Avistan

The continent of Avistan, with Casmaron to its east, Garund across the Inner Sea to its south, and the Crown of the World to its north.

Avistan (pronounced AV-ihs-tan) is a continent on the planet of Golarion. One of the world's most heavily settled areas, Avistan possesses as many varied cultures and environments as any other continent and an ancient history stretching back tens of thousands of years.

The continent is home to once-great empires like Cheliax and Taldor, rising powers like Andoran and Molthune, and the ancient ruins of Thassilon in the wild frontier of Varisia. Together with the northernmost third of Garund, Avistan constitutes the Inner Sea region.

Geography

See also: Category:Avistan/Geography

Avistan is a peninsular continent that branches from the larger landmass of Casmaron, from the World's Edge Mountains in the east and extending to the Arcadian Ocean and Steaming Sea to the west. The continent also stretches from the Rimethirst Mountains that separate Avistan from the Crown of the World in the north, to the Inner Sea separating Avistan from Garund to the south.

Bodies of water

Rivers

Countless rivers and waterways are etched across its lands, most prominently the mighty Sellen River and its many tributaries that drain much of central and eastern Avistan into the Inner Sea and connect many of its nations and people through trade and travel.

Lakes

Many inland lakes also cover the temperate continent. In particular, the massive inland lakes of Lake Encarthan near its center and the Lake of Mists and Veils in its northeastern corner serve as nexuses around which multiple nations exist.

The nations of Druma, Molthune, Nirmathas, Ustalav, Razmiran, and Kyonin share Lake Encarthan's shores and engage in maritime trade across it, while the ruins of Lastwall (now called the Gravelands) and the central Isle of Terror from which the dread Whispering Tyrant Tar-Baphon also loom over its people. Mendev, Numeria, and Brevoy share the shores of the near-arctic Lake of Mists and Veils with the Casmar realm of Iobaria to the east, and their peoples use it to fish, trade, and divine omens from its mists.

Other notable lakes in Avistan include Glacier Lake in Irrisen, from which its Royal Palace rises as a massive spire of ice; the Storval Deep of Varisia, a remnant of ancient Thassilon carved out by giants, geyser-roiled Lake Stormunder near the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, a site of great importance to ancient Thassilon; and Lake Sorrow in Cheliax, site of its capital of Egorian.

Bays, gulfs, and seas

Ships pass through the Arch of Aroden at the Hespereth Strait connecting the Inner Sea to the Arcadian Ocean.

The Fever Sea and Arcadian Ocean extend across much of western Avistan's shores. The Steaming Sea encompasses the northwestern waters, including the Ironbound Archipelago. The Inner Sea dominates the continent's southern reaches and separates Avistan from Garund.

Major western gulfs and bays include the Varisian Gulf, a hotbed of expeditions involving ancient Thassilon; Conqueror's Bay, which borders southern Varisia and Nidal, and Nisroch Bay, which borders Nidal and Ravounel; and the Hellcoast of western Cheliax.

In the Inner Sea, the Chelaxian city of Westcrown is nestled inside of Gemcrown Bay; the Bays of Solva and Deng jut into southeastern Cheliax; the opposing cities of Ostenso and Augustana are separated by Aspo Bay; and the mighty Sellen River empties into Star Bay on the oft-disputed Andoran—Taldor border. The Cheliax-controlled Hespereth Strait connects the Inner Sea to the Arcadian Ocean, and is also notable for separating the closest points of Avistan and Garund and being the site of the Arch of Aroden.

Mountains

One of the Carved Kings in the Five Kings Range.

Several mountain ranges segment western and southern Avistan into its broader regions.

• The latitudinal Kodar Mountains dominate the nation of New Thassilon and the northern extents of the Varisian region.
• The longitudinal Mindspin Mountains extend south from the Kodars to form the eastern borders of Varisia and Nidal against Belkzen, Nirmathas, Oprak, and Molthune.
• The Menador Mountains stretch latitudinally at the southern end of the Mindspin range from the Arcadian Ocean to eastern Kyonin, and separate the lands of Cheliax and Isger from its northern neighbors of Ravounel, Nidal, and Molthune.
• The Five Kings Range—realm of the namesake dwarven kingdoms—continue east of the Mindspin range and separate Andoran in the south from Isger, Druma, and Kyonin to the north. Droskar's Crag, the tallest known active volcano on Golarion, is part of the range.

Other prominent ranges include the Aspodell Mountains, which separate Andoran from Cheliax; the Fog Peaks that form part of the border between Taldor and Galt; the Icerime Peaks that form part of Brevoy's eastern border with Iobaria; the Hungry Mountains that dominate Ustalav; and the Iron Peaks and Calphiak, Malgorian, Wyvern, Fenwall, Stony, Red, and Fogscar Mountains of Varisia's interior.

The Stormspear, Rimethirst, and Tusk ranges demarcate the Crown of the World to the north, while the World's Edge and Zho Mountains line the eastern side of Taldor and Qadira, respectively, against western Casmaron.

Forests

Many forests cover Avistan's regions, among the largest are:

• The Verduran Forest, spanning Taldor, Andoran, Galt, and the Five Kings Mountains
• The Fierani Forest that dominates Kyonin
• The Whisperwood and Barrowood of Cheliax
• The Fangwood, site of many battles between Nirmathas and Molthune
• The Shudderwood spanning Sarkoris and Ustalav
• The Hoarwood of Irrisen
• The Uskwood of Nidal
• The Echo Wood, spanning several of the River Kingdoms
• The Hymbrian Forest, spanning northern Galt and the River Kingdom of Hymbria
• The Grungir Forest of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings

The Mierani Forest in Varisia is notable for its elven connections, and its Lurkwood, Churlwood, Ashwood, and Sanos Forest compose much of the region's woodlands. Other smaller but notable woodlands include:

• The Chitterwood of Isger, site of the Goblinblood Wars
• The Exalted Wood, where Razmir began his conquest of Razmiran
• Darkmoon Vale, along the border between Andoran and the Five Kings Mountains
• The Boarwood of southeastern Galt
• The Estrovian Forest of Mendev
• The Border Wood along the contested front of Taldor and Qadira
• The Anferita Wood of southwestern Cheliax, a major site of the Green Faith

Sarkoris Scar

The Sarkoris Scar is a jagged black gash that runs across the land formerly and once again known as Sarkoris in northern Avistan. Although the rift's yawning portal to the Outer Rifts, known as the Worldwound, was closed by the Fifth Mendevian Crusade in 4718 AR, the land of the Sarkoris Scar continues to be infested with demons. Kellid descendants of the original inhabitants of Sarkoris work diligently to reclaim the earth and re-establish their homeland.

Nations and regions

See also: Category:Nations of Avistan

• Absalom
• Andoran
• Belkzen
• Brevoy
• Cheliax
• Druma
• Five Kings Mountains
• Galt
• The Gravelands
• Hermea
• Irrisen
• Isger
• Kyonin
• Lands of the Linnorm Kings
• Mendev
• Molthune
• New Thassilon
• Nidal
• Nirmathas
• Numeria
• Qadira
• Razmiran
• Realm of the Mammoth Lords
• River Kingdoms
• Ravounel
• Sarkoris (formally The Worldwound)
• Steaming Sea
• Taldor
• Ustalav
• Varisia

Historic nations

• Jistka Imperium
• Lastwall
• Old Sarkoris
• Tar Taargadth
• Thassilon

Inhabitants

See also: Category:Avistan/Inhabitants

Inhabitants of Avistan are known as Avistani.

Avistan is home to a vast, diverse population of humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, orcs, goblins, and countless other {[ancestries]]. Among humans, the Kellid, Shoanti, Ulfen, and Varisian ethnic groups originated in Avistan, while the Taldan peoples are descended from Azlanti settlers and refugees who came to the continent ages ago.

In the north, superstition and barbarism holds sway, such as the Ulfen barbarians of Irrisen and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, the Kellids of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, and the orcs of the Hold of Belkzen. Further south toward the Inner Sea, the lands are more civilized and magic is more widely accepted, as in the centuries-old empires of Cheliax and Taldor.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.