Golarion Day: Report from Kintargo

Thursday, January 20, 2010

It's as I thought. When Abrogail's devil-bound lackeys seized the empire, they did not destroy all of the old documents and maps from pre-Thrune Cheliax as they claim. Many of these relics and artifacts, including countless rare maps and manuscripts stolen from the Pathfinder Society and the Aspis Consortium, now lie in deep and well-guarded vaults below Egorian's city streets. But not so well guarded that I wasn't able to slip in there a few days ago, unnoticed and unopposed!

There's a lot of stuff in those vaults I hope to someday liberate, but it was the enormous tapestry-map of the world that caught my eye on this first trip. Alas... that larger map was too huge for me to smuggle out. I did the next-best thing though, and snatched a smaller (although not as accurate) copy of the map. This one—though the oceans are way too small and I'm not sure Sarusan's in the right place and Casmaron might be a bit larger—should be a fine start toward expanding the lore of our world beyond what we think of as the Inner Sea region.

Anyway, I'm off for a rest back in Kintargo. I'll see if I can't sneak out some more secret stuff that Thrune doesn't want you to see soon enough—if you have any specific requests for things that Queen Abrogail suppressed, send me a request via the usual methods. And if you get caught by the Church of Asmodeus sending the request, I don't know you!

Shensen
Old Cheliax Shall Rise Again!

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Tags: Golarion Thursdays Maps Pathfinder Campaign Setting Rob Lazzaretti Snagged From the Vault
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The Exchange Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6

My god...it's full of stars!

On a more serious note, who wants to join me in an expedition to Sarusan?


You must be talking about the leftover ruins of Azlant...


It's......the......WORLD......

Silver Crusade

:D

Love the idea of an intentionally innacurate map, like Greenland on a Mercator map. Leaving things "off" lets you get away with all sorts of things in the future.

That's a lot of Garund left unexplored... :)

And mighty curious about Sarusan.(and the Dreamlands...)

Dark Archive

Thank you fair Shensen, for you have revealed to us what many among our number have long sought and only dreamed of.

Pity that now your days are numbered and you draw breath only at Thrune's pleasure.


(snort)

If that's the case, my days have been numbered for years and years already. Those idiots down in Egorian haven't figured my antics out yet. They won't anytime soon. They're too busy making sure that they've got all their forms to sign forms all signed. That, and pretending that they're the ones in charge and the devils aren't. Idiots.

Ahem.

Anyway, no one saw me go into the vault, and no one saw me sneak out. I doubt they even realize it's missing. I wouldn't be surprised to find out none of those Thrunies even knew they had that map down there in the first place!

EDIT: Oh... wait. You work for the Thrunies, don't you? Hmm. Do they know you're up so late? Isn't there like a 4:00 PM curfew?

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Shensen wrote:
EDIT: Oh... wait. You work for the Thrunies, don't you? Hmm. Do they know you're up so late? Isn't there like a 4:00 PM curfew?

Luckily its 3:30 AM in Cheliax, NY and well within normal infernal business hours.

Why is no one picking up my Sending? I hate the newfangled extraplanar calling plans.

(Is it just me or does "the Thrunies" sound like a really bad sitcom?)

Liberty's Edge

It has been two years, and I haven't managed to play through even half of the inner sea... I have visited many towns, many cities, traveled through the three continents... I was thinking, "at this rate, I will have all locations on Inner Sea covered in my games."

And now, this...

It's so bright, so vivid... What does this mean?
It's starting to look like there are other continents...
*cries*


My, my, Shensen. You're not just a pretty face (and thighs, and hairdo, ...and the belly-button is kinda cute too). This find will definately interest my employer up in Halgrim. In fact, if you happen to know a good way to slip through the Arch of Aroden she'll probably be quite happy to pay well for the secret - even those stiff-minded types in Corentyn are likely to fall for the same ruse twice - it's been a while since she saw her brother.

Just make sure the Pathfinders don't see the map, though, seems there could be a misunderstanding or too in making if that happens.

On a more serious note: any name for the big lake in southern Garund yet?

The Exchange

From the circular arcs of the coastlines to the West and North East, it looks like Golarion was hit by a much larger object than the Starstone a lot longer back in its history. That would almost have been a planet smashing event, similar that that which created the topography currently seen on Mars.


Maps are great, me likes more maps!


*cries*

Thank you. I've been wanting this for a long, long time.


Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber

Agree with all above: Thank you for this!

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8

Dear friends,

This may be my last post for a while. I am moving to one of those islands at the southern tip of Tian Xia where the fog shrouds the dragon prows of the fishing boats each morning.

Good-bye,
Tarren


Fun stuff. Way to whet our appetities for the upcoming Tian Xia stuff later, too.


Wow. Hello, world. Nice to finally meet you. You're even prettier than everyone says.


So the real question is then, when will the wall-sized tapestry of the world be available in Paizo stock?


amazing...

Jon Brazer Enterprises

*Cue the angelic chorus*


Now this be blog!


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

BEST....BLOG....EVAR!!! ;)


*nerdgasms*

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

OK, now this is awesomesauce.

Dark Archive

I don't see Vudra!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!!! But still full of awesome.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Jeremy Mcgillan wrote:
I don't see Vudra!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!!! But still full of awesome.

I am pretty sure Vudra is the southern end of Casmaron.


Kajehase wrote:

My, my, Shensen. You're not just a pretty face (and thighs, and hairdo, ...and the belly-button is kinda cute too). This find will definately interest my employer up in Halgrim. In fact, if you happen to know a good way to slip through the Arch of Aroden she'll probably be quite happy to pay well for the secret - even those stiff-minded types in Corentyn are likely to fall for the same ruse twice - it's been a while since she saw her brother.

Just make sure the Pathfinders don't see the map, though, seems there could be a misunderstanding or too in making if that happens.

On a more serious note: any name for the big lake in southern Garund yet?

I can look into finding different ways through the Arch of Aroden. I do, in fact, already know of several pretty secret routes (3 different ones, in fact) but they're more for smugglers on foot or, at the most, on a rowboat. I'll check into ways of sneaking through on larger ships if that's what you're looking for!

There was a name on the lake on the bigger map, but I can't remember what it was right now. I do know that the Mwangi expanse continues south through central Garund, though, and that that big lake was part of the southernmost portion of that region.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

brock wrote:
From the circular arcs of the coastlines to the West and North East, it looks like Golarion was hit by a much larger object than the Starstone a lot longer back in its history. That would almost have been a planet smashing event, similar that that which created the topography currently seen on Mars.

The starstone was just the part that hit (and created) the Inner Sea. It was, in fact, a "straggler." The bulk of Earthfall was directed at Azlant, and consisted of a LOT of meteor strikes that basically crushed and broke up the continent, resulting in the mass of ruined land you see on the map. A few more stranglers hit northern Arcadia as well.


Jeremy Mcgillan wrote:
I don't see Vudra!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!!! But still full of awesome.

You do indeed see Vudra. It's not a continent, though, so (like Minkai) it's not specifically labeled.

If it WERE labeled, though, it'd be on the southern 3rd of Casmaron. That big peninsula, basically, is Vudra.

Scarab Sages

Uh, wow.

First, neat.

Second, is anyone else surprised how relatively tiny Avistan is to the other continents? I mean, I know the map's inaccurate and not to scale, but look how small the Inner Sea region is!

Who would have guessed that, say, Arcadia would prove to be that gigantic?

I find myself wondering what they're going to fill all that space with.

Of course, I imagine it'll be a good many years before we see World Guide: Arcadia, so the Paizo folks will have plenty of time to develop ideas.

Contributor

Giggity!

Dark Archive

, wrote:
It's......the......WORLD......

It is but a rather simple rendition ... of all the lands, nations and cultures that will one day bend their knee, bow low, or lay prostrate in submission to the Banners of Cheliax, Egorian's Law, and House Thrune's whims.

Liberty's Edge

O_O

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32, 2012 Top 4

W00t! Maptastic!

Waited very long for this, I have!


Hahahaha! Woo!

Now I just have to redo my map of Vudra...

Liberty's Edge

I 2nd the request for a poster map of these findings... Or maybe I'll wait till Senshin can get her wonderfully sticky fingers on the full sized map.
Either way setting coin aside.

Contributor

James Jacobs wrote:
brock wrote:
From the circular arcs of the coastlines to the West and North East, it looks like Golarion was hit by a much larger object than the Starstone a lot longer back in its history. That would almost have been a planet smashing event, similar that that which created the topography currently seen on Mars.
The starstone was just the part that hit (and created) the Inner Sea. It was, in fact, a "straggler." The bulk of Earthfall was directed at Azlant, and consisted of a LOT of meteor strikes that basically crushed and broke up the continent, resulting in the mass of ruined land you see on the map. A few more stranglers hit northern Arcadia as well.

So presumably there are a number of other "starstones" in the ruins of Azlant and we can look forward to an ascended dolphin god in the near future?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Kevin Andrew Murphy wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
brock wrote:
From the circular arcs of the coastlines to the West and North East, it looks like Golarion was hit by a much larger object than the Starstone a lot longer back in its history. That would almost have been a planet smashing event, similar that that which created the topography currently seen on Mars.
The starstone was just the part that hit (and created) the Inner Sea. It was, in fact, a "straggler." The bulk of Earthfall was directed at Azlant, and consisted of a LOT of meteor strikes that basically crushed and broke up the continent, resulting in the mass of ruined land you see on the map. A few more stranglers hit northern Arcadia as well.
So presumably there are a number of other "starstones" in the ruins of Azlant and we can look forward to an ascended dolphin god in the near future?

Nope. The starstone itself is a unique artifact. When the aboleths called down the meteors to smash Azlant, the starstone happened to be one of them.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
weirmonken wrote:

Uh, wow.

First, neat.

Second, is anyone else surprised how relatively tiny Avistan is to the other continents? I mean, I know the map's inaccurate and not to scale, but look how small the Inner Sea region is!

In broad strokes, Avistan is an analog to Europe. Not that it's literally Europe in drag, but both the physical and political geography are relatively close save for the obvious exceptions. The pesudobyzantines are down in the corner, with pseudopersians to war with. The pseudopersians had satrapies roughly where the historical Persians did. Cheliax bears broad strokes resemblances to the Iberian in the Renaissance, or at least a Black Legend kind of Iberian. It even has a colony. Of course it's also got lots of pseudoroman stuff going on and other things.

Given that, it stands to reason that Avistan would be small in comparison to other continents. Europe is.


Samnell wrote:
weirmonken wrote:

Uh, wow.

First, neat.

Second, is anyone else surprised how relatively tiny Avistan is to the other continents? I mean, I know the map's inaccurate and not to scale, but look how small the Inner Sea region is!

In broad strokes, Avistan is an analog to Europe. Not that it's literally Europe in drag, but both the physical and political geography are relatively close save for the obvious exceptions. The pesudobyzantines are down in the corner, with pseudopersians to war with. The pseudopersians had satrapies roughly where the historical Persians did. Cheliax bears broad strokes resemblances to the Iberian in the Renaissance, or at least a Black Legend kind of Iberian. It even has a colony. Of course it's also got lots of pseudoroman stuff going on and other things.

Given that, it stands to reason that Avistan would be small in comparison to other continents. Europe is.

And Europe is only considered a continent for cultural and historical reasons. It's just a small appendage, with a few sub-appendages, at the western extremity of the Eurasian landmass.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Thank you for my new desktop wallpaper. It is awesome.

The Exchange

Nice map. But it does remind me a lot of Earth, except with the Eurasian continent split in half, and Antarctica at the TOP of the globe, and a HUGE chain of islands in the Atlantic ocean (I know it's supposed to be Lost Azlant). Is it just me, or does the peninsula on the south-western half of Arcadia look a lot like early Spanish maps of San Francisco bay?


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Ohhhh, nice new map :) I've always been a fan of cartography.

I do recall there was a thread a little while back where some ingenious people overlaid the Inner Sea map on a globe of the earth based off a couple of clues from James Jacobs(IIRC) i.e. Magnimar was supposed to be around the same latitude as Seattle and Northern Garund should be around about the tropics.

Anybody have the time (and inclination) to try putting this map on a globe? Perhaps with the Inner Sea map overlaid as well?

That is if Paizo doesn't mind...

Dark Archive

Love the map!

Not so sure about the sudden realization that I thought Avistan had a lot of information, secrets and wickedness ... and the other continents are even larger!

Someone needs to invent the resurection engine so that I can still be around when they decide to fill out the pages of Arcadia ;)


Oni_NZ wrote:

Ohhhh, nice new map :) I've always been a fan of cartography.

I do recall there was a thread a little while back where some ingenious people overlaid the Inner Sea map on a globe of the earth based off a couple of clues from James Jacobs(IIRC) i.e. Magnimar was supposed to be around the same latitude as Seattle and Northern Garund should be around about the tropics.

Anybody have the time (and inclination) to try putting this map on a globe? Perhaps with the Inner Sea map overlaid as well?

That is if Paizo doesn't mind...

I've been thinking of doing that, but I'd have to make the gores first, and the projection is non-standard. I have an old globe I could paste over.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Oni_NZ wrote:

Ohhhh, nice new map :) I've always been a fan of cartography.

I do recall there was a thread a little while back where some ingenious people overlaid the Inner Sea map on a globe of the earth based off a couple of clues from James Jacobs(IIRC) i.e. Magnimar was supposed to be around the same latitude as Seattle and Northern Garund should be around about the tropics.

Anybody have the time (and inclination) to try putting this map on a globe? Perhaps with the Inner Sea map overlaid as well?

That is if Paizo doesn't mind...

If someone does this... folding the map in half lengthwise should more or less indicate the equator. It might be a LITTLE high... but the equator basically runs right through the word "Garund" on this map.

And again... putting this on a globe would need some finessing, since the oceans are bigger than they appear.


Dear Shensen,

This correspondence comes at the behest of my ally Ianten Silvershield of the church of Iomedae his five companions in arms (Saria Greenfeather, Thorik Silvershield, Belkara Silvershield of the church of Folgrit, Shadow of the church of Abadar, and Tyra). They and indeed I wish to express their praise for your continued efforts to rid Cheliax of the infernal blight of Asmdoeus (and his hellspawn followers). If you ever be in need of allies please do not hesitate to contact us via sending. We pledge to render what assistance we can to you cause to over throw the tyranny of the devilspawn over your once fair and shinning Cheliax.

At your disposal in times of need
Berselius (priest of Iomedae and former full-time member of the Company of the Silvershield)

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber
brock wrote:
From the circular arcs of the coastlines to the West and North East, it looks like Golarion was hit by a much larger object than the Starstone a lot longer back in its history.

The whole continent structure DOES look like one big double crater, with the ocean between Garund and Casmaron at the center, Garund and Casmaron as the first ring, and then Arcadia, the Crown of the World, Tien Xia and Sarusan forming the second ring.


Shensen wrote:
You must be talking about the leftover ruins of Azlant...

Our thanks, Lady Shensen, for sharing this treasure with us. And so we finally get some idea of what the world of Golarion looks like.


brock wrote:
From the circular arcs of the coastlines to the West and North East, it looks like Golarion was hit by a much larger object than the Starstone a lot longer back in its history. That would almost have been a planet smashing event, similar that that which created the topography currently seen on Mars.

I wonder, did something smash into the planet, or out of it?


Eric Hinkle wrote:

I wonder, did something smash into the planet, or out of it?

Both. Long ago Rovagug broke free, tearing his way through a continent. He burst loose and finally saw the sun again just in time for a huge shadow to obscure it. He looked up, saw a giant meteor flying straight at him, and only had the time to lift a tiny parasol above his head before impact.

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