Five shall be... - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Five shall be...

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
clobberintime
Dec 21, 2004 7:19:54 In the original Howl from the North series the PCs get tricked into beleiving that Iuz is Vatun, now has anyone given any thought to whether or not the legend hinted at in the modules, that when the five blades are re-united again that Vatun will return and smite down Iuz, or banish him.

Seems like you could run a great LoR type campaign around the PCs racing the agents of Iuz to get to the swords before them.

I was going to put one sword in the hands of a barbarian bard, just like in the series at the beginning, and the put one in Tomb of horrors, one in the Isle of the Ape, one in baba yagas hut and one in hell in paladin in hell... Do any of you have any ideas on this...

Also once the blades are reunited does Iuz just show up and waste the PCs, or does St Cuthbert come to the rescue again...
#2
mortellan
Dec 21, 2004 8:46:25 the freeing of Vatun would've worked as legend stated but how Iuz came to pervert the ceremony is lost on me. If I was writing that adventure, Iuz in wanting to fool the barbarians should've been covertly HELPING the PCs to get the swords, and in all likelihood one of the 5 should have been a fake planted by Iuz in advance, so as not to accidentally summon the real Vatun. It just seemed arbitrary that all of a sudden Iuz was on the scene posing as Vatun, there had to be behind the scenes manipulation and spying going on of this quest by Iuz or his agents.

In later sources I think it is said Telchur imprisoned Vatun so I think his being freed for real this time would more than likely attract the attention of Telchur as well. Of course by then if Iuz was confronted by St Cuthbert as you say, then Telchur comes after Vatun, then it would be like a godly bench-clearing brawl.
#3
zombiegleemax
Dec 21, 2004 10:38:55 The actual modules for this were poorly put together in my opinion.

In the two adventures the PC's gather the swords and they have strange runes on them that are undecipherable. The reason for this is because the runes are actual pieces of an arcane spell that is only readable when the swords are placed side by side in the correct order.

Once this was done Iuz appeared before the mage could finish the spell and conjure Vatun, teleporting the blades to random destinations.

The fact that barbarian swords form an arcane spell and "summon" Vatun is really only part of the problem. So in my campaign each of the swords had a special purpose that was needed in order to penetrate the prison that Telchur had created.

The actual appearance of Iuz at the gathering of the swords never really happened as stated in the modules in my campaign, but Iuz powers convinced the barbarians anyway, even though the fifth blade was never recovered.
#4
zombiegleemax
Dec 21, 2004 13:36:52
The actual modules for this were poorly put together in my opinion.

That tends to happen when you have different authors writing each part, unfortunately. I thought Sargent kicked it off pretty well.

I was going to put one sword in the hands of a barbarian bard

I allude to something similiar to this in an article I wrote for Canonfire.

(copy/paste)

http://www.canonfire.com/htmlnew/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=397
#5
clobberintime
Dec 21, 2004 14:46:14 Honestly I thought the modules were pretty clever, Iuz is a god, and the PCs are a bunch of 10th level barbarian types, so it would be pretty easy for him to pull off, and the 'oh no' looks on the faces of the players two years later in game time would be priceless.

The modules certainly allude to the idea that if the five can be reformed and Vatun summoned that Iuz would be in big big trouble, i.e. demi vs lesser deity = stomped demi.

You know I'm getting back into Greyhawk, its just so much work to convert everything to 3e. Epic Pcs will continue to be very special there... I'm going to grab up all my old greyhawk stuff from my Ma's as my christmass gift to myself....
#6
zombiegleemax
Dec 21, 2004 15:37:25
Honestly I thought the modules were pretty clever, Iuz is a god, and the PCs are a bunch of 10th level barbarian types, so it would be pretty easy for him to pull off, and the 'oh no' looks on the faces of the players two years later in game time would be priceless.

The modules certainly allude to the idea that if the five can be reformed and Vatun summoned that Iuz would be in big big trouble, i.e. demi vs lesser deity = stomped demi.

You know I'm getting back into Greyhawk, its just so much work to convert everything to 3e. Epic Pcs will continue to be very special there... I'm going to grab up all my old greyhawk stuff from my Ma's as my christmass gift to myself....

I liked the concept of the modules but not the adventures. They reminded me of the style of the early Forgotten Realms modules, lacking in detail and forcing the players along a set path.

I've always had a more active role for Vatun and the northern people in my own Greyhawk campaign.
#7
gadodel
Dec 21, 2004 16:56:44 It is a plot device that could easily be turned into a full module.

It is also one of those crunchy bits of Greyhawk that inspire us.

In my old campaign, I used the story as the basis of the foundation of a secret society of sage-knights. They were scattered all over the place and no one sage-knight knew of more than two other sage-knights.

If the swords were ever in the possession of one person, something very unexpected and....wicked would happen...
#8
clobberintime
Dec 21, 2004 17:09:01 Yes, Iuz would sweat blood trying to keep those swords out of the right hand...
#9
mortellan
Dec 21, 2004 22:00:46
Yes, Iuz would sweat blood trying to keep those swords out of the right hand...

That was my point, if Iuz was playing the heros and the barbarian nations for fools, don't you think he would have more of a foreshadowing in the plot other than 'appearing at the climax in disguise'. Also since that adventure was the first time Vatun was ever mentioned as part of the GH pantheon(A Sargent creation?), I figured even his existence was part of the scam.
#10
clobberintime
Dec 22, 2004 9:38:05 The whole point was to make the PCs the mechanism of his ascendence, the hints are in the end.
#11
zombiegleemax
Dec 22, 2004 13:25:59
That was my point, if Iuz was playing the heros and the barbarian nations for fools, don't you think he would have more of a foreshadowing in the plot other than 'appearing at the climax in disguise'. Also since that adventure was the first time Vatun was ever mentioned as part of the GH pantheon(A Sargent creation?), I figured even his existence was part of the scam.

Vatun was never named in the modules. In WGS2 the 'Great God of the North' is mentioned and makes an appearance at the end, but there is also a warning about an evil god using the PCs.

I believe Sargent was presented with Vatun. Dale Henson wrote WGS2 and the Greyhawk Wars boxed game was David Cook. Sargent mentions Vatun on one page in FtA and only to refer to him as 'one calling himself Vatun and claiming to be the Great God of the North'. He does not mention Vatun in the section on 'Powers of Greyhawk'.

In WGR4 Sargent makes it clear that Vatun was simply a sham.

In my own campaign Vatun is the god of the northern barbarians, and has been for centuries, but I don't follow the Greyhawk Wars or From The Ashes plot line.

Vatun [Deity]
DRG#256 - 48
DRG#299 - 103
FTAA - 6
GW:ADV - 7,8,9
LGG - 15,44,54,55,105,106,169,184,185,186
LGJ#3 - 18
PGTG - 10,18,20,21
TSB - 11,12,76,80,82,85
WGR5 - 3,4,67
#12
extempus
Feb 22, 2006 3:49:46 All of this is ancient history in my campaign; the war began more than a decade prior to the adventurers' discovery of the Blades of Corusk, and they got most of their information from Mallon Fer'Asque and Karasten Meldraith, the wizards who were present when the fifth blade was discovered. They were busy tracking down the blades again after Iuz scattered them when they were captured and executed by Cligit, Ilkhan of the Tiger Nomads, who possessed Dreamsinger; they were resurrected and told the story more-or-less as it's outlined in the modules. The adventurers eventually tracked down The Edge to Suleiman the Great in Sulward (as outlined on p. 46 of Howl From the North); it turned out he had been looking for the other blades himself, and his journal gave them clues to the whereabouts of the others (except Harmonizer; it took them some 3 years to find it, and even then, it was by "accident"). Now they have all 5, but they have no intention of actually slaying Iuz... they figure the threat will be enough to reign him in, and they'd much rather have an enemy they know than one they do not (such as Pazrael)...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 clobberintime Dec 21, 2004 7:19:54	In the original Howl from the North series the PCs get tricked into beleiving that Iuz is Vatun, now has anyone given any thought to whether or not the legend hinted at in the modules, that when the five blades are re-united again that Vatun will return and smite down Iuz, or banish him. Seems like you could run a great LoR type campaign around the PCs racing the agents of Iuz to get to the swords before them. I was going to put one sword in the hands of a barbarian bard, just like in the series at the beginning, and the put one in Tomb of horrors, one in the Isle of the Ape, one in baba yagas hut and one in hell in paladin in hell... Do any of you have any ideas on this... Also once the blades are reunited does Iuz just show up and waste the PCs, or does St Cuthbert come to the rescue again...
#2 mortellan Dec 21, 2004 8:46:25	the freeing of Vatun would've worked as legend stated but how Iuz came to pervert the ceremony is lost on me. If I was writing that adventure, Iuz in wanting to fool the barbarians should've been covertly HELPING the PCs to get the swords, and in all likelihood one of the 5 should have been a fake planted by Iuz in advance, so as not to accidentally summon the real Vatun. It just seemed arbitrary that all of a sudden Iuz was on the scene posing as Vatun, there had to be behind the scenes manipulation and spying going on of this quest by Iuz or his agents. In later sources I think it is said Telchur imprisoned Vatun so I think his being freed for real this time would more than likely attract the attention of Telchur as well. Of course by then if Iuz was confronted by St Cuthbert as you say, then Telchur comes after Vatun, then it would be like a godly bench-clearing brawl.
#3 zombiegleemax Dec 21, 2004 10:38:55	The actual modules for this were poorly put together in my opinion. In the two adventures the PC's gather the swords and they have strange runes on them that are undecipherable. The reason for this is because the runes are actual pieces of an arcane spell that is only readable when the swords are placed side by side in the correct order. Once this was done Iuz appeared before the mage could finish the spell and conjure Vatun, teleporting the blades to random destinations. The fact that barbarian swords form an arcane spell and "summon" Vatun is really only part of the problem. So in my campaign each of the swords had a special purpose that was needed in order to penetrate the prison that Telchur had created. The actual appearance of Iuz at the gathering of the swords never really happened as stated in the modules in my campaign, but Iuz powers convinced the barbarians anyway, even though the fifth blade was never recovered.
#4 zombiegleemax Dec 21, 2004 13:36:52	The actual modules for this were poorly put together in my opinion. That tends to happen when you have different authors writing each part, unfortunately. I thought Sargent kicked it off pretty well. I was going to put one sword in the hands of a barbarian bard I allude to something similiar to this in an article I wrote for Canonfire. (copy/paste) http://www.canonfire.com/htmlnew/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=397
#5 clobberintime Dec 21, 2004 14:46:14	Honestly I thought the modules were pretty clever, Iuz is a god, and the PCs are a bunch of 10th level barbarian types, so it would be pretty easy for him to pull off, and the 'oh no' looks on the faces of the players two years later in game time would be priceless. The modules certainly allude to the idea that if the five can be reformed and Vatun summoned that Iuz would be in big big trouble, i.e. demi vs lesser deity = stomped demi. You know I'm getting back into Greyhawk, its just so much work to convert everything to 3e. Epic Pcs will continue to be very special there... I'm going to grab up all my old greyhawk stuff from my Ma's as my christmass gift to myself....
#6 zombiegleemax Dec 21, 2004 15:37:25	Honestly I thought the modules were pretty clever, Iuz is a god, and the PCs are a bunch of 10th level barbarian types, so it would be pretty easy for him to pull off, and the 'oh no' looks on the faces of the players two years later in game time would be priceless. The modules certainly allude to the idea that if the five can be reformed and Vatun summoned that Iuz would be in big big trouble, i.e. demi vs lesser deity = stomped demi. You know I'm getting back into Greyhawk, its just so much work to convert everything to 3e. Epic Pcs will continue to be very special there... I'm going to grab up all my old greyhawk stuff from my Ma's as my christmass gift to myself.... I liked the concept of the modules but not the adventures. They reminded me of the style of the early Forgotten Realms modules, lacking in detail and forcing the players along a set path. I've always had a more active role for Vatun and the northern people in my own Greyhawk campaign.
#7 gadodel Dec 21, 2004 16:56:44	It is a plot device that could easily be turned into a full module. It is also one of those crunchy bits of Greyhawk that inspire us. In my old campaign, I used the story as the basis of the foundation of a secret society of sage-knights. They were scattered all over the place and no one sage-knight knew of more than two other sage-knights. If the swords were ever in the possession of one person, something very unexpected and....wicked would happen...
#8 clobberintime Dec 21, 2004 17:09:01	Yes, Iuz would sweat blood trying to keep those swords out of the right hand...
#9 mortellan Dec 21, 2004 22:00:46	Yes, Iuz would sweat blood trying to keep those swords out of the right hand... That was my point, if Iuz was playing the heros and the barbarian nations for fools, don't you think he would have more of a foreshadowing in the plot other than 'appearing at the climax in disguise'. Also since that adventure was the first time Vatun was ever mentioned as part of the GH pantheon(A Sargent creation?), I figured even his existence was part of the scam.
#10 clobberintime Dec 22, 2004 9:38:05	The whole point was to make the PCs the mechanism of his ascendence, the hints are in the end.
#11 zombiegleemax Dec 22, 2004 13:25:59	That was my point, if Iuz was playing the heros and the barbarian nations for fools, don't you think he would have more of a foreshadowing in the plot other than 'appearing at the climax in disguise'. Also since that adventure was the first time Vatun was ever mentioned as part of the GH pantheon(A Sargent creation?), I figured even his existence was part of the scam. Vatun was never named in the modules. In WGS2 the 'Great God of the North' is mentioned and makes an appearance at the end, but there is also a warning about an evil god using the PCs. I believe Sargent was presented with Vatun. Dale Henson wrote WGS2 and the Greyhawk Wars boxed game was David Cook. Sargent mentions Vatun on one page in FtA and only to refer to him as 'one calling himself Vatun and claiming to be the Great God of the North'. He does not mention Vatun in the section on 'Powers of Greyhawk'. In WGR4 Sargent makes it clear that Vatun was simply a sham. In my own campaign Vatun is the god of the northern barbarians, and has been for centuries, but I don't follow the Greyhawk Wars or From The Ashes plot line. Vatun [Deity] DRG#256 - 48 DRG#299 - 103 FTAA - 6 GW:ADV - 7,8,9 LGG - 15,44,54,55,105,106,169,184,185,186 LGJ#3 - 18 PGTG - 10,18,20,21 TSB - 11,12,76,80,82,85 WGR5 - 3,4,67
#12 extempus Feb 22, 2006 3:49:46	All of this is ancient history in my campaign; the war began more than a decade prior to the adventurers' discovery of the Blades of Corusk, and they got most of their information from Mallon Fer'Asque and Karasten Meldraith, the wizards who were present when the fifth blade was discovered. They were busy tracking down the blades again after Iuz scattered them when they were captured and executed by Cligit, Ilkhan of the Tiger Nomads, who possessed Dreamsinger; they were resurrected and told the story more-or-less as it's outlined in the modules. The adventurers eventually tracked down The Edge to Suleiman the Great in Sulward (as outlined on p. 46 of Howl From the North); it turned out he had been looking for the other blades himself, and his journal gave them clues to the whereabouts of the others (except Harmonizer; it took them some 3 years to find it, and even then, it was by "accident"). Now they have all 5, but they have no intention of actually slaying Iuz... they figure the threat will be enough to reign him in, and they'd much rather have an enemy they know than one they do not (such as Pazrael)...