Gith Incursion, Elemental Evil, and the Future - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Gith Incursion, Elemental Evil, and the Future

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
danzig138
Aug 07, 2006 14:51:35 Okay. About a year or so ago, I ran a Greyhawk campaign. The idea was to try and run the group thrhough a bunch of the old modules. At some point, the Gith Incursion (from Dragon) would occur. unfortunately, about the same time the Incursion began, the group repeatedly got their butts handed to them in the Temple of Elemental Evil. Hommlett ended up burned to the ground, and the party (well, the two survivors) were stuck in an Elemental node.

Since then we've been playing some other games - Shadowrun, Battlelords, a post-apoc game. But there are some "I kind of miss D&D" grumblings going on. So what I'm thinking about is a campaign set in the future - I don't know how many years thought, I was running in 576 or so. The Gith Incursion wasn't stopped, but neither were the forces of Elemental Evil.

So what I'd like are some suggestions on how these two forces, along with Iuz and others, would divide the world in a semi-cold war state of affairs. You know, who would control what? Where would the bastions of freedom be? All that jazz.

Thanks.
#2
Mortepierre
Aug 08, 2006 4:29:40 On a side note, Dragon #347 will feature a lengthy article on the Evil Elemental Princes of old (1e Fiend Folio). Could come in handy...
#3
grodog
Aug 08, 2006 21:41:02
Hommlett ended up burned to the ground, and the party (well, the two survivors) were stuck in an Elemental node.
[snip]
The Gith Incursion wasn't stopped, but neither were the forces of Elemental Evil.

So what I'd like are some suggestions on how these two forces, along with Iuz and others, would divide the world in a semi-cold war state of affairs. You know, who would control what? Where would the bastions of freedom be? All that jazz.

danzig138, I saw your post on ENWorld, but wasn't going to reply until I'd found another old post I was seeking for you. After a bit, I found it on the Greyhawk-l archives @ http://oracle.wizards.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0110b&L=greyhawk-l&D=1&F=&S=&P=2265
(you may need to subscribe to the list to access the link).

That post doesn't address your specific two poles of evil in contention, but you can certainly mine it for lots of ideas on how the timeline could be shifted around. In addition, you might consider mining the Greyhawk Wars era products for ideas---you could advance the Wars a few years, or change the protagonists to your own (maybe Iuz supports Elemental Evil more directly, and the Great Kingdom falls to an astral invasion fleet). Gygax's GH novel Artifact of Evil could also give you some good ideas about instigating (and resolving) large-scale conflicts.
#4
ripvanwormer
Aug 08, 2006 22:54:42 I wrote the following speculative future history (from this thread):

- Invasion of githyanki, as in Paizo's Incursion plotline. They would target the Hellfurnaces first and foremost, where the illithids are, but need to secure the realms adjoining them (including the Yeomanry, Sea Princes, Amedio, and "Zahind"). Keoland is caught up in a losing war with the githyanki empire, and unable to interfere with...

- One last, great assault by Iuz, this time without demonic allies, but with sorcerous shape-changers infiltrating every court, undead, abominable creations of the Boneheart, and the Ur-Flannae priests and druids warping nature to the Old One's will. The cambion's allies destroy Celene from within (the trees animating to kill elves), seize the Wild Coast, Greyhawk City (whose Oligarchy, thoroughly corrupted by Iuz for a decade, concedes the city willingly), the Cairn Hills, and the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj (which puts up the bravest front in the war, but ultimately is shattered). The Great Kingdom reunites in order to fight this threat, but loses battle after battle. At last, a party of adventurers infiltrates Iuz's court with Zuggtmoy's secret help and kill him with the Rod of Seven Parts. Iuz's spirit descends into the Abyss to Shedalakh where Zuggtmoy, who posesses his soul amulet, forces him to aid her in her war against Juiblex and the conquest of the surrounding layers. With Zuggtmoy firmly in control of his fate, Iuz is occupied for a long time.

- The quest for the Rod of Seven Parts awakened the forces of Chaos, which distorted some of the landscape of the Flanaess. Most of the damage is minor or later reversed, with one significant exception: the Sea of Dust is now filled with fertile river valleys, once again blooming with vegetation. Magic in the region works strangely now. The githyanki have secured a good part of it.

- Kas the Bloody-Handed returns through Tovag Baragu and, with the unwitting aid of a party of adventurers bearing the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar, destroys the stone circle to prevent Vecna from following him (thus inadvertantly preserving the renewed state of the Sea of Dust). He secures the allegiance of the Ur-Flannae and the Boneheart and, while he doesn't try to hold the majority of Iuz's bloated empire, prevents the northern territories from disintegrating.
#5
zombiegleemax
Aug 09, 2006 7:05:24 I'd riff it like this:

If you have the githyanki in the Hellfurnaces - they basically bring about the Giant Troubles and not the Sakhut/Drow/SB whoever. The Githyanki, obviously are a hell of a lot more of a handful than the giants - and so all of Keoland + satelites are dragged into a bloody war to hold the line of the Javan.

Meanwhile the Hordes of Elemental Evil run amok in the vale of the Velverdyva - Verbononc falls for sure, perhaps Dyvers too. Furyondy/Veluna's attention is dragged south to fight the scourge. Celene wards its borders (actively and at great cost), but doesn't actively aid the humans.

When Iuz makes his move therefore, Furyondy has to fight on two fronts - this is probably bad news for the realm, as they only just held Iuz back in the GH Wars.

Meanwhile in the east - the GH Wars go off as previously - Ivid makes his moves, Nyrond responds. The SB helps and then knives the Iron League in the back. The only thing that might change here is the amount of coin that the Urnsts are able to send to Nyrond. They might have already spent this on trying to prop up Furyondy.

A wild card is the Theopart that Iuz got in Artifact of Evil - just before the Wars kicked off. If the Horde overruns the Gnarney and the Suss - its possible that they either find or intercept the Theopart - denying Iuz some of his sway over the Abyssal Hordes.

In short - I'd say you get the GH Wars with a far worse Giant troubles and an extra evil faction in the Lortmils/Verbononc to put the squeeze on Furyondy.
#6
danzig138
Aug 09, 2006 19:29:09 There's some good ideas here. Thanks. This will help a lot.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 danzig138 Aug 07, 2006 14:51:35	Okay. About a year or so ago, I ran a Greyhawk campaign. The idea was to try and run the group thrhough a bunch of the old modules. At some point, the Gith Incursion (from Dragon) would occur. unfortunately, about the same time the Incursion began, the group repeatedly got their butts handed to them in the Temple of Elemental Evil. Hommlett ended up burned to the ground, and the party (well, the two survivors) were stuck in an Elemental node. Since then we've been playing some other games - Shadowrun, Battlelords, a post-apoc game. But there are some "I kind of miss D&D" grumblings going on. So what I'm thinking about is a campaign set in the future - I don't know how many years thought, I was running in 576 or so. The Gith Incursion wasn't stopped, but neither were the forces of Elemental Evil. So what I'd like are some suggestions on how these two forces, along with Iuz and others, would divide the world in a semi-cold war state of affairs. You know, who would control what? Where would the bastions of freedom be? All that jazz. Thanks.
#2 Mortepierre Aug 08, 2006 4:29:40	On a side note, Dragon #347 will feature a lengthy article on the Evil Elemental Princes of old (1e Fiend Folio). Could come in handy...
#3 grodog Aug 08, 2006 21:41:02	Hommlett ended up burned to the ground, and the party (well, the two survivors) were stuck in an Elemental node. [snip] The Gith Incursion wasn't stopped, but neither were the forces of Elemental Evil. So what I'd like are some suggestions on how these two forces, along with Iuz and others, would divide the world in a semi-cold war state of affairs. You know, who would control what? Where would the bastions of freedom be? All that jazz. danzig138, I saw your post on ENWorld, but wasn't going to reply until I'd found another old post I was seeking for you. After a bit, I found it on the Greyhawk-l archives @ http://oracle.wizards.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0110b&L=greyhawk-l&D=1&F=&S=&P=2265 (you may need to subscribe to the list to access the link). That post doesn't address your specific two poles of evil in contention, but you can certainly mine it for lots of ideas on how the timeline could be shifted around. In addition, you might consider mining the Greyhawk Wars era products for ideas---you could advance the Wars a few years, or change the protagonists to your own (maybe Iuz supports Elemental Evil more directly, and the Great Kingdom falls to an astral invasion fleet). Gygax's GH novel Artifact of Evil could also give you some good ideas about instigating (and resolving) large-scale conflicts.
#4 ripvanwormer Aug 08, 2006 22:54:42	I wrote the following speculative future history (from this thread): - Invasion of githyanki, as in Paizo's Incursion plotline. They would target the Hellfurnaces first and foremost, where the illithids are, but need to secure the realms adjoining them (including the Yeomanry, Sea Princes, Amedio, and "Zahind"). Keoland is caught up in a losing war with the githyanki empire, and unable to interfere with... - One last, great assault by Iuz, this time without demonic allies, but with sorcerous shape-changers infiltrating every court, undead, abominable creations of the Boneheart, and the Ur-Flannae priests and druids warping nature to the Old One's will. The cambion's allies destroy Celene from within (the trees animating to kill elves), seize the Wild Coast, Greyhawk City (whose Oligarchy, thoroughly corrupted by Iuz for a decade, concedes the city willingly), the Cairn Hills, and the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj (which puts up the bravest front in the war, but ultimately is shattered). The Great Kingdom reunites in order to fight this threat, but loses battle after battle. At last, a party of adventurers infiltrates Iuz's court with Zuggtmoy's secret help and kill him with the Rod of Seven Parts. Iuz's spirit descends into the Abyss to Shedalakh where Zuggtmoy, who posesses his soul amulet, forces him to aid her in her war against Juiblex and the conquest of the surrounding layers. With Zuggtmoy firmly in control of his fate, Iuz is occupied for a long time. - The quest for the Rod of Seven Parts awakened the forces of Chaos, which distorted some of the landscape of the Flanaess. Most of the damage is minor or later reversed, with one significant exception: the Sea of Dust is now filled with fertile river valleys, once again blooming with vegetation. Magic in the region works strangely now. The githyanki have secured a good part of it. - Kas the Bloody-Handed returns through Tovag Baragu and, with the unwitting aid of a party of adventurers bearing the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar, destroys the stone circle to prevent Vecna from following him (thus inadvertantly preserving the renewed state of the Sea of Dust). He secures the allegiance of the Ur-Flannae and the Boneheart and, while he doesn't try to hold the majority of Iuz's bloated empire, prevents the northern territories from disintegrating.
#5 zombiegleemax Aug 09, 2006 7:05:24	I'd riff it like this: If you have the githyanki in the Hellfurnaces - they basically bring about the Giant Troubles and not the Sakhut/Drow/SB whoever. The Githyanki, obviously are a hell of a lot more of a handful than the giants - and so all of Keoland + satelites are dragged into a bloody war to hold the line of the Javan. Meanwhile the Hordes of Elemental Evil run amok in the vale of the Velverdyva - Verbononc falls for sure, perhaps Dyvers too. Furyondy/Veluna's attention is dragged south to fight the scourge. Celene wards its borders (actively and at great cost), but doesn't actively aid the humans. When Iuz makes his move therefore, Furyondy has to fight on two fronts - this is probably bad news for the realm, as they only just held Iuz back in the GH Wars. Meanwhile in the east - the GH Wars go off as previously - Ivid makes his moves, Nyrond responds. The SB helps and then knives the Iron League in the back. The only thing that might change here is the amount of coin that the Urnsts are able to send to Nyrond. They might have already spent this on trying to prop up Furyondy. A wild card is the Theopart that Iuz got in Artifact of Evil - just before the Wars kicked off. If the Horde overruns the Gnarney and the Suss - its possible that they either find or intercept the Theopart - denying Iuz some of his sway over the Abyssal Hordes. In short - I'd say you get the GH Wars with a far worse Giant troubles and an extra evil faction in the Lortmils/Verbononc to put the squeeze on Furyondy.
#6 danzig138 Aug 09, 2006 19:29:09	There's some good ideas here. Thanks. This will help a lot.