Faction: Grand Lodge

Loyalty to the Decemvirate above all else.

Regardless of a Pathfinder's nation of origin, all members of the Society consider the Grand Lodge in Absalom a second home. It is in this vast complex of sprawling towers, libraries, and reliquaries that so many Pathfinders receive their training, and within the Grand Lodge's walls, the masked leaders of the Society secretly guide the organization from their chambers at the peak of Skyreach's central tower. While many Pathfinders find their loyalty to the Society but one of several alliances to outside political or religious factions, most Pathfinders hold the strongest allegiance to the will of the Ten and the Pathfinder Society itself. Those who do not taint their dedication with distractions from other superiors are the pride of the Grand Lodge, and are rewarded for always putting the orders of the Decemvirate before their own personal wants and desires.

Faction Leader

Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin controls all the goings-on inside the Grand Lodge in Absalom at the behest of the Decemvirate, serving as the lodge's chamberlain or steward. Meticulous with details and annoyed by inefficiency, he makes a point of supervising all important duties within the Grand Lodge, and keeps a long list of relatively safe but time-consuming jobs on file, ready to assign to novice Pathfinders to keep them busy and out of the way of more experienced agents. Because very few Pathfinders escape his attention, he is disliked by almost everyone who is new to the Society—though those who have been around a few years realize his assignments also help these rookies test their new training in the field without significant risk of death. Tall and meticulously groomed, Ambrus doesn't appreciate backtalk and reserves particularly strenuous assignments for those who annoy him.

The Grand Lodge Pathfinder
Grand Lodge Pathfinders are the purest members of the Society, and represent the key tenets of the organization above all else. Whether focused wholeheartedly on exploring lost ruins, delving into newly discovered crypts, or negotiating the sale of valuable relics from the grips of those who don't respect them, loyal Pathfinders have an insatiable sense of curiosity. Their desire to see the Pathfinder Society grow and prosper makes them excellent teammates for larger expeditions, and they often go to excessive lengths to ensure their fellow Pathfinders receive any aid they need. It's no surprise, then, that the pages of the Pathfinder Chronicles have been filled with the exploits of Grand Lodge Pathfinders since the Society's founding. Those with ambitions of someday attaining fame comparable to the great Durvin Gest find this faction a perfect fit. Most Grand Lodge Pathfinders are neutral-aligned.

Gaining Fame
Pathfinders loyal first and foremost to the Grand Lodge and the Decemvirate find themselves well rewarded for carrying out the will of the Ten no matter where it takes them or what the task. Those Pathfinders who put the wellbeing of the Society above their own and who embody the values of exploration, cooperation, and accountability rise quickly in the ranks of the Grand Lodge. Often, the acquisition of lost knowledge or forgotten treasures directly benefits the discovering Pathfinder; thus, those dedicated to the Decemvirate take their orders as advice on how to maximize their own success.

Faction: Taldor

Gain control of Absalom through political manipulation and intrigue.

Since the Age of Enthronement, no nation in the Inner Sea has had as wide-reaching and influential an empire as the kingdom of Taldor. Sadly, decadence and overconfidence led to the empire’s relatively swift decline centuries ago, as vassal after vassal broke free from the crown. Despite its waning influence worldwide and constant internal political strife, Taldor is one of the five nations most strategically poised to take control of Absalom from within. Using the same tactics of espionage, sabotage, blackmail, and deception employed by Taldan nobility for millennia, agents of this political faction hope to manipulate the nobility and citizenry of Absalom to recognize the nation’s rightful place as the natural ruler of humankind throughout the region.

Faction Leader
A few among Taldor’s elite realize the foolish end their empire is headed toward and plan to reverse it before the entire nation collapses; Baron Jacquo Dalsine is one of them. A slender and effete gentleman, Jacquo appears to be the very model of a decadent Taldan fop. The truth is while Jacquo can carouse and scribe poetry with the best of them, his favorite art is performed with a blade and he is one of the better swordsmen on the Inner Sea. To Jacquo, the arts of politics and intrigue are no different from that of a duel. There are deceptions, engagements, feints, and disengagements, not to mention lightning fast ripostes. Jacquo sees Taldor as an ailing old duelist, tottering toward death on a foe’s blade, but he knows the empire possesses great puissance if it can be reminded of its former glory. For now, it is key to turn the blades of Taldor’s enemies on one another long enough for the decaying empire to find its footing. Some day, Old Taldor may rise and hold its sword high once again, making allof Golarion tremble at its power..

The Taldan Pathfinder
Pathfinders allied with the Taldan cause often hail from the nation itself, though sometimes foreign agents find themselves working for the empire because they share the modus operandi of using courtly intrigue to their own advantage. While many Taldan natives in the faction claim some noble blood, just as many come from the nation’s poorer classes and hope that if they increase their nation’s influence in the Inner Sea region, some of the inevitable prosperity will trickle down to them and their families. Pathfinder allies of Taldor should be willing to spy, coerce, blackmail, cheat, lie, and publicly humiliate their enemies. Most Taldor Faction Pathfinders are neutral-aligned.

Gaining Fame
While he often sends Pathfinders on missions to recover opulent art to decorate his many palaces and manors, Barron Dalsine knows that Taldor must reclaim its position as the bastion of humanity through constant vigilance. Pathfinders in his employ should be skilled at the arts of deception, misdirection, and stealth, while also knowing how to navigate Absalom’s complex aristocratic landscape. Those with the ability to speak honeyed words to a rival noble while simultaneously pilfering damning documents from his satchel will go far.

Faction: Qadira

Dominance through trade.
The western tip of the vast, continent-spanning Padishah Empire of Kelesh, the Satrapy of Qadira serves as the gateway between the wealth and resources of eastern Casmaron and the eager ports and markets of the Inner Sea. Its singular position as the funnel through which Casmaron's wealth flows has painted Qadira's outlook on the world, and from the richest trade prince of Katheer to the lowliest caravan driver of the vast southern deserts, Qadirans recognize that the way to true power and influence is through trade and economic dominance. And no single city or nation is more strategically placed to rule the markets of the entire region than Absalom, which is why the satrap has invested substantial resources and his best agents in ensuring that Qadira gains control over trade in Absalom and—shortly thereafter—the entirety of Avistan and northern Garund.

Faction Leader

Aaqir al'Hakam of House Damaq recently emigrated from Katheer to Absalom, where he has quickly become a major player in the City at the Center of the World's mercantile circles. The handsome merchant prince has established a base of operations out of one of his second cousin Lady Nymara's sizable estates in the Merchants' Quarter, where he lives with his longtime partner Emir Thalzar Gaatan and their three adopted daughters. A cunning economic strategist, Aaqir seems to possess a preternatural foresight into the direction certain markets will take, and he has already become one of the city's most influential traders in silk, lumber, and saffron. Given enough time, the trade prince could likely take over the markets on his own, but he enjoys the power he feels in sending loyal agents to the far corners of the world to gain trade secrets, negotiate on his behalf, and even sabotage the efforts of competitors.

The Qadiran Pathfinder
Rare is the Pathfinder immune to the lure of wealth, but those agents most motivated by money often ally themselves with Qadira in the effort to control Absalom's markets. Pathfinders from Qadira often possess a natural knack for trade, but loyalists from across the region also find their talents in espionage, diplomacy, and smuggling to be a perfect fit with the needs of the satrapy. Most Qadira Faction Pathfinders are neutral-aligned.

Gaining Fame
There are countless ways to earn a fortune, and the Qadira faction rewards Pathfinders for any number of them. Common methods of moving up within the organization include negotiating trade agreements, spying on competitors, using travel as an opportunity to scout out new markets or resources, or even smuggling goods in or out of unfriendly ports as part of faction members' everyday adventuring for the Pathfinder Society. Not all of Qadira's dealings are legal or necessarily honorable, however, and more than one agent with a strong moral compass has found himself at odds with the faction when asked to support the trading of slaves or subvert local or regional authorities.

Faction: The Lantern Lodge

 

Spread the wisdom of Tian Xia within the Inner Sea

While the Pathfinder Society makes its home in the Grand Lodge of Absalom, its membership comes from and travels to all corners of the known world. Outside the Inner Sea region, one of the highest concentrations of Pathfinders is on the continent of Tian Xia, and specifically in the metropolitan city of Goka. Most Tian Pathfinders operate independently of their brethren in Absalom, but occasionally agents cross the Crown of the World, make the treacherous naval voyage south around Casmaron, or simply teleport to travel between the two hubs of activity. The Lantern Lodge represents Tian interests in the Inner Sea region, ensuring that Pathfinder Society agents far to the east of the Decemvirate's direct view are considered in organization-wide affairs.

Faction Leader

One of Absalom's newest venture-captains, Tian adventurer Amara Li hails from the bustling Tian city of Goka. She established the Lantern Lodge in the Petal District, from which she coordinates expeditions to her homeland in Tian Xia, as well as the operations of Tian Pathfinders who have traveled to the Inner Sea region for their own exploration. Rumors speak to personal financial difficulties that have prompted her recent efforts to increase cooperation between Pathfinders in the Inner Sea region and Tian Xia, though Li is far too proper to discuss such matters in public. A stickler for tradition and propriety, Li is known throughout Absalom for her meticulously executed tea ceremonies, the impeccable cleanliness of the Lantern Lodge, and her unshakable poise.

The Lantern Lodge Pathfinder
The same principles of exploration, reporting, and cooperation that dictate the life of Pathfinders from the Inner Sea region also guide the actions of Lantern Lodge Pathfinders. Most members of Venture-Captain Li's slowly growing organization either hail from Tian Xia themselves or are native to the Inner Sea region but interested in exploring the east. Those Pathfinders from Goka, Minkai, and the Successor States, among other Tian lands, often possess class archetypes not seen in the Inner Sea region, and as such provide valuable, specialized assistance to expeditions in Avistan and Garund. Though they also participate in missions with non-Lantern Lodge Pathfinders, most members of Amara Li's lodge enjoy adventuring with one another, as their sense of solidarity and camaraderie is strong. Most Lantern Lodge Pathfinders are neutral-aligned.

Gaining Fame
While Lantern Lodge Pathfinders participate in normal missions throughout the Inner Sea region—seemingly without ties to Tian Xia at all—Venture-Captain Li frequently finds tasks for them to carry out while engaging in other activities. These include diplomatic missions to allies of her cause throughout the Inner Sea region, retrieval of long-lost Tian artifacts she hopes to see return to Goka for study or display, or the elimination of enemies who hamper the Lantern Lodge's efforts in one way or another. Lantern Lodge Pathfinders are Pathfinders first and foremost, but Amara Li rewards them significantly for dedication to her and her lodge while they carry out the will of the Ten.

Faction: Andoran

Freedom and democracy for all.

The young nation of Andoran threw off the shackles of aristocracy when its liege nation Cheliax adopted an official policy of diabolism after Aroden's death, and has since established itself as the Inner Sea region's largest democracy. Though free from the tyrannical rule of Taldor and Cheliax, Andoran hopes to see tyranny in all its forms wiped from the Inner Sea region, and its allies ever strive to increase their own presence in Absalom, which they see as the key to ending slavery and oppression's hold on the weak and poor of Avistan and Garund. Through the efforts of the Steel Falcon branch of Andoran's elite military Eagle Knights, the nation aspires to advance its ideals abroad through diplomacy and battle.

Faction Leader
Major Colson Maldris would rather be out in the field, his greatsword drenched in the blood of tyrants and slavers, but the Eagle Knights have another use for him. As a member of the mystery-shrouded Grey Corsairs, Maldris served bravely aboard the warship Trident, quelling slavers' efforts throughout the Inner Sea region. Maldris was the youngest to wear the golden eagle emblem upon his shoulders, and upon attaining the rank of captain he was reassigned to Absalom to cement Andoren ideals in the strategic city. In 4711 ar he was elevated to the rank of major for his effective recruitment and command of like-minded Pathfinders who helped propel the Andoran faction to a position of prominence within the City at the Center of the World.

The Andoren Pathfinder

While many Pathfinders allied with Andoran hail from the nation itself, some come from distant lands only to find their ideals in conjunction with those of the Eagle Knights. Escaped slaves, indigenous peoples oppressed by colonists, and political radicals often fall in with Andoren crowds and soon find themselves working for Maldris while traveling the world on other business. Pathfinders with experience as sailors, prowess in the wilderness, skill in both diplomacy and subterfuge, and effectiveness in battle against those enslaved by undeath will find themselves most valuable to the faction. Most Andoran Faction Pathfinders are good-aligned.

Gaining Fame
Pathfinders with allegiances to the Andoran faction often perform acts of diplomacy, sabotage, and proselytizing while carrying out their primary objectives for the Decemvirate. Whether providing moral support to the downtrodden, delivering messages to agents deep undercover in distant lands, or acting as a thorn in the side of slavers throughout the region, an Andoran Faction operative improves his reputation by spreading Andoren ideals wherever he goes. A member of this faction should be willing to bend the rules of tyrannical law in order to plant the seed of liberty, even when doing so requires employing questionable techniques.