Oddly alike!
This map actually got a recent update (thanks Lee), and I was going to edit the file yesterday to match, but unfortunately my tablet pen has died and I am currently in the middle of a rain forest. They do not have AAAA batteries here. So I will change the image file later.
Edit 4/28/25: The battery was fine apparently, because the pen started working again. I'm blaming the humidity. The map has been updated. If your computer cached the old image you will need to hard refresh the page to see it.
Transcript
Talita: I don’t even know where to start. There’s a lot on the internet about the Shess languages… But ethnically I’m probably from one of the nomad groups?
Panel background: The map of the centaur homeplanet looms above the two of them sitting on the couch, in a rectangular projection. The single continent forms a continuous loop between the two poles, with two divided oceans. A counterclockwise arrow shows the travel path of the nomadic ethnic groups as they circumnavigate the globe from one pole to the other, following the edge of the middle sea. Labels on the continent note the major settled ethnic groups: Biing, Pahk, Auolut, Bii, Chuchae, Shta, Daewirgh, and Shess. The Shess are positioned on the same large peninsula as the first contact site.
Talita: And even if I share genetics, it’s not like I belong to any of those cultures. So researching them just makes me feel like even more of an outsider…
Idrisah looks knowingly at Talita. Talita's cheeks bristle and she looks away shyly.
Talita: Maybe you're familiar.
Idrisah: Well…
35 thoughts on “Runaway to the Stars: Page 159”
40
Is there like a hard worldbuilding reason for the map change or did you just think the previous one needed a little spice?
Mintaka
Seeing the new map now, but since I had to clear my cache to see it I was able to compare the two, interesting changes. Notably, it seems like the Biing got a whole lot more island to inhabit.
Teod
I see generally more islands everywhere and a new big sea in the north. Although I don’t have an old version of this page, but an even older reddit post to compare it to.
the Inmara
Island goes “Biing”!
Jordan Aster
I’ve been pronouncing it like “Bee-ing”, but I like the idea of it just being “Bing” but drawn out a little longer.
potatosapien
Wait. This is me wildly speculating, but. On page 125, Bip says their crew wrote in a language shared by most nomadic clans. This could mean that their crew was possibly a Sunchaser nomad clan. Is it possible that Bip will teach Talita a Sunchaser language? Because that would be quite fun to see.
griffy
i love the map, it looks so much like something humans would have in-universe! Also, in the third panel, are Talita’s base colors unblended? Is that intentional? It looks neat!
colas
talita’s colors are unblended on page 154 too in a similar beat panel, which tells me its probably intentional
SIGSTKFLT
What projection does the map use? Choose your answer carefully 🙂
Jay Eaton
Rek tangle :^)
Mintaka
At a glance, the proportions make me think Equirectangular. Not sure about those scalloped edges though. Let’s call it the “Dospaço Projection”
Vinemaple
I’ve seen those round scalloped edges before, IRL, though. I think Jay just means that it’s not perfectly drawn to resemble the distortion such a projection would cause if used to map a globe.
It’s the kind of projection you’d use if you want minimal difficulty translating from spherical to 2D, and care less about equal area, interruption, or distortion.
Lee
It is indeed Equirectangular! When I made the first map in 2021/22 I painted the features in color onto a sphere in SculptGL, belatedly realized how difficult that would make *every* aspect of finishing and sharing it, and since I couldn’t export the painted data directly I instead took multiple screenshots of the sphere from different angles and then stitched them together again, which is why the polar data looked like that in the first version. That was 3+ years and a lot of experience ago tho, and this time I did all my work in Blender and Photopea and so had no gaps or stitching to deal with; when Jay stylized and incorporated my new version of the map, they just kept the scalloped edges from my first attempt, which do a very nice job of framing the map and demarcating it from the rest of the page in my opinion. I’m real happy with both of our contributions to the makeover : )
Gar G
Aww
That1guy
What is Gilly signing? Also, I love the map.
Chase Wanderstar
Probably something in a bugferret language. Work stuff, I’d assume. But there is a distinct possibility that I’m entirely off-base here.
Benguine
I enjoy the irony that in this conversation about being an outsider, whether culturally or speciesly(?), there is a literal deaf catgirl in the room who is completley unaware. There is a wonderful irony and I imagine a very intentional choice. Nicely done!
Benguine
Oh beans i did not mean to make that a reply, my bad!
IncompleteMachine
I have to ask, is your screenname pronounced ben-gwin or ben-gween-ee?
Microw
You know… Honestly Talita and Idrisah talking about the language/culture disconnect really hits home. I’m japanese american but never got to grow up with the language or culture, and trying to learn about stuff like that when you never grew up with it is difficult and frustrating, and you might still always feel like an outsider.
meridian asker
is anything of the map different other than the antimeridian being shifted?
Jay Eaton
I haven’t changed it yet.
Jay Eaton
I changed it now.
cain
Small detail, but I love the scalloped edges of the map, reminding me that it’s a projection of a sphere.
A Box Of Fox
Mmmmm, scallops. Such a wonderful word. In different contexts, useful, beautiful, fascinating, or delicious!
JayEnfield
If you can get your hands on a 9v battery and cut the outer shell off, those contain 6 AAAA batteries inside.
https://www.reddit.com/r/diyelectronics/comments/113xk4j/the_insides_of_9v_battery/
Jay Eaton
Thank you for the slightly terrifying advice, but the pen mysteriously started working again. I’m blaming it on the humidity.
Peter Jensen
Careful, though, not every 9V battery is constructed like this. Some have a horizontal stack of 6 1.5V cells and are decidedly not suitable for being taken apart. On some models you can see through the terminals if it’s a 6-AAAA battery type.
talonboot
what a beautiful map!! it even looks photocopied from a textbook!
Vinemaple
Oh, this is much, much better than a social-faux-pas punchline! They’re bonding! So beautiful! That cute little eye contact!
I guess I’ve been forgetting that the information Jay’s put up about Centaurs would require hours upon hours of research and fact-checking for Idrisah… and some of it may well not be properly understood by in-universe Humans.
Bruce Mickelson
You draw Talita’s hands beautifully. Her hand poses and head fluffs really emphasize her emotional range. Very well done!
blythe
Talita is likely Sunchaser right? It’s wild how because shes a nomad shes actually shorter than most centaurs. I think shed look cute with Sunchaser feather shaving.
AnormalADN
I love Talita’s expression in the last panel. Centaur “blush” is very endearing.
Amanda/OwlBear
oh ooh!!! MAP!!!!
RottenFruitz
This is very relatable to, wow 🥲