Ears' Axe

[vonpenguin]

Sorry if this is a repeat topic, I'm sure it is but I couldn't find an appropriate topic in the last few pages and try not to necropost.

So two things happened recently that made me think up this theory, one I was re-reading the comic and noticed the scene directly following the escape from Brassmoon where the kobold is throwing rocks at Fumbles and Big ears sneaks up, presses the axe to his throat, and very calmly threatens him. Granted he was almost certainly made that Fumbles was being abusd after all he just went though but it struck me as a little out of character, especially considering things like the yellow musk creeper where he told the orcs to turn around so he wouldn't attack them from behind.

The second thing was me replaying Baldur's gate, which runs off of Second edition. I don't know if this is true of the real version but in the game Rangers have to be good aligned. Thaco was active during second ed, thus the name and his speech to the drow during the warcamp fight. Now kore shows us that there is at least one way to do evil and still keep alignment specific classes but Ears detected evil and both Dellyn and Sarel pinged for him.

So my theory is this, the axe, while probably actually containing a demon, is actually a trap, it exudes evil to lure paladins to it and then corrupts them and those around them. We don't know Sarel Caine's class, it might have once been Paladin. Think about it, the axe shows any Paladin to grab it an out of context vision of the current wielder killing the wielder before them, sparking rage and a need to use it "for good", driving them to greater and greater atrocities. The demon effectivly turning it's own prison into a tool for it's escape.

Now watch. I typed all this up and someone's going to point out a post by Thunt that smashes my idea to rubble.

[Borys]

Don't worry, about it.
Scenes where Ears threatens Fumbles and where he attacks Kore from behind, are in my opinion adding deep to the character. Sometimes he have to act not like paladin would, to save his friends. What is worse: acting like paladin have to act, thus risking live or harm for your friends or breaking rules to save innocents? This kind of moral problems are part of this character. It is funny compared to Kore, who also breaks paladin rules, but does it because he believes it is leading him to greater good.
About axe being a trap... it is possible, but note THunt's twitter joke about another alternate reality, where there is sword, containing prison of angel, that must be used to do evil things, in order to keep him trapped inside.

[Davis8488]

I feel that using the threat of violence to avoid the actual use of it is in character for Big Ears, AKA Flesh Ripper the Goblin, and that using intimidation to end violence isn't outside the realm of Paladin behavior, even if it is usually more subtle.

[Wolfie]

Fumbles is Ears friend and Paladin's don't like seeing the helpless being abused. His threat was well within his character as a Paladin and definitely within his character as a friend, to ensure that Fumbles wouldn't be abused like that.

[ThroughTheWell]

Unless the axe also lies, it showed the history of the previous owners to BE, and SC was not even a paladin.

Rangers don't have to be good in 3.5. Goblinslayer being a good example of an evil one.

And yeah, I'm with the others that a behind the back threat is not the same as a behind the back attack.

[Krulle]

Just chirping in to add the name of the axe:
Axe of Prissan

Also, since the artifact does have an artifact sheet, I would find it unlikely that there is no hint for it on the artifact sheet.
And there have been rogue owners of the Axe of Prissan (Dri Featherknife). Aren't rogues good in detecting traps?

Also: Thunt likes to misdirect, but outright lying? I don't think so...

And if it's a trap, why would Mryorg give up the Axe of Prissan to enjoy the anguish of the demon trapped inside (with whom he had contact)?