The Inside Sea is as acquainted to Pathfinders because the Sword Coast is to Faerunians. Right here’s what it is advisable know.
In all of Golarion, one area stands out again and again as the place the center of the motion is. And for a lot of current historical past, that has been the Inside Sea Area.
Tucked neatly between the continent of Avistan and Garund, each of which encompass the huge Inside Sea, this area was usually referred to as the Middle of the World. The first purpose for this was for the Metropolis on the Middle of the World proper in the midst of the Inside Sea, Absalom.
It was by means of Absalom that a lot of Golarion’s commerce flowed, which led to its titular epithet. After all, cash wasn’t all the pieces, town additionally had a glowing meteor that might rework somebody right into a god in the event that they handed its inscrutable checks.
However the cosmopolitan cultures of the Inside Sea area have been born of two continents, and an unlimited variety of disparate kingdoms, peoples, and would-be empires that made the area dramatic and ripe for journey.
Inside Sea – Areas and Cultures
Infinite alternatives for journey existed inside the Inside Sea Area. It was dwelling to dozens of countries, frontiers, wildlands, and extra. The area was dwelling to heroism and villainy, exploration and journey alike!
Many of the fashionable Inside Sea was outlined by ten distinct “areas” which encapsulate a number of kingdoms.
- Outdated Cheliax
- Saga Lands
- Eye of Dread
- Damaged Lands
- Shining Kingdom
- Golden Highway
- Unattainable Lands
- Mwangi Expanse
- Absalom and Starstone Isle
- The Excessive Seas
Distinct kinds and cultures grew inside every of those areas, resulting in a life that might differ even throughout arbitrary borders.
Absalom and Starstone Isle
On the coronary heart of the Inside Sea itself was the Isle of Kortos. This was dwelling to Absalom Metropolis, in addition to the legendary Starstone, a magical meteor that has come to outline the future of Golarion. The Isle of Kortos was recognized for being a various ecosystem. Exterior of Absalom’s partitions, one may discover verdant forests and grasslands to the West, whereas in direction of the east lay the rugged stony desert of the Scrape. And past that, the Riven Hills and newly shaped necromantic wasteland often known as the Tyrant’s Grasp.
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In the meantime, the Isle of Erran, to the north of Starstone Isle, was the place Escadar, the second-largest metropolis within the space may be discovered. Escadar was a a lot rougher port, filled with smugglers and worse. But it surely was dwelling to large shipyards that helped offered the navy that stored the Inside Sea protected.
Damaged Lands
The Damaged Lands, however, have been harsher, harmful wildlands. The Damaged Lands have been a fractured area, and it was usually mentioned that life itself appeared to have been dealt an virtually mortal blow in that space.
It was a area of political strife, caught between the feuding nations like Issia and Rostland, kingdoms like Brevoy on the verge of civil battle, however no a part of the Damaged Lands was almost as literal as the good blighted patch of land often known as the Worldwound.
The Worldwound was the sight of an enormous demonic invasion. Lead by a demon lord named Deskari, who tore open an enormous wound in actuality, the Worldwound was as soon as a sight of seemingly limitless hoards of demons. Golarion’s individuals rose as much as defeat this existential risk, and the heroes of the Fifth Campaign defeated Deskari and closed the rift. However the injury had been achieved. The lands remained blighted, even after the rift had been closed.
And if that wasn’t sufficient, it was rumored that within the rugged hills of Numeria {that a} crashed vessel — a ship meant to sail the celebrities, filled with unusual, mechanical monstrosities and alien applied sciences, could possibly be discovered.
Eye of Dread
The Eye of Dread was a area oppressed by undeath. It was as soon as a well-traveled hub for commerce. However not way back, it turned a war-torn area because the militaristic nation of Molthune attacked the wooded nation of Nirmathas. A 3rd faction quickly joined the battle, as enterprising hobgoblins led an rebellion of their very own to reap the benefits of the chaos.
However the additional north one traveled, the more severe the Eye of Dread appeared to be. As guardian partitions give technique to the nation of Ustalav, a land beset by horror, worry, and manifestations of everlasting nightmare.
Right here, one other nice existential risk to Golarion arose. The traditional lich Tar-Baphon, emerged from an extended sealed chamber and introduced with him a scourge that remodeled a lot of the land into the Gravelands, overrunning a nation as soon as meant to protect towards these horrors. Dominated by an undead lich, the Gravelands have been host to all method of necromantic powers, able to spill over onto the remainder of Golarion.
Golden Highway
The Golden Highway, however, was a stretch of sprawling desert wilderness. However speckled all through have been important coastlines and rivers that gave rise to a number of the oldest civilizations within the Inside Sea area. Historic lore, ruins, and treasures lay ready beneath the sands, or else ready within the many cities that dot the panorama.
Additional west, nations like Thuvia and Rahadoum helped create an enormous commerce route that stretched again all the best way to Osirion.
Excessive Seas
The Excessive Seas was the identify generally given to the ocean area simply exterior the Inside Sea. The Excessive Seas have been a way more turbulent, harmful oceanic area. Untamed by continental cabinets the Excessive Seas have been dwelling to monsters and shapechangers. Subaquatic empires flourished beneath their depths.
Pirates, however, flourished atop the waves. And on the Excessive Seas, the Hurricane Queen of the Shackles dominated over all, offering simply sufficient construction to maintain fleets of pirates loosely united sufficient that they have been a risk to any who would try to hunt them down.
That’s the primary half of the Inside Sea
