A pleasure, Merric. I like Greyhawk, and enjoy discussing it.
Some other really great articles here too.
I said the Oeridians don't like you. True enough. You can leave their lands, and try other peoples.
To the north, Iuz has his Empire, filled with humanoids and demons. Beyond is the strange and mystic realm of Blackmoor. And beyond that is the Black Ice, where the City of the Gods is rumored to be. (There actually is a City of the Gods module: DA4 City of the Gods. It is set in Mystara. But if you take the S4 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and it's starship at face value, perhaps the City of the Gods *is* up there, in the Black Ice, waiting for the adventurous and the foolish to explore it.)
Also to the north are the Fists of Stonefist, barbarians with an attitude problem if ever they had one. It's a party, you are invited, dress clothing is mandatory (weapons, armor), and a good time is guaranteed.
If the Fists aren't enough to fill your appetite, you can cross the ice choked ocean to the polar continent of Hyperboria (which is warm part of the year due to magic and Oerth's 30 degree axil tilt.) And there is fun aplenty up *there* for everyone.
To the west are the Kettites, the horsemen from hell. But it gets better: the whole Baklunish civilization is behind them, in the Wild West of the setting. Their civilization is definitely different from anything in the Flanaess.
Beyond the Baklunish is ... the Frontier. Nobody quite knows what's out there. It's for the DM to decide.
To the west are the mountains, infested with drow and their giant allies. Fallen starships are only the beginning of what you might run across in the Barrier Peak/Crystalmist/Hellfurnaces Divide. Anything goes up there.
Go under these mountains, and you'll find the drow and the mind flayers (illithid) in force. (Here are set the D1/D2/D3/Q1 modules.)
Go over the mountains, and you're on the Frontier. The ancient ruins of Tovag Baragu hide a devastating secret. Far beyond it, in the farthest west, the map says a civilization called the Celestial Imperium exists. Care to travel hundreds of miles through the Frontier to find out if this is true?
Go into the Sea of Dust, and you'll find the ruins of the Suel Imperium. We're talking Arcane Age stuff here! Just remember to bring your stiltsuit (Dune) and then some: the Sea of Dust makes even Athas look like a nice place in comparison. (But look on the bright side: the ruins probably do contain nifty things never plundered, since not even the Suel survivors could get out there to plunder the ruins. Can you do, what they could not?)
To the south of the Flanaess lies the Scarlet Brotherhood. This is an order of lawful evil monks, pursuing strange ends by even stranger means. They are Suel, only Suel are welcome in their ranks, their rules are arcane and deadly, but great power and wonders are guaranteed to anyone who joins and makes high level.
They have a vast fleet, some countries are under their control, their spies are everywhere (as are their assassins) and their diplomats speak out with deft tongue in every capital. (Meaning, if you dis them in public anywhere in the Flanaess, their leadership *will* know about it, and if they decide to take offense, heaven help you.)
As Suel, they know secrets of magic and lore nobody else even dreams about. Want to learn their incredible secrets? Join the order! What have you got to lose?
To the east of the Flanaess are the Sea Barons. It's piracy on the high seas. Welcome to Pirates of the Caribbean, and you're a main cast member in the film. There are caves to explore, towns and cities that welcome and forbid, ruins to plunder, deathtraps masquerading as ruins, barbarians from the Thillronian peninsula with the attitude of vikings and ships to match (and they *hate* pirates), elves from the Lendores with their magical ships, the ships of the Scarlet Brotherhood plying their 'trade' routes, ships from Rel Astra, ships from North Province ('this is our territorial water!'), ships from Ratik, and over the horizon to the east - somewhere out there - is the renown Isle of the Phoenix. Can you find this place, and learn of it's wonders?
And finally, if planetary life bores you, and you go with the Spelljamming rules, you can lift off into Wildspace (not to be confused with ordinary space) and explore the moons, the solar system, the whole Crystal Sphere, and then journey the Phlogiston to other Crystal Spheres with other worlds, like Toril and Krynn.
You won't be alone. Why, right over yonder is a ship that looks a lot like a squid (indeed, it is known as a Squidship.) And it's coming right towards your ship. Maybe it's crew is friendly, and just wants to make merry meeting and good relations ...
I'll keep an eye out for the published article, though!
Did ownership of the paintings come with any further info about the coats of arms of the mounted figures in the artwork?
