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Age Before Ages

The Age Before Ages is a collective term used in the Inner Sea region to describe Golarion's prehistoric past that preceded the destruction of the Starstone and the Age of Darkness. Going backwards in time from Earthfall, it includes the Age of LegendAge of Serpents, and the Age of Creation. It is a time best known through myths and legends, and although great priests and powerful diviners have used magic to explore it, their discoveries have been fragmentary and confusing, raising many more questions than they answered

Age of Creation

The Age of Creation is a term used to describe the uncounted years of mythic time, beginning with the creation of Golarion and ending with the emergence of mortal races upon its face (the Age of Serpents). It was a time when the deities of Golarion played a much more active role than they do today. It was during the Age of Creation that the great battle that led to Rovagug's imprisonment occurred.


Events

The following events are believed to have occurred during the Age of Creation, although not necessarily in the order given below.

  • The Great Beyond and Golarion are created.
  • Gods appear.
  • The Osirian deity Ra rules the other deities of his pantheon.[2]
  • Alghollthus rule the oceans.[3]
  • Other powerful races, such as the xiomorn Vault Builders, rule the land.[3]
  • The empires of the Vault Builders and alghollthus go to war, eventually leading to the xiomorn abandoning Golarion.[4]
  • The lesser "mortal" races start to appear.
  • An alliance of deities battle Rovagug; unable to destroy the Rough Beast, they imprison him in the Dead Vault.


Age of Serpents -251,000,000 — -11,500

The Age of Serpents is a term used primarily in the Inner Sea region by those who use the dating system known as Absalom Reckoning for the length of unmeasured time which preceded the rise of humanity on the continent of Azlant. It was marked by the rise of one of Golarion's first mortal race to gain control of large parts of the world and from whom the Age is named: the serpentfolk. Some scholars postulate that the rule of the serpentfolk in this Age stretched across continents and beyond to nearby planetoids. It was preceded by the mythical Age of Creation and was followed by the Age of Legend, when the power of the serpentfolk was eclipsed by other races. Events A storm of Hastur-worshipping flying polyps lands on Golarion, hoping to infest it with the Great Old One Xhamen-Dor. They established two cities here: one at the current site of the Ustalavic town of Thrushmoor (eventually destroyed by serpentfolk), and the other named Neruzavin in Casmaron. The cyclops nation of Ghol-Gan is founded late in this age on the western coast of Garund. Some scholars believe that the elves first appeared on Golarion during the Age of Serpents. Even they disagree on whether they were native to the planet or came to Golarion from the planet Castrovel. Nagas rule a powerful empire in Vudra, dominating the vishkanyas, grippli, catfolk, and humans. A mysterious civilization of elementals is said to have existed during this time in the Valashmai Jungle of Tian Xia led by the powerful Jade Hegemon.

Age of Legend -11,500 — -5,293

Age of Legend is a general term used to refer to the "prehistoric" time before the destruction of the Starstone led to the Age of Darkness in -5293 AR. It is marked by the rise of the first human civilization on the lost continent of Azlant, the establishment of the Thassilonian Empire on Avistan's mainland,[3] the rise of the dragon rulers in Tian Xia, and the creation of the cyclops nation of Koloran on the continent of Casmaron. It was preceded by the unmeasured time of the Age of Serpents, and ended when the Starstone brought on the collapse of the first human civilizations and the Age of Darkness.

caretUp.svgTian Xia

In Tian Xia, it is thought that dragons ruled the land by divine mandate during this period (which is known as the Age of Dragons there), waiting for humans to assume their rightful place.

caretUp.svgOccurrences of note

  • In the waning years of the Age of Legend, Azlanti forces invaded eastern Arcadia, leading to a lasting era of isolationism and distrust of outsiders among Arcadians.
  • Elves settled the Fangwood, where they coexisted peacefully with its fey inhabitants and became comfortable with the forest's many connections to the First World.
  • The planets Damiar and Iovo collide, destroying both worlds and creating the asteroid belt known as the Diaspora. The collision causes a flare bright enough to be seen from Golarion and is observed by the people of ancient Azlant.

Age of Darkness -5,293 — -4,294

The Age of Darkness was a thousand-year period in which the sun's light was blocked by the ash knocked into the atmosphere by the meteoric impacts of Earthfall. It began with the impact of the Starstone in -5293 AR and lasted until the sun's light had been restored, roughly in -4294 AR. During the Age of Darkness, all major civilizations across Golarion were destroyed, ushering in a time of anarchy and destruction.

caretUp.svgFall of empires

The thousand-year darkness that blanketed Golarion destroyed the remnants of most of the existing civilizations that had risen during the Age of Legend, including the human empires of Azlant and Thassilon, and the already fading cyclops culture of Ghol-Gan.

caretUp.svgEmergence of races

The orcs emerged en masse on the surface from their Darklands homes around -5102 AR, fleeing the dwarves pressing up during their Quest for Sky. The darkness also beckoned to the wayang from the Plane of Shadow, who began immigrating to the continent of Tian Xia during this time.

caretUp.svgReturn of Zon-Kuthon

The god Abadar had banished Zon-Kuthon to the Plane of Shadow long ago, not wishing to destroy him completely, but had created a loophole: Zon-Kuthon's exile would last "as long as the sun hung in the sky". The dark god took the darkness on Golarion as the fulfillment of this agreement and returned from exile to wreak more misery on the world.

Age of Anguish -4,294 — -3,470

The Age of Anguish is a term used by historians to describe the roughly 800 year period starting in -4294 AR when the skies finally cleared of the dust of Earthfall. This age was characterized by the conflicts of primitive peoples in a desperate struggle for survival and domination in a world left shattered by the Age of Darkness. The end of the Age of Anguish, and the beginning of the Age of Destiny, was marked by the founding of the Osirion civilization in circa -3470 AR, and the slow re-establishment of human civilizations across the world.

Age of Destiny -3,470 — 1

The Age of Destiny (-3470 AR – 1 AR) began with the founding of the Osirian civilization and spanned three and a half millennia until Aroden raised the Starstone from the bottom of the Inner Sea and founded the great city of Absalom, ushering in the Age of Enthronement. It was marked by the re-emergence of human civilization after the barbarism of the Age of Darkness and the Age of Anguish. Other notable occurrences included the founding of the nations of Taldor and of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Wars during this age included the Nex–Geb War and the tarrasque invasion of -632 AR.

Age of Enthronement 1 — 4,606

The Age of Enthronement began with the founding of Absalom, and its inception is also the starting point for the Absalom Reckoning dating system. The Age of Enthronement spans the years from 1 AR until 4606 AR when Aroden, the god of humanity, died.

This age is characterised by the emergence of a number of gods who ascended to divinity through the Test of the Starstone. The mortals who survived the test and became gods were Aroden in 1 ARNorgorber in 1983Cayden Cailean in 2765 and Iomedae in 3832. The nations of Andoran and Cheliax were founded as expansion from the kingdom of Taldor. The Oath Wars raged across northwest Garund between 2498 AR and 2560 as the churches of Nethys, Norgorber and Sarenrae vied for dominance. The Whispering Tyrant arose in 3203 AR invoking the Shining Crusade in 3754 AR which burned for three quarters of a century and ended with the founding of Lastwall to defend against the return of the lich king. In 4305 AR Cheliax began an extended period of expansion annexing lands in Molthune and Varisia which would become known as the Everwar.

Age of Lost Omens > 4,606