SANJIESAN LORE / Map quantities
Map distance and story travel time need separate notes
A distance label does not explain how long a character takes to reach a place. The route, pauses and story conditions still matter. For a small original setting, keep the map’s distance information in one place and the chosen journey assumptions beside the scene that uses them.
State what the map is showing
Decide whether the drawing is a distance-bearing plan or a schematic whose spacing is illustrative. QGIS’s scale-bar reference describes a visual indication of feature size and distance; it does not turn that distance into a journey duration. In your working note, record the intended unit and the two points being compared. Do not put a realistic-looking scale bar on a decorative map unless the drawn relationships support the claim you intend it to make.
Write the journey assumptions separately
For an invented walk between a gate and a mill, list the chosen path, a stop and any delay the draft explicitly gives it. Use the story’s own established travel conditions rather than inventing a universal human speed. Distinguish a direct separation from the actual route length. If the journey timing is approximate, keep the language approximate instead of adding precise numbers that the map and scene cannot justify.
Recheck the assumption after a map edit
If the mill moves, inspect the dependent departure and arrival references as well as the map label. A journey may retain its duration for a story reason, but record the reason instead of hiding the difference. Keep the small example with the map revision notes so a collaborator sees what was considered. This is fictional consistency work, not a real travel planner, route safety guide or proof that a world’s geography is scientifically correct.