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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Oct 2011 : 20:36:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Therise
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
It wouldn't surprise me if one day it would be revealed that it was actually the Imaskari archwizards who invented the Dread Rings, or at the very least, the concepts behind them.
Jamaican High Wizards invented Dread Locks 
Heh! Dey gots da mos' powwaful mojo, mon! 
The only problem is that the Jamaican lichs "bling" keeps falling off of their shriveled skeletal fingers... |
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Edited by - Artemas Entreri on 07 Oct 2011 20:39:39 |
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swifty
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
517 Posts |
Posted - 07 Oct 2011 : 22:44:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Eltheron
Dread rings are made with onions, beer-batter, and really hot chipotle peppers. :)
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go back to sleep america.everything is under control.heres american gladiators.watch this.shuttup. BILL HICKS. |
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 01:21:46
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Wow... onion rings sound really good right now. With Ranch dipping sauce. They gotta have those in the Realms, right?
Dwarfy cuisine, maybe! |
Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 05:40:50
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quote:
Therise
Wow... onion rings sound really good right now. With Ranch dipping sauce. They gotta have those in the Realms, right?
Since ye ask, I present to ye some improvised fake Realmslore:
Ye speak of maskettes ("little masks") ... I would describe them as a shadowy-black bulb vegetable similar to the common yellow, red, and white onion varieties we already know; something like black onions. Unsubstantiated folklore abounds with claims that maskettes only grow at night, or only grow in unholy soil from cemeteries, or are even cultivated by the Shadovar to make their exotic pungent wines. Wild maskettes are thought to have originated from somewhere between Vaasa and Damara (or perhaps even the lower planes, according to some sages), although they have been successfully transplanted to the Moonsea, Sembia, some of the Dales, and have appeared in more distant lands; they are incredibly hardy and able to flourish in poor soil, in seasons of drought, and through destructively inclement weather. Many farmers view them almost as weeds, for they deplete the soil, displace other plants, and are stubbornly difficult to permanently remove when planting of other crops is desired. Most are harvested annually, having grown to about the size of a fat halfling's fist - although they can be left to grow for many years, becoming much larger (pumpkin- or melon-sized after about a decade) and developing an inedible hardened dry woodlike consistency; this can be carved into durable objects which are resistant to water and flame, yet it is difficult to disguise their distinctive (and mildly offensive) odour. Maskettes are covered with a hairy mottled dark rubbery-leathery warty skin which appears, smells, and feels something like brimstone-burnt and decayed troll flesh - this layer thickens with age and serves as a natural defense against insects, grazing animals, and most grazing demihumans. They have a few useful alchemical and medicinal applications, maskette pieces can be rubbed onto flesh to serve as a stinging disinfectant and insect repellant. More importantly, as a food product, they have many complex intertwined filament layers (named intrigues by Sembian chefs) which can be carefully separated into crunchy rings and strands, the outer rings of intrigue are somewhat course and unrefined with a bitterly acidic and surprisingly potent metallic peppery taste, but they become gradually finer, gentler, sweeter and more subtle to the sophisticated palette (and fade from charcoal black to a sort of almost translucent grey) as one delves towards the smallest and most delicate intrigues at the core. Undergrown cherry-sized maskettes (colloquially called iron masks because of their colour) are often mixed into salad garnish or chopped into salad dressings, where their young intrigues provide a sharp and sweet contrast against the blandness of the other greenery. Maskettes can be used as a pickling agent to preserve other foods, but this is rarely done since it invariably dissolves everything else into a murky darkish-grey acidic oily mixture completely dominated by salty metallic maskette taste and smell. The Zhents had a nonsensical rhyming proverb, saying (in their language) that "a little intrigue bites deeper than a dozen whips", as a reference to particularly noxious breath caused by eating maskette-flavoured foods.
Dwarves do indeed consume maskettes in great quantities, although they tend to select only the larger ring-shaped pieces (discarding the rest), treat them with flour and batter, immerse them into a pot of oil or grease boiled over a cookfire, then soak these rings (nicknamed manacles) in copious volumes of beer or mead to "add taste". (This maskette cooking oil is flavoured so strongly that it can only be used for cooking more maskettes; it is afterwards set aside to fuel forges or siege machinery ... dwarves actually find the sulphurous-burning-metal smell of this oil pleasant, they even use it for lamps and make it into temple incense.) Elves never eat maskettes; to them this vegetable is a mild toxin which causes violent short-term digestive illness, and they describe the appearance, taste, and texture as being most highly disagreeable in any event. Halflings often possess numerous small spice jars and pouches from which they sometimes measure tiny quantities of ground maskette powder when cooking their strongest-flavoured stews, soups, and sauces, and quite often use this powder when brewing "curatives" to mend the ill; halfling children are quite fond of maskette-throwing practice, preferably towards distant targets near the bottom of a deep lake or river. Most humans seem to prefer onions instead, plus many maintain childish superstitions about overconsumption of maskettes turning people into shades or demons; human farmers tend to export their maskette crops to dwarven merchants, or to snobbish Sembian nobility, or to oppressive regimes noted for regularly disciplining their troops with heavy maskette rations (maskettes are generally worth little but currently command a high price in the faraway nations of the Shining South). Maskettes are quite popular with orcs, ogres, and goblinoids (who have inadvertently imported wild maskettes throughout marshy Thar and often refer to them by names like Gruumshballs), and many have been seen plucking maskettes from the ground then eating them raw, biting them unpeeled and sucking the juices with great relish, much as others would eat pears and apples. In fact, marauding humanoids, especially hungry ones, as often prefer maskettes as gold, and wise merchants usually carry some maskettes within their cargo (perhaps even an entire wagonload when travelling to Glister!) to offer as payment for their safe passage.
This vegetable is much valued (and much reviled) among garrisons and ship's crews because it helps prevent conditions of scurvy disease and can be stored longer, far longer, than perishables like citrus fruits ... in fact, it can be (and often is) stored for years, sometimes underwater (although it is inclined to float), never spoiling but only becoming "scaled" (ever stronger in taste and hardness as it gradually absorbs salts and loses water content; the intrigues become discoloured with scaly dirty white salt deposits) ... it is entirely immune to bacteria and fungi, and it tends to be thoroughly avoided by rats and vermin (and soldiers and sailors) until there is absolutely nothing else left to eat.
[Edit: added words.] |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 08 Oct 2011 14:38:56 |
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 05:57:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
quote:
Therise
Wow... onion rings sound really good right now. With Ranch dipping sauce. They gotta have those in the Realms, right?
Since ye ask, I present to you some improvised fake Realmslore:
Ye speak of maskettes ("little masks") ...
HUZZAH! WIN!!!
Nomnomnomnomnom! |
Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
Edited by - Therise on 08 Oct 2011 14:12:20 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 13:13:44
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| Huzzah, ye liked so I made more. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 14:35:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Huzzah, ye liked so I made more.
Traditionally, these are consumed at fireside, sizzling hot from the kettle, with large quantities of dark dwarf beer. Conversations often turn to a popular game of the dwarves: crunch-ball, which involves lots of tackling while trying to control a ball made of sewn-up hide.
And the Ranch sauce, it's made from rothé buttermilk and drow spices!
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Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
Edited by - Therise on 08 Oct 2011 14:39:25 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 14:42:57
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| Platters of manacles served with a spiced rothémilk deepdip and tankards of dwarven lager. Fingerfood, meant to be eaten (at least by those who still have enough fingers) in polite company without wearing armoured gauntlets - or do dwarves use tiny pocket axes as eating utensils? Presumably while the dwarves all watch (and shout most vehemently at) various crunch-ball and kobold-punting events on a widescreen scrying mirror? |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 08 Oct 2011 14:50:28 |
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Therise
Master of Realmslore
1272 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 14:51:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Platters of manacles served with a spiced rothémilk deepdip and tankards of dwarven lager. Fingerfood, meant to be eaten (at least by those who still have enough fingers) in polite company without wearing armoured gauntlets - or do dwarves use tiny pocket axes as eating utensils? Presumably while the dwarves all watch (and shout most vehemently at) various crunch-ball and kobold-punting events on a widescreen scrying mirror?
Ayup! No utensils required (the tiny axes are thrown at your fellow diners, when they eat more than their share). Kobold-punting at half-time. 
CRUNCH! |
Female, 40-year DM of a homebrew-evolved 1E Realms, including a few added tidbits of 2E and 3E lore; played originally in AD&D, then in Rolemaster. Be a DM for your kids and grandkids, gaming is excellent for families! |
Edited by - Therise on 08 Oct 2011 14:55:44 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31713 Posts |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2011 : 15:45:59
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Given that Fastrin the Delver was relatively younger than him, maybe it was Halaster who first conceptualized the Dread Rings. He might have cast the Ritual himself, but hesitated in the middle of it, resulting to the Rings' collapse and an explosion of concentrated, massive amount of magic that ruined his body and mind, the start of his path to madness. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36791 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 03:35:55
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| Pretty sure that Ed has said Hally's issues were caused by using himself as an anchor/focal point for many of the magics he's layered in Undermountain. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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althen artren
Senior Scribe
USA
780 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 04:11:50
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| Nah, Sage, the scroll has been lost forever. |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 04:15:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Pretty sure that Ed has said Hally's issues were caused by using himself as an anchor/focal point for many of the magics he's layered in Undermountain.
Yes, I recall that. But maybe he had been mad long before that, as the effects of the failed Ritual; and the severity of his madness was increased exponentially when he resided and experimented with all sorts of magic in Undermountain. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 05:36:12
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The cause of Hilither/Halaster's insanity is already well documented, and entirely unrelated to Dread Rings.
Is it inconceivable that Szass Tam devised the entire ritual himself? It obviously hasn't ever been cast successfully in our universe, so it's unlikely that full details of the working ritual would be available. Or perhaps it has been cast before (any number of times?) and brought into our universe as some sort of momento, or is an undesirable yet critical component of the cosmos (perhaps the real cause of "apocalypse" prophecies), or as a "backdoor" override/halt condition to allow cosmic reset/restart/reformat or whatever. Perhaps Szass expended some number of diviners to learn this ritual from viewing the future, even his future. My personal theory is that the ritual doesn't have a universal scope (destroy a Thay-sized nation or three, an entire continent or world perchance, but certainly not the entire cosmos) ... or that it is some sort of trojan planted by (lost?) beings of power which serves other purposes instead of or in addition to what's stated in the brochure. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 05:46:52
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Plausible. It could also be the Weave-based version of the Shadowstorm, created by Shar long before she mastered and assumed guardianship of the Shadow Weave. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36791 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 15:26:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
The cause of Hilither/Halaster's insanity is already well documented, and entirely unrelated to Dread Rings.
Is it inconceivable that Szass Tam devised the entire ritual himself? It obviously hasn't ever been cast successfully in our universe, so it's unlikely that full details of the working ritual would be available. Or perhaps it has been cast before (any number of times?) and brought into our universe as some sort of momento, or is an undesirable yet critical component of the cosmos (perhaps the real cause of "apocalypse" prophecies), or as a "backdoor" override/halt condition to allow cosmic reset/restart/reformat or whatever. Perhaps Szass expended some number of diviners to learn this ritual from viewing the future, even his future. My personal theory is that the ritual doesn't have a universal scope (destroy a Thay-sized nation or three, an entire continent or world perchance, but certainly not the entire cosmos) ... or that it is some sort of trojan planted by (lost?) beings of power which serves other purposes instead of or in addition to what's stated in the brochure.
What if it was in some way connected to Spellweavers? |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 15:37:54
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Given the amount of exposure Szass Tam has been having (in RLB's and RAS's series), one wonders if he's going to herald the transition from 4E to 5E, or facilitate the major cause himself. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31713 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 15:38:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
The cause of Hilither/Halaster's insanity is already well documented, and entirely unrelated to Dread Rings.
Is it inconceivable that Szass Tam devised the entire ritual himself? It obviously hasn't ever been cast successfully in our universe, so it's unlikely that full details of the working ritual would be available. Or perhaps it has been cast before (any number of times?) and brought into our universe as some sort of momento, or is an undesirable yet critical component of the cosmos (perhaps the real cause of "apocalypse" prophecies), or as a "backdoor" override/halt condition to allow cosmic reset/restart/reformat or whatever. Perhaps Szass expended some number of diviners to learn this ritual from viewing the future, even his future. My personal theory is that the ritual doesn't have a universal scope (destroy a Thay-sized nation or three, an entire continent or world perchance, but certainly not the entire cosmos) ... or that it is some sort of trojan planted by (lost?) beings of power which serves other purposes instead of or in addition to what's stated in the brochure.
What if it was in some way connected to Spellweavers?
Oooo! I really like this.
I only wish I had the time to tinker with such a theory more, but it'll have to wait until I get back.
More to come. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 15:43:23
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Divine his future? He even chided himself for failing to understand Yaphyll's cryptic portents of the Spellplague. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 16:12:51
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Halaster: I am fairly certain that watching his entire, supposedly all-powerful, empire collapse and nearly everything he loved get destroyed was the first spark that lit the fuse of his madness.
I wish I knew about these Dread Rings - I didn't read the series - because I can probably come up with a decnt theory or three about them.
As best as I can interpret, the Weave was far more pervasive then first thought (its collapse appears to have had a cosmos-altering effect similar to what the Dread Rings are supposed to do), and the Dread Rings were some sort of localized hole punched through the magical stability the weave provided.
Without more details, thats all I got.
Were the Dread Rings supposed to cause Szass Tam to ascend? If so, remember that beings with similar goals have used 'great rituals' to do this on other worlds - Threnody/Kiaransalee and Ravenloft/Greyhawk/Vecna. What the rings might do is re-arrange the 'local neighborhood' of the cosmos (world cosmology), and not the entire D&D mulitverse. Since the event would re-invent the local cosmology, and thus be viewed through local eyes (both mortal and immortal), it could be (wrongly) assumed to be all-pervasive.
Think about it - if your entire cosmological view is filtered through your local belief-system (and there as a cause-and-effect with religious dogma), then when it changes you would think everything has changed, because for you - and others on your world - everything would have.
Which means the outcome of the ritual could be both 'apocalyptic of cosmic proportions', and localized because of perspective. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 09 Oct 2011 16:13:38 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11800 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2011 : 17:01:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Halaster: I am fairly certain that watching his entire, supposedly all-powerful, empire collapse and nearly everything he loved get destroyed was the first spark that lit the fuse of his madness.
I wish I knew about these Dread Rings - I didn't read the series - because I can probably come up with a decnt theory or three about them.
As best as I can interpret, the Weave was far more pervasive then first thought (its collapse appears to have had a cosmos-altering effect similar to what the Dread Rings are supposed to do), and the Dread Rings were some sort of localized hole punched through the magical stability the weave provided.
Without more details, thats all I got.
Were the Dread Rings supposed to cause Szass Tam to ascend? If so, remember that beings with similar goals have used 'great rituals' to do this on other worlds - Threnody/Kiaransalee and Ravenloft/Greyhawk/Vecna. What the rings might do is re-arrange the 'local neighborhood' of the cosmos (world cosmology), and not the entire D&D mulitverse. Since the event would re-invent the local cosmology, and thus be viewed through local eyes (both mortal and immortal), it could be (wrongly) assumed to be all-pervasive.
Think about it - if your entire cosmological view is filtered through your local belief-system (and there as a cause-and-effect with religious dogma), then when it changes you would think everything has changed, because for you - and others on your world - everything would have.
Which means the outcome of the ritual could be both 'apocalyptic of cosmic proportions', and localized because of perspective.
Right, so one of Tam's major nemesis' just totally one ups him and becomes a deity. Take it a step further, and its one of the original red wizards who either didn't like the whole concept of the Zulkirship OR was overlooked as a candidate for Zulkir of Necromancy. Take it a step further and the portfolio that this new deity takes is undeath, undead, and necromancy.... thus giving himself a direct link to everything that Tam did. Now, add that said new deity probably loved lording it over his former enemy and encouraging him on to more reckless necromancy in order to increase his own worshipper base. Tam finally just lost it and developed this dread ring idea because he felt he'd lost his "eye on the prize" because he was too busy playing bureaucrat. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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althen artren
Senior Scribe
USA
780 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 03:34:24
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| So might the pyramids at Ascore be one of these dread rigs? |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 09:31:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
As best as I can interpret, the Weave was far more pervasive then first thought (its collapse appears to have had a cosmos-altering effect similar to what the Dread Rings are supposed to do), and the Dread Rings were some sort of localized hole punched through the magical stability the weave provided.
When Szass Tam cast a magical window to see the condition of the Weave and the Shadow Weave, he realized he could still perform magic but had to work around some “limitations,” so every spell wouldn’t slip to nothingness. That, and Bane’s boost of power, was the reason he was able to gather enough magic to power the Dread Rings.
I would posit that the Dread Rings are physical manifestations of the forces that constitute a universe. Life and Death. Order and Chaos. Creation and Destruction. The Dread Rings bring destruction so the universe could begin anew. And only beings curious and powerful enough to perceive reality in nine dimensions, like Szass Tam and Fastrin the Delver, can hope to create and make them work. |
Every beginning has an end. |
Edited by - Dennis on 10 Oct 2011 09:52:29 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 09:49:32
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I view the Dread Rings with more skepticism; to me they might as easily be magical bullseye targets, ground zero for Something Bad like an apocalyptic swarm of planet-killing flaming meteors.
A compelling observation might be that the destruction wrought by the Spellplague and Szass Tam's unsuccessful first attempt to cast the Dread Ring ritual were related in no coincidental manner. Perhaps his ritual was the critical catalyst which destabilized Mystra's control, and perhaps, if his ritual weren't interrupted, he would have ultimately arrogated Mystra's divine station and mastery over the Weave - thus fulfilling his attempt to gain world-shaping power, if not precisely in the manner he expected. Szass Tam himself seems to have a somewhat vague understanding of exactly how his apotheosis will allow him to remake the world; in short, he knows how to prepare himself in exhaustive detail but doesn't actually know anything at all about whether his preparations will work as planned ... he has to carefully cultivate an unfaltering sense of faith (in himself) not unlike the faith of priests who worship Faerûnian powers.
Besides, the thirteen pyramids of Ascore were just landing pads for spelljamming vessels (which visited often, bringing smuggled cargoes of contraband magic into Netheril and debarking with cargoes of dwarven-forged mithril), right? A theory which could explain how all that mysterious red stone seems to end up in all sorts of interesting places. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 10:57:31
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I'm still a little confused about Szass Tam being attacked by an entropic reaper.
Such reapers might be a physical manifestation of universally fundamental forces, as you have posited, Dennis. If so, then Szass was likely attacked by one because, somehow, his presence and actions disrupted the natural workings of the universe enough to be judged significant and attract attention - exactly the sort of imbalance the reapers' existence serves to correct. My problem with this theory is that, as cool as Szass and his plot are, he's just not important enough to require such cosmic intervention when the universe could instead conspire to oppose him in countless other, much less obvious, ways. I suppose it just violates my sense of "Conservation of Verisimilitude", entropic reapers seem overkill (they can kill demigods, y'know) and economically impractical since their mere existence/manifestation is itself a sort of paradoxical violation of the universe.
Or Szass was attacked entirely at random, a bit of misfortune resulting from nothing more than lousy dice rolls, it could've as easily happened to anyone or not even happened at all. Although this particular battle scene was kinda cool and enjoyable, I just can't understand why it would be included in the novels if it served no real purpose beyond filling a few pages with what amounts to being a random encounter. It's not like a little demonstration of Szass's magical prowess was at all necessary to establish his competency by that point in the story.
Perhaps, as a combination of both points above, "breaking the rules" with this entropic reaper attack was meant to serve as a symptom of a broken universe, foreshadowing an impending cosmic calamity, ie: an indicator that Szass was somehow instrumental in causing - or having already initiated - or just being unfortunately located in the heart of - Something Very Bad (like the Spellplague). Again, to me, it seems that an entropic reaper attack against Szass's person would be an inelegant way of explaining this in story context; many other less drastic "malfunctions" could be subtly and effectively interspersed throughout the story. I love Szass Tam, but I just don't see him being the center of the universe (at least, not the Realms universe as it exists prior to the solipsistic universe Szass intends to create through his Dread Ring Ritual). Maybe, maybe, such attacks (and other improbable strangeness) are some sort of incidental (and known or unknown) adverse effect caused by the Dread Rings; ie, perhaps they sort of warp a bit of the universe (and thus affect the laws by which it normally operates), or twist and blur the barriers between planes and dimensions, or function as a beacon of some kind, or whatever, within their proximity while they're charging up.
Reapers in D&D are sometimes explained as very unambiguous agents of powerful entities; in particular, they mostly serve Vecna, sometimes they serve Myrkul (and Cyric, Kelemvor, or Jergal, I suppose), and some serve a variety of lower-planar powers scattered throughout the highest (er, lowest?) archfiend ranks. If this is the case, then Szass was deliberately attacked in an assassination attempt by some being of godlike stature. If so, then who (from where, which world or plane) and why? And more importantly, why wasn't this failed attempt followed by more attacks? I doubt it was deployed as some sort of warning because no message was evident, at least none which Szass Tam understood. I also wouldn't be satisfied with an explanation that this attack was unrelated fallout from Szass's enemies that just happened with coincidentally bad timing.
Perhaps, mixing elements of all three (or four) theories, we could say that the entropic reaper was sent by some cosmic-level übergod like Ao or a primal multiplanar sentience or whatever. Again, this seems to boil down to being questions of why this mission was important enough to use such an overkill agency, and why it was never properly finished after the first failure. Note that I completely overlook that Szass shouldn't have defeated this reaper, it's uncontested fact regardless of whether Szass just got lucky, was incredibly skilled, or has been dangerously underestimated. I also maintain that his importance is still insignificant compared to superior entities such as the gods, as evidenced by the fact that he ingratiated himself to Bane in exchange for more power.
Or have I simply fumbled my intelligence check and missed something painfully obvious? This passage seems like an anomaly to me, serving no purpose in the story that I can discern beyond suggesting that Szass's plot is perceived by somebody or something as a real threat. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 10 Oct 2011 12:18:02 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 12:11:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Perhaps his ritual was the critical catalyst which destabilized Mystra's control, and perhaps, if his ritual weren't interrupted, he would have ultimately arrogated Mystra's divine station and mastery over the Weave - thus fulfilling his attempt to gain world-shaping power, if not precisely in the manner he expected. Szass Tam himself seems to have a somewhat vague understanding of exactly how his apotheosis will allow him to remake the world; in short, he knows how to prepare himself in exhaustive detail but doesn't actually know anything at all about whether his preparations will work as planned ... he has to carefully cultivate an unfaltering sense of faith (in himself) not unlike the faith of priests who worship Faerûnian powers.
I would have to disagree. Szass Tam has no plan of usurping Mystra’s sole guardianship of the Weave, or at least he didn’t say he intended to.
I suppose he has a rather broad and sufficient understanding of the the Ritual, had altered the original notes of Fastrin to best suit his goals. Remember, he constructed more Dread Rings than what’s indicated in the notes. That modification is indicative of his foresight [though not infallible] and the scope of his understanding of the Ritual. |
Every beginning has an end. |
Edited by - Dennis on 10 Oct 2011 12:41:06 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 12:12:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Or Szass was attacked entirely at random, a bit of misfortune resulting from nothing more than lousy dice rolls, it could've as easily happened to anyone or not even happened at all. Although this particular battle scene was kinda cool and enjoyable, I just can't understand why it would be included in the novels if it served no real purpose beyond filling a few pages with what amounts to being a random encounter. It's not like a little demonstration of Szass's magical prowess was at all necessary to establish his competency by that point in the story.
On the contrary, it demonstrated Szass Tam’s weakness and vulnerability: that being a wielder of magic, he’s restricted to the limitations of the Weave. The collapse of both the Weave and Shadow Weave disabled him [sometimes] to cast even his most basic or least powerful of spells. The quote below [taken from page 110 of Undead] cements that notion.
quote:
That had been too close. And it infuriated him. An archmage should have little trouble coping with an entropic reaper, fearsome as the creatures were to lesser folk, and yet the entity might easily have slain him.
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 12:22:55
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quote:
Dennis
I suppose [Szass] has a rather broad and sufficient understand of the the Ritual, had altered the original notes of Fastrin to best suit his goals. Remember, he constructed more Dread Rings than what’s indicated in the notes. That modification is indicative of his foresight [though not infallible] and the scope of his understanding of the Ritual.
Possibly. But sometimes more is not better. He might've increased the complexity or magnitude of the magic beyond workable limits. If one hundred nukes will destroy the world then it's hardly foresight, it's actually rather pointless, to build an arsenal containing one hundred thousand nukes. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2011 : 12:40:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
quote:
Dennis
I suppose [Szass] has a rather broad and sufficient understanding of the the Ritual, had altered the original notes of Fastrin to best suit his goals. Remember, he constructed more Dread Rings than what’s indicated in the notes. That modification is indicative of his foresight [though not infallible] and the scope of his understanding of the Ritual.
Possibly. But sometimes more is not better. He might've increased the complexity or magnitude of the magic beyond workable limits. If one hundred nukes will destroy the world then it's hardly foresight, it's actually rather pointless, to build an arsenal containing one hundred thousand nukes.
There’s little that’s known about the Ritual itself. However, one can assume that it’s not only an “Unmaking,” but a “Making” as well. Otherwise, why would a centuries-old lich with vast amount of power and wisdom try to cast it? He does not revere annihilation. He doesn’t share Shar’s goals. He only wants to change the entire world according to his liking. The grand spell in question should have been called “Ritual of Remaking.” [Though, I must say, the original sounds better.] |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Dread Rings
