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KathAveara · **Posted:** Thu Apr 30, 2015 4:39 pm

Actually, the Great Zero line points east. The rugs are oriented correctly.

ChloeRhodes · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:29 am **Posts:** 520

Okay, here's a rough layout of the cavern I just made in GIMP with the current locations that exist either in game, or we've seen in some screenshots or released images labeled. The Intangible's is using a more complex version obviously, but since this is an important topic amongst the fans I figured I'd draw you a quick preview the layout. There's obviously a lot more cavern locations than the ones labeled but for obvious surprise reasons I've left those off this quick drawing.

According to RAWA, - "When the planet has a magnetic field they would typically use magnetic north for the zero angle. On planets without a strong magnetic field they would pick a physical point of reference as viewed from the original link-in location to set the angle." This also seems to be backed up by information within the GZ notebooks IIRC.

larryf58 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 30, 2015 11:36 pm

The zero line points in the direction that magnetic north was in when the Guild of Maintainers first linked to the cavern, which was standard practice for the Guild of Maintainers both of Garternay and D'ni, when the D'ni guild was founded. If for some reason they couldn't read a magnetic north, then they used a prominent landmark as seen from the link in point as the zero orientation.

As anyone who deals with maps can tell you, magnetic north doesn't have all that much to do with true north, which is the northern point of rotational axis of the planet. Magnetic north drifts every year. I believe that was the fact that gave king Me'erta an excuse to lobby for the zero line to be changed to one that ran along the western edge of the Great Library courtyard around 1817 DE. Anyone with a compass would have been able to see that the line through the arch wasn't north anymore. Me'erta proposed changing it to a prominent landmark... which just happened to coincide with the location of the newly built Temple of the Tree, a splinter cult he was supporting. How about that, eh?

His proposal was not adopted officially, but it muddied the issue enough for that line to show up as the zero meridian on some maps. It wasn't until 3112 DE that a king, Rakeri in this case, finally weighed in on the subject and declared that the line through the arch was to considered north for all time, and to heck with what the compasses said.

korovev · **Posted:** Fri May 01, 2015 2:52 pm

Alternatively,

Carolyn · **Joined:** Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:20 pm **Posts:** 24

Eleri · **Posted:** Sun May 03, 2015 6:41 am

There's always the viewpoint that you can't use Uru as an accurate representation of the city, because of the amount of space condensing they had to do to make it a viable explorable space technically... and the theory that K'veer is in the wrong spot in either the map or the game, based on seeing the Arch directly outside the windows.
We do have a rather different, more detailed map in Unwritten, based on multiple documents & existing maps, but that shouldn't be taken as canon, either- just a reinterpretation to meet the needs of GMs and players.

larryf58 · **Posted:** Sun May 03, 2015 1:37 pm

When I tried to mark the location of the neighborhoods on the section of Aitrus' map I showed earlier, I was basing that on the fact that you can see the front of Kerath's Arch straight on from K'veer and have a fairly straight view of the Arch and the Great Stairs from the neighborhood balconies. Both views are only a few degrees off from the zero meridian, and that's backed up by the KI reading of the neighborhood link-in point. The toran reading on your KI is about 1 degree west of the zero meridian.

The problem with Chloe's map is that it doesn't match with either of the angles of those views. Additionally, it doesn't match with the dimensions of the cavern as stated in DRC documents, which say that the cavern is approximately 3 miles long by 1 mile wide. By her map, from both locations we should be seeing the ring of stalagmites surrounding the harbor and the bulk of the island's western side, with the arch off on the left. It also means that we should be able to see the City out past Kerath's Arch very clearly from any point on the island where we get an elevated view, such as Tokotah Courtyard, the Library Courtyard, and the Concert Hall Foyer.

It has to be taken into account that the her map is just a rough sketch she did in a hurry, but if the approximate angles and distances are in the right ballpark, it doesn't add up with what we see in-cavern. Nor does it match with the neighborhood KI reading; by her sketch, the neighborhoods would have to be right on the western edge of the City.

Lacking the source material she's using and any word from Cyan as to the truth of the matter, I'd have to say that it's still very uncertain. Aitrus' map and the one found on the DRC site appear to match what we see in the game better than her sketch does. I'm really wishing that Cyan had been able to make the City available as an explorable area like they'd planned to! A KI reading from it would clear things right up.

Carolyn · **Joined:** Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:20 pm **Posts:** 24

larryf58 · **Posted:** Sun May 03, 2015 5:44 pm

ChloeRhodes · **Joined:** Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:29 am **Posts:** 520

larryf58 · **Posted:** Sun May 03, 2015 11:08 pm

{Nods}

Chloe, it's very clear in Cyan's pre-production art that your map would have been very close to canon in the early days of designing Uru. The original concept had Kerath's Arch as the gateway to the City, rather than the Island. That can be seen in these pictures:

The Island design didn't have an enclosed harbor back then, and that was shown in the clay models they made at the time. In those days, it was quite clear that the City was on the zero meridian. Then when they actually made the game, they made some very big changes for reasons I do not know, and the map shown on the DRC site reflects those changes.

It may well be that the kings' notebooks were written in those days, and were never changed when they redesigned the models.

In later concept art, the Arch got closer and closer to the island until it formed an enclosed harbor, first with a man-made breakwater and then with a stalagmite ring that evolved into the model they used.

Talashar · **Joined:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:24 pm **Posts:** 91

larryf58 · **Posted:** Mon May 04, 2015 2:45 am

Tweek · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 12:11 am **Posts:** 2633

larryf58 · **Posted:** Mon May 04, 2015 12:01 pm

Okay, I'll go with the idea that the pictures show Ae'gura on the left and the City on the right.

If we run the zero meridian from the stalagmite to the arch, then Aitrus' map is right. Those pictures are showing the City as being between 40 to 45 degrees west of the zero line.

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