The Lords of the Nine Hells

[Nightfall]

I agree PC. Deserves at least a 5 star rating.

 

[Ripzerai]

In the timeline above, I added some stuff from the latest Dragon Magazine: demiplanes, archomentals, keepers, and Malcanthet.

Also, some draedens for Shade.

I wouldn't add it to Wikipedia, though; while it's all based on official materials, there's more than a little speculation on my part as to how it all fits together.

 

[BOZ]

The Apocalypse Stone – Starring Moloch!

OK, I finally got around to looking it up. This module by Jason Carl and Chris Pramas was from 2000, and therefore takes place after Guide to Hell came out and was one of the last products released before the debut of 3rd edition (not un-coincidentally). The part involving Moloch starts on page 47. It begins by briefly recounting how he got into trouble into the first place, and that he plotted his return for centuries, by marshalling resources, winning allies, and preparing a surprise attack to take back Malbolge. He went to a Material Plane world to hide and finish his plan, preparing to plane shift back to Baator to begin his invasion. However, he had the misfortune of choosing the world on which the module takes place, which gets cut off from the Outer Planes during the course of the module, stranding him on that world and allowing his armies to walk into a slaughter at the hands of the Hag Countess’ forces. Furious, and mad for revenge, he sets out to find and destroy those responsible for his situation – the PCs, of course. Pages 48-54 detail Moloch’s machinations against the culprits, culminating in a deadly confrontation. He does not appear in the rest of the module, since it’s assumed that when he confronts the PCs, either they kill him or he kills them.

Even if he does kill the whole party, a DM might assume that he simply dies when that world ends. However, WotC does not assume this, since he is identified as alive in more than one 3E product – after all, the option is there in the module to actually have the PCs save the world (though the designers clearly have more malicious havoc in mind than that contrived ending!), so there is that. One must assume that, to place him properly in canon, he must have found a way to survive and return to Baator, where he was quickly returned to an outcast status on Avernus to plan his revenge anew.

 

[Shade]

Even if he does kill the whole party, a DM might assume that he simply dies when that world ends. However, WotC does not assume this, since he is identified as alive in more than one 3E product – after all, the option is there in the module to actually have the PCs save the world (though the designers clearly have more malicious havoc in mind than that contrived ending!), so there is that. One must assume that, to place him properly in canon, he must have found a way to survive and return to Baator, where he was quickly returned to an outcast status on Avernus to plan his revenge anew.

Thanks to the greater aspects of FCII, it's highly possible that it wasn't the "full" Moloch that was slain by the PCs. Losing a greater aspect probably takes a bit of a toll on the fiend, I'd imagine. If nothing else, it would be a matter of shame, I'd imagine.

 

[rom90125]

Outstanding thread guys! Truly inspiring...

Thanks for taking the time to compile this info.

 

[Shemeska]

In the timeline above, I added some stuff from the latest Dragon Magazine: demiplanes, archomentals, keepers, and Malcanthet.

Also, some draedens for Shade.

For what it's worth, while my opinion on the inclusion of Draedens in 3.x material (and really much of anything directly from D&D as opposed to AD&D) is somewhat mixed to be certain, I included the demiplane of Draedenden in Dragon 353 anyway, since we already had the reference in FC:I, and because I suspect that it might make a few people grin.

And Rip, your take on my allusions I put into the writeup of the Black Abyss are interesting. I like that interpretation (and I don't actually have a single solidly intended version I was trying to overtly push there. I wanted to leave the implications and meaning intentionally vague to allow for multiple possibilities).

 

[Ripzerai]

Thanks to the greater aspects of FCII, it's highly possible that it wasn't the "full" Moloch that was slain by the PCs.

It might well have been an aspect.

Even if was Moloch's true form, he would have eventually respawned in Baator, whether killed by the PCs or by the death of a world.

 

[Shade]

Also, some draedens for Shade.

Thanks!

 

[hamishspence]

Before the draedens?

This I'm not entirely sure about: I'm conflating info from Dragon magazine's Far realm article (320?) and Epic's LeShay:

The Elder Elves, or LeShay, create the Great Gate, that opens access to the Far realm. The elves close it too late to prevent a Far Realm entity seeping into the world:

My guess as to what happens next: The Far Realm overwrites that universe, wiping out time and space as we know it. The LeShay preserve themselves by launching themselves forward in time. A new universe coalesces out of the chaos, and the LeShay reappear. This means that, since the Time of the previous universe has been erased, the Leshays universe has, metaphorically speaking, never existed, as Epic says. The survivors make their way as best they can.

 

[BOZ]

Creation of the Black Abyss

A group of unknown beings pledge themselves to the slaad lord Ygorl in an attempt to gain refuge from the tyranny of the Wind Dukes. With Ygorl's help, they create the demiplane that is later known as the Black Abyss.

fascinating! that's two references to the slaad lords in issue #353. one might have hope for seeing more on them in the future?