Resh-Khali, the world where Shiva danced

Resh-Khali, the Great Sapphire, was a jewel in the crown of the Sun. It was a world of magic and life, of wonder and adventure.

The world has changed. Once vibrant, filled with trees and rivers, mighty cities of stone, crystal, brick, and iron dotting the landscape, the world is now covered in ash, the results of the Dance of Shiva. The clouds have broke. The Centennial Night has passed. The Sun once again bears down, hot and angry at His long exile, upon the ruins of once might races. The Moon looks forth from Her palace of stars, a mix of paradoxes, bringing hope and madness, all with the same hand.

There are those that claim that the world is now smaller than it once was. Other claim that it is now larger. Nonetheless, after the Years of the Dance of Shive, the face of the entire world has changed. Once fertile lands became deserts; huge lava fields spread across the land, creating black stoned badlands, with obsidian spires jutting out of the cooled volcanic earth. Finally, the lands cracked. some lands, formerly joined, not had a narrow lake-sea between them. Others found portions of their lands submerged into shallow seas. While even others found black ice glaciers impede on them. Finally, the southern most lands thrust northward. A land of ice and snow, uninhabitable, was suddenly thawing, becoming a lush jungle, filled with structures long hidden in the frozen encasing.

Even the Lands Below were not unaffected. Once thriving metropolis caves were suddenly filled with lava. Other caverns, filled with strange life, long forgotten, opened, their tendrils reaching forward and claiming the unsuspecting. Many races ran to the surface, as their only option. The Lands Below are now lost to the surface world. It is unknown what survived and in what condition.

No one knows what triggered the Dance of Shiva. Old men that claim to be sages argue back and forth over the cause, the death of a god, a purely natural phenomenon, or even more unlikely, an accident trigger by a single careless wizard.  Honestly, it doesn't matter. It happened, and the world suffered.

The Gods feel from the heavens, greatly diminished in their once divine might. Some attempted to rule as king, others just wandered. Most were slain by mobs of rival deities or in battles against their rivals themselves; some by their own followers, terrified and angry, lashing out at the ones who should have protected them; and some died as martyrs protecting their people from some great danger. There are few, if any, of the Divine Immortals still wandering the world. No one worships them, no one remembers their names. They are shadows of a time that is no longer of consequence.

The fires died, after a time. How long they erupted from volcanoes, fissures, and the depths of the sea is, again, another argument for old men. Both the High and Low races barely survived the cataclysm. The First Travail had ended, the Second Travail, the Gods-Purge continued, and the Third Travail, the War of Titans was about to begin.

Great beasts rose up from the depths of the oceans, the voids between stars, the sands of the deserts, the fires that erupted from the deep earth, and from the crumbling mountains that once contained them. They battled each other, amidst  the remnants of belching flames and the choking smoke. Nations that barely survived the initial eruptions were suddenly trodden underfoot of titans. Death under the claws and spines of creatures caused many to flee to caves, and beneath the ground, in desperate efforts that the strength of the earth would be sufficient to grant some safety. Where their blood fell, the land changed, becoming more fertile, or even more barren. Many of the titanic creatures were wounded, beaten, but never slain. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they crawled back into the world, or drifted back to the stars, and vanished.

Through it all, the Centennial Night left behind gifts and nightmares. Magic was once rare, the province of the few, but at the time of the Unquenchable Flames, it spread like a plague on the land. Spell casters all suddenly found magic easier to grasp. The dead rose. Dragons and other beasts long thought vanquished awoke. Oddly, outsiders; demons, angels, genies, and the like; found it difficult to enter the world, unless specifically invited, or bound to the soul of a living being.

Magic was now easier to obtain, in some ways, but all the schools of magic had been destroyed. A studied spellcaster could only learn from the spellbooks of rivals, from parchments found in ruins, writing on temple walls. The other option was to turn to another source. Dragons, liches, vampires, and other mythical beasts saw the benefits in beholden casters and would teach willing apprentices... for a price.

The Fourth Travail has only recently concluded, The Carving War. The clouds had broken, the Abandoning Sun returned. No great beasts battled and bleed, the earth was, mostly silent, with only the occasional eruption or tremor. The Centennial Night had broken, the world returned to a balanced cycle. This means that the survivors could unify and attempt to rebuild. This also returned the desire of power and greed to the world.  Great beings, men that had stolen the power of the gods, dragons, powerful undead, barbarian warlords all attempted to declare territories and kingdoms. They raided their neighbors, marched forth in armies, built fortifications, and ignited new flames, bringing death and misery to a people already weary. While there were some "great battles" fought between rivals, in the end, most people accepted their "new ruler" with just the desire to survive and not be drug further into death.

Resh-khali has seen much change. It has been only half a century since the Centennial Night broke. The world has begun to stabilize. Rough cities and towns now dot the viable landscapes. The world may never return to it's former state, but the High and Low Races survive and move forward. Tyrants rule most lands, in varying degrees of oppression. Where once magic was rare and faith common, the roles have reversed. Magic and science now are the hopes of the future, the means that the world will rebuild. Now religion is a hobby afforded to the eccentric, fools, and madmen.

Resources are still scarce, trade is dangerous, as bandits and pirates, some of them kingdom sponsored, roam the travel ways. Exploration, to make contact with far off lands that may have resources lost, is a thriving business, but also a danger. Some places are doing well for themselves, and do not wish interlopers that could bring the threat of war. Adventures dive into ruins and tombs in hope of finding lost powers to help their nation... or overthrow it for their own.

In the background, seers of all traditions have started to talk about the Fifth Travail. The rulers and leaders explain that this Travail, if it ever happens, will be many years down the line. They also use it, though, to spur paranoia and xenophobia. "We can only trust ourselves. Use others only to gain strength. When the worse happens, we will be prepared, if we are strong. The others are weak and would only drag us back into the caves."

This is the world of Resh-Khali. A world just recovering, in need of champions, in need of unity. It is also a world of paranoia, xenophobia, and anxiety, as the people look at the earth, the sea, their neighbors, the stars... wondering, waiting, dreading the day that Shiva makes the final steps of his dance.

Eilistraee for Pathfinder

Ah, Eilistraee... Every teenage male (and some female) gamer's fantasy goddess. Actually, she's pretty cool when you break down the character. While she has apparently returned to the Forgotten Realms with the advent of the 5e version of D&D, I don't plan on actually running in the Forgotten Realms for a while. I need to see more of what they are doing. Also, I'm financially invested in Pathfinder. 

I really just feel it's important to break down Eilistraee's basic information as a Pathfinder based deity. It should allow her to be used in any Pathfinder setting. I don't need to break down every single rite, backstory, and beliefs. Those have been done on a number of sites. I hope that this information, nonetheless, is valuable to players and GMs alike. 

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Eilistraee

The Dark Maiden

CG goddess of song, dance, sword work, hunting, moonlight, redemption and beauty

Domains Chaos, Charm, Darkness, Good, Liberation

Subdomains Revelry, Lust, Love, Moon, Redemption, Freedom

Favored Weapon Bastard Sword

Symbol A female drow holding a bastard sword in front of a full moon

Sacred Animal wolf

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Sword Dancer of Eilistraee Prestige Class

http://shepardgunn.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-sword-dancer-of-eilistraee.html

~~Traits~~

Moon Dancer (Combat):  You are familiar with the fluid dance of Eilistraeen warriors. You may use you Perform (Dance) skill to move through combat, in place of an Acrobatics check. Also, you gain a +1 bonus to Perform (Dance) and it is always considered a class skill for you.

Mistress of the Hunt (Religious): Having participated in the moonlit hunts with the priestess of the Dark Maiden, you have become a skilled hunter as well. You have gain a +1 bonus to your Stealth and Survival skills. One of these skills is always a class skill for you.

~~Common Racial Trait~~

A large number of followers of Eilistraee have the Surface Infiltrator alternate trait. This is due to prolonged periods of time on the surface. Priestess who regularly infiltrate Drow cities in the Lands Below do not take this trait.

~~Common Classes~~

This is not intended to limit character options, it is meant to provide guidance to players and GMs when considering Eilistraeen characters (both PC and NPC). The classes listed below are those that might be found more often than others among the followers of the Dancing Goddess.

• Bards and Skalds - Both of these performance based classes are seen regularly in the few villages that harbor refugees and the faithful. Bards are more frequent, but skalds are found often in settlements that are regularly threatened. 
• Clerics - This is the most prolific class, beyond a doubt. A large number of Eilistraeens have at least one level of cleric.
• Druid - Due to the often remote nature of most communities that follow Eilistraee, some of her followers express their devotion through the path of the druid. 
• Druids who chose a domain often select Animal, Earth, Panther or Wolf. 
• Common Animal Companions
• Badger/Wolverine
• Bird (Owl)
• Cat, big (tiger)
• Cat, small (leopard/panther)
• Cooshe (elven hound)
• Elk (often as a mount)
• Thylacine
• Warcat
• Wolf
• Some that need to infiltrate the Underdark will select a giant scorpion or spider as their companions. There is some concern, though, about tempting fate with these companions. 
• Fighter - Not surprisingly, with the favoring of sword play as part of the worship, fighters with a sword focus are very common. Cleric/Fighters are actually more common then Warpriests. 
• Ranger and Hunter - These are also found in many Eilistraeen groups. The follow the same patterns of the Druid in regards to animal companions. 
• Rangers normally choose the two-weapon or two-handed weapon combat styles, with a focus on swords. 
• Rangers will choose either the companion bond or animal companion with equal commonality. 
• Magus - Similar to their elven cousins, a number of the followers the Lady of the Dance, enjoy the interplay of sword and magic. It is one of the few arcane classes found regularly among the faithful.
• Oracle and Shamans - Often fulfilling the purposes of advisers, diviners, and educational support. 
• Oracles often choose the following Mysteries:
• Ancestor
• Heavens
• Lunar
• Nature
• Shamans follow similar guidelines for their Spirits. 
• Witch - The most common arcane caster, witches often follow the listed patrons
• Agility
• Ancestors
• Devotion
• Enchantment
• Moon
• Portents
• Stars
• Wisdom
• Swashbuckler - Eilistraeens are sometime drawn to the daring do of the Swashbuckler. The mobility and style of these swordswomen compliment Eilistraee's interest in the sword. 
• Warpriest - Warpriest are only slightly less common than cleric/fighters. They have access to the following blessings:

• Chaos
• Charm
• Darkness
• Good
• Liberation

A note - Occult classes are not included on this list because I see the psychic nature of the classes as rare in most worlds. That's not to say that there's not some Eilistraeen cryokenetist, or occultist digging through lost elven cities. I just don't see them happening in every settlement. 

The Obligatory Star Wars: Episode VII Pontification

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... Ok, now that's out of the way, let's get down to business. There's been a lot of Rampant Speculation going out there about what JJ Abrams "is doing, "needs to do", "should do", "must do", "much ado", etc., etc. This is not going to be one of those rants, at least I hope it's not. What I hope to express in my meandering post is how I feel about the Expanded Universe, especially when it comes to Episode VII (I love how we all type it out as VII, instead of just 7, because we're all "authentic" about that. And yes, he's Lord Vader, Lord Darth Vader! The man deserves respect!) Also, understand that this is being written between phone calls at work, so this may end up a little... disjointed.

Personally, I believe it's an all or nothing approach when it comes to the EU (Expanded Universe for those not as geeky as the rest of us). There's really no other way to approach this sanely.

Going All In!

There's a lot of fans out there that would L-O-V-E this approach. Grab it all, make it "canon", and hug it, and squeeze it, and call it George. There are some advantages to going this way.

First and foremost, the writers get to be Laaazy. There's no need to come up with something new. It's all written, illustrated; characters have been created and fleshed out. Just grab the Thrawn Trilogy and go.  There's material from 30 minutes after the Death Star blowing up to almost a century later! Timeline is all laid out and the continuity is pretty much set in stone. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher would be in work until they died.

The second advantage is a built in fan base. I mentioned the Thrawn Trilogy because I love the Thrawn Trilogy. I love Thrawn, Pellan, the Noghri, and especially Mara Jade. I would pay to see a Mara Jade stand-alone film. (I would pay to see Mara Jade.) I know the Wife would do the same. There are a lot of people out there that have their personal favorites, and a lot out there that would be guaranteed people in the seats (all dressed up, nice and purdy in their Jedi robes, or slave girl outfits... or Jedi slave girl outfits).

So what do you have? Gobs of money for very little effort? Maybe, but I doubt it. After Episodes I through III, most Star Wars fans have started to become a little more... discriminating.

I'm sure that someone else would find another thousand advantages, but I'm a working boy, and don't have that much time on my hands.

Leave'em Where They Lay!

This is actually my preference. As such, this portion will probably be longer. Yes, I love the EU. Yes, I would love to see the EU made into movies... well some of the EU, and that's where things get messy.

Honestly, the EU sometimes makes as much sense as a drunken role-playing game session ran by someone who just got done watching an '80s cartoon marathon ("Standing across from you is He-Joe, last of the SilverCats!"). The heroes win to have every time, only to have a newer, nastier threat (that Palpatine actually knew about and would have been prepared for) than the last pop up. It's more contrived than the final seasons of Xena: Warrior Princess. Some of the story decisions, when they were made from "On High (at Skywalker Ranch)" made the EU even worse, in my opinion. (They killed Anakin Solo off because George Lucas thought the fans couldn't keep the Vader and the grandson straight.)

Remember those fans that would show up in the costumes with the fake lightsabers? Yeah, they're (we're) as much a possible threat as a help. One little change to the story and the Nerd Rage would look like the Incredible Hulk Family at a mosh pit. There are those out there that would all but burn down the theater if you didn't include simple side character or change that line that Mara Jade said to Luke that one time. Once something outside of "continuity" happened, the interwebs would be alive with trolls and flame wars berating and belittling the director, the writer, the actors, and their little dogs, too.

The smartest thing to do is just lay down the EU gently, and walk away. Don't try to "give it homage". Don't try to pick and choose what is "canon" and what isn't. Don't give it any "true" credibility. Just leave it alone. I pray they just say "Hey, those were some interesting ideas! Too bad that's not going to be in the movie" and move on with their own original ideas.

If I had my druthers, I would druther see the Thrawn Trilogy and some of the other already written EU done as animated movies, with a clear disclaimer that the events are "not canon". This would give the fans the chance to see their favorite books in moving-pictures form, without forcing the "real" movie to pigeon hole itself into the mess of a nest that is the current EU.

Of course, we could always go with what Patton Oswalt's idea. That's always option...