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Or the mist itself is alive, one vast organism, made up of millions of smaller mist-creatures, in a hive-mind swarm, like DS9 shapeshifters resting in their 'great link.'
Hmm. Castrovel is the psychic world, after all. Perhaps it somehow controls the peoples of the world...
And, I had a thought - if the Elves don't have to sleep - can resist sleep - when one's mind is conceivably most open to psychic influence and domination - perhaps the natives of Castrovel have evolved resistances to this. But visitors haven't.
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Hmm. Castrovel is the psychic world, after all. Perhaps it somehow controls the peoples of the world...
And, I had a thought - if the Elves don't have to sleep - can resist sleep - when one's mind is conceivably most open to psychic influence and domination - perhaps the natives of Castrovel have evolved resistances to this. But visitors haven't.
Ooh, that's a cool/strange idea, a place or people who know that every night, when they sleep, something comes and lives an entire life of it's own, *in their bodies.* Maybe some have come to an understanding, and leave their bodies in places convenient to their possessors (and vice versa), maybe some feel it is a spiritual event of significance, that they were bred for a higher power to use as vessels in this manner, and maybe in some places, it is a thing of horror, with the possessors cruelly abusing the bodies they are 'riding' for the night (and the people attempting to prevent this from happening by chaining themselves up at night, preventing their possessors from working any evil in their bodies).
Each tweak on the interaction between the possessors and the possessed, from willing vessels to enslaved 'meatsuits,' creates a new line of story possibilities. The exact nature of the possessors (fey tricksters? a race that has 'moved on' past corporeal existence? the ancestors of the current generation of 'possessees?' aberrations from beyond the dark shelf? time or dimension travelling alien scholars?) also could greatly change assumptions.
And, if dealing with an entire sub-species of life developed around serving as hosts to otherworldly possessors, there's a chance that they might be especially well suited to being possessed by *other* forces, unwelcome forces, such as fiends or malevolent Eoxan soul-scouts...
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Hmm. Castrovel is the psychic world, after all. Perhaps it somehow controls the peoples of the world...
And, I had a thought - if the Elves don't have to sleep - can resist sleep - when one's mind is conceivably most open to psychic influence and domination - perhaps the natives of Castrovel have evolved resistances to this. But visitors haven't.
Ooh, that's a cool/strange idea, a place or people who know that every night, when they sleep, something comes and lives an entire life of it's own, *in their bodies.* Maybe some have come to an understanding, and leave their bodies in places convenient to their possessors (and vice versa), maybe some feel it is a spiritual event of significance, that they were bred for a higher power to use as vessels in this manner, and maybe in some places, it is a thing of horror, with the possessors cruelly abusing the bodies they are 'riding' for the night (and the people attempting to prevent this from happening by chaining themselves up at night, preventing their possessors from working any evil in their bodies).
Each tweak on the interaction between the possessors and the possessed, from willing vessels to enslaved 'meatsuits,' creates a new line of story possibilities. The exact nature of the possessors (fey tricksters? a race that has 'moved on' past corporeal existence? the ancestors of the current generation of 'possessees?' aberrations from beyond the dark shelf? time or dimension travelling alien scholars?) also could greatly change assumptions.
And, if dealing with an entire sub-species of life developed around serving as hosts to otherworldly possessors, there's a chance that they might be especially well suited to being possessed by *other* forces, unwelcome forces, such as fiends or malevolent Eoxan soul-scouts...
Good, goooood... thoughts
Where are they coming from, Set?The thing that's appealing about Castrovel is that it is a sort of Eden. And imagining a dark side - perhaps a literal dark side, i.e., a night of the soul, as it were, seems appropriate. It's a nice, pulpy, touch, as well.
Assuming Castrovel to be a psychic world really does hint to me that the apex of the food chain are psychic intelligences. And disembodied intelligences are far less vulnerable than the lashunta, with their limited powers.
Plus, the hypothesised isolation of the planet from the aboleths, if only for variation, suggests that something has kept the planet protected. Perhaps the similarity of elves and lashunta to other humanoids is no accident, and does not indicate a common ancestry per se, but a tactic in an ancient war. It's interesting that elves in particular can cross-breed with humans.
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Good, goooood... thoughts
Where are they coming from, Set?
Stealing them from your subconscious. I'm a creativity leech. :)
The thing that's appealing about Castrovel is that it is a sort of Eden. And imagining a dark side...
If anything starts to feel too 'Eloi,' I'm always gonna start looking for the Morlocks...
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Just a quick note that Pathfinder elves *do* sleep, just like humans, and that this is true even on Castrovel. That whole reverie business is a D&D thing. :)
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Just a quick note that Pathfinder elves *do* sleep, just like humans, and that this is true even on Castrovel. That whole reverie business is a D&D thing. :)
Well... elves do have a resistance to sleep. If they're from Castrovel, then the most likely explanation has to do with their evolution on that world. It is probably a defensive adaptation - though I guess, given that sleep is not optional, it's rather that something in their native environment uses sleep and/or enchantment effects to harm them.
Whatever this something is, it's a significant enough predator on elves to make make such a capability improve their overall species's survival (at least up to the age they breed).| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
...and it must only attack elves because the Lashunta are not immune or even resistant to such effects.
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...and it must only attack elves because the Lashunta are not immune or even resistant to such effects.
True, though they evolved on different continents. But there are multiple possible adaptations to protect against a psychic-type threat. Perhaps the detect thoughts ability of the lashunta also protects against the same thing. That would make sense if it's a possessing, bodiless mist, since for the Elves, they avoid the soporific effects of its mind-control powers, and the lashunta often can detect if such a possession had taken place, and act on it. Both have ways of avoiding psychic control or dangerous thoughts... One is passive and the other active. Of course, the lashunta could be pawns of such a power, and have survived in symbiosis rather than by resistance, but my inclination is to also see their unusual abilities as an adaptive trait.
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Huzzah! A Paizonian has found this brainstorm! *dances*
These concepts of the sleep-inducing and trance-like effects of a sentient mist of colorful, disembodied intelligences are about enough to make a sci-fi fan cry in sheer joy. Possessed lashunta and elves, and a concept for the Ocean of Mists, all at once. Very nice.
Okay, okay, Jeff - the Eden can have a weird pulpy dark side - but it has to be elusive and mostly stays inactive - there has to be a persistent enough reason to call Castrovel heavenly or Eden-like, that doesn't go up in a puff of smoke as soon as you say that it's been there for thousands of years.... Again, I just wish we could stray far far far away from the restrictive norms of Golarion (the freaking PRISON PLANET, mind you), and all its aboleth-y, demon-hordes, devil-pacts, Leng-natives, etc. Just once, I'd like to describe a planet where the current disaster isn't one that has taken a thousand different faces over the years, just tearing civilization apart and letting it reform again and again and again in a nightmarish cycle of continuously new and unique disasters (or the same old things over and over).
Obviously this "pulp Venus analogue" is going to have Paizo's own unique spins on it, and I welcome them - but I don't think all of them need to fall on old tropes of the Golarion sort.
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Re: Eden's dark side.
Maybe the 'elusive and mostly inactive' thing is simply Desna. I mean look at her portfolio, then take Set's idea that she's a neutral 'Great Old One' She's content to let things happen on Castrovel, and puts up a huge honking "Do not disturb sign" to Hastur and the other kids.
Then the occasional planet hopping is kind of like watching ants on your sidewalk. Not worth worrying about, well until they get too close to your house.
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Re: Eden's dark side.
Maybe the 'elusive and mostly inactive' thing is simply Desna. I mean look at her portfolio, then take Set's idea that she's a neutral 'Great Old One' She's content to let things happen on Castrovel, and puts up a huge honking "Do not disturb sign" to Hastur and the other kids.
Then the occasional planet hopping is kind of like watching ants on your sidewalk. Not worth worrying about, well until they get too close to your house.
Perhaps, but that leaves us with an unexplained adaptation against sleep and enchantment effects and a psychic mind-reading power in Castrovel's people. Unless these are "boons of Desna." Hmmm.
There is the Nameless Mist from the Mythos, which is linked to Yog-Sothoth (also not evil, but definitely not friendly, either).The lake of Hali is kinda like the Sea of Mists as well, speaking of Hastur. Hastur does have a psychic/insane/dreaming side, particularly if you go for the Delta Green version of him.
However, Desna does have links to the Elves. If she's stronger on Castrovel, perhaps it explains the insect imagery for her and for the world.
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Well Desna's portfolio is dream realted so I could see the sleep immunity being because they're always dreaming. Think of Cylon Projection. This could also explain their perception bonus, as they 'pick up' on things out of place in their imaging.
The Lashunta's telepathy could be a counter measure to predators that hunt by sound. Also it could be crossing over with the dream concept, as it would allow them to 'listen in' to sleeping people and their dreaming as well as communicate with a dreaming person.
Personally I'm all Mythosed out, and would like Castrovel to take a break from it. Desna putting up a big 'keep out' sign would do that.
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I wonder if the Sea of Mists has any relation to the Stephen King Short Story and it's movie adaptation "The Mist"
Castrovel is already full of dangerous predators, but maybe the Sea of Mists takes it to 11
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I suspect Castrovel's oceans would also be an ideal setting for the Cerulean Seas Campaign Setting materials, especially those dealing with psionics.
I have not seen the movie, "The Mist." Thought on how it could be related?
Desna sounds like one of the most powerful deities, the more I read other people talk about her. Is it because she is among the oldest? I think I am missing the points on Hastur and Yog-Sothoth... I really need more PF books. :P
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I suspect Castrovel's oceans would also be an ideal setting for the Cerulean Seas Campaign Setting materials, especially those dealing with psionics.
I have not seen the movie, "The Mist." Thought on how it could be related?
Desna sounds like one of the most powerful deities, the more I read other people talk about her. Is it because she is among the oldest? I think I am missing the points on Hastur and Yog-Sothoth... I really need more PF books. :P
Basically a government experiment cracks a whole in our dimension letting the mist in, which is inhabited by a whole host of creatures, all of which appear to be deadly to humans.
It's more the idea of a thick permanent area of mist, inhabited by all sort of creatures that are deadly and you can't see until it is too late
No clue on relative age. I suspect she is younger than gods like Asmodeus and Sarenae. There is mention of her being mentored by Curchanus before Lamashtu killed that god. She can certainly be a badass, but not sure how here powerlevel compares to other gods in the setting.
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Also something that occurred to me is that, in canon, Vegepygmies were created by the Drow IIRC, so it seems likely that they might be endemic to Golarion.That would make me sad, if true. If drow are native to Golarion and not to Castrovel, this would most likely be the case.
Me too. But sadly it is canon: wiki link
I'll have to put my savage vegepygmy tribes at war with yellow mold zombies somewhere else now.
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Meh, handwave that the Drow merely *re*discovered a means of creating Vegepygmies (perhaps with guidance from Cyth V'sug, whose influence extend to both Golarion and Castrovel?) and you're all set to have Vegepygmies on Castrovel!
Plus the whole 'race attempting to create a race of vege-peeps to eat that accidentally turns out to be sentient' trope is so five minutes ago, between the Vegepygmies and the Gholan or Ghoran or whatever-they-are's from Nex.
Soylent Green is people, indeed.
Plus, the Drow claim to have 'created' the Vegepygmies. As narrators go, the Drow are pretty darned unreliable...
Come to think of it, the Arclords of Nex aren't exactly reknowned for their lawful goodness. It's entirely possible that the Ghoran/Gholan were conjured into being from some other place (such as Castrovel?) and the conjurers totally lied about 'creating' them...
"Welcome to life, green plant dude, I just totally created you by sticking a head of lettuce on top of a carrot and casting a spell!"
"What kind of spell? I remember something before..."
"Quick, hit it with another memory nuking enchantment!"
<Zap>
"Oh, erm, it's terribly complicated, but as your creator, I totally deserve your complete obedience, right? Amirite?"
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Hehe. They sure fit for Castrovel.
I reread the 3.5 PF Campaign setting. In the chapter on Psionics, Catrovel is mentioned as having:
...pernicious Brain Moles, crystal-eating insectoid Folugubs, and the carnivorous plants known as Udoroot.
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... psionic variants of normally mindless predators like gray oozes of even dangerous flora like yellow mold...
Folugubs seem to imply crystal being somehow prevalent on Castrovel.
It is probably save to assume Castrovel has some of the other psionic creatures from Psionic Unleashed.
In the passage about Vudra the Stone Egg of Jayalakshmi - a massive cracked ovoid its petrifies surface graven with incomprehensible curves, whorls and mazelike patterns - is described as a source for psionic enlightnement in the Vudrani culture. Anyone else think spaceship or alien artifact ?
Also +1 for including Alluria Publishing's great and strange underwater races if not their whole Cerulean Seas campaign setting. They even have a psionic underwater book: Cerulean Seas: Waves of Thought which contains six new races and a score of psionic sea monsters. Heck they have a Fey book too and another bestiary in which many fitting monsters should be found... (Endzeitgeists reviews describe most of the races/monsters)
BTW Tricky Owlbear has converted the 3E Formians to PFRPG in Forgotten Foes.
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Also in the part about Vudra the artifact Stone Egg of Jayalakshmi - a massive cracked ovoid its petrifies surface graven with incomprehensible curves, whorls and mazelike patterns - is described as a source for psionic enlightnement in the Vudrani culture.
Anyone else think spaceship or alien artefact?
Nah. It's an egg.
Whatever lives (lived?) within it is leaking out and enlightening folk. Whether or not their minds remain their own is up to the GM to determine...
"Come to the light. I have something wonderful to show you..."
I think it was mentioned here on the messageboards that we should be seeing stats with Formians "soon" (This year?)
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So what about deities on Castrovel?
Calistria seems a given. (... and thus giant wasps and insects)
Desna was already mentioned.
Which deities are intertwined with these in canon?
The 3.5 PF CS book mentions a myth for the founding of the Green Faith where 4 sects war at first and then unite. I wonder if perhaps the Green Faith did not originate on Golarion at all?
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Dungeon Denizens Revisited has Shambling Mounds probably originating on Castrovel in a/the Green Valley where they supposedly live in "primal communion".
These shamblers instinctively feel that to be at peace, they must build a community of plant-creatures on Golarion, awakening nature’s heart and soul. To do this, balance must be restored, quelling all disruptions to the natural world and excising the tumors of civilization that wrack the health of the living planet.
The wiki article on Castrovel has some more creatures native to Castrovel with sources among them the Coeurl. Plus
cerebric fungi
elves, the second most predominant race after the lashunta
formians
isopods (?)
megafauna
mobats
moonflowers (very appropriate)
ratfolk (who have also spread to the Green Planet)
selkies
shota (?)
sky fishers (?)
(The article has more details on some of these.)
It also mentions a connection to Golarions Darklands and even to the same realm -Sekamina- that the drow who created vegepygmies are from. So maye the vegepygmies are from Castrovel after all. Caphorite which is rumored to impart sentience to molds and fungi, such as with vegepygmies, violet and phantom fungi, and fungal crawlers could have it's origin on Castrovel too..
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Also in the part about Vudra the artifact Stone Egg of Jayalakshmi - a massive cracked ovoid its petrifies surface graven with incomprehensible curves, whorls and mazelike patterns - is described as a source for psionic enlightnement in the Vudrani culture.
Anyone else think spaceship or alien artefact?
Nah. It's an egg.
Whatever lives (lived?) within it is leaking out and enlightening folk. Whether or not their minds remain their own is up to the GM to determine...
"Come to the light. I have something wonderful to show you..."
Jayalakshmi = Sanskrit Victory+Luck (feminine).
It has completely positive associations in a South Asian context. Of course, the names derived from Sanskrit are now being avoided in Vudra-related stuff in the setting, since around the time Cult of the Ebon Destroyers came out - the new names are invented to sound Sanskrity or Hindi but are in fact nonsense in those languages.The entire world is an egg in a number of South Asian cosmologies. The destruction of the universe is the hatching of the egg, in a sense.
Vudra - as I think I pointed out before - had psionic half-elves in the old Campaign Setting book.
Now, of course, I can't help thinking of the Egg of Coot.
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This really makes me want Vudra(and possibly naga) connections to Castrovel to be a thing. Even if it's just via psychic astral plane travelling to share disciplines.
Well, going by the real world traditions - the lokas - or planes in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology - aren't really planes - they're planets. The universe is physically connected in these religions, with the realms of the gods, enlightened ones, and alien beings just separated by enormous distances and illusory boundaries. This isn't too different, of course, from the old Christian model of cosmology, where Hell is physically present inside the Earth and Heaven is on the far side of the Celestial Sphere of Stars. But, in any case, Indian sages often are depicted leaping through space or psychically visiting these realms/planets. It would be odd if PF psychic magic didn't include such powers, and odd if such traditions are not multi-planetary as well as multi-planar.
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So what about deities on Castrovel?
Calistria seems a given. (... and thus giant wasps and insects)
Desna was already mentioned.
Which deities are intertwined with these in canon?
The 3.5 PF CS book mentions a myth for the founding of the Green Faith where 4 sects war at first and then unite. I wonder if perhaps the Green Faith did not originate on Golarion at all?
I seem to remember that the elves imported Calistria's worship form Castrovel, so she would be a native. There are also the other three gods form the elven pantheon: Ketephys (god of the hunt, whose companions are a hawk and a dog, animals that should be on Castrovel), Yuelral the Wise (godess of magic and crystals) and Findeladlara (godess of art and architecture).
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I seem to remember that the elves imported Calistria's worship form Castrovel, so she would be a native. There are also the other three gods form the elven pantheon: Ketephys (god of the hunt, whose companions are a hawk and a dog, animals that should be on Castrovel), Yuelral the Wise (godess of magic and crystals) and Findeladlara (godess of art and architecture).So what about deities on Castrovel?
Calistria seems a given. (... and thus giant wasps and insects)
Desna was already mentioned.
Which deities are intertwined with these in canon?
The 3.5 PF CS book mentions a myth for the founding of the Green Faith where 4 sects war at first and then unite. I wonder if perhaps the Green Faith did not originate on Golarion at all?
I don't know why exactly, but my inclination would be to have Ketephys' animal companions be equivalents to a dog ("Meycho") or a hawk ("falling star," a curious name), but actually native to Castrovel. Having dogs and hawks per se be native to Castrovel means they would have to have been there for a fair bit. Perhaps a dog-like creature and an archaeopteryx, that became a dog and hawk in Golarionized elven culture? The image of Ketephys's holy symbol shows the outline of a hawk and a crescent moon. But a silhouette of a hawk could reflect a coincidence of outline rather than a exact identity. I'd also have the dog have antennae, or some such reskinning. Now, there are mammals on Castrovel, but the general feel I like for the planet myself is prehistoric, insectoid, and alien.
Ketephys is a Moon god as well. Castrovel's moon is closer and larger than Somal, and has more drastic effects on the world. This no doubt explains Ketephys' significance. Perhaps the the "dog" is actually a dark shape on the moon's surface, and the hawk is a smaller orbiting body that seems to fall through the sky...|
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Yes! Vegypygmies are back on the list, and we even added drow in the process, which verifies the presence of a Castrovellan Darklands- and possibly other drow-related creations.
Vudrani deities residing on Castrovel instead of the Outer Planes- win. Elven deity pantheon- win. Shambling mounds conspiring to bring down humanoid civilizations on Castrovel while in psionic communion- win.
Crystals are a thing, then, for sure. Also, I am not sure where it may or may not be mentioned, but the wild elves would have to be a really big thing here too.
Publisher, Chief Creative Officer
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I can't believe I didn't notice this thread until now!
Here are some pre-Distant Worlds references for Castrovel, and some of the thinking that went into it.
The existence of a Red Planet and a Green Planet are homages to the pulp versions of Mars and Venus published in magazines like Amazing Stories, Argosy, and Weird Tales in the first half of the 20th century. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the main influence here (and Akiton is influenced by Barsoom), but there were MANY other authors working in this tradition.
When Burroughs reached popularity with his Mars serials in Argosy, an author named Otis Adelbert Kline wrote similar stories set on his version of Venus. These are basically Burroughs pastiche (as is the entire Sword and Planet genre, really), but Kline had some novel twists in his Venus novels. Burroughs's later Venus books are actually a sort of response to Kline's, and were published later.
I actually haven't read any of Burroughs's Venus books yet, so I can't say they were a direct influence on Castrovel in the same way that Barsoom is an influence on Akiton.
The main "fantasy Venus" analog is Otis Adelbert Kline. See Kline's Planet of Peril, Prince of Peril, and Port of Peril/Buccaneers of Venus for more.
The sexual dimorphism of the lashunta, and elements of the lashunta themselves, come from two sources. Ray Cummings, another Burroughs pasticheur, wrote a series of interplanetary novels set on Mercury, most notably Tama of the Light Country and Tama, Princess of Mercury. Cummings's alien women are slight and winged, but they look different from the men. This was also true in Robert E. Howard's only sword and planet novel, Almuric, which we published as part of our Planet Stories line.
The formians have actually been on Venus all along. The sentient ant people were a creation of another early pulpster, Ralph Milne Farley, who created him as part of his "Radio Man" series, in which an Earth scientist is transmitted via radio beam to the planet Venus. He creates a radio headset to communicate with the native formians, as well as their rivals the Cupians, who are basically the clearest analog to the lashunta in all of this stuff.
The psychic element comes into play because Kline had psychics in his Venus stories (their flying ships were powered by mental energy), and because I just thought it would be cool to have psychics on Castrovel.
Another thematic influence, and something well worth reading for people who want to paint a really compelling scene of life on "pulp Venus," is Leigh Brackett's superlative tale "Enchantress of Venus," which stars her most famous character, Eric John Stark. I cannot recommend this story highly enough.
While the Farleys and the Cummings of the world often include interesting details in their stories, it's pretty much potboiler stuff that has little charm below the surface.
Leigh Brackett, on the other hand, is the Real Deal.
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Erik, in case you missed them, there is also a thread on Verces (the one that inspired me to put this one up), and now there is also one starting for Eox. I suspect the lovers of all things fantasy/SF will continue this legacy, until all the Distant Worlds have been covered. I know I, for one, am enjoying the way that these discussions are opening up new possibilities, and striking off inaccuracies or impossibilities.
Thank you for clearing up the formian issue. Jeff Erwin shared some links earlier in the thread on the Farley Radio series, as well as some general stuff from the Pulp Venus line. Those helped me immensely in my own musings.
It seems to me, that now that we have a clear and decisive ruling on formians, and since we know so much about them from earlier RPG sources, that would make a good next-big-thing to discuss here. Some of the people on this thread even felt that, while monstrous humanoids make sense, it would also be cool to have some of the castes be something else - as an example, the queen being an aberration, and the smallest drone-like bugs perhaps being magical beasts (Improved Familiars). Erik, I am talking to you here - you have more strings to pull than we do.
Also, we may still need some clarification on Castrovel's satellites. Someone even said that Castrovel's moon orbits closer to the planet than Golarion's, so making Castrovel have much more dynamic weather - but I do not remember reading that anywhere. Confirmation?
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On page 11 of the Distant Worlds book it does say that Castrovel's moon is larger and closer then Golarion's, so yes the tides and ocean waves are more extreme and the winds can much stronger.
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No real time of late, 'cause super busy (and working on GMing other things), but found an incredibly appropriately named music thingy, so I thought I'd share.
Because apparently I'm only contributing music to this thread, I found this recently, and the trance-like nature of it just made me think nearly unrelentingly of Castrovel. Can't say why, precisely, but it just feels right.
()
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Music is certainly a mind-affecting effect...
I think Castrovel, with its intense tides, huge moon, beautiful and deadly jungles, and psionic bent, is probably a great locus of musical activity in the system.
A world where one's dreams, thoughts, sensations, and senses can all be a vulnerability and a delight as well.
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And, with powerful enough enchantment, illusion, and (most importantly to me) psionics, become practically a reality besides.
I think Sivanah might actually be pretty important to Castrovel for that reason (dreams being strongly associated with illusion magic in PF/Golarion stuff).
I'm curious, though, if "spells" are really a thing on Castrovel outside of the elves. I'm not particularly sure how it was shown at this moment.
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I'm curious, though, if "spells" are really a thing on Castrovel outside of the elves. I'm not particularly sure how it was shown at this moment.
As in, other types of magical expression that don't use 'spells,' like wordcasting, or using the Elements of Magic or Monte's World of Darkness 'freeform' systems? (Or shadowcasting, binding, truenaming, or whatever, from the 3.5 Tome of Magic.)
Or more focused on the illusion/dream angle you mentioned above, where working magic on someone is more about changing what they believe / perceive and letting the psychoreactive nature of the world 'make it real', less 'I'm making reality sit down and shut up' and more 'I'm denying your reality and substituting my own.'
That latter would make a great sort of magical side-effect / hazard of living in an area that has *very* strong ties to the First World.
"I'm not throwing fire at you. I'm tricking your senses and your mind to think you are on fire, and the horrible burning just happens because you failed your will save and believed it..."
I meant more as opposed to psionics, specifically (which, given James Jacobs' approach may turn out to be the same thing, regrettably), but also the illusion/dream angel.
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Ok, so since formians are not outsiders (native monstrous humanoids, for example), and since they need an origin story - preferably one which lines up pretty well with Erik Mona's preferred precedent for the race, set in the book he mentioned above - I think that could be the next talking point.
Obviously, they have some telepathic/psionic tendency, speaking in the hive mind through "radio wave" type of telepathy, and this includes the lashunta, meaning they may share some mutual origins or method of communication origins. Interestingly, the elves of Sovyrian do not seem to be included in this conjunction, which might suggest some cultural or evolutionary schism between them and the rest of the sentient beings of Castrovel. Furthermore, I would like to think that elves share a First-World influence with gnomes - possibly being offspring of lashunta who were touched by beings of the First World.
The lashunta - and the elves, too, to some degree - seem to favor simple means over complex engineering and technology, but what sort of imperatives might drive these motivations? Since the contrast is there, why is it so? The pursuit of the abilities of the mind is a clear example of choosing simplicity in solutions over artificial enhancement and external devices, but is this due to a philosophical interest in utilitarianism, or a more practical choice (besides the obvious benefits of carrying less gear)?
So Castrovel has a diverse and expansive biosphere of wildlife: what kinds of crazy critters would you want to see, besides those listed?
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I remember reading an old sci-fi story about an explorer stranded on a plant where all the wildlife was psychic, and predators hunted by tracking down thoughts. I recall one of the native squirrel like creatures was able to hide from predators by literally being able to stop thinking.
So so predatory creatures that relied on psychic detection as their primary sense could be pretty cool.
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So Castrovel has a diverse and expansive biosphere of wildlife: what kinds of crazy critters would you want to see, besides those listed?
Y'know, couerl seem like a perfect fit. Their peculiar diet could even have psionic roots.
Of course there's the matter of their appearance in Pathfinder being a one-time deal, but still...
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Y'know, couerl seem like a perfect fit. Their peculiar diet could even have psionic roots.
Of course there's the matter of their appearance in Pathfinder being a one-time deal, but still...
No idea what this is, and I can't find mention of it. What is a Couerl?
Kamadan seems like a good fit - it is one of those critters I always wondered if the Paizo crew had a specific idea or reference in mind.
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Obviously, they have some telepathic/psionic tendency, speaking in the hive mind through "radio wave" type of telepathy, and this includes the lashunta, meaning they may share some mutual origins or method of communication origins. Interestingly, the elves of Sovyrian do not seem to be included in this conjunction, which might suggest some cultural or evolutionary schism between them and the rest of the sentient beings of Castrovel. Furthermore, I would like to think that elves share a First-World influence with gnomes - possibly being offspring of lashunta who were touched by beings of the First World.
Maybe it's like the Potato Famine of the 1740s?: some psionic scourge (disease, predators/monsters, planar conjunction, etc.) wiped out a good chunk of the psionic humanoids on Castrovel. As powerful as the lashunta and formorian races seem to be, their numbers certainly seem lower than what I'd expect out of two of the three predominate races on that planet. Perhaps a large chunk of elves were also naturally psionic, and the "cursed" ones (non-psionic) were the majority that survived the scourge? Perhaps this scourge is what drove, or accelerated, the elves flight from Castrovel to Golarion? (This also seems similar to the elves Earthfall behavior: exodus for the majority to some haven with a vanguard behind.) Any remaining natural psionic ability in the elves was subsequently bred out deliberately to prevent the weakness to the scourge.
Perhaps the native Castrovelian aboleths were this scourge (or it's source) until some way was discovered to check/mitigate it? And then they re-skinned and re-used the idea again... with Earthfall? "All this has happened before, and all this will happen again" ;)
Perhaps psionics is older than arcane magic, and was abandoned almost completely once arcane magic had the kinks worked out? Maybe psionics was cast aside by the development of words of power, only for it to later be dropped for the "better" Vancian system?
Edit: That's what I get for jumping in at the end of the thread instead reading from the beginning, ninja'd (by weeks!) in the defensive adaptation in the elves and scourge ideas.