I have my suspicions of that as well, and a hypothesis as to just what's keeping it that way and why...I'd argue Galt is not much of a state either at that point, but very much agreed.
That the Galtian take on the Terror hasn't slowed down in 50+ years is just unnatural. There's a reason the french inspiration lasted one to two years at worst. If I didn't know better, I'd suspect outside influence here.
Yeah, Bestiary 6 and the NPC list in the Campaign Setting intrigue book pretty much set up a compelling theory.
I say Shenmen (in Tian-Xia) actually. Suprised no one mentioned it.
I think Razmiran creeps me out the most. Reminds me of North Korea.
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I feel like in a lot of the unpleasant places on Golarion, I'm going to end up dead. But Nidal, over all others, would make that death really unpleasant and really long. I'll take the guillotines over whatever the Nidalese are up to these days, and the Chellish are comparative amateurs at torture.
I think Razmiran creeps me out the most. Reminds me of North Korea.
Bachuan seems an obvious parallel to North Korea (although for some weird reason it is listed on the linked page as being "Lawful Neutral", which seems to be applied to more nations than it should be).
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Bachuan seems an obvious parallel to North Korea (although for some weird reason it is listed on the linked page as being "Lawful Neutral", which seems to be applied to more nations than it should be).
Paizo is reeeerally generous with its neutral alignments at times.
My top pick to avoid would be Rahadoum. Plagues, famines, narcotics, slavery, and Alahazra's backstory makes it clear enough that you can get 'disappeared' in Rahadoum without actually trying to break their rules. Plus if you're in the capital, there's the threat of invisible outsiders battling it out in the streets.
...Also, I can't take the heat. I'd be a sweaty corpse before the enforcers ever got to me.
Rahadoum are those people who get burned and then take it out on others. I don't really like those people. I think they're bad people, and that living in a nation run by them would be really stressful and dangerous. I'd call them Lawful Evil, but Paizo definitely can't. There's be uproar if the atheistic nation was labeled evil, even if the label wasn't at all based on their atheism.
There are some weird things indeed, when it comes to country alignments.
My first instinct is to assume that countries are not monolithic hiveminds, that the aligments governments don't necessarily represent that of the majority of its inhabitants ... But it doesn't feel like that kind of logic is applied consistently.
Bachuan being neutral is one. I really hope it's not for the reasons LittleMissNaga points out, much as I worry she's right.
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{. . .}
Rahadoum are those people who get burned and then take it out on others. I don't really like those people. I think they're bad people, and that living in a nation run by them would be really stressful and dangerous. I'd call them Lawful Evil, but Paizo definitely can't. There's be uproar if the atheistic nation was labeled evil, even if the label wasn't at all based on their atheism.
As an avowed misotheist (which is even a couple of steps beyond atheist), I can look at Rahadoum (the actual description, ignoring the official alignment entry) and say: Yep, that's Evil.
The actions of the government and elites don't have an effect on the alignment of the masses. I'm quite sure LN is the most common alignment by a fair amount in Rahadoum.
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Listed alignments of places probably make the most sense in terms of "what points of friction are the heroes most likely to encounter" so "farmers who keep their heads down and try not to attract attention" do not make Nidal any less evil.
As far as Rahadoum is concerned, my understanding is that natives have a lot more to worry about than visitors. As long as the party turns over their holy symbols at the border, it will be assumed that the Rahadoum powers that be will file most of what they do under "outsiders don't get it." Whereas if you're an insider, they're quick to prosecute wrongthink.
So I think the "LN" alignment makes sense, since "a party visiting Rahadoum" is most likely going to run into LN style conflicts a la "you can't possess that here, I will confiscate it."
I guess the question then is "what do those alignments apply to, what do they represent" ?
What is visible to foreigners ? The common folk ? The state/government/regime ?
If an ironbound dictatorship, led by an evil autocrat, dealing in reeducation camps and cracking down mercilessly on any opposition can be neutral - like Bachuan - why are other comparable nations evil ? How is Razmiran worse ?
With other examples around of neutral countries headed by evil leaders, it seems it's the alignments of the majority of the population ?
In which case, there should be a lot more neutral countries. To the point I don't think it should be so, it says nothing about the country in question (and is borderline counter-intuitive) : alignment of the leadership would be more telling.
Sounds like countries should really have 2 alignments listed: one for the government and one for the majority of people. You can see a bit of this on www.pathfinderwiki.com if you click on leaders listed for some of the countries. Even so, I think Lawful Neutral listings are still overabundant.
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Yeah, Bestiary 6 and the NPC list in the Campaign Setting intrigue book pretty much set up a compelling theory.I have my suspicions of that as well, and a hypothesis as to just what's keeping it that way and why...I'd argue Galt is not much of a state either at that point, but very much agreed.
That the Galtian take on the Terror hasn't slowed down in 50+ years is just unnatural. There's a reason the french inspiration lasted one to two years at worst. If I didn't know better, I'd suspect outside influence here.
AND the Inner Sea NPC Codex as well, which is part of what got the wheels in my head turning about this particular theory...
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Bachuan seems an obvious parallel to North Korea
Fascinating, I was shouted down when I made this exact point, when the Dragon Empires Gazetteer came out.
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Some that don't get enough mentions, Korvosa, a city state with so many major ancient evils (IIRC, around 5) lurking around that it should really be a competitor to the Worldwound for a bad place to live. At least in the Worldwound you know that there's Demons around, what they're likely to do, and that you need cold iron weapons...
Dagermark, one of the river kingdoms, which is also a city where every citizen has the right to order one assassination per year, from either the Poisoner's Guild, or the (mostly) separate Assassin's Guild. What a wonderful place...
Does anyone actually LIVE in Geb or is it all undead?
Yes, Geb has living people, although it is a really nasty place for those classed as chattel (which is an awful lot of them).
Here's my view on the 13 worst places to live in Golarion:
1: Galt
2: Irrisen
3: Sodden Lands
4: Razmiran
5: Hold of Belkzen
6: Kaoling
7: Chu Ye
8: Shenmen
9: Wanshou
10: Nidal
11: The Darklands
12: Geb
13: The Worldwound
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Here's my view on the 13 worst places to live in Golarion:
1: Galt
2: Irrisen
3: Sodden Lands
4: Razmiran
5: Hold of Belkzen
6: Kaoling
7: Chu Ye
8: Shenmen
9: Wanshou
10: Nidal
11: The Darklands
12: Geb
13: The Worldwound
Aaaand that's how Cheliax gets away every time. We're not a bad place if you're playing nice! Just look at all those dens of chaos and instability, would you prefer a rigorous, at times harshly so, regime of law and order, or a cesspool of madness where you can be certain of nothing? See? Easy choice, isn't it? Like all choices are, despite what those do-gooders might tell you.
Aaaand that's how Cheliax gets away every time. We're not a bad place if you're playing nice! Just look at all those dens of chaos and instability, would you prefer a rigorous, at times harshly so, regime of law and order, or a cesspool of madness where you can be certain of nothing? See? Easy choice, isn't it? Like all choices are, despite what those do-gooders might tell you.Here's my view on the 13 worst places to live in Golarion:
1: Galt
2: Irrisen
3: Sodden Lands
4: Razmiran
5: Hold of Belkzen
6: Kaoling
7: Chu Ye
8: Shenmen
9: Wanshou
10: Nidal
11: The Darklands
12: Geb
13: The Worldwound
Cheliax is at least bearable as long as you pay lip service to Asmodeus's clergy and not a slave. The reason I put Galt in Cheliax's place is there's no safe guarantee you won't be targeted by the Revolutionary Counsel. All it takes is someone who doesn't like you pointing a finger and yelling out "traitor" and you get your head chopped off and soul imprisoned in the Final Blades of the Grey Gardners. The populace of Galt are living in a constant state of paranoia and suspicion where as in Cheliax there is at least some level of stability. Granted that stability comes at the great expense of personal freedom and having to tolerate sentient beings being sacrificed to the fell power of Hell.
Cheliax encourages denouncing neighbors, etc. Your safe lawful orderly society is no longer your friend if someone wants your stuff or just doesn't like you. Not really different in Galt, neither place is a good place to be noticeable.
^undoubtedly, although this is probably a lot more predictable in Cheliax.