From what I could gather, it is a mutual defense and trade pact between Ounsty, Roland, and Rel Astra (p. 29, The Adventure Begins and pp 91-3, The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer). Rel Astra is first among equals in the Compact, and Drax, the city's ruler, has ambitions of bringing the Sea Barons into the compact as well. There are few other details available in regards to it that cannot be found in those sources.
Good topic. This is something about GH I've not discussed before! To me Rel Astra is lugging all the weight here both defensively and tradewise. I think Roland might be defensible, I can't recall. Now my question is...who are they defending against? It can't be the Sea Barons since they are being courted. If it's the rest of fractured Aerdy then adding the Sea Barons does little good. Could they be worried about the Scarlet Brotherhood? The SB did after all take Onnwal, Idee and the LSOI in one campaign. This land grab would equate to the Solnor Compact plus Sea Barons.
When the GK shattered the table was overturned and everyone scrambled to grab as much as possible before the dust settled. Now that the dust has settled somewhat everyone is looking around and evaluating the situation.
Drax has managed to create an eastern coastal powerbase and even grab some of medegia in the process that screams - Keep Off The Grass property of Rel Astra. Let's face it, he is not a big player in the greater scenario. He gains the sea barons and his reach is extended plus his coastal powerbase is more secure. The seats at the "big boy table" also become three - Ahlissa, North Kingdom and Solnor Compact.
The sea barons also gives him bargaining chips with the other big boys:
Ahlissa: concerned about the SB; wouldn't it be nice to open a second front and divide the fleet.
NK: shame about the barbarians; perhaps the sea barons sent north to provide a "breathing space" to deal with those humanoids.
The real game of putting back together the GK will commence sooner or later and Drax wants to ensure he has a prominent seat at the table when it does.
I would suggest that Drax, Xavenar, and Grenel are more interested in consolidating their own territories than any significant expansion. All three have significant territories to consolidate, shattered economies to revive, and fractious nobles to placate. Xavenar made a half-hearted offer to bring in Irongate and Sunndi if I recall correctly, but he was not overly peeved that they declined. With the Scarlet Brotherhood near at hand, I imagine he has his mind on other things. Grenel has to worry, somewhat at least, about Nyrond, as well as his erstwhile allies in the Bone March. Finally, Drax, while not immediately threatened by any other powers, probably has the weakest powerbase with only a small league of coastal city states instead of the vast productive territories of Ahlissa and North Kingdom. Bringing in the Sea Barons, as Crag suggests, gives him some more leverage.
However, I do not see the parties fighting it out over the central heartlands of Aerdi besides a few skirmishes. More likely they would either slowly annex it salami style, or mirror Frederick, Catherine, and Maria Theresa's Partition of Poland (without the latters apparent guilt). They might even accept its status as a buffer zone, though that would create an interesting game theory mechanic (Prisoner's Delimma).
I do not see a move to reconsitute the GK any time soon for the reasons stated in the post above. Each enitiy has too much to do to put their own houses in order as it were. However drax is an animus and can take the long view though he has the smallest powerbase - he wants to be a significant enough to become a respected player. So when events do unfold he doesn't get rolled over - join us or else but rather lord drax so pleased to see you accepted my invitation to discuss...
Remember politics within the GK is about power. You are either somebody or nobody and drax knows it.
Great posts guys. So what I've seen is the difference between Drax, Grenell and Xavener are titular: the North and South 'kingdoms' are absolutely ruled by one man whereas Drax is just a lord of a free city essentially and the Compact should only make him the most powerful and longest lived of three lords. Now Drax being Drax he most likely will end up owning Roland and Ountsy I can see through treachery or just strong arm politics, and becoming a Count or something greater.
Jog my memory, didn't Drax have a claim on the Malachite Throne somehow? And what are the Houses that the three belong to? I vaguely recall Xavener is Darmen? My brain is always so sketchy on Great Kingdom politics.
Drax belongs to House Garasteth, as all the rulers of Rel Astra have before him. Rel Astra was of course the original capital before Rauxes, and the Garasteth kings were the first kings of Aerdy.
Grenell is Naelax and Xavener is Darmen.
Drax's current title is Prince.
Ivid the Undying says the following:
Quote:
Many of Drax's old concerns, when he was but the constable mayor of Rel Astra, have evaporated. Once, Drax had to seek alliances with the Sea Barons and Medegia to balance the oppressive forces of the overking in North and South Province. Now, with North Province seceded and mostly concerned with barbarians, humanoids, and Rinloru's madman ruler, that threat is gone. South Province has no interest in this far-away city. The Sea Barons come to him, rather than the other way around.
Last edited by rasgon on Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:16 am; edited 1 time in total
Jog my memory, didn't Drax have a claim on the Malachite Throne somehow? And what are the Houses that the three belong to? I vaguely recall Xavener is Darmen? My brain is always so sketchy on Great Kingdom politics.
As rasgon pointed out, Drax is Garasteth. Xavener is Darmen, and Grenell is Naelax.
I'm fairly impatient at the moment, so I must admit that I have not perused the enitre thread.
However, I can contribute that it pertains to defense against raids from Bandit controlled lands of the north as well as the barbarians of the rhizia and warlords of fallen Medegia. Might as well throw in the undead and animus lords of the previous Great Kingdom. The compact members are completely surrounded by hostility. Furthermore the Brotherhood is a major threat. They did not take well to Drax running their Tilva Strait blockades during the wars.
If you think Drax has any idea of bringing the Sea Barons into the pact, then I believe a deeper look into works covering Drax is in order. I would throw my money on his ambitions to straight up annex them.
Also, as has been discerned, Rel Astra is the bigger player here. I'm sure the "tithes" received from Roland and Ounsty are considerable. _________________ Kneel before me, or you shall be KNELT!
As far as house affiliations of various undead nobles in the area, you can click over to the left <------ under the Features area on "Undead of Oerth" for that information, quite easily. It also cites primary publications that you can dig off your bookshelf for further information.
I created that with a number of members of our community some time ago, and as with all the links in the feature section, it is a great tool. _________________ Kneel before me, or you shall be KNELT!
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