The mystery of Vranik

[Jindrich]

How it happened that (in-game) Vranik is an abandoned fool’s retreat instead of a well built military outpost?

Located on a top height in the area, it has two water sources (a stream at the bottom and a well right on the top). A plenty of building materials: quality wood from the nearby forest and the stone deposit right on the top. No even need to transport it uphill.

And finally, it’s a great observation and signaling point, that could work as a message relay for the major towns: two-way communications with Rattay, Sasau, and Ledetchko and one-way messaging to far places like Merhojed, Talmberg etc.

In reality, the place is not raised, that’s why there was nothing important built. But the map designers have given it an outstanding military property, but haven’t recognized it.

[Kaven]

There used to be early medieval castle (or rather settlement), probably because of location properties you wrote about. It was burned down in 10th century and never rebuilt after that. You know, it was not map designers who gave the location its properties. Map is a recreation of real landscape, so it was nature what created the location, and history what caused it being not inhabited in 1403

[Jindrich]

KCD has some real GIS data in the background. Take a look on the real map below.

Both Sasau and Vranik are marked with red circles. Elevation of Sasau as approx 320 and the elevation of Vranik is about 400. The settlements divided by the fair distance of 3Km with two hills, 420 and 450 in the highest points, they make any visual contact between the places impossible.

It worth noticing there not only Sasau and Vranik are on the map, but also Uzhits, Talmberg and others. No Neuhof, though, and I believe Neuhof is as far as 30Km to the east.

Real Skalitz is 5Km to the north-west from Sasau and real Henry would have to change horses more than four times to get to Talmberg before bleeding to death. To save the poor Henry, loremasters have shrunk the map a little:

Not sure how “real” the resulting map is, but guys definitely did a great job making it look close to the real one.