Wikipedia Abeir-Toril Entry

[The Grumpy Celt]

Hello All.

I was wandering around wikipedia a couple of nights ago and I found the below text under the Abeir-Toril entry;

Abeir-Toril is the name of the fictional planet on which the Forgotten Realms is set. The name is archaic, meaning "cradle of life." It consists of various continents and islands, including Faerûn, Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Maztica, Osse, Anchorome and Katashaka, a sub-Saharan-like continent south of Maztica, where humanity appeared.

I have heard and know about Faerûn, Kara-Tur, Zakhara, Maztica and Anchorome. I had never previously heard anything about Osse or Katashaka.

From posts on the messages boards at the Wizards page, I have learned this;

Osse is a Pseudo-Polynesia/Pseudo-Australian land, and probably the big, round land mass located between Kara-Tur and Maztica/Anchorome. What little is known about it comes from the Lady of Poison novel.

And Katashaka is the unofficial name of the landmass south of Maztica/Anchorome. It is apparently like South America in location, but has been designated as thematically Sub-Saharan Africa by sources that are being given credence even though they are non-canon.

I had always thought the landmass directly south of Maztica and Anchorome was, more or less, an analog of South America. Anything that fills in the maps a bit can be nice, so long as it makes sense. I’m not certain putting "Fantasy Africa" right next to "Fantasy Mesoamerica" makes sense or is thematically sound. I always thought of most of Southern Faerun as "Fantasy Africa."

In any event think the wikipedia entry needs to be cleared up.

 

[Brazeku]

I’m not certain putting "Fantasy Africa" right next to "Fantasy Mesoamerica" makes sense or is thematically sound. I always thought of most of Southern Faerun as "Fantasy Africa."

Well it doesn't make a lot of sense, but this is Forgotten Realms we're talking about. They were probably just lumped together because the authors thought they were both 'primitive/exotic'.

 

[Voadam]

What is Anchorome? My knowledge ended at Maztica in that list.

 

[Laman Stahros]

Anchorome is the unofficial (I think) name of the landmass north of Maztica.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Anchorome is the unofficial (I think) name of the landmass north of Maztica.

I think is it official.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I looked at the world map of Toril, and saw something I thought was notable.
Some fantasy worlds have hemispheres that are warmer: ala the northern hemisphere is warming than the southern hemisphere.
In the case of Toril, it's northern western hemisphere (Maztica.) is much, much warmer than it's northern eastern hemisphere (Faerun to Kara-Tur.)

Apparently ... this is guesswork ... the large peninsula that juts out in the Anchorome arctic eastward prevents warm ocean currents from reaching the pole. The current is warm coming up eastern Maztica, southeastern Anchorome, and across Evermeet, but cools quickly and becomes a frigid current flowing south down the west coast of Faerun. Faerun has a large icecap that intensifies the cold. (Thus the Moonshaes, halfway to the equator, have a subarctic climate.)
There is some reason to believe the southern hemisphere is warmer in general, and the southern eastern hemisphere (Zakhara) is obviously warmer than the northern eastern hemisphere (Faerun.)

All this climate dichotomy could mean Katashaka and Osse have some really unusual climates and thus terrains.

 

[wingsandsword]

The veteran wikipedian in me is crying out "Cite sources!". Really, if people have credible sources (beyond message board posts and fan-produced .pdf's) for Anchorome, Osse, and Katashaka, could they be added?

 

[3catcircus]

I looked at the world map of Toril, and saw something I thought was notable.
Some fantasy worlds have hemispheres that are warmer: ala the northern hemisphere is warming than the southern hemisphere.
In the case of Toril, it's northern western hemisphere (Maztica.) is much, much warmer than it's northern eastern hemisphere (Faerun to Kara-Tur.)

Apparently ... this is guesswork ... the large peninsula that juts out in the Anchorome arctic eastward prevents warm ocean currents from reaching the pole. The current is warm coming up eastern Maztica, southeastern Anchorome, and across Evermeet, but cools quickly and becomes a frigid current flowing south down the west coast of Faerun. Faerun has a large icecap that intensifies the cold. (Thus the Moonshaes, halfway to the equator, have a subarctic climate.)
There is some reason to believe the southern hemisphere is warmer in general, and the southern eastern hemisphere (Zakhara) is obviously warmer than the northern eastern hemisphere (Faerun.)

All this climate dichotomy could mean Katashaka and Osse have some really unusual climates and thus terrains.

Not really. Take another look at the map. The majority of Maztica that has been detailed officially (Maztica boxed set) is the southern half of that continent. In fact, the northern 1/2 to 2/3 of that continent is labeled "Terra Incognita" along with five other continents/landmasses. Given that the southern 1/3 to 1/2 labeled "Maztica" is warm, it can be assumed that, like the northern portions of Faerun and Kara-Tur, that the northern portion of the Maztican continent (which *is* Anchorome) would be similarly climated since they are the same basic latitude.

Given that Maztica and Anchorome are analagous to North/South America and Osse is an analogue to Australia, based upon all of the canon information available, I would simply assume that Abeir-Toril has a climate similar to Earth.

 

[Arnwyn]

The veteran wikipedian in me is crying out "Cite sources!". Really, if people have credible sources (beyond message board posts and fan-produced .pdf's) for Anchorome, Osse, and Katashaka, could they be added?

Indeed.

FWIW, Anchorome was first referenced in either the Baldur's Gate entry in the Forgotten Realms Adventures hardcover, or in the Flaming Fist Mercenary Company entry in FR15 Gold and Glory.

(Since I'm at the office right now, I can't check. But it is "official".)

 

[Echohawk]

The mention of Anchorome in Forgotten Realms Adventures reads: "The city is named for the legendary sea-faring explorer Balduran, who long ago sailed past Evermeet in search of the rich, fabled isles of Anchorome (pronounced "Ang-kor-OH-may"). Balduran returned with tales of strange, vast lands across the seas. He also brought back much wealth, and scattered it about his sparsely-settled home harbor, commanding that some of it be spent on a wall to protect the harbor from orc and barbarian raid (still an annual problem in the area, in those long-ago days). Then he set sail again for the wondrous lands he had found"