Vecna Notes

Notes about Vecna. Clarifications to quoted text are in brackets.

Veracity of Vecna Lives!
Re: Vecna Lives!: “The following information about Vecna is a collection of truth, contradiction, and misinformation.” (VL, 6)

Bright Desert
“Old tales from the Duchy of Urnst even claim Vecna was responsible for the creation of the Bright Desert!” (VL, 6) Confirmed as false by Rary the Traitor.

Empire location
“Some say his realm was beyond the great mountains to the west. Another theory holds his tower once rose from the very depths of the Nyr Dyv.” (VL 6) Confirmed as false by LGG & Vecna’s Realm.

“A few writers even go so far as to claim Vecna’s dominion extended over another plane and that he was ultimately destroyed by a revolt of the greater powers that dwelled there!” (VL, 6) The first part of this sentence is true (Citadel Cavitius on Plane of Ash, see DVD), but 2nd part confirmed as false via various accounts of Kas’s betrayal.

many sages believe Vecna’s origins lie far to the west, across the Hellfurnaces, in the blasted lands once called the Suel Empire.

Suel
“Vecna’s penchant for brutality and his obsession for world domination practically brands him as Suloise — after all, the ancient Suel people were (and still are, in some places) noted for their cruelty and policy of conquest. Then, of course, there is Vecna’s unequalled skill in magic, leading those same studious observers to believe he may have once been a Mage of Power, one of the legendary Suloise wizards responsible for the Invoked Devastation. All of this is conjecture, of course, but it is not beyond reason.” (DR#225)

Half-elf
“some tales claim he was half-elven” (VL, 6-7) Confirmed as false by DVD, VhotR, LGG, others.

Flan
“2716 OC One of the small tribes of Flan, the Ur-Flannae, located just west of Aliador send servants as hostage to the Gray elven kingdom, in return for land rights. The 7th High King, Galitholian Glitterhelm, is especially taken by the sharp mind of a young man of promise, named Vecna. Vecna, inspired by the glories of elven splendors, began to study magic. He discovered in the libraries a book from the Seul entitled "The Fate of Tilorop." He secretly begins to worship Tharizdun. (3769 SD/-1747 CY)” (OJ#1.9)

“Vecna (VEK-nah) was a terrifying and evil Flan lich-king who gained a foothold on godhood thousands of years ago.” (LGG.186)

“Vecna and the Ur-Flan: The Ur-Flan were a mysterious group among the Flannae about whom little is known for sure. It is known that several of their number, Vecna and Keraptis among them, made themselves overlords of pre-cataclysm empires and these Ur-Flan empires were quite evil. The druids did not concern themselves with the Ur-Flan as long as they were not a threat to the Balance or the Eternal Cycle. This passive acceptance allowed Vecna and others like him to flourish, and some held whole tribes in bondage to their evil. When Vecna betrayed the druids and twisted their power over nature into a source of undeath, they were completely unprepared. Some druids fled, many died, and the few who remained served the Whispered One. A number of scholars believe that the druids who served Vecna rescued many of the Ur-Flan secrets and the Old Faith preserves that knowledge to this day.” http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgpg/20080122a

Ancient flan spoken in Cavitius
“A slight familiarity of the GREYHAWK setting is helpful when dealing the domains of Tovag and Cavitius, since each derives from ancient, nearly forgotten realms of Oerth. Even ancient Flan, the language spoken there, stems from those ancient lands and times.” (VR, 2) see also, p12

“Origins: The human citizens of Cavitius were apparently brought to this demiplane from Vecna's capital in his ancient empire on Oerth, just prior to the empire's collapse. Most have dark hair and eyes, with light bronze skin, though with a sickly yellow hue from poor nourishment and frequent illness. Their universal poverty leaves them gaunt. They speak a form of ancient Flan (detailed below).” (DVD, 49)

“Language: The universal language spoken in Citadel Cavitius is an ancient form of Flan, a tongue of the Flanaess of Oerth.” (DVD, 49)

Flan gods
“Scene Five: This scene is more of a sculpture than a relief. It is a life-size statue of the wizard from the other scenes, except now his features are gaunt and skeletal. His hands are likewise bony talons. His snake-robes are still of the same styling, but a new crown rests upon his brow, a crown that appears to be formed by snakes wrapping themselves around his skull. He is also seated on a different throne, one that is made from the fused bones of humans. Its back appears to be a large spider web that spreads across the wall behind him. Caught in the web are dozens of tiny human and demihuman figures, their faces and bodies contorted in terrible agony. Alongside Vecna's throne are dying, disemboweled victims, each wearing what appears to be a holy symbol on a burning necklace. (This statue represents Vecna in the many decades after he became a lich and rapidly built a vast empire of evil. It serves as the altar in this room, and those who worship here leave offerings at the statue's feet. The disemboweled victims were clerics of various deities, their symbols easily recognized by a hero from the GREYHAWK campaign with the Religion proficiency. The gods represented by those symbols were known in the ancient world to govern nature and various aspects of truth, justice, and goodness; most were Flan.)” (DVD, 96)

“Scene One: An old, slightly bent wizard stands on a windblown cliff. He wears a large gem-encrusted crown and black robes with smoky images of serpents embroidered upon them. A palace that looks like Vecna's palace in Cavitius stands in the distance, beyond a plane littered with the remains of what must have been an epic clash of armies. Overhead, the sky boils with lightning-torn storm clouds. A massive serpent-made partially from the clouds and partially from lightning snakes down toward the wizard, wraps around him, and seems to whisper in his ear. The old man's face seems aglow with understanding. Those who study the image closely note the faces of somber men and woman hidden in the clouds. (This scene portrays the Serpent—the ancient source of Vecna's magical might—telling its loyal servant how he might triumph over Death itself and guide his empire to greater glory. The cloud faces are various deities from the world of Oerth, Vecna's place of origin; any person from the GREYHAWK campaign with the Religion proficiency can name several of the gods, who appear to be Flan in nature.)” (DVD, 99)

Citadel Cavitius
“Where the characters nave arrived is a special, small section of the negative quasi-plane of Ash. Originally, this piece was part of that uniform and deadly wasteland, undistinguished from the surrounding gray. Vecna took an interest in this place and, over the centuries, transformed the hostile environment into his own private fortress and prison-Citadel Cavitius.” (VL, 62) “Vecna has chosen to build his citadel on the border between the plane of Ash and the Negative Material plane. Through spells and magical devices, he has formed a small pocket of solid matter and fashioned it into Citadel Cavitius.” (VL, 62) Cavitius was actually seized from the Doomguard by Vecna (David Cook, Planescape Campaign Setting: A DM Guide to the Planes (Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994), 37).

Empire of Vecna
“From the loneliest chamber of a black tower, he ruled over a now-forgotten nation. Some say his realm was beyond the great mountains to the west. Another theory holds his tower once rose from the very depths of the Nyr Dyv. A few writers even go so far as to claim Vecna’s dominion extended over another plane and that he was ultimately destroyed by a revolt of the greater powers that dwelled there!” (VL, 6)

“Even though his body gradually withered and decayed, Vecna remained “alive” and continued to expand his evil dominion.” (VL, 7)

“The scene shows the remains of an immense palace, shattered and broken. The destruction could only have occurred moments before, since rubble is still crumbling away and people are running in confusion. Even in destruction, the palace looks both majestic and corrupt. This is the palace of the Spidered Throne, the seat of Vecna’s ancient empire. The scene is moments after Vecna’s defeat by Kas.” (VL, 60)

“As an undying king he ruled a land ranging from the Sheldomar Valley [to] the northwest shores of the Nyr Dyv, although his immediate reach was only the land near his stronghold, called the Rotted Tower in the Rusbmoors.” (DR#348, 20)

The Occluded Empire of Vecna, as it became known, served ably as a ulcer in the gut of all migrants. Oeridians flowing east from the Fals Gap had avoided Vecna’s lands by coincidence, at first, but soon learned that the lich-lord’s dominion extended all the way to the northwest shores of the Lake of Unknown Depths. Despite Vecna’s control over such a wide berth of land, his actual grasp did not extend far from his own Rotted Tower, said to be located in the Rushmoors, or the now-ruined town of Tycheron, along the northern banks of the Velverdyva, not far from modern Dyvers. (Vecna’s realm)

“he once controlled an empire that spanned much of the Flanaess of Oerth and a number of extraplanar locations.” (DVD, 110)

“On the outside, this fearsome structure is an exact duplicate of Vecna's ancient seat of power, as his empire reached its height across a now-forgotten region of the Flanaess. The palace housed the legendary Spider Throne and was the site of Vecna's greatest political and magical triumphs (and, perhaps, his greatest mistakes).” (DVD, 57)

“This is the home of Vecna, a perfect replica (from the exterior) of the fabled Black Tower from which he once controlled an empire that spanned much of the Flanaess of Oerth and a number of extraplanar locations.” (DVD, 110)

Vecna’s appearance
“Formerly a lich, Vecna has retained the horrid appearance of these monsters. His body is mummified with patches of dry rot showing through the tatters he wears for clothing. His left arm ends in a crumbling stump. Vecna’s face is covered by a silken scarf, veiling his features underneath.” (VL, 73)

Vecna in life: described as a “tall, dark-haired man with handsome features.” (DVD, 120) See also, DVD, 95-96 & 99-100.

Vecna’s personality
Vecna prefers to act indirectly in the affairs of men, guiding and steering his followers to goals only he understands. Nursed on treachery and deceit, the Whispered One has no compassion for mortals, even his own worshipers. Those who follow him must commit themselves to being utter pawns to his schemes. Followers who serve him well are rewarded with knowledge, usually damning secrets others would prefer stayed hidden. Those who anger Vecna often find themselves betrayed and blackmailed, their darkest sins suddenly known to those who can hurt them most. (VL, 73)

Vecna’s Cruelty
Even in life, Vecna’s strictness and cruelty were infamous. He built a great kingdom based on his wizardly skills and his fiendish cruelty. Some tales claim he bred entire villages like cattle, simply to keep his foul laboratories supplied with subjects for his experiments. Others describe military campaigns where he annihilated entire cities beneath tidal waves of rock and earth.” (VL, 6)

“So formidable was his temper that men feared to speak his name. Lord Vecna was the Whispered One, the Master of the Spider Throne, the Undying King, and the Lord of the Rotted Tower.” (VL, 7)

“The lich committed horrible evils, exploiting the lives of those unfortunate enough to live under his rule. It is said he sacrificed entire villages of his own people just to fuel the magic of a single spell.” (DR#342)

Lichdom
Vecna’s path to lichdom unknown.

“According to some tale, Vecna amassed enough power to confront his own death and forever imprison it, thus escaping his doom.” (VL, 7)

“According to others, Vecna’s pride and arrogance so offended the Greater Powers of the outer planes that cursed him to dwell forever on the border between life and death, never again to fully live or rest in tranquil death.” (VL, 7)

“A third version is that Vecna found the secret magic of life and thus transformed himself into the most powerful of liches.” (VL, 7)

“Beyond death, he became the greatest of all liches.” (VL, 7)

“When Vecna betrayed the druids and twisted their power over nature into a source of undeath, they were completely unprepared. Some druids fled, many died, and the few who remained served the Whispered One. A number of scholars believe that the druids who served Vecna rescued many of the Ur-Flan secrets and the Old Faith preserves that knowledge to this day.” http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgpg/20080122a

“Following this, a large group of Flan from the Velverdyva valley migrated into the Sheldomar. They were pastoralists, leading large herds of sheep, and worshipping Rao. The Old Faith directed their followers, by now settled agriculturalists, to oppose them. This led to years of low-scale warfare that finally ended when the leaders of the Old Faith turned to a warlord with ties to the Ur-Flan by the name of Vecna. They anointed him High King of the Sheldomar, and directed their people to follow him in defeating the newcomers.

Following his victory Vecna began to reorganize the small states of the Sheldomar, turning them into a coordinated nation to support him in his researches. It was at this time that the Great Druid of the Old Faith informed him that he was to be sacrificed in a ritual to restore the land. Feigning acceptance, Vecna allowed the ritual to proceed, but at the culminating moment, he revealed his powers, twisting the ritual, and using the power to turn himself into a lich-like creature. Slaughtering the leaders of the Old Faith, he proceeded to establish his rule over those Flan closest to him.” http://canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&thold=-1&mode=flat&order=0&sid=761 see also: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=824

Acererak
“Acererak, who is said to have ruled the swamp in the distant past and now has his burial place somewhere within its confines.” (FTA.61)

“Even when the Great Kingdom swelled to its greatest size in 5516 SD [1 CY] under Overking Nasran, Shar was protected from land assaults by the Vast Swamp. . . .” During the next two hundred years, the Brotherhood continued to develop its information network. . . . Rumors of a powerful lich, Acererak, building a stronghold in the Vast Swamp caused some alarm, as the Brotherhood feared another magical war with possibly cataclysmic consequences–especially as the undead mage was presumably unconcerned about any potential damage to the local ecology. Acererak later entombed himself after killing all of his slaves. . . . The first appearance of the frog-like demigod Wastri in 5730 SD [215 CY] was met with surprise, confusion and disgust.” (TSB, 4)

Vampirism
D. Cook, Vecna Lives!, 81: “As he lived out the remainder of his years, Kas was steeped in the energies of the Negative Material plane. Slowly these accumulated and transformed him. The energy ate out his body from the inside. Finally, it seized his heart and soul, but Kas did not die. Instead, Kas the Terrible was transformed into one of the most fearsome of undead, a vampire. For centuries now, he has dwelled in the citadel, locked in this undying state. Sometimes the ancient warlord wonders if this was Vecna’s ultimate irony-perpetual life imprisonment.”

See also–Monte Cook, Vecna Reborn (Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998), 2: “Kas eventually betrayed Vecna, resulting in both of their deaths-and inadvertently saving Oerth. But because evil such as theirs can never completely fade, Vecna arose again, this time as a demigod. His servant and betrayer Kas returned as a powerful vampire.”

Furthermore, depictions of Kas at Fleeth in Vecna: Hand of the Revenant show him casting a shadow (pp. 7-9, 64), which vampires do not–see: Skip Williams, et al, Monster Manual (Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003), 250. However, these accounts of Kas becoming a vampire after his betrayal are contradicted by Open Grave, which states that Kas “served Vecna faithfully for centuries, first as an evil human paladin and later as a vampire lord.” Discounting Open Grave would lead one to assume that Kas’s service to Vecna only spanned a few decades, given a normal human lifespan. However, Erik Mona states in “Ancient History: Vecna’s Realm” that Kas’s life was extended by Vecna’s magic: “In addition to an unnaturally elongated life, Vecna had granted Kas with a weapon of exquisite beauty and a heart as dark as the lich-lord’s soul.”

“A thousand years ago he ruled as a lich but was betrayed in a moment of crisis by his vampire lieutenant, Kas.” (DR#348, 19)

“In ages past, the great wizard Vecna became an archlich, ruling a great empire in the Sheldomar Valley of the Flanaess. At the height of the empire (because this is when all great kings are slain), he was betrayed by his lieutenant Kas. Kas later became a vampire, while Vecna returned as a deity. His left hand and eye were reputedly the only parts of his body that survived his betrayal, imbued with great powers. But rumors of other body parts persisted”. (Head of Vecna)

Vecna & Kas
Kas served Vecna “for centuries” (Open Grave enhancement)

Before lichdom: “Long ago, when Vecna was still mortal, Kas was Vecna’s most trusted lieutenant.” (Open Grave, 204)

After lichdom: “It was during this time that Kas the Bloody-Handed rose to the fore among Vecna’s lieutenants.” (VL, 7)

“As the arch-lich’s body weakened, Kas became the instrument of rule. Though still supreme in his power, Vecna took less and less interest in the daily affairs of his kingdom. Kas pronounced Vecna’s judgements, presided over the Council in Vecna’s name, and heard the reports from Lord Vecna’s foul army.” (VL, 7)

Vecna, Kas, & Narek
“In ancient days, when Kas served Vecna as his lieutenant, the decadent Kas kept a harem of concubines and sired many children. Despicable to his very core, when his children reached an age of maturity that prompted Kas to see them as rivals, he slew or imprisoned them forever. One such offspring was a son named Narek.” (VR, 29)

“At a very early age, Narek learned sorcerous skills. So great was his aptitude that even Vecna noticed and commented on his potential, granting him a few treasures and tomes in hopes of making Narek a powerful and useful servant. Jealous of this obviously preferential treatment, Kas went into a hideous rage and imprisoned his son in a tomblike vault along with these gifts. Narek thus disappeared, Vecna paid the event little heed, and Kas’s son was forgotten.” (VR, 29)

Vecna known to have given Narek the Book of Inverted Darkness, but taken it back after Kas imprisoned him. (VR, 30-31)

Sword of Kas
“As a sign of Kas’s authority (and to protect his lieutenant from the intrigues of others), Vecna forged the sword of Kas, a magical weapon like none ever known.” (VL, 7)

“Tale-spinners say its iron was taken from the heart of a frozen star and forged in flames stolen from the sun. Though dull and unadorned, it shimmered with evil. Its edge could bite any metal and its blade never dulled. When Kas wielded it, no man could withstand him.” (VL, 7)

“Fashioned by Vecna’s hand, the sword was evil, even when compared to its creator.” (VL, 7)

Kas's Betrayal
“It whispered to Kas in secret voices, feeding the warrior’s pride and vanity. “You are greater now than your master,” it said. “You are the true ruler of all his lands.” Slowly it seduced him, urging him to usurp Vecna’s throne and send the arch-lich to death forever. And gradually Kas came to believe its words.” (VL, 7)

“At last, emboldened by the sword’s sweet voice, Kas struck at his lord. No man saw the battle, but with its end Vecna’s dark tower crumbled into dust, leaving only the sword and a pile of ash. The body of Kas was never found. Of Vecna, all that remained were his lifeless Hand and Eye.” (VL, 7)

“In the final confrontation with Kas, when they were sundered from his body, the gods (perhaps foreseeing his powers) hid them from his senses.” (VL, 7)

“He lost his hand and eye in a fight with his traitorous lieutenant, Kas.” (Deities & Demigods, 95)

See also–Monte Cook, Vecna Reborn (Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998), 2: “Kas eventually betrayed Vecna, resulting in both of their deaths-and inadvertently saving Oerth.”

“When a betrayer's blade maimed and cut him down, Vecna rose again, infused with secrets of magic no mortal was ever meant to know. He was now a true demigod, while the relics of his former body gained fame in their own right.” (DVD, 2)

“Vecna’s rule ended when his vampiric lieutenant, Kas, betrayed him. Following the whispered advice of the sword his master had made him, Kas cut off'Vecna's hand, provoking a battle that seemingly destroyed them both, leaving three artifacts behind to be found many years later. Vecna’s hand, his eye, and his lieutenant’s treacherous sword.” (DR#342)

“Little is known of this being except that he eventually met his doom in some awesome conflagration—or at least that his physical body was destroyed. Still rumors persist that one hand (and perhaps an eye) survived even this destruction.” (2nd DMG)

Dungeon #17
"Vecna died in the last great mage-war, many centuries ago, that killed or forced the permanent withdrawal of most of the first great sorcerers of the Prime Material plane. This glorious battle was fought near the legendary Ring of Flame, a great circle of fire ripped from the very bowels of the planet.

"When Vecna fell beneath a hail of swords and sorcery, his corpse was flung into the great pool of lava at the very heart of the Ring of Flame's huge central crater. Legend has it that the ground heaved in disgust as it was forced to eat the horrid remains, and the ensuing eruption obliterated all of the remaining victorious forces.

"But in the chaos, one of Vecna's minions escaped with the eye and hand you see before you..."

Godhood
In Vecna's quest to achieve full and permanent godhood, he instigated several alternative strategies in the millennia of his existence. (DVD, 2)

Vecna’s return
“But the history of the artifacts is not all that remains to be told of Vecna. His will, evil and perverted, was too powerful to be destroyed when his body perished. For untold centuries it drifted, refusing to surrender. Strangely, small traces of power flowed to it, the energy of worshipers on Oerth. Even one as depraved as Vecna attracted those who revered and adored him.” (VL, 7)

“Gradually, Vecna’s cult grew and he assumed the powers of a demigod. The process took a long time-gathering his power, responding to his worshipers, and settling himself among the greater powers. Vecna persevered and eventually reached the point where he was accepted as a minor demigod in the legions of evil.” (VL, 7)

Vecna Lives!
“Guaranteed immortality, Vecna was still not satisfied. With his scheming mind, he has devised a plan to ascend to greater godhood and humble his rival deities. With his usual long patience, Vecna has been working on this plan for centuries. Working through his avatar or others, the Whispered One has carefully found seven magical items. Each item has been placed in a secret location, the position strategic to his plans.” (VL, 7)

“These items, when fully powered, will cast a mystical web of energy over all of Oerth, cutting off all other gods from their followers. Already they are creating interference on a local scale. Only Vecna will receive the adulation of his worshipers: the other gods will weaken and leave the path open for Vecna to rise to the fore. Then the Whispered One will open the gates of time and bring forth his faithful followers from the past. Feeding on their devotions, Vecna will become the greatest of gods.” (VL, 7)

“There is only one difficulty that remains for Vecna-finding his Eye and Hand. They are the final keys to fully empower the web, the final keys that open the gate of time. He knows not where these are. In the final confrontation with Kas, when they were sundered from his body, the gods (perhaps foreseeing his powers) hid them from his senses. Vecna cannot detect their energies; he can only find them by seeing their effects on others, much like finding a boat by the wake it creates. Too many times he has come close, only to have them escape his grasp. This time, he is determined not to fail.” (VL, 7)

The artifacts of Vecna & Kas
“In the millennium and centuries that passed, these three objects have surfaced time and again, first in one distant land and then another. Each time, their discovery brings great power and ultimately great woe, for the evil of their masters still lingers within them.” (VL, 7)

“When Vecna was slain, his Eye and Hand were lost to him. Vecna the demigod cannot locate these artifacts, as their emanations are somehow blocked from him. The only way Vecna can trace the artifacts is when someone uses them to amass power. Although he cannot detect their energies, he is wise enough to deduce their presence from sudden changes in the balance of power throughout the Flanaess.” (VL, 28)

“In the past, the demigod has come close to recovering them, only to have the artifacts disappear from sight. This time, with Vecna/Halmadar interfering in his own cult, Vecna the demigod has been able to move swiftly.” (VL, 28)

Vecna’s Ineffuble Variorum
“Nonetheless, some of that speculation is based on information regarding Vecna’s Ineffuble Variorum. Some 400 years ago, a band of adventures sold an ancient Suel text to a book dealer in Niole Dra, claiming to have recovered it from a ruined city in the Sea of Dust. The tome, though untitled, contained the dates of a great many events and happenings, the most recent of which preceded the Invoked Devastation by nearly 200 years. What makes this book so relevant, however, is that it describes what many scholars regard as the finest and most accurate description of Vecna’s Ineffable Variorum. This fact alone places the Variorum and, by extension, Vecna himself in the Suel lands prior to the Empire’s demise.” (DR#225)

Tsojanth
“Years ago, but not beyond the reach of a historian’s quill, an Oeridian archmage named Tsojcanth rose to power. The predecessor of more famous wizards, such as Mordenkainen and Otiluke, Tsojcanth was a student of great magic and a protector of the mortal realm. For many lifetimes, Tsojcanth defended Oerth from incursion and assault. He battled the minions of the demon princes, Orcus and Graz’zt, slew a wielder of the horrific Hand of Vecna, and even stood against the forces of the mad god Tharizdun. Yet these battles exhausted him, and the time soon came when even the great Tsojcanth knew he must pass on. Legend says that he made his crypt deep in the caverns beneath the mountains, where he, in his final rest, might serve to dampen the area’s evil energy.” “In truth, everything known of Tsojcanth—even his name—is myth and misdirection. The being who called himself Tsojcanth was no human wizard, however powerful, but the half-breed child of an Abyssal prince. A master of sorcery and deception, Tsojcanth learned many secrets from the orders of good. He steered them away from his own machinations, and aided them in fighting both his own rivals and those of his demonic sire. After Tharizdun’s defeat, Tsojcanth determined that he had spent long enough masquerading as a mortal and allowed that identity to fade as he moved on to other diversions.” (Ari Marmell and Edward Albert, “Iggwilv’s Legacy: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth,” Dungeon #151, WotC, 2007)

As Tsojanth “retired” after Tharizdun’s defeat, & Tharizdun was last heard from c. -410 CY (LGG, 184), it’s unlikely Tsojanth ever defeated a wielder of the Hand of Vecna, as Vecna was not betrayed by Kas until c. -358 CY.

Misc
Dungeon #17 (Flame) Vecna’s war w/ elves (OJ #1) Vecna imprisoned by Iuz? (DVD) Lum, Druzniath, & Ahlissa: c.-210 CY (DR#294)–Bonewood

Oerth Journal articles
OJ#1: Vecna’s war w/ elves

OJ#5: Blackmoor

OJ#7: “Vecna affair”

OJ#11: “After his ascent to lichdom was completed, Acererak created (or took control of) the [Crypts of Iron Souls] in order to amass an undead army beyond the prying eyes of mortals.”

OJ#12: Interview w/ EGG claims Flan predated demihumans. + reasons for Zagyg imprisoning demigods: “Actually, the idea was that from time to time one or another of the named deities “crossed” the Mad Archmage, or asked some favor, and in return Zagyg confined each in a special prison. Of course, he, and they, knew it to be a temporary matter, and that release was forthcoming through some heroic or antiheroic activity, as it were. (It was a prop for adventuring, of course.)”

OJ#14: age of Vecna– “Vecna, the once human Emperor-Mage of awesome power that terrorized his own people some millennia ago.”

OJ#16: much on Vecna in Wackford’s article; Acererak & Ahlissa in Casper’s article.

OJ#17: Kas mentioned as vampire god; Info on Queen Ehlissa’s kingdom.

OJ#18: info on Vecna & elves in Miller Info on Ehlissa in Broadhurst

OJ#20: info on ur-flan, Isles of Woe, etc in Weiss

OJ#21: location of Vecna’s realm, Flan civ (Tostenhca, Ahlissa) in Broadhurst Ahlissa info in Haarlaa

OJ#22: Ur-Flan info in Almor article ancient elf lands in weiss article ur-flan in r. miller Vecna & Kas as constellations in astrology article

OJ#24: elf lands in Weiss ur-flan in watson

OJ#25: Flan in Broadhurst Ahlissa in Miller

Age tables
Vague references to the age of an individual (middle-aged, old, etc) in a source will be determined in the context of that source’s edition.

Starting age, human wizard: OD&D: 1E: 24+2d8 (30+1d6 illusionist) (DMG, pg12) 2E: 15+1d4 (phb, 24) 3E: 15+2d6 (phb, 93) 3.5: 15+2d6 (phb, 109) 4E:

Max human age: OE: 1E: 120 (dmg, 13) 2E: 90+2d20 (phb, 24) 3E: 70+2d20 (Phb, 93) 3.5: 70+2d20 (phb, 109) 4E:

Human age categories Edition Young Adult Adult/Mature Middle Old Venerable OE: 1E (dmg, 13): 14-20 21-40 41-60 61-90 91-120 2E (phb,24): N/A 16-44 45-59 60-89 90-130 3E (phb, 93): N/A 15-34 35-52 53-69 70-110 3.5 (phb,109): N/A 15-34 35-52 53-69 70-110 4E:

In-game sources & authors
The Beasts of Humanity by Balar (date unknown) (Parts of Vecna Lives!) Eye and Hand monsters

The Book of Hours by anonymous priest of Delleb c. 300 CY) (See Dragon #253) Historical events (to the hour) of Keoland, Veluna, & Furyondy, + Nyrond & Great Kingdom

The Book of Inverted Darkness by unknown (See Vecna Reborn, 50: “one of Vecna’s most cherished possessions”)

The Book of Keeping (See Dragon #342)

The Book of Kings by unknown (see Dragon #272)

The Book of Stone (written between 445 & 580 CY) (Parts of Vecna Lives!) Halmadar the Cruel

The Book of Vile Darkness by various, including Vecna

The Books of the Brethren by unknown (see Dragon #272)

A Catalogue of the Land Flanaess, being the Eastern Portion of the Continent Oerik, of Oerth by the Savant-Sage (Vol. III published 576 CY, IV-V between 577 & 591) (See 1983 boxed set; could also likely include material from From the Ashes, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, The Adventure Begins, the Player’s Guide, and The City of Greyhawk)

The Chronicle of Secret Times by Uhas of Neheli (written between 192 & 286 CY) (Vecna: Hand of the Revenant, parts of Vecna Lives!) Vecna’s life and empire

A Chronicle of the Flan People by Rexidos http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgmp/20080429a & Rary the Traitor

The Compendium Imortale Magica Malifica by unknown (see Dragon #272)

The Compendium Maleficarum by unknown (Vecna) (See Die Vecna Die!) Holy book of Vecna

Crosse Ways of Ulek by Andreas Wythe (published 155 CY) (See Dragon #253)

The Dragon-Scale Tome by Timonas of Jalpa (written between 449 & 580 CY) (Parts of Vecna Lives!) Hand and Eye of Vecna

Gnomicspheris (written between 445 & 580 CY) (Parts of Vecna Lives!) Halmadar the Cruel

Historical Reign of Ulek by Geohegan Munt (published c. 50 CY) (See Dragon #253) Reign of Count Cartair of Ulek

A History by Courlan Attlander (written between 209 & 580 CY) (Parts of Vecna Lives!) Cult of Vecna

History of the Priests of the Church of Saint Cuthbert by Dehm Brenner (375 or 575 CY) (See Dragon #253) Up to 150 CY–Shield Lands, Bandit Kingdoms, & Tenh

An Honest Appraisal of the City of Clay by Bearne of Schwartzenbruin (See DNG #145 & Mona’s “Mystery of Exag”)

The Nethertome of Trask (rumored to have been written by Vecna) (Parts of “The Three Faces of Evil”) Vecna’s experiments in the Cairn Hills

The Official History by Uhas of Neheli (written between 192 & 286 CY) (Parts of Vecna Lives!, + any source on Keoland) Official history of Neheli dynasty

Treatise on the Practices of Hidden Ones by Bishop Imphalas of Furyondy (written between 254 & 580 CY) (Parts of Vecna Lives!) Cult of Vecna

The True Relation of the Nyr Dyv and the Lands Surrounding by Norfil van Defflitter (written between 445 & 580 CY) (Parts of Vecna Lives!) Halmadar the Cruel

Works by: Iquander (Erik Mona) (“Ancient History: Vecna’s Realm”) Sergeant Silver (Carl Sargent) (From the Ashes, Ivid the Undying) The Shadow-Sage (Gary Holian) Finnobhar Aodhin (Steve Wilson) Nezirdas of Rel Deven (Dragon #293, March 2002) Raseane Greycloak (Broadhurst, OJ#21)

Links
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=331976

http://web.archive.org/web/20050308223655/http://www.dracheninsel.de/insel/add/greyhawk/grimoires.htm

The Forgotten History of the Southern Lorridges: Vecna, the Mara, and Ashardalon’s Cult: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=824

Grand Sheldomar Timeline Expansion and Revision, Part I: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=506

The Hand and Eye of Vecna: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=398

The Pre-Cataclysm Era in the Sheldomar: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=761

Vecna’s Realm: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=220

The Yaheetes and Tyrus: The Wars Against the Hand and the Eye in the Sheldomar: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=733

Greychrondex: http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/ghchrondex.php

2E PHB: http://members.fortunecity.com/cumhurozkeser/phch2home.htm