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    Canonfire :: View topic - The Ring of Five
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    The Ring of Five
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    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 06, 2009
    Posts: 13


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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:33 am  
    The Ring of Five

    Hi again guys and gals.

    Could some one PLEASE tell me that the ring of 5 isn't something that i imagined one day and what the make up of that group might be.

    I don't know where I heard about them. But it was 5+ years ago and I have not been able to dig anything up about them since.

    From what i understand it was founded by Rary when he "went rogue" and was a collection of evil mages (or neutral with evil tendencies) who plotted to over throw the circle of eight.

    At this point I am not even sure if they really existed in Greyhawk lore or if it was just from some one's own campaign.

    Any information on them or any groups that sound similar to them would be most appreciated.
    Journeyman Greytalker

    Joined: Nov 14, 2008
    Posts: 222
    From: Modena, Italy

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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:41 am  

    I don't know, but if it was Rary's it could have been covered in the LGG issue on the Bright Desert.
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jun 25, 2007
    Posts: 951
    From: Neck Deep in the Viscounty of Verbobonc

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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:33 am  

    Actually, the Ring of Five is a group put together by Zagig Yragerne and detailed in an article by Gary Holian. They predate Rary by quite some time.

    I'm not sure where you can find Gary's article these days, but if you drop in on the Thursday night greychat he'll probably be able to steer you in the right direction.
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Sep 21, 2003
    Posts: 538
    From: Germany

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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:39 am  

    Try the GHwiki:

    http://www.canonfire.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ring_of_Five
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jun 25, 2007
    Posts: 951
    From: Neck Deep in the Viscounty of Verbobonc

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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:11 am  

    Yep, that'll get ya there. Thanks, Thanael.
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Feb 16, 2004
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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:05 am  

    Remember that there was a Circle of Five as well as a Ring of Five.

    During the 1990's "From the Ashes" era, Mordy's Circle of Eight were referred to in various products as the Circle of Five, to account for the departure of Tenser, Otiluke, and Rary due to Rary & Robilar's shenanigans on the Day of Signing.

    As for the Ro5, they're never described in any detail in WGR1 Greyhawk Ruins other than as a rumor which is neither confirmed as true or denied as false, and references to where the Ro5 go (or, went) within the Tower of Magic. And, I'm not certain on this point, but the Ro5 don't appear to exist in the product line anywhere outside of WGR1.

    A thread from a few years ago on this board in which Ro5 is discussed

    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1897&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=ring+five

    Although I am fond of WGR1, I find the Ro5 problematic, as foozles that were airlifted in by the adventure writers to populate the Tower of Magic with bad guys.

    I've concluded that that's pretty much where they belong, in the context of the Tower of Magic and the legend of Zagyg rather than as a GH power group.

    My take on the Ro5 is that they were assembled by Zagyg for the purpose of misdirecting spies from learning about his true activities under the castle. It was a joke that onlookers found credible because Zagyg was known to be a part of a group, in particular his involvement with the earlier Company of Seven.

    As far as the identities of Ro5, Zagyg would have selected members who were talented and powerful, but not enough so as to figure out the details of his work, or prevent him from fulfilling his goals.

    The original Ro5 members may have been "in on the joke", but either way, it gave them access to the Tower of Magic, which is a beneficial place to practice arcana. So, even after Zagyg's apotheosis, the Ro5 would perpetuate with replacement members. Since none of them could make headway on Zagig's work, the reason for the Ro5's existence became mundane, which, from Zagyg's point of view, adds to the comedy.

    (EDIT) IronGolem touches downthread on something that's a salient point in my mind, and that's that it's the apprentices of the Ro5, not any Ro5 members, who are found within WGR1's Tower of Magic.

    If I were to update the Tower of Magic for my own use, which is a project that's attractive but hugely daunting, I might undertake it with the idea that the Ro5 didn't actually exist, that the whole thing was a joke by Zagig, in which apprentices busily respond to the will of disembodied voices, cleverly constructed automata, faces seen in scrying sensors, and so forth, allowing me to populate levels of the Tower of Magic with the detritus of the scam, increasing in devious wierdness the deeper you go.

    nematode


    Last edited by nematode on Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:55 am; edited 1 time in total
    Journeyman Greytalker

    Joined: Aug 30, 2001
    Posts: 170
    From: Niflheim, 9to5

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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:02 am  

    I find the existence of the Rof5 unlikely, and just use their "apprentices" as an opportunistic group of mages that have no connection to their rumored masters (Zagyg, Leomund, Mage of the Vale, etc.). They simply came together after exploring the Tower of Magic and learned the secret of creating magic items there after studying some of Zagyg's abandoned texts. Afterwards, they settled down and started the business of creating and selling powerful magic items to those able to afford their fee (and promiss to keep their existence a secret). I omit the whole business of them experimenting with different evil alignments, and have them merely assisting monster populations in the upper levels in order to serve as a protection from future adventurer incursions.
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 06, 2009
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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:14 pm  

    I guess i was WAY off on the ring of 5. I remember the mention of "the mage of the veil" and him living in a forest to the west. Maybe the person I was talking to was just working on his own home brewed version for his players to defeat?

    Thank you all for the info. It has been a very illusive topic for me for years lol.
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Feb 16, 2004
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    Mon Jul 06, 2009 6:54 pm  

    The relevant passage from module WGR1 is as follows:

    "Zagig, The Black One of the Vale of the
    Mage, Leomund, Melf, and Serten, all powerful
    archmages and rivals to the circle of eight, watch
    the comings and goings of the Power Tower.
    They call themselves the “Ring of Five”"

    Yes, you remember right, the Mage of the Vale is mentioned, but it's presented in the module as a rumor. The text describing the rumors reads, "The truth or falsehood of these rumors is left undefined as they often have elements of both."

    nematode
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