High Seas
From fleets of pirates united under the Hurricane Queen of the Shackles to an ancient, subaquatic empire of shapechanging monsters led by the sinister veiled masters, the High Seas of Golarion present dangers both above and below the waves. Yet they also serve as important trade routes, with merchant ships traveling the waters to link powerful nations at opposite ends of continents. Sea captains brave the dangers of the High Seas hoping to partake in the fortunes to be made in trade, linking the ports of the Inner Sea itself to those on the shores of the Arcadian Ocean from the Mwangi Expanse to the Saga Lands.
Piracy is one of the greatest dangers facing travel on the High Seas. The immense volcanic archipelago known as the Shackles serves as a haven for these pirates, with their Hurricane Queen providing just enough structure to keep them from going at each other’s throats. A great diversity of monsters and threats populate these islands, and the local pirates know which are safe and which to avoid. North of the Shackles lies Mediogalti Island. While its only significant port, Ilizmagorti, is a known safe harbor for pirates, it is the presence of the infamous Red Mantis assassins who rule the isle that gives this region its greatest infamy.
Other ports present their own complications. The port-city of Promise on the remote isle of Hermea a few hundred miles west of Avistan rewards well those who can negotiate the privilege of trade, but such honors are hard won, for the dragon who rules this closed society does not allow just anyone to visit. Rumors of what goes on beyond Promise’s dock district range from tales of a perfect society to those of an oppressive government that affords no free will. Farther to the north, the elves of the Mordant Spire are even more closed to visitors, and for most sailors, the only thing the Mordant Spire offers is an unmistakable landmark for navigation, as the twisting spire can be seen for miles.
Of all the regions along the Avistani and Garundi coastlines, though, none are more hazardous to travel than the waters tortured by the Eye of Abendego. This immense hurricane first formed at the onset of the Age of Lost Omens, when storms wracked all of Golarion in the wake of Aroden’s death. Unlike those other storms, though, this hurricane remained. Its winds and storm surge have destroyed several nations and transformed a previously key gulf into a navigational nightmare. What strange force caused and perpetuates the Eye of Abendego has, to date, eluded all investigation.
Piracy is one of the greatest dangers facing travel on the High Seas. The immense volcanic archipelago known as the Shackles serves as a haven for these pirates, with their Hurricane Queen providing just enough structure to keep them from going at each other’s throats. A great diversity of monsters and threats populate these islands, and the local pirates know which are safe and which to avoid. North of the Shackles lies Mediogalti Island. While its only significant port, Ilizmagorti, is a known safe harbor for pirates, it is the presence of the infamous Red Mantis assassins who rule the isle that gives this region its greatest infamy.
Other ports present their own complications. The port-city of Promise on the remote isle of Hermea a few hundred miles west of Avistan rewards well those who can negotiate the privilege of trade, but such honors are hard won, for the dragon who rules this closed society does not allow just anyone to visit. Rumors of what goes on beyond Promise’s dock district range from tales of a perfect society to those of an oppressive government that affords no free will. Farther to the north, the elves of the Mordant Spire are even more closed to visitors, and for most sailors, the only thing the Mordant Spire offers is an unmistakable landmark for navigation, as the twisting spire can be seen for miles.
Of all the regions along the Avistani and Garundi coastlines, though, none are more hazardous to travel than the waters tortured by the Eye of Abendego. This immense hurricane first formed at the onset of the Age of Lost Omens, when storms wracked all of Golarion in the wake of Aroden’s death. Unlike those other storms, though, this hurricane remained. Its winds and storm surge have destroyed several nations and transformed a previously key gulf into a navigational nightmare. What strange force caused and perpetuates the Eye of Abendego has, to date, eluded all investigation.
