Greyhawk Gazetteer Addendum: The Nyr Dyv States, Part I
Date: Wed, May 05, 2004
Topic: Greyhawk Gazetteer


From the Sheldomar Valley to the states of the central Flanaess around the Nyr Dyv, we come to explore the culture and knowledge of the central Flanaess. Beginning with the Bandit Kingdoms and continuing to Furyondy, the Brother of the Cruel Summer continues his dispatches upon culture, military power, rulers, and foreign relations...

Greyhawk Gazetteer Addendum: The Nyr Dyv States, Part I
By: CruelSummerLord
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

Bandit Kingdoms

The notorious lands of the Bandit Kingdoms have served as a rallying point and hiding place for criminals, murderers, vagabonds, thieves and brigands for centuries. A land of arid plains, infertile hills, and unwholesome woods, one can only survive in this land if he knows how to fight and raid, and has the strength to defend what is his from others. Comparisons with the Wild Coast are inevitable, though even that ill-reputed place is not as bad as these.

As the name implies, banditry is the main export and occupation of the kingdoms’ peoples, raiding both each other and surrounding states. Thrill-seekers and less ethical adventurers are known to come to try and earn their fortunes here, even as they try and avoid the fate of a thousand of their predecessors.

The Greyhawk Wars had little effect on the bandits directly, though some of the western kingdoms allied themselves with the Horned Society when that realm embarked on its wars of conquest. Others, wanting no master except their own freedom, harshly and scornfully rejected any offers of alliance from the Empire. The Bandit Kingdoms have perhaps changed less than any other Flanaess state as a result of the war, remaining an ugly cancer in the north.

Society and Culture: The bandit kingdoms all have their own unique mores and attitudes, though almost the citizens of almost every one share common characteristics as thugs and murderers. The Duchy of the Artonsamay and Theocracy of Dimre notwithstanding, the bandits are only loosely aligned to their home kingdom, happy to stab their own brothers in the back if they can get their hands on his loaf of bread. Only within local families, and to a lesser extent, kingdoms as a whole, is any affection or kindness shown. Visitors to any kingdom must watch both their throat and their purse, lest one or the other be cut. Bandits traveling between kingdoms know full well that their neighbors will happily rob and kill them given any sort of excuse.

Individual kingdoms have their own unique characteristics: The realms of Greenkeep and the Earldom of the Tangles are known as being “merry followers of Olidamarra”. In practice, this means that riotous, debauched parties and festivals are the norm in these realms, which involve drunkenness, property damage, and death duels. The bandits of these realms are known to die as much from alcohol poisoning or drunken knife fights as they are in any raid.

Other realms, such as Johrase, Reyhu, Dimre, and Grosskopf, are harsh lands with harsh citizens who have no mercy for any of their own who prove weak and helpless. They are the most frequent and most violent raiders, going as far as Veluna, Nyrond and the Lortmils to raid and plunder. The people of these realms have barely any more trust for their own kinsmen than they do for those of other states, knowing full well that what is yours today may belong to someone else tomorrow.

The last few bandit realms, such as Abbarra, Stoink, and Rookroost, are under tight control of groups of rulers, who brook no opposition within their borders and hire their services out to neighboring states and independent princes and lords. Stoink and Rookroost are known to be as slimy and decadent as Elredd or Molag, gathering places for thieves and murderers just like these other cities. Just like in the Horned Empire, criminals, murderers, and other lowlifes flock to these cities. Adventurers living there will find that life is very dangerous and uncertain, although thrill seekers and danger lovers will find everything they could ever want in these places.

Military Structure: When threatened by outside forces, all the bandit lords will send a portion of their troops, which made for a patchwork army whose individual units fell into their own tactics, hopefully complementing the others. The various bandit realms all have differing tactics and levels of training, ranging from the drunken, unprofessional hooligans of the Tangles to the crack footmen of Johrase, armed with morning star and chain mail. Usually, the leaders of such an army will send out the most expendable irregulars to take the brunt of missile fire and cavalry charges, before moving in to attack themselves.

While their ability as an overall military force is highly suspect, all the bandits are skilled raiders and trackers, using varying levels of force and/or stealth in their raids as complements their individual styles. Some of these raiders will attempt to frame other bandit realms for their attacks, in the hope that retaliation will be directed at them. Others are happy to proclaim their identities openly, enjoying the opportunity to draw their enemies into their own terrain.

Ruler: There are too many bandit lords to go into here-and the holders of these positions change frequently, dying either in battle, by assassination, or even in drinking contests with underlings (something that happens to many of the leaders of the Tangles and Greenkeep folk, obviously). A bandit lord knows that the empty purses and cooking pots of underlings will bring rebellion, and so many of them spend most of their time on raids, spending the rest of the time either meeting with their fellows or working on strengthening their power bases at home.

These leaders, whatever their identities and personalities, are almost always thieves, assassins or warriors-rarely are cavaliers, wizards, or monks found leading these realms, the clerical leaders of Dimre being an obvious exception. Such leaders are usually skilled enough to be considered “masters” by those involved in their profession, and will have as many as three or more magic items to back their claims up.

Foreign Relations: The Bandit Kingdoms are hated and loathed by all their neighbors. While some realms, such as Wormhall, Stoink and Artonsamay, will cultivate alliances with surrounding states, the rest of the bandit lords consider everyone surrounding them, including other bandits, their enemies. They will ally only out of necessity or when the situation dictates, breaking alliances as soon as they can find a benefit for themselves.

Celene, Fairy Kingdom of

Humans have often wondered at this, the largest elven realm left in the Flanaess. The faerie elves have always been an insular sort, adventurers and merchants only passing through the kingdom briefly, unless they had pressing business with the elven court. While not xenophobic, the elves generally preferred to keep to themselves.

This isolation was driven home during the Greyhawk Wars, when Queen Yolande refused all pleas for aid, even from her supposed allies in the Ulek states, though her realm was as threatened by Turrosh Mak as any other. Elves across the Flanaess debated endlessly on the reasoning for the queen’s actions, even as the Ulek states withdrew their ambassadors in outrage.

Human and elven ambassadors have attempted to speak with Yolande and get reasoning for her actions, but they always receive the same reply: she does not wish to see her people die in wars caused by the greed and folly of humanity. Even as she says this, the ambassadors have reported on the troubled look in her eyes and the whispering of the court…

Society and Culture: Celene’s borders are open and welcome to elves of all races, and to certain Flan humans who remain at one with nature, spurning the trappings of human civilization. As one might expect, elves hold all the major social and political positions in the realm. Some humans, gnomes and halflings live here, but they are a protected underclass, having little say In or care for the convoluted politics of the elven realms. Law does not discriminate against them-they simply have little interest in grand politics, knowing full well that most of the elves will not tolerate abuses against them.
The social organization of the kingdom has the elven queen at the head, and her word is the absolute final order on all matters concerning the nation. In practice, she rarely exercises this authority, as elven tradition gives leeway to the various princes, counts and other nobles that make up the realm, with considerable right to self-government and “home rule”. Celene’s politics seem chaotic and disjointed to human outsiders, but the elves rarely get caught up in such petty disputes over land, gold or population as we humans do.

The elves of Celene (and, to a lesser extent, all the elves of the Flanaess) are loyal to the queen, though many of them are upset at her refusal to get involved in wars against evil in the rest of the Flanaes. There are mutterings about the influence the People of the Testing and the old Faerie Mysteries are having on the queen.

The People of the Testing, while ostensibly of good alignment, are known to dream of uniting the elven peoples of the whole world, in an attempt to heal the wounds caused by Sehanine Moonbow that shattered her people before they could ever unite. When Sehanine told her people to withdraw from the world and not mind the affairs of humans and other “lesser beings”, many of the elves spat in her face and spurned her teachings, going to other parts of the world.

The People are attempting to bring all the elven peoples home once more, and make them the united people that the Seldarine meant them to be. They will do this regardless of how it affects other races across the Flanaess, even to the point of causing the death of the Prince Consort of Celene in the late 490s CY, because of his desire to learn more of the humans and cooperate more with their people.

They thus receive only a lukewarm welcome from the other elven peoples. The tensions between them and their kin is indicative of a greater tension among the elven peoples in general. All the elves are ostensibly united in word and deed, but in practice they know it is not so and never has been. While Celene is generally a peaceful, calm, and bountiful place to live, there are fierce debates and intrigues within the Grand Court at Enstad, which trickle down to Celenean society as a whole.

There is little public violence, though fierce debates are heard concerning the elves of Miranda (who have spurned Sehanine Moonbow and those other deities of the Seldarine that have no regard for “lesser races”), the elves of the Suhfang Empire, and general social issues concerning the elven peoples as a whole. Tensions at the top of Celenean society can carry down into the common people, who often must deal with the strained relationships between their leaders.

It should be mentioned, however, that Celene is still strongly united, despite all the arguing that goes on. The elven people have fault with many of Queen Yolande’s policies, feeling that the influence of her adviser Onselven and the other People will do them no good, but they will always unite against an outside threat. None of them, not even the Knights of Luna who oppose the Peoples’ agenda, would ever think of turning on Yolande and use violence, though they strongly disagree with her policies.

Celene’s general social structure shifts and varies with the debates and allegiances of the hundred or so princes, dukes and other nobles that make up the Grand Council of Celene. These worthies speak on behalf of their communities and act as a sort of parliament which can handle routine legislative business concerning them as a whole and advise the queen, informing her as to the feelings of the people they represent. Royal authority is the ultimate arbitrator, though in truth the various nobles have great latitude in determining their own affairs. The social structure of Celene is very loose-routine disputes are generally resolved peacefully, and elven society is not given to overly complex legal battles in the manner of humans.

The non-elves of Celene, which include humans, gnomes, halflings, and various types of fairy-folk, are generally well-regarded by all elven people, having little interest in the various trials and tribulations of the elven race. Any offensive treatment against them is harshly dealt with, whether in physical punishment or social sanction. Only dwarves have any reason to beware in Celene-the laws protecting non-elves are written specifically to exclude the bearded folk, and rare is the elf who will not spit in the direction of a dwarf for daring to defile their homeland with his presence.

Military Structure: Celene’s armies are, without a doubt, the finest of any demihuman force in the Flanaess. Deadly archers armed with longbow and spear are, as can be expected, the backbone of the army, along with well-drilled light infantry with longsword and spear, dressed in leather or studded leather. Humans, gnomes and halflings have their own separate fighting untis, often bolstered by the magic of the fairy-folk.

Humans bearing lance and broadsword make up the cavalry, led by the rare unicorn-riding elven warrior-maidens, who are only seen by the most unlucky of foes. Formidable magic-users and hippogriff-riding air units round out an army that is overall very well-trained and highly organized, despite the chaotic nature of elves.

The one place where the nation is wanting is among sappers and miners. While elves can and do mine ore and produce metal swords themselves, their technological skills are, as one might expect, lacking. The military gnomes will usually serve in whatever sapping function is necessary, though they will use the strength and power of treants and forest giants rather than heavy machinery in their work.

Ruler: Queen Yolande was, long ago, the great hope of the elven kingdom and the pride of her race. She has met these expectations, having guided the realm through many crises, despite being at the tender (for a gray elf) age of four centuries. With the sun-gold hair, water-blue eyes, and sculpted figure to match Sehanine herself, she is greatly admired by all elves, whatever their political affilations, for her grace, compassion and wisdom.

The problem is that she does not seem to have as high an opinion of herself. Despite her great beauty and caring manner, she has often been troubled by the stresses of ruling, as far as she can, a fractured people. Many are the times she has wept for her kinsmen, lost on the other side of the world in Miranda, or trapped by Law in Sufang and the Mage in the Valley. Although she never wants for supporters and aid, she puts a great deal more pressure on herself than one would expect, as she is haunted by the belief, flashing through the back of her mind, that the Seldarine have chosen her to at last unite the elven race.

Yolande can be stubborn and willful when she makes up her mind, silencing even the most forceful and overbearing of advisors. While she followed the lead of the People of the Testing in keeping her people out of the human conflicts ravaging the rest of the Flanaess, she is tormented by divided loyalties. She feels a sense of duty in listening to those who would try and help her people, but the guilt of not helping those victims of war who might survived with her aid eats at her constantly.
Her suspicions about the death of her first Consort have caused her to grieve, and she is more vulnerable to the influence of those elves who say that they should stay out of humanity’s affairs, even when these same elves are the ones suspected of murdering her old love. When not dealing with the worries and fretting of politics, she is very kind and personable, capable of connecting even with the hardest barbarians. She does not bear the traditional antipathy towards dwarves that most of the rest of her kin share, and indeed she is the only thing about Celene that many dwarves can stomach.

Yolande has an encyclopedic memory, able to recall history, legends and myth from all branches of the elven race, as she has kept tabs on all of her kin, even those who turned their backs on Sehanine long ago. She cares very deeply for her people, wanting in all cases what is best for them, even if that means not getting involved in humanity’s wars. She bears man no ill will, though she is aware that some of nobles are not so open-minded. Her confusion and sadness leave her seeking advice from all those that will give it to her, but first and foremost she is motivated by the desire to heal the wounds of her race, and build upon the friendship between human and elf, as far as is possible.

Foreign Relations: The dwarves of the Lortmils, whatever their alignment, have no love for Celene, and the elves react likewise, though they are considerably more genial to those dwarves of the Principality of Ulek. There is nothing between Celene and the cities of Greyhawk and Dyvers but ice-cold apathy; the elves have no desire to interact with the greedy and shifty humans of these realms, and they have little patience for and interest in elven society. Representatives from Keoland, Verbobonc and Veluna are welcomed at Enstad, though they have been unsuccessful in bringing Yolande to help humanity against evil in the Flanaess.

The people of the Ulek states have typically had the warmest relations with Celene, though many of the peoples of all three realms are very upset at Yolande’s refusal to help them even against their traditional enemies, the humanoids of the Pomarj. Many Celenese now ignore their queen’s official stance and help the peoples of Ulek without regard for what their kinsmen think. While their governments are furious with that of Celene, the many and varied peoples of the Ulek states still get on quite well with individual Celenese.

Dyvers, Free City of

Dyvers has always been a city run by and for the wealthy. Commanding an enviable position upon the Nyr Dyv, it grows fabulously wealthy from all the kinds of trade that pass through it, whether legal or illicit. The envy of the western Flanaess for wealth and prestige, its economic power gives it a powerful position in the west……and many enemies.

The rise of the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj to the south and the Horned Empire to the north indicate just how perilous the post-war situation is, with enemies that would greatly enjoy plundering the city’s riches and destroying her beautiful treasures. Other, more subtle foes were present as well…the gnomes of the Kron Hills attempting to monopolize the gem trade moving through their land…Greyhawk’s subtle and overt attempts to either ruin the city or divert its trade…and the old Furyondy hawks who wish to reclaim this seceded capital for their kingdom.

With all these supposed threats, the citizens have taken it upon themselves to oust the old Magister Margus, and replace him with the fiery Larissa Hunter, a rabid patriot and staunch defender of the city’s interests. She has shortened many tempers in foreign lands, though she has captured the hearts of her people, whether human or otherwise.

Society and Culture: Known as “The City of Shylocks”, the greed and covetousness of the wealthy elites of the Gentry of Dyvers knows no bounds. Human, patrician and genteel, they brook no insolence from demihumans, democrats of foreigners, insisting on maintaining control of all aspects of life in the city and surrounding area. Great was their indignation when Greyhawk declared itself, without their permission, to be the “Gem of the Flanaess”.

Although the city is in theory a democracy, whose magister is supposed to wield the power of his or her office based on personal ability and achievement, it is rather more along the lines of a plutocracy, where the wealthy Gentry can appoint and recall Magisters as they see fit.

The common folk of Dyvers know the social structure-humans are first and foremost, demihumans are accorded only what civil rights they can pay for and keep. These common people are full of passion for progress and innovation, but also have an insular suspicion, and deliberately patronizing attitudes to all those who do not meet their own standards of “refined” behavior.

It matters not whether someone is man or woman, but merely that they are human, if they hope to succeed in Dyvers. The people here are also rather unconcerned with matters outside their own city walls, or of the alignments of their customers, as long as they pay in hard coin.

For all its pretences to refinement, the city has a dark side to it. Slavery is practiced openly, and the sale of such, varying from kidnapped villagers to the routing of the Olman markets from the Sea Princes. Other disgusting businesses such as brothels (often supplemented by purchased slave girls), torture dens, and drug saloons are present, though never discussed in polite society. Many of the decadent nobles would prefer it stays that way, to avoid sullying their own pasts.
On the other hand, charity and mutual support are actively practiced among the commoners, if not the Gentry. These take such forms as donations to orphanages, the purchase of clothing for the poor, and allowing poor folk to pay with copper and silver as opposed to gold. Those less-bigoted human commoners will also shield demihuman friends of theirs from those who would harm or rob them.

Military Structure: The Gentry of Dyvers have long made it known that they will pay top coin for mercenaries to serve as their standing army, and so mercenaries from around the Flanaess travel to Dyvers in the hope that they will find good-paying work. In return, the Gentry buys them the very best in weapons and armour-long sword, mace, and dagger, plus banded mail and shield for sergeants and better. Masterwork items can be made for captains and lieutenants. Common troops usually carry polearms, or shield and spear, as light foot in ring or scale mail.

The quality of these troops varies with whatever kinds of mercenaries are present, though their marine force is generally accorded as being the best of the lot. Rarely are the expensive cavalry units present, the Gentry preferring the less-expensive hobilars. Few anywhere would believe that the Free Army or Marines would last long against a determined assault by Furyondy, or the Horned or Orcish Empires, and so the situation, at least for the moment, is tense.

Ruler: Margus was a middle-aged thief of razor-sharp wit and ability, known for his dry sense of humor and ability to concoct puns and wordplays on the spot. His love for roguery made him a regular at many of the city’s “lower-born” areas, though he was himself a noble.

Although a rogue, he was a crack shot with the long bow. Hated by the Gentry for his patronage of adventurers and other lowlifes, he was able to hold his post for over thirteen years through his underground contacts, who happily rewarded him with juicy gossip on many members of the Gentry. Only the most serious matter could have gotten the Gentry to risk such public scandal.

This scandal came in 585 CY, when Furyondy’s Knights of the Hart proclaimed that the kingdom should reclaim its old capital city. With the public hysteria this generated, the Gentry was able to recall and banish him, replacing him with the firebrand Larissa Hunter, former commandant of the Free Army.

Larissa has spent over seventeen years climbing her way through the ranks of the Dyvers military, after having acquired the wealth and prestige from adventuring to join the nobility. Known for her overt nationalism and smug, arrogant wit, she belittled Greyhawk and Furyondy nearly every time she spoke.

Larissa Hunter will, in making all decisions, consider the health and wealth of Dyvers, and only of Dyvers. The poor of Furyondy and the attitudes of Greyhawk never enter her thoughts when making a decision. As a result, while she is beloved at home, she is reviled by nobles and rulers in all the surrounding lands.

Larissa is a Spartan, military woman, always keeping her hair cropped short, dressed in the plate armor one would expect of a knight rather than a city official. She insists on having visitors peace-bond their weapons before she will see them, blade in hand. She is also concerned with the welfare of the poor in her city, and how they have been suffering from the criminal element infiltrating it. As such, while she gathers the Gentry’s good will and curries their favor, she is already planning ways to use these means to make life better for the poorer folk, and stamp out the criminals in their midst.

Foreign Relations: Most people cannot stomach dealing with the Gentry of Dyvers, yet do so out of necessity. Furyondy, its former sovereign, and the landowners of Veluna enjoy only lukewarm relations with the Free City, and Verbobonc deeply resents the fact that they are overshadowed by Dyvers.

More curious than this are Dvyers’s relationships with Greyhawk, the Horned Empire, and the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj. Greyhawk and Dyvers trade with each other, though each would happily destroy and loot the other if they could. The two neighboring empires could make very valuable allies in the future…if they do not decide to destroy Dyvers altogether. Larissa Hunter must play a delicate game here, however-Furyondy and the Principality of Ulek, both valuable trading partners, would be livid if the city courted the attentions of their hated enemies.

The gnomes of the Kron Hills, growing more and more alienated from Verbobonc, are now seeking to redirect gem trade through their own lands. This has earned the ire of merchants in half a dozen different realms, the Gentry not least among them. They feel severe action must be taken…

Furyondy, Kingdom of

The great and wonderful kingdom of Furyondy is the bastion of Good in the north, a country that has fought the evil in the northlands since before its founding. The first of the old dominions of the Great Kingdom to declare independence from Rauxes, Furyondy later became a bastion for the noble and good among the Aerdi people as House Rax slid into its worst incompetence and buffoonery.

As the first line of defense against Iuz, the Horned Society, and the Bandits, Furyondy was also among the first nations attacked in the Greyhawk Wars, as the Horned Society, fresh off its conquest of the Shield Lands, took advantage of the chaos in Iuz and claimed the Old One’s territory, sending the last part of its forces against Furyondy.

Furyondy managed to endure, and claim victory against the Society. Yet it took years to thwart the Society’s efforts, as twenty thousand men were slain, and Crockport and Grabford were overrun by the Society’s armies. Furyondy had driven the Horned Ones back to their own lands, though she was sorely wounded in doing so. The proud road system was badly damaged by Horned siege engineers. The king had expended much of his wealth, and the national economy suffered from an alarming lack of trade. Now, Furyondy keeps soldiers monitoring the border with the Horned Empire, as the Society calls its new dominion. The Furyonds do not allow anyone to cross over the border either way, fearing the motives of any who do so…


Society and Culture: In these troubled times, Furyondy stands out, along with Veluna, as a bastion of good and chivalry. With fair and equitable laws, staunchly brave citizens, and an eternal spirit of endurance, the kingdom fills those who fear the darkness with hope.

As a result of so many years making war, whether it be against Iuz, the Horned Society, or any other source of evil, many of the people of Furyondy are now war-weary. They will greet travelers cordially, though they remain suspicious and uncertain of those they do not know, until such prove their worth. Even then, the Furyonds often engage in cliquish gatherings
with each other, looking at outlanders with suspicion.
Other Furyonds are aggressive and outgoing, loudly proclaiming the glory of Furyondy to any who will listen Even the Keoish are taken aback by the blustering of these people, many of whom serve in Furyondy’s branch of the Knights of the Hart. They are also found in some of the provinces of the realm, such as the Duchy of the Reach and Viscounty of the March. Immensely proud of their country’s military history, some of them dream of expanding Furyondy’s borders and increasing her glory.

Despite these flaws, the Furyonds as a people are as brave and honorable as one might find-it is simply that so many years of fighting and being on guard against the northern enemy has hardened them. They are brave and fearless in combat against man or orc, and many will sacrifice themselves if it means that their sons and daughters will be able to live without fear.

Although the king of Furyondy does not have as many petitioners and factions to juggle as does the King of Keoland, the provinces of the kingdom pay close attention to matters concerning their autonomy. The king generally has latitude to act on his own, though his provincial nobles will invariably respond better if they have been consulted. Sometimes, the king and certain provincial lords will have to strong-arm others into pursuing a path that is good for the nation, leading to conflicts and resentment.

The first act of King Thrommel I, after he was crowned in 254 CY, was to outlaw slavery. Now, it is punished more severely than any other crime in the realm, save murder and treason. Women generally do not serve in the armed forces, though there is no gender discrimination of any kind in Furyondy, and they enjoy all the civil rights and privileges that men do.

Military Structure: Even despite the loss of manpower and resources in the Greyhawk Wars, Furyondy commands what is likely the greatest standing army in all the Flanaess. Before the wars, it often took considerable time for the nation to muster her forces, though King Belvor and his nobles have now agreed on provisions for a fully raised army.

And what an army it is. Outside of the personal Companion Guard of the Aerdy overking, it is impossible to find heavy cavalry that is better trained and equipped than the belled horsemen of Furyondy. Elf and human light infantry units drawn from the Vesve Forest act as excellent scouts and rangers, while the Knights of the Hart are the first line of defense against attack. From the hobilars to the foot, from the elven archers to the gnome sappers, there are few armies in the Flanaess that can match Furyondy’s might.

Whereas there were only a few thousand permanently standing troops before the Wars, this number has increased to over twenty thousand, with the provinces combining their forces for another twenty thousand. Maintaining such a large force is draining on the royal coffers, and the nation is indeed fortunate to have many of the costs covered by the charitable dwarves of the Yatils and the merchant classes of Veluna, neither of which want to see the evil in the north spread into their lands.

Furyondy’s navy, admittedly, is no match for the incredible vessels of the Lordship of the Isles, the Sea Barons, or the Sea Princes. However, it remains a strong force on Whyestil Lake, though the rising power of the Horned Empire’s navy is indeed cause for consternation.

Ruler: King Belvor IV is a man in his late sixties, with long, flowing white hair and a beard to match. Never without his holy avenging battle-axe, he carries himself with firm purpose and strong determination, though at times he will let his exhaustion and weariness show through. The efforts of ruling a kingdom and engaging in perpetual war, as well as the loss of his son and heir Thrommel, have slowly worn him down, so that there is no light left in his eyes. He has seen and fought against horrors most men can only dream of, and has the scars to prove it.

The old Belvor that one might have met in the 570s was a kindly gentleman, if a tad forceful in making his opinions heard and his directions followed. The young Belvor fought with a smile on his face, keeping the teachings of Hieroneous close to his heart, even as he slew countless enemies in defense of his people. An accomplished organist, Belvor could also sing quite well, and some say he could have become a bard if he so wanted. Unfailingly polite and gentlemanly to women, he tended to have a soft spot for them even after he was married, something which caused whispers in the court, though most of them were in jest.

Now, Belvor is a tired, worn-out, exhausted general. He remains steadfast and determined at his work, though everyone now knows that he wishes to step down and let his heir take his place. Would that it was that simple-Prince Thrommel disappeared in 573 CY, campaigning in the south, though divinations indicate that he is still alive, at least. Belvor knows that if his heir is not found, one of his three daughters will have to marry the son of a provincial noble, who would become the next king. He does not want this to happen, as he has great pride in his family line. More importantly, he is not sure that his nobles are above their own conflicts, and that none of them are capable of suppressing the conflicts as well as he has.

Foreign Relations: Furyondy is well-thought of by all its neighbors-except, of course, for the Cells of Iuz, the Horned Empire, and the Bandit Kingdoms. Travelers may not cross the militarized border between Furyondy and the Horned Empire, and security is strictly enforced here. The kingdom is a valued trading partner of Greyhawk, though the people of the kingdom intensely dislike that city and the crooked nature of its inhabitants. They also are wary of the great economic power it possesses. Furyondy’s relations with Dyvers are friendly enough, though Furyondy’s branch of the Knights of the Hart proclaim that they would love nothing more than to expand and annex that city once again. This is something neither the king nor the Gentry appreciate.

Furyondy is close friends and allies with Highfolk, Veluna and the dwarves and elves of the Yatils and Vesve, trading with and protecting them all. Urnst and Nyrond are thought of well enough by the kingdom, though they are trusted little more than Greyhawk, as their economic interests rival those of Furyondy.







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