So I’ve been thinking about kaiju in Starfinder a lot lately (as previous weeks have shown). There are a few problems with them that immediately stand out:
- Why would anyone live near them? In setting the people of Daimalko carve out a tenuous existence in underground warrens and heavily fortified towns, but with the existence of starships and Drift travel it is hard to argue anyone would want to be near these beasts outside of studying them (or perhaps harvesting parts of kaiju for industry, if that is a thing).
- Why not just take them on in your spaceship? Honestly, why not? We are talking about monsters larger than most ships, there really isn’t a reason not to just hit them from orbit with your nukes.
- If you can simply leave, or take them on from orbit, what makes them interesting?
So with those thoughts in mind, you can address them on a case by case basis for individual encounters. Maybe the heroes have ventured into some kind of Hollow Earth situation where they don’t have access to ships and must take the monsters on directly. Or some antagonist has seen too many episodes of classic Voltron and simply bombarded wherever the heroes are with a robeast coffin that spews out kaiju that attacks before they can get to their ship. These work for one-shots, but not for a campaign.
If you want to have a campaign that consistently features massive monsters and challenges the heroes to fight or flee them, you’ve got to change the setting. With that in mind, I propose the prison plane of the Endless Horizon.
The Endless Horizon
Titles: The Everrealm, Here Be Monsters
Gravity: Normal
Time: Normal
Realm: Infinite
Structure: Lasting
Sphere: Demiplane
Alignment: None
Denizens: animals, cyclops, giants, gigas, humanoids, kaiju, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, prehistoric animals (dinosaurs and others), titans, and others
Divinities: King Mogaru, Lord Varklops, Queen Vorgozen, Yarthoon, various Titans
The Endless Horizon is an infinite demiplane within the Deep Ethereal that cannot be reached by normal magical means. Largely isolated form the rest of reality, it is the breeding ground and cage for magical beasts, kaiju, and other titanic creatures.
Geography
The Endless Horizon is, as the title says, endless. An infinite plane, it resembles a ‘green zone’ planet with a variety of biomes and areas of high volcanic activity. Unlike a planet though, the surface stretches on horizontally forever, while the sky above continues up to thin outer atmosphere without end, while below is an endless realm of caverns, lava seas, rock, and earth. There is a 36 hour day cycle, but no clear sun, just diffuse light transitioning to total darkness and back. Areas of the plane are ‘ruled’ by different apex kaiju, and the land within the extent of their influence is warped such that the life in that area takes on some of their traits. The borders of these realms are constantly shifting, and encounters between these apex kaiju can quickly turn a broad swath of terrain into a desolate battlefield.
Inhabitants
The primary inhabitants of The Endless Horizon are the kaiju. Whether they first arose here, or were trapped by some great power, there are an endless variety of massive creatures on the plane. There also seems to be some connection to Tartarus, as titans forgotten by time, gigas, and a great variety of giants reside here. A vast variety of magical beasts and mega fauna also populate the plane, as well as random pockets of creatures and civilizations that have been banished here by deific action or misadventure. The technological and magical advancement in any given area varies wildly, with advanced settlements and primitive tribes existing side by side.
Magic to contact other planes and summon creatures does not work within the Endless Horizon, so there are very few fey or outsiders. Those that are present are stranded, unable to return to their home planes. Stable prime portals to and from the Endless Horizon are things of legend, so faintingly rare as to not exist at all, but it does seem like travel to and from the prime material plane happens, as many of the magical beasts on the prime likely arose in the Endless Horizon. Occasionally a Drift accident or cosmic coincidence will strand prime travelers, and so far as anyone knows none have ever escaped.
As always, if you like this post or any of my others, consider sending some coffee my way. Until next time Starfinders!
Jeremy Corff
Artist and Writer