Robilar
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
, Robilar (also known as Lord Robilar or Sir Robilar) is a powerful warrior who serves as commander of Rary
's forces in the Empire of the Bright Lands. Created as one of the very first half-dozen characters to explore the original Castle Greyhawk dungeons, Robilar eventually became one of the fictional world's most powerful and compelling characters.
, rolled up on Gary Gygax
's kitchen table in late 1972 for the second-ever session of the game that would become known as Dungeons & Dragons. Gygax even suggested the name "Robilar", after a minor character in The Gnome Cache, a novella Gygax was writing that eventually would be serialized in the first few issues of The Dragon
starting in June 1976. Kuntz quickly grew impatient with play when it involved more than a couple of players, often playing solo adventures one-on-one with Gygax; their constant (almost daily) play meant that Robilar rapidly gained power and possessions. As the city of Greyhawk was developed and fleshed out, Robilar also became the secret owner of the Green Dragon Inn in the city of Greyhawk, where he kept tabs on happenings in the city. Robilar was not only the first to reach the 13th and bottom level of Gygax's Greyhawk dungeons, but on the way, he was also responsible for freeing nine demi-gods (whom Gygax revived a decade later as some of the first deities of Greyhawk: Iuz
, Ralishaz
, Trithereon
, Erythnul
, Olidammara
, Heironeous
, Celestian
, Hextor
, and Obad-Hai
). Robilar was also the first to enter Gygax's Temple of Elemental Evil, and trashed it from top to bottom, even freeing the demoness Zuggtmoy
from her prison at the centre of the Temple. Kuntz later related that Gygax was very dismayed that his masterpiece dungeon had been destroyed by a single adventurer, and as punishment, Gygax had an army pursue Robilar all the way back to his castle, which Robilar was forced to abandon. Robilar even lost possession of the Green Dragon Inn. Robilar's various adventures were mentioned by Gygax in his column in Dragon magazine.
When Gygax was forced out of TSR at the end of 1985, TSR took over the creative rights to all characters mentioned in any of Gygax's articles, adventures and stories, including Robilar. Several years later, TSR created a new storyline for Gygax's World of Greyhawk that featured the murder of several members of the Circle of Eight
by Robilar and the archmage Rary
. Kuntz, as the creator of Robilar, was unhappy with this, stating that Robilar would never turn on his old adventuring companion, Mordenkainen
(Gygax's own D&D character). Although Kuntz had long since left TSR and had no creative control over Robilar's published life, he suggested in print that the person responsible for aiding Rary was in fact a clone or evil twin of Robilar's who had "taken over" Robilar's apparent life while Robilar was off adventuring on a distant plane. This suggestion became a "fact" in 2007 with the publication of Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk
, where it is revealed that Robilar had been imprisoned by an evil "twin" from another universe named Bilarro, who had then impersonated the hero while he aided Rary in his evil actions.
himself, but which was gifted to Robilar by Mordenkainen
.
Despite his evil alignment, Robilar is friendly, loyal, and charming, if somewhat gruff. He has a soft spot for adventurers, seeing in them the same sort of devil-may-care heroes he himself once was. This was true even during his "Bilarro" days (see below).
, Mordenkainen, and other members of the Citadel of Eight, as well as, occasionally, Rary
. Later, he allied himself with Rary for a time, believing his other former friends had grown soft and weak.
Robilar once ruled a castle west of the Free City of Greyhawk
in which a large army under his control was garrisoned. When his castle was sacked by an army of Good led by Tenser, Otis, Rufus, and Burne, many of his high-level cohorts were slain. His surviving forces fled to the Pomarj
, and include:
The demigod Iuz
counts Robilar as an enemy for trying to slay him. Iuz's sometime lover, Zuggtmoy
, was also freed by Robilar in a separate incident.
. Out-of-date maps of Greyhawk Castle also likely exist beneath Robilar's home.
Nearby is the hamlet of Furzehill
.
He now owns the "Green Dragon Inn" in the City of Greyhawk where he occasionally shows up disguised.
's illegitimate son.
Robilar first came to prominence in the early 560s, when he joined Mordenkainen's Citadel of Eight. Later, he gained more fame in the Free City of Greyhawk
in 565 CY, when he and Yrag captured Sir Bluto Sans Pite, the perpetrator of the River of Blood
mass murders. For their efforts, both men were ennobled by the city directors.
In 570 CY, Robilar, with Riggby and his orc henchman Quij, released Iuz
from his captivity in the Godtrap using magic supplied by Mordenkainen
. Bigby
, Tenser, and Neb Retnar attempted to stop the plan, but arrived too late. The six adventurers battled Iuz together and nearly succeeded in destroying the cambion with one of Bigby's Crushing Hand spells, but Iuz managed to teleport away at the last minute. The release of and failure to destroy Iuz would have grave consequences on the future of the Flanaess
.
Nine years later, Robilar and Quij ventured to the Temple of Elemental Evil atop a carpet of flying. Leaving Quij outside to guard his carpet and griffons, he bullied his way into the depths, slaying vast ranks of monsters and freeing the demoness Zuggtmoy.
This incident resulted in Robilar's being forcibly evicted from the Domain of Greyhawk by Tenser's army and being named persona non grata
throughout the region. It may have been around this time that Robilar took a journey to the eastern land of Lynn to study with the Dragonmasters, where he gained their respect through his own skills in handling dragons.
Shortly before the outbreak of the Greyhawk Wars
, Robilar returned to the dungeons underneath Greyhawk Castle, where he encountered a potent artifact called the Orb of Opposition, which swapped him with a somewhat ideologically different double from an alternate Oerth
called Uerth, named Bilarro.
In 584 CY, at the end of the Greyhawk Wars
, Robilar/Bilarro, with Rary, betrayed the Circle of Eight
. Whilst Rary (himself a Circle member), killed Tenser and Otiluke
, Robilar helped destroy their clones in order to prevent the wizards from returning to life. Rary and Robilar were unmasked and have now fled to the Bright Desert
where they established the Empire of the Bright Lands. Tenser in the meantime has returned to life, while Otiluke is still dead.
In 597, Robilar was returned from Uerth through the aid of adventurers who had foiled the plans of Iuz underneath Castle Greyhawk.
He also developed an aggressive fighting style known as "Robilar's gambit" at some point in his life.
the following blazon: Or, a dragon rampant vert. He has also been known to go to battle with a banner emblazoned with a black unicorn.
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...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Robilar (also known as Lord Robilar or Sir Robilar) is a powerful warrior who serves as commander of Rary
Rary
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Rary of Ket is a powerful archmage and ruler of the Bright Lands, also known as Rary the Traitor....
's forces in the Empire of the Bright Lands. Created as one of the very first half-dozen characters to explore the original Castle Greyhawk dungeons, Robilar eventually became one of the fictional world's most powerful and compelling characters.
Creative Origins
Robilar was originally the creation of Rob KuntzRobert J. Kuntz
Robert J. Kuntz is a game designer and author of role-playing game publications. He is most famous for his contributions to various Dungeons & Dragons-related materials.-Works:...
, rolled up on Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
's kitchen table in late 1972 for the second-ever session of the game that would become known as Dungeons & Dragons. Gygax even suggested the name "Robilar", after a minor character in The Gnome Cache, a novella Gygax was writing that eventually would be serialized in the first few issues of The Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
starting in June 1976. Kuntz quickly grew impatient with play when it involved more than a couple of players, often playing solo adventures one-on-one with Gygax; their constant (almost daily) play meant that Robilar rapidly gained power and possessions. As the city of Greyhawk was developed and fleshed out, Robilar also became the secret owner of the Green Dragon Inn in the city of Greyhawk, where he kept tabs on happenings in the city. Robilar was not only the first to reach the 13th and bottom level of Gygax's Greyhawk dungeons, but on the way, he was also responsible for freeing nine demi-gods (whom Gygax revived a decade later as some of the first deities of Greyhawk: Iuz
Iuz
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Iuz is the chaotic evil demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "The Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Unlike most Greyhawk deities, Iuz makes his home on...
, Ralishaz
Ralishaz
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Ralishaz is the god of Chance, Ill Luck, Misfortune, and Insanity...
, Trithereon
Trithereon
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Trithereon is the god of Individuality, Liberty, Retribution, and Self-Defense...
, Erythnul
Erythnul
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Erythnul is the Oeridian god of hate, envy, malice, panic, ugliness, and slaughter. He is known as the Many, and is worshipped by many gnoll,...
, Olidammara
Olidammara
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Olidammara is the god of Music, Revels, Wine, Rogues, Humor, and Tricks. He is often called the Laughing Rogue.Olidammara is one of the more...
, Heironeous
Heironeous
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Heironeous is the Oeridian god of Chivalry, Justice, Honor, War, Daring, and Valor. His holy symbol is a silver lightning bolt, often clutched in a...
, Celestian
Celestian
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Celestian is the god of Stars, Space and Wanderers. His symbol is a black circle set with seven stars. His color is black....
, Hextor
Hextor
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Hextor is the Oeridian god of war, discord, massacres, conflict, fitness, and tyranny....
, and Obad-Hai
Obad-Hai
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Obad-Hai is the god of Nature, Woodlands, Hunting, and Beasts, one of the most ancient known. He is often called the Shalm....
). Robilar was also the first to enter Gygax's Temple of Elemental Evil, and trashed it from top to bottom, even freeing the demoness Zuggtmoy
Zuggtmoy
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Zuggtmoy is the Demon Queen of Fungi. Her symbol is a jawless human skull with fungi blooming from within, though some of her false cults use other symbols...
from her prison at the centre of the Temple. Kuntz later related that Gygax was very dismayed that his masterpiece dungeon had been destroyed by a single adventurer, and as punishment, Gygax had an army pursue Robilar all the way back to his castle, which Robilar was forced to abandon. Robilar even lost possession of the Green Dragon Inn. Robilar's various adventures were mentioned by Gygax in his column in Dragon magazine.
When Gygax was forced out of TSR at the end of 1985, TSR took over the creative rights to all characters mentioned in any of Gygax's articles, adventures and stories, including Robilar. Several years later, TSR created a new storyline for Gygax's World of Greyhawk that featured the murder of several members of the Circle of Eight
Circle of Eight
The Circle of Eight is a fictional group of wizards in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Circle was originally created by Gary Gygax around 1975 as an alliance of most of his Dungeons & Dragons characters...
by Robilar and the archmage Rary
Rary
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Rary of Ket is a powerful archmage and ruler of the Bright Lands, also known as Rary the Traitor....
. Kuntz, as the creator of Robilar, was unhappy with this, stating that Robilar would never turn on his old adventuring companion, Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen is a fictional wizard from the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. He was created by Gary Gygax as a player character and is one of the oldest characters in roleplaying fiction...
(Gygax's own D&D character). Although Kuntz had long since left TSR and had no creative control over Robilar's published life, he suggested in print that the person responsible for aiding Rary was in fact a clone or evil twin of Robilar's who had "taken over" Robilar's apparent life while Robilar was off adventuring on a distant plane. This suggestion became a "fact" in 2007 with the publication of Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk
Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk
Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk is an adventure book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The adventure is set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting, specifically in and around Castle Greyhawk and its dungeons. As such, it is an update to the...
, where it is revealed that Robilar had been imprisoned by an evil "twin" from another universe named Bilarro, who had then impersonated the hero while he aided Rary in his evil actions.
Description
Robilar is described in Rary the Traitor as a grim-faced, saturnine man with a short goatee, black hair, and deep-set eyes. He wields the Blade of Black Ice, which is said to have been forged by IuzIuz
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Iuz is the chaotic evil demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "The Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Unlike most Greyhawk deities, Iuz makes his home on...
himself, but which was gifted to Robilar by Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen is a fictional wizard from the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. He was created by Gary Gygax as a player character and is one of the oldest characters in roleplaying fiction...
.
Despite his evil alignment, Robilar is friendly, loyal, and charming, if somewhat gruff. He has a soft spot for adventurers, seeing in them the same sort of devil-may-care heroes he himself once was. This was true even during his "Bilarro" days (see below).
Relationships
Terik is Robilar's brother and adventuring companion. Quij and Otto were at one time his henchmen. Robilar has adventured with TenserTenser
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Tenser is an archmage who actively seeks to rid the Flanaess of evil...
, Mordenkainen, and other members of the Citadel of Eight, as well as, occasionally, Rary
Rary
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Rary of Ket is a powerful archmage and ruler of the Bright Lands, also known as Rary the Traitor....
. Later, he allied himself with Rary for a time, believing his other former friends had grown soft and weak.
Robilar once ruled a castle west of the Free City of Greyhawk
Free City of Greyhawk
The Free City of Greyhawk, also known as Greyhawk City and the "Gem of the Flanaess," is a fictional city-state in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
in which a large army under his control was garrisoned. When his castle was sacked by an army of Good led by Tenser, Otis, Rufus, and Burne, many of his high-level cohorts were slain. His surviving forces fled to the Pomarj
Pomarj
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Pomarj can refer either to a large peninsula located in the central Flanaess, or to the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj, located in the same region....
, and include:
- Heavy Cavalry: 50 (Regulars)
- Medium Cavalry: 100 (Regulars)
- Light Cavalry: 50 (Regulars)
- Light Horse Crossbowmen: 50 (Regulars)
- Heavy Infantry: 100 (Elite Orcish)
- Light Infantry: 100 (Levied)
- Heavy Archers: 50 (Elite Orcish)
- Light Crossbowmen: 50 (Regulars)
- Pole Armed Infantry: 100 (Regular Orcish)
The demigod Iuz
Iuz
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Iuz is the chaotic evil demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "The Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Unlike most Greyhawk deities, Iuz makes his home on...
counts Robilar as an enemy for trying to slay him. Iuz's sometime lover, Zuggtmoy
Zuggtmoy
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Zuggtmoy is the Demon Queen of Fungi. Her symbol is a jawless human skull with fungi blooming from within, though some of her false cults use other symbols...
, was also freed by Robilar in a separate incident.
Home
Robilar's former home in the Domain of Greyhawk is now a gutted ruin, though the dungeons beneath, carefully warded and boobytrapped by Robilar, are still intact. The castle is a square set around a central courtyard; the outside walls are intact, though some of the inner walls have collapsed. It is rumored that in the dungeons is hidden a great hoard of treasure, or some artifact wrested from beneath Castle GreyhawkCastle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk is one of the central dungeon settings in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Castle was originally developed by Gary Gygax for his own campaign and later detailed for publication...
. Out-of-date maps of Greyhawk Castle also likely exist beneath Robilar's home.
Nearby is the hamlet of Furzehill
Furzehill
Furzehill is a hamlet in the North Devon district of Devon, England. Its nearest town is Lynton, which lies approximately north from the hamlet. The hamlet is situated in the Exmoor National Park, near the Devon-Somerset border....
.
He now owns the "Green Dragon Inn" in the City of Greyhawk where he occasionally shows up disguised.
History
Robilar's origins are unknown. Some claim he was born on the Wild Coast, though a few say he is a scion of one of the Celestial Houses of Aerdy, perhaps Cranden, Rax, or Naelax. A few even whisper that Robilar may be MordenkainenMordenkainen
Mordenkainen is a fictional wizard from the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. He was created by Gary Gygax as a player character and is one of the oldest characters in roleplaying fiction...
's illegitimate son.
Robilar first came to prominence in the early 560s, when he joined Mordenkainen's Citadel of Eight. Later, he gained more fame in the Free City of Greyhawk
Free City of Greyhawk
The Free City of Greyhawk, also known as Greyhawk City and the "Gem of the Flanaess," is a fictional city-state in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
in 565 CY, when he and Yrag captured Sir Bluto Sans Pite, the perpetrator of the River of Blood
River of Blood
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the River of Blood, or more properly, the River of Blood Murders, refers to the mass murder/ sacrifice of eight children of wealthy Greyhawk families in 565 CY by Sir Bluto Sans Pite, a local knight...
mass murders. For their efforts, both men were ennobled by the city directors.
In 570 CY, Robilar, with Riggby and his orc henchman Quij, released Iuz
Iuz
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Iuz is the chaotic evil demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "The Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Unlike most Greyhawk deities, Iuz makes his home on...
from his captivity in the Godtrap using magic supplied by Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen
Mordenkainen is a fictional wizard from the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. He was created by Gary Gygax as a player character and is one of the oldest characters in roleplaying fiction...
. Bigby
Bigby (Greyhawk)
Bigby is an archmage in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Before the Greyhawk Wars, Bigby made his home in Scant, capital of Onnwal. Nowadays, he can often be found in Mitrik, Veluna...
, Tenser, and Neb Retnar attempted to stop the plan, but arrived too late. The six adventurers battled Iuz together and nearly succeeded in destroying the cambion with one of Bigby's Crushing Hand spells, but Iuz managed to teleport away at the last minute. The release of and failure to destroy Iuz would have grave consequences on the future 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...
.
Nine years later, Robilar and Quij ventured to the Temple of Elemental Evil atop a carpet of flying. Leaving Quij outside to guard his carpet and griffons, he bullied his way into the depths, slaying vast ranks of monsters and freeing the demoness Zuggtmoy.
This incident resulted in Robilar's being forcibly evicted from the Domain of Greyhawk by Tenser's army and being named persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
throughout the region. It may have been around this time that Robilar took a journey to the eastern land of Lynn to study with the Dragonmasters, where he gained their respect through his own skills in handling dragons.
Shortly before the outbreak of the Greyhawk Wars
Greyhawk Wars
In the Dungeons & Dragons World of Greyhawk campaign setting, the Greyhawk Wars raged across the whole of the Flanaess from 582-584 CY.-History:...
, Robilar returned to the dungeons underneath Greyhawk Castle, where he encountered a potent artifact called the Orb of Opposition, which swapped him with a somewhat ideologically different double from an alternate Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
called Uerth, named Bilarro.
In 584 CY, at the end of the Greyhawk Wars
Greyhawk Wars
In the Dungeons & Dragons World of Greyhawk campaign setting, the Greyhawk Wars raged across the whole of the Flanaess from 582-584 CY.-History:...
, Robilar/Bilarro, with Rary, betrayed the Circle of Eight
Circle of Eight
The Circle of Eight is a fictional group of wizards in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Circle was originally created by Gary Gygax around 1975 as an alliance of most of his Dungeons & Dragons characters...
. Whilst Rary (himself a Circle member), killed Tenser and Otiluke
Otiluke
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Otiluke was an archmage. He was slain by Rary in Harvester 584 CY, at the close of the Greyhawk Wars.-Publication history:...
, Robilar helped destroy their clones in order to prevent the wizards from returning to life. Rary and Robilar were unmasked and have now fled to the Bright Desert
Bright Desert
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Bright Desert is a fictional desert located in the central Flanaess...
where they established the Empire of the Bright Lands. Tenser in the meantime has returned to life, while Otiluke is still dead.
In 597, Robilar was returned from Uerth through the aid of adventurers who had foiled the plans of Iuz underneath Castle Greyhawk.
He also developed an aggressive fighting style known as "Robilar's gambit" at some point in his life.
Heraldry
Robilar bears as his coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
the following blazon: Or, a dragon rampant vert. He has also been known to go to battle with a banner emblazoned with a black unicorn.