Thassilon (THAH-sih-lon)

Thassilon

The ancient empire of Thassilon existed in the waning years of the Age of Legend, and occupied parts of what today are the nations of Varisia, the Hold of Belkzen, and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. While its power was great, struggles for control within the nation were near-constant, and it was finally destroyed by the devastation of Earthfall. All that now remains are mysterious ruins scattered throughout its former territories.

History

Founding and Rise to Power

Thassilon was founded by the benevolent emperor Xin, who first harnessed the power of rune magic. Xin was exiled by the mystics who ruled the nation of Azlant for promoting the belief that the Azlanti could learn something from and should cooperate with the other races of Golarion. He and his followers left the distant continent and traveled to northwestern Avistan to establish a new nation in the area now known as Varisia. In doing so, they brought advanced civilization to the people who lived there, known today as the Shoanti and the Varisians. Though exact dates from the Age of Legend are hard to gauge exactly, it is believed that Xin began the formation of the Thassilonian empire around -6500 AR. As the size of his nation grew, Xin divided Thassilon into seven fiefdoms and entrusted his advisors to rule them in his stead. Each of them specialized in a different school of magic, and was guided by one of the Azlanti seven virtues of rule; they became known as the runelords. As Xin's personal influence over the nation waned, his ideals were also pushed to the wayside, making way for the villainy of the sinful runelords, who gained even more power than Xin, but did so on the backs of the people of Thassilon.

Rise of the Runelords

Eventually Xin's subordinates, the runelords, deposed him, declaring themselves the monarchs of the seven realms of Thassilon. Under their leadership, the nation fell into decadence and cruelty for hundreds of years. They enslaved giants to create cyclopean cities and monuments to themselves, and bled the coffers dry. When Earthfall finally struck, Thassilon was already on its last legs and would not have lasted long had the cataclysmic event not occurred. Each of the wizards foresaw the doom, and made various preparations to survive the fiery apocalypse that claimed so many. Their refuges were powered by mighty artifacts known as runewells powered by mortal sin; many of these runewells still exist, although without the runelord's presence, they are largely dormant.

Settlements

Remnants of Thassilon's settlements remain in the dilapidated forms of countless ruins throughout the land. Because the magic-users of Thassilon weaved their craft into its buildings, monuments, and other structures, a surprising number of ruins have survived the past ten millennia. Built by enslaved giants, these imposing, magically preserved structures are now prominent, if mysterious, landmarks in current cities, such as Magnimar, Riddleport, and Kaer Maga. Each of the seven nations of Thassilon was said to have its own thriving capitol, but most have been lost to time.[citation needed]
The seven domains of Thassilon:

• Bakrakhan, the realm of wrath
• Cyrusian, the realm of pride
• Edasseril, the realm of envy
• Eurythnia, the realm of lust
• Gastash, the realm of gluttony
• Haruka, the realm of sloth
• Shalast, the realm of greed

Religion

The pre-eminent divinity in Thassilon was the rune goddess Lissala, whose worship was introduced by Emperor Xin himself. It was her teachings of rune magic that gave the empire its power. Even though she was not believed to have been an evil goddess, her message was eventually corrupted by the runelords.
Other churches included the monasteries of the Peacock Spirit, Minderhal, Lord of the Giants, Desna, and the worship of numerous fiends.

Ancient Thassilon

Thassilon consisted of seven individual domains, each of which was ruled by one of the seven runelords. Under distinct and exploitative law, each domain embodied its ruler’s favored virtue of rule. Each runelord had a capital city that shared the name of his domain, but was prefaced by the word “Xin”— ancient Thassilonian for both “imperial” and “throne of,” after the first emperor. Thus, the capital of Shalast was called Xin-Shalast.

Bakrakhan, the domain of wrath, shared its eastern border with Shalast, and the two domains were locked in an enduring war until Bakrakhan was destroyed and sunk under the sea during the cataclysm that precipitated Thassilon’s fall. Bakrakhan was a place of many warring tribes who all served Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath, but hated each other. Its thick forests were said to be home to hundreds of tribes of sinspawn and humanoids, with goblins, gnolls, and bugbears chief among them. Enslaved hill giants were common in Bakrakhan, as were demons and qlippoth—for Runelord Alaznist had forged dark pacts with strange Abyssal powers.

Cyrusian, representing pride, was traditionally regarded as the most powerful domain. At Cyrusian’s height, its rune giants and enslaved dragons built more and greater monuments to Cyrusian glory than any other domain. Cyrusian was ruled by the mostpowerful of the runelords—Xanderghul, Runelord of Pride, one of only two runelords to reign over a nation from the dawn of Thassilon to its legendary fall.

Edasseril, the domain of striving ambition and envy, was rich in timber, precious gems, and iron. The original runelord of envy, her name now lost to time, obsessed over the beauty and power of the nearby elven nation of Celwynvian, and it was from the elves that she stole the name Edasseril for her nation. At the time of Thassilon’s fall, this realm was ruled by Belimarius, Runelord of Envy.

Eurythnia, the domain of fertility and lust, was largely built on its seagoing traffic and trade with distant lands, counting on spices and brothels to fill its coffers. Marsh giants guarded Eurythnia’s shipping from piracy. This land was ruled by Runelord Sorshen, who (like Runelord Xanderghul) commanded her realm for the duration of Thassilon’s existence.

Gastash was the domain of abundance and gluttony, but was largely a peaceful and plentiful home for its citizens. Such were Gastash’s advantages, yet its people lived in fear of their necromantic leaders. Ankheg infestations were common, bulettes ate many farmers and servants of the runelord, and bandits from other kingdoms were frequent visitors. It was ruled by Zutha, Runelord of Gluttony.