TEXT: The Restored Holy Realm of the Faithful of the Shield Lands 
  History 
  The area that would become known as 
  the Shield Lands was at one time part of the 
  Great Kingdom.  In 254 CY, the Viceroyalty of 
  Ferrond broke away from the Great Kingdom 
  with the crowning of Thrommel I in Dyvers.  
  The lords of the northern Nyr Dyv refused to 
  acknowledge neither the new King nor the 
  decadent regime in Rauxes.  Instead they choose 
  autonomy, preferring to rule their lands 
  independent of all others, free to honor the 
  principles of ancient Aerdy as they saw fit. 
  Early in the 4th century other fiefdoms to 
  the north and west, mostly lawless brigands, 
  began to form rough alliances in an attempt to 
  increase the efficiency of their raiding.  In 
  response, the petty lords of the area negotiated 
  their own alliance and formed the Shield Lands.  
  As leader, the noble lords choose the Earl of 
  Walworth, naming him Knight Commander of 
  the fledgling nation.  The Earl was a powerful 
  man who held the respect of the other lords and 
  claimed the only city of note at the time.  For the 
  young nation, Admundfort played a vital role as 
  a major trade port and by virtue of this role 
  made Earl Walworth an important and 
  influential man.  Bound by circumstance, 
  religious devotion and honor, the nobles of the 
  emergent Shield Lands achieved the unity they 
  needed to fend off attacks from the Bandit 
  Kingdoms. 
  Soon after its formation, the signature 
  organization of the Shield Lands was formed.  In 
  the mid-4th century, the Knights of the Holy 
  Shielding became the backbone of the Shield 
  Lands’ military strength.  Each lord, as part of 
  their shared responsibilities was required to 
  maintain a number of knights and peasant levies 
  appropriate to the amount of land held and offer 
  these forces in defense of the whole for part of 
  each year. 
  The first real test of the Knights of the 
  Holy Shielding came with the rise of Halmadar 
  the Cruel between 420 CY and 455 CY.  
  Halmadar had come into possession of two 
  artifacts of terrible power, the Eye and Hand of 
  Vecna.  This demented warlord successfully 
  conquered the lands around Delcomben before 
  threatening Critwall.  After fierce clashes, the 
  Knights defeated his army at Critwall, even 
  while Halmadar was betrayed from within, 
  drugged and buried alive in the Kron Hills.   
  After Halmadar’s defeat, the 
  knighthood was expanded and individuals were 
  given greater authority to keep the peace and 
  watch over the people in the name of 
  Heironeous and the Holy Realm of the Shield 
  Lands, becoming symbols of law and goodness. 
  The next hundred years passed 
  relatively uneventfully, but the all too brief 
  period of peace and prosperity was to end in 550 
  CY as the Shield Lands entered a time of conflict 
  with the newly formed Horned Society to the 
  northwest.   
  In the previous century the Shield Lands 
  enjoyed growing trade with Furondy, Veluna, 
  Dyvers Greyhawk and even Urnst while the 
  Knights of the Holy Shielding protected its 
  borders.  During this time Shield Landers 
  earned a reputation for arrogance and self-
  righteous pride.  In their own eyes, it was well-
  deserved confidence and honest pride since they 
  had fashioned a strong and respected nation 
  from a raw assemblage of squabbling petty lords 
  in only a short time.  Others tolerated their 
  haughtiness, but many prophetically swore it 
  would be their downfall.  None could imagine 
  how true that would eventually be. 
  Between 550 CY and 570 CY the vicious 
  border skirmishes with the Horned Society 
  drained the Shield Lands’ resources setting the 
  stage for a rapid series of losses.  The first blow 
  was struck in 577 CY when “Prince Zeech” 
  allied himself with the Bandit Kingdoms taking 
  the lands around Alhaster with him.  With the 
  majority of the Shield Lands’ forces occupied 
  along the northwestern border, little could be 
  done to stop Zeech once his intent was made 
  clear.  One year later the Horned Society 
  conquered the bandit kingdoms of Warfields 
  and Wormhall, giving the Dread Hierarchs the 
  troops and tactical position to finally defeat the 
  Shield Lands.   
  In 579, after months of bloody warfare 
  the army of the Shield Lands was defeated at 
  Axeport and by 581 all of the Shield Lands had 
  fallen under Hierarch control save Critwall.  It 
  was here that the arrogance of the Shield 
  Landers first came back to haunt them as few 
  
   
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  allies were willing to give them aid against the 
  might of the Horned Society. 
  Early in 583, the bulk of the Horned 
  Society troops suddenly withdrew from the 
  Shield Lands.  Earl Holmer Walworth, Knight 
  Commander of the Shield Lands easily 
  conquered the weak forces left behind and by 
  Coldeven all of the Shield Lands were reunited 
  except for Prince Zeech’s lands.  But victory 
  would not be savored long in the Shield Lands. 
  Reports had reached King Belvor IV of 
  Furyondy detailing some disturbing movements 
  by Iuz to the north.  Belvor sought to warn Earl 
  Holmer of the coming danger, but Holmer, ever 
  wary of being absorbed by the larger nation, 
  refused the offer of aid and made light of the 
  warnings.  This proved fatal for the recently 
  reclaimed nation when the forces of Iuz swept in 
  from the east.  The Shield Lands quickly fell and 
  Lord Holmer himself was captured while 
  defending the retreat from Admundfort.  In the 
  end, the Shield Lands were lost once again and 
  only the destruction of Critwall Bridge 
  prevented Iuz’s forces from flowing across into 
  Furyondy. 
  In the aftermath of the Greyhawk Wars, 
  the people of the Shield Lands were spread far 
  and wide across the lands of the Nyr Dyv, 
  forced to seek refuge where they could.  It 
  looked as though the history of the Shield Lands 
  had ended with the Pact of Greyhawk in 584 CY.  
  And although few spoke it openly, many felt the 
  Shield Landers own arrogance, particularly that 
  of Earl Holmer, had brought them to this sad 
  end. 
  Luckily, King Belvor was not so 
  complacent.  Furyondy had lost lands in the war 
  with Iuz as well and the plight of his subjects 
  under the Old One’s reign sat poorly with him.  
  When the fiends were banished in 586 CY by use 
  of the Crook of Rao, Belvor saw an opportunity 
  and seized it.  Furondy gathered a large army of 
  Furyondians and refugee Shield Landers and in 
  a grand gesture of trust placed Lord Holmer’s 
  young cousin, Lady Katarina, in command.  The 
  Great Crusade swept north through the 
  conquered areas of Furyondy and then east into 
  the southernmost region of the Shield Lands.  To 
  Lady Katarina’s credit, she lead the Great 
  Crusade to many victories reclaiming all of the 
  lands lost by Furyondy to Iuz and began the 
  restoration of the Shield Lands by retaking 
  Critwall and Bright Sentry in 588 CY.   
  The exhausted troops quickly began 
  rebuilding the two cities and preparing for the 
  next push.  Before long, thousands of Shield 
  Lands’ refugees began flowing back into their 
  homeland as word of the liberation of Critwall 
  spread.  With the problems accompanying the 
  return of the refugees, the expected push north 
  was delayed as Lady Katarina wisely choose 
  instead to focus on rebuilding the lands she 
  controls and fortifying her northern border.   
  Recent History 
  The liberation of Critwall and Bright 
  Sentry by the forces of the Great Crusade was 
  only the beginning of the long battle to reclaim 
  the Shield Lands.  Lady Katarina’s bold move 
  across the Ritensa River into Iuz-occupied 
  territory may have caught the Old One’s lackeys 
  by surprise, but the advantage did not last long.  
  Lady Katarina was hard pressed to stabilize a 
  strong border for the reclaimed lands, but used 
  the armies of the Great Crusade to fortify her 
  position as quickly as possible. 
  Vayne, Iuz’s commander within the 
  conquered Shield Lands, knew his failure would 
  not sit well with the Evil One and threw his 
  troops at Katarina’s border relentlessly.  To her 
  credit, Lady Katarina’s defenses held, some say 
  through the force of her will alone, long enough 
  to build a rough series of border forts.  After 
  several months and with winter approaching the 
  constant assaults became random skirmishes as 
  both sides settled in for a protracted conflict. 
  The reclaimed Shield Lands’ troubles 
  did not stop at the border.  Iuz’s occupation of 
  the lands around Critwall and Bright Sentry had 
  ravaged the countryside.  Nearly every resource 
  of value had been exploited or fouled by Iuz’s 
  evil minions.  Farmland lay fallow and parched, 
  rivers reeked of waste and refuse and the 
  burned remains of dwellings poked up from the 
  land like blackened bones from a shallow grave.  
  The once bountiful lands of the Holy Realm lay 
  wasted and sickly, tingeing the taste of victory 
  with bitter ash. 
  
   
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  Work began to rebuild Critwall, Bright 
  Sentry and the surrounding villages and manors 
  immediately.  Both Critwall and Bright Sentry 
  had been used as bases for Iuz’s forces and thus 
  were at least partially intact.  The nearby 
  villages and manors were not so lucky.  Those 
  that were not destroyed outright showed clear 
  signs of extended occupation.  Troops sent to 
  scout these areas were greeted with horrible 
  evidence of whole populations being 
  slaughtered, enslaved or used in dark rituals to 
  Iuz.  Some of the atrocities were so recent that 
  the bodies of the slain still rotted where they 
  had fallen.  In more than one case, the unburied 
  dead of a village had been animated by an evil 
  priest of Iuz and ordered to lie where they had 
  fallen and attack any living thing that came 
  near.  Stories of soldiers being forced to slay 
  undead versions of friends and family spread 
  quickly throughout the Shield Lands and 
  beyond. 
  Death and destruction was not all that 
  was found, but whether this was a blessing or a 
  curse is still undecided.  As the banner of the 
  Shield Lands began to fly again, a few pitiful 
  survivors crawled from hiding, seeking rescue.  
  These survivors, of whom there were mercifully 
  few, all bore deep mental and physical scars.  
  Those who could still speak and were not 
  completely mad told stories that would haunt 
  the dreams of listeners for the rest of their lives. 
  In preparation for winter, farmers, many 
  who had filled the ranks of the Great Crusade as 
  irregular levies, set aside their swords and took 
  up the plow once again.  Unfortunately, it was 
  so late in the season that little could be done but 
  to plant a few late crops and prepare the soil for 
  spring. 
  Lady Katarina and the Council of Lords 
  realized that survival through the first winter 
  would depend on the aid they could obtain from 
  their allies.  With Furyondy being their most 
  ardent supporter, it was obvious Critwall Bridge 
  should be added to the list of projects, further 
  draining what little resources remained.  The 
  bridge straddled the Ritensa River and afforded 
  traders and merchants an easy means of travel 
  between Furyondy and the Shield Lands.  
  Rebuilding the bridge would provide a much-
  needed lifeline between the two allies. 
  Luckily, Furyondy and other allies such 
  as Veluna, Dyvers and even far away Greyhawk 
  did indeed respond with aid, but none could 
  spare all that was truly needed and terrible 
  shortages still plagued the beleaguered Shield 
  Lands.  Under the pretense of lessening the 
  burden of feeding a large army, Furyondy 
  recalled most of its own troops, leaving only a 
  few experienced units to help defend the border.  
  Most knew this was motivated more by the need 
  to reinforce its own newly reshaped borders 
  than anything else. 
  Unsurprisingly, some of the older 
  members of the Council of Lords were happy to 
  see Belvor’s soldiers leave.  They still harbored 
  fears that Furyondy was looking for an excuse to 
  annex the Shield Lands.  Lady Katarina did not 
  agree.  She knew that without strong defenses, 
  the Shield Lands would fall again.  The Knights 
  of the Holy Shielding were still the core of the 
  army, but their ranks had grown thin and 
  replacements were hard to find without 
  sacrificing the quality of the Knights.  During 
  the Great Crusade, Lady Katarina had witnessed 
  many acts of skill and courage performed by 
  warriors who did not follow Heironeous, 
  something that made them ineligible to receive a 
  knighthood in the Order of the Holy Shielding.  
  Unwilling to turn away brave warriors willing 
  to fight for the Shield Lands, Katarina, with the 
  help of Arinson, a paladin of Heironeous, began 
  gathering these brave warriors under the Shield 
  Lands’ banner.   
  Meanwhile, the Council of Lords, much 
  reduced in number and lacking a clear 
  leadership, was forced to consider replacing the 
  missing and presumably dead Lord Holmer as 
  Knight Commander.  As the Countess of 
  Walworth, Lady Katarina was the obvious 
  choice.  She had led the Great Crusade to greater 
  victory than any had imagined and risen up as a 
  great hero to the people of the Holy Realm.  On 
  Patchwall 3rd, 588 CY in Critwall at the Church 
  of the Holy Shielding, Lady Katarina of 
  Walworth was invested as Knight Commander 
  of the Shield Lands.  Her first act was to 
  announce, by the authority of Heironeous the 
  Invincible and the Council of Lords and amid 
  the wild cheers of onlookers, the reformation of 
  the Shield Lands as the Restored Holy Realm of 
  the Faithful of the Shield Lands.  Patchwall 9th, 
  
   
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  588 CY was proclaimed a day of celebration and 
  named the Day of Restoration. 
  Shortly after the fanfare had quieted 
  down, Lady Katarina received a petition from 
  Arinson of Heironeous to form a new secular 
  order of knights loyal to the Shield Lands.  After 
  arguing the merits of another order with the 
  Council of Lords for what seemed an eternity, 
  Lady Katarina gained their support, thanks in 
  great part to the efforts of Natan Enarick, acting 
  regent of Lord Sharn of Bright Sentry, for the 
  new order.  Late in 588 CY, the Order of the 
  Northern Guard was formed with Sir Arinson as 
  its first Knight Commander.  Sir Arinson and his 
  fellow knights swore their undying allegiance to 
  the Shield Lands and vowed to wage the war of 
  reclamation against Iuz until the last acre of 
  occupied land was liberated. 
  The first winter the Shield Landers faced 
  was thankfully no worse than normal, but other 
  dangers proved sufficient to test their mettle 
  nonetheless.  Food was scarce, but priests of 
  many different religions worked diligently to 
  supplement the provisions as best they could.  
  Quick action on their part also narrowly averted 
  several outbreaks of disease.  For the most part, 
  most Shield Landers spent a long, wet, 
  miserable winter huddled around meager fires 
  longing for a good hot meal and worrying about 
  Iuz’s armies across the border. 
  Things were much harder for the 
  soldiers manning the border forts.  Common 
  soldier and knight alike suffered under all the 
  same problems as their fellow countrymen, but 
  every minute was occupied with the looming 
  threat of Iuz’s minions.  Everyone in the Shield 
  Lands feared Iuz, but none more than the border 
  guards.  At night, they could see the fires and 
  when the wind shifted a certain way, hear the 
  taunts and war cries of the enemy.  Raids were a 
  constant problem and on many mornings, 
  soldiers awoke to find entire patrols mounted 
  on poles with their throats cut no more than a 
  few hundred feet from the fort’s gates.  The 
  stress was so great that more than a few veteran 
  warriors snapped, running off or committing 
  suicide to escape. 
  On one particular occasion during 
  Needfest, a well-meaning commander hoping to 
  improve morale allowed his soldiers a few 
  hours to celebrate.  The mistake cost the lives of 
  everyone at the fort as euroz raiders attacked, 
  catching the fort ill prepared.  Reports from the 
  first patrol to reach the fort a day later described 
  an eerie pall over the burnt remains and a total 
  lack of bodies.  At first, most believed the euroz 
  had carried off the dead to eat, but in the days 
  that followed they learned the morbid truth.  For 
  weeks afterward, nearby forts suffered attacks 
  by undead creatures wearing the bloody 
  uniforms of their fallen comrades.  By spring, 
  very few soldiers willingly discussed their 
  posting along the border, but simply referred to 
  it as their “time on the border”. 
  The spring of 589 CY came as a welcome 
  relief for the Shield Lands.  The long gray winter 
  gave way to a long wet spring, but life slowly 
  returned to the land.  With the help of a few 
  local druids, new crops were planted and 
  vitality was restored to the soil.  As the first 
  shoots broke through the oerth, confidence grew 
  and morale improved. 
  Word of the restoration of the Shield 
  Lands had spread through the Flanaess during 
  the previous months and spring brought with it 
  the return of many refugees.  They trickled in at 
  first, but as the weather improved, the trickle 
  became a steady flow and that eventually 
  became a veritable flood of tired people looking 
  to come home. 
  At first, the returning Shield Landers 
  were welcomed with open arms, but as their 
  numbers increased, problems began to appear.  
  By mid-Planting, overpopulation was starting to 
  weigh heavily on the minds’ of the Council of 
  Lords.  Many of the inns of Critwall and Bright 
  Sentry were packed to the rafters and even the 
  churches had to turn pilgrims away from lack of 
  space.  It was not long before the city guard was 
  forced to clear the streets at night and shut the 
  gates.  Many people had no choice but to spend 
  their nights beyond the city walls. 
  In response, the homeless quickly 
  responded by erecting all manner of huts, tents, 
  lean-tos and other makeshift hovels in the fields 
  beyond Critwall.  The Council of Lords tried to 
  relocate people to nearby villages and put them 
  to work on various projects, but there were just 
  too many.  Before long, Tent Town, as it became 
  known, was an accepted sight ringing Critwall 
  
   
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  like some dreary, mud-slicked carnival.  Bright 
  Sentry was spared a similar fate due to its 
  location on Scragholm Island and the inherent 
  dangers of the surrounding swamps. 
  The overpopulation in Critwall (and 
  Bright Sentry to a lesser degree) brought with it 
  other problems as well.  Increased crime, 
  horrible living conditions and the rapid spread 
  of disease made life hard for city folk.  Critwall’s 
  city guard was hard pressed to patrol the streets 
  within the city and tent town beyond proved 
  impossible.  Luckily (some say), loyal followers 
  of St. Cuthbert and Mayaheine took it upon 
  themselves to form citizen watches and patrol 
  Critwall and tent town in large groups.  The city 
  guard half-heartedly discouraged their actions, 
  but most secretly welcomed the help. 
  Shortages of goods continued to plague 
  the Shield Lands, made worse by over 
  population.  With scarcities of everything from 
  basic goods to fresh food and clean water, prices 
  rose substantially and threatened to crush the 
  fledgling nation’s economy.  The Council of 
  Lords, now based in Critwall, was forced to seek 
  help from the newly reestablished Guild of 
  Merchants and Traders.  In the past, the Guild 
  had held only minor influence with the Council 
  of Lords, but in the new Shield Lands they 
  seized the opportunity to change that.  After 
  vigorous negotiations, the Guild agreed to 
  encourage reasonable prices for “the good of the 
  nation” in exchange for certain tax exemptions 
  and other considerations for its members.  Many 
  believed the Guild sought a seat on the Council 
  of Lords, but backed down (at least for the 
  moment) when they realized things would not 
  change that quickly.  After all was said and 
  done, prices within the Shield Lands rose to as 
  much as 20-30% above normal for other nations. 
  589 CY brought more of the same to the 
  Shield Lands’ border.  Luckily the influx of 
  refugees allowed Lady Katarina to add soldiers 
  to the army’s roll call.  With the added 
  manpower, the border forts were reinforced and 
  the weary border guards were rotated to other 
  posts.  Unfortunately, the incoming troops were 
  very green, but Lady Katarina balanced the 
  reduced quality soldiers with an increased 
  quantity.  Over all, the border became a bit more 
  secure and most Shield Landers slept a bit 
  easier. 
  The first harvest, while not spectacular, 
  was enough to supplement the aid received 
  from Furyondy and beyond and lay aside a fair 
  store of rations.  Autumn also saw work 
  continue on Critwall Bridge.  Dwarven 
  stonemasons had been brought in to supervise 
  the project and were making slow, but steady 
  progress.  Their estimates set the completion of 
  the bridge early in 591 CY. 
  By late in the year, events within the 
  Shield Lands had settled down somewhat.  
  Overpopulation, shortages of most goods, crime 
  and low morale still pestered the people from 
  within and Iuz still crouched at the border, but 
  the Council of Lords were finally able to step 
  back and take stock of their situation.  The 
  Council had been reduced from twenty-four 
  nobles to only nineteen, and many of those were 
  inexperienced husbands, wives or younger 
  children of the previous Lord or Lady.  Of the 
  nineteen, only two families, Bohden and Sharn, 
  had regained their lands; the rest ruled in exile.  
  A few, like Count Torkeep, tried to regain some 
  semblance of their former lives by establishing a 
  temporary court along the border nearest their 
  ancestral lands.  This actually improved morale 
  in those areas as soldiers took comfort in 
  knowing their Lord or Lady faced the same 
  dangers they did. 
  As one might expect, Earl Bohden and 
  Regent Enarick of Sharn gained considerable 
  influence within the Council of Lords due to 
  their position as heads of the only counties to be 
  fully reclaimed.  Since it was their fields that 
  grew crops, their pastures in which livestock 
  grazed and their forests from which lumber was 
  cut, it was only logical for them to have a larger 
  say in how that land was used.  This of course 
  led to serious politicking by the other lords for 
  their favor.  Many called it the “winter of 
  promises” as the Lords and Ladies of the other 
  families sought to secure promises of a word in 
  their favor when time came for the army to 
  retake more land.  Since the next noble to regain 
  their lands stood to gain considerable influence 
  themselves, an intricate web of alliances grew 
  within the Council of Lords. 
  
   
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  The obvious targets of expansion were 
  Torkeep, Gensal and Southkeep.  Lord Torkeep 
  made no secret of his desire to return home 
  when next the army marched, but the other two 
  estates were less clear.  Count Gensal and his 
  entire line had been wiped out and no successor 
  could be found.  This caused even more turmoil 
  as the Council began to argue over the proper 
  disposition of the five heirless estates.  When 
  young Landon Arbas returned from Furondy 
  seeking to claim his family’s birthright, 
  accusations of betrayal marred his family name 
  and mired his claim in legalities and quests to 
  prove the accounts false. 
  In all, little was accomplished and Lady 
  Katarina sat back and watched in disgust as the 
  arrogance and petty politics that caused her 
  beloved nation’s downfall in the past threatened 
  to resurface.  She knew the best course was to 
  keep the nobles occupied with a foe other than 
  themselves, but it was too early to move against 
  Iuz.  She chose instead to defuse the court 
  intrigue as best she could while driving the 
  nation towards military readiness. 
  Part of her plan included taking 
  advantage of the growing number of 
  mercenaries and adventurers coming to the 
  Shield Lands in search of gold and glory.  With 
  the support of the Council of Lords, Lady 
  Katarina passed into law a controversial 
  mandate.  Beginning on Coldeven 15th, 590 CY 
  all persons regardless of race, gender or origin 
  could be called upon by the Council of Lords for 
  service in the name of the Shield Lands.  This 
  included both civic and military duty.  The 
  reasoning went, since the restored Holy Realm 
  faced its greatest crisis everyone calling it home 
  should be willing to contribute to its protection 
  and improvement. 
  The new law had several effects.  First, 
  many of the people who lacked any real interest 
  in restoring the Shield Lands left.  This helped 
  ease the population problems and removed a 
  few of the seamier element from the streets and 
  alleys of Critwall and Bright Sentry.   
  Unfortunately, the law managed to 
  enrage the Guild of Merchants and Traders.  
  Their justified concerns stemmed from a fear 
  that no foreign merchants would willingly cross 
  a nation’s border in which they could be called 
  up for military service.  Lady Katarina reassured 
  the guild masters that alienating foreign 
  merchants was the farthest thing from anyone’s 
  mind.  She guaranteed all merchants and traders 
  exemption from the law after a successful 
  application for a simple permit.  In exchange for 
  a small licensing fee and proof of valid 
  mercantile concerns, merchants would be 
  exempt from service for the length of the permit.  
  Additionally, the permit afforded the merchants 
  a few minor import and export tax benefits to 
  make trade with the Shield Lands more 
  appealing.  The end result seemed to satisfy the 
  Guild and their foreign counterparts but only 
  after the guild was allowed an official advisory 
  position with the Council of Lords. 
  590 CY saw its share of ups and downs 
  for the Shield Lands.  Solutions to some of the 
  everyday troubles were put in place, but major 
  problems such as overpopulation and food 
  shortages continued to exist.  One particularly 
  unsettling problem was the increasing number 
  of disappearances within Critwall’s tent town, 
  beginning around Flocktime, 590 CY.  Most 
  were blamed on people’s tendency to pack up 
  and move abruptly when a better opportunity 
  presented itself, but not all could be dismissed 
  so casually.  Many blamed it on agents of Iuz (of 
  which there were many), fiends and various evil 
  cults.  This problem continues today and no 
  definite explanation has been offered so far. 
  Lady Katarina’s law did indeed send a 
  scare through foreign merchants for a short 
  time, but they soon realized the Shield Lands 
  needed their support far too badly to jeopardize 
  it haphazardly.  The law did provide much 
  needed help on many projects, including 
  Critwall Bridge, rebuilding Critwall, Bright 
  Sentry and many villages and manning the 
  border forts.  To their credit, the people of the 
  Shield Lands served well, complained little and 
  welcomed the meager pay they received in 
  return.  An exceptionally useful outgrowth of 
  the law was the formation of the Pathfinders, a 
  branch of the army including irregular troops 
  pulled from the ranks of “adventurers” and 
  others of unique or exceptional skills. 
  Unsurprisingly, some unsavory 
  individuals have found a way to profit from the 
  chaos surrounding the Shield Lands.  Several 
  
   
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  groups of Rhennee traders operate freely in the 
  area and tend to deal mostly in trade goods and 
  information.  They are notoriously unparticular 
  about who they deal with and draw a large 
  portion of their income from playing both sides 
  of the fence.  Additionally, a vicious group of 
  Rhennee pirates continues to raid the trade 
  lanes.  Reports link these evil pirates to Vayne in 
  Admundfort and include rumors of undead 
  troops controlled by priests of Iuz onboard the 
  ships.  It is presumed that Vayne, lacking 
  experienced sailors of his own, loaned the 
  pirates a number of ships captured during the 
  fall of the Shield Lands in exchange for a share 
  of what they take.  The waters around 
  Admundfort provide an excellent haven for the 
  evil buccaneers and attempts by the naval 
  powers of the Nyr Dyv to curtail their activities 
  have failed so far. 
  Today, the Shield Lands are much the 
  same, but things are getting better.  Work 
  continues on restoring the impressive highway 
  of roads that existed before the invasion and 
  Critwall Bridge nears completion.  The border 
  forts, while still threatened, are strong and 
  manned by experienced soldiers.  Shortages of 
  food, fresh water and basic goods are becoming 
  more rare, but prices are still higher than they 
  once were.  There is a feeling of cautious 
  optimism in the air and many feel the army of 
  the Holy Realm will be ready to move against 
  Iuz before the end of the campaign season.  Lord 
  Torkeep in particular has been pressing Lady 
  Katarina relentlessly to retake Torkeep before 
  the snow flies again.  So far she has calmly 
  delayed any rash actions, but many suspect she 
  is unsure if the nation is truly ready to face Iuz 
  again.  Regardless, the fate of the Shield Lands is 
  once again in the hands of its people and this 
  time things will be different. 
  
   
  8
  Timeline 
  Date (CY) 
  Event 
   
   
  ~100 
  Viceroyalty of Ferrond established. 
  254 
  Ferrond breaks from the Great Kingdom.  What would eventually become 
  the Shield Lands, refuses to acknowledge the new King.  Does not support 
  the decadent regime at Rauxes either.  King Thrommel I crowned king of 
  Furyondy. 
  Early 4th Century 
  Shield Lands formed in response to the formation of the Bandit Kingdoms to 
  the north.  Earl of Walworth chosen as Knight Commander of the Shield 
  Lands. 
  Mid 4th Century 
  Formation of the Knights of Holy Shielding, an order of knights dedicated to 
  Heironeous 
  420-445 
  Halmadar the Cruel gains Eye and Hand of Vecna, takes land near 
  Delcomben and lays siege to Critwall.  Drugged and buried alive in the 
  Kron Hills.  Earl of Walworth increases the size of the Knights of Holy 
  Shielding and stations them throughout the Shield Lands. 
  479 
  Iuz inherits his father's lands in the Northern Reaches. 
  505 
  Iuz vanishes. 
  513 
  The Horned Society formed from lords in the southern area of Iuz's empire. 
  537 
  King Belvor IV crowned in Furyondy. 
  550-570 
  Heavy skirmishing between the Horned Society and the Shield Lands along 
  the Ritensa River. 
  570 
  Iuz returns as a deity.  He takes up residence at Dorakaa. 
  573 
  Prince Thrommel of Furyondy kidnapped, preventing merger of Veluna and 
  Furyondy.  Was betrothed to Jolene of Veluna, daughter of the Plar of 
  Veluna.   
  577 
  Alhaster becomes part of the bandit Kingdoms when "Prince Zeech" defects. 
  578 
  Warfields and Wormhall conquered by the Horned Society 
  579 
  Horned Society, Warfields and Wormhall attack the Shield Lands.  The 
  Shield Lands was defeated at Axeport. 
  581 
  All of the Shield Lands, except Critwall, has fallen to the Horned Society 
  and its allies.  Knights of the Shield find little aid because of the previous 
  arrogance of the Shield Landers. 
  582 
  Iuz starts Greyhawk Wars in the lands of the Thillonrian barbarians. 
  Early, 583 
  The Horned Society troops suddenly leave the Shield Lands. 
  Coldeven, 583 
  Shield Lands back under the control by Earl Holmer. 
  583 
  Earl Holmer refuses aid from King Belvor IV of Furyondy because of fears 
  of annexation.  When the armies of Iuz attacked, the Shield Lands fell.  Lord 
  Holmer captured while defending the retreat from Admundfort.  Furyondy 
  holds border at battle of Critwall Bridge. 
  584 
  Autumn Pact of Greyhawk. 
  586 
  Crook of Rao used Canon Hazen to banish the fiends. 
  Planting, 586 
  King Belvor IV calls the Great Crusade.  Lady Katarina, Earl Holmer's 
  young cousin, is appointed the Lady Marshall of the army.  The army 
  recaptures Grabford for Furyondy. 
  Goodmonth, 587 
  Lady Katarina attacks Critwall from Critwall Bridge. 
  Wealsun, 588 
  Critwall is cleared of enemies and the Shield Lands government is 
  reestablished. 
  
   
  9
  Reaping, 588 
  Construction begins on border forts along the new border with the Empire 
  of Iuz.  The reconstruction of Critwall and Bright Sentry begins. 
  Goodmonth, 588 
  The restored Shield Lands plant a few late crops and begin preparation for 
  their first winter. 
  Harvester, 588 
  Survivors of Iuz’s occupation of the reclaimed lands begin to come in from 
  hiding.  They bring with them horrible stories of atrocities committed by 
  Iuz’s forces. 
  Harvester 20, 588 
  Reconstruction of Critwall bridge begins. 
  Harvester 24, 588 
  Furyondy recalls the bulk of its armies from the Shield Lands, temporarily 
  ending the Great Crusade. 
  Patchwall 3, 588 
  Lady Katarina is named Knight Commander of the Shield Lands by the 
  Council of Lords. 
  Ready’reat 27, 588 
  The Order of the Northern Guard is formed.  Sir Arinson of Heironeous is 
  named Knight Commander of the new order. 
  Needfest 3, 589 
  The border fort at ??? is attacked.  There are no survivors and none of the 
  bodies of the slain are recovered. 
  Coldeven, 589 
  Refugees begin to return to the Shield Lands in great numbers.  
  Overpopulation becomes a serious problem in Critwall and Bright Sentry.  
  “Tent Town”, a shantytown made up of homeless people forms outside the 
  walls of Critwall. 
  Planting 15, 589 
  Dwarven stone masons are brought in to supervise the reconstruction of 
  Critwall Bridge. 
  Harvester, 589 
  The Shield Lands first harvest brings some relief to starving Shield Landers.  
  They harvest is large enough to supplement the reserves for the coming 
  winter, but imported food is still needed. 
  Sunsebb, 589 
  Young Landon Arbas returns from Furyondy to claim his family birthright.  
  Rumors of betrayal mar his family name and begin a long process to 
  determine the truth of the accusations. 
  Coldeven 15th, 590 
  Lady Katarina announces the Proclamation of Service(???).  To gain the 
  support of the Guild of Merchants and Traders for the new law, they are 
  given an advisory seat on the Council of Lords.  Aside from requiring all 
  able-bodied citizens of the Shield Lands to help in rebuilding the nation, the 
  law forms the Pathfinders to help defend the nation during its 
  reconstruction. 
  Readying, 590 
  The number of disappearances of poor folk in Tent Town increases.  Stories 
  begin to circulate about “the hooded ones” who are responsible. 
  Fireseek, 591 
  Critwall Bridge nears completion.  Rumors begin to circulate that Lady 
  Katarina plans to lead the Shield Lands army against Iuz in the coming year. 
  Readying 1, 591 
  The current date. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Metaorg Material/Shield Lands/history.pdf