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To put another twist on what some have been saying above, Arooden could be Golarion's Metro Man . . .
(But then, who is Golarion's Megamind?)
I haven't read the whole topic yet, so here are the ones
I personally came up with.
Aroden When the other gods were pressuring him to not create his age of glory because of cosmic balance and stuff, he ascended to gain greater understanding. He decided to focus his now more subtle powers into the starstone making it a route to godhood. Soon there will be enough gods to rip Rovagug to pieces in a true armageddon.
Ex Libis The secret library has been collecting witnesses to history as long as, well only know how they were founded. They have vampires, demi litches, book's that talk, and ioun stones that contain memories of the long dead civilizations that crafted them. The Pathfinder Society view them as friendly enemies, because they regard truth as more valuable than anything.
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Consort of The Apocalypse
On occasion, one of Rovagug's worshippers will be struck with an overwhelming desire to kidnap a cleric of another faith, not to slay outright, but to question incessantly. The questions are a strange ramble, starting off with questions related to memories of childhood, then of love, then of geography, then ending with fevered accusations of infidelity before beginning to torture or attack the cleric in question. It was when the gods held a Convocation that they realized all of their servants were being attacked erratically but in greater frequency. Asmodeus, Lamashtu, and Pharasma, who had called the Convocation, put forth the idea that Rovagug was searching for his mate- an entity that split away from him in the Time Before Time- and drove him hopelessly mad in the process. The assembled divinities were in an uproar at the news and only grew more agitated when Asmodeus dropped the bombshell that the Consort of the Apocalpyse was somewhere in their pantheon.
Abadar
Abadar was aghast at this declaration, but knew something was up when Asmodeus was there intermediating between a god and a demon queen, completing the divine/profane triumvirate(god, demon, devil). He works eagerly with the other gods to find the Consort of the Apocalypse, even working with those whom he privately suspects might be Rovagug's Mate, primarily due to the immense amount of faith he has in the contract and Asmodeus' speech(he knows of his quirk). Abadar has one of his divine servants and exactly 3.14% of his clergy dedicated to the search. He most readily suspects Urgathoa and Lamashtu of being the Profane Consort, and is working on a divine crossbow made of unique metals that he believes will allow him to cripple any god or kill Lamashtu specifically if she is indeed the Consort. While he is not sexist per se, he does not believe the Consort could be male.
If he is indeed the Consort, then he represents Rovagug's other half- creation in the face of destruction. He will willingly sacrifice himself to bring peace to Rovagug and the world.
Asmodeus
As one of the gods who called the Convocation, Asmodeus takes this very seriously. He has a special wing of Hellknights created- the darkly entitled Order of Chastity- to search on the mortal world, and has his profane agents search on other planes of existence. Still, he has absolute faith in the prison he has constructed, and focuses on keeping Rovagug contained for now. It should be noted that Asmodeus has also begun construction of a Golden Fiddle not long after the Convocation. Asmodeus does not believe the consort could be male, and he suspects all female deities equally. He is considering letting the real location of Rovagug's prison slip so he can confront the traitoress directly.
It is highly unlikely that he is the Consort, but if he is, he has constructed the Golden Fiddle not to control Rovagug but to lull him into sleep so he can merge with it and eliminate all that exists, and start a new pantheon with him at the head.
Calistria
Calistria was not overly concerned with the information presented, and does not have any outstanding theories of who the Profane Consort might be. She does not join in any searches for the Consort, although she does not bar any of her servants or clergy from joining in any investigations. She feels the consort is probably a jilted or wronged lover of some sort and will reveal themselves to her in time, as they will seek revenge.
If she is the Consort, nothing else changes. She has no desire to see Rovagug freed, nor does she desire to merge with him, even as the dominant half of the amalgamation. While she does not remember why exactly, she is confident she is punishing him for some great offense. Should her anger soften, she may pay him a conjugal visit, but nothing more.
Cayden Cailean
Cayden was shocked sober at the news( for a few moments anyway), and actively searches for the Profane Consort with the aid of all of his servants and all but his most neophyte priests- about 70% of those he directly and divinely empowers take part in the search. He is privately terrified that one of his friends or lovers could be the Consort, although he most readily suspects the "usual suspects"- Urgathoa or Lamashtu. He could also see a goddess that rejects his(not necessarily erotic) company for unusual reasons might have something to hide(he is wise enough to realize that this might be jealousy talking, but if he is well and truly drunk...). He also suspects Zon Kuthon is somehow involved.
As an ascended, it is highly unlikely that he is the consort, but if he were to be, it would explain why he passed the test of the Starstone even while drunk. Inebriation keeps him muddled enough (drink to forget!) to keep him from seeking Rovagug out, but should he well and truly sober up, he will discover that he is the sliver of goodness that was within Rovagug made sentient, and if this is shared with Sarenrae, she will encourage him to merge with Rovagug of his own free will to redeem it.
Desna
Horrified and disgusted at the news, Desna will work with the gods to find the Profane Consort and and will have some of her faithful on the mortal plane join in the search. She openly suspects Lamashtu of being the Consort, but also believes Zon Kuthon. She is privately terrified that Ghlaunder may be the Consort.
If she is in fact the Consort, it will be because the relationship she had with Rovagug grew abusive and she needed to get away. In splitting from Rovagug, she became a goddess of freedom incarnate, and she will nto want to go back to a bad relationship. She will leave this plane entirely rather than go back to/merge with Rovagug.
If Ghulander is the Consort, then Ghulander, Lamashtu, and Rovagug will actually be a tryptarch being composed of Dark King, Queen, and Regent, and she will need to seek out a mate to complete the trinity. Alternatively, she will hunt Ghulander down and kill him, and then commit suicide after dividing her portfolio amongst her friends, although she will invest a great deal of time and energy into bringing Dou Bral back.
Erastil
Noble Erastil was saddened at this news, and seeks out the Profane Consort as if it were a mad beast that needed to be put down. He assigns his divine servants to seek it out moreso than his mortal clergy- less than 10% of his clerics, paladins and druids participate in the search. He privately enjoys this hunt, as he believes the Consort to be Lamashtu, who slew his mate. Calistria knows of Erastil's urges for vengeance, and has been attempting to seduce him for years.
If Erastil is the Consort, then his lover was killed by Lamashtu out of jealousy, and she wanted to "comfort" Erastil in his grief, but she botched the attempt. In this instance, Lamashtu would have divined his identity from Pharasma in exchange for releasing the Undead/Graves domain.
If Erastil discovers this, he will choose to destroy himself rather than merge with Rovagug, but it also may be the case that Erastil cheated on Rovagug with his lover and may choose to merge with him in order to make amends.
Gorum
Although he relishes the idea of fighting the Profane Consort, Gorum is apathetic towards the whole thing. He does not ban his clergy from hunting for the Consort, but he does not have his servants join in the search. Gorum truly does not care who the Consort may or may not be.
If he does turn out to be the Consort, Gorum will not change much. He will fight any who attack him and probably kill them. He does not have any interest in merging with Rovagug, even as the dominant entity- he is what he is, a god of war.
Gozreh
Ancient Gozreh matched only Gorum in their apathy towards the idea of Rovagug's herald being somewhere in the Golarion pantheon. While vehemently opposed to Rovagug, Gozreh simply does not seem to extend this hatred to Rovagug's mate. They only have eyes for Rovagug in this, per se. While their servants are not on the lookout for it, they do not restrict their priests from searching for the Consort- maybe 20% of the clergy gets involved. Gozreh most readily suspects Zon Kuthon, Urgathoa, and Lamashtu of being the consort, but they do not act upon their suspicions- they have all of nature to watch over and indeed call upon should violence occur.
It is unlikely that Gozreh is the Consort, but if they were, then they have no problem with Rovagug being sealed away. Together, they had destroyed and birthed nine times nine universes and destroyed them all- Gozreh sees something here that they want to protect. If attacked, Gozreh will defend themselves as best as possible. If self defense presses Gozreh to desperation, then they will merge with Rovagug as the dominant being and then leave Golarion all together- there are other worlds than these
Iomedae
Iomedae was surprised at this declaration- she always thought Deskari was the greater threat and the true herald of the apocalypse. She recovers from her shock quickly, however, and has her servants, both mortal and divine, aid in the search- roughly 80% of her clergy gets involved. Rovagug is a universal threat, and she treats it as such. Surprising for a deity of her nature, Iomedae suspects all of her fellow gods equally- anyone could be a traitor not just to their pantheon but to reality itself, although she does not let paranoia or worse develop, nor does she become less cordial toward her allies- she is a goddess of valor, not stupidity or naiveté.
As an ascended, it is highly unlikely that Iomedae is the Consort, but if she is, it is because Aroden was before her. Aroden killed himself the instant he discovered all he had done and ever would do was because of power essentially granted by Rovagug. Arazni was not slain by Tar Baphon but similarly killed herself when the Whispering Tyrant revealed this information to her during their battle. She went about her suicide the wrong way, however, becoming a lich as a result(the Bloodstones of Arazni were created as she continually attempted to kill her self over and over again, ripping out her regenerated heart each time). In this scenario, Iomedae will first seek out Arazni, slay her, and then find Rovagug, merge with it, and attempt to commit suicide, perhaps with the help of a friend or two. If attacked for being the herald, she will defend herself through non lethal means- she will need that individual's help to kill her and Rovagug should her plan fail.
Irori
Although Irori met the declaration with his usual serenity on the outside, deep within he is greatly concerned regarding the Consort. He most readily suspects Asmodeus, but also realizes it might *not* be him because of the fact that he announced it to everyone(although he still COULD be...what a riddle!!!), but also believes that one of the Ascended might be the consort as well: a shortcut to divinity for one sundered from their greater self. He has his clergy watch over clergy of other faiths moreso than join a quest or adventure searching for some great beast- about 35% of his faithful make extended visits to friendly churches or infiltrate not-so-friendly ones. His divine servants search independently, travelling about the world and ending up in unusual places. Irori also suspects the "usual suspects" among the pantheon, but would be almost disappointed if it happened to be one of them- how droll...
If Irori is the consort, he would be almost disappointed at the news. He had worked so hard to separate himself from his baser impulses only to discover that they do yet remain in the world in this horrifying form. He will defend himself if attacked, but will not kill his attacker, seeking to disable them instead. He does not wish to merge with his other half in any way, preferring to spend the rest of time in enlightenment. He may seek out Rovagug to destroy it, seeing himself as the enlightened being and Rovagug as some kind of offal. He may also seek to enlighten Rovagug, but he will not merge with it to do so.
Lamashtu
Lamashtu is one of the few beings who knows the identity of the Profane Consort. Lamashtu got this information from Pharasma directly, who knew the lengths Lamashtu would go to to get this information. It is either her or it is not. If it IS her, Lamashtu is overjoyed. She separated from Rovagug because she prefers creation over destruction, being a dark mother at heart. She will not seek to merge with Rovagug or kill him, only seeking him out for his seed to create more spawn. She will merge with him only if she is discovered inflagante indelicante(coitus interrptus), and even then, only to destroy those who discovered them together.
If it is NOT Lamashtu, then she is saddened rather than angered. She will mope, and make at least one halfhearted attempt to seduce the actual Consort(although if it is Shelyn, Lamashtu will stop at nothing to possess or corrupt her), but also might seek to supplant the Consort by seducing Rovagug instead, presuming she can find him. She may also inform other gods third hand(via her servants talking to their servants) of who the consort is and attempt to supplant them that way. Should it come to red war, she will tell everyone who the Consort is and work with them to destroy them, or will bring about the end of days by merging with Rovagug.
Nethys
Much like Irori, Nethys was unflappable on the surface, but greatly concerned deep down. Despite his insanity, Nethys needs reality to exist for magic to occur. He has his priests and servants join in the hunt- all of his divine clergy and about 70% of the mortal wizards and clerics- and he suspects all gods equally of being Rovagug's Mate. Should the Consort be discovered, he will attack without provocation or prompting, with the aid of Gorum and Irori if possible.
If he is the Consort, Nethys will become an even more fragmented deity, attacking himself in fits of self-loathing, and regularly attempting to commit suicide. Magic becomes unreliable and chaotic, and wizards and sorcerers die by the score in magical accidents. He will not seek to merge with Rovagug in any way, nor will he attempt to fight him for fear of disrupting himself. It may fall to a friend to kill him, but paradoxically, he will defend himself and even Rovagug zealously. If he dies, magic stops working until another god takes up his mantle. This god will go insane, just as Nethys did of course, but magic ceasing utterly, even for a day or two, will plunge the world into chaos..
Norgorber
This news only confirms Norgorber's suspicions about his fellow deities. While he has no evidence, he most suspects all good aligned gods equally, and evil and neutral gods only slightly less. He has about 40% of his mortal faith infiltrate rival faiths with the aim of exposing the presiding deity as the Consort. Sometimes he orders them to slay, other times to subdue, still other times to simply get in, place evidence, and leave. If a god is revealed to be the Consort, he will have his worshippers converge on this rival faith from within and without in an attempt to destroy or subvert the god's faith even as he attempts to claim their portfolio for himself.
As an ascended deity, it is highly unlikely that Norgorber is the Consort, but if he is, then his plan changes only in that he sends out all of his clergy to infiltrate other faiths in a ruse to draw attention away from himself. He does not have his faith kill anyone this time, only discredit them and essentially have everyone suspect everyone else. He will save his most potent blackguards and clerics for Rovagug's faith, as he will eventually attack him and attempt to absorb his essence into himself. He will not attempt to merge with Rovagug unless attacked by another deity or coterie of deities, and even then he will attempt to hold their clergy hostage with his host of assassins and sleeper agents.
Pharasma
Pharasma knows who the Consort is. She does not care. All that ever was or ever will be leads to the Boneyard. She does not motivate or restrict her clergy or divine servants with respect to the search- truly an erratic single digit percentage of the faith partakes in one way or another. If attacked for her knowledge, she will defend herself and call upon others for aid, starting with Asmodeus and Lamashtu. Pharasma is the one one deity that is not and cannot be the Consort.
Sarenrae
The oldest god in the pantheon, Sarenrae takes the idea of the Consort very seriously. She has all of her clergy- 100%- work with the faith's allies in the search. She has those she suspects, and pays especial attention to the "usual suspects" although she tempers her suspicion with the compassion that is integral to her nature. When discovered, she will attack the Consort ruthlessly, however, usually attacking alone but not refusing help if offered. She will not extend her mercies to the Consort beyond a quick death. Rovagug, even through a degree of separation, cannot be trusted in any way, shape or form.
If Saranrae is the consort, she will immediately consign her faithful to join with Iomedae or a similar deity before committing suicide. A full solar eclipse occurs when this happens, and will persist until another deity takes up her mantle as the sun.
Shelyn
Shelyn takes this news quite seriously, and encourages her clergy to join in the hunt, although she does not force them to- perhaps 40% of her faithful take part. She and her divine servants will continue her business as usual until the consort is found. On that day, she will march to war, sending her clergy to attack the church of the Consort in full force without mercy. She will readily seek out allies in this, reaching out to her brother first and last, hoping that this may heal the rift between them. If rebuffed she will make sure her brother witnesses her martial skill in the battle ahead for reasons known only to her.
If her brother is the consort, she will remain strangely silent on the matter beyond calling for his capture, not execution. If successful in this endeavor(not easy, even for a goddess such as herself), she will volunteer to execute him herself after a short trial. She will use Whisperer of Souls to do this, and will free every soul within it by doing so. She will then bequeath the weapon onto her former herald, Nadiri, who will become a true goddess of the darker aspects of love.
If she is the Consort, Shelyn will attempt to merge with Rovagug in an attempt to eliminate his destructive impulses with her(arguably) creative ones. She will attempt to be the dominant part of this union.
Stoic Torag was aghast at the news, and speaks to all of his people through his clerics, warning them of this new wrinkle. Once that is done, Torag sits back and waits, having several plans for stopping the apocalypse and having the utmost faith in his clergy- all of whom are commanded by Torag to take part in the search- to see them through. He holds his divine servants in reserve for the moment the Consort is found. In many ways, Torag is the deity most dedicated to the endgame, as he will send in his mortal and divine armies to the battlefield to last dwarf to slay the Profane Consort.
Should Torag be the Consort, the world discovers it through the astonishing sight of the drow abandoning their underground homes and fleeing for the surface world, with duregar close on their heels. The gray dwarves attack surface dwarves as well with their stereotypical disregard/fanaticism, as they take their place as the chosen of Rovagug, the tale of Droskar being a complicated lie. Torag would have split from Rovagug when it was discovered he was a force of creation being smothered by the more powerful Rovagug's force of destruction, and although the split was amicable at first, it was discovered that being separated from each other for as long as they were, that the world was in danger of calcification with Torag eternally creating and Rovagug unable to destroy such creations. The duregar would be Rovagug's agents of destruction in the world, instinctively destroying Torag's children and bringing misery and destruction elsewhere. Despite the perhaps cathartic metaphysical reasons for merging with Rovagug, Torag will not, and will instead embroil his people and the world into a long, drawn out conflict between dwarves and duregar, opposing Rovagug through his servants. This will probably turn Golarion into a post-apocalyptic wasteland as the war being waged under the feet of all surface creatures results in cataclysmic earthquakes and fissures, but Torag will not be swayed. Any attempting to slay him for being the Consort will actually be met with parlay first, as Torag will point out that his children are the ones doing the most to fight Rovagug, but he will defend himself to the death if necessary. If he is ever slain, one of his divine servants will step forward to lead the dwarven pantheon, but the god that slew him will be the enemy of dwarvenkind from that moment forward.
Surprisingly to some, Urgathoa is dedicated to the location and destruction of both Rovagug and his Consort- the end of all would include the end of the physical pleasures she delights in. She dedicates a surprising number of her mortal clergy- 60%- and one of her divine servants to the search for the Consort. Some of her mortal servants do attempt to infiltrate other faiths(about 10% of the aforementioned 60%), they do so out of a genuine desire to find and eliminate the Consort. Urgathoa will work with any deities that approach her, seemingly without reservation or hesitation- all past wrongs are forgotten in the search for this being.
Naturally, Urgathoa has an ulterior motive. She seeks out the Consort not because she wants to destroy it, not entirely. Urgathoa wants to *eat* it.
Her unnatural hunger and hedonism have found the ultimate delicacy in the Profane Consort. She will have her clergy quietly eliminate and devour the occasional member of a faith that the evidence points to and commune with that mortal as to taste and texture. She genuinely believes that the Consort will be the ultimate delicacy, and, should the mood strike her, intimate companionship. That the "good" deities of the pantheon are helping her in her search is the greatest aphrodisiac of all.
Should Urgathoa be the consort, very little changes save for the motivations of the goddess. The long period of time she has spent away from Rovagug has perverted her hunger, and where she was once a hedonistic goddess who simply wanted some alone time, she has become what she is today. She will have her infiltrated clergy slay, defile, and/or devour any clerics of other faiths who come too close to the truth, and she will keep the ruse up for as long as she can. Should she be discovered for the Profane Consort, she will defend herself as best she can and retreat in search of her former mate, utterly abandoning divine servants and mortal clergy both in search of Rovagug and his prison. She will attempt to free Rovagug to either eat him or be devoured by him, merging with him in either way, with one or the other being in control depending on who ate whom. If she is unable to free Rovagug, interestingly enough, she will devour Rovagug AND his prison whole, and go into a strange torpor, possibly serving as an even better prison than the one Asmodeus created.
Disturbed by this news but more focused on the greater picture, Zon Kuthon verifies with Asmodeus that the prison keeping Rovagug imprisoned is secure, and offers the services of at least one of his Divine Servants as another guardian over it. Regardless of Asmodeus accepting or declining this offer, Zon Kuthon then goes about his business as ever, not restricting his faith from participating in the search, but not encouraging it either. When the Profane Consort is discovered, Zon Kuthon will take great pride in displaying a prison of his own design that he has created to house the Consort, a specially designed iron maiden wreathed with chains that will deliver mind-shattering torment even to a god housed within it. He will not want the Profane Consort killed under any circumstances, reasoning that something might happen to Rovagug as a result, and more interested in torturing what he sees to be a traitor.
If the Profane Consort is revealed to be Shelyn, Zon Kuthon will dispense with his prison and instead insist upon fighting her himself in single combat. Should he win, impales her upon the Whisperer of Souls, leaving her alive and in eternal pain. He will then use a godlike take on *minimus containment* to turn her into a living amulet of agony that he will bear around his neck at all times, absorbing her profile and evolving into a more powerful god of pain, filial heartbreak, dark love and obsession.
If he is the Profane Consort, then this will be the reason why Dou Bral took an extended trip between realities. He would have fought against it as best he could, but would have eventually succumbed to this awful truth, slaughtering his father and tormenting his sister. He will do what he can to redirect any inquiries aimed in his direction, but he will subtly make his way to Rovagug's prison to attempt to merge with him if only so that he can finally devour his sister, Shelyn. He will fight and annihilate any and all who come between him and his goal. Should he finally devour Shelyn, he will immediately commit suicide, finally finding the oneness with her that he desired all along.
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Genesis Riddle Rovagug is the opposite of whatever super god created Golarion. If someone can discover an accurate version of the genesis story, they can find out how to destroy Rovagug. Not easy as the gospel of most gods credit themselves with this.
The Ruby Prince tracks his subjects by putting tiny air elementals in their lungs.
Andoran is only liberating slaves so they can secretly sell them back to their masters.
White Estrid didn't dominate her linnorm pet, she seduced him.
And most shocking of all... Razmiran isn't a god. *GASP*
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My wife is jumping back into gaming after a long time away from the table. I've gotten her interested in the the world of Pathfinder and Golarion specifically.She's chosen to play a gnome rogue (angling for the Spymaster role in the Kingmaker AP), and her choice for her character's gnomish obsession is conspiracy theories. She wants to play a full-bore conspiracy theorist full of wild and rampant speculations -- but she wants there to be a grain of truth to them.
Now, I've already given her a few of the meta-plots of other Adventure Paths to start with (Drow, Runelords, etc.).
I'm having trouble thinking of others, especially others that might spoof some of the better-known conspiracy theories of our time. Any ideas?
She could be from Katapesh. It is literally the Istanbul of the Inner Sea. She could be working for the Pact Lords to root out subversive groups looking to undermine their rules for trade and business. The Legacy of Fire would be a fun AP to design around this. You could have the Aspis Consortium, The Ruby Throne in Osirion, the Kelishite Empire in Casimar or even the Jamlrey Vudrani (say maybe a Rakshasa Lord) looking to over throw or even undermine the Pact Lord's rule.
Another area that would be great for intrigue is Sargava. The Thrunes have been wanting it back for some time. She could be working on the side of Sargava and be in the Hell's Rebels AP with Kintargo and trying to help bring down the Thrune rule.
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A new year unfolds, new conspiracies await!
Within the fallen Sky Citadel 'capitol' of Belkzen, Urgir, behind the throne of the country's putative ruler, Grask Uldeth, the true rulers of Belkzen remain hidden, having just barely survived an attempt at destroying their entire species and preferring to remain 'dead' to their surviving foes.
The original Vault Builders of Orv, giant-sized orcs with mythic necromantic powers in their 'black blood' (which they can extract and use to nurse orcish infants, awakening in them potential for necromantic arts such as oracular talents of the bones mystery, or sorcery of the undead bloodline) manipulate the warring tribes of their degenerate descendents, the orcish race, while remaining concealed within the depths, to keep their eternal foes, the neothelids, convinced that they are extinct, having been (apparently) wiped out in a millennia-old conflict between these Darklands-dwellers.
As for the neothelids themselves, there's truth hidden in the name by which they are known. They are indeed 'neo,' and bear little resemblance to the race the Vault Builders faced, in the darkened recesses of history.
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She could be from Katapesh. It is literally the Istanbul of the Inner Sea. She could be working for the Pact Lords to root out subversive groups looking to undermine their rules for trade and business. The Legacy of Fire would be a fun AP to design around this. You could have the Aspis Consortium, The Ruby Throne in Osirion, the Kelishite Empire in Casimar or even the Jamlrey Vudrani (say maybe a Rakshasa Lord) looking to over throw or even undermine the Pact Lord's rule.
My wife is jumping back into gaming after a long time away from the table. I've gotten her interested in the the world of Pathfinder and Golarion specifically.She's chosen to play a gnome rogue (angling for the Spymaster role in the Kingmaker AP), and her choice for her character's gnomish obsession is conspiracy theories. She wants to play a full-bore conspiracy theorist full of wild and rampant speculations -- but she wants there to be a grain of truth to them.
Now, I've already given her a few of the meta-plots of other Adventure Paths to start with (Drow, Runelords, etc.).
I'm having trouble thinking of others, especially others that might spoof some of the better-known conspiracy theories of our time. Any ideas?
The Istanbul of the Inner Sea is clearly Nex, not Katapesh.
Katapesh is Beirut - more rumors, more mercantilism, gnolls in the hills, pirates in the harbor, and intrigue on every side.
Nah, everyone's got it wrong you see.
Cause the Vaulter Keepers didn't actually build the vaults...
Back when Golarion was just a boiling rock, what we call the Vault Keepers were titanic beings with the flesh of stone, bones of iron and blood of molten gold. They shaped and crafted the world until one day, they went to sleep within the earth itself, their innards forming the vaults we know today. Why they left the waking day is unknown, perhaps after being defeated by gods or aboleths...
On one final note, the Vault Keepers created many 'children', such as the Pech, yet before they went into slumber, they formed two new beings. One short, yet strong and inventive, to carve new civilizations within the earth, the other powerful and ferocious, able to survive and flourish in the harsh environment of the Darklands...
Their descendants have of course long forget that their species are in fact kin...
On another note...
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It's no coincidence that the Eye of Abendago so closely resembles a material manifestation of Pharasma's spiral symbol...
Pharasma loathes the undead, and none so much as the incorporeal spectres, wraiths and shadows that can create more of their own kind by a simple touch, denying spirits their rightful transition to the procession of souls. And so she has turned (or perhaps created?) this supernatural storm into a *spiritual* vortex, exerting a vast 'tide' across the Inner Sea (and Arcadia), drawing such creatures inexorably into her relentless grasp, sucking them first into the 'whirlpool,' and then metaphysically 'down' into the Boneyard itself, to face the judgment that they have escaped (or been denied).
Corporeal undead have a 'tether' to the material plane, and may not even feel the Eye's pull, while certain undead or manifestations, such as ghosts and haunts, also have a connection to a material location, that helps anchor them against the Eye's spiritual 'gravity.' But other forms of discorporate undead, particularly shadows, wraiths and spectres, find themselves huddling for safety in areas of strong necromantic magic, or saturated with inherent negative energy, to avoid being drawn to their final judgment, and are rarely capable of travelling from these 'safe' areas, serving to explain, at least in part, why highly intelligent and evil creatures capable of overrunning humanoid nations in a matter of nights, remain static threats, confined to decrepit manors, dark caverns or similar locations, unable to spread their evil beyond their immediate environs.
What sort of vast spiritual emptiness would be required to create a 'soul vacuum' of this sort beggars the imagination, but the death of a god would certainly suffice...
The lifting of the traditional restriction on whom could have beards is not a nod to egalitarianism but rather part of a dark plot to weaponize the chins of every last citizen regardless of gender or age. They intend to create a nation of Chuck Norris-like, third-fisted-in-beard super-soldiers or even full blown beardomancers! BUM-BUM-BUM!
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Consort of The Apocalypse
One other candidate that exists (in a way) is Acavna. The deceased Azlanti deity of the moon and battle died during Earthfall in an attempt to save the empire and the world. But her soul has yet to make it to Pharasma's Boneyard. And perhaps this is good, for when it does, the soul will be reborn into the world.
How unfortunate that a foolish human seeking to fulfill a long-dormant prophecy has cursed his daughter to carry that soul until her inevitable death. For even without prophecies being less sure in these days, the largest problem with such predictions often lies in the interpretation.
And what if this child were to reach the Starstone? Far worse indeed may be the result.
Consort of The ApocalypseOne other candidate that exists (in a way) is Acavna. The deceased Azlanti deity of the moon and battle died during Earthfall in an attempt to save the empire and the world. But her soul has yet to make it to Pharasma's Boneyard. And perhaps this is good, for when it does, the soul will be reborn into the world.
How unfortunate that a foolish human seeking to fulfill a long-dormant prophecy has cursed his daughter to carry that soul until her inevitable death. For even without prophecies being less sure in these days, the largest problem with such predictions often lies in the interpretation.
And what if this child were to reach the Starstone? Far worse indeed may be the result.
oh wow!
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PharasmaPharasma knows who the Consort is. She does not care. All that ever was or ever will be leads to the Boneyard. She does not motivate or restrict her clergy or divine servants with respect to the search- truly an erratic single digit percentage of the faith partakes in one way or another. If attacked for her knowledge, she will defend herself and call upon others for aid, starting with Asmodeus and Lamashtu. Pharasma is the one one deity that is not and cannot be the Consort.
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Why can't Charisma be the Consort? And if she isn't, but Asmodeusu or Lamashtu is (or maybe even if not), calling on their aid might be a bad idea . . . .
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PharasmaPharasma knows who the Consort is. She does not care. All that ever was or ever will be leads to the Boneyard. She does not motivate or restrict her clergy or divine servants with respect to the search- truly an erratic single digit percentage of the faith partakes in one way or another. If attacked for her knowledge, she will defend herself and call upon others for aid, starting with Asmodeus and Lamashtu. Pharasma is the one one deity that is not and cannot be the Consort.
{. . .}Why can't Charisma be the Consort? And if she isn't, but Asmodeusu or Lamashtu is (or maybe even if not), calling on their aid might be a bad idea . . . .
Did you perhaps mean Pharasma?
Otherwise...
...
<shrug> :p
--C.
You got me guys. Charisma Carpenter is the Herald of the Apocalypse.
You know, I was worried that revealing this would be problematic, but so far so good. Hold on, there's a knock at the door.
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PharasmaPharasma knows who the Consort is. She does not care. All that ever was or ever will be leads to the Boneyard. She does not motivate or restrict her clergy or divine servants with respect to the search- truly an erratic single digit percentage of the faith partakes in one way or another. If attacked for her knowledge, she will defend herself and call upon others for aid, starting with Asmodeus and Lamashtu. Pharasma is the one one deity that is not and cannot be the Consort.
{. . .}Why can't Charisma be the Consort? And if she isn't, but Asmodeusu or Lamashtu is (or maybe even if not), calling on their aid might be a bad idea . . . .
Stupid autocorrect on Safari on Mac . . . that does it, I've got to figure out how to turn that off. Yes, that question was supposed to be about Pharasma
Could be worse -- a while ago, I was trying to talk about a Halfling debuffing Witch, and my phone kept trying to change this into Half lingerie debugging Witch.
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Could be worse -- a while ago, I was trying to talk about a Halfling debuffing Witch, and my phone kept trying to change this into Half lingerie debugging Witch
Welp, I've got my next character.
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I practice necromancy in these waning hours of 2016!
Chupacabra are just the larval stage of larger creatures, needing to gorge themselves on blood and terror before cocooning to complete their metamorphosis to adulthood.
As Byakhee.
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Urgathoa was the only mortal Pharasma truly loved. How else do you think she was able to escape the boneyard?
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Kobold conspiracy theory;
At the dawn of time, the gods created the first races; elves, humans, orcs, dwarves, gnomes, etc.
Intrigued by this, the dragons created their own humanoid race, strong, powerful, a mesh of the best traits of themselves and the humanoid races that had so recently appeared.
Jealous of these superior beings, the gods directed their first creations to take back their dominion of the world. Sneaking up on the unsuspecting children of the dragons, they stuck them down and carved away all the gifts they had been given. The elves stole their magic, the orcs their strength, the dwarves their craftsmanship, the humans their adaptability and the gnomes their sense of wonder.
What was left behind was expected to die, but the weakened child of the dragons crawled away from this monstrous betrayal, a smaller fragile thing, by comparison to it's attackers, but clinging to life, and now harboring dark dreams of bloody retribution...
Someday, over the bodies of elves, men, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, etc. the kobold race will reclaim it's rightful place as the superior race!
Dupes of the Grinning Moon
The Pathfinder Society gathers relics from across Golarion. The choicest of these they bring to Absalom, to store in a vault. And when a critical mass of magical items (or a particular set of harmonically resonant items--opinions vary on this point) are brought together, there will be a catastrophe. The echoes of this catastrophe will ring across the multiverse, dislodging Groetus from his place high above the Boneyard. He will descend, bringing the end.
Explore. Report. Cooperate. Doom.
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The war between Geb and Nex really ended because the wizards secretly teamed up to take over Golarion, the official 'end' being a cover. The Pathfinder society works for them.
Ooh, riffing off of this;
There is no Geb. Ages ago, Nex realized it was going to take too long to master all eight schools of magic, so he split off some variant simulacra and had them perform these deeper explorations, with the intent of re-absorbing them later.
The simulacrum in charge of mastering necromancy got a little nervous about the whole 'being re-absorbed' thing and struck off on his own, founding his own rival kingdom.
Geb's entire 'war' with Nex was a desperate attempt not to get eaten by his maker...
Spoiler alert; He failed. Nex got him, and is now in a pocket dimension 'digesting' his mythic mastery of necromancy. The 'ghost' of Geb seen in his capitol city from time to time is just a programmed illusion thrown up by Arazni to keep the hoi-polloi in the dark.
Actual train of thought while looking through starfinder corerulebook:
Ooh, Azlanti Star Empire. I wonder if they aboleths still manipulate them... Lissala is their patron god, OK, she's the god of runes, right? Wait... the aboleth do runes...
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I should go to bed.
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Necromancy! Arise from the graveyard of dead threads!
There's a First World. There's also Golarion (a 'second world') and the Plane of Shadow (a 'third world'), which was sort of a minimalist effort to make a world with as little substance as possible, as much suggestion as content, like the haiku of world-design.
There's also a Fourth World, where the mysterious forces of creation (who may or may not have any connection to the figures we know as 'gods') finally got things right.
All the cool people live there, in a world with no hunger or disease or death or fear or pain.
It's kind of boring there.
Some inhabitants of the Fourth World 'go slumming' and come to visit us in our 'lesser' worlds, and some of them hunt us for sport, or take victims as trophies back to the Fourth World...
Had a thought while taking a shower for work yesterday.
It's always been hinted that the Aboleth or the 'Hidden Masters' were responsible for Starfall.
What no one realizes was that it was actually an Azlanti effort to eradicate the last bit of evidence that they were not the master race, orchestrated by off-world Azlanti.
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What no one realizes was that it was actually an Azlanti effort to eradicate the last bit of evidence that they were not the master race, orchestrated by off-world Azlanti.
Ooh, neat! Perhaps these Azlanti fled the corruption that the Aboleth had bred into them, and engineered Starfall to get rid of the corrupted parts of their race, leaving only themselves, escaped to other worlds or other planes (or both) to carry on the Azlanti race, free of Aboleth taint (or manipulation, they hope...).
And, layer that onion, they blew up their cradle and escaped into the wider universe, convinced that they'd escaped Aboleth machinations, *just as they'd been designed to do.*
Mwa-ha-ha!
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How about this one?
Not every gillman was designed by an abolethic being. In truth, none of the gillmen’s current form were ever designed by an aboleth. These forms came before the advent of the aboleths and their coming to Golarion. When they reached the fabled civilization of Azlant, the aboleths were troubled to find that there were already shapeless eldritch beings slithering out of view as the azlantis stood in place. After considering their position and what they could take advantage of here, the aboleths weaved a story claiming that they were the creators of the azlanti people that helped them ascend from their current state. The azlanti people simply agreed to this “truth”.
But why? What kind of formless entities could have beaten the aboleths to the punch? Surrounded by the pressurizing depths where no normal life on Golarion could survive are areas unwelcoming even to the abolethi “masters” of old. Untouched by any mortal civilization before or since, these lurid locales and artifacts of a time long since expired sit waiting for their timeless masters to return and to lay claim to their “gillmen” spawn.
The runes they bear conflict, however- many of these decrepit obelisks sport maddeningly complex runes of an impossible language that spiral around a humanoid eye. Only the foolhardy and the mad would try to decipher these runes, but one word keeps repeating, as if it bears the key to its decryption: “R’lyeh”. But other artifacts still speak in ancient abyssal, with various runic symbols that bear no resemblance to the abyss’s current demonic inhabitants...
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The runes they bear conflict, however- many of these decrepit obelisks sport maddeningly complex runes of an impossible language that spiral around a humanoid eye. Only the foolhardy and the mad would try to decipher these runes, but one word keeps repeating, as if it bears the key to its decryption: “R’lyeh”. But other artifacts still speak in ancient abyssal, with various runic symbols that bear no resemblance to the abyss’s current demonic inhabitants...
Neat! The mythos critters and qlippoth and aboleth kind of writhe, jibber, dance and cavort in the same thematic/conceptual space anyway, it would sense that a scholar less interested in dividing them out would be trying to fold them back in to one basically 'weird chthonic boneless mad things what live in the dark places and don't much like us' category.
The runes they bear conflict, however- many of these decrepit obelisks sport maddeningly complex runes of an impossible language that spiral around a humanoid eye. Only the foolhardy and the mad would try to decipher these runes, but one word keeps repeating, as if it bears the key to its decryption: “R’lyeh”. But other artifacts still speak in ancient abyssal, with various runic symbols that bear no resemblance to the abyss’s current demonic inhabitants...Neat! The mythos critters and qlippoth and aboleth kind of writhe, jibber, dance and cavort in the same thematic/conceptual space anyway, it would sense that a scholar less interested in dividing them out would be trying to fold them back in to one basically 'weird chthonic boneless mad things what live in the dark places and don't much like us' category.
That, or one group is trying to claim all the credit and the other group is mad at them. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I remember something saying the mythos freaks not liking the qlippoth for some reason?
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That, or one group is trying to claim all the credit and the other group is mad at them. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I remember something saying the mythos freaks not liking the qlippoth for some reason?
Could be true, but then again, nothing says 'strife for the holidays!' like family get-togethers, so qlippoth and elder gods/great old ones not getting along could just mean that they are indeed siblings!
*Qlippoth. I always, always, always have to change the spelling, since some part of my brain insists of typing qlippoRth the first time, like somebody with a lisp saying 'clippers'.
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Here’s another one, although this theory is purposefully stupid as hell:
Szuriel likes to keep tabs on the far-flung planet of Terra. She claims to be watching it due to its rapidly developing collection of weapons, such as nuclear devices and machine guns. However, this doesn’t explain why she seems so focused on a corporation that doesn’t create weapons of war in any capacity. This company recently added a new CEO, one Susan ‘Susie’ Rael, and a new product. Known for its dark red coloring and sweet taste, the drink becomes a popular consumption across the continent. “Susie” names it after a military term to evoke a sense of power: “Code Red”.
The daemon harbingers have been noticing that whenever Szuriel returns from Terra, her characteristic tears of “blood” are absent from her face.
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I've been working on a bit of a theory for a while. Cixyron, the daemonic harbinger of electricity, gunpowder, and poisonous metals. He is the only god with the dubious honour of having a firearm, in this case a musket, as his favoured weapon. Now, one may think this isn't too big of an issue until you begin to think about the origins of the musket on Golarion. Created by the dwarves in Dongun Hold, it raises question, did Cixyron take the idea of the musket from the dwarves, or did he give it to them? Going back to his portfolio, he also controls electricity and poisonous metals. Now a large export of Dongun hold is magnetite, which in large doses can be poisonous. Furthermore, rudimentary electricity has been shown to exist within Golarion, especially in Dongus Hold. Essentially, Dongun Hold swears fealty to Cixyron, paying tribute and worship while receiving schematics or even just ideas for the incredibly advanced technology they are known for.
When Tabris returned to Heaven with the completed Book of the Damned, the empyreal pantheon was mortified by what he had learned and recorded. As a result, the empyreals banished Tabris from Heaven, cursing his name for writing that heretical tome.
But not every celestial force agreed with the decision of banishment; after all, it was at the beheat of the empyreals that the book was commissioned in the first place. After the banishment of Tabris, many celestial forces saw this act as hypocrisy on part of the empyreals and irrefutable proof that Tabris was in the right. For this crime, they left from the empyreal pantheon.
What happened to them exactly is uncertain. Some may have fallen to the forces of evil or simply left the war between good and evil altogether. Other forces could still be fighting for the side of good, just separately from the empyreal pantheon. Demi-deific organizations such as the Ars Paulina, who watch over the hours of the days and nights, and the Zabaniah, who voraciously assault foreign demons across the planes, are such celestial forces that synpathize with Tabris and his vilified mission.
PFS-Related:
Nigel Aldain is often-times accused of being foppish and ineffective, as the museum he's expected to tend to gets all manner of issues with it.
...what people don't seem to realize is that Nigel is a victim of his own extreme efficiency and focus as he put restrooms into his museum for his guests... and it's one of the only buildings in Absalom that has bathrooms...
I simply cannot believe no one has used the Seventh Accord yet... a meeting discussing a topic so violently blasphemous that even accidentally uttering the phrase "the seventh accord" makes the room silent could not have anything good surrounding it.
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After re-reading Book of the Damned, I realized that making daemons likely to sexually assault mortal summoners wasn’t just bad taste, it was bad writing. Daemons hate all mortal life, so why would they risk procreation and delay their own goals. At best, it’d be hypocrisy. At worst, it’d be blasphemy. So I’ve written an alternate truth that’s even worse than rape minus any rape! :D
Apollyon’s own rumor does not exclude his own species, however; he enjoys creating rumors that help foster the fearsome reputation of daemonkind, for if a mortal hears of the dreaded daemons and kills themselves to spare themselves the horrors, it’d save them all the trouble! One rumor in particular is especially heinous; the idea that daemons are all rapists.
In truth, daemons have no desire to commit the deed and, outside of erodaemons, have no appropriate appendages to do so anyways. After all, the possibility of procreation is an abhorrent concept for any daemon. Apollyon spreads this rumor regardless, giving daemonkind a more monstrous reputation. In fact, of all of Apollyons lies, this is the one he works hardest to spread, to the point that practically everything in existence except daemons believe it. Even the Book of the Damned falls for it. But in truth, this lie is part of a more sinister conspiracy.
By providing the illusion of daemonic assault, Apollyon can spread a special disease of his: Foetal Exterminans. While the disease doesn’t cause any visible harm that other diseases such as mummy rot can do, its true function is particularly vile; any pregnant individual either has a stillborn or, failing that, corrupts the infant into a daemon-spawn tiefling. The mother perishes shortly afterwards. Another terrifying aspect of the disease is its fecundity; anything as simple as a touch or a puff of air can spread foetal exterminans, and anyone can be a carrier. Nigh impossible to detect, and even harder to remove, Apollyon added an additional redundancy to protect his most valued disease: sentiency. Capable of seeking out vulnerable targets, the disease is capable of spreading itself in large populations quickly while evading any chance of detection.
The scant few grimspawn that know the truth of the cause of their existence either openly curse Apollyon or quietly give thanks to “Papa Polly”. Either way, the plaguemaster cares little of their beliefs. He comes for all, progeny or otherwise.
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Oh hey, another year, another conspiracy!
1) The Quest for Sky was to get the dwarves the hell away from The Cage, which was cracked a bit by the impact of Earthfall, and 'leaking' some Rovagug-flavored taint and madness. If they'd stayed down there, the dwarven race would look (and act) more like the Drow.
But, not all of them left. Everyone knows about the Duergar, who found a slightly duller outlet for the evil soaking into them, through their faith in Droskar, but somewhere far below even them, are the ones who refused the call to Quest For Sky entirely, and are no longer recognizable as dwarves...
2) Acavna was just doing her job, preventing the Aboleth's rock from cracking open The Cage like a china cup, and spilling Rovagug all over the place. She died doing that, but she wasn't the only failsafe the gods had in place to keep Rovagug locked away.
Saranrae's next on-call and she's got orders to *blow up the sun* if Golarion starts to come apart at the seams.
3) The orc 'gods' are just qlippoth servants of Rovagug, the sort of little 'g' gods that Archdevils, Demon Lords, Daemon Horseman and Empyreal Lords represent. They put on a good show of being a pantheon of humanoid gods, and keeping the tentacles and extra (hundred or so) eyes out of sight, but have lucked out that their orc worshippers are generally dumb as a post anyway.