Moloch's Darkslayer

Mike Taylor · Unread post by **Mike Taylor** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 1:36 am

If you, as a Nightlord, or your minions came upon something that could potentially destroy you, wouldn't you want to keep a very close eye on something like that? He doesn't use the weapon so much as keep it out of the hands of enemies.

The thought also occurs to me that he might, through intermediaries, let the device slip into the hands of unknowing adventurers who could be manipulated into using the weapon to eliminate a troublesome underling.

Svartalf · Unread post by **Svartalf** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:47 am

are you 100% sure that the use of a greatest artifact *REQUIRES* one to become a Sword Bearer? it looks to me that calling to a Sword Bearer is the "classic" way for such an artifact to go about its goal of continuing the war, but that it could actually "choose" anyone whom it wishes to help it, even such beings as did not wish to devote their whole life to serving the artifact. If Lord Moloch has managed to convince his Dark Destroyer that it is better for it to serve destroying *some* creatures of the Dark - in his hands - than being kept locked away and seeing those it would call be destroyed even before reaching it... why would the thing not agree?

Specter · Unread post by **Specter** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:48 pm

Haha... because with out him possessing something that can destroy him how can you pull a Beowolf with your PCs? Spotting the sword in the demons lair and grabbing it to slay the demon which normal steel didn't work so hot on.

Svartalf · Unread post by **Svartalf** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:19 pm

Serving the Greater good? Lord Moloch? Far from me such an idea.

I was only trying to find a way, however weird and far fetched, to reconcile the fact that Lord Moloch is apparently commiting a lewdly perverse and impossible act.

Also trying to find a window for PCs to be able to find and use such objects without having to turn into little more than living extensions of the object (because, I guess you've come to the same conclusion, this is the essential nature of the Swordbearer OCC)

and I did not mean Moloch would *exterminate* beings less evil than him... just commit some "politica situationl adjustments" according to need... not to mention that his wielding such a weapon would most certainly increase his Horror Factor among those members of his side that have reason to fear His Wrath. Also I wonder if His being bonded to the Dark might not make him an exception amon Nightlords... but the whole idea, is that the weapon did not truly *choose* Moloch in the conventional, usual sense, but would have been prevailed upon to accept coming into His possession, as the somewhat lesser of two evils.

Mike Taylor · Unread post by **Mike Taylor** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 12:03 am

Just as an adventure seed: Perhaps the enigmatic Lord Mocker is the GREATER of the two Nightlord evils, or has the potential to become so.

Jefffar · Unread post by **Jefffar** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 4:35 am

of course the books may directly contradict me, but who cares. I paid for them, they are my books now and I reserve the right to pencil in any sections I want.

My view of Greatest Artifact Weapons is that they are sentient and self aware. While the vast majority are good, they can be corrupted to the ways of evil like any being with a free will can.

The Greatest Artifact chooses who to share their powers with and when.

The Sword Bearer OCC is basically a character who's only OCC power is his bond with one of these Greatest Artifacts.

So, yes Moloch can wield a dark destroying Greatest Artifact. There are in text examples of Foulseed and Moloch with other Greatest Artifacts (The teleport thingy for Foulseed, and the Mirror for Moloch).

Jefffar · Unread post by **Jefffar** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 7:53 am

Moloch's Mirror is the thing that lets him commune with the Dark.

Nekira Sudacne · Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:08 pm

The swordbearer is the only OCC to START with an artifact weapon.

anyone can use one if the sword lets them.

even nightlords.

Agent_gir · Unread post by **Agent_gir** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 11:57 am

the dark destroyer is one of the 4% of all greastest artifacts That are evil, in this case it's diabolic, with an IQ of 17, so I'm not sure that King Moloch has to do much convincing for the sword to let him use it, I mean the sword now finds himself in the hands of the most evil being next to the dark, how better to further it's cause. plus the alignment restrictions on the sword bearer occ leads me to believe that evil (other then aberrant) artifacts don't chose champions and allow them selfs to be used by whoever can do the most damage. a good artifact would only allow itself to be used by someone it knows has the same goals and moral befiefs with would require a bond. aka sword bearer occ

I guess, but only Carella would know for sure

blade76 · Unread post by **blade76** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:19 pm

Hi, I'm new here can anyone give me a description of the swordbearer occ and the powers of some artifacts.

Nekira Sudacne · Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:24 pm

blade76 wrote:Hi, I'm new here can anyone give me a description of the swordbearer occ and the powers of some artifacts.

first of all, really, you should get the Nightlands book--great book overall, not just for the swordbearer).

anyway: General powers of Artifacts include:

limited negation of magic
limited spellcasting abilites
granting physicical boosts to bearer
firing magical attacks
providing protection.
disguising themselves as something other than a weapon

and that's just for starters--now, not all artifacts have all powers

and the swordbearer is basically just a skill set to give someone who has one of these weapons

blade76 · Unread post by **blade76** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:01 pm

could you post an example of an artifact,to give me a general idea of the powers and abilities of these weapons?

Beelzebozo · Unread post by **Beelzebozo** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:14 pm

You know rune weapons from Rifts? Yeah, they're pretty much like that. Beyond that, buy the book.

Nekira Sudacne · Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:38 pm

Beelzebozo wrote:You know rune weapons from Rifts? Yeah, they're pretty much like that. Beyond that, buy the book.

not even similar to Rune weapon powers other than being indestructable.

slayer, check PM

Tinker Dragoon · Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:11 pm

The Last Darkness wrote:The Nightbane are the Formless Ones. They are actualy the vengeful spirits of the Formless Ones who are out for revenge against The Dark and the Ba'al.

It would be more accurate to say they are reincarnations of those Formless Ones who were destroyed long ago. By all appearances the Reshapers are the Formless Ones who actually survived the initial slaughter, and several of the Nightlords' Minions are thought to be enslaved Formless Ones mystically bound into a specific form.

Tyciol wrote:
svartalf wrote:are you 100% sure that the use of a greatest artifact *REQUIRES* one to become a Sword Bearer? it looks to me that calling to a Sword Bearer is the "classic" way for such an artifact to go about its goal of continuing the war, but that it could actually "choose" anyone whom it wishes to help it, even such beings as did not wish to devote their whole life to serving the artifact. If Lord Moloch has managed to convince his Dark Destroyer that it is better for it to serve destroying *some* creatures of the Dark - in his hands - than being kept locked away and seeing those it would call be destroyed even before reaching it... why would the thing not agree?

Yes, if you read Nightlands you would hopefully be as sure.

"The Nightlords have never been able to use these powerful objects, every time they obtain one, the only thing they can do is keep them locked in a vault, lest they best used against them one day."

"Greatest Artifacts have the most impressive powers, but are intelligent and cannot be used by anybody other than it's chosen wielder (see the Sword Bearer OCC for more information)."

There is also this:

Nightlands, p. 20 wrote:Most Artifacts were powerful weapons that were devised by the Lost Race during their doomed war against the Dark. Sensing that the Nightlords are new agents and pawns of the Dark, these Artifacts wish to join in the efforts to destroy them. To do this, they need someone who will use them in battle. These chosen people are called Sword Bearers.

While in general this supports the idea of restricting Greatest Artifacts to the Sword Bearer O.C.C., notice the phrase "most Artifacts."

Thus I would submit that some Greatest Artifacts are indeed merely the equivalent of Rune Weapons, and useable by anyone.

The Beast · Unread post by **The Beast** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:40 am

Tyciol wrote:Yes, other than the fact that he is mentioned as able to 'arm himself with it'.

After further reading, it becomes apparent to me that anyone can use a Greatest Artifact, they simply cannot use any of their abilities (which requires bonding with it) without becoming the Swordbearer OCC. In which case, Moloch could wield it as a weapon, but not use any of the powers (including the Dark Destroyer ability).

What is curious, is why Moloch would wield something which is just effectively a normal weapon in his hands, when a Greater Artifact, which he can use (and many of his avatars do use) would be more useful.

Maybe he doesn't want to lose his Nightlord powers?

The Beast · Unread post by **The Beast** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:41 am

Tyciol wrote:Moloch is the only nightlord bonded to the dark (unless you count the one in Russia that might be, I can't remember if that was verified).

Which page (I'm guessing it's in Mystic Russia)?

Jefffar · Unread post by **Jefffar** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:03 pm

Look up Lord Mocker, in the Nightlands book. Other Nightlords section I think, or in Moloch's section

The Beast · Unread post by **The Beast** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:46 am

Jefffar wrote:Look up Lord Mocker, in the Nightlands book. Other Nightlords section I think, or in Moloch's section

Right, of course. What was I thinking?

Specter · Unread post by **Specter** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:00 pm

MaddogMatarese wrote:
Tyciol wrote:Moloch is the only nightlord bonded to the dark (unless you count the one in Russia that might be, I can't remember if that was verified).

Which page (I'm guessing it's in Mystic Russia)?

Mystic Russia? Say wha?

Nekira Sudacne · Sat Sep 03, 2005 10:41 pm

MaddogMatarese wrote:
Tyciol wrote:Moloch is the only nightlord bonded to the dark (unless you count the one in Russia that might be, I can't remember if that was verified).

Which page (I'm guessing it's in Mystic Russia)?

no, NIghtlands

The Beast · Unread post by **The Beast** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 2:23 am

Specter wrote:
MaddogMatarese wrote:
Tyciol wrote:Moloch is the only nightlord bonded to the dark (unless you count the one in Russia that might be, I can't remember if that was verified).

Which page (I'm guessing it's in Mystic Russia)?

Mystic Russia? Say wha?

Nekira Sudacne

no, NIghtlands

Yes, I realize that now. No need to rub it in. :-P

Gomen_Nagai · Unread post by **Gomen_Nagai** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 12:51 pm

the Lost Race are the beings that knew the light bringers and Formless ones and of the dark. I'm guessing, they're Nightbane's Setting of the Immortals, I'd say that Lost One Woman from Rifts mercenaries is one of the immortals, in Cj's other games, The Atlantians are not the only Pre flood society, He had the Thulites, The Mus and Lemurians ( (Mu's being related to the mythical Shambala City) ... it's only rifts that has the Atlanteans being humans who have evolved into pyramid masters and tatoo masters.

Tinker Dragoon · Mon Sep 05, 2005 11:35 pm

The Lost Ones initially seem like natural candidates for the Lost Race, but unfortunately this is directly contradicted in Nightlands, where it describes the Lost Race as "friends of dragons and masters of magic." As we know from Rifts Mercenaries, the Lost Ones are effectively Mind Melters and have no magical knowledge at all.

One could make a case for the True Atlanteans of Rifts, as they are adept at magic and friends with the Chiang-Ku dragons, but the book gives them the same likelihood as elves and other mythical beings. For all we know they could even have been the progenitors of the modern Guardians (though their origin seems to lie in the Astral Plane or the mysterious Lightlands).

The identity of the Lost Race would seem to be another of the many deliberate ambiguities in the game, left entirely to the GM's whim.