“The riches of this area are great indeed, consisting of most sorts of precious metals, precious stones, and even the prized corundum gems. Because of this the duchy has been desired by the Kingdoms of Aerdy and Nyrond in that order. When the Nyrondel won their independence, they took the County of Urnst, and were massing troops to cross the Nesser, but the first crossings were turned back by galleys, and campaign sputtered later in the year, never to be restarted. Urnst has plenty of other problems of a continuing nature–its Cairn Hills border with Greyhawk, the Abbor-Alz frontier which has desert nomad raiders, and difficulties with the lakemen of the Nyr Dyv. The Duke is not idle during all this; he has developed an excellent army of borderers while maintaining a centrally-located force of cavalry, as he distrusts Nyrond.” Gygax 1983