Shothragot
Andropus
Tharizdun as mentioned before.
Any help would be apreciated
"I see Entropy as an actual being from Abeir-Toril’s ancient past. I’m talking way back, even before the Days of Thunder. The sphere of annihilation the Karanok’s worship as Entropy has never truly been a divine being. This fanaticism based on myths and legends ultimately lined up with Tiamat’s goals and she started granting spells in Entropy’s name early in the 1370s. But how surprised would the Karanoks and the Queen of Dragons herself be if the primordial 'God Swallower' returned to Abeir-Toril one day…"
Now, the sphere of annihilation called Entropy worshipped by the Karanoks of Luthcheq is another matter. The description in Maiden Of Pain has it as a black sphere surrounded by purple energy, pretty much a manifestation of Shar's holy symbol (a black disc outlined in purple). I theorise that Shar created it to support the Karanok's persecution of arcane magic, something we see in a big way with the Shadow Weave and later Sharran activities - a quest to destroy arcane magic. The concept of Entropy fits her perfectly as well.
Later, Tiamat hijacked Entropy and began granting the Karanoks divine powers and abishai. Tiamat may or may not know Shar was behind it, and Shar is probably pleased she doesn't have to do any work for it (prayers coming back will be minor and negligable, as the Karanoks are few).
The description in Maiden Of Pain has it as a black sphere surrounded by purple energy, pretty much a manifestation of Shar's holy symbol (a black disc outlined in purple). I theorise that Shar created it to support the Karanok's persecution of arcane magic, something we see in a big way with the Shadow Weave and later Sharran activities - a quest to destroy arcane magic. The concept of Entropy fits her perfectly as well.
-That is the theory that I have always ascribed to.
I suspect the OP is just looking for the general concept of Entropy, so Shar.
Like I said.:P
Maiden Of Pain
Hssssssssssss...
Maiden of Pain. The thought of that one turns my stomach. Seriously, out of the 150+ FR novels I have read, that takes the cake as the worst of them all.
-Also, note that in the Forgotten Realms (I don't know if you know it or not, but), you can't worship, say, a hunk of cheese, and receive spells based simply on the fervor of your prayers, and devotion that you give that cheese. Divine spells need to be granted by some kind of patron, be it an actual deity, a Demon Lord, an Archdevil, whatever...
Actually, I remember one of the designers, Eric L Boyd or Eytan Bernstein I think, mention on these boards a few years ago a shift towards allowing worship of concepts other than gods, and being able to receive divine power. He called it the potted plant feat, being able to worship anything, including the potted plant. Hence the Servant Of The Fallen feat in LEoF, the three fiendish ones in CoR, the Dragon Ascendent one in DoF, the heresy feat in PoF - all essentially the same feat. These are largely by patron through, but if 3.5 had gone a few more years, I think we would have seen the Devotee Of The Potted Plant.
There's certainly precedent: the Cult of Entropy, the Church of Tchazzar, the followers of Maldraedior in Unther, that group in Thentia in the Moonsea that worships a flying sword. There's plenty of cults of non-divine objects/beings. And mortals who ascend to divinity would certainly need it to cement their ascension, they can't all be sponsored, surely.
I also recall mention on these boards of non-deity-worshipping clerics able to gain up to 2nd- or 3rd-level spells by force of belief alone, though I don't know if this is canon FR, core or general D&D, or just nonsense.
Hssssssssssss...
Maiden of Pain. The thought of that one turns my stomach. Seriously, out of the 150+ FR novels I have read, that takes the cake as the worst of them all.
It was... inoffensive. Some stuff happened, and some other stuff happened, and then it was over. I seem to have forgotten much of it. I wouldn't say it was actually bad, just not great, and lacking in inspiration and motivation. I suspect the terms of the competition constrained Kameron M Franklin a little too tightly. I welcomed the trip around Chessenta, anyway.
An embarrassment to read in public though, with the abused and naked woman on the cover.
.It was... inoffensive. Some stuff happened, and some other stuff happened, and then it was over. I seem to have forgotten much of it. I wouldn't say it was actually bad, just not great, and lacking in inspiration and motivation. I suspect the terms of the competition constrained Kameron M Franklin a little too tightly. I welcomed the trip around Chessenta, anyway.
I'm not in any way denouncing Kameron M Franklin as a poor writer. Far from it; I agree that the competition's restraints probably didn't work in his favor. It's just that the entire book felt uninspired, as you said. The characters were lifeless husks that just basically did things because the plot had a big, blinking arrow over their heads pointing "This way." I agree that it wasn't "offensive" (in say, the Lady Penitent sense), but it has no redeeming qualities. I have so much more to say, but I won't bash it any more than I already have.
And just so you know: Chessenta (as it was before it was singled down to "just Luthcheq" in 4E) is one of my favorite nations in all Faerun, and Loviatar is one of my favorite deities (my second favorite goddess, behind Lliira).
An embarrassment to read in public though, with the abused and naked woman on the cover.
I'm a literature fiend, so when those friends of mine who aren't into fantasy/science fiction come over, they can never understand why I have bookshelves and bookshelves stuffed full of real literature (such as Joyce, Nabokov, or Wilde), and then other bookshelves devoted to my fantasy books (Forgotten Realms, Eddings, Martin, Brooks and the like). They think it's "beneath me" to read books like the FR novels. I always get a chuckle out of it.
Actually, I remember one of the designers, Eric L Boyd or Eytan Bernstein I think, mention on these boards a few years ago a shift towards allowing worship of concepts other than gods, and being able to receive divine power. He called it the potted plant feat, being able to worship anything, including the potted plant. Hence the Servant Of The Fallen feat in LEoF, the three fiendish ones in CoR, the Dragon Ascendent one in DoF, the heresy feat in PoF - all essentially the same feat. These are largely by patron through, but if 3.5 had gone a few more years, I think we would have seen the Devotee Of The Potted Plant.
There's certainly precedent: the Cult of Entropy, the Church of Tchazzar, the followers of Maldraedior in Unther, that group in Thentia in the Moonsea that worships a flying sword. There's plenty of cults of non-divine objects/beings. And mortals who ascend to divinity would certainly need it to cement their ascension, they can't all be sponsored, surely.
-Regardless of the direction that they might have been going in or not, we know now that, with 4e rules, a deity (or some equivalent) seems to be necessary, being that the deity directly imbues the priest/priestess with the power to cast Divine magic. If there's no one to imbue it in you, I don't see how you'd be able to get it- though, I don't own the rulebooks, so perhaps there's a clause or sidebar or something that addresses that matter and makes it possible.
I also recall mention on these boards of non-deity-worshipping clerics able to gain up to 2nd- or 3rd-level spells by force of belief alone, though I don't know if this is canon FR, core or general D&D, or just nonsense.
-I believe it's a vestige from 2e rules, but don't quote me fully on that, because I'm not entirely sure. In the Forgotten Realms, that was never the case, anyway, though.
See, I dunno... Torm is pretty cheesy as deities go, with all those melodramatic Orders, Debts, and Penances. And he's a greater hunk of cheese. ;)
-Torm. The greatest Forgotten Realms deity ever. Don't say those mean things about Torm! My new Neverwinter Nights character is a Cleric of Torm. Torm's dogma and virtues most accurately match my own. I know someone with a symbol of Torm as a tattoo! Torm's an overall good guy (literally and figuratively). :P
Cyric, on the other hand... I think "cheese" is a bit polite in his case. I can think of another substance with a distinctly repulsive odor which would describe him better.
I agree.
-Are you sure you're not me? I am missing a third aspect, you know.
-Are you sure you're not me? I am missing a third aspect, you know.
The beholder mage aspect? That ain't me.
But then again, I don't deny we see eye to eye on a lot of things (heck, most things). I might be your third aspect.;)
The pseudo-natural vestige of Thayd, the maddened spirit of the rebel mulan wizard who has resided in the FarRealms since the Orcgate wars, is plotting Torils destruction. A few Imaskari tombs have been overrun by his cysts (semipermanent portals of corrupting slime and green flames that allow seepage from the Far Realm), and Thayd's Kaorti mages are setting the stage for an Apocalypse. They are encysting the undead remains of (dawn)titans, ensuring their rise will be under the control of Thayds maddened hive mind.
Dendar the Nightserpent, the primordial snake, is slumbering most of the time, but by "breaking its chains" or awakening its hunger it could be agitated to eat the Sun i.e. Lathander/Aumanator and the resulting darkness will break the gods and the realms and herald a monstrous new era. This Serpentine Apocalyps myth is closely guarded and kept secret by the Kaorti mages as they set the stage for that dark day, tending the husks of tombed titans.
I used this plotline in my Chessenta campaign, but most of it was too evil for even my players to face. The party preferred to earn coins than mess with corrupting dungeons and eventually ended up TPKing gunning for too powerful fugitives like Ningal.
Numerous artifects scatterred across the realms hold (fragments of) ancient evils. There is the Crown (of Thorns?), which hold the remains of Myrkul. Another bound ancient evil is supposedly held in the pyramid ruins under Ascore. The use of a doomsday device could unleash Tharizdun if you want to go for a multiversal apocalyps.
-Regardless of the direction that they might have been going in or not, we know now that, with 4e rules, a deity (or some equivalent) seems to be necessary, being that the deity directly imbues the priest/priestess with the power to cast Divine magic. If there's no one to imbue it in you, I don't see how you'd be able to get it- though, I don't own the rulebooks, so perhaps there's a clause or sidebar or something that addresses that matter and makes it possible.
Hmm, I wonder if in the 4e Realms the concept of the ur-priest still works then
Hmm, I wonder if in the 4e Realms the concept of the ur-priest still works then
-That's the one where the person "steals" power from the deity, without the deity necessarily knowing, or approving of that person using their power, right? If it was modified a little, sure, why not? A Wizard PP that "steals" from a deity, and has his/her spells count as Divine Magic, instead of Arcane Magic? A Cleric PP that gets "double doses" of the deity's power that they already use, unauthorized? Something like that. The original concept probably wouldn't work anymore, but if you played around with it, I'm sure you'd get something close, and interesting.
It's a good thing there's no god named Ur, huh? :P
-Did you check in Unther? Oh, wait! Now it all makes sense, why Unther needed to go...
GEV
I ran my players up against a Chicken-Ceaser Slaadi once... not nearly as tough as a Bacon-Ranch Slaadi, though.
For those of you who get it.;)
beholder
eye to eye
Heh, fun.
(Yes, that'll be my only contribution to this thread... for now)
I know back in 1ED the most hit points a deity could have was 400, and Ygorl, Lord of Entropy had like 399 HP. More than even most Demi-gods. Is Ygorl just a powerful Slaad now, or is he still a divine being?
Honestly, I'm not sure, but I could've swore I read that the Slaad Lords are still super-beings, on-par with the Archfey or Demon Lords, in 4E. Where did I read this?
I know back in 1ED the most hit points a deity could have was 400, and Ygorl, Lord of Entropy had like 399 HP. More than even most Demi-gods. Is Ygorl just a powerful Slaad now, or is he still a divine being?
-He's a Slaadi Lord. He's not a divine being, but he is "as strong as" a divine being, just as Archelements are, as Demon Lords are, as Archdevils are, as Archfey are...(3e)
-Of the different Slaadi Lord, Ygorl is also my favorite.
Of the different Slaadi Lord, Ygorl is also my favorite.
For me, he takes the second place spot. Let me reiterate my favorite:
:invasion: :invasion: :invasion:
I think I've done him justice.
House Karanok seems like small fries compared to other faerun evil powers but like it would be interesting to see what shar would do with it. I know of a few elder evils that where tied in to faerun via adaptation in the book but most of these felt like they just didn't fit in too well. I had forgotten about Ygorl when i made this post and was just reminded of him. I was actually thinking of using the spellplague as a catalyst for a superpower to start the annihilation of the realms kind of thing and initially i thought of entropy.
Thanks all for the comments and keep em coming.
House Karanok seems like small fries compared to other faerun evil powers but like it would be interesting to see what shar would do with it.
-They are; they're a regional group. They are only in power in Luthcheq, and in any holdings the family has in other major cities across the continent.
-They are; they're a regional group. They are only in power in Luthcheq, and in any holdings the family has in other major cities across the continent.
Heck, they're the only real power in Chessenta that's been named so far (asides from Jaxanaedegor, if you wish to count his powerbase in Threskel).
Also, their god has been turned into a pretty accessory. How amusing.:D
This is, of course, assuming one is adhering to 4E FR's clusterf@$# in Chessenta set-up.
Do you mean Tchazzer? And... what happened in 4E Chessenta?
Tchazzar went missing/died/went to Tiamat's realm/etc. Which is kinda stupid, considering he was an ideal opponent for epic tier characters.
Chessenta got swarmed by monsters, and only Luthcheq weathered it well. As a result, it is now the dominant city-state; that is to say, the only city state we have really learned about in the FRCG.
I have more to say, but my wife and I are about to go out for the evening. More later.
EDIT: I'm back. Anyway, the FRCG seems to lean towards the idea of Tchazzar being dead, with the whole "Reliquary of Tchazzar" hook in the Chessenta section.
Jaxanaedegor has always been a major player, even before the Spellplague; his powerbase in Threskel was a great threat/boon to Chessenta (depending on just which city-state you're talking to). Thing is, he was always under the thumb (claw) of Alasklerbanbastos, if I remember correctly. The Great Bone Wyrm is apparently gone, so Jax finally had room to stretch his wings (and increase his own personal might).