Tropkagar's page

I understand that such a book is unlikely to appear, but in general I would like to state the fact that I am interested in such an organization and materials on it.

And to be completely honest, I think that this organization would be even more suitable as a global organization for the setting than some others. I mean, it's hard for me to imagine Magaambya as a large international and fairly decentralized organization, unlike Firebrands or the Pathfinder Society.

In addition, this organization in my opinion would fulfill the task of an evil large-scale organization, since Firebrands is a chaotic organization, Knights of Lastwall is a good organization, and Hellknights is a law organization.

I could imagine the Aspis Consortium as something like the Pentex Corporation from the World of Darkness, and the factions of the Aspis Consortium could represent different business lines. One group, for example, may be focused on economic exploitation, and are active in Geb, distributing their provisions throughout the world. Another group is working on questionable scientific research, for example by supporting research into stasian coils at Ustlav.

At the same time, I want to note that the organization is interesting in that they (as far as I know) do not strive for any goals that are destructive to the world. And therefore, peaceful interaction with them is quite possible, especially considering how much the world depends on their economic activity. In the end, everyone needs to eat, and the Knights of Lastwall may well use, for example, the weapons they produce.

The thought that crossed my mind is that Drift Crisis is basically a great story element for the Starfinder setting. This is a reversible change that can affect the entire setting and present the conflict in the setting from a different angle. Perhaps, even with a set of ideas, how the already released AP for the second edition can be changed.

Therefore, I had a question - do you think that such a change can be useful to the setting? What could play the role of such an event? What story could be at the center of it?

The main thing I think about is something related to magic, considering how the world as a whole depends on it. But my knowledge of the cosmology of the setting is not good enough to say whether it is even possible to implement something so massive.

(Also, I don't know where to place this topic more correctly. Lost Omens or Adventure Paths?)

I did not find a suitable topic, despite the fact that most of the rest of the regions of the world are discussed. Plus, until recently, I missed the information that the Tian-Xa book is in production. At the same time, it seems to me that a large book on the states of Kasmaron can be no less interesting than Golarion's East Asia.

Thinking about what is known about the region, I see some good opportunities for how the setting could be expanded and developed.

1. Padishah-Empire of Kelesh. I consider it a monstrous omission that there is practically no information about this state, despite the fact that Kelesh is the largest and perhaps even the most powerful empire of Golarion at the present time. That being said, what I would like to point out is that the Islamic world in real life presents many different cultural and historical patterns that could be reproduced in the Empire of Kelesh, which is divided among the satrapies.

Vassal empires are coastal city-states that send their expeditions across the seas of the whole world, similar to the position of Phoenicia in the Persian Empire. A great city in the valley of two rivers, one of the largest cities in the world, like Baghdad. A prosperous intermountain valley through which caravans regularly pass, transferring goods from one end of the empire to the other, similar to the Ferghana Valley.

These are all very different places with different cultures.

2. Vudra. Probably the main opponent for the Padishah-Empire of Kelesh, which again can provide many interesting features, although here I have to admit - I myself do not understand Indian history well enough to make suitable comparisons.

3. Iobaria. This is a region that I honestly would like to see redesigned for a number of reasons. The main one - I personally think that Irrisen copes with the Slavic atmosphere quite badly. In fact, I would say that Irrisen is largely modified to fit the classic fantasy, leaving only the eternal winter and some of the mythological characters. However, in reality, Slavic folklore is quite original and interesting. Polabsky Slavs (historical inhabitants of northern Poland) had almost unique multi-faced idols. Bulgaria from its early history was more like Rohan from The Lord of the Rings. In Russian epics, strong female characters are a normal thing, for example, Nastasya Korolevichna, Vasilisa Mikulishna or Marya Morevna. I was really impressed with how Mwangi's Expanse was implemented, and I believe that Paizo can portray Slavic mythology well as well.

4. Iblydos, which again can be well worked out, although I'm sure there are enough here who know Hellenistic mythology better than I do.

5. The Grass Sea, as the last region. At the same time, I would say that for me personally it would be regrettable to see this region as a kind of Mongolia. I mean, historically, the steppes of Eurasia were not only Mongols. There were many other nomads who formed their own states and cultures. Scythians and Sarmatians from ancient times. Ancestors of historical Hungarians who were once brutal raiders. Jews of the Khazar Khaganate. Perhaps even someone similar to the Goths, since the Goths created states in the steppe lands during their migrations.

I just want to raise this topic, since the territories of Eurasia gave rise to many diverse cultures, however, the same nomads of the Eurasian steppes are often equated with the Mongols.

What exactly do you think about the prospects of the region?

First of all, I apologize about the possible writing of the text. English is not my native language.

I'm a fan of Pathfinder's products, and after playing this AP as a player, I wondered how I could change this story without seriously changing the whole plot. Therefore, Queen Ileosa became my central character. I see in her one of the best villains, but I believe that it is possible to make her an even more charismatic character. She is still a villain, but she can be made charismatic enough that players are willing to look for ways to save her.

The basis of my concept is changing the character of Ileosa. She still married out of cynical calculation, but with a completely different motivation. In this version, she is an extremely arrogant and ambitious person who aspires to become a queen in order to leave a great legacy. She believes she has the power to change an entire country, which is why she chose to marry the king of Korvosa, as she believed she could easily take the throne after his death, given the lack of heirs. In my imagination, she is not too far from this truth - although Ileosa herself is not a skilled fighter, she does have a natural talent for diplomacy, as well as a lively mind that can make a great leader out of her.

Like the original, she also discovered the Crown of Fangs, but in my mind, this artifact is associated with the pride of Kazavon, and therefore she quickly and imperceptibly became under the influence of the artifact. The artifact increased her ambition and also gradually destroyed her moral limitations. But at the same time, the impact of the crown never fully controls the queen, and she herself strives for her goals, finding an excuse for each of her atrocities, believing that her actions were justified by circumstances or served a good purpose.

In her husband, she sees a mediocre tyrant who cannot be a true autocrat, who leads the state and ensures its well-being, like the rulers of Taldor in ancient times. His habits and lack of interest in the welfare of the country were damaging every day of his reign. So she decided that if she could kill him and take the throne as soon as possible, it would help the state, even if it meant getting rid of several other people.

When she first meets the characters, what they see before them is not a grieving queen, but a spectacular and charismatic ruler who is immersed in the management of the country in a situation of potential crisis. Ileosa knows how the characters got the brooch, and therefore says what the characters want to hear. She expresses regret that, until recently, she did not have the opportunity to take power in the city, because of which she could neither prevent crimes nor punish criminals. And even now, the laws of the city are still like a noose around her neck. Therefore, she honestly turns to the characters with a request to help her improve the situation in the city. She needs people who could carry out assignments that the guards cannot fulfill.

As the influence of Crown of Fangs progresses and she becomes more immoral and cruel in her plans, she is still a charismatic and effective leader, which only cherishes the characters more. In Book 1, she appears to be the city's savior, and the crux of the campaign is to help her. Although her decisions may already seem dubious. For example, she justifies an unjust execution with the fear of city riots, in which dozens of ordinary citizens who just happen to be nearby can die. She believes that it is better to give the crowd a scapegoat in order to avoid the deaths of other people. In Book 2-3, the characters must question and question the evidence of her actions, either denying her involvement or seeking excuses. And even at the end, many are still fascinated by her persona, not wanting to kill her and believing that the artifact controls her, even if it only released the worst parts of her personality.

In the end, when asked about the desire to sacrifice the city and its population, she does not deny what is happening, assuring that she only strives for the best:

“I'm really just trying to help everyone, trust me. Yes, I know it's immoral, but look at the world around us. Democracies are corrupt. Oligarchies are languishing from intrigues and conspiracies. Monarchies are sometimes in the hands of incompetent people. Let me carry out this plan, and with my power and immortality, I can become the greatest ruler in history. This will not be Korvosa, but the Varisian Empire. I have no desire for personal gain and I will not be a corrupt politician. I will be an absolute monarch that can remove any incompetent dignitary. My reign will be eternal, there will be no problems with inheritance, and I will not become a half-witted old woman. We will restore the city to a grandeur it never had. Varisian, colonists, shoanti and many others can live in a single state without chauvinism and wars. These lands will receive centuries of prosperity and unity that have not been seen since the time of Xin. All I need is for you to believe me. I know that I betrayed your trust, more than once. And I'm really sorry. But I sincerely respect each of you, including the fact that you act and stand against me from sincere convictions. Otherwise, I would not respect you to the same extent and would not ask you. But I beg you - please stand by my side at least this time. We can build a new future for the entire region. Just trust me.”

And I believe that without significant changes in the plot of the main story, just such an interpretation of the character can be shown. A potentially great leader whose worst features were exposed by the artifact, causing her to believe that great ends justify any means.