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I've been reading up on Greyhawk a bit and eventually stumbled upon Gygax' books on Gord the Rogue. Both the Wikipedia page and several other sources describe that

Oerth gets destroyed and a new world was revealed, whatever that might mean

But the various sources I found are rather vague as to exactly what happened. Some mention that it has to do with the main plot of the book, stop Tharizdun from escaping his prison, but that's the most I could find. So what exactly did happen at the end of this book?

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On the one hand, I feel like answering this with "Read a book!" On the other hand, I'm not sure I can wish 428 pages of Gygax's prose on anyone. So, here's a summary.

Towards the end, Tharizdun and Entropy are corrupting and destroying Oerth. Gord and his comrades scamper around while Tharizdun and Entropy verbally spar with each other. Then Tharizdun and a bunch of yeth hounds kill Gord and his friends and Oerth is done for. But then there's a jump-cut to a butler and a wedding between Gord and Leda (a clone of Eclavdra the drow) and it turns out Proctor Chronos and Lady Tolerance have forked off a new reality where our heroes are still alive and trapped Entropy and Tharizdun there in eternal war and this new land of Yarth is happy and free from entropy for the likely-millenia it'll take for that to resolve. Then Chronos and Tolerance have crazy sex together.

I regret to inform you I am not making any of this up.

Yarth was the original name for what was released as Epic of Aerth, Gary's next game Mythus/Dangerous Journeys. So one interpretation of this is that he wanted to crumple up and throw away that old IP that TSR owned and lead people to his new game world. Or maybe that's cynical.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Alright. I have found a source describing some of these characters, but I'm not sure what these people are. Are they gods? Demigods? Just very powerful mortals? Or something else? \$\endgroup\$
    – Thomas Jacobs
    Mar 15, 2015 at 10:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ They're all "eternal forces". They stand in an ill-defined relationship to the gods (generally above them, but big T gave them a run for their money). But that's about all the Gygax I'm willing to reread slash dredge up in my memory for charity, read the books and it will all become - well, as clear as he makes himself. \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Mar 15, 2015 at 14:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mxyzplk Would you say those two are "eternal forces" like "Law and Chaos" from original D&D, or am I being overly charitable? \$\endgroup\$
    – KorvinStarmast
    Jan 26, 2017 at 19:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ Those were never personified in OD&D. So "eh?" \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Jan 26, 2017 at 20:56
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What I gathered:

Tharizdun and Entropy are trapped on Oerth Prime. In this sealed off world the two powers will battle each other for a millennia. Eventually, Tharizdun will expire and Entropy will be let loose upon the cosmos once again. Gord and his friends are given life on an alternate world named Yarth.

This was made possible due to the workings of Proctor Chronos and Lady Tolerance.

At the end of the novel, Gord, Gellor and Leda jump from plane to plane. Tharizdun is in pursuit of them and begins sealing off all portals through which energy and assistance can aid the three heroes. Eventually, Gord and company arrive under Castle Greyhawk on Oerth. This is the very center of Balance; Lord Yang and Lady Ying reside here. Gord believes that spheres beyond the reach of Tharizdun can be accessed at this place.

This is exactly what both Tharizdun and Entropy want, and in fact, have lead them here. They believe that the source of the heroes power (Courflamme and the three bands created by the Theorparts) are at their weakest beneath Castle Greyhawk and can be destroyed, ending the conflict.

But all of this has been planned by Proctor Chronos and Lady tolerance. This site, once a portal to the multiverse, has now been sealed off. When Tharizdun destroys Courflamme its three components give life back to Gord, Gellor and Leda, and when Entropy destroys the three bands, they and many of Oerth's inhabitants are sent to the alternate reality of Yarth.

Oerth was destroyed as Gary Gygax was fired from TSR. Yarth is his new beginning.

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