Large-Scale Strategic Map Model Exploration

Status: exploratory design document, May 2, 2026.

This document explores the large strategic realm map direction for Valenar. It uses the temporary large-scale design note and the selected generated images as the primary authority. It deliberately does not use the old 2.5 km2 / 500 m / 60K Location model as the target, and it does not treat mapv8, mapv9, or mapv10 as the target scale or visual style. Those projects remain technical references for terrain meshes, water meshes, borders, overlays, picking, validation, and exported map data.

The target is a fantasy strategic realm map where each Location is a large playable territory, usually around 250-500 km2. A Location is something like Blackpine March, Iron Hill, North Road, Ashfen, or Shrine Coast, not a local parcel or a tiny simulation cell.

Primary references used:

design.md
images/README.md
images/large-scale-target/16-blackpine-close-geography.png
images/large-scale-target/18-jarva-hydrology.png
images/large-scale-target/22-jarva-3d-geography.png
images/large-scale-target/23-jarva-administrative-control.png
images/large-scale-target/24-jarva-war-room-threat-army.png
images/large-scale-target/25-jarva-planning-overlay.png
images/large-scale-target/03-blackpine-large-location-features.png
images/large-scale-target/04-blackpine-large-location-building-groups.png
images/large-scale-target/05-blackpine-feature-hosted-buildings.png
images/large-scale-target/09-iron-hill-economy-resource-features.png
images/large-scale-target/01-blackpine-painted-settlement-expedition.png
images/large-scale-target/02-blackpine-development-large-location.png

Reference scale anchor:

Shieldheart Frontier
  Area: about 18,900 km2
  Provinces: 8
  Known Locations: 64

Järva March
  Province: about 2,460 km2
  Locations: 8

Example Locations
  Pine Hollow       298 km2
  North Road        312 km2
  Blackpine March   346 km2
  Ashfen            356 km2
  Iron Hill         368 km2
  Shrine Coast      387 km2
  East Gate Trace   393 km2

Assumptions are labeled where this document goes beyond the images and the temporary design note.

1. Core Scale And Hierarchy

The large strategic map should use this hierarchy:

Realm / Area
  -> Province
    -> Location
      -> Site
        -> Feature
          -> Building / Improvement
            -> Army / Party / Caravan / Camp marker

The hierarchy is not purely geometric. It is also the player's mental model for what they are looking at and what they can act on.

Important data-model nuance: the arrows above describe scale and gameplay drilldown, not strict exclusive ownership. In implementation, Sites and Features should both be Location-contained records that can link to each other. Some Features become Sites after discovery or survey. Some Features remain panel-level facts. Some Sites host multiple Features. Buildings attach to the appropriate host, which may be a Core Holding, Settlement Core, Site, Feature, District, Outpost, Route, Crossing, Military Position, Ward, or Leyline Anchor.

Realm / Area is the campaign-scale frame. Shieldheart Frontier is the concrete session-image anchor: about 18,900 km2, 8 Provinces, and 64 known Locations. At this layer the player reads the broad war, taint, supply, and political situation. Province labels, major rivers, capitals, frontier pressure, and army movements matter. Individual building lists do not.

Province is the primary regional management unit. Järva March is the strongest reference: about 2,460 km2, 8 Locations, a central capital, a taint edge, major hydrology, military routes, and several distinct economic and defensive roles. The Province aggregates control, threat, route safety, water systems, settlement coverage, military posture, and development priorities. It should not erase Location detail. It summarizes a group of large territories.

Location is the main strategic land unit. This is the key scale decision. A Location is a large named territory, roughly 250-500 km2 in the target images. It can contain roads, tributaries, camps, outposts, ruins, resource sites, taint pockets, patrol zones, and unknown content. Blackpine March at 346 km2 is the guiding example. The player should be able to select a Location, read its identity, see several known contents, plan an expedition or development project inside it, and understand why controlling it matters.

Site is a concrete named point or sub-area inside a Location. Sites are the selectable or actionable anchors inside a large territory: Wardheart Outpost, Old North Road, Old Road Station, Iron Hill Ore Vein, Ruined Watchtower, Shrine Ward, Pinewood Camp, Hidden Spring, Dungeon Mouth, a ford, a bridge, a dock, a watch post, or a quarry face. A Site may be visible on the map as an icon when known, selected, important, or relevant to the current overlay.

Feature is generated notable content. A Feature can be natural, ancient, resource-based, threatening, corrupting, logistical, sacred, or story-linked. Features are what make a Location more than terrain plus ownership. Some Features are hidden. Some are clues. Some become Sites after discovery. Some remain panel-level facts. The map must support partial knowledge: Blackpine March can have 7/11 or 8/11 known Features while the rest are unknown or only hinted.

Building / Improvement is an abstract upgrade attached to a host. Buildings are not tiny individually placed models across a 346 km2 territory. They belong to hosts such as a Core Holding, Settlement Core, Site, Feature, District, Outpost, Route, Crossing, Military Position, Ward, or Leyline Anchor. The 3D map can show the host icon and sometimes an upgraded silhouette or badge. The panel carries the detailed building list, worker assignments, construction state, inputs, outputs, and blockers.

Army / Party / Caravan / Camp marker is an actor or temporary operational marker placed on the strategic map. These are not subordinate to Buildings in a strict data sense, but they sit at the most concrete visible layer of the map. They move through Provinces and Locations, follow Routes, camp at Sites, guard crossings, respond to fronts, escort caravans, and reveal or secure Features.

The practical consequence is:

The player does not manage 60,000 tiny Locations.
The player manages a readable realm of Provinces.
Each Province contains a handful of large Locations.
Each Location contains a curated set of Sites, Features, hostable improvements,
threats, routes, and actors.

This also means the strategic map can afford rich geography per Location. With 8 Locations in Järva March and around 64 known Locations in Shieldheart Frontier, each Location can have a strong name, terrain identity, label anchor, icon budget, overlay state, and tactical reason to exist.

2. What A Large Location Contains

A large Location is a named strategic territory. It is big enough that walking, riding, scouting, and wagon travel inside it take meaningful time. A 300-400 km2 Location may be 15-25 km across depending on shape, terrain, rivers, and roads. It can take hours to cross by road, most of a day to traverse through broken country, and several days to scout properly.

Blackpine March is the main example.

Blackpine March
  Area: about 346 km2
  Province: Järva March
  Primary terrain: mixed forest and hills
  Forest coverage: high
  Rivers / creek branches: several visible branches
  Roads: Old North Road, trails, connection toward East Gate Trace
  Control: partial
  Taint: edge pressure along the eastern side
  Known Features: 7/11 or 8/11 in the target images
  MC travel inside Location: hours to days

The selected map view for Blackpine March shows a large irregular boundary, not a tile. Inside that boundary are roads, creeks, slopes, forest masses, a lake or water pocket, multiple visible feature icons, and taint pressure near the edge. The Location panel shows area, terrain, known feature count, control, population, elevation band, route risk, camp safety, and actions.

Blackpine March contains:

• A dominant terrain identity: cool temperate mixed forest and hills.
• Internal terrain patches: ridges, forest density differences, rocky uplands, water pockets, creek valleys, clearings, and tainted ash areas.
• Internal roads: the Old North Road and local tracks.
• River and creek branches: enough to create hidden springs, crossings, and route decisions.
• Taint edge: not the whole Location is corrupted, but the frontier pressure is visible and actionable.
• Partial control: held or claimed in parts, still dangerous in others.
• Known and unknown Features: the player sees a subset of what exists.
• Site anchors: Wardheart Outpost, Old Road Station, Pinewood Camp, Shrine Ward, Ruined Watchtower, Iron Hill Ore Vein, Dungeon Mouth, Hidden Spring, Ashfall Hollow.
• MC expedition play: route planning, camp placement, scouting, investigation, survey, and containment actions inside the same Location.

A normal large Location can contain the following categories.

Terrain identity is the headline physical description. Examples include mixed forest and hills, rocky upland, marsh, lake shore, old road corridor, mountain pass, river meadow, coast, blighted scar, or ancient heartland. Terrain identity should be legible from the 3D map and summarized in the panel.

Internal terrain patches are sub-areas inside the Location. They are not usually independent map units, but they inform movement, discovery, building suitability, hydrology, threats, and overlays. Blackpine's hills, forest thickets, creek valleys, and ash edge are internal patches.

Sites are named points or sub-areas. They are the player's concrete handles inside the Location. A Location can have no major Site when it is wild and unknown, but most interesting Locations should have 2-6 discoverable or known Sites. Capital, landmark, ruin, or frontier Locations can have more.

Features are generated notable content. Some Features are visible as icons, some only appear in panels, and some are completely hidden until scouting or investigation. A rich Location can plausibly hold 8-12 Feature records, with only part of them known.

Roads and trails are strategic lines through the Location. They change travel time, route safety, supply reach, patrol coverage, and the movement of armies, caravans, and the MC. Roads are sparse and meaningful. Trails can be known, hidden, unsafe, blocked, or upgraded.

Rivers, lakes, marshes, and crossings are map structure. They determine settlement suitability, food potential, water quality, route chokepoints, bridge and ford Sites, flood risk, disease risk, fisheries, mills, docks, and corruption spread. Water is not decoration.

Resource potentials are the latent economic facts of the Location: timber, forage, game, fertility, stone, ore, herbs, fish, coal, relic salvage, clay, or special tainted/ward materials. Potential does not mean full production. It often requires discovery, survey, security, workers, routes, and buildings.

Control state is how much of the Location is claimed, patrolled, supplied, warded, taxed, or politically stable. It can be controlled, claimed partial, contested, wild, enemy-held, abandoned, or neutral. The administrative control image suggests per-Location control percentages as a good summary.

Taint and threat state describe hostile pressure. Taint can be absent, edge, pockets, corrupted water, spreading, contained, cleansed, or dominant. Threats can include raiders, demon tracks, unsafe roads, hostile camps, fissures, corrupted ruins, cave-ins, disease, flood risk, or front pressure.

Settlement, outpost, or core state indicates whether the Location hosts a major player anchor. A Location can host a Settlement Core, Core Holding, outpost, fort, camp, district, route station, shrine, mine camp, or no developed anchor at all.

Armies, patrols, camps, and caravans are temporary or moving markers. They should appear on the map when relevant to the current zoom and overlay. They are not Features. They are actors or operational markers using the geography.

Discovery and knowledge state records what the player knows. The Location as a land unit may be visible while most internal Features remain hidden. Knowledge can differ by category: terrain scouted, roads known, water surveyed, resources surveyed, threat estimated, ruins investigated, buildings inspected, camps known, and hidden clues unresolved.

Overlay values are renderable summaries: control, taint, shield coverage, threat pressure, route safety, patrol coverage, resource knowledge, hydrology, front status, supply reach, and discovery confidence.

Assumption: A normal rich Location should target 3-8 visible or panel-listed Sites and 5-12 Feature records, but only 1-4 icons should appear by default when the Location is unselected. The selected Location can show more, but panels still carry the full list.

3. Sites

A Site is a concrete named point or sub-area inside a large Location. Sites are where actions happen, where Buildings attach, where MC expeditions stop, and where map icons become meaningful. A Site can be a fixed known place like Wardheart Outpost, a discovered point like Hidden Spring, a route structure like Old Road Station, a resource anchor like Iron Hill Ore Vein, or a threat anchor like a Dungeon Mouth.

Sites differ from Locations because they are smaller than the main strategic territory. They differ from Features because a Site is a place, while a Feature is generated notable content or a notable property that may or may not be represented as a place. They differ from Buildings because a Site can host Buildings.

Site visibility should follow knowledge and importance:

• Always visible: capital cores, major forts, selected outposts, known army camps, major crossings on visible routes.
• Visible when known or selected: known Features promoted to Sites, resource anchors, ruins, shrines, camps, watch posts.
• Visible only in panels: minor camp improvements, small farmsteads, minor quarry cuts, building-level details.
• Hidden until discovered: secret springs, dungeon mouths, buried ruins, hidden paths, tainted shafts, story anchors.

Site lifecycle:

potential
  -> clue
  -> discovered
  -> surveyed
  -> secured
  -> developed
  -> maintained / contested / abandoned / corrupted

Potential means the generator knows the Site could exist, but the player does not. Clue means the player has a signal such as tracks, strange water, old stones, local rumor, map mark, or patrol report. Discovered means the place is known. Surveyed means the useful facts and hazards are known. Secured means immediate blockers have been handled. Developed means Buildings or improvements are active. Contested, abandoned, or corrupted are failure or pressure states.

Site Types

Wardheart Outpost

Wardheart Outpost appears in a partially controlled frontier Location such as Blackpine March. It is a player-held or friendly anchor, often near a route, ward line, core claim, or dangerous border. It should be visible on the map as an outpost or core-holding icon whenever the Location is known.

Actions it gives include reinforce garrison, send patrol, expand holding, repair defenses, store supplies, establish ward coverage, support construction, rest the MC party, and launch local scouting. It can host Storehouse, Shelter Yard, Palisade, Barracks, Watchtower, Supply Cache, Infirmary Tent, Messenger Post, Map Table, Ward Stones, and later stronger fortification upgrades.

Threats and blockers include insufficient garrison, supply shortage, taint edge pressure, nearby hostile Features, unsafe routes, poor watch coverage, and construction vulnerability. It becomes secured through garrison assignment, route protection, ward stabilization, patrol coverage, and clearing nearby threat Features. It becomes developed by upgrading storage, shelter, defense, command, and ward infrastructure.

Old North Road / Old Road Station

Old North Road is a Travel Site or route-host inside forest, hills, pass, or frontier country. The road itself should be map-visible as a line. A road station should be visible as an icon when discovered or developed. In Blackpine and North Road, it is a central strategic object because it controls travel, supply reach, patrol movement, and expedition safety.

Actions include scout road, follow road, clear debris, repair roadbed, secure road station, escort caravan, set patrol route, build watchtower, build stable yard, build supply depot, and mark unsafe branches. Buildings include Road Station, Watchtower, Stable Yard, Supply Depot, Messenger Post, Patrol Hut, Bridge Works, Waymarker, Rest Shelter, and Toll or Gate Post if the design supports control fees.

Threats include ambushes, broken bridges, blocked roadbed, raider camps, corrupted woods nearby, patrol gaps, winter exposure, and hostile visibility from nearby ridges. It is secured by scouting the route, clearing hostile Features, establishing patrol coverage, repairing crossings, and connecting it to a supplied outpost or core.

Iron Hill Ore Vein

Iron Hill Ore Vein appears in rocky uplands, hills, mountain edges, old mining country, and resource Locations such as Iron Hill or Blackpine March. It should be visible when discovered, and its exact yield should require survey.

Actions include survey vein, establish mine camp, build mine works, add timber supports, guard shaft, haul ore, inspect cave-in risk, test taint, and plan smelting support. Buildings include Mine Works, Timber Supports, Ore Yard, Smithy, Guard Post, Pump, Survey Camp, Tool Shed, Smelter Yard if local, and road or haulage improvements.

Threats include cave-in risk, unstable slopes, demon tracks, insufficient guards, tainted shaft connections, water infiltration, bad haulage roads, and worker shortage. It becomes secured through survey, supports, guards, route repair, and nearby threat clearance. It becomes developed through mine tiers, ore storage, hauling capacity, tool chains, and eventually smelting or export capacity.

Ruined Watchtower

Ruined Watchtower appears on ridges, road corridors, borders, passes, coasts, and taint-edge approaches. It should be visible once discovered and usually deserves a map icon because it affects vision, warning, defense, and route safety.

Actions include investigate ruin, survey structure, reclaim watchtower, post lookouts, repair stairs, restore signal fire, clear nesting threats, and link to a patrol route. Buildings include Watchtower, Signal Fire, Guard Hut, Supply Cache, Barracks Hut, Palisade Ring, Beacon, and Messenger Post.

Threats include structural collapse, hostile occupation, cursed stones, ambushes, poor supply, demon marks, exposed weather, and route isolation. It becomes secured by clearing occupants, surveying structure, assigning guards, and connecting to a safe route. It becomes developed when rebuilt into a watch network node or military position.

Shrine Ward

Shrine Ward appears in sacred woods, lake edges, old heartlands, hills, settlement edges, or taint-contact areas. It should be visible when known, especially in ward, shield, taint, or religious overlays.

Actions include investigate shrine, cleanse site, restore ward circle, assign attendants, perform ritual, stabilize leyline, reduce taint, and support morale. Buildings include Ward Circle, Chapel, Cleansing Post, Ritual Focus, Pilgrim Shelter, Archive Niche, Ward Stones, and Beacon.

Threats include corrupted roots, broken ward geometry, hostile spirits or demonic influence, missing relics, insufficient ritual knowledge, exposed pilgrims, and tainted water. It becomes secured through investigation, cleansing, patrols, and ritual repair. It becomes developed through ward tiers, chapel restoration, cleansing infrastructure, and connection to a ward or leyline network.

Pinewood Camp

Pinewood Camp appears in forest, frontier, hunting, expedition, or outpost Locations. It can be temporary or semi-permanent. It should be visible when it is the MC's current camp, a known outpost, or a developed forest camp.

Actions include establish camp, rest, scout surroundings, store supplies, hide from patrols, gather timber, inspect tracks, call escort, and convert to outpost if the area is secured. Buildings or camp improvements include Shelter Yard, Fire Ring, Stockpile, Palisade, Watch Post, Forester Hut, Pack Yard, Field Infirmary, and Trail Markers.

Threats include exposure, night attacks, food shortage, water contamination, unsafe trail access, hostile nearby Features, smoke visibility, and morale loss. It becomes secured through camp preparation, local patrols, water source survey, perimeter work, and clearing nearby threats. It becomes developed if it receives workers, supply connection, and an explicit outpost role.

Hidden Spring

Hidden Spring appears in forest ravines, hill bases, marsh margins, sacred groves, and dry frontier Locations. It should usually start hidden or as a clue unless locals, scouts, or map knowledge reveal it. It may be visible on the map as a water icon once discovered.

Actions include test water, mark spring, secure water source, cleanse water, build path, support camp, support settlement, or investigate unusual flow. Buildings include Well Head, Water Shelter, Cleansing Post, Small Shrine, Path Markers, Spring House, and Guarded Water Point.

Threats include tainted runoff, ambush cover, disease, seasonal drying, nearby predators or hostile patrols, and ownership disputes. It becomes secured by testing water, clearing immediate threats, marking route access, and protecting the source. It becomes developed as reliable water infrastructure, camp support, or sacred/ward support.

Ashfall Hollow

Ashfall Hollow appears in taint-edge forests, burnt lowlands, fissure-adjacent country, corrupted marshes, and old battlefields. It may be shown as unknown, dangerous, or avoided before investigation. It should become visible when it affects threat, taint, or route planning.

Actions include observe, avoid, scout perimeter, investigate ash, contain corruption, cleanse, seal fissure, recover samples, or set ward posts. Buildings after containment might include Cleansing Post, Seal Outpost, Watch Post, Ward Marker, Quarantine Camp, and Patrol Shelter.

Threats include taint exposure, demon emergence, corrupted water, ash storms, blocked routes, injury/fatigue risk, and spreading contamination. It becomes secured only after the source is identified and handled. It becomes developed only if the design allows a contained corruption Site to host watch, ward, research, or extraction infrastructure.

Dungeon Mouth

Dungeon Mouth appears in hills, ravines, ruins, old mines, forests, cliff faces, and corrupted frontier Locations. It should often begin hidden, then move through clue and discovered states. It deserves a visible icon when known, because it is a major expedition and threat anchor.

Actions include scout entrance, prepare delve, seal entrance, establish camp, guard perimeter, investigate depth, rescue captives, recover relics, or convert to secured vault if cleared. Buildings include Guard Post, Seal Gate, Camp, Supply Cache, Watch Post, Excavation Scaffold, Archive Tent, and Ward Circle depending on outcome.

Threats include monsters or demons, collapse, traps, taint, fatigue, missing maps, bad air, water ingress, and return-route danger. It becomes secured by clearing immediate threats, mapping the entrance, stationing guards, and either sealing or controlling access. Development depends on whether it becomes an archive, mine, ward vault, sealed threat, or permanent adventure target.

Ford

Ford appears where road, trail, patrol path, or natural movement crosses a river at shallow water. It should be visible on hydrology, route, military, and planning overlays. Fords are strategic because they turn rivers into selective movement gates.

Actions include scout crossing, test depth, mark ford, guard ford, improve approach, build stepping stones, set patrol schedule, ambush enemy, or upgrade to bridge. Buildings include Marker Posts, Patrol Hut, Watch Post, Causeway, Bridge Works, Toll Post, Supply Cache, and later a Bridge.

Threats include flood, seasonal impassability, ambush, enemy control, corrupted water, slippery approaches, wagon loss, and bridge sabotage. It becomes secured through patrols, route repair, water testing, and warning posts. It becomes developed as a reliable route node.

Bridge

Bridge appears where a road crosses a major river, gorge, marsh channel, or floodplain. It should be visible on the 3D map when part of a known route. Bridge control can decide supply reach and army movement.

Actions include repair bridge, guard bridge, inspect supports, defend crossing, destroy or deny crossing in extreme contexts, tax or control passage, and build bridge upgrades. Buildings include Bridge, Gatehouse, Guard House, Watchtower, Toll Post, Engineer Yard, Supply Depot, and Ward Markers.

Threats include sabotage, flood damage, siege, enemy crossing, tainted runoff, insufficient maintenance, and route isolation. It becomes secured by garrison, engineering repair, patrol coverage, and upstream threat management.

Dock

Dock appears on lakes, coasts, navigable rivers, and marsh channels. It should be map-visible when it enables water travel, fishing, supply, or strategic crossing.

Actions include build dock, repair boats, fish waters, scout shore, ferry party, ship supplies, inspect water quality, and secure landing. Buildings include Pier, Boat Shed, Fish Store, Beacon, Ferry House, Net Yard, Guard Post, and Cleansing Post if water quality is a concern.

Threats include storms, poor water quality, monsters, raiders, smuggling, tainted runoff, ice, shallow water, and enemy shore control. It becomes secured through guard coverage, water survey, boat maintenance, and shore patrols.

Watch Post

Watch Post appears on hills, borders, roads, ridges, coasts, passes, taint edges, and near major Sites. It can be temporary, ruined, or permanent. It should be visible when it affects patrol, warning, or front overlays.

Actions include establish watch, assign lookouts, light beacon, scout horizon, mark enemy movement, secure route, and link signal chain. Buildings include Watchtower, Signal Fire, Guard Hut, Palisade, Supply Cache, Barracks Hut, and Messenger Post.

Threats include isolation, exposure, hostile approach, poor line of sight, supply shortage, and sabotage. It becomes secured through staffing, supply connection, defensive works, and integration with a patrol route.

Farmstead

Farmstead appears in plains, river meadows, lake basins, fertile pockets, and settled or claimable Locations. It is not always visible on the strategic map unless selected, important, threatened, or developed into a district anchor.

Actions include survey soil, clear fields, establish farms, build well, assign workers, protect harvest, repair fence, and evacuate during raids. Buildings include Fields, Well, Barn, Granary, Fence, Tool Shed, Shelter Row, Watch Post, Irrigation Channels, and Mill if water supports it.

Threats include raids, flood, poor soil, disease, taint, supply interruption, labor shortage, and wildlife. It becomes secured through claim, water survey, patrol coverage, and nearby threat clearance. It becomes developed into a food district or supporting settlement land.

Quarry Face

Quarry Face appears in rocky hills, cliffs, uplands, and old construction country. It should become visible after survey and should be prominent in resource or economy overlays.

Actions include survey stone, establish quarry works, assign workers, stabilize slope, build haul road, guard site, and expand extraction. Buildings include Quarry Works, Stone Depot, Crane, Tool Shed, Guard Post, Survey Camp, Road Ramp, and Worker Shelter.

Threats include slope collapse, bad haulage, insufficient tools, enemy raids, worker injury, water pooling, and taint if near corrupted land. It becomes secured by survey, slope stabilization, guards, and route access. It develops through extraction capacity, storage, and haulage improvements.

Tainted Shaft

Tainted Shaft appears in old mines, corrupted hills, blighted ruins, or resource Locations near the taint edge. It is often hidden or known only as a threat clue until investigated. It should be visible in threat, taint, and economy overlays once confirmed.

Actions include observe, seal shaft, cleanse, guard, survey danger, recover lost workers, inspect runoff, and contain spread. Buildings include Seal Outpost, Guard Post, Cleansing Post, Ward Marker, Quarantine Camp, and later Survey Camp if stabilized.

Threats include taint exposure, demon emergence, poisoned water, cave-ins, worker panic, route contamination, and spread into nearby Features. It becomes secured by sealing or cleansing, not by simple ownership. It develops only as a contained hazard, research/ritual site, or guarded no-go zone unless fully cleansed.

4. Features

A Feature is generated notable content inside a Location. It is not simply terrain, not necessarily a visible Site, and not a Building. Features are the interesting facts that give a large Location its actions, blockers, rewards, risks, clues, and development paths.

The distinction:

Terrain fact:
  A broad physical condition of the Location.

Site:
  A named point or sub-area the player can select or act at.

Feature:
  A notable generated thing, quality, opportunity, danger, or content record.

Building:
  An abstract upgrade or structure attached to a host.

Example:

Forest coverage is a terrain fact.
Pinewood Camp is a Site.
Old Growth Grove is a Feature.
Forester Hut is a Building.

More examples:

Rocky upland is a terrain fact.
Iron Hill Ore Vein is a Feature and can become a Site.
Mine Works is a Building attached to the Ore Vein Site.

River branches are terrain/hydrology facts.
Hidden Spring is a Water Feature and can become a Site.
Spring House is a Building attached to the Hidden Spring Site.

Taint edge is an overlay/state fact.
Ashfall Hollow is a Corruption Feature and can become a dangerous Site.
Seal Outpost is a Building attached after containment.

Feature families:

Family	Examples	Typical Discovery	Typical Actions	Development Outcome
Natural Resource	herb meadow, grazing ground, clay bank, fertile pocket	scout, survey, local report	survey, harvest, protect, improve	gather site, farmstead, pasture, herbalist camp
Water	hidden spring, pond, creek source, reed pool, deep lake shore	tracks, hydrology survey, camp need	test water, mark, cleanse, protect, build access	water point, spring house, dock, cleansing post
Forest	old-growth grove, timber stand, hidden copse, hunting wood	scout, trail, forester report	mark stand, harvest, protect, investigate	forester camp, sacred grove, timber district
Mineral	ore vein, quarry face, coal sink, old mine tunnels	survey, exposed rock, ruin clue	survey, secure, mine, support, guard	mine, quarry, coal pit, smelter support
Travel	old road, ford, bridge ruin, mountain pass, causeway	map, scout, route planning	scout, clear, repair, guard, upgrade	road station, bridge, patrol route, supply line
Shelter	cave, defensible hollow, old camp, sheltered hill	expedition, trail, weather	camp, secure, improve, use as fallback	camp, outpost, refuge, watch point
Ruin	ruined watchtower, mill ruin, standing stones, abandoned fortress	visible icon, clue, story lead	investigate, salvage, restore, ward, fortify	restored tower, archive, shrine, fort, dungeon
Threat	hostile camp, ambush site, demon lair, raider trail	patrol report, attack, tracks	scout, clear, avoid, contain, negotiate if applicable	cleared Site, warning zone, garrison post
Corruption	black ash patch, fissure, tainted shaft, blighted field	taint overlay, water quality, scout	observe, contain, cleanse, seal, quarantine	seal outpost, ward point, cleansed land
Landmark	named peak, great tree, lake island, ridge, old battlefield	map visibility, local name	mark, survey, watch, ritual, navigate	beacon, shrine, watch, story anchor
Nexus / Wardheart / Leyline	dormant nexus, wardheart, leyline node, shard socket	investigation, ritual, story gating	identify, clear blockers, stabilize, found, connect	core base, ward anchor, ritual network
Settlement Opportunity	sheltered basin, old town mound, river terrace, hillfort	survey, route and water analysis	claim, stabilize, plan, found, supply	settlement core, district, outpost
Story	unique ruins, named NPC camp, quest site, relic trail	scripted or generated clue	investigate, decide, resolve, revisit	varies by story state

Feature discovery states should include:

hidden
clue
discovered
surveyed
secured / handled
developed
contested / corrupted / abandoned

Hidden means the Feature exists in generated world state but is not visible to the player. It should not appear on the map as an icon. Hidden Features may affect hidden threat rolls or future discovery pools, but map overlays should not reveal exact facts unless the overlay is explicitly an estimate.

Clue means the player has a partial signal. Examples: smoke above the trees, old stones, tracks near the road, bad water, a patrol report, a rumor, a map mark, ash on the wind, missing caravan, unusual wildlife, or strange mana readings. Clues can be map-visible as ambiguous markers or panel-visible as leads.

Discovered means the Feature's identity or rough location is known. The player can see it in the Location panel and often on the map. Actions become more specific, such as Investigate Shrine, Scout Dungeon Mouth, Survey Ore Vein, or Test Hidden Spring.

Surveyed means the player knows the Feature's useful stats and blockers. For an Ore Vein, this might include yield, cave-in risk, guard need, and haulage difficulty. For a Shrine Ward, it might include corruption level, missing components, ritual requirement, and nearby hostile pressure.

Secured / handled means the immediate blocker is resolved. A hostile camp is cleared, a spring is protected, a road is made passable, a fissure is contained, a shrine is cleansed, or a ruin entrance is guarded. Secured does not automatically mean developed.

Developed means Buildings or durable improvements are attached. Mine Works, Road Station, Ward Circle, Forester Hut, Supply Depot, Dock, Watchtower, or Seal Outpost are examples.

Contested / corrupted / abandoned means the Feature has regressed or is under pressure. This state is important because the map should support a living frontier: secured roads can become unsafe, mines can be attacked, wards can fail, camps can be abandoned, and water can become corrupted.

Blackpine March's 7/11 or 8/11 known Features are the model for partial knowledge. A selected Blackpine panel can show known cards for Old North Road, Ruined Watchtower, Iron Hill Ore Vein, Hidden Spring, Shrine Ward, Ashfall Hollow, Pinewood Camp, and Dungeon Mouth, while unknown cards remain blank or question-marked. The map shows only the known or hinted subset. The player understands that Blackpine has more depth without being forced to see every hidden thing.

Feature play should follow a causal arc:

Scout the Location
  -> reveal clues and broad risks
Investigate a clue or Site
  -> identify the Feature and immediate danger
Survey the Feature
  -> reveal yields, blockers, travel time, and host potential
Secure the Feature
  -> remove the blocker or stabilize the hazard
Develop the Feature
  -> attach Buildings, workers, routes, guards, wards, or districts
Maintain the Feature
  -> respond to pressure, damage, taint, abandonment, or contesting

Feature generation should be suitability-driven rather than a flat random list. Mineral Features belong in rocky uplands. Fords belong where roads and rivers intersect. Shrines prefer sacred, old, water, hill, forest, or taint-contact contexts. Corruption Features prefer taint edges, polluted runoff, old ruins, and front pressure. Story Features can override or bias suitability, but should still leave geographical evidence.

5. Buildings And Improvements

Buildings are abstract upgrades attached to hosts. They are not tiny models manually placed across the 3D map. This is essential at 250-500 km2 per Location. A forest Location does not show every hut, fence, shaft, workshop, and shelter on the map. The map shows the host. The panel shows the Buildings.

Building hosts:

• Core Holding
• Settlement Core
• Site
• Feature
• District
• Outpost
• Route / Crossing
• Military position
• Ward / Leyline anchor

Building visibility rule:

If a Building changes the strategic reading of the map, show it through the
host icon, badge, silhouette, level ring, or overlay.

If a Building only matters to production, workers, queues, inputs, and detailed
actions, show it in panels.

Examples from the target images:

Wardheart Outpost
  Storehouse
  Shelter Yard
  Palisade

Old North Road
  Road Station
  Watchtower
  Stable Yard
  Supply Depot

Iron Hill Ore Vein
  Mine Works
  Timber Supports
  Ore Yard
  Smithy
  Guard Post

Shrine Ward
  Ward Circle
  Chapel
  Cleansing Post

Iron Hill
  Quarry Works
  Stone Depot
  Survey Camp
  Coal Pit
  Seal Outpost

Core Buildings:

Wardheart Nexus
Great Hall
MC Quarters
Camp Workshop
Training Yard
Infirmary
Storehouse Vault
Map Room
Ritual Circle
Forge Seed
Watch Gate

Building Categories

Category	Host Type	Purpose	Map Visibility	Panel Visibility	Workers	Inputs	Outputs	Upgrade Path	Blockers	MC Relation
Core Anchor	Core Holding / Settlement Core / Wardheart	claim, command, shield, identity	major icon always	full details	attendants, guards, specialists	relics, stone, timber, ritual supplies	claim range, authority, shield, actions	camp -> hall -> fortified core -> capital	anchor not stabilized, nearby threat, taint	MC discovers, stabilizes, rests, trains, returns reports
Administration	Great Hall, Map Room, Messenger Post	assignments, planning, orders, communication	icon badge if major	full details	scribes, leaders	paper, influence, labor	command reach, project slots, route orders	hall tiers, map room, messenger network	low control, missing staff	MC brings survey knowledge and chooses expedition priorities
Storage	Storehouse, Storehouse Vault, Supply Depot	resource storage and expedition supply	badge if outpost supply matters	full details	haulers, quartermasters	timber, stone, containers	storage cap, spoilage reduction, camp kits	cache -> storehouse -> vault / depot	unsafe route, insufficient guards	MC resupplies, escorts caravans, recovers supplies
Shelter / Housing	Shelter Yard, Shelter Row, MC Quarters, Camp Shelter	population cap, rest, exposure protection	host badge if camp/outpost	full details	builders, caretakers	timber, cloth, food	shelter, morale, rest quality	tents -> shelters -> quarters / housing	exposure, weather, overcrowding	MC rests, recovers fatigue, houses companions
Defense	Palisade, Watch Gate, Wall, Guard Post	protect host, deter raids	visible badge/silhouette	full details	guards, builders	timber, stone, metal	defense, safety, garrison capacity	palisade -> wall -> gatehouse -> fortified line	low garrison, damaged route, siege	MC helps clear threats, trains militia, supports defense
Watch / Vision	Watchtower, Beacon, Signal Fire	reveal threats, improve patrol coverage	visible icon or level ring	full details	lookouts, messengers	timber, oil, tools	vision, warning time, route safety	post -> tower -> beacon chain	poor sightline, isolation	MC scouts, activates tower, responds to warnings
Route Infrastructure	Road Station, Stable Yard, Bridge, Causeway	travel, supply, caravans, patrols	route icon, crossing icon	full details	road crews, stable hands, guards	timber, stone, tools, animals	travel speed, route safety, supply reach	trail -> road -> station -> fortified route	broken crossing, ambush, flood	MC follows, scouts, escorts, repairs blockers
Resource Extraction	Mine Works, Quarry Works, Coal Pit, Forester Hut	production from Features	resource host icon	full details	miners, quarry workers, foresters	tools, supports, guards, food	ore, stone, coal, timber	survey camp -> works -> expanded works -> specialized yard	cave-in, poor route, threat, taint	MC surveys, clears, escorts specialists, investigates hazards
Processing	Smithy, Forge Seed, Smelter Yard, Workshop	tools, repairs, advanced goods	visible only if major	full details	smiths, artisans	ore, coal, timber, tools	tools, weapons, repair speed	workshop -> forge -> specialized processing	missing inputs, fuel, route bottleneck	MC repairs gear, supports construction, unlocks plans
Medical / Recovery	Infirmary, Field Infirmary, Cleansing Post	injury, illness, taint recovery	badge if crisis	full details	healers, attendants	herbs, water, cloth, ritual supplies	recovery speed, taint treatment, morale	tent -> infirmary -> warded infirmary	water quality, missing herbs, corruption	MC recovers from injury, taint, fatigue
Ritual / Ward	Wardheart Nexus, Ritual Circle, Ward Circle, Chapel	shield, cleansing, leyline, morale	visible in ward/taint overlays	full details	ritualists, priests, guards	relics, mana, stone, offerings	shield strength, taint reduction, ward actions	marker -> circle -> chapel / leyline anchor	corruption, missing relic, hostile Feature	MC investigates, stabilizes, performs or enables rituals
Military Training	Training Yard, Barracks, Mustering Yard	militia, patrol readiness, army prep	visible at military host	full details	trainers, recruits	food, weapons, tools	militia, readiness, discipline	yard -> barracks -> mustering ground	low population, poor weapons	MC trains, drills, recruits, escorts patrols
Camp / Expedition	Travelling Camp, River Ford Camp, Pinewood Camp	temporary operational base	visible while active	full details in MC panels	party, followers	camp supplies, food, kits	rest, staging, scouting range	bivouac -> camp -> fortified camp -> outpost	exposure, water, threat, low supplies	MC's primary field state

Host-Specific Building Notes

Core Holding buildings define the home base or major capital anchor. Wardheart Nexus, Great Hall, MC Quarters, Camp Workshop, Training Yard, Infirmary, Storehouse Vault, Map Room, Ritual Circle, Forge Seed, and Watch Gate belong here. They matter because they change what the MC and realm can do before and after expeditions: plan routes, recover, train, craft, store goods, treat injury, stabilize wards, and direct settlement work.

Settlement Core buildings define an ordinary town or capital Site inside a Location. They should be visible as a settlement icon on the 3D map, but their sub-buildings belong in panels. A settlement can project district effects into neighboring Locations, but the entire 300-400 km2 Location is not a city.

Site buildings are the most common large-scale pattern. Old Road Station hosts Watchtower, Stable Yard, and Supply Depot. Shrine Ward hosts Ward Circle, Chapel, and Cleansing Post. Ruined Watchtower can host restoration, signal, guards, and supply cache. Hidden Spring can host water protection and cleansing. Site buildings turn discovered places into useful infrastructure.

Feature-hosted buildings attach directly to developed Features. Iron Hill Ore Vein hosts Mine Works, Timber Supports, Ore Yard, Smithy, and Guard Post. Quarry Face hosts Quarry Works and Stone Depot. Tainted Shaft hosts Seal Outpost only after the hazard is understood. Feature-hosting keeps resource and threat development causal.

District improvements represent broad work across claimed land. Farming, forestry, mining, residential, military, civic, trade, road, and ward districts are not hundreds of placed models. They are Location or multi-Location development states with a map fill, district icon, progress marker, and panel.

Outpost buildings belong to frontier anchors like Wardheart Outpost, Iron Hill Outpost, Pinewood Camp if upgraded, or a pass fort. They emphasize safety, supply, storage, patrols, and warning.

Route and crossing buildings belong to roads, bridges, fords, passes, and causeways. They can be shown on the route line because they change movement, supply, patrols, and army logistics. A bridge icon should be visible in route, hydrology, and army overlays.

Military position buildings belong to forts, watch posts, siege positions, front lines, camps, or fallback lines. They matter on war-room overlays and can be panel-managed when selected.

Ward and leyline anchor buildings belong to the magical strategic layer. Wardheart Nexus, Ward Circle, Ritual Circle, Shrine Ward, Chapel, Cleansing Post, and leyline anchors affect shield coverage, taint suppression, ritual actions, and safe settlement growth.

Building upgrades should never be pure parameter tuning. A higher-tier building should represent a new capability, stronger host role, wider network effect, or resolved blocker. For example, a Watchtower upgrade should increase watch coverage because it becomes part of a signal network, not because a number was arbitrarily raised.

6. MC Side On The Large Map

The MC becomes more important, not less, when Locations are 250-500 km2. The larger map gives the MC room to be a strategic actor who travels, scouts, investigates, secures, supports, and returns with knowledge. The MC is not moving one tiny tile at a time. The MC is planning and executing expeditions through named territories, routes, Sites, and Features.

MC Position On The Strategic Map

The MC should have an explicit map position at the Location level and, when zoomed in or selected, at a Site/camp/route segment level.

At realm or province zoom, the MC marker can be attached to:

• a Location centroid or selected anchor,
• a route segment between Locations,
• a camp Site inside a Location,
• a core base or capital,
• an army/front marker if embedded with forces,
• a caravan/patrol marker if escorting.

At selected Location zoom, the MC can be shown at a known Site, camp, road branch, crossing, or active Feature. This should not imply continuous meter-by-meter simulation. It is enough to show the current operational anchor and planned path.

MC Expedition Route

The painted Blackpine expedition image is the model: the MC has a camp, a loadout, a planned route, discovered Features along that route, and available actions. A dotted or highlighted route can connect River Ford Camp, Old Road, Abandoned Fortress, Shrine, Ore Vein, Demon Fissure, or similar anchors.

An MC expedition route should include:

• start anchor: Wardheart Capital, Wardheart Outpost, River Ford Camp, Pinewood Camp, army camp, or route station,
• destination: Site, Feature, Location, front, crossing, or unknown clue,
• route mode: road, trail, river, ford, pass, wilderness, stealth, escort,
• estimated duration: hours, day, multi-day,
• safety estimate: safe, risky, dangerous, unknown,
• supply cost: food, camp kits, medicine, rope, tools, ritual supplies,
• known stops: camps, springs, road stations, fords,
• known hazards: taint, ambush, flood, cave-in, patrol gap,
• return plan: direct return, loop route, fallback camp, extraction by patrol.

The route should be visible on the map when planning or executing an expedition, but should not permanently clutter the map outside MC mode or selected plans.

Travel Between Locations

Travel between Locations should primarily follow the route graph. Roads, passes, bridges, fords, trails, river crossings, docks, and unsafe corridors matter because they change travel time, supplies, and risk. A trip from Wardheart Capital to Iron Hill is not simply "move east"; it follows road and crossing structure, may pass through North Road, and can be affected by patrol coverage, supply reach, and front pressure.

Between-Location travel should answer:

• Which Locations are crossed?
• Which route segments are used?
• Is the path controlled, contested, wild, or enemy-held?
• Which crossings are bottlenecks?
• Are armies, patrols, or caravans on the same route?
• Does the MC need camp supplies?
• Can the MC safely return?

Travel time can be abstracted into strategic durations: 2 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, 2.5 days, 3.5 days. The UI should expose enough detail for decisions without pretending to simulate every step.

Travel Inside A Large Location

Internal Location travel is where the new scale becomes meaningful. In a 346 km2 Blackpine March, the MC can spend hours reaching a ruin, a day surveying an ore outcrop, or several days looping from camp to shrine to old road to fissure. The Location panel can show actions with local duration, risk, and needed state.

Internal travel depends on:

• terrain patches: forest, hill, marsh, ridge, creek valley,
• routes: old road, trail, riverbank, hidden path,
• weather and day/night if used,
• camp position,
• discovered Sites,
• threat zones,
• taint exposure,
• party condition,
• equipment and loadout.

Assumption: Internal travel should be abstracted as Site-to-Site or camp-to-Feature durations rather than continuous pathfinding across every terrain meter. The map can still draw a route curve, but gameplay operates on known anchors and travel edges.

Temporary Camp / Travelling Camp

The camp is the MC's field anchor. It can be established at a Site, near a crossing, in a sheltered hollow, at a road station, by a river ford, or in a safe pocket of a wild Location. River Ford Camp and Pinewood Camp are the image anchors.

A camp should track:

• Location and Site anchor,
• establishment time,
• safety,
• supplies,
• water source,
• shelter quality,
• visibility or concealment,
• nearby known Features,
• retreat options,
• fatigue recovery,
• taint exposure,
• whether it can be upgraded or must be temporary.

Camp actions include rest, cook, treat wounds, prepare gear, scout nearby, survey water, mark routes, receive patrol, call caravan, cache supplies, hide, fortify, relocate, or abandon. A camp can become an Outpost only when the Location state supports it: safe route, control, water, supply, and cleared nearby threats.

Scouting

Scouting reveals terrain facts, route hints, Site clues, and broad threat estimates. It should not instantly identify every Feature. A scouting action can reveal "tracks near Old Road", "smoke beyond the ridge", "water sound below the ravine", "stonework under moss", "black ash on the creek edge", or "demon tracks near Iron Hill".

Scouting can happen:

• from Core Base through Map Room or scouts,
• while travelling a route,
• from a camp,
• from a watchtower or ridge,
• with an army patrol,
• as a focused MC action at a Site.

Scouting output should update the Location knowledge state and may add clue markers to the map.

Surveying

Surveying converts discovered Features into actionable data. Survey Ore Vein, Survey Water, Survey Old Road, Survey Ruin, Survey Shrine, and Survey Crossing are different because each reveals different facts.

Surveying should reveal:

• yield or potential,
• blockers,
• worker capacity,
• building host slots,
• route requirements,
• threat level,
• development cost class,
• taint or water quality,
• whether MC presence is required for next step.

The Iron Hill economy image is the model: Features such as Ore Vein, Quarry Face, Old Mine Tunnels, Coal Sink, and Tainted Shaft have different states, workers, yields, blockers, and development possibilities.

Investigating Features

Investigation is deeper than survey. It answers story, danger, identity, and cause. Investigate Shrine, Investigate Watchtower, Investigate Dungeon Mouth, Investigate Ashfall Hollow, or Investigate Dormant Nexus should be MC-facing actions because they involve risk, judgment, hidden facts, and sometimes irreversible choices.

Investigation can:

• identify a hidden Feature,
• change a Feature family,
• unlock a Site,
• reveal blockers,
• discover a hostile source,
• start a story chain,
• upgrade a clue into surveyed knowledge,
• convert an unknown ruin into a Nexus, shrine, archive, dungeon, or trap.

Clearing Blockers

Blockers are the reason "discovered" is not the same as "usable". Examples: cave-in risk, demon tracks, insufficient guards, tainted water, broken bridge, hostile camp, unsafe road, corrupted roots, missing ritual component, or flooded shaft.

The MC can clear some blockers personally. Others require workers, armies, buildings, or province projects. The MC can still support those by scouting, guarding, escorting, making decisions, bringing supplies, or resolving the dangerous step.

Clear blocker actions include:

• Clear Old Road,
• Reclaim Watchtower,
• Contain Fissure,
• Seal Tainted Shaft,
• Secure Ford,
• Escort Survey Crew,
• Guard Mine Works,
• Cleanse Shrine,
• Rescue Workers,
• Recover Relic,
• Mark Safe Path.

Securing Sites

Securing a Site means it can be safely used, staffed, or developed. Security is not just "the player owns the Location". A Shrine Ward can be inside a claimed Location but still corrupted. An Ore Vein can be discovered but unsafe. A Ford can be known but enemy-threatened. Pinewood Camp can be present but exposed.

Securing can require:

• MC investigation or combat resolution,
• patrol or garrison assignment,
• route safety,
• water testing,
• taint containment,
• repair,
• supplies,
• workers,
• watch coverage,
• ward support.

The map should show secured Sites differently from merely discovered Sites.

Founding Or Stabilizing Anchors

Core founding should be anchor-gated. A Wardheart Nexus, Dormant Nexus, leyline anchor, defensible settlement basin, or old fort is discovered, investigated, cleared, stabilized, and then founded. The MC's role is central: find the anchor, identify it, survive the first nights, clear immediate blockers, and establish the first reliable camp or core holding.

Founding sequence:

clue or map rumor
  -> scout Location
  -> discover anchor Feature
  -> investigate identity and risks
  -> clear blocker
  -> stabilize anchor
  -> establish Core / Outpost / Camp
  -> assign first Buildings
  -> connect route and supply

Supporting Construction

The MC should be able to support construction without becoming a construction worker counter. MC support is best used for hard, risky, or unusual steps: escort builders to a dangerous site, recover missing tools, guard the first night, survey the build host, bless or stabilize a ward, inspect sabotage, negotiate worker morale, or carry urgent supplies.

Construction support actions should tie directly to map hosts. "Support construction" is too generic. "Escort road crew to Old North Road" or "Guard Seal Outpost work at Tainted Shaft" is concrete.

Training And Resting At Core Facilities

At Core Base or Wardheart Capital, the MC uses Core Buildings. MC Quarters, Training Yard, Infirmary, Camp Workshop, Storehouse Vault, Map Room, Ritual Circle, Forge Seed, Watch Gate, and Wardheart Nexus should create distinct preparation and recovery actions.

Core actions include:

• rest and treat injury,
• recover fatigue and taint exposure,
• train skills or companions,
• craft or repair gear,
• plan expedition route,
• choose loadout,
• review survey reports,
• assign scouts,
• prepare rituals,
• coordinate patrol support,
• respond to warnings.

Escorting Patrols, Armies, Or Caravans

The MC can move with larger actors. This should be represented by attaching the MC marker to a patrol, army, caravan, or front support action. The MC does not replace army mechanics. The MC changes the quality of reconnaissance, morale, response, negotiation, or crisis resolution.

Examples:

• escort Järva Patrol along North Road,
• ride with Wardheart Garrison to a threatened ford,
• guard caravan to Iron Hill,
• support Shrine Ward Guard during taint surge,
• probe Ashfen route with scouts,
• reinforce East Gate Trace front command.

Responding To Threats

Threat response is one of the map's strongest uses. The war-room images show taint forecasts, raid pressure, patrol gaps, enemy hosts, fronts, supply lines, and warnings. The MC can respond to a threat by travelling to the relevant Location, reaching a Site, and choosing an action.

Threat response examples:

• East Gate Trace fissure expands in 6 days: travel to front, investigate fissure, support containment, or reinforce fallback line.
• North Road patrol gap 18 km: escort patrol, establish watch post, repair road station, or reroute caravan.
• Ashfen corruption spreading: scout marsh, test water, cleanse shrine, or mark forbidden route.
• Demon tracks at Iron Hill: guard survey crew, inspect old tunnels, or assign militia.

Recovering From Injury, Taint, And Fatigue

Large-map expeditions need consequences. Injury, taint, fatigue, morale, and supplies should shape when the MC can keep pushing and when they must camp or return. Core facilities and field camps provide different recovery quality.

Recovery contexts:

• Core Base: safest, best treatment, training and planning available.
• Outpost: safe enough if supplied, limited treatment.
• Travelling Camp: variable safety, dependent on supplies and water.
• Dangerous Site: little recovery, high risk.
• Front: rest may be interrupted, injury risk high.

MC Contexts

At Core Base / Wardheart Capital, the MC plans, trains, recovers, manages loadout, reviews maps, assigns scouts, chooses expedition route, coordinates construction support, performs rituals, and responds to alerts.

Travelling on route, the MC consumes time and supplies, risks ambush or fatigue, may encounter clues, can change route at known crossings, and can be attached to caravan/patrol/army movement.

Camped in a Location, the MC rests, scouts nearby, manages camp supplies, launches short actions, receives reports, treats wounds, and decides whether to push deeper, relocate, or return.

Investigating a Site, the MC performs focused actions: inspect ruin, test spring, survey vein, cleanse shrine, scout dungeon, secure ford, restore watch, or contain fissure.

Supporting a battle/front, the MC is attached to a military marker or front Site. Actions include scout enemy route, reinforce morale, deliver orders, stabilize ward, hold crossing, cover retreat, or identify threat source.

Managing a discovered Feature, the MC turns knowledge into control: survey, clear blocker, assign workers, guard project, decide development path, and return later if it becomes contested.

Returning with survey knowledge, the MC updates the map. Unknown markers become known, yields become exact, routes become safer or flagged, hidden threats become visible warnings, and new projects become available in panels.

7. Map Visibility Rules

The 3D map should show the world, not every record. Panels should show the dense management detail. The map's job is spatial understanding, selection, threat awareness, and planning.

Directly On The 3D Map

The 3D map should directly show:

• terrain: mountains, hills, forests, plains, marshes, coast, tainted land, ridges, basins, and broad internal patches,
• province borders: strong region outlines at province and realm zoom,
• Location borders: readable polygons at province and Location zoom,
• roads/routes: old roads, secured roads, unsafe roads, trails, passes, supply lines, patrol routes, planned MC routes,
• rivers/lakes/marshes: major river corridors, tributaries, lakes, wetland masses, floodplains when the hydrology overlay is active,
• crossings: fords, bridges, passes, docks, causeways, chokepoints,
• capital/core icons: Wardheart Capital, Core Base, Wardheart Nexus,
• outpost/fort icons: Wardheart Outpost, Iron Hill Outpost, road watch, East Gate fort,
• major Site icons: Shrine Ward, Ruined Watchtower, Old Road Station, Dungeon Mouth, known camp, major ford,
• known Feature icons: resource, ruin, water, threat, corruption, landmark, ward, settlement opportunity when known or hinted,
• army/patrol markers: garrisons, militia, patrols, enemy hosts, caravans, MC party, temporary camps,
• taint/control/shield overlays: colored fills, pressure arrows, ward rings, taint forecast, control states,
• labels: province names, Location names, major Site names, selected or hovered detail labels.

In Panels

Panels should show:

• building lists,
• building tiers and states,
• worker assignments,
• construction queues,
• Feature details,
• hidden Features represented as unknown slots only when appropriate,
• exact resource formulas,
• production chains,
• detailed inputs and outputs,
• blockers and requirements,
• deep activity lists,
• detailed MC action queue,
• camp supply inventory,
• expedition loadout details,
• exact survey results,
• long story text,
• per-worker allocation and capacity,
• queued realm projects,
• detailed garrison composition unless selected.

Zoom Rules

Realm zoom shows province borders, major rivers/lakes, capital/core icons, major armies/fronts, major taint/control overlays, main roads, and large labels. It hides most Site icons, individual Buildings, small Features, minor roads, and detailed MC path stops.

Province zoom shows Location borders, terrain identities, roads, crossings, settlements, outposts, major Sites, known resource icons, local armies, patrols, taint/control/claim overlays, and selected warnings. This is the main planning zoom for Järva March.

Selected Location zoom shows the selected Location outline, known Sites, known or hinted Features, internal roads/trails/crossings, selected army/party/camp marker, immediate warnings, and a small number of local labels. It still should not show every Building as a model.

Icon Budget

Assumption: default icon budgets should be strict.

Unselected ordinary Location:
  terrain + border + label, maybe one major icon

Unselected important Location:
  terrain + border + label + 1-2 icons

Hovered Location:
  label + control/threat summary + 2-4 known traces

Selected Location:
  major Sites + known Features + local route details + markers

Panel:
  complete list, including Buildings, queues, workers, and detailed actions

The administrative control image works because each Location has a large territory fill, a label, a percentage, and one or two icons. The war-room image works because it switches to operational markers and route arrows. The Feature/building images work because the dense lists are in panels, not smeared across the map.

8. Hydrology And Geography

Hydrology must be strategic. Rivers and lakes are not decorative blue lines. The hydrology image for Järva March shows the right direction: 2 river basins, 1 major river, 7 tributaries, 3 lakes, 5 fords, water quality states, watersheds, flow arrows, crossings, bridges, floodplains, fisheries, and corrupted runoff.

The hydrology layer should answer:

• Where does water come from?
• Which Locations are in the same basin?
• Which rivers block or guide travel?
• Where are crossings?
• Which crossings are fords, bridges, docks, or causeways?
• Which water is clear, mixed, stagnant, poor, or corrupted?
• Where are floodplains?
• Which Locations can support fisheries, mills, docks, farms, or sacred water Sites?
• How does taint or corruption move through runoff?
• Which roads and armies depend on water crossings?

Major Rivers

Major rivers should be readable corridors. They can define Province and Location borders, concentrate settlement, create crossings, and guide armies. They should have visible width, flow direction in hydrology overlay, and named segments where useful.

Strategic uses:

• natural boundary,
• supply corridor,
• travel obstacle,
• settlement anchor,
• bridge/ford generator,
• defensive line,
• taint or cleansing vector,
• watermill and dock candidate.

Tributaries

Tributaries give internal structure to large Locations. Blackpine March's river/creek branches help justify Hidden Spring, internal travel decisions, ford camps, and taint runoff paths. Tributaries do not need to be dense. They need to be legible and gameplay-relevant.

Tributaries can create:

• spring clues,
• local ravines,
• small fords,
• marsh pockets,
• settlement water,
• corrupted runoff trails,
• route bends,
• camp sites.

Lakes

Lakes should be strategic basins, not background art. The Järva images show a deep lake with good quality and southern lake/coast Locations such as Shrine Coast. Lakes can support fisheries, docks, sacred Sites, islands, shoreline settlement, fog, flood storage, and defensive edges.

Lake roles:

• fishing lake,
• sacred lake,
• marsh lake,
• border lake,
• trade lake,
• corrupted lake,
• deep lake with high water quality,
• hidden island/ruin lake.

Marshes

Marshes shape movement, water quality, disease, herbs, corruption, ambush, and causeway routes. Ashfen is the clearest target: wetland terrain, stagnant or mixed water, corruption pockets, raid routes, and difficult travel. Marshes should have meaningful route chokepoints, not just movement penalties.

Marsh Sites and Features include reed pools, old causeways, sunken shrines, stagnant water, tainted runoff, hidden camps, watch posts, and cleansing shrines.

Floodplains

Floodplains create fertile land and risk. They should encourage farming and settlement while adding seasonal vulnerability. A river meadow Location can be valuable because it supports farms, mills, roads, bridges, and population, but it can also suffer flood damage or become impassable during crises.

Fords And Bridges

Fords and bridges are route chokepoints. A ford is a shallow crossing that may be seasonal, dangerous, or cheap to secure. A bridge is a durable infrastructure Site that can be repaired, guarded, sabotaged, or fought over.

Every major road crossing a major river should produce a crossing Site. The hydrology map's five fords are exactly the sort of visible strategic objects that make water matter.

Water Quality

Water quality should be part of hydrology state:

very good: cold and clear headwaters
good: clear river/lake water
mixed: silted or settled basin
poor: stagnant marsh or polluted runoff
very poor: corrupted water

Water quality affects camps, settlements, disease risk, fisheries, cleansing, taint spread, and MC recovery. Hidden Spring is valuable because safe water in a frontier Location changes expedition range. Corrupted runoff near East Gate Trace is dangerous because it creates downstream consequences.

Fisheries, Mills, And Settlement Placement

Hydrology should feed settlement suitability. Settlements prefer reliable water, crossings, defensible high ground near water, fertile floodplains, lake fisheries, and route access. Watermill candidates should appear where flow and settlement/road access align. Fisheries should appear on lakes, rivers, and coast when water quality supports them.

Corrupted Runoff

Corrupted runoff is one of the clearest fantasy uses of hydrology. A tainted Site can poison downstream water, make a road camp unsafe, reveal hidden corruption, or create a timed problem. The map should show corrupted runoff paths in threat/hydrology overlays, especially near East Gate Trace and Ashfen.

Geography And Terrain

The 3D geography image shows the target visual language: mountains with height and silhouettes, forest masses, a central capital, roads, lake/coast, tainted edge, gold province border, thinner Location borders, and icons for capital, outpost/fort, resource Feature, and points of interest.

Geography should be authored-feeling:

• mountains and ridges create passes and boundaries,
• forests create hidden content, timber, and slower travel,
• hills create watch positions and ore,
• marshes create crossings and corruption problems,
• roads connect meaningful anchors,
• rivers flow through readable basins,
• taint appears at a frontier edge or source, not as random paint,
• settlements sit where geography makes sense.

9. Threat, Taint, Armies, Fronts

The large map must support operational pressure. Threat, taint, armies, and fronts are not separate screens pasted over geography. They are interpretations of Locations, Sites, Features, Buildings, Routes, and hydrology.

Taint Edge

Taint edge is a spatial frontier. In Järva March, the eastern edge near East Gate Trace and Blackpine March carries purple/red pressure. It should affect Location overlays, water quality, route safety, Feature states, building blockers, and MC expedition risk.

Taint can attach to:

• Location overlay state,
• Feature state, such as Ashfall Hollow or Tainted Shaft,
• Site state, such as corrupted shrine or fissure,
• water state, such as corrupted runoff,
• Building state, such as disabled ward or damaged cleansing post,
• route state, such as unsafe road through tainted woods,
• army/front state, such as demon host pressure.

Gate Pressure

Gate pressure is the strategic source of recurring threat. East Gate Trace is the model: an active fissure, demon-held or enemy territory, pressure arrows, front status, and siege/front markers. Gate pressure should feed forecasts, raid routes, taint spread, enemy host movement, and army orders.

Corrupted Water

Corrupted water ties hydrology to threat. A fissure or tainted shaft can poison runoff, creating downstream problems in Ashfen, Shrine Coast, or a river camp. This gives the player reasons to secure water Sites, build cleansing posts, repair wards, and investigate sources instead of only fighting armies.

Raid Routes And Unsafe Roads

Raid routes should use the route graph and terrain. Raiders prefer unsafe roads, forest trails, marsh causeways, unguarded fords, patrol gaps, and contested border Locations. The war-room image's North Road patrol gap is a model: a specific route length or segment becomes risky.

Unsafe roads should affect:

• MC travel risk,
• caravan arrival,
• construction supply,
• outpost maintenance,
• army movement,
• food and resource delivery,
• warning time.

Patrol Zones

Patrol zones are coverage overlays from outposts, watch posts, garrisons, militia, and route stations. They do not need to be perfect circles. They can follow roads, rivers, borders, or Location polygons. Patrol zones should reduce raid probability, reveal clues, increase route safety, and help secure Sites.

Supply Lines

Supply lines connect capitals, outposts, armies, mines, and fronts. They should follow roads, bridges, fords, docks, or secure routes. Supply reach in the images is a visible province/Location fact. A mine with a bad route bottleneck should not produce full strategic value until the line is repaired or protected.

Garrisons And Militia

Garrisons attach to fixed Sites or Buildings: Wardheart Garrison, Iron Hill Militia, Shrine Ward Guard, road watch, outpost guard, fort garrison. Militia can secure a Location partly, but should have limited reach without routes, watch, and supply.

Army Stacks

Army markers represent moving or stationed forces. They should be visible in war-room, planning, and army overlays. They need Location position, route plan, supply state, order, ETA, and relationship to fronts. They are not Buildings or Features. They are actors using map structure.

Fronts

A front is a contested line or zone across Locations and route chokepoints. It can include East Gate Trace Front, Ashfen Marsh Front, North Road Front, or a siege around a fort. Fronts should be Location-aware: which Locations are threatened, which crossings matter, which Sites anchor defense, which routes feed supply, and where fallback lines sit.

Fallback Lines And Offensive Push Arrows

Fallback lines should connect defensible Sites: rivers, bridges, forts, outposts, ridge watchtowers, shrine wards, and settlement cores. Offensive push arrows should point along routes, passes, ridges, or vulnerable terrain, not randomly across the map. The war-room and planning images show this well with red threat arrows and green/blue movement routes.

Siege Progress

Siege progress belongs to forts, outposts, bridges, gate positions, and settlement cores. It should be a marker or panel state attached to a Site or Location, with army markers nearby. Siege state can damage Buildings, reduce route safety, block construction, and force MC response.

Choke Points

Choke points are where geography compresses movement: bridges, fords, mountain passes, causeways, narrow roads, lake edges, gates, and ravines. They are prime locations for watch posts, forts, patrol gaps, ambushes, and army orders. Every choke point should be traceable to a Site or Route object.

Tie-Back To Core Objects

Locations carry the strategic state: control, taint, threat, army presence, front status, route safety, and warning level.

Sites are the anchors: fort, ford, bridge, shrine, watchtower, camp, mine, fissure, road station, outpost.

Features are the causes or opportunities: demon fissure, corrupted runoff, old road, tainted shaft, hostile camp, hidden spring, ore vein.

Buildings are the durable responses: palisade, watchtower, ward circle, seal outpost, supply depot, bridge repair, guard post, road station, cleansing post.

The MC is the intervention tool: scout, investigate, secure, support, escort, contain, return, recover.

10. Output Data Model

This is conceptual but concrete enough to guide implementation later. It is not intended as final C# or JSON schema.

Province

Province
  id
  name
  areaKm2
  parentRealmOrAreaId
  polygon
  centroid
  labelAnchor
  locationIds
  capitalLocationId
  provinceRole
  dominantTerrain
  secondaryTerrainTags
  mainRiverIds
  lakeIds
  routeIds
  neighboringProvinceIds
  controlSummary
  taintSummary
  shieldSummary
  threatSummary
  routeSafety
  supplyReach
  populationEstimate
  resourceSummary
  armyIds
  frontIds
  overlayStates
  knowledgeState

Province records aggregate and coordinate. They should not duplicate every Site or Building detail, but they should summarize enough to render Järva March control, hydrology, war-room, and planning overlays.

Location

Location
  id
  name
  parentProvinceId
  areaKm2
  polygon
  centroid
  labelAnchor
  mapRole
  terrainIdentity
  terrainComposition
    forestCoverage
    hillCoverage
    wetlandCoverage
    waterCoverage
    mountainCoverage
    openLandCoverage
  elevationBand
  travelDifficulty
  routeImportance
  chokepointScore
  defensibility
  settlementSuitability
  outpostSuitability
  resourcePotentials
    food
    timber
    stone
    ore
    coal
    herbs
    fish
    relics
  hydrologyRefs
    riverIds
    lakeIds
    crossingSiteIds
    basinId
  routeIds
  neighborLocationIds
  siteIds
  featureIds
  buildingIds
  settlementOrCoreId
  controllingFactionId
  controlState
  controlPercent
  taintState
  taintPressure
  shieldCoverage
  threatLevel
  routeSafety
  patrolCoverage
  campSafety
  populationEstimate
  armyMarkerIds
  caravanMarkerIds
  mcPresenceState
  discoveryState
  overlayStates

Location is the central record. Selection, hover, map picking, panels, MC routes, army orders, and most overlays flow through it.

Site

Site
  id
  name
  parentLocationId
  siteType
  position
  optionalFootprint
  mapIcon
  visibilityRule
  discoveryState
  securityState
  developmentState
  hostRole
  routeIds
  riverOrLakeIds
  featureIds
  buildingIds
  garrisonId
  workerCapacity
  campCapacity
  waterQuality
  travelEdgesToOtherSites
  blockers
  availableActions
  overlayTags

Site is the place where actions and hostable infrastructure become concrete. It can represent a point icon, a small polygon, a route segment anchor, or a sub-area.

Feature

Feature
  id
  name
  parentLocationId
  optionalSiteId
  featureFamily
  featureType
  discoveryState
  knowledgeQuality
  generatedCause
  suitabilitySource
  approximatePosition
  exactPositionKnown
  mapIcon
  clueText
  knownSummary
  surveyData
    yieldClass
    riskClass
    durationClass
    workerPotential
    buildingHostPotential
    routeRequirement
    waterQuality
    taintInteraction
  blockers
  actions
  possibleBuildingIds
  linkedFeatureIds
  storyState
  currentCondition

Features preserve partial knowledge. A hidden Feature can exist without a map icon. A clue Feature can expose a hint without full type. A surveyed Feature can unlock exact development.

Building

Building
  id
  name
  buildingType
  category
  hostType
  hostId
  parentLocationId
  level
  state
  constructionProgress
  workerSlots
  workersAssigned
  garrisonSlots
  inputNeeds
  outputEffects
  upkeep
  storageEffects
  routeEffects
  controlEffects
  taintEffects
  shieldEffects
  mcActionUnlocks
  requirements
  blockers
  mapPresentation
    hostBadge
    iconOverride
    visibleAtZoom
    warningBadge

Building records attach to hosts and remain panel-first. They can affect map state through outputs and badges.

Route

Route
  id
  name
  routeType
  centerline
  locationPath
  endpointSiteIds
  crossingSiteIds
  quality
  safety
  controlState
  supplyCapacity
  patrolCoverage
  travelTimeByMode
  blockedBy
  activeThreats
  visibleState
  routeEffects
  connectedArmyIds
  connectedCaravanIds
  mcRouteState

Routes connect the map. They are movement, supply, patrol, economy, and threat objects.

River

River
  id
  name
  basinId
  rank
  centerline
  widthClass
  flowDirection
  sourceLocationId
  mouthLocationOrLakeId
  tributaryIds
  connectedLakeIds
  shoreLocationIds
  crossingSiteIds
  floodplainPolygons
  waterQualityBySegment
  corruptionSources
  fisheryPotential
  watermillCandidateSiteIds
  routeInteractions

River records must support hydrology overlays, crossings, water quality, settlement placement, and corrupted runoff.

Lake

Lake
  id
  name
  polygon
  lakeType
  basinId
  shoreLocationIds
  inletRiverIds
  outletRiverIds
  islandSiteIds
  dockSiteIds
  fisheryPotential
  waterQuality
  floodRisk
  sacredOrStoryTags
  corruptionSources
  routeInteractions

Lakes are strategic water bodies with Sites, routes, resources, and risks.

Army

Army
  id
  name
  factionId
  armyType
  strength
  compositionSummary
  currentLocationId
  currentSiteId
  currentRouteId
  order
  routePlan
  destinationId
  eta
  supplyState
  moraleState
  stance
  frontId
  garrisonHostId
  patrolZone
  visibilityState
  threatProjection

Army can cover garrisons, militia, patrols, enemy hosts, scouts, and caravans if separate marker types are not needed.

MC Expedition

MCExpedition
  id
  mcEntityId
  state
    atCore
    travelling
    camped
    investigating
    attachedToArmy
    returning
    recovering
  currentLocationId
  currentSiteId
  currentRouteId
  campSiteId
  plannedRoute
    routeSegments
    siteStops
    featureTargets
    fallbackSiteId
  destinationType
  destinationId
  loadout
  companions
  campSupplies
  cargo
  fatigue
  injury
  taintExposure
  morale
  travelTimeRemaining
  riskEstimate
  activeActionId
  queuedActionIds
  discoveredDuringExpedition
  surveyReportsCarried
  returnRequirements

The MC Expedition record is how the large strategic map becomes playable at human scale. It ties together camps, routes, Sites, Features, supplies, risk, and returning knowledge.

Overlay State

OverlayState
  id
  targetType
    province
    location
    site
    feature
    route
    river
    lake
    army
  targetId
  overlayType
    terrain
    control
    taint
    shield
    hydrology
    resource
    routeSafety
    threat
    army
    patrol
    supply
    knowledge
    planning
  value
  confidence
  visibleToPlayer
  estimated
  lastUpdatedTurn
  source
  renderProductRef
  label
  warnings

Overlay state separates truth from visibility. This matters for hidden Features, estimated threat, unknown water quality, and fog-of-war style knowledge.

11. Open Design Questions

1. How many Features should a rich Location have? The images support 8-12 for Blackpine-like Locations, but ordinary Locations may need fewer.

2. How many known Site icons can be visible before map clutter? The selected Location view can tolerate more than province zoom, but the target icon budget still needs hard limits.

3. Which building hosts are shown as icons? Core, outpost, fort, route station, major shrine, mine, bridge, and watchtower seem likely. Minor buildings should stay panel-only.

4. How much internal Location travel is simulated? The preferred direction is Site-to-Site and camp-to-Feature travel edges, but the exact granularity needs a decision.

5. Can a single Location have multiple camps or outposts? The model should allow it, but UI clutter and control rules need limits.

6. How does MC discovery change map overlays? A survey report could update resource, threat, water quality, route safety, and knowledge overlays at once.

7. How does taint alter Features and Buildings? It may corrupt water, disable Buildings, change Feature family, create blockers, damage workers, or introduce new actions.

8. When does a Feature become a Site? Likely when it is spatially actionable, selectable, hostable, or important enough to appear on the map.

9. When does a Site become an Outpost? Likely when it has supply, workers or garrison, durable Buildings, and a declared strategic role.

10. When does an Outpost become a Settlement? Population, stable supply, governance, housing, water, storage, and long-term safety probably matter.

11. Should a Province always have 5-10 Locations, or can special Provinces be smaller/larger for geography and story?

12. Should a normal campaign use around 90-180 Locations, or should the count scale with realm size and intended campaign length?

13. Should water bodies ever be Locations, or should lakes and major rivers remain map objects owned by adjacent land Locations?

14. How exact should Location area numbers be in UI? The images show exact km2 values, but the game may not need precision beyond identity and scale.

15. Should hidden Features have unknown slots in panels, or should the total count itself be hidden until survey quality improves?

16. Should control percentage represent physical patrol/control coverage, political legitimacy, supply reliability, or a composite?

17. How should route safety combine patrols, terrain, threat, weather, taint, and known blockers without turning into opaque formula display?

18. Can taint spread through hydrology automatically, or only through authored corruption Features and events?

19. How often should MC expeditions be required for development? The MC should matter, but not become a bottleneck for every normal building upgrade.

20. What is the right MC expedition loop length? A half-day scout, a 2-day survey, and a 3.5-day route plan all appear plausible in the images.

21. How should armies interact with Site-scale anchors inside a Location? A front may occupy the Location, but battles and sieges likely attach to Sites, crossings, forts, and routes.

22. Can a hostile army reveal hidden Features by moving through a Location, or does player knowledge require scouts/MC/patrols?

23. Should construction queues live at the Location level, host level, or settlement/province level? The images show both Location and host panels.

24. How many Building slots should a Site have? The examples often show 2-3, but rich Features such as Iron Hill Ore Vein may need more over time.

25. Should Feature-hosted Buildings be limited by the Feature's surveyed capacity, or by general worker/resource availability?

26. How does a Route / Crossing host Buildings if it spans multiple Locations? It may need route segment hosts and crossing Site hosts.

27. Should camps consume physical supplies from Storehouses and caravans, or a separate expedition-supply abstraction?

28. Can camps be attacked, abandoned, hidden, fortified, or transformed into permanent Sites?

29. How should the map show estimated versus confirmed information without confusing the player?

30. What is the default visual priority order when overlays conflict: terrain, taint, control, roads, rivers, armies, Sites, or labels?

31. How strongly should hydrology constrain generation of settlements, roads, and resources? The target should feel authored, but still playable.

32. Should every road-river intersection create a ford/bridge Site, or only intersections that matter at the current strategic scale?

33. How does the player repair an unsafe route across multiple Locations? Segment projects, Province projects, and MC interventions all seem useful.

34. Should the MC be able to fast-travel along secured routes, or should all travel consume strategic time with lower risk?

35. How does returning with survey knowledge work mechanically? Reports may need to be delivered to a core, outpost, or map room before becoming fully actionable.

36. What should happen when a secured Feature becomes contested again? The map needs clear regression states and warnings.

37. Are districts strictly inside one Location, or can a settlement district span multiple adjacent Locations?

38. How should Province-level projects interact with Location-level hosts? A "secure North Road" project may touch several Sites, patrols, and Buildings.

39. Which facts are part of generation truth, and which are mutable gameplay state? Terrain, hydrology, and many Features are generated truth; control, taint, buildings, and knowledge are mutable.

40. What is the first implementation artifact: a static Järva March sample, a full generator, or a hybrid authored sample with generated validation?