Merridia

[Schattenherz]

So here's a map I'm really proud of right now (but I know myself - I won't be in a few days). So I'll use the elation and post this. As last time I have to thank the nice and helpful community of this guild » WIP-Thread
I was inspired by those great and unreachable maps: EastHavenPort by wynn and Sheinar by a2area.

Merridia is the capital of Mérindar, a very standard-fantasy (=european-like) country in Alvarania. It's quite important not only because its the capital and an important commercial town, but because the members of my rpg board seem to feel at home there quite much
You may read more about it here (german): Merridia or, partly this thread: Weltgeschehen - Nordreiche. Maybe I'll extend those texts if I find time, as there are many new things to describe around the city.

From the WIP thread:

The river (which is now the canal crossing the city) was far too narrow in the older maps, as it's one of the longest rivers of the continent. I now compared it to the Elbe river in germany (about 2km wide at the river mouth). As I did not want to change the design of the city too much (the writers are used to it by now), I had to think of a way to keep the small "old" river while showing the "new" broad one. So here's my idea: The small river course once was much broader (also about 2km) and covered the space where the southern part of the city later was built. Two hamlets were built north of the river on slightly higher ground.
Eventually the river changed it's course to the north; the old course silted up and could no longer be used for fishing/merchant ships. The new river course is very shallow and has constantly changing river banks, so it was not suitable for shipping, too. The inhabitants of the villages began to build a canal where the old river course once was, drained the land where the southern part of Merridia now is and ended up with a navigable, strait canal which also is one of the reasons why Merridia is now a capital.

Spent about 20-25 hours on it and did everything in Photoshop. My computer nearly surrendered...
The one thinq I'm unsure about are the boxes containing name, scale and key to the numbers... but I had no better idea for placing them. So that's it.

merridia_schrift_04.jpg

edit: uploaded new version of map with less typos...