D&D: An Adventurer’s Guide to Greyhawk
Greyhawk is one of the major settings at play in the upcoming Vecna: Eve of Ruin. But what is it, exactly? And why is there not an actual grey hawk?
The world of Greyhawk is a vast, and embattled world. Evil demigods do battle with conquering warlords. It is home to some of the most infamous villains in the multiverse.
Vecna, Acererak, Iuz, Iggwilv or as she was once called, Tasha—these and more call Oerth their home. But there are heroes here too. Heroes whose names echo through the great grimoires of wizard academies in every world.
Melf’s Acid Arrow? Tenser’s Floating Disk? Bigby’s various Hands? Their namesake wizards, Melf, Tenser, and Bigby, all hail from Oerth. Even Murlynd, whose spoon could feed a nation, and the master of neutrality, Mordenkainen, come from here.
The World of Oerth
To begin with, the whole world is set on the planet Oerth. Oerth is, strangely enough, very similar to one called Earth. Of particular note is Erypt with its Gulf of Ra and Hyperboria. Oerth is a world with a sense of excitement and adventure.
Oerth has “at least” four continents: Telchuria/Hyperboria, Gonduria, maybe Aquaria or some other mystery continent that is yet to be revealed, and Oerik.
Telchuria/Hyperboria
Taking its name from Greek Mythology, little is known about this icy land that lies in the northernmost part of the world. This is accurate to the mythological version of Hyperborea, which was so named for the men who lived beyond the home of Boreas, the god of the north wind. It’s cold and snowy and you probably don’t want to go there.
Gonduria
Briefly mentioned in Dance with Demons, the last of the Gord the Rogue novels that Gygax wrote, very little is known about this continent, other than it is “vast.”
Aquaria? Mysteryland?
Again, only briefly mentioned. Little, if anything, is known about this world.
Oerik
And now we come to the real meat of the setting. Oerik is where it all takes place. Oerik is the vast bulk of the map up above. Again, looking at the map, you get the sense that the countries listed here are places where adventures happened. Even if the bulk of the detail is left out–the names are there to tell you what you need to know.
For instance, if you were to venture to Egypt with its Gulf of Ra, you’d be certain to find pyramids, jackal-headed statues, and the like. Head on up to the lands of the High Khanate and you’ll find great steppes and horse-riding nomads. The Celestial Imperium is a mythic China analog, Niippon (which was once Kara-tur, back before it got specifically placed in the Forgotten Realms).
But again, there’s little enough information out there, aside from what you can find in the odd Adventure modules that take place in those lands. The heart of Greyhawk has always been in the Flanaess, the region of Oerik where you’ll find the Free City of Greyhawk.
The Flanaess is home to 60 different political states which is far too many to dive into for one article. So let’s just touch on a few of the more interesting ones.
Ahlissa: One of the ancient kingdoms of the Flan (the people, not the dessert), for whom the Flanaess is named. It lies in the Southeast of the Flanaess and is one of the largest empires found within the region.
Blackmoor: We’ve talked about this one already. This was where the inspiration for Dungeons and Dragons began. Included by Gygax as a nod to the co-creators of the game, places like Blackmoor and the Isles of Lendore were the settings of other adventures–now all a part of Greyhawk so that there’s an explanation for how the various PCs played by the creators could adventure together from setting to setting. Blackmoor is run by His Luminous Preponderancy, Archbaron Bestmo.
Empire of Iuz: The empire of an evil demigod who oversees pain and evil. The Empire of Iuz is both named for and ruled by Iuz, the setting’s villain, who rules from blood-black Dorakaa, the City of Skulls. Iuz’ symbol is a skull, and there’s probably a skull or two around old Castle Iuz. Presumably, Iuz knows the Imperium of Man’s interior decorator.
Geoff: This is perhaps my favorite region in Greyhawk, the Grand Duchy of Geoff is the setting of Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff, and is one of the main regions in the Living Greyhawk campaign that was run by the RPGA. And it’s not hard to see why. Players worked to free it from their overlords, and the Barrier Peaks are nearby–this is home to some of the most fun in all of Greyhawk.
Perrenland: Another of the lands named for one of Gygax’ friends. Perrenland is named for Jeff Perren, who co-wrote the rules for Chainmail with Gygax.
Nyrond: Another central feature in the Living Greyhawk Campaign: Nyrond was subject to a campaign of revolt, waged by an exiled prince. The prince captured the capital, and it was up to the players to try and liberate the country from him. The Living Greyhawk Campaign was full of stories like this–a plotline would happen, and the actions of players would steadily alter the outcome of the campaign as it unfolded.
And finally, the gem of the Flanaess:
The Free City of Greyhawk
Originally created so that adventurers who braved the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk would have a place to rest and sell their treasure, the Free City of Greyhawk is where the setting gets its name. It was originally ruled by the Kingdom of Aerdy, and might otherwise have been an unremarkable place, if not for the arrival of the Archmage Zagyg Yragerne, who bribed his way onto the city’s board of directors and then became Lord Mayor of Greyhawk. From there, he went on to make the city the most prosperous in the Flanaess, declaring it the “Foundation of Civilization.”
Of course, eventually, he went mad and subjected the city to all manner of insanity and chaos, including an apotheosis of sorts that resulted in Zagyg imprisoning 9 deities (one for each alignment) underneath Castle Greyhawk.
When not being ruled by a mad archmage/demigod, Greyhawk is one of the more cosmopolitan cities in the world. The pantheon of Greyhawk is worshipped fairly openly here. There are three branches of government, executive, legislative, and judicial, which sound familiar, for certain.
But of particular interest is the relationship between Greyhawk and the nearby castle: “Adventurers are drawn from throughout the world to brave its depths,” which in turn fuels the economy of the city.
No other world more fully captures the spirit of D&D. Not necessarily of the stories told within it, and it’s not necessarily the best setting out there (my personal favorite is yet to be covered), but when you play in Greyhawk you’re playing alongside the heart of D&D. And it is this that Vecna will threaten in his coming adventure.
Greyhawk awaits in Vecna: Eve of Ruin
