The Imperial Primer

Imperial Currency:

PP / = / Platinum Imperials
GP / = / Gold Borunes
EP / = / Electrum Luckies
SP / = / Silver Eagles
CP / = / Copper Commons

Time:

The standard names for the months of the year in the world of Greyhawk are listed as well as their approximate equivalent month in our world. Keep in mind that certain other cultures like the elves and barbarians have other names for the months. Each month is 28 days long. There is a week long Festival every three months that are the only times that the blue moon, Celene, is full.

January / = / Fireseek / Winter / July / = / Reaping / High Summer
February / = / Readying / Spring / August / = / Goodmonth / High Summer
March / = / Coldeven / Spring / September / = / Harvester / High Summer
Growfest
/
Brewfest
April / = / Planting / Low Summer / October / = / Patchwall / Autumn
May / = / Flocktime / Low Summer / November / = / Ready’reat / Autumn
June / = / Wealsun / Low Summer / December / = / Sunsebb / Winter
Richfest
/
Needfest

Holidays:

Imperial Holidays:

Planting 1The Shadowblade Festival

Wealsun 6Festival of the High Emperor

Goodmonth 14Foundation Day

Elven Enterprises:

Harvester 28Finn Quicksilver’s Birthday

Church of Pelor:

Fireseek 13Saint Hiragaard’s Day

Wealsun 22Festival of Glory

Harvester 15Day of Dolmont’s Crown

Sunsebb 22Festival of Lightcall

The Emperors and Empresses and their Reigns:

Tenedos / (560-579) / Marcellan / (722-739)
Borune / (579-669) / Herosilla / (739-761)
Menandrus / (669-701) / Alieera / (761-763)
Tortallik / (701-722) / Valens / (763-767)

The Imperial Houses:

High Houses:

High House / Frontier / Heraldry
Adanazon / Blade / Silver moon on red
Dodonna / Doom / Grey fist on blue
Eronaille / Iron / Black tower on gold
Malhauven / Lion / Gloved hand with sun in palm on indigo
Modrellin / Armada / Black ship on green
Tolmeran / Scarlet / Gold coins on red
Vintisane / Shadow / White sword on yellow

Minor Houses:

Bessida / Evilbane / Lantillian / Paranenn
Caralla / Goddetain / Lillibrun / Stinellus
Enalaya / Herphan / Lirkell / Tullust
Estilwar / Kestross / Nernhoff / Vor

Some Popular Expressions and Phrases:

“May the gods ride your blade”

Used when wishing warriors luck

“That’s the imperial truth!”

Originally used when referring to something that was true beyond any shadow of a doubt, its use has since been corrupted over the last 80 years or so into a more sarcastic form to refer to something that may or may not actually be true. This is due to the awareness of the common folk of the propensity of government officials to understate or play down bad news during war.

“By the emperor!”

An expression used to convey surprise at a pleasant turn of events.

“I curse you to the Nine!”

An ancient insult implying that the user would like to see the person spoken to burn in the Nine Hells. This expression has taken on new emphasis with the advent of the Dark Nine, yet retains its meaning in that the user would still like to see the person spoken to suffer horribly.

“Thicker than thieves in Greyhawk”

An expression used to refer to a very large number. This can be considered an insult when used in conversation with a native of that city. Despite the fact that the power of the guilds was broken over 200 years ago, the city remains notorious for its crime problem.

“I spit on the Old One!”

An aggressive response to a questioning of one’s bravery, or a challenge of someone else’s.

"Skulls across the eyes"

This expression can be used in several variations such as, "He's gonna get skulls across the eyes!" or "Back off, scumbag, unless you want skulls across your eyes!" The expression refers to someone dying and is a reference to an ancient burial custom amongst the people of the Bright Desert. When preparing a body for burial, the barbarians of the Abbor-Alz Hills would place a silver coin with a skull sigil over each of the corpse's eyes. The expression has grown popular amongst soldiers, especially in the Imperial West.

Accents:

Although Common is the prevalent language throughout the Flanaess, there are various accents that can enable an astute listener to determine a bit of background on a speaker. Within the Empire, accents can be discerned in the Imperial West (Lion and Shadow Frontiers), the Imperial East (Iron and Armada Frontiers), the Scarlet Frontier, and the Bright Desert. Beyond the borders of the Empire, other human-originated accents exist, including Baklunish (Ket, Ull, Exbir, Tusmit, Zeif), Keoish (Empire of Keoland), Velunan (Archclericy of Veluna), Nyrondese (Kingdom of Nyrond), Thillorian (peninsula to the far northeast, inhabited by Sueloise barbarians), Flan (Empire of Iuz), and Aerdian (Great Kingdom). There are also some other variations such as rural and urban ways of speech that common throughout the land.

Names and Forms of Address:

Commoners: Most have but a single name, when traveling one’s home is added (ex. Kendred of Fax).

Nobility: Addressed by title and first name casually, but by family and location as well for formal events. (ex. On a casual basis, one would say Governor Arivinus, but in court he would be called Governor Arivinus Tharkwyn of Matherion).

Wizards and Sorcerers: Mages tend to take but a single name, usually something intimidating to deter the curious (ex. Nightshade). Paranoid by nature, mages believe that enemies can gain power over them by learning the mage’s truename.

Priests: Priests are known by family name, title, and temple location (ex. Bishop Zornskin of Elredd).

Elves: Elves always use family names, which are inevitably romantic, flowery words. Many urban elves, however, have chosen to take on more human sounding names. Elven enclaves exist in the Suss, Gnarleywood, and Welkwood Forests, not to mention the new urban elven communities.

Dwarves: Dwarves use family names, and take pride in citing ancestors going back at least three generations (ex. Cog son of Claggit, son of Craggol, etc…). Dwarves are common in Irongate and the Iron Hills, the Cairn Hills, and the Drachenscrab Hills and Mountains of the Pomarj.

Gnomes: Gnomes use both their first and family names and like to add a descriptive tag to the whole that can change based on the situation (ex. Grimmri Fischer the Jester or Grimmri Fischer of Westgate). A sizeable gnomish population exists in the Kron Hills while other clans have made their homes in the Iron Hills.

Halflings: The little folk follow the gnomish naming system, but tend to use nicknames more often. Halflings have their own communities in the countryside throughout the Empire, but have sizable populations in the cities as well.

Half-orcs: These half-breeds tend to use a single name, often not having or knowing a family name. Half-orcs are extremely unusual in the Empire due to the hatred and fear stemming from the Empire’s long history of struggles against humanoid races, especially Iuz.

Half-elves: Half-elves usually follow human naming schemes. This is due to the mistrust borne them by traditional elven cultures and the fact that urban elven parents often employ human names. Half-elves have grown more common in the Empire of late due to the growth of urban elven communities.

Character Classes in the Empire:

Barbarians: The only barbarians within the Empire are the nomads of the Bright Desert and the tribesmen of the Abbor-Alz Hills. It is from their ranks that the legendary Mogharian scouts are drawn. Typical weapons include scimitars and lances, while chainmail and lighter armor are preferred.

Bards: Bards are numerous within the Empire, there being different types of bards in every land, from the Bright Desert to the decedent eastern provinces.

Clerics: Priests are discovered at an early age by the talent hunts made by the Imperial War Wizards. Personality tests are used to discover if the talented individual is suited for one of the Pact of Holy Steel faiths. The Pact of Holy Steel faiths then have their prospective priests train alongside the legions of the Empire learning combat tactics and skills.

Druids: These nature priests can be found in the Empire’s many wilderness areas such as the forests bordering the Eagle Provinces and the Bright Desert. Although historically not well disposed towards the Empire, the recent shift in the Flanaess towards evil and Iuz’s ravaging of many natural wonders have convinced many to aid the Empire as they can.

Fighters: Fighters are common within the Empire, although most learn the trade when they are conscripted into the legions. Numbers of mercenaries have been steadily growing, though maintaining their freedom from conscription requires the purchase of a mercenary license. The same law applies to those who wish to take up adventuring.

Monks: Unknown in the Flanaess until the First Brotherhood War, the amazing unarmed combat techniques used by monks were first developed by the Scarlet Brotherhood. The abilities of the monks were deeply admired and respected by the Empire, and when the Tilvanot Plateau was conquered in the Second Brotherhood War, Emperor Borune made sure that some of the masters were captured so that they could teach their skills. Monks are still unusual within the Empire, but there are monasteries and academies in virtually every imperial city. It is rumored that certain elite imperial units such as the Headhunters and the Emperor’s Ten are trained in these fearsome arts as well.

Paladins: Trained by the churches of St. Cuthbert, Mayaheine, Pelor, and Heironeous, paladins are rare but highly valued citizens of the Empire. They often go on missions given them by their churches to aid the Empire, to which paladins are highly loyal.

Rangers: These nature warriors are often trained by the priesthoods of Ehlonna and Trithereon to serve as scouts for the Imperial Army. The Gnarleywood Rangers remain closely allied to the Empire as well.

Rogues: Rogues can be found in every city in the Empire, but they are especially prevalent in Greyhawk and Imperial City.

Sorcerers: With the increasing number of commoners fleeing their villages to evade the crushing imperial tax burdens, there are occasionally cases where the War Wizards’ talent hunt misses a child born with the talent for magic. When captured, they are taken to the War Wizards for proper training by other sorcerers so that they may learn to safely use their gift and serve the Empire in doing so.

Wizards: The talent hunts of the Imperial War Wizards find many children each year born with the talent for magic. These children are trained from an early age both in wizardry and in combat tactics alongside the Imperial Army. Although they don’t have to, many wizards choose to take a highly trained bodyguard known as a Sentinel. The mysterious Sentinels are intimidating presences at their wizard’s side, all being large men who wear black hoods with golden runes to conceal their faces. It is speculated that the wizard and his Sentinel are magically bound together somehow. There are rumors that the War Wizards have a secret training compound somewhere on one of the Olman Islands far from civilization and normal trading routes.

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