Greyhawk: Help! Why did Rary kill Tenser and Otiluke?

[verkuilen john v]

It's become important in my campaign to know why Rary the Archmage
decided to kill Tenser and Otiluke. The campaign is currently 10
years before the Greyhawk Wars and the characters are fighting the
minions of Iuz. One of the characters is time-traveled back, a la
Terminator, from the post-War world to try to put a monkey wrench in
the works. To solve the paradox problem, I have decided that whatever
the character from the future knows must happen (he was warned not to
try to visit himself by the person who brought him back since he
never remembered such an event, for instance, since the consequences could
be bad). Campaign events being what they are, the characters have
to go and talk to Rary. However, the time-traveler knows some of the events
that happened vis a vis Rary/Otiluke/Tenser. He's met both Otiluke and
Tenser, but hasn't said anything to either, because of the warning. Now
he's really worried about whether he might be the one who gave Rary the
idea to kill Otiluke and Tenser.

The hitch is that I don't own Rary the Traitor. Not that I would necessarily
follow what all the author says, but I would like to at least have a capsule
explanation so that I can decide whether or not to use it. Currently,
it is unknown if Tenser and Otiluke _actually_ died or if they just
disappeared--rather than failed raise attempts, etc., I have assumed that
there was no mess to clean up. Neither Tenser (for ethical reasons) nor
Otiluke (because of his own overwhelming arrogance) had Clones, and no
bodies were found. This leaves a lot open.

Can anyone give me a capsule review? This is relevant since they will
go to see Rary next week (real time), most likely.

--
Jay Verkuilen ja...@uiuc.edu

"A human society without conflict would be a society not of friends, but of
ants." --Sir Karl Popper, _Unended Quest_

[Gregory Bernath]

In article <42hqpt$f...@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> ja...@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (verkuilen john v) writes:
>It's become important in my campaign to know why Rary the Archmage
>decided to kill Tenser and Otiluke.

Basically, Otiluke is the main target, and Tenser just gets caught in
the crossfire. Here's the capsule review.

From _Rary the Traitor_:

- Rary is a 24th level archmage of Kettish origin. His reputation
was generally that of a quiet, dignified peacemaking type.

- In his 70's, Rary was thought to be semi-retired from the circle.
In fact, he was just fed up with the internal squabbles, especially
concerning the rather overbearing Otiluke.

- Rary started studying Iuz, the Scarlet Brotherhood, and the
the Overkings. While not overly impressed with their evil ways,
he was impressed with the way they focused their power and got
things done.

- Along with Robilar, Rary hatched a plot to kill most of the
delegates to the peace conference and the circle of eight
(especially Otiluke) through a complicated set of magical traps
he had specially researched. He would pin the blame and the
Scarlet Brotherhood, and assume control of the circle. Then, by
gosh, he'd put an end to all the aimless bickering.

- Tenser, Otiluke and Bigby arrived unexpectedly for a last
minute magical inspection before the delegates arrived. Caught
by surprise, Tenser is killed when Rary sets off the traps. Otiluke
strikes back and wounds Rary. Rary attacks Bigby in return. Concern
for his friend Bigby causes Otiluke to break his concentration,
and Rary destroys him, then flees. Bigby is badly wounded.

- Lord Robilar's troops attack the citadels of the dead wizards,
destroying the hidden clones. Robilar and Rary flee to the
Bright Desert and begin building a kingdom.

--
Greg Bernath gber...@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

[verkuilen john v]

Boy, I was singularly unimpressed with the reasons given for Rary's
apostasy (or apo-whatever). Perhaps it demonstrates the mundanity of
evil, but I think I will have to come up with something far more interesting.
I'm kicking around the idea of Rary's thinking that weakening the Co8
would have the Scarlet Brotherhood and Iuz move prematurely, i.e., that
Rary's taking a _much_ longer term view than everyone else. Perhaps he,
like Saruman, spent far too much time studying the ways of the enemy and
felt things were hopeless. I don't know, but I have to take it out of the
AD&D alignment system and away from banal power-thirst into something far
more tragic, as befits a legendary character like Rary.

Any suggestions?

[Skullfire]

verkuilen john v (ja...@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu) wrote:
: Boy, I was singularly unimpressed with the reasons given for Rary's

: apostasy (or apo-whatever). Perhaps it demonstrates the mundanity of
: evil, but I think I will have to come up with something far more interesting.
: I'm kicking around the idea of Rary's thinking that weakening the Co8
: would have the Scarlet Brotherhood and Iuz move prematurely, i.e., that
: Rary's taking a _much_ longer term view than everyone else. Perhaps he,
: like Saruman, spent far too much time studying the ways of the enemy and
: felt things were hopeless. I don't know, but I have to take it out of the
: AD&D alignment system and away from banal power-thirst into something far
: more tragic, as befits a legendary character like Rary.
:
: Any suggestions?

:
One basic possibility, the classic prophecy.
Rary figures out (or thinks he figures out) some obscure prophecy which links
Otiluke (and Tenser) to some future catastrophe or possible destruction of
the world. This would give him some guilt-ridden nobility since your future
character's return to the past would indicate that Rary was correct.

btw, to whom it may concern, I am interested in the history of the life of
Mordenkainen for use in running a campaign. Could someone mail me a somewhat
brief yet concise synopsis or direct me to a source book that doesn't cost me
my firstborn.

Dave
dja...@mtu.edu

[Bojan Ramadanovic]

I do not know his life story but it might help to know that his full name
is Mordenkainen Cranden of house Cranden of Great Kingdom. He was born in
Cranden lands (south-western G.K.) and his family is former royal family
of great kingdom. Greatest source of Oerthian mages today (Bigby is one
more from that family). Mordenkainen hides his ancestry for some reason
and so does Bigby altrough less succesfuly. THis is strange because
Crandens are most normal nobles in todays great kingdom and their lands
overall are much healther place than any in G.K. (Source of information
is Ivid the Undying sourcebook)

--
Bojan.

"O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees,
Thy starlight on the western seas"
J.R.R Tolkien.