Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, Chapter 4: Shield Lands to Zeif

Alright, I'm hoping to finish this chapter in this entry. But there are still 35 pages to go, so it might not happen. We shall see.

Next on the list is the Shield Lands, or rather the Restored Holy Realm of the Faithful of the Shield Lands. They really go extravagant on these country names, don't they? And the ruling titles aren't much better; this commonwealth of local lords is ruled by Her Most Honorable Ladyship, Countess Katarina of Walworth, Knight Commander of the Shield Lands, a LG female human P15 of Heironeous. It's a pretty small country of about 27,000 right next to the Empire of Iuz and the Bandit Kingdoms. Furyondy is on their southwest, but still. Fortunately, they have several allies, including Furyondy, of course, Veluna, Verbobonc, Dyvers, Greyhawk, the Duchy and County of Urnst, Highfolk, and the entire Church of Heironeous. Well, that's handy. The big problem with the Shield Lands is that it's almost a country in name only; they lost most of their land to Iuz in the Greyhawk Wars, and their capital city, Admundfort, is currently held by Iuz's orc forces. So there's a lot of work to do to reclaim the lost land.

The Snow Barbarians, the Kingdom of the Schnai, are an independent feudal monarchy...really? That doesn't seem to match the idea of 'barbarians'. Oh, well. They are ruled by His Bellicose Majesty, King Ingemar Hartensen of the Schnai, a CN male human Bbn16. Like the other northern barbarians, these guys are almost entirely Suel, worshiping the Suel gods and doing CN barbarian things. They are probably the purest example of the Sueloise race, even moreso than the Scarlet Brotherhood. They claim supremacy over the Frost and Ice Barbarians, but their claims are basically ignored. These guys are actually more like Vikings; their territory looks very Scandinavian, and they have very little arable land to work with, so they have lots of ship captains plundering and pillaging. Yeah, Greyhawk Vikings. I'm there for this. Or I would be, if there was any possibility of playing in Living Greyhawk in the Barbarian lands. But there isn't. Not even Sweden and Norway. Ridiculous.

The March of Sterich is a feudal monarchy beholden to Keoland, and it's ruled by Her Magnitude, Resbin Dren Emondav, Marchioness of Sterich, Stewardess of the Great Western Gate, a LN female human 13th-level sorceress. We've had a few wizards here and there, but I think this is our first actual sorcerer leader. Cool. The capital is Istivin, and the population is about 150,000. The humans are a mix between Oeridian, Flan and Suel; dwarves and halflings are the next most common folk here. Sterich is south of the Joten mountain range and east of the Crystalmists, and suffered at the hands of giant raids, but they are doing better than Geoff at the moment. After the devastation of the Greyhawk Wars, Sterich has mostly been reclaimed by the forces of Keoland, but there's still plenty of fighting going on in the northern part of the March.

Stonehold is a northern feudal kingdom ruled by His Most Grim and Terrible Might, Rhelt Sevvord I, Master of Stonehold, a CE male human F20+. So this guy is a very tough customer. And I did note that alignment, as well as the fact that the most common deities in Stonehold are Erythnul, Syrul, and Beltar. So this is not Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. The climate is frigid, the regime is brutal, and the land is harsh. And they're constantly fighting the Barbarians to the east, as well as the Theocracy of the Pale. And they also have fighting with Iuz going on, because he fights with everybody. This is where the Greyhawk Wars actually started; Rhelt Sevvord took his armies through Thunderpass and conquered the Duchy of Tenh. However, what he (and everyone else) didn't know was that he'd actually been put under a charm by Iuz, a charm that lasted for six years. Three years ago, that charm ended, and in retaliation for the humiliation, he sent his troops to exterminate every Iuz cleric they could find, as well as any citizens of Iuz around. Now he's declared permanent war on both the Suel barbarians and Iuz. I wish him luck in his endeavors.

The Kingdom of Sunndi is...wait for it...an independent feudal monarchy ruled by His Brilliant Majesty, Olvenking Hazendel I the Defender of Sunndi, Protector of the South, a CG male elf W8/F1/C4 of Trithereon. Yes, an elven king, although this is a human-dominated land with 4/5 of the 125,000 population being either Oeridian or Suel. The common alignments here are CG and NG, and Pelor is the most common deity ahead of Tritherion; the elven pantheon also gets a lot of attention from the mostly gray elf population. Sunndi is in a nice location similar to, say, Florida (it doesn't snow there), but the beautiful climate is tempered by the fact that they are the nearest neighbors to the Scarlet Brotherhood. So there's a lot of intrigue around that minor detail.

The Duchy of Tenh is no longer an independent feudal monarchy that should be ruled by His Radiance, Duje Ehyeh III of Tenh, a NG male human Rgr12; Stonehold took care of that during the Greyhawk Wars. The population, not counting invaders, is nearly 200,000, mostly Flan humans. Tenh is a war-ravaged land currently contested between Iuz, the Pale, and the remnants of Tenh's rulers and armies. The ongoing war between Stonehold and Iuz helps a bit, but the Pale are not interested in returning Tenh to its former glory; rather, they want to turn it into a satellite of their own country, including replacing the various religions with universal worship of Pholtus.

The Tiger Nomads, or Chakyik Horde, are basically a group of loosely-aligned clans ruled by the most powerful noble of the royal clan, which in this case is The Unvanquishable Tiger Lord, Ilkhan Gajtak of the Chakyik Hordes, a CE male human F10/Ill2. The population is almost entirely Baklunish, with Istus being the most common deity. They are up in the north, south of the land of Blackmoor and north of the Yatil Mountains. They aren't currently at war with anyone, although they sometimes have issues with their cousins, the Wolf Nomads to the east, Perrenland, and Ekbir. Iuz is sniffing around, though, so that should prove interesting in the near future.

Tusmit is an independent feudal monarchy ruled by His Exalted Splendor, the Pasha of Tusmit, Muammar Qharan, a LN male human F14. They're tucked in between Ekbir and the Yatil Mountains, and the population of about 275,000 is mostly Baklunish. Their gods are Baklunish, too. It used to be a province of Zeif, to the west, but they've been independent for about 250 years now. Tusmit appears to have mostly escaped the ravages of the Greyhawk Wars; being on the other side of a massive mountain range surely helped with that.

Now we get to Ulek. Or rather, the Uleks; there are three of them. First is the County of Ulek, or rather the County Palatine of Ulek, a hereditary feudal monarchy based on druidic faith; the current ruler is His Noble Mercy, Lewenn, Count Palatine of Ulek, Archdruid (N male human Drd13 or Berei). The population is about 370,000, mostly a mix of Oeridian, Flan, and Suel humans. Ah, there it is. I had a tough time finding it on the map. The County is in between the other two Uleks, south and west of the Lortmil Mountains. During the Greyhawk Wars, they had a lot of issues with the Pomarj humanoids, issues that continue to this day as there is still plenty of fighting in the eastern part of the County.

The Duchy of Ulek is also a hereditary feudal monarchy, and is ruled by His Noble Radiance, Duke Grenowin of Ulek, a NG male elf W11/F2. The population is almost 400,000, with a strong mix of human, half-elf and elven people; more than half the citizens have elven blood to some degree. Needless to say, the elf pantheon is most prominent here, although Ehlonna, Phaulkon and other gods are represented as well. During the Greyhawk Wars, the Duchy sent a force to Furyondy to assist in the defense against Iuz, but that left them vulnerable to incursions from the Pomarj. Fortunately, those raids and assaults were ultimately driven back, but there are still humanoids in the eastern passes through the Lortmil Mountains.

The Principality of Ulek is, and I know this will shock you, an independent feudal monachy ruled by His Serene Highness, Prince Olinstaad Corond of Ulek, Lord of the Peaks of Haven, a LG male dwarf Rog12/F3. A lawful good dwarf rogue. Well, that's something you don't see every day. And he's been in charge for three centuries now. The population of over half a million has a majority of human descent (Suel and Oeridian), but the dwarves account for 30% of the population themselves. It's the southernmost of the three Ulek states, and was the primary point of attack from the Pomarj during the Greyhawk Wars. Its capital is...Gryrax. Gary really didn't bother doing subtle, did he? The fighting with the Pomarj hasn't really ended, although the humanoids aren't threatening the interior of the Principality anymore.

Ull is a tribal clan composed of many large nomadic families; its current leader is His Illustrious Ferocity, Bruzharag the Misbegotten, the Orakhan of Ull, a CE male half-ogre F16. Yeah, this isn't going to be a fun place to live. The population is over 275,000, almost entirely Baklunish, but there are halflings and orcs here as well. And I'm assuming at least some ogres, because His Illustrious Ferocity had to have come from somewhere ogrish. They spend most of their time fighting the Paynims, but they don't discriminate; they are hostile to everyone.

The County of Urnst is a feudal monarchy that pledges fealty to the Duchy of Urnst to the south; it is ruled by Her Noble Brilliancy, the Countess Belissica of Urnst, a CG female human W14.The population is just under 700,000, with about 80% of them human (Suel and Oeridian, with a smattering of Rhennee as well). It's a mercantile sort of place with lots of food and cloth to export. The exiled noble family of Tenh lives here, too. Belissica seems to be one of the more level-headed and intelligent rulers in the Flanaess. No surprise, since she's a powerful wizard. The County avoided much of the fighting during the Greyhawk Wars, but they certainly felt the effects as it became a gathering place for refugees from all over.

Meanwhile, the Duchy of Urnst is another independent feudal monarchy ruled by His Most Lordly Grace Karll Lorinar, the Duke of Urnst, Warden of the Abbor-Alz, a CG male human Rgr13. The population is about 750,000, mostly Suel humans. St. Cuthbert is the most popular deity, particularly among the rural folk. Like the County of Urnst, the Duchy is blessed with abundant food and resources, and has access to the Nyr Dyv and the Nesser River to get those goods out to the world. And like the County, they escaped the worst of the Greyhawk Wars. However, on the other side of the Abbor-Alz mountains is the Bright Desert, and Rary the Traitor, so the Duchy has its hands full enough.

The Valley of the Mage is ruled by His Most Magical Authority, the Exalted Mage of the Valley and Laird of the Domain, Jaran Krimeeah, about whom little is known except that he's a very powerful wizard (at least 20th level). The Valley is pretty small, and sparsely populated; less than 4,000 humans (Oeridian and Baklunish mostly), 2,500 elves (valley elves, and yes, I remember all the puns on that name back in the day), nearly 2,000 gnomes, a thousand halflings, and smaller groups as well. It's tough to even find this place, although it is tucked in somewhere within the central Barrier Peaks mountain range. Elven patrols keep everyone out, and not much is known about the place.

The Archclericy of Veluna is a theocracy ruled by His Venerable Reverence, the Canon of Veluna, Hazen, Shepherd of the Faithful, a LG male human C20+ of Rao. Rao obviously gets top billing here and is the state-sponsored deity, but St. Cuthbert and Heironeous aren't far behind. The population is about 668,000, mostly Oeridians (some Suel and Flan as well), with elves being the next most common race. Veluna is the ideal place, or pretty close to it. Like Urnst (both of them), they have a lot of arable land and grow a lot of food. There was talk about a unity between Veluna and Verbobonc, including marriage between Jolene of Samprastadar and Prince Thrommel IV, the hero of Emridy Meadows (Temple of Elemental Evil fans, represent!). However, he disappeared nearly twenty years ago, and hasn't been seen since. Well, I won't spoil it, but I know where he is. Too bad no one's found him yet.

The Viscounty and Town of Verbobonc has a long and illustrious history in Greyhawk. It's attached to the Archclericy of Veluna, but it's a semi-independent realm ruled by His Noble Lordship, the Viscount Langard of Verbobonc, Defender of the Faith, a CG male half-elf Rog4. Apparently that's not a typo. St. Cuthbert is the main man here, and the population is about 180,000, mostly humans (Oeridian, with a smattering of Flan, Suel, and Rhennee). Of course, this is where the Temple of Elemental Evil is located, as is the village of Hommlet. Verbobonc avoided the Greyhawk Wars officially, although there were plenty of volunteers to go and smite the bad guys. Right now the main issue a lot of people have is that the Viscount is rumored to be an agent of the Scarlet Brotherhood. He isn't, but he was a bit of a smuggler before he found out he was related to royalty.

The Wolf Nomads, or the Wegwiur, are a bunch of loosely allied nomad tribes under the authority of The Fearless Wolf Leader, Tarkhan of all the Wegwiur, Commander of the Relentless Horde, Bargru, who is a CN male human F14/Ill2. The population is about 120,000, almost entirely Baklunish (with a smattering of Flan and a few halflings and elves). During the Greyhawk Wars, the Wolf Nomads withstood an assault from Iuz's forces, breaking the siege of Eru Tovar, their capital, and driving the humanoids back to the Howling Hills.

The Yeomanry is an independent democratic republic governed by His Steadfastness, Marius Lindon the Freeholder, Spokesman for the Yeomanry League, a NG male human Rgr10. It's nestled in between the Crystalmist Mountains and the Jotens, south of Sterich on the other side of the Jotens.It has a population of about 300,000, mostly Suel and Oeridian (with some Flan) and halflings. It's one of the very few representative governments, and military service is required to vote. The Greyhawk Wars didn't get here, but Marius is well aware of what happened to Sterich and Geoff, and has been working hard to make sure the Yeomanry doesn't suffer the same fate.

Finally, we have the Sultanate of Zeif. An independent feudal monarchy ruled by His Omnipotence, the Glory of the West, the Sultan of Zeif, Murad, a LN male human F15. Its population of 1.6 million is mostly Baklunish, although 10% of the population are orcs. These orcs are tribeless and have become fully integrated into the state, so they aren't marauding hordes. Zeif used to control a much larger area, but the Paynims to the south, Tusmit and Ekbir to the east, and Ull to the southeast have them a bit hemmed in. The primary goal of the Sultan's government is to reassert the sultan's authority over these lands.

And that's it for Chapter 4! I know that the entries were much shorter than I might have liked, but let's face it, I had more than a hundred pages to cover, so the capsules are as much as I have the time for. However, I should be done with this book in the next couple of days, and I can move on to other fun stuff from November 2000.

Incidentally, I did print off the map, so at least I can see what it looks like now and find the various kingdoms. I will say, however, that the Darlene maps from 1980 and 1983 are vastly superior. Still, it's better than nothing. Until next time.