As far as fluff, I'm really hoping that we don't see a common sci-fi trope: planetary/species-wide monocultures. It always bugged me how, for example, all of Vulcan and Qo'noS seemed to have a single culture. Golarion (or is it now "Golarion-That-Was"?) had many diverse nations and cultures, I hope that further development of the other worlds shows the same trend. Of course, it will take time and it makes more sense to introduce them one or two at a time in the Adventure Path, but I suppose what I want is that we don't get a lot of cases of new planets/moons when a new nation on an existing one will do, especially since that can create more opportunities for intrigue, diplomacy, and conflict.
Cultural diversity is usually the "hat" of humans, but a setting like this has a lot of potential (perhaps even more so than original flavor Pathfinder) to explore the potential of other races. I'm excited to see all the different ways the characteristics of Ysoki and Lashunta can be expressed, or how Androids from different creators—since it sounds like that's something we're getting, in this—differ in personality and appearance, without needing to differ significantly in stats.
Are Vercites still locked into a caste system? Perhaps there's some who have divided it up beyond the usual three, others who rejected it entirely, or even nations composed exclusively of one caste....
Shame on me for being off the boards for so long! This is one of my favorite subjects of discussion... my blog posts to that effect led to someone linking me back here.
One thing I'd love to see more of is representations of the more diverse clothing and hairstyles. The fashion of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi confederacy is especially inspiring to me, as is southwestern style like the complex coifs in Zuni and Hopi tradition.
A couple suggestions to evoke the indigenous cultures while still satisfying Evil Midnight Lurker's desire for enough advancement to maintain suspension of disbelief:
Armor! It often gets overlooked and few examples survive to today because they were made of perishable materials, but it did exist, most often in the form of plant-based materials. Early Dutch accounts talk about wicker armor used among the Mohawk and neighboring cultures (I have an example somewhere of how this looks, but I'll need some time to dig it up), and the Pacific Northwest cultures provided some examples of wooden helmets and breastplates of wood slats lashed to leather. If you want to maintain the tech level most people imagine, these could stay the same... or you could have metal armor that evokes the forms of the old armor. Imagine steel plate with the kind of etching and sculptural elements you see in present-day coastal silver jewelry and more traditional woodcarvings.
Dogs! The lack of horses in the Americas meant that other animals were used as beasts of burden, and a number of plains cultures were so accustomed to the idea that you have a dog help carry your stuff that their words for horses referred to them as dogs- names that translated as things like "medicine hound" (sunkawakan) or "elk dog" (ponokaomita). In one of my homebrews, I decided to evoke this by having a culture that used horse-sized dogs. Another European import that often gets overlooked is sheep: some Northwestern cultures used to keep fluffy little dogs called kamuks (or "comox" depending on your preferred transliteration) that were periodically shorn to use their fur as wool. This is the norm in one of my other settings, where sheep are thus far unknown.
Wannabe Demon Lord wrote:
In the Bestiaries, I've only found 25 New World Monsters:
Ooh, you missed a few! One that may surprise you is the Cecaelia, which originated (at least as far as the NAME for such a thing as an octo-mermaid) in the US-published Vampirella magazine. The Chickcharney is another, coming to us from the Bahamas, and the Chon Chon is from Mapuche lore... there's also the Duppy (Caribbean), Lusca (Bahamas), Saumen Kar (Greenland Inuit), Blood Hag (Caribbean), arguably the Catrina psychopomps (Mexican folk-art), and Tunche (Peruvian).
We should also probably count the Couatl in this batch, and I'm personally inclined to include any Lovecraftian monster (in spite of his Anglophilia, he was very consciously a New Englander, and many of his stories were very emphatically set in the US), as well those made by other writers who get included under his eerie umbrella.
If folks don't mind, I'll probably come back here later to ramble a bit about other concepts from my own American-inspired settings, as well as thoughts on monsters.
Just a little something i've been meaning to write up. Thoughts and correction of errors are appreciated! This is just a draft, and when I have the time and inspiration, I plan to add favored class options and alternate bloodlines... maybe some variant abilities and physical features, racial archetypes, and racial feats, too.
Humans whose ancestry includes the blood of neutral outsiders, Liminals are a race of conflict and concordance. Spiritually torn between the varied potential of mortal morals and ethics, and the more balanced and metaphysically ordained will of their planar ancestors, they live a life acutely aware of their unnatural role, yet gifted with a sense of the balance of the universe. Although this personality tends to result in an alignment that favors no one extreme, their individual experiences growing up just as often lead to a compassionate or malicious adulthood. Although capable of lying dormant for many generations, the heritage that produces liminals always eventually manifests, often seemingly just in time to correct some imbalance in their home community. Most often born to tribal cultures with large numbers of powerful druids or cloistered sects devoted to a faith of neutrality and balance, they are seen as born to a religious or diplomatic life, fated to act as intermediaries between the spiritual and secular worlds. With an innnate gift to set all around them on equal terms by forcing the telling of truths, many others pursue the path of the diplomat or the peacekeeper. Even those liminals who tend towards good, evil, chaos, or law typically see themselves as correctors of an imbalance, striking out against factors they see as favoring their opposite alignment.
Physical Description
Liminals strongly resemble their human forebears, yet always have some sign of their planar ancestry. This may range from the subtle—having one eye be an opposing color to the other, or hair that always remains perfectly symmetrical regardless of external factors—to the more dramatic, such as having hair that looks like the night sky complete with twinkling stars, or a body of uniformly gray features with no change in hue or tone. One notably universal characteristic is androgyny; liminals of any sex tend to have the same tall, lightly built frames that favor neither masculinity nor femininity, and an exceptionally high proportion of liminals are born intersex or otherwise possessing features not clearly male or female.
Random Liminal Starting Ages:
Adulthood: 60 years
Intuitive¹: +4d6 years (64 - 84 years)
Self-Taught²: +6d6 years (66 - 96 years)
Trained³: +8d6 years (68 - 108 years)
1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.
Random Liminal Height and Weight:
Base Height: 5 ft. 0 in.
Height Modifier: +2d8 in. (5 ft. 4 in. - 6 ft. 6 in.)
Base Weight: 90 lbs.
Weight Modifier: +(2d8×5 lbs.) (100 - 170 lbs.)
Society
Born to humans, liminals lack a true society of their own, and yet are also by nature partly outside of the culture of their birth, instinctively aware of the greater cosmos. Though this sense often leads them to sympathize with folk from other cultures, it also often means that they have trouble relating to concepts like patriotism and loyalty. Thinking in terms of "the big picture", they sometimes overlook local concerns in favor of more widespread issues, leading them to be shunned; at other times, they devote unusual attention to everyday matters that only their gut feelings tell them will have an impact on the world at large, earning the favor of those who see them as always willing to help. In the spiritual communities where they are most often born, liminals are typically seen as being ideal candidates for priesthood, training as a shaman, or as impartial lorekeepers and judges. Due to their tendency towards androgyny, liminals are often given names that are neither especially masculine nor feminine.
Relations
Even among their human kin, liminals are exceptionally adaptable to other races, sometimes seeming to be just a bit more comfortable among elves, dwarves, and gnomes than their own kith. This is an illusion, however; those other races will see the opposite tendencies among visiting liminals. Predictably, liminals find the best company among other half-breeds and beings of planar ancestry, finding in them others with the same sense of marginality. Half-elves and half-orcs especially are fast companions, with many liminals seeing them as embodiments of balance between their parent races. However, some rare liminals grow hostile towards other mixed-ancestry folk, seeing in them a perversion of the natural order and the crossing of boundaries not meant to be crossed. The sole exception to these rules seem to be halflings, whose practical outlook and marginal role among larger folk mesh well with liminals' tendency towards objectivity and disconnect from their parent race.
Non-Human Liminals:
The balancing forces of the universe who lend their essence to the blood of liminals do not exclusively favor humans, though the great numbers and potential for varied alignments among humans mean that liminals are indeed most often born to human mothers. Liminals of other races embody the same principles of concordance and balance between the physical and metaphysical, though typically as expressed in their base race. Half-orc and half-elf liminals favor neither ancestral race, their features giving the immediate impression of a perfect balance between human and non-human. Dwarven liminals often have bodies that seem to be stony below the waist, and colored like the sky above it, as if their forms were mountain peaks reaching into the sky; indeed, they tend to have an un-dwarven fondness for stargazing and watching clouds. Of the less common humanoids, those that thrive on the periphery of other races—catfolk, tengu, and ratfolk in particular—sometimes produce liminals, and the connection lizardfolk have to the balance of the natural world means that liminal births among their tribes are not unknown.
Non-human liminals have the same base statistics as human liminals, with the exception of size; a gnomish liminal is Small but possesses the same statistics and abilities as a human liminal, with the differences being only in outward appearance. Non-human liminals do not possess any of the racial abilities of their base race; however, they are typically raised within the same culture as members of their base race, and usually adopt the same fighting style, train with the same weapons and armor, and learn the same skills.
Alignment and Religion
Liminals are typically of neutral alignment, though many tend towards law or chaos, and others towards good or evil. It is not unheard of, however, for an individual liminal to find themselves of a less moderate mindset, favoring two extremes in moral and ethical alignment. Even so, the great majority of liminals favor deities of balance, the natural world, or dualistic concepts like life and death. Some also find themselves drawn to faiths of knowledge and invention, or primal deities and ancient fey gods. Especially popular is the dualistic Gozreh, with many liminals finding meaningful symbolism in the transition between surf and sky.
Adventurers
Liminals often become adventurers, whether out of a need to experience the vast scope of the wider world, or even encouragement from their home community to go out and act on their behalf. Liminals make for intuitive rogues and rangers and uncanny witches, and those who embrace their spiritual nature make for wise clerics and powerful druids.
Ability Score Racial Traits: Liminals are intuitive and graceful, but their nature as something in-between mortality and outsiders makes their connection to life tenuous at times. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, and -2 Constitution.
Type: Liminals are outsiders with the native subtype.
Size: Liminals are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Liminals have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Liminals begin play speaking Common. Liminals with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Defense Racial Traits
Liminal Resistance: Liminals have cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Skill bonus: Liminals have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.
Magical Racial Traits
Spell-like ability: Liminals can use zone of truth once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to the liminal's class level).
Senses Racial Traits
Darkvision: Liminals have darkvision 60 ft. (they can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.)
Alternate Racial Traits:
The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.
Advanced Light and Dark A liminal's intermediate role in the cosmos means that they sometimes walk the boundaries of life and death. Three times per day as an immediate action, a liminal with this racial trait can treat positive and negative energies as if it were an undead creature, taking damage from positive energy and healing damage from negative energy. This supernatural ability lasts for 1 minute once activated. This racial trait replaces liminal resistance.
Cosmic Visage Some liminals have eyes that seem to open onto the depths of the universe, starry voids occasionally marred by the passage of comets and the flaring light of novas. When making eye contact, they gain a +4 bonus to Intimidate checks. This racial trait replaces skill bonus.
Lesser Envisaging Liminals with hereditary connections to aeons and related beings possess a limited form of the ability of those creatures to communicate thoughts. Once per day as a free action, a liminal with this racial trait may communicate with a single creature by telepathically projecting images and sounds; this ability cannot target any creature immune to mind-affecting effects. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.
Liminal Magic A liminal with this racial trait with a Charisma score of 11 or higher gain the following spell-like abilities (the caster level is equal to the user's character level):
1/day—comprehend languages, deathwatch, sanctuary, share languages
This racial trait replaces the
Lifebound The connection of liminals to cosmic forces ensures that they resist death; they gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws made to resist death effects, saving throws against negative energy effects, Fortitude saves made to remove negative levels, and Constitution checks made to stabilize if reduced to negative hit points. This racial trait replaces liminal resistance.
Symmetrical Grip Many liminals have perfectly balanced features, but a rare few show this symmetry on more than one axis; not only are they ambidextrous, but their feet can function as hands. When in a prone position or while balancing on one foot (DC 10, DC 15 to perform complex actions), a liminal with this racial trait can wield weapons or hold items with their feet so long as they are not wearing shoes; attacks made with feet in this manner take a -10 penalty even if the liminal is not wielding any other weapons. Liminals with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus to Climb checks, and may switch which hand is treated as their off hand as a move action. This racial trait replaces skill bonus.
awesome i love the theme and actually planned on doing some North American campaign stuff after assasins creed three came out so this is quite helpful
Glad you enjoyed it! Here's another one, an advanced race (should work out to about 20 RP by ARG standards, perhaps a little more) created to be antagonists in a campaign I'm preparing. They're heavily based on science fiction and conspiracy theories, so don't be surprised if this smacks a bit of V, the Chitauri, or a rant your estranged great uncle went off on the last time he was invited over:
Reptoids (H. varanidensis):
You are the heir of hatred. Countless epochs ago, your ancestors diverged from humanity by becoming more like reptiles, though the exact cause is lost to legends. Some say that the cause was allegiance to a reptilian god cast out by the other deities of humanity, others tell of a curse wrought upon your people by an enemy nation of wizards, and still others claim that your kind are the true race of humans, and all others are stunted mutants stuck in mammalian form. Whatever the cause, you have grown up with a racial hatred and mistrust of ordinary humans and their allies. While past generations of reptoids were reduced to small numbers in secret wars against humanity, your people have learned the art of subterfuge, relying on your innate shapeshifting and a spiteful study of human instincts in order to infiltrate human society.
Placed in key positions–both those of great power, and the most unassuming roles–you and your kin subtly influence the course of human culture to bring it to destruction, even if the exact reasons are forgotten.
Although united by loathing of humans and plan of infiltration, reptoids are just as varied and diverse as your hated kin, and show a surprising range of possible features and personalities. In your natural form, you resemble a towering reptilian humanoid of at least eight feet in height, though your exact features may only be in common with your close family; you might possess slit or rounded pupils, a prominent dewlap or spiny fin, or bulbous batrachian lips. Your tail may be short and plump, or long and whiplike; your color can be anything from shades of green to gray, pitch black, or reddish earthy tones, and may be speckled or striped with other colors as well. You are especially likely to resemble only your mother, as reptoids can produce parthenogenetically, not needing the contributions of a male to bear viable children.
Although your ability to conceal your identity is a potent weapon, so too are your very humors; reptoid saliva and blood contains a highly virulent cocktail of diseases to which they are naturally immune. In their human disguises, this often leads reptoids to become "Patient Zero" for outbreaks of diseases, a role that the crueler members of this species relish.
Reptoid Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Reptoid characters gain a +2 racial bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Size: Reptoids are Large creatures, and receive a -1 size bonus to their AC, a -1 size bonus on attack rolls, a +1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a -4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Base Speed: 30 ft.
Language: Reptoids begin place speaking their own secret language of hisses and gestures (transliterated simply as "Reptoid"), and one human language. Reptoid characters with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Bite: Reptoids have a natural bite attack (1d4 plus poison [see below]). The bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the creature is wielding manufactured weapons.
Breath Weapon: Once per day, as a standard action, a reptoid can make an extraordinary breath weapon attack, spitting a 10 ft. line of venom. All creatures within the affected area must make a Reflex saving throw to avoid being hit. The save DC against this breath weapon is 10 + 1/2 the user's character level + the user's Constitution modifier. Those who succeed at the save are untouched; otherwise, they contract Reptoid venom (see below).
Human Form: A reptoid character can assume the appearance of a single unique human, becoming a Medium-size creature and losing its size-based bonuses and penalties. The form is static and cannot be changed each time it takes this form. The reptoid gains a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to appear as a human. Changing its shape is a standard action. This trait otherwise functions as alter self, save that the creature does not adjust its ability scores.
Inborn Loathing: Reptoids are so innately disgusted by humans, that a reptoid character who attempts to perform an action that directly benefits at least one human at a cost to itself takes a -2 racial penalty to this action.
Plagueborn: Reptoid characters +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, and becoming nauseated or sickened.
Silver Tongued: Reptoid characters gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Bluff checks. In addition, when they use Diplomacy to shift a creature's attitude, they can do so up to three steps up rather than just two.
Toxic: A number of times per day equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day), a reptoid can envenom a weapon that they wield with their toxic saliva or blood (using blood requires the reptoid to be injured when he uses this ability). Applying venom in this way is a swift action.
Reptoid Venom: Contact; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the reptoids's Hit Dice + the reptoid's Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con; cure 1 save.
The Truth About Reptoids- DC 30 Knowledge (Arcana) check:
At least in the (Earth-based) campaign I'm working on, the ultimate origin of the Reptoids is that they are descended from the humans of Antichthon, the Counter-Earth, deliberately altered by the asura rana Pancavissa, the Father of Plagues, and given false (and often conflicting) memories of suffering at the hands of humanity and its gods in order to act as a weapon against them.
Quick question, why does the NG goddess of Death have Undead subdomain? Just curious to the story behind it.
Two reasons: first, I tend to ignore the characterization/rulings that undead, negative energy, and necromancy are innately evil when I'm worldbuilding or DMing. Second, the Death domain's Bleeding Touch granted power was not what I wanted to evoke with Asphodelos's clerics. Given a little time, I may create a different subdomain ("Shades" or something like that) to better reflect benevolent rule over the dead.
I suppose one could also call it an artifact of assuming a dead god's portfolio, as well....
In developing my North American-styled homebrew setting, I decided two things relating to religion: that there is a cultural analogue to Christianity, and that it does not teach that it is the only true religion. This left room open for other pantheons, which worked out well, because I also wanted to have a nod to the influence of ancient Greece and Rome on the art and philosophy of the US, leading to the creation of a pantheon of original deities.
I went with original ones for several reasons, mostly personal, but I also wanted to try to avoid falling into the trap of creating an original pantheon that was full of gods real people would never choose to worship (a pretty common problem with pantheons in games, in my opinion). I hope I've achieved something that seems organic, while still being original and useful for games.
I welcome comments, criticisms, corrections of typos, and use of these in your own games!
Asphodelos, Flower of the Underworld:
ASPHODELOS (THEOI KTHONIOI) Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: The afterlife,
Domains: Death (Undead subdomain only), Healing, Plant, Repose, Scalykind
Symbol: A stalk of asphodel
Favored Weapon: Trident
Eighty years ago, the original gods of the dead fell in battle, becoming mere shades lost among the throngs of the afterlife; in the confusion that followed, the nymph of the flower asphodel has risen to a position of authority, her role as feeder of the multitudes of spirits placing her in a position of recognition. The reprecussions of this are still being felt among mortals, who are struggling to deal with revisions to ancient temples and determining proper rites, while the ascended goddess copes with her new position.
Avissa, Queen of the Wine-Dark Sea:
AVISSA (THEOI KTHONIOI) Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: The ocean, springs, deep caverns, secret lore, the depths of the night sky
Domains: Earth (Caves subdomain only) Knowledge, Rune, Water, Void (Dark Tapestry subdomain only)
Symbol: A hand with two fingers pointing downwards
Favored Weapon: Harpoon
The strange and unpredictable goddess of the deepest seas and darkest pits is also the ruler of the dark spaces between the stars. She is said to have borne children by Kyranos–the lesser gods Ephialti and Kuon–as well as (somehow) by the goddess Polias Zea: the goddess of alleyways and secret passages, Dioda. This has made her a patroness of forbidden romances; however, she is also said to have many stranger children, monsters and abominations not easily defined, and to be the creatrix of hags, and is thusly feared.
Deiros Pater, the Mountain Father:
DEIROS (NONATHEOI) Alignment: True Neutral
Portfolio: Fatherhood, rulership, wealth, thieves and beggars
Domains: Air, Community, Earth, Nobility, Trickery
Symbol: A staff with a cap of unpolished gold
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
Deiros is the god of high mountains, and as such is the ruler of the city of the gods, Korife. However, he is also said to be fond of sneaking out in disguise and acting like a common beggar, or attempting to steal from his own vaults and treasuries by sneaking past his cloud giant guards in the form of a mortal.
Cauyo, The Sun That Shines Over All:
CAUYO (PROTOGENOI) Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Light, heat, judgement, balance, medicine, herbs
Domains: Fire, Glory, Healing, Law, Sun
Symbol: A sunburst
Favored Weapon: Kukri
Cauyo (spelled Kauio in older texts) is the ancient embodiment of the blazing sun, particularly when highest in the sky. She is seen as a stern goddess, whose wrath burns to ash, and whose distance in cold winter bites just as viciously, yet who is also beloved of plants, and whose light warms and cheers. Oaths sworn in Cauyo's name are taken most seriously of all, for far too often are violators known to combust in the rays of the sun.
Ceraunos, The Wandering Champion:
CERAUNOS (NONATHEOI) Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Heroism, travellers and nomadic peoples, thunderstorms, lightning, goatherds
Domains: Glory, Liberation, Strength, Travel, Weather
Symbol: A stormcloud
Favored Weapon: Greataxe
Among the nine gods of Korife, Ceraunos is the most beloved by the common folk: a boisterous, fun-loving god believed to often appear among mortals in pursuit of adventure or pleasure, his appetites are just as legendary as his storied deeds.
Exypne, Skillful Creatrix:
EXYPNE (NONATHEOI) Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Crafts, machinery, fishing, magic, inspiration
Domains: Artifice, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Trickery
Symbol: A net
Favored Weapon: Snag net
When the gods created mortals, Exypne designed their hands and fingers (and their tongues, some jest with a wink), and when she saw that their clever but slender hands were ill-suited for catching game, she taught them to make nets, and how to speak the correct words and motion properly to cast spells. Her creations are numerous, and it is said her mansion in the city of the gods is littered with half-finished devices ranging from the simple to the unspeakably wonderous, overseen by inevitables and axiomites who eternally labor to bring some organization to it.
Kyranos, The Master of Bloodlust:
KYRANOS (NONATHEOI) Alignment: Chaotic Evil (Clerics may be any alignment)
Portfolio: Berserker rages, destruction of evil
Domains: Death, Destruction, Madness, Protection, War
Symbol: The severed head of a demon
Favored Weapon: Falcata
Among the nine gods of Korife, Kyranos is something of an oddity, a plainly wicked god who is none the less seen as necessary, unleashed upon the enemies of the gods in order to destroy them utterly. Indeed, many of his clerics pray to keep his influence at bay, rather than to invite his power. Despite his murderous madness, Kyranos is said to dearly love his fellow gods of Korife, and to despise other evildoers; clerics speak of visions of him wearing the still-bleeding hides of fiends who thought to seek his allegiance.
Menos, the Moon:
MENOS (NONATHEOI) Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: The moon, the tides, the night sky, revelry
Domains: Chaos (Whimsy subdomain only), Darkness (Moon subdomain only), Void, Water
Symbol: A silver disc
Favored Weapon: Shortbow
Among the primal protogenoi, Menos is the only one to have deigned to join the younger gods in Korife, and enjoys a position of high status as one of the Nonatheoi ruling the city. Often appearing as a handsome young man made of nebulous darkness with one eye held shut and the other gleaming silver, he is known to have many dalliances with mortals, and few of his priests cannot think of a time when their relationship with their god has become more intimate.
Polias Zea; Magna Thea, the Great Goddess of the City:
POLIAS ZEA (NONATHEOI) Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Knowledge, love, family, tactics, defense, cities
Domains: Charm, Community, Knowledge, Protection, War (Tactics subdomain only)
Symbol: A drafting compass
Favored Weapon: Longspear
Popularly known simply as Zea, she has several aspects: maiden, virgin, wife, mother, matron. In all of these, she is portrayed as unusually wise and bright-eyed, prone to investigating things. Myth tells that in the war of the gods, Zea rose from her studies and rallied the other goddesses and the young and elderly of Korife to its defense while the male gods sallied forth. She is said to have had many suitors, heedless of gender, and in her curiosity over the subject created a great tome analyzing matters of love, romance, and lust in systematic detail.
Scula, Veiled Oracle of Kerafi:
SCULA (NONATHEOI) Alignment: TN
Portfolio: Prophecy, birds, divination, marriage
Domains: Animal (Feather subdomain only), Fire (Smoke subdomain only), Knowledge, Rune, Void
Symbol: A strip of hide inscribed with runes
Favored Weapon: War razor
Seer of the sacred fires of the city of the gods, Scula is the wife of Deiros, said to appear clad in animal hides that mask her eyes, yet to move with greater precision and speed than most with eyes unclouded. Her relationship with Deiros is believed to be founded on his inability to fool her, and those hoping to be able to trust their spouses often consult priests and oracles of Scula, waiting their turn among philosophers and lesser spellcasters.
Thumos, Breath of the Earth:
THUMOS (TITAN) Alignment: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Volcanos, dragons
Domains: Earth, Evil, Fire, Scalykind, Weather
Symbol: A piece of volcanic stone
Favored Weapon: Terbutje
The dragon-titan, Thumos is the ancient enemy of the gods. Although driven down into the earth in mythic times, it is said that this obsidian-scaled horror remains in the depths of the planet, mellowed by time and defeat from a force of pure destruction into one of smoldering hatred, whose plots reach throughout the centuries. Many lesser dragon-cults are in actuality fronts for his worship, with few but the highest initiates aware of the truth.
Thymomeni, Wrath of the Divine:
THYMOMENI (NONATHEOI) Alignment: Lawful Evil (Clerics may be any alignment)
Portfolio: Punishment of oathbreakers, blasphemers, and heretics
Domains: Death, Destruction, Glory, Evil (Fear subdomain only), Luck (Curse subdomain only)
Symbol: A broken chain
Favored Weapon: Spiked chain
Like Kyranos, Thymomeni is an evildoer among good gods, yet her character is more reserved and even seen as noble in purpose. In ages past, Thymomeni unwittingly betrayed secrets of the city of the gods to its enemies, and as sentence swore to act as the agent of divine justice. Embodying the notion of evil acts for good purposes, her creations–the kytons–specialize in tormenting the most evil of souls in the afterlife, and it is said that she personally rides forth astride a cowed demon in order to punish those who steal from temples of the gods.
Tryfilli, The Thriceformed God:
TRIFYLLI (NONATHEOI) Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Animals, cowherds, beauty, plants, snakes
Domains: Animal, Charm, Earth, Plant, Scalykind
Symbol: A wreath of clover
Favored Weapon: Sickle
A deity of plants and animals both domesticated and wild, Trifylli often appears to worshippers in three aspects, as a satyr, nymph, and an androgynous faun clad in green. A pastoral deity, they are favored by farmers, rangers, and druids; this has brought their faithful into conflict with the ruling class of Hyraxia and its colonies (including the states of Nueva Rhoa), where satyrs and fauns are deemed low-caste.
The primary homebrew setting I tinker with on and off–I only ever actually had a group to play in it with back in the pre-Pathfinder RPG days, sadly–is based in North American folklore, history, and urban legends. There's a lot of influence from Northern Crown, though the many innovative things Pathfinder does with monster roles were also a major factor.
Some place-name notes: Terrapinia is the continent analogous to North America, Pasipha is the European analogue, Hyraxia is a powerful Pasiphan nation dominated by monstrous humanoids (where humans and gnomes are second-class citizens at best, leading many to emigrate to Hyraxian colonies in Terrapinia), and Calafia is an island nation (based on the legends of California as an island) of amazons whose griffon-riding warriors defend huge natural deposits of rare metals.
The Arimaspoi are less directly based in N.A. lore, but were instead a natural extension of the development of the setting, while the Nibinabeg (sing. Nibinabe, pronounced nih-bee-nah-bay) are derived directly from lore of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Menominee, and other related cultures.
ARIMASPOI
You court danger. Legend tells that the one-eyed arimaspoi were once nothing more than a race of nocturnal nomads, until they ran afoul of some hungry griffons, which devoured the prize stallions of the high chief. When the high chief's kin hunted down and killed the griffons in revenge, they discovered a tremendous cache of treasure. Ever since then, every arimaspi trains from childhood to battle griffons (and other flying magical beasts) and win treasure, making an entire race devoted to adventuring. Until recently, this has meant that their numbers were few, but the Hyraxian queens have gathered as many arimaspoi as they could in order to battle the griffon-riding armies of Calafia and conquer western Terrapinia. Offered the chance for fame and fortune utilizing your traditional skills skills, you or your parents jumped at the opportunity to cross the ocean- or maybe to just get away from the monsters dominating Hyraxia, some of whom remind you a little too much of griffons.
Arimaspoi have the following racial traits:
Ability Scores: Dex +2, Wis +2, Cha -2. Arimaspoi are nimble and perceptive, but their singlemindedness makes them impersonal.
Size: Medium
Type: Humanoid (Arimaspi)
Base Speed: 30 ft.
Languages: Arimaspoi begin play speaking Hyraxian (substitute w/ Common). Those with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Astrenika, Calafian, Nivardais, Pahawichasa, Ohodamnoki, Shuro, or Verdanian (substitute w/ Auran, Giant, Gnomish, Goblin, Elven, Sphinx, and Sylvan).
Ancient Foe: Arimaspoi get a +2 dodge bonus to AC against magical beasts, and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple creatures of that type.
Greed: Arimaspoi get a +2 bonus on Appraise checks to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light blinds arimaspoi for 1 round; on subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
Skill Bonus: Arimaspoi get a +2 bonus to Ride and Stealth checks
Sky Sentinel: Arimaspoi gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls, a +2 dodge bonus to AC, and a +2 bonus on Perception checks against flying creatures. In addition, enemies on higher ground gain no attack roll bonus against arimaspi characters.
NIBINABEG
You are the soul of the rivers. As a nibinabe, you greatly resemble the merfolk of the ocean, but you are a creature of freshwater rather than the salty oceans. While legend tells that you and your kin can command terrible storms, the truth of the matter is that your innate powers of weather manipulation are much more limited, and while your senses are well-suited to life underwater, they put you at a disadvantage in the open air, especially with loud noises like thunder.
Nibinabeg have the following racial traits:
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom. Nibinabeg are flexible and possess great knowledge, but their senses are specialized for being underwater, and they are easily frightened.
Size: Nibinabeg are Medium creatures.
Type: Humanoid (Aquatic)
Base Speed: Nibinabeg have a base land speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumberance. They have a swim speed of 50 feet, and receive a +8 racial bonus to Swim checks.
Languages: Nibinabeg begin play speaking Neshnaabemowin (substitute w/ Common) and their own language, Nibinabemowin. Nibinabeg with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Griserlander, Kanuhsaka, Nivardais, Nunaruktitut, or Verdanian (substitute w/ Aquan, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Elven, Halfling, and Sylvan).
Camouflage: Nibinabeg gain a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks while in or on water.
Skill Training: Knowledge (nature) and Survival are always class skills for nibinabeg.
Water Sense: Nibinabeg can sense vibrations in water, giving them blindsense 30 ft. against creatures that are touching the same body of water.
Slapping Tail: Nibinabe can use their tails to make attacks of opportunity with a reach of 5 feet. The tail is a natural attack that deals 1d8points of damage.
Amphibious: Nibinabeg are amphibious and can breathe both air and freshwater. They cannot easily breathe saltwater, and must hold their breath or make a DC 30 Fortitude save to avoid becoming sickened for each round they attempt to breathe saltwater, plus 1d4 rounds after leaving a saltwater environment.
Nibinabe Magic: Nibinabeg add +1 to the DC of any saving throws against spells they cast that affect the weather. Nibinabeg with Charisma scores of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day— alter winds, read weather, obscuring mist. The caster level for these effects is equal to the nibinabe's level. The DC for these spells is equal to 10 + the spell's level + the nibinabe's Charisma modifier.
Sensitive Hearing: Abrupt exposure to loud noises (including being hit by an attack dealing sonic damage) deafens nibinabeg for 1 round; on subsequent rounds, they are shaken as long as they remain in the affected area.
Other races in the works: Gobkin (half-goblinoid race), Skookums (kin to sasquatches), and Thunderers (beings of northeastern woodland folklore). Comments, critiques, and identification of problems are welcome!
