See also: Atlas (index)

This represents all of the information about the physical world in which the game is run. From the mighty nations and cities to major geographical wonders.

Miranda has changed a great deal since my first conception of it. Back at Purdue University I simply threw together a place where each player could play the type of character they wanted without the world shackling them into a set stereotype. Tall elves, short elves, just about any race imaginable were all possibilities. Nations were only names that we hung on the various areas that we traveled through - the names of towns and cities were of far more importance, but only a few of those would ever be used more than once. The only thing I maintained control over were the various rule hacks that set inside of the HERO System.

As time marched on both my original group and I wanted a bit more from the world and the game. Sure we had some really fun hack-n-slash games and would have a great deal more, but in order to advance the game things had to become more solid - thus I started building a map and growing some borders. While the information you are currently looking at is so far from the original it is hardly recognizable it did come from the starting kernel of ideas. In essence the world was shaped by me as much as by my players at each step of the way.

Not resting on my laurels I have been translating a much of my early material into this wiki site. The maps have been especially difficult as most of the nations exist in text format; the only information that has remained constant was who bordered who, not the length and exact placement of that border. So, this living world has produced a living document that will probably be changing long after I stop running my game (which doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon thankfully).

Main Article: Nations (list)

It is true that in a early historic world there is no true nation-state as we know them today, in fact many of the areas I call nations or countries are often little more than small tribes that share a common heritage. However, I will use either of the above terms when discussing any of these forms to avoid confusion. Everything from a kingdom, republic, to common tribesmen will be referred to as a country or nation.

Main Article: Provinces (list)

A Province is foreign division of land that is overseen by a magistrate, consul, or other functionary of another national government.

Main Article: Holdings (list)

A holding is a village, town, city, hamlet, or other community where people live. This community can either be permanent or nomadic. The holding will include associated features such as roads, enclosures, field systems, boundary banks and ditches, ponds, parks and woods, mills, manor houses, moats and churches. As a rough estimate I will use a size scale to determine a community's name: hamlet, village, town, and city (smallest to largest).

A hundred is a geographic division which is used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions. The name is derived from the number one hundred, and in some areas it may once have referred to a hundred men under arms. Above the hundred is the shire that is under the control of a shire-reeve (or sheriff). Hundred boundaries are independent of other boundaries, although often aligned, meaning that a hundred could be split between multiple holdings.

A shire is an administrative division of a country. Shires are commonly controlled by a royal official known as a “shire reeve” or sheriff. Shires can be further sub-divided into hundreds (rural) or districts (urban).