Greyhawk Farms Redux

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The above map only shows the settlements the PCs would be vaguely aware of.  This time, I stocked the map using a combination of methods.  First, I used my old standby the Welsh Piper's Hex Based Campaign Design system.  I decided that the major settlements would all be cities while minor settlements will all be towns instead of villages.  I got one major settlement (which was obviously going to be Greyhawk) and two minor ones.  I determined their populations using the system in the Greyhawk folio.

Now I wanted to determine where the farmland was.  It seemed like it would be difficult to wed the Hex Based Campaign Design system with the Welsh Piper's equally excellent Medieval Demographics tool.  Instead, I decided to use Rob Conley's figures for use with the Wilderlands.  Since his numbers were largely based on Judges Guild material, I figured they'd be a better fit for a more fantastic setting like Greyhawk.  I figured out the number of 5 mile hexes needed to feed the populations of each of the above settlements.  Then I just placed that many hexes of farmland around each settlement.  

Now, the overly meticulous regular readers may think to themselves "but Evan, wouldn't the hexes on this map be 6 miles, not 5?"  Right you are!  However, I'm lazy and I figured it was better to skew high and assume that the people of Greyhawk, Wizard's Bridge, and Blackleg sold the excess or used it to feed the men stationed at Portsmouth Castle.  

This method is not precise by any means, but it makes slightly more sense than just having an isolated settlement with no farmland whatsoever.  It also allows me to maintain a certain amount of wildness to the setting, which I enjoy.

Greyhawk Districts: The Thieves' Quarter

The Gem of the Flanaess has few rivals in terms of size, prosperity, or majesty.  To assume that a city possessing such wealth and diversity is homogeneous would be folly.  Its streets are, to a new comer, a incomprehensible maze of taverns, tenements, and temples.  However, to the learned observer there is some order to this chaos.  Natives and citizens of Greyhawk broadly recognize ten districts.  Two of these create what is known as the "Old City."  This is the first in a series of posts that will detail each of these as they develop through play.

The Thieves' Quarter (Old City)

One of the two Old City districts, the other being the Slums, the Thieves' Quarter is only slightly more affluent than its neighbor.  The structures here are constructed with a surprising amount of stone, as is the case with the rest of the Old City.  This was done long ago to prevent the cramped buildings from succumbing to fire.  This construction also has the unfortunate effect of being difficult to rebuild and repair, and as such much of the district is in shambles.  The crowded streets make the treatment of sewage difficult, and the small streets make it almost impossible to work in greats that would allow rainwater to take the waste with it.  This problem has lead the Dung Gatherer's Guild to set up their guild house in the Thieves' Quarter.  That way they can more easily get access to the stagnant crap they can sell as fertilizer.

The Thieves' Guild is, rather obviously, rumored to keep its guildhouse somewhere in this district, though only members know its exact location.

The Green Griffin Inn used to be the primary meeting place for the various skullduggers and ne'er-do-wells seeking employment within Greyhawk's walls; however, the management recently made a deal with a group of adventurers that precludes their renting rooms to others.  The bar is still open, but most self respecting leg-breakers wouldn't be caught dead in the place.  "Those assholes have killed the atmosphere."  Boris the bloated bartender serves drinks and provides bread, meat, and "ain't meat" to patrons.  He is known for occasionally belching mysterious substances onto the already unappealing food on occasion.  Boris also runs the establishment, though no one is sure whether or not he is the actual owner.

The Temple of Kos as lies within the Thieves' Quarter.  While not the only temple here, it is certainly the largest.  Built by the Suloise founders of the city long before the settlement obtained the name Greyhawk, the temple resembles nothing so much as a large, stone mead hall.  Despite its size, the number of worshipers it attracts today is relatively small. Only about seventy attend the sacrifices, though in tough times -- such as war or famine -- many more pay him so that he might be placated and delay whatever doom he has in store for them.  These rituals are done twice a day, once at noon and once at midnight.  Usually only a dove or game bird is sacrificed.  It has been centuries since their sacrificial knife has know the taste of human blood.

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That is it for now.  I'm currently using a modified version of Zak's Urbancrawl system.  I tend to alter the results in order to make each district of the city possess a unique character.  The above is only what has been detailed through the party's travels in the city, and there are many more locations that have yet to be detailed.  Technically, the Temple of Kos has not been seen at the table, but my wife's character is a shieldmaiden of Kos and so I thought it would be necessary to have some idea what the temple is like.

Folio Project: Peoples and Pantheons

I want to stress that the Folio Project has little to do with the version I'm currently running. Still, I thought I'd continue developing it in anticipation of the day that I run Greyhawk without a co-DM.

When I first started this project, I decided to tie the various ethnic groups of the Flanaess to pantheons from Deities and Demigods.  This action served two purposes.  First and foremost, it acted as a historical short-hand for the various cultures.  Second, it helped me define the major gods of the setting.  My initial ideas looked something like this:

Oeridians: Greek (possibly mixed with Norse)
Baklunish: Indian
Flanae: Finnish

I imagine that the Baklunish is the weird one on the above list.  I see them as various Turkic peoples, but my decision to associate them with the Indian Mythos was based on the Karaks from the 3.5 version of the Wilderlands.  I put the Flanae with the Finnish Mythos because according to the map on page six of the Folio they exist in tiny, disconnected pockets across the Flanaess.  This made me think of the Finno-Ugric language group in Europe.  I'd probably mix in some Slavic stuff, which I imagine would offend both parties, but I know far more about early Russia than I do about Finland.  The Oeridians I think are fairly easy to figure out.  I thought about making the Great Kingdom be the home of the Greek Pantheon, and the further you get away from there the more Norse the pantheon becomes.

Most Greyhawk fans probably noticed the absence of the Suloise from the above list.  They have been the great enigma of the Folio Project.  I had based most of my treatment of them off of their desert origins.  Perhaps the would be similar to the Phoenicians, and possibly use the Babylonian or Sumerian Mythos so that I could still use DDG.  This becomes complicated when one notices that the southern banks of the Nyr Dyv, i.e. Greyhawk, are heavily Suloise.  I want Greyhawk and its neighbors to be pseudo-medieval in character.  Some may find that a bit boring, but I'm a fan.

It was only when I met with my co-DM that I became aware that their supposed to be pseudo-Norse.  This seems to contradict their origins, but it makes sense with their current situation, especially in the case of the Snow Barbarians.  I suppose I'll go with that, though it does rob me of the ability to have the Scarlet Brotherhood be Ziggurat building sorcerers obsessed with human sacrifice.  More is the pity.

Greyhawk Campaign and the Folio Project

I thought I'd do a post on the relationship between my upcoming co-DMed Greyhawk Campaign and the Folio Project.  The short answer is that the campaign will take place in a Greyhawk that is more familiar to my co-DM.  There will be some changes to the standard canon (notably in the deities and at least one of the cultures) but for the most part it's the Greyhawk one imagines when one hears the word Greyhawk.

I should note that I don't know how true that last statement is.  As I mentioned when I first started that project, prior to purchasing the original Folio I had no experience with Greyhawk.  I've come to enjoy the setting and to view it as a land of "shining kingdoms."

My version of Castle Greyhawk is definitely going to be my version of Castle Greyhawk.  Notably, I'm changing the creator of the dungeon from Zagig to Vennax Nalk's Kin (or Vennax the Mad).  I had originally developed this toad god worshipping madman for my entry on the Great Kingdom.  He'll obviously be changed quite a bit.

I'm not sure whether or not I'll continue the Folio project.  I'll obviously be more immersed in Greyhawk in the coming months, but it is definitely not the Greyhawk I envisioned when I started the feature.  Only time will tell.

Upcoming Greyhawk Campaign

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It looks like the Nightwick campaign is slowly drawing to a close.  One of my players who used to DM for the group I'm currently in has expressed interest in co-DMing a Greyhawk campaign, and I'm happy to oblige.  The above map is a microscale (six miles to a small hex) version of the area around Greyhawk city itself.  It's likely that for the foreseeable future the campaign won't leave those environs.

We've decided to split up campaign responsibilities.  I'll be making a a version of Castle Greyhawk using a combination of new things and unused Nightwick Abbey stuff.  My fellow DM will more or less be running adventures in the wilderness around the city.  We're free to switch that if need be, but I think the division will help us to better organize things.

At the end of each session I hope to be able to ascertain what the group plans on doing for the next session.  That way we can decide who needs to get ready for next time.

Nightwick Abbey isn't permanently shelved, but I do look forward to this project as both a needed change of pace and a chance to be a player (sometimes).

Folio Project: The Great Kingdom

Even in those kingdoms who never saw occupation by the Aerdians, the Great Kingdom occupies much of the legendry and myths of the nobility.  To them it represents the shining ideals of civilization and what a just king should truly be.  Of course this varies wildly from country to country, and the image of them in the Shield Lands is different from the image of them in the Yeomanry but both are exceedingly positive.  The truth of the history of the Great Kingdom is actually little known, despite the claims of some scholars.  Today it is more the province of bard's songs than scholarly works.

Still there is a general sense of the thrust of Aerdian history.  Once they were noble and just.  They rescued the land from the barbarism of the Flanae and erected a civilization in stone atop it.  This is even the belief in those countries that are predominately Flan in character.  The nobility in these regions often have fictive genealogies that "reveal" that they are truly the descendants of this or that Overking.  Cynically, what is truly important about the Great Kingdom is its precedent.  It gives voice to the ambitions of greedy kings on their sullen thrones.

Most tales say that the kingdom began its terrible descent into decadence with the reign of Vennax of Nalks, also known as Vennax the Mad.  His reign saw the construction of Stonehell -- that terrible prison which lies on the border between the Bandit Kingdoms and the Shield Lands -- and the constructions of the squat temples to the great toad demon that served as his seal.  He was known for his capricious nature and bizarre perversions, which are far to dark to retell here.

The Kin of Nalks still hold the title of Overking.  Ivid V is a fitting heir to his ancient ancestor.  While the power of Aerdy has waned in recent decades, Ivid is unfortunately not shackled with the weakness of his forefathers.  While mercenaries have traditionally served in the armies of the Great Kingdom since the beginning of the downfall, Ivid has forced more peasants into imperial levies and made more nobles regain the practice of arms.  He wants Vennax's empire once again.  Still the hold of the mercenaries will not be something easily shaken.  They have considerable clout with many of the Aerdian nobles and clerics.  If they're going to go they will not do it without a fight.

Noble dress for Aerdians is quite exquisite.  They wear beautifully crafted golden and silver jewelry that is often imported from the holds of the finest craftsdwarfs.  They favor dark and vivid colors in dress, particularly greens, oranges, blacks and reds.  Only those of the house of Nalks are allowed to wear the deep, royal purple that so many associate with Aerdy.  Oddly, while this color is associated with even the just kings who once may have ruled, it was actually introduced by one of Vennax's strange decrees.  Most Flanae, and even other Oredians, find modern Aerdy clothing and habits to be a symbol of their decadence and effeminacy.

The architecture of the Great Kingdom is usually very large.  It's often domed and always columned and arched.  They usually decorate these with mosaics of precious stones or frescoes in gaudy colors.  This of course ignores the buildings and clothing of the peasants which are the thatched huts and colored linen one is likely to find anywhere in the Flanaess.  They putter about their fields and hide in their homes when the nobles go by just as one might expect them to do in Furyondy or Urnst.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Anyone else ever thought about combining the Keep from Keep on the Borderlands with Stonehell?  All you'd have to do is switch out the box canyons.  Just sayin'.

Hold of the Sea Princes Encounters

All tables are 1d8 + 1d12.
General
2 -- Lycanthrope, Wererat
3 -- Gnoll
4 --  Hobgoblin
5 --  Goblin
6 --  Falcon, Large
7 --  Character Party
8 --  Bandit
9 --  Cattle, Wild
10 --  Merchant
11 --  Boar, Wild
12 --  Wolf
13 --  Falcon, Small
14 --  Pilgrim
15 --  Ogre
16 --  Bugbear
17 --  Troll
18 --  Oliphant
19 --  Snake, Giant Constrictor
20 --  Quaggoth

The Hellfurnaces
2 --  Hydra, Pyro
3 --  Lizard, Fire
4 --  Dragon, Red
5 --  Firenewt
6 --  Bandit
7 --  Manticore
8 --  Ogre
9 --  Orc
10 --  Small Prehistoric Reptiles
11 --  Gnoll
12 --  Spider, Large
13 --  Raven, Normal
14 --  Giant, Fire
15 --  Herd Animal
16 --  Gorilla Bear
17 --  Harpy
18 --  Quaggoth
19 --  Hellhound
20 --  Magmen

Hool Marshes
2 -- Dragon, Black
3 -- Kelpie
4 -- Norker
5 -- Ghoul, pseudo-undead
6 -- Hobgoblin
7 -- Buccaneer
8 -- Bandit
9 -- Centipede, Giant
10 --  Spider, Large
11 -- Rat, Giant
12 -- Toad, Giant
13 -- Vulture, Normal
14 -- Gnoll
15 -- Troll
16 -- Merchant
17 -- Goblin
18 -- Cattle, Wild
19 -- Bugbear
20 -- Anhkheg

The Sea Princes

The gilded domes and spires of Monmurg are a testament to the Sea Princes one time profession: piracy.  The ancestors of the current princes ranged as far as Relmor Bay, taking ships, maidens, and other forms of plunder whenever they could find it.  Especially bold captains might even land near an isolated town and attempt to sack it, carting away wonderful treasures and many slaves.

Today the princes have mostly exchanged piracy for more "legitimate" enterprises.  Their ships still reach the same ports and even head to those beyond the Flanaess but rather than swordsmen they are filled with exotic goods and shrewed merchants.  This change occurred after the famed battle of Jetsom island, though one should not think that this put an end to piracy in the region.  The princes support privateers, issuing letters of mark to any who promise not to attack ships bearing the princes' coat of arms.  Many ships from the other nations of the Flanaess will often hang the Sea Princes' colors in order to avoid such attacks.  On rare occasions a Sea Prince might lead his personal fleet out on a raid if he believes some particularly lucrative prize might be won.

Though most of the princes' trade is fairly conventional, they are also the largest exporter of slaves in the whole of the Flanaess.  Most of these are taken in raids across the Hool Marshes into the Yeomanry, and sometimes even Keoland.  This has made the Sea Princes wildly unpopular in those areas, but their mercenary armies and massive fortifications are more than enough to stop most invaders.  Couple that with the fact that their fleet could easily prevent any sea based invasion, and the inhospitable nature of the Hool marches and it's easy to see why the Sea Princes still exist as a separate entity despite their nefarious nature.

Their capital of Monmurg is truly a sight to behold.  Despite it's small size when compared with cities such as Greyhawk, Monmurg's splendor may be without equal on the continent.  It possesses great onion domed palaces covered in turquoise and precious metals, many spired temples to the various gods whose cults the sailors brought with them after their many excursions, and slaves and citizens from all the four corners of the world.  Mahogany from the southern continent and precious metals from beyond the Sea of Dust fill its markets.  It is no wonder that so many adventurers make it here to find work or plunder.

Natives of the Hold dress in an ostentatious manner that is often made sport of by those from other kingdoms, especially Keoland and the Yeomanry.  Layers of silk, bejeweled turbans, jade masks, peacock feathers, and other even more bizarre wares find there way into these outfits, often all in the same one.  Still, the Sea Princes are fierce warriors, even if the bulk of their armies is composed of mercenary fighters.  This is solely due to the low population of natives rather than an inability to fight.  Some of the finest swordsmen in the world are from the Hold, and a person who forgets this is likely to lose a limb or two.

The Hold of the Sea Princes is ruled by Prince Medardo of Monmurg, Captain of all Fleets and Ruler of the Azure Sea.  He demands that the other magnates of the Hold spend most of the year within their palaces in the capital so that he might keep a close watch on them.  Most obey, but the Plar of Hool often ignores this command.  He spends his time in a fortress on the southern side of the Hool Marshes where he oversees the slave trade.  Some rumor that Prince Medardo would like to end slavery in the Hold, but that Plar Enrico is violently opposed to it.  There are even those who say the Plar is responsible for the recent attempts on Medardo's life, but this is utter nonsense.  Surely the Prince would have retaliated by now if this were the case.

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And thus I present one of the other candidates for the PC's home base.  I don't really have much more to say about this entry, but I do wonder how closely this and my interpretation of Shield Lands mirrors the official one.

The Shield Lands

The Shield Lands are a fairly recent development, politically speaking.  To the outside world, there was no difference between this tract of land and the Bandit Kingdoms, and both terms were used interchangeably.  That was until the "Earl" of Walworth signed on with Furyondy as a mercenary.  He helped that kingdom fend off his own neighbors, and gained much of their land in the process.

He also, according to legend, received a vision from the god Mithras before a great battle with a number of bandit princes.  Mithras, the god of the new religion which was only then beginning to take hold of Furyondy, told him that he could unite all of the Bandit Kingdoms under his rule if he would accept Mithras as the Highest God and spread his worship among the heathens.

He then returned with newfound military experience to his island earldom.  So he started a policy of expansion, bringing several of the neighboring bandit princes under his sway.  He did this mostly through conversion, as the new henotheistic religion provided an ideology that helped to unify the area.  When this did not work, the Earl of Walworth would back up his ambitions with his army.  He utilized heavy cavalry, i.e. knights, in a way heretofore unseen outside the armies of the Great Kingdom and Furyondy, and few of the bandit lords could stand against him.  Still, he could not expand forever.  Eventually his supply lines ran too thin and the rough borders of the Shield Lands were set.

The current Knight Commander, king in all but title, is the son of this conqueror.  He spent most of his life consolidating the land his father gained, helping the Mithraian cult penetrate more deeply into the Shield Lands and making sure the local lords payed proper deference to him.  He is now growing old, and his son will, hopefully, take the throne.  Unfortunately his child is still in his minority, and the lords of the Shield Lands hunger for the times when they were more independent.  Add to that the ever increasing threats from the Bandit Kingdoms and the Horned Society, and one can see that the fate of this small earldom hangs by a thread.

Still, there is hope.  Many of the lords do have an ideological connection Adumnfort through their new religion.  Even more importantly, Furyondy enjoys having the Shield Lands as a buffer state, and will do much to prop it up.  During the reign of the current Knight Commander, Furyondy has provided troops for many attempted expeditions into the Bandit Kingdoms, and while none were too terribly successful they have helped to maintain stability within the Shield Lands itself.

Long before all this though, the Shield Lands and the Bandit Kingdoms were backwards within the Great Kingdom.  Chroniclers tell that it was here that Overking Vennax the Mad had prisoners construct the terrible dungeons of Stonehell.  Some say it was these prisoners who provided the stock that currently populates the area, though most within the Shield Lands would dismiss this.

Gods other than Mithras are worshiped openly within the earldom, but their cults are increasingly marginalized.  The new religion, at least as practiced within the Shield Lands, is more interesting in collecting converts than murdering unbelievers.  In this way they are quite different from the Theocracy of the Pale.

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I'm not sure if the Shield Lands will be the focal point of a campaign within my version of Greyhawk, but I had a fairly clear idea of the area and wanted to put it down on (digital) paper.  The Hold of the Sea Princes and the City of Greyhawk will possibly get some similar entries soon, unless I for some reason just become smitten with this area.

I'm still not sure what to call the Knight Commanders, but I'm thinking Almaric might be a good name as would Drogo, both of which are medieval names that sound like goofy fantasy names.

Unfocused Thoughts on Greyhawk Folio

I've been sitting on these half-hatched ideas for over a week and I thought I needed to get them out in some form, so here they are.  Some of them will be elaborated on in more coherent and better formated posts as I continue to develop this project.

• Based on the names on the map and a cursory skim of the book itself I've picked out a few places I may want to focus on.
• The Shield Lands immediately jumps out at me due to its name, the fact that it neighbors the similarly awesomely named Bandit Kingdoms, and the description itself.  The Horned society sounds kinda lame, but I like anybody whose religion is described as "deviltry."
• I also like the Hold of the Sea Princes, which I imagine as a combination of Venice and King's Landing as portrayed in the Game of Thrones HBO series.
• On that note, I essentially want this setting to be one part Hyboria, one part Newhon, and one part Westeros, with some middle ages thrown in for flavor.
• My other choice for the focal point of the setting is Greyhawk itself.  One thing I've been missing in my current campaign is urban adventures, which I'm a big fan of.    I'll likely be using Zak's urbancrawl system to flesh it (or any other city I have to detail) out.  Not sure yet what to do about the infamous ruined pile if I pick this location, but we'll see.
• The Sword Lands is the one that is most obviously in my wheelhouse (knights fighting Satan), but that may be the best reason not to do it.  Still, I like knights... a lot.
• Religion is proving to be an issue.  The original folio lacks any details on the Greyhawk pantheon that I know through the 3e core books.  I don't want to use those because that strikes me as lazy, but when reading the folio I get a very clear image of a society with a pseudo-Christian dynamic.  Theocracies, intolerant of old religions, sacred orders of knights who oppose the Adversaries, and so on populate the folio.  Unfortunately, I already have that setting.  I want something with paganism.
• Maybe I could do some kind of old gods vs new gods thing a la Game of Thrones, where it's much less confrontational than the pseudo-Christian idea.
• I also want to use some of the Newhon stuff from DDG in my campaign.  Kos, God of Dooms, is awesome.
• Right now my rough equivalents for the different ethnic groups are as follows: Suloise = Phoenicians, Oeridians = Indo-Europeans (particularly Latins and Greeks but the farther from Aerdy you get the more they look like Germans), Baklunish = Turkic peoples, and the Flanae = Finno-Ugric peoples.  This breaks down in certain areas, particularly the Yeomanry, and I probably need to think about it a bit more.
• I imagine The Great Kingdom as being rather like 6th century Byzantium, but more evil.
• I may steal some ideas from my Might & Magic project, including making Oerth really be some kinda spaceship.  Not 100% on that, or really anything else on this list, though.

Well that's about it.

Sorry about the light posting recently, but I kinda went into a coma after the semester was over.  It should pick up more in the coming days before returning to normal.  

Next week I'll be in Hattiesburg running another quick side game.  Not sure what it's going to be yet, but I need to figure it out shortly.

Greyhawk Folio Project Ground Rules

• If it's in the 1980 Folio it is canon.  I have to think very very hard on something before I change it, and I'll try to remain as close as possible to the original folio while still giving my own spin on things.
• It's the only thing that is canon.  I will under no circumstances look at any other Greyhawk products for inspiration.  Anything not in the folio must to be invented by myself.
• The only possible exception to this is the Village of Hommlet module which I have and like quite a bit.  I might not use it for inspiration, but I might.  All other Greyhawk products are off limits though.
• I will be using some other material for inspiration, such as the CSIO and other Judges Guild products.
• If I ever run this I'll use Labyrinth Lord plus the full litany of class and race options from the AEC.  However, in building the setting I'll most often be referencing AD&D material such as the DMG, the MM, FF, MMII, and DDG.

This project is designed to give me a nice meat and potatoes fantasy* setting that still has a firm Evan stamp on it.  I was a bit worried at first that Greyhawk was a bit too close to my wheelhouse (medieval Europe) but now I'm starting to think that may be a blessing.  I'm still not sure which region I'm going to detail first, but it will undoubtedly have a big city in it since I miss city adventures.

More to come soon.

The Folio Project

I mentioned previously that I know very little about the Greyhawk setting.  After getting some excellent recommendations, I decided to pick up the original folio in order to see what all the fuss was about.  I went with the folio since it was a bit skimpier on details than later versions.

Anyway, my copy came in the mail yesterday and I'm very impressed with it.  The folder itself is rather scuffed up, but the booklet and maps are immaculate.  The maps live up to their reputation, and pictures on the internet truly do not do them justice.  The Folio is exactly what the doctor ordered.

So I've decided to start a new project for my blog.  It'll be roughly in the style of sirlarkins's Grey Box Project or Scott's Wilderlands of Darkling Sorcery.  Essentially I'll try to develop a version of Greyhawk that appeals to my tastes using only this folio and some version of D&D I like (likely LL + AEC).  

I would say I'm approaching Greyhawk with fresh eyes, but I think that would imply that I'm somewhat familiar with the setting.  This is literally my first contact with the World of Greyhawk so I have no preconceptions.  I don't know if I'll come up with anything new or extremely radical, but I hope to have something I'm happy with.

Proper work on this project will have to be stalled until after next week, since I still have a mountain of work to do before the semester is over.  I'll still have Dark Country and Uz posts fairly regularly.  In fact, I have a number of ideas for those two settings swirling around in my head right now, but it'd take too long to write them up and I can't justify doing that with this work load.  Still, you can look forward to more material on those settings in the near future.