Candlekeep Forum
Candlekeep Forum
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Active Polls | Members | Private Messages | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 Forgotten Realms Journals
 General Forgotten Realms Chat
 The Hand of Vaprak
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

AuldDragon
Senior Scribe

USA
549 Posts

Posted - 17 Dec 2014 :  11:52:00  Show Profile  Visit AuldDragon's Homepage Send AuldDragon a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Can anyone give me some background information on the Hand of Vaprak from the FR comics? I'm mainly looking for the artifact's history, but any known powers would be nice. Thanks!

Jeff

My 2nd Edition blog: http://blog.aulddragon.com/
My streamed AD&D Spelljamer sessions: https://www.youtube.com/user/aulddragon/playlists?flow=grid&shelf_id=18&view=50
"That sums it up in a nutshell, AuldDragon. You make a more convincing argument. But he's right and you're not."

George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6638 Posts

Posted - 17 Dec 2014 :  12:23:42  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I stupidly didn't keep my FR comics - they disappeared in one of the many culls of stuff over the years. I recall that once of the issues had some background information on the Hand but a quick Google check doesn't come up with anything.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
Go to Top of Page

TomCosta
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
948 Posts

Posted - 18 Dec 2014 :  01:01:37  Show Profile Send TomCosta a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I found this from a partial 2E write up of Vaprak which I'm sure I copied or nearly copied from the comics...
One legend recounts the tale of the Hand of Vaprak: Reputedly the grandmother of the trolls stood at the fireside with the child of the ogres. “Look at those chestnuts roasting in the fire,” said the grandmother. “Wouldn’t you like some?” The grandmother of the trolls feared the flames, for fire killed trolls permanently, and hoped that the child of the ogres would pull the chestnuts out of the fire for her. That the child would be burned mattered not one whit to the grandmother. The child of the ogres knew that. Being an ogre, though, he did not think things through. He grabbed the grandmother’s hand and plunged it into the fire with his own, making the grandmother burn as well. Both troll and ogre were terribly burned, and the child of the ogress lost his hand. It was then that Vaprak attained godhood of both ogre and troll, and fused the hands together into a single hand, the Hand of Vaprak. There have been several sighting of the hand in the Realms.
In truth, the oni known as Gornak the Ogre Mage, who had gained his magic through a deal with Vaprak, was to use his own hand to become the legendary god’s paw. Gornak was defeated, however, by the then-young mage, Elminster, now of Shadowdale. Elminster found great energies within the ogre mage’s severed hand. He sought to tap that power. Instead, his prying activated the hand’s true power and Elminster nearly paid for that mistake with his life. Though he contained the hand, he was not powerful enough to destroy it, so he hid it where few would find it. And as he grew in wisdom, he placed warning spells upon it to call him if the Hand ever came into use again. This happened again, albeit briefly, when the famed crew of the Realmsmaster once again faced Gornak. The heroes were able to defeat Gornak and dispose of the hand in the Demiplane of Fear. However, Gornak’s alleged demise may have only been a ruse, and the Destroyer is sure to send either a regenerated Gornak or other agents to seek out the Hand of Vaprak once again.

Go to Top of Page

AuldDragon
Senior Scribe

USA
549 Posts

Posted - 18 Dec 2014 :  03:27:06  Show Profile  Visit AuldDragon's Homepage Send AuldDragon a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks Tom, that's pretty much exactly what I was looking for!

Jeff

My 2nd Edition blog: http://blog.aulddragon.com/
My streamed AD&D Spelljamer sessions: https://www.youtube.com/user/aulddragon/playlists?flow=grid&shelf_id=18&view=50
"That sums it up in a nutshell, AuldDragon. You make a more convincing argument. But he's right and you're not."
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  New Poll New Poll
 Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
Candlekeep Forum © 1999-2024 Candlekeep.com Go To Top Of Page
Snitz Forums 2000