Subject: Background Info 144 views

[Alex]

You are all from the Continent to the West (The 3.5 Semi-Canon world they we all know and love...and generally play from) You have traveled to Golarion to the east, a area of the world none of you know or have been before. Knowledge results are because to stories and books. You have been summoned by Professor Lorrimor, by letter or spell, your relationship background is for you to create within the confines of whatever relationship trait you chose. The following info that is relevant to your character is learned from the Professor or on your recent travel here.
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The Immortal Principality of Ustalav lies on the northern shore of Lake Encarthan, a grim bastion of civilization amid the barbarian north, where a harsh landscape and a history rich in tragedies inspire a wary population with skepticism, religious devotion, and superstition. A conglomeration of loosely affiliated counties, each run by feuding nobles vying for power and influence, Ustalav is a pitiful shell of its former glory, before it was subjugated to centuries of slavery at the hands of the Whispering Tyrant’s undead armies. While the nation’s upper classes struggle to compete with the very nations that abandoned them to fend for themselves after the Whispering Tyrant’s defeat, the average Ustalavic citizen has it much worse.

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Races:

Humans:Humans dominate Ustalav’s population, and among them most are ethnic Varisians whose ancestors also called the land home. Whether nobles clinging to the few drops of blood that grant them a claim—albeit a distant one—to the Ustalavic aristocracy, or stoic peasants struggling to make ends meet in the unforgiving countryside, heritage and history are incredibly important to Ustalavs. All modern Ustalavs feel directly connected through familial ties to the centuries of torment at the Whispering Tyrant’s hands and share an inherited acceptance of a life of struggle and suffering. Among the populace’s Varisian ethnicity are communities of nomads who travel as far as the Varisian coast, and the wandering Sczarni, who are scorned even by many fellow Varisians for their stereotypical unscrupulous ways. Both unsettled groups are typically considered backward and dangerous, and are thus treated as second- class citizens. In addition, those humans of Kellid decent are treated with contempt, especially in the north, where they are negatively associated with the barbarian tribes of Numeria, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, and the fallen realm of Sarkoris. Despite their relegation to second-class citizenship, Kellids are nevertheless common throughout Ustalav, and the monolithic remnants of their shamanistic society from before the arrival of the Varisians can still be found throughout the region.

Gnomes: Ustalav isn’t home to any notable gnome settlements, and the inhabitants’ general superstition makes them wary of gnomes living among them. That said, Ustalav is a strange place, and gnomes from around the world often travel there to see its bizarre sights and sometimes even more bizarre citizens. Particularly charismatic gnomes have been known to embed themselves with a traveling caravan performing an agreed-upon task in exchange for being led throughout the countryside to see the inspiring sights and experiences within. Similarly, some gnomes find themselves accompanying altogether different caravans: traveling circuses. In these cases, their freakish companions often provide enough inspiration to stave off the Bleaching, while the gnomes themselves occasionally exploit their people’s rarity by going on display for gawking rubes willing to pay to see a “freak” or “captured fairy.”

Half-Elfs: Half-elf populations are always small throughout the Inner Sea, and this remains true in Ustalav. Minute numbers of such half-breeds can be found in Ardis, Caliphas, and Karcau, though isolated individuals are scattered throughout the nation. The superstitious and uneducated population of rural Ustalav frequently see the pointed ears, inhuman eyes, and fair features of half- elves and mistake them for changelings, tieflings, or other more monstrous half-humans. Such folk then make the offenders’ lives difficult, sometimes even running them out of town. Thus, native half-elves are cautious, and often do their best to disguise their elven traits.

Classes:

Paladins:Few locations in Golarion are as in need of paladins as Ustalav. Whether one sets out to vanquish evil and eliminate any remnant of the Whispering Tyrant’s long reign or to heal and bolster the downtrodden Ustalavic citizens weary of their years of suffering, there’s never a shortage of good to be done in the Immortal Principality. In his innumerable explorations, Professor Lorrimor uncovered several holy relics and was often accompanied by paladins of different churches. He also had the opportunity to meet paladins while visiting religious archives throughout Golarion.

Rouges: With as many gypsies on the streets and highways of Ustalav as there are, it’s not surprising that the nation teems with con artists, pickpockets, thugs, and thieves. No caravan is complete without a number of rapscallions ready to play their role in separating their mark from his money, whether through deception, quick fingers, or violence. Despite the myriad problems plaguing the people of Ustalav, many citizens see the actions of the Sczarni as a pressing concern, and view members with warranted suspicion. At the same time, with as many mysteries and secrets as haunt the country’s nights, it often falls to skillful investigators, detectives, courtiers, and common folk familiar with the ways of the shadowed streets to bring the truth to light. Sometimes, in the course of exploration or research, Professor Lorrimor would hire a rogue or two to help defuse traps or procure difficult to obtain information, the most efficient of which he remained in contact with after the job was done.

Wizard: Ustalav’s legacy and identity are inseparable from the fact that Ustalav was the cradle that spawned one of the most powerful wizards of all time, the dreaded Whispering Tyrant, Tar-Baphon. Although he was long ago imprisoned, the arcane lore amassed by his servants and the crusaders who rallied against him remains alive in modern Ustalav, albeit often buried in dusty libraries and tombs scattered across the land. Many wizards travel to the region in search of ancient lore or artifacts or to teach or study at the various universities and isolated monasteries that dot the countryside. Himself a devout scholar, Professor Lorrimor found it easy to relate to wizards, and he held many as close friends, colleagues, and competitive rivals.