Pathfinder Lost Omens Firebrands is here! Just like with any rebellion, there were a lot of people that put in work to make this book possible. Among them are the wonderful authors for Firebrands. We wanted to give them a chance to share their excitement for the book, as well as some information about themselves and their projects. If you’ve enjoyed these authors’ work, let them know in the comments below or by following them on social media!
James Beck
Hello, my name is James Beck, a Jewish LGBTQ+ freelance writer, and I wrote Passenger and the Fire’s Finest faction! You might know me either as one of the members of Eldritch Osiris Games, which is a workers’ co-op publishing house; Osiris on deadly d8; or @geekjames513 on Twitter, where you can find me geeking out heavily with the PF2e community! I was so honored to be working on a book that let me explore themes of freedom and exploration and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have. Everyone on the project was super supportive and awesome to work with and it was a true honor to be a part of the process!
Art by Roberto Pitturru Rigby Bendele (they/them)
In Firebrands, I was excited to revisit the gods Picoperi and Thisamet for Pathfinder Second Edition, who are azata empyreal lords. During this process, I thought a lot about what type of people would focus their worship on these deities. After all, deities devoted to pranks and celebrations aren’t as all-encompassing as gods of community or commerce! Thinking about the dangerous lives of Firebrands was a perfect framing for these deities since celebrations and merriment are necessary to keep up the hard work of revolution. I also took a dive into the pirate’s life with Besmara and the Firebrands operations in the Shackles. Again, my focus was on thinking about how the life of a revolutionary Firebrand would intersect with life on the seas and shores. This section was a joy to write, and I hope the salt-crusted Shackles operations provide campaign hooks for your own adventures—be they against the Red Mantis, Chelaxian incursions, or the environment.
Jessica Catalan
Hi everyone! My name’s Jessica Catalan and I’m the Starfinder Society Developer and a freelance author who primarily writes for the Pathfinder and Starfinder RPGs. For Pathfinder Lost Omens Firebrands, I wrote the Life of a Firebrand and Vaunter’s Carnival sections, notable figures Iqani Truthspinner and the Mockingbird, the gods Chaldira, Grandmother Spider, Marishi, Milani, and Nivi Rhombodazzle, avatar statistics, and the spells. I’m particularly fond of Iqani Truthspinner, as well as Tanglehop, a character inspired by my daughter who you’ll find in Vaunter’s Carnival. I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of Firebrands, and I hope that the love and enthusiasm that everyone poured into this book resonates with you and your fellow gamers. Take care of each other out there. The world could use a few more Firebrands!
Art by José Luis Islas López Dana Ebert (she/her)
Working on Firebrands was an amazing adventure, during which I fell in love with so many of the colorful characters I got to create for it. While Ayaanala, Hollow Hart, and Sahru Sital stand out as some of my favorites, Ishii Bunji will always be close to my heart, because I created him as a love letter to the transmasc community. I started out knowing I wanted to show that this wholesome chubby trans guy could also be immensely powerful and desirable, and with each successive draft he gradually transformed from an insatiable warrior into someone whose strength comes from kindness and inner joy. A kind of strength that, I’d like to think, can defy tyrants. Thomas Coughlin is also an important character to me, for far more personal reasons. He was named after a very dear friend of mine, who passed away shortly before this project started. Thomas loved roleplaying games, and being able to name a character after him in a book like this felt like the best way to honor his memory. All my love and thanks to this amazing community, this writing team, and the staff at Paizo, who continue to make Pathfinder one of the best TTRPGs in the world. Cheers!
Sen H.H.S
Hi everyone, it’s Sen H.H.S.! Yeah, I’ve been popping up a lot lately because there are just so many fun things to write about and create for Golarion. For Firebrands, other than writing about their relationships with other organizations or nations, I also wrote Jin Li, a new God of Dares who’s a carp that leaped so high that he turned into a dragon! In fact, according to my chat records, he leaped so hard that my computer crashed while writing about him. I am most likely making and retweeting a lot of memes about him after the release, which you shall be able to find on Twitter @Senhhs. See you all there and three cheers to the Firebrands book release!
Art by Firat Solhan Matt Morris
I'm Matt Morris, and I’ve been lucky enough to do freelance writing for Pathfinder and Starfinder for several years now, working with Paizo and a few 3rd-party companies, including Everybody Games and Rogue Genius Games. I managed to smuggle some information about Firebrand activities in Galt and their other campaigns around the Inner Sea into this book. (I used the hidden pockets in this fashionable jacket! Thanks, Yelayne, and you other gods watching over chaotic shenanigans.) I keep an up-to-date list of my work on my Paizo profile, and I’m always looking for interesting projects, so feel free to contact me if you are looking for a reliable writer! When not writing, I’m teaching high school English near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jessica Redekop (she/they/he)
Hello! I’m Jess. You might recognize me from the Treasure Vault author’s blog last month. In Firebrands, I wrote Arshea, Silverspice Zzapo, and the new feats in the Other Archetypes section. I think they speak for themselves, but if you somehow aren’t sold on Firebrands yet let me answer the question on everybody’s mind: yes, there are new feats for the dandy archetype. Look forward to more of my work in Rage of Elements when it releases later this year. Outside of writing, you can find me on the Know Direction network as a cohost on the Legend Lore podcast and cast member on the upcoming Tavern Rats actual play podcast. I’ll also be a judge for this year’s RPG Superstar competition. To keep up with everything I’m doing, you can read my tweets on the tweeter, where I'm @tectonomancer.
Art by Roberto Pitturru Shahreena Shahrani
Marhaba, apa khabar semua? Hello, how’re y’all doing? Shahreena here, and I helped write the Faith section of Lost Omens Firebrands. I am fascinated by communities of people and their cultural practices, and had a lot of fun thinking and writing about how they relate with others in this fantastical setting. Speaking of faith, to fellow Pathfinders fasting and celebrating this month, Ramadan Kareem! When not gaming, I teach regional and cultural studies of the Middle East and North Africa, and deliver lectures/presentations on hot topics to government agencies and personnel. I also enjoy working on retelling world folklore on my YouTube channel: Storytime with Auntie Nina. If you’d like to contact me about working together, guest/public speaking opportunities, and/or learn more about my projects, you can reach me at: shahreena_s@yahoo.com.
We also want to thank our other authors for their great work on Firebrands!
- Joan Hong: Ranik Helt (page 46), Firebrand Backgrounds (page 75), Magic Items (page 84), Services (page 92)
- Aaron Lascano: Beacons across the Inner Sea (page 6), Campaigns (page 98), Katapesh (page 118)
- Luis Loza: History (page 8), Factions (page 24), Nightwave (page 28), Devrin Arlos (page 40), Karthival (page 43), Options Introduction (page 74), Firebrand Training (page 76), Equipment (page 82)
- Ron Lundeen: Other Groups (page 34), Mwangi Expanse (page 104), Old Cheliax (page 108)
- Stephanie Lundeen: Silver Ravens (page 32), Shensen (page 48), Lubaiko (page 62)
- Erin Roberts: Salt Breakers (page 30), Shimali Manux (page 49), Vulmia Manux (page 51)
- Michael Sayre: Firebrand Training (page 76)
- Ruvaid Virk: Other Archetypes (page 78)
Daring Authors and Rebellious Writers!
Tuesday, April 4, 2022
