Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xavier_of_Cormyr 03-10-07, 03:55 AM	This idea was dreamed up after reading a "Realms of Shadow" short story.... A Cormyrian wizard native to Tilverton has swore a oath to destroy the Shadovar in retribution for the destruction of his home. Knowing that he lacks the power & resources to accomplish this on his own, he begins researching Netherese lore- trying not to increase his own magical might, but to gain insight to who they are- know thy enemy. He comes across several general histories in which a name is noted many times- Olostin, the Dread Baron. A warlord of Low Netheril, Olostin lead many campaigns to undermine & bring down the empire of magic. This barbaric warlord enjoyed a degree of success against the archmages until his death in -423 DR. The ancient texts reveal that Olostin was found to have been in league with the mysterious creatures known as Phaerimm, which guided him against the archmages- providing him with knowledge to best defeat their magic. And so, the Cormyrian wizard set out to find the remains of this "Dread Baron", and unleash him unto the world once again- the harbinger of destruction for the new Empire of Netheril!!!!:plotting: So.. the wizard has located Olostin's barrow at the Eastern edge of the Greypeak mountains. The old boxed set has him as a 20th level CE fighter, but I might alter that. I'm working on exactly what Olostin will be- simply resurrected? a death knight? (he was slain by a fireball, so it kinda works) a mummy? Its a start.... :whatsthis
MarkusTay63 03-10-07, 07:23 AM	I have an idea for you. Retrieve the Crown of Horns from from Nhyris D'Hothek in Skullport an place it on the head of Olostin. :D According to that source, the crown eventually turns the wearer into a Lich. even though Nhryris was just a thief he has now become a Lich. This is due in part, I think, to Myrkul's last peice of godly essence being stored in the crown. The crown obviously didn't have that effect when Laeral wore it before the ToT. It grants MANY cool powers, and would turn Olostin into a powerful undead Warrior-Lich, something unique. Something like that I could see being a threat to the Arch-Wizards.
Lord Karsus 03-12-07, 12:46 AM	The ancient texts reveal that Olostin was found to have been in league with the mysterious creatures known as Phaerimm, which guided him against the archmages- providing him with knowledge to best defeat their magic. -So far, so good, but what I copied above is what I don't like. Of all of the people affected by the Phaerimm, the Low Netherese were affected the most. It was the actual land underneath their feet that was dying. It was their crops that were shriveling up. It was their rivers that were drying. And so on. This can be worked around with enough thought, but I figure I'd mention it.
Stigger 03-12-07, 02:06 AM	Didn't Nhyris lose the crown at some point? Thought it said he did in Serpent Kingdoms... and that he wasn't quite a lich, just something that was on the way to becoming one, but didn't quite complete it.
Xavier_of_Cormyr 03-12-07, 09:35 AM	-So far, so good, but what I copied above is what I don't like. Of all of the people affected by the Phaerimm, the Low Netherese were affected the most. It was the actual land underneath their feet that was dying. It was their crops that were shriveling up. It was their rivers that were drying. And so on. This can be worked around with enough thought, but I figure I'd mention it. well, I actually thought that to myself at first, so you're not alone there. But N:EoM boxed set which has the original write ups on Olostin drops the Phaerimm connection out there. I'm also fairly certain it was reinforced somewhere else that I had read. But that aside, I'l like the classic plotline of some poor slob being misguided by a villian (phaerimm) into doing their dirtywork (attack the Netherese) by blaming them (the arcanists) for the poor slobs problems. As for the crown- I think I'll stick with the death knight template for now. The crown's history just doesn't work in what I was thinking. Besides, the death knight description & powers work well for a evil fighter who was brought down by a fireball cast by a 34th level arcanist (doesn't say who tho?) It will give him decent stats and a great SR, and the really fun "abyssal blast" :D And in a rough draft I pegged him with a few levels of Occult Slayer (for a guy who hated & conspired against mages)
Lord Karsus 03-12-07, 10:37 AM	well, I actually thought that to myself at first, so you're not alone there. But N:EoM boxed set which has the original write ups on Olostin drops the Phaerimm connection out there. I'm also fairly certain it was reinforced somewhere else that I had read. But that aside, I'l like the classic plotline of some poor slob being misguided by a villian (phaerimm) into doing their dirtywork (attack the Netherese) by blaming them (the arcanists) for the poor slobs problems. -If you expand on the lore, you could always say that Olostin was charmed by an Elder Phaerimm. You could also say that they appeared to him in a different guise...As Elves, perhaps. You could also have it that Olostin was working with them through a middle-man- the Terraseer, even. That would be interesting. He was tired of his pet project, knew that his hibernation was coming up soon, so decided to end it all... -But, like I said, I just wanted to point it out. It's easily fixable.
Karsus the Mad 03-12-07, 11:04 AM	-If you expand on the lore, you could always say that Olostin was charmed by an Elder Phaerimm. You could also say that they appeared to him in a different guise...As Elves, perhaps. You could also have it that Olostin was working with them through a middle-man- the Terraseer, even. That would be interesting. He was tired of his pet project, knew that his hibernation was coming up soon, so decided to end it all... -But, like I said, I just wanted to point it out. It's easily fixable. Given that the Terraseer did everything he did in order to encourage magical develop in Netheril in order to discover a weapon against the phaerimm, I don't see him as being in league with them. I don't see it as being plausible he'd be a middleman. It may have been he who destroyed Olostin in the first place for attempting to ruin his pet project. He was a 35th level arcanist in NEoM remember, and Olostin was killed by a fireball cast by an arcanist in excess of 35th level....coincidence? The only other arcanists that could do it that we know of is Polaris, Karsus, or Ioulaum.
Lord Karsus 03-12-07, 11:46 AM	Given that the Terraseer did everything he did in order to encourage magical develop in Netheril in order to discover a weapon against the phaerimm, I don't see him as being in league with them. -Who knows what was going through it's mind at the time. Like I said before, perhaps the Terraseers time for hibernation was approaching, and he didn't want any of the other Lich-Kings getting their grimy hands on his project. Thus, he had the "If I can't have it, no one can" mentality. I don't see it as being plausible he'd be a middleman. It may have been he who destroyed Olostin in the first place for attempting to ruin his pet project. He was a 35th level arcanist in NEoM remember, and Olostin was killed by a fireball cast by an arcanist in excess of 35th level....coincidence? The only other arcanists that could do it that we know of is Polaris, Karsus, or Ioulaum. -Do you remember doing it? I don't...I blame Ioulaum.
Karsus the Mad 03-12-07, 12:23 PM	Who knows what was going through it's mind at the time. Like I said before, perhaps the Terraseers time for hibernation was approaching, and he didn't want any of the other Lich-Kings getting their grimy hands on his project. Thus, he had the "If I can't have it, no one can" mentality. He went into hibernation hundreds of times during Netheril. The liches of Oreme are only out of hibernation for four years at a time. -Do you remember doing it? I don't...I blame Ioulaum. I don't recall right off hand, no. Must have been Ioulaum. Polaris didn't care enough of anything.
Lord Karsus 03-12-07, 02:28 PM	He went into hibernation hundreds of times during Netheril. The liches of Oreme are only out of hibernation for four years at a time. -There are 64 Liches (or was it 62?). If each one gets a 4 year reign, that means that a Lich needs to wait 252 years (63 others get to go) before that individual gets the reigns again. I don't know, we're just throwing theories out there. I don't recall right off hand, no. Must have been Ioulaum. Polaris didn't care enough of anything. -That bum...
Xavier_of_Cormyr 03-12-07, 02:55 PM	gentlemen... a Karsus divided amongst itself cannot stand... (man, a Abe Lincoln smiley would be cool right now)
Xavier_of_Cormyr 03-12-07, 03:09 PM	I'd say him being charmed by a elder phaerimm would be likely, but I prefer having Olostin working FREELY with the Phaerimm. I've been trying to flesh Olostin out, and I'm imagining him as revolutionary, albeit a CE one. Not that he was a philantropist, its just that the Netherese arcanists were cutting in on his action as top dog. If he called the shots down in Low Netheril, he'd have a good card to play. Food, natural resources, labor all came from down there. So Olostin would have had the "my enemy's enemy is my friend" outlook on the Phaerimm, especially if they gave him money, power, and the know-how to strike out at the arcanists; show Olostin where to hit 'em where it hurts. Sure the Phaerimm would have prefered to charm him- why risk it or care anyway? But, Olostin was a mage killer before shacking up with the thornbacks, so maybe his indomitable will kept him free (or a nifty magic item- N:EoM has his Wis at 11) I'm in no rush with this one. so any points will be taken into consideration. One thing I'd like to work out is what resources would the Phaerimm have given him? Mind slave warrior servants? Magic items? Direct magical aid? The realms of shadow short which inspired me had a henchman of Olostin hiring a lowly rogue to assassinate Lord Shadow- perhaps they knew even then that Shadow's (Telamont Thanthul) magical research would result in a magic that could destroy them (shadow weave)
Lord Karsus 03-12-07, 04:18 PM	gentlemen... a Karsus divided amongst itself cannot stand... (man, a Abe Lincoln smiley would be cool right now) -Indeed...indeed... I'd say him being charmed by a elder phaerimm would be likely, but I prefer having Olostin working FREELY with the Phaerimm. I've been trying to flesh Olostin out, and I'm imagining him as revolutionary, albeit a CE one. Not that he was a philantropist, its just that the Netherese arcanists were cutting in on his action as top dog. If he called the shots down in Low Netheril, he'd have a good card to play. Food, natural resources, labor all came from down there. So Olostin would have had the "my enemy's enemy is my friend" outlook on the Phaerimm, especially if they gave him money, power, and the know-how to strike out at the arcanists; show Olostin where to hit 'em where it hurts. -Well, if that's the case, I'd have some kind of intermediary working between the two. Perhaps the Phaerimm charmed some other charismatic individual who then begin egging Olostin on, or something to that effect. For as much as he didn't like the Arcanists, I doubt that he would like the Phaerimm more. They were, after all, the ones who were primarily responsible for the destruction of his people (the Low Netherese), with their Lifedraining magics. One thing I'd like to work out is what resources would the Phaerimm have given him? Mind slave warrior servants? Magic items? Direct magical aid? -As for what they could provide him...Perhaps "Mage-Bane" weapons, armors and items- things that cause Silence, absorb spells, increase SR, and so on, to make spellcasters less of a threat. Money is also always a good thing...;)
Karsus the Mad 03-12-07, 06:33 PM	gentlemen... a Karsus divided amongst itself cannot stand... (man, a Abe Lincoln smiley would be cool right now) Since LK lays on the couch all day, and I sit on my stool in the kitchen, we don't really need to stand much:) -There are 64 Liches (or was it 62?). If each one gets a 4 year reign, that means that a Lich needs to wait 252 years (63 others get to go) before that individual gets the reigns again. I don't know, we're just throwing theories out there. I'm just pointing out specifics so that any theories that are settled on are well founded given what is known;) My theory is that he did it of his own freewill, since the Phaerimm hadn't yet began their assault on Netheril, and given Olostin's severe anti-archwizard views and predisposistion to oppose the archwizards regardless of reason just so he could continue living his indulging way of life, and the Phaerimm giving the appearance of a benevolent race who was simply worried, and Olostin being not particularly wise (11 Wis), I'm of the mind he saw a chance of grabbing more wealth. No convincing or anything needed:P