Isles of Woe

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Greyhawk Realm
Isles of Woe
General information
Region:Central Flanaess (Nyr Dyv)
Government
Ruler:High Wizard-Priest
Government:Magocracy-Theocracy
Demographics
Capital:Heraan
Groups
Allies:Veralos
Enemies:Krovis

The Isles of Woe are a now-lost archipelago in the Lake of Unknown Depths, once ruled by wizard-priests.

History

The Isles of Woe are most famed for the doom they suffered when the powers of the Codex of the Infinite Planes caused them to sink beneath the waters of the Nyr Dyv. During the nation's height, the High Wizard-Priest had used the powers of the Codex to conquer the surrounding realms, and even other planes, but the same forces that brought so much power also brought much destruction and woe. It is said that at one point, the danger presented by the dominion of the Isles of Woe became so great that the sleeping hero Krovis emerged from his tomb to do battle.

The citadel of Veralos on the edge of Rift Canyon paid fealty to the Isles of Woe until the archipelago's inundation.

Geography

Depending on the tale, the number of islands in this chain varies between three and seven, but is usually said to be three. The capital of this tyrannical domain was known as Heraan.

In a 900-year-old map now in the Great Library of Greyhawk, the islands are shown in the eastern region of the great lake, appearing to be extensions of the Cairn Hills. If this map is accurate, the size of the Nyr Dyv was smaller in those days. The island upon which Admundfort now sits was much larger, and two islands that do not now exist stood southeast of Scragholme Island. However, there are reasons to doubt the authenticity of this document.

People

Because Veralos was contemporaneous with ancient Flan nations such as Sulm, Itar, Ahlissa, and Nuria, it seems likely that the Isles of Woe were also populated by the Flan people. Furthermore, the Isles must have sank before the Great Migrations, as Veralos itself lasted until that period.

Government

The Isles of Woe, during their period of greatest infamy, were ruled by the High Wizard-Priest who discovered the Codex of the Infinite Planes. Because another name for the Codex is Yagrax's Tome, it's been suggested that the Wizard-Priest was named Yagrax, and this was confirmed in Dragon #299, page 101. Some sources (Iuz the Evil, The Adventure Begins) indicate that the High Wizard-Priest was Tzunk, although others (Eldritch Wizardry, Dungeon Master's Guide, Book of Artifacts, Secrets of the Lamp) imply that Tzunk was a later, separate owner of the Codex.

A few legends even place Vecna's tower on the Isles, but there is little evidence for this claim.

Economy

Transportation

As an island civilization, presumably the Isles of Woe made use of boats. The Codex of the Infinite Planes undoubtedly helped them expand their empire to other planes, though it seems unlikely that the Codex was their sole means of transportation.

Military

In Living Greyhawk

A "dungeon delve event" called The Isles of Woe debuted at Origins 2002. A series of "introductory encounters" tied to this event appeared in Dragon #294.

During the course of this event (set in 592 CY), the Isles of Woe resurfaced, emerging not from the depths of the Nyr Dyv but from the Ethereal Plane, where Yagrax's curse had evidently banished them a millennium ago. The Isles' connection to the Material Plane was tenuous, however, leaving them liable to sink back into the Ethereal at any moment.

In one adventure, low-level player characters explored a Temple of Olhydra. Mid-level characters explored the ruins of a town known as the Village of the Ancients. Mid and high-level characters explored a structure in a cliff face in the center of the main island known as the Green Devil's Tower. It is thought to have been the stronghold of a powerful mage or a school of magic.

Bibliography

  • Bloch, Joseph. "See the Pomarj -- and Die!" Dragon #167. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1991.
  • Mona, Erik. "Campaign News." Dragon #294. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
———. "Campaign News." Dragon #299. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2002.

Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.

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

Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character Dungeon Masters Guide 1st Edition 156
Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character Dragon magazine #082 58
Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character Dragon magazine #297 91
Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character Eldritch Wizardry 43
Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character Living Greyhawk Journal #2 19
Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character Slavers, AD&D 2e 5
Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps 5
Tzunk {Tzoonk} (High Wizard Priest of the Isles of Woe) Non-player character WGR5 Iuz the Evil 64
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