Greyhawkery Comic: Under #1

Come on in, Greyhawkers! I'm proud to present my fourth and final new comic series. This comic has been swirling in my head for years wanting to get out. UNDER is my love-letter to the Dragon Magazine comic, Wormy done by the late great Dave Trampier. This D&D comic moreso than any other captivated me from the start and kept me collecting Dragon right up until its end. Unlike my other humorous Greyhawk comics, Under is a semi-serious story that is closer in relation to the Castle Greyhawk graphic novel I did alongside Scott Casper. This first installment is an appetizer. I am anxious to reveal the rest of the story to you, and I hope you get swept up in this world like I did with Wormy. Enjoy!

BEGINNING / PREVIOUS / NEXT

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.  

Oerth Journal #34 Available

Greetings Greyhawkers! Today I'm promoting the release of Oerth Journal #34! Head on over to GreyhawkOnline to download the latest issue. Again, the exquisite cover depicting Iggwilv in the Baklunish West is done by the sublime artist LadyLoth. This issue is packed with all kinds of Greyhawk goodness by a host of authors who are active in the community, check it out:

● Librarian's Chronicle: Letter from the Editor - by Kristoph Nolen
● St. Benedor - by Gary Holian
● Lore of the Phost Tree - by Lance Hawvermale
● Omnipotent View: Forging of a Man - by Richard DiIoia
● Reimagining Yrag the Lord - by Amy "Theala" Crittenden
● The Pentegram: A Spelljamming Ship - by Denis "Maldin" Tetreault and Rick Esch
● Exploring the Dry Steppes: Journal of Zabin Al-Xin - by John Burchfield
● Ecology of the Thri-kreen - Kristoph Nolen

● A Fistful of Baubles - by David Leonard

● Inauguration of an Apprentice - by Robert M. Guy III
● Fergus Matremand: Capt. of the Greenjerkins - by Paul Herridge

● Vault of Daoud - by Thomas Kelly
● Secret Legacies of the Flan - by Les "Oblivion Seeker" Reno

Special kudos to Gary Holian of Canonfire! for his development on St. Benedor. No one is more an authority on the saints and death knights of the Flanaess than Gary. Also very pleased to see John Burchfield of Blue Box RPG in the Journal now! It's also quite humorous and overdue to see a Denis Tetreault Spelljammer article here. Maldin knows his stuff! I could gush on about all the authors and their works and projects. Richard DiIoia, Amy Crittenden, Thomas Kelly (his Daoud story is the cover of the issue), David Leonard, Les Reno and so on. A great line-up of authors all around! Oh yes, and someone I know might have a couple comics in this issue. I can't wait to see what the gang comes up with in OJ 35!

Greyhawk Novel: Siege of the Tower

Howdy Greyhawkers! It's a busy weekend and I don't have any new content to share, but I do have some new old content to show off, that I should've promoted a long while back. My good pal, Thomas Kelly at the blog Greyhawk Stories had an amazing interview back in July with Kem Antilles, author of the Greyhawk Adventures Endless Quest novel, Siege of the Tower. I was bowled over by this interview. Published in 1994, I had no idea there was a Greyhawk Endless Quest book.

Given the cover is the From the Ashes boxed set by Jeff Easley, this story is set during the war between Furyondy and Iuz. You play a 17-year old fighter named Corlen. As you would expect from a "choose your own" story, Corlen has some hard choices to make as forces of Iuz are coming to siege Dragon's Eye Tower (I wonder if its on Anna's map?). To make matters worse, Corlen, who I remind you is a fighter, was cursed by an evil wizard and now cannot touch metal without it causing pain. Needless to say, I somehow successfully led Corlen to victory in my first read-through of the book.

My main reflection on this book was how well it fit with Greyhawk published sources. This enjoyable story adds and does not detract from any RPG sources. It felt like a nice one-shot D&D session involving a couple players. The book has great interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, but lacks a map of any kind, sadly. Then again, the story does not technically need a map. It references Crockport, Whyestil Lake and the Dulsi River for instance, but all of this is just to set the scene. At any rate, Siege of the Tower made me feel young again. I really wish there had been more Greyhawk novels like this and less like Master Wolf or the Eyes Have It by Rose Estes who did indeed write Endless Quest books, I'm just not sure for Greyhawk specifically.

The other cool thing about this is the author signed my copy! Thanks Kem! Thank Thomas! I will forever cherish this little novel among my Greyhawk collection. Again, go read his interview with Kem Antilles if you haven't already! Until next time, enjoy!

Greyhawk Stuff on the Net

Hail Greyhawk gluttons! I've been taking a mental break from my 2E Greyhawk Wars series, so this post we will promote some of the other cool bloggers and authors in the community.

Let's start with the blog Greyhawk Musings and David Leonard as he continues to examine the collective cited sources of Greyhawk history. His latest installment continues the deeply rich background of the Great Kingdom from 300 CY through the Turmoil Between Crowns. This is the era of Zagig, Death Knights and a lot of political intrigue in the east. I've said before, my dream "period piece" of the Flanaess would be a sourcebook on 300-400 CY World of Greyhawk (the other being the Suel-Baklunish Wars). Check out this article HERE.

Next up is the tireless creativity of Joe Bloch over at Greyhawk Grognard. Joe and me have been on the same wavelength it seems, talking about the Pomarj on stream and writing pieces on warfare involving the Iron League. Where we differ is Joe is a fan of miniature gaming rules (he is exploring the Triumph! ruleset), whereas I tend to be lazy and use counter/card abstracts for my campaigns (Warmachine, Greyhawk Wars, Birthright). Joe is very adept at adapting Greyhawk armies to mass combat rules. Check out his article on the Army of Idee. He does his homework when crafting these armies, immersing them in the lore of Greyhawk. Joe is a true wargaming legacy of Gary Gygax.

Over at the blog, From Kuroth's Quill, my friend Allan Grohe is musing on his current Greyhawk campaign and its planar-gate connections. Grodog, who I associate with old school Castle Greyhawk normally, gives a good run down and some graphics on what other worlds and planes he is tying together. It's all quite fascinating world building stuff. We all like to reach beyond the game-world we use. I know I used to do a lot of Planescape and Norse mythical adventures, but Greyhawk was always the core setting. I will be keeping an eye on his campaign moving forward.

Finally, Thomas Kelly over at Greyhawk Stories continues his epic tale of the Hateful Wars with Chapter Fourteen: A Voice in the Dark. If you think a mimic is in this part, you are only partially right. Follow Kristryd and company as the action gets very deadly in the dark tunnels beneath the Lortmil Mountains. Enjoy the latest chapter or if you are just now finding out about the Hateful Wars, go back and read from the beginning. Enjoy!

Greyhawk News and Links

Howdy Greyhawk maniacs. It's that time of the week I throw out a few links to help promote Greyhawk content in the community. I'm sure you've seen most of these items already, but help me by boosting the signal. We need to keep awareness of the setting high in this new golden age of D&D fandom.

First and foremost is the exciting news that old-school publisher Goodman Games gets to do another 5E adaptation of a Greyhawk classic in OAR#6: The Temple of Elemental Evil. This is not an homage, or a mere reprint, but in the spirit of previous releases like Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and the Into the Borderlands, this is a full 5E adaptation alongside a reprint of the original AD&D super-module T1-T4. These books end up pretty weighty, but in my opinion it's a must have. Goodman's press release says this will be out late 2020 or early 2021. I'm guessing it'll be in time for Gary Con 2021, which is where I will snag a copy!

Next, over at the blog Hall of the Mountain King, my fellow Legends & Lore historian, Jason Zavoda has been putting out posts galore. Zavoda is famous for his Greyhawk Index of course, but when he stopped indexing years ago, the content didn't stop. Since he has been more active in the community, Jason has been indexing Greyhawk references in both recent products like the Saltmarsh Encounters and relatively older ones like Dungeon Magazine #148 which featured Spinecastle.

Jason has also tirelessly been posting regular updates on his Blackmoor, Land of a Thousand Witches, a campaign in this region unlike any you've seen before and the final chapter in his ongoing fiction The Hill Giant's Chief: Nosnra's Saga. Tune in daily to see what tidbit JZ posts next on his blog!

Lastly, speaking of Legends & Lore, this Wednesday, Jay Scott, Anna Meyer and myself will be hosting special guests from former Living Greyhawk's Sultanate of Zeif region. Even after having many members of Living Greyhawk on the show previously, I cannot wait to hear how there people played and developed their stories in the Baklunish lands. Also, I cannot wait to mercilessly taunt them about my homeland of Ull! See you there, or if you can't make the live show see the replay through LordGosumba's regular channel.

New Greyhawk Stuff to See

Well met Greyhawkers! Fresh off our Virtual Gary Con seminar on Twitch, I have a few links to share for more creative stuff to read on the internet. Those who were present that day probably have already been to these sites, but I gotta keep plugging away. Let's get to it!

Joe Bloch over at Greyhawk Grognard does it again, this time he has a new must have download titled T5: Beneath the Temple of Elemental Evil. What is T5 all about? Joe writes:

"The first in my series of expansions/addenda/replacements for the classic T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil, and the GDQ Giants/Drow modules is finally here. 
Based on literally years of research and speculation here on the blog, this first module is an expansion to the Temple of Elemental Evil, detailing a (real) shrine to the Elder Elemental God far below the Temple dungeons..."

If you are a fan of the classic Temple you will have to see what Joe has in store with this publication and what surely is left to come. No one ponders and improves on the classics like Greyhawk Grognard!

Next up, as promised is the newest issue, Oerth Journal #32 now available for download over at Greyhawk Online. This issue the theme is "Infinite Oerths" and here is the line up of authors and articles:

•  Making Greyhawk Your Own by Amy G. Crittenden
•  Gord's Greyhawk by Cal Scrivener
•  Ravilla: the Sundered Dragon Empire by Kristoph Nolen
•  The Many Castles Greyhawk by Joe "Greyhawk Grognard" Bloch
•  Going to the Source by Jason Zavoda
•  If It Smells Like a Viking by Jason Zavoda
•  A Reign of Death by Gary Holian
•  A Decidedly Disastrous Day by David Leonard
•  The Howl From the North by William "Giantstomp" Dvorak
•  Unconquered Hold of the Sea Princes by Michael Bridges
•  Diadem of Zosiel by Thom "Oronir" Vandevenne
•  History of the Wild Coast by Aaron Froke
•  Legendary Axes of Varnifane by Jay L. "Lord Gosumba" Scott

Lastly, head over to Greyhawk Stories to read Thomas Kelly's incredible interview with Paul Kidd the author of a trilogy of Greyhawk novels starring his unique character, the Justicar. If anyone had a chance to get a Greyhawk novel line going post-Gygax it was Kidd. Go over and check this article out, you'll want go out and find a copy of White Plume Mountain or Queen of the Demonweb Pits! 

Kudos to Mr. Kelly on this coup of an interview!

So I Bought Some Greyhawk Novels

Greetings Greyhawk enthusiasts! It's a few weeks away from Gary Con 2020 and I just finished a piece for the upcoming Oerth Journal #32 which will be available in limited print for those who attend the convention this year! Never fear though, Greyhawk Online will have it ready for download as well, and I'm quite sure there will be a ton of extra download material that you won't see in the print version. Keep an eye on the OJ ink at Greyhawk Online for this newest publication!

Speaking of publication, I finally got tired of waiting for fate to intervene so I made a couple purchases. Yes, I am talking about old Gary Gygax novels. Lately I've been hearing people talk about the content in these novels, but I've always been a bit snobbish in only reading game publications. I certain did already own a couple books, Saga of Old City and Sea of Death come to mind. But now after hearing about Night Arrant and City of Hawks for the umpteenth time I just bought these two novels online.

This is significant because my goal has always been to try and find these novels in the wild and buy them, but I don't go to enough cons and book stores to make that life-quest feasible anymore. I got lucky. These are some used copies, in good condition and they didn't cost all that much which is nice. The cover art cracks me up. I've always been skeptical of pulp fiction and comic book covers not representing the story inside. Man do I hope there is a giant vulture getting shot with a lightning bolt! So now comes my next conundrum, what is the chronological reading order for these Gord books?

Can anyone help out?

Greyhawk Stories: The Hateful Wars

Greetings Greyhawkers. I'd be remiss if I didn't promote the wonderful new fiction posted by super-fan author Thomas Kelly at Greyhawk Stories! Mr. Kelly's epic story is aptly titled The Hateful Wars, the Saga of Kristryd Olinsdotter. The Hateful Wars is regarded as a defining event in the World of Greyhawk setting yet until now, little detail was actually known or published about this period of war. Join in each week as Greyhawk Stories brings a new chapter of the tale to life for the first time!

Start with the prelude, Something Wicked then check out chapter one, Ehlonna's Blessing. Enjoy!

Rulers of Ull: Ulzhak the Golden

Welcome again sages of Greyhawk knowledge. Delleb has tasked me with learning and documenting all things concerning the paltry land of Ull. This is the second installment of Rulers of Ull, where I recount the lore on the many Orakhans of Ull from throughout the centuries. Before you continue on, be sure to read my first article on Kuchakar the Dragon Slayer. If you are caught up, then for your reading pleasure, here is another heroic tale (Ull has heroes too) from 750 years before Kuchakar was Orakhan: The Saga of Ulzhak the Golden.

Ulzhak "The Golden" 
Orakhan of Ull from 2387 to 2420 BH (-272 to -239 CY)
(CN male human fighter 16)

Ulzhak the Golden, known for his long blond hair, gilded lamellar armor and a magical golden scimitar, is a name still sung by the minstrels of the Baklunish West. Few rulers of Ull have a greater lineage than Ulzhak. He is the son of Buhul the Warlike, defender of Ull's frontiers, grandson of Khuzhan the Builder who crafted the mesa-capital Ulakand, and great grandson of Ulaghai Ora Khan the revered founder of Ull. Ulzhak's saga starts as most do, during his childhood. 

A Prodigy is Born

Ulzhak was born an ordinary Uli boy, with dark hair and vicious temper. Among the women in Buhul's tribe however, it was commonly said that the orakhan's son was gifted with heroic awareness. Most notably, in his second winter, little Ulzhak caught and strangled a stirge that flew into his yurt. Though his sleeping mother and other attendants perished in the swarming attack, Ulzhak remained unharmed. As the boy grew, now raised by his sisters and aunts, he became preternaturally calm and began to exhibit an adept sense of sight, hearing and smell. Remarkably he broke his first horse before he was strong enough to string a bow. Eventually Ulzhak's phenomenal skills attracted the notice of his busy father. 

At age eleven, Ulzhak proudly rode at the side of his father training with hardened warriors loyal to the orakhan. Buhul the Warlike was a restless leader, always away from Ulakand and on the offensive against Ull's many perceived enemies. Unfortunately, this violent lifestyle brought aging Buhul Orakhan to his demise during a victorious battle on the Plains of the Paynims. Returning to Ulakand still too young and inexperienced, Ulzhak was now orakhan, but by tradition he was assisted and advised by his eldest uncles. One uncle was a fierce yet wise fighter, while the other was a scheming yet masterful horseman. They would both continue to train and raise Ulzhak to manhood, shielding him from many khanate intrigues. By the time Ulzhak turned nineteen, he embodied the traits of both his mentoring uncles and his ability to rule was no longer disputed by the Khanate Council who also found the new Orakhan exceedingly insightful and charismatic. Ulzhak however, had the blood of Buhul in him, thus he felt an ancestral urge to prove himself beyond the safety of Ulakand.

A New Threat Emerges

Ulzhak began to ride in force with his royal warband and tested his martial prowess against his fathers' enemies at home and abroad, yet his uncles never let him stray far from Ull's territory. Then during one fateful council meeting, at age twenty-one, the young Orakhan was brought news that both his elder uncles fell in battle against an incursion of vicious ogres from the Ulsprue Mountains. Worse, the invading ogres claimed to be incited by an enigmatic Lord of the Ogre-Magi. Amidst the Khanate Council's furious debate over this outrage, Ulzhak, without delay, discreetly departed Ulakand along with a detachment of his most trusted guards and entered the Ulsprues to personally face this new threat to his land.

Through intimidation and guile against every ogre he encountered, Ulzhak ventured deeper and higher into the mountains. The farther he ascended to look down upon his familiar plains, the Orakhan began to wonder if he was being intentionally lured to his doom. Finally Ulzhak and his surviving band reached a summit and found a hidden palace, old and carved into the surrounding rock. Here, they faced giants and demons alike, leering and laughing at their approach. The guards fled in terror and were chased down, but Ulzhak was undaunted and went alone into a great hall to stand before the imposing Lord of the Ogre-Magi. Naively, the young ruler assumed he would be facing a brute, but in reality this new threat was wise, cunning and possessing of an arcane intelligence. 

A Deal is Struck

It is said that instead of violence, Ulzhak and the Lord of the Ogre-Magi sat facing each other and engaged in a battle of wits and willpower, with the host treating his youthful counterpart with cultured hospitality befitting his station. Impressed with Ulzhak, the Lord of the Ogre-Magi made an accord with the Orakhan of Ull. The Orakhan was granted access to certain timberlands and silver mines in the highlands provided that the people of Ull would not war or interfere with the giant-kin of the Ulsprues. To seal the accord and reward him for his bravery, the Ogre-Magi presented to the young Orakhan the magical scimitar, Ganchabar, forged on another plane and said to be sharp enough to slice through metal and bone with ease. The Lord of the Ogre-Magi warned the foolhardy youth, should the bearer of Ganchabar break the treaty, then a great curse would befall him. Holding the scimitar aloft for the first time, Ulzhak's hair and armor instantly and irrevocably turned gold.

 A Golden Age in Ull

Ulzhak the Golden's triumphant return to Ulakand was heralded with awe and celebration by the assembled khanates. The Orakhan had brought the ogre incursions to an end and opened new sources of wealth to the Uli. Despite whispers of a pact with demons, the Orakhan now fearlessly ruled Ull, riding at the fore of a relentless horde and Ganchabar would become the gleaming golden symbol on Ull's battle standards. Years passed and still in his prime, Ulzhak the Golden had many adventures and won dozens of battles on the vast plains, yet the treaty with the ogres remained true. Indeed, many tribes gladly started to render aid to the Uli in procuring the riches of the mountains. As his legend grew, Ulzhak became more like his father Buhul the Warlike, exceeding him in every way possible. This confidence and power eroded his finer qualities, making the Orakhan spoiled and cruel to any who stood in his way, be they friend or foe. It is said even the sultan of Zeif gave up all attempts to pursue his interests into the realm of the indomitable Golden Maned Khan. 

A Divine Quest

As Fate would have it, one night on the frontier of the Ulsprues, the Orakhan hiked alone while his horde rested following a successful skirmish with the Paynims over water rights. It was high-summer and the Wadi Khijar was running drier than usual. Worse, many of Ull's lesser streams were suddenly fouled and unable to sustain their herds. Under the twin moons, at the edge of a pure spring, the golden warrior encountered a demure woman standing in a clear pool with fish swirling about her feet. Though the peoples of Ull had long abandoned their ancient religions, Geshtai, goddess of lakes and wells was one deity that was still held in reverence. Awed by her divine radiance, the ruler of Ull knelt by the waterside and heeded her troubling news; a monster called Korokhor was responsible for polluting the waters of Ull and though Geshtai did her best to purify the damage it wrought, she needed a hero to slay the menace.     

Ulzhak could not refuse her divine quest. Again he felt the weight of his ancestors calling on him to save his people; and so entering the pool with Geshtai, he was transported far away to a sludgy, smelly stream bed, where the imposing five-headed Ettin, Korokhor vomited its poison into the waters. Ulzhak was familiar with giant-kin, but nothing as twisted as this demon. Ganchabar shone as he advanced, causing Korokhor's many eyes to squint and grasp blindly at the golden hero. The skill and speed of the Orakhan brought the monster to its knees, even as it purged acidic filth and ichor in all directions, damaging Ulzhak's golden armor and blistering his skin in the process. Mighty Ganchabar was unaffected by the filth of Korokhor however, and as Ulzhak labored to sever the monster's heads one by one, vile trolls and other nameless creatures spawned from its lifeless husk and slinked away into the lightless depths. 

Redemption and Consequences

Ulzhak would not revel in his victory for he now knew that the despoiling monster was sent by the treacherous Lord of the Ogre-Magi. Returning to his army, the Orakhan of Ull brought grisly proof of his dire encounter and then turned the wrathful host toward the Ulsprues. Following mountain trails he last saw in his youth, Ulzhak swept aside howling demons and gibbering giants in their path until he again reached the ancient palace. This time wielding Ganchabar, there would be no negotiation. The Golden-Maned Khan drove the frightened Lord of the Ogre-Magi and his remaining minions from their lofty domain, but not before the voice of the Ogre-Mage could be heard echoing on the wind, invoking the curse he vowed long ago would come to Ulzhak if he ever interfered. While his men searched and looted the palace, Ulzhak gazed out to the horizon and pondered his doom. Little did the Orakhan know then, that the curse would actually be on his family line.

Ulzhak the Golden ruled Ull for thirty three years in total. Though the Orakhan was renowned and respected, because of this fame, Ulzhak's own family became foolish, haughty and thus despised by the khanates. Indeed, Ulzhak's eldest son, Durske the Unlucky would prove to be the least trusted, as his kin began to die in a series of mysterious accidents. The line of Ulaghai Ora-Khan would never recover. Meanwhile, the deserted palace of the ogre-magi lord was settled by followers of Zuoken and became the esteemed Falla-nil Monastery. Upon his death, the body of Ulzhak the Golden was interred in the Great Catacombs of the Ulakand Mesa, but the magic scimitar Ganchabar vanished never to be seen again. 

The search has continued for hundreds of years. Most who seek the golden scimitar remain sure it is buried within the vast mesa, or was perhaps stolen back by the vengeful Lord of the Ogre-Magi. Some claim Ganchabar was hid by Geshtai at the bottom of a stream, or is perhaps guarded by the monks of Zuoken who have no use for such a blade, but may yet deliver it again to a new hero that is as worthy as Ulzhak the Golden.

Castle Greyhawk: Absolute Edition!

Hail Greyhawk legends! Today is a good day because I finally get to show off the result of years worth of hard work by Scott Casper and myself on the Castle Greyhawk comic which wrapped up a year ago. Even though my part was over, Scott diligently worked on publishing the collected works of this graphic novel and his short stories into the special hardback ABSOLUTE EDITION. Check out these pics of the covers.

For those who are new to this blog or our Castle Greyhawk comic, this was a story written by Scott "Scottenkainen" Casper based on Gary Gygax's original campaign. The story features iconic characters of D&D such as Tenser, Mordenkainen and Robilar.

The gorgeous Castle Greyhawk book I now hold was given out to our Patreon backers whose their loyal readership made the effort quite worthwhile. One backer is my good friend Allan Grohe who also supplied the foreword to the book. Thank you Allan for your sagely introduction.

Not only did Scott manage to self publish a 300+ page book of our work, he included extra commentary on each page. So far it's been a delight to just go back through and reminisce about the creation of this comic over the years. Truly breathtaking. I don't have enough words to express how satisfied I am now with this project. I've been published in Oerth Journal many times and collaborated with people in the Greyhawk community, but anytime you can have something tangible in your hands is extra special! My only wish is that I had contemplated this would be a print product at the end. I never look far past sharing stuff online when it comes to writing or art, so thank you Scott for being more ambitious than me.

Now that I've gushed about this book, I bet you're wondering how you can get your hands on one perhaps? Well, that is again out of my hands, so you'll need to ask Scott if there will be a second printing of the novel (I believe there was a less-expensive soft-cover variant for patrons). When I know more or hear about some interest in this book I will be sure to let him know. Until then, go and check out the Castle Greyhawk blog and read the story!

Update 06/27/2021: I've published a lot of articles, been in a few printed versions of Oerth Journal, but this book is still my proudest achievement. Scott as always deserves the credit for doing the writing, and leg work on this printed product.

Oerth Journal #31 Released!

Happy New Year, Greyhawkers! This is a good day to start off 2020 because I'm promoting the latest issue of Oerth Journal, winter edition (the theme is Factions). My good friend Kristoph Nolen at Greyhawk Online has been doing an amazing job bringing the ezine back and making it quarterly. He has definitely struck at the right time as the community has never been more into content creation than it has in the last ten or fifteen years. This is in large part to social media like Facebook and Twitch. I am glad Greyhawk is surviving into the 21st century and Oerth Journal in PDF (or print) will be a nice legacy for us old school gamers going forward.

You must check out issue #31, there is an incredible gathering of authors and artists in this one. I am particularly proud to see Greyhawk indexer extraordinaire, Jason Zavoda coming into this issue strong. I am also proud of the folks from The Greyhawk Channel and all who have contributed for the first time to this honored staple of the Greyhawk community.

Here is a packed lineup of what is in store when you download Oerth Journal #31:

Designing and DMing Factions by Allan T. Grohe Jr. (grodog) 
Rant of a Malcontent by Nathan Doyle (Attention Deficit & Dragons)
Rogues’ Gallery:    The Night Merchants by Will “Giantstomp” Dvorak
Rogues’ Gallery:   Cult of Steel by Jason Zavoda
Rogues’ Gallery:    The Blacksheep by James “AvatarOfWrath” Belk
Rogues’ Gallery:    The Blood Ravens by Kalvin Gearhart
Rogues’ Gallery:    Guild of Lamplighters and Torchbearers by Jason Zavoda
Rogues’ Gallery:    Cult of the Red Scythe by Kristoph Nolen
Rogues’ Gallery:   Celenian Suss Forest Knights’ Watch by Jay L. “Lord Gosumba” Scott
Rogues’ Gallery:    Church of Heironeous by Thom “Oronir” Vandervenne
Fiction:  The Castle by David Leonard
Rogues’ Gallery:    Origin of the Horned Society by Jason Zavoda
Fiction:   Espionage at the Royal Opera House by Kelli “TheOperaGeek” Butler with Krissy Dominy
Rogues’ Gallery:   Alliance of Defiance by Cal Scrivener
Rogues’ Gallery:   Grey College Observatory by Andy Miller and Kristoph Nolen

Update 06/27/2021: Again, the Greyhawk Channel is no longer active, but you can find their past streams on YouTube. Link updated.

New Article: A Guide to Mordenkainen

Heya Greyhawk diehards! If you're like me, you want to know everything there is to know about the World of Greyhawk's notable persons, places and things. Well, the gaming blog, Powerscore has just the thing this week, an exhaustive article showcasing EVERY published D&D reference about Mordenkainen the archmage leader of the Circle of Eight. Yes, every article, novel, sourcebook, core book, etc, is picked over in order to give you the big picture on this most enigmatic champion of the Balance. I've had my own theories on what Mordy's trajectory has been in the last couple decades, and this article helps shine a light on some more recent 5E references that I hadn't even read before! Mind you this article does contain spoilers, so players beware! DMs, enjoy!

A Few Greyhawk Things

Hey Greyhawkers! It's been a slow week for me, so let's have a look at what others are doing in the Greyhawk community:

Over at Greyhawk Grognard, resident Greyhawk-scholar Joe Bloch is on an epic run of posts concerning Connecting the Temple of Elemental Evil with the Vault of the Drow. How is this even possible? You gotta read and find out. When Joe says buckle up, he means it. Be sure to read Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.


At the blog Greyhawk Stories, the saga of Daoud continues with the Sevenfold Mazework. If you haven't read the story from the beginning, then you are missing out on some good Baklunish culture and some amazing ideas for your own campaign. You need to check this series out.

Next up, I'm a bit slow on this announcement, but have you SEEN the 598 CY handout map teased by cartographer extraordinaire Anna Meyer? No? Go here now. Then if you like what you see, join her Patreon!

Finally at Wizards, the latest Dragon+ is out and there among other things is some downloads of maps from the 5E Ghosts of Saltmarsh anthology. If you are interested in the Saltmarsh region for your own campaign, but don't own the book, this set of maps (and other ones) should definitely do the trick. Thanks to Dyson Logos, Mike Schley and Jason Thompson.

That's all for now. Hopefully in the coming weeks I will have more original content for Greyhawkery. I hope you like Ull...

New Greyhawk Posts

Hail Greyhawkers! Today I promoting a few things out there in the Greyhawk community. Ready?

First off, sorry to those who showed up yesterday to see Legends & Lore on the Greyhawk Channel, we had to push the last episode of the season back a week due to real life, but hopefully that will give us time to get a guest on with Anna Meyer and me!

Second, Blake Ryan is at it again with his Greyhawk series on Tribality. Mr. Ryan writes easy to use articles, packed with adventure hooks for whatever town or geographical area he is focused on. This article is titled Greyhawk-Forestscape: Fellreev. The forest-scape presented is a 20x20 mile area of encounters and quests that can be used in any cold-temperate forest. Specifically for Greyhawk, he writes:

"Notes about the region : In Greyhawk this forest area would be in the south west Fellreev forest in the Horned Society lands. During the Greyhawk Wars much of this area was explored and trashed by the various humanoids and fiends who serve the demi god Iuz."

Be sure to check it out.

Lastly, if you haven't already seen the blog Greyhawk Stories then you're missing out on an excellent republishing of Kirt Wackford's campaign classic adaptation, It Started in Saltmarsh. Follow the link and read the entire story from the beginning, though beware: spoilers for anyone who has never ran or played through the original 1E module Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh!

Until next time!

Rulers of Ull: Kuchakar the Dragon Slayer

Welcome esteemed seekers of Greyhawk knowledge. Delleb knows that I am the authority on all things concerning the inconsequential land of Ull. Occasionally I break out some new material on this lawless frontier, or expand on something I started years ago. That said, I'm featuring a new column titled Rulers of Ull, where I reveal some new-found lore about the many Orakhans of Ull over the centuries. Some are vile, some are useless, but a few are quite epic. Today I'm starting on the heroic end with the mightiest and most famous ruler in Ull history:

Kuchakar "The Dragon Slayer" 
Orakhan of Ull from 3144-3171 BH (485-512 CY)
(N male human ranger 15)

Kuchakar lived near the end of an era of heroism and bravery not seen in Ull since its founding out of the ashes of the Invoked Devastation. Many Uli rightly claim Kuchakar's story is also that of Ulzhun the Victorious. Unlike the famed Orakhan, Kuchakar neither came from the family of a great khanate, nor did he ever lead a feared warband. Baklunish scholars attribute Kuchakar's improbable ascent to the fate of Istus, yet his own descendants profess the strength and wisdom of their ancestors was with Kuchakar on the day he slew the blue dragon, Fusarkalon.

Raids by the dragon effectively cut off trade at the crossroads of Ull and the Dry Steppes, much to the ire of Ulzhun the Victorious, who famously had never been defeated by man or beast. In 483 CY, Ulzhun was pushed to action by the khanate council, and so gathered his personal guard along with a cadre of the best trackers in Ull to assail the lair of Fusarkalon. Among these rangers was Kuchakar, the son of a humble Uli far-rider of the northern plains. By his twenty-fifth winter, Kuchakar was an accomplished rider, huntsman and mountaineer. He had traveled beyond the borders of Ull as well; trading with giant-kin of the mountains, wandering the markets of the north and even witnessing the blinding desolation of the Sea of Dust.

The rangers of Ull had already been searching for Fusarkalon's lair for months, thus they were familiar with many of the mirages and tricks protecting its territory. Since there was no way of knowing if the creature would be in his lair upon their arrival, the Orakhan reluctantly went with Kuchakar's own plan of deception rather than a direct assault. Using a train of pack horses and camels moving away from the hills as bait, the dragon was eventually lured out of its lair and pursued by Ulzhun's mounted lancers, while Kuchakar carefully led the ruler, his sons and the remaining scouts into the revealed entrance on foot. Kuchakar and the rangers planned to lay an ambush in Fusarkalon's own lair, hoping at best the lancers could wound the dragon and force it to return for them to finish off. Ralishaz's misfortune found them first however, as it became apparent when they stumbled upon a treasure-filled cavern, that the dragon outside was not Fusarkalon at all, it was his mate, Kilberenden. 

Fusarkalon the Quick and the terrifying Kilberenden Sand-Twister arrived in the southern foothills of the Ulsprue range some time before 480 CY. Sages speculate Kilberenden was spawned shortly before the Twin Cataclysms and roamed the far-western steppes until she came upon ruins beyond the Sulhaut Mountains. There she met Fusarkalon, whose origin is buried beneath the Sea of Dust with the bones of many ancient wyrms from the era of the Suloise Imperium. From that point on, the pair of blue dragons flew northward where they began to harry nomads and caravans going from Lake Udrukankar to the Kester Escarpment. As they only hunted alone and left few survivors, no one knew it was a pair of dragons that now laired in the vicinity of Ull.

The Death of Fusarkalon is a story that Kuchakar actually loathed to tell and he humbly insisted till his dying day that Ulzhun shared the victory. The initial encounter was a blur. Known as the Quick, the dragon ambushed with illusions, a flash of thunderous lightning and slashing claws until all the rangers and both of the Orakhan's sons were fast slain. Lastly, Ulzhun the Victorious faced Fusarkalon alone with his sword-arm charred and useless, indeed he would have perished if not saved by his cherished adamantine shield. Feeling confident, the dragon toyed with the crippled warrior and tore the shield from his arm as he pinned him under a talon. What words Fusarkalon shared with Ulzhun is lost to time, but it bought Kuchakar time to recover. The stunned ranger had by chance, acquired a shirt of fine chainmail in far-off Zeif years ago, never once realizing its arcane protections against electricity until that very instant. Gathering up the shield of Ulzhun, Kuchakar impaled the dragon's eye with his broad spear. Taking up Ulzhun's scimitar next, he beheaded the writhing wyrm as it wildly breathed crackling energy all about them.

Surveying the carnage and the glittering wealth at his feet, Kuchakar picked up the unconscious Orakhan and carried him into another chamber, hoping to find another way out. Here at the back end of the caverns he found the egg-clutch of Kilberenden half buried in a dune of sand. Weary but undaunted, Kuchakar wisely stopped to destroy the dragon eggs, only to be alerted by the frenzied roar of the female's return. Unscathed, Kilberenden had repelled the lancers and slew everything that moved in the diversion. Kuchakar hastily buried Ulzhun and himself in the dune using the shield and waited with sword in hand. When Kilberenden discovered her mate slain, she began to angrily tear at bodies and stone, that is until she finally saw her eggs and the discarded shield of Ulzhun. Kilberenden Sand-Twister was driven to madness. She vowed revenge on the ruler of the gold blazoned shield before twisting and lashing out of the lair forever. Some say Kilberenden turned bestial from that point forward, never again speaking intelligibly. She has yet to return to Ull for her sworn vengeance. 

Kuchakar bore Ulzhun back to Ulakand and the entire way, was hailed a hero, the khanates naming him the Dragon Slayer. Kuchakar became so revered in Ull that every khan, warlord and pit-master in the realm bowed in his presence. It is said even the ogres of the Ulsprues laid out tribute on the golden trail for the dragon slayer. Ulzhun and Kuchakar formed an inseparable bond and divided the recovered treasures of two dragons between them, affording them both a lavish lifestyle unknown to many in Ull. Despite it all though, Ulzhun would rule Ull only two more years. Disheartened by his permanent injury and the deaths of his heirs, Ulzhun the Victorious chose Kuchakar to replace him as Orakhan, and with no objections he departed Ull on his Final Ride. 

Kuchakar the Dragon Slayer would go on to rule Ull for twenty-seven years. Though his legend is defined by one dragon, his adventures in defense of Ull were many. Any bard in Kester or Ulakand can regale stories of Kuchakar in the Taming of the Silver Chimera, or the Sundering of the Blighted  Scorpion and even the futile Hunt for Kilberenden the Sand-Twister. As his adventures waned with age, Kuchakar gave up his title to the khanate council, like Ulzhun before him, and with the last of his wealth took his family north. Why Kuchakar chose to leave Ull behind may never be known for sure, but his descendants are sure it was fanciful tales of dragons hiding on magic-shrouded isles in the Dramidj Ocean.

If you don't want to wait for me to write more, you can find all the rulers of Ull listed in Oerth Journal #19 in the article Ull over at Greyhawk Online. Check it out.

Greyhawk Stories: Daoud's Wondrous Lanthorn

Greetings Greyhawkers! If you are looking for some Greyhawk fiction, you need to check out the fansite, Greyhawk Stories. One of their current ongoing tales is about the famous Baklunish spellcaster Daoud, he of  the magical lanthorn fame. Indeed, the story now on chapter 4 is titled Daoud's Wondrous Lanthorn. Daoud is an exiled pasha and this story tells of how he came to own the artifact and how it ultimately falls into the hands of the Witch Queen Iggwilv as seen in the AD&D module, in the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth.

Here is an excellent run down of the chapters so far. I'm particularly proud of chapter 4, Alhazred and the Path of Shadows, where Daoud ventures to Ull and gets a royal welcome from the locals, then spends some time in the Khur Razjin, "Path of Shadows" as written in my various Ull scribings. Enjoy!

New Blog: Greyhawk Stories

Welcome World of Greyhawk fans. Today I'm promoting a new Greyhawk themed blog called Greyhawk Stories! What is the mission of Greyhawk Stories? Obviously to share some of the best lore and fiction about the setting we all love. And there will definitely be a healthy dose of new works by the site as well. Check out this intro for more.

In the meantime the first few articles posted cover some juicy subjects. First off is The Making of Turrosh Mak by Jeff Mckillop. Turrosh is the most famous half-orc in the Flanaess and rules over an empire of humanoids in the Pomarj. Check out this blast from the past.

The next is some original fiction by Greyhawk Stories titled Iggwilv in the Hut of Baba Yaga. What more do I need to say there? Two of the best witches in all of D&D fandom. In part one we get a wonderful tale of how a VERY young girl comes to meet Baba Yaga and charms her way into becoming her daughter.

Lastly is the expanded account of the Battle of Emridy Meadows, the most famous battle in the World of Greyhawk, researched and analyzed by yours truly back in 2008. Greyhawk Stories, with my permission, did a amazing job cleaning up this article and making it a presentable PDF download. Check it out!

Keep checking in on this new blog, they have a lot of enthusiasm and good tales to share in the future. The Greyhawk fan community has never been stronger!

Great Greyhawk Couples

 Happy Valentines Day, Greyhawkers! I don't think there is a Greyhawk equivalent to this holiday unless it's a holy day to Myhriss goddess of love. At any rate, that's a topic for another day. The World of Greyhawk is well known for its mega-dungeons, artifacts and warfare, but is it known for romantic storylines? Let's take a look...

Jallarzi Sallavarian and Kieran Jalucian: This is one of my favorite Greyhawk couples. Jallarzi is the only female member of the famous Circle of Eight in the City of Greyhawk and her paramour, Kieran is the Master of the Guild of Wizardry and Principle of the University of Magic Arts. I am going to assume they met when she was a prodigy student of his at the UMA because Jallarzi was 33 when she joined the Circle, and KJ only looks 30, but is clearly very old according to the City of Greyhawk boxed set. Scandals aside, I can see the attraction for them; Kieran is not only an archmage, but he has a 17 STR so he is no aged-wimpy sage. Jallarzi, described as "distractingly beautiful" has a 17 CHA and a pseudo-dragon pet. What's not to like? The pair are seen all over the city and even slum in the Old City in disguise with magic. Their wizardly careers are probably the only thing keeping them from being official. Work and well, that thing that happened in Return of the Eight...

Iggwilv and Graz'zt: Aww yes, you knew I would mention this couple (well off and on). They are the best confrontational pair in the entire setting. Iggy and Graz' even have a child together (spoiled demigod Iuz, such a dysfunctional family). Iggwilv is an aspiring demonologist-witch queen-conqueror. Graz'zt is an aspiring Prince of Demons-would-be conqueror of the Abyss. Clearly the pair's egos are not big enough to fit on one infinite plane. There is a lot of good game info on this diabolical couple I don't have the room to tell it all! Want to know EVERYTHING about Iggwilv though? Check out this amazing post on Power Score.

Cobb Darg and Elayne Mystica: I'm not sure if these two are a romantic pair, but they should be! Cobb is the old wily ruler of Irongate and Elayne is the albino Suel archmage of the same city. There has got to be a spark there, and I'm certain she knows Mayor Darg's secret heritage.

Queen Yolande and (various) Consorts: Elven culture might be different than human-kind in regards to courtly romance since they live so long and are many times xenophobic. Queen Yolande of Celene has had many consorts over the centuries, and the murder of one even started the Hateful Wars that drove all humanoids out of the Lortmil Mountains. I'm sure Yolande has moved on by now, though given her isolationist stand, does she ever look outside Celene for companionship?

Karin Keoffel and Yrag: I'm willing to bet you don't know who is Karin Keoffel. She happens to run the Fruit of the Mill in the lower part of Greyhawk, she is 44 years old and is cheerfully in love with her mercenary boyfriend "Yr". Whether she knows Yr is actually Yrag, a magically preserved 200 year-old adventuring legend is not known. What is for sure is that Yr/Yrag definitely loves his girlfriend and has gone to lengths to discreetly protect her, such as gifting magic items and telling the Guild of Thieves to back off her business. If that isn't love I don't know what is!

Iuz and Zuggtmoy: Iuz has many henchmen and allies he could choose as his consort, but in Greyhawk lore (and novels?), the Lord of Pain for some reason has an infatuation with Zuggtmoy the Demon-queen of Fungi. Despite being a power-couple they both have spent time in prisons, so their relationship has always been strained. Despite this I suspect Iuz loves her more than she loves him back. So much so, that Iuz literally gave Zuggtmoy his soul to guard on her abyssal plane. Like that won't ever come back to haunt him some day!

Lady Evaleigh and Gord or Alain IV of Ratik: The comely Evaleigh is a noblewoman from the County of Knurl and was featured as a love interest to Gord the Rogue in Gygax's early TSR novels. How that turned out, I'm not 100% certain, since I never read them all. Evaleigh however did make into the game setting as the widowed ruler of Ratik. She married the son of Baron Lexnol, Alain IV and he was soon killed by gnolls. Evaleigh had to assume rulership after Lexnol then became disabled upon hearing the news. Tragedy!

Wee Jas and Norebo: I would be remiss if I didn't mention this dynamic Greyhawk deity couple! Wee Jas the goddess of death and magic could only be won over by the roguish charm of Norebo right? After all he has been reputedly with every female deity it is said. Unfortunately, being gods of the Suel Pantheon, there's a good chance they are related! Why she puts up with him and his cheating ways in the first place is a matter of theological study. I know cause I've done plenty myself!

Honorable Mentions. I could go on and on, but here is some other couples I think would be worth musing about in future valentines posts...

Dragotha and Tiamat: Draconic love. Till death do they part?

Lorana Kath and Lord Kargoth: Both death knights of the Great Kingdom. A couple that works together!

Sotillion and Zilchus: Married deities of business, wealth and leisure. Gee, I wonder who they remind me of...

Markessa and Markessa: This Slave Lord likes altering the minds and bodies of elven women into doubles of herself. Self-love?

That's all for now. What other great Greyhawk NPC relationships are there?