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So far Greyhawk Online has created 353 blog entries.

The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 2

2022-03-03T17:37:40-05:00July 24th, 2020|

The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 2 ​The Invasion Begins In 561 CY, the mountain orcs came down from the Rakers in force led by Gergash and the Death Moon tribe. Gergash led his horde north of Spinecastle, skirting the Loft Hills, where he was joined by Degtra, an ogre mage leading her clan of ogres and gnolls. In 558 CY Degtra had wrestled away the Loftwood Gnolls rule from their Pack-master and allied herself with Gorsh. With their new allies in tow, they headed straight to Johnsport to lay siege to the city. Gregash made sure the defenders of Spinecastle knew of his sizable force moving through the area to lure away troops from there, as per Gorsh's instructions. The trick worked, and a day later, Marquis Clement had mobilized Spinecastles heavy infantry and cavalry and sent them in pursuit of Gergash's horde. In addition to the regular military, nearly all of the Knight Protectors who survived the persecutions of Ivid I and fled to the Bone March back in 443 CY accompanied them. The army was under the Command of a Knight Protector named Arnald Stermorn. Two days after Sir Stermorn had departed Spinecastle, Breka, with his Vile Rune orcs and allies descended out of the Rakers. Breka sent several smaller orc tribes into the March to disrupt any rallying of forces from the March's other counties in response to Clement's call to arms. Then Breka left the siege of Spinecastle to his trusted ally, Warlord Kekvar, and his hobgoblins. At the same time, he took the Vile Rune tribe in pursuit of Sir Stermorn's forces. With Sir ... read more!

Thoughts on A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry

2022-03-01T16:07:07-05:00July 24th, 2020|

Thoughts on A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry “The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche Skip Williams has had a long history with TSR, first as a part-time clerk at the Lake Geneva game store, then as an administrative odd-jobs man, and finally as a convention coordinator and game designer.Darkshelf Quarry holds more than limestone and granite. Whispered rumors abound that the quarry’s dwarf overseer isn’t what he pretends to be, and that he’s involved in unscrupulous dealings with foreign threats. Investigation is the only way to learn the truth, but beware! The quarry is well defended, and danger lurks within its dark tunnels and hidden chambers. [A0] Thirty years after the classic Slavers tournament modules were first published, Chris Perkins asked Skip if he would pen a prequel to the much-revered series for a proposed compilation to mark the anniversary of their release. Skip rose to the challenge. He most certainly did. Personally, I think he hit a home run with Danger at Darkshelf Quarry. He adhered the structure of old-school tournaments, but also updated it to today's desire for verisimilitude and story. Nothing seems out of place, unlike some of the ol' old adventures; indeed, everything that is included feels like it ought to be there. It’s set in Nyrond, far from the Pomarj. As it should be. This introduction need be set where the slavers are harvesting their victims, not where those victims end up. So, It could have been set in Keoland if you've a mind to, or in the Holds of the Sea ... read more!

The Castle

2022-03-03T17:41:32-05:00July 17th, 2020|

The Castle “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” ― Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Shrieks echoed, mingling from near and far. Human, orc, gnoll. The gnolls were the worst; theirs was a twisted, hideous laughter. Don’t listen, he thought, desperately trying not to. But … how could he not hear? Philbin pressed himself into the wall, but for all his desire to be one with it, its surface wouldn’t yield to his need. Move, damn it, he thought. But his body betrayed him. Coward! You bloody coward! Some Knight Protector, you turned out to be! But Marquis Clement never said it would be like this, did he? He spoke of honour and chivalry and protecting the weak, of orcs and gnolls and bandits, and even of Ur-Flan wizards, but he never once said anything about walls that flowed and bled like they were torn by …. By what? Darkness? Colour? That nauseating, undulating blend of colour that defied any description short of the emotions that mirrored it: sickness, hatred, horror? It smelled as much, too: if sick and iron and rot. And what of the noisome cacophony that flowed with it? It rends the soul to hear such a thing. Beads of sweat rolled from his brow. They stung his eyes. He closed them. Wiped them. And opened them again to the rippling ink and colour that threatened to unhinge him. Okay, he thought, said, whispered, and made to move his foot. He actually heard it scrape the floor. “Shhh!” He stopped, having hardly shifted. Philbin squinted and a shape resolved ... read more!

History of the South East, Part 8: Total War

2022-03-03T17:42:58-05:00July 10th, 2020|

History of the South East, Part 8: Total War “…but there they lay, sprawled across the field, craved far more by the vultures than by wives.” Homer, The Iliad And thus the Great Kingdom fell. 448 CY  Ivid I of House Naelax brought pressure on the southern princes to fall into line, but the outrages committed by the new herzog of South Province, which included seizing Lordship vessels anchored in Prymp Town, drove the lords of the isles to declare independence along with the other states. The prince of the Isles joined the Iron League in 448 CY, providing naval support and conveyance for traffic between Irongate, Onnwal, and their allies in Nyrond. In so doing, the lord of Diren was forced to deal more plainly with his fellow lords on the other islands, sharing additional power and ceding more local autonomy to them over the ensuing years. [LGG] The isles of the Sea Barons had always been given a degree of autonomy not enjoyed by the Baronies of the mainland. They had been tasked by Overking Manshen in 102 CY to pacify the seas, to contain the Barbarians in the north, and to stamp out piracy in the south. They required freedom to do so, they said. They could not accomplish these tasks were they to account for each and every action, they said, citing the impossibility of their fleets to communicate with their home ports when at sea for months at a time. Rauxes agreed, reluctantly; but the crown made it clear that the Barony’s continued autonomy was contingent on results. To which the Sea Barons agreed. They never truly succeeded in ... read more!

On the Circle of Eight

2022-03-01T17:03:08-05:00July 2nd, 2020|

On the Circle of Eight “You see, we cannot draw lines and compartments and refuse to budge beyond them. Sometimes you have to use your failures as stepping-stones to success. You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.' He paused, considering what he had just said. 'Yes', he repeated. 'In the end, it's all a question of balance.” ― Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance “To light a candle is to cast a shadow...” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea   The Obsidian Citadel The Circle of Eight is somewhat legendary in the annals of Greyhawk canon. But what is it, actually? Canon says that it’s the vanguard of Balance; but what in god’s green acre does that mean? I’ve no idea, really. It’s not like Iuz or the Scarlet Brotherhood ever petitioned Mordenkainen to intervene on their behalf, citing unfair treatment by fair Veluna or benevolent Nyrond.  Help us! They are keeping us from greatness!  I prefer its initial mandate, when it was a group of adventurers who sallied forth, smiting Evil where it had taken root. So, what changed? And did they ever? I think not; so, I don’t understand the Champions of Balance moniker. One might say that Balance has always meant the suppression of Evil, which always waxes, while the nations of the world remain blind to it as they bicker amongst themselves in deluded self-interest, oblivious to the true danger luring in the north, or the shadows, or the hearts of men. No matter, I’ve gathered a fair bit of what was written on the Circle, and I leave it up to you to make up ... read more!

Oerth Journal #33 is Released

2025-10-16T19:01:57-04:00June 30th, 2020|

Another issue of the Oerth Journal has now made it to press!   It's been a long row to hoe, but not really any more so than usual. *<insert winking emoji of your choice>* This was a pretty big issue, as far as publishing things. There's always a lot going on behind the scenes, but that too, is normal. About the Issue We've got a whole bunch of articles again ... this month, there isn't a "theme", per se, like some of our more current issues have had. There's almost a cornucopia of topics that ought to find a way to please most everyone! There are several articles about Dwur of various regions which tie together nicely. There's an adventure by John Roy, too! It's a sequel to his Unwelcome Guests (a free PDF download) which he published in October of 2019. And it's straightforward enough that which edition it's written for is almost irrelevant. More of Gary Holian's Death Knights are making an appearance, this time alongside an NPC featured in one of the AD&D Greyhawk Trading Cards. There's a surprising number of magical items, too ... which we might have to look at data on that and see if that's something readers want more of. Speaking of which, be sure to tell us in the comment section below what it is you'd like to see!! About the Cover Art We're especially pleased to feature cover art by one of our most well-known community artists, "LadyLoth". You can find her on both Instagram and Twitter. She's a wonderful artist and has a unique style that looks very "painterly". The piece is called Nyrondese Soldiers. One ... read more!

Timeline of the James Bay Frontier

2020-06-27T08:26:00-04:00June 27th, 2020|

Timeline of the James Bay Frontier “This land may be profitable to those that will adventure it.”-- Henry Hudson Ratik is a relative newcomer in the history of Greyhawk and the Flannaess. There were elves there, surely, and dwarves, and gnomes too, but their arrivals are not set in the annals of the canonical text of Greyhawk; but the World of Greyhawk setting was always a human-centric setting, wasn’t it, and although those races would most certainly have influenced and guided those human nations that came after them, very little has been said about how. There are exceptions, none set in the nation of Ratik, or the Thillonrian peninsula. What we do know is that the Grey elves had cities in the Griffs, that Vecna fought the Grey and High elves, and that Vecna destroyed the City of Summer Stars. If only Gary Gygax had penned more about those bygone elven civilizations, we’d have had a far richer setting. Sadly, he wrote even less on the dwarves and gnomes, even less still of the halflings. It’s a blank slate. Largely. Much is the same with Human history. Each nation was given a paragraph or two, enough to spur the imagination, no more. Those missives have been expounded upon since, though. So, what is canon in regard to Ratik? I present a list of dates noted in Steve Wilson’s Greychrondex_42 to illuminate what is considered canon in the world of Greyhawk concerning Ratik and its environs, most notably those dates regarding the Barbarians, Stonefist, the Bone March, and the North Province as they concern Ratik. These are mere bullet points. Some reach far back in the annals ... read more!

History of the South East, Part 7: The Turmoil between Crowns

2020-06-19T15:13:00-04:00June 19th, 2020|

History of the South East, Part 7: The Turmoil between Crowns   “By hook or by crook this peril too shall be something that we remember.” ― Homer, The Odyssey   What can be said of the Celestial Houses of Aerdy? History says that they were great and good, and that their benevolence had brought peace and prosperity to all the lands of the Flanaess. Were that so, then why did Furyondy secede? Why did Nyrond and Tenh? And were they so, why was there such turmoil between crowns?   437 CY  The Kingdom of Aerdy and the Great Kingdom were great as all empires are, through force of will. It had artifacts and artifice at its disposal, and the weight of arms, against which few nations, if any, could stand against. But it had grown myopic, sure in its omnipotence, and its longevity. Had not the Suel Imperium lasted centuries? But the Suel emperors had been vigilant, and watchful. And the Suel Imperium had not been cleaved from within. The Great Kingdom was. And as its great houses turned upon one another, those nations that until recently basked under its supposed radiant sun could only look on in horror as its sun set and it chose its new path to paradise through Hell.   For three centuries the Aerdy held a vast empire which fluctuated in extent but little, until after the third Celestial House (dynasty) when the borders began to close in upon the original territory of the Aerdi. [Folio] Ivid[:] This name is given both to the decade of internal schisms under the rule of the last Rax overking, Nalif, and to ... read more!

Retconning Ratik

2020-06-13T10:10:00-04:00June 13th, 2020|

  Retconning Ratik “Presume not that I am the thing I was.” William Shakespeare  'Henry IV, Part 2' (1597) act 5, sc. 5, l. [61] Time for a little retroactive continuity. I’m sure many others have set their campaign in Ratik, but I doubt many have done much in my little corner of the world, the area nestled between northern Ratik and western Fruztii. It’s a blank space on the map, as far as I can see. A blank slate, as it were. Time to fill it. But what to do? Begin with a map? I have one: Darlene’s map, and Anna B. Meyer’s map. I’ve doodled others, sad recreations of what once were, those maps I purged with a great deal of my old notes when I cleaned out my shelves of what I presumed I would never use or need again. I’ll sketch them out again, hopefully more legibly, and maybe again as I learn a CC3+. Now I need add some low-level adventures, just to get started. But what adventures? Most published adventures are in the Sheldomar Valley. That doesn’t mean you can’t steal a few here and there. In the beginning, modules were not set in any particular place. A few had, such as the original monochromatic B1 In Search of the Unknown, suggesting that The Theocracy of the Pale, or Tenh, or Ratik were good places to set the adventure—an odd statement, considering the World of Greyhawk Folio had yet to be published, so who could know where such places were? There were only vague references to Greyhawk as yet, artifacts, regions, and personages in the 1e DMG, but the ... read more!

On Keraptis

2020-06-05T16:59:00-04:00June 5th, 2020|

“This thing of darkness IAcknowledge mine.”― William Shakespeare, The TempestLong before the coming of the Aerdi, the Ur-Flan held dominion over all they could see, having wrested it from the elves, and scattering them to the far corners. Those tales are harrowing, not for the feint of heart. Indeed, they are the stuff of unsettled sleep, if not nightmares. Their names resonate, even today, though those who whisper them know little of their exploits, only those terrors rumoured to have befallen any who might have stood against them. The Aerdi were lucky to have come to the Flanaess after those notable few had grown bored and left this plane, in search of the power and immortality they had always sought, or the history we know might have been quite different. Might? Surely would have, for the Ur-Flan were the very equal of those wizard-priests of the Suel and the Bakluni who had laid waste to their vast empires. Many famous villains can also trace their origins back to GREYHAWK: Vecna, Kas, Keraptis, Acererak, and Azalin to name a few! [Onnwal Gazetteer] Vecna is as well known as Lgyg, but his dreaded name is not spoken aloud for fear of arousing him. Once the most powerful undead wizard of any known world, Vecna was destroyed at the height of his power by his treacherous lieutenant Kas. Only Vecna's withered Hand and jeweled Eye survived, possessing frightening powers that can corrupt even the purest soul. Vecna attempted to return and conquer Oerth only a few years before the Greyhawk Wars and he nearly succeeded. Before his defeat, a servant of his was briefly able to slay the entire Circle ... read more!

History of the South-East, Part 6: A Continuance of Sorrow

2020-05-30T08:45:00-04:00May 30th, 2020|

History of the South-East, Part 6: A Continuance of Sorrow“Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.”― Homer, The Iliad Wicked is as wicked does. The Great Kingdom was but a pale reflection of what it had been. The far-flung protectorates were falling from the fold. Were that its only concern. The Knights Protector had failed to safeguard the land they were sworn to defend. Evil had risen from within their very ranks, and threatened to overwhelm them. Hextor had risen in the east, and Heironeous had all but fled the land of the rising sun, preferring the west, where virtue still reigned. 300-350 CY         As anarchy crept into the Great Kingdom, more and more of its northern provinces became increasingly independent. And in some case lawless. Petty fiefs sprang up, their rulers declaring themselves kings and barons and dukes and such. And where ruffians seized power, banditry prevailed. Those that banded together overwhelmed those that did not and became known collectively as the Bandit Kingdoms, a loose confederacy of tyrants that preyed upon one another and clung together to ward against those who’d wish to annex them. They saw themselves differently. They saw themselves as Free Lords. The Bandit Kingdoms are a collection of petty holdings. Each little kingdom is ruled by a robber chieftain claiming a title such as Baron, Boss, Plar, General, Tyrant, Prince, Despot and even King. In all there are 17 states within the confines of the area, ruled by 4 to 6 powerful lords, and the rest attempting either to become leading rulers or simply to survive. [Folio] ... read more!

History of the South-East, Part 5: A Descent Into Sorrow

2020-05-16T07:53:00-04:00May 16th, 2020|

History of the South-East, Part 5: A Descent Into Sorrow“His descent was like nightfall.”― Homer, The Iliad The Great Kingdom had reached its apex; and with it, decadence. Its aristocracy had grown fat on indulgence; its throne even more so. An omen of the coming days had streaked across the sky, predicting its decline; of course, none had taken heed. Theirs was the time of unparalleled wealth, and unparalleled power. Had they looked to the past for guidance… For the Suel Imperium might have taught them the price of pride, hubris, and cruelty. c. 200 CY              The Viceroyalty of Ferrond looked to the east, and so apathy. And a rising incomitance. The Kingdom had left them; that much was sure. But the Kingdom still demanded its tithe, for the Kingdom believed that was its due. The Viceroyalty was not as convinced of that venerable seat of power’s claim. For, did not Dyvers determine their course, did not Dyvers see to their affairs. What need did they have of the Malachite Throne then? For three centuries the Aerdy held a vast empire which fluctuated in extent but little, until after the third Celestial House (dynasty) when the borders began to close in upon the original territory of the Aerdi. [Folio] As the power of the Malachite Throne in Rauxes waned, the Viceroys of Ferrond ruled more by their own writ and less by the leave of the Aerdi overlords. [Folio] The Kingdom, in its hubris, did not heed the stirrings of independence to the west. Trade flowed. Riches continued to arrive. But too slowly for its liking. So, Leukish was constructed to facilitate the flow. By ... read more!

NPC – Foultooth Packleader Black Moon Gnolls – Spinecastle

2020-05-14T17:00:50-04:00May 14th, 2020|

NPC - Foultooth Packleader Black Moon Gnolls - Spinecastle Foultooth was only a pup when Spinecastle was taken and he has been raised in the ruins of the city. He is a rising leader as he is overly large and extraordinarily viscous even for a gnoll. The older gnolls hate the stonehouses and streets of the city and hate, fear and obey the Flinds of the Howling Night pack. but Foultooth and most of the gnolls raised and the city do not. Within the Blood Moon pack are the Young Bloods. Foultooth is a leader among them and they wait for the day when they can seize control of the city and kill the flinds or drive them from the walls. Already Foultooth has made alliance with the necromancer Glipkerio and through him the Bugbears, Goblins and Ogres. The Ogres and the necromancer being key allies. Already the necromancer has been aiding in the ambush of Bloody Eye orcs, whose bodies go to the undead army that the necromancer has been building. Originally published on the Hall of the Mountain King blog.

SENTIENT SPECIES OF OERTH AND THEIR LANGUAGES – Part 4

2020-05-11T08:37:05-04:00May 11th, 2020|

Sentient Creatures of the Flanaess Part 4 Multiple Languages Known By Species Languages Known Beyond Their Species Language ) Aarakocra Common Tongue ) Aspis, Drone Common Tongue Common Tongue ) Bullywug Common Tongue Undefined Avian, Serpent and Human Languages Common Tongue Subterranean Trade Language ) Dracolisk Black Dragon ) Dragon, Cloud Black Dragon Blue Dragon Brass Dragon Bronze Dragon Copper Dragon Gold Dragon Green Dragon Mist Dragon Red Dragon Shadow Dragon Silver Dragon White Dragon ) Dragon, Faerie Local Animals & Birds ) Dragon, Mist Black Dragon Blue Dragon Brass Dragon Bronze Dragon Cloud Dragon Common Tongue Copper Dragon Gold Dragon Green Dragon Red Dragon Shadow Dragon Silver Dragon White Dragon ) Dragon, Shadow Black Dragon Blue Dragon Green Dragon Red Dragon Silver Dragon White Dragon ) Dragon Horse ) Dragonne Brass Dragon Speak with Plants Common Tongue Common Tongue ) Elf, Drow Common Tongue Subterranean Trade Language ) Elf, Grey High Elven ) Elf, Half Common Tongue ) Elf, Wood (Sylvan) ) Formian, Myrmarch Common Tongue Speak with Burrowing Mammals ) Gnome, Deep (Svirfneblin) Subterranean Trade Language Common Tongue ) Halfling Common Tongue ) Hobgoblin Carnivorean Apeish Common Tongue Common Tongue Common Tongue ) Intellect Devorer All Human Languages ) Jermlaine Common Tongue Speak with Rats Speak with Fish Subterranean Trade Language Common Tongue ) Leucrotta Common Tongue Common Tongue Common Tongue ) Mind Flayer Weird Arcane Tongues ) Mongrelman Common Tongue ) Moon Dog Common Tongue Speak with Canine & Lupine ) Muckdweller Lizard Man Common Tongue Common Tongue Stone Giantish ) Ogre Mage Common Tongue Common Tongue ) Quickling Common Tongue ) Raven (Crow), Giant Common Tongue ) Sahuagin Ixitxachitl Common Tongue Sylvan ... read more!

Hardby & Greyhawk Environs

2020-05-10T17:07:06-04:00May 10th, 2020|

Hardby & Greyhawk Environs Abbor Alz Mountains {Abbor-Alz}[MT] COG:FFF - 9 COG:GOTF - 16,18,26 COLTM: - 2,4,6 DRG#191 - 65,66,68 DRG#195 - 94,95 DRG#225 - 54 DRG#233 - 92 DRG#292 - 46,47 DUN#30 - 22-24,26 FTAA - 20,42,57,72 FTAC - 1,7,13,17,20-24,29,31-33,35,36,38 GA - 24,91,92 JAM - 12,17 LGG - 37,51,52,63,79,124-126,143,154 PGTG - 9,25,50,52,62,63 SLV - 32-34,37,43,45 SOOC - 6,287,288,290,291,293 TAB - 6,48,54,55,57,58,61,64,65,69,101,115 TAB:AM - 2-5,14 TSC - IC,2-5,23,29,30,38 WGG - 18,20,21,22 WGR3 - 7-9, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27,  29,31-35,39,41,60 WOGA - 40,48,56,60 WOGG - 14,30 Cairn Hills [MT] AOE - 7,210 COG:C# - 3,23 COG:FFF - 4,9,33,62,71,89 COG:GTOF - 2-4,6,10,14,16-18,21-24,26-28,30,40,45 COLTM - 46,47 DRG#56 - 21 DRG#191 - 65 DRG#195 - 94,95 DRG#206 - 38 DRG#225 - 53 DRG#233 - 92 DRG#262 - 37,38,40,41,43 DRG#268 - 71 DRG#271 - 77         DRG#294 - 90,91         DRG#299 - 97         DRG#AN3 - 99         FTA:TBITD         FTA:HB FTAA - 42,57 FTAC - 1,7,8,10,13,15,17-25,27,30-33,36,40,66,78,83 84,87,88,90         FTAR#14 GA - 76,82 LGG - 13,51,52,124,143,144,149,153 LGJ#0 - 2,5 LGJ#2 - 4,5,10,11 LGJ#5 - 29,31 PGTG - 3,4,28,50,62 SLV - 7,18,24,31,37,43,61 SOOC - 6,287-289,291 TAB - 6,8,47,48,50,54,55,57-59,64,66,68,69,74,76,79 90,92,101,115,128 TAB:AM - 1,5,12,20,21,23 TD - IBC,2-4,6-9,15,17,19,20 WG8 - 21,61,62,122         WG11 - IC WGA2 - 17,19 WGA4 - 24,49         WGG - 11,18,21,22 WGM1 - IBC WGR1 - 42,69 WOGA - 23,25,40,48 Cairn Hills, Amulet of the [ITM] Cairn Hills, Great Barrows [BTL] TAB:AM - 4,12 Cairn Hills, West [MT] Cairn Hills Mines [MNE] COG:FFF - 4,33 TAB - 6,83,86 Gnarley Border [WD]         LGG - 133 Gnarley Forest {Gnarly}[WD] A1-4 - 6,9 AOE - 7,128,158,159,231 COG:C# - 14,21,24 COG:FFF - 22,69,71,72,82 COG:GOTF - 10,15,18,33-36,59,81,96 DRG#52 - 19 DRG#191 - 65 DRG#195 - 95 DRG#209 ... read more!

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