Legends and Lore

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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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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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!

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NPC – Rigmar the Wolf-Queen

2020-03-27T18:21:23-04:00March 27th, 2020|

NPC - Rigmar the Wolf-Queen Among the hunters of the Schnai and Fruzti runs a cult dedicated to the Wolf-God. Those who follow this deity bear the taint of the wolf in their blood and as an outward sign in their human form bear upon them the wolf medalion. Rigmar wears her openly as she is the Queen of Wolves among the Schnai and dwells in the wilderness beyond the furthest outpost or settlement. Rigmar is the daughter of the former Wolf-Queen (the Wolf-King is always chosen from the Fruzti and though he also dwells in the wilderness he dwells apart from the queen except during certain times of Luna's fullness). When either the king or queen is slain or dies their mate chooses to die as well and a new pair of leaders is selected. Rigmar is young as is the new king. She has possessed the wolf-taint in her blood since birth and is a powerful creature when she summons her wolf aspect. In her human form she is a hunter and a northern ranger as are all members of the cult. Originally published on the Hall of the Mountain King blog.

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History of the North, Part 11: The Never-ending Storm

2020-03-27T17:56:00-04:00March 27th, 2020|

History of the North, Part 11: The Never-ending Storm “When wasteful war shall statues overturn And broils root out the work of masonry, Nor Mars his sword, nor war’s quick fire, shall burn The living record of your memory: ’Gainst death, and all oblivious enmity, Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room Even in the eyes of all posterity That wear this world out to the ending doom.” Shakespeare, Sonnet 55 (1609), Q 2&3 War is wasteful. It brings strife, pestilence and death. And it brings uncertainty in its aftermath. And sometimes, it is difficult to know if it is over. Because there may be an end to A war, but never to War. 587 CY All wars must end. Treaty Negotiations between Ket and Veluna, Gran March, and Bissel began, resulting in the Thornward Division. There was peace in the Bramblewood Gap, if one can call it that; in truth, tension rose, each side watchful, and a new type of war began, a Cold War. Beygraf Zoltan's assassination in 587 CY and the resulting change in Ket's government led to a new policy regarding Bissel. Nadaid, Zoltan's state favored replacement, withdrew most of his troops from Bissel to deal with chaos in Lopolla, then began peace negotiations with the west, much to the frustration of battle-hungry Gran March war bands gathered at Bissel's southern border. Negotiations lasted from 587-589 CY, resulting in the controversial Thornward Division, by which Bissel's capital was lost and made a neutral city held and governed in common by Ket, Veluna, Gran March, and Bissel. Ket completely withdrew its armies, taking ... read more!

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History of the North, Part 10: The Diminishing Storm

2020-03-21T07:52:00-04:00March 21st, 2020|

History of the North, Part 10: The Diminishing Storm When the hurly-burly's done, When the battle's lost and won. Shakespeare, MacBeth (1605), Act I, sc.1, l.3. The nations have spilled their lifeblood into the soil and soul of the Flanaess. Exhausted, they entrench and catch breath. They watch. And wait. Iuz controls the North. But his lands are poor and produce little. He gathers his strength. He watches. And waits. The Scarlet Brotherhood, their gambit played and played out, have a stranglehold on the south. They issue forth yet more spies. They whisper. They watch. And wait. Ratik understood its peril, and it began an ambitious project, one that taxed its resources, but was deemed essential by Luxnol. What good would minding the nations finances do were they slaughtered by the orcs and gnolls to the south, and the Fists to the north. Castles and fortresses and redoubts sprang up along the Kelmar Pass and the Flinty Hills, and in the northern Timberway. More rose up within the Kelten Pass, for surely the Fists would come again. Ratik is developing an ambitious castle building program, constructing strong keeps along its southern margins not far from the foothills of the eastern spur of the Rakers. They are digging in for a long struggle against the humanoids of the Bone March. Ratik is seeking mercenaries to defend the builders during the coming spring and summer. [FtA] The last we saw Lord Holmer, of the Shield Lands, he was hauled away in chains for a prolonged residency in Dorakka, A favoured guest of the Old One, himself. Most thought him dead. But there were rumours otherwise. A daring ... read more!

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History of the North, Part 9: The Raging Storm

2020-03-14T08:55:00-04:00March 14th, 2020|

History of the North, Part 9: The Raging Storm"Our battle is more full of names than yours, Our men more perfect in the use of arms, Our armour as strong, our cause the best; Then reason will our hearts should be as good." Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part II (1597-99), Act IV, sc.1, l.154. Iuz had rolled across the Far North. Tenh had fallen. Then the Horned Society fell. The Bandit Kingdoms fell or capitulated. The Shield Lands and Furyondy stood against the storm in the west. But not as one. And Nyrond stood vanguard against its raging in the east, enemies to the fore and aft. They gripped their swords and spears, and raised their shields against the coming evil. They did not have to wait for long.Furyondy looked to the north and saw doom as it never had. Fear prevailed among the populace, and faith in the Knights of the Hart, as well. However, faith can only gird the shield. Belvor needed nor than just fear and faith; he needed information, not rumours and hersay , if he were to defend against Iuz and his hordes; so he sent spies into Iuz’s empire. Iuz’s assumption of power and armament for war did not pass unnoticed. Furyondy’s spies headed back to King Belvor IV with word of the swelling humanoid armies. The news could well have been written in the spies’ blood, though, for most of the human agents were discovered and slain, virtually closing King Belvor’s eyes and ears. When the few spies did reach him, though, the Furyondy king heeded the fate of Tenh and immediately set to ... read more!

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The Hill Giant Chief – Nosnra’s Saga – 2020 – Part 16

2020-03-12T20:55:50-04:00March 12th, 2020|

The Hill Giant Chief - Nosnra's Saga - Part 16 The wall curved and the floor began to slope. As Talberth neared the far end of the hall he'd found a passage leading down. The floor and walls showed the scratching that they'd seen in the first passage. Here though there had been no mosaic on the ground, just rough stone that provided firm footing as the decline of the slope increased. "Do you think the orcs went this way?" asked Talberth. "I see no signs, but picking out one set of marks among these others is impossible," said Harold. The sloping passage sank beneath the floor of the hall as it curved near to the far end. It became a tunnel cut into the ground with walls and ceiling no wider than Talberth's outstretched arms. He could place his palm flat upon the ceiling and let the fingers of his hands brush both walls at the same time. Soon the slope leveled out and the passage crossed another, they could proceed ahead or turn to the left or to the right. Each way was dark, the walls were chipped and scarred, the floor marked by countless claws. "Which way?" asked Talberth. "Which way for what?" Harold replied. He stepped between the passages into the small open area where all four ways met. Harold peered down one way, turned and checked another till he had looked into each of the passages that lay ahead. "There is nothing, no difference that I can see. No sign of the orcs." Talberth huffed; he'd been hoping to find something right away. Time was passing, they had little to ... read more!

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NPC – Einar and Vit

2020-03-10T18:59:17-04:00March 10th, 2020|

NPC - Einar and Vit Einar is a Schnai warrior whose family was killed when an invasion of Gnolls swept down from the mountain upon his village. He had been away at the time serving the interests of the King by eliminating several problems in Ratik. Upon his return he was informed of the loss of his village and kin. After immediately leaving the King's service he traveled north, then further north, then beyond the last outposts of the Schnai among the Corrusk Mountains. Einar is an immensely powerful warrior but neither a skilled mountaineer nor a tracker. Lost among the mountains trying to track down the Gnoll chieftain behind the raid on his village, he went a little mad in the wilderness. He had become a terror among the creatures of the mountains. One day he came upon a party of Ogres who had wounded a giant white wolf with a thrown stone. The wolf had bloodied one ogre but the group was preparing to bring it down with nets and stones. That is when Einar attacked them. His great sword cut through their flesh like it was made of snow and he steaming bloody sections. The wolf was down and unconscious so Einar brought it back to his camp and cared for it. In it he saw the spirit of his lost kin and named the wolf Vit. Vit is of unusual size and intelligence. He is absolutely loyal to Einar and understands the basics of what Einar's words. The pair hunt the Corrusk Mountains but descend to the Schnai lands while Einar still searches for the Gnoll tribe and vengeance. Originally published ... read more!

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NPC – Lord Guerin of Furyondy

2020-03-09T16:37:15-04:00March 9th, 2020|

NPC - Lord Guerin of Furyondy Lord Guerin of Furyondy is a first cousin to Prince Thrommel (Mother's side) and while of highest nobility is far removed from ever inheriting the throne. He is also the younger son of Duke Climent and unlikely to even inherit the dukedom as his older sister is married with three children of her own and is earmarked by the Duke and his council to take things over if the old man should ever die (something the young Guerin doesn't see as a possibility). Guerin has an adventuresome spirit and has decided to go in search of adventure. He has left his father's estate with what he considers a small band of retainers in search of adventure. Luckily Guerin is well trained in combat and reasonably experienced as well. His two companions are both Paladins of Heironious and his retainers are all veterans with two being experienced Rangers, all are assigned to keep an eye on Guerin by his father the Duke. 1. Lord Guerin of Furyondy experienced Knight, his armor is both finely crafted and enchanted, his longsword shatters shields and splits non-enchanted armor with a well struck blow. 2. Sir Flourent, Paladin of Heironious 3 Sir Symmonett, Paladin of Heironious 4. Guard Captain Guillott 5. Guard Serjeant Raoulin 6. Scout Bertain, Ranger 7. Scout Thomas, Ranger 8. Trooper Dydier 9. Trooper Henriet Originally published on the Hall of the Mountain King blog.

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NPC – Neith – The Smoke from their Wings

2020-03-08T22:00:33-04:00March 8th, 2020|

The Smoke from their Wings Zeif, Old Zeif, is long dead and buried beneath the western sands. The Zeif of today is a fragment, a few seaports of the vast empire that was ancient when the Bakluni were unlettered nomads and the Suel wore skins and chipped flint knives and spear-heads for weapons. It was not the Invoked Devastation which brought about the end of Mighty Zeif but the relentless sands. The Gods of Zeif were not the Gods of the Bakluni or the God-King who rose from Zeif and left Zeif to first teach those same Bakluni and then to rule them. Those old Gods perished in the wars they fought among themselves, the war against Sutek who first brought the sands that swallowed cities, and the wars that followed till only a handful of the Old Gods of Zeif remained. The goddess Neith, the Queen of Water, was slain by Sutek at beginning of the God War long ago, but the Immortal Queen could never really die and even today her priestesses can summon the ghost of their Goddess. When summoned during the Feast of Lamps at her temple in the forgotten and half-buried city of Ta-senet she appears as a creature of smoke with the wings of the holy Ibis. The inner sanctum of the temple is set over an eternal burning fire that is said to come from the center of the Oerth and whose smoke opens The Way of Eternity that only the priestesses can breathe and survive. It is said that the path opened leads to the desolation of the west, a place worse than the empty deserts. The ... read more!

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NPC – The Night Hag’s Daughter

2020-03-08T11:01:40-04:00March 8th, 2020|

NPC - The Night Hag's DaughterWhen the Temple of Elemental Evil was overthrown many powerful entities were released. One of them was a Night Hag named, on this Oerth, Solonia and her daughter, a strange combination of Night Hag and Demi-Urge, Valera.The race of Night Hags is born from the essence of the Plane called Hades and a strict number of them exist at one time. When one is slain there is a black viscid pool that releases the larval form of another Night Hag. On the fetid banks of this pool they squirm about and consume the bodies of evil creatures who are captured by Night Hags brought to Hades and transformed into parodies of the Night Hag larva.Somehow a being, a user of magic no longer human, captured the Night Hag Solonia and conceived the mad but immensely powerful Valera. Solonia would have vengeance upon this Demi-Urge but his power is too great, so great that he has put a compulsion upon the Hag to watch over her daughter and remain bound to the Oerth.The Demi-Urge conferred upon both Solonia and Valera the ability to mask their true nature and unless powerful magic is used to pierce this illusion they appear as a comely matron of middle years and a strikingly beautiful young woman just past the first blush of youth.Since being released from the strange prison within the Temple of Elemental Evil Solonia first approached the lands of the Horned Society but the power of the Hierarchs proved to great for any direct confrontation so she settled among the Bandit Kingdoms in the city of Freehold where she runs a prosperous inn ... read more!

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History of the North, Part 8: The Storm to End All Storms

2020-03-06T18:05:00-05:00March 6th, 2020|

History of the North, Part 8: The Storm to End All Storms "Your breath first kindled the coal of warsAnd brought in matter that should feed this fire;And now 'tis far too huge to be blown outWith that same weak wind which enkindled it." Shakespeare, King John (1598) Act V, sc.2, l.83. Salvation can come from the most unexpected quarters. Iuz had saved the Flanaess — for his own purposes, to be sure; but save it, he did. At a cost. He and Vecna had been hurled into the nether planes, tearing at one another like rabid animals manic from the smell of blood. Were they gone forever? Only a fool would think so.582 CY ‘The mage sits down in front of the five Blades of Corusk and meditates for a minute. His hands move over the blades as he reads the magical writings. A frigid wind comes from the west, blowing the powdery snow in swirling whirlwinds. The words coming from his mouth sound like gibberish to you. As he reads the spell, a loud thunderclap sounds above you. As the echoes of the thunder die down, the swords shake and hum. Suddenly the swords disappear with an abrupt popping noise, and the snow turns to steam beneath them. You all hear a sharp “crack” behind you, and a sudden blast of wind pushes you for- ward. Surprised, the mage stops reading and spins around to see what happened. As you turn about, you see a barbarian giant standing before you. Appearing perfectly human, except for his 12-foot height, the man smiles down at you with a kind face. Two huge wolves stand on ... read more!

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NPC – Prince Ian Skotti Chief Constable of Niole Dra

2020-03-06T13:05:51-05:00March 6th, 2020|

NPC - Prince Ian Skotti Chief Constable of Niole Dra Ian Skotti is the third child of the king and fills a hereditary role as the capital city's chief constable. This is a duty that Prince Ian does not take lightly and with the opposing factions aligned against his father and his family he cannot afford to do so. The city guard takes care of crime in the city and several knights dispense justice of a low and moderate sort but what Prince Ian inherited was the job of Spy Master for the kingdom rather than simply constable of the city. His chief aid is the Ranger and expert bowman Hugh, a commoner of Flannish stock. Despite Ian's fathers affinity for the wild, Ian himself is a solid city-dweller though trained in the noble art of war. A good number of his armed troops in the constabulary are Rangers though his agents informers are from every ilk and part of society. Here they can be seen outside the walls of Niole Dra ambushing a group of conspirators in the pay of the Kettish Beygraf. Of late Ket has been making moves through spies and trade into the Flannaes rather than direct confrontation such as their numerous skirmishes with Bissel along the Ket/Bissel border. Originally published on the Hall of the Mountain King blog.

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City of Greyhawk City Gates and the Gods

2020-03-04T16:06:29-05:00March 4th, 2020|

City of Greyhawk City Gates and the Gods City of Greyhawk City Gates and the Gods NOTE: The names and locations of these gates and the description of the city walls come from the novel City of Hawks (and Saga of the Old City in regard to the Black Gate/Beggars Gate), but linking them to the followers of specific deities is an idea from my Home Game. What provoked such an idea was the reference to alignment and religion within the city from Gygax's article "Varied Player Character and Non-Player Character Alignment in the Dungeons and Dragons Campaign" (The Dragon #9) and the practicality of having both clerics and magic-users as part of the guard compliment of the city gates. To maintain some sort of balance between clerics of differing faiths and alignments I could imagine only a rotating shift of clerics of varying faiths back and forth between the gates or dedicating a particular gate to a particular deity. I chose the latter as it seemed the most likely.The Gygaxian City of Greyhawk has sixteen gates. Eleven of these gateways are roadways in and out of the city while four are interior gates leading from the Old City to the New and one connects the Foreign Quarter to the rest of the Old City.The eleven gates that pierce the exterior wall are broad to accommodate wagon and cavalry traffic both coming and going. The outer wall around the city is actually composed of two walls separated by one hundred feet of open ground and so each road into the city is protected by two gatehouses. The outer gatehouse is a square 40x40 tower, 40 ... read more!

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