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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Chapter 1: Introduction

Golarion and the Inner Sea

Source Player Core pg. 31 2.0
While some players prefer to create a character and define them solely through roleplay, other players may wish to tie their character into the world through backstory and motives. Knowing the setting of the world you intend to play in can help flesh out your character, or even give rise to new ideas for a character that you hadn't considered.

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules come with their own default setting, known as Golarion. Golarion is a world of magic, strange beasts and monsters, dragons, sword-fighting adventure, and even some elements of science fiction and technology. It draws inspiration from many real-world nations and cultures, while combining it with fantasy to make it a separate, unique place. Many disparate characters are at home in Golarion's setting, and there are many historical events, people, and plot hooks that a player can base a character around.

The Age of Lost Omens

Source Player Core pg. 31 2.0
For most of Golarion’s existence, arcane prophecy and divine visions foretold of major events and great heroes. In 4606 ar, prophecy decreed that the God of Humanity, Aroden, would return to Golarion and usher in a new age of glory. Instead, Aroden died, destroying the reliability of prophecy with him. Unbound and unguided by fate, the people of Golarion are now free to carve out their own destinies in the current era, the Age of Lost Omens.

What Does My Character Know?

Source Player Core pg. 31 2.0
As someone who lives in a magical fantasy world, a person from Golarion has a different set of assumptions than someone from modern Earth. The following are some of these setting assumptions to keep in mind as you create your character. For more information on the world of Golarion, see the Pathfinder Lost Omens World Guide for a basic primer, and the Lost Omens setting line for a deeper look at different parts of the world.
  • Golarion is magical. Stories of wizards who can cast spells and pious servants of the gods who can conjure miracles are commonplace, and people know that they are real. While very powerful magicians are rare, most villages have a few people who have some minor magical ability.
  • Golarion has technology. The concept of a flintlock pistol or a clockwork machine isn't baffling to most people, though there are exceptions in some regions. However, the line between technology and magic is fuzzy for many, and they might easily mistake one for the other!
  • Golarion is multicultural. Much like the real world, Golarion has many different nations and cultures all across the globe. Magical transportation, historical explorations, and well-trod trade routes have seen people from all over the world travel to other locales. While immigrants and travelers from other continents may not be common, they're certainly not impossible.
  • Golarion is ancient. The known history of Golarion spans nearly 6,000 years, and that doesn't include the history that people don't know about! This long and storied past means that there's always some new secret or discovery to be dug up by scholars—or some ancient curse or threat waiting to be uncovered and set free.
  • Golarion is dangerous. There's almost always something causing trouble on Golarion, from bandits to dragons to corrupt nobles and would-be tyrants. Those who seek to travel look to brave adventurers to forge the way, ensuring their safety in a frightening world!

Adjusting the Setting

Feel free to make Golarion your own! If something we write in our books gets in the way of a concept you want to play, ask your group and your GM if you can change it. What's important isn't that you agree with the “official” material that we publish, but that the people you play with facilitate communal storytelling.

In fact, you don't have to use this setting! While the Pathfinder RPG rules do make some assumptions about the world, many of these assumptions are common within the fantasy genre. Elements that are more specific to Golarion are often confined to certain feats and archetypes, which you can change and remove as you see fit. You can easily use the rules of Pathfinder to run a different setting, or a world of your own creation.

Pathfinder Society

A prominent group of adventurers, explorers, and chronicle-keepers, the Pathfinder Society is well known across Golarion. This name is shared with Paizo's official organized play campaign played around our world. Visit PathfinderSociety.club to learn how you can participate!

The Inner Sea Region

Source Player Core pg. 31 2.0
Because Golarion is so large, much of the adventures and information we publish is focused on a specific region of the world. This region is known as the Inner Sea region, consisting of the northern continent of Avistan and half of the southern continent known as Garund. The titular Inner Sea was created when a meteor struck the planet in an event known as Earthfall, which created a long gulf that is now filled with water.

For simplicity, the Inner Sea region is further divided into the following ten regions, which each have different themes. These themes can help you tie your character to the world, giving them a backstory that feels like part of a larger story. Note that some of these themes are based on rules and lore from other books, giving you even more character possibilities.

Regional Languages

Source Player Core pg. 34 2.0
These regional languages are uncommon outside the region of their genesis. A character hailing from one of the regions listed below automatically has access to that language. In the Inner Sea region, the language referred to as Common elsewhere in the rules is the same as Taldane.

Table 2-3: Regional Language

LanguageSpeakers
HallitBroken Lands, Eye of Dread, Saga Lands
KelishGolden Road
MwangiMwangi Expanse, the Shackles, Thuvia, Vidrian
OsirianiGeb, Katapesh, Mana Wastes, Nex, Osirion, Rahadoum, Thuvia
ShoantiHold of Belkzen, Varisia
SkaldIrrisen, Lands of the Linnorm Kings
TienLands of the Linnorm Kings, Realm of the Mammoth Lords, Tian Xia
VarisianBrevoy, the Gravelands, Nidal, Nirmathas, Ustalav, Varisia
VudraniJalmeray, Katapesh, Nex, Vudra