| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Imp
Learned Scribe
231 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Dec 2011 : 06:00:37
|
I'm not a geographically gifted individual. I don't know where is north or where is east. I also know only in what country and what general part of that country I live in, and that's it. Miles, kilometers, maps tell me nothing, so it's not a surprise that I can't wrap my head around how big actually are the Realms. That's why I'm asking you - as an example Cormyr - which RW country is it comparable in size to? Or Faerun, to which RW continent is it comparable to?
I really would like to have a better understanding of how big the Realms are, so please help me understand it.
|
|
|
Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2011 : 06:40:23
|
In very, very, very rough terms:
The crystal sphere which contains Realmspace is said to be several times the size of our Solar system
The planet Toril is a little bit larger than Earth
Toril's moon Selūne is similar in size to Earth's moon Luna, although it is described as appearing much larger when observed from Toril's surface (due to atmospheric effects or whatever); Selūne's Tears are often described as being several thousands of miles long, ie: at their apparent zenith their magical shimmering might stretch across about one-third to one-half of the observable sky
Faerūn's land area is somewhat comparable to North America; Faerūn is a little more than one-quarter of a supercontinent dominated by Kara-Tur
The mainland United States would cover an area of Faerūn stretching between Baldur's Gate, Calimshan, Aglarond, and the Chondalwood
The land area of Cormyr (at fullest extent) is nearly the same size and shape as Texas; it's difficult to be precise without ever seeing any official national borders drawn on my maps
This information is primarily based on 1E FR0 (which conveniently provides a 1:1 map scale comparison between the United States and Faerūn) and 2E Spelljammer. It has been contradicted by errors, oversights, and misprints - but to my knowledge the canon hasn't yet grossly altered Faerūn too far out of scale from the original. Calculation of distances and travel times as presented in the novels are often inconsistent and incorrect.
Physics based on the data provided for Toril and Selūne - combined with the parameters given (or extrapolated) for orbital and sidereal motion, tidal metrics, and gravitation - are mathematically impossible, based on our understanding of such things. The most likely explanation is that we simply do not understand such things very well at all in Realmspace or that external (divine, magical) forces continually influence and complicate the boring old physics we'd expect. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 11 Dec 2011 07:51:07 |
 |
|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2011 : 07:14:36
|
Ed once offer some intriguing tidbits during a previous discussion about time-keeping in the Realms:-
"And I may just take you up on that offer of running calculations! I must admit that in running the Realms, Ive just used the mental map comparison of the continental United States silhouette Jeff Grubb put into the Old Gray Box versus the Sword Coast Heartlands, and applied the (politically distorted) time zone differential, because I know without thinking how many hours behind TSR in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and WotC in Renton, Washington, were from me in Ontario, Canada, and most of the portal jumps or teleports in the home Realms have either been relatively short (from point to point within the Dales or within Cormyr, for instance), or between Cormyr or the Dales and Waterdeep or its immediate environs (often atop Maidens Tomb Tor)." |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
|
|
|
Yoss
Learned Scribe
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2011 : 07:42:03
|
If you are confused, check with the sun...carry a compass to help you along.
STAND!
Sorry, this thread got that R.E.M song stuck in my head. Personally, I have a rough time gauging travel-time because every novel author seems to judge it a bit differently when specifically mentioned. Some folks seem to walk really fast.... |
|
|
|
Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2011 : 12:45:42
|
I thought Faerun is nearly as big as Asia. |
Every beginning has an end. |
|
|
|
LSCatilina
Acolyte
France
5 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2011 : 13:27:38
|
| Is the shrunking of the landmass, by exemple with Chult being closer and closer of Calimshan for the 3 and 4 editions are changing these informations? |
Edited by - LSCatilina on 11 Dec 2011 13:27:51 |
|
|
|
Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2450 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2011 : 13:45:40
|
Almost certainly.
The 1e/2e (ie: original) Realms are HUGE. Take the straight line from San Francisco to DC. In the Realms, that gets you from Baldur's Gate to more or less the eastern edge of Impiltur and the Easting Reach. Due to the way the Sword Coast angles west, if you draw the same line from, say, Neverwinter, you'd only get a little ways into the Great Glacier, and you'd have most of the US to go AGAIN before you got to the Great Ice Sea of the Great Waste past Thay.
The Great Wastes themselves are most of the size of the US all alone, before you finally get to Kara-tur. I don't have as good a handle on the size of Kara-tur, but it's at least China size.
So yeah. Big. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
How big are the Realms?
