Ages

Beyond the Genesis story your knowledge of history begins with the Age of Legend, but you’re vaguely aware that serpents, reptiles, giants and these elemental earth creatures called Xiomorns had empires or something before humanity was elevated by the Alghollthu.  

Three human empires controlled the majority of the world’s landmass, Rahdor, Thassalion and Azlant. While Rahdor was characterised by its unrivaled mastery and prominence of elemental magic, and Thassalion for infighting and use of Sin Magic and Rune Magic, Azlant, the first and greatest among them, was the most magically and technologically advanced nation to ever exist.   Though humanity ruled the land along with a few other powerful empires and nations such as the Elves and Cyclopses, beneath the waves was the Alghollthu: ancient, alien aquatic creatures their claims, to predate the gods.   The Alghollthu, raised the first Humans from barbarianism and taught them control of magic in the Age of Serpents. The primary interactions between the humans and alghollthus were handled by the Veiled Master, who used Illusion magic to disguise themselves and walk amongst humanity in the role of powerful Wizards. As the alghollthus nurtured the Empire of Azlant, they also secretly spread their own power through it’s ascendancy.   Eventually, the visionary named Xin discovered the secrets of rune magic, and he was followed by other Azlanti who discovered the alghollthu manipulation. The alghollthus realised that they had to act but, this time, they used more subtle methods than those used back on their homeworld: Omnipaths dominated agents to provide the alghollthus information; veiled masters in human guise sowed discord between Azlant, Thassilon and later Rahdor; faceless stalkers assassinated leaders; and Mimics wreaked havoc. None succeeded; in fact, these punishments only strengthened humanity's resolve to eclipse their teachers.   Ultimately, the alghollth’s leadership, the Mhalssthru, convened and authorised Earthfall on Golarion, which would devastate humanity and erase all traces of alghollthu involvement. The alghollthus used rune magic to reach out into the darkness of space and draw down a large meteor from the heavens, known as the Starstone, to obliterate the upstart humans.   Humanity, however, was not without its protectors. When the Azlanti goddess Acavna learned of the alghollthus' plan, she descended to the material plane and pulled one of Golarion's moons from its orbit to intercept the massive meteorite. The Starstone impacted with the moon, but was not slowed or deflected from its course. Instead it shattered into millions of pieces, many of which pierced the goddess, inflicting lethal wounds. The Starstone continued on its trajectory and impacted with Golarion, creating the inner sea and completely obliterating the continent of Azlant and plunging the world into the Age of Darkness.   To the alghollthus' great alarm, however, they had miscalculated the destructive power of the Starstone's impact. Not only did it destroy or severely cripple every major land-based civilization of the age, it also obliterated their society within the oceans.  

After Earthfall Earthfall, contact with the divine was severed. For a thousand years the sun’s light was blocked out by the ash knocked into the atmosphere.   Some who knew of the impending cataclysm looked for a method of refuge. Beyond the Elves, who escaped the planet (Golarion) to Sovyrian, no means of Planar Travel existed to provide a reliable means of escape. Many powerful Mages attempted to construct a refuge, and many others fled beneath the surface of the planet into the Underdark.   Thousands of miles beneath the surface, at the core of the planet lived the Dwarves, around the core of the cage. As earthfall approached, Torag provided them with a simple prophecy: when the ground shook beneath their feet, they must press upward to the surface. It was this ‘Quest for the sky’ that drove the Dwarves into war with the Orcs. After centuries, the Dwarves completed their quest for the sky, establishing many Sky Citadel across Golarion, and entering a prolonged period of war against the Orcs. Today, you only know of 5 citadels remaining: Dongun Hold in Alkenstar, Highhelm in the Five Kings Mountains, Janderhoff in Varisia, Kraggodan in Nirthmathas, and Kravenkus in the World's Edge Mountains.   For more details on the quest for the sky or the conflict see the history section of the Dwarves or Orcs link.

The Age of Destiny began with the founding of Osirion and spanned until Aroden raised the Starstone from the bottom of the Inner Sea and founded Rioja. The Age of Destiny saw the Pharaohs of Osirion rediscover and provide their peoples Magic, as they found ways to contact the other planes, particularly the elemental planes, and make pacts with outsiders to further propel the Osiriani Empire. At it’s height it controlled what is modern day Rahadoum, Thuvia, Osirion, Katapesh, Nex, Mana Wastes and Geb, an area 4 times what it controls today.   The Age of Destiny also saw Shory Aeromancy, working from old traditions begun by Old-Mage Jetembe, establish Kho as the first of their legendary flying cities, the foundation of Taldor, and a centuries long war between Nex and Geb that scared the land, creating the zone in which magic does not function to this day, the Mana Wastes.