The planet Golarion orbits a yellow sun in the far reaches of the Material Plane. Third of eleven in orbit, this blue planet contains vast oceans and lush green lands, and is the perfect environment for countless cultures. Indeed, Golarion is the most populous planet in its solar system. Its innately hospitable and life-sustaining environment is presumably the work of the gods, so astronomers sometimes refer to Golarion as 'the Child'. Astronomers of other planets, however, often refer to Golarion as 'the Cage', in reference to its cosmic role as the prison of the mad god Rovagug, who lies bound at the world's core.
History[ | ]
Age of Creation[ | ]
The Age of Creation is a term used to describe the uncounted years of mythic time, beginning with the creation of Golarion and ending with the emergence of mortal races upon its face (the Age of Serpents). It was a time when the gods of Golarion played a much more active role than they do today.
Age of Serpents[ | ]
The Age of Serpents is a term used primarily in the Inner Sea region by those who use the dating system known as Absalom Reckoning for the length of unmeasured time which preceded the rise of humanity on the continent of Azlant. It was marked by the rise of one of Golarion's first mortal race to gain control of large parts of the world and from whom the Age is named: the serpentfolk. Some scholars postulate that the rule of the serpentfolk in this Age stretched across continents and beyond to nearby planetoids.
Age of Legends[ | ]
Age of Legend is a general term used to refer to the 'prehistoric' time before the destruction of Earthfall precipitated the Age of Darkness. It is marked by the rise of the first human civilization on the lost continent of Azlant, the establishment of the Thassilonian Empire on Avistan's mainland, the rise of the dragon rulers in Tian Xia, and the creation of the cyclops nation of Koloran on the continent of Casmaron.
Earthfall[ | ]
Earthfall is the name given to the cataclysmic event in which of a swarm of meteorites impacted Golarion in -5293 AR. It resulted in the destruction of the human empires of Thassilon and Azlant, which were consumed by earthquakes and massive tidal waves, and the creation of the Inner Sea. The cloud of dust thrown up by Earthfall's impact settled in Golarion's upper atmosphere and blotted out the sun for 1,000 years, creating the Age of Darkness.
Age of Darkness[ | ]
A thousand-year period in which the sun's light was blocked by the ash knocked into the atmosphere by the meteoric impacts of Earthfall. It began with a rain of meteorites summoned from the sky by powerful magic in -5293 AR and lasted until the sun's light had been restored, roughly a millennia later. During the Age of Darkness, all major civilizations across Golarion were destroyed, ushering in a time of anarchy and destruction.
The Quest for the Sky[ | ]
The Quest for Sky is the ancient dwarven migration to the surface of Golarion from their original homes in the Darklands. Their god Torag had given them a prophecy: when the ground shook beneath their feet, they must press upward to the surface. They took the massive tremors caused by Earthfall in -5293 AR as this sign and began their journey towards the surface, finally emerging there in -4987 AR.
Age of Anguish[ | ]
The roughly 800-year period starting in -4294 AR when the skies finally cleared of the dust of Earthfall. This age was characterized by the conflicts of primitive peoples in a desperate struggle for survival and domination in a world left shattered by the Age of Darkness. The end of the Age of Anguish, and the beginning of the Age of Destiny, was marked by the founding of the Osirion civilization in circa -3470 AR, and the slow re-establishment of human civilizations across the world.
Age of Destiny[ | ]
The Age of Destiny (-3470 AR – 1 AR) began with the founding of the Osirian civilization and spanned three and a half millennia until Aroden raised the Starstone from the bottom of the Inner Sea and founded the great city of Absalom. It was marked by the re-emergence of human civilization after the barbarism of the Age of Darkness and the Age of Anguish. Other notable occurrences included the founding of the nations of Taldor and of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.
Age of Enthronement[ | ]
The Age of Enthronement began with the founding of Absalom, and its inception is also the starting point for the Absalom Reckoning dating system. It spans the years from 1 AR until 4606 AR when Aroden, the god of humanity, died. This age is characterised by the emergence of a number of gods who ascended to divinity through the Test of the Starstone.
Age of Lost Omens[ | ]
The Age of Lost Omens is one of the five major historical ages of the Inner Sea region. It is the age in which we find ourselves today, having supplanted the Age of Enthronement in 4606 AR when the death of the god Aroden threw the entire planet into decades of turmoil and confusion.