Wormhall

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Greyhawk Location

Barony of Wormhall
Geopolitical
Region:	Bandit Kingdoms
Demographics
Languages:	Common, Orcish
Religion(s):	Iuz

The Barony of Wormhall, or simply Wormhall, is one of the Bandit Kingdoms.

Description

The barony's most defining feature is its namesake, the Wormhall, a building housing the enigmatic lords of the region. Despite spending its most recent decades under the thumb of various conquerors such as the Horned Society and later the Empire of Iuz, Wormhall has still enjoyed a partial autonomy. Iuz's orders are sent directly to the Wormhall, instead of through regional capital Hallorn.

History

Like several other of the westernmost Bandit Kingdoms, Wormhall came under the control of the Horned Society in 578 CY. A year later, Wormhall was among the forces mustered by the Hierarchs in their invasion of the Shield Lands. From here, Wormhall's forces came under the command of Iuz. As a show of power, Iuz's representative publicly executed the spokesman for the lords of the Wormhall Baron Oltagg, whose severed heart, still beating thanks to magical preservation, was put on display in the village of Obresthorp.

Geography

One of Wormhall's notable features is the Steelbone Meadows, the site where thousands of soldiers of Wormhall and other Bandit Kingdoms were slain by forces of Iuz acting on orders of a mad cleric.

People

Languages

Common and Orcish are spoken here.

Rumors and legends

An enduring rumor involves the Unnameable Hierarch visiting Wormhall during its time under the Horned Society's rule.

None have ever seen the lords of Wormhall, which has allowed rumors to run rampant about who they truly are. The worms who cover the Wormhall and give it its name suggest the involvement of Kyuss.

In Living Greyhawk

In the Living Greyhawk organized play campaign (2000-2008), the Bandit Kingdoms region was one of the most active regions and Wormhall was featured in many adventures.

Wormhall's history before and during the Greyhawk Wars was expanded upon in Living Greyhawk, and those storylines involving Wormhall were summarized in the Living Greyhawk Unofficial LG Bandit Kingdoms Summary (2012), by Casey Brown.

In 578 CY, Wormhall soldiers led by Baron Oltagg, together with forces from Warfields, Abbarra, Freehold and the Horned Society fight the Rovers of the Barrens. Later in the year, the Free Lords abandon this offensive to support their fellow bandits against an invasion by Tenh in the east. The Horned Society repays this desertion by capturing Warfields and Wormhall. Upon the return of Oltagg from the campaign against the Tenha, the society returns to Molag on the condition that Wormhall and Warfields contribute to an attack on the Shield Lands in the following year.

As promised, in 579 CY Guardian General Hok of Warfields and Oltagg contribute to the Shield Lands invasion under the Horned Society, which inspires Abbarra, Freehold and Reyhu to join the raid, leading to a three-year conflict.

In 583 CY, Baron Oltagg hears of Iuz's army approaching. He and Hok, together with their troops, leave the Shield Lands and prepare for the invasion.

In Growfest of that year, Iuz's armies clash with the combined might of Warfields, Wormhall, Abbarra, and Freehold, led by Hok. Eventually, Iuz emerges victorious, and Hok bends the knee to Iuz's commander, Horrace, making Warfields the first Bandit Kingdom to fall to Iuz. One week later, Iuz's army makes camp in Wormhall, outside of Obresthorp. Horrace speaks with Oltagg and the mysterious Lords of Wormhall. Dissatisfied with the talks, Horrace slays Oltagg and takes his place as Baron of Wormhall, with cleric Xavendra taking his place as commander of the army.

In Brewfest 584 CY, the Battle of Steelbone Meadows occurs, in which bandits from across the kingdoms celebrate the end of fighting, following the initial truce of the Pact of Greyhawk. During the festivities, Bernel of Hallorn, a paranoid cleric of Iuz who is convinced the bandits are scheming against him, sets assassins and demons on them, slaying half of the 10,000 mustered there. It is thought Hok and Master Eab Huldor of Freehold are lost in this massacre.

During play in 595 CY, adventurers are sent to a site near Steelbone Meadows on orders from Baron Horrace, with the promise of finding information on Nerull's Bane. There, they are instead tricked into unleashing a beast known as That Which Slept, which goes on to wreak havoc on the Bandit Kingdoms.

Following an attack by That Which Slept near the Fellands in 597 CY which ravaged the landscape and killed all life that couldn't hide with magic, Lady Xavendra travells to Wormhall to demand information on the beast from Horrace and the Lords of Wormhall. There, Rhelt Kor of Abbarra attempts to assassinate Xavendra as payback for conquering his realm 14 years prior. However, Xavendra is saved by her vampiric consort Veth.

References

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
Wormhall	Kingdom	Bandit Kingdoms,	Dragon magazine #056	21
Wormhall	Kingdom	Bandit Kingdoms,	Dragon magazine #063	14
Wormhall	Kingdom	Bandit Kingdoms,	Dungeon magazine #032	62, 64
Wormhall	Kingdom	Bandit Kingdoms,	Living Greyhawk Gazetteer	25, 30, 31, 104
Wormhall	Kingdom	Bandit Kingdoms,	Oerth Journal #33	23,24,29
Wormhall	Kingdom	Bandit Kingdoms,	Saga of Old City	151, 163