what are the four Oceans of Oerth?

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

zombiegleemax

Sep 23, 2003 3:19:33
If the map of Oerth in Dragon Annual One is canon (I consider it so), what are considered the four major oceans (1983 boxed set)?

I definitely see three:
1. Titanicum Ocean (Solonor Ocean & Oceanum Titanicum).
2. Hyperborea Ocean (Sea of Hyperborea, Drawmij Ocean, Jotanheim Sea & Mare Mysticum).
3. Ocean of Storms (including Pearl Sea & Celestial Sea).

These leaves the fourth as the Sea of Thunder and Gulf of Ishtar. These two bodies just don't feel like an Ocean to me. Comments?
#2

Aeolius

Sep 23, 2003 8:49:35
If you are looking for information about Greyhawk as it appeared in 1983, I suggest you take a look at http://www.nyrdyv.com/atlas.htm

As my current campaign is set beneath the surface of the Dramidj Ocean, I am somewhat biased, regarding that particular body of water, though I am also working on an undersea mega-adventure set within the Solnor. ;)
#3

Halberkill

Sep 23, 2003 13:08:35
Originally posted by rostoff
If the map of Oerth in Dragon Annual One is canon (I consider it so), what are considered the four major oceans (1983 boxed set)?

I definitely see three:
1. Titanicum Ocean (Solonor Ocean & Oceanum Titanicum).
2. Hyperborea Ocean (Sea of Hyperborea, Drawmij Ocean, Jotanheim Sea & Mare Mysticum).
3. Ocean of Storms (including Pearl Sea & Celestial Sea).

These leaves the fourth as the Sea of Thunder and Gulf of Ishtar. These two bodies just don't feel like an Ocean to me. Comments?

Well, if you go with Frank Mentzer's Aquaria, and don't assume Aquaria is on the west side of the Oerik supercontinent, then there is an unknown landmass (Aquaria) between the Titanicum and Solnor Oceans.

That map may not have been the original map for greyhawk, but for all intents and purposes, it is now the official wizards map. In the Gord novels by Gygax set in Greyhawk, there was the Agitoric Ocean west of Oerik, and then a gigantic continent called Gonduria west of the Agitoric. It was not clear if Gonduria and Oerik were connected, as it appears on the TSR map, even though they claim that the whole of that map shows the continent of Oerik, being that they couldn't use the name Gonduria due to copywright issues.

Halber
#4

zombiegleemax

Sep 23, 2003 15:54:37
I always assumed Aquaria was the Austrialian looking unnamed island that is split on the map. (the map in question can be seen at sodapop's Map cite click here

It is not straight west, but it is south west of hepmonaland and significantly large enough to host the Aquaria campaign, I would imagine. Thus, I am missing the fourth ocean.

Also, wasn't Kara-tur originally on Oerth? I guess it would be the Celestrual Imperium on this map. Probably where Robilar and Tenser went when they "fell through" to China.
#5

Halberkill

Sep 23, 2003 17:40:09
I have seen the map, it is actually a scan that I did.

You could put it there, it would certainly fit, but according to the aquaria history (which Frank still has up on AOL I think) the Oeridians that left the Great Kingdom sailed directly east (the direction of the sun, hard to mess up) to arrive at Aquaria, so Gonduria/Western Oerik would be a more likely place, if there is no "new world" in between.

Yes Kara-Tur was originally to be on Oerth, though that was changed mid-production before it's release, so the released kara-tur map in no way works with greyhawk. But the Celestial Imperium (Sufang in the Gord books) would work for the place setting of Kara-tur, and Nippon would be a good setting for Wa and Kozasomethingorother.

Halber