Continents and danger

Eight lands in one ocean

The world is a big ocean with eight lands in it. Each land is one realm, with its own ground, weather, music and creatures, and its own band of creature levels:

Your village is in the middle of the Riverlands, the home continent. Every other land lies across the sea, with a good stretch of open water between any two coasts: take the ferry from a harbour, paddle a canoe or swim across (see Getting around, and animal friends). The two islands, the Primeval Isle and the Dragonfire Isle, sit on their own in the sea. The world ends about 5,600 m from the village: past that the sea is too wild, a canoe won't go any further, and swimmers are sent back.

How strong are the creatures?

At home, creatures get stronger the further you walk from the village, in rings:

On every other land, the creatures are weakest on the harbour side (the coast that faces the village, where the ferry lands) and get stronger towards the far side, within that land's band. So when you land on a new shore, the easiest creatures are the ones nearest the beach, and on the far side of each land waits its own boss (see Bosses). Out at sea, creatures match the land the water belongs to. Nothing in the world is ever above level 130.

A few more things change a creature's level:

• Night: +15% (at least one level).
• Mesas and highlands: a little stronger. Wetlands: a tiny bit.
• Glacier peaks and volcano craters: 2 levels stronger, and a tenth more on top.
• A little chance, up or down.

Regions

Each land is cut into regions of about 640 m, with wandering borders. Every region has a name made from its realm's words, like "Frostfang Tundra" or "Mirage Dunes". The one round the village is always Riverside Meadows. Walking into a region for the first time is a discovery: you get XP, and the first region of a new realm gives double.

Many regions have a town at their heart: safe ground with stations and a trading post (see Villagers and town keepers).

Reading the map and the minimap

• The minimap in the bottom-left corner shows the name of the region you're in and its creature levels, coloured by how they compare with your level.
• The big map (M) shows region names and borders in their realm's colours. Zoom out to see the whole world: the continents with their names and level bands. Click a region to see who lives there: each creature's picture, level and weaknesses, the materials it drops and the best gear it can leave, and the land's boss. Click a creature for its full page: health, attack, how to beat it, and every drop with its chance.

Getting back

The village, your bed, the towns you've visited, and the lookouts and temples you've found are travel points: open the map and click one to travel there (not within 10 s of being hurt). See Getting around, and animal friends.