Starfinder deity art is here!

[Opsylum]

Now that the pdf is out, what are peoples' thoughts? Which god has your favorite depiction, and which has your least favorite? What stories do imagine them telling? I'll start.

Abadar:

Since civilization has widely extended into the stars themselves, even on lifeless barren rocks, Abadar's made a lot of progress toward bringing order and law to every corner of the material plane. His crossbow is nowhere to be seen, nor his armor – decked out in a fancy golden suit, Abadar's crusade has transitioned from one of expansion to one of administration, looking inward upon a vast empire of accumulated wealth and trade. Somehow, this has caused him to grow older, and perhaps smaller? I've never seen Abadar smile before, or look up at someone – always eye level or below, and with a stern expression. Not sure what to make of him here. Perhaps Abadar's playing the father watching his child all grown up. Or maybe his domain is finally so large it's grown beyond even his wildest ambitions.

Besmara:

Besmara looks almost younger, flashy, cocky, and top of her form. Her hair has adopted mystical properties like a swirling nebula to suggest her increased power and standing among the gods, and she wears her pirate colors with bravado. She is loud, proud, and in charge.

Damoritosh:

Damoritosh looks like a vesk Superman, which is great. Interesting to see an evil deity with a halo, but this illustration does a good job rendering what vesk see in him, this awe and dread-inspiring champions of the Veskarium’s highest ideals.

Desna:

Desna has reverted to her moth form. Was she only an elf for Golarion, I wonder, and been a moth for the wider cosmos all this time while we were watching her from Golarion, or is she feeling more comfortable in her own skin with all the extra bugs around, or just waxing nostalgic, or…I don’t know. It’s a good look, though.

The Devourer:

This picture is creepy. Also, stop stealing Cthulhu’s thing with madness-inducing paintings, Devourer. Bad black hole! Cool image though. Makes Devourer feel a lot more terrifying, dozens of gangly hands grasping out of a massive, swirling eye-mouth thing to feast upon an entire planet. *shiver*

Eloritu:

You look like a reptoid. Almost human-looking scaly skin holding a lashunta-like mask in your hand. Really seems like shapeshifting is being suggested here. All in all, cool appearance, with silvery reflective skin like a retro mercury spacesuit and this cool, cultish looking robe oozing mystical mist. Very mysterious.

Hylax:

Hylax was said to be the first shirren, so this look makes sense. A halo-like crown gleaming over head, clad in gold-embroidered robes, she looks like a queen. No visible “mating arms” here – considering shirren often use them for ceremonial purposes, I’m almost surprised about that. Look was what I’d expect.

Ibra:

Ibra looks like Dr. Manhattan’s Super Saiyan form. Don’t know what I expected a god of the mysteries of the cosmos to look like, maybe aside from a vague impersonation of Neil deGrasse Tyson, but this looks cool. Don’t have too much more to say. Looks human enough to relate to, but there’s not one feature to focus on. This silhouette radiates the galaxy, and you’re almost compelled to see his big picture, or else get lost in what he is. Neat.

Iomedae:

So Iomedae got Skywalker'd and lost some skin off her shoulder, and got a bionic replacement, which is…really, really cool. Her demeanor, however, has really changed. Even when she’s been depicted in battle, Iomedae’s always been impeccably groomed and always very composed. Here, she screams with battle rage and her hair looks pretty uneven and wild. Armor is still shiny, with some techy upgrades. Don’t know how to feel about her. Is this pretty radical departure in character intentional, and if so, what’s going on with Iomedae? She looks really angry about something.

Lao Shu Po:

Granny rat looks like something out of Creepypasta. Robes disappearing into shadow disappearing into swarms of rats, hunched over like Igor and clawed fingers splayed and twitching above her pets as if they were attached to puppet strings. Marvelous.

Nyarlathotep:

I did not expect this look. Almost looks like Nyarlathotep could be any old undead monstrosity at first glance, if not for the creature’s gait. You can practically feel its movement, the tentacles writhing and twisting about in this suit, pushing it inexorably forward. This mundane thing, being the avatar of an impossibly vast and terrible alien divinity. I imagine if you look at the tentacles peeking out from the solar shield visor a moment too long, you’re transported inside it, where it is much, much larger than it looks on the outside.

Oras:

Favorite design, by far. Oras, more than any other god, looks actually, genuinely alien – this radiant, angelic, eldritch thing whose motivations you can’t even guess at, and probably doesn’t care or even notice you. Writhing, flapping, snapping, swishing, curling, scraping, grasping…beauty. And a dense, hot, artificial-looking core at the center of it, emblazoned with a symbol that looks like…DNA, I think? This art is inspired.

Pharasma:

Pharasma looks weak, physically, and emotionally. Always confident, leaning forward fixed upon something, hands steepled or gesturing about, and now…slumped in her chair, folded across her for protection. She looks like she’s sinking into her throne, her skin pale and deathly, her expression at once defiant and stiff. She looks like she’s bracing for something. It makes me apprehensive.

Sarenrae:

I don’t know what to make of Sarenrae’s new look. She kinda looks like she just got out of a bacta tank, what with the one-piece and tubes curling around her body. Also a bit like Gravitina from Buzz Lightyear. She seems a little less angelic now. Maybe those tubes help her concentrate and direct her power? She’s had a history of letting loose too much sun in past, so this new design might be her attempt to be less “intimidating warrior goddess” and more relatable to the average spacefarer. I don’t know.

Talavet:

So Talavet’s a kasatha that wears hieroglyphic stories across her body as elegant robes. That’s cool. The way she moves her arms reminds me of Grandmother Spider. And…do kasatha have ears? I never noticed. Cool look, nothing unexpected, I guess.

Triune:

Triune’s a steampunky Reaper from Mass Effect. I like to imagine they took Epoch’s anatomical design, Brigh’s taste in aesthetics, and Casandalee’s voice and demeanor for their physical avatar. Was expecting something cyberpunk-like with dark colors lit up in colorful neon, and…not a spider. So this look is not what I expected. I think I like it.

Urgathoa:

So, like, Urgathoa’s look was this beautiful, mirthy woman whose body has rotted and fallen apart beneath her, contrasting life and youth with death and decay. This look has gotten a faithful space adaptation, with this macabre-but-pretty looking space suit (representing life and security in the void of space) exposed(!) and opened up beneath the ribs, revealing the horrible truth about her nature. There is nothing more terrifying in space than being buried inside your own spacesuit.

Weydan:

Weydan’s the god of respecting regular ole people, literally chipping off pieces of himself to toss into the world and be a regular ole person himself to spend his time. You could stand in his presence and never know it, because he disguises himself as a regular ole person specifically so you won’t recognize him. Think it makes sense here he’d actually look like a regular ole guy. Move over Odin, you poser.

Yaraesa:

So Yaraesa’s an ancestral lashunta goddess, and she looks like one, with antlers (or maybe just two sets of three antennae?) instead of antennae. Cool. Her clothes look like they’re of indigenous Castrovellian origin, which is extra cool. She’s seen looking up into a holographic orrery-type thing, which is just perfect for a goddess of inquisitivity and science. Her look wasn’t what I was expecting, and that’s what I love about it. No labcoat that's a demiplane or high-tech gadgetry littering her body or formulas pouring out of her mouth – just a disciplined, curious woman lost at work in her new discovery.

Zon-Kuthon:

So velstracs regrow body parts they cut off or mutilate in the pursuit of pain, I think? It would be so awesome if they were regrowing cybernetic prosthetics instead these days, fusing flesh and metal in an even more disgusting physiological makeup. Zon-Kuthon is totally a cyborg now, and I love it.

[Mad Dog Mike]

Interesting observations about Iomedae and Pharisma looking "stressed" (Iomedae's entire left arm is cyber, not just the shoulder). It does seem like a lot of the good or at least neutral deities with the strongest ties to Golarion got a little messed up by the Gap, not just in artwork but some of the lore (Caydean apparently effectively "fell off the wagon" for a bit, Angradd feels like he's a poor substitute/"usurping" Torag). It's not universal obviously; Calistria apparently keeps her policy of not getting too attached pretty well, they call out Chaldira as staying focused on the present, and of course Besmara seems to be having the time of her life now that she can be a space pirate :).

As for the others, they have some neat influences to show the changing of time. Desna definitely looks like she's more comfortable appearing "alien" now that travel entails meeting a lot more stranger beings (then again, elves WERE aliens to Golarion so looking like one was kind of the same thing really for Desna). I think looking at Sarenrae she's supposed to have a sort of Flash Gordon serial-style suit look going I think, which kind of fits with her as a "shiny" goddess to reflect a more shiny era of sci-fi. Urgathoa has a driftdead kind of look to her, which is kind of appropriate since I think that's one of the more evocative "sci-fi undead" ideas of Starfinder. Suit also looks like it has some Eox vibes, which fits given how much power she has there. Zon-Kuthon mixes in cyber but curiously it seems rather subtle rather than going the kind of crazy body mod style one could expect. Maybe a certain reverence for the old ways of inflicting suffering instead of going all high-tech torture? His church in Pathfinder Nidal does suggest some natural conservatism in the faith.

[GeneticDrift]

I thought many of the designs were bad. The little I've read of the section just makes me confused, pharasma apparently loves zero knives (or whatever), did she get a brand deal?

[Opsylum]

It's her favored weapon in battle, an upgrade to the dagger she's historically used. If Clerics of Pharasma existed in Starfinder, they'd be proficient with zero knives, emulating their training after the goddess.

[GeneticDrift]

Opsylum wrote:

It's her favored weapon in battle, an upgrade to the dagger she's historically used. If Clerics of Pharasma existed in Starfinder, they'd be proficient with zero knives, emulating their training after the goddess.

It's not an upgrade as it cannot function as dagger, it doesn't cut. Has pharasma secretly had sick switch blade skills and passes them to midwives? The dagger aligned with her domains the is just seems tacky.

[Ashbourne]

I'm not looking yet my Galtic Magic just finished downloading

[Rysky the Dark Solarion]

It's a syfy knife in a syfy setting with leveled loot emphasis on weapons and goes to level 20. A tactical knife isn't what a midwife would use either, and also doesn't advance like the Zero Knife.

[Rysky the Dark Solarion]

Turns out The Devourer is really just the picture frame itself.

[Leon Aquilla]

I was not a fan.

Weydan and Abadar in particular were fairly generic.

Iomedae's art style reminded me of that meme-able pic of Xena's warface.

Pharasma looked like she had at least 3 dozen cats and hadn't brushed her hair in centuries.

Damoritosh having one gigantic unarmored arm reminds me of an internet meme.

Nyarlethotep traditionally is not depicted so tentacularly in Lovecraftian art.

Sarenrae reminded me of that poor Spanish church fresco that someone tried to touch up and wound up making it look...weird.

Talavet's coloring was flat and the lines didn't seem very detailed.

Triune -- "Arachnid" is not what I think of when I think of Triune at all. Cassandalee and Brigh were both humanoid, so it's very strange that there's no anthropomorphic traits whatsoever in the art.

Urgathoa -- why is she wearing half a space suit?

etc.

My group was similarly not really moved.

I liked Oras and Desna's art I guess.

The Order of the Gate Hellknight on page 150 was similarly very disappointing. I'll be sticking to their traditional red robes and swirling masks.

It feels like the art budget for Starfinder is definitely getting short shrift. Very unfortunate.

[CorvusMask]

Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:

Turns out The Devourer is really just the picture frame itself.

The Devourer picture makes sense to me: Devourer isn't a person, its force of nature, so there ISN'T avatar of devourer. Instead the picture is abstract painting representing Devourer.

[CorvusMask]

As said in the other thread, I don't get why people say art is bad because even the weirdest ones aren't that bad.

Abadar art is pretty okay, when I heard he looked older I was kinda hoping he looked something like older Xanatos from Gargoyles with white streaks in hair and business suit, space golden business suit thing is okay in the cheesy scifi way so I don't mind it but yeah kinda hoped something bit more "business" color pattern wise.

Besmara has big make over in outfit wise and new nebula hair is nice.

Damaritosh is very much "Vesk God-Emperor" in appearance.

Desna moth appearance was canonically moth made out of constellations/stars so not exact same to her ancient appearance, but yeah seems like she took on less human centric form which is good :D

I don't think Eloritu looks that much like Reptoid(maybe more like those mirror shapeshifters whose name I can't bother to check right now), though does evoke Razmir jokes :p I do agree it evoking the mystery. Still hoping they make setting update where its canonically mentioned all six runes have indeed been found.

I'm still sad Hylax's appearance isn't as horrifying as Forever Queen of Nchak(you can see that art in distant stars), but she is very huggable so good for hug bug.

Ibra reminds me of Aeons, either way good "cosmic mystery being" look.

Iomedae art feels kinda off anatomy wise, but the cyborg arm is cool mystery yeah.

Lao Shu Po is bit generic for idea, but not bad either.

Nyarlathotep confuses me because that isn't any currently known avatar at least, but I do like how you can see thing in space suit having extremely inhuman anatomy. Like it definitely is great art in itself.

Oras art is the best art yes :D

On Pharasma art I'm not reading it as deep as you are, but it does definitely evoke Doctor Xavier vibes.

Sarenrae's fashion change is weird yeah

Talavet seems to be only god allowed to still have traditional outfit :D

I LOVE Triune's design. It really evokes idea that machine evolution takes you to different inhuman direction, I like that Triune isn't just robot woman or three torsos interconnected or such.

I like Urgathoa's spacesuit's design, but I'm confused about why she is wearing it. Maybe in modern time her nudity just seems off to worshppers so they depict her as if she died by getting lower half melted in space?

Weyden is perfect "move over person, I'm just traveler" ordinary fellow god which really fits for him.

Yaraesa is just weird to me because she looks like magic god rather than science god.

Zon-Kuthon has found new ways to be gross now, now by having cables piercing him to produce energy for lamps :'D

[CorvusMask]

Also really liked the space order of the gate picture here, it is interesting how much design has changed in thousands of years but still has similar elements to me.

Either way, Cayden Cailean's article states he admits directly he doesn't remember anything of what happened during Gab so... Does that mean there are at least other gods as well who don't know what happened?

[John Mangrum]

Nyarlathotep's art depicts him as the Empty Traveler, "the incarnation that most Pact Worlds species are familiar with" (Core Rulebook 488), albeit emptier and therefore more monstrous. As described in the CR, you could typically walk right past the Empty Traveler in a spaceport without noticing anything odd -- until you took a closer look at his helmet's visor.

[CorvusMask]

John Mangrum wrote:

Nyarlathotep's art depicts him as the Empty Traveler, "the incarnation that most Pact Worlds species are familiar with" (Core Rulebook 488), albeit emptier and therefore more monstrous. As described in the CR, you could typically walk right past the Empty Traveler in a spaceport without noticing anything odd -- until you took a closer look at his helmet's visor.

Ah that explains it xD

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I absolutely adore Desna's new look! So fluffy! :3

And I also find it kinda funny that Pharasma HERSELF didn't change appearance much, she just got a new gamer chair.

[Porridge]

My five favorite depictions were:

The Devourer
Oras
Nyarlathotep
Pharasma
Triune

With Eloritu getting an honorable mention.

There weren't any depictions that I hated, though the art for Iomedae and Sarenrae looked a little funny to my eye.

[Opsylum]

CorvusMask wrote:

Yaraesa is just weird to me because she looks like magic god rather than science god.

I think Yaraesa's concept is taking the "science that looks like magic" concept to its extreme. She looks a little like she turned herself into a bio-supercomputer (as I'm imagining this): amplified antennae things emitting visual ranges of data like holograms instead of just psychic signals, tattoos channeling currents of energy from her divine power source, limbs and digits acting as manipulators she uses to stimulate motion or reactions in her surroundings through minute gestures or dance-like movements, crystals in her jewelry housing vast repositories of knowledge she might pluck out and gift to a favored mortal, etc.

Her meditative posture also does a good job conveying the self-mastery and spiritual perfection elements of her faith (overlapping a bit with Irori's territory), and hand movements — mechanical and precise — as if she's using them to manipulate the hologram.

Science so often seems like this industrializing force that makes people and nature feel less of themselves, something artificial, and Yaraesa's like the antithesis of that sentiment. The pursuit of science should (and does) make us more human, more at harmony with the world around us. Plus, it's fun to see this figure that would, in some circles, be perceived as having a "primitive" appearance — representing the very height of scientific achievement and progress. Not something owned by modernity, but science — in her mind — being a pursuit standing on the shoulders of giants.

These themes also represent current lashunta cultural conflicts as well, balancing modernity with heritage and industrial progress with natural preservation — Yaraesa represents the perfect balance.

[keftiu]

Iomedae's art really strongly reminds me of some of the unflattering artwork we saw in 3.5 - her hair especially.

I actually don't mind Triune being non-humanoid, given that 1/3 of their prior iterations (Epoch) was designed by non-humanoid robots and their domain is over all intelligent life. Why be beholden to an organic shape?

Eloritu looks... a little like Razmir, no? I understand there's only so many ways to be a mage in a cloak and mask, but even still.

[Rysky the Dark Solarion]

keftiu wrote:

Eloritu looks... a little like Razmir, no? I understand there's only so many ways to be a mage in a cloak and mask, but even still.

*sad Magaambya noises*

[Cellion]

A bunch of these come off as looking sort of goofy or silly, with odd poses, especially Besmara, Damoritosh (and his goofy grin), Hylax (gives me UWU anime character vibes), Lao Shu Po (disney villain vibes), and Urgathoa (Buzz Lightyear helmet).

I absolutely LOVE the arts for Desna, the Devourer, Oras, Pharasma, and Triune. Really sweet designs and slick arts!

Poor Iomedae... That lady must have gone through a lot to become a deity of rage and awkward stances. And Sarenrae... why did she get a swimsuit and creepy techno-tubes?

Talavet and Weydan end up just kinda boring and ordinary.

[keftiu]

I should say: I'm smitten with this Desna.

[John Compton]

CorvusMask wrote:

Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:

Turns out The Devourer is really just the picture frame itself.

The Devourer picture makes sense to me: Devourer isn't a person, its force of nature, so there ISN'T avatar of devourer. Instead the picture is abstract painting representing Devourer.

A behind-the-scenes insight into the Devourer art: Rather than an objectively omniscient look at the Devourer, as we have for the other deities, this is an in-world person's attempt to depict the Devourer. Just by faithfully approximating the Devourer's likeness, the portrait is literally collapsing under the entropic stress of trying to portray such a deity of nothingness.

[Rysky]

keftiu wrote:

I should say: I'm smitten with this Desna.

Fancy MOFF

[CorvusMask]

Cellion wrote:

A bunch of these come off as looking sort of goofy or silly, with odd poses, especially Besmara, Damoritosh (and his goofy grin), Hylax (gives me UWU anime character vibes), Lao Shu Po (disney villain vibes), and Urgathoa (Buzz Lightyear helmet).

I absolutely LOVE the arts for Desna, the Devourer, Oras, Pharasma, and Triune. Really sweet designs and slick arts!

Poor Iomedae... That lady must have gone through a lot to become a deity of rage and awkward stances. And Sarenrae... why did she get a swimsuit and creepy techno-tubes?

Talavet and Weydan end up just kinda boring and ordinary.

I think Desna, Devourer, Oras and Triune are best yeah, but Damaritosh and Hylax also in the best category ;P Especially Hylax's kawai-ness

Weydan is also on my favorites because of how much of ordinary joe he looks like

[FormerFiend]

The Devourer's look reminds me a bit of certain Aeon designs, especially the Akhana & Theletos, who have a strong "multiple arms emerging from a swirling vortex" thing going on.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Cellion wrote:

Damoritosh (and his goofy grin)

That looks more like a smirk than a grin to me. I always thought you had to expose your teeth for it to be considered a grin.

Rysky wrote:

keftiu wrote:

I should say: I'm smitten with this Desna.

Fancy MOFF

CUDDLY moff!

[Justin Norveg]

Science distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced... get working!

[Kishmo]

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

Rysky wrote:

keftiu wrote:

I should say: I'm smitten with this Desna.

Fancy MOFF

CUDDLY moff!

Grand Moff Cuddles!

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Kishmo wrote:

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

Rysky wrote:

keftiu wrote:

I should say: I'm smitten with this Desna.

Fancy MOFF

CUDDLY moff!

Grand Moff Cuddles!

That almost looks like something outta Stellaris which I really need to get around to actually PLAYING since it's been sitting in my Steam Library untouched for at least two years DX!

[Opsylum]

keftiu wrote:

Eloritu looks... a little like Razmir, no? I understand there's only so many ways to be a mage in a cloak and mask, but even still.

For some reason, I can't look at Eloritu without David Bowie materializing in the back of my head. Incidentally, kind of felt the same way about Razmir's art from Legends.

[Kishmo]

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

That almost looks like something outta Stellaris which I really need to get around to actually PLAYING since it's been sitting in my Steam Library untouched for at least two years DX!

Yes. Yes you absolutely should! I cannot recommend Stellaris enough, for fans of 4X space strategy!

[Ashbourne]

Leon Aquilla wrote:

I was not a fan.

Urgathoa -- why is she wearing half a space suit?

Good question why does an undead god even need a spacesuit. I don't think Urgathoa has a lot of needs, She knowen for getting what she wants in excess. I'm all so guessing she's vain enough to want to keep what little flesh she has left. I all so wonder what the stats are on god-level spacesuits, that Urgathoa wants to wear one.

[Half elven gnomic dwarf]

it could just be a fashion statement, a fashion choice, don't over think it.

[Mimski]

I liked the god art in the book, and I agree that Oras is a standout. I also got a good chuckle out of Weydan's art. It's very in character.

On Eloritu's runes: Have all 6 been revealed yet? I thought we were up to 5. Did I miss one?

[CorvusMask]

Mimski wrote:

I liked the god art in the book, and I agree that Oras is a standout. I also got a good chuckle out of Weydan's art. It's very in character.

On Eloritu's runes: Have all 6 been revealed yet? I thought we were up to 5. Did I miss one?

Fifth in Dawn of Flame, sixth in Devastation Ark

[Mimski]

Oh, thank you. I must've missed the one in DoF.

[CorvusMask]

Mimski wrote:

Oh, thank you. I must've missed the one in DoF.

(it was in the city article rather than in the adventure itself x'D Book five iirc)

[Ashbourne]

Half elven gnomic dwarf wrote:

it could just be a fashion statement, a fashion choice, don't over think it.

Not just in relation to Urgathoa but all gods in general I'm very curious about god-level technology or their use and wants of technology in star finder. For fashion statements, I think Urgathoa is making a very interesting one, that even the goddess of disease wears a mask(space helmet).

[BigNorseWolf]

She probably likes to lure people in with the top half while the camera pans so the viewer can see whats really about to happen to the intrepid space explorer

[CorvusMask]

Ashbourne wrote:

Half elven gnomic dwarf wrote:

it could just be a fashion statement, a fashion choice, don't over think it.

Not just in relation to Urgathoa but all gods in general I'm very curious about god-level technology or their use and wants of technology in star finder. For fashion statements, I think Urgathoa is making a very interesting one, that even the goddess of disease wears a mask(space helmet).

It could be just gods adapting to times or how their worships imagine them.

Like Urgathoa has high tech scythe for some reason, its not like gods need high tech equipment because they ARE gods.

(insert star trek meme about why does god need a spaceship)

[Ashbourne]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

She probably likes to lure people in with the top half while the camera pans so the viewer can see whats really about to happen to the intrepid space explorer

I'd bet Zo! would be happy to provide the camera and an audience for that.

For all the darker things Urgathoa represents funny that her image could become the poster child for the don't forget to suit up spacesuit safety campaign, looks like there may be some good to Urgathoa after all.

[GeneticDrift]

Cellion wrote:

Poor Iomedae... That lady must have gone through a lot to become a deity of rage and awkward stances.

It's probably because it looks like she has one high heel and one boot.

I did love most of the art, triune, Oras, nyarlathotep, ibra, eloritu, the devourer, and desna all look amazing. The character art from the other sections are also awesome.

[Metaphysician]

John Compton wrote:

CorvusMask wrote:

Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:

Turns out The Devourer is really just the picture frame itself.

The Devourer picture makes sense to me: Devourer isn't a person, its force of nature, so there ISN'T avatar of devourer. Instead the picture is abstract painting representing Devourer.

A behind-the-scenes insight into the Devourer art: Rather than an objectively omniscient look at the Devourer, as we have for the other deities, this is an in-world person's attempt to depict the Devourer. Just by faithfully approximating the Devourer's likeness, the portrait is literally collapsing under the entropic stress of trying to portray such a deity of nothingness.

That was pretty much my assumption on seeing the artwork, with perhaps the added idea "There are no living witnesses of a manifestation of the Devourer, *possibly* excepting other major deities. If you are close enough to be able to see the Devourer, you are close enough that you are already dead."

( So where would the idea for this artwork come from? Mystic visions and artistic speculation, in varying combinations. You can tell its authentic by how it tries to destroy itself. ;) )

[Metaphysician]

Oh, and while I didn't notice it at first, I do like the idea that several of the relevant gods, like Iomedae and Pharasma, are still bearing the wounds of. . . whatever it was that happened during the Gap.

One thing I am left wondering is about the fate of the other unmentioned deities of old: Ghozreh, Erastil, Nethys, and Norgorber. All the other "major" deities from Pathfinder are accounted for, but those four have still yet to be mentioned. Some of them its easy to guess: Ghozreh is specifically the god of nature *on Golarion*, so he's probably wherever Golarion is; Erastil's whole domain has pretty much been supplanted or usurped by others*, so he's probably doing the bitter old man routine in the divine equivalent of a cabin in the woods. However, Nethys and Norgorber are a little more conspicuous in their absence.

* ( No, seriously. Even as a patron of frontier living- that area is now handled by *Abadar*, who is a patron of colonists and rural expansion. One could describe the Starfinder era in some ways as "Its all coming up Abadar". )

[Xenocrat]

Erastil isn't very relevant in an era of industrial agriculture, colonists aren't sitting in villages where they know a couple of hundred people by face while they go work the fields 10 hours a day.

Nethys as a magic god associated with a single race from a single disappeared planet in an era where magic is secondary to tech (as acknowledged by the lore stuff in the back of Galactic Magic) in the popular imagination doesn't seem like a guy to get widespread pickup. Eloritu is presumably a lot older and vastly more widespread, no niche available and no reason for him to greater prominence than any of the outsider demigods associated with magic, for example.

Norgorber suffers from having an often mocked name and too much overlap with the cooler and better fit to the setting Lao Shu Po. Better to let him fade away.

Gorum probably didn't care for ranged combat and tech weapons.

But in general 99.9999999% of gods aren't and weren't significant on a cosmic scale or even in this one galaxy. There's probably a couple of dozen pre-Gap Lashunta deities we don't know about, either. They're no more or less important than the missing Pathfinder core gods.

Damoritosh seems similarly trivial, as with Lao Shu Po, they only matter in the Pact Worlds/Veskarium and places they've done heavy trade/colonization. Most of the galaxy will never even hear of them. Same with Iomedae, probably.

Besmara is potentially the interesting Golarion origin one who might make it somewhat big in the galaxy as a whole given the nature of her aspect and the ability of pirates to chaotically spread and memetically spread her if there are no similar dedicated entities to that space.

[Leon Aquilla]

Quote:

Oh, and while I didn't notice it at first, I do like the idea that several of the relevant gods, like Iomedae and Pharasma, are still bearing the wounds of. . . whatever it was that happened during the Gap.

I'm reluctant to speculate on deities based solely on the art that was approved for the book. They're usually pretty succinct and light on details.

I recall that everyone was convinced Cayden Cailean and Weydan were the same deity, and then Galactic Magic came along and burst that theory.

[Metaphysician]

Eh, the "Cayden Cailean is Weydan" theory was always really weird. Weydan just doesn't have anything particular in common with Cailean besides alignment, in terms of being a future version, and the opposite simple doesn't work at all because we *know* Cayden Cailean's origin.

[Xenocrat]

There’s an ancient Azlanti CG god of exploration who some thought he could be, but he was just in a Ruins of Azlant article and I doubt more than three Paizo employees would recognize his name without context.

[keftiu]

Xenocrat wrote:

There’s an ancient Azlanti CG god of exploration who some thought he could be, but he was just in a Ruins of Azlant article and I doubt more than three Paizo employees would recognize his name without context.

I like Elion!!

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Xenocrat wrote:

Norgorber suffers from having an often mocked name and too much overlap with the cooler and better fit to the setting Lao Shu Po. Better to let him fade away.

My personal headcanon is Lao Shu Po shanked him and stole his divine power.