Difference between revisions of "Map A.04 - Kara Sea"

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[[File:A.04 - Kara Sea.png|760px|thumb]]
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[[File:A.04 - Kara Sea.jpg|right|680px|thumb]]
  
Click to enlarge.  Shows latitude 72.51 to 82.34 north, including the northern reaches of [[Biyetia]] and [[Samoyadia]], the northern tip of [[Jotunheim]] (the land of frost giants) and the great frozen islands of Aryans, bordered by the wide [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Sea Kara Sea].  These are lands that have been reinvented for my game world.  The obscurity of these lands in the 17th century allows me to settle them with goblins (Biyetia) and gnolls (Samoyadia).  The denizens of Aryans are unknown.  Chances are, no party I ever run will have reason to go there.
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Arctic region reaching from 82.34°N south to 72.51°N. A frozen sea and continental enclave in the extreme north of Asia.  The region is occupied by the Samoyeds, a gnoll people who are progenitors to the gnolls of Bjarmaland, west of the Ural Mountains.  A lightly used trade route rounds the Yamal Peninsula from the west, advantaging the passages the Ob and Yenisey rivers offer into the heart of Siberia.  The gnoll settlement of Dik'Don is the more northern market place in the world.
  
Given the high latitudes and fierce weather of these lands, habitation is scant.  Even the creatures native to these lands must struggle hard to survive.  Even though the highlands are little more than a thousand feet above sea level, this makes them bitterly cold throughout the yearAll is frozen much of the year. Lowlands are thick, impassable muskeg swamps in the summer and early fall, before freezing again.  Most of what's shown is tundra; thin taiga forest can be found on the southern shores of the Yenisey Gulf (the long estuary of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yenisei_River Yenisey River] on the west) and in the North Siberian Lowland.
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Hexes are [[20-mile Hex Map|20 miles]] in diameterTotal area depicted equals 366,450 sq.m.
  
Trade is largely non-existent.  The Yenisey Gulf is a passage into the interiorIn warm years, whaling ships will sometimes venture into the Kara Sea in August-September, rarely reaching as far east as the Tallya Gulf.  Apart from these brief periods, all water showing on the map is frozen for 9-10 months of the year.  The region is well-known for its vast herds of mammoths and mastodon.
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== Features ==
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==== Byranga & North Siberian Lowland ====
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An enormous peninsula and gnoll kingdom extending past the east edge of the map shown, the base of which merges with the '''North Siberian Lowland''', a plain with broad and dense muskeg swamps and permafrost lakes.  The highest elevations are attained in the nort, in the '''Byranga Plateau''', a ridge of folded rocks between 900 and 1700 ft. above sea level.  The descent to the north shore is gradula, the land being covered with a moraine, numerous [[Beach|beach ridges]] and inland marine debris.  There are many indentations, but only those at the mouths of the Yenisey and Khatanga rivers are large.  South of the Byranga Plateau are many scattered lakes, the largest being '''Taymyr'''.  This enormous lake extends more than 100 miles from east to west; it is covered with ice from late September until June.  The [[Tundra (range)|tundra]] areas south of the lake are full of smaller lakes and marshes.
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Tundra range predominates, but the aridity associated with the far north means there are few swampy areas once clear of the North Siberian Lowland.  Vegetation is interspersed with patches of bare rock.
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==== Gyda, Yamal & Yevey Peninsulas ====
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Three northern extensions from the continent, mostly flat, with numerous lakes and small rivers.  The ground consists of permafrost and is covered by tundra.  These characteristics can also be found on the islands along the coast, Shokalskogo, Oleniy and Sibiryak.  '''Belyeye Island''' has some lichens, grasses and dwarf willow shrubs; reports have been confirmed that the island is occupied by quaggoths, primitive ape-like humanoids.  The '''Yamal Peninsula''' extends 430 miles from the mainland, not shown on this map.  Mammoths are common.  All three peninsulas are part of the goblin region of [[Haftsmark of Biyetia|Biyetia]].
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==== Islands of Buyan ====
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Mythical lands have never been viewed by Europeans; even the inhabitants of the mainland are hardly aware of their existence.  According to legend, the [[Buyan Islands]] are able to appear and disappearThree brothers, demi-gods of the northern, western and eastern winds, dwell here.  The three largest islands, Bolshe, Nauk and Oktyab, are named for them.  The [[Zoryas]], solar demi-goddesses who are the daughters of the solar god [[Dazhbog]], also dwell here.
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==== Kara Sea ====
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An arm of the Arctic Ocean between Jotunheim and the mythical Islands of Buyan.  The western part of the sea is deep, though in areas that are 120 mi. from the mainland, depths of 50 fathoms are common.  Open navigation lasts from early August to early October in the northern part, while the southern is usually open for navigation in July.  Ice may be met at any time during the navigation season, but open areas can be found.  Fog is frequent during the summer months.  Tides range from 1½ to 2½ ft., except where constricted by inlets. 
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'''Rusin Island''' in the far north is part of the [[Realm of Jotunheim]]; most of what appears on this map is covered with a permanent ice sheet, though the coasts are free of ice.
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'''Pyasin Gulf''' is a bay at the mouth of the '''Pyasina River''' that drains western Samoyadia.  The climate in the area is severe, with long and bitter winters and frequent blizzards and gales.  The gulf is frozen for nine months in a year; in summer, vessels are never free of ice floes.  Further east, the Tallya Gulf remains frozen most of the year; it has never been penetrated successfully by shipping, though multiple efforts have been made.
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== Provinces ==
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==== Biyetia ====
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'''The [[Haftsmark of Biyetia]]''' is the northernmost land of the [[Kingdom of Magloshkagok]], a goblin realm in western Siberia.  The Haftsmark is a military league of forts scattered south of the Kara SeaThe haftsmark is huge, covering 599.9 hexes, with a very sparse population of only 11,223; nearly every inhabitant is [[Goblinish (race)|goblinish]] in race.  Expanses of tundra are broken by the mouths of huge rivers (not shown on the map).  A harsh climate, a permanently frozen subsoil and a sparse population preclude economic activities apart from hunting and fishing.
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==== Samoyadia ====
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'''The [[Kingdom of Samoyadia]]''' is a gnoll realm and homeland of the gnoll people, in the furthest north of Siberia.  Temperature ranges from [[Very Cold Conditions|very cold]] in the winter to [[Chilly Conditions|chilly]] in July.  The population is largely gnoll in race, but some [[Bugbear|bugbear]] clans can be found in the south and a scant number of grimlocks dwell northwest of Lake Taymyr in the Byranga.  Fauna includes reindeer, wolves, polar bears, ermine and migratory birds; transhumance is practiced among huge reindeer herds that move to the Byranga Plateau in summer and south in the winter.  Dik-don is an important port of call and market; the Taymyr River is a source of gold and sulphur.  The immense kingdom has an area of 730.7 hexes and a population of 15,625.
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== Adjacent Maps ==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; background-color:#d4f2f2;"
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|-
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! [[Map A.03 - Jotunheim|A3: Jotunheim]] !! [[Map A.04 - Kara Sea|A4: Kara Sea]] !! [[Map A.05 - Yukaghir Sea|A5: Yukaghir Sea]]
 +
|-
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! [[Map B.04 - Ob Gulf|B4: Ob Gulf]] !! [[Map B.05 - Lower Yenisey|B5: Lower Yenisey]] !! [[Map B.06 - Tunguska|B6: Tunguska]]
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|}
  
The orange line, showing at the center bottom and top right, show the line of hexes that indicates 90°E.  Numbers at the right indicate distance from the north pole in hexes; the direction of north is at the top right, so it must be noted the direction on the map turns 60° at the east 30th meridian.
 
<br>
 
<br>
 
 
See [[Sheet Maps]]
 
See [[Sheet Maps]]
<br><br>
 
And from Wikipedia,
 
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyda_Peninsula Gyda Peninsula] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Taymyr Lake Taymyr] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Siberian_Islands New Siberian Islands] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordenski%C3%B6ld_Archipelago Nordenskoild Archipelago] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Siberian_Lowland North Siberian Lowland] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyasino_Gulf Pyasino Gulf] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taymyr_Peninsula Taymyr Peninsula] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamalo-Nenets_Autonomous_Okrug Yamalo-Nenets] / [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamal_Peninsula Yamal Peninsula]
 

Latest revision as of 23:10, 1 October 2021

A.04 - Kara Sea.jpg

Arctic region reaching from 82.34°N south to 72.51°N. A frozen sea and continental enclave in the extreme north of Asia. The region is occupied by the Samoyeds, a gnoll people who are progenitors to the gnolls of Bjarmaland, west of the Ural Mountains. A lightly used trade route rounds the Yamal Peninsula from the west, advantaging the passages the Ob and Yenisey rivers offer into the heart of Siberia. The gnoll settlement of Dik'Don is the more northern market place in the world.

Hexes are 20 miles in diameter. Total area depicted equals 366,450 sq.m.

Features

Byranga & North Siberian Lowland

An enormous peninsula and gnoll kingdom extending past the east edge of the map shown, the base of which merges with the North Siberian Lowland, a plain with broad and dense muskeg swamps and permafrost lakes. The highest elevations are attained in the nort, in the Byranga Plateau, a ridge of folded rocks between 900 and 1700 ft. above sea level. The descent to the north shore is gradula, the land being covered with a moraine, numerous beach ridges and inland marine debris. There are many indentations, but only those at the mouths of the Yenisey and Khatanga rivers are large. South of the Byranga Plateau are many scattered lakes, the largest being Taymyr. This enormous lake extends more than 100 miles from east to west; it is covered with ice from late September until June. The tundra areas south of the lake are full of smaller lakes and marshes.

Tundra range predominates, but the aridity associated with the far north means there are few swampy areas once clear of the North Siberian Lowland. Vegetation is interspersed with patches of bare rock.

Gyda, Yamal & Yevey Peninsulas

Three northern extensions from the continent, mostly flat, with numerous lakes and small rivers. The ground consists of permafrost and is covered by tundra. These characteristics can also be found on the islands along the coast, Shokalskogo, Oleniy and Sibiryak. Belyeye Island has some lichens, grasses and dwarf willow shrubs; reports have been confirmed that the island is occupied by quaggoths, primitive ape-like humanoids. The Yamal Peninsula extends 430 miles from the mainland, not shown on this map. Mammoths are common. All three peninsulas are part of the goblin region of Biyetia.

Islands of Buyan

Mythical lands have never been viewed by Europeans; even the inhabitants of the mainland are hardly aware of their existence. According to legend, the Buyan Islands are able to appear and disappear. Three brothers, demi-gods of the northern, western and eastern winds, dwell here. The three largest islands, Bolshe, Nauk and Oktyab, are named for them. The Zoryas, solar demi-goddesses who are the daughters of the solar god Dazhbog, also dwell here.

Kara Sea

An arm of the Arctic Ocean between Jotunheim and the mythical Islands of Buyan. The western part of the sea is deep, though in areas that are 120 mi. from the mainland, depths of 50 fathoms are common. Open navigation lasts from early August to early October in the northern part, while the southern is usually open for navigation in July. Ice may be met at any time during the navigation season, but open areas can be found. Fog is frequent during the summer months. Tides range from 1½ to 2½ ft., except where constricted by inlets.

Rusin Island in the far north is part of the Realm of Jotunheim; most of what appears on this map is covered with a permanent ice sheet, though the coasts are free of ice.

Pyasin Gulf is a bay at the mouth of the Pyasina River that drains western Samoyadia. The climate in the area is severe, with long and bitter winters and frequent blizzards and gales. The gulf is frozen for nine months in a year; in summer, vessels are never free of ice floes. Further east, the Tallya Gulf remains frozen most of the year; it has never been penetrated successfully by shipping, though multiple efforts have been made.

Provinces

Biyetia

The Haftsmark of Biyetia is the northernmost land of the Kingdom of Magloshkagok, a goblin realm in western Siberia. The Haftsmark is a military league of forts scattered south of the Kara Sea. The haftsmark is huge, covering 599.9 hexes, with a very sparse population of only 11,223; nearly every inhabitant is goblinish in race. Expanses of tundra are broken by the mouths of huge rivers (not shown on the map). A harsh climate, a permanently frozen subsoil and a sparse population preclude economic activities apart from hunting and fishing.

Samoyadia

The Kingdom of Samoyadia is a gnoll realm and homeland of the gnoll people, in the furthest north of Siberia. Temperature ranges from very cold in the winter to chilly in July. The population is largely gnoll in race, but some bugbear clans can be found in the south and a scant number of grimlocks dwell northwest of Lake Taymyr in the Byranga. Fauna includes reindeer, wolves, polar bears, ermine and migratory birds; transhumance is practiced among huge reindeer herds that move to the Byranga Plateau in summer and south in the winter. Dik-don is an important port of call and market; the Taymyr River is a source of gold and sulphur. The immense kingdom has an area of 730.7 hexes and a population of 15,625.

Adjacent Maps

A3: Jotunheim A4: Kara Sea A5: Yukaghir Sea
B4: Ob Gulf B5: Lower Yenisey B6: Tunguska

See Sheet Maps