The Shield Lands

The Shield Lands fell swiftly to Iuz as he swept from the west during the Greyhawk Wars. The well-maintained primary roads of the Shield Lands made this conquest easier for the Demipower, if anything. The lands have suffered greatly since. While 15,000 or so Shield Landers escaped across the Nyr Dyv and the Artonsamay to Furyondy, Urnst, Greyhawk, Dyvers and points west, some 20,000 others were killed in the wars or have been slaughtered by Iuz's brutal armies of occupation since. The Shield Lands have been heavily depopulated and much of the land ruthlessly pillaged and razed. However, the port of Admundfort is very important to the occupiers, because of the trade which can be conducted across the Nyr Dyv for the food the northern lands need so badly. The Shield Lands themselves also yield good food and livestock. On the latter count, it's worth remembering that most humanoids prefer livestock to humans as a meal!

Iuz has generally employed hobgoblins from the Homed Lands as soldiery here, with loyal orcs and orogs from the Land of Iuz in the key citadel of Admundfort and one or two other important castles and garrisons. Displacing the hobgoblins has the useful effect of allowing Iuz to place more of his own orcs in the Horned Lands territories left vacant by the hobgoblins.