Eventually someone will ask how far it is to... Eventually you, as referee, are going to want a map. Five years after Supplement I introduced players to the world of Greyhawk, TSR published the map. The Folio, as it is commonly called, actually comes with two very nice maps of the eastern part of Oerik, a continent on Oerth, often referred to simply as the world of Greyhawk. The color maps are done by artist Darlene and really are works of art (I have seen a couple of them in frames!). They are overlaid with 30 mile hexes and show the features familiar to fans of Greyhawk such as the Free City, etc. The two maps are really the stand-out feature of the folio.
The outside folio itself is colorful and has the shields of various cities and kingdoms printed on it. Inside are the two maps plus a 32 page booklet describing the world illustrated on the maps. Information in the book includes a listing of all the political states on the maps with brief descriptions of their internal politics and relations with neighboring states. A listing of major geographic features including seas, lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, swamps and so forth, all with brief descriptions of inhabitants is given as well. There is calendar information, a chronology and brief history of the Flanaess, as this region of the Greyhawk world is called. Small maps showing historic migrations are included in the history section.
Greyhawk is the default setting for the early player aids/adventure modules published by TSR. The location of each of the modules published to date is given in terms of the Greyhawk map, so referees can now answer the question "How far is it to..." Toward the end of the booklet is a listing of royal and noble titles and the orders of knighthood to be found. Things wrap up with a list of runes and glyphs.
I find it somewhat odd that in a system with player character clerics there is no mention of deities either in Supplement I or the Greyhawk Folio. Some of the published adventures have deities in them and I understand that Greyhawk deities are given some ink in Dragon magazine of the day (maybe that was a selling point for Dragon?). The Forward to the Greyhawk Folio booklet mentions that the world of Greyhawk is now yours to do with as you please (referring to the purchaser/referee of course). Does the absence of deities imply do-it-yourself regarding a Greyhawk pantheon? Fans of Greyhawk would eventually get the list of deities, but not until 3 years later with the publication of The World of Greyhawk boxed set.
The '83 boxed set contains the same two Darlene color maps and two booklets which repeat the information from the folio as well as introduce some new information on Greyhawk. In addition to information on the deities of Greyhawk, there are numerous encounter tables specific to the world, a weather system and a handful of adventure ideas. Over the decades other pieces of Greyhawk would see publication, but Castle Greyhawk and the dungeons beneath from Mr. Gygax's original campaign were not among them. (I believe at least part of this original material would finally see publication with Troll Lords shortly before Mr. Gygax's death as Castle Zagyg.)
Greyhawk, grandaddy of fantasy roleplay playgrounds, despite all that has been published remains mostly unknown. The Darlene maps only cover a portion of one continent. The 30 mile hexes contain many uncharted features and undocumented wonders. Much of what is known comes to us as fragments or fabled stories, such as surround the legendary Castle and its dungeons. Exactly as it should be, therefore forever encouraging fresh invention, imagining and discovery by those who play the game.
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