Since the maps from IWD and IWD II are artistic and somewhat distorted in their perspective, I wouldn't take them too literal.
True. For example, the HoW map makes it look like the Gloomfrost is on top of Kelvin's Cairn, while both the in-game dialog and the Forgotten Realms lore are clear about the fact that it is much farther to the east, on the edge of the Reghed glacier.
PS: For the Ten-Towns region, my favorite zoomed-in map (from the ones I found online), is this one: (click for full image)
This map appears to have North incorrectly labelled according to other maps of the region. From what else I've seen, North would be at the top-right making Caer-Konig the northernmost of the Ten Towns.
PS: For the Ten-Towns region, my favorite zoomed-in map (from the ones I found online), is this one: (click for full image)
This map appears to have North incorrectly labelled according to other maps of the region. From what else I've seen, North would be at the top-right making Caer-Konig the northernmost of the Ten Towns.
Lonelywood is known to be the northernmost though.
Do Faerunian maps use Mercator projections style? If so, that could be part of the problem you know, as Toril is a sphere.
If it were mercator that would mean that distances would be spread out at the poles. But that doesn't seem to be the case here (if anything places seem too close to each other).
We can sort of reconcile things if Kuldahar (and other notable locations) was destroyed sometime after IWD2.
The official 1e Forgotten Realms campaign picked up in 1357 DR, and the Salvator novels that provide most of the lore for the region are set around that same time. The Icewind Dale games happened before that. Specifically, IWD starts in 1281 DR and IWD2 starts in 1312 DR.
Ominously, 1313 DR is the Year of the Shattered Oak in the roll of years (yes, that big tree in Kuldahar is an oak).
In the Spine of the World all kinds of catastrophic things can happen that wipe locations from the map if/when they are no longer magically protected: orc hordes, rampaging frost giants, devastating winters, massive avalanches, etc.
[...]1313 DR is the Year of the Shattered Oak in the roll of years [...]
What @Crowseye proposes makes sense. Usually Alaundo's prophecies are a bit cryptic, but sometimes the name of the year really reflects a big event that happened during that specific year.
913 Year of the watching raven; Sembia founded under the Raven Banner; 1030 Year of the Warlords: Zulkiers established in Thay; 1323 Year of Dreamwebs; Thayvian wizards attempt to control others through dreams.
Is there any material out there placed in or around 1313?
Edit: The Tree Ghost Uthgardt tribe breaks from the Blue Bear tribe. This might be the reason 1313 is called that way, although it doesn't explain the "oak".
Dark Side of the Sword Coast DSC001 //Wood of Sharp Teeth DSC002 DSC004 //Forest of Forgotten Souls DSC010 //Castle Daerthmac
Eilistraee's Song ARES01 //Eilistraee's Clearing
Fishing For Trouble YS1000 / YS1001 //Porthpentyrch YS0390 //Govt. West (Government District Westside) YS0360 //Cerendor Hold YS0370 //Cloudpeak Mountains (Cloudpeak Caravan)
Innershade ARISH1 //Innershade
Northern Tales of the Sword Coast AR01PB //Wood of the Dead AR10PB //Field of the Dead AR20PB //Northern Coast AR30PB //Northern Citadel AR40PB //Northern Wood AR60PB //Temple of the Black Hand
Tales of Deep Gardens ARLDV1 //Deep Gardens
The Darkest Day ARPO05 //Rusted Scabbard DD1000 //Easthaven DD1800 //Snake Woods DD1900 //Purskal DD2300 //Eshpurta DD2500 //Troll Mountains DD3300 //Riatavin DD5000 //Hall of Knowledge DD7000 //Orgoth's Tower DD8000 //Deep Mir Forest DD8001 //Haunted Forest DD9000 //Trollford
The Drizzt Saga F_7777 //Bruenor's Cabin F_9898 //Mountain of the Dead F_0111 //Bear Tribe Village F_0222 //Storm March Mountains
The Stone of Askavar ARS002 //Bluebell wood ARS005 //Dystra old watch tower
Note that they deliberately cut a sizeable chunk of landmass between Baldur's Gate and the Spine of the World, in order to limit the overall worldmap size. That's why the map doesn't contain Neverwinter and Luskan. So it's not canonical, but it's perfect for EET.
Thank you for your comment. I have corrected. Kuldahar logical place just north of IW5300. All maps scattered sources indicate that it was near ten towns. And only a small passage separates it from them.
Comments
Is this the same one you found in the original manual @grogerson?
In any case, like the in-game world maps, it seems to be more artistic than accurate. True. For example, the HoW map makes it look like the Gloomfrost is on top of Kelvin's Cairn, while both the in-game dialog and the Forgotten Realms lore are clear about the fact that it is much farther to the east, on the edge of the Reghed glacier.
The official 1e Forgotten Realms campaign picked up in 1357 DR, and the Salvator novels that provide most of the lore for the region are set around that same time. The Icewind Dale games happened before that. Specifically, IWD starts in 1281 DR and IWD2 starts in 1312 DR.
Ominously, 1313 DR is the Year of the Shattered Oak in the roll of years (yes, that big tree in Kuldahar is an oak).
In the Spine of the World all kinds of catastrophic things can happen that wipe locations from the map if/when they are no longer magically protected: orc hordes, rampaging frost giants, devastating winters, massive avalanches, etc.
913 Year of the watching raven; Sembia founded under the Raven Banner;
1030 Year of the Warlords: Zulkiers established in Thay;
1323 Year of Dreamwebs; Thayvian wizards attempt to control others through dreams.
Is there any material out there placed in or around 1313?
Edit: The Tree Ghost Uthgardt tribe breaks from the Blue Bear tribe.
This might be the reason 1313 is called that way, although it doesn't explain the "oak".
http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=27749
BG1 areas
BG0100 //Baldur's Gate North West
BG0200 //Baldur's Gate North
BG0300 //Baldur's Gate North East
BG0400 //Upper Chionthar River (Farms over Chionthar)
BG0500 //Durlag's Tower
BG0600 //Baldur's Gate West
BG0700 //Baldur's Gate Center
BG0800 //Baldur's Gate East
BG0900 //Wyrm's Crossing
BG1000 //Ulgoth's Beard
BG1008 //Ice Island
BG1100 //Baldur's Gate South West
BG1200 //Baldur's Gate South
BG1300 //Baldur's Gate South East
BG1400 //Lower Chionthar River (Ankheg Farms/South of Wyrm's Crossing)
BG1600 //Cloakwood Grove (Cloakwood Druids/Cloakwood 3)
BG1700 //Cloakwood Crossings (Cloakwood Wyverns/Cloakwood 4)
BG1800 //Cloakwood Mines
BG1900 //Bandit Camp
BG2000 //Balduran's Isle (Werewolf Isle)
BG2100 //Cloakwood Falls (Cloakwood Nest/Cloakwood 2)
BG2200 //Cloakwood Lodge (Cloakwood 1)
BG2300 //Friendly Arm Inn
BG2400 //Peldvale
BG2600 //Candlekeep [prologue]
BG2626 //Candlekeep [ch.6]
BG2700 //Lion's Way (Gorion's Rest)
BG2800 //Coast Way (Crossroads)
BG2900 //Larswood
BG3000 //Spider Wood (The East Wood)
BG3100 //Shipwreck's Coast (North Sword Coast)
BG3200 //High Hedge
BG3300 //Beregost
BG3400 //Temple of Lathander (Beregost Temple)
BG3500 //Sharp Teeth Plain (Mutamin's Garden/Basilisk Monument)
BG3600 //The Lighthouse (Sword Coast)
BG3700 //Red Canyons (Zombie Retreat)
BG3800 //Trade Way North (Badlands/South Beregost Road/Beregost Wilderness)
BG3900 //Ulcaster School
BG4000 //Gullykin
BG4100 //Ancient Ruins (Archaeological Site/South Sword Coast)
BG4200 //Wilderness Lake (Fisherman's Lake)
BG4300 //Trade Way South (Nashkel Pass/North Nashkel Road)
BG4400 //Lonely Peaks (Firewine Plains)
BG4500 //Firewine Bridge
BG4600 //Bear River (Ogre's Reach)
BG4700 //Xvart Village
BG4800 //Nashkel
BG4900 //Carnival
BG5000 //Valley of the Tombs (Southern Wastelands)
BG5100 //Gnoll Stronghold
BG5200 //Dryad Falls (Western Cloudpeaks)
BG5300 //Fire Leaf Forest (The Cloudpeaks)
BG5400 //Nashkel Mines
BG5500 //Gibberling Mountains (Dragon's Run/Cloud Peaks)
TU0015 //Duchal Palace (tutorial area)
BG:EE new areas
OH2000 //Adoy's Enclave
OH3000 //Cloud Peaks
BG2:SoA areas
AR0020 //Athkatla: City Gates
AR0300 //Athkatla: Docks
AR0400 //Athkatla: Slums
AR0500 //Athkatla: Bridge District
AR0700 //Athkatla: Waukeen's Promenade
AR0800 //Athkatla: Graveyard
AR0900 //Athkatla: Temple District
AR1000 //Athkatla: Government District
AR1100 //Umar Hills
AR1200 //Windspear Hills
AR1300 / AR1304 //de'Arnise Hold
AR1400 / AR1404 //Temple Ruins
AR1500 //The Asylum
AR1600 //Brynnlaw
AR1700 //Small Teeth Pass
AR1800 //North Forest
AR1900 //Druid Grove
AR2000 //Trademeet
AR2100 //Underdark
AR2300 //Underwater City
AR2500 //Underdark Exit
AR2600 //Forest of Tethyr
AR2800 //Suldanessellar
BG2:EE new SoA Areas
OH4000 //Abandoned Amphitheater
OH4100 //Heretic Temple
OH5100 //Resurrection Gorge
OH5300 //Helmite Camp
OH6000 //Wild Forest
OH6100 / OH6200 //Hidden Refuge
BG2:ToB Areas
AR3000 //Watcher's Keep
AR4000 //Sacred Grove
AR5000 //Saradush
AR5200 //Marching Mountains
AR5202 //Forest of Mir - The Temple
AR5203 //Siege Camp
AR5500 //Amkethran
AR6000 //Abazigal's Lair
AR6100 //Sendai's Enclave
AR6300 //The Oasis
AR6400 //Forest Valley
BG2:EE new ToB Areas
OH4200 //Deepstone Clanhold
OH6400 //Clearing
Siege of Dragonspear
BD0010 //[Ducal Palace City Exterior]
BD0104 //[Flaming Fist HQ]
BD1000 //Coast Way Crossing
BD2000 //Boareskyr Bridge
BD3000 //Coalition Camp
BD4000 //Dragonspear Castle
BD4100 //[Dragonspear Castle Keep, First Floor]
BD4300 //[Dragonspear Castle Basement]
BD4400 //[Avernus]
BD4500 //[Avernus Bridge]
BD5000 //Underground River
BD5100 //[Underground River]
BD5200 //[The Warrens]
BD6000 //[Abandoned Sewers & Caverns]
BD6100 //[The Ambush]
BD6200 //[Sewers Exit]
BD7000 //Coast Way Forest
BD7100 //Troll Claw Woods
BD7200 //Forest of Wyrms
BD7300 //Dead Man's Pass
BD7400 //Bloodbark Grove
IWD-in-EET (IWD areas)
ID1000 / ID1100 //Easthaven
ID2000 //Kuldahar Pass
ID2100 //Kuldahar
ID3000 //The Vale of Shadows
ID3600 //Temple of the Forgotten God
ID4000 //Dragon's Eye
ID5000 //Severed Hand
ID6000 //Dorn's Deep
ID7000 //Wyrm's Tooth
ID8001 //Lower Dorn's Deep
IWD-in-EET (HoW areas)
ID9100 //Lonelywood
ID9200 //Barbarian Camp
ID9300 //Burial Isle
ID9500 //Gloomfrost
ID9600 //Sea of Moving Ice
IWD-in-EET (IWD2 areas)
IW1000 //Targos Docks
IW1100 //Targos
IW1200 //Targos Palisade
IW2000 //Shaengarne Ford
IW2102 //Shaengarne Bridge
IW3000 //Horde Fortress
IW4000 //Western Pass
IW4100 //Icewall (Ice Temple)
IW5000 //Wandering Village
IW5001 //The Fell Wood
IW5004 //Cold Marshes
IW5005 //River Caves
IW5102 //River Caves Exit
IW5200 //Black Raven Monastery
IW5300 //The Underdark
IW6000 //Kuldahar Valley
IW6104 //Dragon's Eye Exit
IW6200 //Fields of Slaughter
IW6201 //Fields of Slaughter
Almateria's Restoration Project
AR2700 //Grove
Dark Side of the Sword Coast
DSC001 //Wood of Sharp Teeth
DSC002
DSC004 //Forest of Forgotten Souls
DSC010 //Castle Daerthmac
Eilistraee's Song
ARES01 //Eilistraee's Clearing
Fishing For Trouble
YS1000 / YS1001 //Porthpentyrch
YS0390 //Govt. West (Government District Westside)
YS0360 //Cerendor Hold
YS0370 //Cloudpeak Mountains (Cloudpeak Caravan)
Innershade
ARISH1 //Innershade
Northern Tales of the Sword Coast
AR01PB //Wood of the Dead
AR10PB //Field of the Dead
AR20PB //Northern Coast
AR30PB //Northern Citadel
AR40PB //Northern Wood
AR60PB //Temple of the Black Hand
Tales of Deep Gardens
ARLDV1 //Deep Gardens
The Darkest Day
ARPO05 //Rusted Scabbard
DD1000 //Easthaven
DD1800 //Snake Woods
DD1900 //Purskal
DD2300 //Eshpurta
DD2500 //Troll Mountains
DD3300 //Riatavin
DD5000 //Hall of Knowledge
DD7000 //Orgoth's Tower
DD8000 //Deep Mir Forest
DD8001 //Haunted Forest
DD9000 //Trollford
The Drizzt Saga
F_7777 //Bruenor's Cabin
F_9898 //Mountain of the Dead
F_0111 //Bear Tribe Village
F_0222 //Storm March Mountains
The Stone of Askavar
ARS002 //Bluebell wood
ARS005 //Dystra old watch tower
The White Queen
WQ0001 //Silent Swamps
I know the second one is the worldmap made for the Enhanced Edition Trilogy (EET) mod, i.e. basically the BG2:SoA map extended downwards and upwards. And I do think they did a great job.
Note that they deliberately cut a sizeable chunk of landmass between Baldur's Gate and the Spine of the World, in order to limit the overall worldmap size. That's why the map doesn't contain Neverwinter and Luskan. So it's not canonical, but it's perfect for EET.
Kuldahar logical place just north of IW5300. All maps scattered sources indicate that it was near ten towns. And only a small passage separates it from them.