Dullstrand
Encyclopedia
In the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, The Dullstrand is a region on the eastern coast of the Flanaess
, mainly known for the many colourful smugglers, pirates, and fugitives that use its coast and ports as a refuge from authorities.
Although Dullstrand began as a minor footnote in the original campaign setting, information about the area was greatly expanded in subsequent editions, and enables Dungeon Master
s to set their games within a milieu of subtropical coastline, harsh highlands, piracy, smuggling and nautical adventure. From 2001–2008, the Dullstrand became a region of the Living Greyhawk
campaign linked to play in Switzerland
.
, but it was only mentioned in passing, and no other information was available about the region, its size, people or history.
After Gygax left TSR in 1985, TSR took the Greyhawk storyline in a new direction via a boxed set called From the Ashes (TSR 1064). Written by Roger E. Moore
, this advanced the storyline to CY 585, the year after the end of a continent-wide war that had taken place CY 582-584. Dullstrand was again only mentioned briefly, but the following year Moore wrote a separate background article about the "Dullstrand Coast" and its history. In the meantime however, the new direction and darker tone for the Greyhawk campaign world proved to be unpopular, and in 1993, TSR stopped publishing material for Greyhawk.
In 1996, Wizards of the Coast took over TSR, and in 1998 revived the moribund Greyhawk setting for their new Third Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. The storyline was advanced to CY 590, and now dealt with the new alliances and problems that had developed in the wake of the Greyhawk Wars. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000) did not expand upon Moore's setting, but the city was mentioned as a possible ally of Sunndi
.
did not show the topography of the Dullstrand region in any detail, Moore makes it clear that the land is fairly flat, gradually rising from the sea coast to the Hestmark Highlands. Moore also gleaned from its geographic location that the sub-tropical region enjoys warm weather year round. Moore goes on to say that the soil is thin and stony, making agriculture difficult. However, several species of underbrush and seagrass thrive, providing cover for feral dogs and wild boars. The wild boars are numerous and dangerous, but the dogs are fed by the general populace, and are usually friendly. In the south, where the Highlands provide less of a barrier against incursions, the dogs provide loud warnings when trolls from the Vast Swamp make occasional forays into the region.
Moore cast the inhabitants into two groups, which do not socialize, although they grudgingly trade due to necessity:
Although Moore did not provide much detail about the Suloise farmers—perhaps because of their limited potential in a D&D campaign—he does substantially flesh out the society of the coastal dwellers and their town; for instance, over the years, many fugitive lawbreakers fleeing from the Great Kingdom have found refuge here; for this reason, it has become customary to change one's name upon arrival. Newcomers often do so without prompting. It is also customary not to inquire about another's past, or why they have come to Dullstrand.
is the main deity worshipped in this region, although Procan
and Xerbo
also have large followings. Later material published during the Living Greyhawk campaign mentions that there is a large temple to Rao
in the town, but the number of worshippers has fallen over the years.
For players utilising the 1980 or 1983 edition of World of Greyhawk, the Dullstrand is a silent partner of the Iron League, and this setting can be used to explore the theme of righteous rebellion against the corrupt, decadent and cruel rulers of the crumbling Great Kingdom and their minions.
For players who use later "post-Grehawk Wars" versions of this campaign world, the Dullstrand is affected by the attempted takeover of the entire southern Flanaess by the Scarlet Brotherhood, and can be used as a benchmark of the Brotherhood's overall success or failure of their continental ambitions.
In addition, Dullstrand can be used as the quintessential "lawless town" of noisy taverns and bar fights. Using the Dullstrand as a setting also allows dungeon masters to move their campaign away from a traditional northern European land-based setting to a warmer climate and themes involving ships, piracy, and smuggling, and encounters, both land- and sea-based, with pirates and buccaneers.
campaign that ran from 2001 to 2008, Dullstrand was assigned to Switzerland
, and placed within the Splintered Suns metaregion.
As outlined above, there was very little published material about Dullstrand. Before the first Dullstrand adventure was released in 2002, the Dullstrand Triad (Andre Vermaak, Rijk Stofberg and Heinright Venter) and other volunteers worked to flesh out a proposed social background and geographical setting for Dullstrand. This included a more complete description of the town of Dullstrand, customs, trade and the names of the three Masters of the town: Kjirg Grefstov, Chirney Retnev and Erdan Kaamrev (the latter being recently deceased but not yet replaced in 591 CY)
CY 593
Wastrian agents manipulate a well-organized group of trolls into entering the Dullstrand by drying up their water supply. Restoring the water supply floods the troll's new camp and convinces them to move back across the Hestmark.
CY 594
Followers of the exiled Lords of the Isles begin to agitate for a return to their kingdom.
CY 596
Agents of Pholtus unknowingly interfere with the manifestation of an angry ghost pirate. Because the ghost is unable to manifest, his anger seeps out into the general populace, leading to widespread anarchy.
CY 597
A plot by sahuagin to drive Dullstranders from the coast is uncovered. A kraken summoned by the sahuagin attacks the coast, but is defeated, and the sahuagin are driven back into the deep ocean.
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game, The Dullstrand is a region on the eastern coast of the Flanaess
Flanaess
The Flanaess is the eastern part of the continent of Oerik, one of the four continents of the fictional world of Oerth in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The Flanaess has been the setting of dozens of adventures published between the 1970s...
, mainly known for the many colourful smugglers, pirates, and fugitives that use its coast and ports as a refuge from authorities.
Although Dullstrand began as a minor footnote in the original campaign setting, information about the area was greatly expanded in subsequent editions, and enables Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
s to set their games within a milieu of subtropical coastline, harsh highlands, piracy, smuggling and nautical adventure. From 2001–2008, the Dullstrand became a region of the Living Greyhawk
Living Greyhawk
Living Greyhawk was a massively shared Dungeons and Dragons living campaign administered by RPGA that ran from 2000 to 2008. The campaign setting and storyline were based on Gary Gygax's World of Greyhawk setting, and used the Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition rules...
campaign linked to play in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Developmental history
Greyhawk was a campaign world originally created by Gary Gygax in the 1970s when he was helping to develop the game of Dungeons and Dragons. When TSR published details of Gygax's campaign in 1980 and 1983, with the campaign set in the year 576 CY, the town of Dullstrand was marked on the map of the FlanaessFlanaess
The Flanaess is the eastern part of the continent of Oerik, one of the four continents of the fictional world of Oerth in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The Flanaess has been the setting of dozens of adventures published between the 1970s...
, but it was only mentioned in passing, and no other information was available about the region, its size, people or history.
After Gygax left TSR in 1985, TSR took the Greyhawk storyline in a new direction via a boxed set called From the Ashes (TSR 1064). Written by Roger E. Moore
Roger E. Moore
Roger E. Moore is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of Dragon magazine, and was the founding editor of Dungeon magazine.-Early life:...
, this advanced the storyline to CY 585, the year after the end of a continent-wide war that had taken place CY 582-584. Dullstrand was again only mentioned briefly, but the following year Moore wrote a separate background article about the "Dullstrand Coast" and its history. In the meantime however, the new direction and darker tone for the Greyhawk campaign world proved to be unpopular, and in 1993, TSR stopped publishing material for Greyhawk.
In 1996, Wizards of the Coast took over TSR, and in 1998 revived the moribund Greyhawk setting for their new Third Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. The storyline was advanced to CY 590, and now dealt with the new alliances and problems that had developed in the wake of the Greyhawk Wars. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000) did not expand upon Moore's setting, but the city was mentioned as a possible ally of Sunndi
Sunndi
In the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Sunndi is a political state situated in the region of the Flanaess. Sunndi was originally given a very brief description by Gary Gygax in 1980's World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting...
.
Nomenclature
There can be some confusion about what "Dullstrand" refers to. Although Dullstrand was depicted as a single coastal town in the earliest editions of the World of Greyhawk, Roger E. Moore defined The Dullstrand as a region, a section of coastline in the south-east Flanaess lying between the Aerdy Sea and the Hestmark Highlands that encompasses about 7500 square miles (19,424.9 km²). He noted that the Hestmark Highlands isolate this region from the rest of the Flanaess, and refugees fleeing from war or vengeful lawmen have found a safe haven here for centuries. Subsequent Greyhawk campaign material has since developed the custom that "The Dullstrand" refers to the entire coastal region, and "Dullstrand" (with no definite article) refers to the original coastal town.Geography
Although the original map in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game SettingWorld of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
did not show the topography of the Dullstrand region in any detail, Moore makes it clear that the land is fairly flat, gradually rising from the sea coast to the Hestmark Highlands. Moore also gleaned from its geographic location that the sub-tropical region enjoys warm weather year round. Moore goes on to say that the soil is thin and stony, making agriculture difficult. However, several species of underbrush and seagrass thrive, providing cover for feral dogs and wild boars. The wild boars are numerous and dangerous, but the dogs are fed by the general populace, and are usually friendly. In the south, where the Highlands provide less of a barrier against incursions, the dogs provide loud warnings when trolls from the Vast Swamp make occasional forays into the region.
People
Moore postulated that the area's isolation made it a natural gathering place for those fleeing from justice (or injustice). However, this would inevitably lead to tension between various waves of refugees who would come from different ethnic and social backgrounds, and fighting would sometimes break out between those arriving and those already in place, since living resources in this infertile land are limited. However, once a pecking order had been established, the fighting would die down to a tense neutrality; coexistence would be essential to survival since the region is surrounded by hostile neighbours.Moore cast the inhabitants into two groups, which do not socialize, although they grudgingly trade due to necessity:
- the inland farmers, consisting of about a thousand poor SuloiseSuloiseIn the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Suloise, also known as the "Suel," are one of the major races of humans inhabiting the Flanaess....
, suspicious and close-mouthed - the coast-dwellers, mainly Oeridian smugglers, pirates and lawbreakers and their descendants. There are also a few elves and dwarves, but half-orcs and other humanoids are not tolerated because orcish mercenaries have been the reason why many present inhabitants fled to Dullstrand.
Although Moore did not provide much detail about the Suloise farmers—perhaps because of their limited potential in a D&D campaign—he does substantially flesh out the society of the coastal dwellers and their town; for instance, over the years, many fugitive lawbreakers fleeing from the Great Kingdom have found refuge here; for this reason, it has become customary to change one's name upon arrival. Newcomers often do so without prompting. It is also customary not to inquire about another's past, or why they have come to Dullstrand.
History
Moore also wrote a fairly extensive history for the region that melds with Gary Gygax's original history of the Flanaess and Gygax's themes of cultural and military incursions:- Sometime in the distant past, a people known as the Flannae created primitive settlements along this coast. However, these settlements had been long abandoned for some unknown reason by the time Suloise refugees fleeing from the Oeridian invasion arrived 800–900 years before the current Greyhawk campaign time setting of 590 CY. Although most of the Suloise kept travelling south to HepmonalandHepmonalandIn the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the continent of Hepmonaland is Southeast of the Flanaess. Hepmonaland was created as a in-game region where the Aztec culture is dominant and dinosaurs are very common monsters.Hepmonaland is the Suel and...
, some stayed in this region to scratch out a living on the thin soil that lay between the sea and the Hestmark.
- Several centuries later, as the Great Kingdom extended its power and began to regulate (and tax) trade, sailors started to use bays and inlets on the coast as bases from which to smuggle goods for the black market. This attracted both the authorities, seeking to stamp out the illicit trade, and pirates, seeking safer havens from which to sail. Lawbreakers fleeing from the Great Kingdom also often ended up here.
- Four centuries before the current campaign setting, in 166 CY, the overking of the Great Kingdom of Aerdy sent a great navy into the Aerdi Sea to suppress pirates operating out of the port of Duxchan, which lay on the southern edge of the Aerdi Sea. The admirals of the fleet, needing a repair and supply base somewhat closer to Duxchan than those in Medegia, created a small port in a sheltered bay fed by a river that flowed through the Hestmark from SunndiSunndiIn the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Sunndi is a political state situated in the region of the Flanaess. Sunndi was originally given a very brief description by Gary Gygax in 1980's World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting...
. A map from this time period, widely reproduced but thought to have originated in Rauxes, named this region "the Dullstrand" (the Dull Coast), evidently a bureaucrat's droll comment about the colourful collection of scofflaws, fugitives, smugglers and pirates that the Aerdy navy encountered along this coast. When the Duxchaner pirates were finally destroyed two years later and their archipelago turned into a new fiefdom of the Great Kingdom called the Lordship of the IslesLordship of the Isles (Dungeons & Dragons)For the Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland, see Lord of the Isles. For the series of fantasy novels by David Drake, see Lord of the Isles ....
, the Aerdy navy abandoned the port of Dullstrand, and it was quickly taken over by smugglers and pirates.
- Thirty years later, in 199 CY, nearby Medegia claimed ownership of the region, but found their efforts to assert their authority and suppress piracy cost more than the taxes they were able to squeeze from the poor farmers. After forty years, Medegia withdrew from the region, leaving its governance to the townspeople of Dullstrand.
- About 250 years before the current campaign setting, increasingly bitter struggles within the nearby provinces of the Great Kingdom, especially Sunndi, resulted in another wave of refugees fleeing over the Hestmark to swell the population of the town. The Aerdy navy began to patrol the coast more diligently, and the town took steps to hide itself from seagoers: Man-made hills and carefully planted brush effectively camouflaged the bay, no building higher than one storey high was allowed, and no lights that could be seen from sea were allowed to shine at night. (Although the location of Dullstrand is well-known in 590 CY, this custom is still followed).
- One hundred and fifty years before the current campaign setting, in 455 CY, the elves and human nobility of Sunndi rose up in revolt against Aerdy's overtaxation and harsh laws. Goblin and orcish mercenaries employed by the Great Kingdom fled in all directions, some of them coming through the Hestmark to prey on Dullstranders. Most of these bandits were hunted down, but some survived, and their descendants now eke out a primitive existence, living in caves and trading with the Suloise farmers.
- Shortly after this, when Sunndi joined the Iron LeagueIron LeagueIn the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Iron League is an affiliation of states that opposed the Great Kingdom of Aerdy. It formed in late 447 CY as a reaction to Ivid V becoming Overking of Aerdy...
, Dullstrand began to actively trade with the Sunnd; many Dullstranders were descended from Sunnd who had fled previous fighting in Sunndi, and they were eager to re-establish close ties. A narrow pathway cutting through the Hestmark to Sunndi was improved and named the Highland Trail, and Sunndi began to use Dullstrand as an outlet for their trade goods. In turn, ships from the Lordship of the IslesLordship of the IslesLordship of the Isles may refer to :*The title and territory of the Lord of the Isles, in the west coast of Scotland*Lordship of the Isles , a region of the fictional World of Greyhawk in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game....
, Lendore IslesLendore IslesIn the Dungeons and Dragons World of Greyhawk campaign setting, the Lendore Isles, also known as the Spindrift Isles, are a collection of five large islands in the Solnor Ocean, just off the eastern coast of the former Great Kingdom...
and HepmonalandHepmonalandIn the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the continent of Hepmonaland is Southeast of the Flanaess. Hepmonaland was created as a in-game region where the Aztec culture is dominant and dinosaurs are very common monsters.Hepmonaland is the Suel and...
began to stop in to trade for Suund goods.
- Although Dullstranders always proclaimed their neutrality during the various regional rebellions against the Great Kingdom, they often supplied weapons to rebels in the Hestmark fighting against Medegia and the South Province.
- During the Greyhawk WarsGreyhawk WarsIn the Dungeons & Dragons World of Greyhawk campaign setting, the Greyhawk Wars raged across the whole of the Flanaess from 582-584 CY.-History:...
of 582-584 CY, Dullstrand was largely uninvolved with any conflict, but in 584 CY, a half-dozen tall ships from the Lordship of the IslesLordship of the IslesLordship of the Isles may refer to :*The title and territory of the Lord of the Isles, in the west coast of Scotland*Lordship of the Isles , a region of the fictional World of Greyhawk in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game....
sailed into Dullstrand Bay bearing Lords fleeing from the stunning fall of their region to the Scarlet Brotherhood. Although the Lords had assumed they would be welcomed as new rulers of the region by the socially inferior Dullstranders, a few skirmishes with the proud and well-armed "inferiors" soon convinced the Lords otherwise. The Lords were given land on the far side of Dullstrand Bay to build themselves a temporary settlement until such time as they could return to their Isles.
- After the end of the Greyhawk Wars, Dullstranders watched with interest as Sunndi proclaimed itself an independent kingdom, but as of the current campaign setting of 590 CY, they have resisted overtures from the Sunnd king to formally join Sunndi, or to at least become a member of the Iron League.
Government
In keeping with the libertarian society in Dullstrand, Moore also developed a very simple "hands off" government consisting of an oligarchy of three Masters. Each Master chooses his successor, usually but not always from his family. Other than some common-sense customs concerning ownership, public conduct and dispute settlement, Moore gave the port no codified set of laws, and no jails or prisons; "crimes" are punishable by a fine, a flogging or drowning. In keeping with Moore's "piratical" free-market theme, there is no official Dullstrand currency—coins from every corner of the Flanaess and beyond circulate, and bribery of officials is an accepted, and expected, cost of doing business here.Religion
Moore's material does not include an extensive religious background, but does mention that ZilchusZilchus
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Zilchus is the Oeridian god of Power, Prestige, Money, Business, and Influence...
is the main deity worshipped in this region, although Procan
Procan
Procan is a fictional deity in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Procan is the Oeridian god of seas, sea life, salt, sea weather, and navigation...
and Xerbo
Xerbo
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Xerbo is the Suel god of the Sea, Sailing, Money, and Business...
also have large followings. Later material published during the Living Greyhawk campaign mentions that there is a large temple to Rao
Rao (Greyhawk)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Rao is the Flan god of Peace, Reason, and Serenity. His holy symbol is a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression, or a simple white heart crafted of metal or wood...
in the town, but the number of worshippers has fallen over the years.
Role within the World of Greyhawk
Play within the Dullstrand can be central to the themes common to the regions of the southern (subtropical and tropical) Flanaess.For players utilising the 1980 or 1983 edition of World of Greyhawk, the Dullstrand is a silent partner of the Iron League, and this setting can be used to explore the theme of righteous rebellion against the corrupt, decadent and cruel rulers of the crumbling Great Kingdom and their minions.
For players who use later "post-Grehawk Wars" versions of this campaign world, the Dullstrand is affected by the attempted takeover of the entire southern Flanaess by the Scarlet Brotherhood, and can be used as a benchmark of the Brotherhood's overall success or failure of their continental ambitions.
In addition, Dullstrand can be used as the quintessential "lawless town" of noisy taverns and bar fights. Using the Dullstrand as a setting also allows dungeon masters to move their campaign away from a traditional northern European land-based setting to a warmer climate and themes involving ships, piracy, and smuggling, and encounters, both land- and sea-based, with pirates and buccaneers.
Dullstrand as a region of the Living Greyhawk campaign
In the Living GreyhawkLiving Greyhawk
Living Greyhawk was a massively shared Dungeons and Dragons living campaign administered by RPGA that ran from 2000 to 2008. The campaign setting and storyline were based on Gary Gygax's World of Greyhawk setting, and used the Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition rules...
campaign that ran from 2001 to 2008, Dullstrand was assigned to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and placed within the Splintered Suns metaregion.
As outlined above, there was very little published material about Dullstrand. Before the first Dullstrand adventure was released in 2002, the Dullstrand Triad (Andre Vermaak, Rijk Stofberg and Heinright Venter) and other volunteers worked to flesh out a proposed social background and geographical setting for Dullstrand. This included a more complete description of the town of Dullstrand, customs, trade and the names of the three Masters of the town: Kjirg Grefstov, Chirney Retnev and Erdan Kaamrev (the latter being recently deceased but not yet replaced in 591 CY)
Timeline of Dullstrand during the Living Greyhawk Campaign
This is the history of Dullstrand during the Living Greyhawk campaign. (Note that this will vary substantially from the histories of other concurrent Greyhawk home campaigns):CY 593
Wastrian agents manipulate a well-organized group of trolls into entering the Dullstrand by drying up their water supply. Restoring the water supply floods the troll's new camp and convinces them to move back across the Hestmark.
CY 594
Followers of the exiled Lords of the Isles begin to agitate for a return to their kingdom.
CY 596
Agents of Pholtus unknowingly interfere with the manifestation of an angry ghost pirate. Because the ghost is unable to manifest, his anger seeps out into the general populace, leading to widespread anarchy.
CY 597
A plot by sahuagin to drive Dullstranders from the coast is uncovered. A kraken summoned by the sahuagin attacks the coast, but is defeated, and the sahuagin are driven back into the deep ocean.