Gazetteer Metaplot

[Steve Miller]

2. The deepest darkest secret of all is the Caller's intention and purpose. And for sure we cannot speculate any further about why Isolde followed him to Ravenloft.

Simplest answer: He ran into the Demiplane of Dread because he said,"Oh hell... she's pissed now, and she's gonna kill me!" He KNEW she wouldn't follow, because it was against The Rules. He didn't count on how much she wanted him dead, dead, DEAD...

It this case, the short-term plan was survival. Escape could come later. He miscalculated Isolde's reaction, though, thinking that she'd let him go instead of having her boss's strip her of power for violating The Rules.

[Mangrum]

My overall guess of the culmination of the plan is something that reshapes the entire demiplane. We know it was something that was to bridge the gap between 3rd and 4th editions, they wanted something BIG.

As a note, I'm not particularly sure where you get this from. Not only has the above not been stated, it contradicts some of what has been stated. There's no "we know" here.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Personally, however, I didn't like the idea of putting clear illustrations of S in the books to begin with.

Understandable considering the mystery around the character. On a related note: Were there ever plans to reveal the full name of "Our Hero" or was it always to be a mystery? Did a full name for her ever exist somewhere in the minds of the Kargatane?

[Mangrum]

Were there ever plans to reveal the full name of "Our Hero" or was it always to be a mystery? Did a full name for her ever exist somewhere in the minds of the Kargatane?

For the Kargatane, her name has always simply been "S." If she was ever to have been given a full name, it would likely have been her final sign-off at the end of Gazetteer XIII. But honestly, by that time it would have been an afterthought.

Her name is "S."

[Jester of the FoS]

My overall guess of the culmination of the plan is something that reshapes the entire demiplane. We know it was something that was to bridge the gap between 3rd and 4th editions, they wanted something BIG.

As a note, I'm not particularly sure where you get this from. Not only has the above not been stated, it contradicts some of what has been stated. There's no "we know" here.

* Had we kept to the schedule of two gazetteers a year, the series would have concluded in 762 BC - thirteen years before the Time of Unparalleled Darkness.

...

* In my personal notes, I considered Gazetteer XIII a good place to end Ravenloft Third Edition. Particularly since D&D 4th Edition would likely be approaching (or here) by then, were RL still going at that point, I would have bumped the timeline forward to 765 BC and handed the reins off to the next generation of designers to launch Ravenloft Fourth Edition, which likely would have focused on the imminent "end days" of the setting.

I'm not immune to reading too much into things.

[Mangrum]

I'm not immune to reading too much into things.

What I said and what you took away are not the same thing.

You're also completely ignoring at least two other comments I made in those same posts that go against your conclusion.

This is why you guys are always so all over the place with your speculation -- you cherry-pick the evidence, looking to massage quotes to they'll seem to support pre-conceived desires or expectations, rather than simply seeing where the evidence itself leads you.

[Don Fernando]

I must agree with Mr. Mangrum, there is an awful quantity of speculation, which makes everything very blurry and unclear. That's why I wanted to do that list of facts only, to help us find a clear way to the "truth". (I sounds like we are searching for the X-Files)

[Don Fernando]

2. The deepest darkest secret of all is the Caller's intention and purpose. And for sure we cannot speculate any further about why Isolde followed him to Ravenloft.

Simplest answer: He ran into the Demiplane of Dread because he said,"Oh hell... she's pissed now, and she's gonna kill me!" He KNEW she wouldn't follow, because it was against The Rules. He didn't count on how much she wanted him dead, dead, DEAD...

It this case, the short-term plan was survival. Escape could come later. He miscalculated Isolde's reaction, though, thinking that she'd let him go instead of having her boss's strip her of power for violating The Rules.

Thank your for your answer Mr. Miller,

I was specting this answer. So now we know these pretty little facts, once again correct me if I'm wrong.

1. The GC was really escaping from Isolde. No plan for Multiverse domination whatsoever.

2. Number 1 leads to the following conclusions:
a. The GC knew the Basics about Ravenloft (demiplane, prision, no escape beeing the keywords).
b. No knowledge of the Darkpowers, the fabric of Ravenloft or, again, Multiverse domination Plan.

3. This clears the path, now. So the GC is only a part in the ToUD, just as the Gaz's are. He's not the mastermind behind it all.

There's still the big question:
Does Azalin know something in particular about the GC? This question, i guess is very important to link the two toghether.

What say you?

[Ail]

2. The deepest darkest secret of all is the Caller's intention and purpose. And for sure we cannot speculate any further about why Isolde followed him to Ravenloft.

Simplest answer: He ran into the Demiplane of Dread because he said,"Oh hell... she's pissed now, and she's gonna kill me!" He KNEW she wouldn't follow, because it was against The Rules. He didn't count on how much she wanted him dead, dead, DEAD...

It this case, the short-term plan was survival. Escape could come later. He miscalculated Isolde's reaction, though, thinking that she'd let him go instead of having her boss's strip her of power for violating The Rules.

Thank your for your answer Mr. Miller,

I was specting this answer. So now we know these pretty little facts, once again correct me if I'm wrong.

I suspect Mr Miller's answer is not a definitive one. As pointed before, he's put two different possibilities in his site. What Steve meant, from my POV, is that the simplest answer is that.... but that may not be the only one.
Of course, if you want to go by Occam's razor, fine. That's good in Science, but often what you want in fiction is rather twisted stories and difficult, complex answers.

Ail

[Pamela]

Excuse me, but is there any reason why the true theory can't be revealed? Why this game of twenty questions?

[Don Fernando]

I suspect Mr Miller's answer is not a definitive one. As pointed before, he's put two different possibilities in his site. What Steve meant, from my POV, is that the simplest answer is that.... but that may not be the only one.
Of course, if you want to go by Occam's razor, fine. That's good in Science, but often what you want in fiction is rather twisted stories and difficult, complex answers.

Ail

I agree, I also want that. However, to find out what's this Megaplot about, we have to stick to the crude facts and not read between the lines too much. I mean, we are not asking questions to an Oracle, and we are not getting answers in riddles. Mr. Mangrum and Mr. Miller are just trying to avoid direct, concrete answers, for obvious reasons. If we are to find out what's this all about, we have to work with facts and not possibilities.

Once we are on the right track, things will start getting better, and I assure you that the answers we'll get, will be twisted stories with complex answers. But until then, only facts.

.

[Stygian Inquirer]

Also, here's some circumstantial evidence: John Mangrum (I think) once commented on the artwork for S, saying that one of the pictures (I think Gaz IV) was too young and pretty and that one of the others (Gaz III?) was more accurate.

The accurate illustration was Talon's in Gazetteer II.

John, do you refer to the illustration of her holding a staff and sitting on a bench in Lamordia with everyone staring at her?

[Mangrum]

John, do you refer to the illustration of her holding a staff and sitting on a bench in Lamordia with everyone staring at her?

I don't recall that one. I'm referring to the illustation of her encounter with Adam. That's how she should have been depicted throughout.

[Jasper]

One thing I find funny about the theory of the GC creating a small army of half fiend children is that origonaly the GC was not going to be a fiend at all.

On the old Kargatane FAQ section it had the GCs creator (who do to a long week and major brain freeze I cann't remember) saying he never wanted any lables on the GC. He was only to be a unstated and undefined plot motivator for Dm to use to push the plot along. Ravenlofts verson of Mr Big.

It wasn't untill the rerelease of VRGT Fiends that Wizards/TSR forced him to solidify who and what the GC was by making him a Incubus.

[Stygian Inquirer]

Steve Miller created the Gentleman Caller, if I recall correctly.