So I had an idea for something to come into play for the end of the campaign. I have not yet had a chance to personally read the fifth adventure and obviously the sixth has not been released. However, my idea is...
It is established lore that the Worldwound opened in 4606 AR, corresponding with the death of Aroden, which the cause of has remained a mystery. Now beginning with that I started to brainstorm a possible link between the two. Then I read about Aroden's death, with the week long storms raging and the Eye of Abendego persisting. Then I recall something in the player's guide, that Khorramzadeh the Storm King did not officially arrive in the Worldwound(publicly) until the Third Crusade when he attack Kenabres.
Now connecting all that information with Deskari and Baphomet's love of corruption and Areelu's plan to allow the crusaders to corrupt themselves, alongside the theme of Redemption for the players, I had the idea to reveal when/if the players inevitably confront Khorramzadeh, that either once they fatally wound him or somehow defeat him without killing him, that the corruption that overtook him in 4606 AR was finally lifted and Aroden would return to his original mortal form. The reveal would entail that Aroden traveled to Sarkoris to try and finish what he started against Deskari before. But Deskari was in the Abyss, working across the plane with Areelu to open the Worldwound. Aroden tracked the dark magic to Areelu's location and when he stepped in to stop the ritual, the timing was perfect for Deskari. Aroden's body was overtaken by the Abyssal energies, tainting him against his will. He was severely weakened and it took time for him to gain any form of strength, but once he did he emerged as the Storm King. The attachment to storms surrounding his death and the Storm King being the only balor lord wreathed in lightning seem too perfect.
Anyways, I'm looking for some feedback on the concept. Ideally the Storm Lord fight would take place close to the closing of the Worldwound so that could be the catalyst for his transformation. But what do you all think?
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I think it is quite a stretch, in all honesty. Besides, Aroden is dead as in "doornail". This has been established in several adventures (which to my discredit, I would need to look up).
In addition, consider the very strong Iomedan angle the AP has been taking (They meet her!). If Aroden returned, not only would that throw the established setting into total disarray (or at the very very least Cheliax, The Shackles, The Sodden lands, large parts of Taldor), it would also have unknown implications about "the Inheritor".
Finally, Aroden was a god, not a demon lord or other "Intermediate" level power. If Deskari would be able to taint him, he'd probably not settled for "small-ish rift that festers for about a century". He'd have made himself a diety at least, and Golarion his chew-toy.
I'm gonna have to side with Terra Nova on this one. The idea that a Demon Lord can corrupt (or even temporarily incapacitate) a full fledged deity is a massive stretch. The difference in power level is far more than in D&D where they had stats.
Pathfinder gods are basically omnipotent, but they have rules for operation which bind them from taking direct action in most cases. I would believe that a Demon Lord might be able to use the rules of the system to manipulate a deity in a certain course of action, but definitely not corrupt or incapacitate them directly.
That said, I would not be surprised if the final adventure in the AP expands on the Aroden/Worldwound link in some way. It does seem too large a coincidence for Aroden to disappear at the same time the Worldwound opens, so I do believe there is a strong connection between those two events, and possibly one that could be brought to light during this AP.
What Terra and Aldarionn said. Agree with them both completely. Don't think I could have put it much better.
It is your campaign. If you can connect the dots than so be it. Other than Aroden being dead and gone, there isn't a lot of information for Aroden's death. It is the grand mystery of Golarion. No one saw it coming, not even the gods, not even the God of Death and Prophecy until Aroden's soul appeared in the line of people awaiting judgment. Maybe his physical body was tainted and transformed into the Storm King. It is your Golarion, and your story to tell.
Frankly I like the idea, now I am considering using it (tweaked maybe, more research to make certain connections) since I always thought the Worldwound was caused from the resulting energies that was unleashed by the death of a god on the material plane.
Though the final AP actually states they weren't related and it was just a matter of timing. But to each campaign their own, :)