Elechos by Jaxilon

[Jaxilon]

This was a commission for French www.elechos.net a world being created for use with Neverwinter Nights 2. It is sort of a dark fantasy, post apocalyptic, steampunk western world. If you want to know more I think you need to know how to read French.

Everything was created digitally using Gimp except for the Serpent on the compass rose. That was sketched on paper, scanned and then painted in Gimp. Most labels were done using Inkscape and modified in Gimp.

I will admit I am rather happy with how this came out and may even print one out to hang on my office wall.


A couple points
- The area "Pays de Nod" is the epicenter of some catastrophic destruction that was unleashed there and it is massively destroyed. There is also a nuclear winter effect that spread towards the northwest from there encompassing the region of L'Osgard.

As this was a paid for commission please no reuse or posting without permission.

[eViLe_eAgLe]

This is awesome!! Nice job!

[RecklessEnthusiasm]

This is absolutely awesome. You have really developed a distinct, cool style, Jax!

[Lukc]

Massively awesome. I'm really fascinated by the little cities! They look pretty cool ... I must point out, though, that I have next to no idea where those rivers do flow ... (at least the ones in the Devil's Bouche)

[Jaxilon]

Thanks guys for the kind words.

@RE - I keep looking at this and thinking about when I first started and I can honestly say I think I have improved by leaps and bounds. I owe much of it to this awesome community because without all the feedback and encouragement I don't know if I would have kept fighting with the tools long enough. It is wonderfully satisfying to be able to lean back and look at something you made and say, "Yeah, I like that." So, if any of you out there are frustrated by the software just keep at it, be willing to get help when you need it and you will get better.

@Lukc - I made the cities using a combination of brush, pencil, eraser, bumpmap and created the corner towers with a single pixel pencil tool with a bright color light source popped in the center. The ruins were similar but not as detailed and I used the emboss. Incidentally, Luminis is in a crater. I was probably zoomed in like 500-600% while working on those tiny cities. The Noctavia river is rough to follow since it is cutting through a jungle but it is made up of two sources from either end of the dead swamps to the north if that helps.

Personally, I think the Volcano was the toughest part for me, it has lightning going off in the plume above it and trying to get all that glowing stuff look right was a bit of a challenge. Plus, if you look for reference photos there are not many from above because, well, nobody really wants to hover over an erupting volcano to get a shot I guess.

[Ramah]

That's a very nice map, Jax.

I especially like the swamp & waterfalls, the maelstrom and the compass rose. Great stuff.

[tilt]

looks great jax, I'll just rep-slam you with my +15 Volcano of burning rep lava - unfortunatly not enough to push you into the thousands, but close

[ravells]

Fabulous work, Jax! The style really conveys the sense of scale!

[Tigon]

The serpent is my favourite bit, amongst a whole host of most excellent bits and pieces all across the map. Huge admiration for your work here Jax, top drawer!

[arsheesh]

I agree with Tigon, the whole map is excellent, but the Serpent is my favorite part as well. Nicely done, and congrats.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh