What do we know about the creation and powers of final blades?
I know they were invented by Margaery San Trayne, but who was she exactly? She had powerful magic, strong enough to forge several artifacts capable to stop even true resurrection, which means she was at least capable of casting lvl 9 spells. Why would one as such help the revolutionary council? And besides what's the deal with the grey gardeners and the final baldes? In short, what's YOUR take on what actually happened in Galt and what's happening now?
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The Wiki has a little more information for them. But it only has 3 sources listed... There may be more out there.
Yep, I know, but this is more a thread about what we think is really going on in Galt. Is there a secret agenda behind the red revolution? What is the REAL purpose of the final baldes, if their soul capturing abilities are not just to "save" souls from "Chaelish devils"?
I think that the blades are more to prevent nobles from being brought back to life. Or those that may try to challenge the current order if they were brought back to life.
I agree. That seems to be the real reason they were created although the official reason is to bring:"a swift and humane end, offering no escape through the magics of resurrection—and furthermore, keeping even the vilest Galtan soul from falling into the clutches of a Chelish devil" according to the Inner Sea World Guide.
But my question still stands: were these artifacts created just for that reason or is there something more sinister going on? What's your take on Galt and the red revolution?
The way they've been described has always seemed to be a bit on the sinister side, IMO.
Yep, I know, but this is more a thread about what we think is really going on in Galt. Is there a secret agenda behind the red revolution? What is the REAL purpose of the final baldes, if their soul capturing abilities are not just to "save" souls from "Chaelish devils"?That's far from the purpose... the real purpose is to keep those executed from being resurrected.
Galt isn't that hard to figure out... Just as the French Revolution was the American Revolution gone horribly wrong, Galt is essentially the same analog to Andoran.
Not everything horrible in Golarion has to have a demon, devil, or veiled master behind it.
Historical considerations aside (the french revolution being the american revolution gone "horribly wrong" for example isn't an opinion I share: too very different things who happen to share some similarities and the time period), I find it suspect a bunch of revolutionaries had the means to topple a whole nation and access to very powerful magic too.
According to the guide to Taldor the "unbearded" constitute 99% of the population and live miserably, and that could be the situation Galt was in at the time of its revolution, BUT even if they were many I think there was something more at work here. Sure, the House of Thrune taking power in Chaeliax was the catalyst but in my opinion something happened behind the scenes in Galt too. The conditions were right and it worked. Now, whatever force had the country in its grasp is keeping it chaotic, I suspect the final blades to have other, hidden purposes for the souls they store and someone or something taking advantage of the endless terror.
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I find it suspect a bunch of revolutionaries had the means to topple a whole nation and access to very powerful magic too.
Have you read the description for Hell's Rebels AP?Yeah, these cost a little more than a 5th level PC has, but who knows, if a PC gets to 20th level toppling a government... they'll have rooms full of treasure to spend on vorpral, soul sucking guillotines.
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I agree with you, Rogar. There's some suggestion in the ISWG that someone or something is keeping the Red Revolution going after all these years, and my bet is that the Gray Gardeners are involved somehow. After all, they're the only constant throughout the countless Revolutionary Councils. We don't know what happens to the souls that the final blades take into them, or if they're being used for a secondary purpose, other than just preventing those that get killed by them from being returned to life. Their job is to keep the Revolution going, and continue the soul harvest. My guess is that they're a cult of either Norgorber or Groetus. I don't know why either of them would want to gather souls exactly, but this method seems to suit either of them. If it's not them, then maybe a more earthly faction is behind it, though I'm not really able to guess who that would be.
I have to go back and reread ISWG, but isn't there a hint that one of the original "authors" of the revolution may still be at large? Plus there is that "man in the iron mask" being kept prisoner.
I think it is a more worldly agent at work than planar, but (again, IIRC) there are hints that the soul-catching is more than just revolution-as-usual.
It is conceivable that the only thing happening with the final blades was that souls were captured in them in order to keep those killed by the blades from being resurrected or taken to Hell to strengthen the devils. However, in most cases, Chekov's gun gets fired, not left on the mantle.
This is just begging for something happening behind the scenes. Either they were intended from the beginning to use the souls for another purpose, or someone has taken advantage of this for their own benefit, even though the original purpose of the blades was as publically stated.
Possible uses of souls are myriad; they could be fueling some sort of magical artifact or arcane research, or could be traded to Daemons for otherworldly wealth.
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And besides what's the deal with the grey gardeners and the final baldes? In short, what's YOUR take on what actually happened in Galt and what's happening now?
Obviously, the Grey Gardeners use these to make sure that you can never regrow your hair.
Went back and reread the info on Galt I have, and I'm not sure where I got the idea that there was something consciously, deliberately malign going on with the Final Blades and the ongoing Revolution.
That said, I could absolutely see something along the likes of all those entrapped souls in the blades- many (most?) of whom were innocent victims of the Revolt- becoming a sort of a collective spirit-mind that impels the people around them to continue their bloody crusades out of a misguided sense of vengeance; and the more deaths there are, the more the bloodshed continues, and continues to spread- until either it overwhelms everything, or the souls are freed and lain to rest.
(Possibly even largely guided by Hosetter's trapped soul itself.)
I've always figured...just as the worldwound is demon land and Cheliax is devil land, that daemons are behind what is going on behind the scenes in Galt. It just seems to really fit there MO.
^This makes sense, although with the nitpicking detail that for some reason Galt is listed as having national alignment Chaotic Neutral rather than Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil (the latter of which actually seems most fitting, but even the former seems more fitting than Chaotic Neutral, and Daemons and their allies are Neutral Evil).
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I always figured it was an experiment by the veiled masters as suggested in the book Occult Mysteries. It would make sense why the Aboleth would want to study revolution to. Which would be because they don't want to make the same mistake that they made with Azlant. They also put themselves in control of the Grey Gardeners to ideally experiment and they would have the ability to make the Final Blades.