According to the disks, Oerth is but one of several worlds along a "metaphysical plane of closeness." The Crafters, travelers between each of these realities, observe momentous events upon each of these worlds, recording them for the altruistic purpose of ensuring eternal life through the preservation of knowledge. Many secrets of the ancient world are said by Bearne to be inscribed upon the disks, from an age in which great lizards walked the Oerth to the birth and dominion of dragons to the rise of the aboleth and beyond. No mention is made of humanity, and the Crafters write of abandoning Exag to witness a great battle to the southwest, on the plains below a great volcanic peak. Due to the lack of mention of humanity, Bearne dates the leave-taking of the Crafters at more than 15,000 years ago, much older than the earliest known appearance of the Flan. The scholar’s account ends with a tantalizing reference to the "last disk," which allegedly included a prophecy: The rebirth of the Purifier will herald our return.
From the web enhancement to Dungeon #117:
Quote:
Ulaa (The Stonewife): An ancient goddess of unknown origins, Ulaa holds earth elementals in thrall with her dominion over hills, mountains, and gemstones. Her clerics protect mountains from those who would enter for the sake of greed or evil, and instruct miners and quarrymen with timelost rituals they claim have been handed down from a civilization extinct more than 10,000 years. [LG; Earth, Good, Law; warhammer; mountain with ruby heart]
Not much to go on, really, but I'm intrigued by the reference to the extinct civilization that Ulaa preserves. Could this civilization have been the Crafters? Is Ulaa a deified Crafter, or the creator of that race?
Nice catch Rasgon! If there is a connection between Ulaa and the Crafters, given Ulaa's connection to the element of earth, maybe the Crafters were an elemental earth counterpart to the elemental air Vaati, though they seem to have remained neutral in the war -- or at least in the Battle of Pesh.
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Here's a quote from "Exag- City of Clay" from Dungeon #145:
"The remote city of Exag was originally built by a mysterious extraplanar knowledge-seeking race known to historical scholars as the "Crafters"(see History of Exag)."
And so Ulaa would not be one of the Crafters, nor would any other deity.
The Exag adventure arc features more Far Realms stuff for those who like Cthuhluhawk. It does not appear likely the Crafters will be further illuminated in the series, unless some Crafter lore is found to aid in defeating the Far Realms menace featured in the series, or if some of the Crafters themselves return after 15,000 years of being absent. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Umm, why does that quote preclude Ulaa from being a deified Crafter? Its not like there aren't other gods that used to be mortals of other races more recent than the Crafters. The Crafters predate humanity certainly. They could well predate the dwarves. Or Ulaa could have been the goddess of the Crafters, who is now worshipped by dwarves and the like.
Its certainly not an "OMG, that's so totally true" theory, but it seems plausible at the very least.
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