I would like to know more about Syrinx civilization in general, but I can't seem to find anything outside of what's already shown on the pathfinder wiki. I already know that they have a decent relationship with the Strix (at least in the past) and other avian creatures, as well as a desire to atone for their previous barbaric behavior. I also know that their current pretentions regarding art and philosophy do little to obscure the fact that they are slavers that desire to "enlighten" everything under the sun that doesn't have a set of wings.
What I would like to know is "Why?" What events in their history drove them away from the concept of barbarism and into enlightenment? Was it the work of a god that turned them from one bird of prey into another? Were they always slavers? How far does this sophistication go? Are there Syrinxes that desire to return to the old ways?
What gods do they worship? I suspect gods of an infernal nature such as Asmodeus and his dukes are followed, especially the former since he possesses "slavery" in his portfolio, but what about gods with a bird motif, such as Shax (who has storks as his sacred animal) and Tanagaar (who has owls)? Perhaps someone as farfetched as Uaransaph, who has the portfolio of "Non-magical flight, falling and projectiles"?
On their work as slavers and philosophers, how interconnected are the two? The pathfinder wiki article did mention that they had a caste system, although they mentioned that it was in regards fo race, with the Syrinx obviously at the top. Is there a difference between the two jobs, such as a separate caste system entirely or are the two jobs bundled up into one big package? Do they have contacts related to their job, ie. other human traffickers or big thinker types? If so, who are they and how do they meet? I am guessing they could be Cheliaxian due to their alignment types and similar views on regal matters. But then again, I wouldn't leave out a possible dalliance woth the Drow, especially since underwater tunnels seem safer to traverse than by dangerous voyages to Arcadia from Cheliax.
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This would be a good question for the "Ask James Jacobs Anything" thread.
This would be a good question for the "Ask James Jacobs Anything" thread.
I'll copy and paste this in there then, thanks!
Sorry that didn't work out. Sometimes he's more open than others, but is loathe to talk about anything that hasn't already appeared in depth in a book.
It's understandable, really. That way himself or other writers aren't handcuffed by what's been said on the forum.
I think Syrinxes are one of the "There's weird stuff out there we haven't talked about in detail yet, come up with your own details if you want, that's what they're there for until we need them" elements of the setting. RPG settings need a lot of those, since you never know what a GM is going to need for his plots...
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Wes Schneider was the one that came up with syrinxes (and strix), so anything beyond what we already have in print (which is very little) resides in his mind. I mentioned syrinxes in the chapter about Segada in Distant Shores, but it was only a brief mention that in the city's past they humans fought against a group of syrinxes from a nearby mountaintop monastery-city in order to secure the site.
Syrinxes would likely be very rare in the Inner Sea region (despite them showing up in the Inner Sea Bestiary), but would be more populous in Arcadia and perhaps a few other places (maybe parts of Azlant?). They haven't really been detailed, so until we do go crazy on making them what you want them to be in your campaign. They're certainly not nice people, but they have the outward-appearing air of trying to "enlighten" others. They'd likely act very snooty and superior. Their settlements and structures would be imposing and difficult to get to without the aid of flight. And, yeah, they'd likely have a bunch of slaves doing all the hard work for them while they dilly dally with magic and philosophy.