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Gloranthan Distances

Posted on July 27, 2022

It is approximately 4250 kilometers from the Holy Country to Pamaltela, although most sailors travel clockwise around the Homeward Ocean, taking about 3 weeks to get to Maslo, give or take a few days.

To put that in context, the distances involved are significantly less than crossing the Atlantic from continental Europe to the Caribbean or North America. However, such travel is neither easy nor routine – the Closing of the Seas was overcome a little more than 40 years ago. For comparison, Columbus’ first voyage to the Caribbean was in 1492; 40 years later Pizarro sacked Cuzco. However, our Genertela explorers and traders do not enjoy a significant military, technological, or magical advantage over the civilizations of Pamaltela. We generally get merchant entrepots rather than conquests. That being said, piracy is a great concern, and the Wolf Pirates are now numerous and strong enough to seize places by force.

In places like Nochet, Handra, Noloswal, and Dosakayo, trade with Pamaltela (and other overseas lands) is an important part of life and exotic fashions, spices, and other luxuries are going to be known and easily found (albeit expensive). Nochet has had more than a generation of such trade, and the other big Genertelan ports are catching up.

In Boldhome or Furthest, such trade is rarer and more sporadic, but it is present. Issaries caravans do bring overseas goods over Dragon Pass and into the Lunar Empire, with huge profits. Within the Lunar Heartlands, Pamaltela is a distant imaginary fairytale.

Map by Greg Stafford

This ignores the key role played by Vadeli as both merchants and corsairs. Good: they like it that way. The Vadeli are not what I would call Genertelan explorers and traders. They did briefly establish an empire in Pamaltela (Umathela) in 1585 after the Opening, presenting themselves as gods and demanding tribute and worship. However, their empire collapsed after the Vadeli fleet was destroyed in 1594 by a naval alliance of Kareeshtu and Flanch.

What is the impact of “Magasta hole” on more direct routes? Part of the reason people take a clockwise path around the Homeward Ocean. Every Dormal priest knows of it.

So as we think about the distance between the Holy Country and Pamaltela:

1. The Issaries cult maintains market-temples in Teshnos, East Isles, Teleos, Maslo, Fonrit, and Umathela. A lot of these temples got established in the last 30 years by Issaries priests from the Holy Country. Trade can take place safely between different peoples at these markets that are made and protected by Issaries’ magic.

2. There are likely small settlements for merchants. Most are going to be established by agreement between the Issaries cult and the local rulers – few are going to be as autonomous as Dosakayo on Melba, which is essentially an independent city-state, but many rulers will likely find it useful to have a place where foreign merchants can reside, store their goods, etc. Especially if they get paid for it.

3. Nochet has almost 10,000 inhabitants that are not from Central Genertela (Holy Country, Maniria, Dragon Pass, Lunar Empire). That’s a large city’s worth of foreigners. That also includes people from Fonrit, Umathela, and Maslo.

Jeff Richard

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Issaries, Nochet, Pamaltela, Vadeli

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