Help me find out as much as I can about the dead god Aroden, Cheliax and its derivitave factions!

[Shakor]

I don't own much Pathfinder stuff, other than the first AP, Rise of the Runelords. What I am trying to find out is as much about Golarien as possible, specifically to do with Cheliax and the death of the deity Aroden.

Specifically;

1. How did Aroden die?
2. How did the Chelaxians become aware of this?
3. How long ago did Aroden die in terms of the current campaign year.
4. Where can I find all i need to know about the Hellknights?

Before I give my credit card a coronary and buy everything PF related, can anyone steer me in the right direction as to which book(s) would assist me the most? I figure the Campaign Guide is the most pertinent, but I would rather get some advice first.

Thanks for your help everyone!

[Lazaro]

Shakor wrote:

I don't own much Pathfinder stuff, other than the first AP, Rise of the Runelords. What I am trying to find out is as much about Golarien as possible, specifically to do with Cheliax and the death of the deity Aroden.

Specifically;

1. How did Aroden die?
2. How did the Chelaxians become aware of this?
3. How long ago did Aroden die in terms of the current campaign year.
4. Where can I find all i need to know about the Hellknights?

Thanks for your help everyone!

Hello Shakor, Asmodeus willing, I will try to answer these as best I can.

1)This remains a mystery, and will probably be so for some time.
2)Before the Chelaxians turned their worship to the great, and might Asmodeus...They were worshippers of Aroden. They were waiting for Aroden to usher in the New Age when they lost their divine connection.
3)Aroden has been gone for a century
4)Not much information is availble right now. I think there was some info in one of the AP though.

I hope that's enough info. I'm sure some else more informed than I shall be by soon.

[Robert G. McCreary]

What Lazaro said, as well as:

4)The most that has been written about the Hellknights so far is in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting. They have a 2-page spread in there that describes some of the major orders, the names of their leaders, and typical Hellknight ranks. There's also some flavor in the Pathfinder's Journal of Pathfinder #6, describing a Hellknight chasing the pathfinder Eando Kline.

There's also more info about Aroden and the effect his death had on Cheliax and the rest of the world in the Campaign Setting, but as Lazaro said, the how and wny of his death are still a mystery.

[Shakor]

I imagine that there would have been some Cheliax who did not accept the rise of diabolism, does anyone know of any tales where dissenters would have fled/fought the new status quo?

[Lazaro]

Dissenters? How would turn from the dark magisty that is Asmodeus...

I would say most of Aroden worshipers went on to serve Asmodeus. The others didn't follow the fold went on to survive gods such as Iomedae. But it has been brought that there are a rare few cleric of Aroden left. Though they no longer recieve spells. Paladins of Aroden are rare aswell.

[KaeYoss]

1. No one really knows. Except maybe the gods, and they're not telling.
2. Was hard to miss: On the eve of their greatest triumph, when it was predicted that Aroden returns to them, they all gathered to welcome their new ruler. Instead, all hell broke loose: Weather took a turn for the bizarre all over the world, and all clerics of the Last Azlanti lost all connection to their devine patron - along with their divine spellcasting abilities.
3. Aroden died in 4606 AR. The current year is 4708.
4. There's not that much out about them. Some information is found in the first two adventure paths, here and there, and the two pages in the Campaign Setting.

[Shakor]

Thank you all for the information, now:

KaeYoss wrote:

2. Was hard to miss: On the eve of their greatest triumph, when it was predicted that Aroden returns to them, they all gathered to welcome their new ruler. Instead, all hell broke loose: Weather took a turn for the bizarre all over the world, and all clerics of the Last Azlanti lost all connection to their devine patron - along with their divine spellcasting abilities.

KaeYoss, Where is exactly can I find this? (Assuming the PF Campaign Guide, but I want to be sure). Quite evocative.

[Iziak]

Shakor wrote:

KaeYoss, Where is exactly can I find this? (Assuming the PF Campaign Guide, but I want to be sure). Quite evocative.

I don't have the Campaign Setting yet, but I know that it is in the introduction to the Gazetteer.

[Shakor]

Iziak wrote:

I don't have the Campaign Setting yet, but I know that it is in the introduction to the Gazetteer.

Thanks for this. I since found out a lot more by googling key words and following the Paizo related hits. Some very interesting stuff here. I almost have enough to work with. Thank you everyone; PF Gazetteer and PF Campaign Guide look to be required reading for me.

[Charles Evans 25]

Shakor wrote:

Iziak wrote:

I don't have the Campaign Setting yet, but I know that it is in the introduction to the Gazetteer.

Thanks for this. I since found out a lot more by googling key words and following the Paizo related hits. Some very interesting stuff here. I almost have enough to work with. Thank you everyone; PF Gazetteer and PF Campaign Guide look to be required reading for me.

Virtually every piece of information which is in the Gazetteer is also in the Campaign Setting, and 'more up to date' in terms of development; I wouldn't think that you need both unless: (1) you need a paperback shorter read (the Gazetteer) as well as the more detailed Campaign Setting.

(2) you are a completionist ('gotta get 'em all':D)
(3) you need the more accurate 'inner sea region map' which the Gazetteer has. (The equivalent map in the 1st impression of the Campaign setting is a muddle in the placement of some towns and national boundaries; somewhere along the production line between the Gazetteer and Campaign Setting some gremlins seem to have got at the map files...)

[Shakor]

Charles Evans 25 wrote:

... (2) you are a completionist ('gotta get 'em all':D)

Went into the city on my lunch break and bought the Campaign Guide and the guide to Korvosa (no Gazeteer to be found)

...and Pathfinder 7,8,9,10,11,12 and 13

Jeez....I have a problem. There, I admitted it.

[Charles Evans 25]

Shakor wrote:

Charles Evans 25 wrote:

... (2) you are a completionist ('gotta get 'em all':D)

Went into the city on my lunch break and bought the Campaign Guide and the guide to Korvosa (no Gazeteer to be found)

...and Pathfinder 7,8,9,10,11,12 and 13

Jeez....I have a problem. There, I admitted it.

Ah well, at least (besides the print copies) the players' guides to Rise of the Rune lords and Curse of the Crimson Throne are downloadable PDFs for free...

In case you had not already found it, Errata and DM Reference material for the Campaign Setting is being collected on this thread: *link*
Sadly it is mostly a case of the errors being reported at the moment, with occasional clarifications being requested, although an interesting piece from James Jacobs on why the current elven queen shares part of her name wth an ancient Thasilonian kingdom has come up; hopefully, as the errors remaining to be reported start to thin out, we should see some more answers to questions.