White Bear & Red Moon – Map Scale (1977)

Originally published in “Wanderlore” in Wyrm’s Footnotes #2 by Greg Stafford

“What is the scale of the map?”

The scale is based upon ancient records still extant today, and the game is designed to coordinate written records with out geographical knowledge of Dragon Pass. There are, however, more than the usual number of problems in translating the terms of measurement from those documents. Several efforts have been made to decipher the measurements we have. Yet, despite our current knowledge and experience in dealing with the abstract and obtuse mathematical concepts present in a place like Dragon Pass, it is impossible for us to completely reconcile some of the measurements in the game into terms we recognize today.

In modern numbers, each hex is between three and five miles in diameter. The reasons why units would stop at such a distance and engage in combat vary. Some recent scholars have attempted to settle the question of combat and distance in Dragon Pass; below are some summaries from the most profound:

1. From Aerope Brindle, untitled, Jonstown Compendium, Volume VIII, pp. 128-135
He believes that the crux lies in the marching distances. He states that the measurement of time was a day, but not a solar day. Rather, Dragon Pass used the imperial Lunar day, which was much shorter. Thus they did not fight at a great distance, but merely walked a shorter distance.

2. From Nuko Proudchin, abridged from her “Life and Death in Heroic Times,” Cambridge Press, 1967
She believes that the warriors of that time fought, not to the death, but rather in stylized and highly elaborate forms of Ritual Combat. An interesting note from Ms. Proudchin is an explanation of the “bloody” CRT, for she explains that warriors were not slain, but honorably accepted the outcome of their rituals and went home. This also explains Argrath’s incredible ability to raise an army.

3. From Ruce Roce, “Laughing at Scholars,” Just Jest magazine, undated
He claims that we are all fools for trying, since everyone knows that the geography has changed since then. A good argument.

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