Reviewing the Lost Dispatches of Feraso

In some reflective time this week, I crunched some numbers, and about 9% are Actual Plays of TTRPGs.  Most are fantasy, but I'd like to think, between my players journals, and session recordings, most of the episodes are accurate and enjoyable.

With last weekend's rain deluge, I was stuck inside the apartment, and while I got a number of things done, I did want to start tackling the backlog of posts I have to finish.   One of those items was the Georic Gazetteer entry for the Kingdom of Ras-Prythax, and I accomplished the exact opposite of what I set out to do. 

Even before I transplanted my campaign into an Earth-centric model, nearly 20 years ago, Ras-Prythax was my Holy Roman Empire with more clout: The large remnant of an ancient empire, power collapsing as its domains get a foothold towards independence.   It is a massive and vast land (furthest points is about 1,000 miles... not in a straight line).  and despite it being the country I started building in the 8th grade, when I finally was cobbling together a map and the gazetteer entry, I realized how many empty spaces were still there. 

It was decided early that I would need to break out the Kingdom into a general entry, as well as three regional entries, covering Eastern, Western, and Central Ras-Prythax.  

So much for clearing another backlog post off my list... now I have three more, and the overview post isn't complete yet.  

There's a bunch I need to develop, so I reviewed everything I had, so I could see where the obvious hole I could fill quickly were.  

Since most of the campaign was set in Ras-Prythax, I focused on re-reading the Lost Dispatches of Feraso, starting with Epiosde 1.   

I spent a good portion of the morning reading all 100 entries.  I wrote these between 2018 and 2020, and after going over them again, I have to say that they are the best writing, storytelling, and logistical storytelling I've ever done.  

I essentially tied the first decade of my fantasy role-playing, into a coherent storytelling device, much of which was never written down, and in many cases largely forgotten.  

For purposes of the gazetteer, I added a few towns, some local color, and most importantly, realized the far eastern Gran Duchy of Vrianios is essentially the Hungary to a real-world Austria-Hungary.  

I don't want to toot my own horn too much, but the way I tied many things together, even if it's just providing a different perspective of events from other Actual Play campaigns.  I am biased, but I do recommended starting with episode 1 linked above and working through the story, plus the recommended side treks. 

(Painting) General Balfas

It was an off weekend for once, I eschewed the demands of my painting queue, focusing on some easy to paint figures.  

I can't tell you what random line this figure is from, but I remember picking him up, missing arm and all, at one of the Historicons.  

(Edit 3/31/25) In my cleaning of the shelves, I uncovered a blister insert revealing the figure as Krieg the Relentless from Fantasy Flight's Descent. I am amused he is intentionally missing his left arms.)

I picture him as General Balfas, a ancient warrior that was originally part of my first D&D campaign, recollected in my Lost Dispatches of Feraso series.   

In the follow-up, they never completely destroyed the corpse, instead transporting the bones back to the village for a proper burial.  Even in the write-up of a this narrative adventuring party, I forgot some of the special ability of the General, particularly his regenerative powers.  

The blessing by Celeste was insufficient to break any such undead curse, so the good General has regenerated.  Eventually crawling out of his grave.   His sword, "The Betrayer" is long gone, as well as most of his fancy armor.  He acquired a weapon and a redirected vengeance on humanity.  After slaying the villagers, or forcing a few to flee, it's unsure exactly where he is....

(RPG Blog Caravan) Piecing Together an Ancient Campaign

Fresh off the heels of #RPGaDay, and having been reminded of the RPG Blog Caravan's existence, I decided to take a crack at the topic for September 2023, "Archaeology and Anthropology."

The carnival itself is a great concept, but as I worked on my idea, this simply snowballed into complexity, nearing ridiculousness.  My own experience might explain why a number of the entries I've read over the years were full of "intelligentsia and pompousness."

As I continue to rework my topic into something as simple as what was suggested, I began delving into something even more ridiculous:  Assembling the actual plays of years gone by.  

About a decade into gamemastering, I realized that not only were player journals/notes helpful, but a party journal, with a rotation of unreliable character writers essential for continuity and attention spans.  beginning with portions of my AD&D 2E "Ballad of the Pigeon God" game, and moving forward, either written journals or recorded sessions were kept.  Using the blog as a clearing house for those campaigns, I've managed to keep continuity, with limited canonical rewrites.   However, a large portion of the early years, which I'll denote as the "High School game" and the "Army game" were fading memories, even though they forged the basis of future campaigns.  

When I set up my "World of Georic" homebrew campaign, it was a mis-mash of anything I had on a high school kid's budget.  Campaign worlds were raided for ideas, adventures from Dungeon Magazine dropped in random locations, followed by an assortment of modules that paid attention to the appropriate party level than the appropriateness within the campaign.  Still, as teenagers we rarely cared.  

But to complete the narrative history of all my games (roughly 1990-present), I needed to piecemeal information together.  Heck, some of the players relied on their character nicknames so much (Drunken Warrior/Stupid Ranger), that names were lost for all eternity.  

To abate these problems, I established the campaign would be told through the second-hand eyes of a completely fictional narrator.  Elsderth Millbottom was a scribe, formerly in the employ of the Viscount of Verbobonc, who corresponding one-way with his experiences traveling the World of Georic.  It just happened that these "Lost Dispatches" dealt with indirect run-ins after-the-fact of a certain Talanth Blackash and his adventuring party of fools and miscreants.  

But rebuilding the events of the campaign, plus all the magic items would prove a chore, especially since I no longer owned most of the products I ran almost 30 years ago.

Ned Overland, the one character connecting two campaigns, decades apart in-game.

For my greatest feat, I would need to work things into a completely new campaign map.  As I mentioned, I had little care of a group tackling the Temple of Elemental, then moving over hill and dale to have adventures around Shadowdale.  The first actual map of the greater realm wasn't realized for five years, and since then, I've adopted the Epic of Aerth setting for Dangerous Journeys as the fantasy-Earth equivalent to base things off of. 

So how does one do this?  Here's a few avenues: 

Re-purchasing your museum collection:  Thanks to DriveThruRPG, I started buying the pdfs of those old module I know I used.  T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil and FRE1 Shadowdale were two of the big items that started the run.  I now have digital copies of some classic (and not so classic) adventures if someone ever wants to play. 

The museum always kept a small collection at all times:  Luckily, I still own a decent collection, particularly of items from my teens which I attached a certain sentimental value.  I still have a good pile of AD&D and BECMI D&D adventures and many were used in that first decade.  

If the British Museum is all cultural plunder, why shouldn't my project have some?:  While I'm equating dubious sources of pdfs to hundreds of years of archeological pillaging, and there should be no excuse for pirating, some things I used back in the were just not available digitally, at least legit during my research six years ago.  I may or may not have acquired items through less than reputable sources, half of which no longer exist, the other half, well...  

Oral History is like mouthwash, it fades over time:  After playing for 25-30, even the most enthused players' recollections falter.  Names forgotten, memories evolved,  actions from one campaign blurred over to a completely different game (that wasn't even mine).  My players barely remember what happened last week... with notes!  Discerning the diamonds from the coal from the culm takes some work.  

Categorizing the plunder: Why did I want actual copies of the material?  For a classic FRPG where treasure and magic items affected XP.  This old-school system was rife with inequality, which in the re-accounting was quite apparent, as the magic-user, Thendara (aka "The Busty Mage") accumulated an arsenal, and was the only character to reach Name Level.   Heck, in my story, Elsderth "Greyhawk" Millbottom does a good job obtaining a nice collection from all the after-effects, leftovers, and missed treasures as he came upon the aftermath. 

When in doubt, wing it:  Even with a reconstructed library to work with, a combination of a teenager's early campaign world mixed with a new campaign map forced the creation of a lot of continuity flavor text.  Fan-hosted Greyhawk maps and material were mined with ruthless aggression to flesh out the narrator's backstory, the Viscounty of Verbobonc, and many of the other dominions within Ras-Prythax. While it was the focus of my high school game, I only returned to Ras-Prythax, my version of the Holy Roman Empire for one story, so nothing ever got fleshed out. 

Most of the details I would have missed in high school and the army were also filled in using random generators, like the Fantasy Name Generator.

Elsderth, our unreliable narrator, only dreamt Talanth suffered for his crimes

Still, 99 episodes recreating two major campaigns and a host of smaller forays in my first 8 years of GMing wasn't bad.  Heck, I even tied in the "College Game" (Ballad of the Pigeon God), and that is my motivation for the "real" article I'm compiling.

#RPGaDay2022 - Day 28 - Style Sunday: Roll 1d8+1 Tag That Many Friends With Your Favorite RPG Cover Art

Day 28 of #RPGaDay brings up another interesting concept "Style Sunday: Roll 1d8+1, tag that many friends with your favorite RPG Cover Art"

So, with a roll of 9, let me tag on social media: Charles, George, Scott, Crazy Darryl, Mary, Wooly, Nichols, Hoyce, and Balls onto two of the early D&D favorites,  the covers of Dragon Magazine s #136 and #137, the first two issues I ever purchased.

The imagined fate of Talanth Blackash - Dragon #136

Issues of Dragon and the few rulebooks and modules I owned in high school were the early inspiration for my high school DMing. There is a back story waiting to be filled in for every figure in the Lamia's throne-room, and there are just too many questions for the lone rider and his steed, staring at the snowy mountains beyond. 

Commander HouseKarl's "Retirement" - Dragon #137 by Keith Parkinson

It did not hurt that there was a great set of random city-building tables in #136 and a very decent random weather generation tables in #137, plus a host of other usable materials.  

This high school campaign, is the basis of almost every D&D/AD&D/Hackmaster session I've run for the past thirty years.   A few years ago, when I tried to compile those adventures into something coherent, I was forced to use an unreliable third-party, Elsderth Millbottom, former scribe of the Viscount of Verbobonc, to communicate what were essentially "after-action reports" of what happened after the party left.  This allows me to move events, tweak things, and even make Charles' elf/half-elf potentially a different person with a different name (With no surviving notes, it was his elf,  Scott's drunken warrior and stupid ranger, George's busty mage, Mellandria with special appearances from Crazy Darryl's crazy cleric, Mary's way-too-reasonable cleric, Celeste, and Wooly's anachronistic warrior Ned Overland.   Scott and Charles characters' full names are lost to history).

It's amusing that I mentioned this for the last two years, for Day 8 of #RPGaDay2020 and Day 23 of #RPGaDay2021.    With some minor edits to refer things to this year, here are my comments from those previous years.  

For (ten) years I've been slowly cobbling together the various campaigns in my homebrew world of Georic into a series of actual plays. Starting with my original Hackmaster game in 2001, I've popped in and out of the campaign timeline.  I've usually had some form of a player or party journal to help me reconstruct the tales. 

(Four) years ago I began an ambitious project to collect my high school game ('89-'92) into some coherent form, with only vague recollections, copies of the source material (modules), and absolutely no help from my fellow players. 

I wrote the Lost Dispatches of Feraso in the voice of Elsderth Millbottom, a new character, who simply had the penchant of dealing with the messes left behind from a certain Talanth Blackash and his compatriots, a drunken warrior, a stupid ranger, and a busty mage.  I reconstructed adventures, re-tallied treasure and magic items, and developed a few new plots along the way. 

I also rekindled my love for the campaign world in areas I've never revisited in-game.

To be honest, the high school campaign was a mess of whatever cool thing I could buy from Waldenbooks.  I started the whole thing with the Temple of Elemental Evil (not the moathouse) and when the players tired of it, I moved to FRE1 Shadowdale without blinking an eye, and the campaign continued on like that.   When high school ended, I pushed all of that to the side and focused primarily on a new dominion in the game world, the Kingdom of Crosedes, but all those previously visited locations still existed in-game.

Revisiting those old games allowed me to correct some continuity issues, but I spent most of my time researching and interpreting the old materials and converting it to fit the eccentric Kingdom of Ras-Prythax that sits in my Euro-Fantasy world as the Holy Roman Empire.  Things are not the same, but I can fit the Viscounty of Verbobonc as a neighbor of lands that are recast versions of Arabel and Shadowdale, and they fit alongside existing domains that have touched my more modern campaign runs. 

Thirty years ago this past June, I graduated from high school.  For the ensuing decade, I participated in a ton of gaming, and a could fill a tome with all the fun stories, road trips, and other disasters that came along the way.  The further I distance myself from those stories, the more things are tweaked, re-emphasized.  Sometimes they're sanitized to relay a story to the kids.  Sometimes they're edit to focus on new storylines, or omit actions that seem far more embarrassing now than they did the first thousand times the story was told.  This is how myth and legend is formed, and it makes sense that I cobbled my high school game memories together in the same manner.

#RPGaDay2022 - Day 10 - When Did You Start Game Mastering?

Day 10 of #RPGaDay2022 keeps the nostalgia rolling, "When Did You Start Game Mastering?"

Funny thing, This question is a rewording of Day 2, #RPGaDAY2014 "First GM Gamemastered."

Even funnier?  Eight years later I still got it wrong on the first write-up. 

My go to story is that very early in high school, to relieve the DM/GM duties of our friend Charles, I volunteered to run an AD&D 1st/2nd Edition game.  I decided to swing for the fences and run T1-4, Temple of Elemental Evil.  

We were horrible role-players, and since I ran the Village of Homlett like a text-based video game, few leads could be followed and they never really made it to the moathouse.  Some hand-waving later, and we spent the better part of the summer going room by room under the Temple.  At some point the group tired of the fight, reckoned they killed enough significant baddies and got enough sweet loot that they up and left their strategic corner of the dungeon. 

Funny story, being the continuity-conscious DM I am, they left the Temple of Elemental Evil for the nearby confines of Shadowdale... in the Forgotten Realms (FRE1).  That was far worse than anything Greyhawk, so we moved on to homebrewed one-shots and Dungeon Magazine adventures.

There are no journal entries at that time, it was 89/90 and who knew this mixed up world would still be active with hundreds upon hundreds of active play hours.  In the past few years, I've recollected and revised the stories of that original campaign into the Lost Dispatches of Feraso, The writer of all these letters to the Viscount of Verbobonc, Elsderth Greyhawk, has a story-driven knack to walk into areas right after the original campaign party had left, and was forced to deal with the aftermath.  Nulb and the Temple are discussed in episodes #14 and 15.  Further discussion about Homlett and the Moathouse is later on in the series, and deals with another campaign  group (Campaign #5) who looted the moathouse, but simply agitated the monsters within. 

The truth?  Pulled straight from December 2, 2014:

It was actually a year earlier, where I ran Gygar's Castle out of the Mentzer Red Box for a classmate named Paul.  I remember little of it, except that I put lots of lizards in the lower levels of the dungeon.  We never played again after that one time, so it was pushed into my subconscious.

Elemental Evil vs. one-player one-shot?  You can see why my brain chose that one.

#RPGaDay2021 - Day 23 - Faulty Memories, Improved Legends

Day 23 of #RPGaDay2021 tests my brain with "MEMORY".  I won't need to recall most of this topic, as I'm calling an audible and reprinting most of my #RPGaDay2020 Day 8 post from last year:

For (nine) years I've been slowly cobbling together the various campaigns in my homebrew world of Georic into a series of actual plays. Starting with my original Hackmaster game in 2001, I've popped in and out of the campaign timeline.  I've usually had some form of a player or party journal to help me reconstruct the tales. 

Two years ago I began an ambitious project to collect my high school game ('89-'92) into some coherent form, with only vague recollections, copies of the source material (modules), and absolutely no help from my fellow players. 

I wrote the Lost Dispatches of Feraso in the voice of Elsderth Millbottom, a new character, who simply had the penchant of dealing with the messes left behind from a certain Talanth Blackash and his compatriots, a drunken warrior, a stupid ranger, and a busty mage.  I reconstructed adventures, re-tallied treasure and magic items, and developed a few new plots along the way. 

I also rekindled my love for the campaign world in areas I've never revisited. 

Talanth Blackashe, still hopefully being tortured by orcs

To be honest, the high school campaign was a mess of whatever cool thing I could buy from Waldenbooks.  I started the whole thing with the Temple of Elemental Evil (not the moathouse) and when the players tired of it, I moved to FRE1 Shadowdale without blinking an eye, and the campaign continued on like that.   When high school ended, I pushed all of that to the side and focused primarily on a new dominion in the game world, the Kingdom of Croesdes. 

Revisiting those old games allowed me to correct some continuity issues, but I spent most of my time researching and interpreting the old materials and converting it to fit the eccentric Kingdom of Ras-Prythax that sits in my Euro-Fantasy world as the Holy Roman Empire.  Things are not the same, but I can fit the Viscounty of Verbobonc as a neighbor of lands that are recast versions of Arabel and Shadowdale, and they fit alongside existing domains that have touched my more modern campaign runs. 

Thirty years ago next month, I was starting my senior year of high school.  For the ensuing decade, I participated in a ton on gaming, and a could fill a tome with all the fun stories, road trips, and other disasters that came along the way.  The further I distance myself from those stories, the more things are tweaked, re-emphasized.  Sometimes they're sanitized to relay a story to the kids.  Sometimes they're edit to focus on new storylines, or omit actions that seem far more embarrassing now than they did the first thousand times the story was told.  This is how myth and legend is formed, and it makes sense that I cobbled my high school game memories together in the same manner.

#RPGaDay2021 - Day 5 - Thrones of Feraso

Day 5 of #RPGaDay2021 is a peculiar primary word, "THRONE"

An Overview of the Empire of Feraso 

By Riknil Kannex, 

Nondec, 1150

Upon completion of my "Overview of Georic," I realized that the short statement on the Empire of Feraso, referred also as the Ferasean Empire, was woefully insufficient.  Despite the fact that the Empire has existed for fewer years since its creation that it has disappeared, its legacy dominates the influence of the continent of Talaishia.  

Feraso, The Ancien Empire, Ras-Pryhax.  These are all terms referring to the same things, yet might bring up different reference points.

Even the most respected history texts refer to a former adventure, Leif Bloodblade, establishing the Kingdom of Feraso in 487.  Leif was a typical fighter, plying his adventuring trade around the world, accumulating wealth, and establishing his own independent fiefdom out of the barbarian wilderness.  Leif was considered of average in all attributes, save an adequate sword arm.  His true strength wasn't his hard-earned battle prowess or calculated agility, but the wisdom to keep even keener and wiser allies at his side.  With a plethora of savvy warriors, clerics, and halflings aiding him, his dominion quickly grew to a territory worthy of the name Kingdom.  His initial keep quickly grew into a castle, and the surrounding countryside transformed into Feraso City.  

That's the legend, word for word, that every person in Ras-Prythax, and Feraso City specifically, will mention if you ask about history.  In reality, Leif usurped the power on a independent but deceitful duke, rebuild the castle he essentially razed, and upon a stable ruler with a sense of justice, the citizens flocked back to the area.  The name change is at least true. 

Upon his death, Leif's youngest son, Titus, was mysteriously killed, his eldest, Leif, was banished from the kingdom of outrageous claims of heinous crimes most foul against the crown.  The middle son, David, assumed the throne, and began a series of decisions so evil, that Leif needed to risk his life to return to Feraso to overthrow his brother. 

This is partially true.  David was a particularly cruel, and partially incompetent king, but the fault lay at the feet of his brother Leif.  He renounced his claim to the throne when the opportunity was presented to him, and David assumed it following the rules of succession.  Leif the Second preferred adventuring and travelling to the governance he had been prepared for.  

 

Under Leif III and Leif IV, Feraso expanded its boundaries to its furthest reach.  Overtaking traditional Senzar colonies on the coast of the Mer Atlantl, across the Mer-Med into Kufrik, expanding the Weissmach into the hell steppes of Galmar itself.

The rules of  Leif III and Leif IV are considered the heyday of the empire, and are the exact timelines in regards to anyone longing for the days of Ferasean supremacy.  Oddly enough, the people are absolutely correct.  From 528 through 617, Feraso was at its peak, politically, militarily, spirtually, and technologically.  Artisans and magical craftsmen from all over the world flocked to Feraso City to help build artifacts, many of whom are only mentioned in hushed tones today. 

With the ascension of  Leif V to the throne historical texts become sketchy as to specifics.  Leif V immediately recalled most of the military adventures.  Subsequent emperors (and an empress) oversaw a general decline.   Outposts were recalled, treaties renegotiated on unfavorable terms. 

In the end the mighty Ferasean Empire was betrayed by the races of demi-kind to the Galmar barbarians, there was little anyone could do but watch it burn.  Leif VII was the last recognized Emperor and the direct bloodline apparently died out.

After years of chaos, in 846, a Galmar Warlord named Liufried, used a number of wars, treaties, and marriages to name himself Krugraf of a region known as Ras-Prythax.   Except that Ras-Prythax is never used in old Ferasean documents.  

The core lands form a very old, low valley of the Argivian name for the River Wultha:  Prythax.  Liufried's initial claim of Ras-Prythax stretches through that river valley.  The nobility and rulers of Ras-Prythax are somehow unaware that the country's name is Argivian in nature. "Ras" meaning across, and Prythax for the river wandering north

For 160 years these "Barbarian Pretenders" to the true throne of Feraso claimed various skewed claims, but consolidated their power with the vestige of this eternal Ras-Prythax with the eclectic assortment of dominions.

Almost 75 years from this writing, Krugraf Theuderic I married Princess Jolana Timbertrees of Nitrava, a 5th cousin of the Emperor's extended family, forming possibly a faint claim to the throne, Thus begins the line of "True Pretenders" who appear to enjoy the lineage, but can not garner the power to make a true claim.

After the marriage, Theuderic arrested the entire Timbertrees family, threw them in a dungeon to rot, and bequeathed Nitrava to the Church of Akana as a religious Bishopric.

With only the most minor claims to the Imperial Crown,  the rulers of Ras-Prythax continue to use "Krugraf" to denote the ruler of the Kingdom of Ras-Prythax and nothing more.

For a short time, the empire was reestablished with the discovery of a rightful heir in possession of Taragarth, otherwise known as "The Blood Brand."  It was  Leif I's sword, a dark blade with blood red glowing runes.   Leif IV did use it on his adventures, and all later rulers had it in their possession up to Leif VII.   Finding the burial site of Leif VII might answer many questions.  A short, cataclysmic war enough for many of the core nations to fall under the sway of Emperor Rurik IV and Empress Fiame II, but without a recognized heir for succession, things quickly disintegrated again.

Even an amateur scholar should bring up one interesting question: If Leif I had established the original Kingdom of Feraso in 487, what event starts the official Ferasean calendar.  The answer to that is a softly veiled and forgotten lie, the original Empire of Feraso.  

The First Ferasean Empire was carved out of the wilderness by ancient sorcerer-kings and warlords who appeared to be blessed by the gods for wading into battle shirtless.  They defended the pristine landscape from the corrupting influences of the Argivians Artificers, the Pharaohs of Khemmet, and the Ancient Parthian tribes.

The names of these larger-than-life heroes has somehow disappeared from the written record, or even oral tradition. We are blessed with some scholarly work many years later, which listed many of their patron gods and spirits who allowed them to conquer everything

In no particular order:
Farmesk - The God of War
Surku - The God of Death, Lord of the Worms
Yotia - The God of Magic and Wizards
Kanar -  The God of Chaos, The Dark One
.... and a host of others

Another field of debate is exactly where this empire was founded, and expanded to.  Unreliable sources state this nation's influence from Senzar all the way through Parthia and into deeper Azir, but it's political influence was more likely the great Mer Med region.  Based on archeological studies, the core region was possibly dominated by Argivia, Danaan, Barthey, and even the region known as the inhospitable lands of Milosic,  none of whom are the lands claimed by Ras-Prythax, nor any of the original territory expanded upon by Leif I.

The term Ancien Empire regards to the unbroken bloodline between the First, Second, and now Third Empires even reverting back to the Krugrafs of today.  This is a huge pile of ogre excrement.

Despite what the bard of the Krugraf want all of us to know, the bloodlines were never fully determined after the fall of the empire, so Leif I could be related the original Ancien Emperors as much as you or I.

The Ferasean Emprie is a dream, a legend, a quest, but it is also dozens of different ages, actions, and evolutions.  It is quite unlikely a fourth iteration of a united continent will come about, unless a non-reliance on monarchial government and the possession of a particular sword to approve the ruler are agreed upon.  

GM Notes:  I have been referring to Leif Bloodblade and Empire of Feraso for over thirty years.  My homebrewed World of Georic has been a a hodge-podge collection of old D&D characters done good, a volatile kingdom, and ultimately, an unrefined background for a number of my games.  As I'm slowly compiling data for Georic Gazetteer, to satiate a personal dream, I've been trying to write a guide, in the voice of an intelligent third-party, that is still trying to figure out how to explain this messed up world to the casual reader looking for a travel guide.  

When I wrote up my orginal 1st/2nd Edition AD&D campaign from the early 90s as The Lost Dispatches of Feraso, I established the basic premise that much of my original history and concepts was misguided, from politics to geography, and that most "fact" was agreed up legend, pomp, and circumstance to a bye-gone era.  The author of this guide, Riknl Kannex, blatantly plagiarizes from the  obscure collection of letters between the Viscount of Verbobonc and a trusted scribe and confidant. Sir Elsderth, one-time Baron of Greyhawk.

One day I'll be able to focus on building up each country adequately, but I doubt that will be this upcoming year.  The best I can do is compile everything from all the actual plays and my notes and use that as a baseline. 

Prythax/1st Feraso
Yota I                       0-112
Farmesk I                 112-140
Farmesk II                140-162
Rowand   I                162-182
Roland                      182-203
Rowand II                 203-208

"Lawlessness"           208-487

2nd Feraso
Leif Bloodblade I      487-515
David                         515-518
Leif II                         518-528
Leif III                       528-559
Leif IV                       559-617
Leif V                         617-643
Rurik I                        643-652
Leif VI                        652-678
Rowand II                   678-707
Fiame I                        707-744
Rurik II                       744-762
Mackay I                     762-804
Rurik III                      804-809 
Leif VII                       809-819

**Barbarian Invasion   819-846**

Ras-Prythax Barbarian Pretenders
Liufried                        (846-888)
Udalrich                       (888-915)
Adalbert                       (915-945)
Werner I                       (945-975)
Theuderic I                   (975-1012 Last Barbarian Pretender, Married into True Pretender Bloodline
Theuderic II                  (1012-1018)
Mykul I                         (1018-1023)
Arnulf  I                        (1023-1045)
Theuderic III                 (1045-1056)
Konrad I                        (1056-1063)
Henrik the Follower      (1063-1080)

Kingdom of Feraso                                       Pretenders
Rurik IV                         1073-1105                Ernest I                     1080-1105   (King of Ras-Prythax)
Fiame II                          1105-1115                Ernest II                    1105-1145   (King of Ras-Prythax)

Ras-Prythax Pretenders
Werner II                         1115-1145
Adalbert II                       1145 - Present- Married Princess Adalade of Weissmach, 1148

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #100 - Zeichenindex von Feraso

Key: (Alphabetical by first name) - Race and Class - description - (#episode of first, then subsequent appearances) - Specific episodes of note.  Index of Episodes can be found here.

A.Warren Corkbarrel [88, 98] Former beloved mayor of Lowdale, assumed dead (#88)  Rescued from the Spider-People (#98)

Adolphus [96-99] Archbishop of Hydincall.  Leader of the Church of Akana. Bell of Chardastes Quest (#96), Back-up plan (#97) Spider Person Dopplegangers (#98)

Adomas Nevsky [28] - Lord Commander of Kalvaria (Knights of Talmark) Founded Kingdom of Nevskia (date unknown)

Agatha Gadling [72, 76, 90] - Wife of Bernard, incompetent moron, mother of Hob. The Goblin War (#90) d.1061

Agawin [9] - Local lord from the Freiskab of Illefarn.  Missing (#9)

Akuloth [45] Commander of the Ithillid Scientific Expedition near Burrok.

Alwin Warmark [11-25, 35-38, 49-51, 54, 93] - "Brother"/Acolyte of Akana - Order of Merit (#11), Appointment as Freigraff of the Totenlinden at Amberstoll (#25) Letters from Elsderth (#35-37), Annual visit from the Order of Merit (#49), Letter from Elsderth (#93)

Andrei Krasimir [29-38, 40-55] - Bastard son of Lord of Sheagov.  spoke multiple language, penchant for magic.  Wand of Lightning Bolts (#44) Acquires Krasimir Tower (#51)  Murdered by Thendara Wandsregal (#54) d.1037.  Resolving the Estate of (#55)

Angalm Zhulu [32, 34, 72-75] - Pohojlan merchant, first met in Nauzantil, fenced Blackash's items.  Chance Encounter with Elsderth in Eding (#72-75)

Angus Helenek [72, 90-91] Owner of the Blue Wizard Inn. The Goblin War (#90) Council of Elders (#91), Promoted to Sergeant (#91)

Argus [78] Blacksmith of Eding


Arnulf [38] Krugraf of Ras-Prythax  1023-1045   death (#65)

Ashe Winnebago [72, 95-98] Elf Ranger, woodsman, furrier.  Clears out Castle Caldwell in 1069. (#95)  Back from the dead! (#98)

Athelstane [70, 76, 79, 88, 90-91, 93-94, 96-99] Lord of Eding c1145, White Knight of Crosedes. The Goblin War (#90-91)  Council of Elders (#91) Proposes to Lady Iris (#97) Wedding Disaster (#98) d.1070

Augustus of Korbon [37] - Baron of Korbon, dominion where Feldkurton was located in 1020.  Elsderth's original servitude/appreticeship.   Lost Feldkurton from the Barony 1022 (#37) Stripped of title and land (#52)

Avesta [44] - Cloud Giant Princess of the Sky Palace.  Described Sazor's betrayal (#44)

Balfas [23-26] - Undead General, Defeated (#24) Interned at Krigsgrave (#25), Detailed in Celeste's Letter (#26)

Banaani [32] - Pet Monkey of Angalm Zhule.

Barrak (Barrack) Tenslow [72,76, 86, 88, 90-91, 93 ] - Militia member. Promoted to Sergeant c.1050 (#76) Commands Krull&Co in militia (#86, 88) The Goblin War, Promoted to Captain (#90) death of wife, Council of Elders (#91) Given rank of Lieutenant of Eding Militia during peacetime (#91) Trial and Punishment of Torm and Markuus (#93)  Owner of the Blue Wizard (#95-97)

Bartel [25] Surviving villager from Krigsgrave, hired as guide to Amberstoll (#25)

Bartholomew Brightswallow [25] - Magistrate of Amberstoll Citadel.  Arrested by Baron Remo, became a scribe (#25)

Becthel [69] - Guardian of Apotheosis

Benjamin Vandevelde [91] - Captain 3rd Cros Med Lancers - first patrol of Eding (#91)

Beourn the Paladin [94] - Paladin of Akana, killed and turned to undead under Castle Caldwell d.1067

Bernard Gadling [72, 76, 90] - Sergeant-in-Arms for Lord Athelstane's Manor.  Incompetent moron married to Agatha Gadling.  The Goblin War (#90)  d.1061

Berthlenda [78] Younger sister of Argus the Blacksmith.  Romantic tryst with Richomer Spade.

Bizaud [81-91] - Half orc fighter thief, ally of Zoog. Rescues Gad Gadling (#83)  Returns from winter in Hydincall (#86) Fighting Goblins (#87-88) Missing from Eding (#89)  Missing from The Goblin War (#90) Confirmed desertion (#91)

Bloot [97] - militia member,  Wrathful tavern brawl.

Boris Smutney [25] - Captain of the Guard, Amberstoll Citadel.

Bronja [10] - Local lady from the Freiskab of Illefarn. Sister of Freiskan Melfarm.  Rescued by Talanth Blackash (#10)

Brurheadeth Ironaxe [12] - Wife of Korin Ironaxe

Bungi [35] - "The Wonder Dog"  owned by Monica 

Canisoul [92, 95] Wolf with telepathic link plus talk with animals with Elswyth Harvesthand.

Caradoc Sandheaver [89] Halfling farmer in Elmshire

Carathmus [57,60, 62, 64-65] - A brooding fellow of questionable morals.  Magic Swords and Living Armor.

Carthon d'Echelon [95-97] Carvan worker kidnapped by the Dread Lord, saved and hired by Echelon (#95)  Sold off the estate of Echelon (#96)  Buy Autmnmore (#97) Married Jenny Bricot (#97) Adopts Timmy (#97)

Caton Beauvau [70, 72, 74, 76-77, 79-83, 85-86, 88, 90-92] Womanizing farmer in Eding, possibly ex-caravan guard.  Assumes the role as W. (#79-83, 85-86, 88)  Missing from The Goblin War (#90) d. 1061 (#91) Relationship with the Witch of Eding.

Celeste Sonnage de la Souer [23-38, 56, 66] - Priestess of Akana, Freipriesterin die Geguntotnen, former associate of Talanth Blackash. Freigraff of Amberstoll  (#25)  Letter to the Krugraf (#26) Leaves the Order of Merit to go back to Crosedes (#36-37),  Safe Arrival in Nuxon Keep (#38)

High Priestess of Ferrand (#66)

Promoted Bishop of Ferrand c.1047 (#66)

Cellowan  [95, 96] Another alias of Sellman

Celowin Silvershield III [66] Former King of Crosedes.  Granted cousin Nobquin, Lord the County of Ferrand

Celowin Silvershield IV [68] King of Crosedes. Granted Athelstane Domain of Eding c1045.

Cesmir [77-79] Magic-User, rescued Hob Gadling (#77)  Left Eding for Hydincall (#79)

Cesmir Reptilius [66] - Former Duke of Ferrand.  Conquered Duchy of Draloite, formed Kingdom of Crosedes 846.

Christina Caldwell [94-95] Daughter of Clifton Caldwell.  Owns Castle Caldwell on Manor Road

Clifton Caldwell [94]  A merchant with more gold than sense, Clifton purchased the Plity estate for a king's ransom.  Always infested and invaded with humanoids  d. 1165

Colgredd [7,15,17, 23-24, 26, 32, 45,48-49,56, 84] - Stupid Ranger of Dremmen, joins Talanth Blackash (#7) Temple of Elemental Evil ,Chain Mail +1 (#15) Vanished! (#49) Described in Interview withe Ned Overland (#84)

Colvin Festeburt [37] - Feldkurton Crime Lord.  Arrested, Manor House seized, given to Sir Elsderth (#37)

Dagmar [19] - Landless Countess in Feraso City - Wife of Count Wilhelm

Dax "Dar"  Hammersmith [5-6] Second in Command to Caravan employed by Hagen Grassl

Derlenth [26, 32, 56, 84] cleric - ally of Talanth Blackash, Description by Angalm Zhule (#32) Described in Interview with Ned Overland (#84)

Echelon Reimann [95-96, 98-99] "The Pigeon Guy" with a menagerie of Animals, Pathfinder the Wolf [#95] Back from the dead! (#98)

Edmund [65] King of Markovia (title only). Markovian businessman, husband of Queen Gretchen

Eger  [36, 52-53, 74] - Commander of the Verbobonc Guard, Nephew of Wilifrick. Contender as next Viscount of Verbobonc (#36)  Married, 1st Child b. 1022. Becomes Viscount of Verbobonc 1028 (#52)

Eichen [93] - Member of Eding militia. Trial and Punishment of Torm and Markuus (#93)

Eldray the Wizard [94] Wizard who helped clean out Castle Caldwell in 1067.

Eligius Moray [38, 40-49] - Brother and Guardian of Akana.  Joins Order of Merit (#38) Leaves Order of Merit (#49)

Sir Elsderth Greyhawk - Sellsword, Part-Time Sage, Lord of Greyhawk, Baron of Greyhawk.  see Elsderth Millbottom

Elsderth Millbottom [1-25, 27-55, 57-99] Baron of Greyhawk- scribe of Viscount of Verbobonc (#1) from Feldkurton (#1), Stats (#2), Arrested in Marholm (#6), Sage of Marholm (#8), First alias of Elsderth Greyhawk (#9) Stone of Earth Elemental Summoning (#12) Temple of Elemental Evil (#15), Audience with Krugraf Mykul (#19) Visit to Taux On-Er (#21-22) Krigsgrave (#23-24)  Obtains "The Betrayer" (#24) Freigraff of Amberstoll (#25), Destruction of Temple of the Dragon (#33), Lunch with the Viscount (#36)  Knighted and granted a land title  by the Viscount Wilifrick (#37)  Funeral of the Krugraf (#38) History of the Krugrafs (#39) Palace in the Sky (#41-44), Against the Giant (#48) Married Felecia Bachi (#49)  Son, Matthias (#49),

Given Title of Baron, parts of Korbur (#52)

Death of Andrei (#53), Temple Uprising (#57-59) Death of Eldsderth (#59),

Faked death, reverts to using Millbottom (#60), Hunting Tablesmasher's Company (#60-65)  Alias - Torben Hardox (#61) Tour of Crosedes (#67-70), Eding Residency (#70-99)  Sergeant in Eding Milita (#76), Discovers secret of the Witch (#79) Becomes Protege to W. (#80), Kidnaps Gad Gadling (#82) Interview with Ned Overland (#84), Leaving for Elmshire (#88) The Goblin War (#90-91) Death of Caton (#90) Death of Lander Mertens (#90)  Council of Elders (#91) Assuming the role of W. (#92-99) Trial of Torm and Markuus (#93) Gives Ashe maps to Alasku (#95)  Spider-Person Wedding (#98) Letter to Elswyth (#98) Conversation with Mo (#99)  Retirement? (#99)

Elwyn [96] Rogue priest of Akana.  HQ the Iron Citadel in the Nightwood.  Stole Bell of Chardastes (#96)

Elswyth (ne: Elswyn) Harvesthand  [88, 92-96, 98-99] - Druidess of Draloite. Mysterious figure in communication with W. (#88) Appearance in Eding (#92) Wolf Canisoul  Prophesizing the end times (#98).

Emeretta Tenslow [91] Daughter of Barrack, Returned safely after Goblin War (#91)

Emmanuel de Zoog [97] Purvmone trader, purchases Echelon's menagerie.  See Zoog

Enerk [51] - Old Wizard, talented with clockwork guardians.

Epstenstein - [29]  Stone giant farm laborer in Nevskia.

Sir Erilec - [34] - Craven Knight of Talmark and dragon hunter.

Evar [48] - Hill Giant Chieftain in Danaan.  Fought Blackash and Greyhawk separately.

Fayette Tenslow [91, 97] Daughter of Barrak. Returned safe after Goblin War (#91) Cleared out Autumnmore (#97)

Felecia (Bachi) Greyhawk [49,60] Wife of Elsderth Greyhawk m.1025, Son Matthias b.1026

Feraydoon [74] - Yarbay mage.  Friend of Viscount Eger.  Saved Verbonbonc Lancers during snowstorm in 1046.

Finglen Finnoggan [41] - Elf "magician" in Vrianios.  Discovered Cloud Giant corpse.

Fosterspell Andersen [37] - Mayor of Feldkurton, Removed by Viscount Wilifrick (#37).

Fromm Tyre [47] - Famed Gnome Titan General

Fulco Wanderblaze - [27] Lord, Trade Minister for Willfrick of Verbobonc, gnome.

Gabriella Reikhoff - wife of Duke Hugethan Reikhoff, Mother of Gregor,  d. 1019

Gad Gadling [82] son of Bernard and Agatha Gadling.  Kidnapped by Elsderth and sent into the Nightwood.  The Goblin War (#90)  d.1061

Gavin Wellharn [45] bald gnome - last surviving member of Council of Elders in Burrok.

Gerard Clayhanger [88, 90]  Mayor of Lowdale, replaces A Warren Corkbarrel, Former carpenter. The Goblin War (#90)

Graham, Lady [36] - Niece of Viscount Wilifrick, Warrior-Priest of Akana crusading against the orcs of Milosic.

Greenwall [17-18] - Resident wizard of Schattenwurf.  Missing (#17-18)

Gregor Walter Reikhoff [18-19, 57-59] - Prince, heir to the Duchy of Ostverk.  squire to his father, Hugethan (#18) Temple Uprising (#57-59), Death of Elsderth Letter (#59),
Became Commander of the Knights of Fearso prior to 1045 (#59)

Gregory Harkorn [4] - High Lord of Willip

Gretchen von Manhoffen [64-65] - Sister of Duke Jakob.  Vying for the throne.  Assumes role of Queen of Markovia (#65)

Greysteel, Lady (36) - Niece of Viscount Wilifrick - famed adventuress.  Fighting Pirates off of Tripolis.

Guido Burrowes [89] Halfling Captain of the Elmshire Militia

Gulli Odmusson [7, 15, 17, 22-24, 32, 45, 48-49,56, 84] - Drunken Warrior from Dremman,  Joins Talanth Blackash (#7) Temple of Elemental Evil, Shield +2 (#15), +1 Sword of Obviousness (#22) Description in Celeste's Letter, "Reverse Falchion" (#26) Vanished (#49) Described in interview with Ned Overland

Gunter Reikhoff [18] - Son of Gregor, grandson of Hugethan.  Becoming squire at 8 (#18)

Guy du Wandsregal [10] Human Magic-User, former apprentice to Reznik Maximillian, father of Thendara Wandsregal.

Hagen Grassl [3-5] Caravan Merchant

Hammork [34] - Guard of Angahlm Zhule

Harald Gudmunssen [7, 9] - Good King of Wyrmnal. Jarl of Jarls in Norrvik

Harbash [5-6] - Caravan Guard employed by Hagen Grassl.  Killed a man in Dremman (#5) Sentenced to death (#6)

Hardox [4-6] - Caravan Guard employed by Hagen Grassl

Hartwig von Manhoffen [64] Crown Prince of Markovia d.1045

Hawise [60] Verbobonc Teamster. Named used deceptively in the fake death of Baron Elsderth.

Heimo Raddatz [93] Owner of Trading Post in Eding.

Helena [36, 53] - Daughter of Viscount Wilifrick, Educated at the Lyceum in Hydincall, Lunch with Elsderth (#36), Letter from Elsderth (#53)

Henri Torsorin  [51] Human magic-user.  Heroes of Enerk

Hierylat [98] - Father of Lady Iris, kidnapped by and rescued from Spider-People.

Hob Gadling [72, 76-77, 90] First-born son of Bernard and Agatha Gadling. Clueless moron.  Missing (#76) Rescued! (#77), The Goblin War (#90) d.1061

Hridul [8] - Wife of Runholf (#8)

Hugethan Reikhoff [17-19] - Duke of Ostverk, Knight of Feraso

Igrushan [74] - Mage-adviser to Viscount Eger

Lady Iris d'Hierylat [77-79, 88, 90-91, 93, 96-99] orphaned urchin living in Eding.  Rescues Hob Gadling (#77) Lieutenant of  Eding Milita (#79), Knighted Red Knight of Crosedes and Lady Protector of the Realm c.1050 (#79)  Working in the Royal Court for Eding/Lord Athelstane (#88), Missing from the Goblin War (#90)  Arrives with reinforcements to crush goblins (#90) Council of Elders (#91) Magistrate for War Crimes (#91, 93) Proposed to by Lord Athelstane (#97) Spider Person Dopplegangers (#98)  Real Iris saved by Kane (#98)

Isaak Walmund [93, 96-97] Member of Eding militia.  Trial and Punishment of Torm and Markuus (#93)  Messenger to Hydincall (#96) Helped clean out Autumnmore (#97)

Jakob von Manhoffen [64] - Duke of Markovia d.1045


Jan [33] - Human weaponsmith in Nauzantil.  Good egg.

Jaroo [92] Druid of Hommlet, save the life of Elswyth Harvesthand

Jenny Bricot [93, 95, 97] - Member of Eding Militia. Trial and Punishment of Torm and Markuus (#93) Married Carthon d'Echelon, adopts Timmy (#97)

Princess Jolana Timbertrees of Nitrava [39] 5th cousin to a distant relation in Bloodblade line.  Married Theuderic I.

King Jorgin [43] Cloud Giant King of the Sky Palace

Julius Mork  [3] - horse trainer from Taymouth

June Berteau [72] - Farmer's daughter from Hommlet.   Lover Leandro of Ispatlia died/disappeared in Temple of Elemental Evil assault.  Joined Church of Akana afterwards, recruited an all-women's clergy.

Kane [95-99] Eastern mystic - Clears out Castle Caldwell in 1069. (#95)  Visit the Witch (#96) Back from the dead! (#98)

Kannex [98] - Powerful mage who interrupted Athelstane/Iris wedding (#98)

Karlis Blitzener [30] - Leader of the Dwarven Mining Town of Warka

Keestake [7] - Resident of Villinea Island

Keleron [83] - Drow who visits Eding.

Korin Ironaxe [12] - Dwarven leader of explorers of Illefarn

Kraso Lacrary [72, 76, 88, 90] - Captain Eding Militia, Directly commands Krull&Co (#88) The Goblin War d. 1061 (#90)

Krull [81-91] - middle-aged warrior from Westhamm, son of Theron. Rescues Gad Gadling (#82) Returns from Winter in Hydincall, Gladiator Champion (#86), Fighting Goblins (#88), Missing from Eding (#89) Missing from The Goblin War (#90) World Gladiator Championships, Conquering Krull, Confirmed desertion (#91)

Laikkic Loc [87] - Magic Shop Keeper in Hydicnall. Encounter with Theron.

Lander Mertens [90] Knight-General of the Royal Army (15th Cros. Inf).  Pursuit of the G'ba army into the Nightwood, killed by the Witch! (#90) d.106

Lareth "The Beautiful" [57] - Warrior-Priest lieutenant of the Moathouse near Hommlet.  Killed Elmo and Rufus of Hommlet, escaped.

Lazor Sanorlan [55] - Barrister in Hermetus.  Executed estate of Andrei Krasimir.

Leif I [39.92] - House Bloodblane. First King of the Second Ferasean Empire Rumors of his return (#92)

Leif IV [39,92] -  The Mighty, House Bloodblade. Legendary Emperor of the Second Ferasean Empire, stretching from Senzar to southern Wyrmnal, to outposts in Galmar, Kufrik, Parthria, and the Five Kingdoms.  Rumors of his return (#92)

Leif V [39] - Emperor of the Second Ferasean Empire - began retraction of the Empire's influence.

Leif VII [39] - Last recogonized Emperor of the Second Ferasean Empire.

Liufried I [39] - First of the "Barbarian Pretenders" to the throne of Feraso

Sir Llewelyn Longarm [9] - Native of Cymru, Baron Melfarm of Illefarn's weaponmaster

Lobo [51] - Olive-skinned Senzaran Ranger.  Hero of Enerk.

Maksim [45] Argivian hired to translate Argivian and Gnomish for the Order of Merit.

Maloran Alberhold [95] - Human fighter, womanizer.  Clears out Castle Caldwell in 1069. (#95)

Marigold [3-4, 8-9, 34] - Elsderth's first horse.  Shortened to "Mary" (#4) Retired (#34)

Queen Marija [43] Cloud Giant Queen of the Sky Palace.

Markuus Silverleaf [81-91, 93]  Sylvan or Wild elf. Cleric of Ill-Matter. Head injury, rescues Gad Gadling (#82) Returns from winter in Hydincall (#86) Gladiator fighting (#87) Fighting Goblins (#87-88) Missing from Eding (#89)  Missing from The Goblin War (#90) Confirmed Desertion (#91) Trial and Punishment (#93) Escapes Eding (#93)

Marquin [62] - Bishop of Devarnish

Maruch [25] - Only villager from Krigsgrave to escape General Balfas

Matthias Greyhawk [49, 59-60] son of Eldsderth b. 1026  Named Baron of Greyhawk 1045 (#59)

Melfarm [9, 11-12]- Freiskan of Illefarn.  Orders attack on "King" Ironaxe in Old Illefarn (#12)

Melinda [7] - Daughter of a merchant, kidnapped by pirates.  Associate of Talanth Blackash.

Meloch [12] - Farmer north of Illefarn.

Merek Terrowin [60] - Agricultural merchant in Vrianios.  Named used deceptively in faking of Baron Elsderth's death.

Merovec Puddinfoot [76, 89] - Halfling furniture maker in Elmshire.  Elsderth's favorite.

Midnight [17, 36] - female magic-user, an ally of Talanth Blackash.  Rumored to be head of Cult of Yotia (#36),

Miksa [40] Duke of Vrianios, also goes by Michael or Mykul.

Mohammaed [98] Teacher of Kane  (#98) Conversation with Mo (#99)

Monica Margaraon [35] - Woodsman,  Owner of Bungi, the Wonder Dog

Morgan [17] - Captain, Commander of the forces of Schattenwurf (#17)

Morya Silverbough [11-25, 28-35, 50 ] - Wyrmnalian Warrior Women - Order of Merit (#11) Battle Axe +2 (#13), Freigraff of Amberstoll (#25), Leaves the Order of Merit (#34) heads back to the Weissmach.  No Contact With (#50)

Murag (ne. Morag) Mountainhammer [11-25, 28-38, 40-54, 57-60] - Dwarf Warrior from Wyrmnal mountains.  Order of Merit (#11), Dwarven Plate Mail +2 (#13), Freigraff of Amberstoll (#25) Wintering in the Kron Hills (#38), Temple Uprising (#57-59)

Myhilde [8] - wife of Runholf.  Impregnated by Talanth Blackash, spirited away to Markovia. (#8)

Mykul [19, 38] - Krugraf of Ras-Prythax.  Audience with the Order of Merit and Duke Hugethan of Ostverk (#19)   death d.1023 (#38)

Nailus Hauffen [29] - family dog of Hauffen family.  Killed by Wilas (#29)

Ned Overland [26, 32, 56, 83-85]  hard-drinking lothario and part-time warrior.  ally of Talanth Blackash.  Described in letter by Celeste (#26) Description from Angalm Zhule (#32)  Joins Krull&Company (#83)  Interview with Elsderth, Travelling the Mer Medi (#84) Leaves Krull& Company (#85)

Nestikar [35, 41] - Elsderth's second horse. Purvmone for "Integrity".  Lost during search of the Sky Palace (#41)

Nevin [96, 98]  King of Crosedes.

Nobquin Silvershield [66]  Cousin to Celowin.  Lord of Ferrand.  Ascension to Duke of Ferrand c.1047

Optmar Hestir [66-67]  Elsderth's steed (1047-1050)

Ozark [72, 88-90] - Purvmone (half-orc) priest - assistant to Tanqueman the Elder. The Goblin War (#90)

Pathfinder [95] Wolf with telepathic link to Echelon

Parzival [26] - Royal Adjutant for Krugraf Mykul

Pe'Psi [22] - Wizard of Taux On-Er

Pevuss Corkburst [45] - Gnome merchant from Burrok.

King Phillipian [46] - King of Argivia

Phyrrus [46] - Crown Prince of Argivia

Ploutis Kadis [48] - Member of the Boule and of the Presidium of Danaan

Primulen Hauffen [29] - Purvmone farmer, wife of Tomac.

Ranier [8] - Diplomatic envoy for Viscount Willifrik to Marholm (#8)

Remo [25, 50] - Baron of Amberstoll Citadel

Reznik Maximillian [10] - Imperial Wizard of Ras-Prythax

Richomer Spade [78] - Noted Scholar, expert on Dragonmen

Rolf Housekarl [37-38, 40-50, 52] Captain of the Garrison at Feldkurton - Commendation from the Viscount (#37) Joins Order of Merit (#38), Retires to Zieland (#52)

Rolf Wolfsblood [95-98] Galmar Barbarian.  Clears out Castle Caldwell in 1069. (#95)   Back from the dead! (#98)

Rolgrim Snakecloud [11-25] - Rogue and Scoundrel - Order of Merit (#11).  Death fighting General Balfas d.1021 (#24)  Burial at Krigsgrave (#25)

Rolgrim 1095-1021

Rufus [60] - Verbobonc teamster - Named used deceptively in the fake death of Baron Elsderth.

Runholf "The Dandy" [5-8, 12] - Jarl of Marholm - Hires bounty hunters for Elsderth (#12)

Sabu Tablesmasher II [57,60,62,64-65]  - Dwarf fighter with a penchant for tavern brawls.

Sazor [43-44] - Wizard of the Sky Palace

Sellman [83] Young brigand leader, in cahoots with W. Brigands under his command killed by Krull & Company.  Given Temple of Alasku by W. as new base of operations.  Married with small daughter.  Fancies himself "The Dread Sellman, Lord of the Highwaymen (#83).      See Cellowan
See Prince Cervinal, the Dread Lord.

Serlon the Grim [51] - Warrior,  Heroes of Enerk.

Sheren Spearslayer [9] - Captain of the Dolksford Militia (#9)

Simon Balasz [38, 40-48] - Guide for the Order of Merit on their eastern travels. Magical Shortsword (#40)  Killed Against the Giants (#48)

Sloemin the Wizard [57,60, 62,64-65] - wizard with an intolerance to alcohol.

Smith [14-15] - Blacksmith of Nulb

Sost [33] - High Priest of the Cult of the Dragon Temple in Nauzantl

Sturgis Zurleas -[46]  Provincial Administrator for Argivian district with Veles in it.

Syrian Theus [62]  Proprietor, Fallen Timbers Inn

Talanth Blackash [7-8, 10, 14-17, 22-24, 26-28, 32-34, 43-45, 48-49, 56, 84] Elf F/M/T - Clan name is Andrafjorden. Complexion is Agenmoor. Mentioned by Runholf the Dandy, Recovered King Villenea's Funeral Longship, Robs Runholf (#7), Impregnates Jarl's wife (#8), Rescued Lady Bronja, murdered Lord Agwain of Illefarn (#10) Nulb (#14) Temple of Elemental Evil, Backstabbing with a Bardiche, Cloak of Elvinkind (#15) Aiding the victims of Betend (#16), Skipping out in Schattenwurf (#17), Rampaging through Taux On-Er (#22), Krigsgrave (#23-24) Description from Celeste (#26), Retelling Warka (#30), Attack on the Sky Palace (#43-44) Fighting Ithillids near Burrok (#45), Against the Giants (#48) Vanished! (#49)  Described in Interview with Ned Overland

 

Talis Makolin [95-98]  Bard Womanizer  Back from the dead! (#98)


Tanqueman the Elder [76,88-90] - Halfling priest (?) mayor/sherrif of Elmshire.  The Goblin War (#90)

Taux On-Er the Observator [22] - Ruler of the pocket universe of Taux On-Er. Wife of Utte.

Thavumir Bottledelver [72, 85] Dwarf brewer/merchant from Omsjik

Thendara Wandsregal [10, 14-15, 17, 22-24, 26, 32, 45,48-49, 54-56, 84] Human Magic-User - from Dolksford, Illefarn.  daughter of Guy du Wandsregal.  Joined Talanth Blackash (#10) Temple of Elemental Evil, Bracers of Defense AC3 (#15) Robe of Useless Items (#22) Description in Celeste's Letter (#26), Description by Angalm Zhule (#32), Destroying Ithillids (#45) Vanished (#49) Murders Andrei Krasimir (#54). Purchase of Krasimir Tower (#55), Described in Interview with Ned Overland (#84)

Theofina [16] Princess, Furstentum - Distant heir to the Ras-Prythax crown.

Theron [81-87] aging magic-user, father of Krull.  Rescues Gad Gadling (#82) Does not return from winter in Hydincal (#86) Bull in a Magic Shop, Theron's Curios (#87)

Theuderic I  [39]  Krugraf of Ras-Prythax - Barbarian Pretender, married into distant Bloodblade family to become "legitimate"
Theuderic II [38]  Krugraf of Ras-Prythax- Father of Krugraf Mykul and Krugraf Arnulf (bastard).
Theuderic III [65, 74] Krugraf of Ras-Prythax- Son of Krugraf Arnulf.  Weak and inept.  C.1045

Thomas Millbottom [1]- Second Miller of Feldkurton, Father of Elsderth.  Out of business.Tax troubles with the Baron.

Thormak Gingerheart [51] Dwarf Cleric.  Heroes of Enerk.  Goes by "Chet"

Timmy the Orphan [95-97] Hired by Echelon as a torch bearer (#95) Animal handler (#96)

Tirran [42-43, 45] - Bugbear Captain of the Cloud Palace

Titos Hosmer [60] - Imperial Auditor in Vrianios.  Named used deceptively in the fake death of Baron Elsderth.

Titus the Rogue [94] Thief.  Cleaned out Castle Caldwell in 1067.

Tomac Hauffen [29] Purvmone Farmer from Nav-Bodu, husband of Primulen

Torben Mikkelsen [1, 27, 36]- Seneschal of the Viscount of Verbobonc. Letter from Elsderth (#1)  News of his death  d.1021 (#36)

Torm Touchberry [81-91, 93, 96-97 ] Elf thief. Rescues Gad Gadling (#82) Returns from winter in Hydincall (#86) Fighting Goblins (#87-88) Missing from Eding (#89)  Missing from The Goblin War (#90) Confirmed desertion (#91), Trial and Punishment (#93) Release from his sentence, joins militia (#93) Sergeant of the Eding Militia (#96) Sergeant-in-Arms (#97)

Utte [22] - Shepherd of Taux On-Er

Velandro [95- 98] Cleric of Akana from Ispatlia.  Mission from Archbishop (#96)  Back from the dead! (#98)

Velmar [69] - Historian for the Guardians of Apotheosis.

Vesikant [26, 32, 34] - Green Dragon of Nauzlanti - first mentioned in Celeste's letter (#26) Cat and Mouse with Order of Merit (#34)

Viesbustus  [51] Translator for the Heroes of Enerk.

Villenea [7] - Long Dead King of Wyrmnal

Watty [34] - Trusted lackey of Anghalm Zhule.

Westin Mori [62] - Count of Devarnish

Whit [13-14] - Owner, Griffon's Cove Inn

Wilfrick of Verbobonc [27, 36-38, 52] - Viscount of Verbobonc, Kingdom of Ras-Prythax - A Return Letter to Elsderth (#27), Lunch with Elsderth (#36), Funeral of Krugraf (#38), Death d.1028 (#52)

Wilhelm [19] - Landless Count in Ras-Prythax, husband of Dagmar.

Sir William of Arinka [97-98]  - Crown Prince of Aragain, stops Athelstane/Iris Wedding (#98)

Winston Maless [68] - Traveling Cad.

Witch of Eding [70, 76-83, 85-86, 88, 90, 92, 95-96, 98-99 ] - mystic guardian/threat to Eding.  lives in shack near Hydincall River.  Recruits Cesmir, Zoog, and Iris. (#76)  Ferula Bloodgood passes d. 1052 (#79) Protector of the Nightwood.  History Revealed (#80) Arrangement with Sellman (#83)  Correspondence with unknown ally (#85)  Missing from The Goblin War (#90) Caton Beauvau passes away d.1061 (#90) Death of Lander Mertens d.1061 (#90) Visit by Elswyth (#92)  Relationship with Caton (#92) Visit by Kane (#96) Spider-Person Wedding (#98)  Retirement (#99)

Wolbodo Puddlefoot [88] - Halfling militia Captain of Welldale

Xanthan Butrain - Baron of Willip

Yorin/Yorick- [32-33] - Leader of Nauzlanti, Pirate Captain.  His impenetrable palace (#33)

Yota Barthey [47] - 1st Sorcerer-King of the 1st Ferasean Empire

Zhamthrul [45] - Beholder, 2nd in Command of Ithillid Scientific Expedition to Burrok.

Zoog [77-79, 81-83, 97] - Half-Orc Caravan guard, rescued Hob Gadling (#77) Back to caravan work (#79) Returns to Eding to adventure c.1060 (#81) Rescues Gad Gadling (#82) Leaves Krull&Company (#83) See Emmanuel de Zoog 

**TOWNS
Afiny - City (    , Danaan)  Capital of Danaan

Algyros - Village (Akro, Danaan)
Amberstoll Citadel - Fortification (Amberstoll, Sandomir, The Weissmach) Capital of Amberstoll
Argive - City (Argivia) Capital of Argivia
Asimenio - Village - (Akro, Danaan)  beautiful seaside village.

Ayge - Town  (Draloite, Crosedes)

Baznica (Gardzniek, Regan)
Belneftekhim - Town (Javam, Nevskia)
Betend - Town (Furstenum, Ras-Prytaxh) Caravan town.
Buckkett - Village (Valkurl, Ras-Prythax)
Burrok - Village (Pellister, Argivia) Gnome mining town
Caltaran   (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)

Caltaran

Coolspring - Village - (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Cragcross Castle - Fortification, free (Furstentum, Ras-Prythax)
Dolksford - Village (Illefarn, Wyrmnal) Capital of Illefarn
Dremman - Town (Marholm, Wyrmnal) Capital of Marholm
Dunzig - Town (Markovia)
Eastguard     (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Eding - (Athelstane, Crosedes)
Elmshire - (Crosedes)
Enerk Tower - (Hermetus)  see Krasimir Tower
Feldkurton   (Korbon -1022, Greyhawk 1022- , Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Feraso City  (             , Ras-Prythax)  Capital of Ras-Prythax
Fresklun - City - (Devernish, Ras-Prythax)
G'ba - Goblin - (Crosedes) Independent City in the Nightwood Forest
Greenfalls - Village (Markovia)
Griffon's Cove - Village (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Hauptstadt - (Fürstentum, Ras-Prythax)
Hearth - Town (Ferrand, Crosedes) Capital of Ferrand
Helega - City (Henesdalir, Wrymnal) Port
Herensk - Village (Willip, Ras-Prythax)
Hommlet - Village (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Hydincall - City (        , Crosedes)  Capital of Crosedes
Illefarn - Ancient Dwarven Mine (Illefarn, Wyrmnal)
Ironkeep - Dwarven town (Markovia)
Jarl - Town (Valkurl, Ras-Prythax)
Khurin-Azur - Dwarven Citadel
Krasimir Tower - (Hermetus)  see Wandsregal
Krigsgrave - Village (Sandomir, The Weissmach)
Kyskmoen - Village (Brandholm, Wyrmnal)
Lansluck - Village (Crosedes)
Lowadle - Halfling Village (Crosedes)

Manhoffen - Capital (Markovia)
Mechitbayeva - Village (Hermetus)
Naulantzi - Port  (Regan)  Pirate Town
Nav-Bodu - (Trevodich, Nevskia)
Norrvik - City (Wyrmnal)
Nulb - Village (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Nobquin's Keep -     (Ferrand, Crosedes)
Omsjik - Free Town (Crosedes)
Oshpenchin - Village (Oppollo, The Weissmach)
Pellister - Town (Argivia)
Perpignon - Town (Crosedes)
Reisenhain - Town (Vrianios, Ras-Prythax)
Rowand City - City (Rowand, Crosedes)
Rynehurst - Village (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Schattenwuf - Village (Furstentum, Ras-Prythax)
Sheagov - Village (Sheagov, Nevskia)
Taymouth - town (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Temtom - village (Valkurl, Ras-Prythax) Mining village.
Terstein - city (Ostverk, Ras-Prythax)
Valgard Port (Wyrmnal)
Veles - Town (Argivia)
Verbobonc City  (Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax)
Wandsregal (Hermetus)

Warka - Dwarven Mining Town (Javam, Nevskia)
Welldale - Halfling Village (Crosedes)
Westhaven (Ras-Prythax)
Wharfshare -Fishing Village (Ras-Prythax)
Willip City - City (Willip, Ras-Prythax) Capital of Willip.

DOMINIONS
Akro (Danaan) Province of
Amberstoll (Sandomir-Weissmach)
Argivia  (Royal Republic)
Barthey, Empire of
Brandhom (Wyrmnal)
Cyrum, Kingdom of  - Part of the Five Kingdoms
Devarnish (Ras-Prythax) County of
Enstead (Free)
Feraso , 1st Empire
Feraso, 2nd Emprie (est. 487)
Frakyia (Barthey)

Fürstentum (Ras-Prythax) Principality,  8 internal baronies.
Gardzneik (Regan)
Greyhawk (Ras-Prythax) Dominion of 1022,  Barony of
Henesdalir (Wyrmnal)
Hermetus
Illeforn (Wyrmnal)
Ilvablight - Home of the Snow Elves
Javam (Nevskia) Barony of
Kavaria (Talmark) Dominion of - Former name for Kingdom of Nevskia.
Khemmet, Kingdom of
Khurin-Azur - Dwarven Citadel
Korbon (Ras-Prythax) Barony of
Lybbos
Marholm (Wyrmnal)
Markovia, Kingdom of
Markovia, (Ras-Prythax) Gran Duchy of
Milosic
Myridius - Crusader City-States of
Nitrava (Ras-Prythax) Bishopric of
Oppollo (The Weissmach) Gran Duchy of
Osteverk (Ras-Prythax) Duchy of

Oświęcim (Weissmach) Duchy of
Parthia, Empire of
Regan (Free) Gran Duchy of
Rhoona (Ras-Prythax) Duchy of
Rowand (Crosedes) Count of
Sandomir (Weissmach) Duchy of    -  Ten Citadels of Sandomir (10 baronies)
Sheagov (Nevskia) Dominion of
Talmark, Knights of
Toszek (Weissmach) Duchy of
Trevodich (Nevskia) Principality of
Triplolis
Valkurl (Ras-Prythax) Barony of
Verbobonc - (Ras-Prythax) Viscounty of
Vlachia - Kingdom of
Vrianios - (Ras-Prythax) Gran Duchy of   - Ten Baronies within.
Willip - (Ras-Prythax) Theocratic Barony of
Yarbay -
Zator (Weissmach) Duchy of'
Zieland

GEOGRAPHY
BODIES OF WATER
Delimbra River - Illefrarn, Wyrmnal
Serrault River - Verbobonc to Catalan
Velvderdaya River
Calebron River
River Wultha - northern flowing river covering most of Ras-Prythax.  (Argivian name = Prythax)
Hydincall River
Lake Apotheosis

Mer Bal
Mer Medi
Mer Nor
Starfall Channel

MOUNTAINS
Brinkerburg - Valkurl and Mer Nor
Gnomelands of Kron
Mount Limpo - Argivia
Needlespire - Dannan

REGIONS
Kalevalean Peninsula -
Donick's Plain - flat grassy area in Amberstoll.  Site of famed battle with General Balfas.

RELIGIONS
Fereasen
Akana - God of Law and Order - State Religion of most countries on Talaishia.
Farmesk - God of War
Galmar
Guya
Kanar - God of Chaos, The Dark One
Surku - God of Death, Lord of the Worms
Yotia -  God of Magic and Wizards
     - Midnight: small subcult of Yotia

Norse
Freya
Thor
Wo-Dan

Xellnic or Xellesitic
Zeus - God of Thunder

Ruslav Mythos
Dzebag - God of Sun, Fire.

Other
Cult of the Dragon (Nauzantil) - Led by High Priest Sost.  Primarily worships Tiamat.
Rock Cults of Galmar (see Temple of Elemental Evil)
Vihlula of the Flame (see Temple of Elemental Evil)
Lentvar Horde  (Orcish horde in Nevskia, early first days of the First Fereasena Empire.  Creation of the half-orc or Purvmone.
Magnus Horeguard - Large Cavalry unit protecting Vrianios.  Will not go into Sotet Forest
Willip Crusaders
Tilverton Lancers
Guardians of Apotheosis
Alasku - name of ancient pre-Ancient village near Eding.  Druidic name for the general area.
Nightwood Forest -
Verbobonc Lancerscol
Autumnmoor Estate - previous to Chateau d'Echelon.

Iron Citadel - black iron citadel located deep in the Nightwood Forest.  Currently controlled by the Church of Akana.

Trafitir TalusCeli (Tavern on the Far Road) Nav-Bodu in Nevskia.

Greyhawk Manor - Home of the ruler of the Dominion/Barony of Greyhawk, Verbobonc, Ras-Prythax.

Mountainhammer Cottage

The Ugly Prince Tavern - Roadhouse in Nitrava.
Fluffy Cashew - Pub in Mechitbayeva, Hermetus. Known for their plum drinks.
Fallen Timbers Tavern - Lost road stop before the Iron Woods.
The Welcome Wench - Hommlet.
The Rose and Gauntlet - Tavern  in Dunzig, Markovia
Blue Wizard Inn - Inn in Eding, Crosedes.

Monsters:
Dragonmen of Alasku

Draknor - giant volcanic subterranean being underneath the Needlespire Mountain near Pellister, Argivia.  Responsible for volcanic eruption which destroyed Pellister.

Rodents of Unusual Size:  Strange giant rodents with large pouches in their cheeks.  Live in burrows under the Nightwood Forest.
Troll-kin - odd "reverse trolls" from the Nightwood Forest.

Named Magic Items
"Fromm Tyre" 300 magic swords given out to the Gnome Titans who held back the Parthian Empire
"Taragarth" or "The Bloodblade" Dark blade with glowing runes.  Wielded by Ferasean Kings
"The Betrayer" -  Weapon of General Balfas - owned by Elsderth
"The Magic Sword of Obviousness" (AKA The Reverse Falchion) - owned by Gulli
"Blade of a Thousand Cuts" Dagger of Quickness
"Grieving Gauntlets of the Isles"
"Crystal of Farseeing" owned by Igushan the mage-adviser of Verbobonc"\
"Yule Log of Everburning"
"Bell of Chardastes"