Long ago, before the gods and the primordials changed the face of the universe, a gateway lay hidden in the depths of the Astral Plane, a
Living Gate that slept through the ages. A powerful being, said to be neither god nor primordial but kin to both, guarded the Living Gate so that none could open it or peer into the madness beyond.
Through many long ages, the Living Gate rested peacefully. Even as the conflict between the gods sundered the fabric of the Astral Plane and its dominions, the gate's guardian kept it shut. However, as the war raged on, one of the gods who had secretly peered beyond the gate killed the guardian. The identity of the nameless god was never discovered. In any event, the Living Gate awoke from its eons of sleep . . . and opened.
The Dark Tapestry's alien creatures and defiling energy erupted into reality, and its terrors emerged across the Astral Plane and spilled into the world. Many astral realms were consumed, forcing the gods to turn their attention away from their conflicts and defend their homes. Finally, the gods rallied and shattered the Living Gate, sealing the passage to the Dark Tapestry and protecting the fabric of reality.
The sentient shards of the Living Gate swept across the Astral Plane and into the other connected planes. They spread across the cosmos, scattering across the Material Plane. Some of these shards were drawn to Golarion and impacted the planet. These powerful items, called Godshards, were items of immense power. One of these, named the
Starstone, was discovered by the Azlanti Aroden, who used his magic to seal it away. Some believe that the gods rewarded Aroden with divinity for this, but some believe the Godshard granted him this power.
