A History of the Sheldomar

By Kirt Wackford (wackford@biology.utah.edu )
Edited by Scott Rennie (scott.rennie@virgin.net) for 'Black Hart' campaign consistency, and subject to revision.

Notes and Sources Part I

1] "Perhaps the biggest asset the Oeridians had, however, was the vileness of the Sueloise - the majority lied, stole, slew, and enslaved whenever they had inclination and opportunity. There were exceptions, of course, such as the houses of Rhola and Neheli - late migrants who settled the Sheldomar as already mentioned." WoG p.8
2] "The arrogant Oeridians might have been overcome by this mix of forces, but for one thing: the Suel were far more unpleasant than the Oeridians were aggressive. The Suel invaders lied, cheated, stole, enslaved, pillaged, and killed out of hand." FtA p.3
3] "This order is purported to espouse the cause of the Sueloise as the rightful rulers of all the Flanaess, claiming superiority of that race above all others, and embracing evil as the only hope of achieving its ends." WoG p.33
4] "The order is one of Suel racism which seeks to subjugate all of the Flanaess to the rule of the Sueloise (despite its widespread use of humanoid troops), and which embraces evil as the only hope of achieving this end." FtA p.35
5] "Many of the Suel nobility who escaped the Rain of Colourless Fire dreamed of a return to power and the destruction or subjugation of all rival peoples...they set about to reproduce the glories of ancient Sueloise society, from slaveholding, assassination, ritual torture, and the employment of goblinoid mercenaries to the highest magical and material arts...The Brotherhood was founded in the last years of the Baklunish-Suel wars (5091 S.D.) to combat what its members saw as the dilution of Suel virtues and superiority; its express purpose was the 'purification' of Suel blood and behaviour, with the concomitant and inevitable rule of Sueloise over all lesser peoples." FoI p.105
6] "In the aftermath of the final Baklunish-Suel conflict, the Suel lordling Immris of Rhola rallied his household, crossed the Crystalmist Mountains, and made his way across the Sheldomar basin. Like his more illustrious relatives who settled in Keoland, Immris and his people were of that small fraction of Suelites who were honourable and sought peace, and disdained the use of goblinoid mercenaries." FoI p.25
7] This philosophy, behaviour, and obligation of the good Suel is modelled after "The White Man's Burden", from a poem by Rudyard Kipling. This poem justified 19th Century Imperialism by the West in general and Britain in particular. Kipling argued that Europe was destined to conquer the world, but with this destiny came the obligation to assist non-Europeans in attaining the level and standards of Western Civilisation. In imagining an honourable people who nonetheless believed in Suel racial/cultural superiority, this model seemed appropriate.
8] As one example, "The Jurnrese are rather smugly contented with their way of life and are of the opinion that the sooner this type of culture is generally adopted throughout the continent, the better it will be for all concerned. They see themselves as a hard-headed, practical people, and tend to regard foreigners as shiftless and disorderly." FoI p.27
9] "During the Wars, Keoland was reluctant to aid Veluna and Furyondy against Iuz, and when Sterich was threatened, King Skotti tried to negotiate a treaty that would re-establish Keolandish control over Sterich in return for military aid. He dithered long enough over the details for Sterich to fall in the interim." FtA p.29 See also pp. 7, 38
10] "To the north, Ket raiders beset Bissel, and the Ulek forces crucial to its defence dithered between defending that small state and protecting Furyondy against Iuz. Bissel was eventually forced to surrender by the fierce horsemen of Ket. This could have been avoided but for another fell stroke worse than the eruption of humanoids from the Pomarj. From the Crystalmist mountains, great forces of giants and humanoids swept down into the Grand Duchy of Geoff, Sterich, and into the Yeomanry. In the latter, they were repulsed by peasant levies as worthy in battle as many seasoned veterans. Geoff and Sterich fell, the Keolandish armies too distant to oppose the invaders." FtA p.7
11] "It is ironic that, when the major blow of the War fell in this area, Keoland's delay in aiding the brave Sterish people resulted in the loss of the land to giants and humanoids." FtA p. 38
12] The winds, and thus the weather, of the Flanaess move from east to west (WoGG p.22). The eastern sides of mountain ranges receive much rain from clouds forced over them, while the western sides are dried by the descending air. Thus (at least prior to human activities) the eastern slopes should have been dominated by marshes and deep forests (Celene, Geoff, Sterich, the Yeomanry, Sea Princes). The western sides of mountains should have been arid hills and deserts (Sea of Dust, south-western Lorridges, eastern portions of Gran March and Duchy of Ulek). Southeast winds in the summer would bring storms and much moisture off of the Azure Sea, keeping the lands of the south forested almost as far north as Niole Dra (Jurnre is said to receive "ample rain", FoI p.25).
Thus, the north and east Sheldomar Basin (Duchy and northern County of Ulek, Bissel, Gran March, Keoland north of Niole Dra) were arid hills and open grasslands, while the south and west (Geoff, Sterich, the Yeomanry, Keoland south of Niole Dra, southern County and western Principality of Ulek) were heavily forested. Locally, the river valleys of the Lort, Upper Sheldomar (above Niole Dra), Upper Kewl (above the Silverwood), and Old River would be narrow, as the rivers there are rocky and fast-flowing (FtA p.64), while the Lower Sheldomar and Lower Kewl would have quite broad, marshy valleys with wide flood plains.

13] "The Flan tribesmen were hardy and capable hunters but not particularly warlike, and their small and scattered groups made no appreciable civilising efforts." WoG p.8
I take the emphasis on the Flan hunting, rather than farming, as a bias in the chroniclers' documenting the efforts of male Flan, only. The same bias has led historians to characterise many groups (including some Native Americans, Africans, and New Guinians) as "hunters" when in fact most calories in their daily diets came from agriculture, a principally female endeavour. I find it difficult to believe that the widespread and successful Flan, wearers of (presumably dyed and woven) tartan kilts [23], and effective, if conquered, combatants against the Oerids and Suel, were solely hunter-gatherers, particularly in the fertile southlands.
14] "The original inhabitants of the Flanaess were the Flan tribesmen, hardy and tough nomads whose small, scattered groups made no major civilising efforts." FtA p.3
15] I picture primitive Flanae subsistence to be variously gathering, ploughless shifting agriculture, herding, or hunting, similar to the Celts of Europe or the Native Americans of the eastern North America. Given the subtropical climate of Keoland, perhaps the best analogue would be the Native Americans of Southeast North America, such as the Cherokee. Depending on where the Flan lived, hunting, herding, and agriculture would have differing prominence in everyday life. The hill herders, having domesticated animals, would likely have had the highest level of material technology.
16] "Both Baklunish and Suel forces employed mercenaries, bandits, and any humanoids they could hire to swell their armies." FtA p.3 See also [5] and WoG p.8
17] "The Oeridians were fierce invaders. They drove everyone else, Flan and Suel, before them...For two centuries they fought the Suel and the fragmented humanoids for possession of the central lands of the Flanaess. The Oeridians incurred the enmity of the Flanae and the demi-humans of the lands as well." FtA p.3 For a more flattering portrayal of the Oerid, see WoG p.8
18] "That castle itself is said to be built on the ruins of a high elven city razed by Oeridians nearly nine hundred years ago..." ItE pp.37,38
19] The houses of Rhola and Neheli are called "late migrants" [1] to the Flanaess, and at least Immris of Rhola migrated after the Invoked Devastation/Rain of Colourless Fire [6]. Yet "Keoland was the first major kingdom to be established in the Flanaess" (WoG p.27). While the date of CY -415 is not official, the time of Rhola and Neheli migrations would have to be sometime shortly after CY -422 (Rain of Colourless Fire) but before CY -217 (Founding of Kingdom of Aerdy) (both, FtA, Ref Card #1 and WoG p.9). Furthermore, the migrations definitely occurred before the founding of Jurnre, for which an estimated date is CY -315 [26]. If CY -415 is taken as the date for the Rhola and Neheli migrations, the main Suel migrations would have preceded them by about 30 years and the travels of the Oerids by 40 years (WoG p.9, FtA Ref Card #1).
20] Vecna Lives! is in many ways a difficult module to incorporate consistently with other Greyhawk material. It tells of a large empire which stood for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years (pp.6,7). Wouldn't this empire have affected the migrations and conquests of the Suel and Oeridians? Yet no mention of such an empire is made anywhere in WoG or FtA. VL! says that rumours place Vecna's Tower in the Nyr Dyv (p.6) and that the Empire included what is now the Duchy of Urnst (p.6). Vecna is reputed to have created the Bright Desert (p.6). While he did not, that he is believed to have shows that he was known and is remembered in the region. Thus, the Vecnan Empire seems to have included the region around the Nyr Dyv, but how far it extended beyond this region is not specifically mentioned. VL! claims that the Neheli (late migrants [1]) struggled with the "previous lord", Vecna, and his lieutenant, Kas (p.22). What region Vecna was the previous lord of is unspecified. Why he was the lord once but was not when the Neheli arrived is unclear.
My interpretation is that the Vecnan Empire lay mainly to the south and west of the Nyr Dyv. If one examines the migration routes of the Oeridians (diagrams on WoG p.10, FtA Ref. Card #2), one can see that they appear to have been forced north of the Nyr Dyv. Since they had over a decade head-start on the Suel (WoG p.9, FtA Ref. Card #1), I tend to believe it was not the Suel, but the Vecnan Empire that was excluding them from the southern central Flanaess.
I speculate that by the time of the Suel migrations Vecna had selected Kas as his lieutenant (VL! p.7, FDMG p.161) and had withdrawn from secular rule, largely concerning himself with research into ascension (VL! p.7). The Sueloise migrants, being corrupt, wily, and deferential, were accepted into the Empire by Kas, and allowed to pass through or even to settle if they acknowledged his rule. Seeking new, personally loyal, subjects would be a step in Kas's plan to overthrow Vecna. The Suel founded cities in the Empire, such as Greyhawk City (WoG p.23) and the lost Sueloise City of the Suss (WoG pp.42,58, FtA p.54).
Note the dominance of the Suel racial strain in the humans of the Pomarj and Wild Coast (WoG p.14, FtA Ref. Card #2). This collaboration with Vecna was a large part of what led Flan and demi-humans to side with the Oeridians against the Suel [1,2]. The loyalty of many Suel to Kas proved to be a temporary convenience, however. After they had firmly established themselves in the region, they rebelled. Had Vecna been interested in such affairs at the time, the rebels would swiftly have met gruesome ends. But the Lich's thoughts lay on other planes, and Kas was left to struggle without his Master's aid against those he had formerly welcomed.
Thus, by the time of the Neheli migrations (long after most Sueloise had come) to the area around the Sea of Gearnat and Woolly Bay, Vecna was considered a "previous lord" (VL! p.22) by the rebels, but the Empire under Kas still resisted Neheli attempts to conquer and dominate the region. The Neheli united many of the rebelling Suel into a proto-nation they called Mara. This could not be allowed, even by the disinterested Vecna, and he and Kas personally went after the Neheli, defeating their allies and forcing them to withdraw. The Neheli shame at this defeat explains their reluctance to let the episode be recounted in a public history (VL! p.22). After their victory over the Neheli, Kas consolidated his hold on the Empire. His hubris, fed by his sword (FDMG p.161), was at its highest now, and he dared challenge Vecna. As a result of this challenge, both perished, and the world was made brighter thereby (FDMG p.161, VL! p.?)
Another interpretation is that the Neheli struggle with the Vecnan Empire took place in the Sheldomar. This would mean that Vecna's empire included the Sheldomar, but was not necessarily limited to it or centred in it. The Neheli and Rhola would have had to struggle with the empire before they could have settled in the region. Such a situation might have been kept secret (VL! p.22) because the Neheli did not wish it to be common knowledge that any civilisation in the Sheldomar predated their own. In this view, calling Vecna a "previous lord" (VL! p.22) would refer to his status as lord before the Suel. If such an interpretation postulated a strong, aggressive Vecnan Empire, one might wish to restrict it to the south-eastern Sheldomar, so as not to interfere with the general Sueloise migrations.
21] Earth history is replete with occurrences of nomadic horse warrior/herders (often fair skinned) raiding and sometimes conquering agricultural peoples (often darker skinned). Generally after a period of turmoil, the horsemen come to be a ruling elite and the natives a peasant class. Consider the Huns and Magyars in Europe, the Aryans in Greece and India, the Moghuls in northern India, the Mongols in China and eastern Europe, the Semites and Hittites in the Middle East, the Malagasy of Madagascar, the Sioux in the northern Great Plains, and the Apache and Kiowa in the southern Great Plains. Any one of these could be models for Suel and Oeridian treatment of the Flan - first conquest, then settling among and ruling, accompanied by the development of a class system that is strongly influenced by race.
22] For one example, consider the nation of Jurnre;
"Immris and his people entered into alliance with the local halflings and gnomes, and with them founded a citadel on what they dubbed the Hill of Stars above the banks of the Kewl River. Many of Immris's troops and servants were Oeridian, and they were joined by Oeridian and Flan tribes who were attracted to his relatively peaceful and stable realm. In time the new society was augmented by a steady stream of refugee Suelites who had repented of war. Immris's expert leadership and the shared dangers of those times welded these diverse peoples into a city and nation they called Jurnre." FoI p.25
Where did Immris get Oeridian servants and troops if they had just left the Sueloise empire? I would assume that they were members of his household before he left. As the Suel in general employed mercenaries [16], and as the Oeridians were displaced long before the Rhola in particular migrated, the good houses may have already had some Oeridian dependants before their migrations.
23] "According to ancient practice, the members of the city guard wear face paint and tartan kilts indicating their rank and ward - apparently an echo of the time when ordinary troops were largely Flan and Oeridian tribesmen." FoI p.27
24] The climate of the Tilvanot Plateau is said to have "resembled that of the lost Suel homeland with its steady but cool temperature and misty skies." FoI p. 105
Central Keoland would be hotter with more seasonal precipitation and flooding in the river valleys [12].
25] "Much of what is bought and sold in Jurnre is derived from the nearby countryside: rice; oranges, lemons, and limes; karafruit; cheeses; tobacco; peppers; cotton; fine lumber from the County's carefully managed woodlands; and the powerfully sweet honey derived from the local citrus orchards as well as the yet more powerful mead which is brewed from it." FoI p.25
26] FoI is set in CY 576 (p.110). It mentions the founding of the city of Jurnre "nearly nine hundred years ago" (FoI p.25) as one of the first post-Devastation cities in the Flanaess. Somewhere around CY -315 seems appropriate. Further, "when Rauxes was little more than a collection of huts, Jurnre was already a city with stone walls and paved streets" (Ibid.).
27] As "the first major kingdom to be established in the Flanaess" (WoG p.27), Keoland must predate the Kingdom of Aerdy, founded in CY -217 (WoG p.9, FtA Ref Card #1). Note that there is no CY 0, so that CY -1 is followed by CY 1.
28] In such instances, the length of time a family had been settled, or the number of its victories and defeats would be important. Thus the incentive for the Neheli not making their history of conflict with Vecna and Kas public knowledge (see [20]).
29] My speculation as to date.
30]
30a) The Silverwood springs from the long rise which separates the Sheldomar and Kewl rivers. This ridge of hard rock is responsible for the radical change in direction the Sheldomar experiences upon leaving the Axewood. The Sheldomar River hits the base of this formation and is forced to flow south-west along it - running for quite aways as a swift-flowing torrent at the foot of a high ridge. Near Niole Dra the ridge lowers a bit and softens, and the river valley broadens out. Niole Dra is set in a graceful curve of the wide river valley, looking across a broad, slow section of the Sheldomar quite unlike its upper reaches. For the migrating Suel and Oerids, this spot proved the easiest place along the Sheldomar to raft across or ford. It became a rest area on the major path of Suel migrations that subsequently proceeded through the mountain pass north of the Kewl River and across the northernmost part of Celene before spreading through the eastern Flanaess.
30b) After the migrations, this strategic spot was used by Suel and Oerid nomads as a trade town and was considered neutral ground. Though no permanent structures were built, nomad camps occupied the spot near-continuously. It was a convenient location to rally and organise before raiding the river lands to the south, as well as a place to conduct negotiations and alliances, trade goods, and exchange information.
By gaining control of the place and holding it against all comers, the new King dealt a strategic blow to the raiders as well as severed the easy connection between nomads of the dry hills east of the river and those in the grasslands to the west.
All of this is my conjecture, but is informed by the migration map on WoG p.10. Note that the arrows of migration in FtA Ref. Card #2 are slightly offset from this, and occur in less reasonable locations; they likely represent generalised trends rather than the actual routes depicted in WoG.
31] "Eventually Jurnre was absorbed by peaceful alliance into the fledgling Keoish Kingdom as the capital of the County of Ulek." FoI p.25
32] "Humans and demi-humans have long sought safety in the lands in and around the Lortmils. Flan tribes, dwarves, elves, and so forth settled permanently in the area which has been known as the Ulek States for centuries." WoG p.38
33] The dominance of Oerids in the Sterich is indicated by the arrows of migration (WoG p.10, FtA Ref Card #2) and the racial composition listings, OFS in WoG (p.14) but OSF in FtA (Ref. Card #2). WoG (p.13) lists Sterich as being notable for its "strong Flan racial influence".
34] See the migration maps (WoG p.10, FtA Ref Card #2) and the description of the journey of Immris [6]. Furthermore, "The Lost Passage of the Suloise" is to be found "where the Crystalmists border the Yeomanry" (WoGG p.27). Also, "The Suel peoples...moved northward through the Kendeen (Harsh) Pass of the southern Crystalmist Mountains (now known as the Hellfurnaces) and spread out in all directions" (WoG p.8).
35] Despite the early traffic of Suel peoples [34], it was mixed Flan-Suel who actually settled the region, implying a later time for settlement, after some mixture could have occurred:
"The people who settled the territory west of the Javan river, north of the Hool Marshes, and below the Jotens were mixed tribes of Flanae-Suel. Some Oeridians also came into the area, accepted by the original settlers as long as the newcomers did not infringe on the lands or rights of those already there" (WoG p.42). Also, "Early in the history of this land, the Flan-Suel race that settled here..." (FtA p.44).
36] The dominance of Oerids in the region is reflected in the racial composition of the County of Ulek (FtA Ref. Card #2) and shown in the migration maps (Ibid., WoG p.10).
37] WoG p.16, WoGG p.31, FtA p.14
38] Gran March and the Yeomanry are both given the designation "SOf" for modern composition (WoG p.14, FtA Ref. Card #2). For the Yeomanry in particular, see [35].
39] The Sea Princes are designated SOf for modern racial composition (WoG p.14, FtA Ref Card #2).
40] "Little is known of the Amedio Jungle, except that it is inhabited by tribes of cannibal savages - some purportedly of Suel extraction or admixture." WoG p.56
41] "The inhabitants [of the Amedio Jungle] are said to be cannibal savages of Suel origin...". FtA p.51
42] Geoff is shown on the migration maps (WoG p.10, FtA Ref Card #2) as being an "original Flan homeland" and is listed in the text as showing "strong Flan racial influence" (WoG p.13). Its composition is listed as "FSO" (FtA Ref Card #2). Other references say "The inhabitants of the Grand Duchy are of Flan-Suel-Oerid mixture, seemingly combining the best features of each race" (WoG p.22) and "The native people, an Oeridian-Suel-Flan mix..." (FtA p.26).
43] The Earl of Sterich "maintains good relations with the Grand Duchy of Geoff (being of the same bloodline as the Grand Duke, this is not too surprising)..." WoG p.36
44] No mention is made anywhere of the conquest of Sterich by Keoland, while this information is available for other states, for example the Yeomanry [77,78]. Considering the advantages of belonging to the Kingdom at this point in time (in terms of trade and protection), I assume some Earl willingly and peacefully declared himself a vassal of the King.
45] "Keoland was the first major kingdom to be established in the Flanaess, the Oeridians and Sueloise tribes mingling and joining to build a tolerant and prosperous realm which nominally included many and varied demi-human groups as well." WoG p.27
46] The Ulek territories "were under Keoish rule for a short period, but have been independent for a considerable period since" (WoG p. 38). Since the period of independence has been a century or two (CY 350 or 460 to 576), the period of rule in comparison was likely less than a century. I picture individual demi-human communities one by one seeking inclusion into the Kingdom over a period of time, say CY 200 to 300, rather than a single date for annexation of the Ulek states and Celene. This excepts the County of Ulek, which joined Keoland all at once and much earlier [31].
47] Such settlements would account for the currently sizeable human populations in the Duchy and Principality of Ulek and the Kingdom of Celene (WoG pp.20,39, FtA Ref Card #2).
48] I believe Velunese independence to have been achieved in early CY 200's. This will be explained further in the companion piece to this article, which will detail the history of the central Flanaess.
49] I place the time of the first of the Baklunish invasions in the northern Flanaess at around the early CY 200's. This will be explained in a future article.
50] Flan people of the type of the Rovers of the Barrens had once lived on the northern prairies as far west as the coast of the Dramidj Ocean. Oerid-Baklunish invasions completely removed them from west of the Fler River and substantially reduced their numbers from the Fler to the Dulsi. The invaders eventually reached the edge of the Griff mountains, but were repulsed by the Flan of the east. This will be documented in a subsequent article.
51] The Oerid-Baklunish not only overwhelmed the Flan of the north, they also raided south, preying upon the Shield Lands, Bandit Kingdoms, Furyondy, Urnst, Tenh, and Nyrond. This will be explored in a subsequent article.
52] Although it is written that "Keoland established the territory of the Gran March during its early stages" [53] I tend to think that this was during the early stages of the imperialist state (CY 300's) and not the early stages of the Kingdom itself (CY -200's). I conclude this because I do not see the fledgling Kingdom as being capable of so large an undertaking. Also, the description of the people's reaction to the death of Berlikyn seems to equate him with the "first Commandants" (WoG p.23, see [53]) as opposed to the later, popularly-elected Commandants. This observation would imply that the Short War (CY 438) [72] occurred fairly early in the history of the Gran March, that is, that the Gran March was not very old by CY 438.
53] "Keoland established the territory of the Gran March during its early stages, basing it upon a military-religious order of Knights. These zealous fighters quickly subdued the warring inhabitants, established order within the area, and conscripted all fit males into worker and infantry battles (regimental-like formations). The land between the Lortmils and Dim forest north of the Sheldomar became productive and peaceful, but the rule of these first Commandants was repressive and harsh. When Berlikyn, then ruler of the fief, was slain in combat in the war with Veluna-Furyondy in the Small War, the populace rose in rejoicing. Keoland reconsidered its policies thereafter, and allowed the people to elect their own Commandant from amongst the noble houses of Gran March." WoG pp.22,23
54] "The Gran March was originally established as a vassal state of Keoland, based on a military-religious order of knighthood, the Knights of the March. It has always been a militaristic land, with conscription mandatory for fit males for a period of up to seven years. Its independence came almost as a side-effect of the Small War between Veluna and Furyondy, as did a change of rulership; the Commandant is now elected by the people from the noble houses, rather than being imposed by Keoland." FtA p.26