Gazetteer of the Flanaess

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!

Theocracy of Dimre, A Brief History, Part 1

2022-03-03T17:02:36-05:00August 7th, 2020|

Theocracy of Dimre, A Brief History, Part 1 As I dive into one of my favorite places in the Bandit Kingdoms, and the Flanaess, I have to say that the history I put forth is one of my own devise. Much of what I have written here was influenced by the writings of Tom Harrison, Erik Mona, and many authors of the Living Greyhawk community. While I try to stay true to canon where I find it, I do alter some events slightly from the materials I find, most of which are not canon. I hope you enjoy this first installment as I take a look at The Theocracy of Dimre.  ​Out of the chaos that would birth the kingdom of Nyrond, also came the formation of the Theocracy of Dimre. While other lands were in the throws of transition from the rule of the neglectful Great Kingdom to independence, Dimre emerged a small but strong nation. The seeds of what would become the Theocracy of Dimre were sown in the towns and villages of Wintershiven, Holdworthy, and Hawkburgh. In this area, the religion of Pholtus was growing and becoming more influential. Members of city governments and even lords were turning to this orderly faith. By 300 CY, tensions had been increasing for nearly a century, and the threat of a civil war was brewing. In response, the people who lived there turned to the ridged order of the religion of Pholtus for security. As the influence of the main sect of the cult of Pholtus, the Blinding Light, grew, the once overt repression of other minor sects turned into open religious persecution. Chief ... read more!

The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 3

2022-03-03T17:14:47-05:00July 29th, 2020|

The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 3 Bone March by the end of 563 CY. By the end of 563 CY, the whole of the Bone March had settled into a new normal, one of humanoid dominance. All the human settlements had been conquered except for the County of Knurl, which was loosely allied with Breka and the Vile Rune Orcs. Those that could escape had already done so streaming into Ratik, Nyrond, and the Northern Province. Knurl itself saw its population more than double, with a sizable number of those feeling there being men at arms that Countess Salvie quickly Recruited into the county's army. The speed and ferocity of the Cursed Invasion caught all the March's neighbors by surprise. Ratik eventually tried to take advantage of later orcish infighting but wasn't mobilized to lend immediate assistance. The North Province of the Great Kingdom, under the leadership of Herzog Grenell, had higher ambitions and had no desire to assist. It's even been said that Grenell and Breka had worked out an understanding before the invasion. Nyrond had the troop strength to intervene and make a difference, but if they had done so, it would have given the Great Kingdom an excuse to start another war with them. Because of this, Nyrond's troops were never rallied to help, and the March was left to deal with the invasion on their own. While the invasion was quick, it was initially centered around two major hubs for the March, Spinecastle, and Johnsport. The bulk of the invading humanoids were in the area for over a month as they defeated the Bone March's ... read more!

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!

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!

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!

Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches – The Crowned Beast of Stone

2022-09-20T15:00:39-04:00June 9th, 2020|

Backmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - The Crowned Beast of Stone The Crowned Beast of Stone At south-east of the Burneal Forest can be found a statue of some great beast crowned with a rusting ironband whose spiked ends, now snapped off into jagged spears, suggest gems or valuable crystals once ran astride the crown. The weed-choked creature now stares forlornly into the stream which begins life as spring whose waters pour from its open mouth and which rushes by its front paws before disappearing in the thick forest and eventually emptying into the great swamp and mire of the Cold Marshes to the south. Few know of this crowned beast of stone for its waters are sovereign and potent and the Sisterhood and centaur shaman strive to keep its existence and location a secret. To this end they have set traps and guards within the forest, druids charm creatures and enchant plants, illusionists hide the spring, centaurs set guards that neither sleep nor rest nor tell tales, as well as magicians and witches that cast dire spells to protect this source of so many of their potions, solutions and balms. The power of these waters is quickly diluted after it spills from the mouth of the crowned beast but within certain distances the waters have differing effects. The water at the mouth of the statue pours forth a deadly acid on one side and a supremely potent base from the other. As the water touches the earth it becomes useful for all manner of transmutation elixirs but a dozen feet further and it is sovereign remedy for curses and a foundation for healing potions, ... read more!

City – Verbobonc City Gates

2022-09-20T15:00:40-04:00June 2nd, 2020|

City - Verbobonc City Gates The city of Verbobonc has a well-maintained city wall with professional guardsmen who watch and patrol its length, but the city has not been attacked in a very long time and some laxity has crept into the prime realestate outside of the walls. In the city's recent history no giants, dragons, elementals or powerful spell-casters have attacked, nor the most recent developments in siege machinery been brought against them. The single wall is strong and well constructed, generally 40 feet high to its walkway with another 10 feet of merlons alternating with spaces for archers to fire at any attackers. No pit or moat helps to protect the wall. The city gates are constructed as small fortifications. Each gateway possess an inner and outer set of large and thick doorways separated by a 60 foot passageway whose roof is lined with murder holes where tar or burning oil can be poured down from specially constructed guard rooms above. A set of portcullis' can split the passage and two others can bar the front and inner gates from direct attack.  Inside these gate fortifications is a 30 guard garrison who are responsible for wall patrols as well as watching over the gateways. At dark the gates are shut and opened only upon orders or at first light. The city collects a small toll at these gates for incoming non-residents and all merchandise. All weapons are peace-bonded except for daggers. Flags atop the gate-house signal any trouble and can draw a quick reaction force of cavalry who are stabled near to each gate house. Originally published on the Hall of the Mountain King blog.

The Ruined Tower of Zenopus Index

2022-09-20T15:00:40-04:00June 1st, 2020|

The Ruined Tower of Zenopus IndexAcolyte [CLS]12  Adventurer [CLS]4, 6, 13 Alchemist [CLS]7 Amev (Merchant) [NPC]15 Anders [NPC]17 Ape [MON]10-12 Arcane Lock [SPL]5, 6 Azure Sea [RVR]16 Bandit [CLS]4, 8, 13, 14 Bed [ITM]5 Belt [ITM]6 Belt, Jeweled [ITM]6 Bench [ITM]5 Bless [SPL]5Bone [ITM]6 Book [ITM]10 Bottle [ITM]4, 13 Brazen Head of Zenopus, The (Mask)[ITM]7, 16 Bruno the Battler [NPC]18 Cage, Iron [ITM]10, 12 Caravan [ORG]3, 13, 14 Catacomb [PLC]13 Cave [PLC]7, 8 Cave, Sea [PLC]3, 12, 13 Cemetary [PLC]3, 9, 15 Centipede, Giant [MON]4 Chair [ITM]10 Charm Person [SPL]6 Chemicals [ITM]10 Chest [ITM]5, 7, 8Clarissa [NPC]18 Cleaning Cube [MON]4, 6 Cliff, Sea [MT]3, 11, 13 Cloak [ITM]5 Coffin [ITM]9, 13, 15 Common [LNG]6, 7 Coronet [ITM]9 Crab, Giant [MON]4 Crab, Monstrous Sand [MON]8, 12 Crate [ITM]4 Cultist [CLS]4, 9, 12, 15 Cutlass [ITM]6 Dagger [ITM]6, 8 Dagger +1 [ITM]7 Dagger, Flying [ITM]9 Dagger, Silver [ITM]6 Desk [ITM]10 Drego the Thief [NPC]18 Dungeon [PLC]4, 5 Earring [ITM]4 Eliander Fireborn [NPC]16 Ethbran (Sage) [NPC]13 Fisher [CLS]13 Foxfire [ITM]8 Gas, Noxious [ITM]9 Gas, Sleep [ITM]5 Gellan Primewater [NPC]17 Gem [ITM]4, 9 Ghoul [MON]3, 4, 9, 12, 15 Goblin [LNG]6Goblin [MON]4, 5, 12, 14, 16, 17 Gozef [NPC]15 Graveyard [PLC]3 Green Dragon Inn (Portown) [INN]3, 13, 16 Guard [CLS]13, 14 Harbor [PLC]3, 13 Haunted House (Saltmarsh) [PLC]16 Hill [MT]3 Holy Water [ITM]5 Hoolwatch Tower [CTL]16 Idol [ITM]9 Jeweler [CLS]10 Keledek [NPC]12, 16, 17 Key [ITM]10 Knock [SPL]4, 5, 16 Kraddock [NPC]17 Lamp [ITM]10 Lemund (Lord) [NPC]13 Lemunda [NPC]8, 12, 13, 17 Levitate [SPL]6 Light [SPL]6 Longsword, Verminslayer [ITM]9 Mage Hand [SPL]6 Magic Missile [SPL]6Magician [CLS]13Malchor the Magic-User [NPC]18 Man-at-Arms [CLS]13, 14 Mask, Silver Skull [ITM]4, 9 Merchant [CLS]15 ... read more!

An Unsung Death In Geoff Part 2

2022-09-20T15:00:44-04:00May 21st, 2020|

An Unsung Death In Geoff Part 2 The sun was setting as the small group, just three men on horseback, arrived at the Oytriver bridge. The evening was cold and a misty fog had settled down over the river and the surrounding land.  The bridge, it was old, very old. Large and ancient stone blocks formed the arches which spanned the wide river. Mace, pick and monstrous talons had clawed these stones, scarred them, but only the surface. The heart of the stone, the strength of the bridge, survived.  Ragnar gave a chuckle when he saw the bridge. This was Geoff, he thought, this worn and defaced stone bridge. Its conquerors had used it, tried to destroy it, but the heart remained, the strength, and what had been destroyed would be rebuilt. He saw it in Hochoch.  Human-kind was returning to the Duchy, rebuilding, and repairing. These giants and the monsters which followed beside them, they destroyed and ravaged the land. That was their great weakness, this mindless destruction. At least in their homelands the giants built; halls of wood, caverns of ice and stone. When they couldn't get slaves to work for them they would work for themselves. But here in these conquered lands they had slaves aplenty. Here they did not work, hunted only for sport, became lazy and cruel even by the standards of their own kind. The giants belonged in the hills and the mountains, not these lowlands.  "What?" Emiel asked, riding near on Ragnar's righthand side. "Nothing," Ragnar replied, "Just thinking. That is quite some bridge." "That old pile of stone?" asked Ted riding on his left. "I'm always surprised ... read more!

An Unsung Death In Geoff Part 1

2022-09-20T15:00:46-04:00May 18th, 2020|

An Unsung Death In Geoff   Ragnar Hellson drew the honing stone slowly back across the edge of his axeblade. There was a dull rasp as he worked out the notch a metal helm had put in the steel. Back and forth, back and forth, he worked the stone with care. He had the time to put a keen edge back on the blade."Time enough," he said aloud to himself.Behind him, down the overgrown road, lay the body of his horse, the bodies of his two companions, and the carcasses of a score of orcs. Among the slain were two large ogres, their bodies hacked, slashed, and partially dismembered. They had taken quite a bit of killing. The orcs had been little more than blood to bathe his axe in. It was the ogre pair that had slain his companions, his horse and nearly himself.Somewhere, a little ways down this track, a very angry giant would be hearing about all this, he thought to himself. At least a handful of the verminous little goblins had escaped and they would no doubt tell their master.The giant would probably just step on them for their trouble. "May their bones pierce its hairy feet," Ragnar cursed.He paused and looked at the blade. The notch was not deep and the stone had taken the rough edge off leaving only a small semi-circle bite from the sharpened steel. He stood then and hefted the axe, letting it swing once or twice, catching the light from the late morning sun. Ragnar 'hrumphed' in satisfaction with the feel and balance of the weapon and the fresh edge to the blade.Turning away from the ... read more!

Nation – Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches – Part 5

2022-09-20T15:00:49-04:00May 16th, 2020|

Nation - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - Part 5 Czylle commands the elements. Lightning dances at her willl. She would be a leader in any other land but the Nyma Urd have no leader. She goes gloved and cloaked in grey and her eyes burn with an inner fire. She looks far beyond this plane into worlds beyond and one day she will step beyond this Oerth and perhaps not return. Next among the Nyma Urd is the Red Witch. She travels the borders of Blackmoor alone though she is protected by golems of her own creation and terrible para-elementals. She practices a form of magic unknown in the Flanaess but it is said to have links to the ancient Olman rites of their priest/magicians and some Hepmonaland shamans are said to have similar powers and rituals. The Red Witch practices Blood Magic, summons para-elementals of blood, constructs golems of blood. She can cause blood to boil or to become Blood Worms that eat their way out of the skin. Her magic is terrible and powerful. Her interests are in Blackmoor though she is said to welcome young women from anywhere who wish to learn her brand of witchcraft and become apprentices. Last among the three of the Nyma Urd who are known is Tyyne, Daughter of the Moon. It is said that she has been to the City of the Gods and has brought the magic of Celene with her and her power is great. Something of the God Waymoinen is about her for she can craft marvelous things. She can surround herself with a cloud of butterflys formed of steel whose ... 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!

Nation – Mulwar – Mulwarian Warriors Ranber and Veerz

2020-04-26T16:01:42-04:00April 26th, 2020|

Nation - Mulwarian Warriors Ranber and Veerz Only the most adventurous and far sailing explorers from Zeif have reached the distant land of Mulwar and returned. The last expedition by the Necromancer/Warrior Akl, captain of the ezma-barque Ancient Dawn, brought with him two warriors of that far off land, Ranber and Veerz. Mulwar is a land of exotic spices and clothes, strange magic and Gods, unknown animals and monsters unheard of, but for the most part it is a land of war. It is a conquered land where the Changol Empire rules over a divided Mulwar and the Nation-States of Jahind seek to aid the exiled Mulwar Royality and stop the advance of the Changol legions. Ranber and Veerz are Mulwar rebels and escaped the port-city of Zhinged aboard the Ancient Dawn with the Changol Imperials hard on their heels. Ranber and Veerz are both former members of the Mulwar Royal Guard and their armor is a vestige of their former position. Both have retained the helm-masks that knights of Mulwar always adorned with Ranber still retaining the chain-cloth that would obscure the lower portion. This chain is enchanted to provide protection from smoke and fire, even allowing breathing underwater or in an airless room. Both knights carry spiked  war shields that are both weapon and defense. These shields are also enchanted to provide protection from normal missile weapons such as arrows, knives and darts. Ranber is a middle-aged but highly skilled knight while Veerz is a warrior priest of the Goddess Yalaz, she of love and death. Originally published on the Hall of the Mountain King blog.

Nation – Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches – Part 4

2020-04-19T08:44:06-04:00April 19th, 2020|

Nation - Blackmoor Land of a Thousand Witches - Part 4The Gods still dwell in their city near the cursed Plateau of Leng and from the southern lands have come the Oerthly Gods and from the east, the Deities of the northern people such as Fray and Votan and Vili and Ve. The people of Blackmoor respect all Gods but their hearts turn always to their own who took this land from the Ancient Things and drove Iggwilv from the Cold Marshes. The Gods who have always aided them in their people and aid them today against the terror from the north.Matar the MotherCelene the MoonMikko the FatherLeng of Nightmares and DespairWaymoinen the SmithYkko the OldestIlmar the BuilderUkkounian the SongmasterRainbow MaidenDark and terrible creatures have come to plague the lands of Blackmoor but the power of the Gods and the Sisterhood have driven them back to the foothills of Leng and crossed the borders of this world to fight The Grey in its own demise.The Sisterhood and The GreyAncient Things skulk in the Ruins of the city, Old Blackmoor as it is called. By the people. Bestmo fights with the Manor-Lords from his town of Dantredun, but his edicts go no further than the nearby farms and many Manor-Lords possess greater numbers of warriors than the aging Baron. Monsters slither through the cold marshes and stalk the Burneal Forest. Nomads raid from the west, south and east. There are threats aplenty throughout the land, but the real danger wafts down from the north and the real power in the land is the Sisterhood.Blackmoor is a land of mystery to outsiders. There are tales of its ... read more!

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