New Greyhawk Map: Perrenland Campaign

Hello Greyhawk friends! No comic this week but coming back from Garycon 2025 I am pleased to share a new map I worked on for my current 5.5E home campaign set in Perrenland! This map took more planning to execute than actual time to finish. Referencing Anna Meyer's 576 CY map, I got sucked into the rabbit hole of Living Greyhawk place names. The Germanic-Dutch naming conventions were too good to pass on, so in my map I have included 90% of what Anna has used. I will develop my own info on these places however as the game evolves. I used a pad of hex paper I acquired from Allan Grohe at Black Blade Publishing during Garycon 2024. This paper is huge, 17" x 22". I wanted a 5 mile per hex scale but by Pelor Perrenland and the Yatils is so spread out! In order to get MOST of the playable area on this map (I wanted as much of Lake Quag as possible), I tilted the paper to the right as you can see from the north arrow. Someday I'll get Krestible and the Mounds of Dawn onto an adjoining map. The map was drawn in pencil, inked by hand and digitally colored. I feel it's the best map I've done since my South Seas map. If you want a copy, you'll have to save them from this post. The first map below is done at 72 dpi, the other is at 144 dpi. Until next time, enjoy! 

**update 3/27/2025** By suggestion I have added a 144 DPI black and white base map. Enjoy!

72 DPI

144 DPI

144 DPI  (black & white)

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.

Sea Princes Nobles 576 CY - Archbaron Gavin III

Greetings Greyhawk courtiers! Today I think I'm going to share another NPC noble from my Sea Princes 576 CY series. Gavin III is the ruler of Galeside, a small but rich town on Flotsam Isle that I hope to develop a bit more when I get around to fleshing out my Sea Princes campaign. Until then enjoy!

His Indomitable Nobility, Gavin III, Archbaron of Galeside, Captain of the Courser. (House Toli, Toli Armada, Rogue 10)

The archbaron of the small port Galeside is incredibly wealthy largely owing to his station in House Toli but also his ruthless ambition. Gavin is widely known as a capable sea captain and explorer. His personal ship, the Courser has notably voyaged beyond the Densac Gulf into the south seas several times, and on each return to port he has brought more wealth to his familys’ coffers. Archbaron Gavin III is married to Kerri of Jetsom Isle (Rogue 2) a noble lady who lives a comfortable life in a walled manor overlooking the sea. When her husband is away on a long voyage the archbaroness is rumored to go on her own adventures in the Hold. 

Politics and Intrigues: The cousin of Prince Varek IV the head of House Toli, Gavin III is constantly plotting with members of his family to further enrich themselves through the exploitation of the Amedio Jungle and its coastal islands. Kerri is the younger sister of Baron Deran Insley, a fellow explorer whose relationship and thirst for maritime knowledge is often exploited by the archbaron to aid Galeside in exploring the south seas for new resources and trade routes.

Archbaron Gavin III is an ideal mid-level NPC patron to use for campaigns that involve a lot of exploration by ship (see the Dungeon adventure path, Savage Tide for more on this). His home port of Galeside is a low key base for characters who want to avoid the dangers and intrigue of larger cities.

House of Peers in the Sea Princes

The Hold of the Sea Princes comprises thirty domains, divided amongst a dozen noble houses. A few of these houses can trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the first Suel migrations, while most are merely fabricated hereditary titles of pirate captains who settled down a century ago. While the Hold is currently ruled by the Prince of Monmurg, the Prince of Port Toli has led the House of Peers for much of the Holds’ history. In political situations, the twelve houses are evenly divided between naval factions called the Princes’ Fleet and the Toli Armada. Those Sea Princes captains who choose to avoid house politics, nominally defer to a fleet named the Hold Flotilla in times of war.

Sea Princes Nobles 576 CY - Commodore Edrin Hollister

Greeting Greyhawkers! Today I present another installment of my Sea Princes Nobles 576 CY. This time I finish the set of three commodores of the isles with Edrin Hollister of Fairwind Isle. If you haven't seen my previous noble articles head to my Best of Greyhawkery section for that and much more! Enjoy!

His Valiant Lordship, Edrin Hollister, Commodore of Fairwind Isle; Vanguard of the Armada, Captain of the Sea Hammer. (House Toli, Toli Armada, Fighter 13)

The youngest of three commodores in the Hold, Edrin Hollister rose to prominence after winning several notable sea-battles. Edrin is an intense fighter and a tempestuous leader which serves him well in the company of Sea Princes nobility. The commodore is on his second marriage, presently with Gertrude of Port Toli (Fighter 1), the sister of Prince Varek IV. Hollister’s walled estate on Fairwind Isle is a busy, well-managed place as the commodore has fourteen children of varying age, many adopted or born out of wedlock. 

When not at Fairwind or in council at Monmurg, the commodore is often found aboard the indomitable Sea Hammer, the pride of the Toli Armada for being the oldest and strongest vessel since the sinking of the famed Sea Prince at the Battle of Jetsom Isle. In times of war, Commodore Hollister will command a medium-sized fleet, aided by the fleet of elder Commodore Grayfin of Flotsam Isle. 

Politics and Intrigues: Edrin Hollister is on good terms with the other commodores, who both have increasingly begun to defer to him in naval matters. Edrin is aware that his senior colleagues are more suited to politics than him, so he does not cause any waves. All is not well for the celebrated commodore, however. A growing number of mutinies among the Toli Armada to their enemy the Crimson Fleet has forced Hollister’s fleet to deal with the matter most severely. Meanwhile at home, Edrin’s oldest son Orlando ran off with the governor of Sybar’s daughter causing a minor scandal in the Hold (see the AD&D module Beyond the Crystal Cave).

Commodore Hollister makes a good contact for mid-level adventurers who need a base of operations in the Hold of the Sea Princes to launch their own nautical voyages or take on swashbuckling missions. Characters who pledge their own sailing vessel to the Toli Armada will certainly earn the respect of this ranking noble.

House of Peers in the Sea Princes
The Hold of the Sea Princes comprises thirty domains, divided amongst a dozen noble houses. A few of these houses can trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the first Suel migrations, while most are merely fabricated hereditary titles of pirate captains who settled down a century ago. While the Hold is currently ruled by the Prince of Monmurg, the Prince of Port Toli has led the House of Peers for much of the Holds’ history. In political situations, the twelve houses are evenly divided between naval factions called the Princes’ Fleet and the Toli Armada. Those Sea Princes captains who choose to avoid house politics, nominally defer to a fleet named the Hold Flotilla in times of war.

Sea Princes Nobles 576 CY - Commodore Adolphus Grayfin

Welcome back Greyhawkers to another installment of my Hold of the Sea Princes 576 CY nobles. To see my previous NPC profiles please visit Best of Greyhawkery page, or for a preview of my entire slate of buccaneer nobles download Oerth Journal #32 for my article, the Unconquered Hold of the Sea Princes. Until then, enjoy!

His Peerless Nobility, Adolphus Grayfin, Commodore of Flotsam Isle; Terror of the Densac Gulf, Captain of the Paragon. (House Moretto, Toli Armada, Fighter 15)

Adolphus Grayfin has waged many sea-battles over his career. The old commodore is still considered the terror of the high seas, but at home he is a hopeless romantic, currently on his third marriage; this time to Trina of Sasserine (Cleric of Lydia 5), a noblewoman half his age. Commodore Grayfin has always resided in comfort on an estate a few hours inland from the port of Poniard. This sprawling old ranch has belonged to his family for over a century; its quiet orchards, marble walls, and private cemetery hold many secrets. 

Politics and Intrigues: Adolphus is one of a trio of commodores that by threat of force and will power, keep order in the squabbling House of Peers. Commodore Grayfin’s vaunted warship The Paragon has been docked at Poniard more than its been at sea for the last couple years, however. Adolphus was once the leader of the entire Toli Armada, but age has forced him to now defer to Commodore Edrin Hollister of Fairwind Isle. Adolphus’ newest wife is suspected of manipulating the commodore to some end by his adult children, all of whom are older than their stepmother Trina.

Commodore Grayfin makes a good benefactor for characters seeking swashbuckling adventure on the high seas or those wishing to captain a crew for his large fleet of ships. Grayfin may be old but politically he can open a lot of doors for PCs in the Hold. He also has years’ worth of knowledge concerning the islands and inhabitants of the south seas.

House of Peers in the Sea Princes
The Hold of the Sea Princes comprises thirty domains, divided amongst a dozen noble houses. A few of these houses can trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the first Suel migrations, while most are merely fabricated hereditary titles of pirate captains who settled down a century ago. While the Hold is currently ruled by the Prince of Monmurg, the Prince of Port Toli has led the House of Peers for much of the Holds’ history. In political situations, the twelve houses are evenly divided between naval factions called the Princes’ Fleet and the Toli Armada. Those Sea Princes captains who choose to avoid house politics, nominally defer to a fleet named the Hold Flotilla in times of war.

New Maps: Pre-Wars Flanaess 576 CY

Merry Needfest Greyhawkers! I got one more present for everybody before the end of the year! I've been working on this map project for a few weeks now. There is a map of "Post-Was" Flanaess in the booklet with the Greyhawk Wars boxed set. I always enjoyed how it was a simple B&W map with dotted lines for borders that changed during the story line. I eventually photocopied that map and made additional changes for my campaign's progress into other wars. See Best of Greyhawkery for more on these 2E Greyhawk Wars Campaigns.

The Pre-Wars Flanaess map is the same map but cleaned up a bit and with additional content thrown in that I believe would exist during the start of the 576 CY game setting. This is retroactive canon like Sasserine from Savage Tide, or popular community additions like Melkotia from Maldin's Greyhawk. Lastly, I may have got carried away and did borders/labels for the individual Wild Coast towns, Bandit Kingdom lands, and the various principalities of the Great Kingdom. If this map is well received, I have pondered doing a first level breakdown of the other major kingdoms, but for now this map feels finished. I have thrown in an unlabeled version of the map as well in case someone wants to do a different info-map using these borders. If there are any glaring errors let me know but trust me, I tried my best to research from several different sources when laying this out. Until then, download and enjoy!

Sea Princes Nobles 576 CY - Marquis Symeon IV

Welcome Greyhawkers! Let's have a look at another noble of the Sea Princes from 576 CY. If you haven't seen my prior entries, check out the Best of Greyhawkery tab above. This one is rather important and has featured in my campaign in the past. Enjoy!

His Magnificent Grace, Symeon IV, Marquis of Hokar; Treasurer of the Hold, Protector of the Crossroads. (House Harriven, Toli Armada, Rogue 5 / Wizard 3)

Centrally located, Hokar is a hub for mining, smelting, and minting for the entire Hold. Symeon I of House Harriven was granted the rule of Hokar after saving the Prince of Toli at the Battle of Jetsom Isle in 464 CY. Since then, the Harrivens have built up this once insignificant mining town into a burgeoning city. Today, rulership of Hokar has passed to Symeon’s great-grandson, the narcissistic Symeon IV. Extremely wealthy and equally psychotic, the marquis is a recent widower after his wife’s horse-carriage accidentally crashed into a ravine and caught on fire during a trip to White Cove. The marquis currently grieves by hosting frequent receptions at his palace, full of wild debauchery and often ending with random guests being thrown in the dungeons.

The marquis cares little for sailing the seas like his Harriven cousins. Indeed, during his younger years, he apprenticed as a mage under his father Symeon III, that is until his proclivities led him to instead pursue a roguish lifestyle that earned him the nickname the Knave of Hokar. It is well known that Symeon’s mania has only got worse with age, and now as marquis, his mood swings affect daily life in Hokar. 

Politics and Intrigues: The marquis’ late father, Symeon III was an accomplished enchanter of metals and created a dungeon workshop and mint below Harriven Keep. Symeon IV is obsessed with exploring an abandoned mine and cavern system discovered beneath this workshop after a recent earthquake. This lucrative mission has drawn a steady stream of adventuring parties to Hokar. Symeon is also hyper-focused on gaining the favor of a secret pirate society called the Fivefold Council with whom he believes he will one day join. The erratic behavior of Symeon is such a constant concern in the House of Peers, that House Harriven discreetly plots his ouster.

Marquis Symeon IV is an excellent noble benefactor (or antagonist) for all levels of play in a developing city that serves as a good base of operations for adventurers. Unpredictably cunning, Symeon is a lightning rod for intrigue in the Hold of the Sea Princes, giving DMs an opportunity to create a series of stories connected to his questionable goals. The marquis has virtually unlimited resources to either reward heroes for a mission like the aforementioned Mines of Hokar, or to hire mercenaries to harass PCs far afield should they cross him. 

 House of Peers in the Sea Princes
The Hold of the Sea Princes comprises thirty domains, divided amongst a dozen noble houses. A few of these houses can trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the first Suel migrations, while most are merely fabricated hereditary titles of pirate captains who settled down a century ago. While the Hold is currently ruled by the Prince of Monmurg, the Prince of Port Toli has led the House of Peers for much of the Holds’ history. In political situations, the twelve houses are evenly divided between naval factions called the Princes’ Fleet and the Toli Armada. Those Sea Princes captains who choose to avoid house politics, nominally defer to a fleet named the Hold Flotilla in times of war.

New Towns of Sea Princes 576 CY

Greetings dear Greyhawk readers! I got nothing new this week, but I'd like to brainstorm a project that is on the back burner. One of my best received custom maps is my Hold of the Sea Princes 576 CY. Based on my personal campaign, it's the reference for all my Sea Princes writings for Greyhawkery, Oerth Journal and so on. Besides my ongoing series about the Hold's nobility there is several new towns and ports on this map that I'd like to give the gazetteer treatment someday. For now, here is a list of them and my general thoughts on what they are like based on my previous articles and game notes. Enjoy.

Fairwind Isle

• Port Azure: Mercantile port that competes with North Harbor. Ruler has a sizeable library.
• Harriven Point: Minor town with a walled keep overlooking cove. Peaceful because ruler is rarely there.

Jetsom Isle

• North Harbor: Busy, wealthy port that handles a lot of imports. Ruled by family of explorers. Fabulous palace with a shrine dedicated to Kelanen.

Flotsam Isle

• Galeside: Rich port in league with prince of Port Toli. Archbaron is focused on exploring and exploiting more of the south seas.

Mainland Hold

• Tanport: Very old, but important port town. Services a lot of exports from inland farms.
• Keyfield: Farming community. Close ties with Port Torvin. Lawful ruler hires laborers.
• Bracken Hall: Farming community with ties to Westkeep. Monsters encroach from Hool Marshes.
• Tower Hill: Major farming community that also serves land route between Hokar, Port Toli and Monmurg. Baron's keep is trapped against thieves in area.
• Ardo: Quiet, remote farming community on trail to Berghof from Hokar. Reclusive ruler is feared by locals.
• White Cove: Major port that services trade inland to Hokar. Marble buildings. Expert shipbuilders. Osprem temple.
• Silver Shore: Wealthy port that focuses on Jeklea fishing fleets and trade with Sasserine.
• Cliffhaven: Tiny port serving Berghof. Ruled by a former adventurer.

World of Greyhawk Campaign: Anne Brown 1993

Welcome back Greyhawk mavens! I've been going through my RPG collection recently and trying to decide which stuff I should sell/trade off and which to keep. Needless to say, I'm very attached to my 1E and BECMI D&D stuff. Then my 2E and 3E era stuff is hit or miss. If it's Greyhawk related I keep it naturally. One item I almost put in the sell section was the hardback 1993 TSR Master Catalog. I did a post on this rare find back in 2013 and I just realized while I posted a picture of the World of Greyhawk foreword by Anne Brown, I didn't really talk about the article itself. It's so good, let's just read the entire thing. One more thing, if someone EVER asks you to describe the Greyhawk setting and why you should play it, point them to this article by Anne Brown! Enjoy!

The WORLD OF GREYHAWK campaign 

by Anne Brown 

    "Through clearing smoke and settling dust, refugees and tired soldiers make their way across a scarred landscape. The wars are finally over, and nations struggle to establish borders, alliances, and protective forces. Scarlet Brotherhood spies infiltrate every corner of the land. An undead king's grip tightens on unsuspecting nations. The Circle of Eight, the most famous clique of wizards across the continent, has scattered to the four winds, two of its members dead and one of them turned traitor. 

    What remain are danger, intrigue, and adventure-opportunities and treasures for those intrepid enough to seek them. Spies must be ferreted out, vital supply lines must be kept open, and victims of war crimes and injustice must be rescued. Perpetrators must be made to answer for their evil deeds."

Good intro! This sums up the state of the Flanaess post-Greyhawk Wars and leading into From the Ashes era. Evil is ascendant and the wars while over, are still simmering. Back then we are still a way off from the Return of the Eight, and the reversals of war leading into the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Let's continue...

    "The WORLD OF GREYHAWK campaign setting, the oldest world devised or the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game, is a land of chivalry, valiant knights, heinous villains, and wrongs waiting to be righted. It has stood the test of time as a gaming ground, boasting such adventures as Temple of Elemental Evil, Tomb of Horrors, and Vecna Lives! It provided a starting point for thousands of AD&D game players, young and old.

    The GREYHAWK setting is also home to some of the most famous names in the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game-Mordenkainen, Bigby, Tenser, Rary, Vecna, Iuz, Zagyg, and more. These heroes and villains have no doubt both saved and threatened the necks of all player characters over the years. Their influence is unmistakable and their absence would be painful."

Greyhawk does benefit from being the innovator. Really the only thing you need to know is classic adventures and famous D&D personages is what separates Greyhawk from all the others. The examples Anne lists are perfect, even Vecna Lives! which is not highly regarded for its quality is now very relevant in 5E. Like she says, the absence of these names associated with their famous spells and magic items is a grave mistake. Greyhawk's influence reverberates through all D&D history. Moving on...

    "The famed City of Greyhawk, described in its own boxed set, is a gaming jewel in its own right. Filled with interesting characters from Mayor Nerof Gasgal (a former member of the thieves' guild) right down to gamblers and street urchins, this bustling metropolis is filled with adventure and intrigue. It boasts a marketplace, gambling house, opera house, museum, wizards' academy, and library. It is a city inhabited by thieves, merchants, wizards of all levels, sewer zombies, and plenty of friendly, ordinary folk.

    Like any civilized continent, Greyhawk is not without its problems. Raiding barbarians, evil necromancers, and the occasional dragon have all beleaguered innocents and adventurers alike. It would be a boring land without interesting villains."

Anne leads into the City of Greyhawk which is literally the center of this great setting. Since the boxed set she mentioned, the city has had timeline updates and additions through the editions. Whatever source you use for the Gem of the Flanaess, the description here holds true. There is more...

"The Winds of War

    In recent years, political frictions built into the campaign world came to a boil. Deceit, treachery, double-dealing, and expansionism desired by greedy leaders all took their toll. Shaky alliances fell and armies mounted by forces of evil besieged coveted lands. Horrible tales of war machines, destructive wizardry, and massive humanoid armies on the march are now told in every inn, tavern, and outpost.

    For two long years, the nations of the Flanaess schemed, murdered, and warred against each other until nearly all sides lay bloodied and beaten: war had exhausted the land and the people. Furyondy, and Iuz ground to a stalemate; Nyrond's vast coffers drained dry and its overtaxed peasants grew rebellious; the Great Kingdom shattered into a swarm of petty landholdings vying for power; Keoland ought invasion on all sides; countless men, dwarves, elves, and orcs marched off to war, never to return; farms stood empty; fields lay fallow... the Flanaess could war no longer.

    The leaders of the fatigued nations finally agreed to a truce-no small undertaking. Each nation sent ambassadors to the Free City of Greyhawk. Six months of strained negotiations commenced, and in the end, came the Day of the Great Signing. Finally, the nations of the Flanaess rested in an uneasy peace. The documents were signed. But across the countryside, the world was far from peaceful."

So again, Anne lets us know war is a major backdrop of the setting. This is another huge selling point for the setting. Only Birthright really goes more into medieval fantasy warfare than Greyhawk does. From its war gaming roots, Gary Gygax's Greyhawk was meant to have this kind of continent-wide conflict. She goes on to name-drop some of the most important kingdoms on the map and finishes with the event that leads to the unfortunate Rary the Traitor. What comes next from Anne Brown?

"After the War

    The GREYHAWK campaign setting now offers more gaming opportunities than ever before. In December 1991. the original boxed set was amended by the Greyhawk Wars boxed set, describing the status of the war and providing a complete wargame, allowing fans of the setting to play out the events of the war.

    In October 1992, the game line was again amended by a boxed set, entitled From the Ashes. This set provides a complete update describing the aftermath of the war, and includes new maps, encounters, and gaming hooks. Countless rumors and whispered tales are included as fuel for the imagination of the DUNGEON MASTER.

    From the Ashes also includes new non-player characters to provide player characters with tour guides and enemies. These folks run the range from law enforcing rangers and patrols to mischievous wizards and fiendish undead creatures. Of course, plenty of friendly natives, grumpy dwarves, and sly elves fill in the gaps.

    The most powerful creatures in the world of GREYHAWK, the gods themselves, are also detailed in this boxed set. Major deities are outlined to provide both players and the DM with just enough to understand their workings but still keep them guessing."

  Anne brings it back to the stuff being sold in the catalog. I would not recommend Greyhawk Wars for a campaign simulation, but it makes for a fun boardgame. Like or not, From the Ashes does indeed build on previous published Greyhawk. The 90's was of course the golden age of prolific author Carl Sargent and sourcebooks like Iuz the Evil, Marklands and the unpublished Ivid the Undying; all would go on to add an abundance of new lore undreamt of during the Gygax era. Let's finish this off...

  

    "The lands of Greyhawk will be recovering from the wars for decades. Certain areas are wild as ever, while some regions, once safe, have fallen under evil influence. Skirting the Scarlet Brotherhood spies, avoiding the eye of Iuz, and eluding Ivid and his undead will make for years of memorable gaming!"

Well said Anne Brown! Built off this momentum in 1993, Greyhawk would go on to have even more 2E updates and adventures, then it was made the core world of 3.5E D&D. This was the peak of the Greyhawk setting; featured by Paizo Publishing in dozens of adventures for Dungeon magazine and was the setting for the unmatched Living Greyhawk campaign where players from all over the world created hundreds more modules for several years. Though the star has faded since then, Greyhawk lore continues to influence modern D&D for all the reasons Anne listed above. If you are just now learning about the World of Greyhawk, the 90's is actually a great place to start because it has all the wondrous simplicity of 80's Greyhawk with a respectable amount of gritty new adventure seeds and you won't get overwhelmed by all the published lore that comes out in the 2000's. Thanks again, Anne for writing this article.  

Sea Princes Nobles 576 CY - Prince Varek IV

Howdy Greyhawkers. Welcome to another installment of my Nobles of the Sea Princes (576 CY). If you haven't seen the previous post on Prince Jeon II of Monmurg, go back and check that out. This new post is by request. Much to my delight there has been a lot of interest in the community lately for Hold of the Sea Princes material. While Jeon appears in publication, his rival Prince Varek IV of Port Toli is wholly my creation. I hope you enjoy, and there is more to come!

His Exalted Highness, Prince Varek IV of Port Toli; Earl of Sasserine; Protector of Jeklea Bay; Lord of All the Jungles. (House Toli, Toli Armada, Fighter 7/ Rogue 10) The Prince of Port Toli belongs to a very old house whose founders were slavers and cutthroat pirates. Since then, little has actually changed, though the fabulously wealthy Varek IV portrays himself to be regal as any king in the Flanaess. The prince is middle-aged with a distinctive mane of white hair though he is still quite robust, taking personal pride at his expertise with blades. Varek is a former captain and explorer of great renown. Now concerned with rulership of Port Toli, the prince still owns the warship Iron Trident, captained by his loyal son-in-law Jarrad of Poniard (Fighter 8). Varek IV spends most of his time ruling from his grand keep in Port Toli, one of the oldest Suloise constructions in all of the western Flanaess. Whether at home or abroad the prince is never without his personal guard, a dozen highly loyal, ruthlessly efficient killers. 

Politics and Intrigues:  Prince Varek supports a large family at his palace, and he is presently married to Madelyne of Sulward (Rogue 5), an arranged marriage that sealed a treaty with the Lordship of the Isles. Varek is still bitter that his main rival, Prince Jeon II of House Rhola, allowed Sasserine to become an independent city. Ever since this loss by House Toli, and a recent attempt by Jeon to abolish slavery in the Hold, Varek has been in constant dispute with the Prince of Monmurg, no matter how trivial the matter. Meetings at the House of Peers are always fraught with tension when Varek attends. Indeed, he keeps his own constituent houses in line through a predictable mix of bribery and fear.  
The prince is often advised by the Archmage of the Sea Princes, Thelenkar the Gray (Wizard 18), whose talents are unmatched in the Hold. He is generally avoided by Varek however, due to a personal dislike of the mage since childhood. Despite this, the prince is unaware that the presence of Thelenkar has kept certain dangerous foreign agents from infiltrating his court.  
Prince Varek IV is a pivotal character to use for all levels of play in the Hold of the Sea Princes. He is central to much of the political theater of this setting, as well as his naval faction the Toli Armada. Port Toli is a major city in which to base nautical adventures involving piracy and exploration around the south seas or the jungles beyond. Prince Varek IV is a suitable patron for such amoral groups wanting to exploit the riches of these lands beyond the Flanaess.
House of Peers in the Sea Princes
The Hold of the Sea Princes comprises thirty domains, divided amongst a dozen noble houses. A few of these houses can trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the first Suel migrations, while most are merely fabricated hereditary titles of pirate captains who settled down a century ago. While the Hold is currently ruled by the Prince of Monmurg, the Prince of Port Toli has led the House of Peers for much of the Holds’ history. In political situations, the twelve houses are evenly divided between naval factions called the Princes’ Fleet and the Toli Armada. Those Sea Princes captains who choose to avoid house politics, nominally defer to a fleet named the Hold Flotilla in times of war.

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.

Very Best of Greyhawkery

Welcome again Greyhawk lords and ladies! Today I'd like to point out some of my best posts from the past. I have a whole subpage dedicated to the Best of Greyhawkery though. So this post will be my picks for ten of the Very Best of Greyhawkery. Let's get this started, in no particular order. Enjoy!

Virtuosos of Villainy: Eli Tomorast is my love letter to this vile wizard of the Maure Castle fame. Few villains in my home games have been as hated as Tomorast. His distinctive demon claws kind of make him stand out as well. The art for Tomorast by Kalman Andrasofszky, James Ryman and Wayne Reynolds is the best. I also recently learned that Paizo publisher Erik Mona himself owns the original cover painting of Eli from Dungeon #112. Jealous! I wish I had done more Villainy articles like this, but really few ever stand the test of time as well as Eli.

New Greyhawk Map: South Seas is to date, my masterpiece in cartography. This map as far as I can tell is the most downloaded and talked about on my blog. No wonder why, there are few like it. I made the South Seas map for my long-running pirate-themed Sea Princes campaign, but the whole effort was mostly research over actual map making skill. I took what we knew of the inset map from the 1983 Glossography, and combined it with the extended Hepmonaland from the Scarlet Brotherhood sourcebook. Then I really tied it into current Greyhawk by adding all the new locations from the Savage Tide AP such as Sasserine, Scuttlecove, and yes, thanks to Gary Holian the Isle of Dread to the far southwest. Could have I done more with this map? Of course! Artistically its just a line drawing with some clever clip art and layers to give it an old nautical chart look. I encourage anyone to modify, improve, or expand upon this map.

Sword of Kas Through Editions is a short, but effective article that I researched back in 2015. Little was I to know it would end up being one of my top ten most viewed posts. The Sword of Kas is one of those iconic items from D&D so I'm sure people often come across this post in their searches. Magic swords is a popular subject anyways on this blog, but this one beat them all.

Greyhawk Wizards: The Pentad is a short, but inspired post that I did on a hypothetical all-female wizard group ala the Circle of Eight. Greyhawk is full of wizards (or lich-wizards), and besides Iggwilv, it's a male dominated world. I had fun piecing this team together, especially as an attempt to bring Ed Greenwood's creation from the Wizards Three articles, Rautheene, back into the setting since she bears no mention anywhere else.

5 Reasons to Visit the Bandit Kingdoms is the first in a series that I hit upon in 2015 as a way to introduce adventure ideas in the major areas of the Flanaess to new DMs who might otherwise have no idea what to use or where to find it. I'm happy to see this similar effort done to all the nations of the game setting through Canonfire's Touring the Flanaess postcard community project.

Rulers of Ull: Ulzhak the Golden and Kuchakar the Dragon Slayer is two of my favorite home-spun creations for Ull, but I'm counting this as one item. I had intended to do a story on all the rulers of Ull, but that is a tiring exercise I'll save for another day. Instead I did the two that to me, were the most action packed and heroic. These historical rulers were invented as a way to show even lowly Ull can develop some heroes, and that there is epic quests to be had there as well.

Pirate Fleets of Greyhawk is one of my best articles for Greyhawkery, and this has made an appearance in Oerth Journal as well. In my opinion, my Sea Princes material is significantly better than my Ull series, because I've actually ran my friends through this in multiple linked campaigns. The pirate fleets above most of my pirate articles informs best what the factions and political climate of the South Seas is like. Check it out!

Ring of Five Questions: Creighton Broadhurst is the first of an amazing run of interviews that I did from 2011-2012. Creighton is one of my favorite LG authors back in the day (he made Rary the Traitor cool again) and he was an occasional visitor to our nightly Greyhawk chats. He was kind enough to be my first "industry" person involved in the blog. I would go on to pose my custom set of 5 Greyhawk questions to other authors and artists. More recently I resurrected the Ring of Five for all Greyhawk fandom to share their favorite answers regarding our shared hobby.

Furyondy-Iuz War Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 is part of my epic 2E "Greyhawk Wars" campaign that spanned 24 in-game years. Back in the 90's I kept quite good notes and wrote battle reports on our campaign and such. It all culminated in the final war against Iuz which was probably inspired by Tolkien's the War of the Rings. Check out these battle reports, perhaps they will inspire other DMs to wage war on the Flanaess like good old Gygax probably intended!

Greyhawk A-Z: Spells is not the even close to the first in my A-Z series, but its the most impressive in my opinion. Anyone who is well read on published Greyhawk could easily put together an A-Z list of names, places, or items, but Greyhawk specific spells? That was such an undertaking that I spent hours researching books and magazines to fill the list, and I still had to cheat a few times. Then I did a second A-Z list cause I had so much left over. 

That's all folks! Be sure to check out the Best of Greyhawkery page link at the top where I will hopefully someday have everything categorized for your convenience. Until the Star Break!