Definitive, Unofficially Official, HQ Cartography Discussion

[QorDaq]

Greetings Warriors,

Let the Hero Quest World Map and Cartography discussion commence.

BACKGROUND

Based on multiple discussions, where previous projects have either been started, completed, or are in some other state of limbo, there does not seem to be a community-wide go to resource for mapping adventures in HQ.

To this end, it occurred to me that such a concerted effort by the whole community is possible, and likely would be useful to all, were it to be developed.

WHAT THIS IS

An effort to consolidate information from the variously published HQ works, so that, ultimately, the Ye Olde Inn community may construct a resource available to everyone who wants to use it.

Ideally, this would include:

- A large-ish World Map incorporating the known locations (and approximating the locations of those that areas that are not known).
- Several Regional Maps more specifically locating areas with multiple adventure sites or places mentioned in flavor text.
- An organized Index of Named Locations and their sources.
- Possibly a timeline?
- And ultimately the creation of a PDF for the Community, dare I hope, to be hosted officially by the Inn?

Thus constructive discussion is encouraged in order to gain some semblance of consensus amongst the community.

WHAT THIS IS NOT

This project in no way is meant to shoehorn anyone into using one single source, and similarly, cannot ever be considered absolute canon.

This is probably not the best place to answer the question; “Which World” Hero Quest takes place in, but rather is an opportunity to fine-tune what we know from the published HQ materials.


WHAT’S NEEDED

- Permission from drathe et al, to publish such a resource at the Inn.
- Aforementioned discussion in order to determine the most logical quest and background locations in the HQ universe.
- Artists! We need some Graphics Wizards to create the basic art needed to start the project.
- Once we have agreement on the maps and the locations of everything, we’ll need to combine this info and publish.

[QorDaq]

MENTIONED LOCATIONS:

Bangor Swann Temple – Unknown – DBQ (5)
Blackfire Pass – Links The Empire and the Borderlands – CQB(NA) Epilog, KQB(NA) Intro
Black Mountains – Unknown – CQB(NA)

• Black Fire Crag – CQB(NA) Q8
• Gulthor’s Hideout – CQB(NA) Q4
• Witch Lord’s Retreat – CQB(NA) Epilog

Borderlands – Unknown, possibly the Western Mountain Range between Bretonnia and The Empire? – CQB(NA)

• The Tombs of the Phalanx

Bretonnia – Lies to the West of the Empire – WDQ (145)
Castle of Mystery – Unknown – CQB(NA) Q10
The Citadel of Darkness – Unknown, possibly in the Dark Mountains? – WQB(UK) Q5
The Dark Mountains – Unknown – WQB(UK) Mentioned Q3

• Boroush’s Eyrie – WQB(UK) Q3

Empire, The – Unknown – CQB(NA)

• Aginn’s Inn – Capital City of the Empire? – Non-canon.
• The Capital City – Unknown, no-canon location –
  • The Old City – Capital City? – DQB(UK) Q1
    • The Dungeons

• The Elven Kingdom – Unknown – MQB(NA) Intro
  • Forests of Loren – Unknown, possibly within the Elven Kingdom? – MWS
    • Gliness Fen – Marshland, within the Elven Kingdom? – MQB(NA) Q7
    • Sinsetra’s Stronghold – MQB(NA) Q7

• Terrellia’s Maze – MQB(NA) Q3

• The Western Boarder – MQB(NA) Mentioned Q5
  • The Alchemist’s Laboratory – MQB(NA) Q5

• Mentor’s Study – Unknown – CQB(NA)
• The Old Mine -- Unknown – MQB(NA) Q4
• Southern Border – Unknown – MQB(NA) Q1
  • Fortress – MQB(NA) Q1

• Stronghold of Chaos – South of the Elven Kingdom, within The Empire? – MQB(NA) Q2
• Tormuk’s Castle – South of the Elven Kingdom, within The Empire? – MQB(NA) Q6

Eastern Lands – In the East? – CQB(NA)

• Ancient Ruined Temple – CQB(NA) Q13
• Barak Tor – Barrow of the Witch Lord – CQB(NA) Q12, Q14
• Bastion of Chaos – CQB(NA) Q11

Fellmarg’s Tomb – Unknown CQB(NA) Q1
Grak’s Dungeons – Unknown – CQB(NA) Q6
Graveyard Swamps – Unknown – WQB(UK) Q2

• Fanrax’s Crypt – WQB(UK) Q2

Inn of the Weary Traveler – Unknown, at least one week from Human settlements – AUQ (5)
Keep of the Windmaker – Unknown -- MWS
Melar’s Maze – Unknown – CQB(NA) Q5
Morcar’s Tower – Unknown Rocky Crags, possibly in the Dark Mountains? – WQB Intro
Northern Borderlands – AQB(UK) Q1

• Bordertown City – Unknown, possibly in the Northern Borderlands near Zargon’s Fortress? – DBQ (4)
• Ogre Fortress – AQB(UK) Q1
  
  • The Carrion Halls – AQB(UK) Q4
  • Fortress of the Ogre Lord – AQB(UK) Q6
  • Ogre Hoard Lair – AQB(UK) Q3
  • The Outer Caves – AQB(UK) Q2
  • The Pit of Chaos – AQB(UK) Q5

• Maktrom Mines – Unknown, possibly along the Northern Borderlands – DBQ (4)
  
  • Northern Orc Tribes Territory – WQB(UK) Q4
  • Grawshak’s Lair – WQB(UK) Q4
  • Stalac Tor – Unknown, possibly in the Northern Orc’s Territories? – DMQ (Growl of Thunder)

• Zargon’s Fortress – unknown, possibly in the Northern Borderlands? – DBQ (4)

Northlands – Unknown – FQB(NA) Intro

• Cyberian Range – Mountain Range separating the Northlands from Ice Mountain – FQB(NA) Q1
  
  • Chaos Stronghold – Near the Ice Mountain – FQB(NA) Q3
  • Underground Outpost – Far slopes of the Cyberian Range – FQB(NA) Q2
  • Unprotected Villages – Far slopes of the Cyberian Range – FQB(NA) Q2
  • Xanon Pass – FQB(NA) Q1

• Ice Mountain – FQB(NA) Intro
  
  • The Deadly Depths – FQB(NA) Q5
  • The Frosted Path – FQB(NA) Q6
  • The Frozen Catacombs – FQB(NA) Q9 & 10
  • The Glacial Gate – FQB(NA) Q4
  • The Halls of Kelvinos – FQB(NA) Q7
  • The Seat of Power – FQB(NA) Q9 & 10

• Tangled Forest – Unknown, possibly in the Northlands? – DMQ (Growl of Thunder)

Sea of Claws – Unknown – DMQ (Running the Gauntlet)

• Cabiri City

Shuddering Forests – WQB(UK) Mentioned Q2
Tarak Mountains – WQB(UK) Q1

• Sarko
  
  • Zanwrath’s Tower

Ulag’s Lair/Prison/Stronghold? – Unknown – CQB(NA) Q2, Q3
Plains of Death – Unknown – RQB(NA) Intro

• Fallen City of Kalos – RQB(NA) Intro
  
  • The Cold Halls – RQB(NA) Q2
  • The Court of the Witch Lord – RQB(NA) Q9 mentioned, Q10
  • The Forbidden Caverns – RQB(NA) Q8
  • The Forgotten Halls – RQB(NA) Q7
  • The Gate of Bellthor – RQB(NA) Q5
  • The Gate of Doom – RQB(NA) Q1
  • Halls of the Dead – RQB(NA) Q6
  • The Halls of Vision – RQB(NA) Q4
  • The Last Gate – RQB(NA) Q9
  • The Silent Passages – RQB(NA) Q3

Underground Maze – Unknown – CQB(NA) Q9
Wardoz’s Lair – Unknown – CQB(NA) Q7
World Edge Mountains – Unknown – CQB(NA) Q13 Mentioned

• Blackfire Pass – Links The Empire and the Borderlands – CQB(NA) Epilog
  
  • Durrag-Dol – WD (134)
  • Grassy Plains
    
    • Karak-Varn – Dwarven Stronghold
    • Belorn’s Mine – KQB(NA) Q8
    • The Dwarven Forge -- KQB(NA) Q4
    • The East Gate – KQB(NA) Q7 Mentioned, Q9
    • The Eastern Passage – KQB(NA) Q7
    • The Great Citadel – KQB(NA) Q3 Mentioned, Q6
    • The Great Gate – KQB(NA) Q1
    • Grin’s Crag – KQB(NA) Intro, Q10
    • Hall of the Dwarven Kings – KQB(NA) Q5
    • Kellar’s Keep – KQB(NA) Intro, Q9 mentioned,
    • The Spiral Passage – KQB(NA) Q3
    • The Warriors Halls – KQB(NA) Q2

• Mountain Road

• Halls of Belorn – KQB(NA) Intro

Zargon’s Refuge - Northern Chaos Wastes – CQB(NA)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

AQB(UK) – Against the Ogre Hoards (UK)
AUQ – Adventures Unlimited Magazine Quest (Followed by Issue Number)
CQB(NA) – Core Quest Book (North American)
DBQ – Dragao Brail Magazine Quest (Followed by Issue Number)
DMQ – Dave Morris Quest (Followed by Title)
DQB(UK) – The Dark Company (UK)
FQB(NA) – The Frozen Horror Quest Book (North American)
KQB(NA) – Kellar’s Keep Quest Book (North American)
MQB(NA) – The Mage of the Mirror Quest Book (North American)
MWS – Marvel Winter Special
RQB(NA) – Return of the Witch Lord Quest Book (North American)
WDQ – White Dwarf Quest (Followed by an Issue Number)
WQB(UK) – Wizards of Morcar (UK)

[QorDaq]

Reserved for future use.

[Goblin-King]

Here's a start...


Can anyone confirm where this map is from. Is it official?
Also, for the sake of this project, wouldn't it be easiest that we assume that at least the geography is the same as Warhammer Fantasy?

edit> added a better picture

[knightkrawler]

Can anyone confirm where this map is from. Is it official?
Also, for the sake of this project, wouldn't it be easiest that we assume that at least the geography is the same as Warhammer Fantasy?

I don't know if this is official.
Art style and lettering do look like other older maps I've seen in Warhammer army books.
But this is indeed Warhammer Fantasy geography. The Old World, to be precise.

My two cents for a start:
The HeroQuest background is the Old World/several locations in the Empire, but, and this is of the utmost importance,
it is in an alternate reality. Neither timeframe nor history are the same as the Warhammer Old World.
Meaning, there has been a point in the past where both alternate realities seperated by something happening.

For HQ, the oldest thing reported to be happening was what Mentor tells us in the game system introduction. Did this happen in the Warhammer world?
If not, the seperation of realities took place even earlier.
This all means that the geography must be almost the same - which it is, according to that map there - but that locations needn't.
Names can be different, places can be somewhere else, factions and peoples' histories can be different, the name of the Empire's capital could be different,
Morcar could be spelled Morkar someplace else (*hint, hint), and so on and so forth.

Kellar's Keep existed in the Warhammer world, too, I think I read somewhere (probably the Dwarfs army book - I could be wrong and mix things up here, so take this with a grain of salt).
Karak Varn (the German localization of Kellar's Keep) did in fact exist as a Dwarf city. I saw it with mine own eyes in Warhammer maps.
What about Karak Eightpeaks? What about Sigmar? Mor(k;c)ar? Fimir?

[QorDaq]

So the list in the second post represents ALL of the named locations I COULD FIND from going through the various published books listed at the Inn.

Some of the descriptions seem to place things in slightly different locations than the map that has been posted, so I think KK is correct, and it is certainly within the scope of the larger idea of this project that we might "Recreate" the map and place things as logically as possible.

I don't know much about the established WH Fantasy geography. I did play the RPG years ago with friends, but the campaign took place in a unique world created by the GM.

[torilen]

GK - If I remember correctly, that version of the map comes from one of the quest packs for
HQ, or maybe from the AHQ box...I forget. I am pretty sure a color version of that map was
used as the world map for warhammer...right?

Either way - it is an official map. Just not a very good. I've scoured the internet and have not
found a good quality version of that map.

[Goblin-King]

The picture I posted is from the sticker album, making it official ENOUGH in my opinion.
Also this thread discusses the World:
http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1492

Also there\s this map, which definitely is printed in an official HQ book:


Classic Warhammer map


Modern style Warhammer map

[knightkrawler]

The one from the back cover on green there is just a plain 1:1 Warhammer map with no changes whatsoever as far as I can see, so I wouldn't take it into account too much.
They made it easy for themselves there.
It's too similar, lacking the probability for a rift between realities, which we all know MUST be there.

Morcar and the Witch-Lord and there up-to's are too big for Warhammer lore not mentioning them.
I highly doubt that the Witch-Lord is Nagash.
I think that Morcar is the HQ world's variant of someone like Nagash, waging war or order and such.

[Goblin-King]

You can't just choose to ignore a map printed in the official material!
The other maps are also just Warhammer maps...

A better discussion would be whether the sticker album is to be considered canon.