|
Would female Lashunta find male dwarves to be extremely attractive? Similar to the way that human males tend to find female elves extremely attractive?Ha! I hadn't thought about that angle, but it sounds like a reasonable assumption.
** spoiler omitted **
Heheh! Glad I could give you the idea! Now, when the new telepathic half-dwarf race comes out next year, we'll know why!
What does GLBT stand for?
What does GLBT stand for?
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered.
Thanks for info Haladir.
James, what was your inspiration for the Triaxian and Triaxus itself?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Thanks for info Haladir.
James, what was your inspiration for the Triaxian and Triaxus itself?
My inspiration for Triaxus was really the idea of a planet with an eccentric orbit--what would life there be like? How would things evolve? It wasn't until I was actually typing up the final manuscript that I wrote something like "...the wiser Triaxians know that winter is comin--OH G@&#~~NIT!" I seriously hadn't made the connection until that moment that A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones could clearly set on a world with an eccentric orbit, thus explaining its own long seasons. That said, after wrestling with the knowledge for a bit, I came to the conclusion that you can't copyright astronomical phenomena (or the resulting long seasons), so I went ahead and kept writing. Fortunately, I think Triaxus is pretty darn different the GRRM's world!
The Triaxians were equally inspired by their environment--a race that shifts and adapts on a very short cycle. Since Earth's humans have darker skin in warmer climates, I made the Summerborn dark and hairless. The winterborn would be white-furred to stay warm and blend with the snow. The design of their eyes is based on Inuit snow goggles: narrow slits that limit the amount and angle of light hitting your eyes and allow you to avoid snow blindness. The ears were just for fun. :)
The other major influence on the planet is obvious draconic. Golarion doesn't really do dragonriding much, so I wanted to make sure the setting had a place for that sort of McCaffrey-esque adventure. I also loved Richard Knaak's Dragonrealms books as a kid, so the "dragons ruling nations" angle seemed like a natural fit. I had already created the gender-bending battleflowers independently, and realized that they deserved to live in Golarion. And everything else just kind of sprang up as I wrote!
And if you could copy the resulting long seasons GRR would have to pay up to Ursula K LeGuin.
Wouldn't weird seasons be more of an erratic tilt than an erratic orbit?
Wouldn't weird seasons be more of an erratic tilt than an erratic orbit?
IIRC, axial tilt affects the intensity of the seasons (i.e. how pronounced/different they are & whether or not you actually have seasons at all), while orbital distance affects the length of the seasons. Of course, if your seasons are long enough, they are going to be VERY different anyways. And if your orbital eccentricity is extreme enough, you're going to have seasons even if there is very little to no axial tilt, as the intensity of sunlight received will cause seasons -- although the seasons will be the same worldwide instead of differing by hemisphere, which is what axial tilt does. (But if axial tilt is involved as well, the intensity of the worldwide season will differ across hemispheres, too.) So...
TL;DR:
Orbital eccentricity already takes into account seasonal extremes that can be caused by axial tilt alone. Plus it includes extremes in duration of the seasons, and allows for the whole world to be affected by a "single" season at a time.
Carry on!
-- C.
Wouldn't weird seasons be more of an erratic tilt than an erratic orbit?
Orbital eccentricity already takes into account seasonal extremes that can be caused by axial tilt alone. Plus it includes extremes in duration of the seasons, and allows for the whole world to be affected by a "single" season at a time.
Let's assume that the sun of Golarion's solar system is pretty much equivalent to our sun in terms of size, temperature, and spectrum.
According to the Triaxus gazetteer in Pathfinder #70: The Frozen Stars, Triaxus has a highly-eccentric orbit with a 317 year orbital period.
Orbital period is proportional to orbital distance from its star. In comparison to planets in the Solar System, Pluto has an orbital period of 246 years, meaning that Triaxus would have to be farther away from Golarion's sun than Pluto!
If Triaxus was in our solar system, that would put it out into the Kuiper Belt-- past Pluto. Pluto receives about one thousandth of the solar illumination per unit area that we get on Earth, and has an average surface trmperature of -380F. That is cold enough for an Earth-like atmosphere to liquefy.
Another problem is its highly eccentric orbit in a solar system where the other planets have nearly circular orbits. If that were the case, gravitational interaction with other planets would either work to normalize its orbit, hurl it into the sun, or knock it out of orbit into interstellar space!
But you couldn't tell a compelling story on such a planet. So fantasy physics it is!
(...said the failed astronomy major.)
And if you could copy the resulting long seasons GRR would have to pay up to Ursula K LeGuin.
Yeah, seriously!
Wouldn't weird seasons be more of an erratic tilt than an erratic orbit?
Yes and no! If Triaxus's seasons were caused by an axial tilt like Earth's (or Golarion's), that would be the case--more tilt would result in more extreme seasons. Triaxus, however, gets its "seasons" from an entirely different process--its eccentric orbit means that it actually moves significantly closer and farther from the sun as the result of its orbit being a pronounced ellipse instead of a circle. That's why seasons change for the whole planet at once rather than being distinct for each hemisphere. On Earth and Golarion, summer in the northern hemisphere means it's winter in the southern hemisphere, because of that axial tilt. But on Triaxus, the whole planet experiences summer or winter at the same time.
Woo, science! :D
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Wouldn't weird seasons be more of an erratic tilt than an erratic orbit?
Orbital eccentricity already takes into account seasonal extremes that can be caused by axial tilt alone. Plus it includes extremes in duration of the seasons, and allows for the whole world to be affected by a "single" season at a time.
Let's assume that the sun of Golarion's solar system is pretty much equivalent to our sun in terms of size, temperature, and spectrum.
According to the Triaxus gazetteer in Pathfinder #70: The Frozen Stars, Triaxus has a highly-eccentric orbit with a 317 year orbital period.
Orbital period is proportional to orbital distance from its star. In comparison to planets in the Solar System, Pluto has an orbital period of 246 years, meaning that Triaxus would have to be farther away from Golarion's sun than Pluto!
If Triaxus was in our solar system, that would put it out into the Kuiper Belt-- past Pluto. Pluto receives about one thousandth of the solar illumination per unit area that we get on Earth, and has an average surface trmperature of -380F. That is cold enough for an Earth-like atmosphere to liquefy.
Another problem is its highly eccentric orbit in a solar system where the other planets have nearly circular orbits. If that were the case, gravitational interaction with other planets would either work to normalize its orbit, hurl it into the sun, or knock it out of orbit into interstellar space!
But you couldn't tell a compelling story on such a planet. So fantasy physics it is!
(...said the failed astronomy major.)
We actually address this problem in Distant Worlds! Page 32:
"Even taking into consideration the long route the planet must travel... conventional physics would say that its orbit should be measured in decades, rather than centuries. Compared to the other planets, whose orbital speeds correspond neatly to their distance from the sun, Triaxus appears to be moving in slow motion... scholars have postulated everything from a temporal anomaly surrounding the planet like a bubble to some magical engine or portal at the planet's center."
That weird slow speed, obviously magical in nature, is what allows the planet to inhabit the region of space that it does, rather than being a frozen ball at post-Pluto distances. And it was in trying to reconcile the needs of the setting and the needs of physics that I came up with the Great Secret of Triaxus. Still deciding whether we should ever publish the answer, but much like Aroden's Death, I feel better knowing that *we* know the truth. :D
| 5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Also, can I just say how happy it makes me to see folks talking about astronomy and physics on this thread? Science and fantasy playing together... it's a beautiful thing....
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4
|
Still deciding whether we should ever publish the answer, but much like Aroden's Death, I feel better knowing that *we* know the truth. :D
*drops to knees*
Seriously, though, I'd love to explore the mythology and mysteries of all of Golarion's planets in an insane planet-hopping SPACE OPERA adventure path.
Hold on, I think I hear Mikaze running in the direction of this thread like a charging rhino.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Seriously, though, I'd love to explore the mythology and mysteries of all of Golarion's planets in an insane planet-hopping SPACE OPERA adventure path.
Me too! But hey, Reign of Winter is at least a taste!
Speaking of astronomy in fantasy, how does that work on the other planes? for example do the elemental planes have miniature suns and planets?
We haven't really dug into that, but my understanding is that the Material Plane is the only one that operates according to the physics we all know, and has a huge universe full of solar systems, etc. The rest of the planes are all grown more out of their core concepts/alignments, and while infinite or near-infinite, don't have the same sort of vast empty spaces that the Material Plane does.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I noticed on your profile that your race is listed as "Callipygian." Ha! Is there a story behind that by chance?
We actually address this problem in Distant Worlds! Page 32...
Ah! I missed that passage in Distant Worlds, or I would never have brought it up! Amazing to know that the issue has been both noticed and addressed. Yet another reason to love you guys!
Contributor
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Check this out: Exoplanet builder
This guy's art is pretty cool. He's played with art showing what our world would look like with rings, if we were orbiting Jupiter, etc.
-Jeff
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I noticed on your profile that your race is listed as "Callipygian." Ha! Is there a story behind that by chance?
I think I ran across that word in a Calvin & Hobbes strip as a child, and it's just always seemed like the best answer to the "ethnicity" question. :)
Plus it's accurate.
We actually address this problem in Distant Worlds! Page 32...Ah! I missed that passage in Distant Worlds, or I would never have brought it up! Amazing to know that the issue has been both noticed and addressed. Yet another reason to love you guys!
:D
I noticed on your profile that your race is listed as "Callipygian." Ha! Is there a story behind that by chance?I think I ran across that word in a Calvin & Hobbes strip as a child, and it's just always seemed like the best answer to the "ethnicity" question. :)
** spoiler omitted **
Calvin & Hobbes is never the wrong answer. Unless the question is "name something that sucks" or something like that.
Have you read Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger trilogy?
Have you read Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger trilogy?
Nope! I think I've only read one of his novels so far, and it was so long ago I can't remember the title...
now that ultimate campaign is out (ish), how do you think it will affect how Golarion feels? will it have any effect on the APs, stories or modules?
In what sense? Is there a specific part you're curious about? I feel that, while all the hardcovers we release have some level of impact on the setting as their elements get pulled in from time to time, in most cases it's not a matter of changing the world as much as shedding light on those corners that were always there but haven't really been examined. For instance, the gunslinger class was a big deal--but there were always meant to be gunslingers in Alkenstar. Mythic characters operate very differently than normal characters--yet really, didn't we all assume that god-touched or larger-than-life characters existed on Golarion? In the case of Ultimate Campaign, I feel like most of the elements--things like downtime and settlement building and leading armies--were all things that already happened in the setting, and which we simply didn't have a good way to model yet. So really, I don't see that book changing the setting much at all!
If you could memorialize Jack Vance in PF, beyond magic, in terms of his sci-fi, what would you do? What references to his fiction do already exist?
Isn't about half of all classic fantasy RPGs already a memorial to Vance?
Really, though, I'm not familiar enough with his work to address the issue--I've read some of the Dying Earth stuff, but ultimately his writing style just didn't capture me enough to make me keep going. Erik Mona, on the other hand, is one of the biggest Vance fans I've ever met, and has a huge collection of his work. So I leave any Vance questions to him. :)
James are you willing to answer specific ''pathfinder rule questions'' in this thread?
1)Does the planet Castrovel have polar regions with snow/ice? If cold and ice is unknown to them would they use/create spells and magic items with such abilities?
2)Are crystal growths on the surface common on Catrovel? Are gems and precious metals any more or less common on the planet then it is on Golarion?
3)Do Lashunta have racial and/or exotic weapons of there own? What types of weapons are common to them?
4)Are beastmen a new race on Castrovel or a name they give an existing race(or races) or all animal based races?
5)Is it common, uncommon, or very rare to find Gnomes on Castrovel?
|
Contributor
|
Kaer Maga related question that might come up in my altered Shattered Star campaign:
Can a human and naga form babby?
And if so, should the result be represented by the nagaji or something stranger?
The medieval royal house of the Khmers descended from just such a coupling. Though South Asian nagas in the RW traditionally could also take human form, particularly their women.
...If one were to take a globe of Golarion and connect the Wordwound, the Eye of Abendego, and the Pit of Gormuz using the straightest possible lines... would the result be an equilateral triangle? o.O;
Am I correct in understanding that Apostae is smaller than Golarion's Moon?
Yes, I believe so. (Though it's been so long since I've calculated their radii/mass/surface area/etc. that I'm open to correction--I know that whatever it says in Distant Worlds is accurate. :)
Greetings Space Captain Sutter,
I think we need some male lashunta beefcake, honestly. How can you ignore an entire gender? Especially a "fierce" gender?
Also, what are the lashunta riding beasts called?
What function do their antennae have?
Are there any connexions between Vudra and the stars? In our world, the South Asians were obsessed with astronomy (and astrology)... And the old Campaign Setting has some hints of otherworldliness in there...
Cheers and feel better. :)
I actually was going to order a male lashunta for the book, but we decided it was more important to order a clothed female lashunta, to show that, despite artists' proclivities, they don't all dress like a Frazetta painting...
I thought I'd already named the lashunta's saurian mounts, but it looks like I haven't. Guess we'll just have to wait until the next time they see print somewhere. :)
Actually, I was looking through Distant Worlds while thinking of questions to ask you, and it says, "Many settlements rely on telepaths and spellcasters to communicate with their allied nations in real-time, and travel across the intervening jungles and mountains via aiudaraor on the backs of the fearsome lizard-steeds known as shota."
...snrk. I'm sorry, I always crack up a little when I read that...I blame Japan.
One thing I am wondering, though, is how many elves on Golarion know about the aiudara and Castrovel? Is it something most elves raised amongst elves would know of, is it something that isn't exactly hidden but more like a factoid that only elves who deal with things related to Castrovel or elven history would know about, or is it something kept secret amongst the higher level elves, need to know and all that?
Also, how do you envision the lashunta education system? It says that they're educated, civilized, and matriarchal, and Qabarat has three great universities, so I was wondering if they take the time and effort to educate all levels...
I *thought* I'd named them! Thanks for pointing that out--the lizard steeds are indeed called shota.
I think that most elves on Golarion *don't* know the true location of Sovyrian. Given that the elven retreat and return is a matter of public history, I imagine that a lot of folks have heard of Sovyrian (in a sort of Shangri-La sense), but that very few (especially outside of Kyonin) know where that realm is located. That's probably true even of some elves who've been there--after all, if you stepped through a magical portal to another (but very Earth-like) world, would you know the complex astronomical calculations required to tell what planet you were on?
I imagine public education is very important to Lashunta, since they're all about honing one's mental abilities!
1)Does the planet Castrovel have polar regions with snow/ice? If cold and ice is unknown to them would they use/create spells and magic items with such abilities?
Yup! That's actually what those white squiggly bits on the top and bottom of the map are supposed to be.
Kaer Maga related question that might come up in my altered Shattered Star campaign:
Can a human and naga form babby?
And if so, should the result be represented by the nagaji or something stranger?
As far as I know, the answer is "not without some serious magic"... but you're correct that the existence of nagaji suggests it's possible! Using that race seems like a fine choice.
...If one were to take a globe of Golarion and connect the Wordwound, the Eye of Abendego, and the Pit of Gormuz using the straightest possible lines... would the result be an equilateral triangle? o.O;
Now why would you want to go and do a thing like that? ;)
(And I guess we'll have to wait until we release a map of that part of the world to find out!)
Were you much for video games? If so, what are some of your top games?
Also, do you ever use music in your games for mood or even for combat?
Were you much for video games? If so, what are some of your top games?
Also, do you ever use music in your games for mood or even for combat?
I used to play a lot of video games as a kid/young adult, back before music and writing took up all my spare time! I played a ton of things like Diablo and Starcraft, Goldeneye on the N64 (I even went to a tournament as a kid and placed solidly in the middle), Mechwarrior, and innumerable mostly-text RPGs like the old Gold Box D&D games. And of course my childhood was as filled with games like Super Mario 3 (still one of the greatest video games ever crafted), Zelda, and F-Zero as the rest of us nerds. (We used to pause Super Mario 3 and turn the TV off while we went to school, then come home and resume.)
Yet I think that if I had to point out a single video game as my all-time favorite, it would be Master of Magic by Microprose. It was basically a turn-based Civilization-style game (or, more appropriately, a Heros of Might and Magic-style game) that was all about city building, exploring dungeons, and moving your armies around... except that you were ALSO a wizard researching spells and competing against other wizards' empires. You could recruit troops, hire unique heroes and find or craft magic items for them, and cast spells directly in combat. Plus your available spells depended on which schools of magic you studied, and you could choose how many research points you put into the different schools. And there were a dozen races on two separate planes of existence you could play, all with their own abilities. AND the maps and opponents were randomly generated, so the game had infinite replay value. Honestly, I'm not sure that I've ever seen another game--past or present--that catered so uniquely to my interests.
Of course, when I went back and tried to play it a few years ago, it was incredibly slow and clunky, and the pixelated graphics looked extremely crude. As with most entertainment technology, you can never go back. But for many years, that was the game that would keep me up all night during the summer.
(Whew! You clearly hit a vein on that one. :)
As for music: I used to use it (mostly ambient techno like Aphex Twin, or else soundtracks like Lord of the Rings), but I've since gotten lazy and not bothered with that level of preparation. Wes Schneider, on the other hand, always uses it, cueing up different tracks for different parts of the adventure, and it's one of the reason being a player in his games is so tense and awesome! Seriously--I'm constantly awed by how much work that guy puts into his props and atmosphere. The rest of us look like total scrubs in comparison.
Of course, when I went back and tried to play it a few years ago, it was incredibly slow and clunky, and the pixelated graphics looked extremely crude. As with most entertainment technology, you can never go back. But for many years, that was the game that would keep me up all night during the summer.
(Whew! You clearly hit a vein on that one. :)
I'm sorry you couldn't go back to the game you loved. Speaking as someone who still picks up basic Game Boy games on a regular basis and tends to prefer 99% of older games over anything on the market today, those sorts of games are my bread and butter. I'm not sure what I'd do if I picked up a game and had that reaction. =/
I'm sorry you couldn't go back to the game you loved. Speaking as someone who still picks up basic Game Boy games on a regular basis and tends to prefer 99% of older games over anything on the market today, those sorts of games are my bread and butter. I'm not sure what I'd do if I picked up a game and had that reaction. =/Of course, when I went back and tried to play it a few years ago, it was incredibly slow and clunky, and the pixelated graphics looked extremely crude. As with most entertainment technology, you can never go back. But for many years, that was the game that would keep me up all night during the summer.
(Whew! You clearly hit a vein on that one. :)
To be fair, I probably would have been fine with the pixelated graphics if it hadn't run so slowly and crappily on the DOS emulator I had to use. :P
Point =)