Geographic Size of the Basin

Riluna

Specifically, I'm trying to figure out what the actual distances involved are. Could you see New Celest across the seas while standing at the edge of Magnagora? Or make out the Serenwilde from the mountains of Gaudiguch, assuming no obstacles in the way?

Certainly, we notice the effects of the various protective shields, but would this just be an event in the distant skies over the horizon, or can we actually discern the shields themselves?

Or, are the distances large enough that we couldn't even make out the Razines on the western horizon, while standing in Avechna's Teeth?

Akyaevin

In the Book of Elfenehoala (and possibly elsewhere), the Basin of Life is said to cover a third of the planet.

Allyrianne

There are parts of Avechna's Peak that describe being able to see all the way to the Skarch, if I remember correctly.

Karlach

"I can see Magnagora from my nest!"

I've always considered the Basin to be little more than the size of a central west-european nation, with the sea area in the middle more the size of say the channel gap than a full blown Atlantic divide.

I think elevation has a large significance in the matter, I'd expect, with the exceptions of being in heavily forested areas such as Glom and Seren, that you can make out Hallifax in the sky from anywhere, assuming there isn't a large raise or obstruction in the landmass between SoD and IS you can see Magnagora and Celest from each other's respective city walls.

And obviously being in Hallifax, you can see just about anywhere on the city's upper elevations.

Xenthos

I would say that the distances are large enough that you cannot make out the Razines from Avechna's Teeth, or the southern mountains from Avechna's Peak.  As mentioned by Esano, this is meant to be a pretty large chunk of the planet by the lore; the Seas themselves are intended to be immense.

Eodh

I read somewhere in the histories (I'll check later) that due to Magnagora being Tainted, Princess Marilynth had to loop around the north from Celest (Spectre Isle now), through Serenwilde, and then down the road again to get to Gaudiguch. I think it took her a week or a month (I'll check later!).

Riluna

Thanks, @Allyrianne. Though now I'm completely confused.

I do see the reference in the Book of Elfenehoala where the Basin is 'a third of First World.'

But looking at Avechna, the path of War says "The view here is breathtaking, for it is higher than the mountain range and almost all of Lusternia can be viewed stretching from the Marne Ocean to the Skarch desert."

And then a just a little higher up on the path of solitude, you can apparently see beyond the Basin itself, "The view here is amazing, for at this height one can see all portions of Lusternia that are beyond the impassable mountain ranges that protect the basin of civilisation. "

Maybe it's a small planet? I don't think you can even see the Indian Ocean from Everest, in a real-world reference? At least I've figured out what I can describe accurately in some scenes in this thing I'm writing, though. Thanks everybody.

Daraius

Is Lusternia flat?

Everiine

I read that reference in the Book of E., but it doesn't actually say "planet", it says "First World". Combined with the views from Avechna's Peak, I'm given to think that the "First World" is only a part of the planet (maybe something like our "First World" compared to "New World" and "Third (or Two-Thirds) World"?), and the Basin is only a part of the First World.

Or Daraius may be right, maybe Lusternia is more like mythical worlds of old, which were flat.

Daraius

Ooh, I like that interpretation.

If First World refers to a spherical planet and the basin is a third of that, it seems you'd have to be able to see the curvature of the planet from the highest peaks, and you wouldn't be able to get the views described.

Whereas if First World is just a part of a spherical planet, and the basin is a third of that part, and the planet is sufficiently large, and the air is clear enough... then maybe you can get those views without the horizon getting in the way.

Maybe we're all wrong and the First World is actually like Ring World, or Cocoon, or Rama...

Silvanus

Riluna said:

Maybe it's a small planet? I don't think you can even see the Indian Ocean from Everest, in a real-world reference? At least I've figured out what I can describe accurately in some scenes in this thing I'm writing, though. Thanks everybody.

Google answers this for you:

Dust, water vapour and pollution in the air will rarely let you see more than 20 kilometres (12 miles), even on a clear day. Often, the curvature of the Earth gets in the way first – eg at sea level, the horizon is only 4.8 kilometres (2.9 miles) away. On the top of Mt Everest, you could theoretically see for 339 kilometres (211 miles), but in practice cloud gets in the way. 

Google gave the answer of the Indian Ocean being 1450 kilometers away. So going to go out on a limb and say no.

I would say the best bet to finding out any more information on the geography of the Basin is to due an Astrology study similar to what the ancient Greeks did to find out about the earth being round, measure the placement and length of a shadow in one part of the Basin versus the other side. My guess is that the parameters of the world hasn't been set in stone (or revealed yet, possibly for future expansions).

Other things to consider is the other continents of the world. Take this quote from the Vernal Wars: "Slowly, the surviving races made a slow pilgrimage to the Basin of Life, as it was known, for only there was some vestige of nourishment." To me, that implies the Basin is only a part of the First World.

Then look at this quote from the Book of Dracnoris: "After the disappearance of the three children of Yudhe, when the Great Silence fell across creation, when the Elder Gods, myself included, were drawn to the First World called Lusternia"  Looking at that quote and taking knowledge from Lusty's histories, I would say the First World is just a leftover creation creche that Dynara used to create life, that still carries the echo of Yudhe, which allows Elder gods to create life like Dynara.