The Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer is off to the printer, so here is your first look at what you can expect this juicy 64-page book to contain.
Osirion
LAND OF THE PHARAOHS Alignment: LN Capital: Sothis (111,989) Notable Settlements: Ipeq (12,730), Totra (52,360), Shiman-Sekh (6,680) Ruler: The Ruby Prince Khemet III Government: Celestial Monarchy Languages: Osiriani Religion: Nethys, Sarenrae, Pharasma, Lamashtu, Irori, Norgorber, Rovagug
For almost 2000 years after the Starstone fell from space to create the Inner Sea, chaos and ruin defined Golarion. The old empires were cast in ruin, strange creatures born of darkness and fear stalked the land. It was a time of barbarism and terror, a slow decline into extinction for humankind. But humanity rose again in the jungles and deserts of the south Inner Sea coast. Osirion, a land of living god-kings and monolithic pyramids, rose as a beacon in a world ruled by barbarism, the first of the great kingdoms of man's Age of Destiny.
A prophet of Nethys known as Azghaad unified the warring tribes along the River Sphinx, initiating Osirion's first pharaonic dynasty in the city of Sothis, which still bears titanic statues carved in the image of Osirion's first ruler. The Osiriani folk honored their pharaohs as gods in the flesh, acceding to their every whim and marching upon their grand ambitions. Within 500 years Osirion controlled vast territories in Thuvia and modern day Rahadoum and Katapesh, as well as a lost colony that eventually became the kingdom of Geb. This First Age of Osirion generated pyramid tombs and temples for scores of pharaohs and their servants, many of which remain undiscovered (and well trapped) to this day.
A succession of lesser pharaohs and temporary foreign conquerors ruled Osirion in the middle centuries of the Age of Destiny, erecting cities and temples of their own in an attempt to leave a permanent mark on history. Most are forgotten today, and during this period Osirion waned in influence throughout the Inner Sea, ceding its marginal colonial territories.
Four competing warlords known as the Four Pharaohs of Ascension halted Osirion's decline about two centuries before the foundation of Taldor, restoring the nation's influence and holdings through using force and guile. The resulting prosperity fueled a rebirth in the nation's spirit, marking the birth of Osirion's Second Age.
In 1532 AR, foreign influence ended Osirion's pharaonic era when Qadiri agents toppled the corrupt government of Pharaoh Menedes XXVI, establishing Osirion as a satrapy of the Keleshite Empire of the East. Over the centuries migrants from Kelesh changed the ethnic character of the nation, crashing many of the old monuments and structures to the ground in an effort to chart a new destiny for Osirion.
This destiny brought the sun-focused religion of Sarenrae to Osirion, whose own religious traditions had always centered strongly upon the movements of heavenly bodies. As the cult of the Dawnflower achieved greater popularity among Keleshite and Garundi alike it became a threat to the satrap, who banished the dervishes to the deserts of Thuvia.
Members of the Dawnflower cult murdered the Satrap of Osirion in 2253, establishing the first in a long series of independent Keleshite sultans who ruled from Sothis. The last of these dictators fell to rebellion exactly 100 years ago, handing the nation to Khemet I, a Garundi prince who traced his lineage back to the Azghaadi Dynasty of Osirion's First Age. Thousands of years of oppression and decline made the people eager for a savior, and Prince Khemet offered them hope. Today, Khemet's grandson rules Osirion, calling himself the Ruby Prince. Some say that he might one day change this title to pharaoh, but such a shift would seriously trouble the desert nation's neighbors.
The youthful Prince Khemet III has opened the borders of Osirion to treasure seekers from around the world, offering a high bounty to those who uncover the hidden wonders of the past. As a result, Sothis is filled with treasure hunters of all shades. While the guards are keen to watch for anyone stealing the heritage of Osirion, there are plenty of ways to smuggle these ancient artifacts out of the country, and Osiriani relics have become a valuable commodity in markets across Avistan.
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