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 What would happen if you kill Ao?

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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Jelennet Posted - 17 May 2010 : 10:23:36
I wonder what would happen if you kill Ao...
I've always wanted to kill him - just for FUN! He-he. My dream.
I really dislike him.
It's the most tragical thing in the Realms - that the overgod is not good, but neutral.
Have you ever wanted to KILL him? Or to murder some other Realms gods?
30   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Jakk Posted - 20 May 2010 : 02:43:36
Which brings us back to our original topic... imho, what would happen if you kill Ao is, absolutely nothing. Apart from the fact that his superior would then become the direct superior of the deities of Toril... at least until his replacement was appointed.

Edit: If you think of the deities of the D&D multiverse as a corporation, Ao is essentially an assistant VP. People in these positions come and go all the time without a moment's notice from those higher up in the food chain... to say nothing of those beneath him in the hierarchy.
The Sage Posted - 20 May 2010 : 01:06:39
Ultimately, Ao was an ad hoc plot device which isn't worth thinking about because he has virtually zero impact in the daily life of the Realms.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 20 May 2010 : 00:55:13
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias

What do you think about this scenario: A group of Aoists start to break havoc and destroy other cults and faiths, claiming that they are not needed in presence of Ao. Will Ao intervene through the messenger or assassin if their actions will cause the great disbalance like the weakening of some major faiths or some global crisis using forbidden artifact?



I don't see it. Gods have thousands of worshippers, spread across a very large area. No small group of people is going to be able to do much to even most of a deity's worshippers, much less have an impact on multiple deities.

And you're not going to have a large group of Ao worshippers, because outside of those in Waterdeep at the end of the ToT, he's virtually unknown. Even most sages aren't going to know a lot about him, since Ao has caused all written records of himself to fade.

On top of that, it's hard for anyone to see a reason to worship Ao. Yeah, he's the overpower -- but he ignores mortal followers and only deals with the gods. For most people, he's going to be some theoretical entity, and not one who has any impact on day-to-day life in the Realms. With deities making their existence known in a variety of ways, there's simply no reason to turn to a deity that actively wants to be unknown to mortals.
Jakk Posted - 19 May 2010 : 21:46:55
Fascinating... I could see Aoists becoming Ur-priests... their god doesn't respond to their prayers, so they decide that if a god like that is in charge, then all gods should be destroyed...
Dalor Darden Posted - 19 May 2010 : 16:32:02
I kinda like this idea!

Some disillusioned former cleric of a God, realizing that who he thought was "all powerful" is in fact simply a more powerful version of the common run of the mill outer-planar creature.

So, in an ever increasing spiral of insanity, he decides to destroy all the gods!

He founds a cult dedicated to slaying the Gods, by slaughtering their followers. Not only that, but to battle these false gods and their servants, he essentially establishes the abilities of the Ur-Priests (as detailed in the 3.5 book Complete Divine, page 70).

These Ur-Priests then begin the systematic destruction of one False God after another.

I'm gonna do it!
Cleric Generic Posted - 19 May 2010 : 16:13:01
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias

What do you think about this scenario: A group of Aoists start to break havoc and destroy other cults and faiths, claiming that they are not needed in presence of Ao. Will Ao intervene through the messenger or assassin if their actions will cause the great disbalance like the weakening of some major faiths or some global crisis using forbidden artifact?



I think he'd probably just send a memo to the gods telling them to get their act together and sort out their mortals before they receive another epic spanking than do anything him/her/it-self.

I do rather like the idea of fanatical bands of Aoists running amok and burning the temples of the 'false gods' though...
Sill Alias Posted - 19 May 2010 : 15:26:21
What do you think about this scenario: A group of Aoists start to break havoc and destroy other cults and faiths, claiming that they are not needed in presence of Ao. Will Ao intervene through the messenger or assassin if their actions will cause the great disbalance like the weakening of some major faiths or some global crisis using forbidden artifact?
sfdragon Posted - 19 May 2010 : 13:48:28
wears a red ring
The Sage Posted - 19 May 2010 : 10:39:47
quote:
Originally posted by Drizztsmanchild

Upon the slaying of Ao,one is transported to Oa,Where you are given a lantern of a vibrant color with matching jewelry...

Just be weary of the black rings, eh?
Drizztsmanchild Posted - 19 May 2010 : 09:58:17
Upon the slaying of Ao,one is transported to Oa,Where you are given a lantern of a vibrant color with matching jewelry...
Sandro Posted - 19 May 2010 : 09:36:23
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

quote:
Originally posted by Sandro

SPOILER

If you've read the Avatar trilogy (maligned as it is) you'll know that Ao isn't the be all and end all: he does indeed answer to some "greater" power.

And Faiths & Avatars describes Ao's superior as "A Luminous Being." But what that being is, has not been properly defined. Nor should it.


Oh, aye, I was never suggesting that it should be defined. At the end of the day, as has been said, no player would know anything concrete about Ao, and they certainly would not even understand the concept of a being that could control him.
Hrandar Bearmaul Posted - 19 May 2010 : 07:48:29
On a similar idea as "killing Ao" I think it would be cool to have a campaign, and this would be pure fantasy, even in fantasy's terms, where Ao does decide to grant the prayers of, and give power to a mortal being. How badass would a priest of Ao that Ao like, worked with, be? That would be one of those overpowered fantasies that, I for one, enjoy pondering. A priest powered by Ao. Bam. If it actually happened it would be tighter than a....something really tight.
Shemmy Posted - 18 May 2010 : 23:02:23
You make every yugoloth everywhere happy for killing an overpower. :D
The Sage Posted - 18 May 2010 : 08:47:44
Well, it's based on the premise that the DM is the ultimate authority for all that occurs in a particular Realms campaign. So, essentially, even Ao would have to "answer" to the whims of this Luminous Being/Dungeon Master.
Jelennet Posted - 18 May 2010 : 08:45:04
DM? Funny!
The Sage Posted - 18 May 2010 : 08:40:30
quote:
Originally posted by Jelennet

Can you tell me more about this Luminous Being? It's very interesting.

As I said earlier, there's isn't much more that can be said about the Luminous Being. Aside from what's briefly mentioned at the very end of the "Avatar" trilogy and that small bit I referenced earlier from Faiths & Avatars, we know next to nothing about this entity. [That is, not including the usually accepted belief that the "Luminous Being" is, in fact, the DM]
Sill Alias Posted - 18 May 2010 : 08:29:55
Read the Avatars series. There is nothing except that.
Jelennet Posted - 18 May 2010 : 08:28:10
Can you tell me more about this Luminous Being? It's very interesting.
The Sage Posted - 18 May 2010 : 08:10:29
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias

Ao is hated by every sane player, but think about it.
Why should they hate him? They know next to nothing about him.

Ao is supposed to remain a largely "unknown" element in terms of the Realms and the setting as a whole. He's an overpower -- unknowable. Look at what happened to the cults that grew up around Ao-worship after the ToT... they started up wanting to learn and know more about the mystery that is Ao. They, however, quickly faded and disappeared when it become apparent that Ao had no intention of answering prayers or having any type of relations with mortals.
Sill Alias Posted - 18 May 2010 : 07:41:03
Ao is hated by every sane player, but think about it. What would happen if there was some good aligned creature governing the realm? Remember the idealists like Tyr, Lathander, Mystra. Would you allow THEM take the reins of power? And Who better can govern the realms except for a neutral Overgod?

If you would kill Ao, then, possibly, his crystal sphere of Abeir-Toril would crack and explode. Or some new Overgod would come and destroy it and create new world in new fashion. In my opinion Bane is the only god who can make him break a sweat. He could resist the wave of power that made gods lie on the ground!
The Sage Posted - 18 May 2010 : 02:02:24
quote:
Originally posted by Sandro

SPOILER

If you've read the Avatar trilogy (maligned as it is) you'll know that Ao isn't the be all and end all: he does indeed answer to some "greater" power.

And Faiths & Avatars describes Ao's superior as "A Luminous Being." But what that being is, has not been properly defined. Nor should it.
Ayunken-vanzan Posted - 17 May 2010 : 21:34:09
quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM

Personally, I think that what would have happened had Ao been killed is the Spellplague. I think the vast reworking of the setting would have made much more sense with his death than with Mystra's. I still think that they could have sold the new setting to us (us being those who are not fans of the 4e Realms) if they had just taken more time to and put more thought into explaining many of the "whys"? That is all I am saying because I try not to rant about such things any more.



I think you are right.
Sandro Posted - 17 May 2010 : 21:07:56
SPOILER

If you've read the Avatar trilogy (maligned as it is) you'll know that Ao isn't the be all and end all: he does indeed answer to some "greater" power.
Jakk Posted - 17 May 2010 : 20:21:39
Hrm... actually, that's an intriguing thought, Hawkins... and I agree with you entirely on everything you say after the first sentence (which is the intriguing thought). Anyway, I must tear myself away and go to work now...
Hawkins Posted - 17 May 2010 : 19:55:54
Personally, I think that what would have happened had Ao been killed is the Spellplague. I think the vast reworking of the setting would have made much more sense with his death than with Mystra's. I still think that they could have sold the new setting to us (us being those who are not fans of the 4e Realms) if they had just taken more time to and put more thought into explaining many of the "whys"? That is all I am saying because I try not to rant about such things any more.
Jakk Posted - 17 May 2010 : 18:35:54
I wasn't even thinking of it in a "characters in game" sense when I read the title of the scroll... more as a "what would happen if the DM decided to do away with Ao?"

So here's my answer to that question:

The Realms would carry on as they have done, from Ed's discovery of them right up until the Time of Troubles when this meddlesome prankster first made his existence known. "Tablets of Fate," indeed! Who does he think he is, Jergal? In fact, getting rid of Ao might also pre-empt the Spellplague; quite clearly, that was an event that Ao wanted to happen, otherwise it would not have.

In answer to Jelennet's original post, Cleric Generic has it right; if the Overgod were good-aligned, lesser gods of evil alignment probably just would not exist. With no gods of evil alignment, why would intelligent creatures be evil, unless they're atheists? (And that's an idea I find repugnant.) And then where would the foes for your PCs come from? Just a thought.
Sian Posted - 17 May 2010 : 17:36:50
which they only became since Jergal let them because he was bored to death :P
DDH_101 Posted - 17 May 2010 : 16:43:09
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage

I find it interesting that PCs would even believe that they could "kill" Ao.

Ao is the Overgod. Providing stats for him/her/it so that PCs could do battle would be extremely difficult, if not impossible given the fact that, theoretically, Ao can *do* anything.



It's called "ambition", Sage . We all gotta aim high for our dreams.

Look what three mortals named Bane, Myrukul and Bhaal did when they made a pact as young men do become gods...
Alisttair Posted - 17 May 2010 : 15:24:36
Perhaps if you were the overgod of another realm, then "maybe" you could kill Ao, or at least make him break a sweat (if he even can do such a thing).
Cleric Generic Posted - 17 May 2010 : 14:55:34
Killing Ao would be quite easy, really. Just sneak up on the DM with a brick or poison his pizza.

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