Bhindraene World Building Project

[bhanain03]

Been working on this project for years, as it is the setting of a series of novels I'm writing (also for years), but have just recently began to update it and bring my hand drawn work into the digital universe. Here's a look at the very early stages of this WIP.

BhinS151..jpg
General overview of land masses, lakes, and rivers on an aged paper background.

BhinNew..jpg
Another general overview, this time showing the mountain ranges in a beveled style. Unfinished physical rendition. Further texturing and stylistic details remain to be added along with labels and cartouche, compass rose, etc.

BhinPol..jpg
Political map showing the areas of settlement of different tribes and their major cities after 500 years into the first age (Traedern). The first and most crude territorial representation of over twenty separate political maps of different times in the world's history. Those I shall post as I engineer them in PS.

[mearrin69]

Looks pretty good...maybe some issues with rivers but I'll leave that to the River Police. I like your mountains! Have some rep.
M

[bhanain03]

Oh noes, I was dreading the arrival of the River Police already. :S

[Aenigma]

Cool map. Cool concept, but some of the names are hard to read because they blend in. Maybe you could change the font-colour or something?
Also, I don't wanna be bitchy, but some names... I can't figure out how to say them xD

Anyways, awesome work and I'd give rep If I knew how... ._.

[bhanain03]

Cool map. Cool concept, but some of the names are hard to read because they blend in. Maybe you could change the font-colour or something?
Also, I don't wanna be bitchy, but some names... I can't figure out how to say them xD

I lightened up the background behind the font but, yeah, I still see readability issues there. I'll try messing around with font colours, maybe add some effect to them but I think maybe the problem might just be the font itself, as some others I tried came in much darker (but weren't quite the style I wanted).

And that's part of the glory of fantasy - you don't need to be overly worried about pronouncing a lot of names correctly, just go with your first impression. As the author, there is the way I pronounce them but I certainly don't expect my phonetic interpretations to be an absolute for any readers.

Although this bit may help: Nearly every 'ae' combination I read as a long 'a' sound, such as in the word 'betray'. And words ending with a consonant and the letter 'e' follow English phonetics - that is, the 'e' is not pronounced but implies more emphasis on the previous consonant, such as in the word 'plane'. Double 'l's indicate a softer 'l' sound, such as one produced when the tongue starts touching the front of the hard palate, as opposed to an 'l' pronounced with the tongue starting directly behind the teeth. This pronunciation is the least vital, though, in my opinion, not only because the difference is so slight but because most languages and even several different accents of English always pronounce their 'l's in the first manner I stated. Apologies for going somewhat off-topic here. Phonetics doesn't have a lot to do with cartography.

[jwbjerk]

I lightened up the background behind the font but, yeah, I still see readability issues there. I'll try messing around with font colours, maybe add some effect to them but I think maybe the problem might just be the font itself, as some others I tried came in much darker (but weren't quite the style I wanted)...

Make your coastline stroke color significantly lighter, no need for it to be pure black. And it could be thinner-- your first map is a good example of both. Then you can keep the font you like and get better readability.

[bhanain03]

A second political map, jump forward 500 years. Hopefully this one is more readable, too. As you can see, there are more cities and coloured territories, reflecting the expansions and additions of new factions/tribes, although all coloured areas are part of the same solitary kingdom, Trie. White areas are places still wild, unsettled, or undiscovered.

BhinPol2..jpg

[bhanain03]

Just a quick edit of the previous map to show the single expansiveness of the kingdom of Trie without borders.

BhinPol3..jpg

[bhanain03]

All good things must come to an end. 1117 years into the first age, the kingdom of Trie erupts into a civil war that ends with the most bitter of costs, forever altering the course of mankind's destiny and humbling the gods themselves. Hope for redemption is scattered to the winds.

BhinPol4..jpg

[bhanain03]

E unum pluribus: Out of one, many. The collapse of the kingdom of Trie after the Trine War caused many factions to either assert their independence or group together to forge new kingdoms but one thing was certain: Trie was dead. The remnants of the giant empire in the old capital, Tanis Cordanis, became a shadow of their former glory; one that now had several substantial rivals. Peace became an illusive dream as the first age came to a close.

BhinPol5..jpg