Internal Issues Facing Greyhawk
The endless strain of maintaining a large standing army to guard the southern flank and suppress banditry in the Cairn Hills is telling on the city’s treasury and patience. Many people think the Cairn Hills are secure enough and the military presence there could be reduced to further support the south. Some don’t want to give territory back to the Duchy of Urnst, however, or fear a resurgence in humanoid or brigand activity. Halflings from Elmshire and residents of the three mining towns are adamant about keeping the army presence in the north strong; dwarves don’t care as much, as they feel relatively secure in their strongholds. Halflings also hate and fear the Rhennee, actively driving them off from the coast.
Other internal threats exist to the Domain. Lizard men in the Mistmarsh and ogres in the Abbor-Alz are an occasional problem, and the Rhennee are accused of theft and troublemaking along the Selintan and some of its tributaries, as well as along the southern shore of the Nyr Dyv. If the Blackthorn humanoids boiled out of their caverns, they could destroy the small communities in the forest and cut off logging and food gathering there. And there are disquieting reports of “pale dwarves” in the Cairn Hills, resurgent evil cults in the city and countryside, Scarlet Brotherhood spies and assassins lurking everywhere, and new, previously unknown monsters seen in Castle Greyhawk’s ruins.
The political ties holding the domain together are also fraying. The Gynatch of Hardby and her family appear to be subverting the military units Greyhawk put there, winning their loyalty away. Hardby has always wanted to stay independent of Greyhawk, and local resentment of Greyhawk is growing, Worse, Narwell and Safeton are also murmuring that they can handle their own internal affairs, though with Greyhawk’s military help. The payment of taxes to Greyhawk is the primary irritant in all cases. Loss of tax revenue from these three towns would almost certainly mean a reduction in Greyhawk’s military budget, which the Oligarchy does not believe it can afford, given the great (if disorganized) strength of the Orcish Empire to its south.
Other issues seem relatively minor by comparison. Two major festival years are approaching: 598 Cy (the 100th anniversary of Greyhawk’s declaration of independence and freedom) and 600 Cy (seen as the start of a new century). There are legal arguments burning over the use of divination magic by the City Watch in tracking down suspects; better ways of taking a census of the city every decade (the 590 Cy census is now completed), overcrowding and crime in the poorer neighborhoods of the city, and conflicts between recent immigrants and long-time residents for living space, food, jobs, money, and so on.
Factions within Greyhawk that the Directing Oligarchy must contend with include the nobles and lords of the city, who resent any intruston on their territory and “innate rights” (personal business), the buffoonery of the now two-dozen petty nobles (whose titles were sold by the city for the revenue, with little power in return), the wild and woolly meetings with the elected representatives of the Public Council of Greyhawk, the various approved religions (some of whom who have become more militant and assertive, butting heads with the Oligarchy on many issues), the mercantile unions and guilds, the mayors and other leaders of the towns and strongholds in the realm, the military, the City Watch and Nightwatchmen, the wizards, the thieves (of course), the outlying farmers, the working poor, and so forth. Far down the list are groups like the Rhennee, the beggars, the homeless, and the Peoples’ Constables, who get practically no attention at all unless they cause trouble.
On the first days of Fireseek, Planting, Reaping, and Patchwall (immediately following each week-long festival), the Grand Council of Greyhawk Guilds meets at the Lord Mayor's Palace. All the city’s Guildmasters must attend or send deputies in their place if they absolutely cannot be there. At this meeting, petitions and legislation before the Directing Oligarchy are discussed, if such may affect the trade or business of at least one guild. This meeting also serves the purpose of granting a hearing to those guilds not directly represented on the Directing Oligarchy, though how much influence they have on government policy is a matter of much heated debate in the guildhalls.
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