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Wild Frontier Region

Varisia

Alignment NCapital NoneNotable Settlements Celwynvian (unknown),

Kaer Maga (8,000), Korvosa (18,486), Magnimar (16,428), Riddleport (13,300), Urglin (5,800)

Ruler No centralized rulerGovernment Unaffiliated City-StatesLanguages Common, Varisian, ShoantiReligion Abadar, Desna, Erastil, Calistria, Cayden

Cailean, Gozreh, Lamashtu, Pharasma, Norgorber, Urgathoa, Zon-Kuthon

At the height of Old Azlant, the wizened mystics of that continent-kingdom exiled

a powerful wizard named Xin for his heretical beliefs that cooperation with the lesser races could build a greater nation. The outcast arrived on the shores of Avistan with an army and a plan. He established the empire of Thassilon, and in so doing brought commerce and civilization to the simple folk he found living on Avistan as nomads, a people known as the Varisians. As Thassilon’s reach and inf luence continued to grow, Xin appointed seven of his most powerful wizardly allies as governors, splitting his empire into seven nations. Xin’s governors, each focused on one of the seven schools of rune magic he helped define in accord with his seven virtues of rule, became known as the runelords.

Yet Xin’s optimism was sadly misplaced. The runelords wrested control of his empire from him, and for centuries their cruelty led Thassilon along the path of decadence, ultimately collapsing into ruin when the Starstone rocked Golarion (although sages argue to this day upon the exact cause of Thassilon’s demise).

The region remained wild for thousands of years, inhabited only by barbarian tribes known as the Shoanti and the nomadic Varisian survivors of Thassilon’s fall, until it came to the attention of expansionist Cheliax, whose armies marched on the region in 4405. Chelaxian soldiers drove the warlike Shoanti into the rugged regions to the northeast, while colonists adopted a tenuous peace with the native Varisians under the pretense of bringing “culture and civilization” into their lives. It was at this time that the ancient frontier came to be known as Varisia.

Modern Varisia is a region of conf lict, a strip of frontier laid against the Storval Rise—a land of barbarians and giants to the northeast. Although no central government controls Varisia,

three city-states have emerged, each of which could some day soon claim control over the region. The eldest and largest of these is Korvosa, a city of Chelish loyalists ruled by a monarchy but cleaving close to Cheliax in a bid to be reabsorbed into the empire. Korvosa is a haven for merchants and tradesmen, and functions as a gateway for trade throughout all of the region. The city itself is governed (some say too governed) by a complex charter that divides responsibilities between several magistrates, law-enforcing arbiters, and a monarchy of kings and queens. Most of Korvosa’s citizens are native-born, but they retain much of their Chelaxian blood, both in appearance and tradition. The Varisian people are tolerated in the city but are often discriminated against, while Shoanti are openly shunned and thought of as crude and violent barbarians who have no real place in a civilized city.

Yet as much as her government might like to hope, Korvosa is far from the only center of civilization in Varisia. The second-largest regional

city, cosmopolitan Magnimar, is in an era of growth while Korvosa, at best, stagnates in its thick traditional values. Here, unlike in Korvosa, guilds are actively encouraged, and with enough luck and skill, anyone can rise to a place of power. The local Varisians are much more tolerated here, although they do still tend to dwell in specific ghettos inside the city walls. Magnimar is ruled by a lord-mayor and a Council of Ushers. As the city grows, so does its Council, and in time, Magnimar might well outshine Korvosa, especially as word of Magnimar’s fewer restrictions on trade reach further into the world.

Further to the north lies the region’s third-largest city. Riddleport is a solution to those who find law of any sort oppressive, and serves as a safe harbor for mercenaries, thieves, bandits, and pirates of all cuts. Tales of bandits ruling the streets, of muggings and murder taking place in full light of

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day, and of riots and anarchy are popular among the nobles of Korvosa, yet there is little truth to these tales, for the Overlords of Riddleport are undeniably harsh in punishing those who would attempt to disrupt civic function. Nevertheless, the fact that crimelords, pirates, and scoundrels rule the city shows in every street. Riddleport is not a place for the timid. Yet it still draws a surprising number of scholars and intellectuals to its filthy and dangerous avenues, for the city of Riddleport is host to one of the most intriguing and well-preserved Thassilonian monuments—the cryptic Cyphergate, a ring of stone that arches gracefully over the entrance to the city’s harbor. This and other mysterious local remnants from the previous age have long intrigued wizards and sages and their like, enough so that these stereotypically meek folk have become a strong and tempering force in Riddleport’s society.

Dozens of smaller towns and villages dot the lowlands of Varisia, and the majority of them see one of these three cities as their protectors. Korvosa takes a relatively active role in governing and guiding these holdings, but Magnimar prefers to let its holdings develop on their own, providing aid and support when a town asks for it. Riddleport has little interest

beyond its walls, though, and as a result, very few villages survive for long in northwestern Varisia. Those that don’t succumb to internal corruption and strife invariably become prey for bandits, pirates, or other dangers of the region.

In many areas, Varisia remains a true wilderness, claimed by deadly predators and ferocious humanoids none too eager to share their territories with the advance of humanity. Along the coastal reaches, hundreds of goblin tribes dwell in sea caves and thistle-thick woodlands, bickering among themselves until leaders strong enough to unite several tribes at once take hold. Further inland, ogres and trolls hold court on rugged mountaintops and in deep forest glens, yet the true lords of the wildlands are the giants. Descended from the slave castes of ancient Thassilon, giants of all types call the true wilderness reaches of Varisia home, and their periodic forays and raids against humanity make for constant and brutal reminders that this realm is far from tame.

Other creatures dwell in the darkest corners of Varisia as well—monsters in some cases left over from Thassilon’s rule, tales of whom frighten even the giants of the land. These include mighty dragons, the cannibal spirits known

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as wendigos, sinister and capricious fey, pockets of scheming lamia-kin, and even sinister explorers and pilgrims from other worlds whose eldritch corners brush unwholesome and unwelcome against parts of this haunted landscape. And against this menacing backdrop broods an even darker evil, for the ancient lords of the land are said to exist still, dead but dreaming, awaiting the time for their return to rule over lands once theirs. Should these all-but-forgotten runelords rise, Varisia could be but the first of Golarion’s regions to fall.

Beyond its monsters, its cities, and its people, many other Varisian sites of particular interest have long lured explorers and adventurers to seek them out. The most notorious and famous of these are detailed, in brief, below.

Celwynvian: Deep in the Mierani forest, the ancient elven city of Celwynvian stands haunted, its verdant palaces and delicate towers locked in a mysterious conf lict. The elves have tried numerous times to reclaim the abandoned city, but they are silent on what exactly lurks in the ruins that keeps them from success. Some whisper of a strange contagion, others of dragons or demons. A few rumors even speak of the drow, legendary elves from deep underground, and that Celwynvian is now the site of unknown dark elf atrocities that the elves themselves are loathe to admit exist, as if they were too ashamed of what their violent kin were up to.

Cinderlands: Home to three Shoanti tribes, the hostile Cinderlands are a unique region. Not quite desert, these rugged badlands are rather volcanic. Black blizzards of emberstorms, immense grassland fires, and deadly eruptions of poisonous gas make it a difficult place to dwell, yet the Shoanti continue to do so, having adapted to the harsh environs as necessary.

Hollow Mountain: The largest of Rivenrake Island’s peaks still carries a particularly striking Thassilonian ruin—the carving of a stern woman’s face. An immense rent down the center of the face opens into an equally immense network of caverns and underground ruins that, rumor holds, are connected to the dust-choked ruined city on Hollow Mountain’s lower slopes. Scholars believe this is the site of Xin-Bakrakhan, the City of Wrath and capital of Runelord Alaznist’s nation.

Kaer-Maga: Varisia’s most notorious city, Kaer-Maga perches atop one of the highest runs of the Storval Rise, overlooking the verdant lands to the south. Built into and onto the ruins of an immense Thassilonian fortress, the denizens of Kaer-Maga enjoy anarchy in its purest form. All manner of strange factions hold court in Kaer-Maga’s halls, from the bloodthirsty bloatmages to the militant monks of the Brothers of the Seal to the grisly augurs—troll soothsayers who use their own entrails to prophesize with questionably accuracy.

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The Mushfens: One of Golarion’s largest wetlands, the swath of swamp known as the Mushfens stretches along the entire southern border of Varisia. This trackless region has resisted every attempt at colonization so far, and to this day remains a wildland in every sense of the word.

The Sunken Queen: This towering pyramid has partially sunk into the sloppy depths of the surrounding Mushfens, leaving the immense Thassilonian ruin leaning at a severe angle. One face of the pyramid is decorated in an immense bas-relief carving of a beautiful nude woman, while curving towers extend from its peak like growths or chimneys. Tribes of the froglike humanoids called boggards hold the Sunken Queen with special reverence.

Xin-Shalast: Rumored to lie hidden somewhere deep in the Kodar Mountains, the legendary city of Xin-Shalast has long haunted the dreams of romantics and historians. Said to have been the capital of one of Thassilon’s Karzoug the Claimer, stories tell of a vast mountaintop city with streets of gold and buildings shingled in slates of jade and other precious stone.

LegACy in runesAlthough a relatively large swath of Varisia has been settled by Chelish colonists and Varisian natives, the fact remains that this region is still primarily a dangerous wilderness. Legendary monsters, ranging from sinister local stories (such as the elusive Sandpoint Devil) on up to regional tales of terror (like deadly Black Magga, or the mythical Oliphaunt of Jandelay) have given the wilderness a singular menace, yet they are not as stark a reminder of the region’s dangers as the numerous Thassilonian monuments that still dot the land. Built by armies of stone giant artisans under runelord command, these monuments were preserved and protected by magic.

Only today is this preservative magic beginning to fail, allowing the ancient monuments to slowly suffer the indignities of erosion and trophy seekers. Yet in many of these monoliths wait hidden dangers—immortal monsters trapped for centuries; enticing vaults of treasure protected by traps; and (some whisper) the slumbering runelords themselves, who wait patiently to awaken from their centuries-long sleep to reclaim a land rightfully theirs.

The shoAnTiDescended from numerous different peoples who once served as Thassilon’s military caste, the barbaric Shoanti might well someday become Golarion’s newest ethnicity. Unlike the more prolific Varisian people, these proud folk have not spread far beyond the lands of their ancestors. They dwell primarily in the uplands of the Storval Plateau or the hills of northern Varisia, where they hold their own against the many terrors that vie for territory in these wild lands. As Varisia becomes increasingly civilized, it’s more common to see Shoanti turn their backs on tradition to dwell in the greater comfort afforded by civilization—and in some cases, as in the sheriff of Sandpoint, Shoanti are becoming part of society on a governmental level.

Physically, the Shoanti are the most akin to the Kellids or Ulfen, but generations of isolation allowed them to develop their own complex tribal society, divided into seven different “quahs,” or clans. They speak a language called Shoanti similar to both Varisian and Hallit, but with a fair amount of Thassilonian as well. Anyone f luent in these three languages can communicate basic ideas in Shoanti, but only those who learn the tongue can ever hope to earn true respect from these proud people.

Totem SpiritYou are closely and mystically tied to your tribe’s sacred totem.

Prerequisite: Member of a Shoanti tribe.Benefit: The benefit granted by this feat depends on

which Shoanti tribe you belong to:Lyrune-Quah (Moon Clan): You gain a +1 bonus on Will

saves and a +2 bonus on Listen checks.Shadde-Quah (Axe Clan): If you have the rage ability, it

lasts for one additional round. You also gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks.

Shriikirri-Quah (Hawk Clan): You gain a +2 bonus on Initiative checks and a +2 bonus on Ride checks.

Shundar-Quah (Spire Clan): You gain a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves and a +2 bonus on Spot checks.

Sklar-Quah (Sun Clan): You gain a +1 bonus on Reflex saves and a +2 bonus on Tumble checks.

Skoan-Quah (Skull Clan): You gain a +2 bonus on weapon damage against undead and a +2 bonus on Heal checks.

Tamiir-Quah (Wind Clan): Your base land speed increases by 5 feet. You also gain a +2 bonus on Jump checks.

Varisian TattooYou bear intricate tattoos which inspire and empower your natural magical ability. These tattoos mark you as a worker of the ancient traditions of Varisian magic. A Varisian tattoo typically consists of a long string of characters in Thassilonian, the language found on the ancient monuments of the land. Most are quite complex, running the entire length of an arm or leg.

Prerequisite: Spell Focus in matching school.Benefit: Select a school of magic other than divination in

which you have Spell Focus—you cast spells from this school at +1 caster level. Additionally, you can cast a single cantrip as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day, caster level equals Hit Dice, save DC is Charisma-based). The spell-like ability gained (and its Varisian name) are as follows:

Abjuration (avidais): resistance.Conjuration (idolis): acid splash.Enchantment (carnasia): daze.Evocation (ragario): dancing lights.Illusion (vangloris): ghost sound.Necromancy (voratalo): touch of fatigue.Transmutation (avaria): mage hand.