The Twin Cataclysms

Almost one thousand years before the present day in Greyhawk, two empires on the western edge of the Flanaess
warred against each other. They were the Suloise Empire and the Baklunish Empire. Eventually, the war escalated
beyond most mortal imaginings, and they were both obliterated. The northern Baklunish Empire called down the
Rain of Colourless Fire upon the Suloise, which burnt and destroyed anything it touched. Where the once fertile
Empire stood, only a barren desert remained - the Sea of Dust.

As the Rain commenced, the Suloise retaliated with the Invoked Devastation. Exactly what it was has never been
revealed, but after it, the Baklunish Empire was in the same state as the Suloise, that is to say, not there any more.
Some say that the Rain was in response to the Devastation - the truth of the matter is long forgotten.

Fleeing survivors of the Suloise and Baklunish empires fled east into the Flanaess, driving the native Flan people
before them. A fourth race, the Oeridian, also migrated eastward into the Flanaess at about this time.

It is said that remnants of buildings survive under the Sea of Dust, and they hold artifacts and magics of the old
Suloise Empire, waiting for brave adventurers to find them. However, the Sea of Dust is extremely deadly, and few
return from even its border reaches.

The Great Kingdom

New kingdoms and petty principalities arose in the Flanaess after the twin cataclysms, and the usual sort of wars
ensued. Eventually, one tribe of the Oeridian people, the Aerdy, rose to dominance in the Flanaess, controlling
almost all of its area. This empire (for such it was), called itself the Great Kingdom of Aerdy, and dating in the
Flanaess is from when the Overking was first crowned - we called it the Common Year.

The Great Kingdom serves a role very similar to Rome did in our own world. Since its days of controlling all the
Flanaess, it has declined. It is now ruled by the fiend-seeing Naelex dynasty, and only controls the eastern half of the
Flanaess, other kingdoms and states having taken over its area. It has slipped into decadance and evil, and now only
marginally considers what is occuring past its borders.

Furyondy and Iuz the Old

In the western half of the Flanaess, the Kingdom of Furyondy is recognised as one of the leading forces for good and
stability. Unfortunately, its efforts are greatly hampered by the continuing threat of the half-demon Iuz, who rules a
large kingdom directly to the north of Furyondy. Iuz is regarded as a demi-god by his people, and certainly claims
great power and a dedicated priesthood.

Iuz is served by many humanoids - mainly orcs and goblins - and his lust for conquest is unmatched on Oerth. His
plans received a severe check a few decades back when he was imprisoned under Castle Greyhawk by Zagig, but in
570 C.Y. he was released by a pair of unwitting adventurers (Robilar and Tenser), and since that day has been
reconsolidating his hold on his empire.

Furyondy itself was on the verge of political union with its neighbour, the Archclericy of Veluna, through the
wedding of Prince Thrommel of Veluna to Jolene, daughter of the Plar of Veluna. However, Prince Thrommel was
abducted by agents unknown, and the union was called off. King Belvor of Furyondy now rules a land without an
obvious heir, and under renewed threat from Iuz.
The threat of Iuz
Iuz is the primary villain of many Greyhawk campaigns. An evil cambion, son of the demon Grazz't and the witch
Iggwilv, he rules a land of orcs and evil humans to the north of Furyondy and Veluna, two of the major forces of
good.

He was imprisoned in Castle Greyhawk for many years. On his release (shortly before 576 CY), he discovered that
his kingdom had split in twain, the loyal (or chaotic) minions staying loyal, and a splinter group, the Horned Society,
ruling the eastern portion of his realm.

Iuz spent the years between 576 and 582 consolidating his realm again, then launched a massive gambit which
eventuated in the barbarians of the frozen north (Frost, Snow and Ice Barbarians) invading the lands to the south that
opposed Iuz. After the ensuing conflict finished, Iuz found himself in control of the lands of the Horned Society, as
well as part of the Bandit Kingdoms and most of the Shield Lands.

Iuz's triumph was not lasting, as some powerful adventurers recovered a relic, ​The Crook of Rao​, and banished many
of his fiendish allies back to the Abyss in 586 CY. As of 591, Iuz is still a major threat, but is somewhat distracted
consolidating his rule over his new territory - the Empire of Iuz.

Iuz provides a major enemy to campaigns set in Veluna, Furyondy, Highfolk, the Vesve Forest and Perrenland. His
agents are often also active in the Free City of Greyhawk.

In terms of the campaign setting, Iuz provides an evil kingdom, and a chaotic evil force that loves conquest, thus
providing the impetus for military campaigns.

The Free City of Greyhawk

The major attraction of Greyhawk has always been the ruins of Castle Greyhawk, which have many fabulous
treasures and dangerous monsters. It is from its dungeons that has come much of the wealth that has turned
Greyhawk from a sleepy backwater to a major city in the Flanaess. In the aftermath of the ​Greyhawk Wars​,
Greyhawk found itself controlling more land, including the city of Hardby to the south. Today, Greyhawk is a home
away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs and wanderers.

Water-trade – from the Nyr Dyv, down the Selintan River, to the ocean to the south – provides most of the
commerce and travel in the City. Around Greyhawk are the Cairn Hills, where there are many old burial grounds,
many home to strange wonders of the past – monstrous or valuable.

Due to its position in the centre of the Flanaess, Greyhawk excels as a meeting-place, and people from all over the
Flanaess can be found there.

The Sheldomar Valley

In ancient history, the Sheldomar Valley was the home of the lich Vecna, a magician of supreme might and evil. In
the days before the​Greyhawk Wars​ began, Vecna started his ascent to god-hood, something that has only recently
been fully completed. The Kingdom of Keoland stands where his old realm was, and the legacy of his rule has
culminated in a supreme distrust of arcane magic in that land.

During the Greyhawk Wars, the border states to Keoland: Geoff to the west, Ulek to the east, came under invasion
by humanoids and Giants. Although the tri-states of Ulek were able to defeat their invaders, the Duchy of Geoff was
not so lucky, and now is ruined, the Duke now in exile. In this part of the setting, the struggle against the humanoids
and giants is paramount.
To the east, the free towns of the Wild Coast fell to the orcs of the Pomarj, who were led by the orcish warlord
Turmosh Mak. Ulek and the other nearby states were not able to stop this, and now Ulek guards its borders well.

The Great Kingdom

In my previous essay, I described the Great Kingdom of Aerdy as the Rome of the World of Greyhawk: in decline,
with mad kings on the throne and a decadent population. The Greyhawk Wars were a disaster for the Great
Kingdom. The Overking, completely mad by this stage, saw the Barbarian invasion as the perfect distraction to
allow him to reclaim the lands that the Great Kingdom had once held. He attacked, but on several fronts at once. The
first wave was successful – but not for long.

The result shattered the Great Kingdom into many competing realms, with fiends preying on the living. The use of
the ​Crook of Rao​did eventually banish the fiends, but the devastation remained. Rauxes, once capital of the
kingdom, is gone – in 586 CY, the battle to succeed the Overking as ruler caused a great magical catastrophe that
caused the city to be locked behind a magical barrier that few are powerful enough to cross.

Today, the people of the Great Kingdom are rebuilding, in a land where monsters and corrupt nobles are common.

The Scarlet Brotherhood

In the south-east of the Flanaess lurk the organisation of the Scarlet Brotherhood, an organisation of Thieves,
Assassins and Monks that seek to raise the Suloise people back to their position of dominance in the world, as they
had before the Twin Cataclysms that destroyed their empire 1,000 years ago.

The Scarlet Brotherhood prefer intrigue and guile to open conflict, but they are not above using mercenaries when
the cause seems right. In the Greyhawk Wars, they played a major part, and their intrigues came into full view for
the first time. Now they hold sway over several lands in the south-east of the Flanaess, and especially have an
interest in the jungle continent to the south of the Flanaess.

I like to think of the Scarlet Brotherhood as the Nazis of Greyhawk; they certainly believe in racial purity, and you
could also see them hunting rare magic items (as in ​Raiders of the Lost Ark​), but they tend to be sneakier and more
terrifying than anything in our world.