Battle of Emridy Meadows

In the "World of Greyhawk" campaign setting for the "Dungeons & Dragons" role-playing game, the Battle of Emridy Meadows was a critical military event in which the allied forces of good sacked the Temple of Elemental Evil and dispersed hordes of its cultists. Emridy Meadows itself is a series of grassy clearings south of the VelverdyvaFact|date=October 2007.

Men-at-arms from Furyondy and Veluna united with dwarves from the Lortmils, gnomes from the Kron Hills, and an army of elven archers to face the threat of the Horde of Elemental Evil, comprised largely of savage humanoids such as orcs, ogres, and gnolls. The arrival of the elves from the shadows of the Gnarley Forest turned the tide of battle, trapping the savage humanoids against a bend in the Velverdyva where they were routed and slaughtered.

After dispersing the Horde of Elemental Evil, the allied forces laid siege to the Temple of Elemental Evil itself, defeating it within a fortnight. Spellcasters loyal to the goodly army cooperated on a spell of sealing that bound the demoness Zuggtmoy (a major instigator in the Horde of Elemental Evil) to some of the deepest chambers in the castle's dungeons.

At some point in this battle, Serten, cleric of Saint Cuthbert and member of the Citadel of Eight, was slain. The Citadel was notable for its absence at this pivotal moment in the history of the Flanaess, and their failure to take part in the Battle of Emridy Meadows contributed to the group's decline and eventual disbandment.

The battle of Emridy Meadows in other media

The battle itself is portrayed as the introductory cut-scene in "The Temple of Elemental Evil", an Atari computer game from 2003. In this version, the Cleric Hrudek of Hommlet, along with other members of the good allies, did not complete the cleansing of the lower chambers of the Temple. As a result, years later the Temple would rise again driven by the clerics Lareth of Lolth and Lord Hedrack of Zuggtmoy.

References

*Gygax, Gary. "World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting" (TSR, 1983).

*Mona, Erik, and Gary Holian. "Wheels within Wheels: Greyhawk's Circle of Eight." "Living Greyhawk Journal" #0 (Paizo Publishing, 2000). Available online: [http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LGJcircleof8pdf.zip]