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Hourglass Lake - A large lake, nestled in the mountains. Of course, it's in the rough shape of an hourglass (hence the name). In addition, at the narrow point, there is a small island, followed by a sequence of increasingly larger islands extending away from the narrow point and towards the center of one of the large sides. These islands are called The Sands.
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The Singing Stranger - a friendly ghost who rides the back roads in his phantom wagon. It is said he is the spirit of a grizzled, old bard. He was a cantankerous fellow, and a devout worshippers of Cayden Cailean, always on the move from one place to the next. He disappeared decades ago, whilst journeying between cities.
His spirit typically only appears to other bards or worshippers of Cayden, although the occasional lone travelled has been visited by him while in camp at night, especially if they are singing, playing music, or drinking. He is never harmful, and will sometimes offer a ride in his wagon, always seemingly taking his passenger to their destination far quicker than would be normally possible.
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An above-average-intelligence goblin (rogue/alchemist?) highers himself out as an arsonist. He's one of the specialists working for a merchant/crime lord. He's been hired to burn ships owned by one of the merchants rivals. These ships are docked together at the rival's private pier, which the PCs have been hired to guard.
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Setting – a small kingdom, nestled away in a quiet corner of the world. Maybe a mountainous, heavily wooded region.
The story – the king lost his wife to a tragic accident (actually an attempted assassination of the king by the supposedly loyal court wizard), leaving behind himself and his two young twins, the prince and princess.
Years later, the king marries again. His new wife is the daughter of a modestly wealthy merchant. She has a daughter of her own, just a year younger than the now 20-something prince and princess. It’s a minor scandal, because the new queen once had a fling with a travelling elven troubadour, with her daughter as the result. Nevertheless, the new family quickly settles in and begins to build a new, happy life together.
It does not last.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the elven troubadour was a sorcerer with the fiendish bloodline. That evil power came out in his daughter, the young princess. Realizing the court wizard was not loyal to her stepfather, she pretended to be sympathetic to him and his desire to wrest control of the kingdom from her parents, offering herself as an ally. To prove her loyalty, she poisoned her step-brother, the prince, framing one of the king’s advisors (and the wizard’s chief rival) for the murder and forcing the man to flee the kingdom.
Once she gained the old-spellcaster’s confidence, and assured herself access to his collection of powerful magical items and tomes of knowledge, she put the next part of her own plan into play. Making use of her own burgeoning sorcerous powers, she seduced her step-sister, the princess, and convinced the older girl that the court wizard was the one who poisoned her brother. Together, the two princesses ambushed and murdered the mage.
Now, with her older step-sister thoroughly in thrall to her and the court wizard’s magical trove as a potent resource, the young princess is preparing to end her mother and step-father. She will then make her step-sister the new queen, with herself as the power behind the throne.
At least until she grows tired of her step-sister.
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Fehmel’s Battle School
Fehmel was once a bear of a man, as well as a renowned warrior, mercenary leader, and adventurer. In battle against a vile undead sorcerer, he was stricken with a wasting disease. Although clerics were able to save his life, the disease literally left him less than half the man he had been.
Forced to retire from life as an active warrior, Fehmel instead turned to training a new generation of fighters. He used his accumulated wealth to establish a training center outside the city, designing the building to accommodate the different scenarios a fighter might face, such as battling in a forest, or on the deck of ship at sea.
His academy is small, and very selective, but it has produced men and women of great martial skill, who have themselves gone on to careers of renown and/or infamy.
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Inspired by a picture I saw on Earth Porn.....
The Pools of Ashuran
Deep in the woodland realm of the elves, nestled along a cliff face surrounded by lush, ever-green trees, sits the hidden refuge known as The Pools of Ashuran (or more simply “The Pools” among the elves). Discovered centuries ago by the famed elven healer Ashuran, these natural pools were discovered to have a link to a part of the Elemental Plane of Water that is closely aligned with the Positive Energy Plane. As such, the healing properties of the waters are renowned, and a resource which the elves vigilantly protect. Only a few outsiders, typically ones who have become severely injured or deathly ill while providing the elves with great aid, have ever been allowed near The Pools.
Is there a Golarion equivalent of Starbucks? I want to create a pyromaniac PC, and he'd need a favorite target for his thermal attacks.
In my game, cayden caliean has a chain of "Caydenbucks" that sells non-alcoholic beverages in addition to alcoholic ones.
In my game, cayden caliean has a chain of "Caydenbucks" that sells non-alcoholic beverages......BLASPHEMER!!!!!
Sorry, but there's a profit to be had.
Sorry, but there's a profit to be had.In my game, cayden caliean has a chain of "Caydenbucks" that sells non-alcoholic beverages......BLASPHEMER!!!!!
Bah! The BOOZE GOD cares nothing for your paltry economic desires!
I wonder if we'll ever see Recipes of Golarion? Smoked Gorgon Ribs! Sautéed Griffon Liver in Gelatinous Cube Sauce!
I know there is a collection of alcoholic beverages and drugs on the wiki. Check for foods, too.
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Adar Deval is an old shipwright who specializes in constructing luxury yachts/private house boats for very wealthy nobles and merchants. His fees are exorbitant, but with good reason. The wood he gets for his ships comes from the First World.
Years ago, he became good friends with a druid who had discovered a portal to the First World, which opened directly into one of that primal plane’s rare pockets of stability. His druidic ally helped Adar secure a friendly arrangement with the nearby First World denizens, wherein Adar was allowed to enter the portal and harvest fallen trees. Since then, Deval has almost exclusively used this wood in the construction of his vessels.
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The Crimson Cloak - a secretive organization specializing in helping the wealthy and powerful to carry out love affairs or acts that might otherwise be problematic for them. Whether it be a married person cheating on their spouse, a wealthy noble who desires someone below their station, or a person with more....deviant...desires - for the right price, the Crimson Cloak will help the customer fulfill their fantasies in as discreet a way as possible. Their only proclaimed rule is that they will not assist in a murder.
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Kabrel of the Jade Crown - is a transmuter and artist who specializes in crafting Figurines of Wonderous Power. His signature item, the Jade Crown, is an elaborate headpiece carved from that precious stone, appearing as the interlocked forms of beautiful fey-like women. It is rumored each of the figures in the crown is a separate Figurine of Wonderous Power, and that each has a different, deadly ability.
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Enill Ebyam's Tower of Many Colors - this simple, square tower, surrounded on all sides by beautiful gardens, is notable for the kaleidoscope of colors which regularly cascade across its surface. It is home to the eccentric wizard Enill Ebyam, well known as a powerful purveyor of illusions, and rumored to possess oracular powers.
The Crimson Cloak - a secretive organization specializing in helping the wealthy and powerful to carry out love affairs or acts that might otherwise be problematic for them. Whether it be a married person cheating on their spouse, a wealthy noble who desires someone below their station, or a person with more....deviant...desires - for the right price, the Crimson Cloak will help the customer fulfill their fantasies in as discreet a way as possible. Their only proclaimed rule is that they will not assist in a murder.
What do Shelyn and Calistria say about this organization?
Dotting. Pay no attention to the monkey at the keyboard
I tried it in a scenario. One of my players didn't enjoy it.
Just a hint for those who like to use the term "sportsball" - you sound just like the jackasses who loudly proclaim to everyone they come in contact with that they "do crossfit/are a vegan/are an atheist/insert pretentiousness here".
I sure do love sportsball.
Hilarious joke- I created a game called sportsball as a kid. When I got a little older, I discovered it was essentially rugby with sticks.
I try to keep in mind a cartoon I saw recently. Let people enjoy their things. I might not enjoy sports, but I don't have to be a troll about it
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Hilarious joke- I created a game called sportsball as a kid. When I got a little older, I discovered it was essentially rugby with sticks.
I like Calvinball.
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The Joyous Passing Church
A vile sect of daemon worshipping scum, the church's sole goal is to further the cause of evil and death by provoking good people into violence. They monitor the lives of champions of good, waiting for them to die. Once this happens, church members make appearances at the funeral, wherever the champion lived, and other locations important to the deceased's life and legend. They then engage in overt efforts to tarnish the champion's reputation and legacy, celebrating the death (the more disgusting and vile the celebration, the better). In this way, they hope to drive the followers and friends of the dead hero to commit acts of evil against them.
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Golarion needs its own version of Habu Sake. Maybe something with a magical snake (or other venomous creature), and some kind of mild magical affect accompanies drinking any.
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Alain the Unspoken is a young bard who travels the lands, captivating audiences with his haunting music in exchange for food and shelter. The young musician’s talent with instruments is astounding – he has been seen to play (and play well) numerous wind and string instruments, although he prefers the harp or flute. His sobriquet has been earned by the fact that no one has ever heard him speak, or utter any sound except for the occasional soft humming to accompany his songs on a string instrument. Although he plays many well-known songs, and will do so on request, Alain also has many of his own well-known compositions. The odd thing is, he has never directly communicated the names of his songs. Through some mystery of empathic magic, those who have listened to his music have suddenly and simply known what the titles were.
Too good not to dot.
Dot.
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Questhome - a small fortified town, founded by the retired adventuring party known as The Wayward Shields, and advertised as a safe place for other, would-be heroes to relocate their loved ones to live in peace and safety.
Decades ago, the Wayward Shields cleaned out a run down fortress of the monstrous bandit group using it as a lair. They took over the old castle, fixing it up and bringing their families to live in and around it. Over time, allies of the Shields also settled down their, and within a few years, a thriving community was born.
Like a magical EOD. The Undead Menace Disposal unit. The UMD uses constructs linked to them psionically to explore dangerous areas where undead nests are active
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I've always seen a dwarven kingdom as a place where there would be some technology - like pipes for carrying water, pulley systems, gears, vents for smoke and heat, conduits for air, etc.
Someone's got to plan all that stuff out. Not just engineering specialists. So, I give you....
The Drafter's Guild - these are the specialists who draw out all the designs in precise detail, so that things can be built more efficiently. Originally, they worked with paper drawings. Over time, however, they've turned to magic to augment their skills. Now they have two types of drafters:
(a) those with earth-based magic who sculpt designs out of the living rock.
(b) the second, more prevalent kind, have learned to use illusion magic to create permanent, 3-dimensional designs. They find this medium far easier to work with, as they can manipulate colors and objects far easier. And they have developed a method of storing these images in crystals.
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I was thinking, a bit earlier, about what a College of Engineering might look like in the Golarion setting; what kind of subjects would be studied:
- Siege Engines, fortifications (and how to get through/around them)
- Roads, buildings, city walls, sewers, maybe even some viaducts
- Smithing, armoring, some minor mechanisms (clocks, winches, for example), metallurgy
- specialist study on how to produce equipment used by wizards/alchemists
- alchemists already seem to have a strong dose of chemical engineer, so you might conceivably find some of that studying going onAnd, of course, you'd have to have at least one, if not several dwarves on the staff.....
Revisiting this, some additional topics of study/expertise which might be found in a dwarven school:
- light reflection/refraction, especially used to bring light from the surface down into the depths.
- ventilation, not only for bringing in breathable air, but also for diluting dangerous gases which can build up underground and present a hazard during mining operations.
The ventilation issue is mentioned in some novels starring dwarves, but I forget which ones.