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what are alien intelligences? where do they come from?

EvaTheWarlock wrote:what are alien intelligences? where do they come from?

Well, you can find the essential definition in either Conversion Book 1 or Dragons & Gods, but to sum it up, a label/descriptor for any supernatural creature (usually evil) of a certain power level, the would-be dark gods, demon lords, devil gods or pseudo-lovecraftian/cronenbergian horrors that stand at the apex of the transdimensional predators pyramid. Any variety of god-like being, if one does not believe in gods and they are deemed weird/alien enough in appearance or mindset.

Some might or not be related to PF's Old Ones, but overall it's up to GM fiat what is or not their collective or individual origins.

Alien Intelligences are deific-power beings of various origins. They are nominally distinct from deities in that an Alien Intelligence has deific-level power natively, while a god requires the energy provided by worship. Alien Intelligences can gain power from worship, but do not require worship to function at that level.

A common trait among Alien Intelligences, often not granted (or, at least, not used) by gods is the ability to form witches; to fragment themselves into very fine pieces, giving a portion of their power to an individual. These gifts are distinct from priestly magic in that they cannot be taken back once given... if a priest angers their deity, the deity can cut the priest off immediately. If a witch angers their patron, the patron needs to reclaim the power by killing the witch (though I imagine they might negotiate for the witch to give the power back).

Mark Hall wrote:A common trait among Alien Intelligences, often not granted (or, at least, not used) by gods is the ability to form witches; to fragment themselves into very fine pieces, giving a portion of their power to an individual. These gifts are distinct from priestly magic in that they cannot be taken back once given... if a priest angers their deity, the deity can cut the priest off immediately. If a witch angers their patron, the patron needs to reclaim the power by killing the witch (though I imagine they might negotiate for the witch to give the power back).

Where do you get that from?

"The gift of power is an illusion in which the human recipient believes he has been magically granted superhuman abilities. In a way, he has, except the power is not drawn from some inner strength, but directly from the alien being. The creature projects a fraction of its power into its human pawn, giving him a taste of true power. It is only after the character has grown to love his power that he learns it is the demonic being that holds and gives the power. A power it can cut off with a mere thought. Suddenly, it is the witch who is a slave to the intelligence, as long as he covets that power."

It's explicit the Witches power can be cut off with a mere thought. There's nothing about having to kill them to get it back.

Nekira Sudacne wrote:

Mark Hall wrote:A common trait among Alien Intelligences, often not granted (or, at least, not used) by gods is the ability to form witches; to fragment themselves into very fine pieces, giving a portion of their power to an individual. These gifts are distinct from priestly magic in that they cannot be taken back once given... if a priest angers their deity, the deity can cut the priest off immediately. If a witch angers their patron, the patron needs to reclaim the power by killing the witch (though I imagine they might negotiate for the witch to give the power back).

Where do you get that from?

"The gift of power is an illusion in which the human recipient believes he has been magically granted superhuman abilities. In a way, he has, except the power is not drawn from some inner strength, but directly from the alien being. The creature projects a fraction of its power into its human pawn, giving him a taste of true power. It is only after the character has grown to love his power that he learns it is the demonic being that holds and gives the power. A power it can cut off with a mere thought. Suddenly, it is the witch who is a slave to the intelligence, as long as he covets that power."

It's explicit the Witches power can be cut off with a mere thought. There's nothing about having to kill them to get it back.

Inference from the rogue witch in Eastern Territories (whose patron, to be fair, is a greater demon, not an alien intelligence)

Mark Hall wrote:

Nekira Sudacne wrote:

Mark Hall wrote:A common trait among Alien Intelligences, often not granted (or, at least, not used) by gods is the ability to form witches; to fragment themselves into very fine pieces, giving a portion of their power to an individual. These gifts are distinct from priestly magic in that they cannot be taken back once given... if a priest angers their deity, the deity can cut the priest off immediately. If a witch angers their patron, the patron needs to reclaim the power by killing the witch (though I imagine they might negotiate for the witch to give the power back).

Where do you get that from?

"The gift of power is an illusion in which the human recipient believes he has been magically granted superhuman abilities. In a way, he has, except the power is not drawn from some inner strength, but directly from the alien being. The creature projects a fraction of its power into its human pawn, giving him a taste of true power. It is only after the character has grown to love his power that he learns it is the demonic being that holds and gives the power. A power it can cut off with a mere thought. Suddenly, it is the witch who is a slave to the intelligence, as long as he covets that power."

It's explicit the Witches power can be cut off with a mere thought. There's nothing about having to kill them to get it back.

Inference from the rogue witch in Eastern Territories (whose patron, to be fair, is a greater demon, not an alien intelligence)

I'd say explicit text is the rule, and individual exceptions are individual exceptions.

There's lots of rules with individual exceptions after all.

Or maybe Greater demons are just more limited. That's also a possibility based on what you said.

EDIT: In Rifts Mercenaries, there is a Shifter-Turned-Witch who is explicitly denied his power while another of the being's Servants beats him up to teach him a lesson about disobediance. That was a witch to a Dark God and not an alien intelligence.

So I'd say the needing to kill him to get it back is more likely to be the result of being a Greater Demon and thus not yet of Divine level power, they lack the ability to retreive their power so easially.

EvaTheWarlock wrote:what are alien intelligences? where do they come from?

As for where do they come from? There's no one answer. Alien Intelligences are not really a coherent catagory, like Mark said, they're a label used to discribe a variety of godlike entities that don't fit the standard definition of Gods, although many are worshiped as gods and some are even part of established pantheons.

The primary thing that makes them Alien is the fact they in general are alien to Humanity and don't understand us, and we generally don't understand them. Though some understand us well enough to manipulate us better than others.

think of it this way: In Classical mythology, Gods may be much more powerful than humans, but their motivations and goals are generally comprehensibly human.

an Alien Intelligence can be thought of as a Godlike entity who's motivations and goals are fundamentally inhuman. The only motivations of theirs that mortals can understand are the motivations inherent to all forms of life: survival and procreation. If attacked or threatened, they will defend themselves. if hungry, they will eat (though what they eat has dizzying variety, although it's generally not mortal food, usually some kind of magical or psychic energy), and they do reproduce, albiet with lifespans best mesured in Geologic time this is incredibly rare from the perspective of Mortals.

Other than that? There's no telling what drives an Alien Intelligence to do what it does. it's a being who's motivations cannot be comprehended by mortals, that's what makes them alien. They're generally not stupid, they're incredibly intelligent, but what they want and why they want it is so alien that they might as well be a cosmically powerful Dog for all humans can relate to them: make it happy, it might do nice things, make it angry, it might destroy everything, and trial and error is pretty much the only way to figure out what actions elicit what response. They usually have an easier time understanding humans though (though not always, for some the incomprehensibility runs both ways). Some do a better job of pretending to be humanlike than others.

EvaTheWarlock wrote:what are alien intelligences? where do they come from?

They're happy-friendly beings who bring joy-joy feelings to all who encounter them.
They come from the dimension of Happyland.

the way I always interpreted it, there are "levels" of life forms

very low level
low level
animals
intelligent beings
higher beings
gods and similar
alien intelligences
beyond

the main difference between gods and the alien intelligences has less to do with power and more to do with how they think.
gods typically seem to have motivations and ways and thinking that are at least semi understandable wheras "alien" intelligences are less relatable

guardiandashi wrote:the way I always interpreted it, there are "levels" of life forms

very low level
low level
animals
intelligent beings
higher beings
gods and similar
alien intelligences
beyond

the main difference between gods and the alien intelligences has less to do with power and more to do with how they think.
gods typically seem to have motivations and ways and thinking that are at least semi understandable wheras "alien" intelligences are less relatable

Not a bad list although I tend to break up that "higher being" group into a demi-god level and godling level and the books seem to separate Alien Intelligences into lesser and greater as well as the Old Ones themselves being above them all.

To me it's not that the Alien Intelligences don't understand mortals per se, it's that they do not see them as having any power that they are required to respect. The Splugorth and Vampire Intelligences clearly understand mortals fairly well it is just that they see them as pets, property and food. In the Palladium Universe not sure what is beyond the Alien Intelligences.

Warshield73 wrote:

guardiandashi wrote:the way I always interpreted it, there are "levels" of life forms

very low level
low level
animals
intelligent beings
higher beings
gods and similar
alien intelligences
beyond

the main difference between gods and the alien intelligences has less to do with power and more to do with how they think.
gods typically seem to have motivations and ways and thinking that are at least semi understandable wheras "alien" intelligences are less relatable

Not a bad list although I tend to break up that "higher being" group into a demi-god level and godling level and the books seem to separate Alien Intelligences into lesser and greater as well as the Old Ones themselves being above them all.

To me it's not that the Alien Intelligences don't understand mortals per se, it's that they do not see them as having any power that they are required to respect. The Splugorth and Vampire Intelligences clearly understand mortals fairly well it is just that they see them as pets, property and food. In the Palladium Universe not sure what is beyond the Alien Intelligences.

its more that "people" can understand at least some of the actions of the "gods" vs the alien intelligence's are the "gods" possibly alien intelligences for all practical purposes (and by power levels) sure

but its more that the "gods" would be alien intelligences with a facade or image and actions that a "normal" mortal level being can understand at least some of what they are doing

then you have things like vampire intelligences that while THEY may understand mortals mortals won't understand the VI

and then you get things like lovecraftian and or cthulhu-oid intelligences that can drive mortals insane just being near them

Watch some episodes of Star Trek.