I'm thinking of making a sort of "Return to The Ghost Tower of Inverness" for may gaming group and I wanted to get an idea of what people's ideas of it was.
Here is some personal thoughts.
It's been years since the orignal advetures retrieved the "Soul Gem". Now the gem is causing problems for the Seer of Urnst and he wants it recovered and put back in the tower.
As for Galap-Driedel, I know that people have made him out to be both Flan or Suelise, but for some reason, I'm leaning away from that.
My rethinking is that he predates the Flan in the area, so he could be an acomplished wizard who has isolated himself away from his people. (Even so far as to move an entire castle to accomidate him.
My rethinking is that he's an individual devoted to self-inprovement, and contenplation. Perhaps LN or LG. When the Flan arrive, he takes on the role of Lord, but somewhat reluctantly.
In his effort to become divine, he is undone by a legendary Flannee, Vecna. This is a young Vecna, and in order to remove the threat to him, uses agents and subterfuge to trap him in his own dungeons, knowing that the Soul Gem works like a sort of key and cage for the Archmage.
After he is trapped, Vecna orders the tower destroyed. Centuries after the tower is destroyed legends morph to the mysterious stories that exist now.
Following your conflict between a mortal Vecna and Galap-Driedel, perhaps the latter was Olman, of Vô, or a visitor from another plane?
Regarding, Vô, Rip Van Wormer once wrote, "Galap-Driedel: an extremely short-lived offshoot of Vô in the Cairn Hills region; defeated by halflings some five years after its founding." See "ancient flan kingdoms," GreyTalk Archives, posted 11/20/1999 11:18:22 PM. Vô was the nation of the people of the Isles of Woe and surrounding lands. Id. However, many people emplot the civilization of the Isles of Woe at a different time (earlier, iirc) than Vecna's Empire of the Spidered Throne.
Regarding the Seer, he was expelled from the Duke Karll's court in 572 CY and near Maure Castle as of 591 CY. See LGG 126.
More later?
Last edited by mtg on Wed Jun 11, 2003 8:58 am; edited 1 time in total
I wish I could contribute to this thread in a more meaningful fashion, however I don't know much about that aspect of GH.
But that will not prevent me from completing my mission!
Welcome to the forums, Herald :) _________________ In more modern times, only Delglath of Rinloru is known to have crafted any items from the stone of this atrocious place. Even masters of the dark arts such as Xaene and Karoolck would hesitate to follow.
In my campaign, and in a Living Greyhawk "Return to the Ghost Tower of Inverness" that I played a hand in writing, Galap-Driedel belonged to the race known as the Cairn Builders, the beyond-ancient people who carved tombs into the Cairn Hills. I shared some of my thoughts on the Cairn Builders in an article archived on this site, but in retrospect I wonder if I wasn't being too subtle.
As I see it, the oldest of the three "Cairn Builder" races were the legendary Wind Dukes of Aaqa, a tall blue air-focused humanoid race called the Vaati. Galap-Dreidel, whom we know predated the Flan and Suel from the reference in White Plume Mountain, therefore becomes a perfect candidate for a long-lived and undoubtedly lonely Wind Duke who was stranded or chose to remain on Oerth after the bloody Battle of Pesh that plays a role in the myth of the Rod of Seven Parts.
This "solution," using cast-off one-liners from old Greyhawk products and wholly consistent with continuity, provides a good excuse to give Galap-Dreidel that critical "not quite human" vibe that seems to waft from the page featuring his original description.
As I see it, the oldest of the three "Cairn Builder" races were the legendary Wind Dukes of Aaqa, a tall blue air-focused humanoid race called the Vaati. Galap-Dreidel, whom we know predated the Flan and Suel from the reference in White Plume Mountain,
After reading this, something completely unassociated caught my brain... I remember reading somewhere (FtA, perhaps), about some mysterious "blue wizard" (Philidor? I think) who shows up during the Wars..... and after reading about the blue-skinned Vaati..... could they be somehow associated?
Regarding, Vô, Rip Van Wormer once wrote, "Galap-Driedel: an extremely short-lived offshoot of Vô in the Cairn Hills region; defeated by halflings some five years after its founding."
The name Vô for the Isles of Woe was Montand/Taras Guarhoth's idea, incidently. I think the connection between Vô and Galap-Driedel was his, too.
After reading this, something completely unassociated caught my brain... I remember reading somewhere (FtA, perhaps), about some mysterious "blue wizard" (Philidor? I think) who shows up during the Wars..... and after reading about the blue-skinned Vaati..... could they be somehow associated?
Best word on Philidor is that he is a construct created by Pelor and Corellon Larethian to get around the non-intervention pact of the gods. Since he's not a true avatar but a construct avatar, he passes muster.
As far as Galap-Driedel himself, IMC I put his age in the legend as just being that -- legend -- and made him a Suel refugee wizard who found the already ancient fortress, which I would probably attribute to the vaati though I have never really worried about pinning that down.
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