Chapter #1201
+
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ THE ADVENTURERS +
+ +
+ Epic VI +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells, and other +
+ terms used in these stories are the property of Wizards of the Coast +
+ which has in no way endorsed or authorized their use. Any such +
+ property contained within these stories are not representative of +
+ Wizards of the Coast in any fashion. +
+ The player characters depicted in these stories are copyright +
+ 1991-2026 by Thomas A. Miller. Any resemblance to any persons +
+ or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental. +
+ Copying and/or distribution of these stories is permissible under +
+ the sole condition that no money is made in the process. In that +
+ case, I hope you enjoy them! +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ THE BRIGHT ALLIANCE +
+ +
+ Alindyar 18th level dark elven wizard +
+ Belphanior 18th/18th/18th level elven fighter/wizard/thief +
+ Dexitheseus 17th level human wizard, jack of all trades +
+ Kronos 22nd level lich wizard +
+ Lyra 14th level female drow wizard +
+ Pallin 18th level grey elven wizard, teleporter +
+ Parekh 18th level female human wizard, innovator +
+ Wu 18th level human wizard, transmuter +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ ASSOCIATES OF BRIGHT ALLIANCE MEMBERS +
+ +
+ Hope 16th level female human wizard +
+ Poulos 8th level human warrior +
+ Irina 14th/7th level female human priestess/warrior +
+ Neera 12th level female human wizard (sage/savant) +
+ Arusha 6th level human female wizard/alchemist +
+ Judhon 7th level gnomish illusionist +
+ Otto 12th/14th level dwarven fighter/thief +
+ Paige 13th level human female warrior +
+ Razor Charlie 12th level human fighter +
+ Skektek 14th level human wizard +
+ Ys 14th level reptilian fighter +
+ +
+ Socrates large albino hound +
+ Talos adamantine golem +
+ +
+ Drak 15th level human barbarian +
+ Talathion Undiviel, an elven chief architect +
+ Vogric Stoneshaper, a dwarven master builder +
+ +
+ 6 elite ogre magi +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ NOTEWORTHY ALLIES +
+ +
+ Lord Marcus 19th level human fighter, now general of the army +
+ Peldor 20th level human thief, now city administrator +
+ Ariel 9-year-old noncombatant +
+ Bosco 14th level halfling thief +
+ Eduardo 4th level human thief +
+ Felicia 4th level female human thief +
+ Tanya 5th/11th level female human fighter/thief +
+ Vinnie 8th level human warrior +
+ Peyote 12th/13th level half-elf fighter/Archdruid of Obad-Hai +
+ Daffodil 11th level human druidess of Obad-Hai +
+ Shemeya 19th level human sorceress from ancient Sulm +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ CURRENTLY-EMPLOYED MERCENARY TROUBLESHOOTERS +
+ +
+ Adolphus 10th level half-ogre warrior +
+ Damien small, renegade imp +
+ Peyton 11th level gnome thief +
+ Rogar 10th level human priest of Olidammara +
+ Sylus 8th/10th level dark elf warrior/thief +
+ Wembly 10th level human wizard +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Date: 4/1/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: midday +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Lands +
+ Climate: warm and dry +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ "We cannot further influence the destiny of this world." +
+ "We already have. Our only option now is to influence it well." +
+ - from _Star Trek: Strange New Worlds_ pilot episode +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MCCI. Forging of a Nation
The new month of Planting - fourth in the Oerth calendar, and beginning
after the spring holiday of Growfest - saw a markedly different situation
in the Bright Lands compared to just three months before. For a region
which had experienced steady and significant expansion and progress over
the last year, that was saying a lot.
Immediately after the successful efforts to retake the Lost Lands of
Sterich and Geoff (and his equally-successful efforts to get fair value
for his land investments in the Domain of Greyhawk) Belphanior had turned
his focus to numerous diplomatic efforts. He had previously worked with
the hill barbarian chief Orm to secure an alliance with those wild folk
of the Abbor-Alz hills that formed the northern border of the desert; key
to these efforts was the elimination of the duergar and the monsters that
had occupied and worked the mines, as well as Father Eye. With the mine
now empty and collapsed, the hillfolk didn't have to worry about dangers
coming from that direction - which very much pleased them. Further, the
last time the elf and the barbarian leader had talked, Orm vowed to speak
with his counterparts among the desert nomads to see if they would agree
to a similar measure of understanding and cooperation. The main challenge
there had been the very nature of those nomads: they were fragmented into
several dozen tribes, some small and some numbering a thousand strong, and
thus there was no single leader. Some of these groups seemed to thrive on
constant fighting and warfare, while others wanted peace; the one thing
they all had in common was a healthy respect for (or even fear of) magic.
Orm had suggested that the only thing that might one day unite the various
tribes was power - either military or magical. Fortunately, the Bright
Alliance had both, and in far greater quantities than Rary had possessed
and demonstrated. Belphanior and Orm arranged a great meeting of all the
tribal leaders, and there the elf quickly outlined his position: he and
his companions had not only rid the desert of the unnatural and dangerous
manscorpions, they had also dealt with a number of singular monsters at
specific sites. This included the ancient three-headed monster in the
valley of Fool's Rest, the duergar and their ruler in the mines, and the
dark forces that haunted the Shembai Oasis...not to mention the predatory
bandits formerly housed in Griffon's Nest, who had terrorized the Knife's
Edge Pass and the surrounding area. There had even been whispers of some
dire menace atop the spire known as Dagger Rock, now driven away by this
bold elf and his mysterious allies. Each of these achievements was mighty
in its own right; combined, they were even more impressive to the simple
nomads of the desert.
Ahead of this momentous gathering, Belphanior had made sure to employ
various spells and magical items to enhance both his speaking voice and
his personality, making them even stronger and more aggressive than usual.
He was well aware that power was the only real language with which he
could negotiate with the nomads, and he projected plenty of it. Besides
the fact that his group had rid the desert of Rary and the aforementioned
menaces, the elf made sure that accounts of his recent deeds in the Lost
Lands had been circulated among the people of the desert. More than a few
of the nomads (and Orm's hill barbarians, for that matter) knew that this
elven warrior-wizard had powerful generals as allies...Mongo Thunderhead,
the legendary Killer of Giants...Yod Ironbeard of Thunderdelve Mountain in
the Lortmils...Lord Marcus, formerly of Greyspire, a hero and leader during
the Greyhawk Wars...and, some whispered, now the mercenary general Nigel
Bloodstone and his elite, veteran fighting force. It was also no secret
that the Bright Alliance had built and bolstered a sizable military force
over the winter and spring; both the numbers and skill of those soldiers
were known to be impressive. It also didn't hurt that the majority of the
previous troops and leaders of the various forts, from the time of Rary,
had opted to join the current rulers of the desert and remain in place as
part of the newer forces and those who employed them.
Although "rulers" was perhaps too strong a word, as Belphanior had told
those assembled nomad leaders that evening. The alliance of wizards, he
had explained, didn't want to _rule_ anybody; they simply wanted to make
the desert a safer and better place for everyone. While that meant some
new forts and roads and farmlands - yes, farmlands, brought into existence
through mighty magic, hard work, and great persistence! - eventually it
would also mean increased commerce with neighboring regions, and a peace
that the desert had never known before. The elf had hammered home the key
point that the nomads would never make any real progress if they continued
to constantly fight and kill each other. He also noted that - if blood
and violence, killing or dying, were all they wanted out of life - then it
would be best to arrange that immediately and directly and thus be done
with it. This was the stick to go along with the carrot: those whose
only purpose in life was to inflict violence on others...would suffer that
fate themselves, so that everyone else wouldn't have to deal with them.
These men all came from a fierce and honorable warrior culture, but they
also had families; Belphanior had appealed to them from that angle, noting
that with all of the hostile people and creatures now removed from the
desert, the days of constant battle and struggle could finally end. A new
era of peace and prosperity was on the horizon, for those willing to work
toward reaching it.
In some situations, such chiefs would never have listened to an outsider
tell them such things. However - aside from all of the not-insignificant
things that this elf and his allies had accomplished, and aside from the
fact that he had already won over the hill barbarians - the things that
Belphanior was telling them were basic common sense. More than half of
the tribes (and their chiefs) had grown weary of years of fighting and
struggle...which meant that those still yearning for violence were in the
minority. And the side of the majority now had a massive magic-based ally
who clearly intended to enforce peace. Even the wildest and most chaotic
of the nomad chiefs had to stop and think now; they were basically being
told to stop harming others or else face the consequences. A couple of
them had considered simply attacking and killing the elf; even chiefs of
tribes could be dim-witted at times. But there was something about the
elf aside from his powerful voice, the passion of his statements, and the
inherent truth of this words...something else. He was known as a skilled
wizard of fearsome and deadly power, but he also had a well-worn scabbard
on his belt - and he looked like he knew how to use the sword held within.
There was also the matter of the small but competent-looking group he'd
brought with him: a couple of other wizards, a serious-looking dwarf with
a steely gaze, a surly and grim-looking fellow with a beltful of knives, a
lean priestess garbed in a hooded cloak, a tall and dark-haired warrior-
woman who exuded confidence and a readiness to fight, and a gigantic man-
lizard with grey scales and a massive greatsword. Any idiot could take
one look at this group and know that they - led by the elf or otherwise -
were fully capable of taking on and vanquishing a small army.
Belphanior had switched back to the carrot then, reassuring the gathered
tribal chiefs that the alliance of wizards would never extend their reach
far past their fortress-city in the Brass Hills. Each tribe would retain
its own ancestral lands and could do as it wished within those lands - as
long as violence wasn't involved. This extended to the centaurs, who were
not well-liked by most of the desert nomads; there would be peace in the
sands of the desert, and in the hills to the north. A "neutral zone" was
also discussed, a region that would serve as a buffer between the nomads'
lands and those occupied by the centaurs. Belphanior also promised some
measure of protection from the still-dangerous places such as the ruins
of Utaa, the Necropolis at Unaagh, and Darkbridge Temple...along with the
possibility that the Bright Alliance would soon deal with these sites and
render them no longer dangerous. (He saw no need to mention that one such
site - the remains of Utaa - had already been dealt with in the search for
Shattados and the Scorpion Crown.)
In conclusion, Belphanior had reiterated simply and clearly that while
the time for strife and fighting was done, the wizards were absolutely
_not_ going to fill the desert with cities or forts. Rather, they would
simply connect and protect the towns, oases, and forts that were already
there - in the interest of making life better for everyone. This message
was generally well-received by those chiefs present; the few who still
tended toward conflict and battle wisely kept silent (at least for now.)
The elf had also leveraged his past gains - and the help of the hill
barbarian leader Orm - to deal with another key element of the desert,
this one a place rather than a people: the trading village of Ul-Bakak.
Located in the northwest reaches of the Bright Lands, it was located in
the area between the desert sands and the Abbor-Alz hills and had served
for decades as a neutral trading site for the nomads and the hill people.
Ul-Bakak was governed by an unspoken truce: any and all who came there
could do business without any conflict or dispute. Violators were dealt
with immediately and lethally, although according to Orm no violations
had taken place for many years. Belphanior was very fond of Ul-Bakak's
golden rule - and had ideas about how it could possibly serve as a model
for other places in the desert - and he'd made sure to share that thought
with the village's ruler. This man, Chief Kamchak, was a deeply-tanned
warrior of average height but massively powerful build. A veteran of
countless battles, Kamchak had at some point settled into the role of
peacekeeper in the trading village; in his brief past dealings with the
fellow, Belphanior had found him to be tactful and level-headed, firm yet
fair. That disposition certainly helped when the elf began discussing
the trading post's future - which was not a question of "if" but moreso
"when"...and also "to what extent." He pointed out what Chief Kamchak
had already realized: commerce was coming to the desert, both from the
north (Urnst) using Knife's Edge Pass and from the northwest (Hardby and
beyond) via a route that did not yet exist but someday would. Why not,
Belphanior suggested to the other, ensure that Ul-Bakak was fully ready
and able to be the lynchpin of that future path of commerce? On behalf
of the Bright Alliance, the elf offered the resources to build up the
village ahead of what was to come...stone and labor for new buildings
and facilities to handle wagons, horses, and the people who controlled
both...arms and armor to equip the additional forces that Kamchak would
need to properly police the village and enforce its unique laws as it
grew...and perhaps most critically, the assurance of military and magical
support if some greater threat ever reared its head.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Chief Kamchak knew it.
What the elf said was true: merchant traffic would come, in volumes far
greater than what Ul-Bakak was used to. The village would need resources
and it would need someone to allocate them in ways that served the best
interests of the village, its inhabitants, and its visitors. While it was
true that not everyone would welcome the change...that change was coming,
and so it had to be managed and controlled. Kamchak had never been one
to back down from a challenge, and he didn't intend to start now; at the
same time, he made sure to negotiate with Belphanior for things that his
village needed. The chieftain's demands were simple: aside from those
supplies necessary to grow and strengthen Ul-Bakak, the trio of dangerous
places nearby had to be dealt with so that they never again presented any
threat to the village, its inhabitants, or the visitors whose business it
relied (or would rely) on. These sites - the Pits of Azak-Kil, the Ruins
of Zarak, and the Ghost Tower of Inverness - were already well-known to
Belphanior and the other archmagi, and efforts to render them harmless
were already on the wizards' agenda. Of course, Belphanior didn't state
this; rather, he spent some long moments frowning, rubbing his chin, and
otherwise appearing to be deep in thought about these foul places...before
finally nodding and agreeing that the mighty Bright Alliance would direct
some of its considerable power toward these problems. And in return for
ridding the region of those dangers, Chief Kamchak had promised, he
would see to it that Ul-Bakak welcomed the future roads. One of these
would lead southeast from the village, passing the Tulwar Oasis before
continuing to the massive fortress-city in the Brass Hills. The second
road would run thirty leagues northward through the rough wilds of the
Abbor-Alz hills, permanently and safely linking Ul-Bakak with Hardby and
the rich lands beyond.
Having the Tulwar Oasis along the first of these roads would not pose a
problem. One of the very first things the Bright Alliance had done after
Rary and Robilar's defeat was to absorb or remove their troops at all of
the forts, oases, and villages in the desert. The Tulwar was now guarded
by a combined force of Lord Marcus' troops, desert centaurs, and even a
few of the more friendly nomads; the first group had taken the time and
made the effort to really talk with the other two peoples, to hear and
understand their concerns and gain some measure of their trust. This had
resulted in some repaired and new structures and a substantial bolstering
of supplies and equipment for the oasis site...as well as more security,
which had helped immensely in the days when the monstrous scorpions still
roamed the desert sands. Those who lived at or used the oasis had not
forgotten that assistance, and in these hopeful times after Rary and the
scorpions, these people remained grateful and friendly.
Belphanior had found it necessary to revisit one other location within
the desert. The village of Histak, far to the southeastern corner of the
region, was best known for the sizable number of healers gathered there.
In the days before and during Rary's arrival, they had offered their
services to any and all who needed help. This neutrality had continued
after Rary's demise, but in recent months Lord Marcus had convinced them
that their skills were best spread throughout the desert, in support of
the very forces that were working to end conflict (and thus wounds) across
the area. Key in these talks had been - and still was - the ranger Kamuk,
who had assumed leadership of both the village and its priests. Since the
general's logic made sense, and he had assured Kamuk that none would ever
be denied healing magic or other care, the ranger had agreed to disperse
most of the healers to other locations in the desert so that they could
best employ their skills. In fact, a dozen of these priests had recently
been taken to Geoff to help the wounded there - a sorely-needed and very
well-received gesture on both their part and the Bright Alliance's. In
the months since, these clerics had largely returned to Histak, although
a few of them had chosen to remain in the various forts and outposts of
the desert where they felt they could do the most good. As for Kamuk, he
remained in control in Histak and welcomed the additional protection and
resources provided by Lord Marcus to strengthen the village.
Inter-desert relations aside, significant progress had also been made
on the new roads over the last few months...roads that now connected key
sites in the region. Three months ago, only two roads had been complete
(one connecting the city in the Brass Hills to the small farming village
of Kalundi, the other linking that village with the fortress of Kalki's
Leap.) As of now, however, a pair of newer roads were functional: the
first connected Kalundi with Fort Whiterock to the northeast, while the
second further extended that route north and westward - from the fort all
the way to the southern end of Knife's Edge Pass amidst the hills. With
these roads all completed and in use, the speed and safety of any traffic
between any of these points was not only faster but also safer...which
was especially crucial for merchant traffic bringing goods to and from
the new city-fortress in the Brass Hills.
Per the plans and specifications decided upon earlier, all of the roads
were of a standard size: forty feet wide and several feet high, rising
above the surrounding desert. Having all of the new roads be of uniform
dimensions, materials, and construction ensured that any given path would
be suitable for any given need. Keeping sand from blowing onto them (and
piling up against them) had quickly proven to be a problem, and solutions
were still being considered and options weighed. Still, even a roadway
covered with sand was much better than formless dunes of loose sand, and
travel had definitely become a lot simpler over these last months. Better
yet, a series of small watch posts had been built along all of these new
roads, one of them situated at every league; each of the structures housed
a half-dozen guards along with a store of food, water, and supplies. Each
also had a modest stable, constructed of materials that kept out much of
the sun's heat, to shelter horses. Aside from providing a consistent and
visible measure of security along the desert's new roads, these outposts
would serve as emergency resupply stations in times of need. In theory,
a rider with some urgent mission could push his horse hard for shorter
distances and then switch mounts as needed anywhere along one of these
roads. While this was unnecessary from the viewpoint of an archmage, it
was a reassuring measure for the average soldier or laborer.
Work continued on future roads as well, aided by plentiful lightning,
fire, and other magic followed by work crews who leveled and smoothed
the newly-created stone. The number of people available to do this labor
had also increased in recent months, as word got around that there was
work to be done and coin to be paid for it. A probable side-effect of
the influx of people was a greater population - if they ultimately chose
to stay - but that was a longer-term concern since there were still years
of work ahead. The next two roads - both currently underway - would one
day connect the wizards' city-fortress in the Brass Hills with Ul-Bakak
to the north and west, and Kalki's Leap to Histak to the southeast. Both
of these were substantial projects, but Lyra and those who helped her (a
group of which Alindyar was a key member, due to his powerful magic) had
the procedures down by now and were efficient and productive. Following
completion of those two efforts, the next phase would include extending
the northwestern route past Ul-Bakak, through the Abbor-Alz hills to
Hardby...as well as adding a new road from Kalki's Leap due west onto
the peninsula facing the Wooly Bay. This latter area would one day hold
a new fort (perhaps a base for seaborne power) but all three locations -
that strategically-positioned peninsula, Histak, and Ul-Bakak - were
logical places to have forts and concentrations of forces in case of
invasion or war. But first...roads had to be built to enable faster and
easier transport of building materials, workers, and troops.
Troops...that matter had been the main concern of Dexitheseus and Lord
Marcus, some three months ago. They had ventured to Perrenland to talk
with the famed mercenary general Nigel Bloodstone...and secured a large
number of his veteran soldiers to come to the Bright Lands and protect
the nascent, developing desert as it grew to become a nation-state. In
short, the region needed a greater military force until it could finish
building its own, and Lord Marcus had used his connections to make that
happen very quickly. The force from Perrenland - two thousand hardy and
well-disciplined veterans - nearly doubled the overall military strength
in the Bright Lands to almost five thousand. In a shrewd and calculated
move, Lord Marcus had made sure that these troops were dispersed widely
enough to conceal their aggregate numbers from anyone (particularly the
existing inhabitants of the desert) who might be counting heads. At any
rate, the presence of all these soldiers - wherever they were stationed
in the region - had necessitated massive numbers of tents and a great
deal of food, water, and other supplies. Without the magical resources
and power of the wizards at the core of the Bright Lands, of course,
efforts on this large a scale would not have been possible.
Those supplies would soon be augmented, and substantially, by the first
of the new crops that had been slowly brought into existence by the hard
work and expertise of Alindyar, Peyote, and the latter's druids. The key
to the whole thing was the artificial lake that had been created within
the Brass Hills; its water was routed downhill to a number of places,
including the new fields. Such fields (and the lake as well) would never
have survived the harsh desert conditions forced on the region by the dark
curse of the Scorpion Crown, but with that evil artifact's destruction, a
great deal of potential had been created here...and the Bright Alliance
had wasted little time working to harness that potential. Through much
effort both magical and physical, the first tracts of actual fertile land
had sprung to life in a place where that hadn't been possible for two
thousand years. A variety of different crops - vegetables and fruits -
would likely yield results in the summer ahead. In parallel with these
farming efforts, new grasslands were now home to cattle, goats, chickens,
and horses. The first three were for food purposes, while the horses
would be needed for mounts, both military and otherwise. All of this was
contained within a relatively small portion of the flat stretch of land
beneath the hills and the new fortress-city there; while the farming area
would expand to some extent over time, the wizards had to bear in mind
their promise to the desert's inhabitants that they would respect those
lands and not extend too far eastward.
At this point, the main challenges to the various agricultural efforts
involved sand and security. The first was simply due to the nature of the
region itself, namely the ever-shifting sands that were blown about by
the hot winds of the desert. The solution here would likely be identical
to (or the same as) whatever method was eventually chosen to keep excess
sand off of the new roads. As for security...these farmlands and fields
were crucial to the future ecology of the Bright Lands, and needed to be
protected from any and all threats. While the scorpions were now gone and
the people of the desert seemed to be agreeable, the wizards of the Bright
Alliance were taking no chances. A new wall was under construction, this
stone barrier surrounding not only the active new grassland but also a
sizable adjacent area to be used for future expansion; after all, they
only wanted to build one wall, so some forethought was necessary. Peyote
had, of course, made informed estimates about how much land to "reserve"
before the new wall was designed. This perimeter wall was currently the
outermost defense for the entire site - fortress atop the flat hill, city
connected just beneath it, farmlands stretching out from the city - and
topped out at ten feet high with its parapet adding another five feet.
Small guard towers were present every hundred feet, these able to house
heavier weapons (or perhaps stationed wizards, one day) on their roofs.
However, the roofs of the guard-towers along the new outer wall were
almost puny compared to all the other structures that had been built in
the last ten months, after Rary's demise. The massive fortress atop the
wide plateau was nearly complete; its colossal outer wall (including the
four guard towers situated at the corners) was finished - as were the
inner wall, the central building within, and the barracks for the troops
stationed in the fortress.
CLOSE-UP VIEW OF THE FORTRESS LAYOUT
(map rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise for easier rendering)
(features are not precisely to scale)
(facing city below)
/\
/||\
||
||
___ ___ __
| |_________________.._________________| | | = 100'
|_ _|
| ______________====______________ |
| | + + /**\| |
| |+ ########## |****| |
| | ########## \**/| |
| | ########## | |
| |+ ########## | |
| |______+_____+_____+_____+_____+_| |
_| |_
| ____________________________________ |
|___| |___|
^ ^ ^
| | |_____ outer wall (50' high)
| |
| |_________ inner wall (50' high)
|
|_____________ guard towers (4) (100' high each)
## central building of magic
** artificial lake
.. gate at top of ramp leading down to city
== troop barracks and armory
+ wizard tower sites (9)
The only major structures not yet complete were the different towers of
the individual archmagi from the Bright Alliance. These would each house
not only a wizard (or two, in the case of the dark elves) but also their
companions, henchpeople, servants, automatons, and anyone or anything else
associated with them. Each location would serve as both home and private
space for its occupants; although only seven were needed at this time,
there were nine sites (as it never hurt to think about and prepare for any
future expansion.) Notably, not all of these structures were conventional
towers; while the wizards had agreed to keep their homes' maximum heights
capped at approximately a hundred feet, the architectural styles varied
widely. So while the overall appearance of the array of spires retained
some degree of consistency, each wizard's individual preference and style
was also evident. For example, while Dexitheseus' tower was a classic,
simple rounded design with a turret at the top...Kronos' was a pale white
hue and had an unusual angular look with strange, intricate stonework...
Belphanior's was wider and octagonal, fashioned from dark red stone with
few features...Wu's was squarish and rather ornate, in the style of the
lands to the far west...Pallin's was simple brown obelisk with almost
no windows...while Parekh was building an unusually narrow, needle-like
spire of dull black stone, which had only three sides...and so on. Each
of the archmagi was constructing his or her tower in their spare time,
with their own methods and resources, building in whatever rooms, halls,
and other features they saw fit to include. It was highly unlikely that
any of their number would ever set foot in another's home - that was what
the larger, common building in the center was for - but one thing was
absolutely certain: the aggregate magical power that lived and worked
in the overall complex was immense.
And - if Parekh and some of the others had their way - it would become
even greater in time. Atop the fortress' raised central section, nestled
within the inner wall and the towers of the Bright Alliance members, was
the massive building which perhaps held the key to the group's long-term
plans for the future. Within this single structure, which rose higher
than any of the wizards' towers would, were housed all of the facilities
needed for magical research and learning - including a vast library for
preserving knowledge and lore, a workshop for experiments and testing,
a foundry/armory for the forging and creation of items both arcane and
otherwise, an elevated observatory for watching and mapping the stars and
other celestial bodies, and a lyceum for learning and instruction. This
last thing was of particular importance, for its existence meant that the
Bright Alliance could recruit, educate, and employ additional magi if and
as they wished. Parekh in particular had ideas about this region one day
becoming a highly-regarded center of magical teaching and training, its
facilities and students rivaling those of Greyhawk itself. Of course, any
such initiative would require a rigorous screening process to ensure both
the quality of potential students and to weed out any hostile individuals
or ones whose intentions were to infiltrate and spy. As with many other
aspects of this entire effort, those problems would have to be addressed
and solved over time...but the probable upside was huge: a greater and
perhaps constantly-growing number of wizards in the region to augment the
various efforts there.
While the fortress was imposing - both physically and in its capacity
for current and future magical knowledge and power - the city beneath the
massive plateau was impressive as well. From most angles, the walls and
structures of the infant city appeared to flow directly from the rock atop
which the fortress had been built. The place was massive, more than a
league wide as one faced it from the desert beyond, and was formidable
in both appearance and function. The hundred-foot high wall, which was
thirty feet thick at its base, surrounded the entire city - an imposing
statement directed at anyone who might even think about attacking. Its
sheer size was one thing, but the guard towers located every five hundred
feet along its length - the same spacing as the guard towers in the outer
wall of the fortress on the plateau above - would hold heavier defensive
measures such as catapults and ballistae. The entire top of the wall,
including the guard towers, had a continuous walkway to allow maximum
flexibility for the troops manning it.
The massive wall, whose foundations had been sunk deep into the desert
floor by magic and elementals, would never have been possible without both
those efforts and the sheer amount of raw material available in the Brass
Hills. This was one thing Rary had seen years ago, and taken advantage of
when building his own stronghold; the rock of the hills was dense, sturdy,
and easily formed into angular blocks by any who could command the magic
needed to do so. Fortunately, the Bright Alliance had a wealth of such
power and ability - and had used it well over the long months since Rary's
defeat and demise. Aside from achieving mining and building feats beyond
the ability of conventional laborers, they had also been able to do even
more unusual things such as creating the artificial lake atop the plateau
above the city. This elevated water source, along with a complex series
of pipes and valves, ensured a steady and controllable supply of clean
water to all in the area. This meant that all who lived and worked in
the fortress-city and environs would have all the drinking water they
needed, but also that the farmlands could be irrigated and the livestock
watered - a seemingly impossible concept for a desert, to be sure, yet it
now existed. The system was even designed so that excess water not used
for one purpose would be channeled and used another purpose to minimize
waste. For example, within the city, the runoff from drinking water was
used for washing and bathing, and then the runoff from that was used for
sewage. (The system to deal with the latter issue was quite advanced,
using a series of physical methods to filter out larger waste for later
use as fertilizer, while the remaining wastewater was carefully routed
into a massive tank and disposed of through magical means.)
Like the various guard and wizard towers in the fortress above, those of
the city had a mandated maximum height, so that none would block the view
of that stronghold above. At least that was the reasoning that would be
assumed by most people; the real truth was that the wizards wanted a clear
line of sight from above in case they ever found it necessary to launch
powerful magical attacks at foes outside the city below. The design of
the entire area had factored in aspects of both conventional and magical
warfare. The highest buildings within the vast walled city were nestled
against the plateau behind it, with the shorter ones radiating outward
toward the protective wall; this master plan ensured that no views from
the desert-facing side of any structure would be blocked. While the city
had been designed from the outset to be larger than needed or anticipated,
there was a plan in the unlikely event that it ever needed to expand: its
north and south edges would become springboards for future construction.
New gates would have to be made in those sections of the outer wall, new
structures built outside of those, and then additional sections of outer
wall erected to protect the expanded areas - a lot of work, but at least
there was a design should the need ever arise.
While all of this - the fortress, the city, all walls and towers for
both, and even the farmlands and their protective bulwarks - was known
to the elven architect Talathion Undiviel, the dwarven builder Vogric
Stoneshaper, their assistants, and the work crews involved in building
everything...there were a few areas that had not been in any plans and
had never been shared or discussed beyond the archmagi of the Bright
Alliance. This held particularly true for certain sections of the solid
rock within the wide plateau, beneath the fortress. Pallin had suggested
that there might one day be a need for additional subterranean storage
cellars for food and supplies, and thus had gotten a good idea about which
parts of the fortress (and the wizards' towers) could handle additional
excavation of the solid rock beneath without risking damage. While some
initial passages and chambers had been made and were known to those doing
the work, the true plan was much greater in scope: the Bright Alliance
wanted and needed a secret, secure vault in which to store their shared
treasure and their most dangerous items (and in some cases, prisoners.)
This complex of passages and rooms, hundreds of feet below the fortress
proper and surrounded by solid rock, was a side project of Pallin's. Its
excavation work - deep within the rock of the immense plateau - was being
done only by him, some of the other archmagi, and the iron golems. When
complete, the vaults would be supremely well-protected by a combination
of potent magic - permanent enchantments and wards wrought by the truly
collaborative efforts of them all - and only accessible by several of the
wizards at the same time. In this way, they would ensure that no single
member of their group could ever enter the vaults, even if somehow under
duress or controlled by an outsider.
Of course, it was entirely possible - and probable - that some of the
archmagi might wish to build below the ground level of their individual
towers. They had agreed on a common rule that none of them would dig in
any direction other than straight downward, so as to avoid undermining
any other part of the fortress. Naturally, it fell to anyone doing such
work to reinforce that work, to avoid structural issues in the future.
With the infrastructure of the fortress and city now fully built out,
the populating and day-to-day running of the latter became more important
with each passing day...and this was where the recently-recruited Peldor
came in. With years of experience living in and helping administer all
sorts of matters for a large, complex city, Peldor knew what worked and
what didn't. He also had a huge advantage here, in that everything was
not only new but had been planned out ahead of time for maximum success
with minimal problems. The buildings were new, built well with quality
craftsmanship and from sturdy materials, their roofs' heights planned for
optimal views and visibility. The streets were wide and laid out in a
simple grid, eliminating side streets and alleyways and the problems that
often developed in those over time. The places which produced food were
close to the people who needed it, eliminating many of the difficulties
associated with transport and storage; the idea was that fruits would be
enjoyed the same day they were plucked from the tree, vegetables would
be in cooking pots the evening after they were plucked from the ground,
steaks would be sizzling just hours after being harvested from butchered
livestock, and so on. It fell to Peldor to figure out how to best fit
all of these pieces together...where to situate various shops and skilled
craftspeople so that the city functioned smoothly and without issues.
He had to get this done quickly and efficiently since there were already
thousands of people in the area, either working or preparing to work once
they were able to set up shop. It was a massive and complex collection
of moving pieces and Peldor found himself staying extremely busy as he
worked long days with little time for rest.
There would also have to be a set of laws - and consequences for those
who broke them - which was something that ideally required the input of
the Bright Alliance but did not hold their interest. For now, those who
lived in the city were given a simple welcome speech (which amounted to
"work hard, no violence, no stealing, no cheating, or else") but that was
not nearly good enough long-term. Peldor realized that he'd have to come
up with a solid plan for rule of law, and get input from all the various
people who were key to the efforts here. That would include not just the
archmagi but also Lord Marcus (representing the military) and Peyote (for
the druids and Obad-Hai) and the high priests or priestesses of Istus and
Trithereon (who spoke both for the deities above them and the clerical
hierarchies beneath them.) Peldor felt that it was important to get both
ideas and buy-in of all of these parties, as that input - combined with
everything he know about mistakes in large cities, from his many years in
Greyhawk - would make this new city a much better place. He already knew
that he had Belphanior's support in this; the latter had journeyed all
over the continent after his return from the Center of Time and had seen
the effects of the wars and the problems faced by cities and people. In
more than one such place, the elf had thought to himself that the issues
he was seeing could be avoided given a fresh start with the right planning
and implementation - and of course leadership. He had also suggested the
incorporation of ideas from places that were already successful, such as
the Gedlands which were doing well under the stewardship of Deryck and
Nenya. Here and now, the Bright Lands offered a golden opportunity to
get things right from the very beginning.
All of this was daunting to say the least, but at least Peldor and those
he cared about did not have to worry about the politics of Greyhawk and
the enemies that resulted. Tanya and (now-nine-year-old) Ariel had of
course accompanied him here, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the others had
also chosen to stand by him and leave the Free City for this new, unknown
venture...and he had secured both permission and authority to employ each
of them in some capacity that helped him do his job. Bosco and Vinnie
would be his dual right-hand-people and assistants, helping make sure that
assigned tasks got done the way they were supposed to. Bosco's role would
be more administrative and organizational, drawing on whatever experience
the halfling had gained running a portion of the Green Dragon Inn. Vinnie
would be the man on the street, spending the time Peldor didn't have to
actually walk around and find problems that needed to be solved. Eduardo
and Felicia would be his wards and help him with these efforts, roles that
had the added benefit of familiarizing them with all aspects of the new
city right from its very beginning. Their work would gain them valuable
experience which might one day help them advance, if they wished, to even
greater roles and responsibilities in the region. Peldor wasn't sure
where all of this would lead, but for the time being, everyone he cared
about was with him and away from Greyhawk and its problems.
At this point, the city (including its environs and the fortress above)
was home to over three thousand people: six hundred farmers or skilled
tradespeople (and in some cases their families) who had come to settle in
the Bright Lands, the five hundred soldiers of the battalion stationed in
this area, and about two thousand workers from Sterich or the Abbor-Alz.
That latter group was a mix of refugees from Sterich and dwarves from the
hills; some of the former would likely choose to remain here to live and
work permanently.
More than four thousand others - all of them soldiers - were sited in
other parts of the region. Lord Marcus commanded eight hundred troops
across three forts, plus another fifteen hundred grouped into the other
three battalions. Nigel Bloodstone's two thousand mercenary warriors
rounded out the military force, bringing the total number of individuals
associated with the Bright Alliance to seven thousand four hundred, give
or take a few dozen. In contrast, that portion of the area's denizens
who had been there before the arrival of the wizards totaled roughly
six thousand if those from the Abbor-Alz hills to the north were counted.
This number included fifteen hundred nomads from a score of tribes, five
hundred desert centaurs, three thousand barbarian hillmen, eight hundred
hill dwarves, and another two hundred of the somewhat hardier mountain
dwarves. Not counted in these tallies were the largely-unknown numbers
of hostile humanoids and monsters that lived in and beneath the hills:
ogres, trolls, hill giants, and duergar. Those evil ones aside, it was
now a fact (albeit a little-known one) that the Bright Alliance had more
presence in the desert than its original natives. This would of course
change whenever the time came for Nigel Bloodstone and his two thousand
warriors to depart the area...but for the short term, they tipped the
balance in the wizards' favor, at least numerically. And that strength
was necessary - both to project power across the desert and to deter any
nearby lands or groups from becoming too aggressive. More than one of
the archmagi were concerned about the Pomarj or the Scarlet Brotherhood
getting some idea about their new neighbor being easy prey for raids and
such. A visible and powerful military presence, combined with the known
magical might of Bright Alliance, would go a long way toward keeping such
trouble at bay.
As far as actual direct diplomacy, there was as much work to be done
_outside_ the desert as within...for neighboring lands and powers, both
friendly and otherwise, surrounded the Bright Lands. While the group of
archmagi knew and acknowledged that one among their number needed to be
the face of the group and represent the land, no one wanted to have that
responsibility every time, all the time. Nevertheless, these efforts
needed to happen and they needed to happen proactively, lest some nearby
ruler perceive lack of action as weakness and act accordingly. Belphanior
stepped forth and volunteered to bear the brunt of these tasks, which was
appropriate since he had been the original impetus for the Cabal becoming
the Bright Alliance and setting out to reshape the wasteland.
The wizards were already in good standing with the Urnst states, due
to two previous visits and the resulting discussions. Duke Karll of the
Duchy of Urnst had already done much to help commerce with the Bright
Lands, and was in the process of convincing Countess Belissica (of the
County of Urnst to the north) to similarly align with the region. The
other major power located near the desert's immediate border was Nyrond;
this once-mighty kingdom to the east, past that last curving arm of the
Abbor-Alz hills, had suffered greatly in the recent wars. From the great
palace in his capital city of Rel Mord, the valiant King Archbold III
faced hard times and shortages of multiple resources necessary for his
peoples' survival. Much of Nyrond's remaining funds were funneled into
its massive navy out of necessity, as the chaotic and hostile forces of
the Great Kingdom waited on the other side of Relmor Bay. All of these
matters had been known to Belphanior and some of the others since they'd
been shared by Duke Karll. Both Urnst states had been helping Nyrond as
best as they were able, for it was the best (and last) bulwark between
them and the chaos of the Great Kingdom to the east. In truth, the Duke
of Urnst's comments to Belphanior had been shared in the hope that the
elf and his allies would be able to somehow aid Nyrond. With all this
in mind, Belphanior had prepared well ahead of his recent journey to Rel
Mord to represent the Bright Lands and speak with King Archbold. That
conversation had been simple and fruitful, the elf offering something he
had in abundance (coin) to help Nyrond now, in return for the promise of
military aid in the future - specifically naval military aid on the bay.
It didn't take a tactical genius (although Belphanior was something of
one) to see that there would come a day when the Bright Lands would need
waterborne power. In time, they might be able to build it up themselves,
but until then Nyrond's navy was both the easiest and the best solution.
For his part, King Archbold was thrilled to receive an influx into his
coffers now for deferred assistance later; the silver and gold the elven
envoy had brought would go a long way toward shoring up the problems his
kingdom currently faced. The meeting was a resounding success, and they
parted with many thanks and assurances of future cooperation.
Belphanior had next turned his attention to a less-friendly (albeit not
hostile) neighbor, one with which he had dealt with more recently. Prior
to the wars, the Free City of Greyhawk had been just that: a single city
which controlled a relatively small area of the surrounding land. After
the years of conflict, however, Greyhawk had acquired substantial new
territory - the previously independent town of Hardby, the northern end
of the former Wild Coast including the towns of Narwell and Safeton, much
of the Cairn Hills, portions of the Abbor-Alz, the eastern part of the
Gnarley Forest, much of the Selintan River valley, and a number of small
communities such as Greysmere. Some of the western reaches of the area
claimed by Greyhawk overlapped with the lands of Dyvers, leading to much
political friction there. As well, a number of the larger towns had only
accepted Greyhawk's rule out of fear of the humanoid raiders from the
nearby Pomarj...a threat which had largely subsided, causing these towns
(particularly Hardby, Safeton, and Narwell) to desire independence once
more. At any rate, while Greyhawk had its share of old and new problems
(as Peldor could well attest) its financial situation was the strongest
it had been for decades - largely due to the precious metals and other
treasure the city was now taking from the Cairn Hills and the monies it
was collecting from the many wealthy newer residents who had come there
to live.
All that Belphanior - again representing the Bright Alliance in that
discussion - really cared about here was a future trade route with Hardby.
While he and Peldor had some sympathetic members from among the ruling
Oligarchy, the elf didn't want to count directly on them for help, and so
he had instead secured an audience with only Nerof Gasgal. His intention
was to present his ideas to the Lord Mayor alone and then let him carry
it to the others for a decision (or perhaps reach a quiet agreement with
the smaller subset of Oligarchs who secretly made all the key decisions
in Greyhawk.) Belphanior presented a simple position and proposal: the
Free City would allow open commerce between Hardby and the Bright Lands
(taxing Hardby for that commerce if that was deemed necessary) while the
Bright Alliance would construct the road through the hills and patrol it
to ensure the safety of those who utilized it. Nerof had agreed that
this was a good arrangement in principle - one that he would present to
the Oligarchy along with his support for it - but he'd expressed concern
about the establishment and existence of a mighty new power so close to
Greyhawk. Belphanior had been ready for this as well, reminding the Lord
Mayor that the new Bright Lands were a powerful and potentially friendly
buffer between the Domain of Greyhawk and potential enemies such as the
Pomarj and the Scarlet Brotherhood. While hostilities from both of those
lands had lay dormant for years now, since the end of the wars, they yet
presented a great threat if they ever chose to go on the offensive. When
framed this way - that Belphanior's group could either be a friendly one
amidst known unfriendly ones, or else it could be an additional unfriendly
one - the elf's argument mollified the weary and overworked Lord Mayor.
While nothing was final yet, the meeting had given Belphanior a positive
feeling and completed the efforts to deal with the northern neighbors of
major significance.
Of note, Belphanior did not concern himself with the Circle of Eight
at that time. Aside from the fact that some of them had already come to
the desert and talked with some of his colleagues, the other group of
wizards did not speak for Greyhawk and certainly did not control it. In
fact, if one was being honest, they had done little to nothing to prevent
the wars or lessen their impact on the world - an outcome consistent with
the neutrality and hands-off policy they had followed for far too long.
Then again, with three new members, it was possible that the Circle of
Eight would soon have more to say...about the Bright Alliance, the land
they now controlled, and perhaps other events elsewhere in the world.
Per previous discussions with his peers, Belphanior had done precisely
zero outreach to either the Pomarj or the Scarlet Brotherhood, both of
which lay to the south across sizable bodies of water. While the elf and
the other archmagi did not expect those lands to remain quiet forever,
they also had no need to trade (or otherwise deal) with them right now.
Those nations, they decided, would be confronted when or if it became
necessary.
After the outside powers had been dealt with (or else tabled until a
later time, in the case of the last two) Belphanior had taken stock of
the various other nations, areas, and noteworthy individuals that one or
more members of the Bright Alliance could consider friendly. The major
kingdoms with potential to be allies included Keoland (whose king, the
oddly-named Kimbertos Skotti, had supported Belphanior's past efforts to
liberate slaves and end the practice in the Hold of the Sea Princes) and
Furyondy (to which Belphanior had donated a large pouch of valuable gems
about a year ago, using the ranger Halbarad as an intermediary.) Part of
the Keoland connection was centered around the domain of the fallen high
priest Rob, west of Niole Dra; that region's administrator, Father Adam,
had already worked with the Bright Alliance in the past - and definitely
had the ear of King Skotti. All was well in Keoland.
The region now known as the Gedlands, less than twenty leagues west of
Greyhawk past the Selintan River, was another place born from the dreams
of an old adventuring companion who had perished before seeing their idea
come to fruition. Administered by Nenya and Deryck - who were definitely
friendly to Belphanior and the others - this peaceful settlement was home
to not only a small but well-trained company of warriors but also Nenya's
magical library and laboratory. It was her husband Deryck who had first
found the mercenary band led by Peyton Farquhar and recommended them to
Belphanior for his use in various missions; that group was even now in
the desert, awaiting assignment to one of the handful of side missions
that still needed doing.
Aside from other allies he knew about - the warrior-general Mongo
Thunderhead, the dwarven king Yod Ironbeard, the grizzled Great Druid
Oakly Greenleaf, the noble paladin brothers Sir Dremel and Sir Drexel,
and others - Belphanior had recently realized that at least some of the
other wizards of the Bright Alliance surely had their own friendships and
affiliations. Such relationships were worth knowing and leveraging where
possible, and he intended to mention this in one of their next gatherings
in order to see what could be learned.
Last (but certainly not least) on the elf's political-diplomatic agenda
were four noteworthy sites within the northern Abbor-Alz. For his visits
to each of these locations, Belphanior had teamed up with Dexitheseus and
Lord Marcus since those two had previously scouted much of that area; in
fact, their original intention had been to visit these four places months
ago, but other matters had taken their time and attention until recently.
The goal of these missions was to, at best, forge actual alliances with
the leadership of each place...or, at worst, to agree to some measure of
joint neutrality. The key was simply making a deliberate effort to reach
out and establish some sort of contact.
Lake Marstefel was a small, fairly still body of water - the only such
one in the Abbor-Alz hills. Several hundred hillmen made their home in
a semi-permanent camp around the lake, keeping livestock and doing modest
farming. It had turned out that these folk neither trusted nor wanted
outsiders, or indeed any interruption or change in their daily lives...
which was going to be a problem since the recently-opened Knife's Edge
Pass had become much more traveled of late. The adventurers had found
it quite challenging to even talk with the leaders of these people, much
less reach any kind of accord. After long and often-frustrating hours,
the envoy had finally been able to make their key points: things were
changing in the desert and by extension portions of these hills, and the
Bright Alliance was a good ally to have going forward. The chieftains of
Lake Marstefel's inhabitants had begrudgingly nodded their understanding
and promised to speak about the situation among themselves and reach an
accord. Lord Marcus, shrewd as always, had also planted the seed of an
idea with those chiefs: if they would consider allowing a garrison of
the new road's guardsmen to take water from the lake - occasionally and
only in limited amounts - then that same force could keep travelers on
the road and away from the lake and its people.
Perhaps twenty leagues west of the lake, nestled at the juncture of
lowlands and the steeper hills of the Abbor-Alz proper, towered the great
five-spired castle of the paladin Karistyne and her various companions.
For several years, this powerful stronghold of Good had served as a base
of operations for the group as they sought out and slew evil monsters
and people in the area. (The obvious question of their failure to deal
with Hugo the Axe and Griffon's Nest had proven to have a very simple
answer: many months ago, as Lady Karistyne's group had been about to pay
the bandits a visit they would never forget, another group had beaten them
to the punch...namely that led by Dexitheseus and Lord Marcus.) Anyhow,
that initial conference with Lady Karistyne and her colorful assortment of
companions had been interesting to say the least. In a lot of ways, the
paladin reminded Belphanior of Sir Drexel - and with good reason, as both
were devout servants of Heironeous, the Invincible. While not all of her
adventuring companions were as noble and pure of heart as Lady Karistyne,
they were still dedicated servants of various Good powers...and they were
a force to be reckoned with, one that had challenged and slain more than
a half-dozen evil dragons over their years together. The bad news was
that the paladin and her friends could easily discern that Belphanior's
views and mentality didn't align perfectly with theirs. The good news,
however, had been that Lady Karistyne knew not only Sir Drexel and his
twin brother but also the archmage Tenser - which meant that she shared
multiple close, trusted friends with Dexitheseus and Lord Marcus. Better
still, she knew of the latter's heroics in numerous battles, particularly
during the Greyhawk Wars. And the entire group was well aware of the
many accomplishments of the Bright Alliance in the desert to the south.
Whatever the nature of the individual archmagi who made up the powerful
consortium of wizards, their actions thus far had proven their intentions
to be well-intentioned and beneficial to both the region and its people.
Unlike the simple folk of Lake Marstefel, Lady Karistyne had needed no
additional time to render her verdict: she would neither swear fealty
nor pay tribute, not to Greyhawk and not to the Bright Alliance. More,
the land for several leagues in all directions from her castle was hers
to patrol and protect. This included most of the flatter hills between
her castle and Lake Marstefel to the east. She further declared that
small groups of dignitaries from the Bright Lands would always be offered
shelter in her stronghold, as long as they were not of evil bent. Lord
Marcus had quickly and graciously thanked her for her promise of future
hospitality, and reassured her than both his troops and the wizards of
the Bright Alliance would continue to do their part to combat evil, both
in the desert itself and the surrounding areas. Overall, this meeting
had felt like a mutual pact of neutrality, but one with some common goals
identified as well as the potential for future teamwork.
Another thirty leagues further west of Karistyne's castle, following
the southern end of the hills, was Storm Keep. This compact but sturdy
fort had been built close to a small lake within a deep, narrow valley;
these topographical features combined to generate often-unpredictable
weather and storms, thus the name. At any rate, the force garrisoned
here was notable for three things. Firstly, they were an extension of
Greyhawk's power, made necessary after the Free City gained some of the
western Abbor-Alz as part of its domain after the wars. Secondly, the
soldiers stationed here were not only veterans but were augmented by a
number of skilled spellcasters; the discipline and morale of the overall
group was quite high. Thirdly, the Storm Keep force included a number
of trained griffons and experienced riders. For better or worse, the
commander of this garrison - the veteran warrior Carstane Geronten - had
already been made aware of the Bright Alliance's current relationship (or
lack thereof) with Greyhawk. His instructions for the time being were to
be gracious but also to make it clear that this part of the hills belonged
to the Free City...and he carried out those instructions to the letter.
His demeanor was polite but firm as he told the visitors from the Bright
Lands that he personally appreciated their efforts, since that work had
helped reduce the problems in the Abbor-Alz as a whole and made his job
easier. Beyond that, he cannily deferred to his masters back in Greyhawk
when it came to anything else having to do with the desert to the south.
Perhaps forty leagues due north of Lake Marstefel, nestled in the low
peaks west of the trade route with the Duchy of Urnst, was the mountain
dwarf fortress of Dumadan. While the area had been claimed by Greyhawk,
the dwarves did not fully acknowledge or accept this; much like Karistyne
across the peaks to the south and west, they considered themselves part of
no larger nation and desired to keep their independence. This was evident
in their response to the visitors from the Bright Lands: the companions
from the south were not even allowed into the mountainside stronghold, as
they had nothing of tangible value to trade or offer. The dwarves they
spoke with were polite and respectful, but simply did not wish to talk of
alliances and such. In fact, they gave the impression that they desired
nothing more than to be left to their own devices (which were rumored to
include poetry and philosophy, among other rather unusual pursuits.) In
the end, Belphanior and his companions left them with the message that
the wizards to the south were always open to discussions and commerce,
should they change their minds.
With all necessary diplomatic efforts complete (or as complete as they
could be at this early juncture) the Bright Alliance had finally turned
their attention to the various sites within the desert that still needed
to be visited and dealt with. A trio of these lay near the future route
northwest, through the Abbor-Alz hills to Hardby, and would have to be
investigated and cleared as a precaution. The Ghost Tower of Inverness
had been there for longer than anyone could remember, and was said to be
haunted; Belphanior had sent Peyton Farquhar's team there a month ago to
try and solve the mysteries of the place once and for all. Surprisingly,
they had found it to be empty save for a few random monsters and signs of
a past foray quite some time ago. Whatever had happened there before was
history now; the ruined castle looked foreboding, but it now held neither
dangers nor treasures.
A more daunting challenge waited in the hills east of that tower: the
Pits of Azak-Kil. Thanks to the insight of both Shemeya and Father Eye,
the Bright Alliance knew that the pits had once been a thriving mine run
by dwarves who built the nearby city of Zarak as a place to live while
working the mines. At some point, they had unearthed an unknown artifact
of great power and evil...and now, only the walking dead inhabited the
mines, while the once-great city of Zarak was now vacant. The wizards'
suspicion was that whatever the source of the undead problem, it somehow
compelled those creatures to remain near it, in the quarries and passages
which had once yielded iron and precious metals. Nevertheless, the risk
of the undead spreading into the hills beyond - and onto the future road
connecting Ul-Bakak and Hardby for commerce - could not be ignored. One
of the Bright Alliance's very next endeavors would be to send a scouting
party to the area to determine once and for all what was going on there.
Aside from these places of interest within the Abbor-Alz hills, another
four sites in the desert proper still presented concerns, despite prior
discussions by the magi. The ruins near the Kolum Oasis had recently
been explored by Peyton Farquhar's band of mercenary adventurers - a group
that was proving very useful as hired help in the desert - but had yielded
little beyond a complex of collapsed chambers filled with sand and minor
amounts of coinage. The second place of interest was the Plain of Spears,
which thanks to Shemeya's insight was known to be haunted by the restless
spirits of warriors slain many centuries before...but was also a certain
source of treasure and most likely magical weapons and armor. The ruins
of Darkbridge Temple had been confirmed - again by separate accounts from
both Shemeya and Father Eye - to shelter not just undead and monsters but
also some sort of shadowy dragon that had migrated south from the hills.
Finally, there was the matter of the ancient Necropolis of Unaagh, whose
numerous crypts and mausoleums housed the undead rulers, nobles, and
spellcasters of ancient Sulm in copious numbers and varieties...all ruled
by a lich-wizard of such age that he had once been Shattados' rival for
control of the kingdom. This massive potential threat within the desert
was only limited by the fact that none of the grim necropolis' decaying
denizens could ever leave, lest they decay into dust. The problem lie
in the fact that no one knew _why_ that was, or if that effect might one
day simply cease; the idea of an army of the dead just a few days' march
away from villages and cities was concerning to everyone in the desert.
This was something that virtually all of the groups Belphanior had talked
with - nomads, centaurs, even some of the hillfolk who had spent time in
the sandy center of the region - had mentioned as a problem that needed
solving. Of course, Shemeya had confirmed that the sprawling complex of
burial vaults also contained immense amounts of treasure, both monetary
and magical, which meant that successfully dealing with the necropolis
would be a lucrative venture indeed.
Shemeya had, not unexpectedly, done more than simply advise the others
about various sites in and beneath the desert. She had also accompanied
Belphanior's envoy on some of those endeavors, finally seeing in person
the places she had only been able to scry from her tower over the last
two thousand years. The dark-tressed sorceress also let it be known that
the last living denizen of ancient Sulm now walked the region once more,
and had taken a direct interest in its welfare and future. Her presence
impressed all the people of the desert, although in very different ways.
The centaurs, whose forefathers had long ago served the nobles of Sulm as
elite guards and warriors, were particularly reverent of Shemeya and had
treated her with great admiration. The various nomads also respected the
brown-skinned sorceress, but for another reason: fear and awe. In their
minds, this was the mistress of the mysterious Tower of Sleep, which had
inexplicably and randomly moved through their lands for as long as any
witness or tale could recall. They didn't know anything about Shemeya,
and they certainly didn't understand her...but they were quite wary of
the eldritch powers that she certainly commanded. It didn't take long
for the news to spread across the area: the dark sorceress of the Tower
of Sleep - a personage directly linked to the great kingdom before the
curse and the desert it had created - now walked the land once more and
had allied herself with the powerful group of wizards who made their home
in the Brass Hills.
All of this, of course, ultimately pointed to a logical and inevitable
question: did Shemeya belong within the ranks of the Bright Alliance, as
an official and equal member? The other eight had met and discussed the
matter, and hadn't taken long to conclude that the Sulmish archmage had
not only the power and experience but also the outlook to complement the
eight already in the group's ranks. They had soon extended her a formal
invitation, which she had readily accepted, and with that...the Bright
Alliance's ranks had once more become nine.
With all of this work complete or well under way, the group could now
turn its attention - at long last - to other pressing matters not related
directly to their new land's infrastructure or inhabitants.
next: finally...a return to the sun gateway and hunt for treasure
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/Bright-Desert_1194.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 3/20/2026
notes: I know I did another fast-forward here (about three months
this time) and thereby avoided showing all the work happen live...but
sometimes that's necessary. I mean, seriously...showing every single
one of the above events could have consumed ten or fifteen full-length
episodes, and while I don't have a problem with that, I felt it best to
have ALL of the progress happen in ONE episode. Please also bear in
mind that many of the people and places of note (and their backstories)
came from actual published TSR material, which I try to consider canon
whenever possible. There was and is an incredible amount of material
to weave together here, and I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that
this single episode took about 20 hours (!) to research, write, and
fact-check. That's a lot - but then, this episode was meant to show
and accomplish a lot too. And hopefully it did, and in some cohesive
overall way.
For an example of the sorts of things that inspired me with all the
various aspects of this fortress and city, see this short video about
ancient Carthage:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DORIzSrCLdq/?igsh=MTl2MjdpZDczbnh1aw==
One thing that's in the plans, that I'm absolutely working toward in
all of this chaos, is a new accessory focused on the Bright Alliance
and all their efforts in the desert. This will tentatively be titled
WGADV6: the Bright Lands and my intention is to produce a full-blown
PDF file with an index, all relevant sections, stats, new magic items,
new spells, complete maps...in other words, an actual finished, complete
Greyhawk accessory, proofread and polished and of "published product"
quality. Except it will be free!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++