Story Line Question Regarding Orb of GD

Maybe someone familiar with the pnp module can help on this one.

<minor spoiler> The Orb of the Golden Death is possessed by [someone in the temple]. </minor spoiler> Why haven't they ever tried to unite it with its scattered components, let alone tried to free the big Z?

There must be a personality reason and/or power struggle reason why. I'd love to know what the story is/was.

 

The someone you get the Orb from, if you talk to him, says he's studying it and figuring out how it works. I believe he also says he hasn't located exactly where Zuggy has been sealed away yet. So the reason no one's tried it is they don't know how.

 

What's more...

...the Orb is quite a bit more powerful than as stated in this game. It is an artifact of great evil, and many of its powers are harmful. So, it must be used very sparingly and with great caution. An example of this is how Elementals summoned to aid the wielder are supposed to do it in such a way as to also cause harm to whomever possesses the Orb. To say nothing of the demons it can call later; and Iuz and Zuggtmoy know instantly the identity and location of the possessor as well...not a postion I'd like to be in.

As for the person who has it when the players draw near, well...he follows Lareth's patron, and has his own plans of conquest. His desire is to become powerful enough to rival her enemies, and he'll do whatever he can to achieve his goals. The Quasit is a gift from her, so you know he's on her favored list.

 

The whole story doesn't make any sense, it's chaotic evil. Iuz created the Orb to free Zugg, but in the process it severely weakens her and puts her at risk. Not wanting to take the risk, he plants the required gems with demon guardians in the elemental nodes. The wizard and temple people guard the orb itself. Zugg is trapped on the Prime Material and if she dies there, she's history. A terrible risk for her and Iuz. Iuz is a demi-god and chaotic evil, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so maybe he's working on an alternative plan. The goal of the game is to ruin senor Iuz's plans. The Orb is the ticket back to hell for demon Zugg.

 

Iuz and Zuggtmoy...

...created the Orb together. She hid the gems in the nodes before the final assault on the Temple. Finding it and destroying it is a blow to their power. As for why the players need it....niether Iuz nor Zuggtmoy can harm or cause to be harmed the possessor of the Orb. Pretty tough stuff when you're 10th level fighting demon queens and demi-gods.

-------------------------------------

The two united in the past,
a place to build and spells to cast.
Their power grew and took the land,
and people round as they had planned.

A key without a lock they made,
of gold and gems, and overlaid
with spells, a tool for men to wield
to force the powers of good to yield.

But armies came, their weapons bared,
while evil was yet unprepared.
The Hart was followed by the Crowns
and Moon, and people of the towns.

The two were split; one got away
but she, when came the judgment day,
did break the key, and sent the rocks
to boxes four, with magic locks.

In doing so, she fell behind
as he escaped. She was confined
among her own; her very lair
became her prison and despair.

The place was ruined, torn apart
and left with chains around the heart
of evil power - but the key
was never found in the debris.

He knows not where she dwells today.
She set the minions path, the way
to lift her temple high again
with tools of flesh, with mortal men.

Many now have gone to die
in water, flame, in earth or sky.
They did not bear the key of old
that must be found - the orb of gold.

Beware my friend for you shall fall
unless you have the wherewithal
to find and search the boxes four
and then escape for evermore.

But with the key you might succeed
in throwing down her power and greed.
Destroy the key when you are done
and then rejoice, the battle won!

 

If Zugg hid the gems, she must have known they were going to lose the battle and didn't want the Orb at full power to fall into the wrong hands. I don't think she planned on getting trapped on the Prime and Iuz couldn't prevent it. For what ever reason Iuz can't or wont free her without considerable risk. Lolth and her minons have their own agenda and could care less about Zugg. They wouldn't miss her. The wizard has no clue and doesn't have the power or resources to do much about it. In the process, Lareth and the wizard get killed, so the chances of Lolths forces getting the full power Orb are basically gone. The human intruders get the Orb, the gems, destroy the Orb and kill Zugg. Iuz loses, Lolth loses, chaotic evil loses. That's ToEE.

 

Wow, all great to know. Thanks.

Somehow I never *talked* to that guy. Silly me.

I feel greedy asking, but . . . how does Simgmal fit into his plans? I have talked to her, but she seemed to be the espionage director for the temple--did I get that wrong, too?

Thanks again. Fun stuff.

 

She's a schemer and a liar and I believe a leader in the Lolth/Lareth faction, along with the brigands in the broken tower. She is the sneaky, scheming type and is probablely a spy for Lareth? Just guessing here. Her exact status is unclear . Lord Spike might know. With chaotic evil it's hard to tell who's on who's side, and their loyalty is always suspect anyway. Firm commitments, loyalty, and good decisionmaking are NOT trademarks of chaotic evil.

 

It seems the temple is an intricate thing, moreso than I realized. I have to say, it's too bad there aren't more gameplay options that take advantage of this--like an evil party being able to win by allying themselves with the Lolth faction to take down Hedrack & co., for example. Or, the possibility that as time unfolds things may change in the temple power structure--that the active and dynamic politics of the place aren't actually, er, active and dynamic. Sleep too long, and it's Belsornig you're fighting on level four, for example.

I suppose this is the direction (or one of them) Livonya is thinking when she says that she hopes to demonstrate the incredible potential for modding in toee. Cool world.

 

Question about Orb

Here is a quick question.

Right now it appears to me that all summoned demons as well as the 4 Guardian demons drop the gems that are needed for the orb.

Should this be correct?

Shouldn't only the Guardian demons have the actual gems needed for the orb?

Perhaps I am wrong about this... but the gems are listed as inventory items in all demons, not just the guardian versions.

- Livonya

 

I think the guardians got the gems and the summoned ones are just duplicates. Only the guardians should have the gems. The Orb is a onetime deal anyway. IF, there is to be a follow-on scenario after Zugg, then someone might want to hold on to it. The gems can be used seperately and are worth good money. That close to endgame, it might not really matter. Unless it's a quick=easy fix I don't see a problem. A full power Orb would come in handy if one wanted to explore the nodes in detail. Once you get all 4 gems you don't have to destroy it and go to endgame. There are numerous possibilities for a wise, gifted modding person.HMMMM......

 

Only the Guardians...

...should have the gems. The orb should diminish in power by a significant factor if Zuggtmoy is slain.

Smigmal Redhand is Falrinth's consort, She is the leader of the Brigands in the broken tower. She is merely disguised as an elf, and is actually a 1/2 orc fighter assassin level 7/7. The book says...

'she's thoroughly evil and loves her work. She hungers for power to make humans suffer, and she hates her human ancestry. She sees Falrinth as her tool, the one who will best aid her in gaining power. She will fight to protect Falrinth if such action appears worthwhile, but will certainly try to save herself from certain death.'

The elf bit is a ploy to dupe adventurers once she has attacked them, hopefully leading off with an assassination of the toughest looking party member. She will claim to have been charmed and forced to serve as a guard against 'invaders' if captured. To escape, she will turn invisible, climb walls, and hide in the shadows above. No alignment for her is given, so based on what I've read I would play her neutral evil. No mention of Lolth or Lareth is made. And Falrinth wants to use her and her troops to dominate the factions, taking over ultimate control of the temple forces. The end game for him is to have a realm of evil and terror rivaling that of Iuz himself. This seems more lawful evil to me than chaotic, especially when one considers that he serves the temple only for as long as he has too, and until he can sieze power himself...making the others subservient to him.

 

The plot thickens.

Even tho there is no mention of Lolth/Lareth, I still think there is a connection. The tower brigands are "loyal" to Lareth. In Livs mod the leader says they are the ones that killed Lareth, mark your targets,etc. The evil types are very ambitious and have their own agenda. The wizard is really "over" in his dreams of power that rivals Iuz. With some help from Lolth and a full power Orb, who knows. The endless rivalary and suspicion and cut-throat competition really hurts and slows any gains a particular faction might have. They all have big plans but have difficulty making it happen. In the world of evil, good reliable "connections" are hard to come by. Don't guess wrong.

 

The real beauty of this is...

...just that: no mention of a connection, but that doesn't mean one can't be created. Lolth would love to have Furyondy and Veluna caught between two evil foes in the Flanaess. The minions of her evil and good rivals being distracted from her forces at the same time allows for a much better chance of her plots coming to fruition.

"Let's you and him fight."

 

How about

Lareth escapes, Smigmal escapes, and the wizard teleports out. There are a lot of empty rooms in the temple, in Nulb and Hommlet. A somewhat greedy and ambitious party makes connection, and bingo, a new era is dawn. Then there is Darley, the demoness in the fire node. All the elements are in the game already. Now if I knew how to program and write script the game would not end with Zugg. There would be further complications.
Note: Oh great and wise modding person use your magical mouse as time permits, of course, and let your imagination be your guide.