Can someone explain the geography of this game?

[jmarFTL]

Hey all, super excited for the game, been following it since it's first been on Kickstarter.

 

With the game fast approaching I've been trying to get a handle on some of the lore so I know my bearings a bit when I finally get to play. One thing that's always helpful for me is the geography of the setting, but I'm having a really hard time figuring this stuff out. I know some of you have been following the game more closely than I and are probably already immersed in the lore. So can anyone give me a hand?

 

I think what I'm most confused by is the map and geography. I've seen this image, which is somewhat helpful, but sort of confusing. I think what I'm most confused about is the "culture" options in character creation.

 

It seems these options are all referencing specific places, but I can't find any of those places on this map. All the culture descriptions also reference "nations." And just looking at that map, it doesn't seem that there are any "nations" there. Unless that is Eir Glanfath or the Free Palatinate of Dyrwood?

 

So now I'm guessing this is just a smaller part of a much larger world? Do we know if we are going to any of the places mentioned in the Culture choices, like The White That Wends? What is this map a picture of? My guess was, a part of Aedyr? It just doesn't totally sound like the description... I guess this isn't "Greater Aedyr" which houses "the majority of the Elven and Human nations." But then, I guess Aedyr is not a whole continent, because it says the Ixamityl Plains are northeast of Eir Glanfath... that looks like that area past the White March on the map (which is NOT "The White That Wends, apparently?). So, the Ixamityl shares a continent with Aedyr, but Aedyr is not a nation because it CONTAINS nations?

 

And then, the Vailian Republics... I guess that's different from the Culture choice of "Old Vailia" which is somewhere else? So those are like a colony?

 

I have no idea where the Dreadfire Archipelago is, initially I thought maybe those islands to the south, but the description mentions to the east so I guess we just don't see them... even though they are home to the Boreal dwarves, and we have a Boreal dwarf companion and can BE a boreal dwarf. So I'm assuming we're gonna just arrive in this area fresh off the boat from wherever? Can we not create a character indigineous to this region?

 

I'm guessing some of this is unanswerable... just wondering if anyone has a handle on this because I'm confused... just from the sound of it though, it sounds like we are exploring a relatively tiny corner of a ginormous world? Does that sound about right? Or is all this stuff actually within this map, and it's just horribly labeled?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

[Yellow Rabbit]

There's wiki which includes some geographic articles, have you seen it yet?. Check out Timeline article after that, gives some more detail.

[Leferd]

The map you are looking at is of the continent of which the Dyrwood, Readceras, and Eir Glanfath are located --which your protagonist has just arrived. It's roughly the size of Spain.

 

Aedyr is across the Ocean towards the west and many of the colonists in Dyrwood and Readceras come from there.

 

The Valian Republics, located south, are colonized from Old Valia, which is also across the ocean.

 

The other regions are off the map.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Leferd

[Valmy]

None of the nations you can be from are on the map.

 

The Free Palatinate of Dyrwood is a former colony of the Aedyr Empire.  The Free Valian Republics are former colonies of the Valian Empire (Old Vailia).

 

I guess it is important to the plot of the game that you are a foreigner.

[jmarFTL]

OK, that is all helpful. Thanks!

[Havelok]

It's unfortunate that we don't have a true "world map" of the known world, but it is what it is. Perhaps eventually we will get one, but for now we just have to use our imagination. 

[White Phoenix]

I painted something what can help to see how cultures lie on the planet, basing upon wikipedia information, but it is nothing official. I hope it will help!

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2015 by White Phoenix

[TheisEjsing]

This is a pretty good video for geographics and more.

[Havelok]

[Video] This is a pretty good video for geographics and more.

 

 

Holy Crap, that was ridiculously well done. 

Edited February 18, 2015 by Havelok

[Quantics]

Yes, there was a dedicated thread (too lazy to dig it up now) if you want to give a thumbs up to the author

[anameforobsidian]

The video is excellently done.  There's only one thing that bothers me.  It's weird that two civilizations (Aedyr, Old Valia) would have roughly similar technology and converge on a place between the two of them that is far behind and relatively isolated technologically.  You think the forces of cultural diffusion would have either passed through the area along the hemispheres or the two would hardly communicate, especially since deep sea travel is so difficult in this setting.

 

Also, a map for reference:

[dukeisaac]

So, all these regions on the map should be accessible to travel and explore?

 

Big game!

[sibakruom]

So, all these regions on the map should be accessible to travel and explore?

 

Big game!

 

 

I don't think so.

AFAIK, the two big cities will be Defiance Bay and Twin Elms. Dyrford is visited as well, and Caed Nua is the stronghold/big dungeon. I suspect much of the game will take place in the border region between the Free Palatinate of Dyrwood and the Ruins of Eir Glanfath, maybe further east in the forest as well. I doubt we'll see much if any of the Vailian Republics, the White March, the Penitential Regency of Readceras or the Ixamitl Plains.

 

[Endrosz]

(anameforobsidian: How did you upload an image larger than 1 MB as attachment?)

 

We've seen glimpses of the in-game world map in various presentations (Rezzed, GDC) and in the "spoilerish" streams. Based on that I marked the region map's part where Pillars of Eternity takes place. Northwest corner is Gilded Vale, Defiance Bay in the middle-west is the first large city. Twin Elms, somewhat north of the southeast corner is the second large city. The stronghold is not marked on the region map (which makes sense), I marked it with a red circle, it's southwest across the lake near Twin Elms, southeast of Dyrford. I've noticed a few little discrepancies between the region map and the in-game world map, but nothing worth mentioning.

 

 

This is a cropped version of the in-game map area.

 

 

 

 

 

[sibakruom]

 The stronghold is not marked on the region map (which makes sense), I marked it with a red circle, it's southwest across the lake near Twin Elms, southeast of Dyrford. I've noticed a few little discrepancies between the region map and the in-game world map, but nothing worth mentioning.

 

 

According to the wiki, the stronghold is Caed Nua, north of Defiance Bay. I've got no clue which location is the correct one.

[Endrosz]

The wiki is probably right about the Stronghold, I'm sorry for the confusion. The cropped area is correct, though.

[anameforobsidian]

I think its a bit more expansive than that, even though you won't see everything.  I'm pretty sure one of the updates said that you go to Durgan's Battery.  And since the story has to do with Eothas, I'd be very surprised if you didn't go to Godhammer but that's just a guess.

 

One of the expansions or sequels will probably take place in the Valian republic.  I'm pretty sure there were mentions of that originally being the second city.

 

P.S. I just copied the image URL from another site, no uploading.

Edited February 19, 2015 by anameforobsidian

[White Phoenix]

I think we won't go to Godhammer Citadel. If you have access to beta, you can see whole scope of area which northern east/west border runs from Mercy Vale (probably first location of ruins is somewhere there) to Gilded Vale area. But I remember a map showing story key areas - there was Durgan's Battery (part of White March) and Spirento of Vailian Republics (although Josh said we will not go to Republics in a basic game).

Edited February 19, 2015 by White Phoenix

[Madscientist]

When looking at this map I have a question.

 

Is PoE an open world game (like BG1, means you can go anywhere right from the start and only strong monsters can stop you) or can you enter new areas only when a quest tells you to go there (like NWN2)? This includes if you can choose the order of places to visit freely ( Like you can choose if you go first to town a or b to do some quests there.)

[White Phoenix]

I don't know but it seems to me that we have more linear world.  Devs told once some of the locations (Important for story like two big cities or other places) are locked until you reach appropriate story milestone so I am more convinced to NWN2 world model in a main storyline.

Edited February 19, 2015 by White Phoenix

[TheisEjsing]

When looking at this map I have a question.

 

Is PoE an open world game (like BG1, means you can go anywhere right from the start and only strong monsters can stop you) or can you enter new areas only when a quest tells you to go there (like NWN2)? This includes if you can choose the order of places to visit freely ( Like you can choose if you go first to town a or b to do some quests there.)

Baldurs Gate 1 wasn't open world. Without mentioning the start of the game, you couldn't go to the cloakwoods, bandit camp, or Baldurs Gate for periods of the game. As far as I understand thou, PoE will be a little less open than BG 1 overall.

[Valmy]

 

 The stronghold is not marked on the region map (which makes sense), I marked it with a red circle, it's southwest across the lake near Twin Elms, southeast of Dyrford. I've noticed a few little discrepancies between the region map and the in-game world map, but nothing worth mentioning.

 

 

According to the wiki, the stronghold is Caed Nua, north of Defiance Bay. I've got no clue which location is the correct one.

 

 

I thought Caed Nua was the super enormous dungeon we unlocked and expanded during the kickstarter campaign.

 

Edit: Oh no sure enough that is the stronghold.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Valmy

[anameforobsidian]

It's both.  The endless dungeon lies beneath your stronghold.

Notice how you can see one of the hands sticking up around the building.

Edited February 19, 2015 by anameforobsidian

[Valmy]

Man those are some long snakey walls.  Probably not even worth defending that, I would withdraw all my peeps to the keep.  Also it should have been built on a hill, but hey when you are taking over a ruined fortress you cannot be too picky.  Sure beats building it yourself.

 

And wow it is both!  How awesome is that?

Edited February 19, 2015 by Valmy

[Havelok]

It's both.  The endless dungeon lies beneath your stronghold.

Notice how you can see one of the hands sticking up around the building.

 

WOW, I didn't even notice that. They just looked like regular Adra. I guess that's probably what most of the Glanfathans think as well.