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Master Greytalker
Joined: May 12, 2005
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Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:48 pm
The Sword of Azor'alq
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WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk includes an adventure entitled "A Sword for a Hero". The history of this sword — the fabled Sword of Azor'alq — is described as follows:
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| The PCs have obtained an old book detailing a fantastic sword, said to have been created for the famous elf warrior Lerel Lethariel. He is supposed to have defeated tanar'ri and dragons, beholders and undead. The book says that the sword was lost to civilization when Lerel fell to an old red wyrm, in the Crystalmist mountains. |
Why in the Nine Hells is a sword that was crafted for an elf named after a Baklunish hero? Has anyone ever tried to address this "loose canon"?
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Master Greytalker
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Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:38 am
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The easiest solution is:
The sword was originally created for the famous elf warrior Lerel Lethariel however when the sword was lost in the Crystalmist mountains, the sword made its way to the Baklunish West, having many different owners due to the desire and greed of all who saw the blade until finally becoming the possession of the hero Azor'alq, whose remarkable deeds with the sword became legend, tales of his deeds were told in every palace, bazaar, oasis and humble nomad tent in the west and beyond as his fame continued to grow.
The sword became known simply as the Sword of Azor'alq.
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Adept Greytalker
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From: Renton WA
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Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:06 am
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I think the easiest solution is that the sword is only indirectly named after the baklunish hero... I have always thought that perhaps it was named after the Pinnacles of Azor'Alq, and the Lerel either aquired at that location (perhaps crafted for him by one of the good dragons there) or did something there with the sword that made him famous, and thus the sword was given thier name (The text states that he killed dragons with the sword, and the PoA are crawling with dragons of all types according to GA).
that way we don't have to expalian how the baklunish hero recovered it from the hoard of a red dragon in the crystalmists, and it some how wound up back in the hoard of a red dragon in the crystalmists.
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Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:12 pm
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Funny observation Prata! 
Wes's idea makes more sense. And without reference, does GA state the Pinnacles are named for a famed Baklunish hero, or was this a later development from 'Treasures'?
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Adept Greytalker
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Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:20 pm
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they are named after him, GA states:
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| "The epic hero for whom they are named is said to sleep there with his paladins." |
whether Azor'Alq was thought of any any real sense as anything more then a blurb for a name when it was written in another matter... I think that people took the mention of him in GA and expanded upon him until he was eventualy a full blown quasi-deity, where as it seems to me in his first (as far as I can tell) appearence he was more like a Baklunish legendary Aurtherian figure.
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 8:22 am
Re: The Sword of Azor'alq
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| DMPrata wrote: |
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| ...Lerel Lethariel. He is supposed to have defeated tanar'ri .... |
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All I gotta ask is, "What the hell is a Tanar'ri?"
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Adept Greytalker
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:54 am
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| All I gotta ask is, "What the hell is a Tanar'ri?" |
at least in my greyhawk games "Tanar'ri" is the ancient suel word for "demon".... While "Baatazu" is the ancient suel word for "devil". I do not use the term yugoloth.
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:56 am
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Tanar'ri is the abyssal for "demon", that is how they call themselves. I shall guess that you are new to the D&D world and by new i mean a "3rd editionner". No offense, anyway those who stick to 2nd or 1st edition dont know what they are missing...
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Master Greytalker
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 11:50 am
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Actually it was a marketing ploy, since "christian groups" were having fits with D&D popularity and their kids playing a game, with Devils and Demons.
The company revamped the Abyssal landscape fractured into three factions:
Chaotic (E) "Demons" call themselves Tanar'ri
Lawful (E) "Devils" call themselves Baatazu
Neutral (E) "mercenaries" call themselves Yugoloth
Ofcourse the Tanar'ri and Baatazu are engaged in the seemingly endless "Blood War" each trying to eradicate their precieved rivals.
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Adept Greytalker
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 1:14 pm
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| Tanar'ri is the abyssal for "demon", that is how they call themselves. |
not quite, in 3e Tanar'ri is the term in abyssal that one group of demons call themselves, there are demons that are not tanar'ri in the 3e game, but there are no tanar'ri that are not demons...
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:25 pm
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To me it is in abyssal tongue anyway not in ancient suloise
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Adept Greytalker
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 4:11 pm
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that is fine, play it how you want... I decided it was ancient suel long before 3e came out, and feel no reason to change it for my games.
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Master Greytalker
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Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:16 am
Re: The Sword of Azor'alq
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| DMPrata wrote: |
WGR2 Treasures of Greyhawk The history of this sword — the fabled Sword of Azor'alq — is described as follows:
| Quote: |
| The PCs have obtained an old book detailing a fantastic sword, said to have been created for the famous elf warrior Lerel Lethariel. He is supposed to have defeated tanar'ri and dragons, beholders and undead. The book says that the sword was lost to civilization when Lerel fell to an old red wyrm, in the Crystalmist mountains. |
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Perhaps Lerel was one of Azor'Alq's paladins, for whom Azor'Alq forged the blade? Being a paladin fits smiting tanar'ri and dragons, beholders and undead. Perhaps Lerel then fell in the Crystalmists trying to recover the Talisman and Amulet of Al Akbar after it was stolen by the Olve of the Valley?
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Journeyman Greytalker
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Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:53 am
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Sorry, did I forget to add a  to the end of my question? It was a reference to the ad for the new AD&D2 Greyhawk products from the back of a Dragon that DMPrata uses for a sig.
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Master Greytalker
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Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:42 am
Re: The Sword of Azor'alq
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| Woesinger wrote: |
| Perhaps Lerel was one of Azor'Alq's paladins, for whom Azor'Alq forged the blade? Being a paladin fits smiting tanar'ri and dragons, beholders and undead. Perhaps Lerel then fell in the Crystalmists trying to recover the Talisman and Amulet of Al Akbar after it was stolen by the Olve of the Valley? |
The only problem with this approach is that the sword is N/Good. I assume a sword crafted for a paladin would be L/Good. I think the "named after the Pinnacles, not the Hero" idea sounds the best so far.
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Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:51 pm
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| cwslyclgh wrote: |
I think the easiest solution is that the sword is only indirectly named after the baklunish hero... [snip]
that way we don't have to expalian how the baklunish hero recovered it from the hoard of a red dragon in the crystalmists, and it some how wound up back in the hoard of a red dragon in the crystalmists. |
I agree in general, but that last bit is quite easy to explain. He didn't kill the dragon.
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Adept Greytalker
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Thu Aug 18, 2005 3:38 pm
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| I agree in general, but that last bit is quite easy to explain. He didn't kill the dragon. |
just barrowed it for a while, long enough to give his name to it, and then returned it or something?
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Master Greytalker
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Thu Aug 18, 2005 4:11 pm
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What Red Dragon or any other kind of Dragon lets anyone borrow anything from their hoard?
Too funny 
Seriously however the hero got it, best solution so far, named after the Pinnacles, works best.
As for the rest, we are talking history, not every second has to be explained, some things can remain a mystery.
Pehaps the Red Dragon didn't react well when Azor'Alq "borrowed" it from the hoard, Dragons have been known to hold a grudge.
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Mon Aug 22, 2005 9:21 am
Re: The Sword of Azor'alq
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| DMPrata wrote: |
The only problem with this approach is that the sword is N/Good. I assume a sword crafted for a paladin would be L/Good. I think the "named after the Pinnacles, not the Hero" idea sounds the best so far. |
Actually Azor'alq is neutral good. In my game I use the faris as the baklunish NG version of the paladin but technically in 3ed you can be a paladin of Azor'alq since your alignment is only one component off.
There was a thread on the WotC boards about this exact same thing. The take that I liked had Lerel's sword become synonymous with Azor'alq because it was a demon slaying sword which is what he was known for. Lerel being the most well known valley elf hero, the elves always took umbrage with the Baklunish for 'stealing' the sword and basically usurping its heritage. This ended up with them stealing the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar in a well known incident.
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Journeyman Greytalker
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Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:55 am
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There was a discussion in Greytalk a year ago, quite enlightening I think so, actually short of dispute between Rob Bastard and me. I tried to search the archives of Greytalk, but the link is off.
I do not have the book with me, Treasures of Greyhawk something. I recall that related information can be inferred from the age of the Red Dragon. Also I recall that I was inclined to believe that Lerel Lethariel is a lot more recent than Azor.
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