Café de Nuit

As I understand it, before 5e, the different domains were largely physically connected, with political borders usually serving as the only real line between domains, though there could be a misty border that sprang up at DM discretion. Most darklords could seal their borders, manifesting in a variety of ways, but effectively they could at will make travel into or out of their realm difficult for adventurers. As of 5e, every domain is surrounded by the misty border, and is essentially an island of terror. Do I have this correctly so far? Because if I do...I hate it. It seems so weird to me to make all the domains into isles of terror. Been trying to figure out why they would do that and to be honest I've got nothing. I don't run 5e, so it doesn't really effect me, but I still think about it from time to time.

Yes that is it. 5ed broke the core up. They are all islands of terror now.

So then in previous editions, unless the domain specifically stated it had a misty border, there wouldn't be a wall of mist between, let's say, Borca and Richmulot? But there would on the Eastern side of Valachan?

Well, in 3.5 the core had only two misty borders, by land, one north of Darkon the other south of Hazlan.

I see. My apologies, I have a framed 2e map hung on the wall and wasn’t thinking earlier. But I’m glad to hear that, overall, I have the gist of things correctly.