1 October 2025

LoZompatore’s Polar Opening Section

In June 2008, Michele posted an interesting research article exploring the status and conditions of Mystara’s polar openings. He used geometry and logic to work out a more detailed description than the Hollow World Set had provided.

The article included three maps and diagrams, of which this is the first. It is a close-up section of the northern polar opening, showing in particular how the light of the two suns would hit the land. Michele’s discovery here was that there is a small section of the surface that would be lit by both suns.

A few years later, in 2012, I created a whole-world version of this diagram based on Michele’s work here.

Fan-made Map by Michele Carpita (June 2008)

*Polar Opening Section by Michele Carpita, June 2008*

This is an original map created by one of Mystara’s excellent fan cartographers. For more information on the cartographer, including a gallery of all their maps, see also Appendix M: Mappers of Mystara.

Sources

Hollow World Campaign Set (1990) (PDF at DriveThruRPG)
- Hollow World Diagram

Fan Sources

The climate of the polar openings discussion thread at The Piazza (June 2008)
The Climate of the Polar Openings by Michele Carpita at the Vaults of Pandius (June 2008)

References

All of Michele’s maps at the Atlas of Mystara
Michele’s entry in Appendix M: Mappers of Mystara (upcoming)
Michele’s author page at the Vaults of Pandius

Chronological Analysis

This is a fan-made map. It was published in June 2008. The updated Atlas version of this map is not yet available. 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 2008.

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.