| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Galothean |
Posted - 27 Dec 2003 : 16:46:25
This may be a dumb question to some, but who and what is lord AO? I know that he is the overgod (if I may call it that), who basically rules the other gods and maintains balance, but other than that nothing. Does he have followers in the realms, does he take a more active role in the realms? So I ask you, who is Lord AO? |
| 27 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| cpthero2 |
Posted - 28 Sep 2018 : 15:33:54
Master Sage,
That is a really interesting idea that you put together for Lord Ao there. I really like that one. I've thought about it, but it wasn't until I read more about the Far Realm, and the lore that is current on Lord Ao, that I thought, Lord Ao comes from the Far Realm. A harbinger of control that balances out the conflict between what the Far Realm is (or isn't, or both, or I don't know) and the multiverse. Star Trek wise.....I think of the Far Realm as anti-matter, and the multiverse as matter. They don't go well together, which is why it usually goes very poorly when they merge.
Never really put more thought into it than that, but that is what I've thought up as of now.
Best regards,
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
One interesting 2e theory (in the high glory days of the Planescape setting) about Ao that I used to like tinkering around with, was the idea that Ao was simply a part (or an aspect/facet) of a vast multiversal consciousness. This consciousness controlled parts of it's itself in all of the campaign settings of TSR. For example, Ao in Realmspace, Chaos in Krynnspace, the Dark Powers of Ravenloft on the Ethereal Plane...they were all parts of one ultra-divine being.
Think of it as a 2e example of the Xammux from the BoVD.
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| The Sage |
Posted - 21 Jan 2004 : 04:25:12
quote:
Originally posted by Lina
I don't know if anyone has read David Eddings The Belgariad. In this series his version of the creation of the world, the overgod who created sub-gods, who in turn created followers are similar to that of FR.
Yes I have read that particular series. However I've always looked at this kind of creationism as a very generalist approach to world formation. Many fantasy worlds (and some sci-fi series) ascribe to this very popular method of deity creation and birth, which has at times sprung from real-world cultural mythologies of a similar type. The Titans and, to a lesser extent, the Olympians of ancient Hellenic myth being a prime example of this type.
Of course one could look at Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos as an alternate type, but that particular mythology brings forth images of other-worldly entities journeying across the sea of stars to our world, all taking place in an already pre-created universe. There is no real creationism there.
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| Shadowlord |
Posted - 21 Jan 2004 : 01:34:46
Don't we all....... |
| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 21 Jan 2004 : 01:01:01
wish i could live in the realms... |
| Shadowlord |
Posted - 20 Jan 2004 : 21:13:56
Ahhh, if only, If only..... |
| Cherrn |
Posted - 20 Jan 2004 : 15:45:31
My theory about who Ao answers to, as shown in the end of the novel "Waterdeep", is that he answers to us, the GM, the ultimate, most powerful entity in the world |
| Lina |
Posted - 20 Jan 2004 : 13:43:26
I don't know if anyone has read David Eddings The Belgariad. In this series his version of the creation of the world, the overgod who created sub-gods, who in turn created followers are similar to that of FR. |
| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 16 Jan 2004 : 19:25:10
ah understood sage |
| The Sage |
Posted - 15 Jan 2004 : 01:07:06
quote:
Originally posted by Dracandos the Spellsage
gee Sage, with all u do, id think u had a permanent time stop spell activated non stop
Actually I have a fair idea of what exactly will be covered and discussed by this treatise, and I have some notes taken from each source I have encountered on the 'Elder Gods'...Composing it, and putting it into a form ready for presention on the internet, is another story however...
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| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 14 Jan 2004 : 19:29:05
aye myself aswell |
| Shadowlord |
Posted - 14 Jan 2004 : 02:24:37
Hmmm, that spell could come in handy helping me finish my story..... |
| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 14 Jan 2004 : 02:06:07
gee Sage, with all u do, id think u had a permanent time stop spell activated non stop |
| The Sage |
Posted - 13 Jan 2004 : 11:49:58
Indeed I will...
In fact, I have been thinking about writing a small treatise detailing the 'Elder Gods' of the Realms, using some of the materials as presented in the many PS tomes the information seems to be distributed in.
Of course the only stumbling block to this idea is...'time'.
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| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 12 Jan 2004 : 21:15:24
well if u do ever find anything official on them, please send me a link or let me know or somethin |
| The Sage |
Posted - 09 Jan 2004 : 04:47:11
Actually, I wasn't talking about the 'official' interpretation of the 'Elder Gods' in WotC FR. I was merely stating that in my own FR campaigns, there is little, to no knowledge, of such great entities.
There are snippets of information though about the deities who are above that of what Ao represents in the divine heirarchy, but outside of a few PS tomes that detail the FR pantheon, I have read/found very little about them.
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| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 08 Jan 2004 : 22:26:25
ah i c. so there is no official product by WotC or anything like that that does discuss the existence of the Elder Gods? thats 2 bad, im interested in them, n would like 2 learn more |
| The Sage |
Posted - 08 Jan 2004 : 02:50:24
There is very little existent knowledge with regards to the 'Elder Gods'. Perhaps a lost tome in an old dungeon, or buried in a dragon's hoard may contain some cryptic details, or strange and peculiar references to deities outside the standard pantheons.
I think it would be safe to say that Elminster, and maybe two or three others Archmages across Faerun, would have some very basic knowledge of these entities, but that is as far as I would probably take it.
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| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 08 Jan 2004 : 01:40:40
hmmm interesting...u said u dont really like the idea of Elder Gods. so is there no official documentation of the Edler Gods? or have there just been hints of their existence? |
| The Sage |
Posted - 06 Jan 2004 : 11:22:45
While that is true, my interpretation on the 'Elder Gods' mainly stems from a number of references from various 2e FR and PS tomes. I've never really liked the idea of 'Elder Gods' in FR, so this was one of the first aspects of the Torilian cosmology that I altered when I first purchased a copy of the 2e MotP.
Having succeeding generations of greater deities becomes tiresome after a period. At some point there had to exist the undefined chaos, from which everything else sprung.
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| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 04 Jan 2004 : 19:48:40
aye i agree Sage, although i have never seen any explanation of what exactly the Elder Gods r, whether they r, like u said "the conscious thoughts of ultra-divine remnants left over from the Multiversal creation," or whether they actually r Elder Gods. but the Elder Gods r thought 2 be what actually did create the mutiverse. so that conflicts with what u said about the Edler Gods being the remnants of the ultra-divine forces left over from the creation of the Multiverse, because they r in fact what created the multiverse itself! keep in mind sage im not challenging u, im only speaking of what i know of these Elder Gods |
| The Sage |
Posted - 04 Jan 2004 : 01:22:10
I really don't think alot of imagination is required. We know Ao reports on the general status of Toril to beings of greater power than himself, so it's safe to assume that these same deities are a source of divine power far greater than what Ao himself is capable of wielding.
I prefer to think of these 'Elder Gods' as you say, as nothing more than the conscious thoughts of ultra-divine remnants left over from the Multiversal creation.
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| Dracandos the Spellsage |
Posted - 04 Jan 2004 : 00:29:43
whats crazy is that Lord Ao is the least of all the Elder Gods...imagine what they would be like |
| Fibura Gauntlet |
Posted - 29 Dec 2003 : 16:01:29
quote:
This may be a dumb question to some, but who and what is lord AO?
He's the fig-leaf protecting the Realms from accusations of being a den of Satanism |
| The Sage |
Posted - 29 Dec 2003 : 12:56:46
I still haven't read anything in any 3e FR materials that makes me think otherwise. I'm just hoping that there will be something written about Ao and his relationship to other planar realms in the Player's Guide when it's released in March.
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| Elrond Half Elven |
Posted - 28 Dec 2003 : 15:20:27
Great Idea Sage! Ao, is like so many of the other forces the all mysterious 'Watcher' who tries to keep things in check. The mists/Dark power of Ravenloft removes Really Evil (Strahd Von Zarovich lol Just kidding) people and places them out of the way. Perhaps they are all apart of the same being, a 'big brother' for the gods. I mean even Gods go wrong! The Big Brother is there to keep them in order!
Hanx
Elrond |
| The Sage |
Posted - 28 Dec 2003 : 12:31:40
One interesting 2e theory (in the high glory days of the Planescape setting) about Ao that I used to like tinkering around with, was the idea that Ao was simply a part (or an aspect/facet) of a vast multiversal consciousness. This consciousness controlled parts of it's itself in all of the campaign settings of TSR. For example, Ao in Realmspace, Chaos in Krynnspace, the Dark Powers of Ravenloft on the Ethereal Plane...they were all parts of one ultra-divine being.
Think of it as a 2e example of the Xammux from the BoVD.
|
| The Cardinal |
Posted - 27 Dec 2003 : 20:43:00
Actually the information you have there pretty much sums up Lord Ao.He takes no active role in the realms really (other than the Time of Troubles and Creating the realms I assume), he could have followers (none that I know of), but he grants no spells, no abilities, nothing.
One could be theoretically faithless or false by worshiping him... Actually I wonder what would happen if one spent the entire life in praise to Ao, and when they died, how would they be judged? False? Faithless? Faithful?...
One would do better to praise nothing than praise Ao... They sit about the same... Do any others have any more info? |
