Let's try to make a map! MN's Geography

[danlo]

To answer Usivius 100% was attempted to be taken directly from the books (it involved a week of painstaking research) but it ended up 75% from the books, 25% altered to actually make some sense.

Again: you can sort of see where the seats are, The border of Fayle is green, Armigrite red, Perdon brown, Demense purple, Domne blue, Termigan is gold (to the west, or left) and Tor is pinkish-red. Yellow is Cadwal, gray is Alend and the orange crosshatch below Tor, where all the rivers empty is the Great Swamp.

[matrixman]

It is nice, and a lot better than nothing. (Leaves me wondering why Donaldson, who went to the trouble to write two books in which the geography clearly mattered, didn't trouble to make a map...)

The curious thing is that I don't really feel a map of Mordant matters much to me. Since people could use mirrors to "jump" to almost any place in Mordant, that makes the realm feel like one large amorphous whole connected or punctured at various points by mirrors, rather than a land of distinct, separate regions. Er, does that make any sense?

[MsMary]

It is nice, and a lot better than nothing. (Leaves me wondering why Donaldson, who went to the trouble to write two books in which the geography clearly mattered, didn't trouble to make a map...)

The curious thing is that I don't really feel a map of Mordant matters much to me. Since people could use mirrors to "jump" to almost any place in Mordant, that makes the realm feel like one large amorphous whole connected or punctured at various points by mirrors, rather than a land of distinct, separate regions. Er, does that make any sense?

It makes sense, but it doesn't feel that way to me. Even though you can jump from place to place with mirrors, I still visualized the different places mentioned as distinct places bordering on one another. Probably my mental image of where things are wouldn't exactly match someone else's mental image.

[Mortice Root]

Personally, I would have liked an official Mordant map. The geography laid out was fairly confusing. And no, it didn't matter so much as far as the translations were concerned, but when talking about troop movements, it would have been helpful.

[ItisWritten]

Finally found a link to my map----sorry it's kinda fuzzy but
Map of Mordant

I've never been able to sort out SRD's geography of Mordant, so this is great.

I was wondering if you considered converting it into an editable (and downloadable) bitmap. A couple years ago, I did so with a hand drawn map I did. Very low-tech, and time consuming the way I did it, but I like how it turned out and I can now make additions/corrections easily.

(Being persnickety about details, I had to resist temptation to play with yours.)

I have examples if you're interested.

[Sazly]

Nice map, got a home page to begin with but searched Mordant map and found the requisite image. Nice to know that some other people regarded the books as I did (I hope) and will enjoy a great storyline

[danlo]

bump for the new wave of Mordant readers...

[matrixman]

Hmm...I wonder, danlo, if Blackhawk or some other artist here with a knack for maps could be persuaded to "translate" yours into a more "high def" version.

[danlo]

I should use my radiograph, break down and buy inks and be done with it!

[Avatar]

Since people could use mirrors to "jump" to almost any place in Mordant, that makes the realm feel like one large amorphous whole connected or punctured at various points by mirrors, rather than a land of distinct, separate regions. Er, does that make any sense?

Except they couldn't travel by mirror...flat glass makes you mad. Only a couple of people can do it.

--A

[Quiss]

Hey Danlo, had a map half made and borrowed some inspiration from your map (meaning I copied it a little ) and here's a digital clearer copy.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

*With new info in mind I have attempted a remake. Hope this is a little more accurate ^^

**Thank you for pointing out I had two of the cares around the wrong way NB: this is my last change so any other discrepancies between the book and my map can be mentioned and will be taken into consideration but I can't be bothered changing it again lol ^^

[danlo]

That's dam cool! You've inspired me to put making a much cleaner map of Mordant on my list.

[Merlanthe]

Those are both great maps

Which is why i feel really mean when i suggest that you have misplaced the great swamp

The Tor is clearley described as being surrounded by perdon, armigite, domne and termigan with mountains at its back. No mention of any swamp. Also Cadwal is described as being to the east and Alend to the north and west therefore the part where their borders meet, that would be where the great swamp would be located, should be to the northeast of Mordant. Presumably the south is where the mountains that back Tor are located.

Sorry they really are great maps

[danlo]

Really? Where does it say that? I'm not arguing, but I thought I researched the hell out of the locations...I'll be very happy to re do my map if corrected...

[Merlanthe]

Its mentioned in Mirror of her Dreams when Quillon is explaining about the history of Mordant. Page 88 he says about Cadwal being to the east and Alend to the north and west, and also that stuff about the Cadwal/Alend border being contiguous along the swoll river and the great swamp, and on page 93 he mentions about Tor being surrounded by those other cares and being backed by mountains to the south making it harder to conquer which is why it was enjoying a state of independance when a young King Joyse sneaked over the border to ask for help in liberating the Demesne

Also am pretty certain the Fayle is meant to share a border with Alend. In A Man Rides Through when Geraden and Terisa divert from their journey to go visit Romish Geraden says that Alend traditionally invades through Termigan or Armigite because Fayle is mainly just a big forest making it very difficult to march an army through. This implies that Alend shares a border with Fayle and could invade through there if they wanted. Cant remember what page that was though as my mother has currently stolen my copy.

Umm also Quiss map has Perdon next to Alend

(Runs away before people start throwing stones)

[Quiss]

Oooops, yeah that was meant to be the other way around, and I DID have Perdon next to Cadwal and Fayle next to Alend...buuut, I suck at West and East and forgot to change them when I swapped over Alend and Cadwal, because I put them on the wrong sides ^^

[Linna Heartbooger]

Quiss- welcome, and I like the name! Though putting that avatar with the name seems rather incongruous!

[danlo]

Well I don't think Fayle has to share a border with Alend, I do have Alend to the north and west and up north it does share a border with Caldwal, there's no way Cadwal and Aldend can have a continuous border and make sense. I do have mountains backing Tor---the Swamp is the big deal to me--I put it in the south as rivers shouldn't run north... it still makes sense to me---but I'll gladly correct it if you can show me the text.

[Merlanthe]

Well I don't think Fayle has to share a border with Alend, I do have Alend to the north and west and up north it does share a border with Caldwal, there's no way Cadwal and Aldend can have a continuous border and make sense. I do have mountains backing Tor---the Swamp is the big deal to me--I put it in the south as rivers shouldn't run north... it still makes sense to me---but I'll gladly correct it if you can show me the text.

Agree the Fayle doesnt have to share a border with Alend i assume it does from what Geraden says to Terisa in AMRT but that is my own interpretation and i dont have that book at the moment to provide quotes to support my interpretation because my mother stole it With regard to 'rivers shouldnt run north' where i live we do have rivers that run north because the sea is to the north. A river runs downhill towards the sea regardless of what direction that may be though most fantasy maps tend to have the sea located to the south.

I suppose whether a map of Mordant is accurate or not is entirely down to individual interpretation. I have always interpreted the following passage to mean that the Swoll river runs to the north east as that is where the border between Alend and Cadwal meet and according to Quillon that is the only place where their borders meet. But we can always agree to disagree about that

'Both histories, however, are histories of fragmentation. In fact, there was no Mordant- and no Congery, for that matter- until King Joyse created them. Oh, there was a region which went by the name "Mordant", but it was nothing more than a collection of petty princedoms caught between the ancient power of Cadwal to the east, and the newer strength of Alend to the north and west. These princedoms where what we now call the Cares- the Care of Armigite, the Care of Perdon, and so on- but they were in reality less substantial than what the Alend leiges call baronial holdings. They survived only because together they served as a kind of buffer between Alend and Cadwal, which where always at war.
Alend and Cadwal are actually contiguous along the last eighty miles or so of the Swoll river, but that area is impasable, a swamp to the sea and along the coast-' He started looking around the room as he spoke, and after a moment his explanation trailed off.
TMOHD pg 88

[danlo]

right and I have (albiet very hard to see) Alend and Cadwal meeting at the Great Swamp with the R. Swoll in the middle. Yes very right re: rivers going both N and S, perhaps just a Northern Hemisphere mindset...