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Planet Gielinor ~ The Geography of Runescape [WIP]


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Planet Gielinor ~ The Geography of Runescape

 

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"Welcome brave explorers, to the Planet Gielinor! I am Professor Ganick, a leading researcher into Geography at the University of Falador. Many of us are well versed in the history of Runescape, but how did the land around us in Gielinor come to be? This geographical guide will help you become more informed about the shape of the land, the biomes within the realm, and what may happen to it in the future!"

 

Contents

[anchorlink=Biome]2mrcjyx.png[/anchorlink]

  • [anchorlink=coast] Coastal[/anchorlink]
  • Jungle/Tropical
  • Urban
  • Arctic
  • Desert
  • Mountainous
  • Swamp
  • Wasteland

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  • Volcanoes in Gielinor
  • Known Volcanic activity
  • Famous Volcanic Formations

 

 

[anchor]Biome[/anchor]

The Biomes of Runescape

 

Professor Ganick: "The places we are familiar with in Gielinor such as the Arctic regions of the north and the Deserts of Al Kharid are known as biomes. Biomes are areas which are similar in their climate and geography; containing the same types of terrain, flora (plants) and fauna (animals). This section describes and explains the various Biomes around Runescape that I've had time to study."

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[anchor]coast[/anchor][hide=Coastal]

Fury_shark.gif The Coastal Biome Rainbow_fish.gif

 

"Ah, the seaside! The coastal biome is arguably the most attractive in Gielinor. Wherever the sea meets the land, we have a coast! Let's look at some of the facts..."

 

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  • Name: Coastal Biome/Marine Habitat
     
  • Terrain: Almost always thin sediment, such as Sand. This is due to the wave action of the sea, which deposits the sand on the coastline, an example being the Catherby Beach. In some areas however, larger stones such as Shingle make up the beach. This seems to be the case on the semi-glacial island of Pirates' Cove, where you can see large rocks making up the coastline.
     
    Bucket_of_sand.gif"A specimen of 100 year old sand, taken from our vault at the University"


     

  • Popular ecosystem examples: One of the best tourist destinations for the coast is Catherby, which attracts many fishers. The beach here is supported by a rich amount of wildlife, and many local shops which provide skilling opportunities for its visitors, including being home to the Fletching skill cape. Another popular destination is the Karamjan coastline, which provides a tropical environment for its visitors. The main biome here however is the Tropical Jungle, however the surrounding sandy coastlines are popular for fishers and pirate-enthusiasts! Less popular coastlines include Mos Le'Harmless, where a recent attack by a mysterious species have made this place an unpopular tourist destination. Harmony Island also was home to zombie Pirates and toxic gas, however don't let that put you off! This is the only place where you can see the puffin in Gielinor.
     
    Zombie_Pirate.gif"Rarghrgh?"
     
  • Flora: Plants that grow here are often "Halophytic", which means they are salt-resistant. This is an important factor, as the seas of Gielinor are salt rich, which could potentially kill any other species. In Catherby, you may be surprised to see Evergreen trees, as some may expect taller Coconut and Palm trees. Though one can grow palm trees on the beach, the natural landscape here may actually be a psammosere. This is a geographical phenomena observed in Gielinor, which is a "Sand succession". This means, as we go further back from the sealine towards the Summoning Obelisk on Catherby beach, the vegetation becomes more and more green. Right at the very edge of the beach, you can see a light coloured sand, which hasn't been colonized by a large amount of plants. This is because of the water sweeping them away, and the salty conditions allowing only "Pioneer" plants to grow. Further and further back, the ground becomes greener because plants are colonising the area, until we reach the very back of the succession, known as the "Climax", where evergreen trees grow. If you explore Catherby town, you can find Daisies and Ferns, which may have "escaped" from the local farm patch to grow naturally.
     
  • Fauna: The main animals associated with the coast are of course Fish. Lobsters, swordfish, tuna, salmon, trout and even Sharks can be found here, which are popular for fishing. In Karamja however, very very diverse wildlife have colonised here, such as Harpie Bug swarms. This is probably due to the very hot climate associated with the jungle. Crabs and other crustaceans are often found in places such as Mudskipper point. Here, rare fish known as Mudskippers can be found, which are hunted by semi-aquatic ogre descendants known as "Mogres", who can attack visitors on the point. At Arctic coastlines, penguins and polar bears can also be found, however these are more associated with the Arctic biome.
     
    rawshark.pngrawswordfish.pngrawlobster.png


     

  • Climate: The climate here is often hotter in the winter, and colder in the summer (with mild exceptions). This is because the sun heats water to a greater depth than it heats land. So land is heated quickly, but loses it quickly too. At the coast, the water doesn't become as warm as inland, however it retains its heat for longer. This effect explains why it can be hotter in the winter, however in extreme temperate cases such as the Jungle, this sometimes isn't the same.

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Very much a WIP!

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  • 4 weeks later...

This is a very interesting concept for a "guide". Although Runescape doesn't have the best graphics ever, some of the environments are pretty well-detailed and diverse.

 

I'm definitely interested in future updates to this guide.

 

However for a guide for like this to really become popular, I think you'll need a friend and an orb of occulus to take some really nice pictures and jam the guide with them.

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Looking great so far and very interesting too! Can't wait to see further content.

 

Already liking the game facts such as Mos Le'Harmless being the only place to see a puffin and the real life facts such as the halophytic flora, etc.

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99: Agility 28/12/14|Thieving 20/03/15

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  • 2 months later...

Bit of an update:

 

Had a long exam period recently which I'm out of now so haven't had any time to do anything on this, however I have half term coming up in 2 days time so will get back on swiftly with this, with a view to doing the new volcano content :D

 

Currently in the making is perhaps a handy little tool which I might submit to crew to help you figure out the lowest cost when travelling about on the Charter ships, will be doing that swiftly! Thanks for your support!

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