There is a small problem that starts in Legacy of Fire and appears to continue from that point on.
Namely, where is the "Vancaskerkin" relative for that adventure?
Question to ponder.
What "ethnicity" is Vancaskerkin? The name sounds "Old English" as do "Orik" and "Verik". "Saul" is of course, Hebrew, but we know that Biblical names became popular in Britain in the Middle Ages.
But, Vancaskerkin is not Chelaxian since it is not Roman (or even Italian) based. It is also not Ulfen since it is not from any of the Norse Languages (Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish).
The reason I ask is that we are planning a "Legacy of Fire" campaign, and I intend to correct the deficiency by making my character a "Vancaskerkin" but I am trying to figure what his starting languages would be?
If I remember correctly Vancaskerkin's are supposed to show up mostly in APs set in Varisia.LOF isn't in Varisa, niether is KingMaker or COTNamely, where is the "Vancaskerkin" relative for that adventure?
Exactly the problem.
Since there was a Vancaskerkin in each of ...
There needs to be a Vancaskerkin in ...
There is a Varisian in LoF--Almah Roveshki. Just change her last name. Or perhaps her mother was a Vancaskerkin that married a Roveshki...
Creative Director
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Question to ponder.
What "ethnicity" is Vancaskerkin? The name sounds "Old English" as do "Orik" and "Verik". "Saul" is of course, Hebrew, but we know that Biblical names became popular in Britain in the Middle Ages.
But, Vancaskerkin is not Chelaxian since it is not Roman (or even Italian) based. It is also not Ulfen since it is not from any of the Norse Languages (Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish).
The reason I ask is that we are planning a "Legacy of Fire" campaign, and I intend to correct the deficiency by making my character a "Vancaskerkin" but I am trying to figure what his starting languages would be?
Saying "ALL Chelaxian names must be Roman" is unnecessarily limiting. In fact, we usually try to avoid ever printing things like that, where we say unequivocally that "All" of things are something, since that limits us in the future as to what we can do.
In any event, Vancaskerkin is a Taldan name.
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Creative Director
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As for the Vancaskerkin story, here it is in condensed form.
I knew that the first few Adventure Paths were going to be set in Varisia, but whether that equated tot he first 2, 3, 4, or 5, I wasn't sure until we decided to shift away from that region with Legacy of Fire.
Since all of the Varisia APs were set in the same region, but were by design NOT set in the same specific areas (so that we wouldn't have to do anything about deciding which adventure's events take place "first" and to avoid stepping on toes from other adventures), I wanted to have some ways to make these APs feel, thematically, like they were all in the same area. Setting them all in Varisia was one way to do this.
The Vancaskerkins were another way. The whole tale of how the family fell apart is something that you have to read (parts of) all three of the first APs to get. By splitting the family up, the events that surround each member are like ships in bottles; they can unravel in any order without really impacting the other two.
If, in the future, we go back and do yet ANOTHER AP set in Varisia, I may well put another Vancaskerkin in... but that's unlikely since by the time we were working on Second Darkness, I knew that the next AP would be on another continent so I kind of "tied off" the Vancaskerkin story, at least in my mind, there.
Question to ponder.
It is also not Ulfen since it is not from any of the Norse Languages (Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish).
btw, Finnish does not belong to North Germanic languages (as those three others do) but to Finno-Ugric languages.
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Creative Director
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Are there any other Easter eggs like this tying APs together?
There's actually a lot of them. Some of them are pretty obvious, but others are pretty obscure. An example:
Amaya, one of the Children of Westcrown mentioned in Pathfinder #25, is related to Ameiko Kaijitsu, one of the more important characters in Rise of the Runelords (particularly in "Burnt Offerings.").
I often throw in easter eggs like this to make the APs, as far-flung as they might be, feel like they're all set in the same world. And sometimes I put in easter eggs that don't look back to a previous AP, but actually look forward to one we haven't yet published but will in the future some day.
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Are there any other Easter eggs like this tying APs together?There's actually a lot of them. Some of them are pretty obvious, but others are pretty obscure. An example:
Amaya, one of the Children of Westcrown mentioned in Pathfinder #25, is related to Ameiko Kaijitsu, one of the more important characters in Rise of the Runelords (particularly in "Burnt Offerings.").
I often throw in easter eggs like this to make the APs, as far-flung as they might be, feel like they're all set in the same world. And sometimes I put in easter eggs that don't look back to a previous AP, but actually look forward to one we haven't yet published but will in the future some day.
Ironically, the one example you pick is one that I picked up on. Now you're making me reread all of the adventures...
Kingmaker GMs should check out ...
Serpent's Skull GM's should also check out ...
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Saying "ALL Chelaxian names must be Roman" is unnecessarily limiting. In fact, we usually try to avoid ever printing things like that, where we say unequivocally that "All" of things are something, since that limits us in the future as to what we can do.
Yeah; remember that Cheliax is / was an empire (and before that was part of the Taldan empire); it is entirely likely that the country once consisted of dozens, if not hundreds of tribes, city states and petty kingdoms, each with their own customs, naming traditions and languages. The Italian / Roman sounding names and words used around Westcrown probably derive from one local culture / tradition / language that has been assimilated into what is now Cheliax. Different parts of Cheliax probably have their own naming traditions, as evidenced by names such as Egorian, Abrogail Thrune, and even Westcrown which (to my ears at least) do not have that ‘Italian’ sound.
Curse of the Crimson Throne GMs should note....
I've got my group set now for Serpent's Skull with Saul Vancaskerkin Jr., or "Junior" for short, as my lovable neutral good rogue.
Thanks for the good idea!
I've got my group set now for Serpent's Skull with Saul Vancaskerkin Jr., or "Junior" for short, as my lovable neutral good rogue.
Thanks for the good idea!
It is especially interresting for this one because one of the starting point is in Varisia, or the "Stow Away" background, expecially with the idea of a youth running from Zincher's vengence. (oooh ... I like that one myself.)