Eastern Flanaess

Location	Ruler	Description
Aerdiaak	Herzog Varz Grenell (human)	North province of the Great Kingdom, ruled by a cousin of the overking; its court is rife with debauchery and intrigue
Ahlissa	Herzogin Seprenna Calyn (human)	South province of the Great Kingdom, ruled by a cousin of the overking; embroiled in war with the Iron League
Almor, the Prelacy of	Prelate Xanther Klimstyn (human)	Theocracy ruled by a priest of Pelor who declared independence when the Great Kingdom descended into evil
Bone March, the		Fallen territory of the Great Kingdom, now held by armies from Almor and Nyrond
Celadon Forest		Ancient forest protected by druidic circles and fey
Flinty Hills and Gamboge Forest		Home to several independent communities with no great love for Nyrond or the Pale
Great Kingdom, the	Overking Ivid V (human)	Unspeakably evil monarchy
Idee	Count Vasiliek Donsten (human)	Independent fiefdom; member of the Iron League
Irongate (Free City)	Mayor Unthera Selvich (appears as a dwarf)	Thriving metropolis; member of the Iron League; the mayor is a disguised adult bronze dragon
Lordship of the Isles, the	Princess Ronthal III (human)	Independent principality; member of the Iron League
Medegia, the See of	Holy Censor Starvik Jerel (human)	Theocratic fiefdom ruled by a priest whose power is rumored to come from pacts with archdevils
Nyrond, the Kingdom of	King Dunstan I (human)	Center of resistance to the Great Kingdom
Onnwal	The Raven of Onnwal, Zyl Grayshadow (dwarf)	Independent state; member of the Iron League
Pale, the Theocracy of the	Supreme Prelate Ogon Tillit (human)	Theocracy ruled by a priest of Pholtus
Rel Astra, City of	Constable Mayor Drax (orc)	Independent fief plotting in secret against the Great Kingdom, hoping to ally with Medegia or the Sea Baronies
Sea Baronies, the	Four sea barons, including High Admiral Kalashe Asperdi (human)	Independent island fiefdoms that serve as the Great Kingdom’s navy
Shar, the Hidden Empire of	Father of Obedience Korenth Zan (human?)	Isolated order of Suloise militants whose spies operate across the Flanaess
Spindrift Isles, the	The Council of Five (on the northern islands) and the Council of Seven (on the southern island)	Independent islands that keep watchful eyes on aggressive island neighbors
Sunndi	Steward Valenta (elf)	Independent fiefdom; member of the Iron League
Tenh, the Duchy of	Duchess Ehliyah Raynar III (human)	Independent fiefdom allied with Nyrond for defense against Iuz
Urnst, the County of	Countess Belissica Gellor (human)	Independent fiefdom
Urnst, the Duchy of	Duke Jalken Lorinar (human)	Independent fiefdom
Vast Swamp, the		Morass separating the Tilvanot Peninsula and Shar from the rest of the East

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Once a powerful force for order and good, the Great Kingdom of Aerdy has declined over the last century to a state of utter decadence. The reigning overking—Ivid V, patriarch of the House of Naelax—is rumored to have fiendish advisers as well as a noble court infested with evil. Ruling from the Malachite Throne in Rauxes, Ivid commands an unmatched army currently embroiled in two wars at once: one against the Kingdom of Nyrond and the Prelacy of Almor, and the other against the Iron League (consisting of Idee, Irongate, the Lordship of the Isles, Onnwal, and Sunndi). To pay for these costly wars, the overking has imposed heavy taxes on his subjects, further diminishing his popularity.

Aerdiaak, Ahlissa, Medegia, and Rel Astra are provinces and fiefs of the Great Kingdom. The Sea Baronies are vassal states that provide most of the kingdom’s navy.

Skar

Fanatical Suloise militarists called the Scarlet Order founded the Hidden Empire of Shar, which is closed to outsiders. The order controls the peninsula west of the Tilva Strait, as far north as the Vast Swamp.

Eastern Flanaess Culture

The culture of the Eastern Flanaess is largely that of the ancient Aerdi tribe of humans that conquered the region and established the Great Kingdom almost 800 years ago. The Aerdi valued common sense, hard work, and knowing one’s place in a strict social order. Having claimed their position of power through conquest, they put great emphasis on military power and martial skill. These values persist throughout the region, reinforced in the Great Kingdom by strict laws and even stricter social mores.

These same values persist in many of the lands resisting the overking’s reign. Nyrond and Almor, in particular, share the stratified social structure of the Great Kingdom, with their king and prelate remaining distant from the common people they rule. The independent states of the Iron League are more egalitarian, sharing that trait with the peoples of the Central Flanaess.

Typical clothing in the Eastern Flanaess is a tunic of varying length, often worn with trousers, with a cape or cloak. The fabrics of the east are often patterned with checks or plaids, with different patterns often relating to the wearer’s lineage. Eastern cuisine pairs rice and potatoes with a variety of meats, especially seafood.

Eastern Flanaess and Its Neighbors

The Duchy and County of Urnst bridge the regions of the Central and Eastern Flanaess. Once part of the Great Kingdom’s province of Nyrond, they declared their independence from both the Great Kingdom and the new Kingdom of Nyrond at the same time, achieving their separation from Nyrond with minimal bloodshed. While the people of Urnst distrust the king of Nyrond, they don’t hate him like they do the overking.

The proximity of the Nyr Dyv, the Cairn Hills, and the Shield Lands means the Urnst lands can’t ignore the rising threat of Iuz or the politics of the Free City of Greyhawk. At the same time, Nyrond stands as a buffer between Urnst and the Great Kingdom, but the overking’s threat still looms. The duke and countess of Urnst believe that a united Urnst will stand more strongly against pressures from east and west, which they hope to achieve through the marriage of Countess Belissica Gellor to Byron Lorinar, eldest son of Duke Jalken Lorinar.

Eastern Flanaess Adventures

The story of the Eastern Flanaess is a tale of scrappy rebels—Nyrond, Almor, and the Iron League—defying the overwhelming power of a corrupt and decadent empire. This story lends itself to campaigns exploring themes of supernatural horror (in the fiend-haunted courts of the overking), swashbuckling (in the cities across the region as well as the eastern seas), and war.

Havens of Unrest

Those who despise and challenge the Great Kingdom’s oppression—outlaws both good and bad—find refuge in borderlands just beyond the reach of the overking’s soldiers. These include the woods and swamp near Rel Astra (the eastern reaches of the Grandwood Forest and the Lone Heath) and the Hestmark Highlands east of Sunndi. The outlaws in the Grandwood include significant numbers of elves and halflings as well as humans, while those in the Hestmark Highlands include dwarves and gnomes.

Tomb of Horrors

Deep within the Vast Swamp is the sinister Tomb of Horrors—a labyrinthine crypt filled with terrible traps, strange and ferocious monsters, and rich and magical treasures. Somewhere within rests the demilich Acererak, who ruled much of the region long ago. The demilich is said to take perverse pleasure in devouring adventurers’ souls.

Troll Fens

The chilly mists of the Troll Fens, located against the shoulders of the Griff Mountains and the Rakers at the head of the Yol River, cloak a place of unnameable horrors. As the name implies, the fens are infested with particularly large and vicious trolls. The Pale carefully hedges the place with watchtowers and keeps, and strong patrols ride the verges of the southern end of the Troll Fens to watch for unwelcome visits from the monsters dwelling within.