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Galothean
Acolyte
South Africa
6 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Dec 2003 : 16:46:25
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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?
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The Cardinal
Senior Scribe
Canada
647 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2003 : 20:43:00
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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? |
It has to be Certain, the Gods Hate Me. For whatever irrevokable Fate, I have been made the walking Joke. Either that, or Beshaba is overlyfond Of Me.
-Unknown |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2003 : 12:31:40
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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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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Elrond Half Elven
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
322 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2003 : 15:20:27
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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 |
Once upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While i nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
-The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2003 : 12:56:46
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Fibura Gauntlet
Seeker
United Kingdom
50 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2003 : 16:01:29
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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  |
- Fibura Gauntlet
A scrib(bl)e on the margins of Candlekeep |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2004 : 00:29:43
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| whats crazy is that Lord Ao is the least of all the Elder Gods...imagine what they would be like |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2004 : 01:22:10
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 04 Jan 2004 01:24:41 |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2004 : 19:48:40
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| 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 |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2004 : 11:22:45
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2004 : 01:40:40
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| 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? |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2004 : 02:50:24
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2004 : 22:26:25
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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 |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jan 2004 : 04:47:11
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2004 : 21:15:24
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| well if u do ever find anything official on them, please send me a link or let me know or somethin |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2004 : 11:49:58
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2004 : 02:06:07
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| gee Sage, with all u do, id think u had a permanent time stop spell activated non stop |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2004 : 02:24:37
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| Hmmm, that spell could come in handy helping me finish my story..... |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2004 : 19:29:05
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| aye myself aswell |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2004 : 01:07:06
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2004 : 19:25:10
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| ah understood sage |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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Lina
Senior Scribe
Australia
469 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2004 : 13:43:26
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| 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. |
“Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows! Buried in the flow of time. In thy great name. I pledge myself to darkness. All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed…by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!!!”
"Thieves? Ah, such an ugly word... look upon them as the most honest sort of merchant."
-Oglar the Thieflord |
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Cherrn
Learned Scribe
Denmark
323 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2004 : 15:45:31
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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  |
A wise man from Calimport once told me: "If a merchant puts sand in the flask of oil he's trying to sell you, then he isn't trying to sell you sand..." |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2004 : 21:13:56
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| Ahhh, if only, If only..... |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Dracandos the Spellsage
Senior Scribe
466 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2004 : 01:01:01
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| wish i could live in the realms... |
Death strips away the masks men don to hide their true nature - The Slayer's Guide to Undead
The Lord of Murder shall perish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown from their passage - So Sayeth the Wise Alaundo
Whenever magic one doth weave, 'tis never ever wise to deceive - Elminster
Strength and power come from knowing and controlling what others do not, but never reveal all that you know - Vecna
I have been known to cast a blue mage spell now and again - Dracandos the Spellsage |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2004 : 01:34:46
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| Don't we all....... |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2004 : 04:25:12
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 28 Sep 2018 : 15:33:54
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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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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Who is Lord AO?
