Absalom
For more than 4,000 years, Absalom (pronounced AB-sah-lahm) has been the City at the Center of the World, a metropolis-sized showcase of the greatest treasures in all Golarion. The importance and influence of Absalom upon the Inner Sea and the whole of Golarion can not be overstated. The city not only holds a key strategic position for both commercial and military endeavors in the region, but encompasses the site of the ascension of four deities and claims to have been founded by none other than the Last Azlanti, the god Aroden. It is not without reason that the passage of time throughout the Inner Sea region is counted in Absalom Reckoning.
The city itself is enormous: it stretches more than seven miles from the Starwatch Keep to Azlanti Keep and more than five miles from Westgate to Eastgate, and Absalom has three times as many residents as the capital of Cheliax, Egorian.
Geography
Situated on the southern coast of the Isle of Kortos, Absalom is the largest city in the Inner Sea region and quite possibly the entire world. The ice-capped peaks of the Kortos Mounts are among the highest known in the world, stretching high above treeline. Economy
Absalom's currency consists of pennies, silver weights, crests, gold measures, and platinum sphinxes. Absalom's great wealth is driven by trade, so the city's rulers strive to craft policies favorable to commerce (and their own interests), but otherwise take a relatively laissez-faire approach to regulation. The city is a major hub for commerce on the Inner Sea, and its most common trading partners include the cities of Almas, Cassomir, Katheer, Niswan, Okeno, Oppara, Oregent, Ostenso, and Sothis. However, Absalom has varying relations with and regulations concerning trade with them. For example, Almas views Absalom's ships as unwelcome bullies, while Vudrani traders from Niswan are celebrated, and ships from Oregent must prove they carry only glassware and silverware or face a 100% tariff. Other ships come from all over the world, as far away as Tian Xia. Absalom acts as a hub for these countries and disseminates these goods to ships on their way to other ports across the Inner Sea. Taxes in the city are very light, although Siege Taxes during wartime may be significantly higher. There are no property taxes, although the city charges for access to roads, sanitation, and other public infrastructure. Modest taxes on foreign merchants, fees for pilots through the Flotsam Graveyard, and docking fees, are generally sufficient to supply the city's needs. Absalom's economy can be divided into three basic parts: craftsmen, who manufacture goods; traders, who buy and sell physical goods; and laborers, who provide services. While craftsmen and laborers are organized into guilds that provide legal and illegal products and services, traders are prohibited from organizing to prevent collusion and price-fixing. Exports
Even though goods from across the world are traded in Absalom, it also has several important exports that originate in and around the Isle of Kortos. Lumber is harvested in the Immenwood and brought via the Deluge River to Diobel or overland to Otari. Diobel's shallow harbor also has plentiful oyster beds and are considered some of the finest in the Inner Sea region. Iron is mined in the Isle of Kortos' interior (most notably in the dwarven settlement of Galizhur) and supples Absalom's countless craftspeople that sell their goods across Golarion. Finally, various skymetals are harvested by Low Azlanti on the ocean floor or harvested in the Diobel Hills. Absalom is also famous for its shellfish: oysters, clams, scallops, crabs, and lobster. Government
Absalom is ruled by the Grand Council which is chaired by the primarch, a position currently held by Lord Gyr of House Gixx. The Council has twelve high seats (including the primarch's) and a variable number of low seats. Most of the city's administrative positions are filled by members of the Council, the more sought after titles going to members of the High Council. The position of primarch is held for life and decided upon by the High Council. It has additional privileges unique to the position granting the holder considerable power over the Council, and by corollary, the City at the Center of the World itself. Much of the day-to-day administration are handled by the district councils of Absalom. The district councils are headed by a nomarch, who is appointed by the Low Council with the approval of the primarch. Military & law enforcement
Absalom is defended by a complicated web of military and law enforcement organizations, each of which has differing mandates. The First Guard serves as Absalom's army. They man the city's walls, gates, and forts and protect it from external threats. The Starwatch is a military, intelligence, and law enforcement organization headquartered at Starwatch Keep outside the city. They enforce the Grand Council's decrees, investigate crimes that cross district lines, and look into misconduct by the city's other military and law enforcement groups. Absalom's Navy is the largest of the military branches and protects the city from attacks by sea and also oversees the hippocampus-mounted Wave Riders. Finally, the various district guards or watches investigate crimes committed only within the various districts of the city. History
Founded in 1 AR by the god Aroden when he raised the Starstone from the depths of the Inner Sea, there is nothing ordinary about Absalom's history even from its very first day in existence. Its whole-cloth creation allowed for a quick inhabitation and Aroden tasked the best and bravest from throughout Inner Sea region to protect the Starstone and prevent any from moving it. But given Absalom's tactical position in the middle of countless trade routes and its undeniable influence, many ambitious nations or greedy warlords have set their sights upon the walls of the city over the millennia, and the guarding of the city and the Starstone within has never been easy. For the past four millennia, the city has been besieged by one army after another, in an attempt to bring Absalom to its knees and wrest control of it from all others. Despite the relentless onslaught, the city has never fallen. Relics of these ongoing wars still litter the plains of the Isle of Kortos surrounding the city (known as the Cairnlands) and sunken warships clutter the harbor. Religion
The most common faiths in Absalom are, of course, those of the four ascended gods: Aroden, Norgorber, Cayden Cailean and Iomedae. In addition to these churches, temples and shrines to Abadar, Nethys, Sarenrae, Calistria, Irori and Shelyn can be found throughout the metropolis. Absalom is also the only civilized city where the worship of Norgorber is tolerated. With this variety of religious institutions all on one place, many services and items are offered. Some of these items include cathedral pit stones and whisper safes. Symbols
Absalom's many centuries of immigration have provided it with a dizzying array of guilds, houses, religious and martial orders, and other organizations, each with their own symbols. Absalom as a whole, however, has a number of common symbols. The city's colors are golden yellow (for the Starstone) and green (for the sea and the island's lush pastures). Absalom's mascots are the hippocampus, representing the island's naval power and Sea Cavalry, and the mother-sphinx, imported from Osirion. Absalom's mother-sphinx is typically presented as a winged lion with a female human head and upper body, and occasionally shown pregnant, astride a wave, or with human hands holding a scale and scepter or scroll. The city's motto is "Ex Prothex", which is interpreted to mean "From the First" or "First Among Equals". Absalom's hybrid nature and long history are reflected some of the in the foreign names for it: the Patchwork City, or the City of Buried Treasures.
Situated on the southern coast of the Isle of Kortos, Absalom is the largest city in the Inner Sea region and quite possibly the entire world. The ice-capped peaks of the Kortos Mounts are among the highest known in the world, stretching high above treeline. Economy
Absalom's currency consists of pennies, silver weights, crests, gold measures, and platinum sphinxes. Absalom's great wealth is driven by trade, so the city's rulers strive to craft policies favorable to commerce (and their own interests), but otherwise take a relatively laissez-faire approach to regulation. The city is a major hub for commerce on the Inner Sea, and its most common trading partners include the cities of Almas, Cassomir, Katheer, Niswan, Okeno, Oppara, Oregent, Ostenso, and Sothis. However, Absalom has varying relations with and regulations concerning trade with them. For example, Almas views Absalom's ships as unwelcome bullies, while Vudrani traders from Niswan are celebrated, and ships from Oregent must prove they carry only glassware and silverware or face a 100% tariff. Other ships come from all over the world, as far away as Tian Xia. Absalom acts as a hub for these countries and disseminates these goods to ships on their way to other ports across the Inner Sea. Taxes in the city are very light, although Siege Taxes during wartime may be significantly higher. There are no property taxes, although the city charges for access to roads, sanitation, and other public infrastructure. Modest taxes on foreign merchants, fees for pilots through the Flotsam Graveyard, and docking fees, are generally sufficient to supply the city's needs. Absalom's economy can be divided into three basic parts: craftsmen, who manufacture goods; traders, who buy and sell physical goods; and laborers, who provide services. While craftsmen and laborers are organized into guilds that provide legal and illegal products and services, traders are prohibited from organizing to prevent collusion and price-fixing. Exports
Even though goods from across the world are traded in Absalom, it also has several important exports that originate in and around the Isle of Kortos. Lumber is harvested in the Immenwood and brought via the Deluge River to Diobel or overland to Otari. Diobel's shallow harbor also has plentiful oyster beds and are considered some of the finest in the Inner Sea region. Iron is mined in the Isle of Kortos' interior (most notably in the dwarven settlement of Galizhur) and supples Absalom's countless craftspeople that sell their goods across Golarion. Finally, various skymetals are harvested by Low Azlanti on the ocean floor or harvested in the Diobel Hills. Absalom is also famous for its shellfish: oysters, clams, scallops, crabs, and lobster. Government
Absalom is ruled by the Grand Council which is chaired by the primarch, a position currently held by Lord Gyr of House Gixx. The Council has twelve high seats (including the primarch's) and a variable number of low seats. Most of the city's administrative positions are filled by members of the Council, the more sought after titles going to members of the High Council. The position of primarch is held for life and decided upon by the High Council. It has additional privileges unique to the position granting the holder considerable power over the Council, and by corollary, the City at the Center of the World itself. Much of the day-to-day administration are handled by the district councils of Absalom. The district councils are headed by a nomarch, who is appointed by the Low Council with the approval of the primarch. Military & law enforcement
Absalom is defended by a complicated web of military and law enforcement organizations, each of which has differing mandates. The First Guard serves as Absalom's army. They man the city's walls, gates, and forts and protect it from external threats. The Starwatch is a military, intelligence, and law enforcement organization headquartered at Starwatch Keep outside the city. They enforce the Grand Council's decrees, investigate crimes that cross district lines, and look into misconduct by the city's other military and law enforcement groups. Absalom's Navy is the largest of the military branches and protects the city from attacks by sea and also oversees the hippocampus-mounted Wave Riders. Finally, the various district guards or watches investigate crimes committed only within the various districts of the city. History
Founded in 1 AR by the god Aroden when he raised the Starstone from the depths of the Inner Sea, there is nothing ordinary about Absalom's history even from its very first day in existence. Its whole-cloth creation allowed for a quick inhabitation and Aroden tasked the best and bravest from throughout Inner Sea region to protect the Starstone and prevent any from moving it. But given Absalom's tactical position in the middle of countless trade routes and its undeniable influence, many ambitious nations or greedy warlords have set their sights upon the walls of the city over the millennia, and the guarding of the city and the Starstone within has never been easy. For the past four millennia, the city has been besieged by one army after another, in an attempt to bring Absalom to its knees and wrest control of it from all others. Despite the relentless onslaught, the city has never fallen. Relics of these ongoing wars still litter the plains of the Isle of Kortos surrounding the city (known as the Cairnlands) and sunken warships clutter the harbor. Religion
The most common faiths in Absalom are, of course, those of the four ascended gods: Aroden, Norgorber, Cayden Cailean and Iomedae. In addition to these churches, temples and shrines to Abadar, Nethys, Sarenrae, Calistria, Irori and Shelyn can be found throughout the metropolis. Absalom is also the only civilized city where the worship of Norgorber is tolerated. With this variety of religious institutions all on one place, many services and items are offered. Some of these items include cathedral pit stones and whisper safes. Symbols
Absalom's many centuries of immigration have provided it with a dizzying array of guilds, houses, religious and martial orders, and other organizations, each with their own symbols. Absalom as a whole, however, has a number of common symbols. The city's colors are golden yellow (for the Starstone) and green (for the sea and the island's lush pastures). Absalom's mascots are the hippocampus, representing the island's naval power and Sea Cavalry, and the mother-sphinx, imported from Osirion. Absalom's mother-sphinx is typically presented as a winged lion with a female human head and upper body, and occasionally shown pregnant, astride a wave, or with human hands holding a scale and scepter or scroll. The city's motto is "Ex Prothex", which is interpreted to mean "From the First" or "First Among Equals". Absalom's hybrid nature and long history are reflected some of the in the foreign names for it: the Patchwork City, or the City of Buried Treasures.
Absalom
Neutral Metropolis
Titles: City at the Center of the World, Patchwork City, City of Buried Treasures, Jewel of the Inner Sea
Population: 306,900
Demographics: 62% human, 11% halfling, 8% half-elf, 7% gnome, 5% dwarf, 2% elf, 1% goblin, 1% half-orc, 3% other ancestries
Government: Conventional (Grand Council)
Ruler: Lord Gyr of House Gixx
Factions:Pathfinder Society
Firebrands
Lastwall Knights
See Also:
The Starstone
Neutral Metropolis
Titles: City at the Center of the World, Patchwork City, City of Buried Treasures, Jewel of the Inner Sea
Population: 306,900
Demographics: 62% human, 11% halfling, 8% half-elf, 7% gnome, 5% dwarf, 2% elf, 1% goblin, 1% half-orc, 3% other ancestries
Government: Conventional (Grand Council)
Ruler: Lord Gyr of House Gixx
Factions:
See Also:
The Starstone
Included Locations
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