Seragrimm
| Seragrimm the Just | |
|---|---|
 Seragrimm the Just, as appearing on Greyhawk Trading Card #77 | |
| General info | |
| Occupation: | Ruler |
| Alignment: | Lawful good |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human Arch Lich |
| Ethnicity: | Aerdi |
| Class: | Wizard 20 |
| Dates | |
| Age: | 500+? (unknown) |
Description
"Seragrimm's main goal in life was to maintain control as ruler of his lands. He desired to keep his land peaceful and safe from evil. This desire was so strong that upon his death, he did not die completely, instead he lives on. safeguarding his castle and watching over those who rule his lands. Through his magic, he directs the actions of his officials." - Trading Card #77, Seragrimm[1]
"Seragrimm is an ancient Aerdi king. He once sat upon the Malachite Throne. A good and just ruler, he was slain by his own son, who ruled as a despot. His desire to help his nation was so strong that he refused death. Unable to leave his tomb, Seragrimm is occasionally visited by wizards and imperial advisors. He has unearthly powers to aid them in noble causes."[2]
Relationships
Seragrimm's official emissary is Drendar. Drendar shuttles information in both directions, between Seragrimm and other heads of state. Drendar is entirely loyal to Seragrimm, his king, despite those who have tried to take advantage or control of him.
Publication history
Seragrimm was first printed on Card #77 of the 1991 Trading Cards set, art by Keith Parkinson. Before and after its appearance on the card, the same art has been used on several other products, including the 1st Edition adventure Crown of Ancient Glory, as well as a 1,000-piece puzzle in the "Fantasy Series" line by Wizkids.
The appellation "the Just" comes from Seragrimm's second publication. In the Spellfire card game, Seragrimm appeared (with the same art) on card #178 of the "base set" in 1994.
In Other Media
Seragrimm appeared in Gary Holian's article Mysterious Places: Lands of the Dead in Oerth Journal #33 (2020). While not official lore, it remains an interesting version of Seragrimm.
Reception
There was some debate over Seragrimm's alignment (Lawful Good). However, good-aligned liches have been possible in D&D at least since 2nd Edition in the Monstrous Compendium, vol. 1 (1989). Their entry listed "Alignment: any", as well as going on to say, "In rare cases, liches of a most unusual nature can be found which are of any alignment."[3] And a year later in 1990, the year before the trading card was printed, a good-aligned lich called an "Archlich" was published in Lost Ships, predating and seeming to be the rules-source for Seragrimm.[4] This was later confirmed further in the Monstrous Manual (1993), where the entry for Archlich stated, "... even lawful good liches apparently have existed"[5], though it does note they are exceedingly rare.[5]
References
Citations
- ↑ 1991 Trading Cards , p.77.
- ↑ Spellfire Reference Guide (1995), p.156.
- ↑ Monstrous Compendium, vol. 1,
- ↑ SJR1: Lost Ships, s.v. "Lich, Arch", "... Archliches are a very rare form of undead.... transformed human spellcasters of good alignment".
- ↑ a b Monstrous Manual, s.v. "Lich", p.223, "... archliches are as rare as roc's teeth."
Bibliography
- Greenwood, Ed. SJR1: Lost Ships. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990
- Greyhawk Trading Cards, Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1991
- Monstrous Compendium, vol. 1, TSR 2102, "Lich". Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989
- Monstrous Manual, 2140. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993
- Nesmith, Bruce and Tim Beach, Spellfire Reference3 Guide, p156. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
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
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seragrimm | Non-player character | Lich, [Mu20], | Oerth Journal #33 | 6,7 |
| Seragrimm | Non-player character | Lich, [Mu20], | 1991 TSR Trading Cards - Factory Set | 77 |