Sutherland map

Greyhawk Source

Sutherland map
Type:	Cartography
Code/Abbreviation:	DA1 Map
Author(s):	Skip Williams
Cover Artist(s):	Dave Sutherland
Publisher:	TSR
First Published:	1996
Class:	Officially published material

The Sutherland map (also known as the Dragon Annual #1 map or DA1 map), is the common name used to refer to the map of Oerik illustrated by Dave Sutherland in 1996.

Description

The map is a single page (8"x10"), depicting the entirety of Oerik. All official maps after 1996 used this map as a basis for anything west of the Flanaess.

Prior to this map, none of Western Oerik had been illustrated. There had been some early maps in the WoG boxed set and the Folio that had shown about half of Central Oerik, but never Hepmonaland, or anything much more south than the Amedio.

An interesting distinction of this map is that it is the only place in officially published material where "Baklunish Empire" and "Suel Empire" are used on a map instead of Dry Steppes andSea of Dust. The in-universe author, Heward, contemporaneously notes these are "more properly called the Baklunish Basin these days" and "you know this area as the Sea of Dust." Thus, it is evident that at least some of the labels indicate the placement and/or names of nations as they were in antiquity and not as they are in a contemporary Greyhawk timeline.

The map and accompanying article are presented in-character as a letter penned from Heward and addressed to Mordenkainen. He refers to it being "cobbled the map together from diverse sources - mostly the recollections of some of the 'old guard'." It is speculated the author was alluding to how the article itself was written—Gary Gygax did not directly develop it, though it was stated to be based on earlier work by Gygax at TSR in the early 1980s. It includes what TSR staffers (the "old guard") at the time recalled of material which had been included in Gygax's home game, like the material in Western Oerik created by Francois Froideval.

However, Heward specifically says, "I can't vouchsafe the place names; doubtless the locals have their own names for many of the areas". So, it's most probable the names aren't the true name of the place, and "Heward" (i.e. the article author) used them to demonstrate what is there and what the culture is similar to, much like using "here there be dragons" or "orcs rule here".

Publication history

The DA1 map was originally published in Dragon magazine Annual #1 (1996). It accompanied an article by Skip Williams, Beyond the Flanaess.

Reception

When it was released Dragon magazine was enjoying high circulation, publishing over 700,000 copies annually. The issue (and the map) have been given good ratings of 4 of 5 stars, and an average 7.8 rating It was popular enough at the time, with some fans pleased to see the additions to the geography. Even so, there were detractors at the time (and still are) who did not prefer the shape of the western portions and the design of the cartography, or some of the names on it.

The names of the nations on the DA1 map are oft dismissed by some fans as being a bit too on the nose for a fantasy setting or too close to historical names, and are sometimes belittled as being a lazy naming convention. However, Gygax had a long practice of naming nations as real-world historical analogs in his books and later material, such as the alternate-Oerth world of Ærth; places like Karribean (Cariibean), Æropa (Europe), Azir (Asia), Nippon (Japan), and Ægypt (Egypt). So, it is consistent with other historical fantasy genre names Gygax used.