Here at the End of All Things
28th October 2019
Fantasy worlds are defined by limits: much is unknown in these worlds, and the unknown either resists being known, or it is left in peace. These are fabled lands that no one has visited and lost empires known only through inscrutable ruins. Withholding an America-like landmass seems to be part of that. We live in an age of information overload and complete transparency, and fantasy worlds offer the succor of not knowing. Or of knowing only at great effort and consequence. One thing that is true for so many fantasy continents I’ve looked at: you can’t circumnavigate them. It isn’t all there for you to gawk at, for you to possess it whole. You are never a tourist in them. Exploring one part of a world commits you to never being able to explore others. The part that you choose defines you as a particular kind of person.
The Campaign Cartographer people have a tool called Fractal Terrains which will allow you to create an infinite number of imaginary worlds with the press of a button. Unfortunately, their tools only work on Windows — an understandable constraint considering that they’re out to make money, but a disappointment nevertheless.