101 Spirit Turtle
Exposition
There was a man that I knew once, we met crossing the Tazuni and bonded over the treacherous trek. He was an interesting man, but he was no longer whole. Lost a hand some years back during a brouhaha in what is now called Alkenstar or so he told me.
He was crossing Arcadia to make his way to Tian Xia. He sought to make himself whole. There is a place he told me, near the Xidao Gulf – the sea between Minkai and continental Tian Xia, somewhere in this spattering of islets, he was convinced lay the domain of a giant turtle.
A being of legend, and a legend that was passed to him by a woman who had spoken with the turtle. She told my friend that the turtle had saved her fathers leg when he nearly lost after an equestrian incident. The being healed her fathers leg, when magic could not.
So, my friend made his way to see this being of lore to ask it to replace his hand. Even if the legends were only partially true about the power of these “spirit turtles” he knew that if he could make contact with one it might be able to help him, so off he went.
Years later, perhaps even decades had passed, I came upon my friend again. He was wealthy beyond his wildest dreams – turns out on his way to the Xidao Gulf, he caught something. A fever that he could not shake. He found himself broke, alone and dying in an ally in Hiyosai, on the edge of the Okaiyo Ocean and here he met Djasu, a man who took him in, nursed him back to health and gave him a job as a trader. Djasu you see was very well off in the spice trade. Eventually the two men fell deeply in love and married.
When I met my friend again, it was in a bar in Absalom in a bar at the base of the Beast. He was wealthy and happy and showered with me tales of his life. I was so glad to see him so jublient. Humans have such short lives you see, so I am always pleased when they fill them with joy.
“So what happened? Did he ever meet the spirit turtle?”
Hmm, you know, I never bothered to ask, but he did have both of his hands.
Introduction
James: Reiki Freeman: The Eldest
Book:
2e Lore
· Look like giant turtles
· Have an entire ecosystem on their shells
· Benevolent fey
· Known to heal those in need and giver other powerful gifts
· No 1e analogue
Creation
· In ancient times used to grant mortals wishes
· After millennia they grew tired and went into hiding
o Or returned to their home plane
· The few that remained now only grant gifts to the purest and worthiest mortals
Spiritual Task
· Grant extended life as a gift for completing a task
· The requirements vary from turtle to turtle, btu always massive
o E.g.; the sage of Artimos the Tailor
“Artimos met with a spirit turtle and earned their favour by sewing a quilt as massive as the lake in which the turtle slept. The quilt required cloth from the robes of each ruler in Tian Xia, but Artimos’s efforts eventually earned him a golden needle to aid him on his journeys.”
First World
· Was the first draft of the Material Plane
· Crafted by the gods to test their crafting abilities before creating their final version
o Pretty much a dry run, except with beings
· First worlds laws of nature fluctuate constantly to mimic the “mercurial” nature of the fey
· Distance and time are inconsistent
o Mortal travellers may spend an hour and travel 100 kilometers only to find that they’ve moved a meter and a hundred years have passed in the Material Plane
· “the plane’s proximity to the Positive Energy Plane” ensure that it’s teaming with life, be it strange
· Most populated by fey beings and divine entities known as the Eldest
· Stands outside the cycle of souls – called the Great Abandonment by the fey
o Though the Eldest’s worshippers’ souls reincarnate here as fey
o This means the concept is “true death” is non-existent for its denizens
o Thought death returns if the native fey leave – like the gnomes did
o Natural gates in wild places connect it to the Material Plane which fey often use to visit to fulfill their desires
· A group of highly powerful beings that stepped in to fill the deific void when the gods forsook the First World
· Do hold deific power over the world, but do not have the ambitions of the other pantheons
· Many barely acknowledge their worshippers at all
o Solely concerned with their own secretive agendas
o And distributing power for amusement
· There are a few worshipers of the Eldest on Golarion – though mostly fey and gnomes
o Usually sole in practice and reside near the gates
Members:
Count Ranalc – The Traitor CN Shyka – The Many N
Imbrex – The Twins LN The Green Mother – The Feasting Flower NE
Magdh – The Three LN The Lantern King – The Laughing Lie CN
Ragadahn – The Water Lord CE The Lost Prince – The Melancholy Lord N
Ng – The Hooded N
Cultural Lore
· Chinese and other East Asian cultures
· Believed to represent longevity
· Chief among all shelled creatures
China
Image: Immortal riding a turtle, Han Dynasty, Nanyang city, China
· Erya (the FIRST surviving Chinese dictionary from about 3rd century BC or 201-300) has some entries on a “divine turtle”
o Unknown author but thought to be the written by the Duke of Zhou [jow], Confucius, or his disciples
· Spirit Turtle entry simply reads – “most sacred of turtles”
o According to Ren Fang author of the Shuyiji [she-you-gee] once a turtle has lived over a thousand years it grows hair and once it hits five thousand years it becomes a spiritual turtle
o The Baopuzi [bao-poo-zit] (an alchemical text by Ko Hung) recognizes a spirit turtle as one that is only one thousand years old and must have the five colours representing the five elements; blue, red, yellow, white and black
Japan
· Known as Reiki [ray-kee]
· The Zenrin-Kushu (meaning Anthology of Passages from the Forests of Zen) is a collection of writings used in Rinazi school of Zen and initially complied by Tōyō Eichō
o Rinazi is one of the three sects of Buddhism which draws a lot of it’s traditions from the Mahanya sutras of India and closely studies Chinese Chan traditions
· The book provides a story that reads “The spirit turtle sweeps its tail” which is thought to be a variation of “erasing traces creates traces”
· It is a popular motif at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan
o Several temples called the “Regiizan” – Spirit Turtle Mountain
o It is said that the Kameoka Hamacimangu shrine at Sendai is thusly named because a spirit turtle appeared while it was being constructed
Korean
· Known as the Yeonggwi
Hindu
· Akupara – the cosmic world turtle
o A turtle that carries 8 elephants on it’s back, that hold up the world
· Kurma – Vishnu’s second avatar
o “…whenever humanity is threatened by extreme social disorder and wickedness, God will descend into the world as an avatar to restore righteousness, establish cosmic order, and redeem humanity from danger.”
Differences
<<BREAK>>
Mechanics - Normal
Creature Level
21
Rarity
Rare
Alignment
CG
Size
Gargantuan
Other
Fey
Perception
35
Languages
Common, Sylvan; tongues
Skills
Diplomacy, Lore (all), medicine, nature, occultism, survival
Items
-
Interact Abilities
-
AC
45
HP
320
Regen 25
· Cold iron
· Evil
Resistance
Fire 20
Physical 15
Weakness
Cold Iron 20
Movement – 30’, 40’ swim
Abilities
Pacifying Aura – emotion, enchantment, primal
100’ creature subject to 10th level calm emotions, DC 44 Will for 1 hour even if the creature leaves the aura. Creature is immune for 1 hour
Actions
Environmental Balance 0 – evocation, primal
Trigger: spirit turtle starts their turn
Choose an energy for their attacks – acid, cold, electricity, fire
Jaws >
37/32/27 magical 20’
4d12 + 14 bludgeon + 2d6 energy
Foot >
37/32/27 magical 20’
4d10 + 14 bludgeon + 2d6 energy
Constrict > (only while grabbing a creature)
4d12+7 Bludgeon, DC 41 basic fortitude
Unbalancing Stomp >> – 1d4 round cool down
Make a foot strike: creatures a shockwave whether or not it connects
15’ radius
10d10 Bludgeon + 4d8 energy + Knocked prone
Basic Reflex DC 41 – critical success not prone
Spellcasting Primal DC44 ~=at will
10th Primal Phenomenon, Revival
9th Field of Life 2
8th Moment of Renewal 2
7th Plane Shift (self), Regenerate 2
6th Restoration 2
5th Breath of Life 3
4th Heal ~, Vital Beacon ~
Constant Tongues