The '83 Guide lists Iuz as ''FC", Flan and Common.
It also list the (human) population of his realm as 4OK. It's comparable to Sterich.
This is not counting the "many" humanoids.
Perhaps the majority of the humans in Iuz's lands come from Flan or mixed stock, and Iuz himself has Flan ancestry?
Maybe Iuz has used a distorted account of history to stir up old grievances and hatreds?
"Your ancestors and mine were driven here into the cold wastelands by the greedy Viceroys of Ferrond and their allies. I've been fighting our enemies since before your grandfathers were born. You know I won't quit until we get back what's ours and take full revenge."
I know there's been some work on Iuz's early days (rasgon, I think), but I don't remember anything about what his appeal was. Seems reasonable, except that he was supposed to be the son of petty noble, who I assume would have been of Oeridian descent, at least on his father's side. Perhaps his "mother" was Flann? Or his mother actually Iggwilv, but slumming as a petty lord's wife (or mistress?). He could have been (ostensibly) only one-half-, one-quarter-, or one-whatever- Flan and still set himself up as a Flan leader. With the Indians, it worked for Osceola and Quannah Parker.
I know there's been some work on Iuz's early days (rasgon, I think), but I don't remember anything about what his appeal was. Seems reasonable, except that he was supposed to be the son of petty noble, who I assume would have been of Oeridian descent, at least on his father's side. Perhaps his "mother" was Flann? Or his mother actually Iggwilv, but slumming as a petty lord's wife (or mistress?). He could have been (ostensibly) only one-half-, one-quarter-, or one-whatever- Flan and still set himself up as a Flan leader. With the Indians, it worked for Osceola and Quannah Parker.
Right.
That all makes sense.
But I'm not at all sure the petty lords would have all been Oeridian.
Why wouldn't some Flan leaders have bent the knee to keep at least some of their power and lands?
History of the real world affords numerous examples. Saxons after the Norman Conquest springs to mind.
Maybe the Flan who resisted conquest (or the Ferrond/ Old Aerdy West egion) were told to "go to Hell or the Northern Reaches" and Iuz's ancestors were among the dispossessed.
A strong sword arm and a cunning mind might matter more than any patent of nobility, up there in the frontier lands. Build a fort, gather some desperate fighting men to your banner, and start calling yourself a lord.
The Viceroys in Dyvers may have acknowledged such titles as a way to ensure at least some taxes/tribute flowed south, and to keep the border lords at least semi-loyal.
At least IMC, there's room for some Flan-descended lordlings in the Northern Reaches.
The Northern Reaches weren't substantially different from the Bandit Kingdoms and probably had lordlings of all sorts of different backgrounds, just as the Bandit Kingdoms do today. In those lawless lands, castles can change hands every time a new band of sellswords comes into the area.
But keep in mind that the "son of a petty noble" origin was coined in the Greyhawk Wars boxed set and probably not part of Gygax's thought process. Even the "son of Graz'zt and Iggwilv" origin didn't appear until Artifact of Evil. In the original 1976 version of S4, Iggwilv was a male wizard.
Iuz's original background was "Whether Iuz is a human who has become demon-like through the centuries, or whether he is a semi-demon, a cambion (as some suggest a by-blow of Orcus), no mortal knows." The word "centuries" implies that Iuz the Old was originally considered to be much older than the century or so he's considered to be in modern canon. He may well predate the Oeridian migrations, going by that.
Last edited by rasgon on Mon Feb 09, 2015 12:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
The Northern Reaches weren't substantially different from the Bandit Kingdoms and probably had lordlings of all sorts of different backgrounds, just as the Bandit Kingdoms do today. In those lawless lands, castles can change hands every time a new band of sellswords comes into the area.
But keep in mind that the "son of a petty noble" origin was coined in the Greyhawk Wars boxed set and probably not part of Gygax's thought process. Even the "son of Graz'zt and Iggwilv" origin didn't appear until Artifact of Evil.
Iuz's original background was "Whether Iuz is a human who has become demon-like through the centuries, or whether he is a semi-demon, a cambion (as some suggest a by-blow of Orcus), no mortal knows." The word "centuries" implies that Iuz the Old was originally considered to be much older than the century or so he's considered to be in modern canon. He may well predate the Oeridian migrations.
Indeed, flipping through my boxed set, I see that you are spot-on.
I may work up an alternate version of Iuz for my home game.
He'll be more connected with a Flan background, and possibly older than later published materials make him.
Opening up the possibility that Iuz and Vecna were mortal antagonist long before either ascended to godhood.
Wow. Now that's a possibility to conjure with. What if Kas served Iuz all along and betrayed Vecna at the behest of his true master? A rivalry that goes back centuries and is riven with betrayal and counter-betrayal. I love it.
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