Nightblood's Return (Was: Guess My Riddle)

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Nightblood's Return (Was: Guess My Riddle)

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

After a long hiatus from all gaming, I've agreed to run a RL game for a few coworkers. I'd appreciate any feedback and help developing ideas.

(Gotta keep this short--writing at work.) Can anyone guess the plot of my game from the following poem?

Four moons herald a night of blood
Dark moons in a silver sky
The hand, the arm, the heart and neck
Bring them together, the end is nigh
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
The Puppeteer must cut the strings
The Orphan Queen must take the throne
The Queen of Orphans calls them home
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

Huzzah! Welcome back, DS!

Hmmm.... Something to do with The Awakening?
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

Ah, it's an awakening of sorts, but nothing to do with that module....

(I'm curious as to whether the clues in the riddle are obvious enough...should I give a hint?)
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
The Puppeteer must cut the strings
The Orphan Queen must take the throne
The Queen of Orphans calls them home
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by Solan »

DeepShadow of FoS wrote:Ah, it's an awakening of sorts, but nothing to do with that module....

(I'm curious as to whether the clues in the riddle are obvious enough...should I give a hint?)
I like to think I know Ravenloft fairly well, but I have no idea. So yes, a hint would be welcome :? .
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

Well, Nova Vaasa was said to have 5 moons in The Awakening. Dragonlance has 3, of which one is a "dark moon", and can be seen in Sithicus. But your numbers are throwing me. I can't recall any reference to 4 moons, or multiple dark moons, unless you're not meaning moons literally. The body parts remind me of Vecna, but of course, only his hand is really famous. His "heart" was actually his high priestess, and I don't think his arm and neck ever made it into the books. ;)

yeah... I got nothin.... hint, please?
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by Dark Angel »

Anything to do with Vecna?
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

Nope, nothing to do with Vecna.

The most critical lines are the second and fourth. The "moons" of the second line match the body parts of the fourth, but both the moons and body parts are figurative.
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
The Puppeteer must cut the strings
The Orphan Queen must take the throne
The Queen of Orphans calls them home
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

I'm thinking the body parts are actually people? (much like the "heart" of Vecna). Four servants, each with a body part analogy to their function, "orbiting" someone powerful? coming together to overthrow him or her?
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by Zilfer »

Don't know, my guess would be the Four Horsemen. The poem doesn't seem to go for the usual flavor of the four horsemen however, so all that matches is the 4 coming together for the end. xD
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

Okay, so this is certainly not too easy. :-) :roll:

Here's another hint. Think about in what sense you could have a dark moon in a silver sky.
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
The Puppeteer must cut the strings
The Orphan Queen must take the throne
The Queen of Orphans calls them home
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Re: Starting a New Game

Post by Solan »

DeepShadow of FoS wrote:Okay, so this is certainly not too easy. :-) :roll:

Here's another hint. Think about in what sense you could have a dark moon in a silver sky.
Okay . . . I still have nothing :oops:. Anyone else?
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Re: Guess My Riddle (Was: Starting a New Game)

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

Okay, the PC's are going to have more information than just the poem, but I've decided to add more verses. This will give the PC's more info, and it ups the creep factor. Here goes:

Four moons herald a night of blood
Dark moons in a silver sky
The hand, the arm, the heart and neck
Bring them together, the end is nigh

Clever hand made wicked signs,
Traced words of power in arcane lines.
Hide spells within the moon-at-hand
Or place its own at your command.

The moon-at-heart unbeating lies
With passion fuels the wearer's breast.
Beware lest dead man's sly disguise
Corrupt the heart on which it rests



I'm working on two more verses for the "arm" and "neck."
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
The Puppeteer must cut the strings
The Orphan Queen must take the throne
The Queen of Orphans calls them home
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Re: Guess My Riddle (Was: Starting a New Game)

Post by Drinnik Shoehorn »

Is it something to do with Lamordia and Adam's Wrath?

With the body parts mentioned, I'm going for flesh golems.

Oh... Shadow of the Knife?
"Blood once flowed, a choice was made
Travel by night the smallest one bade" The Ballad of the Taverners.
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Re: Guess My Riddle (Was: Starting a New Game)

Post by DeepShadow of FoS »

The verse about the moon-at-heart mentions what it does to the wearer. This means the moon-at-heart is something that can be worn.
The Avariel has borrowed wings,
The Puppeteer must cut the strings
The Orphan Queen must take the throne
The Queen of Orphans calls them home
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Re: Guess My Riddle (Was: Starting a New Game)

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

OK, the moons are crystal balls or gems or pearls of some kind? Moon-at-hand set in a ring (ring of spell storing?) moon-at-heart on a necklace. (dead man's sly disguise makes me think a lich's phylactery) Arm would be a bracelet, neck... a choker? (seems redundant with the the heart. Maybe the heart one is set in a breastplate?).
"We're realistic heroes. We're not here to save the world, just nudge the world into a better place."
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