Since You Can Get This in Print Now: Something Extra for Scion: Extras

The idea behind Scion: Extras (Supplemental Yet Can Be Somewhat Useful On Occasion Scions) was part fun and part serious. Matt, who developed the supplement, wanted to do something for fans of Scion while tapping into something crazy and new.

Scion: Extras was originally going to look a little more like the Yazata: the Persian Gods supplement with dozens of crazy-ass gods from all across the pantheons. We were initially going to lump multiple pantheons into their own grouping like “misfits” and the like. As the writing commenced and deadlines loomed, we realized that the annual April Fool’s joke could also be something that might attract fans to Scion as a property. So, I wound up taking cues from Scion: Hero and reintroduced the different pantheons as a way to make the joke fun for new fans to read and still usable for existing fans.

Mind you, we put a ton of work to make sure that each god was loosely related to a deity that actually exists – just like Scion intended. We were certain we’d get eviscerated if we went completely off the reservation and didn’t stick to some of the main tenets. In fact, when Scion: Extras was released, we expected (and got) some reviews from folks who took the joke very seriously. Others understood that this was part of the annual April Fool’s joke. And, though humor was the point? We did want to make this usable game material. That was really important to both Matt and myself, because Scion is such a cool world. Some concepts we introduced, like gods crossing into other pantheons or straddling between two of them, were elements we’d play around with if this were a serious release, too.

The level of humor was a concern for everybody. While we wanted to be funny, we didn’t want to cross over into “crude” or “vulgar” territory – well, at least not too often, anyway. The god MIN still cracks me up! So, we decided to play this one a little more straight-edged. There was a ton of parodies included in Scion: Extras from SpongeBob Squarepants to The Crow and Dune. Double extra bonus points if you can find all of them. I’m not even sure that I can, anymore! Anyway, the reason why we took this approach, was because it was a way to incorporate pop/geek culture and lighten the mood a bit. How cool would it be if the Kwisatz Haderach was actually a real Scion? Okay, I’m displaying my nerd card a bit on that one…

But, the larger point behind Scion: Extras was to play with the idea that there are a ton of lesser gods and goddesses out there. Not every deity is uber-powerful and we thought, in addition to making a joke out of it, the idea of lesser gods and goddesses that have fallen out of favor was a pretty cool idea to introduce to Scion in an “official” sense.

We had a ton of fun creating this. My favorite part was “Sci.” I loved mapping the beats of the song to create lyrics that were right in tune with the game and I hope you’re still singing Sci’s praises. Literally. I was thrilled when the decision was made to put him, Yukiko, and Grace on the cover. Mike Chaney did a fantastic job with the art direction and layout.

We were also hoping you picked up on the parody of the new Scion line developer, Joseph Carriker. There were MORE than a few hints dropped about the announcement that he’s working on the new line. That’s the reason why he was parodied as Jack Cariacture, after all.

Jack was planned as a bonus Scion — which was the reason why we didn’t write up his god, Irusan. Since fans requested it and pointed out the missing deity, I wrote him up as I envisioned him in a stricter, not-as-funny sense. ‘Course with Grumpy Cat and so many other popular cats online… There’s definitely a lot of interpretations for the King of Cats. Enjoy!

 

IRUSAN

Alternative Names: King of Cats

Pantheon: Tuatha de Danann

Description: Irusan is an enigmatic figure who represents the Celtics’ fear of dark places and apprehension toward fairies. A shapeshifter, Irusan typically appears in the form of a giant, black cat that lurks in labyrinthine caves and other dark places. When he’s not in his giant form, he can shrink to the size of a common pussycat or also take on the guise of a dark-haired human wearing a gilded crown.

Like the cait sith, Irusan often travels between worlds in his various guises and is rarely spotted in the same place twice. When he walks among the living, he sticks to the shadows; when he travels through the underworld, he scurries through narrow passageways guarding tormented spirits. The King of Cats reputation as both guardian and jailor is what has irritated many Celts over the years – including the great bard Seanchan Torpeist, one of the more well-known Scions of the goddess Brigid. At the goddess’s behest, Seanchan attempted to infiltrate the royal court of Connaught, but failed to charm the nobles with his surly, jealous attitude and refused to eat the King’s food – a crime punishable by death.

A Scion huntress named Sharp-tooth tried to intervene, but Seanchan rejected her and publicly mocked her father, the King of Cats. Pissed off, Irusan waited for Seanchan to leave and did the unthinkable – he viciously attacked Seanchan until Brigid begged him to stop.

Unlike his Scions or his feline charges, Irusan rarely interferes in mortal lives and, instead, works to keep the balance between all the worlds in check. It’s also his responsibility to ensure his cats do not fixate on any one thing, for if they do, they’ll fall prey to a deadly curse – and lose the fae part of their nature.

Associated Powers: Animal (Cats), Magic, Illusion, Psychopomp, Epic Wits, Epic Manipulation, Epic Dexterity

Abilities: Animal Ken, Occult, Investigation, Presence, Athletics, Survival

Rivals: Anubis, Hapi, Lugh, Nebthet, Xolotl, Hermanubis, Bhairav, Cerebus