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Strixy1374
Acolyte
9 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Jun 2021 : 01:14:16
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I'm looking for a tiny detail that is so obscure and insignificant that I may end up making the decision myself. But I wanted to cover all bases with the massive collection of experts here. In Ghosts of Dragonspear, there is a wonderful map of part of the Sword Coast by the magnificent Mike Schley. Between the Lizard Marsh and the Trollbark Forest, there is a section of land that I loving refer to as the "Lower Deck", between the cliff and the Sea of Swords. What is the elevation difference between these two bodies of land? I, as a DM, put an unhealthy amount of detail in very specific parts of my campaign, and there is a campaign related reason I want to know how high that cliff is. Thank you to everyone.
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Thief: I carefully turn the pick counter-clockwise...
Barbarian: I put my foot over the thief's shoulder.
Thief: WTH?
Barbarian: I'm a barbarian. Deal with it |
Edited by - Strixy1374 on 13 Jun 2021 01:16:18
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2021 : 15:57:32
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Along the Trade Way?
I don't think there's any mention of specifically this, but just from geography: North is barely above sea, South is fairly high.
The Sword Coast cliffs are modest, but sufficient to constrain traffic to a few convenient havens. Where cliffs are absent, we see the low wet Lizard Marsh.
From there inland, Delimbiyr Vale. Since Delimbiyr river isn't really swift near the end, there's no great height difference along its lower part, so the Vale has just enough of elevation that the rest of it isn't swamped as well.
quote:
The North:
Delimbiyr Vale actually refers to an area of land that surrounds
the Delimbiyr River - also known as the Shining River - and
its tributaries. The Vale reaches as far south as
the western-most borders of the South Wood to its headwater
in the Nether Mountains.
Trollbark Forest forest, however, is right under the Troll Hills, a low ridge that continues as islands (Orlumbor), so it's likely to be higher than average Sword Coast clifftops.
Not only the rock is higher, but more soil on top of that: all the water from Northern side of Troll Hills and no rivers (at least, of map-noteworthy size) to dump it into the sea, thus the alluvium is captured.
Which is how it can support "some truly monstrous trees".
The other alternative is the plate cracked near the hills (up-down-up-down), which would lace the forest low, but then there would be another swamp or river, which is not the case.
The road circumvents the nasty place via Eastern end (foothills) of the Troll Hills, but that should be still somewhat raised. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
Edited by - TBeholder on 14 Jun 2021 08:57:18 |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2067 Posts |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2021 : 01:58:36
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Old Realmslore sometimes discussed the "fall line" - the place on a river which obstructed passage of ships with waterfalls, rapids, etc. Old Realms maps often indicated this detail on each river large enough to he featured on the map.
Sometimes the height of the waterfall (and thus the general elevation difference in the surrounding landscape) could be found in descriptions of the area, in adventure modules, in novels, etc. Particularly for the most grand waterfalls and for those which contributed to defenses of cities/castles/fortifications. |
[/Ayrik] |
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HighOne
Learned Scribe
216 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2021 : 02:24:59
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| I know exactly what you're talking about, and I've often wondered the same thing myself. In a recent campaign, I placed a village on the Sword Coast between the Lizard Marsh and Waterdeep, and when the party traveled from there to Daggerford, I had to decide whether that elevation, or ridge, or whatever it is, was a hindrance or not. Ultimately, I decided it wasn't; the party could travel through it just as easily as if they were traveling through grassland. But it would be nice to have an official answer. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2021 : 07:02:51
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quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
I wrote up a description of the Open Marches based on an email I got from Ed Greenwood.
Ah, yes. With surprising amount of details. Cool.
So, these areas are called Broken Shore and Open Marches.
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Old Realmslore sometimes discussed the "fall line" - the place on a river which obstructed passage of ships with waterfalls, rapids, etc. Old Realms maps often indicated this detail on each river large enough to he featured on the map.
Even the wiki crowd evidently didn't find such details explicitly given for Delimbiyr. However...
quote:
The North (The Shining Falls)
What was once an outpost and portage road for eastern Eaerlann
is now simply a light deer path at the top of a high, spectacular
horseshoe falls. [...]
While the falls normally end the upward travel of folk on the
River Delimbiyr, the Zhents of Llorkh and Orlbar have spent
the past two years re-establishing a portage here in attempts to
reach Sundabar. With Hellgate Keep's fall, the Zhents are that
much more eager to open up these connections. To their dismay,
the treants stationed at the forest by the Heartblood River fork
prevent them from exploiting this avenue.
This looks like the river is continuously navigable (for flat-bottomed skiffs and barges, anyway) not even to Loudwater, but up to Greypeak Mountains.
And for that matter, beyond the falls not only to the port at the end of Old Road, but near Hellgate Keep (as a guess, until Ascalhorn and Delimbiyr rivers meet). |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2021 : 21:25:09
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| A "portage road" would be named because it's a path for "portage". Meaning that it's some kind of path or trail sloped gently enough to allow people to carry cargo - or even carry their canoes/watervessels - on their backs or on the backs of their pack animals. Suggesting that the elevation difference wouldn't be too extreme, overall. Or that it at least offers certain bridges, passes, switchbacks, and ramps which would ease the passage across the roughest parts. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Tiny, tiny detail
