D&D General Piecing together the official maps of the Mortal World of Nerath

[Dungeonosophy]

The only jungle I see on the map is the Zannad Jungles of the mid-eastern edge of the map. Which doesn't match Real World climate at all. So neither does the southern edge have to match RW climate zones.

Though perhaps there is 4E lore which provides more climatic / vegetation indications.

Random note: the shape of the southeastern coast does look similar to NW Africa.

 

[Yaarel]

The only jungle I see on the map is the Zannad Jungles of the mid-eastern edge of the map. Which doesn't match Real World climate at all. So neither does the southern edge have to match RW climate zones.

Though perhaps there is 4E lore which provides more climatic / vegetation indications.

Random note: the shape of the southeastern coast does look similar to NW Africa.

Mexico has jungle-like vegetation around the Yucatan, and areas in Asia like Vietnam. There can be patches here and there.

Also note, the Elsir Vale map (which I am less familiar with) has a distance scale on it, which I assume is official. Because you scaled it exactly, it is possible to calculate the distances of the larger map, and of the entire planet because of the degrees. Then we can see how the map compares to reallife Earth.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Further investigation: if we're going into the nitty gritty of RW geographic parallels: The Winter Skull Lands (island) is visually similar to Iceland. The Fortress of the Final Pact is similar to the southern tip of Greenland (as you suggest). And the peninsula of the Iron Wolf Holds is similar to the Fenno-Scandian Peninsula (like you say, Norway). The Sea of Gnashing Ice is the start of the sea ice. And the Impassable Territory of the north is mountainous tundra and glaciers.

Looking especially at the location of Greenland and Iceland vis-a-vis the Arctic Circle, I tentatively agree with you there. And the Tropic of Cancer does fit well with the shape of NW Vailin vis-a-vis NW Africa.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Mexico has jungle-like vegetation around the Yucatan, and areas in Asia like Vietnam. There can be patches here and there.

I'm pretty sure those Zannad Jungles are going to be situated at the latitude of temperate Russia or somesuch. Not Yucatan or Vietnam. If I make another revised map, we could see.

Also note, the Elsir Vale map (which I am less familiar with) has a distance scale on it, which I assume is official. Because you scaled it exactly, it is possible to calculate the distances of the larger map, and of the entire planet because of the degrees. Then we can see how the map compares to reallife Earth.

Right - I was hoping someone would notice that...and calculate it themselves. Because it would be a hassle to calculate with the tools I have.

 

[Yaarel]

Just eyeballing it, the Elsir map seems something like 330 miles from west to east.

I'm pretty sure those Zannad Jungles are going to be situated at the latitude of temperate Russia or somesuch. Not Yucatan or Vietnam. If I make another revised map, we could see.

Right - I was hoping someone would notice that...and calculate it themselves. Because it would be a hassle to calculate with the tools I have.

Yeah, the alpine tundras can be anywhere because of high altitudes.

Russian jungles? That requires explanation. Can volcanism do it? Or is it because of magic?

 

[Yaarel]

Regarding "Russian jungles" consider the following map of rainforests. Notice how far south the ones in South America and Australia can reach. If I am understanding the map correctly, Japan has them in both the south and the north. The ones in the north seem "Russianish".

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Is there any actual evidence that this world is a sphereworld?

 

[Dungeonosophy]

I made a thumbnail map with the 70N-20N size, and it looks fine...except...the "equivalent" lands (Iceland, Greenland, etc.) are way too squished East-West compared to their RW counterparts. The whole map would need to be stretched a great deal E-W to make them anywhere near the same size and location. And then the "African" continent (Vailin) is way off. With Nerath proper being North America and the Iron Circle being Mesoamerica (or northern South America), the "Atlantic Ocean" is way too narrow.

So why are we so concerned about matching RW climate zones when we don't match RW landmasses?

This again leads me to go with the Occam's Razor of using the Equator as the bottom of the map.

What's wrong with a fantasy world having a desert at the equator rather than a rainforest? There may be more rainforests in the southern hemisphere.

I'm still inclined to think it's more important to fill the planet (as much as feasible) with the Official maps, than to line up RW climatic zones or landmasses.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Is there any actual evidence that this world is a sphereworld?

The "Mortal World" illustration seen in the 4e cosmological diagram. http://blogofholding.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/4eplanes.jpg

Which makes up the other side of the planet, as seen on the map in the OP.

 

[Yaarel]

Very rough ballparking.

The entire map of the Mortal World is, say, 1500 miles across, not including Elsir Vale.

For comparison, the US is about 2800 miles across, toward twice the size of the map. Australia is 3860.

So the Mortal map is only part of a continent or parts of more than one continent.


Note, on Earth, the distance of 10° latitude is roughly 70 miles.

So, 70 to 20 is 50 degrees or 3500 miles.

Very roughly, the Mortal World map is about 1300 miles north to south.

This works out to be only something like only 20 degrees latitude north to south.

Since at least parts are northerly, the map is nowhere near the equator.

The Mortal map might be more like latitudes 30° to 50°.