Greetings Greyhawk enthusiasts! Today's topic comes with a map of the ENTIRE
Flanaess. I was mulling over a subject while trying to banish thoughts of not being at
Gen Con 2019 and then it dawned on me, how about a "What If" scenario? I've done similar premises in the past, it's fun to tinker with world-wide events and what was more game changing to the
World of Greyhawk than the
2E Greyhawk Wars! For those who don't know the events an geo-political changes that happen post-wars and through 591 CY then check out this
timeline. Surprisingly the "Greyhawk Wars occurred in a short span (582-584). This study is not trying to replicate this timeline however or give a frame for how long the war unfolds, just the alternate reality results. So without further ado here is what the Greyhawk Wars would've looked like if
Iuz had defeated
Furyondy!
Here is a reference to the colored regions on this altered Darlene map:
Scarlet: Scarlet Brotherhood
Crimson: Empire of Iuz
Green: Alliance of Good
Yellow: Baklunish Empire
Light Blue: Rel Mord Pact
Gray: Remnants of the Great Kingdom
Light Purple: Rhizia
The front line of much of the Greyhawk Wars was fought between the demigod Iuz and the stalwart forces Furyondy,
Veluna (and exiled
Shield Lands). Iuz smashed the kingdom in this event by fielding his best forces; summoned demons, undead hordes and the
Legion of Black Death. The Old One's alliance with
Ket proved a distraction for Veluna and
Bissel, yet the beygraf of Ket was double-crossed when the return of the Witch Queen
Iggwilv was revealed. Aiding her son in conquest, she used her old base of power in the
Yatils to marshal even more evil might and retook unaware
Perrenland as well as absorbing Ket and
Highfolk. The advance of Iuz through Furyondy and Veluna was halted at the
Velverdyva river by the desperate valor of
Dyvers and
Verbobonc. A new Alliance of Good would soon emerge to give them relief.
Elsewhere, the
Wolf Nomads was brought to heel by enchantment and superstition rather than by the sword. Finally, with a horde of horsemen at his disposal, Iuz stopped his empire's advance to see who might be his next opponent. Interestingly
Blackmoor in this exercise goes unnoticed by all factions. Meanwhile in the east, the
Bandit Lands held their territory as they watched the empire lose the
Duchy of Tenh to the
Theocracy of the Pale. A late alliance with the orc city of
Garel Enkdal in the
Griff Mountains provided a buffer for the rise of the mighty barbarian realm of
Rhizia.
Scarlet Brotherhood: In this scenario the secret society reveal themselves through stealth and murder in the lands of
Idee, Medegia and the
Lordship of the Isles. Their efforts at a coup in
Onnwal were reversed by the quick wits of the
Iron League. Focusing their military might just in the east, the Scarlet Brothers pushed deeper into
Aerdian lands taking
Sunndi and the
South Province. The naval might of the Lordship was utilized in a victorious sea war against the beleaguered
Sea Barons who also were contending with the raids of Rhizia. Through intimidation and reasoning the Brotherhood gained the alliance of
Rel Astra, Menterey and
Roland who chose enlightened subjugation to barbarian razing or undead despotism.
The Brotherhood had been searching, colonizing and recruiting the savages of the
Amedio and
Hepmonaland jungles for decades prior to their invasions. The onset of the Greyhawk Wars in the north had forced the
Father of Obedience to move up his plans, thus the
Sea Princes and much of the
Jeklea Bay were never affected. An alliance with the
Slave Lords and
Turrosh Mak of the
Pomarj did make for good timing however. The
Orcish Empire was stalled at the north
Wild Coast and by the
Principality of Ulek. Their pirate fleets combined with the Brotherhood's other ports however, prove to be trouble for the besieged lands of Onnwal and
Irgonate.
Alliance of Good: Desperate times make for strange alliances. The threat of Iuz and Iggwilv now at their doorstep, coupled with the second front of the Scarlet Brotherhood, the
Kingdom of Keoland made a truce with all its former satellite states, including the Hold of the Sea Princes to build up their naval might and bolster the
Knights of the Watch. The timely interference of adventurers made sure no
Giant Troubles would plague the lands along the western mountains in this time. Farther afield, the lands of Verbobonc and Dyvers were rescued from destruction at the hand of Iuz by the arrival of good forces united from the
Lortmils, Kron Hills, Lorridges, the
Uleks and even the reluctant return of the
Kingdom of Celene to action.
Facing the threat of Iuz across the
Nyr Dyv, the
Domain of Greyhawk had to shed its neutrality and joined in a great council of Good nations at a signing in the
City of Greyhawk. In this scenario
Archmage Rary is a hero, using the traitorous events in his home of Ket to inspire him to advocate and mastermind an Alliance of Good along with
Tenser and other wizards, clerics and luminaries. Rary still moves his tower and base of operations to the
Bright Desert. The Alliance brings the Suel ties of Keoland and the
Duchy of Urnst together, along with the wisdom and arcane might of the demi-human realms combined with Dyvers and Greyhawk. The alliance also offered succor to the surrounded realms of Onnwal, Irongate and the Iron Hills, a source of highly sought after weapon-craft. The caveat to the Alliance of Good was that another alliance of nations, fighting the same enemy, refused to join in. They are the
Pact of Rel Mord.
Pact of Rel Mord: This alliance, or as others call it the Kingdom of the Pale, was a result of
Nyrond's lack of resources and exhaustion from fighting the
Great Kingdom and the threat of Iuz's banditry. The Theocracy of the Pale had remained aloof in the early stages of the war, only protecting their own borders. Once Tenh was overrun and refugees poured in from there and Nyrond, they had to take action. The priesthood of Pale converted much of these refugees and turned their energy into retaking the Duchy of Tenh and securing the
Artonsamay River. Northern Nyrond had long desired to be annexed by the Pale and conditions during the war led to Nyrond losing effective control of these lands, while they were more focused on defending the blighted remains of
Almor.
Once the Scarlet Brotherhood took the South Province (
Ahlissa) and began overtures to the southern coast of Nyrond is when the king had enough. He met with the Palish representatives and the Countess of
Urnst in
Rel Mord to forge a pact of defense. This had been planned in advance by the Pale it said, indeed it was the Pale stubborn and self-serving voice at the council in Greyhawk that led to the Pact's refusal to join the Alliance of Good.
Great Kingdom: Mad
Overking Ivid, the
Death Knights, Duke Szeffrin, Delgath, Grenell, etc. all continued to lead the once Great Kingdom into the ash heap of history. They had started with a strong campaign against their old rival of Nyrond, but soon fell into disarray as the Scarlet Brotherhood came on the scene and wiped out half the Iron League where they couldn't. To make matters worse, the Aerdians were soon raided and occupied by a vast barbarian horde from the
Thillonria Peninsula. These berserk warriors had not been a major threat since the Battle of Shamblefield and the construction of
Spinecastle. Now it seemed a new cause had united these tribes to not just plunder, but conquer and settle the northern ports and marches. Even the Sea Barons, at war abroad with the piratical
Duxchaners, could not have anticipated the amphibious assaults on their home islands by Rhizian long ships. From there, Rel Astra and the other coastal cities capitulated with the Brotherhood rather than be annihilated. The rest of Aerdy, especially the capital of
Rauxes fell in on itself.
Rhizia: The Thillonria Peninsula is home to the barbarians of the Bitter North, but the Suel people of the these lands refer to themselves as Rhizia. Through time, various tribes, snow, ice or frost had held the upper hand, but none could unite them all, it was prophesized until the
Great God of the North could be freed from his ancient imprisonment. In this scenario, a band of adventurers fulfill this event by bringing the five
Blades of Corusk together and summoning
Vatun to Oerth. It was no trickery though. Inspired by the direction of their divine patron, the kings and thanes of Rhizia formed an Althing, a type of democratic council of rulers and land owners, to guide their new land to war against the coming tide of Iuz,
Stonefist and their old enemy; Aerdy. The appear of a god in the Flanaess certainly got Iuz's attention and checked his activities in the west.
Vatun would not stay long, but his divine wisdom was clear. Rhizia must fight. The gains in the south were swift and brutal, aided by
Ratik whom was eager to put down
Bone March. Before the Great Kingdom could recall forces from the fight against Nyrond, they had lost half the North Province. Meanwhile the rise of orcs in the Griffs and the liberation of Tenh by the Pale brought the Rhizian advance to a halt after
Stonehold was overrun. Now at a pause, Rhizia is wary not of Iuz, but of the emissaries of the Scarlet Brotherhood who now seek to form an alliance of
Suloise ancestry.
Baklunish Empire: Another holy destiny was fulfilled in the
Baklunish West, as the enigmatic Mahdi of the Desert emerged from the
Dry Steppes at the fore of a massive horde of
Paynim nomads and dervishes. The prophecy told this person, who would possess divine proof of his ancestry, would be the next Padishah of the
Baklunish Empire. They first swept through lawless
Ull, who were at first hostile to this religious figure, but then receptive when it became apparent they could make war on the civilized Baklunish lands instead.
As the Mahdi army grew to a size not seen since the
Brazen Horde, the lands of
Zeif levied their forces to fend off the advance.
Ekbir and
Tusmit however had already been in contention with the wicked return of Iggwilv and the treachery of Ket. Their high priests and monks knew the Mahdi prophecies well, so in a hallowed convention, the Mahdi met with the sultans and rulers of the west (even the Tarkhan of the
Tiger Nomads) in
Ekbir City. Whatever happened that day satisfied all parties as the Mahdi's claim was irrefutable and rather than civil war, all bowed to the new Padishah. For his first proclamation, the Padishah turned his gaze east. Would he now fight the Baklunish's ancient enemy the Suel or the demigod tyrant to the north?
