Okay, I've always loved digging into the lore of fantasy games. I'm trying to figure out Golarion's story, but I don't know where to get it all, has someone compiled a detailed timeline or something?
What I know:
At one point humans were the slaves or weird fish-people or something? Eventually they broke free and founded their own civilization. The fish people were kinda pissed about this and pulled the "things aren't going are way, let's blow up the planet" thing by dropping a meteor on Golarion, but the goddess of the moon killed herself to stop the worst of it, "merely" blotting out the sun for 1000 years.
During this time the elves bugger out, figuring they'll come back when things calm down. Some stay and become Drow.
Then something about a superhuman champion who raises a piece of the death meteor from the ocean that has the power to either kill you or make you a god (mostly kill you). He becomes Aroden. He founds Taldor and starts a new calendar I think?
Aroden was prophacized to come back, but then doesn't, for reasons no one knows, and is assumed dead?
Then I don't know where the oserions, thassalonions, or any of Tien fits into this.
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I suggest the Pathfinder Wiki's history section as a good general starting point.
The humans of Azlant were slaves to the Aboleth during part of the Age of Legends. They raised the humans from barbarism and taught them the fundamentals of magic.
Amaznen, an ancient Azlanti god of magic, assisted Acavna, the moon goddess, in stopping the Starstone.
Not all of the elves that stayed behind became drow. That happened to the ones that went deep under the Earth, closer to Rovagug's prison, and then turned to the service of Demon Lords to save them from the perils of the Darklands.
Aroden, the Last Azlanti, had his name before he brought the Starstone up from under the ocean, and when he raised it and the Isle of Kortos, he ascended to become the god of Human Culture, Innovation, and History. He founded Absalom, and the current calendar that the Inner Sea uses is in AR (Absalom Reckoning), which is based on when he founded Absalom. He did not found Taldor (it was around over 1,000 years before he raised the Starstone), but he did become its patron deity after ascending from the world after creating Absalom.
He is confirmed as dead, though you are correct that no one (except perhaps Pharasma, goddess of death) knows why.
Osirion was a major ancient empire down in Northern Garund. The aliens of the Dominion of the Black played a role in helping it achieve its ancient heights, as did the god Nethys. The ancient empire eventually collapsed, and Qadira (and by extension the Padishah Empire of Kelesh) had it as a puppet-state for a while. A new pharonic line, of whom the current ruler is a notable priest of Abadar, took Osirion back from Qadira, though, and has opened its treasures to foreign exploration while attempting to restore it (through recovery of these ancient treasures) to its former glory.
Thassilon was an empire that split off from Azlant. It was originally ruled by a wizard-king named Xin. His top disciples betrayed and assassinated him, taking over parts of the empire as the Runelords, each of whom was responsible for a specific school of magic and associated with a specific sin (each of the sins was a corruption of one of Xin's ancient virtues of rule). They used large numbers of giants as servants, and some of the Runelord positions cycled through a few different title-holders during Thassilon's time (Sorshen and Xanderghul managed to survive the whole time with their titles intact, and Alderpash managed to survive, though he lost his kingdom and was stuck in the Abyss for ages). The Runelords all put plans into place to seal themselves safely away from Earthfall (when the Aboleths dropped the Starstone / meteor onto Golarion), and they're only-now beginning to return from their various forms of stasis / seclusion.
Tian-Xia is a continent on the other side of the world. It dealt with generally-different major events, such as the fall of the massive empire of Lung-Wa. There's currently less info on it than on the Inner Sea region, but trade routes exist across the Crown of the World between the two.
In the Age of Legends the human empire of Azlant and the cyclops empire of Ghol-Gan worked together to drive the serpentfolk into the darklands, 'killing' their god in the process.
Thassilon was founded in this age when a mage named Xin took his seven disciples to the continent of Avistan. Xin believed he could create a better empire founded on his philosophy of seven virtues of rule. His disciples were to each represent these virtues, but eventually they twisted them into sins and betrayed Xin. They became the Runelords.
The cyclops of Ghol-Gan began to worship demons and their empire declined.
The elves left Golarion because they predicted an apocalypse was coming and they were tired of fighting the steady advance of human expansion.
The aboleth got tired of the uppity attitudes of Azlant and called down a meteor strike. FUN FACT EVERYONE MESSES UP: the Starstone fell down with the meteor, but it wasn't what wrecked the continent of Azlant. The Starstone fell in the Inner Sea, Azlant is a few thousand miles west of that.
the Age of Darkness began with the meteor's impact causing massive damage to everything, everywhere, the name of this event is Earthfall. It filled the sky with a thick blanked of dust, hence the name of the age.
Azlant was completely wrecked, being the target of Earthfall.
Thassilon collapsed when the seven Runelords triggered their 'waiting out the fallout' plans and disappeared.
Ghol-Gan was already in decline, it was completely wrecked when most of the empire sank beneath the ocean.
The dwarves, who lived exclusively deep within the darklands at this time, took the shaking from Earthfall as a sign to start their Quest for the Sky. They pushed up towards the surface, pushing their enemies the orcs up ahead of them.
Some of the elves that stayed on Golarion fled into the darklands to avoid the devastation and were exposed to Rovagug's deific orgasm energies over the destruction that was happening. They became the drow.
The dwarves reach the surface to find the orcs took advantage of their 60ft darkvision in a light-less world to brutalize the surface dwellers.
The Age of Anguish begins roughly 1000 years after the Age of Darkness began in -4294 AR. The dust from Earthfall clears from the sky, humanity begins to rebuild.
The Jistka Imperium is founded in north-western Garund at about -4120.
The Pit of Gormuz is opened when Sarenrae smites a city that was founded on the location Rovagug was put into the ground, populated by people who constantly misinterpreted her messages and killed her messenger. The Pit spits out super powerful monsters called the Spawn of Rovagug on occasion. This happened in -3923.
The Age of Destiny begins at about -3470 with the founding of Osirion in north-eastern Garund.
The Tekritanin League is founded in north-central Garund in -3250.
The Jistka Imperium collapses in -2764.
The Shory build their first flying city in -2323.
Osirion conquers the Tekritanin League in -1452.
Taldor is founded in -1281.
Nex and Geb begin fighting in -892.
The Tarrasque wrecks everybody in -632 before being sealed away.
The continent of Arcadia is discovered in -473 by the Ulfen(vikings), the colony of Valenhall is established.
And now I go to sleep, I expect to become bored and continue this tomorrow.
If you're still looking for an official, published, timeline, there's one in the Inner Sea World Guide: http://paizo.com/products/btpy8ief?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-The-Inner-Se a-World-Guide
But you may not need it with the awesome info you're getting in this thread. :)
Also one of the last Know direction podcast episodes was titled "Golarion 101" and has a lot of history of the setting talked about... Here's a link to the video
I am back, and in this post I will add some info that I missed before:
Age of Darkness:
The dwarven kingdom of Tar Taargadth is establish in -5133 to refocus the dwarves on the Quest for the Sky.
Age of Anguish:
The gnomes arrive from the First World in -4202.
The orc warlord Belkzen takes the dwarven Sky Citadel of Koldukar in -3708. The area stays in orc hands and is eventually named after the warlord.
Old-Mage Jatembe brings knowledge and magic back to the people of the Mwangi Expanse in -3502.
Age of Destiny:
Osirion loses Thuvia(formerly held by the Tekritanin League) to barbarism in -841.
The Age of Enthronement begins when Aroden raises the Isle of Kortos and the Starstone from the depths of the Inner Sea, founds Absalom, and becomes a god. The founding of Absalom is year 1 on the Golarion/Inner Sea calendar.
Taldor wrecks the Goroth Lodge(druids) and maps out the areas that will become Galt and the southern River Kingdoms in year 37.
The Maharaja of Vudra spends a decade on the Isle of Jalmeray and Nex gives him the isle in 563-573.
Nex disappears during a Gebbite siege in 576.
Geb commits suicide and comes back as a ghost in 632.
Aroden 'kills' Tar-Baphon, but it was part of the wizard king's plan to become a super lich in 896.
Qadira usurps the last pharaoh of Ancient Osirion and begins the era of foriegn rulership for Osirion in 1532.
The dwarven empire of Tar Taargadth collapses under an onslaught of orcish attacks that takes several of their Sky Citadels in 1551.
The First Five Kings War(dwarven civil war) begins in 1571.
Taldor finishes conquering the northern shore of the Inner Sea in 1683, areas which will become Cheliax and Andoran.
Norgorber passes the test of the Starstone and becomes a god in 1893.
Taldor expands into the River Kingdoms region(and I think Brevoy as well) in 2009.
Taldor conquers Isger in 2133.
Druma helps end conflict in the Five Kings Mountains after 700 years and 19 civil wars with the Kerse Accord in 2332.
Varisians settle Ustalav in 2361.
In north western Garund(Rahadoum) the clergies of several gods begin fighting(mostly Nethys, Norgorber, and Sarenrae) in 2498. This conflict is called the Oath Wars.
The demon Treerazor appears in the forests of Kyonin in 2497.
The Oath Wars end in 2560 when the Laws of Man(atheism) spread throughout the region and the people kick out all religions. The Red Mantis establish a new home on Mediogalti Island.
The elves return when they sense Treerazor messing with their stuff in 2632.
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Taking a break, this age has a lot going on.
I am back with more Age of Enthronement:
Cayden Cailean gets drunk and passes the Test of the Starstone becoming a god in 2765.
Some Rajahs from Vudra show up at the Isle of Jalmeray and become angry that the Arclords of Nex are squatting. The Arclords are kicked out in 2822.
Tar-Baphon, last seen being killed by Aroden, finally rises from the grave, unites the orcs of Belkzen, and takes western Ustalav in 3203.
Katapesh is founded as a free trade nation by aliens in 3250.
The Witch Queen Baba Yaga pops up out of nowhere with an army of trolls and fey in 3313. She invades the eastern reaches of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, creates the nation of Irrisen, places a duaghter in charge, and then leaves. All of that happened in 1-2 months.
Taldor declares the Shining Crusade against Tar-Baphon in 3754.
Tar-Baphon kills Arazni, Aroden's demi-godess herald in 3823, after she is summoned to help the crusade.
Tar-Baphon is sealed in the Gallowspire after a fragment of an artifact shield pierces his hand during a massive battle in 3827.
Lastwall is founded to watch over Gallowspire and the Shining Crusade ends in 3828.
Iomedae, a hero of the Shining Crusade, takes the Test of the Starstone and becomes Aroden's herald.
Geb steals Arazni's corpse and makes her a lich in 3890.
Qadira attacks Taldor in 4079. Two years latter Cheliax breaks away from Taldor, taking Galt, Andoran, and Isger with it.
Cheliax establishes the colony of Sargava on Garund's western coast in 4138.
Cheliax expands into Molthune, Nidal, and parts of Varisia from 4305-4410.
The Pathfinder Society is founded in Absolam in 4307.
Cheliax founds the 'first' city in Varisia, named Korvosa, in 4407.
Choral the Conqueror uses dragons to take Rostland and Issia, forming them into Brevoy in 4499.
Mengkare the gold dragon begins his breeding program on the Isle of Hermea in 4552.
Magnimar is founded as the 'second' city in Varisia in 4584.
The Duchy of Alkenstar in founded in 4601.
Taldor and Qadira stop fighting after hundreds of years in 4603.
Cheliax prepares itself for the prophesied appearance of Aroden, where he will take control and begin a billion year long reign full of rainbows and unicorns.... What could go wrong?
The Age of Lost Omens begins with a bang in 4606. Aroden, instead of manifesting and ruling the world, dies/goes silent and nobody, not even most other gods, knows what happened.
Aroden's death triggered some things, the hurricane known as the Eye of Abendego forms on Garund's northwest coast and has yet to go away. Terrible storms wrecked the rest of the Inner Sea region for weeks. And finally the demon rift known as the Worldwound opened and a horde of demons annihilated Sarkoris.
The Osirians overthrow their Keleshite sultan and one of their own takes the throne in 4609, ending the era of foreign rulership over their lands.
Alkenstar begins producing firearms in 4620.
The crumbling Church of Aroden calls the First Mendevian Crusade against the Worldwound in 4622.
Molthune declares independence from Cheliax in 4632.
The Second Mendevian Crusade begins when the fortress of Drezen falls to demons in 4638.
The House of Thrune takes control of Cheliax after 3 decades of civil war in 4640.
Nirmathas is founded in 4655 after half of Molthune rebels.
Razmiran is established in 4661.
The Third Mendevian Crusade begins in 4665.
The Red Revolution begins in Galt in 4667. Think 'French Revolution', but without Napolean... or an end.
Andoran breaks away from Cheliax during the People's Revolt in 4669.
The pirates of the Shackles unite in 4674.
The royal house of Rogarvia, rulers of Brevoy, disappear in 4699. House Surtova takes over.
The game setting starts, more or less, in 4711.
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There are a few things I missed, and a lot of info I left out because it wasn't super important. I will try to fill in important holes later.
Great topic! Thanks Shadowkire
You are welcome.
Now to fill in a hole in the timeline: Nidal.
The oldest continuous human civilization of the Inner Sea region, if not the world, it started near the beginning of the Age of Darkness. Before this age the god Zon-Kuthon was exiled to the Plane of Shadow while "the sun hung in the sky", que the blanket of dust blotting out the sun and he returns. The people of Nidal prayed to their gods to save them from the apocalypse but it was Zon-Kuthon that answered. He made a deal to protect them from the devastation in return for eternal obedience, the people accepted. Since then they really haven't done much, at least not as a nation. They were conquered and vassalized in 4338 by Cheliax.
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