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Greyhawk Campaign Setting
This game is set in the D&D 3.5 Greyhawk world. Within this setting, the planet that the game takes place on is known as Oerth. The portion of the continent that is the focus of the setting, considered "the known world" is referred to as the Flanaess. I will give basic information about this setting and include links to more in-depth information below. The game is set, specifically, in the country of Nyrond. Refer to the page I have provided for further information about the country itself.
The world of Greyhawk encompasses the Flanaess, the easternmost portion of the vast continent of Oerik, on the sphere of Oerth. Scholars from the Flanaess are certain that Oerik is the greatest of Oerth's four continents, and that four great oceans surround these lands, as do four layers of the heavens and four depths of the underworld. Yet, even in this benighted age, almost nothing is known of the lands beyond the Flanaess, and little is understood of the regions above and below. Such knowledge is of small importance, claim the high and the mighty, for clearly the lands around Greyhawk form the center of all enlightenment and civilization. Some folks question this assumption, and they yearn to explore their world and its challenges.
Oerth is but one world among many, separated either by the gulfs of space, the invisible ether, or the fragile veils of reality. The craft and persistence of magic defines the nature of Oerth. Throughout recorded history, magical conflict and restoration have shaped this world, Some of these magic-driven events touch upon the history of other worlds, and portals sometimes open between Oerth and alien spheres. Few other worlds boast the magical profundity of Oerth, and many strange beings are found there, drawn by the lure of the supernatural. The majority of such entities make their homes far from the sunlit skies of Oerth's surface, preferring to live secretly in lightless caverns below, where they may thrive and plot unseen.
If the paths of the underworld are hidden from view, the wise may still turn their attention to the heavens. All know that the sun travels once around Oerth every 364 days, visiting the Twelve Lairs of the Zodiac in an appointed round that never varies. The pale Great Moon, called Luna, waxes and wanes in fixed cycles of 28 days each, upon which the months are based. The aquamarine Lesser Moon, Celene, follows a path that reveals her full beauty but four times each year, thus showing the time for civilized festivals. Both Mistress and Handmaiden, as the greater and lesser moons of Oerth are also known, are held to be worlds in their own right, though few claim to have met any visitors from those lofty realms (or, for that matter to have visited those alien worlds personally).
Each month has exactly 28 days - Each festival is 7 days long.
Standard Week
Day Task
Starday Work
Sunday Work
Moonday Work
Godsday Worship
Waterday Work
Earthday Work
Freeday Rest
Months and Festivals
Common Elven Nomads Season
Needfest Midwinter
Fireseek Diamondice Tiger Winter
Readying Yellowillow Bear Spring
Coldeven Snowflowers Lion Spring
Growfest
Planting Blossoms Frog Low Summer
Flocktime Violets Turtle Low Summer
Wealsun Berrytime Fox Low Summer
Richfest Midsummer
Reaping Goldfields Snake High Summer
Goodmonth Sunflowers Boar High Summer
Harvester Fruitfall Squirrel High Summer
Brewfest
Patchwall Brightleaf Hare Autumn
Ready'reat Tinklingice Hawk Autumn
Sunsebb Lacysnows Wolf Winter
There are many types of currency in the realm. Each nation and region stamps its own coin and are known by different names. As it becomes necessary, I'll add more information on the different types of currency, but for now I will list the currency of Nyrond.
The currency system is based on Platinum Pieces, Gold Pieces, Electrum Pieces, Silver Pieces and Copper Pieces. 1 PP = 10 GP = 20 EP = 100 SP = 1,000 CP. Therefore, for example, 1 Electrum is equal to 5 Silver and 2 Electrum is equal to 1 Gold. 10 Gold, meanwhile, is equal to 1 Platinum, or 100 Silver and so forth.
Nyrondese coinage is known as: Sterling (pp), Noble (gp), Shinepiece (ep), Shield (sp), Common (cp). Therefore, someone might ask you to pay two "commons" for a beer, or might ask for ten "gold nobles" to buy a longsword, depending on how they choose to phrase it.
If there are any further questions about the basic setting that I haven't answered here or on the separate page for Nyrond, please let me know and I will attempt to update the pages appropriately.
Languages
Listed below are languages and dialects indigenous to the Flanaess. In addition to any languages you gain from your race or bonus languages you choose at character creation, all characters will have the language for their region. For characters in this game it should be Nyrondese. If you are from another region and would have a different regional language, contact me and I will point out the proper language for you.
A combination of Ancient Baklunish and the dialect of Old Oeridian spoken in the Great Kingdom was the basis of this trader's tongue. Any traveler must learn Common or be greatly handicapped. Very often, a language must be translated into Common before it can be translated into another language.
An ancestor of Common, Baklunish bears its offsping little resemblance. Many colloquial Baklunish dialects are based upon the classical language and collectively called Low Baklunish. Ancient Baklunish, however, is the standard literary form of the language and is used in religion, mythology, and poetry. It is also the language of all official documents and courtly proceedings west of the Yatils.
Doubtless the oldest language still spoken to any considerable extent. A stagnant language, it is hard to translate modern concepts (such as magic terms) into Flan.
A young language, Oeridian took in few outside influences until a few centuries ago. As a result, translation into any language except Common is difficult at best. Many books and documents of the Great Kingdom were written in Old Oeridian, and in the far east the language is still widely known and used in speech and writing.
This ancient and widespread language became all but extinct after the Rain of Colorless Fire destroyed the Suel Imperium. Today it is rarely spoken, even by the few scholars who know the tongue. The infamous Scarlet Brotherhood are one of few that continue its use. It exists in its written state for those who would delve into the surviving arcane tomes of the Suel people. Transliteration into modern tongues or alphabets is difficult, and dangerous when used in spellcasting, for the significance of certain inflections has been lost over the centuries.
Dialects and sublanguages worthy of note follow. Those who speak related languages have some chance to understand dialects, but little chance to comprehend distorted, mixed tongues. Due to the rarity of these dialects, aside from Nyrondese (which is common for the area) and perhaps Druidic, these are unlikely to come into play at the current time.
Only Suel natives of the Amedio Jungle speak this corrupt form of Ancient Suloise. Its few written symbols are Suloise alphabet characters.
This dialect, also known as Fruz, is Ancient Suloise with Flan admixture, spoken by Ice, Snow and Frost Barbarians. It has no relation to Common, and even speakers of Suloise find it difficult to understand.
The druids' tongue of the Flanaess shares roots with Flan, but it is specialized and static, focusing only on the natural world and agriculture.
Ferral is an old Oeridian tribal language spoken only by officials of the Iron League. Ferral is used for military command and identification purposes and is not a living language. Many fear that infiltration by agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood has compromised this code-tongue, but a magic-laced version is being developed in Irongate.
This widespread dialect of Old High Oeridian has local admixtures. It is spoken in and around Keoland.
This obscure dialect of Suloise (influenced by Common and full of nautical terms) was spoken in the Lendore Isles by humans before they were deported by elves in 583 CY. Only human refugees know it now. It has no relation to the Cold Tongue and is not written.
A peculiar new tongue that only high and aquatic elves of the Lendore Isles know, this might be a divinely inspired language. It is thick with religious and philosophical terms, and it cannot be learned in the normal manner. It seems to appear in the minds of elves who go to the Lendore Isles.
This High Oeridian dialect of Common is spoken in rural areas of Nyrond. It is the primary language of peasants, shopkeepers, and other common folk who distrust outsiders. Learned folk speak Common as well.
Olman slaves taken by the Sea Princes or Scarlet Brotherhood speak this strange tongue, as their masters hated it. Its huge, complex "alphabet" is really a vast set of pictographs. It is heard most often in the western Sea Princes' lands and in the Amedio Jungle.
This dialect shared by the Wolf and Tiger Nomads bears some resemblance to Ancient Baklunish, but it is most similar to dialects spoken among the distant Paynims. Its written form is based on Baklunish script.
The language of the Rhennee, Rhopan is also called "Rhennee cant" because it borrows many terms from other languages, including the argot of several thieves' organizations. It is not related to any Oerthly tongue.
The language of the Uli is a debased form of colloquial Baklunish.
This Old Oeridian tribal tongue is known to rural folk near the Furyondy-Veluna border. Those who speak only Common cannot understand it. It has no written form.