I've been working on a fantasy map for the story that I'm developing. I want a full layout of the planet that it will be on, though at the moment, it'll be staying mainly in one Kingdom, with a little of a second, so I'll be concentration on those two. Anyways, a sudden thought just came to mind when I was moving the different Kingdoms about in a photoshop document. Should I be conserned about a Equator line (is that right? )?! It's fantasy world and when I was thinking about the main Kingdom it'll be set in, I decided that one part would be constantly covered in snow due to a spell that was put on that area to hide something. I was thinking that magic/mana could affect the natural weather condistions on the planet and plus, it's a completely different world! I thought it may be best to get some oppions on the matter, because I just don't have a clue! I know what I'm talking about and I hope that everyone who reads it does! Any help you can give me would be great, so in the main time, I'll just continuing working on the map the way I think!
Hi Pink-Angel, If your planet is spinning on its axis anything like Earth, it would be the case that the equator would receive more direct sunlight than the poles. However, being a fantasy world, I'm sure a powerful enough spell could change the natural balance. If your snow-filled area were to be set near the equator of your world, it's likely that the citizens of your kingdom would notice the effects of the spell much more easily than if that area were closer to the poles. In short, the equator probably shouldn't prevent a powerful spell from making it colder, but it would attract much more attention. I hope I interpreted your question correctly; sorry if I didn't. Good luck!
It's up to you. Do your character even understand that the world is round? An equator is a concept that only develops with that knowledge.
The beauty of fantasy and magic is that almost anything is possible with a reasonable explanation. Breaking the suspension of disbelief can ruin the readers experience and pull them out of your world. Mind you, if a part of the kingdom was to be covered in perpetual snow, what effects would it have on the peasantry, transport, commerce, agriculture, animal life, and the like just to name a few. Would the fact that it is perpetually covered in snow (and/or cloud cover) draw attention to the area in regards to something being hidden? How would this affect the characters? Does the spell that was cast effect the character in a negative manner (think cancer, difficulty breathing, hallucinations, etc...). Let me point you to a cartography resource that you may find useful: Cartographers Guild Several known authors have used the talent from this site as well as created their own maps from tutorials provided by some exceptional artists. I've created several maps (see my bio) and I am an active member of the Cartographers Guild. You will find basic rules that every map maker should follow such as water not flowing up the mountain side, how rivers work, tectonic plates and how they work, etc. There are also discussions on toponymy (how to name places - something I really enjoy about map making), linguistics and such that make for a believable world. Just a few things to think about! ~Mordred
Thanks for all the input so far! It's given me a few things to think about... I want the world to have a certain level of technology, so that it's not actually like the Medivel times or anything, so their'll probably knew what shape there world is.
