Adventurers of Varisia

Adventurous spirits from every walk of life seek their fortunes in Varisia. Those who wish to survive in these dangerous lands might consider the following advice.

Character Tips

Ancient Lost Cultures: Characters skilled in Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (arcana) are best suited to reconstructing the stories of these peoples. Access to powerful magic at higher levels could be the key to survival!

Dangerous Denizens: Player characters will come face to face with hundreds of monstrous threats. A prepared character should be suited to challenge monstrous humanoids, giants, magical beasts, and undead, and even greater threats at higher levels, such as evil outsiders and dragons.

Explorers: Characters with skill sets appropriate for adventuring in dungeons and crumbling ruins can give the party an edge. Knowledge (dungeoneering) and racial low-light vision or darkvision would be helpful in those dank and dark places. Since many of these location have been warded and secured by their builders, a character who can bypass some of those protections just might help the party live to fight another day.

Giant Hunters: Rumors of giants mobilizing in the wilds of Varisia are spreading, and the people of this frontier land need saviors. Player characters ready to take on threats like this are well suited to this campaign.

Into the Wilds: Since Varisia is an untamed frontier, characters who are good at dealing with natural threats and excel at finding their way in forests and mountains would be assets to an adventuring party. Mounts could prove useful in getting characters to the doorstep of adventure, but might be difficult to deal with belowground.

Beasts of Varisia

Numerous animals unique to the region make Varisia their home. Any barbarian, cavalier, cleric, druid, oracle, paladin or ranger native to these lands is familiar with these beasts and might befriend them as animal companions.

Auroch: Powerfully built herd animals that range across the northern Storval Plateau and western hills, aurochs refuse to be mere prey animals. With thick, mottled gray hides and forward-curving horns (reaching 2.5 feet in length), adult aurochs often weigh well over a ton.

Cindersnake: These giant red-patterned vipers hide amid the crags and fine silt of the Cinderlands, crippling prey with a painful, burning venom. Cindersnakes have the same statistics as viper snakes.

Donkey Rat: Snowy white rodents the size of small dogs (in some places known as capybaras or giant guinea pigs), the donkey rats native to Varisia's coast are popular pets (and meals) throughout the southern lands. Donkey rats have the same statistics as dogs.

Fire Pelt: These black-and-red-furred mountain lions stalk much of northwestern Varisia. The color of their pelt changes from predominantly black to a range of autumnal colors with the seasons. Fire pelts have the same statistics as big cats.

Giant Lizard: Geckos the size of ponies prowl the moist sea cliffs and forests of southern Varisia, feasting on rodents, giant insects, and even the occasional goblin. Upon the Storval Plateau, aggressive horn spirestalker lizards hide among rocky outcroppings and fearlessly attack anything that comes in sight. Giant lizards have the same statistics as crocodiles.

Storm Roc: Proud raptors with wings the color of thunderheads and crownlike crests of tousled feathers, storm rocs are said to live for hundreds of years and eventually grow to the size of the true rocs. Storm rocs have the same statistics as eagles.

Deities of Golarion

The deities of Golarion are summarized on a table in the Core Rulebook, page 43.

Faiths of Varisia

While worshipers of all of Golarion's varied religions can be found in Varisia, the majority of the region's civilized populace adhere to one of six major faiths.

Abadar: Master of the First Vault, gold-fisted Abadar seeks to order the world. Judges, merchants, and aristocrats worship him, praying for his clarity in judgement and business. The poor and wronged also frequently honor him, seeking reversals in their fortunes.

Erastil: To his followers, Old Deadeye is a stern father, a helpful neighbor, and a watchful hunter. Small communities, farmers, hunters, and common folk most often pray to Erastil.

Desna: The furtive Song of the Spheres, Desna is the goddess of dreams, luck, stars, and travelers. She delights in freedom and mystery, and teaches her people to experience all they can. Mystics, explorers, wanderers, and those in need of a little luck worship Desna.

Gozreh: The Wind and the Wave, the god of nature cares nothing for the ways of men and their irrelevant empires, ever demonstrating that mortals are insignificant and would do well to remember such. Farmers, seamen, foresters, and all who live at the whim of nature fear and respect Gozreh.

Sarenrae: The Dawnflower, the Healing Flame, the Everlight, Sarenrae brings warmth and radiance to all souls who allow her in. Those with compassionate hearts and kind intentions turn to Sarenrae as both the source and protector of all things good.

Shelyn: Goddess of art, beauty, and love, Shelyn encourages creativity and inspires the world. She challenges her faithful to test their limits, share what they create, and delight in the gifts of others.

Varisian Familiars

In Varisia, some familiars are popularly employed by druids, sorcerers, witches and wizards of specific types.

Chelish Devil Binder: No serious devil binder keeps a terrestrial familiar for long, summoning an imp or fiendish viper as soon as he gains access to the Improved Familiar feat. Until that time, however, most make do with bats, vipers, or other sinister servants.

Cyphermage: Spellcasters who seek to decipher the many riddles of Varisia, most notably the great ring of Riddleport, often call hawks or owls to aid them in their observations. Blue skinks (same stats as lizards) are also popular among mages who expect to reach some of the land's most obscure monuments.

Golemworker: The golemworks of Magnimar is haunted by flocks of ravens, the favorite familiars of the construct creators who work within. The most obsessed golemworkers create their own homunculus familiars using the Improved Familiar feat.

Mage Smith: In their fanatical devotion to crafting and imbuing the most perfect magical items, these dwarven magic-users frequently summon many types of owl familiars for their alert eyes in typically dimly lit forges.

Varisian: Adding to their reputation for knowing the unknowable, many Varisian sorcerers can employ thrushes capable of speaking. These small birds can convey messages, keep watch, and follow individuals as their masters order.

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