Countries of Golarion

[Richard Loh]

Andoran
Andoran owes its power to a consortium of political radicals, wealthy merchant lords, and sympathetic aristocrats who seek to spread their political philosophy and open new markets throughout the world. Much of the nation¡¦s impressive wealth comes from precious antiquities raided from other lands, such as Osirion, the Mwangi Expanse, and even Azlant or distant Arcadia. Competition for these resources grows fiercer by the year, pitting agents of Andoran against those of enemy powers like Cheliax and Taldor.

Andorens seek not just to transform their homeland, but to export their cultural, philosophical, and mercantile beliefs to the world. Years ago, revolutionaries of Andoran emptied the nation¡¦s prisons and freed all its slaves in an attempt to bolster the strength of the nation against its enemies (particularly Cheliax), and its people thereafter subscribed to a militant abolitionism. Agents dispatched from the capital city of Almas actively seek to undermine the Inner Sea slave trade and those nations who actively support it, with Cheliax, Katapesh, Osirion, and Thuvia being among the worst offenders. As an unfortunate result of such interventions, many view Andorens as troublemakers and unwanted ideological imperialists.

Languages: Common

Augustana (population: 54,200)
The city of Augustana owes its name and importance to the prolonged presence of a large Chelish port and military camp during the long campaign undertaken by General Khastalus of Corentyn to subjugate the tribes of Arthfell some 3,000 years ago. As the ¡§city of the emperor,¡¨ Augustana was surpassed in importance by Almas only a century ago. Augustana¡¦s shipyards and dock facilities are still among the largest and most important of the Inner Sea, and include the arsenal of the Andoren navy and the coastal fortress commanded by the consul admiral in charge. The first bank of Andoran, the Forester¡¦s Endowments, has its historical headquarters in the center of the town.

[Richard Loh]

Absalom (population: 303,900)
Alignment: N
Ruler: Lord Gyr of House Gixx, Primarch of Absalom, Protector of Kortos
Government: Grand Council composed of representatives from several major noble houses and religious groups. The greatest of this council, called the primarch, enjoys a wide range of privileges.
Languages: Common, Osiriani, Kelish
Religion: Abadar, Aroden, Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Iomedae, Irori, Nethys, Norgorber, Sarenrae, Shelyn

Absalom is the most famous of all cities, and takes pride in being one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the known world. According to myth, Absalom was founded by Aroden himself when he raised the Starstone from the ocean depths and left it in its current resting place at the heart of the city. It is thus a living part of mythology. Absalom also sits in the largest natural harbor on the Isle of Kortos, in the eye of the Inner Sea. This allows it to control dozens of major shipping lanes, and makes it a critical stop on any voyage across that sea. The confluence of mercantile, strategic, and religious influence in Absalom earns its title as the City at the Center of the World. Of course, it also attracts would be conquerors, who have unsuccessfully assaulted the city throughout history. The ruins of dozens of siege castles litter the grounds outside Absalom¡¦s walls, and its harbor is so choked with the masts and moldering hulls of sunken warships that safely reaching the city¡¦s docks requires the steady eye of a paid pilot. Yet Absalom has never fallen.