead, engaging
in light skirmishing against an enemy who was always just out of reach… until
the trap was sprung. […]
No humanoid prisoners were taken. Captain General
Gahru is missing and presumed slain. Early reports said that less than 20% of
the army survived, but later that month (Wealsun 578) stragglers brought the
total of survivors to slightly over 30%. Most casualties were humanoid, since
these troops were most ardent in pursuit of the “fleeing” wood elves.
With the continued hostile activity in the Grandwood
as a menace to the Censor’s southern campaign plans, he has had to strike a
pact with a fellow Constable, Drax, the Mayor of Rel Astra. In return for sworn
support for Rel Astra’s continued independence of direct control by the
Malachite Throne, Drax has agreed to furnish support for the Censor’s tattered
forces guarding the forest’s borders. […]
Overking lvid is also reacting to the Captain
General’s defeat. Because the inhabitants of the forest have always hated the
Malachite Throne and supported the Iron League, lvid has decided to intrude
upon the nest of rebels with an Imperial force led by General Banwald. [Dragon #63 – 16,17]
It took 10 years
for Medegia to come around to his way of thinking, but Drax was a patient man.
He played a very long game.
Was Spidasa wise
to treat with Drax? He was already playing Ivid off against Chelor. If he was
not careful, he would be caught in his own web!
579 to 580 CY
Did Ivid notice
Spidasa’s sudden disloyalty in dealing with the seditious Drax? One wonders.
Ivid had a lot on his plate, of late.
Despite creeping insanity, he ably defended his realm
from the combined forces of the Golden League (579-580) and civil unrest during
the Red Death plague of 581. [LGG – 24]
580 CY
Perhaps Ivid
did. Perhaps Ivid was playing a very long game, too, weaving webs of his own.
In 580 CY
[an] ambitious and cunning Captain Charles III led a force of 400 men to
overthrow the ruler of Rel Astra in hopes that Hextor would make him a general
in the new government.
[Dungeon #41 – 50]
Originally
from the […] See of Medegia. [the] Swordstorm’s warriors were members of the
army before they were sentenced to death for conspiring to overthrow Spidasa,
the Holy Censor – a charge that was not unfounded. […]
They believed
that Hextor had visited them in a vision to overthrow the Hoy Seer. Hextor
actually did send those visions; as the god of discord he was annoyed by the
order within the realm.
[Dungeon #41 – 50]
So was Hextor, too,
it would seem.
581 CY
One wonders how
successful Ivid was in his very long game.
War has been
a steady diet of the Overking’s realm for several years. Allies are few, but
include the Herzog of South Province, the See of Medegia, certain tribes of
humanoids to the north […], and certain factions of the Sea Barons, though the
latter – as a whole – are quite untrustworthy. [WG8 Fate of Istus – 69]
Hextor, on the
other hand, had been extremely successful sowing mayhem throughout Old Aerdy.
He was about to succeed on a grand scale, even if he could hardly claim credit
for what was to come.
582 CY
 |
| War, Glorious War! |
[T]he conflict that was to become the great Greyhawk
War was viewed by most nations as just another regional dispute – albeit a
particularly volatile one – between a few northern nations. […] Whether due to
madness-as some have suggested-or political ambition, the Overking of the Great
Kingdom chose that moment to enter the arena of war. […] [Wars – 11]
Spidasa surmised
that Ivid’s intent in joining the fray that was spilling out across the north
was to attack Nyrond while its troops were facing off against some unhinged
madman named Iuz. What foolishness! For what gain? None, likely! Undertaking so
would only weaken the realm’s forces.
The South Province dithered, fearing retribution for
its past failures against Onnwal. The See of Medegia remained defiant, the Holy
Censor confident in his power to keep the mad Ivid in check. Though the
Overking was displeased by this refusal, he took no action against his chief
prelate. [Wars – 11]
Spidasa would have none of it. Why should he participate
in an action that would have little to no gain for the See?
His decision would have consequences.
Tales say that, livid at his impotence to force the
Holy Censor of Medegia into alliance, the mad Overking ordered the
assassination of 100 of the Holy Censor’s concubines to soothe his anger.
[Wars – 28]
583 CY
Ivid stuck out
against more than just Nyrond and concubines. He ordered Herzog Chelor of South
Province to attack recalcitrant Almor and Sunndi. Madness, thought Spidasa. A
war on three fronts! Ivid was stretched too thin! What was Ivid’s intent, to
rend the entirety of the Great Kingdom?
With sizeable but unreliable armies, the Overking
struck in several directions at once. His Glorioles Army crossed the Thelly
River and entered the Glorioles. After hacking through stiff resistance there,
the army broke south into the County of Sunndi. Ivid’s Aerdi Army marched
slowly toward Chathold in Almor. [Wars – 13]
One wonders what the See’s patron deity, Hextor, thought
about Spidasa sitting out such prime possibility for mayhem? Perhaps that is
why mayhem finally came to Medegia?
Osson’s Raid
Autumn
Osson claimed Pitchfield in the autumn of that year.
As light snows blanketed much of Ahlissa, Osson and his men took a month to
recuperate in the relative warmth of the Pawluck Valley. A failed attempt at
taking Nulbish eroded at his army's already fragile morale, and word that the
Aerdi Army had cut off any hope of return to Almor painted a landscape of
desperation. Finally, the Almorian army surged north to the See of Medegia,
which fell quickly without support from Rauxes. [LGG – 111]
 |
| Osson's Raid |
Though the attack into Medegia surprised the Overking,
his reaction was equally surprising. As soon as Osson’s intentions were clear,
Ivid ordered his armies to stop their pursuit. Rebellious Medegia would receive
no aid from the Great Kingdom. [Wars
– 14]
In a series of stunning field battles, Osson’s army
crushed the forces of the Holy Censor and seized the land from Pontylver to
Lone Heath. [Wars – 14]
Osson of Chathold conquered most of Medegia during his
extraordinary run-around of southern Aerdy, with Ivid's armies deliberately not
coming to the aid of the rebellious Medegia. [Ivid – 104]
Spidasa could not believe what was happening. Indeed,
what was happening? Why, he wondered, had Hextor forsaken him? And the seat of
his See?
Incredibly, Censor Spidasa fled to Rauxes from Osson's
victorious armies […]. [Ivid – 104]
Spidasa, the Holy Censor, fled to Rauxes to beg his
imperial majesty’s forgiveness. Compassion failing him, Ivid V arrested the
chief cleric and sentenced him to the Endless Death. [Wars – 14]
Victims of the Endless Death are forced to wear a ring
of regeneration while torturers endlessly perform their arts on them. These
torturers, trained from youth to perfectly gauge the intensity and extensity of
pain, always stop one step short of inflicting death. Rumors tell that victims
of this punishment have been tortured by grandfathers, fathers, and sons of the
same executioner families. [Wars – 28]
With the arrest and “living execution” of Holy Censor
Spidasa, the cult of Hextor suffered a grievous loss of prestige and power in
the Overking’s court. Logically, the surviving members of the cult sought to
curry Ivid’s favor by assisting the Overlord in “restructuring” his army. [Wars
– 29]
Did Spidasa deserve his fate? I expect he did. He spun a
web of deceit for so very long that it was only a matter of time before he too
was trapped in it.
Late
[I]n late 583 of Almor's Commandant Osson […] met the
Glorioles army at the Battle of Rieuwood. Aided by native sylvan elves,
Chelor's army was decimated and shamed. [LGG – 111]
Although he
made no great inroads into the lands of the Iron League, Chelor’s initiatives
were not complete failures. He managed to deal several setbacks to the
demihumans of Sunndi and to frustrate the schemes of the Holy Censor of Medegia
who was attempting to woo many of his nobles away from him. [LOG – 12]
The elves of the Spindrifts took note of all that mayhem
and decided that they wanted none of it.
In 583 CY, the elves moved swiftly to subjugate
Lendore Isle, offering the humans safe passage to the Sea Barons, the Lordship
of the Isles, Medegia, or elsewhere along the east coast of Aerdy as it then
was. [FtAA – 30]
I expect few would have chosen Medegia if they knew what
was to become of it.
584 CY
As the clouds of spring cleared in the east,
Commandant Osson, still encamped in Medegia, could little deny the fate dealt
him and his men. The hope he had posted on the Lordship of the Isles proved
misplaced. [Wars – 19]
Prince Frolmar Ingerskatti [, t]he new ruler [of the
Lordship of the Isles] surprisingly proclaimed his support of the Great and
Hidden Empire of the Scarlet Brotherhood. This proclamation not only pulled the
Lordship from the alliance, but effectively trapped Commandant Osson of Almor
in Medegia. [Wars – 15]
 |
| General Kalreth |
Kalreth’s character
has been changed irrevocably by his ownership of the [S]pear of [S]orrow. The special purpose of the spear,
which may lie dormant for many years, is to locate and revivify temples and
sleeping guardians devoted to the god Tharizdun. [Dragon #206 – 44]
Osson's armies never returned home, and when they left
Medegia Ivid sent in his armies to loot, pillage, and murder in an act of
senseless destruction. Ivid saw this as revenge for the lack of support from
the small nation, and his men carried out their work thoroughly and with a grim
pleasure. The very dregs of armies were employed: the remnants of the Glorioles
Army, orcish forces, and even penal legions of convict and slave militias and
levies.
Added to this, the rag-tag, brutal army faced little
active resistance in Medegia, since so many of the censor's forces had already
been overwhelmed by Osson. [Ivid – 104]
Ultimately, Osson's army was put to the sword, its few
survivors returning to the villages of Sunndi that supported them. Some say
that Osson himself lives on here, though this has never been confirmed.
[LGG – 111]
Doom, it would
seem, had come to Medegia.
Ivid ordered the land – protected from looting during
Osson’s brief tenure – raped and looted. Unsatisfied by the eternal punishment
meted out to his Holy Censor, Ivid wanted every man, woman, and child of the
upstart province to suffer. The Overking authorized plundering and spoils for
every soldier, and commanders even fought minor battles over the right to sack
each town. Ivid’s commitment to despoiling Medegia thus removed his mightiest
army from combat for some time. [Wars – 19]
Pontylver
Pontylver was the first Medegian city to fall to the
imperial troops when the soldiers came to raze Medegia. This was for three
reasons. First, Ivid's armies were at the start of their Medegian campaign, and
they still had enough discipline and strength to assault the city. Second, from
Spidasa Ivid had learned almost everything about Pontylver's defenses and
defenders. Finally, this is the city where Naelax military leaders used fiends
to greatest effect. […]
[W]hile imperial casualties were not light, the city
fell in the early summer of 584 CY. [Ivid – 104]
Mentrey
Mentrey was the next city of Medegia to be crushed by
soldiers. Only a fifth of its original 16,000 people are left alive. The
soldiers who sacked this city were predominantly orcish, and the cruelty with
which they put commonfolk to the sword appalled even their evil human leaders.
[Ivid – 105]
Mentrey had some warning of its fate after the fall of
Pontylver, so many escaped in time. Learned men, of whom the city held many,
were able to depart with many of their most treasured tomes and works. However,
because of unusually high rainfall which made carts and wagons unable to travel
the muddied roads heading northwest, much had to be left behind. There is many
a private library, collection of art pieces, or even some magical items stashed
away in some sealed-off cellar or basement which the raiders have not yet
found. [Ivid – 105]
 |
| Medegia Ablaze |
In the chaos, Medegia was despoiled and Rel Astra
attacked by the Great Kingdom's own military. Ivid attempted to ensure loyalty
by having his generals and nobles assassinated and reanimated as intelligent
undead (animuses), with all the abilities they possessed in life. He in turn
was also assassinated, though the church of Hextor restored him to undead
"life," after which he became a true monster known as Ivid the
Undying. [LGG – 15]
Did Death, War,
and Discord reign now in the realm? It
did.
Hextor would
have been very pleased. The Great Kingdom had truly been remade in his own
image.
“Now, I am become Death, the
destroyer of worlds.”
―
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:
Et tu, Brute?, by William Holmes Sullivan, 1888
Hextor Symbol, from Deities and Demigods 3e, 2002
Map details, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Myrrha detail, by Erol Otus, from C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, 1980
Orc Battle, by Ken Frank, from Greyhawk Wars boxed set, 1994
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed
Set, 1983
1068 Greyhawk Wars Boxed
Set, 1991
1064 From the Ashes Boxed
Set, 1992
1162 Return to the Tomb of
Horrors, 1998
2123 Book of Artifacts, 1993
9025 World of Greyhawk
Folio, 1980
9032 C1 The Hidden Shrine of
Tamoachan, 1980,1981
9253 WG8 Fate of Istus, 1989
9398 WGR4 The Marklands,
1993
9577 The Adventure Begins,
1998
9578 Player’s Guide to
Greyhawk, 1998
11412 Bastion of Faith, 1999
11743 Living Greyhawk
Gazetteer, 2000
WGR7 Ivid the Undying, 1995
Dragon Magazine #63,65,206
Living Onnwal Gazetteer
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
The map of Anna B. Meyer
Interesting to see the difference in Lore between Bastion of Faith and Chainmail, with one making Stern Alia an Avatar of Allitur with the other making her Hextor, Heironeous, and Stratis' mother (I prefer the latter - it has better drama). We could just agree that Hextor has "mommy issues".
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