Lost Omens: Aspis Consortium?

[Tropkagar]

I understand that such a book is unlikely to appear, but in general I would like to state the fact that I am interested in such an organization and materials on it.

And to be completely honest, I think that this organization would be even more suitable as a global organization for the setting than some others. I mean, it's hard for me to imagine Magaambya as a large international and fairly decentralized organization, unlike Firebrands or the Pathfinder Society.

In addition, this organization in my opinion would fulfill the task of an evil large-scale organization, since Firebrands is a chaotic organization, Knights of Lastwall is a good organization, and Hellknights is a law organization.

I could imagine the Aspis Consortium as something like the Pentex Corporation from the World of Darkness, and the factions of the Aspis Consortium could represent different business lines. One group, for example, may be focused on economic exploitation, and are active in Geb, distributing their provisions throughout the world. Another group is working on questionable scientific research, for example by supporting research into stasian coils at Ustlav.

At the same time, I want to note that the organization is interesting in that they (as far as I know) do not strive for any goals that are destructive to the world. And therefore, peaceful interaction with them is quite possible, especially considering how much the world depends on their economic activity. In the end, everyone needs to eat, and the Knights of Lastwall may well use, for example, the weapons they produce.

[Evan Tarlton]

I also find the Aspis to be interesting. I don't know if there's enough to them to support their own Lost Omens book, because they aren't meant to be a player organization. That said, they could and should feature heavily in a Legends style book about other Inner Sea factions.

[keftiu]

Appealing to Alignments isn't gonna get you very far when we know Alignments are dead. I don't personally think that "the rich supervillains who exist as a foil to the Pathfinder Society" are a Lost Omens book I'm personally jumping for, but maybe some fun mad scientist stuff could end up in it.

(Point of order: you don't think the oldest still-extant nexus of magical learning could have a global reach? Surely crazier things have happened than Wizards who teleport and sages who wish to see the world.)

[Tropkagar]

keftiu wrote:

Appealing to Alignments isn't gonna get you very far when we know Alignments are dead. I don't personally think that "the rich supervillains who exist as a foil to the Pathfinder Society" are a Lost Omens book I'm personally jumping for, but maybe some fun mad scientist stuff could end up in it.

(Point of order: you don't think the oldest still-extant nexus of magical learning could have a global reach? Surely crazier things have happened than Wizards who teleport and sages who wish to see the world.)

In general, you are fair about Alignments. But I just think that good villains are many times more important than heroes, since it is the villains that are almost always the main driver of the plot. That's why I'm so interested in various evil factions.

I just think that I don't see Magaambya as an organization on a global level. In my mind, Magaambya operates mainly in Mwangi, and meeting graduates from there somewhere in Irrisen... is unlikely. Yes, graduates of this magical school can be found all over the world, but I'm talking mainly about agents of the organization who perform tasks on the other side of the world.

[Rysky]

They explicitly do have “agents” elsewhere, a Teacher and his students even competed in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.

[Rysky]

Also wasn’t the Consortium in P1 at the climax of Organized Play?

[Tropkagar]

Rysky wrote:

Also wasn’t the Consortium in P1 at the climax of Organized Play?

I'm not aware of Organized Play at all.

[The Raven Black]

The Aspis Consortium is the Evil twin of the Pathfinder Society.

They therefore do most of their showing up in Organized Play scenarios

[The Raven Black]

Rysky wrote:

They explicitly do have “agents” elsewhere, a Teacher and his students even competed in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.

IIRC they also sent a team to Sarkoris to help with clearing and rebuilding efforts there.

[The Raven Black]

Now, we could have Lost Omens : Threats, with various villain organizations like the Aspis, its Tian-Xia counterpart, the Sekmin Empire...

[zimmerwald1915]

keftiu wrote:

(Point of order: you don't think the oldest still-extant nexus of magical learning could have a global reach? Surely crazier things have happened than Wizards who teleport and sages who wish to see the world.)

Pretty sure Xin-Edasseril has seized this title as of the Lost Omens Campaign Setting, though I'd quite like to see the Magaambyian arcanists burn the city to the ground to get it back. Goodness knows none of its neighbors is up to the task.

Anyway, Aspis exists as a moral blank check to the Pathfinders doing most of the same things for most of the same paymasters, and I would be happy to see it dropped.

[keftiu]

Tropkagar wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Also wasn’t the Consortium in P1 at the climax of Organized Play?

I'm not aware of Organized Play at all.

That’s where 90% of the Aspis Consortium content is - they’ve been one of, if not the single main antagonists across Society’s run.

Even if you don’t do Organized Play (like me!), the scenarios have a lot of fun lore that isn’t found anywhere else.

[Tropkagar]

keftiu wrote:

Tropkagar wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Also wasn’t the Consortium in P1 at the climax of Organized Play?

I'm not aware of Organized Play at all.

That’s where 90% of the Aspis Consortium content is - they’ve been one of, if not the single main antagonists across Society’s run.

Even if you don’t do Organized Play (like me!), the scenarios have a lot of fun lore that isn’t found anywhere else.

In that case, I think a book about this organization is all the more needed.

[Rysky]

Tropkagar wrote:

keftiu wrote:

Tropkagar wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Also wasn’t the Consortium in P1 at the climax of Organized Play?

I'm not aware of Organized Play at all.

That’s where 90% of the Aspis Consortium content is - they’ve been one of, if not the single main antagonists across Society’s run.

Even if you don’t do Organized Play (like me!), the scenarios have a lot of fun lore that isn’t found anywhere else.

In that case, I think a book about this organization is all the more needed.

Well no in that case, because those storylines have already played out.

[AceofMoxen]

Tropkagar wrote:

keftiu wrote:

Tropkagar wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Also wasn’t the Consortium in P1 at the climax of Organized Play?

I'm not aware of Organized Play at all.

That’s where 90% of the Aspis Consortium content is - they’ve been one of, if not the single main antagonists across Society’s run.

Even if you don’t do Organized Play (like me!), the scenarios have a lot of fun lore that isn’t found anywhere else.

In that case, I think a book about this organization is all the more needed.

Having played PFS2, I think the Consortium is intentionally vague. Many scenarios have no actual agents, but a warning that if you fail, the Consortium will do the job instead. I think a lack of lore is a strength of the Aspis.

[The Raven Black]

AceofMoxen wrote:

Tropkagar wrote:

keftiu wrote:

Tropkagar wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Also wasn’t the Consortium in P1 at the climax of Organized Play?

I'm not aware of Organized Play at all.

That’s where 90% of the Aspis Consortium content is - they’ve been one of, if not the single main antagonists across Society’s run.

Even if you don’t do Organized Play (like me!), the scenarios have a lot of fun lore that isn’t found anywhere else.

In that case, I think a book about this organization is all the more needed.

Having played PFS2, I think the Consortium is intentionally vague. Many scenarios have no actual agents, but a warning that if you fail, the Consortium will do the job instead. I think a lack of lore is a strength of the Aspis.

Very good point. This way, GMs can map it to their favorite Evil business-like organisation, whatever that is (Pentex, the Guild, the Syndicate ...).

[keftiu]

They also got coverage in both the 1e Adventurer’s Guide (a big book of factions from late in PF1 that’s *awesome*) and the 2e Lost Omens: Pathfinder Society Guide.

I’d suggest looking there, and to Society scenarios like #6-98, where you play as pregen Aspis Consortium agents as they strike the hated Society.