In an earlier thread, I noted that a modest (but not radical) change in the Powers-that-be would help convey the passage of time that technological advancement couldn't (assuming that's what we want). One suggestion I came up with is to have Ragnorok be one event that comes to pass. Another idea for 'marking time' was inspired by a couple of sources:
1-A quote from a fellow forum member:
2-Someone else's summary of Elminster in Hell, the most important fact being that Elminster is rescued from Baator by Mystra, who goes all DBZ and manages to give Asmodeus himself the laugh.
3-The Dicefreaks' writeup on Asmodeus in Gates of Hell ( :shock: )
There are two ways Urban Planescape can handle Elminster in Hell: either we can ignore it and curse Ed Greenwood for tarnishing our beloved Overlord, or we can accept that it happened-and let the ramifications of Mystra's show-of-force play themselves out.
What are the ramifications-that is, if you're a high-up among high-ups on the Outer Planes, and a mortal-berk-turned-greater-deity enters your home turf acting like they own the place, what's the appropriate way to respond? If you happen to be the Overlord of Hell, the answer is to devise and execute a centuries-spanning plan to make said berk your b**ch.
Of course, this being the Realms, I'd imagine that Asmodeus would be forced to devote enough resources to damn several 'ordinary' Prime worlds. If the summary I heard was correct, though, I would think that a demonstration of the Power of Baator is in order. :twisted:
I hope this doesn't come off as FR Bashing-I actually like a lot of aspects of the setting. But the actions taken by the Lady of Mysteries sound exactly like the type of infraction that would warrent the kind of massive retribution that the Planescape setting often whispered about.
I just thought of something. Something so wonderfully tricky, evil and downright mean that the bataazue would use it.
Asmodeus has realized that, as much as he wants the Forgotten Realms, and the Lady of Mysteries, crushed... he doesn't like the losses his army is likly to take in the battle. The answer is simple. Through a series of fake baatazue troop movements and documents that fall into the hands of the enemy, convince the Tanari that that the Forgotten Realms is either under Bataazue control and being mobilized for use in the blood war or that the Bataazue are about to take Faerun and use something their against the Tan'ari. Something like that. Whatever the trick, the Tan'ari storm into Fearun, either trying to make it useless to the btaazue, or trying to take it over first.
The baatazue only need to dedicate a few small bataazue armies during the invasion of the Realms to keep the Tan'ari interested. Then, when the Tan'ari are (lets face it, its going to happen) driven off, bring in the Baatazue army. You can't tell me a prime world undergoes a demonic invasion and comeout the other side as powerful as before. They will be weakened. Baator wins, and Asmodeus gets to watch the last cleric of Mystra die in agony.
The Realms lose, therefore, everybody wins.