Theocracy of the Pale Regional Themes

version 2.0, June 2005

A printable version of this document is available.

This document is intended to give a sense of consistency and authenticity to the Pale as it exists in Living Greyhawk (LG). Although not comprehensive, the information can guide judges in running Pale Regional scenarios, authors in proposing and writing Pale Regional scenarios, and players in determining how their PCs relate to the Theocracy. For more information, consult the LG Gazetteer.

Racial Distribution

The population of the Pale stands at roughly 480,000 in CY 595. Nearly half are Oeridian humans and nearly half are Flan humans. (Almost no one is purely Oeridian or Flan, but most people identify themselves with one of these two ethnic groups.) Members of other human races, such as Suloise, are present only as a small minority, and about 5% of the population—20,000 persons—are demihumans (dwarves, elves, and so on).

Church and Government

The religion of Pholtus rules the Theocracy of the Pale. Known in the Pale as the Church of the One True Path, the church controls or at least monitors nearly every aspect of life in the nation. Oeridians run the church and therefore run the Pale.

Although Pholtus is a lawful good deity, the Pale overall stresses his lawful neutral aspect. Most Palites are intolerant of those who do not follow the One True Path, and they believe in separating themselves from the rest of (non-Pholtan) Oerth. Citizens generally keep a close eye on deviants, foreigners, and wielders of arcane magic (see below for more on this point). They are quick to inform the Church Militant about the indiscretions of such people. Outsiders call this viewpoint Conservative, but it is essentially mainstream for the Pale.

A much smaller portion of the Pale's population stresses the 'good' in 'lawful good', and offers a more tolerant existence for pagans, demihumans, and visitors from outside the Pale. These citizens—colloquially "Progressives"—seek to redeem non-Pholtans, rather than ostracize or persecute them. Still, aside from a few extremists (PCs, for example), the Progressives do not strive for profound reform in the Theocracy. They do not advocate allowing open worship of other deities in the Pale. They merely wish to have peaceful relations with those outside of the Church, instead of unending conflict.

The current Theocrat, Theoman Baslett, has wavered in his views. He was staunchly conservative while serving as prelate of Landrigard but he remained open-minded about the progressive view. Just before he became Theocrat, he seemed to have a change of heart and committed himself to promoting tolerance in the Pale. But in the past two years, heathenism and chaos have spread, showing Baslett the dangers of slackening one's vigilance. The Church has redoubled its efforts to keep order (Pholtan order, of course), and most citizens support the move.

The typical viewpoint of Oeridian members of the Church blends isolation with expansion. They view the Pale as their rightful and destined domain. Their relationship with outside organizations and countries is tenuous, with the notable exception of Pholtan temples or other organizations beyond the Pale's borders. All other nations are viewed as threats to the Pale's continued prosperity and way of life. This world-view yields a thoroughly Pale-centric perspective. The citizens fear the chaos and strife of the godless realms beyond their nation's borders, out where the light of Pholtus has not yet reached. Some try to spread the light through proselytizing and missionary work, but mostly this view reinforces the isolationist tendencies within the nation.

Note that according to the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, the common alignments of the Pale are not only lawful neutral and lawful good but also lawful evil. To the Theocracy, chaos is a worse enemy than evil. Of course, no evil person can gain spells from Pholtus, a lawful good deity. Still, unscrupulous secular citizens exploit the law for personal gain. Since a well-respected citizen might well be lawful evil, paladins must learn to be prudent. Attacking every person revealed by detect evil is sure to lead to prison or a New Dawn Camp, teaching the paladin to focus on the greater battle against chaos. Foreign paladins learn their lesson soon enough and many choose never to return to the Pale after their first visit.

Some new acolytes in the Church are pursuing the worship of Pholtus as creator and master of the universe. As lawful neutral druids, these young Pholtans are trying to fill the role vacated by certain Flan druids of the Old Faith (see below). The Church has given official approval to the Pholtan Druids, but most clerics and even many citizens see the movement as one step from heresy.

The Flan

Another important aspect of the Pale revolves around the Flan people and their relation to the Oeridians.

The first and by far most populous group is the native Flan inhabitants, making up roughly half of the Pale's population. These people have subsisted here for thousands of years, first as hunter-gatherers and then as farmers and ranchers in recent centuries. Native Flan who live in the cities of the Pale tend to hold menial jobs. Most Palish Flan have a passive outlook, accepting their lot in Pale society, but some Flan are starting to recognize the injustice around them and wonder what they can do about it.

After 350 years of aggressive conversion, most of the Palish Flan worship Pholtus to some degree, but many blend the teachings of Pholtus with their ancestors' ways, including the Old Faith. They revere primarily Beory (Mother Oerth) and the agricultural gods that the migrating Oeridian tribesmen introduced a thousand years ago.

Flan druids have (until recently) discreetly helped to keep these older ways and ethnic identity alive in the populace. The Church knew about and discouraged such pagan practices, but did not bother to try to stamp them out except in unusual circumstances, such as the events of recent years. The Church learned that some Flan druids had been hiding gates to the lower planes, the legacy of the nefarious Ur-Flan, within the Pale itself. In 594 CY, these druids were convicted under ecclesiastic law and banished from the Pale. Relations between the Church and other Flan druids, known or suspected, remain tense.

"Faithful Flan" is the term for a smaller yet vocal group of Flan from the former Duchy of Tenh who have oriented themselves along the One True Path. As irregulars within the Prelatal Army, the Faithful Flan have led the charge to reclaim Tenh in the name of Pholtus. Most members of the Faithful Flan have forsaken their heritage, but they remain stuck between two worlds. They typically hold themselves superior to the ignorant native Flan and even to their fellow (unconverted) Tenha, yet not everyone in the Pale accepts them as equals. Some prejudiced Oeridians look down on and exploit even these Faithful Flan.

The third major group of Flan consists of non-Pholtan Tenha refugees loyal to the Duke, or at least skeptical of the Pale. The Tenha have a strong sense of national identity—much more so than the native Palish Flan. Their shattered nation has a long tradition blending military prowess (learned early from the Oeridian tribes) and deep-rooted Flan culture, but this tradition has largely slipped into effete arrogance. These Tenha have resented their time in the Pale east of the Yol River. During their stay in the Pale, they have interacted very little with either the native Flan or the Oeridian leadership, and they continue to despise the Faithful Flan as sellouts and traitors. Some former refugees have returned to western Tenh (the loyalists' territory), while others have moved into the eastern portion (held by the Pale), accepting the Pale's help but hoping the Theocracy will leave soon—see below for more on this.

Demihumans

Demihumans in the Pale are, at best, second-class citizens (or third-class, after the Flan). Humans tolerate them as long as the latter do not disrupt the humans' theocracy. Human citizens recognize the value of the special skills that certain demihumans bring to society—such as dwarven stonemasonry and smithy—but regard them with some pity for being born outside the blessed light of Pholtus.

Most demihumans reside near the borders of the Pale. Elves and half-elves prefer to stay close to the Gamboge Forest (wood or high elves) or Phostwood (wood elves). (The Church Militant does not recruit half-elves as heavily as it used to, now that human candidates have proven able to blend clerical and fighting abilities.) Dwarves are more common in the east, near the Rakers, and gnomes are more common in the southeast, near the foothills and the Gamboge Forest. Halflings are scattered throughout the land.

Racial districts in the cities or larger towns provide a greater sense of community within the various demihuman races. The theocracy permits shrines to demihuman deities in these enclaves—the only non-Pholtan churches allowed to exist by the Pale.

Arcane Spellcasters

Most citizens of the Pale view arcane spellcasters with suspicion. Pholtus does not actively claim dominion over magic, so arcanists are often assumed to follow heathen deities or fiends. Sorcerers draw even more suspicion than wizards do, since sorcerers' grasp of magic is not the result of disciplined study but from a mysterious source. (Indeed, the power of some Flan sorcerers or bards in the Pale appears to have truly dark origins, dating back to ancient times.) Because of this societal suspicion, all arcane spellcasters—even foreign visitors—are required by law to register themselves at an office in one of the major cities of the Pale and always to carry proof of registration.

Two main organizations are concerned with the position of arcane spellcasters in the Pale. The Arcanist Guild is loyal to the theocracy and enjoys official recognition by the Church; it works to preserve the reputation of all arcanists. The Coven of White Light is an ancient and secret order of sorcerers that predates the theocracy; its members use their magic for benevolent purposes and work within the Pale's laws to ease oppression against arcanists.

Enemies Everywhere

The Pale has few friends. No one (personally or nationally) can be trusted if they do not follow the One True Path. This view derives from the long-standing struggle against perceived persecution, which led to the exodus and the fight for independence from Nyrond. Over the last two centuries, this view has hardly changed in the face of war against Iuz and a mounting fear of threats from close and afar.

Nyrond

The people of the Pale view Nyrond as a decadent, failing empire. Most view the lack of unity in faith as the source of Nyrond's weakness. Many Palites still blame Nyrond for the burning of Old Wintershiven 250 years ago, which the Pale can never forget.

The recent coup by Prince Sewarndt—now Emperor Sewarndt—has actually not fazed the average citizen of the Pale. Although the emperor is rumored to deal with fiends, he seems, at least, to be a man of his word. The prelates and other priests may chafe at parleying with an evil man, but they expect him to honor the new treaty of non-aggression, so the Pale can concentrate on its gains in Tenh.

Some Palites support territorial aims in northern Nyrond. They hold weakly veiled altruistic goals of absorbing the Pholtan population in the county of Woodverge, but the truth is that the Pale covets the rich resources of that fertile county. The members of the Valorous League of Blindness, led by Carindrell and Grishken, have been recalled into the Pale and given official roles in the Palish government, but the Pholtan church retains a visible presence in Midmeadow and its surrounds.

Tenh

The view of the Palites toward Tenh is much like that of Nyrond, but amplified. Some Palites believe that the battle against Iuz and the Stonehold barbarians is a test of their faith in Pholtus. This self-righteousness glosses over the fact that Tenh is also very rich in natural resources, such as platinum. The convenience of the situation is a great irony and works to strengthen the Pale's territorial aspirations along its northern border. The post-Ether Tenh appears to be a less desirable acquisition for the Pale, but Palites believe that anything worth having is worth working hard to get.

Indeed, the Pale was recently able to carry out its plans to annex the eastern half of Tenh, after a campaign in late 594 CY. Pale-held Tenh has become a new tenth prelacy, and the Flan prelate Filias Farsonol left Hatherleigh to lead it. Roads and cities are being rebuilt and order restored, and some refugees from Nyrond or the County of Urnst are resettling here, preferring the relative security of this portion of Tenh. The desolate land, however, cannot yet support the new settlers and the liberation is proving more costly than intended.

Tenh even has a new Duke, ruling from Redspan. He will need to set the tone of his nation's relations with the theocracy and his other neighbors. Tenh cannot afford further war, but it also cannot stand to give up its land. The Pale claims that it is not holding eastern Tenh, but is there to support the "Faithful Flan" in regaining their ancestral lands. Since they were the first and only Tenha so far to fight for their lands, the Pale feels they are the only ones with a true claim to the land. The Pale insists that once the Faithful Flan can support their lands on their own, they will withdraw their military forces in favor of alliance with their neighbor. Other Tenha and most others in the Flanaess doubt that the Pale would ever leave willingly.

Phostwood

To the west of the Pale, the eerily glowing Phostwood holds enemies, mysteries, and tenuous allies. Bandits, monsters, and Iuz's patrols lurk in the forest, but the greatest threat is that of the ogres, locked in a genocidal war against the elves of the Phostwood. Whether the ogres are motivated by any more powerful force is a mystery, as is the reason for the glow of dying phost trees.

Eleven small tribes of elves, collectively called the Phostaldaron, reside in the Phost. These elves are almost exclusively wood elves or wild elves. The easternmost tribe of wood elves (the Istari) shares an uneasy alliance with the Pale, thanks to their shared enemies in Iuz and the ogres. But the Pale has no formal relation with the other tribes; the wild elves, in particular, would probably kill any intruder, regardless of his allegiance.

Although phost trees grow (and glow) in a few other forests of the Flanaess, the Phostwood is particularly creepy and dangerous, due to an ancient curse called the Dark Plague. The elves of the Phostwood have been fighting the corrupting influence of the Dark Plague for two thousand years.

Internal Themes

The major themes of the Pale are paranoia and fear. The Theocracy of the Pale was established under estranged circumstances and continues to exist because of a defensive attitude toward outside threats. But no Pholtan Palite would admit to being afraid. Faith overcomes (or at least suppresses) their fear. Seeing enemies all around, they prepare by building a strong army backed by divine might. Isolationism kept the Pale from engaging in—and being weakened by—the Greyhawk Wars. The liberation of Tenh in late 594 was uncharacteristically aggressive, and several mistakes showed the Pale's inexperience in waging a war of expansion.

Another theme drawing from paranoia is that the Pale is but a pinpoint of light within a great darkness. The Theocracy can detect only the presence of this darkness and the silhouettes ("enemies", perceived or real) that constantly move within the darkness. How deep is the darkness and what actually lurks in it, they do not know. Nor can the Pale tell whether the surrounding darkness is contracting to snuff their light or the light of the Pale is expanding.

Paranoia makes the nation vulnerable. Evil forces that truly threaten the Pale use deception to take advantage of the Pale's blindness. Past victories over secret cults and rivals make the Pholtans feel that they will always uncover and thwart such opposition. Only time will tell which force will prevail.

Mottoes

True faith will stay one's journey down the razor-thin path that leads to ascension. The Blinding Light of Pholtus is the shield that deflects the assault of one's enemies. The doctrine of One True Way is the sword that will serve defeat to those who threaten the Pale.

"The One True Way is a strict path, but guarantees rightness. Show no tolerance for those who do not give all for the cause of Law. Fanaticism in the name of the Blinding Light is praiseworthy, and Law's champions shall be rewarded in the era when chaos shall be vanquished." — LGG, pg. 179

Current Storyline Ideas Developing or Needing Development

The Legacy of Winterwind – The white dragon Winterwind is dead and gone, but his legacy of evil seems to continue to plague the Pale. What twisted machinations did he put in place that his minions still push forward?

The Legacy of the Ur-Flan – The Ur-Flan once ruled the lands where the Pale now sits. Some of their long-festering plans have come to light, but what else are they plotting in the shadows?

Integration of Tenh – What chaos and evil still lies in the annexed Eastern Stonelands? Will the returning Tenha accept the will of Pholtus or will rebellion against an invading force eventually lead to full-scale war in Tenh once more? Is there a peaceful solution to the Pale's presence in the Tenh? Can this land be rebuilt from the dust of its death? If rebellion against the Pale begins here, will it stop here or will Civil War come to the Pale?

Pholtan Druids – The Church of the One True Path has anointed its own order of druids, but will they be accepted by all? Do they seek the Blinding Light or are they treading paths of heresy? Will they help to rebuild Tenh and bring it to the light of Pholtus or will they be burned as heretics? How do the druids of the Old Faith view these upstarts?

Recent Tales – Is there a tale that was never finished from the last five years? Do you see the ending to this tale?

Older Tales – Look to existing Greyhawk canon and see what lies there. Most ideas based in canon will find acceptance if the references make sense to where the Pale has gone over the last five years.