Windstop

[Goldennose]

How does Windstop affect the areas on the edges? In Eleven Lights it says that it is like a hurricane, but I haven´t seen that description of it in anywhere else, so is it "canonical"? Are areas on the edges destroyed with constant thunderstorm?

Edited August 25, 2020 by Caras

[metcalph]

According to Orlanth's is Dead p45, the Windstop becomes an airhole which the winds of the world seek to fill.  Thus the winds gradually blow towards it (and disappear at the border of the Windstop"- piff" is the description used) such that within a fortnight, all the winds of the world are blowing in that general direction.

[M Helsdon]

1 hour ago, Caras said:

How does Windstop affect the areas on the edges? In Eleven Lights it says that it is like a hurricane, but I haven´t seen that description of it in anywhere else, so is it "canonical"? Are areas on the edges destroyed with constant thunderstorm?

I don't believe there were constant thunderstorms, just constant battering winds that just stop at the interface, as the currents of air will converge and get compressed together, so wind speeds will increase the closer you get to the boundary. Gloranthan physics isn't the same as terrestrial physics, but thunderstorms need warm air to rise and cool, and that isn't what is happening, though it might in places as cold and warm air mixes; instead the winds aren't rising up, they just vanish.

Edited August 25, 2020 by M Helsdon

[David Scott]

Guide page 731:

Quote

Outside of that circle, all the nearby air moved to restore the dead air of Dragon Pass. However, rushing air just disappeared at the edge of the magical effect.

Depending where you are standing there maybe local effects. I can imagine Storm Bull being pulled off from his normal north south movement over the wastes and blowing harder towards the Zola Fel Valley border, trying to help his brother. Likewise localised storms over the sea, caused by disrupted weather patterns, likewise in the mountains. Have a look at Appendix C - Weather in the guide. The wind maps will give you an idea of localised weather.

Here's a bigger version of the Windstop map that I did for the Guide (page 731).  Use the AAA map for closeup detail.

Edited August 25, 2020 by David Scott

[David Scott]

1 hour ago, Caras said:

In Eleven Lights it says that it is like a hurricane

Eleven lights page 114:

Quote

The winds increase in intensity as they draw closer to the edge of the area of effect, becoming hurricane force at the border, but then die off once they cross into the Windstop.

Hurricane force is not the same as a hurricane. Hurricane force here in the UK (Ian is British) is force 12 on the Beaufort scale, so windsgusting at ≥ 73 mph, ≥ 118 km/h.

[Sir_Godspeed]

What's the epicenter of the Windstop? It doesn't appear to be Kero Fin.

[Minlister]

When I read this, I immediately envisioned the huge accumulation of earth, branches and other flotsam all along the circumference of the wind stop area as the hurricanes carrying the debris brutally stop and drop them on the "border". 

[Nick Brooke]

19 minutes ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

What's the epicenter of the Windstop? It doesn't appear to be Kero Fin.

Whitewall, obviously.

[Goldennose]

So there is hurricane force wind on the borders, and so people can´t cross it easily? Not even to Lunar Empire?

 

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Depending where you are standing there maybe local effects. I can imagine Storm Bull being pulled off from his normal north south movement over the wastes and blowing harder towards the Zola Fel Valley border, trying to help his brother. Likewise localised storms over the sea, caused by disrupted weather patterns, likewise in the mountains. Have a look at Appendix C - Weather in the guide. The wind maps will give you an idea of localised weather.

In the Imther Mountains, this is the period of the Dagger Winds - strong, cold, icy gusts blowing down from the north and cutting between the mountains and quickly chill any travelers.

[David Scott]

13 minutes ago, Caras said:

So there is hurricane force wind on the borders, and so people can´t cross it easily?

Oh think you can cross inwards easily, you might land heavily when the wind suddenly stops 🙂

13 minutes ago, Caras said:

Not even to Lunar Empire?

As the map shows, the extent of the wind is much larger than most people expected (from the Orlanth is Dead book). It affects loads of cultural and political areas. Don't forget it also gets so cold that rivers freeze (on the inside). For those that flow in to the area, the area outside floods. Those inside, the water stops. Getting out and in isn't easy.

50 minutes ago, Minlister said:

When I read this, I immediately envisioned the huge accumulation of earth, branches and other flotsam all along the circumference of the wind stop area as the hurricanes carrying the debris brutally stop and drop them on the "border". 

I think you're right depending on the area. However if there's nothing for the wind to pickup, there's nothing to deposit. 

[jajagappa]

17 minutes ago, Caras said:

So there is hurricane force wind on the borders, and so people can´t cross it easily? Not even to Lunar Empire?

I'm sure the Glowline is negating such effects so Lunar Tarsh and Saird will be fine.  

But the Dog Hills of Balazar will feel it strongly (and much of Balazar).  Clearly Gagarth the Wild Hunter (who is not dead) will be riding with these winds.  

Similarly Vulture's Country in Prax will probably get hit by scouring desert winds.

[David Scott]

 

7 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

I'm sure the Glowline is negating such effects so Lunar Tarsh and Saird will be fine.

The areas under the glowline don't suffer as much from the freezing as the grain goddess is Hon-eel and Pelora. They clearly launched emegency rituals to warm their earth, I suspect the winds were slower at the edges.

I did a map of the political areas and glowline under the windstop (you'll have to figure out what the individual areas are!):

Edited August 25, 2020 by David Scott

[Sir_Godspeed]

2 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

Whitewall, obviously.

Sorry, it wasn't obvious to me, I'm not as familiar with the specific Hero Wars plotlines of the main RPG books.

[jajagappa]

24 minutes ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

Sorry, it wasn't obvious to me, I'm not as familiar with the specific Hero Wars plotlines of the main RPG books.

Whitewall is where the Lunars focused their efforts to "kill" Orlanth.  Put everything into the 3 year siege there, at the end of which Whitewall fell, Orlanth and Ernalda were killed, and the Great Winter began.

[soltakss]

6 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

7 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

What's the epicenter of the Windstop? It doesn't appear to be Kero Fin.

Whitewall, obviously.

The range looks to be similar to the range of the Orlanth Sacred Mountains, i.e. about a 500 mile radius. Makes me think ...