Mangrum wrote:Since the cat's out of the bag anyway, I'll clarify -- the bracer doesn't "download memories" -- that sounds a bit sci-fi, don't you think? It operates as a variation on a lich's phylactery, with a touch of magic jar, which is how Azalin was able to create it. Upon the wearer's death, it transfers the wearer's soul into a waiting receptacle back in Avernus. That soul is then placed in an inactive clone body. Without that soul, an awakened clone would just be an evil duplicate, as detailed in the core RL rules.
Very, very cool. Any plans on having used that on other people? After all, I've always wondered how Balitor escaped the Requiem, seeing as he should have been in his manor in Desolatus (or, if
Lord of the Necropolis is considered canon, I wonder how he was freed from within Death, which he was changed into along with Lowellyn Dachine), to be an active NPC in
Death Undaunted...
And sorry about the "download memories" thing... I was just idly describing it, not considering the genre in my description. But yeah, I should have figured that it worked like a phylactery rather than a memory-recorder, since S is an Azalin-clone and so there should be similarities between her and Azalin...
Rock wrote:... So, it'd be identical to S, except for not having her actual memories and soul? I mean, S is evil.
I don't recall the RL rules modifications for
clone and am away from my books, but his description sounds more like the 2nd Ed
clone spell. As per 2E, the S-clone would only have the memories of the time when the cells were harvested (
clone requires a few cells from the original person as a material component) and would recognize itself as a copy of the original, having a need to kill and replace the original if the original is still alive. Hence, the "evil duplicate" as it seeks to kill the original.
Anyway, with the
magic jar / phylactery effect of placing S's original soul into the S-clone body, it would have ALL of S's memories right up to the point of death and would have S's soul, thus not being a duplicate at all but just the original in a replacement body. And S wouldn't feel the need to kill the original S, as she IS the original S; there's no duplicate formed in this process.
That said, under 3E, all of these things are taken for granted. If the original lives,
clone produces an empty husk that withers and dies if not preserved. Upon the death of the original body, the soul would immediately be drawn to and would start inhabiting the clone body, if there was one already prepared and preserved. No evil duplicate would be produced.
I'm assuming the RL modification just brings the 2E horror into the 3E version. But again, as my books are at home and I keep forgetting to have the PDF on my flash drive, this is not necessarily correct thinking.
Rock wrote:Ornum wrote:So, a question. Assuming that they were aware of what was about to happen, would darklords (at least, those that are able) be able to close their borders to prevent the soul's return after the body dies?
Interesting question. I'd say if a domain border can stop an incorporeal undead, it could probably hold back a soul under the effects of a
magic jar spell or similar. The ones that can't, probably can't.
Since Mangrum stated that the bracers are based off of a lich's phylactery (with only slight modifications as per
magic jar), and since a lich's essence is not blocked by closed domain borders from returning to its phylactery, I would say that S's soul similarly flows back to the clone chamber in Castle Avernus regardless of any closed domain borders inbetween.
That said, if you were running a campaign with S in it, I'd likely change that rule, making it so that S's soul is just transfered into the bracers and that someone has to take the bracers from the corpse and hoof it back to Darkon the long way. Then, once back in Darkon, the bracers could be attached to the clone tank to transfer the soul out of the bracers and into the waiting clone body. This way, it'd give a few interesting adventures as the PCs bring the bracers back to Darkon, not to mention having had a full Mists-spanning campaign as the PCs are sent to watch over S...
Matthew L. Martin wrote:But Azalin would probably have found himself irked by this move of S's, since he wouldn't be able to get her back to fulfill his real plans for her.
As clarification, I'd meant it as being Azalin's plan, not S's plan for suicide. Azalin could always clone a new S, place her soul into the clone, and have her back at his side. The God-Brain would just get the dead brain out of the most recent S body, thus getting access to S's knowledge but not her soul or anything.
That said, it was just speculation, not a terribly well thought-out idea. After all, I don't really know enough about Illithid God-Brains to know what they can do that others can't do (Azalin, after all, also has SuperGenius intelligence and the ability to read minds; what can the God-Brain do that Azalin cannot do himself? Could the gestalt brain constructed of multiple illithid brains allow a better ability to analyze information from multiple perspectives simultaneously?), so I don't really know what would be a good deal there.
Also, mind you, it's only been revealed that the last Gazetteer entry would be set in Bluetspur. I'm merely making the assumption that the God-Brain would be of interest; it could be that the vampire illithid are of greater interest somehow. It could be that Lyssa von Zarovich is back in Bluetspur and Azalin intends S to run into her. It could be that, since the God-Brain's attention will draw psions into Bluetspur physically (see the alternate Powers Checks rules for psionics) that Azalin hopes to make use of that to duplicate himself in Bluetspur and have a certain freedom from Darkon itself. It could be that, since the God-Brain can read minds and communicate with anyone anywhere across the Land of Mists, that Azalin plans an agreement with the God-Brain to create a much better communication system with his Kargat and expand operations outside Darkon. Or, from that same ability, that Azalin plans to have the God-Brain open communications between himself and Gwydion, as Gwydion has no ambassadors to communicate through.
It's just speculation.
Matthew L. Martin wrote:Of course, even without that, he's still got to figure out how to get the Thirteenth and the Greatest out of where they're being kept or trapped, and to deal with someone
else who's keeping an eye on his targets. He may be able to make alliance with one of the Demiplane's major players to help handle that last, though . . .
Hmmm, and the God-Brain would definitely have the ability to watch those Children of the Gentleman Caller, considering its ability to watch anything throughout the whole of the Land of Mists... But again, mere speculation on my part.
BUT, my question: What generated the "the Thirteenth and the Greatest" comment? I've seen nothing to suggest that the Children have been increasing in power/prestige across the Gazetteers, although admittedly the one from Gaz I (Beast of the Hills) wasn't even important enough to get her sidebar... And thinking about it, I guess that it's kinda true, as power-wise Vigo Drakov < Jongleur < Malocchio and it's still unknown who the one from Gaz V is...
Interesting.
(EDIT: Last entry based on me misreading things... But "the Thirteenth and the Greatest out of where they're being kept or trapped" indicates those are two different entities... and also meaning Malocchio is not the only trapped GC Child...? And I'm assuming that "someone else who's keeping an eye on [Azalin's] targets" refers to Isolde, though I doubt she's the only person who's watching them... I wish you could reveal what you know, especially as you're not bound by contracts...
Random follow-up idea: What happens when Isolde, an actual angel, runs across the Darklord of Pharazia, who wishes to be one? What would he attempt to do to her? Could the GC trek through there specifically to give Diambel that chance? Would Diambel try to destroy Isolde and use portions of her body to upgrade his own?)