E.02 — Life on Meridian

The Nether

One Nether block is eight on the surface, and the Nether lines up with the whole Earth map. It's the fastest way across a continent, and it plays by a few Meridian rules.

Size and travel

1 to 8Every block you walk in the Nether is 8 blocks on the surface, so a Nether road between two cities is an eighth as long as the trip above.
It covers the whole EarthThe Nether's border is exactly one eighth of the map's, so every portal you build comes out somewhere on the real Earth, never past the edge.
Where am I?/getlocation works in the Nether too: it tells you the real-world place above you, with a Google Maps link.
Where should I dig?/coordinate <latitude> <longitude> gives the surface coordinates of any real place and the matching Nether ones, so you know where to build a portal.
Not on the web mapThe web map shows the surface only, so plan Nether roads with coordinates.

Gold and loot

No Nether goldNether gold ore doesn't generate and zombified piglins don't drop gold, so gold keeps its value as money.
Wither skeleton skullsWither skeletons don't drop their skulls. Skulls come from mining coal ore instead (1 in 15,000, not with Silk Touch). See Loot changes.
Banner patternsKilling a wither skeleton has a 1 in 100 chance to drop the Skull Charge banner pattern, and a hoglin the Snout pattern. Player kills only.
Without going to the NetherSmelt iron bars into blaze rods, surround blaze powder with redstone for 8 glowstone dust, and mix copper with diorite for 12 quartz.

Rules

BedsBeds don't explode in the Nether (or the End): you just can't sleep there.
Respawn anchorsDisabled: they can't be crafted, placed or charged.
SpawnersNether spawners can't be picked up with Silk Touch, and blaze spawners can't be broken at all.
VillagersVillagers don't trade in the Nether or the End. See Villager trading.