“I have great faith in fools - self-confidence my
friends will call it.”
― Marginalia
 |
| Riggby the Patriarch |
One wonders whether Mordenkainen would have lasted long
in his quest for Balance, were it not for a sword and shield (or two) betwixt
him and the hordes infesting Castle Greyhawk or El Raja Key; or a hastily
applied Healing spell from Riggby, from time to time.
What wizard could survive his early years without a
nearby cleric? (Me, actually; no one ever played a cleric in my group, all
those years ago when my first magic-user strapped his travelling spell book to
his back. But that’s neither here nor there, here.) Mordenkainen certainly
benefitted from a certain Serten nearby, and a certain Riggby the Patriarch.
C 7; AL N; S 12, I 13, W 17, D 15, Co 15, Ch 16 [COR1 – 00 The Citadel
PCs – 7]
C 9; AL N; S 12, I 13, W 16, D 15, Co 15,
Ch 16 [WG5 Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure – 32]
C 9, AL NG; S 14, I 11, W 17, D 16, Co 15, Ch 15 [Rogues Gallery 1e – 46]
His stats do
change from source to source, don’t they? Not much though (although this cleric
of the Uncaring does appear to care, according to the 1e Rogues Gallery): In
all, he his wise and charismatic, throughout his long history.
He appears a bit
of a my-way-or-the-highway, sort, however.
[Riggby] is strong-willed and accustomed to the
diplomacy and force required to hold a diverse band of followers in line. He is
a great believer in the conversion of the pagan, either by his religion or by
the sword.
Riggby is an adherent to the policy that spirituality
is best maintained through temporal power. To this end, he will try to oversee
the religious life of others through actions and not just words. [Rogues 1e – 46]
One might expect
that of a cleric of higher calling, one who wields the might of his deity in
His cause. But it also hints at a less than inspired imagination.
521 CY
Riggby is born.
[COR1 – 00 The Citadel PCs – 7 {calculated
from 551 – LGJ#0 – 4}]
[Riggby] was Furyondian-born. [WGR5 Iuz the
Evil – 5]
FURYONDY, KINGDOM OF
Furyondy, Kingdom of: Belvor IV, P 14 [WoGG – 17]
Alignments: LG*, NG, LN [LGG – 45]
Capital: Chendl (pop. 15,600)
Population: 350,000 +
Demi-humans: Some
Humanoids: Doubtful
Resources: foodstuffs, cloth, gold
Belvor IV is a most noble and just king, and his realm
is closely allied with that of Veluna, constantly warring upon the evil Horned
Society and luz, as well as lending contingents to expeditions mounted by the
Earl of the Shield Lands against the Bandit Kingdoms. [Folio – 10]
530s CY
Riggby hears the call of Boccob.
Boccob, unfortunately, is not revered all that much in
Furyondy.
Religions: Heironeous, Rao, St.
Cuthbert, Mayaheine, Zilchus, Trithereon, Fharlanghn, Beory [LGG – 45]
So Riggby travels across the seas to where Boccob has the
closest temple of great standing: Almor.
Religions: […] Boccob […] [Nyrond, closest fit –
75]
His Venerable Mercy, the Prelate of Almor (Cleric,
12th level)
Almor, Prelacy of: Kevont, C 12 [WoGG – 17]
Capital: Chathold (pop. 4, 789)
Population: 150,000+
Alignments: LG, LN*, NG, CG, N [Nyrond, closest
fit – 75]
Demi-humans: Few
Humanoids: Few
Resources: foodstuffs, cloth, copper
[Almor] is only loosely organized, but it has a strong
spirit of freedom and justice based upon religious precepts. The peoples are
mainly farmers and herdsmen and fisherfolk. In the far north there are some
foresters. [Folio – 8]
I expect Almor’s
strong spirit of freedom and justice made quite an impression of the young
initiate, although his predilection to diplomacy and conversion by the sword
was, without a doubt, impressed upon him at a young age by the martial soul of
Furyondy.
540 CY
Riggby is
ordained a cleric of Boccob at the age of 19 in Chathold, in Almor.
The mage’s first calling was to the clergy of the
Uncaring One, and it was as a Loremaster, in the vaunted temple of Boccob in
Chathold, that he spent most of his life prior to being drafted by
Mordenkainen. [LGJ#0 – 10]
Riggby’s calling
might also shed light on his character.
 |
BOCCOB, The Uncaring |
Deity: Boccob, God of Magic [COR1
– 00 – 7]
BOCCOB
(The Uncaring, Lord of All Magic, Archmage of the
Deities), N Greater God of Magic, Arcane Knowledge, Foresight, and Balance
Boccob […] is known throughout the Flanaess, oversees
the maintenance of magic's existence on Oerth, and is interested in the
creation of new magic items and spells (he is said to have a copy of every
magic item made by mortals). He sees that Oerth's magic is declining and will
eventually fade away; he combats this effect and suspects that Tharizdun is
responsible. He is distant from all other gods save his servant Zagyg. [LGG
– 167]
Clerics of Boccob create and study magic and divine
the future. They leave their churches to root out rumors of lost magic items or
spells, or to defend a magical place or item from destruction. Most clerics of
Boccob are neutral, as extremism in ethos is frowned upon; they must maintain
the balance between all alignments. [LGG – 168]
There’s that
word: Balance.
Seek balance above good, evil, law, or chaos. Fight to
push back the encroachment of good just as you would the oppression of evil.
Magic is the most important thing on Oerth, and it must be preserved so that
the balance can be preserved. [LGG – 167]
Riggby’s very faith all but doomed him to Mordenkainen’s
service.
540s CY
 |
| Mordenkainen |
In his adventurous youth, [Riggby] traveled throughout
the Flanaess and beyond and met Mordenkainen, Riggby, Merlynd (now the
quasi-deity Murlynd). Robilar, Bigby and other now famous personages. [Rot8 – 58]
One wonders how
different Riggby’s life might have been if he had ventured east into the Great
Kingdom, or into the wilds of the north. He did not, though; his first steps
were west towards the Selintan – and destiny, it would seem.
It was also
here, upon the Plains of Greyhawk, that Riggby encountered another adventurous
soul, Yrag Yragerne. Before too long, the two were chasing down brigands and bandits and
bringing them to justice, purging the Gnarly Forest of goblins and orcs and
ogres, and scouting deep into the Pomarj. They could not have been happier.
 |
| Yrag Yragerne |
Riggby [became Yrag’s] closest friend,
probably in all the world, [in] this forthright, overbearing priest. His
preoccupation with power in the church distresses you, but otherwise you could
not like anyone more. You are not sure why you like him so much, though.
Perhaps the attraction of opposites; he is not cautious, he overbears others,
he insists on his own way. He and Mordenkainen won’t get along, you think.
[COR1 – 00 – 11]
Late 540s CY
Riggby soon after becomes the cleric of a small chapel
[.] [Rogues 1e – 46]
Where is this chapel? One would assume somewhere within
the Plains of Greyhawk, near where he met Mordenkainen and Yrag. Perhaps those
plains were too settled, too civilised for one such as Riggby, driven as he was
to bring balance to the world and convert the pagan. In that vein, I would
suggest his small chapel might have been in the vicinity of Narwell, that den
of villainy at the crossroads of all of his and Yrag’s adventures then.
Narwell men in particular are often seen as thugs,
muggers, and enforcers. [TAB – 104]
Here, in the wilds, he could do the most good, he would believe.
He would bring peace, tranquility, and above all else, balance where there was
none before.
Riggby dresses in light brown robes, with armor
underneath. Your eyes are nut brown, your hair black, and your opinions are
short and to the point (“Convert, or else!”). You don’t waste words with
anyone. You are serving in a small church as the assistant high priest, and
hope soon to rise to high priest. You do not care what temple Boccob sends you
to, provided you are the leader of it. You believe that spirituality should be
maintained through temporal power, and you seek temporal power to enforce spirituality.
You are accustomed to the diplomacy and force required to hold diverse
interests together in one church, especially such diverse interests as follow
the god of magic. [COR1 – 00 – 7]
551 CY
Riggby was not
the only one desirous of bringing Balance to the world.
[N[early thirty years ago, Mordenkainen
debated with his young apprentice, Bigby, the merits of taking an active hand
in maintaining the celestial balance of power. Thereafter, the two struck upon
a plan to gather a group of like-minded individuals that would act to hinder
advances by those who would dominate the Flanaess. That their expected exploits
would impart upon the mages no small amount of lost magical lore only served to
hasten the alliance. [LGJ#0
– 4,5]
That group of like-minded individuals became
the Citadel of Eight. Riggby was ripe for such work, Mordenkainen believed. And
he was right.
 |
| Mordenkainen |
Within
months, Mordenkainen had brought the renowned warrior Robilar to his cause, as
well as the cleric Riggby, and his zealous assistant, Yrag. From the shores of
the Nyr Dyv, Mordenkainen recruited the righteous Tenser, who in turn
introduced the dim-witted though well-meaning Serten to the assembly. [T1-4
– 34]
They called
themselves the Citadel of Eight, taking the name from Mordenkainens renowned
Obsidian Citadel, in the Yatil Mountains. [LGJ#0 – 5]
Riggby owes his meteoric rise to his skill and his
acquaintance with several high level characters. [Rogues 1e – 46]
Riggby
Class: Cleric
Level: 7
Align: N
Height: 5 ft. 11 in. Weight: 175 lb Age: 30
S12, I13, W17, D15, Co15, Ch16
[COR1 – 00 – 7]
Riggby’s thoughts on the others in the group:
 |
| Robilar |
Mordenkainen (10th level human male wizard): The leader of the group, Mordenkainen has the same idea about how things should be that you do; one should impose one’s will on others when it is to their benefit. He is a powerful wizard by reputation, but there is something shifty about him that you don’t quite trust.
Robilar (8th level human male fighter):
Tough in a fight, Robilar is destined to be someone’s chief warrior rather than
the master. He has joined because he loves adventure, and that is fine. Too
many strong wills in the group would bode ill for continued success.
 |
| Bigby |
Yrag (8th level human male fighter): Yrag follows you
and does what you ask, and does not question your agenda. He is a good friend
and reliable in a crisis. [COR1 – 00 – 8]
 |
| Serten |
550s CY
In the years that followed, their adventures focused on
Greyhawk and the Selintan valley, and the crags of the Cairn Hills and depths
of the Suss Forest were opened to their prying vision. [LGJ#0 – 5]
Over the years, the Citadel played home
to such luminaries as Prince Melf Brightflame, of the Olvenfolk, the half-orc
Quij, Felnorith, Robilar's brother Terik, and even, at one point, the
Quasi-Deity Murlynd, in disguise. [LGJ#0 – 5]
Whatever
Mordenkainen’s reason for gathering his Citadel, they were to become a force
for Good, for the most part.
557 CY
 |
| Castle Greyhawk |
To what end, I might ask? And why relentlessly? What had
dungeon delving to do with bringing Balance to the Flanaess? Was Mordenkainen
searching for artifacts to aid him in his aim? What if he was, Riggby might
have thought; he too could do with an artifact or two to aid him in his own
aims. Clerics of Boccob leave their churches to root out rumors of lost
magic items or spells, or to defend a magical place or item from destruction. [LGG
– 168]
Riggby was confident that Yrag would be at his side while
he was about it.
Riggby is 36.
560
CY
How
did Mordenkainen’s Citadel of Eight fare? People came. People went.
[T]he Citadel of
Eight, was a known opponent of darkness in its many guises. Its members stood,
and fell, protecting the balance and defending Oerth from the influence of
malign beings and, rarely, benevolent interlopers, as well. [LGJ#0
– 4]
 |
| Otis |
Finally,
the young woodsman, Otis, rounded out the group. [LGJ#0
– 5]
[Otis
is] a ranger [.] [T1-4 – 34]
Riggby’s thoughts on Otis:
Otis
(7th level human male ranger): This ranger won’t stay in the group long. He is
too independent to work in a team consistently. You respect his skills and
prowess, and really like him, but don’t spend too much time with him. He is
ready to help at all times, but does not care for the more advanced
philosophies of Mordenkainen or yourself. [COR1 – 00 – 8]
No sooner had Otis joined their illustrious
group, certain core members embarked on a mission of great importance.
Events of WG5
Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure
 |
| Yrag, Mordenkainen, Bigby, and Riggby |
Mordenkainen
the Mage and his boon companions, Yrag, Riggby, and Bigby […] have been tempted
to explore Maure Castle because of the widespread rumors concerning the
“unopenable” doors. Preferring not to attract attention, they have traveled
from their abode, the Citadel of Eight, upon Mordenkainen’s carpet of flying.
[WG5 – 4]
RIGGBY THE PATRIARCH
HIGH
PRIEST, C 9
 |
| Riggby the Patriarch |
DEITIES:
Boccob & Zagyg
S12 I13 W 16 D
15 Co 15 Ch 16
Armor: Plate
Mail +1, Shield +1
In Hand:
Staff of the Serpent (Constrictor), Ring of Free Action
Backpack:
Scroll of two spells: Cure Critical Wounds, True Seeing
Spells
Carried:
Level 1: Cure
Light Wounds (x3), Detect Magic, Remove Fear, Sanctuary
Level 2: Hold
Person (x2), Find Traps, Resist Fire, Silence 15’ Radius, Speak with Animals
Level 3:
Create Food and Water, Cure Disease, Remove Curse
Level 4: Cure
Serious Wounds Level 5: Raise Dead
[WG5 – 32]
Riggby is
normally dressed in light grey and off-white colored robes. His eyes are
chestnut brown, his hair pure black, and his opinions are short and succinct –
“Convert, or else!!” Riggby has been convinced that his services will be a boon
to his other companions, so he has opted to come along on this “stint” (as he
refers to it). [WG5 – 32]
They found the Tome
of the Black Heart there.
This book was
written by several evil magi, whose time of existence upon Oerth is not
recorded, save that they dwelt near the Valley of the Mage. The Tome was lost
during those years when the Mage of the Valley brought down a great ruin upon
these evil ones. [WG5 – 25]
One might
consider it a “good” thing that they retrieved the tome from mad Tomorast.
But it changed
Mordenkainen. None knew it then, however.
560s CY
Citadel
members all too soon became persons of note.
In the years of their companionship, both
Robilar and Yrag were ennobled by Greyhawk, and Riggby was promoted speedily
within the church of Boccob in Verbobonc. Tenser, Bigby, and Mordenkainen
likewise advanced in their own wizardly ways, gaining arcane knowledge and
power. [LGJ#0
– 5]
His Lordship the Viscount of Verbobonc
(Fighter, 10th level)
Verbobonc, Viscounty and Town of:
Wilfrick, F 10 [WoGG – 17]
Capital: Verbobonc (pop. 8,100)
Population: 30,000
Verbobonc – Ofs [WoGA – 14]
Demi-humans: Gnomes (4,000), Sylvan Elves (2,500)
Humanoids: Few
Resources: copper, gems (I-IV)
The viscounty is a large one, extending
from the Velverdyva's south bank some 15 leagues into the Kron hills, being
over 50 leagues in breadth. Verbobonc is situated in the approximate center of
its east-west axis. [Folio – 18]
Many of the humans of Verbobonc (who
represent the majority) are god-fearing souls, worshipping the Old Faith
(druidic) or reserving prayers for St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel. In either case,
religion figures into many of their events and repasts. Festivals are common,
and the priests are everywhere to be seen. In all, the souls of Verbobonc are
examples worthy of the respect of the Archclericy of Veluna, their most
powerful ally in good causes. [WG8 Fate of Istus – 93]
Why Verbobonc?
Religions: St. Cuthbert*, Ehlonna,
Zilchus, Fharlanghn, Obad-Hai, Beory [LGG – 131]
One goes where one is sent. Magi are to be
found everywhere, regardless what faiths are predominant; so I suppose it may
be that the high clerisy of Boccob found need to send Riggby, a patriarch of
the faith, to such a place; but I wonder if Riggby (and perhaps Mordenkainen)
had a hand in Riggby’s assignment. Verbobonc is the crossroads of the Sheldomar
Valley. Little passes within that will not be heard of in such a place. So, it might
further Riggby’s (and Mordenkainen’s) purpose that Riggby should be posted
there.
Saint
Cuthbert’s predominance aside, Riggby temple prospered in Verbobonc, just the same.
Formerly the cleric of a small chapel,
Riggby found himself in command of a cathedral with a sizeable congregation. [Rogues
1e – 46]
When a cleric achieves 8th level
(Patriarch or Matriarch) he or she automatically attracts followers if the
cleric establishes a place of worship – a building of not less than 2,000
square feet in floor area with an altar, shrine, chapel, etc. […] In addition,
there will be followers who are men-at-arms [.] [PHB 1e – 20]
Riggby would have become a person of
interest in the Viscounty. Powerful. And influential.
As were the other Citadel membership. Perhaps they were becoming too high-profile
if they were to achieve their ultimate goal of Balance and stability. They had
become as powerful as many of the rulers of the lands they each had settled in.
Few rulers and oligarchs would welcome this.
569 CY
The Citadel’s aim was true, though. And
noble. Or so it seemed to those observing them.
But not all of them were as dedicated to
their cause as others – if they ever were.
Their Fellowship was not to last.
For a group that so decisively defeated
its enemies, there remained several problems. Robilar never quite bought into
Mordenkainen’s philosophy, and he and Tenser often bickered over matters of
morality. Serten, though seen as useful, was never truly respected and Otis,
tired of underground excursions and forays into urban territories, left the
group, decrying his friends as cave-delvers and treasure seekers blind to the
real problems of the world. [LGJ#0
– 5]
That bickering had distracted them.
The thickets and marshes around Nulb
became the lair and hiding place for bandits, brigands, and all sorts of evil
men and monsters alike. The chapel grew into a stone temple as its faithful
brought in their ill-gotten tithes. Good folk were robbed, pillaged, enslaved,
or worse. In but three years a grim and foreboding fortress surrounded the evil
place, and swarms of creatures worshipped and worked their wickedness there.
The servants of the Temple of Elemental Evil made Hommlet and the lands for
leagues around a mockery of freedom and beauty. Commerce ceased, crops
withered, pestilence was abroad. But the leaders of this cancer were full of
hubris, and in their overweaning pride sought to overthrow the good realms to
the north who were coming to the rescue of the land being crushed under the
tyranny wrought by the evil temple. [T1 – 2]
They, each in their now lofty influence,
looked to lofty goals and lofty foes, forgetting that evil festers in shadow as
much as in the utterings of courtly influence.
Alas,
the Citadel had all but dissolved just as the Flanaess needed their vigilance
the most.
Battle of Emridy Meadows
 |
| Battle of Emridy Meadows |
A great battle was fought to the east,
and when villagers saw streams of ochre-robed men and humanoids fleeing south
and west through their community, there was great rejoicing, for they knew that
the murderous oppressors had been defeated and driven from the field in panic
and rout. [T1 – 2]
When Serten fell, none of his friends
stood at his side. Though most attended his
ostentatious funeral service in Verbobonc, a crucial rift had been torn in the
organization. The Citadel was crumbling. [LGJ#0
– 5]
One wonders if Serten’s death was the final
nail in what remained of Mordenkainen’s Citadel of Eight.
Tenser blamed Mordenkainen for the death
of his friend, and retired inward to his castle. Terik and Yrag vanished, some
said to the anonymity of the Bandit Kingdoms. Even the loyal Bigby left the
side of his one-time master and returned to Oldridge, where he adventured for a
time with a band of boyhood friends. Mordenkainen, the man who had brought the
Citadel together, simply shrugged and returned, with cold eyes, to his studies.
[LGJ#0 – 5]
Yrag
vanished?! Into the Bandit Kingdoms?! WHY?!
Yrag left the
Citadel of Eight several years ago […], following a falling-out with
Mordenkainen over long-term strategic policy. [TAB – 114]
While
he has many allies, Mordenkainen has just as many detractors. Among these are
Lord Robilar, Tenser, and Yrag who consider him to be untrustworthy and a bit
self-centered. [OJ#25 – 15]
Riggby
would not listen to Yrag’s warning.
Regardless
of Yrag’s abandonment, Riggby soldiered on. He still believed in the aims of
Mordenkainen’s Citadel; and he would not abandoned its work.
Would
he have followed his greatest ever friend’s lead and wisdom. But Riggby would
always have his own way. [COR1 – 00 – 11]
Riggby
is 46.
570 CY
That work would appear to be in greater need
than ever.
 |
| Iuz |
For sixty-five
years, Iuz was imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk by an alliance of adventurers
(including the Mad Archmage Zagig), possibly with the assistance of an avatar
of St. Cuthbert. [PGtG – 24]
But
Mordenkainen knew that the archmage’s prison would not last forever. If
Mordenkainen could find the deity trap, so could someone else. Only a final
solution would suffice, and a final solution required the enlistment of Lord
Robilar. [EttRoG – 4]
In the
company of his orc henchman Quij and the cleric Riggby, Robilar confidently set
into motion Mordenkainen’s grand plan to save the future of the Flanaess.
Then
everything started to go wrong. [EttRoG – 4]
Tenser had
learned of Robilar's plan, feared that Riggby was being duped, and came post
haste to prevent their action. [WGR5 – 5]
In 570 CY,
Lord Robilar, his orc henchman Quij and Riggby, Patriarch of Boccob, freed Iuz.
[PGtG – 24]
Just as
Robilar dispelled the barriers keeping Iuz at bay so that he might be slain,
the wizard Tenser appeared with Bigby and the warrior Neb Retnar at his back.
The trio had come to stop the dangerous gambit, but arrived too late. [EttRoG
– 4]
The archmages
Bigby and Tenser arrived, intending to kill him, but during Iuz's incarceration
the half-demon had transformed, and he emerged a demigod [.] [PGtG – 24]
Robilar and
Quij considered flight and felt their chances would be best if they made odds
of four against one into six against one. [WGR5 – 5]
The six
adventurers were no match for the enraged Iuz, who escaped certain death in the
clutches of Bigby’s notorious crushing hand by plane shifting to the Abyss. [EttRoG
– 4]
He left
behind him a backwash of chaotic evil magic which altered the alignment of
Retnar, left Riggby catatonic for days, and caved in a large part of Castle
Greyhawk's deepest dungeon complexes. [WGR5 – 5]
That magical
warp freed the additional gods and caved in many of Castle Greyhawk’s deepest
dungeon complexes. [EttRoG – 4]
 |
| More Powerful and Wicked Than Ever |
After it was
all over, safe on the skull-adorned battlements of his grisly palace, Iuz swore
vengeance upon the adventurers who had attempted to kill him, dedicating a
portion of his eternal rage to plotting their destruction. [EttRG – 4]
Iuz's most
burning desire is to have revenge on those who freed and tried to slay him.
[WGR5 – 5]
He dreams of
destroying the Free City of Greyhawk and those who nearly killed him when he
was released. [PGtG – 24]
The chaos
surrounding the return to power of the demigod, luz, in CY 570 prompted
Mordenkainen to consider a new paradigm. Though the Old One worked to check the
growing power of the Horned Society, and kept Furyondy's eyes on its northern
borders, Mordenkainen knew well that the situation would not last. The
dissolution of the Citadel left Mordenkainen without a tool to shape events as
he would and though he hardly admitted it to himself, he longed return to a
life of adventure.
The Citadel's
primary failure, he surmised, had been its inclusive philosophy. As its
founding concept had been arcane, he had been foolish to assume that men like
Robilar or Riggby would rally to his cause without subtly working against it
for reasons personal, spiritual or political. Men of intellect and sorcerous
skill, whose primary interests were more than material, would replace them.
Thus was born the Circle of Eight. [LGJ#0 – 6]
Riggby was out.
It would seem that Mordenkainen no longer had no further use of him.
Riggby, however,
still had some influence within this newly formed Circle of Eight.
[Otto]’s
first calling was to the clergy of the Uncaring One, and it was as a
Loremaster, in the vaunted temple of Boccob in Chathold, that he spent most of
his life prior to being drafted by Mordenkainen. For this reason, he is a good
friend of both Ravel Dasinder of Greyhawk and Riggby [.] [LGJ#0 – 10]
576 CY
 |
| Boccob's Holy Symbol |
Upon reaching
9th level (High Priest or High Priestess), the cleric has the option of
constructing a religious stronghold. This fortified place must contain a large
temple, cathedral, or church of not less than 2500 square feet on the ground
floor. It can be a castle, a monastery, an abbey or the like. It must be
dedicated to the cleric's deity (or deities). [PHB 1e – 20]
Riggby
Human m, 9th lvl CL, AL NG; S14
I11 W17 D16 Co15 Ch15
Riggby seldom
finds time to adventure anymore, as the demands of his congregation are too
pressing. He views this somewhat ruefully, almost welcoming those times when
evil is "riding the high tide" and he must help strike it down.
Magic items
possessed by Riggby are +1 plate mail, + 1shieId, +2 hammer, a staff of the
serpent (python), and several potions and scrolls he has prepared.
[Rogues 1e – 46]
Riggby is 55.
576 to 585 CY
 |
| Iuz, The Old One |
Riggby, growing old, hides himself in
Verbobonc and southern Furyondy, sometimes hiding in Veluna City or Mitrik.
[WGR5 – 5]
He
had reason not to.
Since that fateful brush with extinction,
Iuz has schemed to destroy those six [Bigby, Quij, Rary, Riggby, Robilar, and
Tenser]. [WGR5 – 5]
Iuz is patient is his quest for revenge.
He knows something of Riggby's wanderings and he knows he was Furyondian-born.
As the man grows older, he will come home. [WGR5 – 5]
Were there attempts on his life? There
surely were. But Riggby was forever cautious, unlike in his early years. He had
reason to be.
Those attemps invariably failed. Riggby is
powerful. And Riggby is surrounded by loyal, faithful, vigilant followers. Some
know the peril of their patriarch.
Riggby is 64 in 585 CY.
591
CY
Riggby […] has long since retired from
his position of eminence in Verbobonc. [LGJ#0 – 10]
As must we all. In time.
Riggby is 70 years old.
597
CY
 |
| Riggby |
Twenty-seven years have passed [since Iuz
escaped Zagig’s prison]. To the west, in the not-so-distant city of Verbobonc,
Riggby has escaped Iuz’s vengeance by dying of natural causes in his twilight
years. His body now travels by sacred procession along the Western Road toward
Greyhawk, drawing the cleric’s former companions from their sanctuaries and
schemes to the city that once bound them together in long-dead friendships and
alliances. [EttRoG – 5]
I expect Boccob might have had a hand in
Riggby escaping that vengeance.
Riggby was 76 years old.
“None of us knows what might happen even the next
minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have faith.”
―
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:
Map details, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Boccob, by Matt Cavotta, from Deities and Demigods 3e, 2002
Mordenkainen detail, by McLean Kendree, from Mordenkainen's Tome of Marvelous Magic II, 2020
Yrag, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1985
Mordenkainen detail, by Dan Burr, from Dragon #185, 1992
Robilar, by Kristoph Nolen, from Oerth Journal#29, 2019
Bigby, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1985
Serten, from Finger of the Wind, 2000
Castle Greyhawk, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Flying Carpet, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1985
Riggby, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1985
Vebobonc map, by Diesel, from WG8 Fate of Istus, 1989
Iuz, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Boccob's Holy Symbol, from Deities and Demigods 3e, 2002
Iuz, The Old One, by Eric Hotz, from WGR5 Iuz the Evil, 1993
The Late Patriarch Riggby, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Sources:
1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed
Set, 1983
1043 The City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1989
2011 Players Handbook 1e,
1978
2011A Dungeon Masters Guide, 1979
9025 World of Greyhawk
Folio, 1980
9026 T1 The Village of
Hommlet, 1979,1981
9031 The Rogues Gallery 1e,
1980
9147 T1-4 The Temple of
Elemental Evil, 1985
9253 WG8 Fate of Istus, 1989
9386 WGR3 Rary the Traitor,
1992
9576
Return of the Eight, 1998
9577 The Adventure Begins,
1998
9578 Players Guide to
Greyhawk, 1998
11843 Return to the Temple
of Elemental Evil, 2001
LGJ #0
Oerth Journal #25
COR1 – 00 The Citadel PCs
Dungeon Magazine #221
Greyhawkania, Jason Zavoda
Another fittingly complete bio of an underappreciated NPC in Greyhawk legendarium. Well done sir. Is there anyone else related to the Citadel that can warrant such a deep dive?
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