Wilds

The open map, and how to read it.

THE OPEN MAP IS NOT ROOMS. Leave a settlement or a zone by wilds (or wander from settled ground) and you stand on the overworld itself, a coordinate map of one million four hundred thousand cells on the surface alone, moving by compass (north, s, ne) across land generated from the country you are crossing. Terrain matters: oceans need a hull, peaks a survivor's skill, and a mount's reach depends on its home ground (help mounts). You come back to settled ground the way you left it, and return (also depart) puts you back where you were.

READING THE LAND. map (also survey) draws the ground around you at your usual radius, map <n> this once at another, map wide the wide frame; what it shows is the country you hold charts of and fog beyond (help charts). scan reports nearby caverns, towns, forts and the like with bearing and distance, and how far and how clearly scales with your survival skill and the charts you hold. whereami names the settlement at a gate and its place on the map; compass aboard a ship gives heading and the next port.

WHAT YOU MEET. The land throws things at you as you cross it, biome and level appropriate: an AMBUSH bursts from cover and is fought where you stand; a RESCUE is captors and a bound prisoner to cut down and rescue; an ESCORT is a caravan beset by raiders and a DEFENSE a hamlet under attack, and both are opportunities: aid them or move on. Step to the next cell and what you left behind is left behind.

STRUCTURES. enter (also descend) goes into a cavern, town or fort you are standing on. search (also dig) turns over the ground for a HIDDEN site that no sweep shows; harder to find, and richer than the ones you stumble on. help expeditions is where the private delves come from.

See also: help travel, help charts, help mounts, help expeditions.

Syntax

wilds
wander
map
map 
scan
search
enter
return
aid

Examples

wilds
map 7
scan
aid