A Guide to the World of Greyhawk

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Greyhawk Literature (in-world)
A Guide to the World of Greyhawk
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The cover of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983). Art by Jeff Easley.
General information
Type:Manuscript
Author:The Savant-Sage
Published:Royal University at Rel Mord, 998 CY
First appearance:World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting, 1983.


A Guide to the World of Greyhawk is both a game sourcebook and an in-setting piece of literature—one volume in a larger encyclopedia about the Flanaess. It's full, in-world title is A Catalogue of the Land Flanaess: being the Eastern Portion of the Continent Oerik, of Oerth—Volume III, and is nominally authored by the Savant-Sage.[1][2] which is also the sub-title of the game sourcebook.

Description

The Guide is never given physical description, other than that it was originally part of a seven-volume set of encyclopedia.

The third volume is the Guide, or Catalogue .[3]

History

The full seven-volume encyclopedia was written by the Savant-Sage and is speculated to have detailed nearly every aspect of life in the Flanaess in ages past.

After being lost for "several centuries",[1] a copy of the Savant-Sage's encyclopedic work was discovered in an illithid's cave in the Riftcanyon, and brought to the Royal University of Rel Mord where it was studied by Pluffet Smedger the Elder. Over "several decades"[1] Smedger compiled a glossography to accompany each volume, updating and expanding it with more contemporary information.

Only the third volume (this book) of the Savant-Sage's encyclopedia and Smedger's accompanying glossography still exist in later years when they are "translated".[1]

The Guide (i.e., volume III) was completed in 576 CY.[4][5] The Savant-Sage continued working, and was researching and writing the sixth volume in the encyclopedia, at Grey College, in spring of 591 CY.[6]

This book is one of two sourcebooks found inside the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting , and is often simply referred to as "the Guide" or "the Catalogue".

While the in-setting book is authored by the Savant-Sage, the game sourcebook is authored by and credited to Gary Gygax on the same title page.

In the foreword, Allan Hammack describes the in-game history of the product, and says, in reference to the product, that the Savant-Sage's Guide and Smedger's Glossography were "translated approximately into AD&D terms" and that it is "a complete mystery" how they resurfaced in the real world "in this time and place." i.e., 1980s Earth.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ a b c d World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.2, Glossography.
  2. ↑ Living Greyhawk Journal #4 (May 2001), p.5-6.  
  3. ↑ World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.2.
  4. ↑ The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (1980), p.5.
  5. ↑ World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.9, Catalogue.
  6. ↑ Living Greyhawk Journal #4 (May 2001), p.7.  

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

A Guide to the World of Greyhawk Item Book, World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) 2
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