Distances and Travel Times

[Mysterysword]

In addition to my questions on latitude, does anyone know what the type of crops grown in which region means about said region's weather? Wheat, oranges and grapes in La Noscea, Thanalan has... pumpkins, or some type of squash growing in the sultana's gardens, and the Black Shroud has, as far as I can remember, apples and cotton. I'll have to go through the botanist guild quests to see what else grows where.

But, not being a farmer, the most I know is that different plants need different types of weather, both hot and cold, to survive. So does anyone know anything better?

[Ultimatecalibur]

Another thing it remember is that the distances and size of various objects in each zone are distorted to make play more viable than if they were true scale. You can actually easily see this with how big Alexander is in the hinterlands and how big he is in Breath of the Creator.

[YianKutku]

But, not being a farmer, the most I know is that different plants need different types of weather, both hot and cold, to survive. So does anyone know anything better?

I don't know much more (being very far from any sort of agriculture), but rice tends to need lots of sun and lots of water to be cultivated. Which allegedly made for cultural differences between warmer Southern China (primarily rice-growing) and colder Northern China (primarily wheat-growing).

So the Yanxia/Doma region of Othard should be similar to Southern China, since they grow rice there.

I was mainly trying to work it out based on how "Yanxia" should be pronounced: the Southern Chinese way ("Yan-sia"), or the Northern Chinese way ("Yan-sha", or stereotypically "Yan-sharrrrr").

[Mysterysword]

I was mainly trying to work it out based on how "Yanxia" should be pronounced: the Southern Chinese way ("Yan-sia"), or the Northern Chinese way ("Yan-sha", or stereotypically "Yan-sharrrrr").

I thought "Yanxia" was another varient, possibly a Mandarin dialect pronunciation, of "天下", pronounced "tiānxià", the concept of "All under Heaven".

[YianKutku]

I thought "Yanxia" was another varient, possibly a Mandarin dialect pronunciation, of "天下", pronounced "tiānxià", the concept of "All under Heaven".

There is no dialect I know of that reads 天 as "yan" or similar. If there is, it would be so obscure that "xia" would not be pronounced that way either.

Personally, given the Swallow's Compass landmark (and its Japanese name of Gan'en's Tomb), I'm guessing Yanxia might either be 燕下 ("Under the swallow") or, slightly less likely, 燕峡 ("Swallow ravine").

[Mysterysword]

There is no dialect I know of that reads 天 as "yan" or similar. If there is, it would be so obscure that "xia" would not be pronounced that way either.

Personally, given the Swallow's Compass landmark (and its Japanese name of Gan'en's Tomb), I'm guessing Yanxia might either be 燕下 ("Under the swallow") or, slightly less likely, 燕峡 ("Swallow ravine").

Upon reflection, the answers to many of our questions about lore over the years have been the simplest possible ones, so the simplest answer is probably that. But do any of the NPCs or sidequests make reference to the name of the area?

Also, the first time I ever saw Yanxia, I was immediately reminded of the Southern Sky Pillar mountains. Could just be real-life design inspiration, could just be me grasping at straws. We won't know until we get Encyclopaedia Othard, I guess.

[YianKutku]

Also, the first time I ever saw Yanxia, I was immediately reminded of the Southern Sky Pillar mountains. Could just be real-life design inspiration, could just be me grasping at straws. We won't know until we get Encyclopaedia Othard, I guess.

Same here. I'd love it if it was a direct reference, but I suspect it's the same reason why all the architecture in Yanxia is Tang dynasty era: it's the Standard Ancient China set dressing as seen in pop culture, such as wuxia. (I may be behind the times; I don't keep track of wuxia trends, because I don't really like wuxia.)