Canonfire!

“This land may be profitable to those that will adventure it.”
-- Henry Hudson

Ratik is a relative newcomer in the history of Greyhawk and the Flannaess. There were elves there, surely, and dwarves, and gnomes too, but their arrivals are not set in the annals of the canonical text of Greyhawk; but the World of Greyhawk setting was always a human-centric setting, wasn’t it, and although those races would most certainly have influenced and guided those human nations that came after them, very little has been said about how. There are exceptions, none set in the nation of Ratik, or the Thillonrian peninsula.

What we do know is that the Grey elves had cities in the Griffs, that Vecna fought the Grey and High elves, and that Vecna destroyed the City of Summer Stars. If only Gary Gygax had penned more about those bygone elven civilizations, we’d have had a far richer setting. Sadly, he wrote even less on the dwarves and gnomes, even less still of the halflings. It’s a blank slate. Largely.

Much is the same with Human history. Each nation was given a paragraph or two, enough to spur the imagination, no more. Those missives have been expounded upon since, though.

So what id canon in regards to Ratik?

I present a list of dates noted in Steve Wilson’s Greychrondex_42 to illuminate what is considered canon in the world of Greyhawk concerning Ratik and its environs, most notably those dates regarding the Barbarians, Stonefist, the Bone March, and the North Province as they concern Ratik.

These are mere bullet points. Some reach far back in the annals of time, but you can’t have the present without the past, can you?

If you would like to learn more, there is a wealth of source material out there. I’ve detailed these events in this blog, much as others have before me. Those Histories are my interpretation. There are others. Many others.

I encourage you to peruse: Canonfire!, Greyhawk Online, Jason Zavoda’s Hall of the Mountain King, Joe Bloch’s Greyhawk Grognard, Mike Bridges’ Greyhawkery, and Maldin’s Greyhawk. There are a whole host of others, including the fiction of Mystic Scholar and Greyhawk Stories. Be sure to download Anna B. Meyer's map while you are at it.

I’m sure you will find something to your taste.

That said, let’s get started, shall we?

The Griff Mountains

The Timeline of the James Bay Frontier

Pre-devastation

-2150 CY The founding of Haradaragh. First year of Flannae Tracking system (1 FT). [PGTG - 14]

Vecna’s Reign [WGA4, Vecna Lives - 6] (rumored to be ruled from the Isles of Woe) [Slavers - 16]

Battle between Elves and Ur-Flannae. [Ivid - 74]

Building of Tostenhca [GA - 99]

c.-1500 CY Keraptis establishes himself as protector of Tostenhca [S2 White Plume Mountain - 3]

c.-1100 CY Keraptis driven out of Tostenhca. [S2 - 3]

c.-800 CY Keraptis battles and defeats Aegwareth, Elder Druid, for control of White Plume Mountain. [S2 - 3]

-458 CY Oerid migrations east at peak point (187 OR) [Folio - 5, WGA - 9]

-447 CY Suloise Migration begins (5069 SD) [Folio - 5, WGA - 9]

-422 CY Invoked Devastation and Rain of Colorless Fire [Folio - 5, WGA - 9, PGTG - 14, WGG3e - 3]

The Arrival of the Suel

Port-Devastation

-216 CY Founding of Aerdy (428 OR) [LGG - 93]

-171 CY Battle between Aerdians and Flannae tribe at Chokestone. (474 OR/1980 FT) [Ivid - 53]

-142 CY Eastfair founded as capital of North Province. (503 OR) [LGG - 73]

c.-110 CY Around this time, Vatun was imprisoned by clerics of Telchur. [LGG - 185]

-108 CY In the spring, Aerdian forces mass in Knurl and drive back Fruztii. The Aerdi free Johnsport from Fruztii hands. [LGG- 36]

11 CY Battle between Aerdians and Flan at site of present day Arrowstrand. (2161 FT) [Ivid - 50]

c.90s CY Keraptis leaves White Plume Mountain to further his research and never returns. [S2 - 4]

c.100 CY Battle of Spinecastle (Aerdians vs. Fruztii). [FtAA - 24]

109 CY The barbarians counterattack the construction site of Spinecastle in the winter but are defeated by the forces of Knight Protector Caldni Vir in the Battle of Shamblefield. Overking Manshen names Vir the first marquis of the Bone March. [LGG - 36, 89]

The Timberway Forest

Ratik Founded

122 CY General Sir Pelgrave Ratik of Winetha leads an expeditionary force to push the Aerdy frontier to the foothills of the Griff Mountains. He defeats the Frutzii and drives them into the northern fastness of Timberway. He establishes a fort overlooking Grendep Bay at Onsager Point that he names Marner. [LGG - 90]

128 CY The Frutzii and Schnai launch a concentrated naval attack on Marner. This force is defeated by General Sir Pelgrave Ratik of Winetha. [LGG - 90]

130 CY The Overking of the Aerdian Empire elevates Pelgrave to Baron, and gifts him Timberway as a personal fief. The walled town of Bresht is renamed Ratikhill. [LGG - 90]

316 CY The Scarlet Brotherhood establishes relations with the Suel Barbarian lands of the north. (SD 5831) [SB - 4]

356 CY Barbarians from the North invade the Aerdy’s North Province, forcing the Overking to divert troops from the western front thus insuring Nyrond’s survival. [WGG3e - 3]

(Allied host of Frutzii and Schnai threaten to overwhelm Bone March and Ratik and sweep into the North Province. The Rax Overking Portillan diverts a force headed to contest Nyrond to counter the barbarian invasion. This is successful, but at a great cost.) [LGG - 90]

c.430 CY Vlek Col Vlekzed founds chiefdom of Hold of Stonefist. [Folio - 26,WGA - 36, FtAA - 38]

(Rise of an Outlaw Rover called Stonefist who murders the leaders of the Coltens and breaks from Tenh.) [LGG - 113]

Note: This second “origination” of Stonefist is not supported outside of LGG. This date for the rise of “Stonefist” is not supported in the text, but no date is given. The better case is that Vlek Col Vlekzed is a Colten Ataman who pulls the Colten Feodality under his central rule.

c.440s-460s CY Alain II of Ratik declares his fief an archbarony, and rules semi-independently (as does the ruler of Bone March). [LGG - 90]

Note: This occurs shortly after the Turmoil Between Crowns but that could be anywhere after the 9 year period between 437 CY and 446 CY, and is impossible to fix.

520 CY Beginning of Hradji Beartooth’s ill-fated journey to find Skrallingshold (Tostenhca) [GA - 83]

558 CY Scarlet Brotherhood agents encourage humanoids to raid the Bone March. (6074 SD) [SB - 5]

c.550s Schnai subjugate Fruztii [FtAA - 25]

560 CY Humanoids (Euroz, Kell, Eiger and others) began forays into Bone March. [Folio - 9, FtAA - 24, PGTG - 10, TAB - 19]

In Ratik's Defense

561 CY Full scale invasion of humanoids into Bone March begins.

[Folio - 9, WGA - 20, LGG - 36]

563 CY Bone March falls to humanoids 9025 PG 5, WGA - 9,20, Ivid -19, LGG - 35, 91]

(All humans in that area were enslaved or killed [6078 SD]) [SB - 5]

(Spinecastle falls by surprise) [LGG - 31]

(Knight Protectors living in the Bone March flee to Ratik) [LGG - 158]

565 CY Korund of Ratik sails to Fireland [TAB -11]

573 CY It is probably shortly after this time that the Brotherhood agents poison King Cralstag of the Cruski, and are, in turn, slain by Cralstag’s heir, Lolgoff [LGG - 55]

575 CY Ratik-Fruzii (?) alliance defeats humanoids at Blufang-Kelten Pass (probably Ogres and gnolls of Teesar Torrent) [Dragon #57 - 15]

576 CY

576-582 CY Ratik and Frost Barbarians make gains against Bone March.

[WGS1 The Five Shall be One - 4, WGS2 Howl from the North - 6]

Snow, Ice, and Frost Barbarians ally against Hold of Stonefist. [WGS1 - 4, WGS2 - 6]

Snow Barbarians increase raids on Great Kingdom. [WGS1 pg. 4, WGS2 - 6]

577 CY Cruski and Schnai treaty. Schnai give up the lands south of Glot along the east coast to Cruskii

[Dragon #57 - 14]

Battle of Loftwood--combined Ratik/Frutzii force destroy humanoid forces under the Vile Rune orcs of the Bone March. [Dragon #57 - 15

578 CY Seuvord, Master of the Hold, becomes Rhelt Seuvord I of the Hold. [Dragon #57 - 14]

King Ralff II of the Frutzii organizes new army. [Dragon #57 - 14]

Ships and men, under Lord Captain Aldusc from Sea Barons, sent to bolster North Province against Barbarians. [Dragon #63 - 15]

Force from Ratik wins great victory over the Bone March orcs in Loftwood (Battle of Loftwood?) [LGG - 141]

579 CY Baron Lexnol’s heir, Alain IV, marries Lady Evaleigh, the daughter of the count of Knurl.

[LGG - 91]

582 CY The events of the module WGS1, The Five Shall Be One, including the rise of the Cult of Vatun. [WGS1 - 3, WGG3e - 4, LGG - 15]

(Iuz triggers Greyhawk Wars by stirring unrest among Barbarians of the Thillonrian Peninsula) [LGG - 62]

By this time, the Cruski had regained Utsula from the Schnai, to whom they had lost it several decades before. [LGG - 106]

The events of the module WGS2, Howl From the North, including the arrival of "Vatun" and the gathering of the Barbarians for war.

[WGS2 - 5, 1068 pg. 6. LGG - 15]

Greyhawk Wars

583 CY Iuz’s deception of Barbarians revealed, Iuz returns home. [Wars: ADV - 8]

584-585 CY Part of the Loftwood despoiled as humanoids set fires. [LGG - 141]

585 CY Ratik starts ambitious castle building program. [FtAA - 73]

586 CY Alain IV, Archbaron Lexnol’ son, launches a raid to repatriate Bone March. It fails utterly. [LGG - 37]

(Alain is killed. Baron Lexnol collapses from the news and is rendered unfit to rule. Lady Evaleigh, Alain’s wife, begins ruling Ratik.) [LGG - 91]

588 CY Iuz loses control of Sevvord Redbeard of Hold of Stonefist, Hold of Stonefist renamed Stonehold. [PGTG - 12, TAB - 22-23, LGG - 16]

(Sevvord gathers Fists from across Tenh, kills all clerics of Iuz within reach, leaves rearguard to occupy Calbut and returns to Stonehold, driving barbarians back from Kelten and securing the pass, and the returns to Vlekstaad) [LGG - 109,113]

590 CY Longship from Fireland sails into the port at Marner in Ratik. [TAB - 38]

Full scale assaults by the Bone March over the Blemu Hills into Knurl is attempted, but Ratik holds. [LGG - 37]

Therein lies canon. It's pretty thin. Plenty of breathing room, I'd say.

The Domain of the Green God

So, what do I plan to do with that breathing room? Flesh it out, of course. I hope to set down a history that reflects my northern soul, one replete with the Green God and stone circles laid down by the Fey, with a reclusive Sylvan culture, a very Celtic Flan, a lingering tyranny of Keraptis and his minions, the coming of the Suel, and ultimately the Oeridians.

I'd like to create an epic adventure path set there, where the long dormant Elder Eye sleeps.

It seems alot right now, maybe too much, but each journey begins with a single step. Those Histories I've been gathering are that first step. It's been a big one. I expect the next to be as large.

One must always give credit where credit is due. This History is made possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable. Thanks to Steven Wilson for his GREYCHRONDEX and to Keith Horsfield for his “Chronological History of Eastern Oerik.”

Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.

Primary sources for this history were the DMG 1e, Ivid the Undying, WGR5 Iuz the Evil, WG8 The Fate of Istus, the Greyhawk Adventures hardcover, The World of Greyhawk Folio, and The World of Greyhawk Gold Box, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, The Living Greyhawk Journals, Dragon Magazine.

The Art:

All art is wholly owned by the artists.

The-Road-Goes-Ever-On by watchtheskiies

Cernunnos-Final by tavenerscholar

Tundra by thomaswievegg

Alaunius by yesterdawn

Elf-of-the-woods by luchoinzunza

WGS1 Five Shall Be One cover, by Jeff Starlind, 1991

WGS2 Howl From the North cover, by Jeff Starlind, 1991

Sacred-Forest by kvacm

Sources:

1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983