One thing I love about Starfinder/Pathfinder lore is that I’m always finding interesting corners and threads that are great story seeds or jump off points for adventure. This, of course, is by design, as the lore is very much created with GMs in mind, but it nonetheless tickles something in my brain in a good way.
With our trip through the Transitive Planes over the last couple of weekends, one of those threads I hadn’t noticed before came up. Specifically, the Eldest Count Ranalc. In Golarion lore Ranalc is an exiled Eldest that has had to carve out a realm in the Shadow Plane after being kicked out of the First World for unspecified crimes that may or may not be tied to the Kingmaker adventure path. I won’t go into details, in the interest of not spoiling anything.
There isn’t much mention of Ranalc outside of Golarion lore, but he is referenced in the entry for Mementors (a back matter creature from Signal of Screams volume 3). That’s interesting, as Ranalc is pointedly NOT mentioned in the Eldest section of Galactic Magic. Apholine, the Lost Prince, NG, Ragadahn, and Shyka get a paragraph, while the Green Mother, Imbrex, the Lantern King, and Magdh all get a sentence or so. So what happened to the Traitor? He isn’t gone, but also clearly hasn’t reconciled with the rest of the Eldest, so he’s still sharing the Shadow Plane with Zon-Kuthon (and probably trying not to draw too much attention from the Midnight Lord). Count Ranalc was always an iconoclast amongst the already very iconoclastic Eldest, and it’s implied that even if the other Fey Lords were willing to welcome him back, Ranalc would rather spend eternity with his grudge and wounded pride. Good news for the Traitor, turns out there is still very much a space in the metaphysical realms of Starfinder for an emo rage quitting edge lord. Ranalc will always have followers as long as there is an infosphere. With that in mind, let’s give him a proper Starfinder deity write up.
COUNT RANALC
The Traitor, The Forgotten 10th
CN Demigod of Betrayal, Exiles, Revenge, Shadows, the Forgotten
Centers of Worship Apostae, Verces (dark side), the Shadow Plane
Alternative Theme Knowledge Reduce the DC of Mysticism checks to recall knowledge about the Fey and out of date cults and sects by 5.
Favored Weapon Sword Cane
Edicts Nurse grudges, plan and exact vengeance for slights, embrace outmoded fashions and ideals
Anathema Forgive an insult, seek redemption for past wrongs
Blessings A shadow occludes you in the minds of others, allowing you to pass unnoticed through their domains to enact your revenge.
Curses You forget essential details at critical moments. At the GM’s discretion, once per day when you attempt a skill check to recall knowledge you must roll twice and take the lowest result.
Represented by a crescent moon pupil with a single black tear, Count Ranalc has embraced his role as the black sheep of the Eldest. Banished from the First World thousands of years before the Gap, Ranalc carved out a small barony in the Shadow Plane and has tried to influence the Material Plane from there ever since. Several times in history it seemed like he vanished, or disappeared into obscurity, only for the Count to return and execute some dramatic plan for revenge for real or imagined wrongs.
While never a main stream faith, The Traitor has always enjoyed a small, dedicated following amongst counter culture groups and outcasts who feel an emotional link to the Eldest’s betrayal and endless quest for vengeance. He also enjoys a significant following among Kayal and Svartalfar.
In the Pact Worlds fan pages and social media shrines can be found to the Count in many back corners of the infosphere, while actually churches to the 10th Eldest are rare and hidden places. A few make themselves known on dark side of Verces, and there is at least one in the city of Nightarch on Apostae, but far more often they are personal shrines to the demigod, maintained by ardent followers.
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Jeremy Corff
Artist and Writer