Ocean Chart

An Ocean Chart is a metal mapping sphere designed for the shifting geography of the Twilight Ocean. Zac Atwood uses one to record his route and exchange information with other travelers. (Chapters 704, 725–726, and 729)

History

Charting the Twilight Ocean

Zac prepares an Ocean Chart before entering the trial. The specialized Automatic Mapper updates while stored in his Spatial Ring, gradually filling in terrain and routes as he travels. A chart recovered from an earlier explorer contains extensive but outdated coverage because the Ocean has rearranged itself. (Chapter 704)

Trading routes

Travelers can copy and merge their recorded data. Zac exchanges a deliberately limited version of his map with another cultivator, increasing both charts' coverage without revealing his most valuable discoveries. Continued travel turns the sphere into a practical record of routes, hazards, and points of interest. (Chapters 725–726, 729–731, 752–754, and 757–762)

Properties and use

• Automatic recording: The sphere maps its holder's progress even while stored. (Chapter 704)
• Data exchange: Compatible charts can share copied route information without surrendering the original device. (Chapters 725–726)
• Imperfect reliability: Coverage can be incomplete, selectively edited, or made obsolete by the Ocean's changing geography. (Chapters 704 and 725–726)

Associated characters

• Zac Atwood: Carries a chart through the Twilight Ocean and expands it through travel, salvage, and trade. (Chapters 704, 725–726, and 752–762)