The People's Opinions

Although none of the residents of Greyhawk are truly dissatisfied with their form of government or the people who occupy powerful political positions, feel ings about the city's ruler do vary from one social/economic class to another.

The professional and established classes are content, for the Oligarchs have levied fairly low taxes on trade and have zealously protected the rights and privileges of the guilds. (Nerof knows he needs the votes of the merchants in his pockets, and his thief plants could not credibly vote with him should he decide to buck guild interests.)

The upper classes and the aristocracy tend to regard a career in politics as terribly middle class, marginally better than being an artisan (although master artisans have a high social rank) but not becoming for a person of rank and esteem (this attitude utterly infuriates Nerof Gasgal).

The teeming hordes of Old City know they are leniently ruled, but they regard the Oligarchs as figures of fun, and are completely cynical about them. This is only partly an affectation; after all, it is openly known that Nerof Gasgal and Org Nenshen are thieves, and slum dwellers resent the fact that while they are fined (or worse) for thievery, their rulers have actually made a career in politics on the basis of a lifetime of thieving.

There is no desire for any change of rule-Greyhawkers know things could be a lot worse, and many of them are well off-but the Oligarchs, as a body of rulers, are scoffed at and ridiculed in many quarters.