Furyondy-Iuz War Map, Part 1

Well met lords and ladies of Greyhawk! Today I have an unusual treat for your eyes and senses. This topic is so epic in fact, it will take me THREE POSTS to get through all the information! Yes, I'm going to bore you by talking about my home campaign. But not just any campaign (I've had several unlike Jay Scott), but my "silver age" 2E campaign set during the heyday of writer Carl Sargent, especially Marklands/Iuz the Evil/Ivid he Undying. This was circa 1993 back when I was in the middle of my college days, full of energy to play D&D and do class work at the same time. Of course while I was in lectures I was really working on notes for my next Greyhawk session, or in the case of these maps, I was amusing myself by drawing maps and recording the historical accounts of actual battles me and my friends conducted. Greyhawk Wars the board game came out in 1991, so pitting the entire Flanaess in conflict was a hot topic for us, especially since we'd been waging wars prior to this using only the scant troop strengths Gygax gave us in the 80's boxed set (and mostly using war machine rules in the D&D Companion Set). Less so with Wars, and moreso with Sargent's books, the greater detailed maps and troops strengths opened up things for a highly detailed campaign between the forces of Good against the Old One, Iuz. You'll see below, that the timeline for the map starts in 627 CY, that's because my campaign had been rolling a long time before Sargent's stuff came out, so I was making use of information meant "canonically" for 40 years prior. No worry, happens to us all!

Another thing, the map below was regrettably drawn on notebook paper. Like I said, I wasn't paying attention in class. If I knew that I'd be referencing these to a wider audience decades later, I'd have used something clearer and maybe in color. At any rate, I've scanned and tried to sharpen it as best as I can. The campaign map is based (and traced) from the maps found in Marklands/Iuz the Evil and it shows the thick starting border line in 627 CY, and then shifting fronts, troop strengths, special events and leaders as they are at the end of summer 628 CY. I have always loved military history and this is the closest I've ever come to accurately recording a Flanaess war or battle besides my account of the Battle of Emridy Meadows. If time was no object I'd do more of these, though this one will forever be unmatched because we actually played this campaign out. If you can make sense of the map, read along with my edited notes for the campaign (sorry I don't use Greyhawk months, it was easier thinking in Earth months as we played it out). Finally, I need to point out that battle losses are registered by Iuz forces first followed by Good allied forces.

Now, please enjoy the Iuz-Furyondy Campaign Part 1 of 3!

Map 1: Click to Enlarge

Map 1 (September 627- June 628)

Prelude 627 CY: Elven wizard, Mortellan becomes mayor of Greyhawk, marines retake Safeton, thieves guild is run out of the city.
September (wk 1): Ambassador of Iuz withdraws from treaty citing illegal activities between Furyondy, Veluna, Greyhawk Domain and Celene.
September (wk 2): The Gold Dragons (mercenary army) hired by Mortellan to defend Greyhawk.
September (wk 3): Mortellan visits Dyvers, is not welcomed well.
September (wk 4): Panshazek and Xenvelen re-open raids into Vesve with greater magic assistance. Furyondy declares state of war with Iuz. Troops move on the Fronts.
Brewfest: (no events)
October (wk 1): Swarming Ground-Razing Line Offensive (no gains). Losses 600 undead, 200 orc vs. 400 inf.
October (wk 2): Salamandra Offensive (no gains) Losses 200 undead, 200 orc vs. 200 pike.
October (wk 3): Moatshield Offensive (no gains) Losses 400 orc vs. 200 inf.
October (wk 4): First wood elves affected by chain madness. Vesve skirmishes. Losses 200 losel, 200 orc vs. few elves.
November (wk 1): Skeleton horde moves across Razing Line (Iuz gain) Losses: 200 undead, 200 orc vs. 200 inf, 200 archer, 200 lt cav.
November (wk 2): Spinecastle-Redoubt Assault (Iuz gain) Losses 1000 orc, 200 undead vs. 1000 inf, 200 pike, 200 hv inf.
November (wk 3): Work begins on old Critwall Bridge. Both sides regroup.
November (wk 4): Supplies robbed. Fendrelan Offensive (no gains) 200 undead, 400 orc vs. 200 inf.
December (wk 1): No movement. (heavy snow)
December (wk 2): No movement. (heavy snow)
December (wk 3): Salamandra Counter-Offensive led by Trithereon priests. (allied gain) Losses 400 orc vs. several clerics.

628 CY
Needfest: No movement. (cold)
January (wk 1): A chimera attacks Brancast. (no gains) Losses: 1 chimera vs. 1 resident wizard.
January (wk 2): No movement. (heavy snow)
January (wk 3): No movement. (cold)
January (wk 4): No movement. (cold)
February (wk 1): Knights of Hart (Highfolk) with Sharnalem, hunt orcs. (allied gain) Losses: 200 losel, 200 orc vs. few.
February (wk 2): No movement. (cold)
February (wk 3): Greatwall-Moatshield Offensive (no gains) Losses 1200 orc, 6 cleric, 12 fiends vs. 400 inf, 200 pike, 200 m cav, 10 spellcasters.
March (wk 1): Greyhawk sends troops to disband Pelgaryn bandits. Iuz reinforces front lines. Furyondy calls up militia in Kalinstren (1000) and Crystalreach (1200).
March (wk 2): Greyhawk defeats Pascorel and Cantona. Major raid on Castle Ehlenestra (no gains) Losses 200 undd, 200 orc, 10 cleric vs. 200 archer.
March (wk 3): Molag Offensive. Heavy fiendish presence. (no gains) Losses: 200 orc, 200 undead, 10 spellcasters, several demons vs. 200 pike, 200 hv inf, 200 inf, lt cav, 2 clerics.
March (wk 4): No movement.
Growfest: No movement.
April (wk 1): Flare Line Offensive. (no gains) Losses: 2000 orc, 20 giant, 10 spellcasters vs. 800 inf, 400 lt cav, 200 archer, 3 spellcaster.
April (wk 2): Flare Line Offensive continues (no gains) Losses: 2200 orc, 200 human, 20 giant, 20 spellcaster vs. 600 inf, 200 pike, 400 lt cav, 200 hv inf, 5 spellcaster.
April (wk 3): Sharnalem's scouts hunt in the Vesve. Losses 400 orc, 2 spellcaster vs. no casualty.
April (wk 4): Assault of Redoubt. (no gains) Losses 20 giant, 20 fiend, 200 orc, 200 undead, 20 spellcaster vs. 400 inf, 200 pike, 200 hv inf.
May (wk 1): Iuz conscripts Vesve goblins. Drives them west into wood elf territory.
May (wk 2 to wk 4): Border Skirmishes. (no gains) Losses 20 giant, 1000 orc vs. 200 pike, 400 lt cav, 400 archer.
June (wk 1): No movement.
June (wk 2): No movement. Furyondy hires heroes to successfully rescue Earl Holmer from Dorakaa. (module, City of Skulls)
June (wk 3): Moatshield Sieged. (Iuz gain) Losses 400 human vs. 400 inf, 200 lt cav.
June (wk 4): Greatwall Sieged. (Iuz gain) Losses 20 fiend, 200 human, 400 orc vs. 400 inf, 200 lt cav.

Comments: Mortellan is an elven archmage once played myself in 1E then by my late friend Brian Kuebrich. Because Mort was so instrumental in my games, many of my Greyhawk friends will know I've used Mortellan as a screen name for years.
I don't remember why Dyvers hates Mort, but I'm sure it's something Brian did, he played Mortellan as a very haughty and power-hungry wizard (he didn't like the Circle of Eight either). Bonus anecdote, Brian and my friend Jayson's character Valkaun Dain once rebuilt the three towers in Greyhawk Ruins and over an argument, Mortellan bought Valkaun's share.
The module City of Skulls was played out in one evening at my friend Eric's house. I vaguely recall cutting ALOT of corners to finish this adventure, but I recycled much of the info in later adventures where the players tried to mess with Iuz.
Next post will cover the war from June 628 to Brewfest 628. Things ramp up in this shorter time frame. See you then!