County of Urnst

Ruler: Her Noble Brilliancy, the Countess Belissica of Urnst

Government: Feudal monarchy owing fealty to the Duchy of Urnst, though internal affairs are conducted independently; hereditary rulership out of a very broad noble (not royal) family (House Gellor) with strong adventuring and military service

Capital: Radigast City

Major Towns: Brotton, Caporna, Didieln, High Mardreth, Jedbridge, Stone Battle, Trigol

Provinces: Six archbaronies, nine lord baronies, and eleven field baronies (lord mayors and mayors included, as they hold baronial positions)

Resources: Foodstuffs, cloth, gold

Coinage: [Modified Nyrond] sterling (pp), noble (gp), bright (ep), castle (sp), common (cp)

Population: 682,200 – Human 79% (widespread Suloise and Oeridian, with a minority of Rhenee), Halfling (lightfoot) 9%, Elf 5% (high or wood), Dwarf (hill) 3%, Gnome (rock) 2%, Half-elf 1%, Half-orc 1%

Languages: Common, Halfling, Rhopan, Elven (in descending order of usage)

Common Alignments: LG, NG (government and law enforcement), N

Major Religions: Heironeous, St. Cuthbert, Pelor, Phyton, Lydia, Oeridian agricultural gods (Atroa, Sotillion, Wenta, Telchur and Velnius), Xerbo, Zilchus, Halfling pantheon (group pf Halfling gods led by Yondalla), Norebo, Pholtus, Boccob

Allies: Duchy of Urnst, Greyhawk, Nyrond, Flinty Hills, Furyondy, Tenh (exiled noble family and refugees)

Enemies: Iuz (particularly Bandit Kingdoms realm), Bone March, the Pale (distrusted)

The County of Urnst has held its current borders for centuries. Nestled along the pleasant coast of the Lake of Unknown Depths, much of the nation’s economy comes from mercantile pursuits. Urnst’s eastern border, along the Stone Road and Franz River, was once heavily garrisoned against threat of invasion from Nyrond. Now, old keeps and castles are used once again, this time to keep track of the swarms of refugees seeking better life in the west.

The great plains of Urnst account for its staggering production of foodstuffs in every part of the nation. Though small forests and woodlands dot the plains, Urnst is not known for its wilderness. The influx of refugees has ensured that free farmsteads and even brand-new lordships can be found almost anywhere.

The great towns and villages of Urnst are connected by a brilliantly designed and well-cared-for series of roads, fashioned in the (some say magical) style of the old Great Kingdom. Indeed, much of the great architecture and infrastructure of Urnst can be traced to the Aerdy occupation, a fact that does not go unappreciated despite the distrust most Urnstmen feel towards nations to the east.

Urnst maintains a small but efficient squadron of warships at the Nyr Dyv (Lake of Unknown Depths), stationed in the largely military town of High Mardreth. A standing army of some three thousand horse and footmen stock key garrisons along the northern border and throughout the nation. Noble levies can raise ten times that number in a week or two.

History

Originally part of the much-larger seminal Urnst nation, the County of Urnst was established as a distinct protectorate nation by Overking Jirenen of Aerdy in 189 CY. Owning by far the most fertile land of any nation bordering the Nyr Dyv, Urnst stood as the breadbasket of the region for many years, supplying wheat as far afield as Calbut, in the duchy of Tenh.

When Nyrond broke from the Great Kingdom, it entered a period of expansionism, swiftly capturing the County of Urnst in a brief and surprising series of charges toward the capital. Most Urnstmen bitterly resented the occupation years, during which their own aristocracy (largely Suel, with strong ties to that of the duchy) was integrated with arrogant nobility from Nyrond. This resentment rarely erupted into physical conflict, however; the people of Urnst enjoyed a much better fate than the Pale under similar circumstances.

A half-century after the Great Council of Rel Mord, the County of Urnst became a palatine state under the protection of the richer and more powerful Duchy or Urnst, a political situation that continues to this day.

If the County of Urnst is subservient to its southern cousin, it certainly doesn’t act like it. The ruling house of Urnst, the Gellors, has long displayed a well-deserved reputation of individualism. The current countess, Belissica, enjoys a popularity unparalleled among most Flanaess rulers. A consummate politician and diplomat, she enjoys warm relations with the people of the duchy and even has the respect of the Rhenee and certain supposedly pro-Iuz Bandit Kings.

For a time, just prior to the Greyhawk Wars, it seemed that the two Urnst nations might combine to form a single nation, not unlike that which existed in centuries past. Nobles from Port Toli to Marner speculated upon a marriage between the countess and Jolen Lorinar, Duke Karll’s eldest son. In preparation of the event, the courts of Urnst grew ever closer, sharing key advisers and functionaries. The union, however, never occurred. How the young southern lord possibly could have rebuffed the ravishing and even-tempered countess is a subject of much speculation. Unmarried, Belissica ages gracefully, keeping about her a number of romantic consorts (many of whom are well-placed in the courts of neighboring lands), never staying with a single partner for more than a handful of months.

Urnst saw little fighting during the Greyhawk Wars, though refugees from all corners of the central Flanaess crowded the streets of Radigast City and the cities nearest the Nyrond border. Though these folk came bearing tales of horrible suffering and unparalleled fear, the countess soon noted that many of them came with full purses and a lifetime of accumulated wealth hastily stuffed into pockets and chests. Thanks to a number of new taxes suggested by Urnst’s canny Minister of Finance, Eckhard, much of that wealth now lines the government’s coffers, making Urnst one of the few countries to leave the war years far, far better off than it arrived.

Urnst has used its wealth and increased prestige to greatly aid Nyrond, both by bankrolling the struggling nation and by providing soldiers for the Almorian Campaign. The scars of the Nyrondal Occupation seem finally to have healed. From the point of view of the countess’ court, having one of the most powerful nations of the continent owing you several hundred favors does much to erase old wounds.

Belissica knows, however, that little is gained from helping Ehyeh III, the struggling duke of Tenh, who rules his exiled people from his exile in Radigast City. The countess attends his requests for personal meetings and funds his court (if modestly). Occasionally, she even offers the fallen duke some of her troops, if a given military action seems well thought out and offers little risk to her soldiers. She knows that embroiling herself in a struggle between Tenh, Iuz, the Fists, and the holy armies of the Pale can do Urnst no good. Belissica is noble and righteous; she is also wise. The key to retaking Tenh does not lie in Radigast.

Introduction

This campaign is located on the sphere of Oerth, most specifically on the continent of Oerik, in its easternmost portion called the Flanaess. Scholars from the Flanaess tell us that Oerik is but the greatest of four continents, and that the four great oceans surround them. Almost nothing is known of the lands beyond the Flanaess, and only little is understood of the regions above and below. Available player material is limited to the core 3.5 rulebooks (Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide) and Rules Compendium.

The Calendar

The sun travels once around Oerth in 364 days, visiting the 12 Lairs of the Zodiac in an appointed round that never varies. The Great Moon, called Luna, waxes and wanes in fixed cycles of 28 days. Each lunar cycle marks the passage of one month, which is further subdivided into four weeks of seven days each.

The Lesser Moon, Celene, follows a path that reveals her full beauty but four times each year, thus showing the times of the festivals.

Table 1. Standard Week

Day	Task
Starday	Work
Sunday	Work
Moonday	Work
Godsday	Worship
Waterday	Work
Earthday	Work
Freeday	Rest

Table 2. Dozenmonth of Luna and the Four Festivals

Festival/Month	Season
Needfest (midwinter)
Fireseek	Winter
Readying	Spring
Coldeven	Spring
Crowfest
Planting	Low Summer
Flocktime	Low Summer
Wealsun	Low Summer
Richfest (midsummer)
Reaping	High Summer
Goodmonth	High Summer
Harvester	High Summer
Brewfest
Patchwall	Autumn
Ready’reat	Autumn
Sunsebb	Winter

Each month has 28 days. Each festival is seven days long. This campaign begins on the 1st day of the month of Coldeven, 591 CY (Common Year; since the founding of the Great Kingdom).

Climate and Seasons

Except in the northern latitudes, winter temperatures in the Flanaess seldom fall below freezing except during the two winter months, and at night during early spring and late autumn. In the depths of winter, temperatures reach the freezing point for a few days, and then gradual warming begins. Summer in the central lands lasts five or more months. Prevailing winds tend to be from the northeast in the winter and autumn, from the east and southeast at other times. Most areas of the Flanaess have sufficient rainfall to assure abundant crops.

Coinage

The monetary-exchange system (1 pp = 10 gp = 20 ep = 100 sp = 1,000 cp) was established many centuries ago by the Great Kingdom at its founding, based on a similar system of coinage developed by the Kingdom of Aerdy. As the Great Kingdom spread across the Flanaess, similar currencies were adopted by other peoples to better trade with this vast empire, particularly after magic was used to assess coin purity and weight. The names of each official coin are given for realms that mint their own coinage.

Language

Player characters can choose bonus languages among those described for their race, as well as among those described in their starting regions. Languages specific to Flanaess are described below:

Common: A combination of Ancient Baklunish and the dialect of Old Oeridian spoken in the Great Kingdom was the basis for this traders’ tongue. Beginning centuries ago as Middle-Common, the language contained many obviously Oeridian elements, and the contributions of Baklunish grammatical structure and vocabulary are clearly identifiable. Regional variations were also pronounced, but all these elements became blended and standardized during the years of Aerdi dominance, resulting in the birth of the Overking’s Common Tongue, later simply called Common. Any traveler must learn Common or be severely handicapped. Very often, a language must be translated into Common before it can be translated into another language.

Rhopan: The language of the Rhenee, Rhopan is also called “Rhenee cant” because it borrows many terms from other languages, including the argot of several thieves’ organizations. It is not related to any Oerthly tongue.

Religion

Most people worship or pay tribute to more than one deity every day, often up to a dozen or more during the year, though one person might hold one particular god as a personal favorite.

True pantheonic worship (worshiping all the gods of a given ethnic group or race) is rare among humans. Most people are pragmatic and worship those gods they deem important to their daily lives, regardless of the origins of those gods. Even nonhumans, who tend more toward pantheonic worship than humans, might give offerings to gods of human origin, if the latter offer benefits the nonhuman’s want or need.

Racial deities are unchanged from their description in the Player’s Handbook. The human deities of Flanaess are described below:

Atroa is the NG goddess of spring, east wind and renewal. Her title is the Sad Maiden. Atroa is one of the five Oeridian agricultural deities fathered by Procan. She once loved the god Kurell but was spurned by him for her sister Sotillion. She oversees the blessings of spring, including the opening of hearts to new prospects and the body to new horizons. Her sling Windstorm can strike the most distant foe, and her spherical glass talisman Readying’s Dawn can melt ice within her line of sight. She is closest to her divine family and is indifferent to most other gods except Fharlanghn. Her holy symbol is a heart with an air glyph within. The domains she is associated with are Air, Good, Plant and Sun. Her favored weapon is the sling.

Boccob is the N god of magic, arcane knowledge, foresight and balance. His titles include the Uncaring, Lord of All Magic, and Archmage of the Deities. Boccob is known throughout the Flanaess and oversees the maintenance of magic’s existence on Oerth. He is distant from all other gods except his servant Zagyg. An eye within a pentagram is his symbol. The domains he is associated with are Knowledge, Magic and Trickery. The quarterstaff is his favored weapon.

Heironeous is the LG god of chivalry, justice, honor, war, daring and valor. His titles include the Invincible, the Valorous Knight, and the Archpaladin. Heironeous is the Oeridian battlefield champion of all that is right and good. He wages war against evil of all sorts, especially his half-brother and nemesis, Hextor. His symbol is a silver lightning bolt. His allies are other gods who fight evil, and his foes are those who encourage evil or suffering. The domains he is associated with are Good, Law and War. The longsword or battleaxe are his favored weapons.

Lydia is the NG Suel goddess of music, knowledge and daylight. Her symbol is a spray of colors from an open hand. She interacts with many other gods, exchanging information and songs. In some ways she is the converse of Pholtus, pressing for individual liberty so that others may see the light of truth without being blinded by it; this pleases Trithereon, who also strives for the freedom of the individual. The domains she is associated with are Good, Knowledge, Sun and Travel. The short spear is her favored weapon.

Norebo is the CN popular Suel god of luck, gambling and risks. He is known as the God of Gambles. His symbol is a pair of eight sided dice.  He has been paired with most of the female members of his pantheon, but has been linked to Wee Jas for the past one thousand years despite their alignment differences. He particularly despises Ralishaz for giving gambling and risks a bad name. The domains he is associated with are Chaos, Trickery and Luck. His favored weapon is the dagger.

Pelor is the NG god of sun, light, strength and healing. He is known as the Sun Father, and the Shining One. Pelor is the Flan sun god, known throughout the entire Flanaess. Riding the great kirin Star Thought, he summons flights of eagles and destroys evils with bolts of sunlight. He was until recently a peaceful and gentle god concerned with the alleviation of suffering. Now, he is a more martial deity who brings his wrath to bear on darkness and evil. Now he invigorates and heals those who champion the cause of good, and the stylized sun-face holy symbol is painted on shields and banners across the Flanaess. The domains he is associated with are Good, Healing, Strength and Sun. His favored weapon is the heavy mace.

Pholtus of the Blinding Light is the LG god of light, resolution, law, order, inflexibility, sun and moons. Pholtus is a stern Oeridian guardian of unbending law, who carries the Staff of the Silvery Sun, an ivory object shod in silver and topped by an electrum sun-disk. His holy symbol is a full moon (Luna) partially eclipsed by a smaller crescent moon (Celene). He is unpopular with other gods and particularly despises the Oeridian wind gods. He is opposed by St. Cuthbert. His clerics must be lawful. The domains he is associated with are Good, Knowledge, Law and Sun. His favored weapon is the quarterstaff.

Phyton is the CG Suel god of nature, beauty and farming. His most commonly encountered title is the Woodshaper. Once like most nature deities, he now represents man’s dominion over nature, and this puts him at odds with those who would protect a forest from the actions of mankind, just as his dominion over beauty angers Wee Jas. He clears forests to make room for crops, cuts tracks through mountains to make roads, and dams rivers to form fishing ponds. His symbol, a scimitar in front of an oak tree, hearkens back to his old purpose. The domains he is associated with are Chaos, Good, Plant, Sun and Water. His favored weapon is the scimitar.

Saint Cuthbert of the Cudgel is the LN god of common sense, wisdom, zeal, honesty, truth and discipline. St. Cuthbert may once have been a mortal man as his worshipers claim, but if so it was long ago and from an unknown people. His three prominent symbols are a starburst of rubies, a wooden billet, or a crumpled hat. He reacts favorably to other lawful nonevil deities, although he has a great rivalry with Pholtus. His clerics cannot be evil. The domains he is associated with are Destruction, Good, Law, Protection and Strength. His favored weapons are bludgeoning weapons and especially the club.

Sotillion is the CG goddess of summer, south wind, ease and comfort. Her title is the Summer Queen and her holy symbol is a winged, pure-orange tiger. With a wave of her hand she can afflict others with a careless stupor nearly unto slumber. She is Zilchus’ wife but ever a languid goddess who has to be prodded to her duties by her family. Her clerics must be chaotic. The domains she is associated with are Air, Chaos, Good, Healing and Plant. Her favored weapon is the net.

Telchur is the CN god of winter, cold and north wind. His title is the Icebrother. Telchur is the bitterest of Procan’s children. He is extremely good at his work; because he wishes no rivals to blight his reputation, he urged his greatest clerics to trap his rival Vatun in a magical prison seven hundred years ago. His symbol is a leafless tree in a field of snow. The domains he is associated with are Air, Chaos and Strength. His favored weapons are the short spear and shortbow.

Velnius is the N god of sky and weather. His titles are the Rainshroud, and the Elder Breeze. Velnius is the most responsible member of his family. As Procan’s oldest child, he is the leader of the Oeridian wind gods and is called in to support or take over for them when they are overwhelmed or lax in their duties. He is allied with his family members, friendly with neutral or druidic deities, and opposes Kurell. His symbol is a bird perched on a cloud. His clerics cannot be evil. The domains he is associated with area Air, Travel and Water. His favored weapon is the short spear.

Wenta is the CG goddess of autumn, west wind, harvest and brewing. She is known as the Alewife, and the Harvest Daughter. Wenta is the youngest Oeridian wind goddess with a large mug of beer as her holy symbol. She has no permanent ties to any one being, preferring to go where her heart takes her, and as such has been linked to many deities. She dislikes only her brother Telchur, seeing him as the black sheep always on her heels. The domains she is associated with are Air, Chaos, Good and Plant. Her favored weapon is the club.

Xerbo is the N god of the sea, sailing, money and business. He is known as the Sea Dragon. Xerbo is a stern and indifferent god. His trident, Murky Deep, enchants and grants him dominion over all ocean life and can enchant his opponents. Xerbo is also a mercantile god, where his stern demeanor represents the drive for a hard bargain. Most revere him as a merchant’s god and placate him as a sea god. He avoids other gods except his estranged wife Osprem, battles Procan regularly, and sulks whenever Zilchus encroaches on his followers. His symbol is a dragon turtle. The domains he is associated with are Animal, Knowledge and Water. His favored weapons are all sailor and aquatic creature weapons, especially the trident.

Zilchus is the LN popular Oeridian god of power, prestige, money, business and influence. His titles include the Great Guildmaster, and the Money Counter. Husband of Sotillion, brother of Kurell, ally of Rao, Zilchus has many contacts that reflect his ability to establish relationships that are vital to any businessman. A busy god, he has little time for frivolous pursuits, but is knowledgeable in such things because it allows him to influence others. He acts as a dealmaker between gods, finalizing agreements once Rao convinces warring parties to talk. His symbol is hands clutching a bag of gold. The domains he is associated with are Knowledge, Law and Trickery. His favored weapon is the dagger.