Starstone

The Starstone falling to Golarion.
See also Category:Images of the Starstone.

The Starstone is a unique gemstone meteorite that was part of a massive meteoroid which shattered and struck Golarion in -5293 AR. This event, known as Earthfall, caused the destruction of many ancient empires including Azlant, Thassilon, Koloran, and Ninshabur; it created the Inner Sea; and it ushered in the Age of Darkness.

History

The Azlanti empire was the first known human civilization on the face of Golarion. Raised from barbarism by the alien alghollthus during the Age of Legend, the Azlanti eventually developed a level of technology, magic, and civilization the likes of which have not been seen since. But this advancement caused the Azlanti people to become arrogant and proud, and they no longer felt the need to obey and respect their inhuman benefactors. This angered the alghollthus, and in retribution they used their ancient magic to call down an ancient, poisonous remnant of an unborn planet to destroy all life on the surface of Golarion.

Luckily, the Azlanti were not without their protectors. When Acavna, their goddess of the moon and battle, learned of the alghollthus' plan, she pulled Golarion's moon from its orbit to intercept the massive meteoroid. The impact with the moon shattered the world-killing projectile into thousands of pieces, but did not slow or deflect it from its course. Instead, its shards inflicted lethal wounds on the goddess's physical manifestation. Distraught by her death, the Azlanti god of magic, Amaznen, sacrificed himself to render the remaining deadly alghollthu magic clinging to the meteor fragments inert, transforming it from a world-killer into one that, while still incredibly destructive, gave life on Golarion a chance to survive.

When the fragments impacted on Golarion, they completely obliterated the continent of Azlant and plunged the world into the Age of Darkness, but thanks to Acavna and Amaznen, they did not destroy all life on the planet. This occurrence has been passed down over time as an ancient rumour telling that when the Starstone plunged to Golarion, parts of it broke off in the planet's atmosphere and ended up landing on the moon.

Aroden and the founding of Absalom

More than 5,000 years after the destruction of Earthfall, Aroden—then still a mortal—was called to the Inner Sea, where he found the Starstone and was subjected to the Test of the Starstone upon contact with it. His first act as a god was to raise the stone from the watery depths he found it in, along with the surrounding earth, up to form the Isle of Kortos.✝

Aroden then founded the city of Absalom and placed the Starstone in the heart of the city.

Starstone Cathedral

The Starstone Cathedral.

The Starstone now rests in the largest cathedral of the Ascendant Court, where anyone can take the Test of the Starstone to attempt ascension to godhood. In the ensuing ages, only three mortals are known to have succeeded in the task that Aroden created: Cayden Cailean, Iomedae, and Norgorber.

References

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