“The list could surely go on, and there is nothing
more wonderful than a list, instrument of wondrous hypotyposis.”
―
The Name of the RoseEclavdra |
Did I watch it? I did. Have you? Should you? Sure, why
not. It’s entertaining. And it delivers what the title promises. Were there any
surprises in Joe Bloch’s list? No. It’s a good list, though; it highlights those
villains that instantly come to mind when thinking about Greyhawk.
His list is as follows:
- Vecna
- The Scarlet Brotherhood
- Obmi
- Iuz
- Eclavdra
- Honourable mention: Wastri
I list them in the order he details them, 5th to 1st.
To discover his reasons why he chose those he did, I invite you to watch his
video, if you haven't already.
What did I think about his list? I believe lists speak
more about the creator than the subject. His list is not mine. More on that
later.
Iuz the Evil |
I thought to query a sample of Greyhawk fans on Discord,
to get their collective opinion on the subject, wondering if their combined
lists would equal Joe’s once sifted and tallied. I thought their combined expertise
and wisdom might shed light on whether Joe’s list was indeed indicative.
The answer was surprising.
Perhaps I asked the wrong question. The one asked was:
Who are your Top 5 Villains in Greyhawk? I thought it best to keep the
query the same as the title of Joe’s vlog post, verbatim. I did not ask, who
are the best-known villains? Nor ask, which villains automatically come to mind
when one thought about the Greyhawk setting? If I had, I might have received different
responses – then again, I might have received identical ones, regardless what
question I asked. C’est la vie.
I was pleasantly surprised by what they responded with. And by
how varied individual answers were. And how creative!
A great many of the famous villains that originated in
Greyhawk but have since been exported to the greater multiverse did not even make
the cut. Not even close. I speak of Vecna, Acererak, Tharizdun, and Lolth! Each
received only one or two votes – granted, it was a limited, and decidedly
erudite, sample taken, but it would not be hemmed in by the mere multiverse, or
by the hoy palloi, it would seem; but one would have expected more than one or
two, wouldn’t one? – hardly what I would have expected.
Wastri |
Others I thought would do better, but didn’t, were Rary,
Grenell, and Keraptis! And Lareth the Beautiful! Only one vote apiece!
The most surprising mentions were that of Yolande (Queen
of Celene), Lashton (Royal Archmage of Keoland), and Mordenkainen (our
benevolent benefactor of Balance). Were those additions tongue in cheek or
deadly serious, I wonder. If so, the discussions about how those setting
luminaries became villains in their respective campaigns would be interesting
conversations, indeed.
Rose Estes and the adventure module WG7 Castle
Greyhawk were cited as well. One wonders why no one fingered Lorraine
Williams.
Note that this was not a blind survey, so anyone who
participated could see prior answers, and that may have swayed latter lists.
Drum roll, please.
5. A 2-way tie between Ivid V / Kermin Mindbender4. A 3-way tie between Iuz / Markessa / Obmi3. Eli Tomorast2. Eclavdra1. Iggwilv
Honourable mention: The Scarlet Brotherhood
The hive mind is not so dissimilar, then. Iuz, Obmi,
Eclavdra, and The Scarlet Brotherhood made both lists. So, I guess Joe Bloch
had his thumb on the pulse of fandom, after all, for the most part.
Heartfelt thanks to all who participated.
Does my list match theirs, or Joe’s?
It does not.
5. Evard the Black, of Bissel;4. Markessa, the magnificent Mengela of the Slave Lords series;3. Folmar Ingerskatti, the puppet prince of the Lordship of the Isles;2. Seuvord Redbeard, the butcher of Tenh, lord of The Hold of Stonefist; and1. His Grace Grenell, Herzog of North Province / Overking of the Great Kingdom of Northern AerdyHonourable mention: Keraptis
You can check Joe’s vlog post to see if I’ve changed my
mind since I commented on his list. I have not, but I have ordered them here. I
chose no demigods, no extraplanar beings, no demons or devils, and no mad
emperors (we can argue about Grenell later). I prefer a smaller scale, where
villains are not what they seem, believe themselves the heroes of their own
narrative, and, most importantly, can potentially be outmaneuvered,
out-schemed, and defeated. I prefer a lower-fantasy, highly political, gritty,
dirty campaign, where knights in shining armour are few and far between (and
potentially conflicted in their motives), where adventure and intrigue festers and thrives in the
shadows, somewhere out on the fringe of civilisation, perhaps on
the Borderlands. The “heroes” usually inhabited the same shadows as their foes,
and sought no fanfare for their victories, lest undesired attention befall them
for their efforts, a lesson I learned from sage Gary Gygax, himself.
If Lareth is slain, there will be inquiries in Hommlet
– cautious and discreet inquiries – but the servants of evil there will make
every attempt to find out what happened, and if any of the possessions of this
cleric turn up, the slayers will be known, and an assassin of 10th level […]
will come to the village within 3 weeks and proceed to attempt to eliminate the
offenders. [T1 The Village of Hommlet – 16]
So, yes, lists illuminate the man.
I can’t say that my list will not change. Yours is likely
fluid, too. But I do stand by mine.
His Grace, Grenell |
Markessa… well, we all know about Markessa. ‘Nuff said.
Folmar Ingerskatti is a puppet, a pawn. Or is he? Perhaps
he is himself manipulating his supposed masters. I wish to give him far more
cunning and credit than Greyhawk Wars, From the Ashes, and Living Greyhawk
Gazetteer do.
Seuvord Redbeard, that’s Sevvord to you, is the
quintessential strongman tyrant at the edge of the world. A sadistic despot. A
sociopathic mass murderer.
His Grace Grenell is the ultimate survivor. He is likely
also a devious assassin, as well (see both the gazetteer in the Gold box, and
Hextor cleric skills in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer). He has got himself in a
bit of a pickle, of late; but I have great confidence in his ability to have
his friends and allies and enemies at each others’ throats before too long.
Those are my reasons for my choices. I think they’re good
ones. And they line up well with my gritty ideal for campaign play.
I’m sure each of you have your own for yours.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
―
One must always
give credit where credit is due. This post 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.
And to Joe Bloch,
for inspiration for this post.
The Art:
Eclavdra, From Dungeon #200, Hall of the Fire Giant King, 2012
Cover art detail, by Jeff Easley, from Iuz the Evil, 1993
Cover art detail, by Doug Beekman, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
Obmi, from Dungeon #200, Hall of the Fire Giant King, 2012
Wastri, by Jeff Easley, from Dragon #71, 1983
Iggwilv, from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, 2020
Evard (?), from Dark Legacy of Evard, in Dungeon Magazine #219, 2013
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1043 The City of Greyhawk
Boxed Set, 1989
1064 Form the Ashes Boxed
Set, 1982
1068
Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9026
T1 The Village of Hommlet, 1979,1981
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Players Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
I enjoyed this poll and your analysis of the topic. Please come up with something in this vein again.
ReplyDeleteGrenell is putting your name on a list now too. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy inclusion of Lashton and Yolande were both tongue in cheek and deadly serious.
ReplyDeleteI did want a bit of absurdity in the villains, as well as a different point of view. (Thus WG 7.)
However, Lashton has a significant secret that makes him exceptionally dangerous if not overtly Evil, while Yolande bears responsibility for the Hateful Wars and thus Turrosh Mak. I would note, by EGG, Mordenkainen is responsible for the return of Iuz in his pursuit of "Balance", which is why he qualifies as a serious villain as well.
Mordy is the villain who thinks he's a hero. :D
ReplyDeleteHave you seen Lorraine Williams?
ReplyDelete