Hardby is a large city on the NorthEast shore of Wooly Bay. Hardby has evolved over the centuries almost in parallel with Greyhawk City. Its major role is as a sea port, where seagoing deep-draft vessels unload their cargoes to be transported by road up to Greyhawk (the Selintan is too narrow for most of these vessels).For two centuries, Hardby has been a matriarchy ruled by The Gynarch (a female autocrat whose succession is determined by heredity). Although the Gynarch still “rules”, her power has dwindled much since Hardby came under the “protection” of Greyhawk City in the past hundred years or so. This “protection”, however has *not* been bad for Hardby, and the present Gynarch, Lady Isabelle Andrews, bleeds Greyhawk's coffers and “protection” for all it is worth. She is about 45 years old, and is very intelligent.
The Hardby School of Wizardry
It all started with Bigby. Known for his mastery of the force element, he was one day forced into a confrontation with an evil magician who specialized in spells that destroyed the mind. Though Bigby prevailed, during the course of the fight, his enemy’s spell had shown him a vision of his own death. This vision wrought fear in his heart, not of his own impending death, but for the loss of his style of magic. Within five months, Bigby found two worthy apprentices and began to instruct them in the ways of his magic. Raphael and Carlisle learned quickly, and soon, they were well versed in the use of force magic. Fifteen years later, Bigby vanished. It was without warning, and while some thought that he was dead, others believed that he had ascended and become a force of magic in his own right. While both of his apprentices were saddened by his passing, they wasted no time in carrying out his last will.
Each wizard took two apprentices and began to teach them as they had been taught. Despite being instructed by that same mentor, the two had radically different methods of teaching, and they soon went their separate ways. Carlisle went to Hardby, while Raphael went to Sunndi, and both continued their instructing. And so it went for years, until both Carlisle and Raphael were old and gray, and their apprentices’ apprentices had taken apprentices. Before long, two schools had opened, and while the two originals had lost touch with each other, there was no ill will between them. That all changed after Carlisle and Raphael passed away, giving their rule to the most powerful wizard in their respective schools. While Carlisle was wise, and judged his successor’s character as well as his power, Raphael simply held a tournament, giving his rule to the winner. For two decades the schools continued unmolested, but the churches soon gained influence and cornered each school. Carlisle’s successor, Christoph, rejected the church, while Raphael’s successor, Nicholas, accepted them and his school, now known as The Wizarding Academy of Corellon, was partially assimilated into the church.
It didn’t take the church too long to pit the two schools against each other, attempting to punish Christoph for his blasphemy. The church and the school marched against Christoph’s school and a terrible battle ensued. Through their combined forces, the church and the Academy began to break Hardby’s School of Wizardry. It looked hopeless, until Christoph attempted to cast his final spell of the day. Unbeknownst to him, Bigby then returned to help, channelling his immense energies through Christoph’s hands. Huge hands of force manifested under his control, each as tall as a castle’s tower. Other wizards began casting their force spells to the same effect and the day was soon won. After the battle had ended, Christoph found that his staff had been transformed into a length of pure force, able to manifest some of Bigby’s greatest spells. Naming it Bigby’s Hand, he wielded it for the rest of his life, keeping the church from attacking again. Upon his death, the staff vanished, though it was prophesized to return again when it would be needed.
Though the title of Headmaster was passed from person to person, things did not change. All masters still took two apprentices, every wizard learned Magic Missile and Force Orb as their first spells, and everyone’s favoured implement was the staff. Though the church did get a representative inside their walls, Hardby’s School of Wizardry remained independent. All still wait for the day that Bigby’s Hand returns, and all hope that they are the one to wield it. The Hardby School of Wizardry is characterized by the large number of force spells, and the method of casting, which emphasizes staff movements, and a general shortness of the vocal casting. Whenever possible, these wizards like to use runes instead of writing in their spell books.