Ydersius' Followers?

[Paris Crenshaw]

Re-posting due to original being eaten:

Looking at the 13 August Paizo Blog, I was struck by the near-perfect fit for Ydersius as a motivating force behind a campaign arc I'm working on. However, as I began to jot down some notes, a thought occurred to me...who on Golarion worships the Headless King?

It would seem that he would be a perfect deity for the Yuan-ti. The only problem is that yuan-ti aren't OGL property. So, what's the alternative?

Whatever they are, they need to be smart and powerful enough to go up against the Azlanti (even if they lost). The only underground reptilian monster in the SRD is the troglodyte. The possibility exists that trogs on Golarion are a devolved race descended from the ancient enemy of Azlant, and they will likely fill a supporting role in my campaign. However, I'd prefer something more nefarious and, well, cool as the story's prime antagonists. I'm thinking maybe nagas would be a good option...but that's just my first thought.

Wes, can you or any of the Paizo staffers give me a little clue as to the most likely candidates? I'm also happy to hear the thoughts from fans...especially if they can point me to OGL options in other sources. Thanks!

[Paris Crenshaw]

Any thoughts at all?

[Set]

For that sort of thing, I use the Serpentfolk, from Green Ronin's Freeport modules. I like them a lot more than the Yuan-Ti, actually.

[Paris Crenshaw]

Thanks, Set. It's funny you should mention that, since my Google search for "d20 serpent race" yielded a link to the Freeport Trilogy on RPGNOW. Is that race available anywhere else?

[Demiurge 1138]

Naga would be neat, but James Jacobs has already said that the Second Darkness AP will have serpentfolk in it at some point.

As an aside, does Ydersius remind anyone else of Sertrous, the First Heretic from Elder Evils? Giant snake-demon, severed head, written by James Jacobs...

[Paris Crenshaw]

Serpentfolk in Second Darkness, huh? I missed that. It would explain why the Headless King received blog attention at this point. Still, it plays right into my hands. I just need to find out if SD's serpentfolk will be the same as Green Ronin's serpentfolk. If so, then I'll pick up the Freeport stuff. If not, I'll wait until they show up in Second Darkness. Since it's a play-by-post campaign, it'll probable be months before the creatures' true identity becomes an issue anyway.

As for Ydersius' earlier incarnations...I wouldn't be surprised if there are common details, probably stemming from a real-world influence.

EDIT: Okay...so I broke down and got the Freeport Trilogy PDF. I couldn't stand to wait to see an example of a non-Yuan-ti serpent person. ;)

[IconoclasticScream]

Given the love being shown to the Mythos entities, my first thought was that Ydersius was going to be some sort of analog to Yig, or possibly worshiped by a counterpart of Howard's Serpent People.

[Paris Crenshaw]

So, I did a little digging and came up with this:

Baria

Looks like Mr. Jacobs has been working on this snake deity at least since 2003.

Thanks for sharing your campaign seeds with us, James. I just hope that I don't have to deal with any "snake-handling" quotes in my campaign. ;)

And, yes, ICS, your guess is correct...Yig is involved.

[Paris Crenshaw]

In keeping with the great service from Paizo, James was kind enough to share some information with me concerning the Headless King's followers, so I thought I'd pass on what he told me, for those who may be interested.

Ydersius is an incarnation of a deity that James used in a previous campaign of his creation. He was, in fact, a "stand-in" for Yig. (It appears the campaign was related to The Freeport Trilogy adventures.)

Ydersius' followers are, in fact, a race of serpentfolk, but will be slightly different from those created by Green Ronin.

There is no direct connection between Ydersius and the Great Old Ones, but, to use James' words, "he's certainly Great Old One-friendly." (I wouldn't really call that "friendly," but I get his meaning. ;)

Ydersius and the serpentfolk should receive more treatment in "Into the Darklands."

So, that's the latest scoop for those who are interested. It's really cool that James would take the time to answer questions in support of just any old customer's home campaign. Yet another example of the awesome relationship Paizo maintains with its clients.

Thanks, James! I look forward to sharing the tales of terror I'll be weaving with your creations.

[James Jacobs]

Demiurge 1138 wrote:

Naga would be neat, but James Jacobs has already said that the Second Darkness AP will have serpentfolk in it at some point.

As an aside, does Ydersius remind anyone else of Sertrous, the First Heretic from Elder Evils? Giant snake-demon, severed head, written by James Jacobs...

There certainly is a little bit of Ydrsius in Sertrous! Good eye!

[IconoclasticScream]

You know, I'm loving all the winks and nods to the Mythos in Pathfinder. Just as long as we don't ever have to deal with a Y'golonac-type, because... eww.

[Paris Crenshaw]

Thanks for the tip on the Elder Evils reference, IS! I can definitely borrow some concepts...and maybe some maps, too...for my campaign.