The Great School of Magic isometric maps
by RobinSomething bugged me a long time ago. It was the Gazetteer 3 Principalities of Glantri; an outstanding work by our beloved Bruce Heard, our Mystara Spirit. The book gave us stacks of intense usable information, yet it also gave some incomplete material. The AD&D2 adaptation of Mystara and the Glantri Kingdom of Magic, Wrath of the Immortals, Poor Wizard Almanacs, Castle Amber, DM Survival Guide and Players Survival Guide, added some information, but holes stayed, or more were created due the awful desecration of Gazetteer 3. Many flaws have crept in, and areas left open. Areas you actually need in playing the Great School of Magic in Glantri on Mystara, BECMI style (or actually any D&D style)!!
I searched and searched, found and compiled, not only from the canon sources, but also with the help of some fan work. It was in those days I created some Isometric maps of the Great School of Magic In Glantri City. The difficulty was that various canon sources gave various scales to work upon, and Bruce Heard added yet another. Combining size and reason/logic together I came finally upon the scale of 1 inch =40 feet (1mm= 1.27 feet) to be used from the original map in the inside cover of Gazetteer 3, instead 1 inch =20’. From this size I had made an simple Isometric version of the same map. And I already started to make the vertical information, according to canon sources…then Real Life kicked in, and I had to store my stuff. Here the maps were damaged by moisture and mice. Just recently I rediscovered these maps, and decided to restore or redraw them. I actually went beyond that, I made two more Isometric maps from other directions, enabling the Great School of Magic to be viewed from all directions. With this more detail came an about the inside, and following the canon sources with architectural laws for stability, strength, and consistency I now even created the inside floor plans, first in pencil, later clarifying with Windows Paint.
Rereading all the canon sources, and the newer fanon sources, more information was added, A timeline came forth, and the various uses canonically of the rooms made even more clarity.
View from the northeast to the southwest
View from the southeast to the northwest
View from the southwest to the northeast
Southwest Corner-Sideview
As Glantri is based on Venice, I based the basic architecture on Venice. This sideview I based on the work of (venice_doge_s_palace_by_herbertrocha-d751j9v), which I could alter reasonably easily to what My Isometric maps of the Great School of Magic had already givem and now I placed the details; Silver filegree wall decoration, Dark Grey stone, Corroded copper plates, and some further detailing.
Wizard Warrens Test of Darkness
In my research for the Great School of magic I had to inter the Test of Darkness adventure belonging to the Glantri King of Magic boxed set.(the original map belongs to TSR/WoC), but I used it here to explain location and readjustments.
In the update of 12-05-2017 I also placed the Testing Grounds and the rooms of the Secret Water Elemental craft on this level.
Test of Darkness warrens map reveals a map scaled 1 square of 5mm = 10’
It also thus reveals 25% of a darkened circle of which the center lies clearly within the corner below right of the oruginal map (here the red dot).
The diameter of this circle is according the scale; 170mm =340’
It does NOT give a compass direction, as such was not needed by the adventure.
As the adventure describes that the heroes fell 30’deep in front of the administration tower in a water of 10’deep, we roughly gain a point of reference.
As the adventure begins in the underground river we thus know that this point of reference must thus lie IN this underground river. As the heroes follow the water down stream AND are fully within the eternal darkness.
There is also no reference of the darkness reaching the surface which is 30’higher, as thus we must assume that the globe of darkness is a globe segment of a greater globe of which the center lies deeper. The perimeter of darkness thus lies in an bend angle and NOT in a straight surface.
As such the diameter of darkness is affected by the angle of the globe’s surface; as thus the perimeter of the darkness as given on the map by a radius of 340’ can be assumed as reflecting the darkness at ground level, as such the perimeter of darkness at ceiling level thus would be less.
It can be assumed by the text of GKoM, Test of Darkness AND WotI, that the darkness is an effect caused by the radiance being turned to affect the sphere of entropy, and as the ToD adventure clearly states the Sphere is growing, it can best be assumed that each use of the radiance increases the sphere slightly.
As of 1010AC-1013AC (in which the adventure is based) the darkness has NOT yet reached the surface.
As according the WotI adventure the radiance lies 500’ deep, which is thus the center of the sphere.
The radius of the sphere is thus 500’. As this is stated canonically in several sources we must assume this is right.
However; the darkness affects the Wizardwarrens of ToD at -30’ , thus 470’ above the radiance.
Combining these sources we come to the mathematically fact that the darkness should have reached the surface significantly….which was clearly stated as being NOT the case.
As such we must assume that ToD must have some serious flaws;
At first the Size of the darkness sphere; 340’ is clearly too large. To prevent the darkness to reach the surface or other frequently used dungeons (at -10’according gaz3) below the GSM, the sphere must be either smaller and deeper.
This needs two possible solutions;
1; we alter the scale; best is to halve the scale; thus making 1 square 5’ and the other maps 1’ square 1.5’. Thus making the radius of the sphere 170’. This would top the sphere much lower also and keep it within the underground thus far.
2; we alter the depth of the adventure; according ToD 30’ can be increased to 50’. This enables to place the diameter of the sphere lower.
By doing both we enable all sources to be realistically (and mathematically) correct and feasible.
As working these readjusted data on the GSM maps (and estimating the hole created by the nemesis from the Administration tower by the art in ToD, as you see some of the GSM garden, and the average size of humans, you can calculate a lot to come to this.) the sphere of darkness will be 170’ at ground level of the ToD dungeon, 157’ at ceiling level(10’), yet still placing the Radiance below the GSM main building as suggested canonically in Gaz 3, GkoM and WotI.
If doing so we need to look at the given maps (Glantri city, GSM, and ToD warrens); we now know two points of reference; The administration tower and the hole caused by the ToD nemesis in front as point one and the rough location of the axis of the sphere right above the Radiance as being point 2. Which combined thus gives us a compass direction of the ToD warrens map top being directed almost South-Eastwards(5% off)
By doing so and referring to these the Axis must lie below the round tower on top of the GSM building.
If we overlay both maps we see some discrepancies between the canals and the airlock.
In the following map this overlap is visible, and the ToD wizard warrens map readjusted.
Funny things come out of this readjusted map; First much of the map is below Alexander Platz, the dead end on the warrens map is below the Silver Tower Inn; thus suggesting there was some connection before this way was closed off and became a dead end.
And as we lowered the warrens significantly, the canals still fit. The airlock at -50’ ends underneath Alexander Platz, and the Canals between Silver Tower in and the GSM are only 10-20’ deep as according canon sources
It also means the underground river originates somewhere North of the Silver Tower Inn and south of the Gorevitch-Voslany manor, which according canon could be the result of the water gates located her (this one would thus be located thus its direction causes flowing down old crevasses), but as this is elemental originated water and not local it does not cause a greater downflow and flooding below.