X11 Trail to Denagoth, 12 miles per hex
Wendar and Denagoth, situated as they are on the borders of the Known World, were always rather neglected in Mystara’s maps. Their primary source was 1986’s X11, but it only provided a bare-bones outline of the territories, with a surprising amount of inherent ambiguity as well as mapping inconsistencies.
This map is no exception: while it appears to provide a few more details than the smaller scale 24 mile per hex map, in fact the two maps are largely incompatible. Key to this is the plateau itself, which a quick comparison reveals to be rather different between the two maps.
Replica Map (August 2020)
Sources
- X11 Saga of the Shadow Lord (1986) (PDF at DriveThruRPG)
- “Map VI Trail to Denagoth”, page 31
Chronological Analysis
This is Map 50. It was published in August 1986. The updated version of this map has not yet been released. See also Appendix C for annual chronological snapshots of the area. For the full context of this map in Mystara’s publication history, see Let’s Map Mystara 1986.
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.
Additions
- Settlements — An unnamed Tower or Village at 6.
- Trails & Roads — The roundabout trail through the mountains providing an alternate route across the Naga is new here.
Revisions
- Plateau — The line of the plateau is quite radically different from that in the 24 mile per hex map.
- Rivers — The Naga River has gained a short tributary near its source.
- Terrain — Along with the different plateau, the terrain is somewhat different from the 24 mile per hex map, especially in the top left corner where the plateaus are completely out of sync.
Hex Art & Fonts
- Fonts — Baskerville.
- New Symbols — Bridge (two parallel lines with serifs extending outwards at each end), and a strange plus or X in a circle that is undefined in the legend.
Join in the Discussion at The Piazza
Come and join in the discussion about this map at The Piazza, where I am holding a “read through” of the Let’s Map Mystara project.
