#varisia

When Azlant declared war on the aboleth, a concussive wave of insecurity resonated through the seas of Golarion. All forms of divination screamed for action across the world. The merfolk kingdom of Verona, long wary of its tenuous position between Azlant and Thassilon knew that a war between humans and aboleth would turn their waters into a battleground. The king of Verona called on Arqueros to defend the city. Drawing forth power from the plane of water, the positive energy plane, and heaven, the mystics of Verona crafted a set of wardstones; powerful artifacts whose abjurations would shield the kingdom not only from invasion, but detection and memory as well.

Any who approached the nation would be turned away, any who found it by chance would not notice it. Any who knew of it would gradually forget. For the citizens of Verona, it was as if they had torn their kingdom away from reality. In this way, Verona remained beneath the waves of Conqueror's bay for millenia. This isolation proved to be an incredible boon for the city. The waters of conquerors bay were already rich with life, resources, and magical energy. The kings of Verona spent generations converting these resources into a powerful bastion at the heart of their territory. As the kingdom's wealth grew, life expectancy increased, education flourished, and security became a fact of life rather than a pursuit.

Verona knew nothing of Earthfall, the age of darkness, or any ages that followed. Instead, their history was one of social progress, advancement in healing magic and quality of life improvements.

While the details of Veronan history is obscured by the same magic that keeps it safe, some facts are known. At some point during what is known on the surface as the Age of Anguish, there was a political transition away from a monarchy to a representative council. Representatives from each guild and each outlying settlement became vested with political authority and the monarchy transferred to a civil service role. It is believed that this change was peaceful. Motivated by a lack of external threats, the will of the people became a greater motivating force than the security of a single divinely anointed ruler.

As time wore on, it became clear that the power of the wardstones was not permanent. While the rift to the positive energy plane remains deep in the trenches of conqueror’s bay, the constant use of this magic slowly depletes the artifacts of energy. To counteract this vulnerability, the oracles of Verona continued to construct new wardstones. As they refined their craft, they grew to protect even greater areas. The infusion of positive energy has also had an impact on daily life in the city. The water remains comfortably warm year-round and there are a significant number of aasimar and celestial sorcerers among the population.