ewancummins wrote: The Mulan genocide bit never sat quite right with me. I think it makes more sense to focus on destroying the Red Wizards of Thay than a whole ethnic group of which he is a part. Mulan aren't just in Thay, either, and how exactly would he create a spell that targets them all and doesn't affect other humans? I suppose wish could create a tailored magical plague to do that, as a wish can do almost anything if worded just right and within the broad scope of possible effects. Or maybe not?
There's no Mulan genocide plan in the original version of the character, of course. That came a bit later.
Ah, that's very simple:
Step 1: Inscribe your Rashemani apprentice with tattoos that would allow you to take over her body.
Step 2: Re-allow magic and create a school of it where you stick a lot of wizards
Step 3: Spend 6-10 years creating a huge magic thingy with conduits etc in your capital city without telling your students what's for. Even a 9th lvl wizard, your apprentice Eleni of Toyalis, is not good enough to be sure what it is about.
Step 4: Once this is complete, and the "stars are right" laugh maniacally from the top of your tower while you turn on the switch.
Step 5: Everyone in your capital city dies to power your weird magic as the ritual activates. The magic takes hold through that gigantic sacrifice and every Mulan in the Multiverse dies. You die too but you have already made plans and you possess your Rashemani apprentice.
When the Ravenloft line was discontinued we were like 5 years in that plan and Hazlik had a long of way to go. And he hadn't located the suitable Grand conjunction-ish day to do that yet.
Of course, the Dark Powers being the Dark Powers were kinda cheating; Eleni of Toyalis starts having dreams about what's to happen after failing a Power's check. Those tattoos also turn to skulls at random times scaring her.
And of course, it's a matter of time before some wizard gets an inkling and dies in front of a to-be-named band of heroes. Dying, yes, but not before putting them on the path. And as I said, Eleni of Toyalis has reasons to suspect where this is going.
In short, similar to Azalin, it seems like the Dark Powers are trolling Hazlik: It is
possible to do the genocide at the riiiight time with the riiiight things ... but he won't get the chance
and his plan will backfire.
He would probably lose the only person loyal to him
and a ton of power with a ton of angry Mulan wizards ready to face him. Instead of victory, he will get a coup to lose his base and will lose his friend.
He really cares about Eleni of Toyalis. Not enough
to not kill her, but he does. More or less like Jaqueline kinda cares for what's-his-name boyfriend, but not enough to leave him live a happy life, in peace, away from her. Either she has him or nobody does.
