Darklords Contradictions - Dead in Bk12, Alive Bk13.

[SnowShadow]

SPOILER

Finally got around to reading the Mini-Adventure in Bk 13, Plague Agent. I like it, it is one of my favourites. Haven't finished it yet. A couple of things I've noticed that 'bug' me. Section 34 "a low-ceilinged taproom" but the illustration appears to show the ceiling 3 times the height of a man.

What REALLY troubles me though is the casual mentioning in Section 1 "The suviving Darklords remain in their cities but they are no longer the threat they once were".

What surviving Darklords? There aren't any! Section 350 Bk 12 states "brings about the rapid demise of the Darklords", well that's less than the 5 years between bks 12 & 13 to me.

"Your victory is total." To me means there is no 'well you got most but the odd few went skulking back'.

"At last you have fulfilled your destiny to avenge the Kai and rid the land of the evil that has threatened her for thousands of years. You return to Sommerlund a conquering hero", etc.

All of which points to the Darklords being destroyed absolutely. I don't want to get melodramatic but you'll have 1st edition fans thinking the Darklords are dead and Mongoose generation fans thinking they are badly beat up in their cities. There are of course LW fan sites who have kept a Darklord alive for the purpose of writing stories, like LWERPG, which is fine, but the Gamebooks need to have some sense of consistency.... unless we get to see the final few Darklords in Bks 29+ along with Agarash? Grey Star? A trip to the Plane of Light?

What do the rest of you think - am I overreacting?

I'll add a poll to get the general consensus, maybe you all already think the Darklords aren't all killed - it's just me.

 

[Sir Brad]

The "Prime" Darklords are all dead, but the lesser (of veering degrees) Darklords are still out there. Recall the Xaghash are "amoung the weakest of the lesser Darklords" p.33 The Mangnamund Companion Beaver Books 1986 Joe Dever & Gary Chalk.

 

[beowuuf]

Exactly as Sir BRad said, the Xagash are lesser Darklords (in description) and are still alive - you even can fight some in book 14. They are not the brains of the outfit, and aren't event distinguishable from each other, so the Nadziranim and Cadak are the real powers once the main twenty Darklords die.

 

[SnowShadow]

Of course, Xagash! Don't really think of them as Darklords even though they are described as lesser Darklords because they are so weak - can be harmed normally - and not individual like the real Darklords. Still that must be the ones the text speaks about. Thanks for putting my mind at rest guys! Feel a bit of a twit now but to misquote a saying "To ask a question is to be a fool for a second, to not ask is to remain a fool forever".

 

[Sir Brad]

And those of grater power that sit in their former masters cities plotting their own rises to Power wile fearing the ascendancy of the followers of Kai and Ishir, who among them will dominate their fellows and attract the favored patronage of Naar?

 

[Seneschal]

Hi Snowshadow, thanks for the kind words about the adventure (I wrote it).

Concerning the "darklords" line:
Yeah, it's meant to be a reference to the Xaghash, and to be a brief tie back to the main "Story so far..." section at the start of the book which talks about the Xaghash fighting the Nadziranim for control.
On reflection, it's obviously not clear enough; in fact, this question came up once before elsewhere.

So, to everyone who was thrown by that - my apologies.

 

[WritingWolf]

Hi Seneschal - thanks for posting on here and clearing that up.

Of course it does leave things open to interpretation for a Darklord to have survived. As I recall, from the Darklands book, isn't there a Darklord living in V'ka?

The mini-adventure was a really good story too - had more of a grand-arc to it than I was expecting.

I suppose, arguing semantics, "demise" doesn't mean the same thing as "death". But that's upto JD to say - would make for an interesting closure to the saga!

 

[Kojiro]

Hi Seneschal - thanks for posting on here and clearing that up.

Of course it does leave things open to interpretation for a Darklord to have survived. As I recall, from the Darklands book, isn't there a Darklord living in V'ka?

Actually, V'ka's mentioned in the Gazetteer of the RPG and only refers to a Darklord that rules it but nothing about one living there. They don't even name which Darklord. I suspect whoever is the Archlord of Helgedad also rules in V'ka.

 

[SnowShadow]

Okay I must confess I haven't read the Plague Lords for years - can't remember reading it since I've been married and that's ten years this year! I haven't read the Mongoose version yet - like to wait for all the books to do it as one big run. Anyway, had I read The Story So Far... section I would of course have seen the part about the Xagash and hence assumed they are the Darklords mentioned in section 1 Plague Agent. My fault entirely.

Seneschal - thanks for coming forward to let us know who wrote it, really enjoyed the adventure, well done!

Right back to 'tinkering'...

 

[WritingWolf]

Hmm .. it implies a Darklord does live in the Maakenmire, but they seem to be rather weak - especially as being an "unknown Darklord". If anything a Xaghash, so not a major threat.

Of course, given the timeline of the Gazeeter it is entirely possible they would have been killed by Zagarna before the Lone Wolf series starts.