Pathfinder Chronicles

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For other meanings of "Pathfinder Chronicles", please see Pathfinder Chronicles (disambiguation).

The Pathfinder Chronicles are a multi-volume series of chapbooks published by the Pathfinder Society recounting the most notable journeys and discoveries of the order's membership. While Pathfinders the world over submit accounts of their deeds to their local venture-captains, the books themselves are published by the mysterious Decemvirate in Absalom, and they alone make the final decision about whose adventures grace the Chronicles' illustrious pages.1 They serve not only as a record of accomplishments, but inspire young and future Pathfinders throughout the world, while increasing the renown of those whose journeys are detailed within.2

Copies of the Pathfinder Chronicles are intended for sole consumption by members of the Society, although some volumes have made their way into the public sphere. Indeed, there is a great demand for copies of the Chronicles among the general public, as they recount exciting and hair-raising tales of adventure. Others (such as the Society's rivals, like the Aspis Consortium) scour the volumes to glean information on the location of great treasures or secret magic. The demand is so great, in fact, that reproductions and even counterfeits of the most popular volumes are not uncommon.34

Volume 1

The first Pathfinder Chronicles volume (published in 4317 AR)5 features an account of Durvin Gest's exploration of the ruins of Lost Azlant, and also details the exploits of Selmius Foster and Gregaro Voth.67 Gest's discoveries along his journey include a cache of ioun stones, as well as other items still present in Skyreach's treasure rooms. Voth recounts his story of the exploration of ruins in the Forbidden Jungle, and Foster describes racing a marid and an efreeti through a number of challenges.7

Volume 2

Volume 2 in the series contains a catalog of the 31 Siege Castles outside Absalom's Cairnlands by Durvin Gest.8 Other articles feature the explorations of Borden Thalian in the Mwangi Expanse as he discovers the headwaters of the Vanji River and a fantastic city of jade.7

Volume 3

This volume centers around the adventure leading up to and including the death of Selmius Foster on the island of Bhopan by a pack of dog-men, written by his assistant, Adolphus. Volume 3 led to the the creation of the Wall of Names, a memorial located at the Grand Lodge that lists the Pathfinders who have died while exploring.97 It also includes Adolphus' activities after his master's death, which led to the founding of the Nexus House lodge in Quantium. This volume also contains an account of how Gojan the Sharp endured a decade of tasks for Ontar, the ruler of Numeria, so that he could gain access to a structure built near the city of Starfall and a description of the seven types of skymetal he found on Numeria's plains.7

Volume 4

Volume 4 features another story of Durvin Gest in which he steals a ship named The Silken Purse from the pirate queen Mastrien Slash and pilots it around the southern tip of Garund. There he leaves Slash as a sacrifice to a matriarchal society he finds there. The book does not cover, however, how Slash subsequently gains control of this society and invades neighboring nations. This expansion was stopped by Geb, who turned the army into stone on what is now known as the Field of Maidens.7

Volume 5

Writing a Pathfinder Chronicle.

The Decemvirate recalled this volume and destroyed all circulating copies shortly after its publication. It is rumored to have contained details of the events leading to the final disappearance of the Pathfinder Durvin Gest.9 The redaction of the last copy was completed by the then Decemvirate member Gregaro Voth in 4630 AR.10 The Repository of the Grand Lodge in Absalom holds the only known copy.11

Volume 6

In this volume, Durvin Gest light-heartedly discusses the mighty artifact called the Scepter of Ages and its powers, which he recovered from the ruins of Tabsagal in Casmaron in 4328 AR. He also recounts its near loss to a Garundi bandit noble.12†

Volume 8

This volume contained an account of Ixchit-Atlan, a jewel-encrusted island supposedly 100 miles south of Azlant. Seven Pathfinder-owned ships were sunk in the treacherous seas before it was determined that the island's existence was a hoax.13

Volume 11

This volume is infamous, due to the fact that the misinformation written by the Pathfinder chronicler Dalania Pontius regarding dragons led to numerous deaths and countless injuries among Pathfinders. The information originally came from the chatty brass dragon Helexa, who it was discovered was prone to exaggeration. The volume was eventually corrected and reprinted, but some original copies are still believed to exist that could fetch a very high price from the right collector.1415

Volume 13

Volume 13 contains an account of the exploration of the temple of Xanthuun in the Sodden Lands by the warrior mage Escobar Vellian.16 While searching for the treasures of Ammelon VI under the Gold Phoenix Aviary, Vellian battled hordes of zombies.17

Volume 14

This volume is the first to use the theme of planar travel. Its stories include a trip to 23 Abyssal realms by Gilray Jandivan, who indexed the demons he found there, 70 risqué songs that Rarick Dell coaxed from a satyr during his decade-long stay in the First World. The third part of this volume is a map of the City of Brass and Plane of Fire immediately surrounding the city by the famous cartographer Insitha Avari.1815

Volume 27

Volume 27 contains a collection of previously unknown notes written by the famous Pathfinder Durven Gest. Published over a century after his disappearance, this volume became very popular upon its release. The largest section of the book is devoted to one of Gest's trips to the Crown of the World, including copious notes on the dangers and battles he faced there. Also included is an article by the Mistress of Scrolls of that time, Andirissa Belathax, concerning the detection, disposal, or circumvention of magical traps.18

Volume 36

Shevala Iorae's exploration of the Spire of Nex is the main story in this volume. Using mathematicians to crack a cipher lock on the entryway, her party was the first to set foot in the spire in thousands of years. The other story includes sketches, maps, and indexes of things found when a Pathfinder by the pen-name "Scepter" explored the Gozarin Necropolis in Osirion. Also included is an appendix of Vurano's meeting with many groups of witches in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.17

Volume 38

Among other articles, this volume contains reports of desert exploration in Osirion by Scarab Seeker Ven Lorovox.19

Volume 44

In this volume published in 4707 AR,18 Koriah Azmeren reflects on her travel into the Darklands realms of Nar-Voth,20 Sekamina,21 and Orv.2223 This served as confirmation of the existence of the drow, which caused the elf leaders in Kyonin to try to bribe the Decemvirate to recall the volume. The second article is by Magnimarian Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch, where she writes about the empire of Thassilon and its relics,18 with the Shattered Star (created by the legendary Xin) mentioned in particular.24

Volume 67

In this volume, Jalden Krenshar describes the grisly fates of those probing Osirion's pyramids, in his forward to the article, "The Veinstone Pyramid". Reference is made to the necropolis of An-Hepsu IV and the Liquid Pyramid of the Pharaoh of Nagas.25

Unknown volume

An unspecified recent volume of the Pathfinder Chronicles (supposedly written some time after 4706 AR), is said to contain a detailed account by a former priest of the god Nethys on the creation of spellscribed armor. When the author disappeared soon after its publication, some speculated that the crime was perpetrated by those who wanted to keep this previously unknown art a secret. Despite her disappearance, this volume (and the information contained within) is still readily available.26

References

For additional resources, see the Meta page.

  1. ↑ Erik Mona. (2007). Opening Moves (Pathfinder's Journal). Burnt Offerings, p. 81. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-035-3
  2. ↑ Tim Hitchcock, Erik Mona, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor. (2009). Seekers of Secrets: A Guide to the Pathfinder Society, p. 41. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-178-7
  3. ↑ Erik Mona. (2007). Opening Moves (Pathfinder's Journal). Burnt Offerings, p. 84. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-035-3
  4. ↑ James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 268–269. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
  5. ↑ John Compton & Mark Moreland. (2013). Pathfinder Society Primer, p. 26. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-534-1
  6. ↑ Tim Hitchcock, Erik Mona, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor. (2009). Seekers of Secrets: A Guide to the Pathfinder Society, p. 26. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-178-7
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Tim Hitchcock, Erik Mona, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor. (2009). Seekers of Secrets: A Guide to the Pathfinder Society, p. 41. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-178-7
  8. ↑ John Compton & Mark Moreland. (2013). Pathfinder Society Primer, p. 26. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-534-1
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tim Hitchcock, Erik Mona, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor. (2009). Seekers of Secrets: A Guide to the Pathfinder Society, p. 27. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-178-7
  10. ↑ Ron Lundeen. (2019). Origin of the Open Road, p. 3. Paizo Inc.
  11. ↑ Tim Hitchcock, Erik Mona, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor. (2009). Seekers of Secrets: A Guide to the Pathfinder Society, p. 37. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-178-7
  12. ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (2012). Artifacts & Legends, p. 42. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-458-0
  13. ↑ Jason Bulmahn et al. (2014). Occult Mysteries, p. 15. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-649-2
  14. ↑ Mike McArtor. (2009). Dragons Revisited, p. 17. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-165-7
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Benjamin Bruck, John Compton, Crystal Frasier, et al. (2017). Adventurer's Guide, p. 143. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-938-7
  16. ↑ Wolfgang Baur, Adam Daigle, Jeff Erwin, and F. Wesley Schneider. (2012). Lost Kingdoms, p. 32. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-415-3
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Tim Hitchcock, Erik Mona, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor. (2009). Seekers of Secrets: A Guide to the Pathfinder Society, p. 42. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-178-7
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 John Compton & Mark Moreland. (2013). Pathfinder Society Primer, p. 27. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-534-1
  19. ↑ Alex Greenshields, Amanda Hamon, Jonathan H. Keith, Ron Lundeen, and David N. Ross. (2014). Osirion, Legacy of Pharaohs, p. 44. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-595-2
  20. ↑ James Jacobs and Greg A. Vaughan. (2008). Into the Darklands, p. 2, 18. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-140-4
  21. ↑ James Jacobs and Greg A. Vaughan. (2008). Into the Darklands, p. 30. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-140-4
  22. ↑ James Jacobs and Greg A. Vaughan. (2008). Into the Darklands, p. 44. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-140-4
  23. ↑ Robert Brookes, Eleanor Ferron, Michelle Jones, Alex Riggs, and Nicholas Wasko. (2017). Heroes of the Darklands, p. 18. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-936-3
  24. ↑ James Jacobs. (2012). The Shattered Star. Shards of Sin, p. 66. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-452-8
  25. ↑ Michael Kortes. (2008). The Pact Stone Pyramid, p. 2. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-145-9
  26. ↑ Alexander Augunas, Robert Brookes, Anthony Li, Luis Loza, and David Schwartz. (2016). Armor Master's Handbook, p. 22. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-829-8
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