Dread Central Exclusive: Eox

[Archmage Variel]

Exclusive: Sci-Fi RPG Starfinder Announces Undead Planet and We’ve Got Images Really liking Eox. The art looks really cool.

[Albatoonoe]

I'm getting a real Mars Attacks vibe from the Eoxians. I love it.

[Damanta]

I am amazed by the character art.
Would love to have a robe like that.

They seem like an interesting part of the Pact worlds.

[JakBlitz]

Starfinder has Necrons!

[ulgulanoth]

Awesome that we're getting some Eox love

[Xayl]

Well I love it. Here's hoping for an easily playable eoxian

[MMCJawa]

Albatoonoe wrote:

I'm getting a real Mars Attacks vibe from the Eoxians. I love it.

Aesthetically yes, although I thing based on the Starfinder Goblin art, I suspect goblins will capture more the tone of Mars Attacks.

[QuidEst]

Ooh, was hoping for an Eox preview! Glad to see they're taking advantage of things like not needing to breathe.

[Dominar Rygel XVI]

Eox preview wrote:

Necrovite – Eox is home to a wide variety of undead creatures, from simple mindless zombies used as beasts of burden and convenient (if disturbing) forms of automation to powerful intelligent undead, often spellcasters with a focus on necromancy. This particular individual is a necrovite—a futuristic version of the lich from classic fantasy RPGs, created by storing your soul in a special technomagical relic called an electroencephalon that protects your consciousness and allows your body to rebuild itself if destroyed.

Oooo. I wonder if any of the Starfinder creators ever read...

Shadowrun 2e:

...the chilling first-person narrative of runner Hatchetman as detailed in Shadowrun 2e's Cybertechnology?

With Eox playing a prominent role, hopefully we'll also see a new bunch mind-affecting spells that work directly on undead

Eox preview wrote:

Control Undead – Unable to reproduce on its own, Eox’s undead population imports corpses from other worlds and uses magic to create new mindless slaves or intelligent undead citizens.

Oooo, this gives me ideas for borrowing from ST: Voyager's Kobali (spoilers for "Ashes to Ashes"). Or entirely new personalities and souls resleeved/downloaded into the undead meatware.

[Torbyne]

Is that a giant ring structure around Eox? The first picture makes the planet itself look like a barren wasteland while the second one looks like it might actually be on the ring and overlooking the planet. I suppose it could be the first is showing up the site of the failed super weapon and the barren area around it while otherside of the planet is more built up. I wonder if there is a more technological equivalent to Necrovites, digital consciences in artificial bodies? And does this mean that the undead aren't automatically evil and life hating anymore? It sounds like they are kind of the new haughty long lived superiority species but not very much at all like any previously seen undead in the setting...

[Damanta]

Torbyne wrote:

I wonder if there is a more technological equivalent to Necrovites, digital consciences in artificial bodies?

Wouldn't that just be androids? Or do you mean more like the type 3 synths from Fallout?

[kaid]

Damanta wrote:

I am amazed by the character art.

Would love to have a robe like that.

They seem like an interesting part of the Pact worlds.

RAK RAK RAK RAK! COME BACK WE ARE YOUR UNDEAD FRIENDS!

[Torbyne]

Damanta wrote:

Torbyne wrote:

I wonder if there is a more technological equivalent to Necrovites, digital consciences in artificial bodies?

Wouldn't that just be androids? Or do you mean more like the type 3 synths from Fallout?

As i understand it, Androids are locked into their shells whereas a digital conscience could be moved from one host to another, a brain box that can be plugged into different shells for specialized purposes or a purely code based brain that could copy itself into multiple shells. It would raise questions about the line between A.I. that can think and act alive vs something created artificially but that actually has a soul, like Androids.

[Torbyne]

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

[Jason Mosher]

Awesome. I can't stop saying "electroencephalon."

I imagine an Eoxian army would be absolutely unstoppable. Every battle would only swell their ranks, regardless of which side won. Kinda like Game of Throne's white walkers.

[Archmage Variel]

So I get that Eox imports bodies from other planets to raise for their population, but how is it that they convince other species (and the individuals of that species) to donate or sell the remains? Is there some sort of monetary incentive or agreement? That seems like a hard thing to incentivize.

[Jason Mosher]

Not necessarily. Especially if the contract includes care for one's family into the future. It's probably even a trope.

[kaid]

Archmage Variel wrote:

So I get that Eox imports bodies from other planets to raise for their population, but how is it that they convince other species (and the individuals of that species) to donate or sell the remains? Is there some sort of monetary incentive or agreement? That seems like a hard thing to incentivize.

I have zero doubt with enough money they could get what they want from the poor, greedy, desperate or evil people. How many homeless people disappear in our big cities every day. And for corpses its even easier its pretty easy to tell somebody you have cremated their remains as per your wish and hand you a box full of random ash whilst shipping the body elsewhere to be put to use.

[Jason Mosher]

Or how about a tiered contract? The more you pay, the more aware your reanimated self will be. It could be marketed as a form of immortality. Who doesn't want that?

[Thom Colgan]

Is Eox a Pact World?

[Damanta]

Thom Colgan wrote:

Is Eox a Pact World?

Yes

Torbyne wrote:

As i understand it, Androids are locked into their shells whereas a digital conscience could be moved from one host to another, a brain box that can be plugged into different shells for specialized purposes or a purely code based brain that could copy itself into multiple shells. It would raise questions about the line between A.I. that can think and act alive vs something created artificially but that actually has a soul, like Androids.

Ah, now I get it :D

Interesting question yes. I would imagine that it'd be possible for AI's to download themselves into a body ala Rommy from the Adromeda Ascendant to create an avatar to easier interact with biologicals, but your idea goes way beyond that.
It would depend on the energy requirements/size requirements of the box to ensure that the AI keeps all its knowledge and abilities I guess.

[TheGoofyGE3K]

Maybe their deal to get bodies is part of the pact of the pact worlds. We won't invade you to expand our populous if you just give us your dead.

[kaid]

And while a dark bargain given they were fighting a swarming enemy having undead on your side becomes an advantage of being able to throw literally disposable undead pawns to offset numeric advantages of your opponents.

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

Well, and if you can't afford to BUY a necrograft, I'm sure they'll let you lease it, with that lease extending past your lifespan...

[An Immortal Lychee]

"Eox! Eeeeeeeeox! Daylight come and me want some new bones..."

[Demi-Lich H. Ross Perot]

♫♪ "Come, Mr. Necro-mon, animate me comp-an-yon
(Daylight come and me wan' some new bones)..." ♫♪

[An Immortal Lychee]

I do love some good apocalypso.

[James Sutter]

Torbyne wrote:

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

This is an excellent idea and I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon now. :D

[Torbyne]

James Sutter wrote:

Torbyne wrote:

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

This is an excellent idea and I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon now. :D

Just imagining the party at level 8 that wants to raise their beloved captain only to find out that the captain had to take a body-loan at the start of the adventure to pay off port fees at Eox. Cost of the raise plus the orginal loan and compounded interest, not to mention they have to track down the remain on Eox itself.

God, lots of fun hooks with the body trade now. If Eox is seen as a profitable way of disposing of bodies that arent claimed by relatives than it also becomes a convenient body dump for all kinds of unsavory types, grave robbers trying to move corpses on the black market, mistaken identities resulting in an otherwise well to do body being raised for manual labor and the social stigma attached to a family that has that mark on them...

And the Eox would have to have some kind of Physical Remains Investigative Unit to at least look like they care what bodies they take in... as well as stopping those pesky adventurers constantly trying to steal Eoxian workers for illegal resurrections.

Always fun when you get unexpected inspiration :D

[Aunders]

All this makes me wonder... If there is a market for bodies and body parts of humanoids for Eox and black market deals, does that mean that there would be chop shops for Androids? Imagine an android walking through a black market of chopped up robots and androids where the market stalls have like android arms and legs strung up for display!

[Torbyne]

Aunders wrote:

All this makes me wonder... If there is a market for bodies and body parts of humanoids for Eox and black market deals, does that mean that there would be chop shops for Androids? Imagine an android walking through a black market of chopped up robots and androids where the market stalls have like android arms and legs strung up for display!

I had a character concept that used a similar idea, its shell was a battlefield repair using pieces of multiple casualties that didnt make it... and then some time later a new soul enters the shell and finds itself in a somewhat piecemeal body.

As far as regular Androids go, being able to experience life, death and pain i would imagine that walking through a black market organ factory would be just as horrifying as a human going through an organ market...

[QuidEst]

Pawning off a shady body is a bad idea. Leaves the corpse wandering around for at least a few decades. And why wouldn't Eoxians occasionally interrogate suspicious bodies to see if there's any reward money to be had?

[Steve Geddes]

Suddenly the enemies you kill count against your WBL, not just what they were carrying.

[Aunders]

That would make such a good role playing experience. Even better if the Android recognized a scrap metal body.

[Thurston Hillman]

James Sutter wrote:

Torbyne wrote:

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

This is an excellent idea and I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon now. :D

John and I were just discussing the thought of such a thing appearing on a Starfinder Society Chronicle Sheet...

*innocent whistle*

[Torbyne]

QuidEst wrote:

Pawning off a shady body is a bad idea. Leaves the corpse wandering around for at least a few decades. And why wouldn't Eoxians occasionally interrogate suspicious bodies to see if there's any reward money to be had?

You can adjust the reasoning based on what you want your setting to be but in my mind, Eox maintains a few million animated corpses of various types and takes in a constant flow of new ones as the old wear out or otherwise can no longer be maintained. So long as a body is usable they dont much care what the soul did with it and once its in their possession they do not like anyone interfering with their business. Taking in the bodies supplies them with far more labor than they could produce otherwise but there is no way they are going to let investigators from across the system roam throughout their production centers, snooping in on whats going on or raising trouble over whose remains are being used for what. If the body meant that much to the mortals than they should have taken better care of it before it ended up on Eox.

[Steven "Troll" O'Neal]

I imagine a ghoul making steak knives.

[Lemartes]

What about life insurance...or being dead insurance...or is it undead insurance in case you die(ie: raise undead...urh raise you)...maybe it's kind of all three? ;)

I think it works with the deals mentioned in the posts above.

[EltonJ]

Lemartes wrote:

What about life insurance...or being dead insurance...or is it undead insurance in case you die(ie: raise undead...urh raise you)...maybe it's kind of all three? ;)

I think it works with the deals mentioned in the posts above.

Eox Life Insurance.

"Money for your family when we undeath you."

[Torbyne]

EltonJ wrote:

Lemartes wrote:

What about life insurance...or being dead insurance...or is it undead insurance in case you die(ie: raise undead...urh raise you)...maybe it's kind of all three? ;)

I think it works with the deals mentioned in the posts above.

Eox Life Insurance.

"Money for your family when we undeath you."

Nah, screw that man, get some licensing off all production the body of your family member participates in instead ;)

[Lemartes]

EltonJ wrote:

Lemartes wrote:

What about life insurance...or being dead insurance...or is it undead insurance in case you die(ie: raise undead...urh raise you)...maybe it's kind of all three? ;)

I think it works with the deals mentioned in the posts above.

Eox Life Insurance.

"Money for your family when we undeath you."

"Nevermind that undying servitude clause. Think of it as immortality you have to work for...forever."

"...what?"

"Immortality." ;)

[Matthew Shelton]

Jason Mosher wrote:

Awesome. I can't stop saying "electroencephalon."

I imagine an Eoxian army would be absolutely unstoppable. Every battle would only swell their ranks, regardless of which side won. Kinda like Game of Throne's white walkers.

Time to invest in some Vorpal chainsaws and chainswords...

[Vic Wertz]

James Sutter wrote:

Torbyne wrote:

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

This is an excellent idea and I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon now. :D

Hey, I'm not a murderer—I'm just an Eoxian repo man. (Make your loan payments ON TIME, folks!)

[Archmage Variel]

Vic Wertz wrote:

James Sutter wrote:

Torbyne wrote:

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

This is an excellent idea and I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon now. :D

Hey, I'm not a murderer—I'm just an Eoxian repo man.

You must be making a killing.

[Celestial Hippeh Lawyer]

EltonJ wrote:

Lemartes wrote:

What about life insurance...or being dead insurance...or is it undead insurance in case you die(ie: raise undead...urh raise you)...maybe it's kind of all three? ;)

I think it works with the deals mentioned in the posts above.

Eox Life Insurance.

"Money for your family when we undeath you."

As a comprehensive plan, it also includes the standard Old Glory coverage.

[Voss]

Archmage Variel wrote:

Vic Wertz wrote:

James Sutter wrote:

Torbyne wrote:

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

This is an excellent idea and I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon now. :D

Hey, I'm not a murderer—I'm just an Eoxian repo man.

You must be making a killing.

You've got him dead to rights.

[Matthew Shelton]

James Sutter wrote:

Torbyne wrote:

Could a living entity get a loan against their body? Some cheap credits that if you dont pay back means Eox has the legal rights to your body if and when you die?

"Its your money and you should have it now!"

"Because you cant take it with you!"

"Why pay for a funeral when we will pay you to do it for you?"

Want to see Eoxian Space Hearses now...

This is an excellent idea and I'm going to go ahead and say it's canon now. :D

I would be surprised if they all were as lenient on the terms. Some of the less...scrupulous...of these cash-for-corpse loan sharks might not be willing to wait for you to assume room temperature before coming to claim your body--or even wait for your brain stem to call it quits before rushing the process along. Some of these guys are probably going to collect on the contract early if it looks like the 'donor' is prone to taking unnecessary risks with the merchandise!

Additionally it's not difficult to imagine some countries or colonies where body pledges are a common thing. Instead of being tied to the land like serfs under the tsars, your modern medieval bondage is you sign away your family's right to your body after death, just so you have a little land to farm on and sell the produce for some extra luxury items. Even in a modern society there will be slavery and exploitation.

[Matthew Shelton]

Lemartes wrote:

What about life insurance...or being dead insurance...or is it undead insurance in case you die(ie: raise undead...urh raise you)...maybe it's kind of all three? ;)

I think it works with the deals mentioned in the posts above.

Is the insurance meant to help with your reanimation or is it to save your corpse from the cadaver traffickers? "By accepting this insurance payoff you agree to surrender the corpse of the holder of said policy to their next of kin, without necromancy or other desecration performed on it after death or for any purpose other than preservation of said corpse against natural decay..."

[Steve Geddes]

Matthew Shelton wrote:

Some of the less...scrupulous...of these cash-for-corpse loan sharks might not be willing to wait for you to assume room temperature before coming to claim your body--or even wait for your brain stem to call it quits before rushing the process along.

"Let us drink to our successful deal....make sure you drink all of it."

[Lanitril]

If a party member has a loan against their corpse, they die, and someone uses resurrection on them, will the party be wanted for theft?