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7 Comments

  1. Happylarry
    24 February 2016 @ 12:49 am

    Thanks so much for this – I knew there were issues with the HW set projections, but great to see these images showing how it all works out (or doesn’t).

    I guess the maps might still be helpful for giving some idea of how much of the outer world wraps round into the hollow world?

    Reply

    • Thorfinn Tait
      24 February 2016 @ 10:31 am

      Yes indeed — although even better for that are the polar maps from the Hollow World Set. Even those aren’t conclusive, since the notation of latitudes is a bit vague.

  2. Havard Blackmoor
    24 February 2016 @ 1:09 am

    Another great piece! I love the fact that the HW boxed set Outer World map can still be used as a resource in this fashion. Keep it up Thorf-meister! 🙂

    Reply

    • Thorfinn Tait
      24 February 2016 @ 10:32 am

      Me too! That map is the best source for terrain for much of the world, so it’s great that it’s so easily usable.

  3. David Hands
    24 February 2016 @ 2:15 am

    Great work as always sir Tait.
    The hollow world fitment is very impressive.
    A bit off topic but looking at the full map reminds me of a conversation I had with my first DM over 25 years ago. He explained to me how the world of Mystara was based on the continents of earth sometime in the far distant past (supposedly).
    In the full world map above, it does kind of look like Africa in the middle and North and South America to the left with a mash up Europe/Asia to the North and a mash up of Australia/Antarctica to the South.
    Has anyone ever heard this story before?
    Does anyone know if there is any truth to the myth?
    I can not contact my old DM to find out where he got the information from. He was a freakishly talented and knowledgable DM back in the day.

    Reply

    • Thorfinn Tait
      24 February 2016 @ 10:41 am

      Yes, this is absolutely true. You can see for yourself by looking at maps made by geologists to show what the world may have looked like back then. Try this one, for example:


      https://www2.nau.edu/rcb7/170Marect.jpg

      Or this one, which marks present-day political locations on the ancient map:


      http://www.scotese.com/late1.htm

      These don’t look identical to Mystara, but I remember seeing one in a book in the late 80s that was much closer. I think the configuration the continents are thought to have been in has evolved over the years.

    • David Hands
      24 February 2016 @ 1:29 pm

      Ahh yes, Jurassic earth. It is a better fit then I thought. The Serpent Peninsula was Florida! Ah I found one of Bruce Herd’s blog posts on the climate of Alphatia where he uses the Jurassic map to work out the Ocean Currents. Thanks for the confirmation Thorfin.
      http://bruce-heard.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/Climate.html

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