Welcome, young aspirant, to the University of Greyhawk. I understand that you have traveled a great distance to learn with us here. You are part of the recruiting program then? I know that oft, the University sends out head hunters, pardon the term, to find young adept minds that are attainable to learning the ways of magic and the multi-verse. These people travel to villages far and wide to find those of unique potential. Of course, it is very rare that we find such deserving of a scholarship paid for by the University - usually the cost of education is paid by the family of the would be aspirant. But, as you know, the University has its own sources of income - the selling of magical items and potions - did you know we now have the foremost alchemical school since the fall of Niole Dra? And being positioned in the most prosperous city on Oerth, Greyhawk City, we do very well indeed. But, I digress...

Ah, here, right after the river district, we come upon the market place - you will find all manner of goods here - sturdy flintstone from Chendyl, a city in the northern Kingdom of Furyondy. It is good for making fires. The Chendylians worship Gibbil, the Nyrundian god of fire, and from him have learned the arts of making this unique stone. They also brew a mighty good brand of stout beer. The finest weapons, made in Trigol, a city in Nyrond, - interestingly they also worship a Nyrundian god of fire - but a different one! Can you imagine that, having two gods for fire? How strange. What would Pholtus and Celestian say? In any case, the weapons are brought here not only to sell to the public but also to sell to the university as well. The fires of Gibbil or Girru (the other god) are the only ones hot enough to temper the steel strong enough to make magical weapons. Also, in this market place you will find wines and spices from the City of Beer, (some are even elvish wines they have procured from the Celedon forest), potterycraft from Woodwych, gemstones mined by the dwarves in the Lortmill mountains (and some mined far away by the humans in the Theocracy). All manner of good foods as well. Unfortunately, since the Holy War began between the furundians and the ketians, little comes here from Ket. I sure do miss those spices though! Over there, you will see some of the newest most exotic additions to our trade routes. These are things that come over The Ways from the new city of Babylon, over the Hellfurnace mountains in the great desert the Sea of Dust. The strangest things you have ever seen - weird birds, and lizards (I hear that some may even be telepathic). And this nectar (it looks like a green pasty goop), you can eat this instead of drinking water. Very strange but tasty. Weapons too come from Babylon, they have a trade pact with the Chendylian blacksmiths and their worship of Ishtar, the goddess of Love and War seems to help them craft interesting new weapons. But enough of the market....

There you see the wall around the High Quarter. Aristocrats live in there as well as the Mayor Neroff Gasgul and the City Council. We will avoid some of the lower districts, many scoundrels inhabit those areas so I suggest if you must tarry down that road you guard your pouches well. What is that big thing you ask? I am surprised you did not guess. You have heard about them haven’t you? Those are The Ways. They are great bridges that cross hundreds and hundreds of leagues and may be passed in but a couple of weeks. They connect to five major cities on Oerth - Dyvers, the capital of Furyondy, Wintershiven in the Theocracy of the Pale Mountains ( the religious center of Nyrond and the Nyrundian religion), Greyhawk City of course, Chathold, a city in the former Great kingdom, and they all lead to Tovag Baragu in the sea of dust. It was around Tovag Baragu that the city of Babylon was built - of course that was after the great war with the dark one of four years ago.

Surely you must remember when the sun went black for thirteen days? Yes, it was a scary time. All the wars and earthquakes. Even I do not like to remember it. I lost my brother and sister to the wars and my wife to a flood. Fortunately, the Dark One was put down at Tovag Baragu. Some who were there say that the Goddess Ishtar actually came down and fought the Dark One. I myself find this very hard to believe. yet, if you ask a Babylonian, they’d swear to it. In any case, the Ways were created by one of the 12 Swords of Power that were made so famous during the war against the Dark One. Nobody really understands them and nothing has been found that can affect the stone of the bridges. Very interesting indeed. But alas, you will learn about all manner of strange and arcane things here at the University.