History of Absalom

The archmage Nex, tired of warring with his ancient enemy Geb, turned his attention from southeast Garund to the Inner Sea, drawn at least in part by the prospect of claiming the Starstone for himself. The archmage also coveted the lore of Absalom’s House of Secrets (today known as the College of Mysteries), which amalgamated and attempted to preserve many of the human magical traditions discovered by Aroden in his disguised travels around the world during the last several centuries of the Age of Destiny.
To mount this assault, Nex erected a mile‑tall featureless tower—the so‑called Spire of Nex—in the Cairnlands north of the city, then wove together a series of abducted demiplanes within it to create a battery of phantom versions of the heroes, villains, and monsters trapped within. Nex sent wave after wave of these magical creatures against the city in an ultimately fruitless bid to penetrate its walls. Dozens of so‑called “hunting lodges,” independent associations of adventurers and explorers until then based largely in the island’s interior, rushed to Absalom’s defense, beginning a tradition of adventurers defending the city in its times of need and of the city’s populace tolerating and even embracing such heroes.

Three decades after Aroden withdrew from Absalom for adventures in the Great Beyond, the city’s enemies could no longer resist temptation. Over a century, a seemingly endless series of opportunistic pirate fleets blockaded the Isle of Kortos and blackmailed it into penury.
Famine wracked the Isle of Kortos as supply lines to and from the city remained blocked for decades at a stretch. Pestilence knows no embargo, however, and even when the city was at its most isolated, disease found its way into Absalom. Several plagues wracked the populace, notably a devastating outbreak of the infamous Yellow Death sickness that claimed hundreds of lives and was only turned back by the great Arodenite patriarch Sarnax using an Ancient Azlanti artifact called the Radiant Spark.
The assistance of foreign mercenaries eventually thwarted the pirate menace, sinking its final fleet to make the earliest contribution to the Flotsam Graveyard in the city’s harbor. With little gold left, Absalom’s Grand Council was forced to promise land and titles to these outlander saviors. Many of the city’s oldest noble houses trace their origin to this era, as does the town of Diobel and Absalom’s Navy.

Though the slight that provoked this siege has long been forgotten, the answering wrath of the fey prince Juroveal fell upon the citizens of Absalom in return. Juroveal led comparatively small armies of satyr and minotaur allies but evened the score with powerful magic. When Absalom proved capable of resisting his first assault, the seilenos cast a terrible ritual over the city, binding the unfortunate citizens unprotected by Azlanti Keep to act as puppets under his command. From atop a slave‑built tower and palace, Juroveal then animated trees from the nearby Immenwood to act as living siege engines against the city walls.
The fey prince was routed not by Absalom’s armies, but by its peerless scholars and lorekeepers—Juroveal was tricked into banishing himself from Golarion. His palace was then built into the city walls, turning his assault into Absalom’s strength.

Norgorber completes the Test of the Starstone.

Cayden Cailean passes the Test of the Starstone.

Massive earthquakes devastate both Taldor and Qadira, killing tens of thousands and flattening many cities. Some Taldan nobles accept this as proof that Qadira worships Rovagug and threatens to unleash the Rough Beast from his prison, while Satrap Gheber II declares this proof of Taldan allegiance with evil gods and requests leave to invade Taldor. The empress refuses.

Taldor launches the Shining Crusade to destroy the lich Tar-Baphon and his undead armies.

Iomedae passes the Test of the Starstone.

House Thrune emerges as the victor in the decades-long infighting over the throne of Cheliax, and institutes diabolism and the worship of Asmodeus as the official state religion. Emboldened Chelaxian sympathizers exert increasing influence in Absalom and stoke fears of invasion.