The Broken Kingdom WIP

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For about twenty years now I have had a story that's been sifting around my head but have never been quite able to get it to come out on paper. It worked well as a RPG campaign that I ran for some friends over around 5+ years during and after college/university, but when trying to make it something more than just "That awesome story we played through" I always seemed to come up empty.

Flash forward to the present day and I have an amazing little 8-yr old son that I am dying to impress and I think it's about time that I finish telling that story. So, over the past few days I have been plotting out a trilogy of books that I will write for him. At the very least, if I can make a story that he one day reads to his children, or that I get to read to my grandkids, it will be a project that was 100% worth it.

But, to tell this story, I need to understand the world it is set in, so what better way than to create a map?

So this is the first post of my worldbuilding project. The Broken Kingdom and its surrounding lands where the story takes place.

The story at its heart is one of two brothers who find themselves upon opposite sides of the greatest conflict of their time. One brother chose honour and love, while the other chose duty and loyalty.

1. Lands placed
2. First water texture laid
3. First land texture laid
4. Placement of major mountain ranges

Squires WIP 1.jpg

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I wasn't satisfied with the shape of the landmass, so redid it for a more United Kingdom feel. Added in mountains and terrain, layers of colour, rivers and lakes and began blending it until I was happy with the look. Added in border elements and a legend plate.

Squires WIP 2.jpg

[patamei]

This is fabulous. I can really see the Scottish influences in the coast of the northeast.

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Thanks very much Patamei! I wanted that fjord feel I get when looking at Norway or Scottland, so ended up cropping the scottish coastline and tracing parts of it quickly out so it retained the natural landscape. Tonight I am working on placing the locations within the lands, but want to keep them consistent with the story I am developing and travel distances, etc.

[ThomasR]

You achieved some very nice land textures and the map has a great flowy vibe. Good job !

[smiler127]

Thanks very much Thomas! I'm finding that the geography and shape is not quite matching up to the story I have but happy that I've got my colour palette down and other elements where I want them. Hoping to get a lot of work done on it today!

[smiler127]

Reconfigured the landscape to reflect locations and distances in my story better. Added in legend and corner elements, compass and dropped the fjords more southward. Still have settlements, locations and roads to place and wil try to finish them tonight.

BrokenKingdom v1.jpg

[smiler127]

I have finished the map and will post it in the finished channel