Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Cennedi Dec 19, 2005 11:37:45	So... started a new campaign and set the story arc in the principality of Ulek. first adventure is a somewhat modified B2 with the keep set just on the ulek side of the pomarj border about 120 miles from Havenhill and the caves in the Drachensgrab foothills. Easy enough to do by changing the B2 overland map by rotateing the compass arrow so that N becomes E and moving the keep and platau 120 yards directly west across the river and on top of the low hill So far I have changed the false rumor about the kidnapped girl to true and placed here in the cave with the evil cleric..charmed by said cleric. this could be a wrinkle if the players kill her when she attacks them in defense of her new master. Instead of the cleric being generic I am thinking he is a cleric of either Hextor Erythnul or maybe even Nerull or Iuz. Really unsure at this point about which religion would best fit in with the area so again this is an area where helpful advice would be appreciated. I am also undecided about how the residents of Pomarj will react to a rampaging band of adventurers. Part of me says keep it simple and just run the adventure while the other side thinks that the orcs of the caves of chaos would probably send for reinforcements from other pomarj orcs or maybe all the humanoids are more united than B2 depicts and the players should expect reinforcements. then again would one of the humanoid leaders in the greater Pomarj be overly concerned about four or five invaders? its not as if Ulek is invading them after all. Probably not gonna worry about it overly much. Caves of the Unknown Like many others I am modifiying B1 In search of the Unknown for this area and modify the rumors tables from the keep to reflect the background of this area and give the adventurers some hints as to its location. gonna say the dungeon was created by Roghan the Warrior and Zelligar the Magician back before the Hateful wars say somewhere between 480 and 490 CY. Anyway thats what I am doing in Greyhawk. would love some helpful hints and andy creative advice you guys can give to help insure continuity and keep the feeling true to Greyhawk. Cheers
#2 cwslyclgh Dec 19, 2005 13:34:59	sounds good. personaly based upon the descriptions of the chapels and such I have always felt that the temple of evil chaos was a representation of a temple to either Tharizudn, or the Elder Elemental God (I prefer the latter, as I am not fond of the over exposure that Tharzy has gotten).
#3 Cennedi Dec 19, 2005 14:09:48	Both of those are good I also added Kyuss to the list of possibles.
#4 ajs Dec 19, 2005 14:39:43	I'm focusing quite a lot on the Pomarj in my game, so I might have some things to add -- no Warforged, I promise ;) One thing that I always do is to assume that much of the history that I've read is colored by those who wrote it. Most of the canon history of the Pomarj is, in fact, written by non-orcish races. So I assume that the caricature of orcs as an "evil race" is just that. This opens up some possibilities, and makes the Pomarj much more sympathetic in any PoUlek vs. Pomarj conflagaration. I'm not too familiar with the B modules, but you might want to consider injecting some tension on both sides with factions going back and forth on the issue of continued hostilities vs. a peaceful settlement, which allows you to maintain canon history along side a more nuanced relationship between the two governments than just ongoing war. In my game, I'm eventually bringing into question the Circle of Eight's part in the war, and how they have gone back and forth over helping to end it vs. letting it continue. Neutrality is, as always, their guiding rule.
#5 Cennedi Dec 19, 2005 19:12:22	I can dig it. IMC I try to keep it simple in reagrds to alignment. though there may be some non-evil orcs or goblins in the world 99.99999 percent of the time they will be evil. could be a product of their upbringing and culture or maybe they are just wired that way. that said I like the idea of border tension between the PoU and pomarj, thinking about it made me think of many many future scenarios the PCs could be involved in. One that comes to mind is based off an old Conan novel. The humanoids of the pomarj finally decide the keep on their border is a threat as it is being used as a base of operations and jumping off point for more than one group of goody two shoes raiders that have been raiding their cave homes and killing their border patrols. They amass a force to sneak into the lands around the keep and begin a seige. To this end they hire human brigands to scout out the keep and bring back a good map and list of people who may pose a threat such as any wizards or clerics. 1. humanoids, mostly orc and goblin with a company of bugbear heavy infantry infiltrate the area by cover of an unnaturally dark and moonless night. A crack group of goblin commandos sneak into the keep on a suicide mission to kill any wizards or clerics that they have been informed of by their human spies and to poisen the fountain in the common square. 2. Humanoids blockade the keep cutting off any chance to send for help. starting the following day at dusk drums, rattles, and chanting can be heard from the eastern hills punctuated by pain wracked screams. around midnight the noises abruptyl end but are soon replaced by screams from inside the keep as scores of venomous serpents rain down from the sky on the defenders. It is also clear that the humanoid attackers seem warded from missle fire by some powerful magics, arrows fired at them seem to drop to the ground yards away from their target or swerve in mid-flight to miss. At some point the traitorous human brigands attack the outer gatehouse guards and lower the gates. As the defenders make a fighting retreat the outer keep is lost and the surviving defenders dig in for a last stand in the inner bailey. 3. the commander of the keep realizes that the key to victory lies in killing the humanoids witch doctor, with the wards removed the humanoids working the gate can be slaughtered by bow fire from the walls. If the wards arent broken soon though it will be over, the gate can't hold much longer. During the first parts of the seige he has been impressed with the skill and valor of the adventurers. they may be just the people to do this job for him. 4. players must sneak out of the keep, fight or sneak through enemy lines, go back to the caves of chaos and find the witch doctor, kill his body guard and him and then make it back to the keep with the witch doctors head to use to demoralize the humanoids. Without the powers of their witch doctor to protect them from the withering longbow volleys from the defenders and with casualties mounting, the humanoid leaders become demoralized and retreat back across the river. I admit this is a really rough draft but I think with a bit of thought it could be expanded into a really good adventure.
#6 zombiegleemax Dec 22, 2005 21:28:20	Hi. I'm not very familiar with the module but know it mostly via a GHer's conversion (published in an older Oerth Journal). If you're unfamiliar with it, I suggest checking it out because it was highly detailed and intended to help DMs embed the module in the Flanaess. I agree with Wes that the notion of Evil Chaos is redolent of the two gods he named. From the Gord the Rogue novels, I've come to think of Tharizdun as a joke. Perhaps the version in the original module is more interesting? From the little I've read about the Elder Elemental God, I've found it highly interesting and Cthulu-esque. Kyuss could work, but based on the Pomarj location, of the gods Cennedi mentioned, Erythnul sounds best unless the temple should be well organized, in which case Hextor is the one. Iuz's influence probably shouldn't extend so far. Nerull could work if the temple's priests enjoy subterfuge. Beltar might also work (Suel goddess of caves and hate, a fecund shapeshifter). Regarding the reaction of other humanoid tribes in the Pomarj, IMO, this is where the real enjoyment of campaign design exists. Adequate resources exist (Slavers, the old Dragon article, "See the Pomarj and Die!") for a DM to design an interesting regional politics for the PCs to take advantage of (or not). Remember, for humanoids, calling for reinforcements is an act of desperation because most tribes and races dislike each other and are likely not to support so much as to conquer an ailing tribe. Finally, it sounds like your placement suggests that the Caves of Chaos might be based on an old dwur delving in the Drachensgrabs.
#7 Darth_Kjeran Dec 23, 2005 15:53:03	Chello! I have always felt that the temple of evil chaos was a representation of a temple to either Tharizudn, or the Elder Elemental God. My thoughts as well.... Tony
#8 Cennedi Dec 23, 2005 19:21:00	odd to say but my LGH gods pdf seems to lack a entry for the elder elemental god. or I am just missing it. <---blind
#9 zombiegleemax Dec 24, 2005 11:53:09	Hi Cennedi. AFAIK, the EEG featured in early GH modules like the ToEE and the G-D-Q series. An Oerth Journal interview / article of Gary Gygax by Paul Stormberg also helps explain the god (and distinguishes it from Tharizdun). A number of recent Dungeon articles also seem evocative of the EEG, including the articles about Maure Castle and the Istivin City of Shadows campaign arc. Basically the EEG is a kind of elder god a la the Cthulu Mythos. It might be connected to the various elemental princes of evil or the ancient beings that dominated the Abyss before the rise of the tanar'ri, named in some works the qlippoth.
#10 Cennedi Dec 24, 2005 22:14:12	Thank you Tizoc. So if I am understanding this right think something like Nyarlathotep or maybe more like Tsathoggua?
#11 zombiegleemax Dec 26, 2005 13:00:28	A few caveats: I'm familiar with the Cthulu Mythos from reading several collections of H.P. Lovecraft's short stories almost 20 years ago and from the Call of Cthulu, 3d Ed. roleplaying game, which is the source I'm using for this response. Reviewing this source, Tsathogghua seems off point for the EEG because it seems mostly like a monstrous cthonic being that is content by ocassional sacrifice thereafter becoming somnolent. In contrast, the EEG seems fairly active underground, especially given its ancient shattering, reportedly caused by Beory. Despite its near-destruction, the EEG remains ever-ready to provide tangible power to beings who survive touching its altars--reportedly pieces of the shattered EEG itself. In contrast, Nyarlathotep seems more on point for some representations of Tharizdun, especially those that focus on its madness and insanity. Also, while the EEG might cosmologically serve other entities, I've not seen this kind of representation. Rather the EEG seems the master. Tharizdun, however, has sometimes been represented as an deific connection between the regular cosmos of the Prime Material Plane and the dimension called the Far Realm. In this sense, Nyarlathotep might be a useful model to inspire one's depictions of Tharizdun. Alternatively, depictions of slumbering and imprisoned Tharizdun might benefit from being informed of Azathoth. Reviewing some of the Great Old Ones and Outer Gods, the EEG might be informed by thinking about descriptions of Shub-Niggurath but remembering that the EEG is much less fecund. Nyogtha isn't quite on point but might be useful for imagining an aspect or avatar of the EEG (or perhaps the Malgoth introduced in the Istivin: City of Shadows campaign arc). Finally, Shudde M'ell seems too active (mobile). I know that others who ocassionally post in this folder are much more knowledgeable about the Cthulu Mythos, the EEG and Tharizdun. I encourage the Grodog and Rasgon to share their thoughts.