Creative Director
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I just don't see it.
If you do, please speculate here.
I do see it!
The in world reasons are spoilers meant for players to discover as they play Revenge of the Runelords, but I expect once volume 1 is out next month folks will spread the word online. That's fine, but please use spoiler protocol when talking about it!
But from a meta-reason... he's back simply because the Runelords Adventure Paths are popular, and we've never given players a chance to face off against Xanderghul at the peak of his powers as a full-strength mythic arguably the most powerful wizard on the planet mode—or at the very least folks wanted to see his full stat block, which we haven't to date published. That will change by the end of the year.
Personally, I'm pretty happy with the reasons/justifications in-world for how I have him come back to threaten the world once again. Not everyone will be, but that's just because not everything is for everyone. But here's hoping Revenge of the Runelords delights more folks than it annoys! :-)
All that said, I'm eager to see the speculation. I won't be commenting, of course, but I'm curious to see if anyone picks up on some of the hints and clues we've been publishing over the last several years about this storyline (it is, after all, one I started noodling on and building upon more than three years ago, after all!).
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Look, I'll be honest. The rationale could be 'because funny' and I'd still buy it. I LOVE Thassilon content, and this book comes out at exactly the cosmically perfect time for me (I swear Paizo publishes around my own personal campaign schedule).
I really do hope it's something to do with a complete random chance slice of Gorum just clipping his soul on the way through the planes. I love the idea of such a large threat being a big statistical 'oops'.
If somehow Karzoug comes back too I may have to bring my old Rise party out of retirement somehow just to have them directly train the new generation.
'Back in my day, we had to scale a mountain uphill both ways in the snow to beat our Runelords! And we weren't even mythic!'
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'Back in my day, we had to scale a mountain uphill both ways in the snow to beat our Runelords! And we weren't even mythic!'
"And don't even mention that clock tower in Magnimar... Or the other mountains (one in particular)... Or that wendigo, before even finding Xin-Shalast..."
'Back in my day, we had to scale a mountain uphill both ways in the snow to beat our Runelords! And we weren't even mythic!'"And don't even mention that clock tower in Magnimar... Or the other mountains (one in particular)... Or that wendigo, before even finding Xin-Shalast..."
Our cleric fell off that clocktower lmao. She survived with like... 2 hp? Something wild. It was painful.
Our cleric fell off that clocktower lmao. She survived with like... 2 hp? Something wild. It was painful.'Back in my day, we had to scale a mountain uphill both ways in the snow to beat our Runelords! And we weren't even mythic!'"And don't even mention that clock tower in Magnimar... Or the other mountains (one in particular)... Or that wendigo, before even finding Xin-Shalast..."
The clock tower was an issue for a lot of groups. Especially under the 3.5 rules.
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I wonder how many people remember Vanthus Vanderboren?
IMO, Xanderghul doesn't have as much emotional investment from his previous appearances.
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I just don't see it.
If you do, please speculate here.
Somehow, Xanderghul returned.
-Skeld
Did he also get to make a fleet of fully staffed Runelord Airships by being off screen for several years?
(I joke because that movie was awful. I'm fully on board with Runelords content.)
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Look, I'll be honest. The rationale could be 'because funny' and I'd still buy it. I LOVE Thassilon content, and this book comes out at exactly the cosmically perfect time for me (I swear Paizo publishes around my own personal campaign schedule).
I really do hope it's something to do with a complete random chance slice of Gorum just clipping his soul on the way through the planes. I love the idea of such a large threat being a big statistical 'oops'.
If somehow Karzoug comes back too I may have to bring my old Rise party out of retirement somehow just to have them directly train the new generation.
'Back in my day, we had to scale a mountain uphill both ways in the snow to beat our Runelords! And we weren't even mythic!'
All I will say is, you will be pleased.
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James Jacobs the story to this AP and the explanation of Xanderghul's Return.
I love it.
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Creative Director
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James Jacobs the story to this AP and the explanation of Xanderghul's Return.
I love it.
Cool! It's nice to almost be able to talk more about it. It's been something that I've been noodling over ever since we first started talking about [REDACTED] in-house several years ago.
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I love redacted. It's my favorite plot element. I see it everywhere!
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I do not have the book, so this is pure speculation from me.
Trinity star made me think of 3 Runelords. We know Xanderghul is one. There is Krune on a cover. I think Karzoug is the third one.
Because Karzoug (Transmutation) and Krune (Conjuration) are the Runelords of the schools in opposition to that of Xanderghul.
And Liralarue, who is also on a cover, was one of Karzoug's apprentices.
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I do have a question for James Jacobs.
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Creative Director
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I do have a question for James Jacobs.
** spoiler omitted **
Could potentially have been more clear about that, even if there is a TINY bit of retconning going on, but...
The bit about him creating this sanctum on its own rather than having it linked to the runewell of pride is something I made an adjustment to, because while the whole "too proud to do the same thing" element is fun it doesn't lean into the cool runelord flavors. And since the PCs will be interacting with the runewell of lust and the Eye of Desire in book 3, I wanted them to have a preliminary encounter with this combination in book 1 to foreshadow that and to contextualize things.
In the end, the only difference is that Xanderghul did NOT create the Eye of Arrogance (his sanctum) by drawing only upon his mythic power, but in the same way other runelords created their own Eyes. And then his pride made him look for the time travel solution, too late, and he ended up in that sanctum anyway.
The "sanctum" we talk about in Return of the Runelords was always intended to be the same thing as the Eye of Arrogance, entered via the heart of Xin-Cyrusian, just as it is in Revenge of the Runelords.
I do have a question for James Jacobs.
** spoiler omitted **
Could potentially have been more clear about that, even if there is a TINY bit of retconning going on, but...
** spoiler omitted **
Okay that all makes sense and honestly I like it feels thematically aligned with Runelord Lore. Bravo!
It's time to ask the real questions. Like is there going to be a Vancaskerkin in this one?
To the OP, the real answer is simple. Of the Runelords, Xanderghul is the only one who had a legitimate chance to threaten Sorshen, before she got the power-up of being de-facto ruler of Varisia.
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I mentioned to a friend of mine that this was coming out at PFS this weekend, and he was hyped.
At the end of the day, that's the reason to do this: Lots of folks love Runelord APs and are excited for a PF2 one. I'm highly confident Paizo's writers can come up with a cool explanation for how it's happening story wise.
(The last AP he got hyped for is Spore War, and he's GMing it for us now. Have to say, book 1 was great! We just started book 2.)
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Now that James has said, "...and we've never given players a chance to face off against Xanderghul at the peak of his powers as a full-strength mythic arguably the most powerful wizard on the planet mode...," I must say it appears the justification for bringing Xanderghul back (with full mythic capability) is veering even further from how Return of the Runelords ended.
Where did Xanderghul's mythic power go after Alaznist was killed? In our game, it went to the players. They each had one Mythic Rank from opening and traveling through the Cyphergate to the Time dimension. And killing Alaznist was certainly a Mythic test, so they each gained another rank.
Now, in a game where the players weren't already Mythic when Alaznist was killed, the Mythic could still have gone to the players (there was a LOT of energy/power released when the demons tore her soul apart as she died) or if it didn't go to the players, it was surely dispersed in the portal that the demons opened up to get to Alaznist.
Her Mythic power would not have gone to Xanderghul because he was dead and was judged, or was getting ready to be judged by Pharasma.
Now, I suppose you *could* say Xanderghul had a "backup plan" in case the Peacock Shrine plan didn't work out, but he would have been too prideful to think his first plan (which was the best plan) wasn't going to work. He did not need a secondary, lesser plan.
This feels like it is going to be a bigger retcon than James is letting on. Maybe it's more of a reflection of changes to the Mythic system in 2nd Edition?
I'm eager to see the first book in the Revenge AP, but the justification for bringing Xanderghul back needs to be REALLY good.
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Creative Director
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The first volume's out soon, but let's just say that...
Whether or not the justification for bringing him back is REALLY good will depend on the individual. For what it's worth, it's REALLY good to me.
And yes... it does build off of how Return of the Runelords ended. As with all sequel APs though, if you ran those at your table and your game had a different ending than the one we assume is the standard, canonical one, you'll need to adjust as needed.
I have the first book and I have to say, with no details yet, since the book isn’t officially out yet, that it is cool and makes sense and doesn’t contradict anything. Maybe you could say “luck?” But I am not sure if it is good or bad luck involved.
I have the first book and I have to say, with no details yet, since the book isn’t officially out yet, that it is cool and makes sense and doesn’t contradict anything. Maybe you could say “luck?” But I am not sure if it is good or bad luck involved.
"Luck?"
Say rather the machinations of
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Creative Director
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Is there any more information regarding The Ashen Man? Did it appeared in previous Runelords AP?
I created him for...
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From the sound of it, it does not fit that neatly with the reason given in Return for why Xanderghul did not arise before Alaznist got to him though.
My theory here, is that while Xanderghul did retreat into the Eye of Arrogance, he used the knowledge of Chronomancy he learned from his search for the Scepter of Ages. To place himself in a Temporal Stasis, which he set a timer for.
When Belimarius's followers came to claim his Runewell to salvage the Runewell of Envy, they destroyed his timer, when his defenses where triggered.
And when Alaznist entered the Eye of Arrogance to assassinate him, he was impervious due to being in a time bubble.
Which is why she had to use the Scepter of Ages to bypass his protections.
This theory makes the most since to me, at least until James Jacobs confirms otherwise.