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I haven't found out too much that would hint at where is he and what he is doing. What are your thoughts as to his fate?
The Wyrm Skull guardian of Nex's tomb(can't remember the name right now,) told my PC that he could feel that Nex is still alive. I don't know if that is because the GM wanted him to be alive or if it was actually spelled out in the AP that he was.
Where are there references to him still being alive?
Are there any hints as to where he is and what he is doing?
Personally, I think he came to our world as Nikola Tesla. He did a bunch of cool stuff and then faked his death to go on to other places and projects. *joking*
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Naw, everybody knows that the "current" date in our world as of 4713 is 1918 :P
Nex withdrew to a demiplane called the Refuge of Nex (fancy that) during a devastating attack on Quantium. There's a still-operating portal to the place in the basement of his former palace. However, nobody who's gone through the portal (including Nex, of course) has ever come out. It's possible that something went wrong with the demiplane and there's no way out, even for a wizard as fantastically powerful as Nex.
Incidentally, Nex was reportedly immortal at the time that he disappeared, which had something to do with another demiplane called the Crux of Nex. Nex was really into demiplanes... and not real good at naming them, it seems. Anyway, the Refuge of nex was supposedly created from a "shard" of the Crux of Nex. Likewise, the Spire of Nex, an ancient siege tower which an enterprising pathfinder recently managed to get into, was also supposedly a shard of the Crux.
Who knows what further investigation of the Spire might uncover? The secret of Nex's immortality? Or perhaps some unwary explorer might find himself face-to-face with Nex himself. I kind of don't see that going very well for the explorer in question. :P
In our Kingmaker game, my hyper-sentient (through 3.5 shenanigans) psion-mage may or may not be the remnant of Nex who took the physical form of Count Renalc (conveniently imprisoned in the Crux of Nex), and summoned Dou-Bral's soul from Zon-Kuthon (in secret, hopefully) and the Peacock Spirit's... well, spirit, and attempted to "eat" the three of them aka incorporate them into himself in order to become super-powerful in a bid to escape...
And instead ended up a hyper-sentient first level psion passed out with a number of negative hit points just shy of being dead on the side of the highway, after having a super-lucid dream/vision that convinced him that he was from another world altogether, was composed of some sort of ascetic mystic dream/guidance-spirit, obsessed with beauty, and had passed through a fey gate to get here.
Either that or he's a punk kalashtar from Eberron who got jerked around by the local universe more than once before being dumped out somewhere else where he's more or less accidentally ascended to become King and had the nation named after himself and started being worshiped as a god without really trying. That's possible, too.
Either way, he's totally nuts, so... you know.
(Sorry it doesn't actually answer your question. As far as I'm aware this is the sum total of information we've been given.)
EDIT: Oh, yeah, one more thing. Geb, the ghost, is obsessed with the fact that Nex, the guy, might still be alive. Geb was a living man before Nex disappeared. Upon Nex's disappearance, and Geb's complete inability to determine whether or not Nex had really died or was still alive or something in between, Geb committed ritual suicide in despair and frustration... and came back as a ghost because of how frustrated he was. So he can't ever rest until he's convinced that Nex is gone.
Those guys were boss.
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Personally, I think he came to our world as Nikola Tesla. He did a bunch of cool stuff and then faked his death to go on to other places and projects. *joking*
Even though it's a joke, I still find it flattering that one of my countrymen is enjoying a world-wide fame (since we're not very well thought of, usually) and being compared to Nex. Thank you for that.
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Personally, I think he came to our world as Nikola Tesla. He did a bunch of cool stuff and then faked his death to go on to other places and projects. *joking*Even though it's a joke, I still find it flattering that one of my countrymen is enjoying a world-wide fame (since we're not very well thought of, usually) and being compared to Nex. Thank you for that.
You might want to check out Cracked.com sometime too. They've made it a bit of a mission to celebrate Tesla every chance they get while taking shots at Edison. :)
Playing Nex and Geb's early conflict with a bit of a Tesla/Edison parallel could be a thing....
Those guys were boss.
I just remembered that Nethys was possibly still walking Golarion as a mortal when one or more of the Three Big Mages of ancient Garund were still alive/present.
Man, we have got to look into who was where and when around that time!
Those guys were boss.I just remembered that Nethys was possibly still walking Golarion as a mortal when one or more of the Three Big Mages of ancient Garund were still alive/present.
Man, we have got to look into who was where and when around that time!
You know, that reminds me of the general tendency for genius to propagate itself in the real world in certain locations (although usually cities instead of continents) at certain times (generally the same time).
This video has a great list of exactly what I'm talking about.
Also worth noting is that Jtambe, at least, was active at the same time as (and before the ascension of) Aroden - who was noted as being a phenomenally powerful human wizard. I wonder if those two ever cross-pollinated each other with ideas and information. I wouldn't be too surprised, actually.
EDIT: Er... uh, oh, hey, look! *points elsewhere hoping no one notices his thread necro-*
... oh, it's too late, isn't it? Ah, well.
Tesla was way better than edison. Edison was just a better marketer. /sigh.
Nex is alive, he is know by the name Chris Rock now.
No, really, just look at his portrait in "Inner Sea Magic".
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It was getting too hard to gain levels when he was already Mythic, so Nex split himself (and his power and experience) into eight lesser (lower-level) wizards, and sent them out to build themselves up to his former pinnacle. Then the eight of them will re-combine, boost-strapping Nex into arcane divinity.
In theory.
There may also be an explosion, but he'll burn that bridge when he comes to it.
Complication; He's lost track of a couple of himself...
It was getting too hard to gain levels when he was already Mythic, so Nex split himself (and his power and experience) into eight lesser (lower-level) wizards, and sent them out to build themselves up to his former pinnacle. Then the eight of them will re-combine, boost-strapping Nex into arcane divinity.
In theory.
There may also be an explosion, but he'll burn that bridge when he comes to it.
Complication; He's lost track of a couple of himself...
Ooh... I can really work with this with my own character background, too, considering I'm doing something really similar with an ultimate plan to use an epic instantaneous variant of the 3.5 Fusion psionic power. That's really fun, actually!
EDIT: I'm going to mention this to my GM to see if she likes the idea. Then, at her option, or not, Nex might show up to "reclaim what's his"...
EDIT 2: You know. Himself.
I just remembered that Nethys was possibly still walking Golarion as a mortal when one or more of the Three Big Mages of ancient Garund were still alive/present.
Pff. Nethys was never a mortal. He's just another form of Nyarlathotep, masquerading as a conventional god for his own inscrutable reasons.
It was getting too hard to gain levels when he was already Mythic, so Nex split himself (and his power and experience) into eight lesser (lower-level) wizards, and sent them out to build themselves up to his former pinnacle. Then the eight of them will re-combine, boost-strapping Nex into arcane divinity.
In theory.
There may also be an explosion, but he'll burn that bridge when he comes to it.
Complication; He's lost track of a couple of himself...
....This idea is awesome. I mean -awesome-. Imagine a plane-hopping campaign revolving around finding the different pieces of Nex!
I would totally play in that campaign. Hmmm... That gives me ideas...
I've always envisioned poor Nex as being stuck inside his little hamster-tube demi-plane with no way out. He keeps adding to it and finding ways to keep himself occupied, but there is really no escape from the hamster run he got himself into.
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The fate if Nex is one of those things that I kinda hope they never resolve canonically. That way we can keep speculating and making up our own stories!
My theory is that he can't escape, either because something went wrong and he can't fix it, or else he tied a trigger to some external factor that hasn't come to pass yet -- like, maybe it can only open when Geb's soul is judged by Pharasma, or when Aroden walks Golarion again (oops), or when someone successfully conquers Absalom...
...in short, until some crazy party of adventurers manage to let him loose. :)
IMO, the lack of details and closure about Nex make him everything I wish Elminster had been.
The Nex/Geb/Absalom stuff is just so ripe with possibilities that it just screams adventure path. I mean can you imagine an AP where in part 4 the characters are doing something like exploring the Spire of Nex and suddenly...BAM...Nex is back and Geb comes running and Absalom is under seige and its all out Wizard War III and ...WOW!
Of course I also think one of the great things about any setting is the unsolved mysteries so maybe we need to just leave these guys be.
PS Wizard War III is now officially my IP :)
So what was Wizard War 1 and Wizard War 2? Aroden and Tar-Baphon? Geb/Nex 1? Sounds right.
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The Nex/Geb/Absalom stuff is just so ripe with possibilities that it just screams adventure path. I mean can you imagine an AP where in part 4 the characters are doing something like exploring the Spire of Nex and suddenly...BAM...Nex is back and Geb comes running and Absalom is under seige and its all out Wizard War III and ...WOW!
Of course I also think one of the great things about any setting is the unsolved mysteries so maybe we need to just leave these guys be.
The AP could start at Absalom, perhaps a group of rookie Pathfinders had find a clue concerning Nex's fate. The second and third module could be in Nex, the fourth in the Mana Wastes and the two last ones in Geb.
In fact could be a spiritual sequel like Shattered Star was for the Garundi APs (Legacy of Fire, Serpent's Skull and Skull & Shackles).| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I'm gonna throw this out there: maybe a series of linked high-level modules (12th-20th) instead of an AP?
I would so buy that adventure path!!!!!!!!!
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I believe there is a throw-away mention (possibly in the old version of the campaign setting?) to the effect that Geb's 'mustard gas' attack on Nex's capital forced Nex to retreat into the Refuge of Nex to escape death.
This gambit succeeded, but Nex then discovered there was no way to get out of the Refuge! With his apprentices dead in Geb's attack, there was nobody left with the knowledge, ability and inclination to try and free Nex from his pocket plane, and he remains there to this day.
Now if only I could actually find the citation on that..I know I've read it!
EDIT: Found what I was thinking of, but a lot of what I've listed above is inference rather than cold hard fact - clearly time has distorted my memory. The references are;
'...Nex vanished after a disastrous Gebbite attack bathed his capital in a cloying, poisonous fog..'
'...the fabled Refuge of Nex, an unpredictable demiplane that offers escape without the opportunity of return..'
'...Thousands of explorers, refugees and thieves have become trapped in the Refuge over the centuries, not the least of whom being Nex himself.'
That's all from the Pathfinder Campaign Setting, from the section on Nex and on Quantium, and may be in the Inner Sea World Guide too - not double-checked.
So yeah, it's pretty clear he fled into the Refuge to escape the fog, and even his mighty powers haven't enabled him to escape it. Yet.
Now Old Mage Jatembe and his Ten Magic Warriors on the other hand, are a complete mystery! As well as sounding like a Saturday morning cartoon, Jatembe and his Magic Warriors must have been awesome, and I would punch a dolphin for more details on those guys.
Publisher, Chief Creative Officer
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Ninjaiguana does a good summary of the situation vis a vis Nex. The one major piece that I either haven't been explicit about or that people haven't inferred is that the Refuge of Nex and the Spire of Nex are connected, so if one wanted to seek out an audience with Nex himself, one could enter either through the portal below the Bandeshar or by penetrating the doorless tower of the Spire outside Absalom.
Now Old Mage Jatembe and his Ten Magic Warriors on the other hand, are a complete mystery! As well as sounding like a Saturday morning cartoon, Jatembe and his Magic Warriors must have been awesome, and I would punch a dolphin for more details on those guys.
Oh nooooes!
Now we'll never get more details, or poor dolphins!
So what was Wizard War 1 and Wizard War 2? Aroden and Tar-Baphon? Geb/Nex 1? Sounds right.
Sounds good to me.
Ninjaiguana does a good summary of the situation vis a vis Nex. The one major piece that I either haven't been explicit about or that people haven't inferred is that the Refuge of Nex and the Spire of Nex are connected, so if one wanted to seek out an audience with Nex himself, one could enter either through the portal below the Bandeshar or by penetrating the doorless tower of the Spire outside Absalom.
Sounds like a job for meddling kids…err adventurers!
I'm gonna throw this out there: maybe a series of linked high-level modules (12th-20th) instead of an AP?
This sounds good to me too. Maybe with the new larger format two connected adventures.
Although I seem to recall something about Paizo not wanting to take away from the APs by publishing something that might compete. Or maybe it was the problem of shorter AP's being difficult to coordinate with yearly events like Gen Con in reference to 3 parters, etc. That seems more like it.
Nex is easily one of the most flavorful countries on the map, and while we probably won't get a lot about it in the meantime, the fact that its creator is still alive is awesome.
I imagine his having expanded his little cubbyhole further, connecting it to the Crux of Nex, and created a new city within the demi-plane, one where he can rule without that annoying wannabe Geb.
I like to think of his city as something similar to Sigil, as Nex was so fond of exploring alternate worlds, dimensions, realities, and planes of existence. The inhabitants there are truly from all over, and none come back to Golarion either because they do not wish to once they arrive or because the city changes landscapes and styling so frequently do to the experiments of Nex, it becomes impossible to find another way back.
So what you're saying is that Nex is secretly the Lady of Pain?
I've always envisioned poor Nex as being stuck inside his little hamster-tube demi-plane with no way out. He keeps adding to it and finding ways to keep himself occupied, but there is really no escape from the hamster run he got himself into.
So what you're saying is that Nex is secretly the Lady of Pain?
()
IMO, the lack of details and closure about Nex make him everything I wish Elminster had been.
You know, I understand, theoretically, the Elminster hate. Practically, though? I love the guy. Love 'im. I cannot disagree more with your statement here, EL. Sorry. :/
(I wonder how you feel about FR in general and many of the setting elements there? I generally love your posts, though, like the high level linked modules idea.)
Also, Erik, that was never made clear? Somehow I thought it was. Oops.
Oh, I like Forgotten Realms. There are just meddlesome bits about Elminster that were established in some modules that were bad.
Pathfinder has done a very good job of keeping powerful NPCs out of the business of book adventures, I think.
Oh, I like Forgotten Realms. There are just meddlesome bits about Elminster that were established in some modules that were bad.
Pathfinder has done a very good job of keeping powerful NPCs out of the business of book adventures, I think.
Oh? I'd be interested to hear. We didn't get into the settings/prepublished stuff until 3rd, so I'm not familiar enough with earlier modules to have that impression of him. Perhaps on PMs or another thread, though. :)