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Post by boosette on Mar 26, 2009 13:23:16 GMT 10
I recently dug these up from the bowels of my hard drive for the website and, if you check out the first one - Tusaine is a land-locked country, yes? The dashed line on the Tusaine side of the Drell indicates that the border doesn't run down the river's middle but that the Drell river is in Tortallan territory - likewise we know from quasi-canon that Tyra, on whose border is the Tusaine-controlled Tributary of the Drell, is extremely swampy and that said TotD may not be navigable. Of course Tusaine is going to cause problems - in this kind of society the easiest way to move goods and people is by river barge, and there are precious few rivers running anywhere near Tusaine. Which I thought was really cool. Anyone else want to play "match the plot point to the geographical feature"? English: Deutsche (?):
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Post by Lindsay on Mar 26, 2009 15:41:46 GMT 10
Have we seen Tortallans in Maren much? I don't remember any mentions of its locations, like Berat.
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Post by Anaroriel on Mar 27, 2009 4:29:55 GMT 10
It looks like Tortall finally conquered Tusaine in the second map. I don't remember /that/ particular war.
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Rojo
Queen's Rider
There once was a girl who was told she could, and so she did.
Posts: 660
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Post by Rojo on Mar 27, 2009 5:52:20 GMT 10
Have we seen Tortallans in Maren much? I don't remember any mentions of its locations, like Berat. The DotL series mentions it is a rich, fertile country that holds slaves (I personally link it with the Breadbasket Colonies of America, minus the slaves) and one of the conquerers of the Copper Islands came from Maren. Then there is this quote from the end of The Woman Who Rides Like a Man: Besides this, I know nothing about Maren. I have always wanted to learn more about it, however.
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Post by Lisa on Mar 27, 2009 7:12:44 GMT 10
I believe it's said in LR that Maren, Tusaine and Tortall are all cut from the same cloth - the land and the people are all very much alike, while things start changing once you get into Sarain. (it was Nahom Jendrai, I believe, who stated it.) I think the first map is showing a difference in the river and border for clarity - in ITHOTG King Roald tells the soldiers that they're not to cross the river. I assumed that the river was the border between the two lands. While Roald is a pacifist (in general), I don't think he'd give up Tortallan soil to allow the Tusainis ample campground.
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Post by Strapless on Mar 31, 2009 13:28:53 GMT 10
That is one of my favorite maps of the Tortall-verse, largely because it's the most complete as far as other countries are concerned.
Just by seeing that lake on the Maren-Galla border, I imagine they get into a tussle over it every once in a while: water rights, fishing, travel, etc. Maren is reportedly lots of farmland, so unless the weather cooperates, it's going to need plenty of water for irrigation.
The mountains along the Maren-Tusaine border create a natural boundary. It's probably a good jumping-off place for border bandits.
All those peninsulas and narrow straights could be useful for blocking maritime trade and trapping opposing navies. I always liked to fancy that Maren employed any number of privateers to pick off the competition around its two peninsulas. All in all, Maren is pretty well placed for a trade power.
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Post by pineappleyness on Mar 31, 2009 20:39:10 GMT 10
I think the first map is showing a difference in the river and border for clarity - in ITHOTG King Roald tells the soldiers that they're not to cross the river. I assumed that the river was the border between the two lands. While Roald is a pacifist (in general), I don't think he'd give up Tortallan soil to allow the Tusainis ample campground. I just looked it up, and it says: '"...you have our royal command to defend the left bank of the river only. You may not cross, in pursuit or in seeking active battle." The commanders stirred and murmured. Not cross the river? Not drive the Tusaine back to their own border?' So that implies that Tortall has both banks of the river, but that King Roald is willing to let them have the other side of the river if it will bring peace.
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Post by Lisa on Apr 1, 2009 13:26:31 GMT 10
See, I had always read that as the river being Tortall and the far bank being Tusaine. *shrug*
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