Dark Chateau hinted at much but was ultimately constrained by the fact that it was quite clearly a 'space filler,' a bone thrown to gamers while they chomped at the bit for the main course of Castle Zagyg itself. Yggsburgh, while a worthy product in many respects and full of trademark Gygaxian goodness, offered little to nothing in the way of new information about the fabled Castle nor about the campaign whose centerpiece it was. Anyone who read these early products with clear eyes could have seen warning signs that the Castle Zagyg project would likely never see completion nor would it fulfill the fondest hopes of gamers. The first Castle Zagyg products appeared in 2005, consisting of the 250-page hardcover Yggsburgh by Gygax, detailing a large settlement near Castle Zagyg and the surrounding wilderness, and the 40-page softcover module Dark Chateau by Rob Kuntz, detailing the ruined and abandoned former abode of the Mad Archmage himself. At long last, it seemed as if the fabled Holy Grail of fantasy roleplaying was about to be revealed to the world.Īlas, such hopes proved to be misplaced. That not only Gary Gygax but also Rob Kuntz, co-DM of the Greyhawk campaign, was actively involved in writing these products only heightened the anticipation many felt. Consequently, news that Troll Lord Games would be publishing a series of products detailing the renamed 'Castle Zagyg' was met with great excitement.

Gygax was involved in the writing of none of them and the relationship of even the best of them to the megadungeon of the original Lake Geneva campaign is tenuous at best. Since then, no such module has ever appeared, although numerous products supposedly connected to Castle Greyhawk have been published.

Gamers have been waiting to see the fabled levels of Castle Greyhawk since 1980 at least, when Gygax indicated that TSR would be publishing them in an upcoming module. These flaws do not, I think, diminish the remarkable achievement Gygax and his protégé, Jeff Talanian, have given to the gaming world, but they do contribute to the lingering sense of time wasted and promises unfulfilled that swirl around Gary's gaming legacy.

And collector's item it ought to be, for TUW is a remarkable, if flawed, piece of work. This had made TUW an instant collector's item for devotees of the late Dungeon Master.

Consisting of six staple-bound booklets (varying in length from 20 to 48 pages) and three glossy maps in a large box, The Upper Works (hereinafter abbreviated TUW) is available from Troll Lord Games for $44.95 until the end of December 2008, after which TLG's license to publish and sell it and other Gary Gygax-related products ends. Castle Zagyg: The Upper Works- or, more precisely, Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg: The Upper Works - is the coda that brings the symphony of Gary Gygax's game writing to a melancholy conclusion.

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