You wake in a white void.
Although perhaps even that is an overstatement of how much action is involved - to wake, you'd have to have been asleep or unconscious, and the simple truth of the matter is that you don't know what you were before this moment. You don't have a body, no eyes to close and drift off to slumber.
Although, that feels wrong, doesn't it? You do have a body - or, well, you definitely did, before. When you... when you were...
The words don't come to you, as if your non-existent brain refuses to process them. Perhaps mercifully, you're stopped from forcing yourself by a voice, even and feminine. She sounds nearby, though you've a feeling that matters such as distance don't quite exist in this space.
"Please, do not strain yourself. Your soul is fragile, and weary from its travels." Your awareness shifts, coming to face the figure, though you're not quite sure if it was you or her who willed it so. The woman stands tall, dressed entirely in white robes that match her snowy hair. Fair skin and pale grey eyes confront you, a gaze both cool and somehow comforting, solid color without pupils.
The more fantastic features about the woman come in the form of her elfin ears, pointed out from her head and longer than what you're used to, as well as the mask that rests, perhaps curiously, behind her head, as if to cover a second face that perpetually looks back, its simple rope strap forming a sort of headband for her.
"Hello. I apologize - you must be dreadfully confused." She frowns, ever so slightly; you feel her face is not used to much more emotion than this. "There will be time, and explanations, but those can wait until you have a form to call your own."
The woman raises a hand, and many doors rise from the white aether. Their designs vary, in shape and size, though as they click open, one by one, you see they all present a figure on the other side - though these are even more varied than the doors.
"I will soon ask you to do something far more difficult and taxing than should be expected of anyone. It is by no means any consolation, but... I shall at least grant you the opportunity to have some control over your body." With a swipe of her hand, the doors move so you may peer through them each in turn. "The world you will soon arrive upon holds many more kinds of people than the one you have left behind."
The first portal is wide, though somewhat squat, the frame and the door itself both hewn from stone. Beyond, a person stands, their facial features hard to distinguish, but their limbs and body are wide and stocky, with skin tanned and showing signs of hard work. They stand shorter than you, by about a foot and a half. "Stout and hearty dwarves. Strong of body and mind, and knowledgeable on the workings of rock and stone. Their gruff tendencies may chafe at some, but there are few more steadfast allies."
A wave of the hand, and another door presents itself, in almost total contrast to the first. Tall and skinny, and made from wood that seems almost woven from a tree's natural growth - were it not for the way it hinges open, you'd find it hard to call it a door at all. The person beyond is tall, and lanky, with a face just as obscured as the dwarf's. Their pointed ears and pale skin bely some connection to the woman. "Elves, graceful and knowing. Their unity with nature and each other gives them strength, though their long lives have made them insular and alien, at times. Still, never underestimate the knowledge of the ages."
A third door. Similar to the last, it is wood, and almost too natural to feel constructed; but where the last was woven and incorporated the tree's shape in its design, this one seems to exist almost incompetition with the growing grass and wildflowers, and you feel you'd need to contort yourself to even fit through. Beyond it, another figure with unseen features - you sense a theme. Still, you can see their short stature, their vibrant skin and hair as colorful as any flower, even if you can't make out what the color actually is. "Eclectic gnomes, one-time denizens of the First World created by the first gods. They bring the spark of that fey plane with them, emotions burning bright as any flame. Nimble hands and nimbler minds make for excellent artisans and conversationalists... though be wary, should you choose this path. For a gnome, to grow bored is to grow grey, and die."
Another door, this one seemingly made of random objects - piles of warped slag metal, sticks, leaves, burnt rocks and packed mud. The person beyond is green, and almost as small as the gnome before them. Pointy ears flap at the sides of a bald head, with gnashing teeth and pointy claws. "Not long ago, many would claim goblins to be more monster than person. Although, what is monstrous about a drive to experiment and innovate, I do not know - even if certainly, their reckless lack of concern for the safety of any and all involved with said experiments has led to harm more often than not. Still, that tireless will is commendable, in its own way."
The next door is small, rounded, and smells of fresh bread and a warm hearth. The figure beyond is the smallest yet, smaller even than the gnome that came barely to the woman's hips. Large hands and feet make up some of the difference in scale, and you could almost think them child-like were it not for their hairy body. "Halflings. Perhaps the most common of the peoples you've seen here, though luckily they are by far the most hospitable. Should you meet any who cannot get along with a halfling, then their soul must be a dark one indeed. Quick feet, quick wits, and a wanderlust to spread their friendliness across the land all mark the halfling."
This door feels oddly... normal, to you, after the others' varying designs. Sturdy wood on a simple frame, revealing another person beyond. Taller than dwarves, shorter than elves, with features you would deem entirely average in comparison to what you've seen. "You're familiar with humans, I'm sure. That is good - they do make up over half of the world's population, and certainly that number grows to an even bigger majority in many settlements. Maybe that is why they've grown so adept at working together, improving on one another's work and accepting that help in kind - which isn't to say strife is unknown to humanity, as you likely already know."
A swipe of the hand from the woman, and the doors move once more. She glances to you for a moment. "Please do not judge if some from here would seem less personable from their appearance - it is not the shape that makes a monster, nor a man."
The next door is encrusted in barnacles, feeling almost as if a plank of driftwood, although the frame seems solid, made of much, much older stone. The person beyond isn't too far from a human in shape, but the lack of hair, the webbed digits and the fins all over their body make the shape odd, to your eyes. Prominent gills line their neck. "The azarketi - or gillmen, to many. A peoples warped through history as much by magic as by time, so forgive them if some seem untrusting. They've a need to return to water frequently, but mastering that very environment could be a key skill in and of itself."
Another door, made of simple stone and illuminated by some unseen sun. Even without touching it, it feels warm. The person beyond is more animal than humanoid, surely - a cat on two legs and sized to almost match the woman. A tail lazily flicks behind them, and even without seeing their eyes, you feel... stalked. "Amurrun. Catfolk. Wanderers by nature, you're more likely to see a fire wisp in water than an amurrun in any permanent home. They're not too dissimilar from felines you'd know, enjoying the simple comforts in life, though I imagine few cats you know could control the spirits held within objects."
Another door, this one grey and muted. If the last felt warm, this one is certainly cold, and the space beyond feels darker than the rest, despite still being a white void. The person there is human, except... not. All the shapes are right, certainly, if a bit skinny, but something about the way they move, or their skin seems to absorb the light and color feels... odd. "Fetchlings. Human, once, now turned to this due to the nature of the Shadow Plane. Certainly, being less substantial and controlling the light and shadow around them is a boon, but if it's worth being forever marked as alien and wrong within the Material Plane? That is up for each to decide for themselves."
This door is large, framed by bones and covered by a grass curtain. As it's swept away, you see a creature of massive frame beyond, a hyena with the musculature of a strongman beneath its fur. "Gnolls, though some would call themselves the kholo. I remind you - judge not by appearances. They've a bad enough reputation as is, due to their values of efficiency over sympathy and their ancestral practices. Still, while some find them unsettling, a companion with the will, cunning and strength to move what mountains may stop us is not one I'd pass on lightly."
In stark contrast with the last door, this one is tiny. In fact, it seems to you to be simply a hole in a tree's trunk, cleverly concealed with fungi and grass. Were it in a real forest rather than in this endless void, you'd never have noticed it. Still, you can peer through, to see a frog standing on two long, hind legs, standing barely two feet tall. "The fastidious grippli. Some of the cleverest engineers in the world, if you'd believe it. Traditional grippli settlements are so well integrated into their forest and jungle homes that the foolish might assume there to be no settlement at all. They are, as well, excellent wardens of the environment, knowing well what can be taken and what ought to be given."
More doors. This one feels... imposing, somehow. The dark metal frame on sturdy wood, perhaps, reminding you of the door to some castle or keep - a place to be defended. The person beyond looks familiar, though not because they look human, but because they look strikingly similar to the goblin you saw earlier. Were it not for the lankier limbs and stature and the rougher quality to their gray skin, you might simply assume them the same. "Hobgoblins share less commonality between themselves and their shorter counterparts than you'd expect. Where their cousins are chaotic and wily, hobgoblins are orderly and measured, owing to a militaristic bent that allows them to act well both as soldiers taking orders and commanders handing them out. They can be intimidating to most, but their capability cannot be questioned."
Another door, and this one reminds you of something you can't put a name to, some sort of elaborate red gate with beads hanging to cover the entrance. Beyond, stands a human... except, no. Again, you're used now to looking for the signs that something is different. The too-long nails, the pointed face, the way the hair twitches. The figure cocks its head... then transforms entirely, now a fox in bipedal shape, multiple tails billowing behind. "Curious... observant, you must be, to spot a kitsune. They have the innate capability to morph into a given shape that resembles those outside their kin in the places where they grew. And, of course, their illusion magic extends beyond just that, marking them as sly tricksters in most any story with their involvement. Still, trickery and charms are an effective tool in many an arsenal."
The next door is simple wood, braced against rough stone, as if only the entrance of a cave had been transplanted to this void. The figure past it is small, scaled with an oddly-shaped face that feels distinct from any lizard you'd know. "Kobolds. Scions to mighty dragons, and often servants to the very same - for better or worse. They live a paradox, imperiously emulating the beings they idolize while simpering and serving those they deem stronger. Still, many underestimate the humble kobold... right to the point where they are faced with a legion of spearmen, or a well-hidden spiked pit within their caves."
Another small door, this one framed in vines and hanging branches, flowers of all kinds sprouting from it. In fact, the figure beyond could fit in quite well with the door itself, being as they are a tiny person seemingly wholly made from plants. Leaves for makeshift clothes, roots and tangled vines for limbs, flower buds and fruit for a head. "Leshies are not born, but simply... given form. Though of course this is the case for you regardless, their life cycle oft begins with someone else making a body, and calling forth a spirit of nature to inhabit it. These spirits may remember snippets of what they know, but it'd be best to consider each leshy a new individual. Still, their unique worldview and phisiology provide a plethora of advantages - and challenges, as ever."
The next door is somehow surrounded by an ankle-high pool of water, uncontained by any borders and simply fading into the void around the simple wooden frame. The person beyond is once again scaled, though they stand tall this time, and much more resemble a common lizard. "The iruxi are a simple people - though you may hear them called lizardfolk instead. They hunt, they roam, and they live, largely unperturbed by others. Of course, no rule is without exception, and many an iruxi adventures for their own reason, in whatever environments they might best be adapted to, and even employing their deep knowledge of the stars to read the omens of their future."
The next portal arches high, colorful curtains draping from the top. Beyond is what you briefly assume to be another lizardfolk, but where the one before resembled a more common, four-legged lizard, the hood and smoother scales mark this one as much closer to a cobra. "The nagaji were created to serve the mystical naga; hence the name. Though they still take pride in this generations-long stewardship, there are those who have started to break away and brave new ground in bringing an identity to themselves and their people apart from their makers. Naturally strong, their devoted drive and commitment makes for a faithful ally."
Another door, this one brutally sculpted metal, sheer and tough. Beyond, the grey-green skin tone of the person beyond reminds you of the goblin and hobgoblin before, yet they stand taller than both, with thicker limbs and visible musculature. Prominent tusks sprout from ever-scowling lips. "Orcs are another of what the small-minded might consider 'monstrous races', a reputation borne of necessity more than abything. For ages, many orcs have been locked in conflict with some form of threat, be they territorrial dwarves and humans, or demons in the jungle. As such, many orcs are bellicose, trained from a young age in the art of war and with a dogged conviction to fight until the end. Stubbornness and recklessness, or determination and bravery... well, it's a line they toe, certainly."
You're reaching the end of the doors now. This one is small, but intricate, with a locking mechanism evidently built into the outside that you couldn't begin to parse. Beyond, a rat person stands on two paws, though where most of the previous animal-folk stood at the height of a human or taller, this one is more on par with a goblin. "Tinkering ysoki, or ratfolk to some. Of these less common kinds of people, these are perhaps the ones you're still most likely to find should you spend enough time in any large settlement, as they're famous for their well-populated warrens below capitals and trade routes. Shrewd merchants and ingenious crafters alike, do not let any misconceptions about rats plague your thoughts, for ysoki are just as clever - and cleanly - as their animal look-alikes."
Two more doors to go. The one before you is a paper sliding door, marked with stylized designs of an encroaching storm. The person behind it is distinctly bird-like, despite the lack of wings. Black feathers and a sharp, grey beak mark them as corvid, with talons for hands and feet. "Tengu. Known as tricksy to some, though perhaps that is the simple consequence of a free-spirited people, unbound by the worry of rules. Their innate ability to manipulate luck and fate to some degree certainly helps as well, leading some to think of them as omens of misfortune. And certainly, that must hold some truth... for their foes, if nothing else."
Finally, you reach the last door, made of light-colored wood and swinging open with ease. The final figure to greet you is the last of the animal-folk, a simian in this case. Wide ears, a flicking tail and a fur-covered body, with a face you feel would be expressive, were it not obscured. "And lastly, the vanara, who some say was created by a god of mischief - though of course, which god changes with every tale. Regardless, it's clear to many that light-natured jokes and pranks are a core part of their culture, even if those 'jests' that stray into the harmful are heavily frowned upon. Versatile and acrobatic, and able to lighten the mood in the direst circumstances; all good qualities for a final option in this wide selection, no?"
The woman sighs, and turns to you, the many doors still open and at your disposal. "Forgive me for the long-winded speech when you cannot even interject yourself. This is simply a decision that'd be much too difficult to undo, even ignoring our limited time together, and I felt it should be made with the utmost care and all the information I could provide. Now... make your choice, and cross the threshold to your chosen door. Worry not - once your mind is made up, your conviction will carry the motions through, body or not."
Aaand that's the start to this little adventure! Though the actual adventuring will have to wait until the proper character creation is done, I guess. Don't worry, the long-winded explanation of the options should be over with just two more posts after this! Hopefully.
For those wondering what the heck all these things are and what's a Pathfinder... oh boy, how'd you get here? I kid~ Still, for the unfamiliar, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a TTRPG quite similar to the genre juggernaut that is D&D, covering many of the same themes of adventuring, monster-slaying and class-based combat. You'll even see a lot of the same stats!
That said, while the system has plenty of its own intricacies that I love, they are far from practical to be translated wholesale to Quest format, so we'll be streamlining things as we go. For instance, while things like your Ancestry and Class are usually used to determine your base stats, and still will be here, the finer customization of those stats will be done 'off-screen' so to say, with these choices guiding what you might be good at. For instance, a dwarvish barbarian would need a high Strength, but might also end up with a high Constitution and Wisdom, but suffer a bit in Charisma.
The exception to the rule is that, should your later class choice conflict with a stat your ancestry is bad at - such as a dwarf who wishes to be a Charismatic sorcerer - then your ancestry's stat gains will be ignored. Worry not, though! Ancestries give many more abilities as you grow through your adventure than simple stat boosts.
So, without further ado, here are your... many options, and their relevant stat specialties. Feel free to vote for multiple!
[For those unfamiliar, Str is Strength, Dex is Dexterity, Con is Constitution, Int is Intelligence, Wis is Wisdom and Cha is Charisma; they do just about what you'd expect.]
[Also, though humans have no particular lean, their stats are still on par with others, just more guided by their other choices.]
Common Ancestries:
[ ] Dwarf (+Con, Wis // -Cha)
[ ] Elf (+Dex, Int // -Con)
[ ] Gnome (+Con, Cha // -Str)
[ ] Goblin (+Dex, Cha // -Wis)
[ ] Halfling (+Dex, Wis // -Str)
[ ] Human (No particular aptitude)
Uncommon Ancestries:
[ ] Azarketi (+Con, Cha // -Wis)
[ ] Catfolk (+Dex, Cha // -Wis)
[ ] Fetchling (+Dex)
[ ] Gnoll (+Str, Int // -Wis)
[ ] Grippli (+Dex, Wis // -Str)
[ ] Hobgoblin (+Con, Int // -Wis)
[ ] Kitsune (+Cha)
[ ] Kobold (+Dex, Cha // -Con)
[ ] Leshy (+Con, Wis // -Int)
[ ] Lizardfolk (+Str, Wis // -Int)
[ ] Nagaji (+Str)
[ ] Orc (+Str)
[ ] Ratfolk (+Dex, Int // -Str)
[ ] Tengu (+Dex)
[ ] Vanara (+Dex)
