The Flanaess Overview
The year is 576 CY (Common Year). Evil is ascendant across the lands of Eastern Oerik. If something isn’t done to curtail the growing threat, Eastern Oerik will fall to tyrants, evil dragons, and monstrous hordes. Heroes are needed to bring hope to the people of the Flanaess. Even if the heroes die trying, the legends of their exploits will live on!
To understand the Greyhawk of today (the year 576 in the Common Year), it is helpful to picture the Flanaess about 200 years ago. At that time, the Great Kingdom of Aerdy stretched from the Vast Swamp to the Rakers, and from the Solnor Ocean to the Yatil and Lortmil Mountains. Between the Lortmil Mountains and the Crystalmists was the Kingdom of Keoland, mimicking the Great Kingdom in its imperialist approach. To the west of the mountains, the Baklunish nations—survivors of the Invoked Devastation—stood much as they do now. And to the north, nomadic peoples (the Chakyik, the Wegwiur, the rovers of the Hunting Lands) and the North Kingdoms were, as now, independent of the politics of the south.
The contraction of the two southern realms over the last two centuries is the primary force that has shaped the modern Flanaess. First, the provinces of Perrenland, Veluna, and Furyondy—far from the overking’s throne in Rauxes—declared their independence from the Great Kingdom. When Nyrond joined them (in 356 CY), the stage was set for the slow disintegration of the Great Kingdom and the ongoing rebellion that dominates the eastern part of the Flanaess to this day.
The beginning of Aerdy’s decline marked the high-water mark of Keoland’s expansionist policies, as it held sway from the Pomarj to the borders of Ket. Aided by Celene, rebels in the Ulek region strove to curb the kingdom’s warlike ways, and the accession of King Tavish IV in 453 CY marked a dramatic shift in royal policy. The Yeomanry and the Ulek states were granted autonomy, the Gran March and Sterich became semi-independent while remaining loyal to the crown, and the diverse peoples of this region coexist in relative peace once again.
With this big picture in mind, you can think of the Flanaess beyond the Free City of Greyhawk as five major regions, each with its own store of adventure possibilities waiting to be explored:
Central Flanaess. Diverse peoples clash against Iuz and the forces of Elemental Evil.
Eastern Flanaess. The remnants of the Great Kingdom struggle to determine the fate of the lands in the overking’s wicked clutches.
Northern Flanaess. In vast wilderness expanses populated by indigenous folk, one’s mettle is tested by the environment and roving dragons.
Old Keoland. The former provinces of Keoland contend against evil monsters from the western mountains, including dragons and giants.
Western Flanaess. The Baklunish peoples and nations navigate complex political relationships.
Important Names
A handful of important names are defined below:
Oerth (pronounced orth or oyth) is the world of Greyhawk. It has four continents, four oceans, and a plethora of islands and seas.
Oerik (pronounced or-ick or oy-rick) is one of Oerth’s continents.
Eastern Oerik, the vast region explored in this chapter, is home to many powerful nations and some of the D&D game’s most famous dungeons and adventurers.
The Flanaess (pronounced flah-nay-ess or flay-nayz) is another name for Eastern Oerik and means “land of the Flan.” The region’s first human settlers and their descendants are known as the Flan.
Greyhawk is an independent city in Eastern Oerik that attracts large numbers of adventurers. Greyhawk doubles as the name of the campaign setting.
The Greyhawk Setting
The planet Oerth is at the very center of a Wildspace system called Greyspace. Oerth has two moons: Luna (a great white moon, also called the Mistress) and Celene (a smaller blue moon, also called the Handmaiden). Greyspace’s sun orbits Oerth, rather than the other way around.
The sun takes 360 days to travel once around Oerth. Luna waxes and wanes in fixed cycles of 28 days each, upon which the months are based, while Celene follows a path that has full moons only four times each year, coinciding with four lunar festivals.
Months and Festivals
The standard year is 360 days long and consists of twelve twenty-eight-day months (each month divided into four seven-day weeks) and four six-day lunar festivals (Needfest, Growfest, Richfest, and Brewfest). The midwinter festival of Needfest is considered the start of the year.
Magic in Greyhawk
In the world of Greyhawk, as in most D&D worlds, magic is widespread but still wondrous and sometimes frightening. People everywhere know about magic, and most people see evidence of it at some point in their lives. Magic permeates the cosmos and moves through the ancient possessions of legendary heroes, the mysterious ruins of fallen empires, those touched by the gods, creatures born with supernatural power, and individuals who study the secrets of the multiverse. Histories and fireside tales are filled with the exploits of those who wield magic.
What normal folk know of magic depends on where they live and whether they know people who practice magic. Citizens of an isolated hamlet might not have seen true magic used for generations except the strange powers of the old hermit living in the nearby woods, which they regard with suspicion and mention only in whispers.
By contrast, magic is common enough in the Free City of Greyhawk that the Guild of Wizardry teaches magic and sells spellcasting services. Extensive codes of law govern the use and abuse of magic. The law treats magical coercion as a major crime, and punishes the public use of magic in situations that could harm people or property.
Gods of Greyhawk
The greater gods of Greyhawk rarely get directly involved with happenings on Oerth. Lesser gods are more likely to manifest in some form on the Material Plane and interact with their worshipers. Cuthbert, for example, is well known for appearing in mortal guise, appearing as a dirt-covered farmer, a wanderer robed in brown and green, or an elderly tinker. And of the many quasi-deities that appear on Oerth, most prominent among them is Iuz, a demigod who rules his own nation in the Flanaess.
Greyhawk Calendar
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