Map Orientation

[rdanhenry]

North as up makes sense if you expect everyone to have a compass (or GPS unit) or travel by night using Polaris. East as up makes sense if you orient yourself each morning with the help of the rising sun. South as up makes sense if you are Australian and tired of being portrayed as at the bottom of the world (http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/mcarthur-large.jpg).

West as up direction? Well, maybe you got your map from a contrary old eccentric. Those guys know where the best secret locations are.

[ThatGuyEli]

South as up makes sense if you are Australian and tired of being portrayed as at the bottom of the world (http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/mcarthur-large.jpg).

That is maybe the best example of "fresh perspective" I've ever seen!

I decided to go with a North orientation. As far as how they get their orientation, I'm not quite sure how it would work out. My plan for the setting is to take a real-life folkloric realm (in this case, the Black Forest and the tales of the Brothers Grimm) and add in a dash of a different culture (in this case, wuxia fiction) for a little bit of originality. 90% of the map is blanketed in a thick, Hercynian Forest-esque woods, and with the prevalence of evergreen trees I don't imagine the sun being all that useful.

That said, everyone in the forest gladly gives their allegiance to this almost fairy-tale-esque kingdom nestled in a valley in what is essentially the Alps, in part because they're incredibly benevolent and just, and in part because a major river (this world's equivalent of the Rhine) has it's source in the valley. With that in mind, a south (the location of the "Elder Kingdom") or north (the direction in which the river flows) orientation might make sense. Aside from a few hunters, pagans, and brigands that are scattered in the woods, most of the population lives near this river, where they would have clear access to the sky. However, the only time you would really need orientation is when you're in the trackless woods, so...I guess it could be anything?