Gazetteer Metaplot

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Azalin wants to use the G.C.'s children because they have reality wrinkles and are not that powerful, and therefore can be controlled, to sever his connection to the land so that he can resurrect Irik and then have Malocchio freed so that Malocchio can take Irik back to Oerth to continue Azalin's legacy there.

Now, that's an interesting idea! We've had hints from Ryan that an escape attempt is involved, yet Mangrum points out that Azalin knows he, himself, would only be Mist-napped again if he did get out (Mordent being a clear precedent for this, even if the "dark whispers" disembodied Azalin heard were a load of hooey). But Azalin could certainly arrange for some other individual to escape -- maybe Irik; maybe Malocchio himself; maybe Gwydion (in hopes the epic shadow-fiend would destroy the whole plane to spite the DPs, as Vecna nearly did); maybe even one of his non-darklord enemies he'd rather see gone and hasn't had any luck destroying, like Inajira -- be it for personal reasons, to get even with the DPs, or as part of some broader plan that requires assistance from outside the Land of Mists.

[Seamus]

In the interest of clarity, and to defuse the situation if I am one of those people who has been twisting the words of the creators, I just wanted to confirm something with Mangrum if I may. From what you have said here, can we correctly deduce that there are 13 children of the Gentleman Caller, that they are each of Vistani heritage, and that they are in fact relevant to Azalin's plot (whatever it may be)?

[Steve Miller]

See, that's my biggest problem with this whole thread. We have Ryan saying "Yeah, it's Azalin so it must be an escape attempt" while Mangrum says "Azalin is smart enough that he knows now if he does escape he'll be snatched up again so the plan is different".

If two writers who worked on the project can't even figure out the same interpretation what hope do we masses have....

I don't think those two statements are necessarily exclusionary of one another.

[Isabella]

See, that's my biggest problem with this whole thread. We have Ryan saying "Yeah, it's Azalin so it must be an escape attempt" while Mangrum says "Azalin is smart enough that he knows now if he does escape he'll be snatched up again so the plan is different".

If two writers who worked on the project can't even figure out the same interpretation what hope do we masses have....

I don't think those two statements are necessarily exclusionary of one another.

So...

Azalin's trying to destroy the Dark Powers?

No, forget it.

[Steve Miller]

So...

Azalin's trying to destroy the Dark Powers?

No, forget it.

*shrug*

That would be my goal if I were him.

[alhoon]

Pretty ambitious that plan, don't you think?
Not that Azalin isn't ambitious, but it still seems . . . foolish to me.

[Dominique]

Pretty ambitious that plan, don't you think?
Not that Azalin isn't ambitious, but it still seems . . . foolish to me.

True, but I think that Azalin might be going into "what in the hells do I have to lose?" mode here. If he's realized that he can't ever escape, what better reaction than a mad near-suicidal leap to take out the Dark Powers? Even if he's killed, he'll at least have the cold comfort of knowing that he died spitting in their eyes.

[Jasper]

Hmm...

A few months ago a member posted his campaign where the TOUD was that the Dark Powers up and left leaving all of Ravenloft to its own designs. All curses and borders were off but the darklords mostly still damned themself (IE: Vlad was no longer cursed to lose every battle but his incompatence still leads him to loose eight times out of ten.)


He had the entire campaign written up with some excelent ideas such as having Dr Ms wife wake up and reject him for all the years she spent in pain. She then left him and was now running across the core with Dr. Ms newsest creations trying to hunt her down.

[Lord Soth]

True, but I think that Azalin might be going into "what in the hells do I have to lose?" mode here. If he's realized that he can't ever escape, what better reaction than a mad near-suicidal leap to take out the Dark Powers? Even if he's killed, he'll at least have the cold comfort of knowing that he died spitting in their eyes.

I don't think he's planning a "near-suicidal leap". He's taking some big risks, yes, but all for the purpose of suicide? I doubt it. Everything he's doing he's doing because he believes he can win. Maybe not the best odds, but as the SAS motto goes, "who dares wins". He can't escape Ravenloft so long as the Dark Powers have the ability to pull him back at will, so the only option left is to destroy the Dark Powers. With them gone, he can likely leave at will. So that's what he's going to do, IMO at least.

[Mangrum]

If two writers who worked on the project can't even figure out the same interpretation what hope do we masses have....

In my own defense, Azalin spells out my interpretation in R3E.

[alhoon]

Azalin is increadibly powerful but still is not a god. He may be immortal, he knows much but . . . destroying the Dark Powers? Only a madman would think that he can do so.

If Azalin believes that he has no other way to go out other than destroying the DP, then he should either despair or attempt to gain godhood. He has tried to gain more power in the requiem and it kind-of-worked (he gained the ability to rewrite memories) at a great cost. Still he hasn't managed to become even a demilich, so he should realize that godhood is out of his grasp.
And a mortal (or undead) cannot defeat the gods.

[Sorti]

The first 2 eurocents from a new entry...

Azalin is increadibly powerful but still is not a god. He may be immortal, he knows much but . . . destroying the Dark Powers? Only a madman would think that he can do so.

Of course, and that's why he's tracing the demonic bloodline of the GC: because he himself is an humble undead, but the GC's a fiend with hellish powers and, probably, a plan. Now, if Azalin understands exactly what the GC wants to do with his offsprings he can surely use the demon's plan to his own advantage, and why not to overthrow the DPs themselves.

By the way, Malocchio has a reality wrinkle, correct? And this would allow him to travel blocked domain borders, correct? Now, if he became a dark lord (for instance because Ivan has Gabrielle assassinated and the domain chooses him as new DL) he would nonetheless be able to walk the earth freely. Wouldn't this be against RL's rules? Azalin could see this as "defeating the DPs", and also he would have a powerful GC-offspring free to lead an army to Borca to kill its DLs.

Guess: Drakov could send Viggo, and we would perhaps have 3 children of the GC (including the Jongleur (sp?)) nearby in an eventual "siege of Levkarest"...
Even more guessing: Dementlieu, Mordent and Richemulot would send help because of the Four Towers, so Azalin (or the GC, or whoever is overseeing the evil plan) could have more offsprings arrive with the army... Who is the GazIII offspring?

[Moral Machivelli]

Here's my own theory. I'm pretty sure it covers all the facts we've got

Azalin knows that he probably can't escape whirl the dark powers still exist. He also knows he can't beat them by flinging a fireball at them. Also, they can probably read his thoughts, thus any plan he comes up with, he would have to find someway of shielding his mind. Couldn't the reality wrinkle of a Dukar who "the Dark Powers themselves have difficulty perceiving" stop the dark powers reading Azalin's mind?
As well as that, the Dukar can take Azalin to the other Darklords.(along with some extra wizards, rounded up by the Kargrat for additional spellcasting) Now, think about it. As the Darklord's are invested with power continually by the dark powers, there must be a link between the two. If that link could be reverced, it might be possible to somehow send raw arcane energy along it, in an attempt to Kill the DP's. Obviously, this wouldn't work if the DP's knew about it, but If Macchialo stays by him, till the last moment, the DP's wouldn’t know what was going on and not bother to raise any defences. After all, they're omnipotent. Nothing could attack them.....
Of course the Darklord used as the conduct would be utterly annihilated, but still.. And in order to be sufficiently connected to the land (And the DP's by extension) the Darklord must be quite powerful (But not so powerful that he could overpower Azalin. He sent out S in order to find a suitable Darklord candidate.) Who fits the bill? (and is easily identified as Darklord?) Either of the dark twins for a start. If either of them go, Borca will certainly descend into civil war.
Of course, even if the ritual worked,(and that’s a big if) It would almost certainly not destroy the dark powers. Azalin isn’t stupid enough to take the chance. But a big enough attack, coming from no were, might succeed in distracting the DPs long enough for Azalin to breach Ravenloft's planer barrier and escape.

Once all this has happened

1) Borca would be utterly crushed. No matter which Darklord is taken, the dark twins maintaned a balance. Now tha Borca's 1 twin short, it's certianly going to crumble.

2) All the other Darklords would quickly work it out and several (Not all. The wiser ones know the same trick won't work twice, and some don't care about leaving.) begin trying to repeat the ritual (and to find another dukar). This could lead to quite a few conflicts between Darklords, not enough to destroy Ravenloft entirely, but certainly enough to add yet more problems in the TOUD

[Rotipher of the FoS]

By the way, Malocchio has a reality wrinkle, correct? And this would allow him to travel blocked domain borders, correct? Now, if he became a dark lord (for instance because Ivan has Gabrielle assassinated and the domain chooses him as new DL) he would nonetheless be able to walk the earth freely. Wouldn't this be against RL's rules?

Just being a fiendish entity doesn't give darklords the ability to leave their domains, otherwise Ebonbane (a demonic entity in sword-form) wouldn't be trapped in Shadowborn Manor. Becoming a true darklord supercedes having a reality wrinkle, which is really just a very weak form of floating pocket domain.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

1) Borca would be utterly crushed. No matter which Darklord is taken, the dark twins maintaned a balance. Now tha Borca's 1 twin short, it's certianly going to crumble.

Not necessarily. Remember, Borca and Dorvinia both lasted for decades with only one darklord apiece; having two lords is an anomaly, not the norm.