Wall of Heaven

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Yetis claim the highest peaks.
For another meaning of "Wall of Heaven", please see Prime Vallation.

The Wall of Heaven (known locally as the Qiang Tian) is the dominant mountain range on the continent of Tian Xia. Enormous in size, the Wall of Heaven covers more land than many nations.1

Geography

The Wall of Heaven Mountains run along practically the entire western coast of the enormous continent of Tian Xia and they are the largest mountain range in all Golarion.1 They begin near the Crown of the World in the northern realm of Hongal and run all the way down to the naga empire of Nagajor, far to the south and east. They are generally steep and impassible, with few navigable passes, which means that most trade and travel runs parallel to them. The scarce places where travel through the mountains is possible naturally become great centers of trade. The greatest of these is the city of Goka, a cosmopolitan port city on the mountains' western edge.2

Inhabitants

The Wall of Heaven is not an easy place to live: due to the height of its peaks and the vicious weather, life is all but impossible for humans in its higher reaches, only becoming a possibility at lower elevations. Even travelling across the Wall of Heaven Mountains proves treacherous in all but the lowest passes, nevertheless, the mountains are still home to numerous monks, oracles, hermits, and other religious folk. These religious communities often congregate in isolated monasteries, such as the Iroran Doan and Dap-Cha monasteries, but others live extremely isolated lives. Humans are not the only inhabitants of the mountains: the yetis that claim the highest peaks are often called the "keepers" of the Wall of Heaven for no one knows more of the mountain range's secrets. While the yetis are often violent and hostile towards careless travellers they generally leave the residents of the mountains in peace.1 The central reaches of the Wall of Heaven Mountains also share a link with the nightmare realm of Leng, with the denizens of Leng making their home amongst the basalt ruins of the city now known as Menhu Leng.1

Religion

The Wall of Heaven has always attracted religious types to its isolated reaches. There are many monastic orders devoted to the god of self-perfection Irori, including the Iroran Doan Monastery that hangs out atop the six-thousand-foot cliff called the Wall of Lamjung. Some of the monasteries scattered across the range are truly huge in size, with the Dap-Cha Monastery being home to over two thousand people and is more akin to a large town than a secluded spiritual escape. The base of the world's largest mountain, Himcho (its name meaning "Mother of the World"), features many temples to a variety of gods. Beyond Irori, the other deities most widely worshipped across the Wall of Heaven include Desna, the goddess of the North Star; Lamashtu, Grandmother Nightmare; Tsukiyo, Prince of the Moon and Yamatsumi, the Mountain Lord.1

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 James Jacobs, et al. “Regions of the Dragon Empires” in Dragon Empires Gazetteer, 41. Paizo Inc., 2011
  2. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 208. Paizo Inc., 2011