(IR) 1st ooc-thread of the 5th IR (open)

[Serpenteye]

You are all alone.

The great empires of Oerth are cut off from the Multiverse, destined to struggle amongst each others for survival and dominance. Led by you, the greatest and wisest minds on the planet, they must fight a battle of titanic odds armed with new and terrible weapons of magic and technology.

The World is all alone. And that is the greatest blessing you could ask for, for outside lurks an unknowable danger that has devoured planes and driven countless civilizations to extinction or exile. The Gods closed the Sphere of Oerth, hid you away in a place beyond existance as a final desperate act of defiance, but before they did strangers arrived on your planet. Strangers bearing gifts.

You have the power, but how will you use it? The decision is yours and the world will face the consequences. Ultimately the illimitable eternities of all existance and un-existance hang in the balance. You cannot escape, there is no way out, you must stand and fight or face a fate beyond comprehension.

Rule, conquer, manipulate and decieve. Unite, inspire, educate and create. Good, Evil or Neutral, Lawful or Chaotic, the final end awaits you all and only one thing can turn the tides in your favour; Power.

Welcome to the 5th IR.

Make your mark upon the world.

Make your mark upon the Multiverse.

 

[Serpenteye]

Links to the other pages of the IR:

Recruitment thread:
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=105726

 

[Serpenteye]

The Rules of the 5th IR

Above all else the IR is a game about power.

Power is, after all, the ability to affect the world around you. There are many different expressions of power. A brilliant speech or diplomatic negotiation can in the right circumstances guarantee your victory. Propaganda and manipulation are vital tools to control your own population, NPC-factions and even the other players. Role-playing is an essential tool for achieveing true power. But there is much more to the game.

Industry, technology, war, magic, divinity and infiltration are the other tools at your disposal. They benefit your faction in different ways, and though you need not master them all they will all be relevant to the outcome of the game.



The Turn

The IR is divided into turns. Each of them is three months long and roughly represents a season.

1. At the beginning of each turn you send me, Serpenteye, an email at ecaf99@hotmail.com where you let me know how you will allocate your power that turn.

2. Tell how many Power Points you put into industrializing your respective provinces, how much you spend on Technology or Magic and how much you reserve for Infiltration or the Military in your email.

3. List how you allocate your military Power Levels. If you are upgrading any of your Regular armies to Elite, and if you’re turning any of your Elite armies to Epic this needs to be in the email.

The DM needs this information to know just how powerful you are going to be during the Turn.

When all player emails have been received and the DM knows how each faction is going to invest its power for the Turn, it's time for the game to begin.

If you do not send the DM email before each Turn they will allocate your power in a way that they think is in accordance with the nature of your faction in a way that they believe it will benefit them. The DM does this for NPC-factions, but you may find that it is less optimized than what you had in mind.



Industry

Industry is the backbone of the IR. The combined Industrial Capacity (IC) of your provinces determines how many Power Points you get to spend each season (3-month turn) of the game. The IC of the province itself is not reduced by spending these power points, but is renewed at the beginning of each turn.

IC represents the productive aspects of technology, your smithies, factories, farms, all the hard work of the vast majority of your population.

The IC of a province is tied to two factors:

* The amount of power you invest into the province directly, at the beginning of each turn, determines the maximum amount of IC the province will give you next season. 1 power point invested gives you ½ points of IC, 10 PP invested gives 5 IC, etc. (½PPI + PPT = PPnt)
PPI = Power Points Invested
PPT = Power Points per Turn (from IC only)
PPnt = Power Points Next Turn

* The maximum level of Industrial Capacity in a province is limited by the population of the province multiplied with the tech-level of your faction +5 divided by 200'000. A province with a population of 600'000 inhabitants and a tech-level of 5 has a maximum IC of 60. A province with a population of 23'000'000 inhabitants and a tech-level of 20 has a maximum IC of 5750. ((Population x Tech Level+5)/100'000)



Technology

You all begin with a level of technology roughly equivalent to what Europe had the year 1500. In the prologue to the IR you were all given access to blueprints, schematics and copies of more advanced technology but for now you lack the infrastructure required to manufacture most of the inventions. You know - or can rather easily find out - how to put this infrastructure together, how to manufacture the factories you need to make the components to make the factories to make the components to make the factories to make the components and the factories required to make a car or a tank, or an airplane. But doing all that takes time and effort.

The Technological Arms Race

Technology is complicated, but in the IR it’s rather simple. You create the infrastructure needed to apply your technologies in increments by spending Power Points. You need to spend 50 PPs to advance your entire faction one level in technology.

You have the option of spending more Power Points, as many as you like to advance accordingly. The levels of technology are equivalent to the highest common levels of technology according to the following table:

1: 1500
2: 1600
3: 1650
4: 1700
5: 1725
6: 1750
7: 1775
8: 1800
9: 1810
10: 1820
11: 1830
12: 1840
13: 1850
14: 1860
15: 1870
16: 1880
17: 1885
18: 1890
19: 1895
20: 1900
21: 1905
22: 1910
23: 1915
24: 1920
25: 1925
26: 1930
27: 1935
28: 1940
29: 1942
30: etc…
At every 4th level of technology all your military units, except for militia after level 4, garners an increase in their attack and defense values of +1 and +1. The strategic mobility of your units increases gradually, but this is a minor effect compared to magic.

Technology also has an impact on your maximal industrial capacity.

Maximum IC =((Population x Tech Level+5)/100'000)



War

The roll of a die decides conventional warfare.

Combat Turn One (First Half): First the DM rolls one d6 for the attacker, then for the defender.

If the attacker’s modified roll is higher than the defender’s, the attacker damages the defender.

If the attacker and the defender have equal Power Levels in the battle, the attacker inflicts damage on the defender equal to 1/10th of the defender’s original strength in the battle.

If the attacker has more Power Levels in the battle, they will inflict damage in proportion to their relative numbers. If he has 1.5 times as many Power Levels he will inflict 1.5 times more damage than usual. If he has twice as many Power Levels as his enemy, he will inflict twice as much in damage.

Combat Turn One (Second Half): After the DM has rolled for the attacker they will then make the same rolls for the defender, and so on.

The defender will then become the attacker and his current strength will be used for calculating damage. This cycle of violence continues until either side has been defeated.

Armies consisting of mixed kinds of PLs are added together when determining the amount of damage they inflict and recieve, but still apply their modifiers separately. (Don't worry if you don't understand this. I'll make sure it's balanced.)


Armies

There are four different categories of armies: Militia, Regular, Elite and Epic Armies.

Militia armies are recruited directly out of your common population.

They are 1-3 level characters of NPC classes, barely trained and nearly useless individually, but in great enough numbers they can be a terrible threat.

Militia can be conscripted or recruited for no direct cost. You don’t have to pay any Power Points to create Militia armies, and they are the one kind of army you can raise after the beginning of a Turn. Up to 25% of all of the population in a province can be turned into militia at the beginning of a Turn, up to 10% of the population can be mobilized when the Turn has already begun.

10,000 soldiers of a Militia army are the equivalent of 1 Power Level.

Militia attacks with a modifier of –4 and defends with a modifier of –3.

They do not benefit from improvements in technology beyond LVL 4 in the Technological Arms Race (1700 AD in Earth terms) - they are simply too numerous and untrained for you to be able to equip them with quality weapons.
Militia Power Levels can be demobilized at the beginning/end of a round and the surviving warriors can be put back into the industrial economy.


Regular armies are your usual professional soldiers.

They have adequate training and equipment and are PC-classes and monsters of levels (or ECLs) of 2-6.

At the beginning of the game they may be vulnerable against hordes of militia but they will later be able to sweep them aside with ease. One PL of regular armies costs 1 Power Point to create.
(You do not create Regular PL out of Militia PL. You can create Regular armies directly out of your the Power Points you get each turn.)

They attack and defend with a modifier of +0/+0. They benefit fully from improvements in technology.

Regular PLs can be demobilized at the beginning/end of a round and the surviving warriors can be put back into the industrial economy. You then regain all the Power Points you spent on creating the surviving Regular PLs.


Elite armies are experienced and educated soldiers.

They are well-equipped adventurer-classed characters, or monsters, of levels 7 to 16.

They are deadly opponents who benefit fully both from improvements in technology and from advancement in the Magical Arms Race.

They can be recruited from the ranks of your Regular armies, at a cost of 10 Regular Power Levels for one Elite PL. (The cost reflects losses in training, the high cost of training and the high cost of their equipment)
Alternatively they can be recruited from your regular armies at a reduced cost in lives, but increased overall price. This way it costs 10 PPts to upgrade one Regular PL to Elite.

They attack with a modifier of +4 and defend with a modifier of +3.

They have complete strategic mobility; they can Teleport all over the planet instead of the mundane means available to lesser armies.

Elite armies cannot be demobilized.


Epic armies are the toughest, most skilled combatants on the planet.

Your PCs are all Epic, but few others are in the beginning of the game.

They are nearly untouchable by Regular PLs and can slaughter Militia without concern. They are as far above Elites as the Elites are above the Regulars.

Epics are the only ones who can research High Magic in the Magical Arms Race and they benefit fully from both Magic and Technology.

Epic PLs can only be recruited from your Elite armies, at a cost of 10 Elite PLs for 1 Epic PL. In other words 1 Elite PL is as expensive as 100 regular PLs, but they may very well be much more valuable than that depending on your play-style.
Alternatively, they can be recruited from your Elite armies at a reduced cost in lives but a severely increased overall cost. This way it costs 100 PPts to increase one Elite PL to an Epic PL.

They attack with a modifier of +8 and defend with a modifier of +7.

Epic armies cannot be demobilized.

You can only upgrade a given group of PLs one grade at a time. For instance you can upgrade your regulars to elite or your elite army into an epic one, but not your regular army into an epic army in a single turn.
If you use the alternative rules you have the possibility of creating higher classes of PLs quicker, but for an increased cost.


Modifiers:

* Technology gives a bonus to all units (except for militia after level 4) of +1 for both offense and defense every four levels in the Technological Arms Race (4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and so on). These bonuses are cumulative.

* A significant degree of Clerical or Druidic magic in a faction gets a modifier of +1 to defense for Militia, Regular and Elite Power Levels, and a modifier of +2 to defense for Epic Power Levels. This applies also for those parts of factions who have a significant degree of such magic even if the faction as a whole would not qualify.

* High level magic gives many bonuses to factions that have access to it:

Magical Arms Race Level: 10th Level Magic 11th Level Magic 12th Level Magic 13th Level Magic
Elite Armies +3/+3 +5/+5 +8/+8 +16/+16
Epic Armies +5/+5 +9/+9 +16/+16 +32/+32

* Factions that lay claim to the personal attention of deities have many bonuses:

Power Level of the Deity: Demigod Lesser Intermediate Greater Over
Bonuses to Offense and Defense of all forces: +1/+1 +2/+2 +4/+4 +8/+8 +16/+16


*A deity gains considerable personal bonuses as well, though they are not comulative with those from the paragraph above:

Power Level of the Deity: Demigod Lesser Intermediate Greater Over
Bonuses to Offense and Defense +2/+2 +4/+4 +8/+8 +16/+16 +32/+32


* Fortifications give bonuses to forces not facing enemies who have access to higher level High Magic than the defender. A unit fortified in strongly defendable terrain gains a bonus of +1 to defense. A unit in an extremely sturdy fortification in strongly defendable terrain raises that bonus to +3. Extremely strong fortifications on very good terrain or underground may well be unassailable for a Regular PL. The rule shows the most usual modifiers, the rest are up to DM fiat when it comes up.

* Morale has an effect upon offense and defense. A demoralized army has a modifier of –2 to offense and defense. A routed army has a –4 modifier to defense and cannot attack at all.

* Undead units gain modifiers. Against factions who do not have access to divine magic from a deity of at least Lesser status Undead gain a bonus of +2 to their defense. Against factions who have access to divine magic from deities of at least Intermediate status Undead units receive a modifier of –2 to defense.

* Dead Magic Zones are disastrous for units that rely upon magic. Elite units get a modifier of –2 to defense and attack and Epic units get a modifier of –4 to defense and attack. This applies to all Elite and Epic units.
Units who would normally gain bonuses from High Magic, Clerical or Druidic Magic or the personal attention of a Deity do not gain access to any of their respective bonuses in a Dead magic Zone, nor does a Deity themselves.

Note: Like bonuses do not stack.


Morale

When an army faces an enemy it believes it cannot defeat it will sometimes become demoralized. It will fight at a reduced efficiency and will attempt to retreat from the battle. If it cannot retreat in order it will rout, surrender, or fight to the death.



Magic

Magic is the most powerful force on Oerth. It can destroy whole continents, remake them anew, transform your people into godlike beings, and turn your enemies into ash.

Magic is more expensive and harder to get than technology.

Everyone starts out at the same general level of magical knowledge.

All factions have access to every 0 to 9th level arcane spell in the SRD. Psionics has a similar role to arcane magic, and the two are therefore technically interchangeable with each other for the intents and purposes of this game.

Many factions, but not all, also have an equivalent knowledge of Clerical or Druidic magic. Druidic and clerical magic gives modifiers to the defense of your units and increases your population-growth.

For the purpose of this IR, High Magic of dissimilar flavors has similar in-game effects. A faction whose flavor specific magic is druidic can achieve similar ends as one whose magical flavor is of powerful conjurations, excepting in the nuances of the actual effects.

Elite and Epic PLs represent most normal magic items.
Artifacts are considered Epic PL, as if they were characters or armies.



High Magic

In the 5th IR, Epic magic works a bit differently than in normal D&D. Most importantly, there are no Epic level spells as listed in WOTC’s Epic Level Handbook. No spells can be meta-magicked above 9th level.

Instead there are 10th, 11th, 12th,and 13th level spells. These higher levels of spells are not a mere linear continuation of the normal spell levels but approximations of enormously powerful magic beyond the normal abilities of the spellcasters of Oerth. They are vastly more powerful than normal 0 to 9th level spells, and they are usually not cast by individual spellcasters but by the combined magical skill and puissance of the casters of an entire faction.

No PC faction has the power to cast 10th level spells at the beginning of the 5th IR. That ability has to be researched and invested into by spending Power Points.

Magic of such extreme power and difficulty is beyond the grasp of most people. Only your Epic PLs can be used to research the Higher level spells, and they are permanently spent by doing so. No magic has the power to bring them back to life.

A non-High Magic Anti-magic Field does not work against an High Magic spell.


The Magical Arms Race

Magic is researched in a similar manner as technology, though both the price and the rewards are much higher.

After spending 30 points of Epic PLs in the Magical Arms Race your faction gains the power to cast 10th level spells. After investing a total of 120 Epic PLs in the Magic Arms race you gain the power to cast 11th level spells. 12th level spellcasting requires an expenditure of 500 Epic PLs. 13th level spells cost 1000 Epic PLs.
This represents the dangerous and volatile nature of the research. High Magic, when it has not been fully mastered, is extremely unpredictable, and the smallest mistake can be lethal or crippling. No faction can research High Magic without a massive loss of Epic lives and magical equipment.

Once you have put PLs into magical research the points stay there, they are cumulative. The only way to wipe out the points is to utterly destroy the faction.

Factions cannot cooperate in researching High Magic. They cannot trade Magic (or technology) with other factions or individuals. If they still wish to do so they must permanently merge their factions, a process which will be fraught with political difficulties and dangers (and which I personally discourage).

The number of 10th through 13th level spells that a faction can cast per turn depends on the amount of Epic PLs the faction has available to cast them. Naturally, a greater number of casters enable a faction to cast a greater number of spells.

The Spell-progression is as follows:

Epic PL Units 10th Level Spells 11th Level Spells 12th Level Spells 13th Level Spells
20 1 0 0 0
80 2 0 0 0
140 3 1 0 0
200 4 2 0 0
260 5 3 1 0
320 6 4 2 0
380 7 5 3 1
440 8 6 4 2
500 9 7 5 3

As you can see you need to spend a lot of Epic PLs to cast the Higher level spells, but you also have to have a lot of Epic PLs to cast them. There is a trade-off between quantity and quality.
It is possible for multiple factions to cooperate in casting High Magic spells, if they both know how to cast spells of that level. For that purpose, and that purpose only, they can add their Epic PLs together if they should so wish.

So now I have ultimate power. So what?

There are three aspects of higher-level magic: destructive, defensive and creative.

Tenth Level Spells Can:

* Destroy an area the size of Celene utterly, wiping out all life (except for a few lucky Epic PLs) and destroying the very bedrock itself.

* Devastate an area the size of Nyrond, destroying most life but leaving some stronger structures only badly damaged and most Epic PLs alive.

* Affect an area the size of the Empire of Iuz (at the start of T1), causing widespread death and destruction but leaving most common people alive.

* Counterspell almost any 10th level magic.

* Enhance a number of individuals permanently. It can give them enhanced ability scores, natural, extraordinary or supernatural abilities. The lesser the number of people affected, the stronger the effect. In game terms it increases your Elite PL by 100.

* Restore the damage caused by a 10th level spell in an area one degree smaller. It can restore the damage to an area the size of Celene that was devastated by a spell that affected an area the size of Nyrond, for example.


11th level spells are even more powerful

The Rain of Colorless Fire would probably be a 12th level spell or perhaps several lower level epic spells cast simultaneously in a pattern. It destroyed an area the size of the Kevellond league utterly and permanently, that fits into the rough hierarchy of spells.

13th level spells are vastly more powerful than even 12th level spells. No 13th level spell has ever been cast since the original creation of the Multiverse. (It is only a fluke fluktuation in the cosmic/multiversal energies that make it possible for the people of Oerth to research 13th level Magic in the first place)



Infiltration

Few rulers have complete and utter control over their countries. There’s always someone who’s either powerful enough to flaunt the laws openly, or cunning enough to do so unnoticed. Either way, not all the production of a territory falls into the hands of the lawful ruler.

Most territories in the IR have Partial Ownership. Usually it’s a minor NPC faction that keeps some of the revenue of the territory out of the ruler’s hands. It can be a Thieves Guild, a church, a merchant-guild or a powerful corporation. It can be a rebel-force, a mages guild, or just a bunch of unorganized disloyal citizens. In some other cases the cause is more sinister, because you can infiltrate and undermine each other.

Espionage

To place a spy in a territory you have to spend 1/20th of the IC-value of the territory in PLs as a one-time expense. Once you have placed a spy you will gain information about important occurrences in the territory or organization you have infiltrated. Your target has a small automatic chance to discover that there is a spy in their territory, and if they don't find out they can nevertheless conduct a routine search for a cost of 1 PL. Once they know there's a spy they have an option to find and remove it, for a cost of 1/20th of the IC-value of the territory.

You can insert a spy in an enemy army, but you cannot further infiltrate any group of PLs.

Cost to place a Spy in a territory: IC/20
Cost to place a Spy in an army: PL/20
Cost for routine searches to locate Spies: 1 PL
Cost to remove a Spy from your territory or army: IC/20 or PL/20

Subversion

The first level of subversion gives you 5% of the political power over a territory. This level, and every following level of control, entitles you to an equivalent share of the IC (and turn-based Power Point output) of the territory.

Cost to subvert a territory: IC/10
Each additional level of successful subversion: +PL = IC/4

It costs 1/10th of the IC-value of the territory in Regular PLs to establish the first level of control. To establish a subversive control over a territory, both parties make an opposed modified d20 roll.
It works the same way for the following levels of control. The cost of going from 10% to 25% control over a territory is an additional 1/4th of the total IC-value of the territory. The cost of 50% is another 1/4th of the IC-value and 75% and 95% and 100% costs another 1/4 of the IC respectively. For every attempt to increase your control there’s an opposed roll of d20.

The cost, in Regular PLs, of completely subverting a territory under the course of several Turns (assuming the IC of the territory doesn't change in that time and that nobody else is trying to subvert your control) is 10%+25%+25%+25%+25%+25%=135% of the IC value of the territory, assuming the attacker succeeds on all his rolls.
The cost of infiltration represents both the monetary expenses and losses in operatives, it is therefore we use Regular PLs for infiltration.

The "legal owner" of a territory uses the same mechanism to increase his control over his territory as the "attacker" does.

Modifiers:

* The Infiltrator Trait reduces the costs for all Infiltration and Subversion attempts by half.

* The Alien Trait gives a cumulative bonus of +5 to the opposed roll both for defending his influence and expanding it in a territory where he has a greater percentage of control than any other faction. The alien trait is possessed only by the most perverse of aberrations and strangest of creatures.

* The faction that controls a greater percentage of a territory than any other faction in that territory has a cumulative bonus of +5 to the opposed roll both for defending his influence and expanding it.

* 10th and Higher level Magic render a faction immune to infiltration and subversion from factions with lesser degrees of magical knowledge.
10th level High Magic gives a +2 to the opposed rolls to expand a factions influence in a territory. 11th, 12th and 13th level High Magic gives a bonus of +4, +6, and +8 respectively to rolls for expanding the influence of the faction in question.
Immunity to infiltration means that a faction that gains access to High Magic can immediately purge all the influence factions with lesser knowlege in magic has in territories that are under that factions control. Under control means that the faction has a higher degree of control over that territory than any one other faction.

War, Subversion, and Infiltration

Conquering a territory by war will randomly remove or reduce the influence of infiltrators in the territory and give the conqueror a controlling percentage of the territory. Depending upon the conqueror’s general policy towards the conquered population, new organizations may arise.



Divinity

Hard times are coming to Oerth.

The World of Greyhawk is under siege from both the outside and within, and no one knows when a violent death might descend upon them. In times like these many people will turn to the gods, crying out for help, for salvation. But the gods will not hear them -for the gods are gone.

Will the power of the faith of the people of Oerth waste away in desperation and fear, or will new Deities arise to give succor to mortal man's weakness? The people will surely need Gods to look after them in this time of crisis. There is power to be had for those who are strong enough to ascend.

There are no hard-coded rules for attaining divinity, but the people tend to love a winner. Be successful, charismatic, and fulfill the spiritual needs of your population and perhaps the people will begin to worship you as a divinity.



Trade

Factions can not trade knowlege of Magic. Nor can they trade the applications of their technological infrastructure. They can not directly aid each others in researching High Magic or technology.
You can however engage in all other kinds of exchanges, which I will rule on by a case for case basis. Sometimes there's a price beyond what you'd expect.



Population

The labor force of your economy functions as the recruitment pool of your army. Every territory has a population. A territory without population is of very limited use to anyone, naturally. Take care of your population, it is very hard to replace.

The IR is divided into 3-month turns, natural population growth won't be very significant for any race unless the IR lasts a very long time. Magical means can perhaps be researched, but let's leave that to after the game has begun.



Definitions

*Power Level (PL) is a measure of disposable power that can be used at an immediate notice during the Turn. It represents your armies, magical items and cold hard cash. It's not tied to the territories, but to your faction as a whole. It is what you use to make war, Infiltrate, research High Magics and bribe your allies and enemies.

*Industrial Capacity (IC) is the measure of the productive capacity of the territories. It represents the value of your factories, mines, farming and so on. In other words, the aspects of your wealth that cannot be liquidated on a short notice but builds the foundation of your productive economy. At the end/beginning of each Turn it decides how many Power Points (PPts) you can spend in your template.

*Power Points exist only between Turns, it is what your IC turns into and it is what you spend on technological research, industrialization, creation of armies and such.
It is also what you use to upgrade your armies to the next highest level of PL in the Alternative method described in the chapter about War.



Addendum 1:

It would be best if everything but the most secret of plans eventually found their way to the IR-threads, for the sake of making it a good read, but you don't have to post your semi-IC conversations and negotiations on the board.

I only really need to be told what you have agreed to and with whom and only if you believe you need me to know. If I don't know something I'll do nothing about it and if that's what you want that's what you'll get.

Generally I'd have to say your PCs are powerful and cunning enough to find ways to talk to each others without spies finding out about it (unless you want them to find out about it, or are being sloppy). But as soon as you put anything into motion, as soon as it goes from talk to action, you will have to tell me or it simply will not happen.

 

[Serpenteye]

reserved post #3

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

The Players and Powers of the 5th IR

THE 5TH IR: CREATED AND GAMEMASTERED BY SERPENTEYE

Serpenteye's e-mail (with permission) ecaf99@hotmail.com

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MAPS

GUILTY PUPPY, MAPMAKER OF THE IR: CURRENT 5TH IR MAPS
http://www.rowf.net/ir/maptest/map-edit.php
http://www.rowf.net/ir/maptest/map-view.php

THE LARGE SCALE OERTH MAP, CRUCIAL FOR THE 5TH IR
http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

LIVING GREYHAWK CAMPAIGN LINK, IMPORTANT FOR THE 5TH IR
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg.

LIVING GREYHAWK MAP
http://www.sodabob.com/roleplay/dnd...LG_Map_Full.jpg)

IN HONOR OF MAUDLIN, MAPMAKER OF THE 3RD IR: FINAL MAP FROM THE 3RD IR
http://users.pandora.be/maudlin/Greyhawk.jpg

OTHER GREYHAWK/OERTH MAP URLS

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Close-in map links: http://www.sodabob.com/roleplay/dnd/Maps/
Large-scale map: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/5878/gridgeo.gif
Really large-scale map: http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif
Really large-scale map: http://www.sodabob.com/roleplay/dnd/Maps/oerthlarge.gif

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MAP LINKS FROM WILLIAM'S MAP AND OTHER CAMPAIGN RESOURCES POST

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http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/5878/wogmaps.html
Greyhawk Maps: http://www.thewatchman.de/spidersweb/oerik.htm
Oerth and Greyhawk maps: http://www.sodabob.com/roleplay/Campaigns/GreyhawkMaps/
Oerth map: http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif
Oerik Continent: http://www.highprogrammer.com/alan/...p/supermap.html
World of Greyhawk Map: http://www.arrantdestiny.com/maps.htm
Greyhawk Maps: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/5878/wogmaps.html
(One shows latitude.)
Living Greyhawk Maps: http://ca.geocities.com/kanisl/
World of Greyhawk Maps: http://talmeta.net/maps/wog.htm

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GREYHAWK SOURCE MATERIAL

THE GREYHAWK JOURNALS (link compliments of William and others)
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~monax002/Council/journals.html

LIVING GREYHAWK (link compliments of William)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg.

THE HIGH HISTORY OF THE FLANAESS (link compliments of William and others)
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~monax002/Council/OJ1/history.html

OERTH BEYOND THE FLANAESS (link compliments of William)
(I need the URL, William)

OLD GREYHAWK PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AS PDF DOWNLOADS: SV GAMES (link compliments of William)
http://www.svgames.com/

GREYHAWK LEGENDARY PLACES (link compliments of William) (Anabstercorian and several others, take note!)
http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~leirbakk/rpg/adnd/society/adnd_society_greyhawkplaces.html

GREYHAWK DIETIES (link compliments of William)
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/articles/lg20030521deitiessearch

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Concerning the Demigods of Oerth, as set forth by William.

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Demigod Wastri and his history: Concerning one of your earlier questions, Wastri is the demigod of bigotry and amphibians. He is lawful neutral/lawful evil and may have been a member of the Scarlet Brotherhood long ago. He resides in the Vast Swamp. His goal is to have humans rule and eliminate demihumans. Orcs, goblins, and bullywugs are among the races that exist to serve humanity in his view. His priests become more amphibian over time.

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Concerning the History of the Elves of Oerth, as set forth by Thomas.

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The elves, as you know, were created from the blood of Corellon Larethian, shed in battle with Gruumsh. But this blood was spilt in the name of his betrothed, Sehanine Moonbow. Sehanine considered the elves her children, too, and loved them. She created a realm of dream and fancy, where desire dictated reality and there was no hardship. She invited her children with loving arms to come to dwell in paradise forever, and leave the "lesser races" to Oerth (there seems to be the possibility that this was in response to Tharzidun attempting to uncreate reality). Many of the elves, naturally good-hearted, were appalled by the idea of abandoning Oerth to its fate, turned their back on Sehanine, and dispersed (some swore themselves to Chaos, and became the Valley Elves (in the Valley of the Mage); some swore themselves to Law, and went west to the Empire of Sufang. Other elves regard both of these groups with extreme ambilvalence). Half of the elves went with Sehanine. This history has the birthplace of the Elves being in the Flanaess, altough a number of the Elves who remained in Oerth formed the "Kingdom of Miranda," of unknown location. (Info from here.)
Nowadays, Sehanine's clerics, known as the People of the Testng, try to undo the split caused by their goddess and reunite the Elven race. Like their goddess, they preach uninvolvement with the other races. Queen Yolande's policy of strict neutrality during the Greyhawk wars is attribute to their influence, and it is rumored that the death of the Prince Consort was done at their hand because he displayed too much interest in humankind. (This is the background I'm using for Celene, although I don't know how canon it is. Scroll down or do a wordsearch for "Celene.")
The Lendarl islands (or Lendore, or Spindrift), formerly ruled by a council of five powerful mages and having a human population on one of the chain, was subjected to a bloodless coup by the People of the Testing during the Greyhawk Wars. They exiled the humans. Celene has made no comment on the matter. (See this and scroll way the heck down or do a wordsearch for "Lendore.")
The history I'm writing up in fact has the People of the Testing falling out of favor (since the faction is human-friendly and far from isolationist and neutral), but the reuniting of the Elven race still a priority. One of the messages I'm composing is to you, reccomending a solid alliance and offering, unconditionally, any defensive aid you might need.

(ITALICIZED TEXT) Also of interest- In one history (I linked to it at some point, on this thread or the last- I'll try and find it again. Edit: found it ), which was not necesarily canon, of the western nations of Greyhawk, the very northwest portion of the continent housed a fractured Elven empire (broken down into 4-5 states). The interesting part is that there was supposedly a link to a faery plane called "Elfland", which might be related to Sehanine's realm (although there's some crossover between the material and elfland, and I think Sehanine's offer was a one-way trip). There's some relation between the region's name "Minaria" and "Miranda," the elven kingdom of unknown location.

Ignore the italicized above, it'm 99% sure it's not canon.

Okay, I think I figured it out. The little sticky-outy bit of earth labled "Elven Lands" is Miranda. Skip Williams sayeth "Elven Lands: It seems that eleven seafarers crossed (the) Solnor Ocean millennia ago and established a kingdom upon this peninsula."
Anyway, just some info. We probably should hash out how the Elves ended up the way they are, so we're on the same page in terms of history.

Addennum: Miranda is described as being in "far-off Orannia" and you go "over the Solnor" to reach it. Solnor is the name of the Sea by the Sea Barons of the Great Kingdom.

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Concerning the elves of Adri Forest, Bramblewood Forest, Dim Forest and the Oytwood, Celadon Forest, Dreadwood, Fellreev Forest, Gamboge Forest, Gnarley Forest, Grandwood, Nutherwood/Phostwood, Rieuwood and the Menowood, Vesve Forest, and the northeastern forests (the Spikey Forest, Sable Forest, Hraak Forest, and Timberway Forest), as set forth by Thomas.

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Adri Forest: The elves here are bound in a small kingdom ruled by a lord who wants nothing to do with either the gnomes of the Flinty Hills, the men of Ratik, the men of North Kingdom, or the dwarves of the Rakers, distrusting them all. Keeping his nation isolated, he believes, is the key to survival. While he trades with other peoples, he carefully watches them when they are in his territory.

Bramblewood Forest: How many elves live in this vast forest is unknown, as most of it is claimed and owned by Ket. It is thought, however, that the elves live in their own separate cities, away from the main Kettish populations.

Dim Forest and the Oytwood: These elves are coming into increasingly unfriendly relations. Representatives of both groups travelled together to Celene over ten years ago; when they came back, the two groups came into a slowly rising, but defiintely troublesome, quarrel. Opposing viewpoints over what to do in the wake of the Geoff-Keoland situation are not the cause of the argument, but they are making things worse. Humans who visit are often pressured to take sides in the debate, or to act as impartial messengers, as the elves do not seem to want to go into each others' territory. In any case, however, visitors from Gran March, certain dwarves in the Lortmils, and even northenr Keoland are not well received.

Celadon Forest: The elves of this region have always preferred to maintain their independence from humans, and while they bear man no animosity, they would prefer to send him on his way as soon as possible. This city houses the largest elven city in the Flanaess, outside those of Celene. These elves deal well with the Urnstmen, but past and present injustices by the Nyrondese mean that they trade little and care even less for the people of that region. King Lynwerd has calmed tentions to prevent civil war, but he cannot calm the anti-Nyrondal flames of resentment boiling here.

Dreadwood: The elves of this region live in three different cities in the east, center and west of the forest. Half-orcs and dwarves are wise not to show their faces in this region, nor are citizens of the Yeomanry, the Sea Princes, or Gran March welcome in elven households.

Fellreev Forest: The elves within this region are savage and violent, as ready to fight each other as the local humanoids, monsters, or bandits. All attempts to tame the elves have failed, and indeed the grugach, who have many positions of power here, ceremonially kill men and dwarves.

Gamboge Forest: The elves who dwell here are friendly and good, but fiercely independent. They trust no one of either the Pale or Nyrond, knowing well that both states could covet their territory. Luckily, with the Pale being occupied elsewhere and Nyrond having its own difficulties, they enjoy relative peace, except with the humanoids and monsters of the wood.

Gnarley Forest: The elves of this region are the most classic version-rustic, green-clad people with pointy ears who are masters of the wilderness. While they treat well with the people of Verbobonc, they are wary of any attempts by Furyondy or Dyvers to intrude on their territory, gravely distrust most of Greyhawk, and outright hate the people of the Wild Coast.

Grandwood: The elves here have a long tradition of being freebooting bands of raiders and heroes, packing up their tents, tipis and even collapsible treehouses, moving their towns to avoid being captured by enemies. They consider Ahlissa to be their greatest foe, though they have little love for the people of the Hestmark Highlands or Rel Astra either, only treating with their fellows in the Lone Heath.

Nutherwood/Phostwood: The elves here are suspicious of most outsiders except the Flan, with whom they are strong and brave friends. Strong allies of the Tenha, the two peopls have often aided each other in matters of war against their mutual enemies. The two peoples share many cultural and life elements as well, though the elves find the incorporation of Oeridian architechture and battle tactics into Tenha society to be somewhat annoying.

Rieuwood and the Menowood: While allied with the Sunnd, and the dwarves of the Hollow and Hestmark Highlands, the elves of these regions are suspicious of Holgi Hirsute and his dealings with the Oeridians of Irongate and Onnwall. They deal/dealt well with Idee, often exchanging goods and information between peoples.

Vesve Forest: As part of the grand alliance of good that has flourished here for milennia, the elves of the southern Vesve are good, kind and honest. They worked with the brave Flan warriors in what is now Furyondy before the migrations, and they will continued to do so with the modern nations against Iuz, the Horned Society, or whoever else their foe is this day. Those of the north, however, are isolationist and almost xenophobic towards humanity, blaming men for the evils of Iuz and the Society, and bitter from the endless fighting they must endure against humanoids in that region.

The Northeastern Forests (Spikey Forest, Sable Forest, Hraak Forest, and Timberway Forest)

The elves in these forests, surrounded by barbarians, prefer to live apart from their neighbors, although they can reflect the tendencies of their human neighbors: The Hraak people are cruel and savage: the Sable people are cold and aloof, those of the Timberway friendly and jolly, and those of the Spikey Forest strong and brave.

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Concerning the Elves of the Mare Mysticum, and the forces of the Empire of Lynn, as set forth by James.

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- Thorns - fey military, thorns are in the MM3 (CR4 halfling-like fey)
- The Faerie Court - Not very numerous, but even a few hundred nymph druids, spriggan and redcap barbarians, and satyr bards probably act more effectively than anyone would really care to find out
- The Armies of the March Kings - half-elves running internal and border security, more like a collection of knightly orders with an emphasis on medium cavalry
- The Armies of the Mystics of Miranda - Probably not even armies really, but old elves a little past their prime capable of dealing with interlopers who might get through to Miranda. At most a few score from each Mystic(district), but I guess they'd add up.
- The Temple of Sehanine - Dedicated to reclaiming the power and secrets of the Elvendar. Again, small in number and perhaps underpowered currently thanks to the clerical problem.
- The Recorders of Ye'Cind - More of an intelligence organization than anything else, but their god is present and they can't help but know that he's around even if they're unclear exactly where.
- The Court of Winter Moons - Younger elven toughs and courtiers, the honor guard of the queen.
- Ye'Cind - Demigods are power in and of themselves.
- The Imperial Navy of Lynn - Understrength, but of good design thanks to elvish aid.
- The Armies of Lynn - A mob, a great big freaking mob. Since it's so huge, Lynn would need bodies on the ground more than some elite force. Unfortunately Lynn would probably be relying on heaps and heaps of Militia class units for the majority of its military needs.
- Suelisian (sp?) Jannisaries - Probably the most "normal" army by Flanaess standards under my control. Probably not the normal sense of the word Jannisaries (slaves) anymore though, nor particularly Suel in composition. The regular army of Lynn, with advanced equipment - like spears and armor.

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Concerning many Flanaess Organizations, as set forth by William.

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This was circa the release of the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer and some of the stats may be subject to change. Also, I tried to create some new organizations based on what I know of the World of Greyhawk.

Bonehearts and Boneshadow: Iuz's clerics and wizards are known as the Boneheart, while his rogues and spies are called the Boneshadow.

The Circle of Eight: Led by Mordenkainen (Neutral, Human male, Wizard), this organization has fought such evils as Iuz and the Scarlet Brotherhood, even while pursuing its own agendas. Other members include Bigby (Neutral, Human male, 19th level wizard), Otto (Neutral, W15/Cleric of Boccob 3rd), Jallazi Sallavarian (NG, Human female, W15), Dwamij (N, human male, W 18), Nystul (N, Male Human, W 17, Warnes Starcoat (N, Male Wizard, Level 20), Alhamazad the Wise (LN, male Human, W 19), and Theodan Eriason (CN, male elf, W 17.) Mordenkainen is still on friendly terms with Tenser (LG, male human, Wizard 21) who left the Circle of Eight to found his own organization dedicated to fighting Iuz and other evils. The Circle of Eight is known to have a good intelligence network, aided by magical means. Tenser has a similar network.

Horned Society: Former rulers and traditional rivals to Iuz, the Horned Society lost its lands to the demigods. Known for devil worship and the worship of evil deities, there is a concern that the dispersed organization may have people in many lands. Also, some members still fight against Iuz from within his empire. (This faction might be great for a lawful evil power seeking an alliance with devils. Mind you, as with any factions, you have to keep their goals in mind. So, Iuz is not their favorite person.)

Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom: Once a great order in the Kingdom of Aerdi, they fell into decline. The order was traditionally split between follows of Heironeous and Hextor. Their goal was the preservation of the Great Kingdom. Most of its members now live in Ratik or in Nyrond. This is an order of lawful knights. The rulers of the North Kingdom might support an order worshipping Hextor, but not the Heironeans. So, this order is likely split ? one wanting an evil Great Kingdom and others supporting states that evolved from the Great Kingdom. The latter may desire to rid their land of evil by supporting Almor (some of which is now a province of Nyrond) or Ratik. So, this is a faction several players can claim ? including the Nyrond faction and the Great Kingdom faction.

Knights of the Hart: This order is further broken down into the Knights of Furyondy, the Knights of Veluna, and the knights of the High Forest. They have vowed to oppose Iuz.

Knights of Holy Shielding: This group once ruled the Shield Lands before Iuz triumphed over them. They are lead by Lady Katarina of Walworth and by her chidr aid Knight Bnanneret Incossee of the Bronze Band (LG male human, Ftr 13) a Flan General. Many are paladins, fighters or clerics of Heironeous.

Knights of Luna: This is an order in Celene, led by Melf, Prince Brightflame of Celene (NG, male elf, Wizard 14/Ftr 4) They strongly support the fight to restore Ulek?s orders, oppose Iuz, and have a good working relationship with the Knights of the Hart.

Knights of the Watch: Traditionally suspicious of barbarian Baklunish raiders, and too often prejudiced against the Baklunish, they are lead by the Grandiose Imperial Wyvern Hugo of Geoff (LN, Fighter 16). Popular deities among its membership are St. Cuthmbert, Heironeous, Pholtus, Allitur, and Mahayeine. They are split between the Knights of the Watch and the less traditional Knights of Dispatch, who do not hate the Baklunish but hate those who have invaded Geoff as well as Iuz. The Knights of the Watch tend to be mystically inclined and comprised of fighters, clerics, and paladins, while the Knights of the Dispatch tend to have more fighters, rangers, clerics and rogues.

Mouquollad Consortium: The great Baklunish merchant houses belong to this group, and have offices in many cities throughout the Flanaess. Members include clerics of Mouquol, god of commerce, wizards, warriors and rogues.

Old Faith: Centered on the worship of Beory and other deities, this great druidic organization commands great respect .

Old Lore: This group of bards, associated with the Old Faith, is known for its skills in fighting and stealth. Unlike many other bards, they cast druidic spells. They are mostly Flan of noble birth.

The People of the Testing: A group of Elven mystics from throughout the Flanaess, these elves have passed under the Moonarch of Sehanine. The Moonarch appears in different places when Oerth?s lesser moon, Celene, is full. So far, the Moonarch has only appeared in random locations in Northern Celene. They seem to have gained rare knowledge and magic. The most well known member is Elraniel Tesmarien (CG, male elf, Wiz 13.) They also have a presence in Sunndi.

The Silent Ones of Keoland: This order of mages and diviners possess some of the last of Suel magic. The Tower of Silence rises hundreds of feet into the air in a location a day?s ride from the Keoish capitol of Niole Dra. They are lead by Mohrgyr the Old (N, Male Human, Wizard 20) and have been known to oppose those who seek dangerous magical power. They are not pleased with the emergence of the Scarlet Brotherhood.

The Silver Coins: Often identified by a silver coin with arcane symbols, this organization was founded by the Archmage Tenser to be a good aligned counterpart to the Circle of Eight ? with which it maintains contact and a friendly rivalry. Like the Circle of Eight, the Silver Coins have a good intelligence network supplemented by magic. Their primary goal is to oppose Iuz and other evil organizations, while promoting goodness.

The Emerald Order: This organization is dedicated to the preservation of Oerth's natural environment. It is very similar to the Emerald Enclave on Toril.

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Concerning the History of the Greyhawk Wars, as set forth by William.

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A summary of the Greyhawk Wars

In Common Year 582, Iuz impersonates the Suel god Vatun and spurs the Northern Barbarians to attack the Hold of Stonefist. Iuz next uses magic to dominate the leader of Stonefist and invade the Duchy of Tenh. The Northern Barbarians leave, but Tenh becomes a battleground between the Tenha, the Pale, Iuz, and Stonehold. In the meantime, Iuz defeats the Horned Society, and seizes the lands of the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms.
At the same time, Ivid V of the Great Kingdom moves against Almor and the Iron League. Almor and Sunndi were conquered but Nyrond repels the Overking?s forces. At the same time, there is infighting and the Overking?s forces attacked Rel Astra. Ivid begins killing his nobles and bringing them back as undead, only to suffer a similar fate. He is renamed Ivid the Undying.
In 594 CY, the Pomarj seizes half of the Principality of Ulek and destroys most of the free cities of the Wild Coast. Celene fails to heed the calls of its allies in the Ulek state for help.
At the same time, the Scarlet Brotherhood conquers the Hold of the Sea Princes, the Lordship of the Isles, Idee and Onwall. The war concludes as different nations sign the Pact of Greyhawk, shortly after Rary, a member of the Circle of Eight, kills his colleagues Tenser and Otiluke at the peace conference.
Despite the pact, some of the fighting continues. The war between the Pomarj and the Principality of Ulek continues. Nyrond absorbs most of what is left of Almor. In 586, Canon Hazen of Veluna uses the Crook of Rao in a ritual that banishes most of the fiends summoned by Ivid, Iuz, and other evil powers. King Belvor III of Furyondy captures the easternmost parts of the Shield Lands from Iuz.
Iuz suffers a further setback in 587, when the ruler of Stonehold is mysteriously freed of the Old One?s magical influences. Stonehold declares Iuz an enemy. The Scarlet Brotherhood and the Great Kingdom also face setbacks. A magical field surrounds Rauxes, capitol of the Great Kingdom. No one knew what became of the city or its ruler. The Great Kingdom splits into two hostile states.
The Scarlet Brotherhood looses all of Onnwal except for its capital, Scant. Ahlissa, a successor to the Great Kingdom, takes the city of Idee from the Scarlet Brotherhood. Meanwhile, the Hold of the Sea Princes erupts into civil war. Sunndi breaks free in 589 CY to become an independent Kingdom.

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Concerning the continents of Aquaria and Anakeris, the Nation of Blackmoor, the Nation of Esmerin, Nation of Komal (VENUS, TAKE NOTE), Valley of the Mage, the Olman Islands and their Peoples, the Isle of the Phoenix, City of Garel Enkdal, Drax the Invulnerable: Ruler of Rel Astra, Iuz's troubles in Fellreev Forest, and Iggwily mother of Iuz.

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Continents of Aquaria and Anakeris: Also, Serpenteye may or may not wish to include the Anakeris continent and the continent of Aquaria, with its Isle of the Phoenix, in the IR. Both are not strictly canon, but were created by people associated with TSR. (Aquaria was created by Frank Mentzner and has humans and demihumans. Anakeris is kind of Polynesian.)

Nation of Blackmoor: As for Blackmoor, the LGG identifies the ruler as the Archbaron Bestmor (NE, male human, Ftr 11/Wiz 4). Most inhabitants are lawful neutral or evil. He rules from Dantredun, as the Egg of Coot, a mysterious entity, claims the ruined city of Blackmoor. The Egg of Coot is said to possess great magical power and is responsible for 'automata' near the city. Enemies include Iuz and the Wolf Nomads. However, Iuz seems to avoid the land ? possibly due to a magical influence from various ancient mounds and standing stones.

Nation of Esmerin: I cannot find Esmerin on any map, although it is mentioned in the LGG as a legendary land and other sources place it in the Lortmils.

Nation of Komal: In the LGG gazetteer, there is a reference to a land called Komal to the west of the Sultanate of Zeif ? off the map to the west. It appears to be the section of coast opposite of Zeif on the big map.

Valley of the Mage: The leader of the Valley of the Mage is identified as Jaran Krimeeah, an Aerdi wizard also called the Black One. It is known that he has gnomes and valley elves in his service. He has a drow henchwoman. Enemies include Geoff exiles, Bissel, Gran March, Knights of the watch, Keoland, Sterich, the Circle of Eight, the elves of the Flanaess and even the drow. Indeed, one of the few things that the surface elves and the drow share is a disdain for the valley elves. You might want to see about claiming a portion of the Dim Forest, as it borders Gran March and Geoff.

The Olman Islands and their peoples: They are culturally similar to their inspirations ? the Maya, Aztec, and other Mesoamerican cultures and worship deities of the Central American pantheon.

The Isle of the Phoenix: It existed in a series of RPGA modules as an island off the coast of Aquaria. This continent, created by Frank Mentzner of TSR, had an empire started by Oeridian seafarers (there might have been some Flan humans there, not sure) amid demihumans and humanoids. The empire colIasped, and was replaced with some city states, nations, and settlements. One of the kings played around with technology and I seem to remember a Druidic alliance there, as well as a powerful Lawful Good wizard/cleric on the Isle of the Phoenix.

City of Garel Enkdal: In the LGG, there is an reference to Garel Enkdal, a city of some 25,000 plus orcs, with some numbers of ogres, orc-ogre crossbreeds and other creatures. It is located in the Griff Mountains near Stonehold.

Drax the Invulnerable, Animus Ruler of Rel Astra: Do recall that Rel Astra is ruled by an animus, who is known as Drax the Invulnerable. There are others in the former Great Kingdom, but only a limited number. (It seems only some nobles got the animus treatment.). I don?t have stats, but the ruler of Rel Astra seems to be strong, command mindless undead, charm people, cause fear by touch, heal quickly and have standard undead immunities. (Maybe treat them as a template). Also, I recall that Ivid created some undead outside of Rauxes. So, the undead can boost Ashdarlon's armies.
EDIT: There is immense and undying hatred of Ivid in Drax's heart. Ivid ordered the destruction of Medegia, and the forces plundering that land also attempted the destruction of Rel Astra, Drax's city. Today, Rel Astra stands, but only a few insane individuals live in all the former land of Medegia.

Iuz's troubles in Fellreev Forest: Iggwily, mother of Iuz: There is strong resistance to Iuz from many factions in the Fellreev forest. Factions include sylvan elves, former bandits, some flan, some remnants of the Horned Society under Heirarch Nezmajen (NE male human Clr 15 of Nerull), and the lich Dahlvier (NE male human undead, Wizard 18.)
Iuz has received some help from his mother Iggwilv, a woman of mixed Baklunish ancestry. She is an evil wizard of epic level. The Greyhawk adventure, Return of the Eight, suggests she is likely at least 25th level. She is known to be skilled at summoning fiends and necromancy. She has great knowledge of the planes, and actually bound Graz?zt for a time. I can also give you some information from a Greyhawk module on Tuerny, if you wish.

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MAJOR PUBLIC EVENTS - WILLIAM'S POWER: AL'AKBAR, THE BAKLUNISH EMPIRE

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' (A note on calendars: Serpenteye said this IR starts 20 years after the end of the Greyhawk wars. This would be in Common Year 604, 1248 Oeridian Record, 6119 Suloise Dating, 5066 Olven Calendar, 3263 Baklunish Hegira, and 2754 Flan Tracking. I presume we will begin in the first month of the new year. So, I suspect that the events must occur late during the month of Sunsebb in CY 603/BH 3262. I used the History of Oerth link to set a date for the Twin Cataclysms. Edena, maybe include the calendars in the first post.)
Early in the morning, in Kankar on the shores of Lake Udrukankar, the call to prayer is heard from the mosques, minarets, and temples. The Mahdi of the Steppes turns to address the crowds of the faithful and curious onlookers. He opens his mouth to speak but his words are interrupted by the sound of distant thunder from the timeless stones of Tovag Baragu.
In a flash of light, a man on a ki-rin appears followed by a throng of celestials and genies of various sorts. With startling swiftness, the horde rides to the maket square of Kankar. The rider and the ki-rin, its scales and hoves blazing with light, swoop low above the crowd as he blows a ram?s horn. The celestial horde picks up the tune on their horns, whose sounds echo in the streets and towers of kankar. The man on the celestial horse gazes kindly on the people below him. He is tall and thin. Piercing hazel eyes, rare among the Baklunish, gaze out from beneath a face with kindly features, framed by dusky brown hair and well trimmed beard. His robes and garments are the white of mountain snow, the blue of the summer skies, and the gold of the noonday sun. An eight-pointed star of platinum with a chain of gold and pearls hangs from his neck. In his right hand is a golden cup, set with sapphires, rubies, diamonds, and emeralds, shining brightly. A brighter light surrounds the man himself, extending like a halo past his steed. A shout begins in the crowd, small at first but is picked up by everyone ? including the Mahdi and many of the curious onlookers.
?Al?Akbar!!! Al?Akbar!! Al?Akbar has returned!!? The crowd roars in deafening voices echoing amid the streets of Kankar. Many in the crowd begin to kneel in prayer, and quake. The rider and the ki-rin sweep low and hover next to an awestruck and trembling Mahdi of the Steppes.
?I am honored by the courtesy of thy greetings, my beloved people and travelers from distant lands. May the gods bless and sustain thee in the days to come!! We come before thee on the wings of a storm, only because we have ridden upon its wings. My son, Amal aban Jehef, thou hast done well by the people, whom I love. Yet I have need of haste. If thou wilt, ride with me. There is much to be done before the hammer falls. I shall send word to you from Ekbir, ? the man, nay demigod, says in a clear and deep voice. The words are in Ancient Baklunish, yet all in the crowd ? including those from distant lands ? hear them in their native tongues.
?Stand ready, be strong. Rely on one another and deal justly with your neighbor and the stranger. For a Time of Testing is upon us all. Prepare! Be strong and be blessed, my people. Remember the Prophecy of the Phoenix and proclaim my return! Come what may, I shall stand with thee, my people whom I love! May ye be blessed and protected in the tumults that lie before us all.? He reaches his hand out to the Mahdi, and gently lifts him on to a flying carpet that swoops down from the heavens.
It is only many miles later that the Mahdi speaks. ?Al?Akbar, my lord and god, where do we go? Why have you returned, amid a glorious host? What are the meanings of these signs and portents??
?We go to the Yorodhi, to bring a blessed woman, a Slayer of the Dead, with us. Then to Ull, for the Orakhan Khazuron the Mighty, to Zeif for Sultan Murad among others, to Tusmit for Pasha Muammar Qharan and others, to Ket for Beygraf Nadaid and a multitude in Ket and the Barrier Peaks and lastly to Ekbir. Already they await us. All of us shall soon stand. In the war to come,? the demigod says calmly as the ground beneath him races past at a blinding speed.
?As for my return, the storm clouds gather and rumors abound of war and destruction. Change is coming, and with it good and evil. Soon, the hammer falls, but what form it will take I cannot see. Yet it may be that some old foes shall emerge amid new ones. We must ready the people for the storm ? ere it breaks.?
?The half-ogre Orakhan Khazuron of Ull is a mighty warrior. I have only spoken to him a few times, yet there is something familiar about him that I have not been able to place. What is it, my lord and my god??
?He is thy cousin 15 times removed, and a true son of Al?Akbar as well.? Al?Akbar says as a shocked look passes across the face of Mahdi Amal aban Jehef. ?Do not be surprised! The descendants of my wives and myself number in the thousands!?
As the celestial horde appears, Al?Akbar speaks to the people gathered near him with words much like those spoken at Kankar. Shortly the horde appears in the City of Ekbir as the demigod?s name is chanted through the streets amid the sounds of blowing horns. The celestial horde hovers in the air, as Al?Akbar and those of many races ? humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, kobolds, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, half-ogres and more - descend onto a high rock set before the in the square between the Golden Temple of the Divine and the Mosque of Al?Akbar. The crowd roars with approval, the sounds of horns, harps, zithers, drums and other musical instruments are heard, only ceasing as Al?Akbar raises his right hand for them to stop.
?My beloved people, honored dignitaries of many lands, and welcome travellers, it is good again to be amongst thee amid the gathering storm clouds. May thou be blessed, and our noble guests and visitors as well. Ambassadors, forgive me for not inviting the noble and august rulers of thy lands here today but I have need of haste. I shall contact them shortly and pray that there shall be peace and friendship amongst us. My people and honored guests, thou hast heard of the the signs, the portents and the Prophecy of the Phoenix. The lives you have known shall change and all shall be tested. Even as I traveled with them, the leaders of the Baklunish and allied peoples in our lands ? have heard what I know of the threats that lie before us. Soon the hammer shall fall. Soon we shall be tested to our very souls. Yet when we have stood together, we have proved stronger than separately.?
?Nearly eleven centuries ago, I sought to sustain our people in the wake of the Twin Cataclysms ? the Invoked Devastation and the Rain of Colorless Fire. Amid the horrors of that time, I brought order, justice, and peace, sheltered the homeless, feed the hungry, clothed the naked, cured the sick, and comforted the bereaved. I laid the first stones of the wall of this city, the city of Ekbir. I believe my duty in this time of change lies with thee, my people whom I love. So, I humbly ask you, my people, if you will accept my rule? May I lead and serve the many peoples of the Baklunish lands -- who are truly one people in spirit regardless of race or nation??
The crowd screams yes, and cheer the name of Al?Akbar. The gathered Baklunish leaders join the cheers. Al?Akbar speaks and the crowd falls silent.
?Thereby by your consent and and that of the leaders of the Dry Steppes, Ull, the Yorodhi, The Paynims, Zeif, Ket, the Barrier Peaks, Tusmit, Ekbir, the Barrier Peaks, the Ullspure Mountains, and all our peoples proclaim: The day has come! The day has come that thou and the world have awaited for over a thousand years!?
A procession of nobles, dignitaries, celestials, and genies line up and stand at attention. A man in ancient armor, shining like the sun smiles proudly as he lifts a high crown shaped like a turban above Al?Akbar?s head. Its jewels shine brightly in the sun, and some in the crowd murmur in awe and stunned recognition as the crown is lowered on Al?Akbar?s head.
?Today, the Baklunish Empire is restored! In the name of our gods and thee, our peoples, I, Emperor Al?Akbar, proclaim it so. May the gods bless us and bless all peoples in this time of change! Let us stand together and prepare for the changes that are to come ? as one mighty empire. The Tree of Life will be shaken, but the Baklunish Empire and all of us must ensure that it stands! Let us stand with our neighbors, with amity towards them but with the strength, cunning and courage to vanquish any foe. Remember thy duty to one another, and my teachings! Deal justly with thy neighbor and the stranger as well as each other. Hear my words and remember this day, O peoples of the Blakunish Empire! We are one and shall stand as one!! We are one!!?
The shout of ?We are one!!? is carried by the crowds, and a voice cries out ?Emperor Al? Akbar and the Baklunish Empire!? in common, in Ancient Baklunish, Low Baklunish, and other tongues followed by cries of ?Al?Akbar!! Al?Akbar!!? Even as the crowd chants, Al?Akbar blows a ram?s horn while pointing as two flags that unfurled. The first is the banner of the Baklunish Empire, not seen for the last 1,096 years, while the second is a new flag. On an orange background is the image of the Cup and Talisman of Al?Akbar with an olive branch beneath it to its right and a falchion on its left. Al?Akbar draws his falchion, shining like the noonday sun, and waves it as he gestures to some of his court. He sheathes the blade and speaks to the celestial horde.
?Make haste, and deliver my messages. For although this is a day of celebration, there is much work to be done. Soon the hammer will fall, but we shall be ready!!! Go, and may the gods speed your journey!!? Several of the celestials, genies, and other wondrous beings bearing heavy boxes and large crates vanish or fly away amid the continuing chants by the crowd.
Across the Flanaess, to the surprise of many, new flags are suddenly unfurled next to the flags of Ket, Zeif, Ull, Tusmit, Ekbir and throughout the Baklunish lands. In the cites of the west, the embassies and consulates of the Baklunish nations, as well as the trading houses of the Mouqollad Consortium, new flags are hurriedly added: the flag of the Baklunish Empire and the flag of Al?Akbar to crowds murmur and gasp in astonishment. Baklunish ambassadors from as far west as Sterich to Aerdi come bearing gifts, while large crates appear before the gates of some cities.'

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- - -

PLAYERS AND THEIR POWERS


AIRWHALE and ZELDA THEMELIN
(Airwhale and Zelda are working together, running a single power)

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E-Mail (with permission) wildspace@gmail.com
PC: unknown
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Nation of Ratik - these represent sizeable forces of rangers and mostly good humans, large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants, and sizeable forces of faerie.
- The Frost Barbarians - these represent sizeable forces of suel humans of a neutral bent, and sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings. This nation is famous for it's viking style ships.
- The Ice Barbarians - these represent small forces of suel humans of a neutral bent, and small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings.
- The Snow Barbarians - these represent sizeable forces of suel humans of a good/neutral tinge, sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants, and small forces of faerie. The nation is also famous for it's viking style ships.
- Friendly ports on Oerth - these are spelljamming ports outside some of the major cities on Oerth, and serve as major centers of commerce with the rest of Oerth, along with providing planetside havens and reststops for the spelljamming races.
- Kule (Celene, the Handmaiden), Oerth's nearest moon (claimed if it has an atmosphere) (under survellance if it doesn't have an atmosphere)
- The town of Triumph on Raenei (Luna), Oerth's farther moon - this represents a small force of humans/demihumans and a spelljammer port.
- Numerous asteroids in the Grinder, including the whole of Ceres the largest asteroid - these represent very large forces of all the spelljamming races, and many spelljamming ports.
- Friendly relations with Edill (Edill is not claimed - Edill represents INCREDIBLE forces of good dragons, and possibly other forces)
- The World of Ginsel - this represent the heart of the Triple Alliance, very large forces of humans, sizeable forces of demihumans, possible very large forces of mercenary gith, possible underwater forces, possibly other forces, and large numbers of spelljamming ports.
- The World of Greela - this represents Cenbreadine the Elven Ship Growing Shipyard, large forces of elves, small forces of humans, and small forces of neutral and good giants
- The Disk World of Spectre - this cold world represents large dwarven forces mining magical metals, small forces of humans, and small forces of tinker gnomes from Krynnspace who maintain a Giant Hampster ranch.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Ratik 280,000 = 7 IC
Frost Barbarians 300,000 = 5 IC
Ice Barbarians 300,000 = 4 IC
Snow Barbarians 400,000 = 8 IC
Allies in the Port Cities on Oerth: 600 = 0 IC.
Kule (Celene), Oerth's nearer moon (under surveillance) 0 = 0 IC.
Triumph on Raenei (Luna), Oerth's farther moon: 6,000 = 0.1 IC.
The Asteroids, including Ceres, in the Grinder: 340,000 = 8 IC.
Friendly relations with Edill: unknown = unknown IC (and Edill is not claimed)
The World of Ginsel: 5,000,000 = 144 IC. (REFLECTS DOUBLED POPULATION AND IC AS RULED BY SERPENTEYE)
The World of Greela: 400,500 = 12 IC.
The Disk World of Spectre: 320,000 = 9 IC.
The Dwarven Citadels: Claim Disallowed

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: TANNISH
Territories on map: No on-map territories. Many territories off-map up in Wildspace, on other worlds, asteroids, and in space.

PLAYER NOTES:

'Ginsel, the Crescent-shaped earth planet and our main base of operations, has a population of over 6 million humans, and a smattering of demi-humans. It is only 1/16th the surface area of Oerth, about 3 million square miles. 25% of that is water. It is mineral rich, more so per cubic foot than Oerth, (though Oerth's larger mass means that it has many more deposits).'

'When the crystal sphere was sealed off 20 years ago, grayspace went into a major panic. There was rioting and looting on many of the human settlements, the arcane were sealed off from the rest of their race, the elven shipyard was cut off from the imperial navy, and trade ground to a halt. During this time, the Beholder nations, the nogi and the mind flayers begin to flourish, as their opponent/food was disorganized. The Free Traders, the remains of the elvish Imperial navy, and the recently unified nation of Ginsel came together and decided to forge an alliance, to remove these groups from Grayspace. We are that triple alliance, mainly made up of elves, humans, and dwarves. After a great war lasting about 10 years, we now rule space uncontested.
So, here is a list of planets in grayspace, where they were 20 years ago, and what has happened to them in the twenty years that the crystal sphere has been sealed.
Oerth:
The center of the sphere, both metaphorically and literally. Not much more needs to be said here.
Kule (?) 10 million miles (2 hours to Oerth) (Celene, the Handmaiden)
The closest 'moon' to Oerth (technically, everything is a moon to Oerth)
Kule has the remnants of a great civilization, apparently wiped out by some great magical war/catastrophe. Zelda and I are in disagreement as to if this moon has an atmosphere, but the Grayspace supplement says it has none. It is a void world. There is some activity in the underdark of this moon, and it's underdark resembles the underdark of Oerth, though the two are completely separate.
If there is an atmosphere, we lay claim to this planet. If there is not one, we don't, but we keep it under surveillance.
Raenei - 20 million miles (7 hours to Oerth) (Luna)
The second moon, Ranei resembles Oerth, It is not as oxygen rich, and sages believe that this has hindered the growth of intelligent life on this planet. Most of the planet is filled with monsters, however, there is a settlement here, named Triumph, started from a crash landed spelljammer ship. 20 years ago, they were xenophobic to outsiders.
As the cost of Bronzewood has increased the past 20 years, the free traders have placed a logging settlement here, and that has merged with the town of triumph. They are less xenophobic now then they were, but still live a hard existence.
We claim this. Maybe 1000 people at most? I?m not sure if we should even get any IC from it, honestly.
Liga (Sun)
Fueled by a large portal to the plane of elemental fire (note: does that mean the sun has winked out?J) and kept in check by many small portals to the plane of water, Liga is home to a few dozen efferit. These efferent have a single spelljamming ship, (made of brass) and are internally divided about if they want to just explore or attempt to conquer all of Grayspace.
Nothing-new here. We do not lay claim to the sun.
The moth (Anti-liga)
A burnt out star, basically a large rock. Really hot on one side, really cold on the other. Nothing ever happens here, really
The Grinder (all spacefaring races, undead, other)
We hold several asteroid bases here, and the largest asteroid, Ceres, is the headquarters of the free traders. I have no clue how much population this is, but we claim it =)
Edill (dragons, avians, other reptiles)
Edill has more dragons in it then the rest of Grayspace, Realmspace, and Krynnspace combined. These dragons are of all colors, though 95% are metallic, and 5% are chromatic. All of the dragons tend to be 1.5 times the size and hit dice of their planet bound cousins, and are less territorial and highly social. When you realize this means that ancient red dragons go out in hunting flocks, you know how scary that is. 20 years ago, the red dragons were attempting to procure spelljamming technology from goblins.
I suggest the red dragons have perfected the spelljamming fleets, have managed to acquire the steam-technology from before the war ended in Grayspace, and are now harassing the metallics with it.
We do not claim Edill. We are friendly with the Metallics, however.
Gnibile (undead)
Gnibile has many portals to the negative elemental plane, and the quasi elemental planes. This Air sphere is filled with non-spelljamming undead, (They had acquired 12 ships 20 years ago, however. We are assuming that these 12 ships were destroyed in the war)
We do not lay claim to Gnibile.
Conatha (sahaugin, mermen, other aquatic creatures)
This water sphere is the home of native mermen, intelligent whales (int 7), and introduced sahaugin. The sahugin are vicious, have chased the merfolk to the two earth bodys in the center of the sphere, and have formed nations and are constantly warring with each other. There are hundreds of thousands , maybe even millions sahugin here, much less merfolk.
No one here is space capable, so we have basically ignored this planet. We do not lay claim to Conatha
Ginsel (predominantly humans, with some demihumans)
Ginsel used to be a Machiavellian society known for it's sharp merchants and nasty politics. After the gods went silent and the sphere closed, riots rocked the planet, and it was not until a charismatic King/Queen managed to quell the people and place them under one flag that they stopped.
Ginsel is the Heart of the triple alliance. It is second only to Oerth in terms of importance in the system.
We claim all of Ginsel.
Borka (orcs, goblins, other humanoids)
Borka used to be a world much like Oerth, except the goblinoids rose to the highest levels of evolution, instead of the humans. They developed a space fleet, and went to war with the elves.
The elves used the equivalent of High magic to completely destroy the planet, and it is now a cluster body. Most of the orcs are dead, though many remain on the cluster. This all happened in recent history, about 80 or so years ago.
We do not claim Borka.
Greela (predominately humans and elves, smattering of other
demihuman races, few non-evil giants and giantkin)
Greela, another cluster earth body, was primarily home to human miners, and the Elvin Ship growing facility, Cenbreadine. Cenbreadine was the major source for ships in the Imperial fleet. Now shut off from the rest of the elves, Cenbreadine found itself with tons of ships, but no one to fly them. They were eventually convinced by the rest of the alliance to allow (gasp) humans to pilot their ships.
Greela is the seat of the remains of the Elfish imperial navy, and as such, is the second most important planet in the alliance. We claim all of it, including the human miners and the giants.
The Spectre - 4000 million miles (40 days from Oerth)
The Specter, a disk planet close to the edge of the sphere, used to be a major trading point, and had represenitives from every race on it, good and evil. Today, The evil settlements have been wiped out, most of the good settlements have moved to the warmer climes of Ginsel, Greela, or Oerth, and there are many ghost towns here. The Free traders main base used to be here, now it is in Ceres of the Grinder. Some humans decided to stay, unwilling to leave there dreary home. There is still a large Dwarvish mining operation going on here, extracting some sort of magical metal. There is also a colony of Tinker gnomes here, who maintain a giant hampster ranch.
Dwarven citadels:
While dwarves have mainly intregrated into human society, we do have a dozen citidels who have joined with us.
We lay claim to Specter.'

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ANABSTERCORIAN

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E-Mail: rehughes AT MIT DOT EDU.

PC: Eli Tomorast (Eli the Demon-Handed), Leader of the Seekers, Wizard 22nd level, fiend-binder specialist, neutral evil.
Artifacts: Tome of the Black Heart, Demonhands, Sword of the Ebon Flame

Powers:

- The Triumvirate Rebellious - represents Eli the Demon-Handed, Rary the Traitor, Robilar the Traitor, and all the powers given below:
- The Seekers (adventuring company) - represents a small group of elite NPCs.
- House Maure (Maure Castle on the map) (home of the forsaken House Maure, a cabal of Warlocks descended from Suel refugees of the Rain of Colorless Fire) - these represent ruins containing secrets of ancient power of the suel, and possibly small but very potent forces protecting those secrets.
- Rary the Traitor, Robilar the Traitor, and the Empire of the Bright Lands (City of Dyvers, the City of Hardby, the City of Greyhawk: the Bright Desert, Seltaren: the Abbor Alz, the Cairn Hills, the Cliffs of Alz: The Pits of Azak-Zil) - these represent a high level evil NPC, a powerful evil wizard, very large forces of servitor humans, large forces of servitor demihumans, sizeable forces of humanoids, sizeable forces of abominations, small but potent forces of constructs, and possibly other forces.
- The Suel Imperium - this represents an unknown. It is possibly that truly vast forces of suel humans, vast forces of mages, vast forces abominations, vast forces of undead, vast forces of constructs, and vast forces of planar beings may be here. Or, nothing may be here. Or, anything between the two. The only confirmed forces are small forces of demihumans, small forces of humanoids, small forces of humans, and sizeable forces of abominations.
- Succubi and Incubi Allies enforcing rule over the Empire of the Bright Lands - these represent a sizeable force of demons.

Special Note on Anabstercorian's powers: these powers have the Infiltrator Trait.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Forces associated with the Seekers: (unknown) = N/A
Forces associated with House Maure: (unknown) = N/A
The City of Dyvers: 300,000 = 9 IC
The City of Hardby: 120,000 = 3 IC
The City of Greyhawk: 390,000 = 11 IC
The Bright Lands (all territories on-map) 63,000 = 1 IC
Seltaren: 30,000 = 0.8 IC
The Suel Imperium: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Abbor Alz: 40,000 = 0.4 IC
The Cairn Hills: 23,000 = 0.5 IC
The Cliffs of Alz: 2,000 = 0.05 IC
Succubi and Incubi Allies: (unknown) = N/A

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: DARK GREEN
Territories on map: on-map cluster of territories in the center of the Flanaess

PLAYER NOTES:

'Who are Eli Tomorast, the Seekers, and House Maure, you may ask?
Let me tell you...
The Seekers are, simply put, an adventuring company. A very large, very successful one! Though they act under the official profession of 'antique dealers', 'historians of ancient ruins', and similarly scholarly titles, they are in truth more looters, explorers, and treasure hunters along the line of Indiana Jones. Like Indi, however, they do have their scholarly streak - it's not uncommon for one of their member groups to spend some time exploring and reporting on a 'find' after it's been appropriately looted, delving in to the history and significance of it's contents.
Eli Tomorast is a member. Recently, he became the leader. This is a dangerous thing.
Eli Tomorast is a wizard, specializing in fiend-binding, known as Eli the Demon-handed for the fiendish grafts he has in place of hands. He has long been studying the long-crumbled Maure Castle, the home of the forsaken House Maure, a cabal of Warlocks descended from Suel refugees of the Rain of Colorless Fire. Recently he unearthed secrets there, secrets so potent he rocketed to the top of the Seekers hierarchy. Though his rule is absolute, the Seekers as a whole remain more or less free to act as they will.
Eli is Neutral/Neutral Evil. His malevolence is passive - he seeks power for himself, and revenge against those who have wronged him, but his wisdom, intelligence, and charisma drive him to great deeds that inspire awe, terror, and admiration in those around him.
The Seekers and House Maure are an Infiltrator faction, with a focus on Elite/Epic PL as opposed to Standard PL. If they manage to seize significant territory (as they may), this could change quickly.
More information about Eli Tomorast, the Seekers, and House Maure can be found in Dungeon Magazine #112, the 30th anniversary issue.'

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BUGBEAR

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IR E-Mail (with permission) Bugbear82@comcast.net
PC: Seth Rhynnon, King of Greater Nyrond, human male paragon Ranger 12th / Sorcerer 12th / Foe Hunter 6th, lawful neutral
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Greater Nyrond - this represents all of the powers and areas shown below:

- Nyrond (Beer, Borneven, Chathold, East Nyrond, Midmeadow, Mithat, Old Red, Nellix, Rel Mord, West Nyrond, Womtham, Woodwych: Flinty Hills) - these represent very large forces of humans, small forces of demihumans, small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants, and small forces of faerie.
- The Knight Protectors, the Order of Heironeous - this lawful good knightly order represents a sizeable and potent force of humans and demihumans
- The County of Urnst (County of Urnst, Radigast City, Trigol) - this represents sizeable forces of humans, sizeable forces of demihumans, sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants, and small forces of faerie.
- The Duchy of Urnst (Duchy of Urnst, Leukish) - this represents sizeable forces of humans, sizeable forces of demihumans, sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants, and small forces of faerie.
- The Flinty Hills (all territories on-map) - these represent sizeable forces of demihumans (mostly dwarves and gnomes) and small forces of animals and wondrous beings.
- Forest Allies (Adri Forest (excluding the Ice Elves of the Adri), Celadon Forest, Gamboge Forest) - these represent Archdruid Immonara (human female, Druid 13th of Obad-Hai, neutral) in the Adri Forest, large forces of demihumans (especially elves), small forces of humans, very large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, large forces of treants and sentient trees and plants, and sizeable forces of faerie.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Nyrond (all territories on-map) 4,200,000 = 110 IC
The Knight Protectors, the Order of Heironeous: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE
County of Urnst (all territories on-map) 1,300,000 = 35 IC
Duchy Of Urnst (all territories on-map) 1,400,000 = 38 IC
Flinty Hills: 50,000 = 1.4 IC
Adri Forest: 110,000 = 2.5 IC
Celadon Forest: 40,000 = 1.2 IC
Gamboge Forest: 45,000 = 0.9 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: LIGHT GREEN
Territories on map: Large on-map areas in the central and central-east.

PLAYER NOTES:

'Here's a quick history of "Greater Nyrond", as I like to call it:
Nyrond was hard hit by the Greyhawk Wars, with almost a hundred thousand dead, starvation, disease, and thoughts of rebelion spread like wildfire. The new king, a vibrant and young man named Lynwerd managed to save his kingdom from the predations of the Aerdy, and was now faced with even greater task of saving his kingdom from itself.
Over the next fifteen years, Lynwerd dedicated his life to the reconstruction of Nyrond. Using monies borrowed from the Urnst States, he rebuilt the smashed cities, repopulated the empty countryside, and established new trade routes, earning him the name "Lynwerd the Rebuilder".
Lynwerd also sought to provide a lasting peace in Nyrond, negotiating treaties with the remnants of once great Aerdy, often at great cost. Lynwerd surrendered all lands captured by Nyrond in the Greyhawk wars and even gifted small portions of Nyrond itself to sucure this peace, earning him the name "Lynwerd the Appeaser".
In CY598 The Duke of Urnst died leaving no heir, making Lynwerd the new Duke. Lynwerd Unified Nyrond, and the Urnsts under one banner and one king. With the influx of goods, services and Labor from the new territorres, Nyrond quickly prospered into a nation as great, if not greater than it was before the wars.
Lynwerd died in CY 603 passing the throne of Greater Nyrond to his cousin Seth Rhynnon , a high noble from the County of Urnst. Durring the Wars, a young Rhynnon, fought along side the Knights of the Shield against the armies of Iuz to liberate the Sheild Lands. Though Rhynnon has had the throne for less than a year, he is popular among the people of Greater Nyrond, especially amongst the Urnst peoples who are ecstatic to see one of their own on the throne.'

'Seth Rhynnon was born to lady Allidrane Rhynnon (age 16) nineteen years before the start of the greyhawk wars. All that is known of his father is that he was an adventuring warrior, whom Allidrane met and was suduced by. From an early age Seth demonstrated unusual strength and talent. When Seth turned 16 he left home and set out to see the world, becoming a wandering adventurer. During the war, he fought side by side with the knights of the sheild, though he never actually joined them. After the war he returned home to manage his estates. with the death of king Lynwerd, the line of successon passed to seth Rhynnon.
Notes on personality: pragmatic & practical, very much a function over form kind of guy. Treats everyone with equal respect and is not afraid to dirty his hands with hard labor. Those who have made themselves his enemy he shows no mercy. Spent his time during the Greyhawk wars as a demon hunter in the shield lands.'

'Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom: Once a great order in the Kingdom of Aerdi, they fell into decline. The order was traditionally split between follows of Heironeous the Valorous (Lawful Good) and Hextor the Warrior (Lawful Evil) Their goal was the preservation of the Great Kingdom. Now, the Knights of Heironeous have defected, intending to reclaim Aerdi from the evil forces that have come to dominate it. Using Nyrond as their base, they intend to retake their country from without.'

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CREAMSTEAK

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E-Mail (with permission) creamsteak@hotmail.com
PC: Yugthulgon, Master of the Staff of Ancient Penumbra
Artifacts: The Staff of Ancient Penumbra

Powers:

- Some of the Aboleth Underdark Realms - these represent small but potent forces of aboleth, and large forces of servitor beings of all types.
- Beholder Underdark Dominions (Dominion of the Poisoned Eye, Flesh Reborn, Consuming Eye) - these represent sizeable beholder forces and servitor forces of many races.
- Allied Magic-Using Fiends - these represent sizeable forces of demons, sizeable forces of devils, sizeable forces of yugoloths, and sizeable forces of other fiends.
- Allied Psionic Fiends - these represent sizeable forces of psionic demons, sizeable forces of psionic devils, sizeable forces of psionic yugoloths, and sizeable forces of other psionic fiends.
- Illithid Underdark Dominions (The Collective Overminds) - these represent large forces of illithid, human/demihuman/humanoid cults loyal to the illithid, large forces of servitors/slaves/thralls/voidminds, forces of enslaved aberations, forces of enslaved psionic aberations, and forces of enslaved undead.
- Illithid Spelljammers - these represent a small fleet of illithid spelljamming squidships collected by the Illithid Underdark Dominions.
- Allied Free-Willed Psionic Undead - these represent small forces of psionic undead of various unique types.

POPULATION AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Aboleth Underdark Realms: 300,000 = 6 IC
Beholder Underdark Dominions: 1,350,000 = 38 IC
Allied Magic-Using Fiends: (unknown) = N/A
Allied Psionic Fiends: (unknown) = N/A
Illithid Underdark Dominions: 1,600,500 = 45 IC
Illithid Spelljammers: (unknown) = N/A
Allied Free-Willed Psionic Undead: 42,000 = 1.1 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: VERY DARK BLUE
Territories on map: No on-map territories. Large territories deep under the surface of Oerth from the deepest Underdark to isolated, secret, above ground locations.

PLAYER NOTES:

'The background for my faction is that the sudden absence of the dieties on Oerth (and the loss of the connection to Illsensine) resulted in a sudden break in the Illithids, thier slaves, and virtually the entire structure of society. My PC (Yugthulgon) is an amalgamation of three high "priests" of the illithids enclaves. By amalgamation, I mean that Yug'rig'noth (egoist), Thul'hur'mca (shaper), and the enslaver Istigon (telepath) were litterally bound to one single body. As such Yugthulgon has 12 tentacles instead of 4. He has 6 eyes instead of two. This aberrant emissary that was created to take control of the chaos is completely and totally nuts for what it's worth.
Yugthulgon (also called virtually any combination of the three original names at different times) killed perhaps 80% of the Mind Flayers on Oerth, mostly those of the three other psionic disciplines. However, he certainly made it a point to exercise his new power to destroy anyone with objections to his new rule. The combined Flayer-deaths, slave split off, and lack of a god to glue it together basically destroyed whatever empire they retained on Oerth.
Weakened, beaten, and otherwise crippled, Yugthulgon went in search of an artifact of his diety in order to perhaps revive some degree of unity (and end the slaughter of his own race). He recovered the Staff of Ancient Penumbra from its prison of over a thousand Githzerai monks, fists of Zouken, and illithid slayers. This made more enemies than one could have ever predicted.
So, following this, Yug united the remaining flayers (though at only 25% strength at best). In an effort that would be called blasphemy (and certainly was, resulting in some additional flayer deaths), Yug agreed to treat some of the "lesser" races like Beholders and certain demons/undead as equals.
Now, with allies in tow, Yug has quitely bided his time, watching as Technology is developed by the surface above. Yug firmly believes that technology serves some eldritch purpose which sealed out the gods, and possibly even magic and psionic power later. Because of this, Yug sees this "power" in a very negative way, and has slowly been building his armies of war to do two things: Subjugate those who were offered "equality" but rejected it, and to COMPLETELY destroy both the demons who brought the tech, and thier technology.'

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DEMON ATHIEST - TEMPLATE AND ROSTER INCOMPLETE

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E-Mail: UNKNOWN
PC: unknown
Artifacts: unknown

Power:

- The Shadow Guild - (unclear on description)

Notes on population

The Shadow Guild and it's Forces: (unknown) = ?

Special Note on Demon Athiest's power: The Shadow Guild has the Infiltrator Trait

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: DARK RED

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DEVILISH

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E-Mail (with permission) devilishd@yahoo.com
PC: Acererak the Demilich
Notable NPCs: The High Leader of the Solistarim (human wizard, over 30th level, lawful evil)
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Acererak and the Tomb of Horrors - these represent an extraordinarily powerful suel demilich, small but extremely potent forces of servitor beings of all types, small but extremely potent forces of constructs, possible sizeable forces of servitor beings, and possible allies of various, strange, and unguessable (but extremely potent) nature.
- Blackmoor - this represents sizeable forces of humans, sizeable forces of neutral and evil animals, sizeable forces of abominations, and possibly other forces.
- The Solistarim (East Black Ice, West Black Ice, off-map territories) - these represent the High Leader (human wizard, over 30th level, lawful evil), a very large and extraordinarily powerful cabal of evil wizards, a sizeable number of liches, very large forces of abominations, large forces of humans, very large forces of certain kinds of demihumans, very large forces of certain kinds of humanoids, very large forces of undead, large forces of devils, sizeable forces of beings from the elemental plane of fire, sizeable forces of giants, sizeable forces of dragons, and other forces (notable races include: flannae human, deep dwarf, dark gnome, sahuagin, lizard man, lizard king, illithid, aboleth, beholder, neogi, umber hulk, efreet, salamander, blue dragon, other lawful evil dragons, and other lawful evil races.)
- The Cold Marshes - these represent large forces of abominations, sizeable forces of humanoids, large forces of neutral and evil animals, sizeable forces of undead, and possibly other forces.
- The Vast Swamp - this represents sizeable forces of abominations of great power and bizarre nature, small forces of feral elves, small forces of humanoids, small forces of (normal) abominations, large forces of neutral and evil animals, and large forces of free-willed undead.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Acererak and his Minions in the Tomb of Horrors: 30,000 = 0.8 IC
Blackmoor: 220,000 = 6 IC
The Solistarim (all territories on-map and off-map) 4,500,000 = 130 IC
The Cold Marshes: 20,000 = 0.3 IC
The Vast Swamp: 34,000 = 0.5 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: VIOLET
Color on map desired by Devilish: UNKNOWN
Territories on map: On-map territories in the southeast and northwest, extending off-map to the north. Off-map territory to the north of the Black Ice, see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

PLAYER NOTES:

'The Solistarim are a confederation of lawful evil race. They are a dictatorship-magocracy under their High Leader. Mages, even powerful mages, are commonplace, and run almost every part of the government apparatus, so it could be said that theirs is a Magocracy. These mages observe a strict code of service and duty, and all look upon the High Leader as the One and True God (thus, it could be said theirs is a Theocratic Magocracy.)
All the other Solistarim either look upon the mages as semi-divine or divine messengers of the High Leader, or at the least they are scared witless by them. The unbreakable unity of these mages, their unswearing and usually fanatical loyalty to the High Leader, and their absolute tyranny over everyone else, is what has allowed all these disparate and violent races to coexist.
Indeed, the Solistarim are cosmopolitan. Members of all the Solistari races freely mingle in their great fortress cities in the Godspires, in their Underdark cities, in the undersea cities, and in the swamp cities. Individual attitudes, cultures, and preferences have been crushed under the heel of a omnipresent culture of service, loyalty, and tireless effort for the society.
That is to say, for the average Solistari, the attitude is as follows: you exist to serve and advancing the Nation. You're life is dedicated to serving and advancing the Nation. The greatest accomplishment in life is serving and advancing the Nation. The highest of all ethics and morality is service to, and advancement of, the Nation.
Families enforce this discipline upon their children immediately upon toddlerhood. Somewhere between the age of 3 and 7, children male and female are taken for training (as in Sparta in ancient Greece) in what the Solistarim determine them to be the most qualified for: mage, cleric, fighter, etc.
Afterwards, in their teens typically (equivalent) the men and women of the Solistarim are put to work in the armed forces, and after many tours of duty may be released for more domestic duties. At this point, they can advance within the society, and those who achieve the most are often rewarded with great honor, nobility, ranks and title. Some can even aspire to join the ranks of the (so called) semi-divine minions of the High Leader. And go on to divine ascension and become his (so called) divine servants! (Since Divine Ascension is conceivably possible in this IR, perhaps the High Leader may become a demigod, and his mage followers actual divine servants!)
There is a remnant of local culture in each racial group that has not been crushed under the heel of conformity, but it is limited. The law is absolute, covers almost every aspect of life, and is enforced rigorously.
There is zero tolerance for lawbreaking. Minor lawbreaking invokes severe punishment and brainwashing in a reform center. Major lawbreakers are killed. Traitors (which covers a broad spectrum of offenses) are made grisly examples of. The Solistarim revel in seeing traitors destroyed, for they see them as just that: traitors, morally and ethically bankrupt, beings to hate and despise for their actions against their brethren.
This is the case for the flannae humans, dark dwarves, dark gnomes, and kobolds, the founding races of the Solistarim. The illithid have their own form of communal tyranny, but the High Leader long ago subverted the Elder Brain and with it the communal awareness of the illithid: they now tow the Solistari line.
The dragons are held in awe by the average Solistari, and the dragons live by a slightly different set of rules: they have greater freedom. Nonetheless, they are loyal to the High Leader and his agents, and they are loyal to those they have bonded with.
The lizard men, sahuagin, and giants were induced to become allies of the Solistarim, and afterwards Solistari culture slowly poisoned it's way into their lives, until they were copying the Solistari way in most respects. From there, it was a short hop for the High Leader to fully integrate them into mainstream Solistari society.
The beholders and aboleth serve the Solistarim and obey the rules out of fear and awe of the High Leader and his mages. Those who refused to obey the laws are either dead or under powerful magical compulsions to obey (especially the incredibly anti-social aboleth, for whom magical compulsion seemed the only answer to gaining their cooperation.)
The lich lords of the Solistarim have their own pact with the High Leader. The lesser undead fanatical in their loyalty to the High Leader, his mages, the lichlords, and the dark clerics of the Solistarim.
The fire elementals, salamanders, and efreet are NOT a part of mainstream Solistari society, and generally keep apart. After all, their homes are places most Solistari could not survive in for long anyways. However, these races hold the the High Leader and his minions in fear and awe (and some do worship him as a diety) and they are faithful and loyal to the Solistari cause.
The Gith mercenaries are semi-independent. They are tolerated in Solistari cities because of their perceived use. The Gith themselves look upon the Solistari as rather insane employers, but since the pay is good and the potential for pillage very great they don't complain. And Gith society is itself highly militant and disciplined, so there is common ground of a sort between Gith and Solistari.
The neogi are tolerated. The neogi, in turn, tolerate the Solistarim. That's saying something, too, since the neogi are as anti-social as the aboleth. However, they fear the High Leader, he has magical compulsions on them, he pays them well, so they somehow have integrated in. And the neogi and their umber hulk slaves do make for excellent spies, scouts, and special forces.
The devils work with the High Leader and his mages, and are held in fear and awe by the populace in general. They alone are exempt from the rules, while mingling freely in Solistari society. However, the devils make a point of obeying the laws (whether they respect the law or not), and devils are a common sight in Solistari cities.

The Solistarim aren't about racial hatred.
The Solistarim are about the certain knowledge that the Flanaess is their backyard, and a bunch of squatters and loiterers are sitting on their property, and these worthless bums, rabble, and riff-raff have refused to leave when politely asked to do so.
Since the bums and riff-raff refuse to move, they will just have to be evicted. If that means killing them all, down to the least and the last, because they insist on fighting, then so be it.
The Solistarim point an accusing finger at Iuz. Here, they say, is an insane demon demigod who is running amok and wrecking their (the Solistari) backyard with his pathetic humanoid slaves and hordes of conjured demons.
The Solistarim also point the finger at the Oeridians. They can't run a kingdom (Aerdi, Nyrond, Furyondy, others), they can't impose order (witness the chaos of the Greyhawk Wars), they can't run an economy (Aerdi, Nyrond, Furyondy, others), and in the end they destroyed their own capital city and other major centers of population! (witness Rauxes, other cities, and the whole realm of Medegia.) As riff-raff, these oerdian humans have to go.
The Solistarim really don't like elves, or drow. Indeed, they think of them the way we'd think of mosquitos infesting our backyard. Or cockroaches. Or ants. Or other vermin. A Flanaess free of elves and drow (the Solistarim do not distinguish: an elf is an elf, and the only good elf is a dead elf) will be a cleaner, neater place.
Likewise, any elves up in Greyspace are like bird droppings falling on the new roof. It has to stop. It's time to shoot some birds.
Regardless of what others might say of this thinking ... the Solistarim consider themselves reasonable, ethical, moral people. They are proud of their hard work, their capacity to endure suffering and adversary, their achievements in magical research, building of great cities, and otherwise, and their rational approach to an irrational and hostile world.

The Solistarim do not control the City of the Gods. Their forays into it have met with repeated disaster.
However, the Solistarim do hold the alliegance of the nation of Blackmoor and the surrounding marches, along with all the lands down to the Burneal Forest.'

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EDENA OF NEITH

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E-Mail: edelaith@TWMI.rr.com
PC: Velsharess Eclavdra, Drow Priestess 23rd / Wizard 18th / Warrior 12th (Epic 33)
Artifacts: The Scepter of Lordly Might, the Crown of Lordly Might, the Orb of Lordly Might
Other Items: The Violated Horns (gift from Iuz.)

Powers:

- Empire of Eclavdor (the new Underdark drow confederation of 12 cities, capital city Erelhei-Cinlu in the Vault of the Drow) - this represents large forces of drow, large forces of servitor races, sizeable forces of assorted servitor abominations, sizeable forces of assorted servitor undead, and small forces of the unseelie.
- Geoff - this represents sizeable forces of giants, and sizeables force of humanoids.
- Empire of the Yuan-Ti - this represents large forces of yuan-ti, large forces of assorted servitor races, small forces of abominations, and small forces of servitor and free-willed undead.

POPULATION AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Empire of Eclavdor (all territories on-map) 360,000 drow, 1,500,000 humanoid, 10,000 undead = 54 IC
Geoff (East Geoff, Geoff, North Geoff, West Dim Forest) 150,000 = 3.5 IC
Empire of the Yuan-Ti: 2,000,000 = 50 IC
The Ice Elves of the Adri: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: ORANGE-RED
Territories on map: Krestible, West Dim Forest, Tors, Jerlea Shores, Tangles, Celene Hills, Bright Hills, Onnwal Headlands, Denzac Isle, Kelten, Knurl, Hestmark Peaks: each area represents a territory held by a nearby Underdark Drow City. East Geoff. Geoff. North Geoff. The West Dim Forest. Off-map territories to the southeast in central Hempmonaland (Empire of the Yuan-Ti), see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

PLAYER NOTES:

'The drow have historically been completely unable to organize, cooperate, and even socialize with each other. They are too dark and chaotic a race.
What passes for drow civilization has always reflected this: constant civil war, constant in-fighting, constant plotting, scheming, and conniving to generally fruitless ends. They are ineffectual militarily because they cannot cooperate, live in poverty because they are too anti-social to create commerce and trade, and otherwise the drow are generally useless.
Eclavdra, however, is unusual for a drow. She is pragmatic. And she has taken one of the tenets of Lolth and espoused it to the fullest: survival. Individual survival, yes. Survival of the drow: the highest calling of her religion. A dedicated priestess of Lolth, and very close to her diety (as close as one could get to Lolth), she has stressed survival over all other things.
Yet after the Greyhawk Wars, Eclavdra threw her divination spells, and saw survival was not likely for her people. Some great doom hung over them, and would manifest in the near future. Some terrible challenge, that they could not face divided and survive.
Eclavdra, among other things, was a wily diplomat, and had put her diplomacy to good use. But no amount of normal, mortal diplomacy would convince the drow to unite. What to do?
Eclavdra had acquired the Scepter of Lordly Might during the Greyhawk Wars. Now she used it, acquiring a stature greater than mere mortality, and with that stature overawed and whelmed the leaders of her home city, forcing their union in spite of their plots, their nature, and their other divisions. Gradually, the whole rest of the city came under her sway.
But the Scepter alone was not enough. It would take all three of the Items of Lordly Might, which when put together had 10 times the power of any one of them individually, to enforce massive and permanent changes upon drow society.
Eclavdra has spent most of the past 20 years searching, engaging in epic quests, attempting to find the other two Items of Lordly Might. And she succeeded, first finding the Crown, and then the Orb.
With the combined strength of all three items, Eclavdra was able to walk into strange drow cities, and it was as if a Goddess Herself had come to visit. In city after city, the drow were made to bend and compelled to obey. Diplomacy was reinforced by Godly splendor and awe. The ways of the drow were overturned, their plots and conniving ended, their schemes put aside, their differences laid to rest.
In the 12 cities Eclavdra reached before Lolth disappeared and the Crystal Sphere closed, the entire energy of the drow was converted efficiently to economic and wartime production, in a manner reminiscent of the Soviet Union on Terra. It was not pretty, but it worked.
When Lolth disappeared, Eclavdra was able to maintain control in the 12 cities she had reached. Elsewhere, however - in the other drow cities and communities - absolute chaos broke out as the clerical leadership collapsed, civil war flared, slaughter and massacre devastated the drow, and their suddenly empowered enemies overwhelmed many of the survivors. The rest fled into nomadic wandering in the Underdark, a broken people without hope or future.
Yet the 12 cities remain. Eclavdra has named her new empire Eclavdor, and taken the title of Velsharess. Ruthlessly dedicated to the survival and prosperity of the drow, as per the will of Lolth, Eclavdra intends to see her people rise and triumph over all obstacles.
In effect, Eclavdra sees the current situation as the Ultimate Test of Lolth. Lolth has often tested her people, and Eclavdra, in the past: the penalty for failing such tests is death or worse. Now, in this ultimate test, the penalty for failure is the destruction of the drow people. But the reward for success is the triumph of the drow, and Eclavdra knows this well.
As for Eclavdra herself, she is wily, intelligent, free-spirited (one might call her a wild girl), an astute politician, and a gifted diplomat.
She is the photo negative of a comely elven maiden just come to womanhood. Her hair falls to her hips and is soft and snow white, her eyes are almond shaped and striking scarlet in the light, her face gentle, her nose soft, her ears cherubic, and her lips pouting. Her figure is slim, shapely, and almost fragile. Her non-glossy skin, smooth and soft, is as black as an elven maids' raven hair.
Eclavdra wears magical adamantine mail, which fits her form like a second skin, is almost as soft as velvet, and is utterly weightless. She wears robes of royal purple, wears a belt of mithril, and carries twin long swords of a strange, black appearance. The Scepter of Lordly Might, graceful and eloquent in it's worked mithril, rests at her hip when she is not carrying it. The Crown appears as a beautiful tiara on her head, and the Orb appears as a large gemstone at the end of a necklace of mithril beads around her neck.'

' Gift from Iuz to Eclavdra isn't just souvenir ... Violated Horns are worth 3000 gp in free trade, and are priceless when You are with nowhere to run, and goody two shoes on Your tail. It will Recall person to the place of it's creation, Iuz's Altar in this case, when broken.
And one, more important thing. Iuz watches!'

'Concerning the Ice Elves, they are an ancient elven civilization that fell prey to an artifact of cold. This artifact froze them all, effectively putting them and their entire realm in the heart of Adri Forest in suspended animation. Now they are free again, and these evil elves aren't real happy with the turn of events in the world since their time.'

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ELUVAN

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E-Mail (with permission) somebodys_fool@hotmail.com
PC: Arden Leonson, King Arden I of Keoland and High Councillor of the League of Athyr, Human Paladin 32
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

The League of Athyr (Nations of Bissel, Furyondy, Gran March, Keoland, Sterich, the Duchy of Ulek, Veluna, the Free City of Verbobonc: The Knights of the Hart, the Knights of Holy Shielding, the Knights of the Watch: the Wild Coast: the Lorridges, the Lortmil Mountains, the Good Hills, the Kron Hills, the Stark Mounds: the Axewood, the Dapple Forest, part of the Dim Forest, the Gnarley Forest, the Iron Forest, the Silverwood, the Welkwood: The Silent Ones of Keoland) - these represent very large forces of demihumans, very large forces of humans, very large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, large numbers of treants and sentient trees and shrubs, very large forces of faerie, and possible underwater allies in the Whyestil and Nyr Dyv.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Bissel (all territories on-map) 300,000 = 7 IC
Furyondy (all territories on-map) 3,000,000 = 75 IC
North Geoff: 50,000 = 1 IC
Gran March (all territories on-map) 510,000 = 14 IC
Keoland (all territories on-map) 3,600,000 = 98 IC
Sterich (all territories on-map) 290,000 = 7.4 IC
Duchy Of Ulek (all territories on-map) 800,000 = 21 IC
Veluna (all territories on-map) 1,200,000 = 32 IC
Free City of Verbobonc: 300,000 = 8.5 IC
The Knights of the Hart: (unknown) = N/A
The Knights of Holy Shielding: (unknown) = N/A
The Knights of the Watch: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE
The Wild Coast (all territories on-map) 400,000 = NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE
The Lorridges (all territories on-map) 50,000 = NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE
The Lortmil Mountains (all territories on-map and off) 980,000 = 29 IC
The Good Hills (Counts as a part of Keoland)
The Kron Hills 60,000 = 1.7 IC
The Stark Mounds 30,000 = 0.5 IC
The Axewood: (Counts as a part of Keoland/Duchy of Ulek)
The Dapple Forest: (NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE)
Part of the Dim Forest: 50,000 = 1.1 IC
The Gnarley Forest 40,000 = 1 IC
The Iron Forest: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE
The Silverwood (Counts as a part of the Duchy of Ulek)
The Welkwood 55,000 = 1.3 IC
The Silent Ones of Keoland: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: REDDISH-PURPLE
Territories on map: On-map territories covering most of the central-west and southwest Flanaess.

PLAYER NOTES:

'Following the Greyhawk War, Keoland was left in sorry shape. Once the most powerful and influential land in the entirety of the Sheldomar valley, in the war that was to shape the future of much of the Flanaess it had no cohesive policy and achieved nothing. In negotiations, the leader's indecisiveness proved sufficient to ensure that Keoland's allies were overrun whilst King Skotti dithered and wondered whether to interfere. Militarily, the once-great land suffered losses and humiliations on all sides and lost territory and influence.
Post-war, the land found itself in a weaker position than it had been for many years since. It badly needed time to rebuild and regenerate its economy, and confidence in the country's rulers was low after their mistakes in the war. When Skotti was assassinated in a plot by Cedrian of Dorlin to take the throne, the country descended into civil war. The noble houses squabbled amongst themselves for power, and for some time disorder reigned.
When finally this was curtailed, it occurred in dramatic fashion. Arden Leonson, the youngest son of a minor noble house in the Gran March, marched into Niole Dra with a small but resplendent contingent of knights and, nervous but determined, stood up in the town square and announced that he had been sent a vision from Heironeous showing him that he must unite Keoland under his banner and restore order and greatness to the country once again. He spoke with courage, power, and conviction, but of course it amounted to very little. He stood no chance of convincing the people that mattered that he should be handed control of the country.
He persevered, however. At first he had little success. But on the occassion of his seventh speech in the capital of Keoland, his divine mandate was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. As he spoke, the clouds above him parted and a sunbeam reached down to touch him. Bathed in divine radiance he continued his speech with ever-increasing fervour, and as he did so his audience watched stunned as a Celestial host numbering several hundred descended and knelt behind him, bowing their heads to the young knight.
The result was electric. Word travelled across the country lightning-fast that a messiah had come, a Paladin with a divine mandate to rule the country. Supporters flocked to him, and though he still had a struggle ahead of him, he eventually succeeded in taking the Throne of the Lion and restoring peace and order to the land, as well as using his heritage to reforge strong links with the Gran March.
He did not rest long on his laurels, however. He led the country wisely and well, and under his leadership it prospered once again. In his third year on the throne, as the country's affairs were once again seeming in order, disaster struck as the creatures overruning Sterich set their sights on eastward expansion. The County of Flen and the March of Mandismoor came under attack, and it was all the Keoish forces could do to slow their relentless progress.
Arden made a spectacular speech asking for aid from his immediate neighbours, appealing to his already strong alliance with the Gran March and bidding the County of Ulek and the Duchy of Ulek to imagine how things would be if they were faced with the prospect of worrying not only about the Principlality's struggle against the Orcish hordes, but were faced with the immediate prospect of monstrous invasion from the West as well.
The Duchy of Ulek and the Gran March both responded by sending strong military forces to aid Keoland in their efforts to push the invaders back. The County of Ulek, however, perhaps feeling secure in its more remote location from Keoland, sent its sympathies but nothing else. The aid that was sent was enough, however, and the monstrous atatckers suffered a number of crushing defeats and wer epushed back. Feeling that the threat of the monsters of Sterich could no longer be allowed to exist on Keoland's doorstep, and that Keoland should make good on its obligation to aid Sterich in its time of need, Arden then launched a retributive crusade to push the evil creatures out of Sterich and allow its people to return home. He was successful, and with Keoland's help Sterich has been able to restore itself to some semblance of a functioning nation once again.
With the recent cataclysmic events, the alliance between these four lands has been renewed. They have each felt that they need an additional bulwark of strength in these times, and have rallied together under Arden's banner, calling themselves the Kingdom of Athyr, meaning 'phoenix' in the Celestial tongue. As the gravity of the situation has become apparent, many other like-minded powers in the region have also flocked to Arden's leadership, believing that a strong alliance will be necessary to withstand the coming storm.'

'The bowels of Irongate comprise many levels of a vast underground city that houses hundreds of citizens. Here, minor traffic with Mitrik in Veluna is maintained through a magical gateway.'

'The Silent Ones of Keoland: This order of mages and diviners possess some of the last of Suel magic. The Tower of Silence rises hundreds of feet into the air in a location a day's ride from the Keoish capitol of Niole Dra. They are lead by Mohrgyr the Old (N, Male Human, Wizard 20) and have been known to oppose those who seek dangerous magical power. They are not pleased with the emergence of the Scarlet Brotherhood.'

'Knights of the Hart: This order is further broken down into the Knights of Furyondy, the Knights of Veluna, and the knights of the High Forest. They have vowed to oppose Iuz.'

'Knights of Holy Shielding: This group once ruled the Shield Lands before Iuz triumphed over them. They are lead by Lady Katarina of Walworth and by her chidr aid Knight Bnanneret Incossee of the Bronze Band (LG male human, Ftr 13) a Flan General. Many are paladins, fighters or clerics of Heironeous.'

'Knights of the Watch: Traditionally suspicious of barbarian Baklunish raiders, and too often prejudiced against the Baklunish, they are lead by the Grandiose Imperial Wyvern Hugo of Geoff (LN, Fighter 16). Popular deities among its membership are St. Cuthmbert, Heironeous, Pholtus, Allitur, and Mahayeine. They are split between the Knights of the Watch and the less traditional Knights of Dispatch, who do not hate the Baklunish but hate those who have invaded Geoff as well as Iuz. The Knights of the Watch tend to be mystically inclined and comprised of fighters, clerics, and paladins, while the Knights of the Dispatch tend to have more fighters, rangers, clerics and rogues.'

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FORSAKEN ONE

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E-Mail: NukemUntilTheyGlow[at]hotmail[dot]com
PC: unknown
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Troll Druocracy (Zindia, Nippon, Nippon Dominion) - these represent large numbers of druids, very large forces of trolls, and possibly other forces.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Nippon: 3,530,000 = 87 IC
Nippon Dominion: 4,100,000 = 65 IC
Zindia: 5,670,000 = 75 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: BRIGHT BLUE
Territories on map: No on-map territories. Enormous off-map areas to the southwest and south, on land and in the ocean, see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

PLAYER NOTES:

' 'Gather round children, come, quickly now.? The elderly halfing woman beckons to several children laughing and playing around the huge oak tree standing in the middle of one of the large green fields of Keoland.
'Come now children, your mothers will be back soon and then I won't be able to finish my tale! And we don?t want that now do we?? About a dozen high pitched voices go up in unison 'Noooo!' Quickly the fourteen children sit themselves down around the small old woman.
'Well now... where did I leave of last time? Hmmm...?
One of the young gnomes among the children raises his hand. 'Winterspring Yidda, you were gonna tell us about Winterspring!'
The little halfing rubs her chin and thinks for a moment. 'Hmmm yes... Winterspring. It is not the prettiest of stories my little ones and proof that not all ends well for everyone. Are you sure you want to hear it?'
'Yes Yidda! Tell us about it! We aren?t scared of monsters!? A pair of elven boys boasts while puffing up their chests.
'Heh, well ok then...' The old crone raises her head again and as she gazes upon the younglings her eyes and look have darkened. A cold wind blows over the grasslands and as the sun disappears behind a cloud a shiver runs down the spines of the children.
'A long long time ago, in a land far far away, there was the most beautifull of lands. A land ridden with lush gardens, viriel forests and golden fields where ever you went as far as the eye could see. And wonderous people lived there! O yes! Wonderous indeed! They valued art, music and dance and their history still lingers on in many a treasured song and sculpture indeed!
They prospered for hundreds of years, toying with magic and technology alike and many an invention sprang from their creative minds. But as with everything beautifull in the world, some things about cannot abide such beauty unless it is for themselves. So this land of beauty was besieged many a time by an envious neighbour or a monster beset on the wonders and beautifull things of this land to enrich itself. Or, perhaps, in a quest to turn as beautifull as the land by discovering its secrets.
But luckily the people from this noble land were wise as well and forsaw this envy and danger lurking beyond their borders and sometimes within. Each time evil set foot on their land it would discover that these people were well versed in the arts of war, which they had made into an art in itself as everything they touched and practiced. But next to their not formidable skills there were their greatest allies. Their friends and guides in times of peace, and the icon of their wrath in times of war, the great spirits of their lands.
They had long earned the love and respect of the spirits of nature by the way they respected their land and nature and the love they had for the beauties of the world. But this which allowed them to prospes so long and to these heights would eventually bring about their downfall. For there are more spirits in the multiverse and not all are benign and some vastly more powerfull then those that inhabited their lands.?
Yidda stops for a second while she takes a sip of her berryjuice and with a deep sigh she continues.
'They prospered for ages on end and they created many wonders and marvels, some even still to be beheld to this very day. Their lust for exploration and invention eventually led them to the practise of certain magics and their mages and sorcerers eventually even experimented with planar magic to open portals and gates to world far far away. This so they could see what marvels the gods and the multiverse had created for them to discovered and wonder about. They travelled across dozens of worlds, exasperated each time by the beauties they discovered and sometimes horrified by the evil they encountered. Many things they brought home from these worlds and their curiosity and their unending hunger for more and newer things ever unsatisfied.
This would all change after these hundreds of years. For as we all know, that which history has taught us well. Nothing endures forever my children, not even the gods. The tides of the worlds wax and wane and with it happiness and pain. Treasure what you may younglings, for nothing lasts forever. Live in the moment and enjoy it to its fullest, live your lives to the fullest...'
She sighs again.
'One day their mages opened a portal to a new world. Well, not so much a small demi-plane as a world. It was beautifull beyond compare, irridiscent purple skies, green fields and woods as far as one could see. But this was a quiet world, a dead world. Dark purple clouds raged across the skies and a chill wind blew across the fields and through the woods as all was silent. Not the sounds of birds or other wildlife, nothing, just silence behind the wind.
The mages that discovered the world didn't think anything of this silence and were over enthusiastic to find such a world. A paradise for their own, a haven of beauty for their emperor yet unspoiled. A garden fit for a god, their god emperor.
They quickly turned to build their towers there, and as spires of master craftmanship soared towards the purple skies around a temple and palace to their god emperor many people flocked to this new unspoiled world of unnatural beauty.
Many mages tried to make contact and peace with the spirits of this world but their calls remained unheeded. Silence was the answer to their spells and a few doubts arose among the greatest of minds of the empire as to the source of this quietude. But dozens of years passed without problems or disaster, dozens of years turned into an age and an age into two ages. Some things however are inevitable as I told you, to all things comes an end and so indeed to this grandest of empires. Perhaps the greatest ever to color the face of this world.
The people who had settled on the world had steadily been building more towns and cities, used more and more natural resources and had been slowly turning the world to their image and in their process they had accidentally aroused something.
And so it came to be that after two ages the dream ended and the silence of the plane turned into crimson song as the world awoke.' Yidda stops as the gnomish boy raises his hand again.
'The world awoke? How can the world wake up? Worlds don?t sleep do they?' And he looks at the grass he's sitting on looking a bit unnerved.
Yidda looks grimly at the boy. 'No worlds don't sleep, but spirits do. And what this spirit was I do not know, neither do I know how it came to be there. Perhaps it was sealed in this world at the edge of the multiverse as punishment by the gods or perhaps that it threatened them, I do not know. But it was there, and it was aroused by those people as they despoiled it.
The skies turned black as dark clouds appeared in ever greater number, the chill wind turned into a hurricane as all the spirits of that forgotten world awoke. Dark creatures arose from tree and rock as snow began raining down from the skies and the once wonderous world slowly froze over.
The settlers who had now lived there for over two hundred years were caught unawares and most of them perished in that storm of ice and cold. Those who didn't disappeared behind dark shapes in the show. The tales that survived told about malign spirits of ice and wind that stalked the icy wastes.
But it didn't stop there, o no... The cold followed them to their homeworld, this world, our world. Their pale blue skies turned purple and hurricane force winds raped their golden fields and beautifull cities as blizzards covered their empire in ice and snow. The frost spread as a frozen blight across their lands, destroying everything in its path. Many people escaped this torrent of ice and blood but at least as many fell before icy claws of spirits of cold and maybe even more to the winds and cold.
The once so proud people travelled far and wide telling their tale and bringing their skills and arts with them. But never unwatchfull of that purple haze, that irridiscent sky and the tingling chill winds that foretell the comming of a cold.. cold.. winter..'
Getting slowly up from the root of the tree Yidda looks at the children.
'Ah look, there are your mothers, hurry up! They must have missed their little ones on a beautifull afternoon as this! Hurry now!?
The gnomish boy turns around as the rest hurries over to their parents and looks at Yidda with a questioning expression across his face.
'Yes Lovar, what is it?'
'You said those spirits came to this world, our world. Are they still here? When did this happen? A long time ago?'
A chill wind blows in across the fields again and Yidda and the boy turn their noses into the wind that blows up from the south.
'No Lovar, this happened last year.'
She looks with a serious expression at the boy.
'I fear we may have a cold winter this year.' '

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GUILT PUPPY: MAPMAKER OF THE 5TH IR

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E-Mail (with permission) craylor@rowf.net
PC: The Elder Brothers (titles, classes, ranks, levels, alignments unknown, and possibly unknowable) and Abbon Craylor, Rogue 17th level / Monk 8th level, alignment unknown
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- The Scarlet Brotherhood - this represents a powerful secret faction of suel monks/assassins/others and very large and potent forces of suel humans.

- Areas under the Control of the Scarlet Brotherhood - these represent all of the nations and areas given below:

- Hempmonaland territories (East Hempmonaland, Pelisso Swamp, West Hempmonaland) - these represent very large forces of humans, large forces of neutral and evil animals, large forces of abominations, and exotic forces including possible dragons.
- The Lordship of the Isles (Aerdi Major, Aerdi Minor, Aerdi Rock, East Oljaat, East Sulward, Ekul Island, Midisle, North Duxchan, South Duxchan, West Oljaat, West Sulward, Wild Duxchan, Wild Oljaat) - these represent large forces of humans, small forces of humanoids, and small forces of servitor demihumans.
- the Hold of the Sea Princes (Hokar, Port Joli, the Hold of the Sea Princes, Westkeep: Flotsam Isle, Fairwind Isle, Jetsom Isle: Hool Marshes, Hool Valley) - these represent sizeable forces of humans, sizeable forces of servitor demihumans, sizeable forces of humanoids, large forces of abominations, large forces of neutral and evil animals, sizeable forces of unseelie, and possibly other forces.
- The Tilvanot Peninsula (Ekul, Kro Kerlep, Spine Ridge, Tilvanot Coast, Tilvanot Flats, Tilvanot Jungle, Tilvanot Plateau) - this represents very large forces of Hempmonaland servitor humans, large forces of other servitor humans, large forces of servitor demihumans, large forces of servitor humanoids, large forces of abominations, sizeable forces of undead, and possibly other forces.
- The Coastline of the Amedio Jungle (all territories on-map) - these represent sizeable forces of humans, very large forces of abominations, very large forces of neutral and evil animals, large forces of unseelie, and strange and exotic forces unknown to any but the Scarlet Brotherhood.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Scarlet Brotherhood: 120,000 = N/A
Hepmonaland Territories: 3,900,000 = 76 IC
The Lordship of the Isles: 525,000 = 14 IC
The Hold of the Sea Princes: 840,000 = 22 IC
The Tilvanot Peninsula: 1,064,000 = 30 IC
The Coastline of the Amedio Jungle: 340,000 = 6 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: BRIGHT RED
Territories on map: The Tilvanot Peninsula and possible other territories on-map, on-map Hempmonaland. Off-map territories in Hempmonaland to the southeast, see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

PLAYER NOTES:

'I'll be playing on behalf of the Elder Brothers, the elite of the Scarlet Brotherhood. Their names, powers, and numbers are unknown, even within much of the organization (and perhaps even to one another), but it is generally assumed that they are a mixture of monks, wizards, rogues, and clerics of Wee Jas, each around twentieth level. (Although the public doctrine of the Scarlet Brotherhood shuns magic, it is clear that this is not put into practice among the higher ranking members... Indeed, the deeper one looks at the organization, the less it appears that they have any coherent doctrine at all.)
As for the organization itself, its true politics and hierarchy are obscured by a careful system of secrecy. First, all members are required to take an oath to divulge as little information as possible, including that given to members lower in rank, or, more accurately, members who are under one's authority. Second, all members who hold any authority are instructed to give intentionally misleading and inaccurate information to their lowers, and are generally made to understand, themselves, that some of the information they are given is misleading.
As a result of this, attempts to infiltrate and unravel the organization's true structure have lead only to the conclusion that it may be impossible to unravel. Instances have been uncovered in which authority appears to run in circles: That is, one member has authority over another, who has authority over another, and so on leading back to that original member. In such cases, it appears that no member in the cycle was aware of its existence, each believing to know the "true" hierarchy which was hidden from there superiors. How instructions are fed into such a system from above is unclear; it has been proposed that there may be no "above," that the Elder Brothers are in fact a myth, and that the organization has dissolved under its own secrecy into a system with no true authority, whose actions and doctrines are the manifestation of thousands of interconnected whims and beliefs, systematically distorted until they no longer resemble any one power's vision of what the Brotherhood should be. Whether or not this is true, its appearance is enough to render any underlying, rigid structure invisible to those outside.
Regardless of this, no organization so large can function without charismatic leaders, and the Brotherhood has its fair share. It can be assumed from their code of secrecy that no member would be allowed to become a public figure were he to hold any significant influence in the organization, but their role in focusing the hearts and minds of its membership is no less important. Indeed, it is probably the sense of fanatical devotion that these speakers engender which allows an organization so strangely-knit to function in harmony as a coherent unit, rather than breaking off into factions or otherwise acting out of congruence.
Chief among these speakers is Brother Abbon Craylor, no doubt an accomplished member of the Brotherhood in his own right. It is his domain to handle the most important public and diplomatic affairs on behalf (or at least in the name) of the Elder Brothers. His history appears to lie primarily in espionage, and there are suspicions that such work continues, even when he is on apparently diplomatic journeys.

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JAMES HEARD

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E-Mail (with permission) dunlandor@earthlink.net
PC: Ye'Cind, Elven Demigod of Music, Magical Songs, and Bards
PC Consort: Wae Sinde
Artifacts: Recorder of Ye'Cind

Powers:

- Miranda, representing all the powers given below:

- Ye'Cind the Demigod.
- Queen Xin of Miranda.
- The Armies of the Mystics of Miranda - represents a sizeable group of extremely potent elderly elves.
- The Recorders of Ye'Cind - these represent a sizeable force of elves specialized in intelligence work.
- The Court of Winter Moons - these represent a small and potent force of elves dedicated to protecting Queen Xin.

- The Marches (Kingdom of the Marchwards) - the Armies of the Marchward Kings - these represent a large force of knightly half-elves and other half-elves.

- The Elvanian Forest, representing all the powers given below:

- The Thorns - these represent a large force of halfling like faerie.
- The Temple of Sehanine - these represent a sizeable and very potent force of elven clerics and elves.
- The Faerie Court - these represent a sizeable and extraordinarily potent force of faerie.
- Allied Forces - these represent a very large force of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, large numbers of treants and sentient trees and plants, and sizeable forces of good undead.

- The Empire of Lynn, representing all the powers given below:

- The Imperial Navy of Lynn - this represents a large and potent force of humans.
- The Armies of Lynn - these represent an extremely large force of poorly trained humans.
- The Suloisian Jannisaries - these represent a large and very potent force of humans (they are considered the Regular Army of Lynn.)

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Miranda: 128,000 = 3.4 IC
Kingdoms of the Marchwards: 212,000 = 6 IC
Elvanian Forest: 510,000 = 12 IC
The Empire of Lynn: 11,400,000 = 257 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: LIGHT YELLOW-TANNISH

Territories on map: No territories on-map. Enormous off-map territories on the western side of the continent of Oerik: see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

PLAYER NOTES:

'Sehanine is our mother, and her tears are what makes the the People greater than the lesser races -for in the tears our mother spilled upon our father's blood she gave us the gift of mystery, that we might cherish it and nurture it always. In ancient times there was a schism, uncreating the Elvendar and we sent those rebels of the unfaithful across the oceans and across the great wastelands to the south to exile. The True People remain near the spring of tears that our Mother created for us, in the ancient woods where magic springs from the trees as easily as sunlight springs from the east. Here we created our great cities of Coronel and Antheon, the meadows of Mistenveil and the tower of Deiren. We are not only the stewards of that great civilization we made, of Miranda (May she live Forever!), but of the true spirit of all who were once Elvendar.
Trust, in the face of the corrupt Elfaine of the east, is hard to maintain. Still we persist, hoping that some few of the profane ones might come over to the ways of the Elvendar and Sehanine. We spread her message through songs as old as the soil and great Ye'Cind, and dilligently record what secrets we discover in those songs. We seek to heal those still reeling from the wounds of our Father with our own tears, while protecting ourselves from their madness. We are the People. We are not monkeys and interlopers on this world, but the heirs to Oerth's most hidden nature. Those who mistake our inherent serenity for generosity do so at their own peril.
The Mare Mysticum Alliance
For ages the elven nation of the Miranda lived in relative isolation from the human and other demihuman powers that ruled to the east and west across the sea. Its only true contest of powers were with the giants of Fireland and the primitive monsters of Gigantea, but that changed with the coming of mankind to the south. With the establishment of the Eryptian refugees that came to call themselves the Empire of Lynn the elves found themselves in conflict, war had come for the first time to groves since the dark ones were cast down into the depths of Oerth.
Still, the Lynndites were primitive compared to the elves and more vulnerable to manipulation by ancient minds of the elven elders. The humans were seeded with heresies and embroiled into civil wars, sympathetic and promising humans were seduced by fair elven maidens for the good of the People. Eventually the Empire of Lynn was cut into three portions, the Empire, the heretical tribes of the Enllave, and the half-elven protectorate kingdoms of the Marches. Today the Empire of Lynn itself is held under the protection of Queen Xin, its masses of bitterly poor refugees finally provoking the wealthier nations of the north to claim its vast expanse and attempt to restore it to order. It remains to be seen whether or not this arrangement will be satisfactory in the long term to the xenophobic elves and fey, but for now the Empire is reaping enormous benefits from the elven rule.
Physically the Elven Forest itself is the least forgiving of all geography around the Mare. Some of the treants of the Forest remember when the elves and their dark brothers the drow were one people, and when humanity was a mere myth used to frighten gullible elven children. Portions of the faerie court hold residence here deep in the recesses, and the ghosts of fey elven heroes lurk in the shadows to waylay the unannounced into the forest. The Elven Forest is what defines the Mare Mysticum region for what it is, a magical place. Even though few brave elves actually make residence in the forest, its presence is the entire reason for being for the elves to be in the area. Time itself seems to pass more slowly and sometimes less clearly within its borders, and elven and sylvan priestesses and seers come from all across the world to consult with the forest itself's strange intelligence. It is said that before the breaking with the outer planes that Corellon Larethian would while away hours in conversation with the rocks and trees of the Elven Forest. Some say that the legendary patience of the elves was learned in this place, and that in the center of the forest the most ancient of all elven holy sites - a temple dedicated to Sehanine who led the ancient elven people to Oerth - sits untouched by the sands of time.
The Kingdoms of the Marches spread to cover the lands between Gigantea, Lynn, the lost dwarven lands of the Landspire mountains that provide a buffer between the Marches and the lands of the Khanates and Celestial Imperium, and most of the land between the Elven homelands and the Elven Forest. Once the Marches were much smaller, and the Elven homelands much greater, but as time has passed the elves have retreated more and more as their number dwindled and the Marchward's subjects multiplied. The Marchwards are a hardy, industrious folk of mostly half-elven descent. Pledged eternally to their ancient task of guardianship, the Marchwards divide their lands according to celestial accordances garnered from the seerage of the elves. Few humans are allowed to immigrate to the Marches unless they pass a series of tests of magic and skill maintained to establish their loyalty to the elves, but those same tests guarantee that the rulers of the Marches are mighty and committed to their task indeed. Much of the land of the Marches is wide, fertile valleys left over from glaciation. Few occupy the lands, but ancient elven fortresses dot much of the countryside and are occupied by their now half-elven defenders and their fey allies. The overall governship of the Marches is covered by the Council of Y'Cind, whose traditional members include the Prince of Elvenkind, the high priest of Y'Cind, and an ambassador from the Faerie Court of the Elven Forest.
The Empire of Lynn is mostly desert and bitterly, tragically poor. Once the region was awash in wealth and power, ruled by the mighty Pariah of Lynn from the selfsame port city on the southwestern coast. Centuries of corruption and abuse, border wars with the Marchwards of the north and Enllavian tribesmen to the south, and a general failure of their once great trading empire to keep up with the rising competition of the Tharquish, all conspired to finally cause massive general uprisings among the populace in 586 against the rich and powerful. The revolutionaries bought themselves
only more poverty with the coin of freedom though, and general conditions within the empire slid below the awful into the truly appalling quickly. At last, in 587, loyalists led by a general of the suloisian jannisaries bound by ancient pacts to the empire decided upon a radical course of action and pleaded their case before Queen Xin and her consort Wae Sinde forehead to floor begging for her mercy. After three tortuous months of consideration and debate, she graciously accepted the brooch and scepter of the Pariah of Lynn. Much of the current lack of unrest in Lynn is thanks to regular patrols of knights from the Marches and the populace's unabashed awe with the popular consort who, rumor has it, was the deciding reason for their good fortune. It is true that when the consort came to the ancient city of Lynn to help stop the mob violence that had spilled out into open war that the bard only climbed to the highest spire of the Pariah's palace still standing and played a song so sweet and sorrowful that all violence in the city stopped for a week and some of the most cruel of the thugs of the Flats openly wept while laying down their arms.
The Elven nation itself is empty. No, not entirely - but the cities of the elves lie mostly unoccupied and the storm wracked seas off the coast sometimes wash through the ages old magics that once protected the shores from the worst of the blizzards that wash over Gigantea. One of the first thing most notice about the place is that most of the residents are old, visibly old as few elves outside the Elven nation are ever seen. A few reckless and ill-tempered young elves pledged as honor guard stay here, and the occasional pilgrim seeking knowledge that might only be found in the capital Coronel's hallowed libraries come for moments. Elves in the ancient homelands live longer than they might live someplace further from the Elven forest and the magic invoked over the years in the Mysticum. The only ambassador to the Elven nation is a single solitary building in Coronel hosting the delegation from the Celestial Imperium. Even though the Elven nations and the Mysticum alliance covers a huge amount of acreage it is quite thinly populated, being the home of mostly elves, their fey allies, ancient treants and awakened animals, ghosts, and their half-elven knight-protectors. There are ten times as many humans within the protectorate of Miranda's queen as elves and fey, yet they are definitely the power and controlling force of the region.'

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KNIGHT OTU

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E-Mail (with permission) olifran@gmx.de
PC: Half-fiend red dragon
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Cult of Ashardalon - these represent a few dragons, a sizeable force of half-dragons, a sizeable force of demons, a very large force of potent and lesser undead, and a very large force of servitors of all kinds.

- The Great Kingdom of Aerdi (Ahlissa, Atirr, Bellport, Central Great Kingdom, Coastal Great Kingdom, Duntsey, Eastern Great Kingdom, Devenwood, Eastfair, Edgefield, Gull Cliffs, Kaport Bay, Lendore Coast, Lone Heath, North Province, Northeastern Great Kingdom, Northern Great Kingdom, Prymp, Rel Astra, Rel Deven, Southeastern Great Kingdom, Southern Great Kingdom, Southwestern Great Kingdom, Western Great Kingdom, Winetha) - these represent sizeable forces of fiends of all types, extremely large forces of humans, very large forces of humanoids, sizeable forces of servitude demihumans, very large forces of neutral and evil animals, large forces of abominations, very large forces of undead, sizeable forces of constructs, large forces of unseelie, and possibly other forces.
- Knight Protectors, the Order of Hextor - this lawful evil knightly order represent a sizeable force of potent humans and demihumans.
- The Sea Barons (Asperdi Isle, Eastisle, Fairisle, Isle of Serpents, Oakenisle) - these represent large forces of humans, sizeable forces of humanoids, sizeable forces of servitude demihumans, sizeable forces of neutral and evil animals, sizeable forces of abominations, and possibly other forces.
- Medegia - this realm, completely destroyed and depopulated during the Greyhawk wars, has been reoccupied. What peoples it represents is unclear, however.
- Allied Forest Realms (the Grandwood) - this represent sizeable forces of servitor humans, sizeable forces of servitor demihumans, small forces of humanoids, sizeable forces of neutral and evil animals, small forces of abominations, and sizeable forces of unseelie

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

The Cult of Ashardalon: (unknown) = N/A

The Great Kingdom of Aerdi (all territories on-map)

United Kingdom of Greater Ahlissa: 7,000,000 = 180 IC
Northern Aerdi: 4,200,000 = 105 IC
Rel Astra & Solnor: 720,000 = 15 IC
Knight Protectors, the Order of Hextor: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE

Allied Realms and Forest Realms:

Medegia: 670,000 = 12 IC
The Sea Barons: 308,000 = 7 IC
The Grandwood: 50,000 = 1 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: BROWN
Territories on map: On-map territories covering most of the eastern Flanaess.

PLAYER NOTES:

'The cult of Ashardalon started off with all manners of humanoids, mostly humans and elves, worshipping the Great Wyrm Ashardalon. Ashardalon was much of a force of nature, and his power was great. Yet, he was brought down by the druidess Dydd, wounding his heart beyond repair. The heart remained in what would once be called the Nightfang Spire, and became a nexus of negative energy, transforming many of the wyrm's followers to undead.
With the help of the heart and other magic, the vampire Gulthias worked on expanding the cult, and some say that at its height, it had a nearly unlimited number of basic human skeletons and zombies, and a great number of elite forces, from vampires over mummy monks to wight assassins. The fall of Nightfang Spire was devastating to the forces of the cult, but it retained several forces.
Ashardalon, meanwhile, sought to replace his heart, and found that a demon would make a suitable replacement. The great wyrm bound Ammet, a balor of considerable power, to act his heart. While with time, even this powerful replacement heart began to fail, Ashardalon inspired other dragons to attempt the same feat, becoming the so-called disciples of Ashardalon. Not devout worshippers, or even necessarily loyal, most would not serve under Ashardalon, even if they respect his power.'

'Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom: Once a great order in the Kingdom of Aerdi, they fell into decline. The order was traditionally split between follows of Heironeous the Valorous (lawful good) and Hextor the Warrior (lawful evil) Their goal was the preservation of the Great Kingdom.'

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MELKOR

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E-Mail (with permission) kooligar@op.pl
PC: Gallador the Undying King, Master of the Night Eternal.
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Gallador's Concord (Court of the Eternal Night (Vampiric Feudal Nation), capital city Shavarash) - this represents Lanfear, Princess of The Dark Moon (daughter of Gallador), sizeable numbers of vampires, large servitor undead armies, and large independent undead armies.
- Ivid the Undying and the City of Rauxes - this represents Ivid (very powerful animus with an artifact known as the Fiend Seeing Throne), very large forces of fiendish servitors and allies, very large forces of undead servitors, large forces of abominations, small forces of human servitors, small forces of humanoid servitor races, small but potent forces of constructs, and possibly other very strange and unguessable forces.
- Underdark Nations under the Concord's Control (duergar Underdark nations, kuo-toa Underdark nations, troglodyte Underdark nations, other humanoid Underdark nations) - these represent very large forces of evil Underdark demihumans, very large forces of evil Underdark humanoids, and possibly other forces.
- The Sulhaut Mountains - these represent small forces of humanoids, small forces of (now) servitor demihumans (mostly dwarves), and small forces of strange abominations.
- Allied Deep Dragons and Shadow Dragons - these represent a small but extraordinarily potent force of dragons

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Galador's Concord: 2,000 Vampires, 15,000 Vampiric Spawn, 100,000 servitor Undead = 3 IC
Ivid and the City of Rauxes: 66,666 = 1.5 IC
Underdark Nations under the Concord's Control: 300,000 Duergar, 400,000 Kuo-Toa, 4 million servitor Humanoids = 120 IC
The Sulhaut Mountains 980,000 = 20 IC
Allied Deep Dragons and allied Shadow Dragons: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: BLOOD RED
Territories on map: Small but potent on-map territory in the east. Large territories underneath the surface of Oerth in the Underdark.

PLAYER NOTES:

Gallador`s Concord: Gallador The Undying King, Master of The Night Eternal is an ancient Vampire who was banished to the Underdark centuries ago . For ages ha has waged a war of conquest and deception, and now with the current dramatic events, his attention is brought back to the surface world!
Court of The Eternal Night: Vampire Children of Gallador, organized in feudal/dynastic system-power is usually based on proximity to Gallador, like generations in Vampire: The Masquaerade.

Origins of Gallador: This history may be found out through powerful divination magic, also may be known by Church of Pelor sages.
600 years ago, Gallador, a powerful Paladin devoted to Pelor, was a Great Champion of The Light, defending Keoland from the forces of evil. His valor and leadeship skills were unmatched, and bards all over the land were creating songs about heroic deeds of Gallador, Knight of The Sun. And minions of darkness felt nothing but dread upon hearing his name. Yet few noticed the flaws of Gallador, for he was a man of great pride, which was growing with each victory, and his wrath was terrible, though always righteous. He lead many sucessful campaigns against goblinoids, having no mercy for them, for he claimed they are capable only of wickedness and destruction.
One day Gallador learned that his entire family, including wife and young children, was murdered in an unexpected attack. He rushed to the High Temple of Pelor and confronted the Archpriest, demanding his loved ones to be resurrected, surely he deserved it as a Champion of The Faith! But Archpriest answered that the souls of Gallador`s family are with Pelor, their happiness is much greater than during their lifetime, they would not return! But Gallador loved his wife and children more than he loved Pelor, and he felt betrayed, for the first time in his life he felt forsaken by his God. Rage overtook him, and he slew the Archpriest, whose blood flew at the holy altar, desecrating it.
Then Pelor himself intefered, sending an Avatar to confront his Champion. But Gallador rejected his Master as a liar and hypocrite,claiming that Gods want only to enslave mortals, to use them in their games. They are allowing the world the suffer, while laughing at the mortal struggles. Pelor`s Avatar said nothing, looking only in sadness. Suddenly, there was more and more blood flowing from Archpriest`s body, and it turned into the river, that completely covered terrified and screaming Gallador. Then Pelor spoke:
"It was you who betrayed your God. Since you rejected my light, I curse you to an eternity in darkness, you shall never again walk in the light of the sun! You will have ages to reconsider your foolishness, and you will be forced to steal the life of others to feed the void inside you, pathetic existence of a parasite!"
So died Gallador the Paladin, and Gallador the Vampire Lord was born. Pursued by his former friends and allies, he escaped to the Underdark, swearing that he will one day revenge himself against false Gods and their pathetic followers. He has never been seen again in the outside world...'

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NAC MAC FEEGLE

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E-Mail (with permission) estickgold@gmail.com
PC: Sephir, Human Psion (Telepath) 30th level, lawful neutral
Artifacts: Psicrown of the Crystal Mind (Psionic Artifact)

Powers:

- The Kabalim - these represent a small, but extremely potent group of psionic beings of varied races led by the Psionic Circle.
- The Iron League (Idee Coast, Idee Valley, Iron Gate, City of Irongate, Grayflood, Menowood, Onnwal, Pitchfield, Reiu Hills, Reiuwood, County of Sunndi, Hestmark Highlands, Dullstrand) - these are a front for the Kabalim and represent large forces of demihumans, large forces of humans, and small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings.
- The County of Ulek - this represents large forces of demihumans (mostly elves), large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants and sentient trees and plants, and sizeable forces of faerie
- The Principality of Ulek - this represents large forces of demihumans (mostly dwarves and gnomes), sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, and sizeable forces of faerie
- Allied Forest Realms (the Menowood, the Reiuwood) - these represent small forces of demihumans, sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, sizeable forces of treants, and sizeable forces of faerie.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

The Kabalim: (unknown) = N/A
Dullstrand: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
Idee Coast: 90,000 = 2 IC
Idee Valley: 110,000 = 3 IC
City of Irongate: 150,000 = 4.5 IC
Iron Hills: 40,000 = 1.2 IC
Grayflood: 0 = 0 IC
Onnwal: 170,000 = 5 IC
Hestmark Highlands: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
Reiu Hills: (Counts as a part of Idee/Sunndi)
County of Sunndi: 250,000 = 7.5 IC
The County of Ulek (all territories on-map) NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Duchy of Ulek (all territories on-map) NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Menowood: (Counts as a part of Sunndi)
The Rieuwood: (Counts as a part of Sunndi)

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: GREYISH-BLUE
Territories on map: on-map areas in the southeast Flanaess

PLAYER NOTES:

'The Kabalim are a group of vastly powerful psions based in what is now the Iron League. The Kabalim as an organization date back far further than that, however, and indeed the history of the revolt in Irongate is also part of the history of the Kabalim. Origins of the Kabalim are unknown, but they have been in the south of the Great Kingdom since its creation. It has been theorized that they were refugees from the Baklunish Empire or perhaps the Suel Imperium, but if records of their early home exist, then they are kept secret.
It was the Kabalim that fomented the rebellion of the Iron League against the Great Kingdom, and once this had been done they took steps to keep their investment secure. Every spy sent into the League disappeared mysteriously, every informer returned with false intelligence or turned traitor and spilled their information to the League. On the other side, League armies seemed to know exactly what the plans of their enemies were, and made good use of this information. Meanwhile, the Kabalim worked.
The Kabilim have one purpose, one goal, one ideal. They intend to attain the power of gods. The Kabalim long believed that none of the gods of Greyhawk truly ruled with justice or wisdom, condemning them as foolish and uninterested in humanity. The removal of Flanaess from the multiverse simply made them more sure of their cause. The races of Flanaess needed gods, and they intended to become them.
The Kabalim is led by a circle of eight psions of incredible power, who devote their time and energy only to their task of divine ascension. This circle is headed by a human man known as Sephir, a telepath of unimaginable skill, said to have been able to probe the minds of the gods themselves. It is unclear how long the current Circle of Eight has ruled, because their names are rarely known, and they live unnaturally long lives, but it is clear that Sephir has ruled for over three hundred years, and is said to be ageless. Beyond the Circle of Eight, the Kabalim control a hidden network of psionic agents hidden throughout the league, whose sole purpose is to defend the Kabalim?s interests by keeping the League powerful.
It is important to note that the Kabalim are not evil. They do not seek power for the sake of oppression or personal gain, but because they believe that someone must take control of what they consider a world without leadership, and they see themselves as the right ones to do this.'

' The bowels of Irongate comprise many levels of a vast underground city that houses hundreds of citizens. Here, minor traffic with Mitrik in Veluna is maintained through a magical gateway.
Curious rumors say that Cobb Darg, Lord Mayor of Irongate, hides a secret related to his heritage.'

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PAXUS ASCLEPIUS

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E-Mail (with permission) joejay1066@yahoo.com
PC: The Wolf God, paragon greater barghest 18 hit dice, warshaper 5 / planar champion 5 / legendary dreadnought (several dozen levels)
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- The Bone March (including Spinecastle) - this represents sizeable forces of humanoids, sizeable forces of abominations, small forces of undead, sizeable forces of neutral and evil animals, and possibly other forces
- The Pomarj - this represents very large forces of giants, very large forces of humanoids, very large forces of neutral and evil animals, large forces of abominations, small forces of humans, and possibly other forces
- Evil Mountain Realms (most of the Crystalmists, Jotens, Hellfurnaces, Griff Mountains, Raker Mountains, and the Blemu Hills) - these represent very large forces of giants of all kinds, very large forces of humanoids of all kinds, large forces of abominations, forces of undead, forces of humans, and possibly other forces)
- Allied Forest Realms (the Dreadwood, the Hraak Forest, the Phostwood, the Suss Forest) - these represent large forces of humanoids, large forces of evil animals, large forces of abominations, and sizeable forces of the unseelie
- The Troll Fens - these represent large forces of trolls, sizeable forces of abominations, sizeable forces of unseelie, and other unpleasantries

Notes on population (incomplete)

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

The Bone March (including Spinecastle) 620,000 = 16 IC (UNKNOWN IF SERPENTEYE WILL GIVE ADDITION IC FOR SPINECASTLE)
The Pomarj: 1,300,000 = 32 IC
The Crystalmists: 800,000 = 15 IC
The Jotens: 80,000 = 1,7 IC
The Hellfurnaces: 1,000,000 = 28 IC
The Griff Mountains: 500,000 = 11 IC
The Raker Mountains: 450,000 = 12 IC
The Blemu Hills: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Dreadwood: 50,000 = 1 IC
Hraak Forest: 20,000 = 0.3 IC
The Phostwood: 60,000 = 1.2 IC
Suss Forest: 70,000 = 1.8 IC
The Troll Fens: 14,000 = 0.2 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: YELLOW
Territories on map: Mountain ranges in the southwest, west, and northeast Flanaess. Small forest regions on-map.

PLAYER NOTES

'In game terms, the Wolf God is a paragon greater barghest of 18 hit dice, with five levels of warshaper, five of planar champion, and several dozen of legendary dreadnought. This is a purely combatant build, with only minimal and passive magical abilities.
For flavor text: The Wolf God is a terrible sight to behold: a 15-foot goblinoid form, most of its body masked in several hundred pounds of urdrukar full plate. The leering wolflike head that forms the helm is, in fact, identical to the true visage of its wearer, down to the blazing topaz eyes. His pride and joy, Grimcleaver, is a masterwork of vile metallurgy. The falchion, tall as two men, has been patternwelded from Baatorian greensteel, morghuth-iron, and adamantine, heated in fires made from the souls of fallen paladins, and quenched in the still-living bodies of kidnapped priests of Trithereon; the bounties placed by the Wolf God on live swanways indicates that he hopes to duplicate the honing of the Angelwing Razor.
The policies of the Wolf God are simple: order is the proper way of the world, and he is the proper director of that order. To this end, he has made common cause with those who are willing to stomach his means: a brutal tyranny which also includes a complicated caste system. To appease Iuz, he allows his clerical castes (primarily bureaucrats, but also numbering sorcerors, wizards, and those with natural magical powers) to worship the cambion demigod (incidentally providing him with a corp of divine casters to assist his armies); to the drow who dwell so unfortunately close to his heartlands, he has promised positions in the upper hierarchy.'

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RIKANDUR AZEBOL

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E-Mail (with permission) Guldan@wp.pl
PC: Iuz the Old, Demigod, human half-fiend Cleric 26th / Assassin 20th
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- The Empire of Iuz (The Bandit Kingdoms, the Barrens, the Heartland of the Empire, the Horned Society, the Shield Lands, Stonehold, Tenh, the Rovers of the Barrens: the Barrens, the Bluff Hills: the Burneal Forest, the Fellreev Forest, and the Forlorn Forest) - these represent large forces of demons, very large forces of humanoids, very large forces of abominations, very large forces of undead, large forces of humans, very large forces of neutral and evil animals, very large forces of unseelie, sizeable forces of enslaved demihumans (mostly dwarves and gnomes), possible underwater allies in the Whyestil and Nyr Dyv, and possibly other forces.
- The Boneheart - This is a special cadre of clerics and mages who work the will of Iuz, their loyalty fanatical, their methods absolute.
- The Boneshadow - This is a special cadre of rogues and spies who work the will of Iuz, their loyalty also fanatical, and their methods also absolute.
- The Legion of Black Death - this represents a sizeable and very potent force of demons loyal to Iuz.
- The Black Unicorns - these abominations have either just arrived, or have been magically created ... either way, they exist courtesy of Iuz and his magic.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

The Heartland of the Empire of Iuz (partial territories)

1,900,000 = 50 IC

The Empire of Iuz (other territories)

Bandit Kingdoms: 900,000 = 21 IC
Horned Society: 800,000 = 18 IC
Shield Lands: 60,000 = 1.4 IC
Stonehold: 220,000 = 5.2 IC
Tenh: 400,000 = 9 IC
The Barrens: 120,000 = 2.5 IC
The Bluff Hills: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Burneal Forest: 70,000 = 1.2 IC
The Fellreev Forest: 35,000 = 0.7 IC
The Forlorn Forest 15,000 = 0.3 IC
The Boneheart: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Boneshadow: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Legion of Black Death: (unknown) = N/A
The Black Unicorns: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: BLUISH-GREY
Territories on map: Large areas of the north central Flanaess

PLAYER NOTES:

'Horned Society: Former rulers and traditional rivals to Iuz, the Horned Society lost its lands to the demigods. Known for devil worship and the worship of evil deities, there is a concern that the dispersed organization may have people in many lands. Also, some members still fight against Iuz from within his empire.'

(None yet)

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THOMAS HOBBES

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E-Mail (with permission) ternashandrik@yahoo.com
PC: unknown
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Aliador - this extremely secret and ancient nation under the Griff Mountains (and thus, directly under Paxus' holdings) represents large forces of extraordinarily potent elves, large forces of extraordinarily potent wondrous beings, sizeable forces of extraordinarily potent good elven undead, large forces of faerie, and possibly other forces.
- Celene - this represents large forces of elves, large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, large numbers of treants and sentient trees and plants, and possibly other allies
- The Lendore Isles - these represent large forces of elves, large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, sizeable forces of celestials from Arborea, Elysium and other upper planes, sizeable numbers of treants and sentient trees and plants, small forces of good undead, possible underwater allies around the Isles, and possibly other allies.
- The Knights of Luna - this knightly order is elvish, based out of Celene, and represents a sizeable force of elves and elven allies.
- The People of the Testing - this represents a sizeable force of very potent elves.
- The Theocracy of the Pale - this represents a militant lawful neutral church and it's followers (Pholtus is their diety), large forces of humans, and possible small forces of allies of every type.
- The Yeomanry - this represents large forces of humans, small forces of demihumans, and possibly other allies.
- The Church of Tritherion - (need a description)
- The Silver Coins - these are the Good counterparts to the Circle of Eight. These represent a cabal of powerful good wizards, and large forces of allies, servants, and constructs of every kind devoted to them.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Aliador: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE (Note from Edena: but it's IC should be ENORMOUS)
Celene: 280,000 = 8 IC
Lendore Isles: 80,000 = 2 IC
The Knights of Luna: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The People of the Testing: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE
The Theocracy of the Pale: 700,000 = 19 IC
The Yeomanry: 610,000 = 18 IC
The Church of Tritherion: (unknown) = N/A
The Silver Coins: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy:: WATERY BLUE
Territories on map: powers in the southwest and northeast Flanaess. The Lendore Isles (just off-map to the east, see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif )

PLAYER NOTES:

'There seems to be no one person that will leap out as an uber-PC, except for perhaps the Bard/Evangelist who will be the current leader of the Church. And he will be pretty uber, but not in the Smiting way, like the wolf-god or Iuz. Very, very, very inspirational and diplomatic, perhaps. (Convert! Convert! Convert!) In any case, I have little to no idea how to use the epic rules, I'll not do anything further stats-wise unless someone points out something really appropriate (although he will pick up Legendary Commander and Epic Leadership, for the obvious reasons). Other important PCs will be Queen Yolande of Celene, and maybe the Freeholder of Yeomanry. Not big stats-wise, I expect, but worth noting as a roleplaying thing.'

'Concerning Aliador, refer to the High History of the Flanaess URL and the History of the Elves URL. Aliador is a POWERFUL nation.'

'The People of the Testing: A group of Elven mystics from throughout the Flanaess, these elves have passed under the Moonarch of Sehanine. The Moonarch appears in different places when Oerth's lesser moon, Celene, is full. So far, the Moonarch has only appeared in random locations in Northern Celene. They seem to have gained rare knowledge and magic. The most well known member is Elraniel Tesmarien (CG, male elf, Wiz 13.) They also have a presence in Sunndi.'

'Knights of Luna: This is an order in Celene, led by Melf, Prince Brightflame of Celene (NG, male elf, Wizard 14/Ftr 4) They strongly support the fight to restore Ulek's orders, oppose Iuz, and have a good working relationship with the Knights of the Hart.'

'The Silver Coins: Often identified by a silver coin with arcane symbols, this organization was founded by the Archmage Tenser to be a good aligned counterpart to the Circle of Eight ? with which it maintains contact and a friendly rivalry. Like the Circle of Eight, the Silver Coins have a good intelligence network supplemented by magic. Their primary goal is to oppose Iuz and other evil organizations, while promoting goodness.'

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VENUS

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E-Mail (with permission) mabisschops@hotmail.com
PC: unknown
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Orcreich - this represents a very large force of orcs of unknown alignment, and unknown additional forces and allies
- Lower Khanate - (need a description)
- Upper Khanate - (need a description)

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES

Orcreich: 7,100,000 = 180 IC
Lower Khanate: 2,000,000 = 50 IC
Upper Khanate: 4,200,000 = 100 IC


Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: INDIGO
Color on map desired by Venus: UNKNOWN
Territories on map: No on-map territories. Off-map territories to the far west: see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

PLAYER NOTES:

'There is a refence to two nations west of the Baklunish lands. Komal is on the other side of the gulf that has the Sultanate of Zeif. There is also a reference to another land, Mur, where the ancestors of the Tiger Nomads and the Wolf Nomads came from a few centuries after the Invoked Devastation.'

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WILLIAM

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E-Mail (with permission) williamwronald@aol.com
PC: Al'Akbar, Demigod of the Baklunish, lawful good
Hero dieties: Azor'alq, Daoud. (NOTE: CLAIM DENIED BY SERPENTEYE)
Artifacts: The Cup of Al'Akbar, the Talisman of Al'Akbar (NOTE: ARTIFACTS GIVEN TO XAEL BY SERPENTEYE)

Powers:

- The Baklunish Empire of Al'Akbar, representing all of the nations and areas given below:

- The Baklunish Nations, Peoples, and Regions (Ekbir, Ket, the Plains of the Paynims, Tusmit, Ull, Zeif: the Bakhoury Coast, the Dry Steppes: the Araphad Islands, the Janasib Islands, the Qayah-Bureis Islands: Lake Udrukankar: the Ullsprue Mountains, the Banner Hills, the Tusman Hills, the Yecha Hills: Bramblewood Forest, Udgru Forest: the (ruined) ancient city of Tovag Barague and it's Standing Stones along Lake Udrukankar: the Mouquollad Consortium) - these together represent very large forces of humans, large forces of demihumans of all types, large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, small forces of treants, small forces of faerie, undersea allies in large force from the Drawmij Ocean, and very likely other forces.
- the Isles of Azor'alq (resting ground of the legendary first dynasty of the Baklunish Empire) - these represent sizeable forces of dragons, large forces of wondrous beings, large forces of good and neutral animals, possibly small human forces, and possibly large celestial forces
- The Barrier Peaks - these represent small forces of humans, small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, very small forces of faerie, and possibly other forces.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Ekbir: 4,000,000 = 102 IC
Ket: 525,000 = 12 IC
Plains of the Paynims: 1,000,000 = 18 IC
Tusmit: 600,000 = 15 IC
Ull: 550,000 = 11 IC
Zeif: 3,400,000 = 80 IC
The Bakhoury Coast: 50,000 = 1 IC
The Dry Steppes: 60,000 = 0.7 IC
The Araphad Islands: 15,000 = 0.3 IC
The Islands of Azzor 'alq: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Janasib Islands: 20,000 = 0.4 IC
The Qayah-Bureis Islands: 10,000 = 0.2 IC
The Ullsprue Mountains: 30,000 = 0.5 IC
The Banner Hills: 50,000 = 1.1 IC
The Tusman Hills: 46,000 = 1 IC
The Yecha Hills: 6,000 = 0.1 IC
Bramblewood Forest: 40,000 = 0.8 IC
Udgru Forest: 30,000 = 0.7 IC
Tovag Baragu: 2,100,000 = 50 IC
The Mouquollad Consortium: NO RULING FROM SERPENTEYE

The Barrier Peaks: 50,000 = 1 IC

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: TANNISH-ORANGE
Territories on map: Some on-map territories in the north. Most of the west and northwest territory on the map, stretching offmap to the west and northwest, including islands in the Drawmij Ocean, see http://members.aol.com/cathbhadhx/tsroerth.gif

PLAYER NOTES:

'As I ran my choice of a PC past Serpenteye, let me introduce him to you. As I read up on the Baklunish, their history, and their culture, I realized that there was someone who could bring unity to them. Someone who helped them greatly in the days of the Invoked Devastation, devoted himself to his people and the Baklunish gods, founded cities, and was honored by all his people. I claim the demigod Al'Akbar, the High Cleric, Restorer of Righteousness, lawful good demigod of guardianship, faithfulness, dignity, and duty. His domains are Good, Healing, Law, and Protection. His weapon is the falchion.'

'The Island of Azor'alq: Golden, faerie, pseudo-, silver, and mist dragons are all appropriate residents. Rocs, giant eagles, and a phoenix or two may also be included. These live in relative harmony, foraging outward for fish, whales, or even for food on the mainland. All are concerned that no rumor of the Pinnacles reach the outside world, and will either strand or kill intruders (depending on alignment and circumstances) if they possibly can. Treasures to be found include not only the precious things gathered by the intelligent inhabitants but also certain orchids and birds-of-paradise. Some of the latter have been bred by the longer-lived dragons and are regarded as personal property. The guardians and treasures of the interior should be powerful (possibly undead), and the exterior inhabitants do not wish them to be disturbed. The isle may have human inhabitants.'

'Mouquollad Consortium: The great Baklunish merchant houses belong to this group, and have offices in many cities throughout the Flanaess. Members include clerics of Mouquol, god of commerce, wizards, warriors and rogues.'

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XAEL

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E-Mail (with permission) Xael_Xorlarrin@hotmail.com
PC: Mordenkainen the Magnificent, Wizard 27th Level, neutral
Artifacts: The Silver Key of Portals, The Cup of Al'Akbar, the Talisman of Al'Akbar

Powers:

- Calrune - this centaur nation (capital Arlune) occupies the entire coastal region of the Vesve where it borders the Whyestil Sea, and represents sizeable forces of centaurs, small forces of demihumans, small forces of humans, small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, and small forces of faerie.
- Chauntosbergen - this dwarven city holds the Clatspurs around, and represents large forces of dwarves, small forces of gnomes, and sizeable forces of wondrous beings.
- Delrune - this elven nation (capital Delpheel) occupies the northern two-thirds of the Vesve, has numerous cities and towns, and represents large elven forces, large forces of neutral and good animals, sizeable forces of wondrous beings, large forces of treants, large forces of sentient trees and plants, and large forces of faerie.
- Highfolk - this represents large forces of high elves, small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, and possibly other forces
- Perrenland - this represents sizeable numbers of flannae humans and small forces of demihumans
- Valley of the Mage - this represents a powerful wizard, sizeable forces of non-evil drow, small but potent forces of constructs, and possibly other forces.
- The Lands of the Tiger Nomads - these represent sizeable forces of baklunish humans and sizeable forces of animals and wondrous beings.
- The Lands of the Wolf Nomads - these represent sizeable forces of oeridian humans and sizeable forces of animals and wondrous beings.
- The Yatil Mountains - these represent small forces of humans, small forces of good and neutral animals, large forces of wondrous beings, and other forces of an unknown an exotic nature.
- The Sepia Uplands - these represent sizeable forces of demihumans (mostly dwarves and gnomes) and small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings.
- The Burneal Forest - this subarctic forest represents small forces of good humans and demihumans, large forces of neutral animals, small forces of good animals, small forces of wondrous beings, and small forces of faerie. Large evil forces of many kinds inhabit this forest, in opposition to Xael's allies here.
- The Vesve Forest - this represents large forces of elves and other demihumans, large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, large numbers of treants and sentient trees and plants, large forces of faerie, and sizeable forces of humans.
- Morkenkainen and the Circle of Eight - these represent 9 very powerful wizards (alignment and plans unknown) and their small but extremely potent allies of every kind and nature.
- The Knights of the Hart - this knightly order is based out of the Vesve, and represents sizeable forces of humans, and sizeable forces of demihumans.
- The Obsidian Citadel - this is the home fortress of Mordenkainen, and represents sizeable forces of an unknown but potent nature.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Calrune: 25,000 centaur, 8,000 demihuman, 3,000 human, 1,000 faerie: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE ON IC
Chauntosbergen: 560,000 dwarves, 130,000 gnomes: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE ON IC
Delrune: 750,000 elves, 10,000 faerie: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE ON IC
Highfolk: 100,000 = 2.5 IC
Perrenland: 1,000,000 = 23 IC
The Valley of the Mage: 25,000 = 0.6 IC
The Tiger Nomads: 200,000 = 4 IC
The Wolf Nomads: 240,000 = 4 IC
The Yatil Mountains: 450,000 = 13 IC
The Sepia Uplands: 50,000 = 1 IC
The Burneal Forest: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Vesve Forest: 1,200,000 = 25 IC
The Circle of Eight: = N/A
The Knights of the Hart: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE
The Obsidian Citadel: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: DARK GREEN
Territories on map: powers in the northwest Flanaess

PLAYER NOTES:

'The Circle of Eight: Led by Mordenkainen (Neutral, Human male, Wizard), this organization has fought such evils as Iuz and the Scarlet Brotherhood, even while pursuing its own agendas. Other members include Bigby (Neutral, Human male, 19th level wizard), Otto (Neutral, W15/Cleric of Boccob 3rd), Jallazi Sallavarian (NG, Human female, W15), Dwamij (N, human male, W 18), Nystul (N, Male Human, W 17, Warnes Starcoat (N, Male Wizard, Level 20), Alhamazad the Wise (LN, male Human, W 19), and Theodan Eriason (CN, male elf, W 17.) Mordenkainen is still on friendly terms with Tenser (LG, male human, Wizard 21) who left the Circle of Eight to found his own organization dedicated to fighting Iuz and other evils. The Circle of Eight is known to have a good intelligence network, aided by magical means. Tenser has a similar network.'

'Knights of the Hart: This order is further broken down into the Knights of Furyondy, the Knights of Veluna, and the knights of the High Forest. They have vowed to oppose Iuz.'

'The Obsidian Fortress is the home of Mordenkainen the Magnificent, and is located somewhere in the Yatil Mountains. Needless to say, it is immensely well protected by magic, and probably boasts a sizeable army all of it's own. As Mordenkainen's command center, it is filled with people dedicated to infiltration, intelligence, divination, and otherwise carrying out the will of Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight.'

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ZELDA THEMELIN (Zelda and Airwhale are working together, running a single power)

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E-Mail (with permission) zelda@dlc.fi
PC: unknown
Artifacts: unknown

Powers:

- Nation of Ratik - these represent sizeable forces of rangers and mostly good humans, large forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants, and sizeable forces of faerie.
- The Frost Barbarians - these represent sizeable forces of suel humans of a neutral bent, and sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings. This nation is famous for it's viking style ships.
- The Ice Barbarians - these represent small forces of suel humans of a neutral bent, and small forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings.
- The Snow Barbarians - these represent sizeable forces of suel humans of a good/neutral tinge, sizeable forces of good and neutral animals and wondrous beings, treants, and small forces of faerie. The nation is also famous for it's viking style ships.
- Friendly ports on Oerth - these are spelljamming ports outside some of the major cities on Oerth, and serve as major centers of commerce with the rest of Oerth, along with providing planetside havens and reststops for the spelljamming races.
- Kule (Celene, the Handmaiden), Oerth's nearest moon (claimed if it has an atmosphere) (under survellance if it doesn't have an atmosphere)
- The town of Triumph on Raenei (Luna), Oerth's farther moon - this represents a small force of humans/demihumans and a spelljammer port.
- Numerous asteroids in the Grinder, including the whole of Ceres the largest asteroid - these represent very large forces of all the spelljamming races, and many spelljamming ports.
- Friendly relations with Edill (Edill is not claimed - Edill represents INCREDIBLE forces of good dragons, and possibly other forces)
- The World of Ginsel - this represent the heart of the Triple Alliance, very large forces of humans, sizeable forces of demihumans, possible very large forces of mercenary gith, possible underwater forces, possibly other forces, and large numbers of spelljamming ports.
- The World of Greela - this represents Cenbreadine the Elven Ship Growing Shipyard, large forces of elves, small forces of humans, and small forces of neutral and good giants
- The Disk World of Spectre - this cold world represents large dwarven forces mining magical metals, small forces of humans, and small forces of tinker gnomes from Krynnspace who maintain a Giant Hampster ranch.

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF TERRITORIES:

Ratik 280,000 = 7 IC
Frost Barbarians 300,000 = 5 IC
Ice Barbarians 300,000 = 4 IC
Snow Barbarians 400,000 = 8 IC
Allies in the Port Cities on Oerth: 600 = 0 IC.
Kule (Celene), Oerth's nearer moon (under surveillance) 0 = 0 IC.
Triumph on Raenei (Luna), Oerth's farther moon: 6,000 = 1 IC.
The Asteroids, including Ceres, in the Grinder: 340,000 = 8 IC.
Friendly relations with Edill: unknown = unknown IC (and Edill is not claimed)
The World of Ginsel: 2,500,000 = 72 IC.
The World of Greela: 400,500 = 12 IC.
The Disk World of Spectre: 320,000 = 9 IC.
The Dwarven Citadels: Claim Disallowed

Color on map according to Guilt Puppy: TANNISH
Territories on map: No on-map territories. Off-map, up in Wildspace

PLAYER NOTES:

'Ginsel, the Crescent-shaped earth planet and our main base of operations, has a population of over 6 million humans, and a smattering of demi-humans. It is only 1/16th the surface area of Oerth, about 3 million square miles. 25% of that is water. It is mineral rich, more so per cubic foot than Oerth, (though Oerth's larger mass means that it has many more deposits).'

'When the crystal sphere was sealed off 20 years ago, grayspace went into a major panic. There was rioting and looting on many of the human settlements, the arcane were sealed off from the rest of their race, the elven shipyard was cut off from the imperial navy, and trade ground to a halt. During this time, the Beholder nations, the nogi and the mind flayers begin to flourish, as their opponent/food was disorganized. The Free Traders, the remains of the elvish Imperial navy, and the recently unified nation of Ginsel came together and decided to forge an alliance, to remove these groups from Grayspace. We are that triple alliance, mainly made up of elves, humans, and dwarves. After a great war lasting about 10 years, we now rule space uncontested.
So, here is a list of planets in grayspace, where they were 20 years ago, and what has happened to them in the twenty years that the crystal sphere has been sealed.
Oerth:
The center of the sphere, both metaphorically and literally. Not much more needs to be said here.
Kule (?) 10 million miles (2 hours to Oerth) (Celene, the Handmaiden)
The closest 'moon' to Oerth (technically, everything is a moon to Oerth)
Kule has the remnants of a great civilization, apparently wiped out by some great magical war/catastrophe. Zelda and I are in disagreement as to if this moon has an atmosphere, but the Grayspace supplement says it has none. It is a void world. There is some activity in the underdark of this moon, and it's underdark resembles the underdark of Oerth, though the two are completely separate.
If there is an atmosphere, we lay claim to this planet. If there is not one, we don't, but we keep it under surveillance.
Raenei - 20 million miles (7 hours to Oerth) (Luna)
The second moon, Ranei resembles Oerth, It is not as oxygen rich, and sages believe that this has hindered the growth of intelligent life on this planet. Most of the planet is filled with monsters, however, there is a settlement here, named Triumph, started from a crash landed spelljammer ship. 20 years ago, they were xenophobic to outsiders.
As the cost of Bronzewood has increased the past 20 years, the free traders have placed a logging settlement here, and that has merged with the town of triumph. They are less xenophobic now then they were, but still live a hard existence.
We claim this. Maybe 1000 people at most? I?m not sure if we should even get any IC from it, honestly.
Liga (Sun)
Fueled by a large portal to the plane of elemental fire (note: does that mean the sun has winked out?J) and kept in check by many small portals to the plane of water, Liga is home to a few dozen efferit. These efferent have a single spelljamming ship, (made of brass) and are internally divided about if they want to just explore or attempt to conquer all of Grayspace.
Nothing-new here. We do not lay claim to the sun.
The moth (Anti-liga)
A burnt out star, basically a large rock. Really hot on one side, really cold on the other. Nothing ever happens here, really
The Grinder (all spacefaring races, undead, other)
We hold several asteroid bases here, and the largest asteroid, Ceres, is the headquarters of the free traders. I have no clue how much population this is, but we claim it =)
Edill (dragons, avians, other reptiles)
Edill has more dragons in it then the rest of Grayspace, Realmspace, and Krynnspace combined. These dragons are of all colors, though 95% are metallic, and 5% are chromatic. All of the dragons tend to be 1.5 times the size and hit dice of their planet bound cousins, and are less territorial and highly social. When you realize this means that ancient red dragons go out in hunting flocks, you know how scary that is. 20 years ago, the red dragons were attempting to procure spelljamming technology from goblins.
I suggest the red dragons have perfected the spelljamming fleets, have managed to acquire the steam-technology from before the war ended in Grayspace, and are now harassing the metallics with it.
We do not claim Edill. We are friendly with the Metallics, however.
Gnibile (undead)
Gnibile has many portals to the negative elemental plane, and the quasi elemental planes. This Air sphere is filled with non-spelljamming undead, (They had acquired 12 ships 20 years ago, however. We are assuming that these 12 ships were destroyed in the war)
We do not lay claim to Gnibile.
Conatha (sahaugin, mermen, other aquatic creatures)
This water sphere is the home of native mermen, intelligent whales (int 7), and introduced sahaugin. The sahugin are vicious, have chased the merfolk to the two earth bodys in the center of the sphere, and have formed nations and are constantly warring with each other. There are hundreds of thousands , maybe even millions sahugin here, much less merfolk.
No one here is space capable, so we have basically ignored this planet. We do not lay claim to Conatha
Ginsel (predominantly humans, with some demihumans)
Ginsel used to be a Machiavellian society known for it's sharp merchants and nasty politics. After the gods went silent and the sphere closed, riots rocked the planet, and it was not until a charismatic King/Queen managed to quell the people and place them under one flag that they stopped.
Ginsel is the Heart of the triple alliance. It is second only to Oerth in terms of importance in the system.
We claim all of Ginsel.
Borka (orcs, goblins, other humanoids)
Borka used to be a world much like Oerth, except the goblinoids rose to the highest levels of evolution, instead of the humans. They developed a space fleet, and went to war with the elves.
The elves used the equivalent of High magic to completely destroy the planet, and it is now a cluster body. Most of the orcs are dead, though many remain on the cluster. This all happened in recent history, about 80 or so years ago.
We do not claim Borka.
Greela (predominately humans and elves, smattering of other
demihuman races, few non-evil giants and giantkin)
Greela, another cluster earth body, was primarily home to human miners, and the Elven Ship growing facility, Cenbreadine. Cenbreadine was the major source for ships in the Imperial fleet. Now shut off from the rest of the elves, Cenbreadine found itself with tons of ships, but no one to fly them. They were eventually convinced by the rest of the alliance to allow (gasp) humans to pilot their ships.
Greela is the seat of the remains of the Elfish imperial navy, and as such, is the second most important planet in the alliance. We claim all of it, including the human miners and the giants.
The Spectre - 4000 million miles (40 days from Oerth)
The Specter, a disk planet close to the edge of the sphere, used to be a major trading point, and had represenitives from every race on it, good and evil. Today, The evil settlements have been wiped out, most of the good settlements have moved to the warmer climes of Ginsel, Greela, or Oerth, and there are many ghost towns here. The Free traders main base used to be here, now it is in Ceres of the Grinder. Some humans decided to stay, unwilling to leave there dreary home. There is still a large Dwarvish mining operation going on here, extracting some sort of magical metal. There is also a colony of Tinker gnomes here, who maintain a giant hampster ranch.
Dwarven citadels:
While dwarves have mainly intregrated into human society, we do have a dozen citidels who have joined with us.
We lay claim to Specter.'

[/sblock]

POPULATIONS AND IC VALUES OF UNCLAIMED TERRITORIES

Continent of Anakeris (NO RULING ON IC BY SERPENTEYE YET)

(As stated by Serpenteye)

The Isle of the Phoenix and other semi-legendary countries that are not on any of our maps will be claimable if we run out of claimable countries that are already on the list (or at least featured on the maps). Those of you who feel like you could use a bit more power are free to claim artifacts (which either clearly belongs in your "niche" or are officially owned by individuals in your territory or under your control), various organizations or individuals (according to the same citeria), or whole countries.

Continent of Aquaria (NO RULING ON IC BY SERPENTEYE YET)

(as stated by Serpenteye)

The Isle of the Phoenix and other semi-legendary countries that are not on any of our maps will be claimable if we run out of claimable countries that are already on the list (or at least featured on the maps). Those of you who feel like you could use a bit more power are free to claim artifacts (which either clearly belongs in your "niche" or are officially owned by individuals in your territory or under your control), various organizations or individuals (according to the same citeria), or whole countries.

Isle of the Phoenix (NO RULING ON IC BY SERPENTEYE YET)

(as stated by Serpenteye) The Isle of the Phoenix and other semi-legendary countries that are not on any of our maps will be claimable if we run out of claimable countries that are already on the list (or at least featured on the maps). Those of you who feel like you could use a bit more power are free to claim artifacts (which either clearly belongs in your "niche" or are officially owned by individuals in your territory or under your control), various organizations or individuals (according to the same citeria), or whole countries.

Corusk Mountains of the Flanaess: 300,000 = 4 IC
Interior Amedio Jungle of the Flanaess: 540,000 = 8 IC
Celestial Imperium: 19,800,000 = 480 IC
Dragons Island: 700,000 = 20 IC

Erypt: 6,560,000 = 170 IC

(As set forth by James) Erypt is definitely an Egyptian flavored place in true "change a few letters" Greyhawk-fashion, and we've already got Serpenteye declaring ancient artifacts in the sands for this IR.

The tribes of Enllaves: 1,200,000 = 17 IC

(As set forth by James) The Enllave tribesmen are "proud desert nomads who eke out a living on a high plateau that escapes the worst heat of the sand sea. A few tribes-men live in mud-brick towns built around central squares that contain steep-sided pyramids. I have never learned whether the pyramids serve as monuments, tombs, temples, or something else altogether."
... given their proximity to the Enllave tribes who seem to be making monuments vaguely similar to some of the depictions of pyramids from that area.

The Red Kingdom: 5,700,000 = 150 IC

(As set forth by James) The Red Kingdom is perhaps as large as old Furund, and looks like a buffer state caught in the middle of the Ennlave tribes, Ishtarland, the Eryptians, and barbarians to the south. On the other hand it could sufficiently retired from the forces of all of those beside Ishtarland and the Ennlave tribespeople that an amorphously vague border might be in order.
The Skip Williams document has this to say:
Red Kingdom: This land is so named for the color of its rocks. It's inhabitants remain unknown to me.

Ishtarland: 8,790,000 = 230 IC

(As set forth by James) Ishtarland is "A land watered by southern storms and at least two great rivers. The city of Ishtar vies with the merchants of Lynn and the warlords of Tharquish for control of coastal trade."
Ishtarland could be modelled after the Nubian seafaring kingdoms fairly safely.

The Tharquish Empire: 10,400,000 = 290 IC
The Tarquish Dominions: 6,390,000 = 150 IC

(As set forth by James) The Tharquish Empire is an empire consisting of several massive islands, most likely of a fairly temperate and pleasant climate if occasionally a bit wet because they're basically at the joining of the Oceanum Titanicum to the south and the Solnor to the north. They control the Tarquis Dominions, which are lands on the coast south of the mountain range that separates Lynn from Ishtarland.
The Skip Williams document has this to say:
Tarquis Dominions: An ancient protectorate of the Tharquish Empire.
Tharquish Empire: An island nation of seafarers who have ambitions that extend to the neighboring continents.
So...the Tharquishite warlords probably have a fairly green kingdom compared to most of the rest of the western Oerthian nations.
As a jump of conclusions then, I'd say that either the Oerthians of a completely separate descent from the Flanaess humans probably started somewhere in the crux of that mountain range or that one of the great migrating ethnicities of Oerth actually started off much further off than western Flan maps could indicate. I think interesting candidates for the latter would be the Olman (explains why the Touv were able to kick their behinds out of Hepmonland) and the Baklunish, but also think that since the Tharquish are implied to have been imports from the Flanaess that it would seem to be fairly cool if they were Pure Flan, the anti-Flan, the exception that discards the rule - "We spit on nature, give me grog!"

The Barbarian Seameast: 7,400,000 = 110 IC

Old Faith: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE

(As set forth by William) Old Faith: Centered on the worship of Beory and other deities, this great druidic organization commands great respect.

Old Lore: NO RULING BY SERPENTEYE

(As set forth by William) Old Lore: This group of bards, associated with the Old Faith, is known for its skills in fighting and stealth. Unlike many other bards, they cast druidic spells. They are mostly Flan of noble birth.

The Emerald Order:

(As set forth by Edena) The Emerald Order - this is a mysterious organization of Good devoted to the preservation of the natural world of plants and animals, even as they seek to return the Oerth to a state of verdant green beauty and richness. They represent a large force of Good clerics, druids, mages, rangers, and others, and large forces of good and neutral animals, large forces of wondrous beings, large forces of treants and sentient trees and plants, and large forces of faerie.
(As set forth by William) 'The Emerald Order: This organization is dedicated to the preservation of Oerth's natural environment. It is very similar to the Emerald Enclave on Toril.'

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Again, if permission is given publicly by each player in question I will post their e-mails on the list above.
I'll look back through pages 1 through 7 of the previous thread, and update the info above further.

Nac Mac Feegle, welcome to the 5th IR! Hey there.

Eluvan: I had your faction ready, and you switched! Bummer. I liked your Infiltrator group. They were neat. The history, the whole thing, was cool.

Forsaken One, could you clarify which countries on-map and off-map you hold, and what races you represent? I know you have a strong power. If only my drow regernerated like trolls ...

Devilish? Demon Athiest? Gnomeworks? Mr. Draco? You'all there? (?)

Melkor, if you are interested in the Solistarim, remember I described them on page 7 of the last thread.

Does anyone know where Black Omega, Festy Dog, John Brown, and Kalanyr are? They might be interested in the IR, if they knew about it.

 

[Anabstercorian]

Set my color on the map to white, if possible.

Guilt Puppy, the link says map-test. Will another version of the map be produced before the game starts?

 

[William Ronald]

Edena of Neith originally posted:
Again, if permission is given publicly by each player in question I will post their e-mails on the list above.
I'll look back through pages 1 through 7 of the previous thread, and update the info above further.

Nac Mac Feegle, welcome to the 5th IR! Hey there.

Eluvan: I had your faction ready, and you switched! Bummer. I liked your Infiltrator group. They were neat. The history, the whole thing, was cool.

Forsaken One, could you clarify which countries on-map and off-map you hold, and what races you represent? I know you have a strong power. If only my drow regernerated like trolls ...

Devilish? Demon Athiest? Gnomeworks? Mr. Draco? You'all there? (?)

Melkor, if you are interested in the Solistarim, remember I described them on page 7 of the last thread.

Does anyone know where Black Omega, Festy Dog, John Brown, and Kalanyr are? They might be interested in the IR, if they knew about it.

Well, Eluvan can still hold onto Greyhawk if he wishes -- or another faction may claim it. (I will comment on it in one of my next few posts.) A good or neutral player for Greyhawk may wish to claim Zagyg as a demigod and leader.

Welcome to Bugbear, Melkor and Nac Mac Feegle. It is good to see you again, Bugbear. Good to see you here as well, Melkor.

I have left messages on another board for Black Omega. I e-mailed Kalanyr and Festy Dog, but have not heard from either of them. John Brown e-mailed me and he won't be joing in, as I recall, but he may stop in. Plus another IR player said he may stop by to visit.

 

[William Ronald]

Mega post 1: A brief history of the Greyhawk Wars and their aftermath

Hi, Edena:

I will have to see about getting rid of some of the expired links. I got rid of some late last week.

Can you add an important link to the resources post. It's the link for the RPGA's Living Greyhawk campaign at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg. It can provide some information on different countries. (Of course, if people want a book, I recommend the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer.)

This is the first of a few posts that I have worked on during the evening to provide some ideas and insights. So, here it is.

A summary of the Greyhawk Wars

In Common Year 582, Iuz impersonates the Suel god Vatun and spurs the Northern Barbarians to attack the Hold of Stonefist. Iuz next uses magic to dominate the leader of Stonefist and invade the Duchy of Tenh. The Northern Barbarians leave, but Tenh becomes a battleground between the Tenha, the Pale, Iuz, and Stonehold. In the meantime, Iuz defeats the Horned Society, and seizes the lands of the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms.

At the same time, Ivid V of the Great Kingdom moves against Almor and the Iron League. Almor and Sunndi were conquered but Nyrond repels the Overking’s forces. At the same time, there is infighting and the Overking’s forces attacked Rel Astra. Ivid begins killing his nobles and bringing them back as undead, only to suffer a similar fate. He is renamed Ivid the Undying.

In 594 CY, the Pomarj seizes half of the Principality of Ulek and destroys most of the free cities of the Wild Coast. Celene fails to heed the calls of its allies in the Ulek state for help.

At the same time, the Scarlet Brotherhood conquers the Hold of the Sea Princes, the Lordship of the Isles, Idee and Onwall. The war concludes as different nations sign the Pact of Greyhawk, shortly after Rary, a member of the Circle of Eight, kills his colleagues Tenser and Otiluke at the peace conference.

Despite the pact, some of the fighting continues. The war between the Pomarj and the Principality of Ulek continues. Nyrond absorbs most of what is left of Almor. In 586, Canon Hazen of Veluna uses the Crook of Rao in a ritual that banishes most of the fiends summoned by Ivid, Iuz, and other evil powers. King Belvor III of Furyondy captures the easternmost parts of the Shield Lands from Iuz.

Iuz suffers a further setback in 587, when the ruler of Stonehold is mysteriously freed of the Old One’s magical influences. Stonehold declares Iuz an enemy. The Scarlet Brotherhood and the Great Kingdom also face setbacks. A magical field surrounds Rauxes, capitol of the Great Kingdom. No one knew what became of the city or its ruler. The Great Kingdom splits into two hostile states.

The Scarlet Brotherhood looses all of Onnwal except for its capitol, Scant. Ahlissa, a successor to the Great Kingdom, takes the city of Idee from the Scarlet Brotherhood. Meanwhile, the Hold of the Sea Princes erupts into civil war. Sunndi breaks free in 589 CY to become an independent Kingdom.

 

[William Ronald]

Greyhawk Organizations

Greyhawk Organizations

This was circa the release of the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer and some of the stats may be subject to change. Also, I tried to create some new organizations based on what I know of the World of Greyhawk.

Bonehearts and Boneshadow: Iuz’s clerics and wizards are known as the Boneheart, while his rogues and spies are called the Boneshadow.

The Circle of Eight: Led by Mordenkainen (Neutral, Human male, Wizard 27), this organization has fought such evils as Iuz and the Scarlet Brotherhood, even while pursuing its own agendas and seeking a balance of power among factions. Other members include Bigby (Neutral, Human male, 19th level wizard), Otto (Neutral, W15/Cleric of Boccob 3rd), Jallazi Sallavarian (NG, Human female, W15), Dwamij (N, human male, W 18), Nystul (N, Male Human, W 170, Warnes Starcoat (N, Male Wizard, Level 20), Alhamazad the Wise (LN, male Human, W 19), and Theodan Eriason (CN, male elf, W 17.) Mordenkainen is still on friendly terms with Tenser (LG, male human, Wizard 21) who left the Circle of Eight to found his own organization dedicated to fighting Iuz and other evils. The Circle of Eight is known to have a good intelligence network, aided by magical means. Tenser has a similar network.

Horned Society: Former rulers and traditional rivals to Iuz, the Horned Society lost its lands to the demigods. Known for devil worship and the worship of evil deities, there is a concern that the dispersed organization may have people in many lands. Also, some members still fight against Iuz from within his empire. (This faction might be great for a lawful evil power seeking an alliance with devils. Mind you, as with any factions, you have to keep their goals in mind. So, Iuz is not their favorite person.)

Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom: Once a great order in the Kingdom of Aerdi, they fell into decline. The order was traditionally split between follows of Heironeous and Hextor. Their goal was the preservation of the Great Kingdom. Most of its members now live in Ratik or in Nyrond. This is an order of lawful knights. The rulers of the North Kingdom might support an order worshipping Hextor, but not the Heironeans. So, this order is likely split – one wanting an evil Great Kingdom and others supporting states that evolved from the Great Kingdom. The latter may desire to rid their land of evil by supporting Almor (some of which is now a province of Nyrond) or Ratik. So, this is a faction several players can claim – including the Nyrond faction and the Great Kingdom faction.

Knights of the Hart: This order is further broken down into the Knights of Furyondy, the Knights of Veluna, and the knights of the High Forest. They have vowed to oppose Iuz.

Knights of Holy Shielding: This group once ruled the Shield Lands before Iuz triumphed over them. They are lead by Lady Katarina of Walworth and by her chidr aid Knight Bnanneret Incossee of the Bronze Band (LG male human, Ftr 13) a Flan General. Many are paladins, fighters or clerics of Heironeous.

Knights of Luna: This is an order in Celene, led by Melf, Prince Brightflame of Celene (NG, male elf, Wizard 14/Ftr 4) They strongly support the fight to restore Ulek’s orders, oppose Iuz, and have a good working relationship with the Knights of the Hart.

Knights of the Watch: Traditionally suspicious of barbarian Baklunish raiders, and too often prejudiced against the Baklunish, they are lead by the Grandiose Imperial Wyvern Hugo of Geoff (LN, Fighter 16). Popular deities among its membership are St. Cuthmbert, Heironeous, Pholtus, Allitur, and Mahayeine. They are split between the Knights of the Watch and the less traditional Knights of Dispatch, who do not hate the Baklunish but hate those who have invaded Geoff as well as Iuz. The Knights of the Watch tend to be mystically inclined and comprised of fighters, clerics, and paladins, while the Knights of the Dispatch tend to have more fighters, rangers, clerics and rogues. (I suspect that the Knights of the Dispatch would become dominant as they are more open to innovation. The order is quite mysterious and claims mystical knowledge. In some ways, they seem to parallel the real world Knights Templar.)

Mouquollad Consortium: The great Baklunish merchant houses belong to this group, and have offices in many cities throughout the Flanaess. Members include clerics of Mouquol, god of commerce, wizards, warriors and rogues.

Old Faith: Centered on the worship of Beory and other deities, this great druidic organization commands great respect .

Old Lore: This group of bards, associated with the Old Faith, is known for its skills in fighting and stealth. Unlike many other bards, they cast druidic spells. They are mostly Flan of noble birth.

The People of the Testing: A group of Elven mystics from throughout the Flanaess, these elves have passed under the Moonarch of Sehanine. The Moonarch appears in different places when Oerth’s lesser moon, Celene, is full. So far, the Moonarch has only appeared in random locations in Northern Celene. They seem to have gained rare knowledge and magic. The most well known member is Elraniel Tesmarien (CG, male elf, Wiz 13.) They also have a presence in Sunndi.

The Silent Ones of Keoland: This order of mages and diviners possess some of the last of Suel magic. The Tower of Silence rises hundreds of feet into the air in a location a day’s ride from the Keoish capitol of Niole Dra. They are lead by Mohrgyr the Old (N, Male Human, Wizard 20) and have been known to oppose those who seek dangerous magical power. They are not pleased with the emergence of the Scarlet Brotherhood.

The Silver Coins: Often identified by a silver coin with arcane symbols, this organization was founded by the Archmage Tenser to be a good aligned counterpart to the Circle of Eight – with which it maintains contact and a friendly rivalry. Like the Circle of Eight, the Silver Coins have a good intelligence network supplemented by magic. Their primary goal is to oppose Iuz and other evil organizations, while promoting goodness.

The Emerald Order: This organization is dedicated to the preservation of Oerth’s natural environment. It is very similar to the Emerald Enclave on Toril.

As for divine magic, Serpenteye said that healing spells could be cast drawing on Oerth for power. Other power sources likely exist. One alternative that might work would be to have spells entirely powered by faith in something greater than oneself, as is the case in Eberron. (There was a joke in one thread on the boards that if someone seriously believed that there was a talking turtle who is a god in Eberron, that character could cast spells. Maybe someone should start the Cult of Tomas the Talking Turtle! )

I will also try to answer any World of Greyhawk questions. This will free Serpenteye up to work on the rules and do what he needs to do.