Unraveling Ravel (spoilers)

[Platter]

Modrons are not made of gear spirits. Modrons and gear spirits are two different creatures that make their home on Mechanus.
Nordom's crossbows are gear spirits. Nordom is not.

[Aubrey]

Originally posted by Platter
Modrons are not made of gear spirits. Modrons and gear spirits are two different creatures that make their home on Mechanus.
Nordom's crossbows are gear spirits. Nordom is not.

What is Nordom then? Just a Modron? But then, what is a Modron?

[VonDondu]

Originally posted by Aubrey
I understand that there might be many things I haven't understood, and maybe I need a second time through the game (not right now, at any rate) so as to have the chance to find some missing "links", i.e., about the game's ending and the Blood War.

Whatever the "truth" might be, I feel there are a lot of intepretations one can give to issues involved in the game. As I have also the feeling that there are a lot of unanswerable issues, such as why Fhjull was NO's enemy? Unless I've missed something, there hadn't been a clear statement of Fhjull hating NO or why was that.

The designers probably intended for the game to remain "broken", splintered, and mysterious to mirror the Nameless One's own existence. I also suspect that like a lot of artists, they took our understanding of a lot of things for granted when in fact we have no idea what they're referring to.

I also suspect that a few things that should have been included in the game never made it into the final cut, or there were some that got cut in the final draft that could have made things tie together a lot better. Take Fhjull, for example. I don't think we're seeing everything the designers originally intended for him. He's supposed to be the Nameless One's enemy, but he can't remember ever meeting the Nameless One. He's imprisoned by Trias, but if Trias dies, he'll be free. Unfortunately, we have no idea what he plans to do after that, or whether it has anything to do with the Nameless One. From looking at the dialogues with Infinity Explorer, it appears that it should have some effect on the ending of the game, but I can't figure out what it's supposed to be.

I don't know if we'll ever know why Fhjull is the Nameless One's enemy or what part he plays in the Nameless One's fate. Is that a flaw in the game? Well, I guess it depends on what you expect from the game.

[fable]

I also suspect that a few things that should have been included in the game never made it into the final cut, or there were some that got cut in the final draft that could have made things tie together a lot better.

And as we know the original designers planned for a sequel, even broadly hinting as much in the endgame, it's quite possible that at least a few matters would have been cleared up then. We know, for instance, that at least one of the NO's incarnations was involved with some extremely unsavory evil characters, given the demons that recognize him in the Smoldering Corpse Bar. We can speculate that the NO would have run across more "old acquaintances" in the evil planes. I think it's perfectly within reason to suggest that the NO would have led a lawful evil party against chaotic evil forces in the eternal war.

If this discussion continues much longer, I'm going to have to write Guido Henkel and ask him point blank what his plans were for a followup.

[VonDondu]

Originally posted by fable
We know that at least one of the NO's incarnations was involved with some extremely unsavory evil characters, given the demons that recognize him in the Smoldering Corpse Bar. We can speculate that the NO would have run across more "old acquaintances" in the evil planes. I think it's perfectly within reason to suggest that the NO would have led a lawful evil party against chaotic evil forces in the eternal war.

If you talk to Sebastian in the Lower Ward and ask him why it's called the Lower Ward, he'll tell you about the "incident". We know that the Nameless One was involved because he recalls a memory about it. The Lower Ward was originally called the Prime Ward. It like a holding tank for newcomers. "Some berk" didn't like that, so he formed a rebellion. He discovered a Shadow-Sorcelled Key (stuck to his palm) that opened portals to the Lower Planes. The Lady of Pain dealt with the rebellion and probably sliced the Nameless One to shreds, although he obviously survived her punishment. According to Sebastian, the fiends whom the leader brought into the ward simply vanished. They probably returned to the Lower Planes.

It makes me wonder if the Nameless One had anything to do with the Seige Engine landing in the Lower Ward. Coaxmetal gives no indication that he remembers the Nameless One, so maybe he didn't have anything to do with it.

[Platter]

Originally posted by VonDondu
If you talk to Sebastian in the Lower Ward and ask him why it's called the Lower Ward, he'll tell you about the "incident".

I bet that incident was also linked to Ravel's attempt to free the Lady from her cage...
Well, they seem similar at least.

[Zelgadis]

Originally posted by VonDondu
The Lady of Pain dealt with the rebellion and probably sliced the Nameless One to shreds, although he obviously survived her punishment.

Maybe thats when the paranoid incarnation was mazed. Seems like something he would do.

[VonDondu]

Originally posted by Zelgadis
Maybe thats when the paranoid incarnation was mazed. Seems like something he would do.

I respectfully disagree. Protesting government action, leading a rebellion, working with anybody else instead of avoiding people and keeping to himself (and playing with traps and puzzles)... those don't really suit his character, in my opinion. But you're right in one respect: the Lady's usual punishment for crimes against her or Sigil is the maze.