Illustration by Craig J. Spearing

Seekers of Secrets—Skyreach and Ambrus

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Illustration by Kieran Yanner

Time for another preview of Pathfinder Chronicles: Seekers of Secrets!

Skyreach: This five-towered fortress, visible from miles away over Abaslom's skyline, is the heart of the Pathfinder Society. Here the Decemvirate rules and make its rare pronouncements beneath the enchanted skylights of the Great Hall in the central tower, and both resident and visiting Pathfinders sequester themselves in cozy lounges to study, socialize, and plot future missions. Packed tight with chambers ranging from well-known ballrooms named after nations to innumerable trophy rooms and museums to rows of featureless doors identified only by number, Skyreach is a warren that only the Decemvirate understands completely. The majority of its mysterious spaces are off-limits to all but those specifically invited by Ambrus Valsin, the venture-captain who runs the daily operations of the Grand Lodge at the Decemvirate's command.

Meticulous with details and annoyed by inefficiency, Ambrus makes a point to supervise all important duties within the Grand Lodge, and keeps a long list of relatively safe but time-consuming jobs on file, ready to hand out to rookie Pathfinders to keep them busy and out of the way of more experienced agents. Tall and meticulously groomed, Ambrus doesn't appreciate backtalk and reserves particularly strenuous assignments for those who annoy him.

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

The Map of Absalom

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Absalom is a big, big city—several miles across and home to over 300,000 people. Pathfinder Chronicles: Guide to Absalom is our first detailed look at this city and our first chance to map it. This full-page map should give you a sense of the city’s size, population, and majesty.

And now, a little background on this map.

Absalom is the idea of Jason Bulmahn, lead designer at Paizo. He once studied to be an architect, but he felt there was more fame and poverty in the world of professional game design. His years of grueling apprenticeship to Henri Ringelheim, Master Architect of Stuttgart, gave Jason a hunched posture and the inability to see in illumination brighter than tallow candlelight, but from time to time he is able to tap into the small amount of talent his master begrudged him, and create fine maps that are like Archimedes’ lever for your imagination.

One such map is the rough version of Absalom, City at the Center of the World. Note the square grid, a tool used by all devotees of the draftsman’s pencil. The heavy black lines, representing the cartographer’s stern intent. The green district borders and blue lines demarking the edges of the ship graveyard, attempts to inject a moment of life and joy into his work. The labels in red, representing the very blood he spilled to bring this map to completion. You can almost imagine him pausing, pen in hand, to wipe the sweat from his brow with an old rag, then patiently lowering his pen to the paper, as the nearby candle sputters in the late hours of the night. This is the work of one who loves his craft.

Plus, it almost looks like some sort of weird crab monster.

Sean K Reynolds
Developer

All Aboard for Absalom!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Earlier this week, we got in our first bound copy of Guide to Absalom. In the hectic "GO GO GO!" mentality that is the Editorial Pit, we're often surprised when books we send out do what comes natural and show up in completed print form back at the office. It sounds funny, perhaps, but that's the way it is in crazy Paizo-land!

Anyway, the book reminded me that we actually haven't shown off that much art from Guide to Absalom. This blog rectifies that! Behold, one of the First Guards of Absalom by artist Andrew Hou, and a nice view of the Starstone Cathedral by Ben Wootten.

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

City at the Center of the World

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

That's what they call Absalom—the City at the Center of the World. The largest city in the Inner Sea region, Absalom's the cultural and religious center of humanity on Golarion. Of course, that doesn't mean you'll only see humans there! As the first truly enormous city we've detailed in Golarion, there's a lot going on in Absalom that would probably look out of place in smaller cities like Korvosa—but in Absalom, the unusual is an everyday facet of life.

The book just recently went off to the printer, so what better time to give folk their first official look at Ben Wootten's rendering of the skyline of the City at the Center of the World?

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

Breaking Ground in Absalom

Monday, October 27, 2008

For more than 4,000 years Absalom has been the City at the Center of the World, a metropolis-sized showcase of the greatest treasures in all Golarion. But it wasn't always like this.

Or was it?

Cities aren't born, they're made, usually through centuries of back-breaking labor and innumerable hardships. But that isn't the case with Absalom. It was brought into the world in a single moment, ready to grow, ready to flourish, ready to claim its place as a city-state to rival empires. From the earliest records of that miraculous place, recorded in Pathfinder Chronicles Guide to Absalom, comes the following account:

"No account exists of Absalom's first moments, for Aroden was alone when he raised the Isle of Kortos from the depths and placed the Starstone where it is now, marking the focus of what was to become the City at the Center of the World. Even in the first centuries of Absalom, when Aroden was a common sight in its halls and on its streets, no one claimed to know how or why Aroden moved the Starstone, or created its resting place. Some believe the Starstone Cathedral is Aroden's greatest construction, while others say the Starstone itself built the monument that protects it. The Cathedral was finished before a single inhabitant arrived in Absalom, though it has continued to grow and expand itself in the centuries since that time. Aroden never answered questions put to him about the Cathedral, saying only that any who needed to know of it would find the answers themselves.

"Indeed, all records of the first few centuries of Absalom are spotty at best. The Founding Law of Absalom, the laws which even the Grand Council may not change or remove, were written in stone within Azlanti Keep, but no other original documents survive. Four millennia of mold, accident, and even intentional sabotage have ruined every book, scroll, and tablet kept before 400 AR. While copies of copies claiming to be true to the original texts can be found throughout the city, even within Forae Logos different editions of texts often disagree with one another. Much of the first millennium of Absalom is less history, and more mythology.

"What is clear is that Aroden established the location of the city when he placed the Starstone, and that doing so took a heavy toll on him. Some myths claim the Isle of Kortos belonged to a terrible sea-demon or god of minotaurs, and that Aroden delved into a massive labyrinth to face and defeat that original resident. Other legends place Absalom as an old outpost of the Azlanti, sunken and brought back from the depths by that civilization's last son, and assign that as the reason gillmen continue to live in and around the city. Most natives actually assume Aroden raised the island up from the depths when he recovered the Starstone, creating it from the raw rock and kelp of the sea floor, but no record of this version of events can be dated any earlier than 1,450 AR and no record of Aroden himself making the claim exists. While this last version of events is official dogma to several churches, many serious scholars discount it."

Pathfinder Chronicles Guide to Absalom by Owen K. C. Stephens releases this December.

F. Wesley Schneider
Pathfinder Managing Editor

The Mean Streets of Absalom

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

When in Absalom, be mindful of the myriad gangs of thieves, thugs, cutpurses, criminals, knee-breakers, and other ne're-do-wells. And should you be among this legion of lawbreakers, best to make sure your marks don't command the infinite powers of the multiverse (or an endless supply of throwing daggers). In either case things aren't going to end well for someone as we see in another incredible Wayne Reynolds cover for our upcoming Pathfinder Chronicles tome Guide to Absalom.

F. Wesley Schneider
Pathfinder Managing Editor

Quick Drop, Sudden Stop

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Hangman's Noose is the first real murder mystery adventure set in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting. As such, it includes a host of suspects, both charming and nefarious. And while each one might have had a hand in the mistrial that caused the haunting in this adventure, one of them truly deserves to hang. If your PCs can't uncover the culprit by dawn, their necks might hang in the murderer's place. Here are just a few of the suspects.

Halgrak: (at right) Known as "Five Toes" due to his mangled foot, this menacing half-orc is a local smith by trade. When things begin to turn sour, though, he quickly becomes certain that everyone is doomed.

Patrissa: Despite her overindulgences, this former adventurer is still quite attractive, wearing a fine dress and expensive jewels. Once locked inside the courthouse, she is certain to turn to the heroes for protection.

Sir Rekkart: (above) This staunch, aging paladin of Iomedae was a part of the jury ten years ago, and is certain that justice was served. Persuading him otherwise might just be an impossible task without solid proof.

Tablark: This grizzled old dwarf has held just about every job one could have in the city of Absalom. When things seem grim, the heroes can count on this dwarf to remain steadfast and confident in victory.

Is one of these jurors to blame? Maybe it was one of the others. Next week, I'll be back to give you a few more suspects to investigate.

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

U2: Hangman's Noose Cover

Friday, December 21, 2007

With Guardians of Dragonfall about to hit our warehouse, the time grows near to take a look at our next GameMastery Module. So, in preparation, here is the cover to U2: Hangman's Noose. It sure looks like Seoni has just about had enough of adventuring... maybe even breathing. Need more info? Here is the back cover copy.

GameMastery Module U2: Hangman's Noose

Ten years to the day after the most horrible injustice in Absalom's history, an implacable spirit returns to have his vengeance upon those who sent him to the gallows. Unfortunately for the heroes, they are among the jury of the damned, and come dawn they will all hang if they fail to find the true culprit.

Hangman's Noose is an urban-based adventure for 1st-level characters compatible with the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. This adventure includes details on the terrible crime, those who took part in its cover-up, and the crumbling courthouse where the crime, trial, and execution all took place.

This adventure is set in the metropolis of Absalom, one of the largest cities in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, but it can be easily adapted for use in any setting. For more information on this city, check out U1: Gallery of Evil and the Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer.

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

The Ivy District

Thursday, October 4, 2007

GameMastery Module U1: Gallery of Evil takes place against the backdrop of the largest city in Golarion: Absalom. This burgeoning metropolis is filled to the brim with people from all walks of life across three continents. Easily the most cosmopolitan city in the world, Absalom must expect the unexpected. In the jaded manner common to many large cities, nothing really surprises them.

While we intend to unveil more about our iconic major city over the course of the next several months, for now we are going to limit ourselves to one district at a time. The idea is to enable the readers to drop these districts into whatever major city they use in their own campaigns, while slowly building up Absalom's identity, history, and culture. In time, this metropolis will become one of the major centerpieces of our entire campaign setting, and in Gallery of Evil, we give you the first of Absalom's districts to be revealed: the Ivy District.

As one of the oldest districts in the city, the Ivy District sits a good distance from Absalom's outer walls. Its tranquil parks, flowering, ivy-lined streets, industrious mercantile and artisan zones, and upper-class homes have been blessed with relatively little disruption from the countless sieges that have shattered against the city walls and seaside cliffs surrounding the Isle of Kortos. The Ivy District is the hub of culture and art within Absalom and, some might venture, the greatest influence on the styles and trends of its neighboring kingdoms.

Winding cobbled stone streets and hard-packed dirt roads, separated by narrow drainage canals that eventually empty into the sea, wend their way through the district. Decorative bridges connect numerous streets with one another, each one decorated somewhat differently from the next, with bas relief sculptures, murals, or even tiled mosaics appearing seemingly at random. Its streets are among the busiest in the city, save only the market and dock districts.

The Ivy District is the most popular location in Absalom among those who appreciate the arts and the finest products and entertainment gold can buy. Because of the Ivy District's reputation for beauty, fine art, and masterwork trade goods (fine blades, stylish and top-quality armor, renowned gem cutters and jewelers, exquisite clothing, carpentry products, and so on), it is also very tempting for thieves. The district has a surprisingly low theft rate, however, thanks to the efforts of a well-paid District Watch and the Brotherhood of Abadar, which patrols the streets looking for signs of unlawful activities and disturbances.

One of the most significant areas of the Ivy District is The Ivy District Park and Topiary Menagerie. This public park is filled with beautiful oak groves, pines, beech trees, weeping willows, cedars, and a wide variety of more exotic flora. Flower gardens and fruit-bearing trees line the neat dirt paths that wind through the park, and a large pond dominates its center. At places where the water is narrow enough, gorgeous bridges arch across its placid surface. Ducks, geese, colorful fish, and frogs live in the pond. Other wildlife lives here too, such as squirrels, owls, foxes, and hares. The druidic members of the Perfumers' Conglomerate tend all the life here. Through continual effort they manage to keep the trees, grass, and flowers pruned and blooming all year round. The sparkling clean water and happy and healthy wildlife are a testament to their hard work.

One of the park's main attractions is located at the center of a tall hedge maze: the topiary menagerie. Shrubs and bushes have been expertly pruned and trained into shapes of animals, people, and even rare and magical beasts. Although this wonderful horticultural menagerie seems innocent enough, the park's attendant druids recently discovered a group of teenage kids dead in the surrounding maze and a topiary unicorn missing from the menagerie. The stab wounds on the bodies were enough to confirm their suspicions of the missing unicorn's involvement, but they haven't determined how it happened or what happened to the missing topiary killer.

Jeremy Walker
Assistant Editor, GameMastery