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Regional Information

• Planet: Golarion
  - Moon: Somal
• Continent: Avistan
  - Thassilon
• Region: Varisia
  - Irespan
• City: Magnimar
  - Alabaster District
  - Beacon's Point
  - Capital District
  - Dockway
  - Keystone
  - Lowcleft
  - Naos
  - Ordellia
  - Underbridge
• Home Base: Heidmarch Manor

Golarion
The planet Golarion orbits a yellow sun in the far reaches of the Material Plane. Third in orbit, this blue planet contains vast oceans and lush green lands, the perfect environment for countless cultures to thrive. Golarion's crater-scarred moon, Somal, fills its night sky, and its nearest planetary neighbors, Castrovel the Green World and Akiton the Red Planet (second and fourth from the sun, respectively), are easily visible as well.

Somal
Golarion has one grey crater-scarred moon, which was called Somal by the Azlanti. Golarion's moon is tidally locked, and thus always shows the same face to its planet, causing much speculation about what actually is on the dark side of the moon.

Avistan
Avistan (pronounced AV-ihs-tan) is a continent on the world of Golarion. One of the most heavily-settled areas on the planet, Avistan possesses as many varied cultures and environments as any other continent in the world and an ancient history stretching back tens of thousands of years. The continent is home to once-great empires and the ancient ruins of Thassilon in the wild frontier of Varisia.

Avistan is home to a vast, diverse population of humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, orcs, goblins, and countless other races.

Thassilon
Over 10,000 years ago, the ancient empire of Thassilon (pronounced THAH-sih-lon) occupied most of western Avistan for over a millennium. While its power was great, struggles for control within the nation itself tore Thassilon apart. All that now remains are mysterious ruined monoliths scattered throughout the landscape of Varisia.

Varisia
The wild frontier of Varisia (pronounced vah-RHIS-ee-ah) is composed of rural communities, independent city-states, cyclopean ruins, and uncharted wilderness. Varisia is home to a wide variety of plant-life and creatures, given its extremes in environments and geography. It is also known as a "frontier" or "wild" region, with many dangerous monsters living in relatively close proximity to Varisia's settlements.

Five Things Everyone Knows About Varisia

1. Dozens of mysterious monuments litter Varisia’s countryside, in the form of gigantic spires, massive bridges, titanic stairs, and—some say—even lost cities. One of the most famous of these is the Irespan, located in the city of Magnimar.
2. Varisia has no central government; Korvosa, Magnimar, and Riddleport are distinct and sovereign city-states.
3. Varisia’s native peoples, the Shoanti and Varisians, are both nomadic groups, wandering far in great tribes or in colorful wagon caravans, respectively.
4. When Cheliax invaded Varisia, the Chelaxians displaced the native Shoanti, earning the barbarians’ eternal hatred.
5. Varisia is home to numerous kinds of giants. Hill and marsh giants hunt the lowlands, stone giants defend rocky holdings, and beings of impossible size stalk the distant mountain ranges.

Irespan The Irespan, sometimes called the Giant's Bridge, is the largest and most impressive monument in all of Magnimar and overshadows the city's poorest district known as Underbridge. The Irespan is actually the remains of an enormous bridge that stretches into the Varisian Gulf, standing over 300 feet above the sea and over 100 feet wide. It is, like most of the monuments that dot the Varisian landscape, a remnant of ancient Thassilon.

Magnimar Built in the shadow of megaliths, Magnimar (pronounced MAG-nih-mahr) endlessly endeavors to surpass the overwhelming scale and grandeur of the ancient wonders that litter the Varisian landscape. A place of great opportunity, social stress, and cold beauty, the city exudes the air of a southern metropolis, seeking to rise above its ignoble beginnings. Yet its towering monuments, elegant gardens, ostentatious architecture, and elaborate sculptures form but a cracked mask over a struggling government and a desperate people in need of heroes.

Magnimar’s founders were adventurers, and the spirit of the adventurer and explorer keeps the heart and soul of Magnimar alive. It should thus come as no surprise that the monuments the city is so well known for often have ties to adventuring themes. In addition, many of the major works have been magically empowered over the years. The source of these enhancements are hotly debated—some assume they were created by now-dead or anonymous spellcasters as a gift to the city, while others suspect these magical effects instead represent a legacy of ancient Thassilonian wizardry lingering in the region’s stones. With many of the monuments, boons are granted to those who perform minor acts of worship and respect to Magnimar, its monuments, and the empyreal lords who watch over the city.

Magnimar boasts a population of over 16,000 inhabitants, with the great majority of those being humans. In turn, most of these humans are ethnic Chelaxians and Varisians, and while Shoanti and Sczarni maintain a large presence in the city, they are essentially marginalized and considered troublemakers. Half lings make up the next largest demographic, followed by elves and dwarves. The remainder of the population consists of gnomes and half-breed races.

The city is split in two by a massive cliff face, separating the city into two major districts. The one atop the cliff is called the Summit and the one below that meets with Varisian Gulf is called the Shore. The slums of Magnimar, known as the Shadow since that district sees little sun during the day, lies below the Irespan, a colossal and ancient bridge ruined ages ago.

A total of nine districts throughout the city offer locations that may interest adventurers.

1. Alabaster District
2. Beacon's Point
3. Capital District
4. Dockway
5. Keystone
6. Lowcleft
7. Naos
8. Ordellia
9. Underbridge

Heidmarch Manor, home base for characters, is found in the Alabaster District located in the Summit.

The Bazaar of Sails, easily the largest free market in Varisia where all manner of goods can be found, is located in Dockway as well as in Old Fang, a popular watering hole. Temples to various deities can be found in the City of Monuments. The Dome of the Savored Sting, a temple of Calistria, is found in the Keystone District; this district is also home to the Church of Pharasma, which tends to the city’s dead and newborns. Deadeye Lodge, a church of Erastil, can also be found here, as can the Cynosure Tower, a church dedicated to Desna. Up on the Summit in the Naos District lies the Church of Iomedae, and just a few blocks away stands the Cathedral of Abadar. While in the Keystone District, those studying arcane magic might want to visit the Stone of the Seers, a school that focuses on educating casters in abjuration and divination magic.

On the edge of the cliff overlooking the Varisian Gulf, many seek entertainment at Serpent’s Run, a huge hippodrome that features all manner of exciting events from decathlons, horse and dog races, displays of magic, ircus performances, and mock-gladiatorial battles. Just across the Capital District in the district of Naos rises Magnimar’s tallest structure, the Arvensoar, home to Magnimar’s military forces.

On the opposite banks of the Yondabakari River lies Ordellia, known also as the Foreign Quarter. Those seeking potions and other alchemical products often search out Billivin’s Benevolent Balms and Effulgent Elixirs, though some doubt the reliability of his wares.

Alabaster District
Population 1,598 permanent, 314 itinerant The Alabaster District is home to Magnimar’s richest and most affluent citizens. The streets of Alabaster District are kept quite clean—even the alleyways here are relatively free of vagrants and accumulated trash. Stone blocks pave all major streets, with bricks and cobblestone more common in alleyways and side streets. The majority of the buildings here are made of stone as well, with wooden or slate shingle roofs. Shops, taverns, and the like are relatively rare here, with those that do exist typically catering to small clienteles—practically secret societies, these establishments generally do not open their doors to non-members.

Aristocrats, guild masters, and anyone rich enough to afford such a lifestyle dwell in the grandiose villas and mansions that line this district’s streets, which also house the small armies of support staff each villa requires to maintain its decadence and splendor.

The northernmost end of this district is segregated from the lower districts by steeply canted, marble-inlaid walls, with prominent avenues allowing one to ascend to the statuary-lined streets above by way of long, well-guarded stairs. It is here, in a neighborhood known as the Stylobate (so named for the belief among the aristocracy of this neighborhood that they form the pillars of society in Magnimar), that those families most closely associated with Magnimar’s military dwell, yet the residents of the rest of the district hold only slightly less prestige.

The eastern and northern border of the Alabaster District consists of the Fogwall Cliffs—steep but stable escarpments that plunge, on average, 100 feet to the sea below. Well-appointed townhouses, small villas, and even the walled estates of several old Magnimarian families provide majestic views atop the Fogwall Cliffs. This stretch of fine houses is known as the Marble District, named for the constant presence of facades built from the fine stone quarried from nearby escarpments.

Beacon's Point
Population 1,972 permanent, 700 itinerant Comprising the western rim of Outcast’s Cove and ending at the statue-studded point called the Wyrmwatch — a lighthouse said to overlook the spot Alcaydian Indros battled the Vydrarch, a legendary sea monster — Beacon Point is a raucous home to traders, sailors, and hardworking, hard-living families of all sorts.

Beacon’s Point has two distinct faces. Along the coast and the major roadways that run along the borders between Dockway and Keystone, the buildings are large and sturdy, made of stone and wood. Streets here are clean and relatively well patrolled. Numerous warehouses, shipping concerns, and other businesses fill the area, as do numerous simple but boisterous brothels and taverns. The farther one travels from this district’s borders, the more closely packed and poorly maintained the buildings get — many critics of Magnimar see Beacon’s Point as a metaphor for the whole city as being a shell of civility and industry wrapped around a corrupt heart.

This all changes once one enters the core of slums known as Rag’s End — in some cases, a single alleyway is all that stands between the industry of the outer rim and the squalor of the core. Rag’s End is a mazelike knot of alleys where the poorest of the city’s working class make their homes. Temporary laborers, crippled dockhands, drunks, and the sorely out-of-luck scrape by on coin earned from begging, performing odd and often demeaning jobs, and the charity of the city’s sympathetic religions. The deeper one travels into Rag’s End and the core of the entire district, the worse off the conditions become. Most of the buildings here are wooden, with haphazard repair work using recycled lumber. Nearly a quarter of the buildings are half-collapsed and abandoned save by scavengers, and many buildings seem to rely as much upon neighboring structures as they do on their own foundations for support.

Capital District
Population 2,012 permanent, 759 itinerant Although much of Magnimar’s industry and trade takes place along the Shore, the dusty blocks that surround the Irespan ring with the noisy work of sculptors, jewelers, woodcarvers, and all manner of other artisans who work in rare mediums—even magic. In Bridgeward, studios and workshops of such artisans engage in their trade and competition for students, members, and custom. Yet despite the quality of many of Magnimar’s artists, these establishments are not the primary purpose of this large district, for it is here that the city’s government is centered.

Magnimar has two official government branches, and both of these branches maintain a presence in the central part of the Capital District. The office of the lord-mayor and the Council of Ushers are based in neighboring buildings: the Pediment Building and Usher’s Hall, respectively.

As with the Summit’s other districts, majority of the Capital District’s buildings are made of stone, and as the city’s seat of government, it’s also among the city’s safest areas. Not only are all streets and most alleys kept lit after dark with well-maintained lanterns, but the city watch foots additional patrols here to ensure that Magnimar’s bureaucratic heart remains healthy. In addition, the buildings of the Capital District are, on average, the oldest and most artistically decorated of all those in the city—strolls down many of this district’s major streets are at times akin to walks though museums of art.

Dockway
Population 1,310 permanent, 760 itinerant The shouts and bustle of countless traders, fishermen, and foreign travelers stir the choppy waters of Outcast’s Cove through all hours of the day and night. Along the seaside district of Dockway, salt-blasted storefronts and cramped businesses cater to the typically rough seafolk, while exotic inns and taverns serve as familiar welcomes to visitors from afar. First and foremost a trade city, Magnimar owes its prosperity to the countless foreign merchants who readily make use of the city’s reputedly safe and certainly free port. Enforcing no taxes on harborage or imports, the city welcomes business from all lands and makes the bounty of Varisia available for trade. As a result, several of the most prestigious trading coasters, mercantile families, and shipping concerns do regular business in the city, with some having even established offices and private
local shipyards.

Dockway’s most incredible feature is the sprawling Bazaar of Sails, yet the district itself is more than merely one enormous market. The waterfront is constantly bustling scene of activity as ships bearing travelers and cargo vie for dock space, and even the neighborhoods farthest from the shore are noisy and raucous. The large number of fishing eagle nests amid the crags of the Seacleft are the source of the area’s less common name, “Eagle’s Quarter.” The streets here are cobblestone, and buildings are an equal mix of stone and wood. Streets are patrolled regularly, yet the high volume of traffic and the district’s close proximity to Underbridge make it difficult for guards and mercenary companies to always keep the peace.

Keystone
Population 1,899 permanent, 973 itinerant While impressive and intimidating buildings line Keystone’s major streets, behind them lie the townhouses and close alleys of Magnimar’s laity. It is these buildings that the majority of the middle class of Magnimar calls home. Buildings in this district range from intricate and impressive structures to humble wooden abodes.

While holy houses to some of the gods can be found in other districts, Keystone features the largest number of temples, shrines, and holy sites.

While Castlegate, the primary entrance to Magnimar for travelers from elsewhere in Varisia, sits on the border between Keystone and Lowcleft, it is to Keystone that this towering gatehouse technically belongs—and as such, it is Keystone that most land-bound travelers visit first upon arriving in Magnimar. As a result, the government takes pains to ensure that at least the main thoroughfares of this district are kept as clean and safe as possible. No taxes are charged for the use of this gate to enter or leave Magnimar.

Lowcleft
Population 2,706 permanent, 902 itinerant Nestled at the bottom of the Seacleft lies one of Magnimar’s most vibrant districts. Numerous small playhouses, pubs, brothels, hookah bars, dance halls, and a wide variety of other entertainments make Lowcleft—or “the Rubble,” as locals typically call it (as much because of the minor but frequent small rockfalls that tumble from the face of the Seacleft and land here, as to the district’s perceived low morals)—a home to the city’s artistic and avant-garde community.

Lowcleft is unlike many of Magnimar’s other districts in that it doesn’t truly come to life until the sun sets. During the day, the place is quiet and calm as its workers and offerings sleep in rooms with dark curtains drawn to block the sunlight. At dusk, when those who live elsewhere in the city finish their day’s work and filter down to Lowcleft for some relaxation and relatively safe entertainment, Lowleft rises from its slumber to become one of the city’s busiest districts.

The clash between light and shadow is a common theme in Lowcleft, for many establishments pay significant amounts for magical illuminations or colorful alchemical lanterns not only in order to light their facades to attract customers, but also to distract the same from their competition. Despite these frequent islands of dazzling color, many stretches of Lowcleft remain in shadow or even darkness—not all entertainments thrive in the light and direct scrutiny, after all.

Buildings here are often built of stone, although in the back alleys wood and stone buildings are more common. Streets are cobblestone, but again, in the back alleys standards slip and wooden walkways or even packed dirt replace stones. The city watch patrols the major streets of Lowcleft, but mercenaries paid for by the district’s larger establishments provide most of the street-level security.

Naos
Population 2,236 permanent, 1,886 itinerant Home to many merchants and comfortable families, Naos is disparagingly called the “New-Money District” by local aristocrats. Despite the disdainful comments of the elite, Naos is one of the most welcoming and well-kept parts of Magnimar.

In the relatively small neighborhood of Vista, high-class shops, restaurants, businesses, and the offices of mercantile concerns perch atop the Seacleft’s edge. Here, citizens of Naos can enjoy the convenience of shopping without having to venture down to the Shore and rub shoulders with the working class. The shops of Vista are remarkably open to visitors from the lower districts, though—as long as visitors from less affluent districts don’t cause too many disruptions to paying customers, the illusion of more patrons is always welcome.

Naos is similar to Ordellia (not that anyone from either district would ever admit to such) in that it truly functions as a miniature city within the greater city of Magnimar. Here, one can find a mix of residential neighborhoods, markets, government agencies, and temples, all within a relatively short distance of one another. The large number of well-to-do inhabitants ensures that the city watch would patrol the region well, even were the watch itself not based in this district. Dozens upon dozens of shops and merchant’s stalls sell goods and services ranging from groceries to jewelry, fine clothes to magic items, oxen to rare birds, chimney sweeping to fortune-telling, and more. The streets are mostly paved with stones, with only the narrowest alleys downgrading to cobblestones.

Ordellia
Population 1,672 permanent, 986 itinerant Although named for one of Magnimar’s most beloved historical figures, Ordellia Whilwren, the district of Ordellia faces a specific (and for a city of Magnimar’s supposedly open-minded nature, rather ironic) challenge—for it is here that many of those of “foreign” blood dwell. Separated from the main city by the deep waters of the Yondabakari, Ordellia simultaneously extols the virtues of diversity Magnimar was founded on and suffers from and supplies those who distrust outlanders with constant reminders of why a safe city has walls. Referred to disparagingly by many Magnimarians as the “Mush” (a play on words that references not only Ordellia’s proximity to the Mushfens, but also its highly diverse population), Ordellia is in many ways its own city, distinct from the rest of Magnimar, yet bound to it by a dependence on government support as surely as it is by the sturdy stone bridges that connect the district to the east.

Ordellia does not receive much official support from the city watch patrols—officials blame the difficulties of maintaining proper rounds at such a great distance and bottlenecking issues with the bridges. Security, like so many other amenities, is left to its inhabitants. For the most part, Ordellia’s patrols are performed by a combination of hired mercenaries, periodic visits from Hellknights, and out-of-work adventuring parties looking to earn a few extra coins from the district’s Embassy Building. The major roads are cobblestone, with hard-packed earth in alleys or on Kyver’s Islet. Several of the dirt roads have wooden beams sunken into them to help keep them navigable during the wet seasons.

Underbridge
Population 1,023 permanent, 602 itinerant Seedy taverns, poorly run brothels, and rat-infested gambling dens compete with salt-blasted tenement buildings and cheap flophouses in Magnimar’s most dangerous district, Underbridge. While the Magnimarian government champions cleaning up Underbridge as one of its most important long-term goals, many council members realize that the vices of the slum attract a certain amount of business to the city and that truly clearing away the “bridge trash” could significantly impact the local economy. While several of the city’s religions have attempted in the past to reform and redeem the lost of this district, it seems that the denizens of Underbridge prefer to live amid squalor and danger, if only as a way to escape the demands of faith and society. It’s not uncommon to hear talk amid the citizens of Underbridge of how their district is the only one that maintains Magnimar’s purpose—that they, and they alone, uphold the values of freedom and liberty that Magnimar’s original founders held so dear. Of course, such values are crowed primarily by the bullies and slumlords of Underbridge—those who build their success on Underbridge’s desperate common folk, who have no public voice at all, and whom Magnimar sees as little more than filth to be swept under the metaphorical rug that is the Irespan.

Although the submerged rubble and jagged, ruined pylons of the Irespan make sailing beneath the Giant’s Bridge a treacherous prospect, a few docks line the trash-strewn Underbridge shore, serving as the entry point for all manner of contraband. The vast majority of Magnimar’s smuggling operations take place here as a result, despite regular raids and restrictions imposed on trade by the city guard. The people of Underbridge have traditionally displayed an almost uncanny knack for one-upping the law, to the extent that rumors persist that the government secretly endorses the crime and cruelties that take place under the Irespan’s shadow.

While the majority of Underbridge’s roads are little more than muddy gaps between slumping shanties and decaying shacks, evidence of the Magnimarian founders’ attempt to bring civilization even here are evident in short stretches of broken cobblestones. The larger paving stones that once lined the major streets (placed during the city’s foundation when visions of Underbridge as a slum had yet to manifest) have all long since been dug up and sold off.

Heidmarch Manor
The home base for characters is found in the Alabaster District located in the Summit, and is the home of two of Magnimar’s most eccentric citizens: esteemed hunters and explorers Sheila Heidmarch and her husband Sir Canayven Heidmarch. The world-traveling adventurers have retired to Magnimar, but have not been content to settle into the quiet life, instead opening their sizable manor to those seeking adventure. The couple welcomes all those eager to explore the still relatively unknown land, including the surrounding region and the mysterious City of Monuments itself.