The Cairn Hills
The barren string of hills over here is the northern prominence of the massif known as the Abbor-Alz. From the north slopes, the hills curve through a vast crescent toward the south, where they meet the Abbor-Alz. Their foundation is the bedrock of the earth itself. These hills are known as ‘The Cairn hills’, its name refers to the ancient discovery of mysterious burial sites of some ancient civilization. As you can see, they fringe the territories of the capital of the Domain, on two sides, providing strong and visible borders…and it is the wildest territory near the City.
Though the Cairn Hills are quite barren, with only scraggly tough grass and an occasional tough bush, it can be a beautiful place when you know where to look. Even though the area suffers no particular shortage of rainfall, with daily chance of precipitation of 25% of which most is snow during winter, the rocky nature of the soil carries water away quickly. The water is gathered in swamps, marshes and the odd lake, like the frigid Greys mere. You have to look for these streams and marshes to realise the Cairn hills are home to a variety of plant and animal species.
Along the stream beds can be found a variety of stunning blossoms, lilacs and other, larger bushes, and even some small trees. Many of these are evergreens, resembling small cedars, but also an occasional Galda tree.
Most famous inhabitants are the grey hawks that first gave the capital its name. These fierce predators are greatly prized as hunting birds. Aside from numerous rodents, there are small herds of wild pigs and a hardy breed of small, and elusive deer.
The Mistmarsh
You see this large area of here?
That is the Mistmarsh my friend. It occupies a huge bowl and is the source of two significant rivers - the Ery and the Neen - which flow together until they join the Selintan over here.
This area is a huntsman's paradise as long as you stay on the outskirts of the marshlands. Rumours abound that the central reaches hold a haunted cemetery of an ancient peoples, enormous amounts of crocodiles, dangerous Lizardfolk tribes and even a black dragon is rumoured to be sighted once a year.
Be careful though, from its fringes the Mistmarsh is virtually invisible as it gradually gives way to a wide belt of grassland, dry and smoothly devoid of any large trees. You will gradually find yourself in squishy and wet ground which could be dangerous when you realise you are suddenly sinking calf-deep in sticky muck. Not to mention the clouds of insects that fill the air. Especially during a hot, wet summer these mosquitoes and biting flies are savage. Besides clumps of Mangaroo groves, fairly impassable barriers, the Mistmarsh is a vast sea of grass, broken by the channels and ponds of open water.
You know…its name comes from the characteristic mist that is nearly always present from two hours before dawn until mid-morning, and again for one to six hours following sunset. It is a beautiful yet eerie sight when, during humid or raining days, the mist hangs over the marsh all day and night. Muffling sound and limiting visibility to a centimetre.
The Plain of Greyhawk
I know how it sounds, but not everything is a wilderness. These grassy plains here surround the Free City on all sides, running the full length of the Selintan River valley. These low, gently rolling hills allow you to see great distances across the farmlands. The land is supposedly not particularly fertile, but the hungry mouths of Greyhawk city have made farming a profitable endeavour. The tenant farmers work small fields, or tend flocks of sheep, goats, or chickens and are well cared for by the city. Communal gatherings of farmhouses dot the landscape, but they are mere hamlets, but more than one large holding or manor house can be found here as well.
Gnarley Forest, Eastern Reach
The western border of the Domain is made by a great forest known as The Gnarley forest. Although the edge of the Gnarley Forest is quite a bit tamer than the very heart of the wood, even the strip is wild country. It is an ancient forest, full of forest giants like Oak and Ipp whose broad branches spread the leafy canopy well overhead, choking out the undergrowth to the extent that walking is quite easy. Mossy stumps are everywhere, often resembling furry green statues wherever you look. It is quite enchanting. Wildflowers bloom here in the spring, summer, and even in the fall. I am sort of a collector myself and the white-petaled ivory blossom, which only grows in the heart of the forest, is the most precious of these beauties. It are the oaks and several groves of dekla trees that soar, sometimes 120 feet. Their massive trunks take as much space as a small cottage and their gnarled roots make the ground into a twisting surface. Hence, its name as the gnarley forest.
Mining towns
The cairn hills are not without its towns. The Highroad, made of crushed stone packed almost to a rocklike smooth surface, is an extension of the River Road and leads to the mining towns of Blackstone, Steaming Spring and Diamond Lake. Though the Highroad is smooth and wide, the side roads leading the the mining towns are much more primitive. It takes a strong mount to carry or pull any weight up these roads, and good brakes to get a wagon down safely.
The Highroad is patrolled regularly by the watch garrison in the Cairn Hills, and travel to the working communities governed and protected by the Free City of Greyhawk is fairly safe.
While the mines themselves are scattered over this portion of the hills, the ore is carried to one of these three towns for assaying, smelting, and further transportation.
Blackstone is nestled in a steep-sided canyon of dark gray granite where, during wet weather, a slender waterfall, nearly 500 feet high, spills glittering water into the canyon to collect in a once-crystalline lake.
Steaming Spring lies in a wider valley and draws its name from the several geysers outside the town. These regularly spew hot water, steam, and occasionally mud into the air. The mines dig into the lower slopes of the hills to either side of the valley.
Diamond Lake is the smallest and most remote of the three towns. The town stretches along the shore of a lake whose clarity once must have inspired the community's name. The mines are owned by the city, but are leased to various individuals for life. These mine managers are usually industrious nobles who are responsible for the business of mining. Fully half of the product of each mine is the property of the city, but many mine managers, Governor-Mayors, and prospectors have made good fortunes on the other half.
Greysmere
Where the Cairn Hills briefly become the Abbor-Alz mountains, sits the brooding dwarven stronghold of Greysmere. Its entrance, Stonegate, lies at the head of the rock-bound mountain lake that gives the strongholds its name. The gate is a massive slab of granite, rolled into place on a series of smooth logs. Greysmere itself, sheltering nearly 400 dwarves, is a good example of dwarven stonecraft and fortification. It is very old but sits in a relative backwater of dwarven commerce. Thus, it has never outgrown its present location. I have heard that Greysmere pays neither tribute nor tax to Greyhawk, but it has signed a pact offering military aid in time of war.
Elmshire
One of my favourite places, especially for great food and atmosphere, is halfling community of Elmshire. Especially at night when thousands of candles, torches, and lanterns flicker cheerily in the night. This may be a pastoral settlement, it is also a major centre of trade due to its proximity to the Free city, the Selintan River and the shallow waters of Midbay. Many inns even have raised doorways and ceilings, and at least one or two human-sized beds, for human visitors are not uncommon here.
If you ever get the chance to visit, you will notice some houses dotted around and a small centre near the bridge, but let that not fool you. Most of them live in their burrows and you will be surprised to know some 5000 of them make their home there. You’ll find the small folk on their light canoes, fishing in the shallows, riding their ponies, talking under an elm tree, farming or herding. It is a fresh of breath air after the city, if you like the countryside that is.
Just be wary if you venture out west of the town, for near the shoreline Rhennee barges can be encountered. During wintertime, the population of their encampment swells with the bargefolk staying there for the season.
Grossettgrottell
I have never been to the Gnomish Caverns of Grossettgrotell but I have heard it is not one town but actually a collection of 5 small, underground villages, connected by mine tunnels, natural caverns, and overland trails. The entrances to these warrens are all small, natural cave mouths, and each is screened with brush. Finding them is equivalent to finding a secret door I hear. Apparently, each village houses about 150 gnomes and are a sight to behold. They are known to be tinkerers and have created ingenious systems to improve their living standards. I can only imagine! Tallfolk are known to visit it but most caverns are low-ceilinged. It is apparently known for its variety of fungi production and perhaps some precious rocks and an invention or two.
To get there you need to find Stone Bridge, originally a flimsy suspension bridge of rope and wood suspended over the placid Selitan River some 800 feet below. But gnomish sculptors and architects, over a period of nearly three decades, gradually formed a huge, stone arch to bridge the gap. The structure looks almost to be a part of the bedrock itself. The bridge, 20 feet wide and with a low wall along each outer edge, climbs steeply to this centre. The river is 800 feet wide where the bridge is suspended, the lips of the gorge overhang the water on both sides, stretching to within 100 feet of each other. Must be quite the sight hey?
The Despotrix of Hardby
Down the coast of the Woolly Bay, heavy traffic in trading vessels dock at the palisaded town of Hardby. It is quite the sight, resting in a sheltered cove along the shore of the bay with docks and wharves far grander than its size would seem to warrant. It is lively with numerous inns, hostels, boarding houses, and eateries but at night Hardby can be wild, frequent with robberies, fights, and even slayings. Hardby is important for the Domain, not only for trade but also for their war galleys that patrol the waters and fight back the pirates of Highport.
Narwell and Safeton
Moving further west on the map you’ll see a town called Safeton. I’ve recently came from this coastal town and it was quite the experience. The 5000 or so inhabitants are very paranoid, and you can smell the fear in the streets, which is not surprising because it is so close to the expanded Orc Empire. Safeton is a frontier town and not in a good way with the only thing keeping any sort of peace on the street are the Greyhawk militiamen, Hardby Marines and three war galleys stationed here. I’ve noticed trade, fishing and quarrying are key here, but it is a hard life even with slave labour, which always existed in Safeton, doing the most hard and dangerous jobs.
Then over here we have Narwell, which has a very different atmosphere, less compacted than Safeton, with more open space and bordering into farmlands. Walls are still under construction and that says a lot about the priorities of the city. The town is rife with thieves and bandits so don’t think it is a safe place. When I last passed Narwell it rained mud! Apparently, the city suffers from what they call “dirty rain” which is actually dust from the Bright Desert that has been blown west over the Bay.
Greyhawk
You remember I asked you about the Gem of the Flanaess? Well, that is the Free City of Greyhawk over here. It is ideally located for trade and protection and although midwinter can be cold for a period of 3-4 months, the cairn hills protect it from the worst north-east winter gales.
The city rose in fame and prominence only a few hundred years ago, under the leadership of Lord Mayor Zagig legal reform were instituted, a new currency developed, the walls fortified, and universities founded. The city of trade, of magic and knowledge but you are probably under your way to the famous Castle Greyhawk hey?
The city has seen quite a few changes, but it has never had a large calamity. The Gem has been effectively independent of the Great Kingdom's rule for two centuries now and has secured its economic fortunes on the back of the ‘gold rush’ in the nearby cairn hills. Its real power grew when the Great War was over and a peace treaty signed within its very walls. Although the war was over, there was continuing unrest and the surrounding cities resubmitted to the rule of the Directing Oligarchs of Greyhawk. The domain of Greyhawk was born.
Selintan River and the River Road
What makes this country so special that it has allowed the city of Greyhawk to become 'The Gem of the Flanaess', is the Selintan River. The broad, shallow and placid river gave the Free City of Greyhawk its ideal location, then its commerce, and now its communications line to the rest of the world.
The channel is constant and deep enough to allow even fairly large seafaring vessels to forge upstream up to the city for beyond, only shallow draft vessels can complete the voyage to the Nyr Dyv. However, a significant number of barges and other craft make this journey as well, so the river is busy along its entire length. It is the connection from the Nyr Dyv to the Woolly Bay that thus secured the growth of the City of Greyhawk.
You do not like boats? Then take the River Road which follows the west bank of the river south from the City of Greyhawk, running all the way to the gates of Hardby, on WoollyBay, the northernmost prong of the Sea of Gearnat. There are plenty of friendly inns, with their own sturdy piers, along the River Road. There are a few fords along the way, well-gravelled and smooth to cross, that only become impassable for some hours after a period of rain. There are barges that allow you to cross as well.
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