Fate of S [Post Gaz V]

[Bloody Morgan]

It was somewhere in the Gazetteer Metaplot thread (http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/foru ... php?t=2704), but damned if I can find the exact post.

[Georg Kristianokov]

Hmmm... interesting.

Azalin: Hey, god brain, here's a well traveled clone that has seen most of the domains of dread as a present. I don't need her anymore so you can do whatever you want. Nevermind that she's practically my daughter.

And the God-Brain, probably being the most intelligent thing in Ravenloft, would find a way out! This is a plot for the perfect Apocalypse adventure:

1. S will be sacrificed so the God-Brain will find a way out.

2. Azalin will follow him.

3. The party gets in the way.

[Nikolas of the Mists]

Something to consider is the conjunction events and the great upheaval.
Bluetspur was ripped from the core and thrown into the sea to become an island of terror.

I have always wondered if this occurence was caused by the Dark Powers, or the machinations of the God Brain himself

If the latter is the case, then the God Brain managed to alter an aspect of the game the Dark Powers play, even if it didn't change or commute his sentence.

I do expect the God Brain would be able to see through to the nature of Azalin's plan, but whether it cares or not is another matter entirely. Given the megalomaniac tendencies of the both of them, I suspect they would clash or best the other. In Highlander style, there can be only one who escapes

[DeepShadow of FoS]

As for Azalin simply abandoning S. to the god brain I simply don't think it would happen. He's invested far too much effort into her for him to simply give her up at this point. I have often wondered if he has been using her in a way that would get S out of Ravenloft and he could latch on or subsume her spirit, taking her body as she was leaving.

What has Azalin invested in S that he would lose with her death? He has her writings, plus he's probably been scrying on her a LOT. By the time she gets to Bleutspur, Azalin has everything he needs, and needn't bother himself with even getting her back to the Core. What could he possibly lose with her death that he couldn't gain back a hundredfold by bribing the IGB?

Even the magical bracer is disposable when it comes to it, but considering its similarity to the lich's phylactery, I have to wonder if it's not part of the plan.

[Tykus]

My big question concerning S is: Is S an alias or is it the first letter of her name? And what is her real name?

[Rotipher of the FoS]

What has Azalin invested in S that he would lose with her death? He has her writings, plus he's probably been scrying on her a LOT. By the time she gets to Bleutspur, Azalin has everything he needs, and needn't bother himself with even getting her back to the Core. What could he possibly lose with her death that he couldn't gain back a hundredfold by bribing the IGB?

Even the magical bracer is disposable when it comes to it, but considering its similarity to the lich's phylactery, I have to wonder if it's not part of the plan.

Perhaps if the illithids extract her brain and incorporate it into the God-Brain, a la the BoS_ interpretation of Bluetspur's origin, the God-Brain would acquire a detailed understanding of each and every corner of Ravenloft, all filtered through the same observer and hence, easy to interpret. In effect, her "world tour" was an excuse for her to explore where the God-Brain couldn't, so it can puzzle out answers Azalin can't.

S's soul would then break free of the God-Brain, once her own consciousness was drowned in the GB's gestalt personality, and it would carry a glimpse of its super-intelligent deductions and conclusions along for the ride. Having escaped the gestalt, her spirit would enter another S-clone -- one the bracer had signaled Azalin to make ready, as soon as her brain was stolen and her body died -- and it would bring those insights of the God-Brain's along with it: insights, which the GB couldn't have attained without S's perspective on the Land, and which Azalin can be confident aren't lies. As its insights would be derived via rational deduction and analysis, not by magic, Azalin's curse wouldn't bar him from learning whatever she (or at least her crazed spirit) had to tell of its conclusions.

Of course, that's assuming Azalin can admit to himself that the God-Brain is smarter than he is. But considering the potential payoff, even the Big A can probably convince himself to be humble, if only momentarily and under special circumstances.

[Amicus]

From the Community section of the Martira Bay Weekly Herald-Intelligencer:

Azalin Rex, wizard-king of Darkon, is pleased to announce the engagement of his daughter, Staci Anne Zal'Honanclonen, to Douglas Illithid Godbrain of Bluetspur. The couple will exchange vows at the Mount Makab United Methodist Church, with the reception to be held at the Medulla Club Grand Ballroom in Thaan.

[Zettaijin]

You know, I wonder if they make bows big enough for a God Brain?

I don't even wanna get into the dry cleaning bill... all that brine and brain goo on the tux can't be good.

[HuManBing]

Staci Anne Zal'Honanclonen

[Nikolas of the Mists]

Of course, we might be assuming incorrectly that Azalin's motivations are escape.

He could be seeking something else -- a way to return his son to him, moving his domain somewhere else in the demiplane, the removal of a rival darklord, or the outright destruction of the entire land of mists itself

[Lucius]

Of course, we might be assuming incorrectly that Azalin's motivations are escape.

He could be seeking something else -- a way to return his son to him, moving his domain somewhere else in the demiplane, the removal of a rival darklord, or the outright destruction of the entire land of mists itself

Returning Irik was the idea I used in my campaign. He tried to ged rid from his curse, by using the 13 children reality wrinkles to alter the planar fabric and end once for all with the darklord´s curses (even if they still trapped in their respective domains). Without his curse he would be able to ressurrect Irik.

He also tried to transfer his essence to S body, in order to preserve Irik´s skeleton.

Of course, since Azalin´s plans are circles inside circles, he took some precautions and contingence plans. One of them was taking Tara kolyana to Darkon (to prevening Strahd from finding her, in case the curses are broken), the other was the creation of some lifeless clones infused with the 13 reality wrinkles (that he would try to use to himself if the first plan fails, hoping the reality wrinkle of the "Dukkar clones" would let him pass freely and curseless trhough the mists).

In order to ged rid of the GC he did a pact with Isolde, calling her to Darkon so she could find the GC there...or at least his children (that he would deliver to her after the ritual).

Conclusion: The Gc convinced Falkovnia to attack Darkon´s border to lure Isolde, as he took a book in Necropolis with Azalin´s true name, and gave it to Tavelia (my party killed her in DU, but he brought her back).

Tavelia started to perform a ritual to control Azalin, as he performed his plan. The party stopped Tavelia in the end, but Azalin´s plan was unsucefull...or so they think.

Azalin is now trapped in the same body than S, the 2 personalities alterning. And unknown to all, the planar facric was altered. From years to years the darklord´s curses stop to function for at least 1 day...and if the realize that the caos will gradually spread as they try to reach their goals during these times...

...all was gone just like the GC has plannes until now, and the Tribe of Hyskosa has just realizes that even with Azalin´s failure, their visions of destruction are unchanged.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Staci Anne Zal'Honanclonen

agreed. ROFL. Think she dotted the i with a heart as a kid?