Zagig

[Scott]

Not much discussion on Zagig.
How old do you think he was when he became Landgraf? And how long did he keep the job?
One of the big Greyhawk/East Mark clashes is the Zagyg timeline.

[Merkholz]

Zagig/Zagyg has always been a very enigmatic figure to me. Is he supposed to be Gary´s personification within the game - the mad archmage who lets friends or foes visit the whimsical but deadly dungeon? Is he simply a character in the game, a NPC of tremendous power that achieves godhood in the campaign background? Is he just another monster to be faced in the dungeon?

His role with Boccob is also very sketchy. Does Zagyg have a separate agenda or is he merely serving the Uncaring Archmage of the Gods who seems to care very little for the affairs of men?

Should Zagig be downplayed as simply another NPC with a rational and believable "career" then he shouldn't be anything else than a successful magic-user entering worldly affairs, i.e. becoming Landgraf around 40 or something.

If anyone has inside info from Gary on Zagig/Zagyg I'm very keen on hearing it.

M

[Scott]

Yes, it surprises me that there hasn't been more discussion.
According to Ernie, Gary's home campaign was set up much more like Castle Zagyg. Zagig didn't disappear hundreds of years ago, it was just in the past several years.

[Falconer]

When was Zagig the Archmage introduced in-print and when was Zagyg the Demi-god introduced in-print? I assume in the home campaign there was only the former.

[Scott]

They were both introduced in the Folio, I think.
In Gary's campaign Zagyg was a demi-god. I think the set up was when Zagyg the archmage/quasi-deity became a demi-god, he disappeared and the castle was deserted. It was just a few years before players started exploring the dungeons, and he lived in the lowest dungeon level.

[GRWelsh]

I go by the Guide: "... Their descendents ruled a domain which rose to considerable heights c. 375 CY under the rule of Zagig Yragerne (the so-called Mad Archmage)." This is the only date I know of that is given about Zagyg, in published Gygaxian Greyhawk. There is no way to know how old Zagyg was when he assumed the title of Landgraf... Since it is hereditary, I'd put it between 20 and 50, and allow for 10-20 years or so of rule before the apex of his temporal rule. So, I'd put his birth date in the 305 to 345 range.

375 CY to 400 CY: Zagig shows less interest in worldly affairs, becomes more reclusive.
400 to 440 CY: Zagig is hardly ever seen, but when he is, he is very odd and shows no sign of aging. His focus is on spell research.
440 to 460 CY: Zagig disappears.

[Scott]

I wrote a timeline once. I placed the 375 in the middle of his reign.
314 Zagig born.
340-360 Primary adventuring years.
360 - ? Landgraf, Castle construction starts early in this period.
For the first part of his time as Landgraf, I have him as a very active ruler, doing what he could to make Greyhawk the Gem of the Flanaess.
Always an eccentric character, this side of his personality starts to takeover later in his term. Shortly after settling into the castle, he starts to lose interest in the everyday ruling of the city, and is not seen for long periods of time.
Finally, he goes out with a bang. Those who were dwelling in the castle with him tell of a terrifying last night, strange lights and sounds, unnatural beings, etc. And he was never seen again. Originally I had his reign as Landgraf last 30 years, which would place his disappearance at c. 390, but I think extending that period a bit would probably be in order.
One of the secrets of my campaign is that Zagig wasn’t the first to build on the site. He found signs of ancient ruins, and decided to build upon them. During the construction, his workers discovered dungeons below. After that Zagig started exploring and adding to them.

[Merkholz]

The Zagig info in the folio/box is very hard to reconcile with Dark Chateau for instance. It almost seems like heresy to enter Zagig's old house and find shopping lists and mundane items.

I think I prefer Zagig to be born ca. 340 CY and make him rather young at the beginning of his career. IMO his rise to power is quick and erratic, built upon amazing discoveries of magic and a reckless, almost insane approach to experimentation and risks.

M

[Scott]

The CZ stuff in general is hard to reconcile with Greyhawk, other than a big castle and dungeons built by Zagyg.
The CZ stuff is actually closer to how Gary originally ran things for his group. I remember Ernie once mentioning the fact that Zagyg had just recently gone missing.
The proximity of the ruins to the city is just a mess though, in CZ.

[Rhuvein]

Sept 5, 2011 13:29:45 GMT -5 Scott said:

The proximity of the ruins to the city is just a mess though, in CZ.

Do you mean . . CZ to Yggsburgh? And if so, why. Just curious.

I've recently started my CZ Upper Works campaign starting in Yggsburgh.

[Scott]

Yes, in the East Mark.
Early on, the ruins were going to be on the Four Tors, and that's much closer to the original proximity. It's also a lot more do-able for low level parties trying to make it to and from the ruins. The set distance is a killer for low level parties if you run it as presented.

[Rhuvein]

Sept 6, 2011 21:09:24 GMT -5 Scott said:

Yes, in the East Mark.
Early on, the ruins were going to be on the Four Tors, and that's much closer to the original proximity. It's also a lot more do-able for low level parties trying to make it to and from the ruins. The set distance is a killer for low level parties if you run it as presented.

OK, yeah.

I started my group at 2nd level with Sir Alec as their patron. The group has 9 PCs along with Sir Alec's ranger and his 2 men for the trip to the castle. So, the old castle track didn't pose a threat (and I changed some things - looking to move the action quickly to the castle).