Map of Furrae?

[ChaosMageX]

I'm just curious, but has anyone ever attempted to make a map from the locations and clues given in the comic and by Amber herself?

First, there's a list of all the locations from demonology:
Lost Lake
Kingdom of H-Ann
Forbidden Realms
Fae Kingom
SAI Academy
Trik'na Island
Zinvth
Twink Territories

And then, there's a list of the more lethal locations from the comic itself (which I'm more interested in):
Cave of Infinite Pain
Mountain of Doom
Death Swamps
Ridge of Sharp Pointy Rocks
Lava Falls
Woe Forest
Dark Pegasus's Territory
Draekaan Volcano

It is the lethal terrortories (misspelled for pun purposes) that I'm interested in because that's where demons, angels, and dragons are more likely to hang out, and since most of my characters are demons, I want to make a home for them in one of them.

Here's my postulates so far on some of them:

Woe Forest: Might be a large rainforest-like environment.  Possibly named because it used to be one of the main stomping grounds of the Siar Cubi Clan, the clan of woe.  When Siar fell, it fell under the management of Amazons, who moved in to occupy it.

Death Swamps: Could be named not just for the lethal creatures that inhabit it, but also the tar pits that have taken the lives of many prehistoric creatures.

The Lava Falls and Draekaan Volcano are most likely connected, and if this Part of Furrae is on a moving tectonic plate, the Mountain of Doom could be the extinct remnant of the magma chamber that now fuels Draekaan.

Ridge of Sharp Pointy Rocks: Might have been formed by several rockslides off the Mountain of Doom caused by careless climbing adventurers.  It is now one of nature's spike pits.

Cave of Infinite Pain: Not exactly a good place to go spelunking, I assume.  Perhaps some powerful demon uses it as their own personal torture chamber.  It is located at least five miles from the Kingdom of H-ann.

Dark Pegasus's Territory: Aliph Soulstealer could actually be the founder and CEO of the White-Palace Burger Stands.  They could help provide some of the funding for his complex evil schemes.  He may have even been a fry cook in his teenage years...oh god someone has to draw a picture of that, it'd be so hilarious, and probably before he got his horn implants.
Anyway, the White-Palace Burger Stands might also be a great place for young demons working their way through demon school to make a living.

Aaaaand...that's about it.  Does anyone know if I'm completely off, or at least has some better guesses, or maybe even has a crudely drawn map?  I'd love to hear others' opinions before jumping to conclusions about these non-lethal and lethal locales of Furrae.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

When I was young(er), I worried about such things as location, and my own personal pet project was to figure out how SAIA academy kept its food and whatever other stocks stocked, when it was supposedly an ultra-secure location that non-cubi didn't even know how to find. (Even Mab didn't just appear there).


Then I realized that Amber isn't trying to induce Robert-Jordan esque levels of detail and internal consistency. (And I have a few issues about his work, but lets not get sidetracked). Perhaps I am being presumptuous, but I am pretty sure that such a map will never be made. Not only will the map never be made, but there will never be any effort to plot out locations in terms of distance from A to B to C. If the plot calls for the characters to be in a certain location, they'll arrive there, with perhaps a comment of "That was a long walk".


This is a comic built more on character interaction than geography. While I would be interested in a map, don't hold your hopes up for having one, or for detailed descriptions of anywhere.

[Turnsky]

Mapmaking requires Effort..

unfortunately cartography is also quite the pain in the butt, believe me, i'm still hashing out details of my own.

[bill]

Mapmaking requires Effort..

unfortunately cartography is also quite the pain in the butt, believe me, i'm still hashing out details of my own.

just flip a map of Europe upside down, nobody will know

[Scarydragon]

just flip a map of Europe upside down, nobody will know

Hell, just use a map of Europe right side up. Most people still wouldn't know.

[candide]

just flip a map of Europe upside down, nobody will know

Hell, just use a map of Europe right side up. Most people still wouldn't know.

Correction:  Most Americans wouldn't know. 

[Grey Wolf]

just flip a map of Europe upside down, nobody will know

Hell, just use a map of Europe right side up. Most people still wouldn't know.

Correction:  Most Americans wouldn't know. 

I would, and so would the majority of people in my classes.
I realize this is probably meant as a joke, but 'tis a bit offensive...
America =/= stupid people


That said, I map of Furrae would be nice, but I'm not sure we'll get it anytime soon.

[candide]

just flip a map of Europe upside down, nobody will know

Hell, just use a map of Europe right side up. Most people still wouldn't know.

Correction:  Most Americans wouldn't know. 

I would, and so would the majority of people in my classes.
I realize this is probably meant as a joke, but 'tis a bit offensive...
America =/= stupid people

No, but we certainly seem to prefer them over people with intelligence.

And, no, it's not a joke.  It's a statement of utter dismay over the state of basic civic education in my country.  I'm reminded of a poll of high-school students.  They were asked about freedoms which just so happen to be enshrined in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, one of the 10 Amendments actively promoted by none other than Thomas Jefferson.  1/3 of the polled high-school students felt that those freedoms were too "liberal" and that the government should restrict them.

(I can look up the exact study on the blog of a grad-school roommate who was, for a time, a professor of Journalism.)

I will note my bias, for full disclosure.  I've spent the last 9 years more or less screaming, nonstop, "Aaaauuuugh!  The Stupid!  It burns!"

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

No, but we certainly seem to prefer them over people with intelligence.

And, no, it's not a joke.  It's a statement of utter dismay over the state of basic civic education in my country.  I'm reminded of a poll of high-school students.  They were asked about freedoms which just so happen to be enshrined in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, one of the 10 Amendments actively promoted by none other than Thomas Jefferson.  1/3 of the polled high-school students felt that those freedoms were too "liberal" and that the government should restrict them.

(I can look up the exact study on the blog of a grad-school roommate who was, for a time, a professor of Journalism.)

I will note my bias, for full disclosure.  I've spent the last 9 years more or less screaming, nonstop, "Aaaauuuugh!  The Stupid!  It burns!"

I fail to see how this study (which you do not cite, or even name.) indicates stupidity in the part of American students, or even a failure of education.  Do you know what an amendment to the constitution is? It is when the government, which ideally, in a democratic society, would reflect the will of the electorate, decides that the principles of governance should change.

On January 16, 1919, the 18th amendment, banning the sale of alcohol, was ratified. It was only repealed in 1933. Was every person who disliked Prohibition an idiot, or failed by the school system? Did their IQs and educations magically restore themselves after the passing of the 21st?

Until you forge a link between disagreement with the principals of governance and mental deficiency, or education failure, your argument holds no water.

[Succubus_1982]

I can see this thread heading the same way as yesterdays filler.....

[Lucheek]

B-b-b-back to the originial topic, that's a real cool analysis of the places named, Chaos! I agree, I don't think Amber has the location of these places planned out. But I'm really intrested in seeing maybe a map too.

I'm still curious about whethere "Furrae" is the universe, a country, or the planent.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I'm still curious about whethere "Furrae" is the universe, a country, or the planent.

It's a state of mind.

Like manic, who is at my doorstep, looking in with bloodshot eyes...

[ooklah]

if a map is ever made... please don't EVER use square mountain ranges. It drives me nuts. "Why yes! these mountains formed in a perfect box like fashion with only one entrance which just happens contain all the evil of the world" 

[Lucheek]

if a map is ever made... please don't EVER use square mountain ranges. It drives me nuts. "Why yes! these mountains formed in a perfect box like fashion with only one entrance which just happens contain all the evil of the world" 

I remember when I was little I would make up lands like "pizza land" or whatever. And I would constantly have rivers that flowed trhough the ocean.

SCIENCE!

[Sofox]

just flip a map of Europe upside down, nobody will know

Hell, just use a map of Europe right side up. Most people still wouldn't know.

You watched The 10th Kingdom didn't you?
(For those not in the know)


As for a map of Amber's Land... sorry, I mean Furrae...
Errr, I'm not sure how many of you guy's noticed this yet, but DMFA is kinda screwed up when it comes to geography.

Nearly every single place the main character have been to is in walking distance, and they're usually able to make back home within a day. Everything from the expedition to the Twink Territories, to Abel's there and back trip home for the funeral. It's like the world is an RPG game.
The amount of walking gets even stranger when you consider the DMFAverse has automobiles. Or at least Pintos.... Then again, if every automobile in Furrae is a Pinto, no wonder everyone walks!

[Tapewolf]

Nearly every single place the main character have been to is in walking distance, and they're usually able to make back home within a day. Everything from the expedition to the Twink Territories, to Abel's there and back trip home for the funeral. It's like the world is an RPG game.
The amount of walking gets even stranger when you consider the DMFAverse has automobiles. Or at least Pintos.... Then again, if every automobile in Furrae is a Pinto, no wonder everyone walks!

How do you know they didn't take the train part of the way or something?
As for Abel, May may have decided on Zinvth because it was the nearest demon city to where they lived.

[candide]

I fail to see how this study (which you do not cite, or even name.)...

As I said, I can look it up in the blog of a grad-school roommate of mine.  It was a fairly well-reported survey, at the time, by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

(My old grad-school chum had a followup blog entry that's relevant.)

Since this survey is from 2005, the links to the news reports (one goes to USA Today) are all defunct, sadly.


And, yes, I'm well aware of how the Constitution of my country is amended, and its history.  But I don't want to hijack this thread, so if you want to persist in ad-hominem comments, go ahead and have the last word.  I have a job interview to prepare for and will no longer respond.

[ChaosMageX]

if a map is ever made... please don't EVER use square mountain ranges. It drives me nuts. "Why yes! these mountains formed in a perfect box like fashion with only one entrance which just happens contain all the evil of the world" 

I remember when I was little I would make up lands like "pizza land" or whatever. And I would constantly have rivers that flowed through the ocean.

SCIENCE!

Wouldn't that make them ocean currents then?  I mean, the Gulf Stream Current could be considered a massive river within the Atlantic Ocean that brings warmth to New England and Great Britain.

Then I realized that Amber isn't trying to induce Robert-Jordan esque levels of detail and internal consistency. (And I have a few issues about his work, but lets not get sidetracked). Perhaps I am being presumptuous, but I am pretty sure that such a map will never be made. Not only will the map never be made, but there will never be any effort to plot out locations in terms of distance from A to B to C. If the plot calls for the characters to be in a certain location, they'll arrive there, with perhaps a comment of "That was a long walk".

Yeah, I guess you're right.  It's the settings themselves that matter, not the distance between them, and the journey is ultimately boring and cut out of the comic.  However, if they did take a train, like Tapewolf said, that's a shame because a lot of fun things can happen on a train.

But still, I would like some perspective of distance between these locations to see if there's any possibility of fun plot side-tracks in the journeys between them.

On the other hand, who's to say I can't take creative leeway and use it to over-exaggerate a normally short distance and turn the travel journey into a fun side-plot?
Most of the filler in the Pokemon Anime was based off of over-exaggerating the distances of the Routes between the major towns/cities in the game and adding new locations on those routes to distract the characters, while some of the longer Routes, including the cycling path between Celedon and Fushia, were shortened to just one episode.

But even with the ability to distort the journey, the Pokemon Anime still went largely by the map in keeping continuity with the universe for the games.  I'd like a map of Furrae in order to keep location continuity.  If characters absolutely have to cross through location B to get to location C from location A, I'd like to know about it.  Or are there any alternate routes.

Finally, perhaps I'm just doing the favorite action of many on this forum: overthinking things.

Since most of those lethal locations haven't been mentioned in over 900 strips, I guess it's safe to assume that Amber never plans to return to them and I can use them for my purposes, change them around, and add on to them, like making a major Amazon tree-based city deep in Woe Forest.

Oooh, but here's a new question: Does the world of Furrae involve most or all equivalents to locations in the real world.  I mean, Project Future obviously assumes that Furrae has an arctic, but then again most life-supporting planets typically do.

Would it be pushing it too far to assume that Furrae also has a North America analogue with an equivalent to USA and Canada, or perhaps an equivalent of certain European Nations?

[Turnsky]

How do you know they didn't take the train part of the way or something?
As for Abel, May may have decided on Zinvth because it was the nearest demon city to where they lived.

y'know, this may be a neat little side project for you and a heap of other folks to mesh out over a lengthy period of time when you have nothing else better to do. 

That said, the hard part is figuring out the land mass, and relative geographic features of your 'ball of rock'.. hell, for the sake of simplicity, Furrae could just as well be an 'alternate earth' with different features, and continental drift, for example.

Cartography is hardly my forte, that's why it's taking me so damn long.