Naga River’s Disappearing Act
The Naga River, flowing down from the north, past the foot of Denagoth’s plateau, through Heldann and out into the Western Sea of Dawn, is an interesting conundrum. Why? Because a 50 mile segment of it is often missed out, just before it enters Heldann.
So how did this strange situation come about?
The answer lies in X11’s original 24 mile per hex map of the area:
Here’s my colourised replica of the full map.
Do you see the problem? The Naga River was interrupted by the label for the Mengul Mountains. This was quite common in old black and white maps, where they blocked out the area behind a label to make it readable.
In other words, the chances seem high that the river was originally intended to extend behind the label, connecting both ends together. However, later maps of this area took it at face value. For example, check out the 24 mile per hex from Wrath of the Immortals, which actually added in little black circles to represent tunnels, with this part of the river flowing underground:
Interestingly, the 48 mile per hex map from the same set had it as a normal river:
The Poor Wizard’s Almanac series showed the river with tunnels and part of it underground.
So to sum things up, we have two versions, one with a normal river, the other with part of the river going through an underground tunnel network through the mountains.
Which do you prefer?
Despite the origin of the tunnel system in an error, I’m inclined to go with it, since it seems more interesting.
21 December 2015 @ 10:25 pm
I don’t see how it would be possible for a river over the mountain so it should through it. And I recall correctly there was another quite vast tunnel in southern Denagoth in the X11?
22 December 2015 @ 1:04 am
A tunnel would be way more interesting.
22 December 2015 @ 1:08 am
Actually…looking very deep in the original map.
I see that the river stops a short distance before the white text box and reappearing from under the box later.
So I think there is (and always was) the idea of a tunneling river.
I don’t think the textbox is the reason, for it stops short of touching the box.
22 December 2015 @ 10:56 am
You may be right, Robin. It’s a close call.
In any case, both here and on Facebook the consensus is very much that the tunnel is a far more interesting (not to mention realistic) idea.
22 December 2015 @ 12:29 pm
I think the underground river is more interesting, but I could also see a compromise whereby portions of it run underground and some of it is just surrounded by massive canyons.