References to the Theocracy of the Pale in Greyhawk Literature

The following is a very useful list of references to the Pale in published literature, originally compiled by Jay Alexander Hafner on August 25^th, 1999. Most of these documents are out of print. However, these documents might be for sale as electronic downloads from the WotC Online Store. Alternatively, original copies might be available on eBay, at a significant markup. To add additional resources to this list, please send email to dwb@netspace.org.

As the Living Greyhawk campaign develops, there will be a great deal of material on the Pale created. Information will be on this Web site, in our regional modules, in the regional modules from other regions, and in the Living Greyhawk Journal. The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer also contains a lot of information on the Pale for the campaign. This page here is not intended to be an exhaustive list of resources, but rather a pointer to some of the more obscure references to non-LG materials.

Resources

1. World of Greyhawk Boxed Set
2. From the Ashes
3. Fate of Istus
4. Marklands
5. Ivid the Undying
6. Greyhawk Wars
7. Iuz the Evil
8. Scarlet Brotherhood
9. Greyhawk Adventures
10. The Adventure Begins
11. City of Greyhawk
12. Dragon #56, "Greyhawk Notes"
13. Dragon, July 1982, "Greyhawk Notes"
14. Supplemental Resources.

World of Greyhawk Boxed Set by Gary Gygax

(Folio not searched because the Boxed Set duplicates and improves the information.)

• Maps...

Guide

• Back cover. Pale heraldry.
• p7. Phostwoood.
• p8-11. History.
• p13. Flannae. Theocracy of the Pale are primarily hybrids..Flan/Oeridian. The inhabitants of the Pale are particularly handsome.
• p29. Nyrond with details on Pale seperation.
• p30. Pale, Theocracy of the... Full Kingdom Details.
• p37. Tenh with details on Pale border clashes.
• p44. Regional alignment chart. Pale is noted Lawful Neutral.
• p45. Regional products. Pale is noted copper, gems, food.
• p52. Troll Fens details, notably.."The Pale carefully hedges the place with watchtowers and keeps, and strong patrols constantly ride the verges of the southern end of the Troll Fens...
• p53. Raker Mountains. Infested with humanoids and dwarves.
• pp54-55. Rivers.
• p57. Gamboge Forest..allegiance is typically sworn to Nyrond and the arms fo the kingdom are occasionally shown within the forest to prevent any takeover by minions of the Theocrat.
• pp58-59. Minor Timberlands.
• p63. God List.
• p74. Details on Pholtus (of the Blinding Light). Details of prieshood ranks and vestment colors are noted.

Glossography

• p10. Encounter tables for the Pale, Ratik, and the Duchy of Tenh.
• pp12-16. Encounter tables for various forests, and mountains related to Pale.
• pp31-32. Birthplaces and primary languages with most common alignments of characters: Pale: LN, LG, speak common.
• p45. Pholtus of the Blinding Light. Further details of the god himself.
• back inside cover..index to hex locations of towns.

From the Ashes, by Carl Sargent

• Big maps.

Atlas of the Flanaess

• Maps of the borders of the kingdoms.
• p4. Old history.
• p10. History post-war.
• p11. Flannae racial details and the Pale.
• p32. Theocracy Kingdom info.
• p39. Tenh kingdom info.
• p51. Phost trees.
• pp52+. Forests-Gamboge.
• pp55+. Lesser woods.
• p57. Rakers.
• p61. Troll fens.
• p63. Rivers.
• pp70+. Priesthood of Pholtus.
• p95. Pholtus and St. Cuthbert aren't friends.
• RefCard #1. Timeline with history.
• RefCard #2. List of Nations with details on population etc.
• RefCard #3. Index to locales by hex number.
• RefCard #4. Pholtus symbol and list of gods of Greyhawk (incomplete and errors, use Players Guide list).
• RefCard #5. New Pholtus spell.
• RefCard #6. New Pholtus spells.
• RefCard #11. Forest Encounters.
• RefCard #12. Mt. Encounters, Marsh Encounters.

Fate of Istus, by numerous authors

Map and details of Wintershiven along with some history in Nyrond. This information has been posted to the Theocracy of the Pale Web site in the Background section.

Marklands, by Carl Sargent

• Map contains good view of the southern border with Nyrond (Gamboge is owned by Nyrond).
• p58. Nyrond's old extent.
• p59. Pale thrashed the Fists in Phostwood.
• p63. large info on the relationship with Nyrond.
• p65. Pholtus priesthood divided bitterly.
• p66. Large info on the Valarious League of Blindness and its knighthood.
• p79. Northern Nyrond details and the Gamboge Forest details.
• p80. Midmeadow and relationship with Pale.
• p81. Bestien's Tower and Nutherwood.
• p90. Carindrell of Pholtus & Theocracy.
• p91. Farenne. Paladin of Pholtus that hates the Pale.
• p92. Grishken of Pholtus and Pale.
• p94. Nyrond Field General Myarlken. Hates Pale and Valerious league.
• p95. Sir Shandell Damion. County of Urnst ambassador pushing for a Nyrond, Urnst, Pale alliance.
• p95. Zylinchen. Knight Commander of Valarious.

Ivid the Undying, by Carl Sargent

Bits have been taken from each section of this excellent document.

History

The attempts of the then Overking, Portillan, to reconquer Nyrond were stymied by an assault on the North Province of Aerdy from Flan barbarians which forced Portillan to defend his own lands rather than reconquer Nyrond. With the Urnst states and the Theocracy of the Pale swiftly following Nyrond's path, Aerdy's dominance was broken.

Knighthoods of the Great Kingdom

Orders of knighthood are less important in Aerdy than in lands such as Furyondy and the Theocracy of the Pale. Questing knights bravely battling dangers and perils are uncommon in a land without mountains or hills, largely civilized, and mostly comprised of great swathes of arable land. Dragon killing isn't easy when the dragons just aren't there to be killed. Likewise, moralistic knights, such as the Templars of the Theocracy, are on thin ground in a nation which has slowly slid into degeneracy for many generations.

Church Armies

A special mention must be made of armies maintained by certain churches and religious orders within Aerdy. This always has been a strong tradition with martial faiths (Heironeous, Hextor, etc.). Outside of Aerdy, it is seen in its strongest development in the Theocracy of the Pale, for centuries part of the Great Kingdom.

The Viper Tenements of Rauxes

The priest, Elliast Moroneth, dreams of escape to the Theocracy of the Pale, and he has some information he could barter to anyone prepared to get him out and take him there; see his profile details below.

The Lay of the Land

Szeffrin may have pronounced himself Duke from his base in Bloodcrystal and laid claim to all the old lands of Almor, but that does not mean he controls those lands, nor all those lands west of the Harp and around Chathold where there are none in occupation to refuse him rulership.

Many of the Almorian Lands are wholly disorganized, with marauding remnants of armies comprised of imperials, fighters from North Province and Ahlissan deserters. Added to this are the Bone March and Adri humanoids far from their homes. There are even some fortified farmsteads where Almorian families, despite all the threats which surround them, still manage to survive. The large majority of Almor's population, however, are forced into slavery by Szeffrin or used as forced levies by armies seeking to raid Nyrond, the Adri, into the western lands, or even as far as the Flinty Hills and north into the Theocracy of the Pale.

Pholtus

There are numerous mentionings of Pholtus in this supplement. Many of them could be useful for campaign suggestions.

Greyhawk Wars, by Zeb Cook

The Fall of Tenh

"..In that time the Tenh has grew complacent. Believing the northern frontier secure, Duke Ehyeh siphoned warriors from Thunder Pass to more pressing assignments: patrols to intercept foul creatures from the Griff Mountains and the Troll Fens, task forces to hunt down desperados of Rookroost and the Bandit Kingdoms, and standing armies along the increasingly hostile border with the Theocracy of the Pale. With Thunder Pass quiet and the Hold preoccupied, Ehyeh allowed the Tenhas guard in Calbut to dwindle dangerously.

Diplomacy

"..Other nations were no more obliging. The Theocracy of the Pale, though unhappy to have Sevvord Redbeard next door, had long distrusted and disliked the Tenhas anyway. The Supreme Prelate of the Pale refused to volunteer an army for Duke Ehyeh to command, choosing instead to strengthen his own borders and prepare to seize Tenh for himself. The king of Nyrond, though sympathetic to Duke Ehyeh's cause, reserved his troops and funds to counter the ominous rumbles coming from its old rival, the Great Kingdom.

Iuz the Evil, by Carl Sargent

• p48. Bandits raid into Pale et al.
• p48. Pale has contempt for Iuz, but ignores them.

Scarlet Brotherhood, by Sean Reynolds

• p23. Old Aerdi West. Scarlet Brotherhood has safehouses in Wintershiven.

Greyhawk Adventures, by Jim Ward

• pp16-17. Pholtus and his avatar details, as well as the new Pholtus spell for the fully detailed priests called "sunburst".
• p75. War staff of Nyrond. Pale note.

The Adventure Begins, by Roger Moore

• p7. Wintershiven notes and Pholtus.
• p12. Old Aerdi West. Notes on Pale.
• p18. Nyrond Pale history.
• p23. Tenh and Pale work together to retake Tenh.
• p30. Nyrond resists takeover of northern lands by Pale.
• p31. Pale attempts subversions of northern Nyrond.
• pp40+. Festivals and relationship to Pholtus.

City of Greyhawk

• "Folk Feuds and Factions," edited by Kim Mohan, p1. Artonsamay and Nyr Dyv give access to lots of goods from Pale, et al.
• "Gem of the Flanaess," edited by Mike Breault, p19. map.
• RefCard CoG#2. Adventure - Born again ogres of the Blinding Light.

Dragon #56, "Greyhawk Notes," by Gary Gygax

Notes on the war between Tenh and the Theocracy of the Pale. Notes on the Bandit Kingdoms recruiting mercenaries from the borderlands of Urnst, Pale, et al.

"Duchy of Tenh: In CY 575, Duke Ehyeh II began an active campaign to clear the Troll Fens and border area on the west bank of the Yol. Considerable numbers of fortifications were built, and this two-year effort was deemed a general success. The Theocrat of the Pale concentrated his attentions south and eastwards because of the strong show by the Tennese. "In 577, the Duke began early actions to the north, working into the mountains and fortifying the southern end of Rockegg Pass, some 20 leagues above Calbut. The Duke was himself killed in fighting against the Holders, whose units of "fists" resisted with great ferocity the closing of the pass. Despite the death of their leader, the Tennese (now under Marshal Laba) finished what their liege had willed, thus effectively securing the Duchy on two sides. At a convocation in Nevond Nevend during Neefest [sic], 578, Ehyeh III was crowned Duke, and the Tennese celebrated greatly. The old Duke's son was more warlike than his doughty father, and his early training as a fighter on the frontiers made Ehyeh III particularly anxious to secure all avenues against invasion. In the spring, the young Duke organized a forcce [sic] of 2,500 horse and 6,000 foot, while leaving strong garrisons at all key points. He personally led the army across the Zumker River. "Duke Ehyeh's plan was to sweep west to the junction of the Bluff Hills and the Rakers. He then would move north into the hills, clear them in a rapid westward push, and garrison any strongholds found there. He would then swing back southeast to overrun the land between the Bluff Hills and the Zumker. Any bandit forces caught by the move would be trapped and destroyed. With this accomplished, the next move would be to bring a second force across the Zumker, just above the Artonsamay [sic]. The two would then handle expected bandit lord reaction, take Rookroost, and secure all of the territory as far west as the Fellreev. Contemplated along with these actions was an even more ambitious plan to begin the next year, which would secure all the land west of the Artonsamay [sic] as far as the Tangles. "The plan worked with precision, but as soon as the Theocrat got wind of it - and his spy system is legendary - disturbing reports began to reach the young Duke. The Prelate's growing military strength was at Wintershriven, and the Faithful Bands were being called up. The Tennese companies originally being readied for action elsewhere were sent from Redspan on a long march to reinforce the Yol. Woodsmen were ordered to keep a close watch in the Phostwood Forest. The Duke entrusted the army in action against the bandit states to the redoubtable Marshal Laba so the new threat could be under his own command. When the Combination of Free Lords sued for peace near mid-summer, the suit was welcomed, for it ceded a considerable portion of land to the Duchy, guaranteed bandit neutrality, and allowed the Tennese military forces to meet the threat now posed by the Pale. Duke Ehyeh brought a combined army of 4,000 horse and 11,000 foot across the Yol at the edge of Phostwood in Dozenmonth Ready'reat, 578 CY. This host struck east and is wintering in the Pale. The threat to Wintershriven is obvious, and events of the year 579 should prove interesting indeed. Ehyeh III (ranger, 11th level) will either be acclaimed as a military genius and savior of his nation, or else Tenh will fall under the heel of the Theocrat."

Dragon, July 1982, "Where the Bandits Are", by Gary Gygax

• Details of exactly which Bandit Kings used to be on the border with the Pale.

Supplemental Resources

• "Five Shall Be One," by Carl Sargent: Generic Map for the Region.
• Dragon #88, "Suel Gods," by Len Lakofka: Wee Jas is mentioned to be worshipped in the Pale.
• Dragon #65, "Greyhawk Notes," by Gary Gygax: King Dunstan of Nyrond is mentioned as having been the king during the breaking away of Pale and Urnsts.
• Dragon #59. "Greyhawk Notes," by Gary Gygax: Notes on how Pholtus clerics of the Pale battle the Knights of Doom.
• Dungeon Magazine Nothing.
• B1 - In search of the Unknown, by Gary Gygax: Advice for placing the module in the Pale.
• Gary Gygax's Gord books.
• Doomgrinder, Crypt of Lyzandred, Star Cairns, Isle of the Ape, Mordenkainen's Adventure, the Falcon Series, Temple of Elemental Evil, Giants series, Drow Series, "S" series, the rest of the WG series, contain no useful resources for the Theocracy of the Pale (however these may contain NPC's, or passing mentions to Pholtus).