I wonder if Liavan could use magic to measure straight-line distances with even half-decent accuracy?
Even assuming she'd have to go to both ends and cast a spell at both (e.g. a beacon at one end, and a beacon-detecting spell at the other), that shouldn't be a major problem given her travel magic. (Especially if she can set up several beacons and distinguish between them in the detection spell.)
We do know that magic use can be detected at a distance (from Penden noticing Liavan making her house), so it is probably possible, even if indirectly - the main question would be whether Liavan can figure out how. (Assuming she even considers it, and assuming she'd actually care to make a map in the first place.)
I don't know much about map-making, but I think having the straight-line distances between her landmarks should allow her to make a decent map fairly easily, shouldn't it? Even without having the angles (beyond "somewhere left of this other landmark")?
The simplest way I can think of would be to use a compass (the drawing tool), basically constructing the map locations as the intersections of arcs.
Even without a compass, though, I can see a fairly easy way to do it, using needles and string (from her sowing kit). The needles (or pins) would represent landmarks, and the string would be measured out to correspond to the distances between them - attaching the string to the needles and moving the needles around until as many strings as possible are taut.
Either way, not much geometry knowledge needed.
Whether using angles or distances though, I do agree that filling in the holes between the landmarks (even just the roads) will be the most time-consuming and hazardous part.
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I wonder if Liavan could use magic to measure straight-line distances with even half-decent accuracy?
Even assuming she'd have to go to both ends and cast a spell at both (e.g. a beacon at one end, and a beacon-detecting spell at the other), that shouldn't be a major problem given her travel magic. (Especially if she can set up several beacons and distinguish between them in the detection spell.)
We do know that magic use can be detected at a distance (from Penden noticing Liavan making her house), so it is probably possible, even if indirectly - the main question would be whether Liavan can figure out how. (Assuming she even considers it, and assuming she'd actually care to make a map in the first place.)
I don't know much about map-making, but I think having the straight-line distances between her landmarks should allow her to make a decent map fairly easily, shouldn't it? Even without having the angles (beyond "somewhere left of this other landmark")?
The simplest way I can think of would be to use a compass (the drawing tool), basically constructing the map locations as the intersections of arcs.
Even without a compass, though, I can see a fairly easy way to do it, using needles and string (from her sowing kit). The needles (or pins) would represent landmarks, and the string would be measured out to correspond to the distances between them - attaching the string to the needles and moving the needles around until as many strings as possible are taut.
Either way, not much geometry knowledge needed.
Whether using angles or distances though, I do agree that filling in the holes between the landmarks (even just the roads) will be the most time-consuming and hazardous part.