#iuz

The City of Greyhawk version of Greyhawk got 10 or so adventures under its wing before TSR decided to reboot the setting again, introducing a region-wide war and a jump ten years into the future. Two modules led up to the war, and the war itself played out in the Greyhawk Wars box set (1991), which is less an adventure and more a series of scenarios for a chit-based traditional wargame, in effect asking players to re-enact the course of the war.

I played this back near release and have very fond memories of it. Returning to it years later, I find myself fairly dismayed by the complexity of the rules  but my enthusiasm for the story remains undimished. The Adventures booklet provides a narrative account of the war that is so satisfying I see little need to punch the chits in this set. If you’re intrigued by the machinations of Iuz and the betrayal of Rary, that’s probably all you need. It is the opening act of what is, for my money, the most intriguing chapter in Greyhawk’s history. I don’t think most folks like Rary and Robilar’s murder of Otiluke and Tenser, or the turn towards 90s grim ‘n’ gritty storytelling. Which, fair. But I recall being shocked to have two well known NPCs suffer such a fate and, to be honest, Greyhawk never had much personality to begin with, so I welcomed it overcompensating with edginess.

The game was designed by Zeb Cook and I should note that just because I don’t feel like hashing them out doesn’t mean they are painful. In fact, they are surprisingly streamlined, weighing in at just 8 pages, which I feel is an accomplishment for a wargame. This sort of game is detail oriented and has lots of little things you can do, which is cool, but not something I want to dive into anymore. Its a young man’s war, I guess.

Art By Matias Tapia for Paizo(Starfinder)

Most know the Legion of Skulls as the hordes of “undead” that strike terror into the hearts of civilized peoples throughout the realms. The relentless force serve as shock troops for Old Wicked Iuz.  Few truly understand that that the shambling creatures that appear to be zombies, skeletons, and various other undead are not what they appear to be. The true nature of these soldiers is only apparent when the creatures are utterly destroyed.

The worm-like creatures are known by celestials as the “Jorada Ro”. These serpentine, flesh eating parasites inhabit the bodies of their victims and use their endo (or exo)skeleton as a sort of suit of armor. Once the processes of decay and consumption by the parasite have reduced the body to inedible mineral deposits and unappetizing connective tissues, the remaining structure is held together and controlled by the parasite’s limited telekinetic abilities. Small creatures usually can be controlled by a single worm, but larger bodies require cooperative colonies, usually Jorada of a single brood.

The long-overdue Draw The Squad: Voltron Edition, featuring the Bhaalspawn Storm Crew!

The Horned Society “Order Through Damnation” Overview The Horned Society is a Lawful Evil diabolical state and secret order that rose in the north-central Flanaess, wedged between the Shield Lands, the Howling Hills, and the Fellreev Forest. Unlike Iuz’s howling chaos or Vecna’s cold secrecy, the Horned Society represented disciplined tyranny, infernal contracts, and bureaucratic evil. Its…