Arcadia: Resources & Brainstorming


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

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So awhile back, I think I mentioned that I'd post tidbits here and there about the setting I run. Eventually, I do want to publish it, but I don't see any harm in talking about some parts here and there. The name of the island chain in my setting is called Anacaona. It's essentially an expy of the Caribbean, taking influence from pre-Columbian mythology, modern Latin American folklore, the real world at the time between 1492 and the 1700's, and fiction of the time. So you'll see some things modeled after Pirates of the Caribbean and The Three Musketeers and Borgia. I think for this post, I'll talk about religion.

For religion, I was fairly inspired by Faerun's deities as well as the Paizo book Faiths and Philosophies for ideas for non-standard religions. My goal was to have a different set of religions that didn't all have to revolve around a set of "Big 20 Deities" and, in addition, have differences and schisms even amongst common worshipers of the same deity. The latter was a bit more difficult, since unlike in real-life, deities here are more pronounced in their disdain of a worshiper's action (ie, you lose access to spells). I think this, combined with a preference for less casters in my setting, led me to have normal people as priests and taking clerical positions. In this way, you could have a charlatan priest in a good-aligned religion, or even a great schism and variances for one god's religion that can be at odds with each other. In addition, almost all deities have a Tonalli, or a special spirit animal associated with them. Even the foreign deities brought by the coloniests have tonalli. The only one that lacks one is an imprisoned god of destruction. Right now, I don't have anything game-mechanic-wise for them, but I am planning on having feats associated with each totemic creature.

The one difference in this setting is the focus on death deities. Unlike other settings, there are a multitude of major death deities. Each one has a part in the judgement of the afterlife and there is a long cycle where the judge of the dead changes hands. The cycle is 8000 years old, which each death deity having 1333 years of control over the dead before it changes hands to the next death deity. After the title of Judge of the Dead has gone through six cycles, there is a two year period of chaos where there is no supervised judgement. Souls go everywhere, undead become more frequent, and evil outsiders find it easier to prey on lost souls. After these two years and a great battle between each death deity's major religions, the winner becomes the next Judge of the Dead and continues the cycle. While each god has their own religious congregation, there is also a group of shamans that watch over the cycle of death and guards it. They watch each of the other religions for any that would try and tamper with the cycle.

In total, there are seven death deities, each one based on a real deity from the Americas. Though there are seven deities and only six cycles, this is because two of the deities rule a cycle together as husband and wife. Each deity is from folklore of a major region in the Americas and each death god holds sway over a different aspect of death. The gods are as followed (since they are all gods of death, I just avoided listing "God of Death" for each one):

Cizin (NE; Mayan) - God of earthquakes and ruins. He represents death by catastrophes and the fall of civilization. Almost like Rovagug in a way. He cares nothing about undeath nor souls, only for the works of mankind to be demolished and their lives extinguished. During Cizin's reign over death, empires seem to topple more often. Many will do special rituals to try and prevent his horrifying earthquakes from destroying their countries. His tonalli is the lizard and his realm is called Metnal.

Jibiaboz (NG; Algonquin) - God of peace and undeath. Unlike many other death deities presented, Jibiaboz is undead friendly. He himself is an undead god and accepts lost undead into his realm to find peace. Though he is still staunchly against evil undead that prey on the innocent, but he's become the patron saint of good undead in my setting. I'm sure Mikaze would go nuts (someone bring him here!). Jibia is more about finding peace before one's time to die. His tonalli is the rabbit and his realm is The Prairie.

Maketaori (N; Taino) - God of birth and reincarnation. Maketaori holds sway over the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Most of the other death gods prefer to judge souls and send them to their afterlife (or in some cases, torture them... see later), but Maketaori allows the natural cycle of reincarnation to recycle souls into the Material Plane. Also undead friendly, but less-so than Jibiaboz, seeing undead as souls trapped and removed from the cycle of reincarnation. Most of his clerics give undead peace to move on, but it usually involves the ritualistic slaying of the undead (once permission is granted). His tonalli is the dog and his realm is called Coabey.

Mictecacihuatl & Mictlantecuhtli (LN and CN; Aztec) - Goddess of funerals and futility; God of acceptance and festivals. Both rule together as king and queen and represent the inevitability of death and to celebrate the passing to a better place, rather than mourn it. Ceremony and rituals play a key part in their clergy. Both Mictec and Mictlant are against undeath, reincarnation, and immortality of any kind, as it goes against the "natural order" of death as the final stop for mortals. Their tonalli are the spider and owl respectively and they rule from the realm of Mictlan.

Sedna (N; Inuit) - Goddess of the cold and the sea. One of the oldest deities in my setting, she represents the uncaring and almost unfair nature of death and how it claims all, be they prince or pauper. Sedna is probably closest to Pharasma in personality. Colder to souls than her other neutral counterpart Maketaori, Sedna cares only about the flow of souls to their proper place. Those that tamper with the flow of dead souls (unnatural reincarnation, raising the dead, unnatural immortality) are punished by her clergy. Undead are unwelcome to her and her followers will kill them on sight. The souls must flow ;) Her tonalli is the seal and her realm is Adlivun.

Supay (CE; Incan) - God of fire and torture. A very evil and terrifying deity, Supay represents the cruelty of death. Death by war, fire, torture, and other painful methods are the MO of Supay and his followers. Evil souls sent to Supay are tortured for all eternity. Many times, his servants will steal souls away from their destination just so Supay can maim them. Surprisingly enough, he has a lot in common with the Aztec Death Gods, for the worst reasons. His clergy attacks anything that would stem the flow of souls, as they see it as denying their god the pleasure of torturing souls. Supay's tonalli is the scorpion and his realm is Ukhupacha.

Those are all of the death gods in my setting. And for players that want to visit them without dying, there are ways of doing that. Just go deep underground! The Underdark in my setting is much more insidious. While it can take you to the classic realms of drow and ghoul kingdoms (and lands ruled by dinosaurs and cavemen), take one wrong turn and the magical nature of the series of caverns will take you to one of the death god's realms. Or, if you are really unlucky, you'll end up displaced in time, several years into the future. But, more on my Underdark next time. Hope you guys enjoyed.

Dark Archive

Odraude wrote:
That's actually really interesting. I've always liked the idea of alternate ways of doing spell books using Native American ideas and this would fit perfectly! I may have to steal use this in my setting ;)

Quipu might be another way to go for a non-written 'information storage system,' or something similar involving patterns of colored beads or whatever.


Set wrote:
Odraude wrote:
That's actually really interesting. I've always liked the idea of alternate ways of doing spell books using Native American ideas and this would fit perfectly! I may have to steal use this in my setting ;)

Quipu might be another way to go for a non-written 'information storage system,' or something similar involving patterns of colored beads or whatever.

Yeah, I had actually added that to the document in the first post. I went ahead and updated it since it has been a while. Even though I'm still packing and getting ready for the move, I'm going to help keep this thread going strong :)


Great work on the dieties of death. Are these global dieties, or are their different death gods for the Old World?


MMCJawa wrote:
Great work on the dieties of death. Are these global dieties, or are their different death gods for the Old World?

They are relegated to the New World. Funnily enough, I have the colonies more detailed than the Old World that they came from :D

Of the big 20, seven of them are from the Old World. Though of those, 2 existed in both the New World and Old World. One of them is essentially the Paladin goddess and acts as a sort of Renaissance Catholic church xpy. In addition, she's also the figure in the setting's version of Santaria. Faiths and Philosophies really inspired me to make different religions that don't necessary conform to the standard polytheistic. Like, I have things influenced by Tonal and Vodou, as well as Epistemology and Shinto. I'll have to post more. But I would love to run a game in this setting, both face to face or online.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

Set wrote:
Odraude wrote:
That's actually really interesting. I've always liked the idea of alternate ways of doing spell books using Native American ideas and this would fit perfectly! I may have to steal use this in my setting ;)
Quipu might be another way to go for a non-written 'information storage system,' or something similar involving patterns of colored beads or whatever.

IIRC, the Dark Sun setting canonically had Quipu spellbooks, because they were easier to hide than a book in a setting where paper was rare and arcane magic was verboten.


Ah Dark Sun. It did so much right. I love it :D


Incan mummies. Could they be just the mummy template, or would people want to see them with an altered template? And what would the alternate look like?


You might give them one of the variant mummy rots from Classic Horrors Revisited, but I don't think there's much of a need to change the entire template.


Probably right. I could see a variant of mummy rot where it makes the victim more and more emaciated. That way it looks just like the Incan mummy.

Paizo Employee Developer

There's an article about mummification in Pathfinder #81 (the third Mummy's Mask adventure) and it addresses high altitude mummies. I don't have it nearby at the moment, and I don't recall the exact mechanics associated with them (or if there are any). The article does introduce variant mummy rots and other mummy abilities that could change a normal mummy up enough to work for high altitude mummies. Inca mummies were totally the inspiration for that part of the article.


Oh, right! (checks) They get a cold-damage slowing slam attack instead of mummy rot, and entangling/constricting bandages instead of despair.

That article also updates the variants from Classic Horrors. Corpse Chills would do as an alternate rot for Incan mummies, I think.


Nice, that sounds awesome. I really wish I didn't have to cancel my subscription. Damn being broke :(


The rules are up on Archives of Nethys!

Paizo Employee Developer

Thanks for the assist, Evil Midnight Lurker! I understand being broke, Odraude. Moving is always more costly than you assume. Here's hoping to things looking up soon!


Adam Daigle wrote:
Thanks for the assist, Evil Midnight Lurker! I understand being broke, Odraude. Moving is always more costly than you assume. Here's hoping to things looking up soon!

Thanks. Luckily I'm moving in two weeks. I've got everything set up to move down to Ft. Lauderdale with the girl friend. Just gotta keep an eye out for jobs down there and be ready for when school starts. Chefs are vicious and the ones at Cordon Bleu are no slouch. I'll have less time for RPGs, but hell, I'll certainly make time.

In the meantime, I've got another monster that I apparently finished but never posted. This is the Ñakaq. It's a creature that sucks the fat out of its prey and uses it for macabre crafts. In my setting, these creatures are the spawn of Camazotz, a horrifying bat demon-god of blood and gluttony. They take after their papa quite a bit and will be an intersting surprise to players. While sucking fat seemed silly at first, I decided that to really creep out players, I would describe the oddness of the lairs of these creatures. Soaps made from human fat, greased bells that smell of human corpses... it should really set in with the horror. And the name is a lot better than phishtaco :p

Updated on the first post as well.


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Theresa Bane's Vampire Encyclopedia has actually a pretty good listing of different names for South American fat sucking vampires, beyond Pishtaco.

I was pretty happy to see Pishtacos show up on Supernatural last season


MMCJawa wrote:

Theresa Bane's Vampire Encyclopedia has actually a pretty good listing of different names for South American fat sucking vampires, beyond Pishtaco.

I was pretty happy to see Pishtacos show up on Supernatural last season

Yeah, I found one about the kharisiri through that book. Which is a much better word than fish taco :)


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Been doing some work on my setting, especially with astrology. Since astrology and numerology were huge parat of the American indigenous people's cultures, I felt that it was important to play off of this. With that, I have various important cycles and numbers that are holy to the ancients in my setting.

  • The Number Six: The number 6 plays a large part in the cycle of the native's religion. The current age is known as the Sixth World, and the last five ended after six full death cycles (~8000 years). There are also six death gods that are rotated through before the cycle begins again. For history, the Kalikal empire (Mayan inspired empire similar to a Mesoamerican Atlantis) was founded by six families. Also according to parts of their religion, the body is made up of six vessels of energy.

  • The Number Twenty: Probably the most important number in my setting. The ancient Kalikal Empire used a vigesimal numbering system and in addition, was made up of twenty city-states. The Kalikal empire also tracked the movement of 20 heavenly bodies in the night sky. The current natives acknowledge twenty gods and assigns them to each god. The cycle of death deities lasts for 8000 years (20x20x20). There are twenty nodes of spiritual energy in the human body that sync with the six vessels from above. Finally the natives have a solar calender made up of 18 months, each one containing 20 days (and an additional five days of darkness).

  • The NumberFive: The number 5 is an evil number of bad omens. During each solar year, there are 18 twenty-day months followed by five days of darkness and evil. There have already been five destroyed worlds, and each one is said to have been destroyed in five days. And finally, an omen to some natives at least, there are five colonies that own land that was once theirs.

That's all I have for this. I plan on sharing some of the races soon, including the race that ruled over the Kalikal empire. They have an interesting ability called Divine Vigesimality, which I'll leave to your imaginations :)

Also, unrelated, but how unbalanced would it be if a race could cast deathwatch at-wll?


Found this article about tribal pictures that seems really cool. Could mine some good ideas from these.

Scarab Sages

Wannabe Demon Lord wrote:

Black Tamamous = Pacific coast Native American creature; giant cannibal monster that stalks humans; leaves tarry footprints; Humanoid; only feeds on those who violate the cannibalism taboo or otherwise prey on humanity

This guy is awesome. Gigantic tar demon, the bane of wendigos and cannibal monsters everywhere. I could actually see him being non evil or even good. Using fear to protect humanity from the wendigos. Could work well with the Dark is Not Evil/Good is Not Nice tropes. Thoughts?

I think Tamanous would be neutral - it is noted as tricking people into eating human flesh so that it is able to hunt them.


minoritarian wrote:
Wannabe Demon Lord wrote:

Black Tamamous = Pacific coast Native American creature; giant cannibal monster that stalks humans; leaves tarry footprints; Humanoid; only feeds on those who violate the cannibalism taboo or otherwise prey on humanity

This guy is awesome. Gigantic tar demon, the bane of wendigos and cannibal monsters everywhere. I could actually see him being non evil or even good. Using fear to protect humanity from the wendigos. Could work well with the Dark is Not Evil/Good is Not Nice tropes. Thoughts?

I think Tamanous would be neutral - it is noted as tricking people into eating human flesh so that it is able to hunt them.

Sounds Lawfully Neutral to me.


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...that sounds just plain evil.


I blame Occult Mysteries, but I've been doing some light research and development of astrology and numerology for this. I'll have to share my ideas a bit later. But nothing like reading this stuff and listening to some 70s prog rock. Gotta love blaring King Crimson while reading about astrology :)

Scarab Sages

Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:
...that sounds just plain evil.

A (massive tarry) man's gotta eat.


I uh...made a big list of monsters on here...I guess the internets ate them :(

(or I hit preview without also hitting submit)


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Lets try this again:

Caapora = Kariri-Tupi; protector of animals and the spirit of the forest; giant, bulky monster with red skin, a large head, and long shaggy tail; shapeshifter who can take the form of any animal; can take the form of a female who seduces men; can breath fire and also take the form of shadows, noise, and light; devours people and only leaves their intestines; can cause seizures in livestock

Cactus Cat = Bobcat like cat covered in cactus like spines, which feeds on fermented cactus juice; shrieks alot

Caddaja = Caddo NA; a hideous horned ogre that is an enemy to all mankind; also portrayed as a horned serpent

Cadejo = Hispanic folklore; creatures that appear in the form of bull-like shaggy dogs with hoofs and red eyes, the size of cows; reaks of goat; may be inspired by Tayras; moves with a jerky gate, gaze can paralyze; bite can cause madness; occurs in two forms; white Cadejos are good and protect travelers and drunks; black cadejos stalk and kill travelers

Caipora/Sarapira = Brazilian folklore; peccary riding, dark-skinned Pygmy, hairy with a mane of long black hair; Forest protector with a strong sense of fair play

Candileja = Columbia; Fiery luminescent hag; an old woman who failed to teach her grandchildren and was cursed after death to roam the earth because of it.

Canotila = Siouan/Lakota tree-dwelling fairies; brown and tailed; sometimes act as house gods; can become invisible at will; can fly; can be kept in medicine bags

Cape-lobo = Brazilian folklore; either a anteater/sloth/tapir humanoid, or an ape like creature with a single eye, long fangs, foul smelling; nocturnal and carnivorous, drinks blood and eats brains; smells horrible and is capable of producing a high pitched screech

Catsiburere = Macro-Arawakan; three-ft tall evil dwarves with hunchbacks and manes of red hair, clubfeet; vulture wings; human-like hands; white hair and skin; associated with comets

Cedar People = Salish NA; gaunt, pale humanoids with deep set eyes; females were three feet tall but males were taller than humans

Cemi/Zemi = South American; wooden sculpture which houses a powerful ancestral spirit

Chaacab/Baarkab = Macro-Mayan; related to the giant Bacabs which hold up the earth; red little people that wear turtle and snail shells as armor and use spider webs; carry thunder axes and are associated with water; born from a goddess who drank posol; smoke large cigars; at war with evil water spirits; ride to earth on rainbows

Chac/Cocijo/Tzahui/Chicchans = Macro-Mayan; giant, snake-like humanoids with blunt reptilian noses, catfish whiskers, curved fangs; and prominent body scales; associated with fishing; can control lightning and is their principal weapon; ride giant serpents or horses; strongly hierarchal

Chan = Chichimeca NA; may appear as small children or rich older men, but also take the form of cows, dogs, or giant snakes; have horns and tails

Chenoo/Giwakwa/Kiwakwa = Wabanaki Native American; evil man-eating stone giants, with a heart of ice; formed from humans who created a great crime; increase in size as they anger; emaciated, with enormous fangs and no lips; deadly scream; can regenerate from most wounds, and only destroying there heart or dismembering them will permanently destroy them

Cherufe = evil reptilian humanoid magma monster from chile; demanded human sacrifice, especially virgins; capable of setting things on fire

Chichinite = Hokan; powerful squat hairy beings which dwell underground and serve giants and horned serpents; walk backward to fool trackers; feared fire and ate food raw

Chimimis = Wakashan NA; Large-eyed gnome who can merge with logs; wanders into villages

Chindi = Navaho term for the evil that remains behind after a person dies

Chiniath = Wakashan NA; Size changing spirits; thin with shaggy hair and red skin; love to dance and drum

Chullachaqui = Peruvian nature spirit; Size of small child, with an aged face, small mouth and eyes, and sharp nose. Green eyes filled with black fire; Walks with a limp and hunched backs; associated with a type of tree that grows in sand forests; bonded with tree in the manner of dryads; misleads people and gets them lost. sometimes a sign of bad luck; possesses one animal foot. Can take animal form or the form of loved ones. Metal objects go right through them; can be created by good shamans; can send animals after people; vulnerable to cedar, blessings, and smoke; can’t cross bridges. Can cause disease, but smoke will cure victims

Chuzalungu = Quechuan; soul of a slave beaten to death by his master; appears as a tall, white human, with huge hat, tail, bright eyes, tousled hair, and backward feet; defends forests;

Ciguapa = Dominican Republic; attractive female but unsettling mountain spirits; backward pointing feet, blue skin, and wild long black hair; communicate with chirping, and has a gaze that can enthrall people. prone to evil, and enjoy kidnapping men and leading travelers astray

Cihuateteo = Undead women who died in childbirth; only come out at night, pale with chalk-like shriveled skin and eagle like claws; cause seizures, steal children, and seduce men

Cipactli = Always hungry Aztec primeval sea monster; part fish/croc/toad, with mouths at every joint

Cipelahq = Wabanaki NA; Monstrous owl that fed on children who disobeyed their parents

Coatlicue = snake skirted Mother of the Gods from Aztec myth; female in form, necklace made of human skulls, hearts, and hands; clawed with flacid breasts; head is made of two serpents; her blood forms snakes.

Coquena/Llastay = Quechuan; shy little man in ragged white and brown clothes with a feathered hat; spy on hunters and can loose wind and lightning from bags of silver and gold; protects wild ungulate herds and turkeys; can appear as a bird, insect, or giant guanaco.

Cucuy/Cuca = Hispanic folklore; bogeyman figure, depicted as a dragon-turtle like beast (Europe), anthropomorphic Alligator (Brazil); gets name from swollen, pumpkin-like head; eats children

El Cuero= Chili; massive stingray like predator, with stalked eyes, mosquito-like proboscis, and sharp claws. Drains the blood of victims; inhabits lakes; resembles a large expanse of leathery hide;

Cullo = Wabanaki NA; A race of giant monstrous herons; can fly to great heights to drop their enemies

Curapira/Korupira = Protective forest spirit which protects wildlife; resembles a child with red hair, green teeth, black eyes, sharp eyes; large eyebrows, yellowish skin, and backward pointing feet with goat hooves. Causes people to become lost; eats fruit; associated with fortune-telling cults; can change sex; can control jaguars and vines; communicates whistles; can run on all four limbs; wear bone armor and ride peccaries. Likes to eat brains and hearts; has hunting camps underground or dwells in hollow trees; enjoys capturing children and women; can’t swim well


Awesome! Thanks for making that list twice. I want everything on there but Cape-Lobo seems extremely awesome. Brain eating one eyed anthro tapirs ftw!


Chaacab/Baarkab = Macro-Mayan; related to the giant Bacabs which hold up the earth; red little people that wear turtle and snail shells as armor and use spider webs; carry thunder axes and are associated with water; born from a goddess who drank posol; smoke large cigars; at war with evil water spirits; ride to earth on rainbows

Sounds interesting, but google couldn't find any info on the guys, where did you find that one?

This could be a cool humanoid hermit crab-type of monsters that uses all types of tools from carcasses of other creatures such as snail and turtle shells, creative little fellows.

And if Capelobo is in, I hope he looks like this one: Capelobo


Just a minor quip, Zemi/Cemi are actually Caribbean in nature, from the native Taino there. I actually have them statted up as outsiders. Once I finish them, I'll post them.

Otherwise, great list.


I mention the reference I think earlier on this page...it's a book on New World little people.


Random question, but, has anyone heard of a monster called the Smolenkos?
All I know is that it's a cycloptic demon with no joints from native folklore, I can't even figure out what tribe. When I try to google it all that comes up is the Final Fantasy version. Does anyone have any more information about it?


I haven't heard about it before sadly. I'll see what I can find.

Side note: How would someone make an adventure in Salar de Uyuni? I have this idea of players adventuring through that to the Andes to find a secret item hidden in there, but I know little about the dangers of salt flats (aside from what I saw from the Top Gear episode in Botswana).

Dark Archive

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Odraude wrote:

I haven't heard about it before sadly. I'll see what I can find.

Side note: How would someone make an adventure in Salar de Uyuni? I have this idea of players adventuring through that to the Andes to find a secret item hidden in there, but I know little about the dangers of salt flats (aside from what I saw from the Top Gear episode in Botswana).

The wiki article mentions a race of giant people and hotels constructed of salt blocks, so I'd go with a race of gaunt giants living in salt castles. They capture and execute outsiders by draining them of fluid, producing undead 'salt mummies' that toil in their salt mines, carving new blocks to expand their dominion (and replacing any living slaves or servant creatures, who would compete with them for the scarce food and water supplies in the region).

The salt flat is also said to be the tears of a goddess, or perhaps a deity itself, and the giants could believe that they are harvesting it's power, and that by ingesting it, living in buildings made from it, etc. they are bathing in that divine power and infusing it into themselves. If there is any truth to that, they might have divine spell-like abilities, like cure wounds (associated with the sterilizing properties of salt of healing capabilities of local plant life), inflict spells (associated with the moisture- and life-draining properties of salt) and / or searing light spells (associated with the blinding glare of the salt flats).


Those sounds really cool and I definitely will be using them. However, I suppose what I'm looking for are more natural obstacles that you'd deal with in those salt deserts. Kind of like the journey through the Arctic in Jade Regent.


Sinkholes could be a problem, if the salt flats are sitting on top of a shallow aquifer. IIRC, some epic sinkholes have formed from draining of water, with the thin fragile Salt flat collapsing into the subsequent bore.


Sinkholes are good. Also looks like dust storms are a big deal down there. Of course there is altitude sickness and cold weather (in the winter). Geysers are there, so that's a thing.

For magic, I can see salt elementals that oxidize metals, along with the giant idea. And given the liquid that appears beneath the salt, it could be an actual primordial ooze that can give life (or maybe mutated life) or have healing properties.

Dark Archive

The article does mention drilling below the salt to reach the water (that contains the lithium) underneath it, so yeah, sinkholes for sure. Perhaps even some sort of saltwater-adapted purple worm / death worm type critter that weakens the salt in an area and devours any critters that walk over it by erupting up through the salt and dragging them down.

Salt-storms, like dust storms blowing across the flat area carrying stinging crystals of salt, could also be a thing.

And, fantasy-ing it up even further, some sort of energy-absorbing crystals might exist (based on a fantasy version of the lithium), storing energy from lightning strikes and discharging it on metal-clad individuals who come close (or organic creatures who touch them). They might exist in spires, like the 'salt volcanoes' in some areas, or as crystals scattered in an area like caltrops, that discharge 1d6 electricity into those damaged.


Set wrote:

The article does mention drilling below the salt to reach the water (that contains the lithium) underneath it, so yeah, sinkholes for sure. Perhaps even some sort of saltwater-adapted purple worm / death worm type critter that weakens the salt in an area and devours any critters that walk over it by erupting up through the salt and dragging them down.

Salt-storms, like dust storms blowing across the flat area carrying stinging crystals of salt, could also be a thing.

And, fantasy-ing it up even further, some sort of energy-absorbing crystals might exist (based on a fantasy version of the lithium), storing energy from lightning strikes and discharging it on metal-clad individuals who come close (or organic creatures who touch them). They might exist in spires, like the 'salt volcanoes' in some areas, or as crystals scattered in an area like caltrops, that discharge 1d6 electricity into those damaged.

That sounds awesome. Definitely will be using this as part of my adventure. Looking to run a campaign that goes from a large, Amazon-like rainforest, goes into a large Andes-like mountain range, then into an Altiplano-like area, finally into the salt flats to find a lost civilization and their dark secret.


This is a bit of necromancy but I thought I'd weigh in on obsidian for weapons. While I doubt people with access to steel would have obsidian as a part of their regular military I could easily see obsidian remaining in use for tools and hastily made weapons of any culture that lived near volcanoes. Things like carving knives, scrapers, hunting ammunition, and such could still be much cheaper and easier to make out of obsidian simply due to how common and easy to acquire it is. Additionally obsidian could have some magical importance in killing monsters akin to silver, jade, or cold iron.


dotting. Please keep this thread alive people. It's awesome.


Saw this post downpage earlier. Kickstarter for Native American minis. Interesting.


Cthulhudrew wrote:
Saw this post downpage earlier. Kickstarter for Native American minis. Interesting.

I love that project, and especially those drawings they come up with, all those models of the monsters are awesome, especially Ahuizotl, Ewah, Capelobo and Uktena.

They have more models here on this deviantart site too, like the underwater panther, Ogopogo and Pua tua tahi.

Awesome.


Just to kickstart some more discussion, but a lot of this thread is focused on Native American inspirations for Arcadia (understandedly).

I was just wondering, do people have ideas that draw from other aspects of American history and folklore?

I for one would love to see a City State based on New Orleans, and incorporating creole inspirations. Their is a pretty rich local folklore there to draw off of.

Paizo Employee Developer

As the resident Cajun, I whole-heartedly agree there should be some representation of Creole and bayou culture in Arcadia.


I mentioned it upthread (somewhere), but I'd certainly be interested in seeing a Paizonian take on American Folklore characters and stories, like Paul Bunyan, Patrick Henry, Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed, and the like. (Not a comprehensive list, by any means, but the first ones that come to mind.)

I think bringing in other aspects of Americana (in this case, North Americana), and finding a way to integrate them with more traditional takes on Native traditions, would be really cool, and certainly in keeping with a lot of the sort of fun "pop culture" types of things Paizo has done in the past (Mothmen, Spring Heeled Jack, etc.)


Adam Daigle wrote:
As the resident Cajun, I whole-heartedly agree there should be some representation of Creole and bayou culture in Arcadia.

Not what you said when I asked for battle harmonicas. ;p


Maybe something can be added based on Lake Xochimilco, in Mexico and it's canals.

Pre-colombian peoples built artificial islands there to use for agriculture. In addition to that, the place is famous for it's colorful boats that are covered in flowers. I can imagine colorful floating cities based off of that.

Grand Lodge

Odraude wrote:

Just a minor quip, Zemi/Cemi are actually Caribbean in nature, from the native Taino there. I actually have them statted up as outsiders. Once I finish them, I'll post them.

Otherwise, great list.

Hey guys, been lurking here for a bit and love the thread.

Odraude, I was listening to the Know Direction Podcast's GENCON coverage, and the Devs mention you and your work in one of the panels. It's in the "Diversity in Gaming" panel, somewhere in the last 2 minuets. It's really quick and in passing, but these are some of the big guns at Paizo, and I thought it was kind of cool.


Glewistee wrote:
Odraude wrote:

Just a minor quip, Zemi/Cemi are actually Caribbean in nature, from the native Taino there. I actually have them statted up as outsiders. Once I finish them, I'll post them.

Otherwise, great list.

Hey guys, been lurking here for a bit and love the thread.

Odraude, I was listening to the Know Direction Podcast's GENCON coverage, and the Devs mention you and your work in one of the panels. It's in the "Diversity in Gaming" panel, somewhere in the last 2 minuets. It's really quick and in passing, but these are some of the big guns at Paizo, and I thought it was kind of cool.

Oh snap. I'll have to listen to that.

I've been dormant recently. School + looking for employment (again) has kept me from this thread. Hoping to get some writing in come the weekend.

Just listened to it. I guess i had better get back on and finish my setting now :p

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