Difference between revisions of "Hârn HârnWorld Regional Map"

Revision as of 12:00, 6 September 2017

Note: ADD proper names and cross-internal links.

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Regional Map

Note: ADD Link to other Regional Map information.

Regional Map

The full-color map of Hârn provides a vast amount of information with a unique cartographic system developed specifically for fantasy gaming. The system allows easy perception of both terrain and topography. For example, a forest area may be depicted as flat, swampy, hilly, or mountainous. The hex grid helps the plotting of movement and distance. The numbered and lettered square grid is a handy reference to locate features described in Hârndex.

The area covered measures 250 Hârnic leagues (1,000 km or 620 miles) north/south and approximately 375 Hârnic leagues (1,500 km or 930 miles) east/west.

Vegetation

The regional map has seven principal vegetation classes. Each is identified on the map key.

Ice, Snow, Rockfield: Permanent mountain snowpack, precipitous rocky cliffs, and the like. Nothing grows here because the land is either snowbound or barren.

Alpine Vegetation: Found only in mountains, between the treeline and snowcap. Soil moisture is frozen (permafrost) except during summer, when the top two or three feet thaws. The frozen ground prevents the drainage of melt water, causing marshy conditions in early summer. Permafrost promotes an essentially treeless region covered with short-rooted plants, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. In midsummer, some plants flower for a few weeks, providing a carpet of color (alpine meadow).

Needleleaf Forest: Forest of tall, straight-trunked, cone-shaped trees with small needle-like leaves (mostly evergreen). Needleleaf forest occurs on Hârn in the highlands above 3,000 feet and in Orbaal. Due to the year-round shade, undergrowth tends to be sparse; since it occurs mostly in mountainous areas, travel can still be difficult. Major tree species include Orbaalese Spruce, Sorkin Pine, Kom Cedar, and Northern Fir.

Mixed Forest: Forests containing needleleaf evergreens, needleleaf deciduous, or summergreen deciduous trees, two of which must be present. Needleleaf deciduous trees are similar to their evergreen cousins but shed their leaves in winter. There are only two such species on Hârn, the Golden Larch and Katha Birch. Broadleaf trees tend to have short to medium stubby trunks, a few long branches, and a generous canopy of deciduous leaves that provide good shade in summer but shed completely in winter. There are some 120 different species of broadleaf on Hârn; the most common types are Hârnic Oak, Shava Maple, Solora Elm, and Western Ash.

Mixed Woodland: Areas with a tree canopy between 15% and 50% are considered woodland. Such areas contain mainly summergreen deciduous trees growing in clumps or copses interspersed with open grassy areas. The open areas may be natural, fire induced, or the result of human or animal intervention. Hârn’s climate makes extensive natural prairie grassland impossible.

Heath: Sometimes called moor, heathland is found along windward margins when a combination of poor soils and high winds exist. Heathland is mainly treeless although a few stunted birches, willows, and various large shrubs can be found. The dominant vegetation is a dense layer of sturdy low-lying plants such as heather. Poor drainage creates bogs in low-lying areas.

Cropland and Pasture: Found mainly around all Hârnic settlements. Only about 40% of the land will actually be under cultivation. The balance will be pasture and the odd stand of trees.

TOPOGRAPHY

Textures overlay the vegetation colors to provide landform data. This system allows you to distinguish between, for example, mountainous forests and flat forests. The absence of any texture implies that the land is fairly flat with, at most, gentle rolling hills.

Hills: Rough hilly terrain that tends to make travel difficult. Mountains rarely turn abruptly into plains and so foothills will usually be indicated.

Mountains: Terrain difficult to cross and probably impassable in winter. Mounted travel is especially difficult and climbing gear may be necessary. Peaks higher than 6,000 feet are named on the map.

Marshland: Swampy terrain can occur anywhere there is poor drainage. Marshland should not be thought of as impenetrable swamp, but it is likely to contain deep bogs, quicksands, etc.

Reefs: Shoals or rocks definitely hazardous to seafarers. No distinction is made on the map between salt and fresh water; there are no salt lakes on Hârn.

Rivers: The rivers shown are sufficiently deep (10’–20’) to be navigable. They are fordable only at marked fords and only then when the weather has been reasonably dry over the last few days. There may be dozens of smaller streams in each hex not shown; these will occasionally dry up or swell to the size of a river. Waterfalls and rapids are indicated by blue slashes.

Keeps, Castles, and Towns

For the most part, only settlements with major fortifications are shown. Most of these are surrounded by at least a small town and dozens of small villages. All settlements shown hold a market or fair at least once a month; many do so daily.

Roads And Trails

Paved roads are "all weather" and quite rare on Hârn. Unpaved roads are always muddy when it rains. The trails shown are those that even a tenderfoot would have difficulty wandering off. Not shown are thousands of game and other minor trails crisscrossing Hârn.

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