Domain of Greyhawk

The Domain of Greyhawk is the name for those lands controlled from the Free City of Greyhawk .

Overview

The city of Greyhawk controls a sizable estate ranging from the northern coast of the Woolly Bay to the southern shores of Midbay in the Nyr Dyv. The Cairn Hills and the Abbor-Alz mark the eastern limits of this domain, while its western boundary is generally considered to lie within the Gnarley Forest and along the edge of the Welkwood. The other towns in the Greyhawk territory each have their own history of independence. Were the entire region not threatened by upheaval in the adjacent lands, none of them would willingly submit to Greyhawk. The “empires” of the Pomarj and the Bright Desert lands are seen as unstable, but quite dangerous. In addition, neither Dyvers nor Celene, Greyhawk’s western neighbors, hold any affection for the free city; the Duchy Palatinate of Urnst, to the east, is a lukewarm ally.
The soldiers of the free city are typically armed with sword and club, and also include a substantial number of crossbowmen. They are provided with chainmail and shield. The Greyhawk Militia patrols the entire region, dealing with unruly elements such as bandits, orcs, and assorted creatures. The Greyhawk Militia’s strength is focused in the south, facing endless raids by orcs and goblinoids from the controlled Wild Coast. The army includes the seagoing Hardby Marines of Woolly Bay, in their six war-galleys, and the Mountaineer Militia of the Abbor-Alz, with a score of griffon-riding “skymen” attached.
The Selintan River and the River Road that runs alongside it are the main avenues of travel in the lands of Greyhawk, connecting Woolly Bay to the Nyr Dyv. The Western Road carries traffic to Dyvers and beyond, while Urnst Trail crosses through the Cairn Hills to the east. Trade from all across the Flanaess passes through the free city, and people of all nations can be found there. In addition to being a center of commerce, Greyhawk is a city of learning.

History

The city that would command so much attention from the world at large began centuries ago as a modest village on the Selintan River. Built around a trading outpost, the original settlement came to be dominated by a warlord whose keep stood on a hill above the village. After several years of garnering wealth through taxation, and a bit more by overt banditry, the influence of Greyhawk’s sovereign was great enough to warrant a new title: Landgraf of Selintan. The first Landgraf’s son was wed to the daughter of the gynarch of Hardby, thus cementing a political alliance that brought the whole of the river basin together under the old Landstadt of Selintan. The height of this confluence was reached in the person of the last landgraf, the so-called Mad Archmage, Zagig Yragerne.
This Wild Coast native was a full though distant heir to the position of landgraf. Zagig’s rulership as lord mayor and landgraf was the most successful in the history of Greyhawk; he refortified the city, reformed many of its more onerous laws, established a university, and brought great prosperity to the region as a whole. His construction of Castle Greyhawk was an unparalleled achievement of engineering. While some of his projects seemed without purpose or even destructive, his rule in total was of great benefit to Greyhawk and its inhabitants. Ultimately, his eccentricities took him far from his duties as ruler. He was also without heir.
After many decades of his absence, Greyhawk was proclaimed a free and independent city in 498 CY, severing all political ties (which were nearly nonexistent by now regardless) with the Great Kingdom. The old Landstadt was abolished, and absolute authority was formally vested in the Directing Oligarchy. Though beginning with great promise with the legacy of Zagig, the city quickly fell into decline. Greyhawk lost its authority over much of the associated territory after 500 CY, most notably Hardby. In Hardby, the female wizards, knights, and nobles restored the sovereignty of the gynarchy, though by tradition the title of gynarch belonged to House Yragerne. Therefore, the women of Hardby named their new ruler the despotrix, ruling over a domain extending from the lower Selintan to the Abbor-Alz. Greyhawk finally recovered several decades ago, benefiting from dungeon-loot taken from several major troves discovered in the region, particularly beneath the ruins of Castle Greyhawk.

Settlements

Cities

• Free City of Greyhawk

Towns and Villages

• Beltander
• Blackstone
• Blackthorn (humanoids)
• Corustaith
• Diamond Lake
• Eiren's Fall
• Elmshire
• Erybend
• Far Banks
• Five Oaks
• Fork
• Fort Harbour
• Gawkes Mere
• Grossettgrottel (gnomes)
• Half Moon
• Hardride
• High Ery
• Honton
• Magepoint
• Mardin's Field
• Nearmarsh
• Olger's Bend
• Skorane (ruined)
• Sourlode
• Spring
• Steaming Springs
• Three Mile Mill
• Tricaster
• Undre

Notable locations

• Archdruid Grove
• Blackfriar Manor
• Blackwall Keep
• Camp Adalorn
• Camp Greenleaf
• Castle Greyhawk (ruined)
• Castle Marteen (ruined)
• The Choking City
• Falcon's Den
• Ford Keep
• Fort Gellner
• Fort Leman
• Harrowstone
• Karyne's Tomb
• Lockswell Manor
• Rhennee Camp
• Robilar's Keep (ruined)
• The Shroud
• Slavers Cove
• Stankaster's Tower
• Stone Bridge
• Stonefort
• Tenser's Castle
• The Tumbled Tower (ruined)
• Wavenair
• Zagig's Bridge

Demography and Population

160,000 - Human 79% (OSfbr), Halfling 9% (Lightfoot), Gnome 5%, Elf 3% (Wood), Dwarf 2%, Half-elf 1%, Half-orc 1%

Founding Date

498 CY

Type

Geopolitical, Free City

Capital

Free City of Greyhawk

Demonym

Greyhawkanian

Government System

Oligarchy

Currency

Plate (pp), Orb (gp), Lucky (ep), Noble (sp), Common (cp)

Controlled Territories

• Free City of Greyhawk