Greyhawk

The Free City of Greyhawk is a powerful city-state located in the central Flanaess. It is known as the Gem of the Flanaess. It is also varyingly referred to as Greyhawk City, Greyhawk, or simply the Free City. The word "Greyhawk" is additionally used in reference to those lands controlled by the Free City, though the proper term for the entire realm is the Domain of Greyhawk.

Demographics

Population In 589 CY and 591 CY, the Free City boasted a population of 69,500, making it one of the largest cities on Oerth.
Religion The Free City of Greyhawk hosts temples and shrines to many deities, including Beory, Boccob, Celestian, Corellon Larethian, Ehlonna, Fharlanghn, Garl Glittergold, Heironeous, Istus, Kord, Kurell, Lirr, Moradin, Norebo, Obad-Hai, Olidammara, Osprem, Pelor, Pholtus, Procan, Ralishaz, Rao, Saint Cuthbert, Trithereon, Ulaa, Wee Jas, Xerbo, Yondalla, and Zilchus. The worship of evil deities and fiends is forbidden, and such cults, though they may have followers, do not have a public presence. Evil religions that have established a base in the city in recent memory include those of Incabulos, Iuz, Nerull, and Vecna.
Languages The most widely spoken language in Greyhawk City and most of the Domain is Common.

Government

Executive branch Greyhawk's Directing Oligarchy elects one of its own as Lord Mayor, who serves as the head of state in addition to his Directorial duties. The current Lord Mayor, Nerof Gasgal, has held office since 571 CY. The Lord Mayor heads both the Directing Oligarchy and the Council of Mayors and Manorial Lords. The chief of state also officially heads the military, though actual command is most often left to the Captain General of the Watch.
Legislative branch The Free City of Greyhawk is ruled by the Directing Oligarchy, an executive council of twelve to eighteen members representing the city's major professional guilds and the military. In some cases, the Oligarchy may include important wizards and/or clerics. Current council members choose new Directors when a vacancy must be filled.
The Greyhawk Public Council, in theory, serves the interests in the citizenry-at-large. This popularly elected advisory body consists of eight representatives, one from each of the city's quarters. The Public Council meets with the Directing Oligarchy on a quarterly basis.
Judicial branch Major legal matters in the Free City of Greyhawk are adjudicated by a Judge of Greyhawk, one of eight such officials appointed by the Directing Oligarchy. One of these eight is chosen to serve as Chief Judge of Greyhawk. In cases of great import, three Judges of Greyhawk may preside. Appeals of major cases are always heard by a panel of three Judges of Greyhawk, though the Lord Mayor sometimes sits in place of one of the Judges.
Lesser matters in Greyhawk City are tried by magistrates from the Guild of Lawyers and Scribes.
Heraldry The city's coat of arms is blazoned thus: 'Sable, a castle triple-towered argent, in chief two chains each of four links chevronwise of the second, in base six bezants.

Industry & Trade

Resources The Free City of Greyhawk controls most of the Cairn Hills, which provide the domain with great mineral wealth, such as iron, gems, and silver.
Nearby Castle Greyhawk, with its extensive dungeons, draws adventurers and traders to the Domain of Greyhawk from across the Flanaess. As such, the Castle generates significant economic benefits for the City in trade, taxation and treasure.
Currency The Domain of Greyhawk's standard coinage consists of the platinum plate (pp), gold orb (gp), electrum lucky (ep), silver noble (sp), and copper common (cp). All of the coins are round, except for the platinum plate, which is square. The current coinage system replaced the previous system, which included coinage worth less than the copper common known as bronze zees, brass bits, and iron drabs.

Districts

High Quarter The High Quarter is comprised of embassies, "grand estates and manor houses" and "mansions". There are no stores and shops in the High Quarter—the only notable businesses here are the Patrician's Club, Royal Opera, and the Wheel of Gold, other :gambling houses, taverns, and clubs that cater to a wealthy clientele." The Wizards' Guildhall is also located here.
Unlike much of the rest of the city, after dusk the streets are well-lit by streetlamps, some of which are magical stained-glass globes maintained by the Lamplighters' Guild.
Garden Quarter The Garden Quarter is a district of beautiful statuary, blooming flowers and trees, well-manicured lawns, and beautiful homes. It is in a crescent semi-circle just downhill from the High Quarter. A person walking through the district is hard-pressed to tell the difference between the High Quarter and the Garden Quarter. The differences are clear to the rich and elite citizens of the two, but it mostly comes down to things being only slightly lavish, and to the fact that there's more greenery in the Garden Quarter.[3] There is a feeling of the residents of the Garden Quarter being a little more amiable and less stuffy than the "old money" in the High Quarter.[4]
Clerkburg (the Halls) On the northeastern side of the middle part of the city, below the Garden Gate, it is the only district of the city without a city gate directly into it (other than the Grand Citadel itself).
Clerkburg is known as "the Halls" because of the number of temples, government offices, universities, colleges, and other schools here, and the large, airy building which house them.[5] Though it is not a mercantile district, there are shops and vendors who cater to the students, professors, and staff of the temples, schools, and government buildings. The restaurants notably have outside dining verandas.
The district is perhaps most well-known for the Great Library of Greyhawk, as well as the coliseum known as the Free City Arena and University of Magical Arts, which are the two largest buildings in the quarter.
Artisans' Quarter Just south of Clerkburg and along the eastern city walls, the Artisans' Quarter is a place of crafters. merchants, tradespeople, artists, smiths, and artificers. It used to be the market along the road to the city, but outside its walls. The hard-working people of the district are friendly, but aware of those who aren't part of their neighborhood. Houses and businesses here tend to be close together, but in a comfortable, cozy kind of way instead of tight and pressed. There's low crime and few transients, and the Nightwatch and other private guards are common, especially after dusk.
More than any other district of the city, the Artisans' Quarter is quieter and more comfortable than others. There's still taverns and ins, but they aren't wild or rowdy. The vast majority of merchants here have their living quarters behind or above their shops. displaying their trade with signs and varying facades of their shops.
Foreign Quarter The most crowded district inside the New City, partially because it is where a large majority of newcomers to the city go, but also because it's a delightful place to live. City policy is that non-citizens (possible foreign agents) who take up residence in the city are not allowed to live in certain places, especially to live near the city wall. So, this district has extraordinary diversity of strong cultural influence, but the citizens here still meld well into the identity of Greyhawk.
The district is known for guildhalls of several foreign merchants (such as Ahlissa and Nyrond, and for Burrow Heights (where halflings, dwarves and gnomes have underground dwellings), Little Ket, in addition to inns and taverns like the Silver Dragon Inn, Blue Dragon Inn, and the "Pit".
Even though shops of most every kind can be found separately in other districts, there's almost always at least one merchant of most every kind of merchant in the Foreign Quarter. Sometimes, things can be found here that aren't even available elsewhere in the city!
River Quarter This is where goods from the wharves outside the city come in through the Cargo Gate. There are all kinds of goods and services here coming in from all over the world. Rivermen, dockworkers, sailors, freight-haulers, mercenaries, poor adventurers, thieves, and thugs are commonly seen. Crime is high in the River Quarter, though it is typically crimes against individuals such as pickpocketing, mugging, or theft. Extortion or protection rackets are not unknown. Violent crimes are rare. Rich citizens do not come here without bodyguards.
The Restaurants and taverns are rowdy, and there are bawdy houses and gambling venues.
"The Strip" is an infamously raucous area of the city. The Green Dragon Inn is a famous establishment here, as is the Barge Inn. Others include the Low Seas Tavern, Wizard's Hat Inn, River Rat Inn, and the Whistling Fish. Old City The original Old City was formed c.200 CY when the settlement first had walls erected around it. Entirely made of slums and ghettos, it is labyrinthine "alleys, shacks, boarding houses, and everything else"[10]
It is comprised of the Thieves' Quarter and the Slum Quarter. Before Zagig Yragerne became Lord Mayor, these were known as the East Quarter and West Quarter (separated by the Processional),[11] though the border became much less defined over the years.[10]
Both districts are massively overcrowded and are predominantly inhabited by the lower classes with many beggars, vagrants, immigrants, and former slaves, or those experiencing homelessness found there.[12]
Thieves' Quarter Crime in this quarter is considered rampant because thieves are known by all to be in charge here, Subtle ethnic differences can be found between each street in the Thieves’ Quarter.
Slum Quarter The Slum Quarter doesn't have roads directly through it from major city gates like other districts. Because of the lack of domestic and foreign traffic, there is very little influx of money. Though there are goods and services, there are almost no businesses of note. People suffering from disease and homelessness are everywhere, with a sizable portion of the population sleeping in the streets without shelter "out in the open under trees, in crates, and against the sides of buildings."[14] The buildings here reflect the name of the district, with many in horrible repair or simply abandoned.

History

Early history Greyhawk, named for the small grey hawks which populate the region, was originally a trading outpost on the Selintan specializing in local wood and woven garments, which was known by that name as early as 330 OR (-315 CY). In time, the town developed strong textile and meat-packing industries. From the earliest days, Greyhawk was ruled by a warlord who took the title "Landgraf of the Selintan." This first Landgraf's son was then married to the Gynarch of Hardby's daughter. The nuptials formalized a political alliance that served as the basis for rule over the Lanstadt of Selintan, the area that eventually became known as the Domain of Greyhawk.
In 4 CY, Greyhawk came under the domination of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy and remained so while strong Overkings ruled from the Malachite Throne in Rauxes. The Great Kingdom's influence over the city began to wane during the third and especially the fourth centuries as the House of Rax declined and the Overkings hold on distant provinces became increasingly tenuous.
Rise to prominence, decline and recovery In approximately 310 CY, the mage Zagig Yragerne emerged from the Wild Coast and bribed his way into a seat on the Directing Oligarchy. Approximately 320 CY, the Oligarchs elected Zagig Lord Mayor of the city.
Greyhawk subsequently rose in fame and prominence under the leadership of Lord Mayor Zagig. He instituted legal reform, developed a new currency, fortified the walls, founded the city's first university, and embarked on a major building program. Most notably, he directed the construction of nearby Castle Greyhawk.

Although Zagig—later known as Zagyg—became increasingly erratic over time, his rule is generally considered to be the most effective in the Free City's history and brought widespread prosperity to the region. Much to the annoyance of Dyvers and other rival cities, Zagig proclaimed Greyhawk to be the "Gem of the Flanaess," and did much to ensure this moniker was justified. Unfortunately, the "Mad Archmage" disappeared in 421 CY, leaving no clues regarding his whereabouts, and no heir to inherit the title of Landgraf.
In 498 CY, after decades of Zagig's absence, the Landstadt was therefore abolished, the title of Landgraf permanently retired, and the Free City's Directing Oligarchy assumed political authority. The new Lord Mayor Paerinn officially proclaimed Greyhawk a free city, though it had been effectively independent of the Great Kingdom's rule for over a century.
Soon thereafter, the city lost its claim over Hardby and the Wild Coast, as the leading women of Hardby broke from Greyhawk and established the ruling office of Despotrix. This loss of lands sent the Free City into economic decline, a situation that persisted for several decades. Fortunately, the discovery of treasure in the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk and other nearby locales set off a gold rush of sorts, and Greyhawk's economic fortunes recovered substantially in the second half of the sixth century CY.
The Greyhawk Wars and the post-war situation The Free City of Greyhawk had less direct involvement in the Greyhawk Wars than many other political entities across the Flanaess. The war has come to be named for the city because the "Great Council" who ended the war met in the Free City at the Old City Great Hall. That is where the truce which ended the fighting in 584 CY and the final treaty which followed in 585 CY were brokered and signed.[1]
The Wars had several important effects on the city, however, particularly in that the unrest drove Hardby and the Wild Coast cities of Safeton and Narwell to re-submit to the rule of the Directing Oligarchs. This situation is unstable, however, as it was largely fear of Turrosh Mak's humanoid raiders from the Pomarj that prompted this move, and the Despotrix and the Wild Coast cities once again agitate for increased independence.
Also as a result of the Wars, the city has seen an influx of new citizens. Some of these are wealthy diplomats, and some are "nobles" who have contributed significantly to Greyhawk's coffers with the purchase of various counterfeit titles and documents. But many newcomers to Greyhawk are destitute refugees or are merely using the city as a base for hatching political plots and intrigues across the Flanaess. In particular, there are persistent rumors of covert Scarlet Brotherhood operations in the city.
The post-war situation for the Free City is therefore mixed. Greyhawk's finances are in the best shape they have been in since Zagig's departure, but the city faces significant challenges arising from political instability and increasing criminal activity.

Tourism

City outskirts Two areas are nearly on top of each other—Barge End and Shack Town. One is the landward side of the other, for all intents and purposes. Thought Shack Towners sometimes get in fights with the Rhennee bargemen, the two usually leave each other alone or are at the very least civil.
Barge End There is a muddled curve in Selintan where it passes the city, and sharply turns back west away from the city, flowing ultimately toward the Nyr Dyv. It makes something of a stagnant corner in the river's water, and from late spring to early autumn, this area is filled with as many as forty Rhennee boasts and barges. In customary fashion, they tie up to each other, forming something of a floating village.
Shacktown Shacktown is the slums of the Free City. It has muddy, unpaved streets, and is comprised of shanties, tents, one-room shacks, huts, lean-tos, and ramshackle buildings. Many of its inhabitants are the poor and unfortunate refugees from all across the Flanaess who had no other place to go during and after the Greyhawk Wars. There is little protection by the law here, and the City Watch simply doesn't care enough to police the area, and thus it is riddled with crime, as well as those who are loners or fugitives.[15] Though it is a crime, and punishable by forced labor in the city's work house, some Shack Towners will hunt in the North Hills Park.
Far Bank Across the Selintan from the city, Shacktown, and Wharves proper is a small settlement of small and poorly built buildings. These again are refugees and poor immigrants who had no other place to go when the Orcish Empire marauded up the Wild Coast taking or destroying towns and villages along the way. They subsist by "fishing and gathering food" from the woodlands to the west of the city. Wharves The wharves (also called the Dock Quarter)[16] are where the docks of the city along the Selintan River are found. They were expanded and "many new docks were built after the Greyhawk Wars to accomodate expanding river trade."[15] Wharfgate is only for foot traffic, and everything else—including all cargo, livestock, and freight—must go to Cargo Gate in the River Quarter. The fancy residences of the High Quarter are directly above the Wharves, atop a sheer bluff. The office of the Cargo Inspectorate (which issues stamps noting tax payment and access through the Cargo Gate) is here, as are warehouses holding all the cargo coming into or out of the city, and cargo being transferred between ships. The Dockway is a narrow dirt road which follows along the Selintan and docks. It is used for the wagons and other conveyances moving cargo up and down the docks or into the city. There are almost no inns or taverns in the wharf district other than a couple "filthy taverns and some roach-infested eateries".[17] The City Watch pretty much ignores Shack Town, as does the Thieves' Guild. However, "Friendly inns are spaced at no more than five-mile intervals along the River Road. Each inn offers a sturdy pier to which river travelers can lash their craft."

Geography

The Free City of Greyhawk is located centrally in the Flanaess, which is the easternmost part of the continent of Oerik on the world of Oerth. The city controls a large swath of land along the Selintan River from the Nyr Dyv south to Woolly Bay, most of the Cairn Hills, parts of the Gnarley Forest, the northern Wild Coast, and parts of the Abbor-Alz. The entire region is officially known as the Domain of Greyhawk. The Domain is bordered on the east by the Abbor-Alz and its western border lies within the Gnarley Forest. The area south of Greyhawk City along the Selintan is known as the Plain of Greyhawk.

Founding Date

-315 CY

Included Locations

• Sea of Dust