(IR) Announcing a New Strategic Roleplaying Campaign of Epic Proportions!

[Rikandur Azebol]

WoW !

I'm speechless ... It's great. Indeed ... Suel people art superior to other humans.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Holy mackeral! Yes! That is a map we can work with!

I claimed the Drow of the Flanaess only. Not the Drow of the whole Oerik continent. This assumes Serpenteye allows it.
The drow do not hold any surface areas, as far as I know, officially.
However, I suppose they could have gained control of (tiny) surface areas, here and there, a scattering of tiny places across the map, which represent where major drow cities have established frontier outposts on the surface.
Overall, though, the drow would not control any more land than James has with the Sea Princes.

We have a problem here. James is, as he has said, severely outgunned. The Sea Princes alone could not hope to stand up against all these major powers, especially if they form the megalithic alliance I see forming.
What to do?

I would recommend that whoever claims the Kevellond League ALSO get the Baklunish nations of Zeif, Ekbir, Tusmit, Ket, Yecha, Ull, the Paynims, and the Dry Steppes (the Spirit Empire of Garnak and Istivar in the 3rd IR) which was the Baklunish Confederation in the 3rd IR.
And, if that is not enticement enough to play the greatly threatened good and neutral nations, also give that player Nyrond, the Duchy and County of Urnst, the Iron League, and Sunndi.

If 2 or 3 players claim these factions, they may end up being forced allies from the start. If I was in their position, I would definitely ally with the other good players! Thus, again we would effectively have one great coalition of countries, albeit played by a couple of different players.

Such a unity of nations, whether run by one player or several players attempting to survive together in a harsh world, might be a match for the evil powers on the board. (Some harsh diplomacy might work too, as in the IC version of the following: The first power to attack ANY of our nations gets it. See? We don't care if the other evil powers later triumph: we will make certain that YOUR power is crushed. So stay smart, stay alive, and leave us alone!)

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Hey there Zelda. Nice to see you again!
Are you jumping in to the IR?

 

[Eluvan]

Holy mackeral! Yes! That is a map we can work with!

I claimed the Drow of the Flanaess only. Not the Drow of the whole Oerik continent. This assumes Serpenteye allows it.
The drow do not hold any surface areas, as far as I know, officially.
However, I suppose they could have gained control of (tiny) surface areas, here and there, a scattering of tiny places across the map, which represent where major drow cities have established frontier outposts on the surface.
Overall, though, the drow would not control any more land than James has with the Sea Princes.

We have a problem here. James is, as he has said, severely outgunned. The Sea Princes alone could not hope to stand up against all these major powers, especially if they form the megalithic alliance I see forming.
What to do?

Maybe he could reach some kind of arrangement with a secret organisation that has the power to infiltrate such an vast coalition and tear it apart from the inside with dissent. Ummm... not that I know any organisations like that.

 

[Serpenteye]

(hobbles in on his cane)

Hey there, Serpenteye, you'all. Thanks for the invite!
Let me have a look at this thread. It is over 7 pages, and need some time to grasp it all. I am interested in the game.

Edena_of_Neith

Hey there Edena . It's great to see you again, Welcome to (my humble) IR.

-
Everyone ... The dog ate my computer.
I have no idea what you have been up to these lst few days, it will take me a while to read and answer all your posts, but it's obvious that the IR itself is doing well, though it's somewhat delayed. I would like to thank you all for your patience.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Hey there, Serpenteye. Welcome back. And cheers to your 5th IR.

 

[Serpenteye]

You... You... Maniac!
I haven't decided which faction I'll play, but I have decided that I'm in!

Welcome Venus!

I just found out abuot this threads thanks to William. I'll read up on it later today or else tomorrow. Expect a reply

Great to see you again Forsaken_One.

Thanks William .

Touche. My apologies, I feel quite embarassed now... especially since rampant insomnia is giving me lots of free time when no one else is awake to talk to and I'm too tired to read books.

The List, and further reponse to the whole militia thing (current reponse is mostly "Well, that makes sense.") coming after breakfast.

No need for apologies. I'm the one who should apologize.

Nice treatise, .

From the time of Greyhawk Wars 20 years has passed ... do You think that it were not enough time to copletly strenghten Iuz's grip over the lands conquered ? As Serpenteye pointed out only Vesve elves still trouble Empire and some dying remmants of partisans from other forest ... wich live by grace of Iuz, and as focal point for all those who might cause big troubles othervise.

Hitler=High Charisma=Yes. Although we who look at films of his speaches today only see a screaming little maniac our perceptions are coloured by what we know about his deeds. For many of his contemporaries he was indeed a demigod.


Oh, Iuz's grip is strong indeed. Few can escape his notice and few can evade his absolute justice. The last 20 years have been relatively peaceful, stability is the rule across the Flanaess.

Are the stuff I'm thinking about claiming. Formians are tempting as I introduced them to Greyhawk (They aren't native there Serpenteye, I asked if I could use them there ). But it's so cliche... I'll be wanting to play a Troll Kingdom/Nation or the Sahuagins. In any case something nature themed, a druidic society. A druocracy .

Sahuagin or Troll druid ruled kingdom or two would suit my wishes best.

Good luck with this show You'll need it

The Troll kingdom is rather tiny. But since the entire population is Elite (and a handful are Epic) it would be a powerful military force.

The Sahuagin... would probably get a penalty to Industrialization. Fire is essential to most heavy industry, and it's hard to light a fire under the sea.
They would however be both rich and powerful, not to mention secure in their dark and hidden depths.

Hi I got Williams's e-mail and got here to see. Ok, it was gone to my spam-box for some reason, so it took some time before I noticed it.

Quite an amazing number of intrest. I come back to read some more, when I have time.

Amazing indeed. Welcome Zelda!

Thanks WR .

Rules look nice. Just checking in so that you know I'm still alive.

Whew! That's a relief!

I too am alive, though I'm not so sure I'll survive the hailstorm of rotten tomatoes I'm likely to be hit with when people see that I'm back .

Things I'm thinking of claiming:
- Orcreich: A nation of orcs ruled by a tyrannical king. The orcs seem to thrive under the brutal regime.
-High Khanate: An and land peopled by two tribes of sturdy nomads. The inlanders resemble the horsemen of the Balkanish (Baklunish? RH) Basin, but on the coast they take to boats.
- Low Khanate: A companion realm to the High Khanate; named more for its location in a deep vale below the mountains than for any inferior status. A hidden valley reputedly contains the tombs of khans from both realms.

I seem to recall that somebody had claimed Orcreich. If they didn't it's yours, and the Khanates too. You are now officially a Great Power.

Ok, this looks interesting and I've seen the rules but I still have absolutely no clue what it's all about- like little details such as "what does IR stand for?" and "are you already full?"

Welcome James! No, no, we're never full. Never! There's always room for more souls for me to consume. Muahahaha! (sorry ).

"Industrial Revolution" and "No, we're not full."

Yes, that's it.

Hah, ok. So what about some sort of loose collection of bards of some sort? The rock and roll faction? Novelists for change? Poets of Elan? The Spears of Britney? Barring that I think I could do with sailors, any sailor's nations left?

Well, (un)fortunately there are no Harpers on Oerth. There were a handful, but Ashardalon ate them all.
I don't think there are any significant forces of bards anywhere on official Oerth. But you could always invent a faction.
Sailors... Well, the Tarquish Dominion/Empire, at the far west of the continent, are still unclaimed. They are skilled sailors and quite powerful too.

(said hesitantly)

I request to take control of a power not listed: the Drow of the Underdark.
I'm assuming the drow live under the great mountain ranges:

The drow of the Sulhaut Mountains
The drow of the Hellfurnaces
The drow of the Crystalmists
The drow of the Barrier Peaks
The drow of the Yatils.
The drow of the Lortmils
The drow of the Rakers
The drow of the Griff Mountains
The drow of the Corusk Mountains
The drow of the Glorioles (around Sunndi)
The drow of the Tilvanot Peninsula
The drow of the Bright Hills (around the Bright Desert)

There are drow elsewhere on Oerth, of course, but these are well known areas on the map. If the drow enclaves above lack sufficient strength, perhaps there are drow enclaves under the dark forests of the Flanaess? (Adri, Celadan, Gamboge, Fellreev, Vesve, Grandwood ... some of those forests are really big and dark!)

The drow are, naturally, alarmed at the loss of Lolth, Ghaunadaur, Vhaeraun, and Kiransath. Then there is this new thing come to the world: technology, brought by the Devils (enemies of the drow if ever they had enemies.) And now the surface world is getting too big for it's britches, and perhaps has become a serious threat to the drow.

And who would lead them?

Eclavdra (I know that isn't the right spelling) comes to mind. She could have advanced considerably in power during the past 20 years.
I remember she was a cleric of either Lolth or Ghaunadaur (I think it was Ghaunadaur.) Perhaps she became a cleric/fighter/mage? And advanced to considerable level in those classes?
Eclavdra was a diplomat in her own right, if I remember her correctly. She played a large role in the Giant Troubles. She had a way of uniting her fractious people against common enemies. Perhaps in the dangerous situation that exists now (the drow aren't stupid: they can see a looming threat when it hits them in the face) they would follow her?

Mind you, I'm referring only to the drow and their immediate slaves. Not to any of the other races or powers of the Underdark (such as the illithid and aboleth.)
If there is a contested situation over the drow of the Hellfurnaces/Barrier Peaks/Crystalmists, please tell me. I was assuming only the surface races of those savage mountains were claimed.

Obviously, I'm not trying to claim control of the good drow of Eilistraee.

If you give me the drow or some of the drow, Serpenteye, I will have to come up with a name for the new drow nation. Hmmm ... I wonder what Eclavdra would name her new kingdom? Hmmm ... names, names ...

That sounds great Edena , the Drow are yours.

Wherever there is darkness there are Drow...

They don't all live under mountain-ranges. The underdark extends under plains and forests too, parts of it are even under the sea.
The Drow are chaotic, insane, evil, intelligent deadly scheamers. A lot of them are Epic and Elite. Only a fool would underestimate them. Unfortunately Lolth is also, as are all the other true Gods, locked away beyond the Seal. We have some precedence to what happens when the Drow lose their connection to their Goddess, and it's not pretty at all . If you can hold back the chaos and forge a solid whole ot of the Drow race you will be more powerful than any of the other factions who have been selected up until now.

The Drow of Elistraee are few... so very very few on Oerth. You see, Ashardalon ate most of them .

I note three major powers on the map have not been claimed: the Kevellond League, the Baklunish nations, and Nyrond (and the Urnst nations?)

Nobody has claimed the Knights of Luna, the Knights of the Hart, or any of the similar organizations.

Sadly no. Those areas, if left unclaimed, would probably be where much of the power of the Infiltrator organization was based, but they really do need a player to guide them actively.

The knightly organizations would count as a few Elite PLs added to the nation they are located in.

Serpenteye, are any of the powers of Greyspace allowed?
You know, the Elven Imperial Spelljamming Navy?
The Scro Fleet?
The Illithid Squid Ships?
The Neogi (and their Umber Hulk slaves) Pirates?
The Dwarven Mountainjammers?
The Gnomish Sidewheelers?
The Gith Mercenaries?

Also, were any of the Astral Races, such as the Githyanki and Githzerai (or some of the Githyanki and Githzerai) trapped in this dimension when it was sealed up? Are they up for grabs?

Are the Faerie Peoples of Oerth up for grabs?
Are the Unseelie Peoples of Oerth up for grabs?

Has anyone claimed the Ice Elves of the Adri Forest? Or do they exist in this IR? (remember that they were highly evil, corrupted by an artifact of cold that froze their city in the bitterest cold for millennia. In the 3rd IR, it was assumed they had thawed out and mastered the artifact.)

Most spelljamming factions were locked out of Oerthspace before the beginning of the IR, but a few vessels were instead trapped inside the Sphere. They won't be major factions, but they are still claimable with one exception. THERE ARE NO SPELLJAMMING MOUNTAINS. Those who have read the 3rd IR knows why... Giving any faction access to them would be like giving them hydrogen-bombs. Explosive fun, but unbalancing.

The Astral and Ethereal planes coterminous to Oerth were sealed in together with the Prime-material parts. So yes, the Gith-races are claimable.

The seelie and unseelie on Oerth are mostly of the lesser, extremely chaotic kind. They are nearly completely unable to organize themselves into factions for any length of time. But they might heed the call when they face a powerful common enemy.

The Ice Elves are indeed around. They are few, but powerful and highly arcane. They do own an Artifact and have a small head-start in the Magic Armsrace. They are reluctant to ally with anyone who will not accept their rule, but they would make an interesting faction.

If the drow are disallowed, may I lay claim to a concept for Oerth I created on my own?
This concept would be the Solistarim. Led by an evil wizard, they are a confederation of primarily lawful and neutral evil races up in the Godspires (a mountain range that covers the tip of the Flanaess from the Black Ice northward.)
The primary races of the Solistarim, in my conception, were the following (all live in the Godspires, Black Ice, or immediately adjacent to it on land, sea, and air) :

A large community of native flannae humans determined to take the Flanaess back from the usurpers (meaning, all the other humans groups: the suel, the baklunish, and the oerdians.) They have set up great schools of magic under their lord, and have gone far along the Suel Imperium's road in their pursuit of magical understandings.
A large community of deep and grey dwarves from the Underdark, with great magic, allied with them.
A large community of evil gnomes from the Underdark, also with great magic, allied with them.
A very large community of kobolds, led by kobold wizards and sorcerers.
The dragons of the Godspires (the survivors: mostly blue dragons and dracoliches under magical control. The Solistarim killed most of the Godspire dragons in battles involving horrendous losses for themselves.) These dragons have generally bonded with the flannae humans (and a couple of others) and live in symbiotic existence with them.

A very large community of lizard men and lizard kings.
Two large communities of sahuagin, one in the western coastal waters, and one in the eastern coastal waters.
The giants of the Godspires: mostly fire, but some frost, stone, hill, formian, and ettin.

A large community of illithid from the Underdark. (The alliance is one of convenience only, since the illithid consider the people of the Flanaess easier prey than their magically powerful neighbors. Since the Solistarim intend war, fresh brains will be all the easier to procur.)
Several beholder hives in the Godspires, totalling several hundred beholders (The beholders attacked the Solistarim on sight, but the greater number of them perished. The remainder were successfully charmed, and the Solistarim maintain the charmed state carefully.)
A modest but extremely potent group of aboleth in the deepest Underdark. (The aboleth ally with nobody. These are the survivors, after the Solistarim attacked and destroyed their community. All the fairly numerous survivors are under heavy charm compulsion.)

A large group of extraplanar beings: fire elementals, salamanders, efreeti, who happen to enjoy living in the volcanic regions of the Godspires and who have abandoned their home planes. (This group is allied to the Solistarim more out of whim than anything else. After all, the Solistarim mean to burn things, and burning things is fun.)

A LARGE army of assorted undead, kept under control by dark magic. Several liches have thrown their lot in with the Solistarim, for some reason, which has enhanced their ability to create and manipulate such lethal forces.

A small number of devils, who are allied with the Solistarim for their own, dark purposes.

If Wildspace is included, the Solistarim also count as allies:

A sizeable group of gith mercenaries, on permanent standby.
A number of neogi pirates, who act as scouts (for extremely high pay and countless slaves taken.)
A large fleet of illithid squid ships (the illithid of Wildspace are in contact with their Underdark brethren in the Godspires.)

The Solistarim WILL NOT ABIDE the following:

Orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, flind, ogres, and most other humanoids.
Drow.
Elves of any kind, including half-elves.
Humans of suel, baklunish, and oeridian stock.
Demons (that includes Iuz.)

Historically, the Solistarim have killed members of these races on sight, when they set foot in Solistarim lands or waters.

The Drow are allowed, but so are the Solistarim. They are everything you said they are, a potent Elite and Epic force. Though their numbers are somewhat limited for the sake of game-balance they are still a potent threat to the unclean races of the Flannaes.

Heh... if you give Edena the Drow, I want to play...

...the Illithids...

The Illithids dwell even deeper into the hidden depths of Oerth than the Drow. Their society is as twisted and evil as it is cultured and refined. The Illithids are a higher order of beings than the filth that crawls under the scorching sun of the surface, but they spend most of their time fighting their deadly advesaries... the Drow.

They are powerful. How could they not be? Though not as numerous as the Drow they are by far better organized, and because of their alien nature they have a substantial bonus against foreigh Infiltration.

As I said previously, I will likely be pretty swamped catching up on things. However, I would like to help serve as a resource if I find a question I can answer for people. (Working on a homebrew and fiction is likely going to be time consuming. So, I will be reluctant to make any commitment that I can't keep. I did not yet receive an answer on the time involved. I do know that I can't put in as much energy as I did in the 3rd IR.) I am glad that my e-mail helped out. Hello to Edena, Creamsteak, and Zelda!!

Edena, Eclavdra is a priestess of Lolth, and is listed in the Epic Level Handbook as a 23rd level cleric. She is not particularly charismatic, but is known for her cunning and her cruelty. (You got the spelling right.)

In addition to Nyrond, the states of the Iron League, such as Onnwal and Sunddi, and the Urnst states have a traditional foe in the Great Kingdom. They might make a good unit of states for a faction to claim with the possible addition of the Theocracy of the Pale and the Duchy of Tenh.

The player claiming Greyhawk may well have trouble with the Bright Desert and Rary the Archmage. The person playing Greyhawk may want to claim the Wild Coast or at least make contact with whoever controls the surrounding good and neutral aligned powers as a possible ally. The city is roughly between the spheres of influence of the Nyrond-Urnst states as well as Veluna and Furyondy. It is also near to the lands of Iuz. The Gem of the Flanaess may be a great prize in the IR.

It should be noted that Iuz is chaotic evil, and that much of the discipline of his troops often relies on fear of his retribution. In the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, his control over parts of the former Bandit Kingdoms is somewhat lose.

If Edena does play the Solistarrim, his character may have access to the City of the Gods. If this seems a bit much, there are other ways to help balance this out as suggested in an earlier post.

As for the Forsaken One, possibly the Bone March might be a good location for a troll-ruled kingdom. The area is full of humanoids. (Bugbear controlled the Bone March in Edena's IR.) A possible place for a sahuaghin kingdom might be off the shores of the Hold of the Sea Princes -- which I recall is under Scarlet Brotherhood influence. (As I recall, no one has claimed the Scarlet Brotherhood, which like the Solistarrim is moved by racial hatred.) Possibly, new powers might be created from land held by nations on the official map -- without loss of power to that faction.

James Heard, I think you might be interested in the Hold of the Sea Princes as a naval power.

So far, it looks like few good or neutral powers have been claimed. These can be powerful in their own right with the right leadership.

Listen to William, people, for he is wise in the ways of the IR.

Iuz does, however, have a strong hold on his population. Since it is mostly based on fear, though, instead of true loyalty the people may respond poorly if they percieve a weakness in their ruler. That is a problem most players might face, but it is doubly true for the chaotic evil races.

The Hold of the Sea Princes is ruled by the Scarlet Brotherhood, and someonw already claimed that.

The Trolls are in the Troll-(fens?swamp) north of the Theocracy.

The Bone-marsh is open for players. A good additional claim for people with an Orcish or Goblinoid focus to their faction.

 

[Creamsteak]

Welcome back Serpenteye.

 

[Serpenteye]

Ok, so I'll take the Sea Princes if no one minds. After reading the LGG entry it sounds suitably anarchistic and removed from the worries of the rest of the world. Maybe I'll even attempt to turn my nation of pirates into bardic pirates...

They have been taken, sorry. The HOld of the Sea Princes came under control of the Scarlet brotherhood during the Grewhawy war and remain so to this day.
There are other naval powers in the West. Nippon, the Tarquish Dominion, various undersea races...

Thank you, William.

The Solistarim do not control the City of the Gods. Their forays into it have met with repeated disaster.
However, the Solistarim do claim the alliegance of the nation of Blackmoor and the surrounding marches, along with all the land down to the Burneal Forest. This claim is loose and has not been enforced, but it is there nonetheless.

The Solistarim are a bunch of lawful evil peoples. They are totally unreasonable, devoid of compassion, and grant life no value as we would think of value.
The Solistarim are a dictatorship-magocracy under their High Leader. Mages, even powerful mages, are commonplace, and run almost every part of the government apparatus. These mages observe a strict code of service and duty, and all look upon the High Leader as the One and True God. 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 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 semi-divine minions of the High Leader. And go on to divine ascension and become his divine servants! (Yes, it's a crock, but the Solistarim do not know this.)

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, while the majority of the Solistarim revel, seeing in these traitors all that they hate and despise, moral and ethical bankruptsy.

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 are all charmed (and watched closely.) They adhere to the Solistari tenets due to magical compulsion.
The undead, of course, do as they are told. The lich lords who command them have their own pact with the High Leader. Undead under the control of other Solistari wizards are fanatical loyalists like their masters and mistresses.

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 respect the High Leader and his minions (due to long and forceful diplomacy) and are reliable allies.

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.

The neogi are barely tolerated, and the ill will is returned in full. These beings can never really be a true part of any society, being worse (if possible) than the illithid about supremacy. However, they fear and respect the High Leader, he pays them fantastically well (not to mention he has secretly charmed most of them), and the potential for pillage and plunder is immense, so they work for him. And they 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 seem to respect Solistari laws, if for no other reason than it advances their agenda.

- - -

The Solistarim aren't so much about racial hatred, William, as they are about their secure knowledge that the Flanaess is their backyard, but a bunch of squatters and loiterers are sitting on their property, and these worthless bums and rabble refused to leave when politely asked to do so.
Since the rabble and the bums refused to move, they will just have to be dealt with in a more appropriate manner, and afterwards the mess they have made out of the Solistari backyard will be cleaned up, the land doled out to the rightful owners, and everything will then be roses and peaches.
If that means killing the bums and the rabble, then so be it. If the idiots won't be moved by reason, then they will have to be buried 6 feet under, and the world will be a better place for this.

The Solistarim point the finger particularly at Iuz. Here is a demon who is running amok and wrecking the yard, with his pathetic humanoid slaves and hordes of conjured demons (and by what right does he conjure demons into Greyspace, anyways?)
The Solistarim point out that nobody has tried to deal with this demon idiot: they were all too busy fighting each other, or plotting with said demon, to do anything about him.

The Solistarim also point the finger at the Oeridians. They can't run a kingdom (Aerdi), they can't impose order (witness the chaos of the Greyhawk Wars), they can't run an economy, 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.)

The Solistarim take a dim view of elves. The elves think they rule the world, apparently, and the whole of the Flanaess should belong to them, and the humans be their slaves (witness the Lendore purging.) They are too good for everyone else, refusing to cooperate with others even when it means the destruction of their own nations (witness the near destruction of neutral Celene at the hands of Turrosh Mak.)
And of course, their insane Underdark brethren, the dark elves, are worse. They worship an insane Goddess, are insane themselves, and plan to bring their insanity and disorder to the whole of the surface world and even out into Greyspace. Speaking of which, there is a bunch of those lunatic surface elves up there in Greyspace, with a fleet of spelljamming warships, menacing the whole planet of Oerth, and that has to be stopped too.
Perhaps Greyspace would be better off without elves?

The Solistarim are very unreasonable and hateful people. Obviously.
The Solistarim think of themselves as completely reasonable, ethical, moral, loyal, hard working, long suffering beings of reason and rational thought in a completely irrational and hostile world.

- - -

I'm not attempting to claim a Good Power, such as the Kevellond League, for the good reason that everyone is claiming Evil powers, and Evil seems to be the dominant force in play.
And it's sorta hard to negotiate or reason with the evil guys, when you're a good guy and all you want is to hold what you have, keep peace and quiet, and ensure the safety of your people ... and all these maniacs are ready to descend on you from every side!

Consider the Kevellond League. It is threatened from the north by Iuz (and by the Solistarim if Serpenteye allows them into the IR), on the west by Ket and the other Baklunish, on the west and southwest by the drow, giants, and other horrors of the Crystalmists, on the south by the Scarlet Brotherhood, on the southeast by the Pomarj, and even in the east it's neighbor Greyhawk is an aggressive and militant power. Of course, it is also threatened from below (from the Underdark), from above (from Wildspace), and from other planes (incursions from the Astral, for instance.) And even within or near it's own borders, things like the Temple of Elemental Evil have happened.
Anyone trying to run the Kevellond League is in for a difficult time!

As for the Iron League, ad infinium. They have Ahlissa to the north and northeast, the Scarlet Brotherhood threatening all their coasts, possible threats from Below and Above, and there is just a chance Ivid will break out of his prison in Rauxes and attempt revenge (on them, and everyone else he deems traitors to the Great Kingdom, which means just about everyone in the Flanaess.)
And Acererak is too close for comfort, over there in the Great Swamp. (Let's just say, I wouldn't want to be living in Sunndi on Acererak's doorstep ...)

Beset, and bankrupt, Nyrond is threatened to the northwest by Iuz, to the north by the Fists, to the northeast by the Theocracy of the Pale, on the east-northeast by the Bone March, on the east by North Aerdi (North Province), on the southeast by Almor (or rather, what Almor became), on the south by Ahlissa, on all it's coastlines by the Scarlet Brotherhood, from Above and Below, and by numerous enemies within - including a large number of formerly loyal barons who want to succeed from the country and create their own small kingdoms, and get away from the high taxation and enfeebled rule.
Not to mention, once more, that if Ivid the Mad breaks out of his imprisonment in Rauxes, Nyrond is just about at the top of his Blacklist of Places to Annihilate. (Heh, talk about a challenge to play!)

Speaking of which, nobody has claimed Ivid and Rauxes. Now, they could, and that would be an interesting challenge ...

The City of Gods (an extremely powerful high-tech NPC faction (a dead city ruled by computers)) is a legend in this IR. It is one old rumor of many, and few know that it exists. Hidden beneath the surface, protected by technology so ancient and powerful that it's indistinguishable from magic for the common men of Oerth it holds untold riches and power. If you can find it and penetrate its defenses there's no telling what you might find, what power may be put into your hands.
But beware for though the city seems dead it is very much alive and its retribution is crushing...

The players who choose to play Goodly factions are brave indeed... I do not so much forsee a conflict between Good and Evil as we saw in the beginning of the 3rd IR, though. Since Evil is so dominant it is very possible that Evil players will percieve Good factions as less of a threat than we used to do in the 3rd IR, thus there will be no need to ally against them.
Good factions have a huge potential advantage in diplomacy. Trustworthyness is their greatest weapon. Trustworthyness and honour are their greatest weapons. Trustworthyness and honour and surprise... (nobody expects the celestial inquisition...)

I really am more of a mind to claim the drow, in their scattered enclaves, with Eclavdra as their queen.

Count me as claiming the drow (and being wishy-washy), Serpenteye.

If I am given the drow, I need to know where their major enclaves are, that I control.

(sighs)

I suppose someone else could run the Solistarim, if Serpenteye allows them into the IR. Ah me ... I would like to run my dark creation, but the drow are more tempting. Who can resist Eclavdra?

I allow, I allow. How could I not .

The Drow are everywhere. The underdark is vast and scattered and extends under most regions of the Flannaes. The Hellfurnaces hold the greatest and most powerful cities, but other centers of power are under the Pomarj and Celene, The Urnst-region and the Rakers.
The Bakluni-region and the Celestial Imperium are relatively free of underground caverns (and would form the border-zone for your influence), but the underdark continues to the West under the mountains and deserts of those vast lands.

(With gratitude to William and Maudlin)

Here is a link that if you follow, you can bring up closeup maps of various parts of the Flanaess, or a closeup of the entire Flanaess. Recommended:

...
...
...

And that was before things got truly wild (don't ask, unless you have a very strong stomach. You'll find out soon enough, if Serpenteye takes this IR anywhere close to what happened in the 3rd IR. )

True, all true... Thanks Edena.

I only hope I can fill your shoes.

If I get the chance I'm not pulling punches this time. This time I will blow everything to smithereens muhahahahaa!

The Peninsula east of the Pearl Sea. I'll claim that as a Huge forest / Jungle and as an ancient troll kingdom/nation. Perhaps Sahuagin from the Pearl Sea as allies if the Trolls won't suffice.

And as you all can see clearly now, Edena is impossible to replace But we'll have to may do

[EDIT: According to the worldview from outer space, the Peninsula is called Hepmondland/EDIT]

And I'm not pulling any punches either...

Peninsula-land... Ok, that's definately better than the Troll(swamp/march/place) north of the Theocracy. Serious blowing-up-the-World potential there. I think they'll suffice.

Again, here is Maudlin's last map from the 3rd IR, and the only one I can still link to. It's a beautiful map, and it shows how ABSOLUTELY VITAL IT IS that we have such a working map for Serpenteye's IR!

http://users.pandora.be/maudlin/Greyhawk.jpg

I cannot stress enough how valuable and helpful this map was, or how much I appreciated Maudlin's help in the 3rd IR.

Edena_of_Neith

Absolutely Vital.

Ahh, that's a beautiful map. So much purple...

(OOC: Thou art ... beautiful, Edena. Sob, sob ... Pity that Iuz, being a paranoical maniac, might not understand beauty of Eclavdra's statements. )

Edena is a man, Rik. That's not to say that he can't be beautiful, he's got a beautiful mind for sure, I just thought you should know.

Serpenteye, where is your factions list?

In the 3rd IR, Iuz found that forest to be one of his largest threats. Beware what sleeps...

It's everywhere... (Page 2 or 3).

Anabstercorian rustles himself from a morbid slumber. Then, he goes back to bed.

"Heck, enough of Anabstercorian. He's long since retired, and if he's involved in this it's only as a peripheral puppet master. Can I play The Cult of Tharizdun? We need a Melkor-esque."

Also, I'm in college now, so I have slightly less time available for play. Can we assume there will be more strict controls on the flow of time in game?

Melkor-esque... Several people have threatened to blow up the World already, but the Cult of Tharizdun is closer to the primal forces of Evil than the others. It fits very well in with what I had planned as the frame-plot of the IR.
(A Big Evil rises in the Abyss and threatens the Multiverse. It unites the Abyss and overruns Hell in a matter of days, then it begins to spread. The Gods of Oerth are terrified and seal off the Crystal Sphere in a place beyond the Multiverse where they believe noone can reach the world that is their sustenance, not even themselves...)
Perhaps Tharizdun could be an aspect of that Big Evil?

Oh, and Welcome Anabstercorian! Welcome to the IR.

Nothing like creating more work for Serpenteye (my sympathies to you, Serpenteye: I've been in your shoes!!)

Or, perhaps, there is another way for us to communicate? Back in the 3rd IR, the players had a private (and secret, for a long time) message board in which they talked. Perhaps we could establish such a thing here, with Serpenteye's blessings?

I have absolutely no problem with that. It's a great idea. I'd just like to request that you (everyone) maintain a certain level of courtesy even when writing about the players who don't have access to the board. They will eventually read it anyway, after the end of the IR or sooner, and it's best if noone is seriously offended by what they read. E-Mails are still the more private alternative.

Where did everybody go?

Waiting for Serpenteye, I presume.

Sorry ;(.

I could imagine that Iuz was busy enough with internal problems, cleaning everything up cost many lives and precious time, as well as subjugating Stonefist and Tenh wholly. I guess that from the Horned Society my forces were kicked out. Pity, I'm sure that thoe responsilbe for this failure scream still.

Did somebody claim the Horned Society? If not the area is still yours. I simply took for granted that the society itself no looner existed and that the lands were part of the territory known as the Empire of Iuz.

Waiting on serp as well, and working on a map by and by.

Great. Thank you very much. We will probably need a map of the entire planet in addition to this one, but I can do that.

(OOC: Anyone suposses what might caused Serpenteye's silence ? I didn't found him in Iuz's dungeons. )

Ehrm... I ascended to Godhood last weekend and was therefore Sealed out of the IR. Eh, yes, that's the ticket
God of procrastination and bad excuses.

(You can ascend to Godhood when the IR has begun without being sealed out of the IR )

We sits and we waits.

*and we hopes that SerpentEye is well ... but do this
when no one is looking.

Thanks.

I wonder if Serpenteye is still sick. Hopefully, he is feeling better.

Edena, thanks for the overview of the Solistarrim and the compliments!

I do agree there is a need for a factions list. I would like Serpenteye to answer a few questions as to how much time I should expect to devote to an IR, as I would like to play IF I can also do what else I need to do.

As this is set 20 years after the current Greyhawk era of 594 Common Year, I imagine some nations have stabilized. I am tempted to take Nyrond, the Urnst States, the Theocracy of the Pale, and the Iron League. Or the Baklunish states perhaps.

I'm feeling well enough. Thanks for your well-wishes.

The Baklunish states would probably be the safest choice, but an alliance of the before-mentined would be quite strong.
I'd love for you to play, you would be a great asset for the IR. You already have been.
Don't worry, I'll keep the pace to a tolerable level, that I myself can keep up with.

I think Serpenteye needs to explain what benefits the Good and Neutral powers might have in this IR. So far, I suspect that most of those here believe that the evil factions will have an upper hand. So, how will balance be maintained. (In the 3rd IR, everyone had a chance to shine. The same should be true not just for online games, but every game. At least I think so.)

Quite right. Most people on Oerth are Neutral in alignment, and most nations on Oerth are also Neutral. It stands to reason that Neutral nations would be more inclined to ally against Evil than with Evil when given a viable choice. Neutral NPC factions do pursue their own self-interest, but they do so with moderation and are more likely to ally with someone who's trying to save the world than someone who's trying to destroy or conquer it.
It's the same way for Good NPC factions, but to an even greater degree. I'm not saying that I'll miraculously include a powerful force of Good in the game just because the balance between alignments is in danger, but you will find that diplomacy is easier for Good PC factions than for Evil ones.
Evil NPC factions are far more likely to break alliances and stab their allies in the back. Evil NPC factions are more likely to fight amongst each others and drag an alliance into their own conflicts.

That being said, the dice will fall, and I'm playing no favourites. Alignment is only one aspect of the game, and it's not any more important than you all make it. Any one of you can win the game. In the end, the winners are those who survive.

Hey there, all.

Serpenteye, if you are indeed sick, my best wishes for a speedy recovery, and a big welcome back when you return and can read this.

Cheers, Guilt Puppy! I've bookmarked that map. Looks REALLY good.

I believe the Pearl Sea is the sea around or just to the east of Nippon, on the really large scale maps.

Thanks, and you're right about the Sea and the Map

This was the list as it was quite some time ago. I'm gonna run around the thread and see what other info (including contact info) I can find.

Thank you so much for your hard work.

If Serpenteye gives me permission to use these conventions, this is how I would break down my starting powers:

3/9 Beholder Dominions. The Beholder Dominions that I have not been able to coax my way are "The First Eye" (the rulers), "The Final Forge" (the perfecters), "The Eternal Vigil" (the watchers), "The Revelations" (the seers), "The Enigma" (the strange), and "The Watching Wheel" (the wonderers).

Since the first eye and the eternal vigil are the archnemisis of the Poisoned Eye (the largest and most military), and the Revelations and the Final Forge are not likely to be drafted for war, I've selected the three dominions that would be the most fitting for an alliance with the mind-flayers. I would be actively persuing the servitude of the Enigma and the Watching Wheel.

6/6 Overminds. I have gained control of all 6 psionic disciplines within the Illithids highest stratas of society.

Servitors, Aberrations and Undead recruited: Various psionic undead, mindless servitors, voidminds,

Creamsteak:
Yugthulgon (Master of the Staff of Ilsensine), The Dominion of the Poisoned Eye (Beholders), The Dominion of Flesh Reborn (Beholders), The Dominion of the Consuming Eye (Beholders), The Collective Overminds (Illithids), The Voidminds, various Psionic Undead, the cults associated with the above, and other servitors. Based in the Deep Underdark.

This is good.

New list, with new players and contact info

Thanks.

 

[Knight Otu]

Well, (un)fortunately there are no Harpers on Oerth. There were a handful, but Ashardalon ate them all.

*burp* Oh, sorry.

Welcome back, Serpenteye!