#paths beyond

I hate thinking about my own teeth for a variety of reasons, but there is something about teeth as a motif that I find hypnotic. This makes tooth fairies horribly iconic. Paizo took something whimsical from our childhoods, combined it with something awful from our adult years (aka oral hygiene), to make a monster no one forgets. They are brilliant.

What sets tooth fairies apart from other fey is their origin. These greedy nasties typically hail from the Universe rather than the First World, though they are still strongly connected to the latter. Not the have to come from the Universe, mind you, all they need is mortal children living somewhere connected to the First World. The presence of tooth fairies in extraplanar hubs, with their higher mortal populaces, implies the presence of First World energies somewhere nearby - a useful little bit of environmental storytelling. Of course, a sufficiently powerful druid or witch could manufacture these energies as well, either stealing teeth or children to spawn their horrendous little minions. Just be careful with your group’s lines and veils if you go the latter route. 

Of course, the other other question to consider is why tooth faeries need all those teeth. Sure, they are sadistic bastards, they use them as decorations, and some need them to transform into monarchs, but are there other reasons for tooth faeries to hoard teeth? What would happen if one of them started crunching them down like candy? Are their fairies out there who cause teeth to decay and abscess within their owner's mouths? What rituals do tooth fairies need the teeth for and why do some of them bargain for teeth instead of steal? Don't be afraid to get weird here, its fine to say the fey compelled to steal teeth, but providing an evocative and twisted rationale will make it all the more memorable. 

Tooth fairies are a constant nuisance in Shadow Absalom thanks to the infamous Tooth Gardens. Within this moldering tenement building, canines and molars spread like hideous coral reefs, eventually cracking open and disgorging the sadistic fey gestating within. This phenomenon's origins are hotly debated, it is obvious that this land is touched by the First World, but how and why remain occulted. The two most common theories are that an archfey was buried in this location during a forgotten age or that this was where Count Ranalc's exile began. Either way, this is a place best avoided by mortals, as the tooth fairies are more than happy to act as cat's paws for velstracs as long as they get to keep the victim's teeth.

Faerie rings blend easily into natural environments, unless they come from tooth faeries. A ring of mushrooms is not worthy, but they occur often enough to not raise suspicions and not all of them link to the First World. On the other hand, a ring of teeth growing on the ends of tiny stalks is immediately alarming. Tooth faeries tend these spots carefully, and can open the door between worlds in exchange for an offering of teeth.

I have always loved everything mind flayer-adjacent and if you do too, the Dominion of the Black has you covered, even post-Remaster. The intellect devourer is gone, but in its place we have the xoarian, a creepy tentacled brain that can shove their way into corpses and pilot them like Jaegers. Or Evas. That may be the more appropriate mech in this analogy.

Xoarians are wickedly smart and have a taste for hedonism, wishing to indulge in the senses of corpses they ride. They are also very good at infiltration, so it's worthwhile brushing up on your real world spycraft. Remember spies do not need to pull stunts worthy of James Bind to be successful, incidental gossip can sometimes be just as useful as assassination and arson. A well-placed xoarian would make an excellent handler, sitting at a web of plausible deniability and unsuspecting agents. From a planar perspective, they are trained in Occultism and I would associate them with the planes tied to the mind - the Astral and the Ethereal. 

There is one major change made to the xoarians in the Remaster that I should call out. The intellect devourer was limited to possessing a corpse for seven days before it decayed into uselessness. Xoarians lack this limitation, allowing them to ride a body indefinitely if it serves the plot. The decaying after a week is a great plot hook that facilitates some great and horrific stories, but Gamemasters only have to use it if they wish to, it is no longer a constraint baked into the monster.

The Seven Day Curse is something of a misnomer, as it is usually caused by biological or environmental variations rather than magic. Still, the rapid decomposition of a possessed corpse irks the xoarians, so Aaguuni Black Tar set out to do something about it. Working from their outpost in the Void, Aaguuni developed a ritual that reanimates the corpse as an undead while leaving the xoarian in control. Tests are currently ongoing with the Black Tar’s disciples in Geb, Ustalav, and Wanshou. 

Txl the Despoiler is a byword for decadence among the Dominion of the Black. He is a legendary spy, renowned for fulfilling his duties without compromise his pursuit of sensation and decadence. Despite this reputation, Txl is a double agent, having long ago, confirmed it worshiping Hauster, Narlythotep, and Nhimbaloth as a pantheon. While exploring passions common to xoarians, also covertly worships the Great Old Ones and seeks to convert humanoids and aliens to their cause. 

It’s the end of another school year, so I’m busy wrapping up the last legs of marking and report cards. So clearly it’s the right time to say “And now for something completely different!” Today I am looking at one single ancestry feat, the stories it comes from, and then how they can inform worldbuilding and characters.

Proud Mentor has undeniable mythic roots, referencing the centaur Chiron, the mentor of Greek Gods and heroes. While Chiron is known for healing, astronomy, and philosophy, this feat makes a centaur better at any type of Aid action - ensuring they can't make things worse and bolstering the when their pupils succeed. It speaks strongly of the values of teamwork and cooperation, which is worth remembering if you want to lean into the more philosophical side of things. This fits with almost any faction within the setting, but is particularly appropriate for The Knights of Lastwall and the Magambya. With that said, don't discount Proud Mentors within the Hellknights and the Ironfang Legion. While these organizations are less classically heroic, they strongly value order, so educating new initiates via strong mentor-pupil relationships would be highly valued.

Speaking of relationships, consider what this feat means from a plot and esoteric perspective. Having Proud Mentor says something about the character's personality - even if they aren't the most sociable, they seek out and build relationships with others. Take it from an IRL teacher, that's what our profession is actually about - forming bonds and using them to help someone grow. So how can others use that bond? Do they manipulate the mentor or pupil to stir up some intrigue? Do they attack one as a proxy to harm the other? From a more esoteric perspective, occultism is all about bonds, connections, and symbolism. Think about the ways an occultist could use that mentor-pupil bond as a symbol or sacrifice. They may not even care about the precise individuals involved, but about the bond itself. If the occultist is the centaur themself, they may use their status as a mentor to build connections to others, then draw their magic from the stories surrounding those relationships.

Even before he aspired to be an adventurer, Balston the Bard aspired to be a teacher. In the young centaur's travels, he has mentored dozens of youngsters like himself and then used their stories to inspire others. Unfortunately, while he is enthusiastic and inspiring, Balston's occult magic has started to feed back upon itself. Every time he draws upon his mentorship stories to create magic, occult ripples form about the stories' subjects. Given enough time, they will form dreamscapes or brainchildren, putting Balston's former protegees in grave danger.

There are few respites on Abaddon for mortals or the Hunted, but Rotting Hollow is one of them. Ivius the Dark rules with a fair but iron-clad hoof, ensuring both that no one steps out of line and everyone has the skills they need to survive living so close to Plaguemere. While Ivius is skilled in the traditional centaur skills of medicine and wilderness survival, he has no intent of using them to help those beyond his community, for he is one of Apollyons' faithful. He mentors his acolytes not to use their skills to relieve disease but to incubate and spread it as far as possible.

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for lantern archons, so I'm pleased that their Remaster equivalents are the first things I get to tackled out of Monster Core. Zoaems, or ring archons, occupy the low-level minion niche on the archon org-chart. They aren't particularly bright, but they are trained in Religion, so they know their theology and the outer sphere beyond heaven's slopes. Their second skill is Acrobatics for flight and darting through an enemy's square. The third is interesting though - it's Intimidation. My instinct says a celestial use Diplomacy instead, and indeed that's what the lantern archon had as its third skill. My guess is that Paizo is rolling with how outright eldritch the new archons appear, so every single one of them excels at scaring people. There’s also that whole “be not afraid” thing from the Bible, which works so much better if Archons are terrifying.

Zoaems are the least uncanny archons, but they still have plenty of latitude to be eerie and weird. The default zoaem is a series of spinning, winged rings surrounding an inner light. An easy way to customize their appearances would be to vary light within them. The obvious approach would be to make the inner light a sun or a star, but anything which sheds light could work. A haunting or occult oriented zoaem could have one or several candles floating in their core. Another, who escorts souls to the Boneyard, may have ivory rings spinning around a luminous skull. Of course, there is also the classic - a giant unblinking floating eyeball that stare at all who pass.

After the serial killer Bartrum the Bloody escaped his sanitarium prison in Ustalav, a group of archons took matters into their own hands. The band tracked down the murderer, but he proved too much for them, slaying the divine host one by one. The final celestial standing was Elijah the Daring. The zoaem took the fight to Bartrum, rushing him with eye-beams blazing. Some how, the confrontation ended with the two merging together, creating a being with a mortal body, and rotating rings in place of a head. This creature, Bram the Bright, wanders Avistan trying to reconcile the conflicting impulses within its soul.

Legends say that in the Universe's early days, all ring archons were a single potent demigod who fractured themself to thaw unholy powers. The ring archons keep the birthplace of the original Zoaem secret, but make frequent pilgrimages there. The best way to find it is to follow the zoaem who bring blessings to their kin, the immobile bastion archons.

Deros, saved from the remaster cull by a removed R and an entirely different backstory. The derros (two Rs) of my childhood were the chaotic evil underground dwarves, but deros are something all together more planar. The twisted descendants of the fey pech, deros have ties to both the First World and the Plane of Earth. These are historical ties rather than current identities, but it gives us a strong starting point. Deros share a lot of literary influence with the morlocks, which happen to be one of the few ancestries they coexist with on a regular basis. They are terrifying abductors who live underground, inflict violence capriciously, and have fallen far from their past selves. 

The First World and the Plane of Earth are obvious choices to connect the Dero to, but they aren't the only ones. Given that so much of their psychology revolves around their shattered psyches and roiling emotions, the Astral and Ethereal Planes are excellent choices, as are occult mindscapes springing forth spontaneously. I imagine that the Netherworld is also attractive to Dero exploring the planes - they get to bypass the sun and move round the Overburn quickly with minimal danger. Another thing to consider is that dero are often involved in cattle mutilations and strange, unremembered surgeries. Tying them to occult and extraterrestrial horror may be another vein to tap - Classic Monsters Revisited even mentions X-Files as being a cultural touchstone to use as inspiration for Dero. If the greys or the brain collectors show up in your campaign, who's to say they aren't using deros as thier minions in exchange for knowledge about radiation? Finally, one must also consider the Outer Rifts. By far and away most the deros' religious inclination is to worship demons, so their presence could serve as catspaws for any number of chthonic influences. 

Among the few dero who retain knowledge of their fey origin, their people are known as the Twice-Abandoned. These clans often seek out abandoned fey and Vault Keeper ruins, hoping to glean insight into their past. Being no less cruel than their peers, if they discover a site with occupants, they will gladly dismember as sacrifices to elemental spirits. They also work to develop connections to the primal energies of the First World and Plane of Earth rather than relying on the occult powers of other clans. 

When the Quick disappear in Mechitar, no one pays it any mind. The living are expendable in Geb’s capital, after all, but the undead are a different story. Rumours circulate that the Kulenett dwarves are abducting the dead, but in reality is it the work of a dero mob seeking a cure to their sunlit curse. They have destroyed many undead through their vivisections, creating a cloud of restless spirits that follow them wherever they go.

Everyone’s favourite maybe-drake is, quite bluntly, one of my favourite monsters. I'm not entirely sure I can give a coherent explanation of why. Dragons are awesome, but I have a soft spot for drakes, I have a soft spot for heraldic creatures, and I have a soft spot for bug-like stingers. Wyverns check all of those boxes off while also smart enough that you can have baseline negotiations and intrigue with them. They are just fun and iconic in all the right ways.

Air and poison are the two themes I would play with when looking for wyverns on the planes. Thankfully, there is no shortage of either, so there are lots of places to stick these wee timorous beasties. Beyond that, I'd be inclined to make wyverns NPC members of various factions, especially that either play into or subvert their physical/bestial nature. Sometimes playing into archetypal roles are useful, but especially on the planes, you should be prepared to expect the unexpected.

Legends and symbols collide on the Astral Plane, churning into the occult thought forms that give bardic tales their power. The Silver Sea's rising and falling tides have spawned the Heraldic Beasts - potent living symbols of mortal honour and nobility. The greatest of these is the Chivalrous Wyvern, a draconic champion who represents knights and monarchs within the Astral. The Wyvern is a supremely honourable symbol, it should not be mistaken for a holy one - the astral drake is chivalrous, not  charitable, and is equally capable of siding with honourable albeit unholy knights.

Dat’raq the Destroyer evangelizes to all drakes who will listen. The wyvern prophet preaches that dragons, for all their power and magic, are insufficiently servile to Dahak and that it is time for drakes to take their place. Drakes can’t oppose their more powerful cousin directly, but Dat’raq works covertly to build his movement, founding hidden clutches on planar rifts across Avistan in hopes they will grant the next generations of drakes powerful innate magic. He’s also approached factions such as the Pathfinders, Aspis, and the Hellknight in hopes of using the soft skins to help even the odds and evangelizes just as hard to orcs and kobolds as he does his own kind. 

Anywhere dragons dwell, the Wyverntree can be found, at least according to drakes. It is majestic and impossible, nestled away deep within the ethereal plane, where it reaches all places at once. While it resembles a tree whose multitude of gnarled limbs stretch out into infinity, close inspection reveals it is anything but vegetation. The entire Wyverntree is made of scales, teeth, muscles, and poison. Fleshy bulbs protrude out of its surface like overripe fruits that give birth to fully formed drakes. Most of these are wyverns, as are the gigantic feathered beast that prowls the tree’s highest braces and the scaleless monster worming its way through the deepest roots. 

Paizo loves to draw on real-world myth and religion to flesh out the Age of Lost Omens and these psychopomps are no exception. Yamaraj is one of the names of the Hindu God of Death, who also shows up in many, many other Asian religions and mythologies. While Yamarajes are largely created whole-cloth for Pathfinder as best as I can tell, they share their role as the afterlife's supreme judges with their namesake. 

When dealing with psychopomps in general, and yamarajes specifically, it’s critical to remember that, while they have hierarchies, these are not devils. The bureaucracy of the Boneyard is considerably more laissez-faire than that of Hell. Psychopomps follow their hierarchy because if they don’t someone further up, the chain of command might bury them under so much busy work they’d wish they could die. A psychopomp may all be the spirit of the law one day, then the letter of the law of the next, simply because it is convenient. If it gets them the results they believed to be correct, they may not have any qualms about breaking the law entirely.  

All this means the yamarajes get a high degree of latitude to deal with problems as they see fit. They are the penultimate step on the org chart, second only to the Ushers and the gods themselves. They are smart, cunning, corvid-dragons of death who heal from lightning and have the scarab swarms from The Mummy ‘99 as their breath attack. You try telling them they’re doing their job wrong. It can be tough to find inspiration for outsiders acting this way, but luckily one series does exist. Daily Bestiary recommended Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom to me a while back and while it’s not a perfect fit for psychopomps (he suggested it re: rilmani), the denizens of the House are a good starting point for getting in the mindset of neutral outsiders.  

Rajit the Wayward stubbornly insists that he is not, although the nickname has stuck amongst mortals and his erstwhile colleagues. The yamaraj hasn’t set foot in the Boneyard for nearly 3000 years, proclaiming to anyone who will listen that she has merely taken a short sabbatical and will return to his courtroom soon enough. Even his fellow immortals are skeptical, but Pharasma has made no move to censure him, so the other Yamarajes put up with his truancy. Meanwhile, Rajit serves as one of the few points of stability within the First World realm of Nighthold, dispensing legal advice to those in need. Rajit is just as curious about the fey as they are about the psychopomp, which helps him endure both their shenanigans and treachery. He is one of the easier psychopomps for mortals to approach — if they can make it through the remnants of Count Ranalc’s kingdom.  

Like any body of water in the Universe, the River of Souls has its own weather. Shah Jamshid rules over the largest of these storms, riding it up and down the River as he incinerates soul thieves with lightning bolts. The yamaraj's storm doesn't usually disturb the departed, but every few years he must recruit adventurous to track down souls who get blown stray. While irritating, Jamshid justifies these minor interruptions to the River's flow as the price for ensuring daemons and powerful undead don't do worse damage.