Greyhawkery Comics: Cultists #13

Welcome back Greyhawk fanatics! You know the drill, it's time for another Cultists episode. This one may be familiar to those who remember last time. That's because crazy cultists do crazy things. Go back and read it again before you take in this one, trust me. Enjoy!

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Greyhawkery Comics: Cultists #11

Heya Greyfriends! I'm back with a new Cultists comic. If you lucky enough to read this series for the first time check out the links below. Today is a fun installment, the comic IS called Cultists (plural) after all so that means worshipers of any deity is in play like Vecna earlier in the series. So how about another fave of mine from Age of Worms: Kyuss! Enjoy!

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Greyhawkery Comics: Graz'zt Show #2

Happy Needfest Greyhawk faithful! It's been a hot minute, but I seem to have finally got cable access to the longest running show in the Abyss. If you missed the opening, I saved it for you in the links below. Until next time have a laugh and enjoy the holiday!

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Greyhawkery Comics: Saga of Valkaun Dain #5

Welcome again Greyhawkers to another installment of the semi-autobiographical saga of Valkaun Dain. Check the links below for his previous escapades. Back in 2E my players had loads of gold, like so much gold, copper pieces was beneath them. I mainly blame the module Greyhawk Ruins for making characters like Valkaun into Flanaess millionaires. Well, when you already have all the best magic items and armaments, and you have multiple residences and henchmen on staff, what thrill is left for the ultra-rich adventurer? Never fear, in Greyhawk City there is always a challenge...Enjoy!

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Greyhawkery Comics: Cultists #4

Hail Greyhawk heroes! By now we are all familiar with the updated Flanaess map for 2024 D&D and as of this posting the new DMG with this "rebooted 576 CY" material is in people's hands. We also know as of this posting Greyhawk is open for third party submissions to DMsGuild. The future is quite uncertain for fandom. What IS certain is the Cultists of Tharizdun will play the hand they are dealt and will continue to do what they do best. If you are just joining, catch up! Follow the navigation links at the bottom. Enjoy!  

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New Greyhawk Fanzine: The Grey Grimoire #1

Hail Greyhawk faithful. Today I'm quickly promoting the fantastic work behind the latest Greyhawk fanzine, The Grey Grimoire! This inaugural issue features a variety of articles for a diverse selection of game systems by many wonderful authors and artists from the Greyhawk community. In particular you will find history of Old Aerdy, some great player character options for Hextor and Dalt, monster and treasures of the seas, and some delicious new Circle of (Nine?) heresy. There is all that and much more, check this new publication out NOW. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD THE GREY GRIMOIRE ISSUE #1

Greyhawk City: Champion's Games

Welcome back Greyhawk faithful. On a recent Legends & Lore stream we talked about mercenaries and adventuring parties. One of the things we discussed was the Dungeon #128 adventure from Age of Worms titled The Champion's Belt by Tito Leati. In this chapter, as the PCs search for answers involving a retired gladiator named Loris Raknian, they must enter a gladiatorial event hosted by the "Free City" Arena where groups of compete for the coveted Champion's Belt. The meta plot involving a cult of Kyuss aside, I love the idea of an annual Champions Games held in the City of Greyhawk. I highly recommend this issue for anyone running an urban campaign. In the Champion's Belt, there is a huge list of NPC "gladiator" groups (these are not traditional gladiators, they seem more like rival adventuring groups), some detailed as opponents for the PCs, but most are left for DMs to flesh out. The focus of this post is to show the brief descriptive backgrounds I gave these Champion's Belt teams for my own Age of Worms campaign. But first here is some background rules on the Champion's Games. Enjoy!

"The Champion's Games is a five-day-long gladiatorial tournament that takes place annually in the Free City Arena. The games themselves consist of a massive four-round elimination event, interspersed with spectacle fights that pit gladiators against exotic monsters and other unique foes. A single team can consist of no more than eight members. Familiars do not count as members, but larger animal companions, mounts, and cohorts do. Finally, each team of gladiators must identify itself with a name and designate a leader."

• The tournament is fought in four successive rounds of elimination. The first round consists of six battles of free-for-all combat between four teams (24 teams total). The six winners of the first round of battles are paired off into three team-versus-team battles. The next round, two of the three remaining teams fight each other, while the third team fights a special exotic monster. The final round is a face-to-face battle between the two remaining teams. The winners of each round is awarded a generous prize (trophy plus 2000-10,000 gp). The winner of the Champion's Games wins the right to wear the Champion's Belt (worth 2000 gp) for a year, along with a cash payout of 20,000 gp.
• All battles are potentially lethal, but a gladiator always has the option of surrender. To surrender, a gladiator must drop his weapons, kneel, and hold both hands in the air. A gladiator who attacks a surrendering foe is disqualified (and likely arrested for assault or murder). A gladiator who surrenders and then attacks anothr foe is also disqualified.
• Gladiators that can fly or levitate may do so up to a height of 40 feet. A gladiator that flues any higher is disqualified. Burrowing into the arena's floor is forbidden.
• A match persists until one team is victorious, either through the death or the surrender of all opposing teams.
• Winning gladiators have no right to the spoils of the fallen. A defeated foe keeps his gear, or in the case of death, ownership of gear reverts to his team.
• Any tactic that endangers spectators is grounds for immediate disqualification and possible legal action.
• A disqualified gladiator must cease fighting at once and must move to the edge of the field of battle. Failure to comply results in the disqualification of the entire team. Once a gladiator is disqualified, he may no longer take part in any remaining battles.

The Competition:

These teams are given a short description by me, and are open to further development by a DM. The module does give an "Encounter Level" for each NPC team which helps. Teams marked with an asterisk are fully detailed in Dungeon #128.

Arcane Auriga* EL 10 

4 elven female archers, exiles from Celene. Led by Rennida Auriga (arcane archer), her daughter Krinasa and two cousins, Eelyssa and Anetah.

Auric's Warband* (defending champion) EL 12

Auric (F10), Khellek (W10) and 3 controlled flesh golems.

Badlands Revenge* EL 9

3 gnoll warriors led by a human druid/barbarian named Joren and his dire badger companion.

Chuko's Ravens EL 7

3 kenku rogues led by a druid named Chuko.

Draconic Brood EL 11

4 half-dragon adventurers (or dragonborn if 5E) including a pseudo-dragon familiar.

Drunken Devilry EL 6

6 drunken students from the fraternal Gnarly House in Greyhawk City.

Final Phoenix EL 7

4 mounted lancers from the Bright Lands.

Guttuggers EL 8

4 half-orc mercenary veterans from Greyhawk City.

Iron (Cairn) Hill Monkeys EL 5

3 monks from Twilight Monastery. 

Night Owls EL 4

2 rogue knife-fighters from Dyvers.

One of Us EL 4

3 human adventurers (triplets) form the Duchy of Urnst. Might be dopplegangers?

Pitch Blade* EL 12

2 dwarven killers (barb 10) named Drusfan and Pharbol.

Rauth's Dragoons EL 6

4 veteran mercenary cavalry from Perrenland managed by Captain Rauth.

Sapphire Squad* EL 9

2 mercenary mounted archers led a jann swashbuckler named Korush.

Snow Leopards EL 9

A half-elf mage and a half-elf ranger with two leopard animal companions from the Lortmils .

Teeth of Kord EL 5

3 clerics led by specialty priest of Kord from Rhizia.

The Crazy Eight EL 6

8 minor gladiators from the Pit in the Foreign Quarter.

The Fisthammers EL 8

4 dwarven warriors from Karakast.

The Gravediggers EL 8

3 of the meanest members of the Gravedigger Union in GHC.

The Skull of Murq EL 9

A mysterious wizard and 4 human bodyguards.

The Unhumans EL 7

A half-orc, an ogre, a lizard man, and a bugbear.

The Woodchuckers EL 3

4 spunky gnomes from Grossetgrottel.

Varmint Patrol EL 5

8 halfling slingers from Elmshire.

Greyhawk Map Definitions

Welcome back Greyhawkers! If you've spent as much time as I have staring at the Darlene map of the Flanaess then you'll understand that you start to question the meaning and origins of every damn label Gygax used for his geography and towns. Sure, we know a ton of them are anagrams or homages of family and friends, or are using French, German or Latin words, but the ones that are left over still sometimes need defined to fully understand them. Gygax after-all was a wordsmith who was fond of using archaic English vocabulary in his Greyhawk works (often for NPC names). Let's explore some words from the map, see which ones you know already, and if you have any clarifications, please put them in the comments. Enjoy! 

(Plains of the Paynims) paynim: (noun) "heathen; pagan" I always assumed this was a reference to nomads or something Arabic adjacent. What I failed to understand all these years is that paynim is a real-world derogatory name (albeit an archaic term). From the meta-perspective of the World of Greyhawk Guide's author, yes, the men of the plains would be heathens or pagans compared to the Flanaess' cultures. This term of course fits in on a pulpy map that also lists barbarians, nomads, and savages. I can now only assume the peoples of the Baklunish West would have a different name for this region! 

(Lake Quag, Quag Keep) quag(mire): (noun) "soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot; a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position." I always knew Quag was a root of quagmire. I think the first time I heard the word was in reference to a war you cannot get out of once started. I wonder if Gygax envisioned Lake Quag as some place that is dangerous then? It doesn't seem especially bad, like it may freeze over but that's far from what you'd expect in a quagmire situation.  

(town of Shiboleth) shibboleth: (noun) "a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning; a truism or platitude; a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others." I got to admit I've never seen this word used in general conversation only in writing, maybe it's one of these antiquated Gygaxian words. What is interesting though, is that the town of Shiboleth (one "b" less) is in Gran March, a (religious) militant state. So that choice of word is on the mark!  

(Spindrift Isles) spindrift: (noun) "sea spray; fine wind-borne snow or sand" This is a word I didn't know the definition of until I wrote this article and is what started me down this dictionary rabbit hole in the first place! Now I have never spent time on the sea, the desert or in the arctic, so it's new to me, but maybe this is a commonly used term? In any case, kudos to Gygax for naming an island chain with such an appropriately descriptor. It is amusing to me though, that he could have just as easily called the Bright Desert the Spindrift Desert and this entry would be unchanged!

(Gamboge Forest) gamboge (noun) "a strong yellow; an orange to brown gum resin from southeast Asian trees of the Saint-John's wort family that is used as a yellow pigment and cathartic." 

(Celadon Forest) celadon (noun) "a grayish-yellow green; a ceramic glaze originated in China that is greenish in color."

A two-for-one on this entry. I covered both these words in a previous article on Colorful Places of Greyhawk. Gygax uses A LOT of colors in his naming schemes. These two rare words however eluded my consciousness for many years before I started blogging. Celadon makes sense for a forest descriptor, whereas gamboge perhaps is referring to the forest's changing leaves during the autumn season.

(Woolly Bay) woolly (adjective) "consisting of wool; like the rough, vigorous atmosphere of the early West in America." This is one of my favorite choices of Gygax's. And I don't think this is about woolly mammoths or wool sweaters. Here we literally have "wild and woolly" labelled side by side on the map. Gary likely envisioned the Wild Coast and Woolly Bay as his medieval fantasy version of the Wild West. He even gave us the gunslinging paladin Murlynd after all (have gun will travel). 

(town of Knurl) knurl (noun) "a small protuberance or knob; one of a series of small ridges on a metal surface to aid in gripping." Coincidence or clever Gygaxian naming for this town? I don't know much lore about Knurl, but maybe the town is built on a hill? It is kinda at the tip of the Blemu Hills I think.

(Suss Forest) suss (verb) "to inspect or investigate so as to gain more knowledge." This one I knew about, but it's still weird to my ears, like yes, we do need to investigate this evil woodland more. No, what I think is actually happening in this case is Gygax used a root of the word of susurrus "a whispering or rustling sound." Now that sounds like a cooler reason to name an evil forest.

(Gnarley Forest) gnarly (adjective) "twisted with or as if with gnarls or knots; distasteful or distressing, gross." Everyone's favorite forest (an added "e" for variation) is an aptly described place that gives you an immediate mental image of being old, dense and twisted. If you grew up in the 80's however the latter definition certainly made this forest into a running joke. Good times.

(Welkwood) welk (verb) "to lose freshness or greenness, dry up; to become less." This one I'm not totally sure about but again, Gygax is known for using obsolete words in Greyhawk. Welk can be a synonym for fade, wilt or wane. This definition doesn't evoke the image of a lush sylvan forest though, unless it is already in decline from ancient times. Another thought with the benefit of hindsight, I'd speculate that the "Suss and Welk" forest names should be swapped. One other possibility, Gygax was a fan of Lawrence Welk? Shrug!

(Nutherwood) nuther (conjunction, pronoun or adjective) "not either; not the one or the other of two or more." This one is a stretch so bear with me. According to the internet, (which is always right) nuther is a dialectal variant of the word neither. So, taken in context of the Flanaess on the opposite side of the river is the ghostly Phostwood and the locals are calling this side "Neitherwood" meaning this is also not a place you should enter. My other suspicion is that "nuther" is a play on "nether" implying this woodland is some kind of otherworldly place of the dead. Now that seems more fitting for a fantasy setting! 

(Flotsom Isle) flotsam (noun) "floating wreckage or a ship or its cargo; a floating population (emigrants/castaways); miscellaneous or unimportant material."  

(Jetsom Isle) jetsam (noun) "the part of a ship, its equipment, or its cargo that is cast overboard to lighten the load in time of distress and that sinks or is washed ashore." 

I have another two for one entry. You know I gotta mention these two words because they're part of the Hold of the Sea Princes. Not kidding, I went many, many years before I knew the definition of flotsam and jetsam. Jetsam kinda sounds like jettison, which has to share the same root meaning. Also, I guess Gygax used a variation of the spelling, "flotsom and jetsom" cause fantasy world, right? Whatever the spelling or meaning, these islands are perfectly named for their location, a high seas haven for buccaneers.

(Griff Mountains) griff (noun) "a deep narrow glen or ravine; news or reliable information." I'm uncertain about this one as well. I see this word is a dialectal variant, or a slang English word. It's most likely just the shortened version of the mythical creature griffon (griffin) of course. This is D&D after all. Still, calling a mountain range griff because of its numerous glens and ravines doesn't seem all that implausible. 

 

(town of Glot) -glot (adjective combining form) "having knowledge of or using languages." This last word I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Polyglot is a word I've always known, and glottal and glottis refer to vocal cords. So here we have the capital of the Cruskii, did Gygax intend Glot to be monosyllabic because they are barbarians? Maybe it's a clever inference that the Ice Barbarians are multilingual, or good at war cries, I don't know! Or maybe I give Gygax too much credit in naming the Flanaess, and Glot is just four random letters. That's all I got for now! If anyone has a cool obscure map word definition, let me know! 

Expressions in the Land of Ull

Well met, Greyhawkers! One of my absolute favorite Greyhawk source books is Anne Brown's Players Guide to Greyhawk from the 2E era. Among the many useful tidbits of Greyhawk lore and info on how to make a character set in the Flanaess, there is a section on expressions and sayings. This kind of stuff is a delight because it adds spice to your roleplay, further adding to the immersion of the setting. By now most of you have heard gems like "I Spit on the Old One", "Cold Iron Avail You", or "May the Axe Grow Great." Well in this post I am going to attempt to add to this cultural exchange with some custom expressions from the frontier land of Ull. Keep in mind Grey-scholars, these sayings are translated from the original Ulagha dialect of Ancient Baklunish, so the actual wording may or may not be accurate. Until the Starbreak!

"Yoll, Yoll, Yoll!" This is an ancient battle cry used by Uli warriors, predating their occupation of the Oeridian lands. It was most famously yelled by the united forces of Ull when it turned back the invading Brazen Horde at the Battle of Ulakand in 308 CY. Over time however, this specific expression has fallen out of popular use by the many khanates of Ull who have developed their own local battle cries. Only the small warband called the Wild Men still cling to this expression as they harass travelers passing though Ohkir Khanate. Note: this expression originally comes from Gary Gygax's novel Sea of Death, where for copyright reasons the land of Ull was renamed Yoll.

"I'd sooner go to Kester." The derision felt between the traditional northern nomadic clans of Ull, and their corruptible southern kin is no more evident than in this familiar saying which has now spread across the neighboring plains and steppes. Kester's reputation for danger and depravity lends itself well to this forceful rejection of an obviously perilous request. Example: "You want to go in the Tomb of Horrors? I'd sooner go to Kester!"

"The arrow has been loosed." Variations of this idiom are found throughout Eastern Oerik. In Ull, it is commonly asserted that once an arrow is launched there is no changing its course. To put plainly, it refers to a decision that is made which cannot be taken back. Example: "I told the sheik we will not give in to his demands. The arrow has been loosed!"

"Ride fast, ride far." Many nomadic tribes in the north of Ull will travel vast distances in a shorter time than most riders due to the strength and resiliency of their horse breeds. This expression of parting is quite popular among the khanates and has even found use by their distant kin on the Plains of the Paynims. The saying is also the rallying cry of the annual Najaam Trials (during Richfest), a cross-country horse race that brings honor to a rider's family.

"Come down from your saddle." This expression is used to imply someone is being stubborn or unreasonable and needs to humble themselves. This usually includes a subtext of violence. For context, it is customary in Ull for negotiations to be conducted on foot, mainly in the event combat breaks out to decide the matter. Example: "Seventy gold pieces for that old bow? Come down from your saddle..."

"Blood is strength." Ull is a land of internal strife with warring raiders and contentious nomad families. When Uli have common foe however, the entire domain will rally together behind a strong leader. The phrase "blood is strength" is thus used by locals as a rousing means of setting aside differences to deal with a foreign problem.

Your god did not follow you here." While not outright hostile, this expression is often invoked as a way to rebuke clerics and missionaries foolish enough to come to Ull. Uli are distrustful of religions in general believing more in spirituality centered on their ancestors. They do believe the gods exist but only harmful ones like Incabulos or Ralishaz pay any mind to Ull. Example: "Keep your prayers and begone beggar, your god did not follow you here."

Greyhawk A-Z: Named Fiends

Welcome again Greyfolk! I got another fun A-Z list coming at you! Some of my previous alphabetical lists of people, places, deities, and most recently magic items, can be found on the Best of Greyhawkery Page. This time around I will try my hand at discussing named fiends (demons or devils) from the many editions of D&D. Fiends of the lower planes have always been an integral part of Greyhawk lore from the very beginning. I am quite sure there will be no ill side effects by listing all these evil beings, I mean it worked for Iggwilv in her Demonomicon right? Enjoy!

Arendagrost: (Dragon #290) Right off the bat I'm throwing out an obscure fiend. Arendagrost, the Maw of the Abyss, is the three headed, draconic offspring of Demogorgon and Malcanthet the Queen of Succubi. Arendagrost's significance is it was summoned as a byproduct of Lord Kargoth's betrayal of the Knight Protectors and the resulting creation of the death knights. While Arendagrost was sent back to the abyss by the forces of good, it waits to cause more carnage in the future.

Baphomet: (MM2) Now this is more like it, the Prince of Beasts. Good ol' Baphomet rules abyssal layer #600, the Endless Maze. Baphomet is one of those demons extracted from real world mythology though in D&D lore he is the patron of minotaurs as you'd expect. As a bonus tidbit, I wrote the Minotaur Mask of the Ulsprues with Baphomet in mind.

Charon: (MM2) Another outlier on this list, Charon is obviously the famous skeletal boatman of the Styx from Greek myth. This doesn't change in D&D except he is a unique daemon (I believe yugoloth in 2E parlance) whose duty is to transport beings on the same river Styx that connects all the Lower Planes. What's fun is that Charon has his own look-alike daemon servants called Charonadaemons who also runs skiffs because I suppose the high demand for ferry services in the afterlife?

Dagon: (Dragon #349) You thought I might go Demogorgon here, eh? Too easy. The Prince of the Depths. Dagon is a classic baddy who lurks in layer #89 The Shadowsea. I like Dagon because he is an ancient evil (obyrith) from real world myth and is well-known in other fantasy lit (Cthulhu, Conan).

Ereshkigal: (MM2) Surprisingly not much going on in the E department so I'll punt. This female demon lord somehow has evaded detail in D&D, but Gygax definitely lifted the name from Sumerian myth. Ereshkigal is one of many gods of the underworld, and in these myths, she is married to another "fiend" on this list (see below).

Fraz-Urb'luu: (MM2) Fraz, the Prince of Deception comes from abyss layer #176, Hollow's Heart. He is quite familiar in Greyhawk lore, like Zagig Yragerne once trapped Fraz as a trial run for capturing real gods. One you may not know is Fraz-Urb'luu once had a side gig as drummer on the Graz'zt Show.

Gargoth: (Dragon #91) Nope, not going to do Graz'zt either, too over-exposed in Greyhawk. Let me show you an arch-devil you can use in your campaign! The Lord Who Watches, Gargoth was once only second to Asmodeus in the Nine Hells but now he wanders the Prime Material Plane on his own terms! If you want to read more about what Gargoth is up to and what this devil can do, check out Nine Hells Revisited in Dragon #91 by Ed Greenwood. I also hear a rumor "Gargauth" is dabbling in godhood in the Realms...

Hutijin: (MM2) This Duke of Hell is found in the 8th layer of Hell, Caina serving his master Mephistopheles. He looks like a pit fiend which is by design because he personally leads two companies of pit fiends. Though I couldn't find it in writing, the best I could find online is that there are 333 devils in a company. An army of 666 pit fiends sounds pretty epic!

Ilsidahur: (Dungeon #10) I had to dig deep for this demon. The Howling King is from the adventure "The Shrine of Ilsidahur". From layer #99 The Guttering Grove, he is a giant ape with ram horns who is the patron of bar-lguras. This module might be worth looking into!

Juiblex: (MM1) Yes of course I have to mention the Faceless Lord here. This famous ooze demon lord is from layer #222, Shedakalah which he shares with another featured fiend on this list (see below). Little known fact, Juiblex loves stand-up comedy.

Kostchtchie: (MM2) I would've gone with Kerzit on this letter, but Kosty will forever be a favorite thanks to the classic cover of Dragon #119 (left). The aptly named Prince of Wrath rules layer #23 The Iron Wastes. According to his background, Baba Yaga had a hand in his ascension to demon lord status which is fitting because both are based on Russian folklore.

Lolth: (D&DG) Everyone and their cousin knows Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders who runs abyss layer #66 the Demonweb Pits. No demon lord or duke of hell has probably influenced Greyhawk or D&D for that matter, more than Lolth. I mention her nonhuman entry in Deities & Demigods, but I also first saw her evil glory in Fiend Folio.

The Malgoth: (Dungeon #117) You're probably wondering, what, no Mephistopheles? No Malcanthet? Well folks this is a sleeper pick, check out the Dungeon module, Touch of the Abyss by Greg Vaughan. The Malgoth was once an ancient obyrith that was so awful he was destroyed by an alliance of demon princes (sorta like Tharizdun level badness). His evil was so great that his essence continued to linger invisibly over the aeons, until Lolth unsuccessfully tried to take the city of Istivin into the abyss. This brief overlap allowed the Malgoth to enter Oerth, where he can now possess a single creature, becoming his "voice." It's an insidious demon, and one helluva module.

Nergal: (Dragon #75) This "devil" is intriguing. The Bringer of Pestilence and Fever is an exiled Duke of Hell, one of the "Rabble of Devilkin" who roam Avernus looking to regain his status. That's cool and all but I know a more prominent Nergal from the original Deities & Demigods where he is an underworld god of the Babylonian pantheon (and according to myth is married to Ereshkigal). My favorite however is Nergal the pestilent Chaos god from Warhammer fantasy lore. All in all, there is probably a lot of crossover in these Nergals.

Orcus: (MM1) No brainer on this letter. Orcus, ruler of layer #113 Thanatos, is the classic Prince of the Undead and wielder of the iconic artifact, the Wand of Orcus. Orcus has featured heavily in D&D and Greyhawk lore, though in my opinion he's best known for his efforts to become a true god in the Planescape module Dead Gods. 

Pazuzu: (MM2) AKA Pazrael from Iuz the Evil, this demon lord is well known in Greyhawk lore. The Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms is unique in that he rules the skies of all, I repeat ALL the skies in the 666 layers of the Abyss. Pazuzu's main enemy is Graz'zt yet he makes deals on Oerth with the Dark Prince's demigod son Iuz. Like any good demon lord, ol Paz' cannot be trusted!

Queen of Chaos: (Rod of Seven Parts) Thank goodness for the Queen on this letter. She is the elder evil ruler of all abyssdom before Demogorgon. She is so old in fact she has no name except "Queen of Chaos." The Queen was the demon lord who was infamously defeated by the lawful Wind Dukes of Aaqa at the Battle of Pesh. The Queen now lurks in defeat on level #14, the Steaming Fens. 

Rhyxali: (Fiendish Codex I) Quick question, would Raxivort count as a fiend since he spent so much time serving Graz'zt before becoming god of xvarts? At any rate speaking of Graz, Rhyxali the Queen of the Shadow Demons is his sister! Allegedly. Rhyx resembles Graz'zt though, six fingers and all that. There isn't much on her, but she rules layer #49 Shaddonon where all shadow demons originate. Cool!

Shami-Amourae: (Dungeon #148) The Lady of Delights. She is a rival of Malcanthet whom was once the consort of Demogorgon. Shami however was imprisoned in abyss layer #73 The Well of Darkness. She appears in the adventure path Savage Tide because she knows intimate information about the Prince of Demons. Oh my!

Titivilius: (MM2) I'm picking Titivilus because the wily ambassador/messenger of arch-devil Dispater looks fun to use in a roleplay sense. This goat-legged devil is wicked because he can spew the most corrupted twisted words and causes fear and confusion like no other. Fiends even hate talking to him!

Ugudenk: (Dragon #333) The Squirming King is an obyrith demon rules that layer #177 the Writhing Realm. He is best known for having his wormy creatures burrow into Fraz-Urb'luu's realm while he was imprisoned by Zagyg. Let's leave it at that. Nasty.

Verin: (MM2) Tricky letter. This demon lord is mentioned in Monster Manual 2 but is not given any detail. Later on, Verin would be made the "Voice of Graz'zt", the demon who filled in for his demon prince while he was imprisoned by Iggwilv. I believe this role is synonymous with the demon Vuron from Gygax's Gord novel series. Either way, Verin is a cool customer.

Wejinhastala: (Dragon #357) Okay this is an obscure reference, but W isn't a popular letter with fiends evidently. Wejin is the Tempest, a demon lord from antiquity that allied with several others to take down the Malgoth (see above) before falling into ruin themselves.

Xaxx'aa: (Rary the Traitor) This is a hidden gem. Xaxx is an Ultroloth (the toughest of daemon-kind) who is in the service of Rary the Traitor. Xaxx is in the Bright Desert voluntarily to aid Rary, overseeing the epic teleportation of Rary's tower from Ket to the desert. He has uncertain motivations, perhaps displacing the mage as ruler? Xaxx'aa is not only highly intelligent, but deadly in combat, carrying a sentient sword +3 called Doomcutter whose special purpose is to slay demons and devils. This guy needs to be used more!

Yeenoghu: (MM1) The Demon Prince of Gnolls is well known from early D&D lore. He lives on layer #422 "Yeenoghu's Realm" a barren plane that once belonged to other demon lords. Yeenoghu has many enemies, including Baphomet (see above) who have been scheming over events in Western Oerik. 

Zuggtmoy: (TOEE) Let's finish this list properly. Zuggtmoy has been featured in adventures and novels from the very beginning of Greyhawk. The Lady of Fungi is of course most famous for her um, association with Iuz, and her role in the classic adventure Temple of Elemental Evil. When not imprisoned, Zuggy lives on abyssal layer #222 Shedakalah along with her slimy friend Juiblex. Spoiler: this realm is where Zuggtmoy hides Iuz's soul object. This fiendish show of devotion reminds me of an old blog post from 2019. Enjoy and until next time!

Greyhawk Gods Walk on Oerth

Greetings Greyhawk faithful! Today I'm going to look into a situation that has always bothered me about Greyhawk setting lore, and that is a contradictory suggestion that deities of Oerth do not directly get involved in mortal affairs. This is one area where I'm for classic Greyhawk over latter day authors. Let me explain in more detail...

From the Ashes by Carl Sargent on How Do Powers Look Upon Mortals:

"The Powers of Oerth rarely intercede directly in the affairs of Oerth. They expect their servants to be their right (and left) hands in the world...The Powers have an implicit understanding that if one of them should act too directly, others will act in concert to oppose the meddler, for if all acted in such a manner, Oerth would be destroyed by the Powers.

This helps us understand why the demigod Iuz has been able to effect so much evil in the Flanaess. The Prime Material Plane is his home plane, and therefore, he has a direct involvement in its affairs that other Powers do not...One partial exception is St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel. Other Powers allow St. Cuthbert to act in limited ways to oppose Iuz."

Indeed, this Cuthbert-Iuz rivalry is suggested previously in Temple of Elemental by Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer but it is not explicitly stated the gods overall are barred from Oerth:

"Because of the plots of Iuz and various demons and evil elemental types, St. Cuthbert has become actively aware of events, and has indirect assistance from Beory (who resists elemental destruction). The enmity between Iuz and St. Cuthbert may result in direct confrontation!"

What does Beory giving assistance look like?!? Cuthbert interferes with Iuz, and in turn Iuz has interfered in the affairs of Vecna more than once (Vecna Lives!). The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer meanwhile, follows what I shall now term, Sargent's Law, and further clarifies this limitation to the "Powers" of Oerth:

"No god above demigod level may enter the Prime Material Plane of Oerth without the consensus of a majority of the gods of Oerth. A few exceptions to this are Ehlonna, Fharlanghn, Obad-Hai, and Olidammara (who chose the Prime Material Plane as their native realm), Beory (who may actually be the Oerth itself), and St. Cuthbert (who was allowed to come to Oerth to fight Iuz on more than one occasion)."

Older sources paint a slightly different picture than what Carl Sargent initiated in the 2nd Edition era of Greyhawk (if there is an earlier source of this law let know in the comments). Len Lakofka and Gygax seemed to have a more classic mythology flair to the pantheons of Oerth. In addition, Greyhawk Adventures by James Ward states in the first paragraph of the first chapter:

"The gods often visit the Prime Material Plane in avatar form to aid their worshipers or just to enjoy themselves. In one way or another, they influence actions of all creatures on the Plane...For some unknown reason, the city of Greyhawk gets an unusual amount of attention from these deities-at least one of these beings usually has an avatar in the city. Many ballads tell of awe-inspiring confrontations between avatars of opposing alignments on the city's crowded streets."

The gods may not directly appear to mortals in their true form in most cases, but they DEFINITELY walk among mortals frequently. Have a look at more of these instances:

Syrul lesser goddess of deceit (Dragon #88) "When a member of the Scarlet Brotherhood who is an assassin, illusionist, thief or monk attains the 9th level of experience, Syrul will personally attend the level-advancement ceremony to wish the character "evil-luck". Such a character is granted a vision spell with no strings attached."

To remind you, the Scarlet Brotherhood is comprised entirely of assassins, thieves and monks. Syrul doesn't just visit her special worshippers then, but ALL those high-level characters in the organization. That's not to say the goddess of deceit does this overtly in front of everyone, but she is there in person for a ceremony! 

Wee Jas greater goddess of magic and death (Dragon #88) "She can summon groups of lawful undead or lawful dragons (not Tiamat or Bahamut) to do her bidding...Summoned creatures will come to her in Acheron or on the Prime Material Plane..." 

Wee Jas is a vain deity, so why wouldn't she want to meddle in mortal affairs? Now admittedly this example is not as concrete as the one for Syrul, but it does infer that Wee Jas can call down heavy aid if she is on Oerth and needs to fight. That's not subtle at all for a greater deity.

Kord the Brawler greater god (Dragon #87) "Kord is quite the fool for a pretty face. He favors elven and human women, but has also consorted with other humanoids and even giants. The world is full of his sons and daughters, but few, if any, of them can claim demigod status (less than 1%)."

Kord, another greater god, is a classic example of meddling in mortal affairs, in the fashion of Zeus, by having actual affairs with mortals! The article in Dragon goes on to explain how a PC can possibly be a child of Kord and the game bonuses inherited. Later sources like From the Ashes completely omit this behavior by the Brawler in deference to the new "non-interference pact".

Phaulkon greater god of air and avians (Dragon #87) "Phaulkon is a relatively active traveler, and enjoys the company of men and elves. He can shape change into any normal or giant bird at will, as well as into the form of an elf or sprite."

Even Kord's dad likes to hang out on Oerth, and though it doesn't state he is promiscuous, there is no reason to believe he couldn't sire hero-gods like his son.

Norebo lesser god of luck and gambling (Dragon #86) "Norebo enjoys visiting taverns and gambling houses in the guise of a cheerful, innocent stranger and setting up dice games against other patrons...it is impossible for someone to know Norebo's true identity unless the deity wills it."

This roguish deity is discreet about his interactions at least!

Heironeous lesser god of chivalry and justice (Dragon #67) "Heironeous often leaves the Seven Heavens in order to move around the Prime Material Plane, aiding heroic causes and championing Lawful Good...he has the power to create an illusion which makes him appear as a young boy, a mercenary soldier, or an old man. In the latter guises he will be garbed appropriately, but he always wears a suit of fine, magical chainmail."

Yes, even the patron of paladins and knights everywhere in the Flanaess cannot help but get involved. He isn't directly appearing in all his glory, but he is there (perhaps even on the front lines helping Shield Lands and Furyondy vs Iuz!) in contradiction to later canon law. Then there is his brother...

Hextor lesser god of war (Dragon #67) "Hextor dwells on the Planes of Acheron but can wander to those of Hell or even Nirvana. Most frequently, though, Hextor treads the Prime Material Plane in search of warfare, aiding lawful evil, opposing good...Hextor appears as a normal, handsome man when in disguise, for he can cause four of his arms to meld with his torso whenever he so desires. His complexion is fair and his hair jet black, as are his eyes. He is well spoken and charming, a hale fellow and a man’s man, yet irresistible to women."

Hextor is MOST FREQUENTLY on Oerth doing his business. Why wouldn't a war god hang out on battlefields with mortals? It's what Ares would do. Speaking of war gods...

Erythnul lesser god of hate and slaughter (Dragon #71) "Erythnul stalks battlefields in order to strike fear and rout whenever possible...when Erythnul engages in combat, his visage mutates from segment to segment, flowing in form from human to gnoll to bugbear to ogre to troll."

Think about this, mean ol' Erythnul could potentially be on the SAME battlefields as Heironeous and Hextor. Erythnul is not as subtle as the brothers though. Oeridian gods don't seem to play by Sargent Law. How about Baklunish gods?

Istus greater goddess of fate (Dragon #69) "Istus does certainly make appearances on other planes, including the Prime Material. Sometimes she is an old crone, other times she appears as a noble dame, then again as a lovely lady or even as a shepherd girl."

Istus is another deity that can meddle in disguise as much as she wants, but she is also responsible for the Oerth-spanning retcon during 1E-2E that was Fate of Istus. I suppose she had permission from a majority of gods for that one...

Nerull greater god of death (Dragon #71) "Nerull stalks the many planes-particularly the Prime Material when shrouded by night...However, most of the time he does not venture from Tarterus save to wreak havoc on the Prime Material Plane."

The grim reaper likes the hands-on approach, do not accept any lesser imitations.

There is more exceptions and instances than I can possibly list in this post. So just saying all Powers are flat-out barred from Oerth is just lazy writing in my opinion (which I never accuse Sargent of being any other time) and it robs the deities of much of their flavor and uniqueness. Was it done for game balance? Most likely. But for years we at least had DM agency to have divine intervention if we wanted as authors heaped us with game stats for D&D gods. No one wants a god-killing Time of Troubles situation like in Forgotten Realms of course. Deities shouldn't be superfluous in appearance like the Syrul example above, nor dropping like flies in the street like Greyhawk Adventures suggests. Also using avatars versus actual deities manifesting on Oerth is a semantic argument. Either they influence mortals directly at will or they only allow exceptions like St. Cuthbert. Whatever you decide for your own game, the examples from Dragon Magazine above are all reasonable ways to reward (or punish) PCs for learning mythic lore and having patron deities by showing the players that the gods are real in the World of Greyhawk.

Fantastic Metal and Stones of Greyhawk

Greetings Greyhawk scholars! Today's topic is one that has been eluding me for several years. I would get a glimmer to write about, then forget, or I'd take some notes and lose them. But it's always been popping up taunting me. The topic is fantastic metal and stones of Greyhawk! Most of these entries are from Greyhawk lore, some are unique or perhaps sentient formations, and others are general D&D tropes. Also, given the research on this topic is insanely time intensive, I am sure I'll overlook some examples, so if you know a rare metal or stone in Greyhawk that I missed, let me know in the comments. Enjoy!

ADAMANTITE & MITHRAL

Both these fantasy metals are commonly found in Greyhawk as well as D&D lore, owing to fantasy fiction like Lord of the Rings. Adamantine objects are generally harder, Mithral items are also durable but lighter. 

"Adamantine is an alloy created from a glossy black metal known as adamant. Adamant is the pure metal form of a jet-black, ferromagnetic ore known as adamantite. In its pure form, adamant is a lustrous, gleaming black color with rainbow edges. It is one of the hardest substances known (save obdurium), but also brittle. A stylus made from adamant will shatter if dropped.

The alloy adamantine is also black, but it has a clear green sheen in candlelight. This sheen turns purple-white under most magical radiances. Adamantine is pliable but very difficult to work with. It must be forged at very high temperatures by master smiths with special oils to slake and temper the hot metal. Adamantine features the strength of adamant without the brittleness.

Adamantite ore is found only in meteorites and the rarest of veins in magical areas deep beneath the earth beyond where human miners go, sometimes found in spherical pockets in volcanic areas. The drow are rumored to have an abundance of it. A few clans of deep-delving dwarves have also come across it, and most adamantine items found on the surface are of dwarven make. Adamantite has been discovered in the Pits of Azak-Zil."

"Mithral, also spelled mithril and known as truemetal among the dwarves, is a precious metal produced from ore found in the underoerth as well as mountain ranges in certain areas of the Flanaess. Mithral ore is an exceedingly rare silver-and-black mineral in its natural form. It becomes a glistening silvery-blue when it is forged."

OBDURIUM

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk by Jason Bulmahn, James Jacobs and Erik Mona.

Stronghold Builders Guidebook by Matt Forbeck and David Noonan

This fantasy metal is less well known than the previous two materials. It goes to show there is always a stronger substance somewhere out there. Indeed, there is more to come...

"A fantastically rare metal that is even harder than adamantine. Obdurium is a pale violet metal which is harder than adamantine. This incredibly rare metal represents the pinnacle of nonmagical metal strength. It is also nearly prohibitively expensive, building with it costs ten times as much as carving stone walls and sixty times what a normal wooden wall would cost to build.
The doors leading to the Godtrap in Zagig's Prison beneath Castle Greyhawk are made of obdurium."

TUMKEOITE & LACOFSITE

D3: Vault of the Drow by Gary Gygax

Dragon #298 Vault of the Drow: Dark Elf Metropolis by Frederick Weining

"The true splendor of the Vault can be appreciated only by those with infravision, or by use of the roseate lenses or a gem of seeing. The Vault is a strange anomaly, a hemispherical cyst in the crust of the earth, an incredibly huge domed fault over 6 miles long and nearly as broad. The dome overhead is a hundred feet high at the walls, arching to several thousand feet height in the center. When properly viewed, the radiation from certain unique minerals give the visual effect of a starry heaven, while near the zenith of this black stone bowl is a huge mass of tumkeoite — which in its slow decay and transformation to lacofcite sheds a lurid gleam, a ghostly plum-colored light to human eyes, but with ultravision a wholly different sight. The small "star" nodes glow in radiant hues of mauve, lake, violet, puce, lilac, and deep blue. The large "moon" of tumkeoite casts beams of shimmering amethyst which touch the crystalline formations with colors unknown to any other visual experience."

"Deep beneath the mighty Hellfurnace Mountains lies the Vault of the Drow, an immense hemispherical cyst in Oerth’s crust over six miles long and nearly as broad. Its mineral-veined ceiling rises more than 1000 fathoms above its crystal-strewn floor; near the zenith of the dome is a huge mass of tumkeoite, which as it slowly decays and transforms into lacofcite glows like a ghostly, plum-colored moon in the firmament of the Vault, while other phosphorescent nodes dimly gleam like stars in the same stony heaven."

Tumkeoite and Lacofsite (lack of sight) is two more of Gygax's usual anagram/pun creations that he name-drops throughout the setting. Taken literally though, Tumkeoite is a very rare radioactive substance that, depending on your ability to see different spectrums, sheds a light that is not harmful to normally light-sensitive Drow. Surely the dark elves picked the Vault because of this substance and the area it covers. One can also assume that give the radioactive nature of Tumkeoite, this is what gives some Drow gear their special properties and causes their decay when away from the Underdark. There is no mention of these unique minerals appearing anywhere else besides the Vault of the Drow, so I would ask, are these natural formations, or is Tumkeoite something that fell to Oerth in prehistory?

THE BLUE ELLIPSOID

Speaking of meteorites, the Pits of Azak-Zil in the Abbor-Alz hills is a famous impact site where everything from gold to adamantite have been dug up, but one odd piece of ore has caused a lot of trouble at the mine... 

Greyhawk Adventures by James Ward

"For five years (dwarvish clan) Highforge swelled with wealth...Then abruptly the flow was cut off...a few suppose that the mine was visited by a curse, either by something imported from the heavens or by something wakened by the shooting star or the activities of the miners."

"There will be unusual numbers of undead, especially ghouls and ghasts, many of dwarven origin...The cause of this horrible transformation is an ellipsoid of bluish metal about 2 feet long and one foot diameter. All who die within five miles of it raise at the next full moon as undead creatures...The stone also causes consuming greed and transformation to a lichlike state in its possessor."

THE PURPLE STONE

Think the Blue Ellipsoid was weird? Well, there is a sentient Purple Stone that was actually worshipped by a cult...

Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure by Robert J Kuntz

Dungeon #112 Maure Castle by Robert J Kuntz and Erik Mona

"Ancient Suel migrants fleeing the Rain of Colorless Fire carried the Purple Stone from its temple and installed it here...The cults came to a tragic end many decades ago when the Purple Stone tried to subvert them all along with the nearby masters of Maure Castle. The Maures responded by sealing the Purple Stone and all the cultists within the dungeon and raising the Unopenable Doors to prevent anyone from coming to their rescue."

"...a single oblong purple stone. The stone is ten feet long, four feet high, and three feet wide, its surface smooth and polished. The stone seems partially translucent and pulsates dimply with an inner violet light...The Purple Stone is not wholly disembodied spirit, not wholly magic artifact, but somewhere in between."

THE BLACK OBELISK & OERTH STONE

The Purple Stone wants others' attention, but two even more powerful sentient rocks, the Black Obelisk and the Oerth Stone just want to be left alone. The Obelisk's sole purpose is to hide the more important Oerth Stone, and it would still be hidden itself if not for a certain pesky archmage and his outrageous plan to capture nine deities...

Greyhawk Ruins by Blake Mobley and Timothy B Brown

"One of the main reasons Zagig chose this area to build his castle on was the great magical obelisk he discovered...Unable to move it, he sought to use it in other ways..."

"Within lies the obelisk which drew Zagig to this area. The obelisk is a large 9’ diameter stone which looks as if made from obsidian. One large shield-sized chip is missing from it as well as four smaller such chips...The obelisk is actually frozen in space in relation to Oerth. It can only be moved or scratched by powers equivalent to multiple deities under the careful guidance of a brilliant mind. Any magic used in this room will strip that item or PC of all magical powers...Zagig placed several of his original creations in this room as a tribute to the obelisk. These items have been so exposed to the obelisk that they have gamed several special properties. They have been filled with the obelisk’s powers of existence (thus they are as difficult to break or destroy as an artifact)."

"The obelisk also blankets everything in a cloak through which deities (except Boccob) simply will not see. Priests won’t immediately realize they are being ignored. Thus a priest can cast spells here, but no new spells will be granted in this area..."

"In his search for the great obelisk, Zagig happened upon this chamber. It is filled with intense powers of earth and rock. Yet, he could never determine the source (he never realized how close he came). Finally, he assumed it had to be a side effect of the obelisk somewhere below. Located at the center of the main rock column is a huge chip of brown smoky quartz...It is actually a fragment of the shattered Earth (Oerth) Stone, which was a relic of immense power used long ago by the creators to fill the Prime Material Plane with the heavenly bodies of earth and rock. The creators themselves decided that this relic was too powerful to allow any one of their numbers to guard, thus it was shattered, and a single fragment given to each to hide or guard as they desired. Then, only with their combined knowledge could the item easily be reformed. This sliver was placed here by one of the ancients and has gone unnoticed over the eons."

"This was once the holding cell of the (Oerth) Stone. Its location was hidden from Zagig by the obelisk until after the Stone escaped this area. When Zagig summoned the nine deities, the obelisk had to exert a tremendous amount of energy so that they would not notice the presence of the Oerth Stone."

OERTHBLOOD

As we've already seen, the central Flanaess is a hot bed of fantastic materials. Some are extremely hard and dangerous to get, like Oerthblood, found primarily below Tenser's castle and also the rich city of Irongate. This substance has nonetheless seen much use in the creation of famous artifacts.

Return of the Eight by Roger Moore

Dragon #351 Irongate: City of Stairs by Gary Holian & Denis Tetreault

"Oerthblood seeps into The Endless Well from deep beneath the Fortress of Unknown Depths, the dwelling place of the archmage Tenser, His ancient keep was built by migrating Oeridians to guard and harvest this rich magical ore. Few know Oerthblood exists—Tenser has been studying the substance in seclusion for decades- and no one knows exactly what it is. Tenser recently reactivated his keep’s mining operations (which had been shut down after his death during the Greyhawk Wars), and minor earthquakes and strange grinding vibrations occasionally rumble into the surrounding area from deep beneath the citadel, hinting at the immense golems currently at work harvesting the world's magical essence."

"The Endless Well can draw up molten, dark red, ferrous metal there, when cooled, is black, dense, easily enchanted and nearly impervious to damage. This substance is called oerthblood and from it several famous artifacts were made, such as Heward’s Mystical Organ and parts for the infamous Machine of Lum the Mad."

"Oerthblood is dangerous to handle, and much of the work involved in tapping it, pouring it into sheets of molds, working it and finishing it is done by golems and automatons that can withstand the molten substance’s unpredictable radiation, as well as the local heat and poisonous gases."

"Oerthblood weapons and armor must be made of a specific alloy of Oerthblood, known mostly to the artificers and smiths of Irongate, to gain the following benefits. Only primarily metallic objects gain these bonuses."

Oerthblooded iron, so-called "blood-iron," is an exceedingly rare and precious material, created from an amalgam of iron and oerthblood. Discovered as early as the age of Queen Ehlissa, oerthblood is a highly magical element found only on Oerth and thought by some to be the residue of creation. Oerthblood is extremely rare even on Oerth, and Irongate is one of the few locations where it can he found and forged. By reputation, it’s as strong as adamantine and just as effective. Shimmering black flecks on their surface distinguishes Oerth-blooded items."

DWEORNITE & DWEOMERSTONE

Some say the World of Greyhawk is not high magic, but those sages have never researched the depth of magical mysteries on Oerth, from strange weather phenomena to innately magical minerals such as these last two entries...

Iuz the Evil by Carl Sargent

From the Ashes by Carl Sargent

"Dweomerstones: A small clan of gnomes have discovered a few score small, utterly smooth, black, pebblelike stones which, if held in the hand of a wizard, can grant extra spellcasting power. Each stone has one use only...The gnomes selling the stones are fearful and eager to sell at reasonable prices."

"The Horned Lands are unique in having very rare deposits of a unique magical gem: dweornite. Small clusters of dweornite gems, tear-shaped, semi-opaque, blue-white stones, are found in totally unpredictable subterranean locations. The gems have diverse magical powers. Those which have been documented include spell gems, gems which yield magical potions when crushed and dissolved, gems with empathic effects, gems with teleport, dimension door or extraplanar travel properties, and gems of a divinatory nature. These are similar to the dweomerstones of the Cairn Hills; and some sages suggest a common origin for both these and the reputed ioun stones Rary seeks in the Bright Desert."

In closing, I haven't found any specific lore yet that shows Ioun Stones are naturally produced on Oerth besides the aforementioned hook by Sargent, that Rary seeks them in the Bright Desert. In other D&D lore, Ioun stones are enchanted from specific expensive gems, or in 4E are the creation of a new deity of knowledge, Ioun. Either way, Ioun stones could be rare gems that have innate floating properties, and either come with magical powers or are later imbued with them. To each their own. Lastly, D&D also mentions the material, Cold Iron, but I'm unsure that's regular iron found in a special situation or if its a new metal? Someone fill me in on that lore. Until next time!