Plot hole?

[paddyfool]

Just a thought:

- Xykon needs a hole with a gate on it to fulfill his dreams of power.
- Destroying the gate seems to stop him using the hole.

However:
- He's spent a long time around one such gate (Dorukan's), seen another (Lirian's), and spent a long time around a hole left after a gate (Soon's). Did it never occur to him while hanging around Azure City to try and research how to build a gate of his own around said hole?

[Felixaar]

I don't remember why exactly, but I know there was a reason this couldn't work. I don't think Xykon and Redcloak know how to make a new gate. It's not the sort of thing that's made public.

[Starscream]

Yeah, the only ones who would know how to construct a new one would be the members of the Order of the Scribble.

Of them, Soon, Dorukan and Lirian are deceased, Kraagor was probably killed by the Snarl, and Serini and Gerard's werebouts are unknown (possibly dead as well).

Seems like Dorukan and Lirian were the ones who did the actual gate-making. Xykon actually has their souls tucked away in a rock in his pocket, but I doubt they'd consent to being resurrected in order to make a new gate for him.

[OITS]

SoD-iirc, in SoD Redcloak said they would need two epic spellcasters, one of them divine - so I guess Reddy has to level up a little bit before they are able to build their own gate

[Ancalagon]

SoD-iirc, in SoD Redcloak said they would need two epic spellcasters, one of them divine - so I guess Reddy has to level up a little bit before they are able to build their own gate

No, according to SoD

Quickly mentioned they could build their own gate and then control that - but they decided against it as it would cost them years and maybe decades of research how to build gates, so they just went on and stuck with using one of the existing ones. As long as there are existing ones, that estimation won't change.

[veti]

Somehow the sight of "Xykon" and "research" together in the same sentence strikes me as far-fetched...

Xykon's idea of "research" is reading a halfling's diary. "Investigating the fundamental nature of reality" - I'd say you need a much more Lawful temperament for that kind of thing. X just doesn't have the attention span.

[[TS] Shadow]

If all else fails (ie, all of the gates are dystroyed and existance DOESN'T implode upon itself,) than yes, Xykon and Redcloak would probably build a gate. However, they know that there are quite a few people dedicated to keeping these gates safe, so all they would have to do is wait until THEY rebuild the gate, using the time to build up a force strong enough to take it from the guardian as soon as it's over. A much easier plan.

And for those who say that Xykon isn't patient enough to make a gate, don't forget that in SoD he waited somewhere around 10 years looking for them with no success. He's a lot more patient than you think.

[Berserk Monk]

SoD spoiler:

A gate can only be built with a divine and arcane caster who are both epic level. Xykon's epic level, but Red Cloak isn't.

[factotum]

Somehow the sight of "Xykon" and "research" together in the same sentence strikes me as far-fetched...


Strip #376 disagrees:

Xykon: I was starting to think that I'd researched that "Xykon's Moderately-Escapable Forcecage" spell for nothing!

[Souhiro]

I think that Xykon "Research" methods consist in

a) Search somebody who is researching something interesting
be) Kill him/her
ce) Steal his/her investigation
de) Rename it as "Xykon's [Wathever name the spell had]"
eh) Zombify the ex-researcher
ef) GoTo (a)

[King of Nowhere]

OITS and Berserker Monk already mentioned the main reason.
In addition, even if that condition was met, it would still take years to research (Dorukan and Lirian sunk their whole fortune, and presumably spent a few years, researching the gates).

[Optimystik]

Strip #376 disagrees:

Xykon: I was starting to think that I'd researched that "Xykon's Moderately-Escapable Forcecage" spell for nothing!

What Xykon did with the forcecage is considerably different from researching Epic magic. From the SRD, Sorcerers: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm)

"...These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study."


No, according to SoD

Quickly mentioned they could build their own gate and then control that - but they decided against it as it would cost them years and maybe decades of research how to build gates, so they just went on and stuck with using one of the existing ones. As long as there are existing ones, that estimation won't change.

Actually, Redcloak specifically mentioned both of them would have to be Epic to make a Gate, in addition to the decades of study bit. (pg. 72)

[Trixie]

Decades? I was under impression that Lirian and Dorukan needed considerably less than that.

[Sewblon]

Yeah, the only ones who would know how to construct a new one would be the members of the Order of the Scribble.

Of them, Soon, Dorukan and Lirian are deceased, Kraagor was probably killed by the Snarl, and Serini and Gerard's werebouts are unknown (possibly dead as well).

Seems like Dorukan and Lirian were the ones who did the actual gate-making. Xykon actually has their souls tucked away in a rock in his pocket, but I doubt they'd consent to being resurrected in order to make a new gate for him. And Xykon's body exploded when Roy threw it into the gate, so logically the gem that housed their souls exploded too.

[Ancalagon]

Decades? I was under impression that Lirian and Dorukan needed considerably less than that.

Xykon and Redcloak do not know how long they need. They only know it's a "long time".
Also consider that Lirian and Dorukan removed ALL mentioning of the rifts from anywhere, to keep it a secret. So they might have destroyed stuff they could rely on, but that's not there for Redcloak and Xykon anymore.

[Ancalagon]

And Xykon's body exploded when Roy threw it into the gate, so logically the gem that housed their souls exploded too.

No, his body exploded when Roy threw Xykon's body into the warding sigil that warded the gate.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

And Xykon's body exploded when Roy threw it into the gate, so logically the gem that housed their souls exploded too.
Assuming he keeps the gem on his person and not, say, wherever he had been safely keeping Durokan's cloister headband.

[Ancalagon]

Assuming he keeps the gem on his person and not, say, wherever he had been safely keeping Durokan's cloister headband.

It's likely it was where his keys are.