Introduction

In the cold, harsh spring of 585 CY, the global picture of the Flanaess is stark and forbidding. Evil is dominant in the north and south of the Flanaess. To the north, the lands of Iuz now stretch from the eastern Vesve Forest as far east as the Hold of Stonefist, and the Shield Lands and Bandit Kingdoms have almost wholly fallen to his reign. Only a few bandit princes still wage a guerrilla war from woodland and canyon.
To the south, the Scarlet Brotherhood controls the Sea Princes, the Lordship of the Isles, Onnwall, Idee, Hepmonaland, and unknown stretches of the Amedio Jungle. Both these evil forces have gained much territory, and even if Iuz seems almost spent, who is to challenge him? The Great Kingdom is sundered, but while Ivid V rules a nightmare of a realm, the nobles who have succeeded him in so many realms are little better. The evil of these lands may no longer be united and forceful, but there are horrors here which would whiten the hair of a hero barely entered into his manhood.
Just as Iuz and the Father of Obedience have gained much, so have the humanoid and giantish rabble once exiled to borderlands. The Bone March is strong, and still threatens Ratik; the Pomarj is greatly expanded and threatens Ulek and Greyhawk; the vermin of the Lost Lands (as Geoff and Sterich are now known) threaten many states to the west.
To complete the picture, Ket has subjugated Bissel as a vassal state; many Bisselites have fled to Veluna or the Gran March. In the Bright Desert, Rary the Traitor and Robilar are said to be subduing the savages and raising a force which might yet beset the Free City of Greyhawk. The Queen of Celene still refuses to give the help that her western neghbors in particular need so desperately.
Is all lost? Not yet. Nyrond still stands a pillar of Good; it is exhausted, spent of men and funds, but there comes no threat from once-great Aerdy, and Urnst is still strong in its defense to the west. Furyondy is beleaguered, still politically divided at times, but brave Veluna is still a land of glory and righteousness and supports its western neighbor also. Keoland and Ulek stand strong; the Yeomanry is an inspiration to good and brave hearts everywhere. And the barbarians are a law unto themselves, still raiding Aerdi, still supporting the brave folk of Ratik, still deeply hostile to the poisoned words from Stonefist.
The Theocracy of the Pale is intolerant, harsh, a land of hard hearts and harder words, but is not lost to evil. Sunndi still repulses all invaders, and the brave Free City of Irongate stands as a shining beacon of freedom among a swath of fell, evil lands. No, all is not lost yet.
The Free City of Greyhawk still stands also. Indeed, it is swollen with people of ability and skill. Nyrondese exiles live there, men from the Bandit Kingdoms have fled there from Iuz, the lands around the great First City have been brought within its remit by free association. Other free cities, Verbobonc and Dyvers and the honorable Highfolk, are still places where evil does not reign, and where muscle and sinew are bent to the cause of good.
No; all is not yet lost. Minstrels and bards yet sing of heroes and acts of great courage and un flinching bravery against impossible odds in the halls of Nyrond, Furyondy, Keoland and their allies. Lights dim, but they are not extinguished. Good is driven down, but it is not vanquished—and hope bursts from the hearts of those who will not yield to the merciless hatred of Iuz, nor to the honeyed and poisoned words of the Scarlet Brotherhood. The Flanaess is dark—these are Dark ages indeed—and to say that it is always darkest before the dawn is a cliche, but then what is a cliche but a succinct truth? Welcome to Greyhawk.

Type

Textbook