GAZ1 Karameikos, 8 miles per hex

1987’s GAZ1 heralded a new era for Mystaran cartography, bringing in the 8 mile Gazetteer series standard for hex maps, along with a new set of hex art, the distinctive castle border, and the change of font to Feinen Bold. Karameikos was redrawn to fit the new scale, likely based on the original X1 24 mile per hex map, with which it is quite a close fit. It also includes most locations from the Expert Set‘s 6 mile per hex map, although the fit is much more problematic; indeed, the shunting around of locations — most notably Threshold — resulted in misalignment with previous maps of the area, including B10’s larger scale maps.  Note that even though the forested hex symbol debuted in the legend, it was not actually used until later in the Gazetteer line, hence the lack of that terrain type in this map.

Replica Map (December 2020)

Sources

• GAZ1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos (1987) (PDF at DriveThruRPG)
  • Poster map (Cartography by Dennis Kauth, David C. Sutherland III, Ron Kauth)

Chronological Analysis

This is Map 54. It was published in May 1987. The updated version of this map is available here. See also Appendix C for annual chronological snapshots of the area. For the full context of this map in Mystara’s publication history, see the upcoming Let’s Map Mystara 1987.

The following lists are from the Let’s Map Mystara project. Additions are new features, introduced in this map. Revisions are changes to previously-introduced features. Hex Art & Fonts track design elements. Finally, Textual Additions are potential features found in the related text. In most cases, the Atlas adopts these textual additions into updated and chronological maps.

Under Construction! Please check back again soon for updates.

Additions

• Dominions — New on this map were the Barony of Vorloi, Estate of Dmitrov,
• Settlements —
• Terrain —

Revisions

• Rivers — Previously (in Companion and B10), Karameikan rivers had mostly been listed with “River” preceding the river name (British style): River Highreach, River Windrush, River Shutturga, etc. This was contrary to most other Mystara rivers, which tended to append “River” after the name (American style). Further complicating the matter, there were already two names for the nation’s most major river, as Companion’s River Highreach became the Volaga River in B10. GAZ1 neatly explained this situation using the nation’s Thyatian/Traladaran cultural split. English-derived names were considered to be Thyatian, using American styling: Highreach River, Windrush River, Hillfollow River. Slavic-themed names became native Traladaran rivers, with British styling: River Volaga, River Waterolde, River Shutturga. Some rivers also gained a new “Thyatian” or “Traladaran” equivalent name.
  • The previous River Highreach/Volaga River had its styling flipped, so that from GAZ1 it would be Highreach River/River Volaga.
  • River Windrush and River Foamfire were likewise flipped, becoming Windrush River and Foamfire River respectively.
  • Windrush River gained the Traladaran equivalent River Waterolde.
  • River Shutturga was changed to (or misspelled as?) River Shutturgal, gaining the Thyatian equivalent name Hillfollow River.
• Settlements — Settlements were mostly placed based on their X1 (24 mile per hex) locations, without reference to the more precise placements from Expert (6 mile per hex) maps. As a result, many of the main settlements ended up being slightly off when comparing 8 and 6 mile per hex maps.
• Terrain — As with the settlements, GAZ1 seems to have used X1’s 24 mile per hex map as a base, developing new details without referencing existing larger scale maps from Expert (6 mile per hex) and B10 (3 and 2 mile per hex).
  • The mountains are mostly a solid block of mountainous hexes, completely unlike the more nuanced terrain of previous larger scale maps. Part of this is due to the smaller 8 mile per hex scale, but many details that could have been preserved were not.
  • Some slightly ambiguous hexes from X1’s map have been interpreted differently from previous maps.
    • The area directly north of the Achelos Woods: X1 had clear hexes, which Expert took to be clear terrain. GAZ1 assumed (not unreasonably) that these were intended to be hills, and marked the area accordingly.

Hex Art & Fonts

• Symbols — Gazetteer series standard. Karameikos borders use an emphasising variant style only seen in this map and GAZ2’s Ylaruam map.
• Fonts — Feinen throughout.

Textual Additions (GAZ1 1987)

• Altitudes — GAZ1 page 35 gives some information on altitudes. On Karameikos’ northern mountains: “The average height of mountains in this range is about 4,000 feet, though many are much larger.” On the rest of the nation: “The land slopes very gently from the northern mountains to the southern coast. The most northern flatlands (the Cruth lowlands of western Karameikos) are about 1,500 feet above sea level; the flatlands south of the Black Peak mountains are about 1,000 feet above sea level.”
• Dominions — Many of Karameikos’s dominions were marked on the map, but some were only given proper names and/or titles in the text of GAZ1.
  • Estate of Sulescu — The village of Sulescu was marked on the map, but without an estate label or border. The title appears on page 64.
• Forests — The forests of Karameikos were mostly established prior to GAZ1, but the text did provide some new information. Foremost among these is the fact that “Karameikos is one of the most thickly-wooded nations of the world.” (GAZ1 page 35) The implication is that most of the nation is wooded.
  • 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 was not yet in use, despite appearing on the legend. 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.
  • Achelos Woods/Riverfork Woods — Although the placing of the labels on the poster map may suggest otherwise, these are variant names for the same forest. GAZ1 page 35 describes them as “variously called the Riverfork Woods and the Achelos Woods.”
  • Dymrak Forest — GAZ1 page 35 states that this forest “stretches all the way from the borders of the Barony Kelvin to the border to Thyatis. It’s a mighty hardwood forest, and home to numerous nonhuman tribes—mostly violent nonhumans, plus the Vyalia Elves.”
  • Radlebb Woods — GAZ1 page 35 describes Radlebb as “a forest inhabited by the majority of Callarii elves. It’s a little less dark and ominous than the western tract . . . but still has its dangerous wild animals.” It also seems that the Radlebb Woods stretch northeast into the hills south of Highforge. See “The Map” on page 6 of GAZ1: “The Callarii elves live in the central forests east and west of Kelvin and in the forested foothills south of the gnomish community.”
• Races — The text provides a little more information:
  • Elves — The Callarii were marked on the map in the Dymrak Forest, but the text suggests that they are primarily in the Radlebb Woods, “a forest inhabited by the majority of Callarii elves.” (GAZ1 page 35) “The Callarii elves live in the central forests east and west of Kelvin and in the forested foothills south of the gnomish community. Accurate numbers for the entire elvish population of Karameikos are not available (the elves don’t bother to keep them and the humans can’t tally them), but a reasonable guess is that there are about 7,500 elves scattered through this territory, living in communities of 100-200.” (GAZ1 page 6)
• Rivers — With lots of new names floating around, the text provides some clarification on Karameikos’s rivers. Regarding the doubled up names: “Some places, particularly rivers, are listed with two names. This is because the settling Thyatians, uncomfortable with the native names […], simply renamed them. Today, when speaking Thyatian, most people use the Thyatian name, and when speaking Traladaran use the original name. On the map, the Thyatian name is given first, the Traladaran name given in parentheses.” (GAZ1 page 5)
  • Shutturga — this old Traladaran name for the Hillfollow River comes from B10. However, it appears on GAZ1’s map as Shutturgal. Nevertheless, the text twice gives the name as Shutturga (pages 5 and 35), as in B10, but never uses Shutturgal. The town map of Kelvin also has Shutturga.
  • Wufwolde — this old Traladaran name for the Windrush River is given in the text of GAZ1 (pages 5, 35). This differs from GAZ1’s map, which has Waterolde.
• Rulers — GAZ1 provides a wealth of details not just about the nation’s rulers, but also the dominion and town rulers.
  • Desmond Kelvin, Baron and Patriarch of Kelvin. (GAZ1 pages 14, 22, 38)
  • Dorfus Hilltopper is Gnome-King of Highforge. (GAZ1 page 38)
  • Lev Dromilov is Lord of the Estate of Dmitrov. (GAZ1 page 38)
  • Ludwig von Hendriks is once again mentioned as the Black Eagle Baron. (GAZ1 page 14, 38)
  • Philip Vorloi, Baron of Vorloi. (GAZ1 pages 14, 40)
  • Sascia is Townmistress (or just Mistress) of Luln. (GAZ1 page 56)
  • Sherlane Halaran is the Patriarch as well as the Baron of Threshold. This is the first appearance of both his last name, Halaran, and his feudal title, Baron. It is further explained that Patriarch is his title as a cleric of the Church of Karameikos. (GAZ1 pages 14, 20)
  • Zemiros Sulescu is Lord of Sulescu. (GAZ1 page 39)
• Settlements — Population figures are given for may of Karameikos’ settlements. Overall, these are often ten times the size of previous numbers.
  • Forts: Each of the five forts in Karameikos is noted to be garrisoned with one battalion of 244 soldiers. The forts are Castellan Keep (aka the Keep on the Borderlands), Duke’s Road Keep, Radlebb Keep, Riverfork Keep, and Rugalov Keep. (All GAZ1 page 40)
  • Highforge is populated by five gnomish clans totalling 6,500, along with the Stronghollow clan of 1,000 dwarves. (GAZ1 pages 5-6, 38)
  • Threshold’s population is now listed as 5,000. (GAZ1 page 39)
  • Vorloi has a population of 7,500. (GAZ1 page 40)
• Shipping Lanes — GAZ1’s text describes Vorloi as having a small harbour, mostly used for export.  So while it’s not a major stop, it makes sense for there to be a link from Vorloi to the passing shipping lane.
  

Analysis

For a full analysis of the problems with this map and its incorporation into the body of Mystaran maps up to this point, see Appendix L: The Karameikan Revolution.

Past and Future Versions of this Map