Rary

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Greyhawk Character
Rary
Rary (right), depicted on the cover of Rary the Traitor (TSR, Inc., 1992)
Names and titles
Nickname:Medium Rary
Title(s):Archmage of Ket
General info
Home:Bright Lands (formerly Ket)
Alignment:Neutral Evil
Gender:Male
Species:Human (Baklunish)
Class:Wizard
Dates
Age:86
Birthdate:511 CY

Rary of Ket is a powerful archmage and ruler of the Bright Lands, also known as Rary the Traitor.

In a storyline developed by TSR for a resetting of the Greyhawk campaign in 1991, Rary, a member of the Circle of Eight, betrayed the Circle at the end of the Greyhawk Wars and was responsible for the deaths of Circle members Otiluke and Tenser. After his betrayal, Rary fled with his ally Lord Robilar to the Bright Desert, where he established the Empire of the Bright Lands.

Development

Gary Gygax, co-creator of the Dungeons & Dragon fantasy game, created a home campaign based in the World of Greyhawk in order to test new rules. His playtesters were friends and acquaintances, one of whom was Brian Blume, co-owner with Gygax of the nascent game company TSR. Rary was a low-level wizard created by Blume for play in Gygax's home campaign. However, Blume was not interested in developing the character into a high-powered wizard; he only played Rary until the wizard character reached 3rd-level and then retired him, having reached his objective, which was to be able to introduce the character as "Medium Rary".[1] Gygax borrowed the name "Rary" for the spells Rary's mnemonic enhancer and Rary's telepathic bond. Ironically, the original Rary was never powerful enough to cast either of "his" spells.

Rary was not a member of Gygax's original Circle of Eight, which was made up of eight of Gygax's own characters that he had developed during solo play, when his friend Rob Kuntz acted as DM. Gygax: "The original [Circle of Eight] was composed of my PCs--Mordenkainen, Bigby, Yrag, Rigby, Felnorith, Zigby, Vram & Vin. In the novel version the Circle was expanded to encompass other PCs in my campaign such as Tenser. It came into being because Mordenkainen and Associates had a lot of wealth stored up from successful adventuring, located a place for a stronghold deep in enemy territory to assure plenty of action, and then went to work building the citadel."[2] However, after Gygax was ousted from TSR in 1985, the company took over creative control of the published Greyhawk setting, and took it in directions Gygax had not envisioned,[3] including remaking Rary into a major Greyhawk personality.

In 1988, Rary's spells were included in the hard-cover Greyhawk Adventures.[4] In 1989, in The City of Greyhawk boxed set, Carl Sargent and Douglas Niles took Gygax's original Circle of Eight and re-purposed the concept as a powerful collection of wizards dedicated to the proposition that no group or entity, no matter how good (or evil), should dominate the Flanaess. Gygax's own wizard, Mordenkainen, became the head of the Circle, while eight wizards from the Greyhawk campaign, made famous from their spells published in the original Players Handbook, became the actual Circle.[5] Several of the wizards, including Rary, had not been particularly powerful characters in Gygax's home campaign, but in the new Greyhawk storyline, all of the Circle were dominant spell casters.

Description

In material developed by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) in 1998 as a further update to the Greyhawk storyline, Rary was described as a man of mixed Baklunish and Suel stock, six feet tall, 170 lbs, with auburn hair, bright green eyes, and a tanned complexion who favors tan robes with intricate gold patterns. Although originally described in TSR material as a man in his eighties, the new WotC storyline had Rary looking like a man in his fifties, having somehow reversed his aging by 30 years. The explanation was that this was not for reasons of vanity, but because Rary knows his current plans may take many decades to come to fruition and is prepared for every eventuality.

Rary's personality is given as thoughtfully contemplative. Apparently he dislikes those who acted foolishly or rashly, and Otiluke was a particular target of his scorn, though even Mordenkainen is characterized as too volatile for Rary's tastes.

History

The following information is outlined in material developed for the Greyhawk campaign world by TSR and WotC between 1988 and 2008.

Origins

Born around 511 CY in Ket, Rary was known as a quiet, dignified scholar and a skilled mediator and peacemaker. He was a living legend in his homeland, and held in the greatest respect by the Paynims, and would confer with their shamans and wise men, telling them tales of their past. The frequency of Paynim raids into Ket decreased dramatically because of his influence. He was apparently invited to join the Circle of Eight in or around 575CY.

Rary betrays the Circle

After a decade's careful deliberation, Rary decided that the Circle of Eight was too quarrelsome to ever be effective in its goals. On the day of the signing of the Treaty of Greyhawk, he tried to eliminate the Circle but only succeeded in killing Tenser and Otiluke. Simultaneously, Robilar besieged the castle of Tenser, sacking its treasures and destroying all of Tenser's known clones. Having largely failed in their quest to destroy the Circle, the two conspirators fled to the Bright Desert, where they founded a kingdom.

Further plans

In the Living Greyhawk campaign, Rary desired to recreate the ancient kingdom of Sulm by recovering an artifact known as the Scorpion Crown. (Players of the campaign were often unwittingly employed as agents of Rary to help fulfill his goal.).[6]

Spells

When Gary Gygax developed new spells for Dungeons & Dragons, he often borrowed wizards' names to give the spell names more verisimilitude. He borrowed the name of Brian Blume's retired wizard for the spells Rary's mnemonic enhancer, and Rary's telepathic bond, which appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook.

Because Rary's two original spells seemed to involve psychic or mental powers, whenever a new spell was developed that involved these powers, authors often attributed them to Rary:

  • Rary's aptitude appropriator
  • Rary's arcane conversion
  • Rary's empathic perception
  • Rary's interplanar telepathic bond
  • Rary's memory alteration
  • Rary's mind scan
  • Rary's mind shield
  • Rary's plane truth
  • Rary's protection from scrying
  • Rary's replay of the past
  • Rary's spell enhancer
  • Rary's superior spell enhancer
  • Rary's urgent utterance

Writings

In a similar fashion, further background material on Rary has given him credit for authoring the following works:

  • Arcane Puissance of the Memory
  • The Lost Spellbook of Rary the Traitor[7]

Living Greyhawk campaign

During the Living Greyhawk campaign, several adventures set in Rary's home region of Ket referred to him as Rary the Patriot, and Ketite characters in these adventures sometimes tried to convince players that Rary was not evil, merely misunderstood.[8][9]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "Gary Gygax:Rary was one that Brian Blume created early in the D&D cycle, a magic-user that Brian wanted to work up to 3rd level so as to introduce him as 'Medium Rary.' When he gained that level Brian quit playing that PC, pretty much dropped out of regularly playing D&D in fact."Gary Gygax: Q & A (Part X, Page 7), EN World, 2006-05-29, http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/161566-gary-gygax-q-part-x-7.html, accessed 2009-03-15
  2. ↑ Gary Gygax: Q & A (Part X, Page 7), EN World, 2006-05-29, http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/161566-gary-gygax-q-part-iv-9.html
  3. ↑ Gary Gygax: "Later TSR and [Wizards of the Coast] approaches to and treatment of the Greyhawk setting was quite contrary to the purpose for which I intended it when it was created."Gary Gygax: Q & A (Part XIII, Page 9, EN World, 2007-04-25, http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/193204-gary-gygax-q-part-xiii-9.html, accessed 2009-03-15}}
  4. ↑ Bambra, Jim; Role-playing Reviews, Dragon #143, p71–72, TSR, Lake Geneva, WI, March 1989
  5. ↑ Niles, Douglas, and Carl Sargent. The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989)
  6. ↑ Broadhurst, Creighton; COR8-11 Restoration and Empire, Wizards of the Coast, June 2008
  7. ↑ Bonny, Ed; Arcane Lore: The Lost Spellbook of Rary the Traitor, Dragon, #249, 1998}}
  8. ↑ Stephen Baker, KET6-07 The Empty Post, Wizards of the Coast, November 2006
  9. ↑ Lisa Liscoumb, KETINTRO5-01 Best Man for the Job, Wizards of the Coast, February 2005

Bibliography


Zavoda Index Entry

Rary (of Ket)(the Traitor)[M23][NPC]
	COG:FFF - 25,27
	DRG#82 - 58
	DRG#194 - 53,54,55
	DRG#230 - 12
	DRG#233 - 92
	DRG#249 - 90-96
	DRG#268 - 70
	DRG#269 - 65
	DRG#299 - 99
	FTAA - 9,10
	FTAC - 8,11,85
	FTAR#13
	GA - 3,67,68,128
	GW:ADV - 24
	LGG - 16,37,38,68,126,128,143,144,154,156
	LGJ#0 - 6,7,8,9,10
	LGJ#1 - 27
	LGJ#3 - 15,26
	PGTG - 11,21,23,26,51
	RTO8 - 3,5,10,20,53,54,57-60
	SLV - 127
	TAB - 2,4,37,38,62,71,76,97,98,110,122,123
	TAB:AM - 2
	TD - 7
	TSC - 5,38,46
	WGA4 - 10,14,17,20,87,88,94
	WGR5 - 5,37

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

Arcane Puissance of the Memory By Rary Item Book, Dragon magazine #082 58
Arcane Puissance of the Memory By Rary Item Book, Encyclopedia Magica - Volume III 1140
Asnath Copse, Library of Building Library, Living Greyhawk Journal #3 31
Delleb, Library of (Scant) Building Library, Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e 66
Eternal Library People Group Organization/Society, Complete Champion, D&D 3.5e 12, 13, 14
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, The City of Greyhawk: Gem of the Flanaess 44, 67, 70, 94
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, Dungeon magazine #114 20, 24, 33, 38
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 64
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, Living Greyhawk Journal #2 4
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, Living Greyhawk Journal #4 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, Living Greyhawk Journal #5 7, IBC
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, Player's Guide to Greyhawk 32
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, The Adventure Begins 78, 93, 94
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps 5
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, WGA4 Vecna Lives! 20, 21
Great Library of Greyhawk (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk 18
Great Library of Greyhawk, Contributing Member (City of Greyhawk) People Group Position, The Adventure Begins 94
Great Library of Greyhawk, Vault (City of Greyhawk) Building Library, The Adventure Begins 94
Great Library of Lendor (Hesuel Ilshar) Building Library, The Scarlet Brotherhood 15, 25, 26
Greyhawk, University of, Library Building Library, From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess 16, 17
Kas, Library of (Tor Gorak) Building Library, Vecna Reborn 5, 27-29, 31, 32, 63
Library of Farlen Building Library, Ivid the Undying 100, 102
Library of Lore (Boccob's Realm) Planar Plane/Dimension, On Hallowed Ground 180
Library Temple Building Reference SEE Delleb, Temple of (Chendl)
Lost Spellbook of Rary the Traitor Item Book, Dragon magazine #249 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96
Ogburg, Great Library of Building Library, Living Greyhawk Journal #3 29
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], The City of Greyhawk: Folks, Feuds and Factions 25, 27
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #082 58
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #194 53, 54, 55
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #230 12
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #233 92
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #249 90-96
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #268 70
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #269 65
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #299 99
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Dragon magazine #354 31
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess 9, 10
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], From the Ashes: Campaign Book 8, 11, 85
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], From the Ashes: References Card #13
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Greyhawk Adventures 3, 67, 68, 128
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Greyhawk Wars: Adventurer's Book 24
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 16, 37, 38, 68, 126, 128, 143, 144, 154, 156
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Living Greyhawk Journal #0 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Living Greyhawk Journal #1 27
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Living Greyhawk Journal #3 15, 26
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Player's Guide to Greyhawk 11, 21, 23, 26, 51
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Return of the Eight 3, 5, 10, 20, 53, 54, 57-60
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], Slavers, AD&D 2e 127
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], The Adventure Begins 2, 4, 37, 38, 62, 71, 76, 97, 98, 110, 122, 123
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps 2
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], 1992 TSR Trading Cards - Gold Set 171
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], LT3 The Doomgrinder 7
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], LT1 The Star Cairns 5, 38, 46
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], WGA4 Vecna Lives! 10, 14, 17, 20, 87, 88, 94
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], WGR3 Rary the Traitor All
Rary (of Ket) (the Traitor) Non-player character Male, Human, [M23], WGR5 Iuz the Evil 5, 37
Rary's Aptitude Appropriater (LVL2) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 67, 128
Rary's Aptitude Appropriater (LVL2) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 727
Rary's Empathic Perception (LVL1) Spell Spell (Magic User), Dragon magazine #249 91-92
Rary's Empathic Perception (LVL1) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 67, 128
Rary's Empathic Perception (LVL1) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 727
Rary's Hesitation (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Dragon magazine #249 92
Rary's Memory Alteration (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 67, 128
Rary's Memory Alteration (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 727
Rary's Mind Scan (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Dragon magazine #249 92
Rary's Mind Scan (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 67, 128
Rary's Mind Scan (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 728
Rary's Mind Shield (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 67, 128
Rary's Mind Shield (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 728
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), College of Wizardry 81
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Hidden Lore, D&D 3.0 5
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Player's Handbook, AD&D 1e 41, 78
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Player's Option - Spells And Magic 180, 184
Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 728
Rary's Plane Truth (LVL7) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 68, 128
Rary's Plane Truth (LVL7) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 728, 729
Rary's Protection from Scrying (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), Dragon magazine #249 92
Rary's Protection from Scrying (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 68, 128
Rary's Protection from Scrying (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 729
Rary's Replay (LVL5) Spell Reference SEE Rary's Replay of the Past (LVL5)
Rary's Replay of the Past (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 67, 68, 128
Rary's Replay of the Past (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 729
Rary's Ring of Memories Item Artifact, Slavers, AD&D 2e 127
Rary's Spell Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 67, 128
Rary's Spell Enhancer (LVL4) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 729
Rary's Superior Spell Enhancer (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 68, 128
Rary's Superior Spell Enhancer (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 730
Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), CGR1 The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook 109
Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 68, 128
Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Hidden Lore, D&D 3.0 5
Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), PHBR4 - The Complete Wizard's Handbook 104
Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Player's Option - Spells And Magic 181
Rary's Telepathic Bond (LVL5) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 730
Rary's Tower Adventure Located in: Brass hills, WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk
Rary's Urgent Utterance (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), Dragon magazine #249 92
Rary's Urgent Utterance (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), Greyhawk Adventures 68, 128
Rary's Urgent Utterance (LVL6) Spell Spell (Magic User), Wizard's Spell Compendium - Volume III 730, 731
Rary's Vicious Missiles (LVL8) Spell Spell (Magic User), Dragon magazine #249 92-93
Ring of Memories, Rary's Item Reference SEE Rary's Ring of Memories
The Library of Last Resort (Age of Worms) Adventure Located in: Bandit Kingdoms, Dungeon magazine #132 58
WGR3 Rary the Traitor Publication Supplement, Dragon magazine #191 65, 68
WGR3 Rary the Traitor Publication Supplement, Dragon magazine #194 53
WGR3 Rary the Traitor Publication Supplement, Dragon magazine #241 43
WGR3 Rary the Traitor Publication Supplement, Dragon magazine #249 90, 91, 94
WGR3 Rary the Traitor Publication Supplement, Return of the Eight 54, 58
WGR3 Rary the Traitor Publication Supplement, The Adventure Begins: Adventure Maps 4, 5
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