Siege of Gallowspire (event)

The site of Gallowspire.

This article covers the in-universe event. For the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild special that depicts the event, see Siege of Gallowspire.

The Siege of Gallowspire was an effort in 4719 AR by the Pathfinder Society, Burning Sun tribe, and forces of Absalom to disrupt a necromantic ritual in the catacombs of Gallowspire, the prison tower of Tar-Baphon that had just been destroyed. The effort was planned by the Society's Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus and Absalom's Siege Lord Wynsal Starborn, and led on site by Venture-Captain Shevar Besnik and Silver Crusade leader Ollysta Zadrian.

Result

This page contains spoilers for the following products: major encounters and plot points in Siege of Gallowspire.
You can disable this banner in your personal preferences.

The siege resulted in the discovery and disruption of a relic of Tar-Baphon known as the Pillar, a storage receptacle of Tar-Baphon's arcane knowledge in the Black Caverns deep beneath Gallowspire. The Pillar itself had gained a degree of sentience from Tar-Baphon's intense focus, but Pathfinders and their allies disrupted the ritual enough to disable the Pillar; however, this led to a massive earthquake that collapsed much of the site's remaining intact structures.

The Society's losses were significant. Besnik was slain by a guardian of the Black Caverns whose killing blow prevented all methods at resurrection. Zadrian decapitated a wyrmwraith that mortally wounded her; Zadrian's goddess Sarenrae's light peacefully laid her soul to rest and protected her body against being raised from the dead. Many other Pathfinders died or went missing, such as Venture-Captain Alvar Hadrias of Restov, who went missing during the Siege and, as of 4723 AR, was presumed dead.

Legacy

Fola Barun, leader of the Envoy's Alliance.

The Envoy's Alliance faction of the Pathfinder Society consider recovering the Pathfinders lost during the siege, whether alive or dead, to be one of their most important duties. The Alliance also took on the responsibility of replenishing the Society's ranks with new recruits in the Siege's wake, with the Society asking Fola Barun to lead the Alliance. Her research into the many agents lost or harmed—not only during the Siege—led her to pursue reforms in the Society that emphasized cooperation with others to prevent future losses of agents.