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Well, considering that as of Reign of Winter it's implied that people from Earth can travel to Golarion and vice-versa, Why not just have your character be someone who, at a really young age (or not) be transported to Golarion. Younger the better, probably.
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River Kingdoms is the easiest choice: Lots of fey, druidism, stretches of varied terrain and a history of frontier peoples, particularly kellids. That said, some of the same thematic elements of stereotypical fantasy-Ireland could be found from Sarkoris pre-devastation, Nirmathas, Varisia etc.
Holomog is to the south of Nex and, iirc, a high-magic matriarchic democracy. Rather quirky a choice for Ireland!
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Oddly only the other day, at one of Nina's (VL Dublin) games enough we were chatting about this. There is no easy match we could think of. Something in the River Kingdoms was suggested. Nirmathas has some liknesses but I'm not really sold that it "feels" right. I always felt that the semi automonous Veduran forest dominated by the Druids and home to the Fey could be a suitable spot. Truth is though that as it stands nothing quite fits!
It's not always easy to assign a real world country it's Golarion twin as it's not just the where but the when that has to match andthen jibe with all the other real world twins..
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Just throwing this out there: I think it's undesirable for Pathfinder players and GMs to try to match the fictional countries of Golarion to Earth cultures and locations. While many of Golarion's aesthetic or mythological features draw inspiration from real-world cultures, "shortcutting" the process of description by saying "X place on Golarion is Y time/place on Earth" not only does disservice to the nuanced history of the fictional places, it often robs the fantasy setting of its sense of fantastical wonder, and -- perhaps most importantly -- it invites reliance on harmful cultural and ethnic stereotypes by forcibly collapsing cultural complexity into a caricature.
If you're looking for a nation whose naming conventions have a vaguely Gaelic-sounding phonology, the River Kingdoms, Nirmathas, or even Brevoy might accommodate your character. If you want a home for a blarney-talking luck-o'-the-Irish leprechaun-hunter, you won't find that pot o' gold anywhere on Golarion.
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Just throwing this out there: I think it's undesirable for Pathfinder players and GMs to try to match the fictional countries of Golarion to Earth cultures and locations.
Unless it's Japan, Russia, revolutionary France, China, India, South Africa, Scandanavia, the Byzantine empire, or Arabia.
Short answer: There is no straightforward equivalent for Ireland. Many have asked, many have been given unsatisfactory answers.
In the end there are countries where the real world equivalent is glaringly obvious (they might have a few changes or quirks, but you'd be picking straws) and other ones where it's just Middle-Easter-ish, Chinese-esque or generic European. It depends on what you're looking for. Most people say Nirmathas, but it's not as strong a comparison as with many of the others. It's basically a wooded country full of rangers that's broken off from a bigger evil country and at war with some other country with a really sinister sounding name. There was something in a module with some vaguely Celtic trappings from what I heard.
Since it sounds like it's just the name, I'd say maybe someone from the places up north with the Ulfens or Varisians, Nirmathas, or anywhere with a decent sized elfen population.
If there isn't an obvious answer, I usually have four stock answers to "I want to play a character from X real-world culture-- where on Golarion should s/he be from?" ...
1) I create a new or modify an existing River Kingdom accordingly.
2) Your culture was from [Sarkoris or Lirgen/Yamasa], but was destroyed when the [demons moved in / Eye of Abendgo appeared]. Your family/clan moved elsewhere to continue the old ways, but you're very few in number.
3) Your culture is from somewhere off the map, such as: Southern Garund / Iobaria / an undefined island in the Steaming Sea / the Azlanti Archipelago / etc.
4) Here's something close. Can you adapt your concept to fit?
I have a barbarian based on the Maori warriors of New Zealand. Been trying to find a Golarion match for that. Boomerangs are in the rules.
The equivalent to Australia is Sarusan so I would make up an island around there. Maybe use what New Zealand is called in Maori?
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I've been told that the Kellids are the best representation of Celtic peoples on Golarion, so as it was mentioned, the River Kingdoms are a good option, as well as Numeria and the Worldwound. The Realm of the Mammoth Lords is kind of the sticky wicket, because they're more like fictionalized cavemen.
Verduran forest has the most leprechauns
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Oddly only the other day, at one of Nina's (VL Dublin) games enough we were chatting about this. There is no easy match we could think of. Something in the River Kingdoms was suggested. Nirmathas has some liknesses but I'm not really sold that it "feels" right. I always felt that the semi automonous Veduran forest dominated by the Druids and home to the Fey could be a suitable spot. Truth is though that as it stands nothing quite fits!
It's not always easy to assign a real world country it's Golarion twin as it's not just the where but the when that has to match andthen jibe with all the other real world twins..
Thanks for all the advice everyone I think I'm going to follow the above advice and go with "from the Veduran Forest." For those who have taken offense to my asking the question it was asked with no disrespect. As other's have pointed out in this section there are allegories for lots of countries in Pathfinder. I simply wanted to know if there was an allegory for the Isle of my ancestors (many generations removed).
Hermea
Then again I would make Hermea a combination of Cymru and Eire, the Welsh Dragon of legend fits in well with the Tuatha De Dannan of Ireland.
If you want shallow lucky charms leprechauns and s$@+ then you can place your theme park Ireland where you think it would fit best.
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Saint P'Trikk, a follower of Ydersius, long ago drove all the Irish from their homeland. Over the centuries since they scattered and were absorbed into other cultures. There are now about as many Irish left as pure-blooded Azlanti.
Alternatively, a potato famine drove all of them to Arcadia.
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Regarding Holomog, it's pretty far removed from being an Ireland-expy. It is however freaking awesome.
Matriarchal society of African-analogue Amazons that ride dinosaurs and stand against a hostile nation of lizardfolk who also ride dinosaurs as well as against neighboring Geb.
In our Wrath of the Righteous game, Old Sarkoris and the native populace of Mendev are very analogous to Celtic culture.
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Yakman makes a good point. Are you looking to make an Ireland that was ruled by the Hibernean Celts, or by the later Germano-Nordic settlers that founded Dublin? Because if it's the latter, then I'd have to somewhat echo The 8th Dwarf's statement. Hermea might not be the BEST place, given its very isolationist and social-engineered nature. But the islands in the Steaming Sea and the Ironbound Archipelago of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings would probably be perfect for an "Irish" group. Also, northern Varisia might work as well, as the Velashu Horse Lords who are a blend of Varisian, Ulfen and Shoanti have been compared to the Picts.
There's also that chain of islands west of Varisia. They are inhabited, and the Ulfen Viking-raiders prey on them, but since the description of them is pretty vague you could easily Celtify them.
Celts versus Vikings also makes for a comfortable fit.
To me this sounds like the best idea if you want to develop your own Ireland-feeling area. This is basically what TSR did when they added the Moonshaes as an Ireland analogue to Greenwood's Forgotten Realms.
Nirmathas as written is more "Merrie Englande in the Greenwood", and could also be some eastern European forest land vs invading 'Prussian' Molthune. I would tend to use it for Robin Hood type tales, but you could make Molthune more English and Nirmathas more Irish if you wanted.
Overall though I don't think any continental locale works very well for an Ireland analogue (though possibly no worse than landlocked Galt does for revolutionary France!), so creating an island nation of your own design with ties to the lands of the Linnorm Kings, Cheliax etc is likely best.
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I can't place it anywhere. This post was originally placed on the PFS boards, for character creation. As far as what type, Celtic Ireland, as that one is what was there even during the viking raids and the French/English invasions. If I used Golarion in my home game I would place it on the Isle of Kortos due to it being attacked, raided but never truly conquered.
I have a barbarian based on the Maori warriors of New Zealand. Been trying to find a Golarion match for that. Boomerangs are in the rules.
The Bonuwat people in Garund struck me as a rough equivalent of the Samoan people.
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Which Ireland?
Ice Age Ireland?
Celtic Ireland?
Viking Ireland?
Norman Ireland?
English occupied Ireland?
Modern Ireland?
Contemporary Ireland?
Dinosaur Ireland?
Very good points though not sure those are the exact divisions I'd choose :-)
As I mentioned earlier getting the 'when' right as well as the 'where' is tricky.
Perhaps if the Worldwound did not actually spell the end of Golarions "Ireland" one of the less well documented regions/Islands could be developed that way in time.
It is tricky though...if Galt is Revolutionary France and Andoren early 19th century USA thus making Taldor Georgian England where does an Ireland of Viking raiders fit in or any Dark Ages society jibe with ones undergoing a kind of enlightenment.
Incidentally while I see that if you equate Andoren with the US and Taldor was the colonial power Taldor becomes England. For me I always felt Taldor as the inheritors of a once great and widespread empire gone into decline feels more like the Roman Empire turning into the Holy Roman Empire heading towards Austro-Hungary.
The really great thing is that taken on it's own merits Golarion is an exceptionally well done fantasy world.
It is tricky though...if Galt is Revolutionary France and Andoren early 19th century USA thus making Taldor Georgian England where does an Ireland of Viking raiders fit in or any Dark Ages society jibe with ones undergoing a kind of enlightenment.
Except that Taldor is most definitely not Georgian England. Culturally, it has a lot more in common with pre-Islamic Constantinople.
Among other things, they've got the friggen' Varangian Guard fer Aroden's sake!
I always felt that Ustalav was more 'Gothic country' with all the seed from which that genre sprung. I'm sorely tempted in the games I run to introduce some variation on Ravenloft's 'Mists', just because it seems so very appropriate.
Nirmathas as Ireland? I guess I can see it. For some reason, somewhere along the way I made an association of Nirmathas=Tennessee and it's been hard to get out of my head ever since. But for the life of me, I can't remember why!
Nirmathas as Ireland? I guess I can see it. For some reason, somewhere along the way I made an association of Nirmathas=Tennessee and it's been hard to get out of my head ever since. But for the life of me, I can't remember why!
Lots of woods, woodsmen, and resolutely independent survivalists?
I could see the similarities to both Tennessee and Ireland ironically in Nirmathas.
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Nirmathas as Ireland? I guess I can see it. For some reason, somewhere along the way I made an association of Nirmathas=Tennessee and it's been hard to get out of my head ever since. But for the life of me, I can't remember why!
I always thought of Last of the Mohicans, only without Indians. But Molthune as Prussians against tribal Balts is cool.
Ireland is not heavily forested. Nirmathas is Sherwood Forest. The Irish were not known as bowmen. The Welsh were the best bowmen the English had.
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Indeed. As you said, 8th Dwarf, the Steaming Sea and Ironbound Archipelago are probably better in terms of climate to resemble Ireland. If it's Celtic culture you're looking for, hit up what's left of Sarkoris in the Worldwound and Mendev.
EDIT: I hasten to add that painted warriors are NOT an Irish tradition. It's more Pictish and Brythonic.
Ireland is not heavily forested. Nirmathas is Sherwood Forest. The Irish were not known as bowmen. The Welsh were the best bowmen the English had.
Ireland is not heavily forested now. It once was. But most of the wood went into ship-building.
Eh, I might as well toss my question in with the rest of this thread:
I may be looking at playing a character some time soon with very distinctly bright-orange hair. Rather than trying to disguise that, he might simply choose to say he's 'from' a place where that colouration is common.
My first thought would have been Golarion's Ireland-equivalent, but apparently there isn't really one. Is there somewhere else on Golarion instead where red-heads are a stereotypical thing? Pretty much every country I've seen seems to feature dark brown to black hair, with the Land of the Linnorm kings being one of the few where blondes are common.
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Eh, I might as well toss my question in with the rest of this thread:
I may be looking at playing a character some time soon with very distinctly bright-orange hair. Rather than trying to disguise that, he might simply choose to say he's 'from' a place where that colouration is common.
My first thought would have been Golarion's Ireland-equivalent, but apparently there isn't really one. Is there somewhere else on Golarion instead where red-heads are a stereotypical thing? Pretty much every country I've seen seems to feature dark brown to black hair, with the Land of the Linnorm kings being one of the few where blondes are common.
Well, historically, Ireland had a lot of redheads basically solely due to Viking raids and trading ie: it's all Nordic in origin.
That being the case, the Land of the Linnorm Kings seems a solid source for red hair.
Well, historically, Ireland had a lot of redheads basically solely due to Viking raids and trading ie: it's all Nordic in origin.
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Huh. Citation? It's not that I disbelieve you, I'm just honestly interested in the source of your data, and how recent it is. I'm curious why I haven't run into it previously, basically. :)
I maintain that the Land of the Linnorm Kings is a good place for such a person to come from in Golarion, though. Redheads from there have shown up in a few things.
Dinosaur Ireland?
0/5 - Would not visit again.
:)
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There is no Celtic genetic group Celts were a cultural and language group.
As for not being heavily forrested Ireland had been very much cleared since the Neolithic. Woodlands, marshes and bogs yes, impenetrable Forrest nope.
There are far more redheads in Ireland than Scandinavia!
And Tennessee was mostly settled by the Scots-Irish Protestants, who are genetically close to both Jacobite Scots Highlanders and to southern Irish Catholics, but culturally distinct.
Funnily enough, while they were in the British Isles the Scots-Irish fought on the same side as the English Parliamentarians against the Catholics/Jacobites, but in the American Revolution the Scots-Irish were mostly strong rebels/revolutionaries against the British Parliament, while the Scots Highlander descendants of the Jacobites were mostly prominent in the Loyalist/pro-British cause.
There is no Celtic genetic group Celts were a cultural and language group.
It's rare for culture & language not to correlate closely with genetics, though. Exceptions tend to be the result of imperialism, eg the widespread use of Latin and later English by former Roman Empire and later former British Empire territories.
Huh. Citation? It's not that I disbelieve you, I'm just honestly interested in the source of your data, and how recent it is. I'm curious why I haven't run into it previously, basically. :)
I guess you've not visited both Ireland & Scandinavia, then. It's pretty obvious on the street. But you can google 'incidence of red hair in Europe' if you want some data.