Tovag Baragu? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Tovag Baragu?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Apr 12, 2004 20:40:13 This Greyhawk location is full of potential. What have you done with it in your campaign?
#2
Greyson
Apr 12, 2004 22:54:50 Nothing, we have done nothing with Tovag Baragu. It is a rumored place, never visited.

But, we did change the meaning of the translation. We say that Tovag Baragu translates into common as "Eye of the Oerth", not "Navel of..." The navel thing doesn't work for me. Eye of the Oerth has a more serious and forboding tone.
#3
zombiegleemax
Apr 13, 2004 11:33:00 Why would it translate as the Navel of the Oerth? What significance, if any, did that have? I'm trying to remember what the place was to begin with. I know it's stuck somewhere out in the Paynims, right? Isn't it a collection of gates to other worlds? I think our DM took us there to get to another plane, if I remember correctly. I'm probably wrong though.

As with most things Greyhawk you can make it suit your needs. Planehopping is always fun. We had a good time with an old Dragon adventure (I think) called City Beyond the Gate many years ago. It took us to 20th Century London to retrieve St. Cuthberts Cudgel, I believe. It was on display in an museum and heavily guarded by cops. My DM's favorite NPC came back with an arsenal of firearms. Don't laugh, we were in junior high. Planehopping gives you an endless variety of adventure possibilities.
#4
Halberkill
Apr 13, 2004 11:54:04 Not just gates to other planes, but other times also.

And sometimes they are one way. Always ever changing.

Halber
#5
zombiegleemax
Apr 13, 2004 12:26:59 ***spoilers ahead***

Tovag Baragu figures prominently in the module Vecna Lives, by David Cook. It's an ancient ring of standing stones which sit in the middle of the Dry Steppes, near that lake on the edge of the original folio map. It is said to be the only remaining artifact of the ancient Baklunish empire. Once he was reformed as a demigod, Vecna used Tovag Baragu to disjoin Oerth from the other planes (thus cutting off the other Gods from their followers), establish a link to the past (when Vecna's followers were numerous), and bring his followers through the gate, thus strengthening him as a greater god, and the only one ruling over Greyhawk. Depending on the results of this module, Vecna is either banished to a demiplane of dread or lifted to new heights of power over Greyhawk.

I like Tovag Baragu because it gives players the opportunity to travel to different time periods, a definite plus when you consider how much of Greyhawk's rich history we have to pour over. I suppose the activation of this site would depend on the DM (and whether he wants history altered), but I think it has limitless possibilities for a group that knows the current Greyhawk a little too well. In another campaign, we actually stopped the twin cataclysms from occuring. Luckily, the DM had already wanted to rewrite Greyhawk's history. It took him a while, though, and the results were pretty interesting.
#6
rilem
Apr 13, 2004 12:52:24
Originally posted by Valkaun_Dain
Why would it translate as the Navel of the Oerth? What significance, if any, did that have?

In addition to the anatomical definition, "navel" can be used to describe the center or core of something — much as "heart" can. That could be the reason for it.

But I wouldn't be surprised if whoever named Torvag Baragu was, in fact, using an anatomical metaphor or pun. On the body, the navel is a vestige of a link, or gateway, to another body. Torvag Baragu can be seen in much the same way — the ruins of a gate between one world and another (the difference is, this gate still functions.)

"Eye" is good, too; the place does kind of look like an eye and you get that nice alliteration. And if you want you can come up with your own metaphor.
#7
Greyson
Apr 13, 2004 15:13:55
Originally posted by bogomil
... but I think it has limitless possibilities for a group that knows the current Greyhawk a little too well.

That is what I like about the idea of Tovag Baragu - the mystery and potential of the place. Whatever moniker we apply, Tovag Baragu can take PCs just about anywhere the DM's imagination can devise.

Originally posted by rilem
... On the body, the navel is a vestige of a link, or gateway, to another body. Torvag Baragu can be seen in much the same way — the ruins of a gate between one world and another...
"Eye" is good, too; the place does kind of look like an eye and you get that nice alliteration. And if you want you can come up with your own metaphor...

Very cool comments, and puts it into good perspective - I did not think of the above. Good thread, all.
#8
zombiegleemax
Apr 14, 2004 9:45:01 Also Tovag Baragu was the site of the ritual that brought the Rain of Colorless Fire down on the Suel Imperium. Whether the artifact was necessary to the combined conjuration makes sense based on the destructive potential of such a spell, but I don't think that this was ever stated in canon.

Although I like the location and artifact, I thought the module Vecna Lives! was pretty poor overall. I wouldn't suggest plunking down any green if your only interest is the artifact and location.
#9
zombiegleemax
Apr 14, 2004 12:14:21 Didn't it also have some link to the Codex of Infinite Planes? I thought I read something along those lines somewhere on the web.

The site also may have something to do with the creation of an heir of the former Baklunish Empire.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Apr 12, 2004 20:40:13	This Greyhawk location is full of potential. What have you done with it in your campaign?
#2 Greyson Apr 12, 2004 22:54:50	Nothing, we have done nothing with Tovag Baragu. It is a rumored place, never visited. But, we did change the meaning of the translation. We say that Tovag Baragu translates into common as "Eye of the Oerth", not "Navel of..." The navel thing doesn't work for me. Eye of the Oerth has a more serious and forboding tone.
#3 zombiegleemax Apr 13, 2004 11:33:00	Why would it translate as the Navel of the Oerth? What significance, if any, did that have? I'm trying to remember what the place was to begin with. I know it's stuck somewhere out in the Paynims, right? Isn't it a collection of gates to other worlds? I think our DM took us there to get to another plane, if I remember correctly. I'm probably wrong though. As with most things Greyhawk you can make it suit your needs. Planehopping is always fun. We had a good time with an old Dragon adventure (I think) called City Beyond the Gate many years ago. It took us to 20th Century London to retrieve St. Cuthberts Cudgel, I believe. It was on display in an museum and heavily guarded by cops. My DM's favorite NPC came back with an arsenal of firearms. Don't laugh, we were in junior high. Planehopping gives you an endless variety of adventure possibilities.
#4 Halberkill Apr 13, 2004 11:54:04	Not just gates to other planes, but other times also. And sometimes they are one way. Always ever changing. Halber
#5 zombiegleemax Apr 13, 2004 12:26:59	*spoilers ahead* Tovag Baragu figures prominently in the module Vecna Lives, by David Cook. It's an ancient ring of standing stones which sit in the middle of the Dry Steppes, near that lake on the edge of the original folio map. It is said to be the only remaining artifact of the ancient Baklunish empire. Once he was reformed as a demigod, Vecna used Tovag Baragu to disjoin Oerth from the other planes (thus cutting off the other Gods from their followers), establish a link to the past (when Vecna's followers were numerous), and bring his followers through the gate, thus strengthening him as a greater god, and the only one ruling over Greyhawk. Depending on the results of this module, Vecna is either banished to a demiplane of dread or lifted to new heights of power over Greyhawk. I like Tovag Baragu because it gives players the opportunity to travel to different time periods, a definite plus when you consider how much of Greyhawk's rich history we have to pour over. I suppose the activation of this site would depend on the DM (and whether he wants history altered), but I think it has limitless possibilities for a group that knows the current Greyhawk a little too well. In another campaign, we actually stopped the twin cataclysms from occuring. Luckily, the DM had already wanted to rewrite Greyhawk's history. It took him a while, though, and the results were pretty interesting.
#6 rilem Apr 13, 2004 12:52:24	Originally posted by Valkaun_Dain Why would it translate as the Navel of the Oerth? What significance, if any, did that have? In addition to the anatomical definition, "navel" can be used to describe the center or core of something — much as "heart" can. That could be the reason for it. But I wouldn't be surprised if whoever named Torvag Baragu was, in fact, using an anatomical metaphor or pun. On the body, the navel is a vestige of a link, or gateway, to another body. Torvag Baragu can be seen in much the same way — the ruins of a gate between one world and another (the difference is, this gate still functions.) "Eye" is good, too; the place does kind of look like an eye and you get that nice alliteration. And if you want you can come up with your own metaphor.
#7 Greyson Apr 13, 2004 15:13:55	Originally posted by bogomil ... but I think it has limitless possibilities for a group that knows the current Greyhawk a little too well. That is what I like about the idea of Tovag Baragu - the mystery and potential of the place. Whatever moniker we apply, Tovag Baragu can take PCs just about anywhere the DM's imagination can devise. Originally posted by rilem ... On the body, the navel is a vestige of a link, or gateway, to another body. Torvag Baragu can be seen in much the same way — the ruins of a gate between one world and another... "Eye" is good, too; the place does kind of look like an eye and you get that nice alliteration. And if you want you can come up with your own metaphor... Very cool comments, and puts it into good perspective - I did not think of the above. Good thread, all.
#8 zombiegleemax Apr 14, 2004 9:45:01	Also Tovag Baragu was the site of the ritual that brought the Rain of Colorless Fire down on the Suel Imperium. Whether the artifact was necessary to the combined conjuration makes sense based on the destructive potential of such a spell, but I don't think that this was ever stated in canon. Although I like the location and artifact, I thought the module Vecna Lives! was pretty poor overall. I wouldn't suggest plunking down any green if your only interest is the artifact and location.
#9 zombiegleemax Apr 14, 2004 12:14:21	Didn't it also have some link to the Codex of Infinite Planes? I thought I read something along those lines somewhere on the web. The site also may have something to do with the creation of an heir of the former Baklunish Empire.