Secrets of the Dead Lands Review, Chapter 6

Athas.org recently released Secrets of the Dead Lands. The book is a D&D 3.5 version of an unfinished manuscript, originally for AD&D 2nd edition. Although, most of the information is system neutral and can be used for any rule system. The original draft was written by Timothy Brown, co-creator of the Dark Sun setting. 

I will not be comparing the Athas.org version with the original manuscript. I will give my opinions on the completed Secrets of the Dead Lands. I have decided that I will break down the review into separate parts, by reviewing it chapter by chapter. I will not criticize the artwork or maps, as this is a free book, that was put together by fans. Although the artwork has been surprisingly good.
The review of Chapter 1. 
The review of Chapter 2.
The review of Chapter 3.
The review of Chapter 4.
The review of Chapter 5.

Chapter 6 - The Kingdoms of Gretch
The chapter begins with a easy to read map of the region. I love maps, two thumbs up! This map shows that this area is south of The Naked Obsidian, the region discussed in chapter three.
The region is described as harsh and lifeless. The obsidian is thick and there are obsidian glaciers moving slowly over the stone underneath. It mentions the obsidian is particularly thick.
The region is named for a human defiler named, you guessed it, Gretch. The evil man used magic to create some monsters and ran away from his teachers. He sought undeath as a way of extending his existence, but something went wrong. His past is further deatiled and it is strongly hinted that he played a major part in the disaster that created the Dead Lands.

Gretch continues to rule over his kingdoms and he uses them as he sees fits. He has them wage wars against each other, for his amusement, or for experiments he is conducting. It is insinuated that Gretch's existence is quite lonely.
The Kingdom of Ireyul is described first. The ruler of this kingdom is described in detail, including his past. However, his kingdom is only described as being haphazardly laid out and filled with zombies and skeletons, who are disfigured. If player characters find themselves here, dungeon masters should be ready for the player characters to flee.
The Kingdom of Oskyar is described next. The ruler of this kingdom is described, as well as his motivation. The kingdom is described as being a large group of unfinished buildings, as Oskyar's interest lags. Perhaps Oskyar has a form of ADD. This kingdom would be a good place for player characters to eventually explore.
A description for the Kingdom of Chuul follows. Chuul's history is detailed, but he is not the ruler of the kingdom. Another undead arrived and usurped his rulership. The new ruler fears Gretch's retribution, but nothing has happened yet. Chuul also continues to exist, locked below his palace, in dungeons of his own creation. This would be a good kingdom for player characters to explore, as they may not be killed immediately.
The Kingdom of Kuo'chthan is outlined next. This is a kingdom in name only, as the undead thri-kreen ruler is completely mad. There are no signs of civilization in his, so-called, kingdom. There are a large number of undead and would be a great entrance to the Kingdoms of Gretch for player characters.
The Kingdom of Ceeryl is, in fact, a queendom. Ceeryl was a beautiful woman and is still beautiful in death. Like most beautiful women, she was easily able to manipulate men, especially Gretch, into doing what she wanted. However, she was betrayed and now rules a false kingdom, full of illusions. This would be an interesting place to visit, and player characters might even find an uneasy alliance.
The Gardens of Shansanar are a bizarre place, filled with obsidian trees and other planet-appearing sculptures. Theses gardens are constructed underground and nearly invisible from the surface. The ruler, Shansanar, doesn't care about visitors, unless they damage his sculptures. I like the idea of a garden of obsidian plants and trees, but I believe this kingdom could have been more interesting, if part of the gardens were above ground. The only way to access the gardens, are from jagged pits, that player characters are likely to avoid.
The Gelada of Kiwk is a brutal kingdom, that player characters are likely to want to escape from. The ruler of the kingdom, Kiwk, is a brute and loves to engage in combat. Player characters are unlikely to make an alliance with him, as he is loyal to Gretch. His kingdom is a series of auditoriums, surrounded by small villages to support it.
Nophdeh's Gullet is ruled by a dwarven banshee, that has been magically enslaved by Gretch. This kingdom has been dug into the obsidian plane, a huge pit with various tunnels branching off of it. I don't see player characters coming to the gullet, without specific direction. Perhaps they have to sneak into the gullet to retrieve an object for Oskyar or Ceeryl.
The Viscera is not a true kingdom and is entirely underground. It is ruled by a group of racist human undead. They want to kill all demi-humans and await a champion to lead them out of their underground home. A party of entirely human player characters might be able to use this to their advantage, but The Viscera is more likely to be a hazard.
The section about The Kingdom of Olnak begins with a massive information dump. It describes the history of Tol'thak in great detail. Tol'thak rules an underground city, Olnak, and hates Gretch with a passion. He is restoring Olnak and building an army to challenge, and destroy, Gretch. If player characters make it known that they dislike Gretch, they can find allies here.
The Kingdom of Nocwis is ruled by a queen. She leads a large force of nomadic undead and raids the other kingdoms, to capture mindless undead. The text doesn't described how she travels, but I immediately imagined an obsidian chariot, pulled by undead crodlu.

The Exilarchate of Erthne is ruled by a female ogre, who hates Gretch, but is magically forced to serve him. She is adept at planning tactics and rules a southern realm, where the bugdead are likely to attack first. She is likely to use player characters, rather than kill them, so her realm would be intriguing to visit.
The Kingdom of Wujarrt is another queendom. Ruled by the defiler Wujarrt, who is a morg. She is entirely evil and a bit insane. She is loyal to Gretch, but abhors boredom. Smart player characters can amuse, or entertain her to save their lives. They may learn about the green age, Gretch, or other topics, by engaging her in interesting conversation. She is partially insane, however, so player characters should not plan to stay near her for long. Her kingdom has many towns and fortifications for player characters to visit, but the details of these towns are left up to the dungeon master.
This is an interesting chapter and I found myself thinking how appropriate it would be in the Ravenloft setting. Gretch could be a dread lord, as he wants to grow in power, but is unable to do so; is in unrequited love with Ceeryl; and wants to rule a unified kingdom, but certainly does not.
In Dark Sun, it is an interesting location. There is more than enough location information, as well as intrigue, for dungeon masters to use in their games. Player characters will find allies and enemies here, and will quickly be used as pawns by the various monarchs. There is a lot of roleplaying opportunity here.
I believe Secrets of the Dead Lands is worth a download and a read. It is useful information for Dark Sun and other Dungeons and Dragons settings.