:Spoiler: Xykon and the Azure Gate

[Niburu]

I was reading another thread and realized that Xykon's army will be beat at Azure city. Here is my reasoning.

When Roy asked the Oracle which of the two gates he was going to next, she said that he WOULD be going to one of them, which means that he would have to have a reason to go there, right? Now, I'm no detective, but if he is beaten at Azure city, wouldn't that mean that he would be forced to go to another gate to finish his plans? I am pretty sure we can all rest easy knowing that Xykon will not over take Azure City.

[Wyborn]

You, uh...

Yeah, that's actually fairly sound reasoning. Unless the Azure City gate is destroyed.

[Niburu]

I had thought of that too, so ether would be likely conclusions.

[Justinian]

Azure Gate getting destroyed is a foregone conclusion. That's how these "sealed evil" stories go. The Snarl can't break free unless all the gates are gone, so it's going to invariably come down to one last gate, which may or not itself become broken depending on whether or not the Snarl itself is the "Final Boss."

The real question is whether or not the city itself can be saved.

In all likelihood, in total speculationland, I'm thinking the city will be saved, but the Gate will not. The question is how? Xykon still wants to control a gate to learn how to use the Snarl as a weapon, so he himself probably won't be responsible for the gate's destruction. Once the gate is destroyed, he won't have any interest in taking the city anymore.

So who would want to destroy the gate? My money's on Sabine. Now that her buddies in the Abyss know about the Snarl, they're going to order her to help unleash it.

[slayerx]

I was thinking something similar the other day when i went and re-read the oracle pages for what ever reason... I'm betting on the gate being destoryed
Frankly i think the odds are kinda weighed against Azure City in terms of stopping Xykon's army. Only question is HOW the gate will be destroyed

Giarand's gate should be intersting... hidden behind a seemingly endless wall of illusions... like finding a needle in a hay stack. I can't help but think there is gonna be a joke about someone looking for it, practically giving up, and it turns out they were sitting right on top of it


Once the gate is destroyed, he won't have any interest in taking the city anymore.
knowing Xykon... he would probably just take over the city just for kicks. i mean, he's got a whole army and has been pounding paladin's into the ground, might as well finish what he started... not to mention he could always add the dead soldiers to his army

[Grizzt]

Xykon is a maniac. So, he will capture all the gates, but will be unable to open them. In that case he can:

i)Magically charm someone into it
ii)Convince someone (Miko???) that it is a good thing to do

Say more options. Please

[Nazzo, the 102nd]

Once the gate is destroyed, he won't have any interest in taking the city anymore.

I don't think so. There were three gates that Xykon could go, but he choose Soon's gate. Redcloak managed to convince him somehow. This strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html) implies that both have unfinished business downs there in the south.

But yes, probably the gate will be destroyed, and Girard's gate too. Then they go to Kraagor's gate for the final story arc. Kraagor's gate is on an snowy country up north, in a dwarven homeland. Durkon will probably be dead already.

[Elliot Kane]

I think Azure City is doomed, sadly. They just lost their leader to one of their own, and their most powerful fighter is a renegade imprisoned for his murder.

Good as the OOTS are, I can't see them stopping Xykon without some kind of wild card coming out of nowhere - especially with the defences down on the gate towers, too.

[Messenger]

Xykon is a maniac. So, he will capture all the gates, but will be unable to open them. In that case he can:

i)Magically charm someone into it
ii)Convince someone (Miko???) that it is a good thing to do

Say more options. Please
Just a quibble: I doubt the gates would now open for Miko in her fallen state the same way they did for the OotS before in Dorukan's place.

At least that puts her off that list.

[MReav]

If Azure City expects to survive, it should start summoning Ghaele Eladrins. Nothing cuts through hordes of minions like a DC 18 will save gaze of death that also beats undead (not a death effect, and is a will save)

[Haruki-kun]

Actually I was thinking about this myself and........ there's a million reasons why Xykon would want to go to another gate.
Especially if the gate is destroyed.

I mean, it's not like they're gonna save Azure city AND destroy Xykon. Where's the fun in that?

[slayerx]

Xykon is a maniac. So, he will capture all the gates, but will be unable to open them. In that case he can:

i)Magically charm someone into it
ii)Convince someone (Miko???) that it is a good thing to do

Say more options. Please
Actually, Xykon may not need a someone to help him open the gate... remember, each of the old adventures chose different methods to guard the gates... Dorukan choose to use powerful magic and seals to guard his gate, hence why a good character was needed... However, Soon relied on on paladins, and thus after they are all killed, there maybe nothign to stop Xykon from capturing the gate, EXCEPT for outright destorying the gate that is...

Jeez... makes you wonder why those adventurers only choose one way to guard the gates and getting into a huge arguement about it when they could have just used ALL of their plans on each gate...