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Okay, so I've been wondering about this for quite a while, coming up with some possible scenarios. However, I'm curious if anything official exists that might answer my question.
We know that the wardstones prevent the demons of the Worldwound from entering Mendev. But what about other neighboring nations? What prevents the demonic hordes from invading Ustalav, Numeria, and other nations?
Ive been wondering about that, myself. Mendev is NOT situated ideally to be the nation guarding the rest of the civilized world from the hordes of demons issuing from the World Wound. In fact, its in a really -bad- position to try to do that. So I suppose most of the heavy lifting is being done by the Wardstones.
Do we have any mention of how far apart the Wardstones are?
Creative Director
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The Worldwound is an area that a lot of us here at Paizo are VERY interested in. You can probably expect to see more about this location in a year or two. Until then, most of what's been said about the region is in the Pathfinder Campaign setting hardcover and in the adventure "The Demon Within."
As for why the demons of the Worldwound haven't invaded Ustalav, Numeria, and other nations, I believe the idea is that there are actaully wardstones placed all around the Worldwound. The demonic tendency toward chaos and disorganization could also be a reason, and I'm sure there are other reasons as well hidden within the nature of the Worldwound itself.
In any event, if you want a demonic incursion from the Worldwound into a neighboring nation in your game, go for it! We set up Golarion so that each nation is relatively self-contained, and while we did some linking and worked some international connections in among the nations, the fact that there's a lot left unsaid is intentional so every GM can make Golarion his own.
If you're worried about possible conflicts with future development, though, you can probably safely assume that there are wardstones all around the Worldwound, and that the focus of the demon vs. mortal conflict is against Mendev in any event.
As for how far apart the wardstones are, I believe they're actually quite far apart. There doesn't have to be a lot of them, in other words, to protect places like Ustalav and Numeria.
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If you're worried about possible conflicts with future development, though, you can probably safely assume that there are wardstones all around the Worldwound, and that the focus of the demon vs. mortal conflict is against Mendev in any event.
Nah, not terribly worried as it's my game. :D Still, it's interesting to know what you guys think. Wardstones being present in other nations than just Mendev was one of two things I was working with for an adventure I'm currently working on an outline for. Another was that the Mendevian Crusades serve to keep the demons from spreading in more ways than just the physical presence of holy warriors and the wardstones.
No, in addition to the military presence, the extremely high concentration of paladins, clerics, holy relics and locations, possibly even quite a few more or less powerful celestial beings, serves as a sort of magnet for the demons, compelling them to continually throw themselves against Mendev, ignoring other more convenient ways to spread their unholy taint.
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It's also possible that other forces, as yet undetailed, discourage demonic attacks on other neighboring countries.
Numeria might have border forces armed with strange weapons, and stranger 'soldiers' besides, all made of skymetal and whose bodies course with unearthly fluids.
The Mammoth Lords and Orcs of the Hold of Belkzen might *relish* confrontations with the demons, throwing young warriors at them en masse, each hoping to become a champion of their people and prove themselves in battle. The workings of their shamen and wise women are strangely effective at holding the forces of the Worldwound to a trickle, for now, for all their 'primitive' reputation in the eyes of the more worldly Mendevians.
And Ustalav? Even the forces behind the Worldwound know better than to attempt a landing there. That land has already been spoken for, and there's a gentleman's agreement in place not to stir that restless sleeper... The last time someone made a move on the lord of that dark territory, he dragged a god out of the sky and tortured her to death.
Demons, too, can know fear.
We set up Golarion so that each nation is relatively self-contained, and while we did some linking and worked some international connections in among the nations, the fact that there's a lot left unsaid is intentional so every GM can make Golarion his own.
Good! No more FR, with novels and adventures changing the whole world forever because someone read/played it.
The last time someone made a move on the lord of that dark territory, he dragged a god out of the sky and tortured her to death.
Demons, too, can know fear.
Tar-Baphon is so dreamy... well, nightmarey!
I'd suggest that there's something in Mendev that the demons want, some Mcguffin there, or in one of the areas immediately south of it, that's drawing them.
Perhaps it's the very nature of Mendev that draws the demons towards it. More or less, they're the loudest opponenents nearest to the Worldwound, so maybe the demons are just drawn to it naturally. I think of it almost as if whatever force directing them is doing so using a super version of Detect Good and that spans miles. In this way, they're going to naturally be drawn towards the hundreds of paladins and good clerics that make up the borders there, like a hundred little candles gathered in a field of darkness.
Also, Mendev is the only nation in the area with the forces and organization to launch a counterattack with any hope of success. By concentrating their forces there, they prevent that and force a war of attrition they're guaranteed to win. Once Mendev falls they can strike in any direction they want with no problems.
The Worldwound is an area that a lot of us here at Paizo are VERY interested in. You can probably expect to see more about this location in a year or two. Until then, most of what's been said about the region is in the Pathfinder Campaign setting hardcover and in the adventure "The Demon Within."
As for why the demons of the Worldwound haven't invaded Ustalav, Numeria, and other nations, I believe the idea is that there are actaully wardstones placed all around the Worldwound. The demonic tendency toward chaos and disorganization could also be a reason, and I'm sure there are other reasons as well hidden within the nature of the Worldwound itself.
In any event, if you want a demonic incursion from the Worldwound into a neighboring nation in your game, go for it! We set up Golarion so that each nation is relatively self-contained, and while we did some linking and worked some international connections in among the nations, the fact that there's a lot left unsaid is intentional so every GM can make Golarion his own.
If you're worried about possible conflicts with future development, though, you can probably safely assume that there are wardstones all around the Worldwound, and that the focus of the demon vs. mortal conflict is against Mendev in any event.
As for how far apart the wardstones are, I believe they're actually quite far apart. There doesn't have to be a lot of them, in other words, to protect places like Ustalav and Numeria.
We need a Worldwound Demon infested Adventure Path.
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Also, Mendev is the only nation in the area with the forces and organization to launch a counterattack with any hope of success. By concentrating their forces there, they prevent that and force a war of attrition they're guaranteed to win. Once Mendev falls they can strike in any direction they want with no problems.
Yeah but they seem a lot more worried with the orcs of Belkzen than with anything north (even the Kellid should alone be worth of some fortifications). Sinaria is near inside the Worldwound itself, without nothing shelting it but is described as a idyllic place dedicated to arts and music as if weren´t near the border of dinosaur land and hell.
The Wardstones are all around the Worldwound. Which would you be worried about, a region full of demons whose attention is directed at a bunch of paladins elsewhere and who cannot get through the wall, or a nation of bloodthirsty orcs who have no magical barrier preventing them from rampaging through your country?
As for why the demons of the Worldwound haven't invaded Ustalav, Numeria, and other nations, I believe the idea is that there are actaully wardstones placed all around the Worldwound. The demonic tendency toward chaos and disorganization could also be a reason, and I'm sure there are other reasons as well hidden within the nature of the Worldwound itself.
There is mention in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords section of the Inner Sea World Guide, however, that demonic contamination is spreading into the eastern portion of the Thunder Steppes, and that the tribes who had lived there must keep moving further west as the native megafauna become corrupted and turn against them.