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People
Dec 15, 2012 1:34:21 GMT -5
Post by reefwood on Dec 15, 2012 1:34:21 GMT -5
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People
Dec 15, 2012 2:00:41 GMT -5
Post by reefwood on Dec 15, 2012 2:00:41 GMT -5
Humans of Golarion
There are many different human cultures and people spread across the Inner Sea region. Many pass through the major port city of Westcrown, and some foreigners have settled there as well. The information below will focus on the people more commonly found in Westcrown - as locals or travelers - with more detail on those most common.
Chelaxians
The Chelaxian (pronounced che-LAX-ee-en) people have spread from their origins along the coast of the Inner Sea across much of Avistan. They are the true legacy of the once great imperial Cheliax whose empire once encompassed kingdoms as numerous and varied regions as Andoran, Galt, Molthune, Nirmathas and Sargava. While the empire of Cheliax may now be gone, the Chelaxian people live on, still inhabiting all of their former territories and beyond.
Appearance
Chelaxian are the descendants of Azlanti refugees, whose blood mixed with that of pale-skinned Ulfen raider-merchants from the northern climates. As a result, they tend as a people toward dark eyes, dark hair and pale skin - lighter than that of their duskier Taldan cousins. Red hair is often seen as evidence of strong ties to diabolic influence, which can be a boon or a curse depending on one's actual affiliation. Chelaxians have sharp features - narrow jaws, strong noses, and thin, arched eyebrows. Chelaxians favor rich clothes that allow them to show off their wealth and stature but that rarely become as ludicrous as the fashions of Taldor.
Culture and Personality
The Chelaxians as a people are often renowned for their more negative traits and are thought of as arrogant, ruthless and ambitious. There are positive traits generally associated with Chelaxians as well, including being organised, intelligent and cultured. Apart from their legendary wrath there is little else that is true of all Chelaxians as they are now split across such varied regions. A Chelaxian living in Andoran has vastly different values to a Chelaxian living in Cheliax or Galt.
Language
Most Chelaxians speak Taldane, also known as Common, a language which they share with much of central and southern Avistan. It is unknown what language the native peoples of Cheliax spoke before Taldor founded its colony there in 3007 AR.
Names
Like many other peoples, Chelaxians generally have a first name followed by a surname or family name. Family traditions are quite important, especially when someone is descended from a well-known historical figure. Names are often also quite important-sounding, and many upper-class Chelaxians insist that their full names be used when addressing them. Sobriquets or pseudonyms are common among those who have achieved renown.
Love of Rules
Chelaxians are inherently a lawful people who take great care and pride in following the rules set out by the community. On the other hand, they also often look for a loophole or exception in the rules, anything that might give them an advantage over a competitor. They take orders easily (as long as they come from a legitimate or respected source) and are quite skilled at working in a team for the greater good.
Religion
Although diabolism and most-importantly, the worship of Asmodeus is the state religion of Cheliax, those Chelaxians living abroad can be found venerating a wider range of deities; the most popular are Abadar, Erastil, Iomedae, and Zon-Kuthon.
Heroes
Heroes are popular in Chelish culture, especially those who personify the core values of strength, nobility, ambition, and most importantly, success. They are rewarded with lands, titles, and opportune marriages into the nobility, but only as long as they are not seen as a threat to the government or ruling class. Heroes who fall out of favor with the authorities are often sent on near-impossible quests to foreign lands, or else disappear quietly in the night.
Taldan
Taldans (pronounced TAL-dans) are renowned as possessing great skill, intellegence and sophistication. They are the creators of one of the greatest empires Avistan has ever known and many modern nations owe their existance to the conquests of empire of Taldor. However this period of greatness is now a thing of the past and the Taldan people know they are now just as well renowned for their decadent indulgences as their empire crumbles around them.
Taldans are naturally gifted and generally possess a pleasant appearance. Their skin is a natural bronze tone and their hair is normally dark brown and naturally flowing. They gain their natural appearance from their mixed ancestory of ancient Azlanti and Keleshite blood, though between the two they are proudest of their Azlanti heritage. Taldans always cloth themselves in only the latest and most fashionable clothes they can afford. The Taldan style is imitated across the inner sea but few can match the Taldan flair for high fashion. Men normally sport a well trimmed, nicely groomed beard while Taldan women within Taldor wear large, elaborate wigs passed down the generations as family heirlooms.
Taldan culture is obsessed with only one thing—Taldor. Taldan culture is incredibly insular and is only interested in events within Taldor as they view all events outside of Taldor as inherently dull and uninteresting. They have a similar view of anyone who isn't Taldan, seeing them as inescapably provincial and inferior in breeding, education and interest. There is however a reason for this cultural arrogance. As one of the oldest, longest-lasting civilizations in Avistan, Taldor has had millenia to perfect its crafts and artistry, making it a desirable place to learn one's trade.
Azlanti
The Azlanti are now little more than a memory, an ancient, near mythical progenitor of all human civilization. The last true, pure-blooded Azlanti was one of the most famous humans of all time, dragging the Starstone from the depths of the Inner Sea and later becoming patron deity of the greatest human empires on Avistan—Aroden himself
The ancient Azlanti were, according to contemporary accounts, a regal and aloof people with noble features and haughty attitudes. They had dark hair, usual black while their skin tone ranged from olive to pale white. They were also known for having prominent brows and high hairlines. One unique feature of the Azlanti was that some of them had purple colored eyes.
Though pureblooded Azlanti have not been seen for thousands of years, the Azlanti race gave rise to numerous offshoots, some more human than others. The most prevalent are by far the Taldan and Chelaxian ethnicities, while the group closest to the original Azlanti phenotype are the aquatic gillmen. Some Azlanti also fled into the Darklands, where their degenerate descendants became the dark folk, morlocks, grimlocks, and mongrelmen.
Garundi
The Garundi (pronounced gah-ROON-dee) people are the most numerous inhabitants of the continent of Garund but have spread throughout most of the known world. Garundi organize themselves into clans of around twenty families. Within these clans their is a strict hierarchy which is hard to decipher for outsiders as they are not a part of it. There is also a hierarchy between clans and customs that dictate their interaction.
The Garundi boast dark skin, sharp cheekbones, broad shoulders and dark (but often prematurely white) hair. They normally favour colorful clothes that are practical and beautiful regardless of how far from Garund they are. Garundi in far off lands try to incorporate traditional clothing into their outfits. Since temperatures can vary so much they tend to dress in layers to make it easier to adapt their clothing as appropriate.
Varisian
The Varisians (pronounced vah-RHIS-ee-ann) are an exotic ethnicity renowned as itinerant charlatans, gifted storytellers, and talented singers.
The dark-skinned Varisians enjoy brightly colored clothing and jewelry, preferring gems over coins. Their vibrant natures are matched by their outgoing personalities, which in turn is matched by their comely looks.
Ulfen
The Ulfen (pronounced OOL-fen) are a human ethnicity once feared across all of Avistan for their fierce and merciless winter raiding. This is no longer the case; now the Ulfen people are renowned for their enormous size, prowess as warriors, and their unique smell. Ulfen bodyguards are considered a highly desirable thing around the courts of the Inner Sea.
The Ulfen normally boast physiques larger than the average human with men normally standing no less than six feet. Ulfen have pale skin and their hair is usually either blonde, straw brown, or red and is normally braided by both men and women, although women's braids tend to be more elaborate. Their clothing is tailored for their cold enviroment, with fur being a commonly used material. They decorate their clothes with jewelry made out of horn or ivory and bronze and silver.
Tian
The Tian (pronounced TEE-yawn) people come from the distant land of Tian Xia, almost inaccesible to the nations of the Inner Sea. The few Tian who migrate from their homeland to the shores of Avistan and Garund are generally classed as a single ethnicity. The Tian people, however, come from an entire continent, and as such are not one united ethnicity, but several different ones. All Tian in the Inner Sea region are united by one factor—they are thousands upon thousands of miles from their homeland.
While composed of many different ethnicities which foreigners find difficult to differentiate between, the people of Tian Xia do have some features in common. First, they are generally smaller in stature than the average Avistani or Garundi human, with men rarely standing above five and a half feet tall, and women rarely rising much taller than five foot. There builds are generally smaller as well, especially members of the Tian-Dan and Tian-Sing ethnicities, who are often viewed as emaciated. Tian people generally have black or very dark brown hair, regardless of ethnicity. Occasionally Tian are born with pure white hair, which is viewed as a sign of greatness. The eye color of the most populous Tian ethnicity, the Tian-Shu, is brown, and so it is the most common eye color amongst the Tian in general. Eye color varies between the different ethnicities of Tian Xia, and the Tian-Min of Minkai boast the widest range of eye colors within the ethnicity.
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People
Dec 15, 2012 2:06:01 GMT -5
Post by reefwood on Dec 15, 2012 2:06:01 GMT -5
Cheliax
Ruler
Her Infernal Magestrix, Queen Abrogail II of the House of Thrune
Westcrown
Ruler
Lord Mayor Aberian Arvanxi (male human)
Waterways
General Vourne of the Imperial Fleet (male human)
Harbormaster Casarus Vitallain (male human)
Dottari
Durotas Arik Tuornos of the Rundottari (male Chelish human captain)
Durotas Saria Roccin of Parego Spera (female captain)
Dhaenfens
Elmar Fenwisp (eldery male halfling)
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People
Dec 15, 2012 2:41:23 GMT -5
Post by reefwood on Dec 15, 2012 2:41:23 GMT -5
Barley BitchThis working class tavern on the docks is most frequented by sailors and other travels in port, but some dwarves find their way here as well as a handful of other locals. - Gandry Hopcrusher (dwarf female) - Distant cousin, tavern owner
- Bastagar, Kremernesh, Sarzuket (gnome males) – Trio of musicians.
- Korva & Pavo (human female & male, Chelish) – A pair of youths who delight in hearing tales from foreigners.
- Lady Dagny (human female, Ulfen) – Mercenary rumored to be a noble in exile.
- Larko (human male, Garundi) – Quiet dock worker who mostly keeps to himself but occasionally speaks of moving to the countryside someday.
- Shuo (human male, Tian) - Card player who makes coin off the sailors in port.
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People
Dec 28, 2012 16:17:42 GMT -5
Post by reefwood on Dec 28, 2012 16:17:42 GMT -5
Organizations
Hellknights
The Hellknights are an order of law enforcers interested not so much in the social goodliness and charity typical of paladins but in the foundation and stringent maintenance of order. In their iron-handed exaction of law—specifically, the laws of their various orders and their home country of Cheliax—Hellknights emulate the most organized and effective armies in all the planes: the legions of Hell. They are not concerned with morality, they are not concerned with methods, they are concerned with results. If people cannot be trusted to obey the law out of their own senses of civility and social righteousness, then they will be treated like beasts, learning to obey out of fear of a master's stern hand.
Regardless of their severity, Hellknights are not an evil group. Although there are doubtlessly numerous evil members—particularly among the upper echelons of power—the majority of the orders are lawful neutral, with lawful neutral, lawful evil, and lawful good members filling the ranks of each. The study of Hell’s tenets and even the summoning of devils are tools meant to intimidate and strengthen the individual resolve of the orders’ members. Hellknights are taught to replace emotion with steely discipline. They train with summoned devils, the signifiers of their orders coaxing the ingenuity of diabolical tactics from infernal tongues, while the rank and file members spar against the very denizens of Hell—making nearly any future conflict a far less daunting prospect. They learn that sacrifices must often be made for the greater good, obey draconian regimens of military conduct, commit to encyclopedic memorization of the laws of their orders and local governing bodies, and undergo constant drills to train their bodies and minds.
While Hellknights are widely feared and respected, the common Hellknight joins out of a sense of duty and wish to be a part of something greater, seeing a world ruled by just laws and free of rampaging beasts and cheating thieves as a future well worth striving toward... even at the sacrifice of a little freedom. Countries and rulers sometimes invite Hellknights into their lands, leaving the dirty business of harsh law enforcement to an already loathed third party, although, convincing Hellknights to leave once they've been welcomed sometimes proves problematic for more freedom-loving societies.
The leader of a Hellknight order is known as the Lictor. Beneath him are the order's Master/Mistress of Blades (field commander) and Paravicar (leader of the order's arcane/religious forces). Beneath them, paralictors (Hellknight officers), signifiers (Hellknight spellcasters), rank and file Hellknights, and armigers (Hellknights in training) flesh out the ranks.
Every order of Hellknights has a distinctive, intimidating style of full plate armor that distinguishes them from the others. All Hellknights wear the armor of their order as a matter of pride and are rarely seen without. The Order of the Nail’s armor, for example, features a horned helm and demon face breastplate.
The Order of the Rack
This order destroys wasteful knowledge and indolent idealism before it can affect the simplicity of everyday life via book burnings and suppression of rebellious groups for which Cheliax has become so noted. As many counter-revolutionaries, they seek to avoid change through the elimination of any dissent and the control of information. Anyone and anything which would distract from the normal peaceful progression of existence, regardless of whether they intend good or ill, must be eliminated before it has a chance to infect and fester.
Every three months a new version of the history of Cheliax is produced by the imperial printing presses and it is the sacred duty of the Order of the Rack to retrieve the outdated versions from all libraries, schools, and institutions. The older editions are then burned in so called 'clarity pyres'.
Recruits for the Order of the Rack frequently come from old established families and trades that have personally felt the upheaval which accompanies the forces of change and have reason to believe in the inherent order and stability of tradition.
Creed: "The venoms of the mind poison the body."
Fortress: Citadel Rivad near Westcrown
Symbol: A spiked wheel
Armor: Exposed musculature design, sleek helm, flayed cloak
Weapon: Longsword or whip
Pathfinder Society
The Pathfinder Society is a globe-spanning organization based out of Absalom, the world's largest city. The membership consists primarily of Pathfinders, adventurers who travel throughout Golarion, usually inconspicuously, and explore, delve, and otherwise experience the lesser-seen parts of the world. They send journals back to their venture-captain, who also assigns them new missions and suggests new places to explore. The most exciting and illuminating of these journals are compiled in the Pathfinder Chronicles, an ongoing series of books which collect the history and mystery of Golarion for their membership.
The day to day running of the Pathfinder Society is managed by the venture-captains. These are usually older or accomplished Pathfinders, or long-time allies of the organization, who have settled down, and claimed a Pathfinder lodge for themselves. They direct Pathfinders in the field towards new and interesting locales, and receive the regular reports that will eventually become part of the Chronicles.
They receive their instruction from the Decemvirate, a secret body of ten masked individuals who pass messages along to the captains in subtle and silent ways. Little is known about the Decemvirate, not even their ultimate goals for the collection of the endless data the Society receives.
Members of the Society are loosely affiliated adventurers, who are not required to interact. However, they are forbidden direct conflict against each other, but this doesn't stop the more unscrupulous from leading rival parties into dangerous situations and dead ends. Most are issued a Wayfinder, which is a type of magical compass, and taught to recognize the signs indicating a lodge. Other than that they are largely free to be and do what they please. This allows for a very varied membership, with a Chelaxian devil-binder and a Garundi rogue easily finding themselves sharing a night in the same lodge in the far north of Avistan.
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People
Jan 17, 2013 16:41:49 GMT -5
Post by reefwood on Jan 17, 2013 16:41:49 GMT -5
Friends & Foes & ? ? ?
This post will be continuously updated with the various NPCs encountered during adventures. Everyone is a Chelish human unless otherwise indicated. Descriptions of the various human ethnicities are posted above.
The People's Hand
Mother (Rielle - half-elf)
Moon (half-elf)
Falcon (Javi)
Big Brother (Ulfen human)
Little Brother
Hammer
Madame (gnome)
Quill (Garundi human)
Rose (Tian human)
Shadow
Sparkle
Torch (Fiosa Dewlily - halfling)
Whisper
Whittler
Woodsman (Larko - Garundi human)
Dottari
Durotas Arik Tuornos (Parego Dospera Rundottari captain - Gendrew)
Durotas Saria Roccin (Parego Spera Dottari captain)
Hellknights
Signifier ? of Asmodeus
Armiger ?
The Orphans
Pal (steer-horns & cloven-hoof
Tielfling with over-sized claws
Two mummies
Several other tieflings (Enzo, Dorry, etc)
Limehouse Theater
Director (Robahl Nonon)
Chorus & Narrator (Visbaronetess Delour Aulamaxa)
Larazod Rilsane (Gendrew Hopcrusher)
Montigny Haanderthan (Thesing Umbero Ulvauno)
Ilsandra the Lustful (Calseinica Nymmis)
Dentris Maltrada (Gavino Pierre)
Tybain the Fool (Renold Hopcrusher)
Drovalid Vorclune (Gettul Hopcrusher)
Farus the Traveled (Drenna Litfen)
Monris Blaksward (Tia Secco)
Design & Effects (Millech Jargun)
Misc Friends
Elmar Fenwisp (halfling)
Gandry Hopcrusher (dwarf - Barely Bitch owner [Gettul], Hopcrusher cousin)
Sion Fronton (human? male - Renold's teacher/Cayden priest, Pathfinder)
Frellan (human male - Acolyte of Cayden)
Misc Foes
Sewer Orcs & Half-orc (House Ulvauno?)
Sewer Goblins (Whitechin?)
Misc ? ? ?
Onyx (small humanoid wrapped in bejeweled black scarf & cloak, Evening Market)
Grell (hobgoblin female - cloaked, blades & shields, Evening Market merchant?)
Phelia Grulios (human female - noble)
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