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[Lord Liaden]

Sorry I didn't offer any comments about your kaldane writeup, Kevin; the fact of the matter is that I didn't see anything of significance that needed to be added. It really is very solid, and covers everything that I can remember about the critters.

 

The only thing I'm still puzzling over is how to write up a rykor for them. I notice that you gave your kaldane Riding, which implies that they would handle them much like bipedal horses; but the novel describes the dangling ganglia which the kaldanes can connect directly to the spinal column of a rykor, so that they can control its muscles like their own. (Okay, I admit that did sound icky.) Also the kaldane gains sensory input from the rykor, which is why the kaldane king tried to have his way with Tara while connected to his rykor. (Yeah, that sounded icky too.) OTOH a good solid blow can knock a kaldane out of his rykor "saddle."

 

I was thinking maybe a Multiform: Kaldane to Kaldane + Rykor, Leaves Body Behind when just the kaldane, plus an Accidental Change when struck in the "head" or otherwise forcibly affected. What do you think?

[Kevin Scrivner]

How to create a rykor?

 

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

Sorry I didn't offer any comments about your kaldane writeup, Kevin; the fact of the matter is that I didn't see anything of significance that needed to be added. It really is very solid, and covers everything that I can remember about the critters.

 

The only thing I'm still puzzling over is how to write up a rykor for them. I notice that you gave your kaldane Riding, which implies that they would handle them much like bipedal horses; but the novel describes the dangling ganglia which the kaldanes can connect directly to the spinal column of a rykor, so that they can control its muscles like their own. (Okay, I admit that did sound icky.) Also the kaldane gains sensory input from the rykor, which is why the kaldane king tried to have his way with Tara while connected to his rykor. (Yeah, that sounded icky too.) OTOH a good solid blow can knock a kaldane out of his rykor "saddle."

 

I was thinking maybe a Multiform: Kaldane to Kaldane + Rykor, Leaves Body Behind when just the kaldane, plus an Accidental Change when struck in the "head" or otherwise forcibly affected. What do you think?

 

Figuring out how to represent the rykors stumped me, too. I figured the kaldane would use Mind Control or Telepathy to guide its mount (rykors have such low EGOs it should work automatically) and Clinging to hang on. The rykor itself I considered building as a 75-point follower with agent-level physical stats and zero INT and EGO. It would have to have kaldane guidance to move, even to feed itself. Any skills exercised by the rykor would, of course, be owned by its kaldane rider.