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Karameikos, 8 miles per hex

by Thorfinn Tait

Maps

Replica of GAZ1 poster map, 8 miles per hex by Thorf, May 2008

Updated map of Karameikos, 8 miles per hex by Thorf, June 2005
and Variant updated map of Karameikos with mostly forested hills, 8 miles per hex by Thorf, June 2008

PDF

Note: PDF files are available of all my maps upon request.

Comments
Perhaps the most notable feature of the updated map is the forested hills, long described in the text but included for the first time in Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure. The text implies that all the hills are forested, hence the variant version with most of the hills changed to forested hills.

Sources: GAZ1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos (1987), TM1 The Western Countries (1989), Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure (1994). Also B10 Night's Dark Terror (1986).

Notes on Updated map (GAZ1)

• Achelos Woods/Riverfork Woods - although the placing of the labels on the map may suggest otherwise, these are variant names for the same forest. Page 35 describes them as "variously called the Riverfork Woods and the Achelos Woods."
• Altitude - page 35 gives two altitude labels, which have been added to the map.
• Callarii Elves - according to "The Map" on page 6, "The Callarii elves live in the central forests east and west of Kelvin and in the forested foothills south of the gnomish community."
• Forested Hills - while the Gazetteer itself states on page 45 that most of Karameikos' hills are "thickly covered with forest," at the time GAZ1 was made the forested hills hex had not yet been created. Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure corrected this, showing some of the hills as indeed being forested. Given the description, this could be taken further, changing most or even all hill hexes to forested hills. The Atlas remains consistent with Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure, but see also the variant map and its notes for more on this.
• Forested Hills near Highforge - it seems that the hills south of Highforge are forested. See "The Map" on page 6: "The Callarii elves live in the central forests east and west of Kelvin and in the forested foothills south of the gnomish community."
• Kelvin - the detail map for this city shows that it is situated at the confluence of the Highreach and Hillfollow Rivers. However, GAZ1's map shows Kelvin one hex north of this position. This atlas uses the position as described in the text.
• Koriszegy Keep - though marked on the map as a keep, the text clearly states that it is ruined on page 40. I have thus marked it as ruins.
• Shutturgal River - this old Traladaran name for the Hillfollow River is given on the map, and repeated on TM1. However, the text twice gives the name as Shutturga (pages 5 and 35). The detail map of Kelvin also has Shutturga. Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure repeats the text reference while eliminating the old name from the map. This issue could probably go either way, but this atlas uses the name as given in the text, Shutturga.
• Wufwolde River - this old Traladaran name for the Windrush River is given in the text of GAZ1 and repeated in Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure. However, GAZ1's map has Waterolde, while TM1 has Waterholde. It seems likely that the river shares the name of the hills through which it flows, and therefore this atlas uses the name Wufwolde.

Notes on Variant updated map (GAZ1)

• Forested Hills - there is much evidence that almost all of the hills (and indeed most of the mountains) in Karameikos are heavily forested. "Land Patterns" on page 35: "These mountains tend to be thickly covered with forest vegetation, gradually thinning to bare rock toward the peaks. The average height of mountains in this range is about 4,000 feet, though many are much larger." It goes on to describe the extent of the forests in the foothills: "South of this mountain range, you have miles and miles of mountain foothills - also thickly covered with forest." Further support in "Terrain" on page 35: "Karameikos is one of the most thickly-wooded nations of the world. In the northern parts of the Grand Duchy, pine forests cover the mountain slopes and the hillsides." It continues, describing the "three great tracts of forest" in Karameikos. The description of the forests doesn't mention anything about hills, but doesn't rule out forested hills as parts of those forests either.
• Forest Types - as we might expect, higher altitude forests have a tendency to be evergreen, while lower lying forests at this latitude are deciduous, with a gradation of the two in between. "Terrain" on page 35: "Karameikos is one of the most thickly-wooded nations of the world. In the northern parts of the Grand Duchy, pine forests cover the mountain slopes and the hillsides. The further south you get, the more hardwoods - oak especially - you see; in the southernmost parts of the Dymrak Forest of eastern Karameikos, all you see are ancient oaks towering into the sky."

Notes on Updated map (Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure)

• Forested Hills - two of the easternmost hexes of the Five Shires, have been changed to forested hills. This change seems in line with the Karameikos forested hills change, so this atlas has adopted it. However, one of the forested hill hexes shown in GAZ8 is incorrectly shown as normal hills here. This change has been ignored in the atlas. (See also GAZ1.)
• Traldar Bay - this bay in eastern Karameikos was labelled for the first time in this product.
• Vandevicsny - this previously unmarked village appears for the first time on the 8 mile per hex map.

To Do List

1. Expand updated maps - I'm working on changing the format of all my maps to make them rectangular by including neighbouring countries.
2. Resolve Threshold problem and incorporate B10 maps.
3. Create replica of this map from Rules Cyclopedia and write notes.
4. Create replica of TM1 and write notes on this map.
5. Create replica of this map from Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure and finish notes.

Thanks to: Jesper Andersen (Spellweaver), Katana One, Kheldren, Joe Mason, Sheldon Morris (Hugin),