Meta:Zirnakaynin

Retcon

Until the publication of Heavy is the Crown, drow were the predominant people in Sekamina and serpentfolk (sekmin) were far less common. Heavy established that the primary in-universe source of information about the drow, Pathfinder Chronicles Volume 44, was unreliable and had intentionally understated the scale and scope of sekmin dominance in the Darklands. This included all canon information about Zirnakaynin published prior to Heavy is the Crown.

Heavy was the first work to contain Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project changes relevant to the Darklands. The Remaster Project retroactively removed the drow from Golarion's history due to intellectual property conflicts with other games. With the combination of this framing of the in-universe Chronicles in Heavy as unreliable and this real-world retconning of the drow, previous canon details about Zirnakaynin are also presumed to be in-universe fiction or intentional disinformation.

See also official clarifications by James Jacobs (1, 2) confirming that Zirnakyanin was retroactively altered in Golarion's history by the Remaster Project.

Unlike the drow, Zirnakaynin remains part of the campaign setting, but all prior details documented on PathfinderWiki are no longer considered official canon. The text of these details is retained to allow people playing adventures that rely on them, such as the Second Darkness Pathfinder Adventure Path, to locate them if necessary. To read the article as it existed prior to these changes, see revision 428307. -Oznogon (talk) 19:20, 24 February 2024 (UTC)

History

Zirnakaynin

(City)

Titles

Last Home of the Elves

Nation

Darklands

Region

Sekamina

Size

Metropolis

Population

55,340

Demographics

77% drow, 6% hryngar, 5% xulgath, 3% dark folk, 3% ghoul, 2% cambion, 2% dero, 2% other

Government

Noble houses

Alignment

Chaotic evil

Images of Zirnakaynin

Source: Endless Night, pg(s). 49

Seltyiel, Lini, and Sajan flee from Zirnakaynin.

Zirnakaynin was the first settlement founded by the drow after their transformation during the Age of Darkness.

Geography

The city is separated into three distinct caverns, each with their own populations and atmosphere, though all are decidedly drow. From top to bottom, they are Eirdrisseir, the home of the nobility; Cocyrdavarin, the largest cavern and primary residence of merchants and other non-nobles; and Rygirnan, undercity of slaves and industry. The city itself is quite impressive, with grand vistas contrasted by lethal crevasses, and covered in buildings that mirror the twisted cruelty of the dark elves themselves.

Cocyrdavarin

The massive cavern of Cocyrdavarin is home to the majority of Zirnakaynin's inhabitants, including most of its non-noble inhabitants. It is also the only part of the city into which non-drow are allowed access, although outsiders should expect only contempt from the drow. Visitors of other races are seen as below even slaves in social standing, an attitude that the matriarchs of the various noble houses wish to change, as foreign trade brings great wealth to the drow capital.

Government

Even though the city is ostensibly governed by the twelve noble houses, the matriarchs only enforce the laws which benefit them personally, leaving Zirnakaynin in a state of de facto anarchy most of the time. This lack of laws means that open conflict and riots are a common sight in the city streets.

Colonies

Zirnakaynin has a number of colonies bolstering its pre-eminence in drow culture.

Giratayn

The drow city of Giratayn lies in the upper levels of Sekamina, located far below the surface nation of Druma. The city is a strong trade hub, especially in its dealings with the hryngar city of Hagegraf. The colonial links are so strong that the leader of Giratayn is always selected from the first daughters of the great families of Zirnakaynin; and this leadership changes regularly every 50 years.