Stonehold / Hold of Stonefist
His Most Grim and Terrible Might, the Master of the Hold, Sevvord Redbeard
Capital: Vlekstaad (pop. 2,100)
Population: 60,000 +
Demi-humans: Doubtful
Humanoids: Some
Resources: furs, ivory, silver, gems (I)
Stonefist, then Vlek Col Vlekzed, founded his chiefdom in approximately 430 CY. Vlek was cast out from the Rovers of the Barrens for banditry and lying, but a small number of warriors and their families followed him as leader. For several years he wandered around the fringes of his homeland, raiding and stealing from everyone without prejudice. These minor successes attracted a growing following of fellow outcasts, bandits, criminals and like unsavory types. Yet with this strange mixture of fighters, he mounted a highly successful raid into Tenh, swung down into the Bandit Kingdoms and recruited more followers, and then defeated a punitive expedition sent from Tenh. When threatened by a bandit kinglet, Vlek replied by surprising his stronghold, sacking it, and carrying away most of its population. Riding unmolested through the lands of his former people, but not caring to test their fighting ability, Vlek moved beyond White Fanged Bay and established a fortified settlement as a permanent camp.
The inhabitants of the area, the Coltens Feodality, were tricked into negotiation with Vlek. These negotiators and their escorting force were slaughtered, the remainder of the Coltens host routed by surprise and ferocity, and Vlek settled down to rule over the whole territory. As Vlek's infamy spread, malcontents from many nations came to his standard, despite his new name of Stonefist (implying both a terrible foeman and an inflexible ruler).
The Mastership of the Hold is a semi-hereditary position and title. The descendants of Vlek (he had 219 wives and 351 male children who survived to maturity) compete in.a bi-annual "Rite of Battle Fitness." The winner may challenge the Master, one of the Atamen of the three towns, or lead a warband and become a chief. The surviving losers join the standing warbands (the "Fists"), those who did best becoming chieftains, sub-chiefs, and leaders of raiding bands.
These savage war and raiding bands commonly raid Fruztii, Tenh, and even the Rovers of the Barrens. About 30% or so of the population of the Hold dwell in permanent settlements, and from these people are drawn the bulk of the footmen. Most of the balance of the population are semi-nomadic, moving into the northern tundra in the summer, and migrating south in the fall. From these people come the horsemen and light infantry of the "Fists.
The Living Greyhawk Gazetter (LGG) is a sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Setting is 591CYProper Name: Stonehold
Ruler; His Most Grim and Terrible Might, Rhelt Sevvord I, Master of Stonehold (CE male human Ftr20+)
Government: Independent feudal monarchy with hereditary rulership, governing four ataman nobles (ruling from the towns) and four nomadic tribal chieftains, with the standing army commanded by the rhelt (king current rhelt is charismatic and has near-dictatorial powers
Capital: Vlekstaad
Major Towns: Bastro (pop. 1,700), Kelten (pop. 2,800), Purmill (pop, 1,900), Vlekstaad (pop. 2,200 before being burned, now 700)
Provinces: Territories controlled by four atamans and four great chieftains
Resources: Furs, walrus ivory, silver, gems (I)
Coinage: Giftring (gp), halefist (sp), grimfist (cp much looted coinage from Tenh is currently used here
Population: 55,000—Human 96% (FS), Orc 2%, Dwarf 1%, Other 1%
Languages: Flan dialects, Common, Cold Tongue
Alignments: CE*, CN, NReligions: Erythnul*, Syrul, Beltar, Beory, Obad-Hai
Allies: None
Enemies: Iuz, Frost/Ice/Snow Barbarians, the Pale, orcs in Griffs
The original Stonefist, one Vlek Col Vlekzed, founded his chiefdom around CY 430. Vlek was cast out from the Rovers of the Barrens for banditry, deceit, and murder, but a small number of warriors and their families followed this harsh and brutal but charismatic man. Revenge strikes against the Rovers brought him more followers from the ranks of the disaffected, corrupt, evil, and homicidally insane. An extraordinary later exploit—despoiling part of Tenh, heading down into the Bandit Kingdoms to recruit more followers, fending off a retributive strike from the Tenhas, kidnapping more bandits for followers, and finally establishing a fortified camp base added to Vlek's charisma and reputation.
Vlek ruled by terror and brutality, but his people loved him for it. After his death, the Mastership of the Hold became a semi-hereditary position and title. Vlek's descendants (he had 351 sons by his scores of wives), if they survived to maturity, had to compete in a bi-annual "Rite of Battle Fitness." The winner became a warband chief (with the option to challenge the Master). The surviving losers joined the standing warbands—the "Fists"—as sub-chiefs and leaders of raiding parties.
From this mix of settled and semi-nomadic people, Vlek's descendants created a fierce and savage raiding force. It is little wonder that Iuz sought to use this machinery of war. Sevvord Redbeard was magically ensnared by Iuz's fiends, but what Iuz whispered to him was very much to his taste, anyway. Redbeard's brutal massacres in Tenh only enhanced his reputation, and his Fists swagger across their own lands, those of Tenh, and part of the old Bandit Kingdoms in the bargain.
Sevvord may be little more than a pawn of Iuz now, but Iuz is careful not to make this obvious to the strong, independent Fists and their chiefs. Iuz does not dispatch fiends, Boneheart leaders, or hobgoblins openly into Stonefist or Tenh. His control is exerted purely through Sevvord, and this suits Iuz, since diluting his own forces by having to assign more of them here would not be wise. If Iuz's magical control could somehow be identified and broken, it is intriguing to think upon the consequences.
The people of Stonefist are a cruel, bloody bunch with little sense of honor or decency. They are arrogant, contemptuous bullies, always seeking new victims to rob, rape and pillage.
Overview:A frigid climate and brutal regime combine to make Stonehold one of the harshest lands in all the Flanaess. Bounded to the west and north by the Icy Sea, Stonehold's southern and eastern borders are formed by the Griffs and Corusks. The majority of Stoneholders live a seminomadic existence, moving to the northern tundra in summer and migrating south in the autumn. The remaining third or so of the population dwell in permanent settlements, mostly west of the Frozen River. Brute strength has long been the main virtue espoused by the people of this land, and treachery the byword of her leaders. All of the bordering nations are Stonehold's enemies. Stonehold has no trade, her only export being war, and in this she excels.
The armies of Stonehold are comprised of "Fists", war bands of about 250 fighters, of either infantry or cavalry. The bulk of heavy infantry is drawn from the settlements, while the tundra and forest dwellers provide most of the light infantry and cavalry. Rhelt Sevvord is the absolute master of these people, and his troops are expected to obey him without question. The punishment for disobedience is slow death, though the rhelt always rewards his loyal troops with plunder and captives. So far, Reword Redbeard has maintained his personal authority and become the most important figure in his nation's history since Stonefist himself. Still, many feel that his time has passed, and wait for a leader who will be strong enough to challenge him.
History:Stonehold began as the Hold of Stonefist, a bandit chiefdom founded in the territory of the old Coltens Feodality. Vlek Col Vlekzed, called Stonefist, was a ruthless bandit who had been cast out from the Rovers of the Barrens for his vice and cruelty, and left to wander the fringes of his homeland for several years. Over that time, he gathered a large following of evil men, even sacking one of the old Bandit Kingdoms and carrying away most of its population. Vlek moved them beyond White Fanged Bay, where he established the fortified town of Vlekstaad. The Coltens were very uneasy with his presence in their land, but Vlek promised a truce and offered to negotiate with their leaders. As the Coltens traveled to the appointed site, they were ambushed and slaughtered by the followers of Stonefist. The remainder of the Coltens host was routed, and Vlek settled down to rule over the whole territory.
Outcasts from many nations were attracted by Stonefist's infamy, and came to swell the ranks of his followers. Stonefist established the Mastership of the Hold as a semihereditary position, available only to his descendants. They were allowed to compete in the biannual Rite of Battle Fitness, which determined the rank of potential challengers to the Hold's leaders. The overall winner was allowed to challenge the Master of the Hold, while the surviving losers would join the Fists, with those who did best in the battle-rite becoming chieftains and leaders of the war bands. The Coltens folk had no place in this hierarchy, and many fled to the Hraak Forest, or beyond the Big Seal Bay and the northern thrust of the Corusks to dwell in the Taival Tundra, in the land of the Ice Barbarians).
Those who could not flee remained in servitude to Stonefist and his descendants. Over the generations, however, they slowly emerged with a competing form of leadership, based on election by the warriors of a tribe or settlement. The Rite of Battle Fitness had caused the death of so many aspiring leaders that its proponents grew scarce. The Hold became divided between those who supported the traditions of Stonefist, and those who wished to see the restoration of the Coltens Feodality. There was enough support for both sides to threaten civil war. Reword Redbeard, the cunning Master of the Hold, fended off such an event by proposing his own form of government. He would take the title of rhelt, and both his position and those of his atamans would become hereditary. The chief men of each area would elect war leaders, though Reword also preserved the Rite of Battle Fitness as a trial to be overcome in order to serve in the rhelt's standing army.
The Greyhawk Wars that brought hardship and ruin to so much of the Flanaess began here, in Stonehold. Brought into a brief alliance with the Suel barbarians by a deception of Iuz, the Fists turned south to attack their old enemies in Tenh. Though the Suel quickly withdrew from the false confederacy, the armies of Reword Redbeard pushed through Thunder Pass and captured the unprepared town of Calbut in Tenh. Within less than two weeks the capital of Tenh had fallen as well, and its duke fled to the County of Urnst. The rhelt of Stonehold was now overlord of Tenh, though under the supernatural control of Iuz, for a powerful and nearly undetectable charm had been placed on Reword. It remained unbroken for six years, during which time Stonehold continued to occupy Tenh, enslaving rather than slaughtering the populace.
Less than three years ago, during a period of Suel raids into Stonehold, the magical affliction of Reword Redbeard was ended. Without knowing why, he exploded in a rage that would have killed a lesser man. He gathered the Fists from across Tenh, having them first kill all the clerics of Iuz within their reach, and any locals they could quickly find; then, leaving only a rearguard to occupy Calbut, Nevond Nevnend, and the territory north of the Zumkend River, he returned in force to Stonehold. His army drove the barbarians back from Kelten and secured the pass, while he returned to Vlekstaad with his personal guard. The town was a smoking ruin, its inhabitants dead or fled away. The Suel barbarians he blamed for the attack left no survivors to describe the onslaught.
A picked force of warriors pursued their trail into the lower Griffs, where it disappeared. He decided the Suel had obviously escaped through the mountains back to their homelands in Rhizia. Rhelt Sevvord vows vengeance against the Suel, though his greatest hatred is for his former "ally," Iuz. Vlekstaad is being rebuilt, refortified, and regarnsoned. Kelten and Purmill are more important in the affairs of Stonehold, especially in light of the ongoing warfare with the Suel barbarians. The occupation of Tenh is now over, too, except for Calbut and Nevond Nevnend. It may be that the great accomplishments of the first rhelt of Stonehold are finally at an end.
Conflicts and Intrigues:Revenge is widely sought against the northern barbarians for the burning of Vlekstaad, but Iuz's forces are hated even more. Conspiracies are suspected between Iuz and several war band leaders to gain control of Stonehold. Murders of war band leaders (by their fellows) are on the rise.
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