Map of Greyhawk
From the darkest alleys and most fetid cellars of the Old City, along the alabaster spires of temple and university lining the great length of the Processional, and on to the regal grandeur of the High Quarter and the looming towers of the Grand Cit adel beyond ....
The city beckons. Greyhawk, grandest jewel of the Flanaess, awaits you, offering adventures to stagger your imagination, treasure beyond your wildest dreams-and of course, dangers aplenty.
The city and its lands lie in the heart of civilized Oerth. The barren slopes of the mysterious Cairn Hills loom to the north of the city, within sight of the high walls. The placid expanse of the great river Se lintan meanders past Greyhawk's bus tling wharf region, giving the city its primary claim to strategic significance, for it lies along that waterway between the great lake of Nyr Oyv to the north and the broad surface of Woolly Bay and the Azure Sea to the south.
In light of the recent revival of arts and education occurring in this grand city, and particularly in view of its new-found pros perity and increasingly important political role in the area, it seems only appropriate that this guide to the city be enscripted. Thus, without further ado, let us tum our attention to the contents of this mis sive, the Life's labor of a veritable host of sages-and your profitable companion for many adventures to come.
The maps included with the package are the works of skilled cartographers who relied heavily upon the researches of explorers, sages, and others. You will note that the maps, four in number, give you looks at different aspects of our topic.
The First Map of Greyhawk, as the initial parchment is named, provides a magically enhanced view of the city and its environs. In truth, the artist who did the painting endured long hours of levitation, perched at a precariously high altitude. to gain the perspective view of the city as portrayed here. We trust you will agree that her efforts have paid off handsomely. This map does not attempt to picture every building in the vast maze of the Free City. Its purpose is to give the visitor an example of the city's districts as they look. Thus, the general appearance of houses in a neighborhood, or of the temples and inns of the city. is shown. This information is useful for description and atmosphere, as well as trail-finding. Keep in mind that the actual number of buildings in the city is greater than those shown on the map.
For those who prefer more detail to their cartography, we also provide a conventional street map of the city. This, most adventurers discover, proves useful in negotiating the byways of the city it self. Many of Greyhawk's more notable features are displayed on this map, lures for the curious, unwary, or both.
Closely tied to the aforementioned map, of course, is the Undercity Map. This sheet displays the network of pipes, passages, and sewers that lie beneath the streets and buildings of the city. Adventurers may find themselves crossing from upper to lower map and vice versa at different points during their explorations of the city. We trust you will take the time to fold a map neatly as you finish with it, tucking it away until such time as it must again be pulled forth. A wrap of oilskin is recommended if adventuring is likely to result in prolonged immer sion in water.
GREYHAWK’S City QUARTERS
Visitors usually ask the question that Greyhawk citizens never think of: If a whole . object has only four quarters, how can the City of Greyhawk have eight quarters? The use of the word “quarter” to mean a city district developed unintentionally. In the years before Zagig Yragerne came to Greyhawk, the city consisted of the walled part now called Old City, plus a large number of dwellings encircling the City Market (now called the Low Market) outside the city walls, and the aristocratic estates south and west of the Grand Citadel. These sections became known as the East and West Quarters of the walled city (separated by the Processional), the Market Quarter, and the High Quarter, respectively.
After the New City walls were built about a century and a half ago, the particular character of each neighborhood in the city became better defined and the “quarters” developed as they are now known. Garden Quarter evolved from the lower end of the old High Quarter. The decaying West Quarter became the Slum Quarter, while the East Quarter became the Thieves’ Quarter in local folklore. Market Quarter became Artisans’ Quarter after a huge influx of craftsmen to the city. Clerkburg grew up around the many schools and facilities established by Zagig. The Foreign Quarter was the last section established, following a law passed almost a century ago stating that foreigners could not hold land near a city wall (thanks to a popular paranoia at the time concerning wall-destroying monsters and wizards).
The city’s eight quarters include Clerkburg and the High, Garden, River, Artisans’, and Foreign Quarters of the New City, and the Slum and Thieves’ Quarters of the Old City. Like everything else in Greyhawk, these quarters have many other common names. It isn’t unusual to hear references to the School Quarter (Clerkburg), Military Quarter (the Grand Citadel and the portion of High Quarter bounded by High Street, the city wall, and the Processional, where the barracks and government buildings are), and the Noble Quarter (north of the Nobles’ Wall). The term “River Quarter” is sometimes used to describe all of the buildings and docks outside the walls lining the Selintan’s eastern bank. The Merchants’ Quarter generally means the many businesses lining the Processional from the Highway Gate to the Low Market. Burrow Heights has been tagged as the “Short Quarter” by some wags, for its dwarf and halfling residents. Inventing “new” quartets is a sort of Greyhawk pastime.
Most of the locations described in these two books are indicated on one or more of these three maps. Each of the sections of the city is detailed in its own section in this book. In order to aid play ers and DMs in locating these areas. an abbreviation for each city quarter is used as part of the location description. For example, location G 1 is the first listing in the Garden Quarter.
The Quarters of the Free City, to gether with their abbreviations, are listed here:
H - High Quarter
G - Garden Quarter
C - Clerkburg
R - River Quarter
F - Foreign Quarter
A - Artisans' Quarter
T - Thieves' Quarter
S - Slum Quarter
The final map displays the lands surrounding Greyhawk in all their glory. While the districts of the city itself offer more than enough opportunity for adventure, there comes a time in many a stalwart hero's life when he desires to move on. Such a time often precedes the sudden arrival of the city watch, as those worthy guardsmen actively seek the recently motivated character. Or perhaps your activities have caused some unhealthy interest to be directed in your direction-the interest of enforcers hired by the Thieves· Guild, for example. Even the most courageous individual finds that some of that fresh country air, which seems to grow more invigorating as one journeys farther beyond Lhe city walls, is just the cure for such a malady. Thus this map shows you roadways and riverways that take you beyond Greyhawk City, but not far beyond.
For we suspect that you will want to return.
General Conditions around the City
The City of Greyhawk appears more Spacious and less crowded than other cities of its size. Much of this is the result of a dislike by the original settlers here for houses that touch each other (a trait that comes from a distrust of other families and a desire to control even a little land around each home). The Old City has lost nearly all of this “airy” character as it continues to fill with immigrants and the native population grows. New buildings are erected every year, and what spaces are not covered with buildings are usually covered by the filthy tents and blankets of the homeless and destitute.
The Slum Quarter in particular has many homeless people who sleep next to the city wall, behind the rows of ramshackle cottages and larger buildings. Tents are now commonly seen in the River Quarter as well. A great many people live in the wooded areas outside the city, particularly around Shack Town and below Garbage Hill to the west. The City Watch has its hands full trying to keep order among these people, and there are fears that rioting could break out if food is not made available or if the overcrowding continues. The Directing Oligarchy is working on the problem, but hasn’t gotten far yet. Those families willing to work have been moved to outlying villages, where plots of land were leased to them; this improved the situation only slightly.
Comments