Terrain Distribution & Population

Trid has a global land area of 34.2 million square miles, with a total population of 33.9 million, for a rough global population density of one person per square mile. However, not all land is equally habitable, and the table below shows the population by terrain type.

Terrain Types

Trid uses the same terrain types described in the classic rules. These are described below, along with their hex map symbols.

Barrens / Hills / Mountains

Any rough terrain with sparse vegetation.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Barrens	Dry and bare land covered with a mix of rock and soil; sometimes referred to as rocky deserts.
Glacier	Thick sheets of hard-packed ice and snow that move slowly under their own weight; typified by wide snowfields, crevasses, steep inclines, and ice caves.
Hills	Rocky and uneven heights, often with caves, canyons, and plateaus, usually ringing mountain ranges.
Mountains	Essentially hills rising above 1,000 feet. Altitude makes mountains colder by one climate band (e.g., a sub-tropical mountain range has a temperate climate).

City

In the context of terrain, “city” refers to any settlement. Certainly, this includes cities, towns, and villages, but also strongholds, monasteries, and fighting orders.

Type	Population	Icon
Village	50–1,000 (1d20 x 50)
Town, small	500–5,000 (1d10 x 500)
Town, large	4,000–15,000 (1d12+3 x 1,000)
City	13,000–24,000 (1d12+12 x 1,000)

Port: Any settlement that engages in trade via river or sea. Port settlements support an additional population of 20–50% (1d4+1), consisting of dock labour and security, merchants, trade guilds, and travellers.

Capital: Any settlement that serves as the seat of government in an established polity. Capitals may be formed of any settlement type and are outlined in red on the map. These urban centres support an additional population of 30–80% (1d6+2), consisting of bureaucrats, noble families, diplomats, security, merchants, and travellers.

Clear / Grassland

Generally flat land covered with abundant, low-lying vegetation.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Clear	Typically lightly wooded land and relatively easy to convert to arable acreage.
Grasslands	Characterised by short shrubs, tall grass, and the occasional stand of trees. As with clear terrain, soil is rich and fed by plentiful sources of water.
Tundra	Clear terrain in cold areas with low grasses and hearty shrubs.

Desert

Arid regions that receive little to no annual rainfall. Plants and animals survive in deserts through specialised adaptations, adding to the danger of this desolate terrain.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Cold Desert	High-altitude desert with rocky soil.
Hot Desert	Usually sand-filled with dunes formed by wind; the occasional oasis exists where fed by a natural spring.

Forest

Any predominantly wooded area where trees provide a tall canopy.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Forest	Deciduous trees that can withstand the extremes of hot summers and freezing winters. Undergrowth may be sparse if a dense canopy prevents sunlight from reaching the ground.
Taiga	Cold forests dominated by conifers extending to the treeline at the arctic climate band.

Jungle

Limited to tropical climes, jungles are “multi-story” forests, with tall and medium-height trees whose canopies are thin enough to allow thick undergrowth.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Jungle	Generally thick undergrowth and tall trees that provide the basis for a vibrant and intimately connected ecosystem. Jungles are hot, humid, and teeming with predators.

Lake / River

Bodies of fresh water.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Lake	A standing body of fresh water; lakes may be of any size, depth, or altitude. They are often fed and/or drained by rivers.
River	A flowing course of fresh water; rivers may be of any length, width, or current speed. Generally, rivers start in higher altitudes with swift and narrow currents that slow down over distance, invariably flowing into another body of water (i.e., another river, a lake, or the sea).

Ocean / Sea

Bodies of salt water.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Ocean	Vast stretches of open water, separating continents.
Sea	A smaller part of an ocean, partially enclosed by land.

Settled

Land surrounding an established settlement, made safe by armed patrols and satellite occupants (homesteads, industrial centres, etc.). The larger the settlement, the larger the area of settled terrain around it:

Type	Sphere of Influence	Radius
Village	Current Local hex (0.86 mi2)
Town, small	Current Local hex + 1 Local hex radius (6 mi2)
Town, large	Current Regional hex (31.14 mi2)
City	Current Regional Hex + 1 Regional hex radius (218 mi2)

Swamp

Any wetland area where poor drainage allows standing water.

Terrain	Description	Icon
Swamp	Wooded wetland, though other wetlands may be represented: * Marsh (shallow wetlands dominated by low vegetation and grasses) * Bog (acidic wetlands fed by rainwater, rich with decomposing vegetation * Fen (alkaline wetlands, usually fed by underground springs)