Learn more about the Isle of Dread!

[Cordovan]

Read about the Story So far on DDO.com!

[Annex]

Thank you for taking the time to make and post this new web page. That is fantastic.

In time, this page will be forgotten. I highly recommend adding this text to the game in the form of a Gatekeeper Researcher or Gatekeeper Archivist, located in the Gatekeeper's Grove. If possible, update the text of this person each time you add a new installment of the story.

Please recall that Stormreach faces South on a Bay. It does not face East, North, or West to the open sea. The majority of the piers are perfectly aligned, north to south. When looking south, the open sea is to the viewer's left, to the East, out of sight. The bay is only about 120 miles across, north to south. According to the original maps of the Isle of Dread, it is about 180 miles long, North to South, and 120 miles wide, East to West. It cannot fit in the bay upon which Stormreach lies.

Based on the fact above, we have received at least one erroneous piece of information.
1) The Isle of Dread is now much smaller than when originally published.
2) When we saw the Isle of Dread from the Harbor, we were looking through some sort of gravitational lens or portal, in direct contradiction to what the lady on the docks says.
3) We were not seeing the Isle of Dread itself, but some other island in the same chain. The Isle of Dread is the largest isle in a long Archipelago.

The Isle of Dread hosts some unknown number of dinosaurs. Due to the very large size of these animals, they require a very large amount of space to maintain viable breeding populations. Assuming large dinosaurs are warm blooded, about 100 prey animals need to support each predator. I forget the exact number but the ratio is very large. This means the Isle of Dread needs to remain very large unless some other factor comes into play.

The Isle of Dread can be much smaller if the animals have evolved into pygmy species.

The Isle of Dread can be much smaller if it moves between planes on a regular basis, coming into contact with a much larger land mass that supports dinosaurs. In this case, dinosaurs may migrate to and from the island during these periods of planar convergence.

The fact that the 'pirates' raided Stormreach indicates they had foreknowledge that the Isle of Dread was going to be in a specific place at a specific time.

When the Isle of Dread (or whatever it was) appeared in the bay south of Stormreach, it necessarily displaced that section of bay somewhere else. Although the bay was only displaced for a short amount of time, something may have migrated into the bay and been carried back to Eberron. Something like, oh, a Terrasque.

The bay is inhabited by Sahuagin and perhaps other intelligent, underwater species. The short displacement of the bay may have resulted in a major catastrophe for them.

The Codex of Infinite Planes appears to contain an infinite number of pages. However, the multiverse appears to contain an infinite number of universes. Infinities have magnitudes. If the magnitude of infinity for Codex Pages is equal to the magnitude of infinity of universes in the multiverse, on average, every universe only contains one Codex Page. If infinite copies of the Codex of Infinite Planes exists, things get more complicate but the multiverse still may average one Codex Page per universe.

Since the Codes of Infinite Planes contains an infinite number of pages, no Mortal mind can possibly compass the entirety of the volume. Only a deity could accomplish this. We know many Mortal beings currently strive to exploit or mitigate the Codex. What are the Deities up to and how come Mortals are not appealing to them for help? In other words, how come the Gatekeepers are not seeking to put all Codex Pages into the hands of Good Deities, the only beings who could possibly contain them?

[Artos_Fabril]

Please recall that Stormreach faces South on a Bay. It does not face East, North, or West to the open sea. The majority of the piers are perfectly aligned, north to south. When looking south, the open sea is to the viewer's left, to the East, out of sight. The bay is only about 120 miles across, north to south. According to the original maps of the Isle of Dread, it is about 180 miles long, North to South, and 120 miles wide, East to West. It cannot fit in the bay upon which Stormreach lies.

Based on the fact above, we have received at least one erroneous piece of information.
1) The Isle of Dread is now much smaller than when originally published.

Unless the wilderness area is only a tiny portion of the Isle, we can assume it has shrunk considerably. Even if all the other content is contiguous with the wilderness area and none of it overlaps, I'm guessing a few dozen square kilometers at most.

The bay is inhabited by Sahuagin and perhaps other intelligent, underwater species. The short displacement of the bay may have resulted in a major catastrophe for them.

I expect them to take no more notice of it than the Dragons of Argonessen took of the opening of a portal to another world or the release of their ancient enemies from Khyber.

The Codex of Infinite Planes appears to contain an infinite number of pages. However, the multiverse appears to contain an infinite number of universes. Infinities have magnitudes. If the magnitude of infinity for Codex Pages is equal to the magnitude of infinity of universes in the multiverse, on average, every universe only contains one Codex Page. If infinite copies of the Codex of Infinite Planes exists, things get more complicate but the multiverse still may average one Codex Page per universe.

If there is an average of one page per universe, the local concentration is still much greater. We also have not yet noticed any of the codex pages being scattered into the FR universe, which is connected, even if it isn't adjacent.

Since the Codes of Infinite Planes contains an infinite number of pages, no Mortal mind can possibly compass the entirety of the volume. Only a deity could accomplish this. We know many Mortal beings currently strive to exploit or mitigate the Codex. What are the Deities up to and how come Mortals are not appealing to them for help? In other words, how come the Gatekeepers are not seeking to put all Codex Pages into the hands of Good Deities, the only beings who could possibly contain them?

Here Eberron lore actually helps us out. The pantheons of Eberron are not populated with activist deities, they generally take a pretty hands-off approach to the world.

I'm curious why the Gatekeepers are letting Foxpaw experiment with the codex pages, that seems like a particularly careless choice given his proven susceptibility to outside(r) influence.

[Vannessya]

How does dinosaur fit in all that?
In DDO?

I mean, im sorry for my lack of knowledge, but it feels like a bad spin off.
Maybe if I had explanation, I would understand it better and accept the idea

Thank you

[Artos_Fabril]

How does dinosaur fit in all that?
In DDO?

I mean, im sorry for my lack of knowledge, but it feels like a bad spin off.
Maybe if I had explanation, I would understand it better and accept the idea

Thank you

It's a classic adventure, it's not meant to fit DDOs world building, it's just there to push product, trading on a potent mix of nostalgia and "numbers go up" dopamine.

If they wanted Dinos in DDO, they could have gone to the Talenta Plains, but that would require writing something new.

[Livmo]

How does dinosaur fit in all that?
In DDO?

I mean, im sorry for my lack of knowledge, but it feels like a bad spin off.
Maybe if I had explanation, I would understand it better and accept the idea

Thank you

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Isle_of_Dread



We'll have to wait and see how well it matches the original 1981 content.

[Vannessya]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Isle_of_Dread



We'll have to wait and see how well it matches the original 1981 content.

Thank you for the references.
Much appreciated.

[Annex]

Unless the wilderness area is only a tiny portion of the Isle, we can assume it has shrunk considerably. Even if all the other content is contiguous with the wilderness area and none of it overlaps, I'm guessing a few dozen square kilometers at most.

You are probably right and we will find out shortly! I considered this when writing my response and was actually making a subtle suggestion to Flimsy and crew. If the Isle of Dread is very small and if it traverses a predictable path through space and time such that dinosaurs include the land mass in their migration patterns, it can essentially serve as a sort of cosmic ark, allowing our characters to travel to other lands.

If there is an average of one page per universe, the local concentration is still much greater. We also have not yet noticed any of the codex pages being scattered into the FR universe, which is connected, even if it isn't adjacent.

My point was that, even if Eberron and adjacent planar areas attracted a greater than normal number of Codex Pages, the total concentration may well be finite and manageable.

Here Eberron lore actually helps us out. The pantheons of Eberron are not populated with activist deities, they generally take a pretty hands-off approach to the world.

While your point may has some validity, events in DDO have now brought three material planes and one partial material plane into close proximity--Eberron, Faerun, Greyhawke, and Ravenloft. That means the deities of those planes are also in direct contact.

Some of our characters draw power directly from Forgotten Realms deities. Even if one accepts the argument that Eberron deities remain aloof, one cannot possibly make that argument with regards deities of Faerun. At the very least, surely such deities must communicate with their Arch Druids and High Clerics through intermediaries.

Our characters from Eberron seem to posses far more knowledge and wield vastly more power than mortals from other planes. We have interfered in the affairs of three other planes with profound consequences. How can the deities of those other planes not see these incursions as cause for great concern? Even if one makes the argument that deities consider such actions trivial, or that some deities supported the incursions, surely other deities, or members of their hierarchies consider such events extremely troubling.

So, again, I ask, how come our characters cannot make direct contact with the good deities of Eberron, Faerun, and/or Greyhawke to seek a permanent solution to the Codex problem?

I'm curious why the Gatekeepers are letting Foxpaw experiment with the codex pages, that seems like a particularly careless choice given his proven susceptibility to outside(r) influence.

Yeah. I brought that up when Portent of Dread was released. Flimsy and crew could turn that negative into a positive.

What if the Gatekeepers knowingly gave Foxpaw the Codex page because one of their members foresaw a favorable series of future events if Foxpaw was given the page?

What if the Gatekeepers have a mole?

What if a person of lackluster ability rose to high rank within the Gatekeepers, and his poor decisions now place many lives at risk? That is a theme oft repeated throughout history.

.....

To be clear, my intention with posts like this one is not to attack Flimsy and crew. Rather, I make observations and pose questions in the hope they spur some good ideas, help tighten up the plot, and result in serious, superlative writing.

[HastyPudding]

I wanna find out who the Mysterious Stranger was!

[Mindos]

I wanna find out who the Mysterious Stranger was!

Me too!

[Jerevth]

I just want to know why there are two disparate qualifications to use the Codex... "...offering portals to other planes of existence for those powerful or foolish enough to attempt mastering it."

So, the bad guys need to either have a great deal of power... or use Wisdom as their dump stat?

[MJtheKing]

I just want to know why there are two disparate qualifications to use the Codex... "...offering portals to other planes of existence for those powerful or foolish enough to attempt mastering it."

So, the bad guys need to either have a great deal of power... or use Wisdom as their dump stat?

It says 'even fragments of these pages have the potential to corrupt anyone who tries to read them' so I take that as being similar to the One Ring in LOTR. Sauron would fall under the former and Gollum the latter.

[voxson5]

I wanna find out who the Mysterious Stranger was!

Jacoby Drexelhand

[K_9]

I wanna find out who the Mysterious Stranger was!

My first thought was an Arch Devil as he was talking about deals. I am now inclined to think it may be Vecna who is now technically a god.

[Certon]

My first thought was an Arch Devil as he was talking about deals. I am now inclined to think it may be Vecna who is now technically a god.

I wanted it to be Asmodeus or Dispater or Geryon but you're right. It's probably Vecna.

[rabidfox]

I wanna find out who the Mysterious Stranger was!

It was Nibbles, who's now wearing the Eye of Vecna...

[Pandjed]

Read about the Story So far on DDO.com!

Great write-up, the order of events on itself is already a huge help. Too bad that Devil's Gambit and Shroud are higher level, so it's not really possible to play the story at heroics.

Would be great, if we could get 2 things:

1.) Other storylines compiled like that.
2.) An ingame video, where these screenshots are just rendered/filtered with a voice actor telling of it. Give these NPCs the title "Storytellers", put them into the entrance or public areas of the expansions or quest lines and we're golden.

[LightBear]

How many stories do we have in DDO involving codex pages?
They all claim the same thing, be a reader and become a god.
Is this one and the same codex or are there multiple manuals out there that lay out a scheme of gaining godhood?

[Cordovan]

How many stories do we have in DDO involving codex pages?
They all claim the same thing, be a reader and become a god.
Is this one and the same codex or are there multiple manuals out there that lay out a scheme of gaining godhood?

Yes, these pages come from the one Codex of the Infinite Planes, and are the result of the Codex' destruction. Infinite pages = infinite fragments = gonna need a big backpack. It's a bit of a problem.

I wanna find out who the Mysterious Stranger was!

You totally will in Isle of Dread.

[rfachini]

You totally will in Isle of Dread.

I'm thinking the Mysterious Stranger could be Graz'zt. If not, I'm hoping we see him again soon anyway.