Eye of Abendego
Aroden’s death in 4606 AR wracked Golarion physically and culturally, yet perhaps no evidence of his passing is so great as the massive, terrifying storm that sprang up in the Abendego Gulf. Now a stationary, seemingly permanent hurricane, the Eye of Abendego lashed Garund’s western coast, drowning the nations of Lirgen and Yamasa and creating the flooded wastes known today as the Sodden Lands. While the timing of its appearance clearly ties it to the death of humanity’s patron god, scholars still know little about the magic that powers it or what keeps it tethered in place. Scrying spells reveal a calm central eye clogged thick with flotsam ranging from the minuscule to entire floating structures, yet expeditions attempting to investigate in person invariably find themselves beset by air elementals, undead, and sea monsters.
Still, the danger and mystery of the storm haven’t prevented neighboring cultures from finding ways to make use of it. For the pirates of the Shackles, the hurricane’s winds serve as a natural defense against the navies of the north. It also serves as a barrier restricting sea lanes and forcing vulnerable traders looking for sea access to the Mwangi Expanse to come right past the pirates’ isles. Most Free Captains learn to use the endless storm to their advantage, darting out of its squalls to take their prey unaware before disappearing back into the storm, stymieing any pursuit. The pirate lords even host an annual race through the hurricane’s edgesthe Free Captain’s Regatta—with the winner awarded an island and a seat on the Pirate Council. Similarly, the Red Mantis of Mediogalti Island use the storm’s wrath as a convenient buffer against invasion by other nations. Amid the storm’s wrack and beneath its waves, bloodthirsty adaros, sea devils, and krakens hunt for hapless victims and wayward treasure. And on the mainland, the boggard tribes of the Sodden Lands worship the storm as a manifestation of Rovagug.
Still, the danger and mystery of the storm haven’t prevented neighboring cultures from finding ways to make use of it. For the pirates of the Shackles, the hurricane’s winds serve as a natural defense against the navies of the north. It also serves as a barrier restricting sea lanes and forcing vulnerable traders looking for sea access to the Mwangi Expanse to come right past the pirates’ isles. Most Free Captains learn to use the endless storm to their advantage, darting out of its squalls to take their prey unaware before disappearing back into the storm, stymieing any pursuit. The pirate lords even host an annual race through the hurricane’s edgesthe Free Captain’s Regatta—with the winner awarded an island and a seat on the Pirate Council. Similarly, the Red Mantis of Mediogalti Island use the storm’s wrath as a convenient buffer against invasion by other nations. Amid the storm’s wrack and beneath its waves, bloodthirsty adaros, sea devils, and krakens hunt for hapless victims and wayward treasure. And on the mainland, the boggard tribes of the Sodden Lands worship the storm as a manifestation of Rovagug.
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