| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KaizokuVizard |
Posted - 13 Sep 2010 : 01:58:53
Has anyone ever thought of where the key to this is/was? I've been considering making a game where the key is found, and used, by one of the PCs, who's goal is to resurrect Netheril, and build her own Flying Cities.
(I know this is out there, but it's going to be a very high powered Epic game)
Naturally, to get this, it'd have to be incredibly hard to get. Possibly from Larloch, but I hesitate to include him, seeing as he is, well, Larloch, after all! |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Quale |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 20:09:31
yea, humans are not called ''the race of destiny'' for nothing, elves are slow
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
I thought that too. Hey, any guesses to who can/could have done that?
Mine are: Srinshee, Alea Dahast, Elminster/Khelben/Seven Sisters.
I think higher, most of them are nuts, can't handle such power well, which was given by Mystra directly.
Possibly Mystryl before succeeding Lurue, then Savras, he has ''the Eye'' for such things, maybe that's why he was attacked by Azuth, Mystra feared for her position. Ioulaum, but he's still processing the information, he needed an exotic ''computer''. And a career-ending PC about to ascend. |
| KaizokuVizard |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 19:23:49
Hmm, that's a good point. The Sarrukh did transcribe them specifically for the Netherese...perhaps they are keyed to humans in that regard. Mayhaps humans are the "key" themselves. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 18:58:13
But the 'key' may have been some 'spark' unique to humans - something to do with their ability to strive and learn faster then others (given their shorter life-spans).
And as for why it would be keyed to humans - the Sarrukh and other creator races merely transcribed various 'magical traditions' they noted throughout the world - they did not create most of them, although they probably could duplicate many of them. Not saying there were 'true humans' around back then either, but the magic spells involved in creating the Mythalars may have been 'keyed' to another race similar to humans, or perhaps some race that were the progenitors of modern humans (Going a bit 'Larry Niven' here with that one).
Elven minds may simply lack that final, intuitive 'leap' to understand them. |
| KaizokuVizard |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 18:32:07
I don't know, the casters of Windsong Tower were fairly powerful, right? So if they couldn't understand/open/unlock the Ars Factum, that doesn't really make sense to me. |
| Nicolai Withander |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 17:53:58
Well I think its simply that when one have read and understood enough, one will "see the light" so to speak, and only then can one grasp the knowledge of the last chapter! IMO! |
| Zireael |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 11:56:33
quote:
Originally posted by Quale
I don't think there ever was an actual key, it's metaphorical. For every race, and then every person, beside the standard effects, reading of the scrolls is an unique experience. The scrolls are not an outdated version of magic written thirty thousand years ago, they evolve all the time. ''The key'' would be an extremely arcanely talented person who would see it ''all'' behind the lines.
I thought that too. Hey, any guesses to who can/could have done that?
Mine are: Srinshee, Alea Dahast, Elminster/Khelben/Seven Sisters. |
| Quale |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 09:01:06
I don't think there ever was an actual key, it's metaphorical. For every race, and then every person, beside the standard effects, reading of the scrolls is an unique experience. The scrolls are not an outdated version of magic written thirty thousand years ago, they evolve all the time. ''The key'' would be an extremely arcanely talented person who would see it ''all'' behind the lines. |
| wintermute27 |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 05:35:36
I've always thought that Mystra, after the fall of Netheril intentionally obfuscated the Ars Factum as a part of limiting magic in general. In my games the "key" is just a myth, created by ancient mages who felt that "there has to be some way to make this work", when in fact there wasn't. In a way, you could have Mystra grant a character the ability to understand the writings of the Ars Factum (the "key" if you will) in return for services rendered. |
| KaizokuVizard |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 01:47:30
I actually assumed it was vague for that reason. I'm asking other peoples opinions on what they've thought of / used / would use. I myself, would assume it requires something like a spell to read it, possibly a 10th level spell or better. Or maybe a specific second artifact (I.e. The Orb of the Rivan King, from the Belgariad, as I stated earlier) Or perhaps a Ritual. I imagine any quest to find this key, would require some form of communication with Larloch, or Ioulam (sp?) Possibly Candlekeep, but I don't believe the information would be there.
Or, finally (obviously) Oreme. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 01:38:02
Consider both the source and length of time that has passed for this. It's likely that whatever the key is/was, has long been forgotten.
Or, alternatively, it was left vague so the DM could determine what works in his/her campaign. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 00:53:08
I'd imagine it's some spell, cipher, or bit of knowledge. A physical key seems too simplistic for such a thing. |
| KaizokuVizard |
Posted - 13 Sep 2010 : 22:12:57
In LEoF it says that in order to open the fifth set of the Nether Scrolls, the Ars Factum, which is supposedly what taught the Netherese how to create Artifacts, an additional key was required and the casters of Windsong tower never found it.
That's what we're discussing here, what it could be, where it could be. |
| Nicolai Withander |
Posted - 13 Sep 2010 : 21:43:18
could someone please tell me what "key" we are talking about!
Thx! |
| KaizokuVizard |
Posted - 13 Sep 2010 : 18:40:57
I wouldn't think it could possibly be belief in the divine, what with the whole Netherese belief that the Gods were just mortals who had found the "Ultimate magic" All LEoF Says is "An additional Key of some kind is needed to unlock this set of scrolls and the spellcasters of Windsong Tower never discovered it"
Makes me wonder if they were like, physically locked, or if it was like a translation thing. Or perhaps a magical item needed to be in your possession to read it. (The Orb to read the Mrin Codex from the Rivan King series, anyone?) |
| Ikki |
Posted - 13 Sep 2010 : 14:08:36
mythallars were more like minor artifacts. Ars factum is for the major ones..
Now the key would have to have something to do with the reader, as noone could even understand the text
Belief in the divine perhaps? |
|
|
