Azlant

Azlant (pronounced AZZ-lant) is a lost continent in the Arcadian Ocean that was the first center of human culture on Golarion. Brought together by the alien intelligence of the alghollthus (the name used in their own language for themselves and other related creatures, such as the veiled masters), Azlanti society and culture grew by leaps and bounds until their arrogant leaders began to think of themselves as superior to their inhuman masters. In retribution, alghollthus called down the Starstone in -5293 AR, sinking the entire continent and condemning Golarion to the Age of Darkness. Now all that remains of the once-mighty continent are a string of islands and atolls spread across a large swath of the mid-Arcadian; they are the only parts of the continent still above sea level.

Geography

Earthfall shattered the continent of Azlant, sinking it to the bottom of the sea, where it was reduced to a maze of sea-canyons. The island of Mordant Spire, on the far western edge of Varisia, remains one of the few inhabited remnants of this once great continent. The elves who live there guard closely the secrets of old Azlant for fear that trespassers would bring a second doom upon the world.
What was once the Azlanti mainland begins roughly 1,000 miles west of the Arch of Aroden, and consists of a bewildering maze of cliffs, tors, and jagged channels sticking up out of the ocean. Many are honeycombed with ancient passages or topped with remnants of statues or buildings that beckon the curious. Most are quite inaccessible from sea level without the use of ropes and pulleys, and the ocean floor around them is littered with the wreckages of ships that were dashed against the sheer cliffs and shoals.
Because the magic-users of Azlant weaved their craft into the great civilization's buildings and other structures in order to increase durability and stability, a remarkable number of them have survived the intervening millennia.

History

Little is known of the history of the first human civilization other than the sad story of its destruction. Many scholars believe that the Azlanti arose from the slave pits of the alghollthus, possibly indicating that their masters had engineered the Azlanti from primitive human stock and gifted them with intelligence and power, though there is no known evidence to back this theory.[citation needed] Others claim that the alghollthus simply set the early nomadic and cave-dwelling humans on the path to an advanced culture. Whatever the case may be, the Azlanti culture flourished for thousands of years upon the large continent in the middle of the Arcadian Ocean, reaching heights of art, philosophy, and science previously undreamt of by humans. What is certain is that not even the highest ranking or most enlightened humans knew they were being manipulated by supernatural forces until just before Earthfall.

War with Ydersius

Myths tell of an ancient war between the Azlanti and a race known as the serpentfolk. The Azlanti are said to have driven their enemies off the face of Golarion and into the Darklands. In the war's final battle, Savith, an Azlanti hero, beheaded the serpent god Ydersius in the Darklands realm of Sekamina.

Founding of Thassilon

The empire of Thassilon was originally founded by Azlanti exiles. These refugees were led by Xin, a powerful mage who was cast out due to his belief that "lesser races" of the world could rival Azlant's greatness.

Zura

Some legends state that the demon lord Zura was once a queen of Azlant who lusted after eternal life. In these tales, Zura's depraved acts led to Azlant falling into decadence and was one of the catalysts for the Age of Darkness.

Sun Temple Colony

In 4246 AR, the Chelish province of Andoran sent out a fleet of ships to build a colony upon one of the few remaining islands of Azlant. Over a dozen ships perished in the voyage over the treacherous Arcadian Ocean, and the rest wrecked upon the sharp reefs near the coast. When the 200 survivors landed, they thanked Abadar for having survived and climbed the nearest high hill. There they found an ancient temple dedicated to some forgotten Azlanti sun god. They founded their Sun Temple Colony there, and did their best to keep the settlement going over the following centuries. Contact between the colony and the homeland became more sporadic in the late 44th century AR, until all communication ceased sometime in the early 45th century. The final message was incomprehensible, stating something about a "weeping gate" and warning of "an inner eye in the minds of us all". Since then no one has heard from the colonists, although passing ships report still seeing strange lights coming from the island from time to time; the colony's ultimate fate remains a mystery.

Location under

Golarion