The World Map

The World Map

Basically the world has three continents; the North, the South, and the Central lands. There are a few fixed islands scattered about and many moving islands, not shown on this map. Because of the axial tilt of the world the south always receives more sunlight, the days are long and it is hot, while the opposite is true for the north. The central lands enjoy a more moderate balanced climate.

The North.

A huge desert of ice dominates the north pole, with a 1000 km of tundra surrounding it. Not many plants or animals live up here. Because of the world’s tilt this region is in perpetual twilight. The coniferous forest stretches from the tundra to the coast, from a few 100 to a 1000 km wide. The climate here is harsh but many sturdy plants and furry animals make it home. The nights are long and so are the winters. Its very poor land for agriculture, but a few scattered kingdoms do exist.

Most of the people who inhabit the North are tough, they have to be in order to survive the harsh environment. Settlements tend to be small because farming is difficult, with most food coming from hunting and fishing. They are understandably obsessed with winter, with surviving it in as much comfort as can be produced. Popular stories always depict north-men as primitive barbarians, but this is not totally true. Many kingdoms has clever architecture adapted to the harsh climate, including heating systems and underground passages.

Not surprisingly many north-men who adventure away from home end up settling down in warmer latitudes. ( the Eriksons of Arkadara Island for example ) Conversely very few people who try to settle in the North end up staying more than a few years. The kings of floating islands sometimes try to set up mining colonies, but very few of their people are willing to pass more than one winter in the North.

The South

A huge desert of sand dominates the south pole, with a 1000 km of savanna surrounding it. Not many plants or animals down here. Because of the world’s tilt this region is in perpetual daylight, with high temperatures. Surrounding the savanna, a vast jungle offers a good habitation for both plants and animals under the giant tree branches. The land is good, but if too many trees are cut it can quickly turn into poor scrub. 

Many kingdoms exist in the southern regions, along the coast and inland too. They are usually depicted as being lazy or somehow in decline after a long history. The reason for this not unjustified stereotype is one of climate. For most of the day it is simply too hot to risk strenuous activity; there is a real danger of heat stroke, even for those native to the region. Visitors usually enjoy a few days, then develop a case of heat sickness that has them delirious for days. 

The Lines of Drift

On the map are the very basic patterns of drift for the floating islands. In the North ocean the current runs from east to west, with a strong flow south off the west coast of the Central Lands. In the South ocean the opposite is true, the current runs west to east, with a strong flow north off the east coast. Islands move at various speeds, small ones faster than large ones. Some will stay in a hemisphere for a long time, circling the world with out migrating north or south. Other islands actually orbit the Central Lands. The patterns of movement can be very complicated and are subject to unexpected change.

Navigation is thus very difficult if you are trying to find a floating island that you have no recent information on. You may predict its position from past knowledge, for example; The island of Arkadara orbits the Central Lands, passing along the west coast each year in April at a distance of 2 days sail. However a dozen factors may change its course and speed.

The advanced coastal kingdoms on the continents usually keep records of what islands pass near them in a monthly log book. The moving island kingdoms usually know the distance and direction to their nearby neighbors, as islands of a similar size will move in the same pattern. Of course storms can push an island onto an entirely new tact, invalidating all those records.