Reydrich

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Greyhawk Character
Reydrich
Names and titles
Title(s):Prince of Ahlissa (previously Herzog of South Province, then Graf of South Province)
General info
Occupation:Mage
Home:Zelradton
Alignment:NE(LE)
Gender:Male
Species:Human
Ethnicity:Oeridian
Class:Wizard 15/Archmage 5
Dates
Age:73
Birthdate:525 CY
Death:586 CY
Raised:587 CY

Prince Reydrich of Ahlissa is a mage and noble of the former Great Kingdom and later of Ahlissa.

Description

Appearance

Reydrich is "a pencil-thin, 6 foot tall man with cropped steely gray hair and watery gray eyes. He limps fairly heavily, as his left leg is withered due to an old magical curse unable to be removed even a wish spell. His staff of power, a stout hornwood stave, is used to support himself as he walks." He never has been seen to smile, with deep lines on his frowning face as evidence, his expression frozen into one of seeming permanent disapproval and harsh judgment.[1]

Personality

He is politically highly astute, and knows the value of nepotism in achieving his ends. He knows the factions and forces of Zelradton probably best of anyone in the city. "He is as hard as steel, holding to life and power with an utterly tenacious grip". He loves power and wants to extend it further, but is highly pragmatic.[1]

Religion

Abilities

He has ringed himself around with magical protections, including unique spells and items of his own devising, in part against the wrath of a powerful greater baatezu.[1]

Reydrich is presented with statistics in Ivid the Undying (1995), while he was still Graf of South Province, as a 19th level mage, with Int 18 and Wis 17.[1]

Following this, Reydrich was described as a 20th level wizard in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000).[2]

Later, in 2007, with the advent of the new "Archmage" prestige class, he was given stats still as a 20th level caster, but as a wizard 15/archmage 5 with the following stats:[3]
Str 8, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 31, Wis 18, Cha 12
However, his base statistics were also given before racial adjustments, Hit Dice ability score increases, stat boosting items, and inherent bonuses gained through casting wish:[3]
Str 8, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 10.

Equipment and possessions

Reydrich is known to have possessed black robes of the archmagi, a ring of protection +5,[1] and a staff of power (a stout hornwood stave). The staff is a grisly item carved with gargoyle faces and leering visages, and rumored to need blood to recharge it. He also has worn a cloak of displacement, and a ring of counterspells[3], in addition to using various scrolls, potions, and wands.[1]

Home

Reydrich resides in the realm he rules, at the capital of the Principality of Ahlissa, Zelradton.

History

Reydrich was born in about 525 CY into House Naelax of the Great Kingdom.[1] His ancestors are steeped in the history of the land, and he can trace his family line back more than 400 years to grim mages like Reynevar the Snakeheaded and Allreynen the Gripper. He possesses tomes filled with genealogies and histories of all the princes of Ahlissa.[4]

Reydrich served as court mage to the Chelors for 19 years (from about 564 CY), in their role as the Graf of South Province.[1] During the Greyhawk Wars Chelor III was Graf. Prior to the Wars the South Province built up a powerful standing army, and threatened the Iron League. THe armies did not readily march to war against Nyrond when war broke out, and suffered humiliating defeats with the unexpected invasion by Almor under the leadership of Osson in 583 CY. Chelor begged his cousin Ivid V for aid, and these forces arrived too late to help, but detained the Herzog and most of his senior advisers who were taken to Rauxes and executed as punishment for his dithering. Most of House Naelex-Selor were killed by Ivid's executioners or assassins.[4]

Reydrich was an adviser and archmage to Chelor at the time, as well as a prince of House Naelex. He denounced Chelor to Ivid, and saved himself as a result. With his brother being an admiral of the Prymp fleet, and Ivid also being insane, Reydrich was declared ruler of South Province as the only major Ahlissan noble not obviously conspiring against Ivid. Reydrich quickly consolidated his position by eliminating Chelor's previous supporters, many of whom were rumored to have been sent to Rauxes to suffer the Endless Death (but most were actually executed by Reydrich). He made himself undisputed head of House Naelex in Ahlissa, and spread fear amongst the nobles of the province due to clearly having the ear of Ivid. He gained the support of the military generals and commanders of Ahlissa, and made it know that he (like Ivid) had dealings with fiends.[5]

In the years following the Wars Reydrich remainded firmly in control, with none offering serious opposition. He was content being secure as Graf, with Ahlissa being fertile and fair fief, and he had no designs on taking the Malachite Throne for himself. Reydrich resurrected the archaic title of Graf, and assumed it in place of the previous title of Herzog. However, many petty princes were quietly carving up small portions of Ahlissa, fighting each other and making quiet alliances with foreigners. Many of House Darmen princes west of the Thelly River quietly advisewd Xavener that they would support him in return for expanded landholdings in Ahlissa.[4]

In 585 CY Reydrich was sending sorely needed support in the form of weapons and funds to Prince Carwend of Rel Deven, as a method of protecting himself against Duke Szeffrin in Almor by shoring up the lands to the north east of him.[6] He was also building keeps along the Grayflood River.[7]

Tyrum, a Suel arcanamach and member of the Scarlet Brotherhood, was credited with the assassination of Graf Reydrich of Ahlissa in 586 CY,[3] though the assassin was never found.[8] Although Reydrich was found dead in his quarters by one of his generals,[8] he reappeared at the royal investiture ceremony of Prince Xavener as the first Overking of the United Kingdom of Ahlissa in Zelradton in 587 CY.[9] None were bold enough to demand to know details of his resurrection, and he never offered any.[9] Though he'd been unaccounted for months, since 586 CY, his demands to reclaim his previous domain were not challenged and the three remaining oligarchs abandoned their claims of abeyant peerage (or, noble titles which remain unfilled or in dispute). Reydrich was named a Prince of the realm and given control of the Principality of Ahlissa, and made a royal advisor on magic.[9]

In 591 CY Reydrich was the provincial ruler of the Principality of Ahlissa within the Kingdom of Ahlissa.[2]

Relationships

Enemies

Reydrich has a special hatred of the Circle of Eight and Mordenkainen. In 560 CY he "pleaded with Mordenkainen to become a member of the Circle of Eight. The rejection did not overly surprise him, but the manner of it did; Mordenkainen let it be known that one who relied so much on compulsion and servitude was no true mage, for such acts are a substitute for true magical prowess and understanding. Reydrich took the insult badly indeed, and if given any way of stymieing the Circle, he would certainly do so."[10]

"The Circle of Eight is greatly disturbed at Reydrich’s reappearance, as he is known to bear considerable ill will toward the Circle for reasons not revealed."((csb|TAB|26}}

Allies and minions

Reydrich maintains a network of watchful spies. He deals with fiends, primarily baatezu summoned from the Hells, but has no formal pacts instead using magical compulsion and threats to force service. It is a dangerous practice resulting in Reydrich surrounding himself with powerful magical protections.[1]

Tarrak was previously his apprentice and concubine, but by 585 CY she had left these roles to make her home at Ker Bazainn.[10]

In Living Greyhawk

Publishing history

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Ivid the Undying (1995), p.135.
  2. ↑ a b Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.22.
  3. ↑ a b c d Prestige Class: Archmage (2007).
  4. ↑ a b c Ivid the Undying (1995), p.128.
  5. ↑ Ivif, p.128.
  6. ↑ Ivid the Undying (1995), p.137.
  7. ↑ Ivid the Undying (1995), p.153.
  8. ↑ a b The Adventure Begins (1998), p.24.
  9. ↑ a b c The Adventure Begins (1998), p.26.
  10. ↑ a b Ivid the Undying (1995), p.136.

Bibliography

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

Reydrich (Graf) (Prince) Non-player character Male, Human, [3e M20], From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess 27
Reydrich (Graf) (Prince) Non-player character Male, Human, [3e M20], Ivid the Undying 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 138, 153, 155
Reydrich (Graf) (Prince) Non-player character Male, Human, [3e M20], Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e 27, 109
Reydrich (Graf) (Prince) Non-player character Male, Human, [3e M20], Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 22
Reydrich (Graf) (Prince) Non-player character Male, Human, [3e M20], Player's Guide to Greyhawk 12
Reydrich (Graf) (Prince) Non-player character Male, Human, [3e M20], The Adventure Begins 24-26, 28
Reydrich (Graf) (Prince) Non-player character Male, Human, [3e M20], The Scarlet Brotherhood 6, 18, 24
Reydrich Sharn Non-player character Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e Dis
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