Pathfinder Chronicles - Gazetteer - Asamnet

ealms of prehistory. When the arrogant elite of Old Azlant
revolted against the aboleth lords that had raised them from
barbarism, the aquatic masterminds brought down a great
rock from the sky, triggering a world cataclysm that sank
most of Azlant below the waves. The mysterious Mordant
Spire sea elves still ply the roiling channels of continental
ruin in their skimmers, guarding the few remaining
secrets of their ancient enemies—the most technically and
magically advanced human culture in history.
Few vessels survive the insidious whirlpools and ravenous
sea monsters of Azlant to reach the open waters of the
western Arcadian Ocean and the lush continent for which
it is named: Arcadia, a wooded paradise 4,000 miles west
of Avistan. The handful of explorers to venture there and
return to the courts of the Inner Sea speak of vast natural
resources, gorgeous panoramic displays of unbridled nature,
and fierce, warrior-like native inhabitants. The largest
permanent Avistani settlement on Arcadia is Valenhall,
near the continent’s northeast periphery, where the elderly
soldiers and monarchs of the Linnorm Kings go to die.
A sprawling arctic desert called the Crown of the World
squats upon the brow of Golarion, grasping with icy
mountain claws the northern reaches of Avistan, Casmaron,
and Tian Xia. Encased deep in the ice, at the very top of the
planet, are the ruins of an ancient humanoid civilization,
its name and legends long lost to history. The ruins predate
Thassilon, Azlant, and even the coming of the aboleths to
Golarion, and their existence and origin remain among the
world’s most intriguing mysteries.
Despite having the least hospitable climate of any
continent on Golarion, the Crown of the World remains one
of the most traveled routes for world explorers who venture
across the ice shelf from one continent to the other. By far
the most exotic of these travelers come from Tian Xia, a
northern continent in the planet’s eastern hemisphere,
opposite Avistan. Despite this trickle of merchants and
political exiles, tales of Tian Xia are rare outside the distant
north and the markets of Katapesh and Absalom.
the Inner Sea
The Pathfinder Society bases itself in Absalom on the Inner
Sea, the trading and cultural hub of two continents. The
broad seaway stretching from Avistan to Garund represents
one of the most heavily traveled trade routes on Golarion,
and on any given day scores of national f lags f lutter from
the masts of thousands of ships plying its waters.
The following gazetteer presents a brief description of
nations on the two continents of the Inner Sea, presenting a
wide variety of ideas and possibilities for Pathfinder Chronicles
campaigns. Numbers listed after city names at the top of each
entry represent able-bodied adult populations. Languages
and religions are listed in order of local popularity. All years
are in Absalom Reckoning (ar).
Gazetteer: Nations
Absalom
CITY AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD
Alignment: N
Capital: Absalom (303,900)
Notable Settlements: Diobel (4,850), Escadar (11,700)
Ruler: Lord Gyr of House Gixx, Primarch of Absalom,
Protector of Kortos
Government: Grand Council composed of representatives
from several major noble houses and religious groups. The
greatest of this council, called the primarch, enjoys a wide
range of powers.
Languages: Common, Osirian, Kelish
Religion: Abadar, Iomedae, Aroden, Norgorber, Cayden
Cailean, Nethys, Sarenrae, Calistria, Shelyn, Irori
The Isle of Kortos, in the eye of the Inner Sea, stands
astride dozens of major shipping lanes. Its sprawling citystate,
ancient Absalom, thus earns its title as the City at
the Center of the World. The conf luence of mercantile,
strategic, and religious inf luence in Absalom has attracted
would-be conquerors throughout history. The ruins of
dozens of siege castles litter the grounds outside Absalom’s
walls, and its harbor is so choked with the masts and
moldering hulls of sunken warships that safely reaching
the city’s docks requires the steady eye of a paid pilot. Yet
Absalom has never fallen.
Legend claims that Absalom was founded by Aroden
himself when the Last of the First Humans raised the
Starstone from the ocean depths and left it in its current
resting place at the heart of the city. Since those ancient
days, a succession of self-made noble families have vied for
control of Absalom, an endless battle whose weapons include
subterfuge, betrayal, and assassination. The city’s culture
is an amalgam of customs and beliefs drawn from Osirion,
Thuvia, Cheliax, Andoran, Taldor, and Qadira, and many of
the noble houses identify themselves closely with elements
from those nations. The common folk represent an even
wider array of cultural influences, from Mordant Spire elves
to Tian traders to travelers from other planes. As a result,
food, song, and clothing from nearly every corner of Golarion
can be found here if the visitor knows where to look.
This cross-mixture of culture and ideas engenders a
thriving community of learning and the philosophical
arts. Many of Golarion’s most adept insitutions of
magic exist within the walls of Absalom, including the
Arcanamirium, a large school of magical study founded
by the Arclords of Nex; the College of Mysteries, a more
exclusive arcane school; and the Clockwork Cathedral, a
prestigious academy devoted to the study of constructs
and machines.
Nearly all of Golarion’s gods have temples in Absalom
(some of them secret), but four religions have dominated
local affairs for centuries. Each of these deities—Aroden,
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