Rary
| Rary | |
 |
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| Rary, depicted on the cover of Rary the Traitor (TSR, Inc., 1992). Art by Valerie Valusek. | |
| Nickname(s): | Medium Rary |
|---|---|
| Title(s): | Archmage of Ket |
| Homeland: | Bright Lands (formerly Ket) |
| Class(es): | Wizard 24 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | Human (Baklunish) |
| Alignment: | Neutral Evil |
| Age: | 86 |
| Born: | 511 CY |
Rary of Ket is a powerful archmage and ruler of the Bright Lands, also known as Rary the Traitor.
In a storyline developed by TSR for a resetting of the Greyhawk campaign in 1991, Rary, a member of the Circle of Eight, betrayed the Circle at the end of the Greyhawk Wars and was responsible for the deaths of Circle members Otiluke and Tenser. After his betrayal, Rary fled with his ally Lord Robilar to the Bright Desert, where he established the Empire of the Bright Lands.
Description[edit | edit source]
In material developed by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) in 1998 as a further update to the Greyhawk storyline, Rary is a man of mixed Baklunish and Suel stock, six feet tall, 170 lbs, with auburn hair, bright green eyes, and a tanned complexion who favors tan robes with intricate gold patterns.[1] (See Gallery, below) Although originally described in TSR material as a man in his eighties, the new WotC storyline had Rary looking like a man in his fifties, having somehow reversed his aging by 30 years. The explanation was that this was not for reasons of vanity, but because Rary knows his current plans may take many decades to come to fruition and is prepared for every eventuality.
Personality[edit | edit source]
Rary's personality is given as thoughtfully contemplative. Apparently he dislikes those who acted foolishly or rashly, and Otiluke was a particular target of his scorn, though even Mordenkainen is characterized as too volatile for Rary's tastes.
Abilities[edit | edit source]
Possessions[edit | edit source]
Activities[edit | edit source]
Relationships[edit | edit source]
- Robilar—former ally of Rary and Lord in the Domain of Greyhawk. After Rary betrayed the Circle of Eight, it was discovered Robilar had been replaced by a mirror-double from an alternate Prime known as Uerth. His double, Bilarro, was lawful evil and aided Rary in the looting of Tenser's citadel, the Fortress of Unknown Depths, and fled the Domain of Greyhawk with him to the Bright Lands.
- Arkalan Sammal of Ket—Rary's younger brother[1][2] (LN human male, 0-level), who has been known to frequent the Savant Tavern (C11 in the Free City) and has struggled with alcoholism.[2] He disowned Rary in 584 CY,[3][2] but still lost his position at Grey College.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
The following information is outlined in material developed for the Greyhawk campaign world by TSR and WotC between 1988 and 2008.
Origins[edit | edit source]
Born around 511 CY in Ket, Rary was known as a quiet, dignified scholar and a skilled mediator and peacemaker. He was a living legend in his homeland, and held in the greatest respect by the Paynims, and would confer with their shamans and wise men, telling them tales of their past. The frequency of Paynim raids into Ket decreased dramatically because of his influence. He was apparently invited to join the Circle of Eight in or around 575 CY. He had long resided in his tower in Lopolla prior to the outbreak of the Greyhawk Wars.[5]
Rary betrays the Circle[edit | edit source]
After a decade's careful deliberation, Rary decided that the Circle of Eight was too quarrelsome to ever be effective in its goals. On the day of the signing of the Treaty of Greyhawk, he tried to eliminate the Circle but only succeeded in killing Tenser and Otiluke. Simultaneously, Robilar besieged the castles of Tenser and Otiliuke, sacking their treasures and destroying all the known clones of both mages.[6]
"While the others were busy fighting the Greyhawk Wars, Rary had been seeking out forbidden spells and studying the history of conquerors and the lands beyond Ket. He renounced neutrality and, having learned from his histories that the most effective rulers maintained order through spell and sword, recruited Robilar as his strong right arm.... By killing everyone at the Great Signing and framing the Scarlet Brotherhood for the attack, Rary would take advantage of the chaos to seize power. He would take control of the Circle, bringing in weak-willed mages subservient to him as replacements for its “tragic” losses. From there it would be easy enough to install himself as ruler of Greyhawk and influence the course of the war through the armies at his command, as well as a corps of diplomats that would report personally to him." [6]
Having largely failed in their quest to destroy the Circle, the two conspirators fled to the Bright Desert, where they founded a kingdom.
In his Tome of Foes, Mordenkainen stated he felt Rary's inexplicable behavior may have come from having fallen under the sway of Demogorgon "simply by laying eyes on a true copy of his symbol, crafted either by Demogorgon or one of his most powerful demonic followers"[7] and having become "dedicated ever after to a life of lurking in the shadows, lashing out against unsuspecting victims, and striking fear into those who discover the bodies left behind."[7]
"I studied Demogorgon’s symbol. I thought that, by looking at it through a mirror, I might avoid its effects. If anything, viewing its reflection made its effect more potent and more subtle. It was Rary who saved me, and I thought he had been spared the symbol’s effects. I don’t have many regrets, but underestimating that symbol is one of my greatest." — Mordenkainen[7]
This subtle, gradual change in Rary is supported in WGR3 Rary the Traitor. "This enormous change in Rary's temperament took place slowly. ... and wickedness slowly crept into his heart."[8]
Further plans[edit | edit source]
 | This section contains content from the Living Greyhawk organized-play campaign. |
In the Living Greyhawk campaign, Rary desired to recreate the ancient kingdom of Sulm by recovering an artifact known as the Scorpion Crown. In the Blight on Bright Sands plot arc, players of the campaign were often unwittingly employed as agents of Rary to help fulfill his goal.[9]
Rumors & Legends[edit | edit source]
Spells[edit | edit source]
When Gary Gygax developed new spells for Dungeons & Dragons, he often borrowed wizards' names to give the spell names more verisimilitude. He borrowed the name of Brian Blume's retired wizard for the spells Rary's mnemonic enhancer, and Rary's telepathic bond, which appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook.
Because Rary's two original spells seemed to involve psychic or mental powers, whenever a new spell was developed that involved these powers, authors often attributed them to Rary:
- Rary's aptitude appropriator
- Rary's arcane conversion
- Rary's empathic perception[10]
- Rary's hesitation[10]
- Rary's interplanar telepathic bond
- Rary's memory alteration
- Rary's mind scan[10]
- Rary's mind shield
- Rary's plane truth
- Rary's protection from scrying[10]
- Rary's replay of the past
- Rary's spell enhancer
- Rary's superior spell enhancer
- Rary's urgent utterance[10]
- Rary's vicious missiles[10]
Writings[edit | edit source]
In a similar fashion, further background material on Rary has given him credit for authoring the following works:
Appearances[edit | edit source]
In 1988, Rary's spells were included in the hard-cover Greyhawk Adventures.[12] In 1989, in The City of Greyhawk boxed set, Carl Sargent and Douglas Niles took Gygax's original Circle of Eight and re-purposed the concept as a powerful collection of wizards dedicated to the proposition that no group or entity, no matter how good (or evil), should dominate the Flanaess. Gygax's own wizard, Mordenkainen, became the head of the Circle, while eight wizards from the Greyhawk campaign, made famous from their spells published in the original Players Handbook, became the actual Circle.[13] Several of the wizards, including Rary, had not been particularly powerful characters in Gygax's home campaign, but in the new Greyhawk storyline, all of the Circle were dominant spell casters.
In Living Greyhawk[edit | edit source]
| This section contains content from the Living Greyhawk organized-play campaign. |
During the Living Greyhawk campaign, several adventures set in Rary's home region of Ket referred to him as Rary the Patriot, and Ketite characters in these adventures sometimes tried to convince players that Rary was not evil, merely misunderstood.[14][15]
Creative Origins[edit | edit source]
Gary Gygax, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragon fantasy game, created a home campaign based in the World of Greyhawk in order to test new rules. His playtesters were friends and acquaintances, one of whom was Brian Blume, co-owner with Gygax of the nascent game company TSR. Rary was a low-level wizard created by Blume for play in Gygax's home campaign. However, Blume was not interested in developing the character into a high-powered wizard; he only played Rary until the wizard character reached 3rd-level and then retired him, having reached his objective, which was to be able to introduce the character as "Medium Rary".[16] Gygax borrowed the name "Rary" for the spells Rary's mnemonic enhancer and Rary's telepathic bond. Ironically, the original Rary was never powerful enough to cast either of "his" spells.
Rary was not a member of Gygax's original Circle of Eight, which was made up of eight of Gygax's own characters that he had developed during solo play, when his friend Rob Kuntz acted as DM. Gygax: "The original [Circle of Eight] was composed of my PCs--Mordenkainen, Bigby, Yrag, Rigby, Felnorith, Zigby, Vram & Vin. In the novel version the Circle was expanded to encompass other PCs in my campaign such as Tenser. It came into being because Mordenkainen and Associates had a lot of wealth stored up from successful adventuring, located a place for a stronghold deep in enemy territory to assure plenty of action, and then went to work building the citadel."[17] However, in 1985 the company took over creative control of the published Greyhawk setting.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Rary, as depicted in the "Circle of Eight" Trading Cards series (TSR, 1992). Card #171.
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Rary as depicted by Valerie Valusek on the cover of WGR3 Rary the Traitor (1992).
External links[edit | edit source]
Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.
References[edit | edit source]
Citations[edit | edit source]
- ↑ a b The City of Greyhawk (1989), p.25, Folks, Feuds, and Factions.
- ↑ a b c d The Adventure Begins (1998), p.97.
- ↑ WGR3 Rary the Traitor (1992), 4.
- ↑ Wooten, Ben. Re: Who's that wizard?. deviantArt. "I believe it is Otiluke on the receiving end here."
- ↑ WGR3 Rary the Traitor (1992), p.6, 7.
- ↑ a b "History Check: Rary the Traitor". Dragon #405 (Nov 2011), p.4.
- ↑ a b c Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (2018), p.27.
- ↑ WGR3 Rary the Traitor (1992), p.6.
- ↑ Broadhurst, Creighton; Restoration and Empire, Wizards of the Coast (RPGA), June 2008
- ↑ a b c d e f g "Arcane Lore: The Lost Spellbook of Rary the Traitor". Dragon #249 (Jul 1998), p.90-96. Ed Bonny
- ↑ "Spells Between the Covers". Dragon #82 (Feb 1984), p.58. , Bruce Heard
- ↑ Bambra, Jim; Role-playing Reviews, Dragon #143, p71–72, TSR, Lake Geneva, WI, March 1989
- ↑ Niles, Douglas, and Carl Sargent. The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989)
- ↑ Stephen Baker, The Empty Post, Wizards of the Coast (RPGA), November 2006
- ↑ Lisa Liscoumb, Best Man for the Job, Wizards of the Coast (RPGA), February 2005
- ↑ Gary Gygzx. Q&A with Gary Gygax. ENWorld, 2006-05-29. Retrieved on 17 August 2022. "Rary was one that Brian Blume created early in the D&D cycle, a magic-user that Brian wanted to work up to 3rd level so as to introduce him as 'Medium Rary.' When he gained that level Brian quit playing that PC, pretty much dropped out of regularly playing D&D in fact."
- ↑ Gary Gygax. Q & A with Gary Gygax. EN World, 2006-05-29. Retrieved on 17 August 2022.
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Broadhurst, Creighton. "Into the Bright Desert." Dungeon #98 (Paizo Publishing, 2003).
- Broadhurst, Creighton, Paul Looby, and Stuart Kerrigan. "Mysterious Places: The Brightlands." Wizards of the Coast, 2004. Available online: [1]
- Cook, David. "History of the Greyhawk Wars." Greyhawk Wars (TSR, 1991). Available Online: [2]
- -----Vecna Lives! (TSR, 1990).
- Heard, Bruce. "Spells Between the Covers." Dragon #82 (TSR, 1984).
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).
- Mona, Erik, and Gary Holian. "Wheels within Wheels: Greyhawk's Circle of Eight." Living Greyhawk Journal #0 (August 2000). Available online: [3]
- Moore, Roger E. Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins (TSR, 1998).
- ----- Return of the Eight (TSR, 1998).
- Pryor, Anthony. Rary the Traitor (TSR, 1992).
- Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes (TSR, 1993).
- Ward, James M. Greyhawk Adventures (TSR, 1988).
- Williams, Skip, Penny Williams, Ari Marmell, Kolja Raven Liquette. Complete Mage (Wizards of the Coast, 2006).
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Index is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, and his work as continued and updated by Eric Johnson, Richard DiIoia, Jason "PupickDad" Jacobson, a French fan group, and numerous other fans over the years. The wiki page for the EGI has a list of sources, full product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcane Puissance of the Memory By Rary | Item | Book, | Dragon magazine #082 | 58 |
| Arcane Puissance of the Memory By Rary | Item | Book, | Encyclopedia Magica - Volume III | 1140 |
| Lost Spellbook of Rary the Traitor | Item | Book, | Dragon magazine #249 | 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | The City of Greyhawk: Folks, Feuds and Factions | 25, 27 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #082 | 58 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #194 | 53, 54, 55 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #230 | 12 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #233 | 92 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #249 | 90-96 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #268 | 70 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #269 | 65 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #299 | 99 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Dragon magazine #354 | 31 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 9, 10 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | From the Ashes: Campaign Book | 8, 11, 85 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | From the Ashes: References Card | #13 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Greyhawk Adventures | 3, 67, 68, 128 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Greyhawk Wars: Adventures | 24 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 16, 37, 38, 68, 126, 128, 143, 144, 154, 156 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Living Greyhawk Journal #0 | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Living Greyhawk Journal #1 | 27 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Living Greyhawk Journal #3 | 15, 26 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Player's Guide to Greyhawk | 11, 21, 23, 26, 51 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Return of the Eight | 3, 5, 10, 20, 53, 54, 57-60 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | Slavers, AD&D 2e | 127 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | The Adventure Begins | 2, 4, 37, 38, 62, 71, 76, 97, 98, 110, 122, 123 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps | 2 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | 1992 TSR Trading Cards - Gold Set | 171 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | LT3 The Doomgrinder | 7 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | LT1 The Star Cairns | 5, 38, 46 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | WGA4 Vecna Lives! | 10, 14, 17, 20, 87, 88, 94 |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | WGR3 Rary the Traitor | All |
| Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) | Non-player character | Male, Human, [M23], | WGR5 Iuz the Evil | 5, 37 |
| Rary's Aptitude Appropriater (LVL2) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 67, 128 |
| Rary's Aptitude Appropriater (LVL2) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 727 |
| Rary's Empathic Perception (LVL1) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Dragon magazine #249 | 91-92 |
| Rary's Empathic Perception (LVL1) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 67, 128 |
| Rary's Empathic Perception (LVL1) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 727 |
| Rary's Hesitation (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Dragon magazine #249 | 92 |
| Rary's Memory Alteration (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 67, 128 |
| Rary's Memory Alteration (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 727 |
| Rary's Mind Scan (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Dragon magazine #249 | 92 |
| Rary's Mind Scan (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 67, 128 |
| Rary's Mind Scan (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 728 |
| Rary's Mind Shield (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 67, 128 |
| Rary's Mind Shield (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 728 |
| Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | College of Wizardry | 81 |
| Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Hidden Lore, D&D 3.0 | 5 |
| Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Player's Handbook, AD&D 1e | 41, 78 |
| Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Player's Option - Spells And Magic | 180, 184 |
| Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 728 |
| Rary's Plane Truth (LVL7) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 68, 128 |
| Rary's Plane Truth (LVL7) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 728, 729 |
| Rary's Protection from Scrying (LVL6) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Dragon magazine #249 | 92 |
| Rary's Protection from Scrying (LVL6) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 68, 128 |
| Rary's Protection from Scrying (LVL6) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 729 |
| Rary's Replay (LVL5) | Spell | Reference | SEE Rary's Replay of the Past (LVL5) | |
| Rary's Replay of the Past (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 67, 68, 128 |
| Rary's Replay of the Past (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 729 |
| Rary's Ring of Memories | Item | Artifact, | Slavers, AD&D 2e | 127 |
| Rary's Spell Enhancer (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 67, 128 |
| Rary's Spell Enhancer (LVL4) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 729 |
| Rary's Superior Spell Enhancer (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 68, 128 |
| Rary's Superior Spell Enhancer (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 730 |
| Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | CGR1 The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook | 109 |
| Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 68, 128 |
| Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Hidden Lore, D&D 3.0 | 5 |
| Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | PHBR4 - The Complete Wizard's Handbook | 104 |
| Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Player's Option - Spells And Magic | 181 |
| Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 730 |
| Rary's Tower | Adventure | Adventure - Located in: Brass hills, | WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk | |
| Rary's Urgent Utterance (LVL6) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Dragon magazine #249 | 92 |
| Rary's Urgent Utterance (LVL6) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Greyhawk Adventures | 68, 128 |
| Rary's Urgent Utterance (LVL6) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III | 730, 731 |
| Rary's Vicious Missiles (LVL8) | Spell | Spell (Magic User), | Dragon magazine #249 | 92-93 |
| Ring of Memories, Rary's | Item | Reference | SEE Rary's Ring of Memories | |
| WGR3 Rary the Traitor | Publication | Supplement, | Dragon magazine #191 | 65, 68 |
| WGR3 Rary the Traitor | Publication | Supplement, | Dragon magazine #194 | 53 |
| WGR3 Rary the Traitor | Publication | Supplement, | Dragon magazine #241 | 43 |
| WGR3 Rary the Traitor | Publication | Supplement, | Dragon magazine #249 | 90, 91, 94 |
| WGR3 Rary the Traitor | Publication | Supplement, | Return of the Eight | 54, 58 |
| WGR3 Rary the Traitor | Publication | Supplement, | The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps | 4, 5 |