April 2014 Entry - Land of Sorrow

[Domino44]

Sorrow would be the worst hell for me. I am a usually happy person so for me to be in a state of complete sorrow would mean that I had lost everyone I care about, for me nothing would be worse than that. A few years ago I wrote a poem based on sorrow, it is more about the mental effects of sorrow but I thought that I would change it to represent a physical realm.

I'm still working on the maze at the bottom of the map. I'm also planning on adding a lighthouse, a pit of darkness (where the horrors creep), a willow tree, a kind of misty area (the sky so deep), a ruin (all surroundings fall), I have a few other ideas but I think I need to think through them a little bit more.

I wanted the map to be cold because I hate the cold, I'm still trying to get the perspective right for the maze and if anyone has any ideas about how to get that right don't hesitate to tell me .

I tried a dark text with glow around it, and a light text with a shadow, I don't know which one I like better.
### LATEST WIP ###
sorrow'shellglow.jpg
sorrow'shell.jpg

[madcowchef]

Wonderful start, this is a very different style from your previous entries. I prefer the dark text, but I'm generally a dark on light kinda person. For the maze I'd make it conform more to the geography of the area its in. and keep it simple and textured like you have it but go more black than green (Carbus' wonderful mountains, like he used on this map seem a good reference). I like your take on things you don't like as a guide for hell, mine would be very dry and warm by comparison. Your poem is very mappable indeed!

[arsheesh]

Nice start Domino. Personally I prefer the lighter version, the darker one appears somewhat smudged to me when zoomed out.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Larb]

Yes I think the lighter version is better.

I can't imagine a hedge maze being in hell myself. I find hedge mazes one of the most enchanting things in the world. I love visiting them. And drawing them.

[Wingshaw]

I'm going to buck the trend, and say I prefer the light text against the dark background, although I think it might look better if the smoke-like patches behind the text were bigger, and faded more gradually (as they are, I think they cling too closely to each stanza). The same is true of the light version, but less noticeably.

Regarding the hedge maze, I think the problem you currently have with the perspective is that it looks top down, while the mountains look isometric. The best way to give the maze an isometric perspective (and thus make it match the mountains better) you would need to make the paths going into the distance go at angles away from the viewer (i.e. the viewer is situated right in the middle of the bottom frame, and so the paths would look like they converge on that point--basic perspective/vanishing point stuff). Admittedly, though, making this change might involve a lot more work.

Also, just out of curiosity, if this is the land of sorrow, where does that landbridge in the bottom lead?

Lastly, you have a few minor spelling mistakes in your poem. 'Dieing' is 'dying' and I'm not sure what 'meleady' means; did you mean 'malady' or 'melody' or neither?

THW

[Domino44]

Thanks for the great advice!

MCC: Great Idea to add a bit of black into the maze! When I first wrote this poem I wasn't thinking about mapping it at all but right now I'm glad it is very mappable.

Larb: I know what you mean by mazes being fun and enchanting, but in this case it's not so nice. The maze gives the people trapped inside hope, hope that someday they can navigate through it. The only thing worse then having no hope is having hope and it is crushed, over and over again. That is what this maze does. The lighthouse at the end of the maze also gives that false sense of hope, because lighthouses everyone knows are supposed to direct them to a safe place. This lighthouse likes to play tricks though.

THW: I have found myself still going back and forth on the text, I don't know which I like better. Thanks for the perspective advice about the maze, I'll see what I can do but as you said it would be a lot of work. Thanks for the spelling corrections I went over it again and found a few more that I fixed. And as for the land bridge, I personally don't think that hell would be eternal. It might be near impossible to escape from, but never the less possible. Therefore I decided to add this as a way to freedom. As I pointed out earlier though the glimmer of hope is also part of the this hell. But as for the land across the land bridge it might be something like this:
Fresh and free
Fields of green
And still more to be seen

I smile I laugh
Sunshine heat’s my heart
The flowers blooming is a shining piece art

Sunlit water
Sand between my toes
And so softly the wind blows

It’s a good life
The sun sends delight from above
I’m surrounded by the one’s I love

anyway here is an update

### Latest WIP ###
landofsorrow2.jpg

[Lingon]

Looks cool so far! Lovely mountains! I like the labyrinth idea, but I really think it'd be worth making the perspective coherent.

[Domino44]

Thanks Lingon! After working on trying to make the maze perspective right (for a long time) I decided to save my sanity and work on it later. I didn't like the way the text was looking so I tried a different feel. I also added a few more details.

### Latest WIP ###
landofsorrow3.jpg

[Azélor]

Maybe it's just me but I don't find your font particularly pleasant to read. I think wider letters might help on that matter.

[Maker of the Way]

Cool concept! The mountains look great and I love the addition of the crack in the ground and the ships wrecked on that southern (?- if there is any direction in hell) island. And the latest change to the text area is a winner. I feel it sets it off better , if that makes sense.