We Should Travel By Map!

It’s here! The Lost Omens World Guide is finally available on store shelves everywhere and via PDF on paizo.com. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to check out the Tales of Lost Omens to get a taste of the upcoming changes to the Inner Sea region and some amazing fiction by our wonderful authors. While those blogs were great in their own right, they were sorely lacking a little something: new rules! So, join me as I take another quick tour through the ten metaregions of the Inner Sea region and we’ll take a peek at some fun rules content.

Illustration by Mirco Paganessi

Our first stop is at Absalom, home of the Starstone Cathedral and a little group known as the Pathfinder Society. Among the various tools of the trade for Pathfinders are their iconic wayfinders. Before the formulaic wayfinders of the modern day became commonplace, the Society created each wayfinder individually and some of these older wayfinders are still found here and there. Along with the archaic wayfinder, visitors to Absalom may take one of the backgrounds available, like the Pathfinder Hopeful background, and the Pathfinder agent archetype!

From Absalom, we head to the northeastern reaches of Avistan and arrive in the Broken Lands. The area is known for the countless independent states of the River Kingdoms, the fractured politics of Brevoy, the mystifying technology of Numeria, the glory of Razmiran, the blighted Sarkoris Scar region, and the crusaders of Mendev who now have a chance to rest with a closed Worldwound. Characters from the Broken Lands might take the Sarkorian Reclaimer background if they wish to reclaim the Sarkorian homeland from the demons that wander there or even learn the storied and ancient tradition of the Aldori swordlords by taking the Aldori duelist archetype. Of course, how can you be a swordlord without the Aldori dueling sword?

Next, let’s head southeast to the Eye of Dread, a land marked by recent devastation and war. The rise of the Whispering Tyrant and his armies meant bad news for the Hold of Belkzen, Lastwall, and Ustalav, while the rise of the Ironfang Legion caused disruptions among Molthune and Nirmathas, culminating in the founding of the hobgoblin nation of Oprak. While characters from the Broken Lands might choose to take the fight to ol’ Tar-Baphon by taking the Lastwall sentry archetype, you might be more inclined to play a hobgoblin from Oprak (using the hobgoblin ancestry from the upcoming Lost Omens Character Guide). For you hobgoblin players out there, consider taking the Onyx Trader background.

Now we head further south to the wonders of the Golden Road. This is land full of cosmopolitan cities with bustling marketplaces and ancient ruins holding lost secrets and treasures. From the countless tombs of Osirion, to the Night Stalls of Katapesh, to the miraculous sun orchid elixir of Thuvia, to the great caravan cities of Qadira, or the mechanical innovations of Rahadoum, there is adventure to be found.

Illustration by Mirco Paganessi

The Golden Road features a number of exciting new rules. If your character is looking to sneak off with the relics from the region, you might consider taking the Black Market Smuggler background. If you want to be tough as nails, you might take the living monolith archetype. PCs that want to live forever could consider trying to claim the sun orchid elixir for themselves or just enjoy a bit of pesh. Rahadoumi characters can even consider taking the Godless Healing feat to improve the power of science and medicine on their own bodies.

We then set sail from Rahadoum out to the open seas. The High Seas region is home such areas like the Shackles, Hermea, and Medoigalti Island, but not all locales here are at sea level. In fact, you can visit underwater settlements like the aquatic elf city of Irim or the algolthu settlement of Gholinom. PCs looking to visit these sites might do well to get a set of swim fins to help their swimming or a jellyfish lamp to help navigating the dark depths of the ocean. Such PCs will probably take the Undersea Enthusiast background. PCs that prefer to stay on dry land could choose to set out to Mediogalti Island and join up with the Red Mantis Assassins, taking their archetype in the process. The archetype grants proficiency with sawtooth sabres and at later levels even allows you to transform into a mantis yourself!

If we travel into the Inner Sea and head east, we eventually reach the Impossible Lands. So named because of the impressive and awe-inspiring nations it bears, the Impossible Lands region is home to Geb, Nex, the Mana Wastes, and Jalmeray.

Illustration by Ainur Salimova

Characters from the Impossible Lands have a number of impressive options to choose. You could choose to join one of the Houses of Perfection in Jalmeray, taking the student of perfection archetype in the process. The archetype features an option for each of the Houses of Perfection’s four monasteries and is a great pick for anyone who is an expert in unarmed attacks. You could instead seek the secrets of the archmagi Nex by taking the Eye of the Arclords feat or Nexian Mystic background.

Once we head inland, we reach the Mwangi Expanse. This vast jungle is home to the people of Vidrian, the nation formerly known as Sargava, the flooded ruins of the Sodden Lands, and the dozens of city-states that dot the Mwangi Expanse. Characters from the Mwangi might be lizardfolk (again, see the Lost Omens Character Guide!) or one of the Mwangi orcs that takes the Blessed Tattoo feat to defend themselves from the influence of the demon lord Angazhan. Of particular note is the Magaambya, the oldest arcane academy in the Inner Sea region, located in Nantambu. Characters who are members of the Magaambya might take the magic warrior archetype or the Magaambya Academic background.

Returning to Avistan, we land in the region known as Old Cheliax. This region is home to one of the oldest nations on Avistan as well as one of the oldest. Visitors to Old Cheliax can go see Isger, Nidal, Ravounel, and, of course, Cheliax.

Illustration by Mirco Paganessi

Characters from the Old Cheliax region have plenty of backgrounds to choose from, such the Thrune Loyalist background or the Chelish Rebel background for those who aren’t as happy with Queen Abrograil and her rule. The region’s archetype is the Hellknight armiger, which represents a Hellknight in training. Characters can take the archetype as early as second level. A fun fact about the archetype is that it is designed to dovetail into the full-fledged Hellknight archetype that is premiering later in the Lost Omens Character Guide.

As we continue north, we reach the Saga Lands. The Saga Lands region is one of the most storied areas in Pathfinder’s history and is home to the newly-founded New Thassilon, the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, Irrisen, and Varisia.

Illustration by Ainur Salimova

With so many lands steeped in magic, it’s no surprise that the region offers a number of magical options. Saga Lands characters could be a time-displaced character from New Thassilon with the Thassilonian Traveler background. Those with ties to the witches of Irrisen might look forward to the return of the snowball spell. Of course, you might not have innate magic, especially if you have the Mammoth Speaker background. No worries, my magicless friends! You can now take the runescarred archetype, which requires no spellcasting prowess whatsoever, and cover yourself in magical runes to gain new magical abilities!

Finally, as we wrap up our mechanical tour, we arrive in the Shining Kingdoms. It doesn’t get more traditional high fantasy than this region! With areas like Druma, Kyonin, the Five Kings Mountains, Galt, Andoran, and Taldor, the Shining Kingdoms are perfect for games starring knights in shining armor. Characters from the region could be from the wilds of the Verduran Forest with the Wildwood Local background or be a more sophisticated, city type with the Taldan Schemer background. Fans of intrigue might consider taking the Lion Blade archetype. Not all of the content here is fun and exciting for players, though, as is evident with the entry for Galt’s final blades. If you’re the type who wants to be a hero for the people, you could even consider joining the Eagle Knights of Andoran!

Well, we made it around the Inner Sea Region and we just scratched the surface on what’s available in the Lost Omens World Guide! If this taste of dozens of backgrounds, ten archetypes, and so much more was enticing, consider picking up the book! I’m excited for all players, be they Pathfinder veterans or newcomers to Second Edition, to check out this book. Golarion is an exciting for games, so go and tell some great stories!

Luis Loza
Developer