David Leonard Archives - Greyhawk Online

Review: Oerth Journal 34

2025-10-16T19:04:15-04:00December 4th, 2020|

Review: Oerth Journal 34 The Oerth Journal #34 has arrived! Oerth Journal has hit the newsstands once again, and once again, I find an example of my humble work, A Fistful of Baubles, within its covers. Is there a theme to this issue? Not that I am aware. Past issues had a theme, but this one is a free-for-all, and it shows. There are bios, ecologies, stories, and histories. It's a mixed bag. As much as themes are thrilling, so too is the unexpected. What's my submission about? In a word: Skrellingshald. What's that, you ask? It's one of the mysterious places, or adventure hooks in James M. Ward's "Geography of Oerth" portion of Greyhawk Adventures. More specifically, my submission is a story about Hradji Beartooth's search of that mythical city in the Griff Mountains, and the treasures that may be secreted there. By the way, for those who are not in the know, Skrellingshald is the Rhizian's name for Tostenhca. You don't know what Tostenhca is? It's an ancient Flan city. Indeed, it was one of the greatest cities built by the Flan, or humans, for that matter. Pick up a copy of the module Return to White Plume Mountain to learn more. So why Beartooth's search for Skrellingshald? Because it's a quest, a dangerous one; maybe even a harrowing one. Were it not so, I'm sure someone would have discovered it long ago. Because it's a footnote in Greyhawk's history. Because it's a tale of doom brought on by Keraptis and the Ur-Flan. And because it's a tale told in the far north, a woefully underappreciated corner of the map, in my humble opinion. ... read more!

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New Player Summary: Furyondy

2025-10-16T19:04:32-04:00October 10th, 2020|

New Player Summary: Furyondy In my endless quest to make Greyhawk accessible to new Fifth Edition players thought I'd try my hand at a gazetteer style entry. I think my ideal introductory 5e Greyhawk product would be a new guide of similar style and length 1983 Box Set that would give about the same level of detail, but tailor the information more towards what new players would find most useful in a contemporary game. Heavier on adventure hooks and clear, usable concepts for playing in the setting and lighter on say, army composition, or stat blocks for gods. So, I wrote this entry on Furyondy in 576. Anything you think it needs added or could do without? Furyondy Greed and cruelty rise across the Flanaess, yet in the kingdom of Furyondy, the forces of good stand strong. Brave knights defend honest folk for a worthy king. Their vigilance is vital. From just across the northern border, fiendish forces attack. Adventurers seeking a righteous battle against true darkness will find it here. Furyondy is a feudal kingdom of 350,000 led by a just and fearless Paladin. King Belvor IV rules from Chendl, a riverside city of 15,000. Powerful families sworn to his service govern their ancestral lands in his name. A small merchant class conducts trade from Chendl, Littleberg, and the freshwater port of Willip, but most of King Belvor’s subjects are peasants. They farm, fish, raise sheep, or mine gold on the land of nobles who tax them in exchange for protection. Fertile plains and bountiful lakes mean plenty of food for export. The kingdom’s excess wool and linen clothe the people of ... read more!

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Thoughts on A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity

2025-10-16T19:04:48-04:00September 11th, 2020|

Thoughts on A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity Thoughts on A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity “Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise.” ― Horace It is time to put a stop to the marauders! For years the coastal towns have been burned and looted by the forces of evil. You and your fellow adventurers have been recruited to root out and destroy the source of these raids. But beware, hundreds of good men and women have been taken bythe slavers and have never been seen or heard from again! [A1] For those of you who are of a certain age, or those who have read my thoughts on A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, and Lowdown in Highport, you know the events leading up to this module. For those who haven’t, this is how the adventure was introduced: For several years, organized bands of pirates and slavers have made a living by raiding the coastal towns on the Sea of Gearnat. Ranging from Onnwal to the Wild Coast, they have descended quickly and ruthlessly on the small towns and villages, and carried off innocent citizens into the night. Although these marauders were not approved of by the lords and rulers of the lands they raided, they were allowed to continue their depredations. Feuding amongst the lords and lack of funds prevented all but an occasional naval battle with the villains and the slow fortification of towns. Bribery was often a more effective method of protecting one’s lands from the incursions of these avaricious seawolves. Recently, however, the slavers’ attacks have become more frequent and vicious. Believing their prey to be weak and helpless, ... read more!

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Thoughts on Lowdown at Highport

2025-10-16T19:05:01-04:00August 14th, 2020|

Thoughts on Lowdown at Highport Thoughts on Lowdown at Highport “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.” ― Marcel Proust Needless to say, spoilers ahead! What did the world need during Wotc’s 4th edition era? More AD&D. More Greyhawk and instalments of the epic Slavers series, specifically. Chris Perkins obviously thought so. It was he who contacted Skip Williams to write a prequel to the A-series, so I assume the resulting compilation was his idea. Against the Slave Lords was published in June of 2013; oddly, that was the same month that WotC released a further finale to A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords in Dungeon magazine #215 titled The Last Slave Lord. I say oddly, because I can’t help but think that the compilation could have only been made better by its inclusion, not to mention that of what followed in December in #221: Lowdown at Highport. (Sadly, that was also the final issue of Dungeon magazine, as well.) Why weren’t they included? I don’t know. Maybe they thought the compilation was long enough as published. Maybe they thought a longer compilation would have been too expensive. Maybe they wanted to sell more magazines. No matter, for whatever reason, they were not included, and I suspect that there are a lot of people out there who never knew that these adventures even exist. How could they, many of them having migrated to Pathfinder after the release of 4th edition? Until now, that is…. In any event, Lowdown at Highport follows A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry and precedes A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity. They dovetail ... read more!

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On the Age Before Ages, Part 1

2022-03-03T16:57:12-05:00August 8th, 2020|

On the Age Before Ages, Part 1 “The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.” ― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Where did Greyhawk come from? Gary Gygax created it, obviously. With a great deal of influence from Dave Arneson, Rob Kuntz, and Len Lakofka, I imagine. I also imagine that each and every one of Gary’s early players did, as well, in their own way. Not to mention those who wrote the modules and sourcebooks that followed. Few, if any, ever settled on a creation myth, or so they’ve said. I’ve heard interviews where those who had a hand in developing the setting expressed their desire to never actually nail down a creation myth, believing that DMs would wish to write such themselves. Did they? Some probably did; but I believe most never bothered, focusing instead on their own little corner of the world and the adventures within it, not caring whence it came from, knowing their players didn’t either. Despite their claims, those very same designers pushed the timeline back very far indeed, almost to the very hour, in some cases. Frank Mentzer did. And some of his creations were slipped into the pages of the sourcebooks that followed. Chris Pramas certainly started the clock very close to what might be called a beginning. What follows is a fairly esoteric collection TSR and WotC passages that over the decades dealt with just that: where did the multiverse come from? Were they successful in what they presented? I will leave ... read more!

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On Otto

2022-03-01T15:38:57-05:00July 30th, 2020|

On Otto “My liege, and madam, to expostulate What majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is day, night night, and time is time. Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, scene 2, lines 93-99 What can be said of Otto? Much, apparently. More than I imagined, at first. That said, much of it was written by James M. Ward, as erudite a sage as Otto, himself. Otto is a member of the Circle of Eight; not an original member—that distinction goes to the Citadel of Eight: Mordenkainen (wizard), Yrag (fighter), Bigby (wizard), Rigby (cleric), Zigby (dwarf), Felnorith (elf), Vram (elf) & Vin (elf), a group of adventurers who sallied forth from the impregnable bastion (the obsidian Citadel) to fight evil—but one of seven archmagi whom Mordenkainen put together later to act as neutral referees between Good and Evil, lest either gain the upper hand on the other for two long. The new Circle of Eight were Bigby, Otiluke, Drawmij, Tenser, Nystul, and Otto. Jallarzi Sallavarian was recruited later, and hence forth they were known as Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight. I’ll get to each of them in turn; but for now we are here to discuss Otto. So, what can be said about Otto? Otto, Clr3(Boccob)/Wiz15: HP 78. AL N. Str 16. Dex 10. Con 15. Int 17. Wis 15. Cha 17. Otto is 44, 5‘10“tall, 332 lbs., with long curly brown hair and green-hazel eyes. He usually wears voluminous rich robes of purple and gold, and ... read more!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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