“To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.”
―
 |
| Were that its wish…. |
578 CY
Indeed, the
Lordship truly does lord over the southern seas, at present. And had for
centuries.
[The Lordship of the Isles]
gained authority from the overking over the southern seas and the rich trade
proceeding from Hepmonaland. [LGG – 100]
They exercised that authority exacting
tribute from trade vessels passing through the Tilva Strait [.] [FtAA – 30]
Tilva Strait: The Lordship of the Isles
long collected tribute from states wishing to use this long, tropical,
shark-infested passage between the Tilvanot Peninsula and northwestern
Hepmonaland. Such tribute was negotiated through diplomats and paid in advance,
and Lordship vessels patrolled the straits, hunting for vessels whose home
states had not paid the fee while also ensuring that those who had paid made
the journey safely (i.e., were not attacked by pirates, rumored to actually be
Duxchaner privateers). [LGG – 150]
Since the Lordship of the Isles guards the ways
between the mainland of the Flanaess and the Tilva Strait as well as the shores
of mysterious Hepmonaland, much income is derived from exacting levies from
trading vessels passing through local waters. [LGG – 70]
Even more so since their dominion was otherwise
uncontested, of late.
Asperdi has recently dispatched a sizable contingent
of ships and men to the North Province. [Dragon #63 – 15]
Until recently, the Sea Barons of the Asperdi Isles were truly
the only force to contest that dominion; but that was changing. Others had
taken to the seas.
 |
| A Minor Naval Action |
Before nightfall on that day the pirate ship fell upon
the Meles, which had lagged behind, being laden with the majority of the grain.
A terrific boarding action took place; the captain of the Meles, Sir Rawthers,
was killed in the fighting. Before the ship could be claimed by the aggressors,
the Gloful came alongside, and with Skould and many handpicked mercenaries
retook the Meles while driving the pirates before them. The Tigress, which had
been positioning herself for ramming, did so. The pirates, hammered and
trapped, surrendered.
It was later found that this ship was a hired
buccaneer, paid for by certain unnameable noblemen of Rel Astra, and that these
nobles had been contributing heavily to the piratical raids which were frequent
and so well planned that never previously had information concerning their
nature been discovered.
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]
Spindrift Sound: These waters connect
the Solnor Ocean to the Aerdi Sea. Spindrift Sound is notable as the
traditional battle-zone between the Lordship of the Isles and the Sea Barons,
with pirates and sharks making it livelier still. [LGG – 150]
Rel Astra, it
would seem, had joined the fray in the southern seas.
Were piracy the
only menace Duxchan mariners had to face. The Lordship could shoulder that
threat with ease; they had written the book on piracy, after all. But Istus be
damned, there were spells when Phaulkon appeared to be pitted against
Xerbo, with their fleets caught in the middle of the maelstrom that ensued, with
Norebo gleefully laying bets, whether for or against their ships even Istus
would be hard pressed to divine. With Wee Jas looking on, as intent on the
outcome as Norebo. And as capriciously as Istus, for that matter.
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. However, most people recall the three-day storm of 578 CY, which
some laughingly called "Hurricane Ivid." [Ivid – 89,90]
 |
| Derelict Ships |
[A Lordship merchant ship] on a regular trade run to
Hepmonaland was caught by a sudden storm, and blown hundreds of leagues off
course to the east. Then the wind died, and the ship was drawn by a strange
current to a place where there was a great mass of incredibly dense and tangled
seaweed. Some of this seaweed had seemingly formed into great floating mounds.
As they drifted closer, the captain realized that the floating mounds were
actually derelict ships, trapped and overgrown by the weed. The captain saw
ships of all nations, even ships of types that had been out of use for decades
or that he had never seen before. Most importantly, he recognized two as being
from the legendary Lost Treasure Fleet of the Sea Princes. Fortunately, another
storm blew up and the ship was able to escape before becoming permanently
mired. The captain reported all this to the merchant and then retired, since
the Hepmonaland run was to have been his last voyage anyway. [WoGG – 28]
579 CY
While The Lordship held the Tilva Strait against the
Great Kingdom’s Sea Barons, their allies were at odds with the Kingdom’s South
Province.
[I]n 579 CY, reacting to increased militarism on
behalf of Ivid and Herzog Chelor of South Province, Nyrond, Almor, and the Iron
League banded together to form the Golden League, a military union that
presented a declaration of war against the Great Kingdom in late Needfest. [LGG
– 78]
In 579 CY, the Iron Alliance expanded to formally
include Almor, and together with its supporters in Nyrond was dubbed the Golden
League. [LGG – 58]
Semiregular skirmishes between Aerdy's South Province
and Nyrond erupted into open hostilities in early 579, when Overking Ivid V
made war against the so-called "Golden League" (Nyrond, Almor, and
the Iron League). [LGG – 15]
A series of naval battles in Relmor Bay soon followed
[.] [LGG – 58]
Relmor Bay: The eastward branch of the
Sea of Gearnat is Relmor Bay, long the battleground for the fleets of Almor,
Nyrond, and Onnwal, against the naval squadrons of old South Province. [LGG
– 149]
580 CY
For all the bravado, only two years indecisive battles
and skirmishes came of the affair. [LGG – 78]
[B]y the end of 580 Ivid V gained a minor victory
against the insurgents by preventing their further expansion and stalemating
their armies. [LGG – 58]
Though this dreary war lasted through to the end of
580, it resolved nothing except to drain the coffers and manpower of both Aerdy
and Nyrond, leaving them weakened [.] [LGG – 15]
582 CY
One imagines the
Lordship of the Isles was secure. Truly, they were the terror of the southern
seas, setting sail as they pleased upon the Oljatt Sea and the Sea of Sharks
and up and down the Dark Continent’s coasts.
Sea of Sharks: The eastern shore of
Hepmonaland abuts the Sea of Sharks, so named because of the normal and giant
sharks that live there. Technically a southern portion of the Solnor Ocean, the
Sea of Sharks is home to colonies of sahuagin, which periodically raid the
coastal towns. [SB – 55]
Their pendants
flew from the Densac Gulf to all ports of call across the Azure Sea. Who might
have thought that such mastery might lead to their eventual downfall?
But war had come
to the Flanaess, war as it had never seen in living memory, or even in myth for
that matter.
The barbarians invaded the Hold of Stonefist [.]
[LGG – 15]
Sevvord Redbeard, the Master of the Hold […] smashed
through the Griffs and into the duchy of Tenh, which was swiftly overwhelmed.
[LGG – 15]
Iuz then conquered the Horned Society, Bandit
Kingdoms, and Shield Lands in quick succession. Furyondy was invaded, and much
of its northern territory was captured and laid waste. [LGG – 15]
All this would not have mattered a whit to the Lordship
had the war remained north of the Nyr Dyv. But it had not.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Ivid V ordered the
Great Kingdom's armies to muster, with the intention of paying back his foes
for centuries of impudence. The war that followed was staggering in scope and
consequence. Almor was utterly destroyed; Nyrond was invaded; Sunndi was
conquered. The nobles of the Great Kingdom fell upon one another, terrified of
their insane overking and eager to steal the lands of their neighbors. In the
chaos, Medegia was despoiled and Rel Astra attacked by the Great Kingdom's own
military. [LGG – 15]
The madness of war bred more war. [LGG – 15]
Secure in their island fortress, the Lordship had little
to worry about. So they thought, but it was in the midst of this madness and
their supposed invulnerability that the Lordship was at its most vulnerable.
One other part of the Iron League held particular
interest for the Scarlet Brotherhood: the Lordship of the Isles. The Father of
Obedience’s plans necessitated that he gain control of the southern waters, and
this was best done by capturing an existing fleet. True to form, the
Brotherhood did not attempt to conquer the islands from without. Instead,
agents of the Scarlet Sign corrupted a distant cousin to the throne and then,
through their secret connections, engineered the overthrow of Prince Latmac
Ranold. [Wars – 22,23]
583 CY
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]
Was this their reaction to the world at war? Or was there a deeper
concern that prompted their removing themselves from the affairs of Man? Ivid’s
empire, and the whole of the Flanaess, was in disarray.
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 see. The Sea Barons were not as
successful: though they gained control over the Aerdi fleet, the Overking
closed all mainland ports to them. [Wars – 4]
It was then that the Barbarians began raiding down the Solnor coast.
Iuz had successfully turned
the barbarians’ attention away from the west: instead of pouring though the
mountain passes, the barbarians launched daring longship raids along the coast
of the Great Kingdom. [Wars – 9]
What might the elves have thought? Had Man gone mad? Or did they always
believe Man to be so?
584 CY
That madness
soon ebbed, in the course of time. For a time.
Winter
The coming of winter brought respite to all the
warring states. [Wars – 14]
But not for all.
Mired in mud and hamstrung by the Overking’s
pettiness, the Great Kingdom’s armies massed on the borders of Medegia, Almor,
and Nyrond. Osson’s raid and the coming of the rains bought the Almorians time
to fortify their borders and gather new reserves. Nyrond also raised new armies
to meet the threat from the Great Kingdom. [Wars – 14]
If reports held true that the Lordship of the Isles
and the Iron League were planning to ally, surely the Lordship’s fleet could
provide an escape to [Osson’s] Almorian cavalry. [Wars – 14]
Sadly, this was
not to be.
There were those
who would just then enter the fray, even as the madness began to ebb.
Fireseek
The sudden fall of the Lordship of the Isles into the
hands of the Scarlet Brotherhood, in Fireseek 584 C.Y. stunned all in this
region. [DUL4-01 The Gift]
Too late, [the] machinations [of the Scarlet Brotherhood]
began to dawn on the beleaguered forces of good. [FtAA – 7]
By 584 CY, decade-old paranoia regarding the Scarlet
Brotherhood came true, as advisors in courts throughout the Flanaess were
revealed as Brotherhood agents. [WoGG 3e – 4]
Outfoxed by a
far more effective and insidious spy network, the [Jade Mask] and their agents
were among the first to fall beneath assassins’ knives when the Scarlet
Brotherhood struck during the Greyhawk Wars. The Chapters in Onnwal, Idee, and
the Isles were all but eliminated in a single night – in some cases by double
agents striking from within. [Dragon
#302 – 99]
 |
| Latmac Ranold |
The Lordship of the Isles, Idee, Onnwal, and the Sea
Princes fell under the influence of the Scarlet Sign, from treachery or
invasion. [LGG – 16]
[T]he worst setback for the alliance came when a
sudden coup replaced Prince Latmac Ranold of the Lordship of the Isles with his
distant cousin, Prince Frolmar Ingerskatti. The new ruler 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 – 14,15]
The Lordship was
not the only nation to fall.
The Lordship of the Isles, Onnwal, [Idee,] and the
Hold of the Sea Princes fell under the influence of the Scarlet Brotherhood
thanks to treachery or invasion. Barbarians from the Amedio Jungle were used to
secure captured lands. The Brotherhood was revealed as an order dedicated to
preserving the culture and racial purity of the ancient Suloise Empire.
[WoGG 3e – 4]
Readying
It is clear to most that Ingerskatti is a puppet of
the Scarlet Brotherhood, but little can be done about it, as these cultists are
very successful at putting their operatives in key positions within the realm,
deposing Oeridians whenever possible in favor of loyal Suel. Most of Ansabo,
the port of Sulward, and the whole isle of Ganode are now completely under
their control. [LGG – 72]
A handful of the original
Lords of the Isles managed to escape with their vessels to Dullstrand when they
saw how the Brotherhood would subjugate them, but they have found little
welcome there. Those who sailed northward met gleeful Sea Baron warships only
too happy to sink them. The Lordship of the Isles is now wholly controlled by
the Scarlet Brotherhood. [FtAA – 31]
The following month a half-dozen tall ships of the
Lords entered Dullstrand Bay, commanded by four of the Lords themselves. The
Lords had brought along their noble families, many of their closest allies, and
some of their wealth; the Lords and their followers totaled about 400. The
Masters were not pleased to see the Lords' arrival, as the latter clearly
anticipated taking control of the City and using it as their own domain (if not
a base from which to regain their lost islands). After considerable argument
and some bloody skirmishing, the Lords agreed to settle on the opposite side of
the small inlet, where they quickly began building their own manors,
plantations, and other buildings. The inhabitants who held farms or dwellings
on that side of the inlet were moved out but given compensation, which they
took with many a bitter curse. [DUL4-01 The Gift]
 |
| Brotherhood "Advisors" |
Scarlet Brotherhood agents
are now in almost all positions of power within the lands. [FtAA – 31]
The Office of Sovereignty is responsible for governing
territories and subsidiary states. Kesh of Sovereignty are sent to newly
acquired cities and towns to dictate and enforce the laws of the Brotherhood,
while other “advisors” guide vassal governments such as the Lordship of the
Isles onto Brotherhood-approved paths. Assassins and thieves infiltrate any
remaining criminal organizations in a conquered land and gain control of them
for the Brotherhood. Warriors of Sovereignty work with local and imported law
enforcement to maintain control over the conquered people; military forces are assigned
by the Office of Arms to the Office of Sovereignty to keep order. [SB – 19]
Spring
Osson was
doomed.
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]
With no avenue
of escape, it was only a matter of time before he and his cavalry would be
chased down and put to the sword.
 |
| The Puppet Prince Frolmar Ingerskatti |
Once the puppet Prince Frolmar Ingerskatti was
securely on the throne, the Brotherhood signed him to a favorable treaty and
then took over. By the Father of Obedience’s demand, Ingerskatti installed
Brotherhood agents in powerful offices. Priests of the Scarlet Sign opened
temples and preached to the disaffected. New laws suppressed the old nobility.
In short, the Scarlet Brotherhood swiftly remade the isles in its own image.
[Wars – 23]
The Lordship of the Isles quickly became a hotbed of
intrigue. [LGG – 72]
The south seas
appeared calm. The Sea Barons were all but confined to port.
Militarily, the Sea Barons simply stayed out of the
Greyhawk Wars. With war far to the west, and Rauxes many hundreds of miles
away, the old Lord High Admiral Sencho Foy decided that the threats of the
northern barbarians were too dangerous to risk the isles’ fleets in battles far
from home. Dispatching navies to Relmor Bay to fight Nyrond would be suicidal,
especially since the overthrow of the Lordship of the Isles left the southern
waters of the Aerdi Sea more dangerous than ever. [Dragon #206 – 35/Ivid - 88]
[T]he Barons all fear that a naval invasion might be
mounted against them from the Lordship of the Isles. [Dragon #206 – 35/Ivid - 88]
But all too soon
the Barons were putting to sea to fend off raids from the north.
Pirates, barbarians, the Duxchan fleets, and sahuagin
are offshore menaces to the Sea Barons. [Dragon #206 – 40/Ivid - 93]
Indeed, the
Lordship fleet were all too soon deploying their fleet north as Barbarian longships
were spotted as far south as the See of Medegia and Dullstrand.
[S]hips from the Sea Barons and the Lordship of the
Isles raced to Grendep Bay to end the barbarians’ longship raids. [Wars – 15]
One would think
they had not declared for the Kingdom of Shar, given their common cause with
the Sea Barons, and their common pursuit.
The Lordship of the Isles declared for the Scarlet Brotherhood in 584 CY
but appears to be acting as a neutral state; few believe this. [TAB – 18]
But every nation upon the southern seas understood all too well that
Lordship vessels were anything but neutral.
The Lordship of the Isles [began] raids on ports of
the Iron League and assisting in the subsequent isolation of Irongate by
blockading the city. […] [Irongate’s] fleet suffered greatly at their hands,
and now has standing orders to attack the ships of the Lordship of the Isles
upon sight. [LGG – 58]
In 584 CY, Ingerskatti used his fleet to terrorize
ports on the Azure, first by attempting a failed raid on Gradsul, then by
harrying the vessels of Irongate, whom they view as their most important rival.
[LGG – 72]
[Keoland’s]
fleet […] suffered a terrible defeat to the Lordship of the Isles [in 584 CY]
in the harbor of Gradsul [.] [LGJ#1
– 13]
A naval force from the Lordship of the Isles, under
the control of the Scarlet Brotherhood, attempted an invasion of Gradsul in 584
CY. The invasion had to be forcibly repelled by Duke Luschan, who lost a
quarter of his ships in the effort [.] [LGG – 66]
One would think that given the resources at the
Brotherhood’s disposal the ports of the Azure would fall one after another.
Harvester
Prudence prevailed, however. The Land of Purity was a
small nation, and despite its people’s dedication to duty, its resources were
stretched to the very limit.
Sensing that his reach was nearing its limit, the
Father of Obedience halted the troop advances and instructed his agents to
solidify their holds in the Brotherhood-controlled governments, where new laws
suppressed previous officials, and temples to Brotherhood faiths rose. [SB
– 6]
But the war that gripped the Flanaess had need to come to
an end for him to do so.
The Father [of Obedience’s] agents, acting as
representatives of the nations in his grip, called for a Flanaess-wide truce.
Some nations welcomed the chance for a rest; others were convinced via
diplomacy and assassination. [SB – 6]
Regardless how the nations came to the table, they did.
They were exhausted. They were broke. And their people could fight no more.
Proposals for a great peace treaty gained rapid
acceptance in many quarters, aided by the persuasive whisperings of the agents
of the Scarlet Brotherhood. [FtAA – 9] (6099 SD)
For three years, the whole of the Flanaess flew
banners of war. Nations fell as new empires were born. Demons and devils from
the Outer Planes were summoned en masse by Iuz and Ivid V, and hundreds of
thousands of mortals died. Finally, the battle-weary combatants gathered in
Greyhawk to declare peace. Harvester 584 CY was to see the signing of the Pact
of Greyhawk, fixing borders and mandating an end to hostilities. [LGG – 16]
Why the Free City? Because it was neutral ground.
585 CY
 |
| Lordship of the Isles |
Capital: Sulward
Pop. 72,000
[FtAR#2]
The subjects of
the Lordship of the Isles are a varied quilt of colour. Predominately
pale-skinned Suel, they are also dusky Oerids, sometimes hennaed dark-featured
Flan, and scattered with the darkest hued Hepmonaland Olman.
Olman and darker-skinned natives of Hepmonaland live
in abundant numbers here, but these people are treated as baseborn and often
enslaved, working the plantations of the unscrupulously rich gentry. [LGG –
70,71]
There are more Olman every day, these days, though.
Slavery is becoming increasingly important to the
economy of the isles, particularly with the emergence of the Scarlet
Brotherhood in its centers of power. [LGG – 71]
And it is they who do the lion share of the work, tilling
fields, building walls and towers, and loading and unloading those ships
embarking to any port still allowing Lordship ships to drop anchor.
There are fleets of those, sailing hither and thither, regardless
the anger of others for their perceived betrayal.
How so had they betrayed their allies, the Lordship
decried? They had tired of war, they said. And they had taken steps to rid
themselves of their involvement that was most assuredly a foreign affair. Though
some said they had allied with a deceitful and treacherous Kingdom of Shar that
had had annexed besieged Onnwal and Idee, and the piratical Sea Princes; and
that they too had been occupied, just as those others were, Ingerskotti cried
foul! He declared, he reasoned, that he had only declared for the only party
that had sough peace, and end to war, and had ultimately brought all other
parties to the peace conference. If that was betrayal, so be it, he said. The
Lordship of the Isles would henceforth be “neutral,” he declared.
How the Brotherhood-allied Lordship came to act as a
“neutral” sea power is a controversial topic in any port city. Merchant ships
flying the blue crown-and-anchor flags of the Lordship (minus the Iron league
symbol once displayed at the bottom) traveled across the Azure Sea in 586 CY,
carrying diplomatic personnel, merchants, sailors, and a few marines. No
obvious members of the Scarlet Brotherhood could be found aboard the ships by
scrying wizards, nor did other divination spells determine that the crews were
under charm or duress. The diplomats requested an opening of relations with
other major seafaring states, with the goal of restarting the considerable
maritime trade that the Lordship enjoyed prior to the Greyhawk Wars. All
appeared sincere in their stated desire. Defection attempts were expected on
the part of these ships’ crews, but no such event ever occurred (as far as
anyone knows). [TAB – 33]
Rel Asta was the
first to open their port to the reputedly perfidious Duxchan islanders.
REL ASTRA, FREE CITY OF
 |
| Free City of REL ASTRA |
Rel Astra trades with
virtually anyone. It has a fleet of six coasters and two heavy cogs for
protection, and several small pilot vessels which guide foreign ships into the
harbor. Ships come here from the Sea Barons, from Dullstrand (rarely), from
northern Aerdy ports, and even from the barbarian lands. […] Even pirate
vessels and a few ships which have looted, or traded with, the free Hepmonaland
peoples have been known to bring their cargoes to Rel Astra. [Ivid – 97]
They had little choice, given
the levies extracted by the Lordship in the Tilva Strait. But Rel Astra was
also one of the first to close their quays to trade with the islanders, as
well.
Initially, Drax allowed
Duxchan vessels to trade, but now that he has taken stock of the Scarlet
Brotherhood he no longer permits this. [Ivid – 97]
Rel Astra began
to weigh their options.
As did the Sea
Barons.
 |
| The Solnor Beckons |
The vast Solnor beckons adventurous souls across the
Flanaess. [LGG – 150]
Solnor Ocean: The Solnor
("birthplace of the sun" in Old Oeridian) is believed to be the
mightiest of Oerth's four oceans. It has long been estimated to stretch over a
thousand leagues to the east, A huge clockwise current sweeps up the coast of
the eastern Flanaess, carrying ships from the Thillonrian Peninsula out to sea,
and bringing curious debris (doubtless from whatever land is on the Solnor's
far side) to the shores, of Hepmonaland and the Lordship of the Isles. The wind
direction is primarily from east to west, but a mild counterclockwise trade
wind seems to exist in the northern Solnor, against the current. The vast
Solnor beckons adventurous souls across the Flanaess. Fantastic islands,
undersea kingdoms, terrifying aquatic and aerial monsters, and a "jungle
of lost ships" fill most fables told by old sailors of this sea. Bronze
dragons are known to fly east over the Solnor and not return, so an unseen
"dragons' graveyard" figures in many stories. [LGG – 149,150]
Elven ships were also sighted farther east on the
Solnor by Sea Barons' ships in the late 580s, perhaps exploring or trading with
distant elf colonies. [LGG – 68]
Solnor Ocean: The Sea Barons have
reportedly sailed eastwards for some distance and returned, but these rumors
have never been confirmed. [Folio – 20]
Several [half-elven] ships secretly accompanied the
flotilla of the Sea Barons in their voyage over the Solnor in 586-589 CY.
[LGG – 70]
As did all
others. But those other less powerful ports had fewer options at their
disposal, and little choice but to welcome all comers, regardless the risk.
That said, they prepared for the worst.
[F]ollowing the fall of the
Lordship of the Isles, offering new threats to the south, and the increased
need of the Sea Barons for their own vessels to fend off barbarian raids, some
seaboard cities have begun building military vessels and establishing their own
squadrons. [Ivid – 46]
Port Elder is a free and open port, though anyone with
Suel features is carefully watched by the naval militia, known as the Black and
Golds on account of their uniforms. The Lordship of the Isles, and its Suel
masters of the Scarlet Brotherhood, are too close for comfort here. [Dragon #206 – 38/Ivid – 92]
[T]he town of Dullstrand,
once part of Aerdy, always looked to Sunndi in a friendly way. Perhaps half of
its original population of 5,500 has fled into the Hestmarks, fearful of the
Lords of the Isles and the tales of madness and slaughter within the anarchic
Aerdy states to the north. [FtAA –
58]
Infiltration of Dullstrand by the Brotherhood is
rumored but unproven; the town now trades with the Lordship of the Eles without
incident. [TAB – 29]
A strong
Sunndi is preferable to a powerful Overking at their northern border.
Dullstrand’s trade can be easily restricted by Brotherhood-controlled vessels
from the Lordship of the Isles—and by spies. [SB – 7]
586 CY
 |
| Blockade |
The new prince, a little-known Suel lord named Frolmar
Ingerskatti of Ganode, immediately […] set about lending his naval forces to
the maneuvers of the Scarlet Brotherhood, including the blockade of the Tilva
Strait that continues to the present day. [LGG – 72]
Tilva Strait: When the Lordship fell to
the Scarlet Brotherhood […], the nature of the tribute changed. A complete
blockade of the straits was applied, with only ships of the Scarlet Brotherhood
or Lordship of the Isles being allowed free passage. Cargo from other states
could be shipped by Lordship vessels through the straits for an exceptionally
high fee. It is heard that piracy here has fallen dramatically as a
consequence. The Brotherhood may have charmed sea monsters into aiding the
blockade, but details are not available. [LGG – 150]
[The] blockade is likely conducted by Lordship vessels
operating out of Ekul – a sprawling, ugly seaport of the Brotherhood on the
peninsula’s east coast – and Duxchan, the southernmost major port of the Seven
Islands. Lordship crews apparently act in concert with sea monsters that are
charmed by spellcasters aboard those ships. [TAB – 33]
The seaports of Ekul and Duxchan are undoubtedly part
of this blockade, though additional ports to support the effort may have been
built along the Tilvenot Peninsula and even in northern Hepmonaland. [TAB – 29]
Shulof
Shulof is a
highly fortified port on the island of the same name. Central to the town is a
building called the Tower of the Eye, in which wizards use a crystal ball with
clairaudience to scry Dullstrand, Rel Astra and Ountsy, reporting ship
movements there to the captains of the Lordship and Brotherhood vessels via
sending spells. Storm wizards on this island can also send disruptive weather
into the path of enemy ships. Most of the civilian population of Shulof
manufactures weapons, mainly arrows and ballista bolts, while others dredge the
sea floor for catapult stones. Shulof is a way station for savages and slaves
from Hepmonaland; a night spent on dry land prevents attrition due to
seasickness. The kesh of Shulof is Uncle Ikkens […], a grey-haired man with a
meticulous attention to detail and a long history of working on the sea. [SB – 28]
Their grip was so firm that no other ship could cross
between the east and west.
All trade between the Solnor Ocean and the Azure Sea
is now cut off except to ships of the Lordship, which claims that only its own
ships “can withstand the horrors of the deep that infest the Strait,” and it
offers to take merchant shipments from east and west for a great fee. [TAB
– 33]
Merchant
ships from Rel Astra ceased to appear in the Azure Sea after 586 CY. [TAB – 29]
This, of course, would not, could not, be tolerated. What
could not go by sea would go by land, whatever the cost.
This situation has led to an increase in trade along
an overland corridor from the town of Dullstrand uphill to the Kingdom of Sunndi,
and from there into the Kingdom of Ahlissa to Nyrond and on to the west. This
trade connection has served to moderate tempers in diplomatic relations between
the Iron League and Ahlissa. [TAB –
29]
Shipping goods
overland did not affect the Lordship much. Caravans were slow and costly; so, if
anything, it brought more trade to their ports.
They braved the
north seas, and kept trade alive there despite the best efforts of Rel Astra
and the Sea Barons.
The Lordship's vessels still
trade with the anarchic states of south and east Aerdy, and continue to fight
the Sea Barons as they always have. [FtAA
– 31]
They also kept trade alive between east and west, braving the dangers of
the southern seas for all those who trusted their fleets to carry their goods
between those markets on consignment, at great cost to their ships and crews,
they might add.
However, the Brotherhood
also uses the fleet to ferry people and cargoes to Onnwall, Idee, and across
the Azure Sea to the Sea Princes. [FtAA
– 31]
Many nations have met the
impressive navy of the Brotherhood, which as often as not is supported by
"independent" ships ostensibly from the Lordship of the Isles.
[LGG – 96]
Despite their efforts
to aid their ally in bringing security and freedom from oppression to the
Suloise people at home and abroad, Oeridian malcontents were wont to spread
sedition, yearning for a return to the glory days of their Great Kingdom.
In Idee and
the Lordship of the Isles, agents [of the Jade Mask] form a hidden but
essential part of the resistance movements, especially among the oppressed
Oeridian nobility of the Isles. [Dragon #302 – 99]
Agents of Irongate remain in contact with lesser
nobles of the Lordship of the Isles still loyal to the Iron League. [LGG –
58]
Even at home, the Oeridian threat persisted.
Many [Lordship] isle lords chafe at the rule of the
Scarlet Brotherhood, despite the improved opportunity to take revenge on their
longtime enemies, the Sea Barons. Certain Oeridian barons, as well as the
counts of Jehlum and Luda, are covertly loyal to the Iron League and meet
secretly on Temil. [LGG – 72]
Ingerskatti had no choice but to step up security. He
invoked curfew, and regularly inspected all shipping and correspondence to
discover the traitors.
Suspects are interned, and justice swift.
What little reliable news can be had from the Lordship
of the Isles comes from the kind of sources that governments would never
acknowledge using – namely, spies. [TAB – 33]
Indeed, his measurers were bearing fruit.
 |
| Red Sails in Port |
Order was returning to the isles.
The Lordship of the Isles is a more or less willing
partner of the Scarlet Brotherhood, and its citizens enjoy better treatment
than most might. The Lordship attempts to maintain neutrality in all matters,
appearing to be fair and even trustworthy, but the abundance of evidence
indicates it is sending huge amounts of money and goods to the Scarlet
Brotherhood in exchange for managing its own matters. [TAB – 34]
Prosperity was returning to the people.
Goods
intended for export wait [in Kro Terlep] for Lordship of the Isles vessels; the
Lordship captains take these goods and transport them to ports all over the
Azure Sea. [SB – 27]
More and more Duxchaners credited Ingerskatti for their
renewed good fortunes.
Prince Ingerskatti is very clever and skilled in his
manipulations of public opinion about the Brotherhood, and many citizens have
come to accept their “junior partnership” with those in the scarlet robes.
[TAB – 34]
Indeed, tourism was on the rise, again!
While most agents of the Brotherhood occasionally
travel the Flanaess on assignments, few have time to take in the sights. Thus,
many choose to vacation in the more civilized areas under Brotherhood control
[…]; the braver ones travel elsewhere about the Flanaess in disguise or to the
strange cities of Hepmonaland. [SB – 14]
Things were looking up for the Duxchaners!
587 – 589 CY
In the course of
time, though, ports-of-call began to close to the supposedly neutral
Duxchaners.
Idee was lost to Ahlissa in 587, and the Hold of the
Sea Princes collapsed in a bloody civil war that began in 589 CY. Still, the
Lordship of the Isles remains under the Scarlet Sign, and agents of the
Brotherhood creep into courts across the Flanaess, sowing their evil plots.
[LGG – 16]
Also in time, as the Scarlet Brotherhood’s iron grip on
the seafaring nations of the south began to slip, so too did the “happy time”
of uncontested maritime pursuits of the Duxchaners begin to wane.
The Sea Barons were again largely preeminent upon the
norther seas.
The greatest threat to the Sea Barons remains the
alliance between the Lordship of the Isles and the Scarlet Brotherhood.
[LGG – 99]
The Sea Barons and northern barbarians raid the Lordship’s fleet. [TAB – 18]
Even the iron grip of Lordship upon the middle seas was
slipping.
Rel Astra, Ountsy, and Roland […] expanded and
improved their military forces. Sea trade has been much expanded with Ratik,
the Sea Barons, the Lordship of the Isles (under great scrutiny), and any
northern barbarians willing to lay aside their weapons to bargain for goods.
[TAB – 29]
Spindrift Sound itself is navigable, but shipping is
menaced by the Scarlet Brotherhood and the activities of a few pirates based on
the eastern Medegian coast. Elven vessels are sometimes seen to cross the Aerdi
Sea in the direction of Lendore Isle, presumably shipping from secret ports cut
beneath the Hestmark Cliffs. A number of elven warships also travel to or from
the Lendore Isles as escorts for passenger craft. They will certainly intercept
any seagoing craft that manages to bypass the barrier of magical mist that
envelops these islands. Elven ships were also sighted farther east on the
Solnor by Sea Barons' ships in the late 580s, perhaps exploring or trading with
distant elf colonies. [LGG – 68]
Most worrying though, their mastery of the south is now
in question.
 |
| Exploring Hepmonaland |
As their uncontested sphere dwindled, the Brotherhood and
their steadfast ally took measures to shore up what remained.
In that same
year [589 CY], the Brotherhood fortified its closest Hepmonaland ports to help
maintain the blockade of the Tilva Strait. A third was build farther south on
the western Hepmonaland coast; this third port was largely created to move goods,
slaves and recruits north.
[SB – 7] (6104 SD)
590 CY
One wonders how
worried Ingerskatti was.
As of 590 CY, naval warfare has broken out between the
free ports of the Azure Sea and the Lordship of the Isles. Ships of the Iron
League and Gradsul now attack Lordship vessels on sight, especially those
carrying slaves or cargo to and from the Sea Princes or Pomarj. [LGG – 72]
His demesne appeared to be crumbling, even if trade
remained steady, if not as brisk as it once was.
King Lynwerd […] approved trade with the Lordship of
the Isles and the United Kingdom of Ahlissa [.] [TAB – 31]
Some goods could
only be had from trade with them, however odious dealing with them might be.
The Lordship merchants offer raw woods, spices,
fruits, and art objects gained from Hepmonaland in exchange for a variety of
other goods. Not a soul doubts that the Scarlet Brotherhood gains a percentage
of all moneys made from these trade missions, but trade has proceeded
nonetheless in many ports. [TAB – 33]
 |
| Pilac |
This long,
brown grain comes to us on vessels bearing the flag of the Lordship of the
Isles. It bears a striking similarity to the uriza “noodle” of the northwestern
Flanaess (a fact that has caused something of a stir in those lands).
Like noodles,
pliac stores exceedingly well dries and is prepared by boiling or steaming. It
adds well to fish stews, as a stuffing for fowl, or broiled in beef rolls. Pilac
can also be boiled into a paste or hearty gruel and separated into portions as
a trail or “iron” ration. Prices listed for a 5-pound sack that prepares
roughly thrice that amount.
(15 gp)
[Dragon #271 –
75]
Indeed, there were some ports where only Lordship ships
paid call to.
Bitter fighting continues to this day across the Hold
[of the Sea Princes]. It is generally believed that the Brotherhood continues
to rule Port Toli, Monmurg, and the islands, supported by their imported
armies, tyrgs, and wizards. Only Scarlet Brotherhood ships (all disguised
nowadays) or ships of the Lordship of the Isles dock at the ports. [TAB –
32]
591 CY
Lordship of the Isles
Proper Name: The Lordship of the Isles
 |
| His Exalted Highness, Prince Frolmar Ingerskatti |
Government: "Independent monarchy"
(principality) that is actually a puppet state of the Scarlet Brotherhood,
which manages most military, judicial, religious, and economic affairs; prince
has real but limited powers, affecting the Brotherhood's rule only through
force of his own charisma and cleverness
Capital: Sulward
Major Towns: Duxchan (pop. 8,900), Sulward (pop.
7,200), Mahan (pop. 4,100)
Provinces: Seven islands, each its own noble province:
duchy of Diren (capital: Sulward); duchy of Ansabo (capital: Duxchan); duchy of
Ganode (capital: Mahan); county of Jehlum; county of Mirim; county of Luda; and
barony of Temil
Resources: Rare woods, spices, shipbuilding supplies
Population: 266,000—Human 79% (Soz), Elf 9% (high),
Halfling 5%, Dwarf 3%, Gnome 2%, Half-elf 1%, Half-orc 1%
Languages: [Aerdian], Ancient Suloise, Elven, Halfling
Alignments: N, CN, NE*, LE, CE
Religions: Osprem, Xerbo, Norebo, Syrul, Wee Jas,
other Suloise gods
[LGG – 70]
Prince Ingerskatti, who still rules, is very possibly
responsible for some of the changes that have been made in the Lordship’s
fortunes, though not all observers believe he truly makes any policy in the
Seven Islands these days. [TAB – 33]
The Lordship
of the Isles remains a puppet of the Scarlet Brotherhood. [PGtG – 12]
In fact, the
Scarlet Brotherhood appears to have succeeded in the Lordship of the Isles as
they have not anywhere else.
The Lordship
of the isles has proven valuable in acting as a “neutral” intermediary for
Brotherhood goods. The people of the Lordship have been under Brotherhood rule
for eight years and have adjusted well to the change, and Korenth Zan considers
relaxing the restrictions there. In all likelihood, Prince Frolmar will
continue to receive advice from a high-ranked kesh, but he will be allowed
greater independence – which should enable him to convince more nations of his
neutral status. [SB – 24]
Are they truly
neutral? What neutral nation lands ships in Turrosh Mak’s orcish empire?
Ship[s] from the Scarlet Brotherhood occasionally stop
[in Highport], although they fly other countries flags or no flag at all. Ships
from the Lordship of the Isles can be found here, although they prefer to
maintain a more legitimate appearance and usually stick to the ports north of
the Orcish Empire. [Slavers – 90]
Ships from
the Scarlet Brotherhood, the Lordship of the Isles, Brotherhood-controlled Hold
of the Sea Princes, and many independent pirates make landings in Blue. [Slavers – 87]
The city of
Blue is well fortified, and its docks are well kept – mainly by evil humans who
survived the humanoid attacks or joined the Orcish Empire. [Slavers – 87]
How might the
Lordship be neutral when their citizens aid and abet evil?
 |
| Nadanru |
AL N
[Nadanru] comes from the Lordship of the Ides (a
subsidiary Scare to the Scarlet Brotherhood), and his manservant is also a
native of that land. Nadanru is the master of communication for the Slavelords.
[Slavers – 107]
Why indeed?
If confronted by a hostile bunch of adventurers, he
will surrender if given the choice, explaining that he was only hired to rend
messages and could not disobey because his family is being held as insurance
for his cooperation (mostly true – the Scarlet Brotherhood controls his
homeland, and if he refused this assignment, they might threaten his family to
get him to agree to work). If forced into a fight, he'll do his best to disable
people without killing them and scape when he can. [Slavers – 107]
It would seem
that Nadanru is not the only Duxchaner abroad on a short leash.
The islanders have a long history of animosity toward
the Great Kingdom particularly the Kingdom’s former province of the Sea Barons,
whom the Lordship islanders hate with a fury. The sailors, diplomats, and
others who have come from the Lordship appear to share this attitude to an
extreme, leading to speculation that these crews were carefully recruited for
their absolute loyalty and with the promise that their success at such trade
would move the Brotherhood to aid them in some way in their eternal war with
the Sea Barons. On the other hand, one wag has stated that he would be on his
best behavior, too, if his family were in the hands of the Brotherhood’s treacherous
goons. That no red-robed overseen were found among the crews is usually
credited to the faith that the Brotherhood has in them, though the same wag as
before – a merchant of some standing – said it was just good marketing on the
part of the Brotherhood to gain everyone’s sympathy and get others to let their
guard down. [TAB – 34]
Regardless of
why, the Lordship sails for the Brotherhood. They do their bidding and their
trade, opening ports, keeping watch, reporting, and presumably landing spies.
The Principality of Ulek […] was desperate for new
revenue to support its continuing state of war with the Orcish Empire of the
Pomarj. Prince Corond finally reopened trade with the Lordship at Gryrax,
though all Lordship crews are restricted in their movements through the city
(and likely shadowed as well). [TAB – 33]
It is rumored that [Prince] Corond [of the
Principality of Ulek] recently reached out to the Lordship of the Isles for
assistance in the form of trade, which great consternation in Gradsul and
Irongate. Ships flying the colors of the Lordship of the Isles visited Gryrax
during most of 591 CY; such trade is expected to greatly increase this year.
[LGG – 121]
Ingerskatti has won over the desperate prince of Ulek,
gaining a port for himself at Gryrax. [LGG – 72]
But at what cost?
Relations between Keoland and the Prince of Ulek are
strained from the latter's economic alliance with the Lordship of the Isles [.]
[LGG – 66]
What remains of the Lordship’s goodwill abroad is
failing.
Merchants from the Lordship of the Isles have a
growing presence, offering unusually generous trade deals that make some jarls [of
the Fruztii] suspicious. [LGG – 45]
There are secret parlays between the Snow and Ice
Barbarians for raids against the Sea Barons and possibly the Lordship of the
Isles [.] [LGG – 55]
Indeed, the elves certainly have taken their measure.
Elf-crewed Lendorian ships have sunk three Lordship
vessels in the last six months (a fact not widely publicized); their reasons
for attacking are unknown. [LGG – 72]
592 CY
Ingerskatti has quietly declared war o the elves of the
Spindrift for that.
 |
| Condemned |
Has that broken
the confidence of its people? Are there rumbles of discontent? There might be:
Ingerskatti had cracked down, once again. And all foreigners are once again
suspect.
Travel through the Lordship of the Isles has dropped
considerably in recent years, and while its not impossible, it remains
dangerous for those known to be openly antagonistic toward the Scarlet
Brotherhood, most particularly citizens of Sunndi and Irongate. [LGG – 71]
Has that broken
the Lordship’s goodwill, once and for all?
Lately, an axis against the Lordship and its Scarlet
Brotherhood allies is forming around the Azure Sea, and the sight in early 591
CY of a frigate flying the colors of the prince of Naerie (of Ahlissa), docked
at Gradsul, should give them pause. [LGG – 72]
The Straits of Gearnat, between the Pomarj and Onnwal
Peninsulas, are open to shipping despite pirates from the Orcish Empire and
hostile Scarlet Brotherhood ships from Scant, which enforce the collection of a
much-hated toll for safe passage (received by "neutral" Lordship
representatives on anchored vessels). [LGG – 148]
If so, I can’t imagine why….
“The true paradises are the paradises that we have
lost.”
―
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:
Map detail, by Darlene, from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Ghost Ship, from Ghosts of Saltmarsh, 2019
Hepmonaland map, by Sam Wood, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
Elven Ship, by Joel Biske, from Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
Brotherhood Assassin, by Sam Wood, from The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
Lordship of the Isles heraldry, adapted from World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
Turtle Dragon, from Ghosts of Saltmarsh, 2019
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1043
The City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1989
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
1068
Greyhawk Wars Boxed Set, 1991
2011A
Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1977
2023
Greyhawk Adventures Hardback, 1988
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1981
9253
WG8, Fate of Istus, 1989
9399
WGR 5, Iuz the Evil, 1993
9577
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11374
The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
11621
Slavers, 2000
11742
Gazetteer, 2000
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, 2000
Ivid
the Undying, 1998
Dragon
Magazine #52, 55, 63, 65, 271, 302
OJ
Oerth Journal, appearing on Greyhawk Online
LGJ #3
Greychrondex,
Wilson, Steven B.
Greyhawkania,
Jason Zavoda
The
Map of Anna B Meyer
