Hârnview/1st Edition/21

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HÂRNVIEW - The Regional Map
 


The full colour map of Harn is a technical presentation which provides a lot of information to the gamemaster. The map uses a unique cartographic system that permits ready perception of both vegetation and topography. The hex grid helps the plotting of movement and the measurement of distances. The superimposed, numbered and lettered, square grid is for locating features described in Harndex.

Vegetation[edit | edit source]

The regional map has seven principal vegetation classes, indicated by different colours or shades of colours. The map key illustrates these and a description of each follows:

Ice, Snow, Rockfield[edit | edit source]

Regions of permanent mountain snowpack, precipitous rocky cliffs and the like. Nothing grows here, because the only land uncovered by snow is too barren for plants.

Alpine Vegetation[edit | edit source]

Found only in mountains, above the treeline, and below the snowcap. Alpine Vegetation includes "Cold Woodland", which is transitional into needle leaf forest, and alpine tundra. Permafrost is prevalent. Soil moisture is frozen except during summer when the top layer of two or three feet thaws. The frozen ground prevents the drainage of melt water, causing marshy conditions in early summer. Permafrost promotes an essentially treeless region, covered with short rooted plants, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. In midsummer, some plants flower for a few weeks, providing a carpet of colour (alpine meadow).

NEEDLELEAF FOREST[edit | edit source]

Forest of tall, straight-trunked, cone-shaped trees, with numerous short branches, small needle-like leaves which are mostly evergreen, and seed cones. Needle leaf forest occurs on Harn in the highlands above 3, 000 feet, and in Orbaal. J..>ue to the year-round (50% or more) shade in needleleaf forests, undergrowth tends to be sparse, and may give an open "cathedral forest" appearance. However, since it occurs mostly in mountainous areas, and since one is apt to find a large fallen tree blocking one's path, travel can be difficult. Major species of needleleaf trees on Harn include: Orbaalese Spruce, Sorkin Pine, Kom Cedar and Northern Fir.

Mixed Forest[edit | edit source]

Forests containing needle leaf ·evergreens, needle leaf deciduous, and summergreen deciduous trees. All three need not be present, but by definition at least two will occur. Needleleaf deciduous trees are similar to their evergreen cousins above, but they shed their leaves in winter. There are only two such species on Harn: The Golden Larch, and Katha Birch. Broadleaf trees tend to have short to medium stubby tru.nks, a few long branches, and a generous canopy of deciduous leaves which provide good shade in summer but shed completely in winter. There are some one hundred and twenty different species of broadleaf on Harn, but the most common types are Harnic Oak, Shava Maple, Solora Elm, and Western Ash.

Mixed Woodland[edit | edit source]

Areas where the tree canopy shades at least 50% of the ground are considered forest; areas with a tree canopy between 15% and 50% are considered woodland. Woodland is likely to contain mainly summergreen deciduous species growing in clumps or copses (sometimes densely) interspersed with op,en grassy areas . Hence, the alternate name "parkland'. The open areas may be natural, fire induced, or the result of human or animal intervention. It should be noted that Harn's climate makes extensive natural prairie grassland impossible.

Heath[edit | edit source]

Sometimes called moor, heathland is found in the windward western margins where a combination of poor soils and high winds produce a unique environment. Heathland is mainly treeless, although a few stunted birches, willows, and various large shrubs can be found. The dominant vegetation is a aense layer of sturdy low-lying plants, rarely exceeding a foot in height, heather being the most common. Poor drainage creates bogs and peatmoss in low lying areas.

Cropland & Pasture[edit | edit source]

Cropland and pasture occurs only where some culture-forming race is practicing a~riculture. Cropland and pasture is found around all Harruc settlements. Only about twenty to forty percent of the class will actually be arable cropland under cultivation, producing mainly wheat, rye, oats, and barley, and in lesser quantities, beans, peas, turnips and the like. There will be the odd stand of trees, no more than ten percent of the area.

Water[edit | edit source]

No distinction is made on the map between salt and fresh water; there are no salt lakes on Harn.

Topography[edit | edit source]

Textures indicative of landforms overlay the vegetation colours to provide additional information. This system allows you to distinguish between, for example, mountainous forested terrain and flat forested terrain. The absence of any texture implies that the land is fairly flat; at most, there will be gentle rolling hills. The textures used are:

Hills[edit | edit source]

Rough hilly terrain which will tend to make travel difficult. Mountains rarely turn abruptly into plains and so foothills will usually be indicated between them.

Mountains[edit | edit source]

Terrain difficult to cross, and probably impassable during winter. Mounted travel would be especially difficult, if not impossible, and ropes, spikes and other climbing gear may be necessary. Mountains over 6, 000 feet are indicated and named on the map.

Marshland[edit | edit source]

Swampy terrain can occur almost anywhere there is poor drainage. Marshland should not be thought of as impenatrable swamp, but it is likely to contain deep bogs, quicksands etc, which may not be readily visible. Glug!

Reef[edit | edit source]

Shoals or rocks definitely hazardous to seafarers.

Rivers[edit | edit source]

The rivers shown on the map are those which are sufficiently deep to prevent fording, except at a marked ford and only then when the weather has been reasonably dry over the last few watches . It may be assumed that, in addition to the rivers marked on the re~onal map, there are literally dozens of smaller streams m each hex; these will occasionally dry up, or swell to the size of a river. Travellers do not have to journey far to find water in most parts of Harn. The rivers shown may be considered navigable, that is at least ten to twenty feet deep; of course, navigation in the vicinity of waterfalls/cataracts or rapids is extremely hazardous.

Keeps, Castles and Towns[edit | edit source]

For the most part, only settlements possessed of major fortifications are shown on the regional map. It may be assumed that each of these is surrounded by at least a small, un-walled town and by several manorial, and non-manorial villages. All settlements shown on the map hold a market/fair at least once a month, some more regularly than that.

Roads and Trails[edit | edit source]

Paved roads are "all weather" and quite rare on Harn. Unpaved roads are "rights of way", but are likely to be muddy when it rains. The trails shown are those that even a tenderfoot would have difficulty wandering off; it may be assumed that there are thousands of game and other trails criss-crossing Harn