Sharlayan: Lore to Map Incongruity?

In the game, Sharlayan is referred to (more than once, in more than one language) as an island city-state within a larger archipelago. However, on the map of Eorzea, it's quite clearly on the main land mass, is it not?

No big lore bombs here, just... what gives?
Did I miss something obvious?

For the sake of completeness, an example:

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The city of Sharlayan lies on an island in an archipelago far to the north. It was once a great seat of learning, home to countless scholars versed in the ways of magic.

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http://ffxivmaps.com/img/world-map-official-large.jpg

If I didn't misread the map...
Isn't it possible for it to be a river island?
River islands can be sufficiently large to house a city in certain cases, though the thought of a river archipelago is certainly stretching.

Based on the Current Earth events, an ancient sprawling city which existed on a series of islands in the middle of a large bay in Spain was recently discovered using ultrasonic scans.

Geological history suggests that a large tidal wave flooded the bay, and pulled inland soil back over the city, creating sprawling mudlands over where the archipelago used to be, the bay effectively ceasing to exist.

Even if the map isn't perfectly specific/to scale on the city's design, it is still viable to be a series of islands on a small inland sea or lake.

Remember the inaccessable "dragon themed" island in northwest Coerthas?

If Sharlayan is indeed a destroyed city now. And the map we currently have is over 70 years old (1506 6A.E.) then it's quite possible that the destruction resulted with part of the land mass being submerged and forming an archipelago. If Sharlayan was on an island in a lake/the sea you'd think Roddard Ironheart would have drawn so.

I think it might be on an archipelago far to the north.

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Originally Posted by Duuude007

Geological history suggests that a large tidal wave flooded the bay, and pulled inland soil back over the city, creating sprawling mudlands over where the archipelago used to be, the bay effectively ceasing to exist.

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Originally Posted by NoloeTazier

If Sharlayan is indeed a destroyed city now. And the map we currently have is over 70 years old (1506 6A.E.) then it's quite possible that the destruction resulted with part of the land mass being submerged and forming an archipelago. If Sharlayan was on an island in a lake/the sea you'd think Roddard Ironheart would have drawn so.

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Good observations, but this fate is also elaborated on: Sharlayan was not destroyed, but abandoned when the Empire took Ala Mhigo. Not that many chose to remain in Eorzea. It seems to be a rather recent development.

Both are still possible; I'm just quite confused, lol.

IIRC, Limsa is also described as being built on a collection of islands that dot the coastline. Sounds a bit like an archipelago.

Could Sharlayan be set up in a similar way?

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Originally Posted by Catapult

IIRC, Limsa is also described as being built on a collection of islands that dot the coastline. Sounds a bit like an archipelago.

Could Sharlayan be set up in a similar way?

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Here's the archipelago that Limsa Lominsa is on.

http://ffxivmaps.com/img/region-la_noscea-large.png

But if you look at the world map Limsa is clearly off the island and Sharlayan looks INLAND. But if you look carefully on the world map you can see 2 rivers around Sharlayan. The city has round walls all around it and small buildings protected on the inside. No big recognizable buildings like Ishgard, Ul'dah, etc.

http://ffxivmaps.com/img/world-map-official-large.jpg

Edit: click view image then you can zoom in on both maps.

The map icon for Sharlayan looks like the bog standard icon for places we haven't been to (I know Ishgard's looks different, but we could actually see Ishgard.)
I call lazy Dev team. Fern?

Perhaps the Sharlayan city icon (which is a copy/paste of Ala Mhigo) and placing on the World Map are to mark the city-state's region of influence rather than a direct representation of the place itself and Sharlayan proper is on the small islands to the North or South, or under that cloud...

I always speculated that the world of Hydealyn (sp?) is massive and that realm of Eorzea in which these events take place is on a group of islands.

At the very least looking at this map its a peninsula and you must think at the time of the map as well as current times and control of areas would make mapping a pain.

If the map was made 50 years ago that still coincides with or shortly after the formation of the empire and would hinder any exploration to the north east. So even if it is a peninsula and not a set of large islands perhaps they might have not been able to make the distinction.

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Originally Posted by Laevetine

I always speculated that the world of Hydealyn (sp?) is massive and that realm of Eorzea in which these events take place is on a group of islands.

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A recent trailer for ARR would put a wrench in that one. Eorzea (The large island of Vylbrand and the continent of Aldenard) are pretty massive. The "known world" to these people is comprised the "Three Great Continents." Aldenard is one, which is connected to Ilsabard by a land bridge. Further east is Othard, which we know little about other than that it's at least accessible enough that the Garleans decided to conquer it before us. There might be other stuff out there, too, on the far side of the restless seas... myths say so, at least.

http://eternalgarden.enjin.com/sysmo...68#pid=1195818http://eternalgarden.enjin.com/sysmo...68#pid=1195818http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...7/Hydaelyn.jpg

Sometimes guesses and log are futile, however. The Map of Eorzea and in-game maps don't mesh 100%, and the game-text can be untrustworthy. One of my favorite examples is Erik's discussion about Crystal Tower, which he says is in a different cardinal direction relative to the lake depending on which language you ask him in.