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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
 Posted - 19 May 2012 : 14:05:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Why pick Oghma as a patron deity for sentient elephants? The Realms (at least, the pre-4E Realms) could and did easily accomodate any number of Beast Lords, Beast Cults, monstrous pantheons, and generally non-human deities. It's also always possible for interloper or immigrant powers to be introduced to the Realms along with the arrival of their followers from other worlds. A dormant or foreign elephantine power (an aspect of Indra, from the Vedic/Hindu pantheon, as just one possible example) might assert presence in the Realms, creating followers with a sort of transformation/blessing/curse resembling an elephanty version of minotaurs.
I don't think it's as much that he's picking Oghma as patron of elephants in general -- I think he's saying that this one very smart entity with racial memory happens to be a mammoth.
Although Lurue or a Beast Lord would be an obvious choice for an awakened animal, there could be any number of reasons that this one chose Oghma... Perhaps he was awakened by a priest of Oghma?
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
I might be mistaken, but I recall some canon mention of the Harpells possessing miniature and sentient versions of several (normally large and dumb) animals, including palm-sized talking elephants.
I think that was in Streams of Silver. It's from the Icewind Dale trilogy, I'm sure. |
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Sightless
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 14:56:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Yag-Kosha seems a little monstrous, but certainly possible. I think it unlikely anyone normal would want to roleplay one of his followers.
He was a benavelent other planetary being imprisend by a wizard in a Conan short story by Robert Howard, the orignator of Conan, called the Towar of the heart of the elephent. The short story has a synopsis on wikipedia. The name is a mix of Hindu and persion for wise teacher of the stars. It just probably sounds a little monsterous. |
We choose to live a lie, when we see with, & not through the eye.
Every decision, no matter the evidence, is a leap of faith; if it were not, then it wouldn't be a choice at all. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 15:20:00
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| My error, the Yag-Kosha references I quickly found seemed to point squarely towards the malign Cthulhu mythos. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Sightless
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 15:37:14
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| Lovecraft may have taken the name from him, they were friends after all. And both died early in their respective careers. Go figure. |
We choose to live a lie, when we see with, & not through the eye.
Every decision, no matter the evidence, is a leap of faith; if it were not, then it wouldn't be a choice at all. |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 17:57:02
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Yag-Kosha was an exile from a world of beings similar to him that ARE evil and malign in the extreme.
Yag-Kosha was a mentor of sorcerers in times before the Hyborian age; until he met Yara, was tricked and became the slave of the evil human wizard.
One of my favorite "beings" in the world of Conan.
However...this does show us that if Yag-Kosha was peaceful and the last of his "Good" kind; then his homeworld might be filled with evil beings just as powerful as him! |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 21:42:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I don't think it's as much that he's picking Oghma as patron of elephants in general -- I think he's saying that this one very smart entity with racial memory happens to be a mammoth.
Although Lurue or a Beast Lord would be an obvious choice for an awakened animal, there could be any number of reasons that this one chose Oghma... Perhaps he was awakened by a priest of Oghma?
Indeed, perhaps Silvanus or even Chauntea or Eldath might be a better selection, I don't know. I thought it would be more Realmsian than a Beast Lord or interloper god. And seeing as how the PC's are begging knowledge known only to the mammoths, Oghma seemed a logical choice.
Maybe this Elder Mammoth is somehow able to commune with the dead in the Graveyard. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 19 May 2012 21:43:59 |
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Sightless
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 22:08:08
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Or perhaps a loremaster/ mestress. In many tribal societys, such an individual would have a strong connection to tending the dead and overseeing barreal. If a loremaster/mistress, then the selection of the God would seem apropriate yes. The process by which the animal became awoken may need not be explained, in high fantasy many such mysteries are found.
Will you be forcing your party to earn the right to enter the grave yard, or will you have the Loremaster meet the party outside the graveyard. Entering it uninvited will cause problems, as I'm sure the group has had problems with ivory hunters. |
We choose to live a lie, when we see with, & not through the eye.
Every decision, no matter the evidence, is a leap of faith; if it were not, then it wouldn't be a choice at all. |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 22:21:21
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The more I consider it, the more it seems as if the mammoth tribe, if you will, will need some sort liaison, one of their number to communicate the wishes and will of the Eldest. A simple speak with animals might suffice.
No, I did not intend to railroad the players, nor did I intend for this to be their only source of information. I thought it might be a fun and flavorful encounter, moreso than a simple divination.
Considering the speak with dead angle, would Kelemvor be a better choice? |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 19 May 2012 22:22:30 |
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Role-playing Awakened Animals
