Answers to questions
'o Skoteinos
Edena, The Forsaken One asked if he could use the reality changes in Ravenloft or if he could use them outside Ravenloft to affect Ravenloft...I haven't seen your response to this (I might have missed it, you might not have answered it)...so, can he?
ANSWER - REALLY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ!
NO, HE CANNOT. HE CANNOT USE THE DIADEM OF DREAMS TO CHANGE REALITY IN RAVENLOFT!!!
IF HE IS IN RAVENLOFT, HE CANNOT CHANGE REALITY IN RAVENLOFT.
IF HE IS NOT IN RAVENLOFT, HE ALSO CANNOT CHANGE REALITY IN RAVENLOFT.
BTW: How goes the converting of the imprisoned mages? Kaboom and Kalanyr are doing the same thing, and Kaboom even got a 100% power because of this. Is this working for me too (I posted this before, Thread 4 last page)?
ANSWER:
All captured mages are converted converted now.
Yes, it is working for you.
- - -
William Ronald
One more post after this before bed. (Naturally, when I realized I did not have a first name for Acting President Lannon my bookworm tendencies forced me to go to the Previous IR threads at
http://bugbearslair.homestead.com/IR1_IDX.html.)
I have decided to honor two additional IR players with this new political personage. Acting President Lannon's full name is Ian Icarus Lannon, honoring both Reprisal's Ian Payne and icarus who was in the first IR. It also adds a sense of history and continuity between IRs.
ANSWER:
My solemn tribute to Lannon and Icarus.
I remember them both well.
I will have to consider Hazen's reply to the new message from the Alliance of Dread. Suffice it to say that they seem to be very afraid.
ANSWER:
They are very afraid. They should be.
Unfortunately, so should a lot of others.
I suggest everyone consider their course of action. In the interim, Hazen will try to learn everything he can about the Taraakians.
ANSWER:
You won't learn much more than I've already told about them, until they arrive.
They do not communicate with any of the Powers of the IR via long-range communication.
If anyone is sending an ambassador to speak with the taraakians, TELL ME.
They are afraid. They are afraid that all will oppose them and they will be defeated by us or the Taraakians. What they did not count on was that their actions would have consequences
ANSWER:
That is quite true.
Unfortunately for the Alliance of Dread and much of the IR, the taraakians most certainly believe in consequences.
- - -
Serpenteye
Ok then. I wasn't actually upset. William just hit a sore spot, I realise that I of all the players of the IR (except Reprisal himself) am the one most responsible for Reprisal leaving the game. I should have realised that my actions IC could cause real OOC anger and frustration.
Reprisal, if you are reading this, I'm sorry, I never intended to upset you.
ANSWER:
You had a right not to have all of your hard work ruined.
I saw your strategy from Turn 2. Wait and build. I saw your sacrifice. I saw your careful efforts at diplomacy, your subtle manipulations, all meant to keep people off your back until you became powerful.
It was not my right to take that away from you, to just throw away your hard work.
When Reprisal came back to the IR, he was intimidated by the rules, yes.
When Reprisal left, it hurt a great deal.
However, I could not throw out all the rules, and change the whole game, for one player just joining.
Anger is a horrific force.
We have seen what it can do In Character.
We have also seen what it can do Out of Character - we would still have Darkness and Maudlin if I had not become angry. My anger almost killed the IR.
I have seen countless games ruined by anger.
And, if you really think about it - everytime you turn on the TV nowadays, what do you see? The results of anger and hate, endlessly broadcast in an unending litany. The news is frightful and frightening - it is not pleasant hearing about how people want to kill me and destroy my nation.
So of course I quickly tried to halt an OOC argument.
Emotions are running high enough as it is in the IR.
And no insult meant to you. Without you the IR would be much less than what it is. Your eloquence is stunning and exceeded only by Edena himself.
ANSWER:
Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.
However, you are eloquent too.
When I came online last night, I had just watched Mutiny on the Bounty. A very dramatic film. Then I read the 19 posts on the board, and the drama there was as great as in the film. I was amazed at the effort and feeling put into those posts. (I didn't state that look of awe without good reason.)
The God Emperor had a name, when he was mortal. Actually he has had many names, abandoned by him as he reached new degrees of power and influence. He had one name as a child in the slums of Rel Deven after the Grewhawk wars, another name as a spy and cutthroat and another as a trophy husband to an archmagistress. Yet another as an archmage himself, plotting his way trough the murderous intricacies of the Aerdi nobility, making and breaking alliances, destroying lifes and carreers, and when he started worshiping power and himself he took yet another name. When he finally crushed the last obstacles to the throne of Ahlissa and overthrew the government of the North Kingdom, another. Having overcome every enemy he felt invincible and took the name he now use. In his mind he has earned it, for surely noone has risen to such great power in so little time.
The above is not widely known, the God Emperor has gone to some pains (not to just to himself) to hide the more sordid parts of his past (some of it's quite scandalous )
ANSWER:
It is good to hear the history of the God Emperor. Even if it is a dark history. Thanks for putting this up.
A new message comes from the Alliance of Dread, and is sent to everyone:
An answer from the God Emperor:
Perhaps some of what you are saying is true, I cannot deny that you make a good point, but in the end, what you're asking is impossible. Your crimes are too many, your waste too great and your killing angers even me. No, the tarraakians will come. I will face their judgement and most likely fail to seem good enough. We will likely face another war and it might cost us dearly, but the Union of Worlds will emerge victorius once again and our enemies will be made to regret attacking us, if they are enemies and attack.
You should have realised your limitations, you should have understood that you could not stand against the united forces of all the worlds that oppose you. Your actions have brought you to this and there is no turning back from the cource we are all on. You will perish, unless you surrender to the Union of Worlds. Our justice will seem soft compared to what you will face at the hands of those you have actually managed to harm. Their hatred towards you is awesome.
ANSWER:
The Alliance of Dread has no answer to this speech.
There is no answer they can give.
They know very well that they cannot hide in Ravenloft from the taraakians.
They know that if they go to the Outer Planes, they will simply be struck by 11th level cross-planar attacks from the powers of Oerth.
They are in bitter resolve: If they must die, they will take as many of their foes with them as possible.
The Union of Worlds will start studying the Tarraakians and their universe, we will dedicate special efforts to finding out if they have enemies of their own and wether these enemies might be interseted in coming to the Multiverse. We don't approach them yet, but wait 'till we know more about them. We assume that the Tarraakians actually have enemies or else they would have run rampant over the Time-Space continuum long ago and then turned decadent and weak. (Also, if they rule the TSC there would have been no opportunities for Edena's oldest and greatest PC to become 160th level, since that requires challenges to overcome and the Terraakians would have eaten him alive if he challenged them.)
ANSWER:
The taraakians have a foe named the Loch-Nar.
It is an evil being of magic so great that, in the Time Space Continuum, it cannot assume it's normal form, and appears as a shining green gem.
However, this foe will not come into the IR.
If it did, it would horrifically escalate the war (can you imagine a 12th level war?)
The taraakians have another great foe, the death machines.
Programmed by an unknown race to destroy all life, they are at war with the tarrakians, who have sufficient strength that, for the moment, these death machines have been driven back.
Edena has not been born yet.
Edena was born on Neith over a thousand years after the taraakians, for reasons unknown, left that world.
A terrible civil war immediately following their departure wrecked the civilizations of the world, and Neith was plunged into the Dark Ages from which it had once risen.
Thus, there is no way my character, Edena, can participate in this IR.
Which is just as well, since I have always felt that any interference by my characters would damage the IR.
Not that I wouldn't love to showcase my characters, especially Edena, in this game. However, my Gaming Ethics forbid this, because it would lessen the IR.
- - -
Kalanyr
Nope, I didn't convert anybody, I picked up a power that Festy's Oerthblood turned good. I don't do conversions or corruptions. They're not a part of my infrastructure, they are a seperate power. Much like the Silver Hive has become.
ANSWER:
Understood. The Unseelie are joining you willingly. There isn't even a need to make a speech.
They understand perfectly well the heinious crimes they have committed, and they have forever echewed their former ways.
Unfortunately, this will not appease the tarrakians, who hold that all beings must answer for their actions, and suffer the consequences.
- - -
William Ronald
A Gift More Wondrous Than Gold
OOC: Serpenteye, this one is for you. The OOC artgument is over, if there was one. Also, don't knock yourself. Sorry if I offended you or anyone else. (Serpenteye, you might be surprised that I remembered one detail of your biography that I left out.)
Hazen consults with the Angels, holding something that cannot be plainly seen in his arms.
Edena, you know what this is about. Hazen will remain silent until after Serpenteye responds.
OOC: Last post until tomorrow afternoon sometime. People, do consider what Edena wrote.
Hazen will be busy trying to learn what he can about the Taraakians, their nature, and likely actions. Knowledge is power.
(part of the article above deleted.)
ANSWER:
(pained look)
Obviously, I would love to bring Edena into the IR. You don't realize just how much I would like to do that.
It would give me a chance to allow my character to shine forth, as he has never done before, for all to see.
It would give me a chance to roleplay my favorite character on a message board that spans the entire real world.
However, I cannot do this.
After a great deal of thought, I realized it would damage the IR if I did so.
This is not my game. This is your game. This is your moment.
This game is about you. Your characters. Your triumphs, your falls, your eloquence.
If I play Edena, then I am no longer neutral by default. And, if I play Edena, I am touting my own horn, and not doing my job - which is to be your moderator and DM.
No matter what people say about me, I have ethics, and sometimes those ethics hurt.
This is one such case.
Please trust me when I say that I did not withhold Edena from the IR on the danger he might be killed. That is not how I do things in rping.
SERPENTEYE, MR. DRACO ...
... what William is speaking of, is of critical importance IC to the God Emperor.
Furthermore, I as DM have already allowed it - as an Angel, Hazen has access to power, and to help, that he did not have previously.
Power and help great enough that he could accomplish what he did.
He, as he said, will tell you what he did this afternoon.
- - -
Kalanyr
quote:
A new message comes from the Alliance of Dread, and is sent to everyone:
Kalanyr replies with a sending
Of course we wish to survive, but we will make the sacrifices that are required to spare as many as we can from needless suffering. I will ask the Taraakians to spare those who have done past wrong and do no wrong now, I will give my life in exchange for this. Perhaps they will take my life anyway but I will ask that they spare others with my last breath.
I have done more evil in my time, than most of you can dream of, I have struggled to become what I am now, but my beliefs make me willing to give my life as atonement for my past misdeeds. I do not believe they Taraakian's are as you paint them, no true being of good is as the picture you paint and the Angels, gentle and empathic as they are, respect the Taraakian's so it is my belief that your words are lies.
I will not offer you redemption, nor will I threaten you. All I can say is
We all chose our own paths and for our choices we pay the price, when my time comes I am willing to pay the price for what I have done. Are you?
ANSWER:
Again, the Alliance of Dread cannot reply. They have no reply they can make to this.
They realize that it's over for them.
They realize that their enemies have found the enlightenment they had hoped will never manifest.
The Alliance of Dread was counting on selfishness to the point of loss, on betrayal, fear, hatred, all the things that have torn the Spheres apart.
That was what they were appealing too.
In the face of this new altruism, they are helpless.
All they can do now is try to take as many foes as possible down with them, when they go down.
- - -
'o Skoteinos
kalanyr: first, Ancerak's power got disarmed, and then he got converted to Good...and then you converted the mages and clerics and psions etc., right?
ANSWER:
Acererak and his people were converted to good by Festy Dog's rain of Agent Oerth.
Kalanyr did not convert them.
However, everyone is most certainly benefitting from the conversion, and thus Kalanyr was able to release Acererak's people from imprisonment, and Kaboom now has a new 11th Level Power to play.
- - -
Venus
Edena, I've sent my email with attacks, etc. just now. Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately.
ANSWER:
No need to apologize. Post when you are up to it. Enjoy the IR. Don't feel pressured by it.
I've been busy with social life stuff as well as troubles at home (Mark, you've been sitting behind the PC for too long now. Go to bed.) Anyway, you probably get the point. I hope I will have the time to post some more IC stuff soon.
ANSWER:
I do understand.
Take your time, and have fun.
Don't feel pressured or pushed into posting. All that will do is ruin the IR for you.
Certainly, I am not pushing you or pressuring you into posting! I am, however, honored to have you in the IR, Venus. You've been a very fine player.
- - -
Kalanyr
'o Skoteinos - Nope, apparantly all attacks are simultaneous, so the net result was that my disarming of Acererak left me with a pile of good-aligned spellcasters in a pocket dimension, so I let them out. I didn't do any converting at all.
ANSWER:
Exactly.
- - -
Zelda Themelin
Edena, posted my actions.
I am leaving internet for some time now.
Good, like law is not an absolute. War is war and morality is the first casualty of war. Extreme measures can become the order of the day. A fine balancing act of minimizing the amount of harm done to the population to the need to provide safety and moral direction to your friendly forces must be done. It is a very fine line.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but at least, it's paved...
ANSWER:
(sad look)
I do hope you come back, Zelda. I am sorry you have to go. I hope things are ok with you. I hope something is not seriously wrong.
If you don't mind, I'll let William, Venus, Kalanyr, or someone else who is appropriate run your Power while you are away.
You are quite right about war.
Morality and ethics go out the window.
Then reason.
Then humanity.
- - -
Zelda Themelin
OCC:
Very good speeches folk, btw.
Oh, and Anab, that neon sight was... well. hehee.
ANSWER:
They were the best speeches I have ever seen online, except only for some of those in IRs 1 and 2.
Anabstercorian's humor was nice, but for me it was misplaced. Things are so serious ... it is hard to be humorous.
Then again, I am having to run the evil powers allied with Sollir, and what they are planning is awful, and it's rather gloomy.
- - -
The Forsaken One
Edena, if I can affect Ravenloft they are in for a surprise
Well.. actually they won't be able to
And another campaign world kicked the bucket
ANSWER:
Unfortunately, you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT affect Ravenloft with the Diadem of Dreams.
I ruled this was the case when I first ruled on the Diadem's creation.
You cannot even stop the Touches with the Diadem, or halt the onslaught of the Mists.
My genuine regrets, for this was a very good idea on your part.
- - -
Festy_Dog
Silver Phase sends a message to the Union of Worlds:
I apologise for that which has happened. Never when I created Agent Oerth did I intend for it to corrupt anyone. It was in essence designed to destroy the red pudding threat across the many spheres afflicted. I will continue my efforts against the red pudding but all I can do now really is apologise for what I've done as it was totally by accident.
ANSWER:
I see someone is trying to make genuine peace.
- - -
The Forsaken One
Yeah I'm at war with 25% of myself now and you hear me complaining serpenteye ?
And still wondering why Festy attacked Athas and Mystara while I had those 100% in my pocket safe and clean....
Care to explain Festy?
ANSWER:
The Silver Hive refuses to fight.
They are fiercely good aligned, and - seeing the dire situation - they will not make matters worse by fighting the Hive Cluster.
Instead, they flee Athas, and flee to Oerth.
There, they attempt to fight the Alliance of Dread (I will play them, I guess.)
If Forsaken One pursues them, they will Defend. However, they will not launch Attacks or 11th Level Assaults against the Hive Cluster.
- - -
Serpenteye
Angel? That's not surprising, noone has served them better than him. He didn't say what he wanted to deliver, and why he would do it in person? 'Vital importance'- something to do with the Hellmaster probably, it's too obvious to be a trap and he's not foolish enough to attack us yet, not before the Alliance of Dread is defeated. The tarraakians might judge even him for such deception.
The God Emperor laughs bitterly.
My Lord?
Send an order to our mages to scan the embassy for traps and rip apart any magical defences they encounter. Alert our elite legions to strike against the embassy at my personal telepathic command in the zetra code. I'll be there in a quarter hour.
ANSWER:
May I point out that it is an Act of War to attack an Embassy?
However, that is your choice.
It is up to William, how the Embassy personal react.
The God Emperor arrives alone in the reception room of the Kevellond embassy in the Union.
Mr President, I believe you've been expecting me. Do not be alarmed that your defences have been dismantled, this is a dangerous time and precautions are sometimes necessary, even between friends and allies.
I am most intrigued by the unusual nature of your invitation. 'A matter of vital importance'.
Another enemy and youv'e brought new and deadly weapons? Perhaps the Dreadful Alliance has been defeated and you are bringing a gift of some of your famous wine for celebrations?
Perhaps your gift is my death? Don't think I'm undefended against such.
He smiles disarmingly.
ANSWER:
It isn't what you think at all.
You will be genuinely surprised, I think.
- - -
Serpenteye
It's odd how something you never intended could have such a devastatingly powerful effect. I wonder what horrors you will create when you actually intend to create them.
Edena: The Union of Worlds will take precautions against further alignment attacks . We are readying counterspells in the God Emperor's 11th level assault slot (not the attack) against such things.
ANSWER:
Noted.
This uses up your 11th Level Assault for Day 5.
It renders you immune to alignment change attacks, yes, but it does use up your 11th level action.
- - -
Festy_Dog
Silver Phase is obviously angered by the statement,
Horrors doesn't begin to desrcibe it. It was an accident leave it be.
ANSWER:
No comment.
- - -
Black Omega
I can't help but comment that the IR has a fine, upstanding tradition of attscks gone wrong, starting with the infamous Mountain Drop in turn 1. It's almost a feature of the game now.
ANSWER:
Attacks often cause collaterial damage, and friendly fire casualties have been a part of war since man invented war.
Even with the most sophisticated modern weapons, it still happens.
In the sometimes colossal confusion of the IR, is it any wonder, then, that many attacks have unexpected effects?
I can take back the alignment change effects of Festy Dog's attack, on the Union of Oerth.
But if I do, then I have to take back it's effects on Acererak and his Minions.
I do not think that would be so good.
