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Hi, welcome to the first entry of my gaming group's Pathfinder Campaign Journal!
This campaign has actually been our play-test of the Pathfinder RPG system, as up until not long ago we have been running with our own customized version of D&D 3.5 (I was actually calling it D&D 3.8). We began blending in elements of Pathfinder to our D&D game, in particular the expanded options from the Advanced Players Guide which is a fantastic accessory. The artwork of Wayne Reynolds and other highly gifted artists also made Pathfinder very appealing. Another aspect that caught our attention was the cameo contribution of speculative fiction author China Mieville in the Guide to the River Kingdoms. Endeavoring to extrapolate upon his unique style is both inspiring & challenging. I have been running roleplaying games since 1991 & have found that China's bold vision of non-conformity and the avoidance of fantasy stereotypes is an excellent imperative for creating a fresh creative experience. China's contribution with his curious Outsea ideas gave us a very interesting place to explore and personalize in the world of Golarion. Thanks to everyone in the RPG world for upholding the realms of interactive imagination!
Best regards, Heroslayer.
The idea of Outsea is curious indeed. An isolated salt-water environment of significant size in a fresh-water river at first seems far fetched, and perhaps even off-putting for GM's who are looking for settings that more easily suspend disbelief. Outsea however is an exotic setting and should stretch the imagination instead of being easy to understand. Is it merely the result of a desperate Sahuagin strategy and the subsequent magical disaster, or was there something more? China Mieville has certainly thrown down the gauntlet here, however he has also given Golarion a great gift insofar as he has provided a place to avoid badly re-hashed fantasy stereotypes and maybe even occasionally forget the rules and create something more unique.
Despite their savage ways no doubt the Sahuagin were just as much beloved by the neutral ocean deity Gozreh as all the other undersea races. With the Merfolk gradually gaining the upper hand in their war did the mysterious god secretly contrive events to turn out precisely in the way they did? Perhaps such a god foresaw the doom of the Sahuagin chose to avert such an outcome, guiding the respective parties towards the unusual events that took place, with rich rewards for all involved?
The idea of Outsea would be at the very least a chance to preserve the Sahuagin, who in Gozreh's eyes must surely be no less beloved than any other and one who's presence contributes in it's own way to the balance of the underwater world. Those who wished to survive would need to learn each other's value, revealing profound insights into the symbiotic nature of all oceanic life. Such notions might seem to have some validity given the uncanny benefits and flourishing culture to be found there...
Playing a direct role in this divine vision is the living deity Danglosa. Enigmatic and powerful, did Danglosa seek solitude or a hiding place from enemies in the open ocean? Perhaps Danglosa himself had visions of a utopian community and with the aid of the influential Ceratiodi set about the enactment of a plan as bizarre as his own existence?
The origins of Outsea are probably an interesting topic of conversation for some of Outsea's inhabitants, in particular the academic types. Others may simply prefer ripping the head off a Boggard...