Geography

Author:  Flosha  
Rewrite: 08.06.2024 - 16.09.2024

First we list all the geographic names from our sources and what we know about them from said sources. Then we summarise our own interpretation in short terms: What they are, what they mean, climatic and cultural characreristics and a short summary of their historic implications and relevance for the drama.

Locations mentioned in the sources:

// Other Landmarks

// Finster

Locations of Myrtana

Here we analyse, interpret and decide on what to do with the names given above: What will their role be in our drama?

In this general geography section we are dealing with all the instances that are mentioned in the sources (and will be mentioned in Phoenix), but are not part of the Gameworld. All those instances which are contained in or contain the game world, are covered in documents on their own, see here:

/lore/Myrtana
/lore/Tymoris
/lore/Westfield
/lore/Khorinis
/lore/Colony

Nordmar

Flosha & Ben, 10.06.2024

Only mentioned a single time in the game in form of a dialogue and in no other of the sources.

Leider geht die magische Wirkung des Erzes beim Schmelzen verloren. In den Hochöfen von Nordmar, da kennen sie die richtige Schmelztechnik. - Ian [G]

The source says nothing about what kind of location Nordmar is. We only know of its blast furnaces and we know of its position somewhere north. But there is more that we can deduce from the name:
The suffix “-mar” is a term that is commonly used in names of locations, such as “Weimar”, refering to lakes, springs or swamps in the area of the given settlement or city. Thus, based on the one given source it is most reasonable to imagine Nordmar as a city in the north close to a swamp, lake or springs, not as a land.

Summary

Northern Plains / Northern Provinces

I was a soldier in the fortress in the large plain in the north. / (…) Soon they would have reached the end of the northern plains and overrun our little outpost with ease. - Milten [C]

The Northern Plains are in the North of Myrtana and the border region between Myrtana and the Northern Lands. They may or may not be identical to the Northern Provinces of Myrtana, about which we know nothing more, but assume to exist based on the existence of Western and Southern Provinces. The Plains may be or at least be contained within the Northern Provinces.

Western Provinces

Western provinces (of Myrtana) mentioned in the novel. Nothing more known. But from the existence of Western Provinces, we can deduce the existence of Eastern Provinces too.

Eastern Provinces

While the term does not appear in any of the sources, we know more about the East than the West of Myrtana due to its connection to the sea and our research about Khorinis that has to be in the East (although it also has to be so far North, that we can assume it rather to be contained within the outmost East of the Northern Provinces.

South-Geronia / Southern Provinces

[Add Etymology]

Not mentioned in the Gothic novel we released, it is only in the earlier draft we received from Mike, before Tom Putzki managed to provide us with the final version, as approved by the author for publication. It is mentioned in this earlier draft as “Südgeronien” (engl. South-Geronia). In the final version it was changed to “Südliche Provinzen” (engl. Southern Provinces).

If South-Geronia exists, there also has to be North-Geronia or just Geronia in general. But as he has just changed it to “Southern Provinces”, it could just mean the southern part of Myrtana.

More than that, from this change of the name from “South-Geronia” into “Southern Provinces” we could speculate, that at first Wittmann may have suggested “Geronien” as a name for the kingdom as a whole, explaining one of the characters to be coming from the southern part of this kingdom.
Since he either may not have wanted to or was not meant to name the kingdom as such (remember that the novel was once supposed to be released as an official Gothic novel and they may not have yet decided for a name), he might then have changed the wording into a less specific “southern provinces” (of the yet unnamed kingdom).

Assuming Geronia to be a former potential name for the Gothic kingdom, we could then also explain it in-universe to be an older name of a realm or land at what today is called Myrtana, before it has been named as such. There could still be a region left that still carries that name Geronien/Geronia.

Northern Land(s)

The lands north of the “northern plains”. Colder climate (ala Scandinavia). Home of the Huegoth from the novel, a barbaric tribe from the north raiding the coasts of the kingdom; red hair, blue eyes, inspired by vikings.

Land(s) of the Orcs

The Orcs that are invading the kingdom from the northern lands also come from somewhere here, most likely from some region in the mountains of the north.

Land of the Shirtakkihn

Based on the home of the Shirtakkihn in the gothic novel, described as warrior people from “the northernmost, polar regions”; that has never been conquered by any nation; they are described to have white hair, pitch-black eyes and blue clan tattoos.

If the meaning of Shirtakkihn
is clarified and included into
our dictionary of the old
language, we may be able to
derive a name of the land, ala   
* Shirtakkihn (plural)
* Shirtakk (singular)
* Shirtakkiha[?] (land)

Kumatekk: polar badger; clan insignia of the most fearsome warrior clan of the Shirtakkihn, which means there are some more Shirtakkihn clans.

Varant

Authors: Flosha, logx, Ben
Created: 09.06.2024
Last change: 13.06.2024

Etymology

logx suggested Vara+Anta while I suggested Vara to be a central river in Varant, like the Nil in Egypt.

Summarising these findings we could describe Varant as the “essence of the noble”, the “land of the blessed” or as the place of “safety among the megalithes”.
The “Vara” river flows through this land and ends here in the sea. Varant is the “land of the Vara”, and “the end of the Vara”. The varantin being the “people of the Vara”, which is the “noble river”, the “essence” of life around which they have build their cities all the way back to the megalithes of the ancient civilisation. Lizards may be common and tar/pitch plays a role too as they used it for their dark wooden ships.

Quotes

So kam es, das bald die benachbarten Reiche, Myrthanas Schätze für sich beanspruchen wollten. Allen voran das Reich Varant. Über die Hügel des Reiches kamen Reiterheere, Schiffe aus dunklem Holz zogen am Horizont auf und hissten die Fahnen des Kampfes. Die Armeen von Myrthana zogen aus, um das zu verteidigen, was ihre Heimat war.
Es war Krieg.
Die Armada des Königs versenkte Schiff für Schiff, doch erlitt dabei selbst große Verluste. Die Schlachten an Land wurden von Beginn an schnell und mit größter Härte geschlagen, denn beide Seiten forderten ihren Sieg. Doch soviel Schlachten Myrthanas Männer auch gewannen, sofort erreichte sie die Kunde, das an anderem Ort die varantenischen Reiterheere wieder ins Land einfielen. Der Krieg, dessen Ende schnell herbeigesehnt war, zog sich von Scharmützel zu Schlacht und dauerte viele Monde. [M]

Immer weiter trieb er seine Mannen voran, immer weiter Richtung der Grenze von Varant. - Schlacht von Varant [G]

Der Krieg war entschieden. Varant seiner, für die Versorgung der Truppen so wichtigen, Seehäfen beraubt. König Rhobar weilte schon lange nicht mehr auf den Schlachtfeldern von Varant, sondern überließ es seinen Generälen die letzten feindliche Truppen aufzureiben. Varant besaß nur noch ein größeres Heer, geführt von Lukkor, dem fähigsten Kriegsherrn des Varantener Heeres, mehr als einmal hatte er eine drohende Niederlage in einen Sieg verwandeln können.
Doch nun saß sein Heer in der Falle. Dem Heer des Feindes zwar zahlenmäßig überlegen doch in aussichtloser Position. Lee, der Kriegsheld von Myrtana hatte ihn in eine Falle gelockt. Seine schwere Reiterei konnte auf dem tiefen, sumpfigen Boden des engen Tals nicht kämpfen und die Hügelketten um ihn herum waren von Lee’s Soldaten besetzt, die immer wieder zustießen und so sein Heer Mann um Mann dezimierten. Die verzweifelten Ausfälle seiner Mannen waren blutig zurückgeschlagen worden. Er war besiegt. - Schlacht von Varant [G]

Summary

Thyria

Only mentioned in the Sequel in form of the weapon of Thora, described as a “Thryrianischer Kampfstab” (Thyrian Battlestaff), therefore used by us as a name for the home of the Amazons.

Due to the localisation of the real Amazons in todays Turkey, we localise it in northern moors of Varant.

The Far South

Home of the Nurrba, among others, mentioned in Sleeper’s Ban: Barbaric tribe from the south; partially cannibalistic; dark skin, colourfully dyed hair, e.g. green; all attempts to civilise them have been in vain; probably inspired by specific African tribes.

Most likely it may not be a part of Myrtana, but located somewhere beyond the Empire.

Laran

Only mentioned in an ingame book, written by “Barthos von Laran”. Most likely a myrtanian city.

Syriana

Syriana (or in German Syrianien) is deduced from an item in the game, described as “Syrianisches Öl” (Syrianian Oil). Might be a region, a province, an entire realm, we don’t know more.

Sendar

Only mentioned in the Comic. Milten is coming from here. It could be a city, a region or even a realm. We prefer to explain it as a single specific province in the east of Myrtana.

Archolos

Flosha, 10.06.2024

Only mentioned once in an ingame text called “Rezepturen” (Band 2). Similar to other cases, Archolos was misunderstood by large parts of those who do not speak German, due to imprecise translations to other languages.

The german text writes that the wine grows “an den Hängen des Archolos”, which was translated to “at the slopes OF Archolos”, which is not what the original says. This would have been a correct translation for “an den Hängen VON Archolos” and only in this case Archolos could be everything from a mountain to an entire province or even an island. But the german wording “des Archolos” is much more clear than that. A better translation to English would have been “of the Archolos”. But even this would not have been as precise as the original text, as in difference to “des”, “the” does not indicate a grammatical gender.

“Des” is the Genitive Singular of “der” and “das”. This means that Archolos can only be a location of neuter or masculine gender. Archolos could be the name of a Mountain or Mountains (Berg/Gebirge) or it could - unlikely - be the name of a river. But it can not be a region or province and definitely not an island, as these are all feminine.

The text says “Hoch oben an den Hängen des Archolos” which translates to “High up at the slopes/hillsides of the Archolos”, which makes it very clear that it is about a mountain.

Finster

The below mentioned locations are from the Finster Demo by the Mad Scientists.

Tolbenland

Mentioned in Finster. “Tolben” seems often to be used in fantasy settings in relation to Druids. Thus, “Tolbenland” could be hinting at a land of druids, potentially a “barbaric” land in the west of Myrtana.

Cranwater

Mentioned in Finster, as being located in Tolbenland. Most likely a city.

Trantor

A location mentioned in Finster. The Mad Scientists may have taken the name from the “Foundation” (1951) series by Isaac Asimov, here it is what would in 1967 be described as a Ecumenopolis (a city that covers an entire planet):

Daily, fleets of ships in the tens of thousands brought the produce of twenty agricultural worlds to the dinner tables of Trantor…Its dependence upon the outer worlds for food, and indeed, for all necessities of life, made Trantor increasingly vulnerable to conquest by siege. In the last millennium of the Empire, the monotonously numerous policy made Emperor after Emperor conscious of this, and Imperial policy became little more than the protection of Trantor’s delicate jugular vein…By the middle of the Interregnum, Trantor was a shadow. In the midst of the colossal ruins, there lived a small community of farmers. (Prelude to Foundation)

The only remaining native Trantorians, known to themselves as Hamish-folk, began an agrarian society among the ruins of skyscrapers. (Asimov Wiki)

Called forth to stand trial on Trantor for allegations of treason (for foreshadowing the decline of the Galactic Empire), Seldon explains that his science of psychohistory foresees many alternatives, all of which result in the Galactic Empire eventually falling. If humanity follows its current path, the Empire will fall and 30,000 years of turmoil will overcome humanity before a second empire arises. (Summary of Foundation)

Adjective: trantorian (trantorianisch), also “Trantorian” as an inhabitant of Trantor.

In the foundation series, Trantor has a similar role in the galactic empire as Rome had in the (then by the western mind perceived as such) ancient world. “Trantor then became the most powerful planet in the galaxy with quotes like All roads lead to Trantor, and that is where all stars end, showing its general importance that lasted for over 20 millenia (Asimov Wiki)

Trantor is an entirely domed world with the exception of the Imperial Sector. Reminiscent of the Caves of Steel on Old Earth, much of Trantor is placed underground in order to support the billions of residents, most of whom rarely see the sun and visit special rooms imitating sunlight. The planet is the most industrialized and densely populated in the galaxy. (Asimov Wiki)

Trantor will only be mentioned in very old scriptures and similar ancient sources.

/lore/geography.md