Kevin's Watch

Unfettered one wrote:Regarding the distances and how unrealistic it is to travel 900 miles in 28 days, I just assumed that the League, while sharing the name of a unit of measure from our world, may not have the same definition.

I seem to recall that there is an instance of conversion from leagues to miles in FR (hardly a spoiler). And here I think that a league is given as three miles. Does anyone remember where that is? Or am I imagining things?

Prebe wrote:

Unfettered one wrote:Regarding the distances and how unrealistic it is to travel 900 miles in 28 days, I just assumed that the League, while sharing the name of a unit of measure from our world, may not have the same definition.

I seem to recall that there is an instance of conversion from leagues to miles in FR (hardly a spoiler). And here I think that a league is given as three miles. Does anyone remember where that is? Or am I imagining things?

I don't remember exactly where it was, but Linden did, at some point, think to herself a conversion of Leagues to Miles - it was 3 miles which is what a league actually should be.

Beyondthebreach wrote: I was looking at the distances and the timeline in the back of the book and I have some serious issues! The distances in The Land (according to the Atlas) seem to be way off. The distance from Mithil Stonedown to Revelstone is given as 300 leagues. That 900 freakin' miles!

I absolutely can't believe that. Covenant made that journey in something like 28 days. Sure, there was Foamfollower and the raft . . . but, come on - that is just out of hand. Some days he hardly even travelled.

All the distances are like this - people would have to be walking 50 miles a day to make these treks. They weren't on Ranyhyn all the time . . . sheesh!

I'm personally fond of the Atlas, as it was - and remains - the only reference book on the world(s) of the Chronicles. Yes, Fonstad's style was a bit minimalistic - some might say crude - but I'm grateful that she went to the trouble at all. I think Fonstad's love for the Land shone through in the Atlas. And since Donaldson did work with her on it, the book has the stamp of authority.

For further examination of questionable distances and measurements in the Land, you might be interested in this discussion from a few years back:

Did anyone speak from the top of the Tower of Revelstone?

amanibhavam wrote:Unfortunately I am very clumsy with map software and generally with graphics applications, otherwise I would love to tinker with things like producing elevation maps for the Land and generate terrain images in, say, Terragen.

Yes, I'd really like to try my hand at Terragen as well. I just keep putting it off.

Thanks BTB, I thought as much.

Sorry aTomic and Unfettered one for ruining you "little parallel universe where a Land league is not three miles"

In my defense, I did qualify my statement with a "may".

Being a math guy, I need a mechanism to put off my disbelief on inconsistencies like this from time to time, so that I don't get distracted by the details and enjoy the story. That's all I was trying to convey.

Thanks for the link to the previous thread, matrixman. It was helpful.

I know what you mean unfettered one. I have the same problem myself. T'was all in good fun

All that I have to say is the maps given are iceing on the cake.

its nice when they are travelling to look at the map ..i listen to these books on audio only lately. so while im listening I can view the map i created based on the map in LFB - IEW PTP too but no snow, It's an aerial aspect view of the land...actual textures and terrain not just line art. my icon is the smallest version of it i have created. some day i might post it here. its completely original outside the basic Geography of the original map in the paperbacks and i did take the title "the Land" from the maps book..different though..it has depth...... but im giving SRD first crack at it, then i will let everyone else see..i have heard there is a new map in Fatal Revenant but am not sure to what scale the map has been changed. i am dying to see it but have to wait until i buy the book.

Beyondthebreach wrote:

Prebe wrote:

Unfettered one wrote:Regarding the distances and how unrealistic it is to travel 900 miles in 28 days, I just assumed that the League, while sharing the name of a unit of measure from our world, may not have the same definition.

I seem to recall that there is an instance of conversion from leagues to miles in FR (hardly a spoiler). And here I think that a league is given as three miles. Does anyone remember where that is? Or am I imagining things?

I don't remember exactly where it was, but Linden did, at some point, think to herself a conversion of Leagues to Miles - it was 3 miles which is what a league actually should be.

i dont recall in the books them giving the distance of a league..i had to pull it out of a dictionary to get it and it said a league was "noun, Former measure of distance by land, usually about 3 miles"

yep...terragen, vue, bryce and photoshop.

I like the maps, but wouldn't have noticed or commented really if they had never been there. But I do like looking at them, often wishing for more detail. Without them...well, I have Syl's problem...no mental spatial relationships.

Oh, and 900 miles in 28 days isn't impossible, even for infantry. Tough, but not impossible. Lot depends on your equipment and baggage, and training of course, but the Zulu impi's in South Africa in the late 1800's routinely performed route marches which covered 50 to 60km a day for several days, and each day was concluded with battle manouvers before rest was permitted.

--A

i was curious how much actual leaguage Hile troys march traveled if you add up his count..i think he actually counts 50 leagues to the white...another 30 leagues on the river....etc..but have no actual figures. im sure theres some refs to it somewhere here. i like someones idea that a league in the land is more like a mile..or even a Kilometer ..but the atlas says different. i guess clean living and aliantha will let you do double time...no wonder covenant was always miserably sore, even riding a horse that far almost killed Hyrim.

I dont know if I consider maps crucial, but I like them very much , my wife and I have decided to decorate our new home with maps and globes.

Prebe wrote:

Unfettered one wrote:Regarding the distances and how unrealistic it is to travel 900 miles in 28 days, I just assumed that the League, while sharing the name of a unit of measure from our world, may not have the same definition.

I seem to recall that there is an instance of conversion from leagues to miles in FR (hardly a spoiler). And here I think that a league is given as three miles. Does anyone remember where that is? Or am I imagining things?

Well I have no idea where I got it, but for me 1 league = how far you can travel comfortably in an hour. meaning that the distance is actually variable depending on the terrain.

At any rate, it makes the 300 leagues in 28 days 10 to 12 miles per day... which would be a rough haul even on flat ground.

I can't accept any infantry (other than mechanized) doing 900 miles in 28 days.


Stutt
stutt

That's impressive, Landwaster! But is it a real or imaginary place?

Its real, its a motel room in Santa Cruz ...


... oh wait, you mean the map?

Its imaginary, a land mass called Nicapilani

www.footypedia.com/marut/Nicapilani/nicapilani.html

Approx 25 years worth of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

How important is the map of the Land to you?

Important enough to shell out £15 for "The Atlas of the Land"

And Landwaster, I used to spend hours drawing "fantasy" maps on A2 paper, and imagining the people, races and histories of said lands...it's a healthy thing to do...I think.

The map has always been fairly crucial to me. While I have to trouble picturing the scenery, I often (especially when I first read TC) flipped back to the map to see where they were traveling in comparison to where they were.

That said, I'd like to commend Blackhawk on the extraordinary work done on the maps posted in the album, anyone who hasn't looked at them really should do so.

I feel the same as OP, the map does not matter much to me. I feel this way pretty much the same in regards to all fiction. I mean, I look at it, but it can get really confusing and stuff, it doesn't always tend to matter anyway.

The only time I've had any major care for maps in a book are the choose your own adventure types where it is critical to choosing directions-based things.

Even then, I have only encountered one book series of this form, most don't even need directions either and have action-based directions rather than direction-based.