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I was thinking of running a converted version of either Isle of Dread or Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan as a prologue for my players before running Savage Tide. Has anyone tried doing this?

I converted the bonus feats to 5E:

Water Rat
Most of Azure District's citizens learn to swim at a very early age, and take to the water as easily as land.
District: Azure
Benefit: You gain a bonus to Athletic checks when swimming equal to your Proficiency bonus. When wearing light or no armour and not encumbered or exhausted, you gain a +10 bonus to your speed when swimming. In addition, you a +2 bonus on Strength and Dexterity checks (including Initiative) while swimming.

Arena Blood
The blood of an arena champion flows in your veins, giving you a thirst for glory and a drive to succeed.
District: Champion's
Benefit: You gain proficiency in Intimidate. If you already have proficiency, then you gain expertise instead, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any Intimidate checks. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on Strength or Dexterity checks used to initiate, resist, or escape a grapple.

Steadfast Loyalty
Self-control and discipline are the birthright of many who grew up in Champion's District, and you strive to uphold these ideals.
District: Champion's
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Charisma, Intelligence, Wisdom saving throws. In addition, if you have the Inspiring Leader feat, the number of temporary hit points the feat provides increases by 2.

Suspicious Eye
You are always on the lookout for treachery and wrongdoing, like many of the other people from Cudgel District.
District: Cudgel
Benefit: You gain proficiency in Insight. If you already have proficiency, then you gain expertise instead, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any Insight checks. In addition, you have advantage on Perception checks to notice a creature using Sleight of Hand, on Investigation checks to notice illusions, and on Intelligence saves against illusions.

Merchant's Tongue
Growing up around the merchants of this district made you glib and gave you a keen eye for value.
District: Merchant
Benefit: You have already made quite a bit of money, and have a knack for making more. If you take this feat at 1st level, you gain a one-time bonus of 300 gp to your starting gold. In addition, you have advantage on checks to determine an item's value and negotiate prices with other creatures. Whenever you sell an item, you can automatically sell an item for 5% over its asking price.

Academy Graduate
You attended one of several academies in this district, during which you were schooled in the finer arts of being an aristocrat.
District: Noble
Benefit: You gain proficiency in History and two other Charisma or Intelligence-based skills. If you already have proficiency, then you gain expertise instead, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any of these skill checks. In addition, you have advantage on Persuasion checks when interacting with nobles.

Knack for Magic
Magic is not that mysterious to you, and its gifts have made your life a little easier.
District: Noble
Benefit: You gain proficiency in Arcana. If you already have proficiency, then you gain expertise instead, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any Arcana checks. In addition, you learn the detect magic spell and the light and prestidigitation cantrips. You can cast detect magic without expending a spell slot. Once cast this way, you can't cast it this way again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast this spell using slots you have of the appropriate level. Choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. The spells' spellcasting ability is the chosen ability.

Child of the Shadow
You were raised in the streets and back alleys of Shadowshore and have refined several talents and tricks valuable to survival in this neighbourhood.
District: Shadowshore
Benefit: You know Sasserine's black market quite well, and need not make checks to locate its outlets. Further, in other cities, you have a knack for rooting out the underground markets. You gain advantage on Persuasion and Investigation checks to learn about a city's black markets and criminal organisations.
Growing up on the filthy streets of Shadowshore has also gifted you with several tricks you can use to ensure survival. You have advantage on Dexterity checks (including Initiative) in urban environments. You are also adept at fighting in confined areas such as narrow city alleyways or crowded taprooms. Enemies cannot gain cover from you if they are within your reach; you can thus attack someone around a corner without penalty. A creature with total cover from you still receives all benefits of his cover.

Student of Nature
The wild has always excited you with its simple beauty and majestic creatures. It is no wonder that many of your talents let you better enjoy the natural world.
District: Sunrise
Benefit: You gain proficiency in Animal Handling, Nature, and Survival. If you already have proficiency, then you gain expertise instead, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any of those skill checks. In addition, you also get a +2 bonus to Constitution saves against effects from plants and plant creatures.

Starting to work on this campaign, converting to D&D 5E. I was hoping to find more info online, but there doesn't appear to be that much. This forum still appears to be the best place to post and get advice.

Does anyone know if their is a best of board thread for Savage Tide? I looked but have yet to find anything.

Does anyone have access to the player-friendly map pdf's that came with a subscription to Dungeon Magazine back in the day? I was looking to finally running ST and those player-friendly maps would be very handy.

I noticed that the "Collect Taxes" rule was modified in Ultimate Campaign. A kingdom now generates a number of BP's equal to the ecomony check divided by 3 (instead of 5) and the line mentioning that a failed check provides nothing has been removed. Does this mean that the new rules allow BP's to be generated even on a failed check?

I was given a PFS card for my first Pathfinder event at GenCon even though I already had a number from the website. Having run through 3 events so far, I would like to change my membership number but seem unable to do so in "My Account". I have no interest in starting over and have so far ignored any opportunities to try other scenarios since I fear that it will be for naught. I sent 2 e-mails to customer service back in August and was told someone would get back to me. Hopefully this will be taken care of eventually so I can start playing PFS scenarios again. Thank-you.

- Pascal Guerin

Looked through the archives and couldn't find an errata thread for Spire of Long Shadows. Here goes...

Kyuss Knights

2 bite attacks should be at +7 instead of +13. (+8 base attack, +9 Str, -5 secondary attack, -5 power attack)

I was working on creating a Kyuss Knight template, but I can't seem to figure out how their attack bonuses and damage for their bite attacks are calculated. Here's the relevant info:

from Spire of Long Shadows:

Kyuss Knight

Melee* +1 unholy bastard sowrd +22/+17 (1d10+15/19-20) and 2 bites +13 (1d4+9 plus 1d4 Intelligence drain)
* Includes adjustment for 5-point Power Attack
Base Atk +8; Grp +17
Abilities Str 28, Dex 10, Con -, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 20
SQ dark blessing, martial calling, turn resistance +4, unholy toughness, worm healing
Feats Cleave, Exotic Weapon (bastard sword), Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)

Martial Calling (Su): A Kyuss knight gains a profane bonus equal to half its Hit Dice on all melee weapon attacks.

By my understanding of the D&D rules, the Kyuss Knight's bastard sword attack is correct, but his 2 bite attacks should be +7 instead of +13. (Attack: +8 base attack, +9 Str, -5 secondary attack, -5 Power Attack.) I can't figure out why there's a 6-point difference in the attacks.

Now let's take a look at the other Kyuss Knight entry...

from Dawn of a New Age:

Maralee (advanced Kyuss knight)

Melee* +5 unholy executioner's mace +44/44/+39/34/+29 (2d6+41/19-20/x3/+2d6) and 2 bites +17 (1d4+11 plus 2d4 Intelligence drain)
* Includes adjustment for 10-point Power Attack
Base Atk +16; Grp +29
Abilities Str 36, Dex 12, Con -, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 24
SQ Same as Kyuss Knight plus Haste

All of Maralee's attacks (executioner's mace & bites) are 2 points higher than they should be so that's easily fixed (but her mace's damage should be 2d6+44). But her bite attacks should be doing 1d4+16 damage instead of 1d4+11.

These poor stat block designs are a chronic problem in all 3rd Edition D&D products, but perhaps I'm missing something here...

These were the descriptions of the various faiths known in Diamond Lake and the surrounding Domain of Greyhawk that I gave my players. Eventually, I'll probably add an entry for Kyuss and the Ebon Overgod. I took certain liberties with the Old Faith and Vecna which aren't official just yet. If anyone needs pictures of the various holy symbols, feel free to give me your e-mail. I have symbols for all except Xan Yae, Bleredd, Norebo, and Kurell.

Religion

St. Cuthbert

St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel is the god of wisdom, honesty, and discipline. He may have once been a mortal man as his worshipers claim, but if so it was a long time ago and from an unknown people. He opposes chaos and evil sternly, with no backsliding or compromise permitted. His portfolio is common sense, wisdom, zeal, truth, and discipline. The Church of St. Cuthbert teaches new clerics with specially recruited mentors that have drill-sergeant attitudes and stern demeanours. Day and night clerics pray, train, and fight, until they can recite entire books of St. Cuthbert’s scripture from memory.

The great enmity between Iuz and St. Cuthbert adds to his appeal amongst the many folk living with the threat of Iuz to the north. Under the fiery leadership of Jierian Wierus, the Church of St. Cuthbert in Diamond Lake has grown to over 150 strong, making it the largest congregation in Diamond Lake. Many claim that the flagellants seem to follow Wierus as much as they do St. Cuthbert, and it is only because the charismatic firebrand somehow keeps his followers from breaking the law that his sect has been allowed to thrive.

Heironeous

Heironeous is the Oeridian battlefield champion of all that is right and good. He wages war against evil of all sorts, especially his half-brother and nemesis, Hextor. He is called the Invincible, the Valorous Knight, and the Archpaladin. His portfolio is justice, valour, chivalry, and honour. Known for his great battleaxe, he recently has been promoting usage of the longsword in order to appeal to common soldiers as well as paladins and knights. Heironeous’ church is very militaristic, championing causes and crusading to eliminate evils. His clerics are collectively known as the Valorous Host. They travel the world, fighting evil as dictated by their church commanders. Older clerics work as judges, strategists, and military instructors.

Most of the guards and soldiers serving in the Diamond Lake garrison honour Heironeous as the patron of justice and martial prowess. Weekly services by Valkus Dun exhibit a great deal of fraternity and sober, harmonic hymns. They are open to the public, but are dominated by soldiers and guards.

Wee Jas

Wee Jas is the Suloise goddess of magic and death. She gained her death aspect when the survivors of the Rain of Colourless Fire looked to their goddess of magic for assurance that the dead were being escorted to the afterworld. She is also a love goddess, due to her patronage of arranged marriages and her love affair with Norebo, a chaotic scoundrel with no respect for law and order or most of what she stands for. She is called the Witch Goddess, Ruby Sorceress, Stern Lady, and Death’s Guardian. Her portfolio is magic, law, death, and beauty (vanity). Her clerics are known as the Jasadin.

The worship of Wee Jas isn’t very widespread throughout the Domain, except in Hardby. She is the patron goddess of the Guild of Lawyers, Scribes, and Accountants in Greyhawk, who still use ancient Suloise in all court proceedings and documents. On the opposite shore of Diamond Lake is the Cairn of the Green Lady, is a reclaimed tomb of a Suloise saint inhabited by several followers of Wee Jas. They spend most of their time tending the Diamond Lake boneyard or exploring the nearby hills.

Old Faith

Druidic faith or the Old Faith is the most ancient form of worship in the Flanaess. It is the precursor to all other forms of formal religion among the Flannae. Simply put, the druidic faith is the belief that nature is an entity in and of itself. Not a god per se, but a creation of the gods, one that exists independently and regulates itself. The latter self-regulating mechanism, known simply as “The Balance,” is central to the philosophy of the Old Faith. The philosophy of balance permeates the religion on many levels: at the lowest level it considers the existence of individual plants and animals; at the highest level it considers the very fate of the cosmos.

The Old Faith teaches that the Oerth Mother (Beory) had two husbands – the brothers Pelor (Day) and Nerull (Night). Although she desired to take Pelor as her husband, Beory could not wed him without inciting the jealousy of his brother Nerull. Thus she married both, hoping to achieve a peaceful balance between the brothers. Her only stipulation was that she would not bear children for Nerull. The brothers agreed and thus Beory began her eternal wedding dance, dividing her time equally between Pelor and Nerull. To the Flannae this represents the eternal cycle of night and day. After a time, Beory and Pelor begat Rao, Allitur, Zodal, Obad-Hai, and all living plants and animals of Oerth, including the Flannae. Using trickery, Nerull sired two daughters by Beory: Luna and Celene.

The present hierarchy of the Old Faith is built upon the ancient religion of the druids. Although the majority of its adherents worship Beory or her son Obad-Hai, other gods are worshipped as well. No longer confined to druids, priests of these deities can also be found among the faithful. But it is the druids of the inner circles who hold the most power. Any druid who adheres to the Balance may matriculate through the Nine Circles of Initiation, regardless of which nature god that druid venerates. Above the Initiates are those that may claim the title of Druid. They, together with the three Archdruids and the Great Druid, maintain the Balance in their respective territories. There are nine Great Druids in the Flanaess, one representing each of the geographic divisions of the continent. Legends also speak of a Grand Druid and a cabal of ascended mystics called Hierophants, but complete knowledge of these masters is hidden from those outside the hierarchy. The ash and oak are held as sacred by all druids, and mistletoe is their greatest symbol of faith.

The Cairn Hills and the surrounding areas have a rich history for the Flannae. Legends tell of a powerful order of druids which once controlled the area, but was eventually destroyed by Vecna’s Ur-Flan empire long before the Great Migrations had begun. All that remains today are a few crumbling menhirs such as those just outside Diamond Lake. Today’s local druidic order, the Grey Circle, may know more about these ancient druids, but they have become more and more reclusive over the years.

Xan Yae & Zuoken

Xan Yae, also known as the Lady of Perfection, is the Baklunish goddess of twilight, shadows, and mental discipline. Zuoken is an ascended martial artist in her service. Their followers have temples scattered in hidden places across the land wherein they adhere to three metaphysical ideals: Universal Mind, Perpetual Harmony, and Internal Peace. They spend the majority of their time training themselves, both physically and mentally. Rumours hold that Zuoken’s essence is actually imprisoned on Oerth, and that his followers are searching for his prison, thought to be somewhere in the central Flanaess. They are also known enemies of the Scarlet Brotherhood. Xan Yae’s symbol is that of a black lotus blossom.

On top of Griffon’s Roost, a couple of hours north of Diamond Lake, can be found the Twilight Monastery. Most folk of Diamond Lake, fearful of Izenfen’s silent killers, leave them in peace.

Bleredd

Bleredd, also known throughout the Flanaess as the Iron Mule, is the Oeridian god of smiths, mines, and metals. He created many of the weapons his godly family uses, including that of his wife, Ulaa. Having taught iron-working to the Oeridians, it is from him that Oeridians gained their liking for the crafting of arms and armour. Unlike Ulaa and other human gods such as Jascar and Fortubo, Bleredd is little worshiped by dwarves, who are steadfast in their admiration of Moradin the Soul-Forger. Bleredd’s symbol is an iron mule.

Although Bleredd has no church in Diamond Lake, nearly every mine holds a small shrine dedicated to the Iron Mule. Some even have a cleric of Bleredd to tend the injured and inspect the tunnels for hazards.

Ulaa

Ulaa is the wife of the Oeridian god Bleredd, but is herself of unknown origin. Also known as the Stonewife, she is the goddess of hills, mountains, and gemstones. She is worshipped by both humans and dwarves and has druids among her priesthood as well.

Like Bleredd, Ulaa has no church in Diamond Lake. She does, however, receive many prayers from miners and followers of Bleredd, who beseech her in times of need since she abhors slavery and is seen as a protector of the downtrodden. Ulaa is also the patron goddess of the nearby dwarven stronghold of Greysmere.

Pelor

Pelor, also known as the Sun Father or the Shining One, is the life-giving sun, a source of healing, warmth, positive energy, and strength against the darkness. Originally a Flan god, his worship has spread to all peoples of the Flanaess, although the Flannae make up the vast majority of his druids. Throughout much of history he was perceived as a gentle and peaceful god, but recent events on Oerth have changed him, making him a more martial deity. His portfolio is the sun, light, strength, and healing.

While the faith of the Sun Father is popular throughout the Domain of Greyhawk, there hasn’t been a cleric of Pelor in Diamond Lake in many years. Pelor still has followers among the common folk and outlying farmsteads, but the difficult life of many Diamond Lake residents has turned several away from his faith towards that of Saint Cuthbert.

Mayaheine

Mayaheine is a recently ascended paladin of Pelor, brought here by Pelor from another world to help fight the powers of darkness and evil that gained prominence during the Greyhawk Wars. While she is a fine warrior, she is above all a protector of the weak and innocent. Her shield, Hope’s Champion, is said to turn back evil magic upon its source, and her sword Triumph stuns fiends and tyrants with its merest touch. Many tales credit her with distributing devices of magical protection to those in need. She is also called the Shield Maiden. Her portfolio is protection, justice, and valour.

Boccob

Boccob is an ancient deity known by all races of the world, certainly predating civilisations and all but the oldest of gods. He oversees the maintenance of magic’s existence on Oerth and investigates anything that weakens or interrupts the power of magic. Boccob is indifferent to whether or not people worship him, as his strength is based on the power of magic itself rather than mortal worship. He embraces balance as his philosophy, eschewing alignment interests and extreme points of view and holding knowledge as his ultimate goal. His role as a god of foreknowledge is both a blessing and a curse, for his vision shows him that magic is declining on Oerth and will eventually fade away. He is also called the Archmage of the Deities, the Uncaring, and Lord of All Magicks. His portfolio includes magic, arcane knowledge, foresight, non-intervention, and balance.

Zagyg

Most believe that Zagyg, the demigod of humour, eccentricity, occult lore, and unpredictability, was once Zagig Yragerne, a wizard and former Lord Mayor of Greyhawk who found a way to become a divine being. The mortal wizard somehow captured nine demigods of opposing temperaments and imprisoned them under his castle. Although the demigods were later freed by a group of adventurers, their temporary confinement was apparently sufficient to allow Zagig to ascend to godhood, possibly with the help of Boccob. Eccentric (and possibly mad) when a mortal, the demigod retained this aspect after his transformation; his holy symbol incorporates the rune meaning “insanity.” The Mad Arch-Mage is Boccob’s primary agent and liaison to mortals and other deities, although he puts his own twist on any mission and has also been known to associate with Celestian.

Since his ascendancy, the cult of Zagyg has gained a minor following in Greyhawk, though it has surprisingly never been strong in his adopted home town.

Celestian

Celestian is the benign Oeridian god of stars, space, and wanderers. The brother of Fharlanghn (his only close ally), he chose the distances of the stars and planes rather than Oerth. He is often called the Far Wanderer. Most of Celestian’s clerics are scholars, astronomers, and planar explorers. They search the stars for portents and lore relating to the heavens. Many of them make a pilgrimage to a holy site in the Barrier Peaks. Celestian is also a favoured deity of good-aligned members of evil nonhuman races; while their eyes are unable to tolerate daylight, they find acceptance and hope in the light of the stars.

For many years an order of astronomers dedicated to Celestian operated in the Cairn Hills. Today all that remains of them are a few scattered observatories such as those found in Greyhawk and Diamond Lake.

Norebo

Norebo is the Suel god of luck, gambles, and risks. He is known for his willingness to make a bet on anything and his fondness for dice games. He admires any mortal who takes great risks for great rewards and is the patron of all thieves. The God of Gambles has been paired with most of the female members of his pantheon, but has been the lover of Wee Jas, off and on, for more than a thousand years despite their alignment differences. It is rumoured that the divine couple’s first argument caused the southern Crystalmists to erupt in flames, earning their current name, the Hellfurnaces. His worship is popular in the Thillonrian Peninsula and in large cities, and donations to his temples (called Churches of the Big Gamble) are usually in the form of lost bets (as gambling operations are run on-site). His symbol is a pair of eight sided dice.

Worship of Norebo has long been popular throughout the Domain of Greyhawk. He is the patron god of the Free City’s Guild of Thieves and he is often called upon by patrons in the many taverns and gaming parlours throughout the Domain, including Diamond Lake’s Emporium and the Feral Dog Tavern.

Kurell

Kurell is the Oeridian god of jealousy, revenge, and theft. He was once loved by the spring goddess Atroa, but he spurned her to pursue the summer goddess Sotillion, wife of his brother Zilchus. This failure caused him to lose both goddesses as well as the favour of his brother. Now his jealous feelings keep him alone, even though the others involved would surely forgive him if he would ask. He is a patron of thieves although other gods such as Norebo and Olidammara are more popular than he, which makes him jealous and fills him with an irrational fervour to steal away their worshippers. He is called the Bitter Hand, the Scorned Heart, and the Vengeful Knave. His symbol is a grasping hand holding a broken coin. Many of Kurell’s clerics make their livings as thieves, and spend their time planning acts of revenge against their enemies. They travel in search of great things to steal, to escape their rivals, or to forget their past.

Kurell was once the patron god of Greyhawk’s Guild of Thieves until, in 533 CY, infighting in the guild forced the Kurell-worshipping old guard to flee the city. Most of them were soon assassinated by what later became the Guild of Assassins. More than sixty years later, Kurell has once again become popular amongst the lowlifes of Greyhawk, but no one has yet dared start another holy war between the followers of Norebo and those dedicated to the Vengeful Knave.

Zilchus

Zilchus is the popular Oeridian god of power, prestige, money, business, and influence. Husband of Sotillion and brother of Kurell, Zilchus is a busy god with little time for frivolous pursuits. He acts as a dealmaker between gods, finalising agreements once warring parties are convinced to talk. He is called the Great Guildmaster and the Money Counter.

Although not nearly as powerful as in the United Kingdom of Ahlissa, the Church of Zilchus has one of the grandest temples in Greyhawk. Some of the richest merchants and guildmasters of Greyhawk, particularly members of the Union of Merchants and Traders, make up the temple’s congregation. It is widely reported that many of the riches in the temple are openly displayed with no apparent guards about, yet no thieves have lived to tell of robbing this temple.

Nerull

Nerull is the ancient Flan god of death, darkness, murder, and the underworld; few anywhere do not know and fear his name. Among followers of the Old Faith, Nerull is also seen as a god of night and winter, in contrast to his brother Pelor. He is called the Reaper, Foe of all Good, Hater of Life, Bringer of Darkness, King of All Gloom, and Reaper of Flesh. Rumours hold that his clerics must be buried alive as part of their final initiation.

In 209 CY, Ponjes the Bull outlawed all evil cults and religions in Greyhawk in what became known as the Expulsion of Evil. Since then, followers of banned religions are usually sentenced to death, exile, or hard labour if discovered by the authorities.

Vecna

Vecna was a terrifying and evil Flan lich-king who gained a foothold on godhood almost two thousand years ago. He ruled his realm, which extended from the Sheldomar Valley to the Nyr Dyv, until -357 CY when he was betrayed by Kas, his vampiric lieutenant. The ensuing battle destroyed them both, leaving behind three artefacts: the Eye and Hand of Vecna as well as the Sword of Kas. Centuries passed and the artefacts traveled from land to land, sowing evil wherever they went. Although his mortal realm was broken, Vecna’s name still carried a dread weight, and a cult of fear grew about him. Hidden all this time, Vecna, whose spirit had survived, carefully weaved a plan to bring himself back to the mortal world. He eventually succeeded, becoming the demigod of secrets. In 581 CY, Vecna set into motion a plan that would turn him into a supreme god. His attempt failed, but one of his agents did manage to strike down the entire Circle of Eight. Though the Circle’s leader, Mordenkainen, returned his colleagues to life using powerful magic, the group was in disarray when the Greyhawk Wars broke out in 582 CY. As for Vecna, he became imprisoned in an unknown demiplane. In 591 CY, he finally became a lesser god after freeing himself from his extraplanar prison and now plots the destruction of all other gods so that he may take Oerth for himself. He has a great hatred for Iuz and is hated and feared by other deities. Vecna’s epithets and titles include the Arch-Lich, the Maimed Lord, Master of the Spidered Throne, and the Whispered One.

Iuz

Iuz is thought to be the cambion son of the demon lord Graz’zt and the powerful necromancer-witch Iggwilv. In 479 CY, a minor despot in the Howling Hills left his domain to his adopted “son” Iuz, whispered to possess demon-tinged blood. Within a year those whispers changed to screams of terror. Whoever, or rather whatever, Iuz was, he was certainly no human; his cruelty and capacity for inflicting human sufferings seemingly knew no bounds. Before news of his villainy had spread to the south, Iuz had conquered his neighbours and exhibited no signs of a waning political ambition. By 500 CY, it appeared as though the unchecked might of Iuz would threaten the whole of the Flanaess. Then, in 505 CY, Iuz vanished, leaving no signs of his whereabouts. But even as his realm was being carved up by ambitious generals, Iuz’s legend grew. The orcs of the northlands, who had known Iuz for generations of their short lives and had named him the Old One, worshiped him as a god, claiming that his strange disappearance was naught but an ascension to the afterlife. Soon, loyal and opportunistic humans joined the ever-growing Cult of Iuz, a movement aided by the fact that the Old One’s clerics found themselves imbued with powerful magical ability. In 570 CY, Iuz was freed from Zagyg’s imprisonment beneath Castle Greyhawk and returned to Oerth, taking residence in Dorakaa as a god made flesh. Thousands of those who had been “unfaithful” were murdered upon his order as a sign of his displeasure with the changes made in his 65-year absence. Since then, Iuz has focused his might towards the conquest of Oerth, triggering the Greyhawk Wars in 582 CY.

Appearing on Oerth as a shrivelled old man or as a huge, demonic-looking being, Iuz has many fiendish allies and impersonates other gods to fool mortals and increase his territory. He remains a great threat to the balance despite setbacks since the Greyhawk Wars. He especially hates the gods Zagyg, St. Cuthbert, and Vecna. His portfolio is deceit, pain, oppression, and evil.

Erythnul

Erythnul is the undisciplined counterpart to Hextor, possibly predating him and losing worshipers to his ordered and intelligent rival. Also called the Many, his title comes from his appearance in battle, as his features change between human, gnoll, bugbear, ogre, and troll, and his spilled blood becomes an allied creature of that type. An Oeridian god, he also counts many evil humanoids amongst his followers. His portfolio is hate, envy, malice, panic, ugliness, and slaughter.

Hextor

Hextor is the arch-foe of Heironeous, his half-brother and fellow Oeridian war god. He seeks to conquer or destroy any that oppose him. He is depicted as a handsome man with dark hair and light skin when shown as a god who rules through strength, but takes the visage of a grey-skinned, horrible six-armed being when shown in his more violent aspect. His titles include the Scourge of Battle, Champion of Evil, and Herald of Hell. His portfolio is war, discord, massacres, conflict, fitness, and tyranny.

Like the Church of Heironeous, the Church of Hextor is organised in military style and would-be clerics are put through rigorous, harsh training. Only those strong enough to put up with months of abuse become clerics. Hextor’s sect is not as secretive as other dark religions. Temples of Hextor operate openly in many cities, especially in the former Great Kingdom.

For those interested, this is an excerpt from my Age of Worms Player's Guide. Keep in mind that the game is set in Greyhawk.

Diamond Lake

At a perfumed arcade known as the Emporium, Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff rubs shoulders with common labourers awaiting an appointment in the Veiled Corridor. In an adjoining antechamber, snakes and exotic dancers gyre to a sonorous weave of cymbals and seductive pipes. A floor below, a gaggle of grasping miners presses against the windowed door of a darkened cell, impatient for a glimpse of a two-headed calf.

Out in the street, a gang of rowdies screams obscenities at a crumpled halfling, kicking it as if scrambling for a ball. Their drunken laughter echoes off shuttered windows and bolted doors.

In a tower-flanked fortress across the shadowy square, filthy men with nothing to lose shout hymns to St. Cuthbert, clutching to their idealism and principles like cornered animals. Their wild-eyed chief minister smiles as he draws a cat-o-nine tails across his bare back, awash in their adulation and the spirit of his god.

But it’s just another night in Diamond Lake…

Diamond Lake in Brief

Diamond Lake nestles in the rocky crags of the Cairn Hills, three days east of the Free City of Greyhawk to which it is subject. Iron, copper, and silver from Diamond Lake’s mines fuel the capital’s markets and support its soldiers and nobles with the raw materials necessary for weapons and finery. This trade draws hundreds of skilled and unskilled labourers and artisans, all hoping to strike it rich. In ages past, Diamond Lake boasted an export more valuable than metal in the form of treasure liberated from the numerous tombs and burial cairns crowding the hills around the town. These remnants of a half-dozen long-dead cultures commanded scandalous prices from Greyhawk’s elite, whose insatiable covetousness triggered a boom in the local economy. Those days are long gone, though. The last cairn in the region coughed up its treasures decades ago, and few locals pay much mind to stories of yet-undiscovered tombs and unplundered burial cairns. These days, only a handful of treasure-seekers visit the town, and few return to Greyhawk with anything more valuable than a wall rubbing or an ancient tool fragment.

In the hills surrounding the town, hundreds of labourers spend weeks at a time underground, breathing recycled air pumped in via systems worth ten times their combined annual salary. The miners are the chattel of Diamond Lake, its seething, tainted blood. But they are also Diamond Lake’s foundation, their weekly pay cycling back into the community via a gaggle of gambling dens, bordellos, taverns, and temples. Because work in the mines is so demanding and dangerous, most folk come to Diamond Lake because they have nowhere else to turn, seeking an honest trade of hard labour for subsistence pay simply because the system has allowed them no other option. Many are foreigners displaced from native lands by war or famine. Work in a Diamond Lake mine is the last honest step before utter destitution or crimes of desperation. For some, it is the first step in the opposite direction: a careful work assignment to ease the burden on debtor-filled prisons, one last chance to make it in civil society.

Despite its squalor, Diamond Lake is crucial to Greyhawk’s economy. The city’s directors thus take a keen interest in local affairs, noting the rise and fall of the managers who run Diamond Lake’s mines in trust for the government. The city’s chief man in the region is Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff, a lecherous philanderer eager to solidify his power and keep the mine managers in line. Neff exerts his capricious will via the agency of the grandiloquent Sheriff Cubbin, a man so renowned for corruption that many citizens assumed the announcement of his commission was a joke until he started arresting people.

The alliance between the governor-mayor and his pocket police might not be enough to cow Diamond Lake’s powerful mine managers, but Lanod Neff holds a subtle advantage thanks to the presence of his distinguished brother, the scrupulous Allustan, a wizard from Greyhawk who retired to Diamond Lake five years ago. None dare move against Neff so long as Allustan is around.

Instead of scheming against the government, Diamond Lake’s six mine managers plot endlessly against one another, desperate to claim a weakened enemy’s assets while at the same time protecting their own. While they are not nobles, the mine managers exist in a strata above normal society. They consider themselves far above their employees, many of whom are indentured or effectively enslaved as part of a criminal sentence. The miners’ loyalty tends to map directly to the working conditions, pay, and respect offered to the miners by their wealthy masters.

Diamond Lake crouches in the lowland between three hills and the lake itself, a splotch of mud, smoke, and blood smeared across uneven terrain marked by countless irregular mounds and massive rocks. The oldest buildings pack the lakeshore, where fishing vessels once docked and stored their impressive catches. That commerce has abandoned the town entirely, for the shining waters that once gave Diamond Lake its name are now so polluted as to make fishing impossible. Many old warehouses have been converted into cheap housing for miners and labourers, and no one is safe outdoors after dark. As one walks north along the streets of Diamond Lake, the buildings become sturdier and the spirits of their inhabitants likewise improve. A great earthen road called the Vein bisects the town. With few exceptions, those living north of the Vein enjoy a much better life than the wretches living below it.

All of the town’s social classes congregate in the Vein’s central square. Roughly every two weeks, someone in the town upsets someone else so greatly that the only recourse is a duel to the death at the centre of a ring of cheering miners. The bookmakers of the Emporium and the Feral Dog do brisk business on such occasions, which tend to draw huge crowds. On less violent nights, the square is still home to a thousand pleasures and poisons; if Diamond Lake is a creature, the Vein’s central square is its excitable, irregular heart.

Diamond Lake Locales

1) The Emporium

Once simply known as Zalamandra’s, one of many vice dens along the Vein, its ill fortunes changed ten years ago when its charismatic young madam seduced Professor Montague Marat, proprietor of a travelling sideshow and curiosity collection passing through Diamond Lake. The two joined forces and a cavalcade of freaks and eccentrics moved into the building’s lower floor. Thus was born Zalamandra’s Emporium. 3 commons (copper pieces) give access to the “Gallery of Science” along the first floor’s central corridor. Although the professor himself abandoned Diamond Lake three years ago, nearly a dozen of his former employees remain at the Emporium. Come visit Shag Solomon, the shaggy wild man from the northern pine forests or Esmerelda Jr., the two-headed calf. Other attractions include the misshapen contortionist Tom Shingle, the combustible magician Ariello Klint, the potionmonger Benazel the Alchemist, and the alluring Chezabet, who reads fortunes.

3 nobles (silver pieces) allow access to the lushly decorated upper floor, which features a large gaming hall, an exclusive entertainment club, and the infamous Veiled Corridor, where any pleasure may be obtained for the right price. Zalamandra tolerates absolutely no conflict within her walls. Anyone who ignores the edict risks the attentions of Kurlag, the Emporium’s imposing half-ogre bouncer.

2) Lazare’s House

A cosy gaming parlour situated on the Vein’s central square. Inside, Diamond Lake’s elite match wits over dragonchess, a popular game in which two sides of 42 pieces contest over three 96-square boards representing the sky, the earth, and the underworld. Visitors are expected to bring their own pieces, but may rent a house set for 2 orbs (gold pieces). The place is run by Lazare, a dragonchess champion from Greyhawk some twenty years ago, and his beautiful daughter Dannath. Lazare was once a mine manager but, nearly bankrupted, was forced to sell his mine to Balabar Smenk years ago. It is no secret that Lazare blames Smenk for the death of his cherished wife, who grew gravely ill at the height of the ownership struggle.

3) The Feral Dog

The Feral Dog, a sleazy tavern on the Vein’s central square, is by far Diamond Lake’s busiest. Every night and especially when the workforces of several local mines let out at the same time, cheering labourers within the bar scream obscenities and wave betting vouchers over two dogs in a lethal pit fight. Dagger tossing contests are also quite popular. The halfling Pagget is the current dagger-throwing ‘champion.’ No one savours the tinny ale served by Gorvic, but the place is more about camaraderie, bravado, and desperation than about expecting exemplary quality or service. A gang of criminals indentured to Balabar Smenk casts a broad shadow over the Feral Dog’s squalid taproom. Patrons know from experience to respect the word of Kullen, the silently seething albino half-orc who leads the motley band.

4) Church of St. Cuthbert

Within this tower-flanked structure, the poorest of Diamond Lake’s poor huddle in a torch-lit sanctuary listening to the fiery sermons of Jierian Wierus, a bombastic orator whose populist rants appeal to the best virtues and values of the common man while at the same time preying upon their fears and superstitions. Wierus endlessly preaches a creed of common sense, honesty, and self-sacrifice, encouraging his faithful to give penance to St. Cuthbert by whipping themselves in repetitive acts of self-mortification. His growing cult, now some 150 strong, gives succour to the dregs of Diamond Lake society and is seen as a menace by some. The secondary acolyte is Hameneezer, a hard-working cleric who manages the day-to-day affairs of the church. The church is also known for a local remedy known as diamond water elixir, a cloudy brownish mixture of local vegetation, salts from the mines, and Diamond Lake’s tainted water. Local sayings about the medicine rightly claim that drinkers “will feel a lot worse before they feel any better.”

5) Tidwoad’s

As close to a bank as one can find in Diamond Lake, the gnome Tidwoad runs this shop located on the Vein’s central square. Maintaining a fine collection of gems in a showroom display case, Tidwoad boasts that his establishment is completely theft proof. A shield guardian named Festus helps keep the jeweller’s theft-free streak alive.

6) Sheriff’s Office

Led by a boisterous alcoholic named Sheriff Cubbin and his right-hand man, Deputy Jamis, the six thugs who comprise the constabulary see to the general safety of the town and ensure that Neff’s schemes go off without a hitch.

7) General Store

Diamond Lake’s largest general store is run by the amiable Taggin. The store’s goods include the most common adventuring gear, and Taggin cheerfully offers to special order anything he does not have in stock from Greyhawk, a process that “usually takes about a week.” Besides basic supplies, numerous mining-related items can be purchased here.

8) The Hungry Gar

Guld Tortikan, head chef at the Hungry Gar, claims to serve the finest meal on the Vein. He is mistaken.

9) Jalek’s Flophouse

Once a warehouse used by fishermen, Jalek’s Flophouse is situated on Front Street within smelling distance of the lake. It houses nearly a hundred pitiful indigents fighting off destitution with a handful of commons. Lodging is 5 commons a night, paid to a massive, helmeted mute half-orc named Golot. The brute pummels those who do not pay until they flee or die. The shifting inhabitants and the chaotic layout of the upper floor make it one of the best places to disappear in all of Diamond Lake. The landlord, a halfling named Jalek, lives in a rooftop apartment and is seldom seen. The Cuthbertine flagellant Jierian Wierus, however, is frequently seen in the flophouse where he recruits a growing tide of converts.

10) Smenk Residence

The most powerful mine manager in Diamond Lake, Balabar Smenk has wrestled four mines into his possession in the last ten years, and apparently has designs upon the rest. Smenk lives in a sodden old mansion (once owned by Luzane Parrin) a century past its prime, the front door of which is always wide open, fulfilling an old promise that he would always be available to his miners. Beyond the front door, one can see three great bestial apes prowling the outer corridors, chained to a rail that runs through all the rooms. Three thugs, brandishing lead pipes, also patrol the streets around his home, warning anyone they see to go away with a sneer.

11) Deepspike Mine

This abandoned mine is used by Balabar Smenk for storage purposes and is kept locked at all times.

12) Greyhawk Militia Garrison

The refurbished ruin of an ancient keep houses more than sixty members of the Greyhawk Militia, soldiers tasked with patrolling the northern hills, liaising with the halfling communities to the north, and protecting ore shipments from Diamond Lake and the nearby towns of Steaming Springs and Blackstone. Captain Tolliver Trask, the garrison’s aging commander, distinguished himself during the Greyhawk Wars and is well respected by his soldiers and the community at large. The complete garrison force consists of three squads, each led by a lieutenant. They are Dobrun Trent, a half-elven archer of exceptional skill, the talented sword mistress Mikkela Venderin, and the powerful Trovost Skunt, who exploits his authority with regularity and aplomb. Other notables of the garrison include Dietrik Cicaeda, the middle-aged Chief Cartographer of Diamond Lake, and Merris Sandovar, the garrison’s Chief Scout and a late member of the Bronzewood Lodge. Both are close friends of Captain Trask.

12a) Chapel of Heironeous

Within the garrison is a chapel dedicated to the Valorous Knight. It boasts the second largest congregation in Diamond Lake, dominated by soldiers and guards, as well as one of the town’s most dynamic personalities in the form of its high priest, Justice Valkus Dun. Dun came to Diamond Lake two years ago, after the previous justice, Amon Kyre, vanished under mysterious circumstances. Local gossip holds that Dun once had great prospects in Greyhawk’s immense Sanctum of Heironeous, but that politics saw him exiled to an assignment in squalid Diamond Lake. Nevertheless, Dun took to his assignment with zeal, and the weekly services have taken on an activist spirit. While Captain Trask urges his charges to stay out of local affairs, Dun instils in them a duty to the townsfolk and urges them to make a difference in the community. The resulting tension, between Captain Trask and Justice Dun, as well as between the Heironean soldiers and the disreputable elements of Diamond Lake (which is to say nearly all of them), is palpable. Valkus Dun is assisted in his duties by Honourable Velias Childramun, an aging priest who has lived his whole life at Diamond Lake’s garrison and handles most of the healing needs of the complex and sees to the occasional pilgrim seeking the soothing balm of Heironeous. A newcomer to the chapel is Mélinde of Heironeous, a charming warrior priestess who acts as Dun’s personal advisor. She has a reputation as an excellent sword mistress, as well as that of a fine dragonchess player.

13) Lakeside Stables

Lanch Faraday, the portly ostler who operates the rundown Lakeside Stables, charges 5 nobles per day for stabling. Some customers have complained about mysterious bruises on their horses, but no one has yet to press the issue.

14) The Midnight Salute

This by-the-numbers house of ill repute caters to the garrison crowd and anyone seeking a less exotic (and less expensive) experience than that offered by the Emporium’s legendary Veiled Corridor. Its proprietress, the ravishing Purple Prose, stresses discretion and decorum with her workforce. One of the favourites here is Constance Grace, a lovely lass with a reputation for eagerness.

15) The Spinning Giant

When not drilling, sleeping, or on patrol, garrison soldiers flock to this raucous two-story tavern run by Nimiscent to meet with friends, chant drinking songs, and drown themselves in ale and god cheer. A faded fresco painted on the building’s face depicts a dancing imbecilic hill giant in a yellow dress known as Flailing Felanore. Patrons must enter and exit via a door positioned between the giant’s legs. Forty years ago, a dim-witted young giantess captured by the militia was “granted” to the proprietor of their favourite watering hole to serve as a mascot. The attraction worked, drawing visitors from as far away as Greyhawk to gawk and stare at Flailing Felanore’s awkward gyrations. Though Felanore died from an outbreak of the Red Death plague nearly twenty years ago, the free-standing circular centre stage on which she once pranced remains the most prestigious musical venue in town, if not nearly the most titillating. Garrison soldiers make up most of the Spinning Giant’s regular patrons, with a handful of mine overseers and merchants rounding out the crowd. Diamond Lake’s poor, including most miners, and members of the local constabulary are not welcome here. Pickpockets and other riffraff are not tolerated and the patrons have been known to respond harshly when confronted with a crime in progress.

16) The Captain’s Blade

Tyrol Ebberly, a severe-looking man who claims to have once been a watch captain in Greyhawk, runs this small weapons shop with efficiency. He’s an absolute fanatic about weapons and loves to show off his wares. Ebberly is also known as an inveterate gossip.

17) Venelle’s

Diamond Lake’s resident bowyer and fletcher, Venelle also deals in other weapons and armour imported from Greyhawk in exchange for items of her own design. She has friends among the Bronzewood Lodge and is pleased to entertain guests who appreciate arrowcraft and elven culture, herself having a touch of elven blood in her veins.

18) Allustan’s Residence

The “smartest man in town,” a friendly wizard named Allustan dwells within a charming red and deep blue house on one of the rare stretches of healthy grass in all of Diamond Lake. A small meditation garden adjoins the face of the house, incorporating vertical stones and small pools of concentric circles. The fresh paint and the well-tended yard contrast sharply with the rest of the seedy town, a testament to the locals’ respect for (or fear of) a man whose prowess is known as far as Greyhawk itself. Allustan is the older brother of Lanod Neff. The sons of Diamond Lake’s powerful and efficient governor-mayor, years ago their father sent them both to Greyhawk for education. Allustan soon found himself in the prestigious University of Magical Arts, but eventually left his studies to pursue an adventuring career. He came back to Diamond Lake five years ago and retired with more than enough treasures to support his lifestyle.

Nowadays Allustan offers his library and considerable intelligence to the citizens of Diamond Lake as a sage, although few miners have reason to seek his services. The wizard charges a standard rate of 20 orbs per question.

19) Tilgast Residence

This grandiose estate belongs to Gelch Tilgast, who once held the reins of Diamond Lake’s ore trade before the arrival of Balabar Smenk. Allied with Luzane Parrin and several mine managers from the neighbouring towns of Steaming Springs and Blackstone, Tilgast has attempted to thwart Smenk’s designs on the area’s mines. Yet at home Tilgast has failed to attract the support of Ellival Moonmeadow, Ragnolin Dourstone, or Chaum Gansworth, all of whom remember a time when Tilgast was king of the hill and lorded his power over everyone else. Tilgast maintains a family of seven fine thoroughbred horses within a well-managed stable enclosed in a stockade wall. Wealthy visitors and a few residents of the town pay 1 orb per day to stable a favourite horse within the compound, where a clutch of meticulous grooms tends to the animal’s every need.

20) Old Piers

In decades past, nobles from Greyhawk flocked to Diamond Lake to sail upon its crystal clear waters. Mine tailings, waste runoff, and other pollution ended the practice almost a century ago, but the rotting carcasses of once elaborate piers still jut into the lake’s murky waters. A few masts peak out from the surface, tombstones of abandoned fishing vessels from more recent times. Regular fish cannot survive in the tainted waters, leaving only dangerous, hardy predators like the ravenous, toothy gar that have become such a problem in recent years. Those who venture across Diamond Lake do so at their own risk.

For a piece of silver, a retired marine named Durskin will ferry up to six passengers across the lake in his sloop, a dingy vessel called the Autumn Runner. The destitute boatman lives on the deck of his boat, which smells of urine and teems with fleas and sea mites. Those seeking a safer passage must rely upon the Harkness, a ten-man sailboat maintained by the shadowy Cult of the Green Lady, who use the vessel to cross back and forth between Diamond Lake and the cairn in which their order holds its services to Wee Jas, goddess of magic and death. Passage on the Harkness costs 3 nobles, and passengers must endure bothersome sermons on the exquisite beauty of death and the arcane prowess of the Dark-Eyed Lady. In either case, it takes about 30 minutes to cross from one shore of the lake to the other.

21) Able Carter Coaching Inn

The Able Carter Coaching Company connects Greyhawk to its satellite towns via a fleet of horse-drawn coaches and an inn positioned at every leg of the journey. Diamond Lake’s hostelry offers 20 rooms for let at a rate of 1 orb per day. Stable services are available for a fee of 5 nobles per day. Four guards keep watch on the place throughout the day and night, and can be hired to ride with a coach for an additional 5 orbs per day. A permanent guest named Fester Trollump traps badgers in the hills and sells their pelts for a modest profit on monthly trips to Greyhawk. On rare occasions he traps more exciting beasts like griffons or manticores, which he supposedly takes to Greyhawk as well.

22) Parrin Residence

Luzane Parrin inherited her family’s claim on three mines outside Diamond Lake at the age of 17 when her mother, the influential Millicent Parrin, died nineteen years ago from a sickness called the Red Death. Since Balabar Smenk’s arrival in town, she has lost most of her allies, one of her mines, several of her best-earning foremen and overseers, as well as her family estate. Her husband also died mysteriously two years ago. To protect her remaining assets from Smenk, she has allied herself with Gelch Tilgast. Rumours also hold that Parrin has begun a romantic relationship with Chaum Gansworth. The townsfolk tend to avoid the Parrin residence as an aging witch named Amelliante keeps watch on the place.

23) Greysmere Covenant

Three prominent representatives of the dwarven stronghold of Greysmere, many days to the south across the treacherous Mistmarsh, live in this sturdy brick and timber structure. Greysmere imports some of the raw iron ore unearthed by local humans, as it bears a colour prized by the most skilled artisans and metalworkers of the dwarven clans. Dulok Blitzhame leads the delegation with straight talk and cunning pragmatism. Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff frequently invites the dwarves for meals and parlour discussions, and Blitzhame in particular shares a strong friendship with Ragnolin Dourstone, from whom he gets most of the ore exported to Greysmere. The other councillors, Galuth Grobadore and Bitris Ruthek, spend much of their time representing the interests of Greysmere in neighbouring communities.

24) Gansworth Residence

Diamond Lake’s youngest mine manager, Chaum Gansworth, arrived 14 years ago and since then he has remained in the background, never drawing too much attention to himself while quietly amassing a fortune from three very productive mines. Gansworth lives in the heart of Diamond Lake, at the end of a cul-de-sac marked by a memorial obelisk dedicated to the memory of a mine collapse 70 years ago that killed more than 300 miners. A low wall surrounds most of the two-story structure, and five sentinels guard the compound at all times. Luzane Parrin is rumoured to visit often.

25) Rusty Bucket

This popular restaurant used to specialise in fish, but since the lake went bad it’s been forced to adapt to a land-based menu. Within, green stained-glass windows filter eerie light into the main dining room, where the intertwining melodies of a trio of pipers enhance an ethereal atmosphere. Guests dine in a large common room, with a handful of nicer tables situated in a roped-off area beside the main dining hall. The far table, on a raised platform overlooking the private room, is reserved for Chaum Gansworth, Diamond Lake’s most calculating mine manager and the owner of the Rusty Bucket. Gansworth rigorously pursues a neutral stance in all political dealings. As a result, many of the town’s major political players consider the Rusty Bucket neutral ground.

26) Moonmeadow Residence

Unlike the other mine managers of Diamond Lake, Ellival Moonmeadow manages only one mine for the Directing Oligarchy. Regulars at Lazare’s gaming parlour know this reclusive grey elf as “The Prince,” since he is a minor noble from the distant olven realm of Celene, a land so fabled it might as well be imaginary as far as most of Diamond Lake’s residents are concerned. Moonmeadow remains aloof from the affairs of the human mine managers, and sees their iron-based operations as more vulgar than his local silver monopoly. The only thing that brings him into the public eye is dragonchess, and even he plays only with opponents capable of challenging his instinctive, complex style. The blond, well-dressed elf rarely consorts with humans at all, preferring the company of six grey elves who also hail from his homeland. These agents serve as Moonmeadow’s protectors, constantly on the watch for trouble even when relaxing, always within arm’s reach of a weapon. Conversation with them leaves one with the impression that they think they’re here on a temporary assignment; that Moonmeadow’s silver mining operation is merely a pretence for his presence in the region. If that’s true, it’s a ruse that’s been going on for more than a century, for the elf has lived in Diamond Lake longer than any current resident.

27) Osgood Smithy

The distinctive “O” maker’s mark of Manlin Osgood is a regional sign of quality powerful enough that lesser blacksmiths in neighbouring communities often forge it to maintain competitive parity. Osgood and his team of seven apprentices and journeyman smiths specialise in masterwork armour and household items like canteens, canisters, tools, and the like. Osgood is a somewhat course, unfailingly polite middle-aged man with a bald head and a walrus-like moustache. He always remembers a customer’s name, and greets frequent patrons with a hearty handshake and a slap on the back.

28) Smelting House

A century ago, local mine managers maintained their own smelting houses, but constant conflict resulted in frequent sabotage that choked the flow of resources from Diamond Lake to the Greyhawk markets. The Directing Oligarchy reluctantly stepped in, monopolising the smelting trade and basing the town’s only smelting house in a massive fortress-workshop perched on the edge of the lake. Runoff slag belched from great sub-surface pipes accounts for the majority of the pollution that has killed off most aquatic life in the region, and production these days is more robust than it has ever been. The rarely seen chief smelter, Vulgan Durtch, is supposedly one of the richest men in Diamond Lake, but few neighbours know anything about him. Durtch runs the place with a precision that requires his near-constant supervision over a team of two dozen menials and overseers, but rumours suggest more sinister motives for his seclusion.

A tower on the building’s northwest corner serves as the residence and workshop of Benazel the Alchemist, a talkative chemist from Greyhawk who oversees the alchemical rituals and reagents necessary for the smelting process and who sells potions from his first-floor office.

29) Diamond Lake Boneyard

The town’s overcrowded cemetery used to be a great source of bodies for medical students in Greyhawk and unscrupulous necromancers, but the Cult of the Green Lady has put a stop to that. Throughout the day, the green-robed acolytes wander the cemetery chanting songs holy to Wee Jas while tending graves and clearing vines and mud from stone markers dating back hundreds of years. Tales abound that one coffin in the boneyard – no one is sure just which one – contains not a dead body, but dozens and dozens of gold bars. Ample evidence supports the rumour, but anyone who tries to test out the theory must first deal with the cultists.

30) Neff Manor

Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff inherited the position from his father after spending several years in Greyhawk’s city watch. While many in Diamond Lake would like to see him removed from power, none dare act against him for fear of Allustan, Lanod’s older brother. Neff’s sprawling manor house squats atop the hill overlooking Diamond Lake, a tangle of scaffolding, wires, and work crews. Protected by a wooden stockade wall, the manor houses the political apparatus of the town, including several meeting rooms, a courthouse, and numerous bedchambers for visiting dignitaries and Lanod Neff’s countless guests. Visitation with the governor-mayor is by appointment only, with an audience sometimes taking several days to arrange.

31) Dourstone Mine

Ragnolin Dourstone has managed this copper mine since the very beginning, when he chose this spot seemingly at random. The mine itself is surrounded by a wooden stockade and is well guarded. Ever the pragmatist, Dourstone believes it is better to pay a few guards a good wage to keep the workers in line rather than offer a fair wage to his miners (2 nobles per day, plus room and board). Needless to say, only the desperate or those unable to find work elsewhere remain here for long. In most cases, the miners work only long enough to earn the money needed to buy passage elsewhere. Many of the miners that do stick around are crippled ex-criminals unable to find other work or convicted criminals who have been sentenced to hard labour.

32) Abandoned Mine

It’s been so long since this mine was in operation that nobody even remembers its name.

33) Menhirs

This worn old stone ring is often visited by residents of the Bronzewood Lodge, and is sacred to the Druids of the Grey Circle, a relic from a time when laws of the wilderness governed man as well as animals.

34) Old Observatory

This crumbling abandoned observatory once housed an order of astronomers dedicated to Celestian. Now it houses a constantly rotating group of tenants with ties to Balabar Smenk, who owns the deed to the property.

35) Dourstone Residence

This squat, well-protected manor is the home of Ragnolin Dourstone, who came to Diamond Lake from the dwarven stronghold of Greysmere about 50 years ago and established several mining operations in the area. Although one of the more responsible mine managers, Dourstone has a greedy reputation and it is rumoured that he left Greysmere under mysterious circumstances.

I know the grappling rules rather well, but I admit I'm a little confused about how the constrict and improved grab special attacks are used while grappling. Hopefully someone on these boards can help me, since this could mean the difference between an easy encounter or a TPK.

1) Exactly when can a creature get its constrict damage? Obviously, if it hits with an improved grab attack and wins the following grapple check it scores the constrict damage. However, the MM states that constrict damage is applied with a successful grapple check. What does that mean exactly? Is this damage applied everytime the creature wins a grapple check, even on its opponent's turn? What if the creature tries to use the 'damage your opponent' grapple option? Does it deal constrict damage or does it deal its unarmed damage as well as the constrict damage? Can the creature attempt to pin its opponent and deal constrict as well?

2) The MM states that a creature using improved grab can take a -20 penalty on its grapple checks to grapple and still use its remaining attacks on other opponents. What if the creature decides to not maintain the grapple? Does it still get the -20 penalty? Does it still get its constrict damage? Or should the option to not maintain the grapple be removed from its options?

3) Assuming I send a kraken against my players. On the first round the kraken gets its first hit with an improved grab attack. It takes a -20 penalty to its grapple check so as to take its remaining attacks on other opponents. Assuming it successfully grapples all of its remaining opponents with 2 tentacle attacks unused (I'm assuming it can't use those tentacles for lack of ungrappled opponents since the entry for improved grab states that remaining attacks can be used on other opponents), what are the kraken's options next round? According to the Player's Handbook, a high base attack seems to be the only way to get more than one grapple action per round. The D&D 3.5 FAQ confirms that this restriction even applies to creatures with natural weapons. Since the kraken is grappling with multiple opponents and has a base attack of +20, is it only allowed 4 grapple actions or can it use its improved grab ability with its two unused tentacles? If the kraken uses its actions to deal damage to its grappled opponents, does it still receive the -20 penalty to its grapple checks?

To quote the Monstrous Manual:

Constrict (Ex): A creature with this special attack can crush an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, after making a successful grapple check. The amount of damage is given in the creature's entry. If the creature also has the improved grab ability, it deals constriction damage in addition to damage dealt by the wepon used to grab.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a creature with this special attack hits with a melee weapon (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required.

Unless otherwise noted, improved grab works only against opponents at least one size category smaller than the creature. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks on other opponents.

A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. if the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature's descriptive text).

When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pullss the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent's weight.

From the Kraken entry:

Constrict (Ex): A kraken deals automatic arm or tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.

Some things I picked up on:

Advanced Octopin, (M9)

- AC should be 18 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size). Normally advancing a creature from medium to large gives it a +2 bonus to natural armour.

- The octopin didn't receive its' +1 ability bonuses from its 12th and 16th hit dice.

- 4 skill points are missing. It currently has 2 ranks in Climb, 2 in Search, and 11 in Spot.

Zyrxog, (M13)

- The DC for his mind blast should be 20 instead of 23.

- Assuming he was assigned the elite ability score array, Zyrxog should add +1 to one of his abilities.

If a dire ape, or a similar creature with the rend ability, attacks while using power attack, does it get the extra damage on the rend as well?

That final encounter in Library of Last Resort got me thinking: Would time travelling in Age of Worms be a viable option? Howabout, instead of a vision in the Spire of Long Shadows, an actual encounter with Kyuss as a mortal in Kuluth-Mar? Or perhaps even encountering him as a young acolyte of Nerull while visiting ancient Sulm. Many possibilities exist, any of which could allow a DM to relate the story's background without resorting to the 'you guys find a journal/tome/letter' trick which I usually use. What caused Kyuss to leave Sulm and lead his followers all the way to the Amedio (maybe the PC's are responsible for Kyuss' exile)? What was living in Kuluth-Mar like? How did the Order of the Storm get wiped out (although the final encounter in LoLR does a good job with this one)? Wind Dukes vs. Mishka the Spider, live on pay per view!

I'm curious to to see what other people think and if anyone's attempted something similar.

Another idea: Maybe I could prepare a few militia stat blocks for my players to play, in case they decide to invade the Labyrinth and the Caves at the same time. Playing a 2nd-level warrior destined to die at the hands of Grallak Kur or the Ebon Aspect could be fun.

Here's a list of the original Age of Worms prophecies as described in the Spire of Long Shadows:

Now, I can understand why the folks at Dungeon would include references to older adventures, but since my players are generally unfamiliar with these, I was thinking of changing the prophecies to better suit the needs of my campaign. Basically, I decided there should be two versions of the prophecies. The original as written on the spellweaver plates that Kyuss founded in the Amedio, and a modified version found in the Way of the Ebon Triad, which foretells the coming of an Ebon Overgod. Here are some possible prophecies (in chronological order):

Now, I'm not too sure how to translate some of these so that they sound like prophecies. But having these allows me to know what the villains of the campaign are up to. The recent ascension of Vecna has allowed the villains to shift their plans into high gear as they see the Age of Worms will soon be upon them.

Background: Originally written on bronze plates (by Mak'ar?) before Kyuss' arrival in the Amedio Jungle, Kyuss himself learned of these and began the long task of bringing about the Age of Worms. After Dragotha's rebirth as a dracolich, Kyuss taught his new servant the prophecies. Dragotha, seeing no need to wait for all these prophecies to come true, managed to release Kyuss prematurely about 1500 years ago. But Kyuss' time on Oerth was short-lived thanks to the Order of the Storm. Seeing the need to have the prophecies fulfilled, Dragotha & Lashonna used powerful divination magic and wrote a collection of apocalyptic essays, epic poems, and cryptographs known as the Way of the Ebon Triad, a distorted version of the prophecies. This version claimed the tripartite beings were Hextor, Erythnul, and Vecna (who wasn't a god, but a powerful undead emperor at the time). The Way of the Ebon Triad claimed that with the release of an undead colossus known as Kyuss and the coming Age of Worms, the Ebon Overgod would arise. Years later, a heretical follower of Vecna came upon the Way of the Ebon Triad and referenced the prophecies in the blasphemous Nethertome of Trask. He claimed that Vecna had found a way to achieve godhood and unite his essence with the two evil Oeridian gods of battle, Hextor and Erythnul. Vecna, who had been recently destroyed in a battle against his vampiric lieutenant Kas the Bloody-Handed, would one day return as a god and fulfill his destiny.

I intend to have my PC's find a copy of the Nethertome of Trask in the Faceless One's quarters. The tome, with its distorted prophecies, will explain why the Ebon Triad was in Diamond Lake. Later, when the PC's journey to Kuluth-Mar, the true prophecies will be revealed to them. As for the original Way of the Ebon Triad, its best location is probably in the Well of Triptych Knowledge.

I'm about to run this adventure. At first glance I noticed the following from the adventure:

- Several statblock errors, but that's easy enough to correct
- Great NPC villains, especially Theldrick and the Faceless One
- Heavy on the dungeoncrawling
- Transition from Whispering Cairn to Three Faces of Evil a bit weak
- Tough final encounter since PC's likely out of resources

Now, I've read some great threads about DM's modifying or adding stuff to adventures, especially Encounter at Blackwall Keep. What I'm wondering is if anyone has similar advice DM's could use about this particular adventure. What worked and what didn't. Anything a DM should lookout for? For example,

Just wondering if any DM's came up with a reason as to why Ellival Moonmeadow, the only elven mine manager, was doing in Diamond Lake for over a century. One of my PC's is playing his nephew and while I have a few ideas as to what an elven noble would actually be doing in a town like Diamond Lake, I was curious to see if anyone else had done something neat. A few ideas I thought of:

- Moonmeadow's sole silver mine is a front for a secret lode of mithral discovered years ago near Diamond Lake. The mithral, mined by unbeknownst humans, is secretly sent to Celene through magical means, possibly through a portal. Moonmeadow is an agent of Celene sent to make sure the authorities of Greyhawk don't become aware of the treasure beneath their feet.

- Over a hundred years ago, elven seers of Sehanine Moonbow in Celene discovered omens about an upcoming Age of Worms. Portents lead them to believe that heroes would arise with the power to prevent this age of darkness, and signs pointed that these heroes would appear near the lake that once was clear. Moonmeadow is but one of many Celene agents throughout the Flanaess who is trying to prevent the Age of Worms from becoming reality.

- Centuries ago the Order of the Storm and their elven allies defeated the forces of Kyuss. After their victory, the Order of the Storm eventually died out, leaving the task of protecting Oerth to the elves of Celene. For years the elves have kept a subtle lookout on the Cairn Hills and Moonmeadow is their chief man in the area.

Does anyone know where I can find the rules for creating swarms? I know the Monstrous Manual describes the swarm subtype well enough, but it lacks information on how to create them such as turning a lone rate into a swarm of rats.

According to Living Greyhawk Journal #5, Kieren Jalucian is no longer the Master of the Guild of Wizardry, having passed on the role to another. Unfortunately, the issue fails to mention who replaced him. Assuming the good folks of Living Greyhawk know who replaced Jalucian, would it be too much to ask?

I wrote this gazetteer for my Age of Worms Player's Guide. Sources include: From the Ashes, City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, Greyhawk - The Adventure Begins, Greyhawk Player's Guide, Doomgrinder, Dragon #262, Age of Worms Overload, Canonfire, and WOTC's Living Greyhawk website.
I'm hoping some DM's might find this useful.

Greyhawk & the Cairn Hills Gazetteer

The Free City of Greyhawk

Overview: The city of Greyhawk controls a sizable estate ranging from the northern coast of the Woolly Bay to the southern shores of Midbay in the Nyr Dyv. The Cairn Hills and the Abbor-Alz mark the eastern limits of this domain, while its western boundary is generally considered to lie within the Gnarley Forest and along the edge of the Welkwood. The other towns in the Greyhawk territory each have their own history of independence. Were the entire region not threatened by upheaval in the adjacent lands, none of them would willingly submit to Greyhawk. The “empires” of the Pomarj and the Bright Desert are seen as unstable, but quite dangerous. In addition, neither Dyvers nor Celene, Greyhawk’s western neighbours, hold any affection for the Free City; the Duchy of Urnst, to the east, is a lukewarm ally.

The Selintan River and the River Road that runs alongside it are the main avenues of travel in the Domain of Greyhawk, connecting Woolly bay to the Nyr Dyv. The Western Road carries traffic to Dyvers and beyond, while the Urnst Trail crosses through the Cairn Hills to the east. Trade from all across the Flanaess passes through the Free City, and people of all nations can be found there. In addition to being a centre of commerce, Greyhawk is a city of learning. The University of Magical Arts and the Grey College, among others, attract numerous students here. Finally, it is also a city of diplomacy; statesmen and politicians from nations throughout the central Flanaess serve as ambassadors to this domain, forging alliances and treaties.
The city of Greyhawk is ruled by its Lord Mayor, who is selected by the Directing Oligarchy comprised of twelve to eighteen of the city’s major guild and military leaders, in addition to important clerics and wizards. The current Lord Mayor, Nerof Gasgal, is rumoured to be a former member of the city’s powerful Guild of Thieves. The populace of the expanded Domain of Greyhawk, beyond the city proper, has only limited influence in government. The Greyhawk Council of Mayors and Manorial Lords ostensibly gives the leaders of the various lesser communities in the city’s larger domain a voice in the government, but it is recognised that this annual gathering has no real authority.

History: The city that would command so much attention from the world at large began centuries ago as a modest village on the Selintan River. Built around a trading outpost, the original settlement came to be dominated by a warlord named Maret Nial, an opportunistic infantry captain who led a large band of soldiers across the Cairn Hills in 4 CY and proclaimed the village conquered without bothering to have a battle. He declared his domain to be part of the Great Kingdom and built a motte-and-bailey keep on a hill above the village. After several years of garnering wealth through taxation, and a bit more by overt banditry, the influence of Lord Nial was great enough to warrant a new title: Landgraf of Selintan. Lord Nial’s son and heir, Ganz, was wed to the daughter of the Gynarch of Hardby, thus cementing a political alliance that brought the whole of the river basin together under the old Landstadt of Selintan. The height of this confluence was reached in the person of the last landgraf, the so-called Mad Archmage, Zagig Yragerne, who ruled as Lord Mayor from 310 CY to 421 CY.

This Wild Coast native was a full though distant heir to the position of landgraf. Zagig’s rulership as lord mayor and landgraf was the most successful in the history of Greyhawk; he refortified the city, reformed many of its more onerous laws, established a university, and brought great prosperity to the region as a whole. His construction of Castle Greyhawk was an unparalleled achievement of engineering. While some of his projects seemed without purpose or even destructive, his rule in total was of great benefit to Greyhawk and its inhabitants.
Ultimately, his eccentricities took him far from his duties as ruler. He was also without heir. After many decades of his absence, Greyhawk was proclaimed a free and independent city by Lord Mayor Paerinn in 498 CY, slicing all political ties (which were nearly nonexistent by now anyway) with the Great Kingdom. The old Landstadt was abolished, and absolute authority was formally invested in the Directing Oligarchy. Though beginning with great promise with the legacy of Zagig, the city quickly fell into decline. Numerous thieves and crooked businessmen formed a broad alliance to enrich themselves. Parodying the many guilds in town, the leader of the thieves, thugs, smugglers, and charlatans of the city’s underworld named his organisation the Guild of Thieves, and the name stuck. The Guild of Thieves soon had several members on the Oligarchy in its pay, and eventually grew to such power that even the Greyhawk Militia obeyed the orders of its guildmaster. The city’s trade volume began to drop as foreign merchants sought new shipping routes to avoid the ever-increasing bribes and tariffs placed on their goods. Greyhawk lost its authority over much of the associated territory after 500 CY, most notably the Wild Coast and Hardby. In Hardby, the female wizards, knights, and nobles restored the sovereignty of the gynarchy, though by tradition the title of Gynarch belonged to House Yragerne. Therefore, the women of Hardby named their new ruler the Despotrix, ruling over a domain extending from the lower Selintan to the Abbor-Alz.

In 533 CY, fighting broke out within Greyhawk’s Guild of Thieves between reformers who realised that the Guild’s excesses were driving away profits, and the Kurell-worshipping old-guard, who had no desire to lose their highway to wealth and wanted to unite all thieves under the direction of the priests of Kurell. Casualties were great, including the Guildmaster and leader of the reformers, Yavos the Elder. When the war ended, the great power of the Guild was broken, and the reformers had won out. Under Yavos the Younger, the Guild of Thieves changed its tactics and began working hand-in-hand with the city’s merchants and businessmen. A rough system of paid protection and guardianship was established. Though the merchants hated it, they recognised the futility of preventing every theft, and they came to appreciate the value in having the city’s criminals not only avoiding their premises, but acting to prevent foreign and nonguild thieves from taking their goods. Yavos was even given a seat on the Directing Oligarchy, and the Guild of Thieves achieved an air of legitimacy that astonished foreigners (and many citizens of Greyhawk, too).

The subsequent rumoured appearance of a Guild of Assassins in the city was even further cause for amazement, and not a little fear. Every death in the city was suspected of being caused by hired killers, when in fact almost none were. The Guild of Assassins was formed by a group of guild thieves who were ordered to hunt down several priests and thieves of Kurell who had escaped the guild war in 533 CY, but were now making trouble for Greyhawk’s merchants in the city of Dyvers. The vengeful thieves accomplished their mission so well that they were made a permanent enforcement arm of the Thieves’ Guild. In a short time, they became a separate entity and began to serve the needs of the Directing Oligarchy as well, successfully assassinating a Hierarch of the Horned Society who tried to stir up a revolt among the masses.
Greyhawk finally recovered from its economic decline several decades ago, benefiting from dungeon-loot taken from several major troves discovered in the region, particularly beneath the ruins of Castle Greyhawk. In 570 CY, the careless intervention of Lord Robilar and other adventurers freed the evil demigod, Iuz, as well as other powerful beings, from imprisonment beneath Castle Greyhawk. Every powerful being freed blamed Zagig personally for his or her imprisonment and vowed revenge as they fled to recover from their ordeal.

A rumoured master thief named Nerof Gasgal became Lord Mayor in 570 CY at the age of 30, to the surprise of many. His close friend, Org Nanshen, became Guildmaster of Thieves and an Oligarch in 572 CY. The two brought great dynamism to the government of the city, and they were able to improve business conditions and bring in foreign merchants and tradesmen to settle as citizens, adding to the pool of local wealth and talent. In 574 CY, the Oligarchy was joined by Turin Deathstalker after the entire upper hierarchy of the Guild of Assassins was slain by a summoned daemon. Turin improved his guild’s intelligence-gathering abilities further than ever, and this was of great help to Greyhawk in learning of troop movements across the Nyr Dyv when war between the Horned Society and the Shield Lands began in 579 CY. Turin later left for his native Shield Lands during the Greyhawk Wars where he became a war-hero. Upon his return, he took command of the Safeton Border Guards and did little to hide his hatred of orcs and other humanoids.

By the time of the Greyhawk Wars (582-584 CY), the city was again being called the “Gem of the Flanaess” (a term coined by Zagig) and received increasing numbers of visitors. Although Greyhawk was mostly spared the ravages of war, the domain itself was filled with refugees from the Shield Lands, the Wild Coast, the Bandit Kingdoms, and other realms. Iuz’s conquest of the Bandit Kingdoms and the Scarlet Brotherhood’s blockade of the Tilva Strait diverted even more trade towards Greyhawk. For three years, most of the Flanaess flew banners of war. Finally, the battle-weary combatants gathered in Greyhawk to declare peace. Harvester 584 CY was to see the signing of the Pact of Greyhawk, fixing borders and mandating an end to hostilities. On the Day of the Great Signing, however, Greyhawk suffered a great treachery: Rary, one of the Circle of Eight, destroyed his companions Tenser and Otiluke in a great magical battle, then fled. Many suspected that the former Archmage of Ket had hoped to hold the ambassadors hostage, perhaps capturing Greyhawk itself in the process. Instead, he and his cohort, Lord Robilar, went into the Bright Desert to form their own kingdom. Fearing further disruptions, the delegates hurriedly signed the Pact of Greyhawk. Ironically, because of the site of the treaty signing, the great conflicts soon became known as the Greyhawk Wars.

After the wars, refugees from war-torn lands continued to arrive in Greyhawk. Some of the wealthier refugees purchased invented titles, with the prerequisite counterfeit histories and lineages. As a result, the true history of the city and surrounding region is slowly being overwritten. Many see this as the price of growth and success. Greyhawk is, for all its difficulties, more vital and prosperous today than it has been at any time since the departure of Zagig Yragerne.

The Cairn Hills

The border between the Domain of Greyhawk and the Duchy of Urnst lies in the Cairn Hills, rugged uplands dotted with hundreds of tombs and burial grounds, the remnants of a bygone era. When Suloise settlers first arrived in the Cairn Hills a few hundred years ago, they discovered numerous tombs built by the Flan and by other, far older civilisations. Knowing very little of these ancient peoples, the architects of these tombs were simply referred to as the Cairn Builders. Today, the hills are home to thousands of gnomes, halflings, dwarves, and humans, some of the latter group as bandits and wild hillsmen. The region is rich in mineral deposits and gems. Greyhawk controls much of the area now; part of the southern hill country was ceded to Greyhawk in 584 CY by Urnst, an ill-advised decision in the best light. The Cairn Hills militia does much to safeguard the area from evil humanoids and bandits.

When the Suloise settlers first arrived a few hundred years ago, intrepid explorers discovered a fantastic cache of priceless artefacts entombed in one of the hundreds of ancient burial complexes hewn into the crags surrounding Greyhawk. The trove attracted legions of treasure-seekers to Greyhawk (then a mere trading post), and unbelievable wealth plundered from the tombs. The wealthiest explorers became the city’s first nobility, and Greyhawk quickly became associated with easy wealth and fabulous archaeological artefacts from long-dead civilisations. But the wealth didn’t always come easy, as many surprises in the form of bound demon guardians, relentless constructs, and ingenious magical wards and traps. The hilly lands surrounding Greyhawk became known as the Cairn Hills, and the hunt for lost magical treasure became an important part of the region’s cultural heritage.

But the treasure didn’t last forever. Eventually, the cairns dried out, and unplundered tombs became more and more difficult to locate. Every decade or so a lucky explorer managed to strike it rich, but even more came away from their endeavours with nothing more than broken ankles and clothes singed by the fires of ancient protections. Several vanished entirely. Over the years, the Cairn Hills began to lose their allure, and it wasn’t until a couple of decades ago that interest has renewed. Treasure hunters continue to explore the hills in search of any number of lost tombs and cairns, particularly the legendary Star Cairn, so named because sages expect its alignment with four known tombs traces a star pattern, and the bizarre Silver Metal Cairn, where metal tools of unknown origin and use are said to have been found.

The Bronzewood Lodge

The ring of crumbling menhirs on the bluff overlooking Diamond Lake is a remnant of the ancient Flannish druidic culture that once inhabited the region. They too came to the hills for the ancient cairns, seeing them as monuments to great ancestors of the invisible past. Although modern Suloise and Oeridians displaced the native druids over a thousand years ago, pockets of indigenous architecture and culture remain. Foremost among these near-forgotten practices is veneration of Beory, the Oerth Mother, and her son Obad-Hai, the Shalm, the brooding patron of wilderness and natural order.

Druids of the Grey Circle and rangers who honour the Old Faith routinely congregate in great moots three hours northeast of Diamond Lake, at an ancient megalithic structure called the Bronzewood Lodge. Devotees of Ehlonna and the elven pantheon are welcome at these meetings, if a bit gruffly, but all other attendees must be invited personally by someone already within the circle of trust. At these great moots, the woodsfolk observe rituals from long ago, celebrate with great contests of strength and wit, and debate policy regarding the natural affairs of the region.

A small permanent community inhabits the Lodge itself and the wooded copse surrounding it. Perhaps thirty assorted druids, rangers, and scouts protect the sacred site and keep watch on the nearby roads and valleys. Occasionally, they step in to rescue a traveler from some natural menace, but just as often they warn explorers to stay on the roads and let the wilderness take care of itself. Their leader is Nogwier, an aged proponent of the Old Faith who strives to keep the focus of his community on preservation of a near-extinct way of life and away from anger at the Free City and its operatives in Diamond Lake, whose avariciousness continually rapes the land. Nogwier urges cautious cooperation with Lanod Neff via a former Bronzewood man named Merris Sandovar, who now works as the garrison’s chief scout. Nogwier’s health is starting to deteriorate however, and many fear that his successor might take an antagonistic stance against the machinations of Greyhawk and Diamond Lake.

The Twilight Monastery

About two hours north of Diamond Lake, a towering crag called Griffon’s Roost casts a dark shadow over the muddy road to Elmshire. From a perch hundreds of feet above looms the cat-infested Twilight Monastery, a three-towered monument dedicated to Xan Yae and her servant Zuoken, little known deities from the Baklunish West. Two score monks dwell within the monastery, dedicating themselves to a litany of exercises meant to perfect the body and spirit. The secretive monks hold dusk as the holiest of hours, and sonorous chants emit from the Twilight Monastery’s central courtyard when the night sky appears in the heavens.

Foremost among the monks is Izenfen the Occluded, a peerless masked combatant thought to be one of the wisest figures in the hills. Travelers frequently seek her council, but most leave Diamond Lake without ever having gained access to the Twilight Monastery, for Izenfen deigns to speak with only a handful of pilgrims foretold to her via the agency of the night sky and an immense mirrored lens called the Censer of Symmetry. When word of the Censer’s predictive prowess spread to the miners of Diamond Lake 20 years ago, a desperate contingent petitioned Izenfen to predict the location of the richest unclaimed ore deposits, appealing to her compassion with tales of starving children and dangerously unpaid debts. The masked mistress of the Twilight Monastery rebuffed their pleas, triggering the miners’ contingency plan – an ill-fated invasion of the monks’ compound that left seven miners dead. Only a single member of the order perished – Imonoth, Izenfen’s beloved daughter. The following morning, the remaining fifteen miners, who had escaped the monastery to nurse their wounds in the petty shacks along Diamond Lake’s waterfront, were found dead. Rumours of silent masked killers sent by Izenfen continue to this day, citing the disappearance or mysterious deaths of nearly a dozen political enemies within the town.

Although the monks of the Twilight Monastery keep mostly to themselves and desire only to lead lives of undisturbed contemplation, they frequently appear on the streets of Diamond Lake to reprovision or to engage in the trade of kalamanthis, a rare psychotropic plant grown regionally only on the slopes of Griffon’s Roost. Kalamanthis is popular among all classes of Diamond Lake, but the real business is centred in Greyhawk. Rumours hold that potential buyers should seek out Golgan Hant, the Twilight Monastery’s trade envoy, who can usually be found at Lazare’s House along the Vein’s central square. Both the wagons loaded with kalamanthis and the returning coaches loaded with city coin go unmolested in Diamond Lake, for all fear Izenfen’s relentless invisible killers.

The Cairn of the Green Lady

Far from welcoming are the brooding inhabitants of the Cairn of the Green Lady, a reclaimed tomb on the opposite shore of Diamond Lake itself. Cloaked in robes of green and quick to threaten outsiders, these two-score devotees of the death goddess Wee Jas honour a fallen saint of that deity with mournful prayers to departed spirits and mysterious explorations of the hills nearby. They base themselves in the tomb of this departed servant of the Dark-Eyed Lady, whom they believe died during the great Suel migrations across the treacherous hills more than a thousand years ago. The order’s leader, the enchanting Amariss, replaced the original founder after he mysteriously vanished two years ago. An outcast priest of Wee Jas from the Frost Barbarian kingdom, Nohrtan claimed that the Green Lady came to him in a dream, entreating him to find worshippers of Wee Jas who were pure of heart and mind and lead them to her grave to protect it from destruction by heathens. It took him close to five years to assemble his flock, arriving at the Cairn in 591 CY. His disappearance only one year after his arrival has lead many to speculate, but Amariss and her followers are silent on the subject.

The Stirgenest Cairn

Located on the southeastern shore of Diamond Lake, this long abandoned cairn is oft explored by Diamond Lake’s youth, who always find it completely empty of marvels and perfectly harmless.

The Whispering Cairn

Unlike the Stirgenest Cairn, the Whispering Cairn isn’t so empty and harmless. Within a day’s ride north of Diamond Lake, this cairn lies near an iron mine that went dry about fifty years ago, its charter apparently elapsed when its owner, Ulgo Fant, died several years later. Situated thusly in a sort of no-man’s land, the cairn was all but forgotten, its yawning entrance overgrown with weeds and choked with collapsed debris. Rediscovered by a curious teenager a decade ago, the cairn has since been a sort of community secret held by Diamond Lake’s youth, who dare each other to disappear into its cyclopean entrance and spend the night as a test of mettle. These visits tapered off about six years ago, when a local girl vanished while sleeping in the cairn. Occasionally, when the wind is just right, haunting, almost magical tones emerge from the depths of the forlorn tomb.

The Mistmarsh

A broad, shallow swamp teeming with reptile life, the Mistmarsh fills the lowlands west and south of the Cairn Hills. Lizardfolk claim certain areas of the deep marsh, and wandering ghoul packs are a danger throughout. In other areas, marshmen can be found living in isolated villages, often warring with lizardfolk tribes in order to survive. Little is known of the marshmen, as they are fearful of outsiders.

Blackwall Keep

During the springs of 583 and 584 CY, lizardfolk from the Mistmarsh became unusually active and attacked livestock and some outlying farms. This resulted in the construction of two new tower keeps to the north and south of the marsh: Blackwall Keep and Marsh Keep. The keeps have apparently worked, as very few lizardfolk have been seen outside the marsh since their construction. While not technically within the Cairn Hills, the garrisons within both keeps are part of the Cairn Hills Militia. Blackwall Keep, under the command of Ranald Haradrith, lies approximately two days east of Diamond Lake on the northern edge of the marsh.

Blackstone

This mining town is nestled in a steep-sided canyon of dark grey granite. During wet weather, a slender waterfall, nearly 500 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.

Steaming Springs

The mining town of Steaming Springs 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.

Ery Crossings

Only six miles downriver from Diamond Lake, approximately 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 maximise 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 20 residents to almost 300 inhabitants. The inns are filled to capacity, and gaily coloured tents spill into the countryside. Profitable trading and much fun are had by all.

Elmshire

This pastoral settlement of halflings has grown to become a major centre 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 4000 of them have settled here, near the inlet of the Selintan River. Elmshire appears quite different human communities, as it is spread out and has no community core. It is said that a man could walk from one end of Elmshire to the other and be only vaguely aware he has passed through a significant settlement. Popular deities in Elmshire include Ehlonna, Arvoreen, Pelor, Yondalla, Cyrrollalee, and Sheela Peryroyl. The majority of clerics in Elmshire 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.

During 583 CY, an outbreak of a mysterious plague known as Yellow Eye decimated this community and nearly a quarter of the population died. The reasons for this are wholly mysterious, but the wasting symptoms and catastrophic infectious phases of the plague appalled and terrified the halflings, who became a more fearful folk afterwards. Traditionally a city of good food and good cheer, Elmshire is still recovering from the ordeal. Many of the survivors feel guilt at having outlived younger loved ones who died.

Another dramatic event marked Elmshire and damaged its hospitality only two years later. In the spring of 585 CY, about forty adult halflings disappeared in separate incidents while on guard duty along the Midbay shoreline. An investigation revealed that the guards were being drugged by a renegade halfling in league with an evil Rhennee family. These Rhennee worked for Iuz, and they took the kidnapped halflings across the Nyr Dyv to an unspeakable fate in the Empire of Iuz. Public outcry was so intense that the normally placid nature of Elmshire’s citizens was completely discarded. The halflings involved were branded, beaten, and exiled as a result, their lands and possessions seized for public auction. The ringleader, Permen Merrifoot was hanged after a trial lasting three days, and his body was burned to ashes. The town of Elmshire then turned completely against the Rhennee, attacking two barges with missile fire in 585 CY, and the bargefolk have avoided the town completely since then. No longer welcome, the Rhennee are regarded by almost all halflings as evil until proven otherwise.

Grossettgrottell

Three days (by coach) northwest of Diamond Lake, the Cairn Hills Trail enters a region of steep crags pocked with natural caverns. Five of these caverns lead to an interconnected series of gnome villages called Grossettgrottell. The gnomes of Grossettgrottell specialise in rare gems rescued from the subterranean depths, but each of the five villages focuses on a different trade or specialisation. All told, some 800 rock gnomes call the place home, though about a quarter as many “expatriates” live in Greyhawk itself or in the mining towns surrounding it. Able gnome wardens and gem-encrusted constructs stand vigil over the surface entrances to each community, and nongnome visitors are subject to the legendary gnome suspicion.

Greysmere

South of the immense Mistmarsh, the Cairn Hills jut up to become the Abbor-Alz Mountains, and in a tight valley stands the imposing dwarven fortress of Greysmere, its impressive stone-carved façade reflecting in the still waters of a placid mountain lake. Tall mountains completely surround the valley, making the citadel one the most easily defended locales in the region. Unusually for the dwarves, Greysmere stands open to all visitors, who are welcome in the enclave’s upper markets and vast, agoraphobia-inducing galleries. More than 400 hill dwarves dwell within Greysmere, under the guidance of Fionor the Rude, a downright mean little fellow who invites all new guests to his dinner table in hopes that they might provide a moment’s entertainment. Despite his boorishness, Fionor respects those who command respect, and is a trustworthy friend of many. It should also be noted that unlike most dwarven strongholds, the worship of Ulaa predominates in Greysmere, although the Morndinsamman has several followers as well.

Wavenair

Some humans, mostly of Flannish stock, live in the Cairn Hills much like they did hundreds of years ago. An independent lot, they deal very little with outsiders, with the exception of the marshmen. The Cairn Hills militia wisely leaves them alone. Most of the hillsmen are nomadic, but they also congregate in the tribal camp of Wavenair, north of the Mistmarsh. This ragged camp is usually settled by 30 to 80 hillsmen. The number varies with the season of the year; there are most in the fall, when they harvest swamp hay from the Mistmarsh. The camp is also the home of the Hermit of Wavenair, a druid of sorts, but no one is certain. What is certain is that he is regarded with almost religious awe by the hillsmen.

Nyr Dyv

The Nyr Dyv, or “Lake of Unknown Depths,” is the largest freshwater lake known to the people of the Flanaess. Civilisation has turned it into a veritable highway of trade, with vessels using several navigable inlets (Artonsamay, Veng, and Velverdyva) and outlets (Nesser and the Selintan). Cities such as Dyvers, Leukish, Greyhawk, and Radigast owe much of their wealth to lake traffic.

The legendary dangers of the Nyr Dyv, ferocious storms and creatures no less friendly, have not diminished, though humans are now better equipped to handle them. Few ships brave the allegedly bottomless waters, preferring to hug the coasts. Iuz’s occupation of the Shield Lands (notably Admunfort Isle) has lessened traffic in the north, to the advantage of coves and villages along the southern coast. Most ships plying the waters of the Nyr Dyv are equipped with harpoons, pikes, and ballistae, to repel creatures of the deep. Patrol ships from Greyhawk, Dyvers, Furyondy, and the Urnst states prevent organised piracy here, but waterborne banditry is cause for alarm as so many patrol ships were lost during the Greyhawk Wars or assigned elsewhere.

Despite the dangers, a singular group of humans, the Rhennee, make their homes on this lake, gathering in secluded coves along the Midbay and near the river mouths. The Rhennee keep to themselves for the most part, though outcasts often rent themselves out to lake captains in search of a knowledgeable guide. Some have also been known to work for the forces of Iuz.

Rumours abound that the lake holds the sunken remains of an ancient pre-Migration civilisation known as the “Isle of Woe,” though many have explored the lake to no avail. Occasionally, strange silver coins and jewellery and even stranger obsidian carvings, found by lucky divers, make their way to market, but these are generally discounted as forgeries.

Here's a timeline I wrote for my Age of Worms Player's Guide. It includes important events for the Flanaess, the City and Domain of Greyhawk, and Diamond Lake. Many thanks go to Erik Mona and fellow Paizo messageboarders such as Rob Bastard and Peruhain. I would love to give more credit where credit is due, but I don't remember half of my sources. The only thing I added myself was the disappearance of Nohrtan, the founder of the Cult of the Green Lady.

Timeline

Prehistory: Ancient burial tombs were established in the Cairn Hills by several races, of which only the Flan are recognised. The three other, and older races, are collectively referred to as the Cairn Builders.

-644 CY: Tribes of Oeridian horse barbarians, living near the Suel Imperium and the Baklunish Empire, united in a single confederation to resist incursions by the Baklunish.

-465 CY: Great Migrations began. The Oeridians began to migrate eastwards through the Fals Gap. They were the first large group to enter the lands of the Flan, which they termed the Flanaess. They were soon followed by Suloise refugees fleeing the cruelties of their tyrannical and war-ravaged empire.

-422 CY: Twin Cataclysms. After decades of conflict between the Suel Imperium and the Baklunish Empire, the Suloise Mages of Power called down the Invoked Devastation upon the Baklunish. In retaliation, a cadre of Baklunish wizard-clerics brought the Rain of Colourless Fire upon their hated enemies. Both empires were destroyed, leaving only the Dry Steppes and the Sea of Dust. Suloise refugees, migrating eastwards, soon crossed the Crystalmist Mountains into the Flanaess, often fighting for control against the Oeridians. Most Baklunish survivors fled north towards the Yatil Mountains or Dramidj Ocean.

-357 CY: The Empire of Vecna fell after the treachery of Kas the Bloody-Handed.

c -345 CY: A few Suloise clans settled around the western shores of Woolly Bay, establishing the Wild Coast. The majority of the Suloise moved farther east across the Selintan and drove most of the hunter-gatherer Flan southward towards the Abbor-Alz. The luckiest Suloise settled to the south and east of the Nyr Dyv and eventually established the Kingdom of Urnst.

c -315 CY: The village of Greyhawk was founded by Suloise settlers as a log trading post.

-279 CY: Ena Norbe, a Suloise wizard from Safe Town (now Safeton), founded the Town of Norbe Harbour. The effects of plague and bad weather soon changed the settlement’s name to Hard Bay. Ena Norbe eventually married the captain of her guard, had six daughters, and established the Gynarchy of Hard Bay (later Hardby).

-216 CY: The Aerdi, the most powerful Oeridian tribe, founded the kingdom of Aerdy along the Flamni River.

-109 CY: Aerdy defeated Nyrond to the northwest in the Battle of Fortnight’s Length, establishing themselves as a major power.

1 CY: Declaration of Universal Peace. Nasran, the Grand Prince of Aerdy, was crowned Overking of the Great Kingdom. The Great Kingdom of Aerdy eventually ruled over most of the Flanaess, from the Solnor Ocean to the Yatil Mountains.

4 CY: Maret Nial, an infantry captain from Aerdy, but originally from Greyhawk, crossed the Cairn Hills with a large band of ex-soldiers and proclaimed the village of Greyhawk conquered without bothering to have a battle. Eventually the Overking granted him the title of Landgraf of Selintan.

100 CY: The Viceroyalty of Ferrond established in the Great Kingdom, comprising of lands west of the Nyr Dyv to modern-day Perrenland.

c 150 CY: The Rhennee first appeared on Oerth.

209 CY: The Expulsion of Evil. After the garrison commander and the Landgraf of Selintan were both assassinated, the next officer in line, Ponjes the Bull, declared martial law in Greyhawk. His soldiers burned several evil temples to the ground, massacred every worshiper of evil gods that could be hunted down, and seized their property. This event established the policy of intolerance for wicked deities and priests in Greyhawk.

With the death of the heirless Landgraf, Ponjes established the Directing Oligarchy, a council made up of the most important town leaders. Ponjes was later appointed Landgraf by the Overking of Aerdy.

254 CY: The Viceroyalty of Ferrond seceded from the Great Kingdom due to the incompetence of the Rax Overkings, becoming the Kingdom of Furyondy and the Archclericy of Veluna.

261 CY: Imperial soldiers were finally withdrawn from Greyhawk and the Landgraf was charged with defending the Selintan region using only local militia.

310 – 421 CY: Zagig Yragerne became Landgraf and Lord Mayor of Greyhawk. His 111 year rule had many achievements: He reformed the city’s legal code, established a city currency, reformed the militia and led it to many victories over bandits in the Cairn Hills, had the Midbay channel to the mouth of the Selintan marked with buoys and lights, founded the Guild of Wizardry, invited scholars to Greyhawk to create colleges, had the city’s sewers and Free City Arena built, oversaw the creation of two mines in the Cairn Hills (Diamond Lake and Steaming Springs), organised the first Desportium of Magick, and so on.

Zagig’s eccentric personality appeared to gradually deteriorate after 370 CY, and the Oligarchy and many citizens were in terror of his humour and his rages. It was obvious after 395 CY that Zagig had unlimited power but was wholly insane. The city both thrived and suffered in the last years of his rule until 421 CY when Zagig mysteriously disappeared.

356 CY: The Viceroyalty of Nyrond declared itself independent of the Great Kingdom, cutting off Greyhawk from Aerdy.

479 CY: Iuz, the half-demon adopted son of a petty noble, came to power in Furyondy’s Northern Reaches.

498 CY: The City of Greyhawk was declared independent of the Great Kingdom by Lord Mayor Paerinn.

498 – 510 CY: The Hateful Wars. Returning to Celene from the County of Ulek, the olven prince consort was waylaid and slain by orcs in a narrow pass in the Lortmil Mountains. His death led the elves to spearhead the Hateful Wars in which Celene, the Ulek States, the Lortmil dwarves, and the Kron Hill gnomes combined their forces in an effort to drive the orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins out of the Lortmils. Using underground passages, the allies discovered every secret stronghold and forced the humanoids to the surface where after two harsh winters they were driven fro the mountains altogether. Most of the survivors fled to the Suss Forest.

505 CY: Iuz mysteriously disappeared. A Cult of Iuz soon appeared worshipping the Old One as a god.

513 CY: Orcs and other humanoids driven from the Lortmils after the Hateful Wars emerged from the Suss Forest and descended upon the Pomarj, driving out the local lords and putting many of the local folk to the sword.

525 CY: A mine collapsed in Diamond Lake. Over 300 miners were killed in the disaster.

533 CY: Infighting in Greyhawk’s Guild of Thieves between the Kurell-worshipping old guard and reformers led by Yavos the Elder.

c 545 CY: Ragnolin Dourstone of Greysmere moved to Diamond Lake and established several mining operations in the area.

555 CY: Felanore, a young giantess of the Cairn Hills, was captured by members of the Diamond Lake garrison and “granted” to the owner of the Spinning Giant to serve as mascot. Thereafter, she became known as “Flailing Felanore.”

570 CY: Iuz freed from imprisonment under Castle Greyhawk and returned to his lands as a god made flesh. Thousands of those who had been “unfaithful” were murdered upon his return.

The Circle of Eight revealed that not only was Zagig (now called Zagyg) still alive, but he was also the demigod servant of Boccob, the god of magic.

Nerof Gasgal, a master thief, became Lord Mayor of Greyhawk.

571 CY: A violent conflict in the Old City of Greyhawk between the Guild of Thieves and the Union of Beggars led to a portion of the Old City being burned down by accident.

575 CY: Izenfen, Mistress of the Twilight Monastery, refused to use the Censer of Symmetry to locate unclaimed ore deposits for a cadre of miners from Diamond Lake. The miners invaded the monastery, seeking to steal the Censer, but failed, though Izenfen’s daughter Imonoth died in the conflict. In retaliation, Izenfen sent her best warriors into Diamond Lake, where all fifteen survivors of the ill-fated raid were assassinated. This event became commemorated yearly as Darkstar’s Kiss.

Lazare, a dragonchess champion from Greyhawk, used his ample winnings to purchase a mine in the hills northeast of Diamond Lake.

576 CY: The Red Death plague, spreading from Rookroost in the Bandit Kingdoms, quickly ravaged across the Flanaess.

The Red Death reached isolated settlements such as Diamond Lake, killing many of the townsfolk. The influential mine manager, Millicent Parrin, one was of the first victims to die from the sickness. Her daughter, Luzane Parrin, inherited her family’s three mines at the age of 17. Another notable victim was Flailing Felenore, a giantess living in Diamond Lake.

577 CY: Prince Zeech of Alhaster breaks with the Shield Lands and joins the Combination of Free Lords (now Bandit Kingdoms). He names his lands the Principality of Redhand.

578 CY: Lazare, nearly bankrupted after the death of his wife, was forced to sell his mine to Balabar Smenk of Greyhawk.

579 – 581 CY: Shield Lands Invasion. The Horned Society, allied with some Bandit Kingdoms, invaded the Shield Lands in 579 CY. By 581 CY, all but the city of Critwall had been conquered.

581 CY: Chaum Gansworth moved to Diamond Lake.

582 – 584 CY: Greyhawk Wars. Iuz appeared to the Thillonrian Barbarians as their god, Vatun. Uniting the Northmen with the Hold of Stonefist, he quickly conquered the Duchy of Tenh before the alliance broke up. Returning to his homeland, Iuz then conquered the Horned Society, Bandit Kingdoms, and the Shield Lands in quick succession. Furyondy was invaded, and much of its northern territory was captured and laid waste.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ivid V of the Great Kingdom invaded Sunndi, Almor, and Nyrond, conquering all but the latter. Ivid attempted to ensure loyalty by having his generals and nobles assassinated and reanimated as intelligent undead. He in turn was assassinated, though the Church of Hextor restored him to undead “life”, after which he known as Ivid the Undying.

In 584 CY, a half-orc named Turrosh Mak united the humanoid tribes of the Pomarj, conquering several cities of the Wild Coast and nearly half of the Principality of Ulek. The appeals of the Prince of Ulek to Yolande, the Olven Queen of Celene, fell upon uncaring ears. Celene closed its borders to even its most trusted allies, refusing to let elf blood fall in non-elf wars. The Knights of Luna were formed by elves who opposed Queen Yolande’s neutrality during the Greyhawk Wars.

That same year, decade-old paranoia regarding the Scarlet Brotherhood came true, as advisors in courts throughout the Flanaess were found to be Brotherhood agents. The Lordship of the Isles, Idee, Onnwal, and the Hold of the Sea Princes fell under the influence of the Scarlet Sign, from treachery or invasion. The Brotherhood was revealed as an evil, racist order dedicated to preserving the culture and purity of the ancient Suel Imperium, without regard to the lives of others.

583 CY: Yellow Eye plague decimated the town of Elmshire and nearly a quarter of the population died.

583 – 584 CY: Lizardfolk from the Mistmarsh attacked outlying farmsteads in the spring, prompting the construction of Blackwall Keep and Marsh Keep.

584 CY: Pact of Greyhawk. Delegates from battle-weary lands gathered in the City of Greyhawk to declare peace, fix borders, and mandate an end to hostilities. Because of the site of the treaty, the great conflicts soon became known as the Greyhawk Wars. Before the signing, the archmage Rary of Ket slew two members of the Circle of Eight before escaping to the Bright Desert with his cohort, Lord Robilar.

585 CY: The rebirth of the Circle of Eight was announced in Greyhawk with the joining of three new members.

Ulgo Fant, one of Diamond Lake’s prominent mine managers, died of old age without any heirs. His estate was purchased by the newly arrived Balabar Smenk of Greyhawk.

Professor Montague Marat’s traveling sideshow arrived in Diamond Lake. The professor was seduced by, and joined forces with, Zalamandra to create the Emporium.

The Whispering Cairn is rediscovered in the Cairn Hills by a Diamond Lake teenager. The youth of Diamond Lake then begin to use the cairn as a test of mettle, daring each other to spend the night.

586 CY: Canon Hazen of Veluna employed the Crook of Rao, a powerful artefact, in a special ceremony that purged the Flanaess of nearly all fiends inhabiting it. Outsiders summoned by Iuz, Ivid the Undying or other evils fell victim to this magical assault, which became known as the Flight of the Fiends. King Belvor IV of Furyondy quickly joined Canon Hazen in declaring the Great Northern Crusade, to regain lands lost to Iuz during the Greyhawk Wars, thus breaking the Pact of Greyhawk.

Immediately after the Flight of the Fiends, it was announced in Rauxes, the capital of the Great Kingdom, that Ivid V was no longer Overking, though it was unclear if he had actually died. As nobles and generals fought over the Malachite Throne, the City of Rauxes was engulfed in a strange magical field that prevented approach. Herzog Grenell of the North Province soon declared himself Overking of the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdy. The following year, Xavener I was also crowned as Overking of the United Kingdom of Ahlissa.

588 CY: End of the Great Northern Crusade. The armies of Furyondy and Veluna had restored the nation as well as part of the old Shield Lands. The destruction and debauchery revealed as Iuz’s agents fled sickened the crusaders. King Belvor IV declared eternal war upon the Old One, pledging to settle for nothing short of the complete destruction of Iuz himself.

589 CY: A local girl vanishes while spending the night in the Whispering Cairn. Visits to the cairn by Diamond Lake’s youth taper off.

590 CY: The wizard Allustan returned to Diamond Lake, after adventuring for several years.

591 CY: Nohrtan and his followers arrived at the Cairn of the Green Lady in Diamond Lake after a five-year journey.

592 CY: Professor Montague Marat left Diamond Lake for unknown destinations. Most members of his sideshow chose to stay in Diamond Lake’s Emporium.

The leader of the Cult of the Green Lady, Nohrtan, mysteriously disappeared and was replaced by Amariss.

593 CY: Luzane Perrin’s husband mysteriously died.

Amon Kyre, the Justice of Heironeous in Diamond Lake, vanished under mysterious circumstances. He was replaced by Valkus Dun from Greyhawk’s Sanctum of Heironeous.

595 CY: Campaign begins.

Does anyone know which issue(s) of Dragon contains the Ecology of the Aboleth? I have every issue of Dragon since #234 and I can't seem to find it.

After a fairly long combat at the temple, I was left with a dominated rogue, fighter, and cleric and the wizard, both blind AND deaf. So naturally, the Whisperer intends to send the characters against its brethren who attacked it recently and forced it to retreat to the temple. Unfortunately, I'm not too sure what to do afterwards. A few options for the Whisperer:

- If the PC's survive, the Whisperer can use them to become the new Lantern Killers.

- Knowing that the wizard and cleric are more likely to break free of the Whisperer's enslavement, it could have them killed and keep using the fighter and rogue for its dirty work.

- It could simply have them all killed afterwards.

None of these options bode well for my players. So what to do? The longer they stay under the Whisperer's control, the more powerful the Spawn becomes. Eventually they're bound to break free but it might take a while and what do I do in the meantime? Another possibility is to have a 3rd party save them from the Whisperer's control. I could even re-enslave them with the Whisperer's brethren.

So has anyone else had to deal with this situation? Any ideas would be appreciated.

I am currently running the Styes and have become intrigued by the Councilmen. In an effort to add some behind-the-scenes action, I statted out Councilman Thornwell and will eventually attempt to do the same for Sliris and Rashlen. However, I wanted to stay true to your wicked vision of the Styes and I am unsure if you're planning on involving the councilmen in future installments of the Styes. I would hate, for example, to have one of the councilmen die only to find out that he's a major NPC in the next Styes adventure.

I have only recently started as my players just defeated Mr. Dory last session. Once the adventure is done, I will run the Weavers (assuming my players survive). I am quite pleased with the adventures and look forward to the development of the Styes. Many thanks.

I'm attempting to compile knowledge check charts for Age of Worms. So far I have the Ebon Triad information from Dungeon #124, the Spawn of Kyuss info from Dragon #336, and Kyuss info provided by James Jacobs on the messageboards. Am I missing anything? Have knowledge check charts been made for the Rod of Seven Parts, the Wind Dukes, the Order of the Storm, Dragotha, or the Apostalic Scrolls?

Once I have compiled them all, I shall try to post them on the messageboards.

Are there any official 3rd edition stats for Tenser? I have seen Living Greyhawk material with some stats for the Circle of Eight and even Rary of Ket, but of Tenser I have seen nothing.

I have yet to see stats for dakons (gorilla people described in the Scarlet Brotherhood). Does anyone know if their stats exist in 3rd edition, or even 2nd edition?

While the Chainmail miniature didn't do so well some years ago, I loved the setting it was based in. Socialist dwarves, humans and elves going at it, and gnoll armies! Plus, we finally had a chance to see some of the lands outside the Flanaess. I'm hoping the setting will someday make a comeback, either in a new campaign book or within the pages of Dragon.
It was a great setting that deserved more than just a miniatures game. Here's a brief description of the factions involved for those of who don't remember or never heard of Chainmail:

Ahmut's Legion: An undead army led by Ahmut and necromancers.
Drazen's Horde: Hobgoblin tribes united by Drazen.
Kilsek: An exiled drow house in the service of Mistress Venrit.
Mordengard: Socialist dwarves who overthrew a tyrant years ago.
Naresh: Gnolls and demons led by Jangir, priest of Yeenoghu.
Ravilla: Finally, elves that kick @$$!
Thalos: Humans and gnomes who's ancestors were elven slaves.

And let's not forget that the current conflict, the Godwar, is about accumulating the power of Stratis, the recently slain god of war (coincedently the son of Stern Alia, making him the brother of Heironeous and Hextor).

I have a player who made a request to play a cleric of Hextor (in a good party) who would eventually repent and become a cleric of Heironeous. Any advice? I thought of using Theldrick in his background. Perhaps said PC is from the former Great Kingdom and followed Theldrick to the Diamond Lake area from whatever reason. Or perhaps my player could be from Redhand and I could involve Zeech in his background. Also, how should I handle the conversion? How long do I let him stay a cleric with no spells before he atones? Should he be a cleric of Hextor in secret? If he gets badly hurt/drained/cursed/killed early on, who's going to heal him?

I'm hoping a few members of this board have some good advice. Character redemption is a cool concept but the potential for disaster is there.

Is treasure only given out when it's actually listed down or is the DM supposed to follow the guidelines in the DMG? If an encounter calls for 6 gnolls straight from the Monstrous Manual(EL 5) and states that each gnoll has 20GP, but lacks a list of treasure to be found, is the DM supposed to generate treasure according to the rules in the DM's Guide (1600 GP worth according to DMG51) or do the players only get the 100GP found in the gnolls' pouches? I've always assumed not, since treasure can usually be found elsewhere in the adventure, but I'm not entirely sure. What about when the adventure calls for a random encounter? I'll admit that most adventures lack random encounters, but a few, including the adventure paths, have them still. If the same gnolls as above are a random encounter, should I upgrade their weapons to masterwork to meet up with the expected treasure value? Or are random encounters expected to generate less treasure?

I began wondering when I noticed several encounters that seemed to be well under the recommended treasure level. I was told in the past that most Dungeon adventures include 125% of the gold needed to meet the wealth by level guidelines, but I've been too lazy to actually tally it up and verify this.

I have seen the Red Death mentioned in a few places in the adventure path. It apparently hit a large part of the Flanaess close to 20 years ago. However, I have not seen any mention of the Red Death in any of the Greyhawk histories I read (Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, The Adventure Begins, Player's Guide to Greyhawk, & From the Ashes). Did I miss something? Or was the Red Death created with the backdrop on Diamond Lake? Maybe it's from an old AD&D adventure? I'm working on a timeline of events leading up to the Age of Worms and I thought an important event such as this deserved more attention. I'm hoping someone can help me out.

It's amazing how adventurers can come up with a name for themselves. Take the Company of the Copper Coin as an example. Currently comprised of the following: Torrek Spellmason (dwarven fighter played by yours truly), Ander Aslaxin (human wizard), Gwydion (human holy warrior), Penelope Littlesprout (halfling rogue), Dagmar Anvilheart (dwarven cleric of Clangeddin Silverbeard), and Sorin (changeling ranger/barbarian).

One piece of advice about gnome-built dungeons: avoid them! Stupid gnomes...What appeared to be little more than a throne room in Jzadirune turned out to be some big joke on foolhardy adventurers. As we came in, a gnomish face, carved into the wall, magically spoke out, "Place your finest coin into my mouth if you wish to speak to the king." We could see a sleeping gnome on the throne and our friend Damien, a warlock (he died later but that's another story), tells us is an illusion. So I think, "Sweet. I'll just place a platinum piece in the mouth and we'll get rewarded with valuable information or perhaps a gnomish song or something." In goes the platinum, which then promptly vanishes. Hmmm, that seemed wasteful. Let's try a gold piece! Again, same thing happens. Here I am, short 11 GP (which is a lot at level 2), and you know how much dwarves hate to waste good coins, unless its on alcohol, weapons, armour, women, potions, etc. So the warlock, ever so helpful, suggests that perhaps putting in a copper coin will have the desired effect. Sounded logical in an illogical kind of way, knowing how gnomes think. In goes the copper and blam! Voice speaks out, "Miser! What a paltry tribute! I curse you with clumsiness!" One failed will save later and Torrek's dexterity goes from 11 to 5. Wow. That sucks. Sure, everyone else thought it was funny (even the warlock who was apoligising but I could tell he didn't mean it). At least I got the coins back (they were teleported to a hidden compartment in the throne). At first I thought it was temporary damage. You should've seen my face when my grinning DM told me it was permanent. I already had the worst stats in the group. Luckily, the guys chipped in to have Jenya, the local priestess of St. Cuthbert, cast a restoration spell on Torrek.

Later on when we were asked the name of our adventuring party, someone suggested Company of the Copper Coin, and it stuck. To this day, Torrek has never had any other copper coin on his person except for that particular copper coin which he keeps as a reminder to never trust gnomish magicks.

First, let me start by saying that any adventurer playing in the Age of Worms might want to consider purchasing an undead bane weapon and rangers should always max out undead as their favoured enemy. However, after undead, what are the next best choices?

Wondering which monsters were encountered the most, I tallied up every encounter from all twelve adventures in the Age of Worms adventure path. Creatures were assigned scores ranging from 1 to 4. 1's were the equivalent of an encounter below the average party level, such as a CR 1/2 skeleton for a group of 2nd level PC's. 2's were roughly equal to the average party level. 3's were tough encounters a bit higher than the party level. And 4's were boss monsters. Another thing to keep in mind was the frequency of encounters. Having a sword of reptilian humanoid bane might be useful in the 3rd adventure, but will be totally useless throughout the rest of the adventure path.

Here's a breakdown of each creature type's score by adventure:

Whispering Cairn:

Undead - 13
Elementals - 12
Aberrations - 9
Humans - 9
Vermin - 9
Animals - 6
Constructs - 3
Orcs - 3
Magical Beasts - 3

Three Faces of Evil:

Monstrous Humanoids - 33
Humans - 21
Kenku - 17
Undead - 11
Native Outsiders - 7
Animals - 5
Evil Outsiders - 4
Aberrations - 2
Orcs - 1

Encounter at Blackwall Keep

Reptilian Humanoids - 70
Undead - 6
Monstrous Humanoids - 4
Aberrations - 2
Plants - 1

Hall of Harsh Reflections

Monstrous Humanoids - 27
Aberrations - 18
Elves - 13
Elementals - 4
Plants - 4
Undead - 4
Animals - 3
Chaotic Outsiders - 3
Evil Outsiders - 3
Humans - 2
Magical Beasts - 2

Champion's Belt

Undead - 24
Humans - 13
Dwarves - 6
Native Outsiders - 6
Elves - 5
Aberrations - 4
Oozes - 4
Chaotic Outsiders - 4
Evil Outsiders - 4
Gnolls - 3
Constructs - 2

Gathering of Winds

Elementals - 15
Undead - 8
Constructs - 6
Earth Outsiders - 6
Dragons - 4
Chaotic Outsiders - 4
Evil Outsiders - 4
Oozes - 3
Magical Beasts - 3
Fire Outsiders - 2

Spire of Long Shadows

Undead - 23
Aberrations - 15
Lawful Outsiders - 8
Evil Outsiders - 6
Vermin - 6
Good Outsiders - 4
Magical Beasts - 3
Chaotic Outsiders - 2

Prince of Redhand

Undead - 4
Dragons - 4
Evil Outsiders - 4
Goblinoids - 2
Constructs - 1

Library of Last Resort

Undead - 25 (all in inconsequencial final encounter)
Magical Beasts - 19
Orcs - 10
Monstrous Humanoids - 6
Plants - 6
Fey - 4
Humans - 4
Chaotic Outsiders - 4
Native Outsiders - 4
Animals - 3
Evil Outsiders - 2
Fire Outsiders - 2
Lawful Outsiders - 2
Kenku - 2

Kings of the Rift

Dragons - 47
Ginats - 15
Aberrations - 3
Dwarves - 3
Undead - 3
Chaotic Outsiders - 2
Evil Outsiders - 2
Oozes - 1
Magical Beasts - 1

Into the Wormcrawl Fissure

Undead - 31
Aberrations - 16
Magical Beasts - 7
Dragons - 4
Monstrous Humanoids - 2

Dawn of a New Age

Undead - 74
Evil Outsiders - 20
Lawful Outsiders - 12
Magical Beasts - 12
Aberrations - 4 (final encounter)

Summary (# of adventure appearances. Undead are the only creature type to appear in all twelve adventures)

Undead - 226 (12)
Aberrations - 73 (9)
Monstrous Humanoids - 72 (5)
Reptilian Humanoids - 70 (1)
Dragons - 59 (4)
Magical Beasts - 52 (9)
Evil Outsiders - 49 (9)
Humans - 49 (5)
Elementals - 31 (3)
Lawful Outsiders - 22 (3)
Chaotic Outsiders - 19 (6)
Kenku - 19 (2)
Elves - 18 (2)
Animals - 17 (4)
Native Outsiders - 17 (3)
Vermin - 15 (2)
Giants - 15 (1)
Orcs - 14 (3)
Constructs - 12 (4)
Plants - 11 (3)
Dwarves - 9 (2)
Oozes - 8 (3)
Earth Outsiders - 6 (1)
Fire Outsiders - 4 (2)
Good Outsiders - 4 (1)
Fey - 4 (1)
Gnolls - 3 (1)
Goblinoids - 2 (1)
Aquatic Humanoids - 0
Gnomes - 0
Halflings - 0
Air Outsiders - 0
Water Outsiders - 0

Granted, this scoring system is arbitrary at best. Certain encounters such as the spawnlings from Encounter at Blackwall Keep were difficult to score and I didn't take into account the ineffectiveness of the Challenge Rating system at higher levels. Still, DM's might want to warn Dwarf-aspiring players that they're not going to get much use of their racial foe abilities and that the Greatsword of Gnoll Slaying at half price isn't such a great deal after all.

As for single-classed rangers and their favoured enemies, I recommend the following:

1) +2 vs. Undead
5) +4 vs. Undead, +2 vs. Aberrations
10) +6 vs. Undead, +2 vs. Magical Beasts
15) +8 vs. Undead, +2 vs. Dragons
20) +10 vs. Undead, +2 vs. Evil Outsiders

Someone once told me that Dungeon was planning on publshing "Key to the Grave", sequel to "Mad God's Key" published in Dungeon #114. I was quite fond of "Mad God's Key" and would enjoy running the sequel. Does anyone know if it's going to be published eventually? If not, is the adventure available through the RPGA?

Does anyone else find it strange that after eleven adventures, we have yet to see a cleric of Kyuss other than Bozal Zahol, the tiefling from Champion's Belt? It seems to me that all of Kyuss' followers are sorcerers, undead, dragons, or clerics of Vecna, Erythnul, or Hextor. Looks like Kyuss is picky about who he gives spells to. One would assume that there are clerics of Kyuss out there. So what exactly are they doing whilst their prophecies are coming to fruition? I imagine that any cleric of Kyuss far away from the action would be spending his time making as many undead as possible.

How useful are rogues in Age of Worms? I'm worried that when I run Age of Worms, anyone playing a rogue in my group will get the feeling he's getting the short end of stick because he'll be unable to use his sneak attack against the most common creature type in AoW. As a powergamer myself, I know having one of your most powerful abilities be less useful can be somewhat frustrating. After reviewing the first eleven adventures, I noticed that undead is the only creature type present in EVERY adventure and is predominant in three of them (Champion's Belt, Spire of Long Shadows, and Into the Wormcrawl Fissure). Approximately 20% of encounters in AoW are against undead, some of them are 'boss' encounters (Apostle in Champion's Belt, Mak'ar the spellweaver lich, Boneyard of Kyuss, Dragotha). This is way more than any other type of creature (aberrations came in 2nd place). I want my players to do well because once the campaign starts, I'm not going to pull any punches. I have made a few recommendations to them such as their chances of survival are greater if they have a cleric, any wannabe rangers should choose undead as their primary favoured enemy, etc.

To me, a rogue is all about skill points and sneak attack. The rest is flavouring. A rogue needs to be able to take care of traps and sometimes locks to earn its place in a party. I understand why the average party is better off when it has characters from all four food groups (warrior, rogue, divine, & arcane). There are two adventures where traps are predominant: Whispering Cairn and Gathering of Winds. The other adventures can probably make do without a rogue. Would a party be better off with a multi-classed rogue or no rogue at all? I'm curious to see if this has caused any problems with anyone.

Many of the spells in the PH are named after Greyhawk celebrities: Bigby, Mordenkainen, Tenser, Nystul, Otto, Leomund, Rary, and Otiluke were or still are members of the Circle of Eight. Melf is a Knight of Luna. But I've never heard of Tasha (Hideous Laughter) and Evard (Black Tentacles). I'm hoping a Greyhawk expert can answer my query.

As a side note, I came upon the same problem with wondrous items. Heward, Daern, Murylund, and Keoghtom I know to be hero-gods in Greyhawk. I wouldn't mind knowing just who were Quaal (Feather Tokens), Nolzur (Marvelous Pigments), Bilarro (Iron Bands), and Kwalish (Apparatus).

While I'm not a big proponent of prestige classes, I enjoy campaign specific prestige classes such as the Silverstars (Forgotten Realms) and Knight Protectors (Greyhawk). I usually dislike general prestige classes which are too easily available. Where's the prestige when five out of six PC's have prestige classes? However, prestige classes based on specfic organisations or religions actually bring flavour to a setting. The problem is that if one god has a prestige class, why don't the others have one as well? I would especially enjoy a follow up on issue #283 which introduced the Mighty Contender of Kord, the Radiant Servant of Pelor, the Fleetrunner of Ehlonna, and the Shining Blade of Heironeous. Core D&D gods such as Wee Jas and St. Cuthbert and even Greyhawk specific gods such as Rao and Ulaa could definately enjoy some extra coverage. I would also like seeing prestige class entries for organisations such as the Knights of the Hart and the Scarlet Brotherhood.

After reading background info on the Wind Dukes of Aqaa, I considered changing some of the history.

Greyhawk lore mentions how millenia ago, the gods united to trap Tharizdun (god of Destrucion & Madness). Not overly fond of the Wind Dukes versus Queen of Chaos backstory since it doesn't tie in with the overall plot, I thought Tharizdun would tie in to the story more. Perhaps the Wind Dukes were servants of the gods and the battle on the plains of Pesh was the final battle which trapped Tharizdun and created the Rift Canyon. The Wind Dukes seem to stand aginst everything Tharizdun stands for. Plus, the Elemental Princes of Evil, servants of Tharizdun, make great Wind Duke enemies.

I agree that even an artefact as powerful as the Rod of Law should not be able to take out Tharizdun. But perhaps when you involve other gods... According to Greyhawk lore, Kyuss was a servant of Nerull before undergoing apotheosis. Nerull's involvement with Tharizdun might have had repercussions on Kyuss.

All this is speculation and I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble. Any thoughts?

Really liking the local hero traits that were introduced in Shackled City, I wanted to come up with some for characters that hail from Diamond Lake. Each trait would have an associated benefit and flaw, as well as role-playing ideas. Some would also have secrets for DM's to use eventually. I haven't written down any stats down on paper yet because I thought the kindly people on this board would have some good ideas up the sleeves. Here are some traits I was thinking of (Setting my game in Greyhawk, I'm planning on using its history and races such as the Greyhawk Wars and Suloise):

- Refugee: This character's parents were from Redhand and escaped to the Domain of Greyhawk after Redhand surrendered to Iuz. Having no wealth, they were forced to work the mines of Diamond Lake.

- Old Faith: This character's Flannish ancestors have always been practitioners of the Old Faith (Obad-Hai & Beory). Perhaps this character remembers hearing stories about a certain Flanninsh priest of Nerull known as Kyuss.

- Dragon Slayer: This character had a parent who was a famous dragon-slayer. Unfortunately, this parent was killed by a black dragon named Ilthane, and his family has since fallen on hard times.

- Suloise Pure-Blood: This character is descended from the Suloise who established themselves in the Cairn Hills during the great migrations. Many of the tombs in the Cairn Hills are of Suel origins and the Suloise have always had a talent for magic.

- Miner: This character has been working in the mines near Diamond Lake for a few years now. While being at ease in the dark, his health has suffered for it.

- Swamp Folk: This character has until recently been living in the Mistmarsh. He has learnt several tricks to survive in the swamp as well as fighting techniques against Lizard Folk.

- Touched by Zagyg: This character has the unpredictable gift of foresight.

- Aerdi Blood: Once the Great Kingdom of Aerdy ruled this area. This character is descended from a once-powerful Aerdi noble who ruled here. Although his family is destitute, they remember their noble heritage.

- Planetouched: This character is descended from one of the Princes of Aqaa. Spells that affect lawful creatures affect this character regardless of actual alignment.

- Treasure Seeker: This character's family history includes many a treasure seeker and adventurer. Greyhawk became a rich city from all the treasure brought back from recently discovered Cairns as adventurers from all over the Flanaess set about the exploration of the Cairn Hills. Mayhaps the Whispering Cairn was discovered by this character's great-grandfather.

This is the best I could come up with so far. Any ideas would be appreciated.