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Pathfinder Chronicles - Gazetteer - Asamnet

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<strong>Pathfinder</strong> <strong>Chronicles</strong><br />

24<br />

Norgorber, Iomedae, and Cayden Cailean—entered<br />

Absalom as humans and left as immortal demigods after<br />

completing the infamous Test of the Starstone. Surrounded<br />

by a deadly maze of traps, guardians, and wards, the Starstone<br />

is a gateway to divinity for those who survive and a terrible<br />

death for those who fail. The clergies of these Ascended<br />

deities hold great power in Absalom, although the influence<br />

of Aroden’s moribund church has waned since the death of<br />

its god a century ago. Ambitious would-be deities scheme to<br />

attempt the Test, establishing cults and temples in Absalom’s<br />

Ascendant Court and drawing worshipers and support. For<br />

every Ascended god who survives the Test of the Starstone to<br />

achieve everlasting fame and adoration, there are hundreds<br />

who fail the attempt and are forgotten.<br />

Absalom is comprised of several bustling districts, each<br />

with its unique character. The following represent some of<br />

the larger, more powerful neighborhoods of the city.<br />

Ascendant Court: Most of Absalom’s temples congregate<br />

in the Ascendant Court, the hub at the center of the city’s<br />

great thoroughfares. The Starstone itself rests in a massive<br />

cathedral perched atop a pillar of rock surrounded by<br />

a seemingly bottomless pit. Three bridges cross this<br />

expanse, one for each of the Ascendants’ faithful. A fourth<br />

bridge, corresponding to Aroden and maintained by his<br />

aging clergy, crumbled when an earthquake rocked the<br />

city a decade ago and has not been repaired. Seekers of<br />

the Starstone must find their own way across these wellguarded<br />

spans before risking the legendary dangers of the<br />

cathedral itself.<br />

The promise of the Starstone attracts legions of would-be<br />

deities, zealous cultists, and desperate followers eager for<br />

something to believe in. Every day, pilgrims from around<br />

the world visit the great chasm at the center of the district.<br />

Some write their wishes and dreams onto pieces of paper<br />

they drop into the pit, hoping to send a message directly<br />

to the gods. Others hope to catch a vainglorious fool or<br />

righteous hero in an attempt to snatch divinity. Agents of<br />

Absalom’s thieves guild prey upon the visitors by picking<br />

pockets, running cons, and demanding protection money<br />

from various “deities in training.”<br />

Notable churches in the district include the Temple of<br />

the Shining Star, where clerics of Sarenrae honor the sun;<br />

the Seventh Church, site of one of Iomedae’s 11 miraculous<br />

Acts; and Cayden’s Hall, a grand tavern devoted to the<br />

Accidental God where his faithful honor their master with<br />

upturned tankards and eager fists. Not far from the heart<br />

of the district lies the enormous Cathedral of Failure,<br />

where silent caretakers erect small shrines to unsuccessful<br />

seekers of divinity. The oft-empty chambers of this dour<br />

edifice echo with the memories of conquered aspirations<br />

and forgotten dreams. Those sensitive to the whispers of<br />

spirits find the cathedral’s winding passages and baroque<br />

galleries almost unbearable.<br />

Azlanti Keep: A district all to itself, this massive stone<br />

fortress sits near the northern edge of Absalom to protect<br />

the city from land-based invaders. The keep houses the<br />

city watch and the First Guard, an elite group of warriors,<br />

wizards, and scouts whose sole purpose is to root out and<br />

eliminate threats to the city. The citadel’s architecture is<br />

among the oldest in Absalom and ref lects inf luences of<br />

the city’s Azlanti origins by way of Aroden. Wide balconies<br />

offer a commanding view of the city in all directions, and<br />

the immense f lat roof of the structure forms a useful battle<br />

platform in times of siege.<br />

The Coins: Situated just north of the docks, this district<br />

hosts most of the foreign traders and seamen who come to<br />

the city. The transient nature of the Coins’ residents attracts<br />

illicit trade in the form of drugs, slaves, and contraband.<br />

At the center of the district, near the major thoroughfare,<br />

trade in the Coins takes on an air of respectability at the<br />

Monger’s Mart or the Grand Bazaar, where the merchants<br />

put on a pretense of fair play and legal wares. Negotiations<br />

in this tough district often erupt into blade-fighting, and<br />

more murders take place in the Coins than in any other<br />

district save the treacherous Puddles.<br />

Ivy District: Overlooking the harbor and seedier sections<br />

of town from atop a short bluff, the verdant Ivy District<br />

attracts some of Absalom’s most inf luential artists and<br />

craftsmen. Minor nobles, gifted actors, and popular bards<br />

call the Ivy their home, and while certain “soft” crimes such<br />

as narcotics and prostitution thrive here, in general the<br />

residents of the district have little tolerance for hardened<br />

criminals or indigent street-dwellers. Numerous theaters,<br />

bawdy houses, and galleries serve as common ground<br />

between the high and low classes of Absalom, resulting in<br />

a great deal of cross-class intrigue.<br />

The Petal District: Perched atop Aroden’s Hill, with the<br />

whole city at its feet, Absalom’s Petal District is home to<br />

the wealthiest merchants and most powerful nobles in the<br />

wealthiest and most powerful city in the world. Decadent<br />

palaces, fabulous towers, elaborate gardens, and glittering<br />

promenades characterize the district, which gets its<br />

name from the well-tended rows of f lowers that run<br />

down the center of nearly every street. The overwhelming<br />

beauty forms a strange backdrop for the treacherous<br />

politics of Absalom’s ruthless upper class, where nobles<br />

and merchants resort to poison and murder as often as<br />

negotiation and armistice.<br />

The Puddles: On the opposite side of the spectrum (but<br />

no less ruthless) are the city’s poorest of the poor, who<br />

dwell in the soggy lowlands of the Puddles because they<br />

have little chance or opportunity elsewhere. A terrible<br />

earthquake 10 years ago sank the Puddles just below sea<br />

level at high tide, resulting in persistent minor f looding<br />

and erosion of building foundations and society. Honest<br />

citizens f led the district years ago, ceding it to the addicts

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