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  1. #51
    Senior Member Lawgiver's Avatar
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    I stumbled upon the old interview with Rich Baker and this question was amongst the mix:


    Question 11:

    He's the most powerful Awnsheghlien out there. He "grows" and then "harvests" bloodlines for the sheer thrill of it. He hungers for the Iron Throne. In truth, with the current political environment, there is very little to stop him from taking it. I'm talking about good old Rock Butt; the Gorgon. Can you give us an inside peek into his motives? Why hasn't he taken the Throne and the Empire and subjugated Anuire? While the regents will "unify" to fight him, they'll likely stab each other in the back to end up the next Emperor after the battle, and most likely cause their own downfall because of this. What is the Gorgon after?


    Rich:

    The Gorgon wants what his brothers have: the love, honor, respect, and glory that he feels should have been his. And he missed his chance more than fifteen hundred years ago. Roele’s dead, the founder of an empire that still remains powerful even in its decay, and Haelyn is a god, forever beyond Raesene’s reach. Think of the worst mistake, the most painful missed opportunity you ever had in your life, and magnify it tenfold. Then imagine that you’ve got centuries to brood about what you could have had.


    So where does he go from here? I’m not sure. I can see three tactics:


    One, bring to ruin all that Roele built. Not very satisfying, but better than nothing. Raesene took a shot at this five hundred years ago by luring Michael Roele to his death.


    Two, become a god so that he might finally settle his age-old quarrel with Haelyn and take his rightful place as the King of All. Not very practical, but that might not stop a megalomaniac like Raesene. Harvesting bloodlines might be the means to that end, and who knows how close he might be now? Maybe he wants Anuire to be gathered under one great king again so that he can bridge the final gap with one more slaying.


    Three, realize that it’s all beyond his reach now and explode in a rage of godlike proportions. Plunge into a pit of terror, self-despite, violence, and brutality the likes of which the world has never seen. Take out your frustrations by beating the stuffing out of anything that crosses his path and break little children’s toys just to be mean. When Raesene determines that option two is not going to work (it may or may not, that’s the DM’s call) this might be the result.

    http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/ind...Rich_Baker_One
    Servant of the Most High,
    Lawgiver

    Isaiah 1:17
    Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

  2. #52
    Kind of echoing Lawgiver, but on a slightly more pragmatic level, given the present state of Aiure, and the average Ainurean's feelings about the Gorgon, he can't win.

    Sure, he might -conceivably- be able to kick everybody's butt and throw a lot of kingdoms into chaos, but he is so abhorred that nobody would willingly follow him. Conquered realms would transform into resistance groups overnight, and the Gorgon would rule only in the exact location that his armies of powerful lieutenants, or he himself, had physical presence.

    I don't think he wants that. Maybe he looks forward to the day when the empire is so lost in decay that the people of Aiure would look to him as the natural choice. A slim hope, but probably all he has.

  3. #53
    Some notes the creative parts came up with.
    You can all bow (out) of argument later.

    Raesene (Gorgon) the Black Prince

    -People forget his humanity
    -He is possessed of a strong bloodline and intuitive knowledge that transcends his mortal mind
    -He studied wizardry out of necessity to strengthen his mind against the possibility of insanity
    -He’s a keen strategist who knows he can wind a basic war fought on multiple fronts
    -His soldiers may lose their cohesion and turn on themselves without him
    -Rules his kingdom with ruthless efficiency that is nonetheless fair in his mind
    -He was passed over for succession when he believed he had greater merit and jealousy festered
    -He can’t conquer the surrounding lands outright because there are just as keen strategists
    -Bears many grudges
    -Still tries to be civil to the other rulers and is a relatively honourable person
    -He believes that there are forces who constantly watch him
    -He must take higher moral ground otherwise his victory is false
    -He needs to make his ancestors and the gods and all of Cerilia agree ‘it should have been I’.
    -He doesn’t want to put Cerilia to the torch because he cherishes its beauty
    -He is very fond of Anuire and believes he would be a true monster if he put it to the torch
    -The Art of War by Sun Tsu says the ultimate form of Warfare is to conquer an enemy without fighting
    -Raesene shares this belief and wants to one-up the people of Cerilia
    -If he usurps many more bloodlines his Azrai derivation may twist his sprit further
    -Despite his considerable power he is aware of his own mortality
    -If he wanted to march his armies on anyone he is aware how easily his foes could unite against him
    -He passes his time maintaining and perfecting his abilities
    -His emotions and wants prevent him from desiring godhood because they tie him to the world
    -One of these desires is that he craves the Iron Throne of Anuire
    -If he lost his realm or life then another ruler who was less worthy and more harmful would be King
    -If he threw away thousands of lives in war what sort of butcher would he be?
    -Butchers and Monsters crush the land under heel but Rulers and Kings care for their subjects and lands
    -He needs to manipulate the whole of Cerilia into doing just what he wants
    -He has trouble trusting others with responsibilities and is very independent
    -He can’t be everywhere at once and he can’t do everything at the same time
    -He has grown more fond of culture over the centuries and passes his time learning
    -Tries to fight back against the coercion of his bloodline
    -He believes that more vicious and evil children would create chaos and sew dissention and evil
    -Studying magic opened new tactical and strategic opportunities for him to study and contemplate
    -The longer he waits the more Cerilia begins to forget him and dismiss his presence
    -Presumably as time passes Cerilia becomes more enlightened and unified
    -There are many secrets about war he doesn’t know like Khinasi Dragon Powder
    -He wants a worthy opponent to spice things up for him
    -The changes in his appearance make him feel sort of miserable
    -Resentment of universal powers like Gods and Fate increases because he feels they made him hideous
    -He feels slightly unworthy as a brother for being forced to slay his younger sibling
    -The elves are condescending and pity Raesene for being the creature he is now
    -The Gorgon has many potential enemies because of all of his accomplishments
    -He is willing to do evil things to get what he wants and that’s part of what makes him evil
    -Raesene made conscious choices not to make an effort to redeem his self?

    Rhuobe Manslayer

    -Of all the elves Rhoube Manslayer hates Raesene the most and sees him as his purest enemy
    -Raesene is one of the closest descendants of the men who raped the wilderness
    -Raesene has also hurt his pride by ‘stealing’ the notion of elf immortality
    -Raesene betrayed his loyalties twice and more importantly as a servant of Azrai
    -Raesene is hated by the Manslayer for being able to match him tactically and strategically

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