Ull: Land of a Thousand Villains - Nura bint Ramil

Welcome back Greyhawk faithful! Today is the start of another new blog column. This one is dedicated to the late Jason Zavoda, who would post NPCs and monsters on his blog Hall of the Mountain King. Jason is why I'm naming this series, Ull: Land of a Thousand Villains. My first post is on the alluringly deadly Nura bint Ramil. Originally an NPC from my own 2E home campaign, this villain first appeared in 2010 as my entry in Postfest XIV on Canonfire. Twelve years later it is time to re-examine this shady lady from Ull so she can be used in your own Greyhawk campaign. Enjoy!

"There are few sights in Ull rarer than a woman who wields power and wealth. In the seedy heights of Kester is one such woman, and though she is not a native of Ull, none dare contest her right to live and prosper in that harsh frontier land.”

Nura bint Ramil the Pit Mistress (human female, rogue 12)

   Nura bint Ramil arrived in the far-flung trade-town of Kester during the reign of Draske the Short in 581 CY, and she brought enough wealth and attitude to effectively buy her way into the upper echelon of Kester’s popular gladiatorial market. Her sudden fame, and influence was considered remarkable by locals, because in Ull a woman of any lineage has to be twice as ambitious and aggressive as her rivals. Nura bint Ramil operates from a walled compound on the edge of Kester, that includes holding pits and a training yard for her hand-picked stable of gladiators. Known across the region as the “Pit Mistress”, she is frequently found at Kester’s markets appraising new talent or at the Grand Pavilion by the fighting pits. placing bets with her fellow Pit Masters on their upcoming fights. Nura is always accompanied by a retinue of loyal eunuch bodyguards and other sycophant servants. Whispers tell that she also has a very powerful, but secret benefactor watching over her in return for some unknowable bargain. Indeed, no one in Ull seems to know Nura’s history, and the Pit Mistress does not tolerate personal questions about her past.

   DM’s Background: Nura bint Ramil was born in 564 CY in the city of Sefmur in Tusmit. She is the daughter of a small-time guild thief named Nadira and the notorious assassin, Ramil the Serpent of Ceshra. Nura never knew her father, she was only a year-old when he was apprehended on a mission in Ket, never to be seen again. Nura grew up on the streets of Sefmur, running with a youth gang after she was abandoned by her mother at age eight. She faced the judgment of the qadi magistrates several times for pick pocketing and cut-pursing, spending her formative years in more than one detention house and finally as an indentured servant to a clothier. At the age of sixteen Nura caught the eye of a lieutenant in the Sefmur thieves guild named Mirak al-Massari, who often came to the clothier to have custom garments made. By chance one day, he saw young Nura casually concealing sewing needles, strong thread and even a pair of shears on her as she worked. Mirak watched her pocket these items from afar and was impressed with what he saw so he took her aside during a break. Nura was told she had special talents and that she was wasting her time here, so Mirak managed to get her released from the sweatshop after bribing the head seamstress with promises and fake jewelry.

   Sponsored by Mirak, Nura became a valued guild-thief in only a few years, concentrating on house burglaries at night, or bait and switch jobs during the day. One fateful night at the guild-house, she overheard talk about how she was the spitting image of her mother Nadira, who once spurned the Guildmaster’s advances and fell for a Ceshran assassin. Nura became obsessed with learning more about Ramil the Serpent, what happened to him, and even what kind of debts the guild may have owed him. A couple years later, her curiosity led to trouble when one day she broke into the Guildmaster’s chambers and found a journal. To her dismay, Nura discovered that the mission Ramil was sent to Ket on was in fact a set-up with the Ketite authorities by the jealous Guildmaster. Nura had just finished reading the account when Mirak, and the other senior lieutenants caught her in the act. Rather than kill Nura, the Guildmaster punished the daughter of Ramil by turning her over to Sefmur’s corrupt qadis, who were handsomely paid to convict her on false charges.

   Nura was sentenced and sold to an unscrupulous caravan master whose last recorded expedition was south through Ull toward the Dry Steppes. Istus intervened however, and the caravan was scattered by a freak dust storm that took the life of the caravan master and left everyone to survive on their own. Nura surprisingly turned up in Kester a week later, a free Baklunish woman again with new-found wealth to start her life over. While she now enjoys an extravagant career beyond her wildest dreams, Nura bint Ramil privately plots revenge for her father on the Sefmur thieves’ guild in the near future.

   Description: By all standards in the West, Nura is a comely individual, fit and youthful in appearance with lustrous black hair down to her waist. However, her severe hazel-colored eyes and harsh demeanor show what a rough life she has in fact lived. Nura is normally dressed in the finest robes and dresses that can be found in Kester, along with an endless assortment of veils and jeweled accessories won from bets with other Pit Masters or gifted from visiting merchants. When travelling outside the comforts of Kester through the rugged land of Ull, she dresses in leathers, a light cloak and often a heavy turban to disguise her appearance. Nura is highly proficient in many light weapons and will always have at least one blade hid on her during any given encounter. Since moving to Kester, Nura bint Ramil is not above the use of poisons. Her eclectic collection includes exotic poisons that can be delivered with a kiss or from her painted fingernails. Given her resources and contacts, any of the above items in her possession could be magical with an emphasis on worn protective devices. In certain dangerous situations, Nura may also have access to magical dusts, sands and possibly even a one-use item with the ability to summon an earth elemental.

   DM’s Campaign Notes: Nura bint Ramil was in fact rescued from the dust storm by the enigmatic necromancer Abi Dalzim, recently returned to the outskirts of Kester after his long banishment at the hands of his nemesis Alhamazad the Wise. Nura is completely in his thrall, secretly doing his bidding without fail, and fearing his omnipresent attention from the crumbled ruins of his tower in the Ulsprue foothills. When not tasked with some fell quest by her shrouded master, Nura is independent to pursue her own goals. This is an arrangement she freely chose, thus making her even more cunning than most would-be villains. Her position as a Pit Master in the lawless trade town of Kester makes her an excellent source for information or minor missions for Player Characters who don’t mind her shady nature. In the most extreme situation, she can even buy captured PCs and put them to work in Kester’s deadly fighting pits until they can win their freedom back.

Rulers of Ull: Ulaghai Ora Khan

Welcome back stalwart fans and scholars of the World of Greyhawk to the return of GREYHAWKERY. In this post and others to come, I vow by the quill of Delleb and the staff of Boccob that I shall endeavor to continue developing and documenting all things related to the disreputable land of Ull. To start us off, I present the third installment of Rulers of Ull a series where I educate you civilized folk on the history and exploits of Ull's mighty Orakhans. Before you continue on however, be sure to read about Ull's two greatest heroes, Kuchakar the Dragon Slayer and Ulzhak the Golden. Once you are caught up, sit back by the campfire and ponder the ancestral origin of Ull from over 900 years ago: The Rise of Ulaghai Ora Khan.

Ulaghai Ora Khan "the Conqueror" 
Orakhan of Ull from 2310 to 2340 BH (-350 to -320 CY)
(CN male human barbarian 15)

When discussing the remote land of Ull and its vague history, any respectable lore-keeper will start at the very beginning, over nine hundred years ago with one man, Ulaghai Ora Khan. Stories told about his adventures and accomplishments will wildly vary. This is one sages' account. 

Shaped by Destiny

    With the ancient Baklunish Empire shattered by the Invoked Devastation, the horse nomads of the plains were unbound and free to roam into the newly created Dry Steppes for plunder, while other tribes fought against each other working as mercenaries for the burgeoning realms of the Dramidj coast. Over several decades, one warlike tribe named the Uli had grown rather large and powerful by virtue of their equally abundant horses. The Uli were led by the ambitious warlord Ulaghai Khan, a ferocious warrior who could trace his lineage to before the Great War. As a young man, Ulaghai had been taught well by his father, and the new khan carried on his ancestors' battles; settling feuds with opposing tribes, vanquishing humanoid raiders, and by example of his strength and bravery attracted many disaffected nomad families to his banner. By the time the Uli were nearly dominant on the plains, Ulaghai Khan had even caught the attention of the shining realm, Ekbir to the north. Ten times did Ulaghai rebuff gifts and invitations to Ekbir so he could swear fealty to the caliph. When the overtures stopped, the ever-wary warlord became certain that new enemies would someday rise up against the Uli. Indeed, vicious rumors had spread to the khan's ear that the Satraps of Ghayar and Ekbir both had designs on the Uli. While the battle tested Ulaghai welcomed a new challenge, the young warrior's wisdom had surpassed his forebears. He knew something had to change for his people to survive in the long run.   

    As the size of the tribe increased, so did their need for more water and grazing lands. In -350 CY Ulaghai turned his gaze to the grasslands between the Ulsprue Range and the Barrier Peaks. These lands, unaffected by the Invoked Devastation, were now ripe to conquer since the massive exodus of Oeridian tribes during the Great War had left little except the determined Yorodhi to defend their villages and flocks. Diverting suddenly from their normal nomadic pattern, the Uli horde led by the resplendently armored Ulaghai descended upon the Yorodhi, razing a handful of villages to the ground. Within a few weeks, the invading nomads occupied the fertile northern territory with very little resistance. Faced with a massacre, the greater part of the Yorodhi had fled south, while the Oerids who stayed behind were instead subjugated and put to work. Ulaghai the Conqueror took the title Ora Khan over several large Uli families now with their own loyal khans. Thus, Ulaghai founded the land of Ull. 

Legacy Fulfilled

    At first, the Uli were content returning to their nomadic ways, assured by their strong ruler that they at least had the encircling mountains to protect their families. Ulaghai Ora Khan was not content, however. As time passed, the Conqueror expanded Ull further southward, this time absorbing entire villages intact. Despite this, the Yorodhi fought the occupiers at every turn. The Orakhan was so impressed by the Oeridians' use of polearms to repel his riders that these long weapons are still employed in southern Ull to this day. Eventually, Ulaghai's forces pushed the remaining Yorodhi into the foothills as their last refuge. The experienced warlord had no intention to bring his riders into those craggy highlands though. With the Yorodhi contained, Ulaghai ended his campaign at the ruins of Old Kester, the largest of Oeridian settlements from the age before the Twin Cataclysms. Looking down the wind-swept escarpment and toward the Dry Steppes on the horizon, he knew that Ull was finally secure.

    Time passed by swiftly for the first Orakhan. The warlords of Ull settled into a semi-nomadic lifestyle and their numbers grew. Rival Paynim tribes that once competed for resources, now gave Ull a wide berth. The Conqueror had no more enemies to fight. In fact, the Baklunish states to the north had all but forgotten the Uli and would not try to have dealings with them for many years to come. Now well past his prime, the aging Orakhan looked ahead to passing on his rulership and desired to create rather than destroy. Following the example of the Yorodhi, the Conqueror rebuilt Kester from the bones of the Oeridian foundation in -323 CY. Still a warrior at heart, his vision was for the town to be a walled outpost to defend against hostile tribes from the Dry Steppes. As his health rapidly declined, Ulaghai made sure to pass on his knowledge of war, diplomacy and also nation building to his eldest son and heir, Khuzhun who would go on to be named "the Builder". A few years later on the open prairie, as the sun set behind the Ulsprue Range, Ulaghai Ora Khan joined his ancestors and went into legend. 

Wars of Greyhawk: Gahru's Folly

Greetings loyal fans of Greyhawk! GREYHAWKERY is alive. (or is it undead?) At any rate my hiatus is over, and for those of you who are with me at GaryCon 2022 I'm sure it's been wonderful celebrating our favorite setting together in person again. So, I need to explain that this post starts my new blogging model. I will not be posting at the same rate as before, I intend to post at least once a week (maybe to coincide with my weekly Legends & Lore streams on Twitch. Content-wise I probably won't be promoting D&D products and news as much as before either. I am going to try to focus on some new original material. So, expect new stuff from the 576 CY Sea Princes campaign, Ull (of course), maybe some 5E creations, and finally, some entries in my long-overdue Wars of Greyhawk series.

Wars of Greyhawk will cover many of the famous (or less well known) battles in the history of the Flanaess. Believe me, there is ALOT of them so no promises on how many I will do for now. My original article on the Battle of Emridy Meadows was just the start, now I'm pleased to present this gem from Dragon #63: Gahru's Folly. Enjoy! 

 Battle of Gahru’s Folly (or Grandwood’s Grandest)

Conflict & Date: 
The Battle of Gahru’s Folly occurred during the dozenmonth of Wealsun in 578 CY.

Armies & Commanders: 

Grandwood Rebels (5,000 total)

2,000 light infantry, 100 crossbows, 850 archers (and slingers), 2,000 sylvan elves.

*****

Censorial Army of Medegia (7,000 total)

    Captain-General Gahru of Medegia.

1,700 light infantry, 300 medium cavalry, 4,000 orcs, 1,000 goblins.

Result: 

The Censorial Army of Medegia is trapped and decisively routed by the Grandwood Rebels.

Casualties:

Grandwood Rebels (250 total)

    165 light infantry, 15 crossbows, 50 archers, 20 sylvan elves

*****

Censorial Army of Medegia (4,900 total)

    Captain-General Gahru (missing, presumed dead)

900 light infantry, 100 medium cavalry, 3,300 orcs, 600 goblins (no humanoids were taken alive)

Prelude

A): In 578 CY, Holy Censor Spidasa named an Imperial Constable by the Malachite Throne, was keen to appease the Overking by aiding his goal to smash the Iron League, while at the same time gaining more territory for his Holy See before their rival the South Province. Though his best Censorial troops remained behind at Mentery and Pontylver, the Holy See began amassing forces for a campaign to invade the County of Sunndi through the well-defended Hestmark Highlands and Glorioles mountains.

 

B): Part of the forces for this risky campaign was drawn from the Censorial Army stationed on the west bank of the Mikar River within the southern bounds of the Grandwood Forest. Led by the zealous Captain-General Gahru, it fell on this army to defend the Holy See (and by extension Rel Astra) against raids by human and elven “rebels” sympathetic to the Iron League, who dwelled in the deep Grandwood. The Censorial Army numbered 5,000 humanoids, and 2,000 humans (mostly levies and a contingent of 300 medium cavalry). This camped force was always large enough to patrol the river border, with humanoids employed mainly to conduct counter-raids. Indeed, up until low-summer of 578 CY, it had never been directly attacked. 

Battle 

C): In the month of Wealsun, a gathered force of roughly 1,000 sylvan elves and allied woodsmen suddenly advanced on the camp, close enough to alert and allow Captain-General Gahru time to muster his entire army. Gahru was convinced he could crush the rebels in the field (and some say he was eager to show a major victory to Censor Spidasa), so his army spilled from the camp and went on the offensive. The rebels had anticipated the Captain-General’s reaction. So, by using a series of planned feints and skirmishing retreats, they were able to draw the Censorial Army far away from their encampment and deeper into the forest to a well-laid trap about 4 leagues to the west. 

D): The trap consisted of two phases. First, the main body of the Censorial Army was lured to an area of nearly impassable terrain (the bottom of a large ravine it is speculated). Here, well-placed units of nearly 2,000 more sylvan elves and men were readied for an ambush from the high ground and surrounding canopy. Captain Gahru’s troops had become closely bunched in this killing-zone; the vanguard of humanoids grinding to a halt, while the human Censorial forces in the rear kept pressing the chase from behind. By the time Captain-General Gahru ordered his forces to turn about, it was too late, and the trap was sprung. Missiles from bow, sling, and crossbow rained upon the Censorial Army creating a panic. This is when phase two of the trap was initiated.

 

E): A reserve of 2,000 forester infantry emerged from hiding at the rear as the Censorial Army was already in a complete rout. The rebels pursued the fleeing forces back to the banks of the Mikar; it was presumed the Censorial camp was burned and looted in the days after the massacre.  

Aftermath 

F): Early reports to Mentery showed that about 400 human Censorial troops survived, however later that month, stragglers and released captives brought the total to 950. The sylvan elves made sure no humanoid prisoners were taken, and those goblins and orcs who survived that day scattered in other directions, some crossing into Rauxes or Rel Astran lands. For his part, Captain-General Gahru went missing and was presumed slain by the Holy See.

G): As the battle would be later called by bards, “Gahru’s Folly” or “Grandwood’s Grandest” dealt a serious blow to the Censor’s plans for a southern campaign. With the Grandwood border in turmoil, Spidasa was forced to make a controversial pact with Drax, the Mayor of Rel Astra. In return for the Holy See’s support of Rel Astra’s continued independence from the Malachite Throne, Drax agreed to bolster new Censorial forces along the forest’s borders. The Rel Astran contingent of about 3,000 would include many humanoids who were at Gahru’s Folly, a fact that made their commanders reconsider venturing deep into the Grandwood. 

H): Meanwhile in Rauxes, the Overking took the news of the Captain-General’s defeat just as hard. To end this threat, Ivid began to coordinate with the Holy See with the intention of sending an Imperial force led by General Banwald to flush out the troublesome forest denizens, and hopefully catch them in a pincer movement with Censorial and Rel Astran forces coming from the Mikar once again. The Grandwood rebels would not fall for any such large-scale operation however, instead remaining mobile enough to evade detection within the dense forest. Thus, the decisive distraction of Gahru’s Folly continued to benefit the member states of the Iron League.

Heroic Hooks 

   DMs who wish to feature the battle of Gahru’s Folly for their own campaign should note this event takes place two years after the starting timeline of the World of Greyhawk boxed set, and six years before the published events of Greyhawk Wars. The following hooks are suggested for DMs who want to have player characters affect the events of Gahru’s Folly without necessarily reenacting the entire battle. 

Reconnaissance: It’s the day before the trap is to be set. The heroes are an advance scouting party to find what troop strengths, leadership and possible patrols are around the Mikar river camp. Stealthy PCs are advised here. If a captive is taken, then interrogation skills will be handy.  

Skirmishing party: Your party has been sent ahead to the Censorial Army camp to harass their forces and draw them into the Grandwood toward the planned ambush. There are too many enemies to fight overall, so the PCs will need to be mobile and fast to make sure no opposing skirmishers can outflank the rebel's army until they reach the ambush site.

Reserve ambush party: The rebels have brought the fight to the characters! The Censorial Army is routing from a storm of missile fire. Due to their formidable skills, the PCs are specially tasked with taking down Captain-General Gahru and his mounted guards before they can get away.

Got Them on the Run: The orcs and goblins in Gahru’s doomed army know the forest almost as well as the sylvan elves, which makes them dangerous even when they rout. One large unit is making their escape and are headed towards a woodsman encampment. The heroes have to make sure this splinter group doesn’t cause any damage.

Sources:

Gary Gygax. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983).

Robert J. Kuntz. Greyhawk’s World: Events of the Eastern and Southern Flanaess. Dragon Magazine #63.

Greyhawk Fans! Gary Con 2022 - See You There!

Psst! I will be at Gary Con 2022 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin from March 24-26. There is two Greyhawk themed seminars on Thursday, March 24th. One is the 2nd Greyhawk Fandom Renaissance put on by Kristoph Nolen of Greyhawk Online, the other is a live show of Legends & Lore with me, Jay Scott and Anna Meyer. Exciting stuff. See you there! 

In Memory of Two Greyhawk Sages

Welcome back readers of Greyhawkery. Yes, this is my 1002nd post overall, and my second since going on hiatus last year. If you are new to the blog, well, thank you for joining in. You have a lot to catch up on! If you are reading this as it's posted, thank you for keeping on top of my activity in the Greyhawk community. I haven't gone anywhere, and I appreciate those who encourage me to get back to blogging. 

This post is special however, so no promises. As many in the Greyhawk community know, we lost two friends over December 2021. It took me a while to process the loss, to decide if I wanted to blog about them, or leave it at sharing kind words on Legends & Lore stream. Well folks, I'm finally in the frame of mind to do a post. 

Michael, or Leahcim the Learned, was a kind soul, witty and quick with a bit of Greyhawk lore. Michael was a fixture in the Greyhawk community and on streams. I remember first meeting him through the Greyhawk Channel, as he was quick to educate the new players in Greyhawk lore through the chat window, and later he got involved through Lord Gosumba channel and the community Discords. I was lucky enough to play some Greyhawk with Michael before he died, and I could tell he relished every session playing a Suel wizard. Michael was also a contributor to Canonfire, Oerth Journal, and I'm sure more if only he had more time. I wish I had got to know more about the man behind Leahcim, maybe at a convention, or guesting on a stream. Now he'll just have to remain a legend, along with the pantheon of other learned Greyhawk deities.

Jason Zavoda by contrast, needed no introduction in our community. Or if you didn't know him, one only had to point out his body of Greyhawk work. If I was to sum Jason up in on word I'd say "prolific". He is first and foremost known for his Zavoda Index a tool that has no equal in the D&D community. There is no one writing in fandom who hasn't used his index for reference. If that was all JZ did, he'd still be a legend to me. But no, he also started a blog Hall of the Mountain King which in his words, was inspired by Greyhawkery. That's an honor. Of course, Jason grew tired of Blogger. Yeah it's not the best, I agree. Well, he moved his posts to Canonfire Journal: Hall of the Mountain King where Jason had already been a long-time member of Canonfire. In fact, Jason used to post Greyhawk fiction there such as Nosnra's Saga

Speaking of fiction, I don't know anyone who loved Gary Gygax's Gord novels more than Jason Zavoda. Anytime Jason would guest on Legends & Lore or Gabbin' streams, he was ready to dispense sagely lore about these books. His love of these novels led him to another innovative idea: Jason Zavoda Presents: Reading and Annotating the Gord Novels, with Chris (Cthaeh). Audio readings of Greyhawk novels (or any D&D book for that matter), is an incredible idea, and with annotations makes it even more fun to experience. I hope Chris and someone else can take up where Jason left off and finish this project. And I think that's what drove Jason to be so prolific. We all knew his health wasn't the best (nor was Michael's) and he was posting blogs, reading books, and talking in streams and voice chats daily. He knew his time was limited and was making the most of it. Now, Jason can kick back and have a drink with Gygax, Arneson, and all the other legends of the game.

Let these two guys be your motivation to contribute your fan work with the Greyhawk community (or any D&D community). You may start small, but if you are consistent and your body of work grows, people will be inspired by you in turn, and that's a fitting reward for being a part of this community.  

Post 1001: Seven Spooky Greyhawk Locations

Happy Halloween fellow Greyhawkers! For future reference, it is the end of October 2021, this is officially post #1001, and my last post was March 31, 2021. In the spirit of one of my favorite holidays I am going to revisit one of my columns, "Spooky Greyhawk Locations." Disclaimer: Don't get too excited about my return, I just thought this post up today, and I currently have no other projects in the works since I went back through all my previous posts to clean up broken links. In other words, enjoy! Whether you are new or a long-time reader, thank you for checking out Greyhawkery. Who knows, maybe I'll have something for Needfest! 

1. Star Haunt. In the mood for a ghost-like tale? Send your snooping PCs to the Celadon Forest, and enter the star-shaped castle ruins called Star Haunt. The walls of this ruin glow in the dark due to peculiar moss, and inside the creatures that lurk have an innate displacement effect. Anything, including perhaps the original Oeridian residents slowly turn into incorporeal undead. Star Haunt is a nice haunted house style romp, and its definitely not a place the heroes will want to stay in for long. Check out this ruined castle in the 2E sourcebook, Marklands.

2. The Blood Obelisk. Fading Lands are weird demiplanes that overlap the Flanaess at set times then vanish. Usually these are strange lands like a faerie realm, but one, the Blood Obelisk of Aerdy is quite frightening. The fading land is a black plain of dust and rocks. Here, unwary heroes will run into metal-skinned trolls, iron golems and other metal monstrosities. At the center of the plain is an unholy magic obelisk dedicated to Hextor. What is its purpose and how one gets here is up to each DM, but if you'd like to know more, check out From the Ashes. 

3. Wormcrawl Fissure. So you think zombies are too easy in D&D? Then send your players on a quest to the Wormcrawl Fissure! This ravine is on the western end of the mighty Rift Canyon, and is best known for being the home to the vile creator of undead, Kyuss. Bandits and servants of Iuz avoid this place if possible because the zombies here are even more than your run of the mill Sons of Kyuss seen in Fiend Folio. They are stronger, tougher, and have other nasty powers. Read more about this eerie fissure in Iuz the Evil or the Age of Worms adventure path, particularly Dungeon #134.

4. Howling Chasm. In the mood for a mind-twisting mystery? Go to the Howling Chasm in the Tilvanot Peninsula. This chasm is in the south face of the Okalasna Plateau, domain of the Scarlet Brotherhood. If an aspiring explorer can get to this remote land, what they will discover here can be a chilling mystery. Those who enter seemingly return years later to learn less time has passed on Oerth. What's worse is the maddening visions and memories they are left with after coming back to their own time, or the unexplained alterations to their body. The Chasm could be literally anything a DM desires to spook and confuse their players. Naturally, you can find this spooky locale in the 2E sourcebook, The Scarlet Brotherhood.

5. The Sanitorium. The city of Molag in the Horned Society is bad enough as evil locations go, but within the Hierarch's Palace is a site that is downright horrific in its own right. This imposing edifice is the most well-known location in Molag, infamous for being ran by priests of Nerull. Here at the Sanitorium, people near death are captured by the priesthood, and brought to be used for their twisted necrotic interests. This scary building is an excellent location to host a thrilling rescue. Will the players offend the Reaper, or will they be his next victim? Check out this location, including the Molag city map in Iuz the Evil.

6. Pits of Azak-Zil. How about some dwarven themed horror? Your best bet is sending the adventurers to check out the ruins of a mining operation called Azak-Zil. Greyhawk is notorious for things falling from the sky, and this fallen meteor site is an especially creepy location to send players. What came of the dwarven miners? Who is in charge now? What is in the center of the poisonous lake? Intrigued? You can find more on this classic scenario in the hardback Greyhawk Adventures by James Ward.

7. Screaming Valley. So the characters are passing through the Cairn Hills? Want an alternative spooky site to the much maligned Doomgrinder? Try passing through the Screaming Valley. This is a bleak, four-mile long stretch of land where no insects or birds dwell. Half-way through this barren place, one can find a mass of sandstone riddled with holes that create a loud noise for miles as wind rushes through the valley. This unnerving valley is home to an eclectic selection of undead and creatures. DMs who want to subject their players to this chilling valley can find it in the From the Ashes boxed set.

1000th Greyhawkery Post!

Cold iron avail you! Welcome Greyhawkery readers new and old. When I set out to do a Greyhawk themed blog 11 years ago, I was already nearing the end of a long 5-year run doing Greyhawk themed comic strips. The commentary on my comic strips had evolved into such long winded affairs, that I realized a full Greyhawk blog made more sense. In the decade or more of doing Greyhawkery, I've created more comics (Castle Greyhawk), as well as talked about D&D news, nostalgia, the fan community, and my own home campaigns set in places like the Sea Princes and the Greyhawk Wars. One thousand blog posts is a lot of words to pour out onto a screen. I've covered everything imaginable about the World of Greyhawk, from nations to geography to mysterious places, and everything in-between. I had a couple close calls along the way, where I despaired and contemplated ending the blog, but the community has always been there to push me, inspiring me to keep going and write more. I'm grateful for everyone that has read my blog. One thousand blog posts was a milestone I wanted to reach as a challenge to myself, because this time I really am putting the blog on hiatus. 

I am reluctant to say I am ending the blog because there is always more to write about, or new editions of D&D to come out, and perhaps someday when I'm 70, a newly published Greyhawk setting to meticulously pick over. For now though, I really have hit a wall creatively and it seems better to me to press the pause button than to stress myself trying to come up with content twice a week, in order to keep up an arbitrary pace I set a decade ago, back when my ideas were fresh and indeed I had more time and energy. The other dynamic at play, and this is not a bad thing, is that there is a lot more going on in the Greyhawk community. Indeed the most I've seen since the 2000s when Living Greyhawk hit the scene. When I started Greyhawkery, Paizo had already lost their Dragon/Dungeon magazine license, Living Greyhawk was done, and it was more or less just Greyhawk Grognard and me, plus the hold-out fan sites, fan forums and fanzines when it came to dedicated Greyhawk content. Fast forward to 2021 and there is SO MUCH MORE fan content being produced that I feel I can take a sabbatical! 

That's right folks, I'm doing fine and I'm not technically going anywhere. I'm still going to write and draw at my leisure (more Ull?). If something seems particularly good I might even post it on Greyhawkery, or submit it to one of our other excellent fan content outlets. I plan on reading more (I'm terrible at that), continuing to stream (or chat in streams), and hopefully run or play in more Greyhawk rather than just talk about it. I also need to go back through these 1000 posts and fix some dead links, organize my "best of" section, and finish some primer stuff on the home page. One more thing (since this post is written at the tail end of the COVID pandemic), ideally I'd love to get back to a physical convention someday to meet all the Greyhawk friends I've made. 

In the meantime, I'd like to acknowledge and direct you to all the fabulous content creators out there that I follow or collaborate with occasionally. These people will keep us all entertained in the years to come, and who knows someday maybe they'll inspire me to regularly blog again. Enjoy!

Joseph Bloch is my original inspiration to blog and write articles. At his blog Greyhawk Grognard, Joe continues to create content such as maps and gazetteers Beyond the Flanaess, and he even finds time to make fun YouTube videos revisiting classic D&D products. I met and hung out with Joe a couple times at Gary Con, and its been a pleasure. Please follow Greyhawk Grognard if you are new to this community, there is a wealth of content to be found on his blog.

Carlos Lising is always foremost on my mind when I discuss Greyhawk with people. Ever since those long Thursday night Greytalks, I could tell this guy was in a whole different league than me (not the NHL though). Now he runs CaslEntertainment where he has published dozens of modules with an old-school flair, all play tested at conventions so you know they are good (I can attest to his DM skill from meeting at Gary Con). To go with his publishing efforts, Carlos has a stream on Twitch, he does charity events, and he still finds time to collaborate on other Greyhawk projects. You must check out Carlos' work if you haven't already!

David Leonard has the blog Greyhawk Musings where he has been putting out the best deep dives on Greyhawk history. David also has an associated Facebook group, and is also a recurring guest on the Lord Gosumba Twitch streams. His research and commentary is always top-notch, which is why his blog posts are among my favorites.

Tommy Kelly also runs an inspired blog called Greyhawk Stories, where he showcases a variety of fiction for Greyhawk, and does author interviews. His serialized novel the Hateful Wars has been a saga unlike any told in the Greyhawk community. If you have fiction of any kind set in the World of Greyhawk that you want to share with a wider audience, Tommy is the person you should talk to!

Anna B. Meyer should need no introduction. She is of course the pre-eminent cartographer in the Greyhawk community, if not the entire RPG industry. Anna is definitely among the top people who have influenced me to create and share stuff for the community. I've been streaming and hanging out with Anna at conventions for quite a long time now, and she is always gaming, chatting, and developing new projects. Anna never rests. If you are aspiring to make custom maps, or do any sort of content for Greyhawk, talking to Anna will motivate you! Check out her website for downloads of the best maps on the internet, and for updates on her future work. She also has the Flanaess Geographical Society on Facebook.

 

Jay Scott is a relatively recent, but strong influence on me and the entire Greyhawk community. His time put into his campaign, his drive to stream, and his talent at community-building is truly awe-inspiring. Jay does old school 1e/2e AD&D, with elaborate miniature and terrain set-ups, all streamed on his LordGosumba channel on Twitch. Jay is always active online, running games for his home group, or mixing in guest players from the community like Anna. His organizational efforts have now given us an annual Virtual GreyhawkCon, and has lifted up Virtual GaryCon during the pandemic. Jay has an amazing "Gabbin" talk show on his channel with Anna every week where they bring on creative guests from our community and often from the D&D industry (past and present). Jay has incredible sponsors for his channel, and is always hosting prize giveaways to his viewers. That alone is worth looking into his channel if you haven't already. Oh yes, and every Wednesday you can watch Jay, Anna and myself on Legends & Lore yakking about Greyhawk topics until we drop. The content never ends at Lord Gosumba.

Casey Brown incidentally is a huge asset to the Greyhawk community. His (Unofficial Living Greyhawk) Bandit Kingdoms Summary continues to be a legendary publication, the only one of its kind. If only we had more books like his. More recently, Casey has been the go-to contact for former Living Greyhawk writers to be interviewed on the Lord Gosumba channel, thus allowing more fans to reengage with the active Greyhawk fanbase.

Speaking of the community, here is a bunch more of my creative friends!

Bryan Blumklotz is a devoted loremaster and creator of the finest Greyhawk heraldry in the community. I've had the pleasure to meet Bryan at Garycon, and be on a panel with him. I hope to do so again someday. Besides his work on Canonfire! Bryan runs the Facebook group Greyhawk Resources where you can see some of the best discussion and content from the past and present posted on a near daily basis! 

Denis Tetreault is the mad mind behind Maldin's Greyhawk, which I'm positive is the longest running Greyhawk fan site on the internet. You might remember Maldin from his work on Melkot and Irongate, plus the amazing print revision of the City of Greyhawk maps in the pages of Living Greyhawk Journal. You can still find those digital maps, and much much more on his website. Denis is a very good friend of mine, going back to the late night Greytalk chats. More recently Denis has been on our Greyhawk streams, and he has been hosting my old Greyhawk Comic strip for several years now. Oh and he has a Facebook group, Greyhawk Adventures. I'm looking forward to whatever new stuff ol' Maldin will put on his website in the future.

Jason Zavoda of the blog Hall of the Mountain King has put out unique Greyhawk content at a prolific pace. Jason is a very knowledgeable guy that I have enjoyed talking to in chats and on stream, in fact you might know him best from his Greyhawk index.

Scott Casper is a self-published game designer and fiction writer. His Castle Greyhawk graphic novel and webcomic has been the best collaboration of my Greyhawk career. It's unreal to think that for several years I illustrated the adventures of Tenser, Yrag, and Robilar. Scott is above all things an old school gamer who is always involved in running or playing at conventions. To see what Scott is up to check out his blog Scottenkainenland.

Allan Grohe of the blog From Kuroth's Quill, also owns one of the oldest Greyhawk fansites on the web, Grodog's Greyhawk. For longer than I can remember, Allan has been a highly respected member of the Greyhawk community. You can usually find him at game conventions either working a booth or running old school games such as his long running Castle Greyhawk campaign based on Gygax's original maps.

Scott McMillan and his Aerdi History blog is one you need to add to your reading list. I've known Scott a long time from forums and chats. I put Scott's research and commentary on Greyhawk lore up there with the best in the community. 

Charles Akins has the blog Dragons Never Forget. (formerly Dyvers) He is a humorous guy that I've interacted with for several years now. Charles is also author of the annual Great Blog Roll Call, so he knows the gaming community quite well.

I haven't mentioned enough Greyhawk streaming and video creators yet, here are some favorites...

John Burchfield runs the incredible Twitch stream Blue Box RPG. John is a master of his DM craft, he runs live game sessions with a very talented squad of players. He also hosts a talk show on his channel called the Loremaster's Arcanum which can often be seen live ahead of my own Legends & Lore. John and the folks at BlueBox have an insanely devoted fan following (shout out Mad Chatters!), which have only added to the growing Greyhawk community. I hope to some day get on BlueBox now that I have the free time. If you haven't watched or heard of BlueBox yet then I only have one question for you, "What Are You Doing?!"

DMWill is one of the hardest working, most fun people in the gaming community. He has a blog called the Greyhawk Companion where he posts original game material for 5E. Of course Will also has a gaming stream WickedStudiosLLC where he does a variety of games. Be sure to follow Will!

WuTangPiglet carries on the tradition of Greyhawk Channel as he brings the action on Greyhawk Tales. Wu is a riveting DM, and has a fun group of players. They are always looking to add someone to the table too, so stop by and have a look!

WilyHobbit is running Greyhawk 5E with his Greyhawk Lives episodes. Wily has always been a devoted fan of the streaming community and now he is actively contributing with his own hosted games. Please give WilyHobbit a follow.

Oronir is all the way from Belgium and he is the creator of the Grey League a unique and educational Youtube series. Oronir really does his research and is only getting better with each episode on his channel. I say it a lot, but if you haven't seen the Grey League yet, go there now.

DMGalger has an up and coming stream on his channel, SorrowsTale. You should check out his ongoing game, it's a 5E Greyhawk campaign called "We of Oerik". 

There is so many people creating and sharing content online, I'm struggling to remember them all!

The folks at the fan site Dragonsfoot have always run with the old school Greyhawk crowd. This top-notch community is where the late Len Lakofka and other fans that I know continue to chat and work on projects such as the Footprints ezine. 

Big Mac is a superfan from the UK, and I know him best from The Piazza forums where one can interact with the Greyhawk, Spelljammer, or just about any D&D fanbase. Big Mac can be found on just about any stream or chat these days. I look forward to discussing more with him in the future.

Dave Guerreri and the Greyhawk Reborn staff have continued to write and DM new Greyhawk adventures at conventions since the end of LG. Check out their Facebook group and website for more info. This group knows their craft and always have a bunch of games offered at each event. I met Dave and some of his co-creators many years ago at Gen Con. They have been carrying the torch for a long time now, so give them some love.

Scott Agnew is an amazing entrant to the content creator club. He has a Patreon for a completely converted 5E Greyhawk Rebooted. Check out this stuff, it's quite amazing. If you see him on Facebook give him some feedback.

Last, but not least!

None, I repeat NONE of my Greyhawk contributions would've been possible without the fansite Canonfire! and the esteemed author Gary Holian. His site is where in 2002, I first started sharing articles, replying to forum posts, and taking part in late night Greytalks. It is here I made dozens and dozens of friends in the Greyhawk community. Time flies! I credit Gary "PluffetSmedger" for keeping Canonfire going for so long, even when it's seemed near dead, but now from what I've seen it's getting vibrant again with a new Post Fest and other popular fan projects. Gary has always been accessible to the community, including to collaborate on content (albeit at a glacial pace), but in the present he is way more active. You can find him on the Canonfire Discord, or on Lord Gosumba stream either trolling us from chat or participating as a guest.

Speaking of Canonfire, there is so many contributors on that site I cannot list them all, you will just have to get involved in sharing Greyhawk content, meet these fellow creators on the forum or discord, then feel welcomed into the greater community. There are a few notable people active on the site that I can praise though. If I miss anyone don't worry I'll thank you in person eventually.

Rasgon aka Ripvanwormer is probably the smartest loremaster in the entire Greyhawk community, but modesty keeps him out of the spotlight. Rasgon can still be found on the forums though ready to answer your questions in extreme detail.

CruelSummerLord is one of the most prolific writers of articles and fiction on CF. CSL is the example for those who have a lot of content they want to share and how to serialize it over a long span. He's a legend.

 

Rich DiIoia has been a huge contributor to CF for a long time as well. Known as "Longetalos" he currently is very involved in the community, heading projects on Canonfire like Touring the Flanaess. He is a fixture in chats and on discords. Rich is also a helluva DM I hear. ;)

Cebrion has been an author, editor, and forum moderator on Canonfire for many years. Though I would say I'm not actively staff on CF anymore, I have always valued spending time with LordCeb the most on the Greyhawk forums and the old Thursday night chats. Waaaagh!

Brian Dougherty is another amazing author who has graced Canonfire and my blog. "Braggi" on the forums, Brian went as far as to do an insanely cool conversion of my Wonders of Ull: Old Skool Edition. He is also a master at heraldry and much more. I hope Brian keeps producing more Greyhawk content!

Finally, and just as important, much of our Greyhawk community is tied together and curated by the skillful dedication of Kristoph Nolen. He runs the resurgent Greyhawk Online. which has been around for years, but now it facilitates even more online Greyhawk content than ever. GHO hosts not only my first Greyhawk Comic, but many other classic fan websites, and archived Living Greyhawk websites. GHO also hosts a Discord, and has the BEST Greyhawk Wiki you'll ever find (kudos to the Wiki team, I know you guys and appreciate your work). Kristoph of course is the editor in chief Oerth Journal our longest running and most important fan project, now almost on its 35th issue as of this post. Under Kristoph he has brought the OJ to print with the help of Patreon. I was fortunate enough to have met him (and many other Greyhawkers mentioned above) and contributed to the first print issue ever, given out at GaryCon XI. The Oerth Journal team is always looking for more authors, artists, and editors. If you want to get involved in the Greyhawk community and make a name for yourself, this is your opportunity. Kudos to all those authors and artists, too many to name, that have been instrumental in creating the Oerth Journal.

That's enough I think. Now let me see what Greyhawk stuff you can create. I can't wait to read, comment and discuss more Greyhawk content in the future. Until next time!