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Calrond
Learned Scribe
USA
118 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Mar 2008 : 05:34:02
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In my current campaign, I have a player with a character who is a Shade. This Shade works alongside the Vanrakdoom Sharrans from time to time and in Vanrakdoom, to liven things up, I had him participate in a human sacrifice, Book of Vile Darkness style. The altar that the victims were sacrificed on was special, though, in that it was made out of a shadow substance that caused not only the bodies of the victims but their souls as well to be sacrificed to Shar. Their souls were 'absorbed' into the shadow substance of the altar.
So the Shade's player presented me with an idea and a question that I couldn't answer. He asked me what would happen if someone placed a Moonblade on the altar? I'm not very familiar with Moonblades other than just the basics, but I'm told that the souls of the owners live on inside the Moonblade. He's wondering if it would pull the souls out of the sword and make it a normal sword (thus 'destroying' a Moonblade).
I was able to come up with four answers that I could think might happen.
1. The altar pulls the souls of the sword's previous owners out of the sword, making it just an enchanted sword and nothing more.
2. The altar and the Moonblade react in a Weave-Shadowweave reaction and cause an explosion or rip in the Planes or something like that.
3. Nothing happens.
4. The taint of the altar causes the souls inside the sword and the sword itself to be corrupted somehow.
These are just the three I came up with, but I'm sure that those more learnéd than I could shed some light on this for me. I do think that a Will Save for the weapon may be in order.
Thanks in advance to any scribes who can help with this question!
Calrond
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Edited by - Calrond on 08 Mar 2008 05:45:03
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2008 : 10:41:46
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You can read about moonbladesand their creation in the sourcebook 'Cormanthyr - Empire of ELves', p. 23:
'This was also an important time for the elves, as the collective High Mages of Faerûn the Elven Court, and many elven clan elders conceived of and created the moonblades, the magical swords that would aid the elves in choosing more worthy and wise rulers. An aged elf, the Grand Mage Ethlando at Elven Court linked all the rituals, and High Magic flowed across Toril, binding all the elven High Mages in solemn ceremony.'
Note however, that firstly only a limited numer of moonblades were created and that up to today almost all lie dormant or dead, their clans unworthy or slain.
'Cormanthyr - Empire of Elves' notes that by the Year of the Falling Tower* (650 DR) only between 30 to 50 moonblades still touch the Weave. This number should have dwindled analogical to the flow of the years up to the present, reducing the number of 'active' moonblades to maybe a duzen, possibly less.
More information of moonblades can be obtained also from 'Volo's guides to all Things Magical' (VGtaTM), p. 114 et seq.
Your question I cannot answer from the spot as I need to ponder on this a little. Hastily answered I'd say: nothing happens. Here my reasoning:
According to VGtaTM the 'Starym Moonblade' discribed therein can be destroyed in the following ways:
- must be bathed in the tears of Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet.
- must be shattered by the touch of Eldath.
- will shatter when the mythal encompassing ruined Myth Drannor is destroyed.
This leads me to two assumptions:
1. Conditions for distroying a moonblade are powerful and accompished very rarely.
2. these special preset conditions are set upon the time of their creation or at least have a close linkage to their creation.
Hence the destruction of or changing of magical powers of a moonblade through contact with the altar must be those rare conditions that meet these conditions.
However, other sages might come to different conclusions and I myself am not quite sure if this answer is the correct one. As sai before: I will do some pondering on that matter....
*The sourcebook speaks of 'Year of the Fallen Tower', which is according to the Roll of the Years 1447 DR. However, this makes little sense as the ARCANE AGE takes place in 650 DR the 'Year of the FALLING Tower'. Nice typo, ain't it!  |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
Edited by - Ergdusch on 08 Mar 2008 11:03:32 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36996 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2008 : 15:31:30
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Moonblades are near-artifacts. Chucking one on an altar shouldn't do a thing...
Besides which, the souls are bound to the sword. When released, they finally get to go to Arvandor. It's basically a service they perform to the elven people by staying in the blades until released, and I'd imagine that the Seldarine would take special care in making sure those souls went to the right place. |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2008 : 22:48:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Moonblades are near-artifacts. Chucking one on an altar shouldn't do a thing...
Besides which, the souls are bound to the sword. When released, they finally get to go to Arvandor. It's basically a service they perform to the elven people by staying in the blades until released, and I'd imagine that the Seldarine would take special care in making sure those souls went to the right place.
As I suspected....
BTW, I read a little further in VGtaTM and it is mentioned that only 'a trace of' or a 'small piece of spirit' is bound to the sword along with a new power. Therefore only a little part of the former wielders soul and not his entire soul is bound to the sword. The rest of his soul must go to Arvandor, I assume.
Therefore, it most likely will not harm the soul even if the altar should suck the remaining trace out of the sword. The soul of its wielder should be save and sound wherever it is. |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
Edited by - Ergdusch on 08 Mar 2008 22:52:53 |
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Calrond
Learned Scribe
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2008 : 00:53:12
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| Thanks to you both for the help. I really appreciate the quote that you typed out for me, Ergdusch, since I don't have access to that particular sourcebook. And good point about the Seldarine's assistance, Wooly Rupert. I hadn't considered that, but the active Moonblade and the souls inside it would fall directly under their influence. Thanks again for the help, gentlemen! |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2008 : 01:23:46
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quote:
Originally posted by Calrond
So the Shade's player presented me with an idea and a question that I couldn't answer. He asked me what would happen if someone placed a Moonblade on the altar?
Did he just ask that question of curiosity? Why moonblades, and not some other soul-bearing artifact? I mean, does this player know of a particular moonblade that he'd like to place on the altar?
I'm saying this because I doubt moonblades are as well known in the setting (ie. to the PCs) as they are among the setting's fans. For the answer, I'd go with "nothing happens", although that's partly just because I'm not a fan of "shadow-anything" right now. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
Edited by - Rinonalyrna Fathomlin on 09 Mar 2008 01:25:21 |
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Calrond
Learned Scribe
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2008 : 02:29:02
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It was more a hypothetical question he was asking, and he was considering what he might like to do with his character when he's powerful enough. His character doesn't actually know anything about Moonblades.
Not a shadow fan right now? I'm trying to limit anything shadow related to worshipers of Shar, with emphasis placed on her clergy, monks, and shades. Other than that, I'm keeping it out of the campaign for now. And since I only have one Sharran character, the shadow magic is there more for flavor of the campaign setting than anything else. But I can certainly understand why people would steer clear of it. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2008 : 00:28:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Calrond
It was more a hypothetical question he was asking, and he was considering what he might like to do with his character when he's powerful enough. His character doesn't actually know anything about Moonblades.
Understood. Whatever the case may be, my personal answer is "Nothing happens."
quote:
Not a shadow fan right now? I'm trying to limit anything shadow related to worshipers of Shar, with emphasis placed on her clergy, monks, and shades. Other than that, I'm keeping it out of the campaign for now. And since I only have one Sharran character, the shadow magic is there more for flavor of the campaign setting than anything else. But I can certainly understand why people would steer clear of it.
No, not a Shadow fan right now. I feel that Shadow-anything has been rather...overexposed in recent years. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12221 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2008 : 17:02:33
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I would say nothing happens, basically because trap the soul and similar effects don't seem to be noted as affecting moonblades.
However, it is a very interesting question. I think it would be interesting if an intelligent blade could be corrupted by it. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Moonblades and Dark Altars
