TEXT: Pale Regional Themes - v2.0 
   
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  Theocracy of the Pale Regional Themes 
   
  version 2.0, June 2005 
  This document is intended to give a sense of 
  consistency and authenticity to the Pale as it 
  exists in Living Greyhawk (LG). Although not 
  comprehensive, the information can guide 
  judges in running Pale Regional scenarios, 
  authors in proposing and writing Pale Regional 
  scenarios, and players in determining how their 
  PCs 
  relate 
  to 
  the 
  Theocracy. 
  For 
  more 
  information, consult the LG Gazetteer. 
  Racial Distribution 
   
  The population of the Pale stands at roughly 
  480,000 in CY 595. Nearly half are Oeridian 
  humans and nearly half are Flan humans. 
  (Almost no one is purely Oeridian or Flan, but 
  most people identify themselves with one of 
  these two ethnic groups.) Members of other 
  human races, such as Suloise, are present only 
  as a small minority, and about 5% of the 
  population—20,000 persons—are demihumans 
  (dwarves, elves, and so on). 
  Church and Government 
   
  The religion of Pholtus rules the Theocracy 
  of the Pale. Known in the Pale as the Church of 
  the One True Path, the church controls or at 
  least monitors nearly every aspect of life in the 
  nation. Oeridians run the church and therefore 
  run the Pale. 
    
  Although Pholtus is a lawful good deity, the 
  Pale overall stresses his lawful neutral aspect. 
  Most Palites are intolerant of those who do not 
  follow the One True Path, and they believe in 
  separating themselves from the rest of (non-
  Pholtan) Oerth. Citizens generally keep a close 
  eye on deviants, foreigners, and wielders of 
  arcane magic (see below for more on this point). 
  They are quick to inform the Church Militant 
  about 
  the 
  indiscretions 
  of 
  such 
  people.  
  Outsiders call this viewpoint Conservative, but it 
  is essentially mainstream for the Pale. 
   
  A much smaller portion of the Pale’s 
  population stresses the ‘good’ in ‘lawful good’, 
  and offers a more tolerant existence for pagans, 
  demihumans, and visitors from outside the Pale. 
  These citizens—colloquially “Progressives”—
  seek to redeem non-Pholtans, rather than 
  ostracize or persecute them. Still, aside from a 
  few 
  extremists 
  (PCs, 
  for 
  example), 
  the 
  Progressives do not strive for profound reform in 
  the Theocracy. They do not advocate allowing 
  open worship of other deities in the Pale. They 
  merely wish to have peaceful relations with 
  those outside of the Church, instead of unending 
  conflict.  
   
  The current Theocrat, Theoman Baslett, has 
  wavered in his views. He was staunchly 
  conservative 
  while 
  serving 
  as 
  prelate 
  of 
  Landrigard but he remained open-minded about 
  the progressive view. Just before he became 
  Theocrat, he seemed to have a change of heart 
  and committed himself to promoting tolerance in 
  the Pale. But in the past two years, heathenism 
  and chaos have spread, showing Baslett the 
  dangers of slackening one’s vigilance. The 
  Church has redoubled its efforts to keep order 
  (Pholtan order, of course), and most citizens 
  support the move. 
   
  The typical viewpoint of Oeridian members 
  of the Church blends isolation with expansion. 
  They view the Pale as their rightful and destined 
  domain. 
  Their 
  relationship 
  with 
  outside 
  organizations and countries is tenuous, with the 
  notable exception of Pholtan temples or other 
  organizations beyond the Pale's borders. All 
  other nations are viewed as threats to the Pale's 
  continued prosperity and way of life. This world-
  view 
  yields 
  a 
  thoroughly 
  Pale-centric 
  perspective. The citizens fear the chaos and 
  strife of the godless realms beyond their nation’s 
  borders, out where the light of Pholtus has not 
  yet reached. Some try to spread the light 
  through proselytizing and missionary work, but 
  mostly this view reinforces the isolationist 
  tendencies within the nation. 
   
  Note that according to the Living Greyhawk 
  Gazetteer, the common alignments of the Pale 
  are not only lawful neutral and lawful good but 
  also lawful evil. To the Theocracy, chaos is a 
  worse enemy than evil. Of course, no evil 
  person can gain spells from Pholtus, a lawful 
  good deity. Still, unscrupulous secular citizens 
  exploit the law for personal gain. Since a well-
  respected citizen might well be lawful evil, 
  paladins must learn to be prudent. Attacking 
  every person revealed by detect evil is sure to 
  lead to prison or a New Dawn Camp, teaching 
  
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  the paladin to focus on the greater battle against 
  chaos. Foreign paladins learn their lesson soon 
  enough and many choose never to return to the 
  Pale after their first visit. 
   
  Some new acolytes in the Church are 
  pursuing the worship of Pholtus as creator and 
  master of the universe. As lawful neutral druids, 
  these young Pholtans are trying to fill the role 
  vacated by certain Flan druids of the Old Faith 
  (see below). The Church has given official 
  approval to the Pholtan Druids, but most clerics 
  and even many citizens see the movement as 
  one step from heresy. 
  The Flan 
   
  Another important aspect of the Pale 
  revolves around the Flan people and their 
  relation to the Oeridians. 
   
  The first and by far most populous group is 
  the native Flan inhabitants, making up roughly 
  half of the Pale’s population. These people have 
  subsisted here for thousands of years, first as 
  hunter-gatherers and then as farmers and 
  ranchers in recent centuries. Native Flan who 
  live in the cities of the Pale tend to hold menial 
  jobs. Most Palish Flan have a passive outlook, 
  accepting their lot in Pale society, but some Flan 
  are starting to recognize the injustice around 
  them and wonder what they can do about it. 
   
  After 350 years of aggressive conversion, 
  most of the Palish Flan worship Pholtus to some 
  degree, but many blend the teachings of Pholtus 
  with their ancestors' ways, including the Old 
  Faith. They revere primarily Beory (Mother 
  Oerth) and the agricultural gods that the 
  migrating Oeridian tribesmen introduced a 
  thousand years ago. 
   
  Flan druids have (until recently) discreetly 
  helped to keep these older ways and ethnic 
  identity alive in the populace. The Church knew 
  about and discouraged such pagan practices, 
  but did not bother to try to stamp them out 
  except in unusual circumstances, such as the 
  events of recent years.  The Church learned that 
  some Flan druids had been hiding gates to the 
  lower planes, the legacy of the nefarious Ur-
  Flan, within the Pale itself. In 594 CY, these 
  druids were convicted under ecclesiastic law 
  and banished from the Pale. Relations between 
  the Church and other Flan druids, known or 
  suspected, remain tense. 
    
   
  “Faithful Flan” is the term for a smaller yet 
  vocal group of Flan from the former Duchy of 
  Tenh who have oriented themselves along the 
  One True Path. As irregulars within the Prelatal 
  Army, the Faithful Flan have led the charge to 
  reclaim Tenh in the name of Pholtus. Most 
  members of the Faithful Flan have forsaken their 
  heritage, but they remain stuck between two 
  worlds. They typically hold themselves superior 
  to the ignorant native Flan and even to their 
  fellow (unconverted) Tenha, yet not everyone in 
  the Pale accepts them as equals. Some 
  prejudiced Oeridians look down on and exploit 
  even these Faithful Flan. 
   
  The third major group of Flan consists of 
  non-Pholtan Tenha refugees loyal to the Duke, 
  or at least skeptical of the Pale. The Tenha have 
  a strong sense of national identity—much more 
  so than the native Palish Flan. Their shattered 
  nation has a long tradition blending military 
  prowess (learned early from the Oeridian tribes) 
  and deep-rooted Flan culture, but this tradition 
  has largely slipped into effete arrogance.  These 
  Tenha have resented their time in the Pale east 
  of the Yol River. During their stay in the Pale, 
  they have interacted very little with either the 
  native Flan or the Oeridian leadership, and they 
  continue to despise the Faithful Flan as sellouts 
  and traitors.  Some former refugees have 
  returned to western Tenh (the loyalists’ territory), 
  while others have moved into the eastern portion 
  (held by the Pale), accepting the Pale’s help but 
  hoping the Theocracy will leave soon—see 
  below for more on this. 
  Demihumans 
   
  Demihumans in the Pale are, at best, 
  second-class citizens (or third-class, after the 
  Flan). Humans tolerate them as long as the 
  latter do not disrupt the humans’ theocracy. 
  Human citizens recognize the value of the 
  special skills that certain demihumans bring to 
  society—such as dwarven stonemasonry and 
  smithy—but regard them with some pity for 
  being born outside the blessed light of Pholtus. 
   
  Most demihumans reside near the borders 
  of the Pale. Elves and half-elves prefer to stay 
  close to the Gamboge Forest (wood or high 
  elves) or Phostwood (wood elves). (The Church 
  Militant does not recruit half-elves as heavily as 
  it used to, now that human candidates have 
  proven able to blend clerical and fighting 
  abilities.) Dwarves are more common in the 
  east, near the Rakers, and gnomes are more 
  
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  common in the southeast, near the foothills and 
  the Gamboge Forest. Halflings are scattered 
  throughout the land. 
   
  Racial districts in the cities or larger towns 
  provide a greater sense of community within the 
  various 
  demihuman 
  races. 
  The 
  theocracy 
  permits shrines to demihuman deities in these 
  enclaves—the 
  only 
  non-Pholtan 
  churches 
  allowed to exist by the Pale. 
  Arcane Spellcasters 
   
  Most citizens of the Pale view arcane 
  spellcasters with suspicion. Pholtus does not 
  actively claim dominion over magic, so arcanists 
  are often assumed to follow heathen deities or 
  fiends. Sorcerers draw even more suspicion 
  than wizards do, since sorcerers’ grasp of magic 
  is not the result of disciplined study but from a 
  mysterious source. (Indeed, the power of some 
  Flan sorcerers or bards in the Pale appears to 
  have truly dark origins, dating back to ancient 
  times.) Because of this societal suspicion, all 
  arcane spellcasters—even foreign visitors—are 
  required by law to register themselves at an 
  office in one of the major cities of the Pale and 
  always to carry proof of registration. 
   
  Two main organizations are concerned with 
  the position of arcane spellcasters in the Pale. 
  The Arcanist Guild is loyal to the theocracy and 
  enjoys official recognition by the Church; it 
  works to preserve the reputation of all arcanists. 
  The Coven of White Light is an ancient and 
  secret order of sorcerers that predates the 
  theocracy; its members use their magic for 
  benevolent purposes and work within the Pale’s 
  laws to ease oppression against arcanists.  
  Enemies Everywhere 
   
  The 
  Pale 
  has 
  few 
  friends. 
  No 
  one 
  (personally or nationally) can be trusted if they 
  do not follow the One True Path. This view 
  derives from the long-standing struggle against 
  perceived persecution, which led to the exodus 
  and the fight for independence from Nyrond. 
  Over the last two centuries, this view has hardly 
  changed in the face of war against Iuz and a 
  mounting fear of threats from close and afar. 
  Nyrond 
   
  The people of the Pale view Nyrond as a 
  decadent, failing empire. Most view the lack of 
  unity in faith as the source of Nyrond’s 
  weakness. Many Palites still blame Nyrond for 
  the burning of Old Wintershiven 250 years ago, 
  which the Pale can never forget. 
   
  The recent coup by Prince Sewarndt—now 
  Emperor Sewarndt—has actually not fazed the 
  average citizen of the Pale. Although the 
  emperor is rumored to deal with fiends, he 
  seems, at least, to be a man of his word. The 
  prelates and other priests may chafe at 
  parleying with an evil man, but they expect him 
  to honor the new treaty of non-aggression, so 
  the Pale can concentrate on its gains in Tenh. 
   
  Some Palites support territorial aims in 
  northern Nyrond. They hold weakly veiled 
  altruistic 
  goals 
  of 
  absorbing 
  the 
  Pholtan 
  population in the county of Woodverge, but the 
  truth is that the Pale covets the rich resources of 
  that fertile county. The members of the Valorous 
  League of Blindness, led by Carindrell and 
  Grishken, have been recalled into the Pale and 
  given official roles in the Palish government, but 
  the Pholtan church retains a visible presence in 
  Midmeadow and its surrounds. 
  Tenh 
   
  The view of the Palites toward Tenh is much 
  like that of Nyrond, but amplified. Some Palites 
  believe that the battle against Iuz and the 
  Stonehold barbarians is a test of their faith in 
  Pholtus. This self-righteousness glosses over 
  the fact that Tenh is also very rich in natural 
  resources, such as platinum. The convenience 
  of the situation is a great irony and works to 
  strengthen the Pale’s territorial aspirations along 
  its northern border. The post-Ether 
  Tenh 
  appears to be a less desirable acquisition for the 
  Pale, but Palites believe that anything worth 
  having is worth working hard to get. 
   
  Indeed, the Pale was recently able to carry 
  out its plans to annex the eastern half of Tenh, 
  after a campaign in late 594 CY. Pale-held Tenh 
  has become a new tenth prelacy, and the Flan 
  prelate Filias Farsonol left Hatherleigh to lead it. 
  Roads and cities are being rebuilt and order 
  restored, and some refugees from Nyrond or the 
  County of Urnst are resettling here, preferring 
  the relative security of this portion of Tenh. The 
  desolate land, however, cannot yet support the 
  new settlers and the liberation is proving more 
  costly than intended. 
   
  Tenh even has a new Duke, ruling from 
  Redspan. He will need to set the tone of his 
  nation’s relations with the theocracy and his 
  
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  other neighbors. Tenh cannot afford further war, 
  but it also cannot stand to give up its land. The 
  Pale claims that it is not holding eastern Tenh, 
  but is there to support the “Faithful Flan” in 
  regaining their ancestral lands. Since they were 
  the first and only Tenha so far to fight for their 
  lands, the Pale feels they are the only ones with 
  a true claim to the land. The Pale insists that 
  once the Faithful Flan can support their lands on 
  their own, they will withdraw their military forces 
  in favor of alliance with their neighbor. Other 
  Tenha and most others in the Flanaess doubt 
  that the Pale would ever leave willingly. 
  Phostwood 
   
  To the west of the Pale, the eerily glowing 
  Phostwood holds enemies, mysteries, and 
  tenuous allies. Bandits, monsters, and Iuz’s 
  patrols lurk in the forest, but the greatest threat 
  is that of the ogres, locked in a genocidal war 
  against the elves of the Phostwood. Whether the 
  ogres are motivated by any more powerful force 
  is a mystery, as is the reason for the glow of 
  dying phost trees. 
   
  Eleven small tribes of elves, collectively 
  called the Phostaldaron, reside in the Phost. 
  These elves are almost exclusively wood elves 
  or wild elves. The easternmost tribe of wood 
  elves (the Istari) shares an uneasy alliance with 
  the Pale, thanks to their shared enemies in Iuz 
  and the ogres. But the Pale has no formal 
  relation with the other tribes; the wild elves, in 
  particular, would probably kill any intruder, 
  regardless of his allegiance. 
   
  Although phost trees grow (and glow) in a 
  few 
  other 
  forests 
  of 
  the 
  Flanaess, 
  the 
  Phostwood is particularly creepy and dangerous, 
  due to an ancient curse called the Dark Plague. 
  The elves of the Phostwood have been fighting 
  the corrupting influence of the Dark Plague for 
  two thousand years. 
  Internal Themes 
   
  The major themes of the Pale are paranoia 
  and fear. The Theocracy of the Pale was 
  established under estranged circumstances and 
  continues to exist because of a defensive 
  attitude toward outside threats. But no Pholtan 
  Palite would admit to being afraid. Faith 
  overcomes (or at least suppresses) their fear. 
  Seeing enemies all around, they prepare by 
  building a strong army backed by divine might. 
  Isolationism kept the Pale from engaging in—
  and being weakened by—the Greyhawk Wars. 
  The liberation of Tenh in late 594 was 
  uncharacteristically aggressive, and several 
  mistakes showed the Pale’s inexperience in 
  waging a war of expansion. 
   
  Another theme drawing from paranoia is that 
  the Pale is but a pinpoint of light within a great 
  darkness. The Theocracy can detect only the 
  presence of this darkness and the silhouettes 
  (“enemies”, perceived or real) that constantly 
  move within the darkness. How deep is the 
  darkness and what actually lurks in it, they do 
  not know. Nor can the Pale tell whether the 
  surrounding darkness is contracting to snuff their 
  light or the light of the Pale is expanding. 
   
  Paranoia makes the nation vulnerable. Evil 
  forces that truly threaten the Pale use deception 
  to take advantage of the Pale's blindness. Past 
  victories over secret cults and rivals make the 
  Pholtans feel that they will always uncover and 
  thwart such opposition. Only time will tell which 
  force will prevail. 
  Mottoes 
   
  True faith will stay one's journey down the 
  razor-thin path that leads to ascension. The 
  Blinding Light of Pholtus is the shield that 
  deflects the assault of one's enemies. The 
  doctrine of One True Way is the sword that will 
  serve defeat to those who threaten the Pale. 
   
  “The One True Way is a strict path, but 
  guarantees rightness. Show no tolerance for 
  those who do not give all for the cause of Law. 
  Fanaticism in the name of the Blinding Light is 
  praiseworthy, and Law's champions shall be 
  rewarded in the era when chaos shall be 
  vanquished.” — LGG, pg. 179 
  Current Storyline Ideas Developing or 
  Needing Development 
   
  The Legacy of Winterwind – The white 
  dragon Winterwind is dead and gone, but his 
  legacy of evil seems to continue to plague the 
  Pale. What twisted machinations did he put in 
  place that his minions still push forward ? 
   
  The Legacy of the Ur-Flan – The Ur-Flan 
  once ruled the lands where the Pale now sits. 
  Some of their long-festering plans have come to 
  light, but what else are they plotting in the 
  shadows? 
  
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  Integration of Tenh – What chaos and evil 
  still lies in the annexed Eastern Stonelands? Will 
  the returning Tenha accept the will of Pholtus or 
  will 
  rebellion 
  against 
  an 
  invading 
  force 
  eventually lead to full-scale war in Tenh once 
  more? Is there a peaceful solution to the Pale’s 
  presence in the Tenh? Can this land be rebuilt 
  from the dust of its death? If rebellion against 
  the Pale begins here, will it stop here or will Civil 
  War come to the Pale? 
   
  Pholtan Druids – The Church of the One 
  True Path has anointed its own order of druids, 
  but will they be accepted by all? Do they seek 
  the Blinding Light or are they treading paths of 
  heresy? Will they help to rebuild Tenh and bring 
  it to the light of Pholtus or will they be burned as 
  heretics? How do the druids of the Old Faith 
  view these upstarts? 
   
  Recent Tales – Is there a tale that was 
  never finished from the last five years? Do you 
  see the ending to this tale? 
   
  Older Tales – Look to existing Greyhawk 
  canon and see what lies there. Most ideas 
  based in canon will find acceptance if the 
  references make sense to where the Pale has 
  gone over the last five years. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Metaorg Material/The Pale/Pale Regional Themes.pdf