Risk-esque Map Proposal for Conquer Club consideration
The Wheel of Time
Epic Heroic Fantasy series
Written by the Late Robert Jordan
For the benefit of the game, I will ignore all aspects of the story and keep it as simple as possible in terms of geographical regions and alignments.
In the W.o.T., there are 3 main continents. One, the continent of Seanchan is across a vast ocean and is split by mountain ranges, inland seas, and is just all 'round odd-looking. The second is termed the Land of the Madmen and very little is known of its interior other than its bizarre, blood-thirsty inhabitants. It's location near the southern pole counts for much of the land covered in ice, and what is not is split with volcanoes and other heavy seismic activity.
The third, and most important continent is that which the story is based. It is split into three main regions, or subcontinents. In the far east is the land of Shara, a vast and mysterious realm which has closed itself off to the outside world. Some suggest this is to control its masses through disinformation, while others argue it is to protect the Shara peoples from outside influences and danger. It has a vast shoreline along it's eastern and southern borders; the north is bordered by the Blight (more info later) and the western frontier is dominated by a mountain range and a vast rift in the earth.
Across this vast rift and series of peaks is a desert land called the Aiel Wastes, named after its inhabitants, the Aiel. These hardy desert dwellers find the Wastes a test, a punishment, and a blessing, making them strong by culling the weak. (Thirteen tribes of Aiel populate the scattered holds of the Wastes, and the politics are... bewildering. They likely number in the millions, though the exact numbers are known only to the Clan Chiefs and Wise Women.) The Wastes are not quite as vast as the lands of Shara, though, and are far less hospitable. There are no fresh water sources which cannot be stepped across, and all access to the southern ocean is blocked by a region called the Termool, where even Aiel do not venture it is so bleak. The north borders the Blight, and the western border is dominated by the Spine of the World, a.k.a. a mountain range called the Dragonwall.
Through the Dragonwall are three main passes into what the Aiel call the "wetlands" (and what W.o.T. enthusiasts call 'Randland' after the protagonists--the continent is never named in the stories). The Wetlands (or Randland--the name is interchangable) covers a region roughly twice the size of the Wastes and is home to a dozen nations and great swathes of unclaimed territory.
For the Conquer Club, I will make the following quite brief.
The North is historically the land of the Dark One, a realm of evil, called the Blight. Inside the Blight are the Mountains of Dhoom, and beyond these is the valley of Shayol Ghul, the 'capital' of the Shadow and home of the Dark One through the Bore (a hole in reality).
South of the Blight is the Borderlands (historically allied against the Blight). West to east is Saldaea, Kandor, Arafel, and Sheinar. Formerly, a 5th Borderland lent its lances to the war against the Shadow, but fell due to internal treachery. This 5th is called Malkier and resides roughly where Tarwin's Gap exists today.
South of the Borderlands is an empty territory dominated in the west by the Black Hills and the scattered hamlet owing allegiance to no king, and in the east the city-state of Tar Valon. Tar Valon is a Papacy-esque organization which rules no lands except that of its own island (in the middle of the River Erinin) and it's bridgetowns. Further south is the Caralain Grass and the beginnings of Braem Wood.
South of this hinterland is the Interior, of which Andor, Cairhien, and other nations call home. Between the Dragonwall in the east and the Mountains of Mist in the West there are numerous nations and other areas of little influence. Of these nations, Murandy is little more than a patchwork of feuding princes, as is Altara which lies further west. Neighboring Altara is Ghealdean, protected by Garen's Wall, a cliff face which runs for some leagues.
The Southern Coast is home to (west to east) Altara, Illian, the Plains of Maredo (a fallen nation), Tear, and Tear's rival, the city-state of Mayene. These ports are home to fleets of merchant ships and rival navies.
The West Coast is separated from the greater inlands by the Mountains of Mist. From north to south are the nations of Arad Doman, Almoth Plain (fallen nation), Toman's Head (non-nation), Tarabon, and the Shadow Coast (non-nation). In the story, these lands south of Arad Doman are conquered by the Seanchan (those inhabitants of the continent across the waves) all the way to the doorstep of Illian. Amadacia is not part of the south or west coastal regions, but it does serve as a crossroads. Amadacia's placement is debatable.
Off the coasts, both west and south, are the Islands of the Sea Folk, or the Atha'an Miere, as they call themselves. Along the west coast from north to south are Aile Dashar (nw of Bandar Eban), Aile Somera (west of Falme), Aile Jafar (west of Tanchico), Tremalking, and east from there is Qaim, further Isles to the South never listed or named, and Cindaking off the coast of Mayene.
Each of these regions split by paragraph ought to be a colored, bonus-oriented region in a potential Conquer Club map game. I will work on a basic form using the almighty Paint when I have more time. For any suggestions or criticism, please comment!
where can i find the stories of\in these lands?
