Midmeadow
| Midmeadow | |
|---|---|
 Midmeadow map, by John Knecht in The Marklands (1993). | |
| General information | |
| Realm: | Kingdom of Nyrond |
| Size: | City |
| Government | |
| Government: | Provincial county (March of Woodverge) |
| Demographics | |
| Population: | 11,100 (591 CY) |
| Groups | |
| Religions: | Pholtus |
Midmeadow is a city in north of the Kingdom of Nyrond.
Geography
Midmeadow is located between the Nutherwood and the Gamboge Forest, on the borderlands between Nyrond and the Theocracy of the Pale.[1]
History
Prior to the Greyhawk Wars Midmeadow was a beautiful city, built mainly with Gamboge Forest and Phostwood woods. Elven architects were heavily involved in its design, and even many commoners' houses were of pleasant appearance. Richer residences are commonly works of art featuring cross gabling, complex roof thatching and even leaded arched windows. The richest mansions feature stone great halls and oriel blocks of intricate workmanship.[2]
By 585 CY following the end of the Wars the city was close to anarchy. Midmeadow's ruler was killed in the gruelling Phostwood campaigns against Stonefist forces. Sir Sennend Mastersein was a disastrous choice as replacement local administrator by King Archbold III, being a cowering and feeble man who hid from making hard decisions. During riots he would order the 600 local militia to abandon the streets and secure important public buildings, and his and the homes of his supporters.[2]
Northern Nyrondese after the Wars were regularly robbed by bandits, and had to deal with tax-gathering militias. This resulted in tax riots in the northern lands, especially around Midmeadow. Peasant vigilante gangs armed with primitive polearms, clubs and knives would commonly greet strangers with unknown intentions.[3]
Locals would commonly riot as they went hungry, while local and even Gamboge produce was sold on at a profit and shipped north to the Pale for badly needed revenue. The wagon trains taking the produce were defended by heavy militia escorts, but large gangs of peasants were still able to raid them on occasion. The city had a plague of arson attacks early in 585 CY, ending a major part of the richer merchants' homes on the northern side being sacked and looted due to Sennend being unwilling to use force on rioters who had begun to sack and pillage for more than they needed, horrifying decent folk. The breakdown in law and order resulted in the Valorous League of Blindness gaining followers in the city and surrounding area, and drew Pholtan zealots and pilgrims to the city. The League offered help to the militia, to whom they were another problem to try to avoid, resulting in the Pholtans and League operating as a vigilante police force. Grishken, the local leader of the League, urged Pholtans to prepare for a day of reckoning against "fiend worshipers" (being any who disagreed with him).[2]
People
Population
In 585 CY the population was 12,000, with about 2,000 wretched and half starved refugees in shanty camps outside the city walls.[1]
By 591 CY the population had shrunk to 11,100.[4]
Northern folk in Nyrond are by reputation tough, stubborn and independent, and trust families and close friends but few others.[3]
Notable individuals
Notable persons from or residing in Midmeadow include:
- Grishken, the local leader of the Valorous League of Blindness after the Greyhawk Wars and one of the two main leaders of the League in Nyrond in 585 CY[5].
- Sir Sennend Mastersein, the local administrator following the Greyhawk Wars.
Religion
By 585 CY some northern Nyrondese had taken to placating evil deities, due to outbreaks of disease occurring among the underfed population.[6] Zylinchin of the Valorous League uncovered a shrine to Incabulos[5] and the League used this to justify "fiend hunting".[6] Six villagers were lynched for praying to Incabulos.[5]
Pholtus gained many followers in Midmeadow and northern lands of Nyrond thanks to the actions of the Valorous League during the anarchy following the Greyhawk Wars.[7]
Languages
Many northern Nyrondese still speak Old Oeridian.[3]
Government
Following the reorganization of provincial administration under King Lynwerd I that commenced Needfest 1, 591 CY Midnmadow was part of the March of Woodverge under the rule of Sir Weynoud Aspranth.[8][9]
Economy
Following the Greyhawk Wars much of the trade in northern areas outside of the cities was on a barter basis.[3]
Publication history
Midmeadow was mentioned in the World of Greyhawk box set, and featured in the Darlene map.
In the Gord novel Saga of Old City, Gord travelled through Midmeadow with Evaleigh when taking her from Stoink to Knurl. However, the description suggest that it lay north of the northern border of Nyrond.
Living Greyhawk campaign
In the Living Greyhawk campaign, Midmeadow featured in a number of adventures. It was also detailed in the "Nyrond Gazetteer" fan-created sourcebook. The organizing Triad for the Nyrond region created maps of Nyrond showing the borders of various provinces.[10]
The Night of Terror in Midmeadow at Growfest in 593 CY saw undead attack the city, riots break out and the garrison massacred. The mayor of Midmeadow and ruler of the March of Woodverge, Sir Weynoud Aspranth, was killed and the Valorous League of Blindness placed the city under martial law.
King Lynwerd was attempting to come to grips with these events when Sewarndt launched his coup, and he had to fight for his crown. Sectarian infighting among Pholtans undermined their authority, and Midmeadow developed in the meantime into a more pluralistic city including a less militant church of Pholtus. In late 595 CY the Valorous League was expelled by agreement between Lynwerd and the Pale, leaving Midmeadow to continue its development. League leader Zylinchin failed in an attempt to stir up a secessionist rebellion in northern Nyrond around Kerrinn and Midmeadow, after being declared a heretic by the Pale.
External links
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.
Midmeadow page on Nyrond Living Greyhawk Triad web site via Way Back Machine
References
Citations
- ↑ a b WGR4 The Marklands (1993), p.80.
- ↑ a b c GWR4, p.80.
- ↑ a b c d WGR4 The Marklands (1993), p.78.
- ↑ Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.75.
- ↑ a b c WGR4 The Marklands (1993), p.66.
- ↑ a b WGR4 The Marklands (1993), p.81.
- ↑ WGR4 The Marklands (1993), p.66 & 80.
- ↑ WGR4 The Marklands (1993), p.75.
- ↑ Map of Nyrond in "Nyrond Gazetteer" issued by the Living Greyhawk Campaign Nyrond Triad. Available at Nyrond Living Greyhawk Triad web site via Way Back Machine
- ↑ Nyrond Gazetteer. Living Greyhawk campaign, Nyrond Triad. 2008. Archived via Way Back Machine
Bibliography
- Sargent, Carl. The Marklands. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
- Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K. Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
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
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grishken of Midmeadow | Non-player character | [C11], | WGR4 The Marklands | 63, 66, 81, 92, 95 |
| Incabulos, Shrine of (Midmeadow) | Building | Shrine, | WGR4 The Marklands | 65, 95 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | The City of Greyhawk: Gem of the Flanaess | 19 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | Dragon magazine #AN3 | 104 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess | 32, 74, 75 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | From the Ashes: Campaign Book | 80 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | From the Ashes: References Card | #3 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 75, 77 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | Saga of Old City | 7, 125, 138, 198, 201, 240 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (Folio) | 21 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | WGR4 The Marklands | 63, 65, 66, 67, 78, 79, 80, 81, 92, 95 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | WGS1 Five Shall Be One | IBC |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 57 |
| Midmeadow Town | Settlement | Nyrond, City, (585 pop: 12000), (591 pop: 11100), | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | IBC |