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Gods & Religion

When writing gods in the Greyhawk setting keep in mind:

1. The gods are spiritual beings. Most demons and ghosts are merely ethereal, they lack material
bodies but still have measurable mass (of zero, but still) volume, a physical/plainer location, and
an age that can be understood according to linear time. Not so for gods.

2. Gods are functionally omnipotent. The gods are, compared to the wet radish that is your
character, unlimited in power.

3. The gods are people. Most religions portray the gods they worship being of sufficient goodness
that they are at least worthy of respect – so it can be hard to remember that being "divine"
doesn't make you Good, it just makes you superhuman. If you're Good it makes you
superhumanly Good, but if you're Evil it makes you superhumanly Evil. Turning your back on the
gods isn't an evil thing, it's a perfectly valid and neutral choice.

4. The Gods are unknowable. The god are clearly able to understand our thoughts, feelings, modes
of communications, but they do not shire them. Gods care for their followers but don’t
necessarily care about what they care about. They give moral commandments, but they don’t
teach us ethics. They answer our prayers, but they don’t grant our wishes. Exceptions do exist,
however. Many historical records and legends point to the direct intervention of one or more
gods at times of great need. This direct contact gives weight to the belief that the Gods are
aware of the mortal realm. It is thus possible to conclude that we, as mortals, may not be
capable of understanding more than a small fraction of the reasoning and logic such beings use.
As a result, religion is a matter of faith.

Creation
The universe is built on a principle of Dialectical-Creationism.
1. Ever realm is furnished with civilized inhabitants in some capacity, born ether through organic
evolution or divine intervention. As civilization matures in will, creativity, and consciousness they
have a chance to produce spirits ether through strong collective ideas or the apotheosis of the will of
a symbolic individual.
2. In any case, from this will spring the Spirits. The divine beings live for a long time and have complex
narrative lives, creating the patterns of myth. Gods and demons form, reform, and procreate. All of
the pantheons fill their rosters from these, though divine membership often differs from culture to
culture. Arguably, there are no Gods, just greater and lesser spirits.
3. As the spirit matures in will, creativity, and consciousness they may assert their nature by produce a
realm or locality in a preexisting realm. The gods created the realms in their own image, either
consciously as artists and craftsmen, or as the matter out of which they sprung forth, or in a variety
of other analogical senses. Every realm is furnished with civilized inhabitants in some capacity, born
ether through organic evolution or divine intervention.
Religion
Several common religious views exist, and players will fall into one of these categories based on personal
upbringing, experience, or teaching.

1. Theists: The Gods take a close interest in the affairs of mortals, and they should be feared and
respected at all times, and pay homage to all Gods. Fortune or misfortune were often directly
attributed to gods. Without a prayer to the Gods, any venture was sure to meet with misfortune.
A theistic understanding of the afterlife is often based on religious myth as well as theology. The
afterlife often seen as a continuation of earthly existence. One's actions in this life will influence
the next as obedience to the gods is reworded and sin is punished. Deeds in everyday life, by
conforming to the statutes and obligations of individual temples are commonly supposed to
please a Deity.

2. Deists: The Gods are too powerful and too far away, the Gods couldn't give a single thought for
the comings and goings of a single mortal. A divine caster by his devotion to and importance in
the divine plan may be able to call on some pitiful miracles, but the superstitious peasants might
as well be praying to rocks. Gods do nothing in the face of suffering and death, seeming to feel
no need to interfere. The afterlife is so vast and varied that this life and the next are merely
separate stages of existence. One's actions in this life may influence the next or they may not.

3. Atheist: The existence of divine magic is not evidence of the gods. Atheists suggest those that
call upon their might are but another type of wizard or warlock. A traditional saying of the Wood
Elves is that "One man's miracle is another man's accident." An atheist understanding of the
afterlife is often based on complex planar studies as well as reincarnation theory.

It has been theorized that gods do in fact gain strength from such things as worship through praise,
sacrifice and deed. There are spirits in our world that have the same capacity to use the actions and
deeds of mortals to strengthen themselves as do the Gods. The implication of the existence of such
spirits leads to the speculation that these spirits may even be capable of raising themselves to the level
of a God or Goddess. The Imperial Seminary has suggested that these spirits may be the remains of Gods
and Goddesses who through time lost all or most of their following, reverting to their earliest most basic
form. Practitioners of the Old Ways say that there are no Gods, just greater and lesser spirits. It is
possible for all three theories to be true.

The Free City of Greyhawk hosts temples and shrines to many deities, including Beory, Boccob, Celestian,
Corellon Larethian, Ehlonna, Fharlanghn, Garl Glittergold, Heironeous, Istus, Kord, Kurell, Lirr, Moradin,
Norebo, Obad-Hai, Olidammara, Osprem, Pelor, Pholtus, Procan, Ralishaz, Rao, Saint Cuthbert,
Trithereon, Ulaa, Wee Jas, Xerbo, Yondalla, and Zilchus.

The worship of evil deities fiends is forbidden, and such cults, though they may have followers, do not
have a public presence. Evil religions that have established a base in the city in recent memory include
those of Incabulos, Iuz, Nerull, and Vecna.

The Realms
When adopting an ethereal view, worlds are arranged in groups that are called families. Although there
is no apparent limit to the number of worlds in a family, they are usually grouped around a parent world
or nexus. The nexus world gathers the lines of ethereal force and warps space-time to incorporate other
worlds into its group. Because ‘wrinkles’ in ethereal dimensions are centered on the nexus world, travel
between the nexus and other family members is usually easiest.

The six “closest” worlds (Terra, Sherém, Lósenor, Midgard, Yàsháin, and the Blessed Realm) are known as
the ‘Seven Worlds’ or the Grey family.’ Greyspace is the nexus. The expression ‘all the Seven Worlds’ is
often used to indicate ‘just about everywhere.’ There are nine additional worlds associated with the Grey
family (Aýderi, Dûrathrhor, Gâsh, Julûga, Maraku, Sphýnxa, Tekú, Varáxis, Hýdrae). One interesting aspect
of inter-world travel is that many modes entail indirect routing.

Scholars consider Greyspace a ‘magic-weak’ world, but only in comparison to places like Yàsháin.
Greyspace is a mostly airless void, but contains numerous celestial bodies that are in constant motion. It
is also home to many creatures that have adapted to and thrive within the emptiness of space. Spell
jamming ships of all kinds sail through the void between worlds, exploring and plying their trade.

Inter-world travel can be achieved by a mage of moderate ability, by persons with talents, or by anyone
who stumbles across an appropriate artefact. Experience increases the chance that it will be a round trip.

Time is significantly variable in multi-world ‘adventures,’ especially when the traveler is envisioning a
specific destination. In such cases, the traveler is more likely to arrive in a place decades, centuries, or
even millennia in his relative past or future. The theory exists that inter-world travel actually ‘creates’
causal bifurcations in such a way that the traveler, by each movement or action is making a new world at
every step. This theory at least avoids the ‘grandfather’ paradox.

Nation Cheat Sheet


The Aerdian East
The United Kingdom of Ahlissa, is a political a successor state to The Great Kingdom of Aerdy. The fall of
Rauxes in 586 CY meant the Great Kingdom's end. In 587, the United Kingdom of Ahlissa was created by
Xavener of House Darmen. Its culture is based loosely off of France and Rome.

The North Kingdom, or the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdy, is a nation in the Flanaess, comprising
the former North Province and other northern lands of the old Great Kingdom. Its culture is based
loosely off of Germany and Rome.

The Kingdom of Nyrond lies between the Nesser River and Franz River to the west, the Harp River and
Flinty Hills to the east, Relmor Bay to the south, and the Theocracy of the Pale to the north. Nyrond also
appears to hold the narrow strip of coastland west of the Nesser River, including the settlement of
Darkshelf on the coast of the Sea of Gearnat (rather than Relmor Bay which lies to the east of the Nesser
River), south of the Bright Desert. Its culture is based loosely off of Italy.

Urnst.

● The County of Urnst is situated on the east coast of the Nyr Dyv, and bordered by the Duchy of
Urnst to the southwest, The Kingdom of Nyrond to the south and east, and the Bandit Kingdoms
to the north. What is now the County of Urnst was part of the Great Kingdom until 356 CY, When
the Kingdom of Nyrond declared independence, then annexed The Country of Urnst and other
nearby countries over the next few years. The County of Urnst gained independence from
Nyrond after the Great Council of Rel Mord in 450 CY.

● The Duchy of Urnst, properly known as the Duchy Palatine of Urnst, is a political state of the
Flanaess.

Theocracy of the Pale, is a political state situated in the Old Aerdy West region of the Flanaess, west of
the Rakers. A land of moderate size, the Pale is bordered by the Rakers, the Phostwood, and the
Gamboge Forest. The Pale is divided into nine archdioceses. The Pale is a theocracy administered in the
name of Pholtus. All government offices are held by Pholtan clerics. The Pale is ruled from Wintershiven
by a religious bureaucracy with command over the military, law enforcement, economics, trade, and
every aspect of life.

The Lendore Isles, also known as the Spindrift Isles, are a collection of five large islands in the Solnor
Ocean, just off the eastern coast of the former Great Kingdom. The Isles of Lendore were under high
elven rule long before they allowed humans to settle there. The high elves of Lendore (before the cult of
Sehanine) communicated and are allied with human nations, but kept the heart of their own
communities separate. In the aftermath of the Greyhawk Wars the elves of the northern isles have took
over the southern isle of Lendore, expelling the majority of the human population in 583 CY, so that the
elves might form a theocratic society. The elves protect the islands with magical fogs and illusions to
prevent any contact with outsiders. The new nation is officially known as the Radiant and Transformed
Domain of Sehanine of the Lendore Isles. The focus of the theocracy is the cult of the elven goddess
Sehanine Moonbow, which is tied to the increasingly widespread elven mystery cult known as the
People of the Testing.
The Lordship of the Isles is a series of small island states off the eastern coast of the Flanaess between
the Aerdi Sea and the Oljatt Sea. The islands are also known as the Duxchan Islands, part of the
Asperdi-Duxchan archipelago. Its culture is based loosely off of Greece.

The Arch barony of Ratik is small but prosperous, and is known for its snowy climate. Originally founded
as a fiefdom of the former Great Kingdom, Ratik is now a completely independent state, allied with the
Frost Barbarians in the Northern Alliance. Its culture is based loosely off of Scandinavia.

Rel Astra and the Cities of the Solnor Compact. The Solnor Compact is a political treaty forming an
alliance of three free city states—Rel Astra, Ountsy, and Roland—on the Solnor Coast of the former
Great Kingdom of Aerdy. The Free and Independent Aerdi City of Rel Astra, member of the Free Cities
of the Solnor Compact, once the capital city of the Kingdom of Aerdy, is now a sovereign city-state,
having gained its independent "palatinate" status directly from the Malachite Throne, approximately 150
years ago, during the troubles known as the Turmoil Between Crowns. Ountsy is a Free City on the coast
of the former Great Kingdom and founding member of the Solnor Compact. The people there are known
for being tight fisted, always counting coins during any business transaction, and for not valuing art of
science. Roland is a Free City on the eastern coast of the former Great Kingdom, and is a founding
member of the Solnor Compact.

The Free City of Irongate, is built on a plateau above the eastern Azure Sea on the short isthmus
between the Onnwal Headlands and the Iron Hills, framed by imposing cliffs pocketed with mines. Its
plateau is within a narrow valley that runs north to south; at the north end, on the Sea of Gearnat, is the
small town of North anchor. Irongate is surrounded by concentric stone walls and dominated by its great
towers, especially the Cidereal Citadel, the Tower of Daern, and the southeastern Siren Keep. Beneath it
is a vast Undercity, twice as deep as the towers are high, made up of a dozen sublevels connected by
endless stone stairs and passageways. Irongate was completed in 124 CY, commissioned by the Great
Kingdom to give the mother country a well-defended base from which it could mine for iron and advance
its interests in the Azure Sea. It was a collaboration between the dwarves of the Iron Hills and human
architects of the Great Kingdom (including, perhaps, the legendary Daern), the first major project of its
kind. Both dwarves and humanity have lived within it since.

Scarlet Brotherhood’s Great and Hidden Empire of Shar ("purity") is a nation located on the Tilvanot
Peninsula in the southeastern Flanaess. A cadre of monastics rules it called the Scarlet Brotherhood, with
final authority resting in the hands of the "Father of Obedience." Like Sunndi to the north, the lands of
the Scarlet Brotherhood enjoy a great deal of natural protection from would-be invaders. At the
beginning of the Tilvanot Peninsula, where the land juts upwards from the southernmost arm of the Vast
Swamp, the Spine Ridge reaches for the sky. These uplands continue many leagues to the south, where
they form a great plateau. The ridge is said to be teeming with humanoids, and it is not known whether
the agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood have made any attempt to tame this wild area. To the east, the
lands of the Brotherhood are protected by the shark-infested Tilva Strait and the frequent storms along
the coast of the Densac Gulf make sea travel an oftentimes treacherous proposition. Its culture is based
loosely off of Finland.

Onnwal, also known as the Free State of Onnwal, or the Obedient State of Onnwal (by the Scarlet
Brotherhood), is a political state located in the southeastern portion of the Flanaess. A narrow isthmus
connects Onnwal to the Iron Hills and Ahlissa on the mainland; it is otherwise surrounded by water on all
sides, with the Azure Sea to the south, the Sea of Gearnat to the northwest, and Dunhead Bay to the
northeast. Its culture is based loosely off of Corsica.

Stonehold is located in the northeastern portion of the Flanaess, at the base of the Thillonrian Peninsula,
bounded by the Griff Mountains to the east and south, and the Icy Sea to the north and west. The Hraak
Forest at the base of the Griffs is claimed by the people of Stonehold as well. Its culture is based loosely
off of Estonia.

Sunndi Protectorate of the Olvenking is an elf ruled human nation of the southeastern Flanaess, lying to
the south of the former Great Kingdom. Sunndi's population numbers about 1,125,000, of which 79% are
human of Oeridian and Suloise extraction, 9% are elves, 5% are dwarves, 5% are halflings, 1% are
half-elves, and 1% are other races. Sunndi is a feudal hereditary monarchy ruled by His Brilliant Majesty,
Olvenking Hazendel I, Defender of Sunndi and Protector of the South. The country is divided into
eighteen counties, each ruled by a count who sits on the advisory Congress of Lords. The capital city is
Pitchfield.

The Duchy of Tenh is situated in the Old Aerdy West region of the Flanaess, nestled between the
Theocracy of the Pale, the Bandit Kingdoms, and the Rovers of the Barrens. The native folk of Tenh are
full-blooded Flan, and fiercely proud of it. Their skin has a bronze hue.

North Flan
The Empire of Iuz is a vast empire ruled by the demigod Iuz. The Empire of Iuz consists of five
loosely-defined political regions, though they are not considered actual provinces.

● Land of Iuz Also called the Homeland of Iuz, this region lies mainly between the Dulsi and Opicim
Rivers, south of the Cold Marshes, and north of Whyestil Lake. Dorakaa is the capital of the Empire
of Iuz. The city is a grim and filthy place. Skulls are the predominant motif of architecture and
decoration. As of 591 CY, the population of Dorakaa stands at 40,000.
● Barren Lands. These grasslands south of the Icy Sea and the Barren Wastes are also known as the
Barrens, the Barren Plains, or the Northern Barrens. North of the Bandit Lands, the Barrens' eastern
border is formed by the Forlorn Forest, western Griff Mountains, and the Bluff Hills. Their western
border is formed by the Cold Marshes and Opicim river. Once ruled by the nomadic Flan tribes
known as the Rovers of the Barrens, these people are but a shadow of their former glory.
● Horned Lands. This region is bound by Whyestil Lake, the Veng and Ritensa Rivers, and the
Fellreev Forest. These lands were for a time ruled by the Horned Society, before Iuz once again took
control during the Greyhawk Wars.
● The Restored Holy Realm of the Faithful of the Shield Lands is an Order state located in the
middle portion of the Flanaess, just north of the Nyr Dyv. The Shield Lands were once part of
Ferrond, which broke off from The Great Kingdom in 254 CY. The Shield Lands later broke off
from Furyondy sometime in the fourth century. It stood until The Greyhawk Wars specifically
Flocktime of 583, when Iuz invaded and easily defeated them, in part because they refused help from
Furyondy for fear of reabsorption. Part of the Shield Lands was reclaimed during The Great
Northern Crusade, but much of it remains occupied.
● The Bandit Kingdoms is a political state formerly known as the Combination of Free Lords, and
sometimes called the Bandit Lands. Its culture is based loosely off of Switzerland.
Rovers of the Barrens, properly known as Arapahi (translated as "People of the Plentiful Hunting lands"),
is a political state of the Flanaess. The name also applies to the tribes of nomadic riders who dwell within
these lands. Traditionally, the Rovers of the Barrens have been a loose alliance of four Flan clans, each in
turn made up of several smaller tribes. The strongest member of each tribe, in terms of leadership and
fighting ability, was designated the tribe's chieftain. However, the strongest warriors overall joined the
War dogs, a group noted for their endurance and bravado. The best warrior among all the War dogs was
given a limited authority over all the tribal chieftains; the last such leader so designated was His Mighty
Lordship, Ataman of the Standards, Durishi Great Hound, Chief of the War dogs.

The Arch barony of Blackmoor, is located in the northwestern portion of the Flanaess. It is a small and
inhospitable realm lying almost completely within the boundaries of the northern reaches of the Cold
Marshes. The Burneal Forest forms a western boundary of sorts, while the Land of Black Ice does the
same to the north.

The Thillonrian Peninsula (also known as Rhizia in the Cold Tongue) is a geographical area in the
northeastern portion of the Flanaess. A cold, mountainous land, this region is best known for being the
home of the nations of the Frost, Ice, and Snow Barbarians, as well as the nation of Stonehold.
Collectively, the lands of the Frost, Ice, and Snow barbarians are known as the Barbarian States. The
peninsula is dominated by the Griff-Corusk mountain range, and is surrounded by the Icy Sea and the
Solnor Ocean. Its culture is based loosely off of the Huns.

Ferrond Empire

The Kingdom of Furyondy, is a successor state of Ferrond. Originally part of the Viceroyalty of Ferrond
known as Furyon, Furyondy claimed independence from the Great Kingdom of Aerdy in 254 CY. The
nation's first king, Thrommel I, was crowned that same year. In 288, the Furyondyian capitol was moved
from Dyvers to Chendl. Dyvers would eventually secede from Furyondy in 526 CY. Modern Furyondy is
bordered by the Nyr Dyv to the east; by the Veng River, Whyestil Lake, and the Vesve Forest to the north;
and by the Velverdyva River to the south and west. Its culture is based loosely off of England.

The March of Bissel is located in the western-central portion of the Flanaess. It is bordered by the
Barrier Peaks to the north and west, by the Dim Forest to the south, and by the Lorridges to the east. Its
culture is based loosely off of Bulgaria.

Faerie Kingdom of Celene is notable for being the most prominent elven nation in eastern Oerik.
Celene's borders are formed by the Jewel River in the east, and the Handmaiden River to the west and
south. To the north are the Kron Hills and the curving eastern spur of the Lortmils. Celene also exerts
power and influence in the forests on its eastern borders, the Gnarley Forest, Welkwood, and Suss
Forest, all of which have elven populations (amongst others) or forward garrisons deployed. Celene is
home to the gray elves of the Flanaess, and they rarely allow access to outsiders. In the earliest days,
elven princes ruled from the Velverdyva to the Wild Coast. However, by the time of the Great Migrations,
the power of these elven lords had shrank to isolated pockets such as Celene. Grey elves are a very
reclusive people. Their societies are rigidly defined, hereditary monarchies, with citizens of their cities
being divided by a caste system. Of all elven sub-races, these are among the least tolerant of other races.
Because they spend so much of their lives studying, grey elves have many elves of other races as
servants for menial labor. Grey elves allow only a select few outsiders entry to their cities such as
powerful mages and wizards, but even these individuals are treated with great suspicion.
Dyvers, the "City of Sails," is a free city and political state in the central Flanaess. The city itself is
officially known as the Free and Independent City of Dyvers, while the political state is known as the
Free Lands of Dyvers. Dyvers lays claim to some 2,000 square miles of territory along the south bank of
the Velverdyva to the Gnarley Forest. It also claims four islands at the mouth of the great river, which
form the River Quarter of the city. They include a lighthouse and shipyard, military garrison, private
noble "country homes", and warehouses. The three non-military islands have fisherfolk villages and
private warehouses scattered on them, as well. Its culture is based loosely off of Switzerland.

The Concatenated Cantons of Perrenland, is located in the northwestern portion of the Flanaess. It is
bordered by Lake Quag to the north (though Perrenlanders consider the lake to be within the boundaries
of the country itself), by the Yatil Mountains to the west and south, and by the Clatspur Range and the
Vesve Forest to the east. Its culture is based loosely off of Lithuania.

The Pomarj can refer either to a large peninsula located in the central Flanaess, or to the Orcish Empire
of the Pomarj, located in the same region.

The Dominion of the Sea Barons, are an independent feudal monarchy ruling, at least in name, over five
islands in the Asperdi-Duxchan chain in the Solnor Ocean. The Sea Barons are sandwiched between the
Bay of Gates and the Solnor Ocean. The strait between Fair isle and Leastisle is called Cape Rarn, while
the strait between Leastisle and Serpent Isle is called Spindrift Sound. Its culture is based loosely off of
Scandinavia.

The Hold of the Sea Princes is a realm south of Keoland. Its culture is based loosely off of Finland.

The March of Sterich, is located in the southwestern, portion of the Flanaess. It lies in a broad basin
formed by the Stark Mounds to the north and northwest, by the Crystalmist Mountains to the west, and
by the Jotens to the south. It is separated from the Kingdom of Keoland by the Javan River. Its culture is
based loosely off of Wales.

The Grand Duchy of Geoff is situated in the western Sheldomar Valley region of the Flanaess. The nation
is bordered by the Crystalmists to the west, the Barrier Peaks to the north, the Stark Mounds to the
south, and the Javan River to the east. It's closest neighbors are the Valley of the Mage to the north,
Gran March to the east, and Sterich to the south. Geoff encompasses the entire Hornwood, most of the
Oytwood, and the western portion of the Dim Forest. The region was transformed in Common Year (CY)
583 / Flan Tracking (FT) 2463 as armies of giants from the Crystalmist Mountains mounted a brutal
invasion. Much of the Duchy was destroyed or enslaved. Its culture is based loosely off of Scotland.

Gran March is located in the western-central portion of the Flanaess, and is considered part of the
Sheldomar Valley region. It is bordered by Bissel to the north, the Lortmil Mountains to the north and
northeast, the Lort River to the east, Sheldomar River and the Rushmoors to the south, and the
Realstream to the west. Its culture is based loosely off of the Czech.

The Free Town of Highfolk, is an elven political city-state, the region around the town is sometimes
known as the Highvale or the Valley of the Velverdyva. Modern Highfolk is located in the
western-central portion of the Flanaess. Generally speaking, all the land along the Velverdyva River from
its passage between the Clatspurs and the Yatil Mountains, to the plain between the southeastern spur
of the Yatils and the Vesve Forest, can be said to belong to the Highvale. The city of Highfolk itself rests at
the base of the Yatils, where the Velverdyva makes a broad eastern bend towards the plains of Furyondy.
While high elves, more than many other elven kin, are tolerant and open with humans, many of the
lands still considered to be high elven nations are that way through partial elven reclusiveness. High elf
nations like Highfolk communicated and are allied with human nations, but kept the heart of their own
communities separate. High elven cities are magnificent marvels of elegant architecture made of
wondrous towers and structures that blend seamlessly into places of natural beauty.

The Ancient Kingdom of Keoland, is a nation located in the Sheldomar Valley in the western Flanaess. It
is the oldest continuously ruled human realm in the Flanaess, and can trace an unbroken line of
succession back almost one thousand years. Keoland was also historically referred to as the Empire of
Keoland, or Keoland Empire. Due to variations in spelling across the Flanaess, it is occasionally spelled
Keogh land. Keoland is the largest kingdom in the Sheldomar Valley. Its current borders are primarily
defined in the east by the Sheldomar River; in the south by the Azure Sea; in the north by the Lort River
and Rushmoors, and to the west by the Javan River, although the County of Cryllor extends across that
river where it is bounded by mountains and hills. Keoland is surrounded on most sides by nations whose
lands once formed its provinces. To the north lies the Gran March; to the east the Duchy of Ulek, County
of Ulek and Principality of Ulek; to the south the Hold of the Sea Princes; to the southwest the
Yeomanry; and to the west Sterich. Its culture is based loosely off of Hungry and Poland.

Ulek.

● The County of Ulek is generally located in the southwestern portion of the Flanaess, and is
considered part of the Sheldomar Valley region. It is bordered by the Lortmil Mountains to the
north and east, by the Old River to the east and south, and by the Kewl River to the West.

● The Duchy of Ulek is generally located in the southwestern portion of the Flanaess, and is
considered part of the Sheldomar Valley region. It is bordered by the Lortmil Mountains to the
north and northwest, by the Kewl River to the east, and by the Sheldomar River to the west and
south. The Duchy of Ulek is a high elf ruled land, but has a higher human population then elven.

● The Principality of Ulek is in the southwestern Flanaess, and is considered part of the Sheldomar
Valley. It is bordered by the County of Ulek along the Old River to the northwest, by the
Sheldomar River to the west, by the Azure Sea to the south, and the Jewel River to the east and
northeast. East of the foothills of the Lortmils and along the banks of the Jewel are "disputed
lands" where the Ulek forces vie against the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj. Its culture is based
loosely off of Cornwall.

The Valley of the Mage (also called the Vale of the Mage) is a realm in the northwestern Flanaess,
renowned for its ruler and the unusual Valley Elves who live there. Valley elves are thought to be an
offshoot of the gray, or high elven race. They are thought to have dwelled in the Javan Vale as far back as
circa -14,400 CY. At some point, the valley elves established their own kingdom, which was founded
"before the first Grand Duke reigned in Geoff," and prior to the rise of Keoland. Shortly after the turn of
the sixth century CY, king of the valley elves and his entire house arrived at the Palace of the Grand Duke
in Gorna. The valley elf king left several items with the Grand Duke, along with information to be passed
to his heir. The elven king and his retinue then departed into the Crystalmists, nevermore to be seen. A
number of decades later, Jaran Krimeeah, an exiled mage from the Great Kingdom, came to the Vale.
Within a year, Krimeeah had won the favor of the elves. The valley elves willingly submitted to his rule,
referring to Krimeeah as the "Exalted One". All other elves abhor the valley elves, claiming they are not
true elves at all, and shun them utterly. The valley elves were rejected not only by all other olvenfolk, but
also by the gods of their race. They call the Valley elves by a disparaging name in their own language that
connotates to "automaton" or "slave." Valley elves worship Ehlonna. They do not worship the Seldarine,
who are said to have rejected the valley elves.

The Arch-clericy of Veluna, is a theocratic political state located in the western-central portion of the
Flanaess. It is bordered by the Velverdyva River to the north and east; by the Fals River to the north and
west; and by the Lortmil Mountains and the Kron Hills to the south. Most of the original forests in the
Vale have been clear cut to make way for farmland, or to supply lumber for building projects. The only
remaining woodlands of any note are the Ironwood, the Dapple Wood, and the Asnath Copse. The
Arch-clericy of Veluna is a theocracy devoted to the worship of Rao, and ruled by the Canon of Veluna, a
powerful Raoan cleric advised by the College of Bishops and the Celestial Order of the Moons. The
Canon is selected by the College of Bishops and approved by the Celestial Order when the old Canon
steps down or passes on. Power to remove the Canon is shared between the College and the Celestial
Order. The national capital is Mitrik.

● The Viscounty and Town of Verbobonc owes fealty to the Arch-clericy of Veluna, it is
autonomous in practice.

The Yeomanry League is a Sul state of the Flanaess. It is sometimes called the Yeoman Freehold. the
modern Yeomanry is in the southwestern portion of the Flanaess. It is nestled entirely within a broad
basin bounded by the Jotens to the north, the Crystalmist Mountains to the west and south, and the
Little Hills to the east. The valley passage between the Little Hills and the Tors leads directly into the Hool
Marshes. A long cave system known as "the Passage of Slerotin" tunnels its way under the Hellfurnaces
mountain range for over 200 miles, stretching all the way from the Yeomanry town of Dark Gate, to the
Sea of Dust. The Yeomanry is a Democratic Republic, ruled by His Steadfastness, Marius Lindon. This
"ruler" is called "the Freeholder," and is the "Spokesman for the Yeomanry League." The Freeholder is an
elected official who is the "executive" branch of the government, he conducts diplomacy, negotiates
treaties, and commands the military. The Council of Common Grosspokemen is the "parliamentary"
branch managing all legislative matters; all adult citizens who have performed military service for the
state, or are gainfully employed, have the right to vote, regardless of race or gender.

The West
Bone March is located in the eastern portion of the Flanaess. It rests in the narrow strip of land bounded
by the Rakers in the west and the Teesar Torrent in the east and curving around to encompass Johnsport
on the coast of the Solnor Ocean. The cool, rocky farmland of the Bone March is poor and never
supported a dense population or large cities. Its farmlands are now desolate wilderness. Its culture is
based loosely off of Russa.

Empire of the Bright Lands, is a dictatorial political state of the Flanaess, located within the Bright
Desert. The boundaries of the Bright Lands are contained entirely within the bounds of the Bright Desert.
The Abbor-Alz form the northern and eastern borders, while Woolly Bay and the Sea of Gearnat form
natural boundaries to the country's west and south. The desert boasts only one major geographical
feature, the Brass Hills in its south-western region. Its culture is based loosely off of Spain.
Ekbir is situated in the Baklunish Basin region of the Flanaess, upon the shores of the Dramidj Ocean.
Across the Tuflik and Blashikmund lie the neighboring states of Zeif and Tusmit, respectively, while the
Tiger Nomads lie to the north across the Yatils and Yechas. Most of the Udgru Forest lies in the northern
reaches of Ekbir. Founded by survivors of the Invoked Devastation who fled northeast, the small port-city
quickly grew as northern nomads came to trade with the new settlers. Its culture is based loosely off of
Belarus.

Ket is situated in the Baklunish Basin region of the Flanaess, near the Fals Gap along the trade route to
the Sheldomar Valley and beyond. Ket was originally a province of Zeif, but was conquered by the Brazen
Horde in the early 300s CY, who permitted the bey of Ket to continue to rule as a figurehead, though the
Horde bowed only to their padishah. The warriors of the Brazen Horde ruled (and plundered) Ket until
the middle of that century, when Keoland invaded the state in response to the Horde's provocations. The
Keoish Knights of the Watch, allied with mercenaries from what would become Perrenland, drove out
both the Horde and their puppet ally, Bey Arpad of Ket. The bey began a long campaign of resistance to
the Keoish occupation from the Banner Hills. They eventually established an independent state. No
longer forced to bow to Western barbarians or infidel Easterners, Arpad declared himself Ket's first
beygraf, a title derived from both Western and Eastern traditions. Its culture is based loosely off of
Ukraine.

Tusmit is a political state in Baklunish Basin, to the west of the Yatil Mountains and Tusman Hills. It is
adjoined by the Tsardom of Ekbir to the northwest, the Kingdom of Zeif to the west and south west, and
Ket to the east and south. The Tuflik River forms the southern border of Tusmit, while the Blashikmund
River separates Tusmit from Ekbir to the west and north. The landscape is not as gentle here as in Ekbir,
but it is a fertile country. Its culture is based loosely off of the Caucasia.

Plains of the Paynims, is a political state of the Flanaess. The name also applies to the tribes of nomadic
riders who dwell within these lands.

Ull, is situated in the Baklunish Basin region of the Flanaess, south of the Plains of the Paynims. Ull's
current head of state is the half-ogre Orakhan Bruzharag the Misbegotten. Its culture is based loosely off
of the southern Slavs.

Zeif is situated in the Baklunish Basin region of the Flanaess, on the southern shores of the Dramidj
Ocean.

History of The City of Greyhawk


Greyhawk, named for the small grey hawks which populate the region, was originally a trading outpost
on the Selintan specializing in local wood and woven garments, which was known by that name as early
as 330 OR (-315 CY). In time, the town developed strong textile and meat-packing industries. From the
earliest days, Greyhawk was ruled by a warlord who took the title "Landgraf of the Selintan." This first
Landgraf's son was then married to the Gynarch of Hardby's daughter. The nuptials formalized a political
alliance that served as the basis for rule over the Lanstadt of Selintan, the area that eventually became
known as the Domain of Greyhawk.

In 4 CY, Greyhawk came under the domination of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy and remained so while
strong Overkings ruled from the Malachite Throne in Rauxes. The Great Kingdom's influence over the city
began to wane during the third and especially the fourth centuries as the House of Rax declined and the
Overkings hold on distant provinces became increasingly tenuous.

In approximately 310 CY, the mage Zagig Yragerne emerged from the Wild Coast and bribed his way into
a seat on the Directing Oligarchy. Approximately 320 CY, the Oligarchs elected Zagig Lord Mayor of the
city.

Greyhawk subsequently rose in fame and prominence under the leadership of Lord Mayor Zagig. He
instituted legal reform, developed a new currency, fortified the walls, founded the city's first university,
and embarked on a major building program. Most notably, he directed the construction of nearby Castle
Greyhawk.

Although Zagig -- later known as Zagyg -- became increasingly erratic over time, his rule is considered to
be the most effective in the Free City's history and brought widespread prosperity to the region. Much to
the annoyance of Dyvers and other rival cities, Zagig proclaimed Greyhawk to be the "Gem of the
Flanaess," and did much to ensure this moniker was justified. Unfortunately, the "Mad Archmage"
disappeared in 421 CY, leaving no clues regarding his whereabouts, and no heir to inherit the title of
Landgraf.

In 498 CY, after decades of Zagig's absence, the Landstadt was therefore abolished, the title of Landgraf
permanently retired, and the Free City's Directing Oligarchy assumed political authority. The new Lord
Mayor Paerinn officially proclaimed Greyhawk a free city, though it had been effectively independent of
the Great Kingdom's rule for over a century.

Soon thereafter, the city lost its claim over Hardby and the Wild Coast, as the leading women of Hardby
broke from Greyhawk and established the ruling office of Despotrix. This loss of lands sent the Free City
into economic decline, a situation that persisted for several decades. Fortunately, the discovery of
treasure in the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk and other nearby locales set off a gold rush of sorts,
and Greyhawk's economic fortunes recovered in the second half of the sixth century.

The Greyhawk Wars and the post-war situation


The Free City of Greyhawk actually had less direct involvement in the so-called Greyhawk Wars than
many other political entities across the Flanaess, but because the final truce was brokered in Greyhawk
in CY 584, the war has come to be named for the city.

The Wars had several important effects on the city, however, particularly in that the unrest drove Hardby
and the Wild Coast cities of Safeton and Narwell to re-submit to the rule of the Directing Oligarchs. This
situation is unstable, however, as it was largely fear of Turrosh Mak's humanoid raiders from the Pomarj
that prompted this move, and the Despotrix and the Wild Coast cities once again agitate for increased
independence.

Also, as a result of the Wars, the city has seen an influx of new citizens. Some of these are wealthy
diplomats, and some are "nobles" who have contributed significantly to Greyhawk's coffers with the
purchase of various counterfeit titles and documents. But many newcomers to Greyhawk are destitute
refugees, or are merely using the city as a base for hatching political plots and intrigues across the
Flanaess. In particular, there are persistent rumors of covert Scarlet Brotherhood operations in the city.
The post-war situation for the Free City is therefore mixed. Greyhawk's finances are in the best shape
they have been since Zagig's departure, but the city faces significant challenges arising from political
instability and increasing criminal activity.

Population
As of 610 CY, the city itself boasts a population of 169,500, making it one of the largest cities in the Flan.
The population for the entire Greyhawk Domain is 1,160,000. The population is 80% Humans (O S f b),
7% halflings, 7% dwarves, 3% elves, 1% hybrid, 1% goblinoid, and 1% other (mostly lizard-folk).

Government
The Free City of Greyhawk is ruled by the Directing Oligarchy, an executive council of twelve to eighteen
members ostensibly representing the city's major professional guilds and merchant families. Current
council members choose New Directors when a vacency must be filled. As a result, the council is often
filed with the richest and most ruthless men of the city. In some cases, the Oligarchy may include
important wizards and/or clerics or other persons too powerful for the state to control without offering
them a slice of the action.

Greyhawk's Directing Oligarchy elects one of its own as Lord Mayor, who serves as the acting-king in
addition to his Directorial duties. The current Lord Mayor, Nerof Gasgal, has held office since 571 CY. The
Lord Mayor heads both the Directing Oligarchy and the nations standing Lands-meet: The Council of
Mayors and Manorial Lords.

The Greyhawk Public Council, in theory, serves the interests in the citizenry-at-large. This
popularly-elected advisory body consists of eight representatives, one from each of the city's quarters.
The Public Council meets with the Directing Oligarchy on a quarterly basis.

The Domain of Greyhawk's military forces, though technically under the Lord Mayor's authority, are
usually commanded by the Domain's highest-ranking military officer, the Captain General of the Watch,
who also sits on the city's Directing Oligarchy. The current Captain General is Tigran Gellner.

Laws
Readers should strongly note that not every citizen or every low guild official and town guard knows all of
these crimes and can cite statutes. Even among higher officials knowledge of specific offenses and
punishments often depends on the desire to control or see righteous justice done. These are merely laws that
can be, and are enforced to varying degrees, but breaking these laws is ground for punishment at the hands of
the dully appointed authorities.
Violent Crimes
The fallowing laws are applicable to all persons in the land, against any victim, except while acting under
the offices of the state and while serving the public good.
● Using Mind Altering Magic: Hand in hand with this criminality is a negative association with
charming spells. Criminals incur a fine to provide reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot
afford the fine may be sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often
with their property.
o Controlling the thoughts of a guild official, noble, soldiers, Seat guards or merchant
is punishable by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other
terrible deaths.
● Murder: Deliberate and wrongful killing. Murder is punishable by death. Executions may include
hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Assault: Putting any individual in imminent fear of great bodily harm or actual great bodily harm.
Any such person may be summarily killed, or executed by the victim. Any known assaulter who is
captured may be summarily tried and subjected to corporal punish/ public humiliation.
o Assault of a child under the age of puberty or noble is punishable by death.
Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Battery: Striking another in a harmful or offensive manner, outside of a sanctioned fight or duel. Any
such person who is captured may be summarily tried and subjected to corporal punish/ public
humiliation. Generally only enforced for severe beatings, or if the victim is important. Also rarely
enforced if both parties are equally injured.
o Battery of a noble by a commoner is punishable by death. Executions may include
hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Kidnapping: Punishment varies widely based on the victim and the perpetrator, as well as the length
of detention and condition of the detained. Kidnappers incur a fine to provide reparations to the
victims, criminals who cannot afford the fine may be sold into slavery. Such criminals would become
slaves to their victims, often with their property.
o Kidnapping of a child under the age of puberty or noble is punishable by death.
Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Manslaughter: Accidental killing. Punishment depends on victim and whether killing was deemed
negligent or accidental. Negligent killers incur a fine to provide reparations to the victims, criminals
who cannot afford the fine may be sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their
victims, often with their property.
o Negligent killing of a child under the age of puberty, guild official, noble, soldiers,
Seat guards or merchant is punishable by death. Executions may include hanging,
beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Robbery: Forcibly Stealing from someone, or stealing form their residence or place of business while
they're present. Any robbers caught in the act, may be summarily killed, or executed. Any robber who
is captured incur a fine to provide reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot afford the fine
may be sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with their
property.
o Robbery of a guild official, noble, soldiers, Seat guards or merchant is punishable by
death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Banditry/Piracy: Waylaying of a citizen and relieving them of money or property. These crimes are
punishable by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible
deaths.
o Brigands under the age of puberty or of noble birth or who are veterans are punished
with being sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often
with their property.
● Rape: If the perpetrator knew what they were doing was against the will of the victim, castration is
automatic. Criminals incur a fine to provide reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot afford
the fine may be sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with
their property.
o Rape of a child under the age of puberty, guild official, noble, soldiers, Seat guards or
merchant is punishable by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning,
or other terrible deaths.
Crimes Against Public Order
The fallowing laws are applicable to all persons in the land, against any victim.
● Brawling: Non-sanctioned fight or duel in a public place. Any such person who is captured may be
summarily tried and subjected to corporal punish/ public humiliation. Generally only enforced for
severe beatings, or if the victim is important. Generally punished only if it annoys or distresses
townsfolk, and rarely in taverns.
● Rioting: Group action intended to harass, alarm, or damage the property of others. Also, incitement
of others to harass, alarm, or damage the property of others. Any rioter, caught in the act, may be
tried, and subjected to corporal punish/ public humiliation.
o Ringleaders always punished by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading,
drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Publicly brandishing magical power: Lawful per se as long as there is not an intent to harass, or
alarm. Persons found guilty of magically menacing others may be subjected to corporal punish/
public humiliation. Generally punished only if it annoys or distresses townsfolk.
● Publicly brandishing weapons: Lawful per se as long as there is not an intent to harass, or alarm.
Persons found guilty of menacing others may be subjected to corporal punish/ public humiliation.
● Public nudity/indecent exposer: Lawful per se as long as there is not an intent to arouse, harass, or
alarm. Persons found guilty of malicious or lewd exposer may be subjected to corporal punish/
public humiliation. Generally punished only if it annoys or distresses townsfolk, and rarely in the
red-light district.
o Willful and lewd exposer to a child under the age of puberty is punishable by death.
Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths. Lighter
punishments for incidents that do not distresses the child in question.
● Grave Robbing: Robbing the grave of a child under the age of puberty, guild official, noble,
soldiers, Seat guards or merchant is punishable by death. Executions may include hanging,
beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
o Robbing of any other grave is worthy of fines to provide reparations to the victims, criminals
who cannot afford the fine may be sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to
their victims, often with their property. Associates of the victim are allowed to bring the
robber in dead or alive if they find them before the Crown.
● Cannibalism: the devouring of sapient beings. Any such person, caught in the act, may be
summarily killed, or executed. Any known cannibal who is captured may be summarily tried and
subjected to corporal punish/ public humiliation.
● Arson: Setting fire to any building inside of a city. Arsons caught in the act, may be summarily killed,
or executed. Any arson who is captured may be summarily tried and incur a fine to provide
reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot afford the fine may be sold into slavery. Such
criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with their property.
Property Crimes
The fallowing laws are applicable to all persons in the land except while acting under the offices of the
state and while serving the public good, but only if the victim is a propertied citizen of the land/licensed
foreigner/businesses/church.
● Forgery: An attempt to mint one's own currency or create counterfeit bank or mercantile notes. Also,
the attempt to reproduce any official document of the crown, state, or a guild. Any forger, caught in
the act, may be summarily killed, or executed. Any known forger who is captured may be summarily
tried and subjected to corporal punish/ public humiliation.
● Default/Bankruptcy: An inability to repay rent or any other agreed upon sum/transaction. The
default does not have to be monetary. This can include a failure to maintain adequate securities or
cash reserves for guilds/banks. Debtors may be tried, and sold to provide reparations to the victims.
Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with their property.
● Extortion: Obtaining goods, services, or money through threat of or actual violence. Persons found
guilty incur a fine to provide reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot afford the fine may be
sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with their property.
o Extorting a guild official, noble, soldiers, Seat guards or merchant is punishable by
death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Theft: The pilfering of goods. Any thieves caught in the act, may be summarily killed, or executed.
Thieves who is captured incur a fine to provide reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot
afford the fine may be sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often
with their property.
● Trespassing: Setting foot on another's land or property without permission. Trespassers caught in the
act, may be summarily killed, or executed. Any trespasser who is captured may be tried, but are
usually punished fully only when damage is done non-accidentally or when poaching has occurred,
and incur a fine to provide reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot afford the fine may be
sold into slavery. Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with their property.
● Vandalism: defacement of another's property. Usually punished fully only when damage is done
non-accidentally. Any known vandal who is captured may be summarily tried and incur a fine to
provide reparations to the victims, criminals who cannot afford the fine may be sold into slavery.
Such criminals would become slaves to their victims, often with their property.
● Possession of Illegal/Stolen Goods: Self-explanatory. Confiscation of goods and a fine equal to their
worth when stolen, plus jail time depending on property in question and victim.
Crimes against the Crown
The following laws apply to all persons in the land except while acting under the offices of the state and
while serving the public good.
● Dodging military serves: Is punishable by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading,
drowning, or other terrible deaths. Cowardice before the enemy, especially desertion, is
punished with death. Dishonorable conduct usually leads to a court-martial.
● Bribery of an official: Paying a State official to act inconsistent with their office. Interestingly enough
bribery of guild, mercantile, or church officials is not a crime. Those organizations are expected to
police their own. These crimes are punishable by death. Executions may include hanging,
beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Embezzlement of Crown Funds: Misappropriation of funds placed in one's trust by the Crown.
These crimes are punishable by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or
other terrible deaths.
● Tax Default/Fraud: Non-payment of taxes. The default does not have to be monetary. Any known
tax evader may be tried, and sold to provide reparations to the State. Such criminals would become
slaves to the State, often with their property.
● Impersonation of an Official: Any impersonation of a guild official, noble, soldiers, Seat guards or
merchant for the purpose of fraudulent gain or slanderous activities. These crimes are punishable
by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Sedition: Stirring up discontent against the state, but lacking an overt act. Also, incitement of others
to commit treason. Any such person, caught in the act, may be summarily killed, or executed.
Any such person who is captured may be summarily tried and subjected to corporal punish/ public
humiliation.
o Ringleaders always punished by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading,
drowning, or other terrible deaths.
● Treason/Revolt: As sedition, but with an overt act of violence (or attempted such). These crimes
are punishable by death. Executions may include hanging, beheading, drowning, or other terrible
deaths. May be killed in the ordinary course of adventuring.
● Lying under oath: Lying under oath in court is a serious offense, given that non-eyewitnesses have
the right to remain silent (Eyewitnesses to the crime can be compelled to testify). The punishment is
the maximum punishment for the crime being tried.
Not illegal
● Owning, trafficking in, or transporting slaves. According to the law, the natural state of humanity
is freedom, but the "law of nations" may supersede natural law and reduce certain people to slavery.
The basic definition of slave in manish law is:
o anyone whose mother was a slave.
o Any enemy combatant who has been captured in battle and not ransomed.
o anyone who has sold himself to pay a debt.
o Anyone who has been sentenced to slavery by the courts.
● Killing a disobedient or runaway slave. Slaves must serve their master as lord, obeying them in all
that is not criminal or suicidal. A defiant slave may be killed or injured at the masters discretion,
although many consider this evil. There is a monetary penalty for unlawfully killing a slave.
● Killing undead, or beings that are murderous or become murderous. Killing such things is held
as lawful and good.
● Killing , injuring, torturing, robbing, or enslaving violent criminal such as:
o bandits
o pirates
o thieves
o solders of enemy nations
o escaped slave
o those who act for malevolent gods
Except for enemies under the age of puberty or of noble birth.

● Kidnapping, robbing, or enslaving citizens of enemy nations, during battle: except for those
under the age of puberty or of noble birth.
● Lying in person while not under oath.
● Partaking in gambling, prostitution, or recreational drugs.
● Adultery not committed against a noble.
● Creating undead. Necromancy is more akin to a morbid form of puppetry and at least as an
academic pursuit it is accepted.
Enforcement
The City of Greyhawk has several law enforcement groups.
● Greyhawk Militia—patrols of law enforcement officers, always encountered in two-man patrol
groups and never solitary. The city has full-time military personnel equal to 1% of its adult
population, in addition to reserve personnel equal to 5% of the population. The city guard force
works on three 8-hour shifts, with 30% of the force on a day shift (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 35% on an
evening shift (4 p.m. to 12 a.m.), and 35% on a night shift (12 a.m. to 8 a.m.). At any given time, 80%
of the guards on duty are on the streets patrolling, while the remaining 20% are stationed at various
posts along the city walls where they can respond to nearby alarms. Though technically under the
Lord Mayor's authority, are usually commanded by the Captain General of the Watch, Tigran Gellner.
● Guild of Nightwatchmen—the "Night Watch" which supplements the City Watch during hours of
darkness, privately funded by the Merchant’s and Thieves’ Guilds; can detain but not arrest, work
closely with the City Watch.
● People's Constables—employed by Directing Oligarchy to enforce misdemeanors such as slander,
verbal threats, noise disturbances, unlawful disposal of garbage, etc.
Bounty Hunting
Some criminals are known and wanted. These cases are usually so clear as to need no trial, or the trial has
happened in absentia. Wanted Posters or “writs” provide legal authority to act against the condemned stating
what authority a person may act on. These individuals usually have a bounty against them, and the behavior
against them is pre-approved in these bounties. Most bounties list the crimes that the criminal has committed.
1. Wanted Alive: This means that all care should be taken to bring this person in alive, they must face
trial. Normally these writs can only be filled by professional bounty hunters in exchange for payment.
Deliberately killing the fugitive is considered murder, and even accidentally killing them will forfeit
the payment.
2. Wanted Dead or Alive: This person is so dangerous that capturing him is important, but stopping him
is more important. It is honorable to either kill or capture these people. Once capture, they may be
summarily executed, although many consider this evil. These writs provide full legal authority for
anyone to act against the condemned. Proof of kill or capture may be provided in exchange for
payment. Normally bringing the fugitive in alive will have a much higher payout then killing them.
3. Wanted Dead: All-purpose should be taken to kill this person. Sparing may be dishonorable, depending
on circumstances. Summary execution is mandated before payment is aphorized. These writs provide
full legal authority for anyone to act against the condemned. Proof of kill may be provided in
exchange for payment though lawful and honorable, this is considered evil by many, even though the
practice is widespread.
Jurisprudence
In the Free City of Greyhawk cases are passed on judicially by a Judge of Greyhawk, one of eight such
officials appointed by the Directing Oligarchy. One of these eight is chosen to serve as Chief Judge of
Greyhawk. In cases of great import, three Judges of Greyhawk may preside.
Appeals of major cases are always heard by a panel of three Judges of Greyhawk including the Chief judge,
though the Lord Mayor sometimes sits in place of one of the Judges.
Lesser matters in Greyhawk City are tried by magistrates from the Guild of Lawyers and Scribes, carrying a
Writ of Jurisprudence provided by a judge, their decision is final, binding, and compelling unless a Judge of
the Realm is willing to hear the case.
Any plaintiff may summon a defendant to court, if the defendant declines the plaintiff must present a
dependable witness to the Magistrate to compel the defendant. To compel a landowner to appear there must
be three witnesses. The State need not present witnesses to compel the defendant's appearance. If sickness or
age is an impediment to appearance, the plaintiff shall pay for conveyance. Parties to a proceeding may make
agreement before the Magistrate and court convenes, their agreement in writing shall be binding. If no
agreement is made before noon then the Magistrate and their court will have authority.
Torture
Torture is deemed a legitimate means to extract confessions or to obtain the names of accomplices or other
information about a crime. It is permitted by law only to obtain corroborating evidence in the form of a
confession when other evidence already existed.
Often, defendants already sentenced to death would be tortured to force them to disclose the names of
accomplices. A slave's testimony was admissible only if extracted by torture, on the assumption that slaves
could not be trusted to reveal the truth voluntarily. This torture occurred to break the bond between a master
and his slave. Slaves were thought to be incapable of lying under torture.
Torture devices are varied consisted of whipping; the crushing of thumbs, feet, legs, and heads in iron presses;
burning the flesh; and tearing out teeth, fingernails, and toenails with red-hot iron forceps: and drowning.
Specific devices were also created, including the rack, the Pear, thumbscrews, animals like rats, the iron chair,
and the cat o nine tails.
Slavery
According to the law, the natural state of humanity is freedom, but the "law of nations" may supersede natural
law and reduce certain people to slavery. The basic definition of slave in manish law is:
● anyone whose mother was a slave.
● Any enemy combatant who has been captured in battle and not ransomed.
● anyone who has sold himself to pay a debt.
● Anyone who has been sentenced to slavery by the courts.
Slaves are legally entitled to enough food, water, and protection to keep their bodies safe and healthy. In
exchange they must serve their master as lord, obeying them in all that is not criminal or suicidal. A defiant
slave may be killed or injured at the masters discretion, although many consider this evil. There is a monetary
penalty for unlawfully killing a slave.
They could be freed by their masters at any time, be freed in a will or even buy their own freedom. He still
owed allegiance to his former master and had to work in his former master's business. It took at least two
generations for formerly enslaved people to lose the allegiance to their former masters and become full
freemen. If a formerly enslaved person had no descendants, his former master inherited his land and
property.
Serfdom
Rather than slavery a freeman may became a serf through striking a bargain with a lord of a manor in a
ceremony known as "bondage", in which a serf placed his head in the lord's hands, akin to the ceremony of
homage where a vassal placed his hands between those of his overlord. These oaths bound the lord and his
new serf in a feudal contract and defined the terms of their agreement.
Serfs were required to work for the lord of the manor. In return, they were entitled to protection,
justice, and (with the exception of cotters) the right to cultivate certain fields within the manor to
maintain their own subsistence. As with slaves, serfs could be bought, sold, or traded, with some
limitations: they generally could be sold only together with land, could not leave the land they were bound to,
and could marry only with their lord's permission. Serfs were often required not only to work on the lord's
fields, but also in his mines and forests and to labor to maintain roads.
Within these constraints, a serf had some freedoms. A serf could grow what crop he saw fit on his lands. The
surplus he would sell at market. The landlord could not dispossess his serfs without legal cause and was
supposed to protect them from the depredations of robbers or other lords, and he was expected to support
them by charity in times of famine. Many such rights were enforceable by the serf in the manorial court.
As the saying goes "town air makes free." If a serf lives in a city for a year and a day, he becomes a freeman by
virtue of his urban dwelling. A lord cannot prohibit a freeman's movement; a freeman can move where he
pleases and leave the city. Along with a free status, a lord may also offer protection of property, which means
if a peasant lives in a dwelling for a year and a day, he has a recognized claim on that dwelling.
The Domain of Greyhawk

The Domain of Greyhawk is the name for those lands controlled from the Free City of Greyhawk. As of
591 CY, This includes the city proper, as well the town of Hardby, the Selintan River valley, most of the
Cairn Hills, the northern Wild Coast (including the towns of Narwell and Safeton), and parts of the
Gnarley Forest and Abbor-Alz.

The city controls a large swath of land along the Selintan River from the Nyr Dyv south to Woolly Bay,
most of the Cairn Hills, parts of the Gnarley Forest, the northern Wild Coast, and parts of the Abbor-Alz.
The entire region is officially known as the Domain of Greyhawk. The Domain is bordered on the east by
the Abbor-Alz, and its western border lies within the Gnarley Forest. The area south of Greyhawk City
along the Selintan is known as the Plain of Greyhawk.

Selintan River
he Selintan is Greyhawk's trade lifeblood. Water travel is always faster than land travel, especially for
bulky cargoes, and one response of the Free City’s rulers to the general atmosphere of unease in the
post-war year is to increase security along this river. This is irrational since there has been no increase in
river piracy and no external threat to cargo vessels along the riverway. Still, some of the Free City’s many
poor and disgruntled folk might take to ambushing barges if their hunger and disaffection grows too
great, so the additional security may be a wise precaution.

Downriver, from the Free City to Hardby, Greyhawk guards with appropriate skills pilot flat-bottomed,
punt like boats along the Selintan at regular intervals. Patrol boats usually travel no farther than two
stops along the route each day: Greyhawk to Fordkeep (currently being built) to Two Ford to Peculiar
Manor to One Ford to Hardby.

Parallel to the Selintan runs the River Road, a well-kept, broad highway which is little used for trade, save
for short hauls by farmers bringing produce to sale at a village, town, or even the riverside. However,
riders are not an infrequent sight here, for a fast horse will still beat a river boat when speed is of the
essence and there are a number of taverns along the road that have good stabling and accommodations

Castle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk lies north and slightly west of the Free City of Greyhawk, across the Selintan River. The
Free City of Greyhawk is located centrally in the Flanaess, the eastern portion of the continent of Oerik,
the greatest of Oerth's four continents.
Construction on the Castle began 320 CY, by the wizard Zagig Yragerne. Known as "The Mad Archmage,"
Zagig was elected Lord Mayor of Greyhawk the same time, and ruled over the Free City from the Castle
for the next one hundred years, after which he abandoned the Castle and mysteriously disappeared.

Over the centuries, the Castle's three towers decayed into ruin. The main tower is called the "Tower of
Zagig," and the two lesser towers are known as the "War Tower" and the "Tower of Magic" (alternately
the "Power Tower"). An extensive dungeon complex lies below the towers.

In the initial years after the Castle was abandoned, few if any adventurers approached the Castle
because of rumors that it lay under a powerful curse. Eventually, a group of northern barbarians forayed
into the area and pillaged a large amount of treasure. The story of their success attracted groups of
dwarves, elves, and other adventurers to the area, and over time the Castle's dungeons became a major
site for adventuring in the Flanaess. The influx of trade, travelers, and treasure associated with this
phenomenon has provided significant economic benefits to the nearby City of Greyhawk.

Sometime during this period Zagig reappeared and, with his apprentice Tasha, managed to imprison the
demon lord Fraz-Urb'luu in the dungeons beneath the Castle. The fiend was imprisoned there for over
100 years, but was eventually freed by a wizard and a cleric (probably Erac's Cousin and his adventuring
companion Ayelerach).

In CY 505, Zagig then captured and imprisoned the evil demigod Iuz in the God trap beneath the Castle.
Iuz was one of nine demigods so trapped, and this accomplishment was instrumental in Zagig's ascension
to become the demigod now known as Zagyg. Other deities imprisoned in the dungeon included
Merikka, Rudd, Wastri, and Zuoken. The remaining four demigods have never been canonically
identified, although the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer states that the nine were of "opposing alignments."

In CY 570, the warrior Robilar freed Iuz from his prison, and subsequently most of the other eight
demigods (save Zuoken) escaped as well.

Cairn Hills
The Cairn Hills are a range of hills that form the boundary between the Domain of Greyhawk and the
Duchy of Urnst, though Greyhawk controls most of them. They are named for the many burial sites
within them. Some of these cairns precede the arrival of the demihumans and Flan, while others are of
more recent creation. Many are filled with traps to discourage grave-robbers. Most were looted long ago,
but some still remain to be exploited by new generations of adventurers.

In addition to old corpse-loot, platinum, gold, and electrum are mined in the Cairn Hills.

The local flora is mainly tough grasses, alpine plants, and evergreens, as well as the rare psychotropic
kalamanthis plant. Local animals include wild pigs, and grass-eating deer.

The hills are populated by some 6,000 halflings (especially around Elm shire), 11,200 dwarves and 12,500
"hills man" humans. There are also about twenty bands of human bandits and brigands.

Blackstone
Blackstone, a mining town in the Cairn Hills directly controlled by Greyhawk City. During wet weather, a
slender waterfall, five hundred feet high, spills glittering water into the canyon in a once-crystalline lake.
The mines of Blackstone bore into the canyon walls all around the town. Some of these tunnel entrances,
several hundred feet up sheer walls of granite, are reached only by the most precarious of trails. Others,
near the top of the wall, can only be entered by those first taking the steep switchbacks of the main trail
up the side of the canyon. The miners then circle the rim to a point over their mine entrance. There they
are lowered over the edge with huge cranes.

Diamond Lake
Diamond Lake, a mining town in the Cairn Hills directly controlled by Greyhawk City. Diamond Lake lies
three days ride east of the Free City of Greyhawk. Most residents in Diamond Lake are either people that
have nowhere else to turn and the rest are people who exploit such miserable souls. It's a dark, gritty,
and violent town centered on mining and the entertainment of the workers.

Ery Crossings
Only six miles downriver from Diamond Lake, halfway to High Ery, this small village is inhabited primarily
by herders who raise mountain goats and sheep for wool to sell to Greyhawk’s cloth manufacturers. Light
river traffic passes on the Ery, mostly hauling ore from Diamond Lake down to the Selintan River. Some
barges stop in Ery Crossings to transfer cargo to or from merchant caravans traveling the Urnst Trail. Two
inns and a large tavern accommodate the merchant activities, and over the years merchants, barge
operators, and shepherds have coordinated their activities around one another to maximize everyone’s
ability to do business in an efficient and profitable fashion.

When the herders complete their shearing for the year, Greyhawk merchants arrive in the village to
purchase the wool, bringing goods intended for barter with the locals, but also hoping to trade with
caravans from Urnst which have come to secure ore from the Diamond lake barges. Other craftsmen
gather here, hoping to deal with Urnst caravans before their Greyhawk competitors do. Even the barge
operators who are here to trade ore buy other wares for trade further down the river. Finally, wandering
troupes of entertainers plan their travels to coincide with the greatest concentration of business activity
in this small village – which in turn brings even more people here, many from the nearby towns of
Diamond Lake and High Ery. The Ery Crossings Fair is something of a tradition, and for two weeks of the
year, the community of Ery Crossings goes from about two hundred residents to almost 3,000
inhabitants. The inns are filled to capacity, and gaily colored tents spill into the countryside. Profitable
trading and much fun are had by all.

Elm shire
Elm shire, a large halfling town on the Nyr Dyv, east of the Selintan. It has grown to become a major
center for the diminutive demihumans, no doubt because of its proximity to Greyhawk itself. Halflings, as
a rule, enjoy the Free City for a time but grow tired of living there. Consequently, more than four
thousands of them have settled here, near the inlet of the Selintan River. Elm shire appears quite
different from human communities, as it is spread out and has no community core. It is said that a man
could walk from one end of Elm shire to the other and be only vaguely aware he has passed through a
significant settlement. Popular deities in Elm shire include Ehlonna, Arvoreen, Pelor, Yondalla,
Cyrrollalee, and Sheela Peryroyl. The majority of clerics in Elm shire are female. This has long been a
tradition in halfling communities, but it is quite pronounced here. Male clerics are primarily found
among Arvoreen’s worship, working as warriors or scouts.

Mage Point
Mage point, a coastal village east of Elm shire, under the protection of lord Tenser the Archmage.
Steaming Springs
Steaming Springs, a mining town in the Cairn Hills directly controlled by Greyhawk City. The mining town
lies in a wider valley than Blackstone, and draws its name from several geysers outside the town. These
regularly spew hot water, steam, and occasionally mud into the air. The mines dig into the lower slopes
of the hills to either side of the valley. Unlike Blackstone, which sits primarily on a stone foundation,
Steaming Springs is built upon dirt that has long since turned to mud. The town is visible from miles
away as a brown smudge across the bottom of a once verdant valley.

Mist marsh
A broad, shallow swamp teeming with reptile life, the Mistmarsh fills the lowlands west and south of the
Cairn Hills. Lizard folk claim certain areas of the deep marsh and wandering ghoul packs are a danger
throughout. The Mistmarsh is an area of wet ground, grassland, shallow streams, and strange hazards
that rests in a bowl-shaped depression in the middle of the Cairn Hills. The marsh is over sixty miles
across at its narrowest point. It has no clear border, as it is surrounded by a fringe area of drier grassland.
It is named for the harmless mist that lingers from two hours before sunrise until midmorning, and again
for several hours after sunset. When there's rain or high humidity, the mist persists 24 hours a day. The
mist limits visibility and also seems to muffle sound.

The waterways are either too shallow for boats or too infested with crocodiles. Small ponds are common
but never very deep. The drier parts are muddy (often calf-deep on a human) and occasional “islands” of
mangrove trees are really great tangles of roots and branches that require climbing rather than walking.
These factors make travel slow in the Mistmarsh, limiting exploration to its fringes except for resolute
adventurers or those with magical means of bypassing its obstacles.

Mosquitoes, gnats, and other insects are a near constant presence in the Mistmarsh.

Grey Mere
Greys mere, a dwarven stronghold south of the Mist marsh. The fortification is built into the side of the
mountain and mostly consists of underground caverns. 14,000 dwarves call Greys mere home. It includes
underground fisheries and fungus farms, and passages leading to the Underdark over which the dwarves
maintain strict watches. Greys mere pays neither tribute nor tax to Greyhawk, but it has signed a pact
offering military aid in time of war. In return, information collected by the Mountaineer Militia
concerning events in the area is supplied to Greys mere’s rulers (belatedly most of the time).

Hardby
Hardby, a small, virtually autonomous port city on Woolly Bay, east of the Selintan. Hardby is built
around the eastern portion of a deep port called Hard Bay which is just off Woolly Bay, at the foothills of
the Abbor-Alz hills. For many, Hardby is the gateway to the south and to the Bright Desert. The harbor
itself is navigable by even large ocean-sailing ships. The southern edge of Hardby faces onto sea cliffs
which help make Hard Bay more secluded and a safer harbor. There are several lighthouses along the
coast near the town to help ships avoid danger. Around the western curve of the bay, following to the
south opposite the cliffs is a large promontory on which rests one of the lighthouses, which also houses
Wild Coast
The Wild Coast refers to a large coastal stretch of land on the western shore of Woolly Bay. The Wild
Coast is bordered by the Suss Forest to the south, the Welkwood to the west, the Gnarley Forest to the
north, and Woolly Bay to the east. Other locations on the Wild Coast include Nol-Daer and New temple.

Prior to the Greyhawk Wars, each city-state controlled its own affairs. However, things changed once
Turrosh Mak gained control of the Pomarj establishing the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj in about 584 CY.
In 584 CY Mak's forces marched north, taking the towns of Elredd, Badwall, Fax and Cantona, thus
conquering the entire southern Wild Coast. Mak's forces were only stopped at the Battle of Celene Pass.
The remaining towns of Safeton and Narwell survived by swearing fealty to Greyhawk, resulting in the
northern Wild Coast being absorbed into the Free City's Domain.

Narwell
Narwell, a large inland town on the former Wild Coast. It is one of the few Wild Coast towns that remain
independent of the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj. Narwell is more open and spacious than neighboring
Safeton. It is surrounded by a wooden stockade. It has its share of evil folk, but they tend to be wilier and
more subtle than the brutish Safeton.

Safeton
Safeton, a small port city on the former Wild Coast, virtually under martial law.
Cityscape
The Free City of Greyhawk is divided into eight Quarters:
1. The Thieves' Quarter (far south west)
2. Slum Quarter (far south east)
3. Artisan's Quarter (combination residential district and market just north of the Old-City Wall)
4. Clerkburg (a stogy residential neighborhood north and west of Horseshoe Road)
5. Foreign Quarter (the city’s main entertainment district north of the artisan quarter east of the
processional)
6. River Quarter (outside of the main wall)
7. Garden Quarter (between the processional and the horseshoe road)
8. High Quarter (north of the Clerkburg Wall).
Generally speaking, the poorest sections of town are to the south, on lower ground, while the wealthier
quarters are to the north, at higher elevation. The Thieves' and Slum Quarters are known collectively as
Old City, while the other six quarters are referred to as New City.

Free City Bank & Trust (high quarter)


Borrowers are heavily scrutinized, a process relying on the banker's personal knowledge (or on the
personal knowledge of his friends) of the prospective borrower. People who are not solidly rooted in
their community have no hope of receiving loans. Even respectable merchants are charged a substantial
surcharge (interest).

Merchant Guild (HQ in the artisan quarter)


Socially, the merchant’s guild ranks above craft guilds, though craftsmen may belong to the merchant
guild. Most merchant guild members are wholesale merchants. Unlike the craft guild, merchant guilds
are concerned with city commerce on a larger level, due to their concern with wholesale goods. They
have monopoly powers, determining who can sell what, where, and when. They establish trading
partners for certain commodities along river and land routes. The Merchant guild designate particular
areas as the "territory" of a particular merchant for specific goods. They can limit which cities' merchants
can come into the city and sell their goods. They can also determine to which cities a merchant can
export a particular commodity.

The Great Library of Greyhawk (artisan quarter, on main street)


The Great Library of Greyhawk, located in the Halls in the Free City of Greyhawk, is one of the largest
and most-celebrated libraries in the Flanaess. The Great Library's collection is one of the finest and most
complete in the Flanaess, rivaled only by two others: Celene's Nethalion Archive in Enstad, and Nyrond's
Royal Annals of Rel Mord.

The Great Library has been managed since 591 CY by a highly respected Sage known as Iquander, who is
also the library's chief researcher. A former resident of Nellix in the Duchy of Urnst, Iquander came to
Greyhawk to do research in the years following the Greyhawk Wars. The former head librarian, Gratius
Saghast, named Iquander as his successor before his death. The dean of the library is Tomarkis
Anchervar.

Built of stone and elaborately decorated and carved, the library is as grand as any cathedral. The great
house is lined with pillars of gray stone and the quiet hallways house more than three thousand
volumes. The Great Library of Greyhawk's facade is an impressive granite structure, featuring statuary
and tall columns. Its massive double doors are reached via three wide stairs facing the Processional.
However, this grandiose exterior masks a drafty, dusty, crumbling mess resulting from years of
inattention. The desk of the head librarian sits on a raised platform inside the entrance, where Iquander
can usually be found during business hours.

The Great Library of Greyhawk is open daily, from dawn to dusk. Admission is free, but only
"Contributing Members" (those who donate at least 100 gp yearly) may borrow items, and then no more
than three at a time for no longer than one week. Other patrons must perform their research on-site.

A strict code of silence is enforced by the librarians, and weapons and armor are forbidden. Those
defacing library property are subject to a mandatory length of service in one of Greyhawk's more
toilsome work gangs. The Library requires people to use a guide or a librarian to expedite searches, as
well as to prevent theft and damage to the books. The Library also house small scholarly social groups,
allowing them interaction with other like-minded groups.

The Wings
Flanking the entry hall, three on a side, stand the six wings of the Great Library, each entered through an
open arch. The library's innumerable books, papers, and scrolls cover countless subjects, and are loosely
organized in accordance with the building's six wings: Artistic Studies, Geography, History, Poetry and
Literature, Science and Engineering, and General (a catch-all for everything not covered by the other
five categories).

Each wing of the Great Library consists of little more than one massive room containing thousands of
monographs arranged on shelves stretching from floor to ceiling. The higher shelves are reached via
rickety ladders. Tables and chairs are located at each wing's center, with one or more assistant librarians
nearby to aid in deciphering the library's notoriously puzzling catalogue system. When not helping (or
shushing) patrons, the librarians research and produce works of their own, copies of which enter the
library's collection on completion.

Vaults
A secret staircase behind the head librarian's desk leads to the library's vaults, containing items believed
to be too dangerous for the wings. Protected by bound outsiders and a host of magical locks, access is
only granted to library archivists, certain Contributing Members, and a handful of dignitaries from the
Greyhawk Guild of Wizardry and sundry local universities. There are three vaults, each featuring iron
doors and stone walls.

The first vault contains magical scrolls, manuals, tomes, and libras, with a special section set aside for the
works of Zagig Yragerne. The second vault contains works of priceless art, and the third official city
records, including admission rosters from the city gates.

The Ship and Crowns (Foreign Quarter)


a narrow building, five story’s in height. Door is iron bound. Sign has golden ship, three silver crowns on
a field of blue. Wealthy merchants, ship’s captains, traders, and slumming merchants frequent it. Regular
customers are sold a crown-shaped key to allow entry to the building. The ground floor is clean and
polished. It is covered by thick exotic rugs. The walls are paneled with polished wood. From three′ up the
walls are painted and plastered.

There are a half a dozen chairs, two small tables, brass lanterns, and candelabra. The two houses of ill
repute are known as the Masters’ Cabin (fourth floor), and the Leisure of Lords (fifth floor). The arch
leads to a short hall with a stairwell. All the rooms on the second story are gaming rooms. The first story
has a thick plush draped entrance wherein carousing can be had. Second story (third floor) Has several
gaming rooms. One in the back has cushioned chairs, soft divans, and oddly shaped and patterned
gaming tables. There are a mixed lot of wealthy patrons. There is at least one host per room. The room
where chess is played is a small, secluded study, with but one table and a pair of high-backed,
overstuffed chairs.

The Free City Arena (Foreign Quarter)


Also known as the Bloody Jewel of the City. It is located in the northeast of the foreign Quarter, and
serves as a proving ground for warriors and as a popular attraction and gambling opportunity for citizens
and tourists alike. The City runs the Arena to amuse the masses.

Gladiator games were advertised well beforehand, on billboards that giving that day’s editor (announcer
and referee), the number of paired gladiators (ordinarii) to be used. Other highlighted features could
include details of executions, music, and any luxuries to be provided for the spectators, such as an
awning against the sun, water sprinklers, food, drink, sweets and occasionally "door prizes". For
enthusiasts and gamblers, a more detailed program was distributed on the day of the match, showing
the names, types and match records of gladiator pairs, and their order of appearance. Left-handed
gladiators were advertised as a rarity; they were trained to fight right-handers, which gave them an
advantage over most opponents and produced an interestingly unorthodox combination.

Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their lives and their standing by appearing in the arena.
Most were despised as slaves, schooled under harsh conditions, socially marginalized, and segregated
even in death.

The entertainments often began with beast fighters. Next came the comedy fights; some may have been
lethal. The gladiators may have informal warm-up matches, using blunted or dummy weapons– some
matches, however, may have used blunted weapons throughout. The editor, his representative or an
honored guest would check the weapons for the scheduled matches.

The following are the major types of matches.


1. Venatio: was a type of entertainment involving the hunting and killing of wild animals. The fighters
were armed only with bows, spears, and whips, and are often assisted by dogs. Special precautions
were taken to prevent the animals from escaping these venues, such as the erection of barriers and
the digging of ditches. Very few animals survived these hunts though they did sometimes defeat the
hunter.
2. Knockout Bout: Frequently as brutal but not as bloody as battles to the death, a knockout bout does
not end in the death of one side, but still requires a clear and crushing victory. As long as both sides
in the match remain able to stand, the fight continues.
3. To a Number of Wounds: Not all blood sports end in death. It is often costly to train warriors for
arenas big and small, and those who finance such enterprises are protective of their investments. In
societies that value life but still love the spectacle of a good fracas, fighting to a number of wounds is
an excellent compromise. A fight to first blood or to a certain number of wounds is often enough to
appease a crowd.
4. To the Death: Only the death of one side ends these bouts. Some blood sports demand that
combatants hold off on the killing blow until the crowd gets a chance to voice its pleasure or
displeasure. In general, gladiators who fought well were likely to survive. The final decision of death
or life belonged to the editor. Whether victorious or defeated, a gladiator was bound by oath to accept
or implement his editor's decision, "the victor being nothing but the instrument of his [editor's] will."
5. Toward a Goal: Often these are elaborate affairs that may reproduce a historical battle, or just pit
combatants against terrain and challenges that feature a variety of hazards and traps. These types of
battles can be races, or may present capture-the-flag-like objectives, but all evaluate the ability of the
combatants to achieve a predetermined goal.
Most duels utilize the following simple rules.

● Each participant must wear the show armor issued to them, but may wear any shields or jewelry.
This rule has to be strictly enforced because performance armors tend to provide almost no
protection because looking exotic and showing of the fighter’s body is more important than stopping
a debilitating blow or deadly hit.
● You cannot scavenge the corpses of your foes. This prohibition does not extends to weapons and
shields that are knocked out of an opponent's hands: they can be recovered during or after a match.
● Each participant must fight alone and can receive no help from outside sources, with the
exception of other creatures who are taking part in the duel, additional rules might prohibit the use
of summoned or conjured creatures. If the duel consists of more than one participant on a side,
those fighting alongside one another are free to aid each other.
● The types of weapons that can be used in the duel are agreed upon before the duel begins.
The rules of a duel may require all dual participants to use the same weapon or types of attacks.
Absent any such rules, any type of weapon is permissible.
● Most duels prohibit the use of magic that affects other participants, although spells that
enhance the caster are sometimes allowed.
The University of Magical Arts (Foreign Quarter)
The University of Magical Arts is a college sponsored by the Guild of Wizardry in the Free City of
Greyhawk. The Guild has long since taken over the stewardship of the University of Magical Arts, which
used to be administered by the more austere Society of Magi. The teaching staff of the University is
provided and directed by the Guild. All manner of topics are taught and researched there. Students pay
professors at the end of class. The university is a community between teachers and their students. Not
unlike craftsmen of the same guild, they drink together, talk together, socialize together, and celebrate
together.

The University of Magical Arts is a dramatic three-sided pyramid with no apparent entrances. Inside, the
pyramid contains working and living space for hundreds of students and their instructors. The
tremendous wall (6ft tall, 100ft on each side) surrounding the college creates a courtyard, but doesn't
have any apparent gates or other entrances, just like the pyramid itself.

The students at the University of Magical Arts are fond of practicing their powers on unsuspecting
citizens, making them the victims of numerous practical jokes. (This practice is forbidden by the
University; students caught in such activities are expelled.)

Greyhawk Guild of Wizardry (High Quarter)


The Guild of Wizardry was founded late in the 4th century CY, by the Mad Archmage, Zagig Yragerne. The
guildhall is located in Greyhawk's High Quarter. It is one of three pyramidical buildings in the city, but the
only four-sided one. It's many vaults house numerous tomes, which have been collected and stored here
over the last two centuries.
Almost any proven practitioner of arcane magic is eligible to join the Guild of Wizardry. While the Guild
of Wizardry is interested in its own aggrandizement, as are most others, it has no political agenda, and
neither does it require the exclusive allegiance of any of its membership. Because of this, many magi
across the Flanaess claim an affiliation with this guild. In many places, membership in the guild is a
source of prestige, due to the guild's international fame. The guild can claim 6,000 members in its official
rolls. But in truth, only about one hundred of that number are in the city of Greyhawk at any given time,
and many of these are amateurish dabblers, or are virtually inactive.

New members are accepted through tryouts and usually must have graduated from a magical university.
The guild charges an entry fee that can be waved through heredity or marriage to a guild member's
relative. The wizards' guild offers many benefits for its members, both social and arcane oriented.

● Shared magical learning and spell trading.

● Lend/lease magic items.

● Goods, and services are cheaper for members.

● The guild stewards are sometimes able to provide members with work.

● Exclusive services deemed potentially dangerous to the public at large, are only available to
higher-ranked guild members in good standing.

● If a wizard dies a premature death, then the guild ensures proper burial and a stipend for the
widow and children left behind.

● The right to practice professional wizardry in the city, which includes selling wizardly services,
and making magic items for sale. Unauthorized practitioners risk retribution by the guild if word
leaks out. This does not mean that it does not happen; it just means that guilds have a socially
and legally supported right to pursue such transgressors.

● The guild grants scholarships to aspiring wizards on the recommendation of members and in
exchange for exclusivity to the guild after graduation.

However, with guild membership comes guild obligation. Service, research, or plain coin cover
membership fees. The Council decided important Guild policies, such as its policy on the use of
Necromancy and also administered recruitment, sale of spells in each local Guild Hall, and the
enforcement of Guild law. The Wizards' guild limit who can make what magical items. They regulate the
prices at which wizards sell magic items, potions, scrolls, or spells they cast from memory. They even
create codes of conduct for foreign wizards who enter the city.

The Society of Magi


The Society of Magi is based in the Free City of Greyhawk. Though many people mistakenly believe that
the Society of Magi is part of the Guild of Wizardry, this is not exactly true. While many magicians are
members of both organizations, they are two separate and distinct entities. The Society is in fact far
older and much more insular. The Society was founded in the late second-century CY by a wandering
group of magicians who had been exiled from the Great Kingdom.

The Society's primary concern has always been the visibility and power of Greyhawk and its mages. It's
members were influential in founding both Grey College and the Guild of Wizardry itself. The Society has
always been a democratic group, electing a President to serve a two-year term of office. By the city
charter of 498 CY, the President of the Society holds a seat on the Directing Oligarchy of Greyhawk.

At present there are more than one hundred magi who make up the Society's membership, but they are
rarely found together. The personal interests of each member are as varied as the magi themselves. In
598 CY the President of the Society of Magi is Torrents Hebvard. Prior to Hebvard's presidency, the
position was held by Kieren Jalucian, Master of the Guild of Wizardry, who served as interregnum
President of the Society after the unfortunate death of his predecessor, Otiluke. It is rumored that a
small cadre within the Society has set in motion plans to restore the ruins of the infamous Castle
Greyhawk.

Greyhawk Bath (artisans quarter)


The Baths consist of five stone buildings, each serving 40-50 people at a time. Four are public pools,
while one uses private tubs with attendants. Dering the day they are sex-segregated, although at night
the baths become seedy, brothel-like hangouts.

Greyhawk Hospital (slum quarter)


A large stone building with more than one hundred beds. The Hospital takes care of sick people, but is
not a place people go to get treated for illnesses. Hospitals take in people that would otherwise die alone
on the streets and give them a bed and solace. Hospitals are a form of charity in the city.

The Thieves’ Guild (Thieves’ Quarter)


Being a part of a thieves' guild provides the same basic benefits of all guilds: insurance, training, and
tricks of the trade. Members get training and specialized class tools, which may not be available at
typical stores. If a member of the guild gets into some legal trouble, the guild may pull some strings,
especially if there is coin or favor in return. The guild gather like-minded individuals who make alliances,
plan jobs, and get information on buildings, people, and security measures.

The guild operates protection rackets, where people pay the thieves' guild to insure they, their homes,
and their buildings are not burgled. The Guild also build up a repertoire of snitches, informants, bribed
officials, and magic connections that other guild members may use. Smuggling goods, either for direct
profit or through fencing, is also easier when thieves work together. The Guild allots territory to various
factions within the guild to help keep the peace and reward favored members. Such territory distribution
also leads to internal contention that guild rulers use for their benefit.

The leader of the thieves' guild also happens to be a master-level member of the merchant guild. The
thieves' guild has a close connection with the wizards' guild, gaining the wizards' concealing magic in
exchange for roguish favors.

City Crypt (Artisan District)


Citizens who cannot or choose not to be interred in a temple crypt (for religious reasons) are buried
here. Non-citizens cannot be placed in the Common Crypt, and therefore must pay to be buried in the
cemetery outside the city walls. Due to unscrupulous officials, part of the city expansion (see "The
Western Sewers" below) were constructed over the one such cemetery without bothering to move many
of the graves and crypts.
Eridok's Expedition Provisions (Artisan Quarter, castle street)

When looking for adventuring gear


in Greyhawk, a visit to Eridok's Expedition Provisions is as close as it comes to one-stop shopping.
Eridok's prices are a bit higher (20%) than those of specialty shops, but the quality is always good and
the selection unmatched. Much of his stock is purchased from other carefully selected craftsmen and
resold, and virtually anything that an adventurer, explorer, or merchant caravaneer requires can be found
in his shop.

The attached building contains a smithy with enough skilled workers to repair or fabricate everything
from custom armor and weapons to iron wagon wheels and battalion-sized cooking pots. Among the
standard equipment Eridok sells, he does from time to time have specialty equipment. Mastercraft items
are commonly available, as well as other particularly exquisitely crafted items such as elven or
dwarven-forged gear. Rarely magical items can also be seen behind a special counter.
Maldin and Elenderi's Shop of the Arcane (Artisan Quarter, on castle street)

Situated in the Artisan's Quarter of


the City of Greyhawk, east of the bustling Low Market, this ominous, windowless, two-story building has
no sign proclaiming its name or wares, yet the locals all know what it is, nonetheless. Built of blackest
basalt blocks, merely walking past this "shop of the arcane" engenders an uneasy feeling in most citizens.
The mysterious owners are believed by most to be immensely powerful mages. They are seldom seen in
public.

Maldin's offers specially treated scroll parchment, blank spell books, and other day-to-day supplies for
scholars of the arcane. These more mundane items account for most of the store¹s business, however
items of a more interesting nature periodically become available. Rumors do circulate in certain circles
that for the right price, Maldin and Elenderi can fill special orders.

There is a price to be paid for not spending your money at the Guild, however. By agreement with the
Guild of Wizardry, all materials are 20% higher than Guild prices. Maldin's offers no discounts on any
goods, ever.
Inside

The heavy bronze front doors swing open with a touch from dawn to dusk. Powerful magic prevents any
form of scrying or dimensional travel into the shop. The shop's front counter is staffed by the elderly
Elbrak, a doddering fool. He is, however, an infallible appraiser, incredibly sharp, and cunning as a fox
when it comes to negotiating prices. There are always experienced (and very well equipped) guards
present.

What lies beyond the front room can only be guessed at. Some believe that the two absentee shop
owners are a figment of senile old Elbrak's imagination, or serve as his illusionary scarecrows to frighten
away potential thieves.
The Broken Staff Tavern (Artisan Quarter)

The sign over this inn depicts a staff


being snapped in half and releasing a brilliant firestorm (in fact, the illustrated flames glow brightly at
night). The Broken Staff caters to wizards, sages, and academics. During certain times of the day, after
classes break, the inn can suddenly become quite busy, and hence chronically understaffed. Some of the
employees are students, and jokingly refer to themselves as the "broken staff of the Broken Staff."

Although Tel Dittle is not an academic himself, he is highly respected by those who are as and has a
genuine interest in a wide range of academic topics. As such, he has a great many contacts among
academic circles and could point PCs in search of specific types of information to appropriate individuals.
Ground Floor

The ground floor of the tavern has


a large common room with a bar counter and several tables. In one corner there is a "performance area"
that is normally kept clear for live entertainment. Sometimes the tavern hosts academic lectures on
special occasions. Down a hallway lies the tavern's kitchen, pantry, and several rooms that can be rented
out for private functions. At the end of the hallway is the office of the tavern owner, Tel Dittle. Through
the office is a door that leads to an adjoining building, Tel's personal residence (marked "res" on the
location map). Stairs down lead to a cellar beneath the western half of the tavern. Here is stored various
bulk supplies for the tavern (barrels of ale, sacks of grain, etc.).
Second Floor

Stairs up lead to the second floor.


Doors lining the second-floor hallway all lead to rooms for rent. Three large rooms can accommodate
small groups of people. Four smaller rooms are furnished as more luxurious accommodations for one or
two people (often used by visiting sages). One large bunkroom usually has several people at any one
time. At the end of the hallway is a large balcony that overlooks the common room, a prime viewing area
for lectures and performances.

Cellar
Hidden in the cellar is a secret door leading into a tunnel that intersects the city sewers. The tunnel
eventually leads to the covert Greyhawk School of Psionics. Several of the tavern staff are actually
students from that school.

Outside the wall


Areas of note immediately outside the city walls include Shack town, Barge End, and the Stone Ring.
Caravan Park is an area set aside by the City as open space for trading caravans to make camp. Most
large caravans choose not to enter the city as a unit, not that there would be any room for them within
the city walls. The caravans then send representatives into the city to do the actual business
transactions. Much of the trading is also done on site, as Greyhawk merchants search among the
caravans for lucrative deals.

The Undercity

The Greyhawk School of Psionics


The Greyhawk School of Psionics is a small and very secret organization run by Pantrell, the school
Master. Acceptance into the school is only by referral, and, in fact, it is impossible to even find without
guidance.
The school itself is hidden deep within the city sewer system, housed within a long abandoned secret
temple complex once dedicated to an evil god. The temple was cleansed and blessed by friendly priests
and is now thought to be perfectly safe. The school is reached by way of a disused sewer tunnel through
a trap door in the basement of the Broken Staff. At the far end of the tunnel is a non-lethal portcullis
trap to detain intruders. A secret entrance along the tunnel opens up into a dead-end hallway. Here, one
or more of the students will be dressed in an illithid suit to frighten the invaders as others from the
school overpower them with their mental powers.

Non-damaging powers, such as antipathy, memory, and mind control effects will be used to try and send
the intruder away. If necessary, they will be overpowered, rendered unconscious, and left somewhere
else in the city after their memory has been manipulated to forget the encounter. So far, the school has
successfully maintained its secrecy. Only once was it necessary to call in "the Teacher" (see below) for
help regarding an intrusion.

Master Pantrell is a highly skilled and powerful psionicist, trained by the legendary Grand Master Jethris
himself. He alone provides all training in the psionic arts, along with the personal studies students do in
the school’s small but exceptionally good library.

Students currently at the school include: Talos (male halfling), Shardin (male human), and Autamma
(female human). There were two other male students - Tyrus and Ronin, they embarked on an
adventure outside of the city, returned to train (Tyrus had an unusual magical sword he had found), and
then left again to follow up on a mystery on which they had stumbled. It has been about 7 months now
and they have not returned. Talos, a halfling hailing from Elm shire to the north, has undertaken several
adventures hoping to find what fate befell his friends. Their last known destination was the dark heart of
the Suss Forest.

Grand Master Jethris was a prominent member of the near-mythical Melkot psionics guild, forced to
mysteriously disband in CY 546. Pantrell certainly knows the current whereabouts of his former teacher.

Ruin Dungeons
Above this spot once stood the keep from which the original Langrafs of the Selintan ruled the region
hundreds of years in the past. Long ago, the surface ruins were mysteriously obliterated so completely
that now only a few scattered very-weathered, cut-stone blocks can be seen among the trees. Deep
beneath the surface, however, the original dungeon level lies intact. The only access is through a
collapsed tunnel within the western sewers. Records of the early Langrafs are virtually non-existent, so
there is no way of knowing what lies within these old dungeons.

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