Greyhawk: 592 C.Y. to 619 C.Y.
By Sakerson
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Nova/7385/

The World of Greyhawk is a copyright owned by TSR/Wizards of the Coast

	It is 619 CY, and a lot has changed in the fabled land of the Flanaess....
	Military strategists have said that peace is only a theoretical state of affairs because there are intervals between wars.  If this is true, then the Flanaess is living proof.
	Even so, there have been many important strides toward peace in the Flanaess since the Greyhawk wars, including the historical signing of a peace treaty that stretched across half the Flanaess.  But even this treaty could not stop the evil that flooded across the land, an evil whose origins were more powerful than anyone truly understood.

The New Era
Recent History of the Flanaess

The Fall of Aerdy
	Years of general peace in the Flanaess were interrupted by incidents in the former kingdom of Aerdy, more commonly known as the Great Kingdom.  Patrols began to appear along the borders, apparently belonging to the armies of Ivid.  They only appeared at night and they never came close enough to the borders for anyone to get a good look at them.  Even so it was obvious that these troops were not normal.  They moved very slowly, almost slower than seemed possible.  There was no organization to the patrols and no set pattern to their appearance.  They seemed to be moving in random directions and in complete disarray.  It made very little sense.  After about a week, the patrols disappeared.
	For a time no one knew what to make of the strange events.  King Archbold III considered sending a scouting party within the domain to investigate, but his plans were cut short.  Late one night an eerie light illuminated the sky over the Kingdom of Aerdy.  Incredible displays of pyrotechnics occurred for a full night, accompanied by the after shocks of several earthquakes that destroyed small structures within many of the hamlets and villages that dot the border.  Thankfully, no one was killed.
	Disturbed by these unusual occurrences, Archbold ordered his seers, astrologers, and engineers to determine what happened within the decaying remains of Aerdy.  Immediately they set about casting arcane magicks and complex mathematics, trying to understand the strange occurrences within the neighboring kingdom.  Despite their great skill, they were only able to determine a little of what happened, and the few answers they gained only created more questions.
	Archbold's experts determined that the tremendous display that occurred in the skies centered over Rauxes, the capital of the Great Kingdom.  It was also determined that the earthquakes originated within the city.  This alarmed them greatly, as the city of Rauxes is over 200 leagues (600 miles) from the Nyrond border.  For such disturbances to be seen and felt from so far away meant that the city, and most of the surrounding countryside, had been obliterated.  Very little else could be determined about the fate of the oldest kingdom in the Flanaess.
	Archbold wasn't satisfied with the investigation.  He rounded up the best soldiers in his army and sent them into the kingdom.  They never returned.  Archbold chose not to risk another expedition and stepped up patrols along the border.  To this day, they report nothing out of the ordinary.
	It is a complete mystery as to what happened within the Great Kingdom.  All contact with Aerdy and it's neighbors (the North and South Provinces, the Bone March, Sunndi, Idee, Onnwal, and Ahlissa) has been completely cut off.  These lands have become an expanse of unknown, where all those who enter never return.
	Meanwhile in Greyhawk City, Count Kyrine Nauxanth, Ambassador of Aerdi, took his own life.  Neighbors complained that the Ambassador would scream throughout the night.  One night, his ranting ceased unexpectedly.  After Count Kyrine failed to appear at an important ambassadorial function, the royal militia went to his home.  They found the Ambassador lying in the middle of his living room.  He had slit his wrists, slit his throat, and dunked his head into a bucket of water.  All of his servants had fled to parts unknown.

The Silent War
	For good reason, King Belvor IV was worried.  He had, of course, heard of the events in the Great Kingdom.  But they seemed trivial.  Furyondy was in shambles from the recent invasions of Iuz, and shortly after the war blight had swept through the land destroying much of the crops.  Only now were the fields beginning to be restored.  He knew that his kingdom could not withstand another such assault.  Belvor was at his wit's end, knowing his enemy had the upper hand and not knowing what his plans were.  There was only one thing for him to do while he rebuilt his kingdom.
	Belvor stood before the group in the grand hall of the royal palace, the best scouts and rangers he could muster.  The meeting was clandestine, known only to Belvor, his Grand Marshall, and the some five hundred men and women who crowded in the hall.  Carefully, Belvor described his plan.  They were to go into the nation of Iuz, he explained.  They were to attempt to infiltrate key sectors of the government or military if possible.  If not, then they were simply to keep their eyes and ears open to rumors amongst the common folk.  They would return to him by the end of the year and report everything they learned, especially any information regarding an invasion.
	The people gathered in the hall were among the bravest in the kingdom, but even they were alarmed at the King's plan.  "This is a dangerous mission," Belvor said.  "I would not think of sending any of you on such a quest anymore than I would order any of you into the depths of the nine hells.  Those who choose to stay may do so.  There will be no honor lost if you do."  Those who agreed to the mission would meet in the hall the following morning for further instructions.  Belvor dismissed the crowd and went back to his private chambers, sure he would see no one the next morning.
	But Belvor's followers were far more loyal than he knew.  All five hundred were waiting in the hall the next morning, all ready and willing to sacrifice their lives for Furyondy.  Soon, all the spies are sent off on what would later be known as the "Silent War," leaving behind a concerned King Belvor.
	Belvor found himself swept up in the details of ruling his kingdom, and the months went by.  Before long, snow began to fall and Belvor knew that the time was approaching when his spies would return.  By the end of the year, a total of fifty spies returned.  Their news was grim indeed.
	An invasion was definitely being planned.  Iuz made no attempt to hide this fact, and even announced it publicly, believing that Furyondy was in no condition to defend itself (which was a correct assumption).  The only good news was that Iuz had not yet set a date for the invasion, which indicated that he himself was not quite yet prepared.  Even so, this did little to comfort Belvor, and he proceeded to strengthen his forces along the borders as discreetly as possible with the meager troops he had available.

A Brave Man
	Shortly after Needfest, a man named Cavius sought an audience with King Belvor.  Cavius and his band of adventurers, known as the Holy Riders, had been very helpful in the rebuilding of Furyondy, aiding those who needed it and defending the border towns from the occasional raids from Iuz.  Belvor was very familiar with Cavius and the Holy Riders.  Eager to hear some sort of good news, Belvor agreed to hear Cavius out.
	Cavius explained that after raiding a lair of orcs that had made their home just inside the Furyondy border he had come across some rather interesting documents.  Apparently, the orcs were there upon orders of Iuz himself and were trying to establish a hidden base within Furyondy territory.  The leader of this scouting party was to report to Iuz directly, and was given a map showing a secret route into Dorakaa, capital of the land of Iuz.  Furthermore, there was a map of the streets of Dorakaa and a map of the sewer systems, including a secret passage into the lowest dungeons of the Palace of Iuz.  Cavius’ plan was to take this secret route into the palace, and destroy the evil at its source.  It had to be done as soon as possible, before the destruction of the band of orcs was discovered, and before Iuz realized that the map is missing.
	At first, Belvor forbid Cavius and his Holy Riders from undertaking such a suicidal task.  But after further debate Belvor had to agree that if Iuz were to invade, which would no doubt happen before to terribly long, then Furyondy had little chance.  Cavius assured Belvor that there would be no connection between him and Furyondy.  In the end, Belvor agreed reluctantly and allowed Cavius to undertake the quest.  Belvor provided Cavius and his Holy Riders with what supplies he could muster and bid them good luck.

The End of the Silent War
	Within a week after Cavius and his Holy Riders left for Dorakaa, Belvor received another guest, or rather, several guests.  To Belvor's surprise, the remainder of his spies returned.  Not one single spy was lost in the Silent War, nor were they discovered.  They apologized for being late, but explain that their tardiness was worth the information they had gathered.  A few of the spies had managed to infiltrate certain military sectors, and they had learned that the invasion was to begin next month.  Other spies determined where troop movements were increased, where humanoids were starting to gather, and many other tidbits of information.  Collectively, it laid down the invasion plan of Iuz.
	Belvor was overjoyed that the Silent War was successful, but he was fearful at the news his spies brought.  Even though he knew where Iuz would strike and how hard, he still wasn't sure if Furyondy could withstand the onslaught.  Nevertheless, he had no choice but to try.

The Invasion
	Within the next few weeks, Belvor maneuvered his troops as discreetly as possible to key points along the border.  It was immediately evident to him that if Furyondy had a chance to defend itself, then they would be in for a lengthy siege.
	Belvor called for aid from Veluna, Greyhawk, Nyrond, and even Celene.  The first three nations offered food and supplies, but replied they were unable to lend troops for fear of invasion across their own borders.  Celene refused to offer aid in any way, not wanting to interfere with the ways of outsiders.  In short, the help Furyondy received was beneficial but not enough.
	They day came at last, and Furyondy troops waited for the inevitable invasion, waiting for the ranks of humanoids to pour over the borders and overwhelm the Furyondy troops.
	But they never came.
	Neither did they come the next day, or the day after that.  On the third day of waiting a cold feeling overtook King Belvor.  Perhaps it was a ruse, he thought.  No wonder all of his spies had returned.  Iuz had known of the Silent War all along and played along with it.  He gave them false information and caused Belvor to put his troops in positions that would allow Iuz's armies to waltz in and plunder his kingdom.  No doubt they were already sacking Chendl at that moment.
	It wasn't until late in the third day that forces emerged from Iuz.  It was not wave after wave of humanoids that came at them as they expected.  It was a small group of heroes on horseback, the same group that had left Furyondy only a month before.  Cavius and his Holy Riders stood before the stunned army of Furyondy.  "Iuz will plague the people of the Flanaess no more," Cavius announced, and cheers erupted from the army.
	Obviously, Cavius and the Holy Riders had succeeded in sacking Dorakaa.  As soon as it fell, the humanoids and other fell creatures within the city fled.  Cavius was named the new king by the Holy Riders, and immediately set about freeing slaves, people imprisoned for wrongful crimes, and eliminating the corrupt and evil people (and creatures) from the city.  Cavius knew it would take time, but eventually the land that once belonged to Iuz would become a thriving kingdom in the name of good.
	The victory celebration, which was attended by King Belvor himself, lasted for a full day and night.  Belvor asked what Cavius would call his kingdom, for the name Iuz seemed inappropriate.  Cavius replied that he had no intention of renaming the kingdom.  He knew that it would stick in Iuz's craw to have his name connected to a kingdom that worshipped good.  And besides, everyone would still refer to the land as Iuz no matter what new name it was given.  To this day, the land of Iuz is known throughout the Flanaess as a land of goodness and a land of peace.

Restlessness in the Pale
	The Theocracy of the Pale has widely been regarded as a nation of intolerance.  Their worship of Pholtus of the Blinding Light in his Lawful Neutral aspect has made the people notoriously fanatical (a common saying among the people was, "Cold weather is Pholtus’ way of telling you to throw another heretic on the fire").  No one would bother bartering with them if it weren't for the valuable gems and silver they produce.  The Pale itself would rather have nothing to do with "heretics" if it weren't for the fact that their land is unsuitable for growing crops, thus leaving them no other choice but to trade with other nations.  It has been an unusual relationship that has lasted for a great many years.
	In 593 CY the Prelate of the Pale, Theocrat Ogon Tillet, began having problems with his son, Ogden.  These problems were no more serious then any father had with a son, but for nobility these problems are inevitably compounded.  Ogden had always had difficulty with the religious rituals demanded by Pholtus of the Guiding Light.  He was often late for prayers, he neglected many of the holidays, and once he fell asleep in church.  The Prelate was desperate.
	His son had just reached his twenty-fifth winter, and his behavior had not improved.  Many of the priests questioned the sanity of the Prelate's son.  In no way did Ogden act as if he were capable of taking his father's place.  The children of other nobles were married by their sixteenth birthday, but Ogden had all but violently rejected every woman the priests had brought before him.  The priests were baffled.  They had chosen women who would be appropriate wives and who would be able to bear healthy sons for him, not to mention they were all devout servants of Pholtus.  Yet he rejected every one of them.  The priests began to question his judgement, and even his religious convictions.
	Prelate Tillet was outraged at these accusations about his son and refused all requests to "purify" him (purification was a procedure involving thumbscrews, racks, and iron maidens in order to force heretics to "see the light of the true way.").  The Prelate instead said he would sit and talk with his son first.  If this failed then he would consider purification.
	The Prelate went to his son's quarters, but his son wasn't there.  Ogon decided to wait for his son inside and opened the door.  And what he found nearly made him faint dead away.  Before him was a shrine to Saint Cuthbert of the Cudgel.  Prayer candles were lit and there were holy symbols hung all about the room.
	It was at that point that Ogden walked in and saw the horror on his father's face.  The Prelate was furious.  He bellowed at his son, threatening purification.  Ogon Tillet called for the guards, but his son was gone before they could arrive.
	A massive search was conducted, but there was no sign of the prelate's son.  Prelate Tillet publicly announced his son's crimes, and officially banished him.  The search continued, however, although very discreetly.  It was this event that caused the uprisings in the Pale, and was the beginning of the end of a way of life.

Restored Kingdoms
	During the time of the exile of the Prelate's son, King Cavius was hard at work restoring many of the lands lost to Iuz.  The Shield lands were restored to their original glory with the help of Greyhawk, Veluna, the County of Urnst, and Nyrond.  Her Most Honorable Ladyship, Countess Katarina of Walworth, was delighted that her kingdom was restored and declared the day a holiday.
	Many questioned the leadership abilities of the Countess, since she had no real experience in leadership and only acquired the position due to her cousin Holmer's death (his remains were discovered in the dungeons of Iuz's palace in Dorakaa).  Even so, no one denied that the rulership of the Shield Lands was rightfully hers.
	In the process of the restoration of the Shield Lands, four other nations were unintentionally restored.  The Hold of Stonefist declared its independence shortly after the restoration of the Shield Lands.  Cavius made no attempt to discourage the secession.  In fact, he supported it.  Cavius had no desire to defend his land from the northern barbarians.  Now that responsibility was left up to the Stonefist.  The "restored" Hold of Stonefist would be a buffer between the barbarians and his lands.
	The Rovers of the Barrens were more or less "restored" as well.  Although technically under the control of Cavius, the new King realized that to properly patrol the area would require a tremendous amount of resources.  Cavius decided that he wouldn't utilize that much energy for land that had little to offer, not to mention was full of marauding monsters and humanoids.  There is no order here, and today Cavius uses these lands for survival training for his best troops.
	After the take over of the land of Iuz, many of the humanoids and evil humans that swelled Iuz's armies fled.  There were few places for them to go, and many attempted to return to their old homes in the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms.  The humanoids found themselves sandwiched between the restored Shield Lands and Iuz.  The evil humans, being somewhat better organized, managed to sneak through the Barrens into their old haunts between the Shield Lands and the Pale.  Having no where else to go, humans and humanoids returned to their own lands.  Thus the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms were back in full swing, causing just as many problems for their neighbors as they had prior to the Greyhawk wars.
	During this time, His Radiance, Duke Ehyeh, formally requested aid from Iuz, the Shield Lands, and the County of Urnst for help in the restoration of the Duchy of Tenh.  King Cavius politely declined, explaining that he must concentrate his resources on his own people who had been brutalized by Iuz for decades.  The Shield Lands were already having problems with the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms, and thus they could not offer aid.  Her Noble Brilliancy, Countess Belissica of the County of Urnst wanted to aid the Duke in his desire to retake his kingdom.  But she too had to think of her own people first.  She was well aware of the rebirth of the Bandit Kingdoms, not to mention that mounting such an offensive required sending troops through either the Bandit Kingdoms (which was out of the question) or through the Theocracy of the Pale, which was fast becoming an unstable nation because of the recent uprisings.  She chose to keep her troops along her own borders and not to risk an engagement of any kind, at least for now.

A New Faith
	By 594 CY the uprisings in the Theocracy of the Pale had become nearly unbearable for the government.  Apparently, the Prelate's son Ogden had many followers, and their numbers were increasing.  Not a day went by when there was not some sort of demonstration in the streets of Wintershiven.  The militia, who once handled social unrest swiftly, was hard pressed in dealing with the rebellion.  Trade was at a stand still and the economy was collapsing.  Taxes could not be collected as many of the tax collectors were being chastised, and in some cases they were beaten.  Even when accompanied by armed escorts the tax collectors still had difficulty.  It seemed that there was no sign of the troubles letting up.
	Theocrat and Prelate Ogon Tillet had neglected his duties as ruler, being to preoccupied with the uprisings to bother.  What puzzled him the most about the insurrections was how organized they were.  Whenever there was a problem somewhere and troops were deployed to handle it, then more problems would develop were there were no troops available.  It was as if the peasants some how knew how the troops in the Pale were deployed.  Also, the mobs that stormed the streets were not chaotic groups of peasants normally expected.  They moved and acted with a purpose, successfully thwarting the efforts of the militia efficiently and with very little violence.
	Convinced that the uprisings were being carefully coordinated, the Prelate ordered spies to infiltrate the rebellion.  This proved difficult, and many of the spies were returned to the Prelate tied in unusual, and often embarrassing, positions.  The few that did penetrate discovered that the Prelate's suspicions were correct, but they were never able to report it in time.
	Ogden had spent the past couple of years organizing his followers.  He recognized the evil of the current rulers.  He himself believed in a theocracy, but a theocracy that served Pholtus was degrading to the people and ultimately self-defeating.  To Ogden’s surprise, there were many throughout the kingdom that believed as he did.  But they lacked two vital things to bring about the end of the rule Pholtus:  organization and a new faith.  Ogden helped them find both.
	It was the first day of the month of Reaping in 594 CY when the revolution began.  With the aid of priests of Saint Cuthbert who came from neighboring nations, nearly half the population of Wintershiven began their march to the palace.  They were met by the church militia and ordered to turn back.  The people of Wintershiven carried no weapons, and their only defense were the priests of Saint Cuthbert who countered the spells of the priests of Pholtus.
	Surprisingly, there was actually little loss of life.  Many of the regular militia were unwilling to attack the unarmed citizens, even at the behest of the priests.  Some troops threw down their weapons, and were subsequently killed by the priests of Pholtus for their insolence.  In the end, the priests of Pholtus killed more soldiers than civilians.
	Ogden Tillet himself confronted his father within the royal palace, demanding that the people be freed from the constraints of the worship of Pholtus.  Declaring that his son had poisoned the populace, Theocrat Ogon Tillet attacked his son in an attempt to cleanse the cause of the uprisings.  Ogon was not the warrior he once was, and Ogden easily dodged attack after attack, trying not to hurt his father.  In the end, Ogon made a fatal move near the grand stair and slipped.  He tumbled to his death in front of the high priests of Pholtus.
	Ogden declared himself the new Prelate of the Pale, and his first duty was to eliminate the religion of Pholtus.  Normally, the priests maintained a certain control over the Prelate and had him removed if he disobeyed the church.  But there was little the priests could do when half the citizens of Wintershiven were in the courtyard cheering for him, along with most of the militia as well.  The priests of Pholtus were forced to admit the inevitable.  The religious order devoted to Pholtus of the blinding light had come to an end.
	Ogden had few problems with priests of Pholtus.  Some committed suicide, while most fled the Pale altogether.  All vowed that Pholtus would one day have his revenge upon the house of Tillet and the Pale.
	The new Prelate, Theocrat Ogden Tillet paid little heed to these threats.  He was to busy showing the people a new faith:  The worship of Saint Cuthbert of the Cudgel, a benevolent god who the people could love, not fear.  The people readily accepted the new faith, and set about converting the temples of Pholtus into temples dedicated to the worship of Saint Cuthbert.  Many of the priests who helped in the revolution stayed to help teach the people the ways of Saint Cuthbert.  It was the dawn of a new age in the Pale, an age that would lead the people into harmony and goodness.  At least, that's what Prelate and Theocrat Ogden Tillet prayed for.

The Retreat of the Pomarj
	In 594 CY Despot Turrosh Mak found his rulership waning.  Insurrections were occurring in the lands he had taken during the Greyhawk wars, and turmoil was occurring within his own land as well.  The Despot's closest officers and advisors were starting to break away from his already fragile government.  Thus Despot Mak was to busy trying to put his government back together to notice what was going on along the Wild Coast.
	There had always been problems with rebels within the once free cities of Cantona, Pacorel, and Varnifane.  Gakurish Lemnak, once warlord for the stolen lands along the Wild Coast, had fled.  He was well aware of the rumors of troops from Greyhawk headed south, and he knew he was unable to deal with both them and the rebels attacking at random points from within the Gnarley Forest.  Suspecting (correctly) that the Gnarley Forest Rangers were responsible he sent several expeditions to dispose of them.  None returned.  Now his spies were confirming the fact that Greyhawk was sending troops to Narwell, who would then meet up with the Hardby Marines in Safeton.  It was obvious what was about to happen.
	Normally Overlord Lemnak would not have worried.  A few years ago he could have easily taken on any army that dared invade his territory.  But it had been months since any relief had arrived from Stoneheim, despite three urgent requests.  The Overlord had sent two messengers to Stoneheim inquiring about the troop developments along the northern borders.  They never returned and neither did any reinforcements arrive.
	Unknown to the Overlord the Gnarley Forest Rangers, with the aid of survivors from the overrun cities, elves, and other faerie folk, had successfully intercepted all messages headed for Stoneheim as well as any reinforcements that were headed north.  They understood that an invasion might not even be necessary if they could scare the Overlord into thinking that he would fight the invading armies alone.
	The Overlord was intelligent and practical for an orc, and he suspected that requests for aid had been intercepted.  But that mattered little to him.  He took what he could and fled Cantona in the middle of the night, followed by many of his personal guard.  The next day, when his disappearance was discovered, a great majority of the remaining orcs fled as well.  By the end of the day, nearly all of the orcs in Cantona were gone.
	The Rangers watched as the orcs fled, and let them run unmolested except for the ones heading for the Gnarley Forest.  Everything was going according to plan, a plan that was set in motion months before.  The troop movement into Safeton was purposely made to be grossly obvious, knowing that the spies within Safeton would report this to the Overlord.  Judging the chaotic nature of orcs, both the Rangers and the Greyhawk Militia knew that the orcs would flee.  Greyhawk troops were already moving into Cantona, putting the few remaining orcs to the sword.
	Blocked off from entering the Gnarley Forest, the fleeing orcs went the only way they could; South.  Any civilized militia would have attempted to regroup in either Pascorel or Varnifane.  But word had spread far north that the Pomarj was in turmoil.  And though orcs are a proud people, they are not nearly proud enough to stand their ground when outnumbered.
	By the end of the week over three-quarters of the orcs and humanoids within the remaining occupied towns had evacuated, most escaping by ship or escaping into the southern portions of the Gnarley Forest.  The "Safeton Offensive," as it was called, was little more than an interesting outing for the Greyhawk troops and the Hardby Marines.
	The borders of the Pomarj were pushed all the way to Elredd, approximately where the original borders were before the Greyhawk wars.  As promised, the towns paid heed (and taxes) to Greyhawk for the efforts in the "invasion," just as Safeton and Narwell had done for decades.  There was little complaint about this, and though it would be nearly ten years before the towns along the Wild Coast would return to normal, they eventually became the prosperous towns they were in the past.
	Surprisingly, the Pomarj did not react to the invasion.  It was later discovered that Despot Mak knew nothing of the invasion until two weeks after it was over.  He vowed revenge against the Wild Coast cities, but Turrosh Mak would never get the chance.

The Isolation of Celene
	Since the Greyhawk wars, Her Fey Majesty, Queen Yolande of Celene, had been thinking long and hard about her people.  There were many elves that believed that humans and other demi-humans were only slightly more civilized than the barbaric humanoids.  But Queen Yolande took this ideology to it's farthest extreme.  She believed that all non-elves were barbaric, and she was convinced that they would eventually be the downfall of elves everywhere.  And so she turned her beliefs into law.
	In the month of Ready'reat, 594 CY, Queen Yolande ordered all ambassadors from other kingdoms to be cast out of her nation.  She also ordered the removal of all non-elves within Celene's borders.  She then tripled guards along the borders of her nation and sent word to all surrounding lands that all who enter her domain without permission will be executed on the spot with the exception of elves who may come and go at will.  Queen Yolande's excuse was that the Greyhawk wars and the invasion of the Wild Coast posed a danger to her people from the "barbaric" kingdoms.
	This declaration caused much commotion in noble circles throughout the Flanaess, but not nearly as much as it caused within Celene itself.  Many elves that lived in Celene had worked with the other races and even fought side by side with them, notably in the defense of the Ulek states from the Pomarj invasion during the Greyhawk Wars.  Queen Yolande's ideas had been opposed in the past, but her current actions outraged the royal court.  Anarchy threatened the kingdom.
	The Knights of Luna, a secret society within Celene that opposed Yolande, began to recruit more members.  It was only a matter of time before they could make their move and dethrone the Queen.  But they still needed time to gather their strength before they could attempt a coup.

The Winter Barbarians
	By 595 CY things began to change in the north.  The Hold of Stonefist had been threatening the Theocracy of the Pale.  Although the Pale had a powerful militia, they were still rather vulnerable due to the recent rebellions.  The new Prelate, Ogden Tillet, was about to formerly request aid from Nyrond when Stonefist suddenly lost interest in the Pale completely.  Other problems had arisen.
	Without warning the barbarians of the north launched a major offensive against Stonefist's northern border.  This was a complete surprise to Sevvord Redbeard, the Master of the Hold.  The barbarians had been quiet for nearly two years and he had pulled some of his troops from that border.
	The fighting was grim.  Indeed, many of the veterans of Stonefist had never seen the barbarians fight with such tenacity and organization.  This was much more than a series of raids.  This was war.  The Hraak Forest was already overrun and the barbarians were coming dangerously close to the town of Kelton.  Believing that the Pale was in little condition to mount an offensive, and probably wouldn't have cared to even if they could, Redbeard pulled over three-quarters of his troops from the borders along the Pale and sent them north to stop the invasion.
	After many weeks of battle, the barbarians were finally stopped just short of Kelton.  The barbarians made no attempt to move further into the Stonefist, satisfied with capturing the Hraak Forest.  It was discovered later that all the barbarians of the north had united under one ruler, a man known as Over King Ulvark, and his first order of business was to gain revenge on the Stonefist for their treachery in the Greyhawk wars.  The Winter Barbarians, as they are now known, had been slowly building up to this unification over the past ten years, unbeknownst to the rest of the Flanaess.  A new threat had arisen in the Flanaess, and so far it was a threat that only the Hold of Stonefist had to worry about.

In Search of Rary
	In 603 CY Nerof Gasgal, Lord Mayor of Greyhawk, was now 60 years old.  He had been happy with his rule of the free city and very few things worried him.  One of the things that did worry him was Rary.  In his escape he had managed to kill Otiluke and Tenser of the Circle of Eight, not to mention destroy a small part of they city in the process.  So when Mordenkainen and the Circle approached Nerof and requested aid to find out what happened to Rary, Nerof didn't hesitate to help.
	Accompanied by twenty of the best soldiers in the Greyhawk army, a group of intrepid adventurers were hired to investigate the Bright Desert where Rary was suspected to reside.  They never returned.
	To this day, Nerof has a standing offer to anyone who is willing to venture into the Bright Desert and come back with knowledge as to Rary's plans or proof that he is dead.  Many have accepted the offer, but none have returned.

The Lost Lands
	King Kimbertos Skotti of Keoland had been planning an excursion into the lost lands of Geoff and Sterich.  He had wanted to annex these lands to Keoland for sometime.  Both Earl Querchard of Sterich and Grand Duke Owen I of the Grand Duchy of Geoff had died of natural causes some years before with no heirs, leaving the lands open for the taking.  That is to say, for whoever was willing to clear the lands of the marauding giants and humanoids could take the lands.  Skotti was very interested in the land, but he wanted to know what he was up against before he committed any amount of forces in an invasion.
	In the month of Patchwall, 604 CY, King Skotti sent a reconnaissance group into the lost lands.  Their orders were to observe the giants and humanoids within and determine what their intentions were.  Skotti also wanted to know if there was any truth to the rumors that the giants and humanoids were being controlled by an intelligence of some kind.  And above all, the reconnaissance group was to avoid all contact with the giants and humanoids.  They were only to watch and report back to King Skotti.
	The group was to return in a few weeks.  However they did not return until late in Ready'reat, and only about a quarter of the group survived.  They were in bad shape, having not eaten in days.  After some rest, they made their report to King Skotti, and their report disturbed him greatly.
	According to the reconnaissance group, giants and humanoids of various kinds patrolled the streets of the abandon cities side by side.  Humanoid tribes that were known to not get along (such as hobgoblins and orcs) were intermixed into one patrol.  By night, the humanoid and giant patrols were replaced by patrols of undead.  The thoroughness of the patrols, both day and night, was remarkable, having discovered the group and organizing search parties to scour the countryside for them.  Although the group saw no leader, they had to assume there was an intelligence behind the actions of the humanoids, giants, and undead based on their organization.
	King Skotti was more than bothered by these reports.  For obvious reasons, Skotti decided against invading the lands for now.  He stepped up patrols along his own borders and informed neighboring kingdoms.
	The word spread through the Flanaess quickly.  Such organization among so many diverse giants and humanoids was unheard of in such large numbers.  And it was believed that shamans of humanoid and giant tribes had little control over undead.  There was no question that this posed a threat to the Flanaess if such behavior spread to other humanoid and giant tribes.  Kingdoms that had humanoid tribes along their borders stepped up their patrols and kept an eye out for any "civilized behavior."

The Pomarj Invasion
	In the month of Wealsun, 606 CY, the Principality of Ulek, backed by the other two Ulek states, overtook the territories stolen by the Pomarj in the Greyhawk wars.  Having spent nearly twenty years mounting such an offensive, they soon discovered that their efforts were for naught.
	There was little to no resistance through out the stolen territories.  In fact, the worst battle consisted of a band of orcs who were cornered in a box canyon and outnumbered ten to one.  Overall, the forces of Ulek lost less than fifty lives, half of which were accidents.  All indications were that the humanoids had fled the captured territories into the heart of the Pomarj.
	The borders of the Pomarj were pushed back to the southern edge of the Gnarley Forest and to the edge of the Jewel River.  General Jared Lanese, commanding the Ulek forces, was leery of going any further until he knew what was going on.  He sent several reconnaissance teams into the Pomarj to determine what was happening.
	It was two weeks later when the teams returned.  Not one man was lost.  They reported that Despot Turrosh Mak was no longer in control (though they had no idea what happened to him) and the Pomarj was in the midst of unrest.  They made it clear that the Pomarj was not in a state of anarchy.  There were two factions fighting for control of the Pomarj, though the reconnaissance teams could not determine who these factions were.  To the best of their knowledge, the Pomarj was unaware of the Ulek invasion.  Furthermore, there was no evidence that they cared either.
	General Lanese decided it was unnecessary to move into Pomarj territory.  The original goal of the Ulek forces was to free the captured lands, not make an assault on the Pomarj.  Additionally, the recon teams were not sure as to the military might of the Pomarj despite the political turmoil.  An invasion might unite the two fighting factions in the face of a common enemy and Ulek would have a major war on their hands.
	Lanese stopped at the Jewel River, happy to have taken back the captured territories acquired in the Greyhawk war.  A permanent encampment was made along the border, but the Pomarj never made any attempt to launch a counter-attack.

The Raid on Ratik
	It had been sometime since anyone had heard from the Winter Barbarians.  In the month of Coldeven, 608 CY, they had ceased all hostilities against the Hold of Stonefist.  Everyone assumed they had lost interest in acquiring territory.
	In the month of Flocktime, 609 CY, the Winter Barbarians initiated a lightning attack on the shores of the Archbarony of Ratik.  In less than a day they owned the shoreline and proceeded inward.  Ratik was completely surprised.  They had thought there was a truce between them and the Frost Barbarians, but with the unification the validity of that truce was unclear.  Thus the Archbarony was completely unprepared for the onslaught.  The militia tried desperately to hold back the invaders, but was overwhelmed.  There was nothing stopping the barbarians from taking all of Ratik.  And then, as suddenly as it started, the barbarians retreated.  The invasion barely lasted a week.
	No one on the Flanaess heard of the invasion until it was over.  It remained a complete mystery as to why the barbarians would initiate such an assault and then abandon it at the last moment.  To this day the barbarians have made no attempts to invade their neighbors, nor have the made any raids.  No one has bothered to determine why the Winter Barbarians have chosen to isolate themselves.

The Capture of Blackmoor
	In the month of Harvester, 612 CY a young Paladin of Saint Cuthbert named Cainen and a group of adventurers ventured into Blackmoor, the mysterious land north of Iuz.  His intent was to tame the land and rid it of the evil that lay there.
	Most thought it was foolhardy.  Few had even been to the land, much less returned from it whole.  But Cainen was heedless of the warnings and criticisms and was soon on his way.
	By early Ready'reat Cainen had returned to Iuz with good news.  The capital of Blackmoor, Dantredun, had been captured.  Cainen added that they had met with little resistance, most of which had been monsters.  The capital itself had been overrun with monsters of all types, some that had never been seen before.  The supposed ruler of Blackmoor, Archbaron Besmo, was nowhere to be found.
	Within the next two years, Blackmoor became an Archbarony of Iuz, ruled by Archbaron Cainen.  Although still a dangerous land, Blackmoor was well on it's way to becoming a new land of hope and peace.

The End of the Horned Society
	In the month of Goodmonth, 618 CY, Countess Katarina began receiving unusual reports from the Shield Land border along the Horned Society.  All contact with humanoid tribes had ceased.  There were no humanoids to be found along the border.  Normally, the humanoids would attempt raids at least once every couple of weeks.  But there hadn't been a single humanoid sighted in over a month.
	Katarina ordered an expedition to be sent into the Horned Society.  Within a few weeks the expedition returned.  All humanoids within the land were gone.  They found campsites where humanoids had once been, but nothing more.  It was as if the humanoids had packed up and moved away, though where they went no one knew.  Furthermore, the capital city, Molag, was gone.  At first Katarina misunderstood, thinking that it had been ransacked, or perhaps the patrol had gotten turned around and were never near the city.  Later investigations showed a huge hole in the ground where Molag had been, as if some huge claw had scooped the city out of the ground.
	For the next several months many of the central kingdoms reported similar circumstances.  Entire tribes of humanoids were vanishing.  By late 618 CY only a third of the known humanoid tribes remained in the Flanaess.
	By Patchwall, the Shield Lands annexed half of the land while Iuz annexed the other half.  No one knew what had happened to the humanoids of the Horned Society and no one understood what could have happened to the capital.

The Great Treaty
	The strange creatures in the Great Kingdom, the organization of giants and humanoids in the lost lands, the political turmoil in the Pomarj, the strange disappearance of humanoids (as well as the capital) in the Horned Society and the disappearance of certain humanoid tribes throughout the Flanaess left many of the civilized nations a little worried.
	Ever since the end of the Greyhawk wars strange things began happening throughout the Flanaess.  Conspiracy theories arose, largely surrounding the idea that the events in the past thirty or so years were a prelude to a possible invasion, though these theories were largely considered dubious.
	Nonetheless, it was enough to make the central kingdoms of the Flanaess consider the possibility of an outside threat.  Just prior to the Needfest, the kingdoms of Furyondy, Veluna, the Duchy and County of Urnst, Nyrond, Iuz, Blackmoor, the Ulek states, and the Shield Lands, as well as the free cities of Dyvers, Greyhawk, Highfolk, Verbobonc, and the Wild Coast Cities signed a treaty.  The treaty was an agreement to a non-aggression pact toward each other.  There was also a provision that said each kingdom would offer aid to any kingdom that signed the treaty if needed due to invasion, whether in the form of supplies or troops.  
	Sages recorded the signing of "The Great Treaty" as historical, as the beginning of a new age of peace throughout the land.  As it turned out, the treaty was signed just in time.

The Invasion of the Flanaess
	On the first day of Fireseek, 619 CY, was when the invasion began.  Keoland, the Gran March, and Bissel all fell during that time.  Refugees poured into Veluna and the Ulek states.  They said the armies of the overrun nations fell in a matter of days.  Only about twenty percent of the populations of those nations made it out, all of them commoners.  Not one single noble from any of the lost kingdoms escaped.
	By Readying the Ulek states fell.  There were even fewer survivors from the Ulek states then there were from the other kingdoms.
	Panic swept through the Flanaess.  No one was prepared for an invasion, and no one expected such a massive assault.  According to the few survivors the armies came from the lost lands of Sterich and Geoff and were composed mainly of humanoids, giants, and undead.  It appeared that King Skotti's fears had come true.
	Some suspected the Scarlet Brotherhood.  Only they had the power to mount such an offensive.  Most discounted this theory since the invasion force came from the east.  Other theories pointed toward the Valley of the Mage, which had been silent for over a century.  In truth, no one had any clue as to what was happening.
	By Coldeven the Yeomanry and the Hold of the Sea Princes were overtaken, with a total of two ships of survivors escaping from the Hold (a total of five ships had left the Hold, but three had sunk).  The few survivors landed in Nyrond and consisted mainly of sailors and merchants.  Some had died during the voyage and were thrown overboard.  Many were malnourished and needed healing.  They constituted the smallest number of survivors from any one kingdom, but they had more information about the invaders than any survivors from elsewhere.
	The Hold of the Sea Princes was captured by the Scarlet Brotherhood during the Greyhawk wars.  But according to the survivors this strange, new army easily defeated the savages from the jungles that serve as warriors for the Brotherhood.  Also, the invading army would fight all day and night; humanoids by day and undead by night.  The armies of the Brotherhood could not stand against the onslaught.  But the most important piece of information the survivors brought back was completely incidental.  One of the survivors had just barely gotten away from an orcish warrior, having torn off the orc's jerkin in his hand.  On the jerkin was a symbol, a symbol that was later recognized as the brand of a tribe of orcs that once lived in the Horned Society.
	These few clues led to more questions.  There was still no idea as to who was behind the invasion and why.
	By the month of Planting, Ket had been overrun.  The few survivors from Ket fled into Veluna, which had become a haven for survivors of the invasion.  According to the Ketites, the nations of Ekbir, Tusmit, and Zeif had also been lost.  They also said the humanoids of the invading army referred to someone called "The Evil One," who was behind the invasion.  The nobles of the civilized nations, particularly King Cavius of Iuz, grew fearful.  They knew of only one who might go by that name.  A man, or creature, that once ruled a kingdom in the Flanaess.
	The kings and nobles that signed the Great Treaty met in Greyhawk City.  They all asked the same question:  Could Iuz be behind the invasion?  Numerous mages were put to the task to determine who this "Evil One" truly was, but this was soon discontinued when two mages lost their lives while in the middle of scrying.  King Cavius doubted it was Iuz, who preferred to make his presence known when backing an invasion.  At least, he did when he ruled his own kingdom.
	Regardless of who was behind the invasion, all agreed that the Flanaess was in danger.  All the member kingdoms of the Great Treaty agreed to send supplies and troops to Veluna and Furyondy, where the armies of the Evil One would most likely strike next.  Emissaries were sent to the Theocracy of the Pale and Celene to inform them of the situation fully and to formally ask for aid.

The Front
	The Pale reacted well to the emissary from the Treaty Kingdoms.  When originally asked to sign the Great Treaty, Prelate and Theocrat Ogden Tillet said he would think about it.  Now with the invasion of the Evil One the Prelate was seriously considering signing the pact.  But he was not yet prepared.  Even so, he offered what he could in the way of supplies.  Many of the warrior priests of the church of Saint Cuthbert also volunteered their services.
	The emissary to Celene almost didn't make it back.  Queen Yolande scarcely listened to what he said, and immediately ordered his execution.  If it hadn't been for the help of the Knights of Luna, the emissary would certainly have died.
	The elves of Celene were outraged.  The world was coming apart around their ears and their Queen flatly refused to even help, declaring that the "barbaric peoples" were of no help to the people of Celene and they would all be better off if the barbaric Treaty Kingdoms perished.
	Thus began the revolution in Celene.
	But the revolution was short lived.  Soon after it started the Evil One's armies poured in from the south.  Within two weeks Celene was completely overrun.  Fortunately, many elves survived the invasion and fled north to Verbobonc, Furyondy, and Veluna.  Nearly all signed up for inscription in the armies, eager to fight the Evil One.
	And so the Front was established, along Veluna's western border and along the borders of the free towns and cities in the region of Verbobonc.  Things were looking grim for the Treaty Kingdoms, and even grimmer for Veluna.  Shortly after the taking of Celene, Prince Thrommel, son of King Canon of Veluna, disappeared.  No sign of an intruder was seen and it was uncertain as to how the prince was taken, by whom, and why.

Trouble in the Pale
	Early in the month of Wealsun something happened within the Theocracy of the Pale.  Details were unclear, but apparently Prelate Ogden Tillet's daughter, Aura, assassinated her own father in an attempt to ascend the throne.  She was captured in the act and imprisoned.
	Nobles throughout the Flanaess rejected this notion.  They knew that the Prelate's daughter was a paladin in service of Saint Cuthbert, and some had known her personally.  None believed the absurd accusations, and they were deeply suspicious of Trell, Aura's brother, who became the new Prelate.  His first duty was to eliminate the worship of Saint Cuthbert and replace it with the worship of Pholtus once again.  His second duty was to "purify" his sister, but this order was never to be carried out.
	Shortly after being arrested, Aura escaped with the help of a renegade company who once belonged to the royal army.  No one is quite sure as to Aura's whereabouts.
	The priests of Pholtus were ruthless.  Over one hundred "heretics" were burned at the stake over the next two weeks, and many more were scheduled.  The people live in a state of fear, and they are too afraid to attempt to flee (many have been captured and slain trying to escape).  Understandably, diplomatic relations with the Pale has become tense.

The Flanaess:  Reaping, 619 CY
	The current state of affairs in the Flanaess is not good.  The Evil One has been kept at bay so far, but it is believed that it is only a matter of time before they push even farther into the Flanaess.  So far, all attempts at determining who the Evil One is have failed.  All scrying attempts of the Evil One have been futile, sometimes resulting in the death of the scrier.  All reconnaissance teams sent behind the lines have failed to return.
	It is unsure where the Evil One is based.  Many suspect the Valley of the Mage because of its strategic importance, but there is no proof of this.  Some also wonder if the Pomarj is somehow involved.  An expedition was sent to see what was happening, but it failed to return.  There have also been some questions about the Scarlet Brotherhood, whether they are involved (many have suggested that the invasion of the Hold of the Sea Princes was staged to divert attention away from them).  An expedition there was planned, and then canceled, since the Treaty Kingdoms are growing weary of sending out expeditions that never return.  Currently, there is a standing offer of ten thousand gold coins for any adventuring group that wishes to investigate the above possibilities.  A few have accepted, and (of course) were never seen again.
	Young men have come from nations throughout the Flanaess to fight in the war with the Evil One.  In fact, drafting men into the armies has almost become unnecessary as kingdoms unite to stop the common enemy.  However, not all the kingdoms in the Flanaess have taken part in the war.
	The Great Kingdom, as well as other kingdoms in that area of the Flanaess, have still remained a complete mystery to the rest of the land.  Very few attempts have been made to determine what has happened there, especially in light of the Evil One.
	Most contact has been cut off with Ratik due to the strange occurrences within the Great Kingdom and the surrounding areas.  Although it is known that the kingdom is intact, there is little that they can do to help in the war effort.
	The Theocracy of the Pale has ceased all aid to the war effort and has refused to sign any sort of treaty.  In the words of the new Prelate Trell Tillet, "We do not want the words of infidels to corrupt our people as it did my father and sister."  They have moved toward a state of isolationism, refusing contact, and trade, with all.  Surely, the situation cannot be maintained indefinitely.
	The Winter Barbarians are a true mystery.  They have remained isolated since their brief raid on Ratik and have shown no intention of even venturing off of their peninsula.
	The Hold of Stonefist has flatly refused to aid in the war and have closed their borders to all.
	Perrenland has offered aid, and many of the young men in that land have left to conscript into the military.  Perrenlanders themselves are convinced that the Evil One's armies will leave them alone for now because of the natural protection of the Yatil Mountains.
	No one knows what is happening in the Scarlet Brotherhood.  Shortly before the Great Treaty was signed, Ambassador Ghrigiel and his staff were recalled home.
	Regardless of their loyalties, the attention of every kingdom in the Flanaess has been wholly turned to the war.  It is an interesting time for adventurers, who have more work available than they know what to do with.  The old curse "may you live in interesting times" has undoubtedly been inflicted upon the Flanaess.

Greyhawk Time Line
(CY 589 forward)

592 (Planting)  Nyrondese villagers and farmers near the border of the remnants of the Great Kingdom report bizarre incidents, including strange troop movements, mild earthquakes, and an incredible magical display over the city of Rauxes, capital of the Great Kingdom.

592 (Flocktime)  The Kingdom of Nyrond sends a reconnaissance group into the remains of the Great Kingdom to determine what has happened.  They are never heard from again.  King Archbold III decides not to risk another recon group and increases patrols along the border with the Great Kingdom.  The patrols report nothing out of the ordinary.

592 (Reaping)  King Belvor IV of Furyondy initiates the "Silent War."

592 (Sunsebb)  The first reports from Belvor's spies come in.  Iuz has plans for a second invasion.

593 (Fireseek)  Cavius and the Holy Riders approach Belvor and ask permission to invade Dorakaa.

593 (Fireseek)  All spies sent to the lands of Iuz return.  They report that Iuz's invasion will begin on the first day of Growfest.  Miraculously, all the spies remained undiscovered by Iuz.

593 (Readying)  The meager forces of Furyondy are prepared for the onslaught of the armies of Iuz, which doesn't come.  After waiting for three days a scouting party approaches the Furyondy troops.  It is Cavius and the Holy Riders.  They succeeded in their mission.

593 (Planting)  Prelate of the Pale, Theocrat Ogon Tillet, announces the banishment of his son, Ogden, for worshipping wrongful gods.  The Shield Lands are officially restored to their former greatness with the help of King Cavius.  Humanoids and evil men that once belonged to the armies of Iuz are forced out of both lands, collecting in the areas that used to be the Horned Society and the Bandit Kingdoms inadvertently restoring both of these nations.  The Hold of Stonefist declares its independence.

594(Readying)  Duke Ehyeh officially requests the aid of Iuz, the Shield Lands, and the County of Urnst to help free the Duchy of Tenh from the Stonefist.  All politely decline.

594 (Reaping)  The revolution or Saint Cuthbert occurs within the Theocracy of the Pale, lead by Ogden, the exiled son of Prelate Ogon Tillet.  The coup is successful and Ogden Tillet becomes Prelate of the Pale.

594 (Harvester)  Despot Turrosh Mak begins to lose his grip upon the Pomarj.  The "Safeton Offensive" occurs and much of the Wild Coast is retaken.

594 (Ready'reat)  The Monarchy of Celene closes it's borders to all with the exception of elves.  All diplomatic relations are cut off.

595 (Fireseek)  The northern barbarians ambush The Hold of Stonefist along its eastern borders.  Unbeknownst to the nations of the Flanaess the barbarians were united under one man known as Over King Ulvark.  Collectively, the Frost, Ice, and Snow barbarians became known as the Winter Barbarians.

603 (Coldeven)  An excursion from Greyhawk is sent into the Bright Desert to determine the whereabouts of Rary.  They do not return.

604 (Patchwall)  Keoland sends and excursion into the lost lands.  Weeks later, less than one quarter of the party returns.  They tell strange tales of humanoids of various types patrolling the abandon cities by day and the dead patrolling them at night.

606 (Wealsun)  With help from the Duchy and County of Ulek, the Principality of Ulek retakes it's lands from the Pomarj.  The resistance is far less than what was expected, and the land is easily retaken.

609 (Flocktime)  The Winter Barbarians begin the invasion of Ratik.  They retreat in a week without warning.

612 (Harvester)  Cainen, a Paladin of Saint Cuthbert, leads a group of adventurers into Blackmoor.  Within the next two months the land is conquered and tamed (more or less) and made an Archbarony of Iuz with Cainen as it's ruler.

618 (Goodmonth)  All hostilities between the Shield Lands and the Horned Society mysteriously cease.  An expedition is sent to investigate.  To their surprise, not one single humanoid was to be found throughout the land.

619 (Needfest)  “The Great Treaty” is signed by most of the central kingdoms and free cities.

619 (Fireseek)  The war with the Evil One begins.  Keoland, the Gran March, and Bissel fall within the first month of the war.  Less than twenty percent of the populace of these nations reach the safety of Veluna and the Ulek states.

619 (Readying)  The Duchy, County, and Principality of Ulek fall.  There are even fewer survivors from these nations.

619 (Coldeven)  The Yeomanry and the Hold of the Sea Princes fall.  Inhabitants of that nation flee via ship to Nyrond.  The Scarlet Brotherhood is soon dropped as a suspect in the invasion.

619 (Planting)  Ket is overrun.  Survivors from Ket (which numbered very few) report that Ekbir, Tusmit, and Zeif have also been taken over.  The survivors report that humanoid members of the invading army refer to their leader as someone known only as "The Evil One."  This leads many to suspect Iuz was behind the invasion.

619 (Planting)  Outraged at Queen Yolande's refusal to provide aide to the Treaty Kingdoms in their fight against the Evil One, an uprising occurs within the nation.

619 (Wealsun)  At the height of the revolution within Celene, the Evil One's armies come in through the south and overtake the nation.  The "Front" is established.  Prince Thrommel, son of King Canon, mysteriously disappears and is assumed kidnapped.

619 (Wealsun)  Prelate Ogden Tillet is murdered, apparently by his own daughter.  Most nobles throughout the Flanaess suspect foul play, but nothing is proved.  The Prelate's daughter escapes and her brother, Trell, ascends the throne and revives the religion of Pholtus.

Behind the Scenes

Warning!!  This section is for DM's only!  If you're a player and you read this section you will seriously ruin the mystery of Greyhawk for yourself (not to mention make the DM really mad).  DM's read on.

	This section discusses many of the causes of events that have occurred in the Flanaess.  Not just the war with the Evil One, but also events that have transpired since the Greyhawk wars.  Everything that has happened has been leading up to the invasion of the Evil One, and that will lead to something far greater.  Something the greatest sages and military strategists of the Flanaess could never have foreseen.

A Long, Long Time Ago...
	Any Sage worth his salt knows the Blood War.  The reasons behind it are less understood.  The baatezu and tanar'ri know little of the purpose of the war either, and they care even less for such speculations.  All that matters to them is the complete and utter destruction of the other, a destruction that seems unlikely.  Thus the Blood War will continue on and on forever, keeping the most evil of creatures from running rampant through the multiverse.
	For the baatezu, however, there is a glimmer of hope.
	Five hundred thousand years ago, long before the Baklunish-Suloise wars, long before human civilization developed on Oerth, long before humans understood that banging rocks together would create fire, there was a prophesy.
	No one remembers who made the prophecy, but it told of titanic magical energies.  The magic would take a long time to cast, and even longer to prepare for.  These tremendous magicks are called the Bringing, and if successful it would mean the destruction of the baatezu's hated enemy.  The Bringing, once cast, would utterly destroy all tanar'ri, no matter where in the multiverse they were.
	The Bringing is known to only a few of the more powerful baatezu.  Very few sages in the prime plane know of it, and those who do believe it is nothing more than a myth created by the baatezu in the hopes that the Blood War can be won.  Unfortunately these sages are dead wrong.  The Bringing is very real.  And not only is it real, it is about to become a reality.
	According to the prophecy, there were a number of components needed before the Bringing could be cast.  First, a large quantity of larva (see Outer Planes appendix) is required which must be utterly destroyed at the end of the spell.  The few sages on the prime plane who are aware of the Bringing have quoted this number to be "a thousand times a thousand."  In reality, it is this number times another thousand (for a total of one billion larva!).  The second component for the spell is the life essence of a hundred thousand sentient, mortal beings that must be destroyed all at once in their homeland.
	The casting time of the Bringing is five years and must begin on the ninth plane of hell.  However, the final twenty-four hours of the spell must be cast upon prime plane in a specific location.  According to the prophecy, the place where the conclusion of the Bringing is to take place is "in the land of the lake of unknown depths."  For hundreds of thousands of years the baatezu had no idea what this meant.
	It was not until the colonization of the Flanaess by humans that the baatezu understood, for humans had nicknamed the Nyr Dyv, "the lake of unknown depths."  The prophecy also pinpointed the specific point on the Flanaess where the Bringing must take place:  "within the city of the Gods."  Again, this points to the Flanaess, in Blackmoor.

The Plan
	Obviously the Bringing is remarkably complex, but the baatezu are quite close to achieving it.  The number of larva required for the spell has been collected.  The spell itself the baatezu have already begun, and they are already well into the casting.  The locations of when and where to finish the spell have been determined.  There are only a few other things required.
	For starters, the baatezu need a hundred thousand mortals.  This is not an easy task if one wants to hide this fact from the other powers.  The Bringing must be kept secret at all costs, for if the Powers of the upper planes were to discover that the baatezu were about to end the Blood War in one stroke they would surely intervene.  The Blood War is the only thing that keeps the most hideous and evil creatures in the multiverse from spreading havoc throughout the planes.
	But the baatezu has been planning for five hundred thousand years and has thought out their plan very carefully.  How would one enslave a hundred thousand mortals without the Powers noticing something was amiss?  Mortals had practiced the answer to that question time and again, especially on the Flanaess.
	War.
	Thus the baatezu staged the invasion of the Flanaess.  They were the ones who were in control of the giants and humanoids when they took Geoff and Sterich during the Greyhawk wars.  They were also the ones who took the humanoids from the Horned Society and various other places around the Flanaess to fight in the invasion.  And they were the ones to create the false persona, known to mortal men as "the Evil One," to be the imaginary figurehead and leader behind the great war, a man who appeared to everyone to be nothing but another mortal hungry for power but in truth never really existed.
	But what if the Powers caught on?  The baatezu could not be linked to the war, for surely there would be an investigation.  Who else would attempt initiate such a war?  Why, none other than the tanar'ri of course.
	The Baatezu would normally not be caught dead while polymorphed into a tanar'ri.  But when an eternity of war can be ended in the blink of an eye pride has a way of being cast aside.  Numerous baatezu disguised as yochlol, the personal handmaidens of the Demon Lolth, Queen of Spiders, approached drow priestess's living underneath the Flanaess in a city known to the surface peoples as the Vault of the Drow.  They easily convinced the drow that it was Queen Lolth's wish that her people claim revenge upon the surface peoples for banishing them to the darkness.
	With the help of the drow, the baatezu were able to initiate the invasion of the Flanaess.  The drow priestess's created hoards of undead to help fight in the war and helped recruit humanoids from all around the Flanaess.  The Underdark became a series of secret passages for the gathering of soldiers.  "The Evil One," as far as the drow were concerned, was none other than Queen Lolth herself, leading her people in a war of utter genocide against the surface, a war the drow would manipulate and control from the Underdark.
	Queen Lolth, and all the tanar'ri for that matter, were completely oblivious to the conspiracy.  As surprising as it seems, they were to involved in personal matters to care for what happened in the prime plane.  The dretch, a race of least tanar'ri in the abyss, had revolted again.  They did this every few thousand years, causing outright civil war in the abyss which in turn caused the tanar'ri to turn their heads from the Blood War for a time, often leading to disastrous results.  This time, the rebellion was very intense.  The tanar'ri lords had not seen a dretch uprising this bad in two hundred thousand years.  Because of this they had, for the time being, turned away from the Blood War, and cared nothing at all for the affairs of mortals on the prime plane.
	The Demon Queen of Spiders, Lolth, had a particularly large uprising within her own domain.  She had been utilizing the dretch for construction purposes (she was expanding her spider ship) and had a nasty problem on her hands.  She had no choice but to turn her back on her people and deal with the situation.  Lolth was confident she could control the revolt (at least on her own plane) within the next couple of years or so, and believed her people could get along without her until then.  So she continued to grant spells to her followers, whatever the reason, and concentrated on her immediate problem.
	And so the war continued, in the name of "the Evil One," who never truly existed and seemed to have been a pseudo persona created by Queen Lolth in order to exact revenge upon the surface world.  But the whole thing was really a deception created by the baatezu to cover up their casting of the Bringing.  Hopefully, no one would find out the truth behind the war.  But if they did, the baatezu were very careful to make sure that the trail would lead to Queen Lolth.  Meanwhile, the baatezu could continue preparations for the Bringing and no one would know their true intentions until after it was all over.

The Last Hope
	There was one last passage in the prophecy.  Although the prophecy said that most of the powers on the upper planes would be completely oblivious to the enactment of the Bringing, there was one thing that could end it all.  A group of mortals would be born close to the time of the Bringing.  All had special gifts that they would not realize.  Fate would cause them to meet and join forces.  This group of mortals would be the only thing in all the multiverse that could successfully avert the Bringing and they would give their lives, even their very souls, to stop it.
	Most baatezu laughed at this, but Asmodeus and the Dark Eight are very concerned.  The mortals alone wouldn't bother them as much, but one phrase in the last passage of the prophesy caused them to worry.  "Most of the Powers," was what the prophecy said.  To the leaders of the nine hells, this indicated that some of the powers might catch on.  Even if one power were to discover what happened, and if that power could find the mortals referred to in the prophecy and aid them, the Baatezu would be in grave danger.  They could not determine what power (or powers) the prophecy referred to, but perhaps they could determine who the mortals were.
	The war ended up having a two-fold meaning.  First, it covered up the true intentions of the baatezu.  Second, it was a reason to find these mortals and kill them before they caused any problems.  This was easier said than done.  The prophecy was very vague as to who these mortals would be or what they looked like.  Assuming that the mortals would most likely be adventurers or nobles, the baatezu ordered that anyone that even remotely looked like an adventurer or noble to be put to death.  With luck, they would eliminate the appropriate mortals in time.
	It should be noted that the Baatezu have always underestimated mortals, and so any mortal that displays great skill in anything was put to death.  This is why there were so few survivors from the lost lands.

Help from Above
	The Powers of the upper planes did indeed take notice to the unusually large-scale war on the Flanaess.  They sent Saint Cuthbert of the Cudgel to investigate.
	The other Powers has always seen Saint Cuthbert as a strict and narrow-minded being.  While sometimes this is true, Saint Cuthbert is also very wise.  He has known of the Bringing for sometime now and has been unsuccessful at convincing the other Powers of its existence.  They believed the Bringing was nothing more than myth.  Try as he might, Saint Cuthbert could do nothing to convince them that the Bringing was quite real.  So he took matters into his own hands.
	Saint Cuthbert was one step ahead of the baatezu.  He knew whom these mortals were that the prophecy spoke of, and he began to manipulate their lives ever so cautiously.  He caused them travel away from their homelands, and he caused them to unite in a tiny village where they met for the first time.  Never once did he change their fate or alter their lives in any way.  He simply helped them along where he thought they needed it.
	However, Saint Cuthbert knew that if he involved himself to often in the affairs of mortals that the baatezu might catch on.  He needed someone who could speak for him and help the mortals when necessary.  This individual needed to possess a certain amount of power, yet remain hidden in the shadows.  Saint Cuthbert questioned himself when he finally chose this individual, but he felt that he had no choice.
	A long time ago there was a mortal wizard who wished to become one of the Powers.  The path he had chosen was that of pure neutrality.  Many difficult quests were required of this wizard to attain immortality, the most notable was that he had to live two different lives.  The first life was to be an evil life.  He would spread death and destruction throughout his world for as long as he existed.  This he succeeded in, and beyond.  He was defeated by his own lieutenant ages ago, and even though this great wizard emerged again and almost overtook the Flanaess he was finally and totally defeated.  All that remained for him before he could petition to become a Power was to live a life of good.
	Saint Cuthbert approached the mortal who was known in another lifetime as Vecna and made an offer.  Vecna, who was already unsure if he could counter the evil existence he previously led with an equally good existence, eagerly accepted the offer.  He would be Saint Cuthbert's right hand man and aid him in stopping the ultimate evil act any creature could commit; the Bringing.
	None of the other Powers are aware of this unusual duo, and if Saint Cuthbert and Vecna have anything to do with it they never will.  Vecna truly wants to live a life of good, for if the Bringing can be successfully thwarted with his help he will obtain what he has always wanted; immortality.  Although this may seem greedy, Vecna truly does want to be good (if he does not truly want to be good than all of the good acts he does will mean nothing).  But the Powers may not understand, and they would certainly try to stop Saint Cuthbert's and Vecna's meddling.  So far, the union has been kept secret for the greater good.
	The plan is that Vecna will secretly help the mortals when needed.  He will be as discreet as possible and will reveal himself to them only when it is absolutely necessary (he might not reveal himself at all).  Once the group understands the plans Fate has for them, his mission will be finished and it will be decided if he is worthy of becoming one of the Powers.

Unlikely Aid
	Saint Cuthbert and Vecna are not the only ones to recognize the truth about the Bringing.  The Githyanki and the Githzerai see it as well, and they are not happy about it.
	The people of Gith have always had a close tie to the Flanaess.  A fact that is not known to scholars is that the people of Gith's origins lay in the Flanaess.  When the illithids, the creatures known to men as mind flayers, desired a race of humans as slaves of their own to breed, they went to Oerth.  They beheld a great war between two nations:  the Suel people and the Baklunish people.  The illithids took complete advantage of the opportunity.
	Carefully, the illithids chose people from both sides, people who would be assumed to have been lost in the war.  The illithids maintained their slaves for centuries, but the inevitable finally occurred.  When Gith lead her people in the revolt against the illithids they fought as one, but once they earned their freedom old differences resumed.  The Baklunish peoples separated from the Suel and went their own way, calling themselves the Githzerai.  The Suel referred to themselves as the Githyanki.  Soon, the war between the two peoples resumed.
	Although the people of Gith have changed into something far more alien from what they once were, they still know where they come from, and they still look upon their homeland from time to time.  They are quite disgusted with the "unification" of the people in the Flanaess, and are outraged at the dilution of the Baklunish and Suel peoples.  Even so, they look upon their home with a small tinge of homesickness in their eyes.  They would never admit it openly, but they still have feelings for their homeland of long ago.
	The people of Gith resent the baatezu and their plan to cause the Bringing, even though they care little if all tanar'ri are destroyed.  The Githyanki live in the Astral plane, a place that most consider a means to reach the outer planes, not a place to conquer, and have little to worry about.  The Githzerai feel they have little to worry about in their adamantine fortresses in Limbo, although they have begun withdrawing troops from the prime plane.  The people of Gith have little to worry about from the baatezu and care very little about what they do, but the invasion of their homeland is absolutely unforgivable.
	For the time being the war between the Githyanki and the Githzerai has, surprisingly, come to an uneasy truce.  Although they refuse to work with each other, both have set about disrupting the baatezu as much as they can by ambushing groups of baatezu that venture into the Astral plane or the lower planes, sending spies within the armies of the Evil One to glean more information about the war, and even sending excursions into the Nine Hells for the occasional raid and recon mission.  There have been attempts to warn the tanar'ri, but they have been to busy with the dretch uprisings, and the people of Gith do not care enough to try very hard.
	So far the raids by the people of Gith have managed to slow down the baatezu somewhat, but not nearly enough to stop them.  They have no intention of helping anyone on Oerth in the war (they are only mortals, after all).  The people of Gith know something of the prophecy, particularly about the mortals destined to stop the Bringing.  If they were to actually meet these mortals they would feel honored (that is, they would give the mortals about half a minute to remove themselves from their presence instead of killing them outright, and perhaps even relay tidbits of information to the adventurers if they do something extraordinary).

Everyone Else
	Other than the most powerful baatezu, Saint Cuthbert, Vecna, and the people of Gith, no one knows about the truth of the Bringing.  No one else would believe it, including the mortals destined to stop it.  Not even the Powers of the upper planes will listen to Saint Cuthbert's pleas.  And the tanar'ri certainly don't have a clue.
	Of course, everyone will find out when it's all over.  How and if this happens is left entirely up to the DM.

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