Sepsis wrote:
>
> At 11:00 AM 12/30/97 -0500, Samuel Weiss(SWeissBB@worldnet.att.net)wrote:
> >
> >Um, doesn't the product list for '98 indicate that the Cold Rider, is
> >Azrai? Sorry if this kills this thread dead and/or spoils everything, but
> >it's right there in the adventure summaries. (Kinda like TV Guide killing
> >the suspense witht ehir summaries, eh?)
> >
>
> Not really. I've always assumed that the Cold Rider was the ghostly form of
> Azrai, but in his undead state he is too weak to actually grant any spells,
> so someone or something must be doing it instead. The fact is if the Cold
> Rider had even a fraction of Azrai's original power he would have already
> returned. Before I stated that IMC Azrai had tapped into a form of
> Anti-Creation in order to boost his power. As I have treated this force
> alot like the Cthulu(sp?) mythos, it is only fitting that Azrai now suffers
> a type of eternal punishment for using these energies (much like Humans
> turning into Deep Ones, from worshipping the Cthulu deities), and is now a
> mere shadow (forgive the pun) of his former self. Azrai Priests may still
> receive spells, but I doubt they are granted by the Cold Rider.
>
> Sepsis, richt@metrolink.net (ICQ:3777956)
>
Good point; I never thought of that. But when I started this thread I
guess I also forgot to mention three points:

1) I'm pretty sure that when the BR guys say the old gods died, they
meant just that (in my opinion of course) - in other words Azrai is
truly gone. I know if I was one of the 'good' gods, I never would of
destroyed myself unless I was sure I was erasing out the bad dude
forever ... permanently. Don't take this to mean that Azrai's POWER is
gone, just the entity known as Azrai - so I always thought that the Cold
Rider was an entirely different and independant being because:

2) Secondly (& more importantly), I'm pretty sure that the halfing race
was in Cerilia before the Battle of Deismaar. Given that, the halfings
fled the Shadow World because of the Cold Rider (if I'm not mistaken -
I'm relying on my memory of the novel The Iron Throne by Simon Hawke and
assuming that the BR guys are trying to keep some continuity going
here). So this means that the Cold Rider was around before Azrai was
destroyed. Therefore, the Cold Rider could really *only* have absorbed
some of Azrai's power at the Battle like Belinik or Kriesha, so I would
think that this makes him someone (thing?) entirely different.

Then again, wasn't there supposed to be an even more powerful 'force' at
work in the Shadow World? This Shadow World stuff leaves us fans a
little in the dark (pardon the pun); I think that this is a clever
strategy on the part of the BR guys to make us want to know more about
the Shadow World (Ed Stark: Who US?!? We'd would never do that -
Noooo)((Me: Even though WE'D STILL BUY the new BR books even if we knew
some of the stuff in it beforehand - right BR list guys? After all,
we're all loyal to the makers of Birthright: Ed Stark, Carrie A. Bebris,
Ed Stark, Rich Baker, Ed Stark, Colin McComb ... did I mention Ed
Stark?).

Can't wait for that Shadow World supplement to come out in 1998.

3) The last two points bring me back to my original question. So where
the heck does the Serpent get his power? The Cold Rider? I think not,
simply because the Serpent strikes me as being about as egotistical as
an awnsheghlein can get (though in a quiet, devious sort of way like,
well, the way a snake has always been mythically portrayed - cunning,
intelligent, and stealthy). All this means is that I am sure that if
the Serpent says he is a god then I'm pretty sure he means it (since it
fits his personality - enough, at least, that he can back it with some
fairly impressive powers).

How does everyone else on the list deal with this intriguing point about
the Serpent?

(Oh, and Ed, thanks for the completely informationless post - the "we
are leaving it up to each individual group to make up an explanation"
s@#t. Not that I'm complaining mind you ... the compliment WAS GREAT!).

(Here's the other twenty ...)