Certain settings are static- Birthright, for instance, was written, described in fairly good detail across the continent, everything set for the beginning of a campaign, and then left alone. Well, actually, it got cancelled, but there was no overplot to the game.
FR, on the other hand, definitely has a sense of time advancing. Stuff keeps happening in published materials, and past events from modules become part of the setting.
Greyhawk seems midwise between these to me- Wars and From the Ashes were advances, and there has been a bit of an update for 3e, but now it's static, and seems to be only advancing in the RPGA.
My point is that the outer planes have a definite history to them. Something started the Blood War. Asmodeus is strongly hinted to have fallen from grace at some point. The Lady of Pain came from somewhere. There are even hints that the current planar configuration isn't the way it has always been- the Manual of the Planes mentions 'ancient Baatorians', and a couple of places where remnants of them may be found.
There are other, more minor plot developments, as well- Orcus was apparently dead, and now may be back. There was a fairly recent (in fiend-time, anyway) attempt to overthrow Asmodeus in the Nine Hells, and it failed.
Some of this, including the bits about the lords of Baator, goes back to 1st edition or earlier; I wasn't playing then, so maybe I'm just ignorant of the whole story. I don't think there's a real answer to all of it, though.
So what's the scoop? What's really going on in the overarching plot of the outer planes? I've never really seen it published anywhere, just hinted about. If there's no official explanation, what's yours (if you've thought about it)?
My theory is that the ancient Baatorians were humans. There was only one Outer Plane. Men somehow caused the fall of the fiends, which fractured the Planes into their current shape. Afterward, men were driven out to the prime material worlds they now inhabit. I think the Lady of Pain is one of those ancient people. I've no theory how the blood war started, though.
FR, on the other hand, definitely has a sense of time advancing. Stuff keeps happening in published materials, and past events from modules become part of the setting.
Greyhawk seems midwise between these to me- Wars and From the Ashes were advances, and there has been a bit of an update for 3e, but now it's static, and seems to be only advancing in the RPGA.
My point is that the outer planes have a definite history to them. Something started the Blood War. Asmodeus is strongly hinted to have fallen from grace at some point. The Lady of Pain came from somewhere. There are even hints that the current planar configuration isn't the way it has always been- the Manual of the Planes mentions 'ancient Baatorians', and a couple of places where remnants of them may be found.
There are other, more minor plot developments, as well- Orcus was apparently dead, and now may be back. There was a fairly recent (in fiend-time, anyway) attempt to overthrow Asmodeus in the Nine Hells, and it failed.
Some of this, including the bits about the lords of Baator, goes back to 1st edition or earlier; I wasn't playing then, so maybe I'm just ignorant of the whole story. I don't think there's a real answer to all of it, though.
So what's the scoop? What's really going on in the overarching plot of the outer planes? I've never really seen it published anywhere, just hinted about. If there's no official explanation, what's yours (if you've thought about it)?
My theory is that the ancient Baatorians were humans. There was only one Outer Plane. Men somehow caused the fall of the fiends, which fractured the Planes into their current shape. Afterward, men were driven out to the prime material worlds they now inhabit. I think the Lady of Pain is one of those ancient people. I've no theory how the blood war started, though.
